[BBC] Three British nationals are currently being held in jug by the Taliban ...Arabic for students... in Afghanistan, a humanitarian organization has told the BBC.
Scott Richards from the Presidium Network named one of the men as Kevin Cornwell, 53, from Middlesbrough.
Mr Richards said he and another unnamed man had been arrested on 11 January. He confirmed a third British man was also taken into custody on a different date.
The Foreign Office said it was working hard to contact the men.
The Presidium Network is a UK-based non-profit organization that provides support to communities in crisis, representing the needs of people affected by violence or poverty to international policy makers.
Mr Richards confirmed the organization is representing Mr Cornwell, a paramedic who works for a charity, and the second unnamed man but not the third British national.
Mr Richards said while there were "no official charges as such", the two men's detention was understood to be over a weapon in a safe in Mr Cornwell's room, which he said was stored with a licence issued by the Afghan interior ministry.
"That license is missing," he said, adding: "But we have taken several statements from witnesses who have seen the licence and affirm its existence.
"It is perfectly possible that during the search the licence was separated from the weapon and, as such, why we refer to this scenario as a probable misunderstanding."
The third man is understood to be Miles Routledge, 23, from Birmingham, who was evacuated from Afghanistan by British Armed Forces in August 2021.
The former Loughborough University student has attracted attention by travelling to dangerous countries and posting about it on social media.
He previously shared that he chose Afghanistan because he enjoyed "dark" and "extreme" tourism.
Following his extraction from the country less than two years ago, he told the BBC he was "exhausted but relieved" and thanked the British Army who had been deployed to support the evacuation of UK nationals from Kabul.
Mr Richard told Sky News: "To our knowledge and awareness, we do believe they are in good health and being well treated.
"We have no reason to believe they've been subject to any negative treatment such as torture and we're told that they are as good as can be expected in such circumstances."
He added that there has been "no meaningful contact" between authorities and the two men Presidium is assisting.
[ArianaNews] The Ministry of Interior says the special forces from the ministry and the 209th Army Corps of al-Fatah carried out an operation and rescued a businessman who was kidnapped a month ago in Balkh, Mazar-e-Sharif city.
The ministry said on Twitter the trader was kidnapped in the first district of Mazar-e-Sharif city by kidnappers and a ransom of $300,000 was demanded for his release.
Two of the kidnappers were arrested in this operation, the officials said.
[KhaamaPress] Former military doctor Shabir Shirzad who served former Afghan intelligence agency, was rubbed out by Taliban ...Arabic for students... forces in Northern Parwan province on Friday evening, local sources confirmed.
A former military doctor, aged 32, while he was heading to the capital city of Kabul, Taliban took him out of his vehicle and shot him in Ghorband district on Friday around 6:00 Pm local time; his brother has confirmed the incident in a tweet.
His brother, Sameer Shirzad, said that he had been living in Islamabad, Pakistain, and recently returned to Afghanistan to participate in the funeral ceremony of his slain uncle.
He also added that Mullah Jan Agha, a local Taliban commander in the district, had murdered his brother.
Doctor Shirzad was a medical degree from medical science, Afghanistan and a master’s degree in criminology from The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... university.
Before the regime changed in Afghanistan, he had served at the National Directorate of the security health department, a former intelligence agency of Afghanistan.
The Taliban authorities have yet to comment on the incident.
3 BRITISH CITIZENS REPORTEDLY DETAINED BY THE TALIBAN – Multiple international news outlets are reporting that 3 men from Great Britain are currently being held by the Taliban. Initially, the reports were brushed off as an ‘April Fools’ Day shenanigan, but the British Home Office confirmed the reports to several British news organizations. The Afghan Digest had initially reported on the possible arrest of influencer, Miles Routledge on March 18th, but received several notes from readers that the information was fake. According to a non-profit (Presidium Network), the three are being held by the General Directorate of Intelligence in an undisclosed location. It is not clear when the men were arrested but rumors circulating in the press say it may have been 11 January 2023. A British Foreign Office spokesman said they are working on securing the men’s release.
