Page 20 - KPA 21 SEPT 2015

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WORLD NEWSMonday 21 September 2015

More than 20 Afghan civilians and police wounded in attacks

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) a police checkpoint in the ploded in Aibak, the capi- side bomb in the Zurmat up their attacks on Afghan
— Three people, including Daman district.b Elsewhere, tal of northern Samangan district, said Gen. Moham- soldiers and police in re-
two police officers, were 16 civilians were wound- province, said Sediq Azizi, mad Zaman Khosti, dep- cent months, using road-
wounded in a suicide at- ed after a bomb hidden spokesman for the gover- uty provincial police chief side bomb attacks and sui-
tack Sunday in Afghani- near an electric station nor. No any group has im- on Sunday. Khosti added cide attacks. Afghan secu-
stan, while 21 other civilians exploded in eastern Kunar mediately claimed respon- that the officers were on rity forces are now solely in
were wounded in a sepa- province, said Gen. Abdul sibility for the attacks. In an- their way from Zurmat to- charge of the public safety
rate attack. Zia Durani, Habib Sayedkhaili, the pro- other report form eastern ward Gardez, the provin- across the country after
spokesman for the police vincial police chief. Mean- Paktia province, five police cial capital, in a private U.S. and NATO forces for-
chief in southern Kandahar while five civilians were officers were killed late Sat- vehicle when they came mally ended their combat
province, said that the sui- wounded after a bomb at- urday afternoon when their under the attack. Taliban mission at the end of last
cide car bomber targeted tached to a motorbike ex- vehicle was hit by a road- insurgents have stepped year.q

Yemen rebels release foreign hostages, including 2 Americans

People stand amid the rubble of a house damaged by Saudi- lomats acting on behalf all Americans detained and Sunni extremists. The
led airstrike in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hani Mo- of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, abroad unjustly, including conflict escalated in March
hammed) according to a statement those who remain in the re- as a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed
carried by state-run media. gion,” the statement said. coalition launched an air
AHMED AL-HAJ of Oman, which helped It did not elaborate. A spokesman for a New Or- campaign against the
Associated Press negotiate their release, of- The White House confirmed leans-based logistics com- Houthis.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Ye- ficials said Sunday. that two Americans had pany, Transoceanic Devel- Houthi officials and officials
men’s Shiite Houthi rebels Oman’s Foreign Ministry been freed and sent to opment, confirmed that at the airport had earlier
have released six foreign said two Americans, three Oman, which it thanked for employee Scott Darden, said the hostages included
hostages, including two Saudis and a British citizen helping to secure their re- 45, was freed. Darden three Americans, two Sau-
Americans, and flown were released following lease. A statement from the was helping to deliver aid dis and a British citizen. The
them to the Gulf country mediation efforts by dip- National Security Council throughout the region for reason for the discrepancy
did not identify the Ameri- Transoceanic and relief was not immediately clear.
cans or detail the circum- organizations among its It was also not immediately
stances of their captivity or clients. It was not immedi- clear when the hostages
their release. ately clear who the other had been seized.
The White House said it had hostages were. Officials from the Houthi
“worked tirelessly to secure Yemen has been torn by media center refused to
the release” of the Ameri- a ferocious war pitting the explain why they had de-
cans since they were taken Houthis and forces loyal to tained the hostages, but
earlier this year. a former president against said at least one of them is
“This outcome underscores fighters loyal to exiled Presi- a journalist who “entered
that we have been and dent Abed Rabbo Mansour the country illegally” and
will continue to be tireless Hadi, as well as southern “worked without notifying
in pursuing the release of separatists, local militias the authorities.” q

Lebanese protesters face off with security forces in Beirut

SARAH EL DEEB government officials ac- nizer Ajwad Ayyash told After more than an hour of movement in years, target-
countable and new par- the crowd, which was thin- standoff and some scuffles, ing an entire political class.
Associated Press liamentary elections. They ning by evening. “This is the protesters broke through The movement is growing
also called for a sustain- square of the people. And the cordon. to include different groups
BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds able solution to the trash we insist we must enter it Police let them into the with varied grievances
piling in the streets of Beirut. so that we can have elec- street leading to the square about government dys-
of Lebanese protesters Security forces blocked tions.” and the parliament, but set function. There has been
off streets leading to the The square, Place de up a new cordon closer to recurrent friction between
pushed through a security parliament building, the fi- l’Etoile, is outside the parlia- the parliament building. police and protesters.
nal destination of the rally. ment building. Lebanon’s Additional security forces Earlier Sunday, angry sup-
cordon as they marched The protesters raised their parliament has extended were deployed as tension porters of the parliament
hands in the air to show its term twice in a contro- grew. speaker, Nabih Berri, at-
toward parliament on Sun- they were unarmed, chant- versial move amid disputes What started in July as pro- tacked a group of protest-
ing “peaceful.” over a new election law. tests against trash piling in ers waving a photo of him
day, the latest in a series of “The people are the source The last elections were in the streets is turning into and accusing him and oth-
of authority,” protest orga- 2009. Lebanon’s largest protest ers of corruptionq
demonstrations that began

with a trash crisis but has

since expanded to target

the country’s political class.

Thousands marched

through the streets of Beirut

earlier in the day to press

their demands for holding