♪ dozens of soldiers are killed in iraq as the country's army marks its 94th anniversary. ♪ you are watching al jazeera. also coming up in this half hour. pakistan's lower house of parliament votes to allow terror suspects to be tried in special military courts. exiled gambian dissidents fear for their lives after a failed coup attempt. plus how crashing oil prices are spelling doom for a linked industry. ♪

we have got some breaking news just coming in now. a palestinian man has been convicted of the murder of three teenage settlers. he has been given three life sentences over the deaths in -- which occurred in the summer last year. we will of course be trying to get you more afteration afteration -- information on that story. at least 30 soldiers have been killed in iraq. at least seven soldiers decided after a suicide car bomb attack. and gunmen and two suicide bombers have attacked a nearby mosque killing at least 23 people. 24 isil fighters have also reported by died in tuesday's fighting. let's

let's go now to imran khan who joins me on set. there are a significant number of deaths in terms of the soldiers. we're all hearing that isil fighters were effected. but isil seems to be gaining more ground more victories. are they becoming more powerful in iraq? >> they are certainly making a problem in anbar province. anbar province has the kind of territory that isil have been able to take advantage of. it shares a very large border with syria, that means they can bring over soldiers and take over other parts of the province in anbar. this has been a tough fight ever since anbar province fell in july and the iraqis have consistently felt that they don't really have a grasp on anbar province and there are a number of reasons. firstly the intense rivallies. you have these pro-government

sunni groups. these guys have long complained that theying don't have the kind of weapons they need to defeat isil. and they are not support of isil's end game but their interests are aligning at the moment. the real problem we have had is the takeover of this village. it's only two kilometers away from the military base. this is where the u.s. advisors are. we have seen this before. they take over village, and reinforce that village and use it to launch attacks on the army base. these u.s. military advisors are there to train the iraqi army but they have limited security. so there's a strain on resources

there, as well and also getting people in and out of anbar province a very very difficult. >> all right. imron thank you for that. these attacks come as the iraqi army is marking its 94th anniversary. instead of its usually big military parade this year's celebrations have been reduced to a wreath-laying ceremony. >> reporter: in the orchards outside of the city 100 kilometers west of the capitol bagdad a bomb disposal unit is at work. they use it to hunt for for -- improvised explosive devices left behind by isil. such equipment left behind by the u.s. forces is what is making a difference. but the work is challenging. >> translator: as you know our

advance is close because of many land mines and ied's put by isil fighters who are making gains and gradually retaking territory from them. but our capacity is limited in terms of dismantling ied's. >> reporter: this is the capitol of the province. the region remains largely under isil's control. and now the isil fighters are trying to take control of this area too. the army are trying to prevent that. here militiamen loyal to [ inaudible ] support police in patrolling the neighborhoods and districts. sunni militias fighting alongside the government forces are the exception and not the norm in many parts of iraq and the government in bagdad is still unwilling to arm sunni militias who are willing to join the fight against isil.

>> translator: the government has not helped us so far. we have called for help many times before and asked for assistance from many ministers in the government, but our calls seem to be falling on deaf ears. >> reporter: their faith in getting help from bagdad has almost vanished. they are now seeking help directly from the united states. authorities in bagdad have grudgingly agreed to a sunni's leader's visit to washington. there are growing concerns here in iraq that the country could descend into further chaos if it doesn't rebuild its military to replace the numerous groups operating here. and to do that the iraqi go will need all the help it can get. a palestinian man has been convicted of the murder of three teenage israeli settlers has

been sentenced by an israeli court. the man has been given three life sentences over the killings in june. let's get more from stephanie decker who joins us on the phone. stephanie give us the background of this case. >> the case happened when three teenage israeli settlers were kidnapped in june. it launched a massive search and also started a massive crackdown. when they did find the bodice they arrested three men. two were killed in a shootout but this man is accused, based on the confession of planning and financing the attack. he has now been sentenced to three life sentences as you mentioned. >> and all of that of course

escalated into what then become the conflict over the gaza -- in gaza over the summer. tensions of course have been very high in the aftermath of that particular convict. how will this latest development affect those tensions? >> reporter: well i think we can't really say [ inaudible ] because of these kidnappings, but certainly it was a phase of extreme tension that did lead up to the war. relatively speaking things on the ground here are relatively quiet compared to what we have seen over the last couple of months. we haven't seen the incidents that we saw for example, in october and november where you had people taking [ inaudible ] launching one on one attacks, israelis attacking palestinians palestinians attacking israelis. at the moment things are relatively calm. there hasn't really been a reaction to this new.

