Five Islamists arrested in south of Spain

Moroccan news agency MAP reported, citing Spanish newspaper Diario de Jerez, that at least 5 persons from Morocco were arrested in the southern Spanish city of Algeciras on Wednesday.

The members of the cell were reportedly involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities to finance their plans to carry out attacks in Morocco. The suspects are also said to own a butchery shop and a pastry shop.

During the arrest, security services seized documents, money and upmarket vehicles.

Netherland/Belgium/Defence: ATLAS to provide mine warfare systems for the navies

In a comprehensive service contract, the Germany-based ATLAS ELEKTRONIK has won the bid to provide 16 ultramodern mine warfare systems of the Integrated Mine Countermeasure System (IMCMS) to the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Belgian Navy. The Service Department of the company reported the deal is vital strategically. It added the Belgium's Minister of Defence has signed the corresponding agreement with ATLAS.

According to the contract, a substantial allocation of services, including a technical hotline with obsolescence and configuration management, lauded as an innovative concept in this field, will be send in steadily. “This is a significant success for ATLAS in the new business segment of in-service support. Encouraged by the cooperation with these two key customers, we are expanding the services of ATLAS with a view to offering our clientele the benefits of a partnership based on trust and teamwork in this field,” confirmed Dieter Rottsieper and Kai Horten, the Managing Directors of ATLAS.

Pakistan/Terrorism: at least 6 killed in suicide blast attack

Police chief Nasir Durrani said at least 6 people were killed and 12 others were injured on Thursday in a suicide bombing attack on a bus carrying government employees in Rawalpindi. Police officer Mohammed Nazir gave the injured toll as around 20.  Durrani said the bomber was on a motorcycle and rammed the bus at Chuhr Chowk, near a military cantonment. Another official said the bus was badly damaged.

According to some media reports, the bus was transporting employees of an intelligence agency. The headquarters of the Pakistani military is situated in Rawalpindi and is considered as a garrison city. Meanwhile, security across the city and Islamabad has been beefed further following the attack.

European Union/Honduras/Diplomacy: EU countries to remove envoys from Tegucigalpa

Spanish Minister of Foreign affairs Miguel Angel Moratinos announced a unified decision by the European Union to remove envoys from their respective embassies in Honduras. "I have just spoken to my European colleagues and I can tell you that at this moment, all the European embassies in Tegucigalpa have decided to withdraw their ambassadors," said Moratinos. Last week's coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya is the reason behind the decision. "Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the European Commission, so all the European representation in Tegucigalpa will be at a lower level, with charges d'affaires but not ambassadors,” he added. From Brussels, EU Commission spokeswoman Christiane Hohmann confirmed that the decision.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Spain and France had announced their decision to withdraw their ambassadors to Honduras for consultations on the coup. The 27 nations have also decided to avoid all contacts with the post-coup leaders in Tegucigalpa.

Philippines/Crime: Police officer detain in journalist's murder case

Philippines officials on Thursday confirm detaining police officer Darwin Quinoyog for allegedly murdering a radio commentator. Crispin Perez, the journalist of a government-owned radio network, was killed on a central island last month. Head agent of the National Bureau of Investigation Arnel Dalumpines said Quinoyog was arrested last week and will face life sentence if convicted. "We have a strong case against him after several witnesses, including the victim's wife, saw him shoot Perez dead in front of his house," said Dalumpines. He also declared that investigators were trying to establish the motive for the murder. Reporters doing investigative stories about drug trafficking, gambling, corruption and other illegal activities is considered the reason behind the killings.

Since January this year, at least six journalists have been murdered in Philippines – creating a severe threat to the press. Records maintained by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) accounted for 5 journalists killed last year. 59 have been killed since 2001.

Pakistan/Terrorism: 2 police officers killed in roadside blast

According to senior police official Ghayoor Afridi, a roadside bomb blast near Peshawar on Thursday hit a police vehicle, killing 2 police officers and injuring at least 5 others. No group has claimed responsibility of the attack, but the attack is considered typical of numerous other attacks carried out by Taleban militants. The attack came as the Army launches a major operation in the Swat Valley. Forces are also looking forward to launch another offensive in the restive South Waziristan tribal region.

