Somalia/Turkey/Piracy: Pirates release Turkish vessel
 
Turkish broadcaster NTV reported on Thursday that the Somali pirates have released the MV Frigia, the Malta-flagged Turkish ship, after being hijacked for about four months ago.

There has been no confirmation for any ransom paid to release the ship.

Meanwhile, an official from the shipping company has confirmed that the ship is en-route to meet a Turkish navy ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Frigia was hijacked off the Indian coast along with 21 crewmembers, which includes 19 Turkish nationals and 2 Ukrainians, on March 23. It was reportedly transporting fertilizer from Israel to Thailand when it was seized.

Iraq/Terrorism: Al-Qaeda-front claims bombing pan-Arab TV station

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an Al-Qaeda-front in the country, has claimed on Thursday responsibility for the bombing attack carried on the Baghdad offices of the pan-Arab Television Station Al-Arabiya earlier this week.

Reportedly, the statement was released on an Islamist website, mentioning that the attack on the Arabic-language station - described as "corrupt" - had been carried out by a "hero of Islam" and further warning of many more attacks on other pro-western media groups.

It is worth mentioning that Monday's bombings had killed at least six people, including four soldiers, while 20 others were wounded.

Venezuela/Colombia/Organised Crime: Venezuelan police nabs 6 Colombian paramilitary suspects

Media reported on Wednesday that Venezuelan police detained six alleged far-right paramilitary fighters from Colombia, including a militia leader wanted in the killing of a Venezuelan mayor near the border with Colombia.

According to Venezuelan police, the militiamen - suspected of being deeply involved in hired killings, extortion and kidnapping among other crimes - were arrested during a sting operation carried near the town of La Fria.

It is also worth mentioning that Sandra Barrero, the leader of the criminal organization, is wanted in Venezuela for her alleged involvement in two murders.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's Justice Ministry announced the capture of a purported Colombian drug trafficker, Gloria Esther Chavez Ceballos, alias "Gloria Amparo", who has been leading a group of smugglers known as "Los Indios" that traffics drugs to the Caribbean and Europe.

Afghanistan/Terrorism: Roadside bombs kill two civilians

NATO Officials stated on Wednesday that a roadside bomb explosion left two Afghan civilians dead and 15 others wounded in the southern provinces.

Reportedly, a woman was killed and two other people, including a 4-year-old girl, were injured by a bomb near Shin Kai village in Zabul province on Tuesday.

In a separate incident, another civilian was killed by a roadside bomb in the Yosuf Khel district of Paktika province the same day.

NATO also reported that 13 civilians including a child were injured in five different explosions in the Kandahar, Helmand and Badghis provinces.

Somalia/Terrorism: Twelve dead, dozens injured in Mogadishu fighting

Somali Officials stated on Wednesday that clashes between government forces and Islamist terrorists in the Somali capital Mogadishu left 12 civilians dead and 43 others wounded.

According to officials, fighting began on Tuesday evening after fighters belonging to Hizbul Islam attacked government positions near the presidential palace. The two sides exchanged automatic weapon and mortar fire.

Meanwhile, a rebel commander said late on Tuesday that insurgents based in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland will “wage a holy war” against the administration there until their strict version of sharia law prevails.

Thailand/Insurgency: Five shot dead in restive south

Thai Police stated on Wednesday that suspected separatist insurgents have shot dead four Muslim men, while one suspected militant was killed by security officials in Thailand's restive southern provinces.

According to authorities, a 50-year-old villager was shot dead at his home late on Tuesday in Narathiwat province, while in neighbouring Yala province a 26-year-old security volunteer was killed in drive-by shooting.

Moreover, two Muslims aged 27 and 34 were gunned down in separate attacks carried in the Pattani province on Tuesday evening.

Earlier on Tuesday, a 39-year-old suspected militant was shot dead in a confrontation with Thai soldiers in Yala province.

Greece/Terrorism: Terror group vows to carry out attacks

Media reported on Wednesday that a Greek terrorist group calling itself Sect of Revolutionaries vowed to carry out attacks and turn Greece into a "warzone" after claiming responsibility for the killing of a journalist linked to a popular blog.

