A counter-terror operation conducted jointly by Spain and Morocco has led to the arrest of two suspected extremists in the Spanish region of Catalonia and another in the Moroccan city of Tangiers, the interior ministry said Monday.

In Spain, a 21-year-old man was arrested in Barcelona while a 32-year-old male was detained 100 kilometers (62 miles) down the coast in Tarragona; both allegedly intended to travel to conflicts zones in Syria and Iraq and had expressed a willingness to die fighting for the Islamic State terror organization.

The duo, both Moroccan nationals, are suspected of having maintained contact with IS members already fighting in the war-torn areas of the Middle East and had worked on behalf of the terror organization in Spain by spreading propaganda and trying to recruit people online and in person.

A third suspect, detained in the northern Moroccan city of Tangiers, allegedly belonged to an IS-affiliated group.

The operation was conducted by Spain&#39;s National Police in conjunction with Moroccan counter-terror units and the regional police forces in Barcelona and Tarragona.

It formed part of a wider operation launched in Oct. 2015.

Since the government raised the nation&#39;s terror alert status to the second-highest level (4) in June 2015, Spanish security agents have arrested 162 suspected extremists.

(EFE) 
&nbsp;

The operation was conducted by Spain's National Police in conjunction with Moroccan counter-terror units

A counter-terror operation conducted jointly by Spain and Morocco has led to the arrest of two suspected extremists in the Spanish region of Catalonia and another in the Moroccan city of Tangiers, the interior ministry said Monday. In Spain, a 21-year-old man was arrested in Barcelona while a 32-year-old male was detained 100 kilometers (62 miles) down the coast in Tarragona; both allegedly intended to travel to conflicts zones in Syria and Iraq and had expressed a willingness to die fighting for the Islamic State terror organization. The duo, both Moroccan nationals, are suspected of having maintained contact with IS members already fighting in the war-torn areas of the Middle East and had worked on behalf of the terror organization in Spain by spreading propaganda and trying to recruit people online and in person. A third suspect, detained in the northern Moroccan city of Tangiers, allegedly belonged to an IS-affiliated group. The operation was conducted by Spain's National Police in conjunction with Moroccan counter-terror units and the regional police forces in Barcelona and Tarragona. It formed part of a wider operation launched in Oct. 2015. Since the government raised the nation's terror alert status to the second-highest level (4) in June 2015, Spanish security agents have arrested 162 suspected extremists. (EFE)

Spanish police arrest 3 suspected extremists, all with links to IS

An attack by suicide bombers in the Iraqi city of Tikrit killed at least 31 people and wounded at least 42, army and police officers said on Wednesday.

A police lieutenant colonel said the attack began when three militants opened fire in central Tikrit on Tuesday night. They later blew themselves up inside homes in the area.

(AFP)

The attack began when three militants opened fire in central Tikrit. They later blew themselves up inside homes in the area

An attack by suicide bombers in the Iraqi city of Tikrit killed at least 31 people and wounded at least 42, army and police officers said on Wednesday. A police lieutenant colonel said the attack began when three militants opened fire in central Tikrit on Tuesday night. They later blew themselves up inside homes in the area. (AFP)

Iraq: Suicide bombers hit Tikrit, 31 killed

Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.

The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV.

Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;The air force&#39;s planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh&#39;s second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister,&quot; state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.

Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

Former Saddam official&nbsp;

US &nbsp;and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders.

A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa.

The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion.&nbsp;

Jumaili led Islamic State&#39;s top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts.

Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State&#39;s territorial rule in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the US-led invasion.

The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement.

More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information

Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday. The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV. Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters. "The air force's planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh's second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister," state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence. Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago. Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations. Former Saddam official US and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders. A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa. The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion. Jumaili led Islamic State's top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts. Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State's territorial rule in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the US-led invasion. The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement. More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor. (Reuters)

IS second-in-command killed in airstrike: Iraqi intelligence

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said Thursday that it had killed a propaganda chief and associates in an air strike in the western Iraqi town of Al-Qaim.

Ibrahim Al-Ansari was an &quot;important ISIS leader,&quot; said Colonel Joseph Scrocca, a spokesman for the Baghdad-based coalition, using an alternate acronym for Islamic State.

The propaganda official was a leader in propaganda efforts to recruit foreign fighters and encourage &quot;terror attacks&quot; in western countries, Scrocca told reporters.

The air strike took place on March 25, he said.

The bombardment, which also killed four other IS jihadists, destroyed a multimedia operation team, said another Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Their propaganda efforts included &quot;brainwashing of young children to perpetuate ISIS brutal methods,&quot; the source said.

The remote town of Al-Qaim is in the Euphrates Valley, at the border with Syria.

According to the Pentagon, the Euphrates Valley could become the last bastion of the Islamic State following the fall of their strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqa, Syria.

(AFP)

The propaganda official was a leader in propoganda efforts to recruit foreign fighters and encourage 'terror attacks' in western countries

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said Thursday that it had killed a propaganda chief and associates in an air strike in the western Iraqi town of Al-Qaim. Ibrahim Al-Ansari was an "important ISIS leader," said Colonel Joseph Scrocca, a spokesman for the Baghdad-based coalition, using an alternate acronym for Islamic State. The propaganda official was a leader in propaganda efforts to recruit foreign fighters and encourage "terror attacks" in western countries, Scrocca told reporters. The air strike took place on March 25, he said. The bombardment, which also killed four other IS jihadists, destroyed a multimedia operation team, said another Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Their propaganda efforts included "brainwashing of young children to perpetuate ISIS brutal methods," the source said. The remote town of Al-Qaim is in the Euphrates Valley, at the border with Syria. According to the Pentagon, the Euphrates Valley could become the last bastion of the Islamic State following the fall of their strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqa, Syria. (AFP)

US-led coalition air strikes kill IS propaganda chief in western Iraq

The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it &quot;probably&quot; played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists.

West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city&#39;s east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before.

&quot;We probably had a role in those casualties,&quot; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul.

&quot;If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war,&quot; he said.

Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq&#39;s second city as the &quot;most significant urban combat&quot; since World War II and &quot;probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service&quot;.

The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation.

Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS.

UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17.

IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead.

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces &quot;to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum&quot;.

IS&#39;s &quot;strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality,&quot; he said.

Amnesty&#39;s Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed &quot;an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside&quot;.

&nbsp;

Jihadists deployed among civilians

&quot;The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,&quot; she said.

In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents.

&quot;The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties,&quot; Rovera said.

Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city.

&quot;We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes,&quot; he said.

Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes.

In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses.

Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area.

One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives.

He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time.

More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities.

(AFP)

West Mosul is smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians

The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it "probably" played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists. West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before. "We probably had a role in those casualties," Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul. "If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war," he said. Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq's second city as the "most significant urban combat" since World War II and "probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service". The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation. Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS. UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17. IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces "to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum". IS's "strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality," he said. Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed "an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside". Jihadists deployed among civilians "The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," she said. In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents. "The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties," Rovera said. Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city. "We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes," he said. Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes. In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses. Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area. One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives. He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time. More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities. (AFP)

US-led coalition 'probably' had role in Mosul civilian casualties

A car bomb blast in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has killed 23 people and injured 45. The blast happened in a mainly Shi&#39;ite southern district.&nbsp;

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Islamic State has reportedly captured an Iraqi police colonel along with eight other officers on Monday during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, an Iraqi interior ministry official said as reported by Reuters.

The official said that the incident happened as the Iraqi forces closed in on Islamic State fighters in the Old City in west Mosul.&nbsp;

Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a media officer for the interior ministry&#39;s Rapid Response units, denied any such incident.

Federal police sources said that the officers have been killed and the Iraqi forces were trying to get their bodies, Reuters reported.

The battle for Mosul is expected to continue for several months. The offensive was launched last year in October and is supported by a US-backed coalition.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Islamic State reportedly killed nine Iraqi police officers during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, federal police sources said

A car bomb blast in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has killed 23 people and injured 45. The blast happened in a mainly Shi'ite southern district. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Meanwhile, Islamic State has reportedly captured an Iraqi police colonel along with eight other officers on Monday during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, an Iraqi interior ministry official said as reported by Reuters. The official said that the incident happened as the Iraqi forces closed in on Islamic State fighters in the Old City in west Mosul. Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a media officer for the interior ministry's Rapid Response units, denied any such incident. Federal police sources said that the officers have been killed and the Iraqi forces were trying to get their bodies, Reuters reported. The battle for Mosul is expected to continue for several months. The offensive was launched last year in October and is supported by a US-backed coalition. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iraq: 23 killed, 45 injured in car bomb blast in Baghdad

Senior cabinet members have lobbied President Donald Trump to remove Iraq from a list of seven Muslim-majority nations included in an initial travel ban, and an administration official said the country likely would not appear on a new executive order expected soon.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly all made the case to Trump to remove Iraq because of ongoing US military and civilian operations in the country, according to three US officials who said the Cabinet members made the case separately at recent meetings.

An administration official said the new executive order would likely exclude Iraq. Another US official said the State Department was confident Iraq would not appear, while a congressional aide said Iraq would be removed following conversations among White House advisers on Tuesday. When asked whether Iraq would be left out of the revised order, the White House said it did not have any announcements on the executive order right now.

A White House official said the order was likely to come on next Monday. Federal courts blocked Trump&#39;s January 27 executive order that temporarily barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Trump has said the travel limitations were necessary to protect the United States from attacks by Islamist militants. Americans were deeply divided over the measure, which had some support but stirred national protests and were condemned by prominent US companies and allies.

There are currently 5,200 American troops deployed in Iraq to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in retaking Mosul - the last city in Iraq under the control of Islamic State militants. Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years and have worked as translators. Many Iraqis have resettled in the United States following threats over their affiliation with US troops.

The United States also relies on Iraq to provide visas for a substantial contracting force that supports the US military presence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had asked Trump to lift the ban on people from his country during their first phone call on February&nbsp;10, resisting calls from influential pro-Iranian Shi&#39;ite politicians to retaliate against the ban.

(Reuters)

US cabinet members have made the case to President Trump to remove Iraq from new executive order likely to be announced next Monday

Senior cabinet members have lobbied President Donald Trump to remove Iraq from a list of seven Muslim-majority nations included in an initial travel ban, and an administration official said the country likely would not appear on a new executive order expected soon. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly all made the case to Trump to remove Iraq because of ongoing US military and civilian operations in the country, according to three US officials who said the Cabinet members made the case separately at recent meetings. An administration official said the new executive order would likely exclude Iraq. Another US official said the State Department was confident Iraq would not appear, while a congressional aide said Iraq would be removed following conversations among White House advisers on Tuesday. When asked whether Iraq would be left out of the revised order, the White House said it did not have any announcements on the executive order right now. A White House official said the order was likely to come on next Monday. Federal courts blocked Trump's January 27 executive order that temporarily barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has said the travel limitations were necessary to protect the United States from attacks by Islamist militants. Americans were deeply divided over the measure, which had some support but stirred national protests and were condemned by prominent US companies and allies. There are currently 5,200 American troops deployed in Iraq to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in retaking Mosul - the last city in Iraq under the control of Islamic State militants. Iraqis have fought alongside US troops for years and have worked as translators. Many Iraqis have resettled in the United States following threats over their affiliation with US troops. The United States also relies on Iraq to provide visas for a substantial contracting force that supports the US military presence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had asked Trump to lift the ban on people from his country during their first phone call on February 10, resisting calls from influential pro-Iranian Shi'ite politicians to retaliate against the ban. (Reuters)

Trump may drop Iraq in new travel ban order expected soon

The Iraqi officer addresses a group of men who fled fighting in Mosul, urging them to admit any affiliation with the Islamic State group, and turn in collaborators.

Second Lieutenant&nbsp;Abdullah Qassem&nbsp;is by turns encouraging and reproachful as he talks to the crowd, who fled as Iraqi forces battle to wrest west Mosul from the jihadist group.

The scene is part of the delicate and sometimes tense process by which Iraqi forces are trying to weed out IS members attempting to escape among civilians.

&quot;They made you grow your beards, they banned cigarettes, they controlled you,&quot; says Qassem, dressed in the black uniform of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service and waving a stick to emphasise his point.

&quot;Islam... is about forgiveness, not about killing and fighting. So all of you know what the difference is between Daesh and Islam,&quot; he says, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

&quot;Anyone who helped them or let them in their houses, or gave them women to marry is not honourable,&quot; Qassem says, his voice just loud enough to carry to the back of the group of around 70 men, sitting in rows in the dust in a village south of Mosul.

The men listen quietly, but the chastisement prompts one to interject: &quot;But we couldn&#39;t fight them, we had no power.&quot;

Calmly but firmly, Qassem turns to him, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses: &quot;But how did they enter Mosul in the first place? That&#39;s the question,&quot; he replies, in a tone that does not invite an answer.

Scanning for jihadists&nbsp;

Thousands of civilians, including many women and children, have fled west Mosul since Iraqi forces began the push to retake it on February 19, trekking through the desert during the day and night to escape.

As one group arrives in the tiny village of Al-Salam, they are separated, with women and children brought to a shaded area to receive food and water.

The men are investigated nearby. First, they are asked informally for their names and quizzed for information. Afterwards, their identities are run against a database.

Those who are suspected of or admit to IS ties are taken for additional questioning.

The men sit in rows of around ten, most sporting the uniform-length beard mandated by IS.

They are covered in dust, and many look exhausted and nervous.

After Qassem&#39;s lecture, the men are ordered to stand and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.

Then a local notable, an older man in an immaculate white headscarf leaning on a carved, varnished walking stick, scans each row as he confers with an intelligence officer.

The officer, who declined to give his name, orders each row to sit once it has been reviewed.

&#39;I pledged allegiance&#39;&nbsp;

Then he addresses the group: &quot;If you know someone who pledged allegiance or who worked with Daesh, don&#39;t be afraid. Daesh is finished,&quot; he says.

He beckons a young man in a tracksuit to stand up and come over.

&quot;Look at this man, he came and he admitted to me that he pledged allegiance, and he was with them for 10 days, and nothing will happen to him,&quot; he says, his arms around the shoulders of the young man, whose expression is a mixture of embarrassment and fear.

The officer keeps up his pitch, warning that an admission or discovery of guilt later will not be so kindly received.

And then a man stands up, clutching a sack of belongings, and walks out of the crowd.

&quot;I pledged allegiance, I worked with them in Qayyarah,&quot; he says, referring to an area south of Mosul.

&quot;But I swear it was only for 23 days, then I had a break and I left and never went back to them.&quot;

Then another joins him, dressed in a hat and a leather jacket.

And a third follows, wearing a tracksuit and avoiding eye contact as he makes his way up to the officer at the front, who smiles.

&quot;You see, nothing will happen, you pledged allegiance, you worked with them for a week, a month, three months, it&#39;s nothing. What we need is information,&quot; he says.

