More than a week after Ankara launched the Syrian incursion, called Euphrates Shield, deploying tanks and air power to support the rebels who swept into the border town of Jarablus, Islamic State (IS) jihadists were expelled from their last positions along the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkey claimed on Sunday. &nbsp; 
 
Asserting that his nation&#39;s forces and Syrian rebels had pushed back &#39;terrorist organisations&#39; on its southern border, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim said in a speech on Sunday that IS has been deprived of a key transit point for its recruits and supplies. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are there to protect our border, to provide for our citizens safety of life and property, and to ensure Syria&#39;s integrity,&quot; Yildirim told.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We will never allow the formation of an artificial state in the north of Syria,&quot; he told a crowd in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast and added, &nbsp;&quot;From Azaz to Jarabulus, our 91 km border has been completely secured.&quot;
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<h5>The news comes as Syrian government troops renewed the siege of rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday while Washington and Moscow failed to reach a deal on stemming violence in the country&#39;s devastating war. &nbsp;</h5>
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The news comes as Syrian government troops renewed the siege of rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday while Washington and Moscow failed to reach a deal on stemming violence in the country&#39;s devastating war. &nbsp; 
 
Fighting under the loose banner of the Free Syrian Army, the rebels, mainly Syrian Arabs and Turkmen took charge of the frontier between Azaz and Jarablus after clearing out the Sunni hardline group, state-run Anadolu Agency said. 
 
The conflict that has spanned for more than five years has become increasingly complex gradually involving not only regime and rebels, but international backers on both sides, Kurdish forces, jihadists and now Turkey. &nbsp;A solution to the civil war that has killed about 300,000 people and displaced millions remains elusive despite several rounds of international negotiations.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier &quot;rebels and Islamist factions backed by Turkish tanks and warplanes&quot; had taken several villages on the Turkish-Syrian border &quot;after IS withdrew from them.&nbsp; 
 
The operation was started by Ankara inside Syria on August 24, using tanks and war planes to back opposition fighters with special forces also providing support. 
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<h5>The conflict that has spanned for more than five years has become increasingly complex gradually involving not only regime and rebels, but international backers on both sides, Kurdish forces, jihadists and now Turkey.</h5>
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Turkey&#39;s success is also likely to deliver a blow to the Syrian Kurdish YPG, which has been gaining territory in Syria&#39;s north after working with the US-led coalition against the jihadist force. Ankara fears &nbsp;that gains by the Syrian Kurdish YPG will embolden militants at home. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). 
 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey would not allow a &quot;terror corridor&quot; on its southern border. 
 
With Turkey&#39;s rapid success in less than two weeks, his position looks stronger with territory in between the two Kurdish &quot;cantons&quot; of Afrin and Kobane now in the hands of Ankara-backed rebels. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
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'From Azaz to Jarabulus, our 91 km border has been completely secured,' Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim said on Sunday

More than a week after Ankara launched the Syrian incursion, called Euphrates Shield, deploying tanks and air power to support the rebels who swept into the border town of Jarablus, Islamic State (IS) jihadists were expelled from their last positions along the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkey claimed on Sunday. Asserting that his nation's forces and Syrian rebels had pushed back 'terrorist organisations' on its southern border, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim said in a speech on Sunday that IS has been deprived of a key transit point for its recruits and supplies. "We are there to protect our border, to provide for our citizens safety of life and property, and to ensure Syria's integrity," Yildirim told. "We will never allow the formation of an artificial state in the north of Syria," he told a crowd in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast and added, "From Azaz to Jarabulus, our 91 km border has been completely secured." The news comes as Syrian government troops renewed the siege of rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday while Washington and Moscow failed to reach a deal on stemming violence in the country's devastating war. The news comes as Syrian government troops renewed the siege of rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday while Washington and Moscow failed to reach a deal on stemming violence in the country's devastating war. Fighting under the loose banner of the Free Syrian Army, the rebels, mainly Syrian Arabs and Turkmen took charge of the frontier between Azaz and Jarablus after clearing out the Sunni hardline group, state-run Anadolu Agency said. The conflict that has spanned for more than five years has become increasingly complex gradually involving not only regime and rebels, but international backers on both sides, Kurdish forces, jihadists and now Turkey. A solution to the civil war that has killed about 300,000 people and displaced millions remains elusive despite several rounds of international negotiations. Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier "rebels and Islamist factions backed by Turkish tanks and warplanes" had taken several villages on the Turkish-Syrian border "after IS withdrew from them. The operation was started by Ankara inside Syria on August 24, using tanks and war planes to back opposition fighters with special forces also providing support. The conflict that has spanned for more than five years has become increasingly complex gradually involving not only regime and rebels, but international backers on both sides, Kurdish forces, jihadists and now Turkey. Turkey's success is also likely to deliver a blow to the Syrian Kurdish YPG, which has been gaining territory in Syria's north after working with the US-led coalition against the jihadist force. Ankara fears that gains by the Syrian Kurdish YPG will embolden militants at home. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey would not allow a "terror corridor" on its southern border. With Turkey's rapid success in less than two weeks, his position looks stronger with territory in between the two Kurdish "cantons" of Afrin and Kobane now in the hands of Ankara-backed rebels. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

Islamic State expelled from Turkey's Syrian border, says Ankara

Turkey ramped up its its offensive against the Islamic State in Syria on Saturday as its tanks crossed into the northern part of the country from the Kilis province. 
 
Turkey&#39;s fresh military impetus helped Syrian rebels retake two villages held by the IS.&nbsp;
&quot;Today, they (Turkey-backed Syrian rebels)&nbsp;managed to take control of the villages of Arab Ezza, al-Fursan, and have moved towards Lilwa,&quot; Ahmed Othman,&nbsp;a commander in the pro-Turkey rebel group Sultan Murad, told Al Jazeera from Aleppo&#39;s northern suburbs.&nbsp;
Howitzers belonging to the Turkish force pounded IS strongholds in the area, Dogan news agency reported. 
 
A Reuters cameraman in the area earlier heard a repeated booming sound and saw plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. 
 
The tanks are reported to have crossed the frontier near the Turkish village of Cobanbey.&nbsp; 
 
The area is some 55 kilometres southwest of Jarablus, where last week Turkish-backed Syrian forces launched &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, Turkey&#39;s first major incursion into Syria since the civil war began five years ago. 
 
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have made advances against IS militants on one hand and the US-backed Kurdish rebels on the other.&nbsp; 
 
The same day, Turkish-backed rebel factions from the Free Syrian Army announced that they had seized several villages from the Islamic State, news that was confirmed by monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp; 
 
The Hamza Brigade, a group fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, said it had taken control of Arab Ezza, a village near which Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on Friday. 
 
A source in the Failaq al-Sham rebel group said FSA factions had also captured the villages of Fursan, Lilawa, Kino and Najma just south of Arab Ezza. 
 
The US has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups which it backs in its battle against the Islamic State stating that it would jeopardise the broader goal of ridding Syria of the militant group. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkish tanks crossed into northern Syria to intensify its attack on Islamic State

Turkey ramped up its its offensive against the Islamic State in Syria on Saturday as its tanks crossed into the northern part of the country from the Kilis province. Turkey's fresh military impetus helped Syrian rebels retake two villages held by the IS. "Today, they (Turkey-backed Syrian rebels) managed to take control of the villages of Arab Ezza, al-Fursan, and have moved towards Lilwa," Ahmed Othman, a commander in the pro-Turkey rebel group Sultan Murad, told Al Jazeera from Aleppo's northern suburbs. Howitzers belonging to the Turkish force pounded IS strongholds in the area, Dogan news agency reported. A Reuters cameraman in the area earlier heard a repeated booming sound and saw plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. The tanks are reported to have crossed the frontier near the Turkish village of Cobanbey. The area is some 55 kilometres southwest of Jarablus, where last week Turkish-backed Syrian forces launched "Operation Euphrates Shield", Turkey's first major incursion into Syria since the civil war began five years ago. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have made advances against IS militants on one hand and the US-backed Kurdish rebels on the other. The same day, Turkish-backed rebel factions from the Free Syrian Army announced that they had seized several villages from the Islamic State, news that was confirmed by monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Hamza Brigade, a group fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, said it had taken control of Arab Ezza, a village near which Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on Friday. A source in the Failaq al-Sham rebel group said FSA factions had also captured the villages of Fursan, Lilawa, Kino and Najma just south of Arab Ezza. The US has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups which it backs in its battle against the Islamic State stating that it would jeopardise the broader goal of ridding Syria of the militant group. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkey ups its offensive against IS in Syria

Australia has decided to expand its military action against Islamic State and will amend its domestic laws, the country&rsquo;s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Thursday. 
 
Australia became a part of the US-led coalition against IS in September 2014 but Turnbull said that the country&#39;s role has been crippled by differences between local and international law, a loophole that will be closed with the new legislation.&nbsp; 
 
Law in the country only allows targeting personnel who are playing an active role in hostilities.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is a legal argument that Australia&#39;s domestic law is more restrictive than international law. This legal risk posed a major challenge to the effectiveness of our operations. It meant that the [Australian Defence Force&#39;s] targeting base in Iraq and Syria was restricted, and we could not operate as freely as our coalition partners,&quot; Turnbull told Australia&#39;s Parliament. 
 
Turnbull said military operations can expand once the law changes progress. 
 
&quot;So I can announce that the government has reviewed its policy on targeting enemy combatants and earlier this year made an important decision to ensure our forces are empowered to act against Daesh in Iraq and Syria(IS) to the maximum extent allowed by international law and we will move quickly to introduce the necessary amendments to the Commonwealth Criminal Code that will bring our domestic laws into line with international norms. This means that ADF [Australian Defence Force] personnel will be supported by our domestic laws, they will be able to target Daesh at its core, joining with our coalition partners to target and kill a broader range of Daesh combatants which is consistent with international law. This will ensure that our efforts in Syria and Iraq are resolute and effective and our forces are fully empowered to roll back Daesh,&quot; Turnbull said. 
 
Turnbull said his government will also press ahead with measures to combat domestic acts of terror. 
 
He stressed on stronger oversight of potential local supporters of Islamic State. 
 
He said approximately 200 people in Australia are being investigated for providing support to individuals and groups in the Syria/Iraq conflict. 
 
&nbsp;Australia is on high alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014, having suffered several &quot;lone wolf&quot; assaults.&nbsp; 
 
In July, a legislation was proposed to indefinitely detain people convicted of terrorism-related charges if they pose an ongoing danger to society upon their release. 
 
The legislation will be introduced to Parliament next week, Turnbull said and added he was working with Southeast Asia on this. 
 
