Security forces have launched a military operation in Warduj district of north-eastern Badakhshan to re-capture the district from Taliban insurgents, local officials said on Thursday.
The operation was launched four days ago and currently security forces are locked in clashes with insurgents near the district governor's compound, provincial police chief Ghulaam Sakhi Ghafoori said.
However, he assured the people that "the district will soon be cleared of insurgents."
Nematullah Ahmadi, TOLOnews reporter who visited the district said the insurgents have come in from different parts of the province and are trying to prevent troops from moving forward.
But security officials said they are able to advance and insurgents have been driven back from parts of the district although clashes are ongoing close to the governor's compound.
"We are slowly moving forward. It is war and sometimes we move forward and sometimes we retreat. However, you can see a military and defense commitment among all our security troops," Ghafoori said.
Meanwhile, Janat Gul Karokhil, a military commander in Badakhshan said that military forces are busy clearing Warduj of insurgents and are being supported by the air force.
"Those who are resisting against us are Tajik [militants] and suicide attackers. They don't care about their life and we are trying not to receive casualties," Karokhil said.
Warduj collapsed to the Taliban more than a year ago. It is one of 29 districts in Badakhshan and has about 17,000 residents.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 21 holy warriors operating under the name of the 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.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed and dozens of others were maimed in Arclight airstrikes carried out by the Afghan Air Force and coalition forces, local officials said Wednesday. (Photo 438th Air Expeditionary Wing)
The Arclight airstrike was carried out in Achin district earlier on Wednesday targeting the loyalists of the terror group in Mamand Dara area.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said a commander of the terror group was also among those killed.
Provincial governor’s front man, Ataullah Khogyani, earlier said 20 holy warriors of the ISIS terrorist group were killed and dozens of others were maimed in the raid.
He said several weapons, ammunition and explosives belonging to the terror group were also destroyed in the Arclight airstrike.
The anti-government armed Death Eater groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
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.. is among the relatively volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed Death Eater groups are actively operating and frequently carry out insurgency activities.
The loyalists of ISIS terrorist group and other snuffies are openly operating in a number of its remote districts with Achin district being the stronghold of ISIS terror group.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 41 turbans were killed in the latest counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Afghan National Security Forces, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.
The operations were conducted in the past 24 hours in Ghazni, Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... , and 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.. provinces.
A statement by MoD said at least 19 of the turbans were killed in Andar district of southeastern Ghazni province where at least 9 turbans were also maimed.
The statement further added that 1 myrmidon was killed and 3 others were maimed during a separate operation in Chesht-e-Sharif district of Herat province.
At least 21 turbans operating under the name of 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.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed in separate operations in eastern Nangarhar province, MoD said, adding that 11 turbans were also maimed in the same raids.
According to MoD, a commander of the terror group identified as Saadat Khan was also among those killed in the Arclight airstrikes conducted in Achin district.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 10 hard boyz were blown up by their own explosives as they were busy making an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in southeastern Ghazni province.
According to the security officials, the hard boyz were busy making the IED inside a mosque in Andar district.
The officials further added that the explosives went off prematurely, leaving all 10 hard boyz dead.
The anti-government armed krazed killer groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
The Taliban forces of Evil and hard boyz belonging to the other Death Eater groups are frequently using Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as the weapon of their choice to target the security forces.
The IEDs are the main contributors to the casualties of the Afghan cops but are also considered as a key factor in growing civilian casualties.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
In a mosque, you say? How...Islamic
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/22/2016 8:49 Comments ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] New reports have emerged new the deadly Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... attack which left at least 64 people dead and 347 others maimed as the attack has sent shockwaves across the country and globally.
According to the new reports, the main attacker involved in the deadly attack was likely released from the prison when Karzai administration was in power.
The Presidential Palace officials have said they are aware regarding the report, promising that the government will thoroughly investigate regarding the release of the attacker and circumstances surrounding his release.
The release of prisoners had turned into a controversial issue as Afghanistan was preparing for the Presidential Elections early in 2014.
The government released almost 88 prisoners from Bagram prison despite growing concerns by the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The US Forces in Afghanistan in a statement said earlier in 2014 that "The release of these dangerous individuals poses a threat to U.S., coalition and Afghan National Security Forces, as well as the Afghan population. Insurgents in the group released today have killed coalition and Afghan forces."
The released detainees were also accused of killing Afghan men, women and kiddies. "More than two dozen of the individuals released were linked to the production or emplacement of improvised bombs, the number one killer of Afghan civilians," the statement added.
Earlier, a panel was formed to review the cases of the prisoners which reported that no evidences or documents were found to prove that the inmates were posing threats to the country or international community.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] There has been a significant rise in Afghan army casualties amid rampant crackdown by the Afghan armed forces to suppress the insurgency activities of the bad boy groups.
At least 10 Afghan soldiers bit the dust during the counter-terrorism operations being conducted across the country amid surging violence.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the soldiers were martyred in the past 24 hours as they were suppressing the anti-government armed bad boys.
"The Afghan National Army (ANA) forces are prepared for all kinds of devotion and with all force to maintain security and comfort for the people of Afghanistan," a statement by MoD said, adding that 10 Afghan soldiers were martyred during counter-terrorism operations against the internal and foreign terrorists.
According to a statement by MoD at least 141 gunnies were killed and 23 others were maimed as a result of the clearance operations in the past 24 hours.
The statement further added that the operations were conducted in Ghazni in the southeast, Heart in the west and 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.. in the east.
There has been a sharp rise in the casualties of the Afghan national security forces since they took full control of the security responsibilities from the coalition forces at the start of last year.
According to the earlier estimates by security officials, the Afghan army deaths stood at 4 service members daily on average which is mainly caused due to improvised bomb (IED) attacks.
The Afghan forces have increased counter-terrorism operations to suppress the anti-government armed bad boy groups who are preparing to step up attacks as they announced their spring offensive earlier last week.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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Al shabaab claimed it killed at least six Ethiopian soldiers, including senior military commander in a roadside bomb blast in Somalia’s southern Baay region on Thursday. The land-mine explosion which was planted at Awdinle town tore through a military vehicles carrying Ethiopian soldiers serving with the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM), according to Al shabaab.
