Latest news with #Kalashnikov
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Israeli strike at Gaza market kills 18 Palestinians, witnesses say
Israeli strike at Gaza market kills 18 Palestinians, witnesses say GAZA — At least 18 Palestinians have been killed after an Israeli drone strike targeted a Hamas police unit attempting to assert control over a market in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, a doctor and eyewitnesses told the BBC. Eyewitnesses said Israeli drones fired at members of a Hamas police force, dressed in civilian clothing and wearing masks, who were confronting vendors they accused of price gouging and selling goods looted from aid trucks. The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior condemned the strike, accusing Israel of committing "a new crime against a police unit tasked with maintaining public order". The BBC has contacted the Israeli military for comment. One eyewitness told the BBC clashes broke out on Thursday after police confronted the vendors, with the unit commander shouting: "Either sell at a fair price or we will confiscate the goods."Some of the vendors then "pulled out handguns and one man had a Kalashnikov", the eyewitness drones then fired two missiles, local residents footage from the aftermath shows bodies strewn on the ground and panicked shoppers screaming, as ambulances rush to attend to those injured.A doctor at Deir al-Balah's Al-Aqsa Hospital told the BBC 18 bodies were brought to the morgue there. It was not immediately clear how many of those killed were police incident came as civilians in Gaza continued to struggle to access food, with near daily shootings reported at and around US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites in south and central Gaza, and the limited goods available in markets selling for highly inflated GHF - which has been accused of violating humanitarian principles by international aid groups - received a further $30m in funding on Thursday from the US, which has supported Israeli efforts to see it become the largest aid organisation in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of "once again taking control of humanitarian aid... and stealing it from civilians" in northern Gaza, as he gave the military two days to devise an "action plan" to prevent came after video footage was filmed on Wednesday of a truck convoy carrying aid into northern Gaza, after entering through the Zikim gate, with armed and masked men on far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir shared the video on social media, saying Hamas was "taking control of the food and goods" and calling on Netanyahu to halt the entry of aid into has denied stealing or profiting from aid, and Gaza's higher committee for tribal affairs - a non-Hamas affiliated committee created during the war - also dismissed Israel's "false claims" in a statement on Thursday."The securing of aid has been carried out purely through tribal efforts," it a warehouse in Gaza City on Thursday, thousands of aid parcels were political officials were present but said their role was "supervisory", with an NGO in charge of distributing some 6,000 food parcels."This morning, when I woke up to the message telling me to go get aid, all my children, young and old, started singing and dancing with joy. I pray to God that this blessing remains with us," one woman waiting for food there on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its first medical shipment into Gaza since 2 March had been delivered on trucks carrying medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma were transported without any looting "despite the high-risk conditions", WHO's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added the amount was "only a drop in the ocean".The blood and plasma were delivered to Nasser Medical Complex for onward distribution to hospitals "facing critical shortages amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at food distribution sites", he Thursday's strike at the market, at least 14 Palestinians had been killed and dozens injured in Israeli military attacks across Gaza since midnight, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Civil Defence teams evacuated 14 bodies, including those of three Palestinians who were waiting for humanitarian aid near the Wadi Gaza bridge close to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.A medical source at Al-Awda Hospital nearby confirmed that three Palestinians were killed and several others injured by Israeli gunfire near the Wadi Gaza said Israeli drones opened fire at a big crowd of civilians reportedly waiting for humanitarian aid at the time of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that overnight, a gathering was identified in an area adjacent to troops in the Netzarim corridor, and troops fired warning shots to prevent suspects from approaching IDF said it was aware of reports regarding the number of injured individuals in the area, but said an initial inquiry suggested the number does not align with the IDF's information. However, the details of the incident are under additional review, the IDF five people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced families in western Gaza the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, five members of the Abu Arab family were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a tent sheltering displaced persons. Another Palestinian was also killed in a strike that hit a tent in were wounded in the IDF said it was looking into these reports, but requested specific coordinates and times. In general, the IDF said it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities".The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken least 56,259 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. — BBC
