Iraq army claims fresh gains against ISIL

Iraqi ministry of defence says military recaptures 30 villages close to Baghdad from ISIL fighters.

Source: aljazeera.com

Iraqi military forces backed by Shia volunteer fighters have recaptured 30 villages from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group east of Baghdad, the ministry of defence has said.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Baghdad, said that the army was trying to build “offensive chains” in Diyala province.

Palestinian officials: Israel’s shelling of Gaza equivalent to six nuclear bombs

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com

Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip with 20,000 tons of explosives, equivalent to six nuclear bombs, the Palestinian interior ministry said on Thursday.