Air Commodore Rizwan Butt, Defence Attaché accompanied the Ambassador in the meeting.
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Pakistan Ambassador calls on Commander of UAE Naval Forces
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Ireland deports bedoons who tore own passports
KUWAIT: Two bedoon brothers were taken to the Criminal Investigations Department after returning to Kuwait from Ireland where they reportedly headed to seek political asylum. The men tore their article 17 Kuwaiti passports and demanded asylum on the basis that they were subjected to persecution in Kuwait, according to the Irish authorities’ report. The two claimed they had lost their passports, but Irish police took reports of eyewitnesses who said that they saw them tearing their documents. The two were put back on a plane that had brought them from the United Arab Emirates where they had transited after a flight from Kuwait. They arrived at the Kuwait International Airport Tuesday and taken in police’s custody for questioning. A letter was sent to the General Department for Citizenship and Passports in the meantime containing a recommendation to include the two brothers on the blacklist of bedoons not allowed to obtain temporary passports for emergency travel.
Spotrs play an important role in development of personality,Javed Malik
DUBAI: Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Ambassador Javed Malik was the guest of honour alongwith diplomats from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India who were joined by the Chairman of Dubai Cricket Council at the launching ceremony of T-20 Super stars cricket tournament being organized in Dubai under the auspices of Dubai Cricket Council. Sixteen teams would take part in the high profile tournament which also includes *seven teams from Pakistan.
Speaking about the initiative Ambassador Javed Malik said “sports play an important role in connecting people and promoting a sense of healthy interaction aimed at building positive relations between the communities,and therefore we always support such initiatives that bring people together, this is part of diplomacy aimed at building positive relations"he added.
Speaking about the initiative Ambassador Javed Malik said “sports play an important role in connecting people and promoting a sense of healthy interaction aimed at building positive relations between the communities,and therefore we always support such initiatives that bring people together, this is part of diplomacy aimed at building positive relations"he added.
Durrani calls on Commander of UAE Air Force
DUBAHI:Ambassador of Pakistan H.E. Mr. Asif Durrani called on Major General. Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence at the Air Headquarters. Matters pertaining to close cooperation between the air forces of the two countries and the forthcoming visit of Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff,Pakistan Air Force were discussed during the meeting.
Issues pertaining to training of UAE air force personnel, and joint air exercises also came up for discussion.
Issues pertaining to training of UAE air force personnel, and joint air exercises also came up for discussion.
Putin congratulates Assad on Independence Day
DAMASCUS (SANA) President Bashar al-Assad received Wednesday a letter from the Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulating him on the Evacuation (Independence) Day.
President Putin said he is confident that a continued bolstering of traditional friendly relations between Russia and Syria and the constructive bilateral cooperation will help ensure stability and security in the Middle East.
President Putin wished President al-Assad health and success and the Syrian people peace and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Wael al-Halqi received a letter from his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, congratulating him on the occasion.
Medvedev said he is sure that a continued consolidating of mutual, multi-faceted ties between Syria and Russia and developing cooperation of mutual benefits in the trade, economic, scientific, artistic and cultural fields serves the interests of the two friendly nations.
Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, for his part, received a congratulation letter from his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. In his letter, Lavrov expressed confidence that the Syrian people can overcome ordeals, restore security and stability and lay the groundwork of prosperity for all citizens in a strong, democratic and undivided state.
Lavrov said that he highly appreciates close cooperation between Russia and Syria on all regional and international issues, affirming that Russia will continue to fully back the inter-Syrian dialogue and work to prevent external meddling in the affairs of the sovereign Syrian state.
President Putin said he is confident that a continued bolstering of traditional friendly relations between Russia and Syria and the constructive bilateral cooperation will help ensure stability and security in the Middle East.
President Putin wished President al-Assad health and success and the Syrian people peace and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Wael al-Halqi received a letter from his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, congratulating him on the occasion.
Medvedev said he is sure that a continued consolidating of mutual, multi-faceted ties between Syria and Russia and developing cooperation of mutual benefits in the trade, economic, scientific, artistic and cultural fields serves the interests of the two friendly nations.
Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, for his part, received a congratulation letter from his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. In his letter, Lavrov expressed confidence that the Syrian people can overcome ordeals, restore security and stability and lay the groundwork of prosperity for all citizens in a strong, democratic and undivided state.
