Arabic News Updated Daily

KSRelief distributes 596,340 iftar meals in Somalia RIYADH: The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) has launched a project to distribute 596,340 iftar meals in Somalia, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The project aims to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people due to successive droughts, the SPA said. KSRelief has begun the distribution of iftar meals in all parts of Somalia, starting with Puntland. It plans to distribute 18,978 meals daily during the holy month of Ramadan in the most needy areas of Somalia, in cooperation with the development office of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the capital Mogadishu. KSRelief has also embarked on the distribution of iftar meals in the town of Sittwe in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It recently signed two projects with Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) to provide iftar meals in Syria and Myanmar to benefit more than 184,000 and 112,000 beneficiaries, respectively, during Ramadan. S

Aramco signed an agreement establishing the global pool of marine industries b SR 19.5 billion Saudi Aramco signed a contributor agreement < with lambril Corporation plc (lambril), and the Saudi national company for maritime transport (sea), and Hyundai heavy industries Ltd (Hyundai heavy industries), the joint venture partnership aims to establish and develop and run a global marine industries complex as a key project in the King Salman marine industries and services world in good head, near Jubail Industrial City on the East coast of Saudi Arabia at a cost of up to 19.5 billion riyals (5.2 billion dollars). The aim of this strategic partnership with these leading companies to take advantage of the growing demand for services and maritime industries in the region through competitive solutions secure, high quality, and global standards. This project comes to localize the basic elements in Saudi Aramco supply system associated with shipping and offshore drilling to help reduce co

US-led coalition strike kills founder of Daesh media outlet BEIRUT: An air strike by the US-led coalition has killed the founder of the Daesh propaganda media outlet Amaq in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Al-Zor, his brother said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Reuters could not independently confirm whether he had been killed. There was no immediate comment from the United States-led coalition against Daesh. The post said the strike killed Rayan Meshaal and his daughter in their home in the city of Al-Mayadin. Syrian opposition activists had been sharing news of Meshaal’s death on social media. “I’m pleased to announce the martyrdom of my older brother Baraa Kadek, known as Rayan Meshaal…in an air strike by the coalition,” the Facebook post reportedly by his brother said. Daesh often claims responsibility for attacks worldwide through Amaq channels on social media. Rita Katz, director of the the US-based SITE monitoring service, said on Twitter that a coalition strike alleg

6 to die in Kuwait for raping disabled boy KUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti appeals court on Wednesday sentenced seven young men to death for the abduction and rape of a disabled 13-year-old boy, the victim’s lawyer said. Ibrahim Al-Bathani told AFP that the court overturned a 10-year jail term handed in April by a lower court against the seven accused. He said the seven defendants, ages 18-23, abducted the victim last September to a chalet where they sexually assaulted him. The victim is a Kuwaiti citizen suffering from partial mental disability, the lawyer said. “This is a historic verdict,” Al-Bathani said. The convicts, four Kuwaitis, a Yemeni, an Iraqi and a stateless person, filmed part of the rape and threatened to post it on social media if the boy spoke of his ordeal, Al-Bathani said. The ruling is not final as the case must go to the Kuwaiti supreme court whose verdicts are final. Source: ABC News The post 6 to die in Kuwait for raping disabled boy appeared first on Daily Saudi

The Yemeni army repelled an attack on a houthi Taiz The Yemeni Army announced today (Wednesday), that his troops repelled a guerrilla offensive and violent rebel houthi Taiz city. According to the Media Center to lead the military in Ta’iz axis «» Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the army forces confronted the violent attack on the Republican Palace, East of the city, and inflicted great losses the putschists. The statement noted that «also clashes between the army and elements of the coup on the outskirts of the Valley of the Negroes and the air defense site north of the city by his militia infiltration attempt there, addressed them». Source: Alhayat The post The Yemeni army repelled an attack on a houthi Taiz appeared first on Daily Saudi Arabia News . http://bit.ly/2sneCw7

