He did not give a time period for the operation or the death.

CNN previously reported on July 31 that the US believed Hamza bin Laden was dead, citing a US official. The official told CNN at the time that the US had a role in this death but did not provide details.

Terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank told CNN at the time that one thing puzzled researchers who are closely tracking al Qaeda: “If Hamza bin Laden has indeed been dead for months, you would expect al Qaeda to have released some form of eulogy before today. The fact they haven’t is highly unusual, given his status in the group.”

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“Following a terrorist attack by agents affiliated with the Global Arrogance, the criminal group traitor to the Kurdish nation (Democratic Party), which martyred serviceman Khaled Shwaneh in Piranshahr, the IRGC, intelligence and border guards forces killed two of the terrorists in a surprise operation in rural areas of Sardasht county and injured and arrested the third one, who was their link for leaving the country,” reads the statement.

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In the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian extended his congratulations on the victory of the Syrian army over terrorism to president Assad, adding that the foreign-backed terrorism was aimed at redrawing the region’s map.

The senior Iranian parliamentary official added that Iran and its allies will not allow the enemies achieve their malicious goals.

He added that Syria’s security today owes much to the blood of the Syrian martyrs and Holy Shrine Defenders.

Now is the time for Tehran and Syria take steps towards full-fledged expansion of economic and commercial cooperation, he added.

He went on to point out the unjust US sanctions against are doomed to failure.

The Iranian parliamentary official described the occupying regime of Israel as a destabilizer cancer and the root cause of insecurity and instability in the region, adding that the Zionists do not have a future in the region.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, for his part, referred to his recent visit to Tehran, expressing his gratitude to the decisive and wise stances of Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Khamenei against the hostile actions of the enemies of the security and stability of the region and Syria.

Assad added that Syria will never forget the support of the Leader, the government and the people of Iran in the fight against terrorism.

Syria’s president also blasted the US sanctions against Iran, saying that Damascus will firmly stand by Tehran against them.

He further noted that Syria will deepen its privileged and strategic ties with Iran.

Later in the meeting, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who acts the Secretary-General of the International Conference on Supporting Palestine, touched upon the issue of Palestine, stressing that the Palestinian Resistance is the most important factor that hinders fulfilling the Israeli expansionist policiy.

The Iranian official also warned that the US peace plan for the Palestinian issue dubbed the “Deal of the Century” is a new conspiracy to redraw the map of the region, stressing that the plot is doomed to failure.

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According to an IRGC statement, terrorists affiliated with the global arrogance attacked a vehicle carrying forces of Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhada Base in the northwestern Iranian city.

The troops were taking part in a mission when the terrorists attacked their vehicle at the entrance of Piranshahr, the IRGC added.

The statement notes that a manhunt is in progress to capture the fugitive assailants.

IRGC says more details about the attack will be disclosed later.

The attack came on July 2, the same day IRGC base dismantled a terrorist cell in the region “who were trying to infiltrate into country’s territories.” IRGC says another terrorist team who came to support the first cell were also disbanded on July 3.

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He added that Iran has been a victim of terrorists and international organized criminals, and has been a pioneer in the fight against them, Press TV reported.

Takht-Ravanchi highlighted that 17,161 Iranian citizens, including late president Mohammad Ali Rajaei, former prime minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar, late Head of Supreme Judicial Council Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, late Deputy Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Ali Sayyad Shirazi, 27 legislators as well as four nuclear scientists have been killed by terrorists.

“The MKO terrorist group, which bears responsibility for the death of more than 12,000 Iranian civilians, is currently being sponsored by a number of regional counties and several states in Europe. (The United States of) America has provided its members refuge after removed the group from its list of designated terrorist organizations. The US intelligence service is working closely with them in order to hatch conspiracies of destruction in Iran,” the Iranian diplomat pointed out.

The MKO, listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community, has carried out numerous attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials for several decades. In 2012, the US State Department removed the MKO from its list of designated terrorist organizations under intense lobbying by groups associated to Saudi Arabia and other regimes adversarial to Iran.

Takht-Ravanchi then pointed to Iran’s cooperation with Iraq and Syria in its fight against ISIL Takfiri terrorists, emphasizing that Iran’s military presence in both countries is based on requests by their legal governments.

The Iranian UN ambassador also made a reference to his country’s leading role in fighting drug trafficking, saying that more than 39 percent of world narcotics in 2017 were discovered by Iran.

“Over the past 40 years, Iran has lost 3,815 members of the law enforcement forces during anti-drug operations. More than 12,000 people have been injured as well,” he said.

Takht-Ravanchi finally called on the international community to support Iran in the fight against illegal drugs without any preconditions, discrimination and political considerations.

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Highlighting Iran’s effective role in IPU’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, she added that the country gives the necessary means and advice to the Parliaments of the member states on budgeting, supervision and some other issues so that they can properly counter-terrorism.

Cuevas Barron also praised Iran’s partnership in a committee on international humanitarian law, which she said deals with a wide range of issues such as stateless persons, immigrants and asylum-seekers.

“The Iranian delegation is a very influential one overall,” the IPU chief said, adding that the Iranian delegation acts very enthusiastically when it comes to discussing or approving a resolution on issues like democracy and human rights or the United Nations.