The AU mission in Somalia did not comment on the attack and Al shabaab’s claim of killing six Ethiopian soldiers in Awdinle town improvised explosive device (IED) blast.
A local resident who declined to be identified said targeted the IED blast targeted army vehicles that were escorting a lorry carrying AMISOM supplies headed to a nearby military camp within the area.
The Al Qaeda-linked militants seem to have adopted the roadside landmine tactic beside the frequent car bombs which have also been witnessed in several towns, including Mogadishu in the past few months.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Islamist group Ansar Dine said Thursday it was holding three Red Thingy workers captured in northeastern Mali last weekend and called for the release of a jihadist placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... by French troops for their safe return.
"We have three people who work for the Red Thingy. We want Barkhane (French forces) to free Miyatene Ag Mayaris before we will release them," Nourredine Ag Mohammed, a senior turban in the group, told Agence La Belle France Presse.
An ICRC front man in Bamako had previously confirmed three of its staff were being held by an unknown group that had intercepted them on April 16, while a fourth had been released.
Ansar Dine is one of several active jihadist groups roaming Mali's north, and picked up the workers in the restive region of Kidal, where the Red Thingy said they were carrying out field work.
The ICRC said Thursday it had not received the claim of responsibility but was working with several key players in Mali to ascertain what had happened.
"We are in contact with all the relevant people in the area ... to get hold of more precise information," ICRC spokeswoman Claire Kaplun told AFP at its Geneva base, including local leaders, the Malian authorities and French troops.
The ICRC has not yet released their names or nationalities.
Four Red Thingy workers had camped in an area where French forces in the Barkhane anti-terror mission were carrying out operations, the ICRC has previously said.
The team were flagged down in their vehicle "by someone on a cycle of violence, who told them to follow him," Valery Mbaoh Nana, ICRC front man in the Malian capital Bamako, told AFP on Tuesday.
Mbaoh Nana said that according to information that had reached the ICRC, the three hostages "are being held in acceptable conditions. They are not being tortured, they have not been physically maltreated."
The ICRC spokeswoman in Geneva said the details of the conditions of detention "came from the staff member who has been released."
Since then, there had been no further contact, she said.
La Belle France's Operation Barkhane, launched in 2014, deploys 3,500 soldiers across five countries in the Sahel region ... North Africa's answer to the Pak tribal areas... to maintain cross-border security following the ousting of jihadists from key towns in Mali's north.
It is the successor to a military intervention that freed Mali's vast, desolate north from the control of Tuareg-led rebels who allied with jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.
A protest against foreign forces including Barkhane left one demonstrator dead on Monday, underlining simmering tensions between the local population and UN and French troops based in the area.
Three Red Thingy workers captured in northeastern Mali last weekend by Islamist group Ansar Dine have been freed, the ICRC said Friday.
"The best news we could get: our three colleagues in Mali are free, safe and sound," ICRC head Peter Maurer said on his Twitter account, with the news confirmed by ICRC front man in Bamako Valery Mbaoh Nana.
"All three were freed this morning (Friday)," Mbaoh Nana said.
"They are in Kidal," he added, referring to the historic provincial capital of the restive region where they were kidnapped on April 16, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) north of the capital.
The group said the hostages would be safely returned in exchange for the release of one of their members, who was placed in durance vile by French troops.
"We have three people who work for the Red Thingy. We want Barkhane (French forces) to free Miyatene Ag Mayaris before we will release them," Nourredine Ag Mohammed, a senior murderous Moslem in the group, told AFP Thursday.
It remained unclear Friday whether Ansar Dine's condition for the aid workers' release had been met.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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The last remnants of the Ansar Al-Sharia are blockaded in Gwarsha and Ganfouda and cannot escape, Libyan army chief of staff spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mismari has told the Libya Herald. “All roads in and out are blocked”, he said, adding that the way to the sea was now fully in army hands. They were a lot of snipers in Gwarsha, he said, and they were a problem, but predicted that the army would capture the two areas “in a few days”.
Al-Nabaa TV has claimed, however, that a number of fighters from the Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council which is dominated by Ansar, have moved back into Garyounis, supposedly cleared of them by the army earlier this week. The TV station has until now supported the militants in Benghazi against the army.
One army commander, Colonel Abdullah Al-Shaafi, who headed the Hurriya Training Centre, was shot dead yesterday in Gwarsha by a sniper. Earlier reports that he had been killed by a mine were incorrect, Mismari said.
Mines “are the biggest problem”, he said. Four commanders alone had been killed in the past few days by mines, among them yesterday Serraj Eltera who a,cted as spokesman for the military engineers.
The army lacked sufficient both sufficient equipment and engineers to detect and disable mines, Mismari said.
Ansar Al-Sharia and its allies heavily mined and booby trapped places they occupied. The Hawari cement works, despite now being cleared of militants, is carpeted with mines which, the army says, has been the main reason why it has held back from fully entering it.
#2
carpeted with mines
Some long time ago I remember seeing some thermal imaging predictive analysis for mine placement. Older technology in a different landscape warmed up slower and retained a heat signature longer than the local soils. Placement protocol templates were also often used to optimize coverage.
Now the materials have changed and the landscape of interest is simply too hot for differential measurement. Pattern analysis fails because the mines are randomly placed or have migrated over the years due to surface conditions.
ISIS fighters drew back from long-held positions around the port city of Derna on Wednesday, military forces in eastern Libya said, as forces loyal to the government in the region pushed forward with an offensive in Benghazi.
The retreat around Derna, if confirmed, could mark a momentous shift in the alignment of forces in the area.
ISIS took hold of territory in Libya as two conflicting governments and a number of armed factions came to blows to control the country in the past two years. But it has also faced resistance from other local armed groups on the ground.
Derna was an early stronghold for the terrorist group, as it had witnessed a history of jihad. The militant group lost control of the city last June to rival armed jihadist grouped under the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council, but retained positions around the outskirts.
Derna and its suburbs had been “completely liberated from the apostates”, the council said in a statement.
Military forces loyal to Libya’s eastern government said on Thursday they had carried out air strikes overnight against jihadists in Derna after ISIS militants retreated from positions close to the city.
Fighters from ISIS had controlled the city until the Shura Council forces pushed them out last June. The military has attacked both groups.
