Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Jan. 11

KIEV -- Three people were killed and seven others injured in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, which marked the highest daily casualty toll in the conflict since the fresh ceasefire, reports from the conflicting parties showed Thursday.

The press service of the government military operation in eastern regions said on Facebook that three soldiers of the Ukrainian army were killed and four others wounded while performing combat tasks in the conflict area. (Ukraine-Casualty)

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TEHRAN -- At least four people were injured in several strong earthquakes in the western Iranian provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam on Thursday, state IRIB TV reported.

In the successive quakes, a number of old houses were also destroyed, the report said. (Iran-Earthquake)

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ISLAMABAD -- Protests have erupted in Pakistan after a six-year-old girl was raped and killed by unknown men in Pakistan's east Kasur city, local reports said Thursday.

The minor girl, Zainab, was on her way to seminary when she was kidnapped by the unknown men on Jan. 4, a few meters away from her house in Kasur, a city located in the country's east Punjab province. (Pakistan-Crime)

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JALALABAD -- Twenty-three militants were killed and 14 others arrested following an operation in Nangarhar province, east of Afghanistan, Wednesday night, said the provincial government on Thursday.

"Special Operations Forces of National Directorate of Security (NDS) raided two Taliban hideouts in Soordog locality, Khogyani district Wednesday night. As a result 23 militants were killed and 14 others arrested," it said in a statement. (Afghanistan-Militants) Enditem