Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 22
Xinhua, February 23, 2015 Adjust font size:
Syria's Foreign Ministry slammed on Sunday Turkey's military operation in Syria, calling it a "flagrant aggression," according to the state news agency SANA.
The ministry's remarks came after Turkish troops entered into a northern Syrian area overnight to extract some 40 Turkish soldiers who had been guarding the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, which was located in the city of Aleppo in Syria near the Turkish border. (Syria-Turkey-Operation)
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CAIRO -- Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged on Sunday the Arab countries to form a unified military force to fight the growing threat of terrorism in the region.
In a televised speech, Sisi said that challenges in the region are grave, "but we the Arabs can overcome them united." (Egypt-Arab-Terrorism)
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TRIPOLI -- The Libyan branch of the Islamic State (IS) on Sunday claimed responsibility for attack on Iranian ambassador's residence in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
A device exploded outside of the Iranian ambassador's residence in Tripoli on Sunday, but no casualties were reported, according to a security source. (Libya-IS-Iranian Ambassador)
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TEHRAN -- Iran will not put its signature on agreements which are "ambiguous and imperfect," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif told state IRIB TV on Sunday.
"No accord will be sealed unless a comprehensive agreement is reached," Zarif said in Geneva as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to join the ongoing bilateral talks on Sunday and Monday over Tehran's long-disputed nuclear program. (Iran-Agreement-Nuclear Program) Endit