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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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FYI: Dallas mosque where armed anti-Islamic protesters were greated by armed New Black Panthers was not an ordinary Mosque. It was a Nation of Islam Mosque.
Posted by: Unelet Protector of the Sith2424 ||
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The anti-terrorist protestors should have shown up unarmed.
Afghan National Army (ANA) forces have intensified air and ground strikes against the Taliban operating in areas around Kunduz in their attempt to push the insurgents out of the province.
The insurgent group has, in recent months, tried to gain a foothold in the north of Afghanistan.
The strategic town of Kunduz dramatically collapsed to the Taliban last year, eliciting major criticism from critics and military experts over the war management by security officials.
Security officials in Kunduz have expressed satisfaction however over the outcome of ongoing military repression against the Taliban in Kunduz, citing that Taliban have suffered a major casualty toll since the operation was launched against the resurgent group a week ago.
They said that dozens of Taliban so far have been eliminated and wounded in the operation.
"Twenty one were killed and 32 others wounded. I call on the people in the northeastern zone to stay resolute in their duties until the complete elimination of the enemies," commander of the 20th Unit of ANA in Kunduz, Baqir Musavi said.
Meanwhile, Kunduz MPs in the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) have said that the fundamental problem currently facing the ANA soldiers is the lack of modern technology and weapons.
"The only deficiency is that there is a lack of equipment and facilities. If aid isn't dispatched and people are left on their own, the Kunduz tragedy will be repeated," MP Abdul Wadood Paiman said.
[Iran Press TV] At least six Afghan coppers have bit the dust after their convoy was ambushed by Talibs in the country’s northern province of Balkh, an Afghan official says.
According to Abdul Manan Raoufi, the police operation chief of the province, the turbans attacked the convoy on Sunday night in the Dawlat Abad district of Balkh.
He said the ambush happened when the police were en route to the neighboring province of Jawzjan after conducting a military operation in the district.
Raoufi added that a Taliban leader was also killed in the shootout between Afghan police and the holy warrior group.
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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Allah has willed the despoilation of these children; otherwise he would not have allowed it to happen.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Afghan intelligence operatives released a group of 14 prisoners from a Taliban-run prison in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
They have also arrested at least four Taliban group members who were operating as the group’s jailers in Helmand province.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the suspects were arrested during a special military raid in Greshk district.
According to a statement by NDS, the militants were operating under the supervision of the Taliban group leader Mullah Mazlumyar.
The suspects have been identified as Nazar son of Janan, Abdul Rahman son of Abdul Khaliq, Bacha Khan son of Mir Hamza and Naqibullah son of Abdul Rahman.
The statement further added that 14 civilians including children and teenage boys were released from the prison run by the Taliban during the operation.
Quoting the released prisoners, NDS said the Taliban insurgents were also sexually abusing the detained teenage and children.
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A senior Taliban commander was injured shortly after returning from Pakistan to the central Logar province of Afghanistan.
According to the local government officials, the senior Taliban commander, Qari Shams, had recently returned to Logar to plan and coordinate attacks in this province.
Provincial governor spokesman Salim Saleh said at least three companions of Qari Shams were killed in the raid conducted by the Afghan forces.
According to Saleh, the Afghan forces targeted the militants in Khushi district of Logar province before they manage to start terrorist related activities.
Saleh further added that Qari Shams was also the military chief of the Taliban group for Gardez city.
He said another Taliban commander who was heading the military council of the group in Charkh district was also arrested during the operation.
The Taliban group has not commented regarding the report so far.
Logar is among the relatively volatile provinces in central Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant grouips are actively operating and frequently carry out insurgency activities.
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 18 anti-government armed militants were killed in separate raids in north and south of the country in the past 24 hours.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said at least 9 militants were killed during an operation in Dand-e-Ghori district of Baghlan province and 8 others were wounded.
According to an operational update by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) at least 4 militants were killed and 7 others were wounded during a separate operation in Dehrawood district of Uruzgan.
In separate operation in Greshk district of southern Helmand province, at least 5 militants were killed, MoD added.
The Afghan forces also arrested five suspects including an individual involved in kidnapping cases from Sar-e-Hawza area of Paktia province.
According to MoD, at least 4 soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces lost their lives during the same operations.
There has been a steep rise in the number of the Afghan army casualties since they took control of the security responsibilities from the coalition forces last year.
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] An Emirati court sentenced on Monday three Lebanese, including a Canadian dual national, to six months in prison for forming a local affiliate of Iran-backed Hezbollah, local media said.