&quot;We need to finish with Daesh, they are like cancer. If it persists, it will consume the body.&quot;

(AFP)

Iraqi forces are talking to civilians fleeing west-Mosul to try to weed out IS members

The Iraqi officer addresses a group of men who fled fighting in Mosul, urging them to admit any affiliation with the Islamic State group, and turn in collaborators. Second Lieutenant Abdullah Qassem is by turns encouraging and reproachful as he talks to the crowd, who fled as Iraqi forces battle to wrest west Mosul from the jihadist group. The scene is part of the delicate and sometimes tense process by which Iraqi forces are trying to weed out IS members attempting to escape among civilians. "They made you grow your beards, they banned cigarettes, they controlled you," says Qassem, dressed in the black uniform of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service and waving a stick to emphasise his point. "Islam... is about forgiveness, not about killing and fighting. So all of you know what the difference is between Daesh and Islam," he says, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "Anyone who helped them or let them in their houses, or gave them women to marry is not honourable," Qassem says, his voice just loud enough to carry to the back of the group of around 70 men, sitting in rows in the dust in a village south of Mosul. The men listen quietly, but the chastisement prompts one to interject: "But we couldn't fight them, we had no power." Calmly but firmly, Qassem turns to him, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses: "But how did they enter Mosul in the first place? That's the question," he replies, in a tone that does not invite an answer. Scanning for jihadists Thousands of civilians, including many women and children, have fled west Mosul since Iraqi forces began the push to retake it on February 19, trekking through the desert during the day and night to escape. As one group arrives in the tiny village of Al-Salam, they are separated, with women and children brought to a shaded area to receive food and water. The men are investigated nearby. First, they are asked informally for their names and quizzed for information. Afterwards, their identities are run against a database. Those who are suspected of or admit to IS ties are taken for additional questioning. The men sit in rows of around ten, most sporting the uniform-length beard mandated by IS. They are covered in dust, and many look exhausted and nervous. After Qassem's lecture, the men are ordered to stand and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. Then a local notable, an older man in an immaculate white headscarf leaning on a carved, varnished walking stick, scans each row as he confers with an intelligence officer. The officer, who declined to give his name, orders each row to sit once it has been reviewed. 'I pledged allegiance' Then he addresses the group: "If you know someone who pledged allegiance or who worked with Daesh, don't be afraid. Daesh is finished," he says. He beckons a young man in a tracksuit to stand up and come over. "Look at this man, he came and he admitted to me that he pledged allegiance, and he was with them for 10 days, and nothing will happen to him," he says, his arms around the shoulders of the young man, whose expression is a mixture of embarrassment and fear. The officer keeps up his pitch, warning that an admission or discovery of guilt later will not be so kindly received. And then a man stands up, clutching a sack of belongings, and walks out of the crowd. "I pledged allegiance, I worked with them in Qayyarah," he says, referring to an area south of Mosul. "But I swear it was only for 23 days, then I had a break and I left and never went back to them." Then another joins him, dressed in a hat and a leather jacket. And a third follows, wearing a tracksuit and avoiding eye contact as he makes his way up to the officer at the front, who smiles. "You see, nothing will happen, you pledged allegiance, you worked with them for a week, a month, three months, it's nothing. What we need is information," he says. "We need to finish with Daesh, they are like cancer. If it persists, it will consume the body." (AFP)

As civilians flee Mosul, a delicate search for jihadists

US-backed Iraqi forces are engaged in a massive firefight with Islamic State fighters to clear the way to Mosul&#39;s airport, on the second day of a ground offensive on the jihadists&#39; remaining stronghold in the western side of the city.

Federal police and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response are leading the charge toward the airport, located on the southern limit of the Mosul, trying to dislodge the militants from a nearby hill known as Albu Saif. The Iraqi forces plan is to turn the airport into a close support base for the onslaught into western Mosul itself.

Iraqi Army Brigadier General Yahya Rasul, spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command, told to the Kurdish media Rudaw that they will face approximately 1,800 Islamic State militants with at least 200 suicide bombers ready to strike.&nbsp;

Islamic State militants are under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after they were forced out of the eastern part of the city in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month, after 100 days of fighting.

Helicopters were strafing the Albu Saif hill to clear it of snipers, while machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades could be heard. The advancing forces also disabled a car bomb - used by the militants to obstruct attacking forces. The Iraqi forces have been advancing so far in sparsely populated areas.&nbsp;

On Monday morning the Iraqi army took control of the main power station which supplies electricity to Mosul&rsquo;s entire western bank.

This third phase of the Mosul offensive could be the last military offensive against the Islamic State in Iraq. This does not mean that the organisation is completely destroyed, they still have a&nbsp;strong <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-intimate-invitation-deciphering-the-ideological-appeal-of-the-islamic-state-12128">influence</a>&nbsp;on young men across the region&nbsp;who are ready to take up arms and fight back.

The IS is also under attack in Syria on many fronts:&nbsp;the US-backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-give-syrian-democratic-forces-armoured-vehicles-11960">Arab/Kurd Syrian Democratic Forces</a> (SDF) and the Turkish-backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/exclusive-free-syrian-army-leader-talks-about-challenges-of-fighting-the-islamic-state-12452">Free Syrian Army</a> are attacking from the north, the Syrian army is attacking from the west and both Russian and US-led coalition figher jets are bombing them. The IS&#39; capital city in Syria, Raqqa, is still solidly under the organisation&#39;s control, but it is likely that as soon as countries involved in Syria agree to fight together, a massive offensive will start.&nbsp;

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Iraqi Rapid Response force members fire a missile towards Islamic State militants during a battle in south Mosul. (Reuters)
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Up to 400,000 civilians could be displaced by the offensive as residents of western Mosul suffer food and fuel shortages and markets remain closed, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande told Reuters on Saturday.

Commanders expect the battle to be more difficult than in the east of the city, which Iraqi forces have taken&nbsp;control of last month after three months of fighting&nbsp;because tanks and armoured vehicles cannot pass through its narrow alleyways.

Western Mosul contains the old city centre, with its ancient souks, government administrative buildings, and the mosque from which Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his self-styled caliphate over parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014. The city is the largest urban centre captured by Islamic State in both countries.

The area is densely populated and it will be nearly impossible to conduct airstrikes&nbsp;if the coalition forces do not want to risk massive civilian casualties. One bomb missing the objective could cost hundreds of innocent lives. It is also very difficult to gather intelligence insights from the city since the Islamic State controls nearly all the communications and everyone who is found in possess of a phone carrying suspicious numbers will be executed in cold blood.

Living in western Mosul during this phase of the operation is highly risky, the city&#39;s population has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/inside-mosul-civilians-pay-highest-price-in-war-between-iraqi-army-is-1360">bearing the brunt of the offensive</a> since months. The Islamic State is in a full-war mode and it is ready to kill whoever tries to escape and reach the eastern area of the city, currently under Iraqi army control. The city suffers also a severe shortage of any primary necessity, from food to running water.

Many of the inner streets are very small and while advancing&nbsp;soldiers do not always enjoy support of armoured vehicles and might even conduct operations on foot in a pure guerrilla style warfare. This makes them highly prone to deadly ambush&nbsp;and sniper fire - both methods that the Islamic State have used extensively during previous battles.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Baghdad on Monday on an unannounced visit but declined to offer details about US battle plans when speaking to reporters on Sunday. &quot;The coalition forces are in support of this operation and we will continue ... with the accelerated effort to destroy ISIS,&quot; he declared.

(WION wth inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Up to 400,000 civilians could be displaced by the offensive as residents of western Mosul suffer food and fuel shortages.

US-backed Iraqi forces are engaged in a massive firefight with Islamic State fighters to clear the way to Mosul's airport, on the second day of a ground offensive on the jihadists' remaining stronghold in the western side of the city. Federal police and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response are leading the charge toward the airport, located on the southern limit of the Mosul, trying to dislodge the militants from a nearby hill known as Albu Saif. The Iraqi forces plan is to turn the airport into a close support base for the onslaught into western Mosul itself. Iraqi Army Brigadier General Yahya Rasul, spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command, told to the Kurdish media Rudaw that they will face approximately 1,800 Islamic State militants with at least 200 suicide bombers ready to strike. Islamic State militants are under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after they were forced out of the eastern part of the city in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month, after 100 days of fighting. Helicopters were strafing the Albu Saif hill to clear it of snipers, while machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades could be heard. The advancing forces also disabled a car bomb - used by the militants to obstruct attacking forces. The Iraqi forces have been advancing so far in sparsely populated areas. On Monday morning the Iraqi army took control of the main power station which supplies electricity to Mosul’s entire western bank. This third phase of the Mosul offensive could be the last military offensive against the Islamic State in Iraq. This does not mean that the organisation is completely destroyed, they still have a strong influence on young men across the region who are ready to take up arms and fight back. The IS is also under attack in Syria on many fronts: the US-backed Arab/Kurd Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army are attacking from the north, the Syrian army is attacking from the west and both Russian and US-led coalition figher jets are bombing them. The IS' capital city in Syria, Raqqa, is still solidly under the organisation's control, but it is likely that as soon as countries involved in Syria agree to fight together, a massive offensive will start. Iraqi Rapid Response force members fire a missile towards Islamic State militants during a battle in south Mosul. (Reuters) × Up to 400,000 civilians could be displaced by the offensive as residents of western Mosul suffer food and fuel shortages and markets remain closed, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande told Reuters on Saturday. Commanders expect the battle to be more difficult than in the east of the city, which Iraqi forces have taken control of last month after three months of fighting because tanks and armoured vehicles cannot pass through its narrow alleyways. Western Mosul contains the old city centre, with its ancient souks, government administrative buildings, and the mosque from which Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his self-styled caliphate over parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014. The city is the largest urban centre captured by Islamic State in both countries. The area is densely populated and it will be nearly impossible to conduct airstrikes if the coalition forces do not want to risk massive civilian casualties. One bomb missing the objective could cost hundreds of innocent lives. It is also very difficult to gather intelligence insights from the city since the Islamic State controls nearly all the communications and everyone who is found in possess of a phone carrying suspicious numbers will be executed in cold blood. Living in western Mosul during this phase of the operation is highly risky, the city's population has been bearing the brunt of the offensive since months. The Islamic State is in a full-war mode and it is ready to kill whoever tries to escape and reach the eastern area of the city, currently under Iraqi army control. The city suffers also a severe shortage of any primary necessity, from food to running water. Many of the inner streets are very small and while advancing soldiers do not always enjoy support of armoured vehicles and might even conduct operations on foot in a pure guerrilla style warfare. This makes them highly prone to deadly ambush and sniper fire - both methods that the Islamic State have used extensively during previous battles. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Baghdad on Monday on an unannounced visit but declined to offer details about US battle plans when speaking to reporters on Sunday. "The coalition forces are in support of this operation and we will continue ... with the accelerated effort to destroy ISIS," he declared. (WION wth inputs from Reuters)

Mosul under siege as Iraqi forces, Islamic State militants battle near airport

Iraqi forces launched an offensive on jihadists defending Mosul`s west bank Sunday, in what could be the most brutal fighting yet in a four-month-old operation on the city.

&quot;Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh,&quot; Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

&quot;We announce the start of a new phase in the operation. We are coming, Nineveh, to liberate the western side of Mosul,&quot; he said, referring to the province of which Mosul is the capital.

Federal police and interior ministry forces were expected to start the new phase in the offensive by moving on Mosul airport, which is on the southern edge of the city, west of the Tigris River.

The jihadists have put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul, their last major stronghold in Iraq and the place where their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a &quot;caliphate&quot; in 2014.

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After shaping operations around Mosul, it took Iraq`s most seasoned forces -- the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) -- more than two months to clear the eastern side of Mosul.

After a pause in the operation launched on October 17, federal forces now face what was always billed as the toughest nut to crack: Mosul`s west bank, home to the narrow streets of the Old City.

&quot;West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale,&quot; said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy.

The streets around the historical centre, which includes the mosque in which Baghdadi made his only public appearance in June 2014, will be impassable for many military vehicles and force government fighters to take on IS in perilous dismounted warfare. 
 
Prior to the offensive that saw IS seize Mosul and much of Iraq`s Sunni Arab heartland nearly three years ago, the east bank was more ethnically diverse than the west, where analysts believe the jihadists could enjoy more support.&quot;IS resistance could be greater in this area and it will be harder, but all the more important, to completely clear the networks from Mosul after its recapture,&quot; said Emily Anagnostos, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

While the federal forces` attrition is said to be high, IS`s had been undoubtedly higher and commanders have said the jihadists may no longer have the resources to defend east Mosul effectively.&nbsp;

Recent incidents in liberated east point to the difficulty of ensuring remnants of IS have not blended in with the civilian population in a huge city which most residents did not flee ahead of the government offensive.

Aid organisations had feared an exodus of unprecedented proportions before the start of the Mosul operation but half a million -- a significant majority -- of residents stayed home.

Their continued presence prevented both sides from resorting to deadlier weaponry, which may have slowed down the battle but averted a potentially much more serious humanitarian emergency in the middle of winter as well as more extensive material damage to the city.

&quot;Mosul is going better than we expected, but there are serious dangers ahead,&quot; Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told AFP.

Residents of west Mosul have reported very difficult living conditions and warned that they were already low on food, with weeks of fighting expected to lie ahead.

IS fighters and Mosul residents remained able to move across both sides of the city during much of the fighting in the east but all bridges across the Tigris have now been dropped and the jihadists in the west are all but besieged.

IS has used civilians as human shields as part of its defence tactics and killed residents attempting to flee, making it both difficult and dangerous for the population to escape.

While specialised units may attempt to throw pontoon bridges across the river to attack from the east, the main initial assault of the upcoming phase in the Mosul is expected to come from the south on the city`s airport.

