TUNIS: Tunisia recorded 317 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, a daily record since the start of the pandemic, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry also reported 5,624 new cases, increasing concerns about the country's ability to fight the pandemic, with intensive care units in hospitals completely full and a lack of oxygen supplies. The vaccination campaign is moving slowly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the daily COVID-19 death tally in Tunisia is now the highest in Africa and in the Arab world.
The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic has reached about 560,000, with more than 18,300 deaths, out of a total population of 11.6 million.
This month several European and Arab countries have sent medical aid and more than three million doses of vaccine to help Tunisia tackle the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
Tunisia reports a daily record of 317 COVID-19 deaths
https://arab.news/7j4fv
Tunisia reports a daily record of 317 COVID-19 deaths
Iraq takes full control of air base after US withdrawal, defense ministry says
- An Iraqi army colonel confirmed the US forces withdrawal from the base
- There were a few soldiers remaining due to some logistical issues
BAGHDAD: US forces have withdrawn from Iraq’s Ain Al-Asad Airbase, which housed US-led forces in Western Iraq, and the Iraqi army has assumed full control, the Iraqi defense ministry said on Saturday.
In 2024, Washington and Baghdad reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq and a move toward a bilateral security relationship.
Ain Al-Asad has hosted US and coalition troops for years and has been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed armed groups during periods of heightened regional tensions, including after the 2020 US killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
An Iraqi army colonel confirmed the US forces withdrawal from the base, saying there were a few soldiers remaining due to some logistical issues. He did not give further details for security reasons.
It was not immediately clear when the withdrawal started, but the initial plan stipulated that hundreds of troops would leave by September 2025, with the rest departing by the end of 2026.
