Iraq

[youlik]

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.

В определенном смысле результаты вполне однозначны- за эти годы Афганистан стал мировым монополистом в производстве опиумных наркотиков. Вот статья на эту тему.
http://www.nbenegroup.com/true/drugtrafik.html
Статья на русском. Переведу несколько отрывков.

Афганистан превратился, по сути, в наркогосударство – в стране производится 93% всех опиатов в мире. По словам Директора Федеральной службы по контролю за оборотом наркотиков (ФСКН) РФ В.Иванова, "ситуация не вызывает оптимизма, поскольку урожаи опия-сырца растут непрерывно". С момента введения в страну военного контингента под эгидой ООН объемы урожая опия выросли почти в три раза. По данным ФКСН за 2010 г., размеры площадей посадок опиумного мака составили 193 тыс. гектаров, собрано 8,2 тонн опия-сырца, из которого было выработано соответственно 820 тонн героина.
За последние 10 лет производство наркотиков в Афганистане выросло в 40 раз. В прошлом году Афганистан занял первое место в мире по производство гашиша. По данным госнаркоконтроля, за год в Россию из Афганистана поступает 549 тонн наркотиков в опиумном эквиваленте, а в Европу – 711 тонн того же зелья.

Командование американских войск в Афганистане заявляет, что борьба с наркотиками в этой стране – не их задача. Несмотря на то, что опиумные поля подступают вплотную к базам НАТО и простираются на десятки километров. Политика невмешательства на руку американцам – пока натовцы не трогают наркотрафик, народ терпимо относится к войскам альянса.

Когда десять лет назад США и их союзники начинали антиталибскую антитеррористическую операцию в Афганистане, было много разговоров, что одной из её задач будет борьба с производством и распространением наркотиков. На деле вышло по-другому.
США опасались трогать афганский наркобизнес. Они утверждали, что если начать уничтожать посевы опийного мака – сырья для производства героина, – то выращивающие его афганские крестьяне лишатся заработка и перейдут на сторону талибов. Одновременно американцы как бы расплачивались со своими афганскими сторонниками тем, что сквозь пальцы смотрели на их участие в наркобизнесе. Результаты такой политики налицо.

Translation
In a sense, the results are quite clear - over the years, Afghanistan became the world monopolist in the production of opium drugs. Here is an article on this topic.
http://www.nbenegroup.com/true/drugtrafik.html
The article is in Russian. Translate a few extracts.

Afghanistan became, in effect, a narco-state – the country produces 93% of all opiates in the world. According to the Director of the Federal service for control over drug trafficking (FSKN) of the Russian Federation V. Ivanov, "the situation is not cause for optimism as the harvest of raw opium growing constantly." Since the introduction into the country of a military contingent under the aegis of the UN, the volume of the opium crop grew by almost three times. According FKSN for 2010, the size of the areas of opium poppy planting amounted to 193 thousand hectares, collected 8.2 tons of raw opium from which it was produced, respectively, 820 tons of heroin.
Over the past 10 years, drug production in Afghanistan increased 40 times. Last year Afghanistan was ranked first in the world in the production of hashish. According to the Federal drug control service, for a year in Russia comes from Afghanistan 549 tons of drugs in the opium equivalent, and in Europe – 711 tons of the same potions.

The command of the American troops in Afghanistan says the fight against drugs in this country is not their goal. Despite the fact that opium fields looms close to NATO bases and extend for tens of kilometers. Laissez-faire into the hands of the Americans, while NATO did not touch the drug, people are tolerant of troops of the Alliance.

Ten years ago when the US and its allies began anticalins anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, there was much talk that one of its tasks is the fight against production and drug trafficking. In fact, it turned out differently.
The US feared to touch the Afghan drug trade. They argued that if you start to destroy crops of opium poppy – the raw material for heroin – growing Afghan farmers will lose their earnings and go to the side of the Taliban. At the same time the Americans would pay with their Afghan supporters that turned a blind eye to their involvement in drug trafficking. The results of this policy are obvious.

 

[angelburst29]

President Barack Obama has announced that at least 8,400 US troops will remain on the ground in Afghanistan next year, instead of the originally planned 5,500, due to instability in the country. That’s going to cost you.

This is How Much More the US Will Spend to Keep More Troops in Afghanistan
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160708/1042615781/8400-us-troops-afghanistan.html

Obama's pledge to end US military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan has vanished, as he told journalists on Wednesday that he will leave decisions on the future of a US military presence in Afghanistan to his successor.

"The decision I'm making today ensures that my successor has a solid foundation for progress in Afghanistan, as well as the flexibility to address the threat of terrorism as it evolves," Obama said at the White House. "I firmly believe the decision I'm announcing is the right thing to do."

Currently some 9,800 US troops are deployed in Afghanistan. Obama's original decision to cut down that number to 5,500 by January 2017 has yielded to an alteration of that plan, based on the recommendations and assessments of his generals and advisors.

Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the president's policy shift on Twitter, posting that the move is, "a strong signal of our continued commitment."

​Washington DC think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has calculated that maintaining 8,400 troops in the middle-eastern state through the end of Obama's administration will cost the US an additional $3.5 billion.

Todd Harrison, senior fellow and director of defense budget analysis at CSIS, tweeted that the cost per soldier in Afghanistan amounts to some $1.2M per year, and therefore, by his calculations, keeping 2,900 additional troops will require an extra $3.5 billion in the 2017 fiscal year.

​Harrison stated that his estimates incorporate the full additional cost of a soldier deployed in Afghanistan, compared to one stationed stateside, and includes contractor expense. According to a Central Command census report from April, there are 28,626 contractors in Afghanistan, almost three times the amount of US troops (9,640).

Some 48 percent of contractors contribute logistics and maintenance to US personnel, according to the document. Others work in security, base support, management and administration, construction, translation and interpretation, among other areas.

The Pentagon has requested almost $583 billion for fiscal 2017, including $524 billion for its base budget and $59 billion for its war budget, or overseas contingency operations (OCO), according to documents. Defense-funding levels for the next fiscal year have not yet been approved by Congress.

 

[angelburst29]

The Iraqi Defense Ministry announced that the country's army has received several Russian-made Mi-28 military helicopters known as night-hunter, adding the new choppers will soon be used in the war on ISIL.

Iraqi Army Receives New Batch of Night-Hunter Choppers from Russia
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950419000863

"The helicopters are among the most advanced armored-combat choppers which enjoy high maneuverability and are equipped with various heavy weapons," the ministry said, adding, "The new choppers will play a crucial role in defeating ISIL terrorists across the country."

In June, 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 maneuverability 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.

The ISIL terrorist group executed five civilians in Eastern Iraq and seven others in the Northeastern parts of the country on charges of assisting people to flee the ISIL-held regions.

ISIL Beheads 12 more Civilians in Terrorist-Held Regions in Iraq
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950419000694

The ISIL-affiliated websites released some photos about execution of five men, including Sheikh of the village of Bou Khiyal, from al-Ezzah tribe in al-Adhim region in Baqubah.

The entire five killed civilian had been kidnapped by the ISIL security forces a week ago.

In the meantime, a security source in Kirkuk province disclosed that the ISIL beheaded seven civilians in front of people in open area in the village of Sadr al-Nahr in the town of Huweija in Southwestern side of Kirkuk on charge of assisting people to flee the province towards Salahuddin province and Pishmarga-held region.

The ISIL terrorists started evacuating their own families from Hawija as Iraq's joint military forces are preparing for fresh operations to recapture the strategic region in Kirkuk province.

