Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 3 OcTOber 2017
US-led coalition: Service member killed in explosion in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S.- vicemen have been killed were wounded. also fighting the extremists the country’s north, captur-
led coalition said on Mon- in Iraq in the fight against In July, Iraq’s prime minister, in the western province of ing a third of Iraq’s territory.
day that a service member the Islamic State group, in- Haider al-Abadi, declared Anbar where IS launched a Since the beginning of the
was killed and another was cluding two in the battle victory against IS in Mosul. counterattack against Iraqi U.S. campaign against IS
wounded the previous day to retake the northern city The following month, the forces holding the provin- in Iraq, the number of U.S.
in Iraq when an explosion of Mosul.Additionally, a Iraqi military retook the IS- cial capital of Ramadi last troops in the country has
from a booby-trapped de- French paratrooper was held town of Tal Afar. week. The city had been steadily grown.There are
vice struck their vehicle. killed in the fight against IS Iraqi forces, backed by declared “fully liberated” now more U.S. forces in Iraq
According to U.S. officials, last month, though officials the U.S.-led coalition, are from the group in Feb. 2016. than any time since the
the service members were did not specify if the indi- now fighting to retake the The U.S. launched military 2011 U.S. withdrawal, mark-
both American. The offi- vidual died in Iraq or Syria. Islamic State-held town of operations against IS in Au- ing an intensifying war as
cials were not authorized U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Hawija, 150 miles (240 kilo- gust 2014. IS fighters began Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led
to discuss the matter pub- Mattis said in August that meters) north of Baghdad. growing in power in Iraq in coalition work to push IS out
licly so spoke on condition more than 1,200 Iraqi forces Hawija is one of the last early 2014 in the country’s of the last pockets of terri-
of anonymity. were killed in the battle for pockets of IS-held terri- west and in the summer of tory the extremists control in
So far, seven American ser- Mosul and more than 6,000 tory in Iraq. Iraqi forces are 2014 swept across much of Iraq.q
Palestinian leader launches reconciliation push in Gaza

By FARES AKRAM Some waved Palestinian
Associated Press or yellow Fatah flags, and
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) many chanted Hamdal-
— The Palestinian prime lah’s name.
minister traveled Monday “The only way to statehood
to the Gaza Strip to launch is through unity,” Hamdal-
an ambitious reconciliation lah told the crowd of about
effort with the rival Hamas 2,000. “We are coming to
militant group, receiving a Gaza again to deepen the
hero’s welcome from thou- reconciliation and end the
sands of people as the split.”
sides moved to end a bit- Conditions in Gaza have
ter 10-year rift. deteriorated greatly in a
Prime Minister Rami Ham- decade of Hamas rule,
dallah, representing Pales- and the feeling of hope by
tinian President Mahmoud desperate residents was
Abbas’ Fatah party, was palpable Monday.
joined by dozens of top Thousands lined the streets
officials, aides and secu- to watch Hamdallah’s
rity men on the trip from 30-vehicle convoy. The
the West Bank through Is- crowd forced the delega-
rael and into Gaza to meet tion to delay its first meet-
with the Hamas officials. It ing at the home of the top
is by far the most ambitious From left to right in front row, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar, Head of Palestinian Fatah official in Gaza and
attempt at reconciliation General Intelligence Majid Faraj, Head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian instead take a break at a
since Hamas seized power Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and an Egyptian mediator hold their hands up during a meeting beachside hotel.
in Gaza City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017.
of the coastal strip in 2007. (AP Photo/Prime Minister Office) Dozens of vehicles later
The sides exchanged returned to the Shejayeh
smiles, handshakes and But difficult negotiations On Monday, at least, the Israeli-controlled Erez bor- neighborhood for the
pleasantries — a reflection lie ahead, and key sticking two sides put aside their dif- der crossing, and dozens lunch. Hamas’ top leaders,
of the changed climate points, particularly who will ferences. of Palestinian youths gath- Ismail Haniyeh and Yehiyeh
that has ripened condi- control Hamas’ vast weap- Well-wishers surrounded ered alongside a barbed- Sinwar, said next to Ham-
tions for reconciliation af- ons arsenal, could easily Hamdallah’s car as it en- wire fence to glimpse the dallah and West Bank se-
ter other failed attempts. derail the effort. tered Gaza through the welcoming ceremony. curity chief Majed Faraj. q
Suicide attack on police station in Syrian capital kills 17

By PHILIP ISSA mediately claimed the at- lower floors of the build- on condition of anonymity lah since establishing the
Associated Press tack. It was also unclear ing, and shattered the win- because he was not autho- group in the 1980s to fight
BEIRUT (AP) — Two suicide who struck the Hezbollah dows along one side. Blood rized to brief reporters. Israel’s occupation of south
bombers stormed a police fighters.Lt. Gen. Moham- stained the floors. It was not immediately Lebanon.But Israel’s strikes
station in the Syrian capital mad al-Shaar, Syria’s in- The Britain-based Syr- clear who was operating are generally confined to
on Monday, killing at least terior minister, told report- ian Observatory for Human the drone. Unmanned aer- western and southern Syria,
17 civilians and police, ers that two “terrorists” Rights, a war monitoring ial vehicles are now widely near Lebanon and Israel.
state TV reported, while a attacked the police station group, said the Hezbollah used in Iraq and Syria by It has also been accused
drone strike in eastern Syria in the al-Midan neighbor- fighters were killed Monday armies and militant groups of striking Syrian govern-
killed 10 Hezbollah fighters hood of Damascus with a morning when their posi- alike. ment positions.The U.S. has
who were helping Syrian number of bombs on Mon- tion came under attack Israel has been target- also attacked Syrian pro-
troops battle the Islamic day, before one of them from the sky. The Lebanese ing Hezbollah’s convoys in government forces by air,
State group. blew himself up. He said the militant group is fighting Syria with growing regular- but only once in any con-
The Syrian government is other bomber made it in- alongside President Bashar ity, saying it cannot allow nection to the war on the
at war with the IS group as side the compound, where Assad’s forces. advanced weapons pro- Islamic State group, in Sep-
well as a local al-Qaida af- police killed him, causing A Hezbollah official con- vided by Iran to be sent to tember 2016, when an air
filiate and an array of rebel his bomb to explode. firmed the strike but not Lebanon. Iran has spon- raid killed at least 60 Syrian
groups, none of which im- The blasts damaged the the toll. The official spoke sored and supplied Hezbol- soldiers. q