Military spokesman Abdulkarim Sabra said the overnight air strikes had targeted Shura Council fighters in Derna’s Sayeda Khadija neighborhood and at Bishr prison. He made no comment on possible casualties.
Shura Council spokesman Hafed Addabaa said the prison had held ISIS suspects and added that the strikes had not caused any casualties or damage.
Eastern security forces, which are allied to a government based in the east, have carried out occasional strikes against jihadist rivals around Derna in recent months.
Sabra said ISIS had retreated from Derna’s 400 neighborhood and al-Fatayeh, 20 km (12 miles) south of the city, and its forces were attempting to head towards the militant group’s Libyan stronghold of Sirte when they were cut off.
The military was providing air support for troops, he said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Some Derna residents rejoiced, waving Libyan flags on the streets, according to pictures circulating on social media.
Eastern military forces have also been involved in heavy fighting around 250 km (155 miles) to the west in Benghazi, where they have captured several neighborhoods from fighters loyal to ISIS and other groups.
Clashes continued there on Wednesday, and the military said it had nearly full control of the southern district of Guwarsha. The fighting resulted in the death of one commander and the injury of four soldiers, the army said.
The eastern government was set up after armed opponents took control of the capital, Tripoli, in 2014, and established a contending administration. Both are backed by alliances of former rebels who once fought together to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Last month, a U.N.-backed unity government arrived in Tripoli, where it has been trying to establish its authority. The West regards the new government as the best chance of terminating Libya’s political divisions and uniting its armed factions to take on ISIS.
But the government has yet to win approval from Libya’s eastern parliament, which received international recognition and has repeatedly failed to hold a vote on the issue.
Lawmakers in the east who support the new government say they have been threatened and physically impeded from holding a vote, including when they tried to convene on Monday.
They have been opposed by allies of eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar, who are concerned about losing control of military appointments if the unity government takes full power.
In an apparent attempt to break the ice with the eastern military, the unity government’s leadership released a statement on Wednesday congratulating it on its advances in Benghazi.
The Presidential Council said it would “provide all necessary support to Benghazi and other affected cities for reconstruction,” and that it was committed to “supporting the institution of the army”.
It also congratulated the “people of Derna and all Libyans” on the “liberation” of the areas around where ISIS pulled out.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Military forces loyal to Libya's eastern government said on Thursday they had carried out air strikes overnight against Islamist fighters in Derna after ISIS turbans retreated from positions close to the city.
Derna has been the site of a three-way conflict between the forces loyal to the eastern government, an Islamist grouping known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council and ISIS bully boys.
Fighters from ISIS had controlled the city until the Shura Council forces pushed them out last June. The military has attacked both groups.
Military front man Abdulkarim Sabra said the overnight air strikes had targeted Shura Council fighters in Derna’s Sayeda Khadija neighborhood and at Bishr prison. He made no comment on possible casualties.
Shura Council front man Hafed Addabaa said the prison had held ISIS suspects and added that the strikes had not caused any casualties or damage.
The military and the Shura Council both claimed credit for Wednesday’s withdrawal of ISIS from positions in Derna’s ’district 400’ and al-Fatayeh to the south of the city.
"We attacked ISIS (ISIS) in al-Fatayeh to recapture the area ... The attack was from all sides except the south, which is where they fled," said Addabaa.
Five Shura Council fighters and six non-combatants were killed by mines and booby traps after they entered al-Fatayeh, he said.
Sabra, the military front man, said ISIS had retreated because of a year-long blockade by the army and shelling by troops of the bully boys’ positions.
Soldiers posted videos of themselves in al-Fatayeh on Thursday, saying they had control of the area.
ISIS has gained territory in Libya as two rival governments and a range of armed factions have battled to control the country since 2014. But it has faced resistance from other local gangs on the ground.
Derna, which has a history of Islamist militancy, was an early bastion for ISIS fighters returning from Iraq and Syria in 2014. Though they lost control of Derna last year, the group established a stronghold in the central coastal city of Sirte.
Last month, a UN-backed Libyan unity government arrived in the capital Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... and is trying to establish its authority over the large oil-producing nation.
But allies of eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar ... served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... have prevented moves by Libya's eastern parliament towards recognizing the new unity government.
The military loyal to the eastern government has been making advances on the ground in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, which is on the coast about 250 km (155 miles) west of Derna.
On Thursday UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler appealed to warring parties in Benghazi to help the departure of civilians who are trapped in areas where there is fighting and who wish to leave.
The United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... says a large number of civilians including Libyans and migrant workers are trapped in several districts in Benghazi, where they face shortages of food and medical supplies.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Suspected 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... gunnies on horseback killed at least 11 people in northeast Nigeria ... a particularly crimson stretch of Islam's bloody border... this week, two civilian vigilantes assisting the military told AFP on Thursday.
The attack on Zango village, in the Gulani district some 150 kilometers (94 miles) south of the Yobo state capital, Damaturu, happened overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday, said Aisami Mamman.
It came two weeks after a similar attack on two nearby villages left at least 20 dead, he added.
"They (Boko Haram) came around midnight (2300 GMT Tuesday) and started firing gunshots in the village. This prompted residents to flee into the bush," said Mamman.
"They pursued them, shooting at them while others set fire to the whole village. The whole village was burnt. Eleven people were killed and several others were maimed, six of them critically.
"They were brought here to Damaturu where they are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds."
The motive for the attack was not immediately clear but previous strikes have seen Boko Haram steal cattle or foodstuffs.
The hit-and-run attack has been a trademark of the 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 affiliate but such incidents have become rarer because of a concerted military counter-offensive in the northeast.
Troops have over the last year wrested back territory lost to the Lions of Islam in 2014, scattering fighters and cutting off their supply lines.
Boko Haram fighters have conducted a number of attacks on remote villages after arriving on horseback and even bicycles because of a shortage of fuel for vehicles or cycle of violences.
Mamman suggested the attackers in Zango came from the Sambisa Forest area of neighboring Borno, where Boko Haram has long had camps.
"Exactly two weeks ago there was a similar attack on two villages nearby. They attacked Gurum and Dokshi villages," he said in an account of both incidents supported by another militia member.
"They burnt them completely and killed more than 20 residents."
Boko Haram has killed nearly 1,900 people since President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May last year, according to AFP reporting.
