The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly car bomb attack that took place in Libya on Sunday and killed two security officers.

In a statement issued by IS'&nbsp;arm, Amaq, the group claimed it targeted a checkpoint of the "militia of the tyrant Haftar" through a suicide bomber.

Although the official figures state two security officers were killed and five people were seriously injured, the IS claims it killed four people in the car bomb attack.

The statement from Amaq referenced to Libya's strongman Khalifa Haftar.

This attack had taken place in a southern city of Libya, Sebha, which is located nearly 750 kilometres south of the capital city of Tipoli.

Meanwhile, Libya's Interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah labelled this as a "cowardly terrorist act" and extended sympathies to the victims' families.

He also assured that the government will keep fighting against such terrorist organisations. "Our war against terrorism continues," Dbeibah said on Twitter.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly car bomb attack that took place in Libya on Sunday and killed two security officers. In a statement issued by IS' arm, Amaq, the group claimed it targeted a checkpoint of the "militia of the tyrant Haftar" through a suicide bomber.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly car bomb attack that took place in Libya on Sunday and killed two security officers. In a statement issued by IS' arm, Amaq, the group claimed it targeted a checkpoint of the "militia of the tyrant Haftar" through a suicide bomber. Although the official figures state two security officers were killed and five people were seriously injured, the IS claims it killed four people in the car bomb attack. The statement from Amaq referenced to Libya's strongman Khalifa Haftar. This attack had taken place in a southern city of Libya, Sebha, which is located nearly 750 kilometres south of the capital city of Tipoli. Meanwhile, Libya's Interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah labelled this as a "cowardly terrorist act" and extended sympathies to the victims' families. He also assured that the government will keep fighting against such terrorist organisations. "Our war against terrorism continues," Dbeibah said on Twitter.

Libya: Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly car bomb attack

One person was killed and some others injured when unknown gunmen&nbsp;abducted about 150 children of an Islamic school in Nigeria's Niger state.

The Salihu Tanko Islamic School is located at Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of the north-central Nigerian state of Niger. 
 
Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gunmen-in-nigeria-abduct-students-from-islamic-school-388507/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to sources, the kidnapping was carried out at 4:30 pm (local time) on Sunday. 
 
The state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the armed bandits came in motorcycles and were firing 'indiscriminately'.

Security teams have been mobilised to rescue the schoolkids and the police will "ensure the children are rescued unhurt", he said.

Armed bandit groups have been behind a spate of kidnappings for ransom raids on colleges and educational institutions in northern Nigeria in recent months, abducting over 700 young people since December.&nbsp; 
 
Watch:&nbsp;Nigeria's growing kidnapping industry, which killed hundreds&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nigerias-growing-kidnapping-industry-hundreds-have-been-killed-366655/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
According to human rights groups, Nigerian security authorities have failed to create a strategy to protect its school children and college students and their access to study even after the seven years of the most infamous 'Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping', when the 279 girls from a government school in northern Nigeria were abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kidnappers-release-all-279-nigerian-students-after-talks-with-government-367318">Also read: Kidnappers release all 279 Nigerian students after talks with the government</a>

On April 14, 2014, the militant group Boko Haram kidnapped the 279 schoolgirls in Chibok, a town in Borno state. Most of them were able to flee or were eventually released.

In recent years in Nigeria, criminal bandit groups seeking a huge amount of ransom have increased their assault and mass abductions, frequently targeting boarding schools outside of towns and cities.

One person was killed and some others injured when unknown gunmen abducted about 150 children of an Islamic school in Nigeria's Niger state. The Salihu Tanko Islamic School is located at Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of the north-central Nigerian state of Niger.

One person was killed and some others injured when unknown gunmen abducted about 150 children of an Islamic school in Nigeria's Niger state. The Salihu Tanko Islamic School is located at Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of the north-central Nigerian state of Niger. Watch: According to sources, the kidnapping was carried out at 4:30 pm (local time) on Sunday. The state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the armed bandits came in motorcycles and were firing 'indiscriminately'. Security teams have been mobilised to rescue the schoolkids and the police will "ensure the children are rescued unhurt", he said. Armed bandit groups have been behind a spate of kidnappings for ransom raids on colleges and educational institutions in northern Nigeria in recent months, abducting over 700 young people since December. Watch: Nigeria's growing kidnapping industry, which killed hundreds According to human rights groups, Nigerian security authorities have failed to create a strategy to protect its school children and college students and their access to study even after the seven years of the most infamous 'Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping', when the 279 girls from a government school in northern Nigeria were abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists. Also read: Kidnappers release all 279 Nigerian students after talks with the government On April 14, 2014, the militant group Boko Haram kidnapped the 279 schoolgirls in Chibok, a town in Borno state. Most of them were able to flee or were eventually released. In recent years in Nigeria, criminal bandit groups seeking a huge amount of ransom have increased their assault and mass abductions, frequently targeting boarding schools outside of towns and cities.

150 children kidnapped after Islamic school ambushed by armed bandits in Nigeria

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back.

“Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message.

Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option.

“Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020.

Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank.

Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights.

Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe.

Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society.

The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo.

Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria.

Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option.

An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.”

“A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.”

Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children.

There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children.

Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.”

The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude.

Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences.

Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers.

Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5.

She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer.

In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison.

Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State.

That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad.

Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism.

France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned.

“We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.”

Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action.

In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens.

In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps.

The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes.

A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.”

Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.”

“Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison. She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back. “Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message. Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option. “Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020. Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank. Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights. Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe. Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society. The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo. Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria. Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option. An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.” “A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.” Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children. There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children. Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.” The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude. Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences. Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers. Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5. She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer. In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison. Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State. That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad. Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism. France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned. “We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.” Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action. In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens. In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps. The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes. A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.” Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.” “Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

Europe’s dilemma: Take in Islamic State families, or leave them in Syria?

Nigerian Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been seriously injured as he tried to kill himself to avoid getting caught, said AP quoting two intelligence sources. Shekau was avoiding capture during clashes with rival Islamic State jihadists in northern parts of Nigeria.

Shekau's Boko Haram faction and fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province had been battling in northeastern Borno state, where ISWAP militants have become the dominant force in Nigeria's more than decade-long jihadist insurgency.

Shekau made international headlines in 2014 when his men abducted 300 schoolgirls in Chibok. He has been previously been reported dead several times.

After a series of clashes, Shekau and some of his fighters were surrounded on Wednesday by ISWAP jihadists in Boko Haram's Sambisa forest stronghold, where they demanded he surrender, one intelligence source said.

"To avoid capture, Shekau shot himself in the chest and the bullet pierced his shoulder," the source said, adding: "He was badly injured."

Some of his men managed to escape with him to an unknown destination, the source added.

A second intelligence source said Shekau was critically wounded after detonating explosives in the house where he was holed up with his men.

"We are investigating," Nigeria's army spokesman Mohammed Yerima told AFP by text, asked about those reports.&nbsp;

Shekau's critical injury or death would be a blow to his Boko Haram faction which has already been weakened by military air strikes on its bases and defections among his men.

More than 40,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced from their homes by the conflict in northeast Nigeria, and fighting has spread to parts of neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Boko Haram and ISWAP have fought battles for control of territory in the past.

(With inputs from agencies)

Nigerian Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been seriously injured as he tried to kill himself to avoid getting caught, said AP quoting two intelligence sources.

Nigerian Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been seriously injured as he tried to kill himself to avoid getting caught, said AP quoting two intelligence sources. Shekau was avoiding capture during clashes with rival Islamic State jihadists in northern parts of Nigeria. Shekau's Boko Haram faction and fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province had been battling in northeastern Borno state, where ISWAP militants have become the dominant force in Nigeria's more than decade-long jihadist insurgency. Shekau made international headlines in 2014 when his men abducted 300 schoolgirls in Chibok. He has been previously been reported dead several times. After a series of clashes, Shekau and some of his fighters were surrounded on Wednesday by ISWAP jihadists in Boko Haram's Sambisa forest stronghold, where they demanded he surrender, one intelligence source said. "To avoid capture, Shekau shot himself in the chest and the bullet pierced his shoulder," the source said, adding: "He was badly injured." Some of his men managed to escape with him to an unknown destination, the source added. A second intelligence source said Shekau was critically wounded after detonating explosives in the house where he was holed up with his men. "We are investigating," Nigeria's army spokesman Mohammed Yerima told AFP by text, asked about those reports. Shekau's critical injury or death would be a blow to his Boko Haram faction which has already been weakened by military air strikes on its bases and defections among his men. More than 40,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced from their homes by the conflict in northeast Nigeria, and fighting has spread to parts of neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Boko Haram and ISWAP have fought battles for control of territory in the past. (With inputs from agencies)

Nigerian Boko Haram leader seriously wounded in clash with Islamic State: Report

Gathering in the courtyard of al-Masfi mosque, worshippers in Mosul held Eid prayers in the city's oldest mosque for the first time since it was heavily damaged during the war against Islamic State that ended in 2017.

First Eid prayer held in Mosul's oldest mosque as a call for its reconstruction

Parliament speaker and former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has been injured in a terrorist attack near his residence. According to reports, Islamic state has taken responsibility for the attack.

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed injured in terrorist attack

A day after Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Male, the hospital where he is admitted said he remains "critical".

Watch:

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Nasheed, 53, was rushed to hospital after an explosion late Thursday. The former president reportedly received injuries to his head, chest, limbs and abdomen after the explosion and remains in intensive care.

The doctors said shrapnel from the blast was removed from Nasheed's lungs and the liver, however, another piece was still in the same organ.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said a team from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) would help with the investigation into the blast, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.&nbsp;

The Maldives president said those behind the crime "would face the full force of the law". 
&nbsp;

A day after Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Male, the hospital where he is admitted said he remains "critical".

A day after Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Male, the hospital where he is admitted said he remains "critical". Watch: Nasheed, 53, was rushed to hospital after an explosion late Thursday. The former president reportedly received injuries to his head, chest, limbs and abdomen after the explosion and remains in intensive care. The doctors said shrapnel from the blast was removed from Nasheed's lungs and the liver, however, another piece was still in the same organ. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said a team from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) would help with the investigation into the blast, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Maldives president said those behind the crime "would face the full force of the law".

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed critical, say doctors after bomb attack

Dragging a screaming lraqi actress wrapped in a fake suicide belt, television presenter Reslan Haddad, himself dressed up in a military uniform, pretends to just have rescued the blindfolded Nessma from a staged violent Islamic State attack on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Standing next to the middle-aged woman who meanwhile seemed to have fainted, Haddad casually threw some water over her face, after having removed her blindfold and revealing that the terrifying experience she just went through was only a prank.

Initially, "we called the guest and told her we are going to pay a visit to a displaced family", Haddad said&nbsp;from his living room in a Baghdad suburb, adding that the&nbsp;Iraqi celebrity was told she would deliver aid to an&nbsp;Iraqi family displaced by war and who had just returned home.

