President Trump said Wednesday that he’s instructed the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats harassing American ships, in the wake of a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf.

“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump tweeted.

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At least 38 Houthi rebels were killed on Saturday in clashes with government forces despite a truce reached earlier in the week, according to local media.

Yasir al-Harisi, a colonel from the Yemeni army, told the state SABA news agency that Houthi militias continued cease-fire violations by attacking areas belonging to army forces.

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The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has declared a two-week ceasefire in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the war-torn country, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The ceasefire in the five-year conflict was set to begin Thursday, according to coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki. SPA said the move was prompted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for a pause of hostilities in the country in order to counter the spread of Covid-19.

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The Saudi-led Arab coalition launched a series of airstrikes on several areas controlled by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Tuesday, a government official told Xinhua.

The airstrikes were launched in support of the pro-government Yemeni forces who are battling the Houthi rebels on the ground, according to the official who preferred to remain anonymous.

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The Turkish-backed militants in northeastern Syria were involved in a deadly firefight with one another on Sunday, resulting in several dead and wounded, Kurdistan 24 reported.

According to the publication, at least eight Turkish-backed militants were killed during the firefight, with many more reportedly wounded as a result of the violence in the Al-Hasakah Governorate town of Ras Al-‘Ain.

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