&quot;My ministers and I have been active in reassuring our regional neighbours that Australia will work with them to further strengthen co-operation to mitigate the risks. We are committed to working with our regional partners to preserve the security and stability of our region.&quot; 
 
&quot;We must combat all of Daesh including its financiers and its propagandists, it is why we must give our agencies the powers they need to detect, to disrupt, to arrest and to target. Safety and security at home will always be the Government&#39;s first priority, success requires strong laws, modern powers and importantly it requires social unity,&quot; added Turnbull. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The country's current domestic law only allows targeting personnel who play an active role in hostilities

Australia has decided to expand its military action against Islamic State and will amend its domestic laws, the country’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Thursday. Australia became a part of the US-led coalition against IS in September 2014 but Turnbull said that the country's role has been crippled by differences between local and international law, a loophole that will be closed with the new legislation. Law in the country only allows targeting personnel who are playing an active role in hostilities. "There is a legal argument that Australia's domestic law is more restrictive than international law. This legal risk posed a major challenge to the effectiveness of our operations. It meant that the [Australian Defence Force's] targeting base in Iraq and Syria was restricted, and we could not operate as freely as our coalition partners," Turnbull told Australia's Parliament. Turnbull said military operations can expand once the law changes progress. "So I can announce that the government has reviewed its policy on targeting enemy combatants and earlier this year made an important decision to ensure our forces are empowered to act against Daesh in Iraq and Syria(IS) to the maximum extent allowed by international law and we will move quickly to introduce the necessary amendments to the Commonwealth Criminal Code that will bring our domestic laws into line with international norms. This means that ADF [Australian Defence Force] personnel will be supported by our domestic laws, they will be able to target Daesh at its core, joining with our coalition partners to target and kill a broader range of Daesh combatants which is consistent with international law. This will ensure that our efforts in Syria and Iraq are resolute and effective and our forces are fully empowered to roll back Daesh," Turnbull said. Turnbull said his government will also press ahead with measures to combat domestic acts of terror. He stressed on stronger oversight of potential local supporters of Islamic State. He said approximately 200 people in Australia are being investigated for providing support to individuals and groups in the Syria/Iraq conflict. Australia is on high alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014, having suffered several "lone wolf" assaults. In July, a legislation was proposed to indefinitely detain people convicted of terrorism-related charges if they pose an ongoing danger to society upon their release. The legislation will be introduced to Parliament next week, Turnbull said and added he was working with Southeast Asia on this. "My ministers and I have been active in reassuring our regional neighbours that Australia will work with them to further strengthen co-operation to mitigate the risks. We are committed to working with our regional partners to preserve the security and stability of our region." "We must combat all of Daesh including its financiers and its propagandists, it is why we must give our agencies the powers they need to detect, to disrupt, to arrest and to target. Safety and security at home will always be the Government's first priority, success requires strong laws, modern powers and importantly it requires social unity," added Turnbull. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Australia will rework laws to expand military action against IS

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. 
 
&quot;We are closely monitoring reports in (sic)&nbsp;Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces),&quot; said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.&nbsp; 
 
Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria&nbsp;lost their men. 
 
&quot;We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern,&quot; the spokesman further said. 
 
The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. 
 
The United States&nbsp;&quot;was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them,&quot; the spokesman&nbsp;added. 
 
Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. 
 
The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People&#39;s Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. 
 
That is because the YPG&nbsp;is an offshoot of the&nbsp;Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The recent escalation of war in North Syria between the two forces has prompted the Pentagon to intervene

The United States has asked warring Turkish and Kurdish forces to back off and focus on their common enemy IS in Syria. "We are closely monitoring reports in (sic) Jarablus (a town in South Syria) -- where ISIL is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces)," said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. Pentagon was referring to the recent escalation of war in North Syria, where both the Turkish force and the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance in Syria lost their men. "We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern," the spokesman further said. The US was kept in the dark about the recent fighting raging in North Syria. The United States "was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them," the spokesman added. Turkey, meanwhile, has said it will continue to attack Kurdish forces unless they retreat east of the Euphrates river. The animosity between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkey runs long and deep. SDF has a strong presence of People's Protection Units (known as YPG due to Kurdish initials), a group viewed by Turkey as a terrorist organisation. That is because the YPG is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three decade-long insurgency in Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US urges warring Turkey and Kurdish forces to show restraint

Around 50 armed men stormed into a Philippines jail and freed 28 inmates&nbsp;on Saturday, authorities said today. 
 
Eight of the 28 escapees, who were arrested barely a week ago for carrying bombs and pistols in a van, belong to the notorious Maute group. 
 
The rest of the detainees took advantage of the jailbreak to escape jail, provincial police chief senior superintendent Agustine Tello said,&nbsp; 
 
The armed militants, believed to be operatives of the local Maute group, raided&nbsp;the jail in the southern city of Marawi. 
 
Authorities will probe why the guards did not fight the attackers and why security in the prison had not been upgraded after high-risk suspects were brought in. 
 
The Mautes are a notorious group and have carried out several kidnappings and bomb attacks in the Phillippines, including the February attack on an army outpost in the&nbsp;Mindanao town of Butig which displaced thousands of people and injured many during the week-long siege.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
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The militants, suspected to be Maute gang operatives, freed eight of their comrades who were recently held for carrying bombs, firearms

Around 50 armed men stormed into a Philippines jail and freed 28 inmates on Saturday, authorities said today. Eight of the 28 escapees, who were arrested barely a week ago for carrying bombs and pistols in a van, belong to the notorious Maute group. The rest of the detainees took advantage of the jailbreak to escape jail, provincial police chief senior superintendent Agustine Tello said, The armed militants, believed to be operatives of the local Maute group, raided the jail in the southern city of Marawi. Authorities will probe why the guards did not fight the attackers and why security in the prison had not been upgraded after high-risk suspects were brought in. The Mautes are a notorious group and have carried out several kidnappings and bomb attacks in the Phillippines, including the February attack on an army outpost in the Mindanao town of Butig which displaced thousands of people and injured many during the week-long siege. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Armed men storm Philippines jail, free 28 detainees

Turkey on Saturday sent six more tanks into Syria as pro-Ankara forces pressed on with de-mining work in a town captured from Islamic State (IS) jihadists this week, an AFP correspondent said. 
 
The Turkish military on Wednesday launched an operation codenamed &quot;Euphrates Shield&quot; inside Syria to oust IS from the border region and also counter advances by a Kurdish militia detested by Ankara. 
 
An AFP photographer in the village of Karkamis on the Turkish side of the border watched six Turkish tanks roll over the frontier into Syria on Saturday. 
 
The Hurriyet daily had reported earlier that the Turkish armed forces had 50 tanks and 380 personnel on the ground in Syria after three days of operations. 
 
Turkish troops are supporting an even larger force of hundreds of Syrian rebels. 
 
The photographer said that sporadic explosions were audible on the Turkish side of the border as the rebels carried out de-mining work in the town of Jarabulus seized from IS on Wednesday. 
 
The state-run Anadolu news agency confirmed in a story datelined from Jarabulus that the rebels were working to destroy explosives left behind by IS militants. 
 
It said that on Friday alone 20 different sets of explosives had been destroyed. 
 
Turkey&#39;s leadership has made clear that the offensive is also aimed at ensuring that the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which has led the fight against IS in the area, stay east of the Euphrates River. 
 
Ankara says that the YPG has failed to stick to a promise made by its US allies that the militia would move back east across the Euphrates following the seizure of the town of Manbij from IS earlier this month. 
 
On Thursday, Turkey shelled positions of the YPG near Manbij but there have been no reports of further activity against the group since then. 
 
Hurriyet said that the Turkish armed forces had been given an order to &quot;strike immediately&quot; should the YPG be seen to make any move towards Jarabulus. 
 
Turkey sees the YPG militia and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which have links to Kurdish rebels in Turkey, as &quot;terror groups&quot; bent on carving out an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Turkey's military launched an operation codenamed 'Euphrates Shield' inside Syria on Wednesday to oust IS from the border region

Turkey on Saturday sent six more tanks into Syria as pro-Ankara forces pressed on with de-mining work in a town captured from Islamic State (IS) jihadists this week, an AFP correspondent said. The Turkish military on Wednesday launched an operation codenamed "Euphrates Shield" inside Syria to oust IS from the border region and also counter advances by a Kurdish militia detested by Ankara. An AFP photographer in the village of Karkamis on the Turkish side of the border watched six Turkish tanks roll over the frontier into Syria on Saturday. The Hurriyet daily had reported earlier that the Turkish armed forces had 50 tanks and 380 personnel on the ground in Syria after three days of operations. Turkish troops are supporting an even larger force of hundreds of Syrian rebels. The photographer said that sporadic explosions were audible on the Turkish side of the border as the rebels carried out de-mining work in the town of Jarabulus seized from IS on Wednesday. The state-run Anadolu news agency confirmed in a story datelined from Jarabulus that the rebels were working to destroy explosives left behind by IS militants. It said that on Friday alone 20 different sets of explosives had been destroyed. Turkey's leadership has made clear that the offensive is also aimed at ensuring that the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which has led the fight against IS in the area, stay east of the Euphrates River. Ankara says that the YPG has failed to stick to a promise made by its US allies that the militia would move back east across the Euphrates following the seizure of the town of Manbij from IS earlier this month. On Thursday, Turkey shelled positions of the YPG near Manbij but there have been no reports of further activity against the group since then. Hurriyet said that the Turkish armed forces had been given an order to "strike immediately" should the YPG be seen to make any move towards Jarabulus. Turkey sees the YPG militia and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which have links to Kurdish rebels in Turkey, as "terror groups" bent on carving out an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria. (AFP)

Turkey sends more tanks into Syria after IS-held town capture

Islamic State has warned of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established, saying in a video last week&#39;s killing of 20 people in a Dhaka cafe was merely a glimpse of what is to come. 
 
Five Bangladesh militants, most from wealthy, liberal families, stormed the upmarket restaurant on Friday and murdered customers, the majority of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the United States, before they were gunned down. 
 
&quot;What you witnessed in Bangladesh...was a glimpse. This will repeat, repeat and repeat until you lose and we win and the sharia is established throughout the world,&quot; said a man identified as Bangladeshi fighter Abu Issa al-Bengali, in the video monitored by SITE intelligence site. 
 
Bangladesh has rejected the Islamic State&#39;s claim of responsibility for the Friday attack and blamed it on a domestic militant group.&nbsp;It was one of the deadliest attacks in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al-Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government has also dismissed those claims. 
 
The IS video began with pictures of recent attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando in the United States that the Middle East-based militants have claimed. 
 
The fighter in the video, who spoke in both Bengali and English, said Bangladesh must know that it was now part of a bigger battlefield to establish the cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot; the group proclaimed in 2014. 
 
&quot;I want to tell the rulers of Bangladesh that the jihad you see today is not the same that you knew in the past,&quot; he said from a busy street in the militant group&#39;s de facto capital of Raqqa, in Syria.&nbsp;&quot;The jihad that is waged today is a jihad under the shade of the Caliphate.&quot; 
 
Though Bangladesh has rejected the IS claim of responsibility for Friday&#39;s attack, police said they were stepping up security in response to the video threat.&nbsp;&quot;We are taking this issue seriously. All our concerned units are working tirelessly,&quot; said deputy police inspector general Shahidur Rahman. 
 
Police believe the domestic Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the band of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. 
 
Police have said they are hunting for six members of the group suspected to have helped the attackers. 
 
But foreign security experts say the scale and sophistication of the attack on the Holey Artisan bakery cafe pointed to some level of guidance from international militant groups.&nbsp;Officials in Dhaka said on Tuesday police commandos had mistakenly shot dead a restaurant chef during the operation to end the siege. 
 
HT Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also said security officials had seen online warnings about an impending attack on Friday and ordered major hotels and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the cafe shut.&nbsp;But they missed the actual target, he said. 
 