The supreme federal court convicted the trio of "forming a group for the terrorist Hezbollah (movement) in the country," Ittihad daily reported, adding that they will be deported after serving their sentences.
They "were found guilty of setting up an office of the Death Eater group in the UAE and carrying out commercial, economic and political activities without licences," the daily Gulf News reported.
It named the men as Canadian-Lebanese Suhail Naif Gareeb, 62, and Lebanese nationals Asaad Ameen Qansouh, 66, and Ahmed Ebrahim Qansouh, 30. Their trial opened in early February.
The Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... last month declared the Shiite movement a "terrorist" group, after Gulf monarchies took similar steps over the movement's backing for the Syrian regime.
Hezbollah is fighting in Syria in support of the government of Bashir al-Assad against opponents including Gulf-backed rebels.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Airstrikes by Saudi warplanes have killed one and injured a number of other civilians in neighboring 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. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... as the kingdom continues to target residential areas across the impoverished nation.
Reports by local media on Monday said some Saudi air raids targeted a camp belonging to the internally-displaced Yemenis in the northwestern Hajjah Province, leaving at least six children and one woman injured.
The attack took place in the Lamrour district of al-Shahel, a city in Hajjah.
Yemen’s al-Masirah TV said Saudis also carried out an attack earlier on Monday on civilian houses in the city of Sa’ada, north of the country, killing one civilian.
Security sources said air strikes also targeted a telecommunications center in the city of Saqayn and a post office in the city Haydan, both in the Sa’ada Province, which is a stronghold of Ansarullah. Reports said a number of houses were also destroyed in the attacks.
Yemen has been the target of incessant Saudi Arclight airstrikes for more than a year. Nearly 9,400 Yemenis have bit the dust since last March.
A report by the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... Children's Fund indicates that the war has killed at least 934 children and injured nearly 1,400 more so far. This means, on average, six children have been directly affected by the violence every day.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Warplanes believed to belong to the Saudi-led coalition bombed and set ablaze an al Qaeda compound in 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. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... on Monday, residents said, the latest attack to target the turban group that controls at least two cities in the country.
Islamist turbans have exploited the Yemen war between Iran-allied Houthis and forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to seize at least two historic provincial capitals in south and eastern Yemen, using them as bases to recruit more followers.
Residents said two planes launched rockets into an old office of the local government in Zinjibar, the 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... historic provincial capital, which is held by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000... (AQAP), setting the building on fire.
They said an unknown number of al Qaeda turbans were in the compound at the time and were believed to have been killed or maimed. Apache helicopters, also believed by residents to belong to the Saudi-led coalition, were later seen flying over the city.
A local official said on Sunday that warplanes launched four air strikes on an AQAP camp near the port city of Mukalla, killing and wounding a number of turbans.
It was not immediately possible to confirm the affiliation of the aircraft involved in Monday’s reported air strike. A front man for the Saudi-led alliance could not be contacted for immediate comment.
US aircraft have staged attacks on AQAP fighters in Yemen in recent weeks.
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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04/04/2016 – DELBRUCK, Germany – 14 year old forced into sex-act
Two children were followed into a swimming bath changing room on Friday afternoon and sexually assaulted by two immigrant Afghanistan men, aged 25 and 20.
While the younger 11 year old boy was able to hide from the men, they caught a 14 year old in the shower, and forced him to perform “sexual acts” on them against his will. Once the attack ended the boys alerted a lifeguard and police arrested the men at the pool, reports Neue Westfälische.
04/04/2016 – GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Soldiers of Odin attacked
Citizen protection group members from the Nordic Soldiers of Odin group were beaten by unknown attackers on Saturday night, leading to one member of the anti-migrant crime patrol being hospitalised, reports Friatider.
Receiving reports of a fight and injuries police initially suspected the injured party would have been attacked by the vigilante group, but it transpired they were actually the victims. A police spokesman said they didn’t know if the Soldiers of Odin were on patrol when the attack took place or not.
Although police do not presently have any suspects in the case, on the same evening a group of left-wing extremists attempted to attack a group of Soldiers of Odin in Uppsala.
04/04/2016 – Italy-Austria Border – Clashes as police close border
Brenner passAustrian police have clashed with protesters demonstrating against the closure of Europe’s borders to migrants. About 1,500 people took part Sunday in a protest at the Brenner border crossing between Austria and Italy.
