<p>The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed at least fifty-two&nbsp;people and injured ninety-one in southern Iraq on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement released by its propaganda arm Amaq, IS said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint.</p>

<p>The attackers struck at midday, opening fire on a restaurant before getting into a car and blowing themselves up at a nearby security checkpoint, officials said.</p>

<p>Security sources said the attackers were disguised as members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, a mainly Shiite paramilitary alliance which has fought alongside the army and police against the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Iraq.</p>

<p>The toll from the attacks was fifty-two dead and ninety-one&nbsp;wounded, said Abdel Hussein al-Jabri, deputy health chief for the mainly Shiite province of Dhiqar of which Nasiriyah is the capital.</p>

<p>Jabri told AFP that many of the wounded were in serious condition.</p>

<p>The area targeted is used by Shiite pilgrims and visitors from neighbouring Iran headed for the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala further north, although Dhiqar has previously been spared the worst of Iraq&#39;s violence.</p>

<p>The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Amaq propaganda arm.</p>

<p>It said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint, killing &quot;dozens of Shiites&quot;.</p>

<p>The toll makes it the deadliest IS attack in Iraq since pro-government forces drove the jihadists out of second city Mosul in July.</p>

<p>The Sunni extremist group regularly stages attacks in Iraq, where it has also lost swathes of territory to US-backed pro-government forces.</p>

<p>Thursday&#39;s attacks come as Iraqi forces backed by tribal fighters close in one of the last IS bastions in the country: the Al-Qaim area on the border with war-ravaged Syria.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


People died in twin gun and car bomb attack in southern Iraq

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed at least fifty-two people and injured ninety-one in southern Iraq on Thursday. In a statement released by its propaganda arm Amaq, IS said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint. The attackers struck at midday, opening fire on a restaurant before getting into a car and blowing themselves up at a nearby security checkpoint, officials said. Security sources said the attackers were disguised as members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, a mainly Shiite paramilitary alliance which has fought alongside the army and police against the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Iraq. The toll from the attacks was fifty-two dead and ninety-one wounded, said Abdel Hussein al-Jabri, deputy health chief for the mainly Shiite province of Dhiqar of which Nasiriyah is the capital. Jabri told AFP that many of the wounded were in serious condition. The area targeted is used by Shiite pilgrims and visitors from neighbouring Iran headed for the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala further north, although Dhiqar has previously been spared the worst of Iraq's violence. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Amaq propaganda arm. It said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint, killing "dozens of Shiites". The toll makes it the deadliest IS attack in Iraq since pro-government forces drove the jihadists out of second city Mosul in July. The Sunni extremist group regularly stages attacks in Iraq, where it has also lost swathes of territory to US-backed pro-government forces. Thursday's attacks come as Iraqi forces backed by tribal fighters close in one of the last IS bastions in the country: the Al-Qaim area on the border with war-ravaged Syria.

At least 52 killed in twin attacks in southern Iraq, IS claims responsibility

<p>Eight people were killed and 59 injured in an explosion at a kindergarten in eastern China on Thursday, state media said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>China Central Television said two people were killed at the site of the explosion, and six&nbsp;died in hospital. Nine of the injured are in a serious condition.</p>

<p>Though the cause of the explosion is not clear, online reports suggested it may have been a gas canister explosion, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>Many parents were picking up their children when the blast took place around 5 pm&nbsp;near the entrance of the kindergarten in Xuzhou, in the coastal province of Jiangsu.</p>

<p>Pictures posted by Chinese media online showed more than a dozen people -- including women and children sitting or lying on the ground outside a building. Many were lying on the concrete and some appeared&nbsp;to be unconscious, including a small child.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash">#BREAKING</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Explosion?src=hash">#Explosion</a> rocks kindergarten in East China&#39;s Jiangsu Province, casualty yet unknown <a href="https://t.co/KBlXBDujDq">pic.twitter.com/KBlXBDujDq</a></p>
&mdash; People&#39;s Daily,China (@PDChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/875308064559296512">June 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>An official at the police station in Fengxian county in Jiangsu province told AFP that the cause of the explosion was under investigation.</p>

<p>&quot;There were some children injured,&quot; the official said.</p>

<p>The force of the blast tore the clothes off some people.</p>

<p>It is the latest tragedy to strike a kindergarten in China in recent weeks.</p>

<p>A school bus packed with kindergarten pupils erupted in flames inside a tunnel in eastern Shandong province on May 9, killing 11 children, a teacher and the driver. Officials later said the fire was intentionally set by the driver, who was angry at losing overtime wages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The blast occurred at the gate of the kindergarten as children were leaving the school in the afternoon

Eight people were killed and 59 injured in an explosion at a kindergarten in eastern China on Thursday, state media said. China Central Television said two people were killed at the site of the explosion, and six died in hospital. Nine of the injured are in a serious condition. Though the cause of the explosion is not clear, online reports suggested it may have been a gas canister explosion, Reuters reported. Many parents were picking up their children when the blast took place around 5 pm near the entrance of the kindergarten in Xuzhou, in the coastal province of Jiangsu. Pictures posted by Chinese media online showed more than a dozen people -- including women and children sitting or lying on the ground outside a building. Many were lying on the concrete and some appeared to be unconscious, including a small child. #BREAKING: #Explosion rocks kindergarten in East China's Jiangsu Province, casualty yet unknown pic.twitter.com/KBlXBDujDq — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) June 15, 2017 × An official at the police station in Fengxian county in Jiangsu province told AFP that the cause of the explosion was under investigation. "There were some children injured," the official said. The force of the blast tore the clothes off some people. It is the latest tragedy to strike a kindergarten in China in recent weeks. A school bus packed with kindergarten pupils erupted in flames inside a tunnel in eastern Shandong province on May 9, killing 11 children, a teacher and the driver. Officials later said the fire was intentionally set by the driver, who was angry at losing overtime wages.

