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

ISTANBUL -- Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Friday that it has stopped issuing new permits to Syrian refugees who apply for residing in Istanbul, the most populous city in Turkey.

"The Directorate General of Migration Management is no more accepting new requests for Istanbul, considering the population density of the city," the Hurriyet daily quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. (Turkey-Istanbul-Syrian Refugees)

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CAIRO -- Egypt is on maximum security alert nationwide on Friday as its troops and police launched a major anti-terror operation to eradicate terrorism.

The operation covers areas in Sinai, the Delta and the Western Desert, and the border cities, said Tamer el Refai, a spokesperson of the armed forces. (Egypt-Terrorism-Army Operation)

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TRIPOLI -- Two people were killed and 143 others, including children, were injured on Friday when an explosion hit a mosque during Friday prayers in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, military and medical sources said.

"An explosion hit inside the Sa'ad Bin-Abada mosque in Majuri district of Benghazi during Friday prayers," said Col. Milud Zwai, spokesman for the eastern-based army's special forces. (Libya-Explosion)

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BEIRUT -- One person was killed in the clashes in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Friday, following a failed attempt to assassinate a senior Palestinian military official, a security source told Xinhua.

An exchange of machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades broke out in the camp, following the failed assassination against Brig. Gen. Bassam al-Saad, the head of the joint Palestinian security force, the source said on conditional of anonymity. (Lebanon-Clashes) Enditem