(Reuters)

IS warns of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established throughout the world

Islamic State has warned of repeated attacks in Bangladesh and beyond until rule by sharia, Islamic law, is established, saying in a video last week's killing of 20 people in a Dhaka cafe was merely a glimpse of what is to come. Five Bangladesh militants, most from wealthy, liberal families, stormed the upmarket restaurant on Friday and murdered customers, the majority of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the United States, before they were gunned down. "What you witnessed in Bangladesh...was a glimpse. This will repeat, repeat and repeat until you lose and we win and the sharia is established throughout the world," said a man identified as Bangladeshi fighter Abu Issa al-Bengali, in the video monitored by SITE intelligence site. Bangladesh has rejected the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the Friday attack and blamed it on a domestic militant group. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al-Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government has also dismissed those claims. The IS video began with pictures of recent attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando in the United States that the Middle East-based militants have claimed. The fighter in the video, who spoke in both Bengali and English, said Bangladesh must know that it was now part of a bigger battlefield to establish the cross-border "caliphate" the group proclaimed in 2014. "I want to tell the rulers of Bangladesh that the jihad you see today is not the same that you knew in the past," he said from a busy street in the militant group's de facto capital of Raqqa, in Syria. "The jihad that is waged today is a jihad under the shade of the Caliphate." Though Bangladesh has rejected the IS claim of responsibility for Friday's attack, police said they were stepping up security in response to the video threat. "We are taking this issue seriously. All our concerned units are working tirelessly," said deputy police inspector general Shahidur Rahman. Police believe the domestic Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the band of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. Police have said they are hunting for six members of the group suspected to have helped the attackers. But foreign security experts say the scale and sophistication of the attack on the Holey Artisan bakery cafe pointed to some level of guidance from international militant groups. Officials in Dhaka said on Tuesday police commandos had mistakenly shot dead a restaurant chef during the operation to end the siege. HT Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also said security officials had seen online warnings about an impending attack on Friday and ordered major hotels and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the cafe shut. But they missed the actual target, he said. (Reuters)

Dhaka cafe attack a glimpse of what's coming, says Islamic State

Turkish special forces units and jets supported by warplanes from the US-led coalition launched an operation in Northern Syria today to wipe out IS militants along the border with Turkey, Turkish officials said. 
 
The Turkish army began firing artillery rounds into the Syrian border town of Jarablus at around 0100 GMT and Turkish and US warplanes pounded IS targets with airstrikes as part of the operation, Turkish military sources said. 
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This is the first time warplanes from NATO member Turkey have struck in Syria since November, when Turkey downed a Russian jet near the border, and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a revered Ottoman figure, in February 2015. 
 
Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from the border, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade. 
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<h5>Turkey had vowed on Monday to &quot;completely cleanse&quot; Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.</h5>
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White and grey plumes of smoke rose from atop the hills of Jarablus, visible from the Turkish town of Karkamis across the border. The boom of artillery fire was audible as tanks opened fire from just inside Turkish territory. 
 
Turkish military sources said a ground incursion had yet to start, but a group of Turkish special forces had entered Syria while Turkish and US-led coalition jets hit four Islamic State targets and Turkish artillery struck more than 60 targets. Tanks were being positioned to secure the border, they said. 
 
&quot;The aim of the operation is to ensure border security and Syria&#39;s territorial integrity while supporting the US-led coalition against Islamic State,&quot; one military source said, adding work to open a passage for ground forces was underway. 
 
US vice-president Joe Biden is due to visit Turkey later today, the most senior US &nbsp;official to visit since the failed July 15 coup shook confidence in the ability of the NATO member to step up the fight against Islamic State. 
 
Turkey had vowed on Monday to &quot;completely cleanse&quot; Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. 
 
Military sources said the air strikes hit 12 Islamic State targets, while artillery fire hit 70 targets. Counter-terrorism police launched dawn raids targeting Islamic State members across Istanbul on Wednesday, the Dogan news agency said. 
 
Turkey is also concerned about the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish militant groups along its border, where they have captured large areas of territory since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara sees them as tied to the Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency in Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
At least nine mortar shells from Jarablus landed in Karkamis and nearby on Tuesday, forcing many residents to flee, a Reuters witness said. Another hit an empty field on Wednesday. 
 
The Syria operation came as Syrian rebels backed by Turkey had said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on Jarablus, aiming to preempt a potential attempt by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to take it. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from Jarablus, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen

Turkish special forces units and jets supported by warplanes from the US-led coalition launched an operation in Northern Syria today to wipe out IS militants along the border with Turkey, Turkish officials said. The Turkish army began firing artillery rounds into the Syrian border town of Jarablus at around 0100 GMT and Turkish and US warplanes pounded IS targets with airstrikes as part of the operation, Turkish military sources said. ? This is the first time warplanes from NATO member Turkey have struck in Syria since November, when Turkey downed a Russian jet near the border, and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a revered Ottoman figure, in February 2015. Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from the border, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade. Turkey had vowed on Monday to "completely cleanse" Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. White and grey plumes of smoke rose from atop the hills of Jarablus, visible from the Turkish town of Karkamis across the border. The boom of artillery fire was audible as tanks opened fire from just inside Turkish territory. Turkish military sources said a ground incursion had yet to start, but a group of Turkish special forces had entered Syria while Turkish and US-led coalition jets hit four Islamic State targets and Turkish artillery struck more than 60 targets. Tanks were being positioned to secure the border, they said. "The aim of the operation is to ensure border security and Syria's territorial integrity while supporting the US-led coalition against Islamic State," one military source said, adding work to open a passage for ground forces was underway. US vice-president Joe Biden is due to visit Turkey later today, the most senior US official to visit since the failed July 15 coup shook confidence in the ability of the NATO member to step up the fight against Islamic State. Turkey had vowed on Monday to "completely cleanse" Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. Military sources said the air strikes hit 12 Islamic State targets, while artillery fire hit 70 targets. Counter-terrorism police launched dawn raids targeting Islamic State members across Istanbul on Wednesday, the Dogan news agency said. Turkey is also concerned about the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish militant groups along its border, where they have captured large areas of territory since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara sees them as tied to the Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency in Turkey. At least nine mortar shells from Jarablus landed in Karkamis and nearby on Tuesday, forcing many residents to flee, a Reuters witness said. Another hit an empty field on Wednesday. The Syria operation came as Syrian rebels backed by Turkey had said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on Jarablus, aiming to preempt a potential attempt by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to take it. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkish military, US-led coalition strike Islamic State to free Syrian border town

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police&nbsp;officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. 
 
The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21&nbsp;- had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. 
 
The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by&nbsp;the police. 
 
Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. 
 
Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would&nbsp;be conducted. 
 
Maryam also said that she needed an apology. 
 
The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the&nbsp;police offered no apology. 
 
The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had&nbsp;Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. 
 
A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic&nbsp;State material on their phones.&nbsp; 
 
Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a&nbsp;walk to raise funds for IS victims. 
 
The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. 
 
(WION)

The three siblings said that they were made victims of racial profiling and demanded an apology

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21 - had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by the police. Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would be conducted. Maryam also said that she needed an apology. The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the police offered no apology. The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic State material on their phones. Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a walk to raise funds for IS victims. The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. (WION)

Trio asked to deplane in London suspecting IS links

Turkey&#39;s border region with Syria must be &quot;completely cleansed&quot; of Islamic State and Ankara continues to support operations in the fight against the jihadists, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. 
 
Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize the Syrian town of Jarablus from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. 
 
Cavusoglu was speaking to reporters at a news conference after holding talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius. Turkey said Islamic State sent a child as young as 12 laden with explosives into a wedding party late on Saturday and killed 53 people. 
 
(Reuters)

Turkey's finance minister Mevlut Cavusoglu added that Ankara continues to support the fight against IS

Turkey's border region with Syria must be "completely cleansed" of Islamic State and Ankara continues to support operations in the fight against the jihadists, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize the Syrian town of Jarablus from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. Cavusoglu was speaking to reporters at a news conference after holding talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius. Turkey said Islamic State sent a child as young as 12 laden with explosives into a wedding party late on Saturday and killed 53 people. (Reuters)

Turkey says border region with Syria must be 'completely cleansed' of Islamic State

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area.&nbsp; 
 
The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey),&quot; the rebel said. 
 
Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. 
 
&quot;Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus,&quot; the source said. 
 
Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. 
 
Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. 
 
Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Rivalry with Kurds 
 
By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS.&nbsp; 
 
A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. 
 
The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. 
 
Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF&#39;s westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. 
 
On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. 
 
The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. 
 
The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. 
 
Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said.&nbsp;On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily,&quot; he said. &quot;The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The onslaught will also dent Kurdish hopes of expansion along the Syria-Turkey border area

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified. "The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey)," the rebel said. Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. "Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus," the source said. Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey. It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State. Rivalry with Kurds By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS. A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF's westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said. On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said. "There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily," he said. "The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy." (Reuters)

Syrian rebels prepare to seize IS town from inside Turkey

India&#39;s Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar, arrived in Damascus on Friday (August 19) for a two-day visit amid an escalation in the country&#39;s civil war. 
 
Akbar, who arrived via Lebanon, is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday (August 20). 
 
The main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition on Friday cautiously welcomed a proposal for a weekly pause in fighting in Aleppo to allow aid to reach besieged areas, provided it was monitored by the United Nations. 
 
International concern has mounted over the fate of up to two million civilians in the city amid an intensification of fighting, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that the situation was &quot;inhumane, awful, disgusting, nightmarish&quot;. 
 
Russia, Syrian President Assad&#39;s most powerful military ally, said on Thursday (August 18) it supported a long-standing U.N. call for a 48-hour truce each week in the city, and that it was ready to start the first one next week. Syria&#39;s government has not yet commented on the idea. 
 
Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels who have been battling to oust him in western Syria with support from countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States. 
 
Akbar&#39;s arrival in Damascus came the same day as India&#39;s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in New Delhi. 
 
(Reuters)

The minister is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday

India's Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar, arrived in Damascus on Friday (August 19) for a two-day visit amid an escalation in the country's civil war. Akbar, who arrived via Lebanon, is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on Saturday (August 20). The main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition on Friday cautiously welcomed a proposal for a weekly pause in fighting in Aleppo to allow aid to reach besieged areas, provided it was monitored by the United Nations. International concern has mounted over the fate of up to two million civilians in the city amid an intensification of fighting, with the World Food Programme warning on Friday that the situation was "inhumane, awful, disgusting, nightmarish". Russia, Syrian President Assad's most powerful military ally, said on Thursday (August 18) it supported a long-standing U.N. call for a 48-hour truce each week in the city, and that it was ready to start the first one next week. Syria's government has not yet commented on the idea. Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels who have been battling to oust him in western Syria with support from countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Akbar's arrival in Damascus came the same day as India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in New Delhi. (Reuters)

India's Minister of State for External Affairs visits Syria

The outfit is rewarding its warriors by exploiting the exodus of Europe-bound African migrants -- captured women are turned into sex slaves

Enslaved in Libya: One woman's extraordinary escape from Islamic State

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump on Monday unveiled his anti-terrorism plan, saying he would implement &quot;extreme vetting&quot; of immigrants and suspend immigration from certain countries to protect the United States. 
 
In a policy speech in the swing state of Ohio, the billionaire real estate mogul -- who is vying with Hillary Clinton for the White House -- vowed to &quot;crush and destroy&quot; the Islamic State group, accusing Clinton and President Barack Obama of allowing it to grow. 
 
He also pledged to launch a &quot;commission on radical Islam&quot; to root out jihadist networks and stop radicalization of young Americans. 
 
&quot;We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting.&quot; 
 
Trump called for a &quot;new approach&quot; to fighting terror, slamming the policies put in place by Obama and Clinton, who served as his first secretary of state. 
 
