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At least 8 killed in car blast in Somali capital

At least 8 killed in car blast in Somali capital

At least eight people were confirmed dead and 17 injured in a suicide car bombing here early Thursday…reports Asian Lite News

A police officer at the scene told Xinhua that the death toll could rise after a suicide bomber targeted a convoy escorting foreign security forces near a local school in the Hodan district in Mogadishu.

At least 8 killed in car blast in Somali capital

“At least eight were killed and 17 others injured in the blast. The blast occurred in front of Muasir school and children are among the casualties,” the police officer, who declined to be named, said on the phone.

The police said the target was a convoy belonging to a security firm that guards the UN personnel who were reportedly travelling from Gordon training camp to Halane base camp.

Al-Shabab militants have claimed responsibility for the latest attack in the restive city, Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: Somalian security arrests 12 al-Shabab terrorists

The Somali National Army backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia drove al-Shabab out of Mogadishu in 2011, but the terror group is still capable of conducting attacks, targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places.

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Africa News News World

Six people killed in twin bomb blasts in Ugandan capital

Six people killed in twin bomb blasts in Ugandan capital

Six people including three suicide bombers were killed and 33 others injured in twin bomb blasts in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday, police said…reports Asian Lite News

Fred Enanga, police spokesperson told reporters that three suicide bombers detonated themselves at a checkpoint at the Central Police Station and on the parliamentary avenue, Xinhua news agency reported.

Enanga said the injured were rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital while counter-terrorism response teams managed to pursue a fourth suicide bomb attacker.

Six people killed in twin bomb blasts in Ugandan capital

“They shot and injured him, and immediately after, recovered an unexploded improvised explosive device, at Nansana-Katooke, at his home, which the bomb squad were going to neutralize. We are now pursuing other members of the terror groups,” Enanga said.

He said today’s attacks show that there is still need to pre-empt, penetrate and prevent deadly attacks by domestic extremists in the days to come.

“For now, the bomb threats are still active, and cannot be solved in one go, which calls for the popular intelligence and vigilance of the community,” he said.

Enanga said the blasts bear the hallmarks of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an affiliate of the Islamic State in central Africa.

“It clearly shows that the ADF linked radicalized groups, still have a desire to carry out lethal attacks, on soft targets, with suicide attackers and improvised explosive devices (IED),” Enanga said.

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“These kinds of threats remain significant because IEDs and suicide bomb jackets can easily be built from common houseold items found in local markets, retail shops, and supermarkets,” the police spokesperson added.

The latest attacks came about three weeks after two separate blasts, blamed on the ADF, killed two people and injured several others in central Uganda.

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-Top News Asia News China

Deadly car bombing at Pak hotel hosting Chinese ambassador

China’s ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was staying at the hotel, but was not there when the bomb exploded…reports Asian Lite News

Four people were killed and over a dozen others injured when an explosive-laden vehicle exploded inside the parking lot of a hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Pakistan’s Quetta city.

China’s ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was staying at the hotel, but was not there when the bomb exploded, said Pakistan’s interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad.

The Pakistan Taliban later claimed responsibility for the bombing which they said was a suicide attack.

Chinese ambassador Nong Rong had earlier in the day met provincial chief minister Jam Kamal Khan in the city, according to a tweet from the provincial government spokesman, Liaquat Shahwani.

There was a threat alert in Quetta and other major cities after some suspicious calls were intercepted, and security was on high alert including cities in Balochistan, Rasheed told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday night.

He said that despite the security measures, the vehicle carrying explosives managed to enter the parking lot from the main gate of the Serena hotel, which is a matter of big concern and the responsible people will be taken to task for creating security lapse which gave terrorists a chance to carry out the attack.

Terror group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility in a text message to journalists saying a suicide bomber launched the attack targeting locals and foreigners, but the claim has not yet been officially confirmed.

Also read:Pakistan suspends travel from India

The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital whose spokesman Waseem Baig told Xinhua that two of the injured people are in critical condition and a state of emergency has been declared at the hospital by the provincial government.

Soon after the blast, the hotel’s parking area located in its premises was sealed by the counter terrorism department of police who also restricted media to access the site for reporting, Inspector General Police of Balochistan Muhammad Tahir Rai said.

Nong Rong Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan(Twitter)

According to initial investigation, some 40 kg of explosives were used in the attack.

Fire erupted in several vehicles following the blast, badly destroying five to seven of them, he added.

Talking to Xinhua, intelligence sources, who were close to the hotel when the incident happened, said that the loud blast was heard many miles away from the blast site and fire erupted in the hotel’s parking following the explosion.

Security has been beefed up in other cities including Islamabad following the blast and all sensitive government buildings and installations are being guarded, according to local reports.

Also read:UAE extends $2 bn loan to Pakistan

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-Top News Asia News Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka on alert ahead of anniversary of Easter bombings

The Easter terror attack by suicide bombers in April 2019 was one of the worst violent incidents recorded in Sri Lanka’s history….reports Asian Lite News

Sri Lankan police on Monday said security has been beefed up in all churches across the island nation ahead of the the second anniversary of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed over 250 people and injured at least 500 others.

Police spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said authorities were informed that various religious masses, activities, and events were being planned to commemorate the victims , and as a result additional security personnel have been deployed in all churches islandwide, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The Police Headquarters has issued a special message to the officers-in-charge (OICs) of police stations and senior officers of territorial divisions including Senior DIGs, DIGs, SSPs and SPs to monitor the situation,” Rohana said.

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“We have informed all stations to provide maximum security in respect of events,” he added.

The Easter terror attack by suicide bombers in April 2019 was one of the worst violent incidents recorded in Sri Lanka’s history.

Sri Lankan authorities have said probe into the blasts is still continuing and that they have identified and taken into custody masterminds behind the violence.

On April 21, 2019, three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo and the hotels — Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Tropical Inn — in the capital city were targeted in the series of coordinated suicide bombings.

Sri Lankan authorities attributed the attacks to little-known local Islamist extremist groups, National Thowheeth Jama’ath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim.

However, the Islamic State terror group claimed the attacks.

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