Bombs kill 52 in Iraq; militants enter university
BAGHDAD – A series of car bombs exploded across Iraq’s capital Saturday night, killing at least 52 people in a day of violence that saw militants storm a university in the country’s restive Anbar province and take dozens hostage, authorities said.
The attacks in Baghdad largely focused on Shiite neighborhoods, underscoring the sectarian violence now striking at Iraq years after a similar wave nearly tore the country apart after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Now with U.S. troops gone, Iraq finds itself fighting on fronts across the country, as separate clashes in a northern city killed 21 police officers and 38 militants, officials said.
The first Baghdad attack took place Saturday night in the capital’s western Baiyaa district, killing nine people and wounding 22, police said. Later on, seven car bombs in different parts of Baghdad killed at least 41 people and wounded 62, police said. A roadside bomb in western Baghdad also killed two people and wounded six, police said. All the attacks happened in a one-hour period and largely targeted commercial streets in Shiite neighborhoods, authorities said.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures.
Afghan flooding kills 50, officials report
KABUL, Afghanistan – Flooding in a remote part of northern Afghanistan has killed more than 50 people and forced thousands to flee their homes, officials said Saturday.
It was the latest in a string of deadly flash floods, landslides and avalanches in Afghanistan’s rugged northern mountains, where roads are poor and many villages are virtually cut off from the rest of the country.
Lt. Fazel Rahman, the police chief in the Guzirga i-Nur district of the northeastern Baghlan province, said 54 bodies have been recovered, including the remains of women and children, but many others are still missing. He said the death toll could climb to 100 and called for emergency assistance from the central government.
An exact death toll remained unclear. A statement from President Hamid Karzai’s office said 58 people had been killed, while others put the toll higher.
Armed attack kills 34 in eastern Congo
KINSHASA, Congo – Armed fighters attacked a town in eastern Congo late at night, massacring at least 34 people including women and children who were at a local church, officials said Saturday.
Provincial interior minister Jean Julien Miruho said that the violence in Mutarule late Friday also left at least 27 others wounded.
Miruho said the identity of the assailants was unknown, though he believed the violence stemmed from livestock disputes in the area, about 40 miles from Bukavu.
“We cannot say exactly who these attackers were, but we will put together a commission of inquiry that will go to the site (today),” Miruho told The Associated Press. “It is clear that this attack was linked to the theft of cattle.”
South African president in hospital for tests
JOHANNESBURG – South African President Jacob Zuma was admitted to a hospital for tests Saturday, and doctors are satisfied with his condition, his office said.
The announcement came two weeks after Zuma was inaugurated for a second five-year term after the election victory last month of the ruling African National Congress party.
“Yesterday, President Zuma was advised to rest following a demanding election and transition program to the new administration,” his office said in a statement. .
In a separate statement on Friday, Zuma’s office said the president would take a few days off from public engagements while continuing to perform official duties from home.
Israeli exits presidential race over graft probe
JERUSALEM – A senior Israeli politician Saturday dropped out of the country’s presidential election days before the vote over a graft probe.
Labor party candidate Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former general and seasoned politician, had been questioned by police about illegally accepting funds. He said he was a victim of a smear campaign, noting the allegations against him surfaced ahead of the election.
He insisted he was innocent of the accusations in a statement he posted on Facebook.
“With a very heavy heart, I have made the decision to withdraw from the race,” he wrote.
Ben-Eliezer, 78, came to Israel from Iraq as a child. He maintains good relations with Arab leaders, including deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He said if elected he would try and reach out to Arab countries.
Associated Press