&quot;Our current strategy of nation building and regime change is a proven absolute failure. We have created the vacuums that allow terrorism to grow and thrive,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
 
Trump said he would suspend immigration from &quot;some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world, that have a history of exporting terrorism.&quot;

Republican presidential hopeful also spoke about crushing IS in a policy speech made in Ohio

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump on Monday unveiled his anti-terrorism plan, saying he would implement "extreme vetting" of immigrants and suspend immigration from certain countries to protect the United States. In a policy speech in the swing state of Ohio, the billionaire real estate mogul -- who is vying with Hillary Clinton for the White House -- vowed to "crush and destroy" the Islamic State group, accusing Clinton and President Barack Obama of allowing it to grow. He also pledged to launch a "commission on radical Islam" to root out jihadist networks and stop radicalization of young Americans. "We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people," Trump said. "In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting." Trump called for a "new approach" to fighting terror, slamming the policies put in place by Obama and Clinton, who served as his first secretary of state. "Our current strategy of nation building and regime change is a proven absolute failure. We have created the vacuums that allow terrorism to grow and thrive," he said. (AFP) Trump said he would suspend immigration from "some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world, that have a history of exporting terrorism."

Donald Trump vows 'extreme vetting' of immigrants

Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday &nbsp;after US-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and US allies said.

The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields.

SDF forces were seen dancing out of jubilation after they drove IS militant out of the city. They have been searching for mines, which had been planted in the residential areas and injured many civilians, and the possibility of sleeper cells.

The remaining militants fled to Jarabulus, which is under the control of IS and it is located on the Turkish borders, taking with them around 2,000 civilians by force to avoid the strikes of the international coalition.

However, after the IS members arrived in Jarabulus, a number of civilians managed to return to Manbij.

Smiling civilians in Manbij on Friday and Saturday were making victory gestures and carrying out small acts of defiance, unthinkable under the rigours of Islamic State rule.

One woman trampled on her abaya, the Arab gown, while a girl described life under Islamic State.

&quot;Two of my cousins, one was killed and the other one, thank God, returned but he lost his eye. My brother Zaid died; my brother Zaid passed away. They dressed my aunt in black and everyone got bored of the black including the abaya, gloves and socks, everything and I cannot understand anything and they took her covered into the prison. May God hold them to account. Bread and water are in turn,&quot; Hasnah Abdullah said.

Other civilians could be seen clearly in a state of distress.

The town bustled trucks bringing in supplies and civilian could be seen carrying foodstuffs.

The Manbij operation in which US special forces have played a significant role on the ground marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago.

Manbij&#39;s loss to the militants is a big blow as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for transit of foreign jihadists and provisions coming from the Turkish border. 
 
(Reuters)

As displaced people returned to their homes, they were seen carrying out acts of defiance once unthinkable under IS's oppressive rule

Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday after US-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and US allies said. The US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields. SDF forces were seen dancing out of jubilation after they drove IS militant out of the city. They have been searching for mines, which had been planted in the residential areas and injured many civilians, and the possibility of sleeper cells. The remaining militants fled to Jarabulus, which is under the control of IS and it is located on the Turkish borders, taking with them around 2,000 civilians by force to avoid the strikes of the international coalition. However, after the IS members arrived in Jarabulus, a number of civilians managed to return to Manbij. Smiling civilians in Manbij on Friday and Saturday were making victory gestures and carrying out small acts of defiance, unthinkable under the rigours of Islamic State rule. One woman trampled on her abaya, the Arab gown, while a girl described life under Islamic State. "Two of my cousins, one was killed and the other one, thank God, returned but he lost his eye. My brother Zaid died; my brother Zaid passed away. They dressed my aunt in black and everyone got bored of the black including the abaya, gloves and socks, everything and I cannot understand anything and they took her covered into the prison. May God hold them to account. Bread and water are in turn," Hasnah Abdullah said. Other civilians could be seen clearly in a state of distress. The town bustled trucks bringing in supplies and civilian could be seen carrying foodstuffs. The Manbij operation in which US special forces have played a significant role on the ground marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago. Manbij's loss to the militants is a big blow as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for transit of foreign jihadists and provisions coming from the Turkish border. (Reuters)

Hope rebounds in Manbij after IS routed out of Syria town

Iraqi forces raised Friday the national flag over the government compound in Fallujah nearly four weeks into an offensive to rout the jihadists from their main Iraq bastion.

The following is a timeline of events from the breakthrough by IS fighters in 2014 to the latest government counter-attack.

2014: Jihadist&nbsp;breakthrough 
 
On January 4, Iraq loses its first key town since the US-led invasion of 2003. Fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and their allies capturing Fallujah and parts of Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

The vast Anbar province that surrounds the two&nbsp;towns&nbsp;is predominantly Sunni Muslim and fiercely resisted US troops when they occupied Iraq.

On June 9, the jihadists capture Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city in the north and declare an Islamic caliphate on June 29, calling itself the Islamic State group.

The jihadists also control Tikrit, home town of executed dictator Saddam Hussein north of Baghdad, and large parts of the country up to Iraqi Kurdistan. IS drives out tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking non-Muslim minority that lives around Sinjar near the border with Syria.

On August 8, the United States launches air strikes against IS and a month later has created a coalition to target the group in Iraq and Syria.

2015: Counter-offensives 
 
On March 31, Iraqi troops and Shiite militias backed by neighbouring Iran recapture Tikrit.

By May 17, however, IS completely controls Anbar provincial capital Ramadi which stretches west to Syria where IS has declared a de-facto capital in Raqa. 
 
Later in the year, Iraqi forces and coalition air strikes begin driving IS back, and by mid-October they have recaptured Baiji and its strategic refinery north of Baghdad.

Kurdish forces backed by air strikes recapture Sinjar on November 13, severing an IS supply route between Iraq and Syria. Coalition strikes intensify after November 13, when attacks claimed by IS kill 130 people in France.

On December 27, Iraqi forces say they have&nbsp;liberated&nbsp;Ramadi, their biggest victory against IS to date. But the city is not totally cleared until February 9, 2016.

2016: Fallujah and Mosul 
 
The government focuses on recapturing Fallujah and Mosul, IS&#39;s last strongholds in Iraq.

In April, Washington says it will send attack helicopters and another 200 soldiers to train and assist Iraqi troops, bringing the total number of US military personnel in Iraq to more than 4,000.

On March 24, the army and allied militia begin an offensive in the northern Nineveh province around Mosul, making slow progress. On May 29, Kurdish peshmerga fighters backed by the international coalition recapture several villages east of Mosul.

To the south, coalition-backed Iraqi troops begin to squeeze Fallujah in March and capture Heet and Rutba,&nbsp;towns&nbsp;which control supply routes between Iraq and Syria. 
 
On May 22-23, they begin an offensive to retake Fallujah, where an estimated 50,000 people still live.

IS strikes back with suicide attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere, but is now estimated to control just 14 percent of Iraq, down from a peak of 40 percent in 2014.

On May 30, elite troops begin a three-pronged dawn assault on Fallujah city.

On June 17, they raise the Iraqi flag above the main government compound. Operation commander Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi says 70 percent of the city has been&nbsp;liberated.

The loss of Fallujah -- which lies just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad -- would leave Mosul as the only major Iraqi city under IS control. 
 
(AFP)

A timeline of events from the breakthrough by IS fighters in 2014 to the latest government counter-attack

Iraqi forces raised Friday the national flag over the government compound in Fallujah nearly four weeks into an offensive to rout the jihadists from their main Iraq bastion. The following is a timeline of events from the breakthrough by IS fighters in 2014 to the latest government counter-attack. 2014: Jihadist breakthrough On January 4, Iraq loses its first key town since the US-led invasion of 2003. Fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and their allies capturing Fallujah and parts of Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The vast Anbar province that surrounds the two towns is predominantly Sunni Muslim and fiercely resisted US troops when they occupied Iraq. On June 9, the jihadists capture Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city in the north and declare an Islamic caliphate on June 29, calling itself the Islamic State group. The jihadists also control Tikrit, home town of executed dictator Saddam Hussein north of Baghdad, and large parts of the country up to Iraqi Kurdistan. IS drives out tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking non-Muslim minority that lives around Sinjar near the border with Syria. On August 8, the United States launches air strikes against IS and a month later has created a coalition to target the group in Iraq and Syria. 2015: Counter-offensives On March 31, Iraqi troops and Shiite militias backed by neighbouring Iran recapture Tikrit. By May 17, however, IS completely controls Anbar provincial capital Ramadi which stretches west to Syria where IS has declared a de-facto capital in Raqa. Later in the year, Iraqi forces and coalition air strikes begin driving IS back, and by mid-October they have recaptured Baiji and its strategic refinery north of Baghdad. Kurdish forces backed by air strikes recapture Sinjar on November 13, severing an IS supply route between Iraq and Syria. Coalition strikes intensify after November 13, when attacks claimed by IS kill 130 people in France. On December 27, Iraqi forces say they have liberated Ramadi, their biggest victory against IS to date. But the city is not totally cleared until February 9, 2016. 2016: Fallujah and Mosul The government focuses on recapturing Fallujah and Mosul, IS's last strongholds in Iraq. In April, Washington says it will send attack helicopters and another 200 soldiers to train and assist Iraqi troops, bringing the total number of US military personnel in Iraq to more than 4,000. On March 24, the army and allied militia begin an offensive in the northern Nineveh province around Mosul, making slow progress. On May 29, Kurdish peshmerga fighters backed by the international coalition recapture several villages east of Mosul. To the south, coalition-backed Iraqi troops begin to squeeze Fallujah in March and capture Heet and Rutba, towns which control supply routes between Iraq and Syria. On May 22-23, they begin an offensive to retake Fallujah, where an estimated 50,000 people still live. IS strikes back with suicide attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere, but is now estimated to control just 14 percent of Iraq, down from a peak of 40 percent in 2014. On May 30, elite troops begin a three-pronged dawn assault on Fallujah city. On June 17, they raise the Iraqi flag above the main government compound. Operation commander Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi says 70 percent of the city has been liberated. The loss of Fallujah -- which lies just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad -- would leave Mosul as the only major Iraqi city under IS control. (AFP)

Iraq: From IS gains to battle for Fallujah

Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate.&nbsp; 
 
A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the November 8 general election against Clinton. 
 
In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump`s actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage. 
&quot;We&rsquo;re so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign,&quot; Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters. 
 
&quot;And don&rsquo;t believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we&rsquo;re going to put him in the White House and save this country together.&quot; 
 
Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump&#39;s failure to endorse House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later. 
 
Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party. 
 
&quot;I have to say we have great unification,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic. 
 
&quot;I have been saying because it&#39;s true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he`s the founder of ISIS and she&#39;s a close second,&quot; Trump said in Altoona. 
 
Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week. 
 
Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticized for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of &quot;missing&quot; emails from Clinton`s time as US secretary of state. 
 
Waning support 
 
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states. 
 
Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College. 
 
The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida.&nbsp; 
 
Clinton released her tax returns on Friday, painting the move as a sign of transparency that her campaign says Trump lacks. 
 
U.S. presidential candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become a common custom. 
 
Trump has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one`s business and that they reveal little. 
 
Trump scheduled a speech in Warren, Ohio, on Monday that will focus on how he would handle the threat posed by Islamic State. Trump has said he would &quot;knock the hell out of ISIS,&quot; without offering details. 
 
Trump has been mired in repeated controversies in recent days. He drew heavy criticism after he suggested gun rights activists could take action against Clinton, a statement he later said was aimed at rallying votes against her. 
 
Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans now want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. 
 
Republicans frequently trace the birth of Islamic State to the Obama administration&rsquo;s decision to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011. 
 
But many analysts argue its roots lie in the decision of George W Bush&rsquo;s Republican administration to invade Iraq in 2003 without a plan to fill the vacuum created by Saddam Hussein&rsquo;s ouster. It was Bush&rsquo;s administration that negotiated the 2009 agreement that called for the withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. 
 
At his Erie event, Trump seemed to acknowledge he is facing a formidable opponent in Clinton as well as a difficult electoral path. 
 
