Iraqi forces end gunmen’s siege, 45 killed in attack

BAGHDAD: The death toll from an attack on the Iraqi provincial council headquarters in Tikrit rose to 45 on Tuesday and Iraqi security forces ended a siege by gunmen in the building, a health official said.

Jasim al-Dulaimi, head of the health operations centre in Salahuddin province, said three provincial council members and seven insurgents were among the dead.

Lahore: 13 killed in Urdu Bazaar suicide blast

At least 13 persons have been killed and 52 injured as a suicide bomber blew himself up at Urdu Bazaar Lahore on Tuesday evening at a time when a large number of people were gathered at Karbala Gamay Shah and Data Darbaar to observe Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) and Urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (R.A).

According to details, police stopped a suspected person for checking but he threw his bag due to which the blast was occurred at Urdu Bazaar chowk. Head of the suicide bomber has been found.

According to our correspondent, 3 policemen are also among the dead. Rescue teams immediately reached the spot and started relief activities. The injured were shifted to Meo Hospital Lahore where emergency was imposed after the blast. Situation of most of the injured is stated to be critical. Cars and motorcycles were also damaged in the blast. Panic and fear prevailed among the people gathered at Data Darbaar. Police cordoned off the area and asked the people to clear the area to avoid any other untoward incident.

CCPO Lahore Aslam Tareen while talking to trendpk.com has confirmed that it was a suicide blast and the blast was occurred during checking of a suspected bomber.

Arizona Shooting Targets US Congresswoman, kills 6

PHOENIX: A US congresswoman was in critical condition after being shot in the head Saturday by a gunman who opened fire in Tucson, Arizona, killing six people including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl.

President Barack Obama called the attack at a public meeting a “tragedy for our entire country” while local senator John McCain called the shooter — reportedly a white male in his early 20s — a “disgrace to Arizona.”

Initial media reports had suggested that Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords had died following the shooting outside a Safeway grocery store.

But the hospital where she was treated said later they were hopeful she will recover despite being shot in the brain, although US federal judge John Roll was among the dead, according to Obama.

“She is in critical condition. They have finished operating on her and at the time period, I’m optimistic about recovery,” said University Medical Center trauma chief Peter Rhee.

“We cannot tell what kind of recovery, but I’m about as optimistic as you can get,” he added.

Giffords was hosting a “Congress on Your Corner” event with constituents at when the gunman attacked, killing six and wounding 12, according to police spokesman Rick Kastigar, while Obama said at least five had died.

Witnesses said the lawmaker was hit at point-blank range in the shooting, for which no motive was immediately known.

National Public Radio said the suspect ran off and was tackled by a bystander before being taken into custody, and that witnesses described him as being in his late teens or early 20s.

Peshawar: Two children among 3 killed in roadside explosion

At least three people including two children got killed while several others injured in a landmine explosion that hit a school bus at Charkhana Road, Bahana Mari at Peshawar, trendpk.com reported on Monday.

According to Bomb Disposal Squad, 5 to 6 kilograms explosives were used in the attack.

The school bus driver was also among the dead. Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area while the rescue teams rushed the site.

The injured are being shifted to Lady Reading Hospital. A suspicious person has been nabbed from the blast site.

Senior Minister of KP Bashir Bilour confirmed the death toll. Bilour, while talking to mediamen, said that the evil designs of the terrorists could not demoralize the nation. God Willing the Yazidis (terrorists) would face the consequences of their evil acts, the minister asserted.

Violence claims five lives in Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Five people, including a woman, were killed in three separate acts of violence in Karachi on Friday.

According to reports, three people were shot and killed in Jahanabad area of Lyari Town early Friday morning by unidentified assailants. A woman was also among the dead.

Police claimed that the attack was a result of the ongoing tiff between Lyari-based gangs.

Police shifted the dead bodies to Civil Hospital and launched an inquiry.

In another incident, unknown gunmen killed a young man in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His identity is not yet known.

Another firing incident took place in Liaquatabad, where an unidentified man was gunned down near Sindhi Hotel. Trend Pk

NATO says 15 insurgents killed in Afghan south

KABUL: NATO said Monday that at least 15 Taliban militants were killed in southern Afghanistan in clashes and an air strike.

Troops raided a compound in Baghran district of Helmand province looking for a senior Taliban commander allegedly overseeing and guiding all Taliban military actions in the province.

In clashes at the property, Afghan and NATO troops killed four insurgents, said the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), although there was no immediate confirmation that the commander was among the dead.

The military said soldiers destroyed the compound after discovering a bomb-making factory and that the property had been booby-trapped with bombs.

ISAF said an air strike then killed 11 militants who attacked ground troops as they were preparing the leave the area.

The deputy head of Helmand provincial council, Haji Fazel Barry,

BP to publish oil spill report: company

LONDON: BP has announced it will publish an eagerly awaited report on the causes of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Wednesday.

The probe by the oil giant’s head of safety and operations, Mark Bly, is viewed as key to how BP defends itself against legal proceedings involving the spill, which followed an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in April.

“The Deepwater Horizon accident investigation report prepared by BP’s internal investigation team on the causes of the Gulf of Mexico tragedy is expected to be published” at noon (1100 GMT), BP said Tuesday.

A White House spokesman said he was not aware of anyone in the administration having seen an advance copy of the report.

“We’ll certainly look through the report… and may have some comment on it,” said spokesman Robert Gibbs.

The explosion on April 20 killed 11 workers and caused the

Bombs targeting Iraqi police kill 3 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: A car bomb and a roadside bomb exploded near a bus terminal in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding a score of others, police and Interior Ministry sources said.

The car bomb exploded near a garage at the terminal in the Bayaa district of southwestern Baghdad, followed by the detonation of a roadside bomb after people gathered at the scene, the sources said.

The bombs appeared to target a police patrol, the sources said, and Iraqi police and soldiers were among the dead and wounded.

The Interior Ministry source put the toll at three killed and 20 wounded. The police source said the blasts killed three and wounded 23. AGENCIES

NAB arrests Nawaz’s close relative on corruption charges

Staff Report

LAHORE: The National Accountability Court (NAB) on Wednesday arrested senior PML-N leader Suhail Zia Butt from Lahore.

Butt is a close relative of PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Sources privy to NAB said that Butt charged of taking loans worth millions of rupees from the National Finance Corporation (NFC) on bogus documents in 1990.

According to sources, the three other accused in this case include Chaudhry Tajammul Hussain, the deceased uncle of PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Nayyar and Chaudhry Abdul Majid.

Suhail Zia Butt was also sentenced to three-years of imprisonment in absentia by a NAB court. He is the father of PML-N MNA Umar Suhail Butt.

The NAB team arrested Butt from a flood relief camp in Model Town and shifted him to Chamba House. SAMAA

Stones thrown at Youm-e-Ali procession in Multan

Staff Report

MULTAN: Unknown people on Wednesday pelted stones at participants of the main Youm-e-Ali procession in Multan.

The incident took place at Chowk Bazaar area when Allama Zaheer Abbas was addressing the mourners.

Bricks and stones were thrown from top of the houses at Chowk Bazaar, injuring one person. SAMAA

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