Iran and US hit tankers in biggest wave of attacks on shipping since war began

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By Enas Alashray, Idrees Ali and Jana Choukeir Reuters Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest wave of attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war. The attacks sent the price of ‌oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing. The ‌incidents follow a month of relative calm, during which the U.S. has sought to pressure Iran through economic means. Iran said it had fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles, with the remaining two ​falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A U.S. official said all American troops were accounted for. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would sharply escalate its response to any further attacks, and said I...
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Gunmen kill 17 soldiers in northern Nigeria attacks

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At least 17 soldiers were killed in northern Nigeria when gunmen stormed three army bases, security sources and a local official said on Wednesday, the latest assault in a region plagued by violence.

Armed gangs operating in the northwest, known locally as bandits, typically engage in kidnapping for ransom and target security forces.

The Nigerian Army confirmed the attacks on Tuesday but did not provide details.

“Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles while four troops wounded in action are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds,” the army said in a statement.

Two security sources said gunmen launched surprise attacks on the army’s forward operating bases in the Kwanar Dutse Mariga and Boka areas in Niger State and another base in neighbouring Kaduna State, battling troops for several hours.

The sources and Abbas Kasuwar Garba, chairman for Mariga district, said all 17 fatalities were at the Kwanar Dutse Mariga base.

“It was an ambush. They (gunmen) came from nowhere and used heavy ammunition to attack,” said a Niger-based army officer.

The Nigerian Army said it launched counterattacks, killing several gunmen.

Insecurity has stretched Nigeria’s military, as it confronts armed gangs alongside Islamist groups Boko Haram and an Islamic State affiliate in the northeast.

Niger State has witnessed ambushes against military personnel, with Boko Haram fighters known to operate there.

SOURCE: Reuters and agencies



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