[Tolo News] At least 80 holy warriors have been killed and more than 50 others maimed in fighting between Afghan cops and the Taliban in Kunduz province, said local security officials.
"As a result of several hours of fighting, 80 holy warriors have been killed and more than 50 others maimed and Afghan cops seized a large number weapons from the Taliban," said Sayed Qurban Musavi, chief of the 20th Pamir Battalion staff.
The fighting started on Friday morning, when hundreds of holy warriors stormed Kunduz city, the provincial center, and several provinces from different directions.
"The enemies of Islam and Afghanistan, once again attacked Kunduz from different directions around 4:00 am on Friday. Our security forces however responded the attack with an iron fist. We have inflected heavy casualties on the Taliban," said Asadullah Omer, Kunduz governor.
The fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban is still underway in four districts of the province and on the outskirts of Kunduz city.
"We will continue our operations till the complete elimination of the Taliban. Security forces have captured several villages from the Taliban and several of our soldiers have received injuries in the fighting," said Mohammad Qasim Jangal Bagh, Kunduz police chief.
The 20th Battalion said that two local commanders of the Taliban-- Shafiq and Malem Sher-- were also among those killed.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
[Tolo News] Heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy... between Afghan cops and the Taliban is underway in more than 10 provinces.
According security sources, more than 160 bandidosbandidos bad boys have been killed and nearly 200 others maimed in the fresh fighting.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Ministry of Defense (MoD), said several foreign krazed killers, including Pak nationals, are also among those killed.
"So far, Afghan cops have the upper hand," said Sediq Sediqqi, a front man for the MoI. He said that operations over the next 24 hours will be focused on inflicting more casualties on the enemy. Earlier this week the Taliban announced the launch of their spring offensive. Fighting between security forces and the Taliban has since intensified in different parts of the country.
The fighting is more intense in Kunduz province, said officials. The MoI and MoD, meanwhile said that the bandidosbandidos bad boys are receiving support from Pakistain.
"Quetta council is in Quetta. Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. council is in Peshawar. Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... council is in Miranshah. Militants' sanctuaries are outside Afghanistan and they receive equipment and support from outside Afghanistan. We don't have a big terrorist center in Afghanistan, nor do our government and security forces allow gunnies to establish their centers [inside Afghanistan]," said Dawlat Waziri, front man for the MoD.
A number of politicians voiced their deep concerns over the rise in fighting and stressed the need for an increase in the number of troops in north and northeastern parts of the country.
"Insecurity has mounted in northern and northeastern parts of Afghanistan. Numbers of security troops should be increased in these important parts of the country," said Almas Zahid, another MP.
In addition to Imam Sahib, Dasht-e-Archi districts and the city of Kunduz, fighting is also underway in different districts of Baghlan, Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... , Faryab, Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. , Uruzgan, Kapisa, Badakhshan, Nuristan and Kunar province ... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country..... s.
More than 40 Talibs have been killed in Faryab province alone. Police Chief for Balchragh has also been killed in the fighting.
The MoD said that six army troops have been killed or injured over the past 24 hours. The MoI said that 10 coppers have been killed or injured in the same period of time.
The districts, where fighting is underway, are as below:
Kunduz: Imam Sahib, Dasht-e-Archi, Kunduz city
Baghlan: Dand-e-Ghor, Dand-e-Ghori
Helmand: Sangin, Gereshk, Khanshin
Nangarhar: Khogyani, Achin
Faryab: Qaisar
Uruzgan: Charcheno
Kapisa: Ala Sai
Nuristan: Barg-e-Matal
Kunar: Ghazi Abad, Manogai, Sarkano, Watapor
Badakhshan: Argo, Baharak, Wardooj,
Jowzjan: Aqcha, Faizabad
Sar-e-Pul: Sayad, Kohestanat
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
Tripoli was tense tonight with reports of heavy gunfire and the movement of two tanks through Hay Andalous.
Coming on top of this evening’s attack on a house belonging to Presidency Council member Ahmed Maetig and the dawn assault on the home of former GNC politician Juma Sayeh it appears that militias for and against the PC are coming into conflict.
Unconfirmed social media reports assert that two tanks, which were photographed in Hay Andalous, moved on to the former Girls’ Military Academy on the Suq Al-Tahlat roundabout, which is the base of the militia of Misratan Salah Badi. They are reported to have taken up defensive positions outside the base, where earlier there had been gunfire.
Meanwhile, further to the west in Gurgi, there was said to be particularly heavy gunfire and the roundabout there had been blocked off. There were also reports of firing near the city centre.
Two guards are reported to have been killed and four kidnapped in an attack this evening on the Tripoli home of Presidency Council member Ahmed Maetig.
It is being claimed that the assault on the house in Hay Andalous was mounted by members of Haytem Tajouri’s Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Brigade. The men guarding the house are said to have been Tauregs. Four technicals were also reported to have been taken away by the raiders.
It is not known if any members of Maetig’s family were in the house at the time of the attack. Maetig himself remains with other members of the Presidency Council in the Bu Sitta naval base. Shortly after this evening’s assault, armoured cars arrived and formed a protective cordon around the building.
This is not the first time that a property owned by Maetig has been attacked. In June 2014, when the Misratan businessman was briefly prime minister-designate, his Tobacts hotel on Tripoli’s Shara Omar Mukhtar was shot up.
The Tripoli home of former General National Congress (GNC) member Juma Sayeh was attacked and largely destroyed today. The house, next to the Swiss embassy in Ben Ashour, was blown up.
The attack follows the meeting in Benghazi three days ago of several former GNC members to decide whether to set up a state council in opposition to the one established in Tripoli. Sayah was one of the main speakers at the meeting and a prominent supporter of the move.
“That’s the cause,” Sayah told the Libya Herald. Those who had attacked his home were trying to intimidate him. But they would not succeed, he said, blaming Abdul Raouf Kara and Misratan forces for the attack. “We are supported by the tribes and the Libyan people,” he declared.
The attack, he said, was part of a continued campaign against him. The house was the fourth he owned in Tripoli to be assaulted, he stated. Fifteen other properties he had in the city had also been attacked. “They’re now in the hands of the Misratans,” he added. A further 42 properties belonging to various members of the family had also been attacked and seized.
“It is because we’re Wirshefani,” claimed Sayeh, who represented Annasiriyah in the GNC but currently resides in eastern Libya.
In the event, Wednesday’s meeting in Benghazi to decide whether to create an alternative state council (which would be based in the city) was inconclusive. Those attending the meeting decided to wait and see if the House of Representatives voted next week to approve the Libyan Political Agreement by amending the 2011 Constitutional Declaration.
The Tripoli State Council, itself controversial because it set itself up without the authorisation of the HoR, is now headed by Abdulrahman Sewehli. Ironically, his Tripoli home is just a stone’s throw from Sayah’s house attacked today.
The head of Saiqa Special Forces investigation unit, Fadl Al-Hassi had a lucky escape yesterday when a mine exploded under the vehicle he was during operations near the cement factory in Hawari. The area is carpeted with mines left by Ansar Al-Sharia and Daesh.
Hassi was fine, a colleague told the Libya Herald. He had been travelling in an armed truck and that had saved him.
The existence of so many mines at the cement factory is said by the army to be the reason why it has not been taken so far. Several soldiers have been killed or injured by mines there – another died two days ago – and the military say they are moving very cautiously in the area.
Meanwhile today, heavy clashes continue in Hawari, Garyounis and Sabri with the air force continuing to carry out airstrikes.
[ALLAFRICA] The Nigerian military has successfully repelled an attack by the Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... turbans against their positions in parts of Borno state, and rescued 455 hostages.
The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the turbans had in the early hours of Friday, armed with five gun trucks, cycle of violences and two Golf cars laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from Sambisa forest axis attempted an attack on 121 Task Force Battalion at Pulka.
"The ever alert and vigilant troops rose to the occasion and successfully repelled the attack and killed seven Boko Haram terrorists, maimed several others and recovered 4 AK-47 rifles, three AK-47 rifle magazine and 92 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... ) belt ammunition.
"We wish to state that our troops are hale and hearty," Usman remarked.
In a related development, he said, troops of 3 Battalion caught a suspected Boko Haram terrorists' spy near the Battalion Headquarters at Gamboru Ngala.
According to him, the suspect confessed on interrogation that he was sent to spy on the troops from Wulge.
Consequent upon this, he said, the troops organised a fighting patrol comprising elements of Army Headquarters Strike Group and Civilian JTF to Wulge and Walamari.
"The troops had encounter with Boko Haram turbans in which they killed 27 of them, recovered five cycle of violences and 8 bicycles. They also cleared 12 terrorists' camps and recovered an AK-47 rifles as well as a Dane gun," he disclosed.
Usman said that the troops also rescued 455 persons and escorted them to Gamboru Internally Displaced Persons' (IDPs) camp.
He however confirmed that they lost one of the Civilian JTF, adding that the troops' morale remains very high.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Nine Yemeni prisoners from Guantanamo Bay have arrived Saturday in the Saudi capital’s King Khalid International Airport, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... is receiving the nine prisoners for resettlement after a request by the Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to do so.
While all nine are Yemeni, they have family ties to Saudi Arabia, the News Agency that Dare Not be Named reported.
None of the men had been charged and all but one had been cleared for release from the US base in Cuba since at least 2010. One was approved for release by a review board last year.