ISIL Evacuates Own Families From Hawija as Iraqi Army Prepares for Fresh Kirkuk Operations
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950419001064

The ISIL terrorists are sending their families to an unknown location in Nineveh province.

Meantime, the terrorists fortified their military positions in al-Rashad and al-Riyadh regions in Kirkuk province.

Last week, Iraqi warplanes dropped leaflets over al-Huweija region calling on the local residents to stay away from the ISIL's concentration centers or if possible to evacuate the region.

"The ISIL terrorists are terrified that the Iraqi joint forces will recapture al-Sharqat region in the coming days and Iraqi army's preparedness to seize back Mosul after liberation of Fallujah," the Arabic-language al-Sumeria News channel quoted an unnamed Iraqi security source as saying on Saturday.

Infighting has intensified between the Takfiri terrorist groups in the Southern parts of Yemen after the ISIL executed a senior Al-Qaeda commander, media reports said on Saturday.

Infighting Intensifies Between ISIL, Al-Qaeda in Southern Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950419000631

Qassan al-Assadi, a senior Al-Qaeda leader, was executed by the ISIL in Abyan province in Southern Yemen which triggered heavy clashes between the two terrorist groups, the Arabic-language media outlets reported.

This is the second time that the ISIL has executed a senior Al-Qaeda commander. Earlier this year the ISIL had executed Al-Qaeda's senior commander Abu Hajar al-Adani.

The Yemeni army and popular forces continued their military advances in Ma'rib province on Saturday, and seized back the Saudi-led forces' last military base near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Yemeni Army Wins Back Key Saudi Base in Ma'rib Province Near Bab Al-Mandeb
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950419000774

The Yemeni forces are now in full control of Koufel military base which is located in Sirwah region in Ma'rib province after purging all the Saudi forces from the base.

The Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters also recaptured the strategic Kahboub mountain overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The advances by the Yemeni forces came as the Saudi fighter jets ignored the ceasefire and attacked several cities across Yemen, killing several Yemeni civilians, including women and children.

Earlier on Saturday, the Yemeni army targeted the Saudi-led forces' convoy with a ballistic missile near the strategic Farza 9 military base in Ma'rib province.

The Saudi-led forces sustained heavy casualties as the Yemeni missile precisely struck their military convoy.

 

[angelburst29]

Another unannounced surprise visit by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter - this time in Baghdad? No information other than he arrived. Sounds like a bad omen with war intensifying in Irag?

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Baghdad on Monday on a surprise visit, the Department of Defense said.

US Defense Secretary Arrives in Baghdad
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160711/1042753685/us-carter-bahdad-visit.html

July 11 — US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday on a surprise visit, the Department of Defense said.

"SecDef greeted in Baghdad by Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones and LTG Sean MacFarland," the DoD tweeted in a post alongside a video showing the defense chief emerging from his plane at the Baghdad airfield.

He was greeted on the tarmac by US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones and Sean MacFarland, the commander of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Members of the Daesh jihadist group are fleeing from the Huwayjah district of Kirkuk province of Iraq amid a military operation launched by the country's army, media reported Sunday.

Daesh Terrorists Fleeing From Iraq's Kirkuk Province Amid Army Operation
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160711/1042743155/daesh-kirkuk-army-operation.html

The Kirkuk province is the richest in oil region of Iraq. Part of the province as well as other large territories in northern and western Iraq, including the country’s second biggest city of Mosul, were seized by the Daesh terror group in 2014.

"Some of [the terrorists] shaved beards and went to remote areas outside Al Huwayjah and also to the neighboring villages in the area of Al Zab amid [Iraqi] military's advance," a source told Al Sumaria broadcaster.

The source noted that, thereby, Daesh has lost almost a half of its members in Huwayjah.

Yemeni national who had been held at the US Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba was transferred to Italy, the US Department of Defense said in a statement on Sunday, almost six years after the transfer was approved.

US Department of Defense Announces Transfer of Yemeni Gitmo Inmate to Italy
http://sputniknews.com/us/20160711/1042745614/gitmo-inmate-transfer-italy.html

US agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, approved the transfer of Fayiz Ahmad Yahia Suleiman from the infamous prison in 2009.

According to the statement, the United States is grateful to the Italian government of Italy for its “humanitarian gesture” and willingness to support the US efforts to close the so called Gitmo. Currently, 78 detainees remain in the detention center, the statement added.

Closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay has been an administration priority since Barack Obama became the US president in 2009. US officials have maintained that the facility represents a national security risk to the United States as that it is used in terrorist propaganda.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Another unannounced surprise visit by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter - this time in Baghdad? No information other than he arrived. Sounds like a bad omen with war intensifying in Irag?

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Baghdad on Monday on a surprise visit, the Department of Defense said.

US Defense Secretary Arrives in Baghdad
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160711/1042753685/us-carter-bahdad-visit.html

July 11 — US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday on a surprise visit, the Department of Defense said.

"SecDef greeted in Baghdad by Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones and LTG Sean MacFarland," the DoD tweeted in a post alongside a video showing the defense chief emerging from his plane at the Baghdad airfield.

He was greeted on the tarmac by US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones and Sean MacFarland, the commander of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

US to deploy 560 more troops to Iraq: US defense secy.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/11/474677/Iraq-US-troops-Daesh-Carter-Mosul-Qayyarah

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter says his country will send more troops to Iraq, claiming that the forces will help Baghdad in an upcoming operation aimed at retaking the key city of Mosul from Daesh Takfiri militants.

Carter, who is currently in Iraq on an unannounced visit, said on Monday that 560 more US troops will be sent to Iraq, which will help establish the newly retaken air base in the town of Qayyarah as a staging hub for the long-awaited battle to recapture Mosul from Daesh militants.

“These additional US forces will bring unique capabilities to the campaign and provide critical enabler support to Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight,” Carter said, adding, "The additional troops will provide a range of support for Iraqi security forces, including infrastructure and logistical capabilities at the airfield near Qayyarah".

On Saturday, Iraqi government forces fully liberated the strategic airbase in Qayyarah, a town located some 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Mosul, from Daesh militants.

The move to increase the number of US troops comes despite growing concerns among the Iraqi public that the US is planning to use battle against Daesh as a pretext to return to Iraq. US forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple long-time dictator Saddam Hussein but the large-scale military operation deteriorated security in the Arab country and gave birth to various militant groups.

The increase announced on Monday will bring the number of US troops in Iraq to more than 4,647. US President Barack Obama had announced three months ago that he planned to send more troops to Iraq.

Carter said most of the troops will go to Qayyarah, adding that they will help Iraqi security forces planning to encircle and eventually retake the key city. A team of American troops went into Qayyarah for a quick site assessment on Sunday and left.

“Iraqi Security Forces … will complete the southern-most envelopment of Mosul. That's its strategic role, and that's its strategic importance,” Carter told reporters before arriving in Baghdad.

The top US defense official had called the recapture of Qayyarah a key strategic victory.

Carter’s announcement comes as Iraqi forces prepare to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the capital of the northern province of Nineveh, which fell to the hands of Daesh in June 2014.

The US and allies formed a so-called international coalition against Daesh in late 2014, with the ostensible aim of targeting positions of the group in northern and western Iraq. The coalition air strikes were later expanded to purported Daesh-held territories in neighboring Syria, despite criticism by Damascus that the attacks violate the Arab country’s sovereignty.

Leaked: Former Iraqi politicians bankrolled ISIS

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/leaked-former-iraqi-politicians-bankrolled-isis/

Leaked documents recovered from the recently-liberated city of Fallujah revealed that top Iraqi official from the Saddam era has donated more than $200,000 to the Islamic State.