Overall, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed since the start of the insurgency in 2009.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] A Bahraini court has handed down jail terms between one and 15 years to four men allegedly convicted of using violence against police and possessing weapons, the state prosecutor's office says, in a latest case of Manama's crackdown on people.
In a statement carried on Thursday by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, BNA, the prosecutor's office said one defendant was enjugged I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! for 15 years and another for five years, while two others were sentenced to one year imprisonment each.
The four faced charges including "resisting police, possessing fire arms and ammunition for terrorist aims, attacking others and threatening to use fire arms," the statement said, adding that the case goes back to last March.
Only last month, some 20 people were given jail terms in cases involving attacks on police and a bus, as well as a terrorist plot.
Anti-regime protesters have been holding rallies across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling on the ruling family to relinquish power.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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Turkish warplanes conducted two air operations against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in the southeastern provinces of Hakkari and Şırnak on April 21, the Turkish General Staff has announced.
“On April 21, 2016, between 6:35 a.m. and 7 a.m., four F-16 fighter jets carried out an air operation on separatist terror organization [PKK] targets in the Dağlıca region [of Hakkari] as a result of evaluating intelligence and six F-16 jets carried out an air operation against PKK targets spotted in the rural area south of [the] Uludere [region of Şırnak] as a result of evaluating intelligence. All spotted targets were destroyed. Our warplanes have returned to their bases after successfully carrying out their duties,” the General Staff said in a statement.
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04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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KARACHI: Three suspected militants were shot dead in an ‘encounter’ on the outskirts of Karachi on Thursday evening, according to police officials.
“A contingent of police conducted a targeted raid on a hideout near Superhighway, where they came under fire,” claimed Malir SSP Rao Anwar.
Anwar added that in retaliatory action the suspects were killed.
“The killed militants belonged to the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).”
The suspected militants were allegedly involved in targeted attacks on law enforcement personnel in Karachi and attacks on security forces in Waziristan, and were also involved in kidnapping for ransom and extortion.
Karachi, the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, has witnessed targeted killings, gang wars, and kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism. Targeted operations led by Rangers’ forces with the support of police are ongoing in the city under a directive issued by the federal government against criminals already identified by federal, military and civilian agencies.
[Daily Excelsior] Three Lions of Islam of Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... (LeT) were killed during a shootout at Lolab in North Kashmire’s Kupwara district today while a top LeT commander and his associates slipped out of cordon in South Kashmire’s Pulwama district.
Army’s 28 Rashtirya Rifles (RR) and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmire Police cordoned off the forest area near Gujjarpati village in Putshahi area of Lolab in Kupwara district last night after specific information about the presence of 3-4 Lions of Islam in the area.
Security forces fired several probing shots and Lions of Islam immediately responded and opened a volley of gun fire at the troops leading to a fierce shootout.
Three Lions of Islam were killed in the shootout. However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... their identity is yet to be ascertained. They are believed to be Paks. Three AK 47 rifles, three UBGLs, 387 AK 47 rounds, 10 AK 47 magazines, three pouches, three bags, three water proof Trousers and 40 biscuit packets were recovered from the encounter site.
Reports said that one of the Lions of Islam of the group was killed on April 6 and others had managed to escape and one of these Lions of Islam was injured in that operation. Security forces were tracking these Lions of Islam since then and today they were killed.
A defence front man said here that in a major blow to the myrmidon outfits, the security forces today eliminated three Lions of Islam in Lolab, Kupwara.
"On receiving specific information about the presence of some forces of Evil in Putsai Village, in Lolab, Kupwara, Army and police launched a joint operation. As the Security Forces closed in towards the suspect area, they drew a heavy volume of indiscriminate fire from the cornered terrorists", the front man said.
The front man said that conscious of the presence of innocent civilians who were being used as human shields by the myrmidons, the security forces gave a very calibrated response and in the ensuing firefight killed three heavily armed Lions of Islam without causing any collateral damage.
"A large quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the forces of Evil which includes three AK 47 rifles and three UBGLs besides other war like stores", the front man said.
"In yet another operation launched in Zudur, Pulwama security forces recovered a cache of war like stores including ammunition and grenades", the front man added.
Police said that this morning on specific information Police Kupwara along with 28 RR cordoned Gujjar Pathi Pathushahi in the jurisdiction of Police Station Sogam.
"The Lions of Islam hiding in the area fired upon the security forces. The fire was retaliated and an encounter ensued. Three unidentified Lions of Islam were killed in the encounter. 3 AK 47 Rifles, 3 UBGLs, 387 AK 47 rounds, 10 AK 47 magzines, 3 Pouches, 3 gags, 3 trousers (water proof), and 40 biscuit packets were recovered from the encounter site", police front man said.
The front man said: "A case FIR number 21/16 under Section 307 RPC, 7/27 IA Act has been registered. After completion of legal formalites, the bodies were handed over to Local Auqaf of Village Pothushahi for burial."
In the meantime, a group of Lions of Islam including LeT divisional commander, Abu Dujana, this afternoon managed to flee from the security forces cordon in Pulwama district of South Kashmire.
A police officer said that acting on a tip off from the always reliable Mahmoud the Weasel, a joint team of Army’s 55 RR, SOG and CRPF launched cordon-and-search operation at Bulbul Bagh area of Malwar village of Zadur in South Kashmire.
"Soon after the joint team of forces reached near the suspected spot the Lions of Islam hiding in the area opened fire upon them and managed to break the forces cordon," the officer said.
As the security forces intensified the combing operation in Zadur and its adjacent areas to trace out the fleeing myrmidons, the locals in large numbers came out and clashed with the police and paramilitary forces to help the fleeing myrmidons.
The police and CRPF who were deployed in the area chased the youth and fired tear smoke shells to disperse them. However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... they hurled stones on them leading to festivities.
Security forces recovered 4 UBGL grenades, 3 AK magazines, 90 AK rounds and one pouch.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
At some point, Fred's crazy skill set, is going to make every gunfight in the subcontinent sound like a RAB. I suspect pouch may enter the everyday vocabulary of good Rantburgers everywhere.
[AnNahar] The U.S. Air Force for the first time deployed a B-52 bomber against the 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.... , the Pentagon said Wednesday as it ramps up a 20-month campaign to smash the jihadists.
