War

The first U.S. combat death in Syria occurred Thursday when a Special Forces member died from wounds sustained by an ISIS improvised explosive device, says CNN, citing the Pentagon. U.S. forces suffer their first casualty in northern Syria on Thursday while engaged in an offensive against ISIS. CNN Politics reports: This marks the first time a US service member has been killed inside Syria since a small number of US Special Forces were sent there last year to advise and assist Syrian forces battling ISIS, also known as ISIL.

Two Syrians living in the occupied Golan Heights have been sentenced to jail by an Israeli military court for blocking an Israeli ambulance that was transporting al-Nusra militants for treatment. Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that on Thursday the court sentenced Amal Abu Saleh to seven years and eight months in jail and issued a fine of more than 3,000 dollars. The other Syrian, Bashira Mahmoud was sentenced to 22 months in prison. She was fined 1,000 dollars.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a statement following comments made by European MEPs declaring a state of “war” against Russia.  MEPs in Strasbourg voted on a non-legislative resolution demanding that the EU “respond to information warfare by Russia“.

Around fifty thousand people are being evacuated as wildfires rage through parts of Israel’s third largest city, Haifa. The fires had been burning in several locations for the past three days but intensified on Thursday, fueled by unseasonably dry weather and strong winds. The wildfires tore across central and northern Israel on Thursday, with Israeli leaders blaming arsonists for some of the blazes and branding them terrorists. The BBC reports: Wildfires are also threatening homes near Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

ISIS have claimed responsibility for a truck bomb attack south of the Iraqi capital which killed around 100 people, mostly Shia pilgrims. Massive Car #Blast Kills 21 People South of #Iraq’s #Baghdad, #ISIS Claims Responsibility – https://t.co/kD5SGgWSCe pic.twitter.com/Ss73CweOFL — #Alalam (@AlalamChannel) November 24, 2016 According to security sources, a truck loaded with explosives went off on Thursday at a gas station in the city of Hilla southeast of the capital Baghdad. Reports say most of the victims were Iranian nationals.