Iran attacks Israel, Gulf countries after Israeli strike kills its security chief
Dubai, Mar 18 (AP): Iran launched strikes toward Israel and neighbouring Gulf countries early Wednesday, with explosions heard in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and interceptions reported in Saudi Arabia.
The attacks came hours after Iranian state media confirmed Israel's military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike, as well as Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij force, known for its role in suppressing protests.
An Israeli airstrike struck an apartment building in Bachoura, central Beirut, completely flattening it as day broke. Two earlier strikes on residential apartments in other central Beirut neighbourhoods early Wednesday killed at least six people and wounded 24 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
ALSO READ: Ali Larijani, believed to be running Iran since the beginning of the war, is killed in a strike
Israeli strikes targeting central Beirut have become increasingly frequent in recent days, with or without prior warning. The attacks have hit far from the city's southern suburbs, for which the army issued evacuation notices early in the war with Hezbollah.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, more than 900 in Lebanon and 14 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The US military says 13 US service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.
Here is the latest:
Latest reports of live fire
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An Associated Press journalist heard loud explosions on Wednesday morning in Irbil city in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
Israeli strikes kill 2 in Lebanon's Bekaa valley
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Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday killed at least two people in Lebanon's western Bekaa valley, Lebanon's health ministry said.
The strikes in the town of Sohmor also wounded at least six others, the ministry said.
Islamic and Arab foreign ministers will discuss regional security
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Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, will host a consultative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries as the Iran war shows no sign of abating.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the meeting in the capital Riyadh will include a discussion of means to “support regional security and stability.”
Gulf Arab states have repeatedly come under fire from Iran, raising anger at Tehran, as well as the United States and Israel, for launching the war.
Saudi forces destroy a drone near the diplomatic quarter
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Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry says its forces shot down a drone Wednesday morning as it approached the diplomatic quarter in the capital Riyadh, which houses the US embassy and other foreign missions.
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Missile alerts sounded in Dubai again on Wednesday morning as the noise of interceptors exploding overhead boomed across the city-state. Dubai authorities said all the interceptions had been successful with no injuries.
Israel said it detected a new missile launch from Iran targeting it on Wednesday morning.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
