Iraq

[sToRmR1dR]

Seven Iraqi soldiers killed in a bomb blast south of Baghdad

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/15/470584/Iraq-soldiers-blast-Baghdad

At least seven Iraqi soldiers have been killed after a bomb hit a military checkpoint south of the capital city of Baghdad.

An Iraqi source said the blast targeted a military checkpoint near Yusufiyah district to the south of Baghdad on Wednesday.

The explosion was carried out by a bomber wearing an explosive belt, the source said, adding that several people were also injured in the attack.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack but Daesh Takfiri terrorists usually target military positions and civilians in the Arab country.

In another development on Wednesday, Iraqi security forces launched a wide-scale attack against a Daesh position in Albu Rishah district in the city of Ramadi in Anbar province, killing Fouad al-Ziabi, a senior commander of the group, and a number of his companions.

Iraqi forces gain further ground in Fallujah

Also on Wednesday, Iraqi media said that the country’s security forces managed to retake the districts of Resalah and Khadrah in southern Fallujah from the Daesh group.

The security forces also regained control of three areas in the town of Amiriyah to the south of Fallujah, leaving scores of Daesh terrorists dead.

Separately, Daesh executed 19 residents of Shirqat town to the south of Mosul city in Salahuddin province by firing squad for cooperating with and spying for security forces.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since Daesh terrorists launched an offensive in June 2014, and took control of portions of the Iraqi territory.

The Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, has been engaged in extensive battles and made gains in pushing the militants out of the country’s cities and villages.

Iraqi Forces Win Back Key Fallujah Dam

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950326001280

The Iraqi forces started their operations to take control of Fallujah Dam on Wednesday morning.

The Fallujah Dam is built on the Euphrates River in Anbar province in Western Iraq.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi government troops continued their advances in the Southern part of Fallujah city, and seized back more strategic regions after heavy clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists, media reports said.

"The Iraqi army purged terrorists from al-Shafaq residential area in Southern Fallujah and after inflicting heavy losses on the ISIL terrorists hoisted the Iraqi flags over buildings there," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted informed military sources as saying.

The Iraqi army's Regiment 17, meantime, seized back al-Za'aneseh, al-Zayban and al-Atr villages in tough battle with the ISIL terrorists.

The Iraqi army also took full control of Abbas Jamil bridge and is now heading towards al-Hitaween region in Southeastern Fallujah.

Also, the Iraqi army's Regiment 15 recaptured the village of al-Nasr in Southern Mosul and is now moving towards the village of Salahiya.

On Sunday, the Iraqi government troops continued their advances in the Southern part of Fallujah, and seized back two strategic regions after heavy clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

"Al-Falahat and al-Sabihat region in the Southern part of Fallujah city are now under the control of our forces," Anbar Operations' Commander announced on Sunday.

Meantime, the commander of Iraqi Federal Police Major General Raed Shaker Judat said that a dozen ISIL terrorists were killed in the clashes over al-Falahat and al-Sabihat regions.

The military vehicles of the terrorists were also destroyed in the army's offensive.

On Saturday, military sources announced that the Iraqi army and tribal forces have started fresh operations to win back two strategic regions in the Western part of the city of Fallujah.

"The Iraqi army's eighth battalion and air force kicked off fresh military operations to liberate Fallujah's Western parts," Commander of Anbar operations Esmayeel al-Mahlavi said.

He noted that the Iraqi tribal forces will help the army to conduct its large-scale operations in Western Fallujah.

 

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A senior Iraqi commander was killed in tough battle with the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in the Southern part of the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

Senior Iraqi Army General Killed in Battle with ISIL near Mosul City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950326001051

Commander of Brigade 71 of Iraqi army's Division 15 Brigadier General Ahmed Badr al-Luhaibi was killed in the Iraqi army's operations to liberate the village of al-Nasr to the South of Mosul city.

An Iraqi army's statement said that al-Luhaibi's death would increase the army's determination to purge the entire Nineveh province of ISIL terrorists.

The Iraqi troops have resumed small-scale operations to dislodge ISIL militants from areas to the South and Southeast of Mosul. This comes in conjunction with a major offensive to retake the city of Fallujah in Anbar province in Western Iraq.

A military chopper of the UAE Army has been downed in an incident that seems to be a blues-on-blues fire in Southern Yemen, informed military sources announced on Wednesday.

UAE's Apache Chopper Downed in Southern Yemen, Third Crash in 2 Days
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950326000679

The UAE's Apache helicopter which was downed on Tuesday night was the third of its kind that has been destroyed in the last 48 hours.

The Emirati helicopter was hit by a rocket fired from a warship of the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Ras Omran region located between Lahij and Aden in the Southern part of Yemen.

In early June, an Emirati opposition leader said that the UAE has deployed its forces in Yemen's strategic regions under the US and Israel's pressures and their promises for economic flourishing.

"By renting Socotra Island in Yemen and deploying troops in the port city of Mukalla in Hadhramout province (Southern Yemen), the UAE is implementing the US and Israel's order to gain control over the strategic regions in Bab al-Mandab to render them to the Zionist regime," Abdullah Abdullah al-Majed, an Emirati opposition leader, told FNA.

Noting that the UAE is also concerned about turning the port of Aden into a powerful rival for the Dubai port, he revealed that Washington has promised help Abu Dhabi's economic growth for occupation of strategic regions in Yemen.

"The UAE is after more cooperation with the US to fully control and occupy the Southern parts of Yemen," Sadeq Ishaq told FNA.

He also disclosed that the UAE has paid 1.9 billion dirhams to the US security companies for collaboration in occupying Southern Yemen.

The Ansarullah movement said on Wednesday it opposes any proposed solution to the crisis in Yemen if it does not meet the people's demands and expectations.

Ansarullah Rejects Any Pact Not Meeting Yemenis Demands
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950326001072

Speaking on Wednesday at a press conference, Ansarullah spokesman, Mohammad Abdul Salam, reiterated that Sanaa delegation to Yemeni talks in Kuwait will reject any proposed solution if it does not meet the demands of the Yemenis, Alwaght reported.

Abdul Salam who heads the Sanaa delegation, said, "We heard from the United Nations that it is preparing to propose a solution, however, if it does not meet the Yemenis demands (identifying the presidency situation, forming a national unity government and a military as well as a security committee, halting the Saudi-led aggression permanently, and lifting the blockade) then we will reject it."

"We demand the UN to pressurize the other party in order to reach a comprehensive, not partial solution," he added.

He said the Ansarullah movement believes the UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed should be given a chance to attain better results. He however said the UN envoy is in a hard position due to pressure exerted on him.

Commenting on the remarks made by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saudi regime's pressure on the UN which led to the removal of the Saudi coalition from the global child-killers list, Abdul Salam said that acknowledgment has a greater impact than the decision itself because it exposed how the UN is funded for political objectives.

Informed sources disclosed that the top treasury official of the ISIL terrorist group in Kirkuk has left the province for an unknown destination with a large amount of cash.

Iraq: Top ISIL Treasury Official Escapes from Kirkuk with Millions of Dollars
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950326000931

"The ISIL treasury official had promised to leave to purchase foodstuff and distribute them among the poor in Haweija town, but he escaped with several millions of dollars," the Arabic-language media quoted unnamed informed sources as saying.

This is not the first time that such incident happens as a large number of ISIL treasury men have already escaped with tens of millions of dollars. In the latest incident of this kind, local sources disclosed on Tuesday that Hatim al-Utaybi, a Saudi national, had stolen the entire money, gold and other precious jewelry of the Takfiri group and had left Raqqa for an unknown destination.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that the United Arab Emirates is withdrawing from the anti-Houthi military operation in Yemen.

UAE to Withdraw From Anti-Houthi Military Operations in Yemen
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160615/1041406863/uae-withdraw-yemen.html

The United Arab Emirates is withdrawing from the anti-Houthi military operation in Yemen, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Wednesday.

"Our standpoint today is clear: war is over for our troops; we’re monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas," the crown prince said on Twitter.

The statement comes after last week, an UAE military plane crashed in Yemen’s Aden province, killing both pilots on board.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US ground forces for the first time took part in the battles against the IG in Iraq

http://ria.ru/world/20160616/1448757446.html

MOSCOW, June 16 -. RIA Novosti US ground troops for the first time took part in the battles against the group "Islamic state" (IG, banned in Russia) in the vicinity of the captured terrorists of the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, according to television channel Sky News Arabia referring to Kurdish sources.

Earlier, the US military is engaged in training and instructing Iraqi colleagues. The operation to liberate Mosul also involved aircraft of the international coalition led by the USA, Kurdish forces and Shiite militias.

According to sources in the Kurdish Peshmerga armed forces, US troops took part in the attack on the terrorists' positions south of the city. We used the armored vehicles, tanks and artillery. Sources pointed out that the attack was carried out jointly with the Iraqi military, but without the Shiite militias.

IG militants hold Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, under the supervision of the summer of 2014.

Iraq’s Fallujah facing ‘humanitarian disaster’ amid food crisis: NGO

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/16/470769/Iraq-Fallujah-Daesh-Army-NRC-Anbar

The Daesh-held Iraqi city of Fallujah is facing a “humanitarian disaster” as many of its hunger-stricken residents remain trapped with no “safe passage” to make their way out, a prominent NGO warns.

“There is absolutely nothing safe for civilians fleeing Fallujah. No safe exits, no safe passage, no safe haven without risking their lives,” said the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which works with refugees and internally-displaced Iraqis, in a Thursday statement.

Besides Mosul, Fallujah, a city in Anbar Province located roughly 69 kilometers west of the capital Baghdad, is one of the last two remaining bastions of Daesh in Iraq.

Since May 23, Iraqi forces have been engaged in a massive military operation to take back the city. They have liberated significant parts of southern Fallujah since the beginning of June.

Having suffered heavy blows at the hands of Iraqi troops, Daesh terrorists have now resorted to hostage taking among civilians, using them as human shields in order to blunt the advance of Iraqi armed units.

“We have a humanitarian disaster inside Fallujah and another unfolding disaster in the camps,” said the NRC statement.
The aid body’s chief, Jan Egeland, also said “thousands fleeing the cross-fire after months of besiegement and near starvation deserve relief and care, but our relief supplies will soon be exhausted.”

Elsewhere in the statement, the Norwegian aid group said a two-year-old boy had been shot dead by Daesh militants while trying to escape the violence with his family.

The Daesh gunfire struck the mother’s shoulder and killed the child she was carrying away, according to the report.

The NRC statement cited a relative as saying that the mother and her two sons and three daughters, all under eight years old, had joined other fleeing residents in their her fifth attempt to leave the city.

“They had to walk for an hour through agricultural water channels, immersed up to their chest” to avoid Daesh terrorists, said the relative, adding, “The children were getting agitated and uncomfortable in the water, making noises just as they were about to dash out. At that point, they must have attracted the attention” of Daesh militants.
Last week, the Iraqi army opened a corridor to facilitate the flow of civilians trying to leave Fallujah. The passage has allowed thousands to escape but remains hard to reach from some neighborhoods.

Tens of thousands of civilians are still believed to be stranded in the city.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently said over 430,000 people have been uprooted from their homes since the beginning of the Fallujah liberation operation in late May.

Meanwhile, reports coming out of the Fallujah battlefield indicate that Iraqi forces continue their advances against Daesh militants holed up there, and have now reached a central street in the city.

Iraqi security forces entered Fallujah on Wednesday.

Federal Police Commander Lieutenant General Ra’ed Shaker Jawdat said the armed forces also dismantled 15 Daesh vehicles packed with explosives during their military offensive.

More than three million Iraqis have fled their homes since a lightning Daesh offensive in 2014 saw swathes of the country fall into extremist control.

ISIL Terrorists Excecute Nine 'Child Militants' in Fallujah

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000833

The executed children were among child soldiers trained by ISIL whom the group recently began to deploy to the Fallujah battlefields, the source told Iraqi Sumeriya News.

The brutal action by ISIL comes as after the terrorist group has been sustaining increasing losses in latest rounds of Iraqi military operation to take back the key city of Fallujah, which left no choice to ISIL than deploying the child soldiers to the battlefields.

The source, who requested anonymity, insisted after the child soldiers apparently terrified and fled the battlefields, they were arrested by ISIL militants and subsequently, the process of their execution started.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Army's Anbar Operation Command announced in a statement that the final round of offensive to liberate the al-hassa, South of Fallujah is going ahead, as Iraqi troops managed to open safe routes for over 15 thousand civilians to leave the town.

Iraqi Army secures Al-Shuhada District in southern Fallujah

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iraqi-army-secures-al-shuhada-district-southern-fallujah/

The Iraqi Army’s 34th Brigade, backed by the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd Al-Sha’abi) and Federal Police, once again liberated the Al-Shuhada District in southern Fallujah after the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) successfully reentered it last week.

According to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, their armed forces cleared the Al-Shuhada District en route to reaching the Industrial District’s southern axis.

With Al-Shuhada under their control, the Iraqi Armed Forces will now turn their attention to the Al-Jbeil District, where they have faced fierce resistance from the Islamic State terrorists in the past.

 

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[...]

ISIL Terrorists Excecute Nine 'Child Militants' in Fallujah

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000833

The executed children were among child soldiers trained by ISIL whom the group recently began to deploy to the Fallujah battlefields, the source told Iraqi Sumeriya News.

The brutal action by ISIL comes as after the terrorist group has been sustaining increasing losses in latest rounds of Iraqi military operation to take back the key city of Fallujah, which left no choice to ISIL than deploying the child soldiers to the battlefields.

The source, who requested anonymity, insisted after the child soldiers apparently terrified and fled the battlefields, they were arrested by ISIL militants and subsequently, the process of their execution started.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Army's Anbar Operation Command announced in a statement that the final round of offensive to liberate the al-hassa, South of Fallujah is going ahead, as Iraqi troops managed to open safe routes for over 15 thousand civilians to leave the town.

It's heart wrenching to read news like this .......that an "ISIL terrorist group can brutally executed 9 children aged ranging from 8 to 13 .... children who were kidnaped from the streets, a gun placed in their hands and then ordered onto the battle field, only to be executed because they ran away?

Another report:

Local sources in Raqqa revealed that the ISIL forcefully takes children who are under 14-year-old from their families to recruit them as soldiers for the war against the Syrian forces.

ISIL Recruiting Under-14 Children in Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000715

The sources added that the ISIL has set up special institutes under the cover of religious training schools and uses them as its own base to recruit children.

According to the sources, the ISIL training has three stages of religious training to familiarize them with the terrorist group's special approach, preparing the children for hard situations by physical training and teaching them how to use weapons and spiritual training which means preparing the children for different crimes, including beheading.

They added that the ISIL has formed a full brigade of 140 children in Raqqa and intends to send them to the battleground.

Earlier reports also said that the ISIL is raising a generation of child killers from birth, according to the latest report by London-based counter-extremism think tank, Quilliam.

The paper said in March that ISIL militants train children as soldiers, executioners and suicide bombers from an early age to make them “more lethal fighters than themselves.”

Quilliam researchers also add that as many as 50 children from the UK could be in the future mujahedeen training camps, as over 800 Britons are believed to live in ISIL-controlled territories.

Iraqi security forces on Thursday restored security to newly-liberated district of Shuhada in Southern Fallujah after they made a significant advance in the battle against ISIL militants in the besieged city of Fallujah, security sources said.

Iraqi Forces Push Further in Fallujah, Keeping Eyes on City Center
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000885

The victory by the Iraqi forces came as they continued their clashes with ISIL militants in Iraq's Western province of Anbar, the sources said.

The Iraqi troops took control of Shuhada district in Southern Fallujah, some 50 km West of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Wednesday, and they are fighting near Sixteen Street, which separates Shuhada from the adjacent district of Nazal near the Central part of the city, a security source said on condition of anonymity.

"The battles are underway and will continue until defeating the militants of ISIL in Nazal district which is close to the government compound in Fallujah’s City Center," the source said.

A United Nations spokesman said that the organization will not disclose to the Saudis sensitive sources of information that put the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen on a blacklist for child rights violations.

UN Refuses to Disclose Sources behind Report Critical of Saudi Coalition
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000760

According to the UN report, 510 children were killed and 667 wounded in 2015 in Yemen as a result of airstrikes conducted by the Saudi-led coalition in its campaign against the Ansarullah political opposition faction. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States expressed disagreement with the conclusions stated in the UN report and pressured Ban Ki-moon into modifying the results and removing the Saudi-led coalition from the blacklist.

In response, the UN removed the coalition from the list last week, stating that it intended to conduct a joint review of the data stated in the report. Riyadh, a key UN donor, had reportedly threatened to cut off funding to a Palestinian aid program and several other UN initiatives.

Human rights groups were outraged with the decision and accused the General Secretary of caving in to a form of blackmail by wealthy countries, adding that he risked harming his legacy as UN chief.

United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash announced the end of his country military operations in Yemen.

UAE Ends Role in Saudi-led Coalition Attacks on Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950327000456

Anwar Gargash broke the news in a statement during a lecture at the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's court, and crown prince of Abu Dhabi confirmed the statement, Defense News reported.

In a tweet summarizing Gargash’s remarks, Sheikh Mohammed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces added that “Our standpoint is clear, war is over for our troops. We are monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas."

No statements have been made by the Saudi government or the coalition leadership in Riyadh concerning the UAE announcement. Currently, the Saudi air and ground forces are engaging in Yemen along with a large number of troops from Sudan in addition to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

Afghanistan does not seek the involvement of foreign troops in the fight against Daesh, instead seeking capacity-building assistance from its partners, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai told Sputnik on Thursday.