The bombing mission, in which a hulking B-52 destroyed a weapons storage facility south of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , comes the same week that Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Baghdad and announced extra U.S. troops, cash and equipment for the anti-IS campaign in Iraq.
In other signs of an increasing tempo, U.S. commandos working with Kurdish troops conducted a raid targeting a senior IS group figure and the Pentagon said it has changed how air strikes risking civilian deaths are approved.
Under the new rules, authority now comes from the commanding three-star U.S. general in Baghdad, instead of going through a four-star at the U.S. Central Command's headquarters in Florida.
Baghdad-based military front man Colonel Steve Warren insisted the changes do not lessen oversight standards in determining when civilian losses are an acceptable risk.
"This does not translate to more civilian casualties, this translates to a more rapid execution of strikes," Warren said.
The Pentagon has acknowledged 26 civilian deaths due to U.S.-led coalition strikes since the campaign began in August 2014 in Iraq, and credits the use of guided missiles in keeping the number relatively low -- though independent observers say the figure is far higher.
Monday's strike by a B-52 Stratofortress blew up an IS weapons storage facility in the town of Qayyarah, about 35 miles (60 kilometers) south of Mosul.
The enormous planes, originally designed in the 1950s, became a symbol of U.S. might during the Cold War and the aircraft was used to conduct carpet bombing in Vietnam.
Warren said the B-52s are only being armed with guided bombs.
"There are memories in the collective unconscious of B-52s, decades ago, doing... arguably indiscriminate bombing," Warren said.
"Those days are long gone. The B-52 is a precision-strike weapons platform and it will conduct the same type of precision strikes that we have seen for the last 20 months."
Several B-52s arrived in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... earlier this month to replace a contingent of newer B-1 bombers that had been working in Iraq and Syria for about a year.
Warren also announced that U.S. commandos in northern Iraq had targeted Suleiman Abd Shabib al-Jabouri, "one of ISIS's military emirs and an ISIS war council member."
The Kurdish regional security council said Jabouri was killed in the raid, conducted jointly with Kurdish fighters.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Yup, in our collective unconscious, we knowz the magic woids.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
04/22/2016 7:38 Comments ||
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#4
Drink UP!
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/22/2016 9:33 Comments ||
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#5
The bombing mission, in which a hulking B-52 destroyed a weapons storage facility south of djinn-infested Mosul
I suppose following the subtle logistics chain nuances to the common point-of-origin rather than the delivery destination(s) are a little too complex.
authority now comes from the commanding three-star U.S. general in Baghdad, instead of going through a four-star at the U.S. Central Command's headquarters in Florida.
Maybe a local focus will cut through CENTCOM's 'big picture' brain-fog.
#6
It's only taken 0bean almost eight years of being the president to figure out what he should have known from the get-go. Even then, I suspect this is half for show.
#8
authority now comes from the commanding three-star U.S. general in Baghdad, instead of going through a four-star at the U.S. Central Command's headquarters in Florida.
Been that way for years. Other than theater related intelligence inputs out of SOCCENT or the CENTCOM J2, I'd be surprised if the CENTCOM Combatant Commander even maintains daily situation al awareness of the fight. It's a Klington/JSOC economy of force, 'drone zapp' fight. Again, it has been for years. That's the way Champ
wants it.
#11
authority now comes from the commanding three-star U.S. general in Baghdad, instead of going through a four-star at the U.S. Central Command's headquarters in Florida.
However, air strikes still require the approval of 27 WH attorneys including Tom Hayden and Valerie Jarrett.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
04/22/2016 13:27 Comments ||
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#12
Boeing B-52; doing the job the L-M F-35 can't.
#16
So there’s been a bunch of commotion this week because two F-22 Raptor pilots say they want to transfer to flying different jets. Now, the pilots will go on 60 Minutes this Sunday to discuss the matter. Naturally, everyone’s freaking out since the pilots are apparently going to blow the lid off the jets’ safety issues that we, and everyone else, have written about over the last year.
As you know, the Raptors where cleared to return to flight in September 2011 following a lengthy grounding so that service officials could figure out what was causing F-22 pilots to experience hypoxia-like symptoms in flight (the grounding came several months after an Alaska-based F-22 crashed in November 2010 when its pilot lost situational awareness while trying to activate his plane’s emergency oxygen system). The Air Force still hasn’t figured out what’s messing with the F-22’s pilots and in fact, Raptor jocks have reported 11 instances of hypoxia-like symptoms since the grounding was lifted.
This has apparently prompted at least two pilots to lose faith in the jet as a safe flying platform, with one, Maj. Jeremy Gordon saying he’s “not comfortable flying the F-22 right now.”
The other pilot, Capt. Josh Wilson described an instance last year where he sensed the onset of hypoxia and reached for the plane’s emergency oxygen system — just like the pilot involved in the Alaska crash — but couldn’t remember how to find the system’s poorly-designed activation ring.
From the Newport News Daily Press:
It was … kind of a surreal experience,” he says, because it took great concentration to do simple tasks. He attempted to pull an emergency oxygen ring and couldn’t find it in the cockpit.
Capt. Jeff Haney was headed back to base in his F-22 Raptor fighter jet, ripping through the frigid Alaskan night beyond the speed of sound at more than 1,000 mph, when things started going terribly wrong.
Packed tight in cold-weather gear to protect him from the bitter temperatures, the Air Force pilot pulled back on the control stick at about 38,400 feet to gain altitude. Then Haney saw his plane was beginning to fail him.
A caution light glowed green through his night vision goggles, alerting him that a section of the aircraft was overheating. Almost instantly, the F-22's onboard computers detected an air leak in the engine bay and began automatic shutdown of various systems — including the main oxygen supply.
Gasping for air, Haney set the throttles to idle and began lowering the plane to the snow-covered valley below. About 35 seconds later, Haney's plane began to roll upside down. He couldn't recover. There amid the Talkeetna Mountains north of Anchorage, Haney, 31, crashed and died.
When the U.S. sought to assure Asian allies that it would defend them against potential aggression by North Korea this spring, the Pentagon deployed its top-of-the-line jet fighter, the F-22 Raptor.
But only two of the jets were sent screaming through the skies south of Seoul.