8 dead, 59 injured as blast rocks kindergarten in China

<p>At least 19&nbsp;people have been killed and several injured in a blast in Kabul during the funeral ceremony of a man who was killed in Friday&#39;s antigovernment protests, reported Reuters.</p>

<p>Saturday&#39;s blast came at a time when the city of Kabul was under a lockdown in a bid to prevent protesters from coming on the streets to prevent a repeat of Friday&#39;s bloody confrontation between antigovernment protesters and the Afghan police.</p>

<p>President Ashraf Ghani took to twitter to express his anguish over the explosions.</p>

<p>&quot;The country is under attack,&quot; Ghani said in a message on Twitter. &quot;We must be strong and united.&quot;</p>

<p>Kabul&#39;s Italian-run Emergency Hospital said 19 people had been reported killed and 16 wounded had been brought to the hospital. The interior ministry said there were six dead and 87 wounded, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>&quot;There were sounds of explosions everywhere and I saw my hands and face were on fire,&quot; said Mohammad Azim, who was being treated for burns at the Emergency Hospital. &quot;There were parts of human bodies everywhere.&quot;</p>

<p>Dr Abdullah Abdullah, who is the chief executive of Afghanistan, was also present at the funeral of the man who was the son of a senator. His official twitter handle said that he is safe.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><twitterwidget class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="870972158759112704" id="twitter-widget-0" style="position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; transform: rotate(0deg); max-width: 100%; width: 500px; min-width: 220px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"></twitterwidget><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;People were blown to pieces&quot; due to the impact of the blasts, a witness told AFP.</p>

<p>The interior ministry said that it is unclear what caused the explosions.</p>

<p>&quot;We don&#39;t know what caused the explosions. Initial reports show 15 people have been killed and wounded,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


The blast occurred at a time when Kabul is witnessing protests by people against worsening security scenario

At least 19 people have been killed and several injured in a blast in Kabul during the funeral ceremony of a man who was killed in Friday's antigovernment protests, reported Reuters. Saturday's blast came at a time when the city of Kabul was under a lockdown in a bid to prevent protesters from coming on the streets to prevent a repeat of Friday's bloody confrontation between antigovernment protesters and the Afghan police. President Ashraf Ghani took to twitter to express his anguish over the explosions. "The country is under attack," Ghani said in a message on Twitter. "We must be strong and united." Kabul's Italian-run Emergency Hospital said 19 people had been reported killed and 16 wounded had been brought to the hospital. The interior ministry said there were six dead and 87 wounded, Reuters reported. "There were sounds of explosions everywhere and I saw my hands and face were on fire," said Mohammad Azim, who was being treated for burns at the Emergency Hospital. "There were parts of human bodies everywhere." Dr Abdullah Abdullah, who is the chief executive of Afghanistan, was also present at the funeral of the man who was the son of a senator. His official twitter handle said that he is safe. × "People were blown to pieces" due to the impact of the blasts, a witness told AFP. The interior ministry said that it is unclear what caused the explosions. "We don't know what caused the explosions. Initial reports show 15 people have been killed and wounded," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said on Twitter. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan: At least 19 killed in blast near funeral of man killed during Kabul protests

<p>At least 22 people, including some children, were killed and 59 wounded when a suicide bomber struck as thousands of fans streamed out of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack, making it the deadliest militant assault in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London&#39;s transport system in July 2005.</p>

<p>Police said the attacker died after detonating explosives shortly after 10:33 pm (2133 GMT) at Manchester Arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people. Children were among the dead, police said.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man,&#39; Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. &#39;The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man,' Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. 'The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network'" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>&quot;We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man,&quot; Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. &quot;The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.</p>

<p>&quot;The attacker... died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity.&quot;</p>

<p>A witness who attended the concert said she felt a huge blast as she was leaving the arena, followed by screaming and a rush by thousands of people trying to escape the building.</p>

<p>A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media.</p>

<p>&quot;We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming,&quot; concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.</p>

<p>&quot;It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out.&quot;</p>

<p>Ariana Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: &quot;broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don&#39;t have words.&quot; May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 election.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">broken.<br />
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don&#39;t have words.</p>
&mdash; Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/866849021519966208">May 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack,&quot; May said in a statement. &quot;All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.&quot;</p>

<p>May is due to hold a crisis response meeting.</p>

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his condolences over the blast to Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth, Chinese state media reported.</p>

<p><strong>SUICIDE BOMBER?</strong></p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but U.S. officials drew parallels to the coordinated attacks in November 2015 by Islamist militants on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris, which claimed about 130 lives.</p>

<p>Islamic State supporters took to social media to celebrate the blast and some encouraged similar attacks elsewhere. [L8N1IP096]</p>

<p>Britain is on its second-highest alert level of &quot;severe&quot;, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.</p>

<p>British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism.</p>

<p>In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London&#39;s Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene.</p>

<p>In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping centre in the centre of Manchester in April 2009.</p>

<p><strong>PARENTS&#39; ANGUISH</strong></p>

<p>Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, opened in 1995 and is a popular concert and sporting venue.</p>

<p>Desperate parents and friends used social media to search for loved ones who attended Monday&#39;s concert while the wounded were being treated at six hospitals across Manchester.</p>

