Airstrikes kill at least 27 ISIS militants in Iraq

International coalition against IS posts in the IS-held areas in Iraq's western province of Anbar have killed at least 27 militants belonging to the ISIS. The strikes were carried out by the US-led coalition aircraft and the target was an internet cafe that was used by IS militants as a headquarters in the town of al-Qaim near the border with Syria.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 15 May 2017.

A second airstrike destroyed an IS post in the city of Aana and left another six militants dead. An international airstrike also bombed a booby-trapped vehicle in which its driver was killed. These actions are taken to drive out the ISIS militants their major stronghold in the western side of Mosul in northern Iraq.


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Suicide bomber kills at least 49 people in a military camp in Aden

A suicide bomber kills at least 49 people and wounded another 60 in a blast near a military camp in the southern Yemen city of Aden. The dead were soldiers who had assembled to collect their salaries. There were several medics were among the wounded.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack and has confirmed that it was behind a suicide bombing at the same base on 10 December in which at least 45 soldiers were killed and another 50 injured.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 18 December 2016.

Aden continues to be under the control of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his internationally recognized government in exile in Saudi Arabia. They are fighting the Shia rebels who took over Sanaa, the capital, in 2014 and have since occupied much of the north of the country. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has joined the fight against the rebels in 2015 but has not been able to remove them from Sanaa.
Britain is helping the Saudis to select targets which will ensure that the country complies with the rules of war. Moreover, the UK is a major exporter of arms to Saudi Arabia and has assured that the sales would continue since there was no evidence of weapons being used in contravention of international law.
Coalition airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians as the population struggles against starvation and disease.


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US estimates that active ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria have dropped considerably

The US anti-ISIS envoy has indicated that the ISIS ranks had fallen from more than 60,000 to between 12,000 and 15,000 and these are 'battle ready' fighters. This is because nearly three quarter of ISIS fighters have been killed during the campaign of airstrikes against the terror group.
The aerial bombing campaign has conducted 17,000 strikes against ISIS targets.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 15 December 2016.

It seems that the bombing campaign launched against ISIS, which began two years ago, has eliminated more fighters in Iraq and Syria than are remaining on the battlefield. As per US records, the American-led coalition had killed 50,000 ISIS militants since 2014.
In the course of a talk at the White House, the US special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, has predicted that the number of ISIS fighters would continue to decline - this is due to the fact that the terror group is no longer in a position to replenish its members.
However, efforts to neutralize ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not been successful but he will be found and eliminated.


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Taliban attack in Afghanistan kills at least four, injures another more than 110

A Taliban attack in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif has left at least four people killed and over 110 injured. The target was the German consulate and it was targeted by a suicide truck bomb with subsequent attack by Taliban militants.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 11 November 2016.

It seems one terrorist detonated a car bomb near the gate of the consulate killing himself and one other person. Those injured were residents and the death toll could increase because some of the injured remained in critical condition.
The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the blast. A spokesman of the Taliban has indicated that the attack was retaliation for recent airstrikes in Kunduz from the "invading countries" which caused civilian casualties. It may be recalled that on November 3, there was a series of air strikes carried out by NATO-led forces on outskirts of provincial capital Kunduz city subsequent to ground operations conducted by foreign and Afghan security forces positioned there.


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Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

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Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

The battle to regain control of Mosul is continuing and Iraq's special forces are working to fully clear neighborhoods on Mosul's eastern edge of Islamic State (ISIS) militants. This is a slow-paced work because the advancing troops have to penetrate into populated areas deeper inside Mosul. In view of the presence of a large number of civilians, they cannot resort to airstrikes.
Meanwhile suspected ISIS militants had struck far from the front lines. They resorted to two bombings that killed at least 20 people. One of these was a suicide attack directed against Shiite pilgrims north of Baghdad which killed at least 11 people.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 6 November 2016.

There are reports of some civilians fleeing from the combat zone, while ISIS militants are holding others back for use as human shields. This is making it harder for Iraqi commanders on the ground to get approval for requests for U.S.-led coalition air strikes.
Incidentally, Iraq's special forces are some of the country's best troops, but they depend to a great extent on air support to clear the terrain.
It may be recalled that ISIS had captured the city of Mosul in 2014, and have erected fortifications like trenches and berms that have converted the streets and alleyways of a neighborhood into a maze. In addition, concrete blast walls have blocked off access to other areas.
In April 2015, Iraqi security forces had succeeded in driving out ISIS militants from Tikrit which is located about 80 miles north of Baghdad.


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Battle to retake Mosul from ISIS has begun

The battle has been launched to retake control of the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State and convoys of Iraqi and Kurdish forces were moving towards the east of the city. Simultaneously, the US-led coalition airstrikes are extending aerial support.
The bid to regain control of the city of Mosul is seen as the biggest military operation in Iraq since American troops left in 2011.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 17 October 2016.

It is estimated that nearly 2,000 Iraqi special forces are in action with support of four brigades of the regular Iraqi Army, 15,000 Sunni militia, 15,000 Kurdish Peshmerga and a few thousand Shia militia. Their objective is to take the fight to an estimated 3,000 IS fighters in the city and snipers will be sent in first to fight street-by-street.
There are genuine fears that Mosul will be rigged with explosives. Moreover, the fear of chemical weapons cannot be ruled out. Islamic State does have the capability and it is quite possible that they have been saving the weapons for 'D-Day'. Mosul is the last city in Iraq that is still held by IS.
The UN has cautioned that up to one million people could be displaced from Mosul during the operation. The families are at "extreme risk" of not only being caught in crossfire, but tens of thousands may end up besieged or held as human shields and thousands could be forcibly expelled.


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Syrian ceasefire breaks down - airstrike in Aleppo claims at least 45 civilian casualties

The Syrian ceasefire has failed and diplomats failed to find a way in New York to revive a U.S. and Russian-brokered ceasefire that has collapsed. The Syrian military, backed by the Russian air force, has indicated that it was starting a new operation against the rebel-held east. This is home to at least 250,000 people and was one of the locations targeted in heavy air strikes.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 23 September 2016.

As informed by rescue workers and activists, fighter jets targeted rebel-held areas in the east of the city in a second day of heavy bombardment soon after the army announced the start of a military operation. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported at least 30 air strikes that had targeted different areas of Aleppo.
A five-year-old girl was pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building after an airstrike in Aleppo killed her entire family. The shocking incident was from her family home in Bab al Nairab.
The girl had lost her parents, three sisters and brother - they were among the 30 civilians killed in the raids by Russian warplanes and regime aircraft. In the opinion of locals, the bombing is the beginning of an 'annihilation'.


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At least 100 killed in airstrikes in Syria before ceasefire begins

Before ceasefire can take effect in Syria, airstrikes in Aleppo and Idlib killed nearly 100 persons - in Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights SOHR has revealed that 58 people were killed in a series of bombings, including one on a vegetable market and there are at least 13 children among the dead. The market was full of shoppers who were buying presents for their kids and they were all civilians.
This is reported in news.sky.com dated 11 September 2016.

Another at least 30 people died when barrel bombs were dropped in Aleppo from army helicopters in the east and further civilian deaths were reported from other parts of the city. Obviously, both sides seem to be trying to maximize gains before the cessation of hostilities begins at sundown on Monday - this is the start of the Muslim Eid al Adha holiday.
The Syrian government has indicated to Moscow that it is prepared to comply with the deal. Opposition forces have also said they will fulfill the peace plan's requirements if the government demonstrates it is serious about ending the bloodshed. However, Syria's moderate Free Syrian Army is of the opinion that the chance of the deal's success is slim. The argument is that Damascus and Moscow had not observed the last agreement and were unlikely to observe this one.


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War waged on ISIS by the US and UK has destroyed 26000 targets

When the US-led coalition began its airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, it had been predicted that it would be a long drawn-out one. And, from existing statistics, it is evident that even though the combined efforts of the US and UK have destroyed 26000 ISIS targets, much more needs to be done.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 9 August 2016.

