UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers in the revived fighting between South Sudan&#39;s rival army factions in Juba. 
 
&quot;Let me start by expressing my deep condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who have been killed in the fighting that has consumed Juba over the past four days. I condemn the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers and one UN national staff,&quot; the secretary-general told reporters. 
 
&quot;The renewed fighting is outrageous. It is yet another grievous setback. It deepens the country&#39;s suffering;It makes a mockery of commitments to peace. Many people have been killed in heavy fighting. There are growing fears that many more could die in another round of violence,&quot; said&nbsp;Ban. 
 
He urged leaders of South Sudan to do everything they can to end the dispute. 
 
&quot;My message to President Salva Kiir and first Vice President Riek Machar is clear: Do everything in your power to deescalate the hostilities immediately; order your respective forces to withdraw,&quot; said Ban. 
 
South Sudan&#39;s President Salva Kiir on Monday evening has ordered a ceasefire between his government troops and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in the capital Juba. 
 
The UN mission in South Sudan on Monday reported heavy fighting in Juba, including areas close to its compounds in Jebel and Tomping. 
 
The latest round of violence followed deadly clashes between rival factions on Friday and Sunday in the capital city. 
 
South Sudan&#39;s Health Ministry says at least 271 people were killed in Friday&#39;s clash. 
 
The exact number of those killed fighting since Sunday is unknown. 
 
On Sunday, the UN Security Council said in a press statement that the 15-nation UN body condemned in the strongest terms the escalation of fighting in Juba, and they expressed their sympathies and condolences to the families of Chinese peacekeepers who were killed or injured in the attacks. 
 
(Reuters)

The UN mission in South Sudan on Monday reported heavy fighting in Juba, including areas close to its compounds in Jebel and Tomping

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers in the revived fighting between South Sudan's rival army factions in Juba. "Let me start by expressing my deep condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who have been killed in the fighting that has consumed Juba over the past four days. I condemn the killing of two Chinese peacekeepers and one UN national staff," the secretary-general told reporters. "The renewed fighting is outrageous. It is yet another grievous setback. It deepens the country's suffering;It makes a mockery of commitments to peace. Many people have been killed in heavy fighting. There are growing fears that many more could die in another round of violence," said Ban. He urged leaders of South Sudan to do everything they can to end the dispute. "My message to President Salva Kiir and first Vice President Riek Machar is clear: Do everything in your power to deescalate the hostilities immediately; order your respective forces to withdraw," said Ban. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Monday evening has ordered a ceasefire between his government troops and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar in the capital Juba. The UN mission in South Sudan on Monday reported heavy fighting in Juba, including areas close to its compounds in Jebel and Tomping. The latest round of violence followed deadly clashes between rival factions on Friday and Sunday in the capital city. South Sudan's Health Ministry says at least 271 people were killed in Friday's clash. The exact number of those killed fighting since Sunday is unknown. On Sunday, the UN Security Council said in a press statement that the 15-nation UN body condemned in the strongest terms the escalation of fighting in Juba, and they expressed their sympathies and condolences to the families of Chinese peacekeepers who were killed or injured in the attacks. (Reuters)

Ban Ki-moon condemns killing of 2 Chinese peacekeepers in South Sudan

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. 
 
The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. 
 
The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. 
 
&quot;Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed,&quot; he added without giving details. 
 
Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. 
 
Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. 
 
Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. 
 
The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. 
 
Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. 
 
The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden&#39;s Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. 
 
Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. 
 
Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. 
 
&quot;Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them,&quot; Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered security services to go after Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic militant network formed in 1990 that beheaded two foreign hostages

Philippine government forces fought hundreds of Islamic militants on two remote islands today, with the military aircraft-backed campaign leaving up to 10 people dead, the army said. The gun battles on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan followed orders by new President Rodrigo Duterte for the security services to go after the Abu Sayyaf, which recently beheaded two foreign hostages and is also blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history. The fighting was continuing late today with more troops being rushed in, backed by military aircraft and artillery, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan told reporters. "Continuous indirect fire support and air strikes are being done and additional troops were deployed," he added without giving details. Army troops hunting down Abu Sayyaf units clashed with about 130 of the gunmen near the Jolo town of Patikul, killing a soldier and wounding six others, Tan said. Military intelligence reports later determined that nine Abu Sayyaf members were also killed and 13 others wounded, he added. Meanwhile up to 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen have been fighting running gun battles with government forces in three Basilan towns since late Wednesday, Tan said, but did not say if there were casualties. The Jolo militants are believed to be holding a Norwegian resort manager abducted elsewhere in the south in September last year and a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012. Tan did not reply when asked about the impact of the fighting on the hostages. The Abu Sayyaf beheaded in April and June two Canadian tourists who were kidnapped along with the Norwegian, while a Filipina who was abducted with them was freed last month. The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of a few hundred Islamic militants, formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, that has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom. Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are mainly focused on lucrative kidnappings. Last month, as Duterte prepared to assume office after winning the May presidential elections by landslide on a law and order platform, he ordered the military defeat the Abu Sayyaf. "Our first priority is the Abu Sayyaf because that is the order of our new president: address the Abu Sayyaf immediately so we can neutralise them," Delfin Lorenzana told reporters before he was sworn in as defence secretary. (Reuters)

