Suicide bomber kills 5, wounds 12 in IraqMarch 4, 2013 - 18:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A suicide bomber in a car killed at least five policemen and wounded 12 people, including civilians, on Monday, March 4, in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, police and medics said, according to Reuters. It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack but suicide bombings are the hallmark of al Qaeda's local wing, the Islamic State of Iraq, which aims to take back ground lost to the Iraqi security forces. The bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives up to a federal police headquarters in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, and detonated it. In separate incidents, two soldiers and three policemen were wounded when two roadside bombs exploded in eastern Mosul. Mosul is a stronghold of the Islamic State of Iraq and the rate of attacks on security forces deployed there has increased significantly since the beginning of the year. The violence is stoking fears of a return to intercommunal strife following the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 2011. Sunni Muslims across Iraq have staged more than two months of protests against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government over what they say is the marginalization of their minority sect and the misuse of terrorism laws to target Sunnis. The conflict in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite backed by Shi'ite Iran, is also whipping up sectarian tensions in Iraq and across the wider region. 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. |