Syrian army recaptures Atman town in Dara’a

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• The Syrian army takes full control of Atman town in the countryside of the southern city of Dara’a. The Syrian troops managed to recapture Atman after gunning down a large number of Takfiri terrorists. The army also pounded the positions of the terrorists and destroyed their vehicles in al-Mahatta area near Dara’a.
• A senior adviser to Iran’s Leader says the conflict in Syria can only be resolved through political means. Ali Akbar Velayati said the Syrian people have the right to protect their integrity and this has nothing to do with the peace talks.
• A leaked government document suggests that Australia is considering cracking down on thousands of Syrian refugees as part of its humanitarian resettlement program. The document says Syrian refugees in Australia may go through tougher character and security checks than they do in Europe.
• Iraq has once again criticized Turkey for what Baghdad calls violating its sovereignty. The Iraqi Defense Ministry has called on Ankara to withdraw its troops from the Arab nation's territory without any preconditions. It said Iraq will resort to other options to secure its national interests if the ongoing diplomatic efforts fail.
• US Democratic presidential hopefuls have clashed in their last debate before the New Hampshire vote. In the debate, Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of waging a smear campaign and warned that his promises of revolution are not viable. Sanders fought back by accusing Clinton of representing the political establishment.
• Three Knesset members have met with relatives of Palestinians who were killed by Israeli security forces, vowing to pressure Tel Aviv to return the bodies of their loved ones. Israel's prime minister and Knesset Speaker say they will file a complaint at the Knesset's Ethics committee against the lawmakers.
• The Yemeni army, backed by Ansarullah fighters, has carried out a missile attack on a military base in the central province of Ma'rib, killing dozens of Saudi and Emirati soldiers. The attack came hours after 15 people were killed in a Saudi airstrike in the northwestern Yemeni province of Amran.
• The World Health Organization has warned against accepting blood donations from people who had traveled to regions affected by Zika virus. The WHO said this is just a precautionary measure. Canada and Britain have already stepped up efforts to protect their blood supplies against the mosquito-borne virus.

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