Tensions between Israel and Iran continue to simmer, Israel has now accused Iran of launching attacks on Israelis visiting other countries. According to sources, Iran has been seeking to harm Israelis via cyber attacks.

Israel accuses Iran of plotting attacks

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

“I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” the prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wrote on Twitter after the predawn attack. In a video appealing for peace, he appeared with his wrist wrapped in what seemed to be a white gauze bandage.

A senior official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, said on state television that the prime minister’s house in the fortified Green Zone had been targeted by three armed drones.

Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the attack as a prelude to a coup, tweeting that “we cannot accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its constitutional system.”

On Friday, tensions over results of the October&nbsp;10 parliamentary elections came to a head after a clash outside the Green Zone the site of the executed leader Saddam Hussein’s former palace grounds&nbsp; where the US Embassy and many other Western diplomatic missions are. Iraqi security forces used tear gas and live ammunition on militia members protesting the election results after the protesters tried to breach the heavily fortified zone’s barriers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-pm-says-have-identified-perpetrators-of-drone-assassination-attempt-427565">Also read |&nbsp;Iraqi PM says have identified perpetrators of drone assassination attempt</a>

Leaders of Iranian-backed militias&nbsp;to which most of the protesters belong&nbsp;have blamed al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s former intelligence chief, for the use of force that killed at least one person.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Iranian-backed militias, identified the person killed as Abdul Latif al-Khuwayldi, one of its brigade deputy commanders. The Iraqi Health Ministry said that more than 120 other people at the demonstration had been wounded, most of them security forces trying to hold back the protesters.

Iraq’s election commission has yet to announce final results for the nationwide elections held almost a month ago as it wades through fraud accusations. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner, at the expense of Iranian-backed parties that lost seats. Al-Sadr, whose fighters battled American forces during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, is viewed as an Iraqi nationalist with an uneasy relationship with Iran.

Political analysts believe those gains were mostly because of a more sophisticated strategy by the Sadrist organization, taking advantage of a new electoral system, which has an increased number of electoral districts. The United Nations, which had observers at the polls, praised the process. The political wings of the militia groups that lost seats claim they were defrauded.

One of al-Kadhimi’s main goals has been to rein in Iranian-backed militias. After 2014, when many were created to fight the Islamic State group, some of the biggest militias have been integrated into Iraq’s official security forces. Those militia forces, though, only nominally answer to the Iraqi government and some are blamed for continuing attacks on US&nbsp;interests.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday on the prime minister’s residence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/act-of-terrorism-says-us-after-iraq-prime-minister-escapes-drone-attack-427472">Also read | Act of terrorism, says US after Iraq Prime Minister escapes drone attack</a>

Most analysts saw the attack as a warning to al-Kadhimi and his allies rather than as an assassination attempt. The prime minister has remained in power by balancing Iraqi relations between Iran and the United States, and he is seeking another term.

“What we’ve seen in the past is the use of violence, not necessarily to assassinate, but to warn that, ‘We’re here,’ ” said Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the think tank Chatham House. “I think this would also be a warning perhaps gone wrong because you can gain a bit more popularity and sympathy as the prime minister who survived an assassination attempt.”

The attack, though, significantly complicates efforts to form a government. Such efforts rely on forging alliances among parties, some of them with armed wings, to form the biggest bloc in Parliament.

A US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, called the strike Sunday an “apparent act of terrorism” that was “directed at the heart of the Iraqi state.”

Although al-Kadhimi said that both he and those who work with him were fine, the Iraqi military command said that several guards were being treated for injuries.

Photographs released on state media of damage to the house showed cracked concrete steps, doors apparently blown off their hinges and what looked like shrapnel holes in the back of a parked vehicle.

Al-Sadr, whose movement has won the highest number of seats of any political bloc in Parliament, described the attack as an attempt to return the country to the control of “nonstate forces to make Iraq live under riots, violence and terrorism.”

Iranian-backed groups that have previously threatened al-Kadhimi condemned the drone strikes.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the militia group, which was among those that lost seats in the parliamentary elections, called the strikes an attempt to divert attention from the deadly clash outside the Green Zone on Friday and blamed foreign intelligence agencies.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, expressed relief that the Iraqi prime minister had not been hurt in the attack. In a statement, Khatibzadeh blamed the strikes on an unspecified foreign plot.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-prime-minister-escapes-assassination-attempt-after-explosive-laden-drone-targets-his-house-427315">Also read |&nbsp;Iraqi Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt after explosive-laden drone targets his house</a>

Abu Ali al-Askari, the nom de guerre of one of the leaders of Kitaib Hezbollah, a main Iranian-backed militia, accused al-Kadhimi of playing the role of a victim and said that no one in Iraq considered the Iraqi leader’s home worth losing a drone over.

“If there is anyone who wants to harm this Facebook creature there are many ways that are less costly and more guaranteed to achieve this,” he said in a posting on his Telegram channel.

While the attack has raised fears of growing instability amid Iraq’s political turmoil, the country’s citizens seemed to generally shrug it off. Later Sunday morning, the start of the Iraqi workweek, Baghdad streets were full of the normal rush-hour traffic jams.

Near one of the entrances to the Green Zone, food vendors placed spatchcocked chickens to cook over charcoal grills on crowded sidewalks. Inside a butcher shop, a green parrot perched on a pole greeted customers by chirping out “meenoo” — “who is that” in the Iraqi dialect of Arabic.

“We are used to these incidents,” said Ali al-Hussayni, 50, the shop owner, about the attack on al-Kadhimi. “I am not saying people are not scared at all, but we have seen far worse than this.”

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections. “I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” the prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wrote on Twitter after the predawn attack. In a video appealing for peace, he appeared with his wrist wrapped in what seemed to be a white gauze bandage. A senior official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, said on state television that the prime minister’s house in the fortified Green Zone had been targeted by three armed drones. Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the attack as a prelude to a coup, tweeting that “we cannot accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its constitutional system.” On Friday, tensions over results of the October 10 parliamentary elections came to a head after a clash outside the Green Zone the site of the executed leader Saddam Hussein’s former palace grounds where the US Embassy and many other Western diplomatic missions are. Iraqi security forces used tear gas and live ammunition on militia members protesting the election results after the protesters tried to breach the heavily fortified zone’s barriers. Also read | Iraqi PM says have identified perpetrators of drone assassination attempt Leaders of Iranian-backed militias to which most of the protesters belong have blamed al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s former intelligence chief, for the use of force that killed at least one person. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Iranian-backed militias, identified the person killed as Abdul Latif al-Khuwayldi, one of its brigade deputy commanders. The Iraqi Health Ministry said that more than 120 other people at the demonstration had been wounded, most of them security forces trying to hold back the protesters. Iraq’s election commission has yet to announce final results for the nationwide elections held almost a month ago as it wades through fraud accusations. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner, at the expense of Iranian-backed parties that lost seats. Al-Sadr, whose fighters battled American forces during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, is viewed as an Iraqi nationalist with an uneasy relationship with Iran. Political analysts believe those gains were mostly because of a more sophisticated strategy by the Sadrist organization, taking advantage of a new electoral system, which has an increased number of electoral districts. The United Nations, which had observers at the polls, praised the process. The political wings of the militia groups that lost seats claim they were defrauded. One of al-Kadhimi’s main goals has been to rein in Iranian-backed militias. After 2014, when many were created to fight the Islamic State group, some of the biggest militias have been integrated into Iraq’s official security forces. Those militia forces, though, only nominally answer to the Iraqi government and some are blamed for continuing attacks on US interests. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday on the prime minister’s residence. Also read | Act of terrorism, says US after Iraq Prime Minister escapes drone attack Most analysts saw the attack as a warning to al-Kadhimi and his allies rather than as an assassination attempt. The prime minister has remained in power by balancing Iraqi relations between Iran and the United States, and he is seeking another term. “What we’ve seen in the past is the use of violence, not necessarily to assassinate, but to warn that, ‘We’re here,’ ” said Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the think tank Chatham House. “I think this would also be a warning perhaps gone wrong because you can gain a bit more popularity and sympathy as the prime minister who survived an assassination attempt.” The attack, though, significantly complicates efforts to form a government. Such efforts rely on forging alliances among parties, some of them with armed wings, to form the biggest bloc in Parliament. A US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, called the strike Sunday an “apparent act of terrorism” that was “directed at the heart of the Iraqi state.” Although al-Kadhimi said that both he and those who work with him were fine, the Iraqi military command said that several guards were being treated for injuries. Photographs released on state media of damage to the house showed cracked concrete steps, doors apparently blown off their hinges and what looked like shrapnel holes in the back of a parked vehicle. Al-Sadr, whose movement has won the highest number of seats of any political bloc in Parliament, described the attack as an attempt to return the country to the control of “nonstate forces to make Iraq live under riots, violence and terrorism.” Iranian-backed groups that have previously threatened al-Kadhimi condemned the drone strikes. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the militia group, which was among those that lost seats in the parliamentary elections, called the strikes an attempt to divert attention from the deadly clash outside the Green Zone on Friday and blamed foreign intelligence agencies. A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, expressed relief that the Iraqi prime minister had not been hurt in the attack. In a statement, Khatibzadeh blamed the strikes on an unspecified foreign plot. Also read | Iraqi Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt after explosive-laden drone targets his house Abu Ali al-Askari, the nom de guerre of one of the leaders of Kitaib Hezbollah, a main Iranian-backed militia, accused al-Kadhimi of playing the role of a victim and said that no one in Iraq considered the Iraqi leader’s home worth losing a drone over. “If there is anyone who wants to harm this Facebook creature there are many ways that are less costly and more guaranteed to achieve this,” he said in a posting on his Telegram channel. While the attack has raised fears of growing instability amid Iraq’s political turmoil, the country’s citizens seemed to generally shrug it off. Later Sunday morning, the start of the Iraqi workweek, Baghdad streets were full of the normal rush-hour traffic jams. Near one of the entrances to the Green Zone, food vendors placed spatchcocked chickens to cook over charcoal grills on crowded sidewalks. Inside a butcher shop, a green parrot perched on a pole greeted customers by chirping out “meenoo” — “who is that” in the Iraqi dialect of Arabic. “We are used to these incidents,” said Ali al-Hussayni, 50, the shop owner, about the attack on al-Kadhimi. “I am not saying people are not scared at all, but we have seen far worse than this.”

Fears of wider instability in Iraq after attack on Prime Minister’s home

Prosecutors volunteered Friday to review hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pages of classified CIA documents in the Sept. 11 case to determine if some material provided to defense lawyers was too heavily redacted.

The acknowledgment that some secrets at the Guantánamo court may no longer be secret came on the fourth day of a hearing in the complex conspiracy case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men who are accused of plotting the hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001. The capital case has been in pretrial hearings since 2012, one reason information once considered national security secrets may now be made public.

In a presentation, James G. Connell III, a defense lawyer for Mohammed’s nephew, Ammar al-Baluchi, told the court that he had so far obtained 1,025 pages of once classified cables and other documents from the CIA through the Freedom of Information Act, which included more details than prosecutors and the judge had approved for use at the eventual death-penalty trial. The agency is preparing to release another 2,100 pages of secret documents, Connell said.

Connell offered as an example a May 3, 2003, report from a CIA black site prison on an interrogation of Baluchi, probably in Pakistan, that the agency released through the Freedom of Information Act.

The prosecution version, invoking a national security privilege, covered up the day of the month as part of a routine practice by prosecutors of blurring dates of CIA reports from the black sites; omitted the title “Ammar al Baluchi Interview” and certain tracking information; and redacted parts of sentences showing the source of certain information was Majid Khan, another black site prisoner, who recently said in court that he made up lies while being tortured to satisfy his interrogators.

A lead prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., agreed to the review, saying that “there is some reconciliation that needs to be done” by his team. He said prosecutors would compare documents released by the CIA under FOIA to those his team had prepared and given to defense lawyers.

Trivett said that if the CIA has subsequently changed its theories or rules of classification, “it cannot be” that “the public” has access to more complete documents than do defense lawyers and, potentially, ultimately a jury.

Mohammed and the other defendants were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003. The case is mired in hearings on whether admissions they made to FBI agents after their arrival in Guantánamo in 2007 were tainted by their torture.

The new judge, Col. Matthew N. McCall of the Air Force, is hearing dozens of pleadings by defense lawyers who want the court to order the government to search for and turn over information they argue may be missing from the first six or seven years of the accused plotters’ detention.

It was unclear how much time the prosecution’s review would take or whether it would further delay efforts by prosecutors to bring the case to trial. Trivett also did not appear to commit to review all the classified documents in the case.

