Sri Lankan President & Prime Minister indulge in a vicious blame game after Sunday's attacks as they pass the buck instead of reassuring the people.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka Easter Massacre: Government indulges in blame game

Who carried out the Sri Lanka terror attacks? What was the motive? What is Sri Lankan Government's response?

Gravitas: Sri Lanka terror attacks: the unanswered questions

A wave of deadly bombings takes 290 lives in island nation Sri Lanka. A day later, several questions still remain.

Gravitas: Lanka Easter Massacre: 290 people killed

Churches in Philippines, Indonesia & Egypt have been targeted over the past two years. Is a new terror template emerging around the world?

Gravitas: Blasts in Sri Lanka hint at a new terror template

After US, China's embassy in Sri Lanka on Tuesday warned Chinese nationals against traveling to Sri Lanka in the near term, after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels across the island nation on Easter Sunday.

Sri Lanka Blasts: After US, China also issues travel advisory for visitors to SL

Hundreds of people were evacuated Thursday from a hotel in downtown Singapore after explosions and a fire erupted in a room containing electrical equipment, causing blackouts in nearby buildings.

The Carlton Hotel said the incident — rare for hyper-safe and efficient Singapore — was not terror-related and there were no injuries.

After the blasts and blaze, smoke could reportedly be seen wafting from the back of the building, which is just a short walk from the colonial-era Raffles Hotel.

"About a thousand persons were evacuated from the building. There were no reported injuries," said the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the agency in charge of emergency services.&nbsp;

The blazed happened in a switch room housing electrical equipment and was quickly extinguished by firefighters, they said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

An Australian guest, who did not want to be identified, told AFP he heard two explosions about three minutes apart while he was standing outside the building.

The incident caused a power blackout at the hotel and some nearby buildings for a short period, but electricity was quickly restored to all affected areas except the Carlton.

Hundreds of people were evacuated Thursday from a hotel in downtown Singapore after explosions and a fire erupted in a room containing electrical equipment, causing blackouts in nearby buildings.

Hundreds of people were evacuated Thursday from a hotel in downtown Singapore after explosions and a fire erupted in a room containing electrical equipment, causing blackouts in nearby buildings. The Carlton Hotel said the incident — rare for hyper-safe and efficient Singapore — was not terror-related and there were no injuries. After the blasts and blaze, smoke could reportedly be seen wafting from the back of the building, which is just a short walk from the colonial-era Raffles Hotel. "About a thousand persons were evacuated from the building. There were no reported injuries," said the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the agency in charge of emergency services. The blazed happened in a switch room housing electrical equipment and was quickly extinguished by firefighters, they said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. An Australian guest, who did not want to be identified, told AFP he heard two explosions about three minutes apart while he was standing outside the building. The incident caused a power blackout at the hotel and some nearby buildings for a short period, but electricity was quickly restored to all affected areas except the Carlton.

Singapore hotel evacuated after blasts, fire

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a man from West Bengal's Bandel railway station on Monday. The man has been arrested in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya serial blasts.

According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast.

All five accused in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings were found guilty by a special Patna court on May 25. The accused belonged to the terror group Indian Mujahideen.

The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigative Agency (NIA) Special Court on June 1.

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West Bengal: A 57-year-old man was arrested by Special Task Force of Kolkata Police from Bandel railway station this morning, in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya blast case this January.He had helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives used in the blast <a href="https://t.co/Twb5lwLmHE">pic.twitter.com/Twb5lwLmHE</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1006117992986390528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Umer Siddiqui, Azaharuddin Qureshi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujibullah Ansari and a juvenile, all belonging to the Indian Mujahideen, were accused in the case.

Last year, a Juvenile Justice Board in Patna had convicted the juvenile and sentenced him to three years in connection with the Patna and Bodh Gaya blast cases. The accused juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places.

The accused was also involved in Patna's Gandhi Maidan blast.

Maha Bodhi temple, situated in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, was jolted by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, 2013. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the incident.