<p>&quot;Everyone pls share this, my little sister Emma was at the Ari concert tonight in #Manchester and she isn&#39;t answering her phone, pls help me,&quot; said one message posted alongside a picture of a blonde girl with flowers in her hair.</p>

<p>Paula Robinson, 48, from West Dalton about 40 miles east of Manchester, said she was at the train station next to the arena with her husband when she felt the explosion and saw dozens of teenage girls screaming and running away from arena.</p>

<p>&quot;We ran out,&quot; Robinson told Reuters. &quot;It was literally seconds after the explosion. I got the teens to run with me.&quot;</p>

<p>Robinson took dozens of teenage girls to the nearby Holiday Inn Express hotel and tweeted out her phone number to worried parents, telling them to meet her there. She said her phone had not stopped ringing since her tweet.</p>

<p>&quot;Parents were frantic running about trying to get to their children,&quot; she said. &quot;There were lots of lots children at Holiday Inn.&quot;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack

At least 22 people, including some children, were killed and 59 wounded when a suicide bomber struck as thousands of fans streamed out of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday. Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack, making it the deadliest militant assault in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in July 2005. Police said the attacker died after detonating explosives shortly after 10:33 pm (2133 GMT) at Manchester Arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people. Children were among the dead, police said. We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man,' Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. 'The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network' × "We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man," Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. "The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network. "The attacker... died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity." A witness who attended the concert said she felt a huge blast as she was leaving the arena, followed by screaming and a rush by thousands of people trying to escape the building. A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media. "We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming," concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters. "It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out." Ariana Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words." May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 election. broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words. — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017 × "We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack," May said in a statement. "All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected." May is due to hold a crisis response meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his condolences over the blast to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Chinese state media reported. SUICIDE BOMBER? There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but U.S. officials drew parallels to the coordinated attacks in November 2015 by Islamist militants on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris, which claimed about 130 lives. Islamic State supporters took to social media to celebrate the blast and some encouraged similar attacks elsewhere. [L8N1IP096] Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe", meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely. British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism. In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene. In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping centre in the centre of Manchester in April 2009. PARENTS' ANGUISH Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, opened in 1995 and is a popular concert and sporting venue. Desperate parents and friends used social media to search for loved ones who attended Monday's concert while the wounded were being treated at six hospitals across Manchester. "Everyone pls share this, my little sister Emma was at the Ari concert tonight in #Manchester and she isn't answering her phone, pls help me," said one message posted alongside a picture of a blonde girl with flowers in her hair. Paula Robinson, 48, from West Dalton about 40 miles east of Manchester, said she was at the train station next to the arena with her husband when she felt the explosion and saw dozens of teenage girls screaming and running away from arena. "We ran out," Robinson told Reuters. "It was literally seconds after the explosion. I got the teens to run with me." Robinson took dozens of teenage girls to the nearby Holiday Inn Express hotel and tweeted out her phone number to worried parents, telling them to meet her there. She said her phone had not stopped ringing since her tweet. "Parents were frantic running about trying to get to their children," she said. "There were lots of lots children at Holiday Inn." (Reuters)

22 killed, 59 injured in suicide attack at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester

<p>Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on an armoured convoy used by NATO that killed eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul.</p>

<p>It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. embassy, killing eight American soldiers.</p>

<p>Public health officials in Kabul said the eight dead were civilians and that at least 28 people were wounded in the blast that took place during the morning rush hour in a busy part of the city. Three U.S. service members were among the wounded.</p>

<p>There was no immediate word on whether any foreign troops had been hurt in the attack, which hit a group of armoured personnel carriers designed to withstand large blasts.</p>

<p>However the blast, which security officials at the scene said was a suicide attack, also destroyed&nbsp;or badly damaged a number of civilian vehicles nearby.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/capture-20170503040121.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Explosion reported in PD9 Massoud Square in Kabul city. (Twitter)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2017-05-03t064723z_1_lynxmped4209t_rtroptp_3_afghanistan-blast-20170503074851.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Afghan police and municipal workers clear debris from the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. (Reuters)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2017-05-03t064723z_1_lynxmped4209v_rtroptp_3_afghanistan-blast-20170503075209.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Men carry an injured man inside a hospital after the suicide attack in Kabul. (Reuters)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week.</p>

<p>Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed.</p>

<p>The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said.</p>

<p>There was no immediate comment from the Resolute Support mission in the capital.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on an armoured convoy used by NATO that killed eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul. It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. embassy, killing eight American soldiers. Public health officials in Kabul said the eight dead were civilians and that at least 28 people were wounded in the blast that took place during the morning rush hour in a busy part of the city. Three U.S. service members were among the wounded. There was no immediate word on whether any foreign troops had been hurt in the attack, which hit a group of armoured personnel carriers designed to withstand large blasts. However the blast, which security officials at the scene said was a suicide attack, also destroyed or badly damaged a number of civilian vehicles nearby. Explosion reported in PD9 Massoud Square in Kabul city. (Twitter) × Afghan police and municipal workers clear debris from the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. (Reuters) × Men carry an injured man inside a hospital after the suicide attack in Kabul. (Reuters) × The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed. The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. There was no immediate comment from the Resolute Support mission in the capital. (Reuters)

Islamic State claims responsibility for blast in Afghan capital that killed 8

<p>A bomb blast at a church north of Cairo killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens who had gathered for Palm Sunday mass, state media reported, in the latest apparent attack on Egypt&#39;s Coptic Christians.</p>

<p>Some 40 people were wounded in the blast, which struck at a Coptic Church in the Nile Delta City of Tanta, 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Cairo, the reports said.</p>