But the development underscored how the landscape of public information has changed in the nearly 10 years that the case has been in pretrial proceedings, particularly through litigation in other courts and through government leaks.

Just last month, when the Supreme Court wrestled with national security invocations in a civil case involving claims of torture of a Guantánamo prisoner, Abu Zubaydah, at an overseas CIA prison, several justices openly named the country in question as Poland.

“The fact that he was tortured by these contractors in Poland, that’s not a state secret?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked in a question that, under current rules at the court at Guantánamo Bay, would have constituted a spill of classified information.

To prevent such information from reaching the public from the Guantánamo proceedings, the Pentagon court has a 40-second delay on audio broadcast into the spectator’s gallery, time for a security officer inside the court to mute what the public hears.

Prosecutors have consistently invoked the national security privilege for the names of every country that hosted a black site in the CIA program, which was established in 2002 and was closed in 2009, because the nations that permitted the United States to run the secret prisons were promised anonymity. Permitting the site to be mentioned, the explanation goes, would harm foreign relations.

Two years ago, prosecutors were forced to revisit their classification decisions in Guantánamo’s other death-penalty case after the Army judge there ruled that their deletions “could fairly be characterized as self-serving and calculated to avoid embarrassment,” and “indicative of a minimalist view” of evidence defense lawyers were entitled to receive.

Trivett, a lead prosecutor in the Sept. 11 case, committed his team to conducting the review soon after Connell’s presentation, rather than wait for the judge’s ruling on the question.

Prosecutors volunteered Friday to review hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pages of classified CIA documents in the Sept. 11 case to determine if some material provided to defense lawyers was too heavily redacted.

Prosecutors volunteered Friday to review hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pages of classified CIA documents in the Sept. 11 case to determine if some material provided to defense lawyers was too heavily redacted. The acknowledgment that some secrets at the Guantánamo court may no longer be secret came on the fourth day of a hearing in the complex conspiracy case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men who are accused of plotting the hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001. The capital case has been in pretrial hearings since 2012, one reason information once considered national security secrets may now be made public. In a presentation, James G. Connell III, a defense lawyer for Mohammed’s nephew, Ammar al-Baluchi, told the court that he had so far obtained 1,025 pages of once classified cables and other documents from the CIA through the Freedom of Information Act, which included more details than prosecutors and the judge had approved for use at the eventual death-penalty trial. The agency is preparing to release another 2,100 pages of secret documents, Connell said. Connell offered as an example a May 3, 2003, report from a CIA black site prison on an interrogation of Baluchi, probably in Pakistan, that the agency released through the Freedom of Information Act. The prosecution version, invoking a national security privilege, covered up the day of the month as part of a routine practice by prosecutors of blurring dates of CIA reports from the black sites; omitted the title “Ammar al Baluchi Interview” and certain tracking information; and redacted parts of sentences showing the source of certain information was Majid Khan, another black site prisoner, who recently said in court that he made up lies while being tortured to satisfy his interrogators. A lead prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., agreed to the review, saying that “there is some reconciliation that needs to be done” by his team. He said prosecutors would compare documents released by the CIA under FOIA to those his team had prepared and given to defense lawyers. Trivett said that if the CIA has subsequently changed its theories or rules of classification, “it cannot be” that “the public” has access to more complete documents than do defense lawyers and, potentially, ultimately a jury. Mohammed and the other defendants were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003. The case is mired in hearings on whether admissions they made to FBI agents after their arrival in Guantánamo in 2007 were tainted by their torture. The new judge, Col. Matthew N. McCall of the Air Force, is hearing dozens of pleadings by defense lawyers who want the court to order the government to search for and turn over information they argue may be missing from the first six or seven years of the accused plotters’ detention. It was unclear how much time the prosecution’s review would take or whether it would further delay efforts by prosecutors to bring the case to trial. Trivett also did not appear to commit to review all the classified documents in the case. But the development underscored how the landscape of public information has changed in the nearly 10 years that the case has been in pretrial proceedings, particularly through litigation in other courts and through government leaks. Just last month, when the Supreme Court wrestled with national security invocations in a civil case involving claims of torture of a Guantánamo prisoner, Abu Zubaydah, at an overseas CIA prison, several justices openly named the country in question as Poland. “The fact that he was tortured by these contractors in Poland, that’s not a state secret?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked in a question that, under current rules at the court at Guantánamo Bay, would have constituted a spill of classified information. To prevent such information from reaching the public from the Guantánamo proceedings, the Pentagon court has a 40-second delay on audio broadcast into the spectator’s gallery, time for a security officer inside the court to mute what the public hears. Prosecutors have consistently invoked the national security privilege for the names of every country that hosted a black site in the CIA program, which was established in 2002 and was closed in 2009, because the nations that permitted the United States to run the secret prisons were promised anonymity. Permitting the site to be mentioned, the explanation goes, would harm foreign relations. Two years ago, prosecutors were forced to revisit their classification decisions in Guantánamo’s other death-penalty case after the Army judge there ruled that their deletions “could fairly be characterized as self-serving and calculated to avoid embarrassment,” and “indicative of a minimalist view” of evidence defense lawyers were entitled to receive. Trivett, a lead prosecutor in the Sept. 11 case, committed his team to conducting the review soon after Connell’s presentation, rather than wait for the judge’s ruling on the question.

Some Sept 11 trial secrets may not be secrets anymore

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said.

The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said.

Another said that civilians were among those killed by small arms fire in the village, home to many members of the security services.

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The area has been sealed off and reinforcements sent to hunt for the attackers, the first source said.

Both sources said most of the village's inhabitants belong to the same Bani Tamim tribe as the Diyala provincial governor.

IS surged to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but its "caliphate" later crumbled under successive attacks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hardship-of-life-heartbreaking-photo-of-syrian-father-son-wins-sipa-awards-2021-423996">'Hardship of Life': Heartbreaking photo of Syrian father &amp; son wins SIPA awards 2021</a>

Iraq declared it defeated in 2017 and the group was smashed in neighbouring Syria in 2019.

But the jihadist threat remains and the group continues to carry out attacks.

A UN report published early this year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.

In early September, 13 Iraqi federal police officers were killed in an IS attack on their checkpoint near northern city Kirkuk.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-syria-terrorists-actively-entering-afghanistan-vladimir-putin-420560">Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin</a>

In July, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, Sadr City, in which around 30 people died.

Earlier this month, authorities announced two significant arrests outside Iraq: of the planner of a 2016 IS-claimed attack that killed 320 in Baghdad, and of IS's suspected finance chief, Sami Jasim al-Jaburi.

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said. The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said.

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said. The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said. Another said that civilians were among those killed by small arms fire in the village, home to many members of the security services. Also Read | Car bomb kills six in Syria's Afrin: Monitor The area has been sealed off and reinforcements sent to hunt for the attackers, the first source said. Both sources said most of the village's inhabitants belong to the same Bani Tamim tribe as the Diyala provincial governor. IS surged to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but its "caliphate" later crumbled under successive attacks. Also read | 'Hardship of Life': Heartbreaking photo of Syrian father & son wins SIPA awards 2021 Iraq declared it defeated in 2017 and the group was smashed in neighbouring Syria in 2019. But the jihadist threat remains and the group continues to carry out attacks. A UN report published early this year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria. In early September, 13 Iraqi federal police officers were killed in an IS attack on their checkpoint near northern city Kirkuk. Also Read | Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin In July, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, Sadr City, in which around 30 people died. Earlier this month, authorities announced two significant arrests outside Iraq: of the planner of a 2016 IS-claimed attack that killed 320 in Baghdad, and of IS's suspected finance chief, Sami Jasim al-Jaburi.

11 dead in Iraq attack blamed on IS group: Security sources

India and UK on Friday agreed on the need to ensure that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists.

This statement was issued after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with the visiting UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss and discussed several issues including strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and countering terrorism and radical extremism.

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A statement issued by External Affairs Ministry said that Mr Jaishankar and Ms Truss discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest while sharing their commitment to a multi-polar world and multilateralism.

"They agreed to strengthen cooperation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, on countering terrorism and radical extremism, and addressing emerging challenges in the cyber and space domains," the statement said.

"On Afghanistan, the need for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance was discussed, as also the need for Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist attacks," it added.

Both Ministers undertook a detailed review of the Roadmap 2030 launched during the India-UK Virtual Summit held on May 4, 2021.

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India and UK Roadmap 2030 aimed to elevate the India-UK relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and this will also guide cooperation for the next 10 years covering all aspects of our multi-faceted relations.

During her stay in New Delhi, Ms Truss also met the Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.

On October 23, she will be visiting Mumbai where she will participate in business and defence engagements held in connection with the visit of Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) to India. She would also pay her respects at the memorial to honour the victims of the terrorist attack in Mumbai on &nbsp;November 26, 2008.

India and UK on Friday agreed on the need to ensure that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists.

India and UK on Friday agreed on the need to ensure that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists. This statement was issued after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with the visiting UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss and discussed several issues including strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and countering terrorism and radical extremism. Also Read | Jaishankar calls on Israeli Prez, PM; discusses bilateral relations A statement issued by External Affairs Ministry said that Mr Jaishankar and Ms Truss discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest while sharing their commitment to a multi-polar world and multilateralism. "They agreed to strengthen cooperation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, on countering terrorism and radical extremism, and addressing emerging challenges in the cyber and space domains," the statement said. "On Afghanistan, the need for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance was discussed, as also the need for Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist attacks," it added. Both Ministers undertook a detailed review of the Roadmap 2030 launched during the India-UK Virtual Summit held on May 4, 2021. Also Read | Jaishankar discusses expanding academic research between India, Israel India and UK Roadmap 2030 aimed to elevate the India-UK relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and this will also guide cooperation for the next 10 years covering all aspects of our multi-faceted relations. During her stay in New Delhi, Ms Truss also met the Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. On October 23, she will be visiting Mumbai where she will participate in business and defence engagements held in connection with the visit of Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) to India. She would also pay her respects at the memorial to honour the victims of the terrorist attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

Need to ensure Afghan territory is not used to attack any country, say Jaishankar, UK counterpart

Gunmen killed at least seven people and left others wounded in an assault Friday on an Islamic seminary in a Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, police said.

The attackers shot some victims and stabbed others with knives, a regional police chief said.

The killings come as tensions mount in the camps that house more than 900,000 refugees from Myanmar, after a Rohingya community leader was shot dead outside his office three weeks ago.

Four people were killed instantly in Friday's attack and three others died at a hospital in the Balukhali camp. Police did not say how many people were wounded.

"We arrested one attacker immediately after the incident," Shihab Kaisar Khan, regional chief for an armed police battalion, told reporters.

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The man was found with a gun, six rounds of ammunition and a knife, he added.

Many Rohingya activists have gone into hiding since the killing of rights advocate Mohib Ullah by unknown assailants.

Some activists have blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the killing. ARSA is the militant group behind attacks on Myanmar security forces in 2017 that set off a military clampdown and a mass exodus into Bangladesh of 740,000 Rohingya.

The armed outfit has denied the allegations.&nbsp;

Activists say there is a mounting "climate of fear" in the camps. Police said security had been tightened as they investigate the causes of the latest shooting.

Gunmen killed at least seven people and left others wounded in an assault Friday on an Islamic seminary in a Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, police said.

Gunmen killed at least seven people and left others wounded in an assault Friday on an Islamic seminary in a Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, police said. The attackers shot some victims and stabbed others with knives, a regional police chief said. The killings come as tensions mount in the camps that house more than 900,000 refugees from Myanmar, after a Rohingya community leader was shot dead outside his office three weeks ago. Four people were killed instantly in Friday's attack and three others died at a hospital in the Balukhali camp. Police did not say how many people were wounded. "We arrested one attacker immediately after the incident," Shihab Kaisar Khan, regional chief for an armed police battalion, told reporters. Also Read | Bangladesh plans to move 81,000 Rohingya to island after UN deal: Officials The man was found with a gun, six rounds of ammunition and a knife, he added. Many Rohingya activists have gone into hiding since the killing of rights advocate Mohib Ullah by unknown assailants. Some activists have blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the killing. ARSA is the militant group behind attacks on Myanmar security forces in 2017 that set off a military clampdown and a mass exodus into Bangladesh of 740,000 Rohingya. The armed outfit has denied the allegations. Activists say there is a mounting "climate of fear" in the camps. Police said security had been tightened as they investigate the causes of the latest shooting.

Seven killed in Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camp attack

A bomb attack on an army in killed 14 people Wednesday in the bloodiest such attack to strike the Syrian capital in four years, the SANA state news agency reported.

The violence appeared to mark one of the bloodiest days in months in Syria, where a decade of conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and fractured the country.