Army, police, interior ministry and special forces have been gearing up for the push on Mosul`s southern front, with a large concentration of fighters based out of Hammam al-Alil.&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh,' Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech

Iraqi forces launched an offensive on jihadists defending Mosul`s west bank Sunday, in what could be the most brutal fighting yet in a four-month-old operation on the city. "Our forces are beginning the liberation of the citizens from the terror of Daesh," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a short televised speech, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. "We announce the start of a new phase in the operation. We are coming, Nineveh, to liberate the western side of Mosul," he said, referring to the province of which Mosul is the capital. Federal police and interior ministry forces were expected to start the new phase in the offensive by moving on Mosul airport, which is on the southern edge of the city, west of the Tigris River. The jihadists have put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul, their last major stronghold in Iraq and the place where their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a "caliphate" in 2014. West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale,' said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy × After shaping operations around Mosul, it took Iraq`s most seasoned forces -- the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) -- more than two months to clear the eastern side of Mosul. After a pause in the operation launched on October 17, federal forces now face what was always billed as the toughest nut to crack: Mosul`s west bank, home to the narrow streets of the Old City. "West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale," said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy. The streets around the historical centre, which includes the mosque in which Baghdadi made his only public appearance in June 2014, will be impassable for many military vehicles and force government fighters to take on IS in perilous dismounted warfare. Prior to the offensive that saw IS seize Mosul and much of Iraq`s Sunni Arab heartland nearly three years ago, the east bank was more ethnically diverse than the west, where analysts believe the jihadists could enjoy more support."IS resistance could be greater in this area and it will be harder, but all the more important, to completely clear the networks from Mosul after its recapture," said Emily Anagnostos, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. While the federal forces` attrition is said to be high, IS`s had been undoubtedly higher and commanders have said the jihadists may no longer have the resources to defend east Mosul effectively. Recent incidents in liberated east point to the difficulty of ensuring remnants of IS have not blended in with the civilian population in a huge city which most residents did not flee ahead of the government offensive. Aid organisations had feared an exodus of unprecedented proportions before the start of the Mosul operation but half a million -- a significant majority -- of residents stayed home. Their continued presence prevented both sides from resorting to deadlier weaponry, which may have slowed down the battle but averted a potentially much more serious humanitarian emergency in the middle of winter as well as more extensive material damage to the city. "Mosul is going better than we expected, but there are serious dangers ahead," Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told AFP. Residents of west Mosul have reported very difficult living conditions and warned that they were already low on food, with weeks of fighting expected to lie ahead. IS fighters and Mosul residents remained able to move across both sides of the city during much of the fighting in the east but all bridges across the Tigris have now been dropped and the jihadists in the west are all but besieged. IS has used civilians as human shields as part of its defence tactics and killed residents attempting to flee, making it both difficult and dangerous for the population to escape. While specialised units may attempt to throw pontoon bridges across the river to attack from the east, the main initial assault of the upcoming phase in the Mosul is expected to come from the south on the city`s airport. Army, police, interior ministry and special forces have been gearing up for the push on Mosul`s southern front, with a large concentration of fighters based out of Hammam al-Alil. (AFP)

Iraqi forces launch operation to retake west Mosul: PM

The Iraqi air force has dropped millions of leaflets on the western side of Mosul telling the population that a ground offensive to dislodge Islamic State from their neighbourhoods is imminent, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after US-backed forces surrounding the city dislodged them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month.

The leaflets &quot;contain instructions for the citizens to get ready to welcome the Iraqi forces that are coming to liberate their areas and to warn the Daesh (Islamic State) members to lay down their weapons and surrender&quot;, the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The leaflets warn Islamic State members 'to lay down their weapons and surrender'

The Iraqi air force has dropped millions of leaflets on the western side of Mosul telling the population that a ground offensive to dislodge Islamic State from their neighbourhoods is imminent, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday. The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after US-backed forces surrounding the city dislodged them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded last month. The leaflets "contain instructions for the citizens to get ready to welcome the Iraqi forces that are coming to liberate their areas and to warn the Daesh (Islamic State) members to lay down their weapons and surrender", the ministry said in a statement. (Reuters)

Iraqi planes drop leaflets on west Mosul to say offensive is imminent

Samira Mouaki was covering the Iraqi frontline. Daniele Pagani wishes he was writing about her in any other circumstance but this one

Algerian war reporter Samira Mouaki was grievously hurt while covering the fight against the Islamic State in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul. An Islamic State (IS) sniper shot her in the head. Samira was shot in the head by an Islamic State sniper. She was rushed to hospital in Baghdad. The doctors there say she is stable but it is still not certain how much of a recovery she will make × Samira was rushed to a hospital in Baghdad, from where the latest reports say she is out of danger but that it is still not certain how much of a recovery she will make. Tal Afar is en route to Syria and the Shiite paramilitary umbrella organisation the Al-Hashd Al-Shabi is fighting the IS there. Taking back the city from the IS means cutting off the last chance they have to flee Mosul. I had met Samira, on a sunny but chilly November dawn, while I was in Iraq. I was with two colleagues outside the Iraqi Army's 9th armoured division base, not far from Mosul. We were waiting for somebody to wake up and give us permission to visit the recently liberated ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, a major archaeological site that the IS had laid waste to a few months earlier. We were looking at this funny-looking digging machine that the IS had used to dig underground tunnels in Nimrud, when suddenly Samira popped up and greeted us. I did not immediately realise that this small, energetic Algerian woman, wearing an olive green hijab and a Go-Pro camera holder on her jacket, was a journalist. We got chatting. I saw no civilian car and so asked her how she had got there. She told us she had been sleeping on the base for a few days, to be able to follow operations more closely. I have to say I was surprised. Probably because of my "western biases" -- which I always think I have erased but which seem ready to bounce back into action whenever I am not paying attention -- meeting an Algerian woman, alone, on a military base, covering the most advanced frontline in Iraq, had an effect on me. I remember thinking: "How the hell does a woman manage to sleep alone on a base full of Iraqi soldiers, all of them men?" Well, she did and I immediately regretted my thought. If I was able to roam around Iraq alone, how on earth did I dare think a woman, just because she is a woman, could not do it? When they say destroying gender biases is a process which starts primarily with ourselves, they are absolutely correct. When they further say that the major problem lies on the men's side, they are again correct. I looked at Samira and immediately felt an enormous respect for her courage. She was on the field, no SUV, no expensive camera. She was just there, doing her job without making a fuss. I remember we spoke about her interest in Al-Hashd Al-Shabi and how, according to her, presenting the conflict through a sectarian lens was counterproductive and wrong. I did not entirely agree with her and we debated the point or at least tried to, in broken French from our side while she of course spoke the language perfectly. After some ten minutes, an Iraqi officer came, his fatigues a little messy because of his sudden and early awakening. He lit a cigarette and invited us to have tea and dates while waiting for the formalities. We said goodbye to Samira and followed the officer. Samira's condition reminds us once again how dangerous it is to be a war reporter, and that safety must always come first. Journalists who report on conflicts are highly exposed to risk. Covering the Mosul offensive is especially dangerous because it is made up mostly of unconventional guerrilla warfare fought inside cities, with the enemy using ambushes and suicide attacks. Samira obviously does know what transpired in my mind after I met her, nor perhaps does she imagine how many times I have spoken about her with many colleagues and friends. I had often thought of getting in touch with her again, maybe even writing something about her experience, something which could have helped dismantle the damaging, superficial and unfortunately common cliché of the Arab woman. Too many people too many times consider Arab women a single category of oppressed individuals subjected alternatively to men and religion whereas, exactly as it is for men, theirs is a composite and diverse universe with countless experiences of freedom and suffering, satisfaction and frustration. I wish I was writing about her under any other circumstance but this one. I hope she gets well soon.

That Algerian woman war reporter in Iraq

Chancellor Angela Merkel said the global fight against terrorism does not warrant putting groups of people under suspicion, adding US President Donald Trump&#39;s order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States violates the spirit of international cooperation.

&quot;The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain people under general suspicion - in this case&nbsp;people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin,&quot; Merkel told a news conference in Berlin.

&quot;In my opinion, this act runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee help and international cooperation,&quot; she said. &quot;The chancellery and the foreign ministry will do everything they can, especially for those dual citizens affected, to clear up the legal ramifications and to emphatically represent their interests under the law.&quot;

She added: &quot;We&#39;re clearly having close consultations with our European partners about this entire issue.&quot;

President Donald Trump in an executive order had&nbsp;banned nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries namely Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for at least the next 90 days.&nbsp;

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While signing the new immigration order at the Pentagon ceremony, Trump said that the government will impose tighter vetting to prevent foreign terrorists from entering the United States. Here&#39;s more to this story. (WION)
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President Trump reacted strongly against the protests tweeting twice early on Monday morning justifying his stance on the matter.

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If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the &quot;bad&quot; would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad &quot;dudes&quot; out there!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826060143825666051">January 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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There is nothing nice about searching for terrorists before they can enter our country. This was a big part of my campaign. Study the world!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826044059647107073">January 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

There were protests in Europe and West Asia with even US citizens demonstrating against President Trump&#39;s executive order. Demonstrators shut down the traffic loop at Los Angeles International Airport and shouted slogans during a protest against the travel ban imposed by President Trump.

In Britain, people have signed a petition calling for President Trump&#39;s planned state visit to be cancelled to avoid embarrassing Queen Elizabeth, a grassroots backlash against his immigration policies.

The invitation to make a state visit, which will involve lavish displays of royal pageantry and a banquet hosted by the monarch, was conveyed by Prime Minister Theresa May when she visited Trump in Washington last week.

But May came under pressure to cancel the visit after Trump issued an executive order barring Syrian refugees from the United States and suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, sparking protests at home and abroad.

The petition against the state visit, which is on the British parliament&#39;s website, passed the one million mark on Monday morning and by mid-afternoon local time had over 1.3 million signatories.

Guy Verhofstadt, one of the EU&#39;s top officials and its chief Brexit negotiator said President Donald Trump is part of a three-pronged attempt to undermine the European Union. The other two threats were from radicalised Islam and from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Verhofstadt said was also working against the progress of the European Union project.&nbsp;

&quot;We have a third front, for the moment, undermining the European Union, and it is Donald Trump,&quot; Verhofstadt said in a speech at the Chatham House think-tank. &quot;Trump spoke very favourably of the fact that also other countries will want to break away from the European Union, and that he hoped for a disintegration of the European Union.&quot;

Verhofstadt served for nine years as prime minister of Belgium and has served in the European Parliament since 2009.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

There were protests in Europe and West Asia with even US citizens demonstrating against Trump's travel ban aimed at seven countries

Chancellor Angela Merkel said the global fight against terrorism does not warrant putting groups of people under suspicion, adding US President Donald Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States violates the spirit of international cooperation. "The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain people under general suspicion - in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain origin," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin. "In my opinion, this act runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee help and international cooperation," she said. "The chancellery and the foreign ministry will do everything they can, especially for those dual citizens affected, to clear up the legal ramifications and to emphatically represent their interests under the law." She added: "We're clearly having close consultations with our European partners about this entire issue." President Donald Trump in an executive order had banned nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries namely Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for at least the next 90 days. While signing the new immigration order at the Pentagon ceremony, Trump said that the government will impose tighter vetting to prevent foreign terrorists from entering the United States. Here's more to this story. (WION) × President Trump reacted strongly against the protests tweeting twice early on Monday morning justifying his stance on the matter. If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 × There is nothing nice about searching for terrorists before they can enter our country. This was a big part of my campaign. Study the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 × There were protests in Europe and West Asia with even US citizens demonstrating against President Trump's executive order. Demonstrators shut down the traffic loop at Los Angeles International Airport and shouted slogans during a protest against the travel ban imposed by President Trump. In Britain, people have signed a petition calling for President Trump's planned state visit to be cancelled to avoid embarrassing Queen Elizabeth, a grassroots backlash against his immigration policies. The invitation to make a state visit, which will involve lavish displays of royal pageantry and a banquet hosted by the monarch, was conveyed by Prime Minister Theresa May when she visited Trump in Washington last week. But May came under pressure to cancel the visit after Trump issued an executive order barring Syrian refugees from the United States and suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, sparking protests at home and abroad. The petition against the state visit, which is on the British parliament's website, passed the one million mark on Monday morning and by mid-afternoon local time had over 1.3 million signatories. Guy Verhofstadt, one of the EU's top officials and its chief Brexit negotiator said President Donald Trump is part of a three-pronged attempt to undermine the European Union. The other two threats were from radicalised Islam and from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Verhofstadt said was also working against the progress of the European Union project. "We have a third front, for the moment, undermining the European Union, and it is Donald Trump," Verhofstadt said in a speech at the Chatham House think-tank. "Trump spoke very favourably of the fact that also other countries will want to break away from the European Union, and that he hoped for a disintegration of the European Union." Verhofstadt served for nine years as prime minister of Belgium and has served in the European Parliament since 2009. (Reuters)

Terror fight does not justify US travel ban: German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists&#39; last major Iraqi stronghold.

Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold.

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground.

A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier.

The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between.

&quot;Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing,&quot; Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex.

Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire.

During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air.

They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy&#39;s lines.

Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul.

Lise Grande, UN&nbsp;humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces.

She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area.

&quot;Siege is a very real possibility. We don&#39;t know if that will happen, but we&#39;re worried that it might,&quot; she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies.

Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway.

Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them.

But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military&#39;s advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea.

Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul.

&quot;They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources,&quot; she said.

CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign.

Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week.

The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi&#39;ite militias.

Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones.

Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government&#39;s Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was &quot;on the verge of collapse&quot;. His region&#39;s peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city.

Islamic State&#39;s loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West.

(Reuters)

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold. Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground. A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier. The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between. "Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing," Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex. Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire. During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air. They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy's lines. Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul. Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces. She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area. "Siege is a very real possibility. We don't know if that will happen, but we're worried that it might," she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies. Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway. Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them. But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military's advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea. Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul. "They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources," she said. CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign. Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week. The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias. Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones. Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was "on the verge of collapse". His region's peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city. Islamic State's loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces push further into northeast Mosul

Germany took in 280,000 asylum seekers in 2016, about one-third of the previous year`s record figure, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday.

At the height of the huge refugee and migrant influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy.

The migration office said that it received about 745,000 asylum requests in 2016 from people who had arrived that year or the year before.

Of these, 36 per cent were from refugees from war-torn Syria, 17 per cent&nbsp;Afghans and 13 percent&nbsp;Iraqis, it said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces an election expected in September, has been harshly criticised for the mass inflow, and her government has taken a series of measures to reduce arrivals.

The reduced numbers for 2016 &quot;show that the measures which the German government and the European Union have taken are working,&quot; said de Maiziere at a press conference.&nbsp;

&quot;We have managed to bring order to the migrant situation,&quot; he added.

The mass influx eased off sharply in early 2016 after several Balkans transit countries shuttered their borders.

The EU also reached a controversial deal with Turkey, spearheaded by Germany, to stop the influx to the Greek islands.

In further measures, Berlin declared some western Balkans states &quot;safe countries of origin&quot;, making it harder for their citizens to obtain refugee status in Germany.

It is seeking similar designations for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and also plans to pressure the Maghreb countries, possibly by denying foreign aid, if they drag their feet on taking back rejected asylum seekers.

(AFP)

At the height of the refugee influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy

Germany took in 280,000 asylum seekers in 2016, about one-third of the previous year`s record figure, interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday. At the height of the huge refugee and migrant influx to Europe in 2015, a total of 890,000 people came seeking safe haven in the EU`s top economy. The migration office said that it received about 745,000 asylum requests in 2016 from people who had arrived that year or the year before. Of these, 36 per cent were from refugees from war-torn Syria, 17 per cent Afghans and 13 percent Iraqis, it said. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces an election expected in September, has been harshly criticised for the mass inflow, and her government has taken a series of measures to reduce arrivals. The reduced numbers for 2016 "show that the measures which the German government and the European Union have taken are working," said de Maiziere at a press conference. "We have managed to bring order to the migrant situation," he added. The mass influx eased off sharply in early 2016 after several Balkans transit countries shuttered their borders. The EU also reached a controversial deal with Turkey, spearheaded by Germany, to stop the influx to the Greek islands. In further measures, Berlin declared some western Balkans states "safe countries of origin", making it harder for their citizens to obtain refugee status in Germany. It is seeking similar designations for Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and also plans to pressure the Maghreb countries, possibly by denying foreign aid, if they drag their feet on taking back rejected asylum seekers. (AFP)

Germany's interior minister: Asylum-seeker arrivals down two-thirds in 2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope that the dialogue between Turkey and the United States will gain momentum after Presdient-elect Donald Trump takes office, Reuters reported.

He hoped of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president.

&quot;I believe we will accelerate dialogue when Mr Trump takes office. I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr Trump, particularly on regional issues,&quot; Erdogan told Turkish ambassadors gathered in Ankara for an annual conference, Reuters reported.

Turkey is a key NATO ally crucial to the US-led campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. 
&nbsp; 
Relations between the US and the Turkey have been strained after a failed coup attempt last year sought to overthrow the Turkish president.&nbsp;

Erdogan blames the failed coup attempt on Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in US.

Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen.

Another important issue that has created a rift between the two allies is US support for the YPG militia, a Syrian Kurdish group that is fighting the Islamic State.

Turkey sees the group as an extension of the PKK, which is behind a string of terror attacks in Turkey and seeks to achieve its goal of Kurdish autonomy.

Turkey&#39;s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey expects Washington to extradite Gulen and end its cooperation with the Syrian YPG militia, Reuters reported.

The US on its part has skirted the issue of extradition by passing the responsibilty of extradition to the courts.

Trump&#39;s policy on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia is unclear.&nbsp;

Trump, however, has clearly outlined that his priority is to fight the Islamic State and not to force Assad out of power, something that Turkey has long desired.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey hopes of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope that the dialogue between Turkey and the United States will gain momentum after Presdient-elect Donald Trump takes office, Reuters reported. He hoped of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president. "I believe we will accelerate dialogue when Mr Trump takes office. I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr Trump, particularly on regional issues," Erdogan told Turkish ambassadors gathered in Ankara for an annual conference, Reuters reported. Turkey is a key NATO ally crucial to the US-led campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Relations between the US and the Turkey have been strained after a failed coup attempt last year sought to overthrow the Turkish president. Erdogan blames the failed coup attempt on Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in US. Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen. Another important issue that has created a rift between the two allies is US support for the YPG militia, a Syrian Kurdish group that is fighting the Islamic State. Turkey sees the group as an extension of the PKK, which is behind a string of terror attacks in Turkey and seeks to achieve its goal of Kurdish autonomy. Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey expects Washington to extradite Gulen and end its cooperation with the Syrian YPG militia, Reuters reported. The US on its part has skirted the issue of extradition by passing the responsibilty of extradition to the courts. Trump's policy on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia is unclear. Trump, however, has clearly outlined that his priority is to fight the Islamic State and not to force Assad out of power, something that Turkey has long desired. (With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey looks forward to improving ties with US during Trump presidency

Iran&#39;s former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday, was a pivotal figure in the foundation of the Islamic republic in 1979 and he continued to shape it.

The pugnacious ayatollah, who was 82, was pronounced dead at a hospital in northern Tehran after suffering a heart attack, news agencies reported.

Rafsanjani&#39;s presidency, a breathing space after the end of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, was marked by reconstruction, cautious reform and repairs to Iran&#39;s relations with its Arab neighbours.

But it was also marred by human rights violations, rampant inflation and difficult relations with Europe, not least with Britain after the &quot;death sentence&quot;, or fatwa, handed down to writer Salman Rushdie by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the revolution.

After serving a maximum two consecutive terms, Rafsanjani played an important role in the election of the reformist Mohammad Khatami, who succeeded him as president from 1997 to 2005.

Rafsanjani was thrashed in the 2005 presidential election by hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a conservative backlash.

Rather than retreating from public view because of that humiliation, he remained in the limelight, emerging as a moderate counter-figure to the ultra-hardliners clustered around Ahmadinejad, under whom Iran&#39;s relations with the West plummeted.

But his intervention at Friday prayers after Ahmadinejad&#39;s disputed re-election in 2009 ultimately saw him slip outside the regime&#39;s most inner circle, being dubbed a traitor by some conservative foes.

Speaking after authorities had launched a crackdown that killed some of those who protested against Ahmadinejad&#39;s contested poll victory, Rafsanjani condemned the use of lethal force.

Sidelined but influential

&quot;Today is a bitter day. People have lost their faith in the regime and their trust is damaged,&quot; he said at the time, sympathising with the families of the dead and attacking the lack of freedom of expression.

&quot;It is necessary that we regain people&#39;s consent and their trust in the regime,&quot; he said in an explosive speech that sparked more demonstrations and another crackdown by security forces.

Rafsanjani was never seen again giving the Friday prayer sermon, the highest spiritual event of the week since the revolution.

A major test of how successful Rafsanjani&#39;s recovery was came in the 2013 presidential elections, seen as a confrontation between hardliners and more moderate forces, whom he supported.

His candidature was controversially rejected on the basis of his age.

The following year he delivered crucial support for the eventual winner, Hassan Rouhani, a moderate with whom he had a warm rapport.

He was an important backer of the deal Rouhani struck with world powers for sanctions to be lifted in exchange for curbs on Iran&#39;s nuclear programme.

Rafsanjani was always a member of Iran&#39;s top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, charged with appointing -- and if required dismissing -- the country&#39;s supreme leader. He chaired the influential committee for several years.

He also held the chairmanship of Iran&#39;s main political arbitration body, the Expediency Council, since 1990, when he was appointed by Khomeini&#39;s successor and current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Rafsanjani remained influential in his latter years, though his political journey embodied the risks posed by standing out and challenging accepted convention among Iran&#39;s power elite.

A political kingmaker

Rafsanjani never shied away from contrary statements, including endorsing relations with the United States -- the &quot;Great Satan&quot; as the founder of the revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called it.

He also caused a stir by saying in one of his memoirs -- already a six-volume magnum opus -- that Khomeini wanted to drop the mantra of &quot;Death to America&quot;.

When Rouhani succeeded in clinching the nuclear deal with the US and other world powers, Rafsanjani hailed the diplomacy for ending years of tensions.

&quot;The (domestic) warmongers think our dignity depends on getting world extremists to like us, which is always easy to achieve,&quot; he said of the principle of negotiation.

The country should interact and &quot;participate in world affairs,&quot; he argued.&nbsp;

Rafsanjani, son of a wealthy pistachio farmer, had impeccable revolutionary credentials: he studied theology in the Shiite clerical nerve centre of Qom, was frequently arrested by the shah&#39;s secret police and became an early follower of Khomeini.

This masked his more pragmatic side.

His daughter Faezeh Hashemi was a leading champion of women&#39;s rights and a magazine publisher who became instrumental in helping women take part in competitive sports reversing post-revolution bans.

But there was controversy also.

Faezeh spoke out in favour of the pro-democracy Green Movement after the 2009 tumult. She spent six months in jail after later being convicted of committing propaganda against the regime.

And Rafsanjani&#39;s son, Mehdi, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for financial and security crimes in 2015, although he insisted his conviction was politically motivated.

While all his offspring have taken positions in public life, his wife Efat Marashi -- the couple had five children -- has remained in the shadows. All survive him.

(AFP)

His presidency after the Iran-Iraq War was marked by reconstruction, cautious reform and repairs to Iran's relations with its neighbours

Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday, was a pivotal figure in the foundation of the Islamic republic in 1979 and he continued to shape it. The pugnacious ayatollah, who was 82, was pronounced dead at a hospital in northern Tehran after suffering a heart attack, news agencies reported. Rafsanjani's presidency, a breathing space after the end of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, was marked by reconstruction, cautious reform and repairs to Iran's relations with its Arab neighbours. But it was also marred by human rights violations, rampant inflation and difficult relations with Europe, not least with Britain after the "death sentence", or fatwa, handed down to writer Salman Rushdie by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the revolution. After serving a maximum two consecutive terms, Rafsanjani played an important role in the election of the reformist Mohammad Khatami, who succeeded him as president from 1997 to 2005. Rafsanjani was thrashed in the 2005 presidential election by hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a conservative backlash. Rather than retreating from public view because of that humiliation, he remained in the limelight, emerging as a moderate counter-figure to the ultra-hardliners clustered around Ahmadinejad, under whom Iran's relations with the West plummeted. But his intervention at Friday prayers after Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009 ultimately saw him slip outside the regime's most inner circle, being dubbed a traitor by some conservative foes. Speaking after authorities had launched a crackdown that killed some of those who protested against Ahmadinejad's contested poll victory, Rafsanjani condemned the use of lethal force. Sidelined but influential "Today is a bitter day. People have lost their faith in the regime and their trust is damaged," he said at the time, sympathising with the families of the dead and attacking the lack of freedom of expression. "It is necessary that we regain people's consent and their trust in the regime," he said in an explosive speech that sparked more demonstrations and another crackdown by security forces. Rafsanjani was never seen again giving the Friday prayer sermon, the highest spiritual event of the week since the revolution. A major test of how successful Rafsanjani's recovery was came in the 2013 presidential elections, seen as a confrontation between hardliners and more moderate forces, whom he supported. His candidature was controversially rejected on the basis of his age. The following year he delivered crucial support for the eventual winner, Hassan Rouhani, a moderate with whom he had a warm rapport. He was an important backer of the deal Rouhani struck with world powers for sanctions to be lifted in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme. Rafsanjani was always a member of Iran's top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, charged with appointing -- and if required dismissing -- the country's supreme leader. He chaired the influential committee for several years. He also held the chairmanship of Iran's main political arbitration body, the Expediency Council, since 1990, when he was appointed by Khomeini's successor and current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rafsanjani remained influential in his latter years, though his political journey embodied the risks posed by standing out and challenging accepted convention among Iran's power elite. A political kingmaker Rafsanjani never shied away from contrary statements, including endorsing relations with the United States -- the "Great Satan" as the founder of the revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called it. He also caused a stir by saying in one of his memoirs -- already a six-volume magnum opus -- that Khomeini wanted to drop the mantra of "Death to America". When Rouhani succeeded in clinching the nuclear deal with the US and other world powers, Rafsanjani hailed the diplomacy for ending years of tensions. "The (domestic) warmongers think our dignity depends on getting world extremists to like us, which is always easy to achieve," he said of the principle of negotiation. The country should interact and "participate in world affairs," he argued. Rafsanjani, son of a wealthy pistachio farmer, had impeccable revolutionary credentials: he studied theology in the Shiite clerical nerve centre of Qom, was frequently arrested by the shah's secret police and became an early follower of Khomeini. This masked his more pragmatic side. His daughter Faezeh Hashemi was a leading champion of women's rights and a magazine publisher who became instrumental in helping women take part in competitive sports reversing post-revolution bans. But there was controversy also. Faezeh spoke out in favour of the pro-democracy Green Movement after the 2009 tumult. She spent six months in jail after later being convicted of committing propaganda against the regime. And Rafsanjani's son, Mehdi, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for financial and security crimes in 2015, although he insisted his conviction was politically motivated. While all his offspring have taken positions in public life, his wife Efat Marashi -- the couple had five children -- has remained in the shadows. All survive him. (AFP)

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani: Iran's evolving revolutionary

The commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq has said that the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State militants in Mosul has gained momentum.

US army Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend has also said that the coordination between the Iraqi army and the security forces was largely absent in the first two months of the campaign, Reuters reported.

Lack of coordination between the Iraq army and the security forces was one of the reason that the campaign had stalled last month.

A decisive victory in Mosul will be the final nail in the coffin for the so-called Islamic Caliphate.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Lack of coordination between Iraq army and Security forces was one reason for the pause

The commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq has said that the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State militants in Mosul has gained momentum. US army Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend has also said that the coordination between the Iraqi army and the security forces was largely absent in the first two months of the campaign, Reuters reported. Lack of coordination between the Iraq army and the security forces was one of the reason that the campaign had stalled last month. A decisive victory in Mosul will be the final nail in the coffin for the so-called Islamic Caliphate. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Campaign against IS gaining momentum in Mosul, says senior US army commander

After a strategic break meant to&nbsp;relieve troops after&nbsp;two months of intense&nbsp;urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces launched a new wave of attacks to retake Mosul, the last stronghold&nbsp;and the de facto capital city of&nbsp;the Islamic State in Iraq.&nbsp;

The Iraqi army is now conducting a multi-axis advance, and according to the US Department of Defense two new fronts have been opened to increase pressure on the terrorists still fighting in the city.&nbsp;

Pentagon sources told CNN they have no reason to think that&nbsp;IS leader Abu Bakhr al-Baghdadi is dead.&nbsp;The reward for information leading to his capture is now at $25 million.

&nbsp;

Humanitarian challenges

The major challenge in the Mosul offensive is the presence of many civilians within the city. There are no official figures on the current situation, but before the offensive begun the population was believed to be close to one million.&nbsp;

When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A&nbsp;mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 3,125 civilians have been injured in Mosul since the army entered the city in early&nbsp;November. That&#39;s a rate of about&nbsp;approximately 50 persons per day.&nbsp;

As the Iraqi army advances, more and more citizens decide to&nbsp;leave their home. The new round of attacks caused an increase in the number of people fleeing with as many as 13,000&nbsp;running away in the first days. &nbsp;

Since&nbsp;the offensive started on October 17, the <a href="http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Situation%20Report_14_Mosul%20final.pdf">United Nation says</a>&nbsp;that as many as 125,569 civilians have abandoned their home. The majority of them&nbsp;now live&nbsp;in the many refugee camps in northern Iraq, where a severe winter hits hard. The region sees temperatures which easily drop below zero during the night.&nbsp;

Some Iraqis who fled war&nbsp;are slowly deciding to go back as soon as their neighbourhoods&nbsp;are declared safe. The OCHA says that as many 14,000 people have currently returned.