Lavrov said that he highly appreciates close cooperation between Russia and Syria on all regional and international issues, affirming that Russia will continue to fully back the inter-Syrian dialogue and work to prevent external meddling in the affairs of the sovereign Syrian state.
Egypt police attack students at al-Azhar University
Egyptian riot police have attacked supporters of ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, at Cairo’s al-Azhar University.
Security forces used buckshot and tear gas to disperse the protesters at the university, which has been a common site of unrest in recent months.Dozens of protesting students were injured and several others bussed to detention centers.
Spokesmen for student protesters have claimed security forces fired live rounds at them.Violent clashes have been also reported in other universities in the cities of Zagazig and Asyut.
Armed men under the protection of security forces have reportedly attacked the protesters, causing injuries.The fierce clashes at university campuses have been the latest in a new wave of bloody crackdown against anti-military students.
Also on Wednesday, an Egyptian court sentenced nearly 120 supporters of Muslim Brotherhood to three years in jail each.The latest developments come after Egypt's former defense minister, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, officially submitted his bid to run for president.
Sisi led the overthrow of Morsi, suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament in July last year. He is also accused of leading a severe crackdown against the supporters of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.Egyptian military-installed interim officials have mounted a heavy-handed crackdown on Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Iraq shuts infamous Abu Ghraib prison over security fears
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq has closed Abu Ghraib prison, made infamous by Saddam Hussein s regime and US forces, due to security concerns following a mass breakout last year, the justice ministry said Tuesday.
The country is suffering a protracted surge in violence that has claimed more than 2,550 lives so far this year, and the area west of Baghdad where the prison is located is particularly insecure.
"The ministry of justice announced the complete closure of Baghdad Central Prison, previously (known as) Abu Ghraib, and the removal of the inmates in cooperation with the ministries of defence and justice," it said in an online statement.
The statement quoted Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari as saying that 2,400 inmates arrested or sentenced for terrorism-related offences have been transferred to other facilities in central and northern Iraq.
"The ministry took this decision as part of precautionary measures related to the security of prisons," Shammari said, adding that Abu Ghraib prison is "in a hot area." It was not immediately clear whether the closure was temporary or final.
The prison is located between Baghdad and the city of Fallujah, which has been held by anti-government fighters since early January.
The prison served as a notorious torture centre under now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein, with an estimated 4,000 detainees perishing there.
Abu Ghraib later became a byword for abuses carried out by US forces following the 2003 invasion when photographs surfaced the following year showing Iraqi detainees being humiliated by American guards, igniting worldwide outrage.
In July 2013, militants assaulted Abu Ghraib prison and another in Taji, north of Baghdad.
Officials said hundreds of inmates escaped and over 50 prisoners and members of the security forces were killed in the assaults, which were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a powerful jihadist group.
Iraq has been hit by a year-long surge in violence, driven principally by widespread anger among the Sunni Arab minority, who say they are mistreated by the Shiite-led government and security forces, as well as by the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
Violence in Iraq has killed more than 340 people since the beginning of the month, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
The country is suffering a protracted surge in violence that has claimed more than 2,550 lives so far this year, and the area west of Baghdad where the prison is located is particularly insecure.
"The ministry of justice announced the complete closure of Baghdad Central Prison, previously (known as) Abu Ghraib, and the removal of the inmates in cooperation with the ministries of defence and justice," it said in an online statement.
The statement quoted Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari as saying that 2,400 inmates arrested or sentenced for terrorism-related offences have been transferred to other facilities in central and northern Iraq.
"The ministry took this decision as part of precautionary measures related to the security of prisons," Shammari said, adding that Abu Ghraib prison is "in a hot area." It was not immediately clear whether the closure was temporary or final.
The prison is located between Baghdad and the city of Fallujah, which has been held by anti-government fighters since early January.
The prison served as a notorious torture centre under now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein, with an estimated 4,000 detainees perishing there.
Abu Ghraib later became a byword for abuses carried out by US forces following the 2003 invasion when photographs surfaced the following year showing Iraqi detainees being humiliated by American guards, igniting worldwide outrage.
In July 2013, militants assaulted Abu Ghraib prison and another in Taji, north of Baghdad.
Officials said hundreds of inmates escaped and over 50 prisoners and members of the security forces were killed in the assaults, which were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a powerful jihadist group.
