Pakistan drone attack 'kills 25'

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Iraq forces attack Iranian exiles

8 April 2011 Last updated at 13:32 GMT Iranian exiles accused Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki of ordering the attack Iraqi forces have attacked a camp housing an Iranian exile group north of Baghdad, home to about 3,500 people.

Reports suggest at least three died in the clashes between troops and the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) at Camp Ashraf.

The PMOI said more than 25 were killed and many wounded in the raid, but Iraqi officials have disputed the figures.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates expressed concern and urged Iraq to show restraint.

The PMOI, a guerrilla group that opposes Iran's Shia cleric leaders, is considered a terrorist group by the US and Iran.

'Unprecedented murder'

The Iraqi army says that it went into Camp Ashraf, in Diyala province, to confront stone-throwers, and that the clashes were limited.

But the PMOI described the raid, which took place early on Friday, as a full-scale military assault with armoured vehicles.

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I can't deny the occurrence of injuries among residents of Camp Ashraf, because we do not have information from inside the camp”

End Quote Ali al-Dabbagh Iraqi government The PMOI said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, under the order of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had committed an "unprecedented murder in Ashraf".

Major Hassan al-Tamimi of the Iraqi army in Baquba, capital of the province, told AFP news agency that three people had been killed and 20 injured, among them six soldiers.

But the death toll was not confirmed by the government.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Ashraf residents had thrown rocks at security forces during a "riot" and denied that Iraqi forces had opened fire.

"The security forces have pushed back residents of Camp Ashraf inside the camp by force," Mr Dabbagh said. "The situation is now controlled."

"I can't deny the occurrence of injuries among residents of Camp Ashraf, because we do not have information from inside the camp," he added.

'International obligations'

The PMOI, also known as Mojahedin-e Khalq, set up Camp Ashraf in Iraq in the 1980s and was welcomed by then-President Saddam Hussein, who was fighting a war against Iran.

The PMOI's military wing fought alongside Iraqi soldiers.

Correspondents say many of the organisation's members continue to live in Camp Ashraf, to the annoyance of both Iraqi and Iranian governments.

Human rights organisations say that the residents of the camp should be protected from persecution or attack.

Mr Gates, who is visiting Iraq, said: "We're very concerned with reports of deaths and injuries resulting from this morning's clashes.

"I urge the Iraqi government to show restraint and to live up to its commitments to treat residents of Ashraf according to Iraqi law and their international obligations."

In January, a Spanish judge opened an investigation into a raid by Iraqi security forces on Camp Ashraf in July 2009 which left 11 people dead. He wanted to see whether crimes against humanity were committed.

A complaint filed by human rights lawyers on behalf of relatives of the victims alleged that police and soldiers shot and beat unarmed residents of the camp so they could clear a space to build a police station there.

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RAF jets join Libya ground attack

6 April 2011 Last updated at 22:51 GMT Four RAF Typhoon jets will begin ground attacks in Libya More British warplanes are moving from policing the no-fly zone in Libya to begin ground attacks in the country, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Four Typhoon jets will join 16 RAF ground-attack aircraft already under Nato command.

They are all based in southern Italy as part of an international coalition fighting Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Meanwhile, RAF missiles hit 12 targets around rebel-held Misrata and Sirte.

The targets were six armoured fighting vehicles and six battle tanks, the MoD said.

Libya's deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, said a British air strike had hit its major Sarir oilfield and damaged a pipeline connecting the deposit to a Mediterranean port.

The Reuters news agency said he told reporters: "British warplanes have attacked, have carried out an air strike against the Sarir oilfield which killed three oilfield guards and other employees at the field were also injured."

In an update on the UK military action over Libya, the MoD said that two Typhoon aircraft had flown from Gioia del Colle air base, southern Italy, to police the no-fly zone, while two RAF VC10 aircraft provided air-to-air refuelling.

It comes as former US Republican congressman Curt Weldon arrived in Libya on a mission to meet Col Muammar Gaddafi and ask him to step down from power.

Mr Weldon, who met the Libyan leader in 2004, says it is a private visit, with the knowledge of the White House.

The White House has also have confirmed that President Obama has received a letter from Colonel Gaddafi. It was said by state television in Tripoli to be a message to mark the reduced American role in the "hostile, colonial alliance".

Misrata 'a priority'

After criticism from rebels that Nato was taking too long to respond to calls for air strikes to protect Misrata, Nato vowed to do all it could to protect civilians there.

"Misrata is our number one priority," Nato deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero told AFP news agency on Wednesday.

She added that alliance warplanes had hit Col Gaddafi's military around Libya's third largest city on Monday.

Nato also says forces loyal to Col Gaddafi are using "human shields" in Misrata, by using civilian vehicles and hiding heavy armour in civilian areas.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced earlier this week that an additional four RAF Tornados would be sent to Italy, joining 18 RAF jets already deployed.

