The Syrian army announced the start of a new military offensive in the rebel-held east of the city of Aleppo on Thursday, signalling a potential further escalation in a bombing campaign by Russian and Syrian jets that rebels say has already intensified in the last 24 hours.

State media quoted the army’s military headquarters in Aleppo as urging civilians in eastern parts of the city to avoid areas where “terrorists” were located and saying it had prepared exit points for those who wanted to flee, including rebels.

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The Iraqi army says its forces have taken control of the strategic northern town of Shirqat from ISIL, in a military operation launched ahead of a push to recapture the armed group’s stronghold of Mosul.

Security forces began the operation to oust ISIL (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS) on Tuesday, backed by both Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft.

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An Eritrean opposition group, Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) on Wednesday said that Yemen’s Houthi group have attacked the international Airport of Assab, a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea.

Ibrahim Haron, leader of the armed opposition group told Sudan Tribune that Houthi forces stationed in the island of Hanish and Zagar have also attacked the headquarters of the Eritrean naval forces in Assab by firing mortar rockets thereby causing a serious damage.

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At least 19 civilians were killed on Wednesday when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a house in western Yemen, according to residents, medics and a local official.

Fighter jets of an Arab alliance aiming at a Houthi-held presidential palace in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah hit a house in a neighborhood populated by workers adjacent to the palace, a resident told Reuters.

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Forty people were killed in fighting between Shiite Houthi rebels and pro-government forces around southwest Yemen’s main city of Taez, military sources said on Thursday.

Colonel Sadeq al-Hassani, spokesman for the loyalist forces, told AFP that 27 Houthis and 13 pro-government fighters were killed, as a rebel offensive aimed at reimposing a siege of the city was repelled on Wednesday.

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