Islamist Militias

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers were preparing on Thursday to unveil their new government as the economy teetered on the edge of collapse more than two weeks after the Islamist militia captured Kabul and brought a chaotic end to 20 years of war.

An Afghan government delegation met with Taliban representatives in Tehran Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry said, as the Islamist militia pressed a lightning advance amid the pullout of US troops.

The Taliban launched an assault on Kunduz, which was the scene of intense fighting on Monday, one year after the Islamist militia briefly took over the northern Afghan city following a lightning offensive, an AFP correspondent said.

Islamist rebels shot down a Syrian warplane and captured its pilot on Tuesday in an area south of Aleppo where insurgents are battling the Syrian army and allied militias, a monitoring group said.

At least 20 people were killed, 120 wounded and over 90,000 forced to flee days of rival militia battles in central Somalia, although the situation has now calmed, the UN said on Tuesday.

The UN World Food Programme today appealed for safe access to the Yemeni city of Taiz, saying that fighting between warring factions had blocked food supplies and left thousands of people in extreme hunger.

The bullet-riddled bodies of six anti-Taliban militia fighters were discovered today in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday, taking the number of tribesmen found executed by Islamists this week to 11.

Three militia fighters and 11 Boko Haram militants have been killed in a clash in a village in northeastern Nigeria, a local resident and a member of the militia fighting alongside the army said on Tuesday.

Malian soldiers killed three "terrorists" on Wednesday during a cross-border search operation for jihadists backed by Ivorian troops, security sources said.

Nigeria's military said today it was investigating allegations by Amnesty International that more than 8,000 people had died in detention during a crackdown on Islamist militant group Boko Haram, weeks after dismissing the report.

Bangladesh's highest court today upheld the death sentence against a top Islamist leader for war crimes during the country's battle for independence, prompting his opposition party to call a general strike in protest.

Thousands of people crossed from Syria into Turkey today to flee a battle pitting Islamist insurgents against Kurdish and opposition forces for the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad.

Syrian war planes today bombed Islamic State fighters trying to advance into the northeastern city of Hasaka in an offensive that is adding to the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad following recent defeats elsewhere.

A Libyan television journalist involved in coverage of fighting between Islamist militias and pro-government forces in the second city of Benghazi has been assassinated, officials and witnesses said today.

Islamic State fighters traded sniper fire and mortar rounds with Iraqi troops and allied Shi'ite militia forces on Sunday in the city of Tikrit amid further reports the militants had obtained chlorine for possible use as a chemical weapon.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers were preparing on Thursday to unveil their new government as the economy teetered on the edge of collapse more than two weeks after the Islamist militia captured Kabul and brought a chaotic end to 20 years of war.

An Afghan government delegation met with Taliban representatives in Tehran Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry said, as the Islamist militia pressed a lightning advance amid the pullout of US troops.

The Taliban launched an assault on Kunduz, which was the scene of intense fighting on Monday, one year after the Islamist militia briefly took over the northern Afghan city following a lightning offensive, an AFP correspondent said.

Islamist rebels shot down a Syrian warplane and captured its pilot on Tuesday in an area south of Aleppo where insurgents are battling the Syrian army and allied militias, a monitoring group said.

At least 20 people were killed, 120 wounded and over 90,000 forced to flee days of rival militia battles in central Somalia, although the situation has now calmed, the UN said on Tuesday.

The UN World Food Programme today appealed for safe access to the Yemeni city of Taiz, saying that fighting between warring factions had blocked food supplies and left thousands of people in extreme hunger.

The bullet-riddled bodies of six anti-Taliban militia fighters were discovered today in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday, taking the number of tribesmen found executed by Islamists this week to 11.

Three militia fighters and 11 Boko Haram militants have been killed in a clash in a village in northeastern Nigeria, a local resident and a member of the militia fighting alongside the army said on Tuesday.

Malian soldiers killed three "terrorists" on Wednesday during a cross-border search operation for jihadists backed by Ivorian troops, security sources said.

Nigeria's military said today it was investigating allegations by Amnesty International that more than 8,000 people had died in detention during a crackdown on Islamist militant group Boko Haram, weeks after dismissing the report.

Bangladesh's highest court today upheld the death sentence against a top Islamist leader for war crimes during the country's battle for independence, prompting his opposition party to call a general strike in protest.

Thousands of people crossed from Syria into Turkey today to flee a battle pitting Islamist insurgents against Kurdish and opposition forces for the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad.

Syrian war planes today bombed Islamic State fighters trying to advance into the northeastern city of Hasaka in an offensive that is adding to the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad following recent defeats elsewhere.

A Libyan television journalist involved in coverage of fighting between Islamist militias and pro-government forces in the second city of Benghazi has been assassinated, officials and witnesses said today.

Islamic State fighters traded sniper fire and mortar rounds with Iraqi troops and allied Shi'ite militia forces on Sunday in the city of Tikrit amid further reports the militants had obtained chlorine for possible use as a chemical weapon.