Iraq

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Hadi Amiri, the head of the Badr Organization in the Popular Mobilization Forces, said that the main reason for quick victory of Iraqi forces in Fallujah is the unity.

Iraqi Forces Victorious in Fallujah Due to Unified Effort
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160626/1041986977/iraq-fallujah-daesh-liberation.html

Iraqi forces have been able to liberate the city of Fallujah from Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militants due to a unified effort by all groups taking part in the operation, Hadi Amiri, the head of the Badr Organization in the Popular Mobilization Forces, said Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Abdul-Wahad Saadi, the Iraqi army commander heading the counter-terrorism operation in the city, said that Iraq's armed forces had "fully liberated" Fallujah. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi later raised the country' national flag near the city hospital, urging Iraqi people to celebrate the victory and pledging to liberate Mosul, which is still overrun by militants.

The Shiite commander congratulated the Iraqi people and the families of those killed during the operation, also pledging to liberate Mosul and stressing that government forces, local and Shiite militias, as well as the Kurdish Peshmerga, took part in the liberation.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Abadi raised the national flag next to the hospital in the liberated from the Daesh terrorists Fallujah, according to local media.

Iraqi Prime Minister Raises National Flag in Liberated Fallujah - Reports
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160626/1041985919/iraq-fallujah-daesh-liberation.html

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Abadi has raised the country's flag in the center of Fallujah, which was recently liberated from Islamic States (ISIL or Daesh) militants, local media said Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Abdul-Wahad Saadi, the Iraqi army commander heading the counter-terrorism operation in the city, said that Iraq's armed forces had "fully liberated" Fallujah.

Abadi, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, raised the Iraqi flag next to the city hospital while surrounded by dozens of security personnel, the Al Sumaria television channel reported.

About 131 militants allegedly belonged to the Daesh terrorist group were killed Sunday in a security operation in eastern Afghanistan.

About 130 Daesh Militants Killed in Afghan Security Raid
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160626/1041970452/operation-daesh-militants-casualities.html

At least 131 militants presumed to be Daesh terrorist group fighters were killed Sunday in a government security operation in eastern Afghanistan, local television reported.

The operation to wipe out some 600 alleged Daesh fighters began in the eastern Nangarhar province on the border with Pakistan two days ago after Islamists attacked the Kot district, Tolo News channel reported.

The channel reported that airstrikes by foreign air forces accounted for the majority of casualties among Islamists. According to official figures, five civilians and seven Afghan servicemen were killed and 31 others were wounded in Sunday fighting.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement is ready to deploy fighters to help the Iraqi militia combat Daesh terrorist group, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday.

Hezbollah Ready to Deploy Fighters to Help Iraqi Militia Combat Daesh
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160624/1041908700/hezbollah-iraq-daesh.html

The decision followed a request by the Iraqi militia to send immediate aid in the form of combat-ready personnel, the Hezbollah leader said.

"Hezbollah will respond to the call for help of Iraqi fighters who are fighting against Daesh, and will send the required number of its fighters and officers within a few hours," Nasrallah said in an address broadcast by the Al Manar station.

Hezbollah, established in the 1980s, is a paramilitary and political organization originating in Lebanon's Shiite population. The group initially aimed to end Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon. On May 25, 2000, Israel withdrew from Lebanon, which Hezbollah widely saw as its victory.

The Nigerian army liberated over 5,000 persons held hostages by Boko Haram terrorists during so-called clearance operations, according an army spokesman.

Nigerian Troops Free 5,000 Boko Haram Hostages in Borno State
http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160626/1041973654/boko-haram-borno.html

The Nigerian army conducted a series of raids in Islamist-infested eastern Borno state on Sunday, freeing some 5,000 hostages held by Boko Haram, an army spokesman said.

The so-called clearance operations were conducted in a dozen of villages occupied by the notorious Islamist group. At least 10 militants were killed.

"The troops also liberated over 5,000 persons held hostages by Boko Haram terrorists," a statement by Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman read.

The army lost one soldier and two others were injured, in addition to a "vigilante" who sustained an eye wound but is now recovering, the spokesman continued.

Boko Haram has been active in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. Last year, the group expanded attacks into Niger, Cameroon and Chad. In March 2015, it pledged allegiance to Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh), outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

At least 15 people were killed and 25 were wounded in a terrorist attack at a Somali hotel in the nation’s capital Mogadishu, according to local police.

Mogadishu Hotel Attack Leaves 15 Dead, 25 Wounded
http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160625/1041958329/mogadishu-totel-attack.html

A terrorist attack at a Somali hotel in the nation’s capital Mogadishu killed at least 15 people and wounded 25 others, local police said Saturday.

Most of those killed and wounded were passers-by and customers of nearby stores, the CNN news channel cited police colonel Mohamed Abdulkadir as saying.

senior police official said fighting is continuing inside the Naso-Hablod hotel after it was stormed by militants, reportedly belonging to the al-Shabaab Islamist group.

A car bomb was detonated at the gate ahead of the attack. Islamists reportedly took people hostage inside the hotel, which is popular with foreigners and officials.

Eight ndian security personnel were killed and 20 more injured in a gunfight with militants in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, according to local media.

Kashmir Militants Kill Eight, Injure 20 Indian Police Officers in Ambush
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160625/1041956373/kashmir-india-pakistan-attack.html

At least eight Indian security personnel were killed and 20 more injured in a militant ambush in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, local media said Saturday.

A gunfight erupted following an ambush by unidentified militants on an Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy traveling from Jammu to Srinagar in the contested region, with at least two militants killed by police in the fighting, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

Police reinforcements have been sent to the area, while traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway came to a halt, according to the newspaper.

The Jammu and Kashmir region has been claimed by both India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Following several armed conflicts, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since then, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce.

New Delhi suspects Islamabad of providing support to armed secessionist groups in the predominantly Muslim region, Pakistan denies the allegations.

 

[angelburst29]

Iraq's joint military forces continued advancing in Anbar province in Western Iraq, and killed a large number of the Takfiri terrorists in tough battle with them.

Tens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Clashes with Iraqi Army Near Anbar's Heet City
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Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed and dozens more were wounded in fierce clashes with the Iraqi army and security forces in the Southern parts of the city of Heet in Anbar province.

Meantime, the Iraqi army started fresh operations to seize back more regions in the Western part of the city of Fallujah.

An informed source in Anbar Liberation Operations Command Center disclosed that the Iraqi tribal forces backed by the country's air force kicked off operations to win back Albu Alvan, Al-Halabseh and Albu Aifan areas in al-Nasaf region in the Western part of Fallujah.

Fallujah, located some 65 km (42 miles) West of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, is one of the largest cities in Anbar Province. The city was in control of ISIL since 2014 and was won back last week.

On Sunday, the commander of the Fallujah liberation operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Sa’adi, told Iraqi state TV that the last remaining district held by ISIL in the city was retaken by the Iraqi security forces.

At least 37 ISIL militants were killed and 44 others were wounded during the ongoing operations in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

37 ISIL Militants Killed, 44 Wounded in Eastern Afghanistan
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950408001267

The Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said the operations are being conducted as part of Shaheen-18 in Kot adistrict, Khaama Press reported.

The ministry further added that the militants were killed or wounded during the airstrikes and artillery raids on ISIL positions.

The operations in Kot district are being conducted as the loyalists of the terror group launched a major attack on police check posts earlier this week.

Dozens of people including policemen and civilians were killed in the attack as well as 131 ISIL loyalists during the clashes.

The major attack by ISIL loyalists on police check posts followed as the Afghan and US forces stepped up raids against the terror group in Nangarhar province.

The Afghan forces as well as the US forces are regularly targeting the loyalists of the terror group in this province in a bid to curb their activities.