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A fundamental part of the Mosul offensive is dictated&nbsp;by the five bridges that cross&nbsp;the Tigris river,&nbsp;connecting the eastern and the western parts of the city. The bridges are&nbsp;the only way terrorists have to move between the two sides and partially escape isolation. All major roads from and to the city are in fact cut off by troops, so&nbsp;the only possibility for them to fight is to move within Mosul and organise as many ambushes as possible. Between December 26&nbsp;and 27, at the request of the Iraqi army, US-led coalition forces disabled three bridges.&nbsp;

While this is militarily significant, it is also&nbsp;concerning for all those&nbsp;living&nbsp;in&nbsp;western Mosul, now suffering complete isolation. No humanitarian agency has access to the area.&nbsp;

OCHA reports that due to scarcity of food, prices are skyrocketing and many &quot;water boreholes in the eastern part of the city are drying up or turning brackish from overuse&quot;.&nbsp;

The Mosul humanitarian emergency adds a problem to a country already devastated by more than ten years of conflict, from the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein to the current fight against the Islamic State.

In 2016 alone,&nbsp;war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.

That&#39;s nearly one life per hour.

While the Iraqi army is achieving moderate gains against IS, no matter how well they fight, destruction and death is inevitable.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Some Iraqis who fled?are slowly deciding to go back to their neighbourhoods, but in 2016 war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead

After a strategic break meant to relieve troops after two months of intense urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces launched a new wave of attacks to retake Mosul, the last stronghold and the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. The Iraqi army is now conducting a multi-axis advance, and according to the US Department of Defense two new fronts have been opened to increase pressure on the terrorists still fighting in the city. Pentagon sources told CNN they have no reason to think that IS leader Abu Bakhr al-Baghdadi is dead. The reward for information leading to his capture is now at $25 million. Humanitarian challenges The major challenge in the Mosul offensive is the presence of many civilians within the city. There are no official figures on the current situation, but before the offensive begun the population was believed to be close to one million. When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 3,125 civilians have been injured in Mosul since the army entered the city in early November. That's a rate of about approximately 50 persons per day. As the Iraqi army advances, more and more citizens decide to leave their home. The new round of attacks caused an increase in the number of people fleeing with as many as 13,000 running away in the first days. Since the offensive started on October 17, the United Nation says that as many as 125,569 civilians have abandoned their home. The majority of them now live in the many refugee camps in northern Iraq, where a severe winter hits hard. The region sees temperatures which easily drop below zero during the night. Some Iraqis who fled war are slowly deciding to go back as soon as their neighbourhoods are declared safe. The OCHA says that as many 14,000 people have currently returned. When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. × A fundamental part of the Mosul offensive is dictated by the five bridges that cross the Tigris river, connecting the eastern and the western parts of the city. The bridges are the only way terrorists have to move between the two sides and partially escape isolation. All major roads from and to the city are in fact cut off by troops, so the only possibility for them to fight is to move within Mosul and organise as many ambushes as possible. Between December 26 and 27, at the request of the Iraqi army, US-led coalition forces disabled three bridges. While this is militarily significant, it is also concerning for all those living in western Mosul, now suffering complete isolation. No humanitarian agency has access to the area. OCHA reports that due to scarcity of food, prices are skyrocketing and many "water boreholes in the eastern part of the city are drying up or turning brackish from overuse". The Mosul humanitarian emergency adds a problem to a country already devastated by more than ten years of conflict, from the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein to the current fight against the Islamic State. In 2016 alone, war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. That's nearly one life per hour. While the Iraqi army is achieving moderate gains against IS, no matter how well they fight, destruction and death is inevitable. (WION)

Mosul's humanitarian crisis continues as Iraqi forces fight IS

Islamic State attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, killing seven policemen as government forces in the north made more gains against the militants in Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country.

The Najaf attack, which involved gunmen and a suicide car bomb, followed blasts a day earlier in Baghdad that left 29 people dead, a reminder of Islamic State&#39;s continued ability to operate away from territory under its control.

The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for the group&#39;s self-styled caliphate in it areas seised in 2014, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West.

Since the US-backed offensive began on October&nbsp;17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of Mosul in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of the country by April.

The second phase of the campaign launched on Thursday following weeks of deadlock has pushed Islamic State out of several more areas despite fierce resistance.

The fourth day of the renewed push saw incremental advances on the eastern and southeastern fronts.

A military statement said the counter-terrorism forces had retaken part of Karama district. A federal police officer said Iraqi forces had taken near total control of Intisar and Siha neighbourhoods, and were clearing Salam.

&quot;For the fourth day in a row, federal police units supported by the army are on the offensive,&quot; he told Reuters at a forward base in Intisar.

The attack near Najaf, 500 kilometres&nbsp;south of Mosul, happened when two vehicles travelling through the desert were stopped at a police checkpoint around al-Qadisiya town, local police sources said. The driver detonated an explosive load and the second vehicle fled. Police pursued it and killed the two militants inside.

In a statement distributed online by supporters, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 17 people including civilians. It said four gunmen had opened fire before detonating explosive vests and then a fifth assailant launched a suicide car bomb. It was not immediately possible to reconcile those accounts.

&nbsp;

Fleeing Civilians

Although the militants are vastly outnumbered in Mosul, they have embedded themselves among residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected.

Thousands more people have fled their homes since the military&#39;s new push began, many under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by Islamic State. Families leaving Mithaq district on Sunday had to climb over earthen berms the military has built across roads to block car bombs.

One resident reached by phone in eastern Mosul said he had never seen such heavy bombardment. Several civilians were wounded when a mortar fell in his street, but they could not be ferried to the hospital on the western side of the city because air strikes have taken all the bridges out of service.

&quot;One of them is my friend. His stomach is bleeding badly. We found a doctor in the neighbourhood to treat him but I fear he will die if he stays like this for long,&quot; he said.

A resident of Karama district said Islamic State had begun forcing residents out of some areas, burning the cars of residents who refused to move. &quot;They want to clear out the neighbourhood before the Iraqi forces enter,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The attack came in the southern city of Najaf, as government forces make gains against IS in Mosul, the group's last stronghold in Iraq

Islamic State attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, killing seven policemen as government forces in the north made more gains against the militants in Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country. The Najaf attack, which involved gunmen and a suicide car bomb, followed blasts a day earlier in Baghdad that left 29 people dead, a reminder of Islamic State's continued ability to operate away from territory under its control. The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for the group's self-styled caliphate in it areas seised in 2014, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West. Since the US-backed offensive began on October 17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of Mosul in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of the country by April. The second phase of the campaign launched on Thursday following weeks of deadlock has pushed Islamic State out of several more areas despite fierce resistance. The fourth day of the renewed push saw incremental advances on the eastern and southeastern fronts. A military statement said the counter-terrorism forces had retaken part of Karama district. A federal police officer said Iraqi forces had taken near total control of Intisar and Siha neighbourhoods, and were clearing Salam. "For the fourth day in a row, federal police units supported by the army are on the offensive," he told Reuters at a forward base in Intisar. The attack near Najaf, 500 kilometres south of Mosul, happened when two vehicles travelling through the desert were stopped at a police checkpoint around al-Qadisiya town, local police sources said. The driver detonated an explosive load and the second vehicle fled. Police pursued it and killed the two militants inside. In a statement distributed online by supporters, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 17 people including civilians. It said four gunmen had opened fire before detonating explosive vests and then a fifth assailant launched a suicide car bomb. It was not immediately possible to reconcile those accounts. Fleeing Civilians Although the militants are vastly outnumbered in Mosul, they have embedded themselves among residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected. Thousands more people have fled their homes since the military's new push began, many under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by Islamic State. Families leaving Mithaq district on Sunday had to climb over earthen berms the military has built across roads to block car bombs. One resident reached by phone in eastern Mosul said he had never seen such heavy bombardment. Several civilians were wounded when a mortar fell in his street, but they could not be ferried to the hospital on the western side of the city because air strikes have taken all the bridges out of service. "One of them is my friend. His stomach is bleeding badly. We found a doctor in the neighbourhood to treat him but I fear he will die if he stays like this for long," he said. A resident of Karama district said Islamic State had begun forcing residents out of some areas, burning the cars of residents who refused to move. "They want to clear out the neighbourhood before the Iraqi forces enter," he said. (Reuters)

Islamic State attacks Iraqi police; 7 dead, 17 wounded

Iraqi forces launched the multi-pronged &quot;second phase&quot; of the battle to retake eastern Mosul from jihadists today, a top commander said.

Iraqi forces punched into eastern Mosul after the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, but progress slowed to a crawl.

&quot;The second phase of liberating the left bank in Mosul was launched, and our forces began advancing toward Al-Quds neighbourhood,&quot; Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior officer in Iraq&#39;s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), told AFP.

Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which IS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right.

&quot;Now our forces clashed with the enemy and there is resistance,&quot; he said, adding that forces on the northern and southern fronts were also advancing.

Iraqi forces north and south of Mosul had so far remained outside the city, with the brunt of the fighting inside it being carried out by the CTS.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had pledged that Mosul would be recaptured by year&#39;s end -- a goal that is now out of reach, as operations in western Mosul have yet to begin.

Abadi also said earlier this week that three months were needed to eliminate IS in Iraq.

(AFP)

Iraq's prime minister said Islamic State would be out of the country by year's end, but this week said it would take another three months

Iraqi forces launched the multi-pronged "second phase" of the battle to retake eastern Mosul from jihadists today, a top commander said. Iraqi forces punched into eastern Mosul after the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, but progress slowed to a crawl. "The second phase of liberating the left bank in Mosul was launched, and our forces began advancing toward Al-Quds neighbourhood," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior officer in Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), told AFP. Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which IS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right. "Now our forces clashed with the enemy and there is resistance," he said, adding that forces on the northern and southern fronts were also advancing. Iraqi forces north and south of Mosul had so far remained outside the city, with the brunt of the fighting inside it being carried out by the CTS. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had pledged that Mosul would be recaptured by year's end -- a goal that is now out of reach, as operations in western Mosul have yet to begin. Abadi also said earlier this week that three months were needed to eliminate IS in Iraq. (AFP)

Iraq forces launch 'second phase' of east Mosul battle

Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a US&nbsp;battlefield commander said, in a new phase of the two-month-old operation that will see American troops deployed closer to the front line in the city.

The battle for Mosul, involving 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi&#39;ite militiamen, is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. The upcoming phase appears likely to give American troops their biggest combat role since they fulfilled President Barack Obama&#39;s pledge to withdraw from Iraq in 2011.

Elite Iraqi soldiers have retaken a quarter of Mosul, the jihadists&#39; last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and punishing. They entered a planned &quot;operational refit&quot; this month, the first significant pause of the campaign.

A heavily armoured unit of several thousand federal police was redeployed from the southern outskirts two weeks ago to reinforce the eastern front after army units advised by the Americans suffered heavy losses in an Islamic State counter-attack.

US&nbsp;advisers, part of an international coalition that has conducted thousands of air strikes and trained tens of thousands of Iraqi ground troops, will work directly with those forces and an elite Interior Ministry strike force.

&quot;Right now we&#39;re staging really for the next phase of the attack as we start the penetration into the interior of east Mosul,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Stuart James, commander of a combat arms battalion assisting Iraqi security forces on the southeastern front, said in a Reuters interview late on Sunday.

&quot;So right now, positioning forces and positioning men and equipment into the interior of east Mosul...it&#39;s going to happen in the next several days.&quot;

That will put US&nbsp;troops inside of Mosul proper and at greater risk, though James said the danger level was still characterised as &quot;moderate&quot;. Three US&nbsp;servicemen have been killed in northern Iraq in the past 15 months.

James, speaking from an austere outpost east of Mosul where several hundred US&nbsp;troops are stationed, said the pace of the upcoming phase on the eastern side would depend on resistance from Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.

&quot;If we achieve great success on the first day and we gain momentum, then it may go very quickly. If Daesh fights very hard the first day and we run into a roadblock and we have to go back and go OK that was not the correct point of penetration, it may take longer,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Integration

Further integration with the Iraqi troops - to what commanders described as an unprecedented level for conventional US&nbsp;forces - will help synchronise surveillance, air support and force movement, according to James.

&quot;It increases our situational understanding. The man on the ground knows what&#39;s going on best,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s just better when they&#39;re on the ground talking to each other and saying, &#39;Hey, have you looked at that area over there? That&#39;s decisive terrain. Have you thought about putting forces there?&#39;&quot;

Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State anywhere across its once vast territorial holdings in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has been held by the group since its fighters drove the US-trained army out in June 2014.

Its fall would probably end Islamic State&#39;s ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate, but the fighters could still mount a traditional insurgency in Iraq, and plot or inspire attacks on the West.

A multi-ethnic city where up to 1.5 million people of a pre-war population of around two&nbsp;million are still thought to be living, Mosul is divided roughly in half by the Tigris River. The western section, which Iraqi forces have yet to penetrate, has built-up markets and ancient narrow alleyways which will complicate future advances.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had said he would win Mosul back by the end of this year, a deadline now certain to be missed. His commanders say their advance was held up by the need to protect civilians, fewer of whom fled than initially expected.

Inclement weather has repeatedly delayed ground advances which rely heavily on aerial surveillance and air strikes.

(Reuters)

Mosul's fall would probably end Islamic State's ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate

Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a US battlefield commander said, in a new phase of the two-month-old operation that will see American troops deployed closer to the front line in the city. The battle for Mosul, involving 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi'ite militiamen, is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. The upcoming phase appears likely to give American troops their biggest combat role since they fulfilled President Barack Obama's pledge to withdraw from Iraq in 2011. Elite Iraqi soldiers have retaken a quarter of Mosul, the jihadists' last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and punishing. They entered a planned "operational refit" this month, the first significant pause of the campaign. A heavily armoured unit of several thousand federal police was redeployed from the southern outskirts two weeks ago to reinforce the eastern front after army units advised by the Americans suffered heavy losses in an Islamic State counter-attack. US advisers, part of an international coalition that has conducted thousands of air strikes and trained tens of thousands of Iraqi ground troops, will work directly with those forces and an elite Interior Ministry strike force. "Right now we're staging really for the next phase of the attack as we start the penetration into the interior of east Mosul," Lieutenant Colonel Stuart James, commander of a combat arms battalion assisting Iraqi security forces on the southeastern front, said in a Reuters interview late on Sunday. "So right now, positioning forces and positioning men and equipment into the interior of east Mosul...it's going to happen in the next several days." That will put US troops inside of Mosul proper and at greater risk, though James said the danger level was still characterised as "moderate". Three US servicemen have been killed in northern Iraq in the past 15 months. James, speaking from an austere outpost east of Mosul where several hundred US troops are stationed, said the pace of the upcoming phase on the eastern side would depend on resistance from Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. "If we achieve great success on the first day and we gain momentum, then it may go very quickly. If Daesh fights very hard the first day and we run into a roadblock and we have to go back and go OK that was not the correct point of penetration, it may take longer," he said. Integration Further integration with the Iraqi troops - to what commanders described as an unprecedented level for conventional US forces - will help synchronise surveillance, air support and force movement, according to James. "It increases our situational understanding. The man on the ground knows what's going on best," he said. "It's just better when they're on the ground talking to each other and saying, 'Hey, have you looked at that area over there? That's decisive terrain. Have you thought about putting forces there?'" Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State anywhere across its once vast territorial holdings in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has been held by the group since its fighters drove the US-trained army out in June 2014. Its fall would probably end Islamic State's ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate, but the fighters could still mount a traditional insurgency in Iraq, and plot or inspire attacks on the West. A multi-ethnic city where up to 1.5 million people of a pre-war population of around two million are still thought to be living, Mosul is divided roughly in half by the Tigris River. The western section, which Iraqi forces have yet to penetrate, has built-up markets and ancient narrow alleyways which will complicate future advances. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had said he would win Mosul back by the end of this year, a deadline now certain to be missed. His commanders say their advance was held up by the need to protect civilians, fewer of whom fled than initially expected. Inclement weather has repeatedly delayed ground advances which rely heavily on aerial surveillance and air strikes. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces to advance on IS in east Mosul within days: US commander

An air strike in Iraq&rsquo;s &nbsp;jihadist-held western town of Al-Qaim, killed and wounded dozens of civilians on Wednesday, the parliament speaker said.

