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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

Tripura: Police Seize 44 Kg Of Drugs Worth Rs 2.52 Lakh At Agartala Railway Station

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Agartala (Tripura): Agartala Government Railway (GRP) Police seized 44 kg of drugs worth Rs 2.52 lakhs at Agartala Railway Station, railway police said on Tuesday.

About The Seizure

Acting on a tip-off, police on Tuesday conducted a search near the 13th rail track on the Agartala to Jirania route, near Agartala Railway Station. During the operation, authorities recovered 44 kg of dried cannabis from bushes alongside the tracks. The narcotics were allegedly being smuggled out of the state via train.

According to the police, the seized cannabis has an estimated market value of approximately Rs 2.52 lakhs. The Agartala GRP (Government Railway Police) station has launched an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for this illegal consignment. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

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Crime

Andhra Pradesh Govt Suspends Three IPS Officers Over Actress Harassment Case

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The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended three senior IPS officers following an inquiry into the allegations made by a Mumbai-based actress, Kadambari Jethwani. The state government issued orders suspending P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Director General of Police, Intelligence; Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.

She and her parents allegedly faced harassment at the hands of police officers at the instance of a leader of YSR Congress, which was then the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. The suspensions were issued under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Sitharama Anjaneyulu has been suspended on allegations of misuse of power and grave misconduct.

He had allegedly instructed the other two officials to arrest the actress, even before a formal crime had been registered. There are allegations that Kanthi Rana Tata arrested the actress based on oral instructions from his superior on January 31, 2024, before the registration of the FIR on February 2.

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Crime

UP: Man Beats Wife To Death In Amroha For Not Meeting Dowry Demands Of TVS Apache Bike & ₹3 Lakh Cash

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Amroha: In a tragic incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, a young woman named Meena was brutally beaten to death by her husband, Sundar, for not fulfilling his dowry demands. Sundar, a resident of Baikheda village, had been married to Meena for two years and had persistently demanded a TVS Apache bike and Rs 3 lakh as dowry. Despite repeated harassment over the dowry, Meena was unable to meet his demands, a situation she had confided to her father.

Meena had been staying at her father’s home in Soharka since the festival of Rakshabandhan, possibly seeking refuge from the abuse. Sundar continued visiting her daily, often having meals with her family, creating an appearance of normalcy.

Sundar Brought Meena Back Home, Later Killed Her

On Sunday night, he came to bring her back to his house. Once there, Sundar confronted her again about the dowry and, in a violent fit of rage, attacked her with sticks. Unable to force her compliance, he strangled her to death before fleeing the scene.

It was the local residents who first alerted the authorities to the murder. Upon hearing the devastating news, Meena’s family rushed to the police station, demanding immediate action against Sundar. Her father, Vijay Khadak Banshi, later lodged a formal complaint accusing Sundar, along with his mother, sister and four others, of involvement in the crime.

Case Filed, Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused

The police have registered a case based on the family’s complaint and are actively searching for Sundar, who remains at large. Meanwhile, Meena’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to aid in the ongoing investigation.

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