Algeria: Terrorist Explosion Kills Two Soldiers

An Algerian soldier during an operation against militants in Aid Defla mountains, west of Algiers (Reuters)
An Algerian soldier during an operation against militants in Aid Defla mountains, west of Algiers (Reuters)
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Algeria: Terrorist Explosion Kills Two Soldiers

An Algerian soldier during an operation against militants in Aid Defla mountains, west of Algiers (Reuters)
An Algerian soldier during an operation against militants in Aid Defla mountains, west of Algiers (Reuters)

Two soldiers were killed and another injured in an explosion south of the Algerian capital.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said that an army patrol was on an inspection mission in ​​Tachta in Ain Defla when a bomb exploded, killing two retired soldiers.

The statement confirmed that a third soldier sustained minor injuries.

Tachta has been one of the major terrorist strongholds in the country since its outbreak in the early nineties.

The statement highlighted that the army continues exerting efforts in combating terrorism, with complete determination to target the remnants of the terrorists and eliminate them wherever they are found across the entire national territory.

In another statement, the Ministry of Defense stated that a terrorist named Barbouchi Saidou, often referred to as Abdulaziz, surrendered to the military authorities at Baji Mukhtar tower in the sixth military.

Saidou was in carrying a submachine gun and ammunition.

The statement pointed out that he joined extremist groups in the African coast of Mali in 2014, noting that Barbouchi's cessation of terrorist activity reflects the determination and vigilance of the People's National Army in combating terrorism and all forms of crime, as well as the tireless efforts of the armed forces to establish security and stability across the entire national territory.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.