[ShabelleMedia] Somali special forces from the elite Danab unit, backed by specially trained Jubaland police, carried out a coordinated operation in parts of the Lower Juba region targeting al-Shabaab ... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa... krazed killers, officials said Monday.
The joint offensive focused on dismantling al-Shabaab infrastructure in areas believed to have been used to plan and launch attacks, according to military sources.
Several krazed killer hideouts and operational centers were destroyed during the operation.
Commanders leading the mission said the primary goal was to restore security and stability in Jubbaland’s Lower Juba areas, particularly around the strategic city of Kismayo ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.... Lower Juba and other parts of Jubbaland remain key areas where al-Shabaab maintains a strong presence.
The region has seen repeated festivities and Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s aimed at weakening the group’s capabilities.
[ShabelleMedia] In a coordinated effort with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... this morning in 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... , targeting turbans affiliated with 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). The airstrike resulted in significant enemy casualties, according to initial reports.
The Ministry of Defence of Somalia has commended the successful operation, praising the collaboration between the Somali government and the U.S. military in combating terrorism. A statement from the Ministry emphasized the importance of the ongoing partnership and reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to working with international allies to eradicate terrorist groups operating within the country.
"The airstrike today is a clear demonstration of the strength of our partnership with U.S. AFRICOM," the Ministry said in a statement. "Together, we remain dedicated to defeating the terrorist threat posed by ISIS and other holy warrior factions. This successful operation is another step forward in ensuring the security and stability of Somalia."
The airstrike, according to AFRICOM, is part of an ongoing campaign to target and eliminate al-Shabaab ... the personification of Somali state failure... and ISIS, which have been destabilizing the region, particularly in the northern and central parts of Somalia.
While no specific details have been released regarding the number of ISIS turbans killed or captured, the Somali government has vowed to continue its counterterrorism operations in collaboration with international partners to disrupt and dismantle these holy warrior networks.
The U.S. military has been conducting operations in Somalia for several years, primarily focused on targeting al-Shabaab holy warriors, but ISIS-affiliated groups have increasingly become a threat in the country, particularly in Puntland.
This operation underscores the continued international effort to support Somalia’s fight against terrorism and its ongoing commitment to securing a peaceful future for its citizens.
[Garowe] Security teams in Kenya have been activated in the coastal area and around the dense Boni Forest to pursue al-Shabaab ... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them... attackers, who are said to have killed at least five coppers who were on duty within the dangerous zone.
The five officers from the Administration Police (AP) unit were ambushed by suspected al-Shabaab holy warriors early this week within Boni Forest. They are part of the multi-agency security teams serving under the KDF-led Operation Amani Boni..
According to the National Police Service, the affected officers were from the elite Special Operations Group, which works closely with the KDF. Five other officers were critically injured after the ambush, officials said.
The officers were ambushed when they were pursuing the holy warriors believed to be operating in the expansive forest. They had been trailing the Lions of Islam for two days following intelligence that they were hiding in the forest and planned a large-scale attack.
"An SOG team was deployed and embarked on a pursuit patrol to locate enemy forces in Boni Forest within the Janjana areas. After two days of patrolling, the team had contact with a large enemy force in the Lehelo area," the SOG command said.
One corporal and four constables are among the officers killed in the ambush. The five injured officers have since been transferred to Nairobi for special treatment, with a reinforcement deployed to pursue the attackers, officials added.
The attack came just a day after five other quarry workers were killed in an attack while on the way to their workplace in Bur Abor Village in Mandera East, Mandera County. Those killed were mainly nonlocals, a recurring attribute enforced by the krazed killers.
Detectives said preliminary investigations linked the attack to al-Shabaab holy warriors who had been spotted in the area earlier before the attack.
"All the victims were non-locals who were working at a quarry for a living. They have been excavating stones for construction in the area," police said. Cases of al-Shabaab attacks are surging in northeastern and coastal Kenya, but the security teams have managed to foil some attacks.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On May 5, the US and Israeli air forces launched a series of eight strikes on the port and city of Hodeida in western Yemen, Al Jazeera reports.