Shooting at Riyadh school kills two JEDDAH: Shooter of two teachers at the Kingdom Schools in north Riyadh this morning was previously dismissed from school due to anger issues, chairman of Kingdom Schools said in an official statement. Talal Al-Maiman, CEO of Kingdom Holding and chairman of Kingdom Schools described the shooting as “a case of a disgruntled employee.” “It is with regret that the administration building of Kingdom Schools witnessed this morning a shooting incident by an Arab national who was dismissed from the school four years ago on the basis of anger issues and an unstable personality,” Al-Maiman added. According to school sources, a sectional head, who is a Palestinian died immediately and the other, teacher, a Saudi, died on admission to the nearby Kingdom Hospital. A worker, who was present at the time of the murder, was also injured. The shooter is a former Iraqi Islamic studies teacher, local media has reported. The schools’ chairman added in the statement

At least 90 killed after bomb rips through central Kabul At least 90 people were killed and 400 injured today after a car bomb tore through central Kabul, striking at the heart of the Afghan capital’s highly secure diplomatic neighborhood, the Afghan government said. An official with the U.S. Department of State confirmed to ABC News that 11 Americans working as contractors for the U.S. embassy in Kabul were among those wounded in the blast. Their injuries are said to be non-life-threatening, the official noted. The car bomb appeared to have detonated near a busy intersection in the city’s Wazir Akbar Khan district, which is in close proximity to a number of foreign embassies and government buildings, including the presidential palace and the foreign ministry. A security message from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said the explosion happened near the German Embassy, which is also near the British, Canadian, Iranian, Turkish and Chinese embassies. A statement to the Associated Press fr

Two people were killed in a shooting inside a school in Riyadh Special schools complex announced the Saudi capital killed two people and injured a third in a shooting inside the school Wednesday, when they were students. Al maiman said Talal, Chairman of Kingdom schools operating school “sadly witnessed the building of the Kingdom schools this morning shooting incident by an Arab citizen expelled from school four years ago as a result of situations of wrath and unstable personality.” Al maiman said to Reuters that the Saudis and Palestinians were killed in the accident, adding that the situation has been contained by midday, note that school closed with the start of the holiday a week ago. Meanwhile, Interior Ministry spokesman that the “criminal situation” occurred, noting that Saudi capital police would issue a statement in more detail. The media sources reported that the security services in Riyadh began investigating the killing of a private school headmaster killed North of Ri

In Moscow, Saudi deputy crown prince strengthens ties with Russia MOSCOW: Russia and Saudi Arabia hailed their growing partnership in oil markets and dialogue on Syria on Tuesday. Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with President Vladimir Putin one week after the US President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Riyadh. Putin praised the deputy crown prince, who looks after the Kingdom’s defense and energy, as he welcomed him to the Kremlin. It was the second meeting between the two men over the past year. The deputy crown prince’s visit to Russia followed some anxiety in political and diplomatic circles in Moscow since US-Russian ties continue to be strained. Washington’s movements in the strategically important Middle East made Russia keep a close eye on what happened in Riyadh. “Relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia are seeing one of their best stages at the moment,” the deputy crown prince said. “The two countries have a lot of points of mutual understanding. A

Saudi security officers injured in bomb attack in Bjoern < Said Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman general Mansur Al-Turki: «further to the statement released on 16 May (May) 2017 security man was killed and five others injured as a result of rocket patrol type RPG while performing their tasks in maintaining public order in the vicinity of the walled district area in Qatif province, a security patrol at 7:30 a.m. Sunday to bomb I.E.D it performs tasks near his rural neighborhood roundabout Bjoern, resulting It security guards injured and hospitalized. And «security actors began the investigation of the terrorist crime that still continue». Turkey had earlier announced that «company start executing a development projects sponsored by the Secretariat of the eastern region to develop the walled district in the province of Qatif, worker exposure to heavy fire from terrorist elements within the neighborhood targeted mechanisms used in the project to disable explosive devices, and imp

