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by Tony Gamal-Gabriel with Delil Souleiman in Manbij Agence France-Presse MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi forces worked to clear bombs and flush out any remaining jihadists in retaken areas of west Mosul Wednesday to set the stage for an offensive against the Old City. Supported by US-led air strikes, the forces have made steady progress in their battle to seize Iraq’s second city from the Islamic State group, announcing the recapture of three more areas on […]
by Tony Gamal-Gabriel with Ammar Karim in Baghdad Agence France-Presse MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi forces said Tuesday they had seized the main government offices in Mosul and its famed museum as they made steady progress in their battle to retake the city’s west from jihadists. The advances, which also included the recapture of three neighbourhoods, were announced on the third day of a renewed offensive against the Islamic State group in west Mosul — the […]
by Sara Hussein Agence France-Presse TALUL AL-ATSHANA, Iraq – Much of the fighting for west Mosul will be at close quarters, but Iraq’s battle against the Islamic State group is also being waged in the open desert. On a dusty ridge west of Iraq’s second city, the army’s 9th Division is advancing through exposed territory in a push to sever the road between west Mosul and the IS-held town of Tal Afar. The main route from […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) – Government air raids on northwest Syria killed at least 11 people overnight, mostly civilians, a monitoring group said Monday, while the military said its forces made advances in Aleppo province. “Government warplanes carried out air strikes after midnight on several areas in the town of Ariha” in Idlib province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ head Rami Abdel Rahman. “The preliminary toll is 11 killed, including at least seven civilians,” […]
by Joe Dyke with Laurent Lozano in Jerusalem Agence France-Presse AMONA, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Israeli police clashed Wednesday with Jewish settlers resisting the eviction of hardline residents of a wildcat outpost, hours after the government authorised 3,000 new homes in other West Bank settlements. Israel has issued a series of approvals for new settler homes since US President Donald Trump took office less than two weeks ago having signalled a softer stance on Israeli […]
by Mike Smith Agence France-Presse JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) – Israel has approved 2,500 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, officials said Tuesday, marking a major settlement expansion following the election of US President Donald Trump. The planned new homes approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman may be the largest number to have been given the green light since 2013, said settlement watchdog Peace Now. Settlements in both the West […]
by Sakher Abou El Oun Agence France-Presse GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Crippling shortages of electricity in Gaza and reports of children dying of cold have stoked anger in the Palestinian enclave where there are daily protests against its Hamas leaders. The main Palestinian factions are blaming each another and Israel for the crisis, which has left the territory with just four hours a day of power at best. In one of the largest […]
by Raziye Akkoc with Stuart Williams in Istanbul Agence France-Presse ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) – A car bombing rocked the Turkish city of Izmir on Thursday, killing at least two people and triggering a shootout that left two suspected militants dead, as authorities chased the fugitive killer behind the New Year attack in Istanbul. Turkey is on edge after the shooting rampage at the Reina nightclub unleashed shortly after revellers rang in 2017 which killed 39 […]
by Sara Hussein Agence France-Presse BEIRUt, Lebanon (AFP) – A dozen Syrian rebel factions have suspended talks on new peace negotiations, accusing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime of violating a four-day-old ceasefire with attacks near Damascus that continued Tuesday. The decision threatens the process sponsored by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey, which began with a truce and is meant to lead to negotiations in the Kazakh capital Astana this month. The ceasefire has brought […]
by Stuart WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Turkish authorities on Tuesday intensified efforts to identify a suspected jihadist from Central Asia behind the massacre of 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub who had reportedly fought in Syria for the Islamic State group. Police released pictures of the suspect who went on the rampage at the plush Reina nightclub on New Year’s night, spraying about 120 bullets at terrified partygoers before slipping away into […]
by Ammar Karim Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – Iraqi forces advanced Thursday after declaring a new phase in their offensive on eastern Mosul, stepping up efforts to reclaim the Islamic State group’s last major stronghold in the country. Elite forces have reconquered several parts of eastern Mosul since beginning the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the jihadists on October 17, but IS still occupies the city’s west. Security chiefs said several […]
by Stuart WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Turkish state media Wednesday said Turkey and Russia had agreed a nationwide truce plan for Syria but none of the key players in the conflict offered an immediate confirmation. The state-run Anadolu news agency said the plan aims to expand a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo — brokered by Turkey and Russia earlier this month to allow the evacuation of civilians — to the whole […]