Meanwhile, the paramilitary Frontier Corps declared killing 28 militants in Khyber tribal region late on Wednesday. However, they did not say if there were any casualties on Pakistani troops' side. The Khyber Pass being a significant route to transport fuel and military supplies for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, it is considered keeping the route militant-free extremely important.

North Korea/South Korea/Defence/Security: Pyongyang test-fires 2 missiles

South Korean defence ministry's spokesman Won Tae-jae declared that North Korea on Thursday test-fired two surface-to-ship missiles from Sinsang-ni near the coastal city of Wonsan. "One (missile) was fired at 1720 (0820 GMT) and the other at 1800,” said Won Tae-jae. Meanwhile, a report on Seoul's Yonhap News quoted an unnamed military source who assured that Pyongyang is not in a state to test long range ballistic missile in the coming weeks. Professor Jong-Kun Choi of the Yonsei University feels Pyongyang “won't and can't test-fire any long-range ones at the moment.” “But when it comes to short ones, all they have to do is pull the trigger," he added.

Media reports also said the launch was imminent as Pyongyang had earlier asked shipping not to navigate on waters off its east coast. Such warnings have proven a foreword to their various missile tests in the past.

United States/Afghanistan/Terrorism: militants capture American soldier

The US military declared Thursday that one of their soldiers have been captured by militants in eastern Afghanistan. “A US soldier who has been missing since June 30 from his assigned unit is believed to have been captured by militant forces,” said US military spokeswoman Captain Elizabeth Mathias. “We are using all of our resources to find him and provide for his safe return,” she added. However, Mathias declined to give further details on the soldier, the location where he went missing or the circumstances. Taleban and several other insurgent groups are active in eastern Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence has confirmed that two British soldiers were killed in an explosion on Wednesday near Lashkar Gah of central Helmand Province. One soldier was from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the other was of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. They were part of the Operation Panther's Claw – a joint operation with Danish troops against Taleban militants.

India/Insurgency: 2 Maoists killed in police assault

A police team has killed two suspected Maoists in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, when a group of insurgents confronted them in an interior part of the state on Wednesday. According to police reports, the incident occurred in a combing operation, in which several insurgents fled the scene when fired. However, there was no casualties on their side, the report added.

Police have also recovered various ammunitions, including one self loading rifle, one 8 mm pistol and three kit bags from the site. In the meantime, the Superintendent of Police in Warangal district, VC Sajannar said the encounter would be a shock for the insurgents. The two eliminated insurgents are identified as state secretary Sudhakar alias Ashok and armed squad commander Chandranna of the Praja Pratighatana group, a faction of one of the Maoist groups in the region.

It is reported there has been a decline in rebel activities recently. In the last four years, the Communist Party of India-Maoist, believed to be the most powerful, has lost more than 300 insurgents.

United States/Lebanon/Terrorism: Lebanese arms dealer sentenced for 25 years

A US federal court has sentenced Tareq Mousa al Ghazi, a Lebanese national, for 25 years on Wednesday for taking part in an arms deal worth millions of dollars. The deal was a US-backed sting operation that stretched from Lebanon to Spain and Romania. Ghazi had agreed to sell the weapons, thinking the deal was being done with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Arrested along with Syrian national Monzer al-Kassar and a third man, Felipe Moreno Godoy from Romania in 2007, Ghazi was found guilty in three out of four charges. The charges include plotting to kill US officials and conspiring to acquire anti-aircraft missiles. His associate Kassar was convicted of terrorism charges in February this year and is currently facing a 30 years prison sentence. Moreno Godoy was sentenced for 25 years.

Mexico/Organised crime: police unearth victims of drug hitmen

Mexican police on Wednesday unearthed at least 14 partially decomposed bodies of victims of drug hitmen from a grave in a drug safe house in central Apaseo el Alto town. "We have found the remains of 14 bodies buried in the garden of the safe house and who we believe were killed by the Zetas drug clan," said a spokeswoman for the Guanajuato attorney general's office.

