Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 2 March 2017
Iraqi forces push toward Mosul government complex

SUSANNAH GEORGE sponse units, said his forces will clear the government traffic. Muhammad Salah, flying overhead. “None of
Associated Press were advancing along the buildings,” he told reporters a resident of a recently re- the main road has been
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — An Iraqi Tigris River after retaking in Abu Saif, a village out- taken neighborhood near- liberated yet,” he said, as
commander says his troops one of the city’s five dam- side Mosul. Inside the city, by said the bridge and the black ash drifted down on
are within 800 meters (900 aged bridges. He said the residents described Iraqi main road effectively mark his garden like a light snow.
yards) of the main govern- capture of the bridge could forces’ hold on the area the current front-line in the Cpl. Hussein Ishaq, of the
ment complex in the north- shorten supply lines and as much more tenuous. fight. He pointed to plumes rapid response units, de-
ern city of Mosul, the cap- allow civilians in western Within a few hundred me- of black smoke visible a scribed the battle for the
ture of which would mark Mosul, where heavy fight- ters (yards) of the bridge, few blocks away, saying neighborhood as “simple,”
a symbolic victory against ing is underway, to flee to makeshift roadblocks set they were from cars along saying IS defenses were
the Islamic State group. the government-controlled up to prevent car bombs the main road set alight light and that his forces
Maj. Gen Thamir al-Hus- eastern half of the city. were still in place, prevent- by the militants to conceal cleared the district in a sin-
saini, of Iraq’s elite rapid re- “In the coming day we ing civilian and military their positions from aircraft gle day.q

Taliban suicide attacks, shootout kill 16 in Afghan capital

RAHIM FAIEZ office. Security forces were
Associated Press carrying out a clean-up
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — operation following the at-
Near-simultaneous Taliban tack, he added.
suicide bombings and an Wahid Mujro, the public
hours-long shootout with health ministry spokesman,
Afghan security forces left said 15 people were killed
at least 16 people dead in the police compound.
and over 100 wounded in The second attack took
Kabul on Wednesday — a place in eastern Kabul
stark reminder of the mili- where a suicide bomber on
tants’ ability to stage large- foot detonated his explo-
scale and complex attacks sives outside the offices of
in the country’s capital. the country’s intelligence
The brazen noon-time at- service, killing one person.
tacks also underscored A total of 104 people were
the challenges the govern- wounded in both attacks,
ment continues to face as Mujro said.
it grapples with the 15-year- In a message to media,
long insurgency and strug- Taliban spokesman Zabi-
gles to improve security for hullah Mujahid claimed
ordinary Afghans. responsibility for both at-
In one of the twin attacks, Smoke rises from a district police headquarters after a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, tacks. It was not immedi-
a suicide car bomber Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Near-simultaneous Taliban suicide bombings and an hours-long ately clear how many gun-
rammed his vehicle into shootout with Afghan security forces left at least 16 people dead and over 100 wounded in Kabul men were involved in the
the gates of a sprawling on Wednesday. attack on the Kabul police
police compound in west- (AP Photo/ Rahmat Gul) complex.
ern Kabul. The explosion Thick black smoke rose store nearby. Dozens of tary school, which might “We were in the dining
was followed by a gunbat- above the grounds, and windows were shattered have been the original tar- room, eating lunch when a
tle between security forces several rounds of small- on surrounding houses and get, along with cadets at- loud explosion happened.
and several gunmen who arms fire and subsequent shops, he added. tending classes there. I couldn’t see anything for
stormed into the complex, explosions were heard The compound includes Hours later, the gunbattle a while,” said Manizha,
said Najib Danish, deputy from inside, according Kabul’s so-called Sixth Po- ended with all the attack- a policewoman who like
spokesman for the Interior the Mohammad Naser, lice Station and is located ers killed, said Sadiq Muradi many women in Afghani-
Ministry. a shopkeeper who has a next to the country’s mili- of the Kabul police chief’s stan uses only one name.q

UN alleges Aleppo war crimes; Syria talks inch forward

DOMINIQUE SOGUEL and could bolster opposi- issues of governance, elec- held “deep” and “fruitful” “We will see in the next two
Associated Press tion demands for a politi- tions and constitutions. discussions over the “basic days,” he told The Associ-
GENEVA (AP) — A U.N. cal transition in which Syr- Russian Deputy Foreign principles” for the political ated Press.
panel said Wednesday ian President Bashar Assad Minister Gennady Gatilov solution in Syria and suc- Further talks are scheduled
the evacuation of east- would cede power — told reporters in Geneva ceeded in incorporating for Thursday. Meanwhile,
ern Aleppo, after months something the government that “the parties have terrorism as a topic of dis- Yahya Kadamani, a promi-
of siege and aerial bomb- has adamantly rejected. agreed to ... discuss all is- cussion. De Mistura held nent member of the largest
ing by Russian and Syrian But in a sign of moderate sues in a parallel way, on back-to-back meetings opposition mission in Ge-
forces, was one of many progress, after almost a several tracks.” After a Da- with the government del- neva, said his delegation
war crimes committed by week of meetings, the sides mascus request, the issue egation and the main Syr- had a “positive” meeting
those fighting for control of appear to have signed off of terrorism, is also on the ian opposition Wednesday. with the Russian minister.
the city. on the agenda proposed table, he said. He seemed in good spirits, Opposition delegates, he
The findings came amid by U.N. Syrian envoy Staffan The official Syrian news but declined to comment said, used the meeting to
open-ended peace talks de Mistura: separate “bas- agency SANA said the gov- on whether all sides had push Moscow for a change
mediated by a U.N. envoy, kets” of topics covering the ernment delegation had agreed on his agenda. of approach in Syria.q