&quot;The Republicans have a tougher path &ndash; not my fault,&rdquo; he said. 
 
He said Clinton`s campaign is smart to keep her out of the spotlight. 
 
&quot;She doesn&rsquo;t talk to reporters very often. ... She doesn&rsquo;t expose what&rsquo;s going on up here, which isn&rsquo;t good,&rdquo; he said, meaning her brain. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s doesn&rsquo;t expose her mind to questions. What they want to do is try to fake it through.&rdquo; 
 
Trump also said in Altoona that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania to Clinton is if &quot;cheating goes on.&quot; 
 
He said he wants authorities to monitor the voting closely. &quot;I know what`s happening here, folks. She can`t beat what`s happening here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Republican frontrunner also gets public show of support from party's national committee chairman

Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate. A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the November 8 general election against Clinton. In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump`s actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage. "We’re so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign," Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters. "And don’t believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we’re going to put him in the White House and save this country together." Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump's failure to endorse House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later. Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party. "I have to say we have great unification," Trump said. Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic. "I have been saying because it's true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he`s the founder of ISIS and she's a close second," Trump said in Altoona. Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week. Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticized for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of "missing" emails from Clinton`s time as US secretary of state. Waning support A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states. Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College. The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida. Clinton released her tax returns on Friday, painting the move as a sign of transparency that her campaign says Trump lacks. U.S. presidential candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become a common custom. Trump has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one`s business and that they reveal little. Trump scheduled a speech in Warren, Ohio, on Monday that will focus on how he would handle the threat posed by Islamic State. Trump has said he would "knock the hell out of ISIS," without offering details. Trump has been mired in repeated controversies in recent days. He drew heavy criticism after he suggested gun rights activists could take action against Clinton, a statement he later said was aimed at rallying votes against her. Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans now want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. Republicans frequently trace the birth of Islamic State to the Obama administration’s decision to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011. But many analysts argue its roots lie in the decision of George W Bush’s Republican administration to invade Iraq in 2003 without a plan to fill the vacuum created by Saddam Hussein’s ouster. It was Bush’s administration that negotiated the 2009 agreement that called for the withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. At his Erie event, Trump seemed to acknowledge he is facing a formidable opponent in Clinton as well as a difficult electoral path. "The Republicans have a tougher path – not my fault,” he said. He said Clinton`s campaign is smart to keep her out of the spotlight. "She doesn’t talk to reporters very often. ... She doesn’t expose what’s going on up here, which isn’t good,” he said, meaning her brain. “She’s doesn’t expose her mind to questions. What they want to do is try to fake it through.” Trump also said in Altoona that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania to Clinton is if "cheating goes on." He said he wants authorities to monitor the voting closely. "I know what`s happening here, folks. She can`t beat what`s happening here." (Reuters)

Obama, Clinton being founders of IS remark 'sarcasm', says Trump

Islamic State group fighters seized around 2,000 civilians to use as &quot;human shields&quot; on Friday as they fled their stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria, US-backed forces and a monitor said. 
 
The Arab-Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expelled most of the IS fighters from the town last week, but a small number remained. 
 
&quot;While withdrawing from a district of Manbij, Daesh (IS) jihadists abducted around 2,000 civilians from Al-Sirb neighbourhood,&quot; said Sherfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council, a key component of the SDF. 
 
&quot;They used these civilians as human shields as they withdrew to Jarabulus, thus preventing us from targeting them,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Al-Sirb is a district in northern Manbij on the way to the IS-held border town of Jarabulus in Aleppo province near the border with Turkey. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on sources on the ground to cover the conflict, also reported that IS had abducted around 2,000 civilians as they fled Manbij.&nbsp;It said the civilians were placed in hundreds of cars that then headed for Jarabulus. 
 
Darwish said the civilians who were taken were residents of Al-Sirb and other districts, including a central neighbourhood known as the &quot;security quarter&quot; in the centre of Manbij. 
 
It was not immediately clear how many jihadists fled from the town, but reports last week after the SDF forces took Manbij said that dozens of IS fighters were holed up in the &quot;security quarter&quot;.&nbsp;Darwish said that around 2,500 other civilians &quot;held captive by the jihadists were saved&quot; by the SDF. 
 
The US-backed forces were meanwhile combing Al-Sirb on Friday for jihadists who could still be in the neighbourhood, he added.&nbsp;With air support from the US-led coalition, the SDF began its assault on Manbij on May 31, surging into the town itself three weeks later. 
 
But their offensive was slowed by a massive jihadist fightback using suicide attackers and car bombs, before a major push last week saw the SDF seize 90 per cent of the town. 
 
Tens of thousands of people lived in Manbij before the assault started in May.&nbsp;The United Nations has said that more than 78,000 people have been displaced since then. 
 
Manbij had served as a key transit point along IS&#39;s supply route from the Turkish border to Raqa, the de facto capital of its self-styled Islamic &quot;caliphate&quot;.&nbsp;The Britain-based Observatory says that the battle for Manbij has claimed the lives of at 437 civilians, including 105 children, and killed 299 SDF fighters and 1,019 jihadists. 
 
(AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the civilians were placed in hundreds of cars that then headed for Jarabulus

Islamic State group fighters seized around 2,000 civilians to use as "human shields" on Friday as they fled their stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria, US-backed forces and a monitor said. The Arab-Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expelled most of the IS fighters from the town last week, but a small number remained. "While withdrawing from a district of Manbij, Daesh (IS) jihadists abducted around 2,000 civilians from Al-Sirb neighbourhood," said Sherfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council, a key component of the SDF. "They used these civilians as human shields as they withdrew to Jarabulus, thus preventing us from targeting them," he added. Al-Sirb is a district in northern Manbij on the way to the IS-held border town of Jarabulus in Aleppo province near the border with Turkey. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on sources on the ground to cover the conflict, also reported that IS had abducted around 2,000 civilians as they fled Manbij. It said the civilians were placed in hundreds of cars that then headed for Jarabulus. Darwish said the civilians who were taken were residents of Al-Sirb and other districts, including a central neighbourhood known as the "security quarter" in the centre of Manbij. It was not immediately clear how many jihadists fled from the town, but reports last week after the SDF forces took Manbij said that dozens of IS fighters were holed up in the "security quarter". Darwish said that around 2,500 other civilians "held captive by the jihadists were saved" by the SDF. The US-backed forces were meanwhile combing Al-Sirb on Friday for jihadists who could still be in the neighbourhood, he added. With air support from the US-led coalition, the SDF began its assault on Manbij on May 31, surging into the town itself three weeks later. But their offensive was slowed by a massive jihadist fightback using suicide attackers and car bombs, before a major push last week saw the SDF seize 90 per cent of the town. Tens of thousands of people lived in Manbij before the assault started in May. The United Nations has said that more than 78,000 people have been displaced since then. Manbij had served as a key transit point along IS's supply route from the Turkish border to Raqa, the de facto capital of its self-styled Islamic "caliphate". The Britain-based Observatory says that the battle for Manbij has claimed the lives of at 437 civilians, including 105 children, and killed 299 SDF fighters and 1,019 jihadists. (AFP)

Islamic State abducts around 2,000 civilians to use as 'human shields'

Police arrested two people on Thursday suspected of supporting Islamic State in planning a possible attack during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Police had arrested 12 people before Thursday&#39;s operation, all suspected of collaboration with Islamic State militants. Brazil&#39;s federal police said three others have been interrogated and later released. The two arrested on Thursday were Brazilians, but police did not provide names or other details. 
 
Although Brazil has no history of conflict with known militant groups, the government has said the Games made the country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting Islamic State. 
 
Its militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and a U.S.-led coalition has conducted air strikes against them. The group has supporters worldwide who have carried out shootings and bombings of civilians. 
 
(Reuters)

The police had earlier arrested 12 others for their alleged links to the Islamic State

Police arrested two people on Thursday suspected of supporting Islamic State in planning a possible attack during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Police had arrested 12 people before Thursday's operation, all suspected of collaboration with Islamic State militants. Brazil's federal police said three others have been interrogated and later released. The two arrested on Thursday were Brazilians, but police did not provide names or other details. Although Brazil has no history of conflict with known militant groups, the government has said the Games made the country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting Islamic State. Its militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and a U.S.-led coalition has conducted air strikes against them. The group has supporters worldwide who have carried out shootings and bombings of civilians. (Reuters)

Two suspects arrested for planning IS-backed attack at Olympics

Islamic State leader of Daesh region Hafiz Saeed Khan, has been killed in a joint US-Afghan operation, several media reports claimed today.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I can confirm that the Daesh leader, Hafiz Saeed Khan, has been killed,&quot; Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal told Pakistani Pashto-language &quot;Mashriq&quot; television in an interview.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;At least 23 Dai&rsquo;sh commanders, including the commander of Khurasan faction Hafiz Saeed, were killed in foreign troops&rsquo; drone strikes and their bodies are still there,&rdquo; commander of the 201 Selab Corps Major General Mohammad Zaman Wazir said, according to Tolo TV, a report in Express Tribune further mentioned.&nbsp; 
 
The report, however, underlined that the claims were not verified by the United States and Da&rsquo;ish. &#39;Afghan security officials had previously claimed that Khan was killed in a US drone strike on July 11, 2015, which later proved to be false,&#39; &nbsp;it read.&nbsp; 
 
 
According to the Express Tribune, the group staged a series of attacks under Khan&#39;s leadership including their first ever deadliest attack in Kabul last month, killing about 80 people belonging to the Hazara community. 
 
 
(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'At least 23 Dai?sh commanders, including the commander of Khurasan faction Hafiz Saeed, were killed in foreign troops? drone strikes'

Islamic State leader of Daesh region Hafiz Saeed Khan, has been killed in a joint US-Afghan operation, several media reports claimed today. "I can confirm that the Daesh leader, Hafiz Saeed Khan, has been killed," Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal told Pakistani Pashto-language "Mashriq" television in an interview. “At least 23 Dai’sh commanders, including the commander of Khurasan faction Hafiz Saeed, were killed in foreign troops’ drone strikes and their bodies are still there,” commander of the 201 Selab Corps Major General Mohammad Zaman Wazir said, according to Tolo TV, a report in Express Tribune further mentioned. The report, however, underlined that the claims were not verified by the United States and Da’ish. 'Afghan security officials had previously claimed that Khan was killed in a US drone strike on July 11, 2015, which later proved to be false,' it read. According to the Express Tribune, the group staged a series of attacks under Khan's leadership including their first ever deadliest attack in Kabul last month, killing about 80 people belonging to the Hazara community. (WION)

Islamic State leader killed in joint US-Afghan military operations: Reports

President Barack Obama on Thursday touted progress he said the United States and its allies had made in the military campaign against Islamic State, but warned that the militant group still can direct and inspire attacks.

The United States is leading a military coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, where the group seized broad swathes of territory in 2014. It has succeeded in breaking Islamic State&#39;s grip on some towns, although it still controls its two de facto capitals, Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.

The president, criticized for suggesting Islamic State was made up of amateurs, presented a more measured assessment on Thursday.

He said the last two years of the US-led air and ground campaign have proved that the extremist group can be beaten in conventional military fights but that it has shown the ability to carry out damaging, small-scale attacks.

&quot;I am pleased with the progress that we&#39;ve made on the ground in Iraq and Syria,&quot; Obama told a news conference at the Pentagon after meeting with officials directing the campaign, but added: &quot;We&#39;re far from freeing Mosul and Raqqa.&quot;While the campaign against Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and now Libya is making significant gains, the group is adapting, reverting to high-profile attacks and using the internet to recruit and train, and to encourage &quot;lone wolf&quot; attacks.

