Brig. Gen. Bashir Salim, who was known as The Lion of the Desert, was killed in an Islamic State attack in Deir ez-Zor writes Enab Baladi. Syrian activists in local circles said that Brig. Gen. Bashir Salim Ismail was killed in the Deir ez-Zor desert, eastern Syria.

The US also slapped sanctions on Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, accusing his ministry of playing a role in human rights abuses against Iranians, including during the November 2019 protests.

China on Wednesday called on Australia to take action to stem worsening relations between the two countries, in the latest indication that Beijing will offer few if any compromises to resolve their disputes.