Qatar urges S Arabia to remove Haj obstacles to its citizens

DOHA: Qatar has urged Saudi Arabia to remove "obstacles and restrictions" for its residents wishing to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, as the two Gulf neighbours remain locked in a bitter diplomatic dispute.

The call late Thursday follows Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest cities of Makkah and Medina, announcing electronic registration for Qatar residents to allow them to perform the Umrah or minor pilgrimage during the holy month of Ramazan.

Qataris and foreign residents of the Gulf state would then be allowed to land at Jeddah or Medina airports, said a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. But Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee said the new measure was "nominal" and insufficient, as air travel remained blocked and the only border post has been shut for almost two years.

Its Ministry of Islamic Affairs, meanwhile, called on Saudi authorities "to lift all obstacles and restrictions imposed on Qatari citizens and residents wishing to perform their religious rituals."

The travel restrictions mean Qatari religious tour operators are unable to travel to Saudi Arabia to make the necessary arrangements for pilgrims, like other countries, the ministry said. The ministry also called for the removal of "discriminatory" measures against Qataris and residents of the Gulf state.

17 suspected IS members killed in Somalia airstrikes

NAIROBI: US forces in Africa have killed 17 suspected Islamic State militants in airstrikes this week in the mountainous northern region of Somalia, a military statement said Friday.

The US Africa Command, or Africom said it had "conducted an airstrike targeting an ISIS-Somalia encampment in the Golis Mountains", its fourth airstrike against the group since April 14. "At this time, it is assessed the airstrike on May 9 killed four terrorists," said the statement.

A separate statement published Thursday said that a strike in the same region on May 8 had left 13 suspected militants dead. "At this time, it is assessed the airstrike on May 8 killed thirteen terrorists. Currently, we assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result of this airstrike," said that statement.

The Islamic State has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab. But IS has been particularly active in the northern Puntland region, establishing training camps and depots for weapons coming mainly from nearby Yemen. The Shebab, by far the largest radical Islamist group in Somalia, officially integrated into Al-Qaeda in 2012. But a small number of its members -- around 200 -- defected to the IS.