Saudi security forces withdraw from Qatif

RIYADH // Saudi security forces have withdrawn from Shiite villages in Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia following unrest last week in which four people were killed, witnesses said yesterday.

The forces pulled out overnight on Sunday from Shweika and Awamiya villages, scene of clashes between protesters and security forces witnesses and rights activists said.

BAGHDAD // A suicide bomber slammed a car into the gate of a prison north of Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 15 people, Iraqi officials said.

The bombing in the town of Taji is the third major attack in about a week in Iraq, and raises questions about the ability of the nation's security forces to protect the country after US troops leave in a little more than a month.