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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Damascus bomb, which exploded as a bus carrying army personnel was crossing a bridge in the middle of the capital during the morning rush hour, state television reported.

Syrian state TV posted on its Telegram account images of the charred cabin of the bus, and rescue workers could be seen removing body parts. The channel reported at least 14 people were killed and three wounded.

Two explosive devices went off as the bus was on the Hafez al-Assad bridge, it said. A third device was defused by an army engineering unit in what officials said was a terrorist blast.

Bomb attacks in Damascus have been rare since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad crushed rebel enclaves around the city. Helped by a Russian military presence and Iranian Shi’ite militias, Assad now controls most of the country.

Northwestern Syria is the last major stronghold of rebels fighting Assad. The witnesses and rescue workers said shelling struck residential areas of the rebel-held town of Ariha shortly after the Damascus bomb attack.

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Among the casualties were several school children, witnesses and medical workers in the opposition enclave said.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said government forces and Iran-backed groups targeted a market place in the Ariha town centre.

Islamic State militants continue to operate in the Syrian desert, where they have mounted several attacks this year on army vehicles.

A bomb attack on an army in killed 14 people Wednesday in the bloodiest such attack to strike the Syrian capital in four years, the SANA state news agency reported.

A bomb attack on an army in killed 14 people Wednesday in the bloodiest such attack to strike the Syrian capital in four years, the SANA state news agency reported. The violence appeared to mark one of the bloodiest days in months in Syria, where a decade of conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and fractured the country. Also Read | Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Damascus bomb, which exploded as a bus carrying army personnel was crossing a bridge in the middle of the capital during the morning rush hour, state television reported. Syrian state TV posted on its Telegram account images of the charred cabin of the bus, and rescue workers could be seen removing body parts. The channel reported at least 14 people were killed and three wounded. Two explosive devices went off as the bus was on the Hafez al-Assad bridge, it said. A third device was defused by an army engineering unit in what officials said was a terrorist blast. Bomb attacks in Damascus have been rare since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad crushed rebel enclaves around the city. Helped by a Russian military presence and Iranian Shi’ite militias, Assad now controls most of the country. Northwestern Syria is the last major stronghold of rebels fighting Assad. The witnesses and rescue workers said shelling struck residential areas of the rebel-held town of Ariha shortly after the Damascus bomb attack. Also Read | Car bomb kills six in Syria's Afrin: Monitor Among the casualties were several school children, witnesses and medical workers in the opposition enclave said. Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said government forces and Iran-backed groups targeted a market place in the Ariha town centre. Islamic State militants continue to operate in the Syrian desert, where they have mounted several attacks this year on army vehicles.

14 killed in army bus bombing in Damascus

Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday termed the attacks on Durga Puja pavilions as 'pre-planned' and said these attacks were aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh.

This came after multiple cases have been filed against hundreds of named and unnamed people for the attacks in Comilla on Wednesday, Dhaka Tribune reported.

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The alleged defamation of the Holy Quran and subsequent attacks on the Hindus in Comilla were premeditated and aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh, the Home Minister said.

"It appears to us that it was a motivated act instigated by a vested group," he added.When he was asked about the reason behind the Comilla incident, the minister said, "We'll make it public once we get all the evidence and those who were involved in it will be given exemplary punishment."

"Not only in Comilla, but attempts were also made to destabilize the country previously through communal violence in Ramu and Nasirnagar," Khan was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

"No incident has been reported since Saturday night. Our security forces are working patiently based on intelligence information.

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Those who are trying to destroy communal peace will not succeed," Khan added.The Home Minister's remarks came after Wednesday's communal violence that broke out in several places in Bangladesh after news broke on social media about the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a Durga Puja venue on the bank of Nanuar Dighi.Several puja venues were vandalized in the area of Chandpur, Chittagong, Gazipur, Bandarban, Chapainawabganj, and Moulvibazar.

The clashes resulted in several casualties, reported Dhaka Tribune.On Friday, one man named Jatan Kumar Saha was also killed and 17 others were injured in an attack in Begumganj Upazila of the country's Noakhali district during Durga puja celebrations on Vijaya Dashami, Dhaka Tribune reported.&nbsp;

Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday termed the attacks on Durga Puja pavilions as 'pre-planned' and said these attacks were aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh.

Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday termed the attacks on Durga Puja pavilions as 'pre-planned' and said these attacks were aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh. This came after multiple cases have been filed against hundreds of named and unnamed people for the attacks in Comilla on Wednesday, Dhaka Tribune reported. Also Read | Hindu temples, Durga puja pandals vandalised in Bangladesh, 4 killed The alleged defamation of the Holy Quran and subsequent attacks on the Hindus in Comilla were premeditated and aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh, the Home Minister said. "It appears to us that it was a motivated act instigated by a vested group," he added.When he was asked about the reason behind the Comilla incident, the minister said, "We'll make it public once we get all the evidence and those who were involved in it will be given exemplary punishment." "Not only in Comilla, but attempts were also made to destabilize the country previously through communal violence in Ramu and Nasirnagar," Khan was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune. "No incident has been reported since Saturday night. Our security forces are working patiently based on intelligence information. Also Read | Hours after PM's warning, ISKCON temple vandalised in Bangladesh Those who are trying to destroy communal peace will not succeed," Khan added.The Home Minister's remarks came after Wednesday's communal violence that broke out in several places in Bangladesh after news broke on social media about the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a Durga Puja venue on the bank of Nanuar Dighi.Several puja venues were vandalized in the area of Chandpur, Chittagong, Gazipur, Bandarban, Chapainawabganj, and Moulvibazar. The clashes resulted in several casualties, reported Dhaka Tribune.On Friday, one man named Jatan Kumar Saha was also killed and 17 others were injured in an attack in Begumganj Upazila of the country's Noakhali district during Durga puja celebrations on Vijaya Dashami, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Attacks on Durga puja pavilions 'pre-planned', says Bangladesh home minister

Bangladesh State Minister for Information Murad Hassan has stated that Bangladesh is a secular country that would revert to the 1972 constitution proposed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Bangladesh cannot be a haven for religious fundamentalists.

The state minister said, ‘We have the blood of freedom fighters in our body. At any cost, we have to go back to the constitution of '72. I will speak in Parliament to go back to the constitution that Bangabandhu went through. Even if no one speaks, Murad will speak in Parliament.' 
 
Watch | Gravitas | Bangladesh riots: Jamaat-E-Islami behind attacks on Hindus tag Sheikh Hasina, Bdesh govt

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The state minister made the remarks while speaking at the Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (IEB) auditorium on the occasion of the 57th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.&nbsp;

He stated, "I do not think that Islam is our state religion. We'll go back to the constitution of 1972. We'll get that bill enacted in parliament under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership." 
 
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"We'll soon return to the 1972 secular constitution issued by Bangladesh's founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, following independence."

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"This is a non-communal Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a secular country. Everyone will practise their faith here."

He slammed former military rulers Hussain Muhammad Ershad and Ziaur Rahman for integrating Islam as the official religion into the constitution, and he slammed the BNP-Jamaat for inciting violence and dividing the country in the name of religion.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh State Minister for Information Murad Hassan has stated that Bangladesh is a secular country that would revert to the 1972 constitution proposed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Bangladesh State Minister for Information Murad Hassan has stated that Bangladesh is a secular country that would revert to the 1972 constitution proposed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh cannot be a haven for religious fundamentalists. The state minister said, ‘We have the blood of freedom fighters in our body. At any cost, we have to go back to the constitution of '72. I will speak in Parliament to go back to the constitution that Bangabandhu went through. Even if no one speaks, Murad will speak in Parliament.' Watch | Gravitas | Bangladesh riots: Jamaat-E-Islami behind attacks on Hindus tag Sheikh Hasina, Bdesh govt The state minister made the remarks while speaking at the Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (IEB) auditorium on the occasion of the 57th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He stated, "I do not think that Islam is our state religion. We'll go back to the constitution of 1972. We'll get that bill enacted in parliament under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership." Also Read | Hours after PM's warning, ISKCON temple vandalised in Bangladesh "We'll soon return to the 1972 secular constitution issued by Bangladesh's founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, following independence." × "This is a non-communal Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a secular country. Everyone will practise their faith here." He slammed former military rulers Hussain Muhammad Ershad and Ziaur Rahman for integrating Islam as the official religion into the constitution, and he slammed the BNP-Jamaat for inciting violence and dividing the country in the name of religion. (With inputs from agencies)

Islam is not our state religion, will revert to 1972 constitution: Bangladesh Minister after attack on Hindus

Vice-President of ISKCON, Kolkata, Radharaman Das on Saturday condemned the attack on the ISKCON temple in Bangladesh and urged Prime Minister Modi to hold talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to end the cycle of violence.

While speaking to ANI, Radharaman Das, said, "We called PM residence and requested his secretary to inform PM that he should speak with Bangladesh PM to end this cycle of violence. Yesterday, around 500 mobs entered our temple premises and broke deities, brutally injured devotees. Two of them died.

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"We've written a letter to United Nations and appealed them to condemn this and send a delegation to Bangladesh," said Radharamn Das.

On Friday, a mob allegedly attacked an ISKCON temple in Bangladesh's Noakhali district and according to the community, one of its members was killed.

"It is with great grief that we share the news of an ISKCON member, Partha Das, who was brutally killed yesterday by a mob of over 200 people.

His body was found in a pond next to the temple. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh for immediate action in this regard," the official Twitter handle of the ISKCON community said.

Vice-President of ISKCON, Kolkata, Radharaman Das on Saturday condemned the attack on the ISKCON temple in Bangladesh and urged Prime Minister Modi to hold talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to end the cycle of violence.

Vice-President of ISKCON, Kolkata, Radharaman Das on Saturday condemned the attack on the ISKCON temple in Bangladesh and urged Prime Minister Modi to hold talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to end the cycle of violence. While speaking to ANI, Radharaman Das, said, "We called PM residence and requested his secretary to inform PM that he should speak with Bangladesh PM to end this cycle of violence. Yesterday, around 500 mobs entered our temple premises and broke deities, brutally injured devotees. Two of them died. Also Read | Hours after PM's warning, ISKCON temple vandalised in Bangladesh "We've written a letter to United Nations and appealed them to condemn this and send a delegation to Bangladesh," said Radharamn Das. On Friday, a mob allegedly attacked an ISKCON temple in Bangladesh's Noakhali district and according to the community, one of its members was killed. "It is with great grief that we share the news of an ISKCON member, Partha Das, who was brutally killed yesterday by a mob of over 200 people. His body was found in a pond next to the temple. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh for immediate action in this regard," the official Twitter handle of the ISKCON community said.

'Send Delegation To Bangladesh': ISKCON to UN over attack on devotees

Taliban authorities pledged to step up security at Shi'ite mosques after the second Islamic State attack in a week on worshippers killed more than 40 people in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday.

The hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the Fatima mosque in Kandahar which saw a group of suicide bombers shoot their way into the mosque before blowing themselves up among the worshippers.

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A health official said the casualty toll from the attack stood at 41 dead and 70 wounded but the toll could still rise further. "Some of the wounded are in a critical condition and we are trying to transfer them to Kabul," he said.

The head of Kandahar police said units would be assigned to protect the Shi'ite mosques which have so far been guarded by local volunteer forces with special permission to carry weapons.

"Unfortunately they could not protect this area and in future we will assign special security guards for the protection of mosques and Madrasas," he said in a statement posted on Twitter by a Taliban spokesman.

The attack on the Fatima mosque, the largest Shi'ite mosque in Kandahar, also known as the Imam Bargah mosque, came a week after a similar attack on a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed as many as 80 people.

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Attacks on Shi'ite mosques and targets associated with the Hazara ethnic minority, who make up the biggest Shi'ite group in Afghanistan, were regular occurrences under the former Western-backed government.

There has been deep shock as the attacks have continued since the Taliban seized power in August, tarnishing the movement's claim to have brought peace to Afghanistan after decades of war.

Since the takeover, Islamic State has conducted dozens of operations, from small scale attacks on Taliban targets to large-scale operations such as Friday's suicide bombing, killing scores of civilians.

Taliban authorities pledged to step up security at Shi'ite mosques after the second Islamic State attack in a week on worshippers killed more than 40 people in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday.