That token show of American force was a stark reminder that the U.S. may have few F-22s to spare. Alarmed by soaring costs, the Defense Department shut down production last year after spending $67.3 billion on just 188 planes — leaving the Air Force to rely mainly on its fleet of 30-year-old conventional fighters.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-advanced-fighter-woes-20130616-dto-htmlstory.html
Sorry about the lack of easy links, but I am working from an iPad, which although expensive but not rare, lacks several important features for us keyboard warriors :)
#19
Had an uncle who flew B24s in the Pacific. A brother in C130 ditto, and a fraternity brother in KC135, same also again.
Somebody must have had a better idea. Maybe we ought to look at which senator is having the thing built in his state.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
04/22/2016 22:07 Comments ||
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#20
Just re-read Ambrose's The Wild Blue.
B-24 pilot didn't sound easy. Did he get Liberator Arm?
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – A source within the paramilitary Peshmerga force said on Thursday, that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had managed to repel an attack by ISIS on the area of Domiz west of Sinjar.
The source said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “Today, Peshmerga forces repelled a suicide attack by ISIS militants on the area of Dumiz west of Sinjar,” noting that, “The ISIS used three suicide bombers during the attack.”
The source added, “The attack resulted in the injury of a number of Peshmerga elements.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Dohuk – The armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Thursday killing three Turkish soldiers and wounding another during a militant attack near the Iraqi border.
The PKK said in a brief statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Today, our forces launched an attack against a site for the Turkish Special Forces in the area of Jali, located on the Turkish-Iraqi border,” indicating that, “Heavy weapons were used during the attack.”
The statement added, “The attack resulted in killing three Turkish soldiers and wounding another soldier.”
(IraqiNews.com) Babel – A source in the Iraqi police in Babel province said on Thursday, that the security forces had managed to detain 37 wanted individuals during raid operations in different areas of the province.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “Police forces conducted during the past few hours raid and inspection operations in different areas of the province,” noting that, “[The operations] resulted in the arrest of 37 wanted individuals on criminal charges and various legal violations.”
The source also added, “The detainees were transferred to a security center for interrogation.”
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – A source in Kirkuk Police Command said on Thursday, that 8 ISIS elements, including a prominent leader, had been arrested south of the province.
The head of Kirkuk Police, Sarhad Qader, said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “Today, a force belonging to the police conducted a raid operation in different areas in southern Kirkuk,” pointing out that, “The operation resulted in the arrest of eight ISIS elements who were working as a group.”
Qader also added, “A leader within the ISIS called Yaser Muhammed was among the detained group,” noting that, “He carried out a number of terrorist operations in the province.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – A source in Nineveh Operations Command revealed on Thursday, that 200 people were able to escape from the areas controlled by ISIS south of Mosul, while emphasized that the security forces have secured their arrival to Makhmur District.
The source said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “Today, 200 people were able to escape from the villages of al-Haj Ali and al-Mahana south of Mosul, toward the areas secured by the Iraqi security forces.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The army’s 15th brigade managed to evacuate the citizens to Makhmur District.”
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – A security source in Nineveh province said on Thursday, that three ISIS leaders were killed in an aerial bombing by the international coalition aviation in central Nineveh.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “Today, a drone belonging to the international coalition conducted an aerial raid in the neighborhood of al-Wehda in central Nineveh, resulting in the destruction of a vehicle and the death of three ISIS leaders.”
“The [aerial] bombing was carried out in coordination with the intelligence agencies,” the source added.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Diyala – The Head of Abbara Council in Diyala Province Adnan al-Tamimi revealed on Thursday, that three police elements were either killed or wounded in an armed attack launched by ISIS members east of the vicinity.
Tamimi said in a brief statement received by IraqiNews.com, “Today, ISIS members launched an armed attack on a police checkpoint in the vicinity of Zaghniya village (5 km east of Abbara vicinity and 15 km northeast of Baqubah), killing a policeman and wounding two others.”
Tamimi added, “The courageous police elements foiled ISIS attack on the village.”
(IraqiNews.com) Diyala – On Thursday, Diyala Police Chief Jassim al-Saadi announced arresting the terrorist who participated in the killing of 13 soldiers in Camp Speicher massacre.
Saadi said in a brief statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “A special security force from Diyala police carried out an operation in the western neighborhoods of Baqubah City, and was able to arrest a terrorist.”
Saadi added, “The arrested terrorist was involved in many crimes, including houses’ detonation in Beni Yazid village, assassinations in al-Mafreq area, in addition to killing 13 soldiers in Camp Speicher massacre.”
“The terrorist was arrested based on accurate intelligence information,” Saadi continued.
(IraqiNews.com) Diyali – A security source in Diyali province said on Thursday, that unidentified gunmen killed an element of al-Hashed al-Sha’bi militia near a village northeast of Baqubah.
The source, who requested anonymity, said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “Today, unidentified gunmen attacked an element of al-Hashed al-Sha’bi [militia] near the village of Bruwana al-Kabira (13 km northeast of Baqubah) and opened their fire against him, resulting in his immediate death,” pointing out that, “A security force cordoned off the area and transferred the dead body to the forensic medicine authority, while opened an investigation into the incident.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – On Wednesday the leadership of al-Hashed al-Shaabi in Anbar Province announced killing 40 militants from the so-called ISIS during the cleaning battles of al-Karma District east of Fallujah, while indicated that the cleansing operations had been stopped until the arrival of military reinforcements.
The commander of Karmat Fallujah brigade, Colonel Khamis Bahr Halbusi, said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The cleaning battles that were started today in al-Karma District resulted in the killing of 40 ISIS fighters and five security personnel, including a captain, in addition to wounding four others.”
Halbusi added, “The cleaning battles had been stopped until the redeployment of security forces and arrival of military reinforcements,” pointing out that, “The liberation operations will be resumed in the coming few hours.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – On Thursday the Council of Amiriyah Fallujah in Anbar Province announced, that the so-called ISIS Wali of south Fallujah was killed in an aerial bombing carried out by the international coalition aviation south of the city, along with six of his assistants, while emphasized that the cleansing battles of Fallujah will start soon.
The member of Amiriyah Fallujah council, Khudair Rashid, said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The international coalition aviation conducted an air strike on ISIS gathering in the area of Ahsi in Ameriya vicinity (22 km south of Fallujah), killing the so-called ISIS Wali of south of Fallujah, along with six of his assistants.”
