Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 20 February 2018

IS ambushes Iraq Qatar: Israel and Gaza militants want calm

Shiite-led force, GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) aid the blockaded territory. days and killed two Pales- ship with the two sides that

killing 27 fighters — A Qatari envoy said Earlier Monday, Israel's mili- tinians who tried to infiltrate they are not interested in
Monday that both Israel tary struck what it said was Israel after a bomb on the escalation or engaging in
By QASSIM ZAHRA and Gaza militants want an underground militant in- border wounded four Is- a confrontation that could
BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic to contain cross-border frastructure site in Gaza in raeli soldiers. There were no ignite the entire region," the
State militants ambushed violence that has flared in response to rocket fire. The reports of casualties from Qatari envoy, Mohammed
a group of Iraq's Shiite-led recent days, as he detailed military has struck various the latest strike. "We con- al-Emadi, told reporters in
paramilitary fighters, killing a new emergency fund to targets in Gaza in recent firm through our relation- Gaza City.q
at least 27 more than two
months after Baghdad de- Iranian rescuers find wreckage from plane crash
clared victory over the ex-
tremist group, officials said
Monday France is to arrive in Tehran
The Popular Mobilization on Monday to investigate
Forces, an umbrella group the cause of the crash, the
of mostly Shiite militias, said official IRNA news agency
in a statement that the reported. Jafarzadeh said
attack took place south- the delegation includes
west of the northern city four officials from French-
of Kirkuk, where the para- Italian aircraft manufac-
militaries were conducting turer ATR.
overnight raids. High winds have made it
The attackers were dis- difficult to fly helicopters
guised in army uniforms and drones, hampering
and manning a fake search efforts.
checkpoint, the statement The 2015 nuclear accord
said, adding that ensuing with world powers lifted
clashes lasted for at least international sanctions on
two hours and that some Tehran in exchange for
of the militants were killed curbs on its nuclear enrich-
while others fled the area. ment program, allowing
Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, Iran to purchase airplanes
an Iraqi military spokes- and airplane parts. The
man, blamed IS "sleeper country has since signed
cells" and said Iraqi forces deals to purchase tens of
were searching the area to billions of dollars' worth of
find the perpetrators. new aircraft. However,
IS claimed responsibility for President Donald Trump's
the attack in a statement refusal to recertify the deal
carried by its Aamaq news has injected uncertainty
agency. into those sales.
Karim al-Nouri, a PMF Rescue and search team members search for wreckage of a plane that crashed on Sunday in The ATR-72 went down
the Dena mountains in southern Iran, Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Iranian search and rescue teams on
spokesman, described the Monday reached the site of a plane crash the previous day that authorities say killed all 65 people near its destination, the
attack as a "heinous crime" on board, Iran's Press TV reported. southern city of Yasuj, some
and called for greater (Alireza Vasigh Ansari/Tasnim News Agency via AP) 780 kilometers (485 miles)
scrutiny of Iraqis returning south of the capital, where
to areas liberated from IS. By AMIR VAHDAT from buying necessary air- and officials did not con- it took off. It wasn’t imme-
He said the attackers had TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian plane parts due to Western firm that the crash site had diately clear what caused
taken advantage of heavy search and rescue teams sanctions over its contest- been reached. State radio the crash, although weath-
rains overnight. on Monday reached the ed nuclear program. said five helicopters and er was severe. Dense fog,
Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of site of a plane crash that Press TV said search teams five drones are active in high winds and heavy
the Badr Brigade, one of authorities say killed all 65 reached the crash site be- the search operation. Iran's snow in the Zagros Moun-
the most prominent Shiite people on board, Iran's fore dawn on Monday. The semi-official ISNA news tains made it impossible for
militias, vowed "revenge." Press TV reported. station said the weather agency said that more rescue crews in helicopters
Speaking at a military air- The Aseman Airlines ATR-72, had improved, though it than 150 climbers have to reach the site in the im-
field in Baghdad where the a twin-engine turboprop was still windy. The semi-of- joined the operation. mediate aftermath, state
bodies were being flown used for short-distance re- ficial Tasnim news agency Transport Minister Abbas TV reported.
in, he called on security gional flying, went down on cited the military as saying Akhoundi left Tehran on Aseman Airlines spokes-
forces to be vigilant, saying Sunday in foggy weather, Russia had helped locate Monday to visit the site of man Mohammad Taghi Ta-
"the war against terrorism is crashing into Mount Dena the crash site. Russia and the crash, state TV report- batabai told state TV that
not over yet." in a remote area of south- Iran are close military allies. ed. Footage posted on in- all on board Flight EP3704
Prime Minister Haider al- ern Iran. The airliner said The TV broadcast footage dependent news websites were killed. The plane had
Abadi's office put out a all on board Flight EP3704 of a helicopter joining the showed him in the cockpit 59 passengers and six crew
statement expressing con- were killed, including six search and showed ambu- of a plane taking part in members, the state-run
dolences to family mem- crew members. lances and rescue vehicles the search. State TV quot- IRNA news agency report-
bers of those killed. It said The crash of the aircraft, preparing to reach the site ed him as saying the cause ed late Sunday, lowering
it had issued orders to hunt brought back into service on Mount Dena, which is of the crash was still "not the initially reported death
down those responsible only months ago after be- about 4,400 meters (14,400 clear." toll of 66. The United States
and other sleeper cells, ing grounded for seven feet) tall. The site is report- Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokes- expressed condolences
and to investigate the in- years, was yet another fa- edly at a height of 3,500 man for Iran's Civil Aviation over the crash in a Farsi-lan-
cident and take any re- tal aviation disaster for Iran, meters (11,500 feet). Organization, said a seven- guage statement posted
quired steps.q which for years was barred Other Iranian news outlets member delegation from on social media Sunday.q