Taliban authorities pledged to step up security at Shi'ite mosques after the second Islamic State attack in a week on worshippers killed more than 40 people in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday. The hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the Fatima mosque in Kandahar which saw a group of suicide bombers shoot their way into the mosque before blowing themselves up among the worshippers. Also Read | Kabul market named after George W Bush is now Mujahideen bazar: Taliban on name change spree A health official said the casualty toll from the attack stood at 41 dead and 70 wounded but the toll could still rise further. "Some of the wounded are in a critical condition and we are trying to transfer them to Kabul," he said. The head of Kandahar police said units would be assigned to protect the Shi'ite mosques which have so far been guarded by local volunteer forces with special permission to carry weapons. "Unfortunately they could not protect this area and in future we will assign special security guards for the protection of mosques and Madrasas," he said in a statement posted on Twitter by a Taliban spokesman. The attack on the Fatima mosque, the largest Shi'ite mosque in Kandahar, also known as the Imam Bargah mosque, came a week after a similar attack on a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed as many as 80 people. Also Read | At least 55 killed in Afghanistan's Kunduz mosque blast: Taliban official Attacks on Shi'ite mosques and targets associated with the Hazara ethnic minority, who make up the biggest Shi'ite group in Afghanistan, were regular occurrences under the former Western-backed government. There has been deep shock as the attacks have continued since the Taliban seized power in August, tarnishing the movement's claim to have brought peace to Afghanistan after decades of war. Since the takeover, Islamic State has conducted dozens of operations, from small scale attacks on Taliban targets to large-scale operations such as Friday's suicide bombing, killing scores of civilians.

Taliban pledge to step up security at Shi'ite mosques after Friday's attack

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas'&nbsp;- an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target.

Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state.

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According to the NIA, these terror operatives use the porous Bangladesh border to enter the country.

The alert issued by the state home department asked Durga puja organisers to set up systems to monitor crowd movement. They have been asked to install CCTV cameras and watch towers in the vicinity of puja pandals and work in close coordination with the local police station.

The notice also mentioned that immersion of all idols have to be completed between October 15 (Dashami) and October 18 in consultation with local police stations. "In the context of the prevailing threats from divisive and terrorist groups to destabilise the country and to create law-and-order problems, you are advised to exercise utmost vigilance during the celebration of the festivals," the statement read.

It further suggested, "The community puja organizers should be asked to engage adequate numbers of volunteers in Puja pandals to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious persons and all the volunteers should be directed to keep in touch with local police constantly."

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"The state government's effort to involve the puja committees in the security mechanism is a significant development. It shows that the state home department is planning for a wider safety and security chain which in itself is conclusive enough to understand the importance and the possibility of an attack," a senior official of the state home department said.

The NIA arrested Aal Halif alias Abu Ibrahim -&nbsp;one of the most dreaded IS handlers in this subcontinent from Bengaluru in 2020. This IS handler was a meritorious student of economics before his entry into the terror world. Halif disguised as Sujit Chandra Debnath was working as an assistant of a mason in Bengaluru.

Similarly, Kolkata STF -&nbsp;the elite Kolkata Police force arrested three JMB handlers - Naziur Rahman Pavel, Mikail Khan and Rabiul Islam -&nbsp;who sneaked into the India and were residing in the posh residential area of the city.

To avoid detection, Pavel used the Hindu name Jayram Bepari. He and Mekail Khan alias Sheikh Sabbir befriended two Hindu women in the Haridevpur area and had planned to get married. This would have helped them recruit more people without arousing suspicion.

These are not isolated examples but there are several other instances when the terror handlers have been using religion as a tool to fox the investigators. "Religion is no more a taboo for the terror groups rather they are using it as a tool to hide their identity. Changing religion is no more an important thing for these handlers rather they are using it effectively to dodge surveillance," a senior Kolkata Special Task Force Officer (STF) said.

Another factor that is keeping the police and the investigation agencies on the tenterhooks is the lockdown and the subsequent unemployment which is making the work of these terror groups easier. Taking advantage of the porous border with Bangladesh and unemployment, international terror groups like JMB, Ansarullah Faction and even Islamic State are trying to spread their network in the state. The aim is to make West Bengal, the headquarters of the terror activities in entire eastern India.

Sometimes through direct interaction and at times through online, they are targeting brainy but unemployed young boys and girls in the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police have secured this information from the three JMB terrorists who were arrested by the STF sleuths recently from a colony in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The investigation officials are worried that because of systematic brainwashing by these terror groups many meritorious but unemployed youths are getting lost from mainstream society.

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas' - an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target. Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state.

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas' - an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target. Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state. Also Read | Dasara festivities begin in Mysuru amid COVID-19 restrictions According to the NIA, these terror operatives use the porous Bangladesh border to enter the country. The alert issued by the state home department asked Durga puja organisers to set up systems to monitor crowd movement. They have been asked to install CCTV cameras and watch towers in the vicinity of puja pandals and work in close coordination with the local police station. The notice also mentioned that immersion of all idols have to be completed between October 15 (Dashami) and October 18 in consultation with local police stations. "In the context of the prevailing threats from divisive and terrorist groups to destabilise the country and to create law-and-order problems, you are advised to exercise utmost vigilance during the celebration of the festivals," the statement read. It further suggested, "The community puja organizers should be asked to engage adequate numbers of volunteers in Puja pandals to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious persons and all the volunteers should be directed to keep in touch with local police constantly." Also Read | No Indian plans to participate in SCO anti-terror exercises in Pakistan "The state government's effort to involve the puja committees in the security mechanism is a significant development. It shows that the state home department is planning for a wider safety and security chain which in itself is conclusive enough to understand the importance and the possibility of an attack," a senior official of the state home department said. The NIA arrested Aal Halif alias Abu Ibrahim - one of the most dreaded IS handlers in this subcontinent from Bengaluru in 2020. This IS handler was a meritorious student of economics before his entry into the terror world. Halif disguised as Sujit Chandra Debnath was working as an assistant of a mason in Bengaluru. Similarly, Kolkata STF - the elite Kolkata Police force arrested three JMB handlers - Naziur Rahman Pavel, Mikail Khan and Rabiul Islam - who sneaked into the India and were residing in the posh residential area of the city. To avoid detection, Pavel used the Hindu name Jayram Bepari. He and Mekail Khan alias Sheikh Sabbir befriended two Hindu women in the Haridevpur area and had planned to get married. This would have helped them recruit more people without arousing suspicion. These are not isolated examples but there are several other instances when the terror handlers have been using religion as a tool to fox the investigators. "Religion is no more a taboo for the terror groups rather they are using it as a tool to hide their identity. Changing religion is no more an important thing for these handlers rather they are using it effectively to dodge surveillance," a senior Kolkata Special Task Force Officer (STF) said. Another factor that is keeping the police and the investigation agencies on the tenterhooks is the lockdown and the subsequent unemployment which is making the work of these terror groups easier. Taking advantage of the porous border with Bangladesh and unemployment, international terror groups like JMB, Ansarullah Faction and even Islamic State are trying to spread their network in the state. The aim is to make West Bengal, the headquarters of the terror activities in entire eastern India. Sometimes through direct interaction and at times through online, they are targeting brainy but unemployed young boys and girls in the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police have secured this information from the three JMB terrorists who were arrested by the STF sleuths recently from a colony in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The investigation officials are worried that because of systematic brainwashing by these terror groups many meritorious but unemployed youths are getting lost from mainstream society.

Bengal sounds terror alert during Durga Puja

A landmark ruling by Poland's top court rejecting the supremacy of EU law marks an attack on the European Union, France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said on Friday.

"It is very serious there is the risk of a de-facto exit" of Poland from the EU, he told the BFM-TV broadcaster in an interview, adding "I do not want the exit of Poland".

"This is an attack on the EU by a constitutional court that was modelled by the Polish government," Beaune said.

The court on Friday ruled that some EU treaty articles were "incompatible" with the Polish constitution and warned EU institutions not to "act beyond the scope of their competencies" by interfering with Poland's judiciary.

Poland and the EU are at odds over judicial reforms introduced by Poland's governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party which Brussels warns threaten the country's democracy.

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"This is not a technical or a legal question. This is a highly political topic that adds to a long list of provocations aimed at the EU," Beaune said of the Polish ruling.

"When you join a club you sign a contract that is called a treaty, which was ratified by referendum in Poland. This was the choice of the Polish people," he said.

Beaune said Poland's government "does not respect the values and fundamental principles of the EU, women's rights, minority rights, or the independence of the judiciary and the media," he said.

"There are 80 million Polish people and they want to remain in the EU. They did not want this," Beaune said.

The EU Commission said on Thursday it would use all the tools available to ensure the primacy of EU law in Poland.

A landmark ruling by Poland's top court rejecting the supremacy of EU law marks an attack on the European Union, France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said on Friday.

A landmark ruling by Poland's top court rejecting the supremacy of EU law marks an attack on the European Union, France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said on Friday. "It is very serious there is the risk of a de-facto exit" of Poland from the EU, he told the BFM-TV broadcaster in an interview, adding "I do not want the exit of Poland". "This is an attack on the EU by a constitutional court that was modelled by the Polish government," Beaune said. The court on Friday ruled that some EU treaty articles were "incompatible" with the Polish constitution and warned EU institutions not to "act beyond the scope of their competencies" by interfering with Poland's judiciary. Poland and the EU are at odds over judicial reforms introduced by Poland's governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party which Brussels warns threaten the country's democracy. Also Read | France: Inquiry reveals 216,000 cases of paedophilia by Catholic priests since 1950 "This is not a technical or a legal question. This is a highly political topic that adds to a long list of provocations aimed at the EU," Beaune said of the Polish ruling. "When you join a club you sign a contract that is called a treaty, which was ratified by referendum in Poland. This was the choice of the Polish people," he said. Beaune said Poland's government "does not respect the values and fundamental principles of the EU, women's rights, minority rights, or the independence of the judiciary and the media," he said. "There are 80 million Polish people and they want to remain in the EU. They did not want this," Beaune said. The EU Commission said on Thursday it would use all the tools available to ensure the primacy of EU law in Poland.

France calls Poland court ruling 'attack against EU'

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred on Tuesday near Bambari, the CAR's fourth-biggest city, when three cars came under fire, leaving a "toll of 11 dead and six wounded, said Saturnin Nicaise Grepandet, the area's deputy prefect.

A provisional toll earlier listed seven dead, while aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 15 had died.

The CAR, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country in the heart of Africa, has been locked in a brutal conflict since 2013 when its then president, Francois Bozize, was overthrown by an armed group drawn mainly from the Muslim minority.

The coup triggered a bloodbath with the so-called "anti-Balaka," a force drawn mainly from the Christian and animist communities.

Bozize's elected successor, Faustin Archange Touadera, has struggled to exert control and swathes of the country remain in the hands of armed groups.

In Bambari, a city lying 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of the capital Bangui, rebels from the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), one of the biggest armed groups in the region, recently killed two government troops.

The authorities on October 1 extended a curfew period in response to the worsening security.

A coalition of six rebel groups last December advanced on Bangui in the runup to presidential elections, but were thwarted after Russia and Rwanda rushed military support for Touadera.

A UN report in March said hundreds of violations and abuses of human rights had been documented over the previous year, leading to at least 1,221 deaths, including 144 civilians.

Some of the cases were attributable to the CAR armed forces and "private military personnel," it said, referring to the Russian paramilitaries.

The CAR government in a report last Friday acknowledged that some abuses had been committed by "Russian instructors," but contended that the rebels were to blame for most of the cases.

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Eleven civilians were killed by rebels in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), where government forces are battling armed groups, a senior official said on Wednesday. The attack occurred on Tuesday near Bambari, the CAR's fourth-biggest city, when three cars came under fire, leaving a "toll of 11 dead and six wounded, said Saturnin Nicaise Grepandet, the area's deputy prefect. A provisional toll earlier listed seven dead, while aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 15 had died. The CAR, a landlocked and poverty-stricken country in the heart of Africa, has been locked in a brutal conflict since 2013 when its then president, Francois Bozize, was overthrown by an armed group drawn mainly from the Muslim minority. The coup triggered a bloodbath with the so-called "anti-Balaka," a force drawn mainly from the Christian and animist communities. Bozize's elected successor, Faustin Archange Touadera, has struggled to exert control and swathes of the country remain in the hands of armed groups. In Bambari, a city lying 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of the capital Bangui, rebels from the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), one of the biggest armed groups in the region, recently killed two government troops. The authorities on October 1 extended a curfew period in response to the worsening security. A coalition of six rebel groups last December advanced on Bangui in the runup to presidential elections, but were thwarted after Russia and Rwanda rushed military support for Touadera. A UN report in March said hundreds of violations and abuses of human rights had been documented over the previous year, leading to at least 1,221 deaths, including 144 civilians. Some of the cases were attributable to the CAR armed forces and "private military personnel," it said, referring to the Russian paramilitaries. The CAR government in a report last Friday acknowledged that some abuses had been committed by "Russian instructors," but contended that the rebels were to blame for most of the cases.