The increased raids against ISIL loyalists followed amid concerns that they are attempting to expand foothold in the country besides attempting to consolidate operations with the terror group in Iraq and Syria.

At least 20 civilians were killed in Saudi airstrikes on Yemen’s Taiz Province despite the ongoing UN-brokered ceasefire between warring sides in Yemen.

20 Yemeni Civilians Dead in Saudi Airstrikes on Yemen’s Taiz
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950408001117

Saudi warplanes bombed Hayfan district of the Southwestern province of Taiz early on Tuesday, leaving at least 20 civilians dead and 15 others injured, Yemen’s al-Masirah television reported.

Some Yemeni media outlets have put the number of the dead at 35.

The news comes hours after four terrorist bomb attacks hit military and security positions in Mukalla city of Hadhramaut Province, leaving 48 civilians dead and some 30 others injured.

Meanwhile, a Saudi jets mistakenly hit a military convoy of pro-Riyadh militants in the strategic mountain of Hailan in Ma’rib Province on Monday night.

Five militants, including a commander, were killed and six others wounded in the air raid.

A Yemeni missile strike hit a Saudi-led coalition military base in Asir province where Israel's military experts are stationed.

Yemen's Ballistic Missile Hits Israeli Military Experts in Saudi Base in Asir Province
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The Khamis Mushait air base in Asir province came under Yemen's Qaher-I ballistic missile on Tuesday.

There were no immediate report on the exact number of casualties, but eyewitnesses confirmed that the Yemeni missile precisely hit Khamis Mushait airbase.

The Yemeni missile attack came in retaliation for the Saudi airstrikes on Yemen's civilians.

Earlier, local sources in the Asir region located in the South of Saudi Arabia had also confirmed that an Israeli Air Force plane transported weapons, missiles and other equipment to Khamis Mushait air base in Asir to support the Saudi Alliance in aggression against Yemen.

In a relevant development last week, a media report said that the newly-leaked documents have uncovered close ties between the Israeli and Saudi regimes in the latter's war against Yemen.

Based on the documents, the Saudi defense minister has recently written a letter to the commander of border guards in the southern parts of the kingdom decreeing that security in the region should be handled by an Israeli company. The Israeli company has been mandated to deal with cross border retaliatory attacks carried out by Yemen's Ansarullah, al-Waght news website reported.

A report by Yemeni Najm al-Thaqeb website revealed that, following the failure of Saudi-backed forces in their attack on Yemen and after it became apparent that some Saudi frontier regions might fall into Yemeni forces and Ansarullah fighters' hands, the Saudi regime contracted an Israeli company known as Al Majal Group to oversee security in the Southern region. The Israeli company has already obtained 45 million US dollars to plant landmines and put barriers in the border region.

This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia is using services of the Israeli top security company.

Since 2010, the Israeli Al Majal Group has taken charge of security during the mandatory Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj. It was under the watch of the Israeli security company that over 4,000 Muslim pilgrims were killed during last year's Hajj following a deadly stampede in Mina, the worst in history.

Al Majal G4S is a private Israeli security contractor that has also been implicated in enabling the torture of administrative detainees in Palestine, including children, according to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activist Zaid Shuaibi.

The BDS campaign has not been sitting idly by. In October 2014, the campaign sent a clear message to the Saudi government, urging it to terminate the contract with the company that happens to provide equipment and security services to protect Israeli settlements, occupation checkpoints and police facilities. As expected, the Saudi government not only ignored the calls but also handed the Israeli company more power in handling security in the kingdom.

Israeli military forces once again raided the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Israeli-occupied Old City of Jerusalem and engaged in scuffles with a group of Palestinians there.

Israeli Forces Storm Aqsa Mosque for Third Day in Row
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On Tuesday morning, Israeli forces stormed the mosque for a third consecutive day as a large number of Palestinian worshippers were performing prayers at Islam’s third-holiest site during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, al-Aqsa TV reported.

Violence broke out when Israeli troopers attacked Palestinians, and fired rubber-coated steel bullets as well as stun grenades to disperse the crowd. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The development came only a day after Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, the director of al-Aqsa Mosque, said at least 35 Palestinians sustained injuries on Monday when nearly 250 Israeli soldiers, escorting a crowd of illegal settlers, stormed the holy site and clashed with worshipers.

He added that Israeli forces chased the Palestinian worshippers and beat them with batons, shut the doors of the al-Qibli Chapel, and fired rubber bullets as well as tear gas canisters to scatter the people who were protesting the desecration of the mosque.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have prevented settlers and non-Muslims from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque until the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

 

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At least 27 people were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan's capital, local authorities said.

Dozens Killed, Wounded in Taliban Suicide Attack in Kabul
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160630/1042208255/suicide-attack-kabul.html

A police convoy of three buses was hit by twin explosions en route from Wardak province to Kabul, local officials said according to TOLO News. At least 40 people were wounded.

The attack, claimed by Taliban, targeted cadets returning from a graduation ceremony. Earlier in June, another Taliban attack in Kabul left 14 people dead.

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

Iraqi security personnel, backed by pro-government fighters from Popular Mobilization Units and tribal fighters, managed to repel a massive offensive by members of the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group in the country’s beleaguered Western province of al-Anbar.

Iraqi Forces, Tribal Fighters Thwart ISIL Onslaught near Fallujah
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Major General Hadi Razij, the provincial police chief, told al-Sumaria television network on Wednesday that security forces and Lawa al-Amiriyah al-Samoud tribesmen, receiving support by Iraqi fighter jets and artillery units, repelled a ISIL onslaught on the town of Amiriyah Fallujah, located about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of Fallujah, presstv reported.

He added that 450 vehicles belonging to the extremists were also destroyed in the process.

Separately, Khamis al-Issawi, a Lawa al-Amiriyah al-Samoud tribal leader, said his fighters and security forces had destroyed a ISIL base on the fringes of Amiriyah Fallujah, noting that three tribesmen had been killed and six others injured during the clashes with ISIL militants.

Iraq's joint military forces are in contact with the residents of the city of Mosul to coordinate an uprising against the ISIL in the Western Anbar city, media reports said.

Report: Iraqi Forces, Mosul People Coordinating Revolt against ISIL
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409001126

"The Iraqi forces are in close contact with Mosul residents asking them to riot against the ISIL," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted an unnamed Iraqi officer as saying on Wednesday.

This comes as senior Iraqi military commanders have vowed to liberate the ISIL-stronghold of Mosul soon.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iraqi security forces made new gains on the ground against the ISIL terrorist group as they are trying to recapture the country’s second-largest city of Mosul from the terrorists.

Elite counter-terrorism forces and Popular Mobilization fighters retook control over Telol al-Baj area, which lies on the highway linking the town of al-Sharqat, situated about 250 kilometers (155 miles) North of the capital, Baghdad, to the southern part of Mosul, Al Forat reported.

“Security personnel have liberated Telol al-Baj, and several units have been deployed four kilometers (2.4 miles) away from the area to prevent the infiltration of vehicles rigged with explosives into the region,” said Lieutenant General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, the commander of Iraq’s counterterrorism forces.

He said the Iraqi forces had inflicted heavy losses on the ranks of ISIL terrorists in Telol al-Baj.

Informed military sources disclosed that Iraq's joint military forces have made a headway towards Mosul in Nineveh province.

Iraqi Forces Enter Nineveh Province, Move Towards Mosul City
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"The Iraqi joint forces crossed the borders of Nineveh province and are moving towards Mosul city," the Arabic-language media quoted an unnamed Iraqi popular forces commander as saying on Wednesday.

