At least 11 civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in air strikes on a central Syrian village that a monitor said were likely carried out by Russia.

&quot;The raids targeted a livestock market in the village of Oqayrabat, held by the Islamic State group in Hama province,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

&quot;They are probably Russian air strikes,&quot; he said, adding that 45 people were also wounded.

Oqayrabat lies northwest of Palmyra, the ancient desert city that was recaptured by Russian-backed government forces from IS on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The road between the two had been often used by jihadists to travel between the provinces of Hama and Homs, where Palmyra lies.&nbsp;

Abdel Rahman said the raids on the village were part of &quot;new military operations by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally targeting jihadist positions in Hama province&quot;.

Syrian and Russian warplanes on Saturday were heavily bombing IS jihadists north and east of Palmyra, which has changed hands several times in Syria`s nearly six-year war.

IS overran the city for the second time on December 11.

A day later, 53 civilians were killed in a barrage of raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages, according to the Observatory.&nbsp; 
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also raised fears at the time that chemical weapons may have been used in air strikes on Oqayrabat.&nbsp;

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.

Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled ferocious fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and Islamic State group jihadists over the past week in the country&#39;s ravaged north.

Supported by Russian air power and artillery, Syrian government forces have waged a fierce offensive against IS, seizing around 90 villages since mid-January.

(AFP)

Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and IS

At least 11 civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in air strikes on a central Syrian village that a monitor said were likely carried out by Russia. "The raids targeted a livestock market in the village of Oqayrabat, held by the Islamic State group in Hama province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "They are probably Russian air strikes," he said, adding that 45 people were also wounded. Oqayrabat lies northwest of Palmyra, the ancient desert city that was recaptured by Russian-backed government forces from IS on Wednesday. The road between the two had been often used by jihadists to travel between the provinces of Hama and Homs, where Palmyra lies. Abdel Rahman said the raids on the village were part of "new military operations by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally targeting jihadist positions in Hama province". Syrian and Russian warplanes on Saturday were heavily bombing IS jihadists north and east of Palmyra, which has changed hands several times in Syria`s nearly six-year war. IS overran the city for the second time on December 11. A day later, 53 civilians were killed in a barrage of raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages, according to the Observatory. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also raised fears at the time that chemical weapons may have been used in air strikes on Oqayrabat. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled ferocious fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and Islamic State group jihadists over the past week in the country's ravaged north. Supported by Russian air power and artillery, Syrian government forces have waged a fierce offensive against IS, seizing around 90 villages since mid-January. (AFP)

At least 11 civilians killed in Russia-backed air strikes in Syria

The Syrian army backed by Russian jets has completed the recapture of the iconic ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group, the Kremlin said Thursday.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin of the completion of the operation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.&nbsp;

Islamic State group fighters withdrew from much of the Syrian oasis city of Palmyra overnight, a monitor said earlier in the day, but government forces paused before entering its ravaged ancient ruins because of mines.

Russian-backed Syrian troops pushed into a western neighbourhood of the city late on Wednesday after fierce clashes with the jihadists.&nbsp;

By Thursday morning, IS had withdrawn to residential neighbourhoods in the east of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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<h5>Before IS entered Palmyra in May 2015, it boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were among the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East</h5>
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&quot;IS withdrew from most of Palmyra after laying mines across the city. There are still suicide bombers left in the eastern neighbourhoods,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;Government forces have not yet been able to enter the heart of the city or the eastern parts.&quot;

Palmyra&#39;s ancient ruins have long been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

&nbsp;

Also read:

<ul>
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	<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/destruction-of-syrias-palmyra-an-insiders-view-12480" target="_blank">Destruction Of Syria&#39;s Palmyra: An Insider&#39;s View</a></h5>
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	<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-releases-drone-footage-showing-destruction-in-syrias-palmyra-12352" target="_blank">Russia Releases Drone Footage Showing Destruction In Syria&#39;s Palmyra</a></h5>
	</li>
	<li>
	<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-destroys-famous-monument-in-syrias-palmyra-11504" target="_blank">Islamic State Destroys Famous Monument In Syria&#39;s Palmyra</a></h5>
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	<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/suspected-gas-attack-near-is-held-palmyra-monitor-10055" target="_blank">Suspected Gas Attack Near Is-Held Palmyra: Monitor</a></h5>
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&nbsp;

Before IS entered the city in May 2015, they boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were among the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East.

But the jihadists launched a campaign of destruction against them, the scale of which was fully revealed when government forces briefly retook the city with Russian support last year.

Satellite imagery has shown that IS has demolished more monuments since it recaptured Palmyra from government forces in December.&nbsp;

Syrian antiquities director Maamoun Abdul Karim told AFP he was looking forward to &quot;the end of the nightmare&quot; of IS&#39;s rule over Palmyra.&nbsp;

&quot;I feel a mix of joy and fear. Joy, because we&#39;re sure that there will be no more damage to the archaeological site at Palmyra, and apprehension to see what has happened to the city,&quot; Abdul Karim told AFP by telephone from Damascus.&nbsp;

He said he was impatiently waiting to head to Palmyra himself to see the extent of the damage.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s a nightmare... When we talk about Palmyra now, we no longer talk about its beauty. It has become synonymous with fear,&quot; Abdul Karim said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

IS fighters withdrew from much of the Syrian oasis city of Palmyra overnight, a monitor said earlier in the day

The Syrian army backed by Russian jets has completed the recapture of the iconic ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group, the Kremlin said Thursday. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin of the completion of the operation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. Islamic State group fighters withdrew from much of the Syrian oasis city of Palmyra overnight, a monitor said earlier in the day, but government forces paused before entering its ravaged ancient ruins because of mines. Russian-backed Syrian troops pushed into a western neighbourhood of the city late on Wednesday after fierce clashes with the jihadists. By Thursday morning, IS had withdrawn to residential neighbourhoods in the east of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Before IS entered Palmyra in May 2015, it boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were among the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East × "IS withdrew from most of Palmyra after laying mines across the city. There are still suicide bombers left in the eastern neighbourhoods," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "Government forces have not yet been able to enter the heart of the city or the eastern parts." Palmyra's ancient ruins have long been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Also read: Destruction Of Syria's Palmyra: An Insider's View Russia Releases Drone Footage Showing Destruction In Syria's Palmyra Islamic State Destroys Famous Monument In Syria's Palmyra Suspected Gas Attack Near Is-Held Palmyra: Monitor Before IS entered the city in May 2015, they boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were among the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East. But the jihadists launched a campaign of destruction against them, the scale of which was fully revealed when government forces briefly retook the city with Russian support last year. Satellite imagery has shown that IS has demolished more monuments since it recaptured Palmyra from government forces in December. Syrian antiquities director Maamoun Abdul Karim told AFP he was looking forward to "the end of the nightmare" of IS's rule over Palmyra. "I feel a mix of joy and fear. Joy, because we're sure that there will be no more damage to the archaeological site at Palmyra, and apprehension to see what has happened to the city," Abdul Karim told AFP by telephone from Damascus. He said he was impatiently waiting to head to Palmyra himself to see the extent of the damage. "It's a nightmare... When we talk about Palmyra now, we no longer talk about its beauty. It has become synonymous with fear," Abdul Karim said. (AFP)

Syrian army retakes ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State: Russia

Ninety-year-old Khatla Ali Abdallah has survived decades of turbulence in northern Iraq, but the frail grandmother who fled the battle for Mosul this week says the fighting there is the worst she has ever seen.

Carried across the desert by her grandsons, under sniper and mortar fire, she was one of the&nbsp;thousands who braved the difficult and dangerous journey out of Islamic State&#39;s shrinking stronghold in the west of the city.

&quot;I&#39;m a 90-year-old woman and I haven&rsquo;t seen such a war,&quot; she said in a camp for displaced people south of Mosul, where she was taken by Iraqi security forces.

&nbsp;

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The 90-year-old is carried by a member of the Iraqi forces in the desert in western Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters)
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Khatla lived through Saddam Hussein&#39;s quarter century in power, when Iraq fought wars with neighbouring Iran and Kuwait and endured a decade of devastating sanctions. That was followed by a U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam and led to years of sectarian war across the country.

&quot;Even under the Saddam era, we were afraid because of the atrocities and the people killed,&quot; she said. &quot;But nothing is compared to this phase&quot;.

Since the launch of the military campaign in October to retake Mosul from Islamic State, Khatla remained in her home in the city&#39;s southwestern al-Mamoun district, now in the hands of Iraq&#39;s U.S.-backed Counter Terrorism Service (CTS).

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Khatla Ali Abdullah&#39;s hands are seen as she sits at her tent in Hammam al Alil camp. (Reuters)
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At times she took shelter in her basement with the 20 chickens that she looked after - reminders, she said, of her youth when she also herded sheep and cattle.

&quot;I haven&#39;t lost any chickens, not even a one little chick,&quot; she said. &quot;We were trapped in the basement and we could hear the bullets hitting the metal roof of the chicken pen.&quot;

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She talks to her relative as she sits with her daughter (L) in her tent in Hammam al Alil camp. (Reuters)
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Her grandsons carried her for miles in the desert to reach the CTS lines, and then she was taken on a bus to a camp for internally displaced people.

&quot;We just want to make it through this war,&quot; she said. &quot;This one will make stories for generations to tell.&quot;

(Reuters_

She said even the Saddam Hussein era was nothing compared to the battle for Mosul

Ninety-year-old Khatla Ali Abdallah has survived decades of turbulence in northern Iraq, but the frail grandmother who fled the battle for Mosul this week says the fighting there is the worst she has ever seen. Carried across the desert by her grandsons, under sniper and mortar fire, she was one of the thousands who braved the difficult and dangerous journey out of Islamic State's shrinking stronghold in the west of the city. "I'm a 90-year-old woman and I haven’t seen such a war," she said in a camp for displaced people south of Mosul, where she was taken by Iraqi security forces. The 90-year-old is carried by a member of the Iraqi forces in the desert in western Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters) × Khatla lived through Saddam Hussein's quarter century in power, when Iraq fought wars with neighbouring Iran and Kuwait and endured a decade of devastating sanctions. That was followed by a U.S.-led invasion which toppled Saddam and led to years of sectarian war across the country. "Even under the Saddam era, we were afraid because of the atrocities and the people killed," she said. "But nothing is compared to this phase". Since the launch of the military campaign in October to retake Mosul from Islamic State, Khatla remained in her home in the city's southwestern al-Mamoun district, now in the hands of Iraq's U.S.-backed Counter Terrorism Service (CTS). Khatla Ali Abdullah's hands are seen as she sits at her tent in Hammam al Alil camp. (Reuters) × At times she took shelter in her basement with the 20 chickens that she looked after - reminders, she said, of her youth when she also herded sheep and cattle. "I haven't lost any chickens, not even a one little chick," she said. "We were trapped in the basement and we could hear the bullets hitting the metal roof of the chicken pen." She talks to her relative as she sits with her daughter (L) in her tent in Hammam al Alil camp. (Reuters) × Her grandsons carried her for miles in the desert to reach the CTS lines, and then she was taken on a bus to a camp for internally displaced people. "We just want to make it through this war," she said. "This one will make stories for generations to tell." (Reuters_

'I've never seen such war' says 90-year-old rescued from Mosul

Syrian government and opposition delegates to peace talks in Geneva on Saturday warned of the impact on negotiations after a day of violence in Syria that included jihadist suicide bombings and missile strikes by the air force.

The United Nations opened the peace talks with a symbolic ceremony on Thursday in Geneva, attended by representatives of the warring sides. But there has been no further direct contact with UN&nbsp;mediator Staffan de Mistura, who is still trying to get agreement on how the talks should be arranged.

With tensions palpable among participants, the United Nations is treading carefully in its efforts to revive negotiations after a 10-month hiatus.

&quot;Every time we have talks, or negotiations, there is always someone who tries to spoil,&quot; de Mistura told reporters before meeting the government delegation. &quot;I am expecting (it),&quot; he said.

A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey with Iran&#39;s support is increasingly violated with groups opposed to the truce and the Geneva process also attempting to force their collapse.

Suicide bombers stormed two Syrian security offices in Homs on Saturday, killing dozens with gunfire and explosions including the head of military security, prompting airstrikes against the last rebel-held enclave in the western city.&nbsp;

The jihadist rebel alliance Tahrir al-Sham, which opposes the talks - although it has fought alongside factions that are represented there - said that five suicide bombers had carried out the attack. It celebrated with the words &quot;thanks be to God&quot; but stopped short of explicitly claiming responsibility.

Tahrir al-Sham was formed this year from several groups including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was formerly known as the Nusra Front and was al Qaeda&#39;s Syrian branch until it broke formal allegiance to the global jihadist movement in 2016.

Warplanes also carried out six raids on Douma in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, resulting in six deaths, and earlier, an air raid in Hama killed four people from the same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Speaking to Reuters, Basma Kodmani, a negotiator from the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said groups backing the talks had abided by the ceasefire, but questioned the government&#39;s commitment and whether Russia, a key Assad ally, was ready to pressure it to curb the violence.&nbsp;

&quot;The ceasefire...is violated today in the most horrible way,&quot; she said. &quot;The use of napalm yesterday and today massive air bombings on the suburb of Waer of homs city. That is giving us very negative intentions about what the regime&rsquo;s intentions are,&quot; she said.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it had written to the United Nations demanding condemnation for Saturday&#39;s attack and what it called other terrorist acts. Damascus regards all the groups fighting against it as terrorists.

&quot;The terrorist explosions that hit Homs city are a message to Geneva from sponsors of terrorism, and we tell everyone that the message is received and this crime won&#39;t pass unnoticed,&quot; the government&#39;s chief negotiator Bashar Ja&#39;afari told reporters.

Although Assad&#39;s government has controlled most of Homs since 2014, rebels still control its al-Waer district, which warplanes bombed on Saturday, wounding 50, the Observatory said.

&quot;If it (ceasefire)is not credible, if nothing is happening here in Geneva, I fear that the ceasefire even for the opposition is going to collapse,&quot; Kodmani said.

&quot;Where is Russia to get compliance again from the regime so that the talks in Geneva can take place?&quot;

De Mistura handed a working paper on procedural issues to delegations at the talks on Friday, but there appeared little prospect of them meeting directly soon. Further bilateral talks are scheduled for later on Saturday.

The envoy is looking to lay the foundations for negotiations to end the six-year-old conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

&quot;It may be good not to have too high expectations but it also reflects the state of things,&quot; said a Western diplomat.