According to the documents, Tariq al-Hashimi, the former Iraqi Vice President, has granted $218,000 in religious tax (Zakat) to the terror group in Fallujah.

The top Iraqi politician was addressed by ISIS as Mujahid (the Islamic term for those who fight infidels to implement Sharia Law).

Another Zakat receipt shows a similar donation made by Rafia al-Issawi, the former Iraqi finance minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Last Monday, al-Hashimi was removed from the Interpol’s red notice for ‘lack of evidences’.

Al-Hashimi was convicted of murder and later sentenced to death before he fled to Turkey.

Later in June, the Iraqi Army, backed by the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has recaptured the city of Fallujah after ousting ISIS jihadists.

 

[angelburst29]

At least six people were wounded after an explosive device went off inside a classroom in a school located in the Southeastern Khost province of Afghanistan.

Explosion in Southeastern Afghanistan Leaves 5 Students, Teacher Wounded
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950421001310

According to the local education officials, at least five students and a teacher were wounded in the blast, Khaama Press reported.

The officials further added that the explosives were planted in a classroom filled with 6th grade students in Matiullah Shahid high school in Khost city.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Iraqi Defense Ministry Spokesman Nasir Nouri confirmed that his country's army has received two Russian-made Mi-28 military helicopters known as night-hunter, adding that more choppers will be delivered to Iraq in the near future.

Iraqi Army Receives 2 Night-Hunter Choppers from Russia
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950421000661

On Saturday, the Iraqi defense ministry said that the Mi-28 helicopters are among the most advanced armored-combat choppers which enjoy high maneuverability and are equipped with various heavy weapons," the ministry said, adding, "The new choppers will play a crucial role in defeating the ISIL terrorists across the country."

In June, 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 maneuverability 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.

The Iraqi security sources disclosed that a large number of ISIL terrorists have fled the city of Mosul towards Syrian territories in 160 vehicles.

Iraq: ISIL Terrorists Fleeing Mosul to Syria in 160 Military Vehicles
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950421000587

"The ISIL terrorists most of them Arab nationals escaped from al-Ba'aj region in the Western part of Nineveh province towards Syria in machinegun- and DshK-equipped vehicles," the Arabic-language media quoted an unnamed security source as saying on Monday.

The source reiterated that the ISIL has used 160 vehicles to escape to Syria.

The ISIL has suffered many defeats as a result of the Iraqi army advances in Nineveh and Salahuddin provinces.

On Sunday, a senior ISIL military commander was killed in Iraqi airstrike on terrorists' positions in a village South of the ISIL-held city of Mosul.

"The defunct ISIL commander, nom de guerre Abd Saied, was reportedly in charge of the group’s artillery units in Southern Mosul, as battlefield reports confirmed, two of his fellow militants were also killed in the aerial attack on al-Jada’eh village,” the source, who demanded anonymity.

"The attack also ended in reducing the ISIL’s artillery hardware and other fortifications in the village to rubble."

The ISIL terrorist group is planting bombs and torching the oil wells in Nineveh province to prevent the Iraqi forces from making further advances in the Southern parts of Mosul, army sources revealed on Monday.

ISIL Lays Bombs, Destroys Oil Wells to Block Iraqi Army Advances towards Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950421000757

"The ISIL is doing its best to block the Iraqi army's victories in more lands near Mosul city," the Arabic-language media quoted local sources as saying on Monday.

Yesterday the army's mop-up operations in al-Qayara airbase resulted in the death of 38 ISIL terrorists and caused tens of them to flee the region.

The Iraqi army defused over 100 bombs, destroyed four machinegun-equipped military vehicles and two suicide motorcycles.

On Sunday, the Iraqi forces inched closer to Mosul after capturing the ISIL-controlled al-Qayara oil-rich region.

The ISIL terrorists started fleeing Hawija as Iraqi army is ready to recapture the strategic region in Kirkuk province on Monday.

ISIL Terrorists Start Fleeing Hawija as Iraqi Army Prepares for Fresh Kirkuk Operations
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950421000807

The ISIL's exit from Hawija came as the Takfiri terrorists evacuated their own families from Hawija on Sunday.

The ISIL terrorists sent their families to an unknown location in Nineveh province yesterday.

Meantime, the terrorists fortified their military positions in al-Rashad and al-Riyadh regions in Kirkuk province.

Last week, Iraqi warplanes dropped leaflets over al-Hawija region calling on the local residents to stay away from the ISIL's concentration centers or if possible to evacuate the region.

"The ISIL terrorists are terrified that the Iraqi joint forces will recapture al-Sharqat region in the coming days and Iraqi army's preparedness to seize back Mosul after liberation of Fallujah," the Arabic-language al-Sumeria News channel quoted an unnamed Iraqi security source as saying.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Massive explosion kills 9, injures over 30 in Iraq capital

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/12/474765/Iraq-Baghdad-car-bomb-Rashidiyah

At least nine people have been killed and over 30 more injured after a powerful car bomb explosion struck a busy market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The vegetable market, located in the northern neighborhood of Rashidiyah, was crowded with people when it came under attack on Tuesday morning.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the fatal incident.

Baghdad has seen a dramatic rise in such terror attacks over the past weeks, most of them claimed by the Takfiri Daesh terror group.

In the deadliest incident, nearly 300 people lost their lives after a bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at a shopping district in the Iraqi capital’s Karrada neighborhood. Daesh claimed that assault.

The Karrada bombing is said to be the deadliest to hit the city since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.

On Thursday, at least 37 civilians lost their lives and 62 others were injured when Daesh militants carried out a bombing and shooting attack near a holy Shia mausoleum north of Baghdad.

The fresh wave of violence in Baghdad prompted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to sack a number of high-ranking officials responsible for security in the capital, including the head of the Baghdad Operations Command.

According to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, a total of 662 Iraqis were killed and another 1,457 wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in June.

A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 236 civilians were killed.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraq Cringes Over Extra US Troop Deployments Ahead of Battle for Mosul

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160712/1042852799/us-troops-iraq-mosul.html

The presence of foreign troops is an understandably combustible issue for Iraq, according to the report of the private intelligence firm Soufan Group.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The additional 560 US forces being sent to Iraq will remain hidden from public view given that much of the population blames foreign — and especially US military intervention — for creating and strengthening the terrorist group, the private intelligence firm Soufan Group said in a report on Tuesday.

"The presence of foreign troops is an understandably combustible issue for Iraq; the scars of past battles are, for many Iraqis, equal to current battles against the Islamic State," the report stated.

There is a sizable percentage of Iraqis, the report noted, who believe "the US and other foreign powers are in some way supporting the Islamic State as a disruptive wedge against a stable Iraq."

Even with the latest deployment announced by Department of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday, total US troop strength in Iraq is unlikely to exceed 6,500, the report explained.

Most foreign troops, specifically US forces, will be stationed at remote bases and "largely kept out of public sight and mind."

Washington’s strategy is to use small and incremental deployments of US troops, leaving most ground combat operations to local forces such as Kurdish troops approaching Mosul from the north and Iraqi Security Forces from the south.

The Islamic State, also known as Daesh in Arabic, has controlled Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul for the past two years.

Fallujah: Iraqi Forces Discover ISIL's Cage Prisons

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950422001345

According to Iraqi officials, the cages were used for jailing and torturing the ordinary men and women.

The Iraqi forces also came across several other cage prisons in al-Moalemin region where they found torture equipment such as electric cables used for torturing with electric shocks.

