A massive cross-border fully-equipped underground tunnel between Lebanon and Israel is to be destroyed soon.. but what was it for..?

The West Asia Post: Israel destroys massive underground tunnel

Britain on Monday said it will ban the political wing of Hezbollah, making membership of the movement or inviting support for it a crime.

The decision follows outrage over the display of the Hezbollah flag, which features a Kalashnikov assault rifle, at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London.

"Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East," Home Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement.

"We are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party. Because of this, I have taken the decision to prescribe the group in its entirety," he said.

The ban is subject to a vote in parliament this week.

Hezbollah is a Shiite militant movement established in 1982 during the Lebanese civil war.

Its capture of two Israeli soldiers in 2006 sparked a 34-day war in which 1,200 people were killed.

The movement, now a major political party in Lebanon, holds three cabinet posts.

"It is clear the distinction between Hezbollah's military and political wings does not exist," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in Monday's statement.

"This does not change our ongoing commitment to Lebanon, with whom we have a broad and strong relationship," he said.

The government is also banning Ansarul Islam, a jihadist group which emerged near the border between Mali and Burkina Faso in 2016, and the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Britain currently has 74 international terrorist organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Britain on Monday said it will ban the political wing of Hezbollah, making membership of the movement or inviting support for it a crime. The decision follows outrage over the display of the Hezbollah flag, which features a Kalashnikov assault rifle, at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London.

Britain on Monday said it will ban the political wing of Hezbollah, making membership of the movement or inviting support for it a crime. The decision follows outrage over the display of the Hezbollah flag, which features a Kalashnikov assault rifle, at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London. "Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East," Home Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement. "We are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party. Because of this, I have taken the decision to prescribe the group in its entirety," he said. The ban is subject to a vote in parliament this week. Hezbollah is a Shiite militant movement established in 1982 during the Lebanese civil war. Its capture of two Israeli soldiers in 2006 sparked a 34-day war in which 1,200 people were killed. The movement, now a major political party in Lebanon, holds three cabinet posts. "It is clear the distinction between Hezbollah's military and political wings does not exist," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in Monday's statement. "This does not change our ongoing commitment to Lebanon, with whom we have a broad and strong relationship," he said. The government is also banning Ansarul Islam, a jihadist group which emerged near the border between Mali and Burkina Faso in 2016, and the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Britain currently has 74 international terrorist organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Britain to ban Hezbollah under anti-terror laws

The chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Saturday warned Israel against continuing strikes in Syria targeting mainly Iranian positions, saying it could fuel the war in the region.

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly, Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with al-Mayadeen television: "Don't make an error of judgement and don't lead the region towards war or a major clash."

"At any moment the Syrian leadership and the axis of resistance can take a decision to deal with the Israeli aggression in a different manner," Nasrallah said, referring to the alliance between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Israel has said the first strikes targeted mainly facilities it claimed belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.

It said they were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said 21 people had been killed in the strikes, the majority of them Iranians.

The Israeli army has since 2013 claimed hundreds of attacks on what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.&nbsp;

Israel has warned it will continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. 
&nbsp;

The chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Saturday warned Israel against continuing strikes in Syria targeting mainly Iranian positions, saying it could fuel the war in the region.

The chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Saturday warned Israel against continuing strikes in Syria targeting mainly Iranian positions, saying it could fuel the war in the region. Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly, Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with al-Mayadeen television: "Don't make an error of judgement and don't lead the region towards war or a major clash." "At any moment the Syrian leadership and the axis of resistance can take a decision to deal with the Israeli aggression in a different manner," Nasrallah said, referring to the alliance between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Israel has said the first strikes targeted mainly facilities it claimed belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force. It said they were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said 21 people had been killed in the strikes, the majority of them Iranians. The Israeli army has since 2013 claimed hundreds of attacks on what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria. Israel has warned it will continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

Hezbollah chief warns Israel against continuing strikes in Syria

Israel said Sunday it had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/israel-conducts-air-strike-against-iranian-weapons-depot-in-syria-190012">uncovered all cross-border attack tunnels</a> dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon and will bring its operation to find and destroy them to an end after more than a month.

The operation which began on December 4 had raised concerns that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shiite group and enemy of Israel, would respond and spark a new conflict between them, but the border has remained calm throughout.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-retaliates-after-rocket-fired-into-gaza-army-189938">An Israeli military</a> spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched.

The last tunnel was exposed on Saturday, the army said.

"We have found yet another Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnel from Lebanon to Israel," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters.

"According to our intelligence and our assessment of the situation, there are no longer any cross-border attack tunnels from Lebanon into Israel."

The latest tunnel began in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh, some 800 metres (yards) away from Israel, the army said.

It reached a few dozen metres into Israel, and at 55 metres underground was the deepest as well as "the longest and most detailed" of all the tunnels the army exposed, Conricus said.

The army said its discovery marked the end of the operation that it called "Northern Shield" and that the last tunnel will be destroyed in the coming days.

'Achieved the goal'&nbsp;

The tunnels are being destroyed either with explosives or by filling them with a cement-like material to make them unusable.

"We have achieved the goal (to expose and destroy the tunnels from Lebanon) which we set out to achieve at the beginning," Conricus said.

Conricus said there were no more tunnels reaching Israel from Lebanon but the army was still monitoring "facilities" being dug by Hezbollah inside Lebanese territory.

He also reiterated that Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable "for any act of violence or violation of 1701," the UN resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, was informed of the latest tunnel, Conricus said.

Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. It has said, however, that they were not yet operational.

A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Israel says all anti-tunnel operations have taken place within its territory, and the highly publicised mission has gone ahead without drawing a military response from Hezbollah.

The announcement that the operation is ending comes as military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot steps down at the end of his term.

Israeli analysts see the operation as one of Eisenkot's important achievements. 
&nbsp;

An Israeli military spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched.

Israel said Sunday it had uncovered all cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon and will bring its operation to find and destroy them to an end after more than a month. The operation which began on December 4 had raised concerns that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shiite group and enemy of Israel, would respond and spark a new conflict between them, but the border has remained calm throughout. An Israeli military spokesman declined to say how many tunnels had been discovered in total, but the army has announced six since the operation was launched. The last tunnel was exposed on Saturday, the army said. "We have found yet another Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnel from Lebanon to Israel," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters. "According to our intelligence and our assessment of the situation, there are no longer any cross-border attack tunnels from Lebanon into Israel." The latest tunnel began in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh, some 800 metres (yards) away from Israel, the army said. It reached a few dozen metres into Israel, and at 55 metres underground was the deepest as well as "the longest and most detailed" of all the tunnels the army exposed, Conricus said. The army said its discovery marked the end of the operation that it called "Northern Shield" and that the last tunnel will be destroyed in the coming days. 'Achieved the goal' The tunnels are being destroyed either with explosives or by filling them with a cement-like material to make them unusable. "We have achieved the goal (to expose and destroy the tunnels from Lebanon) which we set out to achieve at the beginning," Conricus said. Conricus said there were no more tunnels reaching Israel from Lebanon but the army was still monitoring "facilities" being dug by Hezbollah inside Lebanese territory. He also reiterated that Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable "for any act of violence or violation of 1701," the UN resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, was informed of the latest tunnel, Conricus said. Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities. It has said, however, that they were not yet operational. A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Israel says all anti-tunnel operations have taken place within its territory, and the highly publicised mission has gone ahead without drawing a military response from Hezbollah. The announcement that the operation is ending comes as military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot steps down at the end of his term. Israeli analysts see the operation as one of Eisenkot's important achievements.

Israel says all Hezbollah cross-border tunnels found

The powerful Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah believes a solution to be "very close" for the country's impasse over forming a new government, one of its senior officials said on Wednesday, following nearly eight months of political wrangling.

Lebanese politicians have been unable to agree a new government since a general election in May as rival parties have competed over the allocation of cabinet positions, further unsettling the country's fragile economy.

Hezbollah, a heavily armed, Iran-backed movement set up in the 1980s to combat Israeli occupation, started taking part in electoral politics in the 1990s and is the most powerful group in the country.

"We believe the solution is very close," said Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of the group's political council, and suggested it could happen in time to be considered "a holiday gift". "The intentions held by everybody are positive and for the benefit of the country," he added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said he and President Michel Aoun had met and were "determined to form a government", state news agency NNA reported.

A breakthrough to create a national unity government in line with Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system seemed close last month, but it did not work out and the deadlock resumed. However, Hariri said on Sunday he still believed the government would form early in the new year.

The lack of a government has caused particular concern because Lebanon faces both structural economic problems and regional instability.

Lebanon has the world's third-highest level of debt to GDP and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Sunday it faces an economic crisis that he warned could turn into a financial one.

Hariri has pledged to carry out economic reforms that could unlock billions of dollars of international investment in Lebanese power, transport and data infrastructure, aimed at boosting the economy after years of weak growth.

The International Monetary Fund has stressed the importance of Lebanon putting its debt on a sustainable footing, while bond yields and the cost of insuring against Lebanese sovereign debt have shown signs of stress in recent months.

Last month, Israel uncovered several tunnels it said Hezbollah had dug under the border, adding to tensions between the countries some 12 years after Israel and Hezbollah fought a war on Lebanese soil.

Qamati said the government formation was beneficial "particularly in light of the Israeli dangers".

The latest hitch in efforts to form a government came over Sunni Muslim representation in the cabinet. Hariri said on Tuesday that only one difficulty remained and that he and Aoun were working to solve it.

The powerful Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah believes a solution to be "very close" for the country's impasse over forming a new government, one of its senior officials said on Wednesday, following nearly eight months of political wrangling.

