At least 24 killed in suicide attacks in Iraqi cities of Tikrit and Samarra

Two suicide attacks in the cities of Tikrit and Samarra have left at least 24 dead - this comes as Iraqi forces battle to clear areas taken from Islamic State around Mosul. The suicide attacks happened when two ambulances loaded with explosives were detonated.
The blast in Tikrit was near an entrance to the city during the morning rush hour and at least 13 people were killed in this. Another 11 people died in an attack against Shia pilgrims in Samarra located about 60 miles north of Baghdad.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 6 November 2016.

In Samarra, a suicide bomber parked an ambulance in the car park for a Shia shrine. Then he walked up to pilgrims about 500 metres from the shrine, detonated his vehicle and then blew himself up. The dead included five female students, a woman and three policemen and up to 100 others were injured.>br> Islamic State has issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombings. Compared to other battles the present tactics of ISIS include a lot of fortifications on the streets, holes filled with water. Moreover, they are in possession of suicide bombers and suicide car bombs that they are using to keep the Iraqi forces at bay.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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ISIS kills over 200 and abducts 8000 families to use as human shields in Mosul

ISIS is feeling the heat and is realizing that its days are numbered as troops are closing in on Mosul. Therefore, ISIS has killed more than 200 people and abducted nearly 8,000 families from their homes around Mosul and shifted them to the center of the city to be used as human shields.
Those killed included 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 28 October 2016.

The United Nations Human Rights Office has indicated that at least 232 people in and around the city were shot dead because they refused to follow their orders as Iraqi forces advanced and jihadis retreated. The reports of the dead are not corroborated and the number could be higher.
Inside the small, sparsely populated villages that ring Mosul, Iraqi forces have to deal with explosive booby-traps and hidden snipers.
It may be recalled that the jihadists had captured the city in a matter of days in 2014, and have been holding fort for more than two years to build up its defenses and brutally root out any internal opposition. Therefore, the operation to retake Mosul is expected to be a long drawn out affair.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Iraq claims liberation of Ramadi from ISIS is a major gain

#ISIS #ramadi #Iraqiforces #Tikrit The Iraq army has claimed that it has captured the key city of Ramadi and see this as a major victory against Islamic State but, a US defense official has said it has, so far, not been able to to confirm the Iraqis' claims. If confirmed, then the capture of Ramadi, capital of mainly Sunni-Muslim Anbar province in the Euphrates River valley west of the capital, would be a big blow to ISIS since it will deprive IS militants of their biggest prize of 2015.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 28 December 2015.

The Iraqi army had encircled the city for weeks and made the final thrust to seize the central administration complex on Sunday. Iraq's counter-terrorism forces have raised the Iraqi flag above the complex on Monday and the joint operations spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool has said, in a statement broadcast on state television, that Ramadi has been liberated.
It may be recalled that the Iraqi army had already retaken the city of Tikrit from the jihadists in the spring. The final stronghold for IS in Iraq is Mosul in the north which could be the next target of the government. The number of people killed in this battle have not been disclosed but, the government has said that most civilians had been evacuated before it launched its assault.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Pentagon says Islamic State is losing the ground from under its feet in Iraq

#ISIS #Pentagon #BarackObama #HaiderAlAbadi #Iraqiforces #airstrikes Pentagon is of the opinion that the tide is turning against the Islamic State (IS) and it has lost more than a quarter of its territory in Iraq after the US-led coalition air campaign began in August. This has been reported in bbc.com dated 14 April 2015.
Col Steve Warren, a spokesman of Pentagon, has remarked that it was too early to assess whether the tide was really turning, but it is a fact that the US-led coalition air strikes and attacks carried out by the Iraqi ground forces had inflicted some damage.

Pentagon has quantified the loss sustained by IS by quoting some figures - IS had lost approximately 25% to 30% of its territory in Iraq in the past eight months, which was the equivalent of 12,950 to 15,540 sq km (5,000 to 6,000 sq miles).
It has lost territory in locations like Mosul Dam, Zummar and the vicinity of Sinjar Mountain. And, as a result, its frontline had been pushed either west or south, depending on location, in the provinces of Irbil, Babil, Baghdad and Kirkuk.
AS far as its presence in Syria, its gains in Suweida, Damascus Countryside and Homs provinces have been offset by losses in the provinces of Aleppo and Hassakeh.
It may be recalled that the IS had taken over large swathes of northern and western Iraq last June and it is gradually realizing that its losses are far more than gains and, they can be wiped out of history very soon. Evil forces cannot last forever.
The announcement of Pentagon came just before the talks to be held between Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and President Barack Obama in Washington.

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