Islamic State clamed responsibility for Jakarta bus station attacks that left at least three policemen dead and 12 others wounded on Wednesday.

&quot;The executor of the attack on the Indonesian police gathering in Jakarta was an Islamic State fighter,&quot; the group&#39;s news agency Amaq said.

The attack was the deadliest in Indonesia since January 2016, when eight people were killed, four of them attackers, after suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the capital.

(Reuters)

The attack was the deadliest in Indonesia since January 2016

Islamic State clamed responsibility for Jakarta bus station attacks that left at least three policemen dead and 12 others wounded on Wednesday. "The executor of the attack on the Indonesian police gathering in Jakarta was an Islamic State fighter," the group's news agency Amaq said. The attack was the deadliest in Indonesia since January 2016, when eight people were killed, four of them attackers, after suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the capital. (Reuters)

Islamic State claims Jakarta attack that killed 3 policemen, wounded 12 others

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening &quot;their noose&quot; on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday.

Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa.

&quot;In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa,&quot; Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city.

&quot;They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested,&quot; he said.

The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on.

Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: &quot;We do not try to stick to a timeline.

&quot;There&#39;s a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault.&quot;

Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city.

While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault.

Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey.

(Reuters)

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening "their noose" on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday. Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad. The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa. "In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa," Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city. "They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested," he said. The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on. Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: "We do not try to stick to a timeline. "There's a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault." Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city. While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault. Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive. Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey. (Reuters)

Syrian force 'tightens noose' on Islamic State in Raqqa: US-led coalition

The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan-based extremists and an organisation run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed&#39;s JuD group as part of an effort to disrupt their leadership and fund-raising networks.

The sanctions have been slapped to disrupt the funding of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its front for charitable activities, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Dawa al-Qu&#39;ran (JDQ), the Islamic State, and ISIS Khorasan.

Khorasan is a historical region comprising a vast territory covering northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan and parts of India.

The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman, and a purported charity managed by Inayat-ur Rahman, the Welfare and Development Organisation of Jamaat-ud-Dawah for Quran and Sunnah (WDO).

&quot;These sanctions seek to disrupt the financial support networks of terrorists based in Pakistan who have provided support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and LeT for recruitment and funding of suicide bombers and other violent insurgent operations,&quot; said John Smith, Director of Treasury&#39;s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

&quot;The US continues to aggressively target extremists in Pakistan and the surrounding region, including charities and other front groups used as vehicles to facilitate illicit terrorist activities,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;The three individuals and (an) entity we designated have connections with terrorist groups that are a direct threat to the security of both the United States and Pakistan,&quot; he said.

&quot;The individuals are opportunistic and willing to work with extremist organisations, even those ideologically opposed to one another, to help them deepen their foothold in the region,&quot; Smith added.

OFAC said they designated Hayatullah for acting on behalf of JDQ and LeT, and for providing material and financial support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS Khorasan.

Abu Turab invited sanctions for providing material and financial support to JDQ. Last year, he facilitated movement of thousands of dollars from the Gulf to Pakistan.

Inayat-ur Rahman has been slapped with sanctions for acting for JDQ and the Taliban, and for providing material and financial support to LeT and the Taliban. A long-time leader of JDQ, he worked directly for Haji Hayatullah.

OFAC designated the WDO for being controlled by Inayat-ur Rahman. As of 2015, he was the director, chairman, and president of WDO.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman

The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan-based extremists and an organisation run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's JuD group as part of an effort to disrupt their leadership and fund-raising networks. The sanctions have been slapped to disrupt the funding of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its front for charitable activities, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Dawa al-Qu'ran (JDQ), the Islamic State, and ISIS Khorasan. Khorasan is a historical region comprising a vast territory covering northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan and parts of India. The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman, and a purported charity managed by Inayat-ur Rahman, the Welfare and Development Organisation of Jamaat-ud-Dawah for Quran and Sunnah (WDO). "These sanctions seek to disrupt the financial support networks of terrorists based in Pakistan who have provided support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and LeT for recruitment and funding of suicide bombers and other violent insurgent operations," said John Smith, Director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). "The US continues to aggressively target extremists in Pakistan and the surrounding region, including charities and other front groups used as vehicles to facilitate illicit terrorist activities," Smith said. "The three individuals and (an) entity we designated have connections with terrorist groups that are a direct threat to the security of both the United States and Pakistan," he said. "The individuals are opportunistic and willing to work with extremist organisations, even those ideologically opposed to one another, to help them deepen their foothold in the region," Smith added. OFAC said they designated Hayatullah for acting on behalf of JDQ and LeT, and for providing material and financial support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS Khorasan. Abu Turab invited sanctions for providing material and financial support to JDQ. Last year, he facilitated movement of thousands of dollars from the Gulf to Pakistan. Inayat-ur Rahman has been slapped with sanctions for acting for JDQ and the Taliban, and for providing material and financial support to LeT and the Taliban. A long-time leader of JDQ, he worked directly for Haji Hayatullah. OFAC designated the WDO for being controlled by Inayat-ur Rahman. As of 2015, he was the director, chairman, and president of WDO. (PTI)

US sanctions Pakistan-based extremists for funding LeT, JuD, IS

Suspected Indian jihadists, who joined Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015, have been trying to indoctrinate more people from the country&#39;s southern Kerala state, an&nbsp;unnamed intelligence source told The Indian Express.

The source&nbsp;said two WhatsApp groups were formed recently in which more than 200 young men and women received&nbsp;eight videos that purportedly spread IS&#39; ideology.&nbsp;

Interestingly, the IS operatives -- who all hail from Kerala&#39;s Kasargod district -- added potential recruits from the same region, which has gained notoriety for being a fertile ground for the Islamist group based in the Middle East.

&ldquo;The youths living in Afghanistan are adding their friends and familiar names back in Kerala into the WhatsApp groups meant for circulating IS ideas. These groups are used for advocating a common theme &mdash;that the Islamic way of life is not possible in Kerala. Many youths from Kasaragod, home to most of the missing persons living in Nangarhar, have been included in the group by the admins suspected to be in Afghanistan. Sensing danger, most of the youths have left the groups. Some have complained to the police about messages from such groups,&rsquo;&rsquo; the intelligence source said, the India-based daily reported.

The suspected pro-IS WhatsApp group first came to the police&#39;s attention on Friday, after a Kasargod resident informed them about him being added to one of the chat groups titled &#39;Message to Kerala&#39;.

The administrator -- named Abu Isa -- is based out of Afghanistan, the source said, after having verified the location of the phone number.

Kasargod: Breeding ground for IS

Kasargod came under close scrutiny after at least 20 young men and women left India to join Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015.

Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined IS, Kerala&#39;s intelligence units had told WION.

Indian officials have been left bemused by people from Kerala joining Islamic State, especially as Islamist influence is comparably lower compared to the rest of country.

But one of the reasons being trotted out by observers in the state is that a small section of Muslims in the state want to practice the doctrine of Salafism.

(WION)

&nbsp;

Islamic State has apparently formed two WhatsApp groups to propagate their ideology among the youth in Kerala's Kasargod district

Suspected Indian jihadists, who joined Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015, have been trying to indoctrinate more people from the country's southern Kerala state, an unnamed intelligence source told The Indian Express. The source said two WhatsApp groups were formed recently in which more than 200 young men and women received eight videos that purportedly spread IS' ideology. Interestingly, the IS operatives -- who all hail from Kerala's Kasargod district -- added potential recruits from the same region, which has gained notoriety for being a fertile ground for the Islamist group based in the Middle East. “The youths living in Afghanistan are adding their friends and familiar names back in Kerala into the WhatsApp groups meant for circulating IS ideas. These groups are used for advocating a common theme —that the Islamic way of life is not possible in Kerala. Many youths from Kasaragod, home to most of the missing persons living in Nangarhar, have been included in the group by the admins suspected to be in Afghanistan. Sensing danger, most of the youths have left the groups. Some have complained to the police about messages from such groups,’’ the intelligence source said, the India-based daily reported. The suspected pro-IS WhatsApp group first came to the police's attention on Friday, after a Kasargod resident informed them about him being added to one of the chat groups titled 'Message to Kerala'. The administrator -- named Abu Isa -- is based out of Afghanistan, the source said, after having verified the location of the phone number. Kasargod: Breeding ground for IS Kasargod came under close scrutiny after at least 20 young men and women left India to join Islamic State in Afghanistan in 2015. Well-educated people and even adolescent boys from the district had joined IS, Kerala's intelligence units had told WION. Indian officials have been left bemused by people from Kerala joining Islamic State, especially as Islamist influence is comparably lower compared to the rest of country. But one of the reasons being trotted out by observers in the state is that a small section of Muslims in the state want to practice the doctrine of Salafism. (WION)

Indian IS members in Afghanistan using WhatsApp to recruit Kerala youth: India's intel

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria&#39;s largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa.

The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April.

This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city.

On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district.

SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.

Islamic State still control the dam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa.

In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State&#39;s pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014.

(Reuters)

The Syrian Democratic Forces have taken the old quarters of Tabqa, which has Syria's largest dam. But the dam remains under IS' control despite them having control of just 20% of the city

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa. The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April. This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city. On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district. SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. Islamic State still control the dam. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa. In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State's pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014. (Reuters)

US coalition ousts IS from vital town in Syria as part of Raqqa offensive

Two suspected fighters from India who joined the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda&nbsp;were&nbsp;reportedly killed during a US airstrike in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

With Yahya and Abu Thahir&#39;s death, the number of&nbsp;Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four.

Police said they received an information last night about the death of Thahir in Syria.

But Indian investigators have yet to confirm Yahya&#39;s&nbsp;death.

Yahya&#39;s family members got a message about his death last night on Telegram, a social media application, BCA Rahiman , a social worker told Press Trust of India.

The sender of the message, Asfak, said Yahya was &quot;martyred&quot; in the US attack.

&quot;He was killed while fighting the US forces,&quot; the message read.

It, however, does not specify as to when he was killed.

The US has ramped up its fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the most devastating strike occurring in mid-April when an American warplane dropped the &#39;Mother of All Bombs&#39; which reportedly left scores of IS militants dead.

According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the US carried out seven airstrikes or drone attacks in the war-stricken country in the last seven days, which has reportedly killed 127 extremists.

Yahya and Abu Thahir, both of whom hailed from Palakkad in Kerala, had reportedly joined Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, police said.

They were among the 21 people, including women and children from Kerala, who had travelled to the Middle East and went missing in 2016.

A fortnight ago, Murshid Muhammed from Padna in Kerala&#39;s Kasargod&nbsp;district was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan. 
 
WION&#39;s Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India&#39;s southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters.

Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state&nbsp;when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS&#39; ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups&#39; more progressive agenda, his report had stated.

Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation&nbsp;is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs.

In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

With Yahya and Abu Thahir's death, the number of?Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four

Two suspected fighters from India who joined the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda were reportedly killed during a US airstrike in Afghanistan. With Yahya and Abu Thahir's death, the number of Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four. Police said they received an information last night about the death of Thahir in Syria. But Indian investigators have yet to confirm Yahya's death. Yahya's family members got a message about his death last night on Telegram, a social media application, BCA Rahiman , a social worker told Press Trust of India. The sender of the message, Asfak, said Yahya was "martyred" in the US attack. "He was killed while fighting the US forces," the message read. It, however, does not specify as to when he was killed. The US has ramped up its fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the most devastating strike occurring in mid-April when an American warplane dropped the 'Mother of All Bombs' which reportedly left scores of IS militants dead. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the US carried out seven airstrikes or drone attacks in the war-stricken country in the last seven days, which has reportedly killed 127 extremists. Yahya and Abu Thahir, both of whom hailed from Palakkad in Kerala, had reportedly joined Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, police said. They were among the 21 people, including women and children from Kerala, who had travelled to the Middle East and went missing in 2016. A fortnight ago, Murshid Muhammed from Padna in Kerala's Kasargod district was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan. WION's Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India's southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters. Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS' ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups' more progressive agenda, his report had stated. Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs. In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data. (WION with inputs from PTI)

2 Indians who joined IS 'killed' in US airstrike in Afghanistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking exclusively to WION correspondent Ramesh Ramachandran appealed to all countries involved in fighting&nbsp;IS, including Russia and UN &nbsp;to come together to eliminate the terrorist organisation from the region.

&quot;In order to destroy a terrorist organisation, you cannot use another terrorist organisation as an instrument,&quot; the president said.&nbsp;

The president blamed the Assad regime&nbsp;in Syria for waging &quot;state terrorism&quot;, comparing it obliquely to IS, the president said, &quot;Let&#39;s plan an administration for Syria which is going to be determined by the people, so long as we get rid of Assad - the murderous Assad.&quot;

The president clearly declared at present Fateh was a bigger threat to Turkey than IS since it was&nbsp;&quot;infiltrating into the institutions of Turkey&quot;. He said PKK was also another big threat&nbsp;which is also present in the northern part of Syria. However, the president was quick to add that &quot;the coalition forces are not fighting the IS with the same commitment as Turkey&quot;.

Erdogan who has been the president of Turkey since 2014, tactfully defended his country&#39;s relations with Russia balancing it with&nbsp;NATO countries.

&quot;Russia is our neighbour, we have very significant trade volume with that country, we have a similar relationship with NATO with all member states under one roof,&quot; he said.

&quot;One cannot be favoured at the cost of another,&quot; the president felt.

(WION)

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wion-exclusive-india-pak-should-keep-open-channel-for-dialogue-to-solve-the-kashmir-issue-says-president-erdoan-15061">Also Read:&nbsp;WION EXCLUSIVE: India, Pak should keep open channel for dialogue to solve the Kashmir issue, says President Erdogan </a>

&nbsp;

Catch&nbsp;the complete interview&nbsp;with&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s President&nbsp;Reccep Tayyip&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;on WION Live TV at 9 pm (IST) Saturday and repeat telecast at 8 pm (IST) Sunday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said both Russia and NATO are important for Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking exclusively to WION correspondent Ramesh Ramachandran appealed to all countries involved in fighting IS, including Russia and UN to come together to eliminate the terrorist organisation from the region. "In order to destroy a terrorist organisation, you cannot use another terrorist organisation as an instrument," the president said. The president blamed the Assad regime in Syria for waging "state terrorism", comparing it obliquely to IS, the president said, "Let's plan an administration for Syria which is going to be determined by the people, so long as we get rid of Assad - the murderous Assad." The president clearly declared at present Fateh was a bigger threat to Turkey than IS since it was "infiltrating into the institutions of Turkey". He said PKK was also another big threat which is also present in the northern part of Syria. However, the president was quick to add that "the coalition forces are not fighting the IS with the same commitment as Turkey". Erdogan who has been the president of Turkey since 2014, tactfully defended his country's relations with Russia balancing it with NATO countries. "Russia is our neighbour, we have very significant trade volume with that country, we have a similar relationship with NATO with all member states under one roof," he said. "One cannot be favoured at the cost of another," the president felt. (WION) Also Read: WION EXCLUSIVE: India, Pak should keep open channel for dialogue to solve the Kashmir issue, says President Erdogan Catch the complete interview with Turkey's President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan on WION Live TV at 9 pm (IST) Saturday and repeat telecast at 8 pm (IST) Sunday.

WION EXCLUSIVE: All countries, Russia and UN should fight IS: President Erdogan

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the &quot;Mother of All Bombs&quot;.

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops &quot;came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province&quot; late Wednesday.

The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria.

&quot;The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice,&quot; said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military&#39;s name for IS Khorasan.

In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar.&nbsp;

The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued.&nbsp;

&quot;Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB),&quot; the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP.

&quot;They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don&#39;t know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation,&quot; he added.

On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties.&nbsp;

US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops&#39; next of kin.&nbsp;

An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8.

America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces.&nbsp;

But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat.

IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists.

But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help.

The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation.

Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.

(AFP)

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops 'came under attack' during an operation in an area not very far from where the 'Mother of All Bombs' was dropped

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the "Mother of All Bombs". US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops "came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province" late Wednesday. The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. "The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice," said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military's name for IS Khorasan. In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar. The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued. "Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB)," the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP. "They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don't know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation," he added. On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties. US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops' next of kin. An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8. America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces. But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat. IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists. But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help. The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation. Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. (AFP)

Two US troops killed, one hurt during raid against IS in Afghanistan

&ldquo;You have a BKC with 42 shots and in front of you there are seven&nbsp;blasphemous and apostate people. You are asked to equally distribute the shots through sniping the following: An apostate, a Sahawat, a crusader (Christian), an atheist, a Salouli (Saudi), a Rafidi (Shiite), and a spy.&rdquo;

This is an exercise meant for 8-year-old children found in a Mathematics book used in Islamic State (IS) controlled territories in Syria. This sample was recently published on the report <a href="http://sound-and-picture.com/en/curricula-islamic-state-isis-controlled-areas/" target="_blank">The Curricula in the Islamic State</a>&nbsp;written by Sarmad al-Jilane for the Sound &amp; Picture Organisation.

When I was 8 years old I studied in a peaceful and rather wealthy Europe and this was the kind of Mathematics exercises that our teachers used to give us: &ldquo;There is a birthday party and in order to make all the children happy, Daniele&rsquo;s mother decides to equally distributes some biscuits. If we have 54 biscuits and there are 9 children at the party, how many biscuits will each child receive?&rdquo;

I do not I think I really need to highlight the difference.&nbsp;

Beside undoubtedly teaching a bit of mathematics, the real objective of the IS-made exercise is to brainwash children and inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism. In many part of the world, an 8-year-old child would not divide his or her society on the basis of the attitude towards religion. I can quite safely say that when I was in second standard, no child in my class even knew what an apostate was and if they did, they would not probably have considered him as an enemy.

This is not because the Western education is somehow better, but just because we were not taught to. The Islamic State survives also thanks to sectarian hatred and teaching children to hate whoever thinks differently is vital for the organisation.

It is not only about concepts, but also about weapons. I can&rsquo;t help but wondering how many of our readers do know what a BKC is. A BKC, more widely known as PK machine gun, is an automatic rifle which can be both used by the infantry or mounted on vehicles. It&nbsp;shoots hundreds of projectiles per minute up to a distance of 1.5 kilometres.&nbsp;It is an instrument of death which is smuggled and widely used in West Asia. I learned&nbsp;all this during my last trip to Mosul as a war correspondent.&nbsp;A&nbsp;child in Raqqa learns it at 8 years old.

The report highlights how the presence of war, guns and violence is widespread over all the school books that the IS has created. When talking about the Arabic language course, the report reads that, &ldquo;The textbook is rich in violence and hatred that ISIS feeds to children; For instance, the first grade textbook contains many images of various weapons such as machine guns, tanks, planes, and masked soldiers engaged in combat&rdquo;.

In its curricula, the Islamic State gives importance to what they call &quot;Physical Development&quot; which, according to the report&rsquo;s authors, is more similar to martial art. The teacher&rsquo;s book cover is rather self explanatory and is reminiscent of&nbsp;the cages where Mixed Martial Art fighters challenge each other&nbsp;in bloody tournaments.

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The &quot;Physical Development&quot; teacher&rsquo;s book cover. Courtesy: Sound &amp; Picture. (Others)
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Since the Islamic State gained control over swathes of land in Syria and Iraq in 2014, this is what their education&nbsp;has imposed in the schools they run. Citizens have little options since education is not diversified at all. In the beginning there was the possibility to enrol children in private schools which used different curricula, but then the IS closed them all. Now the choice is between sending children to &quot;government&quot;&nbsp;schools or not sending them to school at all.

According to the report, out of the 115 schools active in Raqqa, the de facto Syrian capital city of the Islamic State, only 24 remain actives. Twelve for boys and twelve for women, since the IS do not admit mixed schools nor difference of gender between teachers and students.&nbsp;

Education is a dangerous tool in the hands of any totalitarian government.&nbsp;Perhaps we can say that establishing a monopoly over education is the most important objective of a dictatorship which aims at surviving in the future.

Right after coming to power, most dictators and authoritarian governments create&nbsp;a commission to review books in order to re-shape history in their favour. Changing the narrative of historical figures helps in creating new enemies and heroes, a crucial need for the regime.

The biggest effort is normally made towards the primary school, where knowledge is easier to control; Children this young learn mostly&nbsp;new things and they do not have enough terms of comparisons to decide what is true and what is not.&nbsp;

Brainwashing children through a biased education is an investment on the future. If the IS succeeds in doing so, it will create a generation of blind followers who will be ready to do whatever they are ordered without questioning.&nbsp;

The effort the IS is taking, despite the military defeats they are clearly suffering, to push their curricula into the children&rsquo;s mind tells us once again how the organisation does not perceive itself as temporary or limited to the present time.&nbsp;

It is also interesting to notice that, despite condemning all Western countries as enemies, the IS curricula&nbsp;teaches&nbsp;in the English language, suggesting that the terrorist organisation does not perceive itself as only a local group. According to the report, the Islamic State established on the ground even schools in foreign languages, in order to teach to sons and daughter of foreign fighters coming from non-Arabic speaking countries.

The Islamic State is not a hyper-local group made only of crazy shouting fanatics, but&nbsp;an organisation with a global view and the capability to address their political necessities.

In all this process of forced re-education of young minds, teachers have absolutely no role and are not allowed to speak out. The Islamic State is not a tolerant organisation: They&nbsp;labelled all the curricula used before they came as blasphemous, introducing all sorts of punishments - from fines to death - to &ldquo;any teacher who reverted to teaching the previous curriculum&rdquo;. Teachers are also forced to attend religious sessions where they must accept the new curricula. &nbsp;

Smuggling children out of IS-controlled areas has now become impossible due to the heavy control that the organisation imposes. The only option to save children&#39;s minds is not to send them to school.

And when not educating children&nbsp;is&nbsp;the best available option available for them, the dimension of the problem becomes even clearer.&nbsp;

(WION)

When the IS takes over a region they control children's education to inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism

“You have a BKC with 42 shots and in front of you there are seven blasphemous and apostate people. You are asked to equally distribute the shots through sniping the following: An apostate, a Sahawat, a crusader (Christian), an atheist, a Salouli (Saudi), a Rafidi (Shiite), and a spy.” This is an exercise meant for 8-year-old children found in a Mathematics book used in Islamic State (IS) controlled territories in Syria. This sample was recently published on the report The Curricula in the Islamic State written by Sarmad al-Jilane for the Sound & Picture Organisation. When I was 8 years old I studied in a peaceful and rather wealthy Europe and this was the kind of Mathematics exercises that our teachers used to give us: “There is a birthday party and in order to make all the children happy, Daniele’s mother decides to equally distributes some biscuits. If we have 54 biscuits and there are 9 children at the party, how many biscuits will each child receive?” I do not I think I really need to highlight the difference. Beside undoubtedly teaching a bit of mathematics, the real objective of the IS-made exercise is to brainwash children and inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism. In many part of the world, an 8-year-old child would not divide his or her society on the basis of the attitude towards religion. I can quite safely say that when I was in second standard, no child in my class even knew what an apostate was and if they did, they would not probably have considered him as an enemy. This is not because the Western education is somehow better, but just because we were not taught to. The Islamic State survives also thanks to sectarian hatred and teaching children to hate whoever thinks differently is vital for the organisation. It is not only about concepts, but also about weapons. I can’t help but wondering how many of our readers do know what a BKC is. A BKC, more widely known as PK machine gun, is an automatic rifle which can be both used by the infantry or mounted on vehicles. It shoots hundreds of projectiles per minute up to a distance of 1.5 kilometres. It is an instrument of death which is smuggled and widely used in West Asia. I learned all this during my last trip to Mosul as a war correspondent. A child in Raqqa learns it at 8 years old. The report highlights how the presence of war, guns and violence is widespread over all the school books that the IS has created. When talking about the Arabic language course, the report reads that, “The textbook is rich in violence and hatred that ISIS feeds to children; For instance, the first grade textbook contains many images of various weapons such as machine guns, tanks, planes, and masked soldiers engaged in combat”. In its curricula, the Islamic State gives importance to what they call "Physical Development" which, according to the report’s authors, is more similar to martial art. The teacher’s book cover is rather self explanatory and is reminiscent of the cages where Mixed Martial Art fighters challenge each other in bloody tournaments. The "Physical Development" teacher’s book cover. Courtesy: Sound & Picture. (Others) × Since the Islamic State gained control over swathes of land in Syria and Iraq in 2014, this is what their education has imposed in the schools they run. Citizens have little options since education is not diversified at all. In the beginning there was the possibility to enrol children in private schools which used different curricula, but then the IS closed them all. Now the choice is between sending children to "government" schools or not sending them to school at all. According to the report, out of the 115 schools active in Raqqa, the de facto Syrian capital city of the Islamic State, only 24 remain actives. Twelve for boys and twelve for women, since the IS do not admit mixed schools nor difference of gender between teachers and students. Education is a dangerous tool in the hands of any totalitarian government. Perhaps we can say that establishing a monopoly over education is the most important objective of a dictatorship which aims at surviving in the future. Right after coming to power, most dictators and authoritarian governments create a commission to review books in order to re-shape history in their favour. Changing the narrative of historical figures helps in creating new enemies and heroes, a crucial need for the regime. The biggest effort is normally made towards the primary school, where knowledge is easier to control; Children this young learn mostly new things and they do not have enough terms of comparisons to decide what is true and what is not. Brainwashing children through a biased education is an investment on the future. If the IS succeeds in doing so, it will create a generation of blind followers who will be ready to do whatever they are ordered without questioning. The effort the IS is taking, despite the military defeats they are clearly suffering, to push their curricula into the children’s mind tells us once again how the organisation does not perceive itself as temporary or limited to the present time. It is also interesting to notice that, despite condemning all Western countries as enemies, the IS curricula teaches in the English language, suggesting that the terrorist organisation does not perceive itself as only a local group. According to the report, the Islamic State established on the ground even schools in foreign languages, in order to teach to sons and daughter of foreign fighters coming from non-Arabic speaking countries. The Islamic State is not a hyper-local group made only of crazy shouting fanatics, but an organisation with a global view and the capability to address their political necessities. In all this process of forced re-education of young minds, teachers have absolutely no role and are not allowed to speak out. The Islamic State is not a tolerant organisation: They labelled all the curricula used before they came as blasphemous, introducing all sorts of punishments - from fines to death - to “any teacher who reverted to teaching the previous curriculum”. Teachers are also forced to attend religious sessions where they must accept the new curricula. Smuggling children out of IS-controlled areas has now become impossible due to the heavy control that the organisation imposes. The only option to save children's minds is not to send them to school. And when not educating children is the best available option available for them, the dimension of the problem becomes even clearer. (WION)

