Twin blasts Saturday in Damascus, Syria, killed at least 40 Iraqi Shiite pilgrims and wounded 120 more, according to Iraq’s Foreign Ministry.
The explosions took place at the Bab al-Saghir Cemetery in the Syrian capital.
Friday, 10 March, 2017
Burma-Myanmar: Thousands flee Laukkai clashes between army and the Northern Alliance rebels
Thousands of people including locals and migrant workers have fled clashes between the Burma Army and the Northern Alliance in Laukkai, the administrative capital of the ethnic Kokang region of Shan State.
People have been fleeing the area since renewed clashes broke out on March 6. More than 20,000 have reportedly fled to border camps in China, and more than 2,000 arrived in Mandalay on Thursday after taking shelter in Man Su Monastery in Lashio, according to U Pinna Nanda, the abbot of the monastery.
Thursday, 9 March, 2017
Syria: Several hundred U.S. marines deployed to battle ISIS in Raqqa
Several hundred U.S. Marines have been deployed to Raqqa, Syria, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group, to assist local forces on the ground in a bid to recapture the city.
Defense officials told The Washington Post that the troops will help Syrian forces in the upcoming battle to oust ISIS from Raqqa. U.S. Marines will be temporarily stationed at “an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns,” the newspaper reports. Their positions will be about 20 miles away from ISIS-controlled areas.
Afghanistan: Gunmen disguised as doctors attack military hospital in Kabul, ISIS claims responsibility
Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for an attack on a military hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday in which gunmen dressed as doctors slipped into the facility and battled security forces inside the building for several hours.
The attack began when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the rear of the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan hospital and three attackers with automatic weapons and hand grenades entered the complex, security officials said. The gunmen, dressed as medical personnel, had taken position on upper floors of the hospital and engaged special forces sent to the scene, officials said.
Wednesday, 8 March, 2017
Iraq: Iraqi troops recapture Mosul museum and Government buildings from ISIS
Iraqi troops have recaptured the Mosul Museum from ISIS. The institution was made infamous in 2015 thanks to footage of Islamic militants smashing priceless artifacts and exhibits. Government forces also retook the main government building complex and the central bank branch in northern city of the embattled country.
According to Agence France Presse, Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat confirmed in a statement that his men “recaptured the archeological museum,” adding that ISIS “stole the artifacts and completely destroyed the museum.”