Afghanistan Not Seeking Foreign Troops to Aid in Fight Against Daesh
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160616/1041475309/daesh-fight-afghanistan.html

In late May, the Afghanistan National Security Council, chaired by President Ashraf Ghani, adopted a strategy to counter Daesh extremists, granting special powers to the country's security forces.

"We do not anticipate…anyone to provide us [with] support, where they have to, you know, come into Afghanistan. We would like to make sure that we ask them for support in terms of developing our own capacity or providing us with equipment," Karzai said, replying to a question about Russian help in Afghanistan's fight against Daesh.

 

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Iraq's Police Chief on Friday declared full liberation of Fallujah after the two-year-long ISIL control over the strategic city.

Fallujah Freed
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950328000717

Commander of Iraq's Federal Police Major General Raed Shaker Judat appeared on the country's national TV in an interview carried out at the center of Falluja minutes ago, declaring that the city has been completely purged of ISIL terrorists.

Meantime, Fallujah Liberation Operation Commander Abdol-Wahhab Saedi told the state-run TV that his forces are in control of the entire city and state buildings now.

Iraqi government troops continued their advances in the city of Fallujah on Friday by winning back new strategic regions. The police and security forces seized back al-Arsan and al-Nazal regions as well as the governor's building of Fallujah city earlier today. The ISIL terrorists had planted bombs in Fallujah governor's building.

The government forces also purged terrorists from the entire Western bank of the Euphrates River.

On Thursday, government troops restored security to newly-liberated district of Shuhada in Southern Fallujah after they made a significant advance in the battle against ISIL militants in the Fallujah.

The victory by the Iraqi forces came as they continued their clashes with ISIL militants in Iraq's Western province of Anbar.

Iraq's joint military forces continued their advances in the city of Fallujah on Friday by winning back new strategic regions.

Iraqi Forces Win Back New Regions, Governor's Building in Fallujah City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950328000459

The Iraqi forces seized back al-Arsan and al-Nazal regions as well as the governor's building of Fallujah city.

The ISIL terrorists had planted bombs in Fallujah governor's building.

The Iraqi pro-government forces have purged terrorists from the entire Western bank of the Euphrates River.

Two workers were killed and several houses and cars were damaged after the tunnel digging machinery of Tehran Underground Company hit the main underground gas pipe of western capital on Friday.

Pipeline Blast in Tehran Leaves Two Dead (Video)
http://en.farsnews.com/player.aspx?nn=13950328000696
And here:
http://en.farsnews.com/imgrep.aspx?nn=13950328000703

 

[angelburst29]

Iraq's joint military forces started fresh operations in the Southern parts of Mosul to seize back the strategic region of al-Qayara in Nineveh province.

Iraqi Army Launches Fresh Operation South of Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950329000685

Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi ordered the start of the military operations in the Southern part of Mosul after the country's joint military troops seized back the city of Fallujah in Anbar province.

"The winning back of Nineveh province, including Mosul city, is achievable after the capture of Fallujah city," al-Obeidi said on Saturday.

The Iraqi troops have resumed small-scale operations to dislodge ISIL militants from areas to the South and Southeast of Mosul. This comes in conjunction with a major offensive to retake the city of Fallujah in Anbar province in Western Iraq.

Local sources said differences have widened among ISIL commanders in the city of Mosul in Nineveh province as the terrorist group is suffering from an acute shortage of cash.

Rifts Widening among ISIL Ranks in Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950329000864

The ISIL has recently executed 40 of its foreign militants after it came to see rising differences turning into clashes.

Sheikh Ebrahim al-Hayali, a Nineveh tribal leader, announced that the highest number of complaints filed at an ISIL's military court is by the ISIL terrorists against themselves.

Most complaints were attributed to the differences over share of properties and foodstuff as well as murders for fleeing the battlefield.

Last Sunday, informed sources in Nineveh province announced that the ISIL "is in acute shortage of cash in Mosul" and the Takfiri terrorist group has resorted to various methods of extortion.

"The ISIL asks the citizens of Mosul to buy their punishments as one of such methods," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted an unnamed local source as saying.

The ISIL's financial conditions are very unfavorable and it is trying to collect money by bringing different charges against the people.

Senior Iraqi military officials disclosed that the ISIL is on the verge of a complete fall as it has lost a majority of its senior commanders and strongholds in tough battle with government troops.

"The ISIL has lost most of its senior commanders in the ongoing fight with the Iraqi army in the Southern part of Mosul," Iraqi Defense Ministry Spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul said.

In a relevant development in mid-April, the Iraqi Army aircraft dropped leaflets over Mosul to inform city residents that the country's armed forces are preparing to liberate the city soon.

"The Iraqi security forces are very close to you," the leaflets read.

The Mosul residents have also been urged to cooperate with the Iraqi army to help them seize back the city from the ISIL terrorist group.

Iraqi premier congratulated the nation for the liberation of Fallujah from the grip of the ISIL, saying there is no place in his country for the Takfiri terrorists.

Haider Al-Abadi: Mosul Liberation Is Near
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950329000776

We promised you the liberation of Fallujah and we retook it. Our security forces control the city except for small pockets that need to be cleared within the coming hours,” Haider al-Abadi said in a brief speech broadcast on state television on Friday night, press tv reported.

“There is no place in Iraq for you and you will be punished for all the crimes you have committed. The Iraqi people are all united against you. Get out of our country, for Iraq is for Iraqis,” Abadi further said, addressing the terrorists.

The Iraqi premier also promised that the liberation of Mosul - ISIL’s de facto capital in the country since June 2014 - is very close as it is the Iraqi forces’ “next destination” in their campaign to flush the militants out of the country.

Addressing the inhabitants of newly-liberated Fallujah, he said troops from across the country did their best to protect them and bring back peace and security to the city.

On Friday, army forces raised the Iraqi national flag over the main government compound in Fallujah, symbolizing the recapture of the beleaguered western city from ISIL. The forces met limited resistance from the terrorists, who were fleeing the city. Fallujah, in the western province of Anbar, is located about 69 kilometers (43 miles) west of the capital Baghdad.

Iran announced on Saturday that it has arrested the hacker behind the recent attacks on a number of government websites.

Iran Captures Hacker of Gov't Websites
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950329001083

Iran's Center to Study Organized Cyber Crimes made the announcement, adding that the hacker was active in the internet under the name of 'Mafia Hacking Team'.

It added that the cyber culprit had hacked a number of Iranian websites, including the Post Company and a number of Iranian universities and organizations.

The attacks against official websites started May 24 as a group calling itself DAES hacked the website of the Statistical Center of Iran, sending the website down for a short time.

Two days later the websites of Iran's Culture Ministry, the legal deputy of the Judiciary and the interpreting administration of the Judiciary were hacked as well.

Deputy Chief of Staff of Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazzayeri said the US and its allies will be deeply surprised to see Iran's secret military achievements.

Deputy Chief of Staff: Iran's Secret Military Power Surprises US, Israel
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950329001163

"The enemies of the Islamic Republic, headed by the Americans, the Zionists and the British, are (only) aware of a part of the Islamic Republic of Iran's power in different defensive and missile fields and fortunately, since we are self-reliant in this area, our enemies aren’t aware of certain parts and will not be aware any time soon unless something happens," Jazzayeri said on Saturday.

"In such a case, we might need to dispay a part of our capabilities in the battlefield and I believe that if such a thing happens, they will be much surprised to suddently see how much progress the Islamic Republic has made in defensive fields," he added.

In relevant remarks earlier this month, Jazzayeri warned on Friday that Iran is always prepared to give a crushing response to the slightest aggression of the US army.

"Although speaking about all options on the table against Iran is a political show-off nowadays, the Islamic Iran is ready for resolute and rigid confrontation with any US option," General Jazzayeri said in reaction to anti-Iran remarks by a US presidential candidate.

He, meantime, reiterated that the Iranian nation and Armed Forces have never been looking for war.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Car bomb kills four people in Iraq’s Salahuddin

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/18/471032/Iraq-Salahuddin-Tuz-Khurmatu-Fallujah

A car bomb attack in Iraq’s Salahuddin province killed four people and injured nearly 20 others Saturday, in the wake of the liberation of the city of Fallujah from the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Security sources in Salahuddin said the bombing was carried out in the city of Tuz Khurmatu, located about 230 kilometers (143 miles) south of the major city of Mosul that has been under the control of Daesh since the summer of 2014.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the assault.

The explosives-laden car was detonated in the main street of Tuz Khurmatu near the office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the sources said.

Locals also confirmed the deaths, saying the attack may have been an attempt by the Daesh terrorists to avenge the contribution of Kurdish fighters to Iraq’s battle against the Takfiri group.

Kurdish fighters have been assisting the Iraqi military and volunteer fighters in northern Iraq over the past months. The assistance may increase as Iraq prepares a major offensive to retake Mosul, the last and most significant bastion of Daesh. The military announced earlier on Saturday that it had started the offensive in northern Salahuddin and south of Mosul.

Fallujah 'retaken' from Daesh

On Friday, Iraqi forces managed to seize almost full control over Fallujah, a strategic city which had been in the hands of Daesh for more than two years.