A total of 34 nations are involved in operations in Libya in support of the UN Security Council resolution to protect civilians in the north African country.

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Ivory Coast: Gbagbo repels attack

6 April 2011 Last updated at 22:33 GMT Troops on both sides have deployed heavy weapons for the battle Troops backing the internationally recognised president of Ivory Coast have been rebuffed in attempts to oust the country's incumbent leader.

Alassane Ouattara's forces launched an assault on the home of Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to stand down as president.

After hours of fighting, Mr Ouattara's men pulled back in the face of heavy fire from within Mr Gbagbo's residence.

Mr Gbagbo insists he won November's run-off vote, but election officials found Mr Ouattara was the winner.

That result was certified by the UN, but Mr Gbagbo has refused to leave office.

Mr Gbagbo and his family are believed to be sheltering in the bunker of his residence, in an upmarket area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's main city.

He says Mr Ouattara's troops want to kill him, while they say they have strict orders to capture him alive.

Speaking by phone to French radio and sounding defiant, Mr Gbagbo denied he was hiding in a bunker.

"I am in the residence - the residence of the president of the republic. When it rains, can't one take shelter inside one's house?"

Mr Gbagbo had earlier denied he was surrendering, saying he was only negotiating a truce.

In a separate development late on Wednesday, French helicopters carried out an operation to evacuate the Japanese ambassador, whose Abidjan home was besieged by mercenaries, a source close to the rescue operation told the AFP news agency.

Troops 'in the building'

Gun, rocket and mortar fire was reported around Mr Gbagbo's residence during Wednesday.

Carrying automatic weapons and approaching the compound in pickup trucks modified to carry heavy machine guns, Mr Ouattara's troops attempted to storm the residence to spring Mr Gbagbo from his hideaway.

Continue reading the main story Andrew Harding BBC News, Abidjan

A negotiated ending might have helped ease tensions in this bitterly divided country. After all, Mr Gbagbo won 46% of the vote in the recent election.

But he seems to have overplayed a weak hand, and so a more forceful denouement beckons, and with it the real risk of greater instability.

What will his militias do if Mr Gbagbo is killed, or dragged out and humiliated?

Civilians, still trapped in Abidjan, say there has been sporadic gunfire across the city, with pro-Gbagbo militias still on the streets, and Ouattara force's still "mopping up" opposition at several military installations.

The stench of dead bodies, littering the sides of the road, is a powerful reminder of the price this city has paid for the "restoration of democracy".

But they faced stiff resistance from inside the property's walls, where Mr Gbagbo's supporters were said to be dug in with mortars and rocket launchers.

After several hours of fighting the sounds of battle died away.

Local residents, Western officials and representatives of Mr Ouattara's forces conceded that Mr Gbagbo's men had held out.

"We retreated but we are preparing for a second assault," a spokesman for the fighters, Yves Doumbia, told the Associated Press new agency.

The BBC's John James, outside Abidjan, says a new standoff appears to be developing, with the anti-Gbagbo forces possibly regrouping for an overnight assault.

"There are still some mortars and tanks in the presidential compound - the offensive was suspended for a few hours," French news agency AFP quoted a French official in Abidjan as saying.

Earlier, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Mr Gbagbo's "intransigence" had led to the collapse of UN-brokered talks aimed at negotiating an orderly departure.

"The conditions set by President Ouattara are very clear: he demands that Laurent Gbagbo accepts his defeat and recognises the victory of the legitimately elected president," he told parliament.

"That's where we stand today, so sadly the arms have begun to talk again."

France - the former colonial power in Ivory Coast - has troops in the country alongside UN peacekeepers. They are attempting to maintain security around Abidjan under the terms of a UN Security Council resolution.

Mr Juppe said neither French nor UN troops were involved in the offensive against Mr Gbagbo.

Civilians under siege

As the two sides continue to battle for the presidency, concern is growing over the humanitarian situation in Ivory Coast.

Following two days of advances in Abidjan by pro-Ouattara forces the city's four million people remain mainly inside their homes.

Soldiers, ex-rebel fighters, militia groups and mercenaries are battling for control of the streets, says the our correspondent. The main banks have been closed for nearly two months and few people have the funds to stock up on food.

Continue reading the main story 28 November: Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and challenger Alassane Ouattara in election run-off2 December: Electoral commission announces that Ouattara has won3 December: Constitutional Council declaring Gbagbo the winner; UN says Ouattara was victor30 March: Pro-Ouattara forces enter the capital, Yamoussoukro4 April: UN launches air strikes on Gbagbo in main city, Abidjan5 April: Three generals negotiate Gbagbo's surrenderThe UN and the Red Cross have both voiced their concern for the civilians caught up in the fighting. The Red Cross has described the humanitarian situation as "worsening" and is beginning to distribute 12 tonnes of aid to those judged most in need.

Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes to escape the violence, with the UN refugee agency reporting an increase in the number of Ivorians crossing the border into neighbouring Liberia.

