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Deadly bomb blast near Damascus Shia shrine ahead of Ashura

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At least six people have been killed and more than 20 wounded after a bomb exploded near a Shia Muslim shrine south of the Syrian capital Damascus a day ahead of Ashura – a day of mourning observed by Shia Muslims, according to the interior ministry.

The blast near the Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum, Syria’s most visited Shia pilgrimage site, was caused when a motorcycle exploded near a taxi, the interior ministry said on Thursday. It called it a “terrorist bombing”.

State television earlier reported that the explosion was caused by a “bomb placed in a taxi by unidentified people”.

News agency was not able to independently verify the casualty figures and the circumstances around the blast.

“We heard a huge blast and people began to run,” 39-year-old civil servant Ibrahim told news agency.

“Then ambulances arrived and security forces cordoned off the area.”

He said the explosion took place “near a security building around 600 metres from the mausoleum of Sayeda Zeinab”, granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the daughter of Imam Ali.

The London-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the explosion took place close to positions of Iranian militias, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad alongside Russia in Syria’s continuing conflict now in its 13th year.

Charred taxi surrounded by large crowds

Photos shared by Al-Ikhbariya state TV and pro-government media showed the charred taxi surrounded by large crowds of people and men in military fatigues. The area’s buildings had green, red, and black Ashura flags and banners hung.

In a video shared on social media, people carried two men covered in blood and dust off the ground while calling for help. The glass facades of shops nearby had shattered, while one was on fire.

Ashura is the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which is one of the holiest months for Shia Muslims. It marks the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, and his 72 companions in the battle of Karbala in the seventh century in present-day Iraq. Ashura marks the peak of the mourning procession.

Sunni Muslims commemorate the day through voluntary fasting as it marks the day Nuh (Noah) left the Ark and the day Musa (Moses) was saved from the pharaoh of Egypt by God.

They also emulate the Prophet Muhammad who used to fast on Ashura in Mecca, where it became a common tradition for the early Muslims.

The explosion is the second in the Sayeda Zeinab neighbourhood in the days leading to Ashura. On Tuesday, Syrian state media citing a police official said that two civilians were wounded after a motorcycle laced with explosives was detonated.

Frequent targets

Earlier this week, two people were wounded in a separate blast outside the shrine, where pilgrims have been flocking to mark a mourning period for Shia Muslims.

The Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum was hit by several deadly bombings during the country’s civil war that erupted in 2011.

Since then, the mosque complex with its turquoise ceramics and gold dome in the Iranian style has been defended by Shia militiamen, mostly Lebanese and Iraqi, as well as by the army.

Attacks have nonetheless declined in recent years, with some of the security measures relaxed.

The Islamic State armed group (ISIL/ISIS) said it was behind a double suicide attack in February 2016, 400 meters from the mausoleum, that killed 134 people, including more than 90 civilians.

The group had also claimed a triple blast near the sanctuary several weeks earlier that took the lives of at least 70 people.

Crime

Badshah Chandigarh Club Blast: Lawrence Bishnoi’s Close Aide Goldy Brar Takes Responsibility; FB Post Goes Viral

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Badshah Chandigarh Club Blast: Lawrence Bishnoi's Close Aide Goldy Brar Takes Responsibility; FB Post Goes Viral

Gangster Goldy Brar, who is a member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang, has taken responsibility for the blast at rapper-singer Badshah’s club in Chandigarh. On Monday night (November 25), two explosions were reported outside clubs in Sector 26. The incident raised concerns of a possible extortion attempt. It took place near Seville Bar and Lounge, and the De’ Orra Club. CCTV footage from the scene has also surfaced which shows a man throwing suspected crude bombs outside the clubs before fleeing the area.

Now, in a Facebook post, Goldy Brar has confirmed that his gang was behind the blast.

Taking responsibility, he wrote on the social media platform that the members of his gang had called the club owners for ‘protection money’, however, they ignored their calls.

He stated that the attack was to threaten them and give them a warning.

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Crime

Mumbai: AIU Officers Nab Transit Passenger & Airport Staff With 24 KT Of Gold Dust Worth ₹2.7 Crore

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Mumbai: Based on profiling, AIU officers maintained discreet surveillance on a transit passenger who had arrived from Dubai to Mumbai and was scheduled to depart for Male.

About The Operation

During this operation, officers observed the transit passenger handing over an item to a private airport staff, immediately both the staff member and the transit passenger were intercepted by the officers. A personal search of the private airport staff revealed the concealment of 24 KT gold dust in wax form (12 pieces), with a gross weight of 3.976 kg and provisional net weight of 3.800 kg, and provisionally valued at ₹2.714 Crore.

The gold dust was hidden inside transparent self-sealing pouches and placed in the pockets of the pants worn by the private airport staff. During questioning, the private airport staff admitted that the gold had been handed over by the same transit passenger who had been under AIU surveillance. Both individuals were arrested under the Customs Act of 1962.

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Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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