The prisoners include a frequent hunger striker whose weight had dropped to as low as 74 pounds (34 kilograms) at one point.
The release announced Saturday in a Pentagon statement brings the Guantanamo prisoner population to 80, including 26 cleared men expected to leave by the end of the summer.
"The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A Bahraini police officer has been killed and two others were seriously maimed in a gasoline kaboom in the tiny island kingdom, its Interior Ministry said.
The ministry announced the officer’s death Saturday night, saying the attack happened in the village of Karbabad. It said an investigation into the attack was ongoing as locals said a large security presence had gathered around the area.
The ministry did not elaborate on who throw the bomb and said it was a "terrorist act."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[MIRROR.CO.UK] Migrants hurled pieces of wooden pallets and other makeshift weapons in a mass brawl outside a Gay Paree metro station that forced police to use tear gas.
Disbelieving residents called police twice as the first fight, broken up some time after 9pm, was rekindled at about 11.30pm on Thursday night, Le Gay Pareeien reported.
Men can be seen hurling pieces of wood, bags and other missiles. At times the fighting is at close quarters but groups of the men later splinter apart, before police move in and tear gas is seen filling the air.
Four people were taken to hospital after the battle finished, it was reported.
The spot, underneath a rail bridge at the elevated Stalingrad station, was until the end of last month the temporary home of nearly 1,000 migrants colonists in a makeshift camp.
Anguper Hupomosing9418 submitted a Daily Mail article, which has lots of photos.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[AnNahar] A radicalized Swede, who was tossed in the slammer Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! after his mother reported him to authorities, went on trial charged with terror offenses Friday after he allegedly tried to build a bomb similar to ones used in the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks.
Sevigin Aydin, a 20-year-old teaching student who acknowledged having wanted to "die a martyr," was arrested in February by Swedish intelligence services when his mother alerted police after finding purchases by her son of equipment often used to make bombs.
Aydin, who grew up in a leafy suburb north of Stockholm, has denied any intention to carry out an attack on Swedish soil.
"I deny the charges, altogether," Aydin said in court. "I never intended to hurt anyone or manufacture any bomb."
His father threw away the alleged bomb-making equipment before police arrived. Authorities did, however, have receipts for some of his purchases.
The court indictment, of which AFP obtained a copy, shows that Aydin bought six bottles of acetone -- a common, highly flammable solvent often found in nail polish remover -- as well as matches, steel balls, electric wire and batteries.
Components such as these can be used to make bombs similar to the ones used by attackers during the 2013 Boston Marathon attack in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, according to expert testimony given to the Attunda District Court, north of Stockholm.
Acetone also appears in investigations into the attacks in Gay Paree and Brussels.
When was asked what he intended to use the six liters of acetone for, Aydin said: "I thought I might need it one day. It's always better to have more than less."
Video surveillance footage also showed him buying a pressure cooker from Ikea, also a common device used in bomb making.
Investigators also seized a mobile phone. Its password was "jihad."
Aydin made no secret of his sympathies for the jihadist Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group. He wanted to leave Sweden and go to Syria to "defend women and kiddies against the infidels," according to the indictment. He also mentioned the possibility of a strike inside Sweden.
Aydin also regularly visited jihadist websites to listen to sermons and "probably" tried in June 2015 to travel to Syria via The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , which expelled him twice.
His mother had alerted security at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, saying that she was worried he would join the jihadists. The trial is set to last for three days.
If found guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
Four soldiers were killed and two wounded when a bomb hit a military vehicle traveling in the southeastern Turkish province of Mardin on Friday, security sources said.
The vehicle was on patrol between the villages of Yazdir and Taslikli in Mardin’s Savur district when a handmade explosive was detonated, the security sources said. The two wounded soldiers were being treated in hospital, they said.
In another attack in Sirnak, east of Mardin, one police officer died and seven security force members were wounded by a bomb during the search of a house by security forces, security sources said.
Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast has been hit by waves of violence in clashes between government security forces and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after a ceasefire fell apart last year.
On Friday authorities lifted a curfew imposed to fight Kurdish militants in an area of southeast Turkey’s largest city, Diyarbakir. The one-day curfew in Silwan district was lifted from 4:30 p.m. (1:30 GMT).
Thousands of militants and hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed since the PKK resumed its fight for Kurdish autonomy last summer, ending a 2-1/2-year ceasefire and a peace process.
The government has ruled out any return to the negotiating table and has said it will crush the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The bombing of security force vehicles and installations is common in the southeast. On Monday a car laden with explosives smashed into a military base in Diyarbakir province, killing one soldier and wounding 20, hours after the government cabinet adjourned in the region.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK took up arms in 1984.
Eight outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants, who carried out separate attacks on a number of police targets over the past few days, were killed by security forces, Diyarbakır governor's office said on April 16.
