6 killed in Iraq bombingsMay 22, 2012 - 16:50 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Bombings in the centre of the ethnically-mixed city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killed six people including four children on Tuesday, May 22 an army officer and a doctor said, according to AFP. The attacks struck the homes of a Sunni anti-Qaeda militiaman and a formerly internally-displaced Shiite family, both of which are in a neighbourhood that was an insurgent stronghold during the worst of Iraq's sectarian bloodshed. In the first bombing, militants detonated explosives at the home of Arkan Mohammed, a fighter in the Sahwa, Sunni tribal militias that sided with US forces against Al-Qaeda from late 2006, helping turn the tide of Iraq's insurgency. Mohammed's wife and two of his sons, aged 10 and 13, were killed in the bombing, according to an Iraqi army lieutenant colonel and Doctor Ahmed Ibrahim of Baquba hospital. The fighter and another of his children were wounded. Around 15 minutes later, a bomb went off at the home of a Shiite Muslim family who had been displaced from the Gatoun neighbourhood but recently returned, the lieutenant colonel said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The mother and two children died, while the father Mehdi al-Timimi and two other children were wounded, the officer and Ibrahim said. During the peak of Iraq's confessional violence in 2006 and 2007, Gatoun was a stronghold of Al-Qaeda fighters, but levels of unrest have significantly declined since. Attacks remain common, however, particularly in Baquba, and 126 Iraqis died as a result of violence in April, according to official figures. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |