An Algerian soldier was killed during a clash with armed Islamists in the central region of Ain Defla, the defence ministry said Sunday, adding that an operation was still underway. An army detachment clashed with “an armed terrorist group”, during an ambush Saturday in the Gaadet Lahdjar area, in the prefecture of Ain Defla, killing corporal Mostafa Znanda, the ministry said in a statement.

Algerian authorities use the term “terrorist” to describe armed Islamists who have been active in the country since the early 1990s. Security measures have been taken to seal and search the area and pursue the “criminals”, the ministry added.

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Fierce clashes have erupted on Socotra as former allies in Yemen’s long-running war are battling for control of the island off the Horn of Africa.

The latest outburst of fighting on Friday pitted Saudi-backed government forces against fighters loyal to the self-styled, UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks independence for southern Yemen from the north.

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The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) warned civilians in northern Shan State’s Kutkai this week that clashes could erupt anytime in the area between the ethnic armed group and the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw.

Since June 1, the Myanmar military and the KIA have clashed violently in Kutkai five times. The township has also seen clashes between the Myanmar military and a KIA ally, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

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Turkey was accused today of using chemical weapons in Monday’s bombing of Maxmur refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, amid calls for an international investigation.

Some 80 other sites were also targeted, including Sengal refugee camp and alleged Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in the Qandil mountains.

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The Kim Jong Un regime is threatening to send troops into the demilitarized zone that separates North Korea and South Korea after demolishing the building that served as a diplomatic mission between the rivals. Over the past week, Pyongyang has vented fury about North Korean defectors living in the South who have been flying anti-government leaflets back over the border.

The de-facto embassy building was officially known as the Inter-Korean Liaison Office. It was only established in 2018, standing just north of the heavily-militarized border in the city of Kaesong.

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