Rashed added, “The security forces continue the cleansing battles of Amiriyah areas south of Fallujah backed by the coalition aircraft,” indicating that, “The security forces from the army, police and tribal fighters will have an important role in the storming of the southern and western axes of Fallujah.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – A source in al-Jazeera and al-Badiya Operations Command in Anbar Province stated on Thursday, that ten members of the so-called ISIS were killed in an artillery shelling in al-Ratba District west of Ramadi, while pointed out that the security forces are ready to storm the district and cleanse it from ISIS members.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces from the army and al-Jazeera and al-Badiya Operations detected a convoy of seven vehicles belonging to ISIS while trying to leave al-Ratba District,” pointing out that, “The security forces’ artillery bombed the ISIS convoy, destructing it completely and killing ten ISIS fighters.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “ISIS is trying to deploy its members in the hubs and entrances of al-Ratba,” indicating that, “The security forces are ready to storm the city and cleanse it from ISIS cells.”
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – On Thursday the Mayor of Ramadi District in Anbar Province Ibrahim al-Awsaj revealed, that six civilians were killed in the explosion of booby-trapped houses in the city, while called the civilians to avoid entering the areas closed by the security forces.
Awsaj said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Six civilians were killed in the explosion of six booby-trapped houses in the neighborhoods and areas of al-Aramel, al-Andalus, al-Thobat and al-Houz in Ramadi City,” pointing out that, “The civilians entered the houses after being warned and barred by the security forces.”
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday, that nine people had been either killed or wounded in a bomb blast in western Baghdad.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, a bomb exploded near a popular market in al-Bakriya area in western Baghdad, killing one person and injuring eight others.”
The source, who requested anonymity, added, “A security force rushed to the area and transferred the wounded to a nearby hospital to receive treatment and the dead body to the forensic medicine department, while cordoned off the area of the incident and barred approaching it.”
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday, that 10 people had been either killed or wounded in the explosion of an explosive device in Madain area in southern Baghdad.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “This evening, an explosive device exploded in a popular cafe in Madain area in southern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding eight others.”
The source, who asked anonymity, added, “A security force cordoned off the area and transferred the wounded to a hospital for treatment and the dead bodies to the forensic medicine department.”
[IsraelTimes] Monday’s blast marks 1st suicide kaboom of current terror wave; cell members in Bethlehem tossed in the slammer Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! ; terrorist Abed al-Hamid Abu Srour, 19, died Wednesday of his wounds
The bus bombing in Jerusalem on Monday was a suicide terror attack orchestrated by Paleostinian terror group Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, and several members of the cell responsible have been arrested in the West Bank, security forces revealed on Thursday as a gag order on the case was partially lifted.
The bomber who placed the bomb on board the number 12 bus in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem was identified by the Shin Bet security agency as Abed al-Hamid Abu Srour, 19, from Beit Jala, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The bomber was one of 21 people injured in the attack. He was severely maimed and died of his injuries on Wednesday.
The Shin Bet said several Hamas members from Bethlehem have been arrested in connection with the attack after an intensive manhunt by the security service, police and the IDF.
The attack marked the first suicide kaboom in the wave of Paleostinian terrorism that erupted last October. Hitherto, the attacks -- stabbings, shootings and car-rammings -- had been characterized as "lone wolf" incidents. Hamas has been encouraging attacks on Israelis, and several plots are said to have been thwarted by security forces.
The father of the bomber told Channel 2 on Thursday that he "knew nothing about his affiliation" with Hamas.
The bomber came from a well-known Bethlehem clan, some of whose members have a history of terrorism and violence against Israel.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The holy warriorHamas, always the voice of sweet reason, group deployed forces on Thursday along the Egypt-Gazoo border to counter Cairo’s concerns that it is aiding ISIS hard boyz in Egypt’s lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt accuses Hamas, which rules the Gazoo Strip, of providing a safe haven for the ISIS affiliate in Sinai through a network of smuggling tunnels. Hamas denies the charge.
Hamas and a high-ranking Egyptian security official said the deployment is part of an agreement reached with Egyptian officials last month.
"This emphasizes the Paleostinian stand to tighten security on the border and nothing that harms Egypt will come out of Gazoo," said Hamas front manSami Abu Zuhri ...a senior spokesman for Hamas. Zuhri gained notoriety in 2006 when he dropped his money belt containing somewhere between 640,000 and 900,000 euros, which was confiscated by Paleostinian security and customs officials at a routine border crossing from Egypt to Gaza. The news brought competing Hamas and Fatah forces to the crossing checkpoint for an epic face-making and hollering contest... The Egyptian security official said the deployment is part of the new deal with Egypt that sees Hamas halt tunnel construction in return for opening the Rafah border crossing, Gazoo’ s main gateway to the outside world. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.
On Thursday, armed Hamas men took up positions along the 13-kilometer (8-mile) border, with fighters in pick-up trucks patrolling back and forth.
Relations between Hamas and Egypt soured after the 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Hamas is an offshoot of Morsi's Moslem Brüderbund movement.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Improvised submachine gun and ammunition seized; 8 suspects detained across West Bank
Israeli forces uncovered a weapons workshop and an arms cache in Jerusalem and the West Bank during overnight raids, officials said Thursday morning.
In the Abu Dis neighborhood of East Jerusalem, police said they found a workshop with machines to produce pipe bombs and other "weaponry." In one mill, raw materials to produce explosives and ammunition was found.
Both machines would destroyed by the military, police said. They did not detail if any arrests were made.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, an Israeli soldier found a Carl Gustav-style submachine gun with a bullet magazine, ammunition, a Molotov cocktail, pipe bombs, tear gas grenades and a stock of commando knives.
Eight people were jugged Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! across the West Bank during the raids, including three in Hebron, which was a hotbed of anti-Israel attacks during a six month wave of violence that began in October.
One of the people arrested was suspected of involvement in terror activities and violent rioting against civilians and security forces, according to an IDF statement.
All of the suspects were taken for questioning by security forces.
[ARA News] QAMISHLI – A fragile truce seems to have broken down between the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) backed by the Asayish security forces on the one hand, and pro-regime forces and allied National Defense group on the other, as fierce clashes continued for the second day in the mainly Kurdish city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, local sources reported on Thursday.