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
A gunman massacred tourists on a beach. Ten years later, they're coming back
On a hot June day in 2015, a man dressed in black walked along the beach outside the five-star Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse. It was almost noon, peak sunbathing time, and he was carrying a parasol. Nobody paid him much attention. Over the next 30 minutes, Seifeddine Rezgui rampaged with the Kalashnikov assault rifle that had been hidden in the parasol, shooting indiscriminately into crowds of tourists and anyone who crossed his path. By the time he was killed by Tunisian security forces, 23-year-old Rezgui had murdered 38 people and left another 39 wounded. Of the dead, 30 were British. It was the biggest loss of British life to terrorism since the 7/7 bombings in London in July 2005. For Tunisians and the tourism they rely on, it was devastating. 'The attack fully destroyed it as a destination. All the airlines pulled out, nobody wanted to go,' Nicholas Smith, Holidays Digital Director at Thomas Cook and eSky Group, tells Metro. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Before Sousse, tourism accounted for around 14% of Tunisia's GDP, employing almost half a million people from a population of 11 million. Confidence in the sector had been shaken three months before, when two Tunisian suicide attackers killed 22 tourists at the Bardo museum in the capital, Tunis. After the massacre in Sousse, a resort town where 90% of residents worked in tourism, directly or indirectly, it collapsed. Tour operators across the UK, Ireland and Europe suspended charters, spelling the end of Tunisia as a package holiday destination for years. After the Foreign Office advised against travel, hotels and restaurants that relied on footfall from foreigners were forced to close, and local heroes who formed human shields to save guests from Rezgui's bullets lost their jobs. The town, residents said, felt like it was dying. 'Everyone had a hard time,' says content creator Hamza Jabri, 33. 'Some started selling things on the street, others had to get help from their family or their neighbours. People had to find new ways to support themselves.' In 2014, the year before the attacks, 430,000 British tourists visited Tunisia. In 2017, there were 28,000. It was almost three years after Rezgui opened fire before travel operators cautiously returned. While the Tunisian government provided support payments and training to help the unemployed find new jobs, Covid dealt a double blow to a region already on its knees. 'It was a tough time, but people did their best to keep going,' Hamza says, resolutely. And today, against the odds, the future looks bright. Flights have resumed, and budget behemoths like easyJet are luring budget-conscious travellers with attractively priced packages. Luxury is accessible, with five-star hotels offering rooms for a fraction of the price you'd pay in Greece or Turkey. In 2024, Tunisia welcomed 10.25 million visitors; put in context, Morocco saw 17 million and Egypt 15.7 million. Like it does for dozens of countries, the Foreign Office still advises against travel to parts of Tunisia (mostly near the border with Libya). However, British officials say the country has made huge progress in counter-terrorism since the 2015 attacks, and Nicholas has seen proof in holiday spots such as Djerba, Sousse and Port El Kantaoui. 'The tourism board has done a lot to repair its image,' he says. 'They've spent a lot of money to make guests feel safe.' More Trending Most of that investment has been on security. But do people want to holiday in a place swarming with armed security and gendarmerie on jet skis patrolling the shore? 'Look, there's been a push for visible security, and there is some, but it's subtle,' says Smith. 'You can still get out and about, you're not locked up in a resort.' Tunisia clocked a record start to 2025, with a surge in year-on-year visitors from January to April, and Tunisians are thrilled to see them returning. 'Tourism is not just coming back, it's evolving,' says Hamza. 'I see more people returning every year, and now they're looking for authentic experiences, not just beach holidays.' MORE: 'Neo-nazi' teen wanted to go on 'terrorist rampage inspired by Jo Cox murder' MORE: Sleeper cells are lurking in the UK — experts reveal how worried we should be MORE: Is it safe to travel to Egypt? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after Iran strikes US airbase
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I saw hotel terror attack aftermath firsthand - bravery shone amid bloodshed'
