The Daily Brief 2019-02-08

This is a summary of 38 AMN articles on the following subjects: Guaido, US, Venezuela, Saudi, Yemen, ISIS, Merkel, Syria, Trump, Raqqa, Euphrates, Kurds, SDF, Iraq, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Astana, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Crimea, France, Khashoggi, MBS, Colombia, Houthi, Hezbollah, IDF, Lebanon, Maduro, ISIL, Morocco, Khamenei, Erdogan, Kirkuk, Nusra, Aleppo, Armenia, Baghdadi, Idlib, Israeli, Palestinian, Political Prisoners, Hama.

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Categories in this brief: World-News, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Gulf, Turkey, Lebanon, Middleeast, North-Africa, Iran

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Table of Contents

• Opposition leader Guaido refuses to rule out US intervention in Venezuela
• Breaking: Houthi forces unleash several missiles on southern Saudi Arabia
• Merkel goes against Trump, says ISIS is far from defeated
• Arab tribesmen, civilians burn US flags in protest of military presence in Raqqa (video)
• SDF prepare for final push to capture eastern Euphrates region
• ISIS shoots down Iraqi UAV over eastern Syria (video)
• Two Palestinian teenagers killed by Israeli sniper fire during Gaza border protest
• Upcoming Syrian conference could have Sykes-Picot like outcome
• Crimean air defense troops start drills with S-400 missile systems
• France has yet to repatriate any ISIS fighters: Kurdish official
• Saudi FM says he knows MBS didn't order Khashoggi killing
• US aid convoy arrives at border blockaded by Venezuelan Army (video)
• Mysterious pro-gov't group burns US, French flags in Raqqa (video)
• [Graphic 18+] New Houthi video shows multiple sniper attacks against Saudi forces
• Israeli military conducts massive war simulation with Lebanon after Hezbollah leader's speech (PHOTOS)
• 'Washington willing to send its sons to die in absurd war' – Venezuela’s Maduro in open letter to US
• Syrian Army sends reinforcements to Euphrates region to prevent ISIL's escape
• Morocco recalls Saudi ambassador over rifts on Yemen, Qatar
• Venezuelan military moves S-300 system in position to defend country (PHOTOS)
• Iran's Khamenei says 'death to America' is reference to US leader not people
• Russia demands US military withdraw from Al-Tanf region
• Russia developing advanced defense system to shield armor from precision weapons
• Russian military engineers blow up 'mountain' blocking Siberian river (video)
• Turkey is ready to fight terrorists after US withdrawal from Syria: Erdogan
• [Graphic 18+] Iraqi forces eliminate ISIS group and field commander in Kirkuk (PHOTOS)
• Turkey wants to turn Nusra into Syrian political group: opposition official
• Armenia carries out large-scale humanitarian mission in Aleppo
• Baghdadi survived coup attempt by fellow ISIS members in east Syria: report
• Russia warns Israel to halt strikes on Syria
• Syrian Army destroys jihadist dens in southern Idlib
• Russia, Turkey, Iran mulling joint operation in Idlib
• 218 Palestinian Political Prisoners Killed In Israeli Jails
• US military considering April withdrawal from Syria: WSJ
• Eastern Euphrates region should be returned to Syria: Russia
• Over 60 ISIS operatives captured in Raqqa city
• Venezuela has not asked Russia for military assistance
• Russian soldier killed in attack by Turkish-backed rebels
• Iran unveils new surface-to-surface ballistic missile (video)

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Opposition leader Guaido refuses to rule out US intervention in Venezuela

Published 2019-02-08 23:58:45 by News Desk in World-News

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:45 P.M.) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido reportedly said on Friday that he refuses to rule out U.S. intervention inside Venezuela. https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1093987847240069120 Guaido's comment comes just a day after the U.S. Air Force arrived near the Colombian-Venezuelan border to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela. However, the U.S.... Read on ->

Tags: Guaido, US, Venezuela

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Breaking: Houthi forces unleash several missiles on southern Saudi Arabia