Philippine army: 10 dead in clashes with islamic militants

Iraqi forces recaptured the last district held by Islamic State militants in the city of Fallujah today and the general commanding the operation declared the battle complete after nearly five weeks of fighting. 
 
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed victory over Islamic State in Fallujah more than a week ago but fighting continued inside the city west of Baghdad, including in the Golan district. The offensive has been backed by a U.S.-led coalition mostly in the form of air strikes against Islamic State. 
 
&quot;We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleaned by the counter terrorism service and we convey the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is over,&quot; Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi told state TV. 
 
Flanked by jubilant fighters, some waving Iraqi flags, Saidi said a few militants were still holding out in buildings. At least 1,800 Islamic State fighters were killed in the operation to retake Fallujah, and the rest had fled, he said. 
 
Government troops launched the operation on May 23 to retake Fallujah, a bastion of the Sunni Muslim insurgency against U.S. forces that toppled Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, and later against Shi&#39;ite-led governments. 
 
Abadi said last week that the recapture of Fallujah would pave the way for the military to march on Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital. 
 
Fighting to recapture the Iraqi city has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps. The United Nations says it has received allegations of abuse of civilians fleeing the city, including by members of Shi&#39;ite armed groups supporting the offensive. 
 
The militants seized Fallujah in January 2014, six months before they declared a &quot;caliphate&quot; over part of Syria and Iraq.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Government fighters recapture the last district held by Islamic State in the city

Iraqi forces recaptured the last district held by Islamic State militants in the city of Fallujah today and the general commanding the operation declared the battle complete after nearly five weeks of fighting. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed victory over Islamic State in Fallujah more than a week ago but fighting continued inside the city west of Baghdad, including in the Golan district. The offensive has been backed by a U.S.-led coalition mostly in the form of air strikes against Islamic State. "We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleaned by the counter terrorism service and we convey the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is over," Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi told state TV. Flanked by jubilant fighters, some waving Iraqi flags, Saidi said a few militants were still holding out in buildings. At least 1,800 Islamic State fighters were killed in the operation to retake Fallujah, and the rest had fled, he said. Government troops launched the operation on May 23 to retake Fallujah, a bastion of the Sunni Muslim insurgency against U.S. forces that toppled Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, and later against Shi'ite-led governments. Abadi said last week that the recapture of Fallujah would pave the way for the military to march on Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital. Fighting to recapture the Iraqi city has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps. The United Nations says it has received allegations of abuse of civilians fleeing the city, including by members of Shi'ite armed groups supporting the offensive. The militants seized Fallujah in January 2014, six months before they declared a "caliphate" over part of Syria and Iraq. (Reuters)

Battle over, say Iraqi forces in Fallujah

The United Nations said today&nbsp;it was worried about 8,000 Syrians trapped by fighting north of Aleppo where Islamic State has advanced against rebels, and that both Kurdish and rebel authorities had hindered people fleeing the area.

The fighting has displaced thousands more Syrians near the Turkish frontier where more than 160,000 people are already sheltering, most of whom fled fighting earlier this year, the U.N. says.

&quot;An unknown number of people are also unable to flee due to fighting and the closure of the main road leading north towards the town of Azaz in northwestern Syria,&quot; said a joint statement from the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria and the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis.

Islamic State advanced in recent days into the opposition-held town of Marea.

The Turkish-backed rebels who are battling Islamic State north of Aleppo have also been involved in hostilities with the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which controls wide areas of territory to the west of Marea.

In a separate report on the situation, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said civilians fleeing the IS advance had been prevented by Syrian Kurdish authorities from entering areas under their control in response to rebel shelling of a Kurdish-held area of Aleppo.

