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Israeli warplanes struck dozens of militant sites in Gaza early on Thursday, the second day of Israel’s deadly offensive against Hamas and other militant groups, and rockets fired from the enclave reached far into Israel, killing three civilians when one struck an apartment block in a small southern town.
These were the first casualties on the Israeli side since Israel launched its campaign, the most ferocious assault on Gaza in four years in response to persistent Palestinian rocket fire.
The Israeli army on Wednesday killed Hamas deputy military chief, Ahmed Al-Jaabari. An Israeli aircraft launched a missile towards his car in the center of Gaza.
Following the assassination, the Israeli army announced the start of an operation against armed groups in Gaza. The bombing came after several missiles were fired at southern Israel, probably from the Palestinian territory or from the Sinai.
Shin Bet, the Israeli security services, confirmed that they had carried out the attack, saying Jaabari was eliminated because of “his ten years ofterrorist activity.”
Seven soldiers from Burma’s military are believed to have been killed on Monday following clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in two separate places in northern Kachin state, according to KIA sources.
The first of the lethal clashes took place Monday morning, east of Kamaing in the jade rich Hpakant district located in the west of the war torn state. Three government soldiers were killed and several more injured during the short battle that saw KIA’s Battalion 6 troops face off against the army.
Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are trying to regain control of Ras al-Ain, which fell to rebels last Thursday.
The offensive has caused some of the biggest refugee movements since the Syrian conflict began in March last year.
In one 24-hour period last week, some 9,000 Syrians fled fighting during a rebel advance into Syria’s northeast.
Rockets and missiles continued to rain on southern Israel Monday, with more than 160 landings in the area around Gaza. Property was damaged — including a direct hit on a home in Netivot — and 40 people were treated for shock and light injuries. Schools were closed in parts of the region.
Fire is reportedly coming largely from the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, various Salafi factions, and the Popular Front are all asserting independence from Hamas authority in Gaza.
Nigerian state-run TV says a bloc of West African nations has agreed to send 3,000 troops to stabilize Mali.
The decision came late Sunday at the end of an emergency ECOWAS bloc summit in Nigeria’s capital.
Military experts from the U.N., ECOWAS, Europe and the African Union have drafted a plan to recapture northern Mali from militants, but it would need final approval from the African Union and the U.N. Security Council before it could be carried out.
Nearly 80 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel since Saturday night, according to the military and Israeli news reports. A factory in Sderot sustained a direct hit Sunday morning and several buildings and two cars in the Sha’ar Hanegev municipality were also damaged in attacks. At least three Israelis have been wounded.
The terrorist group Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the bombardment. The Palestinian Maan news agency reported that Islamic Jihad said it shot more than 70 rockets at Israel between Saturday night and Sunday morning.