Iraq has been hit by a year-long surge in violence, driven principally by widespread anger among the Sunni Arab minority, who say they are mistreated by the Shiite-led government and security forces, as well as by the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
Violence in Iraq has killed more than 340 people since the beginning of the month, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Monday, 7 April 2014
Disabled children ‘sexually harassed’ in Saudi Arab
The chairman of the Disability Society in the Gulf, Musaed al-Awla, said that students with Down’s Syndrome are being sexually harassed by students in general education schools in Saudi Arabia, Makkah daily reported.
The director of Special Education at the Ministry of Education, Abdullah al-Aqeel, said cases of sexual harassment are also present in girls’ schools, but they are isolated incidents.
Al-Awla said many families have withdrawn their children from schools due to the sexual harassment their children face. He criticized special education schools for failing to properly protect disabled students.
“Teachers allow all students to mix and play together during break time. Because of this, disabled children play with normal children with the latter sexually harassing them.”
Al-Aqeel, however, said cases of harassment among students exist in both boys’ and girls’ schools, and denied that only disabled children were being harassed. “These are individual and isolated cases and have not reached the level of becoming a phenomenon thanks to the values and religious teachings present in Saudi society. Every three or four years, one case occurs in one of the kingdom’s regions. The majority of these cases occur among students and rarely are teachers involved,” he said.
The director of Special Education at the Ministry of Education, Abdullah al-Aqeel, said cases of sexual harassment are also present in girls’ schools, but they are isolated incidents.
Al-Awla said many families have withdrawn their children from schools due to the sexual harassment their children face. He criticized special education schools for failing to properly protect disabled students.
“Teachers allow all students to mix and play together during break time. Because of this, disabled children play with normal children with the latter sexually harassing them.”
Al-Aqeel, however, said cases of harassment among students exist in both boys’ and girls’ schools, and denied that only disabled children were being harassed. “These are individual and isolated cases and have not reached the level of becoming a phenomenon thanks to the values and religious teachings present in Saudi society. Every three or four years, one case occurs in one of the kingdom’s regions. The majority of these cases occur among students and rarely are teachers involved,” he said.
Monday, 24 March 2014
Pakistanis in UAE celebrated National Day with gaiety and fervor
ABU DHABI:Pakistani nationals in the Abu Dhabi celebrated their National Day with gaiety and fervor.His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture,Youth Affairs and Community Development was the c
hief guest at a reception hosted by Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Asif Durrani in celebration of Pakistan's National Day. The reception was attended by large number of senior UAE officials, heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of the Pakistani community in the UAE.
hief guest at a reception hosted by Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Asif Durrani in celebration of Pakistan's National Day. The reception was attended by large number of senior UAE officials, heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of the Pakistani community in the UAE.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Asif Durrani recalled the struggle of the nation's forefathers and saluted their vision, under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to establish a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia.
He said that Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have deep-rooted,historic, fraternal relations that began with the creation of the UAE and that have gone from strength to strength with each passing year. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif accords highest priority to Pakistan's relations with the UAE, particularly in trade and investment, he said.
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates cooperate closely in a wide range of issues ranging from economy, investment, trade, and labour to education,defense, and culture.On this occasion, the Ambassador invited investors to enter Pakistani markets and benefit from the attractive investment policies of the present government. Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the apex body of engineers and contractors from Pakistan and co-sponsor of the reception, arranged an exhibition showcasing their products and services.During the reception, students of Pakistani schools in Abu Dhabi presented a cultural performance which included folk dances and tableau.
Saturday, 22 March 2014
RFE/RL's Baghdad Bureau Chief Shot Dead
BAGHDAD: An Iraqi presidential guard has shot dead the Baghdad bureau chief of RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI), Mohammed Bdaiwi Owaid.
The shooting occurred on March 22 at the gate of the compound housing RFI's offices in Jadriyah neighborhood.
Witnesses said Owaid was driving his car through the guarded gate, when he had a verbal argument over the right of passage with a member of the Kurdish peshmerga forces traveling in a vehicle. The officer shot Owaid before fleeing the scene.
The peshmerga militia is responsible for guarding the compound controlled by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, an ethnic Kurd, which also houses the presidential residence as well as offices and private residences.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met briefly with members of Owaid's family at the scene of the killing, and promised them to bring the killer to justice.
Maliki later followed the head of Baghdad security forces into the office of the unit guarding the compound. Two attack helicopters were seen hovering over the area.
Media activists held a demonstration in the area of the shooting.
The shooting occurred on March 22 at the gate of the compound housing RFI's offices in Jadriyah neighborhood.
Witnesses said Owaid was driving his car through the guarded gate, when he had a verbal argument over the right of passage with a member of the Kurdish peshmerga forces traveling in a vehicle. The officer shot Owaid before fleeing the scene.
The peshmerga militia is responsible for guarding the compound controlled by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, an ethnic Kurd, which also houses the presidential residence as well as offices and private residences.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met briefly with members of Owaid's family at the scene of the killing, and promised them to bring the killer to justice.
Maliki later followed the head of Baghdad security forces into the office of the unit guarding the compound. Two attack helicopters were seen hovering over the area.
Media activists held a demonstration in the area of the shooting.
Sunday, 16 March 2014
Syrian army captures strategic border town
DAMASCUS:Syrian forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, are in full control of Yabroud after clearing out rebels holed up in the strategic Syrian town for months, Syrian state media and opposition activists have reported.
Capturing Yabroud, the last major rebel bastion near the Lebanese border north of Damascus, will help President Bashar al-Assad secure the land route linking his Mediterranean coastal stronghold with the capital Damascus, and choke off a cross-border rebel supply line from Lebanon.
"The Syrian army is now in full control of the town of Yabroud in Damascus [province] and are now combing through the city and dismantling the roadside bombs planted by terrorists," SANA news agency reported on Sunday.
"We took total control of the town ," an army officer confirmed to the AFP news media as visibly exhausted soldiers rested on pavements lining the streets.
"This was the most difficult battle we have fought because the rebels were in mountains surrounding the town, and in buildings in Yabrud," the officer said.
"First we had to occupy the hills, and then on Saturday we entered the town through the east, up to the sports centre. Today we finished the work."
A military source told the Reuters news agency that most of the rebels had pulled out of Yabroud around dawn on Sunday, a day after pro-government forces had entered eastern districts of the town and captured several strategic hilltops in the surrounding Qalamoun mountains.
Abu al-Huda al-Homsi, an activist in Qalamoun, told Al Jazeera that the Syrian regime soldiers and Hezbollah stormed into Yabroud under a cover of heavy aerial and artillery bombardment.
"They used a scorched-earth policy, showering us with tens of shells every day until he fighters were forced to withdraw," he said.
But a spokesman for the rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria, said Assad's forces had not captured the city and that fighting was continuing on the outskirts of Yabroud.
Fighters flee
A fighter in Yabroud from Jabhat al-Nusra said the rebels were heading towards nearby rebel-held villages including Hosh Arab, Rankous and Flita.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese military source was quoted by Lebanese local channel LBC on Sunday as saying that more than 1,000 fighters fled to the mountainous border area near the Lebanese town of Arsal, a crossing point 20km to the northwest which rebels and refugees have used regularly.
The Jabhat al-Nusra fighter, however, told Reuters the rebels did not plan to withdraw to Arsal.
Ahmad Fliti, the vice mayor of Arsal, told Al Jazeera that the Syrian airforce launched two strikes on the outskirts of Arsal on Sunday. The Sunni town has been exposed to frequent aerial bombardment by the Syrian regime over the past year.
Al-Manar TV, the mouthpiece for Hezbollah, which spearheaded the fight to dislodge fighters from Yabroud, aired footage showing soldiers searching the town.With the fall of Yabroud, Hezbollah managed to sever a key rebel supply line to Arsal.
Capturing Yabroud, the last major rebel bastion near the Lebanese border north of Damascus, will help President Bashar al-Assad secure the land route linking his Mediterranean coastal stronghold with the capital Damascus, and choke off a cross-border rebel supply line from Lebanon.
"The Syrian army is now in full control of the town of Yabroud in Damascus [province] and are now combing through the city and dismantling the roadside bombs planted by terrorists," SANA news agency reported on Sunday.
"We took total control of the town ," an army officer confirmed to the AFP news media as visibly exhausted soldiers rested on pavements lining the streets.
"This was the most difficult battle we have fought because the rebels were in mountains surrounding the town, and in buildings in Yabrud," the officer said.
"First we had to occupy the hills, and then on Saturday we entered the town through the east, up to the sports centre. Today we finished the work."
A military source told the Reuters news agency that most of the rebels had pulled out of Yabroud around dawn on Sunday, a day after pro-government forces had entered eastern districts of the town and captured several strategic hilltops in the surrounding Qalamoun mountains.
