Pro-government forces pushed a fierce bid to recapture Syria's ancient city of Palmyra from jihadists Thursday as Moscow hosted top US diplomat John Kerry for talks on the fraught peace process. The Islamic State group called on civilians still living in Palmyra to leave, as army and pro-government militia battled the jihadists on several fronts along the city's western ring, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The Iraqi military backed by US-led coalition aircraft on Thursday launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, a military spokesman said.

A brother of Brussels suicide bomber Najim Laachraoui on Thursday condemned his actions, saying he had no contact with him since he left for Syria. It was the first public reaction from a family member of one of the Brussels attackers. Security sources have told local media that Najim Laachraoui, a 25-year-old Belgian, was one of Tuesday’s airport suicide bombers. He had left Brussels for Syria in February 2013.

Pope Francis washed the feet of 11 young asylum seekers and a worker at their reception centre on Thursday to highlight the need for the international community to provide shelter to refugees. Several of the asylum seekers, one holding a baby in her arms, were reduced to tears as the 79-year-old pontiff kneeled before them, pouring water over their feet, drying them with a towel and bending to kiss them.

Pope Francis on Wednesday called for “unanimous condemnation” of extremist attacks in Brussels and elsewhere and urged prayers to convert hearts “blinded by cruel fundamentalism.”

The two brothers who blew themselves up in the deadly train and airport attacks in Brussels were known by police for serious crimes and are linked to November's Paris massacre. Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui are Belgian nationals with major convictions "not linked to terrorism", federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said at a dramatic news briefing on Wednesday.

Tunisian police have broken up a cell recruiting fighters for Islamic State in Libya, authorities said, part of a security crackdown on jihadists crossing the border.

The United States and its allies staged 25 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday in the U.S.-lead coalition’s latest round of daily attacks on the militant group, the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations said.

A Japanese man who had attempted to join the Islamic State militant group has been detained by Turkish security forces near the Syrian border on Wednesday, security sources said.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two bomb attacks that killed more than 30 people and injured dozens others in Brussels on Tuesday, a news agency affiliated with the group said.

A disciplinary board of judges decided Monday to dismiss 15 judges on charges of engaging in political activity due to their belonging to the "Judges for Egypt" movement. The disciplinary board also rejected the appeals submitted by the 15 judges against the first-degree decision to adopt disciplinary measures against them. The decision is final and is not subject to further appeal.

A Police officer and solider are reportedly missing in action following the deadly attack against El Safa checkpoint in Al-Arish city on Saturday evening, resulting in the death of 15 police officers. Media reports indicated on Monday evening that a police officer named Mohamed Abdul Rehim is missing in action, along with a solider, following the raid on their checkpoint. The reports argued that militant group “Sinai Province” may have kidnapped them.

Syria's peace talks hit a fresh impasse over President Bashar al-Assad Monday, as the head of Lebanon's Hezbollah vowed his Shia movement would keep fighting alongside the regime until Islamic State jihadists are defeated.

Islamic State militants attempted an attack on the Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq on Tuesday morning and Turkish troops stationed in the camp retaliated, military sources said.

The Egyptian High Council of Justice's disciplinary board retired on Monday 15 judges on charges of engaging in politics, which is prohibited for judges.

Security forces have killed 10 members of the Sinai Province militant group in the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwaid, according to security sources.

Egyptian military forces seized a truck containing barrels of explosives in Central Sinai, stated military spokesperson Mohamed Samir Monday. The forces inspected the truck loaded with gravel that hid explosive-filled barrels in al-Qatf area in Central Sinai and two suspects were arrested, Samir added, continuing that the truck contained 100 iron cylinders used for bombs, 100 plastic barrels with sulfuric acid, 22 barrels with high-explosive material, 22 thinner jars, and explosive material of C4.

An Egyptian appeals court rejected on Monday the Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide's request to change the judge presiding over a case involving him and 36 other defendants.

Three Turkish soldiers were killed in a bomb attack on their military vehicle in the southeastern town of Nusaybin near the Syrian border on Monday, security sources told Reuters.

Giza Criminal Court suspended on Sunday the retrial of Muslim Brotherhood party members. Supreme Guide Mohamed Badei, along with 36 other members of the party, were due to be trialed over a case publicly known as the "Rabaa task force". Charges include the kidnapping of state officials and plotting to burn state facilities and churches.

At least 13 policemen were killed in an armed attack on a checkpoint in the North Sinai city of Arish on Saturday, Egypt's interior ministry said in an official statement.