15 people killed in suicide blast in Pakistan

July 13, 2011 By

Islamabad:At least 15 people were killed and more than 20 injured on Wednesday morning in a suicide blast in Kohat's busy Teerah market in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, sta

te-run PTV reported.

The suicide bomber blew himself up in a barber's shop located near a bus stand. The death toll could rise further, the report said.

The District Police Officer (DPO) Kohat, Dilawar Bangash, confirmed the death of 15 people in the blast. “We can confirm the exact death toll after the completion of rescue operation which is still being carried out,” he said.

Security officials had received terror threats on the eve of Muharram, first month of Islamic calendar and revered by the Shia community in particular.

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Al Qaeda in Iraq claims TV office bombing

July 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

July 29 (Reuters) – The Iraqi arm of al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack this week on the Baghdad office of satellite television channel Al Arabiya, and warned of further strikes on media targets. “We assume responsibility for the attack on this corrupted channel,” the Islamic State of Iraq, an al Qaeda affiliate, said in a statement on an Islamist website.

The group said it would not hesitate to target media organisations and pursue their members “as long as they persist to be a tool in the war against Allah and His Messenger”.

On Monday, a suicide bomber killed at least four people in an attack on the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel, security officials said. [ID:nLDE66P0CY]

Dubai-based Al Arabiya also said four people were killed, while an Iraqi interior ministry source put the death toll at six and said about 20 others were wounded.

(Reporting by Martina Fuchs, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Death toll from Pakistan bomb attack reaches 102

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Pakistan (Reuters) – The death toll from a suicide attack in a volatile border region of Pakistan climbed to 102 on Saturday, showing the militants’ continued ability to stage deadly strikes despite losing ground in army offensives.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in Mohmand, a Pashtun region on the northwestern border with Afghanistan, where security forces have stepped up operations against militants in recent months.

Friday’s attack is the deadliest Pakistan has suffered since an attack on a market in Peshawar in October last year that killed 105.

Five children, aged 5 to 10, and several women were among the dead, and the toll rose on Saturday as rescuers working throughout the night found more bodies in the rubble.

“We have recovered more bodies from the debris of dozens of shops that were razed to the ground by the blast and the number of dead has increased” to 102, said Rasool Khan, assistant political agent of Mohmand.

The bomber blew himself up outside Khan’s office. There were mixed reports that a car bomb was the source of a possible second blast.

Late on Friday, a TTP spokesman in Mohmand who identified himself as Ikramullah Mohmand, said anti-Taliban tribal elders from various peace committees who had come to Khan’s office were the target.

A senior elder and two others were killed in the attack.

Among nearly 80 wounded were several people displaced by fighting between security forces and militants, who were collecting relief goods near the blast side.

The latest militant attack underscored multiple security challenges facing nuclear-armed U.S. ally Pakistan, whose support is vital in attempts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan, where U.S.-led NATO troops are fighting a raging Taliban insurgency.

The military has made progress over the past year when they pushed militants out of the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad. In October the army began an offensive in the militants’ South Waziristan bastion on the Afghan border.

The offensive was extended to Orakzai in March as many of the militants who fled the South Waziristan operation took refuge there and in Mohmand. Hundreds of militants have since been killed in air strikes in the two regions.

Troops killed 20 militants in an overnight clash in South Waziristan after insurgents attacked a military checkpost in their previous stronghold of Makeen, intelligence officials said. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties.

Despite losing ground in military offensives, militants have proven their ability to bounce back, responding with a barrage of bomb attacks in towns and cities, killing hundreds of people.

Two suicide bombers killed at least 42 people in an attack on Pakistan’s most important Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore last week.

While praising Pakistan’s efforts to fight homegrown militants, the unabated violence is a source of worry for the United States, which also wants Islamabad to go after Afghan militants who cross the border to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

In a separate incident in Afghanistan, suspected Taliban militants attacked a bus carrying Pakistani Shi’a tribesmen traveling from the Kurram tribal region and heading to Peshawar via Afghanistan, killing 11 and wounding one, residents and government officials said.

