Suicide bomber kills 9 in BaghdadJune 9, 2013 - 16:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A suicide bomber blew up his explosive-packed car at a police checkpoint outside a Shi'ite district in northwest Baghdad on Sunday, June 9 killing at least seven people and wounding 16 more, police officials said, according to Reuters. Most of the victims of Sunday's bombing were policemen at the checkpoint to the Kadhimiya neighborhood, where an intelligence service base and the Kadhimiya Shrine, a major Shi'ite Muslim religious site, are located. Attacks and bombings on Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim areas across the country have killed nearly 2,000 people since April in the worst violence in five years. Sectarian conflict is intensifying and relations between the country's majority Shi'ite leadership and the Sunni community have deteriorated to their worst since the last American troops left Iraq a year and a half ago. Conflict in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Shi'ite Iran, is adding to pressure on Iraq's own fragile sectarian and ethnic mix. No one claimed Sunday's attack, but al Qaeda's local wing, Islamic State of Iraq, often uses suicide bombers in its campaign to provoke all-out conflict of the kind that killed thousands in 2006-2007. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Welcome to CaseKey 2024. Byblos Bank Armenia firmly stands by future innovators Strategic business cases, invaluable experience, innovative approaches and more than 25 events are in store for the participants of CaseKey 2024. Macron honors Charles Aznavour on 100th anniversary French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour. Blinken says U.S. reviewing a number of aid requests from Armenia He said the U.S. is reviewing the requests to determine what more it can do to increase its assistance to Armenia. At least 2 CSTO members participated in preparing 44-day war against Armenia – PM Nikol Pashinyan has declared that at least two CSTO member countries participated in preparations for the 44-day war against Armenia. |