Brainwashing under the Islamic State

In the panic that followed the rattle of gunfire on Paris&#39;s famed Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es on Thursday, tourists and locals dashed for their lives, took refuge where they could and hoped the bullets wouldn&#39;t find them.

&quot;People were running, bumping into each other and crashing into tables&quot;, said a 39-year-old woman who had been dining in a restaurant off the boulevard bustling with visitors.

In the end, the attacker who opened fire with an automatic weapon killed one police officer and wounded two others, one of them seriously. A foreign tourist was hit in her knee by shrapnel.

The gunman was shot dead in return fire while trying to flee on foot, police sources told AFP.

Nobody understood what was happening, &quot;especially the foreign tourists&quot;, said the woman who spoke on condition of anonymity.

&quot;The waiters told us to get out the back of the restaurant, but there was no exit so we had to hide in a back courtyard,&quot; she said, as the lights of dozens of emergency vehicles flashed.&nbsp;

The two-kilometre (1.2-mile) road that links the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde is lined with high-priced real estate, luxury shops and theatres.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&#39;Want to go home&#39;

In the moments after the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State jihadists and came just three days before France&#39;s presidential election first round, people hid where they could.

Some took cover in restaurants or shops, others ran into cinemas to get off the strip that is nicknamed &quot;the most beautiful avenue in the world&quot;.

&quot;I heard shots and I went to see what it was. I saw two bodies on the ground and people screaming, running everywhere,&quot; said Mehdi, a communications consultant. &quot;I was afraid. I left. I didn&#39;t even pay the bill!&quot;

The attack&#39;s impact on the outcome of one of the most unpredictable election contests in decades is unclear, but far-right leader Marine Le Pen and scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon immediately cancelled their campaign events on Friday.

The burst of violence and rush of police action left visitors bewildered, and saddened by the new reality of a steady threat of terror attacks in the French capital.

Jihadist-inspired assaults have killed more than 230 people in France since 2015, with many of the victims being people who had gone out for the evening.

Isabel, a 34-year-old Australian tourist, was unable to reach her lodging because of the police lines.

&quot;I just want to go home,&quot; she said.

(AFP)

Moments after the attack, which was claimed by IS just 3 days before France's presidential election first round, people hid where they could

In the panic that followed the rattle of gunfire on Paris's famed Champs Élysées on Thursday, tourists and locals dashed for their lives, took refuge where they could and hoped the bullets wouldn't find them. "People were running, bumping into each other and crashing into tables", said a 39-year-old woman who had been dining in a restaurant off the boulevard bustling with visitors. In the end, the attacker who opened fire with an automatic weapon killed one police officer and wounded two others, one of them seriously. A foreign tourist was hit in her knee by shrapnel. The gunman was shot dead in return fire while trying to flee on foot, police sources told AFP. Nobody understood what was happening, "especially the foreign tourists", said the woman who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The waiters told us to get out the back of the restaurant, but there was no exit so we had to hide in a back courtyard," she said, as the lights of dozens of emergency vehicles flashed. The two-kilometre (1.2-mile) road that links the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde is lined with high-priced real estate, luxury shops and theatres. 'Want to go home' In the moments after the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State jihadists and came just three days before France's presidential election first round, people hid where they could. Some took cover in restaurants or shops, others ran into cinemas to get off the strip that is nicknamed "the most beautiful avenue in the world". "I heard shots and I went to see what it was. I saw two bodies on the ground and people screaming, running everywhere," said Mehdi, a communications consultant. "I was afraid. I left. I didn't even pay the bill!" The attack's impact on the outcome of one of the most unpredictable election contests in decades is unclear, but far-right leader Marine Le Pen and scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon immediately cancelled their campaign events on Friday. The burst of violence and rush of police action left visitors bewildered, and saddened by the new reality of a steady threat of terror attacks in the French capital. Jihadist-inspired assaults have killed more than 230 people in France since 2015, with many of the victims being people who had gone out for the evening. Isabel, a 34-year-old Australian tourist, was unable to reach her lodging because of the police lines. "I just want to go home," she said. (AFP)

Terror strikes Champs ?lys?es in deadly attack

One police officer was killed and two&nbsp;wounded Thursday in a shooting on Paris&#39;s Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es, police said, just days ahead of France&#39;s presidential election.

France&#39;s interior ministry said the attacker was killed in the incident in the early evening on the world-famous boulevard.&nbsp;

French President Francois Hollande said that a shooting on the Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;eson Thursday evening was suspected to be &quot;of a terrorist nature&quot;.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting in Paris of a police officer on Thursday, in a statement by the jihadists&#39; propaganda agency Amaq.

&quot;The perpetrator of the attack in Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es in central Paris is Abu Yussef the Belgian and he is one of the Islamic State&#39;s fighters,&quot; it said.

The famous shopping street in the heart of the city, which is usually teeming with tourists and Parisians, was blocked by armed police and metro stations in the area were closed.

Dozens of vehicles from the emergency services were sent to the area.

The shooting comes just two days after police arrested two men in southern Marseille with weapons and explosives who were suspected of preparing an attack to disrupt the first-round of the presidential election on Sunday.

France is in a state of emergency and at its highest possible level of alert since a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people.

Thousands of troops and armed police have been deployed to guard tourist hotspots such as the Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es or other potential targets like government buildings and religious sites.

Up until now, polls showed voters more concerned about unemployment and their spending power than terrorism or security, though analysts warned this would change in the event of further bloodshed.

For weeks, centrist former banker Macron and National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen have been out in front but opinion polls now show there is a chance that any of the four leading candidates could reach the second-round runoff on May 7.

Scandal-plagued conservative Francois Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have closed the gap substantially in the last two weeks.

(AFP)

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shooting on Champs ?lys?es

One police officer was killed and two wounded Thursday in a shooting on Paris's Champs Élysées, police said, just days ahead of France's presidential election. France's interior ministry said the attacker was killed in the incident in the early evening on the world-famous boulevard. French President Francois Hollande said that a shooting on the Champs Élyséeson Thursday evening was suspected to be "of a terrorist nature". The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting in Paris of a police officer on Thursday, in a statement by the jihadists' propaganda agency Amaq. "The perpetrator of the attack in Champs Élysées in central Paris is Abu Yussef the Belgian and he is one of the Islamic State's fighters," it said. The famous shopping street in the heart of the city, which is usually teeming with tourists and Parisians, was blocked by armed police and metro stations in the area were closed. Dozens of vehicles from the emergency services were sent to the area. The shooting comes just two days after police arrested two men in southern Marseille with weapons and explosives who were suspected of preparing an attack to disrupt the first-round of the presidential election on Sunday. France is in a state of emergency and at its highest possible level of alert since a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people. Thousands of troops and armed police have been deployed to guard tourist hotspots such as the Champs Élysées or other potential targets like government buildings and religious sites. Up until now, polls showed voters more concerned about unemployment and their spending power than terrorism or security, though analysts warned this would change in the event of further bloodshed. For weeks, centrist former banker Macron and National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen have been out in front but opinion polls now show there is a chance that any of the four leading candidates could reach the second-round runoff on May 7. Scandal-plagued conservative Francois Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have closed the gap substantially in the last two weeks. (AFP)

France: One policeman killed, two wounded in Paris shooting

Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).

The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them.

The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, &quot;are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves&quot;.

&quot;The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence,&quot; the plea had said.

The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS&nbsp;and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court.

The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC&nbsp;and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi.

According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015.

Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged.

The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities.

The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries.

&quot;The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS&nbsp;and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS,&quot; it alleged.

The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS.

&quot;They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS&nbsp;and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS&nbsp;by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS,&quot; the NIA had claimed.

&quot;They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS,&quot; the agency said.

(PTI)

Azhar-ul-Islam from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh from Maharashtra plead guilty to raising funds and recruiting for IS

Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them. The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, "are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves". "The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence," the plea had said. The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court. The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi. According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015. Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged. The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities. The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries. "The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS," it alleged. The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS. "They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS," the NIA had claimed. "They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS," the agency said. (PTI)

Court sends Islamic State men to jail for 7 years in terror case

The Delhi Police Special Cell and Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad (ATS) have arrested three suspected Islamic State operatives from Jalandhar (Punjab), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh). Raids were also carried out in and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Narkatiaganj (Bihar). Police from six states were part of the operation.&nbsp;

Special Cell Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh (UP) ATS, Crime Investigation Department (CID) Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ATS, Punjab and Bihar Police were involved in the operation.&nbsp;

Speaking to the media from Lucknow, UP additional director general (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary told newswire PTI: &nbsp;&quot;They were conspiring to carry out a major attack to make a name for their group and create terror in the region.&quot;&nbsp;

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed the arrest of a suspect, Nazim Shamshad Ahmed (26), who is from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was nabbed from the Mumbra township near Mumbai.&nbsp;

&quot;Three persons were detained from Mumbra in a joint operation of Maharashtra Police and Uttar Pradesh ATS. One of them has been arrested for his suspected involvement in terror activities. The other two are being questioned,&quot; Maharashtra ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI.&nbsp;

While the UP ATS spokesperson said that six others have been detained by the police team for questioning, Maharashtra ATS sources said nearly 12 were taken into custody.&nbsp;

Those arrested are suspected to be part of a module that was looking for potential recruits in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra.&nbsp;

Chaudhary told reporters that the agencies have established evidence against four of the suspected, while five others were being interrogated.&nbsp;

&quot;All those arrested are between 18 and 25 years old and were living in places like Mumbai, Jalandhar and UP. We have also found that they were definitely influenced by the material available on the internet,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He said these appear to be misguided youth and efforts will be made to bring them back into the mainstream.&nbsp;

Investigations show that one of them wanted to finance the group and they were continuously communicating with each other about carrying out some major strike in the near future. The arrests were made before they could carry out any such attack after the police of different states tracked their conversations using surveillance.&nbsp;

The ADG ruled out any link between those arrested today with a suspected terrorist killed in an encounter in Lucknow recently.