Pakistani tribesmen take a circuitous route through Afghanistan to travel between Kurram and Peshawar as the road linking the two regions is often closed because of militants and Pakistani Army operations.

(Writing by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Jeremy Laurence)

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Death toll from Pakistan bomb attack reaches 102

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 10 (Reuters) – The death toll from a suicide attack in a volatile border region of Pakistan climbed to 102 on Saturday, showing the militants’ continued ability to stage deadly strikes despite losing ground in army offensives.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in Mohmand, a Pashtun region on the northwestern border with Afghanistan, where security forces have stepped up operations against militants in recent months.

Friday’s attack is the deadliest Pakistan has suffered since an attack on a market in Peshawar in October last year that killed 105.

Five children, aged 5 to 10, and several women were among the dead, and the toll rose on Saturday as rescuers working throughout the night found more bodies in the rubble.

“We have recovered more bodies from the debris of dozens of shops that were razed to the ground by the blast and the number of dead has increased” to 102, said Rasool Khan, assistant political agent of Mohmand.

The bomber blew himself up outside Khan’s office. There were mixed reports that a car bomb was the source of a possible second blast.

Late on Friday, a TTP spokesman in Mohmand who identified himself as Ikramullah Mohmand, said anti-Taliban tribal elders from various peace committees who had come to Khan’s office were the target.

A senior elder and two others were killed in the attack.

Among nearly 80 wounded were several people displaced by fighting between security forces and militants, who were collecting relief goods near the blast side.

The latest militant attack underscored multiple security challenges facing nuclear-armed U.S. ally Pakistan, whose support is vital in attempts to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan, where U.S.-led NATO troops are fighting a raging Taliban insurgency.

The military has made progress over the past year when they pushed militants out of the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad. In October the army began an offensive in the militants’ South Waziristan bastion on the Afghan border.

The offensive was extended to Orakzai in March as many of the militants who fled the South Waziristan operation took refuge there and in Mohmand. Hundreds of militants have since been killed in air strikes in the two regions.

Troops killed 20 militants in an overnight clash in South Waziristan after insurgents attacked a military checkpost in their previous stronghold of Makeen, intelligence officials said. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties.

Despite losing ground in military offensives, militants have proven their ability to bounce back, responding with a barrage of bomb attacks in towns and cities, killing hundreds of people.

Two suicide bombers killed at least 42 people in an attack on Pakistan’s most important Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore last week.

While praising Pakistan’s efforts to fight homegrown militants, the unabated violence is a source of worry for the United States, which also wants Islamabad to go after Afghan militants who cross the border to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

In a separate incident in Afghanistan, suspected Taliban militants attacked a bus carrying Pakistani Shi’a tribesmen travelling from the Kurram tribal region and heading to Peshawar via Afghanistan, killing 11 and wounding one, residents and government officials said.

Pakistani tribesmen take a circuitous route through Afghanistan to travel between Kurram and Peshawar as the road linking the two regions is often closed because of militants and Pakistani Army operations. [ID:nSGE669GBL]

(Writing by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Jeremy Laurence) (E-mail: augustine.anthony@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: augustine.anthony.reuters.com@reuters.net; Islamabad newsroom: +92 51 281 0017)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

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REFILE-Death toll from Pakistan bomb attack reaches 102

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Pakistan, July 10 (Reuters) – The death toll from a suicide attack in a volatile border region of Pakistan climbed to 102 on Saturday, showing the militants’ continued ability to stage deadly strikes despite losing ground in army offensives.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in Mohmand, a Pashtun region on the northwestern border with Afghanistan, where security forces have stepped up operations against militants in recent months.

Friday’s attack is the deadliest Pakistan has suffered since an attack on a market in Peshawar in October last year that killed 105.

