Palace retaken by troops, Somalis say
MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Somalia's government said its troops retook the presidential palace in the capital of Mogadishu on Tuesday after Islamic militants forced their way in and exchanged heavy gunfire with troops and guards.
After more than two hours of fighting, Somalia's presidency said in a Twitter update that "the shameful attack" had been foiled by Somalia's armed forces and African Union peacekeepers. It gave no details about casualties nor what happened to the militants.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not inside the palace at the time of the attack but Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior police official. Both were safe after the attacks, officials said.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which has links with al-Qaida, has vowed to step up attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The attack was the second assault on the presidential palace this year, and it marked the first time militants have been able to breach the compound and take offensive positions inside. The palace is protected by government troops and African Union peacekeepers who helped to drive the al-Shabab militants out of their bases in Mogadishu in 2011.
Border-post attackers said to be Saudis
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi citizens belonging to al-Qaida were behind an attack near Yemen last week that killed five soldiers and five Saudi militants, the kingdom said Tuesday.
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said an investigation revealed that six Saudi men who were on a wanted list took part in Friday's attack on a Saudi border post. Al-Turki said one of the men was arrested and the others killed.
Yemen is home to one of the most active branches of al-Qaida, and many of its members are from Saudi Arabia.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet Crown Prince Salman and King Abdullah.
Friday's attack began when a suicide car bomber struck the Yemeni side of the border post in the al-Wadia area. The militants then fled in two cars toward Saudi Arabia and opened fire on soldiers. The Saudi Interior Ministry said five soldiers and three militants were killed.
Two of the suspected al-Qaida militants then fled to an empty government building where they blew themselves up early Saturday after security forces surrounded them.
C. African Republic church beset; 17 die
BANGUI, Central African Republic -- Heavily armed Muslim fighters attacked a Catholic church compound sheltering thousands of civilians in a volatile town in Central African Republic, killing at least 17 people and wounding 10 others, officials said Tuesday.
St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bambari was attacked Monday, after the fighters accused church officials of helping Christian militiamen operating in the area. The Rev. Thibault Ndemaguia said he counted at least 17 bodies, while police officials said the death toll was as high as 20.
The sectarian violence in Central African Republic began in December 2013 after nearly a year of brutal rule by Muslim rebels. As the rebel government crumbled earlier this year, armed Christian fighters sought retaliation against Muslim civilians they accused of having supported the regime.
Violence between the two groups has continued since, causing thousands to flee the area.
North fired 2 missiles, S. Korea says
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles this morning into the sea off its east coast, a South Korean defense official said, in a continuation of a recent series of missile and rocket test launches.
The missiles, presumed to be Scud-series missiles, were fired from the southwest Hwanghae province and flew across the country before landing in the ocean, the official said on condition of anonymity required by department rules. The missiles have a range of 310 miles, he said.
North Korea has conducted a large number of test-firings of missiles, artillery and rockets since earlier this year. South Korean officials have confirmed about 90 such firings by North Korea since Feb. 21, and 10 of them have been ballistic launches, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.
A Section on 07/09/2014