A police station, a gendarmerie command post and a police shuttle in southeastern Turkey were all attacked separately. PKK militants assaulted a gendarmerie command post in the Hani district on April 11 with a car bomb.
Separately, the PKK struck Diyarbakır’s Çinar Police Department on April 14 with rocket launchers as they also attacked a police shuttle bus on March 31 in the center of Diyarbakır.
According to the April 16 statement, eight PKK terrorists were killed and at least 12 others arrested while nine firearms and five hand-made grenades were seized.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[Dawn] LAHORE / D.G. KHAN: Formally launching a grand operation against hardened criminals on Friday, military forces resorted to shelling at their hideouts in the troubled riverine area of Rajanpur district.
Helicopter gunships were used to hit suspected positions and bunkers set up by the Chotoo gang criminals, a senior security official told Dawn. The initial air strikes lasted about 20 minutes. The security forces taking part in the operation, codenamed Zarb-i-Aahan, also had the backup support of mortar shells fired by Rangers.
The army has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew (6pm to 6am) in some areas.
The official said the Chotoo gang and its allies were putting up resistance and the area echoed with heavy gunfire, bomb explosions and shelling.
There was no immediate information about any injury or casualty in the wake of the shelling.
The Inter Services Public Relations said information would be shared with the media on completion of the operation.
Witnesses said there was a heavy deployment and movement of military troops in Rojhan tehsil, adding that SSG commandoes had taken positions around the troubled island of Kacha Jamal and Moro where the Chotoo gangsters built permanent hideouts.
Some TV channels claimed that the Chotoo gang and some other notorious criminals had offered to surrender, but security forces rejected it.
Addressing officers at the Central Police Office in Lahore on Friday, Punjab Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera said the Zarb-i-Aahan operation had been launched in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.
He said that before launching the operation, security personnel were properly trained and equipped.
“During training sessions, 50,000 rounds were fired and use of mortars and other equipment were demonstrated,” the IG said, adding that two retired colonels from the Special Services Group were on board in the operation.
All personnel had been provided bulletproof jackets, helmets and five magazines of rounds, along with all essential gadgets and ammunition.
The IG claimed that during the operation police killed seven hardcore members of the Chotoo gang. He identified them as Ali Gulbazgeer, Pandi, Pehlwan alias Pallu, Bahadur, Faqeer Mohammad, Majeed Bakhrani and Aindar.
About the 24 missing policemen, a spokesperson for the Punjab police said they were in custody of the criminals.
RALLIES: Relatives of the captured policemen held demonstrations in Rajanpur and Layyah, asking the government to strike some sort of a deal with the Chotoo gang for their release.
According to sources, members of the gang were making calls to relatives of the captured policemen, asking them to do whatever they could to save their lives.
#1
Another quarter of the Pakistan snakepit is heard from. That the US provides foreign aid to this failed state is stupid at best, criminal at worst. (I wonder whatever happened to the dam the US was helping to fund in Pakistan's far northeast?)
[DAWN] Law enforcement agencies claim to have foiled a bid to smuggle a large cache of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan to Pakistain. The weapons shipment was intended for a banned holy warrior organization but the law enforcers managed to botch the delivery in the border area of Noshki district after a heavy exchange of fire.
Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti disclosed this at a presser, where he was accompanied by Deputy Inspector General of Frontier Corps ...a provincial paramilitary force. Total manpower is about 80,000. They are tasked to help local law enforcement in the maintenance of law and order, and to carry out border patrol and anti-smuggling operations.... (FC) Brigadier Tahir Mehmood and Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Government Spokesman Anwar-Ul-Haq Kakar, here on Friday.
"The consignment was sent by the Indian spy agency, RAW, for the banned Baloch Liberation Army," he said, adding that it was being smuggled into Balochistan for carrying out subversive activities.
He said that the Afghan spy agency, National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... , was also helping RAW against Pakistain.
The home minister said that on receiving a tip-off regarding the weapons delivery, FC and intelligence agency personnel had set up a check post in the area. When the vehicle approached the check post, the FC personnel tried to flank it down, but the suspects raced away, leading to a long chase.
"Security forces chased the vehicle for around 35kms towards the Afghan border before they managed to seize the consignment after a heavy exchange of fire," the home minister said, adding that the suspects managed to escape into Afghan territory. "The suspects were either killed or injured in the exchange of fire as blood spots were discovered in the area," he said.
Mr Bugti said that RAW was using Afghan soil to carry out subversive activities in Balochistan. "Afghan soil is being used against Pakistain," he said, adding that the Pakistain government had taken up the issue with its Afghan counterpart on numerous occasions but to no avail.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
That's it! Blame India. The likelihood is that someone forgot to pay-off the Frontier Corps.