Published 2019-02-08 23:38:45 by News Desk in Yemen

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:20 P.M.) - The Houthi forces unleashed several ballistic missiles towards a key Yemeni-Saudi crossing this evening in response to the Saudi Coalition launching a number of airstrikes over northern Yemen. According to the official media wing of the Houthi forces, their rocket battalion fired five Zilzal-1 missiles... Read on ->

Tags: Saudi, Yemen

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Merkel goes against Trump, says ISIS is far from defeated

Published 2019-02-08 22:59:26 by News Desk in Syria

Islamic State is far from defeated, and instead is morphing into an asymmetrical warfare force after the militant group lost almost all of the territory it once controlled in Syria, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday. Merkel’s remarks at the inauguration of the Berlin headquarters of Germany’s foreign intelligence... Read on ->

Tags: ISIS, Merkel, Syria, Trump

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Arab tribesmen, civilians burn US flags in protest of military presence in Raqqa (video)

Published 2019-02-08 22:47:42 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:30 P.M.) - Arab tribesmen and civilians in Al-Raqqa were filmed on Friday burning U.S. flags in protest of America's ongoing military presence in Syria. https://twitter.com/Bosni94/status/1093926275742400515 As shown in the second video, several Syrian Arab Republic flags are present as the people burn a U.S. flag: https://twitter.com/Bosni94/status/1093921339184951296 In... Read on ->

Tags: Raqqa, Syria

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SDF prepare for final push to capture eastern Euphrates region

Published 2019-02-08 22:20:56 by News Desk in Syria

Kurdish-led forces in eastern Syria prepared on Friday for a push on the last remaining speck of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) group’s “caliphate.” Four years ago, IS controlled territory the size of Britain and administered millions of people. The deputy commander of the US-led coalition fighting the group,... Read on ->

Tags: Euphrates, ISIS, Kurds, SDF, Syria

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ISIS shoots down Iraqi UAV over eastern Syria (video)

Published 2019-02-08 22:01:57 by News Desk in Iraq, Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:50 P.M.) - The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) released footage this week of their forces shooting down an Iraqi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the eastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governorate. The terrorist group alleged that their forces spotted the drone over the town of Baghouz, yesterday, and... Read on ->

Tags: Iraq, ISIS, Syria

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Two Palestinian teenagers killed by Israeli sniper fire during Gaza border protest

Published 2019-02-08 20:59:27 by News Desk in Palestine

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:45 P.M.) - Two Palestinian teenagers were killed by the Israeli border forces on Friday while attending the Great March of Return protests inside the Gaza Strip. According to the Quds News Network, the first Palestinian teenager killed was 14-year-old Hassan Iyad Al-Shalabi, who was shot an Israeli... Read on ->

Tags: Gaza, Israel, Palestine

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Upcoming Syrian conference could have Sykes-Picot like outcome

Published 2019-02-08 20:39:00 by Leith Aboufadel in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:20 P.M.) - The upcoming Syrian peace conference that is scheduled to be held in the Kazakh capital of Astana on February 14th is expected to lay out the future of the country. According to a government source in Damascus, the upcoming Astana Peace Conference will focus on... Read on ->

Tags: Astana, Iran, Russia, Syria, Turkey

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Crimean air defense troops start drills with S-400 missile systems

Published 2019-02-08 20:09:36 by News Desk in World-News

Combat teams of an S-400 air defense missile battalion from the Southern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army conducted drills in Crimea to deploy advanced S-400 missile systems, the Black Sea Fleet’s press office reported on Friday. "The launchers performed a march on their own to the designated... Read on ->

Tags: Crimea, Russia

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France has yet to repatriate any ISIS fighters: Kurdish official

Published 2019-02-08 19:27:55 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:15 P.M.) - A Kurdish official told the AFP News Agency on Friday that France has yet to repatriate any of their fighters from Syria. "No French authorities have reached out to us about handing over French nationals, whether fighters, women, or children," said Abdulkarim Omar, who heads... Read on ->