The powerful Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah believes a solution to be "very close" for the country's impasse over forming a new government, one of its senior officials said on Wednesday, following nearly eight months of political wrangling. Lebanese politicians have been unable to agree a new government since a general election in May as rival parties have competed over the allocation of cabinet positions, further unsettling the country's fragile economy. Hezbollah, a heavily armed, Iran-backed movement set up in the 1980s to combat Israeli occupation, started taking part in electoral politics in the 1990s and is the most powerful group in the country. "We believe the solution is very close," said Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of the group's political council, and suggested it could happen in time to be considered "a holiday gift". "The intentions held by everybody are positive and for the benefit of the country," he added. On Tuesday, Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said he and President Michel Aoun had met and were "determined to form a government", state news agency NNA reported. A breakthrough to create a national unity government in line with Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system seemed close last month, but it did not work out and the deadlock resumed. However, Hariri said on Sunday he still believed the government would form early in the new year. The lack of a government has caused particular concern because Lebanon faces both structural economic problems and regional instability. Lebanon has the world's third-highest level of debt to GDP and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Sunday it faces an economic crisis that he warned could turn into a financial one. Hariri has pledged to carry out economic reforms that could unlock billions of dollars of international investment in Lebanese power, transport and data infrastructure, aimed at boosting the economy after years of weak growth. The International Monetary Fund has stressed the importance of Lebanon putting its debt on a sustainable footing, while bond yields and the cost of insuring against Lebanese sovereign debt have shown signs of stress in recent months. Last month, Israel uncovered several tunnels it said Hezbollah had dug under the border, adding to tensions between the countries some 12 years after Israel and Hezbollah fought a war on Lebanese soil. Qamati said the government formation was beneficial "particularly in light of the Israeli dangers". The latest hitch in efforts to form a government came over Sunni Muslim representation in the cabinet. Hariri said on Tuesday that only one difficulty remained and that he and Aoun were working to solve it.

Lebanon's Hezbollah believes solution to government impasse 'very close'

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-will-escalate-fight-against-iran-in-syria-after-us-exit-netanyahu-185518">Israeli army</a> said Friday it has blown up a cross-border tunnel dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon, the first of four it has uncovered -- and pledged to destroy -- in recent weeks.

"A cross-border attack tunnel dug from the Shiite village of Ramyeh into Israel was detonated" in an operation on Thursday night, the army said in a statement.

The Israeli military "holds the Lebanese Government responsible for digging the attack tunnels and the consequences of this action," it said.

A video distributed by the army shows an officer using a megaphone to call on residents of the Lebanese village of Ramyeh to evacuate the area since the military was about to "blow up this tunnel built by Hezbollah".&nbsp;

Israeli soldiers are also seen inserting rope-like objects into a hole in the ground, while the explosion was documented from a number of angles.

On Thursday night, a military spokesman had said the detonation would be on the Israeli side of the demarcation line with Lebanon, known as the Blue Line.

"We are conducting a defensive activity," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters.

In launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, Israel's military said it located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory.

Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities, while noting they were not yet operational.

A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

The UN confirmed the existence of the four tunnels and its Under Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has called them "a serious violation of Resolution 1701", which ended the 2006 war.

The Israeli army said Friday it has blown up a cross-border tunnel dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon, the first of four it has uncovered -- and pledged to destroy -- in recent weeks.

The Israeli army said Friday it has blown up a cross-border tunnel dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon, the first of four it has uncovered -- and pledged to destroy -- in recent weeks. "A cross-border attack tunnel dug from the Shiite village of Ramyeh into Israel was detonated" in an operation on Thursday night, the army said in a statement. The Israeli military "holds the Lebanese Government responsible for digging the attack tunnels and the consequences of this action," it said. A video distributed by the army shows an officer using a megaphone to call on residents of the Lebanese village of Ramyeh to evacuate the area since the military was about to "blow up this tunnel built by Hezbollah". Israeli soldiers are also seen inserting rope-like objects into a hole in the ground, while the explosion was documented from a number of angles. On Thursday night, a military spokesman had said the detonation would be on the Israeli side of the demarcation line with Lebanon, known as the Blue Line. "We are conducting a defensive activity," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters. In launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, Israel's military said it located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory. Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities, while noting they were not yet operational. A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. The UN confirmed the existence of the four tunnels and its Under Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has called them "a serious violation of Resolution 1701", which ended the 2006 war.

Israeli army says destroys Hezbollah tunnel from Lebanon

Israeli soldiers at the Lebanese border opened fire at suspected Hezbollah activists on Saturday, the military said, the first such incident since Israel launched <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-may-expand-anti-tunnel-operation-into-lebanon-cabinet-minister-182461">a crackdown this week on cross-border tunnels into its territory</a>.

Lebanon said Israeli soldiers had fired in the air when they were surprised by a Lebanese army patrol on the Lebanese side.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel said three people who were "apparently Hezbollah activists" approached its forces on the Israeli side as they carried out an operation to shut down tunnels that Israel has said were dug across the border by the Lebanese group.

"Troops fired towards the suspects in accordance with the standard operating procedures. The three fled. The work in the area continues as usual," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the Israeli soldiers shot into the air when they saw a Lebanese army patrol near the border demarcation, known as the "Blue Line".

"Israeli enemy soldiers shot into the air following their deployment near the Blue Line in Kroum al-Sharaqi region to the east of Meis al-Jabal village," NNA said.

The Israelis "were surprised, due to thick fog, by a routine Lebanese army patrol inside the Lebanese territories", it added.

Israel's military said on Tuesday it had found a number of passages dug across the Israel-Lebanon border to be used for carrying out attacks inside Israel. It sent mechanical diggers, troops and anti-tunneling equipment there to shut them down.

The situation has so far remained calm on both sides of the border. But the Israeli operation has brought renewed attention to a frontier across which Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006.

The Israeli military has said its activity would, for now, stop on the Israeli side of the border. But an Israeli cabinet minister said on Friday that Israel was prepared to take action in Lebanon against cross-border tunnels if deemed necessary.

The United Nations peacekeeping Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), confirmed the existence of a tunnel near the "Blue Line" on Thursday, describing it as a "serious occurrence".

Israeli soldiers at the Lebanese border opened fire at suspected Hezbollah activists on Saturday, the military said, the first such incident since Israel launched a crackdown this week on cross-border tunnels into its territory.

Israeli soldiers at the Lebanese border opened fire at suspected Hezbollah activists on Saturday, the military said, the first such incident since Israel launched a crackdown this week on cross-border tunnels into its territory. Lebanon said Israeli soldiers had fired in the air when they were surprised by a Lebanese army patrol on the Lebanese side. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Israel said three people who were "apparently Hezbollah activists" approached its forces on the Israeli side as they carried out an operation to shut down tunnels that Israel has said were dug across the border by the Lebanese group. "Troops fired towards the suspects in accordance with the standard operating procedures. The three fled. The work in the area continues as usual," the Israeli military said in a statement. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the Israeli soldiers shot into the air when they saw a Lebanese army patrol near the border demarcation, known as the "Blue Line". "Israeli enemy soldiers shot into the air following their deployment near the Blue Line in Kroum al-Sharaqi region to the east of Meis al-Jabal village," NNA said. The Israelis "were surprised, due to thick fog, by a routine Lebanese army patrol inside the Lebanese territories", it added. Israel's military said on Tuesday it had found a number of passages dug across the Israel-Lebanon border to be used for carrying out attacks inside Israel. It sent mechanical diggers, troops and anti-tunneling equipment there to shut them down. The situation has so far remained calm on both sides of the border. But the Israeli operation has brought renewed attention to a frontier across which Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006. The Israeli military has said its activity would, for now, stop on the Israeli side of the border. But an Israeli cabinet minister said on Friday that Israel was prepared to take action in Lebanon against cross-border tunnels if deemed necessary. The United Nations peacekeeping Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), confirmed the existence of a tunnel near the "Blue Line" on Thursday, describing it as a "serious occurrence".

Israeli military says it fired at Hezbollah activists, Lebanon says it was army patrol

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had detected Hezbollah tunnels infiltrating its territory from Lebanon and had launched an operation to cut them off.

Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the "attack tunnels" detected were not yet operational. He declined to say how many were detected or how they would be cut off.

All operations would take place within Israeli territory, Conricus said, though they were likely to boost tensions with Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006.

The military has used various means to collapse or fill in tunnels from the Gaza Strip.

"We have launched Operation Northern Shield to expose and thwart cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah terror organisation from Lebanon into Israel," Conricus told journalists.

The announcement of the operation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels on Monday night.

Netanyahu said he had planned to discuss with Pompeo "steps we are taking together to block the aggression of Iran and its proxies in the north," referring to Syria and Lebanon.

Hezbollah is backed by Iran, Israel's main enemy.

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had detected Hezbollah tunnels infiltrating its territory from Lebanon and had launched an operation to cut them off. Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the "attack tunnels" detected were not yet operational.

The Israeli army said Tuesday it had detected Hezbollah tunnels infiltrating its territory from Lebanon and had launched an operation to cut them off. Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the "attack tunnels" detected were not yet operational. He declined to say how many were detected or how they would be cut off. All operations would take place within Israeli territory, Conricus said, though they were likely to boost tensions with Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006. The military has used various means to collapse or fill in tunnels from the Gaza Strip. "We have launched Operation Northern Shield to expose and thwart cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah terror organisation from Lebanon into Israel," Conricus told journalists. The announcement of the operation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels on Monday night. Netanyahu said he had planned to discuss with Pompeo "steps we are taking together to block the aggression of Iran and its proxies in the north," referring to Syria and Lebanon. Hezbollah is backed by Iran, Israel's main enemy.

Israel launches operation to cut off Hezbollah infiltration tunnels

Israel launches operation to destroy Hezbollah tunnels

The Islamic State group had lost ground Saturday in a town on the Syrian-Iraqi border after pro-regime forces repelled a major attack the day before, a Britain-based monitor said.

Violent clashes were ongoing in Albu Kamal, which lies in the Euphrates Valley in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

"IS has retreated from inside the town to its western and northwestern parts" after pro-regime forces pushed back the jihadists, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Pro-government reinforcements had arrived, he said.