TALIBAN SCUFFLE IN PANJSHIR – A clash between members of the Taliban Judiciary and Security Forces was reported to have involved gunfire. A senior judge of the Provincial court system took umbrage when Security Forces personnel began screening the phones of court employees. A scuffle broke out and several shots were reported. The senior judge (unidentified as of publication) was reportedly wounded and taken to a hospital. There are scattered reports that others were wounded in the melee that lasted for approximately an hour. A source in Kabul said the security personnel was reacting to an order from Kabul to ‘find Resistance sympathizers in government offices’. It is not clear if this clash took place in Bazarak or another location.
FORMER REGIME MINISTER SCOLDS TALIBAN FOR LACK OF ETHNIC DIVERSITY – Abdul Bari Jahani, the former Minister of Information and Culture, penned a letter to the Taliban where he lambasted the regime for monopolizing the power in the hands of Pashtuns and excluding the other ethnicities in the country. He also criticized the appointments of Mullahs to Ministries and Departments with which they are unqualified. He ended with a warning that the US could cut financial support at any time.
TALIBAN SIEZE 40,000 KG OF AMMONIUM CHLORIDE IN NIMRUZ – The Afghan Digest reported in February that the Taliban were searching for a large shipment of Ammonium Nitrate which had reportedly been smuggled into the country by ISIS-K for use in a large fuel-bomb. Taliban officials in Nimruz announced they had seized 40,000 kg of Ammonium Chloride that was being transported on two trucks. 2 men have been arrested in connection with the shipment and it is not clear where the chemicals originated or what the intended use would be.
CONFLICT TRACKER Panjshir: Several news outlets reported a clash between Taliban forces in Panjshir province yesterday evening. The clash is said to have involved the Taliban security forces and employees of the judicial system. The chief justice of the court is said to have been wounded and there are reports of additional casualties, but an accurate account has not been received yet. The clash reportedly lasted an hour.
NEXT 24 HOURS
TALIBAN PREPARING FOR AN OFFENSIVE IN PANJSHIR – A source in Kabul said that plans were laid to conduct reconnaissance of two NRF bases in the Province in the next twenty-four hours. Approximately 100 Taliban members were expected to take part in the operation. The locations of the probes were not available. At-risk Afghans residing in the Province should be aware that military operations could commence at any given time.
[ShabelleMedia] A witness says a senior Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... state security official is among three people maimed in a kaboom in the divided Galkayo city on Friday night.
The bomb targeted a vehicle carrying an investigator with Puntland security agencies Abdi Mahad Hussein in the city shortly after the Iftar, the fast-breaking meal in the evening.
In the aftermath of the blast, police arrived and cordoned off the scene, where they later evacuated the maimed to the hospital for medical attention, according to the reports.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing which comes weeks after Puntland executed dozens of al-Shabaab ...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa... and ISIS members for their role in attacks and killings.
The attack highlights the dual challenges facing security forces from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab and the growing presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems... in the Bari region.
Al-Shabaab, which is fighting to overthrow the internationally recognized Somali government has bases in the Galgala mountains near the port city of Bossaso, where it trains fighters.
The Fight against gangs dominates the US-Africa counterterrorism strategy which involves targeting al-Shabaab in Somalia before the group risks America’s HoA interest.
[Garowe] In partnership with the Somali Police Force Army [SPF], the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] police have intensified patrols in the country, as a strategy to secure the busy city during the holy month of Ramadan which Death Eaters often take advantage of by waging attacks.
According to the police, a joint operation between the local police and the AU police force has been targeting checkpoints and access routes that al-Shabaab ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... often uses as soft targets. The army is also involved but at a much more critical and complex level in securing the city.
"The importance of this joint patrol is for the residents to know that ATMIS is working alongside them round the clock to improve security," Barrie Yusuf, ATMIS Joint Operations Command Center [JOCC] Team Leader, said in a statement released recently, noting that the surveillance will go on for a while.
He insisted that teamwork will help the police force secure Mogadishu which Death Eaters target often during festivities. Ramadan is a holy month in the Moslem calendar and almost 99 percent of Somalis are Moslems with very few parentages subscribing to other religions.
For a long time, ATMIS has been pushing to secure the country from attacks, especially by al-Shabaab bandidossnuffies who are losing significant territories in central and southern Somalia. With Mogadishu secured, most ATMIS troops will be joining Somali National Army in the next phase of the al-Shabaab crackdown across the country.
According to Ali Mohammed Ousman who is the SPF head of operations at Wadajir Police Station, ATMIS and SPF officers must remain vigilant to thwart or prevent any planned attacks by terrorists. Mogadishu is usually a soft target for the bandidossnuffies due to its strategic location and because it is the commercial and administrative capital.
"The importance of this patrol is to reduce the attacks from terrorist groups," said the officer who has served in the SPF for four years. "The patrols have so far accomplished many things, including increased public safety and security stability," Mohammed added.
ATMIS has reiterated that patrols supported by its force and the Formed Police Unit have largely secured the country from terrorists. The second phase of a crackdown against al-Shabaab bandidossnuffies is expected to completely weed out the bandidossnuffies who used to control several parts including the capital.
[ShabelleMedia] Somali government forces successfully neutralized 14 al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... members on Saturday morning after tried to attack their positions in the Bay region.
The battle took place in Makude area, which is about 7 KM south of Baidoa City, the capital of the Bay region and the current administrative headquarters of Southwest State.
The army displayed the bodies of the turbans who carried out the attack, according to statements and photos disseminated on the telegram channel of the Somali state media.
The government said that the army succeeded in killing all the al-Shabaab fighters who attacked the army camp in Makude. There was no independent verification of the claims.
The attack came after al-Shabaab recently carried out heavy attacks in the areas of Ruunirgood and Dara Nicmo, HirShabelle, where they killed SNA forces and vigilantes.
The government was blamed for being slow to fight al-Shabaab, which has caused al-Shabaab to regroup and attack or occupy the areas they were previously expelled from.
According to senior SNA officials, the bully boyz were ambushed at one of their hideouts in Makude which is situated at least 7 kilometers south of Baidoa town. The bully boyz who tried to respond were killed on spot by the national army officers who were on the offensive, SNA added.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has announced the second phase of the al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... crackdown which will target the bully boyz in areas that are yet to be redeemed from the group, particularly in central and southern parts of the country where al-Shabaab bully boyz are predominant.
SNA forces alongside clan militia have captured several towns and villages in Galgadud, Mudug, Middle Shabelle, and Hiiraan regions in the last seven months and the fortunes are set to increase with an impending crackdown which will continue for months until the time SNA will take security responsibilities.
The Somali Transition Plan [STP] projects that the local forces will be in charge of security in the next year when the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] team will be leaving. There are also close to 500 US Africa Command soldiers stationed in the country.
Recently, the Somali government announced that al-Shabaab revenue had dwindled by half from $120 million [according to reports by US] but the officials did not mention the exact figure. The US recently announced that the group's revenue increased to $120 million from $100 million.
The Nigerian Army has said that its troops from 1 Division, on Friday during a face-off killed five terrorists, locally dubbed as bandidos terrorising some communities in Kaduna state.
The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Musa Yahaya, who made this known in a statement said the troops, "Through heightened onslaught against bandidos and other criminal elements terrorizing the north-western part of the country, conducted clearance operations" covering Kanti-Tantatu in Kubusu forest, Kaso hills, and some other areas within Chikun LGA in Kaduna.
Yahaya added that "During the operation which lasted several hours, troops dealt a heavy blow on the criminals, neutralising five bandidos."
According to him, the troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, six AK-47 magazines, 24 rounds of 7.62mm, three cycle of violences, one matchet, two handsets and some charms.
Troops of the Nigerian Army and police operatives have repelled an attack launched on a cop shoppe at Jakana, Kaga Local Government of Borno State by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems... of West African Province, (ISWAP) terrorists.
According to counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Zagaza Makama, the attack on the cop shoppe began at about 2:30a.m, when the murderous Moslems mounted their General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), and began shooting sporadically at the police division.
Sources said that the police personnel stationed at the station in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army deployed to protect the community, swiftly responded to the attack, leading to a heavy gun duel that lasted for about 30 minutes.
It was reported that troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade Fighting Patrol were also deployed to the scene to assist the police, which made it possible to overwhelm the murderous Moslems and forced them to flee.
However, corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... it was gathered that no casualty was recorded in the incident as of the time of reporting.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] A citizen was killed and another was injured by fire of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) militia in Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... province, southern Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... , on Friday.
Local sources also reported that members of the STC militia opened fire on two citizens while passing by al-Humaima point east of Modiya district, killing one and injuring another.
Abyan has been in a state of insecurity since last August, when UAE-affiliated factions announced Operation "Siham al-Sharq" against "al-Qaeda elements" and Islah party forces of Evil in several districts.
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[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Tensions between Emirati and Saudi factions have escalated in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s southern port city of Aden.
According to informed sources, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militia led by Musleh al-Dharhani, the director of Dar Saad police, stormed the house of Nazih al-Uzaibi, the head of operations of the Transport Brigade, affiliated with Islah party, and looted its contents.
The sources indicated that the leadership of the so-called Saudi-backed " Dera al-Wata" Forces seeking to appoint al-Uzaibi as a commander in one of its brigades in the city of Aden or Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... This comes after 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... summoned the commander of the Transport Brigade, Amjad Khaled, and prominent leaders in the Presidential Protection Brigades affiliated with Islah, in preparation for their appointment as head of the brigades of the so-called "Dera al-Watan" Forces, in Aden and Abyan, foreshadowing a round of confrontations in Aden, similar to August 2019.
It is worth mentioning that al-Uzaibi was detained by members of the "Fifth Brigade" in restive Lahj ... a Yemeni governate located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the stomping grounds on the southern secessionist al-Harak movement , which is led by Saleh al-Sayed, and was released from prison by a military force sent by leader Amjad Khaled, the STC’s archenemy.
Aden has been witnessing unprecedented tensions between the factions of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in light of the latter’s insistence on excluding the Emirati factions from their main stronghold, and pushing their new factions.
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[Dawn] A Pakistain Army soldier and a Counter-Terrorism Department constable embraced martyrdom in exchange of fire with holy warriors in North Wazoo and Mardan districts on Friday, ISPR and police officials said.
"An exchange of fire took place between holy warriors and the security forces in Mirali area of North Waziristan. During intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Irshadullah, 29, a resident of Karak district, embraced martyrdom," a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
The statement said sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any holy warriors found there.
Meanwhile, ...back at the the conspirators' cleverly concealed hideout Montefiore's foot was still stuck and the hound had completely soaked his uniform with slobber... a CTD constable was martyred and a wanted bully boy was killed in an exchange of fire in Mardan on Friday.
Police said a CTD team raided a mosque located in Seri Behlol locality after receiving information about the presence of a wanted bully boy there.
The bully boy, who was identified as Maulana Jawad, opened fire on the CTD officials, causing serious injuries to constable Usman Shah. In retaliatory firing by the injured constable, the bully boy also sustained critical wounds.
The officials said the injured constable embraced martyrdom while being shifted to a hospital. The bully boy also died on the way to the hospital.
The CTD lodged an FIR against the bully boy and his family members and launched an investigation.
[Dawn] Four soldiers were martyred on Saturday in a terrorist attack along the Pak-Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... border in the Jalgai sector of 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... ’s Kech district, according to the military’s media wing.
A blurb from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: "On April 1, 2023, a group of murderous Moslems operating from Iranian side attacked a routine border patrol of Pak security forces operating along Pakistain-Iran Border in Jalgai Sector, District Kech.
"In the attack, unfortunately, four soldiers, including Naik Shair Ahmed, Lance Naik Muhammad Asghar, Sepoy Muhammad Irfan and Sepoy Abdur Rasheed, were critically injured and later embraced martyrdom."
The ISPR said that "necessary contact" with the Iranian side was being made for "effective action against terrorists" on their territory and to prevent such incidents in the future.
Insurgent ethnic Baluch nationalist groups operating on both sides of the border have fought for decades for a more significant share of regional resources.
The Balochistan Liberation Army took responsibility for the attack and claimed to be fighting for the independence of Balochistan, which is rich in minerals, water and natural resources.
The Baloch people also claim that they face discrimination from the government. However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... the Pak authorities reject the claims.
[NPASyria] Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS), through close outlets, grabbed credit on Friday for two different attacks in Iraq.
In a statement, the group claimed an attack against a checkpoint of the Iraqi army in western al-Anbar.
Amaq reported that ISIS forces of Evil attacked with light and medium weapons a military vehicle of the Iraqi army near the Akashat—Rutba road in western al-Anbar.
The attack caused material damage to the checkpoint.
Two days earlier, the group grabbed credit for attacking a military vehicle belonging to the Iraqi army on the same road.
[IsraelTimes] 170,000 - 200,000 demonstrated in Tel Aviv, while tens of thousands more rallied in 150 locations across the country. Protest organizers claimed over 400,000 demonstrated nationwide
President Biden’s State Department is determined to get their money’s worth out of these protests.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday in a sign that the massive protest movement against the judicial overhaul remained strong even as the coalition has paused the legislation to allow dialogue on its highly divisive ...politicians call things divisive when when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive, they're principled... efforts to weaken the justice system.
With opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highly distrustful of his overtures — and some coalition members vowing to soon pick up right where they left off — protesters are demanding that instead of pausing the legislation to weaken the courts and politicize judge selection, the coalition shelve the bills completely.
The main rally was held for the 13th straight weekend on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street and Azrieli Junction, which were filled to the brim with demonstrators. Media reports indicated at least 170,000 and up to some 200,000 people demonstrated in Tel Aviv, while tens of thousands more rallied in 150 locations across the country. Protest organizers claimed over 400,000 demonstrated nationwide, though such figures could not be corroborated.
In a new development, many demonstrators at Saturday’s Tel Aviv protest also waved American flags alongside Israeli ones, to voice their support for the US on a week that saw US President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. The very model of propity.... express his opposition to the Israeli government’s conduct, which led the right to lash out at Washington.
Amid the nationwide anti-overhaul protests, hundreds of pro-overhaul protesters demonstrated on Weizmann Street in the central city of Kfar Saba. The demonstrators called on the government to cease the compromise negotiations and carry on with its original controversial plans.
Opposition parties have been engaged in talks with the coalition mediated by President Isaac Herzog since Tuesday. Though talks are ongoing, few expect them to yield an agreement and trust in Netanyahu negotiating in good faith is exceedingly low.
Ahead of Saturday’s rallies, protest leaders likened the pause announced by Netanyahu on Monday to the situation in Poland in 2017, where the president silenced protests against a judicial overhaul with a veto and calls for unity, before the government later enacted almost identical legislation.
Netanyahu said he was suspending the legislation Monday as opposition to the judicial overhaul intensified with mass spontaneous protests seeing hundreds of thousands pouring into the streets, followed by a national strike, after his firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had warned about the security implications of the coalition’s proposals and called for a halt to allow for talks.
The premier indicated the "time-out" would last until the Knesset’s next session, beginning April 30, meaning the pause will mostly take place when the Knesset would be in recess anyway.
But he stressed the overhaul would end up passing "one way or another," and the "lost balance" between the branches of government would be restored. "We will not give up on the path for which we were elected," he vowed.
[IsraelTimes] One victim seriously hurt, another in moderate condition and a third lightly injured; attacker identified as officer in PA security services
A Paleostinian assailant hit three Israeli soldiers south of Bethlehem Saturday night in a ramming attack, the military said.
The driver accelerated toward the soldiers and hit them near the West Bank village of Beit Ummar, as they were operating to secure roads in the area from rock-throwers and other attacks.
Other soldiers shot the attacker dead.
One of the three maimed soldiers was at death's door, another was moderately hurt and a thurd suffered light injuries. They were treated at the scene by paramedics and rushed to a hospital.
