Briefly

PAKISTAN

Police officers killed in overnight raid

At least nine police personnel and 15 militants were killed after militants attacked a police post in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, police said on Thursday. The attack targeted the Khazina Banda check post in Hangu district, where police repulsed the assault. Reinforcements sent to the area were ambushed en route, damaging an armored personnel carrier, police said. Police noted that 15 militants were killed in the ensuing operation, which was still underway.

ARGENTINA

Helicopter crash takes 7 lives

Seven people died when a firefighting helicopter in Argentina's western San Juan Province crashed on Wednesday, a local official said. The Bell 412 aircraft had been training before heading to a neighboring province to help put out dayslong fires when it crashed in a nature park. Fatalities included firefighters, police officers and civil protection personnel, he said. The causes were under investigation.

DR CONGO

Death toll in Ebola outbreak passes 1,500

The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak has killed more than 1,500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, official data released on Thursday showed, marking a 50 percent increase in around a week that shows the emergency continuing to outpace response efforts. As of Tuesday, 3,442 cases had been recorded, with 1,521 deaths, according to the latest government update. The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

XINHUA-AGENCIES