Abu al-Huda al-Homsi, an activist in Qalamoun, told Al Jazeera that the Syrian regime soldiers and Hezbollah stormed into Yabroud under a cover of heavy aerial and artillery bombardment.
"They used a scorched-earth policy, showering us with tens of shells every day until he fighters were forced to withdraw," he said.
But a spokesman for the rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria, said Assad's forces had not captured the city and that fighting was continuing on the outskirts of Yabroud.
Fighters flee
A fighter in Yabroud from Jabhat al-Nusra said the rebels were heading towards nearby rebel-held villages including Hosh Arab, Rankous and Flita.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese military source was quoted by Lebanese local channel LBC on Sunday as saying that more than 1,000 fighters fled to the mountainous border area near the Lebanese town of Arsal, a crossing point 20km to the northwest which rebels and refugees have used regularly.
The Jabhat al-Nusra fighter, however, told Reuters the rebels did not plan to withdraw to Arsal.
Ahmad Fliti, the vice mayor of Arsal, told Al Jazeera that the Syrian airforce launched two strikes on the outskirts of Arsal on Sunday. The Sunni town has been exposed to frequent aerial bombardment by the Syrian regime over the past year.
Al-Manar TV, the mouthpiece for Hezbollah, which spearheaded the fight to dislodge fighters from Yabroud, aired footage showing soldiers searching the town.With the fall of Yabroud, Hezbollah managed to sever a key rebel supply line to Arsal.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Two Bahrain children wounded planting bomb: police
DUBAI (AFP): Two children, aged 10 and 11, were wounded while planting a roadside bomb in a Shiite village in Bahrain where a blast killed three policemen this week, police said Thursday.
"A group of terrorists exploited these children by asking them to plant a home-made bomb" in Daih, state news agency BNA quoted a police official as saying.
He said one child was "seriously" wounded when the device exploded.
Police photos showed one child s fingers mangled by the blast and both boys faces and bodies peppered with shrapnel.
Police said they have launched an investigation aimed at identifying those who incited the pair to plant the device.
Monday s explosion in Daih that killed three policemen was the bloodiest attack on security forces since the Shiite majority backed an uprising in February 2011 against the ruling Al-Khalifa family.
An officer from the United Arab Emirates was among the dead, making him the first officer from another Gulf state to be killed since forces from the region entered Bahrain in March 2011 to boost security personnel who later quelled the month-long uprising.
Public Security Chief Major General Tariq al-Hassan said in a statement that four more suspects in the "terrorist blast" have been detained, raising to 29 the number of arrests linked to Monday s attack.
The kingdom remains deeply divided with persistent protests sparking clashes with police, scores of Shiites jailed on "terror" charges and reconciliation talks deadlocked.
The International Federation for Human Rights says at least 89 people have been killed in Bahrain since February 2011.
Last year the authorities increased the penalties for those convicted of violence, introducing the death penalty or life sentences for those convicted in cases which result in death or injury.
"A group of terrorists exploited these children by asking them to plant a home-made bomb" in Daih, state news agency BNA quoted a police official as saying.
He said one child was "seriously" wounded when the device exploded.
Police photos showed one child s fingers mangled by the blast and both boys faces and bodies peppered with shrapnel.
Police said they have launched an investigation aimed at identifying those who incited the pair to plant the device.
Monday s explosion in Daih that killed three policemen was the bloodiest attack on security forces since the Shiite majority backed an uprising in February 2011 against the ruling Al-Khalifa family.
An officer from the United Arab Emirates was among the dead, making him the first officer from another Gulf state to be killed since forces from the region entered Bahrain in March 2011 to boost security personnel who later quelled the month-long uprising.
Public Security Chief Major General Tariq al-Hassan said in a statement that four more suspects in the "terrorist blast" have been detained, raising to 29 the number of arrests linked to Monday s attack.
The kingdom remains deeply divided with persistent protests sparking clashes with police, scores of Shiites jailed on "terror" charges and reconciliation talks deadlocked.
The International Federation for Human Rights says at least 89 people have been killed in Bahrain since February 2011.
Last year the authorities increased the penalties for those convicted of violence, introducing the death penalty or life sentences for those convicted in cases which result in death or injury.
Attacks in Baghdad area kill 21 people
BAGHDAD (AFP): Bombings mainly targeting Shiite areas of Baghdad and attacks on security force checkpoints in and around the capital killed at least 21 people Wednesday, officials said.