Toward the end of a peaceful march dozens of protesters tried to break through a line of Austrian police in riot gear. Associated Press.
05/04/16 -- EU sends in heavy mob to deport 200 migrants: Guards wearing surgical gloves and masks for 'protection' usher the first wave asylum seekers from Greece to Turkey under new European deal
Escorted by masked border guards in black military-style uniforms as they landed in Turkey today (left), these are some of the first migrants to be deported from Greece under a deal aimed at halting the influx into Europe. As the measure was finally enforced yesterday, they were loaded on to boats at dawn and each assigned a border agency officer to enforce the journey from Lesbos. Many of the guards wore surgical-style gloves and masks (main, right) as they sat either side of the rows of migrants on board. But the 202 sent to Turkey was half the number expected, and on the very same day, 330 more migrants, including small children (inset), arrived on Greek islands.
04/04/16 -- Two Iranian migrants who walked 31 miles through Channel Tunnel from France to the UK are jailed for 14 month
Payam Moradi Mirahessari, 25 and Farein Vahdani, 20, were jailed for 14 months at Canterbury Crown Court after the 12-hour, 31-mile journey to Folkestone, Kent.
04/04/16 -- Migrant numbers arriving in Germany plummet from 38,000 to just 5,000 a month after the introduction of border controls along the Balkan route
The significant drop followed Austria's decision to introduce border controls in February - creating a domino effect throughout the Balkan route, trapping some 50,000 people in Greece.
OKARA: In a joint operation, conducted by army, Rangers and police, as many as 25 suspected terrorists, including eight proclaimed offenders, were picked from 34/2L (Balochan wali) village and illegal weapons recovered.
Investigation wing Superintendent of Police (SP) Amir Saud Magsi told the media here on Sunday at DPO Complex that the identity of the 25 nabbed suspects was not being disclosed yet to arrest their accomplices in the light of information being extracted from them.
On the occasion, the weapons recovered from the suspects were also displayed, including three Kalashnikoves, 3 8MM rifles, two 303 bore rifles, one 30 bore pistol and 1000 bullets. Besides, five motorcycles and cell phones were also seized.
BOOKED: Police booked Anjman Muzareen Punjab (AMP) secretary general and two others for allegedly inciting public against security and police personnel, violating Loudspeaker Act and the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
The case against AMP secretary general Mehar Abdul Sattar, Zahid and Ramzan was registered by Cantonment police station SHO Ashraf Qureshi (FIR No 101/16) under Section 16 of the MPO, Section 6 of the Loudspeaker Act-2015 for chanting slogans against law enforcement agencies, including police, besides inciting public.
[ARA News] ERBIL – Extremists of the Islamic State (ISIS) have burned 15 civilians to death in Iraqi Anbar province, local and official sources reported on Monday.
Azal Obaid, member of the Anbar Provincial Council, said that ISIS has publicly burned 15 people to death because they tried to escape the city.
“The terror group cordoned off the Fallujah city, and prevented civilians from leaving their homes,” a local source told ARA News on the phone, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Obaid stressed that ISIS is using civilians as human shields “to protect its own militants inside the city of Fallujah”.
“There is a military plan prepared by the leadership of the Iraqi army and local tribes to liberate the city of Fallujah. The plan cannot be disclosed to the press at the moment for security reasons,” according to the Iraqi official.
“Living within the city [Fallujah] under the terror group’s authority has become unbearable,” an eyewitness told ARA News.
“Fallujah has been under suffocating blockade for several months,” he said. “People endure severe shortage of basic materials, amid deteriorating living conditions.”
Speaking to ARA News in Erbil, Kurdish journalist Jamshid Mahmoud said: “The international community should take serious measures to eliminate ISIS, otherwise we’ll continue to witness such brutal scenes.”
“This barbaric group must be eliminated to stop the bloodshed in the war-torn countries of Syria and Iraq. Daesh [ISIS] has been involved in heinous crimes against innocent people.”
Over the past two years, the Islamic State militants have reportedly detained, tortured and killed thousands of civilians in Syria and Iraq.
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – A source in Nineveh Operations Command revealed on Monday, that 11 ISIS members were killed in a bombardment carried out by the international coalition aviation south of the province.
The source said in a brief statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “Today the international coalition aviation bombarded ISIS headquarters in al-Nasr vicinity in al-Qayyarah, killing 11 ISIS members.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The bombardment was carried out based on accurate intelligence information.”
