The State Department will notify Congress of its intent to designate Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday, despite intense pushback from US diplomats and aid groups in Yemen.

“These designations will provide additional tools to confront terrorist activity and terrorism by Ansarallah, a deadly Iran-backed militia group in the Gulf region,” Pompeo said in a statement. “The designations are intended to hold Ansarallah (the Houthi rebels) accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure, and commercial shipping.”

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Commander Uriel, one of the main leaders of Colombia’s left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, was killed during a military operation, President Ivan Duque announced on Sunday.

“This is a particularly important blow (to the ELN) because one of the most visible figures of this terrorist organization has fallen,” the president said in a speech in Choco department, in northwest Colombia where the operation took place.

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Colombia has captured eight National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels accused of taking part in a car bomb attack that killed 22 police cadets and derailed peace talks with the government, officials said on Thursday.

The explosion in 2019 was the worst attack in years in Colombia’s capital Bogota and resulted in President Ivan Duque dismissing the possibility of continuing nascent peace talks with the left-wing group, founded in 1964.

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Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami warned the US against threatening Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf, stressing that Iran is serious in defending its security, territorial integrity and maritime borders.

“We (warn) the Americans that we are fully determined and serious in defending our national security, maritime borders, maritime interests, maritime security and security of our forces at sea and any (wrong) move (by enemies) will meet our decisive, effective and prompt response,” Major General Salami said on Thursday, in reaction to the US officials’ recent threats.

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President Trump said Wednesday that he’s instructed the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats harassing American ships, in the wake of a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf.

“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump tweeted.

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