At least three Interior Ministry troops were killed and another three were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a Grozny department store on Monday, investigators said.

The attack occurred around 12:40 p.m. at the entrance to the Voentorg department store on the outskirts of Chechnya’s capital, the Investigative Committee said in a statement carried by Interfax.

[Read more…]

The Governor of the south-eastern province of Hakkari, Orhan Alimoglu on Sunday said that 6 troops and 2 village guards were killed in a clash with PKK terrorists in Gecimli village.

The clash erupted after terrorists attacked a military outpost in Gecimli village late on Saturday.

[Read more…]

100,000 troops put on standby as Turkish army units are moving toward Syrian border on Monday.

Turkey is deploying more troops to the border, sending tanks, armored combat vehicles, more missile launchers and infantry troops, the state-run Anadolu agency reported.

Turkish local press reports said Monday that all units of the Turkish Land Forces’ 2nd Army Command have been put on standby.

[Read more…]

The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, said yesterday it was “probable” that foreign powers would intervene in Mali, where militants linked to al-Qa’ida control significant territory.

“At one moment or another there will probably be the use of force,” Mr Fabius said. He noted that intervention would be African-led but supported by international forces.

[Read more…]

A statement from the Turkish military confirmed that the jets had been scrambled after three near-violations of its territory by Syrian helicopters on Saturday.

Tensions between the former allies have been drastically raised since Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance plane last month.

Turkey admitted the plane may have briefly entered Syrian airspace but insisted it was in international airspace by the time it was shot down over the Mediterranean, with the two pilots still missing.

[Read more…]