Three suicide blasts send Iraq death toll to 42 BAGHDAD: Three suicide bombings in Baghdad and a city to the west have killed at least 42 people, targeting Iraqis breaking their fast and elderly people collecting their pensions, officials said Tuesday. The strikes came as forces fought to retake the last areas held by the Daesh group in their former stronghold of Mosul. The first IS-claimed car bombing struck a Baghdad ice cream shop during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Iraqis often stay out late shopping or socialising after breaking their daily fast. A second attack claimed by the group targeted the country’s main pension office, while a third bombing was carried out at an army checkpoint in Hit, some 120 miles (200 km) west of Baghdad. Haidar Hussein, 22, had been sitting with friends at a coffee shop near the Al-Faqma ice cream parlour in the capital’s central Karrada district. A police captain tried to prevent a small white pickup truck from approaching the area, but

US-backed Syrian fighters reach Raqqa gates BEIRUT: US-backed fighters on Tuesday reached the northern entrance of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Daesh, amid intense clashes and airstrikes on Raqqa’s northern and eastern edges, opposition activists said. The latest push by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) brings them to about 3 km from the city where a long and deadly battle is expected in the coming weeks, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The latest push comes as airstrikes have intensified in recent days. US-backed fighters have pushed in toward the city, getting closer from all sides. The SDF have captured dozens of towns and villages since November, when the group began an operation entitled Euphrates Wrath, aiming to eventually surround and capture Raqqa. SDF fighters have surrounded Raqqa from the north, west and east. The extremists still have an exit from the south, even though the US-led coalition destroyed souther

US begins sending arms to Kurdish fighters in Syria WASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday began providing small arms to Kurdish fighters battling the Daesh group in northern Syria, the Pentagon said, fulfilling a pledge that has infuriated Turkey. The weapons transfers have begun ahead of an upcoming offensive to recapture Raqqa, the last major bastion for Daesh in Syria. “We have begun to transfer small arms and vehicles to the Kurdish elements” of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said, referring to a Kurdish-Syrian Arab alliance fighting Daesh. The weapons include AK-47s and small-caliber machine guns, Rankine-Galloway added. President Donald Trump this month approved arming the fighters from the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), drawing strong condemnation from Turkey. Ankara says the YPG is linked to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) separatists, who have waged an insurgency since 1984 that has killed more than 40,000 people insi

ISIS rival al-Qaeda attempts comeback with audio recording from Hamza bin Laden OSAMA bin Laden may long be dead but there’s a new threat in town — his 28-year-old son who has renewed his call for attacks on the west. In a chilling audio recording, made two weeks before the Manchester Arena terror attack and being circulated on jihadi websites, the voice urges followers to kill. According to The Washington Post, the voice is “vintage Osama bin Laden” and belongs to Hamza. “Prepare diligently to inflict crippling losses on those who have disbelieved,” the voice says. “Follow in the footsteps of martyrdom-seekers before you.” The recording first aired on May 13 and calls for attacks on Europe and the US in revenge for the deaths of children in Syria. According to the Post, the recording also provides “fresh evidence of ominous changes underway within the embattled (al-Qaeda) organisation” and appears to be “signalling the start of a violent new chapter in the group’s history”. Dr

US successfully intercepts ICBM in historic test The U.S. has “successfully intercepted” an intercontinental ballistic missile during the first test of its ground-based intercept system, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said Tuesday. The test occurred just days after the North Korean regime launched its ninth missile this year. U.S. officials say today’s test had been planned for years. The ground-based interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET. A little more than one hour later, the Pentagon confirmed that it had successfully collided with an ICBM-class target over the Pacific Ocean. The ICBM-target was launched from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 4,200 miles away. “The intercept of a complex, threat-representative ICBM target is an incredible accomplishment for the GMD [Ground-based Missile Defense] system and a critical milestone for this program,” said Missile De

Nighttime, early morning bombings in Baghdad kill dozens BAGHDAD: At least 27 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in two bombings in Baghdad, security and medical officials said on Tuesday. In the first attack, a suicide bomber struck near a popular ice cream shop overnight, killing 16 people. In the second, a car bomb exploded near one of the capital’s main bridges on Tuesday morning, killing 11, the officials said. The Daesh group issued a statement claiming the first attack, identifying the bomber as an Iraqi who blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle targeting Shiite Muslims. Daesh considers members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority — including the women and children who were victims of the ice cream shop blast — to be heretics and thus legitimate targets for attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the second attack, but Daesh carries out frequent car bombings targeting civilians in the Iraqi capital. The blasts, which come just a few days into the ho

Two Saudi police officers hurt by explosive device in Qatif JEDDAH: Two Saudi security officials were injured Monday by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The incident, in Qatif governorate, happened during a police patrol in the Al-Rif neighborhood in Al-Awamiya, a ministry of interior spokesperson said. The injured officers were taken to hospital and authorities are investigating the terrorist crime, said the spokesperson. Earlier this month, the interior ministry announced that a special forces soldier was killed and five other wounded in an RPG rocket attack fired by terrorists in Al-Masoura district in Qatif governorate. According to the ministry, suspected terrorists used rockets, explosive devices and land mines to obstruct work at a development project in Al-Masoura neighborhood, attacking security personnel and project workers. The post Two Saudi police officers hurt by explosive device in Qatif appea

A sick joke “by the President of North Korea! North Korea leader Kim Jong UN after overseeing the recent missile test wanted to send gifts to the United States. According to the Reuters news agency said North Korea’s official said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong UN oversaw the rocket experiment was controlled by careful guidance system and is developing a more powerful strategic weapons. The Agency said that the North Korean leader expressed his conviction that the State “will bring greater leap forward in this activity to send more gift to the Americans ‘ response to the U.S. military provocations. The South Korean military said that Scud missile sped East on after 450 kilometres (280 miles). Japan said it believed he fell into its exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the coast. Source: Alalam The post A sick joke “by the President of North Korea! appeared first on Daily Saudi Arabia News . http://bit.ly/2rgU5tE

Tokyo demands the abolition of us exercises in Okinawa Japanese Defense Minister demanded Tomomi Inada cancel an airdrop exercise intended to us troops stationed in the country’s southern island of Okinawa Japan off implementation. World-Asia and Pacific The Japanese Minister said at a press conference in Tokyo after the Government meeting: “u.s. forces must according to bilateral agreements, notified about these events at least seven days before its implementation. But the US side did not. So we asked solemnly not to perform these exercises. “ It should be noted that u.s. forces are planning to carry out landings and parachute jumped above sea water in uroma City area in Okinawa on May 31 and June 1. Japanese authorities did not know that only after the U.S. military announced the flight ban training area and local civil aviation authority informed him. And striking the U.S. Army didn’t show any reaction to Tokyo’s demands. Concentrated in Okinawa, about 70% of u.s. militar

“Attempt to assassinate Al-jubeir. Tsilt new light on the case. U.s. Defense Secretary highlighted, James Mathis, new light on the charges against Iran’s assassination attempt on the Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel Al-jubeir, when he was serving as Ambassador in Washington. Saudi Foreign Ministry published Tuesday a clip from the interview conducted by Mathis recently with CBS “America,” Iran’s interventions on everything that is happening in the region, Tehran parking behind the failed assassination attempt llgber in 2011. He said that Iran seeks to destabilize the region, because of its revolutionary “, noting” an Arab Ambassador assassination attempt when he was miles away from the White House. “ Matisse revealed possession documents and proof of u.s. intelligence confirms that jubeir’s assassination was planned and approved by the highest levels of the Iranian Government. Source: agencies Jafar The post “Attempt to assassinate Al-jubeir. Tsilt new light on the case. appeared fi

Russian defense expect entering Su-35 S to the end of 2017 Yuri Borisov, Russian Deputy Defense Minister that he expected test fighter Su-35 S and its entry into service in the Russian armed forces at the end of 2017. He noted that more than 50 Sukhoi plane of this type currently undergoing experimental use and testing stage in military units. The representative of the Russian Defense Ministry noted that the final stage of the inter-governmental tests fighter Su-35 S currently reached its end. The mentioned phase includes measures and procedures to assess the effectiveness of the use of new weapons systems as well as equipment, Super-maneuverability of electronic devices and systems for the plane. Borisov praised the quality tests and work performed. He stressed that pilots who have used these modern fighter Syria appreciated the high quality and characteristics. The Deputy Minister spoke of progress in the implementation of the test fighter T-50 (5th generation) he is going acco

