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At least 65 civilians were killed on Tuesday in airstrikes carried out by Saudi-led coalition aircrafts that hit a crowded market in north of Sanaa.
“So far, the death toll mounted to 65 civilians and 55 others injured when the Saudi-led fighter jets launched two airstrikes on Al-Khamees market in Mastaba district in Hajja province,” a medical official told Xinhua.
A Syrian opposition monitoring group is reporting intense airstrikes in and around the historic town of Palmyra amid fighting between pro-government forces and the Islamic State group.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were casualties on both sides in Tuesday’s battles, without providing a precise figure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to start the withdrawal of forces from Syria starting Tuesday. Russia will however keep a military presence at the port of Tartus and at the Khmeimim airbase to observe ceasefire agreements.
“I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished. That is why I order to start withdrawal of the main part of our military group from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic starting from tomorrow,” Putin said on Monday during a meeting with Shoigu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
At least 47 Iraqi soldiers have been killed in a series of attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as (ISIS) fighters near the strategic city of Ramadi, military sources said.
The first attack took place overnight on the headquarters of the 3rd rapid deployment force and other military barracks in the villages of Qutainiyah and Zuwaiyah, near Zankurah town, the sources said on Monday morning.
Militants linked to al-Qaeda said they led an attack on Sunday that left at least 22 people dead in Ivory Coast, the third assault on a West African city since November.
Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and al-Mourabitoune said three of its fighters died in the attack in Grand Bassam, according to Mauritanian newspaper al-Akhbar, which receives statements from the Islamist militants.