Five children, aged 5 to 10, and several women were among the dead on Friday, and the toll rose after rescuers working throughout the night found more bodies in the rubble.

“We have recovered more bodies from the debris of dozens of shops that were razed to the ground by the blast and the number of dead has increased” to 102, said Rasool Khan, assistant political agent of Mohmand.

The bomber blew himself up outside Khan’s office.

Late on Friday, a TTP spokesman in Mohmand who identified himself as Ikramullah Mohmand, said anti-Taliban tribal elders from various peace committees who had come to Khan’s office were the target.

A senior elder and two others were killed in the attack.

Among nearly 80 wounded were several people displaced by fighting between security forces and militants, who were collecting relief goods near the blast side.

The latest militant attack underscored multiple security challenges facing nuclear-armed U.S. ally Pakistan, whose support is vital in attempts to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan, where U.S.-led NATO troops are fighting a raging Taliban insurgency.

The military has made progress over the past year when they pushed militants out of the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad. In October the army began an offensive in the militants’ South Waziristan bastion on the Afghan border.

The offensive was extended to Orakzai in March as many of the militants who fled the South Waziristan operation took refuge there and in Mohmand. Hundreds of militants have since been killed in air strikes in the two regions.

But militants have proven their ability to bounce back, responding with a barrage of bomb attacks in towns and cities, killing hundreds of people.

Two suicide bombers killed at least 42 people in an attack on Pakistan’s most important Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore last week.

Despite praising Pakistan’s efforts to fight homegrown militants, the unabated violence is a source of worry for the United States, which also wants Islamabad to go after Afghan militants who cross the border to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Writing by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Alex Richardson) (E-mail: augustine.anthony@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: augustine.anthony.reuters.com@reuters.net; Islamabad newsroom: +92 51 281 0017)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

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Toll from bank bombing in Iraqi capital reaches 26

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

June 20 (Reuters) – The toll from twin bomb blasts at the Trade Bank of Iraq in Baghdad on Sunday rose to 26 dead with 53 people wounded, police and an Interior Ministry source said.

The bombings occurred a week after an assault by suicide bombers on Iraq’s Central Bank in which 18 people died, highlighting fears of increasing violence as militants try to exploit a political vacuum after a March election that produced no clear winner and no new government so far.

Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said the attack on the Trade Bank involved two suicide bombers in cars, who drove at the main gate of the bank and blew up when they struck blastwalls. Moussawi put the death toll at 18. (Reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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Fighting kills at least 12 in Somali capital

June 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MOGADISHU (Reuters)- Fighting between government forces and rebels, and a roadside blast Wednesday killed at least 12 people in the Somali capital and wounded 22 others, a medic and residents said.

World

The anarchic country’s U.N.-backed Transitional Federal Government controls just a few blocks of the war-scarred coastal city and its security forces have been fighting to regain Mogadishu’s north.

Residents in the first incident said rebels attacked government forces between the president’s palace and the main Bakara Market, prompting an exchange of shells and machinegun fire.

“We have so far collected seven dead people and 22 others injured from around Bakara market,” Ali Muse, the coordinator of ambulance services, told Reuters.

“Among the dead is a mother. Most of the shells landed in and around the market. Death toll may rise because shelling is still going on.”

Somalia has had no effective central government for 19 years and Western efforts to install one to guide the country back to stability have been greatly undermined by an insurgency by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents and another smaller group, Hizbul Islam.

In another incident, residents said at least five policemen on patrol died and another was wounded in a roadside blast targeting them.

“I could see five dead policemen and another seriously injured. The area was soon sealed off by the government forces. I was passing near the scene when the explosion happened,” Hussein Osman, one resident, said.

Government officials and rebels could not immediately be reached for comment.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters are trying to hold on to the city’s north which puts the presidential palace, known as Villa Somalia, within easy range of their crude mortar rockets.

Al Shabaab, and a second hardline group Hizbul Islam, have been fighting President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s Western-backed government since the start of 2007.

In the last two days, four ministers have resigned. Three stepped down Tuesday, including a defense minister who said he was quitting because the government had failed to fulfill its pledge to restore order.

(Writing by Abdi Sheikh, editing by George Obulutsa and Ralph Boulton)

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Fighting, blast kills at least 12 in Somali capital

June 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MOGADISHU, JUNE 9 (Reuters)- Fighting between government forces and rebels, and a roadside blast on Wednesday killed at least 12 people in the Somali capital and wounded 22 others, a medic and residents said.

The anarchic country’s U.N.-backed Transitional Federal Government controls just a few blocks of the war-scarred coastal city and its security forces have been fighting to regain Mogadishu’s north.

Residents in the first incident said rebels attacked government forces between the president’s palace and the main Bakara Market, prompting an exchange of shells and machinegun fire.

“We have so far collected seven dead people and 22 others injured from around Bakara market,” Ali Muse, the coordinator of ambulance services, told Reuters.

“Among the dead is a mother. Most of the shells landed in and around the market. Death toll may rise because shelling is still going on.”

Somalia has had no effective central government for 19 years and Western efforts to install one to guide the country back to stability have been greatly undermined by an insurgency by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents and another smaller group, Hizbul Islam.

In another incident, residents said at least five policemen on patrol died and another was wounded in a roadside blast targeting them.

“I could see five dead policemen and another seriously injured. The area was soon sealed off by the government forces. I was passing near the scene when the explosion happened,” Hussein Osman, one resident, said.

Government officials and rebels could not immediately be reached for comment.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters are trying to hold on to the city’s north which puts the presidential palace, known as Villa Somalia, within easy range of their crude mortar rockets.

Al Shabaab, and a second hardline group Hizbul Islam, have been fighting President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s Western-backed government since the start of 2007.

In the last two days, four ministers have resigned. Three stepped down on Tuesday, including a defence minister who said he was quitting because the government had failed to fulfill its pledge to restore order. [ID:nLDE6571U4] (Writing by Abdi Sheikh, editing by George Obulutsa and Ralph Boulton)

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Dozens trapped after deadly building collapse

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Dozens of people were feared trapped and at least 20 people died after a five-storey building collapsed in the Bangladesh capital Wednesday, police and witnesses said.

World

At least 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, which police said was badly constructed. Rescue teams were scouring through the rubble for bodies and survivors.

Nearly all the building’s tenants escaped unharmed as it started to tilt to one side, and most of the casualties were from the homes surrounding the structure, witnesses said.

“We fear the death toll may go up further as there are many people still trapped under the rubble,” a police officer on the scene said.

Dhaka is a bustling city of 12 million people, but many of its buildings are poorly constructed because of lack of supervision and enforcement of regulations.

(Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Editing by David Fox)

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Dozens trapped after deadly building collapse

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

June 2 (Reuters) – Dozens of people were feared trapped and at least 20 people died after a five-storey building collapsed in the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday, police and witnesses said.

At least 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, which police said was badly constructed. Rescue teams were scouring through the rubble for bodies and survivors.

Nearly all the building’s tenants escaped unharmed as it started to tilt to one side, and most of the casualties were from the homes surrounding the structure, witnesses said.

“We fear the death toll may go up further as there are many people still trapped under the rubble,” a police officer on the scene said.

Dhaka is a bustling city of 12 million people, but many of its buildings are poorly constructed because of lack of supervision and enforcement of regulations. (Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Editing by David Fox)

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Nine activists killed in Israeli ship raid: military

June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – A total of nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship that was raided by Israeli naval commandos on Monday, the Israeli military said in a statement. A military spokeswoman said the statement reflected the final death toll for the day after the ship was brought to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. Earlier, senior Israeli officials had put the number of those killed at ten, or even higher.