&quot;They&#39;ve seen the degree of attention they can get with smaller-scale attacks using small arms or assault rifles,&quot; Obama said. &quot;The possibility of either a lone actor or a small cell carrying out an attack that kills people is real.&quot;

The United States must do a better job of disrupting Islamic State networks that can carry out attacks far from the group&#39;s bases in the Middle East, Obama said.

&quot;Those networks are more active in Europe than they are here, but we don&#39;t know what we don&#39;t know, and so it&#39;s conceivable that there are some networks here that could be activated,&quot; he said, while warning against over-reacting to such attacks.

&quot;How we react to this is as important as the efforts we take to destroy ISIL, prevent these networks from penetrating,&quot; he said, using an acronym for the group. &quot;When societies get scared they can react in ways that undermine the fabric of our society.&quot;

Coordinating with Russia

In Syria, where the United States is exploring options to cooperate with Russia militarily to defeat Islamic State, Obama said Russia&#39;s and Syria&#39;s most recent actions have raised doubts about their commitment to a pause in the conflict.

This week, a Syrian rescue service operating in rebel-held territory said a helicopter dropped containers of toxic gas overnight on a town close to where a Russian military helicopter had been shot down hours earlier.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition accused President Bashar al-Assad of being behind the attack. Assad has denied previous accusations of using chemical weapons.

The twin US goals in Syria have been to end the violence that has claimed some 400,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates, and to seek a political process to replace Assad, whom Obama has said &quot;must go.&quot;

Proposals for the United States and Russia to cooperate in Syria would have them share intelligence to coordinate air strikes and prohibit the Syrian air force from attacking rebel groups considered moderate.

But US military and intelligence officials have called the plan naive and said US secretary of state John Kerry risks falling into a trap that Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid to discredit the United States with moderate rebel groups and drive some of their fighters into the arms of Islamic State and other extremist groups.

&quot;The US remains prepared to work with Russia to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against ISIL and al-Qaeda in Syria, but so far Russia has failed to take the necessary steps,&quot; Obama said, adding that he was not confident Russia or Putin could be trusted. 
 
(Reuters)

He said US-led strikes groups can beat IS groups in conventional military fights, but they have the ability to carry out damaging attacks

President Barack Obama on Thursday touted progress he said the United States and its allies had made in the military campaign against Islamic State, but warned that the militant group still can direct and inspire attacks. The United States is leading a military coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, where the group seized broad swathes of territory in 2014. It has succeeded in breaking Islamic State's grip on some towns, although it still controls its two de facto capitals, Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria. The president, criticized for suggesting Islamic State was made up of amateurs, presented a more measured assessment on Thursday. He said the last two years of the US-led air and ground campaign have proved that the extremist group can be beaten in conventional military fights but that it has shown the ability to carry out damaging, small-scale attacks. "I am pleased with the progress that we've made on the ground in Iraq and Syria," Obama told a news conference at the Pentagon after meeting with officials directing the campaign, but added: "We're far from freeing Mosul and Raqqa."While the campaign against Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and now Libya is making significant gains, the group is adapting, reverting to high-profile attacks and using the internet to recruit and train, and to encourage "lone wolf" attacks. "They've seen the degree of attention they can get with smaller-scale attacks using small arms or assault rifles," Obama said. "The possibility of either a lone actor or a small cell carrying out an attack that kills people is real." The United States must do a better job of disrupting Islamic State networks that can carry out attacks far from the group's bases in the Middle East, Obama said. "Those networks are more active in Europe than they are here, but we don't know what we don't know, and so it's conceivable that there are some networks here that could be activated," he said, while warning against over-reacting to such attacks. "How we react to this is as important as the efforts we take to destroy ISIL, prevent these networks from penetrating," he said, using an acronym for the group. "When societies get scared they can react in ways that undermine the fabric of our society." Coordinating with Russia In Syria, where the United States is exploring options to cooperate with Russia militarily to defeat Islamic State, Obama said Russia's and Syria's most recent actions have raised doubts about their commitment to a pause in the conflict. This week, a Syrian rescue service operating in rebel-held territory said a helicopter dropped containers of toxic gas overnight on a town close to where a Russian military helicopter had been shot down hours earlier. The opposition Syrian National Coalition accused President Bashar al-Assad of being behind the attack. Assad has denied previous accusations of using chemical weapons. The twin US goals in Syria have been to end the violence that has claimed some 400,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates, and to seek a political process to replace Assad, whom Obama has said "must go." Proposals for the United States and Russia to cooperate in Syria would have them share intelligence to coordinate air strikes and prohibit the Syrian air force from attacking rebel groups considered moderate. But US military and intelligence officials have called the plan naive and said US secretary of state John Kerry risks falling into a trap that Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid to discredit the United States with moderate rebel groups and drive some of their fighters into the arms of Islamic State and other extremist groups. "The US remains prepared to work with Russia to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against ISIL and al-Qaeda in Syria, but so far Russia has failed to take the necessary steps," Obama said, adding that he was not confident Russia or Putin could be trusted. (Reuters)

Obama touts progress on Islamic State, warns of small-scale attacks

A police officer for the US capital city&#39;s metro system was arrested Wednesday on charges that he tried to provide material support to the Islamic State jihadist group, prosecutors said. 
 
Nicholas Young, 36, had worked for Washington&#39;s Metro Transit Police Department since 2003, the Department of Justice said in a statement. He communicated for years with undercover agents and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant, discussing his knowledge and interest in terror activities, prosecutors said. 
 
&quot;Metro Transit Police alerted the FBI about this individual and then worked with our federal partners throughout the investigation up to and including today&#39;s arrest,&quot; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld said. 
 
&quot;Obviously, the allegations in this case are profoundly disturbing. They&#39;re disturbing to me, and they&#39;re disturbing to everyone who wears the uniform,&quot; he said in a statement. Young met about 20 times in 2014 with the FBI informant who was posing as a US military reservist of Middle Eastern descent who wanted to join the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said. 
 
Young allegedly gave the man advice on travel to avoid detection by law enforcement, and also told him to watch out for informants. In June 2015, Young emailed undercover FBI agents asking for advice on how to send money to the IS group, prosecutors said. Last month, he sent an undercover agent $245 in gift cards to charge mobile messaging accounts that the Islamic State group uses in its recruiting efforts. Metro officials did not say what tipped them off to Young. 
 
He was fired from his job immediately upon his arrest, the agency said.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Crowd-sourced terror&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Young had been on law enforcement&#39;s radar since 2010, when an acquaintance was arrested on charges of trying to provide material support to a terror group. The acquaintance ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the Justice Department, Young traveled to Libya in 2011 and tried to go a second time. Baggage searches at the time found that Young was traveling with military equipment such as body armor. He told authorities he had been with rebels attempting to overthrow dictator Moamer Kadhafi. That same year, Young met several times with an undercover agent while accompanied by Amine El Khalifi, an acquaintance. 
 
El Khalifi later pleaded guilty to charges related to his plan to carry out a suicide bomb attack on the US Capitol Building. If convicted, Young faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The White House is &quot;mindful of the risk that is posed by homegrown extremists,&quot; spokesman Josh Earnest said. 
 
Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, hailed the work of the FBI in apprehending Young. 
 
&quot;This is a sobering reminder of the vigilance required to combat crowd-sourced terror. Our enemies&#39; old, top-down strategy no longer defines our threats,&quot; he said. &quot;The intelligence community does not exclusively hunt card-carrying members of ISIS and al-Qaeda. Our challenge is greater and today the FBI has met it forcefully.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Young had communicated with FBI informants about his interest in terror activities, and had tried to provide material support to the IS

A police officer for the US capital city's metro system was arrested Wednesday on charges that he tried to provide material support to the Islamic State jihadist group, prosecutors said. Nicholas Young, 36, had worked for Washington's Metro Transit Police Department since 2003, the Department of Justice said in a statement. He communicated for years with undercover agents and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant, discussing his knowledge and interest in terror activities, prosecutors said. "Metro Transit Police alerted the FBI about this individual and then worked with our federal partners throughout the investigation up to and including today's arrest," Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld said. "Obviously, the allegations in this case are profoundly disturbing. They're disturbing to me, and they're disturbing to everyone who wears the uniform," he said in a statement. Young met about 20 times in 2014 with the FBI informant who was posing as a US military reservist of Middle Eastern descent who wanted to join the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said. Young allegedly gave the man advice on travel to avoid detection by law enforcement, and also told him to watch out for informants. In June 2015, Young emailed undercover FBI agents asking for advice on how to send money to the IS group, prosecutors said. Last month, he sent an undercover agent $245 in gift cards to charge mobile messaging accounts that the Islamic State group uses in its recruiting efforts. Metro officials did not say what tipped them off to Young. He was fired from his job immediately upon his arrest, the agency said. 'Crowd-sourced terror' Young had been on law enforcement's radar since 2010, when an acquaintance was arrested on charges of trying to provide material support to a terror group. The acquaintance ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the Justice Department, Young traveled to Libya in 2011 and tried to go a second time. Baggage searches at the time found that Young was traveling with military equipment such as body armor. He told authorities he had been with rebels attempting to overthrow dictator Moamer Kadhafi. That same year, Young met several times with an undercover agent while accompanied by Amine El Khalifi, an acquaintance. El Khalifi later pleaded guilty to charges related to his plan to carry out a suicide bomb attack on the US Capitol Building. If convicted, Young faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The White House is "mindful of the risk that is posed by homegrown extremists," spokesman Josh Earnest said. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, hailed the work of the FBI in apprehending Young. "This is a sobering reminder of the vigilance required to combat crowd-sourced terror. Our enemies' old, top-down strategy no longer defines our threats," he said. "The intelligence community does not exclusively hunt card-carrying members of ISIS and al-Qaeda. Our challenge is greater and today the FBI has met it forcefully." (AFP)

US capital transit policeman arrested on terror charge

Scotland Yard warned yesterday that a terror attack in the UK is a case of &quot;when&quot; rather than &quot;if&quot; and the current threat level of &quot;severe&quot; in the country meant an attack was imminent. 
 
&quot;I feel and understand that fear, and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack I know you want me to reassure you. I am afraid I cannot do that entirely. Our threat level has been at &quot;severe&quot; for two years. It remains there. It means an attack is highly likely; you could say it is a case of when, not if,&quot; Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief of Metropolitan Police said. 
 
The warning by Britain&#39;s top police chief came as &#39;The Sunday Times&#39; quoted a senior intelligence source as saying that at least four active terror plots in Britain are being investigated by police and security services. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s four or five cases where there is a sense of a plot, where they are planning and plotting and intending to commit an act of terrorism rather than just being extremists,&quot; the source told the newspaper. 
 
Last week Ben Wallace, the UK&#39;s new security minister, held talks with retail bosses and operators of sporting venues to review security at stadiums and shopping centres. 
 
&quot;In light of events in Germany and France, the government is keen to ensure that shopping centres and sports stadiums where there are large crowds are getting the support they require,&quot; said Wallace. 
 
Another intelligence source said that Islamic State militants were increasingly going after &quot;softer targets&quot;, as well as seeking to recruit people with mental health problems. 
 
&quot;Unbalanced people, mentally ill people, people with particularly violent or anti-societal or sociopathic tendencies are being recruited as foot soldiers; and then that is playing itself out in the most innocent and unassuming targets, such as the street crowds on Bastille Day in Nice,&quot; the source said. 
 
A current review by the UK&#39;s National Police Chiefs&#39; Council is expected to redeploy firearms officers from rural areas of the UK to major cities deemed to be at greater threat of terrorism. 
 
