Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq are considering the fate of a truce with US-led coalition forces following the killing of at least four of its members in a US strike on a Popular Mobilisation Forces' base in Babil province, south of Baghdad, on Tuesday night.
The PMF, an umbrella term for groups of armed fighters that are officially part of the Iraqi security forces, confirmed members of its 47th Brigade had been killed in an attack carried out "by missiles fired from drones".
The brigade belongs to Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most fiercely anti-US groups within the PMF.
“The Iraqi factions will respond to the Israeli and American crimes, and will support the 'Axis of Resistance' in every step they take,” Haider Al Lami, a member of the political council of Al Nujaba Movement in Iraq, told The National.
"All Israeli sites will become targets and within reach of the fire of Iraqi factions."
The number of PMF fighters killed was mentioned on a Telegram channel affiliated with the group, although the PMF's central media unit did not confirm the death toll.
In a statement, Kataib Hezbollah, another Iran-backed faction, said it would decide on "an appropriate response" after discussions with groups in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Every decision taken by that group applies to Al Nujaba, Mr Al Lami added, including the issue of the truce that was agreed with US forces present in Iraq and Syria.
"The Zionists and the Americans have opened the doors of hell on themselves," Akram Al Kaabi, Al Nujaba's leader, said in a statement on X. "They will not succeed in their cowardly acts."
Al Nujaba Movement is a member of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed groups that has claimed scores of attacks on US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria since the Israeli war on Gaza started on October 7.
The warring parties agreed to an unofficial truce early this year, which has generally held despite sporadic attacks on US troops. The lull was aimed at preventing escalation after the killing of three US soldiers at the Iraq-Jordan border and to allow scope for negotiations around the departure of US troops from Iraq.
But the calm may end after the strikes on Tuesday night, Iraqi armed groups warned.
A senior Iraqi army official was more cautious about the possibility of the truce ending and expected the PMF would not want an escalation.
"There is a possibility [of the truce ending] but the chances are low, because in the end, the PMF submits to the status quo – they will be quiet and not retaliate," the official said on condition of anonymity. "They are really scared of the United States because it targets them in precise operations using drones."
Iraq condemned the strike on the PMF base, calling it "a heinous crime and blatant aggression".
Maj Gen Yahya Rasool, an Iraqi military spokesman, said the attack was a "serious violation" of the US forces' mission and mandate in Iraq, where they are assisting the country's military in counter-ISIS operations.
"Such serious and uncalculated transgressions can significantly undermine all efforts, mechanisms and frameworks of joint security work to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria," he said in a statement. "They also risk dragging Iraq and the entire region into dangerous conflicts and wars."
The attack took place at Jurf Al Sakhr, an area Babil widely known as a PMF base used by Kataib Hezbollah.
The strikes came as violence between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and Hamas escalated dramatically across the region.
The latest escalation comes as the fate of a senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr remains unknown after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday night. A suspected Israeli attack on Tehran killed Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The US said it carried out what it described as a "self-defence air strike" on fighters who were trying to launch drones that were deemed a threat to US and allied troops.
About 2,500 US troops are stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition against ISIS.
Kataib Hezbollah claimed the attack targeted "drone experts" who were preparing surveillance drones that would be used to secure Karbala during the imminent Arbaeen pilgrimage. The event involves millions of mostly Shiite Muslims visiting the holy city and has previously been the target of suicide bombings.
There has been a significant push by Baghdad and the Iran-backed factions for the coalition to leave Iraq. The Iraqi and US governments held talks last week in Washington, where they put the final touches on a withdrawal deal and a post-departure security relationship.
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
More on Quran memorisation:
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The%20new%20Turing%20Test
%3Cp%3EThe%20Coffee%20Test%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EA%20machine%20is%20required%20to%20enter%20an%20average%20American%20home%20and%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20make%20coffee%3A%20find%20the%20coffee%20machine%2C%20find%20the%20coffee%2C%20add%20water%2C%20find%20a%20mug%20and%20brew%20the%20coffee%20by%20pushing%20the%20proper%20buttons.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProposed%20by%20Steve%20Wozniak%2C%20Apple%20co-founder%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
More coverage from the Future Forum
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Aryan%20Lakra%2C%20Ashwanth%20Valthapa%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20CP%20Rizwaan%2C%20Hazrat%20Billal%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%20and%20Zawar%20Farid.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
