Showing posts with label Hostages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hostages. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Jordan: Gunmen Kill Five, Canadian woman among them, Reportedly Take Tourists Hostage in Crusader Castle.


Jordan: Gunmen Kill Five, Canadian woman among them, Reportedly Take Tourists Hostage in Crusader Castle. (AlJazeera).

At least five people have been killed in drive-by shootings by unidentified fighters, apparently targeting police patrols, in the southern Jordanian city of Al-Karak, security officials said.

"Four of the dead are policemen and one is a female Canadian tourist," an unnamed security source told AFP news agency, adding that nine others were wounded in the attacks.

Several tourists were believed to be trapped inside the city's crusader castle where fighters have taken refuge and were surrounded by police, security sources told Reuters news agency.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate said.


Officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, fighters fired on a security patrol in Al-Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

In a third incident, armed men opened fire on a police station in Al-Karak Castle, a Crusader fort popular with tourists, wounding members of the security forces.

At least seven people have been killed in shootings by unidentified fighters, apparently targeting police patrols and tourists, in the southern Jordanian city of Al-Karak, security officials said.

Jordan's general security department said four policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in the series of shootings. Several others were reported wounded.

The ministry said "five or six gunmen" were thought to be involved in the shootings.

However, Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the attacks, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel".

  UPDATE!
Tweet below translation: Video from inside Karak castle appears to show police (and excited citizens?) evacuating a foreigner
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Friday, February 26, 2016

MLNF: 'NO negotiations for the IS western (Canadian) hostages in the Philippines in Five months'


MLNF confirms NO negotiations for the IS western (Canadian) hostages in the Philippines. (MB).

Amid the election fever, a senior leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has raised concern over the welfare of at least five foreigners and some Filipinos still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)  in Sulu.

“I don’t really know for sure, but it seems the government has forgotten the foreign and local hostages,” the MNLF leader, who asked not to be named, asserted.

He said the case of the hostages still being held by the ASG may have been lost in “the ongoing election campaign and the military offensive in Sulu.”

The foreign hostages he was referring to include three foreigners – Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, and Canadian Kjartan Sekkingtad – and a Filipina, Maritess Flor.

A Dutch bird watcher, Ewold Horn, is also among the foreign hostages after he and Filipino colleague, Lorenzo Vinciguerra were abducted in Tawi-Tawi four years ago. Vinciguerra has since been able to escape from their captors.

There, too, is Italian Rolando del Torchio, a former priest who now owns a pizza parlor in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. He was kidnapped in October last year.

The MNLF leader said he believed that the foreign captives were all with various ASG sub-groups scattered in Sulu and are being dragged around in the jungles as the bandits try to elude relentless military offensives.

ASG sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, whose group is holding the four Samal Island captives, had earlier demanded a P3-billion ransom for the three foreigners, which he later reduced to P900 million.

He said he spoke with them and asked if there was any ongoing negotiation or effort to secure the hostages’ freedom.“My friends told me that, at present, there was no negotiation,” the MNLF leader in Sulu said. Hmmm......It seems saving Canadian hostages is not on Trudeau's priority list. Read the full story here.

Related: 
Militants in Philippines demand huge ransom for kidnapped Canadians

HT And Source:
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Friday, November 20, 2015

Gunmen seize hostages at Radisson hotel in capital of Mali, Reports say 80 hostages freed so far - Live updates.



Gunmen seize hostages at Radisson hotel in capital of Mali, Reports say 170 people are being held hostage. (RT).(FR24).

Automatic weapons fire broke out in the luxury 190-room hotel, where security forces have set up a security cordon, according to witnesses. At least two private security guards at the hotel were injured in the attack, the hotel’s security chief told Reuters.

"A hostage-taking or attempted hostage-taking is in progress," said FRANCE 24 correspondent Serge Daniel, reporting from Bamako shortly after gunfire broke out in the Malian capital. Daniel said that security forces had established a security perimeter and that the hotel was "completely sealed off".

Five of the six Turkish Airlines staff who had been held at hostage at the Radisson Blue hotel in Bamako have been released according to reports from Al Jazeera. There had earlier been reports that three of the airline employees had managed to escape from the hotel.

Malian security forces have arrived at the site, which is located just west of the city centre near ministry headquarters and diplomatic missions. Nearly two hours after the attack began, a security source told the AFP that security officials escorted two women out of the building.

"It's all happening on the seventh floor, jihadists are firing in the corridor," a security source told AFP.

Witnesses told FRANCE 24's Daniel that the attackers arrived at the hotel in a car with diplomatic license plates.