Till now, more than 14,000 strikes have been launched at a cost of $8.4bn to the United States and $365m to the UK and nearly 26,000 targets have been either destroyed or damaged. The campaign has stepped in its second year an additional 2,336 airstrikes and there have been twice as many civilian deaths. Figures indicate 1,080 according to data furnished by a London-based monitor called Airwars.
However, the Pentagon says that only 55 civilians have been killed by US aircraft while the UK Ministry of Defence says British strikes have not resulted in death of any innocents. The fact is that nearly 3.2 million Iraqis have been displaced and the number of Syrians is much more. The mass exodus has had a devastating all round effect because it has not only changed borders, but has swelled towns, and emptied cities.
Incidentally, in 2014, President Barack Obama had said that he did not want the United States to be dragged into another war in Iraq - but, events have proved otherwise - right now, there are some 3,800 US soldiers in Iraq. And, the US plans to send another 400 American troops to an airbase south of Mosul which is a strategic city.


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ISIS cornered as Russian-backed Syrian army enters ISIS stronghold in Raqqa

ISIS is getting cornered in their stronghold in Raqqa province because the Russian-backed Syrian army has crossed the border into the heartland of ISIS. There are indications that they have promised to team up with US-backed rebel forces who share a common hatred of Daesh.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 5 June 2016.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that ISIS was retreating as a result of Russian air strikes but this has not been confirmed either by Moscow or by the Assad regime in Damascus. It seems the Assad regime has agreed to join up with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which is a rebel group dominated by the Kurdish Popular Protection (YPG) militia and that the SDF have 30,000 fighters coming down from Kobani in the north.
In comparison, ISIS has around 5,000 fighters in Raqqa province and the city of Raqqa has been its de facto capital since it was taken in 2014. Now, the Syrian troops plan to take over the Tabqa air base, 30 miles west of the city of Raqqa - that way, they would get an airbase for Russian fighter jets. The short-term objective of the operation is to take over Tabqa and nearby Lake Assad.


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Airstrikes crried out by US led coalition forces have killed more than 70 Islamic State fighters, including the one of the leaders of the group in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. As indicated by a spokesman of the American military based in Baghdad, IS fighting positions have been destroyed in 20 strikes over four days. According to him, the group's Fallujah commander had died in the aerial attacks on the city.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 27 May 2016.

Elimination of the leader will not cause the enemy to completely stop fighting, but it does create a problem as it causes the second-in-command to have to move up and disturbs the balance of power. The airstrikes are almost constant. One of the residents revealed that they had been living for weeks on rice, canned food and processed cheese and the stocks were fast depleting.
The authorities have already told tens of thousands of civilians to flee the city, which has been under IS control since 2014. Iraqi troops have been trying to drive IS militants from their stronghold west of Baghdad after launching the new offensive on Sunday night. US planes also dropped leaflets telling locals to avoid IS areas. The leaflets directed those who cannot leave to put white sheets on their roofs to mark their locations.


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Kurdish and Arab forces battle with ISIS near Raqqa

There is no sight of an end to the war against ISIS in Iraq and, Kurdish and Arab forces have begun a new assault near Raqqa which is the group's de-facto capital in Syria. This assault is against the backdrop of offensive of Iraqi troops against the jihadists in the city of Fallujah for a second day.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 May 2016.

These are believed to be the most serious ground operations against IS since the militants declared their self-styled 'caliphate' covering large areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014. The purpose of the assault in Raqqa province by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was to dislodge IS from the northern part and, simultaneously, secure other areas.
The SDF is having the backing of the US - it is a seven-month-old alliance of Syrian militias, including the Kurdish YPG and with the help of American-led coalition airstrikes, the YPG has successfully driven the jihadist organisation from large areas of northern Syria in the last year. However, the activists claim that in Raqqa, IS fighters make use of civilians as shields in Raqqa and, therefore, will be found in the same building. It seems inside a civilian building, there will be groups of ISIS fighters.
Moreover, they also use schools as places to stay. The reason is that schools have basements which protects them from the air strikes.


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Syria rocked by seven bombings by ISIS in which nearly 150 are killed

Nearly 150 people have been killed in seven near-simultaneous explosions in northwest Syria for which ISIS has claimed responsibility. The targets chosen were bus stations, hospitals and other civilian sites in two seaside cities within President Bashar al Assad's coastal heartland. As indicated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights SOHR, 100 people were killed in Jableh and another 48 in Tartus - the dead included children.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 23 May 2016.

The breakup of the seven were five suicide attacks and two car bombs. In one of the attacks in a hospital, the attacker detonated explosives in the hospital emergency room after carrying victims of an earlier attack there. In the opinion of SOHR head, these were "without a doubt the deadliest attacks" in the cities since the six-year civil war began.
The attacks began at 7am BST with three explosions at a bus station in Tartus - this is the place where regime ally Russia has a naval facility. The ISIS has said that the explosions were in retaliation for Syrian and Russian airstrikes against the jihadists. They vowed to carry out "more devastating and bitter attacks".
Till now, more than 270,000 people have been killed in the civil war, while millions have been displaced. The Islamic State had emerged in 2014 and it had seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared an Islamic caliphate.


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Bombing raids by RAF in Iraq and Syria have eliminated 1000 ISIS jihadists

The RAF has eliminated nearly 1000 ISIS jihadists as indicated by figures released by the Ministry of Defence in a Freedom of Information request. It seems since warplanes were deployed to Iraq in September 2014, the RAF has killed at least 996 extremists. The figure includes 22 jihadists killed in Syria following the go-ahead given by the parliament for strikes over the chaotic country last November and, in a single month, 152 militants were killed as they tried to mercilessly murder civilians and local forces.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 30 April 2016.

The bombing raids carried out by RAF warplanes have targeted secret underground bunkers, jihadists hiding in palm trees, vehicles packed with explosives and deadly sniper and machine gun positions. Drone pilots who were stationed at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire would spend hours spying on selected targets as they prepared for battle. Finally, they would complete the task by killing them with laser-guided missiles and 500lb Paveway bombs. It is believed that ever since additional number of jets were sent to the region last year, RAF pilots have trebled the rate at which they are eliminating the ISIS militants.


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Airstrikes by Syrian warplanes target hospitals - at least 61 dead

There was a series of night airstrikes by Syrian warplanes in the city of Aleppo and one of these had targeted a hospital. It killed at least 27 people and the dead included children and six hospital staff, including a dentist and one of Syria's last pediatricians. There are doubts that Russian jets may have participated in the attacks.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 28 April 2016.

It is understood that some of the overnight strikes had struck the well-known al-Quds field hospital in the Sukkari district in Aleppo. This information is from Doctors Without Borders, opposition activists and rescue workers anbd they have indicated that 14 doctors and patients had died in the strikes.
In a separate blitz in Aleppo, 20 deaths are reported and, with this, the 24-hour death toll in the key city stood at 61 and the toll could rise.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has cautioned that Aleppo was on the brink of a humanitarian disaster as a result of the renewed fighting. Stocks of contingency food and medical aid could run out soon and an escalation in fighting would mean that they cannot be replenished.


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ISIS struggling to survive - selling body organs of their own wounded soldiers to make money

Hemmed in from all quarters by airstrikes of the US and its allies, the ISIS is struggling to survive and, if reports are to be believed, they are running out of funds. Therefore, the have taken steps to sell organs of their own wounded fighters in the black market in Iraq. These soldiers are killed, their organs removed and sold to raise money.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 20 April 2016.

These shocking claims originated from an Arabic-language al-Sabah newspaper and it quoted an unnamed source in Mosul. As per the report, doctors were threatened and forced to extract the body organs of a wounded ISIL militant. The jihadi group were allegedly removing vital organs from their wounded fighters and selling them abroad to raise much needed funds for their fighters dreadful salary. Even prisoners held by ISIS have also been forced to give blood to the jihadi group.
The news coming on the heels of the initial contingent of 170 U.S. soldiers entering Baghdad as advisers in June 2014. Right now, there are 3,000 American security workers involved in Iraq with Defense Secretary Ash Carter authorizing a total above 4,000. The figure could increase.
In the words of the Pentagon this is 'tightening the noose' on the militants. Of course, critics feel these are indecisive steps with limited chance of success.


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More than 25,000 ISIS members have already been killed by Britain and its allies

In continuous strikes on ISIS positions, Britain and her allies have succeeded in eliminating more than 25,000 ISIS fighters. As a result of such repeated assaults, the campaign has halved the number of jihadi fighters in IS-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq within a period of just 20 months. It has also eliminated scores of the group's leaders and bombing raids and missile strikes by the RAF have played a crucial role in bringing this situation.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 16 April 2016.