Rebel attack kills 11 in C.Africa: Official

An Egyptian peacekeeper was killed and four colleagues were seriously injured in improvised explosive attacks on their convoy in Mali's volatile north on Saturday, the United Nations said.

Confirming the toll, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attacks, which happened near Tessalit, close to the Algerian border.

Guterres said attacks could constitute war crimes, and called on Malian authorities "to spare no effort" in finding those responsible.

"This incident is a sad reminder of the permanent danger hanging over our peacekeepers and of the sacrifices made for peace in Mali," El-Ghassim Wane, who heads the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA), said in an earlier statement.

Already battling a jihadist insurgency, Mali slid into political turmoil when a military coup in August 2020 installed an interim civilian government only for it to be overthrown in a second putsch less than a year later. &nbsp;

Deployed in Mali since 2013, MINUSMA is currently the deadliest United Nations peace mission in the world, with 145 killed in hostile acts recorded as of August 31, according to UN statistics.

The current force includes more than 12,000 soldiers.

In April, four Chadian peacekeepers from MINUSMA were killed in a jihadist attack on their camp in Aguelhok, also in northeastern Mali.&nbsp;

The latest violence comes amid uncertainty over the future of foreign military forces in the country.

Controversy over Russian firm

Mali's new military-dominated government took delivery Saturday of four Russian military helicopters as it considered hiring mercenaries from a Russian private security firm.

The Wagner group is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Western countries accuse it of acting on behalf of Moscow.

European countries warned Bamako against becoming involved with the group on the sidelines of last week's UN General Assembly.

The new regime is reportedly in the process of hiring 1,000 paramilitaries from Wagner, a move viewed with grave concern particularly by former colonial power France, which currently maintains a 5,000-strong counterterrorism mission in Mali.

It was French military intervention in 2013 that helped defeat a jihadist insurgency there.

But Paris is due to reduce the number of its troops in the Sahel to 2,500 or 3,000 by 2023.&nbsp;

It wants to reorganise its presence around a tighter unit centred on targeted strikes against jihadist leaders and on supporting local armies.

At the UN last month, Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga reacted to the decision by accusing France of abandoning his country. Bamako was justified in its desire to "seek other partners" to boost security, he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the comments as "inadmissible" in the same week another soldier died in Mali, the 52nd service member lost there since 2013.

An Egyptian peacekeeper was killed and four colleagues were seriously injured in improvised explosive attacks on their convoy in Mali's volatile north on Saturday, the United Nations said.

An Egyptian peacekeeper was killed and four colleagues were seriously injured in improvised explosive attacks on their convoy in Mali's volatile north on Saturday, the United Nations said. Confirming the toll, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attacks, which happened near Tessalit, close to the Algerian border. Guterres said attacks could constitute war crimes, and called on Malian authorities "to spare no effort" in finding those responsible. "This incident is a sad reminder of the permanent danger hanging over our peacekeepers and of the sacrifices made for peace in Mali," El-Ghassim Wane, who heads the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA), said in an earlier statement. Already battling a jihadist insurgency, Mali slid into political turmoil when a military coup in August 2020 installed an interim civilian government only for it to be overthrown in a second putsch less than a year later. Deployed in Mali since 2013, MINUSMA is currently the deadliest United Nations peace mission in the world, with 145 killed in hostile acts recorded as of August 31, according to UN statistics. The current force includes more than 12,000 soldiers. In April, four Chadian peacekeepers from MINUSMA were killed in a jihadist attack on their camp in Aguelhok, also in northeastern Mali. The latest violence comes amid uncertainty over the future of foreign military forces in the country. Controversy over Russian firm Mali's new military-dominated government took delivery Saturday of four Russian military helicopters as it considered hiring mercenaries from a Russian private security firm. The Wagner group is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Western countries accuse it of acting on behalf of Moscow. European countries warned Bamako against becoming involved with the group on the sidelines of last week's UN General Assembly. The new regime is reportedly in the process of hiring 1,000 paramilitaries from Wagner, a move viewed with grave concern particularly by former colonial power France, which currently maintains a 5,000-strong counterterrorism mission in Mali. It was French military intervention in 2013 that helped defeat a jihadist insurgency there. But Paris is due to reduce the number of its troops in the Sahel to 2,500 or 3,000 by 2023. It wants to reorganise its presence around a tighter unit centred on targeted strikes against jihadist leaders and on supporting local armies. At the UN last month, Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga reacted to the decision by accusing France of abandoning his country. Bamako was justified in its desire to "seek other partners" to boost security, he added. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the comments as "inadmissible" in the same week another soldier died in Mali, the 52nd service member lost there since 2013.

UN peacekeeper killed in north Mali IED attack

At least eight people have been killed and six injured after a student opened fire at a university in western Siberia. Watch this report for more news.

Russia: 8 dead , 6 injured in shooting

As annual drills reached their peak, Taiwanese fighter jets landed on a makeshift runway on a highway strip on Wednesday. &nbsp;

The drills, which were overseen by President Tsai Ing-wen, looked to enhance capabilities of the security forces that would come in handy if China attacks and targets Taiwan's vulnerable air bases. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;North Korea fires ballistic missiles into sea

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In the exercise, three fighters, an F-16, French-made Mirage and a Ching-kuo indigenous defence fighter, and an E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft landed on a highway strip specially designed to be straight and flat for rapid conversion from a road into a runway in rural southern Pingtung county.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Across the island, Taiwan has constructed five emergency highway runways, which can be pressed into service in the event a Chinese attack takes out air force bases. It means the air force will still be able to operate. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-test-fires-first-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-hours-after-north-korean-launches-413239" hreflang="en">South Korea test-fires first submarine-launched ballistic missile, hours after North Korean launches</a>

The week-long Han Kuang drills are taking place around Taiwan. In it, exercises are being undertaken to practise repelling a Chinese invasion, protecting critical infrastructure and night operations. &nbsp;

On Facebook, Tsai wrote, "Such splendid combat skills and rapid and real actions come from solid everyday training and also demonstrate the confidence of the Republic of China Air Force in defending its airspace." &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As annual drills reached their peak, Taiwanese fighter jets landed on a makeshift runway on a highway strip on Wednesday. The drills, which were overseen by President Tsai Ing-wen, looked to enhance capabilities of the security forces that would come in handy if China attacks and targets Taiwan's vulnerable air bases.

As annual drills reached their peak, Taiwanese fighter jets landed on a makeshift runway on a highway strip on Wednesday. The drills, which were overseen by President Tsai Ing-wen, looked to enhance capabilities of the security forces that would come in handy if China attacks and targets Taiwan's vulnerable air bases. Watch: North Korea fires ballistic missiles into sea × In the exercise, three fighters, an F-16, French-made Mirage and a Ching-kuo indigenous defence fighter, and an E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft landed on a highway strip specially designed to be straight and flat for rapid conversion from a road into a runway in rural southern Pingtung county. Across the island, Taiwan has constructed five emergency highway runways, which can be pressed into service in the event a Chinese attack takes out air force bases. It means the air force will still be able to operate. Also Read: South Korea test-fires first submarine-launched ballistic missile, hours after North Korean launches The week-long Han Kuang drills are taking place around Taiwan. In it, exercises are being undertaken to practise repelling a Chinese invasion, protecting critical infrastructure and night operations. On Facebook, Tsai wrote, "Such splendid combat skills and rapid and real actions come from solid everyday training and also demonstrate the confidence of the Republic of China Air Force in defending its airspace." (With inputs from agencies)

In drills to prepare for a China attack, Taiwan lands jets on highway

Gunmen&nbsp;have killed&nbsp;12&nbsp;Nigerian&nbsp;security&nbsp;forces members in a weekend&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;military&nbsp;base&nbsp;in&nbsp;northwest&nbsp;Zamfara state, before stealing weapons and torching buildings, two&nbsp;security&nbsp;sources&nbsp;said Monday.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the Saturday raid in Mutumji, but the army is engaged in operations in Zamfara against armed criminal gangs known as bandits who are blamed for a series of mass abductions.

Telecommunications have also been cut in Zamfara and in parts of neighbouring state Katsina in an attempt to disrupt bandit communications about army movements during the crackdown.

"The attackers stormed the&nbsp;base&nbsp;around 10:30 am and engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle," one&nbsp;security&nbsp;source said.

"They subdued the troops and killed&nbsp;12&nbsp;of them. They included nine navy, a soldier and two policemen."&nbsp;

A second&nbsp;security&nbsp;source confirmed the casualties.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-conducts-airstrikes-in-gaza-targets-militant-sites-412669">Also read |&nbsp;Israel conducts airstrikes in Gaza; targets militant sites</a>

The&nbsp;base&nbsp;in Mutumji, Dansadau district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the state capital Gusau, is a key site for logistics and reconnaissance in the army's fight against bandits in the area.

Jihadists in&nbsp;Nigeria's northeast frequently&nbsp;attack&nbsp;military&nbsp;bases in Borno State, the heart of a&nbsp;12-year insurgency that has killed 40,000 people.

But large, heavily armed criminal gangs who raid villages and kidnap for ransom in the&nbsp;northwest&nbsp;and central states have also become more brazen.

In July, bandit&nbsp;gunmen&nbsp;shot down an air force jet over Zamfara while it was returning from operations. The pilot safely ejected and managed to escape capture.

Gunmen&nbsp;also attacked the country's elite defence academy in&nbsp;northwest&nbsp;Kaduna State last month, killing two officers and kidnapping another in a raid in one of the symbols of the armed forces. &nbsp;

Gunmen have killed 12 Nigerian security forces members in a weekend attack on a military base in northwest Zamfara state, before stealing weapons and torching buildings, two security sources said Monday.

Gunmen have killed 12 Nigerian security forces members in a weekend attack on a military base in northwest Zamfara state, before stealing weapons and torching buildings, two security sources said Monday. It was not immediately clear who carried out the Saturday raid in Mutumji, but the army is engaged in operations in Zamfara against armed criminal gangs known as bandits who are blamed for a series of mass abductions. Telecommunications have also been cut in Zamfara and in parts of neighbouring state Katsina in an attempt to disrupt bandit communications about army movements during the crackdown. "The attackers stormed the base around 10:30 am and engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle," one security source said. "They subdued the troops and killed 12 of them. They included nine navy, a soldier and two policemen." A second security source confirmed the casualties. Also read | Israel conducts airstrikes in Gaza; targets militant sites The base in Mutumji, Dansadau district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the state capital Gusau, is a key site for logistics and reconnaissance in the army's fight against bandits in the area. Jihadists in Nigeria's northeast frequently attack military bases in Borno State, the heart of a 12-year insurgency that has killed 40,000 people. But large, heavily armed criminal gangs who raid villages and kidnap for ransom in the northwest and central states have also become more brazen. In July, bandit gunmen shot down an air force jet over Zamfara while it was returning from operations. The pilot safely ejected and managed to escape capture. Gunmen also attacked the country's elite defence academy in northwest Kaduna State last month, killing two officers and kidnapping another in a raid in one of the symbols of the armed forces.

Gunmen kill 12 in attack on Nigeria military base in northwest: Security sources

Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered in central Madrid to call for better protection for LGBT rights after a series of homophobic attacks that have shocked Spain in recent months.

People waved rainbow flags and carried banners that read "justice", "touch one of us, touch us all", "we are being killed".

While speaking to Reuters, protestor Gabriel Escribano said, "We are here to protest against the continuous homophobic attacks and the constant aggressions that happen weekend after weekend."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/911-attacks-fbi-releases-newly-declassified-record-412485">Also read |&nbsp;9/11 attacks: FBI releases newly declassified record</a>

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez chaired an urgent meeting of ministers, community leaders and police to discuss how to reduce hate crimes.

Such crimes have grown by around 9 per cent a year since 2014, according to the Interior Ministry.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has said that hate crimes were on the rise and becoming more violent.

There have been growing calls for the government to take action since the killing of nursing assistant Samuel Luiz, who was beaten to death in July in the northwestern region of Galicia allegedly because of his sexual orientation.

Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered in central Madrid to call for better protection for LGBT rights after a series of homophobic attacks that have shocked Spain in recent months.

Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered in central Madrid to call for better protection for LGBT rights after a series of homophobic attacks that have shocked Spain in recent months. People waved rainbow flags and carried banners that read "justice", "touch one of us, touch us all", "we are being killed". While speaking to Reuters, protestor Gabriel Escribano said, "We are here to protest against the continuous homophobic attacks and the constant aggressions that happen weekend after weekend." Also read | 9/11 attacks: FBI releases newly declassified record Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez chaired an urgent meeting of ministers, community leaders and police to discuss how to reduce hate crimes. Such crimes have grown by around 9 per cent a year since 2014, according to the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has said that hate crimes were on the rise and becoming more violent. There have been growing calls for the government to take action since the killing of nursing assistant Samuel Luiz, who was beaten to death in July in the northwestern region of Galicia allegedly because of his sexual orientation.