But shortly after their arrival at the family's home, the TV crew is attacked by a group of fake jihadists, among them Haddad dressed as an IS militant.

Both Haddad and Nessma have confirmed&nbsp;that the latter had no idea this was a prank.

In the shot following the staged attack, Nessma is seen lying blindfolded on the floor, and shouting out to her deceased brother, whom Haddad said &nbsp;"died as a martyr".

"Our message is to call for the return of the displaced. Secondly, our message is that our security forces shed blood, Islamic State was defeated by our forces", Haddad said, adding that "the message can't come through without sacrifices. Our security forces were sacrificed in order to spread their message. So the artist should endure, it is normal".

Nessma said that she was proud to have been part of the show as it represented what many&nbsp;Iraqis went through, while spreading the message that&nbsp;Iraqis were alive.

Nessma's episode so far got over one million of views on YouTube. But on social media, many&nbsp;Iraqis harshly criticised the show consisting of 25 similar episodes, to be broadcast during the month of Ramzan.

"This reminded me of the days of the Islamic State and what IS did to&nbsp;Iraqis when it was controlling our lands. To be honest, violence in our society is born from such practices. The violent society is made by violent media", writer and civil society activist Resli al-Maliki said while some questioned the health consequences the show might have on its guests.

Using the hashtag "Stop the 'Tannab Reslan' show", Twitter users criticised the series for being offensive to both&nbsp;Iraqis and security forces, while displaced families remained victims.

Thousands of&nbsp;Iraqis still suffer from the aftermath of the war against IS, many unable to return home due to insecurity and a lack of services in their hometowns.

The show received production support from the media department of&nbsp;Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, the state-funded paramilitary goups, Haddad said.

While the jihadists were played by actors, the security forces in the show were real, Haddad said.

"By the way, there were a lot of details, things that I wanted to do to the guests, but I was scared for them. Much more terrifying things" Haddad said, refusing to reveal more details as he might consider using his ideas in future television shows.

(With inputs from agencies)

Dragging a screaming lraqi actress wrapped in a fake suicide belt, television presenter Reslan Haddad, himself dressed up in a military uniform, pretends to just have rescued the blindfolded Nessma from a staged violent Islamic State attack on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Dragging a screaming lraqi actress wrapped in a fake suicide belt, television presenter Reslan Haddad, himself dressed up in a military uniform, pretends to just have rescued the blindfolded Nessma from a staged violent Islamic State attack on the outskirts of Baghdad. Standing next to the middle-aged woman who meanwhile seemed to have fainted, Haddad casually threw some water over her face, after having removed her blindfold and revealing that the terrifying experience she just went through was only a prank. Initially, "we called the guest and told her we are going to pay a visit to a displaced family", Haddad said from his living room in a Baghdad suburb, adding that the Iraqi celebrity was told she would deliver aid to an Iraqi family displaced by war and who had just returned home. But shortly after their arrival at the family's home, the TV crew is attacked by a group of fake jihadists, among them Haddad dressed as an IS militant. Both Haddad and Nessma have confirmed that the latter had no idea this was a prank. In the shot following the staged attack, Nessma is seen lying blindfolded on the floor, and shouting out to her deceased brother, whom Haddad said "died as a martyr". "Our message is to call for the return of the displaced. Secondly, our message is that our security forces shed blood, Islamic State was defeated by our forces", Haddad said, adding that "the message can't come through without sacrifices. Our security forces were sacrificed in order to spread their message. So the artist should endure, it is normal". Nessma said that she was proud to have been part of the show as it represented what many Iraqis went through, while spreading the message that Iraqis were alive. Nessma's episode so far got over one million of views on YouTube. But on social media, many Iraqis harshly criticised the show consisting of 25 similar episodes, to be broadcast during the month of Ramzan. "This reminded me of the days of the Islamic State and what IS did to Iraqis when it was controlling our lands. To be honest, violence in our society is born from such practices. The violent society is made by violent media", writer and civil society activist Resli al-Maliki said while some questioned the health consequences the show might have on its guests. Using the hashtag "Stop the 'Tannab Reslan' show", Twitter users criticised the series for being offensive to both Iraqis and security forces, while displaced families remained victims. Thousands of Iraqis still suffer from the aftermath of the war against IS, many unable to return home due to insecurity and a lack of services in their hometowns. The show received production support from the media department of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, the state-funded paramilitary goups, Haddad said. While the jihadists were played by actors, the security forces in the show were real, Haddad said. "By the way, there were a lot of details, things that I wanted to do to the guests, but I was scared for them. Much more terrifying things" Haddad said, refusing to reveal more details as he might consider using his ideas in future television shows. (With inputs from agencies)

Islamic State TV prank triggers controversy in Iraq

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated.

An AFP correspondent in the city of Qamishli said the children aged between three and 14 were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights, Anna Kuznetsova.

Moscow has now repatriated at least 169 such children, Fener al-Kait of the Syrian Kurds' foreign affairs department told AFP on the sidelines of a handover ceremony.

He said other departures to the Russian Federation of orphaned children would follow from northeast Syria.

Moscow has also been repatriating children abandoned in Iraq since the collapse of the jihadists' "caliphate" straddling both Arab states.

Syria's Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign nationals held in crowded camps in northeast Syria.

Their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly children, allowed to return home so far.

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated.

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated. An AFP correspondent in the city of Qamishli said the children aged between three and 14 were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights, Anna Kuznetsova. Moscow has now repatriated at least 169 such children, Fener al-Kait of the Syrian Kurds' foreign affairs department told AFP on the sidelines of a handover ceremony. He said other departures to the Russian Federation of orphaned children would follow from northeast Syria. Moscow has also been repatriating children abandoned in Iraq since the collapse of the jihadists' "caliphate" straddling both Arab states. Syria's Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign nationals held in crowded camps in northeast Syria. Their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly children, allowed to return home so far.

Russia repatriates 34 orphans of IS families from Syria

Two demonstrators and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between Islamists and police in Pakistan, hours after authorities arrested the head of an Islamist party in the eastern city of Lahore, a senior official and local media reported.

The policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Saad Rizvi, the head of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan who was arrested on Monday, a senior police officer Ghulam Mohammad Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the town of Shahadra near Lahore.

Two Islamists were reportedly killed in the eastern Punjab province. The violence began Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel France's ambassador over depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi's detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to honor what he said was a commitment it made in February to his party to expel the French envoy before April 20 over the publication in France of depictions of Islam's Prophet.

However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in Parliament.

The reaction from Rizvi's supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in the eastern city of Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

Monday's clashes initially erupted in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province.

Rizvi's supporters later clashed with police in the southern port city of Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

Rizvi emerged as the leader of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussein Rizvi. His supporters have previously held violent rallies in Pakistan to pressure the government not to repeal the country's controversial blasphemy laws.

Rizvi's party wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi's party in February.

Tehreek-e-Labiak and other Islamist parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad as freedom of expression.

Macron's comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class.

The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to mark the opening of the trial over the deadly 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures. That enraged many Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere who believed those depictions were blasphemous.

Rizvi's party also has a history of staging protests and sit-ins to pressure the government to accept its demands. In November 2017, Rizvi's followers staged a 21-day protest and sit-in after a reference to the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad was removed from the text of a government form.

Two demonstrators and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between Islamists and police in Pakistan, hours after authorities arrested the head of an Islamist party in the eastern city of Lahore, a senior official and local media reported.

Two demonstrators and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between Islamists and police in Pakistan, hours after authorities arrested the head of an Islamist party in the eastern city of Lahore, a senior official and local media reported. The policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Saad Rizvi, the head of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan who was arrested on Monday, a senior police officer Ghulam Mohammad Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the town of Shahadra near Lahore. Two Islamists were reportedly killed in the eastern Punjab province. The violence began Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel France's ambassador over depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi's detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities. The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to honor what he said was a commitment it made in February to his party to expel the French envoy before April 20 over the publication in France of depictions of Islam's Prophet. However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in Parliament. The reaction from Rizvi's supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in the eastern city of Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles. Monday's clashes initially erupted in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province. Rizvi's supporters later clashed with police in the southern port city of Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents. Rizvi emerged as the leader of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussein Rizvi. His supporters have previously held violent rallies in Pakistan to pressure the government not to repeal the country's controversial blasphemy laws. Rizvi's party wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi's party in February. Tehreek-e-Labiak and other Islamist parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad as freedom of expression. Macron's comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class. The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to mark the opening of the trial over the deadly 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures. That enraged many Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere who believed those depictions were blasphemous. Rizvi's party also has a history of staging protests and sit-ins to pressure the government to accept its demands. In November 2017, Rizvi's followers staged a 21-day protest and sit-in after a reference to the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad was removed from the text of a government form.

3 killed in Pakistan in clashes between police, Islamists

A US couple has been charged with support for a terror group after trying to board a Yemen-bound ship to join the ISIS militant group.

The newlywed husband and wife -- James Bradley, 20, and Arwa Muthana, 29, who expressed interest in fighting for the Islamic State group, were arrested at a port near New York City, prosecutors said.

They were charged in federal court in Manhattan with attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.

Bradley and Muthana made an initial court appearance Thursday and were ordered jailed without bail.

The Justice Department said that Bradley had expressed violent extremist views since at least 2019, and in contacts with an undercover law enforcement agency last year repeatedly said he believed in the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) group. He also told the undercover agent he was willing to carry out an attack against a US target, including possibly the US Military Academy at West Point.

Bradley had already drawn the FBI's attention after a friend of his was arrested in 2019 planning to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taleban, according to a court filing.

Since then, Bradley "has continued to express his desire to carry out violence in support of radical Islamic ideology, directed his support and allegiance to ISIS, and attempted to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS", the FBI said.

Bradley sought transit to the Middle East by cargo ship because he feared he might have been on a terrorist watch list, prosecutors said.

Muthana, of Alabama, also expressed support for IS and discussed with Bradley plans to travel together to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the group, prosecutors said. After her arrest, she waived her right to remain silent and said she was willing to fight and kill Americans, prosecutors said.

Bradley also shared ISIS propaganda with the undercover agent, and they discussed his various options for joining extremist groups or launching an attack in the United States.

Ultimately, Bradley decided to head to Yemen to link up with the ISIS with Muthana, a woman he married in January this year.

Both Bradley and Muthana face up to 20 years in prison on the charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

(with inputs)

A US couple has been charged with support for a terror group after trying to board a Yemen-bound ship to join the ISIS militant group. The newlywed husband and wife -- James Bradley, 20, and Arwa Muthana, 29, who expressed interest in fighting for the Islamic State group, were arrested at a port near New York City, prosecutors said.