On Friday, IS used at least 10 suicide bombers in its offensive on Albu Kamal, swiftly taking several of its neighbourhoods, the monitor said.&nbsp

It was the biggest attack on the town since the jihadist group lost it in November 2017, and the latest in a string of attacks by IS across Syria.

Neither Syrian state media nor the army reported Friday's attack on Albu Kamal.

The fighting in the town over the past 24 hours has killed 30 pro-regime fighters, the Observatory said.

These include 16 regime troops among them a general, as well as 14 non-Syrian combattants, notably Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah movement fighters, the monitor said.

Twenty-one IS jihadists were also killed in that same period, including the 10 suicide bombers, according to the same source.

IS has ramped up its attacks against pro-regime forces since its fighters in May left their last bastion near Damascus under an evacuation deal with the regime.

IS in 2014 proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, but has since lost most of its territory to various military offensives.

Its presence is mostly confined to pockets of eastern Syria in the vast desert stretching from the country's centre to the border with Iraq.

Earlier this week, IS assaults in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor killed 45 pro-regime fighters.

On Thursday, IS jihadists also killed 22 pro-regime fighters in surprise attacks in the southern province of Sweida, a monitor said.

Violent clashes were ongoing in Albu Kamal, which lies in the Euphrates Valley in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said

The Islamic State group had lost ground Saturday in a town on the Syrian-Iraqi border after pro-regime forces repelled a major attack the day before, a Britain-based monitor said. Violent clashes were ongoing in Albu Kamal, which lies in the Euphrates Valley in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. "IS has retreated from inside the town to its western and northwestern parts" after pro-regime forces pushed back the jihadists, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Pro-government reinforcements had arrived, he said. On Friday, IS used at least 10 suicide bombers in its offensive on Albu Kamal, swiftly taking several of its neighbourhoods, the monitor said. It was the biggest attack on the town since the jihadist group lost it in November 2017, and the latest in a string of attacks by IS across Syria. Neither Syrian state media nor the army reported Friday's attack on Albu Kamal. The fighting in the town over the past 24 hours has killed 30 pro-regime fighters, the Observatory said. These include 16 regime troops among them a general, as well as 14 non-Syrian combattants, notably Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah movement fighters, the monitor said. Twenty-one IS jihadists were also killed in that same period, including the 10 suicide bombers, according to the same source. IS has ramped up its attacks against pro-regime forces since its fighters in May left their last bastion near Damascus under an evacuation deal with the regime. IS in 2014 proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, but has since lost most of its territory to various military offensives. Its presence is mostly confined to pockets of eastern Syria in the vast desert stretching from the country's centre to the border with Iraq. Earlier this week, IS assaults in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor killed 45 pro-regime fighters. On Thursday, IS jihadists also killed 22 pro-regime fighters in surprise attacks in the southern province of Sweida, a monitor said.

IS jihadists lose ground in Syria town after major attack: Monitor

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll.

The deadly explosions tore through weapons and fuel depots on Friday at a military airport in Syria's Hama province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp

"The toll has gone up to at least 28 regime forces and loyalist fighters, all Syrian," said the Britain-based monitor, after initially reporting 11 killed.

It said the death toll could rise as "dozens" are wounded "some in of them in critical condition," it said.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there may also be casualties from other nationalities, as fighters from regime backer Iran and allied Lebanese militia Hezbollah were deployed there.

But a joint operations room of Syria's regional allies denied any of their forces had been killed in the explosions.

"We have no military advisers in the Hama airbase. We have no depots and have not positioned forces from Iran or elsewhere at this airport," it said in a statement carried on Hezbollah's War Media Channel.&nbsp

Syrian state media reported the blasts at the time but did not provide any details, while the Observatory had said they were likely due to a technical malfunction.&nbsp

Tensions are high in Syria after several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on regime positions, as well as military installations reportedly used by Iran.&nbsp

The latest wave came in the early hours of May 10, when Israel carried out dozens of raids against what it said were "Iranian" targets in Syria.&nbsp

Israel has repeatedly threatened to act if Iran developed an entrenched military presence in southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.&nbsp

More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests that spiralled into a brutal war.

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll

At least 28 pro-government fighters have been killed in a string of blasts at a regime airbase in central Syria earlier this week, a monitor said Sunday giving a new toll. The deadly explosions tore through weapons and fuel depots on Friday at a military airport in Syria's Hama province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The toll has gone up to at least 28 regime forces and loyalist fighters, all Syrian," said the Britain-based monitor, after initially reporting 11 killed. It said the death toll could rise as "dozens" are wounded "some in of them in critical condition," it said. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there may also be casualties from other nationalities, as fighters from regime backer Iran and allied Lebanese militia Hezbollah were deployed there. But a joint operations room of Syria's regional allies denied any of their forces had been killed in the explosions. "We have no military advisers in the Hama airbase. We have no depots and have not positioned forces from Iran or elsewhere at this airport," it said in a statement carried on Hezbollah's War Media Channel. Syrian state media reported the blasts at the time but did not provide any details, while the Observatory had said they were likely due to a technical malfunction. Tensions are high in Syria after several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on regime positions, as well as military installations reportedly used by Iran. The latest wave came in the early hours of May 10, when Israel carried out dozens of raids against what it said were "Iranian" targets in Syria. Israel has repeatedly threatened to act if Iran developed an entrenched military presence in southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests that spiralled into a brutal war.

Toll from blasts at Syria airbase climbs to 28: Monitor

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed victory on Monday after elections it said legitimised its military branch, leaving Saudi-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the main loser.

The two main protagonists of the country's first legislative polls in almost a decade did not wait for final results to comment on the implications of a vote which was also marked by low turnout.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the vote "a great political and moral victory for the resistance option that protects the sovereignty of the country."

The Iran-backed Shiite movement and its allies look set to secure a parliament bloc large enough to thwart attempts for it to disarm, a longstanding demand of its political enemies.

"The make-up of the new legislative chamber represents a guarantee and a great strength to protect this strategic choice and to protect the golden equation -- the army, the people and the resistance," Nasrallah said.

The man who has led calls internally for Hezbollah to lay down its arms is Hariri, whose Sunni-dominated Future Movement -- less dominant since it lost Saudi Arabia's lavish support -- lost a third of its seats.

Hariri told reporters his party had won 21 seats, a drop from the 33 it controlled in the outgoing legislature.

"We were betting on a better result," the premier said.

Swing vote

Results announced late Monday by the interior ministry confirmed the trend, though vote counting had not yet ended in one electoral district.

The number of Hezbollah lawmakers in the 128-seat parliament may not increase from the current 13 but astute pre-electoral tactics have secured it enough allies to withstand challenges on strategic issues.

"Hariri's loss will be the distinguishing mark of these elections, which will have consequences on the battle to form a new government," the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar daily wrote earlier on Monday.

Hezbollah, which was created in the 1980s to fight against Israel and currently battles in Syria alongside regime forces, is listed as a terror organisation by the United States.

The group, whose arsenal outguns the army's, does not derive its dominant status on the Lebanese scene from the ballot box but the new breakdown of parliament is set to increase its political legitimacy.

Lebanon's unique brand of sectarian-driven, power-sharing politics mean rival factions often end up in the same government, as is the case now where Hezbollah is represented in Hariri's cabinet.

The United Nations on Monday urged Lebanese politicians to act responsibly to protect Lebanon's stability.

"We hope that all Lebanese political stakeholders will continue to act responsibly in the days following polling to protect Lebanon's stability, which should include the swift formation of a government," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The constitution stipulates that parliament is equally split between Muslims and Christians, whose biggest party, led by President Michel Aoun has been a Hezbollah ally.

"The biggest swing vote will be President Aoun's group, which will move among the other blocs. Hezbollah will benefit from the lack of a broad coalition against it," political analyst Imad Salamey said.

Lawmakers had extended their own mandate three times since 2009, ostensibly over security concerns linked to the war in neighbouring Syria and political divisions that led to long and crippling institutional crises.

One civil society candidate

A higher turnout than the 49.2 percent announced overnight had been expected after the long electoral hiatus but the new pre-printed ballots used Sunday appeared to confuse some voters.

Some voters also said the sometimes absurd web of local alliances that saw some parties work together in one district and compete in others had put them off.

Senior political leaders, including Hariri himself and Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk whose task it was to supervise the vote, admitted that new voting rules tested for the first time had been perplexing for the electorate.

Lebanon has often been a scene where the rivalry between the region's two heavyweights Iran and Saudi Arabia has played out, but their political clients in this election seemed content to maintain the status quo.

In line with the "national pact" dating from independence in 1943, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shiite.

Nabih Berri, who heads the Shiite party Amal and was allied with Hezbollah, looks certain to keep the position of speaker he has held since 1992.

And the Lebanese Forces party of former warlord Samir Geagea were set to score significant gains, with a projected 15 seats.

Despite the disappointing turnout among an electorate, which included around 800,000 people who were too young to vote in the previous general polls, the new electoral law allowed one candidate from a civil society list to break into parliament.