The temple assumes great significance to Buddhists owing to the belief that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at the spot. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(With inputs from ANI)

According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a man from West Bengal's Bandel railway station on Monday. The man has been arrested in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya serial blasts. According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast. All five accused in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings were found guilty by a special Patna court on May 25. The accused belonged to the terror group Indian Mujahideen. The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigative Agency (NIA) Special Court on June 1. West Bengal: A 57-year-old man was arrested by Special Task Force of Kolkata Police from Bandel railway station this morning, in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya blast case this January.He had helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives used in the blast pic.twitter.com/Twb5lwLmHE — ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2018 × Umer Siddiqui, Azaharuddin Qureshi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujibullah Ansari and a juvenile, all belonging to the Indian Mujahideen, were accused in the case. Last year, a Juvenile Justice Board in Patna had convicted the juvenile and sentenced him to three years in connection with the Patna and Bodh Gaya blast cases. The accused juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places. The accused was also involved in Patna's Gandhi Maidan blast. Maha Bodhi temple, situated in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, was jolted by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, 2013. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the incident. The temple assumes great significance to Buddhists owing to the belief that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at the spot. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (With inputs from ANI)

Bodh Gaya blasts: Man arrested for helping procure explosives

According to Afghan media, at least 9 journalists have lost their lives in the twin blasts that jolted capital city Kabul earlier today.

French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed one of its chief photographers has died in the explosion.

“He died in a blast that was targeting a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of a suicide attack in the Afghan capital,” read the news agency's tweet.&nbsp;

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AFP photographer Shah Marai killed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>'s Kabul blast. <a href="https://t.co/kKWj7LrpJg">pic.twitter.com/kKWj7LrpJg</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990825763187384320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A number of journalists were wounded in the second blast in Kabul that occurred shortly after the first one, TOLO News reported.

An Afghan news channel also confirmed a couple of its staff reporters dead in the blast.&nbsp;

At least 29 were killed and over 40 wounded in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explosion-heard-in-afghan-capital-kabul-report-133698">twin explosions that took place in Afghanistan's Kabul on Monday</a>.

According to reports, the first explosion took place in the Shashdarak area near Afghanistan's spy agency's office. Another explosion followed outside the headquarters of the ministry of urban development and housing, Reuters reported.

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Afghanistan: Visuals from the site of explosion in Kabul's Shashdarak area Four killed and five wounded so far, one AFP photographer was also killed in the explosion. <a href="https://t.co/oy8ctgh5oO">pic.twitter.com/oy8ctgh5oO</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990829164814094336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The explosion comes over a week after a deadly blast claimed 60 lives at a voter registration centre in the west of the city.

According to a report published by NAI, a non-profit organisation that supports open media and journalists' rights in Afghanistan, 21 journalists lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2017.&nbsp;

Another report by the International Federation of Journalists claimed that as many as 21 journalists were killed while at their job last year across the globe, 250 were jailed.&nbsp;

Mexico saw the maximum numbers of reporters getting killed last year followed by countries Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

According to a report, 21 journalists lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2017

According to Afghan media, at least 9 journalists have lost their lives in the twin blasts that jolted capital city Kabul earlier today. French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed one of its chief photographers has died in the explosion. “He died in a blast that was targeting a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of a suicide attack in the Afghan capital,” read the news agency's tweet. AFP photographer Shah Marai killed in #Afghanistan's Kabul blast. pic.twitter.com/kKWj7LrpJg — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2018 × A number of journalists were wounded in the second blast in Kabul that occurred shortly after the first one, TOLO News reported. An Afghan news channel also confirmed a couple of its staff reporters dead in the blast. At least 29 were killed and over 40 wounded in twin explosions that took place in Afghanistan's Kabul on Monday. According to reports, the first explosion took place in the Shashdarak area near Afghanistan's spy agency's office. Another explosion followed outside the headquarters of the ministry of urban development and housing, Reuters reported. Afghanistan: Visuals from the site of explosion in Kabul's Shashdarak area Four killed and five wounded so far, one AFP photographer was also killed in the explosion. pic.twitter.com/oy8ctgh5oO — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2018 × The explosion comes over a week after a deadly blast claimed 60 lives at a voter registration centre in the west of the city. According to a report published by NAI, a non-profit organisation that supports open media and journalists' rights in Afghanistan, 21 journalists lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2017. Another report by the International Federation of Journalists claimed that as many as 21 journalists were killed while at their job last year across the globe, 250 were jailed. Mexico saw the maximum numbers of reporters getting killed last year followed by countries Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. (With inputs from agencies)

Kabul twin blasts: Afghan media reports 9 journalists killed

Nine personnel got injured in a couple of blasts that occurred inside Assam RIfles Transit Camp in Imphal west of Manipur on Tuesday evening.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manipur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manipur</a> Two blasts occur inside Assam Rifles Transit Camp near Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal West; Four security personnel injured in the blast.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960870437306716160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The injured were taken to the nearest hospital.