<p>A medical official at a hospital in Tanta confirmed to AFP that at least 13 people had been killed.</p>

<p>Palm Sunday is one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, marking the triumphant entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem.</p>

<p>The state-run Nile television channel said the blast struck the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta just before 10:00 am (0800 GMT).</p>

<p>Provincial governor Ahmad Deif told the channel that at least 42 people were wounded and that the explosion occurred inside the church.</p>

<p>&quot;Either a bomb was planted or someone blew himself up,&quot; Deif said, adding that security forces had searched the church and surrounding areas for additional explosive devices.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday&#39;s blast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt&#39;s population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months.</p>

<p>Jihadists and Islamists accuse them of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters.</p>

<p>In December, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during Sunday mass in Cairo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bombing of the church within a compound that also holds the seat of the Coptic papacy was the deadliest attack against the minority in recent memory.</p>

<p>A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, have led some Coptic families to flee their homes.</p>

<p>About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the religious minority.</p>

<p>Egypt&#39;s army is waging a counter-insurgency against an IS affiliate in Sinai, which has claimed scores of attacks against police and army positions. &nbsp;</p>

<p>President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief helped the military to remove Morsi, defended his security forces in a televised address soon afterwards.</p>

<p>&quot;(The attacks aim to) destabilise the fabric of Egypt... to give the impression that one group isn&#39;t protected as it should be,&quot; Sisi said at the time.</p>

<p>Following Morsi&#39;s ouster, mobs attacked dozens of churches and Christian properties.</p>

<p>Pope Francis is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29 to show solidarity with Egypt&#39;s Christian community.</p>

<p>The pontiff will visit the site of the December church attack next to Saint Mark&#39;s Coptic Orthodox&nbsp;Cathedral -- the seat of Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


The blast happened in the Egyptian city of Tanta, north of Cairo

A bomb blast at a church north of Cairo killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens who had gathered for Palm Sunday mass, state media reported, in the latest apparent attack on Egypt's Coptic Christians. Some 40 people were wounded in the blast, which struck at a Coptic Church in the Nile Delta City of Tanta, 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Cairo, the reports said. A medical official at a hospital in Tanta confirmed to AFP that at least 13 people had been killed. Palm Sunday is one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, marking the triumphant entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem. The state-run Nile television channel said the blast struck the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta just before 10:00 am (0800 GMT). Provincial governor Ahmad Deif told the channel that at least 42 people were wounded and that the explosion occurred inside the church. "Either a bomb was planted or someone blew himself up," Deif said, adding that security forces had searched the church and surrounding areas for additional explosive devices. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's blast. Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months. Jihadists and Islamists accuse them of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters. In December, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during Sunday mass in Cairo. The bombing of the church within a compound that also holds the seat of the Coptic papacy was the deadliest attack against the minority in recent memory. A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, have led some Coptic families to flee their homes. About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the religious minority. Egypt's army is waging a counter-insurgency against an IS affiliate in Sinai, which has claimed scores of attacks against police and army positions. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief helped the military to remove Morsi, defended his security forces in a televised address soon afterwards. "(The attacks aim to) destabilise the fabric of Egypt... to give the impression that one group isn't protected as it should be," Sisi said at the time. Following Morsi's ouster, mobs attacked dozens of churches and Christian properties. Pope Francis is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29 to show solidarity with Egypt's Christian community. The pontiff will visit the site of the December church attack next to Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral -- the seat of Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II. (AFP)

Egypt: At least 22 killed, several injured in blast near church

<p>The provincial capital of Pakistan&#39;s Punjab, Lahore, was rocked by two explosions on Wednesday.&nbsp;In the first, which according to Dawn took place in the Y Block area in a defence locality, eight were killed and fifteen were injured. The nature of the blast is still unknown, according to a government source in Punjab.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash">#UPDATE</a> 8 killed and more than 15 injured in a blast in Lahore&#39;s Defence area: Pakistan media <a href="https://t.co/ZirAGEL0j2">pic.twitter.com/ZirAGEL0j2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/834663358896803840">February 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wmrp5Jf60bo"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
<p>An explosion rocks a market in Pakistan&#39;s eastern city of Lahore, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more. (WION)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;The area has been encircled. Nothing can be said about the nature of blast yet.&quot; Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah</p>
&mdash; Govt Of The Punjab (@GovtOfPunjab) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtOfPunjab/status/834664929714171905">February 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The second explosion took place in the upscale Gulberg area of Lahore, according to a Reuters report which quoted an anonymous Punjab government official. There were no immediate reports of casualties.</p>

<p>These explosions&nbsp;come at&nbsp;a time when Pakistan has recently been hit by a string of bombings.</p>

<p>The Pakistan Army has launched a massive hunt for militants across the country after more than 80 people were killed in a blast in a Sufi shrine in Sindh province last week.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Both explosions happened in upscale areas of Lahore, but the nature of the blasts is still unknown

The provincial capital of Pakistan's Punjab, Lahore, was rocked by two explosions on Wednesday. In the first, which according to Dawn took place in the Y Block area in a defence locality, eight were killed and fifteen were injured. The nature of the blast is still unknown, according to a government source in Punjab. #UPDATE 8 killed and more than 15 injured in a blast in Lahore's Defence area: Pakistan media pic.twitter.com/ZirAGEL0j2 — ANI (@ANI_news) February 23, 2017 × An explosion rocks a market in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more. (WION) × "The area has been encircled. Nothing can be said about the nature of blast yet." Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah — Govt Of The Punjab (@GovtOfPunjab) February 23, 2017 × The second explosion took place in the upscale Gulberg area of Lahore, according to a Reuters report which quoted an anonymous Punjab government official. There were no immediate reports of casualties. These explosions come at a time when Pakistan has recently been hit by a string of bombings. The Pakistan Army has launched a massive hunt for militants across the country after more than 80 people were killed in a blast in a Sufi shrine in Sindh province last week. (WION)