&nbsp;Indian media outlets, citing sources in the ATS, said one of the accused is a 26-year-old suspected of being an Islamic State recruiter from Mumbra, in Mumbai, and that several SIM cards were taken from his house by the authorities.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The suspects from Jalandhar, Mumbai and Bijnor were arrested in the joint operation. An investigation is currently underway

The Delhi Police Special Cell and Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad (ATS) have arrested three suspected Islamic State operatives from Jalandhar (Punjab), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh). Raids were also carried out in and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Narkatiaganj (Bihar). Police from six states were part of the operation. Special Cell Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh (UP) ATS, Crime Investigation Department (CID) Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ATS, Punjab and Bihar Police were involved in the operation. Speaking to the media from Lucknow, UP additional director general (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary told newswire PTI: "They were conspiring to carry out a major attack to make a name for their group and create terror in the region." The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed the arrest of a suspect, Nazim Shamshad Ahmed (26), who is from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was nabbed from the Mumbra township near Mumbai. "Three persons were detained from Mumbra in a joint operation of Maharashtra Police and Uttar Pradesh ATS. One of them has been arrested for his suspected involvement in terror activities. The other two are being questioned," Maharashtra ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI. While the UP ATS spokesperson said that six others have been detained by the police team for questioning, Maharashtra ATS sources said nearly 12 were taken into custody. Those arrested are suspected to be part of a module that was looking for potential recruits in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra. Chaudhary told reporters that the agencies have established evidence against four of the suspected, while five others were being interrogated. "All those arrested are between 18 and 25 years old and were living in places like Mumbai, Jalandhar and UP. We have also found that they were definitely influenced by the material available on the internet," he said. He said these appear to be misguided youth and efforts will be made to bring them back into the mainstream. Investigations show that one of them wanted to finance the group and they were continuously communicating with each other about carrying out some major strike in the near future. The arrests were made before they could carry out any such attack after the police of different states tracked their conversations using surveillance. The ADG ruled out any link between those arrested today with a suspected terrorist killed in an encounter in Lucknow recently. Indian media outlets, citing sources in the ATS, said one of the accused is a 26-year-old suspected of being an Islamic State recruiter from Mumbra, in Mumbai, and that several SIM cards were taken from his house by the authorities. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Police from 6 Indian states arrest 3 Islamic State suspects

A policeman was killed and three others wounded Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint near St Catherine&#39;s monastery in Egypt&#39;s Sinai, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State jihadists.

&quot;A number of gunmen...facing one of the checkpoints on the road to St Catherine&#39;s in south Sinai shot at security forces at the checkpoint,&quot; the interior ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Security forces returned fire, wounding some of the attackers and &quot;forcing them to flee&quot;, it said.

The police were pursuing efforts to find the gunmen, the ministry said.

Khalid Abu Hashem, the health ministry official for South Sinai province, earlier told state television that one person had been killed and four wounded.

The injured were in a stable condition and had been taken to hospital in the nearby Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, he said.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after.

&quot;The attack that took place near St.&nbsp;Catherine Monastery in south Sinai was carried out by Islamic State fighters,&quot; the group&#39;s Amaq propaganda agency said on social media accounts, citing a &quot;security source&quot;.

St Catherine&#39;s monastery, a Christian site which lies some 500 kilometres (300 miles) southeast of Cairo in the south of the Sinai peninsula, attracts thousands of visitors a year.

The attack comes nine days after Palm Sunday services at Coptic Christian churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria were bombed by IS, killing 45 people.

IS has threatened to carry out more attacks on the minority, which makes up about 10 per cent of Egypt&#39;s 92 million people.

Egypt is battling a jihadist insurgency in north Sinai that has killed hundreds of policemen and troops since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In October 2015, IS claimed the bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular south Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

(AFP)

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting in Egypti's Sinai that killed a policeman and wounded three others

A policeman was killed and three others wounded Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint near St Catherine's monastery in Egypt's Sinai, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State jihadists. "A number of gunmen...facing one of the checkpoints on the road to St Catherine's in south Sinai shot at security forces at the checkpoint," the interior ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page. Security forces returned fire, wounding some of the attackers and "forcing them to flee", it said. The police were pursuing efforts to find the gunmen, the ministry said. Khalid Abu Hashem, the health ministry official for South Sinai province, earlier told state television that one person had been killed and four wounded. The injured were in a stable condition and had been taken to hospital in the nearby Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, he said. IS claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after. "The attack that took place near St. Catherine Monastery in south Sinai was carried out by Islamic State fighters," the group's Amaq propaganda agency said on social media accounts, citing a "security source". St Catherine's monastery, a Christian site which lies some 500 kilometres (300 miles) southeast of Cairo in the south of the Sinai peninsula, attracts thousands of visitors a year. The attack comes nine days after Palm Sunday services at Coptic Christian churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria were bombed by IS, killing 45 people. IS has threatened to carry out more attacks on the minority, which makes up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 92 million people. Egypt is battling a jihadist insurgency in north Sinai that has killed hundreds of policemen and troops since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. In October 2015, IS claimed the bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular south Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. (AFP)

Shooting near Egypt monastery kills policeman: Interior ministry

The Islamic State (IS) terror organization killed 25 civilians Sunday for attempting to escape from areas under its control in the western sector of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a security official told EFE.

IS executed the civilians in the al-Tank neighborhood of western Mosul for trying to reach areas liberated by Iraqi forces, the head of the security council of Nineveh province, Mohamed Ibrahim al-Bayati, said.

The bodies of the victims were then hung on the district&#39;s light poles, the security official said.

IS targeted the areas of al-Matahen and al-Yarmouk with 40 mortar shells, causing panic among residents, al-Bayati said.

Abdel-Amir Rashid Yarallah, commander of the joint operation to liberate Mosul - codenamed &quot;We Are Coming, Nineveh&quot; - said in a statement that counterterrorism forces have liberated the entire al-Matahen neighborhood after days of intense fighting against IS.

On February&nbsp;19, Iraqi forces launched the final phase of the offensive to drive extremist fighters from Mosul, where IS declared its so-called caliphate in 2014.

(EFE)

The bodies of the victims were then hung on the district's light poles, a security official said

The Islamic State (IS) terror organization killed 25 civilians Sunday for attempting to escape from areas under its control in the western sector of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a security official told EFE. IS executed the civilians in the al-Tank neighborhood of western Mosul for trying to reach areas liberated by Iraqi forces, the head of the security council of Nineveh province, Mohamed Ibrahim al-Bayati, said. The bodies of the victims were then hung on the district's light poles, the security official said. IS targeted the areas of al-Matahen and al-Yarmouk with 40 mortar shells, causing panic among residents, al-Bayati said. Abdel-Amir Rashid Yarallah, commander of the joint operation to liberate Mosul - codenamed "We Are Coming, Nineveh" - said in a statement that counterterrorism forces have liberated the entire al-Matahen neighborhood after days of intense fighting against IS. On February 19, Iraqi forces launched the final phase of the offensive to drive extremist fighters from Mosul, where IS declared its so-called caliphate in 2014. (EFE)

IS kills 25 civilians for attempting to flee Iraqi city

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 44&nbsp;people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory.

The attacks followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis intended to show support for Egypt&#39;s Christian minority.

The first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed 27 people, the health ministry said.

&quot;I just felt fire grabbing my face. I pushed my brother who was sitting next to me and then I heard people saying: &#39;explosion&#39;,&quot; a wounded witness in hospital told state television.

Emergency services had scrambled to the scene when another blast rocked Saint Mark&#39;s church in Alexandria where Coptic Pope Tawadros II had been leading a Palm Sunday service.

Sixteen people including three police officers were killed in that attack, which the interior ministry said was caused by a suicide bomber who blew himself up when prevented from entering the church.

The ministry said Tawadros was unharmed, and a church official said he left before the explosion.

The private CBC Extra channel aired footage of the Alexandria blast, with CCTV showing what appeared to be the church entrance engulfed in a ball of flame and flying concrete moments after a security guard turned away a man.

Eyewitnesses said a police officer detected the bomber before he blew himself up.

At least 78 people were wounded in Tanta and 40 in Alexandria, the health ministry said.

Officials denounced the violence as an attempt to sow divisions in Egypt, and Francis sent his &quot;deep condolences&quot; to Tawadros.

IS claimed its &quot;squads&quot; carried out both attacks, in a statement by its self-styled Amaq news agency published on social media.

After the bombings, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to guard &quot;vital and important infrastructure&quot;, his office said.

State television reported that the interior minister sacked the provincial head of security and replaced him after the attack.

There were bloodstains on the floor of the church in Tanta, next to shredded wooden benches.

On March 29, the Mar Girgis church&#39;s Facebook page said a &quot;suspicious&quot; device had been found outside the building that security services removed.

&quot;I heard the blast and came running. I found people torn up... some people, only half of their bodies remained,&quot; said Nabil Nader, who lives in front of the Tanta church.

Worshippers had been celebrating Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus&#39;s triumphant entrance to Jerusalem.

Pope prays for victims

Francis, who is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29, offered prayers for the victims.

&quot;Let us pray for the victims of the attack unfortunately carried out today,&quot; he said in an Angelus prayer.

&quot;May the Lord convert the heart of those who sow terror, violence and death and also the heart of those who make weapons and trade in them.&quot;

Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt&#39;s population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months.

Jihadists and Islamists accuse Copts of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers in a Cairo church adjacent to the papal seat.&nbsp;

The group later released a video threatening Egypt&#39;s Christians with more attacks.

A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, led some Coptic families to flee.

About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the minority.

US President Donald Trump led international condemnation of Sunday&#39;s attacks.

&quot;So sad to hear of the terrorist attack in Egypt. US strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly,&quot; he tweeted.

String of attacks

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail condemned the attack, stressing Egypt&#39;s determination to &quot;eliminate terrorism&quot;.

The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, an influential Sunni Muslim authority, said it aimed to &quot;destabilise security and... the unity of Egyptians&quot;.

Egypt&#39;s Copts have endured successive attacks since Morsi&#39;s ouster in July 2013.

More than 40 churches were attacked nationwide in the two weeks after the deadly dispersal by security forces of two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on August 14 that year, Human Rights Watch said.

Sisi, who as then army chief helped remove Morsi, has defended his security forces and accused jihadists of attacking Copts in order to divide the country.

In October 2011, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest outside the state television building in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt.

A few months earlier, the unclaimed New Year&#39;s Day bombing of a Coptic church killed more than 20 people in second city Alexandria.

(AFP)

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both the attacks that left at least 44 dead and scores injured

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 44 people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory. The attacks followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis intended to show support for Egypt's Christian minority. The first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed 27 people, the health ministry said. "I just felt fire grabbing my face. I pushed my brother who was sitting next to me and then I heard people saying: 'explosion'," a wounded witness in hospital told state television. Emergency services had scrambled to the scene when another blast rocked Saint Mark's church in Alexandria where Coptic Pope Tawadros II had been leading a Palm Sunday service. Sixteen people including three police officers were killed in that attack, which the interior ministry said was caused by a suicide bomber who blew himself up when prevented from entering the church. The ministry said Tawadros was unharmed, and a church official said he left before the explosion. The private CBC Extra channel aired footage of the Alexandria blast, with CCTV showing what appeared to be the church entrance engulfed in a ball of flame and flying concrete moments after a security guard turned away a man. Eyewitnesses said a police officer detected the bomber before he blew himself up. At least 78 people were wounded in Tanta and 40 in Alexandria, the health ministry said. Officials denounced the violence as an attempt to sow divisions in Egypt, and Francis sent his "deep condolences" to Tawadros. IS claimed its "squads" carried out both attacks, in a statement by its self-styled Amaq news agency published on social media. After the bombings, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to guard "vital and important infrastructure", his office said. State television reported that the interior minister sacked the provincial head of security and replaced him after the attack. There were bloodstains on the floor of the church in Tanta, next to shredded wooden benches. On March 29, the Mar Girgis church's Facebook page said a "suspicious" device had been found outside the building that security services removed. "I heard the blast and came running. I found people torn up... some people, only half of their bodies remained," said Nabil Nader, who lives in front of the Tanta church. Worshippers had been celebrating Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus's triumphant entrance to Jerusalem. Pope prays for victims Francis, who is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29, offered prayers for the victims. "Let us pray for the victims of the attack unfortunately carried out today," he said in an Angelus prayer. "May the Lord convert the heart of those who sow terror, violence and death and also the heart of those who make weapons and trade in them." Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months. Jihadists and Islamists accuse Copts of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters. In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers in a Cairo church adjacent to the papal seat. The group later released a video threatening Egypt's Christians with more attacks. A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, led some Coptic families to flee. About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the minority. US President Donald Trump led international condemnation of Sunday's attacks. "So sad to hear of the terrorist attack in Egypt. US strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly," he tweeted. String of attacks Prime Minister Sherif Ismail condemned the attack, stressing Egypt's determination to "eliminate terrorism". The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, an influential Sunni Muslim authority, said it aimed to "destabilise security and... the unity of Egyptians". Egypt's Copts have endured successive attacks since Morsi's ouster in July 2013. More than 40 churches were attacked nationwide in the two weeks after the deadly dispersal by security forces of two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on August 14 that year, Human Rights Watch said. Sisi, who as then army chief helped remove Morsi, has defended his security forces and accused jihadists of attacking Copts in order to divide the country. In October 2011, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest outside the state television building in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt. A few months earlier, the unclaimed New Year's Day bombing of a Coptic church killed more than 20 people in second city Alexandria. (AFP)

Twin suicide bomb attacks on churches rock Egypt on Palm Sunday

Russia&#39;s Investigative Committee said Wednesday it had detained six &quot;terrorist&quot; recruiters from Central Asia in Saint Petersburg, but insisted there was no proof yet of a link between them and the suspected metro bomber in the city.