Iraq has been hit by a year-long surge in bloodshed that has reached levels not seen since 2008, driven by widespread discontent among its Sunni Arab minority and the bloody civil war in neighbouring Syria.
And Baghdad is hit by near-daily bombings and shootings.
Wednesday's seven car bombs and two roadside bombs, which struck six different areas of Baghdad, killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 70 people, the officials said.
One of the car bombs exploded near the University of Technology in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, killing three people and wounding at least 10.
"The terrorist was planning to blow up the car on the main road near the university," but security forces do not allow cars to stop there so he instead left it on a side street, a police officer at the scene said.
An AFP journalist saw the charred remains of the car, and said two cars and several nearby homes were damaged by the blast.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, Sunni jihadists often target members of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, whom they consider to be apostates.
Gunmen later attacked three checkpoints in Baghdad while a roadside bomb exploded near a fourth in Tarmiyah, north of the capital, killing at least four police and three soldiers.
Gunmen also attacked a bus northeast of the city of Baquba, killing an Indian man and wounding four others.
The violence came a day after two suicide bombers attacked the city council headquarters in Samarra, north of Baghdad, and took employees hostage.
A third bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle after police and anti-Al-Qaeda militiamen arrived at the scene, while the two inside blew themselves up after exchanging fire with security forces.
The violence, which showcased the impunity with which militants can strike even targets that should be highly secure, killed six people and wounded 46.
Powerful militant group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which operates in both Iraq and Syria, claimed the attack in a statement posted on the Honein jihadist forum.
The statement said that "three lions of the Islamic State" attacked the building, "killed its guards and executed its members, and took complete control of the council."
Militants have carried out similar assaults elsewhere in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad, and battled security forces for control of the Sulaiman Bek area, killing dozens of people.
The government also faces a more than two-month crisis in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, where it has lost the city of Fallujah as well as shifting parts of provincial capital Ramadi to anti-government militants.
This is the first time anti-government forces have exercised such open control in major cities since the peak of the deadly violence that followed the US-led invasion of 2003.
More than 370,000 people may have been displaced by the violence in Anbar during the latest crisis, according to the United Nations.
Violence in Iraq has killed more than 1,800 people since January 1, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Iraq has been hit by a year-long surge in bloodshed that has reached levels not seen since 2008, driven by widespread discontent among its Sunni Arab minority and the bloody civil war in neighbouring Syria.
And Baghdad is hit by near-daily bombings and shootings.
Wednesday's seven car bombs and two roadside bombs, which struck six different areas of Baghdad, killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 70 people, the officials said.
One of the car bombs exploded near the University of Technology in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, killing three people and wounding at least 10.
"The terrorist was planning to blow up the car on the main road near the university," but security forces do not allow cars to stop there so he instead left it on a side street, a police officer at the scene said.
An AFP journalist saw the charred remains of the car, and said two cars and several nearby homes were damaged by the blast.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, Sunni jihadists often target members of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, whom they consider to be apostates.
Gunmen later attacked three checkpoints in Baghdad while a roadside bomb exploded near a fourth in Tarmiyah, north of the capital, killing at least four police and three soldiers.
Gunmen also attacked a bus northeast of the city of Baquba, killing an Indian man and wounding four others.
The violence came a day after two suicide bombers attacked the city council headquarters in Samarra, north of Baghdad, and took employees hostage.
A third bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle after police and anti-Al-Qaeda militiamen arrived at the scene, while the two inside blew themselves up after exchanging fire with security forces.
The violence, which showcased the impunity with which militants can strike even targets that should be highly secure, killed six people and wounded 46.
Powerful militant group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which operates in both Iraq and Syria, claimed the attack in a statement posted on the Honein jihadist forum.
The statement said that "three lions of the Islamic State" attacked the building, "killed its guards and executed its members, and took complete control of the council."
Militants have carried out similar assaults elsewhere in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad, and battled security forces for control of the Sulaiman Bek area, killing dozens of people.
The government also faces a more than two-month crisis in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, where it has lost the city of Fallujah as well as shifting parts of provincial capital Ramadi to anti-government militants.
This is the first time anti-government forces have exercised such open control in major cities since the peak of the deadly violence that followed the US-led invasion of 2003.
More than 370,000 people may have been displaced by the violence in Anbar during the latest crisis, according to the United Nations.
