Sometimes it's hard to fully grasp just how bad things are in some parts of the world. In the United States, thanks to our incredibly brave men and women in uniform, we don't have to live in constant fear of daily bombings, suicide attacks and other horrifying acts of terror.
The Middle East, on the other hand, is literally on fire. Tuesday was deadly and chaotic for parts of the region with nearly 70 deaths reported.
Sadly, that is becoming the norm as chaos continues to destabilize parts of the globe. Here is a recap of some of the most recent carnage. Keep in mind, these incidents are from Tuesday only.
Cairo, Egypt
Security and hospital officials say seven people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president in Cairo.
The officials say the seven were killed in three separate clashes, but had no further details.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JULY 2: Supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi demonstrate at the Rabaa al Adawiya Mosque in the suburb of Nasr City on July 2, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. Credit: Getty Images
CAIRO, EGYPT - JULY 2: Supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi hold makeshift weapons and take part in a drill during a demonstration at the Rabaa al Adawiya Mosque in the suburb of Nasr City on July 2, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. Credit: Getty Images
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Tuesday's clashes come one day before a military deadline warning President Mohammed Morsi and his opponents to work out their differences or it will intervene with its own political road map to resolve the crisis.
Iraq
Insurgents unleashed a new wave of attacks on Tuesday in Iraq, killing at least 49 people, officials said, the latest in a surge in violence across the country that has raised concerns over a return to sectarian bloodshed. Also, seven militants were killed.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks, mostly car bombs in Shiite areas. Al-Qaida's Iraq branch, which has been gaining strength in recent months, frequently targets Shiites, security forces and civil servants in an effort to undermine the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
Security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack near a Church in Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Dozens of people killed and wounded when Insurgents unleashed a new wave of attacks in Iraq on Tuesday as part of a series of attacks in a recent uptick in violence across the country that raised concerns over a return to sectarian bloodshed. Credit: AP
People and security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack in Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Credit: AP
Iraq is weathering its deadliest outburst of violence since 2008, with more than 2,000 people killed since the start of April. The bloodshed appears to be largely the work of resurgent Sunni militants such as al-Qaeda, feeding off Sunni discontent with the Shiite-led government.
Violence increased sharply in April and May, with frequent bombings in civilian areas raising concerns that a widespread sectarian conflict might once again break out in Iraq. The bloodshed accelerated after a deadly April 23 crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest in the northern town of Hawija against the Shiite-led government.
Five medical officials confirmed casualty figures. All spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information to reporters.
At least 40 people were killed the day before in Iraq. According to the United Nations mission to Iraq, last month's violence claimed the lives of 761 Iraqis and wounded 1,771 others.
Kabul, Afghanistan
A suicide truck bomber followed by heavily armed men stormed a NATO supplier's compound Tuesday in Kabul, prompting a gunbattle that left a dozen people dead in the latest Taliban attack on a high-profile target in the Afghan capital.
The bold strikes have signaled the Islamic militant movement has no plans to suspend its campaign of violence even though they have agreed to embark on a U.S.-led peace process.
The violence began before dawn when the bomber drove a small truck packed with explosives to the outer gate of the logistics center used to supply NATO troops and detonated it, said Kabul provincial police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi. The explosion left a huge crater in the ground and damaged a guard tower.
Afghan security forces personnel investigate the site of a suicide car bombing, the gate to a NATO compound, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Militants blew up a suicide car bomb at the gate to a NATO compound in Kabul early Tuesday and attacked guards with small-arms fire, killing several guards and civilians, police said. All four suicide attackers were also killed. Credit: AP
An Afghan security officer guards the gate to a NATO compound following a suicide car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Credit: AP
Two truck drivers waiting to enter the compound were killed in the blast along with the bomber, he said. Then four gunmen stormed into the breach and battled with security guards and an Afghan police special response team for about an hour. The attackers were all killed, along with one Afghan and four Nepalese security guards, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The British government confirmed that a U.K. national had been killed in the attack, but it could not say whether the victim was one of the truck drivers or a security guard or contractor.
Syria
Syrian troops shelled a suburb of Damascus Tuesday, killing at least 11 people including women and children, as government forces forged ahead with offensives against rebel-held areas around the country, activists said.
With government push against the besieged, rebel-held central city of Homs in its third day, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged both sides to avoid harming civilians.
Near Damascus, more than 60 mortar shells struck the area of Kfar Batna for over four hours, said activist Mohammed Saeed, who spoke via Skype from the nearby suburb of Douma. The explosions killed at least 11 people.
"O Lord, your mercy, O Lord," a man wept as he carried a corpse in a child-sized shroud into a hospital, according to an amateur video posted of the event. The sobbing man, his arm bandaged and his shirt smeared with blood, placed the bundle next to other shrouded bodies.
The shelling of Kfar Batna appeared to be part of a concerted push against contested and rebel-held areas around Damascus, as President Bashar Assad's regime tries to shore up its seat of power. In recent months, government troops have captured several towns near the capital.
The state news agency said Syrian troops restored "security and stability" to much of Jobar, a key district near Kfar Batna on the edge of Damascus, after weeks of fighting.
Pakistan
Pakistani intelligence officials say unmanned U.S. aircraft fired four missiles at a house in northwest Pakistan, killing four militants.
We included this development in our wrap-up to show that radical Islamic terror groups continue to thrive in countries like Pakistan.
The officials say the militants were members of the Haqqani network. Two militants were wounded.
The drone strike was early Wednesday near the Dande Darpa Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal region.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
U.S. officials consider the Haqqani network to be one of the most dangerous militant factions fighting American troops in neighboring Afghanistan. The leadership of the Haqqani network pledges allegiance to Taliban chief Mullah Omar but operates fairly independently.
U.S. officials rarely provide details publicly about the covert CIA drone program in Pakistan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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