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh – On Monday, official journalists with the Ministry of Defense announced the killing of 30 “terrorists” and the detonation of a booby-trapped vehicle south of Mosul.
The journalists said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Forces belonging to Nineveh Liberation Operations had managed to kill 30 terrorists and detonate a booby-trapped vehicle in the village of al-Nasr located in Makhmur District south of Mosul.”
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(IraqiNews.com) Erbil – The Iraqi security forces resumed their attacks on ISIS headquarters southwest of Makhmur and managed to liberate many areas.
A source reported for IraqiNews.com, “The Iraqi army, backed by the Peshmerga forces, resumed its operations on ISIS headquarters southwest of Makhmur.”
The source added, “The Iraqi army forces managed to liberate al-Nasr village west of Makhmur.”
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(IraqiNews.com) Diyala – Diyala Police Chief Jassim al-Saadi announced on Monday, that the security forces arrested two wanted people on charges of terrorism, while found a weapons cache in the province.
Saadi said in a brief statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “A police force arrested two wanted people on charges of terrorism during a raid near Bani Saad vicinity,” pointing out that, “The detainees were transferred to a security center for interrogation.”
“Another security force found a weapons cache near al-Masoud village, containing 10 mortar shells, 10 hand grenades and 3 detonators,” Saadi added.
(IraqiNews.com) Diyali – Member of Diyali Provincial Council, Amal Omran, announced on Monday the return of 263 displaced families to their homes in the vicinity of Jalawla northeast of Baqubah.
Omran said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “263 displaced families have returned to their homes in the neighborhood of al-Arouba in the central vicinity of Jalawla (70 km northeast of Baqubah),” asserting that, “The returning families represent the 13th batch within the program to return the displaced persons to the vicinity.”
The statement added, “The process of returning the displaced persons took place in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Committee, which supervises the repatriation file.”
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – The leader in al-Hashd al-Shaabi Jabbar al-Mamouri announced on Monday, that the so-called ISIS kidnapped 30 youths from Hawija District and took them to an unknown destination, while pointed out that most of the kidnapped people are relatives of the security forces’ members.
Mamouri said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “ISIS kidnapped 30 youths from Hawija District and the nearby villages during the last 24 hours and took them to an unknown destination.”
Mamouri added, “The majority of the kidnapped youths are relatives of the members of the security forces.”
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – A source in Kirkuk Province announced on Monday, that 30 ISIS members, including prominent leaders, were killed and 15 others were wounded in an explosion due to a defect in an explosive belt southwest of Kirkuk.
The source said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “A group of ISIS members wearing explosive devices in Robaida village in al-Rashad vicinity were preparing to attack the security forces in Hamrin Mountains and the oil fields of Alas and Ajil in Salahuddin Province.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “An explosion took place due to a defect in one of the explosive belts,” pointing out that, “The explosion resulted in the killing of 30 ISIS members including prominent leaders, in addition to wounding 15 others.”
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – The Anti-Terrorism Directorate announced on Monday liberating three new areas in the district of Heet west of Ramadi, while pointed out to the killing of 70 ISIS elements during clashes
The commander of the Third Special Operations within the Anti-Terrorism Command, Maj. Gen. Sami Kazim al-Ardi, said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The Anti-Terrorism forces, backed by supporting troops, had managed to free the areas of al-Basa’r al Aula, al-Basa’r al-Sharqiyah and al-Basa’r al-Gharbiyah in the city of Heet from ISIS.”
Ardi added, “The Anti-Terrorism forces managed to reach the vicinity of al-Mu’almin in central Heet,” pointing out that, “The ISIS was incurred big losses by killing 70 elements during the bombardment of the tanks and aviation on central Heet.”
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – A security source in Anbar province said on Monday, that the head of al-Baghdadi District Council, Mallullah al-Obeidi, was wounded in an ISIS attack on the district west of Ramadi.
The source said in a brief statement received by IraqiNews.com, “The ISIS launched an attack, this morning, on the district of al-Baghdadi and its residential neighborhood (90 km west of Ramadi),” pointing out that, “The attack was carried out by all different arms and booby-trapped vehicles driven by suicide bombers.”
The source, who requested anonymity, added, “The attack resulted in the killing of five members of the security forces and tribal fighters, in addition to wounding 15 others, including Chief of Police in al-Baghdadi District Col. Abdul Salam al-Obeidi, as well as the head of al-Baghdadi District Council, Mallullah al-Obeidi, who was wounded by an ISIS sniper during confrontations.”
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Iraqi elite forces have entered the western city of Hit in a major push to retake it from the ISISTakfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... terrorist group.
Commanders from Iraq’s counterterrorism forces said on Monday that troops entered Hit earlier in the day and began clearing its northern neighborhoods.
They said advances have been made against ISIS toward the central parts of Hit, located in Anbar Province along a ISIS supply line to Syria.
The advance comes just one week after Iraqi forces recaptured the nearby city of Kusaybah and began preparations for retaking Hit.
ISIS, which has lost a significant portion of the territories it used to control in Anbar Province, has reportedly trapped thousands of civilians inside Hit. Local media had earlier reported the release of hundreds of civilians and security forces from an underground prison near Hit.
Iraqi forces have managed to liberate key areas across Anbar and other provinces from the occupation of ISIS over the past months with the most notable being Anbar’s bustling provincial capital of Ramadi, which was retaken two months ago. Preparations are underway for the recapture of Fallujah, ... the City of Mosques, which might have somthing to do with why it's not called Center of Prosperity or a really nice place to raise your kids... which is the second largest city in the sprawling province. ISIS has controlled Hit for the last 18 months
The bandidosDeath Eaters blitzed vast areas in western Iraq in summer of 2014 months after they captured territories in the north. Iraqi officials have vowed that they would purge ISIS from Iraqi soil in 2016.
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] More than 20 people were killed on Monday in Iraq, most in suicide kabooms targeting members of Shiite militias and military forces, security officials said.
One bomber targeted a joint police and army checkpoint in north Baghdad, while two others struck pro-government paramilitaries on a street in Mishahada, north of the capital, and in a restaurant in Nasiriyah in southern Iraq.
ISIS, which controls territory in northern and western Iraq, claimed in statements on its Amaq news agency several of these attacks, which also maimed more than 60.
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] An aircraft from a US-led coalition on Monday destroyed the Turkish consulate compound in Mosul in northern Iraq which has been occupied by ISIS militants since June 2014, the Turkish foreign ministry said. It said in a written statement that Turkey’s views had been sought and its approval given for the air strikes, which were carried out at 3 a.m.
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[GMA News] Two Philippine soldiers and a policeman were abducted by Maoist New People's Army militants in separate incidents in Agusan del Sur and Misamis Oriental on Sunday.
Major Ezra Balagtey said the two soldiers — both off-duty — were seized when their motorcycle passed through an insurgent "checkpoint" in Buenavista, Agusan del Sur. He said, "They were not in uniform because they were still off duty when they were abducted. They have no firearms at that time."
Balagtey said the pair were on their way to report to their headquarters when abducted.
Meanwhile, the policemen was taken under similar circumstances, when he passed through a militant "checkpoint" in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental. Balagtey said, "They (the militants) put up a road blockade and abducted a policeman-motorist," adding the insurgents were wearing military battle attire.
[Bangkok Post] Three soldiers were injured by a bomb blast in Narathiwat province on Monday morning. The three soldiers were returning to base aboard a pickup truck when a bomb was detonated on the road. All the three soldiers were injured by the explosion.d.
Syrian troops and allied militiamen pressed on with an offensive against ISIS in central Syria on Monday, clashing with the extremists around the town of Qaryatain a day after it was captured by pro-government forces.
The push into Qaryatain took place under the cover of Russian airstrikes and dealt another setback to ISIS in Syria a week after the army retook the historic town of Palmyra from the group. SANA said the army was fighting ISIS militants in areas around Qaryatain Monday, as well as in farms east and north of Palmyra.
The capture of Qaryatain deprives ISIS of a main base in central Syria and could be used by government forces in the future to launch attacks on ISIS-held areas near the Iraqi border.
Qaryatain used to be home to a sizable Christian population and lies midway between Palmyra and the capital, Damascus. Activists said last summer that Qaryatain had a mixed population of around 40,000 Sunni Muslims and Christians, as well as thousands of internally displaced people who had fled from the nearby city of Homs. Many of the Christians fled the town after it came under ISIS attack.
Dozens of Qaryatain's Christians and other residents have been abducted by ISIS. While the town was under Islamic State control, some were released while others were made to sign pledges to pay a tax imposed on non-Muslims.
Meanwhile, monitoring groups said that a senior Al-Qaeda official was killed in air strikes Sunday night that killed at least 21 other militants in Idlib province, a militant stronghold in northern Syria.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant websites, said Abu Firas al-Souri died in US strikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the jets were thought to belong to the Syrian or Russian Air Forces.
It said they targeted the headquarters of Jund al-Aqsa, an extremist group that fights alongside al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front.
Al-Souri was the former official spokesman for the Nusra Front, the group reported on social media Monday.
A 2014 biographical video about al-Souri, obtained by SITE, says he used to represent Osama bin Laden in Pakistan after he met the al-Qaeda founder in Afghanistan during the jihad against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
Al-Souri, born outside Damascus in 1949, followed the path of many Syrian militants. A graduate of the country's military college, he trained militant cells in the country between 1977 and 1980, heading several operations against the authorities for the latter part of that period.
He was expelled from the Syrian military in part because of his Islamist ties in 1979.
He fled to Jordan in 1980 then to Afghanistan in 1981 where he trained militants coming to the war-torn country from across Asia and the Arab world. He became an associate of bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a senior al-Qaeda commander who led the organization’s affiliate in Iraq following the 2003 US invasion.
Al-Souri participated in a number of major military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan before transferring to Yemen in 2003. In 2013, the al-Qaeda leadership transferred him to Syria to mend the growing rift between the group and ISIS.
A media outlet belonging to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah said al-Souri’s son was also killed in the air strikes.
Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to fight alongside Syrian government forces in the country’s five-year civil war. The group was reported to have lost a dozen soldiers in fierce fighting in northern Syria last weekend as militant groups alongside rebel militias mounted an offensive against several government positions.
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04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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Beirut-Fierce clashes resumed yesterday between regime forces and ISIS militants in Al-Qaryatayn town, located in the Homs Governorate.
Regime forces undertaking two fronts, led violent battles with Syrian Opposition forces in Al-Eis town, located in south Aleppo. Regime forces entered Al-Eis yesterday and announced the death of twelve Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants and two militants from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC.
According to “Mashriq” news agency, the two IRGC members killed are Saeed Mosafir (30 year-old) and Jamall Razi (35 year-old). The two allegedly joined the IRGC in the Gilan Province, located north of Iran. Mosafir and Razi were killed during a suggestive “advisory mission” in Aleppo.
The agency set the number on Gilan IRGC members’ death toll in Syria to eleven.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that at least twelve Hezbollah members were killed by the brutal attack launched by al-Nusra Front, Syrian Opposition and fighting factions a day ago, after taking control of Al-Eis.
On the other hand, the Syrian regime announced its forces taking over Al-Qaryatayn town. However, the Syrian Observatory denied the regime’s allegations, and confirmed that there is no truth to what is being published by pro-regime media outlets on forces taking over the town of Al-Qayatayn entirely.
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, told Asharq Al-Awsat that regime forces have entered Al-Qaryatayn a day ago, yet only managed to seize control over half the town approximately.
Rahman negated all the regime’s acclamations on completely controlling Al-Qaryatayn. “Just like what had happened in Palmyra, the regime announced complete control as soon as forces breached the area, simply to improve soldier moral prior to it effectively posing full control, which was two days later, same thing is happening in Al-Qaryatayn now.”
The Syrian Observatory pointed out that clashes are ongoing in eastern and southeastern zones controlled by ISIS, amid a collapse in the terrorist organization’s lines. The observatory added that regime forces are supported by Syrian and Russian air forces which enabled troops to control over half the town.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ chief Rahman told AFP news agency that regime forces now control over half of Al-Qaryatayn which is considered the last ISIS stronghold in the Homs governorate.
Rahman clarified that Al-Qaryatayn battle is an included part of the same military operation instigated last March by regime forces to expel ISIS from Palmyra.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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[ARA News] ERBIL – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are preparing for a major offensive to retake the city of Manbij from the Islamic State (ISIS).
A spokesman for the US-led coalition, which backs the SDF in its war on ISIS, told ARA News that for the US “it’s critical that the ISIS-held Manbij pocket of 98-kilometers” is seized from the radical group.
“As to why the Manbij pocket is important, it represents a major border crossing point where foreign fighters can cross into Syria from Turkey,” said Colonel Christopher Garver, a spokesperson for the US-led coalition against the Islamic State.
“In regards to a plan to retake Manbij, I don’t want to speak about potential future operations for obvious security reasons, but if there is a pocket of the ISIS out there on the battlefield, we of course want to attack it to root them out,” Col. Garver told ARA News.
The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, reported that there are negotiations going on between Turkey and the United States over the Manbij operation.
In the meantime, Peter Cook, Spokesman for the Pentagon, on Monday did not want to give details about the meetings between Turkey and the US over Manbij. “I let the Turkish government speak [on that subject],” he said.
“Turkey remains a critical partner in the fight against ISIS and a critical NATO ally and we work closely with Turkey in range of fronts,” he added.
The Turkish government opposes that Kurdish forces cross into Manbij, although the newly formed Manbij Military Council [announced on 3 April] not only consists of Kurds, but also Arabs, Turkmen, and other minorities.
“To show respect to your sacrifices and resistance in the face of terrorism and tyranny, we hereby announce our commitment to fight side by side with you in order to defeat terrorism and liberate our dear city of Manbij and its countryside from the fist of ISIS terrorists where Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Circassians used to coexist peacefully before the occupation,” Adnan Abu-Amjad, the commander of the Manbij Military Council, said in the announcement of the new council. Video report at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
One would think the Turks have an interest in maintaining the status quo in Manbij.
[ARA News] ERBIL – Radical group of the Islamic State (ISIS) launched Monday a major offensive on strongholds of the regime’s army forces in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, killing and wounding a number of soldiers.
ISIS has reportedly advanced towards the regime-held strategic airbase of Deir ez-Zor, despite the US-led coalition’s airstrikes on the group’s fighting positions during Monday’s clashes.
Speaking to ARA News in Deir ez-Zor, media activist Ahmed Ramadan said that ISIS jihadis started their offensive by conducting a series of suicide bombings near positions of the pro-regime forces and allied National Defense militia, in the district of Harbash in Deir ez-Zor suburb, causing the death and injury of at least 30 Syrian soldiers.
“ISIS militants infiltrated into the Harabsh district, adjacent to the military airport of Deir ez-Zor, and carried out several car bomb attacks,” Ramadan said.
“The ISIS-led suicide operations on the regime’s headquarters led to the outbreak of fierce clashes between the two sides in the vicinity of the military airbase,” the source told ARA News.
At least seven soldiers were killed during the clashes before ISIS insurgents seized control of several army posts in the vicinity of the Deir ez-Zor airbase.
Supported by military helicopters, the regime’s army forces launched heavy shelling on the area of clashes.
ARA News could not verify the death toll among ISIS jihadis.
Also, local activists reported that the colonel in the regime’s Republican Guard, Ibrahim Salloum, was killed along with 13 other soldiers after being hit by two shells inside the airbase on Monday.
“ISIS jihadis were able to control 7 new points in the vicinity of the airbase after successful suicide operations,” Ramadan told ARA News.
Over the past four weeks, Russian air force intensified bombardment on the international highway connecting Palmyra, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa in a bid to prevent ISIS from receiving additional reinforcements.
Last month, Syrian army forces started an extended military campaign with the support of the Russian warplanes and infantry to control the eastern areas of the international highway between Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor city.
Deir ez-Zor is deemed strategic for ISIS for it links the group’s de facto capital of Raqqa with Iraqi territory controlled by the radical group.
ISIS has been fighting for more than a year to seize the military airport and other regime-held districts in Syria’s oil-rich eastern province of Deir ez-Zor.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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Good luck, fellas. Remember to keep your heads up, and smile. Wait for the flash...
[ARA News] HOMS ــ The Nusra Front, Syria’s branch of al-Qaeda, launched on Monday an offensive on the regime’s headquarters in the southeastern suburbs of Syria’s central city of Hama, local sources reported.
Speaking to ARA News in Hama, local media activist Amr al-Ali said that the Nusra Front militants carried out a surprise attack on the key village of Khinefis in Hama suburbs, targeting headquarters of the pro-regime military.
Syrian army forces and allied National Defense militia have taken the village as a military base. Al-Nusra fighters launched their attack from the nearby towns of Aydoun and at-Tuloul al-Humer in the southeastern countryside of Hama.
A spokesman for the Nusra Front told ARA News their jihadis were able to kill over 25 pro-regime forces in Khinefis village, pointing out the military commander of the National Defense militia was also killed in the Nusra-led offensive.
Militants of al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra were able to destroy a tank and a SUV loaded with a machine gun [14.5 caliber], beside seizing a deal of light weapons before their withdrawal from the regime’s headquarters.
In the meantime, the Syrian army responded to the jihadi attack by conducting several airstrikes on Nusra fighting positions.