In mid-June, Commander of Iraq's Federal Police Major General Raed Shaker Judat disclosed that after the liberation of the Fallujah his forces have discovered three different kinds of prisons in the city.

"Police forces managed to discover a religious court in Hay Nazal region in the center of Fallujah which contained three prisons in itself," the Arabic-language Sumeria News website quoted Shaker Judat as saying.

He noted that the first prison was used for torturing and jailing the ordinary people and one of them was used for jailing the ISIL militants.

In Mid-June, Iraq's Police Chief declared full liberation of Fallujah after the two-year-long ISIL control over the strategic city.

Saudi Fighter Jets Violate Ceasefire in Yemen, Kill Civilians

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160712/1042835630/saudi-fighter-jets-yemen.html

Saudi fighter jets violated the ceasefire across Yemen on Tuesday, hitting several targets and killing civilians, media outlets reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Fars News agency, citing its own sources, aerial attacks were registered in several provinces across the country, in particular, in the Marib, Hajjah, Amran and Sanaa provinces.

The Saudi forces reportedly attacked Yemeni army and popular forces' positions, damaging civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, as well as killing a number of civilians.

In some regions, the Saudi forces failed to attack Yemeni military as they were pushed back, and scores of Saudi servicemen were killed and wounded in a counteroffensive, the agency reported, stressing that the Saudi-led forces suffered losses in weapons and ammunition depots.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force. The Houthis are backed by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries have been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request despite a ceasefire agreed in April.

Yemeni Army, Popular Forces Take Battle to Saudi Soil Again, Win Back Several Key Military Positions

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950422001458

The Yemeni forces took control of the Saudi military positions near al-Tawwal border crossing in heavy clashes with the Saudi troops.

The Yemeni forces' advances came after several weeks of halt.

The clashes between the Yemeni and Saudi forces also intensified in Harz border region in Hajjah province.

Meantime, the Yemeni defense ministry announced that 50 pro-Hadi militias were killed in heavy clashes with the Yemeni forces near Farza 9 region in Ma'rib province.

On Monday, the Yemeni army and popular forces' missiles hit and destroyed the arms and ammunition depots of Saudi-led forces in the city of al-Hazm in al-Jawf province on Monday as the Arab coalition continued to violate the ceasefire.

"Saudi Arabia's weapons and ammunition depots were annihilated in Shihat region of al-Hazm city in al-Jawf province," battlefield sources said.

The sources noted that heavy smoke could be seen after the Yemeni missiles hit Saudi arms arsenal.

The Saudi-led forces sustained heavy casualties as the Yemeni missiles precisely struck their arms and ammunition depots.

9 Militants Arrested in Southern Afghanistan before Carrying out Attacks

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950422001392

The Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), said the Afghan intelligence operatives confiscated at least 12 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from the detained militants, Khaama Press reported.

NDS further added that the militants are memners of Haqqani group which has been involved in a number of attacks in Qalat city that led to the killing of at least two people and wounding 5 others.

According to NDS, the group was looking to place the IEDs in the populated parts of Qalat city before they were arrested by the intelligence operatives.

This comes as a group of 3 Haqqani network militants were arrested before they manage to carry out attacks in Kabul city.

Haqqani network was formed in the late 1970s by Jalaluddin Haqqani. The group is allied with al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban and cooperates with other terrorist organizations in the region.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi Forces Make Fresh Advances near Al-Qayyara Airbase toward Mosul

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950424000844

“The Iraqi Army, backed by the popular forces, managed to retake al-Qayyara Air Base residential complex, situated 7km to the airbase, after fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists, also ended in 18 militants killed and two explosive-ridden pick-up trucks destroyed, ” the army’s anti-terrorism operation spokesman, Sabah al-Na’aman said.

The territorial gain, which followed the recapture of more areas in the Northern province of Nineveh, further isolated Mosul, deemed as the de-facto capital of the terror group in Iraq, in preparation for a government assault to recover Iraq's second largest city 60 km to the North.

Earlier on Thursday, the Iraqi forces announced that the ISIL is now in control of only 17 villages in the Southern parts of Mosul, 8 of them on the Eastern side of the region.

Ra'fat al-Zardari, the head of Nineveh journalists, said that the Iraqi forces have reached the coasts of the Tigris River and jointed the Nineveh operations forces from the left side of al-Qayyara.

Also, a military source said that the Iraqi forces have liberated 47 villages between Makhoul and al-Qayyara from the Western parts of the Tigris River so far and the number of liberated villages in the Eastern parts of al-Qayyara has increased to 11.

ISIL Besieged in Northern Salahuddin

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950424000770

The Iraqi forces started operations in the Northern parts of Beiji which is located in Western Salahuddin province two weeks ago and fully liberated over 20 regions.

Following the Iraqi forces' advances in the past few days, the ISIL terrorists have come under siege in the Southern and Southeastern Kirkuk and the Northeastern parts of Salahuddin province, including Sharqat city.

The Iraqi forces announced on Thursday that the ISIL is now in control of only 17 villages in the Southern parts of Mosul, 8 of them on the Eastern side of the region.

Ra'fat al-Zardari, the head of Nineveh journalists, said that the Iraqi forces have reached the coasts of Tigris river and jointed the Nineveh operations forces from the left side of al-Qayyara.

Also, a military source said that the Iraqi forces have liberated 47 villages between Makhoul and al-Qayyara from the Western parts of Tigris river so far and the number of liberated villages in the Eastern parts of al-Qayyara has increased to 11.

The source underlined the Iraqi forces' plans to win back other villages and towns soon.

The army’s anti-terrorism operation spokesman said on Thursday that the Iraqi Armed Forces continued to gain more grounds against the ISIL terrorist group in Northern Nineveh province and are now only 60 km away from the de-facto capital of the terror group in Iraq.

"The Iraqi security, tribal and anti-terrorism forces, trying to put themselves within the striking distance of Mosul, are keeping their advances toward the city and liberated more places after their most recent clashes with the ISIL militants," the spokesman, Sabah al-Na’aman told reporters.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi security forces could take full control of the al-Qayyara air base in Southern Mosul after heavy clashes with the ISIL terrorists.

Nineveh province's governor-general confirmed the achievement saying that the terrorists fled towards now-liberated al-Qayyara town, leaving their weapons and equipment at the air base. Later, they eventually lost al-Qayyara town after they came under the pro-government forces' heavy attacks.

Media reports also suggest the ISIL terrorist group declared state of alert in Mosul in anticipation of the Iraqi army's advances and its imminent attack on the city.

Ansarullah Launches New Offensive to Capture Key Region in Northern Yemen

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950424000783

“If the Ansarullah forces seize Al-Hazm region in al-Jawf Province, then the pro-Hadi forces would suffer an embarrassing defeat near the Saudi border,” a battlefield source said.

Moreover, if the Ansarullah forces capture the key region, the pro-Hadi forces and Saudi-backed mercenaries would end up in a very difficult situation and would be forced to reinforce themselves in the neighboring Ma’rib province to stop being crushed by the Yemeni popular forces in the province.

The development comes as earlier reports said a senior Sudanese officer and 16 other forces affiliated to fugitive president Mansour Hadi were killed in missile attacks launched by Yemen's Ansarullah Movement in the Southern province of Lahij.

"A Sudanese colonel was killed along with 16 forces affiliated to the so-called Arab coalition in Ansarullah movement's missile attack in Lahij, Southern Yemen," the source said.

The source added that the attack had targeted the Arab coalition forces' gathering center in Kersh region in Lahij.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US WANT TO DEPLOY MORE TROOPS TO IRAQ

http://katehon.com/news/us-want-deploy-more-troops-iraq

The US military says it may deploy additional troops to Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced earlier this week, to help in the fight against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group.

US Army General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command, said on Thursday the size of possible future troop increases are still being discussed within military circles.

"As we continue on the mission, I think there will be some additional troops that we will ask to bring in," Votel said in an interview in Baghdad, Iraq.

"We try to tie our requests to specific objectives we're trying to achieve on the ground," he said.

The general’s comments came just three days after US President Barack Obama's administration announced a 560 troop increase to allegedly fight the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria.

The US has an official limit of just over 4,600 troops formally assigned to Iraq after the latest troop increase, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments.

Votel said most of those troops will work out of the Qayyarah air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured last week from ISIL terrorists.

The US claims its forces in Iraq are seeking to shore up local militant groups against Daesh.

Earlier in June, the Reuters reported that US military officials have admitted to failure of their efforts to “retrain and reunify” Iraq’s regular army and generate enough combat units.

There are also dozens of US special operations forces in Syria, who are working closely with a collection of various armed groups that are trying to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The US has also been supplying the militants with ammunition.

The ISIL terrorists have been committing vicious crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq and Syria, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

Liberation of Mosul to Cause Largest Humanitarian Crisis in 2016 - UN

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160715/1043066969/mosul-liberation-humanitarian-crisis.html

The military operation aimed at liberating Mosul, Iraqi second biggest city, will result in the largest humanitarian crisis in 2016, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) Jan Kubis said Friday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – He noted that more than 10 million Iraqis need humanitarian assistance with about 3.4 million people being displaced.

"OCHA [United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] estimates that the Mosul operation will be the largest and most sensitive humanitarian crisis in the world in 2016, and it is vital that resources are made available now to make timely preparations possible," Kubis said at the UN Security Council session.

"The humanitarian appeal for 2016 requested US$861 million. As I stand before you today, it is only funded at 38 per cent," Kubis added.

Mosul as well as a many other northern and western Iraqi cities and towns were seized in 2014 during an offensive of Daesh terrorist group.

US considers increasing presence in Yemen

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-considers-increasing-presence-yemen/

The U.S. Army’s top commander in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, told Reuters News Agency on Friday that the American government is considering the idea of increasing its presence in Yemen.

General Votel stated that he believes that the U.S. Army can help their Gulf allies destroy the presence of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

“We want to be able to work within a very secure environment to focus on the very (particular) mission we have there – which is principally focused on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” he said, speaking in Baghdad. “We will try to posture the force where we can best do that.”

The U.S. has carried out limited operations in Yemen over the last 16 months, while their Gulf allies – specifically, the UAE and Saudi Arabia – have waged war against the anti-government forces.

Yemen talks to resume Saturday despite boycott threat: UN

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/15/475350/Yemen-peace-talks-UN

The United Nations says the peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict in Yemen have been delayed and are scheduled to resume on Saturday, despite threats by the resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to boycott the negotiations.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed headed to Saudi Arabia Friday to hold talks with Hadi, apparently to convince him to attend the negotiations.

"We will see whether we can get both delegations so that we can get the talks started," said Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, on Friday.

"If there is any further delay, we can let you know at that time, but right now what we are anticipating is a start tomorrow."

The Yemeni national delegation has already arrived in Kuwait to participate in the fresh round of talks.

The delegation headed to Kuwait after a day-long stop in Oman during which they met Ould Sheikh Ahmed and Oman’s Foreign Minister Yussef bin Alawi.

The delegation’s media adviser, Ahmad Ghilan, had said in a text message, "We are committed to the time" for the resumption of negotiations and "to everything we had (previously) agreed on."

On July 10, Hadi warned that he would pull out of the ongoing negotiations if the UN keeps insisting on a roadmap for the formation of a unity government.

Talks between Hadi representatives and delegates representing the Houthi Ansarullah movement and allies began in Kuwait City on April 21. The two sides have managed to agree on some proposals, including how to continue with the exchange of prisoners, but some stumbling blocks remain, marring efforts for a permanent solution to the conflict.

Hadi had earlier said he will not tolerate Houthis as part of any future government, reiterating that the Ansarullah fighters must withdraw from the cities they control and give up their arms. The Houthis say they will begin to withdraw if someone other than Hadi takes on as the president to manage the transition in Yemen.

More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the Saudi aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015.

 

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Iraq: People Explode ISIL's Largest Flag Tower in Salahuddin Province

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950426001071

"The residents of al-Sharqat city used explosives to destroy the ISIL's tallest flag tower in the city," the Arabic-language Sumeria News quoted Hashd al-Shaabi Commander Jabbar al-Ma'amouri as saying on Saturday.

He said that the move by al-Sharqat residents shows their hatred for the terrorists.

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

“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.

Iraqi Forces Kill 2 ISIL Governors in Salahuddin Province

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950426001302

Talab Hamid Olov, nom de guerre Abu Saeed, the ISIL's self-proclaimed governor in al-Hawija was killed in the Iraqi army attack on the Takfiri terrorist groups' military positions in Salahuddin province.

The ISIL's governor in Kirkuk, Abu Seif al-Jabouri, was also killed on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, the Iraqi volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) announced that the people have exploded the ISIL's tallest flag tower in the center of al-Sharqat region in Northern Salahuddin province on Saturday as anti-ISIL attacks have increased in recent weeks.

"The residents of al-Sharqat city used explosives to destroy the ISIL's tallest flag tower in the city," the Arabic-language Sumeria News quoted Hashd al-Shaabi Commander Jabbar al-Ma'amouri as saying.

He said that the move by al-Sharqat residents shows their hatred for the terrorists.

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

“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.

Turkish Army leaves Iraq

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/turkey-considers-reinstating-death-penalty-coup-participants/

The Turkish Army officially left the Bashiqa Military Camp in Iraq on Friday after the attempted coup in Istanbul and Ankara put the entire country in a state of emergency.

The Turkey Army used the Bashiqa Military Camp to allegedly train militiamen to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS); however, the camp was often used to scope out members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

UK refuses to rule out backing Saudi to head UN rights panel

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/16/475502/UK-Saudi-Arabia-UN-human-rights-council-Sauid-aggression

The United Kingdom has refused to rule out backing Saudi Arabia’s re-election as the head of the UN Human Rights Council for a second time despite its dire human rights record.

Baroness Anelay, Britain’s Foreign Office minister, refused this month to answer a question on whether the UK would support Saudi Arabia’s re-appointment to the international body, the Independent reported on Saturday.

“The UK never publicizes how it votes in these matters,” she said in a written statement. “Saudi Arabia did not need our support in the last election to the Human Rights Council since they were uncontested.”

In September 2015, the Saudi ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Faisal bin Hassan Trad, was elected to chair a panel of experts on the UN Human Rights Council.

The panel is responsible for appointing independent experts who investigate human rights issues around the world.

The appointment of the Saudi ambassador to the influential role, however, caused international and the British government came under fire for backing the kingdom.

Leaked diplomatic cables indicated the UK was involved in “a secret vote-trading deal to secure spaces on the council.”

British lawmaker Tom Brake denounced Saudi Arabia’s position on the council as an “international disgrace” and described the government’s refusal to disclose how it would vote as “ridiculous.”

“Saudi Arabia is one of the most serious violators of human rights in the world. The regime actively rejects women’s rights, minority rights, and religious freedoms, executes its citizens with alarming frequency and consistently undermines the rule of law,” he said.

“The fact that this country is currently on the Human Rights Council is an international disgrace,” he said, calling on the UK government to “break whatever ridiculous protocol to which they are currently clinging.”

The MP urged the government to state that “it will not only vote against Saudi’s re-election to the council, but also that it will actively and vocally encourage all other states to do the same.”

Back in June, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International called on the UN General Assembly to immediately suspend Saudi Arabia’s membership rights on the council.

At the same time, the UN, however, gave into a Saudi demand to remove the oil-rich kingdom from its annual blacklist of child rights violators, less than a week after it blamed Riyadh for the killing of hundreds of Yemeni children.

A Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) report, published in June, said the Saudi coalition was responsible for 60 percent of child casualties in Yemen last year, during which 510 children were killed and 667 others injured.

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

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

Reports indicate the UK has remained a staunch backer of the kingdom, refusing calls from the European Parliament and House of Commons international development committee to stop selling weapons to Riyadh.

Earlier this year, Amnesty International discovered a banned British-made cluster bomb used by the Saudis in the offensive in Yemen.

Britain has reportedly sold many such munitions, which are prohibited in over 100 countries, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – a Saudi ally in the war on Yemen. It also sold scores of Tornado jet fighters to Riyadh.

Saudi air raids, shelling kill 19 Yemeni civilians

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/16/475503/Yemen-Saudi-shelling-airstrike-Sanaa-Taizz

Fresh Saudi airstrikes and artillery shelling have killed at least 19 civilians, including women and children, in different parts of Yemen, local media reports say.

Yemen's al-Masirah TV reported on Saturday that at least 10 civilians lost their lives after Saudi fighter jets struck a residential area in Nihm district of the capital, Sana'a.

Separately, the Saudi artillery fire struck a residential area in Sabr district of the southwestern province of Ta'izz, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians.

The developments came one day after at least five people, among them women and children, were killed and a dozen others wounded when Saudi warplanes struck a vehicle travelling along a road in the Harib al-Qaramish district of Yemen’s central province of Ma’rib.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26, 2015 in a bid to reinstate the resigned Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, and defeat the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

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

Saudi Military Base Hit Hard by Yemenis' Ballistic Missile in Najran Province

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950426001203

Bin Yalin military of Saudi Arabia was hit by Yemen's Zalzal 3 missile.

Initial reports indicated scores of casualties in the Yemeni missile attack on Bin Yalin military base.

Bin Yalin military base is located in Najran province.

Also on Saturday, another Zalzal 3 missile of the Yemeni army hit Almas military camp in al-Jad'an region of Ma'rib province.

In a relevant development on Wednesday, the Yemeni army pounded the Saudi-led forces' strategic military base in Ma'rib province with a Zalzal 3 missile.

The forces loyal to former fugitive president Mansour Hadi were also present in Al-Tadavin military base at the time it was hit by the missile.

Al-Tadavin military base is located between Ma'rib and al-Jawf provinces in the Northern parts of Yemen.

In a relevant development earlier on Wednesday, the Yemeni forces repelled the Saudi-led forces' fourth attack on their military positions in the Western part of Ma'rib province, inflicting heavy losses on them in a counteroffensive.

The Saudi forces launched an attack for the fourth time on the Yemeni military positions in Yam Benham region in Western Ma'rib, but were pushed back army and popular forces.

The Yemeni forces also destroyed several armored and military vehicles of the Saudi forces in the army's counterattack.

Meantime, a battlefield source in Yemen told FNA that tough battle is currently underway between the Yemeni army and the Saudi forces in Ta'iz.

Nawaf Adnan reiterated that heavy clashes between the Yemeni and Saudi forces are underway in the Eastern and Western parts of Ta'iz.

On Tuesday, the Saudi forces launched their third attack on the Yemeni positions in Yam Benham region, but to no avail.

On Monday, the Yemeni army and popular forces' missiles hit and destroyed the arms and ammunition depots of Saudi-led forces in the city of al-Hazm in al-Jawf province on Monday as the Arab coalition continued to violate the ceasefire.

"Saudi Arabia's weapons and ammunition depots were annihilated in Shihat region of al-Hazm city in al-Jawf province," battlefield sources said.

The sources noted that heavy smoke could be seen after the Yemeni missiles hit Saudi arms arsenal.

The Saudi-led forces sustained heavy casualties as the Yemeni missiles precisely struck their arms and ammunition depots.

 

[Ca.]

MEHR News Agency
Navy stops 115 pirates from attacking Iranian tanker
Sat 2 July 2016 - 12:30 Politics
http://en.mehrnews.com/news/117773/Navy-stops-115-pirates-from-attacking-Iranian-tanker
TEHRAN

– Iranian Navy’s 41st fleet rescued an Iranian-owned oil tanker from 12 pirate boats carrying 115 armed pirates in the vicinity of Bab el-Mandeb Strait which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
With the timely appearance of Iranian Navy’s 41st fleet early Saturday in the vicinity of Bab el-Mandeb Strait located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, 115 armed pirates sailing on 12 boats who were planning to attack an Iranian-owned oil tanker were forced to flee the scene.

According to the reports, the pirates made another aggressive attack on the tanker within the next three hours, but the attack was once again foiled by Martyred Admiral Naghdi Destroyer belonging to the Iranian Navy’s 41st fleet.

The 41st fleet, also comprising ‘Lavan’ logistic warship, escorted the oil tanker to a secure region.

The fleet was dispatched to open seas and international waters early this June to deliver the Islamic Republic’s message of peace and friendship to regional countries and conduct anti-piracy patrols to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.

Coup, terrorism, Zionism fatal poisons to regional security
- Sun 17 July 2016 - 15:27
http://en.mehrnews.com/news/118149/Coup-terrorism-Zionism-fatal-poisons-to-regional-security
TEHRAN

(MNA) – Foreign Minister Advisor Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran describes coup, terrorism and Zionism as lethal poisons to security and stability in the region and the world.

Speaking with IRNA reporter on Sunday, he said the developments in Syria, Turkey and Iraq proved that indispensable right of people in protecting their vote and self-determination is the most important factor in the contemporary world.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian strongly condemned the attempted military coup against the legitimate government and nation of Turkey, calling it an event conducted through hidden foreign support and the treason of internal perpetrators.

He said Iran's support for Turkish president, the government and the people against the coup, is support for democracy as well as support for an important neighbor and strategic ally.

He also said that recent developments in Turkey shows that coups and terrorism are two sides of a coin targeting security, stability and prosperity of the region.

Former deputy FM also stressed that in recent years regarding the issue of Syria, Takfiri terrorism and Zionists with broad foreign support have taken steps to overthrow the legitimate government of Syria which Tehran believes it opposes democracy and vote of Syrian people.

He underlined that Tehran strongly supports for Syria’s legitimate president, people and army against the attack of terrorists, calling it an important factor in contributing to regional collective security.

“Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Bashar al-Assad are two legitimate leaders of two important countries, Turkey and Syria, who have taken office through the votes of their nation and democracy,” Amir-Abdollahian noted.

Terrorist groups violate Syria’s truce five times on Saturday
http://en.mehrnews.com/news/118147/Terrorist-groups-violate-Syria-s-truce-five-times-on-Saturday
- Sun 17 July 2016 - 13:58

LATTAKIA, Jul. 17 (MNA) – The cessation of hostilities agreement has been violated five times by terrorist groups on Saturday, raising the total number of violations to 781 since the agreement came into effect on 27 February, the Russian coordination center said.