Local hospital sources told Reuters that 55 civilians were killed, including 12 women and 19 children, in three air strikes.

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&nbsp;

Bodies of eight militants were delivered to Qaim hospital morgue, Reuters said.

A lawmaker from Anbar, Ahmed al-Salmani, also said 55 civilians were killed.

Another lawmaker, Mohammed Karbouli, told Reuters that 60 people had been killed, including some of his relatives.

In a statement,&nbsp;Speaker Salim al-Juburi condemned the airstrike &quot;that targeted a market area for civilians and resulted in the death and injury of dozens of them.&quot;

Al-Juburi said he &quot;holds the government responsible for such mistakes&quot; and demanded an immediate probe.&nbsp;

If confirmed, the incident would be one of the worst cases of civilians being killed in strikes in Iraq since 2014, the start of the air campaign against the Islamic State.

While speaking to AFP, a spokesman for the provincial council of Anbar alleged that the strike was carried out by an Iraqi aircraft in the afternoon.

&quot;The strike hit a market at peak hour, there were retirees queueing up pick up their pension, people collecting salaries and social security payments,&quot; Eid Ammash said.

&quot;Entire families were killed,&quot; Ammash said.

Maath al-Jughaifi, a tribal leader from &nbsp;the nearest city of Haditha,&nbsp;told AFP that &nbsp;&quot;between 70 people and 80 people were killed&quot; in Al-Qaim but claimed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition.

An unverified footage released by Amaq, an IS-affiliated propaganda website, shows the aftermath of the strike and claimed 120 people were killed.

(WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Local hospital sources said 55 civilians, including 12 women and 19 children, were killed in three air strikes

An air strike in Iraq’s jihadist-held western town of Al-Qaim, killed and wounded dozens of civilians on Wednesday, the parliament speaker said. Local hospital sources told Reuters that 55 civilians were killed, including 12 women and 19 children, in three air strikes. If confirmed, the incident would be one of the worst cases of civilians being killed in strikes in Iraq since 2014, the start of the air campaign against Islamic State × Bodies of eight militants were delivered to Qaim hospital morgue, Reuters said. A lawmaker from Anbar, Ahmed al-Salmani, also said 55 civilians were killed. Another lawmaker, Mohammed Karbouli, told Reuters that 60 people had been killed, including some of his relatives. In a statement, Speaker Salim al-Juburi condemned the airstrike "that targeted a market area for civilians and resulted in the death and injury of dozens of them." Al-Juburi said he "holds the government responsible for such mistakes" and demanded an immediate probe. If confirmed, the incident would be one of the worst cases of civilians being killed in strikes in Iraq since 2014, the start of the air campaign against the Islamic State. While speaking to AFP, a spokesman for the provincial council of Anbar alleged that the strike was carried out by an Iraqi aircraft in the afternoon. "The strike hit a market at peak hour, there were retirees queueing up pick up their pension, people collecting salaries and social security payments," Eid Ammash said. "Entire families were killed," Ammash said. Maath al-Jughaifi, a tribal leader from the nearest city of Haditha, told AFP that "between 70 people and 80 people were killed" in Al-Qaim but claimed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition. An unverified footage released by Amaq, an IS-affiliated propaganda website, shows the aftermath of the strike and claimed 120 people were killed. (WION with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Air strikes kill dozens of civilians in rebel-held western Iraq: Lawmakers

A suicide bomb attack at an Iraqi gas station has killed at least 100 people, most of them Shia tourists from Iran, local authorities said.

Islamic State, which views Shias as apostates, has claimed responsibility for the attack in Iraq&#39;s hill city of Hilla, which is about 100 kilometres from Baghdad.

The victims were on their way back to Iran from&nbsp;the Iraqi Shi&#39;ite holy city of Kerbala, where they had commemorated Arbaeen, the 40th day of mourning for the killing of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in the 7th century AD, the medical sources said.

The attack took place at a gas station that is popular among travellers.&nbsp;

Five pilgrim buses were torched by the force of the blast from the explosives-laden truck, a police official said.&nbsp;

Islamic State has escalated attacks in areas that have gone out of their control, in a bid to slow down and weaken the Mosul offensive.

The attack on Shia tourists comes at a time when Shia militias have been at the forefront in the fight against IS in Iraq.

Iran&#39;s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack without giving a casualties toll. Tehran will continue to support Iraq&#39;s &#39;&#39;relentless fight against terrorism,&quot; ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State, which views Shias as apostates, has claimed responsibility for the attack

A suicide bomb attack at an Iraqi gas station has killed at least 100 people, most of them Shia tourists from Iran, local authorities said. Islamic State, which views Shias as apostates, has claimed responsibility for the attack in Iraq's hill city of Hilla, which is about 100 kilometres from Baghdad. The victims were on their way back to Iran from the Iraqi Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, where they had commemorated Arbaeen, the 40th day of mourning for the killing of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in the 7th century AD, the medical sources said. The attack took place at a gas station that is popular among travellers. Five pilgrim buses were torched by the force of the blast from the explosives-laden truck, a police official said. Islamic State has escalated attacks in areas that have gone out of their control, in a bid to slow down and weaken the Mosul offensive. The attack on Shia tourists comes at a time when Shia militias have been at the forefront in the fight against IS in Iraq. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack without giving a casualties toll. Tehran will continue to support Iraq's ''relentless fight against terrorism," ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iraq: Suicide truck bomb kills more than 100, mostly Shia pilgrims

Iraqi Shi&#39;ite militias were massing troops on Monday to cut remaining supply routes to Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major stronghold in Iraq, closing in on the road that links the Syrian and Iraqi parts of its self-declared &quot;Caliphate&quot;.

Six weeks into the US-backed offensive on Mosul, Islamic State is fighting in the area of Tal Afar, 60 km (40 miles) to the west, against a coalition of Iranian-backed groups known as Popular Mobilisation.

Cutting the western road to Tal Afar would seal off Mosul as the city is already surrounded to the north, south and east by Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

The government&#39;s US-trained Counter Terrorism Service unit breached Islamic State&#39;s defences at the end of October and is fighting to expand a foothold it gained on the eastern side of Mosul.

The road to Tal Afar is no longer safe, said a truck driver who used it two days ago to bring in fruit and vegetables from Raqqa, Islamic State&#39;s Syrian stronghold.

He said he saw three trucks burning on the road while fighting raged in the vicinity. &quot;This is the last time I drive on this road, it will be cut,&quot; he told Reuters by telephone, asking not to be identified as the insurgents punish by death those caught communicating with the outside world.

A Popular Mobilisation spokesman said over the weekend that its forces were already advancing to the main highway as part of operations to seal off Mosul. A Reuters reporter said they were massing troops to finish encircling Tal Afar.

The Iraqi air force supporting Popular Mobilisation in their fight near Tal Afar carried out airstrikes that killed 15 insurgents, including a group that was hiding in a tunnel near Tal Afar airbase, according to a military statement published Sunday evening.

&nbsp;Turkish concerns

The campaign to capture Mosul started on October 17, with air and ground support from a US-led coalition. Popular Mobilisation joined the offensive at the end of October, attacking Tal Afar and capturing the airbase just south of the town on November 16.

The offensive on Tal Afar could draw in Turkey, which fears Iran&#39;s taking over a town mainly populated by ethnic Turkmen, Sunnis and Shi&#39;ites, and which lies close to the Syrian and Turkish borders.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara will respond if the militias &quot;cause terror&quot; in Tal Afar. 
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tried to allay fears of ethnic and sectarian killings in Tal Afar, saying any force sent to recapture it would reflect the city&#39;s diversity.

The Mosul campaign is turning into the biggest battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Iraqi military estimates put the number of insurgents in Mosul at 5,000 to 6,000, facing a 100,000-strong coalition of Iraqi government units, Peshmerga fighters and Shi&#39;ite militias.

A Mosul resident said airstrikes have intensified on the western part of the city, which is divided by the Tigris river running through its centre. The strikes seemed to be targeting an industrial area, he said.

The militants are dug in among more than a million civilians as a defence tactic to hamper the strikes. They are moving around the city through tunnels, driving suicide car bombs into advancing troops and hitting them with sniper and mortar fire.

The Iraqi authorities did not release an overall estimate of the casualties but the United Nations warned on Saturday that growing numbers of injured civilians and military are overwhelming the capacity of the government and international aid groups.

Nearly 200 wounded civilians and military personnel were transferred to hospitals last week, the highest level since the campaign to push the jihadists out, said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

The proportion of civilians among the wounded also appears to rising, reaching 20 per cent in the first month of the offensive, according to a Department of Health official, although part of the increase is likely due to improved access to areas newly retaken from Islamic State. 
 
(Reuters)

The IS is fighting a coalition of Iranian-backed groups known as Popular Mobilisation in Tal Afar, 60 km to the west of Mosul

Iraqi Shi'ite militias were massing troops on Monday to cut remaining supply routes to Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq, closing in on the road that links the Syrian and Iraqi parts of its self-declared "Caliphate". Six weeks into the US-backed offensive on Mosul, Islamic State is fighting in the area of Tal Afar, 60 km (40 miles) to the west, against a coalition of Iranian-backed groups known as Popular Mobilisation. Cutting the western road to Tal Afar would seal off Mosul as the city is already surrounded to the north, south and east by Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga forces. The government's US-trained Counter Terrorism Service unit breached Islamic State's defences at the end of October and is fighting to expand a foothold it gained on the eastern side of Mosul. The road to Tal Afar is no longer safe, said a truck driver who used it two days ago to bring in fruit and vegetables from Raqqa, Islamic State's Syrian stronghold. He said he saw three trucks burning on the road while fighting raged in the vicinity. "This is the last time I drive on this road, it will be cut," he told Reuters by telephone, asking not to be identified as the insurgents punish by death those caught communicating with the outside world. A Popular Mobilisation spokesman said over the weekend that its forces were already advancing to the main highway as part of operations to seal off Mosul. A Reuters reporter said they were massing troops to finish encircling Tal Afar. The Iraqi air force supporting Popular Mobilisation in their fight near Tal Afar carried out airstrikes that killed 15 insurgents, including a group that was hiding in a tunnel near Tal Afar airbase, according to a military statement published Sunday evening. Turkish concerns The campaign to capture Mosul started on October 17, with air and ground support from a US-led coalition. Popular Mobilisation joined the offensive at the end of October, attacking Tal Afar and capturing the airbase just south of the town on November 16. The offensive on Tal Afar could draw in Turkey, which fears Iran's taking over a town mainly populated by ethnic Turkmen, Sunnis and Shi'ites, and which lies close to the Syrian and Turkish borders. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara will respond if the militias "cause terror" in Tal Afar. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tried to allay fears of ethnic and sectarian killings in Tal Afar, saying any force sent to recapture it would reflect the city's diversity. The Mosul campaign is turning into the biggest battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Iraqi military estimates put the number of insurgents in Mosul at 5,000 to 6,000, facing a 100,000-strong coalition of Iraqi government units, Peshmerga fighters and Shi'ite militias. A Mosul resident said airstrikes have intensified on the western part of the city, which is divided by the Tigris river running through its centre. The strikes seemed to be targeting an industrial area, he said. The militants are dug in among more than a million civilians as a defence tactic to hamper the strikes. They are moving around the city through tunnels, driving suicide car bombs into advancing troops and hitting them with sniper and mortar fire. The Iraqi authorities did not release an overall estimate of the casualties but the United Nations warned on Saturday that growing numbers of injured civilians and military are overwhelming the capacity of the government and international aid groups. Nearly 200 wounded civilians and military personnel were transferred to hospitals last week, the highest level since the campaign to push the jihadists out, said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq. The proportion of civilians among the wounded also appears to rising, reaching 20 per cent in the first month of the offensive, according to a Department of Health official, although part of the increase is likely due to improved access to areas newly retaken from Islamic State. (Reuters)

Iraq Shi'ite paramilitaries close to cutting supply route to Mosul

Iraqi Brigadier General Saad Maan stated on November 15 that the country&rsquo;s army has now secured a large area of&nbsp;eastern Mosul, the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. During a press conference in the Qayyarah base, the main hub for the operations to reconquer the city, he said&nbsp;&quot;more than a third of this (eastern) side has been liberated&rdquo;.

US Navy Captain&nbsp;Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon that despite the undeniable success in the &nbsp;operations, the battle is nowhere near over. &quot;It may be one-third cleared in terms of acreage, but it&#39;s not one-third clear in terms of challenge and task ahead,&quot; he said. &quot;As they get closer to the centre of the city, it&#39;s going to get more dense and more fierce in the fighting.&quot;

The Tigris river flows within the city, serving as the dividing line between the city&#39;s&nbsp;eastern&nbsp;and western side, the first being slightly bigger. In order to gain control over Mosul, it is primarily important to first defeat the Islamic State on the eastern side of the city and control the main five bridges crossing the river in order to isolate the remaining terrorists.

The Mosul offensive began on October 17 and succeeded in clearing the majority of the villages surrounding the city from Islamic State presence. Peshmergas, the Kurdistan regional&rsquo;s army, contributed significantly to the operations, attacking and defeating the Islamic State in their northern and northeastern territories.

After the last offensive against the town of Bashiqa, Peshmergas are likely to stop their operation. According to the agreement done with the Iraqi government, they were not supposed to enter the city of Mosul, their part of the war has now come to an end and they will secure and patrol all the reconquered areas.

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&nbsp;

According to Iraq&#39;s&nbsp;military establishment&nbsp;the battle will proceed&nbsp;as scheduled, but they make no mystery about the many difficulties they&nbsp;face. The Islamic State is organising a strategic&nbsp;resistance,&nbsp;using the city&rsquo;s geography in their favour. Mosul, like many&nbsp;Arab towns, has&nbsp;congested neighbourhoods and many small lanes;&nbsp;it is easy to end up caught in ambushes. It is also difficult to enter the city with tanks.&nbsp;The only way to advance is in limited convoys of armoured vehicles slowly driving in the streets under heavy gunfire, mortar&nbsp;fire, suicide attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices. The Islamic State has also built a sophisticated and wide network of underground tunnels which allows them to move unseen all around the neighbourhood they control.

