Xinhua world news summary at 1600 GMT, March 6

Nine people were killed and 16 others injured in a bus crash in Nuathogyi township, Myanmar's northern Mandalay region Sunday morning, an official report said.

With 26 passengers aboard the bus on a pilgrimage to Mandalay from Yangon, the bus crashed and overturned at a location near Nuathogyi township at 06:15 a.m. local time. (Myanmar-Bus Crash)

- - - -

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan -- Some 24 Taliban militants have been killed and 13 others injured in southern Helmand province over the past 24 hours, according to an army statement released on Sunday.

A total of 15 militants have been killed at Marja district and nine others at Khanshin district in the province, a former Taliban stronghold, since Saturday morning, the statement said. (Afghanistan-Taliban)

- - - -

BAGHDAD -- Up to 51 people were killed and some 70 others wounded on Sunday in a suicide truck bomb attack on a security checkpoint in the city of Hilla, capital of Iraq's central Babil province, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

"The reports said that the casualties from the suicide truck bomb attack in Hilla security checkpoint rose to 51 people killed and 70 others wounded," the source said on condition of anonymity. (Iraq-Suicide Truck Bombing)

- - - -

ISTANBUL -- At least 18 refugees drowned on Sunday when two boats capsized off Turkey's Aegean coast while attempting to reach a Greek Island, Turkish media reported.

The ill-fated boaters, believed to be Syrians, departed from Didim in Turkey's western province of Aydin with two separate boats, the Hurriyet daily reported. (Turkey-Refugees-Death)

- - - -

ANKARA -- Six prisoners of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) fled a prison in southeastern Turkey on Sunday, private Dogan news agency reported.

The group of the prisoners escaped from the closed prison in Diyarbakir province on Sunday morning, according to the report. (Turkey-Prisoners-Escape) Endi