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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 25 February 2017
Attacks near Syria town captured from IS kill 60

SARAH EL DEEB In a hallmark IS attack, a among those killed in the “achieved the goals” it if Turkey would end its op-
SUZAN FRASER suicide car bomb went off attack, according to Tur- had set for its military op- erations in northern Syria or
Associated Press outside a security office key’s Prime Minister, who eration in northern Syria. move on to liberate other
BEIRUT (AP) — At least two operated by the Syrian op- spoke in Ankara. The Turkish military earlier areas. The Turkish military
attacks Friday near a Syr- position in a village eight Hours later, another car announced that its troops said that it currently con-
ian town just captured by kilometers (five miles) north bomb attack was reported and allied Syrian opposition trols 1,925 square kilome-
Turkish forces and Syrian of al-Bab, killing 60 people. in Sousian, claiming the fighters are in full control of ters (743 square miles) in
opposition fighters from the Most of those killed in Sou- lives of at least eight, ac- al-Bab but efforts to clear it northern Syria since its in-
Islamic State group killed sian were civilians who had cording to activist groups. of mines and explosive de- cursion there last August.
more than 60, mostly civil- gathered seeking permits There were no further de- vices were still ongoing. The Turkey-backed opera-
ians and including two Turk- and escorts to return to tails on the attack, and the Gen. Hulusi Akar spoke dur- tions have aimed to create
ish soldiers, as the group al-Bab, a day after it was Aleppo Media Center later ing a visit to the border with a safe zone along the bor-
retreats from one of its last liberated from the extrem- removed the report from its Syria, a day after Turkish der, deterring from its bor-
remaining strongholds in ist group, a Syrian military website. troops and Turkey-backed ders Islamic State militants
northern Syria, Turkey’s commander in the city Despite the violence, opposition forces captured as well as Kurdish rebels it
news agency and Syrian told The Associated Press. Turkey’s chief of military the town. sees as an extension of its
activists said. At least six fighters were staff said his country had He did not say, however, own insurgent group.q
Iraqi forces advance in Mosul, strike IS inside Syria

QASSIM ZAHRA the southwestern edge of
SARAH EL DEEB the city, according to Iraqi
ANDREA ROSA officials.
Associated Press The territorial gains were
MOSUL AIRPORT, Iraq (AP) the most significant yet in
— As Iraqi ground troops the battle, now in its sixth
pushed into western Mosul day, to rout IS militants from
on Friday, the country’s air the western half of Iraq’s
force struck Islamic State second-largest city.
group targets inside Syria As Iraqi warplanes struck IS
for the first time in response targets across the border,
to recent bombings in militants in northern Syria
Baghdad claimed by the staged a suicide car bomb
militants. attack outside a security
Meanwhile, at least 60 office operated by the Syr-
people were killed in IS at- ian opposition in a village
tacks near a key northern five miles (eight kilometers)
Syrian town captured only north of al-Bab, killing at
a day earlier from the ex- least 60 people. The town
tremists by Turkish forces had been controlled by IS
and their Syrian opposition since late 2013, but the mili-
allies. tants finally retreated Thurs-
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider day after more than two
al-Abadi announced the months of intense fighting.
Iraqi airstrikes in Syria in Iraqi and U.S. forces deploy near Mosul’s international airport, in western Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 24, 2017. Most of those killed in the
Iraqi forces pushed into the first neighborhood in western Mosul on Friday and took full control of
a statement, saying the the international airport on the city’s southwestern edge from the Islamic State group, according village of Sousian were
border towns of Bouka- to Iraqi officials. civilians awaiting permits
mal and Husseibah were (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed) and an escort to return
targeted in response to group operations there. national coalition pushed full control of the city’s in- to al-Bab, a Syrian military
recent bombings in Bagh- Iraqi forces closely sup- into the first neighborhood ternational airport and a commander in the city told
dad linked to Islamic State ported by the U.S.-led inter- of western Mosul and took sprawling military base on The Associated Pressq
Christians flee Egypt’s Sinai after militant killings

ASHRAF SWELIAM plumber, on Thursday and claimed responsibility for Thursday’s death had al- their belongings behind,
MAGGIE MICHAEL shot him to death in front of the attack. But Egypt’s Is- ready seen six members of hoping to be able to return
Associated Press his wife and children in the lamic State group affiliate, their community killed in re- soon.
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Sus- town of el-Arish, said two which is based in the Sinai cent weeks. Some reported receiving
pected Islamic militants security officials and the Peninsula and which in Over the past two days, death threats on their cell
gunned down a Christian priest. December carried out a around 75 Christian fami- phones.
man inside his home in The officers spoke on condi- devastating suicide bomb- lies — hundreds of people “The scene here is really
northern Sinai, officials and tion of anonymity because ing against a Cairo church, — have arrived from Sinai painful,” Thabet said.
a priest said Friday, the lat- they were not authorized to vowed in a video earlier in the city of Ismailia on Christians in northern Sinai
est in a string of sectarian talk to reporters, as did the this week to step up attacks the Suez Canal, accord- have been fleeing in waves
killings there that has sent priest, fearing retaliation by against the embattled ing to Mina Thabet, a re- over recent years because
hundreds of Christians flee- militants. Coptic Christian minority. searcher with the Egyptian of militant threats, and the
ing and raised accusations The priest said initial reports It described them as “infi- Commission for Rights and community that before
the government is failing to that the man’s daughter dels” empowering the West Freedoms who visited the 2011 numbered up to 5,000
protect the community. was kidnapped and killed against Muslims. families. people has now dwindled
The militants stormed the turned out to be incorrect. That stoked panic among They brought suitcases of to fewer than 1,000, said
home of Kamel Youssef, a No militant group has Christians, who before clothes, but left most of the priest. q