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Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has claimed the deadly attacks on a TV complex in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, in which a news anchor and four other people died.
ISIS claimed responsibility for Monday’s assaults on Al-Iraqiya state TV and Salaheddin TV in a statement posted to jihadist websites.
The government of South Sudan said on its Twitter feed on Friday that it “agreed in principle to a ceasefire to begin immediately, but our forces are prepared to defend themselves if attacked.”
It came after a meeting of East African leaders in Nairobi on Friday, who urged South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to meet face-to-face and try to resolve their differences.
December 24th saw heavy fighting break out between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and government forces in southern Kachin state’s Bhamo district, according to KIA officials.
The fighting which lasted most of the day took place at Nam Lim Pa, a village in Manje (or Mansi) township that was taken over by government forces in November. The fighting involved troops from KIA Battalion 12 and unknown units from the Burma army, the commander of Battalion 12, Major Labang Jawn Awng tells the Kachin News Group.
Security officials say a car bomb has exploded near a church in the Iraqi capital as Christians celebrated Christmas Day, killing at least 26 people.
The blast on December 25 in the Dura area, of south Baghdad, also wounded at least 28 people.
South Sudan’s army recaptured Bor, the capital of Jonglei state on Tuesday which was seized by forces loyal to Maj-Gen Peter Gadet last week, the military’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Philip Aguer described the South Sudanese army’s (SPLA) mission to Jonglei as a “rescue assault” in order to free the thousands of people who have been forced to flee the area or seek hostage inside the UN base there.
South Sudanese troops are preparing to enter the rebel-held town of Bor, President Salva Kiir has said.
Mr Kiir told parliament the army was “ready to move”, adding that the counter-attack had been delayed to allow US citizens to be airlifted out.
The Yemeni wing of al-Qaeda has said a deadly attack on a military hospital by its fighters earlier this month was a mistake. It offered to pay “blood money” to the families of people killed in the attack.
“We do not fight in this way, and this is not what we call on people to do, and this is not our approach,” said a statement released by the al-Qaeda branch.