Brigadier General Saad Maan said that, so far, 955 IS terrorists have been killed and 108 arrested during the last phase of the offensive. There are no official figures about the casualties among the soldiers. Hospitals close to the city are receiving dozens of patients with gunfire injuries everyday, but there is no official figure regarding civilians killed during the operations.&nbsp;

The many civilians still within the city slow&nbsp;the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people.&nbsp;

It is very difficult to gather intelligence insights from Mosul since IS heavily controls&nbsp;all&nbsp;communications,&nbsp;and punishes with cruel death&nbsp;whoever is found guilty of any suspicious activity. This is the fate that befell&nbsp;the more than hundred persons found in a mass grave in the city of Hamam al-Alil, who were mostly policemen and people who provided useful information to the Iraqi army about IS movements in the area.

Many civilians are leaving the reconquered neighbourhood of the cities to reach the camps set up by the many international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the country. According to data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of individuals who fled Mosul alone is 48,750. More than 56,000 are believed to have left their houses since the beginning of the operations, men, women and children.&nbsp;

(WION)

The Islamic State is?using Mosul's geography in their favour: congested neighbourhoods and small laneways make ambushing easy

Iraqi Brigadier General Saad Maan stated on November 15 that the country’s army has now secured a large area of eastern Mosul, the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. During a press conference in the Qayyarah base, the main hub for the operations to reconquer the city, he said "more than a third of this (eastern) side has been liberated”. US Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon that despite the undeniable success in the operations, the battle is nowhere near over. "It may be one-third cleared in terms of acreage, but it's not one-third clear in terms of challenge and task ahead," he said. "As they get closer to the centre of the city, it's going to get more dense and more fierce in the fighting." The Tigris river flows within the city, serving as the dividing line between the city's eastern and western side, the first being slightly bigger. In order to gain control over Mosul, it is primarily important to first defeat the Islamic State on the eastern side of the city and control the main five bridges crossing the river in order to isolate the remaining terrorists. The Mosul offensive began on October 17 and succeeded in clearing the majority of the villages surrounding the city from Islamic State presence. Peshmergas, the Kurdistan regional’s army, contributed significantly to the operations, attacking and defeating the Islamic State in their northern and northeastern territories. After the last offensive against the town of Bashiqa, Peshmergas are likely to stop their operation. According to the agreement done with the Iraqi government, they were not supposed to enter the city of Mosul, their part of the war has now come to an end and they will secure and patrol all the reconquered areas. The many civilians still within the city slow the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases, and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people. × According to Iraq's military establishment the battle will proceed as scheduled, but they make no mystery about the many difficulties they face. The Islamic State is organising a strategic resistance, using the city’s geography in their favour. Mosul, like many Arab towns, has congested neighbourhoods and many small lanes; it is easy to end up caught in ambushes. It is also difficult to enter the city with tanks. The only way to advance is in limited convoys of armoured vehicles slowly driving in the streets under heavy gunfire, mortar fire, suicide attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices. The Islamic State has also built a sophisticated and wide network of underground tunnels which allows them to move unseen all around the neighbourhood they control. Brigadier General Saad Maan said that, so far, 955 IS terrorists have been killed and 108 arrested during the last phase of the offensive. There are no official figures about the casualties among the soldiers. Hospitals close to the city are receiving dozens of patients with gunfire injuries everyday, but there is no official figure regarding civilians killed during the operations. The many civilians still within the city slow the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people. It is very difficult to gather intelligence insights from Mosul since IS heavily controls all communications, and punishes with cruel death whoever is found guilty of any suspicious activity. This is the fate that befell the more than hundred persons found in a mass grave in the city of Hamam al-Alil, who were mostly policemen and people who provided useful information to the Iraqi army about IS movements in the area. Many civilians are leaving the reconquered neighbourhood of the cities to reach the camps set up by the many international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the country. According to data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of individuals who fled Mosul alone is 48,750. More than 56,000 are believed to have left their houses since the beginning of the operations, men, women and children. (WION)

Fighting IS: The state of the Mosul offensive

&ldquo;Sir, you have been there&hellip;to my town? How is the situation?&rdquo; asks the barber.

He comes from Qaraqosh, the main Christian city in northern Iraq which the Islamic State (IS)&nbsp;recently lost after two years of occupation.

It is not&nbsp;easy to answer&mdash; the city is almost completely destroyed, houses have been vandalised, shops have been torched and churches have been used as shooting camps and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factories.

&ldquo;I am afraid to tell you that the situation is very bad. It will take time for you to go back.&rdquo;

He smiles, interprets this reporter&rsquo;s concern and says: &ldquo;No problem sir, you don&rsquo;t have to be sad. Houses, streets, we can build everything again. The important thing is that we are alive. Now, come! It is time to shave your beard, I know you journalists never have time.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The barber, just like many other refugees, lives in Ainkawa, a Christian enclave in the city of Erbil. He requested anonymity, specifying that he would love to be called just &ldquo;the barber&rdquo;, the Barber of Qaraqosh.

Before the Islamic State came in August 2014, Qaraqosh was&nbsp;lively. But when IS came, fifty thousand people had to flee. They knew the terrorist organisation would show them no mercy. Except for some elders and those very ill, everyone left. Destinies of those who stuck on remain unknown.

The Barber of Qaraqosh is a&nbsp;talkative man. As he shaves my beard&nbsp;he describes his city, the barber shop he had with his brother and his&nbsp;many memories&nbsp;of the town.&nbsp;

&ldquo;You know sir, if you go there, where the main street crosses the hospital, my shop is there. You can see my face on the board (of the shop),&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;

With a glint in his eye, he talks about returning to his hometown.&nbsp;&quot;No problem, we have waited for two years sir, there is no problem in waiting some more months.&rdquo;

There was no point in extinguishing the slivers of hope he harbours, but it was difficult to imagine the town described to me by the Barber.

 
Flattened town

Today, Qaraqosh is a ghost town. The abandoned buildings bear the scars of the heavy battles that&nbsp;raged&nbsp;for the last few years. Houses have been&nbsp;destroyed by air strikes, some have been damaged from the inside and some razed to the ground.

Islamic State fighters ensured the town was ravaged. They&nbsp;burned&nbsp;and destroyed&nbsp;everything they could lay their hands on: refrigerators, furnitures, sofas, shops, cars...&nbsp;

All the houses we visited were completely vandalised. Their idea was to leave behind a trail of enduring destruction.&nbsp;

Father Patros, who was a priest in one of the churches in Qaraqosh, showed us the house where he lived. The walls remained intact, but the interior of the house was destroyed. The boundary wall was partially broken too so as to create a passage between the priest&#39;s home and the next and allow IS personnel to move quickly when counter-attacking.&nbsp;

The other thing one observes is that many buildings in the town have bordering basements. Islamic State brought down the walls dividing them and connected the basements, to allow them to move around underground without being seen.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

IS vestige removed, but fears persist

There are no more IS jihadists in Qaraqosh. The last instance of violence was reported on November 3. The city is now under the control of the Nineveh Protection Units (Assyrian Christian militia) whose soldiers are mainly from this area. But tensions continue to run high.&nbsp;

During our visit, we were at one point asked to hide behind a wall, for the soldier heard a suspicious noise. It is not unusual for snipers to remain hidden for days and then carry out surprise attacks.&nbsp;

It will take months before civilians are allowed to return to their homes.&nbsp;

IS scattered the city with IEDs&nbsp;and it will take a while before they are removed. Every single object could be an active bomb. The objects could explode by simply moving them.&nbsp;

We spotted a phone placed on a wall, in a very conspicuous&nbsp;position, too perfectly placed with its receiver on and an IS propaganda pamphlet embedded underneath it. It is impossible to know&nbsp;if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem&nbsp;like an invitation&nbsp;to raise the receiver, thereby&nbsp;triggering a bomb.

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It is impossible to know&nbsp;if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem&nbsp;like an invitation&nbsp;to raise the receiver, thereby&nbsp;triggering a bomb. (WION)
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&times;</div>

Many devices have already been detonated, but many could still be placed inside the houses. The danger of random explosions could persist for months;&nbsp;Qaraqosh is not a small village and it is virtually impossible to check every single corner. Driving back to the NPU base in the town, we come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and&nbsp;could blast at anytime.

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We come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and&nbsp;could blast at anytime. (WION)
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&times;</div>

Buildings and infrastructure&nbsp;are not the only things that&nbsp;got destroyed in these two years under&nbsp;Islamic State control. &ldquo;Father Patros do you think it will ever be possible to rebuild the social fabric of the city, to live together with the muslim population in peace?&rdquo;

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. I am a Christian priest and I must be tolerant, I must put all my effort. Many of us though know that people from the nearby villages helped the Islamic State, and it will be very difficult to go back to normality.&rdquo;

This is one of the many situations the invasion of the Islamic State worsened in an already divided and potentially sectarian society. It brought suspicion&nbsp;among the people, and mistrust toward whoever did not flee, who are&nbsp;believed to have supported the terrorist organisation. Suspicion is an enemy of coexistence, and rebuilding a peaceful&nbsp;society where the many souls of Iraq will live together will&nbsp;probably&nbsp;be the most difficult problem to solve&nbsp;after IS&#39;&nbsp;defeat.

(WION)

Qaraqosh is a ghost town; its abandoned buildings bear the scars of heavy battles that?have raged?here for the past few years

“Sir, you have been there…to my town? How is the situation?” asks the barber. He comes from Qaraqosh, the main Christian city in northern Iraq which the Islamic State (IS) recently lost after two years of occupation. It is not easy to answer— the city is almost completely destroyed, houses have been vandalised, shops have been torched and churches have been used as shooting camps and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factories. “I am afraid to tell you that the situation is very bad. It will take time for you to go back.” He smiles, interprets this reporter’s concern and says: “No problem sir, you don’t have to be sad. Houses, streets, we can build everything again. The important thing is that we are alive. Now, come! It is time to shave your beard, I know you journalists never have time.” The barber, just like many other refugees, lives in Ainkawa, a Christian enclave in the city of Erbil. He requested anonymity, specifying that he would love to be called just “the barber”, the Barber of Qaraqosh. Before the Islamic State came in August 2014, Qaraqosh was lively. But when IS came, fifty thousand people had to flee. They knew the terrorist organisation would show them no mercy. Except for some elders and those very ill, everyone left. Destinies of those who stuck on remain unknown. The Barber of Qaraqosh is a talkative man. As he shaves my beard he describes his city, the barber shop he had with his brother and his many memories of the town. “You know sir, if you go there, where the main street crosses the hospital, my shop is there. You can see my face on the board (of the shop),” he says. With a glint in his eye, he talks about returning to his hometown. "No problem, we have waited for two years sir, there is no problem in waiting some more months.” There was no point in extinguishing the slivers of hope he harbours, but it was difficult to imagine the town described to me by the Barber. Flattened town Today, Qaraqosh is a ghost town. The abandoned buildings bear the scars of the heavy battles that raged for the last few years. Houses have been destroyed by air strikes, some have been damaged from the inside and some razed to the ground. Islamic State fighters ensured the town was ravaged. They burned and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on: refrigerators, furnitures, sofas, shops, cars... All the houses we visited were completely vandalised. Their idea was to leave behind a trail of enduring destruction. Father Patros, who was a priest in one of the churches in Qaraqosh, showed us the house where he lived. The walls remained intact, but the interior of the house was destroyed. The boundary wall was partially broken too so as to create a passage between the priest's home and the next and allow IS personnel to move quickly when counter-attacking. The other thing one observes is that many buildings in the town have bordering basements. Islamic State brought down the walls dividing them and connected the basements, to allow them to move around underground without being seen. IS vestige removed, but fears persist There are no more IS jihadists in Qaraqosh. The last instance of violence was reported on November 3. The city is now under the control of the Nineveh Protection Units (Assyrian Christian militia) whose soldiers are mainly from this area. But tensions continue to run high. During our visit, we were at one point asked to hide behind a wall, for the soldier heard a suspicious noise. It is not unusual for snipers to remain hidden for days and then carry out surprise attacks. It will take months before civilians are allowed to return to their homes. IS scattered the city with IEDs and it will take a while before they are removed. Every single object could be an active bomb. The objects could explode by simply moving them. We spotted a phone placed on a wall, in a very conspicuous position, too perfectly placed with its receiver on and an IS propaganda pamphlet embedded underneath it. It is impossible to know if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem like an invitation to raise the receiver, thereby triggering a bomb. It is impossible to know if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem like an invitation to raise the receiver, thereby triggering a bomb. (WION) × Many devices have already been detonated, but many could still be placed inside the houses. The danger of random explosions could persist for months; Qaraqosh is not a small village and it is virtually impossible to check every single corner. Driving back to the NPU base in the town, we come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and could blast at anytime. We come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and could blast at anytime. (WION) × Buildings and infrastructure are not the only things that got destroyed in these two years under Islamic State control. “Father Patros do you think it will ever be possible to rebuild the social fabric of the city, to live together with the muslim population in peace?” “I don’t know. I am a Christian priest and I must be tolerant, I must put all my effort. Many of us though know that people from the nearby villages helped the Islamic State, and it will be very difficult to go back to normality.” This is one of the many situations the invasion of the Islamic State worsened in an already divided and potentially sectarian society. It brought suspicion among the people, and mistrust toward whoever did not flee, who are believed to have supported the terrorist organisation. Suspicion is an enemy of coexistence, and rebuilding a peaceful society where the many souls of Iraq will live together will probably be the most difficult problem to solve after IS' defeat. (WION)

Iraq's ravaged town of Qaraqosh embodies IS' appetite for destruction

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group&#39;s de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul.

&quot;The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun,&quot; Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion.

The operation, dubbed &quot;The Wrath of the Euphrates,&quot; involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then &quot;taking control of the city&quot; itself.

&quot;The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria,&quot; he said.

An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline.

The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot;.

The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts.

After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists.

Complicated battlefield

The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group&#39;s claim to a self-declared &quot;state&quot;.

But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process.

Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014.&nbsp;

The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF.

Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles.

Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place &quot;within weeks&quot;.

The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa &quot;has been part of our planning for quite a while,&quot; he said.

But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated.

After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory.

Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition&#39;s potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault.

Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August.

Scene of worst atrocities

Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey&#39;s fierce opposition to the YPG.

Ankara considers the militia a &quot;terrorist&quot; group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG.

Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had &quot;agreed definitively&quot; with the United States &quot;that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation&quot; to capture Raqa.&nbsp;

In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country.