A US couple has been charged with support for a terror group after trying to board a Yemen-bound ship to join the ISIS militant group. The newlywed husband and wife -- James Bradley, 20, and Arwa Muthana, 29, who expressed interest in fighting for the Islamic State group, were arrested at a port near New York City, prosecutors said. They were charged in federal court in Manhattan with attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation. Bradley and Muthana made an initial court appearance Thursday and were ordered jailed without bail. The Justice Department said that Bradley had expressed violent extremist views since at least 2019, and in contacts with an undercover law enforcement agency last year repeatedly said he believed in the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) group. He also told the undercover agent he was willing to carry out an attack against a US target, including possibly the US Military Academy at West Point. Bradley had already drawn the FBI's attention after a friend of his was arrested in 2019 planning to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taleban, according to a court filing. Since then, Bradley "has continued to express his desire to carry out violence in support of radical Islamic ideology, directed his support and allegiance to ISIS, and attempted to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS", the FBI said. Bradley sought transit to the Middle East by cargo ship because he feared he might have been on a terrorist watch list, prosecutors said. Muthana, of Alabama, also expressed support for IS and discussed with Bradley plans to travel together to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the group, prosecutors said. After her arrest, she waived her right to remain silent and said she was willing to fight and kill Americans, prosecutors said. Bradley also shared ISIS propaganda with the undercover agent, and they discussed his various options for joining extremist groups or launching an attack in the United States. Ultimately, Bradley decided to head to Yemen to link up with the ISIS with Muthana, a woman he married in January this year. Both Bradley and Muthana face up to 20 years in prison on the charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. (with inputs)

US couple arrested while trying to join Islamic State in Yemen

Guests say it was an auspicious event when Muhammad Lukman married his wife in August on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.&nbsp;

On the day of Palm Sunday, the newlyweds strapped themselves with pressure cooker nail bombs and detonated them while driving into the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the provincial capital of Makassar.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/suicide-attack-at-a-church-in-indonesia-373917/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In January, their wedding host was shot dead by counter-terrorism forces.&nbsp;

The couple was the only fatalities in the suicide blast, but it tells about the dangerous legacy that Islamic State has brought into Southeast Asia.&nbsp;

This was the third attack in Indonesia in recent years when a husband and wife were the suicide bombers.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="wionews.com/world/newlywed-militant-suspects-blamed-in-indonesia-church-attack-374128">Newlywed militant suspects blamed in Indonesia church attack</a> &nbsp;

As many as 28 people were killed in May 2018 when six people from an Indonesian family, including four children, detonated explosives at many churches in Surabaya.&nbsp;

Less than a year later, Rullie Rian Zeke and his wife Ulfa Handayani Saleh, launched attacks at a cathedral in Jolo in the southern Philippines in which 23 people lost their lives and over 100 others received injuries.&nbsp;

"This is the unique legacy of ISIS promoting the rise of familial terrorism," Noor Huda Ismail, a visiting fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

"A number of Indonesians joined ISIS as family members."

Over 1,100 Indonesians left the nation to recruit into ISIS, sometimes taking their entire families, including infants, Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said.

Guests say it was an auspicious event when Muhammad Lukman married his wife in August on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. On the day of Palm Sunday, the newlyweds strapped themselves with pressure cooker nail bombs and detonated them while driving into the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the provincial capital of Makassar.

Guests say it was an auspicious event when Muhammad Lukman married his wife in August on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. On the day of Palm Sunday, the newlyweds strapped themselves with pressure cooker nail bombs and detonated them while driving into the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the provincial capital of Makassar. Watch | In January, their wedding host was shot dead by counter-terrorism forces. The couple was the only fatalities in the suicide blast, but it tells about the dangerous legacy that Islamic State has brought into Southeast Asia. This was the third attack in Indonesia in recent years when a husband and wife were the suicide bombers. Also read | Newlywed militant suspects blamed in Indonesia church attack As many as 28 people were killed in May 2018 when six people from an Indonesian family, including four children, detonated explosives at many churches in Surabaya. Less than a year later, Rullie Rian Zeke and his wife Ulfa Handayani Saleh, launched attacks at a cathedral in Jolo in the southern Philippines in which 23 people lost their lives and over 100 others received injuries. "This is the unique legacy of ISIS promoting the rise of familial terrorism," Noor Huda Ismail, a visiting fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. "A number of Indonesians joined ISIS as family members." Over 1,100 Indonesians left the nation to recruit into ISIS, sometimes taking their entire families, including infants, Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said.

How suicide bombing families are giving Indonesia nightmares

Islamic State said on Monday its fighters had carried out an attack on the northern&nbsp;Mozambique&nbsp;town of Palma, where dozens were killed, thousands displaced and some remain missing.

Islamist insurgents hit the town, adjacent to gas projects worth $60 billion, with a three-pronged attack on Wednesday. Fighting continued on Monday, according to a security source directly involved in efforts to secure the town.

The government confirmed on Sunday that dozens of people had died, including seven when their convoy of cars was ambushed during an escape attempt.

Islamic State claimed the attack via its Amaq news agency, saying its fighters had taken control of the town after days of clashes with security forces.

They had killed at least 55 people, including a number of soldiers, destroyed and taken control of buildings including factories and banks, and seized vehicles, it said.

Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Most communications to Palma have been down since Wednesday.

Officials at&nbsp;Mozambique's defence ministry and its national police could not be reached for comment by phone on Monday and did not immediately reply to text messages.

The country's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, where Palma is located on the border with Tanzania, has been home since 2017 to a simmering Islamist insurgency now linked to Islamic State.

Boat rescues

The total number of dead or missing following the attack remains unclear. Tens of thousands of people may have fled, according to three aid workers.

Nick Alexander, a British-South African contractor, was in a convoy of vehicles attempting to escape a besieged hotel on Friday, his daughter Jayde, who lives in Johannesburg, told Reuters via WhatsApp.

He spent two nights crawling in the bush after the ambush before being rescued, she said, adding that he had grabbed a machine gun from a military vehicle for protection only to find it did not work.

"He is alive and well and on his way home," she said.

Many people fled to the beach in hopes of being rescued, another security source in touch with government-allied forces said. A variety of boats were taking them to the provincial capital, Pemba, about 150 miles (240 km) to the south, an aid worker said.

Government-contracted helicopters have also been rescuing people, the security sources said.

No contact

Relatives of the missing waited anxiously at Pemba's port, hoping to hear news of their family members.

"I have had no contact with my family since Wednesday, my wife, my sons, my mother, my brothers," Pemba resident Patricio Amade told Portugal's state news agency Lusa.

Lusa also reported on Monday that hundreds of people who fled Palma had arrived at the border with Tanzania after walking through the bush for days to get to safety.

Tanzania's police told Reuters they had not so far seen people seeking to enter their territory from&nbsp;Mozambique.

At least one South African was among those killed. Britain's The Times newspaper reported that a British national had died.

French energy group Total said on Saturday it was calling off a planned resumption of construction at its $20 billion development outside Palma following the attack and would reduce its workforce to a "strict minimum".

The company pulled out the majority of its workforce in January due to security issues.

Islamic State said on Monday its fighters had carried out an attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma, where dozens were killed, thousands displaced and some remain missing.

Islamic State said on Monday its fighters had carried out an attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma, where dozens were killed, thousands displaced and some remain missing. Islamist insurgents hit the town, adjacent to gas projects worth $60 billion, with a three-pronged attack on Wednesday. Fighting continued on Monday, according to a security source directly involved in efforts to secure the town. The government confirmed on Sunday that dozens of people had died, including seven when their convoy of cars was ambushed during an escape attempt. Islamic State claimed the attack via its Amaq news agency, saying its fighters had taken control of the town after days of clashes with security forces. They had killed at least 55 people, including a number of soldiers, destroyed and taken control of buildings including factories and banks, and seized vehicles, it said. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Most communications to Palma have been down since Wednesday. Officials at Mozambique's defence ministry and its national police could not be reached for comment by phone on Monday and did not immediately reply to text messages. The country's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, where Palma is located on the border with Tanzania, has been home since 2017 to a simmering Islamist insurgency now linked to Islamic State. Boat rescues The total number of dead or missing following the attack remains unclear. Tens of thousands of people may have fled, according to three aid workers. Nick Alexander, a British-South African contractor, was in a convoy of vehicles attempting to escape a besieged hotel on Friday, his daughter Jayde, who lives in Johannesburg, told Reuters via WhatsApp. He spent two nights crawling in the bush after the ambush before being rescued, she said, adding that he had grabbed a machine gun from a military vehicle for protection only to find it did not work. "He is alive and well and on his way home," she said. Many people fled to the beach in hopes of being rescued, another security source in touch with government-allied forces said. A variety of boats were taking them to the provincial capital, Pemba, about 150 miles (240 km) to the south, an aid worker said. Government-contracted helicopters have also been rescuing people, the security sources said. No contact Relatives of the missing waited anxiously at Pemba's port, hoping to hear news of their family members. "I have had no contact with my family since Wednesday, my wife, my sons, my mother, my brothers," Pemba resident Patricio Amade told Portugal's state news agency Lusa. Lusa also reported on Monday that hundreds of people who fled Palma had arrived at the border with Tanzania after walking through the bush for days to get to safety. Tanzania's police told Reuters they had not so far seen people seeking to enter their territory from Mozambique. At least one South African was among those killed. Britain's The Times newspaper reported that a British national had died. French energy group Total said on Saturday it was calling off a planned resumption of construction at its $20 billion development outside Palma following the attack and would reduce its workforce to a "strict minimum". The company pulled out the majority of its workforce in January due to security issues.

Islamic State claims deadly attack on northern Mozambique town

Kurdish forces arrested dozens in an operation launched to apprehend suspected family members of Islamic State militant in a camp in northeast Syria.

Al-Hol is the largest such settlement controlled by Kurdish authorities, who warn it is emerging as an extremist powder keg following dozens of murders in the camp since the start of the year.

The camp has almost 62,000 people, mostly women and children. The residents include Syrians, Iraqi and thousands from Europe and Asia.

"More than thirty women and men have been arrested" in a sweeping anti-IS operation in and around the Al-Hol camp, said Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The arrests are ongoing" as part of a days-long operation by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is the Kurdish regional administration's main fighting force, the Kurdish YPG militia and a local police force, Abdul Rahman said.

Syrians and foreigners "suspected of supporting IS" have been arrested, he said.

SDF officials confirmed the operation, with one of them saying it would run at least 10 days.

An SDF statement said 5,000 security personnel were deployed in Al-Hol to "protect residents" during the sweep.

It said nine people, including an "ISIS leader" had been detained so far.

A video released by the YPG showed the militia marching off a group of men towards vehicles.

(With AFP inputs)

Kurdish forces arrested dozens in an operation launched to apprehend suspected family members of Islamic State militant in a camp in northeast Syria. Al-Hol is the largest such settlement controlled by Kurdish authorities, who warn it is emerging as an extremist powder keg following dozens of murders in the camp since the start of the year.

