Newswatch

RABAT, Morocco: Moroccan government officials say Morocco has stopped taking part in military action with the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s war, and has recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Tensions have been mounting between Morocco and Saudi Arabia amid international concerns about the Yemen war and other issues.

A Moroccan government official said Thursday that Morocco no longer takes part in military interventions or ministerial meetings in the Saudi-led coalition.

Another Moroccan government official said the ambassador was recalled after a Saudi television report about the disputed Western Sahara. (AP)

CAIRO: The Saudi-Led coalition in Yemen launched a targeting operation in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, Saudi state TV reported on Saturday.

The operation targeted a location for storing and preparing drones and launch vehicles in Sanaa.

The coalition added that the operation conformed to international law and that measures were taken to protect civilians. (RTRS)

BAGHDAD: An official with the Iraqi government-sanctioned umbrella of mainly Shiite paramilitary groups says a militia commander was arrested after he criticized Iran’s influence in the country.

The official from the Popular Mobilization Forces said on Friday that Aws al-Khafaji, commander of the Abu alFadl al-Abbas Brigade, was detained the previous night.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. (AP)

BAGHDAD: The visiting French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly pledged on Friday to support the Iraqi armed forces with equipment and training.

Iraqi Presidency quoted minister Parly as saying, during a meeting with President Barham Salem, that Paris would continue to back up Iraq’s stability and its aspiration toward prosperity, also expressing readiness to help the local forces with hardware and training.

For his part, the president emphasized necessity for coordinated regional and international efforts to fight “incubators of terrorism and radicalism” in several states.

He lauded France’s “vital role” in the international coalition against terrorism and its support for his country in clamping down on terrorist organizations.

Moreover, President Salem expressed desire to expand cooperation in various sectors with France. (KUNA)

WASHINGTON: Coalition continues to support partner forces efforts to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS) in designated areas of Iraq and Syria, and is setting conditions for the enduring defeat of (IS) in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, said a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) on Thursday.

The statement said that on the 21st of last month in Iraq “local police forces in Baghdad and Diyala increased warrant-based targeting, which resulted in 11 arrests of individuals accused of terrorism and associated with IS.” (KUNA)