At least 38 killed in car bombings in Iraq

At least 38 persons are believed to have been killed in two car bombings in Iraq foxnews.com– in one of the attacks, a suicide attacker drove a Humvee into a checkpoint that was manned by Iraqi troops and pro-government Shiite militiamen.

The attacks, apparently engineered by Islamic State militants, took place on the outskirts of the Sunni town of Jurf al-Skhar. Here, the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden Humvee into the checkpoint and killed at least 24 people and wounded another 25. Most of the dead were reported to be members of the Shiite militia.
While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, the location of Jurf al-Sakhar is 30 miles south of Baghdad and the bombing bore all the hallmarks of an attack by the Islamic State group.
This could be true because the Islamic State group militants, who had captured it in July last, lost control of the town when Iraqi soldiers and the Shiite militia retook it from the Sunni extremist group.
Incidentally, Jurf al-Sakhar is part of a predominantly Sunni ribbon of territory that runs just south of Baghdad and lies on a road usually taken by Shite pilgrims to the holy Shiite city of Karbala further south. Pilgrims would be following the route next week to commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein -- one of the most revered Shiite martyrs.

Moreover, on Monday night, a car bomb blast near a line of shops and restaurants in downtown Baghdad killed 14 people and wounded 23.

Syrian Air Force carries out 200 airstrikes in 36-hours in rebel-held areas

The situation in Syria appears to be hazy with the Syrian Air Force carrying out nearly 200 airstrikes on rebel positions in a period of 36-hours bbc.com. The strikes targeted rebel-held areas in Quneitra, Deraa, and the Damascus countryside, Hama, Idlib and Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids took place mostly in western areas between midnight on Sunday and noon on Tuesday but could not provide any figure of casualties.
The intensified strikes by the Syrian Air Force comes even as US-led forces continue to bomb Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq. The US and Arab jets have been attacking IS positions in around the northern Syrian town of Kobane, where Kurdish fighters are under siege.
Incidentally, the US had airdropped military aid for Kurds but, it seems, one of the packets have fallen into the hands of the IS and they have released a video of the same. This has been confirmed by a spokesman of the Pentagon – he has said that the vast majority of the bundles had ended up in the Kurds' hands but he was aware of one that had not.

U S Military admits that airstrikes alone would not be able to rein in the IS militants

The US military has admitted that only airstrikes may not be sufficient to stop the advance of Islamic State fighters in Syria news.sky.com.

President Barack Obama met military commanders to discuss the campaign against IS in Syria and Iraq as there are apprehensions hat ground troops would also be needed on the ground. As Rear Adm Kirby has remarked, troops would be needed to defeat IS because the US does not have any force inside Syria with whom they could co-operate and work with. The President has admitted that while US strikes continue, alongside its partners, it continues to remain a difficult mission. It is not something that can be solved overnight.

US-led airstrikes have continued on Kobani. The IS militants have been fighting a fierce battle with Kurdish forces and, senior commanders have warned the Islamists could still take the strategic border town.
Incidentally, the US military's Central Command have revealed that American-led forces have carried out 14 coalition strikes on Wednesday and 19 bombing raids near Kobani since Tuesday, in an attempt to help Kurdish militia.
As informed by activists, the strikes killed at least 45 IS militants since Monday evening, forcing them to withdraw from some parts of the town.

Iraqi ground forces backed by air power arrest the advance of Islamic State militants

The advancing Islamic State (IS) militants in Amariya al-Falluja, 40-Km from Baghdad have been checked by Iraqi ground forces who, backed by air strikes, appear to have halted IS militants, who have been making gains towards the capital Baghdad bbc.com.
Amariya al-Falluja is believed to be a key strategic town and the attacks by Iraqi forces appear to have come as a US-led coalition continues to carry out air strikes on IS targets in Syria and Iraq.
The area around Amariya al-Falluja is now reported to be calm, but there is a standoff along the main road to Falluja to the north, which is controlled by IS.
The Pentagon has confirmed that US air strikes overnight had targeted other IS positions in Anbar province, 80-Km from Baghdad.
In Syria US war planes also struck four more oil fields controlled by IS militants near the group's stronghold in Raqqa. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the conflict in Syria, has revealed that casualties in US airstrikes were mostly civilians.
The air strikes in Syria appear to be focused on cutting off IS's revenue by targeting oil fields and, US President Barack Obama has indicated that a political solution to the crisis can come only when Sunni and Shia populations come together to defeat the IS jihadists.