The authorities said that those detained had been recruiting people to join groups including the Islamic State &quot;to carry out terrorist crimes&quot; and join &quot;illegal armed groups&quot; abroad.

Yesterday Russian authorties released the name of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russian-investigators-confirm-metro-bomber-as-akbarjon-djalilov-14173" target="_blank">suspected&nbsp;attacker,</a> Akbarjon Djalilov, and&nbsp;claimed he planted&nbsp;a second bomb found at a different station&nbsp;which authorities&nbsp;defused before it could explode. The bomb that exploded on Monday on the St Petersburg metro killed 14 people and injured dozens more.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The authorities said they were recruiting for groups like Islamic State but that there was no link to the suspected metro bomber in the city

Russia's Investigative Committee said Wednesday it had detained six "terrorist" recruiters from Central Asia in Saint Petersburg, but insisted there was no proof yet of a link between them and the suspected metro bomber in the city. The authorities said that those detained had been recruiting people to join groups including the Islamic State "to carry out terrorist crimes" and join "illegal armed groups" abroad. Yesterday Russian authorties released the name of the suspected attacker, Akbarjon Djalilov, and claimed he planted a second bomb found at a different station which authorities defused before it could explode. The bomb that exploded on Monday on the St Petersburg metro killed 14 people and injured dozens more. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Russia says six 'terrorist' recruiters detained in St Petersburg

A senior army officer who headed the intelligence wing of Bangladesh&#39;s elite security force died Friday, days after he was injured in a bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad was on life support and flown to Singapore on Sunday a day after he was critically injured in an explosion near a militant hideout.&nbsp;

He was flown back to Dhaka Wednesday and admitted to a military hospital after his condition remained unchanged.&nbsp;

&quot;He died very early on Friday,&quot; Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a spokesman of the Rapid Action Battalion told AFP.&nbsp;

Bangladesh prides itself on being a mainly moderate Muslim country. But that perception has been damaged by a series of gruesome killings of atheist bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities.

Colonel Azad, 41, was the intelligence director of the RAB, which has been at the forefront of Bangladesh&#39;s fight against Islamist militancy.&nbsp;

He was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country&#39;s more than a decade-long fight against Islamist extremism.&nbsp;

On Saturday six people including two police officers were killed in twin explosions that targeted a crowd and security officers who were watching army commandos storming an Islamist hideout in the northeastern city of Sylhet.&nbsp;

IS took credit for the attack while the Bangladeshi government and police blamed the blast on a homegrown Islamist militant outfit.&nbsp;

About a dozen more police and security officers were also injured in the attack.&nbsp;Army commandos said they later shot dead four Islamist extremists including one of their top leaders after a three-day gunfight.&nbsp;

On Thursday police&#39;s counter-terrorism officers and SWAT raided another Islamist hideout in a village in the northeast and found bodies of up to eight people. Police believed they blew themselves up in an explosion to avoid being arrested.

There has been a resurgence of extremist attacks in recent weeks in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million after a relative lull since five IS-linked gunmen killed 22 people including 18 foreign hostages at a Dhaka cafe on July 1.

Since the cafe attack, security forces have launched a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremist groups, killing around 60 suspected militants.

(AFP)

Colonel Azad was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country's more than 10-year fight against Islamist militancy

A senior army officer who headed the intelligence wing of Bangladesh's elite security force died Friday, days after he was injured in a bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad was on life support and flown to Singapore on Sunday a day after he was critically injured in an explosion near a militant hideout. He was flown back to Dhaka Wednesday and admitted to a military hospital after his condition remained unchanged. "He died very early on Friday," Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a spokesman of the Rapid Action Battalion told AFP. Bangladesh prides itself on being a mainly moderate Muslim country. But that perception has been damaged by a series of gruesome killings of atheist bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities. Colonel Azad, 41, was the intelligence director of the RAB, which has been at the forefront of Bangladesh's fight against Islamist militancy. He was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country's more than a decade-long fight against Islamist extremism. On Saturday six people including two police officers were killed in twin explosions that targeted a crowd and security officers who were watching army commandos storming an Islamist hideout in the northeastern city of Sylhet. IS took credit for the attack while the Bangladeshi government and police blamed the blast on a homegrown Islamist militant outfit. About a dozen more police and security officers were also injured in the attack. Army commandos said they later shot dead four Islamist extremists including one of their top leaders after a three-day gunfight. On Thursday police's counter-terrorism officers and SWAT raided another Islamist hideout in a village in the northeast and found bodies of up to eight people. Police believed they blew themselves up in an explosion to avoid being arrested. There has been a resurgence of extremist attacks in recent weeks in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million after a relative lull since five IS-linked gunmen killed 22 people including 18 foreign hostages at a Dhaka cafe on July 1. Since the cafe attack, security forces have launched a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremist groups, killing around 60 suspected militants. (AFP)

Top Bangladesh army officer dies from IS-claimed blast

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

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

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

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

Iraqi forces have resumed their bid to reclaim Mosul&#39;s Old City from jihadists, even as the fight against Islamic State has been dwarfed by reports of scores of civilians dying due to air strikes.

The Iraqi forces had launched a massive operation to reclaim Mosul last month, and so far have retaken a series of neighbourhoods.

But their bid to recapture the Old City has been fraught with a cluster of problems, most notably the labyrinthine nature of the town.

The Old City -- a warren of narrow streets and closely-spaced buildings in which the UN said 400,000 people still reside -- poses unique challenges in terms of the difficulty of advancing as well as the danger to civilians.

&quot;Federal Police and Rapid Response Division units began to advance today on the southwestern axis of the Old City,&quot; Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the federal police, said in a statement.

One of the main objectives for the troops is to target Faruq Street, which is close to the Al-Nuri mosque -- the place where&nbsp;IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance after seizing Mosul in 2014.&nbsp;

Heavy toll on civilians&nbsp;

Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command, said that interior ministry units have deployed snipers to target IS jihadists using civilians as human shields.

However, Iraqi forces have also frequently fired mortar rounds and unguided rockets during the battle for&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;-- weapons that pose a much greater risk to residents of areas where fighting is taking place.

The battle has already taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing more than 200,000 to flee in addition to others who have been killed or wounded in the fighting.

An AFP photographer saw civil defence personnel and volunteers digging through the remains of houses to recover the dead in&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;al-Jadida on Sunday.

The remains of at least 12 people -- among them women and children -- were placed in blue plastic body bags.

Rasool said that the defence ministry has opened an investigation into the reports that strikes killed civilians in west&nbsp;Mosul.

The US-led coalition against IS has indicated that it may have been responsible for at least some of the civilian deaths.

&quot;An initial review of strike data... indicates that, at the request of the Iraqi security forces, the coalition struck (IS) fighters and equipment, March 17, in west&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties,&quot; it said in a statement on Saturday.

But that only addresses one day, while Iraqi officials referred to strikes carried out over several days.

On Sunday, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel called recent civilian deaths in&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;a &quot;terrible tragedy&quot;.

&quot;We are investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened and will continue to take extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians,&quot; he said in a statement.

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The west has been vociferous about Russian air strikes on Aleppo claiming that Russia was committing war crimes. But a US airstrike in Mosul may have killed at least 200 people (WION)
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(WION with innputs from AFP)

Iraqi troops are intent on targeting the Al-Nuri mosque where?IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance in 2014

Iraqi forces have resumed their bid to reclaim Mosul's Old City from jihadists, even as the fight against Islamic State has been dwarfed by reports of scores of civilians dying due to air strikes. The Iraqi forces had launched a massive operation to reclaim Mosul last month, and so far have retaken a series of neighbourhoods. But their bid to recapture the Old City has been fraught with a cluster of problems, most notably the labyrinthine nature of the town. The Old City -- a warren of narrow streets and closely-spaced buildings in which the UN said 400,000 people still reside -- poses unique challenges in terms of the difficulty of advancing as well as the danger to civilians. "Federal Police and Rapid Response Division units began to advance today on the southwestern axis of the Old City," Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the federal police, said in a statement. One of the main objectives for the troops is to target Faruq Street, which is close to the Al-Nuri mosque -- the place where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance after seizing Mosul in 2014. Heavy toll on civilians Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, said that interior ministry units have deployed snipers to target IS jihadists using civilians as human shields. However, Iraqi forces have also frequently fired mortar rounds and unguided rockets during the battle for Mosul -- weapons that pose a much greater risk to residents of areas where fighting is taking place. The battle has already taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing more than 200,000 to flee in addition to others who have been killed or wounded in the fighting. An AFP photographer saw civil defence personnel and volunteers digging through the remains of houses to recover the dead in Mosul al-Jadida on Sunday. The remains of at least 12 people -- among them women and children -- were placed in blue plastic body bags. Rasool said that the defence ministry has opened an investigation into the reports that strikes killed civilians in west Mosul. The US-led coalition against IS has indicated that it may have been responsible for at least some of the civilian deaths. "An initial review of strike data... indicates that, at the request of the Iraqi security forces, the coalition struck (IS) fighters and equipment, March 17, in west Mosul at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties," it said in a statement on Saturday. But that only addresses one day, while Iraqi officials referred to strikes carried out over several days. On Sunday, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel called recent civilian deaths in Mosul a "terrible tragedy". "We are investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened and will continue to take extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians," he said in a statement. The west has been vociferous about Russian air strikes on Aleppo claiming that Russia was committing war crimes. But a US airstrike in Mosul may have killed at least 200 people (WION) × (WION with innputs from AFP)

Iraqi forces resume bid to recapture Mosul's Old City

Iraqi&#39;s military said on Sunday 61 bodies had been recovered from a collapsed building that was boobytrapped by Islamic State (IS) in Western Mosul, but there was no sign it had been hit by a coalition strike though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby.

The statement was a response to reports by eyewitnesses and local officials that as many as 200 bodies had been pulled from a collapsed building after a coalition strike last week targeted IS militants and equipment in al Jadida district area.

The incident remains far from clear and details are difficult to confirm as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State to recapture the densely populated parts of the western half of Mosul, the militant group&#39;s last stronghold in Iraq.

The US-led coalition on Saturday said it carried out a strike on Islamic State militants and equipment in the area of the reported deaths, but it was still investigating. It did not give figures for any casualties or details on targets.

The Iraqi military command said eyewitnesses had told troops that the buildings were boobytrapped and militants had forced residents inside basements to use them as human shields. IS militants had also fired on troops from those houses, it said.

But its figures were lower than other local officials. A local municipal official said on Saturday, 240 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. A local lawmaker and two eyewitnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a large truck bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings.

The incident has highlighted the complexity of fighting around Western Mosul&#39;s Old City, where Islamic State are hiding among families and using the narrow streets and alleys to their advantage, forcing Iraqi forces into street fighting.

