Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN team visits Iranian dissident camp in Iraq
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 09 - 2013

BAGHDAD – A UN team visited an Iranian dissident camp in Iraq on Monday following violence that killed dozens of people a day earlier in disputed circumstances.
The bloodshed, condemned by the United Nations, Britain and the United States, took place hours after a mortar bomb attack on the camp which the dissident Mujahadin-e-Khalq (MEK) group blamed on the Iraqi army.
An adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki dismissed the accusations as baseless.
Two security sources said on Sunday that the army and special forces had opened fire on residents who stormed a post at the entrance to Camp Ashraf – a site that Iraq's government, which is close to Iranian authorities, wants closed down.
The sources said at least 19 people were killed, 52 wounded and 38 arrested and that they believed residents were not armed. But a UN statement had a death toll figure of 47, while the MEK said 52 of its roughly 100 members at the camp were killed.
UN spokeswoman Elaine Nabaa said on Monday the team from the organization's Iraq office had gone to the camp to assess the humanitarian situation, without giving further details.
She said it was the Iraqi government's responsibility to investigate what had happened. British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said he was appalled by the violence.
“We condemn this utterly,” he said in a statement on Monday, urging the Iraqi government to protect the camp's remaining residents.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday the United Nations “deplores the tragic events at Camp Ashraf” and called on Baghdad to investigate the incident. The US embassy in Iraq condemned “the terrible events” at the camp.
MEK, which the US State Department removed from its list of terrorist organisations last year, wants Iran's clerical leaders overthrown and fought on former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's side during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980s.
The group, also known as the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, is no longer welcome in Iraq under the Shiite Muslim-dominated government that came to power after US-led forces toppled Sunni leader Saddam in 2003.
Most of the group was relocated last year to a former US military compound in western Baghdad. Mortar attacks on the facility took place in February and June and, at the time, MEK blamed Iran's Quds force – an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards with a special focus on foreign operations. – Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.