Friday, September 3, 2010
Israel: 13 Gaza terror groups join together to launch attacks on Israel in reaction to relaunched peace talks
Thirteen Gaza militant groups have joined forces to launch a wave of attacks against Israel, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Hamas reportedly announced after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas launched peace talks that the 13 groups would step up “more effective attacks” against Israel.
When asked if the renewed attacks would include suicide bombings, the Hamas spokesman reportedly answered: “All options are open.”
Somalia: Uganda has already deployed another 750 peacekeepers of African Union (AU) in Somalia, another 250 will be deployed soon
Uganda has deployed an additional 750 peacekeepers in volatile Somalia out of the 2,000 troops, a figure that was agreed to by African Union (AU) to boost the 6,100 strong peacekeeping force in Somalia, a Ugandan army commander said on Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala, Commander of Land Forces of the Uganda People’s Defense Force, told reporters here, 40km south of the capital Kampala, that 750 troops were already deployed and another 250 will be deployed soon.
He said the deployment was in fulfillment of the country’s pledge following a decision by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in July this year.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Somalia: Al-Shabab receiving reinforcement for final attack to oust transitional Government and African Union peacekeepers
Al-Shabab Islamic Movement has announced “final massive” attacks against the transitional government and the AU peacekeepers in Mogadishu as “more militants” from southern and southwestern regions arrive in Mogadishu, reports privately-owned independent Radio Simba.
The additional forces meant to “reinforce al-Shabab fighters in Mogadishu arrived from Lower, Middle Shabeelle, Jubba, Bay and Bakool regions”.
Hisb al-Islam’s district commissioner in Buur Hakaba, southwestern Somalia, has said “many of his fighters left the district and have arrived in Mogadishu to reinforce their brothers fighting against the transitional government”.
Nagorno-Karabakh: 5 soldiers killed in latest armed clash between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Azerbaijan and Armenia are blaming each other for the latest clash over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which reportedly killed five soldiers on Tuesday.
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry says the Armenians tried to attack Azeri forces. The government in Yerevan denies that Armenia was at fault.
Three Armenians and two Azeris are said to have died in an exchange of fire on the front line.
Despite attempts to reach a peace deal, tension has continued to simmer in the conflict that began after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
United States of America: USA President Barack Obama says it’s time to turn the page on Iraq, combat mission is over
USA President Barack Obama has announced that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq is over. The president said Tuesday America’s new mission is to advise and assist Iraq’s security forces.
Seven-and-a-half years after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, President Obama thanked the troops for their service and announced that their combat mission has concluded. “Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country,” he said.
In only the second Oval Office address of his presidency since taking office, Mr. Obama did not declare victory, but said the move to a new mission is underway. “Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page,” the president said.
Israel: 4 israelis shot dead by terrorists of Brigade Ezzedin al-Qassam in West Bank
Four israelis were killed on Tuesday night when gunmen opened fire on their car at the entrance to Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, in the West Bank.
The attack occurred around 7:30 P.M. on Route 60, when shots were fired at a private vehicle near the Bani Naim junction, south of Kiryat Arba. Preliminary reports showed the gunmen approached the vehicle and shot the victims multiple times at point-blank range.
Magen David Adom reported that the victims were two men aged 25 and 40 and two women, also aged 25 and 40, one of whom was pregnant.
The victims were all residents of the settlement of Beit Hagai in the southern Hebron Hills.
Hamas’ military wing has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes just a day before the White House effort to re-launch Mideast peace talks.
A statement from the armed wing of Hamas, a group that opposes any dialogue with Israel, said the “Qassam Brigades announces its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron”.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Somalia: Clashes between al-Shabab islamist group and African Union kill 16 people, including 4 peacekeepers
At least 10 people died, including four African Union peacekeepers, in fighting in Somalia’s capital between forces loyal to the Western-backed government and al-Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels.
The AU troops died when a mortar hit the presidential palace in southern Mogadishu, Major Barigye Ba-Hoku, a spokesman for the continental body’s peacekeeping mission, said in a phone interview today from the city.
“We have lost four soldiers and eight others have sustained injuries,” Ba-Hoku said.
In the city’s central Bakara market, six people were killed near a jewelry kiosk, said Ali Muse Sheikh, a paramedic at Nationlink and Lifeline Africa.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Ethiopia: Ethiopian troops enter in Somalia
Ethiopian troops crossed the border and entered Somalia.
“Around 1,000 soldiers are heading in the direction of Beledehawa and Elwak,” a source in Dolo told Addis Neger online. Beledehawa and Elwak are towns along the Kenya-Somalia border.
According to the source, nearly 6,000 soldiers are also deployed on the border town of Dolo. Dolo is a town that border Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. The troops have reportedly been stationed in Dolo for the last three weeks.
Addis Neger analyst said that the objective of the move seems to divert the focus of the Islamic militant group, Al-Shabab, from Mogadishu, capital of Somalia. Al Shabab has a plan to control Mogadishu in the coming two days.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Russia: Ten islamist militants die by russian special forces in the Kabardino Balkaria and Dagestan
Russian special forces have killed ten insurgents during two operations in the north Caucasus.
Five died during a siege in Nalchik, the regional capital of Kabardino Balkaria. The city has been on lockdown overnight.
The authorities were looking for the people behind recent attacks on local police.
The area has been largely untouched by the spreading violence in the region, but there has been a recent rise in clashes with police.
At the same time, a second siege was underway in neighbouring Dagestan.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Somalia: 6th day fighting between government troops, African Union troops AMISOM and Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a against al-Shabab e Hizbul Islam kills 20 people, wounding 30 more others in Mogadishu
Heavy fighting between the troops of the transitional government of Somalia backing by the African Union troops AMISOM and allied fighters of Hizbul Islam and al-Shabab has broken out in parts of Hodan district in the Somali capital Mogadishu for the 6th consecutive day.
Most of the clashes continued between Dabka and Bakara intersections in Hodan district where both Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a clerics and the transitional government forces with AMISOM and al-Shabab forces that exchanged heavy gunfire which had affected parts of Bakara market in the capital, killing 20, wounding 30 others.
Most of the people died and wounded in parts of Hodan and Hawl-wadag districts in the capital according to the emergency traffic officials adding that there were more mortars using both sides.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Qatar mediates to resolve Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute
Qatar Al-Arab daily newspaper publishes a 2600-word report by Giselle Ruzuq on Qatar`s mediation between Eritrea and Djibouti.
Shaykh Hamad Bin-Jasim Bin-Jabr Al Thani, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, announces the agreement of both Eritrea and Djibouti to mandate Qatar to resolve the border dispute between them.
This took place in accordance with the agreement which the presidents of Djibouti and Eritrea signed in the presence of “mediation witness,” Amir of Qatar Shaykh Hamad Bin-Khalifah Al Thani.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Lebanon: 3 killed in clashes between shiite islamist group Hezbollah e al-Ahbash sunni faction
Three men were killed in Beirut on Tuesday in clashes between supporters of Shiite group Hizbullah and a Sunni faction, Al-Ahbash, security sources said.
Mohammad Fawaz, a Hizbullah official, his aide Munzer Hadi and Fawez Omeirat from Al-Ahbash were killed in clashes sparked by a fight between a supporter of Hizbullah and another from Al-Ahbash in the mixed Sunni-Shiite Beirut neighborhood of Burj Abi Haidar in Beirut.
But late on Tuesday Hizbullah and Al-Ahbash issued a joint statement following a meeting at the offices of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Unit in Beirut saying the clash was “an isolated one and does not carry any political and sectarian undertones.”
