Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Jan. 24

CAIRO -- Egyptian presidential hopeful Khaled Ali announced Wednesday his withdrawal from the 2018 presidential elections "due to the lack of guarantees of fair electoral process."

"I announce that I'm not running for president in upcoming elections and I will not submit my nomination papers," Ali told a press conference in Cairo. (Egypt-Elelction-Opposition)

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ANKARA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 12 others wounded after two rockets launched from Syria's Afrin hit Turkey's border city of Kilis on Wednesday, a local governor said.

"The first rockets hit a mosque during prayers. Some of the victims have life-threatening injuries," the Province Governor Mehmet Tekinarslan said on NTV television. (Turkey-Syria-Rocket)

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TIRPOLI -- The death toll of twin car bomb attacks in eastern Libyan city of Benghazi has risen to 34, a media source said Wednesday.

"The center received 9 bodies and 34 injured people," Information official of Benghazi Medical Center Khalil Gweder told Xinhua. (Libya-Bomb Attacks)

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TEHRAN -- A senior military advisor to Iran's supreme leader urged the formation of a regional alliance to confront the U.S. coalition including Saudi Arabia and Israel, Financial Tribune daily reported Wednesday.

"Iran should act wisely by forging a regional coalition which would involve Russia and Syria as well as Pakistan and Iraq to stand against the U.S.-led coalition," Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi said on Tuesday. (Iran-U.S.-Alliance) Enditem