Meantime, Commander of Salahuddin Operations Major General Jomeh Anad said that the Iraqi forces have entered the entrance of al-Sharqat city in Salahuddin province after heavy clashes with the Takfiri terrorists.

In a relevant development earlier today, the Iraqi security forces made new gains on the ground against the ISIL terrorist group as they are trying to recapture the country’s second-largest city of Mosul from the terrorists.

Elite counter-terrorism forces and Popular Mobilization fighters retook control over Telol al-Baj area, which lies on the highway linking the town of al-Sharqat, situated about 250 kilometers (155 miles) North of the capital, Baghdad, to the southern part of Mosul, Al Forat reported.

“Security personnel have liberated Telol al-Baj, and several units have been deployed four kilometers (2.4 miles) away from the area to prevent the infiltration of vehicles rigged with explosives into the region,” said Lieutenant General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, the commander of Iraq’s counterterrorism forces.

Fifteen senior ISIL members were killed by the Iraqi security forces during an air landing operation in Qayyarah in Mosul, A security source said.

Iraqi Forces Kill 15 ISIL Top Commanders in Qayyarah
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The Anti-Terrorism Directorate carried out an air landing operation at night at one of the biggest headquarters of ISIL at Qayyarah in Mosul,” the source said, Iraqi News reported.

“The operation resulted in the death of fifteen top members of ISIL and eight others were captivated.”

“Most of the dead and captives were foreign nationals,” the source concluded.

The Iraqi army pushed back a heavy attack of the ISIL terrorist group on a strategic region in the Southern part of the city of Fallujah, and annihilated hundreds of ISIL's military vehicles.

Iraqi Army Repels ISIL's Heavy Attack on Key Region Near Fallujah, Destroys 450 Vehicles of Terrorists
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The ISIL terrorists tried to assault Ameriya region in the Southern part of Fallujah city, but they were pushed back by the Iraqi army.

Ameriya region is located 23 kilometers to the South of Fallujah city.

Army reports said over 450 military vehicles of the ISIL were destroyed completely in the battle.

On Sunday, the commander of the Iraqi Army's Fallujah liberation operation declared the strategic Western city was fully liberated from ISIL terrorists.

The commander of the Fallujah liberation operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Sa’adi, told Iraqi state TV that the last remaining district held by ISIL in the city was retaken by the Iraqi security forces.

“We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleared by the counter terrorism service and we announce the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is now over,” he said.

Sa’adi further said at least 1,800 ISIL militants were killed in the Fallujah operation, adding that the operation "is done and the city is fully liberated".

Military confrontations in Fallujah have been ongoing on for more than a week, as Iraqi army forces were making great strides against remaining ISIL terrorists in the city.

Nearly 90 militants fighting for the ISIL terrorist group were killed or wounded in the clearance operations in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Nearly 90 ISIL Fighters Killed, Wounded in Nangarhar Clearance Raids
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The Afghan Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that the operations were conducted in Kot district of Nangarhar covering Bandok, Zara Bandok, Jajal Ghondi, Sepa Ghondi, Bahadur Baba villages and its surrounding areas, Khaama Press reported.

According to a statement by the ministry, over 40 ISIL militants were killed in the operations and around 44 others were wounded.

The statement further added that the hideouts of the terror group were destroyed and the mentioned areas were cleared from the presence of ISIL militants.

The ministry also added that the local residents did not suffer any casualties in the operations.

Russia supplied Iraq with a new batch of Mi-28NE "Night Hunter" military helicopters, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said.

Iraq Receives New Batch of Military Helicopters from Russia
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"These helicopters will make a great contribution in support of ground forces in their operations aimed at targeting terrorist positions and destroying their armoured vehicle packed with explosives," the ministry said in a statement published on its website, Sputnik reported.

On June 3, spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Special Operations Command Yahya Rasul Zubaidi said that Russian-made helicopters including the "Night Hunter" (NATO reporting name Havoc), used by the Iraqi army had demonstrated their effectiveness during the offensive in the city of Fallujah against ISIL terrorist group.

The ministry also said that the "Night Hunter" helicopters had increased the maneuver ability and targeting precision of the Iraqi army.

Mi-28NE is a highly effective new-generation helicopter, designed for combat missions in any circumstances. The helicopter is designed to take part in operations against tanks, infantry combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers among other targets.

 

[angelburst29]

A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad, leaving at least eighteen people dead.

Bomb Explodes in Baghdad, Leaves at Least 18 Dead
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160703/1042351184/car-bomb-explosion-baghdad.html

A bomb exploded in a crowded shopping area of Baghdad, leaving al least 18 people dead and 45 injured, AP reported, citing the police.

There were no immediate reports on whether any group took responsibility.

A source from Iraqi police told Sputnik that the blast rocked a busy Karada district in the center of Baghdad.

A senior Daesh military commander was killed during the operation launched by the Iraqi army near the city of Khaldiya in the Iraqi province of Anbar.

Iraqi Army Kills Daesh Senior Commander in Anbar Province
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160703/1042349693/iraq-kills-daesh-commander.html

A senior military commander of the Islamic State (Daesh) terrorist group was killed during the operation launched by the Iraqi army near the city of Khaldiya in the Iraqi province of Anbar, commander of the Iraqi army's operations in Anbar Ismail Mahlavi said Saturday.

A Kurdish commander of the ISIL terrorist group, notorious for his rapid beheading of people, was killed in a small town on the Southern side of Mosul, security sources announced Saturday.

ISIL's Top Head-Chopper Killed in Clashes with Iraqi Army near Mosul
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"Senior commander of the ISIL known as Abu Ayesha Kurdi was killed while carrying out a suicide attack on the Iraqi forces' positions in Western side of Makhmour," the sources said.

Abu Ayesha Kurdi is the one who spoke in a video in two languages of Arabic and Kurdi while beheading three Pishmarga fighters in March.

Military source announced that tens of militants have been killed in an intense battle with the Iraqi forces in Baghdad.

Iraqi Soldiers Put Takfiri Terrorists to Rout in Baghdad
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The Baghdad Operations Command said that 37 ISIL Takfiri terrorists were killed and a number of their vehicles destroyed West of Baghdad.

According to statement, Iraqi forces managed to target a convey for the ISIL in the area of Nazim Taqsim and The Japanese Bridge West of Baghdad, killing 37 ISILK Takfiri terrorists and destroying 13 vehicles.

A top member of the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group and his wife were killed in airstrikes in the Iraqi province of Nineveh.

French ISIL Leader, Wife Killed in Mosul
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A source in the Mosul hospital, who spoke to ARA News on condition of anonymity, said that the head of ISIL Sharia Court in Mosul was killed in an airstrike that targeted his house in Mosul city.

“The French national jihadi and his wife were at home when a coalition airstrike bombed their residence,” the source reported, citing an ISIL security official.

Speaking to ARA News in Mosul, media activist Abdullah al-Malla said that ISIL was trying to keep the information about the death of the Sharia director confidential.

“The house of the Sharia head was completely destroyed in the raid, and the ISIL's al-Hisba police were searching for the dead bodies of the official and his wife, supported by a rescue team. The group blocked all roads leading to the al-Aisar neighborhood where the strike took place,” al-Malla reported.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad, leaving at least eighteen people dead.

Bomb Explodes in Baghdad, Leaves at Least 18 Dead
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160703/1042351184/car-bomb-explosion-baghdad.html

A bomb exploded in a crowded shopping area of Baghdad, leaving al least 18 people dead and 45 injured, AP reported, citing the police.

There were no immediate reports on whether any group took responsibility.

A source from Iraqi police told Sputnik that the blast rocked a busy Karada district in the center of Baghdad.

83 killed as 2 blasts rip through Ramadan crowds at Baghdad shopping areas (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

https://www.rt.com/news/349335-iraq-blast-karrada-injured/

Two blasts have ripped through busy market areas in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, killing around 80 people and injuring 160. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.

Iraqi officials quoted by AP put the death toll from the first attack, in Karrada district, at 78 and said that more than 160 people had been injured.

Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan confirmed that the first blast had come from a car bomb.

Eyewitnesses said on Twitter that many shops burned down as a result of the explosions, and there are fears that the number of casualties could grow.

Karrada, an upper middle class district in the Iraqi capital, is mostly inhabited by Shia, but also has quite a large Christian minority. The area becomes very busy after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.

Shortly after the explosion hit Karrada, eyewitnesses said that a second blast targeted the Shaab neighborhood, which is located in the northern part of the city.

AP said that at least five people were killed in that bombing and another 16 were injured. Meanwhile, Sky News Arabia said a suspected homemade explosive device was used to hit a market.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has in an online statement claimed responsibility for the attack in Karrada, Baghdad.

The tactics resemble Islamic State’s signature, as the terrorists frequently choose Shia-populated civilian areas in the capital as targets.

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Iraqi security officials are attempting to restore order amid the state of panic that has ensued following the attacks, Altaf Ahmad, a local journalist, told RT.

“Major roads leading to the venue of the explosion [in Karrada] have been cut off. We know that the car bomb that went off in the area that is known to be crowded at this time. After sunset, after the break of fast during the holy month of Ramadan many people start to go out... We are expecting that the number could rise to 100 casualties,” Ahmad said.

Meanwhile, Abayomi Azikiwe, editor at Pan-African News Wire, said the pattern of bombing in Baghdad reminded him of what happened in Istanbul.

“There is some affirmation that Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. This follows a pattern for the last week with the attack in Istanbul. The sectarian divisions inside the country have exacerbated and there’s been a reaction on both sides,” Azikiwe told RT.

He also noted that Islamic State had suffered tremendous losses over the past several months and could be committing such attacks in order to avenge their retreat.

“They moved to other geopolitical regions, in Libya, for example, in western part of the country. A lot of these attacks are done for propaganda reasons,” he added. “[These attacks] definitely appear to be coordinated.”

Earlier this week, at least 12 people were killed and 32 injured in another suicide attack west of Baghdad, where an attacker wearing a suicide vest targeted a Sunni mosque in Abu Ghraib.

Islamic State was recently pushed out of Fallujah by Iraqi forces, but the terrorist group still controls Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, which is located in northern Iraq.

 

[Ca.]

A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad, leaving at least eighteen people dead.

Bomb Explodes in Baghdad, Leaves at Least 18 Dead
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160703/1042351184/car-bomb-explosion-baghdad.html

A bomb exploded in a crowded shopping area of Baghdad, leaving al least 18 people dead and 45 injured, AP reported, citing the police.

There were no immediate reports on whether any group took responsibility.

A source from Iraqi police told Sputnik that the blast rocked a busy Karada district in the center of Baghdad.

83 killed as 2 blasts rip through Ramadan crowds at Baghdad shopping areas (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

https://www.rt.com/news/349335-iraq-blast-karrada-injured/

Two blasts have ripped through busy market areas in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, killing around 80 people and injuring 160. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.

Iraqi officials quoted by AP put the death toll from the first attack, in Karrada district, at 78 and said that more than 160 people had been injured.

Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan confirmed that the first blast had come from a car bomb.

Eyewitnesses said on Twitter that many shops burned down as a result of the explosions, and there are fears that the number of casualties could grow.

Karrada, an upper middle class district in the Iraqi capital, is mostly inhabited by Shia, but also has quite a large Christian minority. The area becomes very busy after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.

Shortly after the explosion hit Karrada, eyewitnesses said that a second blast targeted the Shaab neighborhood, which is located in the northern part of the city.

AP said that at least five people were killed in that bombing and another 16 were injured. Meanwhile, Sky News Arabia said a suspected homemade explosive device was used to hit a market.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has in an online statement claimed responsibility for the attack in Karrada, Baghdad.

The tactics resemble Islamic State’s signature, as the terrorists frequently choose Shia-populated civilian areas in the capital as targets.

http://<iframe width="560" height="...s8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Iraqi security officials are attempting to restore order amid the state of panic that has ensued following the attacks, Altaf Ahmad, a local journalist, told RT.

“Major roads leading to the venue of the explosion [in Karrada] have been cut off. We know that the car bomb that went off in the area that is known to be crowded at this time. After sunset, after the break of fast during the holy month of Ramadan many people start to go out... We are expecting that the number could rise to 100 casualties,” Ahmad said.

Meanwhile, Abayomi Azikiwe, editor at Pan-African News Wire, said the pattern of bombing in Baghdad reminded him of what happened in Istanbul.

“There is some affirmation that Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. This follows a pattern for the last week with the attack in Istanbul. The sectarian divisions inside the country have exacerbated and there’s been a reaction on both sides,” Azikiwe told RT.

He also noted that Islamic State had suffered tremendous losses over the past several months and could be committing such attacks in order to avenge their retreat.

“They moved to other geopolitical regions, in Libya, for example, in western part of the country. A lot of these attacks are done for propaganda reasons,” he added. “[These attacks] definitely appear to be coordinated.”

Earlier this week, at least 12 people were killed and 32 injured in another suicide attack west of Baghdad, where an attacker wearing a suicide vest targeted a Sunni mosque in Abu Ghraib.

Islamic State was recently pushed out of Fallujah by Iraqi forces, but the terrorist group still controls Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, which is located in northern Iraq.

Very strange how much devastation and fire occurred with the onset of the first explosion.

Reminded me of a Particle Beam Weaponry assault. Added: Or maybe a space rock.

Zero Hedge
"It Was Like An Earthquake" - Over 91 Killed After Two ISIS Suicide Bombings Rip Through Baghdad
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-03/it-was-earthquake-over-91-killed-after-two-isis-suicide-bombings-rip-through-baghdad

"It was like an earthquake," said Karim Sami, a 35-year-old street vendor. "I wrapped up my goods and was heading home when I saw a fire ball with a thunderous bombing. I was so scared to go back and started to make phone calls to my friends, but none answered," the father of three added. He said that one of his friends had been killed, another was wounded and one was still missing.

Until the government launched its Fallujah operation, the prime minister had faced growing social unrest and anti-government protests sparked, in part, by popular anger at the lack of security in the capital.

As reported in late April, Baghdad's highly-fortified Green Zone — which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions — was stormed twice by anti-government protesters. In Karada civilians expressed their frustration at the government's failure to secure the capital.

"We are in a state of war, and these places are targeted. The security can't focus on the war (against IS) and forget Baghdad," Sami, the street vendor, said.

The Islamic State still controls Iraq's second largest city of Mosul as well as significant patches of territory in the country's north and west. At the height of the extremist group's power in 2014, IS rendered nearly a third of the country out of government control. Now, the militants are estimated to control only 14 percent of Iraqi territory, according to the office of Iraq's prime minister.

The war in space, look into the future. Space War of planets and stars, the weapon of the future
Published on May 27, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8ccsodlpNs

 

[angelburst29]

Informed security sources disclosed that the ISIL has executed several of its own militants and over half a dozen civilians in Kirkuk province.

Iraq: ISIL Beheads 8 Own Militants, 7 Civilians in Kirkuk
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950413001089

"The ISIL has executed eight militants for escaping the battlefield near the city of Hawija," the Arabic-language media outlets quoted an informed security sources as saying on Sunday.

The Takfiri terrorists also beheaded seven civilians of Hawija city which is located 55 kilometers to the Southwest of Kirkuk on spying charges.