Paula Yacoubian is a prominent journalist who long hosted a show on a television channel owned by Hariri, but has cast herself as an independent.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the vote 'a great political and moral victory for the resistance option that protects the sovereignty of the country'

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah claimed victory on Monday after elections it said legitimised its military branch, leaving Saudi-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the main loser. The two main protagonists of the country's first legislative polls in almost a decade did not wait for final results to comment on the implications of a vote which was also marked by low turnout. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the vote "a great political and moral victory for the resistance option that protects the sovereignty of the country." The Iran-backed Shiite movement and its allies look set to secure a parliament bloc large enough to thwart attempts for it to disarm, a longstanding demand of its political enemies. "The make-up of the new legislative chamber represents a guarantee and a great strength to protect this strategic choice and to protect the golden equation -- the army, the people and the resistance," Nasrallah said. The man who has led calls internally for Hezbollah to lay down its arms is Hariri, whose Sunni-dominated Future Movement -- less dominant since it lost Saudi Arabia's lavish support -- lost a third of its seats. Hariri told reporters his party had won 21 seats, a drop from the 33 it controlled in the outgoing legislature. "We were betting on a better result," the premier said. Swing vote Results announced late Monday by the interior ministry confirmed the trend, though vote counting had not yet ended in one electoral district. The number of Hezbollah lawmakers in the 128-seat parliament may not increase from the current 13 but astute pre-electoral tactics have secured it enough allies to withstand challenges on strategic issues. "Hariri's loss will be the distinguishing mark of these elections, which will have consequences on the battle to form a new government," the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar daily wrote earlier on Monday. Hezbollah, which was created in the 1980s to fight against Israel and currently battles in Syria alongside regime forces, is listed as a terror organisation by the United States. The group, whose arsenal outguns the army's, does not derive its dominant status on the Lebanese scene from the ballot box but the new breakdown of parliament is set to increase its political legitimacy. Lebanon's unique brand of sectarian-driven, power-sharing politics mean rival factions often end up in the same government, as is the case now where Hezbollah is represented in Hariri's cabinet. The United Nations on Monday urged Lebanese politicians to act responsibly to protect Lebanon's stability. "We hope that all Lebanese political stakeholders will continue to act responsibly in the days following polling to protect Lebanon's stability, which should include the swift formation of a government," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The constitution stipulates that parliament is equally split between Muslims and Christians, whose biggest party, led by President Michel Aoun has been a Hezbollah ally. "The biggest swing vote will be President Aoun's group, which will move among the other blocs. Hezbollah will benefit from the lack of a broad coalition against it," political analyst Imad Salamey said. Lawmakers had extended their own mandate three times since 2009, ostensibly over security concerns linked to the war in neighbouring Syria and political divisions that led to long and crippling institutional crises. One civil society candidate A higher turnout than the 49.2 percent announced overnight had been expected after the long electoral hiatus but the new pre-printed ballots used Sunday appeared to confuse some voters. Some voters also said the sometimes absurd web of local alliances that saw some parties work together in one district and compete in others had put them off. Senior political leaders, including Hariri himself and Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk whose task it was to supervise the vote, admitted that new voting rules tested for the first time had been perplexing for the electorate. Lebanon has often been a scene where the rivalry between the region's two heavyweights Iran and Saudi Arabia has played out, but their political clients in this election seemed content to maintain the status quo. In line with the "national pact" dating from independence in 1943, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shiite. Nabih Berri, who heads the Shiite party Amal and was allied with Hezbollah, looks certain to keep the position of speaker he has held since 1992. And the Lebanese Forces party of former warlord Samir Geagea were set to score significant gains, with a projected 15 seats. Despite the disappointing turnout among an electorate, which included around 800,000 people who were too young to vote in the previous general polls, the new electoral law allowed one candidate from a civil society list to break into parliament. Paula Yacoubian is a prominent journalist who long hosted a show on a television channel owned by Hariri, but has cast herself as an independent.

Lebanon's Hezbollah hails 'great victory' after vote

An agreement had been reached to evacuate Jaish al Islam rebel fighters from the last insurgent bastion in the eastern suburbs of Damascus to the city of Jarablus in northern Syria near the border with Turkey, a Hezbollah run-media unit said on Sunday.

The deal comes after several days of negotiations to spare bloodshed in the city of Douma and will include setting up a Syrian government-approved local council in the city that will run its affairs after rebels withdraw, the media unit said on social media.

&nbsp

An agreement had been reached to evacuate Jaish al Islam rebel fighters from the last insurgent bastion in the eastern suburbs of Damascus to the city of Jarablus in northern Syria near the border with Turkey, a Hezbollah run-media unit said on Sunday

An agreement had been reached to evacuate Jaish al Islam rebel fighters from the last insurgent bastion in the eastern suburbs of Damascus to the city of Jarablus in northern Syria near the border with Turkey, a Hezbollah run-media unit said on Sunday. The deal comes after several days of negotiations to spare bloodshed in the city of Douma and will include setting up a Syrian government-approved local council in the city that will run its affairs after rebels withdraw, the media unit said on social media.

Deal sealed to evacuate Douma rebels to northern Syria: Hezbollah media unit

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&#39;s powerful&nbsp;Crown&nbsp;Prince&nbsp;called the Supreme&nbsp;Leader&nbsp;of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;&quot;the new Hitler of the Middle East&quot; in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals.

The Sunni Muslim kingdom of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and Shi&#39;ite&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region.

Mohammed bin Salman, who is also&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic&#39;s alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted.

&quot;But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn&#39;t work. We don&#39;t want the new Hitler in&nbsp;Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East,&quot; the paper quoted him as saying.

Tensions soared this month when Lebanon&#39;s&nbsp;Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of&nbsp;Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life.

Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;authorities, an accusation they denied.

Hariri has since suspended his resignation.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the&nbsp;Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country.

Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen&#39;s territory.

The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a&nbsp;Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict.

The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh&#39;s main airport on Nov. 4, which&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran.

Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries &quot;is waged in&nbsp;Iran&quot;.

For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an &quot;accursed tree&quot;, and&nbsp;Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

Saudi?Arabia's powerful?Crown?Prince?called the Supreme?Leader?of?Iran?"the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals. The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region. Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. "But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn't work. We don't want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East," the paper quoted him as saying. Tensions soared this month when Lebanon's Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life. Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by Saudi authorities, an accusation they denied. Hariri has since suspended his resignation. Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country. Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen's territory. The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict. The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's main airport on Nov. 4, which Saudi Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran. Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries "is waged in Iran". For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an "accursed tree", and Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

'New Hitler' in Iran should not repeat what happened in Europe: Saudi?Crown?Prince Salman

Syrian troops and allied fighters advanced Saturday to capture most of Albu Kamal, a monitor said, in a tug-of-war over the Islamic State group&#39;s last urban stronghold in the country.

The town in Syria&#39;s oil-rich Deir Ezzor province has changed hands several times, with government troops announcing its capture but losing it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago.

Syria&#39;s army and Lebanese, Iranian and Iraqi loyalists re-entered Albu Kamal two days ago and by Saturday had taken most of it from IS, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

&quot;Syrian regime forces, (Lebanese) Hezbollah, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Iraqi militias seized control on Saturday of more than 80 percent of Albu Kamal, after a huge attack that began Friday night,&quot; said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

&quot;IS was pushed back to the northern and northeastern sectors of the city. Clashes are ongoing,&quot; Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The Britain-based monitor said the fresh push came with heavy bombing raids by regime ally Russia, and that troops were advancing more &quot;carefully&quot; than in their previous assault to ensure their gains would not be rolled back.&nbsp;

A string of territorial defeats across northern and eastern Syria left Albu Kamal, near the border with Iraq, as the last significant town held by IS in the country.&nbsp;

Losing it to regime forces would cap the group&#39;s reversion to a guerrilla organisation with no urban base.

On Saturday, Syrian state television aired live footage from Albu Kamal, showing plumes of smoke rising over the city&#39;s skyline as explosions echoed in the background.

It said the army was preparing to &quot;storm the remaining areas&quot; held by IS in Albu Kamal&#39;s east.

&quot;What has most impeded the Syrian army&#39;s advance is the large amounts of mines left by Daesh (IS) and its attempt at using families as human shields,&quot; state television reported.&nbsp;

Syrian troops and allied fighters advanced Saturday to capture most of Albu Kamal, a monitor said, in a tug-of-war over the Islamic State group's last urban stronghold in the country.

Syrian troops and allied fighters advanced Saturday to capture most of Albu Kamal, a monitor said, in a tug-of-war over the Islamic State group's last urban stronghold in the country. The town in Syria's oil-rich Deir Ezzor province has changed hands several times, with government troops announcing its capture but losing it to a blistering IS counter-attack a week ago. Syria's army and Lebanese, Iranian and Iraqi loyalists re-entered Albu Kamal two days ago and by Saturday had taken most of it from IS, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Syrian regime forces, (Lebanese) Hezbollah, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Iraqi militias seized control on Saturday of more than 80 percent of Albu Kamal, after a huge attack that began Friday night," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman. "IS was pushed back to the northern and northeastern sectors of the city. Clashes are ongoing," Abdel Rahman told AFP. The Britain-based monitor said the fresh push came with heavy bombing raids by regime ally Russia, and that troops were advancing more "carefully" than in their previous assault to ensure their gains would not be rolled back. A string of territorial defeats across northern and eastern Syria left Albu Kamal, near the border with Iraq, as the last significant town held by IS in the country. Losing it to regime forces would cap the group's reversion to a guerrilla organisation with no urban base. On Saturday, Syrian state television aired live footage from Albu Kamal, showing plumes of smoke rising over the city's skyline as explosions echoed in the background. It said the army was preparing to "storm the remaining areas" held by IS in Albu Kamal's east. "What has most impeded the Syrian army's advance is the large amounts of mines left by Daesh (IS) and its attempt at using families as human shields," state television reported.

Syria troops, allies retake most of the last IS-held town: Monitor

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lebanons-hezbollah-accuses-saudi-of-detaining-hariri-23953" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia holding Lebanon PM, inciting Israel to strike country: Hezbollah</a>

Lebanon`s powerful Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of detaining prime minister Saad Hariri and of asking the Shiite movement`s arch-foe Israel to launch strikes.&nbsp;Hariri`s sudden resignation on November 4 in a statement made from Riyadh took the Lebanese political class by surprise and has sparked international concern.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-goalkeeper-accuses-former-fifa-president-of-sexual-harassment-23954" target="_blank">He grabbed my ass: US goalkeeper accuses Sepp Blatter of sexual assault</a>

Hope Solo, the 36-year-old US goalkeeper has accused former FIFA president Sepp Blatter of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/actress-portia-de-rossi-accuses-steven-seagal-of-sexual-harassment-23862" target="_blank">sexual harassment</a>. In an interview with Portugal newspaper Expresso, Solo said that Sepp had grabbed her ass.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/world-cup-playoff-sweden-beat-toothless-italy-with-1-0-23955" target="_blank">Football World Cup play-offs: Sweden beat </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/world-cup-playoff-sweden-beat-toothless-italy-with-1-0-23955" target="_blank">lacklustre</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/world-cup-playoff-sweden-beat-toothless-italy-with-1-0-23955" target="_blank"> Italy</a>

A second-half goal by Sweden substitute Jakob Johansson was enough to beat Italy 1-0 and put his side in the driving seat after their World Cup playoff first leg on a chilly night.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/comedian-louis-ck-admits-sexual-misconduct-entertainment-outlets-cut-ties-23950" target="_blank">&#39;These stories are true,&#39; says comedian Louis CK</a>

US&nbsp;comedian Louis C.K. on Friday admitted to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/actress-portia-de-rossi-accuses-steven-seagal-of-sexual-harassment-23862" target="_blank">sexual misconduct allegations made against him&nbsp;</a>by several women, and television and film companies moved quickly to sever ties. &quot;These stories are true,&quot; C.K. said in a statement.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/heres-what-got-cheaper-after-revised-gst-rates-23947" target="_blank">Revised GST rates: Complete list</a>

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In the biggest GST rearrangement till date, tax rates on over 200 items were cut down&nbsp;to provide relief to consumers and businesses&nbsp;on Friday.&nbsp;Giving a major reprieve to the common man, the GST Council came up with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/23931">a number of new measures.&nbsp;</a>Maximum pruning was done in the 28% slab which will now be applied to only 50 items from 228 earlier. Many of the items and services which were previously under the 28% bracket will now attract a tax of 18% only.&nbsp; 
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Saudi Arabia holding Lebanon PM, inciting Israel to strike country: Hezbollah Lebanon`s powerful Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of detaining prime minister Saad Hariri and of asking the Shiite movement`s arch-foe Israel to launch strikes. Hariri`s sudden resignation on November 4 in a statement made from Riyadh took the Lebanese political class by surprise and has sparked international concern. He grabbed my ass: US goalkeeper accuses Sepp Blatter of sexual assault Hope Solo, the 36-year-old US goalkeeper has accused former FIFA president Sepp Blatter of sexual harassment. In an interview with Portugal newspaper Expresso, Solo said that Sepp had grabbed her ass. Football World Cup play-offs: Sweden beat lacklustre Italy A second-half goal by Sweden substitute Jakob Johansson was enough to beat Italy 1-0 and put his side in the driving seat after their World Cup playoff first leg on a chilly night. 'These stories are true,' says comedian Louis CK US comedian Louis C.K. on Friday admitted to sexual misconduct allegations made against him by several women, and television and film companies moved quickly to sever ties. "These stories are true," C.K. said in a statement. Revised GST rates: Complete list In the biggest GST rearrangement till date, tax rates on over 200 items were cut down to provide relief to consumers and businesses on Friday. Giving a major reprieve to the common man, the GST Council came up with a number of new measures. Maximum pruning was done in the 28% slab which will now be applied to only 50 items from 228 earlier. Many of the items and services which were previously under the 28% bracket will now attract a tax of 18% only.

WION Morning news brief, November 11, 2017: 5 stories

Lebanon`s powerful Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of detaining prime minister Saad Hariri and of asking the Shiite movement`s arch-foe Israel to launch strikes.

Hariri`s sudden resignation on November 4 in a statement made from Riyadh took the Lebanese political class by surprise and has sparked international concern.

The United States warned against using the tiny country as a &quot;venue for proxy conflicts&quot; and the United Nations said it was &quot;essential no new conflict erupt in the region&quot;.

France called for Hariri to have &quot;all his freedom of movement&quot; amid rumours he was being held against his will.

&quot;The head of the Lebanese government is detained in Saudi Arabia, he is banned from returning to Lebanon until now,&quot; Nasrallah said in a televised address.

Hariri`s situation was not completely clear but calls, including from his Lebanese political rivals, mounted for Saudi Arabia to guarantee the premier`s freedom of movement.

The 47-year-old announced his resignation on November 4 in a surprise move that coincided with a sweeping purge of the Saudi kingdom`s elite, ostensibly over embezzlement accusations.

Hariri, who also holds Saudi nationality, did not say when he would return to Lebanon, where President Michel Aoun has yet to formally accept his resignation.

In a statement issued on Friday after a meeting with a senior Saudi diplomat, Aoun insisted Hariri should return to Lebanon.&quot;President Aoun met Saudi charge d`affaires Walid Bukhari and informed him that the circumstances in which Mr. Hariri`s resignation took place were unacceptable,&quot; the statement said.

The president &quot;called for the return to Lebanon of the head of the government&quot;.

Aoun, whose political ally Hezbollah is a fierce critic of Riyadh, &quot;voiced his concern over what is being said&quot; about Hariri`s current status in Saudi Arabia and demanded a &quot;clarification&quot;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday described Hariri as &quot;a strong partner&quot; and warned against &quot;any party, within or outside Lebanon, using Lebanon as a venue for proxy conflicts or in any manner contributing to instability in that country&quot;.

&quot;The United States strongly supports the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Lebanon and of its political institutions&quot; and opposes &quot;any actions that could threaten that stability,&quot; he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country has close ties with both Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, made a surprise visit to Riyadh late Thursday after a trip to the United Arab Emirates.

On Friday, a spokesman for France`s foreign ministry said: &quot;We wish Mr. Saad Hariri to have all his freedom of movement and to be fully able to play the essential role that is his in Lebanon.&quot;&nbsp;

Earlier French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on French radio he thought Hariri was &quot;free to move around&quot;, despite most of the Lebanese political class implying he was de facto under house arrest.

&quot;He went to Abu Dhabi the day before President Macron`s visit (on Wednesday) so we think he`s free to move around,&quot; Le Drian said.

Nasrallah, whose party is the only organisation that did not disarm after the 1975-1990 civil war and now has an arsenal that outstrips Lebanon`s own armed forces, accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to incite conflict.

&quot;The most dangerous thing is inciting Israel to strike Lebanon,&quot; he said. &quot;I`m talking about information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon.&quot;

Nasrallah, whose movement Hariri has repeatedly said should lay down its arms, also warned that his movement, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, was stronger than ever.

&quot;We are stronger today, we warn them again misguided calculations, against any knee-jerk initiative,&quot; he said, adding however that his party saw any Israeli attack as being unlikely at this stage.

The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, also said: &quot;It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region.&quot;

&quot;We are indeed very worried and we hope that we won`t see an escalation in the region that would have tragic consequences,&quot; he said.

Lebanon`s interior ministry said in a statement Friday that a Saudi national had been kidnapped in Lebanon in circumstances that remained unclear.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia had urged all its citizens in Lebanon this week to leave the country but Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk told AFP that the kidnapping was &quot;in no way related&quot; to the Hariri crisis or politics.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri had announced his resignation on November 4 from Riyadh

Lebanon`s powerful Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of detaining prime minister Saad Hariri and of asking the Shiite movement`s arch-foe Israel to launch strikes. Hariri`s sudden resignation on November 4 in a statement made from Riyadh took the Lebanese political class by surprise and has sparked international concern. The United States warned against using the tiny country as a "venue for proxy conflicts" and the United Nations said it was "essential no new conflict erupt in the region". France called for Hariri to have "all his freedom of movement" amid rumours he was being held against his will. "The head of the Lebanese government is detained in Saudi Arabia, he is banned from returning to Lebanon until now," Nasrallah said in a televised address. Hariri`s situation was not completely clear but calls, including from his Lebanese political rivals, mounted for Saudi Arabia to guarantee the premier`s freedom of movement. The 47-year-old announced his resignation on November 4 in a surprise move that coincided with a sweeping purge of the Saudi kingdom`s elite, ostensibly over embezzlement accusations. Hariri, who also holds Saudi nationality, did not say when he would return to Lebanon, where President Michel Aoun has yet to formally accept his resignation. In a statement issued on Friday after a meeting with a senior Saudi diplomat, Aoun insisted Hariri should return to Lebanon."President Aoun met Saudi charge d`affaires Walid Bukhari and informed him that the circumstances in which Mr. Hariri`s resignation took place were unacceptable," the statement said. The president "called for the return to Lebanon of the head of the government". Aoun, whose political ally Hezbollah is a fierce critic of Riyadh, "voiced his concern over what is being said" about Hariri`s current status in Saudi Arabia and demanded a "clarification". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday described Hariri as "a strong partner" and warned against "any party, within or outside Lebanon, using Lebanon as a venue for proxy conflicts or in any manner contributing to instability in that country". "The United States strongly supports the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Lebanon and of its political institutions" and opposes "any actions that could threaten that stability," he said. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country has close ties with both Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, made a surprise visit to Riyadh late Thursday after a trip to the United Arab Emirates. On Friday, a spokesman for France`s foreign ministry said: "We wish Mr. Saad Hariri to have all his freedom of movement and to be fully able to play the essential role that is his in Lebanon." Earlier French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on French radio he thought Hariri was "free to move around", despite most of the Lebanese political class implying he was de facto under house arrest. "He went to Abu Dhabi the day before President Macron`s visit (on Wednesday) so we think he`s free to move around," Le Drian said. Nasrallah, whose party is the only organisation that did not disarm after the 1975-1990 civil war and now has an arsenal that outstrips Lebanon`s own armed forces, accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to incite conflict. "The most dangerous thing is inciting Israel to strike Lebanon," he said. "I`m talking about information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon." Nasrallah, whose movement Hariri has repeatedly said should lay down its arms, also warned that his movement, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, was stronger than ever. "We are stronger today, we warn them again misguided calculations, against any knee-jerk initiative," he said, adding however that his party saw any Israeli attack as being unlikely at this stage. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, also said: "It is essential that no new conflict erupts in the region." "We are indeed very worried and we hope that we won`t see an escalation in the region that would have tragic consequences," he said. Lebanon`s interior ministry said in a statement Friday that a Saudi national had been kidnapped in Lebanon in circumstances that remained unclear. Saudi Arabia had urged all its citizens in Lebanon this week to leave the country but Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk told AFP that the kidnapping was "in no way related" to the Hariri crisis or politics.

Saudi Arabia holding Lebanon PM, inciting Israel to strike country: Hezbollah

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has said that he &quot;salutes&quot; Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri for his decision to step down.

On Saturday, Hariri resigned during a trip to Saudi Arabia fearing for his life.

In a televised address from Riyadh, Hariri said that the atmosphere in the country was similar to the one that existed before his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.

Suleiman said, &quot;The repercussions of Hariri&#39;s resignation will be positive,&quot; reported the Saudi-owned pan-Arab television channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath.

Referring to Hezbollah&#39;s role in Lebanon, he stressed that &quot;no state can build another state inside Lebanon&quot; and &quot;there cannot be two armies.&quot;

Lebanon is sharply divided along a camp loyal to Saudi Arabia, headed by the Sunni Muslim Hariri, and a camp loyal to Iran represented by Hezbollah.

The former president urged the need &quot;to withdraw Hezbollah from Syria, and to develop a defensive strategy.&quot;

He stressed that &quot;the settlements must not come at the expense of the sovereignty of Lebanon.&quot;

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has said that he "salutes" Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri for his decision to step down.

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has said that he "salutes" Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri for his decision to step down. On Saturday, Hariri resigned during a trip to Saudi Arabia fearing for his life. In a televised address from Riyadh, Hariri said that the atmosphere in the country was similar to the one that existed before his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005. Suleiman said, "The repercussions of Hariri's resignation will be positive," reported the Saudi-owned pan-Arab television channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath. Referring to Hezbollah's role in Lebanon, he stressed that "no state can build another state inside Lebanon" and "there cannot be two armies." Lebanon is sharply divided along a camp loyal to Saudi Arabia, headed by the Sunni Muslim Hariri, and a camp loyal to Iran represented by Hezbollah. The former president urged the need "to withdraw Hezbollah from Syria, and to develop a defensive strategy." He stressed that "the settlements must not come at the expense of the sovereignty of Lebanon."

Former Lebanese President 'salutes' PM Hariri's decision to step down

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation Saturday, citing Iran&#39;s &quot;grip&quot; on the country and threats to his life.

&quot;I announce my resignation from the post of prime minister,&quot; he said in a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network.

&quot;I felt what was being covertly plotted to target my life,&quot; Hariri said.

The two-time prime minister, whose father Rafik was assassinated when he held the same position in 2005, accused Iran and its powerful Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah of seeking hegemony in the region.

The 47-year-old Sunni politician&#39;s resignation comes less than a year after his government, to which Hezbollah&#39;s political wing belongs, was formed.

&quot;Iran has a grip on the fate of the region&#39;s countries...Hezbollah is Iran&#39;s arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too,&quot; he said.

&quot;In recent years, Hezbollah has used the power of its weapons to impose a fait accompli,&quot; he said, reading a speech from behind a desk.

Hezbollah is a vital ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the war the Syrian regime is waging against the Islamic State group and armed opposition movements.

It enjoys broad support from Iran and is the only Lebanese party to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war.&nbsp;

Its arsenal has since grown exponentially and now outstrips that of the nation&#39;s own armed forces.&nbsp;

It claims it is the only credible rampart against neighbouring Israel and its refusal to disarm is the main political crux in Lebanon.

Hezbollah members have been accused over the 2005 assassination in a massive car bomb blast of Rafik Hariri, the dominant figure of Lebanon&#39;s post-war political landscape.

He made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, where his son Saad was born. Riyadh is Iran&#39;s main regional rival and the two powers&#39; tussle for influence has played out in ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri cited Iran's 'grip' on the country and threats to his life

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation Saturday, citing Iran's "grip" on the country and threats to his life. "I announce my resignation from the post of prime minister," he said in a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network. "I felt what was being covertly plotted to target my life," Hariri said. The two-time prime minister, whose father Rafik was assassinated when he held the same position in 2005, accused Iran and its powerful Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah of seeking hegemony in the region. The 47-year-old Sunni politician's resignation comes less than a year after his government, to which Hezbollah's political wing belongs, was formed. "Iran has a grip on the fate of the region's countries...Hezbollah is Iran's arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too," he said. "In recent years, Hezbollah has used the power of its weapons to impose a fait accompli," he said, reading a speech from behind a desk. Hezbollah is a vital ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the war the Syrian regime is waging against the Islamic State group and armed opposition movements. It enjoys broad support from Iran and is the only Lebanese party to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war. Its arsenal has since grown exponentially and now outstrips that of the nation's own armed forces. It claims it is the only credible rampart against neighbouring Israel and its refusal to disarm is the main political crux in Lebanon. Hezbollah members have been accused over the 2005 assassination in a massive car bomb blast of Rafik Hariri, the dominant figure of Lebanon's post-war political landscape. He made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, where his son Saad was born. Riyadh is Iran's main regional rival and the two powers' tussle for influence has played out in ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Lebanon PM resigns, says fears for his life

A senior Israeli minister on Thursday declined to comment on reports that Israeli aircraft had struck a target in Syria the night before but repeated a threat to hit arms shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.

The air strike targeted a factory south of the Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday night and the Syrian army responded by firing a surface to air missile at the aircraft, a commander in a military alliance fighting in support of Damascus said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment but Israel&#39;s Channel 10 said the aircraft was not hit and returned safely to base.

&quot;I can&#39;t, of course, relate to reports about the Israel Defence Forces&nbsp;attack in Syria, but regardless, Israel&#39;s position is clear: Smuggling arms to Hezbollah is a red line in our eyes,&quot; Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio.

The Syrian commander told that Israeli planes had hit a copper factory in the industrial town of Hisya, 35 km (21 miles) south of Homs and 112 km (70 miles) north of Damascus. The commander did not give details of any casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organisation that reports on the war, said the airstrike had targeted a military installation.

&quot;Israel has acted in the past and it will act in the future to prevent arms smuggling to Hezbollah according to intelligence information that we will have,&quot; said Katz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s inner circle of ministers.

He said Israel&#39;s &quot;red line&quot; was &quot;against arms smuggling, also against Iran&#39;s consolidation in Syria&quot; and that it was &quot;prepared to act to deter against our responses.&quot;

&quot;I think the other side also understands this clearly and actions that took place in the past for which we did take responsibility, were actions that were according to these lines, these red lines,&quot; Katz added.

The Israeli air force says it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and its Lebanese ally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah, nearly 100 times in recent years.

Israeli officials have expressed alarm at Iranian influence in Syria, where Iran-backed groups have played a critical role fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the conflict that erupted in 2011.

Iran&#39;s Military Chief, General Mohammad Baqeri, warned Israel against breaching Syrian airspace and territory during a visit to Damascus last month.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which last fought a major conflict in 2006, have escalated this year. Each side has warned it will unleash devastating firepower in the event of a full-scale war.

The air strike targeted a factory south of the Syrian city of Homs

A senior Israeli minister on Thursday declined to comment on reports that Israeli aircraft had struck a target in Syria the night before but repeated a threat to hit arms shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. The air strike targeted a factory south of the Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday night and the Syrian army responded by firing a surface to air missile at the aircraft, a commander in a military alliance fighting in support of Damascus said. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment but Israel's Channel 10 said the aircraft was not hit and returned safely to base. "I can't, of course, relate to reports about the Israel Defence Forces attack in Syria, but regardless, Israel's position is clear: Smuggling arms to Hezbollah is a red line in our eyes," Intelligence Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio. The Syrian commander told that Israeli planes had hit a copper factory in the industrial town of Hisya, 35 km (21 miles) south of Homs and 112 km (70 miles) north of Damascus. The commander did not give details of any casualties. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organisation that reports on the war, said the airstrike had targeted a military installation. "Israel has acted in the past and it will act in the future to prevent arms smuggling to Hezbollah according to intelligence information that we will have," said Katz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle of ministers. He said Israel's "red line" was "against arms smuggling, also against Iran's consolidation in Syria" and that it was "prepared to act to deter against our responses." "I think the other side also understands this clearly and actions that took place in the past for which we did take responsibility, were actions that were according to these lines, these red lines," Katz added. The Israeli air force says it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and its Lebanese ally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah, nearly 100 times in recent years. Israeli officials have expressed alarm at Iranian influence in Syria, where Iran-backed groups have played a critical role fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the conflict that erupted in 2011. Iran's Military Chief, General Mohammad Baqeri, warned Israel against breaching Syrian airspace and territory during a visit to Damascus last month. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which last fought a major conflict in 2006, have escalated this year. Each side has warned it will unleash devastating firepower in the event of a full-scale war.

After air strike, Israeli minister warns against arms shipments to Hezbollah

The United States on Tuesday offered multimillion-dollar rewards for two officials of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah as the Trump administration prepared to unveil a strategy to counter Tehran&#39;s growing regional influence.

Washington will pay up to $7 million for information leading to the arrest of Talal Hamiyah, head of Hezbollah&#39;s foreign operations, and up to $5 million for Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah military operative, the State Department said.

The rewards are the first offered by the United States for Hezbollah operatives in a decade, Nathan Sales, the U.S. counterterrorism coordinator, told reporters.

&quot;Today&#39;s rewards are another step to increase the pressure on them and their organisation,&quot; said Sales.

Other extremists for whom the United States is offering rewards include Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of Islamic State, and Mohammad Jolani, the commander of al Qaeda&#39;s Syrian branch.

Hamiyah has been on the department&#39;s foreign terrorist list since 2015 and Shukr was added in 2013. The United States named Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997.

Nicholas Rasmussen, the head of the National CounterTerrorism Center, blamed the group for a litany of attacks around the world, and said it maintains a presence in &quot;nearly every corner of the globe.&quot;

Pointing to the arrests of two men in the United States in June for alleged activities on Hezbollah&#39;s behalf, Rasmussen said that U.S. intelligence agencies assess that the group is seeking an ability to strike inside &quot;the homeland.&quot;

Sales signalled that as part of U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s soon-to-be unveiled Iran strategy, Washington would press countries that have yet to designate Hezbollah as an international terrorist group to do so.

