Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 1 February
IS claims killing and wounding 20 Egyptian troops in Sinai

Associated Press tanks, a Humvee and two mer Islamist president, Mo- and last week called on city, security officials said,
CAIRO (AP) — The Islam- other military vehicles. hammed Morsi. Following Egyptians to stand togeth- speaking on condition of
ic State group in Egypt There was no immediate a spate of deadly attacks er against terrorism. anonymity because they
claimed on Tuesday that its comment from the Egyp- blamed on IS, Egypt re- Separately, a Christian su- were not authorized to brief
fighters killed and wound- tian government on the cently stepped up security permarket owner in el-Arish the media. Last summer,
ed 20 Egyptian soldiers claim, and the restive area operations south of el-Arish was gunned down on Mon- IS gunned down a priest,
in four days of clashes in of the Sinai Peninsula is off and the desert beyond, day night by suspected Rafael Moussa, in el-Arish’s
northern Sinai. In a state- limits to the media. saying many militants were militants, the latest in a se- industrial area as he waited
ment posted on a pro-IS Security forces have been killed and that weapons, ries of killings by IS targeting for his car to be repaired.
website, the Egyptian af- battling IS-led militants in ammunition and explosives members of Egypt’s Chris- Egypt is home to one of
filiate of the Sunni militant Sinai for years, but the in- were seized. tian minority in Sinai. the world’s oldest Christian
group said the fighting took surgency has grown dead- President Abdel-Fattah el- Wael Milad was shot in- communities, with Coptic
place south of the coastal lier and more widespread Sissi has described the fight- side his supermarket, after Christians accounting for
city of el-Arish and that the since the 2013 ouster by ing in Sinai as a “harsh war” which his killers fled to the roughly 10 percent of its 92
militants also destroyed two the military of Egypt’s for- that Egypt is fighting alone, olive orchards south of the million people. q
Iran refuses to confirm conducting missile test

NASSER KARIMI partment spokesman Mark
Associated Press Toner said the U.S. was
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s looking into whether the
foreign minister on Tuesday ballistic missile test violates
refused to confirm whether a 2015 United Nations Se-
his country recently con- curity Council resolution.
ducted a missile test, say- Zarif on Tuesday said he
ing the Iranian missile pro- hopes the issue is not used
gram is not part of the 2015 as, “an excuse for some
nuclear deal with world political games by the new
powers. U.S. administration. The Ira-
The White House said on nian people would never
Monday that it is studying allow their defense to be
the details of an Iranian subject to the permission of
ballistic missile test. others.”
During a joint news confer- Iran has long boasted
ence with visiting French of having missiles that
counterpart Jean-Marc can travel 2,000 kilome-
Ayrault on Tuesday, For- ters (1,243 miles), placing
eign Minister Mohammad much of the Middle East,
Javad Zarif was asked if including Israel, in range.
Iran had conducted a re- Iran says its missiles are the
cent missile test. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, and his French counterpart Jean-Marc key to deterring a U.S. or Is-
“The missile issue is not part Ayrault, shake hands for journalists prior to their meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. raeli attack.
of the nuclear deal. As all At a press conference following the meeting, Zarif refused to confirm that the country conducted In a video posted on his
signatories to the nuclear a missile test, saying Iran’s missile program is not part of a 2015 nuclear deal between his country Facebook page Monday,
deal have announced, the and world powers. Israeli Prime Minister Ben-
missile issue is not a part of” (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) jamin Netanyahu said he
the deal, he said. clear warhead ... Our bal- fense.” re-entry into earth’s atmo- planned to discuss Iran in
Iran’s missiles, he added listic missile was designed A U.S. defense official said sphere. The official had no his upcoming meeting with
are, “not designed for the to carry a normal warhead Monday that the missile other details, including the President Donald Trump in
capability of carrying a nu- in the field of legitimate de- test ended with a “failed” type of missile. State De- Washington.q

Israel government approves 3,000 new settler homes

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has Tuesday, Israel’s Defense evacuate the area within Israel’s Supreme Court rugged, grassy hilltop and
announced plans to build Ministry said the latest con- 48 hours, media reported ruled in 2014 that Amona looks out across the valley
3,000 new homes in West struction was approved by Tuesday, days before a was built on private Pal- onto Palestinian villages.
Bank settlements, pressing Defense Minister Avigdor deadline for its demolition estinian land and must be In 2006, Israeli police de-
forward with a construc- Lieberman and Prime Minis- that threatens to destabi- demolished. It later set Feb. molished nine homes at
tion binge that began after ter Benjamin Netanyahu. It lize Prime Minister Benjamin 8 as the final date for it to Amona, setting off clashes
the inauguration of Donald comes days after the gov- Netanyahu’s government. be destroyed. The court is pitting settlers and their
Trump as U.S. president. ernment approved an ad- The Ynet news website reportedly set to rule on a supporters against police
The announcement comes ditional 2,500 homes in the and other outlets reported state relocation plan later and soldiers. Several dozen
as Israel prepares to uproot West Bank and hundreds that the army posted a in the day. trailers have remained and
an illegal settlement out- more in east Jerusalem. notice at the entrance to Amona is the largest of the outpost has become a
post in the West Bank. It ap- The Palestinians claim both the Amona outpost Tues- about 100 unauthorized symbol for the settlement
pears to be aimed at calm- areas, occupied by Israel day. Ynet ran a picture of outposts erected in the movement.
ing settler anger over the in the 1967 Mideast war, as the order that said “After West Bank without permis- Its fate has threatened to
impending court-ordered parts of a future state. 48 hours nobody will enter sion but generally tolerated rupture Netanyahu’s nar-
evacuation of the Amona Israel’s military has or- or reside in the area.” The by the Israeli government. row coalition, which is dom-
outpost. dered residents of a West military had no immediate The outpost, built in the inated by ultranationalists
In a late-night statement Bank settlement outpost to comment. 1990s, stretches out over a who support settlements. q