Tags: France, ISIS, Kurds, Syria

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Saudi FM says he knows MBS didn't order Khashoggi killing

Published 2019-02-08 18:41:40 by News Desk in Gulf, Turkey

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir has refused to comment on the recent publication in The New York Times about the murder of the Saudi journalist, as it was based on anonymous sources, but noted that officials of the kingdom know that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed... Read on ->

Tags: Khashoggi, MBS, Saudi, Turkey

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US aid convoy arrives at border blockaded by Venezuelan Army (video)

Published 2019-02-08 18:29:08 by News Desk in World-News

The first shipment of humanitarian aid for Venezuela arrived at the Colombian border city of Cucuta on Thursday. The convoy of lorries reached Tienditas international bridge the day after Venezuela blockaded the crossing with shipping containers and a fuel tanker. The US pledged $20m (€17.6m) in... Read on ->

Tags: Colombia, Venezuela

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Mysterious pro-gov't group burns US, French flags in Raqqa (video)

Published 2019-02-08 18:15:21 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:00 P.M.) - A mysterious pro-Syrian government group calling themselves the Popular Resistance of Al-Raqqa released a video this week in which they denounced the French and U.S. forces in Syria and praised Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. At the start of the video, the group proclaims their support... Read on ->

Tags: Raqqa, Syria

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[Graphic 18+] New Houthi video shows multiple sniper attacks against Saudi forces

Published 2019-02-08 17:56:07 by News Desk in Yemen

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:40 P.M.) - The Houthi forces released a new video on Friday that showed their month-long sniper operations against the Saudi Coalition. In the four-minute-long video, the Houthi snipers can be seen hitting several targets throughout Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia.

Tags: Houthi, Saudi, Yemen

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Israeli military conducts massive war simulation with Lebanon after Hezbollah leader's speech (PHOTOS)

Published 2019-02-08 17:41:17 by News Desk in Lebanon, Middleeast

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:30 P.M.) - The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly carried out a massive military exercise that simulated war with Lebanon, Yiddish News reported on Friday. According to Yiddish News, the IDF military exercise was also backed by tanks and warplanes. https://twitter.com/YiddishNews/status/1093888318591418369 This military exercise comes just days after... Read on ->

Tags: Hezbollah, IDF, Israel, Lebanon

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'Washington willing to send its sons to die in absurd war' – Venezuela’s Maduro in open letter to US

Published 2019-02-08 17:30:11 by News Desk in World-News

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has slammed Washington’s belligerent rhetoric against his country in an open letter addressed to the American people. Maduro published an image of the letter on his official Twitter account, saying it would be delivered to the White House to demand respect for Venezuela’s “inalienable right to... Read on ->

Tags: Maduro, Venezuela

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Syrian Army sends reinforcements to Euphrates region to prevent ISIL's escape

Published 2019-02-08 17:22:15 by Leith Aboufadel in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 P.M.) - With the recent string of Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) attacks near the key border city of Albukamal, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has responded by sending reinforcements to the western bank of the Euphrates River. According to a military source in Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Arab... Read on ->

Tags: Euphrates, ISIL, ISIS, Syria

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Morocco recalls Saudi ambassador over rifts on Yemen, Qatar

Published 2019-02-08 17:04:46 by News Desk in Gulf, North-Africa

Morocco has recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia for consultations, indicating apparent cracks in relations between the traditional Sunni Muslim allies over Yemen, Qatar and Western Sahara, Moroccan media said on Friday. Ambassador Mustapha Mansouri confirmed the recall to pro-establishment news website Le360. The Ambassador added that Morocco and Saudi... Read on ->

Tags: Morocco, Saudi

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Venezuelan military moves S-300 system in position to defend country (PHOTOS)

Published 2019-02-08 16:54:23 by News Desk in World-News

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 P.M.) - The Venezuelan military has reportedly moved their S-300 air defense system in position to defend the country, a new satellite image revealed on Thursday. According to an image released by Image Satellite International, the Venezuelan military moved their S-300 (VM) air defense system into position... Read on ->

