Day: May 13, 2023

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Turkish air defense system passes final test successfully

The Turkish air defense system, SIPER, hit a long-distance target in the final test on Friday before its official launch.

Ismail Demir, the head of Turkish Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), said that SIPER, the protector of Turkish skies, passed the test with a direct hit.

The SIPER project is led by Trkiye’s defense giants Aselsan and Roketsan.

Besides SIPER, which is expected to rival Russia’s S-400, Trkiye has also developed the Korkut, Sungur and Hisar air defense systems.

SIPER, which can engage manually or automatically on targets, is able to assume missions under harsh conditions.

It has multi-target and multi-radar fusion features and it can identify friend and foe.

Source: Somali National News Agency

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‘Constant fear’ in Gaza as Israel continues assault

At least two Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded on the fourth consecutive day of Israeli bombardment on the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials have said.

One of the people killed in Friday’s air raid on an apartment was a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group (PIJ), local media reported. It brought the total number of Palestinians killed in this week’s bombardment to at least 33, including several children, with more than 110 also wounded.

Hundreds of rockets have also been launched from the Strip towards Israel, with a 70-year-old killed in central Israel.

Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from central Gaza, said the latest attack targeted a six-storey building in the ‘densely populated’ al-Nasr neighbourhood.

Israel ‘targeted a residential apartment’ which destroyed at least three floors of the building, she said.

‘These people were not warned to get out of their homes, there was no warning missile fired prior to this targeting,’ El Sayed added.

Salameh Maarouf, head of Gaza’s government information office, said the enclave has been ‘reeling from the bombardment’.

‘The international community is turning a blind eye to our plight,’ he told reporters in Gaza.

Source: Somali National News Agency

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Pakistani court frees former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan left a high court in Islamabad on Friday after being granted broad protection from arrest in multiple legal cases against him. The ruling struck a blow to the government in a stand-off that has sparked days of rioting by Khan’s followers and raised the specter of widespread unrest in the country.

After the court granted him bail, Khan spent hours more in the building, as he and his legal team were locked in apparent negotiations over his exit from the site.

As he headed to his home in the eastern city of Lahore, Khan put out a video statement from his vehicle saying the Islamabad police tried to keep him within the courthouse through different tactics, and authorities allowed him to travel only when he threatened to tell the public he was being held there against his will.

He arrived at his home in the early hours of Saturday morning and was greeted by thousands of supporters, who danced, distributed sweets, set off fireworks and showered his car with rose petals in celebration of his release.

Security was extremely tight around the court ahead of Khan’s departure as authorities expressed concerns for the former leader’s safety. In the evening, shots were heard in the area of the courthouse. Police were investigating who opened fire, the interior minister said. Clashes between his supporters and police have periodically erupted outside the building.

The long list of around 100 court cases, on charges ranging from fomenting violence to corruption, still stands against Khan. But the week’s turmoil illustrated the danger of moving against him. After he was abruptly arrested on Tuesday, widescale protests erupted, turning into clashes with police and mob attacks on government buildings and even military installations.

The court’s ruling was a victory for Khan, and averted any new arrest for the time being. The Islamabad High Court gave him protection for two weeks on one graft charge and protection until Monday on a host of other charges in a measure called ‘anticipatory bail.’ The protections in each case can be extended, but it was not immediately clear if that meant a new court hearing on Monday.

Source: Somali National News Agency