The bones and badly burned remains of the bodies were discovered a day after a police raid last week. 12 hitmen, whom authorities said were working for the Zetas, were killed in the gunbattle that followed the raid. “A huge haul of weapons, grenades and bulletproof vests, was also after the clash,” said Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa. Further investigations led police to the grave site. Meanwhile in the city of Manzanillo on Wednesday, customs officials declared seizing more than four tons of inactive precursor chemicals – which is used to make Ecstasy.

Russia/Terrorism: 2 militants killed in shootout with police in Ingushetia

According to a local spokesman of the security forces, 2 militants were killed in a shootout with the police early Thursday in Russia's troubled Ingushetia. 2 officers were also injured in the gunbattle that broke out after gunmen open fired during a special operation. Security in Ingushetia has been considerably beefed up after the attack on President Yunus-bek Yevkurov last week.

Meanwhile in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Daghestan, a traffic police officer succumbed to his bullet injuries inflicted by unidentified gunmen. Confirming the report, an Interior Ministry spokesman said, "A traffic police officer injured on Wednesday evening when a police car came under fire from unidentified assailants near the village of Shamkhal died in hospital in the early hours of Thursday." Wednesday's attack occurred on the Kavkaz Federal Highway, about 20 km north of the capital city of Makhachkala. The assailants opened fire on a traffic police car, killing another officer instantly.

Ethiopia/Security: 3 killed as police obstruct church construction

Three people were killed and six others were injured in violence that broke out when police on Tuesday tried to stop Christians from constructing a church in Dessie area, northeast of Addis Ababa. The construction site is reportedly a disputed land, also claimed by Muslims. "Unfortunately three lives have been claimed. Two of them were killed by bullets, one of them fell off a cliff," said Information Minister Bereket Simon. He also said the Christians had "stormed the place" and tried to build the church "unlawfully".

According to the police, orthodox Christians attacked them as they tried to stop them. However, campaign groups accused the law enforcement forces for attacking the workers.  Dessie is a Christian dominated city, with Muslims occupying only one-third of the population. Ethiopia had witnessed religious riots in 2007 that claimed the lives of 12 people. In recent months, there has been an "upsurge of attempts" to provoke further communal violence.

Iraq/Terrorism: blast kills soldier and wounds 10 in Baghdad

At least one Iraqi soldier was killed and 10 others wounded when a roadside bomb went off as an Iraqi army patrol passed by in the Abu Nawas area of central Baghdad on Thursday, police said.

According to police it's the latest in a wave of attacks following US combat troop withdrawal from the country's cities and towns. Thursday's blast came a day after Iraq celebrated “National Sovereignty Day” declared to celebrate the departure of US combat troops from the country's cities. However, there has not been any reports of any single bombing in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed the US withdrawal was a victory not for the Iraqi government but for insurgents. "If anyone has a right to celebrate victory, it should be the resistance and its men and those who rallied around it and supported it among the children of our people and our Ummah (nation)," the "emir" of the group said in an online message monitored by SITE. "They are the ones who brought the occupation to a despicable defeat and made their remaining forces in Iraq demanding and very costly."

United States/Afghanistan/Terrorism: Washington launches assault in Taleban infested valley

About 4000 US Marines have launched a military offensive early Thursday in the Taleban infested lower Helmand River Valley of southern Afghanistan. The valley is also considered the world's biggest heroin producing region. Dubbed 'Operation Khanjar', Operation River Liberty's objective is to clear militants from the valley before the scheduled August 20 presidential election.

"The intent is to go big, go strong and go fast, and by doing so we are going to save lives on both sides," said Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan. "Towns that were the Taleban heartland will fall. They will fall quickly. And hopefully they will fall without a shot. That's our intent," he added. Main targets of the offensive include the districts of Nawa and Garmsir – Taleban safe havens where opium is produced to finance the insurgency. It has been reported that nearly 650 Afghan troops and police will assist the Marines.