World

Israel, which leads a blockade on the Gaza Strip, intercepted the convoy of six ships carrying 700 people and 10,000 tons of supplies to prevent it from reaching the shores of the Hamas-ruled territory.

The military said that violence erupted on one of the ships after the activists attacked the marines, wounding seven and stealing two of their weapons.

Israeli officials have said about 20 activists were injured.

The military did not give the nationality of any of the casualties, but a senior Israeli official said most of the dead were Turks.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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Tropical Storm Agatha kills 96 in Central America

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

* Guatemala battered, El Salvador, Honduras also suffer

* Damage to coffee crops unclear, some trees affected

* More than 80,000 forced from their homes (Updates Guatemala, death toll, adds quote from Guatemalan president, updates airport status)

By Herbert Hernandez

GUATEMALA CITY, May 30 (Reuters) – The remnants of Tropical Storm Agatha dumped more rain across Central America on Sunday after killing at least 96 people in the region, sparking fears of further mudslides in three countries.

Agatha, the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season, slammed into the Guatemalan coast near the border with Mexico on Saturday.

At least 83 people died in Guatemala, President Alvaro Colom told a news conference on Sunday night.

“We have suffered many personal misfortunes … but from now we enter a transition stage where we attend to the people in the shelters,” Colom said.

More than 80,000 people, mostly in Guatemala, have fled their homes, according to official data.

Guatemala’s government appealed to donors for aid and officials warned more victims may be found.

A dozen or more people were believed killed in San Antonio Palopo, a town 90 miles (160 km) southeast of the capital, Guatemala City, after a huge mudslide engulfed an entire neighborhood.

“There was a mudslide that wiped out homes, trees and everything in its path,” said a man who gave his name on local radio as Luis.

“We have found 14 bodies and we think there are another eight to 10 beneath the mud.”

Rescue workers throughout the region scrambled to restore communications to cut-off towns and villages, fearing more victims may be found.

The intense rainfall has sparked concern over the condition of the coffee crop in Guatemala, the region’s biggest producer, as well as in El Salvador, where the rains fell heaviest in the principal coffee-growing area.

The storm dissipated overnight as it crossed the western mountains of Guatemala but emergency workers warned residents to expect heavy rain for several more days.

Swollen rivers burst their banks and mudslides buried homes in towns and cities alike. A highway bridge near Guatemala City was swept away and sinkholes opened up in the capital where many neighborhoods remained without electricity.

More than 3 feet (1 metre) of rain fell in parts of the country, the government said.

Nine people were killed in El Salvador and four others died in Honduras, including a woman who was electrocuted as she was helped from her flooded home, officials said.

DAMAGE TO COFFEE UNKNOWN

Central America is vulnerable to heavy rains due to mountainous terrain and poor communications in rural areas. Last November’s Hurricane Ida caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 150 people as it moved past the region.

Guatemalan officials warned the flooding from the storm could be worsened by ash spewing out of the Pacaya volcano that has blocked drainage systems.

The volcano, which erupted on Thursday, forced the closure of the country’s main international airport. Aviation officials said it would remain closed to commercial flights until Tuesday but was now open to aircraft delivering aid.

The eruption at Pacaya, which has been active since the 1960s but had not ejected ash and rock since 1998, subsided further on Sunday, officials said.

The volcano, 25 miles (40 km) south of Guatemala City, is close to some of Guatemala’s most prized coffee plantations.

Coffee farms around the volcano reported some damage to plants but other areas were still out of contact, a spokeswoman for Anacafe, the national coffee association said.

“There is some defoliation and some of the beans have been damaged, but right now we are still working to determine the effect on the crop,” Anacafe’s Nancy Mendez told Reuters.

El Salvador’s coffee association said poor communications had prevented it from investigating any crop damage. (Additional reporting by Nelson Renteria in San Salvador and Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Robert Campbell; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Guatemala death toll from Agatha rises to 63

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

May 30 (Reuters) – At least 63 people are confirmed dead in Guatemala after Tropical Storm Agatha slammed the country, government officials said on Sunday.