it was expected that he would be handed an extremely severe sentence for the conviction of killing these three israeli teens. >> all right. stephanie thank you. advisors to yemen's president have arrived to meet the leader of the houthi movement. meanwhile tensions are high in the eastern province where tribal leaders have projected to protect the province from any shia houthi advance. >> reporter: on guard and ready to fight, these tribesmen are gathering their force. they anticipate an attack from shia houthi fighters. this area is rich in oil and gas. it could be yemen's next battle front. the houthi leader recently described the tribe as criminals. >> translator: what irony, the criminal accuses the free

people. we are protecting our province in the legitimacy of state. we are to live in dignity or die. we tell the houthis to be rational. >> translator: all of the riches of yemen are here. it's a the duty of the state to protect the people here and the vital institutions. >> reporter: the latest crisis started last week when tribesmen attacked a large army convoy passing through their province. several people were killed. all of the army's heavy weapons were confiscated. the tribes say they feared the large force and weapons would be handed over to the houthi group. the tribe also say they are ready to return all of the confiscated arsenal back to the state. now the shia fighters are more realizing their force. they already control nine provinces, including the capitol, and now they are

sending large reinforcements towards the outskirts. it could be a matter of time before there is another conflict. last week the shia leader called on the state to protect the province from what he said were plans to hand it over to al-qaeda, and if the state fails, his fighters will activate he says. but many say the houthis are using al-qaeda to justify their takeover of most of the country. these tribes say the houthis were trying since june last year to seize the province. that's why tribes here have joined forces and in tribal tradition, this means they either live or die together. in the capitol, the government is worried, but it is also week. it's military is divided among political and tribal loyalties. more than 50% of the oil production is in this province. and nearly all of its gas exports originate from there,

and if fighting begins and production stops, yemen will lose most of its main income. libya has banned the entry of sudanese palestinian and syrian nationals. the government says it is to stop foreigners joining rebel groups in the country. and there are no more foreign airlines flying to libya. turkey have now announced the suspension of all flights. the airline says it's because of the worsening security situation. al jazeera continues to demand the immediate release of our three journalists who have been imprisoned in egypt for more than a year. they were wrongly accused of broadcasting fault news and helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. allegations which al jazeera denies. they have been in prison now for 374 days. an appeals court in cairo has order aed retrial that could begin within month.

lawyers for peter greste and mohammed fahmy have filed requests for them to be deported from egypt. still to come we have to sri lanka, where relations with the minorities are in the spotlight ahead of the presidential elections. ♪ >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around

the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy let the journalists live.

♪ you are watching al jazeera, a reminder now of our top stories. a palestinian man convicted of the murder of three teenage israeli settlers has been sentenced. he was given three life sentences over the killings that

occurred in june. iraqi security forces say at least 30 soldiers have been killed in a series of isil attacks in anbar province. 24 isil fighters are also reported to have died. the attacks come as iraq's army is marking its 94th anniversary. instead of the big military parade celebrations have been reduced to a wreath-laying ceremony. pakistans lower house of parliament have passed a bill to set up special military courts to try terror suspects. critics say such courts could allow the military to overrule the judiciary. the bill will now go to the upper house and if passed there, the president will sign it. mohammed reports. >> reporter: not everyone was in support of the vote but the

-- majority supports it so it will pass. the result has happened. what the government wanted has been achieved anyway. but we have to note, that there are reservations by some parliamentary parliamentaryian, who are representing the party of imran khan who are boycotting, and have not been present. there are a dozen parliamentary parliamentaryians who boycotted the vote because they have preservations. as i said the majority has been on board, and that's why it has been passed. but human rights lawyers, and others have criticized the move.

now it is taken by the military it will suffer more it will be vun of the victims of the new lawyers -- laws in the country. it has been a hyundais since the iraqi president took over power. jennifer glasse has more. >> reporter: afghans are forced to stand in long lines, the paperwork seems endless with not many results. this man helps afghans fill out forms from nearby government offices. >> translator: there is some work going on in government offices, but not like it used to be. it is so slow because ministers have not been appointed, so other government officials can't do their jobs. >> reporter: when papers are signed it's by acting ministers, and often no one will enforce them. this man can't solve a family dispute. he blames the president. >> translator: i voted for

afghanny as president, but now he himself covers up corruption. i made a big mistake voting for such a traitor. >> reporter: he is ruling in a coalition government with abdullah abdullah. some site the unprecedented situation as part of the problem. >> now it's time for us to act upon the problems. >> reporter: this afghan tv station has been following the government's progress with a nightly program called 100 days with each show focusing on a different subject. >> i think the afghan people expect more. i think the afghan people understood that it was a change and they wish the change for better but there have been certain shortcomings, which have undermined the whole government

initiative for the past 100 days. >> reporter: the government has made some progress signing a security deal with the u.s. and nato and reopening the investigation into the country's largest bank scandal. the afghans are also following progress on the internet. here they work on the 100 days website. where the afghan public can comment and report on progress. >> we thought that the people should have the tools to make the government accountable, and to foster democracy. >> reporter: it shows that the administration has achieved 4 of the 110 promises, and made progress on 23. some say if there isn't a new government this week they plan to take to the streets. jennifer glasse, al jazeera, kabul. the indian military has paid

tribute to a soldier they say was killed when pakistani troops opened fire. however, pakistan has blamed indians for the violence. thousands of villagers have fled their homes amid the violence. indian district authorities have evacuated more than 6,000 people. thai police have arrested a man convicted of a bombing attack 20 years ago. 18 people were killed in 1995, including the then chief minister of the northern state. he fled from a high-security indian prison in 2004. with two days to go before sri lanka's presidential election the race is heating up. the minority has some strong views about the election and who they should vote for.