Eight die after church feast in India´s northeast NEW DELHI: At least eight people have died and hundreds remain hospitalised after suspected food poisoning at a church feast in a remote northeastern Indian state, police said Tuesday. Hundreds of worshippers vomited and complained of stomach ache after they ate rice and pork after mass in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya state on Sunday. Seven children are among those to have died. Authorities say they suspect the food served to nearly 2,000 people at the Nongkya village church was stale. “Eight people are confirmed dead and nearly 200 are in hospital,” Ramesh Singh, district police chief told AFP. Singh said they have sent samples of the food for laboratory tests and ordered an investigation into the incident. The sick are undergoing treatment at four hospitals in the state capital Shillong, with some said to be critical. Most of the victims were residents of nearby villages in the largely tribal region, which is one of India´s fe

ISIS targets Iraqi families with blast at Baghdad ice cream shop At least 10 people were killed and 40 were wounded when a car bomb exploded outside an ice cream shop in central Baghdad early Tuesday, according to officials in the Iraqi capital. Another car bomb exploded near the General Retirement Department in central Baghdad a few hours later, according to spokesman with Iraqi Joint Joint Operations Command Col. Ibrahim Mohammed. The explosion killed one person and wounded six others. Families were gathering after breaking their daily fast as part of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan when the bomb near the ice cream shop went off. Footage from the scene showed blood and body parts scattered everywhere, as a young child in a pink t-shirt walked between bodies, sobbing. Muslims often stay out late during Ramadan, which began Friday, after breaking their fast. Iraq’s Interior Minister speaks to the media in the wake of the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a sta

In Syria, more airstrikes hit Daesh de facto capital of Raqqa BEIRUT: Syrian opposition activists say more airstrikes and artillery shelling have hit the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Daesh group. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the city was pounded by warplanes and artillery early in the morning on Monday. The activist group had no immediate word on casualties. It said the bombardment comes as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured new areas west of Raqqa. The activist-operated Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently says that since Sunday, the US-led coalition has carried out more than 30 airstrikes on the city, killing 35 people and destroying a school on Raqqa’s northern outskirts. Airstrikes have intensified over the past days as US-backed fighters have marched toward the city, getting closer to besieging it from all sides Source: Arabnews The post In Syria, more airstrikes hit Daesh de facto capital of Raqqa appeared firs

Civilians lack food, water, medicine as Mosul battle mounts — UN BAGHDAD: Tens of thousands of civilians in parts of Mosul held by Islamic State are struggling to get food, water and medicine, the United Nations said, days into a new push by US-backed Iraqi government troops to take the northern city. Up to 200,000 people still live behind Islamic State lines in Mosul’s Old City and three other districts, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told Reuters late on Sunday. She spoke a day after Iraq’s army said it had launched a new offensive to take the militant zones on the western side of the Tigris river. Progress has been slow, an Iraqi government adviser told Reuters, also late on Sunday. “The fighting is extremely intense … the presence of civilians means we have to be very cautious,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. People who had managed to get out of the militant areas “report a dramatic situation including lack of food, limited water and severe shortages of m

6.6-magnitude quake hits Indonesia´s Sulawesi The quake hit at a depth of nine kilometres (six miles) at 10:35 pm (1435 GMT), 80 kilometres southeast of the city of Palu, USGS said. Muhammad Guntur, who lives on the outskirts of Poso, east of the epicentre, said it was felt strongly. “People are panicking here. We are now all gathered outside of our houses,” he told AFP. “The electricity is off here.” Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Source: Thenews The post 6.6-magnitude quake hits Indonesia´s Sulawesi appeared first on Daily Saudi Arabia News . http://bit.ly/2s73Sm5

ISIS in Southeast Asia: Philippines battles growing threat The black flag of ISIS has been raised in the Philippines. At least 103 people have died in the city of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao in less than a week as fighters affiliated with the so-called Islamic State engaged in violent clashes with government forces, and martial law was declared over the entire island. Local resident Chico Usman said the militants had entered the predominantly Muslim city of some 200,000 suddenly, on the afternoon of May 24, wearing masks and carrying assault rifles. “Everybody was shocked and ran into their houses,” he said, adding they could hear gunfire and fighting until the following morning. An ISIS fighter erects the flag of the so-called Islamic State atop a school near a mosque in Marawi, southern Philippines on May 24, 2017. Black ISIS flags emblazoned in white with the words “There is no god but God” were flying from “every corner in the city,” said Usman, who spoke to CNN