Pakistan: 8 killed, several injured as Lahore rocked by twin blasts

<p>&nbsp;Suicide bombers attacked a court complex in Pakistan on Tuesday, killing five people and wounding 20, police officials said, the latest incident in a new surge of Islamist violence.</p>

<p>A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban&#39;s Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda.</p>

<p>All three of the attackers were carrying hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, Ijaz Khan, police chief in the northwestern district of Charsadda, told Reuters.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dl9r1I8xWeY"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Pakistani Taliban&#39;s Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claim responsibility for suicide attack in Pakistan&#39;s northwestern town of Charsadda, killing at least four. Here&#39;s more to this story. (WION)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Besides lawyers and judges, hundreds of litigants visit the building every day.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pakblastm-20170221101354.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>People transport an injured man in the Charsadda blast to a hospital in Peshawar. (Reuters)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The district administration had earlier said at least four people were killed. A witness told Reuters he had seen &quot;many&quot; dead bodies at the scene.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Charsadda blasts: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a> media reports that three attackers have been killed</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/833944499969667072">February 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Four killed and 17 injured in multiple explosions in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Charsadda?src=hash">#Charsadda</a>: Pakistan media.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/833944251524280320">February 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>A string of bombings in Pakistan over the past 10 days has killed more than 100 people.&nbsp;Town resident Mohammad Shah Baz told Reuters he was inside the judicial complex when the suicide bombers stormed it.</p>

<p>&quot;I escaped towards the canteen and climbed the wall to save my life. But there were many people dead and injured,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>District police chief Sohail Khalid said at least one of the attackers blew himself up and another opened fire at the main entrance of the court compound before they were shot and killed.</p>

<p>Jamaat-ur-Ahrar spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility for the attack in a message to journalists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda

Suicide bombers attacked a court complex in Pakistan on Tuesday, killing five people and wounding 20, police officials said, the latest incident in a new surge of Islamist violence. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda. All three of the attackers were carrying hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, Ijaz Khan, police chief in the northwestern district of Charsadda, told Reuters. Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claim responsibility for suicide attack in Pakistan's northwestern town of Charsadda, killing at least four. Here's more to this story. (WION) × Besides lawyers and judges, hundreds of litigants visit the building every day. People transport an injured man in the Charsadda blast to a hospital in Peshawar. (Reuters) × The district administration had earlier said at least four people were killed. A witness told Reuters he had seen "many" dead bodies at the scene. Charsadda blasts: #Pakistan media reports that three attackers have been killed — ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017 × Four killed and 17 injured in multiple explosions in #Charsadda: Pakistan media. — ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017 × A string of bombings in Pakistan over the past 10 days has killed more than 100 people. Town resident Mohammad Shah Baz told Reuters he was inside the judicial complex when the suicide bombers stormed it. "I escaped towards the canteen and climbed the wall to save my life. But there were many people dead and injured," he said. District police chief Sohail Khalid said at least one of the attackers blew himself up and another opened fire at the main entrance of the court compound before they were shot and killed. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility for the attack in a message to journalists. (Reuters)

Suicide bombers hit court complex in Pakistan, 5 dead

<p>A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of bombings across the South Asian nation this week.</p>

<p>Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise.</p>

<p>&quot;At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured,&quot; Sethar said by telephone.</p>

<p>Islamic State, the West-Asia based militant group which has a small but increasingly prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group&#39;s affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.</p>

<p>The attack on the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif comes as the Pakistani Taliban and other rival Islamist militant groups carry out their threat of a new offensive.</p>

<p>The violence has shattered a period of improving security, underscoring how militants still pose a threat to stability in the nuclear-armed country of 190 million people.</p>

<p>The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years.</p>

<p>In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta.</p>

<p>Both a faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ur-Ahrar - and Islamic State claimed responsibility for that atrocity.</p>

<p>Jamaat also said it was responsible for a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week that killed 13 people.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UPpABIGMZ_E" width="560"></iframe></p>
<centre><centre>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
</centre></centre>

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported

A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of bombings across the South Asian nation this week. Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise. "At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured," Sethar said by telephone. Islamic State, the West-Asia based militant group which has a small but increasingly prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported. The attack on the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif comes as the Pakistani Taliban and other rival Islamist militant groups carry out their threat of a new offensive. The violence has shattered a period of improving security, underscoring how militants still pose a threat to stability in the nuclear-armed country of 190 million people. The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years. In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta. Both a faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ur-Ahrar - and Islamic State claimed responsibility for that atrocity. Jamaat also said it was responsible for a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week that killed 13 people. (Reuters)

At least 72 killed in blast at Sufi shrine in Pakistan

<p>A powerful explosion killing 14 and injuring 83&nbsp;rocked the mall road area of&nbsp;Lahore, the capital&nbsp;of Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;Punjab province.</p>

<p>The blast took place close to the provincial assembly at a time when protests by Pakistan&#39;s chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers was underway.</p>

<p>Mushtaq Sukhera, inspector-general of police in Punjab province, said five police officers were among the dead, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>&quot;It was a suicide attack. The bomber exploded himself when successful negotiations were underway between police officials and the protesters,&quot; Sukhera told reporters.</p>

<p>A spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, called Reuters and claimed responsibility for the attack.</p>