The Syrian air force targeted the Nusra-held towns of Aydoun, at-Tuloul al-Homer and ad-Dallak in the southeastern countryside of Hama.
ARA News has no precise information about the jihadis death toll.
Also on Monday, pro-Assad forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, bombed the opposition-held towns of Izz al-Din, al-Waziya and Abu Hamamah northeast of Homs with artillery and mortar shells.
[ARA News] ERBIL – Al-Qaeda branch in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front), on Sunday confirmed the death of its senior official Radwan Nammous, aka Abu Firas al-Suri, in a US airstrike in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.
Abu Firas al-Suri was the official spokesman of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front in Syria.
This is the first time for the US-led coalition to attack the Nusra Front since the start of Syria’s cessation of hostilities on February 27.
Speaking to ARA News in Idlib, Nusra member Abu Saeed al-Holandi confirmed the death of al-Suri along with ten others in the American airstrike that targeted Kafr Jalis district in Idlib province on Sunday.
So far it is unclear how the US killed the Nusra leader. “It wasn’t a drone. The raid was most likely conducted by a fighter jet or a cruise missile, it is still unclear,” the Nusra member told ARA News.
This comes amid continuous rifts and clashes between Nusra jihadis and US-backed Syrian moderate rebels of Division 13.
However, Nusra thinks Sunday’s strike has nothing to do with the tensions between the groups.
“The US has been focusing its raids on ISIS leaders in Syria, but now it seems as if the time for Nusra [leaders] has come,” al-Holandi said.
“Abu Firas [al-Suri] was a long standing jihadi operative and a leading official with Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, so he was a natural target for the U.S.,” Hassan Hassan, a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, told ARA News.
“Unlike other members of Nusra’s top echelon, al-Suri appeared publicly and moved around, especially as clashes started between ISIS and other jihadists in Syria. So he was probably an easier target to track than the other officials who were not known to other Syrians. He was more vulnerable to be tracked. Of course it is possible that he was not necessarily the specific target,” Hassan said.
So far, the US-led coalition that operates fighter jets in Syria has not released any statement concerning al-Suri’s death.
[Iran Press TV] An Iranian military official says commandos from an Iranian army unit have been deployed to Syria on an advisory mission.
Brigadier General Ali Arasteh, the deputy for coordination in the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, told Tasnim news agency on Monday that the Iranian commandos, from Brigade 65 of the Forces, had took on a mission of advising Syrian forces.
Iran maintains military advisers in Syria, where the government of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Light of the Alawites... is fighting an array of foreign-backed turban forces, including, but not limited to, those of the ISIS terrorist group. Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the so-called al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-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 .. ... Front, is another one of the groups engaged in brutal activities against the Syrian people and government.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Iran has had some high level officers killed on or near the front lines the past few months. Probably, the high command back in tehran got a lot of info on the deficiencies of the Syrian, Hezbollah, shia militia team.
so maybe the decision was to that the Syrians need more commando leadership
this is a bit similar to situations the US faced in Afghanistan and Iraq -- however, as the US has found out, not only is it hard to train the locals but also this training can come undone fairly swiftly if it is undercut by corrupt leadership
Posted by: lord garth ||
04/05/2016 10:12 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Iff OWG Co-Superpower Iran expects to have any "post-US" sphere(s) of influence, let alone lead any ME/Muslim-specific OWG Global Fed Union(s), IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO SEIZE-N-HOLD TERRITORY = SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND ITS INTERESTS AGZ ALL COMMERS LEST ITS LEADERSHIP BE CHALLENGED.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Beirut offices of Saudi-owned pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat were attacked by protestors on Friday evening.
The protesters claimed they were doing so in response to a critical cartoon which appeared in Friday's newspaper. The cartoon shows an image of the Lebanese flag with a caption that says: "The Lebanese state... April fools"
Earlier today, the Dubai-based Al Arabiya News Channel announced it was closing its Beirut office, citing security reasons.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/05/2016 00:00 ||
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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.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A senior Taliban commander was injured shortly after returning from Pakistan to the central Logar province of Afghanistan.
[GMA News] Two Philippine soldiers and a policeman were abducted by Maoist New People's Army militants in separate incidents in Agusan del Sur and Misamis Oriental on Sunday.
[Bangkok Post] Three soldiers were injured by a bomb blast in Narathiwat province on Monday morning. The three soldiers were returning to base aboard a pickup truck when a bomb was detonated on the road. All the three soldiers were injured by the explosion.d.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