"Israeli media reports that the strikes on Hodeida targeted a concrete factory used to support the Houthi military industry," the statement said.
According to the channel, 48 bombs were dropped, causing a "heavy blow" to the port of Hodeida. No casualties or deaths were reported.
As reported by Regnum news agency, earlier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to give a powerful response to the missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport by rebels from the Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement and stated that Iran was behind the Houthis’ actions.
On the morning of May 4, it became known that debris from a rocket launched from Yemen fell near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The Israeli army press service confirmed that debris from a rocket launched from Yemen fell near the airport during its interception.
After the missile attack, the use of the airspace at the airport was suspended for about an hour, then the airport resumed receiving and releasing aircraft.
Later that day, the Houthis announced plans to impose a complete air blockade on Israel by launching multiple strikes on airports, primarily Ben Gurion.
The Israeli Air Force on Monday evening carried out Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s in the Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... -held port city of Hodeidah 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... in response to the Iran-backed terror group’s ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport that left several injured a day earlier.
According to the military, the strikes carried out by some 20 IAF fighter jets targeted Houthi infrastructure along the coast of Yemen, including at the Hodeidah port and a concrete factory near the nearby city of Bajil, some 2,000 kilometers from Israel.
The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they fired a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at Ben Gurion. The [Israeli] military has said that Iran, and the Houthis — which are supplied by Tehran — do not possess hypersonic missiles, and the missiles they have launched at the country are not maneuverable.
The jets dropped 50 munitions on the Houthi targets, the military said, publishing images showing the jets preparing for takeoff. IAF refuelers and spy planes also participated in the operation.
The Israel Defense Forces said the Hodeidah port was used by the Houthis "for the transfer of Iranian weapons, equipment for military needs, and other terror purposes."
The Bajil concrete factory "serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terror regime and is used for building tunnels and military infrastructure," the IDF said, adding that the strikes "constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup."
"The strike was conducted in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, during which surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs were launched toward Israeli territory and its civilians," the military said in a statement
It was the sixth Israeli strike in Yemen since the beginning of the war, and the first since January. The IDF had stopped responding to the Houthis missile and drone fire on Israel, after the US launched a major aerial campaign against the Iran-backed group several months ago.
A large fire reported in the Bajil district in Hodeidah Govenorate following Israeli airstrikes against Houthi targets. pic.twitter.com/HzcaEL1zTB
Israeli officials said the strikes were coordinated with the US, but were not a joint operation.
Footage posted online purportedly showed a large fire at the concrete factory, where the Houthi-run health ministry reported at least 21 people were injured.
Some of the first footage from tonight’s unilateral strikes by the Israeli Air Force against Hodeidah in Houthi-controlled Western Yemen, which is reported to have heavily targeted a cement factory on the outskirts of the city as well as the Port of Hodeidah. pic.twitter.com/gWDSVCLnsV
Nasruddin Amer, head of the Houthi media office, later said the Israeli strikes would not deter the rebels, and vowed that they would respond to the attack.
“The aggressive Zionist-American raids on civilian facilities will not affect our military operations against the Zionist enemy entity,” he said in a social media post.
Monday’s strikes came after a missile fired from Yemen on Sunday landed inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv for the first time, in a grove of trees alongside an access road close to the airport’s main Terminal 3, several hundred yards from the facility’s control tower. The missile gouged a wide crater in the ground near an airport parking lot, injuring six people, none of them seriously, and prompting most international airlines to suspend flights.
The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they fired a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at Ben Gurion. The [Israeli] military has said that Iran, and the Houthis — which are supplied by Tehran — do not possess hypersonic missiles, and the missiles they have launched at the country are not maneuverable.
The Houthis “will work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy by repeatedly targeting airports, most notably… Ben Gurion Airport,” the terror group said in a statement. The success of such a blockade is highly unlikely, however, with Israel’s defensive systems expected to be able to tackle most incoming missiles.
While I don't hold a Ph.D. in How Stuff Burns, that doesn't look to me like the way a cement factory would burn. Cement just kind of sits there, you know? That's its one job. Two, if you count "not burning" separately.
On the flip side, in a war where one side is composed of terrorists who hide their deadly missile stashes in concrete bunkers, a cement factory seems like a legitimate target.
The IDF has said that the concrete factory is an “important economic resource” for the Houthis, alleging that it is used “for building tunnels and military infrastructure.”
#1
'When Israel attacks, it destroys everything': Yemenis fear further Israeli strikes amid oil shortages
An interesting insight into the workings of Arab mind “This isn’t just about the Houthis—it affects everyone. You’re [Israel] bombing everything, like it’s revenge. People are afraid. When Israel strikes, it destroys everything. And today, the worst happened — there’s no fuel. It’s gone. Even though the company issued a statement, we’re tired of war. We’re exhausted.”
#5
Trump: ""The Houthis have announced that— they don't want to fight anymore. They just don't want to fight, and we will honor that, and we will stop the bombings. They have capitulated...They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Two attackers on traffic police officers were eliminated in Makhachkala. This was reported by the head of the press service and information technology department of the Sovietsky district of Makhachkala, Abdulla Kamilov.
“According to the information we have, two militants were neutralized,” Kamilov wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, during the attack the terrorists took over a police patrol car. Now law enforcement officers continue to search for other possible participants in the incident. Kamilov called on local residents to wait until the operational work is completed and not to go outside.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, unknown persons opened fire on police officers at the intersection of Kerimov and Magomedtagirov streets in Makhachkala. As a result, three law enforcement officers were killed, and one of the attackers was killed by return fire.
According to the head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, the shooting was carried out by the driver of a car that the police were trying to stop. The city has an "Intercept" plan in place. As a result of the incident, one police officer was killed and two others were injured. According to the regional health ministry, at least seven people were injured, including a seventeen-year-old girl.
Later, footage of a shootout between police officers and armed bandits at the intersection of Kerimov and Magomedtagirov streets appeared online. The footage shows police cars and the bodies of the dead, as well as eyewitnesses hiding from bullets.
The regional department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the fact of an attempt on the lives of law enforcement officers.
[IsraelTimes] Pro-Palestinian protesters are gathered about a block away from the Met Gala in Manhattan as the area immediately around the museum is been cordoned off by police.
Organizers calling for protesters to “surround” the Met in social media posts claimed the Manhattan institution is “tied to genocide in every way possible.”
The hardline Within Our Lifetime organization, the group at the center of New York City’s most volatile anti-Israel protests, also called out celebrities for continuing to “flaunt their extreme wealth and materialism” as residents of Gaza suffer in the ongoing war with Israel.
Video clips shared on social media show some protesters hopping over barricades as they marched in the rain through Central Park. Other clips show protesters met by vocal counterprotesters supporting Israel.
New York City police say no arrests had been made.
It’s the second year in a row that protests have taken place outside the gala.
[NYTimes] The strikes came after an attack by militants killed more than two dozen civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir and are an intensification of a conflict between two nuclear powers.
India said early Wednesday that it had conducted strikes on Pakistan, two weeks after an attack by armed militants killed more than two dozen civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Interesting that the New York Times stylebook slavishly copies the Pakistani term, instead of calling it Jammu and Kashmir, as India calls its own territory..
The Indian government said its forces had struck nine sites in Pakistan and on Pakistan’s side of the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistani military officials said that five places had been hit, in Punjab Province and its part of Kashmir.
“Our actions have been focused, measured, and nonescalatory in nature,” the Indian government said. “No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.”
In its own statement, the Pakistani government said that the strikes “will not go unanswered” and that it would respond at “a time and place of its own choosing.” It added, “The temporary pleasure of India will be replaced by enduring grief.”
Pakistani military officials said they had begun a “measured but forceful” response. They did not share operational details but said that retaliation was underway.
The precise nature of the Indian strikes — whether they involved missiles fired from India or Indian fighter jets crossing into Pakistan — was unclear. The Pakistani military said that Indian planes did not enter Pakistan’s airspace in conducting the attacks.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/06/2025 17:59 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Zerohedge says the Indians hit terrorist infrastructure and not military targets.
From the link:
The fact that India is taking pains to let the Pakistani side know that no official military sites were targeted strongly suggests New Delhi is trying to strike without it leading to escalation.
But it would seem highly unlikely that the Paks won't respond.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/06/2025 18:02 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Over on The Enforcer, the Pakistanis claim that they've shot down two Indian jets, and that an Indian missile slammed into a mosque full of people praying.
#6
^ Rumors are Rubio is desperately trying to get through to the Indian leadership without much luck. As far as I can tell, India and Pakistan really are starting to mix it up.
Story published a week ago, but still interesting.
[FoxNews] The FBI previously said that while perpetrator Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas acted alone, they had not ruled out accomplices
Iraqi authorities on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of an ISIS member accused of inciting the New Year's terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that left 15 people dead, including the perpetrator.
The arrest comes months after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas killed 14 civilians and injured 57 others when he rammed a Ford F-150 through crowds of people celebrating New Year's on the famous New Orleans street around 3 a.m. Jan. 1. Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police.
Iraqi authorities said their investigation into the ISIS member came at the request of American authorities but did not expand on exactly what incited the deadly attack. Officials are not releasing the suspect's name.
The suspect will be tried in Iraq under the country's anti-terror laws for being a member of ISIS, according to a translated statement from the Iraq judiciary.
"With efforts from the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, a person involved in the terrorist ISIS organization was arrested for inciting the hit-and-run incident that occurred in the United States of America in January 2025, which led to the death of 15 people and the injury of 30 others," the judiciary said, according to a translated version of the statement, adding that the center "received a request from the United States of America to assist in the investigations related to the terrorist operation that took place in the city of New Orleans, in which a gunman ran over a crowd of celebrants with a truck before opening fire on them."
The First Karkh Investigation Court, "based on the investigations and analysis of the evidence, identified the identity of the accused and arrested him in Iraq as he is a member of what is called the Foreign Operations Office of the terrorist ISIS organization," the judiciary said.
FBI New Orleans said in a statement: "The FBI's investigation into the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans remains active and ongoing. While we continue to work with our law enforcement partners, both in the U.S. and internationally, based on the information to date, we continue to believe that Shamsud Din-Jabbar acted alone in carrying out the attack on Bourbon Street. We continue to follow all leads and encourage anyone who may have information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov."
The FBI previously said it had not ruled out the possibility of accomplices being involved in the attack even though Jabbar acted alone, saying the suspect had previously visited New Orleans on two occasions, on Oct. 30, 2024, and Nov. 10, 2024. He also visited Cairo and Toronto prior to the attack.
Federal authorities also said Jabbar was inspired by ISIS.
"[H]e appears to have been inspired – from afar – by ISIS. And it is, in many ways, the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face," former FBI Director Christopher Wray told "60 Minutes" in a wide-ranging interview that aired in January. "You're talking about guys like this, who radicalize not in years but in weeks, and whose method of attack is still very deadly but fairly crude. And if you think about that old saying about connecting the dots, there are not a lot of dots out there to connect. And there's very little time in which to connect them."
The Texas native was a twice-divorced Army veteran who, despite a lucrative job at a large consulting firm, had a history of financial struggles and missed child support payments, records show.
During his visits to New Orleans months before the attack, Jabbar used Meta smart glasses to take videos of his surroundings as he rode a bike through the French Quarter.
On Dec. 31, Jabbar rented a Ford truck in Houston and then drove it to New Orleans, where he checked in to an Airbnb. Authorities would later find bomb-making materials and remnants of a fire at the property, saying Jabbar likely attempted to cover up his crime by attempting to burn evidence at the rental home in the St. Roch neighborhood, about two miles from the French Quarter.
"It's pretty clear so far that this is a guy who was radicalized online and who was determined to try to murder as many innocent people as he could in the name of ISIS," Wray said in his interview with "60 Minutes."
[IsraelTimes] An IDF investigation into the injury of two soldiers in Gaza City on Saturday has found that they were likely hit by Hamas rocket fire, and not a faulty tank shell as initially suspected.
Of the two troops of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion, one was seriously and one was lightly injured by the blast in an army encampment in the area of Gaza City’s eastern Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods.
The investigation, led by the commander of the Jerusalem Brigade Col. Nir Ifergan, has determined “with a high likelihood” that the soldiers were hit by rocket fire aimed at the encampment, and not the explosion of a tank shell.
[IsraelTimes] The Southern District Police say officers from the Netivot police station found an unexploded bomb at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim this morning that they believe was left there by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, attack.
A spokesman says that, upon examining the bomb, police sappers concluded that it was Iranian-made and was likely left behind by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel.
A police bomb squad neutralized the explosive.
The incident comes after an unexploded bomb also thought to have been left behind by Hamas terrorists was discovered near the city of Netivot last month.
[IsraelTimes] At least 2 arrested, with police accusing demonstrators of refusing to clear path to Prime Minister’s Office; hostage’s father says ‘nobody cares’ about his son’s suffering in Gaza
Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators protested outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, with police forcibly dispersing some of those gathered, as festivities broke out between protesters and officers.
The protesters had marched from the Chords Bridge to the Knesset complex for a demonstration timed to coincide with the first weekly faction meetings following the end of the spring recess.
"You’ve been doing this for more than 2.5 years, with huge amounts of money that you raise from overseas, including from hostile countries," he said, speaking from the Knesset rostrum. "I’m convinced, by the way, that your protests are also being funded by Iranian parties.
Speaking to Channel 12 news, protesters said they showed up to demonstrate over a host of issues, including the failure to recover the remaining 59 hostages from Gazoo, the mass call-up of IDF reservists, and the treatment of the country’s educators during ongoing wage disputes.
While the demonstrators were allowed to rally outside the Knesset, some of them were said to have tried to block the entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office, which is just across the street. Police ordered them to move, and later forcibly removed those who refused.
Protest organizers said that at least two people were arrested in the festivities, though one was released shortly afterward.
Police said that some protesters ignored police demands to move out of the way and "swore at a police officer" who was on duty. In a statement, police said one protester was arrested after attacking a female police officer who was working to clear demonstrators from the unauthorized zone.
In footage posted online, police could be seen hauling protesters across the street while crowds jostled around them. In a second video clip, a protester is dragged across the street by the arm, while another is hauled out of the crowd by a cop pulling him by the strap of his backpack.
♦️ תיעוד: המשטרה החלה לפנות בכוח מפגינים נגד הממשלה מול הכנסת. צילום: זיו שמע תקשורת. pic.twitter.com/xp5HWBGayF
♦️ Documentation: Police began to forcibly remove anti-government protesters in front of the Knesset. Photo: Ziv Shema Communications.
Addressing the Knesset on Monday, Regional Cooperation Minister Dudi Amsalem accused protest organizers of being funded by Iran, sparking outrage from some opposition MKs.
"You’ve been doing this for more than 2.5 years, with huge amounts of money that you raise from overseas, including from hostile countries," he said, speaking from the Knesset rostrum. "I’m convinced, by the way, that your protests are also being funded by Iranian parties... Time will tell."
His comments prompted yelling from Labor MK Efrat Rayten and Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari.
Some of the protesters gathered outside the Knesset were tied to the larger movement to free the hostages remaining in Gaza, who were particularly angry after the government overnight approved an expansion of the fighting that was said to include "conquering" the Strip.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms carrying out airstrikes in Lebanon this evening, saying it targeted infrastructure at a Hezbollah “strategic weapons” manufacturing and storage site in the Beqaa Valley area.
The strike was carried out after the military says it identified that Hezbollah was working to restore the facility, which had been targeted in the past.
Additionally, the IDF says it struck several more Hezbollah sites in the Srifa area of southern Lebanon this evening.
The Hezbollah activity and the presence of weapons in the targeted areas “constitute blatant violations of the understandings agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF adds.
Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in the Janta area in the Beqaa Valley, close to the border with Syria.