Tags: Venezuela

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Iran's Khamenei says 'death to America' is reference to US leader not people

Published 2019-02-08 16:39:24 by News Desk in Iran

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:10 P.M.) - As long as America continues its wickedness, the Iranian nation will not abandon ‘Death to America,’ ” Khomeini reportedly said during the 40th commemoration of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. “‘Death to America’ means death to Trump, [National Security Adviser] John Bolton, and [Secretary of... Read on ->

Tags: Iran, Khamenei

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Russia demands US military withdraw from Al-Tanf region

Published 2019-02-08 16:09:40 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:45 P.M.) - Russia has renewed its call for the U.S. military to end its presence in the Al-Tanf region of southeastern Homs end. Russia Today quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Thursday that Russia’s stance on the situation in al-Rukban amp and... Read on ->

Tags: Russia, Syria

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Russia developing advanced defense system to shield armor from precision weapons

Published 2019-02-08 15:44:02 by News Desk in World-News

Specialists of Russia’s Central Research Institute for Precision Machine-Building (TsNIItochmash) are developing a new protective system to shield the armor from smart precision-guided munitions. The latest Lotos self-propelled artillery guns will be the first to get the new system, the TsNIItochmash press office told TASS on Friday. "Engineers of the... Read on ->

Tags: Russia

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Russian military engineers blow up 'mountain' blocking Siberian river (video)

Published 2019-02-08 15:36:39 by News Desk in World-News

Russian military engineers carry out controlled explosions to 'move a mountain' blocking the Bureya River in Siberia's Khabarovsk Region on Friday, after a landslide damned the waterway. The 165m (550ft) mound was caused by a landslide at the beginning of December. Geologists fear that use of explosives will cause a... Read on ->

Tags: Russia

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Turkey is ready to fight terrorists after US withdrawal from Syria: Erdogan

Published 2019-02-08 15:22:44 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:00 P.M.) - Turkish is ready to take over the fight against terrorism once the U.S. withdraws from Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an address at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American-Turkish Council. "Turkey is ready to take over responsibility in fight against terrorist groups in... Read on ->

Tags: Erdogan, Syria, Turkey

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[Graphic 18+] Iraqi forces eliminate ISIS group and field commander in Kirkuk (PHOTOS)

Published 2019-02-08 15:10:47 by News Desk in Iraq

BEIRUT, LEBENAON (2:55 P.M.) - The security forces in the Kirkuk Governorate carried out a successful operation against a group of Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) terrorists that were wreaking havoc inside the province. According to field report from the Iraqi-Kurdish border, at least nine Islamic State terrorists were killed during the operation, including... Read on ->

Tags: Iraq, ISIS, Kirkuk

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Turkey wants to turn Nusra into Syrian political group: opposition official

Published 2019-02-08 14:50:12 by News Desk in Syria

Turkey wants to turn Nusra Front (a terrorist group banned in Russia) into a political force similar to the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, a source in the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) has told Sputnik. "Turkey is trying to handle the Nusra matter in Syria's north, and they [the Turks] want... Read on ->

Tags: Nusra, Syria

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Armenia carries out large-scale humanitarian mission in Aleppo

Published 2019-02-08 14:03:27 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:45 P.M.) - Armenia carried out a large-scale humanitarian mission inside the historical city of Aleppo, today, fulfilling their promise to Syria late last year. The 83-member group of deminers, doctors, and security personnel made their journey from the Armenian capital of Yerevan to Aleppo on Friday morning.... Read on ->

Tags: Aleppo, Armenia

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Baghdadi survived coup attempt by fellow ISIS members in east Syria: report

Published 2019-02-08 13:46:21 by News Desk in Iraq, Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:30 P.M.) - The leader of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi allegedly survived a coup attempt by fellow ISIS members in eastern Syria last month, the Guardian reported this week, citing regional intelligence officials. According to the report, Al-Baghdadi was in his former stronghold of Hajin... Read on ->

