Another "Did Israel Really Do This?" Quiz

For those new to my blog, I occasionally find news reports that sound as if Israel is the guilty party.

I just eliminate the identifying particulars and you have to guess who is really the guilty party - all the while considering media bias and hypocrisy when events such as those below are highlighted less than anything Israel does and usually does not.

Okay, where did this happen?

______ widened a military offensive against Shiite rebels in the country's north on Saturday, blasting the fighters' positions with artillery and airstrikes, a local government official said.

The fighting took place in an area closer to the capital city, _____, than other battles over the past several days and killed 17 rebels and six government troops, said the official in _____ province.

The government began the offensive Tuesday with bombing raids on several districts of the northern ______ province, bordering _________, after rebels claimed they had wrested more control of the area from government troops.

...The fighting throughout the north has forced thousands of civilians to leave their homes over the past week, the local government official said.

_________ described the new round of government attacks as "a crime that is annihilating civilians." He denied that any of his followers have been killed in the past week...

Answer.