Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Nov. 23

TEHRAN -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said here Thursday that the Islamic republic provides "advisory assistance" for Yemeni Shiite Houthi militants, Tasnim news agency reported.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said that "Iran's support for the resistance groups in the region, including those in Yemen, is offered at their request." (Iran-Yemen)

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CAIRO -- Egypt has appointed Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouli as acting premier to replace Sherif Ismail who has just travelled to Germany for a medical trip, the Egyptian state TV reported on Thursday.

Ismail left for Germany earlier on Thursday "for a three-week visit during which he will undergo a surgery," said official MENA news agency. (Egypt-Acting PM)

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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi security forces Thursday retook control of 77 villages as part of a large-scale military operation to dislodge the Islamic State (IS) militants from their hideouts in the desert in western Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

The Iraqi army, paramilitary Hashd Shaabi brigades and federal police recaptured the villages as they cleared more than 5,800 square kilometers from the extremist militants in the first day of the second phase of the offensive, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Yarallah, commander of western Iraq operations, said in a brief statement. (Iraq-IS)

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TRIPOLI -- Libya's UN-backed government held a meeting on Thursday in the capital Tripoli to discuss a program of economic reform in the country.

"The government will adopt the economic reform program in the next few days aimed at reorganizing the expenditure of government institutions across Libya," said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed M'etig. (Libya-Reform) Enditem