It said about 2,000 people had managed to evacuate Marea and nearby Sheikh Issa, which were encircled by Islamic State on May 27. &quot;However, an estimated 7,000 civilians still remain inside and unable to leave due to restrictions imposed by Kurdish authorities,&quot; it added. OCHA said this was a Kurdish response to rebel shelling of Aleppo&#39;s Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsoud area.

Meanwhile, opposition authorities in the rebel-held town of Azaz near the Turkish border had issued a directive on May 24 to not let in any more people fleeing Islamic State-held areas, OCHA said.

The court that issued the order cited fears of infiltration by covert Islamic State militants posing as internally displaced people (IDPs), after 8,000 IDPs arrived in Azaz.

&quot;Humanitarian agencies have continued to suspend operations and evacuate staff from towns in close proximity to hostilities,&quot; the OCHA report said.

The U.N. is worried about 8,000 Syrian trapped by fighting north of Aleppo

The United Nations said today it was worried about 8,000 Syrians trapped by fighting north of Aleppo where Islamic State has advanced against rebels, and that both Kurdish and rebel authorities had hindered people fleeing the area. The fighting has displaced thousands more Syrians near the Turkish frontier where more than 160,000 people are already sheltering, most of whom fled fighting earlier this year, the U.N. says. "An unknown number of people are also unable to flee due to fighting and the closure of the main road leading north towards the town of Azaz in northwestern Syria," said a joint statement from the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria and the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis. Islamic State advanced in recent days into the opposition-held town of Marea. The Turkish-backed rebels who are battling Islamic State north of Aleppo have also been involved in hostilities with the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which controls wide areas of territory to the west of Marea. In a separate report on the situation, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said civilians fleeing the IS advance had been prevented by Syrian Kurdish authorities from entering areas under their control in response to rebel shelling of a Kurdish-held area of Aleppo. It said about 2,000 people had managed to evacuate Marea and nearby Sheikh Issa, which were encircled by Islamic State on May 27. "However, an estimated 7,000 civilians still remain inside and unable to leave due to restrictions imposed by Kurdish authorities," it added. OCHA said this was a Kurdish response to rebel shelling of Aleppo's Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsoud area. Meanwhile, opposition authorities in the rebel-held town of Azaz near the Turkish border had issued a directive on May 24 to not let in any more people fleeing Islamic State-held areas, OCHA said. The court that issued the order cited fears of infiltration by covert Islamic State militants posing as internally displaced people (IDPs), after 8,000 IDPs arrived in Azaz. "Humanitarian agencies have continued to suspend operations and evacuate staff from towns in close proximity to hostilities," the OCHA report said.

U.N. worried for Syrians stranded by Islamic State advance

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route. 
&quot;Heavy clashes took place overnight between IS fighters and rebels inside the walls of Marea town,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
IS swept through rebel-held territory early Friday in a shock offensive in Aleppo province, cutting off the main road between Marea and Azaz, 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the northeast near the Turkish border.&nbsp; 
The surprise advance came as the jihadist group faced an offensive by a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance in its own heartland of Raqa province further east. 
Maamoun Khateeb, a journalist and activist from Azaz, told AFP that IS attacked Marea early Saturday mainly from the east and north using tanks and two car bombs. 
The advance has besieged around 15,000 residents remaining inside Marea, he said.&nbsp; 
Human rights groups have warned that the IS advance in Aleppo has left tens of thousands of displaced Syrians trapped along the closed Turkish border. 
To the east in Raqa province, warplanes from the US-led coalition conducted air strikes on IS positions north of Raqa city, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. 
But the Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting the jihadist group north of its de facto Syrian capital had made no strategic progress on the ground, he said. 
Syria`s war has killed more than 280,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route.

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route. "Heavy clashes took place overnight between IS fighters and rebels inside the walls of Marea town," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IS swept through rebel-held territory early Friday in a shock offensive in Aleppo province, cutting off the main road between Marea and Azaz, 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the northeast near the Turkish border. The surprise advance came as the jihadist group faced an offensive by a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance in its own heartland of Raqa province further east. Maamoun Khateeb, a journalist and activist from Azaz, told AFP that IS attacked Marea early Saturday mainly from the east and north using tanks and two car bombs. The advance has besieged around 15,000 residents remaining inside Marea, he said. Human rights groups have warned that the IS advance in Aleppo has left tens of thousands of displaced Syrians trapped along the closed Turkish border. To the east in Raqa province, warplanes from the US-led coalition conducted air strikes on IS positions north of Raqa city, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. But the Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting the jihadist group north of its de facto Syrian capital had made no strategic progress on the ground, he said. Syria`s war has killed more than 280,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

IS-rebel clashes rock northeast Syria town

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