Kurdish forces arrested dozens in an operation launched to apprehend suspected family members of Islamic State militant in a camp in northeast Syria. Al-Hol is the largest such settlement controlled by Kurdish authorities, who warn it is emerging as an extremist powder keg following dozens of murders in the camp since the start of the year. The camp has almost 62,000 people, mostly women and children. The residents include Syrians, Iraqi and thousands from Europe and Asia. "More than thirty women and men have been arrested" in a sweeping anti-IS operation in and around the Al-Hol camp, said Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The arrests are ongoing" as part of a days-long operation by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is the Kurdish regional administration's main fighting force, the Kurdish YPG militia and a local police force, Abdul Rahman said. Syrians and foreigners "suspected of supporting IS" have been arrested, he said. SDF officials confirmed the operation, with one of them saying it would run at least 10 days. An SDF statement said 5,000 security personnel were deployed in Al-Hol to "protect residents" during the sweep. It said nine people, including an "ISIS leader" had been detained so far. A video released by the YPG showed the militia marching off a group of men towards vehicles. (With AFP inputs)

Kurdish forces arrest dozens in security sweep against IS families

In Nigeria, 15 soldiers and 4, Militia fighters have been killed in an attack on a Nigerian military convoy by the Islamic state-aligned Jihadist. A military officer has informed that 13 government fighters, including 10 troops were also wounded in this ambush.

Nigerian military convoy attacked by the Islamic state-aligned Jihadist

The United States on Wednesday blacklisted two Islamist extremist organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique over their connections with the Islamic State.&nbsp;

"The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) announced the launch of the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in April 2019 to promote the presence of ISIS associated elements within Central, East, and Southern Africa," the State Department in a statement said.&nbsp;

"Although ISIS-associated media portray ISCAP as a unified structure, ISIS-DRC and ISIS-Mozambique are distinct groups with distinct origins."&nbsp;

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The state department said that the two groups "have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism."

It also named the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Congo and its leader Seka Musa Baluku and Mozambique's Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama and its chief Abu Yasir Hassan "specially designated global terrorists".

The ADF and Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama are dubbed by the US as ISIS-DRC and ISIS-Mozambique.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/why-global-terror-financing-watchdog-fatf-should-blacklist-pakistan-327515">Why global terror financing watchdog FATF should blacklist Pakistan</a>

The ADF, a Ugandan insurgent faction, has been involved in several brutal assaults on civilians since the army started operations against it in late 2019, reports news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

It has been blamed for the killing of more than 140 people in 2021, in about weekly attacks in Congo's restive east.&nbsp;

According to the UN, the ADF has killed approximate 850 people last year.&nbsp;

Laren Poole from the Bridgeway Foundation, a US-based thinktank said that the recognition and funding to the group by ISIS has pushed the group's deadly expansion.&nbsp;

Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, called Al-Shabaab in Mozambique, staged its first attack in 2017.&nbsp;

Initially known largely for beheadings, the fighters declared allegiance to Islamic State in 2019 and have since intensified its operations.&nbsp;

The United States on Wednesday blacklisted two Islamist extremist organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique over their connections with the Islamic State.

The United States on Wednesday blacklisted two Islamist extremist organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique over their connections with the Islamic State. "The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) announced the launch of the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in April 2019 to promote the presence of ISIS associated elements within Central, East, and Southern Africa," the State Department in a statement said. "Although ISIS-associated media portray ISCAP as a unified structure, ISIS-DRC and ISIS-Mozambique are distinct groups with distinct origins." Also read | US to blacklist dozens of Chinese firms including SMIC, report says The state department said that the two groups "have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism." It also named the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Congo and its leader Seka Musa Baluku and Mozambique's Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama and its chief Abu Yasir Hassan "specially designated global terrorists". The ADF and Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama are dubbed by the US as ISIS-DRC and ISIS-Mozambique. Also read | Why global terror financing watchdog FATF should blacklist Pakistan The ADF, a Ugandan insurgent faction, has been involved in several brutal assaults on civilians since the army started operations against it in late 2019, reports news agency Reuters. It has been blamed for the killing of more than 140 people in 2021, in about weekly attacks in Congo's restive east. According to the UN, the ADF has killed approximate 850 people last year. Laren Poole from the Bridgeway Foundation, a US-based thinktank said that the recognition and funding to the group by ISIS has pushed the group's deadly expansion. Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, called Al-Shabaab in Mozambique, staged its first attack in 2017. Initially known largely for beheadings, the fighters declared allegiance to Islamic State in 2019 and have since intensified its operations.

US blacklists two groups in Congo and Mozambique over connections with ISIS

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying&nbsp;the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists".

In his weekly audience, the 84-year-old pope reflected on the packed three-day programme that saw him travel throughout Iraq last weekend, offering encouragement to persecuted Christians and extending a hand to Shiite Muslims.

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"The Iraqi people have a right to live in peace, they have a right to rediscover the dignity that belongs to them," he said, adding that war was always "the monster that mutates over the epochs" to neighbours against each other with weapons.

Iraq suffers from chronic mismanagement and corruption, and a steady level of violence often linked to the rivalry between Iran and the United States in the region 18 years after the US&nbsp;invasion of Iraq.

On Sunday the 84-year-old&nbsp;pope&nbsp;saw ruins of houses and churches in the northern city of Mosul that was occupied by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017.

"And I asked myself (during the trip), 'who sold the weapons to the terrorists?, who sells weapons to terrorists today who are carrying out massacres elsewhere, for example, in Africa,'" he said, departing from his prepared address. "It is a question that I would like someone to answer."

"The answer is not war, the answer is fraternity. It is a challenge for iraq but not only, it is a challenge for many regions in conflict, and in the end, for the whole world," he said.

He said his meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi’ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond, "unforgettable".

Francis said he felt compelled to make the visit, which saw the tightest security ever for a papal trip, to be close to "that martyred people, that martyred Church".

Iraq's Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has been particularly devastated, falling to about 300,000 from about 1.5 million before the U.S. invasion and the brutal Islamist militant violence that followed.

Hours after the&nbsp;pope&nbsp;left on Monday, Iraq's prime minister Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called on the country's rival political groups to use dialogue to solve their differences, a move he said would reflect the "love and tolerance" shown by the&nbsp;pope.

Many in Iraq hope the Papal visit will garner more international support for Kadhimi's government to handle sensitive crises, including reining in Iran-backed militias whose power and influence Kadhimi has sought to curb since taking office in May 2020.

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists".

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists". In his weekly audience, the 84-year-old pope reflected on the packed three-day programme that saw him travel throughout Iraq last weekend, offering encouragement to persecuted Christians and extending a hand to Shiite Muslims. "The Iraqi people have a right to live in peace, they have a right to rediscover the dignity that belongs to them," he said, adding that war was always "the monster that mutates over the epochs" to neighbours against each other with weapons. Iraq suffers from chronic mismanagement and corruption, and a steady level of violence often linked to the rivalry between Iran and the United States in the region 18 years after the US invasion of Iraq. On Sunday the 84-year-old pope saw ruins of houses and churches in the northern city of Mosul that was occupied by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017. "And I asked myself (during the trip), 'who sold the weapons to the terrorists?, who sells weapons to terrorists today who are carrying out massacres elsewhere, for example, in Africa,'" he said, departing from his prepared address. "It is a question that I would like someone to answer." "The answer is not war, the answer is fraternity. It is a challenge for iraq but not only, it is a challenge for many regions in conflict, and in the end, for the whole world," he said. He said his meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi’ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond, "unforgettable". Francis said he felt compelled to make the visit, which saw the tightest security ever for a papal trip, to be close to "that martyred people, that martyred Church". Iraq's Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has been particularly devastated, falling to about 300,000 from about 1.5 million before the U.S. invasion and the brutal Islamist militant violence that followed. Hours after the pope left on Monday, Iraq's prime minister Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called on the country's rival political groups to use dialogue to solve their differences, a move he said would reflect the "love and tolerance" shown by the pope. Many in Iraq hope the Papal visit will garner more international support for Kadhimi's government to handle sensitive crises, including reining in Iran-backed militias whose power and influence Kadhimi has sought to curb since taking office in May 2020.

Pope Francis thanks Iraqis for visit, saying they have right to live in peace

Pope Francis, on Sunday, will meet Iraqi Christian who suffered under the Islamic State (IS) group. He will lead a prayer "for the victims of the war" in Mosul. Pope Francis is on a historic tour to Iraq. This is first-ever papal visit to the country. His tour on Sunday will take him to Mosul, an ancient city which became a stronghold of the Islamic State when the terrorist group swept across Iraq and Syria.

84-year-old Pope met Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Saturday which was hailed as a 'historic moment'.

"We all hope that this visit will be a good omen for the Iraqi people," Adnane Youssef, a Christian from northern Iraq, told AFP. "We hope that it will lead to better days."

On Saturday, Pope Francis commented on use of religion by terrorists.

"We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion," Francis said at an interfaith service

The Christian community of Iraq, a Muslim-majority country of 40 million, has shrunk from 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein to only 400,000 now, about one per cent of the population.

Pope Francis on Saturday, held his first public mass on his Iraq tour in church of St. Joseph in central Baghdad.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity", said one worshipper as she wiped away tears and cheered as the Pope left the Saint Joseph Chaldean Cathedral.

He's the first head of the Roman Catholic church to preside over a mass in Iraq.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-top-shiite-cleric-plead-for-peace-in-historic-iraq-meeting-368503">Pope Francis, top Shiite cleric plead for 'peace' in historic Iraq meeting</a>

"This very important visit will boost our morale after years of difficulties, problems and wars," said an Iraqi Christian leader, Father George Jahoula.&nbsp;

Rebuilding efforts&nbsp;

Back in 2014, when IS militants swept across one-third of Iraq, Pope Francis had said he was ready to come to meet the displaced and other victims of war. &nbsp;

Seven years later, after a stop early Sunday in the Kurdish north of Iraq, he will see for himself the devastated Old City of Mosul and efforts to rebuild it.

Pope Francis will also visit Qaraqosh, further east in the Nineveh Plain, which is one of Iraq's oldest Christian towns.

(With AFP inputs)

Pope Francis, on Sunday, will meet Iraqi Christian who suffered under the Islamic State (IS) group. He will lead a prayer "for the victims of the war" in Mosul. Pope Francis is on a historic tour to Iraq.