The Russian center, based in Hmeimim airbase in Lattakia, added in a statement that the so-called Jaish al-Islam has violated four times the agreement by targeting a number of towns in Damascus Countryside with mortar shells.

The Center pointed out that the number of towns joining the agreement of the cessation of hostilities has grown to 187.

The statement said that the ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations continue their attempts to foil the agreement through firing rocket and mortar shells against a number of town and residential neighborhoods in the countryside of Aleppo and Damascus.

It added that units of the Syrian Army thwarted a number of attacks with booby-trapped cars on military posts in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

The cessation of hostilities agreement does not cover ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council.

Syrian Army, Militia Groups Liberate Town of Kinsabba From al-Nusra Front
(updated 11:34 17.07.2016)
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160717/1043150247/syrian-army-militia-goups-liberate-kinsabba.html

The Syrian Army and militia groups have liberated the town of Kinsabba in the northwest of the country near the border with Turkey, a source told RIA Novosti on Sunday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — Kinsabba was captured by the al-Nusra Front, outlawed in Russia, and allied terrorist groups on July 1.

"The operation to liberate Kinsabba is over. The army's forces and several militia groups gathered. In the beginning, there was a heavy fight, however, under the shelling of artillery and aviation, terrorists started to fall back in small groups," the source said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since March 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27. It does not apply to terrorist groups such as Daesh and the al-Nusra Front, both outlawed in Russia.

Drone footage of liberated areas by the Syrian Army in north Aleppo city
Published on Jul 16, 2016

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

PressTV
Syrian army forces take control of key town in Latakia
Published on Jul 16, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtKxx4h5Mk

Syrian army forces have taken control of a strategic town in Latakia province
Government forces captured the town of Kinsabba after heavy clashes with foreign-backed militants. The army has also taken control of Shalaf and Toubal castles and several strategic hilltops. The Syrian army has been fighting foreign-backed militants since 20-11. It has pledged to press ahead with its counter-terror operations until it drives all terrorists out of the country.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Mosul residents revolt against Daesh, kill five: Report

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/18/475693/Iraq-Mosul-revolt-Daesh

Residents in several neighborhoods in the Iraqi city of Mosul have reportedly staged an uprising against the Daesh terrorist group — which holds the city — killing at least five Takfiri militants.

Armed clashes erupted between the residents of the Bab al-Jadid neighborhood in central Mosul and Daesh terrorists late on Sunday, a local source told Iraq’s al-Sumaria news website on Sunday.

The uprising has led to the expulsion of the Daesh militants from their positions in the area and the death of two terrorists.

Two vehicles belonging to the terrorists were also burned, according to the report.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further said that the residents of Mosul’s southern district of Hammam al-Alil also clashed with Daesh in the center of the district, killing three terrorists.

The source added that the residents seek to take full control of the district and to purge it of the terrorists.

According to the report, the residents have already raised the Iraqi flag over a number of the district’s buildings.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists began a campaign of terror in the country in June 2014, when they overran Mosul and declared it their so-called headquarters in Iraq.

Daesh terrorists have gained notoriety for their barbarity, heinous atrocities and sacrilegious acts. The militants have been accused of committing gross human rights violations and war crimes in the areas they control in Iraq as well as in neighboring Syria.

Iraqi army soldiers and allied volunteer fighters have been fighting to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

Iraq’s Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi said on February 21 that the country has undertaken a decisive battle to retake the northern city of Mosul by the year end.

US troops in Iraq now ‘target’ for Shiite militia, influential cleric preaches

https://www.rt.com/news/351788-sadr-target-us-troops-iraq/

Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called on his followers to “target” the new US troops that are about to be sent to Iraq to fight Islamic State. The statement comes after US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the deployment of 560 more troops.

Sadr posted the message on his official website in response to one of his followers, who asked for Sadr’s opinion of Carter’s announcement.

“They are a target for us,” Sadr wrote.

Sadr has tens of thousands of loyal supporters. In the past, he led a protest movement that struck Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone government district two times in 2016.

The cleric became a prominent figure after his Mahdi Army fought US troops following the 2003 invasion. The army was dissolved in 2008 and replaced by the Peace Brigades.

Peace Brigades offered assistance in pushing Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters back from Baghdad in 2014, as part of a larger government force.

Other Shiite military groups have made similar calls for attacks on US soldiers in the past. However, these statements have usually failed to lead to any action, and the biggest threat to US soldiers still comes from Sunni militant groups.

On Monday, Carter said that an additional 560 US troops will be deployed to help Iraqi forces battle IS fighters in the northern city of Mosul. The operation is planned for later this year.

The new troops will be deployed at the airbase in Qayara, which was liberated by Iraqi troops on Saturday.

The reinforcements will bring the number of US troops in Iraq to about 4,650, two years after their return to the country to fight IS. If US commanders require more troops, Carter said he would “ask the president for them.”

The new contingent will consist of engineers, logistics personnel, and other forces that are intended to help the Iraqi army plan and prepare for a campaign to liberate Mosul. Carter also promised to place US advisers with Iraqi brigades and battalions as they advance on the IS stronghold.

Deadly attack in Mukallah leaves nine Yemeni police dead

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/07/18/Deadly-attack-in-Mukallah-leaves-nine-Yemeni-police-dead.html

An attack in the Yemeni city of Mukallah on Monday morning left at least nine policemen dead and dozens of others injured.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have been known for previous attacks on soldiers in Mukallah.

The attack comes following the resumption of UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks on Saturday in Kuwait where a joint meeting was attended by delegations of the warring sides.

The second round of talks - chaired by the UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, were opened with a statement highlighting the responsibility of all parties involved to take decisive action for peace.

More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi’s government in March last year.

Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 percent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures.

Saudi Army suffers heavy casualties as the Houthi forces seize border point

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/saudi-army-suffers-heavy-casualties-houthi-forces-seize-border-point/

The Houthi forces, backed by the Yemeni Republican Guard, reportedly captured the Al-Qunbar Base that is located along the Saudi-Yemeni border in the Jizan Region.

Al-Masdar’s Yemen War correspondent, Tony Toh, reported that the Saudi Royal Army suffered heavy casualties during the battle for Al-Qunbar Base, resulting in their subsequent withdrawal from the area.

The Yemeni counter-assault that took place on Monday morning comes just three days after the Saudi-led Coalition failed to advance along the Yemeni-Saudi border.

Ansarullah stresses political solution to Yemen conflict

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/18/475720/Houthi-Ansarullah-political-solution-Yemen-crisis-peace-talks-Kuwait

Delegates from the Houthi Ansarullah movement at the fresh round of Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait have described political dialog as the only way out of the conflict in the violence-wracked Arab state.

During a meeting with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid Hamad al-Sabah in Kuwait City on Sunday, the envoys underlined the need for the continuation of the UN-backed peace negotiations until they lead to a comprehensive political solution, al-Masirah reported.

They said Ansarullah has been maintaining a clear and transparent position concerning the formation of a new Yemeni legislature and administration ever since the intra-Yemeni negotiations started on April 21.

They also said the movement calls for the resolution of obstacles in the path of the talks, as well as the immediate cessation of Saudi Arabia’s military aggression against Yemen.

The Ansarullah representatives further stressed that they have never hesitated to engage in the talks, flatly rejecting excuses and threats being made by Saudi-backed negotiators against them.

The delegates also emphasized the need for an immediate end to the Saudi naval and air embargo imposed on Yemen.

The deputy Kuwaiti prime minister, for his part, expressed hope that the two sides to Yemen’s peace talks could reach a final agreement to restore peace in the crisis-hit Arab country and alleviate the sufferings of the Yemeni nation.