People in Madrid protest against rise in homophobic attacks

Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz on Sunday alleged that Iran’s Kashan Airbase is being used to train “terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon” to operate Iranian-made drones to carry out regional attacks.

“One of the most significant tools that Iran has developed is its unmanned aerial vehicle system—an accurate, deadly system that can cross thousands of kilometres. The Iranians produce and export them to their proxies,” local media quoted Gantz who was speaking at Reichman University in Herzliya.

“Terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are receiving training on how to operate Iran-made drones in the Kashan Base north of Isfahan. Kashan is leading Iran’s export of aerial terrorism in the region,” he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/terrorist-vs-terrorist-al-qaeda-leader-zawahiri-claims-credit-for-911-islamic-state-asks-if-he-is-still-alive-412505">Terrorist vs terrorist: Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri claims credit for 9/11, Islamic State asks if he is still alive</a>

The minister called on the signatories of the Iran nuclear deal to enact sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

His comments a month after Tehran came under global scrutiny over a suspected drone attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off Oman.

A July 29 blast aboard the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime, near the mouth of the Gulf, a key oil shipping route, killed two crew —a Briton and a Romanian.

The U.S. military said explosives experts from the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier —which deployed to assist the Mercer Street—concluded the explosion was from a drone produced in Iran, which was accused by other world powers in the attack.

Iran has denied involvement.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz on Sunday alleged that Iran’s Kashan Airbase is being used to train “terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon” to operate Iranian-made drones to carry out regional attacks.

Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz on Sunday alleged that Iran’s Kashan Airbase is being used to train “terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon” to operate Iranian-made drones to carry out regional attacks. “One of the most significant tools that Iran has developed is its unmanned aerial vehicle system—an accurate, deadly system that can cross thousands of kilometres. The Iranians produce and export them to their proxies,” local media quoted Gantz who was speaking at Reichman University in Herzliya. “Terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are receiving training on how to operate Iran-made drones in the Kashan Base north of Isfahan. Kashan is leading Iran’s export of aerial terrorism in the region,” he added. Also read | Terrorist vs terrorist: Al Qaeda leader Zawahiri claims credit for 9/11, Islamic State asks if he is still alive The minister called on the signatories of the Iran nuclear deal to enact sanctions against the Islamic Republic. His comments a month after Tehran came under global scrutiny over a suspected drone attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off Oman. A July 29 blast aboard the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime, near the mouth of the Gulf, a key oil shipping route, killed two crew —a Briton and a Romanian. The U.S. military said explosives experts from the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier —which deployed to assist the Mercer Street—concluded the explosion was from a drone produced in Iran, which was accused by other world powers in the attack. Iran has denied involvement. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran training terrorists to carry out attacks: Israel defence minister

A&nbsp;missile&nbsp;attack&nbsp;blamed by the government on Huthi&nbsp;rebels&nbsp;in&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;on Saturday targeted a key&nbsp;port&nbsp;used to bring humanitarian&nbsp;aid&nbsp;into the war-ravaged country.

The Red Sea&nbsp;port&nbsp;of Mokha in southwest&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;is the headquarters of government forces in the region.

"Three&nbsp;missiles&nbsp;and Huthi drones targeted the&nbsp;port&nbsp;of Mokha near Bab al-Mandab," a government military official told AFP, adding that no casualties were reported.

The Bab al-Mandab strait separates&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;from Djibouti and is a key passage for international trade, trafficking and illegal migration.

Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, has been devastated by a seven-year conflict pitting the Iran-backed Huthis against the government which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The southwest is vital for the import and delivery of humanitarian supplies.

Mokha&nbsp;port&nbsp;reopened for business a month ago after reconstruction and renovation work, the government official said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-drone-strike-may-have-killed-aid-worker-children-and-not-isis-k-militants-reports-412228">Also read |&nbsp;US drone strike may have killed aid worker, children, and not ISIS-K militants: Reports</a>

Southwest&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;has been relatively free of such attacks since the signing in 2018 of the Stockholm Accord on demilitarising the strategic&nbsp;port&nbsp;of Hodeida north of Mokha.

Sporadic clashes have taken place in the region, sparking appeals for calm from the United Nations which has been unable to secure similar deals elsewhere in&nbsp;Yemen.

Some 80 percent of Yemenis are now dependent on&nbsp;aid, in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The war has displaced millions of people.

The UN has issued regular warnings that&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;could see major famine in 2021, after it raised just $1.7 billion of the $3.85 billion it says the country needs.

The conflict flared in 2014 when Huthi insurgents seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention to prop up the government the following year.

A missile attack blamed by the government on Huthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday targeted a key port used to bring humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country. The Red Sea port of Mokha in southwest Yemen is the headquarters of government forces in the region.

A missile attack blamed by the government on Huthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday targeted a key port used to bring humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country. The Red Sea port of Mokha in southwest Yemen is the headquarters of government forces in the region. "Three missiles and Huthi drones targeted the port of Mokha near Bab al-Mandab," a government military official told AFP, adding that no casualties were reported. The Bab al-Mandab strait separates Yemen from Djibouti and is a key passage for international trade, trafficking and illegal migration. Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, has been devastated by a seven-year conflict pitting the Iran-backed Huthis against the government which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition. The southwest is vital for the import and delivery of humanitarian supplies. Mokha port reopened for business a month ago after reconstruction and renovation work, the government official said. Also read | US drone strike may have killed aid worker, children, and not ISIS-K militants: Reports Southwest Yemen has been relatively free of such attacks since the signing in 2018 of the Stockholm Accord on demilitarising the strategic port of Hodeida north of Mokha. Sporadic clashes have taken place in the region, sparking appeals for calm from the United Nations which has been unable to secure similar deals elsewhere in Yemen. Some 80 percent of Yemenis are now dependent on aid, in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The war has displaced millions of people. The UN has issued regular warnings that Yemen could see major famine in 2021, after it raised just $1.7 billion of the $3.85 billion it says the country needs. The conflict flared in 2014 when Huthi insurgents seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention to prop up the government the following year.

Yemen rebels attack aid port with missiles: Govt

It is going to be 20 years since the world suffered a devastating loss in the US on September 11 as a terrorist-controlled aircraft struck the famous World Trade Center. Now, two decades later, the fear caused by those horrifying attacks still continues to haunt several people living in the US, a study claims.

How 9/11 Permanently Altered Lives of Americans

Movie buffs, the wait to hop back to theatres to watch your favourite stars on big screens while enjoying popcorns is finally over!Jayantilal Gada`s Pen India Limited, the banner which has produced the upcoming magnum opus films `Gangubai Kathiawadi`, `RRR` and `Attack`, has on Wednesday confirmed the theatrical release of these movies. 
 
This news has also clarified the social media rumours that suggested the movies could have an OTT release. 
 
The official Twitter handle of Pen India Limited posted a statement that read, "We would like to clarify that `Gangubai Kathiawadi`, `RRR`&amp; `Attack` will release in Cinemas. There have been several rumors doing rounds about these films releasing on OTT platforms before cinemas which are untrue. These magnum opus films are made for the big screen experience and would be releasing in theatres- Dr. Jayantilal Gada Chairman and MD Pen Studios." 
 
Cinephiles have been excited about the magnum opus films ever since their captivating teasers have dropped. 
Starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role, acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s directorial `Gangubai Kathiawadi` is on the list of one of the most awaited films made this year.&nbsp; 
 
The film features Alia portraying an eponymous character in the flick.The film that marks Bhansali`s first collaboration with Alia is based on the book `Mafia Queens of Mumbai` written by S Hussain Zaidi. 
 
This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada`s Pen India Limited and the reunion between superstar Ajay Devgn and Bhansali after the 1999 iconic film `Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam`.Speaking about SS Rajamouli`s magnum opus `RRR`, the film features megastars Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Ray Stevenson, and Alison Doody. Produced by DVV Danayya under the DVV Entertainments banner, the much-awaited Pan-India film is a fictional tale of the younger days of freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharamaraju and will release on October 13 this year.&nbsp; 
 
PEN Studios bagged the theatrical distribution rights of the film across North India and also bought its worldwide electronic rights for all languages. Pen Marudhar will be distributing the film in the North Territory. 
 
On the other hand, `Attack` is an action-thriller film starring John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. The film is the Hindi remake of the Malayalam action thriller `Ayyappanum Koshiyum` that originally featured actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon in lead roles.&nbsp;

Movie buffs, the wait to hop back to theatres to watch your favourite stars on big screens while enjoying popcorns is finally over!Jayantilal Gada`s Pen India Limited, the banner which has produced the upcoming magnum opus films `Gangubai Kathiawadi`, `RRR` and `Attack`, has on Wednesday confirmed the theatrical release of these movies.

Movie buffs, the wait to hop back to theatres to watch your favourite stars on big screens while enjoying popcorns is finally over!Jayantilal Gada`s Pen India Limited, the banner which has produced the upcoming magnum opus films `Gangubai Kathiawadi`, `RRR` and `Attack`, has on Wednesday confirmed the theatrical release of these movies. This news has also clarified the social media rumours that suggested the movies could have an OTT release. The official Twitter handle of Pen India Limited posted a statement that read, "We would like to clarify that `Gangubai Kathiawadi`, `RRR`& `Attack` will release in Cinemas. There have been several rumors doing rounds about these films releasing on OTT platforms before cinemas which are untrue. These magnum opus films are made for the big screen experience and would be releasing in theatres- Dr. Jayantilal Gada Chairman and MD Pen Studios." Cinephiles have been excited about the magnum opus films ever since their captivating teasers have dropped. Starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role, acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s directorial `Gangubai Kathiawadi` is on the list of one of the most awaited films made this year. The film features Alia portraying an eponymous character in the flick.The film that marks Bhansali`s first collaboration with Alia is based on the book `Mafia Queens of Mumbai` written by S Hussain Zaidi. This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada`s Pen India Limited and the reunion between superstar Ajay Devgn and Bhansali after the 1999 iconic film `Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam`.Speaking about SS Rajamouli`s magnum opus `RRR`, the film features megastars Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Ray Stevenson, and Alison Doody. Produced by DVV Danayya under the DVV Entertainments banner, the much-awaited Pan-India film is a fictional tale of the younger days of freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharamaraju and will release on October 13 this year. PEN Studios bagged the theatrical distribution rights of the film across North India and also bought its worldwide electronic rights for all languages. Pen Marudhar will be distributing the film in the North Territory. On the other hand, `Attack` is an action-thriller film starring John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. The film is the Hindi remake of the Malayalam action thriller `Ayyappanum Koshiyum` that originally featured actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon in lead roles.

Makers confirm theatrical release of 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', 'RRR', 'Attack'

New&nbsp;Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that a total&nbsp;seven&nbsp;people were wounded in an&nbsp;attack&nbsp;by an Islamist militant in an Auckland shopping mall and&nbsp;three&nbsp;are in&nbsp;critical&nbsp;condition.

Ardern released more details about the&nbsp;attacker, who police shot dead on Friday moments after he launched his stabbing spree, but said his name could not be revealed due to a court order.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that a total seven people were wounded in an attack by an Islamist militant in an Auckland shopping mall and three are in critical condition.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that a total seven people were wounded in an attack by an Islamist militant in an Auckland shopping mall and three are in critical condition. Ardern released more details about the attacker, who police shot dead on Friday moments after he launched his stabbing spree, but said his name could not be revealed due to a court order.

Three of seven New Zealand attack victims are in critical condition: PM

British former Royal Marine who runs an animal shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan, Paul 'Pen' Farthing, says that he was denied entry to the airport due to a change in paperwork rules.&nbsp;

Blaming Joe Biden, he said that he "went through hell" to reach the airport and was turned away as the US government had changed paperwork rules just two hours earlier.

He was caught up in the deadly explosions outside Kabul airport in which dozens of people were killed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-virus-origins-us-intelligence-community-says-it-was-not-developed-as-biological-weapon-408909">Also read |&nbsp;COVID-19 virus&nbsp;origins:&nbsp;US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon</a>

Taking to Twitter, he wrote that he and his whole team, along with the animals, were safely inside the airport perimeter when he was told that Biden had "changed policy" on who could leave.&nbsp;

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The whole team &amp; dogs/cats were safely 300m inside the airport perimeter. We were turned away as <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> had changed paperwork rules just 2 hours earlier. Went through hell to get there &amp; we were turned away into the chaos of those devastating explosions. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OperationArk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OperationArk</a>
— Pen Farthing (@PenFarthing) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenFarthing/status/1431109185207521280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He said they were "turned away into the chaos of those devastating explosions."