<p>Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a statement said, &quot;We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pakistan%20big%20blastm-20170213035942.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Pakistani policemen move an injured blast victim into a vehicle after a powerful explosion in Lahore. (AFP)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ViNiGFycEmk" width="560"></iframe></p>
<centre><centre>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><centre><centre></centre></centre></p>

<p><centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ksdw7zhyGo" width="560"></iframe></centre></p>

<p>(WION with agency inputs)</p>
<centre><centre>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</centre></centre></centre></centre>

The blast is reported to have occurred outside the Punjab Assembly

A powerful explosion killing 14 and injuring 83 rocked the mall road area of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province. The blast took place close to the provincial assembly at a time when protests by Pakistan's chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers was underway. Mushtaq Sukhera, inspector-general of police in Punjab province, said five police officers were among the dead, Reuters reported. "It was a suicide attack. The bomber exploded himself when successful negotiations were underway between police officials and the protesters," Sukhera told reporters. A spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, called Reuters and claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a statement said, "We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us." Pakistani policemen move an injured blast victim into a vehicle after a powerful explosion in Lahore. (AFP) × (WION with agency inputs)

Pakistan: 14 killed, several injured as powerful blast rips through Lahore's mall road

<p>An explosion occurred near the Supreme Court in the centre of Afghanistan&#39;s capital, Kabul, killing at least 20 people, government officials said.</p>

<p>The Ministry of Public Health said at least 20 people were killed and 38 injured people were taken to city hospitals,&nbsp;in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on the judiciary.</p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, in which police said an apparent suicide bomber targeted Supreme Court employees leaving their offices at the end of the working day.</p>

<p>Last month, Taliban bombers killed more than 30 people and wounded about 70 in twin blasts in a crowded area of the city during the afternoon rush hour.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Taliban is&nbsp;fighting to oust foreign forces and bring down the US-backed government, claimed responsibility for the January 10 attack.</p>

<p>Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.</p>

<p>Several thousand foreign troops, most of them Americans, remain in training and counter-terrorism roles.</p>
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/StMppSLd2IM" width="560"></iframe><centre>
<p>(Reuters)</p>
</centre></centre>

Police said a suspected suicide bomber targeted the Supreme Court employees in Kabul

An explosion occurred near the Supreme Court in the centre of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killing at least 20 people, government officials said. The Ministry of Public Health said at least 20 people were killed and 38 injured people were taken to city hospitals, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on the judiciary. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, in which police said an apparent suicide bomber targeted Supreme Court employees leaving their offices at the end of the working day. Last month, Taliban bombers killed more than 30 people and wounded about 70 in twin blasts in a crowded area of the city during the afternoon rush hour. The Taliban is fighting to oust foreign forces and bring down the US-backed government, claimed responsibility for the January 10 attack. Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014. Several thousand foreign troops, most of them Americans, remain in training and counter-terrorism roles. (Reuters)

Blast near Supreme Court in Afghanistan, 20 dead

<p>An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers.</p>

<p>No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament.</p>

<p>&quot;The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP&#39;s vehicle was passing through,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.</p>

<p>&quot;Three people including the MP were wounded.&quot;</p>

<p>But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed.</p>

<p>&quot;I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle,&quot; said Abdul Manan, a&nbsp;bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter&nbsp;when fighting usually ebbs.</p>

<p>The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers.</p>

<p>Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours.</p>

<p>Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting MP Fakuri Behishti,

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament. "The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP's vehicle was passing through," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. "Three people including the MP were wounded." But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed. "I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle," said Abdul Manan, a bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack. The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter when fighting usually ebbs. The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers. Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours. Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed. (AFP)

Blast in Kabul hits Afghan MP's vehicle, three wounded

<p>At least 11 people were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan&rsquo;s southern province of Helmand on Saturday, news agencies reported.</p>

<p>&quot;They were travelling in Bolan, an area on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, around mid-day. Their vehicle touched off an improvised explosive device (IED),&quot; Xinhua news agency quoted an official as saying.</p>

<p>According to Xinhua, the official blamed Taliban militants for planting the IED.</p>

<p>Taliban has been using IEDs to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians, according to military officers, Xinhua said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Authorities blame Taliban for the blast in Afghanistan?s southern province of Helmand today

At least 11 people were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand on Saturday, news agencies reported. "They were travelling in Bolan, an area on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, around mid-day. Their vehicle touched off an improvised explosive device (IED)," Xinhua news agency quoted an official as saying. According to Xinhua, the official blamed Taliban militants for planting the IED. Taliban has been using IEDs to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians, according to military officers, Xinhua said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan: 11 dead in powerful roadside explosion

Two people were reportedly killed in an explosion in Kot-e-Sangee in Kabul today, TOLOnews reported.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In an update, TOLOnews said parliament&#39;s head of HR department was killed in the blast reported this evening.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The number of casualties is likely to increase. Three were wounded in the incident according to eyewitnesses, TOLOnews said.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Update Kabul explosion: Two people reportedly killed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IED?src=hash">#IED</a> explosion in Kot-e-Sangee and two other wounded</p>
&mdash; TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/759034276125872129">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Update <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> explosion: Eye witnesses report that at least one person was killed and three others wounded in the explosion</p>
&mdash; TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/759024401987805184">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Parliament&#39;s head of HR department killed in Kote Sangi, Kabul, explosion: official</p>
&mdash; TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/759031305598300160">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
<br />
(WION)&nbsp;

The number of casualties is likely to rise

Two people were reportedly killed in an explosion in Kot-e-Sangee in Kabul today, TOLOnews reported. In an update, TOLOnews said parliament's head of HR department was killed in the blast reported this evening. The number of casualties is likely to increase. Three were wounded in the incident according to eyewitnesses, TOLOnews said. Update Kabul explosion: Two people reportedly killed in #IED explosion in Kot-e-Sangee and two other wounded — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) July 29, 2016 Update #Kabul explosion: Eye witnesses report that at least one person was killed and three others wounded in the explosion — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) July 29, 2016 BREAKING: Parliament's head of HR department killed in Kote Sangi, Kabul, explosion: official — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) July 29, 2016 (WION)

Parliament's head of HR, one other killed in Kabul blast: Local media?