Reportedly, the group claimed in a statement it would wage a campaign of deadly attacks against police, businessmen, prison staff and journalists it considers corrupt and also claimed to have shot dead journalist Sokratis Giolias outside his Athens home on July 19.
 
However, the group also said it would not carry out indiscriminate attacks and did not make any direct threat to tourists.

Japan/Oman/Terrorism: Japanese tanker damaged off Oman

Media reported that the Japanese M Star Oil Tanker loaded with around 2.3m barrels of crude has been damaged in an explosion in waters off Oman, in the Gulf Strait of Hormuz and that the owners of the vessel were blaming the blast on a possible terrorist attack.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Transport, one of the 31 crew aboard was injured but no oil leaked from the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). The ministry also said that the cause of the explosion was still unclear.

It is worth mentioning that in recent past, Al-Qaeda has threatened to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a route used by some 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil.

Iraq/Terrorism: Bomb kills five in Baghdad

Iraqi Police stated that a bomb planted in the middle of a road exploded on Wednesday, killing five and wounding 12 other persons who were standing in a line to collect their pensions outside a state-owned bank in the Sadr City slum, located in a Shi'ite area of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, 16 people were killed during rocket attacks launched by militants near the offices of the Department of Immigration in Karbala late on Tuesday.

Moreover, the Major-General Othman al-Ghanimi, Chief Commander of the Iraqi Army in Karbala reported that an Iraqi military helicopter mandated to provide air protection to pilgrims crashed west of the city, 80 km southwest of Baghdad, killing the five-man crew. First reports indicate the aircraft was downed by a sandstorm, but nevertheless, investigation regarding the crash is ongoing and not ruling out other potential causes.

It is worth mentioning that earlier on Monday, at least 20 mainly Shi'ite pilgrims have been killed and 54 others wounded when two bombs exploded near Karbala.

Mexico/Organised Crime: Police find human heads dumped near Durango

Mexican Authorities stated that eight human heads were found on Tuesday in four separate locations near roadsides outside the northern city of Durango.

The Durango State Prosecutor's Office said police found the heads within the time interval of two and a half hours due to anonymous tip-offs. The victims were males thought to have been aged between 25 and 30.

It is worth mentioning that the severed human heads were found two days after the arrest of the warden of the Cereso 2 Prison in Gomez Palacio, Durango, on accusations of having allowed inmates to leave the facility to carry out killings.

The state of Durango has been the scene of clashes in recent months between the rival Gulf and Sinaloa drug cartels.

France/Security: French detectives put on leave after death threats

Media reported on Wednesday that almost an entire Detective Squad in the French city of Grenoble has been put on leave after officers had received death threats from underworld figures.

Reportedly, three officers involved in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Karim Boudouda earlier this month have been moved out of the unit and another 20 were put on leave following the recent developments.

Moreover, French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to wage war on the criminals after the death threats, while troops are carrying operations to identify and capture them.

In the past week there have been running battles between police and rioters in the city, following the fatal shooting of Boudouda, one of two men suspected of holding up a casino at Uriage-les-Bains, near Grenoble and whom police were pursuing early on 16 July.

Sudan/Russia/Insurgency: Hijacked Russian helicopter returns to base

The Russian Aviation Company UTAir announced on Tuesday that a helicopter belonging to the company that was previously reported to have been abducted by terrorists in the Sudanese region of Darfur has returned to its permanent base.

Reportedly, the helicopter was not damaged and the crew and passengers are safe.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Darfur rebels had abducted on Monday the respective aircraft with four Russian crew members and five Sudanese passengers on board.

The helicopter was on a joint peacekeeping mission of the United Nations and the African Union in Darfur.

Afghanistan/Terrorism: Bomb blast kills 25 bus passengers in Delaram

Afghan Officials stated that at least 25 Afghan passengers have been killed and over a dozen wounded when their bus was hit by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Reportedly, the bus was on its way from Delaram district, about 700 kilometres from the capital, Kabul, when it hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Ghulam Dastgir Azaad, the Governor of Nimroz said the explosion went off shortly after NATO forces had patrolled the area.