Pen Farthing had launched a widely-covered campaign earlier this month to evacuate his shelter's 200 animals, along with his staff and their families, out of Kabul.&nbsp;

He chartered a $500,000 plane to land at Kabul airport for the rescue operation which has been named&nbsp;as Operation Ark.

He was questioned as to why he was not escorted by the British government. To this he replied that the&nbsp;US controlled the Kabul airport internally, so their rules "trumped" the British paperwork he carried.

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The US control the airport (internally) so it trumped the British paperwork we had.
— Pen Farthing (@PenFarthing) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenFarthing/status/1431110710982029313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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No ‘pets before people’ is a phrase that’ll come to haunt <a href="https://twitter.com/BWallaceMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BWallaceMP</a> &amp; other MPs who agreed with him. This flight would’ve also been evacuating qualified Afghan veterinary staff &amp; their families fleeing from the Taliban. It was as much a humanitarian mission as any <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NowzadRescue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NowzadRescue</a>
— Kina R-H (@KinaRestall) <a href="https://twitter.com/KinaRestall/status/1431162188719341570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This is devastating news. I don't want to think about those poor animals and what will become of them now. 😥
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Pen Farthing&nbsp;said that it was&nbsp;'just so depressing' he had to leave his staff in Afghanistan as he prepared to fly off with 180 animals. He told how his employees were stopped from crossing the Taliban&nbsp;line to the British area at Kabul airport.

His desperate comments were in sharp contrast to his wife, who last night spoke that her husband and his furry friends were on their way home. Kaisa Markhus, who fled Afghanistan last week for her native Norway, was eating dinner with her father in Oslo when she was told he was getting out.

British former Royal Marine who runs an animal shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan, Paul 'Pen' Farthing, says that he was denied entry to the airport due to a change in paperwork rules.

British former Royal Marine who runs an animal shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan, Paul 'Pen' Farthing, says that he was denied entry to the airport due to a change in paperwork rules. Blaming Joe Biden, he said that he "went through hell" to reach the airport and was turned away as the US government had changed paperwork rules just two hours earlier. He was caught up in the deadly explosions outside Kabul airport in which dozens of people were killed. Also read | COVID-19 virus origins: US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon Taking to Twitter, he wrote that he and his whole team, along with the animals, were safely inside the airport perimeter when he was told that Biden had "changed policy" on who could leave. The whole team & dogs/cats were safely 300m inside the airport perimeter. We were turned away as @JoeBiden @POTUS had changed paperwork rules just 2 hours earlier. Went through hell to get there & we were turned away into the chaos of those devastating explosions. #OperationArk — Pen Farthing (@PenFarthing) August 27, 2021 × He said they were "turned away into the chaos of those devastating explosions." Pen Farthing had launched a widely-covered campaign earlier this month to evacuate his shelter's 200 animals, along with his staff and their families, out of Kabul. He chartered a $500,000 plane to land at Kabul airport for the rescue operation which has been named as Operation Ark. He was questioned as to why he was not escorted by the British government. To this he replied that the US controlled the Kabul airport internally, so their rules "trumped" the British paperwork he carried. The US control the airport (internally) so it trumped the British paperwork we had. — Pen Farthing (@PenFarthing) August 27, 2021 × No ‘pets before people’ is a phrase that’ll come to haunt @BWallaceMP & other MPs who agreed with him. This flight would’ve also been evacuating qualified Afghan veterinary staff & their families fleeing from the Taliban. It was as much a humanitarian mission as any #NowzadRescue — Kina R-H (@KinaRestall) August 27, 2021 × This is devastating news. I don't want to think about those poor animals and what will become of them now. 😥 — nicola twaddle (@n_twaddle) August 27, 2021 × Pen Farthing said that it was 'just so depressing' he had to leave his staff in Afghanistan as he prepared to fly off with 180 animals. He told how his employees were stopped from crossing the Taliban line to the British area at Kabul airport. His desperate comments were in sharp contrast to his wife, who last night spoke that her husband and his furry friends were on their way home. Kaisa Markhus, who fled Afghanistan last week for her native Norway, was eating dinner with her father in Oslo when she was told he was getting out.

British ex-marine survived Kabul attack with 200 animals

In response to the deadly&nbsp;suicide attack on&nbsp;Thursday,&nbsp;the United States military struck back at the Islamic State by bombing an IS member in Afghanistan on Saturday.&nbsp;The strike seems to have killed an Islamic State "planner".

The US Central Command said the strike took place in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan.&nbsp;"Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," the US military said in a statement, referring to the strike.

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The devastating suicide bombing, which was claimed by the group, killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at the Kabul airport.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: ISIS-K: Group behind the Kabul blasts

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On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the perpetrators cannot hide, and he vowed to strike back at the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate. "We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said.&nbsp;

A US official said on Friday, the suicide bomber seems to have carried around 25 pounds of explosives, loaded with shrapnel.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/afghanistan-staff-details-left-behind-at-uk-kabul-embassy-report-408865" hreflang="en">Afghanistan staff details left behind at UK Kabul embassy: Report</a>

The&nbsp;blast created by the&nbsp;massive amount of explosives and spray of shrapnel was such huge that it killed US troops, who were inside the airport gate as well as troops and Afghans outside, said the official on condition of anonymity.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-tells-citizens-to-leave-kabul-airport-gates-immediately-408913" hreflang="en">US tells citizens to leave Kabul airport gates 'immediately'</a>

Generally, a suicide bomber carries from five to 10 pounds of explosives.&nbsp;According to the US officials, the IS bomber got to within several yards of the gate at Kabul airport, where Afghans were crowded in as part of the ongoing evacuation from Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Western forces are also running the Afghan airlift while bracing for more attacks.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In response to the deadly suicide attack on Thursday, the United States military struck back at the Islamic State by bombing an IS member in Afghanistan on Saturday.

In response to the deadly suicide attack on Thursday, the United States military struck back at the Islamic State by bombing an IS member in Afghanistan on Saturday. The strike seems to have killed an Islamic State "planner". The US Central Command said the strike took place in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan. "Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," the US military said in a statement, referring to the strike. The devastating suicide bombing, which was claimed by the group, killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at the Kabul airport. Watch | Gravitas: ISIS-K: Group behind the Kabul blasts × On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the perpetrators cannot hide, and he vowed to strike back at the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate. "We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said. A US official said on Friday, the suicide bomber seems to have carried around 25 pounds of explosives, loaded with shrapnel. Also Read | Afghanistan staff details left behind at UK Kabul embassy: Report The blast created by the massive amount of explosives and spray of shrapnel was such huge that it killed US troops, who were inside the airport gate as well as troops and Afghans outside, said the official on condition of anonymity. Also Read | US tells citizens to leave Kabul airport gates 'immediately' Generally, a suicide bomber carries from five to 10 pounds of explosives. According to the US officials, the IS bomber got to within several yards of the gate at Kabul airport, where Afghans were crowded in as part of the ongoing evacuation from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Western forces are also running the Afghan airlift while bracing for more attacks. (With inputs from agencies)

US airstrike targets IS in Afghanistan in response to deadly suicide attack

President Joe Biden is being briefed on the bloody attack against Kabul's airport, the White House said Thursday, delaying a planned meeting with Israel's visiting prime minister and canceling another event.

"The president has been briefed and he is in the Situation Room," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The president met with his national security team this morning... and commanders on the ground. He will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day," the White House said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-chaotic-scenes-in-airport-hospital-after-kabul-airport-terror-attack-408595">Also read |&nbsp;WATCH: Chaotic scenes in airport, hospital after Kabul airport terror attack</a>

As a result of the crisis, a meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett planned for 11:30 "will be delayed," a White House official said.

"There is not yet an updated time for the meeting," a spokesman for Bennett said, adding the delay was due "to the events in Afghanistan."

At least six people were killed and a dozen wounded outside Kabul's airport in two explosions as the United States entered the final days of a massive evacuation of troops and allies to end its two-decade war against the Taliban.

In addition to disrupting the long-planned Oval Office meeting with Israel's new prime minister, the crisis prompted cancelation of a scheduled video conference between Biden and state governors who are set to house Afghan refugees from the massive US airlift.

The daily briefing by Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, was also delayed as the White House scrambled to cope with the emergency.

President Joe Biden is being briefed on the bloody attack against Kabul's airport, the White House said Thursday, delaying a planned meeting with Israel's visiting prime minister and canceling another event.

President Joe Biden is being briefed on the bloody attack against Kabul's airport, the White House said Thursday, delaying a planned meeting with Israel's visiting prime minister and canceling another event. "The president has been briefed and he is in the Situation Room," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "The president met with his national security team this morning... and commanders on the ground. He will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day," the White House said in a statement. Also read | WATCH: Chaotic scenes in airport, hospital after Kabul airport terror attack As a result of the crisis, a meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett planned for 11:30 "will be delayed," a White House official said. "There is not yet an updated time for the meeting," a spokesman for Bennett said, adding the delay was due "to the events in Afghanistan." At least six people were killed and a dozen wounded outside Kabul's airport in two explosions as the United States entered the final days of a massive evacuation of troops and allies to end its two-decade war against the Taliban. In addition to disrupting the long-planned Oval Office meeting with Israel's new prime minister, the crisis prompted cancelation of a scheduled video conference between Biden and state governors who are set to house Afghan refugees from the massive US airlift. The daily briefing by Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, was also delayed as the White House scrambled to cope with the emergency.

Biden clears agenda to focus on Afghan airport attack

In a statement, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide attack on the Gwadar Eastbay Expressway Project, where at least three people were killed, including two children, and two more were injured, as per reports. &nbsp;

Pakistan’s interior ministry said, an explosion targetted a convoy of vehicles carrying Chinese nationals on the Gwadar East Bay Expressway project in Balochistan on Friday evening. The wounded have been sent to a hospital in Gwadar for treatment.&nbsp;

The convoy comprised of four vehicles carrying Chinese nationals "with integral security details of Pakistan army and police contingent".&nbsp;

Extending its sincere sympathies to the injured of both countries, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the act of terrorism and expressed its deep condolences to the innocent victims in Pakistan.&nbsp;

The embassy has launched an emergency plan immediately and has demanded Pakistan to properly treat the wounded, conduct a thorough investigation on the attack and severely punish the perpetrators.&nbsp;

It also said, relevant departments at all levels in Pakistan must take practical and effective measures to accelerate to implement strengthened whole-process security measures and upgraded security cooperation mechanism to ensure that similar incidents will not happen again.&nbsp;

The embassy has also reminded the Chinese citizens in Pakistan to be vigilant, observe safety precautions, reduce unnecessary outings and take effective security protections.&nbsp;

In a statement, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide attack on the Gwadar Eastbay Expressway Project, where at least three people were killed, including two children, and two more were injured, as per reports.

In a statement, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide attack on the Gwadar Eastbay Expressway Project, where at least three people were killed, including two children, and two more were injured, as per reports. Pakistan’s interior ministry said, an explosion targetted a convoy of vehicles carrying Chinese nationals on the Gwadar East Bay Expressway project in Balochistan on Friday evening. The wounded have been sent to a hospital in Gwadar for treatment. The convoy comprised of four vehicles carrying Chinese nationals "with integral security details of Pakistan army and police contingent". Extending its sincere sympathies to the injured of both countries, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the act of terrorism and expressed its deep condolences to the innocent victims in Pakistan. The embassy has launched an emergency plan immediately and has demanded Pakistan to properly treat the wounded, conduct a thorough investigation on the attack and severely punish the perpetrators. It also said, relevant departments at all levels in Pakistan must take practical and effective measures to accelerate to implement strengthened whole-process security measures and upgraded security cooperation mechanism to ensure that similar incidents will not happen again. The embassy has also reminded the Chinese citizens in Pakistan to be vigilant, observe safety precautions, reduce unnecessary outings and take effective security protections.

Chinese Embassy in Pakistan condemns Balochistan attack, demands thorough investigation 

Burkina&nbsp;Faso's president declared three days of national mourning from Thursday after suspected jihadists killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, in an attack in the north of the country.

The attack was the latest bloodshed in an area plagued by Islamist violence.

The assault Wednesday near the town of Gorgadji also left 14 soldiers and three militia volunteers dead, the communications ministry said.

The soldiers and militia had been "guarding civilians setting off for Arbinda," another town in northern&nbsp;Burkina.