Iran/United Kingdom/Political unrest: Tehran released three more embassy staff

The state-run Press TV reported on Wednesday that three more Iranian British embassy staff have been released by the Iranian authorities in Tehran. It said nine members of embassy staff were detained at the weekend one person remained in detention. Tehran had said they were arrested over their role in last month's post-election unrest in the Islamic Republic. Britain had strongly protested against the arrests.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday that Iran was trying to blame post-election protests on Britain. "This action is unjustified and it is unacceptable and some people in Iran are trying to seek to use Britain as an explanation for the legitimate Iranian voices calling for greater openness and democracy," he said.

Palestine/Security: President Abbas says Hamas planning to assassinate officials

During an interview with satellite TV channel Russia Today on Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas is planning to assassinate top officials of the leadership. "Hamas is preparing a terrorist attack. Furthermore, we have learned that there is a group that is preparing to kill certain people," he said.

In the meantime, he also declared that Palestinian security forces have recovered two tons of explosives, grenade launchers, and several other small weapons and machine guns from a residential area. “There are people stockpiling arms, ammunition and explosives. We're watching them and we will get them," Abbas added.

Hamas, a major Palestinian political party which is also considered as a terrorist organisation, split with its counterpart Fatah in June 2007 when it took control of the Gaza Strip. Since then, Hamas has been administering the coastal territory, despite the presence of Abbas's Fatah government in West Bank.

India/Security: troops leave Kashmir town

The government of India removed on Wednesday its paramilitary forces from the town of Baramulla in northern Kashmir – where violent anti-India demonstrations has been going on for the past 3 days. "It has been decided to replace the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployment in Baramulla with Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Armed Police immediately," said a statement released by the government. The step is was reportedly taken to quell the riots.

Meanwhile, police and witnesses gave accounts of thousands of protesters who marched trough Baramulla and Sopore city. The protesters were reportedly shouting "we want freedom" and "blood for blood". The valley of Kashmir remain affected as the general strike called by separatists continued for the second day on Wednesday. The strike was called to protest recent CRPF shootings that killed 4 people. Security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir have been accused several times in the past for rape, human rights violations and extrajudicial killings.

Nigeria/Terrorism: gunmen killed 5 police in Aba

A gang of unidentified gunmen attempted to kidnap expatriates ambushed a convoy of police and expatriate workers in the city of Aba in southeastern Nigeria, killing five officers, police said on Wednesday. "The kidnapping gang had laid an ambush. The kidnappers opened fire on two cars and set them ablaze, burning to death five police men in one of the vehicles,” said Abayomi Ladipo, acting police commander of the district.

Reportedly, a gunbattle erupted between police and the gang on Tuesday as police escorting expatriate workers to their office at a bottling company in the city of Aba in Abia state. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and so far no one has been arrested. In recent time kidnappings and other violent crime have increased in in the southeastern state. However, most hostages are released unharmed after a ransom is paid.

Pakistan/Security: UN begins probe into Benazir Bhutto killing

Hiro Ueki, a United Nations spokesman in Pakistan announced that a UN inquiry into the assassination of former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto begins on Wednesday. “The six-month mandate of the Benazir Bhutto commission of inquiry has begun today. The commission is expected to visit Pakistan but the dates are not determined yet,” the spokesman said. Reportedly, the panel which has a six-month mandate is headed by Chile's ambassador to the UN, Heraldo Munoz, and includes a former Indonesian attorney general and a former senior Irish police officer. The three-member inquiry team will arrive in Pakistan later this month and submit its report to the UN Secretary General in six months.

Pakistan's Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, said, “We want to know who was behind this, who had conspired it, who has financed it. And we think this was a big international conspiracy.” "Obviously, there might be some actors within Pakistan or within the region, but we want really to expose the whole conspiracy, because we think that this was a kind of a beginning of an attempt to Balkanise Pakistan." Bhutto, Pakistan's first woman prime minster was assassinated on December 27, 2007 in a gun and suicide attack after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi.