Turkey's Military Offensive In North-East Syria Has Offered The Gift Of Rebirth To Terror Outfit ISIS

Gravitas: Turkey's offensive in Syria gives new lease of life to IS

Nearly 800 Islamic State supporters escaped from a camp in northeastern Syria as the Turkish forces are advancing in the region.

Nearly 800 ISIS supporters escape from Syrian camp

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal.

Outgunned and without US protection, the autonomous Kurds in northeastern Syria had few other options to stop the rapid advance of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-sanctions-coming-on-turkey-declares-us-president-trump-255891">Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump</a>

Turkey wants to create a roughly 30-kilometre (20-mile) buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay and also to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts.

The United States and its partners, who spent years fighting alongside the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria before deserting them, have condemned the Turkish invasion, but their threats of sanctions have failed to stop it.

Washington says that it is planning to pull out 1,000 troops &nbsp;-- almost the entire ground force -- from Syria's north, in a move welcomed Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a positive approach."

The chaos in the areas targeted in the six-day-old Turkish assault has already led to the escape of around 800 foreign women and children linked to IS from a Kurdish-run camp, Kurdish authorities said.

The Kurds had repeatedly warned of that scenario when Western countries refused to repatriate their IS-linked nationals and when US President Donald Trump made it clear he wanted to end the US military presence.

But Trump on Monday said the Kurds "may be releasing" IS prisoners to keep the US involved in Syria.

Wasting no time to fill the void, Moscow -- already the top broker in Syria -- clinched a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/celebrations-erupt-as-kurds-and-syrian-government-reach-a-deal-255737">deal between the Kurds and Damascus</a>, whose ties had been icy since the minority threw its lot with Washington and unilaterally declared self-rule.

"In order to prevent and confront this aggression, an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government," the Kurdish administration said in a statement late Sunday.

Averting 'genocide'

In an editorial published in Foreign Policy magazine, the head of the main Kurdish force wrote: "If we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people."

By Monday morning, Syrian government forces were already moving to within several kilometres (miles) of the border, AFP correspondents on the ground said.

Residents around the town of Tall Tamr welcomed regime forces with cheers and Syrian state television showed some of them waving national flags and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian troops also deployed in the areas of Tabqa and Ain Issa in the northern province of Raqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

According to a newspaper close to the Damascus regime, Syrian forces were also expected to deploy in the areas of Manbij and the border town of Kobane.

The main remaining flashpoint along the border was the town of Ras al-Ain, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have put up stiff resistance against Turkish air strikes and shelling for almost a week.

"There is a large tunnel network under the town" said Abou Bassam, a Syrian rebel commander fighting with Ankara's forces.

The SDF "are moving swiftly, mostly underground, and all buildings in Ras al Ain have trenches" he told AFP.

According to Observatory, the Turkish attack -- which uses Syrian proxies on the ground -- has already left 128 SDF fighters and 69 civilians dead.

The United Nations says 130,000 people have been displaced.&nbsp;

Rising toll

On the Turkish side, four soldiers and 18 civilians have been confirmed killed in six days, either in fighting or from Kurdish cross-border fire, according to Turkish sources.

The Observatory put the number of pro-Turkish Syrian forces killed in the offensive at 94.

An internal document circulated by the Kurdish administration on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, stressed the deal with Damascus was purely of a military nature and did not affect the work of the semi-autonomous institutions.

But the de-facto statelet the Kurdish administration had set up in northeastern Syria has fast unravelled in recent days, with its forces losing control of a 120-kilometre-long segment of the border.

The area that is now under the control of Turkey and its proxies is ethnically Arab-dominated and some residents welcomed Turkish-backed forces.

Betrayal

Kurdish officials and residents alike in northeastern Syria have expressed outrage at what they call a US betrayal that shortchanges the sacrifices made in the fight against IS.

Since 2014, the SDF have been the US-led anti-IS coalition's main partner on the ground in Syria, spearheading some key battles on the way to eliminating the jihadists' self-proclaimed "caliphate" earlier this year.

"The United States has lost its defeat mechanism against the Islamic State," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in a brief.

"It took years for the US to realise that the SDF were the only capable partners. They will not partner with us again," it said.

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal.