US-Arab Nations joint operation attacks ISIS locations in Syria-Turkey border

Mystery surrounds the aerial bombing near Kobane – it happened at about 01:00 local time (22:00 GMT) but US has not been confirmed that it was responsible, neither was any of its coalition member bbc.com.
Moreover, Turkish military sources have indicated that neither its air force nor the US airbase at Incirlik in southern Turkey had been used.
Anyway, new air strikes of US-coalition have targeted Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria attacking areas close to the border with Turkey. In fact, Syrian activists have reported strikes around the Kurdish town of Kobane, which has been besieged by IS fighters for several days.
Witnesses have revealed that two military aircraft had been seen approaching from Turkey but Turkish officials denied its airspace or bases were used in the attack.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that it had conducted two more strikes in Syria, hitting two IS vehicles in Deir al-Zour in the east of the country and, till now, the US has launched nearly 200 air strikes in Iraq since August.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron had made his position clear saying that an international coalition was needed to "destroy" IS and has added that it was a fight "you cannot opt out of".

Shock treatment of Islamic State – propaganda video on British hostage released

The Islamic State (IS) militants have released a new propaganda that depicts a British hostage. The video showing a British man, 47-year-old Alan Henning hailing from Salford, is believed to be held hostage by the IS militants bbc.com.
It may be recalled that the IS already has blood on its hands from three hostages namely US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff apart from the UK aid worker David Haines – the threat is now on another British man Alan Henning next. This latest video does not show any beheading, but shows a man wearing orange clothing who says he is a prisoner and who asks why he and others have been abandoned by the US and UK governments.
There are no IS militants visible in the video entitled "Lend Me Your Ears" and addressed to the Western public, especially the British public, particularly Muslims.
It seems the hostage was speaking to the camera in a "kind of parody of a chat show" and went on to accuse the US and UK governments for having done things differently. Other European governments have, apparently, negotiated for the release of their hostages but not the UK or the US.
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Australia joins the war against ISIS – will send 600 troops to UAE

Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia has indicated that Australia would be sending 600 troops to the Middle East ahead of possible combat operations against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq based on a specific US request bbc.com.
He has confirmed that the initial deployment would be to the United Arab Emirates. He has also added that the force would include up to eight Super Hornet fighter jets and was part of "an international coalition" and not simply an "American-Australian operation".
It may be noted that nearly 40 countries, including 10 Arab states, have signed up to a US-led plan to tackle the extremist group and France is hosting a regional security summit. US Secretary of State John Kerry has already arrived in Paris after a four-day tour of the Middle East trying to drum up support for action against IS.
French President Francois Hollande will welcome diplomats from up to 20 countries for a conference on Iraqi security and, these talks will come ahead of a UN Security Council meeting next week and a heads of state meeting at the UN General Assembly later this month.
US President Barack Obama had presented a strategy to fight the Islamic State (IS) militants group in both Iraq and Syria.
Australia has raised its terrorism threat level from medium to high and security officials are believed to be worried about the growing number of Australians who are "working with, connected to or inspired by" Islamist groups.
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Austria stops two teenage schoolgirls from going to Syria

The police in Austria have stopped two teenage schoolgirls from gong to Syria – as per the police, the girls aged 14 and 15 wanted to join Islamist guerrillas zeenews.india.com. European countries have already tightened controls in a bid to stop people travelling to join Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq and, all of them are not men.
The two girls had apparently met and got to know each other on the web and one of them had said she wanted "to support IS, it does not matter where". They were picked up by police in the southern Austrian city of Graz – they were in possession of full suitcases and intended to go to Syria.
The one of the girls is Muslim and the other, a recent convert to Islam – one of the mothers provided a lead and the police picked them up at the home of a friend in Graz.
It seems the two girls wanted to fly to Turkey and then cross the border into Syria – it may be recalled that in May two other Austrian girls of Bosnian origin had reportedly left to "fight for Islam" in Syria.
As per information with the ministry, 142 Austrians, including 12 women, were thought to be in Syria and, already, ten suspected would-be jihadis have been arrested in Austria since mid-August.
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