[SHABELLENEWS] Al shabaab holy warriors were reported to have attacked a military convoy belonging to 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... mission in Somalia (AMISOM) near the southern town of Mahaday on Monday.
The attack began with a land mine kaboom reportedly struck AMISOM convoy, then a shootout between the holy warriors and AU soldiers erupted outside the town.
According to residents, the AU troops came under roadside blast, as they left Ali Foldheere area, and heading to Mahaday in Middle Shabelle region, before the shootout ensued.
Abdullahi Geeldooh, the commissioner of Mahaday, told Radio Shabelle that the holy warriors have been repulsed during the battle and no casualties inflicted on the AMISOM forces.
Pro-al shabaab media outlets reported the one of the AU military vehicles was burnt down by the IED blast and killed unspecified number of soldiers.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[SHABELLENEWS] Gunmen thought to be Al shabaab assassins have murdered ex deputy governor of Bari region in Basaso, a port city in northeastern Somalia on Monday, an official confirmed.
The governor, Khadar Ismail Abdulle has been rubbed out by unknown gunnies at Afar Irdoodka junction in the town, according to Bari governor Yusuf Mohammed Wacays "Dhedo".
Dhedo said that the security forces have immediately cordoned off the scene and jugged Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! two suspects in connection with the killing of the official.
No group said it was behind the murder of Abdulle, but, Al shabaab has previously claimed several liquidations against top 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... officials in the port town.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] The Libyan National Army (LNA), a militia group led by General Khalifa Haftar ... served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... , has tightened a crippling siege on the northeastern city of Derna as the renegade military strongman seeks the permanent ouster of rival militia from the region he controls in eastern Libya.
Residents of Derna said Monday that a decision by Haftar last week to tighten the long-standing siege on the city has made their life extremely difficult.
"The situation is extremely bad. Everything is stopped, the supplies are depleted and nothing is getting into the city," one resident said, adding, "There is a total blockade with no entry or exit. They only allow you to leave as a displaced person."
The siege around Derna was reinforced after snuffies from the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC), which controls the city on the Mediterranean, shot down an LNA fighter jet at the end of July. The pilot of the jet was killed in the incident.
Haftar, a former general under slain dictator Muammar Qadaffy ...The late megalomaniac dictator of Libya, admired everywhere for his garish costumes, funny hats, harem of cutie bodyguards, and incoherent ravings. As far as is known, he is the only person who's ever declared jihad on Switzerland... , has been backed by countries like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in his quest for ultimate power in Libya.
Last month, he announced victory against a rival coalition of bully boyz in Benghazi, which lies around 350 kilometers from Derna.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday claimed to have foiled a terror bid in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... by arresting four suspected turbans and killing three others during counter-terrorism operations in different parts of the city on Sunday night.
According to the CTD, three raids were carried out as a result of a rise in terrorist activities in the city over the past month.
The operations were carried out in Machhar Colony and near MA Jinnah road after the CTD was tipped off about the presence of turbans with ties to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban ...Arabic for students... Pakistain (TTP) in the areas, the CTD said.
The dead turbans have not been identified, the CTD said, adding that those locked away Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! had admitted to killing a police sub-inspector in 2015.
According to the CTD, the turbans had planned to target jamaat-khanas belonging to the Aga Khani community, imambargahs and shrines.
One Kalashnikov, five pistols, and a home-made bomb were recovered from the possession of the suspected terrorists.
The CTD also claimed to have dismantled two sleeper cells in the overnight raids.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] An kaboom occurred in Lahore's western suburbs on Monday evening which resulted in injuries to more than 26 people, DawnNews reported.
DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf, while talking to Dawn, confirmed that the kaboom happened in a fruit laden truck which was parked at a parking lot on Out Fall Road in Islampura area.
The police official said that explosives were hidden in the truck which accidentally triggered around 9pm, causing damage to scores of vehicles parked in the area.