Fierce clashes were going on around several villages in northern Salahuddin with reports suggesting that the Iraqi army artillery targeted positions held by terrorists in the area. A Daesh command base was also completely destroyed in airstrikes conducted on Salahuddin Shirqat district.

Following the liberation of Fallujah, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said, “We promised you the liberation of Fallujah and we retook it. Our security forces control the city except for small pockets that need to be cleared within the coming hours.”

 

[angelburst29]

Iraq’s foreign minister has denounced Saudi ambassador's remarks about Iran’s role in the Arab country, including its advisory assistance to fight Takfiri militants.

Iraq FM slams Saudi envoy for ‘interference’ in Baghdad affairs
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/19/471108/Iraq-Ibrahim-alJaafari-Iran-Thamer-alSabhan-Saudi-Arabia

FM Ibrahim al-Ja’afari told Iran's IRNA news agency Saturday that Saudi Ambassador Thamer al-Sabhan’s comments represent “flagrant meddling in Iraq's domestic affairs,” and run counter to standard diplomatic duties.

In a Twitter post, Sabhan wrote that Iranian military advisers were in Fallujah to incite sectarian violence and change the demographic composition of the city.

The Saudi ambassador made the remarks after Iraqi troops retook Fallujah from Daesh militants on Friday and trained their sights on Mosul, the last Takfiri bastion in the country.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned Sabhan “to inform him of its official protest regarding his divisive statements.” The ministry said Baghdad would not allow anyone to stoke divisions in the country through making sectarian comments.

Baghdad also said it would not allow Riyadh to draw Iraq into the kingdom's conflict with Tehran.

Iraqi officials have at times stated that Iranian military advisers are in the Arab country at the request of Baghdad.

Ja’afari further pointed to Baghdad’s policy of détente vis-à-vis world countries, adding his country does not seek to cut diplomatic ties with any state.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a regular critic of the government, also condemned Sabhan’s comments as “meddlesome, alarming and unacceptable.”

Yemeni forces have reportedly targeted a center of gathering belonging to Saudi mercenaries in the country’s northern province of al-Jawf, leaving more than two dozen of the militiamen dead.

Yemeni missile kills 31 Saudi mercenaries in Jawf: Report
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/19/471129/Yemen-Ansarullah-fighters-missile-attack-Saudi-mercenaries-Jawf-Saudi-airstrike-Marib-Sanaa

On Saturday, Yemeni forces launched a ballistic missile at the Army’s 115th Division base in the provincial capital city of al-Hazm, where pro-Riyadh armed men had converged, Yemeni al-Masirah television network reported.

The strike claimed the lives of at least 31 Saudi mercenaries and left 24 others injured.

At least six high-ranking military commanders apparently died in the attack, according to a report published by September 21 news website.

Elsewhere in the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib, a senior Saudi-backed militant commander, identified by the nom de guerre Abu al-Qa’qah, was killed after Yemeni armed forces pounded the Atis base.

Separately, Saudi fighter jets carried out a raft of aerial assaults against the city of Sirwah, situated about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital Sana’a, as well as Nihm district in Yemen’s northern province of Sana’a. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the extent of the damage caused.

Saudi warplanes also bombarded a residential neighborhood in the al-Maton district of Jawf Province, although no reports of casualties and damage were available.

Also on Saturday, Yemen’s warring parties exchanged nearly 200 prisoners captured during fighting in the city of Ta’izz, situated 346 kilometers (214 miles) south of the capital.

Tribal chief Abdullatif al-Muradi said the militia forces loyal to the former government released 118 Ansarullah fighters, while the Houthis freed 76.

The prisoner swap in the embattled city, which marked the largest since the outbreak of Yemen conflict last year, was a local initiative and had no connection to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015, in a bid to bring former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi — who is a staunch ally of Riyadh — back to power and defeat the Ansarullah movement.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

The US reportedly plans to extend its military presence in Yemen by keeping a force of special operations advisers in the war-torn country.

US plans to keep special forces in Yemen: Report
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/19/471146/Yemen-US-forces-AQAP

The force, deployed at the request of the Emirati government around the port city of Mukalla back in April, would remain in Yemen for the foreseeable future, The Washington Post reported.

The force, which consists of about a dozen personnel, would help troops from the UAE fight militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the paper cited unnamed US officials as saying.

In March, forces loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Emirati troops overran the city of Mukalla after AQAP militants left the seaport in southeast Yemen.

Early in May, the US military deployed more than 200 US Marines in the port city, which is located in the central province of Hadramout.

Yemen’s southern coast is now under the control of US troops, who are deployed to the region under the pretext of battling AQAP.

The deployment of US troops comes more than a year after the withdrawal of the forces from Yemen.

At least eight people have been killed in a drone strike by US forces in Afghanistan’s northern province of Kunduz.

US drone strike leaves eight dead in north Afghanistan
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/19/471138/Afghanistan-Kunduz-Drone-strike-US-Taliban-Daesh

Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, an army spokesman, said the aerial attack was conducted in the Archi district of the province, which is located 250kilometers (155 miles) north of the country’s capital, Kabul, the previous night.

Karimi identified the deceased as members of the Taliban militant group, noting that a militant commander, identified as Qari Ali, was among those killed.

Taliban militants, however, have made no comments on the fatal airstrike so far.

 

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The Iraqi forces continued their advances to the North of Fallujah after purging terrorists from most of the regions in the city and destroying over 340 of their bomb-laden vehicles used for suicide attacks.

Iraqi Forces Continue Advances in Anbar Province, Destroy over 340 Suicide Vehicles
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"The Iraqi forces are working hard to take control of the surrounding areas of Fallujah city as they have destroyed a sum of 346 of their suicide vehicles," a battlefield source told FNA on Sunday.

The battlefield source said that several ISIL suicide attackers tried to slow down the mop-up operations in the Northern part of Fallujah city, but the Iraqi forces' vigilance prevented them from achieving their objective.

Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi Army’s Baghdad Operations Command announced the liberation of 40 more areas in Fallujah from the ISIL control, while the command reported deaths of over 500 ISIL members as the operation to restore security in the Western city continues.

“The joint security forces, during the liberation operations of Fallujah, managed to liberate 40 more areas from the ISIL control,” the spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command, Brigadier General Saad Moen, said in a press statement.

The spokesperson pointed out that the security forces killed “over 500 ISIL members during the battles, in addition to dismantling tens of explosive devices and booby-trapped vehicles”.

“Fallujah is now under the control of the security forces except few areas that will be liberated completely in the coming days,” General Saad Moen concluded.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ebrahim al-Jafari slammed Saudi ambassador's remarks about Iran’s role in the Arab country, including its advisory assistance to fight Takfiri militants.

Iraqi FM Slams Saudi Envoy's Interfering Remarks
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950330001314

Al-Jafari's remarks came in reaction to Saudi Ambassador to Baghdad Thamer al-Sabhan's meddling in his country's internal affairs.

"The Saudi envoy's comments represent flagrant meddling in Iraq's domestic affairs and run counter to standard diplomatic norms,” al-Jafari said.

In a Twitter post, Sabhan wrote that Iranian military advisers were in Fallujah to incite sectarian violence and change the demographic composition of the city.

The Saudi ambassador's repeated meddling in Iraq's internal affairs came after Iraqi troops retook Fallujah from the Saudi-backed ISIL militants on Friday and prepared to retake Mosul, the last Takfiri bastion in the country.

 

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The Iraqi forces opened a second front to seize back the city of Mosul in Nineveh province from the Takfiri terrorists.

Iraqi Army Opens 2nd Front to Win Back Mosul City From ISIL
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The Iraqi joint forces started their fresh operations in Mosul to capture an airbase in the area which serves as a prelude to the liberation of the Mosul city.

Meantime, the Iraqi forces seized back two strategic villages to the West of Baiji after advancing 20 kilometers deep in the area.

The advances came a day after a government compound in the center of the besieged city of Fallujah was recaptured following a four-week long operation

On Saturday, Iraq's joint military forces started fresh operations in the Southern parts of Mosul to seize back the strategic region of al-Qayara.

Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi ordered the start of the military operations in the Southern part of Mosul after the country's joint military troops seized back the city of Fallujah in Anbar province.

"The winning back of Nineveh province, including Mosul city, is achievable after the capture of Fallujah city," al-Obeidi said on Saturday.

A local Ezadi official in Iraqi Province of Dohuk revealed that over 350 Ezadi abductees were freed from the ISIL by the Iraqi forces in Fallujah.

Over 350 Ezadi Women Freed from ISIL in Fallujah
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Hadi Dubani, the director of Ezadi Affairs in Dohuk province, told Bas News that they were informed by the Iraqi forces that 354 Ezadi women and girls, previously abducted by the ISIL militants in Sinjar, have been freed in Fallujah by the Iraqi forces, BAS News reported.