Pope Francis, on Sunday, will meet Iraqi Christian who suffered under the Islamic State (IS) group. He will lead a prayer "for the victims of the war" in Mosul. Pope Francis is on a historic tour to Iraq. This is first-ever papal visit to the country. His tour on Sunday will take him to Mosul, an ancient city which became a stronghold of the Islamic State when the terrorist group swept across Iraq and Syria. 84-year-old Pope met Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Saturday which was hailed as a 'historic moment'. "We all hope that this visit will be a good omen for the Iraqi people," Adnane Youssef, a Christian from northern Iraq, told AFP. "We hope that it will lead to better days." On Saturday, Pope Francis commented on use of religion by terrorists. "We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion," Francis said at an interfaith service The Christian community of Iraq, a Muslim-majority country of 40 million, has shrunk from 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein to only 400,000 now, about one per cent of the population. Pope Francis on Saturday, held his first public mass on his Iraq tour in church of St. Joseph in central Baghdad. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity", said one worshipper as she wiped away tears and cheered as the Pope left the Saint Joseph Chaldean Cathedral. He's the first head of the Roman Catholic church to preside over a mass in Iraq. Also Read | Pope Francis, top Shiite cleric plead for 'peace' in historic Iraq meeting "This very important visit will boost our morale after years of difficulties, problems and wars," said an Iraqi Christian leader, Father George Jahoula. Rebuilding efforts Back in 2014, when IS militants swept across one-third of Iraq, Pope Francis had said he was ready to come to meet the displaced and other victims of war. Seven years later, after a stop early Sunday in the Kurdish north of Iraq, he will see for himself the devastated Old City of Mosul and efforts to rebuild it. Pope Francis will also visit Qaraqosh, further east in the Nineveh Plain, which is one of Iraq's oldest Christian towns. (With AFP inputs)

Pope to meet Iraqi Christians in former Islamic State strongholds 

Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for 'victims of war' in Iraqi city of Mosul, a former stronghold of Islamic State (IS) group that swept across Iraq and Syria to form a so-called 'Caliphate' in recent years. Pope prayed in a centuries-old church in Mosul, which is an ancient city. Mosul was heavily damaged as fight with Islamic State raged.

Pope Francis said that exodus&nbsp;of Christians from Iraq and West Asia "does incalculable harm not just to the individuals and communities concerned, but also to the society they leave behind." Pope landed in Mosul on Sunday. He arrived in a convoy of five helicopters and amid extremely tight security.

Sunday (March 7) is the last day of Pope's visit to Iraq, a historic development as this is first-ever papal visit to the country. The second day of Pope's Iraq visit marked a momentous occasion as he met Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, top religious leader of Shiite Muslims. Both the leaders met at Sistani's residence.

In the evening on Saturday, Pope held a mass in Baghdad's St. Joseph Cathedral. This was the first time that a Pope presided over a mass in this Cathedral.

See Pics| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pope-francis-holds-mass-in-st-joseph-cathedral-in-iraq-368572">Pope Francis holds mass in St Joseph Cathedral in Iraq</a>

The Christian community of Iraq, a Muslim-majority country of 40 million, has shrunk from 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein to only 400,000 now, about one per cent of the population.

(With AFP inputs)

Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for 'victims of war' in Iraqi city of Mosul, a former stronghold of Islamic State (IS) group that swept across Iraq and Syria to form a so-called 'Caliphate' in recent years.

Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for 'victims of war' in Iraqi city of Mosul, a former stronghold of Islamic State (IS) group that swept across Iraq and Syria to form a so-called 'Caliphate' in recent years. Pope prayed in a centuries-old church in Mosul, which is an ancient city. Mosul was heavily damaged as fight with Islamic State raged. Pope Francis said that exodus of Christians from Iraq and West Asia "does incalculable harm not just to the individuals and communities concerned, but also to the society they leave behind." Pope landed in Mosul on Sunday. He arrived in a convoy of five helicopters and amid extremely tight security. Sunday (March 7) is the last day of Pope's visit to Iraq, a historic development as this is first-ever papal visit to the country. The second day of Pope's Iraq visit marked a momentous occasion as he met Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, top religious leader of Shiite Muslims. Both the leaders met at Sistani's residence. In the evening on Saturday, Pope held a mass in Baghdad's St. Joseph Cathedral. This was the first time that a Pope presided over a mass in this Cathedral. See Pics| Pope Francis holds mass in St Joseph Cathedral in Iraq The Christian community of Iraq, a Muslim-majority country of 40 million, has shrunk from 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein to only 400,000 now, about one per cent of the population. (With AFP inputs)

Pope Francis prays for 'victims of war' in Mosul, a former Islamic State stronghold in Iraq

Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday&nbsp;for his riskiest foreign trip since becoming the head of the Catholic Church, having said that he felt duty-bound to make the visit because the country had suffered so much for so long.

The pope, who wore a facemask during the flight, kept it on as he descended the stairs to the tarmac of&nbsp; Baghdad's international airport and was greeted by two masked children in traditional dress.

The &nbsp;84-year-old pontiff was visibly limping in a sign that his sciatica, which has flared and forced him to cancel events recently, was possibly bothering him.&nbsp;The Alitalia plane carried him, his entourage, a security detail, and about 75 journalists.

A red carpet was rolled out on the tarmac in Baghdad's international airport with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet him.

Iraq has deployed thousands of additional security personnel to protect the pope during the visit, which comes after a spate of rocket and suicide bomb attacks raised fears for his safety. The Iraq trip is his first outside Italy since November 2019.

"This is an emblematic trip and it is a duty towards a land that has been martyred for so many years," Pope Francis had said.

Francis's whirlwind tour will take him by plane, helicopter and possibly armoured car to four cities. He will say Mass at a Baghdad church, meet Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the southern city of Najaf and travel north to Mosul, where the army had to empty the streets for security reasons last year for a visit by Iraq's prime minister.

Mosul is a former Islamic State stronghold, and churches and other buildings there still bear the scars of conflict.

Since the defeat of the Islamic State militants in 2017, Iraq has seen a greater degree of security, though violence persists, often in the form of rocket attacks by Iran-aligned militias on US targets, and American military action in response.

On Wednesday 10, rockets landed on an airbase that hosts US, coalition and Iraqi forces. Hours later, Francis reaffirmed he would travel to Iraq.

The pontiff will also visit Ur, birthplace of the prophet Abraham, who is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, and meet Iraq's revered top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, 90-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

The meeting with Sistani, who wields great influence over Iraq's Shi'ite majority and in the country's politics, will be the first by a pope.

(with inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday for his riskiest foreign trip since becoming the head of the Catholic Church, having said that he felt duty-bound to make the visit because the country had suffered so much for so long.

Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday for his riskiest foreign trip since becoming the head of the Catholic Church, having said that he felt duty-bound to make the visit because the country had suffered so much for so long. The pope, who wore a facemask during the flight, kept it on as he descended the stairs to the tarmac of Baghdad's international airport and was greeted by two masked children in traditional dress. The 84-year-old pontiff was visibly limping in a sign that his sciatica, which has flared and forced him to cancel events recently, was possibly bothering him. The Alitalia plane carried him, his entourage, a security detail, and about 75 journalists. A red carpet was rolled out on the tarmac in Baghdad's international airport with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet him. Iraq has deployed thousands of additional security personnel to protect the pope during the visit, which comes after a spate of rocket and suicide bomb attacks raised fears for his safety. The Iraq trip is his first outside Italy since November 2019. "This is an emblematic trip and it is a duty towards a land that has been martyred for so many years," Pope Francis had said. Francis's whirlwind tour will take him by plane, helicopter and possibly armoured car to four cities. He will say Mass at a Baghdad church, meet Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the southern city of Najaf and travel north to Mosul, where the army had to empty the streets for security reasons last year for a visit by Iraq's prime minister. Mosul is a former Islamic State stronghold, and churches and other buildings there still bear the scars of conflict. Since the defeat of the Islamic State militants in 2017, Iraq has seen a greater degree of security, though violence persists, often in the form of rocket attacks by Iran-aligned militias on US targets, and American military action in response. On Wednesday 10, rockets landed on an airbase that hosts US, coalition and Iraqi forces. Hours later, Francis reaffirmed he would travel to Iraq. The pontiff will also visit Ur, birthplace of the prophet Abraham, who is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, and meet Iraq's revered top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, 90-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The meeting with Sistani, who wields great influence over Iraq's Shi'ite majority and in the country's politics, will be the first by a pope. (with inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis arrives in Baghdad on historic visit to Iraq

Pope&nbsp;Francis is set to embark on a historic trip to Iraq, the first-ever papal visit to the country.

Basra's Archbishop Habib al-Naufaly stressed the symbolic importance of the&nbsp;pope's March 5-8 visit as Iraq is still recovering from the war against the Islamic State that destroyed scores of Christian heritage sites.

He will hold an inter-religious prayer service at the ancient Mesopotamian site of Ur when he visits Iraq next week - an event local archaeologists hope will draw renewed attention to the place revered as the birthplace of Abraham.

It is the site where Abraham, the father of three religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam,&nbsp;is thought to have been born.

The inter-religious prayer service will be attended by Christians, Muslims, Mandaean-Sabaean, Yazidi and other religious minorities present in Iraq.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-do-iraqs-christians-think-about-the-visit-of-pope-francis-365526">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-do-iraqs-christians-think-about-the-visit-of-pope-francis-365526/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The focus will be on harmony between religious groups in a service the Vatican has named "Prayer for the sons and daughters of Abraham".

Popular with Western visitors in the 1970s and 1980s, Ur is scarcely visited today after decades of war and political instability shattered Iraq's international tourism industry. The coronavirus crisis now also keeps local tourists away.

Located about 300 km (200 miles) south of the capital Baghdad, the site comprises a pyramid-style Ziggurat and an adjacent residential complex as well as temples and palaces.

It was excavated about 100 years ago by Leonard Woolley, a Briton who recovered treasures rivalling those found in Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt. But little work has since been done on one of the world's oldest cities, where urban dwelling, writing and central state power began.

However, the focus of the visit will be&nbsp;a groundbreaking meeting&nbsp;with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric.&nbsp;The pope will meet ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

The private meeting is&nbsp;a very significant one, in a country with a dwindling Christian population.

What do Iraq's Christians think about the visit? &nbsp;

Several Christians in Iraq fled the country after the US-led invasion while others&nbsp;left during the sectarian bloodshed.

The last two&nbsp;decades have hollowed out Iraq's Christian community, a&nbsp;community that dates back two millennia.

Iraq's Christian community is one of the most diverse in the world featuring branches like Chaldean, Armenian orthodox and&nbsp;protestant.

In 2003, there were nearly 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, which was nearly 6 per cent&nbsp;of the country's 25 million population.

But as Iraq's population mushroomed, the number of minorities shrunk, today only 400,000 Christians remain.

According to&nbsp;Saad Hormuz, a 52-year-old Iraqi Christian refugee in Jordan,&nbsp;"When I left Iraq, it was a very difficult decision to make. But I was forced to make it because of how sad I was about my country, which was turning into a place we couldn’t be or live in."

In Iraq's capital, a thriving Christian population has shrunk by almost 90 per cent. Most of them migrated to neighbouring nations while others resettled in countries like the United States and Australia.