The ISIL has resorted to conducting odd the most cruel methods of extermination to intimidate the people.

In early May, the ISIL captured and burnt all members of a family in an area under its control near the city of Kirkuk in Northeastern Iraq after they attempted to escape from the terrorists-held territories.

All five members of the Iraqi family, including three children, were burnt for trying to escape from Al-Riyadh region to the West of Kirkuk city, the Arabic-language Ara News quoted an unnamed local source as saying.

More than 50 mass graves have been discovered in the territory formerly controlled by the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in Iraq.

The loyalists of ISIL terrorist group executed at least three Taliban members in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

ISIL Executes Three Taliban Militants in Afghanistan's Nangarhar
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950413001197

The terror group claimed that the Taliban members were arrested during an operation by the fighters of the group, Khaama Press reported.

The group initially released the pictures of the men in social media and later issued more pictures which purportedly shows the execution of the men.

The three men are shown in orange jump suits as they are forced to kneel in the ground while a child is executing them with a pistol.

The group also released several other pictures which purportedly show coordinated attacks on several outposts of the Taliban group in Nangarhar province.

This comes as the loyalists of the terror group released several pictures which purportedly showed the execution of at least three individuals allegedly for having links with the Taliban group.

The Iraqi fighter jets destroyed ISIL's military positions and hardware in a key military base near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

ISIL's Oil Tanker Destroyed Near Mosul in Iraqi Air Raids
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950413001184

The ISIL's large oil tanker and a bulldozer were destroyed in the Iraqi airstrikes on Al-Qayara military base.

The Iraqi air force also annihilated two mortar-launchers of the ISIL in al-Khatab village, killing at least 10 terrorists.

Earlier on Sunday, military sources said the Iraqi joint forces continued their advance towards the city of Mosul in Nineveh province and managed to seize back three strategic villages after inflicting heavy losses on them.

The Yemeni army and popular forces prevented the Saudi troops from advancing in a strategic region in Ma'rib province.

Yemeni Army Blocks Saudi Advancement in Ma'rib Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950413001228

The Saudi forces were trying to move into Sarwah region in Ma'rib province, but were pushed back by the Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters.

Meantime, battlefield sources announced that the army and popular forces repulsed the Saudi forces' attack on al-Haqil regions and Atias mountain on the Eastern side of Sarwah after inflicting heavy losses on them.

Saudi warplanes pounded the Yemeni provinces of Ta'iz and al-Jawf, killing several civilians on Sunday despite the ongoing UN-brokered ceasefire between the warring sides in Yemen.

Saudi Fighter Jets Bomb Civilians in Taiz, Al-Jawf Provinces
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950413001335

The Saudi airstrikes targeted a local market in Ta'iz province in Southwestern Yemen, killing a number of Yemeni civilians, including women and children.

The Saudi airstrikes targeted al-Shaqab region in Ta'iz province and al-Sha'af region in al-Jawf province.

At least a dozen other Yemeni people were injured in the Saudi air raids.

Meantime, the Saudi artillery units also hit the Yemeni people's houses in Ma'rib and al-Jawf provinces.

On Wednesday, Saudi warplanes pounded the Yemeni province of Ta'iz, and killed over three dozen people on Wednesday despite the ongoing UN-brokered ceasefire between the warring sides in Yemen.

The Saudi airstrikes targeted a local market in Ta'iz province in Southwestern Yemen, killing at least 40 Yemeni civilians, including women and children.

At least 15 other Yemeni people were injured in the Saudi air raids.

In a relevant development on Tuesday, at least 20 civilians were killed in Saudi airstrikes on Ta'iz Province.

Saudi warplanes bombed Hayfan district of Ta'iz, leaving at least 20 civilians dead and 15 others injured.

Some Yemeni media outlets have put the number of the dead at 35.

The news comes hours after four terrorist bomb attacks hit military and security positions in Mukalla city of Hadhramaut Province, leaving 48 civilians dead and some 30 others injured.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi PM’s convoy pelted with stones after deadly blasts hit Baghdad (Video)

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/07/03/Iraqi-PM-s-convoy-pelted-with-stones-bottles-after-deadly-blasts-hit-Baghdad-.html

A convoy carrying Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi who had come to tour the site of the deadly bombings was pelted with stones and bottles by residents, angry at what they felt were false promises of better security.

A refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up in the central district of Karrada, killing 91 people and injuring at least 200. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated online by supporters of the ultra-hard line Sunni group. It said the blast was a suicide bombing.

Video footage uploaded to social media showed the angry crowd, with people calling Abadi a “thief” and shouting at his convoy.

Eyewitness said the crowd pelted Abadi’s car with rocks, shoes and jerry cans.

Karrada was busy at the time as Iraqis eat out and shop late during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends next week with the Eid al-Fitr festival.

Another video posted on social media showed a large blaze in the main street of Karrada, a largely Shiite district with a small Christian community and a few Sunni mosques.

Reuters TV footage taken in the morning showed at least four buildings severely damaged or partly collapsed, including a shopping mall believed to be the target, and gutted cars scattered all around.

The toll climbed during the day as rescuers pulled out more bodies from under the rubble and people succumbed from their injuries.

Until the government launched its Fallujah operation, the prime minister had faced growing social unrest and anti-government protests sparked, in part, by popular anger at the lack of security in the capital. In one month, Baghdad’s highly-fortified Green Zone - which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions - was stormed twice by anti-government protesters.

In Karada civilians expressed their frustration at the government’s failure to secure the capital.

“We are in a state of war, and these places are targeted. The security can’t focus on the war (against IS) and forget Baghdad,” Sami, the street vendor, said.

The UN envoy for Iraq, Jan Kubis, described the Karada attack as “a cowardly and heinous act of unparalleled proportions” and urged the Iraqi government to redouble its security efforts to protect Iraqis during celebrations for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan.

 

[Kisito]

I do not understand how a terrorist group, with a simple car full of explosives, can he kill 213 people? This can not be the work of normal weapon, but a not-conventional weapon. Yet destroyed the building does not look like a nuclear destruction (911). As you related, on an earthquake, it may be that this is due to a nuclear attack in the basement. The car bomb was a decoy.

 

[angelburst29]

I do not understand how a terrorist group, with a simple car full of explosives, can he kill 213 people? This can not be the work of normal weapon, but a not-conventional weapon. Yet destroyed the building does not look like a nuclear destruction (911). As you related, on an earthquake, it may be that this is due to a nuclear attack in the basement. The car bomb was a decoy.

The car bomb was a decoy. That sounds like a strong possibility, Kisito.

Add this incident at the Baghdad Airport:

Mortar Fire Targets Baghdad Airport in Iraq
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160704/1042432063/baghdad-mortar-shelling.html

The mortar shells appeared to fall across an area adjacent to the Baghdad International Airport, according to local media.

Baghdad International Airport in the Iraqi capital was attacked by mortar fire within days after a truck bomb killed some 200 in the city's central district, Arab television reported Monday, citing security sources.

The mortar shells appeared to fall across an area adjacent to the airport, according to the Al Jazeera satellite network.

Two people were reportedly injured in the attack in which the US military installation called Camp Liberty was said to be the target.

According to the Kremlin press service, Vladimir Putin condemns the recent attacks in Baghdad and confirms Moscow's readiness to assist Iraq's leadership and people in the fight against terrorism.

Putin Confirms Russia Ready to Support Iraq in Fight Against Terrorism
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160704/1042398022/russia-iraq-terrorism.html

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemns the recent attacks in Baghdad and confirms Moscow's readiness to assist Iraq's leadership and people in the fight against terrorism, the Kremlin press service said Monday.

