Terrorism Watch

26 Feb 2010 Officials say at least 17 people have died in a series of explosions and gunfire in the Afghan capital, Kabul. A suicide bomber detonated explosives near Kabul's main shopping centre. Several smaller blasts followed and two other attackers were shot dead. A spokesman for the Taliban said they carried out the attacks. Two policemen are reported to be among the dead. The violence comes as Nato and Afghan forces continue Operation Moshtarak to tackle the Taliban in Helmand province. Eyewitness Dr Mohammad Azizi describes being woken by the blast

Source: Telegraph At least ten people have been killed in a coordinated Taliban suicide attack on hotels used by foreigners in the affluent centre of Kabul. By Ben Farmer in Mazar-i-Sharif Published: 6:30AM GMT 26 Feb 2010 Source: BBC news Officials say at least 17 people have died in a series of explosions and gunfire in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Source: Timesonline (AFP/Massoud Hossaini) The site of the suicide bomb attack in Kabul Jerome Starkey in Kabul    A series of suicide blasts in central Kabul today killed at least 17 people and injured more than 30. A car bomb exploded on the edge of a large park just after 6.30am, destroying a single storey guesthouse popular with Indian contractors. Eyewitnesses said the streets were deserted as most people were still asleep on the start of the Afghan weekend, which is also part of a religious holiday. Moments later witnesses said there was a second explosion followed by

Source: BBC News PLO second in command Khalil al-Wazir (left) was assassinated by Israeli commandos in Tunisia By Heather Sharp  BBC News, Jerusalem The Islamic movement Hamas claims that the death of one its senior commanders, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, is the latest in Israel's history of assassinating individuals it believes to have been behind attacks on its citizens. Israel's general policy is to neither confirm nor deny allegations about the activities of its intelligence agents but it is notable that many of its enemies meet suspicious and violent deaths. "We are witnessing an intense intelligence struggle, most of it is covert, some of it overt," said Ronen Bergman, author of By Any Means Necessary, and other books and articles on Israel's covert operations.   In some cases Israel has decided to close the circle and take revenge on people who were behind symbolic acts of terrorism   Ronen Bergman Investigative journalist Among the best documented of Isr

Source: BBC NEWS Mr Rigi is said to be behind a series of deadly bombings in south-east Iran Iranian state television has broadcast a statement by a captured Sunni rebel leader in which he alleges he had American support. It is not possible to say whether the man, Abdolmalek Rigi, made the statement freely or under coercion. The US has denied having links with the group, Jundullah. In the tape, Mr Rigi alleged the US had promised to provide his group with military equipment and a base in Afghanistan, near the Iranian border. He says he was on his way to a meeting with a "high-ranking person" at the Manas US military base in Kyrgyzstan when he was captured. Jundullah has launched several deadly attacks in recent years in the south-east of Iran in protest over the discrimination of Sunni minorities in Iran. The attacks include the killing of six senior commanders of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard in October. 'American promises' The taped statement was aired o

Source: BBC NEWS The blast happened near a shopping centre in Kabul Two explosions and the sound of gunfire have been heard in the centre of the Afghan capital, Kabul, reports say. The cause is not yet known, but reports point to at least one major blast. Kabul has been the target of infrequent but often extremely deadly insurgent attacks, but has been relatively quiet for the past month. On 18 January, Taliban bombers and gunmen attacked government targets and shopping malls in the centre of the city, killing 11 people. The BBC's Martin Patience, in Kabul, says the blast happened at 0630 local time (0200 GMT) close to a large shopping centre. It is not known if there are casualties. Kabul police official Abdul Ghafor Sayedzada said the two explosions had happened near the nine-storey Kabul City Center shopping area, close to the Safi Landmark Hotel, the Associated Press reported. A building in front of the hotel had caught fire, he said. Although the shopping centre is in the

Source: Washington post BAMAKO, Mali -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has met with a French aid worker in Mali who was released by al-Qaida's North Africa offshoot this week after nearly three months in captivity. Sarkozy met with Pierre Camatte for a few hours late Wednesday and told journalists at the presidential palace that he made the trip while on a short Africa tour to thank Mali's president for his work helping to free Camatte. Sarkozy said France will stand by Mali's side as it fights the militant group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb which abducted Camatte on Nov. 25. Camatte, who ran a small organization fighting malaria in Mali, was freed Tuesday after a local court ordered four suspected members of the militant group released from jail. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Source : Honolulu The faux pirate ship's stern can be seen from the adjacent boat launch area lot, which is actually also private property. The ship will sail as the Black Pearl in filming this summer. It appeared in the distance one day last week like a dark and menacing apparition from the sea. The pirate ship Black Pearl, clearly visible from as far away as the Ko Olina Resort and beyond, has since become a magnet for movie fans, who now flock to a boat launch parking lot next to The Phoenician boat repair facility in Kalaeloa. There, the celebrity vessel is getting a makeover for its next cinematic appearance. The ship has had a leading role in the phenomenally successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, starring Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, perhaps the most charming buccaneer to ever fly the skull and crossbones. On weekends and early evenings after folks get off work, the gawker migration has been continuou

Source: Etaiwannews TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Two crew members died when Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese fishing trawler Win Far No.161, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. The two were an Indonesian and a Chinese national, but the precise time and circumstances of their deaths were not clear, MOFA said. Somali pirates hijacked the 700-ton tuna fishing trawler near the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean last April. After seven months of negotiations, they released the vessel earlier this month, and a ship from China’s Navy escorted it out of the area, reports said. At the time the vessel was freed, MOFA said that all crew members were safe. At the news conference Thursday, officials said the only line of communication went between the captain and the owner of the ship, leading to problems and to unclear exchanges of information. MOFA trusted the information it received from the owner because there were no other channels available to verify the situation, officials said. T

Source: Capitalfm NAIROBI, Feb 25 - Somali pirates have hijacked a small cargo ship with a crew of nine Indians, an NGO monitoring maritime activity in the region said Thursday. Ecoterra International said in a statement that the 40-metre ship, the Abdul Razak, was taken earlier this week before heading into the Gulf of Aden, on its way from Kandala, India, to Dubai. "No information concerning the condition of the crew was immediately available," Ecoterra said. "Reportedly a gang from Garacad, a notorious pirate den at the Indian Ocean coast of northeastern Somalia, is now commandeering M.S.V. Abdul Razak," the organisation said. Somali pirates, targeting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, raked in an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms last year. They still hold at least nine vessels and close to 200 seafarers. Full-screen Nairobi, Kenya Country code: KE Map data ©2010 Europa Technologies - Terms of