Tags: Baghdadi, ISIS, Syria

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Russia warns Israel to halt strikes on Syria

Published 2019-02-08 13:17:05 by News Desk in Middleeast, Syria

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on 21 January that it had hit alleged Iranian military facilities in Syria, including weapons depots in the area of Damascus International Airport, an intelligence centre, and a training camp, in response to a reported rocket strike on the Golan Heights. "With regard to the... Read on ->

Tags: Israel, Russia, Syria

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Syrian Army destroys jihadist dens in southern Idlib

Published 2019-02-08 13:06:11 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:45 P.M.) - The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) carried out another round of heavy attacks along the southern axis of the Idlib Governorate this week after a group of jihadist rebels attempted to infiltrate the military's positions last night. Led by their 4th Armored Division, the Syrian Arab... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Syria

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Russia, Turkey, Iran mulling joint operation in Idlib

Published 2019-02-08 12:47:48 by News Desk in Iran, Syria, Turkey

The presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey Vladimir Putin, Hassan Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet in Sochi to discuss the possibility of a joint operation in Syria’s Idlib province, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told the media on Friday. "The situation on the ground is always on... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Russia, Syria, Turkey, US

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218 Palestinian Political Prisoners Killed In Israeli Jails

Published 2019-02-08 12:47:15 by Robert Inlakesh in Middleeast, Palestine

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (12:30 A.M)- According to a new report, 218 Palestinian political prisoners have died in Israeli prisons due to violence and negligence. A statement released by the 'Palestinian Prisoners Society' (PPS), states that 218 political prisoners held in Israeli military prisons have been killed, primarily due to medical negligence.... Read on ->

Tags: Israeli, Palestinian, Political Prisoners

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US military considering April withdrawal from Syria: WSJ

Published 2019-02-08 12:37:58 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:25 P.M.) - The U.S. military is considering a complete withdrawal from Syria at the end of April, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Citing current and former U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal reported that Washington is eyeing the withdrawal of all of their troops at... Read on ->

Tags: Syria, US

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Eastern Euphrates region should be returned to Syria: Russia

Published 2019-02-08 12:17:41 by News Desk in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in December that Ankara was ready to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River as well as in Syria's Manbij, located near the Turkish border if the United States did not remove the militia from there.... Read on ->

Tags: Euphrates, Russia, Syria

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Over 60 ISIS operatives captured in Raqqa city

Published 2019-02-08 12:05:23 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:45 A.M.) - Over 60 Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) operatives were reportedly captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during an operation to clear Raqqa city of these terrorist sleeper cells. According to a report from the Syrian Democratic Forces, approximately 63 members of the Islamic State were arrested... Read on ->

Tags: ISIS, Raqqa

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Venezuela has not asked Russia for military assistance

Published 2019-02-08 11:51:19 by News Desk in World-News

Caracas did not send to Moscow a request for Russian military assistance, Alexander Shchetinin, head of the Latin American department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with Sputnik. We consider and analyze requests from our strategic partners very carefully. We did not receive a request on this... Read on ->

Tags: Russia, Venezuela

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Russian soldier killed in attack by Turkish-backed rebels

Published 2019-02-08 11:37:45 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:20 A.M.) - A Russian soldier was killed a few days ago in the northern countryside of the Hama Governorate after the Turkish-backed rebels fired an anti-tank guided missile from the demilitarized zone. According to reports, the Russian soldier Maxim Pletnev was killed by a Jaysh Al-Izza ATGM... Read on ->

Tags: Hama, Russia, Syria

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Iran unveils new surface-to-surface ballistic missile (video)

Published 2019-02-08 11:16:34 by News Desk in Iran

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday unveiled a surface-to-surface ballistic missile it claims has a 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) range, according to reports. Thursday's report by the Fars news agency says a ceremony marking the inauguration was held in an underground missile factory described as an "underground city". The... Read on ->

Tags: Iran

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