Chimaltenango Department Governor Erick De Leon told Reuters there were 50 deaths in his jurisdiction that had not previously been reported by the national government.

Chimaltenango is about 35 miles (60 km) west of the capital, Guatemala City.

Guatemalan emergency officials previously reported the confirmed death toll at 13. (Reporting by Herbert Hernandez; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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West Bengal train mishap death toll rises to 120

May 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Jhargram (West Bengal), May 29 (ANI): The death toll into Friday”s Gyaneshwari Express mishap near Jhargram in West Bengal”s West Midnapore District is reported to be 120 by Saturday evening.

The number of the injured stood at 250, as rescue operations were still being carried out at the site located some 135 kilometres from Kolkata.

According to reports, the death toll is likely to exceed 150, as one badly smashed bogie is yet to be looked into.

The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, when the Mumbai-bound train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations. (ANI)

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Ten killed, 35 injured in Jammu and Kashmir road accident

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir), May 21 (ANI): At least ten people were killed and over 35 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir”s Reasi District on Friday.

The incident took place in Bidda, around 95 kilometers from Jammu.
It has been reported that the bus en route to Reasi town from Mahore slipped off the road and rolled down into a 500-metre-deep gorge.

The injured were immediately rushed to the nearby hospital.

There are further reports that four critically injured have been airlifted to Jammu and the death toll is likely to increase. (ANI)

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28 Taliban, 2 soldiers killed inPak Army’s latest offensive in FATA

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lahore , May 19 (ANI): More than 28 Taliban extremists and two Pakistani soldiers were killed in an ambush in the Orakzai region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Wednesday, officials said.

The encounter took place after over 200 Taliban attacked a security check post in the region, The Nation reports.

The death toll was hard to be verified independently as the media is barred from visiting the war-zone.

The Pakistan military has intensified its operation in FATA killing scores of militants in the last fortnight.

Several army personnel have also been killed in the offensive, which is targeted at flushing out the militants from the region. (ANI)

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Tibetans in-exile pay homage to victims of China earthquake

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), May 19 (ANI): Tibetans in-exile held a candlelight vigil and offered special prayers in Himachal Pradesh”s Dharamsala city for their comrades, who died in the devastating earthquake that hit China on April 14.

They paid homage to the victims in a candlelight procession and finally gathered at the main Buddhist temple, Tsuglagkhang.

Buddhist Monks held prayer sessions for the rebirth of the victims and will continue to offer prayers for seven weeks, in keeping with tradition.

“Today is the fifth week of those who have died on April 14 during the earthquake. So we are showing our solidarity for them. Those who have lost their lives, we are offering prayers for their rebirth,” said Tsering Phungchok, Tibetan settlement officer.

The official death toll climbed to 2,046 people, with 193 still missing in the strong quake that toppled hundreds of homes and schools.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama has appealed to the Chinese Government to allow him to visit China for the first time in 51 years and see the quake zone in Qinghai province, where he was born. (ANI)

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UN renews call for restraint in Thailand’s deadly demonstrations

May 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, May 18 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Monday repeated his call for both sides in Thailand’s deadly street demonstrations to show restraint as the toll rose to at least 36.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said UN mediation is possible only if the Thai government and the demonstrators both agree to seek it, which has not occurred, he said.

Thai demonstrators last week apparently called for UN mediation, which the government in Bangkok rejected.

The UN said that Ban has been in touch with Thai authorities regarding the situation, and he expressed concern about the ongoing crisis and urged restraint, stressing the need for a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

‘Regarding UN mediation, the UN always stands ready to help, however, both sides must be in agreement to the UN’s involvement,’ a UN official said.

Ban said last week that he was concerned by the mounting violence as anti-government Red Shirt demonstrators battled armed troops.

On Monday, demonstrators ignored a deadline to disperse from a central Bangkok protest site following the confirmed death of renegade army Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, 58, who was shot by a sniper last week.