The UN-mediated negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Yemen have resumed in Kuwait City after a 15-day hiatus.

The peace talks, which started on April 21, were held against the backdrop of a shaky ceasefire that had taken effect on April 10.

Car bomb attack

Separately, at least nine militiamen loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi — who has resigned as Yemen’s president — have been killed and tens of others wounded in car bomb attacks at a security checkpoint on the outskirts of the southern port city of Mukalla, situated some 900 kilometers (559 miles) southeast of the Yemeni capital.

Yemen has been under military strikes by Saudi Arabia since March 26, 2015. The Saudi war has been meant to restore power to Hadi, who has resigned as Yemen’s president but seeks to forcefully return.

The Houthi Ansarullah fighters took over state matters after the resignation and escape of Hadi from the capital, Sana’a.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Popular Forces: US Seeks to Set Up Special Base to Disintegrate Iraq

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950428000462

"The US and its allies are seeking to exercise their plots in regions which have been freed by the Army and popular forces after driving out the ISIL terrorist group," Mohammad al-Hattab told FNA on Monday.

"The popular forces and the Army liberated these territories from the ISIL hands not for the American forces to occupy them again indirectly and implement their plots to disintegrate Iraq," he added.

His remarks came after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Monday that Washington will deploy an additional 560 troops to Iraq within the next few weeks.

The additional troops are the latest escalation of the American military role in Iraq by Obama, who withdrew the last American soldiers from Iraq at the end of 2011.

He began sending them back three years later after the ISIL fighters swept into the country from Syria.

Many of the newly-deployed troops will be based at an airfield 40 miles south of Mosul that was reclaimed by Iraqi soldiers on Saturday.

Meantime, powerful Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr instructed his followers on Sunday to target US troops deploying to Iraq.

Sadr, who rose to prominence when his Mahdi Army battled US troops after the 2003 invasion, posted the comments on his official website after a follower asked for his response to the announcement.

"They are a target for us," Sadr said, without offering details.

US to Set Up 5 Military Bases in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950428001183

The source disclosed certain paragraphs of the agreement signed between the US Department of Defense and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga ministry, including establishment of 5 US military bases in the region.

"One of the bases will be set up in Atroush region, two in Harir region and two large bases in Erbil and Duhok," the source, who called for anonymity, told Iraq's al-Ma'loumah news agency.

"Based on the MoU, the Americans should pay the salaries of Peshmerga forces and train and equip them for 10 years," he added.

His remarks came after a military MOU was signed on Tuesday between the US Department of Defense and the Peshmerga Ministry at the government of Kurdistan to support the Kurdish forces in fighting the ISIL in Iraq.

KRG President Masoud Barzani received a United States military delegation headed by Elissa Slotkin, the acting assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.

The meeting was followed by a telephone conversation between President Barzani and Ashton Carter, the US Secretary of Defense.

Kurdish officials described the agreement as an important step towards a new phase of cooperation and coordination between the US and Kurdistan.

Iraqi Military Liberate District in Anbar Province From Daesh Militants

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160718/1043214326/iraqi-military-libirate-anbar-daesh.html

Iraqi forces have liberated from the Daesh militants the ad-Dulab district in the western province of Anbar, Commander of the Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Numan Zubai said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the commander, Iraqi forces have killed 73 Daesh militants, destroyed three mined cars and neutralized 500 improvised explosive devices.

"Squadrons of the seventh army brigade, supported by tribal fighters, international coalition aircraft, [Iraq's] Air Force and artillery, have managed to liberate the ad-Dulab to the West of the Hit city," Zubai told the Al Sumaria television broadcaster.

Iraqi troops launched a large-scale offensive against Daesh militants last summer. In December 2015, they drove Islamists out of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, in preparation for the operation to recapture the Daesh stronghold in Fallujah.

Daesh is a designated terrorist group that is outlawed in the United States, Russia and numerous other countries worldwide.

Iraqi marshlands named UNESCO world heritage site

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/18/475815/Iraqi-marshlands-Saddam-Hussein-Abadi-Daesh

Iraqi marshlands once ravaged by Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein have been named by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.

According to a statement published by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday, the area "is made up of seven sites: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern Iraq."

"The Ahwar of Southern Iraq - also known as the Iraqi Marshlands - are unique, as one of the world's largest inland delta systems, in an extremely hot and arid environment," the statement said.

"The archaeological cities of Uruk and Ur and the Tell Eridu archaeological site form part of the remains of the Sumerian cities and settlements that developed in southern Mesopotamia between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE," it added.

Iraq has been seeking World Heritage status for the marshlands since 2003.

Hailing the move by the UN, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the Iraqi people and thanked "all those who contributed to this success."

Referring to the atrocities perpetrated by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group operating in parts of Iraq, the prime minister said that culture in his country will continue "despite the destruction and demolition of Iraqi heritage and antiquities by barbaric terrorist gangs".

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists began a campaign of terror in the country in June 2014, when they overran the city of Mosul and declared it their so-called headquarters in Iraq.

Daesh terrorists have gained notoriety for their barbarity, heinous atrocities and sacrilegious acts. The militants have been accused of committing gross human rights violations and war crimes in the areas they control in Iraq as well as in neighboring Syria.

Iraqi army soldiers and allied volunteer fighters have been fighting to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

 

[angelburst29]

Iraqi Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Mohammad Ali al-Hakim blasted Saudi Arabia's Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) for rendering financial support to the ISIL terrorist group in Anbar province.

Iraq UN Envoy: Saudi NGOs Send Cash to ISIL Under Guise of Helping Fallujah Children
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950427001498

"The Saudi NGOs pay for ISIL's expenses in Anbar province under the cover of supporting the children of Fallujah city," al-Hakim said, addressing a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Sunday.

He said that the Iraqi foreign ministry has asked Riyadh to explain about the active religious and social organizations of Saudi Arabia that have sent aid to the ISIL under the guise of helping the Fallujah children.

Al-Hakim called on the UN to act upon international resolutions and force Saudi Arabia and Turkey to stop their financial aids to ISIL.

In a relevant development in early July, French media disclosed that the ISIL terrorist group has been purchasing a large volume of parts for its arms-manufacturing workshops in Fallujah 69 kilometers to the West of Baghdad.

"Fallujah in Anbar province has turned into capital of the ISIL's workshops which manufacture weapons and ammunition and has close cooperation with Turkish firm active in the field of supplying parts for arms-making factories," Le Figaro reported.

"There are at least 14 large arms workshops in Falluja, mostly located in residential area, mosques and even hospitals across Fallujah," the paper said.

Iraqi Army troops and popular forces, backed up by the country's fighter jets, continued to beat the ISIL terrorists back from more positions Northwest of al-Ramadi in Central Anbar, seizing a key region after hours of non-stop battle, a senior Iraqi commander said minutes ago.

Iraqi Forces Take back more Lands from ISIL in Anbar Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950428001243

"The Iraqi government forces, in a fresh round of joint offensive, took back al-Doulab region in the Western side of Heet," No'aman al-Zubi said, adding that tens of ISIL terrorists were killed in the clashes.

"The seventh division of the Iraqi army and the volunteer forces of Hashed al-Shaabi stormed ISIL's defense lines from three directions and forced the militant to retreat form the battlefield," the commander said.

"Seizure of al-Doulab as the last stronghold of the ISIL on the West of Heet is of paramount importance to the military forces as it prevents ISIL attacks on government forces' positions," Commander of al-Jazeera Operation Qassem al-Mohammadi underlined.