Many fled to escape the war and when they returned, militiamen had occupied their homes. Some even found that their homes had been secretly sold, using fabricated deeds.

"Most of the Christians, who left Iraq due to the sectarian situation and violence, have left their homes under the protection of their neighbours, while others have closed their doors with the hope of returning after the situation stabilises," said&nbsp;William Warde&nbsp;head of the Hammurabi human rights organisation.

Getting those homes back is a dizzying bureaucratic process that usually ends in failure. Mediation efforts often end in death threats and a rigged legal system favours the majority.

The pope's visit&nbsp;might put the spotlight on Iraq's Christians and their troubles. But most of them remain cynical as they say the space for minorities is shrinking and there's very little that the pope can do.

Pope Francis is set to embark on a historic trip to Iraq, the first-ever papal visit to the country. Basra's Archbishop Habib al-Naufaly stressed the symbolic importance of the pope's March 5-8 visit as Iraq is still recovering from the war against the Islamic State that destroyed scores of Christian heritage sites.

Pope Francis is set to embark on a historic trip to Iraq, the first-ever papal visit to the country. Basra's Archbishop Habib al-Naufaly stressed the symbolic importance of the pope's March 5-8 visit as Iraq is still recovering from the war against the Islamic State that destroyed scores of Christian heritage sites. He will hold an inter-religious prayer service at the ancient Mesopotamian site of Ur when he visits Iraq next week - an event local archaeologists hope will draw renewed attention to the place revered as the birthplace of Abraham. It is the site where Abraham, the father of three religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is thought to have been born. The inter-religious prayer service will be attended by Christians, Muslims, Mandaean-Sabaean, Yazidi and other religious minorities present in Iraq. WATCH| The focus will be on harmony between religious groups in a service the Vatican has named "Prayer for the sons and daughters of Abraham". Popular with Western visitors in the 1970s and 1980s, Ur is scarcely visited today after decades of war and political instability shattered Iraq's international tourism industry. The coronavirus crisis now also keeps local tourists away. Located about 300 km (200 miles) south of the capital Baghdad, the site comprises a pyramid-style Ziggurat and an adjacent residential complex as well as temples and palaces. It was excavated about 100 years ago by Leonard Woolley, a Briton who recovered treasures rivalling those found in Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt. But little work has since been done on one of the world's oldest cities, where urban dwelling, writing and central state power began. However, the focus of the visit will be a groundbreaking meeting with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric. The pope will meet ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The private meeting is a very significant one, in a country with a dwindling Christian population. What do Iraq's Christians think about the visit? Several Christians in Iraq fled the country after the US-led invasion while others left during the sectarian bloodshed. The last two decades have hollowed out Iraq's Christian community, a community that dates back two millennia. Iraq's Christian community is one of the most diverse in the world featuring branches like Chaldean, Armenian orthodox and protestant. In 2003, there were nearly 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, which was nearly 6 per cent of the country's 25 million population. But as Iraq's population mushroomed, the number of minorities shrunk, today only 400,000 Christians remain. According to Saad Hormuz, a 52-year-old Iraqi Christian refugee in Jordan, "When I left Iraq, it was a very difficult decision to make. But I was forced to make it because of how sad I was about my country, which was turning into a place we couldn’t be or live in." In Iraq's capital, a thriving Christian population has shrunk by almost 90 per cent. Most of them migrated to neighbouring nations while others resettled in countries like the United States and Australia. Many fled to escape the war and when they returned, militiamen had occupied their homes. Some even found that their homes had been secretly sold, using fabricated deeds. "Most of the Christians, who left Iraq due to the sectarian situation and violence, have left their homes under the protection of their neighbours, while others have closed their doors with the hope of returning after the situation stabilises," said William Warde head of the Hammurabi human rights organisation. Getting those homes back is a dizzying bureaucratic process that usually ends in failure. Mediation efforts often end in death threats and a rigged legal system favours the majority. The pope's visit might put the spotlight on Iraq's Christians and their troubles. But most of them remain cynical as they say the space for minorities is shrinking and there's very little that the pope can do.

Iraq prepares for the Pope's visit amid scars of war

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the February 3 killing of four soldiers in a rugged region of central Tunisia.

According to a report by the SITE Intelligence Group, the soldiers were killed in three blasts ignited by its fighters near Mount Mghila and a "spy" was beheaded separately by IS.

The defence ministry announced the losses the same day, saying the soldiers in "a military unit tasked with carrying out a combing operation of Mount Mghila looking for terrorist elements were killed by a mine" explosion.

Mount Mghila, near the border with Algeria, is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, which is considered a hideout for jihadists.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said the incident "will not stop us from pursuing our efforts to fight and defeat terrorism".

IS also said in its Al-Naba digital newspaper that jihadists executed a spy for the army on December 20 near Mount Selloum in the Kasserine region, also central Tunisia.

Authorities said at the time that the victim was a 20-year-old man named Oqba al-Dhibi, identified on local radio as a shepherd tending his flock when he was attacked.

Tunisia has seen a surge in radical Islam since veteran president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in the country's 2011 revolution.

Tunisia's central mountains are also a hideout for a local branch of jihadist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the US monitor of jihadist groups says.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the February 3 killing of four soldiers in a rugged region of central Tunisia. According to a report by the SITE Intelligence Group, the soldiers were killed in three blasts ignited by its fighters near Mount Mghila and a "spy" was beheaded separately by IS.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the February 3 killing of four soldiers in a rugged region of central Tunisia. According to a report by the SITE Intelligence Group, the soldiers were killed in three blasts ignited by its fighters near Mount Mghila and a "spy" was beheaded separately by IS. The defence ministry announced the losses the same day, saying the soldiers in "a military unit tasked with carrying out a combing operation of Mount Mghila looking for terrorist elements were killed by a mine" explosion. Mount Mghila, near the border with Algeria, is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, which is considered a hideout for jihadists. Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said the incident "will not stop us from pursuing our efforts to fight and defeat terrorism". IS also said in its Al-Naba digital newspaper that jihadists executed a spy for the army on December 20 near Mount Selloum in the Kasserine region, also central Tunisia. Authorities said at the time that the victim was a 20-year-old man named Oqba al-Dhibi, identified on local radio as a shepherd tending his flock when he was attacked. Tunisia has seen a surge in radical Islam since veteran president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in the country's 2011 revolution. Tunisia's central mountains are also a hideout for a local branch of jihadist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the US monitor of jihadist groups says.

IS claims killing of four Tunisia soldiers, beheading

Germany has charged five Tajik men with membership of an Islamic State terror cell that recruited members and planned attacks on German soil, prosecutors said on Monday.&nbsp;

A sixth member of the same cell, Ravsan B, was sentenced to seven years in jail in January after being prosecuted separately. &nbsp;

The five men charged on February 1, named as Farhodshoh K, Muhammadali G, Azizjon B, Sunatullokh K and Komron B, are accused of having various roles in the cell founded in January 2019.&nbsp;

"The aim of the cell members, who were in contact with IS leaders in Syria and Afghanistan, was to take up the armed struggle against what they saw as 'infidels' and to commit attacks in Germany," the indictment said.&nbsp;

The men allegedly circulated in the same circles as the Tajik-born perpetrator behind the Stockholm truck attack of April 2017, as well as the Macedonian-Austrian national, who gunned down four people in Vienna in November.&nbsp;

One of them, Azizjon B, is said to have been involved in the same online network used to recruit the Stockholm attacker.&nbsp;

Azizijon B is accused of being an IS member since at least March 2017 and carrying out instructions from high-ranking IS leaders in Afghanistan from Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state. &nbsp;

He also allegedly recruited members for IS in Germany, leading to the founding of the cell in January 2019.&nbsp;

The cell members had been planning to attack targets including US army bases in Germany, prosecutors said on arresting four of them in April.&nbsp;

The fifth -- Komron B -- was transferred from Albania before being arrested in August.&nbsp;

The group allegedly held training sessions, including paintball games, attended by members of the Islamist scene, who had contact with the Vienna attacker.&nbsp;

They also ordered bomb parts online and stocked up on firearms and ammunition.

Germany has charged five Tajik men with membership of an Islamic State terror cell that recruited members and planned attacks on German soil, prosecutors said on Monday.

Germany has charged five Tajik men with membership of an Islamic State terror cell that recruited members and planned attacks on German soil, prosecutors said on Monday. A sixth member of the same cell, Ravsan B, was sentenced to seven years in jail in January after being prosecuted separately. The five men charged on February 1, named as Farhodshoh K, Muhammadali G, Azizjon B, Sunatullokh K and Komron B, are accused of having various roles in the cell founded in January 2019. "The aim of the cell members, who were in contact with IS leaders in Syria and Afghanistan, was to take up the armed struggle against what they saw as 'infidels' and to commit attacks in Germany," the indictment said. The men allegedly circulated in the same circles as the Tajik-born perpetrator behind the Stockholm truck attack of April 2017, as well as the Macedonian-Austrian national, who gunned down four people in Vienna in November. One of them, Azizjon B, is said to have been involved in the same online network used to recruit the Stockholm attacker. Azizijon B is accused of being an IS member since at least March 2017 and carrying out instructions from high-ranking IS leaders in Afghanistan from Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state. He also allegedly recruited members for IS in Germany, leading to the founding of the cell in January 2019. The cell members had been planning to attack targets including US army bases in Germany, prosecutors said on arresting four of them in April. The fifth -- Komron B -- was transferred from Albania before being arrested in August. The group allegedly held training sessions, including paintball games, attended by members of the Islamist scene, who had contact with the Vienna attacker. They also ordered bomb parts online and stocked up on firearms and ammunition.

Germany charges five Tajiks over membership in IS cell

Charged with breaking hate speech laws by tweeting pictures of Islamic State atrocities, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen goes on trial on Wednesday. She has slammed the case as a violation of free speech.&nbsp;

The trial comes as opinion polls show Le Pen will likely face off again against Emmanuel Macron in next year's presidential contest, after her National Rally made its strongest showing ever in the 2017 vote.&nbsp;

Le Pen shared the gruesome images in December 2015, a few weeks after Islamic State group jihadists killed 130 people in Paris attacks, in response to a journalist, who drew a comparison between IS and her party.&nbsp;

One of the pictures showed the body of James Foley, an American journalist beheaded by the Islamist militants.&nbsp;

Another showed a man in an orange jumpsuit being run over by a tank, and the third a Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage.&nbsp;

"Daesh is this!" Le Pen wrote in a caption, using an Arabic acronym for IS.&nbsp;

Le Pen later deleted the picture of Foley after a request from his family, saying she had been unaware of his identity.&nbsp;

In 2018, a judge charged her as well as Gilbert Collard, a National Rally colleague, who also tweeted the pictures, with circulating "violent messages that incite terrorism or pornography or seriously harm human dignity" and that can be viewed by a minor.&nbsp;

A trial was ordered last year but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

The crime is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($90,000).&nbsp;

Le Pen, a lawyer by training, has said she is the victim of a political witch-hunt -- she refused an order to undergo psychiatric tests as part of the inquiry.&nbsp;

She was also stripped of her parliamentary immunity over the pictures.