The IPU Assembly is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on political issues. It brings together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action.

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During the meeting, both sides highlighted the importance of increasing coordinated efforts between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries to counter terrorism and contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Afghanistan.

They also stressed the need for contacts and communication between the region’s influential countries and the Afghan opposition groups in coordination with the government of Afghanistan.

The two officials also discussed plans to strengthen the Afghan military forces for establishing sustainable security in all parts of Afghanistan.

In another meeting held in Ufa on Tuesday, the six neighboring countries of Afghanistan agreed to hold their second meeting on Afghan security in Tehran once again later this year.

The top security officials of Iran, Russia, China, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan stressed the continuation of joint efforts in support of peace and security in Afghanistan.

They also called for the implementation of the agreements reached in the first edition of their meeting in Tehran last year.

Shamkhani, who was heading Iranian delegation in the meeting, called on the neighboring countries of Afghanistan to increase their contacts with the opposition Afghan groups in coordination with the legitimate Afghan government in order to limit the intervention of other countries from beyond the region in this country’s crisis.

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“While international humanitarian law must be fully observed by all without exception, this cannot and should not be used as a pretext to call for stopping the fight against terrorism,” he said, adding, “fighting against the most dangerous terrorist groups who have taken large number of civilians as hostages is a must. This, in fact, is a practical protection of civilians and should lead to the release of all civilians who are trapped in terrorists-held areas.”

“It is also obvious that these internationally designated terrorist groups cannot and should not be allowed to continue their control over a large part a sovereign state’s territory, otherwise Idlib will certainly turn to a safe haven for the cruelest terrorists to continue conducting their operations and to kill more civilians inside and outside of Idlib.”

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“It’s no secret that over the past several years they [sanctions] have become a favorite method of the US policy,” Naryshkin said.

“What is especially alarming is that the restrictions are introduced absolutely arbitrarily, spontaneously and impulsively.”

“Their initiators do not take into account not only the long-term consequences but also the opinion of the closest economic partners,” Naryshkin stressed.

As an example, he cited the US decision to include Iran’s elite military force (IRGC) in its lists of terrorist organizations.

Naryshkin went on to say that IRGC “has made a huge contribution to the fight against ISIL in Syria and Iraq.”

He also recalled the bans on cooperation with “undesirable players”, which the US imposes on other countries and actually creates a competitive advantage in trade.

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The Iranian envoy warned that continued terrorist presence in the Syrian territory is endangering civilian lives.

The meeting was held amid a recent escalation in clashes in the province after the Syrian Arab Army launched an operation to counter numerous flagrant terrorist violations of an earlier de-escalation agreement. Under the agreement, which was signed between Russia and Turkey last year, Takfiri groups in Idlib had to withdraw from areas bordering Syrian government-controlled territory, which they refused to do.

Here is the full text of his speech:

Mr. President,

I thank you for organizing this meeting.

Along with other Guarantors of the Astana Format, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to support keeping Idlib as a de-escalation area.

This approach is based on a reality and a fundamental principle: there are a large number of civilians there whose lives must be saved.

At the same time, certain questions are in order: can and should this situation continue indefinitely? Should the Government allow these internationally designated terrorist groups continue their control over its territory? Should the International community allow such terrorist groups to take a large number of civilians as their hostage?

The answer is clear: the establishment of the Idlib de-escalation area was only a temporary measure with the exclusive objective of protecting civilians, not providing terrorist groups with a safe heaven. It does not limit the right of Syrian Government to fight Security Council designated terrorists, which of course have to be carried out in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Therefore, both, defeating terrorists and releasing civilians are necessary.

Current situation in Idlib under which the most dangerous terrorist groups are allowed to use over two million civilian as human shields, continue their control over a large part of a sovereign State’s territory, and conduct their operations therefrom attacking both military and civilian targets beyond that area cannot and must not continue definitely.

Persistence of this situation would enable terrorists to kill more civilians. This is in contradiction with the objective of the Idlib de-escalation area’s creation. We should be vigilant enough not to confuse the protection of civilians with the protection of terrorists.

Continuation of current state of affairs in Idleb would further interrupt the restoration of Government’s control over all its territory and securing the safety and security of all its citizens, prevent the return of refugees and internally displaces persons, delay the country’s reconstruction, and hamper the political solution, all of which are inherently interlinked.

In conclusion, I would like to stress once again the need for full respect by all to sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. As underlined in the Joint Statement of recent meeting of the Guarantors of the Astana Format in Nur-Sultan on 25-26 April 2019, no action, no matter by whom, should undermine these principles. In this context, the Guarantors of the Astana Format also rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism. Therefore, the US must put an immediate end to its illegal military presence in parts of Syria.

With this in mind, the Syrian Government must be assisted in the formation of the Constitutional Committee facilitated by the SRSG Pedersen, whose efforts enjoy our support. We encourage him to further strengthen its direct consultation with the Government of Syria.

As stated in the aforesaid Joint Statement, there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict and the only option is to advance the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process. Ultimately, the right to determine the future of Syria belongs exclusively to Syrians themselves. We must genuinely support the realization of this objective.

I thank you, Mr. President.

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