Baghdad, July 11 (IANS) Eight people were killed and three injured in two car accidents in north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a police source said.

In one accident, three civilians and an army officer were killed when two civilian cars collided on a road near a village located south of the northern city of Kirkuk, Major Sabah al-Obaidi from Kirkuk police told Xinhua news agency.

The accident resulted in the wounding of another army officer and two civilians, al-Obaidi said, adding that the accident was a result of overtaking.

In a separate accident, four civilians were killed when two cars collided on the main road between Kirkuk and Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin province, al-Obaidi added, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last month, Abdul-Zahara al-Hindawi, spokesman of the Ministry of Planning, said a ministry report showed that 11,552 traffic accidents occurred in 2023 in Iraq, with 3,019 people killed, mainly due to negligence of traffic rules and deteriorating road conditions.

–IANS

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Islamabad, July 11 (IANS) Four security personnel and three terrorists were killed in a clash in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an army statement has said.

The Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, said on Wednesday that the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Hassan Khel area of Peshawar district of the province on the reported presence of a high-profile terrorist, reports Xinhua news agency.

During the conduct of the operation, after a fire exchange, three terrorists were killed, including a terrorist commander, said the ISPR, adding that four security personnel also lost their lives during the intense exchange of fire.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists, said the ISPR statement.

–IANS

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Sydney, July 11 (IANS) Fire authority in the Australian state of Victoria is tackling polluted water after a massive chemical explosion triggered a “seventh alarm” blaze in Melbourne’s west.

“We are currently managing runoff of contaminated water as a result of the firefighting effort and contaminants in the building,” Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) Deputy Commissioner Joshua Fischer said in a statement released on Thursday.

Fischer noted that a number of chemicals and dangerous goods were consumed in the fire while the exact quantity is yet to be known, Xinhua news agency reported.

At around 11.20 a.m. local time on Wednesday, emergency services rushed to Swann Drive in Derrimut in response to a significant factory fire sparked by a chemical explosion.

Shortly afterwards, a “Watch and Act” alert was issued for neighbouring regions, including Albion, Braybrook, Brooklyn, Derrimut, Laverton North, Sunshine, Sunshine West, Tottenham and Truganina.

Residents were urged to take shelter indoors immediately, as the wind was blowing “toxic smoke towards the East across Derrimut.”

At around 3.32 p.m. local time, the flame was deemed “under control” with the efforts of more than 180 firefighters and various specialist equipment, such as aerial appliances.

On Thursday morning, Fischer updated that nearby businesses would be allowed to return on a case-by-case basis thanks to successful firefighting endeavours.

“In excess of 3 million litres of water, 40,000 litres of foam has been used to suppress this fire,” said the deputy commissioner.

“We have got three appliances currently undertaking firefighting operations to continue to suppress the fire, and we still have a further 11 appliances on scene supporting and in time going through a decontamination process,” he noted.

The “Watch and Act” warning has now been downgraded to the “Advice” level, as no threat remains to the local community, but people should continue to stay informed and monitor conditions.

“It is going to take some time to ascertain the exact cause, and we also need to gain access to the scene, which is an active fire area with lots of contaminants and structural integrity issues of the remaining building,” said Fischer.

“This is a challenging and dynamic environment. For FRV, this is our first seventh alarm, which is a significant incident,” he added.

There have been no reported major injuries. FRV, Victoria Police, and WorkSafe Victoria are leading a joint probe into the explosion and subsequent fire.

–IANS

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Seoul, July 11 (IANS) South Korea will begin production of a laser weapon designed to strike down enemy drones for deployment this year, the defence procurement agency said Thursday, in a push to become the first country to operate such a weapon.

Last month, the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) signed a deal worth about 100 billion won ($72 million) with South Korean defence company Hanwha Aerospace for its production amid efforts to acquire advanced weapons systems, Yonhap news agency reported.

The laser weapon is capable of defending against small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and multi-copters at close range by firing a laser-generated using fiber optics, according to DAPA.

It can fire a laser beam for about 10 to 20 seconds, raising a targeted area’s temperature to over 700 C and disabling internal components, such as an engine or a battery, DAPA spokesperson Jo Yong-jin said in a briefing.

The weapon system can operate as long as electricity is supplied, and a single firing is estimated to cost only about 2,000 won, DAPA said, noting the laser is not visible and does not produce any sound.

“Cost per fire is extremely cheap compared with other guided weapons,” Jo said. “Responses to low-cost strike assets and weapons, such as small drones, will be able to take place very effectively and efficiently.”

He declined to offer further details of the weapon’s capabilities, citing operational security.

If the system is deployed as planned late this year, South Korea will become the first known country in the world to have its military operate such a laser weapon, according to DAPA.

It said the system could become a “game changer” in future warfare if its output is increased to respond to threats posed by ballistic missiles and larger-sized aircraft.

The production comes after South Korea began developing the laser weapon in 2019, investing a total of 87.1 billion won in the project. The system was assessed as combat-suitable in April last year after undergoing successful live-fire tests.

DAPA said it plans to develop an improved version with enhanced output and range.

The military has sought to beef up its response capabilities against small UAVs after five North Korean drones intruded across the inter-Korean border in December 2022.

–IANS

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Washington, July 11 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to bolster security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) amid deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

Yoon and Kishida on Wednesday shared the view as they met bilaterally on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, where they were invited as leaders of the four Indo-Pacific partner nations, which also include Australia and New Zealand, reported Yonhap news agency.

The NATO summit came just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un produced a sweeping security cooperation agreement.

Earlier on Wednesday, the NATO leaders issued a summit declaration strongly condemning North Korea’s weapons exports to Russia.

“The recent moves by Russia and North Korea are causing serious concern not only in East Asia but also for global security,” Yoon said at the start of the talks with Kishida.

“I hope that South Korea and Japan will cooperate closely with NATO member countries and reaffirm that the security of the North Atlantic and Northeast Asia cannot be separated,” he added.

Yoon said Moscow’s close alignment with Pyongyang highlights the importance of the trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan, as outlined in their Camp David summit in August 2023.

“The two leaders shared concerns over the strengthening of military and economic cooperation between Russia and North Korea through the signing of the ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ treaty,” Yoon’s office said in a statement.

“They agreed that South Korea and Japan will closely cooperate and work together with the international community to address the Russia-North Korea military cooperation that violates UN Security Council resolutions,” it added.

Kishida also said the security of the two regions is “inseparable.”

“The security of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable. This summit provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation between NATO and our Indo-Pacific partners,” Kishida said through a translator.

Yoon and Kishida last met in Seoul in May as part of a trilateral summit with China.

–IANS

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