The review, which started in March when Theresa May was home secretary and is now being overseen by her successor Amber Rudd, is expected to report in October. 
 
(PTI)

The warning came after 'The Sunday Times' quoted a senior intelligence source saying four active terror plots are under investigation

Scotland Yard warned yesterday that a terror attack in the UK is a case of "when" rather than "if" and the current threat level of "severe" in the country meant an attack was imminent. "I feel and understand that fear, and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack I know you want me to reassure you. I am afraid I cannot do that entirely. Our threat level has been at "severe" for two years. It remains there. It means an attack is highly likely; you could say it is a case of when, not if," Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief of Metropolitan Police said. The warning by Britain's top police chief came as 'The Sunday Times' quoted a senior intelligence source as saying that at least four active terror plots in Britain are being investigated by police and security services. "There's four or five cases where there is a sense of a plot, where they are planning and plotting and intending to commit an act of terrorism rather than just being extremists," the source told the newspaper. Last week Ben Wallace, the UK's new security minister, held talks with retail bosses and operators of sporting venues to review security at stadiums and shopping centres. "In light of events in Germany and France, the government is keen to ensure that shopping centres and sports stadiums where there are large crowds are getting the support they require," said Wallace. Another intelligence source said that Islamic State militants were increasingly going after "softer targets", as well as seeking to recruit people with mental health problems. "Unbalanced people, mentally ill people, people with particularly violent or anti-societal or sociopathic tendencies are being recruited as foot soldiers; and then that is playing itself out in the most innocent and unassuming targets, such as the street crowds on Bastille Day in Nice," the source said. A current review by the UK's National Police Chiefs' Council is expected to redeploy firearms officers from rural areas of the UK to major cities deemed to be at greater threat of terrorism. The review, which started in March when Theresa May was home secretary and is now being overseen by her successor Amber Rudd, is expected to report in October. (PTI)

Terror attack in UK imminent: Scotland Yard

The US military conducted air strikes in Libya on Monday, following a government request to target the Islamic State group&#39;s Libyan stronghold of Sirte, the Pentagon announced. 
 
While the Pentagon has previously carried out air attacks on specific high-value IS targets in Libya, Monday&#39;s action marked the first known US strikes in Sirte itself. 
 
&quot;At the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord, the United States military conducted precision air strikes against ISIL targets in Sirte, Libya, to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat ISIL in its primary stronghold in Libya,&quot; Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the IS group. 
 
US strikes in Sirte &quot;will continue&quot;, Cook added without elaborating. 
 
President Barack Obama authorised the bombings following recommendations from top pentagon officials, and the strikes were &quot;consistent with our approach to combating ISIL by working with capable and motivated local forces&quot;, Cook added. 
 
&quot;The US stands with the international community in supporting the GNA as it strives to restore stability and security to Libya,&quot; he said. 
 
Monday&#39;s action comes after a US strike targeted an IS training camp in a rural area near Sabratha, outside Tripoli, in February, likely killing an IS leader called Noureddine Chouchane and dozens of other jihadists. 
 
In November, a US strike killed Abu Nabil, another IS leader who was also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi. 
 
A US senior administration official said US action would be limited to strikes and information sharing to support these, and that 
American troops would not take part in any ground operations to support the GNA. 
 
The official said precision strikes would target key IS military infrastructure such as tanks, high-caliber weapons and command and control nodes.&nbsp;Libya spiraled into chaos after longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted and killed in October 2011, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling to control vast energy resources. 
 
Exploiting Libya&#39;s power vacuum, IS jihadists established a foothold in Libya, especially in Sirte. The Pentagon estimates fewer than 1,000 IS fighters are in Sirte. 
 
(AFP)

Monday's action comes after a US strike targeted an IS training camp in a rural area near Sabratha, outside Tripoli, in February

The US military conducted air strikes in Libya on Monday, following a government request to target the Islamic State group's Libyan stronghold of Sirte, the Pentagon announced. While the Pentagon has previously carried out air attacks on specific high-value IS targets in Libya, Monday's action marked the first known US strikes in Sirte itself. "At the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord, the United States military conducted precision air strikes against ISIL targets in Sirte, Libya, to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat ISIL in its primary stronghold in Libya," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the IS group. US strikes in Sirte "will continue", Cook added without elaborating. President Barack Obama authorised the bombings following recommendations from top pentagon officials, and the strikes were "consistent with our approach to combating ISIL by working with capable and motivated local forces", Cook added. "The US stands with the international community in supporting the GNA as it strives to restore stability and security to Libya," he said. Monday's action comes after a US strike targeted an IS training camp in a rural area near Sabratha, outside Tripoli, in February, likely killing an IS leader called Noureddine Chouchane and dozens of other jihadists. In November, a US strike killed Abu Nabil, another IS leader who was also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi. A US senior administration official said US action would be limited to strikes and information sharing to support these, and that American troops would not take part in any ground operations to support the GNA. The official said precision strikes would target key IS military infrastructure such as tanks, high-caliber weapons and command and control nodes. Libya spiraled into chaos after longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted and killed in October 2011, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling to control vast energy resources. Exploiting Libya's power vacuum, IS jihadists established a foothold in Libya, especially in Sirte. The Pentagon estimates fewer than 1,000 IS fighters are in Sirte. (AFP)

US launches first anti-IS air strikes in Libya's Sirte

One of the deadliest bombings to ever hit Iraq killed 323 people, two thirds of whom needed DNA testing to be identified, the health minister said, drastically raising an earlier toll from last month&#39;s attack. 
 
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged minibus in a crowded shopping area in Baghdad&#39;s Karrada district early on July 3, sparking infernos in nearby buildings that burned many victims alive. 
 
&quot;One hundred and fifteen martyrs were identified directly after the bombing by their families,&quot; health minister Adila Hamoud told a televised news conference.&nbsp;But the identity of 208 more people killed in the blast, many of whose bodies were burned beyond recognition, could not be determined, and they were sent for DNA testing, Hamoud said. 
 
She had previously said that the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State, had killed 292 people, of whom 177 were unidentified. 
 
People have been furious over delays in determining the fate of their loved ones, and have sharply criticised the Iraqi government for failing to protect them. 
 
IS overran large areas North and West of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant territory from the jihadists. 
 
The extremists have responded to battlefield setbacks by striking back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
(AFP)

The identity of 208 people killed in the blast could not initially be determined, so their bodies were sent for DNA testing

One of the deadliest bombings to ever hit Iraq killed 323 people, two thirds of whom needed DNA testing to be identified, the health minister said, drastically raising an earlier toll from last month's attack. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged minibus in a crowded shopping area in Baghdad's Karrada district early on July 3, sparking infernos in nearby buildings that burned many victims alive. "One hundred and fifteen martyrs were identified directly after the bombing by their families," health minister Adila Hamoud told a televised news conference. But the identity of 208 more people killed in the blast, many of whose bodies were burned beyond recognition, could not be determined, and they were sent for DNA testing, Hamoud said. She had previously said that the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State, had killed 292 people, of whom 177 were unidentified. People have been furious over delays in determining the fate of their loved ones, and have sharply criticised the Iraqi government for failing to protect them. IS overran large areas North and West of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant territory from the jihadists. The extremists have responded to battlefield setbacks by striking back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

Death toll from Baghdad blast in July reaches 323, says minister

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. 
 
The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with &quot;criminal conspiracy with terrorists&quot;, the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. 
 
Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. 
 
Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. 
 
But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. 
 
Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. 
 
Austrian police said on Friday &quot;that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group &#39;Islamic State&#39;.&quot; 
 
After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to &quot;carry out a mission,&quot; according to a statement seen by AFP. 
 
A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi &quot;was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions.&quot; 
 
After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. 
 
Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 
 
India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
 
Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two now transferred to France. 
 
(AFP)

The 29-year-old Algerian and the 35-year-old Pakistani were charged with 'criminal conspiracy with terrorists'

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. Austrian police said on Friday "that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group 'Islamic State'." After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to "carry out a mission," according to a statement seen by AFP. A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi "was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions." After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two now transferred to France. (AFP)

France charges two men over links to Paris attacks

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. 
 
The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. 
Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. 
 
While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. 
 
Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. 
 
&quot;Both suspects have now left the country,&quot; prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. 
 
They had said in April that they were looking into &quot;leads&quot; suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two who have now been transferred to France. 
&nbsp;

Austrian and French authorities believe the men travelled to Greece along with 2 men involved in November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. "Both suspects have now left the country," prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. They had said in April that they were looking into "leads" suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two who have now been transferred to France.

Austria hands over November 13 Paris attack 'accomplices' to France

Two jihadists who attacked a French church and killed a priest pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, a video showed on Wednesday, as investigators worked to identify the second assailant. 
 
The attack is the third in two weeks in France and Germany in which jihadists have pledged allegiance to the group, increasing jitters in Europe over young, often unstable men being lured by IS propaganda and calls to carry out attacks in their home countries. 
 
IS also claimed that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who killed 84 people when he ploughed a truck into a crowd in the French city of nice on July 14, was one of their &quot;soldiers&quot;, however no direct link has been found. 
 
France was still deep in mourning over the massacre when two men stormed into a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning mass Tuesday and slit the 86-year-old priest&#39;s throat at the altar before being gunned down by police. 
 
Another man was left seriously injured in a hostage drama, while three nuns and a worshipper escaped unharmed. 
 
One of the attackers was identified as French jihadist Adel Kermiche, 19, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released. 
 
Sources close to the investigation said they found an identity card belonging to one Abdel Malik P., also 19, at Kermiche&#39;s home, who they believe is the second attacker. 
 
They said Abdel Malik &quot;strongly resembles&quot; a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. 
 
In a video posted on the IS news agency Amaq, two bearded men, calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi, hold hands as they swear &quot;obedience&quot; to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 
 
God of death 
 
President Francois Hollande, members of his government and opposition rivals gathered together at the symbolic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for a mass attended by Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to pay tribute to the murdered priest. 
 
The moving gathering provided a rare show of unity and respite from days of political sniping over the repeat attacks, which right-wing parties say are due to the Socialist government&#39;s failure to protect citizens. 
 
&quot;Those who drape themselves in the finery of religion to hide their deadly project, those who tell us of a God of death, a Moloch (false god) who rejoices in the death of man and promises heaven to those that kill by invoking him. They cannot hope that man gives in to their illusion,&quot; said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois at the service. 
 
The mass came after a meeting earlier in the day between Hollande and top religious leaders who warned French people against being drawn in by IS efforts to pit different believers against each other. 
 
Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned that the goal of the attack, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, was to &quot;set the French people against each other, attack religion in order to start a war of religions&quot;. 
 
In an editorial, Le Monde newspaper wrote that France was under attack as it had one of the biggest Muslim communities in Europe. 
 
&quot;The jihadists&#39; aim is to provoke violent revenge attacks that will create a religious war in our country,&quot; it said. 
 
Pope Francis said &quot;the world is at war&quot; but argued that religion was not the cause. 
 
&quot;When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it&#39;s the others who want war.&quot; 
 
Where are the police? 
 
Residents of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray were struggling to come to terms with the bloodshed in their small town, so far from France&#39;s tourist hubs. 
 
They made their way to a makeshift memorial to lay flowers, candles and messages of peace -- a ritual that has become chillingly familiar from Brussels and Paris to Nice and Munich, all cities that have been struck by attackers inspired by the Islamic State group. 
 
The government, already under pressure after the Nice attack, faced more questions over security weaknesses after it emerged Kermiche was known to anti-terror investigators. 
 
