Car bombs and mortar attacks kill at least 17 in Iraq
Violence in Iraq has climbed back to its highest level in five years in 2013, when nearly 9,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, the United Nations says
Residents walk by damaged buildings in the besieged area of Homs
Free Syrian Army fighters stand by damaged buildings in the besieged area of Homs January 25, 2014. The Arabic sign reads "It does not make sense to help through humanitarian aid without opening a road for the evacuation of civilians and the wounded" REUTERS/Yazan Homsy (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
Residents walk by a damaged church in the besieged area of Homs
Residents walk by a damaged church in the besieged area of Homs January 25, 2014. REUTERS/Yazan Homsy (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT RELIGION)
Residents walk by damaged buildings in the besieged area of Homs
Residents walk by damaged buildings in the besieged area of Homs January 25, 2014. REUTERS/Yazan Homsy (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
Smoke rises after shelling from Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President al-Assad on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, in an operation to control those areas
Smoke rises after shelling from Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, in an operation to control those areas, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
Smoke rises after shelling from Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President al-Assad on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo
Smoke rises after shelling from Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, in an operation to control those areas, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
A Syrian army soldier loyal to Syria's President al-Assad stands in shooting position in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo
A Syrian army soldier loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad stands in shooting position in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President al-Assad stand by a tank in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo
Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad stand by a tank in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
A Syrian army soldier loyal to Syria's President al-Assad fires his weapon in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo
A Syrian army soldier loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad fires his weapon in an operation to control the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)
Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President al-Assad stand overlooking the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo an operation to control those areas
Syrian army soldiers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad stand overlooking the neighborhoods of Sheikh Lutfi and Marja in Aleppo an operation to control those areas, January 25, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)