Mid East Crises

Iraq army general killed in shelling

Afp, Baghdad
Major General Najm Abdullah al-Sudani was killed by "hostile shelling" west of Baghdad, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta told AFP by text message.
Sudani was killed in the Abu Ghraib area, just west of Baghdad, near where security forces have been locked in a months-long standoff with militants who have seized control of the city of Fallujah.

West Baghdad suicide bomb kills 4

Afp, Baghdad
A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a cafe in a predominantly-Shiite neighbourhood in west Baghdad on Sunday evening, killing at least four people, security and medical officials said.
The evening attack struck inside the cafe in the Washash neighbourhood, a police officer and a medical source said, leaving at least 12 others wounded.

Syrian army poised for Aleppo assault

Afp, Beirut
The opposition Syrian National Coalition said Sunday that regime forces are preparing to launch a major assault on rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo.
The group's leadership, meanwhile, was meeting in Istanbul to elect a successor to SNC chief Ahmad Jarba.

Israel raids kill 7 in Gaza as teen murder protests rage

Afp, Gaza City
Israeli air strikes killed seven militants in Gaza overnight as clashes over the kidnap and murder of a Palestinian teenager raged into the early hours yesterday.
It was the worst bloodshed in Gaza since the start of the current round of violence in and around the territory, which began on June 12 in response to a vast West Bank arrest campaign to find those behind the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers.

Afghan's Abdullah set to reject result

Afp, Kabul
Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah was set to reject the preliminary election result which was due to be announced yesterday, heightening a political crisis over fraud that threatens to trigger instability as US-led troops pull out.
Abdullah, previously seen as the election front-runner, alleges he was the victim of "industrial-scale" ballot-box stuffing on June 14 and has vowed not to recognise the vote count.