The injured were rushed to nearby Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital and Mian Munshi Hospital where an emergency has been imposed. At least four injured are said to be at death's door in Mayo Hospital.
Due to a power breakdown following the blast, hospital authorities are facing problems in carrying out emergency operations.
Police and other law enforcement personnel (LEAs), including forensic experts, reached the blast site soon after the incident and cordoned it off.
The authorities have launched an investigation to determine how and when the truck arrived in the area.
The roof of a nearby house had collapsed due to the intensity of the kaboom, while the windowpanes of nearby buildings had shattered from the shock waves. A number of automobiles were also damaged in the incident.
Rai Ijaz, a police brass hat at the site, told news hounds that the kaboom created a big crater.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
The police official said that explosives were hidden in the [fruit laden] truck which accidentally triggered around 9pm
Leaking cargo? Intended destination Jammu and Kashmire?
[Dhaka Tribune] A team of Indian Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) locked away Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! a Bangladeshi man, Abdullah al Mamon, suspected of being a member of the banned bad boy outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) from Uttar Pradesh (UP), on Sunday.
According to an ATS spokesperson, four more people have been arrested following Abdullah’s arrest. Two of them were living in a madrasa. Two were locals, while the others came from Kashmire and Bihar.
Indian Sherlocks seized several fake passports, Aadhaar cards (national identity cards), and other official documents from Abdullah that he was also holding for other people. They also discovered official seals, duplicated signatures of important officials and copied panchayat pradhans.
Indian police said that Abdullah and his team had succeeded in laying the groundwork for spreading a terror network in the area and were moving into the second or third phase of their operations.
Abdullah was also trying to marry a local girl, but his accent was an impediment, said police. He had been working as an Imam for over a year before he was removed because of his accent.
The bad boy was living in the Deoband area of Saharanpur in UP since 2011. He moved to Muzaffarnagar district last month. Abdullah admitted to have crossed over to India through Assam. He had been active in terror sponsoring activities in Malda and other areas of West Bengal and was linked to associates in the banned Jamatul Mujahideen of Bangladesh (JMB) and the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... He said he was working as a recruiter for the Islamic State. His work in UP was as an Imam in madrasas and mosques, but that was a cover to hide his main activity, which was to provide shelter and other help for Bangladeshi jihadis crossing over to India.
In Malda and Assam, Abdullah said he was indoctrinating younger recruits to the "Islamist cause" with training in arms and the making of explosives and smuggling of weapons. Several batches of indoctrinated young men had been trained so far.
The false documents he acquired had helped in establishing new assumed identities for the new recruits, who were sent to different parts of UP, Assam, West Bengal and Bangladesh, according to preliminary reports. They were allegedly carrying on the work of the JMB and similar organizations, apart from organising occasional acts of sabotage and inflaming communal violence.
Both Central and West Bengal police have now confirmed the involvement of certain Bangladeshi faceless myrmidons in the most recent outbreak of prolonged communal violence at the Basirhat-Baduria belt of north 24 Parganas in West Bengal some days ago.
Bangladeshi government sources have kept the Indian central agencies regularly informed about the activities and movements of Islamic faceless myrmidons suspected to have crossed over to India. The ABT according to them was formed following the ideals of the internationally active bad boy Al Qaeda organization in Bangladesh. This group was behind the killing of secular leaders and bloggers in Bangladesh and had been involved in the major bad boy attack on Holey Bakery on July 1, 2016.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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Diyala (Iraqinews.com) A farmer was killed on Monday as an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in an orchard west of Diyala governorate, Alsumaria News reported.
A member of Diyala province council, Abdel Khaliq al-Ezzawy, told Alsumaria that an IED, planted in an orchard in western Diyala, exploded on Monday, leaving a farmer dead.
Al-Ezzawy added that security forces have opened an inquiry into the incident.
On Saturday, an Iraqi army officer was killed and five soldiers were injured when an explosive device went off west of Baqubah, Diyala.
Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Two thousand refugees have returned to their homes northeast of Diyala, a security member was quoted saying on Monday as authorities plan to return all displaced civilians before 2018.
Cap. Habib al-Shamri, from the Iraqi army, told Turkish Anadolu Agency that more than 450 families, making nearly 2000 people, returned to their home regions in Maqdadia as part of a local plan to repatriate all refugees before the end of this year.
He added that more than 20.000 registered refugees have yet to return to their home areas at the same region.
Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Four civilians were killed, while seven others were wounded in several parts in Diyala province, news reports quoted security sources as saying on Monday.
Five mortar missiles fell on villages of al-Mekheisa, abu Karma in abu Saida town, northeast of Baquba, on Monday evening. Two women were killed, while five others were injured.
Moreover, a bomb exploded while a Federal Police patrol was passing at al-Katoun district in west of Baquba, leaving a policeman killed and two others wounded.
Another bomb blast in abu Hassan village in al-Abbara town, north of Baquba killed a member of the paramilitary troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units).
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) has repulsed a terrorist attack in Amiriyah area, west of Baghdad.
"A force from the 54 brigade of the BOC has managed to arrest two terrorists, and found an boom belt, 14 IEDs and a sniper with them", according to a statement.
The operation was carried out according to accurate intelligence information, the statement added.
On Sunday, the (BOC) has found 16 IEDS and two mortars in different parts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Erbil (IraqiNews.com) Kurdish security services have placed in durance vile Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! around 1700 Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... turbans among the displaced civilians at refugee camps, according to Karim Sinjari, Interior Minister of the Kurdistan region.
During a meeting on Sunday with a Kuwaiti media delegation in Erbil, Sinjari said, "despite the liberation of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , the war against IS will last for long due to presence of sleeper cells in the city, especially in the tunnels."
"Military operations will start in Tal Afar town, west of Mosul, then Qaim in western Anbar and Hawija in western Kirkuk, ... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... " the minister added.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] US forces have reportedly attacked an Iraqi military base affiliated to the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), killing over 30 troops and injuring many more.
According to a statement released by the Sayaed al-Shuhada brigades on their website on Monday, their base was targeted by US artillery fire and smart bombs.
In the statement, the brigades called on the Iraqi government to launch an extensive investigation into the incident, while noting that the US’ actions will not remain unanswered.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Police rescue civilian security guards attacked with Molotov cocktails in the capital; 16 Paleostinians placed in durance vile I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! Three East Jerusalem residents suspected of Molotov cocktailing an armored security car were arrested on Sunday night, police said.
While on a patrol of the Arab neighborhood of Silwan in Jerusalem, the armored car was bombarded with Molotov cocktails, causing it to catch fire, police said.
The civilian security guards were rescued from the burning vehicle unharmed, the police said.
Searching the area after the Molotov cocktailing attack, the police found evidence pointing them to three suspects. Detectives arrested the three suspects in their homes on Sunday night, police said.
They were brought to police headquarters for interrogation. On Monday, they were set to be brought before a judge in order to keep them in police custody.
In the West Bank, Israeli security forces arrested another 13 Paleostinians suspected of throwing rocks or committing other security offenses on Sunday and early Monday morning, officials said.
In the al-Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, Border Police officers arrested three Paleostinian children who were caught on film throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at troops throughout the day, police said.
During one of those attacks, in which the children used slingshots to launch rocks at border guards, a group of officers in an armored car responded by "flanking them, chasing the rock throwers who fled into a building, and arresting" three suspects.
The arrested rock throwers were handed over to the Paleostinian police, who called the children’s parents. The three were released on a bail set at 500 Jordanian dinars (NIS 2,550 or $700) each, the Israel Police said.
Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF arrested 10 Paleostinian suspects, nine of them suspected of taking part in violent protests or throwing rocks.