The death toll in the four days of street battles stood at 36, including journalists.

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Five killed in US drone strike in Pak’s Khyber region

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Peshawar, May 16 (ANI): At least five persons were killed and many others injured in a suspected US drone strike in Khyber region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.

While unmanned Predator aircrafts regularly target militant hideouts located in the volatile tribal regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the missile hit, which military and intelligence officials said targeted a house and a truck loaded with extremists, is probably the first such drone attack in the region.

The death toll could not be confirmed independently with some sources saying it could be anywhere between five to fifteen, The Dawn reports.

Although Pakistan publicly opposes the attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty and fuel anti-American sentiments amongst the population, it is believed that it was sharing intelligence with the US about the insurgents and their hide-outs.

More than 850 people have been killed in over 90 such strikes in Pakistan since August 2008, with a surge in the past year as President Barack Obama has put Pakistan at the heart of his fight against Al-Qaeda. (ANI)

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TIMELINE – Twists and turns in Thailand’s crisis

May 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thai troops and anti-government protesters fought on Bangkok’s streets for a third day on Saturday as the death toll rose to 16 dead and at least 141 wounded, turning the capital into a bloody battlefield.

Following is a timeline of the main developments in the current round of crisis that has battered tourism and consumer confidence and left 46 people dead and at least 1,500 wounded.

March 12 – Protesters converge on Bangkok

March 14 – Up to 150,000 protesters hold mass rally at the Phan Fah bridge in Bangkok’s old quarter

March 17 – Protesters splash bottles of their own blood outside prime minister’s home and office as a sign of their “sacrifice for democracy”

March 29 – Two days of televised talks between the government and protest leaders end without agreement. Red shirts vow to continue their fight

April 3 – Protesters seize the Rachaprasong intersection in downtown Bangkok, which is packed with shopping malls and hotels

April 6 – Up to 90,000 red shirts defy government orders by holding a mobile Bangkok rally in pickup trucks and on motorcycles

April 8 – State of emergency declared in Bangkok after red shirts force their way into parliament

April 9 – Protesters lay siege to Thaicom satellite earth station in Pathum Thani, seeking to get a blocked TV channel back on air

April 10 – Troops attempt to break up protest at Phan Fah bridge, 25 people killed and more than 800 wounded in the country’s worst clashes in 18 years

April 14 – Red shirts consolidate protests into one site at Rachaprasong

April 16 – Four red shirt leaders escape, one by scaling down a building wall on a cable, after police commandoes try to raid their hotel but are overwhelmed by protesters

April 22 – One woman is killed and more than 70 civilians injured when five M-79 grenades are launched near pro-government demonstrators in Bangkok’s Silom Road business district

April 28 – A soldier is killed and about 20 protesters wounded when clashes erupt after security forces try to block a mobile rally on a highway in Bangkok’s outskirts

May 3 – Abhisit announces a five-point reconciliation road map, culminating in a Nov 14 election

May 4 – Red shirts respond, saying they accept Abhisit’s offer, but object to election date

May 7 – Gun and grenade attacks in the heavily guarded Silom area kill two police and wound 13, among them 10 police officers

May 11 – Red shirt leaders announce they agree to Abhisit’s peace plan but make several demands that the government rejects

May 12 – Abhisit tells red shirts the deal is off and cancels plans for Nov. 14 election, giving demonstrators until midnight to end their protest or face eviction by force

May 13 – A rogue Thai general leading a militant wing of the red shirts is shot in the head and critically wounded and a man is killed when the army used force to blockade the street rally.

May 14 – Troops and protesters clash at multiple locations across Bangkok’s commercial heart, where grenades and gunshots are heard throughout the day and night.

May 15 – Clashes spread to other areas as troops struggle to isolate the protest encampment. The death toll rises to 16 with 141 wounded.

(Compiled by Martin Petty; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

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