Homeland Security News

A Greek militant anarchist group has claimed responsibility for a bomb blast outside a bookshop in central Athens that caused extensive damages but no injuries.

The Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire nihilist group said Thursday the attack targeted a prosecutor living in the block of flats above the ground-floor bookshop.

In a posting on a left-wing website, the group accused prosecutor Georgia Tsatani of corruption and excessive severity in her handling of a case involving the wife of a convicted group member.

Wednesday night's blast caused extensive damage to the building's entrance, nearby shops and parked cars. Police had evacuated the area just before, following a warning phone call.

The group has claimed responsibility for a series of blasts, including a failed parcel bomb campaign that targeted European politicians in 2010.

Read more: Fox News

By firing missiles into Yemen, the United States likely will be further entangled in a stalemate war in the Arab world's poorest country, a conflict it has sought to extract itself from in recent weeks. But who exactly is fighting in Yemen and what does the U.S. have to do it with it?

Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has been in the midst of a civil war since September 2014. That's when Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, swept into the capital of Sanaa and overthrew the country's internationally recognized government. Houthi allies include forces loyal to Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and have the backing of Shiite power Iran. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries began a military campaign against the Houthi forces, saying its mission served in part as a counterbalance to Iran's influence.

The USS Mason, an American destroyer, has come under missile fire twice in recent days in the Red Sea from Houthi-held territory in Yemen, according to the U.S. Navy. In response, the Navy said it fired Tomahawk missiles at three coastal radar sites held by the Houthis — the first direct American attack in the war. The U.S. also says the missiles fired by the Houthis appear to be Iranian, further internationalizing the conflict. While Iran denies arming the Houthis, the Navy says it has intercepted several boats carrying Iranian weapons likely heading for Yemen since the conflict began.

The U.S. attack on the Houthis came 16 years to the day al-Qaida militants in Yemen bombed the USS Cole, killing 17 American sailors.

Read more: MSN

A Danish citizen with a Somali background was arrested in Kenya on the suspicion that she took part in recruiting and training al-Shabaab fighters, Kenyan newspaper The Star reported on Wednesday. 

The Star wrote that the Dane was arrested alongside a British man and a Kenyan woman. The arrest took place in the upscale Nairobi neighbourhood of Gigiri, one of the largest expat communities in Africa. 

The al-Shabaab jihadist group is officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United State, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. 

Read more: The Local.dk

At least 12 members of Egypt's security forces have been killed and eight wounded in an attack on a checkpoint in North Sinai province, according to medical and security sources.

The attack on Friday took place 40km away from the town of Bir al-Abd, and was carried out using assault rifles and some heavier weapons, sources told Reuters news agency.

Read more: Aljazeera

Hundreds of members of Afghanistan's security forces have been killed recently fighting insurgent attacks on the main city in the southern province of Helmand, officials said on Friday.

Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon put the number of soldiers and police killed in the past 10 days in and around Lashkar Gah at more than 200.

Separately, they each said 45 civilians had also been killed in the fighting, which saw Taliban militants launch attacks on at least two areas of the city earlier this week.

Akhon says 100 security forces personnel have also been wounded. Both police and soldiers fight on Afghanistan's front lines.

Read more: Associated Press