Thursday, July 15 2021

*) Failed July 15 coup in Turkey: A night to remember Turkey marks an important victory for its people remembering the first time in the country's history that a military takeover failed and democracy triumphed. Five years ago, on the night of July 15, renegade Turkish soldiers tried to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, using combat planes and tanks. Around 251 people, many of them civilians, were killed and at least 2,000 wounded, as the people stood up to defeat the FETO terror group’s coup attempt. *) S.African govt plans troop surge to quell unrest -reports South Africa plans to deploy up to 25,000 soldiers in two provinces that have suffered days of looting, arson and violence, its defence minister said. Triggered by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma last week, protests have widened into an orgy of looting and an outpouring of anger over the hardship and inequality. More than 70 people have been killed in the unrest and hundreds of businesses have been wrecked causing food and fuel supplies to run short. *) Afghan forces 'repel' Taliban from Pakistan border crossing: govt The Taliban reportedly flew their flag on the Spin Boldak-Chaman border gate between Afghanistan and Pakistan after claiming to have captured the crossing. Afghan authorities say Taliban’s claims of controlling the key border crossing are untrue and that an attack on Spin Boldak post had been repelled Meanwhile, Tajikistan said that almost 350 Afghan refugees had crossed into the country, fleeing the assault in Afghanistan by Taliban fighters as foreign forces withdrew. *) Mass grave of PKK/YPG victims found in northern Syria’s Afrin At least 35 bodies of people killed by the YPG/PKK terrorists were found in the northern Afrin district of Syria, Turkey’s defence ministry said. There is the possibility of recovering more bodies since excavations are still ongoing in the area that the YPG/PKK held until Turkish forces pushed them out in 2018. Since 2016, Turkey has launched successful anti-terror operations across