There are no reports of any deaths so far.

Further details are awaited.

The injured personnel were taken to the nearest hospital

Nine personnel got injured in a couple of blasts that occurred inside Assam RIfles Transit Camp in Imphal west of Manipur on Tuesday evening. #Manipur Two blasts occur inside Assam Rifles Transit Camp near Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal West; Four security personnel injured in the blast. — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2018 × The injured were taken to the nearest hospital. There are no reports of any deaths so far. Further details are awaited.

Manipur: 9 injured in blasts inside Assam Rifles Transit Camp

Nepalis began voting for a new parliament on Sunday with the army on alert as a series of small blasts blamed on a rogue Maoist group reminded the Himalayan nation of the violence and instability it is hoping to leave behind.

More than a decade after the end of a civil war between Maoist peasant guerrillas, Nepal is hoping this election - the first parliamentary polls since 1999 - will complete its long journey from a monarchy to becoming a federal republic.

A second phase of the election will take place on Dec. 7, and the election commission has said that the final results probably won&rsquo;t be known for several days because of the cumbersome counting procedures.

A Maoist splinter group was behind a series of small blasts in the run-up to the polls, and security forces have defused around 30 improvised explosive devices since Friday, army spokesman Nain Raj Dahal said.

<iframe data-integralas-id-128ab688-e09b-5f06-9686-dfb5bc89e79e="" frameborder="0" height="2" id="google_ads_iframe_/4735792/us.reuters/world/article_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/4735792/us.reuters/world/article_2" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="2"></iframe>Suresh Balsami was the first voter at Kagatigaun polling center near the capital Kathmandu.

&rdquo;I voted for peace, development and prosperity of the country,&rdquo; said the 32-year-old bus driver as other voters began to trickle in.

Nepal voted in 2008 and 2013 for a Constituent Assembly, which doubled as parliament, to write a post-monarchy charter that plotted the course of becoming a federal republic.

More than 15 million eligible voters will pick a 275-member legislature, the first under a new constitution agreed after years of wrangling.

Simultaneously, voters will choose representatives to seven provincial assemblies for the first time since Nepal abolished the monarchy in 2008.

The centrist Nepali Congress party, considered a pro-India group, has formed a loose electoral alliance with the Madhesi parties from the country&rsquo;s southern plains bordering India and former royalists.

Facing the alliance is a tight-knit left coalition between the former Maoist rebels and the main opposition Communist UML party, perceived to be closer to China.

Wedged between India and China, Nepal needs to balance ties, but the outcome of the election could determine which of the Asian giants gets the upper hand in the battle for influence in the buffer state.

Both are looking to benefit from Nepal&rsquo;s potential as a source of hydropower.

Home to Mount Everest, and one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal depends on tourism and aid. More than one-fifth of its 28 million people survive on less than $1.90 a day, and parts of the country are still recovering from a devastating earthquake that killed 9,000 people in 2015.

More than 15 million eligible voters will pick a 275-member legislature, the first under a new constitution agreed after years of wrangling.

Nepalis began voting for a new parliament on Sunday with the army on alert as a series of small blasts blamed on a rogue Maoist group reminded the Himalayan nation of the violence and instability it is hoping to leave behind. More than a decade after the end of a civil war between Maoist peasant guerrillas, Nepal is hoping this election - the first parliamentary polls since 1999 - will complete its long journey from a monarchy to becoming a federal republic. A second phase of the election will take place on Dec. 7, and the election commission has said that the final results probably won’t be known for several days because of the cumbersome counting procedures. A Maoist splinter group was behind a series of small blasts in the run-up to the polls, and security forces have defused around 30 improvised explosive devices since Friday, army spokesman Nain Raj Dahal said. Suresh Balsami was the first voter at Kagatigaun polling center near the capital Kathmandu. ”I voted for peace, development and prosperity of the country,” said the 32-year-old bus driver as other voters began to trickle in. Nepal voted in 2008 and 2013 for a Constituent Assembly, which doubled as parliament, to write a post-monarchy charter that plotted the course of becoming a federal republic. More than 15 million eligible voters will pick a 275-member legislature, the first under a new constitution agreed after years of wrangling. Simultaneously, voters will choose representatives to seven provincial assemblies for the first time since Nepal abolished the monarchy in 2008. The centrist Nepali Congress party, considered a pro-India group, has formed a loose electoral alliance with the Madhesi parties from the country’s southern plains bordering India and former royalists. Facing the alliance is a tight-knit left coalition between the former Maoist rebels and the main opposition Communist UML party, perceived to be closer to China. Wedged between India and China, Nepal needs to balance ties, but the outcome of the election could determine which of the Asian giants gets the upper hand in the battle for influence in the buffer state. Both are looking to benefit from Nepal’s potential as a source of hydropower. Home to Mount Everest, and one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal depends on tourism and aid. More than one-fifth of its 28 million people survive on less than $1.90 a day, and parts of the country are still recovering from a devastating earthquake that killed 9,000 people in 2015.