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near a crowded checkpoint north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, security and medical officials said.<br />
<br />
The blast at the entrance to the town of Khales also wounded 37, according to Diyala province police spokesman Colonel Ghalib al-Attiyah and health department spokesman Faris al-Azzawi.<br />
<br />
Hospital sources said the death toll was expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries.<br />
<br />
Attiyah said the checkpoint was crowded with cars, and that a number of them were burned in the blast.<br />
<br />
Amaq, a news agency that supports Islamic State, said the attack had targeted Iraqi troops in Khalis.<br />
<br />
The blast came a day after a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 people in Baghdad&#39;s Kadhimiyah neighbourhood.<br />
<br />
Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country.<br />
<br />
The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground.<br />
<br />
(AFP)<br />
&nbsp;

Islamic State claims responsibility for blast. Medical officials say death toll is expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near a crowded checkpoint north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, security and medical officials said. The blast at the entrance to the town of Khales also wounded 37, according to Diyala province police spokesman Colonel Ghalib al-Attiyah and health department spokesman Faris al-Azzawi. Hospital sources said the death toll was expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries. Attiyah said the checkpoint was crowded with cars, and that a number of them were burned in the blast. Amaq, a news agency that supports Islamic State, said the attack had targeted Iraqi troops in Khalis. The blast came a day after a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 people in Baghdad's Kadhimiyah neighbourhood. Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country. The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

At least 12 dead in Iraq's car bomb explosion

A car bomb blast yesterday hit an upmarket area of Damascus housing several government buildings, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, saying there were &quot;several wounded&quot;.<br />
<br />
The explosion took place in front of a 10-storey building in the Kafar Sousse district in the southwest of the war-torn country`s capital, an AFP journalist at the scene said.<br />
<br />
Debris littered the ground, including pieces of metal apparently from the vehicle used in the blast, which the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said caused casualties, without giving details.<br />
<br />
Since Syria`s civil war erupted numerous attacks have hit Damascus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, though they have become less frequent in recent years.<br />
<br />
Kafar Sousse, home to the foreign ministry and the council of ministers, was the scene of some of the first major attacks in the Syrian conflict, when 44 people were killed and 166 wounded in two suicide bombings in December 2011.<br />
<br />
Those attacks, targeting intelligence and military security buildings, were blamed by the opposition on the government, who blamed Al-Qaeda.<br />
<br />
The district was also where Lebanese Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh was assassinated in 2008.<br />
<br />
Syria`s civil war has cost more than 280,000 lives and sent more than half the country`s population fleeing abroad.<br />
<br />
The increasingly complex conflict has drawn in regional and international powers and seen the rise of jihadist groups including the Islamic State.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

The bomb hit Kafar Sousse area, southwest of the capital. A Britain-based human rights group reported casualties without giving details

A car bomb blast yesterday hit an upmarket area of Damascus housing several government buildings, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, saying there were "several wounded". The explosion took place in front of a 10-storey building in the Kafar Sousse district in the southwest of the war-torn country`s capital, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Debris littered the ground, including pieces of metal apparently from the vehicle used in the blast, which the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said caused casualties, without giving details. Since Syria`s civil war erupted numerous attacks have hit Damascus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, though they have become less frequent in recent years. Kafar Sousse, home to the foreign ministry and the council of ministers, was the scene of some of the first major attacks in the Syrian conflict, when 44 people were killed and 166 wounded in two suicide bombings in December 2011. Those attacks, targeting intelligence and military security buildings, were blamed by the opposition on the government, who blamed Al-Qaeda. The district was also where Lebanese Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh was assassinated in 2008. Syria`s civil war has cost more than 280,000 lives and sent more than half the country`s population fleeing abroad. The increasingly complex conflict has drawn in regional and international powers and seen the rise of jihadist groups including the Islamic State. (AFP)

Car bomb blast wounds several in Damascus

<p>At least nine people were killed and 32 wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated in a district just north of Baghdad, security and medical sources said.</p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in Rashidiya, but Islamic State regularly carries out such bombings in the capital and other parts of Iraq, where it seized large swathes of territory in 2014.</p>

<p>Baghdad is on high alert for attacks after a blast in the central Karrada district on July 3 killed at least 292 people, making it one of the deadliest bombings in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago.</p>

<p>Islamic State has turned increasingly to ad hoc attacks, which US&nbsp;and Iraqi officials have touted as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening the jihadists. But critics say a global uptick in suicide attacks attributed to the group suggests it may adapt and survive.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast

At least nine people were killed and 32 wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated in a district just north of Baghdad, security and medical sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in Rashidiya, but Islamic State regularly carries out such bombings in the capital and other parts of Iraq, where it seized large swathes of territory in 2014. Baghdad is on high alert for attacks after a blast in the central Karrada district on July 3 killed at least 292 people, making it one of the deadliest bombings in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. Islamic State has turned increasingly to ad hoc attacks, which US and Iraqi officials have touted as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening the jihadists. But critics say a global uptick in suicide attacks attributed to the group suggests it may adapt and survive. (Reuters)

