Middle East & North Africa

03 Feb 2020; MEMO: US forces are expanding their military presence in the two largest military bases at the Omar and Tal Baydar oil fields controlled by Kurdish units in the north-east of Syria.

The American army recently dispatched military and logistical equipment through Iraq to Syria in order to expand its bases in the oil-rich areas. They thwarted four attempts by Russian forces to advance towards the Rumaila oil field in January.

03 Feb 2020; MEMO: The Palestinian president rejected on Saturday the US’ so-called peace plan in the Middle East, saying Palestine had cut all relations with the US and Israel.

In an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, Mahmoud Abbas said:

Istanbul, Feb 3 (AFP/PTI) Turkey has killed dozens of Syrian forces in retaliatory fire after four of its soldiers died in shelling on positions in the northwest of the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"There is an ongoing operation right now and... according to initial findings around 30 to 35 Syrians on the other side were neutralised," he told reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving for Ukraine.

ABU DHABI, Feb 3 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The UAE iconic landmarks including Burj Khalifa – world’s tallest building – in Dubai and ADNOC Headquarters in Abu Dhabi were lit up in the colours of the Chinese national flag on Sunday night in solidarity with Beijing over the outbreak of new coronavirus, reported Emirates News Agency (WAM).

TEHRAN, Feb 3 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that, Saudi Arabia obstructed an Iranian delegation, from attending the upcoming Jeddah meeting on the U.S. peace proposal for the Middle East.

Despite invitation by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the secretariat of which is located in Jeddah, Saudi officials refrained from issuing visas for Iranian delegation to attend the meeting, to discuss the U.S. plan, Abbas Mousavi, said.

LONDON, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Police shot dead a man wearing a “hoax” explosive device after a stabbing attack in south London that left three people wounded and was described by police as a “terrorism-related incident”.

The London ambulance service said three people had been taken to hospital after the attack on Sunday in Streatham, a residential district south of the River Thames.

Police said one of the wounded was in a life-threatening condition and that the scene of the incident was fully contained.

BEIRUT, Feb 3 (NNN-NNA) – Hundreds of protesters demonstrated near the U.S. embassy in Awkar, Mount Lebanon, against the Middle East peace plan announced by U.S. President, Donald Trump.

Protesters chanted slogans against the U.S., saying, the Palestinian cause is the cause of the whole Middle East.

Demonstrators also held the Lebanese and Palestinian flags, while calling upon all Arabs to take to the streets, to revolt against Trump’s announcement.

CAIRO (AP) — Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen claimed responsibility Sunday for last year’s deadly shooting at the Naval Air Station Pensacola by an aviation student from Saudi Arabia.

The shooter, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was a member of the Saudi Air Force in training at the base. He opened fire inside a classroom at the base on Dec. 6, killing three people and wounding two sheriff’s deputies before one of the deputies killed him. Eight others were also hurt.

TEHRAN, February 1. /TASS/: A bill on Iran’s quitting the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was submitted to the parliament’s commission on national security and foreign policy on Saturday, ISNA news agency said.

The bill was signed by 19 lawmakers. Provided that the commission approves it, it could be put to voting at Majles, the Iranian parliament.

CAIRO, February 2. /TASS/: Over 70 Syrian mercenaries sent by Turkey to Libya have been killed in the fighting on the side of the Government of National Accord near Tripoli, Ewan Libya news portal reported, citing the Libyan National Army and medical sources.

"The number of killed mercenaries of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, who had come from Syria, has reached 71," the Libyan military said. "Between 45 and 55 others have been wounded and are in critical condition."