Xinhua world news summary at 0054 GMT, March 20

Al-Shabaab militants claimed to have killed 12 Kenyan soldiers and captured two others in an ambush at Qoqani village in the Lower Jubba region of Somalia on Sunday.

The soldiers were killed in heavy fighting between the Al-Shabaab militants and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) who are serving under the pan African peacekeeping mission (AMISOM). (Somalia-Terror)

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RIO DE JANEIRO -- At least seven people were killed and one injured in an air crash involving a small plane on Saturday in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The ill-fated plane reportedly belonged to Roger Agnelli, former president of the Brazilian mining giant Vale.

According to the O Globo daily, the deceased included Agnelli, his wife, their two children, their son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and the pilot. (Brazil-Vale-Air crash)

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CAIRO -- A mortar attack on a security checkpoint in the El-Arish city on Egypt's restive Sinai killed 13 policemen on Saturday, the state-run MENA news agency reported.

A police officer and seven conscripts were killed when a mortar shell hit the security checkpoint in al-Safa neighborhood south of the city. (Egypt-Sinai-Attack)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel is looking into whether Saturday's suicide bombing attack in Istanbul targeted Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin said.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday that investigation is continuing over a suicide bombing attack in central Istanbul in which three Israelis and one Iranian were killed. (Israel-Turkey-Attack) Endi