9 policemen killed as militants attack checkpoint in IraqJuly 24, 2013 - 14:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Militants riding on pick-up trucks opened fire on a checkpoint in northern Iraq on Wednesday, July 24, killing nine policemen, police said, according to Reuters. The attack took place in Shura, 50 km (35 miles) south of Mosul, Iraq's third largest city and capital of the Sunni-dominated Nineveh province, where al Qaeda has been regrouping. The gunmen showered the checkpoint with a hail of bullets from several directions. An ambulance that rushed to the scene was hit by a bomb that had been planted on the road beforehand, wounding the driver and a nurse, police said. Sunni Islamist militants have been regaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government in recent months, striking on an almost daily basis. Iraq's steadily deteriorating security was highlighted by a mass jailbreak near the capital on Sunday when around 500 convicts, including senior al Qaeda operatives, escaped after militants attacked two prisons. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which was formed through a merger between al Qaeda's Syrian and Iraqi branches, claimed responsibility for the raids and said it had freed its jailed comrades after months of preparation. One security official told Reuters on Tuesday that some of the escaped inmates were heading to Syria to join the ranks of the mainly Sunni rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, whose Alawite sect derives from Shi'ite Islam. Sectarian tensions across the region have been inflamed by the Syrian civil war, which has also drawn in Shi'ite fighters from Iraq. More than 720 people have been killed in militant attacks in Iraq so far in July, according to violence monitoring group Iraq Body Count. 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 | SBP instant transfers now available from 190 Russian banks to Armenia To receive money from Russian banks, easywallet users need to go to their easywallet accounts. Armenia's Davit Chaloyan qualifies for Paris Olympics The Armenian boxer qualified for Paris Olympics after a series of successful bouts at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament. Lemkin Institute urges Armenia to respect people’s right to dissent The Lemkin Institute has urged the Armenian government to respect people’s fundamental human right to express their dissent. French-Armenian journalist returns to France after 41-day hunger strike Nicolian said on social media on Sunday, June 2 that he needs to improve his health in order to “continue the fight”. |