Charged with breaking hate speech laws by tweeting pictures of Islamic State atrocities, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen goes on trial on Wednesday. She has slammed the case as a violation of free speech.

Charged with breaking hate speech laws by tweeting pictures of Islamic State atrocities, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen goes on trial on Wednesday. She has slammed the case as a violation of free speech. The trial comes as opinion polls show Le Pen will likely face off again against Emmanuel Macron in next year's presidential contest, after her National Rally made its strongest showing ever in the 2017 vote. Le Pen shared the gruesome images in December 2015, a few weeks after Islamic State group jihadists killed 130 people in Paris attacks, in response to a journalist, who drew a comparison between IS and her party. One of the pictures showed the body of James Foley, an American journalist beheaded by the Islamist militants. Another showed a man in an orange jumpsuit being run over by a tank, and the third a Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage. "Daesh is this!" Le Pen wrote in a caption, using an Arabic acronym for IS. Le Pen later deleted the picture of Foley after a request from his family, saying she had been unaware of his identity. In 2018, a judge charged her as well as Gilbert Collard, a National Rally colleague, who also tweeted the pictures, with circulating "violent messages that incite terrorism or pornography or seriously harm human dignity" and that can be viewed by a minor. A trial was ordered last year but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The crime is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($90,000). Le Pen, a lawyer by training, has said she is the victim of a political witch-hunt -- she refused an order to undergo psychiatric tests as part of the inquiry. She was also stripped of her parliamentary immunity over the pictures.

French far-right leader Le Pen on trial for breaking hate speech laws

At least 14 killings, including three beheadings, have rocked a northeast Syria camp holding families linked to the Islamic State group since early January, a Kurdish official said Monday.

It was the latest sign of deteriorating security at the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp which holds almost 62,000 people, mostly women and children, including Syrians, Iraqis and thousands from Europe and Asia.

"Until now, 14 people have been killed in Al-Hol" since the start of the year, Sheikhmous Ahmed, a Kurdish official in charge of running camps in the region, told AFP.

He said they included three decapitations, but also some killed using guns with silencers.

The victims, all camp residents, were 10 Iraqis and four Syrians, he said.

The official blamed "IS cells in Al-Hol" targeting "those cooperating with camp management", with the aim to "sow chaos and fear".

But a humanitarian source recently said tribal tensions between residents could also be to blame for some murders.

Most camp inhabitants are Syrians or Iraqis displaced by the Kurdish-led battle against IS that took back the group's last scrap of territory in March 2019.

But the camp also hosts a separate annex for thousands of foreign women and children accused of family ties with IS.

The United Nations last month said 12 murders had taken place in Al-Hol from January 1 to 16 alone.

Despite Al-Hol camp being vastly overpopulated, the number of guards there fell from 1,500 in mid-2019 to 400 in late 2020, it said in a report published this month.

Some detainees see Al-Hol as the final remnant of the cross-border "caliphate" IS declared in Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, it said.

There have been reports of "radicalisation, training, fundraising and incitement of external operations" at the camp.

In the foreign section, "some minors are reportedly being indoctrinated and prepared to become future ISIL operatives," the UN report said, using another acronym for IS.

The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have long called on foreign countries to repatriate their nationals from Al-Hol and other camps in northeast Syria.

But Western nations have been largely reluctant to repatriate their IS-linked citizens, though some have brought home women and children on a case-by-case basis.

Syria's war has killed more than 387,000 people since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

It then evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers.

At least 14 killings, including three beheadings, have rocked a northeast Syria camp holding families linked to the Islamic State group since early January, a Kurdish official said Monday.

At least 14 killings, including three beheadings, have rocked a northeast Syria camp holding families linked to the Islamic State group since early January, a Kurdish official said Monday. It was the latest sign of deteriorating security at the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp which holds almost 62,000 people, mostly women and children, including Syrians, Iraqis and thousands from Europe and Asia. "Until now, 14 people have been killed in Al-Hol" since the start of the year, Sheikhmous Ahmed, a Kurdish official in charge of running camps in the region, told AFP. He said they included three decapitations, but also some killed using guns with silencers. The victims, all camp residents, were 10 Iraqis and four Syrians, he said. The official blamed "IS cells in Al-Hol" targeting "those cooperating with camp management", with the aim to "sow chaos and fear". But a humanitarian source recently said tribal tensions between residents could also be to blame for some murders. Most camp inhabitants are Syrians or Iraqis displaced by the Kurdish-led battle against IS that took back the group's last scrap of territory in March 2019. But the camp also hosts a separate annex for thousands of foreign women and children accused of family ties with IS. The United Nations last month said 12 murders had taken place in Al-Hol from January 1 to 16 alone. Despite Al-Hol camp being vastly overpopulated, the number of guards there fell from 1,500 in mid-2019 to 400 in late 2020, it said in a report published this month. Some detainees see Al-Hol as the final remnant of the cross-border "caliphate" IS declared in Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, it said. There have been reports of "radicalisation, training, fundraising and incitement of external operations" at the camp. In the foreign section, "some minors are reportedly being indoctrinated and prepared to become future ISIL operatives," the UN report said, using another acronym for IS. The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have long called on foreign countries to repatriate their nationals from Al-Hol and other camps in northeast Syria. But Western nations have been largely reluctant to repatriate their IS-linked citizens, though some have brought home women and children on a case-by-case basis. Syria's war has killed more than 387,000 people since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. It then evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and world powers.

Fourteen killed this year in Syria camp holding IS fighters' relatives

Islamic State group jihadists killed 19 Syrian regime personnel and allied militia fighters in the central province of Hama on Wednesday, a Britain-based war monitor said.

"Nineteen regime fighters and allied militia forces were killed in an IS attack, including 11 members of the Baqir Brigade," a local Iran-backed militia, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The war monitor said the "surprise attack" on Wednesday morning targeted regime positions in eastern Hama, the site of recent clashes between regime forces and jihadists.

Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman called it the deadliest IS attack this year.

IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014, before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat.

The group lost its last scrap of territory in Syria in March 2019, but in recent months it has ramped up attacks against regime forces, especially in the east of the country bordering Iraq.

In December last year, IS killed nearly 40 Syrian troops in an ambush of a bus carrying soldiers travelling home for the holidays.&nbsp;

According to the Observatory, IS attacks have killed more than 1,200 regime fighters and allied militia forces since March 2019.

The war in Syria has killed more than 387,000 people since it started in 2011, the Observatory says.

Islamic State group jihadists killed 19 Syrian regime personnel and allied militia fighters in the central province of Hama on Wednesday, a Britain-based war monitor said.

Islamic State group jihadists killed 19 Syrian regime personnel and allied militia fighters in the central province of Hama on Wednesday, a Britain-based war monitor said. "Nineteen regime fighters and allied militia forces were killed in an IS attack, including 11 members of the Baqir Brigade," a local Iran-backed militia, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor said the "surprise attack" on Wednesday morning targeted regime positions in eastern Hama, the site of recent clashes between regime forces and jihadists. Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman called it the deadliest IS attack this year. IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014, before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat. The group lost its last scrap of territory in Syria in March 2019, but in recent months it has ramped up attacks against regime forces, especially in the east of the country bordering Iraq. In December last year, IS killed nearly 40 Syrian troops in an ambush of a bus carrying soldiers travelling home for the holidays. According to the Observatory, IS attacks have killed more than 1,200 regime fighters and allied militia forces since March 2019. The war in Syria has killed more than 387,000 people since it started in 2011, the Observatory says.

IS attack kills 19 in central Syria

The Islamic State(IS) group claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twin-suicide-attack-in-central-baghdad-kills-20-wounds-40-358293">Baghdad</a> on Thursday that killed at least 32 people and wounded more than hundred.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-twin-suicide-bombing-kills-more-than-30-in-iraq-358403/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The bombing was a rare deadly attack in the Iraqi capital, which has seen almost no such incident since 2017. &nbsp;The Iraqi interior ministry said that the first attack was targeted at capital's Tayaran Square as the perpetrator drew in crowds after claiming to feel sick and then denoted his bomb fixed to his belt.

A second bomber set off the explosive at the scene leading to more casualties.

President Barham Saleh said his government will "stand firmly against these rogue attempts to destabilise our country" even as the United States, United Nations and the European Union condemned the attack.

US acting secretary of state Daniel Smith said: "The bombings "were vicious acts of mass murder and a sobering reminder of the terrorism that continues to threaten the lives of innocent Iraqis".

The attack comes as Iraqis prepare for the election. The Islamic State&nbsp;had seized a third of Iraq in 2014 and had come dangerously close to annexing Baghdad however a long, ravaging battle lasting three years had ensured the IS terrorists were pushed back.

The United States has 2,500 troops on the ground in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-2500-each-us-says-lowest-troops-deployed-in-iraq-afghanistan-in-about-two-decades-356978">Iraq</a> after the Trump administration pulled out 5,200 troops a year ago.

The Islamic State(IS) group claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad on Thursday that killed at least 32 people and wounded more than hundred.

The Islamic State(IS) group claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad on Thursday that killed at least 32 people and wounded more than hundred. Watch: The bombing was a rare deadly attack in the Iraqi capital, which has seen almost no such incident since 2017. The Iraqi interior ministry said that the first attack was targeted at capital's Tayaran Square as the perpetrator drew in crowds after claiming to feel sick and then denoted his bomb fixed to his belt. A second bomber set off the explosive at the scene leading to more casualties. President Barham Saleh said his government will "stand firmly against these rogue attempts to destabilise our country" even as the United States, United Nations and the European Union condemned the attack. US acting secretary of state Daniel Smith said: "The bombings "were vicious acts of mass murder and a sobering reminder of the terrorism that continues to threaten the lives of innocent Iraqis". The attack comes as Iraqis prepare for the election. The Islamic State had seized a third of Iraq in 2014 and had come dangerously close to annexing Baghdad however a long, ravaging battle lasting three years had ensured the IS terrorists were pushed back. The United States has 2,500 troops on the ground in Iraq after the Trump administration pulled out 5,200 troops a year ago.

Islamic State claims responsibility for Baghdad twin bombings

Afghan authorities said Tuesday they had foiled a plan by the jihadist Islamic State group to assassinate the top US envoy in Kabul, as a wave of targeted killings continues to rock the country.

Intelligence officers dismantled a four-member IS cell in the eastern province of Nangarhar that had planned to murder Ross Wilson as well as Afghan officials, the National Directorate of Security said.