These revelations have been made by Colonel Steve Warren, the US military spokesman for the US-led global coalition against Islamic State. AS he has put it - 'much like a boxer, Daesh [Islamic State] has taken several hard blows to the mid-section. We believe the knees are getting weak, and the head is starting to drop, and they are beginning to feel the effect of the exceptional pressure we've placed on them over 20 months.'
The effect of air strikes in IS-held oilfields has been a slash of its cash flow by a third – that, in turn, led to a drastic 50 per cent pay cut for its fighters. That, coupled with the attack by 650 RAF strikes, the ISIS was forced to flee from 40 per cent of territory it once held in northern Iraq.
The IS extremists had seized swathes of eastern Syria in 2014 during its bloody civil war, before it swept into northern Iraq and proclaimed itself an Islamic caliphate. However, it now appears to be on the back foot. Col Warren indicated that a huge bombing campaign would soon be unleashed on its capital, Raqqa, to pave the way for a ground attack by Kurdish troops.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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ISIS driven out from Palmyra by Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes

Palmyra is finally freed from the clutches of ISIS by Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes - this has been announced by the state media and an opposition monitoring group. Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks trying to recapture the town that had been captured by ISIS in May and this recapturing brings to an end the reign of terror over a town whose famous 2,000-year-old ruins used to once attract tens of thousands of visitors.
Palmyra used to be affectionately known as the "Bride of the Desert" and was a UNESCO world heritage site.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 27 March 2016.

The retaking of Palmyra by Syrian forces marks the latest setback suffered by ISIS - it is coming under mounting pressure on several fronts in Iraq and Syria. Syrian troops are now dismantling explosive booby traps that had been planted by ISIS militants.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has confirmed that the Islamic State lost the town and have added that at least 400 extremists have been killed. Some fighters had withdrawn from Palmyra and moved out toward the town of Sukhna and other areas in the Homs province. SOHM has added that this was the heaviest losses sustained by ISIS in a single battle since its creation.
Russia's defense minister has indicated that Russian jets conducted 40 air sorties near Palmyra and hit 158 targets killing over 100 militants.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Airstrikes in Syria target schools and hospitals - nearly 50 children killed

Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is unhappy at the Syrian airstrikes that are targeting schools and hospitals and has expressed concern at the 50 persons killed in airstrikes on five medical centers and two schools in northern Syria. The Secretary General has described the attacks as "blatant violations of international laws".
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 15 February 2016.

One of these airstrikes was against a hospital in Muratt al Numan that is run by Western charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which blamed Russian or Syrian government forces and claimed it was deliberately targeted. In another separate attack, blamed by Turkey on Russia, at least 14 people were killed when missiles hit a hospital and school in Azaz near the Turkish border. Six of them were children.
Russia has denied being involved in the airstrikes but, the Secretary General has said the attacks "cast a shadow on commitments" that had been made at a Munich conference last week - it included a pledge to hold a ceasefire within a week and put an end attacks on civilians.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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France joins Russia in joint airstrikes against ISIS in Raqqa

#terrorattack #ISIS #Parisattacks #raqqa #airstrikes The terror attack by ISIS in Paris has acted as a wake up call for the whole world and, France joined hands with Russia to carry out air strikes in Syria targeting weapons depots, barracks and checkpoints in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. At least 33 ISIS terrorists have been killed in three-days of air strikes over northern Syria.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 18 November 2015.

Dozens more jihadists have been wounded in the raids and dramatic new footage of the French airstrikes shows rockets slamming into buildings below during a bombing campaign that lasted 72-hours.
The feelings of France can be understood from the fact that the attacks in Paris left 129 innocents dead.
Russia also pounded Raqqa with long-range bombers and sea-launched missiles - this was done after Moscow confirmed that a bomb attack had brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last month in which all 224 people on board were killed.
It seems the ISIS militants are aware of the fact that there would be counter assaults and are stiffening their defences on their de-facto capital. Fighters are believed to be hiding in civilian neighborhoods, preventing anyone from fleeing.
Russia has deployed its Tupolev-160 bombers for their first ever combat mission. These supersonic war planes can carry up to 12 missiles and fly at up to 2,000-Km per hour.
The residents of Raqqa numbering around 350,000 are gripped by fear and are rattled by powerful Russian and French bombing raids that shake the city daily.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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