At least one Syrian soldier was killed and two others wounded in a clash between regime and U.S. forces in northern Syria, according to the Syrian regime and a UK-based war monitoring organization. Local media reported a U.S. soldier was also injured (CBS News).
France’s Foreign Ministry said it requested that Afghan officials not free Taliban members convicted of killing French citizens as part of a recent prisoner release deal (TOLO).
Indian authorities will restore high-speed 4G internet to two districts in the disputed region of Kashmir on a trial basis, according to a government statement. India’s decision to cut off internet access in India-administered Kashmir more than a year ago was criticized by human rights groups, and India’s Supreme Court ruled an indefinite suspension would be illegal (Al Jazeera).
Israel attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for incendiary balloons sent into Israel from the area, the Israeli military said. The country will also halt fuel imports to Gaza and reduce the territory’s fishing zone (Haaretz).
Addressing parliament, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rebuked U.S. sanctions as an effort to “strangle the Syrian people” and pledged to crack down on corruption. Lawmakers vowed to “sacrifice” themselves for Assad after he paused his speech due to alleged low blood pressure (Agence France-Presse).
Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein criticized China’s claims in the South China Sea as having “no basis” in international law and announced that Kuala Lumpur had submitted a claim to the United Nations over territory off Malaysia’s coast. Malaysia has previously avoided criticizing China, its largest trading partner (Bloomberg).
Anti-government protests resumed in Mali yesterday as thousands took to the streets demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Keita’s concessions and international mediation efforts have been unsuccessful, as the opposition coalition organizing the protests continues to demand “purely and simply the resignation of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his regime to allow for a democratic transition” (Reuters).
A Turkish drone attack yesterday killed Iraqi two border guards officers and their driver in the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Iraq condemned the attack and cancelled a ministerial visit with Turkey, calling on Ankara to cease all military operations in the region. Turkey’s ambassador was summoned today to discuss the recent events (Al Jazeera).
The United Nations said at least seventy people were killed and dozens more wounded in South Sudan’s Warrap State during confrontations between soldiers and civilians. The violence broke out after residents refused to relinquish their guns, a requirement of the country’s recent peace agreement, and rapidly spread to multiple villages, according to South Sudanese officials. The United Nations dispatched a peacekeeping patrol to the area (Al Jazeera).
Authorities arrested five Iranians for allegedly spying for Germany, Israel, and the United Kingdom, sentencing at least two to prison, according to state media. Tensions are rising between Iran and its adversaries as the United States continues to petition UN Security Council members to extend an arms embargo on Iran (Al-Monitor).