Wilson, the US Charge d'Affaires in Kabul, has steadfastly condemned a series of assassinations in the capital and other cities of prominent Afghans including journalists, activists and politicians in recent months.

"The main assassin and facilitator of the cell, Abdul Wahid, had planned to assassinate the US ambassador in Afghanistan as well as some high ranking Afghan officials," the NDS said in a statement.

"Their plan was foiled with their arrest."

The NDS did not offer further details and the US embassy in Kabul did not respond to requests for comment.

In recent months, deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan, including a new trend of targeted killing of prominent Afghans which has sowed fear and chaos despite the Taliban and government engaging in peace talks.

Last week the US military blamed the terror group for these largely unclaimed targeted killings, although some of them have been claimed by IS.

Over the years IS has claimed several deadly attacks in Nangarhar, once the bastion of the jihadist group in the country.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, three Afghan women soldiers were shot dead in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

Two gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the troops to work, army spokesman Hanif Rezayee said.

Two soldiers died at the scene and one died later in hospital, he said, adding that another military servicewoman and the male driver were wounded in the attack.

No group has so far claimed responsibility.

Afghan authorities said Tuesday they had foiled a plan by the jihadist Islamic State group to assassinate the top US envoy in Kabul, as a wave of targeted killings continues to rock the country.

Afghan authorities said Tuesday they had foiled a plan by the jihadist Islamic State group to assassinate the top US envoy in Kabul, as a wave of targeted killings continues to rock the country. Intelligence officers dismantled a four-member IS cell in the eastern province of Nangarhar that had planned to murder Ross Wilson as well as Afghan officials, the National Directorate of Security said. Wilson, the US Charge d'Affaires in Kabul, has steadfastly condemned a series of assassinations in the capital and other cities of prominent Afghans including journalists, activists and politicians in recent months. "The main assassin and facilitator of the cell, Abdul Wahid, had planned to assassinate the US ambassador in Afghanistan as well as some high ranking Afghan officials," the NDS said in a statement. "Their plan was foiled with their arrest." The NDS did not offer further details and the US embassy in Kabul did not respond to requests for comment. In recent months, deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan, including a new trend of targeted killing of prominent Afghans which has sowed fear and chaos despite the Taliban and government engaging in peace talks. Last week the US military blamed the terror group for these largely unclaimed targeted killings, although some of them have been claimed by IS. Over the years IS has claimed several deadly attacks in Nangarhar, once the bastion of the jihadist group in the country. In a separate incident on Tuesday, three Afghan women soldiers were shot dead in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Two gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the troops to work, army spokesman Hanif Rezayee said. Two soldiers died at the scene and one died later in hospital, he said, adding that another military servicewoman and the male driver were wounded in the attack. No group has so far claimed responsibility.

Afghan forces foil IS plan to assassinate top US envoy

Islamic State group fighters killed at least seven regime loyalists in eastern Syria on Saturday.

The attack came as the militia fighters were sweeping the town of Al-Shola for jihadist remnants. This is the latest in a series of deadly jihadist attacks.

"Seven members of the National Defence Forces, a pro-regime militia, were killed in clashes with an IS sleeper cell in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The death toll is expected to climb, as IS gunmen wounded several other militia fighters.

The region, near the border with Iraq, was formerly a stronghold of the jihadist group.&nbsp;

Last week, the Observatory said IS gunmen in central Syria had ambushed a bus carrying government soldiers in the Wadi al-Azib area of Hama province. The ambush late Sunday resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, four allied fighters and three civilians, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The IS was behind a December 30 bus ambush in Deir Ezzor province, which killed at least 37 Syrian soldiers.

IS in 2014 overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat.

The group was overcome in Syria in March 2019, but sleeper cells continue to launch attacks in the vast Badia desert running from central Syria eastwards to the border with Iraq.

The Observatory says IS attacks have since March 2019 killed more than 1,100 pro-regime fighters, including Syrian troops and foreign paramilitaries.&nbsp;

More than 387,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011.

Islamic State group fighters killed at least seven regime loyalists in eastern Syria on Saturday. The attack came as the militia fighters were sweeping the town of Al-Shola for jihadist remnants.

Islamic State group fighters killed at least seven regime loyalists in eastern Syria on Saturday. The attack came as the militia fighters were sweeping the town of Al-Shola for jihadist remnants. This is the latest in a series of deadly jihadist attacks. "Seven members of the National Defence Forces, a pro-regime militia, were killed in clashes with an IS sleeper cell in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The death toll is expected to climb, as IS gunmen wounded several other militia fighters. The region, near the border with Iraq, was formerly a stronghold of the jihadist group. Last week, the Observatory said IS gunmen in central Syria had ambushed a bus carrying government soldiers in the Wadi al-Azib area of Hama province. The ambush late Sunday resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, four allied fighters and three civilians, the Observatory said. The IS was behind a December 30 bus ambush in Deir Ezzor province, which killed at least 37 Syrian soldiers. IS in 2014 overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat. The group was overcome in Syria in March 2019, but sleeper cells continue to launch attacks in the vast Badia desert running from central Syria eastwards to the border with Iraq. The Observatory says IS attacks have since March 2019 killed more than 1,100 pro-regime fighters, including Syrian troops and foreign paramilitaries. More than 387,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011.

IS attack kills seven regime loyalists in eastern Syria

Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Islamic State militants slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in&nbsp;Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, filming the entire incident and later posting it online.

Thousands of Hazaras have since staged a protest, arranging the coffins across a highway in the provincial capital Quetta.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-hazara-families-refuse-to-bury-mach-massacre-victims-354545" hreflang="en">Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims</a>

"We have become tired of picking up the bodies of our people," Syed Agha Raza, a Hazara Shi'ite political leader, told Reuters.

Masooma Yaqoob Ali told Reuters her elder brother along with four other relatives were among those killed.

“Now we have no male member [of our family] to take coffins of our brother and other relatives to the graveyard for burial,” she said, shedding tears as she spoke.

The protesters are refusing to bury the victims of the attack until demands, which include the resignation of the provincial government, are met. Protests also occurred on Tuesday in Karachi,&nbsp;Pakistan's large southern city.

Balochistan Home Secretary Hafiz Basid told Reuters at least nine of the victims were from neighbouring Afghanistan, and two bodies had thus far been taken there for burial. Afghanistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that seven of the dead were Afghan, and both sides were investigating the incident together.

Hazaras have faced persecution by extremists in both countries, where Sunni Islam predominates. Some Afghan Hazaras come to&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;for work in the winter, including at the coal mine in Balochistan.

Hundreds of Hazara have been killed over the last decade in attacks in&nbsp;Pakistan, including bombings in schools and crowded markets and brazen ambushes of buses along&nbsp;Pakistani roads.

Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in Pakistan who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in Pakistan who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice. Islamic State militants slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, filming the entire incident and later posting it online. Thousands of Hazaras have since staged a protest, arranging the coffins across a highway in the provincial capital Quetta. Also read: Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims "We have become tired of picking up the bodies of our people," Syed Agha Raza, a Hazara Shi'ite political leader, told Reuters. Masooma Yaqoob Ali told Reuters her elder brother along with four other relatives were among those killed. “Now we have no male member [of our family] to take coffins of our brother and other relatives to the graveyard for burial,” she said, shedding tears as she spoke. The protesters are refusing to bury the victims of the attack until demands, which include the resignation of the provincial government, are met. Protests also occurred on Tuesday in Karachi, Pakistan's large southern city. Balochistan Home Secretary Hafiz Basid told Reuters at least nine of the victims were from neighbouring Afghanistan, and two bodies had thus far been taken there for burial. Afghanistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that seven of the dead were Afghan, and both sides were investigating the incident together. Hazaras have faced persecution by extremists in both countries, where Sunni Islam predominates. Some Afghan Hazaras come to Pakistan for work in the winter, including at the coal mine in Balochistan. Hundreds of Hazara have been killed over the last decade in attacks in Pakistan, including bombings in schools and crowded markets and brazen ambushes of buses along Pakistani roads.

Pakistan's Hazara say no end to Quetta sit-in without justice for slain miners

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-hazaras-community-refuses-to-end-its-protest-until-pak-pm-meets-them-354501/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"No male member is alive in our family who could bury my elder brother and four other relatives," Dawn quoted Masooma Yaqoob Ali, a student of the third year who lost five members of her family in the tragedy.

Among her five siblings, her brother was the only son of her parents and the sole breadwinner of the family, Yaqoob Ali added.

Also read-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-pakistans-shiite-hazara-minority-that-killed-11-354279" hreflang="en">Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan's Shi'ite Hazara</a>

"We have staged a sit-in for the protection of the Hazara people who have been facing such killings since long and have become fed up with the situation," Dawn quoted Syed Agha Raza, Balochistan Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) President.

The bodies would not be buried until demands of the community are not fulfilled, Agha Raza said. Demanding the government`s resignation, Agha Raza said the Balochistan government had repeatedly failed to protect the people of the Hazara community.

"We will continue the sit-in till the resignation of the provincial government," Agha Raza said, adding that a judicial commission comprising retired and sitting judges of the apex court should be appointed for conducting a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Islamic&nbsp;State had claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday that killed 11 miners from Pakistan’s minority Shi’ite Hazaras in Baluchistan province.

The attack took place early on Sunday morning in the Mach area of Bolan district around 100 kms southeast of Baluchistan's capital Quetta, killing the miners who were in a shared residential room near the coal mine where they worked, officials said.

As per the Geo News, police said the armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains and opened fire. Eleven were confirmed dead by police while others injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign.

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign. "No male member is alive in our family who could bury my elder brother and four other relatives," Dawn quoted Masooma Yaqoob Ali, a student of the third year who lost five members of her family in the tragedy. Among her five siblings, her brother was the only son of her parents and the sole breadwinner of the family, Yaqoob Ali added. Also read-Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan's Shi'ite Hazara "We have staged a sit-in for the protection of the Hazara people who have been facing such killings since long and have become fed up with the situation," Dawn quoted Syed Agha Raza, Balochistan Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) President. The bodies would not be buried until demands of the community are not fulfilled, Agha Raza said. Demanding the government`s resignation, Agha Raza said the Balochistan government had repeatedly failed to protect the people of the Hazara community. "We will continue the sit-in till the resignation of the provincial government," Agha Raza said, adding that a judicial commission comprising retired and sitting judges of the apex court should be appointed for conducting a judicial inquiry into the incident. Islamic State had claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday that killed 11 miners from Pakistan’s minority Shi’ite Hazaras in Baluchistan province. The attack took place early on Sunday morning in the Mach area of Bolan district around 100 kms southeast of Baluchistan's capital Quetta, killing the miners who were in a shared residential room near the coal mine where they worked, officials said. As per the Geo News, police said the armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains and opened fire. Eleven were confirmed dead by police while others injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims

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