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Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 26

Xinhua, February 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

A total of 35 people were killed and 44 wounded in airstrikes against positions of the Islamic State (IS) militants and violent attacks across Iraq on Thursday, security sources said. (Iraq-Attack)

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DAMASCUS -- The number of Christian Assyrians snatched by the Islamic State (IS) group in northern Syria has risen to 220 over the past three days, a monitoring group reported on Thursday.

The IS kidnapped the Assyrians from 11 villages in the town of Tal Tamr, which is considered the capital of the Syrian Assyrians in the northern province of al-Hasakah. The IS recently unleashed an offensive against Assyrian towns and villages. (Syria-IS-Kidnapping)

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CAIRO -- At least one was killed and four others wounded on Thursday in four bomb explosions in south of capital Cairo, Health Ministry said.

Bombs went off outside the offices of cell phone companies and a restaurant in Giza province, the ministry said in a statement. (Egypt-Explosion)

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TEHRAN -- Three people on-board a helicopter were killed after it crashed in the north of capital Tehran on Thursday, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"A helicopter crashed near Imamzadeh Ebrahim (in the northern district of Tehran) in the afternoon and the rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene," Ezzatollah Khanmohammadi, a Tehran official, told Fars. (Iran-Clash) Endit