The tenth was arrested in the West Bank village of Deir Qaddis, northeast of Modiin. He is suspected of "incitement," the army said in a statement.
In addition, IDF soldiers accompanied a group of some 1,000 worshipers to the Joseph’s Tomb holy site in the Paleostinian city of Nablus. The prayers at the shrine took place without issue, the army said.
#1
Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF arrested 10 Paleostinian suspects, nine of them suspected of taking part in violent protests or throwing rocks.
The tenth was arrested in the West Bank village of Deir Qaddis, northeast of Modiin. He is suspected of "incitement just being an asshole", the army said in a statement.
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08/08/2017 9:05 Comments ||
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[Reuters] Despite heavy air and artillery assaults on identified terrorist positions, it is likely that leaders of the ISIS-inspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups are still alive, said Philippine military officials. General Restituto Padilla said, "We have received reports that terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon, Abdullah Maute and Omar Maute are still alive and they are still in Marawi City."
The Philippine government offered a $200,000 reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of Hapilon. Moreover, a reward of $100,000 is offered to anyone who can provide information about the current location of either Abdullah and Omar Maute.
Thousands of Philippine soldiers were deployed in Marawi City to battle heavily armed 700 Maute and Abu Sayyaf militants on May 23 and the battle has been going on since then. The military said that after fierce fighting for over three months only a hundred of them, occupying two villages, remain.
Meanwhile, last Sunday, six bombs exploded in Marantao, a municipality adjacent to Marawi City following which a investigation was ordered. The blast came as a shock because it happened outside of the battle zone.
One army unit claimed that the bombs were either planted or were fired from the terrorist camp. However, according to General Padilla, the incident is still being investigated.
With the Marawi battle entering its 78th day, it is reported that 690 terrorists and 122 security personnel have been killed.
Posted by: ryuge ||
08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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The Pentagon is considering a plan that allows the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes on ISIS in the Philippines, two defense officials told NBC News.
The authority to strike ISIS targets as part of collective self-defense could be granted as part of an official military operation that may be named as early as Tuesday, said the officials. The strikes would likely be conducted by armed drones.
If approved, the U.S. military would be able to conduct strikes against ISIS targets in the Philippines that could be a threat to allies in the region, which would include the Philippine forces battling ISIS on the ground in the country's southern islands.
[AlMasdar] The Islamic State militant attacked the Syrian Army positions in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor after the group lost its bastion of al-Sukhnah in the eastern countryside of Homs.
The attack began from the ISIS-held district of al-Baghiliyah and targeted the Army’s outposts near al-Rawad hill which overlooks Division 17 base located to the northwest of the city.
Fierce clashes then ensued as a result of the attack, which was eventually repelled as the Syrian fighter jets bombed ISIS reinforcements, destroying two MLRs launchers and several machinegun-fitted trucks.
According to a military source, scores of ISIS have been killed and wounded in the failed assault.
The territories controlled by the terror group are steadily shrinking as the Syrian government forces managed to recapture al-Sukhnah town which serves as the last defense line before the Syrian troops reach the embattled city of Deir Ezzor.
[AlMasdar] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continued their field operations in the Jubb Al-Jarrah District of Homs this morning, attacking the Islamic State’s (ISIL) positions at the town of Mannoukh.
Led by the 18th Tank Division, the Syrian Arab Army managed to liberate five points around Mannoukh last night, paving the way for their assault on the town this morning.
Following an intense battle that lasted for nearly three hours today, the Syrian Arab Army seized Mannoukh from the Islamic State terrorists after killing scores of their fighters inside the town.
According to a military source in Homs, the Syrian Army killed more than 15 Islamic State terrorists, while also destroying at least three vehivles that were fitted with 23mm anti-aircraft machine guns.
As a result of today’s operation, the Syrian Army has now pushed the Islamic State more than 15km away from the strategic town of Jubab Hamad, which is located in eastern countryside of Homs.
