Al-Qaida linked militants behind American teacher's killing in Yemen

Ansar al-Sharia claims the killing was in response to west's campaign of Christian proselytising
.uk, Sunday 18 March 2012 23.38 GMT

An al-Qaida linked militant group has claimed responsibility for the killing an American teacher in city of Taiz in Yemen on Sunday. Joel Shrun, 29, was shot dead by a gunman on motorbike, driven by an accomplice.

Shrun was an English language teacher and deputy director of Swedish Institute, a language school. Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), a militant group which police believe is affiliated to al-Qaida, claimed he was targeted because of his Christian "proselytising".

A text message sent to journalists read: "This operation comes as a response to the campaign of Christian proselytising that the west has launched against Muslims." The message called Shrun "one of the biggest American proselytisers". Islamist militants have often accused western aid groups of covert religious missionary work.

The US state department condemned the killing. A spokesman said the US would continue to work with the Yemeni authorities to bring the killers to justice.

Later, in a separate incident, unidentified gunmen clashed with security forces in the southern city of Aden. Two passersby, a man and a woman, were killed and several were wounded.

Officials announced government forces had killed a dozen militants in clashes and attacks on their strongholds. On Saturday, 14 militants were killed in artillery attacks and fighting in Bagdar and Jaar, north of Zinjibar. Earlier in the month, militants had killed more than 110 soldiers in twin suicide attacks and a raid on their outposts, capturing 70 soldiers.

The incidents underscore the challenges facing President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who took office last month after a year of bloody protests against his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Yemen has seen an escalation violence since Hadi took office in February vowing to fight the Islamist networks, which exploited months of protests against Saleh's 33 years in office to seize swathes of territory.
Source http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/18/al-qaida-american-teacher-killing-yemen

Iraqi al Qaeda says behind Baghdad police attack

BAGHDAD | Sun Mar 18, 2012
(Reuters) - Al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb attack against police officers and cadets that killed 19 people in Baghdad on February 19, a group that monitors online communication among insurgents said.

The car exploded as it careered into a crowd of cadets who had just been escorted out of a police academy in central Baghdad and were standing in the street.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group said the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an umbrella group for al Qaeda-linked Sunni insurgents, claimed responsibility for the incident in a statement posted on Islamist websites on Friday.

"The lion of Islam Sheikh Abu Ghassan al-Ansari penetrated the gates of the academy with his explosives-laden vehicle ... and detonated his vehicle," ISI was quoted by SITE as saying.

SITE said the group also listed 29 operations carried out around Baghdad between February 13-29, which targeted Iraqi forces and officials.

ISI said on Thursday it was behind attacks in western Iraq on March 5 that killed 27 members of the security forces.

Bombings and killings occur daily in Iraq, which is still plagued by a lethal Sunni insurgency and Shi'ite militias, although overall violence has decreased since the height of sectarian fighting in 2006-07.
Source http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/18/us-iraq-qaeda-idUSBRE82H03Q20120318?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Somalia: Grenade Attack Hits Somali Soldiers in Mogadishu

18 MARCH 2012
Muqdisho — According to local residents in Mogadishu's Dharkenlay district, unidentified Somali men hurled a hand grenade attack at TFG military base in Suuq-Bocle village.

It is unclear yet whether there has been a casualty in the attack against Somali soldiers, but the district commissioner of Dharkenlay district for TFG Mo'allin Abdulle Ali Hilowle, said in an interview with Shabelle Media by phone that the security forces are now investigating the incident and will comment it later.

He stated that the forces have detained two people in connection with the overnight bomb attack in Mogadishu.

No group has so far said it carried out the attack, but the district has seen string of deadly night offensives by Al-shabab militants linked with Al-Qaeda who target Somali and AMISOM forces in the remote villges of Dharkenlay district of Banadir region.
Source http://allafrica.com/stories/201203180110.html

* Grenade blast injures five children in Northern Sri Lanka

Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 10:48 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 18, Kilinochchi: An accidental grenade blast has injured five children Sunday at Selvanagar in Kilinochchi of Sri Lanka's Northern Province, military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said.

The children were playing with the hand grenade in a playground when it accidently exploded, the spokesman said.

The victims have been admitted to the Kilinochchi hospital, and their conditions are reportedly stable.

According to the police, the initial investigations suspect that the object could be an unexploded device used by the LTTE when the area was under their occupation.

The police are conducting further investigations with the assistance of the armed forces.
Source http://www.colombopage.com/archive_12/Mar18_1332047903CH.php

Gangsters who left hand grenade outside Dalglish's home jailed for life

London, Mar 17 (ANI): A group of gangsters who left a hand grenade in the bushes outside Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's home, have been jailed for life.

The gang of five, led by Kirk Bradley and Anthony 'Fat Tony' Downes, both 26, was responsible for numerous shootings across Liverpool, England, a kidnapping in which they shot their victim and dumped him in woods and a string of bungled assassination attempts.

But their weapon of choice was more often the hand grenade whether they were carrying out their own violent vendettas against rival crooks, or doing the dirty work for unscrupulous kingpins within Liverpool's criminal underworld.

They were both jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years after being convicted in their absence of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to cause damage with intent to endanger life, The Daily Mail reports.

Three others admitted possessing firearms and causing criminal damage with intent to endanger life and were jailed for life.

Gary Wilson, 27, was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years, Joseph Farrell, 23, will serve a minimum of 12 years and Craig Riley, 25, will serve a minimum of 14 years.

According to the report, the group left a grenade on Dalglish's front wall in July 2009, when he was not Liverpool's manager, but it was not intended for him.

It was believed to be intended for wealthy businessman John Ball and a neighbour of Dalglish. (ANI)
Source http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/03/17/276212-Gangsters-who-left-hand-grenade-outside-Dalglish-s-home-jailed-for-life.html

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister's son indicted for grenade attack

Press Trust of India, Updated: March 18, 2012 18:45 IST
Dhaka: Former Prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia's 'fugitive' elder son and 29 others were today indicted by a special Bangladeshi tribunal over a 2004 grenade attack on current premier Sheikh Hasina's rally that killed 24 people and injured her.

"Charges were framed as the allegations against them were proved primarily," judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 pronounced, also indicting ex-junior minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar besides Zia's son -- Tarique Rahman -- and 28 others, formally launching the trial of the case.

The judge set March 28 for hearing the witnesses' testimony as several senior police and army intelligence officials were also found involved in the attack, said to be
carried out by banned militant outfit Harkatul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) operatives.

The charges carry death penalty. Awami League chief, Hasina, had narrowly escaped the attack that crippled 200 party supporters while the dead included party's women front chief and President Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman.

However, Hasina suffered injuries to one of her ears causing permanent disability. She even undertook treatment for the same abroad.

Tarique, also the senior vice president of Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was accused of masterminding the attack along with several party stalwarts and leaders of their fundamentalist ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

Under the court order, Tarique and 19 others are being tried in absentia as they "failed" to appear.

They have been declared as "absconding". Tarique is also an accused in several other criminal and graft cases pending for trial but is now in London on an earlier granted government parole for treatment since 2008 though the parole was subsequently scrapped.
Source http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/former-bangladesh-prime-ministers-son-indicted-for-grenade-attack-187312