The International Criminal Court says it is preparing to investigate reports of human rights abuses during the fighting.

Last November's election was intended to reunite Ivory Coast which split in two following a northern rebellion in 2002.

The electoral commission pronounced Mr Ouattara the victor, but Ivory Coast's Constitutional Council said Mr Gbagbo had won.

The US, the UN and the EU recognised Mr Ouattara as the winner, but both candidates had themselves sworn in as president and a stand-off ensued.

Skirmishes and battles between the rival forces have since taken place across Ivory Coast, culminating in Mr Ouattara's troops sweeping into Abidjan at the end of March.

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Youths charged over airgun attack

24 February 2011 Last updated at 06:57 GMT The incident happened near Auchinleck Academy in East Ayrshire Two teenagers have been charged in connection with an airgun attack near a school in East Ayrshire on Wednesday.

Strathclyde Police said that up to 11 Auchinleck Academy pupils, aged between 12 and 16, were injured - none of them seriously.

The incident happened in the town's Church Street, just after 1330 GMT.

An 18-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy are expected to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court later, on charges of assault.

Five girls and six boys were struck by pellets, mainly on their legs and torsos.

It is understood one pupil remains in Crosshouse Hospital, near Kilmarnock.

Firearms officers were called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon and East Ayrshire Council informed parents of those pupils injured.

At least one property nearby had its windows shattered by pellets. It is understood police are still looking for a weapon and further charges, connected with firearms, may be brought.

East Ayrshire Council said it had responded immediately by informing police and parents of the children involved and seeking medical attention.

In a statement it said: "The council is working closely with the school to ensure that the school, the children and their families are appropriately supported."

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Anonymous denies Westboro attack

22 February 2011 Last updated at 10:44 GMT Westboro Baptist Church have staged anti-gay protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq Internet activist group Anonymous has said calls for it to attack the website of controversial anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church were a hoax.

The denial follows a publication on an Anonymous-affiliated website attacking the church.

In a new statement, Anonymous urged members not to participate in any denial-of-service attacks against the church's website.

Anonymous said it had "more pressing matters to deal with at the moment".

The new statement, which claimed to be authored by more than 20 members of Anonymous, said it didn't "remember sending" the original release.

Pimple-faced nerds

Anonymous has risen to fame in recent months for its "hacktivism", which has seen it launch denial-of-service attacks against firms it saw as pursuing policies that are in oppostition to its freedom of the web ideals.

The group recently crashed a number of Egyptian government websites, in support of the country's pro-democracy protests.

It also attacked several online companies that it believed had helped clamp down on Wikileaks' activity, including Paypal and Amazon.

Anonymous's informal structure increases the chances that rogue elements can initiate action without widespread support, said Graham Cluley, of security firm Sophos.

Mr Cluley warned that its followers could potentially be led into mounting a major hack under false pretenses.

"There are dangers in future that someone may pose as Anonymous and say that they want an attack".

In its latest statement, Anonymous warned its members not to participate in DDoS attacks against Westboro Baptist Church in case it was a trap.

Westboro Baptist Church has been widely condemned for its aggressive anti-homosexual campaigning.

A number of US states have passed legislation, banning members from protesting close to military funerals.

The church's leader, pastor Fred Phelps, was banned from entering the UK by the Home Office in 2009.

The church had issued a response to the original release, branding Anonymous "a puddle of pimple-faced nerds".

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Kandahar attack kills 15 police

12 February 2011 Last updated at 16:05 GMT Explosions sent clouds of smoke rising above Kandahar A Taliban raid on the southern Afghan city of Kandahar has left 15 policemen dead, officials say.

Militants armed with suicide bombs, guns and rocket-propelled grenades struck the police headquarters in the city centre around noon.

Explosions shook the area as Afghan security forces battled the attackers for several hours.

Dozens of people were reported injured in the attack on the city, which is the birthplace of the Taliban.

"Fifteen people were killed and 45 others suffered injuries and some of the wounded are in a critical condition," Kandahar provincial governor Tooryalai Wesa said.

He added that all 15 were police officers.

A Taliban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, said his group had carried out the attack.

It began with several explosions near the headquarters of the provincial police.

There are reports at least one of the blasts was a car bomb and that two explosions may have been caused by suicide bombers.

Several militants wearing explosives vests then occupied a multi-storey wedding venue opposite the police headquarters and rained machine gun fire and grenades down on the police.

Shopkeepers shuttered their premises and people hid inside their homes as the fighting raged.

It took several hours for the security forces to end the attack. There were no reports of survivors among the militants.

There have been a number of assassinations and suicide attacks in Kandahar in recent months despite the presence of thousands of international troops in the province.

Last summer Nato-led forces began a rolling operation centred on Kandahar city, where Taliban flags were flying in some suburbs and the insurgents controlled many villages on the outskirts, says the BBC's Paul Wood in Kabul.

Despite the recent attacks, Nato says it is confident it has pushed the militants out, our correspondent says.

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