Muslim rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a peace deal with the Philippine government on Thursday aimed at ending decades-long strife in impoverished regions of resource-rich Mindanao.

More than 1,000 guests from various sectors of society witnessed the signing of the five-page Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) by the panel members from the government and the MILF in Malacanang, a culmination of 17 years of hard negotiations, which even reached deadlock at some point.

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A group of suicide bombers attacked a police headquarter in the first district of Jalalabad city in eastern Nangarhar province.

The incident took place early Thursday morning and several explosions were heard near the police station, while the insurgents exchanged fire with the Afghan security forces for several hours.

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Burmese army soldiers under Hmawbi-based 77th Light Infantry Division (LID) on Sunday seized another Kachin Independence Army’s (KIA) frontline post in northern Shan State. A high ranking KIA official said about 100 government’s 77th LID soldiers attacked and seized Loi Hkam Bum Post in Namtu Township currently guarded by Section 1 of the Kachin People Militia (MHH in Kachin) troops under KIA’s 34th Battalion at around 8:15 am.

At least three Burmese army soldiers died in the battle that lasted for about 30 minutes. The KIA officer said no casualties on KIA’s side but its troops had to evacuate from Loi Hkam Bum Post because of the Burmese army’s advance. It is the fifth position in a row that KIA has lost in five weeks since January 31.

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Shan commandos on parade at Shan State National Day on Feb. 7, 2014, in Loi Tai Leng, the headquarters of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army. (Photo: Kyaw Kha /The Irrawaddy)

Burma Army and government-backed militia troops exchanged fire with Shan State Army (SSA) soldiers Sunday in southern Shan State’s Mong Ton Township, according to a rebel spokesman.

The clash happened at Loi Pang Tong, near the Burmese-Thai border, after government-aligned troops based in nearby Mong Hta surrounded a temporary camp set up by SSA soldiers traveling through the area, according to SSA spokesman Col. Sai La.

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The army killed seven terrorists in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Lolab on Monday.

The gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, police sources said.

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