[DAWN] Personnel of Pakistain Army have taken over the operation against members of the Chotoo gang in the riverine area of Rajanpur, the military's media wing said on Saturday.
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa announced on Twitter that army troops have been deployed in the Kacha areas and have taken charge of Operation Zarb-e-Aahan.
A cordon is being reinforced, and police and Rangers already deployed will continue to participate under the command of the army, Bajwa said. He added that whatever resources are required will be employed to accomplish the mission.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
(IraqiNews.com) Diyala – Diyala Police Chief Maj. Gen. Jassim al-Saadi announced on Saturday, that the security forces arrested two people on charges of terrorism in Baqubah.
Saadi said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces from the police’s emergency regiment carried out raids in Balad Ruz and al-Khales Districts, and were able to arrest two people on charges of terrorism.”
Saadi added, “The operations were carried out based on accurate intelligence information.”
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – A security source in Kirkuk Province announced on Saturday, that the Iraqi Sukhoi fighter jets destroyed a supply bridge and a headquarters belonging to ISIS south of al-Bashir village in southern Kirkuk.
The source said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Sukhoi fighter jets carried out an air strike, at noon today, on a bridge belonging to ISIS south of al-Bashir village, destroying the bridge completely.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “Sukhoi aircraft also destroyed ISIS headquarters in the area,” indicating that, “The bombing was carried out based on information received from the Directorate of Military Intelligence.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – A source in the Joint Operations Command announced on Saturday, that 20 members of the so-called ISIS had been either killed or wounded in a bombardment carried out by the Iraqi Sukhoi aircraft on ISIS headquarters north of Ramadi, while pointed out to the destruction of an explosives cache and four ISIS vehicles.
The source said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Iraqi Sukhoi aircraft conducted an air strike on ISIS headquarters in Albu Ali al-Jassim area north of Ramadi, killing and injuring 20 ISIS members.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The bombing also destructed an explosive devices cache and four vehicles belonging to ISIS members,” noting that, “The operation was carried out based on intelligence information from the army’s 10th brigade.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – A source in the Joint Operations Command announced on Saturday, that the security forces managed to liberate two villages south of Heet District west of Anbar from the ISIS control, while affirmed the death of ten ISIS militants during the battles.
The source said in press statement received by IraqiNews.com, “The Anti-Terrorism forces backed by Abrams tanks carried out a military operation in the villages of al-khawda and al-Mashtal south of Heet, and were able to liberate and cleanse the road linking between the two villages, as well as killing ten ISIS fighters.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “The operation also resulted in the destruction of three car bombs and a booby-trapped tank, in addition to dismantling 58 explosive devices.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – Heet District Council in Anbar Province announced on Saturday, that the security forces arrested 40 members of the so-called ISIS while trying to escape with the families who were evacuated from Heet west of Ramadi.
The Head of Heet council, Mohammed Mohannad al-Hiti, said in press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces managed to arrest 40 ISIS members, during checking the information of the civilians who were evacuated from Heet District,” pointing out that, “The arrested ISIS members were trying to escape from the city with the evacuated families.”
Hiti added, “The detainees included the so-called ISIS Wali of Mahbobiyah area in central Heet,” indicating that, “The arrested ISIS members were transferred to a security detention center for interrogation.”
(IraqiNews.com) The commander of Anbar Operations Command, Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Mahalawi, announced on Friday shooting down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the ISIS north of the city of Ramadi.
Mahalawi said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “Today, a force from the Tenth Division belonging to Anbar Operations managed to shoot down an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the ISIS, using medium weapons, in the area of al-Juraishi north of Ramadi,” adding that, “A force from the Engineering Battalion of the Sixteenth Division was able to cleanse 30 booby-trapped houses in the area of al-Aramel south of Ramadi.”
(IraqiNews.com) The commander of Anbar Operations Command, Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Mahalawi, announced on Saturday shooting down the second unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the ISIS in the province during the past 24 hours.
Mahalawi said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “A force from the army’s Eighth Division was able to shoot down an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the ISIS by using medium and light weapons in Euphrates River in the vicinity of al-Ameriyat (23 km south of Fallujah),” adding that, “This is the second unmanned aerial vehicle for ISIS that had been shot down by the army in Anbar during the past 24 hours.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – Baghdadi Council in Anbar Province revealed on Saturday, that the so-called ISIS mobilized its members to attack al-Baghdadi area in Heet District from three axes, while pointed out that the security forces are ready to repel the attack.
The Head of Baghdadi Council Malullah Barzan al-Obeidi said in a press statement received by IraqiNews.com, “ISIS mobilized its members to attack al-Baghdadi vicinity from three axes.”
The statement added, “The security forces started to reinforce its troops that are stationed at the entrances and axes of Baghdadi to repel any potential terrorist attack.”
