Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Dec. 29

ANKARA -- Turkey and Russia on Friday inked a loan agreement in Ankara for purchase of the S-400 missile defense system worth 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, a Turkish official told Xinhua.

Russia will provide Turkey with four batteries of S-400 surface-to-air missile system under the deal and the latter will pay 45 percent of the cost up front with Moscow providing loans to cover the remaining 55 percent. (Turkey-Russia-Missile Deal)

- - - -

CAIRO -- At least 10 people were killed in a shootout outside a church south of Cairo on Friday, state-media reported.

"The security forces frustrated an attack on Mar Mina Church in the Helwan district," said a statement from Egyptian Interior Ministry. (Egypt-Church-Attack)

- - - -

DAMASCUS -- U.S. helicopters have transferred commanders of the Islamic State (IS) group from the eastern province of Deir al-Zour to areas in the northeastern province of Hasakah, state news agency SANA said Friday.

U.S. helicopters coming from the northern countryside of Deir al-Zour landed near the al-Basel Dam south of Hasakah, transporting leaders of the IS who surrendered to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said SANA. (Syria-U.S.-IS)

- - - -

TEHRAN -- Protests erupted across Iranian major cities on Friday over the government's potential move to raise the prices of some basic commodities including fuel and bread, local media reported.

In the capital Tehran, holy cities of Mashhad and Qom as well as Isfahan and Qazvin, people took to the streets to protest the mishandling of economy by President Hassan Rouhani's administration. (Iran-Protest-Economy) Enditem