6 NATO service members killed in eastern Afghanistan
6 NATO service members killed in eastern Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — A bomb in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday killed six NATO service members, on a day where a total of 29 people died from roadside bombs and insurgent attacks.
NATO said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device but provided no further details about the attack and did not identify the dead service members. The statement said NATO’s policy is to allow “national authorities” to give details about the soldiers.
A surge in Afghan and coalition forces during the past two years routed Taliban fighters from many of their strongholds in the south, but the insurgents have stepped up their attacks this summer to take back key areas.
The service members’ deaths were the latest on Sunday caused by bombs planted by insurgents along roadsides, paths or mountain tracks.
In addition to the six NATO deaths, bombs and attacks killed 16 Afghan civilians, five policemen and two members of the U.S.-led coalition in southern Afghanistan, Afghan and NATO authorities said.
Syrian army conducts exercises in show of force as Iran warns of regional ‘catastrophe’
DAMASCUS, Syria — In a show of force, Syria began large-scale military exercises Sunday to simulate defending the country against outside “aggression.” Damascus’ staunch ally Iran warned of a “catastrophe” in the region if no political solution to the 16-month-old Syrian conflict is found.
Tehran is Syria’s closest ally, and has stood by President Bashar Assad’s regime throughout the revolt against his rule despite a growing chorus of international condemnation. The relentless bloodshed has accelerated diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the crisis, and spurred some in the Syrian opposition to urge the West to intervene militarily to stop a conflict that activists say has left more than 14,000 people dead.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, dismissed talk of foreign intervention, saying “nobody can imagine a military attack against Syria. We believe it will not happen. If it happens, Syria will defend itself and will not need help from Iran.”
U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan, who is the architect of an international plan to end the crisis, acknowledged in an interview published Saturday that the international community’s efforts to find a political solution to the escalating violence in Syria have failed. Annan arrived in the Syrian capital Sunday for talks with Assad, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said.
Hug triggers officer’s gun, kills woman
DETROIT — A woman celebrating the weekend before her 25th birthday was fatally shot Sunday when she hugged an off-duty police officer while dancing at a party, causing the officer’s service weapon to fire, according to police and her mother.
Adaisha Miller would have turned 25 today, according to her mother, Yolanda McNair.
The shooting happened at an outdoor social gathering about 12:30 a.m., said police Sgt. Eren Stephens.
According to Stephens, the woman “embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidently discharge.” The bullet punctured Miller’s lung and hit her heart, and she died at a hospital.
Stephens said the Detroit officer will remain on administrative duties while authorities investigate the shooting and report their findings to the Wayne County prosecutor. The officer’s name was not released.
“For this to happen to her, whether they want to call it freak accident or mistake in judgment, it should have never happened to my child, and there’s nothing I can do to get her back,” McNair told WDIV-TV.
“All she wanted to do was enjoy the weekend for her birthday,” the mother said. “She had every right to enjoy turning 25 and look beyond that.”
By wire sources