[AlMasdar] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) resumed their offensive in east Homs, Monday, after repelling the Islamic State’s counter-attack to retake Al-Sukhnah.
Led by the 5th Corps, the Syrian Arab Army pushed north from Al-Sukhnah this afternoon, attacking the Islamic State’s positions near the towns of Al-Kom and Taybah.
With help from their Russian allies, the Syrian Arab Army captured several points from the Islamic State forces, killing and wounding several terrorists in the process.
According to a military source in Palmyra, the Syrian Army is attempting to link up with the Tiger Forces at the strategic town of Resafa, which is located in the Al-Raqqa Governorate.
If this attack proves successful, the Syrian Arab Army will be to cutoff the Islamic State’s supply line to central Syria and shrink the terrorist group’s pocket in the eastern countryside of Hama.
[AlMasdar] The Islamic State (ISIL) launched a desperate offensive near the strategic city of Al-Sukhnah, Monday, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) positions north of their former stronghold.
ISIL began the offensive by storming the small hilltops located north of the Al-Sukhnah; this would result in a series of clashes that would last for two hours.
Unable to penetrate the Syrian Army’s defenses, the terrorist group was forced to withdraw their remaining forces from the front-lines in order to avoid a high casualty count.
According to a military source in eastern Homs, the Syrian Army killed well over 20 Islamic State terrorists on Monday, including several foreign combatants.
This failed offensive will likely be the Islamic State’s last attempt to recover Al-Sukhnah, as the Syrian Army has been quickly securing all flanks around the city.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[AlMasdar] Rebel fighters in the southwestern province of Quneitra launched a mortar attack against a governed-held town, thus violating the Russia-US brokered de-escalation zones agreement.
According to local sources, the snuffies targeted civilians in the town of Hadar with two mortar shells which maimed several civilians and cause material damage.
Last month, Russia and the United States have reached an agreement on de-escalation zones in several areas across the war-torn country.
[ARA News] The Ottoman Turkish army forces stationed near the area of Tel Abyad (Girê Spî) in northern Syria bombed the border gate of Tel Abyad with heavy weapons, officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday.
The Ottoman Turkish army fired from an armored vehicle on the city of Tal Abyad, after targeting the Kurdish town of Kobane, west of Tel Abyad.
According to the SDF, the Ottoman Turkish army targeted Kobane after the visit of the US-led coalition’s officials to Ain al-Issa district in Raqqa province, where the Kurdish-led SDF troops continue their operations against ISIS murderous Moslems.
SDF officials reported that the attacks and the Ottoman Turkish army encroachment on the Syrian territory is a message to the United States, that is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) despite The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... ’s opposition.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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Raqqa (Syria News) The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced, on Monday, capturing more than half the city of Raqqa, while pointed out that the battles are ongoing inside the city, Enab Baladi News reported.
The Syrian Democratic Forces militia announced, today, that it expanded its control over the city of Raqqa, after advancing into al-Bareed neighborhood, southwest of the city, and recapturing the headquarters of the Military Police, Civil Defense and others.
Meanwhile, ...back at the barn, Bossy had come up with a new idea, one that didn't involve kerosene... the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... -owned Amaq News Agency did not publish any details regarding the areas the radical group controls in Raqqa since the start of the offensive.
SDF Media Office Director, Mostafa Bali, said that the battles are now concentrated northwest of Raqa, especially in the neighborhoods of Nahda, Bareed and Rawda.
[ARA News] The United States’ anti-ISIS coalition envoy Brett McGurk has confirmed that a total of 2,000 ISIS fighters are left in Raqqa, adding that these jihadists will die in Raqqa, where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue their military operations against the radical group.
"We estimate there’s about 2,000 ISIS fighters left in Raqqa. I’m always hesitant to give numbers like that, because it’s ‐ this is an inexact science. We think there’s about 2,000 ISIS fighters left in Raqqa, and they most likely will die in Raqqa," the coalition envoy said.
"UN estimates now ‐ there’s about 25,000 civilians on the ground in Raqqa. It could be higher, but that is a UN estimate. And what’s really happening in Raqqa ‐ similar to what we saw in djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... but on a smaller scale ‐ the ISIS fighters on the ground are using these civilians as their own shields, as their own hostages," he added.
"They are using snipers to kill civilians who are trying to escape. They’re trying to put jacket wallahs in columns of displaced people as they try to get out ‐ the similar tactics we’ve seen from this barbaric terrorist organization in other cities," McGurk said.
However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... he said the tactic of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces is now to connect the east to the west. "They could connect now, but they have to clear some high-rise buildings before they join forces at a roadway. And that’ll really help accelerate the second phase of the operation to clear the rest of the city."
"Today in Raqqa, ISIS is fighting for every last block, and trying to defend blocks that they are about to lose. They are fighting for their own survival. It is a fundamentally transformed situation. The Raqqa operation to seize Raqqa launched on June 6th, and as of today, as I mentioned, the SDF has seized about 45 percent of Raqqa," he concluded.
Moreover, the US official said that the majority of the civilians flee to SDF-held areas.
"So as IDPs come out of areas that have been controlled by ISIS ‐ these are people who have been living under ISIS for the last three years ‐ we are seeing almost all of the IDPs flow north into the lines of the force we’re working with," he said.
"They are not flowing west into regime areas; they are not leaving to go stay with ISIS in the east; they are not flowing south into the desert. They are all coming into the areas of the Syrian Democratic Forces," he added.
According to the US official there are now around 324,000 IDPs from Raqqa.
"We track this every single day. As of this morning, about 146,000 are in prepared sites and camps, about 177 or so thousand in communities. And what we see in Syria, as the population comes out from areas where the fighting is ongoing, they sit in transit camps. And as the areas are cleared, as they’re de-mined, the population then returns. We have seen this now repeatedly this pattern, which is a pretty good pattern," he stated.
[AlMasdar] After a brief hiatus, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) resumed their Euphrates Wrath campaign in full force on Monday, securing a number of Raqqa’s residential areas from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... Advancing on three axes in the same time, the Kurdish-led SDF managed to impose full control over the Karim district, thus establishing an important foothold in western Raqqa.
In addition, the US-backed SDF finally overran the southern Hisham Ibn Abdulmalik district on Monday after ISIS snuffies had fought back for over two weeks.
However, women are made to be loved, not understood... the largest advance today took place on the northeastern flank where Kurdish forces took control of most of the Rameleh district. During this assault, two schools, a sheep market and the local mosque were captured.
In total, 16 ISIS members were killed on Monday, a military source told al-Masdar News.
Some 2,000 jihadist snuffies are estimated to be held up in downtown Raqqa, many of whom are volunteering as jacket wallahs due to the hopeless situation.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Iranian intelligence ministry says 10 of terror group’s operatives were tossed in the clink Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! outside of country, with foreign assistance
Iran has arrested 27 people plotting attacks for the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... terror group, including 10 who were detained in a regional country with outside assistance, the country’s intelligence ministry said on Monday.
"Intelligence agents succeeded in identifying and arresting a terrorist group linked to ISIS, who intended to conduct terrorist attacks in central provinces and religious cities," a ministry statement said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
Ten of the suspects were arrested outside of Iran "through intelligence-sharing with one of the intelligence services in the region," the statement said, without naming the country or giving further details.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered during the arrests, and the suspects were reportedly trying to smuggle them into Iran inside home appliances.
Tehran suffered a rare and deadly twin attack on June 7, claimed by IS, when gunnies and jacket wallahs attacked the parliament complex and the mausoleum of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 people.
Iranian security officials have since arrested dozens of suspects linked to the attack, and claim to have killed its chief planner.