In an ensuing gunbattle, security forces killed 58 "terrorists" and put the rest to flight, according to the government. Nineteen people were also wounded, it said.

"Rescue and relief operations are continuing," it said.

The area is in the notorious "three-border" zone where&nbsp;Burkina&nbsp;Faso&nbsp;meets Mali and Niger, a focus of the jihadist violence that plagues the wider Sahel region of west Africa.

It was the third major attack on Burkinabe soldiers in the past two weeks, including one on August 4 near the Niger border which killed 30 people, including 11 civilians.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-welcome-this-what-china-stands-to-benefit-from-rise-of-taliban-in-afghanistan-406064">Also read |&nbsp;'We welcome this': What China stands to benefit from rise of Taliban in Afghanistan</a>

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore declared three days of national mourning from Thursday for the victims of the latest attack, according to an official decree.

Flags would be flown at half-mast from public buildings and festivities banned during the period, it said.

Burkina&nbsp;Faso, a poor country in the arid sub-Saharan Sahel region, has since 2015 been battling increasingly frequent and deadly attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.

On June 4-5, gunmen killed at least 132 people, including children, in the northeast village of Solhan,&nbsp;Burkina's deadliest attack in the history of the insurgency.

Raids and ambushes have been concentrated in the north and east close to the borders with Mali and Niger, both of which have also faced deadly violence by jihadists.

These attacks along with inter-communal violence have left more than 1,400 people dead and forced 1.3 million to flee their homes, according to official estimates. &nbsp;

Along with central Mali, the vast, arid "three-border" region straddling Niger, Mali and&nbsp;Burkina&nbsp;Faso&nbsp;has become the worst-hit area in the jihadists' Sahel campaign.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda emerged in northern Mali in 2012, prompting French military intervention. After being scattered, the jihadists regrouped and spread to neighbouring countries.

Burkina Faso's president declared three days of national mourning from Thursday after suspected jihadists killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, in an attack in the north of the country.

Burkina Faso's president declared three days of national mourning from Thursday after suspected jihadists killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, in an attack in the north of the country. The attack was the latest bloodshed in an area plagued by Islamist violence. The assault Wednesday near the town of Gorgadji also left 14 soldiers and three militia volunteers dead, the communications ministry said. The soldiers and militia had been "guarding civilians setting off for Arbinda," another town in northern Burkina. In an ensuing gunbattle, security forces killed 58 "terrorists" and put the rest to flight, according to the government. Nineteen people were also wounded, it said. "Rescue and relief operations are continuing," it said. The area is in the notorious "three-border" zone where Burkina Faso meets Mali and Niger, a focus of the jihadist violence that plagues the wider Sahel region of west Africa. It was the third major attack on Burkinabe soldiers in the past two weeks, including one on August 4 near the Niger border which killed 30 people, including 11 civilians. Also read | 'We welcome this': What China stands to benefit from rise of Taliban in Afghanistan President Roch Marc Christian Kabore declared three days of national mourning from Thursday for the victims of the latest attack, according to an official decree. Flags would be flown at half-mast from public buildings and festivities banned during the period, it said. Burkina Faso, a poor country in the arid sub-Saharan Sahel region, has since 2015 been battling increasingly frequent and deadly attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. On June 4-5, gunmen killed at least 132 people, including children, in the northeast village of Solhan, Burkina's deadliest attack in the history of the insurgency. Raids and ambushes have been concentrated in the north and east close to the borders with Mali and Niger, both of which have also faced deadly violence by jihadists. These attacks along with inter-communal violence have left more than 1,400 people dead and forced 1.3 million to flee their homes, according to official estimates. Along with central Mali, the vast, arid "three-border" region straddling Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has become the worst-hit area in the jihadists' Sahel campaign. Militants linked to Al-Qaeda emerged in northern Mali in 2012, prompting French military intervention. After being scattered, the jihadists regrouped and spread to neighbouring countries.

Forty-seven killed in Burkina Faso jihadist attack

Nigerian authorities on Sunday imposed a&nbsp;curfew&nbsp;in parts of central Plateau state, a day&nbsp;after&nbsp;a suspected Christian militia attacked a convoy of 90 Muslims, killing at least 23.

Northwest and central&nbsp;Nigeria&nbsp;have for years struggled with violence between mainly Muslim nomadic herders and Christian farmers over control of resources, water and land.

Condemning the&nbsp;attack, President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that this was "not an agriculturalist-on-pastoralist confrontation, but rather a direct, brazen and wickedly motivated&nbsp;attack."

On Saturday, "a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful," said police spokesman Ubah Ogaba.&nbsp;

Police had initially said 22 of the 90 travellers were killed, but the death toll was revised upwards on Sunday.&nbsp;

"Twenty-three of those attacked lost their lives and 23 persons sustained injuries," state governor Simon Lalong said in a statement.

Concerned about "persisting tensions and reported attempts by some persons to take the laws into their hands," the governor "directed the imposition of a&nbsp;curfew&nbsp;on Jos North, Bassa and Jos South," between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.&nbsp;

Police said 20 suspects have been arrested while 33 victims have been rescued.

One of the members of the convoy who escaped, Muhammad Ibrahim, said the assault happened along Rukuba road, on the outskirts of Jos, the capital of Plateau state.

The Muslims were returning from Bauchi State, he said,&nbsp;after&nbsp;attending an event to celebrate the Islamic New Year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-lawmaker-asks-biden-to-change-course-as-taliban-reach-near-kabul-405323">Also read |&nbsp;US&nbsp;lawmaker&nbsp;asks&nbsp;Biden to change course as Taliban reach near Kabul&nbsp;</a>

"Iregwe militias attacked and used machetes, knives and stones to kill them," said Malam Nura Abdullahi, representative of a local group representing herders, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of&nbsp;Nigeria.

He said the death toll was higher.&nbsp;

"We have prepared up to 25 dead bodies that are ready for burial," said Abdullahi.&nbsp;

For years, Jos was a flashpoint for ethnic strife pitting Christian and Muslim youths against each other.&nbsp;

In September 2001, Christian-Muslim clashes around Jos left 913 people dead, according to Human Rights Watch.&nbsp;

While the governor said the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on Saturday "should not be given any ethnic or religious colouration," the presidency described it as a "pre-arranged assault on a known target, location and religious persuasion of the travellers, not an opportunist ambush."

"These kinds of attacks on our country's citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions of our nation," the presidency added.&nbsp;

Violence in central&nbsp;Nigeria&nbsp;is just one of the challenges facing Africa's most populous country.

Security forces are also battling a 12-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, kidnap gangs in the northwest and separatist agitation in the southeast.

Nigerian authorities on Sunday imposed a curfew in parts of central Plateau state, a day after a suspected Christian militia attacked a convoy of 90 Muslims, killing at least 23.

Nigerian authorities on Sunday imposed a curfew in parts of central Plateau state, a day after a suspected Christian militia attacked a convoy of 90 Muslims, killing at least 23. Northwest and central Nigeria have for years struggled with violence between mainly Muslim nomadic herders and Christian farmers over control of resources, water and land. Condemning the attack, President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that this was "not an agriculturalist-on-pastoralist confrontation, but rather a direct, brazen and wickedly motivated attack." On Saturday, "a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful," said police spokesman Ubah Ogaba. Police had initially said 22 of the 90 travellers were killed, but the death toll was revised upwards on Sunday. "Twenty-three of those attacked lost their lives and 23 persons sustained injuries," state governor Simon Lalong said in a statement. Concerned about "persisting tensions and reported attempts by some persons to take the laws into their hands," the governor "directed the imposition of a curfew on Jos North, Bassa and Jos South," between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am. Police said 20 suspects have been arrested while 33 victims have been rescued. One of the members of the convoy who escaped, Muhammad Ibrahim, said the assault happened along Rukuba road, on the outskirts of Jos, the capital of Plateau state. The Muslims were returning from Bauchi State, he said, after attending an event to celebrate the Islamic New Year. Also read | US lawmaker asks Biden to change course as Taliban reach near Kabul "Iregwe militias attacked and used machetes, knives and stones to kill them," said Malam Nura Abdullahi, representative of a local group representing herders, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria. He said the death toll was higher. "We have prepared up to 25 dead bodies that are ready for burial," said Abdullahi. For years, Jos was a flashpoint for ethnic strife pitting Christian and Muslim youths against each other. In September 2001, Christian-Muslim clashes around Jos left 913 people dead, according to Human Rights Watch. While the governor said the attack on Saturday "should not be given any ethnic or religious colouration," the presidency described it as a "pre-arranged assault on a known target, location and religious persuasion of the travellers, not an opportunist ambush." "These kinds of attacks on our country's citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions of our nation," the presidency added. Violence in central Nigeria is just one of the challenges facing Africa's most populous country. Security forces are also battling a 12-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, kidnap gangs in the northwest and separatist agitation in the southeast.

Nigeria imposes partial curfew after deadly attack

Taliban insurgents have seized Afghanistan's second- and third-biggest cities, local officials said on Friday, as resistance from government forces crumbled and fears grew that an assault on the capital Kabul could be just days away. 
 
A government official confirmed that Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, was under Taliban control as US-led international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war. 
 
Herat in the west also fell to the hardline Islamist group. 
 
"The city looks like a frontline, a ghost town," provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi said by telephone from the city of about 600,000 people near the border with Iran. 
 
"Families have either left or are hiding in their homes." 
 
A US&nbsp;defence official said there was concern that the Taliban, ousted from power in 2001 after the September&nbsp;11 attacks on the United States, could make a move on Kabul within days. 
 
President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced plans to send 3,000 additional troops to help evacuate US&nbsp;embassy staff, and the Pentagon said most would be in Kabul by the end of the weekend. Britain also confirmed the start of a military operation to support the evacuation of its nationals. 
 
"Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment, but clearly ... if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate Kabul," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday. 
 
The White House said Biden was receiving regular briefings from his national security team on efforts to remove US&nbsp;civilians. 
 
The US&nbsp;embassy in the Afghan capital informed staff that burn bins and an incinerator were available to destroy material including papers and electronic devices to "reduce the amount of sensitive material on the property," according to an advisory seen by Reuters. 
 
A State Department spokesperson said the embassy was following standard procedure to "minimise our footprint." 
 
The United Nations has said it would not evacuate its personnel from Afghanistan but was relocating some to Kabul from other parts of the country. Many other Western embassies and aid groups said they were bringing some staff home. 
 
UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that "Afghanistan is spinning out of control" and urged all parties to do more to protect civilians. 
 
"This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war, or the isolation of Afghanistan," Guterres told reporters in New York. 
 
Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said after a security meeting chaired by President Ashraf Ghani that he was proud of the armed forces and the government would do all it could to strengthen resistance to the Taliban.

Taliban insurgents have seized Afghanistan's second- and third-biggest cities, local officials said on Friday, as resistance from government forces crumbled and fears grew that an assault on the capital Kabul could be just days away.

Taliban insurgents have seized Afghanistan's second- and third-biggest cities, local officials said on Friday, as resistance from government forces crumbled and fears grew that an assault on the capital Kabul could be just days away. A government official confirmed that Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, was under Taliban control as US-led international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war. Herat in the west also fell to the hardline Islamist group. "The city looks like a frontline, a ghost town," provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi said by telephone from the city of about 600,000 people near the border with Iran. "Families have either left or are hiding in their homes." A US defence official said there was concern that the Taliban, ousted from power in 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the United States, could make a move on Kabul within days. President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced plans to send 3,000 additional troops to help evacuate US embassy staff, and the Pentagon said most would be in Kabul by the end of the weekend. Britain also confirmed the start of a military operation to support the evacuation of its nationals. "Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment, but clearly ... if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate Kabul," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday. The White House said Biden was receiving regular briefings from his national security team on efforts to remove US civilians. The US embassy in the Afghan capital informed staff that burn bins and an incinerator were available to destroy material including papers and electronic devices to "reduce the amount of sensitive material on the property," according to an advisory seen by Reuters. A State Department spokesperson said the embassy was following standard procedure to "minimise our footprint." The United Nations has said it would not evacuate its personnel from Afghanistan but was relocating some to Kabul from other parts of the country. Many other Western embassies and aid groups said they were bringing some staff home. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that "Afghanistan is spinning out of control" and urged all parties to do more to protect civilians. "This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war, or the isolation of Afghanistan," Guterres told reporters in New York. Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said after a security meeting chaired by President Ashraf Ghani that he was proud of the armed forces and the government would do all it could to strengthen resistance to the Taliban.

Taliban seize more Afghan cities, assault on capital Kabul expected

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