"The Russian president strongly condemned this barbaric crime, which serves as another evidence of the inhuman nature of terrorism, and expressed confidence in the need for the entire international community to join forces in order to effectively combat this evil. The Russian President confirmed the Russian side's readiness to continue supporting the leadership and the people of friendly Iraq on the counterterrorism front," the press service said in a statement.

Russia is ready to supply the Iraqi security forces with "anything they ask for" in order to destroy Daesh.

'Anything They Ask for': Russia Ready to Arm Iraq to Fight Daesh
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160607/1040907452/russia-iraq-daesh.html

Moscow is ready to supply Iraq with any military equipment necessary to fight Daesh, Russia's Ambassador to Iraq Ilya Morgunov told Sputnik.

"Anything they ask for. We can deliver whatever they need," Morgunov said, adding that the Iraqi government is interested in acquiring Russian military equipment as it is easier to use and safer than Western analogues.

"Talks [on arms supplies] never end. Unfortunately, Iraq is in a situation where it simply will not survive the battle with terrorist groups without constant replenishment of its armed forces with new types of weapons and equipment," the diplomat stated.

Iraq's government is satisfied with the work of the counterterrorism information center in Baghdad, Morgunov said.

"It [cooperation between Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria] is, in my opinion, progressing quite successfully, at least the Iraqi side has repeatedly expressed to me their satisfaction with the center's work and the role played by our representatives there."

Iraqi authorities are content with the current level of military cooperation with Russia and have yet to ask Moscow for military support, Morgunov told Sputnik.

"The Iraqis have stated that under certain circumstances they may ask the Russian side [for help in fighting Daesh]. Our representatives have replied that we will consider it if the Iraqi government does issue a request, but there have been no requests so far. The Iraqi side is satisfied with the current level of military cooperation."

"It can be assumed that if not thousands, then several hundreds of our nationals have been here," Morgunov said, answering a question regarding the number of Russian citizens who have fought for Daesh in Iraq.

"No one has handed over any Russian passports to us. Quite a few people have been killed. It is difficult to understand who these people are. Moreover, their passports are withdrawn to avoid any attention. The Iraqis are providing us with certain information regarding persons who are likely to be Russian citizens, as they have Russian numbers in their phones. All this information is sent to Moscow for further analysis," he added.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi interior minister quits after fatal Baghdad bomb attacks

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/05/473742/Iraq-Baghdad-Daesh-Mohammed-Ghabban

Iraq’s Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban has stepped down from his position following one of the deadliest ever bombings in the Arab country claimed by the Takfiri Daesh terrorists group.

Ghabban made the announcement at a press conference in the capital, Baghdad, on Tuesday, saying, "I placed my resignation before the prime minister, [Haider al-Abadi].”

On Sunday, a vehicle packed with explosives was detonated in Baghdad’s Shia neighborhood of Karrada while families were shopping for Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Security and medical officials said the attack left at least 213 people dead and more than 200 others wounded.

On the same day, the second explosion occurred at an outdoor market in the Shaab neighborhood of southeastern Baghdad, killing two people.

In a twitter post, Daesh claimed responsibility for the assaults which, it said, were aimed at Shia neighborhoods.

Elsewhere in his Tuesday comments, Ghabban said that the Iraqi government has failed to arrange and organize the activities of the country’s security and intelligence administrations.

Describing checkpoints throughout the capital as "absolutely useless,” he noted that the car bomb came from the eastern province of Diyala and likely successfully navigated a security checkpoint on its way to Baghdad.

After the deadly twin bomb blasts, Abadi announced measures to address security flaws in the capital, including scrapping fake detectors, accelerated installing of scanning devices at entrances to Baghdad, and increased aerial reconnaissance and coordination among security forces.

Sunday’s bomb attacks came one week after Iraqi forces fully liberated the strategic city of Fallujah, situated roughly 69 kilometers west of Baghdad, from Daesh terrorists.

Having suffered heavy losses on the battlefield against Iraqi soldiers, Daesh has recently stepped up its terror attacks across Baghdad.

According to new UN figures, acts of violence in Iraq left a total of 662 people dead and 1,457 others injured in June.

In Baghdad, which was among the hardest-hit areas, some 236 civilians were killed and 742 others wounded.

Iraqi Justice Ministry executes 5 ISIS members after Baghdad bombing (Photos)

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ira/

The Iraqi Justice Ministry executed five members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) this past weekend after the aforementioned terrorist group killed over 200 civilians in Baghdad City.

Based on the footage released by Iraqi media activists, the five Islamic State terrorists were hanged for their past crimes in a private government facility.

Iraqi Army Launches Offensive Against Daesh in North of Anbar Province

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160705/1042475816/iraq-army-anbar-offensive.html

The Iraqi army has started an offensive against fighters from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in the north of the country's Anbar province, the head of the local operation command was quoted as saying in the media on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Iraqi army was backed by airstrikes by the US-led coalition.

"The units of the 16th division, Anbar police tactic regiment and anti-terror forces started a large-scale operation this morning to free the Zankoureh region to the north of Ramadi from Daesh fighters," Maj. Gen. Ismail Mahalawi, the head of Anbar Operations Command, was cited by the Alsumaria broadcaster as saying.

Daesh is a terrorist group active in Syria and Iraq, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia. In the summer of 2015, the Iraqi army and Shiite militias, backed by US airstrikes, launched a large-scale offensive to liberate the Anbar province from the terrorists.

In June 2016, Baghdad announced the liberation of Fallujah, one of the largest cities in the Anbar province, which had been a Daesh stronghold since 2014, as government forces gained control of the city center.

 

[youlik]

Боевики ИГИЛ разгромили американский спецназ
В ходе боя в восточной Сирии 80 солдат коалиции были убиты, 20 попали в плен
http://svpressa.ru/war21/article/151972/?rss=1&utm_source=rnews

Несколько дней назад в засаду, устроенную боевиками «Исламского государства» *, попал конвой «Новой сирийской армии», в составе которого были бойцы американского и британского спецназа. Произошло это на востоке Сирии, недалеко от границы с Ираком. В результате атаки ИГИЛ были убиты, по разным данным, от 40 до 80 военнослужащих коалиции, не менее двух десятков, включая американских и британских спецназовцев, попали в плен. В руках террористов оказалось большое количество оружия и техники.

Западные СМИ о событиях под сирийским городком Абу-Кемаль стараются особо не распространяться. Информация о крупном поражении НСА и гибели американских рейнджеров президенту Обаме сейчас ни к чему. Тем не менее, некоторые сведения просачиваются.

1 июля Гордон Дафф, главный редактор сайта Veterans today (во время Вьетнамской войны служил в морской пехоте) опубликовал заметку «В городке Абу-Кемаль (Сирия) в плен ИГИЛ попал американский и британский спецназ».

Для справки.

Veterans today («Ветеран сегодня») является независимым изданием, выражающем мнение бывших военнослужащих и сотрудников спецслужб США по поводу национальной безопасности, геополитической стабильности и внутренней политики.

Он известен своими публикациями «деликатной» военной и иной информации, и часто перепечатывается и цитируется в западных СМИ.
Приведённая ниже статья из Veterans today (в незначительном сокращении) подтверждается и из других западных источников. Так, хвастливое сообщение от имени «Новой сирийской армии» 30-го июня уже мелькало в Интернете:

«New Syria’n Army confirm airborne mission on Abu Kamal border town to Iraq „air dropped behind enemy lines“» («Новая сирийская армия» подтверждает, что она ведёт воздушно-десантную операцию в приграничном с Ираком городе Абу-Кемаль с просачиванием в тыл противника" -авт.).

После чего всё покрылось непроницаемой тишиной.