Manchester attacks: MI5 probes bomber ‘warnings’ MI5 is to hold an inquiry into the way it dealt with warnings from the public that the Manchester suicide bomber, Salman Abedi, was a potential threat. The security service, which was alerted to Abedi’s extremist views three times prior to last Monday’s attack, will examine how it dealt with the warnings. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was right for MI5 to review its processes. Early on Monday a man, 23, was arrested in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, on suspicion of terrorism offences. Greater Manchester Police said they had also executed search warrants at addresses in the Whalley Range area of Manchester and in Chester overnight. Seven children were among the 22 people who died when Abedi detonated a bomb on 22 May at the end of a concert by US singer Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena. In all, 14 men are now being questioned in connection with the investigation into the attack. On Sunday, two men were arrested in Manchester –

August lawsuit are court buildings called b «maintenance» < Recorded a personal status courts in the Eastern District, a different development in cases of «maintenance» hassles by corridors of Saudi courts, after receiving alimony case made by a Saudi August against his children from his ex-wife, and asked the Court to compel his sons to pay monthly alimony determined his» «court, but the latter dismiss approved «lack of maturity. While the contention issues «maintenance» familial issues that dealt with personal services in general courts in the Kingdom, claimed by the wife of her children’s father» habit ««legal» paying monthly maintenance to his sons, a family court in the Eastern District, finally a citizen suit responded, where student monthly expense «constructions». And was a Saudi offer to court demanding to oblige the two sons of the expenditure by such amount diligent Board of conciliation and arbitration of the Ministry of Justice, which oblige the defendant to pay» «acc

Survivors of Egypt Christian bus attack recount their horror CAIRO: Video interviews with survivors of a deadly attack by Islamic militants on a bus taking Egyptian Christians to a remote desert monastery are painting a picture of untold horror, with children hiding under their seats to escape gunfire. The videos surfaced on social media networks on Sunday, two days after 29 were killed in the attack on a desert road south of the capital. The Daesh group claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday. It was the fourth attack against Christians in Egypt since December to be claimed by the IS. The string of attacks have killed more than 100 and injured scores. One survivor, a small boy who seemed to be about six, said his mother pushed him under her seat and covered him with a bag. A young woman speaking from her hospital bed said the assailants ordered the women to surrender their jewelry and money before they opened fire, killing the men first and then some of the women. The woman

Daesh bombers slow Mosul advance The advance of government troops slowed on Sunday in the last push to drive Daesh group militants from remaining pockets of Mosul, two Iraqi military officers said. On Saturday, US-backed Iraqi forces began a new offensive to recapture the Old City from three directions. Hours after announcing the push, the government said two military officers were killed in clashes in the Shafaa neighbour-hood on the Tigris River. Daesh militants have deployed snipers, suicide car bombers and suicide attackers on foot, the officers said. They described the advance on Mosul’s Old City as “cautious” and the clashes on Sunday as “sporadic” without giving details on casualty figures from either side. The troops captured Ibn Sina hospital, part of the sprawling medical complex in the Shafaa neighbourhood, the officers added. Mosul’s wide-scale military operation was launched in October and its eastern half was declared liberated in January. The push for the city’s west

NKorea fires short-range ballistic missile off western Japan North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile that landed in Japan’s maritime economic zone Monday, officials said, in the latest in a string of test launches as the North seeks to build nuclear-tipped ICBMs that can reach the U.S. mainland. The suspected Scud-type missile launched from the coastal town of Wonsan flew about 450 kilometers (280 miles), the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It landed in Japan’s exclusive maritime economic zone, which is set about 200 nautical miles off the Japanese coast, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. He said there was no report of damage to planes or vessels in the area. North Korea is still thought to be several years from its goal of being able to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile. It has a strong arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles that could hit Japan and South Korea as well as U.S. forces in