Israeli drone targets Aitaroun with three strikes
[AnNahar] An Israeli drone on Monday carried out three strikes on the southern town of Aitaroun near Israel’s border, the state-run National News Agency reported.
“An Israeli drone conducted three consecutive strikes on an open area on the outsirts of al-Mahafer-al-Mteit in the town of Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district while no casualties were reported,” NNA said.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it located and demolished “the main headquarters of the former Syrian regime at the peak of Mount Hermon,” during recent operations in Syria.
The military compound was raided by the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade, alongside combat engineers and paratroopers.
At the facility, which belonged to the Bashar al-Assad regime, the IDF says it found bunkers and numerous weapons, including artillery cannons, rockets and launchers, mortars, explosives, and mines.
The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.
Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers deep into Syria, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”
Israeli officials have said that they seek to completely demilitarize the southern Syria area, and not allow any armed groups to enter it and gain a foothold, including the new Syrian government.
[IsraelTimes] Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... has handed over a bully boy suspected of firing rockets into northern Israel, the Lebanese Army said.
The Paleostinian group turned over the suspect, who the Lebanese military only identified by the initials M.G., at the entrance of the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp, in the southern city of Sidon. The army says the bully boy was suspected of being involved in two rocket launches into Israel in March.
The country's top military body Friday warned Hamas that it would face the "harshest measures" if it carried out any attacks from Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... , weeks after several Lebanese and Paleostinians were detained on suspicion of firing rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel. Both attacks, months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect last November, were met with widespread Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s across southern Lebanon and in southern Beirut.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, the Paleostinian bully boy group has carried out several attacks against Israel from Lebanon, where it has an armed presence. Israel has since carried out airstrikes that have killed several Hamas officials, including senior military chief Saleh Arouri in Beirut.
[AnNahar] The Lebanese Army said Monday that Hamas handed over a second Paleostinian suspected of involvement in rocket fire at Israel, one day after the first suspect was handed over and several days after authorities warned the hard boy group against harming the country's security.
The two men are suspected of involvement in two rocket launches towards Israel from Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... on March 22 and 28, the army said.
Israel responded to the rocket fire by bombing south Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hamas ally Hezbollah holds sway.
The Israeli military often says it has targeted Hezbollah operatives or infrastructure, but also occasionally Hamas members or other allies.
Two army statements said the suspects’ handover came based on the "recommendation of the Higher Defence Council and the Lebanese government decision."
The council issued the recommendation on Friday, warning that "the utmost measures" would be taken to stop any action that violates Lebanese illusory sovereignty.
Last month, the army arrested several Lebanese and Paleostinian individuals accused of involvement in the March launches. A Lebanese security source told AFP at the time three Hamas members had been arrested. No group grabbed credit for the rocket launches, and Hezbollah denied any involvement.
[Ynet] An Israeli paratrooper from the 202nd Battalion swings open the yellow gate at the Quneitra crossing, the only passage point between Israel and Syria. He steps forward without a helmet—a sign of the relatively low threat level. Eight yards ahead, a fellow soldier opens the inner gray gate with the press of a button.
Once a symbol of Syrian sovereignty, the crossing has faded. The Syrian flag that flew above the checkpoint just months ago is now tattered, and a portrait of Hafez al-Assad—the late president who negotiated a 1974 ceasefire with Israel—lies in fragments across the abandoned border post.
Roughly 50 miles east, Israeli helicopters recently delivered supplies to Druze communities in As-Suwayda, and more than 20 wounded Druze have crossed into Israel for treatment. But at the border, the gunfire remains distant for now.
Six months after Israeli forces entered the Syrian side of the Golan Heights without a fight, the Israel Defense Forces has tripled its deployment in the area. After an initial period of calm, two diverging realities have taken shape.
In the north, about 12 to 18 miles from the border, the IDF has permitted the interim Syrian government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa to deploy local police in villages such as Khan Arnabeh, Jubata al-Khashab, and New Quneitra. The move has brought stability, and Israeli soldiers now pass through these communities en route to nine new IDF outposts constructed in Syrian territory.