«О катастрофе, которую США пока держат в секрете — речь идёт о неудачной операции на иракско-сирийской границе. Этот провал спецслужб можно было легко предсказать, так как в планировании этой операции принимали участие такие союзники, как Израиль, Турция, Иордания и Саудовская Аравия. Подробности.

Совместная операция американских и британских спецслужб проходила в удалённом регионе восточной Сирии, в месте, где река Евфрат пересекает границу с Ираком. Американские и британские «техники» были захвачены в плен, вместе с иорданскими советниками, а также с двумя десятками бойцов из подготовленной США так называемой «Новой сирийской армии».

Подразделение НСА было разгромлено в ходе наступления на контролируемую ИГИЛ грунтовую взлётно-посадочную полосу, рядом с сирийским городом Абу-Кемаль, находящимся на небольшом расстоянии от иракской границы и иракского города Аль-Каим.

Согласно нашим источникам, операция началась с двухдневного марша конвоя. Он прошёл 200-мильный путь на север от учебного центра ЦРУ на сирийско-иорданской границе с целью атаковать ИГИЛ, с ним шли американские и британские советники спецопераций. Непосредственно перед атакой к ним также присоединились десантированные спецназовцы США и бойцы британского спецназа (SAS).

Атака началась 30 июня на рассвете, когда «Новая сирийская армия» захватила небольшой аэропорт в Абу-Кемаль с грунтовой взлетно-посадочной полосой, который ИГИЛ превратила в свой подземный командный центр. За этим последовала американская бомбардировка ряда целей в этом районе. Американцы разбрасывали листовки, советуя местным жителям покинуть его. Но боевики ИГИЛ никуда не ушли, они ждали в засаде.

Не давая «Новой сирийской армии» и их американским, британским и иорданским советникам придти в себя, не менее 400 бойцов ИГИЛ вышли из туннелей, которые тянутся на всем протяжении границы, вплоть до города Аль-Каим в Ираке, и быстро разгромили всю группу, стремясь захватить как можно больше пленных.

Наряду с пленными, боевики целиком захватили весь конвой, с его средствами связи и оружием.

В Пентагоне есть подозрение, что ранее американские и британские советники тренировали ИГИЛ, по слухам, посредством компаний L3 Corporation, Dyncorp и других, причём это продолжалось отнюдь не в течение нескольких недель, но годами. Эта тренировка проходила с целью объединения сил спецопераций для защиты государств Персидского залива. Американские инструкторы, которым платили по 350 тысяч долларов в год, видели потом своих подопечных только дважды — первый раз во время нападения в Бенгази (атака террористов в Ливии в сентябре 2012 года, в ходе которой погиб американский посол Кристофер Стивенс, — авт.) и в настоящее время — в качестве руководящих кадров ИГИЛ.

Так что не должно стать сюрпризом, что ИГИЛ наступает, принимая во внимание, что их кадры учили по лучшим стандартам спецназа армии США, потратив на это десятки миллионов долларов.

Что касается политической стороны этого вопроса, то это уже совсем другая история. Впрочем, финансирование, по крайней мере, официально, не было американским. Наше информационное агентство Veterans today знает тех, кто работал над этим проектом, но мы не станем это разглашать — нам было предложено столько денег, что мы не могли так легко отказаться.

Почином для ИГИЛ явилась атака в Бенгази (Ливия). Там было всё чётко скоординировано, в лучших традициях ЦРУ. Здесь было замешано и предательство правых американских миллиардеров произраильской ориентации. Мы можем также яснее увидеть и ту предательскую роль, которую ЦРУ играет в Сирии и Ираке, и лучше понять текущую болтовню Эрдогана и его сильное желание уйти подальше, насколько это возможно, от всей этой каши.
Имеет место тотальное замалчивание информации об этой катастрофе, которая является крупной американской неудачей и огромным провалом для президента Обамы. Каждый, кто располагает хоть какой-то информацией об этом, был или задержан, или его заставили замолчать, — настолько это серьезно".


Translation

ISIS militants defeated American special forces
During the battle in Eastern Syria 80 coalition soldiers were killed, 20 captured

A few days ago in an ambush by militants of the "Islamic state" *, hit the convoy of the "New Syrian army", which was composed of the soldiers of the American and British special forces. It happened in the East of Syria, near the border with Iraq. The attack of ISIL were killed, according to various estimates, from 40 to 80 servicemen of the coalition, at least two dozen, including American and British commandos were taken prisoner. In the hands of terrorists were a large number of weapons and equipment.

The Western media about the events in the Syrian town of Abu-Kemal not particularly trying to spread. Information about major defeat of the NSA and the death of American Rangers, President Obama is now useless. However, some information leak.

July 1, Gordon Duff, chief editor of Veterans today (during the Vietnam war he served in the marine corps) has published an article, "In the town of Abu Kamal (Syria) in ISIS captivity were American and British special forces."

For reference.

Veterans today ("Veteran's today") is an independent publication expressing the opinion of former soldiers and employees of special services of the USA regarding national security, geopolitical stability and domestic policy.

He is known for his publications of sensitive military and other information and is frequently reprinted and cited in the Western media.
The following article from Veterans today (a slight reduction) is corroborated by other Western sources. So, boastful message on behalf of the "New Syrian army" 30th of June is already flashed on the Internet:

"New Syria'n confirm Army airborne mission on the Abu Kamal border town to Iraq air dropped behind enemy lines"" (the"New Syrian army" confirms that it conducts airborne operation near the Iraqi border town of Abu Kemal with the infiltration behind enemy lines" -ed.).

Then everything was covered with an impenetrable silence.

"About the disaster, which the United States is kept secret — it is about an unsuccessful operation on the Iraqi-Syrian border. This failure of intelligence it was easy to predict as in the planning of this operation was attended by such allies as Israel, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Details.

A joint operation of American and British intelligence services took place in a remote region of Eastern Syria, where the Euphrates river crosses the border with Iraq. American and British technicians were captured, together with the Jordanian advisers, as well as with two dozen fighters from the United States so-called "New Syrian army".

The NSA unit was destroyed during the offensive on the ISIL controlled a dirt airstrip, near the Syrian town of Abu Kemal, located a short distance from the Iraqi border and the Iraqi city of al-Qaim.

According to our sources, the operation began with a two-day March of the convoy. He passed the 200-mile journey North from the training center of the CIA on the Syrian-Jordanian border to attack ISIS, and with him went the American and British advisors are special operations. Immediately before the attack they also joined parachuted commandos and United States soldiers of the British special forces (SAS).

The attack began on 30 June at dawn, when the "New Syrian army" seized a small airport at Abu Kemal with a dirt runway that ISIS turned into your underground command center. This was followed by the American bombing of several targets in the area. The Americans dropped leaflets advising local residents to leave. But the militants are not gone, they waited in ambush.

Not giving the "New Syrian army" and their American, British and Jordanian advisers to come to his senses, not less than 400 fighters of ISIS came out of the tunnels, which stretch all along the border, until the city of al-Qaim in Iraq and quickly defeated the entire group in an effort to capture as many prisoners.

Along with the prisoners, the fighters completely captured the entire convoy, with its means of communication and weapons.

In the Pentagon there is a suspicion that earlier American and British advisers trained the ISIS, according to rumors, through companies L3 Corporation, Dyncorp and others, and it lasted not for a few weeks, but years. This training was held with the aim of uniting forces to protect the Gulf States. The American instructors who were paid 350 thousand dollars a year, then saw their wards only twice — the first time during the attack in Benghazi, the terrorist attack in Libya in September 2012, which killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, ed.) and currently, as the leading cadres of ISIS.

So that shouldn't be a surprise that ISIS is coming, considering that their footage was taught by the best standards of the special forces of the US army, spending tens of millions of dollars.