Violence in Iraq has killed more than 1,800 people since January 1, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Friday, 28 February 2014
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Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Wave of car bombs in Iraq kills 19, injures dozens
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Ten car bombs in central Iraq, including five in Baghdad, killed at least 19 people Tuesday, officials said, after another series of blasts the day before.
Iraqi authorities have so far failed to curb a year-long surge in violence plaguing the country, despite carrying out wide-ranging operations against militants.
The blasts in the Iraqi capital hit four different areas, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 30.
And three more car bombs exploded in Hilla, south of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 22, while one in Mussayib and another in Iskandiriyah killed a total of four people and wounded 32.
Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when it was emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings that claimed tens of thousands of lives.
And all of one major city and parts of another in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, have been held by anti-government fighters for weeks.
Attacks and clashes have killed more than 480 people so far this month and over 1,450 since the start of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Iraqi authorities have so far failed to curb a year-long surge in violence plaguing the country, despite carrying out wide-ranging operations against militants.
The blasts in the Iraqi capital hit four different areas, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 30.
And three more car bombs exploded in Hilla, south of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 22, while one in Mussayib and another in Iskandiriyah killed a total of four people and wounded 32.
Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when it was emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings that claimed tens of thousands of lives.
And all of one major city and parts of another in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, have been held by anti-government fighters for weeks.
Attacks and clashes have killed more than 480 people so far this month and over 1,450 since the start of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Sunday, 16 February 2014
4 tourists killed in blast in Egypt's Sinai
CAIRO:An explosion ripped through a tourist bus near a border crossing between Egypt and Israel in the Sinai Peninsula, killing four South Koreans and the Egyptian driver, security officials said.The officials said the source of the explosion was not clear, but they believe it was either a car bomb or a roadside bomb that was detonated by remote control.The death toll climbed after initial reports said three people, including the driver, were killed.
Almost all 33 passengers on the bus were wounded by the explosion and were being treated in hospitals in Egypt and across the border in the Israeli port city of Eilat, said the officials.
They said the bus had arrived at the Taba crossing from the ancient Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine's in central Sinai.
Almost all 33 passengers on the bus were wounded by the explosion and were being treated in hospitals in Egypt and across the border in the Israeli port city of Eilat, said the officials.
They said the bus had arrived at the Taba crossing from the ancient Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine's in central Sinai.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Bahrain: policeman dies from injuries after car bomb attack
MANAMA:A policeman has died after being injured in a bomb attack in Bahrain.
The blast happened during protests marking the third anniversary of the country’s uprising on Friday when demonstrators attempted to reach the site of a brutal crackdown almost three years ago.
The policeman was one of two officers wounded in the village of Dair close to the capital in an explosion described by the interior ministry as a “terror blast.” The ministry added that a parked car was set on fire with Molotov cocktails and a police bus damaged in the incident.
The majority Shia community says it wants democratic reform and an end to what it sees as discrimination from the minority Sunni monarchy.
The 2011 uprising was put down by the government with help from troops from Saudi Arabia.
The Interior Ministry said that security officers would be sent to some regions over the next few days “to ensure people’s safety.”
The blast happened during protests marking the third anniversary of the country’s uprising on Friday when demonstrators attempted to reach the site of a brutal crackdown almost three years ago.
The policeman was one of two officers wounded in the village of Dair close to the capital in an explosion described by the interior ministry as a “terror blast.” The ministry added that a parked car was set on fire with Molotov cocktails and a police bus damaged in the incident.
The majority Shia community says it wants democratic reform and an end to what it sees as discrimination from the minority Sunni monarchy.
The 2011 uprising was put down by the government with help from troops from Saudi Arabia.
The Interior Ministry said that security officers would be sent to some regions over the next few days “to ensure people’s safety.”
Friday, 14 February 2014
Non-democratic process reproducing oppression and dictatorship in country,Bahrainian opposition
MANAMA:The National Democratic Opposition parties in Bahrain said that the injustice of a discriminatory election system is a form of political persecution, which has been used against the Bahraini people to deprive them of their will. They added that unfair electoral districts lead to unsuccessful elections, as well as reproducing oppression and dictatorship in the country.
