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ISIS Ambush Kills Four Iraqi Soldiers Near Kirkuk

Members of Iraqi federal forces advance in military vehicles in Kirkuk. (Reuters file)
Members of Iraqi federal forces advance in military vehicles in Kirkuk. (Reuters file)
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ISIS Ambush Kills Four Iraqi Soldiers Near Kirkuk

Members of Iraqi federal forces advance in military vehicles in Kirkuk. (Reuters file)
Members of Iraqi federal forces advance in military vehicles in Kirkuk. (Reuters file)

Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and three injured on Wednesday in an ambush by ISIS militants on an army convoy southwest of the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk, a military statement said.

The rural area remains a hotbed of activity for militant cells, years after Iraq in 2017 declared final victory over the extremist group, which had captured swathes of the country.

Remnants of ISIS, no longer able to seize territory, have switched to hit-and-run attacks on government forces in different areas of Iraq.

Two military officials said security forces were heading to the area, around 45 km (28 miles) from Kirkuk, to arrest a suspected militant when they came under sniper and automatic fire.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and said in a statement on Telegram that it had ambushed an army patrol using automatic weapons and grenades.

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Mikati Calls for Implementing UNSCR 1701, Deploying Lebanese Army in the South

Prime Minister Najib Mikati (The office of the Prime Minister)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati (The office of the Prime Minister)
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Mikati Calls for Implementing UNSCR 1701, Deploying Lebanese Army in the South

Prime Minister Najib Mikati (The office of the Prime Minister)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati (The office of the Prime Minister)

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of steps that the Lebanese government has committed to under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, including the deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River to coordinate fully with peacekeeping forces in the region.
Mikati's statement followed a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt.
He emphasized Lebanon’s adherence to the international call for a ceasefire, which had been endorsed by the United States, France, the European Union, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Italy during meetings at the UN General Assembly.
While condemning the Israeli aggression, which has claimed the lives of many Lebanese citizens, the Lebanese premier stressed the importance of national unity in confronting the attacks.
He also called on the international community and organizations to meet their moral and legal obligations by quickly responding to the Lebanese government's emergency support plan, especially as Israel continues its military operations.
Alongside discussions on the ceasefire, Berri held meetings with various parliamentary blocs to address Lebanon's presidential vacuum.
MP Sajih Attieh, from the Moderation Bloc, reported that Berri reaffirmed his commitment to dissociating the issue of Gaza from Lebanon's presidential elections. Attieh pointed to a significant opportunity for consensus on a presidential candidate who can secure broad support, helping Lebanon face its ongoing challenges.
Berri presented several ideas to foster dialogue and urged all parties to engage actively in discussions to achieve a breakthrough in the presidential crisis.
In another meeting, the speaker received a delegation from the Independent Consultative Parliamentary Meeting, which included Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and several MPs.
Bou Saab noted that discussions addressed the presidential file, revealing that Berri is now more flexible and no longer insists on holding a national dialogue as a precondition for electing a president, a significant shift from his previous stance.
Berri and his ally Hezbollah had previously insisted on dialogue as a condition for holding an election session and continued to back their preferred candidate, former minister Sleiman Franjieh. This position had been met with rejection, as many political parties called for a separation between the ceasefire process and the presidential election, urging Berri to schedule a voting session as soon as possible.