(Reuters)

Iraq's military says there was no sign the building had been hit by a coalition strike, though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby

Iraqi's military said on Sunday 61 bodies had been recovered from a collapsed building that was boobytrapped by Islamic State (IS) in Western Mosul, but there was no sign it had been hit by a coalition strike though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby. The statement was a response to reports by eyewitnesses and local officials that as many as 200 bodies had been pulled from a collapsed building after a coalition strike last week targeted IS militants and equipment in al Jadida district area. The incident remains far from clear and details are difficult to confirm as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State to recapture the densely populated parts of the western half of Mosul, the militant group's last stronghold in Iraq. The US-led coalition on Saturday said it carried out a strike on Islamic State militants and equipment in the area of the reported deaths, but it was still investigating. It did not give figures for any casualties or details on targets. The Iraqi military command said eyewitnesses had told troops that the buildings were boobytrapped and militants had forced residents inside basements to use them as human shields. IS militants had also fired on troops from those houses, it said. But its figures were lower than other local officials. A local municipal official said on Saturday, 240 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. A local lawmaker and two eyewitnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a large truck bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings. The incident has highlighted the complexity of fighting around Western Mosul's Old City, where Islamic State are hiding among families and using the narrow streets and alleys to their advantage, forcing Iraqi forces into street fighting. (Reuters)

61 bodies pulled from collapsed Mosul site, says Iraqi military

Police searched a number of residential properties in Birmingham on Thursday,&nbsp;a day after British-born Khalid Masood killed four people in central London in the worst attack on the capital since 2005.

Since the attack in London, police have raided a number of addresses across the city, arresting five men and two women on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-claims-london-terror-attack-13717"> Islamic State</a> has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists. According to a study by the Henry Jackson think tank earlier this month, 39 of 269 people convicted in Britain of terrorism offences from 1998 to 2015 came from the city.

There are over 213,000 Muslims in Birmingham, making up over a fifth of the population, according to the 2011 census, and there has been growing concern about divisions in the diverse city.

The car Masood used in Wednesday&#39;s attack had been hired from rental firm Enterprise&#39;s Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, suggesting he still had connections to the area.

In Luton, a former neighbour said she had minimal interactions with Masood and voiced regret for not being more vigilant towards Masood.

 
London&#39;s response

London mayor Sadiq Khan reassured citizens and visitors to London, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sadiq-khan-london-attack-response-westminster-parliament-terror-a7644761.html" target="_blank">saying </a>&quot;our city remains one of the safest in the world...we stand together against those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of&nbsp;life&quot;.

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Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism. <a href="https://t.co/LTLhgZ7OLQ">pic.twitter.com/LTLhgZ7OLQ</a>
&mdash; Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/844633197191335936">March 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Whenever a terror attack occurs there is&nbsp;a range of reactions. The pro-Brexit, anti-immigrant former leader of UKIP Nigel Farrage took the opportunity to fear monger:

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage">@Nigel_Farage</a>: &ldquo;If you open your door to uncontrolled immigration from Middle Eastern countries you are inviting in terrorism.&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hannity?src=hash">#Hannity</a> <a href="https://t.co/p9QQgAkpbD">pic.twitter.com/p9QQgAkpbD</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/844740679955873792">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Not everybody&#39;s reaction was cynical or opportunistic.&nbsp;

Perhaps embodying the famous dry humour of the British,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/youre-not-even-in-our-top-five-worries-londoners-tell-extremists-20151207104505" target="_blank">The Daily Mash</a> found London-resident 32-year-old Tom Booker,&nbsp;who is far more terrified of other things in London:

&quot;I already have nightmares on a rotating basis about my barely-affordable rent, work-related exhaustion, meeting a partner who isn&#39;t weird, growing older in a lonely city and a lingering stomach ache that I reckon is an ulcer.

&quot;If terrorists think they can make me more scared than I already am, good luck with that. As far as nagging daily anxieties go, I&#39;m afraid they&#39;ll have to take a number and join the back of the queue.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists, but many Londoners remain defiant in the face of terrorism

Police searched a number of residential properties in Birmingham on Thursday, a day after British-born Khalid Masood killed four people in central London in the worst attack on the capital since 2005. Since the attack in London, police have raided a number of addresses across the city, arresting five men and two women on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists. According to a study by the Henry Jackson think tank earlier this month, 39 of 269 people convicted in Britain of terrorism offences from 1998 to 2015 came from the city. There are over 213,000 Muslims in Birmingham, making up over a fifth of the population, according to the 2011 census, and there has been growing concern about divisions in the diverse city. The car Masood used in Wednesday's attack had been hired from rental firm Enterprise's Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, suggesting he still had connections to the area. In Luton, a former neighbour said she had minimal interactions with Masood and voiced regret for not being more vigilant towards Masood. London's response London mayor Sadiq Khan reassured citizens and visitors to London, saying "our city remains one of the safest in the world...we stand together against those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life". Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism. pic.twitter.com/LTLhgZ7OLQ — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 22, 2017 × Whenever a terror attack occurs there is a range of reactions. The pro-Brexit, anti-immigrant former leader of UKIP Nigel Farrage took the opportunity to fear monger: .@Nigel_Farage: “If you open your door to uncontrolled immigration from Middle Eastern countries you are inviting in terrorism.” #Hannity pic.twitter.com/p9QQgAkpbD — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 23, 2017 × Not everybody's reaction was cynical or opportunistic. Perhaps embodying the famous dry humour of the British, The Daily Mash found London-resident 32-year-old Tom Booker, who is far more terrified of other things in London: "I already have nightmares on a rotating basis about my barely-affordable rent, work-related exhaustion, meeting a partner who isn't weird, growing older in a lonely city and a lingering stomach ache that I reckon is an ulcer. "If terrorists think they can make me more scared than I already am, good luck with that. As far as nagging daily anxieties go, I'm afraid they'll have to take a number and join the back of the queue." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

London terrorist attack: Police search for clues in Birmingham

Aid convoys linked to paramilitary groups have begun making regular deliveries to Mosul districts recaptured from Islamic State (IS), bringing much-needed relief but also fears that their Shi&#39;ite backers are encroaching into the mostly Sunni city.

The columns of trucks and cars carrying food, water and blankets from Shi&#39;ite cities in southern Iraq are welcomed by hungry and war-weary residents of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major Iraqi stronghold.

But their affiliation with the Hashid Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) - a state-run umbrella including Shi&#39;ite militias - is clear, as they fly the flags of those groups and are often accompanied by heavily armed men.

Local leaders and many among the Mosul population say it could be the first sign of Shi&#39;ite parties trying to extend their influence as the battle against the jihadists winds up. Perversely, they say, the humanitarian help raises the spectre of sectarian strife in a country torn apart by it.

The PMF says the convoys are charitable and nothing more, and that the weapons are to protect those bringing supplies on long drives from the south. The tension the armed presence can create, however, is already visible.

During a terse exchange on Sunday with Iraqi police, gunmen on a convoy from the Shi&#39;ite holy city of Kerbala jumped off their vehicles at a checkpoint south of Mosul carrying assault rifles, some with fingers on triggers. A policeman mounted the gun turret of an armoured car in case the argument escalated.

&quot;No problem, insha&#39;allah (God willing),&quot; said one of the convoy organisers, who gave his name only as Ali.

The vehicles were eventually waved through into Mosul, flying the banner of a Kerbala-based Shi&#39;ite militia.

A local tribal leader and former councilman for Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, said this kind of action laid bare Shi&#39;ite attempts to expand influence in mainly Sunni northwestern Iraq.

&quot;Shi&#39;ite brothers have exploited the war conditions to pave the way for their project, it&#39;s a gradual infiltration,&quot; Sheikh Ali, told Reuters by phone. He asked not to be identified by his last name for fear of reprisals. &quot;It&#39;s &#39;Shi&#39;isation&#39;&nbsp;of Mosul city - an attempt at hegemony.&quot;

Abdul Rahman al-Wagga, a current council member, said with Islamic State ousted there was concern over encroachment by political factions with armed branches that have not previously had a strong presence in the area.

&quot;This aid...is being brought in by factions or parties which have armed wings. &quot;When a political side comes to a city or region, and has an armed wing, the fear is that this armed wing will be used for political interests,&quot; he said.

Senior PMF figure Kareem al-Nuri denied there were political goals behind the aid. &quot;These fears have no place,&quot; he said. &quot;Humanitarian work...does not mean demographic change,&quot; he added, saying the convoys were the &quot;duty&quot; of the PMF, and were to show solidarity and build trust.

&nbsp;

&#39;SECTARIANISM DOESN&#39;T DISAPPEAR&#39;

Reaction from locals, who have lived under the brutality of Islamic State, has been mixed. In western Mosul, the convoy that had driven through the checkpoint distributed blankets, water and food. &quot;They&#39;re giving good amounts of aid, and it includes fresh food and meat - better than we would get from other organisations,&quot; Omar Ibrahim, a 39-year-old carpenter and former soldier, said. &quot;Sectarianism died with Daesh (Islamic State).&quot;

But another resident suspected ulterior motives.

&quot;We&#39;re not against the aid, but against people imposing their views,&quot; Mahmoud, 39, said quietly as Shi&#39;ite gunmen and federal police controlled the crowd. &quot;The way they&#39;re doing this - flying flags and coming in with guns, tells you there&#39;s something else behind it. It&#39;s a friendly face, but the aim behind it is domination,&quot; he said. He did not give his full name for fear of reprisals for speaking out on a sensitive topic.

It was in Mosul that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the Sunni extremists&#39; caliphate spanning areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The US-backed Mosul offensive is on track to end the group&#39;s sway over territory in Iraq nearly three years later.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi recognises the need to avoid recreating conditions that allowed IS to take root, including corruption in the security forces and marginalisation of Iraq&#39;s minority Sunni population under predecessor Nuri al-Maliki.

To avoid sectarian tension, Abadi said the army and police would be the only forces to enter Mosul in the battle against IS, not the PMF. PMF involvement in the campaign has however been crucial, helping encircle the jihadists in areas around Mosul. But reliance on the Shi&#39;ite groups will likely increase as the battle strains Iraq&#39;s military, analysts say.

Ramzy Mardini, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that behind the aid effort is likely a PMF bid to have a permanent presence either in or around Mosul.

&quot;It&#39;s a war zone and the ultimate aim is to capture enemy territory. In that context, they&#39;re armed participants regardless of whatever role they play in the overall effort,&quot; he said. &quot;The government&#39;s degree of reliance on militia forces, Shi&#39;ite or Sunni, only increases going forward,&quot; he said.

At another aid distribution point, one local said he feared PMF military encroachment into Mosul city. &quot;The reason for what&#39;s happening in Mosul in the first place is sectarianism. That doesn&#39;t just disappear.&quot;

(Reuters)

'When a political side comes to a...region, and has an armed wing, the fear is that this armed wing will be used for political interests'