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Kermiche twice tried to travel to Syria under a false identity.&nbsp; 
 
After his latest arrest in Turkey in May 2015, he was held in custody until March this year when he was released and fitted with the electronic bracelet. 
 
Annie Geslin, who worked with Kermiche&#39;s mother for many years, told AFP &quot;he was the youngest child and had psychological problems.&quot; 
 
Mohammed Karabila, who heads the regional council of Muslim worship for Haute Normandie, where the church attack took place, asked simply: &quot;How could a person wearing an electronic bracelet carry out an attack? Where are the police?&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Police face ire over lax security as Adel Kermiche, one of the attackers, had been arrested before and was fitted with electronic bracelet

Two jihadists who attacked a French church and killed a priest pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, a video showed on Wednesday, as investigators worked to identify the second assailant. The attack is the third in two weeks in France and Germany in which jihadists have pledged allegiance to the group, increasing jitters in Europe over young, often unstable men being lured by IS propaganda and calls to carry out attacks in their home countries. IS also claimed that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who killed 84 people when he ploughed a truck into a crowd in the French city of nice on July 14, was one of their "soldiers", however no direct link has been found. France was still deep in mourning over the massacre when two men stormed into a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning mass Tuesday and slit the 86-year-old priest's throat at the altar before being gunned down by police. Another man was left seriously injured in a hostage drama, while three nuns and a worshipper escaped unharmed. One of the attackers was identified as French jihadist Adel Kermiche, 19, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released. Sources close to the investigation said they found an identity card belonging to one Abdel Malik P., also 19, at Kermiche's home, who they believe is the second attacker. They said Abdel Malik "strongly resembles" a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. In a video posted on the IS news agency Amaq, two bearded men, calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi, hold hands as they swear "obedience" to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. God of death President Francois Hollande, members of his government and opposition rivals gathered together at the symbolic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for a mass attended by Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to pay tribute to the murdered priest. The moving gathering provided a rare show of unity and respite from days of political sniping over the repeat attacks, which right-wing parties say are due to the Socialist government's failure to protect citizens. "Those who drape themselves in the finery of religion to hide their deadly project, those who tell us of a God of death, a Moloch (false god) who rejoices in the death of man and promises heaven to those that kill by invoking him. They cannot hope that man gives in to their illusion," said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois at the service. The mass came after a meeting earlier in the day between Hollande and top religious leaders who warned French people against being drawn in by IS efforts to pit different believers against each other. Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned that the goal of the attack, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, was to "set the French people against each other, attack religion in order to start a war of religions". In an editorial, Le Monde newspaper wrote that France was under attack as it had one of the biggest Muslim communities in Europe. "The jihadists' aim is to provoke violent revenge attacks that will create a religious war in our country," it said. Pope Francis said "the world is at war" but argued that religion was not the cause. "When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it's the others who want war." Where are the police? Residents of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray were struggling to come to terms with the bloodshed in their small town, so far from France's tourist hubs. They made their way to a makeshift memorial to lay flowers, candles and messages of peace -- a ritual that has become chillingly familiar from Brussels and Paris to Nice and Munich, all cities that have been struck by attackers inspired by the Islamic State group. The government, already under pressure after the Nice attack, faced more questions over security weaknesses after it emerged Kermiche was known to anti-terror investigators. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Kermiche twice tried to travel to Syria under a false identity. After his latest arrest in Turkey in May 2015, he was held in custody until March this year when he was released and fitted with the electronic bracelet. Annie Geslin, who worked with Kermiche's mother for many years, told AFP "he was the youngest child and had psychological problems." Mohammed Karabila, who heads the regional council of Muslim worship for Haute Normandie, where the church attack took place, asked simply: "How could a person wearing an electronic bracelet carry out an attack? Where are the police?" (AFP)

French church attackers pledged allegiance to IS in video

Two bomb blasts claimed by Islamic State hit the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli near the Turkish border today, killing at least 44 people and wounding 170 others, state television reported.
The official SANA news agency said at least 140 people were also injured when a suicide bomber in a vehicle blew himself up in a western neighbourhood of the city.

The attack was initially described as a double bombing, but sources in the city and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights subsequently said the initial attack had caused a gas tank to detonate.

The area targeted houses of several ministries of the local autonomous Kurdish administration.
It said one of the bombs exploded near a security headquarters of the Kurdish administration that controls most of Hasaka province, where Qamishli is located. 
 
State TV said one blast was from a car bomb and the other from a bomb on a motorbike. 
 
It rolled footage purportedly from the scene of one blast, showing large-scale damage to buildings, vast amounts of rubble strewn across the road and plumes of smoke rising. 
 
One explosion was so powerful it shattered the windows of shops in the Turkish town of Nusaybin, directly across the border. Two people were slightly hurt in Nusaybin, a witness said. 
 
IS &#39;targeted&#39; Kurdish security forces&nbsp; 
 
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had targeted Kurdish security forces. 
 
The jihadist group, which is fighting against the Kurdish YPG militia and its allies in Hasaka and Aleppo provinces, has targeted Qamishli and the provincial capital, Hasaka city, in the past with bombing attacks. 
 
A suicide blast killed six members of the Kurdish internal security force, known as the Asayish, in April. In July, an Islamic State suicide bomb killed at least 16 people in Hasaka. 
 
The YPG captured large areas of territory from Islamic State in northeastern Syria last year and is involved in a US-backed offensive that has advanced against the jihadists further west near the Turkish border. 
 
(Reuters, AFP)

British Syrian Observatory said one of the bombs exploded near security headquarters of the Kurdish administration that controls Qamishli

Two bomb blasts claimed by Islamic State hit the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli near the Turkish border today, killing at least 44 people and wounding 170 others, state television reported. The official SANA news agency said at least 140 people were also injured when a suicide bomber in a vehicle blew himself up in a western neighbourhood of the city. The attack was initially described as a double bombing, but sources in the city and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights subsequently said the initial attack had caused a gas tank to detonate. The area targeted houses of several ministries of the local autonomous Kurdish administration. It said one of the bombs exploded near a security headquarters of the Kurdish administration that controls most of Hasaka province, where Qamishli is located. State TV said one blast was from a car bomb and the other from a bomb on a motorbike. It rolled footage purportedly from the scene of one blast, showing large-scale damage to buildings, vast amounts of rubble strewn across the road and plumes of smoke rising. One explosion was so powerful it shattered the windows of shops in the Turkish town of Nusaybin, directly across the border. Two people were slightly hurt in Nusaybin, a witness said. IS 'targeted' Kurdish security forces Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had targeted Kurdish security forces. The jihadist group, which is fighting against the Kurdish YPG militia and its allies in Hasaka and Aleppo provinces, has targeted Qamishli and the provincial capital, Hasaka city, in the past with bombing attacks. A suicide blast killed six members of the Kurdish internal security force, known as the Asayish, in April. In July, an Islamic State suicide bomb killed at least 16 people in Hasaka. The YPG captured large areas of territory from Islamic State in northeastern Syria last year and is involved in a US-backed offensive that has advanced against the jihadists further west near the Turkish border. (Reuters, AFP)

IS claimed bombing kills at least 44 in northeast Syria city Qamishli, state TV says

A suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) has been arrested at Sarajevo airport, media and police said today. 
 
The 19-year-old Bosnian, arrested on Saturday after arriving on a flight from Istanbul, was sought by Bosnian authorities for &quot;terrorism&quot; and &quot;organising a terrorist group&quot;, border police said in a statement without elaborating. 
 
Local media identified the man as Almir Dzimic and said he had joined IS in Syria in 2014. 
 
He had previously lived in a village near the northern Bosnian town of Maglaj, known as a stronghold of radical Islam, reports said. 
 
About 40 per cent of the Balkan country&#39;s 3.8 million people are Muslim. The rest are mainly Catholic or Orthodox Christian. 
 
While the vast majority of Bosnian Muslims are moderates, radical Islam arrived during the country&#39;s inter-ethnic war in the 1990s via foreign fighters who flocked from North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 
 
According to a study published last month, the flow of Bosnian jihadists to Syria and Iraq has almost stopped -- although nearly 200 of them are still there, including 60 minors. 
 
Since 2012, 330 Bosnians have gone to the region to join jihad. Of the 188 men among them, at least 50 have been killed and 47 have returned to Bosnia, said the report by the Sarajevo-based think-tank Atlantic Initiative. 
 
(AFP)

Local media identified the man as Almir Dzimic and said he had joined IS in Syria in 2014

A suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) has been arrested at Sarajevo airport, media and police said today. The 19-year-old Bosnian, arrested on Saturday after arriving on a flight from Istanbul, was sought by Bosnian authorities for "terrorism" and "organising a terrorist group", border police said in a statement without elaborating. Local media identified the man as Almir Dzimic and said he had joined IS in Syria in 2014. He had previously lived in a village near the northern Bosnian town of Maglaj, known as a stronghold of radical Islam, reports said. About 40 per cent of the Balkan country's 3.8 million people are Muslim. The rest are mainly Catholic or Orthodox Christian. While the vast majority of Bosnian Muslims are moderates, radical Islam arrived during the country's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s via foreign fighters who flocked from North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. According to a study published last month, the flow of Bosnian jihadists to Syria and Iraq has almost stopped -- although nearly 200 of them are still there, including 60 minors. Since 2012, 330 Bosnians have gone to the region to join jihad. Of the 188 men among them, at least 50 have been killed and 47 have returned to Bosnia, said the report by the Sarajevo-based think-tank Atlantic Initiative. (AFP)

Suspected IS member arrested in Bosnia's Sarajevo Airport

Forces loyal to Libya&#39;s unity government said today they had seized a building used by the Islamic State group to manufacture explosives in its coastal stronghold. 
 
The bomb factory is the largest to be captured by fighters allied with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) since they launched an operation to retake Sirte in May, the forces said on Facebook. 
 
They said the building was in the southeast of Sirte, the hometown of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi which IS has controlled since June 2015. 
 
The pro-GNA forces shared images of the building including several rooms containing explosive devices, cables and mobile phones. 
 
The fall of Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli, will be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq. 
 
The two-month battle for Sirte has killed around 280 pro-government fighters and wounded more than 1,500, according to medical sources at the unity forces&#39; command centre. 
 
The pro-GNA forces are mostly made up of militias from western Libya established during the 2011 revolt that overthrew Gaddafi. 
 
A militia set up to guard the country&#39;s main oil facilities has also been advancing on IS. 
 
The GNA was the result of a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement struck in December, but it has yet to be endorsed by Libya&#39;s elected Parliament based in the country&#39;s far east. 
 
(AFP)

It is the largest to be captured by fighters allied with the government of national accord since they launched an operation to retake Sirte

Forces loyal to Libya's unity government said today they had seized a building used by the Islamic State group to manufacture explosives in its coastal stronghold. The bomb factory is the largest to be captured by fighters allied with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) since they launched an operation to retake Sirte in May, the forces said on Facebook. They said the building was in the southeast of Sirte, the hometown of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi which IS has controlled since June 2015. The pro-GNA forces shared images of the building including several rooms containing explosive devices, cables and mobile phones. The fall of Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli, will be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq. The two-month battle for Sirte has killed around 280 pro-government fighters and wounded more than 1,500, according to medical sources at the unity forces' command centre. The pro-GNA forces are mostly made up of militias from western Libya established during the 2011 revolt that overthrew Gaddafi. A militia set up to guard the country's main oil facilities has also been advancing on IS. The GNA was the result of a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement struck in December, but it has yet to be endorsed by Libya's elected Parliament based in the country's far east. (AFP)

Libyan loyalists seize Islamic State bomb factory

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