Nepal begins historic vote, army says 'rogue' Maoists behind blasts

Roadside&nbsp;bombs&nbsp;planted by suspected Muslim insurgents in&nbsp;southern Thailand&nbsp;killed one soldier&nbsp;on Thursday (September 14) and&nbsp;wounded&nbsp;20&nbsp;other people, most of them&nbsp;soldiers and police, security forces said.

The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deep south&nbsp;where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 peoplekilled since&nbsp;2004 alone.

The first bomb did not result in any casualties, but the other two&nbsp;killed one&nbsp;soldier&nbsp;and&nbsp;wounded 18&nbsp;soldiers and police and two villagers. As with most violence in&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s&nbsp;deep&nbsp;south, there was no claim of responsibility.

The insurgents are fighting for secession from mostly Buddhist Thailand. Until they were annexed in 1909,&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s&nbsp;three&nbsp;southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate.

The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deepsouth?where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 people killed since?2004 alone.

Roadside bombs planted by suspected Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand killed one soldier on Thursday (September 14) and wounded 20 other people, most of them soldiers and police, security forces said. The blasts occurred in Yala, one of the predominantly ethnic, Malay Muslim provinces in the deep south where a separatist insurgency has dragged on for decades, with more than 6,500 peoplekilled since 2004 alone. The first bomb did not result in any casualties, but the other two killed one soldier and wounded 18 soldiers and police and two villagers. As with most violence in Thailand's deep south, there was no claim of responsibility. The insurgents are fighting for secession from mostly Buddhist Thailand. Until they were annexed in 1909, Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate.

Thailand: 1 soldier?killed, twenty injured in bomb attack

Twin bomb blasts ripped through a busy market area in central Baghdad Saturday, police said, shattering a relative lull in attacks in the capital and marring preparations for New Year celebrations.

Two suicide bombers attacked the Al-Sinek area, killing at least 27 people and wounding 53, a police colonel said.

An officer in the interior ministry and a hospital official confirmed the toll from the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group via its propaganda agency Amaq.

&quot;Many of the victims were people from the spare parts shops in the area, they were gathered near a cart selling breakfast when the explosions went off,&quot; said Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, who owns a nearby shop.

Torn clothes and mangled iron were strewn across the ground in pools of blood at the site of the wreckage near Rasheed street, one of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad, an AFP photographer said.

&quot;Twin terrorist attacks were carried out by suicide bombers in Al-Sinek neighbourhood,&quot; an official from Baghdad operations command told AFP.

The area is packed with shops, workshops and wholesale markets and usually teeming with delivery trucks and labourers unloading vans or wheeling carts around.

Baghdad has been on high alert since the start on October 17 of an offensive, Iraq&#39;s largest military operation in years, to retake the northern jihadist stronghold of Mosul.

IS has tried to hit back with major diversionary attacks across the country but has had little success in Baghdad. Saturday&#39;s twin bombings were the deadliest in the capital since the start of the Mosul offensive.

Huge crowds were expected to gather on Saturday evening in Baghdad&#39;s streets to celebrate the New Year for only the second time since the lifting in 2015 of a years-old curfew.

Last year revellers turned out for celebrations that lasted most of the night despite an already tense security backdrop.

&quot;On the last day of 2016 and as Iraqi people are preparing to receive the new year with hopes of peace, the terrorists struck once again at innocent civilians,&quot; the UN&#39;s top envoy in Iraq, Jan Kubis, said in a statement.

