Afghan blast claims 13

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KABUL: A suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint Saturday in a volatile area of eastern Afghanistan, killing 13 people, police said. The bomber walked up to a checkpoint in Ali Sher district along the Pakistan border in Khost province and detonated his explosives-rigged vest, said provincial police chief Gen. Sardar Mohammad Zazia. The policemen were searching motorists’ vehicles at the time of the explosion, he said. “The aim of the attacker was to attack both police and civilians,” he said. “Unfortunately, the majority of the victims are civilian.” In a statement, the governor’s office in Khost province said 13 people died in the blast - 10 civilians, two Afghan policemen and one Afghan border police officer. Six other people were wounded, including two border policemen, the governor’s office said. Heads of state were gathering for a NATO summit in Chicago to discuss the security needs of Afghanistan after most foreign troops leave or move to support roles by the end of 2014.

Italy calls India envoy

ROME: Italy’s foreign ministry says it has summoned India’s ambassador to Rome to discuss the jailing of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen they mistook for pirates. The ministry said that top officials had reiterated to the Indian diplomat at the meeting that his country’s judicial developments in the case were ‘unacceptable’. The ministry said in a statement Saturday that Italian officials had pressed the position that because the February15 shooting occurred in international waters, and the marines were part of anti-pirate security aboard an Italian cargo ship, that Italy must handle the case. On Friday, Italy recalled its ambassador from India in protest over the marines’ detentions.