Aid convoys linked to paramilitary groups have begun making regular deliveries to Mosul districts recaptured from Islamic State (IS), bringing much-needed relief but also fears that their Shi'ite backers are encroaching into the mostly Sunni city. The columns of trucks and cars carrying food, water and blankets from Shi'ite cities in southern Iraq are welcomed by hungry and war-weary residents of Mosul, Islamic State's last major Iraqi stronghold. But their affiliation with the Hashid Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) - a state-run umbrella including Shi'ite militias - is clear, as they fly the flags of those groups and are often accompanied by heavily armed men. Local leaders and many among the Mosul population say it could be the first sign of Shi'ite parties trying to extend their influence as the battle against the jihadists winds up. Perversely, they say, the humanitarian help raises the spectre of sectarian strife in a country torn apart by it. The PMF says the convoys are charitable and nothing more, and that the weapons are to protect those bringing supplies on long drives from the south. The tension the armed presence can create, however, is already visible. During a terse exchange on Sunday with Iraqi police, gunmen on a convoy from the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala jumped off their vehicles at a checkpoint south of Mosul carrying assault rifles, some with fingers on triggers. A policeman mounted the gun turret of an armoured car in case the argument escalated. "No problem, insha'allah (God willing)," said one of the convoy organisers, who gave his name only as Ali. The vehicles were eventually waved through into Mosul, flying the banner of a Kerbala-based Shi'ite militia. A local tribal leader and former councilman for Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, said this kind of action laid bare Shi'ite attempts to expand influence in mainly Sunni northwestern Iraq. "Shi'ite brothers have exploited the war conditions to pave the way for their project, it's a gradual infiltration," Sheikh Ali, told Reuters by phone. He asked not to be identified by his last name for fear of reprisals. "It's 'Shi'isation' of Mosul city - an attempt at hegemony." Abdul Rahman al-Wagga, a current council member, said with Islamic State ousted there was concern over encroachment by political factions with armed branches that have not previously had a strong presence in the area. "This aid...is being brought in by factions or parties which have armed wings. "When a political side comes to a city or region, and has an armed wing, the fear is that this armed wing will be used for political interests," he said. Senior PMF figure Kareem al-Nuri denied there were political goals behind the aid. "These fears have no place," he said. "Humanitarian work...does not mean demographic change," he added, saying the convoys were the "duty" of the PMF, and were to show solidarity and build trust. 'SECTARIANISM DOESN'T DISAPPEAR' Reaction from locals, who have lived under the brutality of Islamic State, has been mixed. In western Mosul, the convoy that had driven through the checkpoint distributed blankets, water and food. "They're giving good amounts of aid, and it includes fresh food and meat - better than we would get from other organisations," Omar Ibrahim, a 39-year-old carpenter and former soldier, said. "Sectarianism died with Daesh (Islamic State)." But another resident suspected ulterior motives. "We're not against the aid, but against people imposing their views," Mahmoud, 39, said quietly as Shi'ite gunmen and federal police controlled the crowd. "The way they're doing this - flying flags and coming in with guns, tells you there's something else behind it. It's a friendly face, but the aim behind it is domination," he said. He did not give his full name for fear of reprisals for speaking out on a sensitive topic. It was in Mosul that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the Sunni extremists' caliphate spanning areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The US-backed Mosul offensive is on track to end the group's sway over territory in Iraq nearly three years later. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi recognises the need to avoid recreating conditions that allowed IS to take root, including corruption in the security forces and marginalisation of Iraq's minority Sunni population under predecessor Nuri al-Maliki. To avoid sectarian tension, Abadi said the army and police would be the only forces to enter Mosul in the battle against IS, not the PMF. PMF involvement in the campaign has however been crucial, helping encircle the jihadists in areas around Mosul. But reliance on the Shi'ite groups will likely increase as the battle strains Iraq's military, analysts say. Ramzy Mardini, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that behind the aid effort is likely a PMF bid to have a permanent presence either in or around Mosul. "It's a war zone and the ultimate aim is to capture enemy territory. In that context, they're armed participants regardless of whatever role they play in the overall effort," he said. "The government's degree of reliance on militia forces, Shi'ite or Sunni, only increases going forward," he said. At another aid distribution point, one local said he feared PMF military encroachment into Mosul city. "The reason for what's happening in Mosul in the first place is sectarianism. That doesn't just disappear." (Reuters)

Shi'ite aid convoys enter Mosul, bringing relief and suspicion

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s assertion that he could align with Mayawati&#39;s BSP has created a political firestorm with the BJP declaring that the chief minister has already &quot;conceded defeat&quot;&nbsp;

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, &quot;Counting se pehle hee haar maan liya (he has conceded defeat even before counting). What should I say on this?&quot;

Speaking to BBC radio Hindi yesterday Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had said he wanted to keep the BJP out in Uttar Pradesh for that he was ready to align with Samajwadi Party&#39;s long-time rival Mayawati, the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party.

<h3><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">&nbsp;India Assembly Elections 2017 Exit Polls: BJP has advantage in 3 states</a></h3>

&nbsp;

The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh elections ended on March 8, the results are due to be declared tomorrow. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Most exit polls have put the BJP ahead in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-Congress alliance </a>set to finish a distant second but Mayawati&#39;s BSP who is expected to finish third could end up as a &#39;kingmaker&#39; if either the BJP or the SP-Congress fail to get the required 202 seats&nbsp;in the 403 member House.

<h3><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/muslims-understand-majority-govt-can-be-formed-without-their-support-but-be-careful-about-splitting-up-13223">Also Read:&nbsp;&#39;Muslims understand majority govt can be formed without their support... but be careful about splitting UP&#39;</a></h3>

&nbsp;

(WION)

Two members of the security force challenged the suicide bomber and an explosion occurred as he tried to escape

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's assertion that he could align with Mayawati's BSP has created a political firestorm with the BJP declaring that the chief minister has already "conceded defeat" Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Counting se pehle hee haar maan liya (he has conceded defeat even before counting). What should I say on this?" Speaking to BBC radio Hindi yesterday Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had said he wanted to keep the BJP out in Uttar Pradesh for that he was ready to align with Samajwadi Party's long-time rival Mayawati, the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party. Also Read: India Assembly Elections 2017 Exit Polls: BJP has advantage in 3 states The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh elections ended on March 8, the results are due to be declared tomorrow. Most exit polls have put the BJP ahead in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-Congress alliance set to finish a distant second but Mayawati's BSP who is expected to finish third could end up as a 'kingmaker' if either the BJP or the SP-Congress fail to get the required 202 seats in the 403 member House. Also Read: 'Muslims understand majority govt can be formed without their support... but be careful about splitting UP' (WION)

Bangladesh: IS claims hand in suicide blast at anti-terror unit headquarters in Dhaka

The Islamic State Group claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on a Bangladesh security forces camp, while police in Dhaka shot dead a suspected militant in a separate incident.

The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denied the presence of IS in the country, blaming attacks on local extremists.

&quot;A caliphate soldier in Bangladesh carried out a martyrdom operation with an explosive belt in a camp for special forces in Dhaka,&quot; IS announced in its daily al-Bayan radio bulletin Saturday.

Two policemen were wounded in the apparently botched attack on Friday when a man blew himself up at an elite forces camp near Dhaka&#39;s international airport.&nbsp;

The camp attacked was occupied by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force tasked with combatting militancy.

Asked about IS&#39; claim of responsibility, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told AFP: &quot;IS has no presence in Bangladesh at all&quot;.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed.

The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind that and other attacks.

Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s secular government of using the spate of attacks in the country to demonise her domestic opponents.

On Saturday a man on a motorbike tried to cross a RAB security roadblock in Dhaka carrying a bag with improvised explosive devices.

Bangladesh police shot the suspected militant dead, Khan said.

&quot;As he was carrying explosives we primarily suspect him of being a militant,&quot; Khan told AFP, adding further investigation was needed to ascertain his identity.

A bomb disposal unit recovered the biker&#39;s bag containing multiple small improvised bombs, which were later defused, Khan said.

Friday&#39;s bomb attack was one of the first in recent years against the elite RAB force, which has led a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremists, arresting scores of suspects.

Police have this month also been carrying out a series of raids in the southern Chittagong region and say they killed four suspected militants when they stormed an extremist hideout on Thursday.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry said last year there was evidence to link extremists behind attacks in Bangladesh to IS.

&quot;There is the ideological footprint of IS in Bangladesh, there is no denial about it,&quot; said Shahab Enam Khan, a terrorism expert at Jahangirnagar University.

&quot;However, we have not received enough evidence of their physical existence in concrete organisational form in the country yet.&quot;

(AFP)

Meanwhile, police have shot dead a man suspected to have been involved in Friday's attack that wounded two people

The Islamic State Group claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on a Bangladesh security forces camp, while police in Dhaka shot dead a suspected militant in a separate incident. The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denied the presence of IS in the country, blaming attacks on local extremists. "A caliphate soldier in Bangladesh carried out a martyrdom operation with an explosive belt in a camp for special forces in Dhaka," IS announced in its daily al-Bayan radio bulletin Saturday. Two policemen were wounded in the apparently botched attack on Friday when a man blew himself up at an elite forces camp near Dhaka's international airport. The camp attacked was occupied by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force tasked with combatting militancy. Asked about IS' claim of responsibility, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told AFP: "IS has no presence in Bangladesh at all". The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed. The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind that and other attacks. Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government of using the spate of attacks in the country to demonise her domestic opponents. On Saturday a man on a motorbike tried to cross a RAB security roadblock in Dhaka carrying a bag with improvised explosive devices. Bangladesh police shot the suspected militant dead, Khan said. "As he was carrying explosives we primarily suspect him of being a militant," Khan told AFP, adding further investigation was needed to ascertain his identity. A bomb disposal unit recovered the biker's bag containing multiple small improvised bombs, which were later defused, Khan said. Friday's bomb attack was one of the first in recent years against the elite RAB force, which has led a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremists, arresting scores of suspects. Police have this month also been carrying out a series of raids in the southern Chittagong region and say they killed four suspected militants when they stormed an extremist hideout on Thursday. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry said last year there was evidence to link extremists behind attacks in Bangladesh to IS. "There is the ideological footprint of IS in Bangladesh, there is no denial about it," said Shahab Enam Khan, a terrorism expert at Jahangirnagar University. "However, we have not received enough evidence of their physical existence in concrete organisational form in the country yet." (AFP)

IS claims role in attack on Bangladesh security forces

Security was stepped up on Thursday at India&#39;s iconic Taj Mahal after media reports of the Agra monument being the target of a terror attack by the Islamic State (IS) surfaced.

The <a href="https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/pro-is-media-group-threatens-attacks-in-india-shows-taj-mahal-as-target-2.html">SITE intelligence group</a>, which tracks jihadist activity on the web, carried a graphic, originally published by the pro-IS Ahwaal Ummat Media Center, depicting the Taj Mahal as a target. The graphic was posted on the encrypted messaging app Telegram on March 14.

The graphic features a man in combat gear, armed with an assault rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade standing near the Taj Mahal. A tagline in the graphic reads &#39;Next target&#39;.

An image of a vehicle with the Arabic text &ldquo;Agra istishhadi&rdquo; (Agra martyrdom-seeker) written in English is also being interpreted as a warning of a potential attack.

Following the report, a security drill, by Taj Mahal security personnel, police, teams from the bomb disposal squad and the US SWAT SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) personnel was conducted at the monument.

Superintendent of police (SP) Sushil Ghule was quoted as saying that the exercise was a part of a regular security drill associated with the Taj Mahotsav to be held this week.&nbsp;

SSP Preetinder Singh, however, admitted that the security measures had been undertaken in view of reports of the IS threat to the monument.

Agra will host the Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day festival, from March 18. 
 
(WION) 
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A pro-Islamic media group has published a graphic depicting the Taj Mahal as a target of IS jihadists

Security was stepped up on Thursday at India's iconic Taj Mahal after media reports of the Agra monument being the target of a terror attack by the Islamic State (IS) surfaced. The SITE intelligence group, which tracks jihadist activity on the web, carried a graphic, originally published by the pro-IS Ahwaal Ummat Media Center, depicting the Taj Mahal as a target. The graphic was posted on the encrypted messaging app Telegram on March 14. The graphic features a man in combat gear, armed with an assault rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade standing near the Taj Mahal. A tagline in the graphic reads 'Next target'. An image of a vehicle with the Arabic text “Agra istishhadi” (Agra martyrdom-seeker) written in English is also being interpreted as a warning of a potential attack. Following the report, a security drill, by Taj Mahal security personnel, police, teams from the bomb disposal squad and the US SWAT SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) personnel was conducted at the monument. Superintendent of police (SP) Sushil Ghule was quoted as saying that the exercise was a part of a regular security drill associated with the Taj Mahotsav to be held this week. SSP Preetinder Singh, however, admitted that the security measures had been undertaken in view of reports of the IS threat to the monument. Agra will host the Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day festival, from March 18. (WION)

India: Security stepped up at Taj Mahal after reports of terror threat from Islamic State

A car bomb ripped through a busy street in the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, police and a doctor said.

The bombing hit Al-Ataba Street, which is home to medical clinics as well as shops, also wounding dozens of people, the sources said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group carries out frequent bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Tikrit, located north of Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to be recaptured from IS, which overran large areas north and west of the capital in 2014.

Iraqi forces retook Tikrit in 2015, and while some of it was heavily damaged, civilians have since returned to the city.

Baghdad&#39;s forces went on to recapture the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, and are now battling to retake the western side of second city Mosul, after seizing its east from the jihadists earlier this year. 
 
(AFP)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the IS carries out frequent bombings targeting civilians in Iraq

A car bomb ripped through a busy street in the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, police and a doctor said. The bombing hit Al-Ataba Street, which is home to medical clinics as well as shops, also wounding dozens of people, the sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group carries out frequent bombings targeting civilians in Iraq. Tikrit, located north of Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to be recaptured from IS, which overran large areas north and west of the capital in 2014. Iraqi forces retook Tikrit in 2015, and while some of it was heavily damaged, civilians have since returned to the city. Baghdad's forces went on to recapture the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, and are now battling to retake the western side of second city Mosul, after seizing its east from the jihadists earlier this year. (AFP)

Iraq: Car bomb kills at least 7 in Tikrit near Baghdad

Iraqi security forces have retaken more than a third of west Mosul from the Islamic State group since launching an assault on the area last month, a commander said Sunday.