Paleostinian media identified the attacker as Mohammed Baradiyah, a 23-year-old officer in the Paleostinian Authority security services.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, writing on Twitter, said terror needed to be dealt with using "a strong hand and with persistence," adding that he had faith in security forces "who continue to act resolutely against terror and restore peace to residents."
Shlomo Ne’eman, chief of the Yesha council representing West Bank settlements, said "the enemy is once again raising its head and trying to murder Jews just because they are Jews, reminding us of the tangible threats against us."
Ne’eman said it was "hard to see" how the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, currently underway, is turned "into a holiday of attacks."
Israeli security forces are on high alert amid the holy month, which usually sees heightened tensions and unrest, and following a string of recent terror attacks.
"Apparently, we as Jews will never understand this. We will continue to build, develop and move forward on the roads of Israel without fear," Ne’eman declared.
Paleostinian terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank in recent months have left 15 Israelis dead and several more seriously hurt.
At least 86 Paleostinians have been killed since the beginning of the year, most of them while carrying out attacks or during festivities with security forces, though some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under circumstances that are being investigated.
[NPASyria] A member of the National Defense Forces (NDF), a militia affiliated with the Syrian government forces, was killed on Friday in a landmine explosion in Deir ez-Zor, east Syria. The mine was likely planted by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS).
A military source within the NDF said Abdulsamad Nawara, 30, was killed in an ISIS landmine explosion while searching for truffles in the southwestern desert of Deir ez-Zor.
Nawara was accompanying a group of civilian truffle hunters, the source added.
The landmines planted in the desert claim the lives of dozens of civilians and military personnel each year, especially those working as truffle hunters.
On Friday, five individuals bit the dust, including one member of the NDF, in three separate incidents in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
On March 23, three people were killed by a landmine likely left by ISIS while hunting for truffles in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
[NPASyria] Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS), through close outlets, grabbed credit on Friday for an attack in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
ISIS-run Amaq news agency said in a statement that the group’s forces of Evil targeted with machineguns what they said to be "a spy" for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town of al-Busayrah east of Deir ez-Zor.
On March 27, ISIS grabbed credit for an attack on an SDF checkpoint near the entrance of the town of al-Hawaij in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Ottoman Turkic catspaws once again behaving badly.
[NPASyria] The military police linked to the Ottoman Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), arrested on Friday a man from the village of Dik Obassi, in Afrin’s Bulbul district north of Aleppo for participating in the Jindires protests.
An exclusive source told North Press that members of the military police raided the house of Salah Hamo, 44, and arrested him under the charge of participating in the Jindires protests following the killing of five civilian Kurds on the eve of Newroz by Ahrar al-Sharqiya bad boys.
On the eve of Newroz, March 20, Lions of Islam of Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction opened fire on local residents celebrating Newroz, a Kurdish national holiday, in Jindires, 20 km west of Afrin, killing five Kurdish men.
Following the crime, massive public demonstrations took place in Jindires and other areas in Afrin.
The source added that Hamo was accused of other charges, such as receiving funding from abroad and the intention of wanting to arm Kurds in the region through voice notes on his phone, enticing contacts towards mutiny and arming themselves against Ottoman Turkish-backed opposition factions, attest to, the authorities say.
On March 27, Lions of Islam of the SNA Sham Legion arrested Khalil Ibrahim, 35, and Omar Omar, 20, from the village of Baye, in the Sherawa district, following their participation in Jindires protests.
The Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press recorded the arrest of six people in Afrin under the charge of participating in Jindires protests and raising the flag of Kurdistan of Iraq. Ahrar al-Sharqiya severely beat and injured two persons for the same reason.
On March 23, Kurdish protestors and relatives of the victims of the Jindires killings demanded the prosecution of the perpetrators and the exit of SNA factions from Afrin in a statement.
[NPASyria] Recently, a video has been circulated in Afrin, northwest Syria, in which two Yazidi men appeared with an unidentified sheikh, announcing their conversion to Islam. The video sparked controversy on social media.
Ali Isso, executive director of Ezdina Foundation, wrote on his Facebook page, "The two people, who are residents of the village of Qibar [in Afrin], were subjected to blackmail and a choice between imprisonment or conversion to Islam."