The sunbeds were still spattered with blood on Sousse beach when we arrived to witness the aftermath of the attack. There were paperbacks strewn across the sand where victims fell as a Jihadist gunman pulled out his Kalashnikov. Extremist Seifeddine Rezgui, a 22-year-old electrical engineering student, had massacred 38 tourists 10 years ago today in an attack on a beach outside the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel complex. Sunglasses and sun cream had been left among the personal belongings dropped by tourists fleeing for their lives. Amid the carnage, there was extraordinary bravery. Eyewitnesses told how hotel staff and sunbathers formed a 'human shield' around Brits and foreign tourists in a desperate bid to save them. A bar manager at the Belle Vue hotel, next door to the Imperial Marhaba, told how ordinary Tunisian people had tried to save people in the line of fire. The man, who would give his name only as Houssem, added: 'I was shouting at people 'run, run'. The gunman was laughing as he was shooting, when he had finished and he had killed everyone, he did not care, he did not try to run. 'He threw a mobile phone into the sea, he took it apart, then he came up here step by step and he was smiling, he was happy about what he wanted to do. Everyone was scared, but we did everything we could to stop him.' Brit John Yeoman, from Kettering, posted a photo of Belle Vue staff forming a human shield. He said: "Staff were in a line and they were shouting at him, saying 'we won't let you through'. They shouted: 'You'll have to go through us'. That's why he's got his back turned to them. He tried to get to my hotel and they stood up to him." Young and old, parents and grandparents, a beautician, a nurse, a council worker were all slain by the laughing gunman. Yet Rezgui's family claimed he was a football-loving, typical teenager before he was radicalised on-line by IS, and groomed for murder. His uncle revealed: "We didn't know where he was going, and there were no goodbyes. The entire family is shocked at the hidden reality of what he was capable of." But the killer posted before the massacre: "If love of jihad is a crime the whole world can witness that I am a criminal."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'My idyllic beach holiday ended with a man's blood up my legs - It haunts me'
Nicki Duffield and husband Andrew were enjoying a holiday at the five-star Marhaba Hotel when terrorist gunman Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 tourists in front of them Every day for the past 10 years, Nicki Duffield has suffered flashbacks to the Tunisia terror attacks. The NHS worker and husband Andrew were enjoying a holiday at the five-star Marhaba Hotel in Sousse to celebrate his 56th birthday. Their lives were transformed the moment that terrorist gunman Seifeddine Rezgui, opened fire, killing 38 tourists, including 30 Brits. Nicki's leg was spattered with the blood of one victim as they got up from their sunbeds and ran for their lives. As the families of the British victims mark the 10th anniversary of the atrocity today, Nicki and Andrew, from Watton, Norfolk, will have their own private moment together to remember those who died. Nicki has been diagnosed with severe PTSD, and still has nightmares where Rezgui, armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and grenades, is running amok. Her distinctive beach towel, with a flip flop motif, was used to cover the body of one of the victims. Video footage of the aftermath also shows a victim covered with Andrew's Union flag towel. The images were a terrible reminder of how close they both came to death that day. Nicki is still haunted by the horror of the massacre; she sees a lorry and thinks that Rezgui is driving. She suffers daily trauma despite intensive therapy. The mum-of-three, 60, a NHS ward clerk, saw Rezgui doing a recce of the hotel, dressed as a member of staff, just days before he returned on his murder mission. She said: "I still think of it every day. You just never forget it, not a moment of it. I was by the five-star Marhaba hotel facing the beach so I literally saw everything from my vantage point, I just watched it all unfold. "We were on sun beds, and an ex-military man told us to run because he knew it was gunfire. I remember seeing people scrambling over each other, literally climbing up over each other from the beach to get to the hotel grounds. "We ran up through the hotel. I came home with a man's blood up my legs, he was just shot behind me, and I can see all of that as if it was yesterday. After he was killed, I was out of puff due to asthma, I could not breathe, I told my husband to go ahead without me. But he would not leave me." They ended up huddled inside the hotel gardeners' shed at first, with the sound of a police helicopter overhead and gunfire and hand grenades exploding just outside the door. "It felt like forever," Nicki recalls now. "Time stands still. "It was probably a matter of minutes, less than an hour, before hotel staff told us it was safe and took us to a laundry room. We were in there with a little girl who we knew, she had been playing boules with