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.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

World's smallest porpoise of Mexico is on the verge of extinction

Coca-Cola to stop production of its beverage in Venezuela because of sugar shortage

Melting of Totten Glacier due to global warming could raise sea levels by three meters


Moody’s mind flits from Black Money to White House (satire)

Lord Shiva and Durga on home delivery and drones (satire)

Didi plans new conquests via Rabindrasangeet (satire)


Daniel Craig is through with James Bond - turns down £68 million offer from MGM

Snoop Dogg and Lucy Liu will be seen together in thriller 'Future World'

Kavita Kaushik to play the role of an Army doctor in TV show “Dr. Bhanumati on Duty”


Was the EgyptAir crash an act of terrorism by the ISIS?

Suicide bombings in Baghdad kill 43 - brings total death in 7 days to more than 145

One more Chibok girl rescued - she was kidnapped along with 275 others in April 2014

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.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

World's smallest porpoise of Mexico is on the verge of extinction

Coca-Cola to stop production of its beverage in Venezuela because of sugar shortage

Melting of Totten Glacier due to global warming could raise sea levels by three meters


Moody’s mind flits from Black Money to White House (satire)

Lord Shiva and Durga on home delivery and drones (satire)

Didi plans new conquests via Rabindrasangeet (satire)


Daniel Craig is through with James Bond - turns down £68 million offer from MGM

Snoop Dogg and Lucy Liu will be seen together in thriller 'Future World'

Kavita Kaushik to play the role of an Army doctor in TV show “Dr. Bhanumati on Duty”


Was the EgyptAir crash an act of terrorism by the ISIS?

Suicide bombings in Baghdad kill 43 - brings total death in 7 days to more than 145

One more Chibok girl rescued - she was kidnapped along with 275 others in April 2014

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

Some more interesting links -

Moody’s policy – love thy neighbor (satire)

Lord Shiva wants to be the King of good times (satire)

Narad queers the pitch for Didi & Co (satire)


France continues to attract tourists despite the terror attacks

Summer sees high occupancy rates in Kanpur cinema halls

Five killed in sightseeing helicopter crash near Great Smokey Mountains National Park


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Tom Hiddleston denies that he would be next James Bond

“Sicario 2” - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro will team up again

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)

Moody and the Humpty Dumpty syndrome (satire)

Winning elections is not as simple as making tea (satire)

Indian smugglers are celebs, boast of official doubles (satire)


Tea is a health drink - four cups a day can keep the doctors away

No more 'Rent-a-Womb' in India

Tourist bus ploughs into pedestrians in Union Square, San Francisco - 20 injured


Big B attends 21st Kolkata International Film Festival at Netaji Indoor Stadium

Alisha Chinai adds to the glamour quotient at Wembley Stadium

24th James Bond movie 'Spectre' earns USD 300 million in less than two weeks


Jihadi John killed by a 1000-mph missile striking his car

Edmund Fitzgerald sank in the Lake Superior 40 years back with 29 on board

Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths

Jihadi John killed by a 1000-mph missile striking his car

#ISIS #jihadihohn #raqqa Information has filtered out that Jihadi John, the executioner of ISIS, has been eliminated by a missile that was traveling at 1000mph and struck his vehicle in Raqqa. The missile was released from a Predator drone operated by USAF personnel from a location thousands of miles away in Las Vegas.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 14 November 2015.

Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Pentagon have revealed precisely how Jihadi John was tracked down and killed. But the method had been employed to good effect in Afghanistan.
Broadly, the technology helped staff at the Government’s GCHQ spy agency in Cheltenham to analyze voice-recordings collected by Nimrod spy planes. Making use of these, individual voice profiles of terrorists were created - this is similar to how the police use fingerprints.
Once identification was confirmed that Jihadi John had been found by ‘other means’ – most likely through an informant - the order was given: 'Find – Fix – Finish’.
His full name was Mohammed Emwazi was blitzed by a missile fired from a drone controlled by U.S. air force pilots sitting in a control center thousands of miles away.br> He had been located in June and was under constant surveillance by British or US unmanned drones operated by crew at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire – 2,250 miles from Raqqa – or American pilots at Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, 7,200 miles away.

(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

Moody wants ODIs in Silicon Valley (satire)

Fight fire with fire - have ‘Award Return Festivals’(satire)

Moody in the mute mood (satire)


Mad rush for tourists stranded in Egypt to return home

Study reveals that online shopping is good for health

Inmates use mouse to carry drugs between cells in Brazil prison


Amitabh Bachchan to inaugurate 21st edition of Kolkata Film Festival

Sandra Bullock planning an all-female version of Ocean's Eleven

Horror Museum in Colorado could be a money spinner


Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths

Two Russian TU-142 Bear aircraft shooed off from USS Ronald Reagan

Iran has already executed 700 this year and the figure could cross 1000 by year end

Syrian forces break siege on Syrian air base by ISIS since 2013

Syrian forces have finally broken a siege imposed by the Islamic State on a military air base since 2013 and, the move is considered to be one of the first major achievement by the troops of President Bashar Assad since Russia began its airstrikes in late September.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 11 November 2015.

The air base is the Kweiras air base in the northern province of Aleppo and Syrian troops, backed by pro-government gunmen, had launched a large-scale offensive to reach the base last month under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
ISIS had taken over the base since 2013 when they defeated rival militant groups who had already been surrounding the base for a year and the victory is a major one for the government against ISIS, which controls nearly half of Syria.
It seems Russian airstrikes have helped to evict ISIS from the area.
these ISIS fighters had been holding nearly 1,000 soldiers inside the base since 2013 and it does credit to them that they have managed to hold on despite repeated attacks using multiple suicide bombings.
Incidentally, last year, ISIS had killed more than 160 Syrian government troops who had been seized in a military base in the northern province of Raqqa.

(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

Moody wants ODIs in Silicon Valley (satire)

Fight fire with fire - have ‘Award Return Festivals’(satire)

Moody in the mute mood (satire)


Mad rush for tourists stranded in Egypt to return home

Study reveals that online shopping is good for health

Inmates use mouse to carry drugs between cells in Brazil prison


Amitabh Bachchan to inaugurate 21st edition of Kolkata Film Festival

Sandra Bullock planning an all-female version of Ocean's Eleven

Horror Museum in Colorado could be a money spinner


Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths

Two Russian TU-142 Bear aircraft shooed off from USS Ronald Reagan

Iran has already executed 700 this year and the figure could cross 1000 by year end

ISIS creates female suicide bombers due to shortage of children bombers

Till now, the brutal jihadi group ISIS, used to make use of children to act as suicide bombers but, due to a shortage of children, ISIS is now imparting training to women to take over the role. In Syria, they are creating battalion of women suicide bombers.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 26 October 2015.

Human rights group 'Syria is being Slaughtered Silently' has claimed that sources within ISIS held city of Raqqa have come to know that the jihadists have turned to women to carry out training for deadly attacks. An example is of an Egyptian woman who was offered her a large amount of money as incentive with the promise that she could go to meet her husband in heaven in case she agreed to become a ISIS suicide bomber.
The new jihadi bride suicide squad would be imparted training to carry out deadly bomb attacks because the jihadi group believes women would not arouse suspicion immediately. Arab women are targeted to create the new suicide battalion since they have run out of teenagers.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

France joins the fight against the ISIS – bombs targets in Raqqa

France has carried out airstrikes on ISIS positions in Raqqa and this has been confirmed by defense minister of France who has said that French fighter jets fired airstrikes on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. The targets were foreign fighters who were plotting attacks in Europe.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 9 October 2015.

The minister has said on Europe-1 radio that two Rafale jets had bombed a training camp "and the objective was achieved." It was, incidentally, the second French strike on Syria, and "it will not be the last."
He did not elaborate on the purported attack plots but has criticized Russia's stepped-up and wide-ranging military action in Syria. In his opinion, "80 to 90 percent" of Russia’s actions do not target the Islamic State group even though Russia says that its air campaign is aimed against Islamic militants.
It may be recalled that France had joined the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq last year and has now expanded its campaign to Syria last month.
(Image courtesy wiiimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-
Skywalk planned by UP tourism department to connect Taj Mahal with Agra Fort

Undaunted by a target of 200, South Africa romp home in Dharamsala with two balls to spare

After yoga, central government promotes outdoor sports like jungle safari, rafting


Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to promote tourism in Bengal

Sunny Leone is a guest at the PETA US’ 35th anniversary gala at the Hollywood Palladium

X-Files, Scully and Mulder to return on January 24th after a 13-year-break


ISIS harvesting organs of healthy individuals to treat the injured jihadists

US airstrike targets a hospital in Kunduz instead of Taliban outposts – 9 Doctors Without Borders members killed

Russia carries out airstrikes in Syria – targets CIA-backed rebels instead of ISIS


Durga Puja is the busiest time of the year for Kumortuli

Puja Special issues of Bengali magazines

Durga Puja today is a commercial venture

ISIS planned to carry out ‘lone wolf’ terror attacks, target the Queen and the Royal family

#ISIS #Syria #London #Raqqa #lonewolfattack The new war cry of British jihadists in Syria is for establishing ‘lone wolf’ attack on the streets of Britain – some details of these plots have come to surface through messages from former computer hacker and his wife who had joined ISIS in 2013.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 11 August 2015.

