Shia neighborhood in Kabul rocked by bomb blast

14 November, 2021 06:55

Shia neighborhood in Kabul rocked by bomb blast

Turkey’s security forces have detained an Israeli couple and a Turkish citizen on charges of spying for the Israeli regime, as the trio was spotted taking pictures of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s residence from the Camlica Tower in Istanbul. The security police were called in on Friday after staff at the tower's restaurant section saw the Israelis, identified by the initials N.O. and M.O., and Turkish citizen I.A. photographing of the residence. Police arrested the suspects and took them in for questioning, Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported, adding that they were grilled by Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor’s office before being moved to a detention center pending trial. Turkish authorities say the suspects, who were said to be taking pictures of adjacent security checkpoints and cameras as well, are facing charges of political and military espionage for Israel. The case seems to be escalating into diplomatic tension between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv has already rejected the claims, stressing that the couple “do not work for any Israeli agency.” It also requested an urgent consular visit of the couple.

A bomb blast hit a vehicle near a Taliban checkpoint on Saturday in a mainly Shia neighborhood in the Afghan capital, Kabul, leaving an unknown number of casualties.

Dasht-e Barchi is a Kabul suburb dominated by members of the mostly Shia Hazara community.

“I was in my car and an explosion happened in the vehicle in front of us,” a witness told AFP. “It was completely burnt.”

Details of casualties were not immediately known. And there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which comes a day after a bomb hit a mosque in the province of Nangarhar, killing at least three people. The Nangarhar governor’s office said two “perpetrators” had been arrested in connection with the Nangarhar blast. “Further investigation into the incident is ongoing and more actions will be taken.”

Nangarhar is considered as the heartland of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Afghanistan. The group has targeted Shia mosques in a series of bombings that have killed scores of worshipers.