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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 July 2017

Muslim prayers end peacefully at Jerusalem mosque

The move outraged Mus- level scuffles between Pal-
lims and sparked some of estinians and Israeli forces
the worst street clashes in nearby, but nothing on the
years, threatening to draw scale of recent violence.
Israel into conflict with oth- Police had barred men un-
er Arab and Muslim nations. der 50 from the Jerusalem
Under intense pressure, Isra- site during the day and
el removed the metal de- braced for violence follow-
tectors this week and said ing security assessments
it planned to install sophis- indicting Palestinians had
ticated security cameras planned protests there.
instead. There were no restrictions
By nightfall Friday, Jordan’s on women. Israeli police
religious body that adminis- lifted the age restrictions
ters the Jerusalem site said and other measures Friday
the situation at the com- night.
pound had returned to Muslims only returned to
what it was before the July the site on Thursday — after
14 attack — a key Pales- about two weeks of pray-
tinian demand for protests ing in the streets nearby
to end. The Waqf said “all to protest the new security
doors are opened in front of measures.
worshippers without restric- They had claimed Israel
tions or conditions,” adding was trying to expand its
Palestinians pray outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City Friday, July 28, 2017. Muslim
prayers at a major Jerusalem shrine ended peacefully Israeli police said Friday but violence that the development was control over the site. Israel
continued in the West Bank where a Palestinian was killed attacking soldiers as forces were on a result of “pressure from denied the allegations, in-
high alert following two weeks of violence over the sacred site, holy to both Muslims and Jews. the Jordanian government sisting the measures were
(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) on the Israeli government.” meant to prevent more at-
By IAN DEITCH rusalem, Israeli police said, since Arab gunmen killed Firas Dibs, an official from tacks and pointed to similar
Associated Press but violence flared in the two police officers in the sa- Waqf, said earlier that tens measures at sensitive sites
JERUSALEM (AP) — Prayers West Bank, where a Pal- cred Jerusalem compound of thousands attended Fri- around the world.
at the Al-Aqsa Mosque estinian was killed after he on July 14, prompting Israel day prayers. Five Palestinians have died
ended peacefully on Fri- attacked soldiers and an- to install security devices at The prayers ended without in the past week and scores
day amid two weeks of un- other died in clashes along entrances to the site that is incident, police spokesman were wounded in violent
rest over security devices Gaza’s border with Israel. holy to both Muslims and Micky Rosenfeld said. There clashes with Israeli security
at the major holy site in Je- Tensions have been high Jews. were some sporadic, low- forces over the holy site.q

IS claims deadly attack in Syria against US-backed force

By BASSEM MROUE Forces have captured wide afterward. Rami Abdurrahman, who tant alliance — Arabic for
Associated Press areas from IS in northern Nisreen Abdullah, a spokes- heads Britain-based Syr- Levant Liberation Commit-
BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State Syria since late last year, woman with the U.S.- ian Observatory for Human tee — shot toward the pro-
militants have carried out and on June 6, the U.S.- backed SDF, said IS has Rights, said IS fighters used testers but did not cause
a deadly attack on U.S.- backed forces launched been carrying out attacks motorcycles in the Thurs- any casualties among
backed forces in Syria, kill- an offensive to capture the against the SDF but strong- day attack. He said they them, according to the
ing and wounding many city of Raqqa. The fighting ly denied the high num- were able to kill and kid- Observatory and Ghouta-
fighters and civilians, Syrian recently has been concen- ber of casualties given by nap dozens of SDF fighters based activist Anas al-Di-
monitors and an IS-linked trated inside the city but IS Aamaq. “Daesh is trying to and civilians. Meanwhile, mashqi. The al-Qaida fac-
media outlet said Friday. staged Thursday’s surprise boost the morale of its fight- near the Syrian capital of tion is also known as HTS.
The assault took place on attack on a village about ers,” Abdullah said by tele- Damascus, members of Al-Dimashqi said HTS fight-
Thursday near the northern 17 kilometers (11 miles) phone from northern Syria, an al-Qaida-linked group ers tried to tear down the
city of Raqqa — the Islam- away from Raqqa. using the Arabic acronym opened fire at protesters tri-color flag of the Syrian
ic State group’s de facto The Aamaq news agency for IS. who demanded that the uprising, adding that no
capital, where U.S.-backed said the attack killed 53 SDF “Daesh is facing collapse,” hard-liners leave the east- one was hurt in the shoot-
Syrian fighters are battling members and damaged she added, referring to the ern suburbs known as east- ing. He said members of the
to rout the extremists from two armored vehicles. It loss of the group of almost ern Ghouta. Syrian rebel group known
their stronghold. added that IS fighters re- half of Raqqa in the fight- Members of the powerful as Failaq al-Rahman pro-
The Syrian Democratic turned to their base safely ing so far in the city. Hay’at Tahrir al Sham mili- tected the protesters.q