Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Sept. 9
DAMASCUS– The U.S. forces moved 88 tankers of “stolen” Syrian oil from the northeastern province of Hasakah to U.S. bases in neighboring Iraq on Friday, state news agency SANA reported. The latest shipment was sent to Iraq in batches through the illegal al-Mahmoudiyeh crossing connecting Hasakah with northern Iraq, said the report. TEHRAN– Iran announced on Friday…
DAMASCUS — The U.S. forces moved 88 tankers of “stolen” Syrian oil from the northeastern province of Hasakah to U.S. bases in neighboring Iraq on Friday, state news agency SANA reported.
The latest shipment was sent to Iraq in batches through the illegal al-Mahmoudiyeh crossing connecting Hasakah with northern Iraq, said the report. (Syria-US-Stolen Oil)
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BEIRUT — Four people were killed when a group of gunmen attempted to rob a mobile shop and exchanged fire with its owners in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli on Friday evening, Al-Jadeed TV channel reported.
The exchange of fire inside the shop killed one of the gunmen, the shop owner and two of his friends, the report said, adding the gunmen carrying machine guns and hand grenades had fled the scene. (Lebanon-Tripoli-Robbery)
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TEHRAN — A top Iranian military commander said on Friday the country will carry out the final test of its upgraded homegrown missile defense system, dubbed Bavar (Belief) 373, in the coming days, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Alireza Sabahi-Fard, commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force, said in a televised interview that the system has successfully completed all its initial tests. (Iran-Missile Defense-Final Test)
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TEHRAN — Iran announced on Friday that all six land border crossings with Iraq are temporarily closed until further notice due to congestion, hot weather, and lack of facilities to ensure passengers’ health and security, according to the official news agency IRNA.
The closure was announced by Majid Mir-Ahmadi, head of Iran’s Arbaeen Central Headquarter, as the land border crossings have been jammed by millions of Iranians heading to neighboring Iraq for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage. (Iran-Iraq-Border Crossings Closure) Enditem