On 11th February 2014 the opposition parties held the fifth consecutive peaceful rally marking the 14th February uprising that broke out three years ago. The rally took place in Bilad Al-Qadeem, west of the capital Manama. In the final communiqué, the opposition parties emphasized "The Bahraini people have been calling for a productive political process to create a system that will lead to the founding of a modern state in Bahrain, which is based on good citizenship. The Bahraini people are calling for a parliament with full powers through fair elections where all votes are equal, they are calling for an impartial independent judiciary that provides security for all."
On 11th February 2014 the opposition parties held the fifth consecutive peaceful rally marking the 14th February uprising that broke out three years ago. The rally took place in Bilad Al-Qadeem, west of the capital Manama. In the final communiqué, the opposition parties emphasized "The Bahraini people have been calling for a productive political process to create a system that will lead to the founding of a modern state in Bahrain, which is based on good citizenship. The Bahraini people are calling for a parliament with full powers through fair elections where all votes are equal, they are calling for an impartial independent judiciary that provides security for all."
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Pak-Khyber Wing of Pakistan Association Dubai calls on Pak Ambassador
ABU DHABI:A nine-member delegation of the Pak-Khyber Wing of Pakistan Association Dubai called on Pakistani Ambassador Asif Durrani in Abu Dhabi.Prominent members of the delegation included Mr. Khayal Zaman Aurakzai MNA and Mr.Ayub Afridi, Chairman of the Pak-Khyber Wing.
During the meeting,The Ambassador heard the grievances of the delegation members,particularly on consular services and the Pakistani community schools. He assured the community representatives that the Embassy and Consulate General will make all efforts to improve the quality of public service delivery.
Mr. Durrani informed the community members that the Embassy is formulating a strategy to secure a share for Pakistani businesses and labour in the construction, hospitality and retail sector arising out of the Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The delegation welcomed the new Ambassador to UAE and extended an invitation to him to address a larger gathering of the Association in Dubai.
Mr.Tariq Wazir,Acting Consul General of Pakistan,Dubai and Mr.Salman Sharif,First Secretary,assisted the Ambassador during the meeting.
During the meeting,The Ambassador heard the grievances of the delegation members,particularly on consular services and the Pakistani community schools. He assured the community representatives that the Embassy and Consulate General will make all efforts to improve the quality of public service delivery.
Mr. Durrani informed the community members that the Embassy is formulating a strategy to secure a share for Pakistani businesses and labour in the construction, hospitality and retail sector arising out of the Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The delegation welcomed the new Ambassador to UAE and extended an invitation to him to address a larger gathering of the Association in Dubai.
Mr.Tariq Wazir,Acting Consul General of Pakistan,Dubai and Mr.Salman Sharif,First Secretary,assisted the Ambassador during the meeting.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Baghdad bomb blasts kill 26; Iraqi troops fight Sunni militants
BAGHDAD: Seven bomb explosions killed 26 people and wounded 67 in the Iraqi capital on Monday, police and medics said, as security forces battled Sunni Muslim militants around the western cities of Falluja and Ramadi.
The bloodiest attack occurred in the mainly Shia Muslim Abu Dsheer district in southern Baghdad, where a car bomb near a crowded market killed seven people and wounded 18.
No group claimed responsibility for the blasts. But Sunni insurgents, some of them linked to Al Qaeda, are widely blamed for a surge in violence in the past year apparently aimed at undermining the Shia-led government and provoking a return to all-out sectarian strife.
Al Qaeda militants and their local allies seized control of Falluja and parts of Ramadi on Jan 1, exploiting resentment among minority Sunnis against the government for policies perceived as unfairly penalising their once-dominant community.
Five of Monday's bombs targeted mainly Shia districts of the capital, while two were in mostly Sunni areas.
Sporadic fighting again flared around Falluja and Ramadi.
Anti-government tribesmen attacked an army barracks in Saqlawiya, 10 km (six miles) northwest of Falluja, and destroyed two Humvee vehicles, before army helicopter gunships forced them to retreat.
One of the attackers was killed and two wounded, police said. There was no word on casualties among the army.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who faces a parliamentary election on April 30, has ruled out a full-scale army assault on Falluja, urging tribesmen to drive Al Qaeda militants from the city, where US troops occupying Iraq fought some of their toughest battles with Sunni insurgents in 2004.
An Iraqi journalist, Firas Mohammed, was killed by a roadside bomb that exploded near a police station in Khaldiya, a town between Falluja and Ramadi, on Sunday, police said. He had worked for the local television channel in Falluja.
Ten journalists were killed in Iraq last year, the highest number anywhere except Syria, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
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