On June 19, Iran also fired missiles into northeastern Syria in retaliation, targeting an IS command base in Deir Ezzor province.
[Iran Press TV] Syrian government forces have intensified shelling and Arclight airstrikes on the last holy warrior stronghold near the capital city of Damascus as army soldiers and allied fighters from popular defense groups continue to make territorial gains against foreign-sponsored holy warrior groups across the war-battered country.
Local sources said elite units of the army, positioned on the strategic Mount Qasioun that overlooks Damascus, struck Jobar district, located some 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) east of the Old City walls, as well as Ain Terma suburb, located 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) east of Old Damascus.
Syrian army troops also struck holy warrior outposts in Zamalka, located 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) northeast of Old Damascus, Harasta city and Kafr Batna town.
Abu Obada al-Shami, a commander from the Takfiri ...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... Faylaq al-Rahman holy warrior group, said the holy warriors had dug tunnels and fortified their positions in the Eastern Ghouta district in a bid to impede the government forces’ advance.
Meanwhile, ...back at the precinct house, Sergeant Maloney wasn't buying it. It was just too pat. The whole thing smelled phony, kind of like a dead mackeral but without the scales... Syrian Air Force jets bombarded ISIS positions in al-Bawlieh Mountain, Ma'adan subdistrict, al-Khamaiseh, al-Jaber and al-Numaisa districts south of the northern city of Raqqah.
Elsewhere in Salamiyah district of the central province of Hama, Syrian military aircraft pounded ISIS position, inflicting heavy losses on their ranks.
Today, a group of 12 militants were stuck inside a tunnel they were using in Ayn Tarma after the government troops blew up the only exit.
Fierce firelight erupted as the disparate militants – who all belong to the al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – attempted to make their way out. However, the Army troops killed 9 rebel fighters and captured 3 alive.
[AlMasdar] Jaysh Al-Islam launched a powerful attack inside the East Ghouta region of Damascus this morning, targeting Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham’s positions at the Al-Asha’ri Farms.
According to opposition media activists, Jaysh Al-Islam stormed the Al-Asha’ri Farms this morning, capturing several sites in the area, including the Asha’ri school and mosque.
Intense clashes are ongoing at the moment, with Jaysh Al-Islam still on the offensive against their former allies from Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham.
Jaysh Al-Islam announced that they will continue this operation against Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham until the East Ghouta is completely cleansed of the group.
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08/08/2017 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] 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 has reportedly fired seven Grad rockets ...Soviet-developed 122-mm rockets, usually launched from trucks. Newer versions are reported to have a range of up to 30 km.... into the Lebanese territories from a krazed killer-held enclave on the Syria-Leb border.
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... , further said that the attack had been carried out on Monday, without causing any casualties.
The source also said that the rockets fell in the vicinity of al-Qaa town, in Baalbek-Hermel province, and prompted the Lebanese army to respond by shelling ISIS positions in the nearby hills.
The development came as the Lebanese army has intensified its shelling of ISIS posts in recent days amid reports that it is set to launch an operation aimed at purging the Takfiris out of the border region with Syria.
The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement formally announced an end to its security operation around border town of Arsal against members of the foreign-sponsored and Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham ...formerly al-Nusra, the current false nose and mustache of al-Qaeda in the Levant... ‐ previously known as the Nusra Front ‐ krazed killer group.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/08/2017 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
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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.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) has repulsed a terrorist attack in Amiriyah area, west of Baghdad.
[Iran Press TV] US forces have reportedly attacked an Iraqi military base affiliated to the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), killing over 30 troops and injuring many more.
[Reuters] Despite heavy air and artillery assaults on identified terrorist positions, it is likely that leaders of the ISIS-inspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups are still alive, said Philippine military officials. General Restituto Padilla said, "We have received reports that terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon, Abdullah Maute and Omar Maute are still alive and they are still in Marawi City."
[Iran Press TV] Syrian government forces have intensified shelling and 