her gran but they were split up. Then there was the woman whose husband was shot right next to us. She reached out to Andrew and said 'Can you help me? My husband is dead'. "There were three Indian children, an elderly couple clinging on to each other terrified, and staff who barricaded the door. We could hear the gunshots outside but we could not see anything; at one point a man with a black T-shirt and stab vest told us to come out. "I was the first behind him and I was thinking: 'What if he is he is taking us to a firing line?' He had no epaulettes, no uniform, nothing to say he was a police officer. I had seen the gunman (Rezgui) on at the hotel a couple of days before the attack doing a recce of the place. "I recognised him as soon as I saw his picture. He came in dressed in what looked the uniform of the hotel's entertainment staff; they greeted you at breakfast. He was in the same colour vest and T shirt but looking back I realised there no badge or anything on it. "It makes sense because he knew exactly where he was going; he went straight for the indoor pool shot people in there and then ran up to the main lobby. We had been in the hotel a week before we found the indoor pool. "I had hoped to go back to Tunisia this year, to lay the ghosts to rest and pay my respects. But it it is still too raw, I am still having treatment for anxiety and stress; 10 years on, I still cannot face a return. "My son is in the military, he has been to Afghanistan three times, he said to me: 'You were on holiday, you were totally unprepared'. Since then, it has been like reliving a nightmare every day. I see a lorry coming towards me and I think the driver is the gunman. There is always something that reminds you." Andrew, 66, who has just retired as a civil engineer, believes they were lucky to survive. They will be 'thinking of those who did not make it' today. "I looked after the wife of the man who died right next to us," he said. "When we came out of the hotel, his body was there covered. You cannot imagine going through something like that. I held her hand; some people just could not do anything, they were frozen by fear. I tried to do my bit , I was trying to help them. In terms of our Government, we have had no support for the past 10 years." In 2022, holiday giant TUI and Irwin Mitchell, the law firm representing more than 80 claimants, released a joint statement stating they had reached a settlement "without admission of liability or fault", bringing the legal action which followed the Sousse attack to an end. Islamic State jihadist Rezgui was shot dead by police at the scene. Four militants were jailed for life for their part in the attack in 2019.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Siblings held for blackmailing women
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Rawalpindi has arrested three siblings involved in blackmailing women by secretly recording and storing inappropriate videos and images. According to officials, the group — comprising two sisters and a brother — befriended unsuspecting women and introduced them to the male sibling. Once trust was established, the trio manipulated the victims into situations where compromising content could be secretly recorded. This material was later used to threaten the victims and demand money. On the complaint of one of the victims, Additional Director Mehmoodul Hassan Satti instructed Circle In-charge Nadeem Ahmed Khan to conduct a thorough inquiry. After confirming the allegations, authorities registered a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and other relevant laws. The accused were apprehended using modern digital tracking and intelligence-based operations. Officials recovered mobile phones from the suspects containing explicit videos, images, and chat records. The recovered material is currently undergoing forensic analysis, and further investigations are underway to identify any additional suspects. Four held in raids A team from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) faced armed resistance while conducting a raid to arrest proclaimed offenders on Chakri Road in Rawalpindi. The operation resulted in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of illegal weapons. According to police sources, the CTD team was acting on intelligence, indicating the presence of six proclaimed offenders at the camp of Arshad Bhatti. As the team approached the location, Bhatti reportedly shouted, "Mushtaq, run, the police have arrived," alerting the suspects, who managed to flee through a back exit. During the raid, two armed individuals — Farhan Akbar and Qasim — attempted to resist the arrest but were successfully arrested by the officers. Shortly after, Qaiser Mahmood and Wajid Mahmood arrived in a vehicle and tried to block the road to obstruct the police operation. They, too, were overpowered and taken into custody. A total of two Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition were recovered from their possession. CTD SP stated that the arrested accused will be fined before the court with concrete evidence to ensure justice is served. He added that operations against possession groups and proclaimed offenders will continue.