&quot;Around more than a third of the right bank (west Mosul) is under the control of our units,&quot; Staff Major General Maan al-Saadi told AFP.

Mosul is split by the Tigris River, and its eastern side is referred to as the left bank, while the western is known as the right back.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake west Mosul -- the most populated urban area still under IS control -- on February 19, pushing up from the south.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since retaken most of the territory they lost.

Iraqi forces launched a major operation to retake Mosul in October, recapturing the eastern side of the city before setting their sights on the smaller but more densely-populated west.

(AFP)

'Around more than a third of the right bank (west Mosul) is under the control of our units,' Staff Major General Maan al-Saadi told AFP

Iraqi security forces have retaken more than a third of west Mosul from the Islamic State group since launching an assault on the area last month, a commander said Sunday. "Around more than a third of the right bank (west Mosul) is under the control of our units," Staff Major General Maan al-Saadi told AFP. Mosul is split by the Tigris River, and its eastern side is referred to as the left bank, while the western is known as the right back. Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake west Mosul -- the most populated urban area still under IS control -- on February 19, pushing up from the south. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since retaken most of the territory they lost. Iraqi forces launched a major operation to retake Mosul in October, recapturing the eastern side of the city before setting their sights on the smaller but more densely-populated west. (AFP)

Iraqi forces retake over a third of west Mosul: Commander

A man, suspected to have recruited 22 Indians to join Islamic State, was asked by Sri Lankan authorities to leave a religious school for apparently fomenting religious cleavages, according to India&#39;s anti-terror agency.

India&#39;s National Investigation Agency filed a charge sheet against&nbsp;Abdul Rashid Abdulla in which it records statements of three men who were instigated by him to join the Middle East-based jihadist organisation, Sri Lankan news agency Daily Mirror reported.

The charge sheet contains statements from 49 students against Abdulla and&nbsp;Islamic Research Foundation&#39;s guest relations manager Arshi Qureshi. Zakir Naik&#39;s&nbsp;Islamic Research Foundation was outlawed by the Indian government last year under anti-terror laws.

Rashid, who studied engineering, was a preacher from Thrikkaripur in India&#39;s southern state of Kerala. Some people, including a few parents of those Indians who joined IS, blame Rashid for influencing their sons to join the dreaded militant outfit.

Daily Mirror quoted a witness statement in the charge sheet as saying that following a heated argument about the meaning of jihad, one of the teachers at the school told Rashid: &quot;Jihad is to fight with bad elements of your own self, Jihad does not mean fighting and killing innocent people.&quot;

&quot;After the debate, Navas Sheikh (the teacher) told them to leave the campus at once. On the same day, the group left the campus,&quot; the statement further read.

Although not much is known about Rashid, Indian investigators say he joined IS in the Middle East with his wife Ayesha and their two-year-old child.

(WION)

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India's anti-terror agency said Abdul Rashid Abdulla was trying to foment religious cleavage in the school

A man, suspected to have recruited 22 Indians to join Islamic State, was asked by Sri Lankan authorities to leave a religious school for apparently fomenting religious cleavages, according to India's anti-terror agency. India's National Investigation Agency filed a charge sheet against Abdul Rashid Abdulla in which it records statements of three men who were instigated by him to join the Middle East-based jihadist organisation, Sri Lankan news agency Daily Mirror reported. The charge sheet contains statements from 49 students against Abdulla and Islamic Research Foundation's guest relations manager Arshi Qureshi. Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation was outlawed by the Indian government last year under anti-terror laws. Rashid, who studied engineering, was a preacher from Thrikkaripur in India's southern state of Kerala. Some people, including a few parents of those Indians who joined IS, blame Rashid for influencing their sons to join the dreaded militant outfit. Daily Mirror quoted a witness statement in the charge sheet as saying that following a heated argument about the meaning of jihad, one of the teachers at the school told Rashid: "Jihad is to fight with bad elements of your own self, Jihad does not mean fighting and killing innocent people." "After the debate, Navas Sheikh (the teacher) told them to leave the campus at once. On the same day, the group left the campus," the statement further read. Although not much is known about Rashid, Indian investigators say he joined IS in the Middle East with his wife Ayesha and their two-year-old child. (WION)

Suspected IS' India recruiter was told to leave religious school in Sri Lanka

The United States deployed additional troops to drive out Islamist State from their stronghold Raqa, Syria.

The US-led coalition announced they had deployed another 400 troops on the ground in Syria.

At the moment, the US have 500 troops fighting in Raqa, as Iraqi forces advanced on the IS group in west Mosul on Thursday.

US-led coalition spokesperson&nbsp;Colonel John Dorrian said the reinforcements &quot;are temporary forces&quot;, adding that the long-term strength would remain at 500.

The additional deployment comes as the US announced they&nbsp;would host a meeting of the 68 members of the coalition fighting IS on March 22.

The American military buildup comes amid calls by President Donald Trump for new plans to accelerate the pace of the war against the Sunni Muslim extremists.

IS jihadists are facing simultaneous offensives in northern Syria by government forces, Turkish-backed rebels, and a US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

In the latest sign they are feeling the squeeze, their chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported to have abandoned Mosul, leaving local commanders behind to fight the Iraqi forces.

&quot;He was in Mosul at some point before the offensive.... He left before we isolated Mosul and Tal Afar,&quot; a town to the west, said a US defence official.

&quot;He probably gave broad strategic guidance&nbsp;and has left it to battlefield commanders.&quot;

Baghdadi, who declared IS&#39;s cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot; at a Mosul mosque in 2014, in an audio message in November urged supporters to make a stand in the city rather than &quot;retreating in shame&quot;.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake west of Mosul, after having regained the eastern part of the city last October.

In recent days Iraqi forces have retaken a series of neighbourhoods and a museum where IS militants filmed themselves destroying priceless artefacts.

Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command announced Thursday the elite Counter-Terrorism Service recaptured the Mualemeen neighbourhood in west Mosul.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The reinforcement means the US now have 900 of its troops on the ground in Syria

The United States deployed additional troops to drive out Islamist State from their stronghold Raqa, Syria. The US-led coalition announced they had deployed another 400 troops on the ground in Syria. At the moment, the US have 500 troops fighting in Raqa, as Iraqi forces advanced on the IS group in west Mosul on Thursday. US-led coalition spokesperson Colonel John Dorrian said the reinforcements "are temporary forces", adding that the long-term strength would remain at 500. The additional deployment comes as the US announced they would host a meeting of the 68 members of the coalition fighting IS on March 22. The American military buildup comes amid calls by President Donald Trump for new plans to accelerate the pace of the war against the Sunni Muslim extremists. IS jihadists are facing simultaneous offensives in northern Syria by government forces, Turkish-backed rebels, and a US-supported alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. In the latest sign they are feeling the squeeze, their chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported to have abandoned Mosul, leaving local commanders behind to fight the Iraqi forces. "He was in Mosul at some point before the offensive.... He left before we isolated Mosul and Tal Afar," a town to the west, said a US defence official. "He probably gave broad strategic guidance and has left it to battlefield commanders." Baghdadi, who declared IS's cross-border "caliphate" at a Mosul mosque in 2014, in an audio message in November urged supporters to make a stand in the city rather than "retreating in shame". Meanwhile, Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake west of Mosul, after having regained the eastern part of the city last October. In recent days Iraqi forces have retaken a series of neighbourhoods and a museum where IS militants filmed themselves destroying priceless artefacts. Iraq's Joint Operations Command announced Thursday the elite Counter-Terrorism Service recaptured the Mualemeen neighbourhood in west Mosul. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US deploys 400 additional troops to oust IS from stronghold Raqa

Daljit Chaudhary, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) who oversaw the operation in Lucknow during Tuesday&#39;s anti-terror operation in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/terror-suspect-killed-near-lucknow-was-part-of-is-group-planning-major-attack-authorities-13168">Thakurganj outside&nbsp;Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh said there </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/terror-suspect-killed-near-lucknow-was-part-of-is-group-planning-major-attack-authorities-13168">was</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/terror-suspect-killed-near-lucknow-was-part-of-is-group-planning-major-attack-authorities-13168">&nbsp;no evidence yet of IS&nbsp;link to Saifullah</a> who was gunned down by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad.

&quot;Eight pistols, more than 600 cartridges, bomb making instruments, pellets, timers, wires were recovered,&quot; Daljit Chaudhary added.

Daljit Chaudhary also said&nbsp;the police recovered 45grams&nbsp;of gold and foreign currency from the house.

The investigation into the encounter in Lucknow, where a suspected IS terrorist was killed, is likely to be handed over to the NIA, a senior Home Ministry official told PTI on Wednesday.

Earlier, IG Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Aseem Arun had said that the slain terror suspect was an active member of the IS.

&quot;The slain terror suspect belongs to the Khurasan module of the IS&nbsp;and was an active member. But, whether he has been indoctrinated or not is a matter of investigation,&quot; Arun had told reporters.

In fact, speaking in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had categorically said that those who orchestrated the blast arrived from Lucknow and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bhopal-ujjain-train-explosion-a-terrorist-attack-police-13147"> planted the bomb in the passenger train</a> as part of a &quot;pre-planned conspiracy&quot;.

&quot;The terrorists were influenced by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror ideology and carried out the blast. It was a pre-planned conspiracy,&quot; Chouhan declared in the Assembly during the state budget session.

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We have no such evidence yet of any <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISIS?src=hash">#ISIS</a> link: Daljit Chaudhary,ADG on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LucknowTerrorOp?src=hash">#LucknowTerrorOp</a> <a href="https://t.co/kMHQuifJIr">pic.twitter.com/kMHQuifJIr</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/839450782013472768">March 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The encounter<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lucknow-anti-terror-operation-ends-after-12-hours-1-terror-suspect-killed-13158"> started on Tuesday around 4 pm in Thakurganj area outside Lucknow after police received </a>a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lucknow-anti-terror-operation-ends-after-12-hours-1-terror-suspect-killed-13158">tip-off</a> from outside the state. Earlier in the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bhopal-ujjain-train-explosion-a-terrorist-attack-police-13147">a blast occurred in the Bhopal-Ujjain train</a> which was later linked to Saifullah.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh ATS quickly surrounded the house and waited for Saifullah to surrender but he refused, finally, after nearly 12 hours, he was gunned down by the ATS commandos.

(WION with agency inputs)

The anti-terror operation near Lucknow resulted in the death of a suspected terrorist named Saifullah who police believed was linked to IS

Daljit Chaudhary, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) who oversaw the operation in Lucknow during Tuesday's anti-terror operation in Thakurganj outside Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh said there was no evidence yet of IS link to Saifullah who was gunned down by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad. "Eight pistols, more than 600 cartridges, bomb making instruments, pellets, timers, wires were recovered," Daljit Chaudhary added. Daljit Chaudhary also said the police recovered 45grams of gold and foreign currency from the house. The investigation into the encounter in Lucknow, where a suspected IS terrorist was killed, is likely to be handed over to the NIA, a senior Home Ministry official told PTI on Wednesday. Earlier, IG Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Aseem Arun had said that the slain terror suspect was an active member of the IS. "The slain terror suspect belongs to the Khurasan module of the IS and was an active member. But, whether he has been indoctrinated or not is a matter of investigation," Arun had told reporters. In fact, speaking in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had categorically said that those who orchestrated the blast arrived from Lucknow and planted the bomb in the passenger train as part of a "pre-planned conspiracy". "The terrorists were influenced by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror ideology and carried out the blast. It was a pre-planned conspiracy," Chouhan declared in the Assembly during the state budget session. We have no such evidence yet of any #ISIS link: Daljit Chaudhary,ADG on #LucknowTerrorOp pic.twitter.com/kMHQuifJIr — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 8, 2017 × The encounter started on Tuesday around 4 pm in Thakurganj area outside Lucknow after police received a tip-off from outside the state. Earlier in the day, a blast occurred in the Bhopal-Ujjain train which was later linked to Saifullah. Uttar Pradesh ATS quickly surrounded the house and waited for Saifullah to surrender but he refused, finally, after nearly 12 hours, he was gunned down by the ATS commandos. (WION with agency inputs)

Uttar Pradesh encounter: We have no evidence yet of any IS link, say police

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