A year on, the IS jihadist group appears to be on its last legs and is defending its last bastions in Iraq but the going has been tough for the tens of thousands of Iraqi forces on the ground.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had vowed earlier in 2016 that his forces would rid the country of IS by the end of the year but the Mosul operation has been slower moving that expected.

This week he told a televised news conference that Iraqi forces would now require at least another three months.

The jihadists are vastly outnumbered in Mosul but they have had more than two years to build up their defences in the city where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a &quot;caliphate&quot; in June 2014.

The Pentagon said Friday Baghdadi and was still alive and leading the organisation and stressed that the coalition was actively hunting down the Iraqi-born jihadist supremo.

&quot;We&#39;re doing everything we can. This is something we&#39;re spending a lot of time on,&quot; spokesman Peter Cook told CNN.

Air support by the US-led coalition has been hampered by the continued presence of hundreds of thousands of civilians inside Mosul.

Elite Iraqi forces have battled their way into the city mostly from the eastern side, going house-to-house in densely populated areas, but they barely control half of the city&#39;s eastern sector more than 10 weeks into the offensive.

One of the top Iraqi commanders in the Mosul area announced on Thursday that the offensive to reconquer the eastern bank of the Tigris in Mosul had entered a new phase.

(AFP)

The blasts ripped through shops in the Al-Sinek area. No immediate claim of responsibility

Twin bomb blasts ripped through a busy market area in central Baghdad Saturday, police said, shattering a relative lull in attacks in the capital and marring preparations for New Year celebrations. Two suicide bombers attacked the Al-Sinek area, killing at least 27 people and wounding 53, a police colonel said. An officer in the interior ministry and a hospital official confirmed the toll from the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group via its propaganda agency Amaq. "Many of the victims were people from the spare parts shops in the area, they were gathered near a cart selling breakfast when the explosions went off," said Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, who owns a nearby shop. Torn clothes and mangled iron were strewn across the ground in pools of blood at the site of the wreckage near Rasheed street, one of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad, an AFP photographer said. "Twin terrorist attacks were carried out by suicide bombers in Al-Sinek neighbourhood," an official from Baghdad operations command told AFP. The area is packed with shops, workshops and wholesale markets and usually teeming with delivery trucks and labourers unloading vans or wheeling carts around. Baghdad has been on high alert since the start on October 17 of an offensive, Iraq's largest military operation in years, to retake the northern jihadist stronghold of Mosul. IS has tried to hit back with major diversionary attacks across the country but has had little success in Baghdad. Saturday's twin bombings were the deadliest in the capital since the start of the Mosul offensive. Huge crowds were expected to gather on Saturday evening in Baghdad's streets to celebrate the New Year for only the second time since the lifting in 2015 of a years-old curfew. Last year revellers turned out for celebrations that lasted most of the night despite an already tense security backdrop. "On the last day of 2016 and as Iraqi people are preparing to receive the new year with hopes of peace, the terrorists struck once again at innocent civilians," the UN's top envoy in Iraq, Jan Kubis, said in a statement. A year on, the IS jihadist group appears to be on its last legs and is defending its last bastions in Iraq but the going has been tough for the tens of thousands of Iraqi forces on the ground. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had vowed earlier in 2016 that his forces would rid the country of IS by the end of the year but the Mosul operation has been slower moving that expected. This week he told a televised news conference that Iraqi forces would now require at least another three months. The jihadists are vastly outnumbered in Mosul but they have had more than two years to build up their defences in the city where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a "caliphate" in June 2014. The Pentagon said Friday Baghdadi and was still alive and leading the organisation and stressed that the coalition was actively hunting down the Iraqi-born jihadist supremo. "We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on," spokesman Peter Cook told CNN. Air support by the US-led coalition has been hampered by the continued presence of hundreds of thousands of civilians inside Mosul. Elite Iraqi forces have battled their way into the city mostly from the eastern side, going house-to-house in densely populated areas, but they barely control half of the city's eastern sector more than 10 weeks into the offensive. One of the top Iraqi commanders in the Mosul area announced on Thursday that the offensive to reconquer the eastern bank of the Tigris in Mosul had entered a new phase. (AFP)

At least 27 killed, 53 wounded in twin blasts in central Baghdad: Police

An explosive device blew up early on Monday when a bomb squad robot cut a wire on the mechanism, one of as many as five potential bombs found near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials said. 
 