There were conflicting reports on the number of gunmen at the hotel. A Radisson employee at the site told the French weekly, Jeune Afrique, that three heavily armed men entered the building around 7am local time.

 A security source however told Reuters that as many as 10 gunmen stormed the building, firing shots and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” in Arabic.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, which runs the hotel, issued a statement saying that, “as per our information two persons have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees,"

The Radisson Blu is one of Bamako’s most exclusive hotels, which hosts a number of international visitors and business people. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua said several Chinese tourists were among those trapped inside the building.

The US Embassy in Bamako issued a statement on Twitter stating that it was aware of an, “ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel”. Another message said, “The U.S. Embassy staff has been asked to shelter in place. All U.S. citizens should shelter in place.”

Update:
Terrorist group behind the attack is reportedly 'Ansar al-Din' Meaning 'Defenders of the faith. 


































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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Militants attack Tunisian Parl, Bardo museum, take tourists hostage, deaths reported.









Militants disguised as soldiers attack Tunisian Parliament, Bardo museum, take tourists hostage.(RT).

Reports suggest the Tunisian Parliament and a museum next door have come under attack, with lawmakers saying gunfire can be heard at the scene.Local reporters tweet militants entered the Bardo Museum through the parliament taking several tourists hostage.

Militants dressed as soldiers are attacking the Tunisian parliament, local journalists say.

Several tourists have been taken hostage, according to Radio Mosaique FM. They are being held in the Bardo Museum.

Lawmakers confirmed to AFP gunfire was heard. However, it is not clear whether shots were fired inside the parliament or the museum next door.

According to Tunisia's Radio Mosaique, Interior Ministry spokesman Moahmmed Ali al-Arwi said some tourists were injured and had been rushed to hospital. He reportedly said police had surrounded two or three attackers inside the museum.

Radio Mosaique FM, who has a reporter at the scene, also says there were two or three militants taking part in the attack; they were disguised as soldiers.Reuters reports a large police presence outside Bardo as they are evacuating the parliament building after an exchange of gunfire outside the premises.




















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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Iraqi official acknowledges killing of one of the hostages and their presence in Iraq


Iraqi official acknowledges killing of one of the hostages and their presence in Iraq.(NCRI).

Mullahs’ regime official news agency (IRNA) reported from Baghdad on Wednesday, December 25, quoting an Iraqi “knowledgeable official” that the body of Niknam (Mohammad Ratebi), one of the seven hostages abducted in Ashraf on September 1, is in Baghdad and in the hands of Government of Iraq and among other victims. The said official described “Niknam” as PMOI strategist.

This is a clear acknowledgement by Government of Iraq to this reality that the hostages are in Iraq and are threatened with torture and death. Previously, the Iranian Resistance had declared in numerous statements in detail that the hostages are in Iraq and held by forces under Maliki’s command.

This is while a senior State Department official, declared in a hearing at the House Middle East Subcommittee of Foreign Affairs Committee on November 13 that “We can’t pinpoint where the people are... the 7 people, they are not in Iraq.”

 Foreign Policy of December 17 wrote on this matter that “U.S. intelligence officials believe… Iranian commandos and fighters from the country’s Iraqi proxies also abducted seven MEK members and smuggled them back to Iran.

The missing MEK supporters haven’t been seen or heard from since the attack.” Foreign Policy that was quoting three intelligence officials emphasized that “Iraqi soldiers didn't get in the way of what was happening at Ashraf” and noted that intelligence officials “say at the missing MEK members might have been executed shortly after being brought into Iran or imprisoned in secret facilities for interrogation”.

 Iraqi official’s acknowledgement today (Wednesday, December 25) on the killing of one of the hostages is irrefutable evidence on the presence of hostages in Iraq. To save the lives of the other hostages, it is now very essential and vital that the U.S. government and its intelligence organizations provide all their information and discoveries on the hostages and on the attack on Ashraf with complete transparency and not allow the truth to be sacrificed for political considerations as in cases such as the terrorist attack on the U.S. representation in Benghazi.

