Tag Archives: Blast

Eight Dead In Blast In Southeastern Turkey

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Eight people have been killed and dozens wounded in a huge explosion in central Diyarbakir, a city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, the country’s prime minister said.

Binali Yildirim said two police officers and six civilians were killed in Friday morning’s blast.

Yildirim said seven of the wounded are still being treated, adding that the others were discharged from hospitals.

The Diyarbakir governor’s office said that a car bomb went off at about 8am local time (5:00 GMT), adding that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had claimed responsibility.

Al Jazeera’s Kadir Konuksever, reporting from Diyarbakir, said that an annex to the police headquarters had been targeted.

“Four other civilian buildings are heavily damaged,” he said, adding that at least 30 people were wounded in the incident and there were fears the number of casualties could increase.

Media reports said the explosion could be heard from several parts of the city and caused damage to nearby buildings.

The explosion happened hours after police arrested 11 MPs from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party.

The government has stepped up a military campaign in the troubled southeast to eradicate PKK fighters, who have launched almost daily attacks since the rupture of a fragile ceasefire last year.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984, with the aim of carving out an independent state for Turkey’s Kurdish minority.

Credit: aljazeera

At Least 20 Killed In Pakistan Hospital Blast

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At least 20 people were killed and dozens more wounded after a blast at a major hospital in the Pakistani city of Quetta, an AFP reporter and officials said, with fears the toll could rise.

Graphic video footage from the scene showed bodies strewn on the ground, some still smoking, among pools of blood and shattered glass as shocked survivors cried and comforted one another.

A large burn mark against white brick appeared to indicate where the explosion occurred.

The blast came after mourners including journalists and lawyers gathered at the hospital following the fatal shooting of a senior local lawyer, officials said. Many of the dead appeared to be wearing black suits and ties.

“More than 20 people have been killed, including two cameramen in the blast,” said Daud Khilji, a senior administration official in Quetta.

The figure was confirmed by an AFP reporter on the scene and senior police official Akbar Raisani, who said at least 40 others had been wounded.

“A number of lawyers and some journalists had gathered at the hospital following the death of the president of the Balochistan Bar Association in a separate shooting incident early this morning,” Akbar Harifal, the home secretary of restive Balochistan province where the explosion occurred, told AFP.

The lawyer, Bilal Anwar Kasi, was targeted by two unknown gunmen as he left his home in the morning for work.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for either attack.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has oil and gas resources but is afflicted by Islamist militancy, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and a separatist insurgency.

Credit: Guardian

Bomber On Motorbike Hits Government Office In Pakistan

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At least 22 people have been killed and dozen others wounded in a suicide attack outside a government office in Pakistan. The attack happened today at an office of the National Database and Registration Authority in the town of Mardan, in the country’s northwest.

“A suicide bomber riding an explosives-laden motorcycle hit the Nadra office in Mardan where a large number of people were standing in queues,” police officer Naeem Khan told Reuters.

Jamat Ul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility, saying the office was a legitimate target as it was a part of the “heathen Pakistan state”.

“God willing, we will target all Pakistani organisations that are either directly or indirectly a part of this war,” Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the group, said in a statement.

Pakistan has been battling armed groups since 2004, in a conflict that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians and security forces personnel.

PDP Governors Blast Buhari

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People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Governor’s Forum, on Tuesday, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, blasted the All Progressive Congress, APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that the nation was sliding into dictatorship under his leadership.

The governor’s who spoke against the backdrop of the recent alleged invasion of Akwa Ibom State Government House by agents of the Department of State Security, DSS, condemned in strong terms, the alleged action, calling on human right groups and the international community to call the APC government to order.

Arising from a two hours meeting of the forum held in the inner chamber of the Bayelsa State Governor’s chambers, the PDP governors led by their chairman and Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Olusegun Mimiko, said the invasion was against the spirit, ethos, values and fundamental tenets of democratic norms and tradition, more so with the existence of a duly elected and sworn in governor of the state.

Read More: nationalmirroronline

Babangida Blasts Jonathan

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Former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan and those promoting his re-election bid. He accused them of undermining the military institution by embarking on mudslinging campaigns against former presidents and leaders of military background.

Babangida, who was reacting to a one- hour documentary sponsored by supporters of President Jonathan, said Jonathan’s campaign handlers were out to demonize and stigmatize former military leaders and cast aspersions on them in order to malign their reputation.

He stated that the message aired by the documentary, which was aired by Silverbird Television on Tuesday night, was undermining the sterling contributions past generals such as Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and T.Y Danjuma had made for the nation.

Read More: Vanguard

Seun Kuti Blasts Obasanjo After Dumping PDP

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Seun Kuti has reacted to the news of Olusegun Obasanjo dumping the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),by lambasting the former head of state. He reacted on his Facebook page by saying that Obasanjo has failed to take responsibility for killing his grandmother and other of his crimes.

“Baba obasanjo has blamed everyone else for this bad government except himself. You were no different and this is just an escalation of your tactics. Na so u burn my father house, kill my grandmother and blamed unknown soldiers.

“ Hian. Oga take responsibility sometimes too. Not only are we on the wrong journey we got lost there too and are on the wrong path. We are lost in a wrong journey and Obasanjo is the navigation officer,” he wrote on Facebook.

Credit: News24

“Pastors After Their Pockets”, Bakare Blast CAN & PFN for Endorsing GEJ at the Expense of Osinbajo

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Pastor Tunde Bakare has lambasted the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) for endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan for the February 14 presidential election.

He is angry with them for supporting Jonathan at the expense of one of their own, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the running mate to the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

In a sermon on Sunday, he said he was disappointed that the Christian leaders have decided to support Jonathan at the expense of Osinbanjo. He noted that some of the Christian leaders were only after their pockets, which was why they have queued behind Jonathan and rejected one of their own.