Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Jan. 9

TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday blamed the foreigners, including the United States and Israel, for inciting recent unrests in a number of Iranian cities, semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

"Clues and intelligence evidence show that these events have been orchestrated (by enemies), and a triple party has been involved in bringing it about," ISNA quoted Khamenei as saying. (Iran-U.S.-Israel)

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CAIRO -- At least eight terrorists were killed in a police raid in Egypt's Arish city of North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The terrorist elements have been involved in carrying out a number of terrorist operations in North Sinai," said the police statement. (Egypt-Sinai-Raid)

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DAMASCUS -- At least five people were killed on Tuesday by intensifying rebels' mortar shelling against residential areas in the capital Damascus at a time when battles are flaring up in the eastern countryside of the capital Damascus, a local source said.

The rebels fired over 20 mortar rounds, targeting neighborhoods in eastern Damascus as well as the old city. The intensified attack left 30 wounded, a medical source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. (Syria-Damascus-Shelling)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel is expected to approve on Wednesday hundreds of new housing units for settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement on Tuesday.

Lieberman said he will seek on Wednesday for the approval of Civil Administration's High Planning Committee, the official body that regulates the construction of the settlements. (Israel-West Bank-Settler Homes) Enditem