Explosion Targets Hezbollah Official in Damascus

The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
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Explosion Targets Hezbollah Official in Damascus

The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)

An explosive device detonated on Saturday in a car in the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus where the headquarters of the Iranian embassy and other foreign missions are located.

The official SANA news agency quoted a source at the Damascus Police Command as saying: “The sound of the explosion that was heard in the Mazzeh area resulted from the explosion of an explosive device in a vehicle in Al-Huda Square,” pointing to material damage.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the bomb was placed inside a black Jeep near a restaurant, less than two kilometers from the Iranian embassy.

No information has been received so far about human losses, nor the identity of the targeted person. The owner of the vehicle was not in his car at the time of the explosion.

The monitor suggested that the target was a Lebanese figure working with Hezbollah, adding that many pro-Iranian figures and Syrian regime officers reside in Mazzeh.

The explosion occurred amid intense tension after Iran pledged to respond to an air strike that targeted its consulate in Damascus and was attributed to Israel.

The attack that destroyed the Iranian consulate, adjacent to the embassy building, on April 1, led to the death of seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including two senior officers.



Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)

Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain sparked controversy when he revealed that 50,000 Pakistanis have gone missing in Iraq over the years.

He urged the Baghdad government to immediately launch a probe into how the Pakistanis entered Iraq to visit religious sites during the month of Muharram, he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Ummat newspaper.

Islamabad is investigating how people have traveled outside Pakistan through illegal means, he remarked.

The permanent committee for religious affairs and interfaith harmony has since proposed new policies for trips to holy sites in foreign countries, including Iraq.

In Iraq, the minister’s comments drew mockery and condemnation on social media and sparked renewed debate over illegal workers in the country.

Politician Mishaan al-Juburi urged the government to make a statement over Hussain’s comments, warning that they may impact security and the labor force.

Hussain’s comments coincided with Iraqi police announcing the arrest of six Pakistanis in Baghdad on charges of theft.

Previously, military intelligence also announced the arrest of a nine-member Pakistani kidnapping and extortion gang in Baghdad. The gang had kidnapped foreigners for ransom.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi expressed his concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in Iraq.

He said his ministry will investigate the disappearance of the Pakistanis.

He confirmed that several tourists, including Pakistanis, have flocked to Iraq in recent days, and many have taken up employment without the necessary legal permits.

He warned that this phenomenon is negatively impacting the national economy.

The ministry will not be lenient in taking the necessary legal measures against the violators, he vowed.

Iraq welcomes all tourists, whether they are here on a religious visit or otherwise, but they must respect local laws and regulations, declared Asadi.

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.