Dubani said "The freed Ezadi women are now in Amirya area in Fallujah under the protection of the Iraqi forces. They are expected to arrive in Kurdistan Region in the near future.

Earlier this month, 4 Ezadi girls were freed by the Iraqi forces soon after the Fallujah offensive was launched, they were later reunited with their families in Erbil.

The Directorate of Ezadi Abductees Affairs in Dohuk province, which works to locate and free Ezadi captives, previously told BasNews that hundreds of Ezadi girls, who were abducted by the ISIL militants during the Sinjar massacre, were held in Fallujah with an uncertain future.

ISIL militants enslaved over 5000 Ezadi girls, women and children after they attacked the Ezadi major town of Sinjar in August, 2014, near 2000 Ezadi abductees have so far been freed from the grip of the ISIL militants with thousands more still being held by the extremist group.

The rescue of the Ezadi women comes after the Iraqi government forces entered Fallujah last Friday and liberated most of the city from ISIL.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi underlined that there will be no change in the structure or decrease in the number of his country's volunteer forces, stressing that Hashd al-Shaabi will continue their fight against the ISIL.

Iraqi PM: Hashd al-Shaabi Operations Continue Unabated
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950331000865

"The Hashd al-Shaabi is a force that we need in the ongoing war with the ISIL, hence we cannot reduce the volunteer forces," the Iraqi prime minister said.

Al-Abadi reiterated that the Iraqi volunteer forces have amazed the people of the world with their victory over the ISIL.

On Friday, Abadi congratulated the Iraqi nation for the liberation of Fallujah from the grip of the ISIL, saying there is no place in his country for the Takfiri terrorists.

“We promised you the liberation of Fallujah and we retook it. Our security forces control the city except for small pockets that need to be cleared within the coming hours,” Haider al-Abadi said in a brief speech broadcast on state television.

“There is no place in Iraq for you and you will be punished for all the crimes you have committed. The Iraqi people are all united against you. Get out of our country, for Iraq is for Iraqis,” Abadi further said, addressing the terrorists.

Last Friday, army forces raised the Iraqi national flag over the main government compound in Fallujah, symbolizing the recapture of the beleaguered western city from ISIL. The forces met limited resistance from the terrorists, who were fleeing the city. Fallujah, in the western province of Anbar, is located about 69 kilometers (43 miles) west of the capital Baghdad.

The Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) are purging the terrorists from the remaining districts in the Northern part of the city of Fallujah in Anbar province in Western Iraq.

Iraqi Volunteer Forces Demining, Defusing Bombs in Northern Fallujah City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950331000930

The Hashd al-Shaabi forces are cleaning the Northern part of Fallujah city of terrorists, but they are making progress at a slow pace because the ISIL has laid a large number of bombs and mines there.

The ISIL had planted hundreds of mines and bombs in the residential areas and public places of Fallujah city, which has slowed down the mop-up operations.

On Sunday, Iraqi Army’s Baghdad Operations Command announced the liberation of 40 more areas in Fallujah from the ISIL control, while the command reported deaths of over 500 ISIL members as the operation to restore security in the Western city continues.

The spokesperson pointed out that the security forces killed “over 500 ISIL members during the battles, in addition to dismantling tens of explosive devices and booby-trapped vehicles”.

At least 12 Taliban insurgents were killed in separate ambushes of the Afghan National Police (ANP) forces, the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior said.

12 Taliban Insurgents Killed in Separate Ambushes by Afghan Police
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According to a statement by the ministry, “Eight armed Taliban were killed in an ambush of the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army in Sayed Abad village, Nad Ali District of southern Helmand province,” Khaama Press reported.

The statement further added “In the meantime, the joint forces confiscated one PK machine gun, one AK-47 rifle and some amount of ammunitions from the scene.”

“In a separate report, four armed Taliban were killed and five other armed Taliban were wounded in an ambush of the Afghan National Police in Mati Kali village, Gilan District of Ghazni province,” the statement said, adding that the Afghan police forces confiscated some amount of ammunitions and three motorbikes as well.

The statement also added that the Afghan National Police detected six roadside bombs which were placed by enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan in the main road of the Gilan District of Ghazni province.

According to the statement, the Afghan police personnel did not suffer any casualties during the operations.

Yemeni intelligence sources disclosed that the US special troops have been deployed in the Southern part of Yemen.

US Sends Special, Intelligence Troops to Southern Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950331001072

"The US special and intelligence forces have arrived in Southern Yemen on the pretext of fighting the Al-Qaeda terrorist group," a Yemeni intelligence source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told FNA on Monday.

The source noted that the US troops have been stationed in al-Anad military base in Lahij province to the North of Aden province.

"The UAE has asked the US to dispatch its special forces to Southern Yemen to control Bab al-Mandeb Strait," the Yemeni source added.

In early May, the United States military deployed more than 200 US Marines in the port city of Mukalla in the Central province of Hadramout.

Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah news website reported that the forces were deployed in the strategic seaport and oil terminal.

The news came as local media quoted an unnamed military source the US army has deployed 20 new military helicopters in Southern Yemen.

"15 Apache and five Black Hawk choppers have been sent to al-Anad military base in Lahij province in Southern Yemen," the Arabic-language news website al-Khabar quoted an unnamed military source as saying.

In a relevant development, Ansarullah popular movement in a statement condemned the US deployment in the Southern parts of Yemen.

"This action is in line with Washington's colonial goals and is blatant aggression against Yemen," part of the statement read.

The statement reiterated that the Yemeni people irrespective of their political inclinations are against the US troops' deployment in their country.

The statement described the US redeployment of Special Forces in Southern Yemen a dangerous move at a time when political efforts and peace talks are underway in Kuwait for putting an end to war and suffering of the Yemeni people.

US military has also deployed a significant number of its forces in coastal waters near Yemen, as al-Masirah reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer with more than 1,200 sailors and Marines as well as a group of vessels aboard were also stationed offshore in the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen’s Southern coast is now under the control of US troops, who are deployed to the region under the pretext of battling al-Qaeda militants.

The deployment of US troops comes a year after the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen. On March 21, 2015, the US evacuated its remaining forces from the airbase “due to the deteriorating security situation” a day after al-Qaeda captured the nearby city of al-Houta.

Pentagon has also announced that it sent a group of its commandos to Yemen. “The Group of al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula remains a significant security threat to the United States and to our regional partners and we welcome this effort to specifically remove AQAP from Mukalla and to degrade, disrupt and destroy AQAP in Yemen,” said Navy Capt. Jueff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

 

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An ISIL terrorist commander in charge of the organization security service was killed in a special operation carried out by the Iraqi army in Anbar province, Iraqi Defense Minister said.

Iraqi Army Kills ISIL Security Service Head in Anbar Province
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"A special unit of the Iraqi military stormed a building in the Iraqi Anbar province where the head of the ISIL Security Service, Ahmed Madjid, and other terrorist group members were hiding. As a result, Madjid was killed in a shootout together with seven other terrorists," the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) press service cited Iraqi Defense Minister Khalid Obaidi as saying, Ria Novosti reported.

Fighting in the Anbar province is concentrated around the Iraqi army operations near the city of Fallujah against the terrorist group of ISIL.

According to the press service, 377 terrorists were killed in the battle for Fallujah over a three-day period, including 40 snipers. In addition, 45 car-bombs were destroyed, and 516 mines and bombs were neutralized.

A senior ISIL commander and close associate of the Takfiri terrorist group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in an air raid on the city of Sharqat in Salahuddin province, Iraqi popular forces announced.

Senior ISIL Commander, Al-Baghdadi's Close Ally Killed in Air Raid on Sharqat City
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Sarmad Mazahem Ahmad Hassan al-Hanini, ISIL's notorious commander, was killed in an aerial bombardment on the outskirts of Sharqat city on Monday night.

Al-Hanini was a close associate of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Arabic-language media outlets quoted an unnamed battlefield source as saying on Tuesday.

In late May, the Iraqi army and volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) killed scores of Takfiri terrorists, including two senior ISIL commanders and a chief executioner, in a tough battle with them near al-Sharqat city.

Abdullah Abu Maryam, ISIL's chief executioner in Sharqat city, was killed by the Iraqi security forces.

Two other ISIL commanders named Haji Hani and Abu A'esheh who were in charge of the terrorist group's security in Sharqat were also killed in the Iraqi forces' military operations on Tuesday.

The Iraqi Army took back the main train station in nearly liberated city of Fallujah from the ISIL terrorist group, a source in the security forces said.

Iraqi Army Retakes Train Station in Fallujah
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The development comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared the liberation of the key city on Friday as the country’s forces gained control of the city center, however the intermittent clashes between the Iraqi security forces and ISIL remnants in the city are still lingering, Ria Novosti reported.

"Iraqi security forces took control of the Fallujah train station," the source said.

Local media reports indicate that fighting continues for areas of the city still under the control of the ISIL. Iraqi authorities noted that only small pockets of the city remained under ISIL control. The key city West of Baghdad was under the control of the terrorists since the beginning of 2014.

Dozens of people were taken hostage by Taliban militants in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, local Khaama Press reported Tuesday.

Taliban Takes Dozens Hostage in Southern Afghanistan
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160621/1041668752/taliban-hostages-afghanistan.html

The incident occurred in district of Gereshk after militants blocked a number of vehicles, including a bus carrying passengers. The number of hostages has not yet been confirmed.

Kidnappings have become more frequent across Afghanistan in recent weeks, the media outlet reported. A major incident took place last month in the northern Kunduz province. A total of 185 passengers were kidnapped while traveling along the main highway, with 17 people subsequently killed by the radicals. The majority of the hostages were later released.

Saudi warplanes and artillery units pounded a number of areas in Yemen’s province of Hajjah several times over the past 24 hours, violating a UN-brokered truce agreement that had just taken effect.

Saudi Arabia Violates Truce Agreement in Yemen
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The Saudi army's artillery units targeted several towns and cities, specially Midi region, in Hajjah province in the border with Saudi Arabia at midnight on Monday.

Meantime, the Saudi warplanes bombarded the border cities of Hajjah province, including Abas and Heyran, over past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia has been waging a war on Yemen since late March 2015 in a bid to reinstate Mansour Hadi and undermine the Ansarullah movement, which took over state matters after Hadi resigned.

Over 9,800 Yemenis, including 4,000 women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly military campaign.

 

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Al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani has been captured by Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, unconfirmed reports said Tuesday.

Unconfirmed Reports: Al-Nusra Front Leader Julani Captured by Hezbollah
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The news reports on al-Julani's captivity by Hezbollah comes while no authority in Lebanon or Syria has confirmed the report yet.

There is a very heavy traffic on the Twitter pages of tens of supporters of Hezbollah on the capture of al-Julani by Hezbollah.

The report comes as some sources claimed on Sunday that Hezbollah is trying to negotiate with Al-Nusra Front on swap of prisoners of war.

On Thursday, the Lebanese Army carried out a new assault against the Syrian Al-Qaeda group, al-Nusra Front, in the Lebanese Arsal region near Syrian border on Thursday, killing a large number of terrorists during the operation.

According to a Lebanese Army statement, the operation was concentrated on al-Nusra Front's positions near the Jaroud-Rankous crossing on Lebanese- Syrian border, Al Masdar reported.

The Lebanese Army has recently stepped up its military operations along the Syrian border crossing as part of the army's new move to halt the spread of militants and weapons into Lebanon, and according to local officials the attempts have proved as effective and produced successful results.

The second phase of liberation operations in the areas South of Mosul was successfully completed, the Iraqi Army's Nineveh Operations Command announced.

Iraqi Forces Complete 2nd Phase of Operations to Liberate Southern Mosul
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“The second phase of the military operations launched to liberate the areas south of Mosul finished after achieving all its goals,” said the media officer of Nineveh Operations, Brigadier General Feras Bashar Sabry in a press statement, Iraqi News reported.

“The operations resulted in the liberation of a number of villages including al-Nasr, Kharaeb Jabr and Kharaeb Shamam,” he noted.

“The third phase of the operations will be launched in the coming few days in order to liberate al-Haj Ali and its surrounding areas and the left side of the Eastern bank of the Tigris River, and the joint security forces completed preparations to liberate those areas,” Sabry concluded.

Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced the launch of liberation operation of Zankoura area in Northern Ramadi, 110 km West of Baghdad.

Iraqi Forces Launch Operation to Liberate Zankoura, Northern Ramadi
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The liberation operation of Zankoura of ISIL grip was launched at Abu Risha in Northern Ramadi, under the supervision of the Army Chief of Staff, aides to Army Chief of Staff for Operations and the commander of the army’s Ground Forces,” the ministry said in a statement, Iraqi News reported.

“Forces of Anbar Operations’ Commando Brigade and the Tactical Regiment of Anbar police, backed by the artillery of the army’s 16th Brigade, Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army Aviation, also participated in the operation,” the statement added.

Head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq Ammar al-Hakim lashed out at the Bahraini regime for stripping that country's senior Shiite cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, of his citizenship, and called for intervention of the international and regional organizations.

Ammar Hakim Condemns Bahraini Regime's Move on Sheikh Qassim
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"I urge the United Nations, the Arab League and other regional and international organizations to stop this oppressive move of stripping Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim of his nationality," Hakim said.

"No one is entitled to strip others of their citizenship right; what sort of peaceful existence and dialogue could there be in Bahrain and the entire region in light of these oppressive measures," he added.

Hakim pointed to the case of Secretary General of Bahrain's Al-Wefaq Islamic Society Sheikh Ali Salman, and said, "Al-Wefaq society is the symbol of moderation and Sheikh Ali Salman is among Bahrain's moderate personalities whose appeal against his jail term resulted in increasing his sentence."

Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced in an statement on Monday the country's top Shiite cleric was stripped of his citizenship.

"Isa Ahmed Qassim has been stripped of his Bahraini citizenship," Bahrain state news agency cited the ministry’s statement, referring to the country's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric in Bahrain.

The latest move by the Bahrain regime against the country’s main opposition figures came as the Al-Khalifah regime is exerting mounting pressure on the opposition.

Opposition members feel the government is willing to accelerate its crackdown on dissent because it believes it will only face minimal censure through statements of concern in the US and Europe. Both the US and UK have large naval bases in Bahrain.

Last week, the government suspended the main Shia opposition party, al-Wefaq, accusing it of having links to foreign terrorists and inciting hatred. Sheikh Ali Salman, al-Wefaq’s secretary-general, was arrested in 2014 on charges of inciting violence. His sentence was doubled to nine years on appeal last month.

The cabinet decided to revoke the citizenship of Sheikh Isa — an indigenous Bahraini who applied for nationality to get a passport in the 1960s — after a presentation by the interior ministry. The lack of judicial oversight raised concerns among rights groups.

Stripping the nationality of dissidents has become a popular tool for Persian Gulf Arab littoral states battling domestic dissent, such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, where nationality is perceived by many as a privilege not a right.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says more than 250 Bahrainis have been stripped of their nationality for alleged disloyalty.

The move by the Manama regime has also caused anger in Iran and across the world.

Large numbers of people continued their gathering outside the house of Bahrain’s most senior Shia cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassim, on Tuesday in protest at the Manama regime’s move over revoking of his citizenship.

Thousands of Bahrainis Continue Gathering outside Senior Cleric House
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Following the initial protests in the village of Diraz near the capital Manama, Bahraini security forces banned any manner of gathering in the village and sealed off the area around the cleric’s house, however thousands of protesters performed prayer outside the house of the senior cleric.

Bahraini people began protests outside the house of cleric Ayatollah Isa Qassim in Diraz on Monday in reaction to the Bahraini regime decision to strip the prominent religious scholar of the country’s citizenship.

The latest move by the Bahrain regime against the country’s main opposition figures came as the Al-Kahlifeh regime is exerting mounting pressure on the opposition.

Opposition members feel the government is willing to accelerate its crackdown on dissent because it believes it will only face minimal censure through statements of concern in the US and Europe. Both the US and UK have large naval bases in Bahrain.

A senior Iranian political expert slammed Manama for its suppression and killing of Bahraini people, and said that stripping the country's senior cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, of his citizenship is meant to distract the international community's attention from ISIL's defeats in Iraq and Syria.

Political Analyst: Manama Regime Trying to Distract Attention From ISIL's Defeats in Syria, Iraq
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"The Bahraini government is trying to overshadow the recent popular victories in Iraq and also to intensify the sectarian strife in the region," Expert on Middle East Sabah Zanganeh told FNA on Tuesday.

He said that the Al-Khalifa regime is seeking to wage a new wage of propaganda by stripping Sheikh Qassim of his citizenship right.

 

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A battlefield commander underlined that the recent victories of Iraq's joint military forces against the ISIL terrorists in the city of Fallujah have enraged the Saudi rulers.

Commander: Saudi Arabia Infuriated by Iraqi Forces' Victories
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"The victories of the Iraqi security forces in Fallujah forced the Saudi Ambassador to Baghdad Thamer al-Sabhan to make interfering remarks about Iraq and its territorial integrity which were outside the diplomatic norms," Iraqi Volunteer Forces (Hash al-Shaabi) Commander Javad al-Talibavi told FNA on Wednesday.

He said that the provocations by the Saudi envoy and before that some statements by certain Iraqi politicians are part of psychological warfare to prevent the Iraqi popular forces from gaining victories in the battle against ISIL.

On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ebrahim al-Jafari slammed Saudi ambassador's remarks about Iran’s role in the Arab country, including its advisory assistance to fight Takfiri militants.

Al-Jafari's remarks came in reaction to al-Sabhan's meddling in his country's internal affairs.

"The Saudi envoy's comments represent flagrant meddling in Iraq's domestic affairs and run counter to standard diplomatic norms,” al-Jafari said.

In a Twitter post, Sabhan wrote that Iranian military advisers were in Fallujah to incite sectarian violence and change the demographic composition of the city.

The Saudi ambassador's repeated meddling in Iraq's internal affairs came after Iraqi troops retook Fallujah from the Saudi-backed ISIL militants on Friday and prepared to retake Mosul, the last Takfiri bastion in the country.

A prominent Bahraini opposition leader underlined that the rare warning issued by Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani against the al-Khalifa regime was a source of hope and courage for the country's people.

Opposition Leader: Bahraini People's Courage Boosted by General Soleimani's Warning to Al-Khalifa
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"The rare warning of Brigadier General Soleimani against the al-Khalifa regime's insult to Sheikh Issa Qassim, the leader of Bahraini Shiites, boosted the morale and courage of the Bahraini society and strengthened their spirit of martyrdom-seeking and defense for their land and sanctities," Abdol Amir Hashimi told FNA on Wednesday.

Stressing collaboration between the al-Saud and al-Khalifa regimes in suppressing the Bahraini people, including their arbitrary detention, he appreciated Iran as "the only country which supports the Bahraini nation".

Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced in a statement on Monday the country's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim was stripped of his citizenship.

After the development on Monday, General Soleimani, in a rare statement, warned the Manama regime that in case of any insult or disrespect for Sheikh Qassim, "the toppling of the regime will only be a small part of the repercussions that will also include armed resistance".

The General blasted the Manama regime for its "unacceptable and inhuman oppression, discrimination, injustice and humiliation" against the Muslim Bahraini nation, and said people on the tiny Persian Gulf island have so far tolerated the Al-Khalifa regime's apartheid and heavy pressures and continued their uprising peacefully despite the fact that a number of their political and religious leaders have been arrested, their women and children have been imprisoned and tortured, some others have been stripped of their citizenship and undergone intensifying pressures with their rights trampled upon.

He said people's rise for their demands in a peaceful way has, unfortunately, emboldened the Al-Khalifa regime to intensify its crimes and crackdown on the Bahraini nation, "specially as a result of the meaningful silence shown by the UN, the US and the Western states," everyday.

"The illegal detention of Sheikh Ali Salman (the head of the main opposition group, Alwefaq) and other political and religious leaders of Bahrain in light of the silence of the international circles has emboldened the Al-Khalifa to threaten the sanctuary of the remarkable cleric and religious leader of Bahrain's Shiites, Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim, and inspired the people of the region and Bahrain with worrying thoughts," General Soleimani said in his statement.

"The Al-Khalifa seems to be misusing the peaceful movement of the people and is miscalculating the extent of public fury," he said, and added, "They certainly know that trespassing the sanctuary of Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim is a redline whose crossing will set fire to Bahrain and the entire region and leave people with no other option, but armed resistance."

"The Al-Khalifa will pay the price of such an action whose endpoint will be nothing but annihilation of this tyrannical regime," the Iranian Quds Force Commander warned.

General Soleimani also warned supporters of the Manama regime that any insult to Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim and continued overpressure on the Bahraini people heralds "a bloody Intifada (uprising) with consequences whose responsibility will fall on those who legitimize the arrogance of the Bahraini rulers".

The latest move by the Bahrain regime against the country’s main opposition figures came as the Al-Khalifah regime is exerting mounting pressure on the opposition.

"Isa Ahmed Qassim has been stripped of his Bahraini citizenship," Bahrain state news agency cited the ministry’s statement, referring to the country's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric in Bahrain.

Bahrain has been in the throes of an uprising since February 2011, when hundreds of thousands of protesters took over a Central roundabout in the capital Manama and demanded political and democratic reform in the authoritarian kingdom.

Iranian Parliament Speaker's Adviser for International Affairs Hossein Sheikholeslam underlined that senior Bahraini religious leader Sheikh Isa Qassim's citizenship was revoked under the influence of the Saudi regime.

Top Adviser: Sheikh Qassim Stripped of Bahraini Citizenship under Al Saud's Influence
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"This behavior of the Al Khalifa (to strip Sheikh Qassim of his citizenship) started when the Bahraini people asked for the establishment of democracy in their country and this enraged the Saudi rulers because they were afraid that the wave of freedom-seeking and democracy would also spread to their country," Sheikholeslam said.

He said that Bahrain is currently under the Saudi occupation and all the hostile measures, including stripping Sheikh Qassim of his citizenship, taking place against the Bahraini people are done under the occupation of Bahrain, and as per international regulations, the occupying country is responsible for whatever happening in the country under its occupation.

He underlined that there are no logical and legal justification for stripping Sheikh Qassim of his citizenship.

A senior Bahraini political activist underlined that the suppression of the people of Bahrain and stripping the country's senior Shiite cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, of his citizenship has taken place with the US approval.

Political Activist: Bahrain's Decision on Religious Leader Taken after US OK
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"The pressures on the Bahraini people intensified after the recent visit of US Foreign Secretary John Kerry to Manama and revoking Sheikh Qassim of citizenship also took place after Kerry's visit to Bahrain," Abbas Bousafvan said on Wednesday.

He reiterated that the conditions have been deteriorating in Bahrain since last April and after Kerry's visit to Manama.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced in a statement on Monday the country's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim was stripped of his citizenship.

"Isa Ahmed Qassim has been stripped of his Bahraini citizenship," Bahrain state news agency cited the ministry’s statement, referring to the country's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric in Bahrain.

The latest move by the Bahrain regime against the country’s main opposition figures came as the Al-Khalifah regime is exerting mounting pressure on the opposition.

Opposition members feel the government is willing to accelerate its crackdown on dissent because it believes it will only face minimal censure through statements of concern in the US and Europe. Both the US and UK have large naval bases in Bahrain.

The head of the British Armed Forces visited Bahrain, only days after the Bahraini regime stripped leading Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim of his citizenship.

British Military Chief in Bahrain, Rights Group Condemns Visit
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The visit of General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Chief of Britain’s Defense Staff, has been denounced as London’s consent to Manama’s recently-intensified crackdown on the pro-democracy drive across the Persian Gulf island, Al Manar reported.

Bahrain News Agency reported that commander in chief of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa received Houghton and his accompanying delegation.

"The commander-in-chief expressed thanks and appreciation to the British army official for the efforts he had exerted throughout his tenure, and wished him every success in the tasks that would be assigned to him," BNA reported, adding that they discussed regional and international issues of common concern.

UK-based activism group, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), condemned the visit, saying, “Bahrain’s ally, the UK, did not even postpone a meeting on military cooperation, let alone issue a statement on this gross repression of Bahrain’s civil society,” referring to the intensified Bahraini crackdown on dissent.

The BIRD was referring to to the declared purpose of the visit, namely follow-up coordination between the two countries in the wake of a bilateral agreement to establish a new British naval base in Bahrain.

“Britain is giving Bahrain a green light for repression,” the group said.

Mercenary forces of Al Khalifa regime raided Bahrain’s senior cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim's hometown village of Diraz and the whole area has virtually come under their siege, local sources reported.

Al Khalifa Mercenaries Raid Bahrain’s Senior Cleric Hometown Village of Diraz
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“The mercenary forces of Army and Police have cordoned the whole village and no one except for local residents is allowed to enter the village or leave the area,” said the sources, who demanded to remain anonymous.

The definition of Army and Police forces in Bahrain is quite complex, as the Army and Police forces in the Persian Gulf country, like some of its regional allies see among their ranks mercenaries rented from African countries, Pakistan, and even among some foreign terrorist elements from neighboring countries, including Yemen. They often use heavy-handed methods in smashing and suppressing the Bahrainis’ peaceful movements.

The development came as Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced in a statement earlier this week that the country's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim was stripped of his citizenship.

Twenty decapitated bodies were found in the city of Fallujah on Wednesday, medical sources revealed.

20 Decapitated Bodies Found in Fallujah
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A doctor at the Fallujah hospital, who asked not to be identified, said that health workers found the bodies in a neighbourhood East of the city. He said that the victims had been tortured and mutilated by ISIL before being killed and beheaded, Alaraby reported.

The doctor noted the difficulty of identifying the bodies, indicating that they were displaced civilians attempting to flee Eastwards from Fallujah on their way to Baghdad.

There has been local speculation the bodies have belonged to ISIL militants, saying fighters had previously mutilated bodies in order to obscure identity of killed militants.

A senior Iraqi commander said nearly 2,500 ISIL Takfiri terrorists have been killed during a month-long offensive to recapture the strategic western city of Fallujah from the extremists.

Some 2,500 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Fallujah
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Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, the commander of Fallujah Liberation Operation, said on Monday there were between 3,500 and 4,000 ISIL militants in Fallujah, located some 69 kilometers (43 miles) West of the capital, Baghdad, when Iraqi government forces, backed by fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, launched a large-scale operation in late May to retake the city, presstv reported.

The Iraqi commander, who was speaking with al-Sumaria satellite television network late, noted that 15 percent of ISIL militants in Fallujah were foreign nationals.

He went on to say that 1,086 ISIL-affiliated suspects have also been arrested.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Haider al-Obeidi, a commander of Iraqi special forces, said Iraqi forces have taken control of Shurta and Jughaifi neighborhoods in Fallujah, adding that Iraqi military engineers were clearing up streets and buildings of improvised explosive devices.

According to the Iraqi commanders, 80 percent of Fallujah is now under their control although some intermittent clashes are reported in northern parts of the city.

 

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Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has discussed the fight against the Daesh extremist group and the stabilization of Iraq with Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Jan Kubis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Moscow, UN Discuss Anti-Daesh Fight, Stabilizing Iraq
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Kubis is currently on a consultative visit to Moscow.

"A thorough exchange of opinions on the situation in Iraq in the context of Iraqi government efforts to counter the Daesh terrorist group took place during the discussion, as well as an exchange of views on ensuring political stabilization and promoting national reconciliation taking into account all of Iraq's ethno-religious groups," the ministry said.

The meeting comes as the Iraqi army is engaged in liberating the city of Fallujah from the Daesh.

A source from Salaheddin province said that ISIL has blown up five power transmission towers in Eastern Tikrit.

ISIL Blows up Power Transmission Towers in Eastern Iraq's Tikrit
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ISIL blew up five power transmission towers in Albu Khudu at Southern al-Daur, 25 km East of Tikrit, and the explosion was carried out by using IEDs planted near the towers,” the source said.

ISIL has a history of destroying Iraq’s infrastructure as officials in Anbar province revealed that the terrorist organization has destroyed 80 percent of the infrastructure in the province.

Iraqi government forces made new advances in the Northern province of Nineveh in their latest push against the ISIL terrorists, who are wreaking havoc in the war-hit country.

Iraqi Security Forces Make Fresh Gains in North
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Troops pressed ahead in the town of Qayyarah where its strategic location and an airfield there make it ideal for a final push to liberate Mosul, which serves as ISIL de facto capital in Iraq, presstv reported.

Mosul fell into the hands of the Takfiri terrorists in June 2014 when they began their offensive in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has promised that the liberation of Mosul is very close as it is the “next destination” of the army in its campaign to flush the militants out of the country.

Elsewhere in the Western Anbar province, Iraqi aircraft bombarded four ISIL hideouts in the city of al-Khaldiyah, located about 83 kilometers (50 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad.

A group of six Taliban militants and their commander were killed in an accidental explosion while planting an improvised explosive device in the Afghan eastern province of Logar, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Thursday as cited by local media.

Taliban Commander, Six Militants Killed in Blast in Eastern Afghanistan
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160623/1041842418/taliban.html

According to the Afghanistan’s Khaama Press news service, the incident took place late on Wednesday.

The group's commander was identified as Taliban prominent leader Abdul Rauf.

Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency, with other extremist groups expanding their activities in the country.

NATO will make a decision on the expansion of training programs for Iraqi officers and bringing the program to Iraq itself at the forthcoming July summit in Warsaw, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said Thursday.

NATO to Decide on Iraqi Troops Training Program Expansion at Warsaw Summit
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160623/1041815833/nato-mission-iraq.html

The Warsaw NATO summit will take place on July 8-9.

"We are already training Iraqi officers in Jordan and, following a request from [Iraqi] Prime Minister [Haider] Al-Abadi, we are considering whether to expand that training programme into Iraq itself, where we had a large NATO Training Mission up until 2011. That decision will be taken at the [Warsaw] Summit," Vershbow said in address to the Portuguese parliament.

 

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A senior Iraqi lawmaker called on his government to take serious measures against the Saudi Ambassador to Baghdad, and said that Thamer al-Sabhan is in Iraq to support the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group.

Iraqi MP: Saudi Envoy in Baghdad to Support ISIL
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"The reinstatement of al-Sabhan in Baghdad is meant to support the ISIL," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted member of the Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee Mesal al-Alousi as saying on Thursday.

He underlined that Saudi Arabia meddles in the internal affairs of all the regional countries, and said, "For the same reason the Iraqi government should confront that country's ambassador to Baghdad."

"Saudi Arabia claims that it respects the Iraqi people and Shiites, but it supports the ISIL," Al-Alousi said.

On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ebrahim al-Jafari slammed Saudi ambassador's remarks about Iran’s role in the Arab country, including its advisory assistance to fight Takfiri militants.

Al-Jafari's remarks came in reaction to al-Sabhan's meddling in his country's internal affairs.

"The Saudi envoy's comments represent flagrant meddling in Iraq's domestic affairs and run counter to standard diplomatic norms,” al-Jafari said.

In a Twitter post, Sabhan wrote that Iranian military advisers were in Fallujah to incite sectarian violence and change the demographic composition of the city.

The Saudi ambassador's repeated meddling in Iraq's internal affairs came after Iraqi troops retook Fallujah from the Saudi-backed ISIL militants on Friday and prepared to retake Mosul, the last Takfiri bastion in the country.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned Sabhan “to inform him of its official protest regarding his divisive statements.” The ministry said Baghdad would not allow anyone to stoke divisions in the country through making sectarian comments.

Baghdad also said it would not allow Riyadh to draw Iraq into the kingdom's conflict with Tehran.

Iraqi officials have at times stated that Iranian military advisers are in the Arab country at the request of Baghdad.

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour announced that the terrorist suspects arrested recently in Southeastern Iran have admitted that they were planning to conduct terrorist activities in Iran at the order of the US and Saudi Arabia.

Captured Terrorists Confess Receiving Support from Saudi Arabia, US
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“The terrorist suspects have admitted to broad aspects of their crimes and the supportive role played by Saudi Arabia and the United States in achieving the terrorist cell’s objectives,” General Pakpour said.

He reiterated that further details of the confessions by terrorist suspects arrested in Sistan and Balouchestan province few days ago will be made public later.

"Washington and Riyadh are attempting to organize and reinforce terrorist groups and counter-revolutionary elements in Iran," General Pakpour added.

He reiterated that a number of terrorist cells have been dismantled over the past several days, and said, “These groups intended to kill people in a number of central cities using by means of powerful explosion.

On Monday, the Iranian intelligence ministry announced that the country's security forces have defused several suicide and terrorist attacks in different provinces, including Tehran.

"One of the biggest terrorist plots of Takfiri Wahhabi groups was thwarted" in recent days, the intelligence ministry said in a statement.

Saudi warplanes hit the positions of friendly forces in Northern Yemen, and killed a large number of militants loyal to fugitive former President Mansour Hadi, in what has come to be known as "routine" shooting and bombing of friendly troops by the Saudi air force.

Saudi Jets Slaughter Tens of Friendly Troops Again
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Tens of pro-Hadi militias were killed in the Saudi fighter jets' air raid on their positions in al-Jawf province in Northern Yemen, the Arabic-language media quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

In a similar incident on December 30, scores of the militias loyal to Mansour Hadi were killed in the Saudi airstrikes in Ta'iz province in Southern Yemen.

Also on November 17, the Saudi warplanes killed scores of militias loyal to Mansour Hadi.

Also on October 18, the Saudi fighter jets killed 30 pro-Hadi militants in Ta'iz province.

Also on August 10, the Saudi fighter jets killed 20 other friendly militias from pro-Hadi militant groups.

In a similar incident on July 28, Saudi Arabia killed 15 pro-Hadi militants. Saudi fighter jets conducted airstrikes on hills overlooking the al-Anad air base near the city of al-Houta, located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the strategic Southern port city of Aden, leaving 15 militants dead and at least 40 others wounded.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has ordered a probe into the disclosure of the army's secret operation plan for liberating the Southern part of Mosul from ISIL's control by some Iraqi commanders, media reports said.

Iraqi PM Orders Investigating Exposure of Military Secrets on Mosul's Qayyarah Region
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Al-Abadi's order came after operations to win back al-Qayyarah region in Southern Mosul ended in failure, the Arabic-language al-Arab Post news website reported, adding that the operation was defeated because military secrets had been exposed by some Iraqi commanders.

The names of the people and the kinds of secrets exposed in not known, but informed local sources said that the secrets were related to the time, manner of beginning the operations and transfer of arms and logistical supplies from Baghdad to Mosul.

On June 18, the Iraqi defense ministry announced that the second phase of liberating Mosul would begin from Salahuddin province towards al-Sharqat city to win back al-Qayyarah region.

After the exposure of these secrets, the ISIL took control of al-Sharqat and its surroudning Sunni-populated villages.

Al-Abadi has promised that the liberation of Mosul is very close as it is the “next destination” of the army in its campaign to flush the militants out of the country.

Mosul fell into the hands of the Takfiri terrorists in June 2014 when they began their offensive in Iraq.

On Thursday, the Iraqi government forces made new advances in the Northern province of Nineveh in their latest push against the ISIL terrorists, who are wreaking havoc in the war-hit country.

Troops pressed ahead in the town of Qayyarah where its strategic location and an airfield there make it ideal for a final push to liberate Mosul, which serves as ISIL de facto capital in Iraq.