Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Badr Abdelatty welcomed in an official statement released on Tuesday the formation of an Iraqi new government headed by Haidar Al-Abadi, who was sworn-in before the Iraqi parliament on Monday.

Syrian warplanes launched airstrikes Monday on a Lebanese border town in northeastern the country, targeting hideouts of Syrian anti-government militants, official media reported. Syrian government’s warplanes bombed the town of Arsal, bordering Qalamon, Syria, where a number of opposition Syrian armed men are usually stationed.

Faisal Meqdad, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, and Sigrid Kaag, head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN (OPCW-UN) joint mission on eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program, discussed issues related to Syrian chemical weapons.