21.   Meanwhile, Russian troops backed by tanks ringed a rebel stronghold on Tuesday and separatist fighters stepped up their attacks.

22.   Meanwhile Thursday, Israeli soldiers backed by tanks entered Beitunia, a suburb of the Ramallah, before dawn and surrounded an apartment building there.

23.   Meanwhile, in Kosovo, Serb forces backed by tanks battled ethnic Albanian rebels northwest of Pristina Monday.

24.   Meanwhile, Yugoslav forces backed by tanks torched the homes of ethnic Albanians and sent hundreds fleeing in the separatist province.

25.   On Thursday, bulldozers backed by tanks entered the Rafah refugee camp amid heavy rain.

26.   On Friday, Palestinian police in riot gear and Israeli troops backed by tanks were deployed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to quell rioting.

27.   Retaliating for recent suicide bomb attacks, Israeli troops backed by tanks raided the West Bank village of Artas on Tuesday, arresting suspected militants.

28.   Retaliating for recent suicide bomb attacks, Israeli troops backed by tanks raided the West Bank village of Artas Tuesday, arresting three suspected militants.

29.   Russian troops backed by tanks appeared poised Monday to attack a Chechen rebel stronghold and dozens of rebel fighters trickled in to defend the town of Novogroznensky.

30.   Russian troops backed by tanks ringed a Chechen rebel stronghold on Tuesday, while separatist fighters stepped up their attacks on government troops.