>> reporter: the railways a vital artery. rebuilding it after the war with the tigers has been a key achievement for the president. but will this and other development win enough votes for the president who is seeking an unprecedented third term in office? >> translator: [ inaudible ] of people like him. he is someone who is good for the country. that's what we want. >> reporter: but there are many here who don't agree. >> translator: we can't go to our own land. it has been taken over. there are lots of problems like this. there are still people who were displaced during the war. they must get some relief. >> translator: the reason for wanting a change is [ inaudible ] and the high cost of things. which can reduce debt the people can vote for.

campaigning here appears to be low-key in comparison to other parts of the country. the national alliance which swept the council is backing the common opposition candidate. >> we must do everything possible to prevent [ inaudible ] again. and that can mean only one thing, that they have to do and they understand that and that is to vote for the common opposition candidate. >> reporter: and it's not just politicians joining in the campaign [ inaudible ] are also pledging support. >> war has been stopped, but peace has not been brought into sri lanka. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: the defeat of the tamel tigers under the president's watch ended nearly three decades of conflict, but questions about how the last stages were fought and treatment of combatants and civilians immediately after have not gone away. even so the government's strong

hold in the north is confident of a victory. >> he is going to win. in this victory, our part should be there. >> reporter: the tamel minority vote has played an important role in recent elections. sometimes because of who they voted for, others because they boycotted the polls. analysts say the tamel vote will be crucial. the united states and senegal say they have arrested gambian dissidents involved in a plot to overthrow president yaw yaw jammeh. the dissidents say they no longer feel safe. >> reporter: in exile, alone and scared. since the failed coup this once

outspoken dissident no longer feels safe to raise his voice. he says revealing his family would get him and the family he left behind in trouble. >> people have been kidnapped by [ inaudible ] at the end of the day they have been, you know killed or disappeared. so i don't feel very, very safe in senegal. >> reporter: under his 20-year rule, amnesty international documented thousands of cases of torture and forced disappearances and killings. >> translator: there are massive human rights violations in gambia. journalists and politicians have had to flee the country. civil society has literally been decapitated. >> reporter: for the united states justice department gambia is a friendly state. two americans were arrested on monday. eric holder accused them of carrying out the violent

attempted overthrow of a foreign government. the leader of the national transitional council was arrested after he released this video hours after the coup. he calls for an armed mutiny against the president. he has now been ordered to leave the country. many dissidents in senegal see this move as a show of support for yaya you may. >> reporter: for decades senegal has tried to cut down on cross border arms and drug trafficking. for many senegal is also their only way out for some what is most certainly exile. the price of oil has fallen sharply in recent months. in the united states thousands of so-called stripper wells are at the end of their useful

lives, and they are struggling to remain economically viable. tom akerman reports from bradford in pennsylvania. >> reporter: outside of the mcdonald's restaurant in brood ford pennsylvania stands a century-old relic of the oil industry's dawn in an area where the world's first industrial well was drilled in 1859 this one is still pumping. and so are hundreds more scattered around the town. these so-called stripper wells can draw up to a couple of barrels a day from the huge pool of crude that lies beneath the surface. >> this has been doing this since 1882, it will probably go another hundred years if we're allowed to do it. >> reporter: looking at them individually these wells don't seem very impressive but there are more than 400,000 of them operating in the u.s. and they account for 11% of u.s. total

oil production. in 2012 by comparison these marginal wells matched all of opec member state qatar's output. the latest innovations in more sonnal drilling and hydraulic frac-ing could extend the life of these wells, but as the price of crude has fallen by almost half many operators are shutting down. they claim the profit is no longer there, and burdensome government rules threaten their very survival. >> at least at $100 a barrel oil, there was some possibility of compliance with regulations. but losing almost 50% of the price of your product over a period is just stifling. >> reporter: the price decline has always caused big companies with frac-ing wells to suspend their application plans.

drilling dropped by almost 40% in just the month of november. bill cline who spent 70 years in the oil-drilling business says he doesn't know how long his town can stay active in the industry. >> it's never going to be like it was, but we're keeping the refinery running, and that's keeping bradford. if that refinery doesn't have enough oil to run, god bless bradford because there won't be anything else. >> reporter: tom akerman, al jazeera, bradford pennsylvania. a u.s. space exploration company has delayed a test for what would be the world's first reusing rocket. the falcon nine is meant to deliver cargo and supplies to the international space station. now the plan was that the rocket could separate and scientists would then try to fly the first

stage back to earth. normally it falls into the ocean, destroying millions of dollars of -- worth of parts. a reminder too, you can always keep up to date with all of our news and analysis on our website, that's at aljazeera.com. ♪ >> people are on the move. the largest number of refugees since the end of world war ii. this is "inside story." hello, i'm ray suarez. around the world people who have concluded that staying where they are is just too dangerous hit the road, leaving their homes, crossing international