Page 6 - aruba-today-20220819

A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 19 august 2022
Police: Death toll in Afghan capital mosque bombing now 21

By RAHIM FAIEZ and EBRA- a single name.
HIM NOROOZI AP journalists could see the
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — blue-roofed, Sunni mosque
A bombing at a mosque in from a nearby hillside. The
the Afghan capital of Ka- Taliban parked police
bul during evening prayers trucks and other vehicles
killed at least 21 people, in- at the mosque, while sev-
cluding a prominent cleric, eral men carried out one
and wounded at least 33 casket for a victim of the
others, eyewitnesses and attack.
police said Thursday. During their previous, 1996-
There was no immediate 2001 rule of Afghanistan,
claim of responsibility for the Taliban imposed their
the attack on Wednesday harsh interpretation of Is-
night, the latest to strike the lamic laws, severely restrict-
country in the year since ing individual freedoms
the Taliban seized power. and especially the rights of
Several children were re- women. A U.S.-led invasion
ported to be among the toppled the Taliban, who
wounded. had also hosted al-Qaida
The Islamic State group’s leader Osama bin Laden,
local affiliate has stepped following the Sept. 11, 2001
up attacks against the Tal- Mourners carry the body of a victim of a mosque bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. terrorist attacks in the Unit-
18. 2022.
iban and civilians since the Associated Press ed States.
former insurgents took over Since regaining power,
the country last year as man for Kabul’s Taliban ing on condition of ano- further. On Thursday morn- the former insurgents have
U.S. and NATO troops were police chief, gave the lat- nymity because he was not ing, one witness to the blast faced a crippling econom-
in the final stages of their est figures to The Associ- authorized to talk to the who gave his name as Qy- ic crisis as the international
withdrawal. Last week, the ated Press for the bombing media. aamuddin told the AP he community, which does
extremists claimed respon- at the Siddiquiya mosque Taliban spokesman Zabihul- believed as many as 25 not recognize the Taliban
sibility for killing a prominent in the city’s Kher Khanna lah Mujahid condemned people may have been government, froze funding
Taliban cleric at his religious neighborhood. An eyewit- the explosion and vowed killed in the blast. to the country. On Thurs-
center in Kabul. ness told the AP the explo- that the “perpetrators of “It was evening prayer day, the Taliban hosted a
The mosque bombing sion was carried out by a such crimes will soon be time, and I was attend- gathering of 3,000 tribal el-
comes just two days after suicide bomber. brought to justice and will ing the prayer with others, ders, religious scholars and
the anniversary of the fall The slain cleric was Mullah be punished.” when the explosion hap- others in Kandahar, their
of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021. Amir Mohammad Kabuli, There were fears the ca- pened,” Qyaamuddin state-run Bakhtar News
Khalid Zadran, the spokes- the eyewitness said, speak- sualty numbers could rise said. Some Afghans go by Agency reported. q

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi testifies in her

official secrets case

at Sydney’s Macquarie Uni- possessing walkie-talkies, vi- Another co-defendant, for-
versity, was an adviser to olating coronavirus restric- mer Union Minister Kyaw
Suu Kyi. tions, sedition and another Win, is scheduled to testify
The colonial-era secrets a corruption charge, bring- next week.
statute criminalizes the pos- ing her total prison term to Turnell testified last week,
session, collection, record- 17 years. Trials on several also denying the accusa-
ing, publishing or sharing of other charges are ongoing. tions against him. He and
state information that is “di- Suu Kyi’s supporters and Suu Kyi are both being held
rectly or indirectly, useful to independent analysts say in the prison where the trial
Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges an enemy.” the charges are politically is being conducted in a
of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, The exact details of the al- motivated and are an at- special courtroom.
Dec. 11, 2019. leged offense in the case tempt to discredit her and Suu Kyi is also being tried
Associated Press have not been made pub- legitimize the military’s sei- there on an election fraud
lic, though Myanmar state zure of power while keep- charge, which is punish-
By GRANT PECK economist Sean Turnell and television, citing govern- ing her from returning to able by up to three years
Associated Press three former Cabinet mem- ment statements, said last politics. in prison, and seven counts
BANGKOK (AP) — Ousted bers on the same charge, year that Turnell had ac- Details of Thursday’s pro- of corruption which each
Myanmar leader Aung San which is punishable by up cess to “secret state finan- ceedings were not avail- carry a maximum sentence
Suu Kyi testified Thursday in to 14 years in prison. cial information” and had able because Suu Kyi’s law- of 15 years and a fine.
a prison courtroom in the Suu Kyi denied all the accu- tried to flee the country. yers have been banned by The army’s takeover last
capital for the first time in sations in the case against Suu Kyi was sentenced a gag order since last year year was met with na-
her official secrets case, a her and pleaded not guilty, Monday to six years in from revealing information tionwide peaceful pro-
legal official said. said the legal official, who prison on four corruption about her trials, all of which tests. After security forces
Suu Kyi, who has been de- spoke on condition of ano- charges. are closed to the media unleashed lethal force
tained since the military nymity because he is not She earlier was sentenced and the public. against the protesters,
ousted her government authorized to release infor- to 11 years in prison after The legal official said Suu some opponents of military
last year, is being tried in mation. being convicted on charg- Kyi appeared to be in good rule turned to armed resis-
Naypyitaw with Australian Sean Turnell, an economist es of illegally importing and health. tance in many areas.q