It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began.

IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic &quot;caliphate&quot; in Syria and Iraq.

Raqa became the scene of some of IS&#39;s worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves.&nbsp;

Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group&#39;s attacks abroad.

(AFP)

Syrian forces' spokesman said it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa , then 'taking control of the city' itself

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul. "The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion. The operation, dubbed "The Wrath of the Euphrates," involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said. SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then "taking control of the city" itself. "The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria," he said. An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline. The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border "caliphate". The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts. After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists. Complicated battlefield The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group's claim to a self-declared "state". But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process. Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014. The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF. Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles. Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place "within weeks". The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa "has been part of our planning for quite a while," he said. But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated. After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory. Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition's potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault. Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August. Scene of worst atrocities Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey's fierce opposition to the YPG. Ankara considers the militia a "terrorist" group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG. Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had "agreed definitively" with the United States "that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation" to capture Raqa. In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country. It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began. IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq. Raqa became the scene of some of IS's worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves. Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group's attacks abroad. (AFP)

Syria: US-backed forces launch offensive to capture Islamic State's 'capital'

US-backed Iraqi forces were set to enter Mosul Monday after two weeks of fighting Islamic State militants on the outskirts of the city.&nbsp;

Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem said the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had recaptured Bazwaya, one of two IS-held villages standing between Iraqi security forces and the eastern edges of Mosul.&nbsp;

&quot;Tonight, if everything is secured, we will be 700 metres from Mosul,&quot; Salem said.

Some 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, policemen, and Kurdish peshmerga are advancing on Mosul, backed up by US-backed coalition airstrikes.&nbsp;

International news agencies AFP and Reuters reported that fighting was underway in Karama district, which troops invaded on Monday.&nbsp;

Iran-led Shi&#39;ite fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) joined the battle two days ago but they will not be entering Mosul. Instead, they will head to Tal Afar in the west to cut off Islamic State&#39;s supply lines between Mosul and the Syrian border, AFP reported. &nbsp;

Colonel Mustafa al-Obeidi told AFP via radio, &quot;They&#39;re fleeing, the jihadists are fleeing into Mosul,&quot; as Iraqi forces approached Bazwaya.&nbsp;

CTS troops also entered Gogjali, the second village held by IS.&nbsp;

Senior CTS commander Abdelwahab al-Saadi told AFP the Iraqi troops were still 2.5 kilometres away from Mosul.&nbsp;

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the troops were closing off all escape routes.&nbsp;

&quot;God willing, we will chop off the snake&#39;s head, they have no escape, they either die or surrender,&quot; Reuters quoted him as saying.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Troops capture one of two Islamic State-held villages standing between them and the city, enter the other

US-backed Iraqi forces were set to enter Mosul Monday after two weeks of fighting Islamic State militants on the outskirts of the city. Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem said the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had recaptured Bazwaya, one of two IS-held villages standing between Iraqi security forces and the eastern edges of Mosul. "Tonight, if everything is secured, we will be 700 metres from Mosul," Salem said. Some 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, policemen, and Kurdish peshmerga are advancing on Mosul, backed up by US-backed coalition airstrikes. International news agencies AFP and Reuters reported that fighting was underway in Karama district, which troops invaded on Monday. Iran-led Shi'ite fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) joined the battle two days ago but they will not be entering Mosul. Instead, they will head to Tal Afar in the west to cut off Islamic State's supply lines between Mosul and the Syrian border, AFP reported. Colonel Mustafa al-Obeidi told AFP via radio, "They're fleeing, the jihadists are fleeing into Mosul," as Iraqi forces approached Bazwaya. CTS troops also entered Gogjali, the second village held by IS. Senior CTS commander Abdelwahab al-Saadi told AFP the Iraqi troops were still 2.5 kilometres away from Mosul. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the troops were closing off all escape routes. "God willing, we will chop off the snake's head, they have no escape, they either die or surrender," Reuters quoted him as saying. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Mosul frontline: Iraqi forces set to enter city

&ldquo;If you have this, no problem,&rdquo; says the driver, pointing at the wooden rosary hanging from the rearview mirror. He kisses it, looks up, and makes the sign of the cross.

&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;

&ldquo;If you are Christian in Kurdistan, checkpoint makes no problem&rdquo;

&ldquo;And if you are Muslim?&rdquo;

&ldquo;Depends. If Kurdish Muslim, no problem. If Arab Muslim, big problem.&rdquo;

This&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;reveals much about&nbsp;Iraq. This is a country where myriad tribes, religions, and ethnic groups coexist but the outlook of their members is shaped by the group they belong to.

A quick look at the armed groups currently fighting to reconquer Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last stronghold in Iraq, gives one a fair idea of the matter.&nbsp;

The Peshmerga, Kurdish soldiers from the northern semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, are attacking the city&rsquo;s outskirts from the north. They are all Kurds but there are divisions within their ranks, based on the party with which they are affiliated. For example, there is&nbsp;the Kurdistan Democratic Party of President Masoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by the first non-Iraqi to be president of the country &ndash; Jalal Talabani &ndash; from 2005 to 2014. And the Kurdish Communist Party (PKK), an unofficial group based out of the mountains bordering Iran, has its own militia too.

The Iraqi regular army is attacking the city from the south. It is a national army, but there are deep divisions within its ranks. It has both Shia and Sunni components, a division that soldiers tend to display openly &ndash; it is common for example to come across Iraqi military vehicles flying Shia flags.&nbsp;

The Yazidis, an ethnic minority mainly based out of the western Iraqi Sinjar province, have their own militia, as do the Ka&rsquo;kais, a religious minority mainly based out of areas surrounding the city of Kirkuk.&nbsp;The Assyrian Christians too have their own militia, formed with the aim of protecting their villages once Islamic State is defeated.

&nbsp;

A melting pot, now divided

Iraq has always been a cultural mosaic. The country, like most of West Asia, has been a melting pot of all the major ancient civilisations. Living together for centuries, they gave rise to a rich cultural environment. One sees that clearly while walking the streets of Iraq&#39;s cities today &ndash; different faces, languages, clothes, sunni and shia mosques, churches, and temples.&nbsp;

One of the many problems Islamic State brought to the region was the threat it posed to&nbsp;Iraq&#39;s&nbsp;social fabric, the respectful coexistence of its&nbsp;different cultures. (Many identify the terrorist organisation as a product of the Sunni population, and commonly blame the entire community for its rise.)&nbsp;

The mistrust, if not racism, of many Kurds is directed at both Sunni and Shia Arabs. &nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mean to be racist, but Arabs are not people you can trust,&rdquo; is a common sentence in Kurdistan.&nbsp;

The attitude is largely a consequence of Saddam&rsquo;s dictatorship, its systematic mass murders of Kurds and the attempt at a full Arabisation of Iraqi society. &nbsp; 
Christians seem to be tolerated, at least in Iraqi Kurdistan. But sections of the Christian population treat the Kurds in the same way the Kurds treat the Arabs. &ldquo;Before, when Saddam was here, he wanted us to become all Arabs. They changed the name of our ancestors&#39; cities. Now we are suffering the Kurd-isation of our society: the regional government wants us to be Kurds. We are not, we are Assyrian and they are trying to destroy our culture once again,&rdquo; says Ultra Khado, spokesperson of the Nineveh Plan Protection Unit, a Christian militia formed in 2014 after Islamic State took control of several Christian towns in the vicinity of Mosul, where the majority of their soldiers come from.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t trust the central government, because when the Islamic State came to our villages, there was no one to protect us.&rdquo;

The Arabs themselves are very divided, and not only into Shia and Sunni components. Iraq is also a highly tribal society and the outlook of the tribes adds to the already existing divisions.&nbsp;

The divergence between the Shias and Sunnis might have its origins in differeing interpretations of Islam, but politics has added to the hostility. After all, Saddam&#39;s Sunni-led regime&nbsp;oppressed all of Iraq&#39;s other groups for 30 years.

The 2003 US-led war divided Iraqi society further. It overthrew Saddam&rsquo;s regime without providing a reliable replacement, nor a plan to manage the country. That led to years of sectarian violence, dividing Iraqi society even more, and giving terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda and Islamic State the opportunity to present themselves as political alternatives to the chaos the Americans left in their wake.&nbsp;

So Kurds are suspicious of Arabs. (The several Kurdish parties exercise influence in different cities, and control different checkpoints.) Shiite Arabs are suspicious of Sunni Arabs. The Christians are suspicious of both Arabs and Kurds. And the Yazidi don&rsquo;t trust anybody. And every group has a well-armed militia ready to defend what they consider to be their land.

NGOs talk of an &ldquo;obstacle to return&rdquo; &ndash; families are refusing to return home because their towns or villages have been liberated by a faction that they consider hostile. Sunni families, for example, will not return if Shiite militias now control their homelands and&nbsp;vice versa.&nbsp;The situation is dangerously reminiscent of what happened in the Balkans after the fall of Yugoslavia.

For the time being, the one common enemy is keeping all the armed factions of Iraqi society together. But once it is defeated, everybody will raise a claim and it will not be easy to manage.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

After Shias, Sunnis, Peshmergas, Christians and Yazidis fight IS to reconquer Mosul, they need to come together. It will not be easy

“If you have this, no problem,” says the driver, pointing at the wooden rosary hanging from the rearview mirror. He kisses it, looks up, and makes the sign of the cross. “What do you mean?” “If you are Christian in Kurdistan, checkpoint makes no problem” “And if you are Muslim?” “Depends. If Kurdish Muslim, no problem. If Arab Muslim, big problem.” This exchange reveals much about Iraq. This is a country where myriad tribes, religions, and ethnic groups coexist but the outlook of their members is shaped by the group they belong to. A quick look at the armed groups currently fighting to reconquer Mosul, Islamic State's last stronghold in Iraq, gives one a fair idea of the matter. The Peshmerga, Kurdish soldiers from the northern semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, are attacking the city’s outskirts from the north. They are all Kurds but there are divisions within their ranks, based on the party with which they are affiliated. For example, there is the Kurdistan Democratic Party of President Masoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by the first non-Iraqi to be president of the country – Jalal Talabani – from 2005 to 2014. And the Kurdish Communist Party (PKK), an unofficial group based out of the mountains bordering Iran, has its own militia too. The Iraqi regular army is attacking the city from the south. It is a national army, but there are deep divisions within its ranks. It has both Shia and Sunni components, a division that soldiers tend to display openly – it is common for example to come across Iraqi military vehicles flying Shia flags. The Yazidis, an ethnic minority mainly based out of the western Iraqi Sinjar province, have their own militia, as do the Ka’kais, a religious minority mainly based out of areas surrounding the city of Kirkuk. The Assyrian Christians too have their own militia, formed with the aim of protecting their villages once Islamic State is defeated. A melting pot, now divided Iraq has always been a cultural mosaic. The country, like most of West Asia, has been a melting pot of all the major ancient civilisations. Living together for centuries, they gave rise to a rich cultural environment. One sees that clearly while walking the streets of Iraq's cities today – different faces, languages, clothes, sunni and shia mosques, churches, and temples. One of the many problems Islamic State brought to the region was the threat it posed to Iraq's social fabric, the respectful coexistence of its different cultures. (Many identify the terrorist organisation as a product of the Sunni population, and commonly blame the entire community for its rise.) The mistrust, if not racism, of many Kurds is directed at both Sunni and Shia Arabs. “I don’t mean to be racist, but Arabs are not people you can trust,” is a common sentence in Kurdistan. The attitude is largely a consequence of Saddam’s dictatorship, its systematic mass murders of Kurds and the attempt at a full Arabisation of Iraqi society. Christians seem to be tolerated, at least in Iraqi Kurdistan. But sections of the Christian population treat the Kurds in the same way the Kurds treat the Arabs. “Before, when Saddam was here, he wanted us to become all Arabs. They changed the name of our ancestors' cities. Now we are suffering the Kurd-isation of our society: the regional government wants us to be Kurds. We are not, we are Assyrian and they are trying to destroy our culture once again,” says Ultra Khado, spokesperson of the Nineveh Plan Protection Unit, a Christian militia formed in 2014 after Islamic State took control of several Christian towns in the vicinity of Mosul, where the majority of their soldiers come from. “We don’t trust the central government, because when the Islamic State came to our villages, there was no one to protect us.” The Arabs themselves are very divided, and not only into Shia and Sunni components. Iraq is also a highly tribal society and the outlook of the tribes adds to the already existing divisions. The divergence between the Shias and Sunnis might have its origins in differeing interpretations of Islam, but politics has added to the hostility. After all, Saddam's Sunni-led regime oppressed all of Iraq's other groups for 30 years. The 2003 US-led war divided Iraqi society further. It overthrew Saddam’s regime without providing a reliable replacement, nor a plan to manage the country. That led to years of sectarian violence, dividing Iraqi society even more, and giving terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda and Islamic State the opportunity to present themselves as political alternatives to the chaos the Americans left in their wake. So Kurds are suspicious of Arabs. (The several Kurdish parties exercise influence in different cities, and control different checkpoints.) Shiite Arabs are suspicious of Sunni Arabs. The Christians are suspicious of both Arabs and Kurds. And the Yazidi don’t trust anybody. And every group has a well-armed militia ready to defend what they consider to be their land. NGOs talk of an “obstacle to return” – families are refusing to return home because their towns or villages have been liberated by a faction that they consider hostile. Sunni families, for example, will not return if Shiite militias now control their homelands and vice versa. The situation is dangerously reminiscent of what happened in the Balkans after the fall of Yugoslavia. For the time being, the one common enemy is keeping all the armed factions of Iraqi society together. But once it is defeated, everybody will raise a claim and it will not be easy to manage. (WION)

Iraq: Everyone has a claim, backed up by an army

At least 46 people killed and 133 wounded in an attack by the Islamic State militants on Saturday.

&nbsp;

The deceased were mostly members of security forces and medical personnel, AFP reported. the fight is still is ongoing&nbsp;

&nbsp;

An interior ministry brigadier general told AFP: &quot;We have 46 dead and 133 wounded, most of them members of the security services, as result of the clashes with Daesh (IS).&quot;

&nbsp;

At least 25 militants have also been killed since the raid started on Friday, he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A source at the Kirkuk health directorate confirmed the casualty.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The deceased were mostly members of security forces and medical personnel. The fight is still is ongoing

At least 46 people killed and 133 wounded in an attack by the Islamic State militants on Saturday. The deceased were mostly members of security forces and medical personnel, AFP reported. the fight is still is ongoing An interior ministry brigadier general told AFP: "We have 46 dead and 133 wounded, most of them members of the security services, as result of the clashes with Daesh (IS)." At least 25 militants have also been killed since the raid started on Friday, he added. A source at the Kirkuk health directorate confirmed the casualty. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Iraq: 46 killed, 133 injured in Islamic State attack in Kirkuk

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