"The video was filmed inside one of the headquarters of the Ottoman Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, also known as Syria National Army (SNA), in Afrin," he added.
The two people are Sheikh Aref and Haider Aref, while the sheikh who appeared with them is called "Ziyuk", according to Isso.
The video is "documentary of all the testimonies that some Yazidis submitted to the International Investigation Committee earlier, in which they repeatedly confirmed that they were given the choice between arrest or conversion to Islam, and some of them were severely tortured for refusing to convert to Islam," according to Esso.
While other pages on social media said, "The truth is known to everyone, but the video proves the involvement of the SNA factions in changing the city’s features in all respects."
The city of Afrin and its countryside were occupied by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... in 2018 following military operation "Olive Branch" to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s "national security."
The operation caused the displacement of about 300,000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region since then.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] An air defense system went off in the Syrian province of Homs after several rockets were fired by Israel, local media reported April 2.
According to the Al Ekhbariya TV channel, anti-aircraft gunners repel "Israeli missile aggression against the central region and shoot down some of them."
On the air, Sham FM radio station said that four Syrian soldiers were injured as a result of a strike on a military base in the western province of Homs.
As REGNUM reported earlier, on the night of March 30, Israel attacked a number of positions in the vicinity of the Syrian city of Damascus with the help of several missiles. Two soldiers were wounded. There was also property damage.
The state news agency SANA reported that Syria’s air defenses intercepted some of the missiles, although the "aggression" managed to injure five soldiers and caused "material losses." Syria regularly claims to successfully intercept IDF strikes, but military analysts doubt these assertions.
A Syrian military source told SANA that "at about 00:35 in the morning, the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction north-east of Beirut, targeting some points in the city of Homs and its countryside."
The Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said explosions were heard at a few sites including the Syrian military airport at al-Dabaa near Homs, and a fire broke out at a scientific research facility in another area. The organization said the strikes targeted several Syrian military positions and Iranian-backed militia.
Western intelligence sources told Rooters the strikes hit a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based.
The two sources said the strikes targeted the Tiyas air base, also known as T-4, located near the ancient city of Palmyra in the Homs Governorate, and the al-Dabaa airport near the city of al-Qusayr also in the Homs Governorate, near the Lebanese border. It is an area known for the presence of members of Lebanese Hezbollah, a major terror organization backed by Iran, and other pro-Iranian groups and militias.
T-4 is believed to be one of two major airports — the other being Damascus International Airport — where Iranian cargo airlines carrying large weapons set for Leb ...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... often land. The weaponry is then believed to be stored in warehouses in the area before being trucked to Lebanon.
Saturday’s Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s came a day after Syrian media said Israeli airstrikes hit in the capital Damascus for the second time this week. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those strikes targeted an arms depots for government forces and Iran-backed groups just south of Damascus.
On the previous night, SANA said that the IAF targeted sites in Damascus, wounding two soldiers and causing material damage. The conditions of the two soldiers were not immediately clear. In recent years, numerous Syrian soldiers serving in air defense units have been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Satellite images published by an Israeli intelligence and imagery firm show damage purportedly caused to the Syrian military airport at al-Dabaa near Homs in an alleged Israeli airstrike overnight.
According to ImageSat International (ISI), the airstrike late last night likely targeted Iranian-backed Hezbollah drone activity, destroying an aircraft shed, a UAV communication station and a communication vehicle.
Western intelligence sources told Reuters the strikes hit a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based.
Satellite image with circles and arrows can be seen at the link.
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.
...Arabic for 
...Arabic for 
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
[ShabelleMedia] A witness says a senior 
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] A citizen was killed and another was injured by fire of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) militia in 
Wazoo
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
[NPASyria] 
[IsraelTimes] 170,000 - 200,000 demonstrated in Tel Aviv, while tens of thousands more rallied in 150 locations across the country. Protest organizers claimed over 400,000 demonstrated nationwide
...46th president of the U.S. The very model of propity....
[NPASyria] A member of the National Defense Forces (NDF), a militia affiliated with the Syrian government forces, was killed on Friday in a landmine explosion in 
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