No injuries were reported. The blast comes after a series of attacks in the United States in the last two days, including Saturday&#39;s Manhattan bombing that left 29 injured. 
 
The device that went off in Elizabeth was foud in a backpack that was left in a trash can,&nbsp;Mayor Christian Bollwage told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
A total of five potential explosive devices were found the backpack, Bollwage said. 
 
Police had already been investigating the Manhattan bombing, a Minnesota mass stabbing and a New Jersey pipe bomb blast. 
 
&quot;I can imagine that if all five of them went off at the same time, that the loss of life could have been enormous if there was an event going on,&rdquo; Bollwage told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
Bollwage said it is unclear whether Elizabeth, was targeted or if the backpack might have been discarded to elude investigators. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

No one was injured in the blast that followed a series of attacks in the United States over the weekend

An explosive device blew up early on Monday when a bomb squad robot cut a wire on the mechanism, one of as many as five potential bombs found near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials said. No injuries were reported. The blast comes after a series of attacks in the United States in the last two days, including Saturday's Manhattan bombing that left 29 injured. The device that went off in Elizabeth was foud in a backpack that was left in a trash can, Mayor Christian Bollwage told reporters. A total of five potential explosive devices were found the backpack, Bollwage said. Police had already been investigating the Manhattan bombing, a Minnesota mass stabbing and a New Jersey pipe bomb blast. "I can imagine that if all five of them went off at the same time, that the loss of life could have been enormous if there was an event going on,” Bollwage told reporters. Bollwage said it is unclear whether Elizabeth, was targeted or if the backpack might have been discarded to elude investigators. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Device explodes near New Jersey station as robot tries to disarm it, no casualties

Suicide bombers struck three cities across Saudi Arabia on Monday, in an apparently coordinated campaign of attacks as Saudis prepared to break their fast on the penultimate day of the holy month of Ramzan. 
 
The explosions targeting US diplomats, Shi&#39;ite worshippers and a security headquarters at a mosque in the holy city of&nbsp;Medina&nbsp;follow days of mass killings claimed by the Islamic State group, in Turkey, Bangladesh and Iraq. 
 
The attacks all seem to have been timed to coincide with the approach of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end of the fast. 
 
A Saudi security official said an attacker parked a car near the US consulate in Jeddah before detonating the device. The official said the government was checking the reports of&nbsp;blasts in Qatif and&nbsp;Medina.&nbsp; 
 
In the only one of the three attacks that appeared to have caused many casualties, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb near the security headquarters of the Prophet&#39;s Mosque in&nbsp;Medina, the second-holiest site in Islam. 
 
Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said an initial death toll from the&nbsp;Medina&nbsp;blast&nbsp;included three suicide bombers and two security forces officers. 
 
A video sent to Reuters by a witness to the aftermath of the&nbsp;Medina&nbsp;bombing showed a large blaze among parked cars in the fading evening light, with a sound of sirens in the background. A picture sent to Reuters showed a burnt and bleeding man lying on a stretcher in a hospital. 
 
Other pictures circulating on social media showed dark smoke billowing from flames near the Mosque of the Prophet, originally built in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad, who is buried there along with his first two successors. 
 
In Qatif, an Eastern city that is home to many members of the Shi&#39;ite minority, at least one and possibly two explosions struck near a Shi&#39;ite mosque. 
 
Witnesses described body parts, apparently of a suicide bomber, in the aftermath. 
 
A resident of the city reached by telephone said there were believed to be no casualties there apart from the attacker, as worshippers had already gone home to break their fasts. Civil defence forces were cleaning up the area and police were investigating, the resident said. 
 
A video circulating on social media and purporting to show the aftermath of a Qatif&nbsp;blast&nbsp;showed an agitated crowd on a street, with a fire raging near a building, and a bloody body part lying on the ground. Reuters could not immediately verify the video. 
 
Hours earlier a suicide bomber was killed and two people were wounded in a&nbsp;blast&nbsp;near the US consulate in the kingdom&#39;s second city Jeddah. 
 
The Jeddah&nbsp;blast&nbsp;was the first bombing in years to attempt to target foreigners in the kingdom. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. 
 