The pair - dubbed as Mr and Mrs Terror – had been caught trying to incite carnage. It seems they have confided to undercover reporters, who had posed as wannabe jihadis, to carry out so-called 'Lone Wolf' attacks in Britain. The duo had even sent them guidebooks on how to make bombs.
Moreover, the militants have also revealed plans to target the Queen and the Royal Family with pressure cooker bombs. And, another terror chief has apparently claimed that four or five British recruits, trained in Syria, have now returned to Britain to launch strikes.
The plot was unearthed by two reporters posing as male and female jihadis on Twitter and in chatrooms. They made contact with the two British ISIS militants. One of them, the man, is from Birmingham and runs the ISIS recruitment arm in the terror group's de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria. He is a top-five target for the U.S. Secret Service.
The interactions between the reporters and this man went on for nearly four months and, they convinced the terrorists that they wanted to make a bomb. The woman then supplied them with detailed instructions on how to construct a pressure cooker explosive – she also insisted on seeing receipts to prove they had actually bought the materials.
Anyway, the information of an impending attack on the Queen and the Royal family was forwarded to the police and necessary measures have been taken.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Take care of the heart – a few dos and don’ts

Chinese research finds that spicy food is the secret to a long life

Swatchh Bharat campaign takes a beating in Delhi itself


Dame Julie Andrews to direct new ‘My Fair Lady’ in Sydney for 60th birthday of Opera Australia

There is a fight scene between Captain America and Spiderman in ‘Civil War’

Shah Rukh Khan’s fond wish - to see Ethan Hunt and James Bond in one movie


Parts of lost plane MH370 of Malaysia Airline washes up on Reunion Island

Niloy Neel, fourth blogger of Bangladesh, hacked to death in Dhaka

Suicide bombers attack Kabul –kill dozens of innocents


A street food named jhal muri

A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

The world of fuchka, golgappa and panipuri

Brutal murder of 30 civilians by ISIS in the Syrian village of Al-Mabujeh

#ISIS #jihadists #Syria #Idlib #Raqqa It was a brutal murder of at least 30 civilians by the ISIS militants in the regime-held village of al-Mabujeh in the central Syrian province of Hama. The Sunni-extremist attackers did not spare even the children and resorted to burning, beheading, and firing on them.
This has been confirmed by Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 31 March 2015.

The attack happened in the morning when the ISIS militants launched a massive offensive in the area, beginning near the Youth Housing Camp. The time was around 2.30am and multiple checkpoints were targeted before the jihadis managed to seize control of the National Defense Force positions at around 6.45am.
Syrian government forces had conducted airstrikes and fired surface-to-surface missiles on the rebel-held city of Idlib, killing at least 14. It is believed that the attack in al-Mabujeh was a fallout of that because the militants probably fear that the government could retake the city that it had lost on Saturday.
Idlib has a population of around 165,000 people and it was the second provincial capital to fall to the opposition after Raqqa, which is now in the hands of the Islamic State group.

A few more interesting stories –
Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


Nine medical students go to Syria, their families try to bring them back

First Russian woman cosmonaut returns to Earth after six-month stay in ISS

The mystery space plane X-37B of the United States

Serial killer of Brazil arrested as he tried to kill his 40th victim

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Auckland girl sweet talks thief to return stolen mobile phone

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

Another interesting blog - Ramblings

Three British jihadi schoolgirls give everyone the slip and arrive in Raqqa

#BritishSchoolgirls #ISIS #Raqqa #Syria #London #ScotlandYard The three British schoolgirls who gave everyone the slip and fled to Syria to join Islamic State are believed to now be in a house in the city of Raqqa. The three of them had gone missing two weeks ago after they had boarded a flight from Gatwick to Istanbul. This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 9 March 2015.
Their journey to Syria has led to plenty of accusations and counter accusations among the authorities because it was an action that could have been prevented if the policing authorities had been more vigilant. From reports, the girls are believed to have crossed from Turkey to Syria through the town of Arai.
Moreover, the girls were reportedly staying with a British girl who is thought to be a pupil from the same school in east London and who had gone missing in December. She is believed to have joined IS.
From their actions it is evident that these girls view such escapades as a sort of picnic not knowing what actually is in store for them. They get carried away by the stories they read on various social websites that glorify the IS and paint a glowing picture of the goodies that are in store fir them once they break out of the shackles and join up.
When realization would dawn, it would be too late for them and others like them and they would be stranded in the point of no return.
As per Scotland Yard, at least 22 young women are feared to have travelled to Syria from the UK over the past 12 months. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has warned that the girls have been lured to Syria by IS and would face sexual abuse at the hands of ‘deeply misogynistic’ militants.

Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

Another interesting blog - Ramblings

IS militants behead a man in Raqqa for practicing witchcraft

#beheading #ISIS #raqqa #witchcraft It was a public beheading by IS militants in Raqqa of a man who was reportedly practicing witchcraft in Syria as revealed in zeenews.india.com dated 9 February 2015.
The victim has not been identified but he had long grey beard and bald head and he was photographed while being killed by a masked executioner. The incident took place in a village just outside ISIS' stronghold and de facto capital Raqqa and there were a large number of spectators present to watch the gruesome act.
In the image, the so-called witch is seen being led to the execution site by a militant who appears to be a teenager and there are plenty of masked militants around wielding assault rifles. Then there is another image that shows an old man kneeling on the floor. His hands tied behind his back, his head is resting on the chopping block and the axe is just a few millimeters away from his neck.
The ISIS is surviving on fear factor which is a very important part of its style of execution and, with every passing day, it is bringing that fear factor to new heights by carrying out beheadings of innocent people from any corner of the globe.
There are reports that ISIS have threatened to behead US President Barack Obama and also that it would transform America into a Muslim country.

Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

Another interesting blog - Ramblings