Once again, the Iranian Resistance underlines the imperative for an independent and thorough investigation by the United Nations and the introduction of the perpetrators of crime against humanity and their referral to the International Criminal Court.Hmmm.....Somehow i don't think pres Obama wants anything to come between his 'Turkish bazaar deal' with Iran.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

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Friday, April 27, 2012

UK - Siege on Tottenham Court Road ends: Police arrest man who stormed office building 'with gas canisters strapped to his body



UK - Siege on Tottenham Court Road ends: Police arrest man who stormed office building 'with gas canisters strapped to his body.(DM).The man who bought the heart of London to a standstill today when he stormed a building allegedly strapped with gas canisters and taking four men hostage has been arrested. The man has been arrested and was seen being taken shirtless into a police van at around 3pm, as officers begin methodically checking the building in Tottenham Court Road for explosives. Thousands of people were evacuated at around midday after after the man, said to be carrying gas canisters and a blow torch, stormed the offices of an HGV firm and threatened to spark a deadly blast. The man, who identified himself as Michael Green, is understood to have taken four hostages after entering the offices of the training firm amid claims he had twice failed HGV driving tests and wanted his money back. He apparently stormed into the logistics office yelling: ‘I have nothing more to live for.’ 
Officers, including marksmen, explosives experts and police negotiators, rushed to the scene shortly after noon and ordered the evacuation of at least 1,000 office workers and many more shoppers and tourists in the area. As they cordoned off the scene, the man started hurling objects - including computers and filing cabinets - came flying from a fifth-floor window as terrified workers left the building with their hands up. The man was in the building for two-and-a-half hours, and negotiators are believed to be talking to him by telephone.
A police spokesman said: 'Officers are in attendance at an incident in Tottenham Court Road where a man, believed to be aged 49, is causing a disturbance. 'Police were called at 11.59 on Friday 27 April to an office building. Items, including electrical equipment, have been thrown out of a fifth-floor window. 'A 300m cordon has been put in place and a negotiator is on scene.' Abby Baafi, 27, the head of training and operations at Advantage, a company which offers HGV courses, said the man had targeted her offices and was currently holding four men hostage. The hostages are believed to include including the company director and three salesmen. She told the Huffington Post: 'We were in the office and someone came in. I recognised him because he was one of our previous customers. 'He came in with big gasoline cylinders strapped to his body and threatened to blow up the office. 'He said he doesn’t care about his life, he doesn’t care about anything, he just wants to blow up the office. ‘He was specifically looking for me but I didn’t say my name was Abby and he let me go because I am three months pregnant.' She later said the man had taken mobile phones from the hostages.
A KFC worker, Arti Pal, 23, said: 'It all kicked off at about 12.30. Police came in and told customers they could no longer order food and that they had to get out. Ms O'Meara said the atmosphere had been 'tragi-comic' until the police arrived and it turned serious. 'He was throwing stuff out of the windows, it looked like someone with a grievance,' she added. 'But then the police arrived and started telling everyone: "This is serious, this is for your own safety. He has got gas".' A police cordon was in place from Store Street to the south of the incident. Dozens of onlookers watched and took photographs with their mobile phones. Five marked police cars and vans could be seen lining Tottenham Court Road, as well as four ambulances. Unmarked police vehicles also drove up to the scene and three London buses were stopped in the road with their amber lights flashing. A police negotiator was seen speaking to the officers guarding the cordon, and he was given directions to the scene. 'Abby Baafi told us she told suspect she was three months pregnant to escape. 'Abby told us she'd met suspect before.'Read and see (Video's) the full story here.
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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's son barred from leaving Egypt.


Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's son barred from leaving Egypt.(Fox).By Judson Berger.The son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is among several Americans who have been barred from leaving Egypt following a raid on advocacy groups last month.
Sam LaHood has been the director of the International Republican Institute's Egypt program since late 2010. The IRI's offices, as well as the offices of nine other nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, were raided by the Egyptian government last month.
But the IRI found out over the weekend that the Egyptian government has gone on to create a "no-exit list" as part of that investigation. And Sam LaHood is on it.When he tried to fly out of Egypt on Saturday for what was described as a "routine trip out of the country," LaHood was told he could not travel, according to Scott Mastic, director of IRI's Middle East division."He was told by the airport official that they have received instructions not to let him pass through passport control," Mastic said.
Though he said the organization has not been able to see the whole no-exit list, IRI has learned that five of its members, including three Americans, are on it. Other non-Americans are also on the list. The existence of the list was confirmed by the group's legal counsel in Egypt, Mastic said.
The no-exit list is the latest development in the fallout from the raids, which the Obama administration has condemned.Given the existence of the no-exit list, he said the groups are concerned about “further escalation.”"We are very concerned about finding that there is a list preventing Americans from leaving Egypt," Mastic said. "We are actively working to ask that this no-fly list be lifted, be removed."Mastic said his organization has been told the no-exit list would be lifted, but expressed doubt – given that prior assurances that the Egyptian government would return confiscated materials so far have not been honored."Frankly, at this point, we don't have a lot of faith that that will happen in short order, because there's just not been any signs of positive progress since the initial raids," he said.LaHood used to work as a press officer in the State Department.Hmmmm.....Perhaps Obama could give them an extra few $ Billion?Read the full story here.
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