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – A source in the leadership of the army’s Seventh Division said on Saturday, that the ISIS elements fled in a mass escape from al-Baghdadi Island west of the city of Ramadi.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, elements of the ISIS began a mass escape from al-Baghdadi Island and the area of Noaam northeast of al-Baghdadi vicinity (90 km west of Ramadi),” noting that, “The [ISIS] elements headed towards the district of al-Qaim.”
The source, who requested anonymity, added, “The reason of the escape in the liberation of Heet by the security forces and supporting clans, in addition to cutting the ISIS supplies from the district.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday, that ten people had been either killed or wounded in a bomb blast in western Baghdad.
The source said in an interview obtained by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, a bomb exploded near a popular market in al-Bakriya area in western Baghdad, killing two people and injuring eight others.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “A security force rushed to the area and evacuated the wounded to a nearby hospital for treatment and the dead bodies to the forensic medicine department, while a raid was carried out to search for the perpetrators of the bombing.”
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A police source revealed on Saturday, that a group of gunmen stole 550 million dinars from a currency exchange office in central Baghdad.
The source said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “Today, a group of gunmen stormed a currency exchange office in al-Arsat area in central Baghdad,” indicating that, “The gunmen stole 550 million dinars then escaped to an unknown destination.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “A security force cordoned off the area and opened an investigation into the incident.”
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi police said on Saturday, that two soldiers had been injured in a militant attack that took place in the area of Arab Jabour south of Baghdad.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “This evening, unidentified militants attacked a patrol belonging to the army in the area of Arab Jabour and opened their fire against its elements, resulting in the injury of two soldiers,” pointing out that, “A security force cordoned off the area of the incident and transferred the injured to a nearby hospital.”
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source within the police force in Baghdad province said on Saturday, that an officer and a soldier had been killed and four others were injured in two bombings that took place north of Baghdad.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “This evening, two explosive devices went off simultaneously in the area of al-Tarmiyah in northern Baghdad, while a convey belonging to the Iraqi Army was passing [in the area], resulting in the death of an officer and a soldier as well as the injury of four soldiers.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, added, “A security force blockaded the area of the incident, while ambulances transferred the injured to a nearby hospital and the two dead bodies to the forensic medicine authority.”
Philippine security forces captured 2 Islamist militants in separate operations in Zamboanga City, several nautical miles south of Basilan province where military forces are currently fightg the Abu Sayyaf.
Police said an Abu Sayyaf militant, Johan Jaalam, was arrested Saturday. Officials say the militant faces a series of criminal charges.
A leader of the militant group Rajah Solaiman Movement – Melquiades Abrera II – was also nabbed on Friday in the village of Santa Barbara. Abrera, also known as Mikhail Abdulasis Abrera, was one of the organizers of the terrorist movement. It was not immediately known whether Abrera was planning an attack in Zamboanga.
The Rajah Solaiman Movement, founded by Ahmed Santos, a Muslim convert, seeks to establish an Islamic state in the Philippines and is working with the Abu Sayyaf.
In June 2008, Washington designated Santos and seven senior members of the Rajah Solaiman Movement – Angelo Trinidad, Pio de Vera, Redendo Dellosa, Feliciano de los Reyes, Dino Amor Pareja, Ricardo Ayeras and Reuben Lavilla – as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Oh my!
Posted by: ryuge ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf
[The Nation] As local residents celebrated Songkran [the traditional Thai New Year], unrest in the far South continued unabated, with several attacks yesterday in Pattani and Narathiwat provinces.
One incident, after midnight yesterday, saw a group of militants open fire at a local government office in Pattani's Mai Kaen district. A bomb was also detonated there, resulting in property damage.
Around dawn, four members of a paramilitary ranger unit were injured by a roadside bomb in Yarang district. Later that morning, a villager was shot by a gunman on a motorcycle in Nong Chik district. In Narathiwat a roadside time bomb went off in Rusoh district. There were no casualties.
[Reuters] Islamist militants seized four Indonesians on the crew of a tugboat in the southern Philippines on Friday night, the third attack on slow moving vessels in about a month, as troops battled Muslim insurgents on a nearby island.
Major Filemon Tan said seven gunmen in a blue speed boat attacked two Indonesian flagged tugboats off the southernmost island of Sitangkay in Tawi-tawi and took the four crewmembers. Tan said, "We don't exactly know who took them but the only lawless group operating in that area is the Abu Sayyaf," adding ten Indonesians and four Malaysians were also abducted in two separate incidents early this month in the area.
The Indonesian foreign ministry said six other crewmembers were left behind but one was shot. It said, "He is in stable condition now," the foreign ministry said, adding Malaysian water police evacuated the injured crew to a hospital in eastern Sabah state, where the two vessels were towed to safety.
The military said the militants have been targeting foreign crewmembers of slow-moving boats because increased security has prevented them from penetrating resorts and coastal towns in Sabah.
The Abu Sayyaf has stepped up activities on the remote islands. Last week, rebels killed 18 soldiers and injured more than 50 others in an ambush on Basilan island, prompting a massive military offensive with artillery and aerial bombings. The Philippine military said 28 militants had died in the week of fighting.
On nearby Jolo island, rebels gave a final deadline of April 25 for payment of $6.50 million ransom for each of the two Canadians and a Norwegian captive or they will behead the three hostages.
Posted by: ryuge ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf
Dozens of members of Hezbollah were killed last week in Aleppo in an "accidental" chemical attack carried out by the Syrian military, diplomatic sources reported to the Kuwaiti newspaper "Al-Jarida."
The report stated that Syrian fighter jets struck militants from the Shi'ite terror group when they mistakenly attacked the town of Al-Eis, south of Aleppo, in their efforts to retake the region. ROTFL
[ARA News] DUHOK – Although the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and allied local fighters, backed by the US-led coalition, have recaptured the Yezidi district of Sinjar (Shingal) and the surrounding villages in northern Iraq from the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS), the displaced Yezidi civilians are still reluctant to return home.
The anti-ISIS battles in Shingal left a great damage in the infrastructure of the area, according to locals. This is why the majority of Yezidis prefer to stay in the refugee camps set up by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Some displaced Yezidis complained about the ISIS-led mass destruction in their towns and villages in Shingal and its surroundings, while others expressed their concerns about the fragile security situation that surround the Yezidi areas in northern Iraq. The ghost of ISIS still overshadows the whole scene of the region, they argued.
ISIS still poses threat to Shingal
Speaking to ARA News, Shaban Khalaf, a displaced Yazidi from Shingal based in the refugee camp of Bajdkandala near the town of Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan, said: “One of the reasons why Yezidis do not return to Shingal is ISIS presence in the nearby areas. Current ISIS positions are not very far from Shingal.”
“Who knows? Daesh may launch a surprise attack on our areas once again, especially the clashes are still ongoing between the Peshmerga forces and Shingal Protection Units (YBS) on the one hand, and ISIS terrorists on the other, in southern Shingal,” he argued, using an acronym for ISIS.
“The terror group still poses a threat to Shingal,” he told ARA News.
Khalaf pointed out that Shingal’s infrastructure has been destroyed due to the heavy shelling and bombings by the conflicting parties.
“Dozens of houses in the area have been looted and robbed,” Khalaf added, pointing out that Shingal needs also an intensive reconstruction campaign “after this devastating war”.
“If we did not rebuild the region’s infrastructure, Yezidis would not be able to live in the area from now on,” he stressed.
Abduction
Yasser Kaalo, a displaced Yezidi man, spoke to ARA News in the Shariya camp [in Duhok] for Yezidi refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan, saying that most of people fear to face a similar scenario as thousands of women and children are still held hostages at the hands of the terror group.
“Also, the fate of hundreds of people is still unknown,” he added. “This had put a negative impact on us.”
Kaalo emphasized that also the land-mines planted by ISIS terrorists in Shingal region hinder his return with his family to their hometown.
Yezidis need International Protection
Asfar Darman, another displaced Yezidi, told ARA News: “I believe that there were no guarantees and protection from international powers under a UN resolution to protect the Yezidis in Shingal region, they will not go back home and this will encourage them leave Iraq heading the European countries in search of a better and secured life.”
“Unfortunately, Yezidis have lost confidence in everything, they would not easily come back to Shingal, especially if the situation continues as it is,” Darman concluded, saying “the international community should bear its responsibility to regain security and stability in the whole region.”
In August 2014, ISIS radicals took over the region of Shingal, causing a mass displacement of nearly 400,000 people to Duhok and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. Tens of thousands of Yezidis remained trapped in Mount Sinjar, suffering mass killings, kidnappings and rape cases, according to local and military sources. Also, more than 3000 Yezidi girls have been taken by the radical group as sex slaves.
On November 13, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, backed by an air cover from the US-led coalition forces, announced the liberation of the entire Yezidi district of Shingal in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh after fierce battles with ISIS extremists. The Kurdish forces have recently discovered more than five mass graves in the Yezidi region, where hundreds of Yezidi civilians have been summarily executed and buried by ISIS jihadis.
Not pretty and they don't fight.
[ARA News] ALEPPO ــ Subsequent to heavy battles with Syrian army forces, militant fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) were able to capture Saturday several villages in Syria’s northern province of Aleppo, local sources reported.
Speaking to ARA News in Aleppo, media activist Omar Jassim, based in the southern suburbs, said that ISIS militants launched a major offensive on positions for the pro-regime forces near the town of Khanasser in the southern environs of Aleppo and have taken over the villages of Zaid, al-Hayat, Jeb al-Ali, Kwais, Qalia, al-Tuba, al-Jidaida, Serdah, Duraib al-Wawi and al-Ashanah.
The extremist group was able to reach Syriatel tower that overlooks the strategic area of as-Sifayra– Khanasser, according to the source.
A source close to the Syrian army told ARA News that ISIS jihadis were able to kill a number of soldiers and seize a large deal of military equipment, including five heavy guns, three tanks, two armored vehicles, a number of cannons [caliber 106 and 57], a large deal of ammunition and Katyusha rockets.
In the meantime, air force loyal to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad conducted several raids on the ISIS positions in the vicinity of the town of Khanasser and the hills overlooking the town, amid reports of casualties among ISIS ranks.
ARA News could not verify the death toll among the group’s ranks.
On Friday, ISIS militants launched a major offensive on the southern suburbs of Aleppo in a bid to take over the town of Khanasser and cut the army’s supply lines to the city of Aleppo and its environs.
In February, ISIS clashed with the regime’s army troops in the southern countryside of Aleppo and were able to capture the Air Defense (Al-Difaa’ Al-Jawi) base near the Khanasser town. This came just two days after the group’s fighters took over the strategic Khanasser-Ithrayya road, cutting off a main supply line for the Syrian army between Hama and Aleppo.
The Khnasser-Ithrayya route was a main supply line for the regime’s troops fighting in Aleppo. The army relied on this line to receive military reinforcements from Hama to support its forces inside Aleppo, according to local activists.
Last Sunday, the Syrian regime’s Prime Minister, Wa’el al-Halaqi, announced that the Syrian army and Russian Air Force are preparing a major offensive to liberate the provincial capital of the Aleppo Governorate.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... said on Saturday civilians faced starvation and dehydration in a Paleostinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus, where ISIS is battling other Islamist groups for control.
UN Relief and Works Agency for Paleostine Refugees (UNRWA) which aids Paleostinian refugees across the region said it estimated up to 10,000 civilians were trapped in their homes in Yarmouk, which is on the southern outskirts of Damascus.
"Whatever supplies of food and water they had have long been exhausted. Given the frequently intense fighting, the overwhelming risk of serious injury and death prevents civilians from leaving their homes to search for food, fetch water, or seek medical treatment for injuries," UNRWA said in a statement.
"Credible reports from inside Yarmouk indicate extensive, deliberate fire-damage to homes and other civilian buildings on a scale hardly seen before. The precarious security situation also prevents UNRWA from continuing its humanitarian missions to the adjacent area of Yalda," it said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britannia-based organization that reports on the war, says most of Yarmouk camp is now under the control of ISIS.
UNRWA said: "The fighting has been intense, and is taking place in the most densely populated areas of Yarmouk, with the use of heavy weapons, bombs and weapons of indiscriminate effect."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] ISIS made gains in northern Syria on Saturday from both government forces and their rebel opponents, a monitoring group said.
The northern province of Aleppo borders The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... and is criss-crossed with supply routes that are strategic for practically all of Syria's warring sides.
On Saturday, ISIS fighters seized another border village in their offensive against non-extremist rebel groups in the province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The ISIS counterattack has rolled back rebel gains in the border area, which had seen advance them from Azaz, a town eight kilometers (five miles) south of the Turkish border, towards ISIS bastions further east.
"The ISIS gains have cut off opposition territory around Azaz from rebels in the town of Dudyan further east," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
"Now the rebels in Dudyan are practically surrounded by ISIS."
The murderous Moslem group also advanced against government forces near Khanasser, a battleground town southeast of Aleppo that has changed hands several times.
The road through Khanasser is the sole link between government-held areas in and around Aleppo and those in the rest of the country.
On Saturday, ISIS took several hilltops in the area but had not yet cut the supply route, Abdel Rahman told AFP.
In Aleppo itself, two non-combatants were killed by rebel fire on a residential neighborhood in the government-held west of the city, the Observatory said.
Aleppo was once Syria's commercial hub, but since rebels seized eastern districts in 2012 a front line has carved through the heart of the city.
The escalating festivities in Aleppo province have strained a fragile ceasefire in place since February 27, and left more than 200 combatants dead in the past week.
ISIS and its murderous Moslem rival Al-Qaeda are not party to the truce.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[AnNahar] A radicalized Swede, who was 
Philippine security forces captured 2 Islamist militants in separate operations in Zamboanga City, several nautical miles south of Basilan province where military forces are currently fightg the Abu Sayyaf.
[Reuters] Islamist militants seized four Indonesians on the crew of a tugboat in the southern Philippines on Friday night, the third attack on slow moving vessels in about a month, as troops battled Muslim insurgents on a nearby island.