Local activists confirmed that the pro-regime army forces pounded Qamishli city with a number of mortar shells, causing casualties among civilians.
Speaking to ARA News in Qamishli, rights activist Ferhad Hisso said that the regime forces stationed in the 54th military Regiment [Tartab] hit the area around Allaya prison (YPG-held Central Prison of Qamishli) eastern the city with a number of mortar shells, causing casualties among civilians.
“Several shells hit the Zaytouniya and al-Gharbi neighborhoods amid continued clashes between the Kurdish Asayish security forces and the pro-regime forces in the vicinity of the security square near al-Wihda roundabout and al-Khalij street in al-Kornish neighborhood south of the city,” Hisso reported.
At least four civilians were killed in the Zaytouniya neighborhood in Thursday’s bombardment, one of them was identified as Helin Ahmed, 10, and more than 24 others wounded, according to a medical source who talked to ARA News on condition of anonymity.
The injured were transferred to as-Salam Hospital in the city.
“We gained control of the Allaya prison after pro-Assad troops have surrendered to the Asayish and YPG forcesــwho were surrounding the prison since Wednesday,” an Asayish official told ARA News.
“We are determined to liberate the city [Qamishli] from the pro-Assad thugs,” he said.
Local sources told ARA News that civilians have been trapped inside the city. “As violence escalates, there are no safe routes leading out of the city.”
In the meantime, militant fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Thursday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed a number of YPG fighters and injured several others in the al-Kornish neighborhood of Qamishli.
The Amaq news agency reported Thursday afternoon that ISIS militants carried out a “martyrdom operation” with an explosive belt among dozens of YPG forces in the Kornish Street in southern Qamishli.
“More than 15 Kurdish fighters fell between dead and wounded in the operation,” it reported.
On the other hand, the Kurdish forces in the city have neither confirmed nor denied the news published by pro-ISIS outlets.
Noteworthy, Syrian government has not released any statements regarding the conflict in Qamishli. Separate clashes have taken place between the two sides in different Kurdish areas in northern Syria, with political leaders calling for ceasefire to focus on the fight against ISIS.
[ARA News] DAMASCUS – At least a dozen soldiers of the Syrian regime army were reportedly killed in clashes with rebel groups while trying to advance on several fighting fronts in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus in southern Syria, local sources reported on Thursday.
Speaking to ARA News in Damascus, media activist Ziad Hussein said that fierce clashes erupted between the pro-regime army forces and rebel fighters on the Bala fighting front, but the rebel groups were able to deter the advancement of the regime’s army and kill several soldiers in the ranks of the regime’s army forces.
“Syrian rebels were able to destroy a regime-led bulldozer as well as killing seven members of the Assad’s loyal forces, ” he reported.
Rebel fighters gave also destroyed an armored vehicle for the army and killed its entire crew, according to a rebel spokesman.
“Three other soldiers were killed on the fighting front of the Jisrain town amid mutual artillery and missile bombardment,” he reported.
Eyewitnesses told ARA News that similar clashes broke out between the two sides in the fighting front of al-Nashabiyah. Casualties were reported on both sides.
Also on Thursday, the pro-regime warplanes conducted over six raids on headquarters of the rebels in the districts of Bala and Marj in Damascus suburb, wounding six civilians, including a woman and two children who were taken immediately to a field hospital for treatment.
Additionally, helicopters loyal to president Bashar al-Assad dropped more than eight barrel bombs on the town of Khan al-Sheeh in the western Ghouta, claiming the lives of several people and injuring others, including an elderly man who suffered serious injuries.
The southern fronts of the Eastern Ghouta in Damascus has been witnessing daily clashes between the regime’s forces and opposition factions, including the Army of Islam, for several weeks amid mutual shelling between the two sides.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/22/2016 00:00 ||
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[ARA News] PALMYRA – Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, which was regained by Syrian army forces –supported by Russian air cover– from militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) last month, was declared free of land-mines and explosive devices on Thursday.
Yury Stavitsky, commander of Russia’s military engineers, addressed President Vladimir Putin in a televised video, saying: “As of today, the tasks to demine the ancient architectural part of Palmyra have been completed in their entirety.”
“Now the units of engineers have moved on to demining the residential area of the town of Palmyra and the airport,” Stavitsky said. “367 buildings, 40 hectares (99 acres) of land and 9.5 kilometers (5.9 miles) of roads were checked and 1,432 explosive devices destroyed.”
Putin had personally ordered the demining, and the Kremlin has been keen to publicize the operation. “Pass on my gratitude to all the personnel: officers, rank-and-file, those providing security,” Putin said.
In August 2015, satellite images confirmed the destruction of the Baal Shamin temple in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, according to the United Nations, which condemned ISIS claims of destroying the temple.
The U.N. has slammed the destruction of the temple as a “war crime,” and the act has raised concerns for the rest of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Also, ISIS published images last August, showing militants placing explosives into the temple in order to destroy the ancient monuments arguing they are worshipped by people and must be smashed, according to ISIS ideology.
ISIS took over Palmyra after fierce battles with Syrian army forces in May 2015.
In March 2016, the pro-regime forces were able to impose full control over Palmyra downtown after ISIS extremists retreated towards the northern villages of Palmyra and its eastern outskirts. The group’s leadership ordered its militants to withdraw towards its main bastion of Raqqa, northeastern Syria.
In the meantime, the United States said it is concerned by reports that Moscow is moving more military material into Syria.
“We think it would be negative for Russia to move additional military equipment or personnel into Syria. We believe that our efforts are best focused on supporting the diplomatic process,” Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, said on Thursday at a news briefing in Riyadh where President Obama was attending a summit with Gulf Arab leaders.
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.
Security forces have launched a military operation in Warduj district of north-eastern Badakhshan to re-capture the district from Taliban insurgents, local officials said on Thursday.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 21 
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 10 
KARACHI: Three suspected militants were shot dead in an ‘encounter’ on the outskirts of Karachi on Thursday evening, according to police officials.
[AnNahar] The U.S. Air Force for the first time deployed a B-52 bomber against the 
[ARA News] PALMYRA – Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, which was regained by Syrian army forces –supported by Russian air cover– from militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) last month, was declared free of land-mines and explosive devices on Thursday. 