&quot;Additionally, some countries have chosen to designate only Hezbollah&rsquo;s military wing, leaving its so-called political wing untouched,&quot; he said, apparently referring to the 28-member European Union. &quot;But that is a false distinction. Make no mistake. Hezbollah has no political wing. It is a single organisation, a terrorist organisation, and it is rotten to its core.&quot;

Designating the group as a terrorist organisation is &quot;not merely symbolic,&quot; he continued.

By not doing so, he said, countries &quot;limit other governments&#39; ability to freeze Hezbollah&rsquo;s assets, to shut down its front companies, to eliminate its fund-raising and recruiting capabilities and to prosecute Hezbolah associated networks. The United States will need allies in this fight.&quot;

But winning support for an intensified campaign against Hezbollah could prove difficult for the administration.

The powerful Iran-backed organisation is part of Lebanon&#39;s fragile coalition government and commands enormous support for the social services it provides.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is seen on a video screen as he addresses his supporters during a ceremony of the latest day of Ashoura in Beirut.

The United States on Tuesday offered multimillion-dollar rewards for two officials of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah as the Trump administration prepared to unveil a strategy to counter Tehran's growing regional influence. Washington will pay up to $7 million for information leading to the arrest of Talal Hamiyah, head of Hezbollah's foreign operations, and up to $5 million for Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah military operative, the State Department said. The rewards are the first offered by the United States for Hezbollah operatives in a decade, Nathan Sales, the U.S. counterterrorism coordinator, told reporters. "Today's rewards are another step to increase the pressure on them and their organisation," said Sales. Other extremists for whom the United States is offering rewards include Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of Islamic State, and Mohammad Jolani, the commander of al Qaeda's Syrian branch. Hamiyah has been on the department's foreign terrorist list since 2015 and Shukr was added in 2013. The United States named Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997. Nicholas Rasmussen, the head of the National CounterTerrorism Center, blamed the group for a litany of attacks around the world, and said it maintains a presence in "nearly every corner of the globe." Pointing to the arrests of two men in the United States in June for alleged activities on Hezbollah's behalf, Rasmussen said that U.S. intelligence agencies assess that the group is seeking an ability to strike inside "the homeland." Sales signalled that as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's soon-to-be unveiled Iran strategy, Washington would press countries that have yet to designate Hezbollah as an international terrorist group to do so. "Additionally, some countries have chosen to designate only Hezbollah’s military wing, leaving its so-called political wing untouched," he said, apparently referring to the 28-member European Union. "But that is a false distinction. Make no mistake. Hezbollah has no political wing. It is a single organisation, a terrorist organisation, and it is rotten to its core." Designating the group as a terrorist organisation is "not merely symbolic," he continued. By not doing so, he said, countries "limit other governments' ability to freeze Hezbollah’s assets, to shut down its front companies, to eliminate its fund-raising and recruiting capabilities and to prosecute Hezbolah associated networks. The United States will need allies in this fight." But winning support for an intensified campaign against Hezbollah could prove difficult for the administration. The powerful Iran-backed organisation is part of Lebanon's fragile coalition government and commands enormous support for the social services it provides.

US steps up pressure on Hezbollah, offers reward on two leaders

The Syrian Army said Thursday that Israeli warplanes had hit a military site in Hama province in the country&#39;s west.&nbsp;

The Syrian Army said two soldiers had died in the attack and that the strike had done damage near the town of Masyaf.&nbsp;

&quot;Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site,&quot; AFP reported the Syrian Army as saying in a statement.&nbsp;

Reuters reported the war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying the strike hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, an agency which the United States describes as Syria&#39;s chemical weapons manufacturer.

Reuters added that the strike took place the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April.

Reuters said an Israeli army spokeswoman refused to discuss the reported strike.&nbsp;

But that Israeli officials have in the past admitted to Israel hitting weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Reuters added that in an interview to Haaretz last month, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had struck Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys nearly 100 times in the past five years.

It added that Israel sees a red line in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-ground missiles and non-conventional (chemical) weapons.

The Syrian Army said Thursday that Israeli warplanes had hit a military site in Hama province in the country's west. The Syrian Army said two soldiers had died in the attack and that the strike had done damage near the town of Masyaf. "Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," AFP reported the Syrian Army as saying in a statement. Reuters reported the war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying the strike hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, an agency which the United States describes as Syria's chemical weapons manufacturer. Reuters added that the strike took place the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April. Reuters said an Israeli army spokeswoman refused to discuss the reported strike. But that Israeli officials have in the past admitted to Israel hitting weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Reuters added that in an interview to Haaretz last month, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had struck Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys nearly 100 times in the past five years. It added that Israel sees a red line in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-ground missiles and non-conventional (chemical) weapons.

Israeli warplanes hit military facility, says Syrian Army

The chief of Israel&#39;s armed forces said on Tuesday the death last year of the top Hezbollah military commander was an assassination by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group itself.

Hezbollah has maintained the commander, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed near Damascus by artillery fire from insurgent groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurred in the area at that time.

&quot;According to (media) reports, he was killed by his superiors, which points to the extent of the cruelty, complexity and tension between Hezbollah and its patron, Iran,&quot; Israeli Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot said.

&quot;These reports corresponded with the information we have and with our assessment,&quot; he said in a speech in central Israel.

Al Arabiya news channel said earlier this month that Iran, which like Hezbollah has forces in Syria supporting Assad in its civil war, was unhappy with Badreddine and wanted him removed from the battlefield.

Eisenkot did not give any details on the circumstances of Badreddine&#39;s death, which was reported in May 2016.

A senior Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters last week that Badreddine and Iran were at odds over &quot;how to wage the Syrian campaign&quot;. A meeting was arranged near the Damascus airport, where a Hezbollah security official shot him dead.

In Beirut, Mohammed Afif, a Hezbollah spokesman, said Israel&#39;s allegations were &quot;lies that do not deserve comment&quot;.

The US&nbsp;government believed Badreddine, 55, was in charge of Hezbollah&#39;s military operations in Syria. He was one of five Hezbollah members indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 killing of Rafik al-Hariri, one of Lebanon&#39;s most prominent Sunni Muslim figures.

Hezbollah denied any involvement and said the charges were politically motivated.

For years, Badreddine masterminded military operations against Israel from Lebanon and overseas and managed to escape capture by Arab and Western governments.

Israel, which fought Hezbollah in a 2006 war and has targeted the group in Syria over alleged arms transfers, had called his death good news but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

In a letter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif extended condolences &quot;for the martyrdom of this great jihadist...who embodied devotion and vigour and was legendary in his defence of high Islamic goals and his defence of the Lebanese people who resist oppression and terrorism&quot;.

(Reuters)

Hezbollah claimed he was killed in artillery fire by forces loyal to Assad, but a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurded there

The chief of Israel's armed forces said on Tuesday the death last year of the top Hezbollah military commander was an assassination by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group itself. Hezbollah has maintained the commander, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed near Damascus by artillery fire from insurgent groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurred in the area at that time. "According to (media) reports, he was killed by his superiors, which points to the extent of the cruelty, complexity and tension between Hezbollah and its patron, Iran," Israeli Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot said. "These reports corresponded with the information we have and with our assessment," he said in a speech in central Israel. Al Arabiya news channel said earlier this month that Iran, which like Hezbollah has forces in Syria supporting Assad in its civil war, was unhappy with Badreddine and wanted him removed from the battlefield. Eisenkot did not give any details on the circumstances of Badreddine's death, which was reported in May 2016. A senior Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters last week that Badreddine and Iran were at odds over "how to wage the Syrian campaign". A meeting was arranged near the Damascus airport, where a Hezbollah security official shot him dead. In Beirut, Mohammed Afif, a Hezbollah spokesman, said Israel's allegations were "lies that do not deserve comment". The US government believed Badreddine, 55, was in charge of Hezbollah's military operations in Syria. He was one of five Hezbollah members indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 killing of Rafik al-Hariri, one of Lebanon's most prominent Sunni Muslim figures. Hezbollah denied any involvement and said the charges were politically motivated. For years, Badreddine masterminded military operations against Israel from Lebanon and overseas and managed to escape capture by Arab and Western governments. Israel, which fought Hezbollah in a 2006 war and has targeted the group in Syria over alleged arms transfers, had called his death good news but stopped short of claiming responsibility. In a letter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif extended condolences "for the martyrdom of this great jihadist...who embodied devotion and vigour and was legendary in his defence of high Islamic goals and his defence of the Lebanese people who resist oppression and terrorism". (Reuters)

Israel says 2016 killing of top Hezbollah commander was inside job

Israel will undergo a four-day civil defence drill from Sunday onwards to prepare itself for a possible war in future. 
 
The drill will take into account the fact that 1,500 rockets are estimated to bombard the country every day if there&#39;s a possible war any time soon.&nbsp; 
 
The civil defence drill is to ensure the public remains unharmed during any such eventuality. 
 
The rockets could be launched simultaneously by Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah and Hamas in&nbsp;Gaza. 
 
Although Hamas&#39; threat eroded&nbsp;considerably after the 2014 Gaza war with Israel, it still has thousands of rockets in its arsenal. Hezbollah, the other hand, has at least 100,000 in its armoury, unnamed military sources told AFP. 
 
The civil-defence drill gained importance after the 2006 war with Hezbollah. The militant group&#39;s relentless&nbsp;bombardment&nbsp;raised questions about Israel&#39;s preparedness to protect its civilians. 
 
Hezbollah rockets had killed 43 civilians and 12 soldiers during the 34-day war. 
 
Since then, Israel has tightened its air defence system. They operationalised Iron Dome in 2011. Iron Dome is capable of intercepting short-range rockets fired from 4 km to 70 km away. 
 
Military sources say that only 1 per cent of rockets can now strike a civilian building. 
 