Islamic State has carried out a series of bombing and shooting attacks in Saudi Arabia since mid-2014 that have killed scores of people, mostly members of the Shi&#39;ite Muslim minority and security services. 
 
Police and groups of local volunteers increased security near mosques in Qatif after suicide bombings hit mosques in Shi&#39;ite areas last year, killing dozens. Another suicide&nbsp;blast&nbsp;at a mosque used by security forces also killed 15 a year ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The blasts, that appear to be coordinated, come ahead of Eid al-Fitr

Suicide bombers struck three cities across Saudi Arabia on Monday, in an apparently coordinated campaign of attacks as Saudis prepared to break their fast on the penultimate day of the holy month of Ramzan. The explosions targeting US diplomats, Shi'ite worshippers and a security headquarters at a mosque in the holy city of Medina follow days of mass killings claimed by the Islamic State group, in Turkey, Bangladesh and Iraq. The attacks all seem to have been timed to coincide with the approach of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end of the fast. A Saudi security official said an attacker parked a car near the US consulate in Jeddah before detonating the device. The official said the government was checking the reports of blasts in Qatif and Medina. In the only one of the three attacks that appeared to have caused many casualties, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb near the security headquarters of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the second-holiest site in Islam. Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said an initial death toll from the Medina blast included three suicide bombers and two security forces officers. A video sent to Reuters by a witness to the aftermath of the Medina bombing showed a large blaze among parked cars in the fading evening light, with a sound of sirens in the background. A picture sent to Reuters showed a burnt and bleeding man lying on a stretcher in a hospital. Other pictures circulating on social media showed dark smoke billowing from flames near the Mosque of the Prophet, originally built in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad, who is buried there along with his first two successors. In Qatif, an Eastern city that is home to many members of the Shi'ite minority, at least one and possibly two explosions struck near a Shi'ite mosque. Witnesses described body parts, apparently of a suicide bomber, in the aftermath. A resident of the city reached by telephone said there were believed to be no casualties there apart from the attacker, as worshippers had already gone home to break their fasts. Civil defence forces were cleaning up the area and police were investigating, the resident said. A video circulating on social media and purporting to show the aftermath of a Qatif blast showed an agitated crowd on a street, with a fire raging near a building, and a bloody body part lying on the ground. Reuters could not immediately verify the video. Hours earlier a suicide bomber was killed and two people were wounded in a blast near the US consulate in the kingdom's second city Jeddah. The Jeddah blast was the first bombing in years to attempt to target foreigners in the kingdom. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Islamic State has carried out a series of bombing and shooting attacks in Saudi Arabia since mid-2014 that have killed scores of people, mostly members of the Shi'ite Muslim minority and security services. Police and groups of local volunteers increased security near mosques in Qatif after suicide bombings hit mosques in Shi'ite areas last year, killing dozens. Another suicide blast at a mosque used by security forces also killed 15 a year ago. (Reuters)

Suicide bombers hit three Saudi cities including Muslim holy city of Medina

At least 213 were killed in Sunday&#39;s Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. 
 
The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. 
 
The area in the capital&#39;s Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. 
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed &quot;punishment&quot; for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. 
 
According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. 
 
Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. 
 
(Agencies)

Iraq declared three days of mourning for the victims

At least 213 were killed in Sunday's Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. The area in the capital's Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed "punishment" for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. (Agencies)

Death toll touches 200 in IS-claimed Baghdad blasts: officials

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a&nbsp;suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded.&nbsp; 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives,&quot; he said in a tweet.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy,&quot; PM Modi said.&nbsp; 
 
Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital.&nbsp; 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam&#39;s holy month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month.&nbsp; 
 
Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan&#39;s northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. 
 
&quot;Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians,&quot; the Badakhshan provincial governor&#39;s spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. 
 
The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. 
 
&quot;It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province,&quot; Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. 
 
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. 
 
Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. &nbsp; 
 
AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military&#39;s authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. 
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Suicide attack and so far unclaimed motorcycle bomb devastate country as insurgency persists despite Taliban leader's recent death

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said. A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said. The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy. "We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives," he said in a tweet. "We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy," PM Modi said. Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam's holy month. It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month. Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. "Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians," the Badakhshan provincial governor's spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. "It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province," Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military's authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Twin blasts rock Afghanistan Monday morning: At least 22 dead, 26 injured

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