However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Sudan/Russia/Insurgency: Terrorists hijack helicopter in Durfur

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that terrorists in the Sudanese Darfur region on Monday hijacked a helicopter of the Russian UT Air company with four Russian crew members and five Sudanese passengers on board.

According to the ministry, there were no casualties reported and the helicopter was not damaged.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian embassy in Khartoum is taking urgent steps to clarify the situation and promote the release of the hostages.

Egypt/Insurgency: Armed Bedouin hijack bus in Sinai

Security and tribal sources reported that armed and masked Bedouin tribe members hijacked a bus from an industrial area in Egypt's central Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday.

According to sources, the bus was carrying 30 employees of Sinai Cement who were dumped before the hijackers fled with the vehicle.

Police have launched a manhunt to nab the culprits. An official at Sinai Cement, the local unit of France's Vicat said the firm was not immediately aware of the hijacking.

Police detained thousands of Bedouins, members of nomadic Arab tribes of Sinai, after a series of bombings at tourist resorts in south Sinai in 2004-2006. Government Authorities accuse the Bedouin of involvement in weapons and drug smuggling from Sinai to Israel and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Sudan/Germany/Insurgency: German aid workers released in Darfur

UN Official stated that two German aid workers kidnapped in Darfur have been released on Tuesday and are in good health.

The officials said the workers were released on Tuesday morning and are with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also confirmed the report. He said two men are now in the care of Sudanese authorities and are being brought to the country's capital, Khartoum.

The aid workers, employed by German non-governmental organization Technisches Hilfswerk (THW), were abducted on June 22 along with their Sudanese security guard by gunmen wearing in civilian clothes.

Iraq/Terrorism: Twin bomb blasts killed 40 in Karbala

Media reported that twin bomb blasts killed 40 people in the Shi’ite holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on Monday.

Reportedly, in the first incident, a suicide bomber killed 18 people and left at least 47 wounded when he blew himself up in the middle of a large group of pilgrims. According to officials, most of the killed and wounded are policemen and civilians.

Minutes later a car bomb exploded some 300 metres away from the initial blast, killing at least other 22 people.

As a reminder, earlier on Monday, four people were killed and ten others injured when a suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden vehicle outside the Baghdad bureau of Al Arabiya television channel. 

Azerbaijan/Armenia/Security: Ceasefire breaks on the border

The Defence Ministry of Azerbaijan announced that Armenian Armed Forces have violated ceasefire after firing in Azerbaijan's Khojavend region on Tuesday.

According to Defence Ministry, Armenian Armed Forces fired at Azerbaijani positions at Seysulan and Goyarkh villages of Tartar region, Kehne Gishlag village of Agstafa from their posts at Paravakar village of Ijevan, Armenia.

Azerbaijani troops responded the fire. No casualties were reported.

The ongoing dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh region has been at the core of bitter conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The countries have been immersed in peace talks since 1994, mediated by the OSCE Minsk group.

Yemen/Terrorism: Terrorists fire at British Embassy in Sana’a

Yemeni Police stated that suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorists opened fire at the British Embassy in the capital Sana’a late on Monday.

According to officials, the gunmen fired a Rocket-propelled Grenade (RPG) at the main gate of the British embassy from a vehicle and then managed to flee the scene. Reportedly, the splinters of a projectile were found inside the embassy, but no casualties were reported.

Earlier on Sunday, six Yemeni soldiers guarding an oil company were killed when a group of suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen attempted to raid the company in Shabwa.

Afghanistan/United States/United Kingdom/Terrorism: US Sailor's body recovered, British soldier killed

NATO spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale stated on Tuesday that non-commissioned officer, Justin McNeley, 30, one of the two US sailors missing in Kabul since last week has been confirmed dead and his body has been recovered in eastern Afghanistan, while the search continues for the other one.

The two Navy Sailors went missing on Friday in the eastern province of Logar, after an armoured sport utility vehicle had been seen driving into a Taleban-held area. Later on Monday, the terrorists claimed that they had killed one of the two men in a fire fight and captured the other.

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence announced that a British soldier was killed on Monday in an explosion in the Sangin area of Helmand province in Afghanistan.

The soldier is the sixteenth Briton to be killed in Afghanistan this month. The British death toll in the country since 2001 now stands at 325.