Blasts in Turkey kill policemen, soldiers
DIYARBAKIR (Turkey) • Two bomb attacks blamed on Kurdish militants killed seven members of the security forces and wounded 224 people in south-east Turkey yesterday, officials and security sources said, in a renewed escalation of violence across the region.
A car bomb ripped through a police station in the city of Elazig at 9.20am as officers arrived for work. Three police officers were killed and 217 people were wounded, 85 of them police officers, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said.
Less than four hours later, a roadside bomb believed to have been planted by Kurdistan Workers Party militants tore through a military vehicle in the Hizan district of Bitlis province, security sources said.
REUTERS
'Carrot and stick' policy for West Bank
JERUSALEM • Israel's hardline Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has a new "carrot and stick" policy for the West Bank that will penalise the hometowns of Palestinian attackers while rewarding others, his ministry said yesterday.
Under the policy, Palestinian families, villages and towns that are linked to attackers will face extra punitive measures, while those that are not will receive increased economic support.
The policy is dependent on support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Mr Lieberman said he had already received.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Qatar Airways jet in emergency landing
DOHA • A Qatar Airways aircraft made an emergency landing at Istanbul's Ataturk airport yesterday because of a suspected bird strike shortly after take-off, according to a spokesman for the airline.
The Airbus A-330 bound for Doha landed safely and passengers disembarked as normal, the Gulf airline said in a statement. The spokesman could not confirm a report by broadcaster CNN Turk that one of the plane's engines caught fire.
The pilot followed all proper safety procedures, Qatar Airways said. The plane was carrying 298 passengers and 14 crew, according to the airline.
REUTERS
Going the distance to solve 3-feet case
LONDON • British police were putting in the legwork yesterday to track down the owners of three severed human feet found in mysterious circumstances.
The feet were found in and around the tourist spa town of Bath, south-west England - and now detectives are taking steps to track down their rightful owners. The first foot was found in February, with two more discovered in July and this month.
A comprehensive investigation concluded that the first foot was more than likely to be an exhibit from a medical or educational establishment and was not the result of a crime. Ongoing tests on the other two feet are expected to reach the same conclusion.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
