The president of Mosul University narrowly escaped an attempt on his life in the northern city of Mosul, but one of his guards was wounded in the attack. An explosive device was placed inside campus near the house of Abu Said Al-Ajohja, a security source said. He said the explosive device went off as Al-Ajohja was leaving. Violence has surged across the country in recent months. The UN says 979 people - including 158 police and 127 military personnel - were killed in violent attacks in October. More than 6,500 civilians have died since January, the highest annual toll since 2008.