ceasefire

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Hamas Truce 'Not Serious': Israel

But militants stopping rocket fire could bring de facto ceasefire in Gaza, official says

(Newser) - Israel said a Hamas truce proposal yesterday was not genuine, and the Islamist organization would only regroup and strengthen itself during the 6-month ceasefire, AFP reports. "Unfortunately, this appears not to be serious at all," an Israeli spokesman said today, although officials said a prolonged halt in the...

Bus Bomb Kills 24 in Sri Lanka

Rebel Tamil Tigers again responsible for rush-hour attack, government claims

(Newser) - A bomb blast on a public bus killed 24 and injured 52 people today in Sri Lanka, the BBC reports. The device exploded in a vehicle full of rush-hour commuters; government officials blamed the separatist Tamil Tigers for the attack.

Pakistan Near Ceasefire Deal With Militants

Leader linked to Bhutto murder calls off attacks amid peace talks

(Newser) - Pakistan’s new government is near a ceasefire deal with militants, the New York Times reports, as a top rebel commander has ordered his forces to stop attacks. Baitullah Mehsud, thought to have organized the December assassination of Benazir Bhutto, ordered a ban on “provocative activities for the sake...

Baghdad Curfew Lifted; Basra Violence Slows

Move comes a day after Sadr ordered militants to stand down

(Newser) - Baghdad authorities lifted a 3-day-old curfew today as violence ebbed and soldiers from Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army began to heed his call yesterday to stand down, reports the AFP. The southern city of Basra also eased its curfew as 6 days of violent clashes wound down, although the BBC reported...

Al-Sadr Orders His Militia Off Streets of Basra
Al-Sadr Orders His Militia Off Streets of Basra
Updated

Al-Sadr Orders His Militia Off Streets of Basra

He offers weakened Maliki a truce deal as violence continues

(Newser) - Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his fighters to leave the streets of Basra and other cities, reports the BBC, in an effort to end clashes with security forces. “Anyone carrying a weapon and targeting government institutions will not be one of us,” Sadr said, but minutes after...

Egypt Works for Gaza Ceasefire
 Egypt Works for Gaza Ceasefire 

Egypt Works for Gaza Ceasefire

Progress toward ceasefire after behind-the-scenes talks

(Newser) - Egypt is quietly working to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with its intelligence chief meeting with both Hamas and Israeli officials, allowing the two sides to formally deny that they are talking to each other, the Guardian reports. Israel is calling for a trial 30 days of calm...

Israel Scales Back Gaza Offensive
Israel Scales Back Gaza Offensive

Israel Scales Back Gaza Offensive

Hamas rocket attacks slow, but Israelis say fighting isn't over

(Newser) - Israel is reining in its Gaza offensive after seeing a big reduction in cross-border rocket fire over the weekend, the BBC reports. But Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said there was no truce in place. “The fighting is ongoing and will at times increase or decrease,” he said,...

Attacks on Shiite Pilgrims Jeopardize Sadr Ceasefire

Bombings continue with wheelchair attack

(Newser) - A wave of violence against Shiite pilgrims continued today, with at least seven dying in a pair of roadside bombings, and nerves fraying over an unpopular ceasefire. Shiites are observing one of their most sacred holidays despite a spate of attacks—today's plus at least three yesterday—that are straining...

Sadr Extends Ceasefire 6 Months
Sadr Extends Ceasefire 6 Months

Sadr Extends Ceasefire 6 Months

Rumors confirmed as cleric calls on Mahdi Army to freeze activities

(Newser) - Muqtada al-Sadr has extended the ceasefire of his Mahdi Army by six months, writes the Wall Street Journal, confirming yesterday's rumors from US officials. At midday prayers across Iraq imams read out the announcement of the Shiite cleric, who had been under pressure from some of his followers to allow...

Al-Sadr to Extend Ceasefire
Al-Sadr to Extend Ceasefire

Al-Sadr to Extend Ceasefire

Six-month renewal of cleric's truce key to Iraq security gains, US says

(Newser) - Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will prolong by six months the ceasefire that has reduced violence across Iraq, officials tell Reuters. Sadr today sent a sealed sermon to mosques across Iraq to be read during midday prayers tomorrow. Exact details won’t be known until those envelopes are unsealed, but “the...

Al-Sadr May Call Off Ceasefire
Al-Sadr May Call Off Ceasefire

Al-Sadr May Call Off Ceasefire

Will expire Saturday unless cleric renews; could jeopardize gains in security

(Newser) - The ceasefire ordered last August by Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr expires Saturday, and unless he renews it, his Mahdi Army will again take up arms—raising US fears that gains in staunching sectarian bloodshed across Iraq could jeopardized. Al-Sadr hasn't signaled his intentions, but some say US and Iraqi raids...

Sri Lankan Blast Kills 26
Sri Lankan Blast Kills 26

Sri Lankan Blast Kills 26

Ceasefire ends as at least 60 wounded in bus attack

(Newser) - At least 26 people were killed and 60 injured after an explosion ripped through a packed bus today in Buttala, Sri Lanka. The bombing was followed by gunfire, which medical workers said was responsible for many of the dead. The attack came as the government abandoned an ineffectual ceasefire with...

US Teams With Al-Sadr
US Teams With Al-Sadr

US Teams With Al-Sadr

Common enemies inspire peculiar alliance

(Newser) - The US military and the man who was once considered the most powerful destabilizing force in Iraq, Moqtada al-Sadr, now have a common enemy: rogue members of Sadr's Mahdi Army. Since Sadr declared a ceasefire three months ago, US commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus, have been secretly meeting with Sadr's...

Israel Takes Fight to Gaza
Israel Takes Fight to Gaza

Israel Takes Fight to Gaza

Four Palestinians dead after Israeli tanks and planes battle enter chaotic strip

(Newser) - Israeli aircraft and tanks attacked locations in Gaza today, killing four militants in their first assault on the strip since Hamas took over. An Israeli aerial strike targeted two rocket launchers in northern Gaza as tanks moved into southern Gaza, sparking a shootout that produced the four casualties.

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