As for the political side of this issue, that's another story. However, the funding, at least officially, was not American. Our information Agency Veterans today knows who worked on this project, but we're not going to tell you — we were offered so much money that we could not so easily refuse.

Fix for ISIS was the attack in Benghazi, Libya. It was all well-coordinated, in the best traditions of the CIA. Here was involved the betrayal of right-wing American billionaires, Pro-Israel orientation. We can also clearly see the treacherous role the CIA plays in Syria and Iraq, and to better understand the current talk of Erdogan and his strong desire to get as far away as possible from all this mess.
Takes place total silence about the crash, which is a major American failure and huge failure for President Obama. Anyone who has any information about this, or was detained, or silenced it, so it's serious.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Explosion Hits Military Base Near Aden Airport in Yemen: Four Killed

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160706/1042498328/yemen-aden-airport-explosion.html

A twin blast at a military base located near the airport of Aden in southern Yemen killed at least four soldiers, France-Presse News Agency reports, citing military sources.

According to the military, the attackers detonated an explosive device set in a car near the entrance to the base. The attackers managed to make their way to a military facility, where they blew up a second vehicle.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and Shiite Ansar Allah movement, also known as Houthi rebels, who have been supported by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since late March, a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at the request of Hadi.

Seven Killed, Over 20 Injured in Clashes in Southern Yemen

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160706/1042500297/yemen-clashes-injured.html

According to reports, 7 people were killed and over 20 sustained injuries in clashes between the army and militants reportedly aligned with Al-Qaeda in Yemen.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Seven people were killed and over 20 sustained injuries in clashes between the army and militants reportedly aligned with Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia) in Yemen on Wednesday, a Yemeni security source told Sputnik.

According to the source, fighting broke out near a military base outside the city of Aden south in the country following a suicide attack.

Bombs attacks in Saudi may be a false flag: Analyst

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/06/473835/Saudi-Arabia-bomb-blast-Daesh-false-flag-operation-Syria-Iraq-US

Recent bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia could be a false flag to make the kingdom look like a victim of Daesh terrorism when in fact it is the perpetrator, an analyst says.

Saudi Arabia along with Turkey, Israel and the US created Daesh as a “propaganda weapon” against Islam and a “paramilitary force” to destabilize the Middle East, author and Islamic scholar in Madison Kevin Barrett told Press TV.

“The rulers of Saudi Arabia have actually helped foster the creation of Daesh and this whole tendency of extremist ultra-Salafist or Wahhabist kinds of terrorism. In fact Daesh was created as really a weapon against the government of Syria and the government of Iraq,” he stated.

The analyst added that the “biggest source of funding” for the Wahhabist terrorism exemplified by Daesh is in fact Saudi Arabia.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Barrett said attacking the Mosque of the Holy Prophet in Medina at the end of Ramadan was completely an “anti-Islamic act.”

The people who are carrying out these attacks are “psychotic,” he said, adding that they are reacting to the “breakdown of values” in the modern world and the Saudi royal family is complicit in it.

“Although the royal family is not at the same level as these absolutely nihilistic and psychotic terrorists who are acting in such completely un-Islamic ways, yet they have paved the way for this,” he said.

Jihad Mouracadeh, a Middle East expert in Beirut, said the Daesh terrorist group is the enemy of the entire world and all countries should be worried about the recent bombings.

“I think the whole world has to worry about it because if you look at the recent blasts from Lebanon to Istanbul, to Bangladesh, to Indonesia, to Saudi Arabia and those who were arrested in Kuwait, it is all over the world, so it is not only Saudi Arabia who has to worry about it,” he stated.

He said Saudi Arabia is not behind the “creation of Daesh,” adding that it is “incorrect to say the Saudis are promoting this kind of philosophy."

Mouracadeh added that Daesh as a “geographical entity” was diminishing very quickly due to its recent losses in Syria and Iraq and its Plan B was to wreak havoc wherever it could.

Daesh and other violent Takfiri groups follow an extremist branch of the Wahhabi ideology which is preached and promoted in Saudi Arabia.

Up to 12 Daesh Fighters Killed in Drone Strike in Eastern Afghanistan

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160706/1042499423/daesh-fighters-drone-strike.html

A drone strike carried out by "foreign troops" in eastern Afghanistan killed up to 12 Daesh jihadist group militants, media reported Wednesday, citing local authorities.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The airstrike was carried out on Tuesday night in the troubled Kot district of the Nangarhar province, a spokesman for the provincial governor, Attaullah Khoghyani, was quoted as saying by the local TOLOnews broadcaster.

He added that no civilians were wounded in the airstrike.

Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency, while other extremist groups, such as Daesh, outlawed in many states worldwide including Russia, have expanded their activities in the country.

 

[Yupo]

Slightly off topic. I spoke to a former service member that claims to has been assigned to Iraq duty 3 times over the years; during the 1st war, the 2nd war and rather recently.
He told me that petrol was free at the pump during his first visit, was something like $0.30 during his 2nd visit and was between $1 and $2 (I forget the exact figures) during the last visist. I'm not sure if priced by litre or gallon. Anyway, the difference in price he told me, is that now, all US fuel taxes are added to the price at the pump over there.
Interesting. War is a racket indeed.

 

[Ca.]

Military Times
8,400 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan, Obama says
2:19 p.m. EDT July 6, 2016
_http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/07/06/obama-expected-leave-8400-troops-afghanistan/86746396/

U.S. taxpayers are spending more than $4 billion annually to support the Afghan military, and the results are mixed at best, according to a watchdog report. Video by Kathleen Curthoys and John Bretschneider/Staff

President Obama on Wednesday announced a draw down of about 1,400 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, leaving 8,400 service members deployed to the war-torn country through the end of his presidency.

“I strongly believe that it is in our national security interest, especially after all the blood and treasure we've invested in Afghanistan over the years, that we give our Afghan partners the very best opportunity to succeed,” he said.

“The decision I'm making today ensures that my successor has a solid foundation for continued progress in Afghanistan as well as the flexibility to address the threat of terrorism as it evolves.”

Flanked by Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, Obama said his national security advisers recommended moving away from previous pledges to reduce the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to 5,500 troops.

Senior administration officials said the decision was based largely on assessments made in recent weeks by Army Gen. John Nicholson Jr., who commands all NATO forces there.

The president said the current mission of advising and assisting local Afghan security forces will not change, noting that the military’s combat mission in country ended two years ago. American special operations forces also conduct targeted counter-terror missions there. Faced with a resurgent Taliban, the White House last month approved plans to give American commanders greater liberty to use airstrikes whenever U.S. or Afghan troops are in danger.

“As president and commander and chief, I've made it clear that I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again,” Obama vowed.

Nicholson assumed command of the Afghanistan mission in March. As part of his review, he considered the Afghan security forces' viability and the fragile political dynamics that could bring about peace talks with the Taliban, officials said. Nicholson submitted his recommendations in June. Around the same time, the president agreed to loosen restrictions on the use of airstrikes.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2bb92232da719557abf0336bcad59ff901e22ca1/r=x393&c=520x390/http/cdn.tegna-tv.com/-mm-/b4986d67d159c0557049e11664c091d10c39e63d/c=3-0-2829-2125/local
/-/media/2016/06/17/GGM/MilitaryTimes/636017743335092530-BTN-Digital-Air-Power-07.jpg

Obama's Vietnam: Afghanistan War Enters 16th Year With No End In Sight (Strong Language)

http://<iframe width="560" height="...as" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

War in Afghanistan -- Rare Helmet Cam Firefight -- Combat Footage 1080p
Published on Mar 24, 2015
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkVVnI4ci3o