Car bomb kills nine north of Baghdad, say sources

The death toll from a suicide bombing in Baghdad this weekend has reached 292, Iraq&#39;s health ministry said on Thursday.<br />
<br />
The attack, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, which government forces are trying to eject from large parts of the north and west of the country, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago.<br />
<br />
More than 200 were wounded in the attack in a busy shopping street in the mainly Shi&#39;ite Karrada district of central Baghdad. About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Rudaini told Reuters.<br />
<br />
Earlier on Thursday, the ministry had put the toll at 281 and it rose as more people, registered as missing, were identified as dead, Rudaini said.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry official Ahmed al-Rudaini said

The death toll from a suicide bombing in Baghdad this weekend has reached 292, Iraq's health ministry said on Thursday. The attack, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, which government forces are trying to eject from large parts of the north and west of the country, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. More than 200 were wounded in the attack in a busy shopping street in the mainly Shi'ite Karrada district of central Baghdad. About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Rudaini told Reuters. Earlier on Thursday, the ministry had put the toll at 281 and it rose as more people, registered as missing, were identified as dead, Rudaini said. (Reuters)

Baghdad bombing death toll rises to 292

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shiite mosque in Eastern Saudi Arabia on Monday, without causing any other injuries, residents told AFP.<br />
<br />
&quot;Suicide bomber for sure. I can see the body&quot; torn apart, said a witness to the attack in the Shiite-populated city of Qatif.<br />
<br />
Nasima al-Sada, another resident, told AFP that &quot;one bomber blew himself up near the mosque&quot;, frequented by Shiites in downtown Qatif, on the Gulf coast.<br />
<br />
No bystanders were hurt, she said.<br />
<br />
The blast, near the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramzan, was the second suicide bombing on Monday in the predominantly Sunni kingdom.<br />
<br />
Another bomber blew himself up earlier near the US consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, injuring two security officers.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

The blast was the second suicide bombing on Monday in the predominantly Sunni kingdom

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shiite mosque in Eastern Saudi Arabia on Monday, without causing any other injuries, residents told AFP. "Suicide bomber for sure. I can see the body" torn apart, said a witness to the attack in the Shiite-populated city of Qatif. Nasima al-Sada, another resident, told AFP that "one bomber blew himself up near the mosque", frequented by Shiites in downtown Qatif, on the Gulf coast. No bystanders were hurt, she said. The blast, near the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramzan, was the second suicide bombing on Monday in the predominantly Sunni kingdom. Another bomber blew himself up earlier near the US consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, injuring two security officers. (AFP)

Suicide blast near mosque in Eastern Saudi

<p>Evidence gathered so far points to Islamic State being responsible for a triple suicide bombing at Istanbul&#39;s main airport this week, Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala told Parliament on Thursday.<br />
<br />
Ala said the death toll from Tuesday night&#39;s attack had risen to 43&nbsp;including 19 foreigners. The three suspected bombers were from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, a Turkish government official said earlier.<br />
<br />
The attack on one of the world&#39;s busiest airports, a hub at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, was the deadliest in a series of suicide bombings in&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;this year.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Hundreds of employees at Ataturk airport and families gathered at a makeshift memorial in the terminal building to pay their respects to 15 colleagues who were killed in the attack.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;This could have been worse. We lost our friends,&quot; an employee at the airport, Aziz Aydin, said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Wars in neighbouring Syria and Iraq have fostered a home-grown Islamic State network blamed for a series of suicide bombings in&nbsp;Turkey, including two others this year targeting foreign tourists in the heart of Istanbul.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Critics say&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;woke up too late to the threat from Islamic State, focusing instead early in the Syrian civil war on trying to oust president Bashar al-Assad by backing even his hardline Islamist opponents, arguing there could be no peace without his departure.<br />
<br />
Thousands of foreign fighters from scores of countries have crossed&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq in recent years.&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has tightened security on the Syrian border but has long argued it needs more information from foreign intelligence agencies to intercept the fighters.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


Turkish interior minister spoke in Parliament while a memorial service was underway at the airport for employees killed in the attack

Evidence gathered so far points to Islamic State being responsible for a triple suicide bombing at Istanbul's main airport this week, Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala told Parliament on Thursday. Ala said the death toll from Tuesday night's attack had risen to 43 including 19 foreigners. The three suspected bombers were from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, a Turkish government official said earlier. The attack on one of the world's busiest airports, a hub at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, was the deadliest in a series of suicide bombings in Turkey this year. Hundreds of employees at Ataturk airport and families gathered at a makeshift memorial in the terminal building to pay their respects to 15 colleagues who were killed in the attack. "This could have been worse. We lost our friends," an employee at the airport, Aziz Aydin, said. Wars in neighbouring Syria and Iraq have fostered a home-grown Islamic State network blamed for a series of suicide bombings in Turkey, including two others this year targeting foreign tourists in the heart of Istanbul. Critics say Turkey woke up too late to the threat from Islamic State, focusing instead early in the Syrian civil war on trying to oust president Bashar al-Assad by backing even his hardline Islamist opponents, arguing there could be no peace without his departure. Thousands of foreign fighters from scores of countries have crossed Turkey to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq in recent years. Turkey has tightened security on the Syrian border but has long argued it needs more information from foreign intelligence agencies to intercept the fighters. (Reuters)

Evidence suggests Islamic State behind Istanbul attack, says minister

blast

Blast, News on Blast, stories on Blast, articles on Blast, Blast stories at Wion, Blast news, Blast latest news