Elite troops supported by Emirati forces have begun a campaign to track down al-Qaeda militants in mountain hideouts in the Shabwa province of southern Yemen.
The campaign, called White Mountains, complements a mission in which troops were sent to the three Shabwa districts of Nesab, Markha and Khourah in April 2018.
The Israeli military has begun striking Hamas targets throughout Gaza according to local residents and the Israeli military.
About four hours after the Israeli bombardment began, at least 10 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The SDF “declare total elimination of so-called caliphate and 100% territorial defeat of ISIS,” Mustafa Bali, head of the force’s press office, announced on Twitter Saturday morning.
Clashes erupted once more between the Iraqi army and a Yezidi (Ezidi) militia group affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sinjar (Shingal) on Tuesday, days after an initial confrontation that resulted in casualties on both sides.
It is the second showdown involving the two forces after Sunday’s incident in Shingal’s Snuny district.
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are now in control of an ISIS encampment in Baghouz after weeks of operations and attacks on the village. But isolated gun battles are continuing in the area, seen as ISIS’ last remaining redoubt.
“This is not a victory announcement, but a significant progress in the fight against Daesh,” said Mustafa Bali, the head of the SDF press office. In a tweet, he added, “Clashes are continuing as a group of ISIS terrorists who are confined into a tiny area still fight back.”