The Home Front Command &mdash; the agency responsible for the drill&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;has also strengthened its rocket alert system since the 2006 war. The system alerts civilians to run for safety if a rocket is heading in their direction.&nbsp; 
 
Now, people in Tel Aviv have a minute&#39;s time to run to the closest bomb shelter if the alert siren is sounded.&nbsp; 
 
The siren will be sounded across the country over the four days of the drill. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The army expects 1,500 rockets crashing into the country every day in any future conflagration

Israel will undergo a four-day civil defence drill from Sunday onwards to prepare itself for a possible war in future. The drill will take into account the fact that 1,500 rockets are estimated to bombard the country every day if there's a possible war any time soon. The civil defence drill is to ensure the public remains unharmed during any such eventuality. The rockets could be launched simultaneously by Lebanon's Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza. Although Hamas' threat eroded considerably after the 2014 Gaza war with Israel, it still has thousands of rockets in its arsenal. Hezbollah, the other hand, has at least 100,000 in its armoury, unnamed military sources told AFP. The civil-defence drill gained importance after the 2006 war with Hezbollah. The militant group's relentless bombardment raised questions about Israel's preparedness to protect its civilians. Hezbollah rockets had killed 43 civilians and 12 soldiers during the 34-day war. Since then, Israel has tightened its air defence system. They operationalised Iron Dome in 2011. Iron Dome is capable of intercepting short-range rockets fired from 4 km to 70 km away. Military sources say that only 1 per cent of rockets can now strike a civilian building. The Home Front Command — the agency responsible for the drill — has also strengthened its rocket alert system since the 2006 war. The system alerts civilians to run for safety if a rocket is heading in their direction. Now, people in Tel Aviv have a minute's time to run to the closest bomb shelter if the alert siren is sounded. The siren will be sounded across the country over the four days of the drill. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Israel gears up to tackle thousands of rockets in future war

Syrian regime forces and rebel factions sent hundreds of reinforcements to Aleppo today as opposition fighters announced an all-out offensive to take the country&#39;s second city. 
 
The battle for Syria&#39;s former economic powerhouse is intensifying after an opposition advance at the weekend broke through a three-week government siege of the city&#39;s rebel-held east, dealing a major setback to regime troops. 
 
Rebel forces yesterday announced a bid to capture all of Aleppo city, which if successful would mark the biggest opposition victory yet in Syria&#39;s five-year civil war. 
 
But forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are putting up a fierce fight and have begun pouring reinforcements into the city. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said some 2,000 pro-regime fighters from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah had arrived in Aleppo since late yesterday. 
 
&quot;Both sides are amassing their fighters in preparation for the great battle of Aleppo,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory. 
 
The Monday edition of Al-Watan, a Syrian daily close to the government, reported that the army had received &quot;the necessary military reinforcements to launch the battle to retake the areas from which it withdrew.&quot; 
 
Citing a source on the ground, the paper said military warplanes &quot;are carrying out a barrage of air strikes targeting the armed groups.&quot; 
 
&#39;New phase to liberate Aleppo&#39; 
 
Aleppo has been roughly divided between government forces in the west and rebel groups in the east since fighting first broke out there in mid-2012. 
 
After years of stalemate, fighting for the city entered a new phase last month when government forces took control of the last supply road into rebel-held areas, leaving some 250,000 people in eastern districts surrounded. 
 
In a desperate bid to break the siege, a coalition of rebels, Islamists and jihadists overran a series of buildings in a military academy on the southwestern edges of Aleppo on Saturday. 
 
They then pushed northeast to link up with rebel groups inside the city. 
 
Emboldened by the victory, the fighters - largely grouped under the banner of the Army of Conquest - then set their sights on recapturing all of Aleppo city. 
 
In a statement yesterday, the Army of Conquest announced &quot;the start of a new phase to liberate all of Aleppo,&quot; pledging to &quot;double the number of fighters for this next battle.&quot; 
 
Abdel Rahman told AFP today that hundreds of opposition fighters had arrived in Aleppo from the surrounding province and neighbouring Idlib. 
 
Most were from the Fateh al-Sham Front, the powerful jihadist group previously affiliated with Al-Qaeda that leads the Army of Conquest. The group changed its name from Al-Nusra Front last month after breaking with Al-Qaeda. 
 
&quot;Whoever wins (in Aleppo), the war will not end. It is however an important battle, the result of which will set the course of the conflict,&quot; said Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the University of Edinburgh. 
 
&quot;If the rebels win, Syria will head towards partition, with a regime arc in the Golan Heights, Damascus, Homs, and the coast,&quot; he said. 
 
But if the regime wins, Pierret expected a &quot;collapse&quot; of the rebel insurgency in its heartland of Idlib. 
 
Aid to regime areas 
 
Residents of both sides of the city have been living in fear of competing sieges of their neighbourhoods in recent weeks. 
 
The rebel advance at the weekend cut off a key regime access route on the city&#39;s southern edges, which had been used to bring in supplies for the estimated 1.2 million residents of western districts. 
 
Overnight, regime forces brought in dozens of trucks carrying food and fuel into the western neighbourhoods via the northern Castello Road, according to the Observatory. 
 
&quot;This is the new route that the regime forces are securing as a temporary alternative to the route they previously depended on,&quot; Abdel Rahman said. 
 
Syrian state television Al-Ikhbariyah confirmed that &quot;fuel, food, and vegetables entered Aleppo city.&quot; 
 
A military source in Damascus denied that the city&#39;s west had been besieged, saying &quot;the situation is under control and the situation is not worrisome.&quot; 
 
Seven trucks of fruits and vegetables entered the eastern rebel-held districts today and were quickly purchased by residents. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests. 
 
International efforts to resolve the conflict have repeatedly failed though the United Nations is hoping that peace talks can resume later this month. 
 
(AFP)

Rebel groups and the government are amassing their fighters for the battle to keep hold of Aleppo city

Syrian regime forces and rebel factions sent hundreds of reinforcements to Aleppo today as opposition fighters announced an all-out offensive to take the country's second city. The battle for Syria's former economic powerhouse is intensifying after an opposition advance at the weekend broke through a three-week government siege of the city's rebel-held east, dealing a major setback to regime troops. Rebel forces yesterday announced a bid to capture all of Aleppo city, which if successful would mark the biggest opposition victory yet in Syria's five-year civil war. But forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are putting up a fierce fight and have begun pouring reinforcements into the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said some 2,000 pro-regime fighters from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah had arrived in Aleppo since late yesterday. "Both sides are amassing their fighters in preparation for the great battle of Aleppo," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory. The Monday edition of Al-Watan, a Syrian daily close to the government, reported that the army had received "the necessary military reinforcements to launch the battle to retake the areas from which it withdrew." Citing a source on the ground, the paper said military warplanes "are carrying out a barrage of air strikes targeting the armed groups." 'New phase to liberate Aleppo' Aleppo has been roughly divided between government forces in the west and rebel groups in the east since fighting first broke out there in mid-2012. After years of stalemate, fighting for the city entered a new phase last month when government forces took control of the last supply road into rebel-held areas, leaving some 250,000 people in eastern districts surrounded. In a desperate bid to break the siege, a coalition of rebels, Islamists and jihadists overran a series of buildings in a military academy on the southwestern edges of Aleppo on Saturday. They then pushed northeast to link up with rebel groups inside the city. Emboldened by the victory, the fighters - largely grouped under the banner of the Army of Conquest - then set their sights on recapturing all of Aleppo city. In a statement yesterday, the Army of Conquest announced "the start of a new phase to liberate all of Aleppo," pledging to "double the number of fighters for this next battle." Abdel Rahman told AFP today that hundreds of opposition fighters had arrived in Aleppo from the surrounding province and neighbouring Idlib. Most were from the Fateh al-Sham Front, the powerful jihadist group previously affiliated with Al-Qaeda that leads the Army of Conquest. The group changed its name from Al-Nusra Front last month after breaking with Al-Qaeda. "Whoever wins (in Aleppo), the war will not end. It is however an important battle, the result of which will set the course of the conflict," said Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the University of Edinburgh. "If the rebels win, Syria will head towards partition, with a regime arc in the Golan Heights, Damascus, Homs, and the coast," he said. But if the regime wins, Pierret expected a "collapse" of the rebel insurgency in its heartland of Idlib. Aid to regime areas Residents of both sides of the city have been living in fear of competing sieges of their neighbourhoods in recent weeks. The rebel advance at the weekend cut off a key regime access route on the city's southern edges, which had been used to bring in supplies for the estimated 1.2 million residents of western districts. Overnight, regime forces brought in dozens of trucks carrying food and fuel into the western neighbourhoods via the northern Castello Road, according to the Observatory. "This is the new route that the regime forces are securing as a temporary alternative to the route they previously depended on," Abdel Rahman said. Syrian state television Al-Ikhbariyah confirmed that "fuel, food, and vegetables entered Aleppo city." A military source in Damascus denied that the city's west had been besieged, saying "the situation is under control and the situation is not worrisome." Seven trucks of fruits and vegetables entered the eastern rebel-held districts today and were quickly purchased by residents. More than 280,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests. International efforts to resolve the conflict have repeatedly failed though the United Nations is hoping that peace talks can resume later this month. (AFP)

Hundreds join crucial battle for Syria's Aleppo

The Syrian regime has sent in hundreds of reinforcements after rebel forces announced all-out effort to take the country's second city

Govt, opposition amass fighters for 'great battle of Aleppo'

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. 
 
The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country&#39;s five-year-old civil war.

Amaq news agency said that in today&#39;s attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace.

A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria.

They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's five-year-old civil war. Amaq news agency said that in today's attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Islamic State claims responsibility for bombings near Damascus Shiite shrine

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. 
 
State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. 
 
A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. 
 
They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

A Shiite religious cleric was quoted saying that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in main al-Taen street

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria's holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Suicide, car bomb blasts hit Damascus suburb, at least 8 dead, says Syrian state media

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