But in the south, near the road to Daraa, tensions are rising. The more religiously conservative Sunni population, many of whom supported the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
…most recently called Hayat Tahrir al Sham until they conquered Bashir al Assad’s Syria…
during Syria’s civil war, has resisted disarmament. Two weeks ago, militants in the town of Nawa opened fire on Israeli paratroopers from the 890th Battalion using heavy machine guns from balconies. The soldiers escaped injury.
"We called in Zik drones and eliminated seven militants who posed an immediate threat," said a senior commander. "We could have neutralized 100, but we chose restraint. We didn’t want to go there."
Farther east, near the old Syrian military ridgelines 11 to 12 miles from the border, Israeli forces have chosen not to take control. The IDF occasionally fires warning shots at unidentified figures approaching the abandoned posts. Al-Sharaa’s forces are not allowed to operate in this area, despite outreach from Damascus.
"His regime is still fragile and lacks real control over much of Syria," a senior Israeli officer said. "The Alawite coast remains loyal to Assad, Turkish and Kurdish forces dominate the north, and Bedouin tribes hold sway in the southeast. This southwestern corner is not a high priority for Damascus."
Israeli defense officials recently met with Western diplomats who visited Damascus to assess al-Sharaa’s control. "You walk into government buildings and find 50 empty offices," one European official said. "Only three or four rooms are actually staffed."
Israeli intelligence estimates that al-Sharaa commands around 60,000 lightly armed fighters, most operating from pickup trucks. The IDF believes Turkey is interested in helping establish a formal army under al-Sharaa but has held back due to financial concerns, especially after Israeli operations destroyed major Assad-era weapons depots.
Turkey has been on the brink of financial collapse since the 1990s, despite infusions of cash from various sources and donors. Setting up and training a proper army from scratch is an expensive proposition — especially if Israel chooses to be annoyed.
Iranian forces have withdrawn from the Syrian Golan—a shift Israel welcomed—while Russia still maintains a limited military presence along the coast and in the northeastern city of Qamishli. Israeli officials have also met with Turkish counterparts to discuss coordination.
The IDF has quietly strengthened ties with Druze leaders on both sides of the border. Last month, senior officers met with some 60 Druze sheikhs from Israel and Syria. A proposal to allow Syrian Druze to work in the Israeli Golan has stalled, reportedly due to bureaucratic and insurance issues.
On the ground, Israeli soldiers are adjusting to the new reality. In calmer northern areas, most now travel by vehicle, often without helmets. Still, a fast-moving convoy of pickup trucks from deep inside Syria could reach Kibbutz Ein Zivan in just five minutes by air, warned Lt. Col. G., operations officer for the IDF’s Golan Division.
From the roof of the old Quneitra police station—a grim Soviet-style relic—Israeli soldiers now overlook new bases, reinforced shelters, and permanent infrastructure built at a cost of tens of millions of shekels. Food is trucked in from kitchens on the Israeli side of the border.
At the edge of the frontier, IDF engineers are constructing a 56-mile defensive line of trenches and embankments. About 20 percent of the project is complete. During a patrol near the Syrian village of Qahtania, soldiers encountered three smiling children. One wore a shirt bearing symbols of "New Syria" and the image of Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Nearby, three motorcycles seized from Syrians who approached too close to Israeli positions are parked outside an outpost flying the red flags of the Paratroopers Brigade. The riders may have been scouting troop movements.
"Intelligence remains a challenge," said Lt. Col. G. "We make one or two arrests a month, but if we get actionable intel, we act immediately—with arrests or force, if needed."
#4
Apologize about Muffin Man. I wanted to post that as a comment on youtube to the MI-6 interview but my Firefox browser seems to be getting confused on context. I am about ready to dump Firefox.
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday responded to an attack from 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) button men in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, two days after a high-ranking ISIS leader was arrested in the province.
"Our SDF forces successfully thwarted another ISIS terrorist attack in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside when an ISIS terrorist cell attempted an attack on the Dhiban Brigade using RPGs and machine guns," the SDF said on X.
"Our forces swiftly responded and foiled the attack," it added.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/06/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[61 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...
...
... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them...
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
...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 
