Houthi rebels refuse to adopt position on ceasefire
Shelling was reported in southern Yemen on Sunday despite a truce being called by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition conducting airstrikes against the Shia Houthi rebels in the country. Witnesses said that the rebels had shelled residential areas near the city of Taiz. Clashes between the rebels and Yemeni government forces at an air base near the city of Aden were also reported hours before the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. A spokesperson for the Houthis said that they would not adopt a position on the ceasefire until they were officially informed about it. Other reports suggested that rebel leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi had pledged to continue fighting government forces. While the coalition on Saturday said that it would suspend bombarding Houthi positions for five days, it also reserved its right to respond to any provocation by the rebels.
Turkey calls for NATO talks on Islamic State, PKK
Turkey has called for a special meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to discuss military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Kurdish separatist outfit the Kurdistan Workers Party. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Turkey’s request was based on Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which allows member-nations to request a special meeting if their territorial security is being threatened. “I think it’s very right and timely to have a meeting where we address the turmoil and the instability,” Stoltenberg said. He also commended Turkey over their increased operations against the Islamic State and their efforts to “increase control over their borders and to stem the flow of foreign fighters”. Turkey’s call for a special session came a day after it bombed Islamic State positions in Syria and PKK camps in northern Iraq.
Syrian Army focused on securing ‘important regions’, Assad says
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said that the country’s army was focused on securing ‘important regions’ in its fight against various rebel groups. Admitting that the military faced a manpower shortage, Assad said that the army could not fight in every location as they would risk losing important ground to the rebels. “We must define the important regions the armed forces hold on to so it doesn’t allow the collapse of the rest of the areas,” Assad said in a televised speech. The country’s military has faced several setbacks since March, including the loss of the majority of the Idlib province to an alliance of rebel groups headed by the al-Qaeda backed Nusra Front. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that the Syrian government currently controls only 25% of the country’s territory.
13 killed in suicide bombing at Somalian hotel
At least 13 people were killed and 21 others injured after a suicide car bombing took place outside a hotel in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu on Sunday. Witnesses to the attack said that the hotel, which had housed diplomatic missions, was “torn apart” by the blast. Later, Somalian militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying that they had conducted the attack “in retaliation for the killing of dozens of innocent civilians”. Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the “heinous terrorist attack”, saying that al-Shabab had attacked a civilian target as they were losing ground to government and African Union forces. The hotel, which was considered to be one of the most heavily guarded sites in the capital, has been attacked several times in the past, including in 2012 when suicide bombers stormed the complex while Mohamud was inside.
Palestinian youths clash with Israeli police in Jerusalem
Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli police near the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Sunday. Officials said that the clashes took place after some of the youths barricaded themselves in the mosque the previous night and began throwing stones and shooting fireworks towards police officers. Later, the Israeli police said that they managed to bring the situation under control after entering the mosque’s complex and locking the rioters inside. However, the Director-General of the mosque said that the police “raided” the complex, firing stun grenades and rubber bullets. He added that police officers injured over a dozen worshippers, with one of them being severely beaten. The compound in which the mosque is located is considered a holy site by both Islam and Judaism. While non-Muslims are allowed to visit the complex in guided tours, Palestinians have considered these police-escorted trips a provocation.
No comments:
Post a Comment