&quot;To get them in the room is symbolic. But there is no way you can get anything out of that at the moment unless you have the beginning of an agreement between the backers.&quot;

(Reuters)

'Every time we have talks, or negotiations, there is always someone who tries to spoil,' UN mediator Staffan de Mistura told reporters

Syrian government and opposition delegates to peace talks in Geneva on Saturday warned of the impact on negotiations after a day of violence in Syria that included jihadist suicide bombings and missile strikes by the air force. The United Nations opened the peace talks with a symbolic ceremony on Thursday in Geneva, attended by representatives of the warring sides. But there has been no further direct contact with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, who is still trying to get agreement on how the talks should be arranged. With tensions palpable among participants, the United Nations is treading carefully in its efforts to revive negotiations after a 10-month hiatus. "Every time we have talks, or negotiations, there is always someone who tries to spoil," de Mistura told reporters before meeting the government delegation. "I am expecting (it)," he said. A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey with Iran's support is increasingly violated with groups opposed to the truce and the Geneva process also attempting to force their collapse. Suicide bombers stormed two Syrian security offices in Homs on Saturday, killing dozens with gunfire and explosions including the head of military security, prompting airstrikes against the last rebel-held enclave in the western city. The jihadist rebel alliance Tahrir al-Sham, which opposes the talks - although it has fought alongside factions that are represented there - said that five suicide bombers had carried out the attack. It celebrated with the words "thanks be to God" but stopped short of explicitly claiming responsibility. Tahrir al-Sham was formed this year from several groups including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was formerly known as the Nusra Front and was al Qaeda's Syrian branch until it broke formal allegiance to the global jihadist movement in 2016. Warplanes also carried out six raids on Douma in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, resulting in six deaths, and earlier, an air raid in Hama killed four people from the same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Speaking to Reuters, Basma Kodmani, a negotiator from the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said groups backing the talks had abided by the ceasefire, but questioned the government's commitment and whether Russia, a key Assad ally, was ready to pressure it to curb the violence. "The ceasefire...is violated today in the most horrible way," she said. "The use of napalm yesterday and today massive air bombings on the suburb of Waer of homs city. That is giving us very negative intentions about what the regime’s intentions are," she said. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it had written to the United Nations demanding condemnation for Saturday's attack and what it called other terrorist acts. Damascus regards all the groups fighting against it as terrorists. "The terrorist explosions that hit Homs city are a message to Geneva from sponsors of terrorism, and we tell everyone that the message is received and this crime won't pass unnoticed," the government's chief negotiator Bashar Ja'afari told reporters. Although Assad's government has controlled most of Homs since 2014, rebels still control its al-Waer district, which warplanes bombed on Saturday, wounding 50, the Observatory said. "If it (ceasefire)is not credible, if nothing is happening here in Geneva, I fear that the ceasefire even for the opposition is going to collapse," Kodmani said. "Where is Russia to get compliance again from the regime so that the talks in Geneva can take place?" De Mistura handed a working paper on procedural issues to delegations at the talks on Friday, but there appeared little prospect of them meeting directly soon. Further bilateral talks are scheduled for later on Saturday. The envoy is looking to lay the foundations for negotiations to end the six-year-old conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. "It may be good not to have too high expectations but it also reflects the state of things," said a Western diplomat. "To get them in the room is symbolic. But there is no way you can get anything out of that at the moment unless you have the beginning of an agreement between the backers." (Reuters)

Violence in Syria rattles regime, rebel peace talks in Geneva

Security has been beefed up at Somnath temple after Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two persons for alleged links with Islamic State.

The Gujarat Police today arrested two suspected Islamic state operatives in Rajkot. Rajkot Joint Commissioner of Police (crime branch), IK Bhatt, said the arrested suspects were siblings.

&quot;Our ATS team has arrested two (Islamic State) suspects from Rajkot. They have been identified as Wasim Arif Ramodia and Naem Arif Ramodia. Both are brothers,&quot; said Bhatt.

Bhatt further said that the suspected IS operatives were about to attack a religious place.

(ANI)&nbsp;

According to Rajkot Joint Commissioner of Police, IK Bhatt, the arrested suspects were siblings

Security has been beefed up at Somnath temple after Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two persons for alleged links with Islamic State. The Gujarat Police today arrested two suspected Islamic state operatives in Rajkot. Rajkot Joint Commissioner of Police (crime branch), IK Bhatt, said the arrested suspects were siblings. "Our ATS team has arrested two (Islamic State) suspects from Rajkot. They have been identified as Wasim Arif Ramodia and Naem Arif Ramodia. Both are brothers," said Bhatt. Bhatt further said that the suspected IS operatives were about to attack a religious place. (ANI)

India: Security tightened at Somnath temple after suspected IS operatives held in Gujarat

An Islamic State car bomb killed more than 50 people on Friday in a Syrian village held by rebels, a war monitor said, a day after the jihadist group was driven from its last stronghold in the area.

The blast in the village of Sousian hit a security checkpoint controlled by rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner. 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of the war based in Britain, said more than 50 people died including over 30 civilians. Two rebels contacted by Reuters put the total death toll at at least 40.

One of the two, a fighter with the Sultan Murad Brigade near al-Bab, said: &quot;It was done on a checkpoint but there were a lot of families there gathered and waiting to get back to al-Bab. Therefore we have many civilian casualties.&quot;

The Turkey-backed rebels drove Islamic State from the town of al-Bab on Thursday, following weeks of street battles near where Ankara wants to establish a safe zone for civilians.

Turkey`s military said on Friday that Syrian rebels had taken full control of all of al-Bab, and that work to clear mines and unexploded ordnance was under way.

Sousian is behind rebel lines about 8 km (5 miles) northwest of al-Bab, around which Ankara has long supported the formation of a security zone it says would help to stem a wave of migration via Turkey into Europe.

A second blast took place 2 km south of Sousian later on Friday, but it was unclear whether it was from a vehicle bomb or a planted device such as a mine. There were reports of casualties but no immediate details, the Observatory said.

Islamic State said in a social media posting that it was behind the Sousian attack, having acknowledged on Thursday it had lost control of al-Bab.&nbsp;

Syria&#39;s main conflict pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi`ite militias, against rebels that include groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies.

However, both those sides, as well as a group of militias led by Kurdish forces and supported by the U.S., are also fighting Islamic State, which holds large parts of northern and eastern Syria.&nbsp;

Mines and cells

As mines laid in and around al-Bab claimed lives for a second day, the Sultan Murad Brigade fighter said many IS cells were still operating there.

&quot;It is very dangerous. Our search and clear operation is still under way,&quot; he said.

Two Turkish soldiers were killed on Friday while clearing mines in the town of Tadef south of al-Bab, Turkey`s military said in a statement. On Thursday, several Turkey-backed rebels were killed by a mine in al-Bab, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

Turkey directly intervened in Syria in August in support of rebel factions under the FSA banner to drive Islamic State from its border. It also wants to stop Kurdish groups gaining control of the region.&nbsp;

After taking al-Bab on Thursday, Turkish forces shelled Islamic State in Tadef, the Observatory reported.&nbsp;

The area immediately to the south of Tadef is held by the Syrian army and its allies, which have in recent weeks pushed into Islamic State territory in that area from Aleppo and advanced towards the Euphrates river.&nbsp;

Further east, the Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdish-led militias backed by the United States, have in recent weeks taken dozens of villages from Islamic State as they close in on the group`s Syrian capital of Raqqa. 
 
(Reuters)

The Turkey-backed rebels on Thursday drove Islamic State from al-Bab, the jihadist group's last significant stronghold in northwest Syria

An Islamic State car bomb killed more than 50 people on Friday in a Syrian village held by rebels, a war monitor said, a day after the jihadist group was driven from its last stronghold in the area. The blast in the village of Sousian hit a security checkpoint controlled by rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of the war based in Britain, said more than 50 people died including over 30 civilians. Two rebels contacted by Reuters put the total death toll at at least 40. One of the two, a fighter with the Sultan Murad Brigade near al-Bab, said: "It was done on a checkpoint but there were a lot of families there gathered and waiting to get back to al-Bab. Therefore we have many civilian casualties." The Turkey-backed rebels drove Islamic State from the town of al-Bab on Thursday, following weeks of street battles near where Ankara wants to establish a safe zone for civilians. Turkey`s military said on Friday that Syrian rebels had taken full control of all of al-Bab, and that work to clear mines and unexploded ordnance was under way. Sousian is behind rebel lines about 8 km (5 miles) northwest of al-Bab, around which Ankara has long supported the formation of a security zone it says would help to stem a wave of migration via Turkey into Europe. A second blast took place 2 km south of Sousian later on Friday, but it was unclear whether it was from a vehicle bomb or a planted device such as a mine. There were reports of casualties but no immediate details, the Observatory said. Islamic State said in a social media posting that it was behind the Sousian attack, having acknowledged on Thursday it had lost control of al-Bab. Syria's main conflict pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi`ite militias, against rebels that include groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies. However, both those sides, as well as a group of militias led by Kurdish forces and supported by the U.S., are also fighting Islamic State, which holds large parts of northern and eastern Syria. Mines and cells As mines laid in and around al-Bab claimed lives for a second day, the Sultan Murad Brigade fighter said many IS cells were still operating there. "It is very dangerous. Our search and clear operation is still under way," he said. Two Turkish soldiers were killed on Friday while clearing mines in the town of Tadef south of al-Bab, Turkey`s military said in a statement. On Thursday, several Turkey-backed rebels were killed by a mine in al-Bab, the Observatory said. Turkey directly intervened in Syria in August in support of rebel factions under the FSA banner to drive Islamic State from its border. It also wants to stop Kurdish groups gaining control of the region. After taking al-Bab on Thursday, Turkish forces shelled Islamic State in Tadef, the Observatory reported. The area immediately to the south of Tadef is held by the Syrian army and its allies, which have in recent weeks pushed into Islamic State territory in that area from Aleppo and advanced towards the Euphrates river. Further east, the Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdish-led militias backed by the United States, have in recent weeks taken dozens of villages from Islamic State as they close in on the group`s Syrian capital of Raqqa. (Reuters)

Car bomb on Turkey-backed Syrian rebels kills more than 50 in Syria

Fifty-six Islamic State militants were killed by Turkey-backed forces around the Syrian town of al-Bab and by US-led coalition air strikes in the latest operations on Wednesday, the Turkish military said on Thursday.

Turkish artillery fire also hit 104 Islamic State targets, including buildings and bombed vehicles, the army said in a statement, reiterating it had largely established control in the residential areas of al-Bab.

The Islamic State stronghold, 30 kilometres&nbsp;(20 miles) from the Turkish border, has been a prime target since Turkey launched an incursion with Syrian rebels last August to push the jihadists from its frontier and prevent gains by a Kurdish militia.

Turkey&#39;s army said 11 of the jihadists were killed in air strikes by coalition forces, while the rest were killed in artillery fire and clashes during operations in al-Bab.

(Reuters)

Turkish artillery fire also hit 104 IS targets, including buildings and bombed vehicles

Fifty-six Islamic State militants were killed by Turkey-backed forces around the Syrian town of al-Bab and by US-led coalition air strikes in the latest operations on Wednesday, the Turkish military said on Thursday. Turkish artillery fire also hit 104 Islamic State targets, including buildings and bombed vehicles, the army said in a statement, reiterating it had largely established control in the residential areas of al-Bab. The Islamic State stronghold, 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Turkish border, has been a prime target since Turkey launched an incursion with Syrian rebels last August to push the jihadists from its frontier and prevent gains by a Kurdish militia. Turkey's army said 11 of the jihadists were killed in air strikes by coalition forces, while the rest were killed in artillery fire and clashes during operations in al-Bab. (Reuters)

56 Islamic State militants killed in Syria, says Turkish military

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said Thursday they had fully captured the town of Al-Bab from the Islamic State group, marking a key defeat for the jihadists after weeks of heavy fighting.

As Ankara said its allies now had &quot;near complete control&quot;, the rebel announcement came on the opening day of peace talks between the Syrian opposition and regime in Geneva.

Al-Bab, just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, was the last IS stronghold in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo.

&quot;We are announcing Al-Bab completely liberated, and we are now clearing mines from the residential neighbourhoods,&quot; said Ahmad Othman, a rebel commander.

&quot;After hours of fighting, we chased out the last remaining IS rank and file that were collapsing after the fierce shelling of their positions,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said rebels had &quot;near complete control&quot; of Al-Bab.

&quot;When the search and combing operations are over, we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh (IS) elements,&quot; he said, quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency.&nbsp;

Isik reaffirmed that Turkey was now ready to join any operation by international coalition forces to take the Syrian city of Raqa, the extremist group`s de-facto capital.

Anadolu had earlier reported that rebels had surrounded the town to &quot;break&quot; IS`s will but had held off on storming the centre &quot;with the aim of preventing civilian casualties&quot;.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said IS fighters were still present in parts of the town and that rebels were in control of less than half of it.

Rebels launched an offensive to capture Al-Bab last year with the support of Turkish ground troops, artillery and air strikes.&nbsp;

Al-Bab was IS`s last remaining stronghold in Aleppo province, after a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seized the town of Manbij in August.

The jihadist group still controls a scattering of smaller villages and towns in the province. Field commanders from two other rebel factions in the town also claimed the capture of Al-Bab to AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;Yesterday (Wednesday), we captured the city centre, which was IS`s security zone... The jihadists collapsed, and this morning around 6 am (0400 GMT) we completed the operation,&quot; said Saif Abu Bakr, who heads the Al-Hamza rebel group.&nbsp;

Abu Jaafar, another rebel field commander, said he expected clearing up operations would be wrapped up within hours.&nbsp;

&quot;Dozens of IS fighters were killed and we evacuated more than 50 families from inside Al-Bab,&quot; Abu Jaafar said. 
&nbsp; 
Turkey sent troops into Syria in August last year in an operation it said targeted not only IS but also US-backed Kurdish fighters whom it regards as terrorists.

The battle for Al-Bab has been the bloodiest of the campaign with at least 69 Turkish soldiers killed there.&nbsp;

The town was also seen as a prize by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s forces, who had advanced to just 1.5 kilometres (one mile) from Al-Bab in recent weeks.&nbsp;

&quot;Al-Bab is important, insofar as its taking from IS will deprive the group of a tax base and an area where it was able to congregate and plot attacks against Syrians and the West,&quot; said Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the US-based Atlantic Council.&nbsp;

&quot;For Turkey, the mission, as was defined back in 2016, is now complete: Turkish forces have forced IS from the border and cut the overland route between the two Kurdish cantons&quot; in northern Syria, he told AFP.&nbsp;

Syria`s Kurds have managed autonomous administrations in swathes of the country`s north since 2012, and Al-Bab falls between the &quot;cantons&quot; of Kobane and Afrin.&nbsp;

&quot;However, Turkey will now have to grapple with the questions of prolonged occupation of a foreign country and help to oversee the transition to civilian rule, a tall task for any foreign military,&quot; Stein added.

More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad that spiralled into all-out war. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Al-Bab, just 25 kilometres south of the Turkish border, was the last IS stronghold in the Syrian province of Aleppo

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said Thursday they had fully captured the town of Al-Bab from the Islamic State group, marking a key defeat for the jihadists after weeks of heavy fighting. As Ankara said its allies now had "near complete control", the rebel announcement came on the opening day of peace talks between the Syrian opposition and regime in Geneva. Al-Bab, just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, was the last IS stronghold in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. "We are announcing Al-Bab completely liberated, and we are now clearing mines from the residential neighbourhoods," said Ahmad Othman, a rebel commander. "After hours of fighting, we chased out the last remaining IS rank and file that were collapsing after the fierce shelling of their positions," he added. Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said rebels had "near complete control" of Al-Bab. "When the search and combing operations are over, we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh (IS) elements," he said, quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency. Isik reaffirmed that Turkey was now ready to join any operation by international coalition forces to take the Syrian city of Raqa, the extremist group`s de-facto capital. Anadolu had earlier reported that rebels had surrounded the town to "break" IS`s will but had held off on storming the centre "with the aim of preventing civilian casualties". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said IS fighters were still present in parts of the town and that rebels were in control of less than half of it. Rebels launched an offensive to capture Al-Bab last year with the support of Turkish ground troops, artillery and air strikes. Al-Bab was IS`s last remaining stronghold in Aleppo province, after a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seized the town of Manbij in August. The jihadist group still controls a scattering of smaller villages and towns in the province. Field commanders from two other rebel factions in the town also claimed the capture of Al-Bab to AFP. "Yesterday (Wednesday), we captured the city centre, which was IS`s security zone... The jihadists collapsed, and this morning around 6 am (0400 GMT) we completed the operation," said Saif Abu Bakr, who heads the Al-Hamza rebel group. Abu Jaafar, another rebel field commander, said he expected clearing up operations would be wrapped up within hours. "Dozens of IS fighters were killed and we evacuated more than 50 families from inside Al-Bab," Abu Jaafar said. Turkey sent troops into Syria in August last year in an operation it said targeted not only IS but also US-backed Kurdish fighters whom it regards as terrorists. The battle for Al-Bab has been the bloodiest of the campaign with at least 69 Turkish soldiers killed there. The town was also seen as a prize by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s forces, who had advanced to just 1.5 kilometres (one mile) from Al-Bab in recent weeks. "Al-Bab is important, insofar as its taking from IS will deprive the group of a tax base and an area where it was able to congregate and plot attacks against Syrians and the West," said Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the US-based Atlantic Council. "For Turkey, the mission, as was defined back in 2016, is now complete: Turkish forces have forced IS from the border and cut the overland route between the two Kurdish cantons" in northern Syria, he told AFP. Syria`s Kurds have managed autonomous administrations in swathes of the country`s north since 2012, and Al-Bab falls between the "cantons" of Kobane and Afrin. "However, Turkey will now have to grapple with the questions of prolonged occupation of a foreign country and help to oversee the transition to civilian rule, a tall task for any foreign military," Stein added. More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad that spiralled into all-out war. (AFP)

Turkish-backed Syria rebels claim victory over IS stronghold Al-Bab

More than 130 people, mostly combatants, have been killed in three days of&nbsp;fighting between jihadists close to the Islamic State group and rebels in southern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday.

The clashes pit the Khaled Ben al-Walid Army,&nbsp;which pledged allegiance to IS last year,&nbsp;against Islamist rebel groups including the influential Ahrar al-Sham faction, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

At least 132 people had been killed in the fighting that raged in Daraa province near the border with Jordan and the buffer zone before the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

The Khaled Ben al-Walid Army sparked the clashes with an attack on rebels in the west of the southern province.

The pro-IS group has since seized three areas including Sahem al-Jolan near the border and a hill overlooking the rebel-held town of Nawa.

The Khaled Ben al-Walid Army &quot;wants to extend its influence in the strategic triangle between Daraa (city), Jordan and the Golan,&quot; Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Daraa province, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, is mostly held by the rebels but pro-government forces and IS are also present.

The provincial capital of the same name is divided between army and rebel control.

Syria&#39;s war has killed more than 310,000 people since it started nearly six years ago with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests.

It has since spiralled into a complex war involving international players and jihadists.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The clashes pit the Khaled Ben al-Walid Army, which pledged allegiance to IS last year, against Islamist rebel groups

More than 130 people, mostly combatants, have been killed in three days of fighting between jihadists close to the Islamic State group and rebels in southern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday. The clashes pit the Khaled Ben al-Walid Army, which pledged allegiance to IS last year, against Islamist rebel groups including the influential Ahrar al-Sham faction, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least 132 people had been killed in the fighting that raged in Daraa province near the border with Jordan and the buffer zone before the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. The Khaled Ben al-Walid Army sparked the clashes with an attack on rebels in the west of the southern province. The pro-IS group has since seized three areas including Sahem al-Jolan near the border and a hill overlooking the rebel-held town of Nawa. The Khaled Ben al-Walid Army "wants to extend its influence in the strategic triangle between Daraa (city), Jordan and the Golan," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Daraa province, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, is mostly held by the rebels but pro-government forces and IS are also present. The provincial capital of the same name is divided between army and rebel control. Syria's war has killed more than 310,000 people since it started nearly six years ago with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests. It has since spiralled into a complex war involving international players and jihadists. (AFP)

Syria: More than 130 killed in three days of Daraa clashes

Syria&#39;s President Bashar al-Assad has declared Amnesty&#39;s report as &quot;childish&quot; which contained &quot;not a single fact or&nbsp;evidence&quot; to support allegations that some 13,000 people were hanged at the Saydnaya prison between 2011 and 2015.

&quot;They said they interviewed few witnesses, who are in opposition and defected. So it&#39;s biased,&quot; the Syrian president said.

Regarding torture, he said, &quot;We don&#39;t do this, it&#39;s not our policy,&quot; adding: &quot;Torture for what? ... For sadism?... &nbsp;to get information? We have all the information.&quot;

He argued: &quot;If we commit such atrocities it&#39;s going to play into the hands of the terrorists, they&#39;re going to win. It&#39;s about winning the hearts of the Syrian people, if we commit such atrocities... we wouldn&#39;t have popular&nbsp;support through&nbsp;six years&nbsp;of war.

(READ:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/abuse-torture-sexual-assault-in-syrias-prisons-12141">Abuse, torture, sexual assault in Syria&#39;s prisons</a>)

Concerning international negotiations to end the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives, Assad said Western countries had &quot;lost their chance of achieving anything in Geneva twice&quot;.&nbsp;While Turkey, Russia and Iran take the lead in the talks in Astana, the West has become &quot;passive&quot;, he said, denouncing the coalition for supporting &quot;those groups that represented the terrorists against the government.

&quot;They did not want to achieve peace in Syria,&quot; the Syrian president declared.

Russia and Iran have helped turn the tables on the ground with their military backing for Assad, while Turkey has supported rebels fighting to oust the strongman.&nbsp;

A new round of the Astana talks was set to kick off on Thursday after a one-day delay for &quot;technical reasons&quot;.&nbsp;The talks - pushed by key Assad supporter Moscow - are viewed as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations that are due to begin in Geneva on February 23. &nbsp;

The meeting in Geneva, the fifth time negotiators have gone to Switzerland, has been pushed back twice already, in part to give the opposition more time to form a unified delegation.

President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday said Raqa is not a priority target for his forces, saying his goal is to retake &quot;every inch&quot; of Syrian territory.

&quot;Raqa is a symbol,&quot; Assad said in an interview with French media, while asserting that jihadist attacks carried out in France were &quot;not necessarily prepared&quot; in the Islamic State group (IS) stronghold in Syria.

&quot;You have ISIS close to Damascus, you have them everywhere,&quot; Assad said, using another acronym for IS.&nbsp;&quot;Everywhere is a priority depending on the development of the battle,&quot; he said, as a new round of peace talks was set to kick-off in the Kazakh capital Astana.

&quot;They are in Palmyra now and in the eastern part of Syria,&quot; he said in the interview in Damascus with Europe 1 radio and the TF1 and LCI television channels.

&quot;For us it is all the same, Raqa, Palmyra, Idlib, it&#39;s all the same.&quot;&nbsp;The Syrian leader said it was the &quot;duty of any government&quot; to regain control of &quot;every inch&quot; of its territory.&nbsp;After a string of major losses in both Iraq and Syria, the jihadists&#39; two main strongholds of Mosul and Raqa are both under attack from forces backed by a US-led coalition.

After a massive, four-month campaign, Iraqi forces are tightening the noose on Mosul, while in Syria, an Arab-Kurd alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces, has begun advancing on Raqa.&nbsp;Also in the interview, Assad categorically denied that his government practises torture and reiterated his rejection of recent allegations by Amnesty International of executions and atrocities perpetrated at a prison near Damascus.

(AFP)

Assad said Amnesty's report contained "not a single fact" to support allegations that 13,000 people were hanged at the Saydnaya prison

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has declared Amnesty's report as "childish" which contained "not a single fact or evidence" to support allegations that some 13,000 people were hanged at the Saydnaya prison between 2011 and 2015. "They said they interviewed few witnesses, who are in opposition and defected. So it's biased," the Syrian president said. Regarding torture, he said, "We don't do this, it's not our policy," adding: "Torture for what? ... For sadism?... to get information? We have all the information." He argued: "If we commit such atrocities it's going to play into the hands of the terrorists, they're going to win. It's about winning the hearts of the Syrian people, if we commit such atrocities... we wouldn't have popular support through six years of war. (READ: Abuse, torture, sexual assault in Syria's prisons) Concerning international negotiations to end the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives, Assad said Western countries had "lost their chance of achieving anything in Geneva twice". While Turkey, Russia and Iran take the lead in the talks in Astana, the West has become "passive", he said, denouncing the coalition for supporting "those groups that represented the terrorists against the government. "They did not want to achieve peace in Syria," the Syrian president declared. Russia and Iran have helped turn the tables on the ground with their military backing for Assad, while Turkey has supported rebels fighting to oust the strongman. A new round of the Astana talks was set to kick off on Thursday after a one-day delay for "technical reasons". The talks - pushed by key Assad supporter Moscow - are viewed as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations that are due to begin in Geneva on February 23. The meeting in Geneva, the fifth time negotiators have gone to Switzerland, has been pushed back twice already, in part to give the opposition more time to form a unified delegation. President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday said Raqa is not a priority target for his forces, saying his goal is to retake "every inch" of Syrian territory. "Raqa is a symbol," Assad said in an interview with French media, while asserting that jihadist attacks carried out in France were "not necessarily prepared" in the Islamic State group (IS) stronghold in Syria. "You have ISIS close to Damascus, you have them everywhere," Assad said, using another acronym for IS. "Everywhere is a priority depending on the development of the battle," he said, as a new round of peace talks was set to kick-off in the Kazakh capital Astana. "They are in Palmyra now and in the eastern part of Syria," he said in the interview in Damascus with Europe 1 radio and the TF1 and LCI television channels. "For us it is all the same, Raqa, Palmyra, Idlib, it's all the same." The Syrian leader said it was the "duty of any government" to regain control of "every inch" of its territory. After a string of major losses in both Iraq and Syria, the jihadists' two main strongholds of Mosul and Raqa are both under attack from forces backed by a US-led coalition. After a massive, four-month campaign, Iraqi forces are tightening the noose on Mosul, while in Syria, an Arab-Kurd alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces, has begun advancing on Raqa. Also in the interview, Assad categorically denied that his government practises torture and reiterated his rejection of recent allegations by Amnesty International of executions and atrocities perpetrated at a prison near Damascus. (AFP)

Assad slams Amnesty report on torture in Saydnaya prison

A car packed with explosives blew up on Thursday in southern Baghdad, killing at least 51 people and wounding 55, security and medical sources said, in the deadliest such attack in Iraq this year.

Islamic State, which is on the defensive after losing control of eastern Mosul to a US-backed Iraqi military offensive, claimed responsibility for the bombing in an online statement.

As it cedes territory captured in a 2014 offensive across northern and western Iraq, the ultra-hardline group has stepped up insurgent strikes on government areas, particularly in the capital Baghdad.

Security sources said the vehicle which blew up on Thursday was parked in a crowded street full of garages and used car dealers, in Hayy al-Shurta, a Shi&#39;ite district in the southwest of the city.

The death toll could climb further as many of the wounded are in critical condition, a doctor said.

The bombing is the second to hit car markets this week, suggesting the group has found it easier to leave vehicles laden with explosives in places where hundreds of other vehicles are parked.&nbsp;

A suicide bomber detonated a pick-up truck on Wednesday in Sadr City, a poor Shi`ite suburb in the east of the capital, killing at least 15 people. That explosion took place in a street full of used car dealers.

US-backed Iraqi forces have dislodged Islamic State from most of the cities it captured in 2014 and 2015. The militants also control parts of Syria.&nbsp;

Iraqi government forces last month captured eastern Mosul and are now preparing an offensive on the western side that remains under the militants&#39; control. The city is divided in two halves by the Tigris river.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the bombing in an online statement

A car packed with explosives blew up on Thursday in southern Baghdad, killing at least 51 people and wounding 55, security and medical sources said, in the deadliest such attack in Iraq this year. Islamic State, which is on the defensive after losing control of eastern Mosul to a US-backed Iraqi military offensive, claimed responsibility for the bombing in an online statement. As it cedes territory captured in a 2014 offensive across northern and western Iraq, the ultra-hardline group has stepped up insurgent strikes on government areas, particularly in the capital Baghdad. Security sources said the vehicle which blew up on Thursday was parked in a crowded street full of garages and used car dealers, in Hayy al-Shurta, a Shi'ite district in the southwest of the city. The death toll could climb further as many of the wounded are in critical condition, a doctor said. The bombing is the second to hit car markets this week, suggesting the group has found it easier to leave vehicles laden with explosives in places where hundreds of other vehicles are parked. A suicide bomber detonated a pick-up truck on Wednesday in Sadr City, a poor Shi`ite suburb in the east of the capital, killing at least 15 people. That explosion took place in a street full of used car dealers. US-backed Iraqi forces have dislodged Islamic State from most of the cities it captured in 2014 and 2015. The militants also control parts of Syria. Iraqi government forces last month captured eastern Mosul and are now preparing an offensive on the western side that remains under the militants' control. The city is divided in two halves by the Tigris river. (Reuters)

51 dead in third car bomb attack in Baghdad in 3 days

The Maldives police arrested a Maldivian man for allegedly trying to cross into Syria to join the civil war there, the Maldives Independent reported.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, in a series of tweets, the police said he was&ldquo;on his way to join Syrian civil war.&rdquo; The man&#39;s identity and the&nbsp;date of extradition were&nbsp;not disclosed.&nbsp;

&ldquo;In order to reduce the number of such cases, we are expanding cooperation with international actors and are working on increasing the police&rsquo;s capacity,&rdquo; the Maldives&nbsp;Police&#39;s tweet read.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A Maldivian arrested and brought back to Male&#39; on his way to join Syrian civil war.
&mdash; Maldives Police (@PoliceMv) <a href="https://twitter.com/PoliceMv/status/829039995122020354">February 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to media reports, this is the fourth Maldivian citizen to be arrested&nbsp;for&nbsp;trying to&nbsp;join the war in Syria. The other three are currently under trial&nbsp;facing terrorism charges,&nbsp;the Maldives Independent reported.&nbsp;

If convicted, they can get up to 20 years in prison.&nbsp;

Several Maldivians are leaving the beautiful island nation mostly to fight within&nbsp;al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, in Syria.&nbsp;

At least six Maldivians are believed to have died fighting in Syria.&nbsp;

Although no official figures are available, former Maldivian president Nasheed claims there could as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-from-the-white-sand-beaches-to-the-arid-syrian-desert-young-maldivians-swell-the-ranks-of-islamist-terrorists-11241">WION</a> had earlier reported that the growing radicalism in the country could be attributed to some radical preachers educated in Saudi Arabia and spreading the strict Salafi version of Islam in the archipelago.&nbsp;

This not only poses a threat for the Maldives but for India as well, a close neighbour which has a fair share of its own citizens attempting to participate in the war.&nbsp;

In 2016, about 50 Indians have been arrested for having suspected links to the IS. The detainees mostly belonged to states of Maharashtra and Kerala, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-52-detained-for-having-links-to-islamic-state-in-2016-11485">WION</a> reported.&nbsp;

After allegations that current President Abdulla Yameen&#39;s administration had failed to curb the threat, the Parliament in 2015 introduced a law which criminalises&nbsp;people joining foreign wars.&nbsp;

(WION)

The police said the man was brought back to the Maldives with the help of 'international' agencies

The Maldives police arrested a Maldivian man for allegedly trying to cross into Syria to join the civil war there, the Maldives Independent reported. On Tuesday, in a series of tweets, the police said he was“on his way to join Syrian civil war.” The man's identity and the date of extradition were not disclosed. “In order to reduce the number of such cases, we are expanding cooperation with international actors and are working on increasing the police’s capacity,” the Maldives Police's tweet read. A Maldivian arrested and brought back to Male' on his way to join Syrian civil war. — Maldives Police (@PoliceMv) February 7, 2017 × According to media reports, this is the fourth Maldivian citizen to be arrested for trying to join the war in Syria. The other three are currently under trial facing terrorism charges, the Maldives Independent reported. If convicted, they can get up to 20 years in prison. Several Maldivians are leaving the beautiful island nation mostly to fight within al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, in Syria. At least six Maldivians are believed to have died fighting in Syria. Although no official figures are available, former Maldivian president Nasheed claims there could as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. WION had earlier reported that the growing radicalism in the country could be attributed to some radical preachers educated in Saudi Arabia and spreading the strict Salafi version of Islam in the archipelago. This not only poses a threat for the Maldives but for India as well, a close neighbour which has a fair share of its own citizens attempting to participate in the war. In 2016, about 50 Indians have been arrested for having suspected links to the IS. The detainees mostly belonged to states of Maharashtra and Kerala, WION reported. After allegations that current President Abdulla Yameen's administration had failed to curb the threat, the Parliament in 2015 introduced a law which criminalises people joining foreign wars. (WION)

Maldives: Police arrest fourth Maldivian man trying to join Syrian war

The Islamic State group is &quot;completely besieged&quot; in its last major stronghold in Syria&#39;s Aleppo province, a monitor said Monday, as pro-regime forces pressure the jihadists on several fronts.

IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government severed a road into the northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

&quot;Al-Bab is now completely besieged by the regime from the south, and the Turkish forces and rebels from the east, north and west,&quot; said the Britain-based monitor.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said regime forces and allied militias captured the last remaining route between Al-Bab and Raqa, the jihadists&#39; de facto capital in Syria.

At least 11 pro-government fighters were killed in ongoing clashes around Al-Bab on Monday, he added.

Just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, the town is seen as a prize by nearly all sides in the complex war.

Since December, Turkey-backed rebels known as the Euphrates Shield alliance have edged towards Al-Bab from the north.

&quot;Al-Bab is more important for the Turks, who defined the town as a priority for their Euphrates Shield alliance,&quot; said Syria expert Thomas Pierret.&nbsp;

But the regime was eyeing territory around Al-Bab &quot;to protect the eastern flank of Aleppo city&quot; which it recaptured in December, he said.&nbsp;

It also sought to use the town as a buffer, &quot;preventing the Euphrates Shield from advancing south&quot; deeper into Syria.

Assad lambasts Europe

Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the war, but have joined forces in recent months to try to end to the conflict.

The two powers carried out their first joint bombing raids around Al-Bab in January after brokering a fragile ceasefire between rebels and regime forces.

Along with Iran, they organised a summit in Kazakhstan in a bid to reinforce that truce ahead of fully fledged peace talks in Geneva later this month.

Those negotiations, hosted by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, are the latest attempt to stop the six-year conflict.

Several rounds of indirect talks in 2016 between the regime and the opposition, represented by the High Negotiations Committee, fizzled out without notable progress.

On February 12, the HNC will announce the members of its delegation to this month&#39;s talks, the leading Istanbul-based National Coalition said Monday.

The main obstacle to progress in previous rounds has been the fate of Assad, who opposition forces say must leave power at the start of any transition period.

On Monday, Assad told visiting Belgian parliamentarians that Western policies towards the conflict in his country had actually hurt Europeans.

&quot;Most European countries adopted an unrealistic policy since the beginning of the war in Syria... damaging the interests of their own people by supporting terrorist groups,&quot; he said.

IS on defensive

Assad&#39;s regime has refocused on IS since fully recapturing Aleppo city in December, in the biggest blow to rebels battling to topple his regime.

IS is among several jihadist movements that have shot to prominence during the conflict, which has left more than 310,000 people dead and forced millions more from their homes.

Assad&#39;s forces were also locked in fighting with IS in the central province of Homs on Monday that left at least 14 government fighters dead, the Observatory said.

They had capturing the Hayyan oilfield west of the celebrated desert city of Palmyra at the weekend and were seeking to advance backed by heavy artillery and air strikes.

The United Nations said on Monday IS was &quot;militarily on the defensive&quot; across the region, struggling to attract recruits and facing a drop in revenue from oil and exortion.

But the UN report urged governments to be vigilant of IS efforts to find new revenue streams, citing concerns that journalists and aid workers travelling to areas recaptured from the jihadists could be targets for kidnapping.

On Saturday, US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters announced a new phase in their campaign to capture Raqa, but said they needed more weapons to win.

The Syrian Democratic Forces began their offensive for the jihadist stronghold in November and have taken some ground further up the Euphrates Valley but are still some distance away.

SDF fighters have received training and air support from the US-led coalition against IS. Last week Washington said it had supplied them with armoured sports utility vehicles for the first time.

US President Donald Trump, who made fighting &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot; a central plank of his election campaign, was due to visit US Central Command on Monday, meeting officers who will spearhead his new strategy to defeat IS.

(AFP)

IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's government severed a road into the northern town

The Islamic State group is "completely besieged" in its last major stronghold in Syria's Aleppo province, a monitor said Monday, as pro-regime forces pressure the jihadists on several fronts. IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's government severed a road into the northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. "Al-Bab is now completely besieged by the regime from the south, and the Turkish forces and rebels from the east, north and west," said the Britain-based monitor. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said regime forces and allied militias captured the last remaining route between Al-Bab and Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital in Syria. At least 11 pro-government fighters were killed in ongoing clashes around Al-Bab on Monday, he added. Just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, the town is seen as a prize by nearly all sides in the complex war. Since December, Turkey-backed rebels known as the Euphrates Shield alliance have edged towards Al-Bab from the north. "Al-Bab is more important for the Turks, who defined the town as a priority for their Euphrates Shield alliance," said Syria expert Thomas Pierret. But the regime was eyeing territory around Al-Bab "to protect the eastern flank of Aleppo city" which it recaptured in December, he said. It also sought to use the town as a buffer, "preventing the Euphrates Shield from advancing south" deeper into Syria. Assad lambasts Europe Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the war, but have joined forces in recent months to try to end to the conflict. The two powers carried out their first joint bombing raids around Al-Bab in January after brokering a fragile ceasefire between rebels and regime forces. Along with Iran, they organised a summit in Kazakhstan in a bid to reinforce that truce ahead of fully fledged peace talks in Geneva later this month. Those negotiations, hosted by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, are the latest attempt to stop the six-year conflict. Several rounds of indirect talks in 2016 between the regime and the opposition, represented by the High Negotiations Committee, fizzled out without notable progress. On February 12, the HNC will announce the members of its delegation to this month's talks, the leading Istanbul-based National Coalition said Monday. The main obstacle to progress in previous rounds has been the fate of Assad, who opposition forces say must leave power at the start of any transition period. On Monday, Assad told visiting Belgian parliamentarians that Western policies towards the conflict in his country had actually hurt Europeans. "Most European countries adopted an unrealistic policy since the beginning of the war in Syria... damaging the interests of their own people by supporting terrorist groups," he said. IS on defensive Assad's regime has refocused on IS since fully recapturing Aleppo city in December, in the biggest blow to rebels battling to topple his regime. IS is among several jihadist movements that have shot to prominence during the conflict, which has left more than 310,000 people dead and forced millions more from their homes. Assad's forces were also locked in fighting with IS in the central province of Homs on Monday that left at least 14 government fighters dead, the Observatory said. They had capturing the Hayyan oilfield west of the celebrated desert city of Palmyra at the weekend and were seeking to advance backed by heavy artillery and air strikes. The United Nations said on Monday IS was "militarily on the defensive" across the region, struggling to attract recruits and facing a drop in revenue from oil and exortion. But the UN report urged governments to be vigilant of IS efforts to find new revenue streams, citing concerns that journalists and aid workers travelling to areas recaptured from the jihadists could be targets for kidnapping. On Saturday, US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters announced a new phase in their campaign to capture Raqa, but said they needed more weapons to win. The Syrian Democratic Forces began their offensive for the jihadist stronghold in November and have taken some ground further up the Euphrates Valley but are still some distance away. SDF fighters have received training and air support from the US-led coalition against IS. Last week Washington said it had supplied them with armoured sports utility vehicles for the first time. US President Donald Trump, who made fighting "radical Islamic terrorism" a central plank of his election campaign, was due to visit US Central Command on Monday, meeting officers who will spearhead his new strategy to defeat IS. (AFP)

Syria: IS 'completely besieged' as regime forces severe key route

Mohamed Abrini, the &quot;man in the hat&quot; bombing suspect caught on camera during the Brussels airport attack, has been charged in France over the November 2015 jihadist massacres in Paris, his lawyers said on Monday.

Belgium handed Abrini over to the French authorities on Monday for a day so that he could face charges related to the deaths of 130 people in the French capital.

Abrini was captured in Brussels in April over his suspected involvement in the March 22 Brussels attacks and the Paris killings, both of which were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Belgian investigators have said the Brussels airport and metro bombers who killed a total of 32 people were part of the same Brussels-based cell that orchestrated the Paris attacks.

The main suspect in the Paris attacks is Salah Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national believed to be the only survivor of the jihadist team behind the carnage.

(AFP)

Belgium handed Abrini over to the French authorities for a day so that he could face charges related to the deaths of 130 people in Paris

Mohamed Abrini, the "man in the hat" bombing suspect caught on camera during the Brussels airport attack, has been charged in France over the November 2015 jihadist massacres in Paris, his lawyers said on Monday. Belgium handed Abrini over to the French authorities on Monday for a day so that he could face charges related to the deaths of 130 people in the French capital. Abrini was captured in Brussels in April over his suspected involvement in the March 22 Brussels attacks and the Paris killings, both of which were claimed by the Islamic State group. Belgian investigators have said the Brussels airport and metro bombers who killed a total of 32 people were part of the same Brussels-based cell that orchestrated the Paris attacks. The main suspect in the Paris attacks is Salah Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national believed to be the only survivor of the jihadist team behind the carnage. (AFP)

Brussels bombing suspect Mohamed Abrini charged over Paris attacks

A US raid in Yemen at dawn on Sunday killed 41 Al-Qaeda suspects, including three prominent figures, 16 civilians, a provincial official said.

The military operation was the first attributed to the United States against jihadists in Yemen since President Donald Trump took office on January 20.

Seven women and three children were among those killed in the raid on Yakla district in the central province of Baida, said the official, who did not want to be named, and tribal sources.

Earlier, tribal and sources in the region said the raid targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda, adding that a number of civilians were also killed.

But the provincial official said Apache helicopters targeted also a school, mosque and a medical facility used by Al-Qaeda militants.

Under Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, the United States stepped up its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen, as well as other countries including Afghanistan.

The United States considers the extremist group&#39;s Yemen-based franchise, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to be its most dangerous.

But although it only sporadically reports on a long-running bombing campaign against AQAP, it is the only force known to be operating drones over Yemen.

On January 14, the Pentagon announced the killing a senior Al-Qaeda operative in Baida the week before in an air strike.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group have exploited a power vacuum created by the two-year-old conflict in Yemen between the government and Shiite Huthi rebels, especially in the country&#39;s south and southeast.

(AFP)

The military operation was the first attributed to the United States against jihadists in Yemen since Trump took office on January 20

A US raid in Yemen at dawn on Sunday killed 41 Al-Qaeda suspects, including three prominent figures, 16 civilians, a provincial official said. The military operation was the first attributed to the United States against jihadists in Yemen since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. Seven women and three children were among those killed in the raid on Yakla district in the central province of Baida, said the official, who did not want to be named, and tribal sources. Earlier, tribal and sources in the region said the raid targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda, adding that a number of civilians were also killed. But the provincial official said Apache helicopters targeted also a school, mosque and a medical facility used by Al-Qaeda militants. Under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, the United States stepped up its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen, as well as other countries including Afghanistan. The United States considers the extremist group's Yemen-based franchise, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to be its most dangerous. But although it only sporadically reports on a long-running bombing campaign against AQAP, it is the only force known to be operating drones over Yemen. On January 14, the Pentagon announced the killing a senior Al-Qaeda operative in Baida the week before in an air strike. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group have exploited a power vacuum created by the two-year-old conflict in Yemen between the government and Shiite Huthi rebels, especially in the country's south and southeast. (AFP)

US raid on Yemen kills 41 Al-Qaeda suspects, 16 civilians: Official

The Syrian army said on Sunday that it had recaptured a flashpoint area from rebels near Damascus that supplies water to the capital.

Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks between regime and rebel forces that tested a fragile nationwide truce and left millions in Damascus facing water shortages.

&quot;Our armed forces ... have accomplished their mission by restoring security and stability in the region of Wadi Barada&quot;, the army said in a statement carried by state television.

The announcement came a day after the army entered the water pumping station in Wadi Barada for the first time in four years.

Under a deal with the authorities, rebels can choose to stay in the area but hand over their weapons, or leave to the northern province of Idlib, last major bastion of the armed opposition.

Around 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs have been without water since fighting intensified in the Wadi Barada area in late December.

(AFP) 
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Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks that left millions in Damascus facing water shortages

The Syrian army said on Sunday that it had recaptured a flashpoint area from rebels near Damascus that supplies water to the capital. Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks between regime and rebel forces that tested a fragile nationwide truce and left millions in Damascus facing water shortages. "Our armed forces ... have accomplished their mission by restoring security and stability in the region of Wadi Barada", the army said in a statement carried by state television. The announcement came a day after the army entered the water pumping station in Wadi Barada for the first time in four years. Under a deal with the authorities, rebels can choose to stay in the area but hand over their weapons, or leave to the northern province of Idlib, last major bastion of the armed opposition. Around 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs have been without water since fighting intensified in the Wadi Barada area in late December. (AFP)

Syrian army says retakes key rebel area near Damascus

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday giving the US military 30 days to devise a plan to &quot;defeat&quot; the Islamic State group.

The plan makes good on a key campaign pledge of Trump, who mocked and criticised the slow pace of his predecessor Barack Obama&#39;s progress in the fight against the extremist fighters.

The text, which calls for a &quot;comprehensive strategy and plans for the defeat of ISIS,&quot; is seen as meaning more US forces and military hardware moving into Iraq and Syria.

Pentagon chief James Mattis is also tasked with recommending changes to US rules of engagement and policy restrictions to eliminate those that &quot;exceed the requirements of international law regarding the use of force against ISIS&quot; under the order, which also seeks to cut the group&#39;s financial support.

Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone call to establish &quot;real coordination&quot; against the Islamic State group in Syria, according to the Kremlin.

Yet many in the US military are suspicious of Russia&#39;s role in Syria, with Moscow seen as seeking first and foremost to support and defend President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.

&quot;We have to get rid of ISIS. We have no choice,&quot; Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast Thursday, using another acronym for the jihadist group.&nbsp;

&quot;This is evil. This is a level of evil that we haven&#39;t seen.&quot;

Seeking &#39;quicker results&#39;&nbsp; 
Barack Obama took a longer-term view of the anti-IS fight, with a more cautious commitment of US forces and instead of ramping up an air war against the violent extremists.

&quot;President Trump might be looking for something with quicker results, that could put some more options on the table,&quot; retired lieutenant general David Barno, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005, told National Public Radio on Friday.

The United States currently has 5,000 troops in Iraq and 500 in Syria as &quot;advisers&quot; -- but also US artillery and aircraft to help in the fight.

They have provided substantial support to the assault led by Iraqi forces on Islamic State&#39;s hold on the key city of Mosul.

The slow, steady assault has driven IS fighters out of part of the city on the east bank of the Tigris River, and forces are now preparing an assault on IS-held Mosul neighbourhoods on the river&#39;s west bank.&nbsp;

According to reports, an escalation of the US role could involve more US armour and helicopters engaging in the assaults on IS positions together with Iraqi, Turkish and Kurdish forces.

Trump &quot;could elect to put American boots on the ground in larger numbers,&quot; Barno said.&nbsp;

&quot;That all entails new uses of military power... and that opens the prospect of a deeper involvement with more casualties.&quot;

(AFP)

While former US president Barack Obama took a long-term view of the fight against IS, Donald Trump wants quicker results

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday giving the US military 30 days to devise a plan to "defeat" the Islamic State group. The plan makes good on a key campaign pledge of Trump, who mocked and criticised the slow pace of his predecessor Barack Obama's progress in the fight against the extremist fighters. The text, which calls for a "comprehensive strategy and plans for the defeat of ISIS," is seen as meaning more US forces and military hardware moving into Iraq and Syria. Pentagon chief James Mattis is also tasked with recommending changes to US rules of engagement and policy restrictions to eliminate those that "exceed the requirements of international law regarding the use of force against ISIS" under the order, which also seeks to cut the group's financial support. Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone call to establish "real coordination" against the Islamic State group in Syria, according to the Kremlin. Yet many in the US military are suspicious of Russia's role in Syria, with Moscow seen as seeking first and foremost to support and defend President Bashar al-Assad's regime. "We have to get rid of ISIS. We have no choice," Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast Thursday, using another acronym for the jihadist group. "This is evil. This is a level of evil that we haven't seen." Seeking 'quicker results' Barack Obama took a longer-term view of the anti-IS fight, with a more cautious commitment of US forces and instead of ramping up an air war against the violent extremists. "President Trump might be looking for something with quicker results, that could put some more options on the table," retired lieutenant general David Barno, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005, told National Public Radio on Friday. The United States currently has 5,000 troops in Iraq and 500 in Syria as "advisers" -- but also US artillery and aircraft to help in the fight. They have provided substantial support to the assault led by Iraqi forces on Islamic State's hold on the key city of Mosul. The slow, steady assault has driven IS fighters out of part of the city on the east bank of the Tigris River, and forces are now preparing an assault on IS-held Mosul neighbourhoods on the river's west bank. According to reports, an escalation of the US role could involve more US armour and helicopters engaging in the assaults on IS positions together with Iraqi, Turkish and Kurdish forces. Trump "could elect to put American boots on the ground in larger numbers," Barno said. "That all entails new uses of military power... and that opens the prospect of a deeper involvement with more casualties." (AFP)

Trump gives generals 30 days for new anti-Islamic State strategy

Syrians cheered excitedly in an Aleppo stadium on Saturday as they watched their first live football match in the war-ravaged city in years.

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The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo. (AFP)
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The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo in 2012, dividing the northern city into a regime-held west and rebel-controlled east.

The sixth stage league game comes after the army last month retook Aleppo&#39;s eastern neighbourhoods, regaining control of the whole city.

Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans wearing winter jackets and woolly hats chanted their encouragements to their team on the dry grass pitch.

A large Ittihad banner draped in the stands featured an image of President Bashar al-Assad.

Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who had been killed or fled Syria during its nearly six-year war.

&quot;The last match I went to was in 2010,&quot; said Mohammed Ali, who appeared to be in his early thirties, his hair slicked back and beard neatly trimmed for the occasion.

&quot;Of course there were a lot more of us then. I was with my friends. Now some of them have travelled and others died,&quot; he said, sporting his team&#39;s red and black jersey.&nbsp;

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Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war. (AFP)
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More than 310,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes in the conflict since it erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Since 2012, Ittihad and Hurriya had only ever played games in other parts of Syria. Earlier games this season for both teams were held in the regime coastal stronghold of Latakia.

&#39;Heart beating fast&#39;

&quot;We had started feeling a bit desperate because no match was ever held in Aleppo,&quot; Ghassan Mahmoud, another supporter in a leather jacket, said before the kick-off.

&quot;But now security has returned, we hope the club&#39;s crowds will slowly come back to the stands,&quot; he said, standing next to a fellow fan in a Syrian-flag-themed outfit and beanie hat.

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&quot;We had started feeling a bit desperate because no match was ever held in Aleppo,&quot; Ghassan Mahmoud, a supporter in a leather jacket, said before the kick-off. (AFP)
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As they warmed up outside in their tracksuits before the match, the Ittihad team&#39;s bright red and black shirts hung on hooks in the changing room.&nbsp;

&quot;I can&#39;t tell you how it feels to return to the pitch (in Aleppo) after five years,&quot; said Ittihad player Omar Hamidi before the game.

&quot;My heart&#39;s beating so fast,&quot; he said, adding that his last game in the city was in 2011.

Bakri Turab, another player, said he had &quot;been waiting for this moment for years&quot;.

Fans cheered as Ittihad took to the field to play their black-clad rivals, with young boys dressed in green looking on from the touchlines.

Maher Khayata, deputy head of the general sports union, this week said the game was &quot;a first step towards Aleppo clubs returning to play on home ground, waiting for pitches to be ready&quot;.

But so far no other game has yet been scheduled in Aleppo.

With games played previously all over the country, the Syria League was suspended after the conflict erupted nearly six years ago.

In 2012, matches resumed in a reduced format and only in only the regime-held cities of Damascus and Latakia.

A National Football Federation official last month said Syria League games would now return to the central cites of Homs and Hama after they were deemed safe.

(AFP)

There has been no professional football in Aleppo since it was divided between the army and rebel forces in 2011

Syrians cheered excitedly in an Aleppo stadium on Saturday as they watched their first live football match in the war-ravaged city in years. The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo. (AFP) × The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo in 2012, dividing the northern city into a regime-held west and rebel-controlled east. The sixth stage league game comes after the army last month retook Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods, regaining control of the whole city. Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans wearing winter jackets and woolly hats chanted their encouragements to their team on the dry grass pitch. A large Ittihad banner draped in the stands featured an image of President Bashar al-Assad. Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who had been killed or fled Syria during its nearly six-year war. "The last match I went to was in 2010," said Mohammed Ali, who appeared to be in his early thirties, his hair slicked back and beard neatly trimmed for the occasion. "Of course there were a lot more of us then. I was with my friends. Now some of them have travelled and others died," he said, sporting his team's red and black jersey. Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war. (AFP) × More than 310,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes in the conflict since it erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Since 2012, Ittihad and Hurriya had only ever played games in other parts of Syria. Earlier games this season for both teams were held in the regime coastal stronghold of Latakia. 'Heart beating fast' "We had started feeling a bit desperate because no match was ever held in Aleppo," Ghassan Mahmoud, another supporter in a leather jacket, said before the kick-off. "But now security has returned, we hope the club's crowds will slowly come back to the stands," he said, standing next to a fellow fan in a Syrian-flag-themed outfit and beanie hat. "We had started feeling a bit desperate because no match was ever held in Aleppo," Ghassan Mahmoud, a supporter in a leather jacket, said before the kick-off. (AFP) × As they warmed up outside in their tracksuits before the match, the Ittihad team's bright red and black shirts hung on hooks in the changing room. "I can't tell you how it feels to return to the pitch (in Aleppo) after five years," said Ittihad player Omar Hamidi before the game. "My heart's beating so fast," he said, adding that his last game in the city was in 2011. Bakri Turab, another player, said he had "been waiting for this moment for years". Fans cheered as Ittihad took to the field to play their black-clad rivals, with young boys dressed in green looking on from the touchlines. Maher Khayata, deputy head of the general sports union, this week said the game was "a first step towards Aleppo clubs returning to play on home ground, waiting for pitches to be ready". But so far no other game has yet been scheduled in Aleppo. With games played previously all over the country, the Syria League was suspended after the conflict erupted nearly six years ago. In 2012, matches resumed in a reduced format and only in only the regime-held cities of Damascus and Latakia. A National Football Federation official last month said Syria League games would now return to the central cites of Homs and Hama after they were deemed safe. (AFP)

Aleppo: Football fans cheer first home game in five years

The Astana peace talks ended on Tuesday. All parties went back to their trenches with very little to be happy about. In a final joint statement, Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed to join their efforts in implementing a ceasefire. It is not clear how they intend to do it.&nbsp;

Neither the Syrian delegation nor the rebel spokespersons clearly stated if they will abide by the truce. Considering that the talks were meant to stop them fighting each other, this is a problem and a failure.&nbsp;

On the contrary, the two belligerents have been very clear about the heavy fighting going on in Wadi Barada, west to Damascus. Syrian envoy Bashar Ja&#39;afari said that the area provides most of the water to Syria&#39;s capital city and their offensive to free it from rebel presence will not stop.

&quot;As long as 7 million people in Damascus remain deprived of water, it (the offensive) will continue,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Rebel groups consider this action a violation of any possible ceasefire, and it is very unlikely that they will be the first to lay down arms. This is another problem and another failure.&nbsp;

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Bashar al-Jaafari Syrian government envoy attends a news conference following Syria peace talks in Astana. (Reuters)
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It was clear from the very beginning of the Astana talks that one should have set expectations very low.&nbsp;

The very nature of the Syrian civil war makes things very difficult. It has been, and it still is, a &quot;bloody&quot; war made of proxy armies, hegemony struggles, war crimes and relentless attacks against civilians. All parties fighting on the ground are extremely suspicious of each other. &nbsp;

The Syrian government representative and the rebels did not meet face-to-face; another failure.&nbsp;

The Rebels&#39; delegation said it was not possible for them to sit with the ones they consider responsible for Syria&#39;s bloodshed.&nbsp;

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Mohammad Alloush (C), head of the Syrian opposition delegation, attends Syria peace talks in Astana. (Reuters)
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These premises made it difficult to build an atmosphere of trust, especially given the fact that even the apparent guarantors -- Russia, Turkey and Iran -- have often diverging interests in the conflict. &nbsp;

Russia extensively bombed eastern Aleppo and is President Bashar Al-Assad&#39;s main ally. Iran is funding thousands of Shia militias both to support Assad to expand its influence in West Asia.&nbsp;

Turkey is sponsoring many of the rebel groups who were in Astana and sit neither on Assad&#39;s nor on Iran&#39;s side. Rebel groups have also many concerns about the thousands of Iran-funded Shia militiamen on Syrian soil. They accuse Tehran of systematically working to modify Syria&#39;s demographic pattern in favour of Shiite believers, currently a minority in the country.&nbsp;

On top of this, rebel groups consider President Assad&#39;s resignation a mandatory clause for any peace talks. &nbsp;

How each country will enforce the truce on its proxy army, it is really difficult to foresee. Russia, Iran and Turkey have announced they will meet soon again to define the strategy.&nbsp;

Participant&#39;s expectations were also very different. The Syrian envoy was expecting the rebels to surrender before any talk could begin. The request was firmly refused and rebel groups said they went to Astana only to discuss the implementation of a possible temporary ceasefire.&nbsp;

Rebels are not compact groups, there are different factions and not always coordinated. Major groups like Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, do not recognise Astana talks as valid and will not respect any agreement. In fact, during the talks, the group launched an attack in north-west Syria against the Free Syrian Army, one of the groups sitting in Astana.&nbsp;

Who was sitting at the talks mattered as much as who was not. The US were invited as a mere observer, even if they play a role in covering the advance of the Kurd/Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria. The SDF, who was not invited, is directly fighting boots-on-ground to clear the many villages from Islamic State presence in preparation for an eventual attack on the city of Raqqa, the IS capital city.&nbsp;

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Women on the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting in northern Syria. (Getty)
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A serious round of talks must also include Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two countries which have often been pointed out as funders of Sunni insurgents in Syria, not least Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The implementation of a ceasefire must also run through them to be more solid. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After six years of war, hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and displaced civilians reaching a peace agreement in Syria is truly the need of the hour. This cannot happen without all parties involved sitting at a table and possibly in a truly international frame. And, unless all participants renounce to a part of their claims -- the Syrian government included -- it will be impossible to build a long lasting peace. &nbsp;

Hopefully, the UN-sponsored peace talks happening on February 8 in Geneva hold better chances to succeed. &nbsp;

(WION)

All talks and no peace for Syria. From sharing the table to laying down the weapons, nothing seems to have succeeded

The Astana peace talks ended on Tuesday. All parties went back to their trenches with very little to be happy about. In a final joint statement, Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed to join their efforts in implementing a ceasefire. It is not clear how they intend to do it. Neither the Syrian delegation nor the rebel spokespersons clearly stated if they will abide by the truce. Considering that the talks were meant to stop them fighting each other, this is a problem and a failure. On the contrary, the two belligerents have been very clear about the heavy fighting going on in Wadi Barada, west to Damascus. Syrian envoy Bashar Ja'afari said that the area provides most of the water to Syria's capital city and their offensive to free it from rebel presence will not stop. "As long as 7 million people in Damascus remain deprived of water, it (the offensive) will continue," he said. Rebel groups consider this action a violation of any possible ceasefire, and it is very unlikely that they will be the first to lay down arms. This is another problem and another failure. Bashar al-Jaafari Syrian government envoy attends a news conference following Syria peace talks in Astana. (Reuters) × It was clear from the very beginning of the Astana talks that one should have set expectations very low. The very nature of the Syrian civil war makes things very difficult. It has been, and it still is, a "bloody" war made of proxy armies, hegemony struggles, war crimes and relentless attacks against civilians. All parties fighting on the ground are extremely suspicious of each other. The Syrian government representative and the rebels did not meet face-to-face; another failure. The Rebels' delegation said it was not possible for them to sit with the ones they consider responsible for Syria's bloodshed. Mohammad Alloush (C), head of the Syrian opposition delegation, attends Syria peace talks in Astana. (Reuters) × These premises made it difficult to build an atmosphere of trust, especially given the fact that even the apparent guarantors -- Russia, Turkey and Iran -- have often diverging interests in the conflict. Russia extensively bombed eastern Aleppo and is President Bashar Al-Assad's main ally. Iran is funding thousands of Shia militias both to support Assad to expand its influence in West Asia. Turkey is sponsoring many of the rebel groups who were in Astana and sit neither on Assad's nor on Iran's side. Rebel groups have also many concerns about the thousands of Iran-funded Shia militiamen on Syrian soil. They accuse Tehran of systematically working to modify Syria's demographic pattern in favour of Shiite believers, currently a minority in the country. On top of this, rebel groups consider President Assad's resignation a mandatory clause for any peace talks. How each country will enforce the truce on its proxy army, it is really difficult to foresee. Russia, Iran and Turkey have announced they will meet soon again to define the strategy. Participant's expectations were also very different. The Syrian envoy was expecting the rebels to surrender before any talk could begin. The request was firmly refused and rebel groups said they went to Astana only to discuss the implementation of a possible temporary ceasefire. Rebels are not compact groups, there are different factions and not always coordinated. Major groups like Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, do not recognise Astana talks as valid and will not respect any agreement. In fact, during the talks, the group launched an attack in north-west Syria against the Free Syrian Army, one of the groups sitting in Astana. Who was sitting at the talks mattered as much as who was not. The US were invited as a mere observer, even if they play a role in covering the advance of the Kurd/Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria. The SDF, who was not invited, is directly fighting boots-on-ground to clear the many villages from Islamic State presence in preparation for an eventual attack on the city of Raqqa, the IS capital city. Women on the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting in northern Syria. (Getty) × A serious round of talks must also include Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two countries which have often been pointed out as funders of Sunni insurgents in Syria, not least Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The implementation of a ceasefire must also run through them to be more solid. After six years of war, hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and displaced civilians reaching a peace agreement in Syria is truly the need of the hour. This cannot happen without all parties involved sitting at a table and possibly in a truly international frame. And, unless all participants renounce to a part of their claims -- the Syrian government included -- it will be impossible to build a long lasting peace. Hopefully, the UN-sponsored peace talks happening on February 8 in Geneva hold better chances to succeed. (WION)

Astana peace talks: The takeaway

A US&nbsp;air strike on Thursday targeting an al Qaeda training camp in Syria killed more than 100 militants, a US&nbsp;defense official said on Friday.

The strike took place just a day before the end of President Barack Obama&#39;s presidency and a day after more than 80 Islamic State militants were killed in US&nbsp;air strikes in Libya.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the air strike was primarily carried out by a B-52 bomber and dropped 14 munitions.

The official added that the strike against the camp took place in Idlib province, west of Aleppo, and there was a high level of confidence that there were no civilian casualties.

A US-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes and supporting local forces in Syria to oust Islamic State militants. However, there is concern that the defeat of Islamic State could open the door for al Qaeda to take territory in ungoverned parts of the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday that an air strike killed more than 40 members of the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in northwestern Syria. It was not immediately clear if this strike was the same one the defense official was referring to.

(Reuters)

The official said the air strike was primarily carried out by a B-52 bomber and dropped 14 munitions

A US air strike on Thursday targeting an al Qaeda training camp in Syria killed more than 100 militants, a US defense official said on Friday. The strike took place just a day before the end of President Barack Obama's presidency and a day after more than 80 Islamic State militants were killed in US air strikes in Libya. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the air strike was primarily carried out by a B-52 bomber and dropped 14 munitions. The official added that the strike against the camp took place in Idlib province, west of Aleppo, and there was a high level of confidence that there were no civilian casualties. A US-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes and supporting local forces in Syria to oust Islamic State militants. However, there is concern that the defeat of Islamic State could open the door for al Qaeda to take territory in ungoverned parts of the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday that an air strike killed more than 40 members of the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in northwestern Syria. It was not immediately clear if this strike was the same one the defense official was referring to. (Reuters)

US air strike in Syria kills more than 100 al Qaeda members: Defense official

Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, top commander of Iraq Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF), declared that his troops have reclaimed the eastern part of Mosul, the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq.

According to the ICTS, as many as 3,300 terrorists were killed in the city during the whole offensive.

The news comes a day after counter-terrorism forces flushed out the militants&nbsp;from Mosul University, the main operative base and an arms factory of the terrorist organisation in the eastern part of the city.

Now that all the eastern part of the city is under government control,&nbsp;the Iraqi Army will have the upper hand in their quest to launch the last phase of the offensive.

Troops had already taken control of the areas on the left side of the Tigris river, which runs through the city north to south.&nbsp;

The Islamic State is now &#39;trapped&#39; in the western side of Mosul as the eastern half has now been swamped by Iraqi forces and the rim of the western part of the town is controlled by Shia militants.

However, absolute control of the city remains fraught with danger as international monitoring agencies remain unclear about the number of Islamist militants holed up in the west of Mosul.&nbsp;

Iraqi security forces on December 30, 2016 began the second phase of their offensive against Islamic State militants in Mosul, pushing from three directions into eastern districts where the battle had been deadlocked for nearly a month.

More than 5,000 soldiers and federal police troops, redeployed from Mosul&#39;s southern outskirts, entered half a dozen southeastern districts, while counter-terrorism forces advanced in al-Quds and Karama districts after reinforcements arrived.

The battle for Mosul involves 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi&#39;ite militiamen.

(WION)

According to the Iraq Counter Terrorism Forces, as many as 3,300 IS fighters were killed in the city during the offensive

Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, top commander of Iraq Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF), declared that his troops have reclaimed the eastern part of Mosul, the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq. According to the ICTS, as many as 3,300 terrorists were killed in the city during the whole offensive. The news comes a day after counter-terrorism forces flushed out the militants from Mosul University, the main operative base and an arms factory of the terrorist organisation in the eastern part of the city. Now that all the eastern part of the city is under government control, the Iraqi Army will have the upper hand in their quest to launch the last phase of the offensive. Troops had already taken control of the areas on the left side of the Tigris river, which runs through the city north to south. The Islamic State is now 'trapped' in the western side of Mosul as the eastern half has now been swamped by Iraqi forces and the rim of the western part of the town is controlled by Shia militants. However, absolute control of the city remains fraught with danger as international monitoring agencies remain unclear about the number of Islamist militants holed up in the west of Mosul. Iraqi security forces on December 30, 2016 began the second phase of their offensive against Islamic State militants in Mosul, pushing from three directions into eastern districts where the battle had been deadlocked for nearly a month. More than 5,000 soldiers and federal police troops, redeployed from Mosul's southern outskirts, entered half a dozen southeastern districts, while counter-terrorism forces advanced in al-Quds and Karama districts after reinforcements arrived. The battle for Mosul involves 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi'ite militiamen. (WION)

Iraqi special forces 'recapture' eastern part of Mosul

An Uzbek gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year&#39;s Day told police he had to change target at the last minute to avoid heavy security and acted with direct orders from Islamic State in Syria, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

The gunman, named by the authorities on Tuesday as Abdulgadir Masharipov, had initially been told to attack the area around the central Taksim square and said his instructions came from Raqqa, a Syrian stronghold of Islamic State, the Hurriyet newspaper cited him as saying in police testimony.

&quot;I came to Taksim on New Year&#39;s Eve but the security measures were intense. It was not possible to carry out the attack,&quot; he was quoted as saying.

&quot;I was given instructions to search for a new target in the area. I toured the coast at around 10 pm&nbsp;with a cab,&quot; he said, referring to Istanbul&#39;s Bosphorus shore where the Reina nightclub is located.

&quot;Reina looked suitable for the attack. There didn&#39;t seem to be many security measures.&quot;

Hurriyet did not say how it obtained the testimony and Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report.

Masharipov was caught in a police raid late on Monday in Esenyurt, a suburb on Istanbul&#39;s western outskirts, following a two-week manhunt. He was captured along&nbsp;with an Iraqi man and three women from Africa, one of them from Egypt.

On January 1, he shot his way into the exclusive nightclub and opened fire on New Year&#39;s revellers with an automatic rifle, throwing stun grenades to allow himself to reload and shooting the wounded on the ground.

Islamic State claimed responsibility the next day, saying the attack was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria. Turkish troops entered Syria last August to push Islamic State away from the border and halt Kurdish militia advances.

Like many cities around the world on New Year&#39;s Eve, Istanbul had taken additional security measures, deploying 25,000 police officers to try to thwart attacks after a year of bombings by Islamic State and Kurdish militants.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said on Tuesday that Masharipov had admitted his guilt and that his fingerprints matched those at the scene.

Sahin described him as well-educated, able to speak four languages, and said he had received training in Afghanistan.

(Reuters)

The gunman had initially been told to attack the area around the central Taksim square, but had to change target at the last minute

An Uzbek gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day told police he had to change target at the last minute to avoid heavy security and acted with direct orders from Islamic State in Syria, a newspaper said on Wednesday. The gunman, named by the authorities on Tuesday as Abdulgadir Masharipov, had initially been told to attack the area around the central Taksim square and said his instructions came from Raqqa, a Syrian stronghold of Islamic State, the Hurriyet newspaper cited him as saying in police testimony. "I came to Taksim on New Year's Eve but the security measures were intense. It was not possible to carry out the attack," he was quoted as saying. "I was given instructions to search for a new target in the area. I toured the coast at around 10 pm with a cab," he said, referring to Istanbul's Bosphorus shore where the Reina nightclub is located. "Reina looked suitable for the attack. There didn't seem to be many security measures." Hurriyet did not say how it obtained the testimony and Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report. Masharipov was caught in a police raid late on Monday in Esenyurt, a suburb on Istanbul's western outskirts, following a two-week manhunt. He was captured along with an Iraqi man and three women from Africa, one of them from Egypt. On January 1, he shot his way into the exclusive nightclub and opened fire on New Year's revellers with an automatic rifle, throwing stun grenades to allow himself to reload and shooting the wounded on the ground. Islamic State claimed responsibility the next day, saying the attack was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria. Turkish troops entered Syria last August to push Islamic State away from the border and halt Kurdish militia advances. Like many cities around the world on New Year's Eve, Istanbul had taken additional security measures, deploying 25,000 police officers to try to thwart attacks after a year of bombings by Islamic State and Kurdish militants. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said on Tuesday that Masharipov had admitted his guilt and that his fingerprints matched those at the scene. Sahin described him as well-educated, able to speak four languages, and said he had received training in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Istanbul nightclub attacker says was directed by Islamic State: report

A 34-year-old Uzbek man confessed to carrying out the Istanbul nightclub attack on New Year&#39;s Eve, hours after he was captured in police raids.&nbsp;

Turkish police captured&nbsp;Abdulgadir Masharipov in raids conducted in Istanbul&#39;s western Esenyurt district.

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Abdulgadir Masharipov still shot handed out by Turkish police from the video he took before he went on a shooting spree slaughtering 39. (AFP)
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Masharipov was part of the&nbsp;Central Asian IS cell and was using the code name Ebu Muhammed Horasani.

Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said &quot;The terrorist confessed his crime,&quot; adding that Masharipov&#39;s fingerprints matched that of&nbsp;the attacker.&nbsp;

&quot;He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He&#39;s a well-trained terrorist,&quot; Sahin said.&nbsp;

At least 2,000 police personnel were involved in the operation.&nbsp;

They recovered 197,000 US dollars, two firearms and clips from his apartment.&nbsp;

The police had been tracking Masharipov for three days before detaining him to identify any associates.&nbsp;

The police also arrested an Iraqi man, three women, one an Egyptian and two from Africa.&nbsp;

The arrest of Masharipov could help discover other Islamic State cells in the country.&nbsp;

Police had released images during the manhunt, which were taken from the video Masharipov took just before embarking on the shooting spree.&nbsp;

The Reina nightclub attack was the first major attack in Turkey which the Islamic State claimed responsibility for.&nbsp;

&quot;It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of Daesh (Arabic acronym of ISIS),&quot; Sahin said.&nbsp;

During the&nbsp;investigation,&nbsp;police had initially suspected ethnic Uighur&#39;s from China to be involved in the attack.&nbsp;

Since the attack, the police has conducted 152 raids and detained 50 people.&nbsp;

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the police and said&nbsp;&quot;From now on in this country nobody will get away with what they have done.&quot;

&quot;Everyone will be brought to account within the rule of law.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

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Abdulgadir Masharipov, 34, was captured in raids conducted in Istanbul's western Esenyurt district. He was part of the Central Asian IS cell

A 34-year-old Uzbek man confessed to carrying out the Istanbul nightclub attack on New Year's Eve, hours after he was captured in police raids. Turkish police captured Abdulgadir Masharipov in raids conducted in Istanbul's western Esenyurt district. Abdulgadir Masharipov still shot handed out by Turkish police from the video he took before he went on a shooting spree slaughtering 39. (AFP) × Masharipov was part of the Central Asian IS cell and was using the code name Ebu Muhammed Horasani. Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said "The terrorist confessed his crime," adding that Masharipov's fingerprints matched that of the attacker. "He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He's a well-trained terrorist," Sahin said. At least 2,000 police personnel were involved in the operation. They recovered 197,000 US dollars, two firearms and clips from his apartment. The police had been tracking Masharipov for three days before detaining him to identify any associates. The police also arrested an Iraqi man, three women, one an Egyptian and two from Africa. The arrest of Masharipov could help discover other Islamic State cells in the country. Police had released images during the manhunt, which were taken from the video Masharipov took just before embarking on the shooting spree. The Reina nightclub attack was the first major attack in Turkey which the Islamic State claimed responsibility for. "It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of Daesh (Arabic acronym of ISIS)," Sahin said. During the investigation, police had initially suspected ethnic Uighur's from China to be involved in the attack. Since the attack, the police has conducted 152 raids and detained 50 people. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the police and said "From now on in this country nobody will get away with what they have done." "Everyone will be brought to account within the rule of law." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Turkey: Uzbek man confesses to carrying out Istanbul New Year's Eve nightclub attack

The Iraqi army has completed the operation to retake and secure&nbsp;Mosul University, or at least what remains of it after two years under Islamic State (IS) control. &nbsp;

It took the troops two days to complete the attack against the campus which was launched on Saturday.&nbsp;

Mosul is the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq and more than one hundred thousands troops are involved in the offensive to defeat them.&nbsp;

Retaking the university is the last of a series of successful&nbsp;blows that the Iraqi army has inflicted to the terrorist organisation in Mosul since the beginning of a second phase of the three-month long offensive at the end of December.&nbsp;

&quot;We are not stopping,&quot;&nbsp;said&nbsp;Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS), to Reuters. Their aim is to keep advancing and take control of the entire eastern part of Mosul.&nbsp;

According to the ICTS commander Sami al-Aridhi, his forces found some chemical substances that the IS allegedly used to try to manufacture weapons. The terrorist organisation has reportedly used chemical weapons in both Syria and Iraq, especially mustard gas.&nbsp;

What happened to the university is indicative of&nbsp;the cultural decline that the city suffered under the Islamic State. It was one of the largest in West Asia and the second most important in Iraq. More than 25,000 students came from all over the country to study in one of the many departments. But, there is no space for scientific culture under the obscurantist ideology of the self-proclaimed caliphate. Soon after its arrival in 2014, the IS used the university as a base and a weapons&nbsp;factory.&nbsp;

&quot;Can you believe that even people from Basra used to study there? It was an amazing university,&quot; says on the phone Emil Lallo, a young men who studied in an institute right beside the university. Basra is a city in southern Iraq, nearly one thousand kilometres from Mosul. &nbsp;

&quot;The ones who came from faraway places normally used to rent an apartment. Some of them stayed with relatives,&quot; recalls Emil.&nbsp;

When a big university is inside a city it spreads culture, it gives lifeline to the society and attracts people from different places. In the neighbourhoods close to a campus, it is common to see students buying and bargaining, eating out, having a drink and passionately discussing and debating around recently learnt topics. &nbsp;

During their university years, young students often experience for the first time what it means to live alone, to self-manage time, assignments, relations, money. This period of life is a step towards becoming adults, it teaches independence. &nbsp;

This is clearly something the Islamic State did not &ndash; and does not &ndash; appreciate.&nbsp;

&quot;The university was like a big city. When you entered it, there were roads, shops, gardens,&quot; says Emil. &nbsp;

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This is how the Islamic State left conditions at Mosul University. (WION)
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One has really to take an effort to imagine all of this when looking at pictures of the burned&nbsp;library and the destroyed and abandoned buildings. &nbsp;

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Good Morning from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mosul?src=hash">#Mosul</a> university library. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iraq?src=hash">#Iraq</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM7UfiO1hP">pic.twitter.com/nM7UfiO1hP</a>
&mdash; Iraqi Day ???? (@iraqi_day) <a href="https://twitter.com/iraqi_day/status/820829157416456197">January 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Since there were no civilians in the campus, the US-led coalition forces carried on several airstrikes to ease the on-the-ground operations.&nbsp;

Controlling the area plays a strategic role in the advance towards the Tigris&#39; eastern bank. &nbsp;

The river runs north to south, splitting Mosul into two. The Iraqi army controls almost all the eastern side and the Islamic State is isolated on the west. &nbsp;

Thanks to the experience gathered in more than two months of urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces have made rapid advances since the beginning of the year. &nbsp;

Once, and if, the Iraqi army&nbsp;controls all the eastern bank, they will be able to cross the river and launch what could be the final phase of the offensive to militarily defeat the IS in Iraq.&nbsp;

(WION)

The Islamic State used the university, the second biggest in Iraq, as a base and to make weapons

The Iraqi army has completed the operation to retake and secure Mosul University, or at least what remains of it after two years under Islamic State (IS) control. It took the troops two days to complete the attack against the campus which was launched on Saturday. Mosul is the last stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq and more than one hundred thousands troops are involved in the offensive to defeat them. Retaking the university is the last of a series of successful blows that the Iraqi army has inflicted to the terrorist organisation in Mosul since the beginning of a second phase of the three-month long offensive at the end of December. "We are not stopping," said Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS), to Reuters. Their aim is to keep advancing and take control of the entire eastern part of Mosul. According to the ICTS commander Sami al-Aridhi, his forces found some chemical substances that the IS allegedly used to try to manufacture weapons. The terrorist organisation has reportedly used chemical weapons in both Syria and Iraq, especially mustard gas. What happened to the university is indicative of the cultural decline that the city suffered under the Islamic State. It was one of the largest in West Asia and the second most important in Iraq. More than 25,000 students came from all over the country to study in one of the many departments. But, there is no space for scientific culture under the obscurantist ideology of the self-proclaimed caliphate. Soon after its arrival in 2014, the IS used the university as a base and a weapons factory. "Can you believe that even people from Basra used to study there? It was an amazing university," says on the phone Emil Lallo, a young men who studied in an institute right beside the university. Basra is a city in southern Iraq, nearly one thousand kilometres from Mosul. "The ones who came from faraway places normally used to rent an apartment. Some of them stayed with relatives," recalls Emil. When a big university is inside a city it spreads culture, it gives lifeline to the society and attracts people from different places. In the neighbourhoods close to a campus, it is common to see students buying and bargaining, eating out, having a drink and passionately discussing and debating around recently learnt topics. During their university years, young students often experience for the first time what it means to live alone, to self-manage time, assignments, relations, money. This period of life is a step towards becoming adults, it teaches independence. This is clearly something the Islamic State did not – and does not – appreciate. "The university was like a big city. When you entered it, there were roads, shops, gardens," says Emil. This is how the Islamic State left conditions at Mosul University. (WION) × One has really to take an effort to imagine all of this when looking at pictures of the burned library and the destroyed and abandoned buildings. Good Morning from #Mosul university library. #Iraq pic.twitter.com/nM7UfiO1hP — Iraqi Day ???? (@iraqi_day) January 16, 2017 × Since there were no civilians in the campus, the US-led coalition forces carried on several airstrikes to ease the on-the-ground operations. Controlling the area plays a strategic role in the advance towards the Tigris' eastern bank. The river runs north to south, splitting Mosul into two. The Iraqi army controls almost all the eastern side and the Islamic State is isolated on the west. Thanks to the experience gathered in more than two months of urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces have made rapid advances since the beginning of the year. Once, and if, the Iraqi army controls all the eastern bank, they will be able to cross the river and launch what could be the final phase of the offensive to militarily defeat the IS in Iraq. (WION)

Iraqi forces secure, retake Mosul University

Gul Bibi, an Afghan grandmother well into her eighties, never expected to become a fighter. But now she is one of more than a hundred women in Afghanistan&#39;s northern Jawzjan province who have taken up arms against Islamist militants. Nearly all of the women have lost a husband, son or brother to the Taliban or the newly active Islamic State in the province bordering Turkmenistan.

&quot;I lost nine members of my family. The Taliban and Daesh (Islamic State) killed my five sons and four nephews,&quot; Bibi said by phone from Jawzjan. &quot;I have taken up arms to defeat the terrorists so other people&#39;s sons won&#39;t get killed.&quot;

Determined to protect their families, the women approached a local police commander, Sher Ali, in December and asked him for guns and ammunition. &quot;They came to me and said that if I didn&#39;t provide them with weapons they would kill themselves - before Daesh or the Taliban could,&quot; Ali told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

The women are not a properly structured group, he said; they have no uniform and have not received any military training other than how to point a gun at the enemy and shoot.

The Taliban has carried out attacks in Jawzjan for the last decade, part of a country-wide insurgency to topple the Afghan government and drive out foreign troops. Islamic State became active in the province, a gateway to Central Asia, in early 2016, when a Taliban commander and 50 of his fighters declared allegiance to the ultra-hardline group, said Mohammad Reza Ghafoori, spokesman for Jawzjan governor.

On December 25, Islamic State fighters attacked Garmjar village and killed five civilians, burned down about 60 houses and forced 150 families to flee, he said by instant messenger.

A woman in her twenties, who did not want to give her name, said her husband and many other family members had been killed by the Taliban. Now she is fighting back, she said.

&quot;I hit the Taliban with this PK (machine gun), and the Taliban fled. Most of the their men died. I will stand against Daesh and will hit them too,&quot; she said by phone from Jawzjan.

&#39;Fight to death&#39;

The women fighters are not registered with the army or police and the government has not licensed their weapons, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, head of the security department of Jawzjan police, was reported as saying in the Afghan media last week.

Although local police have cautiously welcomed the new defence force, he said, the rag-tag women&#39;s unit has raised concerns among higher authorities.

&quot;We do not support any armed group, unless they come under one of our forces,&quot; Najib Danish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said from Kabul.

&quot;We hope they join the Afghan security forces, so we can help them as part of our troops,&quot; he said.

But the women accuse the Afghan army of failing to protect their families from the militants.

&quot;First they killed my brother, then they killed my cousin, my uncle and my brother-in-law,&quot; said Zarmina, another woman fighter. &quot;Now that I have taken up arms, I am going to fight to the death.&quot;

Thousands of civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in violence since the Taliban government was brought down in the U.S.-led campaign of 2001.

Afghan armed forces control no more than two thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.

The United States has announced plans to send 300 Marines to the volatile southern province of Helmand, large parts of which are under Taliban control, as part of a regular rotation of troops helping train and advise Afghan forces.

Russia, China and Pakistan warned month last that the influence of Islamic State was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating.

Mariam lost three members of her family in the Islamic State attack on Garmjar village in December. She fled to Qush Tepa and joined the women fighters.

&quot;Daesh came, hit us, abused us, killed our people and burned about a hundred houses. They didn&#39;t leave anything for us. They killed three members of my family. They wanted to burn us, but we fled and came here,&quot; she said by phone.

&quot;When you have nothing left in your life, you will take up weapons and fight to the death.&quot;

(Reuters)

More than 100 Jawzjan women approached the local police commander, asking for guns and ammunition to fight the Taliban and the Islamic State

Gul Bibi, an Afghan grandmother well into her eighties, never expected to become a fighter. But now she is one of more than a hundred women in Afghanistan's northern Jawzjan province who have taken up arms against Islamist militants. Nearly all of the women have lost a husband, son or brother to the Taliban or the newly active Islamic State in the province bordering Turkmenistan. "I lost nine members of my family. The Taliban and Daesh (Islamic State) killed my five sons and four nephews," Bibi said by phone from Jawzjan. "I have taken up arms to defeat the terrorists so other people's sons won't get killed." Determined to protect their families, the women approached a local police commander, Sher Ali, in December and asked him for guns and ammunition. "They came to me and said that if I didn't provide them with weapons they would kill themselves - before Daesh or the Taliban could," Ali told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The women are not a properly structured group, he said; they have no uniform and have not received any military training other than how to point a gun at the enemy and shoot. The Taliban has carried out attacks in Jawzjan for the last decade, part of a country-wide insurgency to topple the Afghan government and drive out foreign troops. Islamic State became active in the province, a gateway to Central Asia, in early 2016, when a Taliban commander and 50 of his fighters declared allegiance to the ultra-hardline group, said Mohammad Reza Ghafoori, spokesman for Jawzjan governor. On December 25, Islamic State fighters attacked Garmjar village and killed five civilians, burned down about 60 houses and forced 150 families to flee, he said by instant messenger. A woman in her twenties, who did not want to give her name, said her husband and many other family members had been killed by the Taliban. Now she is fighting back, she said. "I hit the Taliban with this PK (machine gun), and the Taliban fled. Most of the their men died. I will stand against Daesh and will hit them too," she said by phone from Jawzjan. 'Fight to death' The women fighters are not registered with the army or police and the government has not licensed their weapons, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, head of the security department of Jawzjan police, was reported as saying in the Afghan media last week. Although local police have cautiously welcomed the new defence force, he said, the rag-tag women's unit has raised concerns among higher authorities. "We do not support any armed group, unless they come under one of our forces," Najib Danish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said from Kabul. "We hope they join the Afghan security forces, so we can help them as part of our troops," he said. But the women accuse the Afghan army of failing to protect their families from the militants. "First they killed my brother, then they killed my cousin, my uncle and my brother-in-law," said Zarmina, another woman fighter. "Now that I have taken up arms, I am going to fight to the death." Thousands of civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in violence since the Taliban government was brought down in the U.S.-led campaign of 2001. Afghan armed forces control no more than two thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014. The United States has announced plans to send 300 Marines to the volatile southern province of Helmand, large parts of which are under Taliban control, as part of a regular rotation of troops helping train and advise Afghan forces. Russia, China and Pakistan warned month last that the influence of Islamic State was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating. Mariam lost three members of her family in the Islamic State attack on Garmjar village in December. She fled to Qush Tepa and joined the women fighters. "Daesh came, hit us, abused us, killed our people and burned about a hundred houses. They didn't leave anything for us. They killed three members of my family. They wanted to burn us, but we fled and came here," she said by phone. "When you have nothing left in your life, you will take up weapons and fight to the death." (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Women take up arms against IS

The Islamic State group launched a ferocious assault Saturday on a city in eastern Syria, leaving more than 30 jihadists and regime fighters dead, a monitoring group said.

At least 12 members of government forces and 20 IS militants were among the dead in the IS attack on regime positions in Deir Ezzor, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Both the Observatory and Syrian state news agency SANA said two civilians were also killed in IS rocket fire on government-controlled zones in the city.&nbsp;

Around 200,000 people live in Deir Ezzor city, which has been besieged by IS since early 2015 and is the capital of the oil-rich province of the same name.

IS has sought to overrun the entire city, including the key nearby military airport.&nbsp;

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said Saturday`s attack was the &quot;most violent&quot; assault mounted by IS on the city in more than a year.&nbsp;

He said IS was using tunnel bombs and suicide attackers, while Syrian and allied warplanes battered jihadist positions with air strikes.

&quot;Daesh is amassing its forces to attack Deir Ezzor and breach government lines,&quot; a Syrian military source told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

He said jihadists had aimed to cut the route between the airport and the city, but that the government`s counter-attack had stopped IS.&nbsp;

&quot;Warplanes attacked Daesh`s supply lines in all the battlefronts and around the airport,&quot; he said.

IS is excluded from a nationwide truce that was brokered by Turkey and Russia and came into effect on December 30.&nbsp;

Diplomatic efforts to end Syria`s nearly six-year war have thus far failed, but Moscow and Ankara are hoping that peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana later this month will lead to a political solution.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(AFP)

At least 12 members of government forces and 20 IS militants were among the dead in the IS attack on regime positions in Deir Ezzor

The Islamic State group launched a ferocious assault Saturday on a city in eastern Syria, leaving more than 30 jihadists and regime fighters dead, a monitoring group said. At least 12 members of government forces and 20 IS militants were among the dead in the IS attack on regime positions in Deir Ezzor, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Both the Observatory and Syrian state news agency SANA said two civilians were also killed in IS rocket fire on government-controlled zones in the city. Around 200,000 people live in Deir Ezzor city, which has been besieged by IS since early 2015 and is the capital of the oil-rich province of the same name. IS has sought to overrun the entire city, including the key nearby military airport. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said Saturday`s attack was the "most violent" assault mounted by IS on the city in more than a year. He said IS was using tunnel bombs and suicide attackers, while Syrian and allied warplanes battered jihadist positions with air strikes. "Daesh is amassing its forces to attack Deir Ezzor and breach government lines," a Syrian military source told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS. He said jihadists had aimed to cut the route between the airport and the city, but that the government`s counter-attack had stopped IS. "Warplanes attacked Daesh`s supply lines in all the battlefronts and around the airport," he said. IS is excluded from a nationwide truce that was brokered by Turkey and Russia and came into effect on December 30. Diplomatic efforts to end Syria`s nearly six-year war have thus far failed, but Moscow and Ankara are hoping that peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana later this month will lead to a political solution. (AFP)

30 dead as IS attacks city in east Syria, says monitor

The Supreme Court will today hear a petition filed by advocate Harvinder Choudhry seeking a ban on jokes against the Sikh community.

Choudhary had earlier contended that such jokes portray the Sikh community in a&nbsp;negative light and wants such websites, which disseminate such `insensitive` jokes, to be prosecuted under laws that carry a prison term of six months to five years.

The petitioner argued that such jokes on many social network websites portray Sikhs as &#39;unintelligent&#39;, &#39;foolish&#39; and &#39;na&iuml;ve&#39;, making them an easy target of ridicule and racial abuse.

Choudhary, herself belonging to a Sikh family, said that she too had been a target of ridicule and abuse because of such jokes.

The apex court has asked an expert panel headed by former apex court judge HS Bedi to submit draft guidelines so that appropriate orders can be passed to prevent circulation of Sardar jokes on websites.

In July, a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave six weeks time for the panel to hold discussions and submit the guidelines.

The bench passed the order after hearing the counsel for various parties including the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) which said that the community is being bullied by such jokes.

(ANI)&nbsp;

Three people were arrested in Spain and two in Hungary, with suspected links to Islamic State terrorists

The Supreme Court will today hear a petition filed by advocate Harvinder Choudhry seeking a ban on jokes against the Sikh community. Choudhary had earlier contended that such jokes portray the Sikh community in a negative light and wants such websites, which disseminate such `insensitive` jokes, to be prosecuted under laws that carry a prison term of six months to five years. The petitioner argued that such jokes on many social network websites portray Sikhs as 'unintelligent', 'foolish' and 'naïve', making them an easy target of ridicule and racial abuse. Choudhary, herself belonging to a Sikh family, said that she too had been a target of ridicule and abuse because of such jokes. The apex court has asked an expert panel headed by former apex court judge HS Bedi to submit draft guidelines so that appropriate orders can be passed to prevent circulation of Sardar jokes on websites. In July, a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave six weeks time for the panel to hold discussions and submit the guidelines. The bench passed the order after hearing the counsel for various parties including the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) which said that the community is being bullied by such jokes. (ANI)

Spain, Hungary arrest suspected Islamic State terrorists

In November 2016, India&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country&#39;s Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50&nbsp;were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. 
&nbsp; 
The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India&rsquo;s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS&nbsp;has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. 
&nbsp; 
The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS&nbsp;have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. 
&nbsp; 
But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. 
&nbsp; 
Consider these:

<ul>
	<li>Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/mohd%20naser-20170113074611.png" />
<div class="media-description">
23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the&nbsp;investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the&nbsp;&ldquo;Telegram&rdquo;,&nbsp;Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS&nbsp;flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS&nbsp;handlers to watch a video titled &ldquo;Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar&rdquo; on Youtube.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

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<div class="media-description">
In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note.

Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria.

For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad.

Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn&rsquo;t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS&nbsp;on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. 
&nbsp; 
Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. 
&nbsp; 
India&rsquo;s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won&rsquo;t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. 
&nbsp; 
The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

IS&nbsp;arrests in India in 2016:

<ul>
	<li>Maharashtra-11</li>
	<li>Telengana-11</li>
	<li>Karnataka-07</li>
	<li>Kerala-06</li>
	<li>Uttarakhand-04</li>
	<li>Tamil nadu-02</li>
	<li>West bengal-02</li>
	<li>Uttar pradesh-02</li>
	<li>Delhi-01</li>
	<li>Rajasthan-01</li>
	<li>Madhya pradesh-01</li>
	<li>Jammu &amp; kashmir-01</li>
	<li>Bihar-01</li>
</ul>

(WION)

The number of arrests may not be very big, but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India?s security establishment

In November 2016, India's Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country's Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50 were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India’s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. Consider these: Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking. 23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others) × Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the “Telegram”, Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS handlers to watch a video titled “Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar” on Youtube. In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others) × Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note. Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria. For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad. Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn’t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won’t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. IS arrests in India in 2016: Maharashtra-11 Telengana-11 Karnataka-07 Kerala-06 Uttarakhand-04 Tamil nadu-02 West bengal-02 Uttar pradesh-02 Delhi-01 Rajasthan-01 Madhya pradesh-01 Jammu & kashmir-01 Bihar-01 (WION)

India: 50 Islamic State supporters arrested in 2016

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim paid a two-day&nbsp;visit to his Iraqi counterpart Haider Al-Abadi over the weekend in the attempt to restart a dialogue after relations between the two countries worsened&nbsp;in the last few months.&nbsp;

In a joint press statement, Al-Abadi requested Turkey to gradually withdraw his troops and Yildirim confirmed the commitment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After a round of talks, the two countries have agreed to: boost their mutual effort to fight terrorism, respect&nbsp;each side&#39;s sovereignty, join efforts in post-war reconstruction, and&nbsp;resume all the investments they stopped due to the conflict. They also signed common water management projects. &nbsp;

The two heads of state also discussed the presence of a 500-soldier&nbsp;Turkish contingent on Iraqi&nbsp;soil, which was at the root&nbsp;of the diplomatic standstill.&nbsp;

In October 2016, Turkey repeatedly insisted on deploying its soldiers for the Mosul offensive, in Iraq, claiming it was their right to fight terrorists. The Iraqi prime minister denied authorisation, pointing out that their presence on its&nbsp;soil was a violation of Iraq&#39;s sovereignty. Ankara replied to the accusation,&nbsp;saying their troops entered the country on the Kurdistan Regional Government&#39;s invitation. &nbsp;

After a tough blame game, the two countries recalled their ambassadors and relations have been frozen ever since. &nbsp;

Yildrim&#39;s visit is not only about the two countries, it is part of a larger effort his country is taking to regain its powe&nbsp;in West Asia in a moment when it risks&nbsp;becoming&nbsp;isolated and vulnerable. &nbsp;

The massive purge and the round of arrests after the failed coup d&#39;&eacute;tat in July 2016 cost&nbsp;the country much of its international support. Several terror attacks have hit&nbsp;Turkey since, killing tens of citizens. The Russian ambassador was murdered in cold blood in front of the world&#39;s eyes. Kurdish autonomist organisations resumed the fight in the southeastern provinces after a fragile ceasefire broke. Iran and Lebanon are using all their influence to send money and weapons to Shia militias fighting terrorist organisations in both Iraq and Syria, a strategic move which indirectly expands their sphere of influence. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, heavily backed by Russia, is regaining momentum and he is a man Turkey has never perceived as a plausible ally. The US is providing air support to the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), an organisation Ankara&nbsp;labels&nbsp;terrorists. &nbsp;

The fear of isolation is probably&nbsp;the main reason behind Turkey&#39;s decision to send troops directly within Syrian borders to attack the Islamic State.&nbsp;

Turkey-backed militias and the country&#39;s regular troops are now fighting in the vicinity of the Syrian town of Al Bab, some 40 kilometres&nbsp;from Aleppo. &nbsp;

The country had not played an active role in Syria until&nbsp;late August 2016, when they launched operation Euphrates Shield with the aim to close and secure the last 95 kilometres&nbsp;of border still under terrorist control. Many have accused&nbsp;Turkey of not&nbsp;having&nbsp;done enough to retake such a minor part of its border, through&nbsp;which IS terrorists, weapons and oil passed for five years.

Fighting the Islamic State is not&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s only aim&nbsp;in Syria though. President Erdogan has repeatedly declared his intention to stop the activities of the US-backed Kurdish and Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are fighting boots-on-the-ground against the IS in northern Syria. The Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG) are the backbone of the SDF forces, and Turkey is staunchly opposed&nbsp;to&nbsp;any&nbsp;semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Syria, whatever the cost.&nbsp;

This last intention will probably involve directly the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), an organisation fighting a three-decade war against Turkey,&nbsp;now&nbsp;headquartered&nbsp;on the Qandil mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan.&nbsp;

Recovering diplomatic and economic relations with Iraq could turn out to be vital for Turkey&nbsp;to get back on track in West Asia, where Iran is currently becoming the strongest regional actor.&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Binali Yildirim's visit is part of a larger effort Turkey is taking to avoid isolation in West Asia

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim paid a two-day visit to his Iraqi counterpart Haider Al-Abadi over the weekend in the attempt to restart a dialogue after relations between the two countries worsened in the last few months. In a joint press statement, Al-Abadi requested Turkey to gradually withdraw his troops and Yildirim confirmed the commitment. After a round of talks, the two countries have agreed to: boost their mutual effort to fight terrorism, respect each side's sovereignty, join efforts in post-war reconstruction, and resume all the investments they stopped due to the conflict. They also signed common water management projects. The two heads of state also discussed the presence of a 500-soldier Turkish contingent on Iraqi soil, which was at the root of the diplomatic standstill. In October 2016, Turkey repeatedly insisted on deploying its soldiers for the Mosul offensive, in Iraq, claiming it was their right to fight terrorists. The Iraqi prime minister denied authorisation, pointing out that their presence on its soil was a violation of Iraq's sovereignty. Ankara replied to the accusation, saying their troops entered the country on the Kurdistan Regional Government's invitation. After a tough blame game, the two countries recalled their ambassadors and relations have been frozen ever since. Yildrim's visit is not only about the two countries, it is part of a larger effort his country is taking to regain its powe in West Asia in a moment when it risks becoming isolated and vulnerable. The massive purge and the round of arrests after the failed coup d'état in July 2016 cost the country much of its international support. Several terror attacks have hit Turkey since, killing tens of citizens. The Russian ambassador was murdered in cold blood in front of the world's eyes. Kurdish autonomist organisations resumed the fight in the southeastern provinces after a fragile ceasefire broke. Iran and Lebanon are using all their influence to send money and weapons to Shia militias fighting terrorist organisations in both Iraq and Syria, a strategic move which indirectly expands their sphere of influence. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, heavily backed by Russia, is regaining momentum and he is a man Turkey has never perceived as a plausible ally. The US is providing air support to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), an organisation Ankara labels terrorists. The fear of isolation is probably the main reason behind Turkey's decision to send troops directly within Syrian borders to attack the Islamic State. Turkey-backed militias and the country's regular troops are now fighting in the vicinity of the Syrian town of Al Bab, some 40 kilometres from Aleppo. The country had not played an active role in Syria until late August 2016, when they launched operation Euphrates Shield with the aim to close and secure the last 95 kilometres of border still under terrorist control. Many have accused Turkey of not having done enough to retake such a minor part of its border, through which IS terrorists, weapons and oil passed for five years. Fighting the Islamic State is not Turkey's only aim in Syria though. President Erdogan has repeatedly declared his intention to stop the activities of the US-backed Kurdish and Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are fighting boots-on-the-ground against the IS in northern Syria. The Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG) are the backbone of the SDF forces, and Turkey is staunchly opposed to any semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Syria, whatever the cost. This last intention will probably involve directly the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK), an organisation fighting a three-decade war against Turkey, now headquartered on the Qandil mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan. Recovering diplomatic and economic relations with Iraq could turn out to be vital for Turkey to get back on track in West Asia, where Iran is currently becoming the strongest regional actor. (WION)

Turkey Prime Minister travels to Iraq to mend relations

It is that time of the year again. It is always that time of the year.

We are back to raising usual questions about comedy and satire. BBC&rsquo;s latest satirical offering, a sketch called &quot;The Real Housewives of ISIS,&quot; debuted this week. It has already gone viral on social media while eliciting some extreme responses from viewers. &quot;Revolting,&quot; the BBC Two show on which the sketch aired, is a satirical sketch and prank series by the makers of &quot;The Revolution Will Be Televised&rsquo; and &lsquo;Brexageddon.&quot; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOB6UDC-67w" width="770"></iframe></center>

 
The two-minute video manages to refer to jihad, suicide vests, burqa, bombings, slavery, forty virgins, chat room grooming, amongst other things. The content is indeed explosive. BBC has been criticised for airing a sketch that pokes fun at the real women suffering under the clutches of the ISIS fighters. Charges of Islamophobia have also been levelled against the makers &mdash; the BAFTA winning duo Heydon Prowse and Jolyon Rubinstein.

The makers seem to be engaged in a David-Goliath fight. But who is David here? Does the sketch punch down the victims of ISIS brutalities and fan the already raging fire of the anti-Muslim sentiments? Or, is it serving the great cause of satire &mdash; reformation &mdash; as proposed by celebrated satirists across cultures and centuries? &nbsp;

&ldquo;We poets will force you into our point of view,&rdquo; says Horace humourously towards the end of his fourth Satire. The classical Roman satirist believed in the power of satire in bringing social change through ridicule and laughter. He, however, warned against overuse of bitter invective. Talking of Old Comedy in the fourth Satire, Horace clearly says that ridicule is better than invective and Old Comedy should be imitated in this regard. He states that a good satire needs much more than wit. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Studying the culture of folk humour in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Mikhail Bakhtin in his &quot;Rabelais and His World&quot; says, &ldquo;A boundless world of humorous forms and manifestations opposed the official and serious tone of medieval ecclesiastical and feudal culture.&rdquo; Laughter is subversive. It has been a traditional tool to dismantle status-quo.

In the current context, the &quot;Housewives&quot;&nbsp;sketch seems to be combating the demagoguery of the ISIS. Aditi Mittal, a Mumbai based comedienne who has been working closely with BBC, shares her view on the same. &ldquo;The sketch is hilarious. It&#39;s mocking what is a very real problem of young women getting groomed online and joining causes like this. It is mocking joining the ISIS by young people &mdash; a thing that ought to be seen as something absurd. In that spirit, I&#39;m 100% on it and think it is pitch perfect. If we&#39;re not going to make fun of ISIS, then who do we get to make fun of?&rdquo; She adds, however, &ldquo;Since it is being released into a pervasive culture of the online world &mdash; where sarcasm and subtleties can get lost &mdash; it is fair enough to say that the video could be construed as Islamophobic.&rdquo;

What makes the same video funny for some and offensive for others?

Mittal has a ready answer for this age-old conundrum. &ldquo;Without proper context nothing is funny. The challenge with the online world is that now context is very wide reaching and different, literally, from person to person. That is why it may/may not be problematic.&rdquo;

Mittal sees the Islamophobia and insensitivity charges against the sketch as emanating from the rise of hateful rhetoric against Islam in the past few years. &ldquo;Also, since a lot of people still don&#39;t know how to distinguish between Islam and ISIS, this video could easily be misconstrued to further anti-Muslim sentiments.&rdquo;

Rana Safvi, a Delhi based author and a practicing Muslim, puts it strongly, &ldquo;We have to separate Islam from the ISIS. The sketch is stereotyping the ISIS fighters but in this there&#39;s no Islamophobia at all.&rdquo; She says that ridicule always works better than anger. However, she finds the sketch a bit insensitive as it is trivialising a genuine problem: the plight of these young women. Nevertheless, Safvi grants the makers satiric license.

Mehr Tarar, a Pakistani columnist, lauds the sketch for capturing the essence of &ldquo;what we read about ISIS and women who join them willingly&rdquo;. She does not find the video Islamophobic at all. &ldquo;The video is about skewed narratives and priorities that are upside down,&rdquo; adds Tarar. &nbsp;

Commenting on those who are outraging against the video, Eiynah, the anonymous creator of the iconic anti-homophobia comic book for children, &quot;My Chacha is Gay,&quot; says, &ldquo;They don&#39;t realise that they are only making Muslims look bad. Outrage around &quot;The Real Housewives of ISIS&quot; reminds me just how sorely lacking Muslim community is in humour.&rdquo; She continues, &ldquo;I want to live to see a Muslim &quot;Book of Mormon&quot; style show take place, safely some day inshallah! We should be able mock without getting killed. I want to go into a craft beer store and see a tongue in cheek beer label referencing my culture.&rdquo; Eiynah, who identifies herself as an ex-Muslim feminist woman, has created and shared a visual of an array of Shariah-compliant liquor bottles.

Whenever any cultural or literary production aims at the ills of a community, a similar storm brews on and off mainstream and social media. Bloodbath at the Charlie Hebdo office, threats to Maqbool Fida Husain from the Indian Hindu right-wing, fatwa against Salman Rushdie have one thing in common: inability to laugh.

Jo Coppola, noted columnist and television critic in the 1950s was thus quoted on comedy in &quot;The Realist&quot; in 1958:

&ldquo;Good comedy is social criticism&hellip;Comedy is dying today because criticism is on its deathbed... because telecasters, frightened by the threats and pressure of sponsors, blacklists and viewers, helped introduce conformity to this age... In such a climate, comedy cannot flourish. For comedy is, after all, a look at ourselves, not as we pretend to be when we look in the mirror of our imagination, but as we really are. Look at the comedy of any age and you will know volumes about that period and its people which neither the historian nor anthropologist can tell you.&rdquo;

Coppola&rsquo;s words hold true even half a century later today. Comics, satirists, and&nbsp;filmmakers are pitted against intolerance in an unequal fight. It is easy to force exile upon artists, put the publications out of business, and take shows off-air through threats of violence and boycott. In this David-Goliath battle, it is the comedy that is David, fighting against the Goliath of conformity desired by religious, political, and terror outfits.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

The viral BBC sketch ridiculing the ISIS brides causes a furore. Does satire need defenders today more than ever?

It is that time of the year again. It is always that time of the year. We are back to raising usual questions about comedy and satire. BBC’s latest satirical offering, a sketch called "The Real Housewives of ISIS," debuted this week. It has already gone viral on social media while eliciting some extreme responses from viewers. "Revolting," the BBC Two show on which the sketch aired, is a satirical sketch and prank series by the makers of "The Revolution Will Be Televised’ and ‘Brexageddon." The two-minute video manages to refer to jihad, suicide vests, burqa, bombings, slavery, forty virgins, chat room grooming, amongst other things. The content is indeed explosive. BBC has been criticised for airing a sketch that pokes fun at the real women suffering under the clutches of the ISIS fighters. Charges of Islamophobia have also been levelled against the makers — the BAFTA winning duo Heydon Prowse and Jolyon Rubinstein. The makers seem to be engaged in a David-Goliath fight. But who is David here? Does the sketch punch down the victims of ISIS brutalities and fan the already raging fire of the anti-Muslim sentiments? Or, is it serving the great cause of satire — reformation — as proposed by celebrated satirists across cultures and centuries? “We poets will force you into our point of view,” says Horace humourously towards the end of his fourth Satire. The classical Roman satirist believed in the power of satire in bringing social change through ridicule and laughter. He, however, warned against overuse of bitter invective. Talking of Old Comedy in the fourth Satire, Horace clearly says that ridicule is better than invective and Old Comedy should be imitated in this regard. He states that a good satire needs much more than wit. Studying the culture of folk humour in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Mikhail Bakhtin in his "Rabelais and His World" says, “A boundless world of humorous forms and manifestations opposed the official and serious tone of medieval ecclesiastical and feudal culture.” Laughter is subversive. It has been a traditional tool to dismantle status-quo. In the current context, the "Housewives" sketch seems to be combating the demagoguery of the ISIS. Aditi Mittal, a Mumbai based comedienne who has been working closely with BBC, shares her view on the same. “The sketch is hilarious. It's mocking what is a very real problem of young women getting groomed online and joining causes like this. It is mocking joining the ISIS by young people — a thing that ought to be seen as something absurd. In that spirit, I'm 100% on it and think it is pitch perfect. If we're not going to make fun of ISIS, then who do we get to make fun of?” She adds, however, “Since it is being released into a pervasive culture of the online world — where sarcasm and subtleties can get lost — it is fair enough to say that the video could be construed as Islamophobic.” What makes the same video funny for some and offensive for others? Mittal has a ready answer for this age-old conundrum. “Without proper context nothing is funny. The challenge with the online world is that now context is very wide reaching and different, literally, from person to person. That is why it may/may not be problematic.” Mittal sees the Islamophobia and insensitivity charges against the sketch as emanating from the rise of hateful rhetoric against Islam in the past few years. “Also, since a lot of people still don't know how to distinguish between Islam and ISIS, this video could easily be misconstrued to further anti-Muslim sentiments.” Rana Safvi, a Delhi based author and a practicing Muslim, puts it strongly, “We have to separate Islam from the ISIS. The sketch is stereotyping the ISIS fighters but in this there's no Islamophobia at all.” She says that ridicule always works better than anger. However, she finds the sketch a bit insensitive as it is trivialising a genuine problem: the plight of these young women. Nevertheless, Safvi grants the makers satiric license. Mehr Tarar, a Pakistani columnist, lauds the sketch for capturing the essence of “what we read about ISIS and women who join them willingly”. She does not find the video Islamophobic at all. “The video is about skewed narratives and priorities that are upside down,” adds Tarar. Commenting on those who are outraging against the video, Eiynah, the anonymous creator of the iconic anti-homophobia comic book for children, "My Chacha is Gay," says, “They don't realise that they are only making Muslims look bad. Outrage around "The Real Housewives of ISIS" reminds me just how sorely lacking Muslim community is in humour.” She continues, “I want to live to see a Muslim "Book of Mormon" style show take place, safely some day inshallah! We should be able mock without getting killed. I want to go into a craft beer store and see a tongue in cheek beer label referencing my culture.” Eiynah, who identifies herself as an ex-Muslim feminist woman, has created and shared a visual of an array of Shariah-compliant liquor bottles. Whenever any cultural or literary production aims at the ills of a community, a similar storm brews on and off mainstream and social media. Bloodbath at the Charlie Hebdo office, threats to Maqbool Fida Husain from the Indian Hindu right-wing, fatwa against Salman Rushdie have one thing in common: inability to laugh. Jo Coppola, noted columnist and television critic in the 1950s was thus quoted on comedy in "The Realist" in 1958: “Good comedy is social criticism…Comedy is dying today because criticism is on its deathbed... because telecasters, frightened by the threats and pressure of sponsors, blacklists and viewers, helped introduce conformity to this age... In such a climate, comedy cannot flourish. For comedy is, after all, a look at ourselves, not as we pretend to be when we look in the mirror of our imagination, but as we really are. Look at the comedy of any age and you will know volumes about that period and its people which neither the historian nor anthropologist can tell you.” Coppola’s words hold true even half a century later today. Comics, satirists, and filmmakers are pitted against intolerance in an unequal fight. It is easy to force exile upon artists, put the publications out of business, and take shows off-air through threats of violence and boycott. In this David-Goliath battle, it is the comedy that is David, fighting against the Goliath of conformity desired by religious, political, and terror outfits. (WION)

BBC's 'The Real Housewives of ISIS' sparks debate over Islamophobia, insensitivity

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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&nbsp;

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

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