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal. Outgunned and without US protection, the autonomous Kurds in northeastern Syria had few other options to stop the rapid advance of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies. Also read: Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump Turkey wants to create a roughly 30-kilometre (20-mile) buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay and also to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts. The United States and its partners, who spent years fighting alongside the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria before deserting them, have condemned the Turkish invasion, but their threats of sanctions have failed to stop it. Washington says that it is planning to pull out 1,000 troops -- almost the entire ground force -- from Syria's north, in a move welcomed Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a positive approach." The chaos in the areas targeted in the six-day-old Turkish assault has already led to the escape of around 800 foreign women and children linked to IS from a Kurdish-run camp, Kurdish authorities said. The Kurds had repeatedly warned of that scenario when Western countries refused to repatriate their IS-linked nationals and when US President Donald Trump made it clear he wanted to end the US military presence. But Trump on Monday said the Kurds "may be releasing" IS prisoners to keep the US involved in Syria. Wasting no time to fill the void, Moscow -- already the top broker in Syria -- clinched a deal between the Kurds and Damascus, whose ties had been icy since the minority threw its lot with Washington and unilaterally declared self-rule. "In order to prevent and confront this aggression, an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government," the Kurdish administration said in a statement late Sunday. Averting 'genocide' In an editorial published in Foreign Policy magazine, the head of the main Kurdish force wrote: "If we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people." By Monday morning, Syrian government forces were already moving to within several kilometres (miles) of the border, AFP correspondents on the ground said. Residents around the town of Tall Tamr welcomed regime forces with cheers and Syrian state television showed some of them waving national flags and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian troops also deployed in the areas of Tabqa and Ain Issa in the northern province of Raqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. According to a newspaper close to the Damascus regime, Syrian forces were also expected to deploy in the areas of Manbij and the border town of Kobane. The main remaining flashpoint along the border was the town of Ras al-Ain, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have put up stiff resistance against Turkish air strikes and shelling for almost a week. "There is a large tunnel network under the town" said Abou Bassam, a Syrian rebel commander fighting with Ankara's forces. The SDF "are moving swiftly, mostly underground, and all buildings in Ras al Ain have trenches" he told AFP. According to Observatory, the Turkish attack -- which uses Syrian proxies on the ground -- has already left 128 SDF fighters and 69 civilians dead. The United Nations says 130,000 people have been displaced. Rising toll On the Turkish side, four soldiers and 18 civilians have been confirmed killed in six days, either in fighting or from Kurdish cross-border fire, according to Turkish sources. The Observatory put the number of pro-Turkish Syrian forces killed in the offensive at 94. An internal document circulated by the Kurdish administration on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, stressed the deal with Damascus was purely of a military nature and did not affect the work of the semi-autonomous institutions. But the de-facto statelet the Kurdish administration had set up in northeastern Syria has fast unravelled in recent days, with its forces losing control of a 120-kilometre-long segment of the border. The area that is now under the control of Turkey and its proxies is ethnically Arab-dominated and some residents welcomed Turkish-backed forces. Betrayal Kurdish officials and residents alike in northeastern Syria have expressed outrage at what they call a US betrayal that shortchanges the sacrifices made in the fight against IS. Since 2014, the SDF have been the US-led anti-IS coalition's main partner on the ground in Syria, spearheading some key battles on the way to eliminating the jihadists' self-proclaimed "caliphate" earlier this year. "The United States has lost its defeat mechanism against the Islamic State," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in a brief. "It took years for the US to realise that the SDF were the only capable partners. They will not partner with us again," it said.

Syria regime steps in to halt Turkish assault on Kurds

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison.&nbsp;

"There is only one Daesh (Islamic State) prison in our (operation) region and we have seen it was emptied by the YPG (the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia)," Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters.

"There are pictures and films of it," he added, without naming the prison.&nbsp;

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces had allowed jihadists to escape.&nbsp;

"This is actually disinformation aimed at provoking America or the West," he said, quoted by the Hurriyet daily.&nbsp;

Kurdish authorities said Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing.&nbsp;

But relatives back in France told AFP that Kurdish guards had forced the women and children to leave the camp.

"Today (Sunday), the Kurdish guards opened the doors to the foreign women and asked them to leave the camp," said the mother of a 24-year-old woman, who had been kept at the camp with her infant son for the past 18 months.&nbsp;

"They didn't escape. They (the Kurdish forces) didn't want them. They were expecting to be taken over by Syrian or Turkish forces, but they were kicked out. For several days, the bombs were falling closer and closer to the camp, where there were no more NGOs, no more help," she added.&nbsp;

Kurdish forces also claimed that five IS jihadists escaped on Friday from a prison in the region.

Turkey is in the sixth day of its offensive in Syria against the YPG, which it sees as "terrorists" but which were a crucial ally for the United States and western powers against IS.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump denied Monday that removing US troops from the region was risking a mass escape of IS prisoners held by the Kurdish forces.&nbsp;

"Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly," he wrote on Twitter.

France, which accounts for the largest number of European jihadists in Syria, said Sunday it was "worried" by the situation and has called for an end to the Turkish offensive.

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison.

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison. "There is only one Daesh (Islamic State) prison in our (operation) region and we have seen it was emptied by the YPG (the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia)," Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters. "There are pictures and films of it," he added, without naming the prison. Also read: Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces had allowed jihadists to escape. "This is actually disinformation aimed at provoking America or the West," he said, quoted by the Hurriyet daily. Kurdish authorities said Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing. But relatives back in France told AFP that Kurdish guards had forced the women and children to leave the camp. "Today (Sunday), the Kurdish guards opened the doors to the foreign women and asked them to leave the camp," said the mother of a 24-year-old woman, who had been kept at the camp with her infant son for the past 18 months. "They didn't escape. They (the Kurdish forces) didn't want them. They were expecting to be taken over by Syrian or Turkish forces, but they were kicked out. For several days, the bombs were falling closer and closer to the camp, where there were no more NGOs, no more help," she added. Kurdish forces also claimed that five IS jihadists escaped on Friday from a prison in the region. Turkey is in the sixth day of its offensive in Syria against the YPG, which it sees as "terrorists" but which were a crucial ally for the United States and western powers against IS. President Donald Trump denied Monday that removing US troops from the region was risking a mass escape of IS prisoners held by the Kurdish forces. "Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly," he wrote on Twitter. France, which accounts for the largest number of European jihadists in Syria, said Sunday it was "worried" by the situation and has called for an end to the Turkish offensive.

Turkey denies offensive triggered IS prison break

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda.

So is Putin’s push for Saudi Arabia to finalise the acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-missile defence system in the wake of the failure of US weaponry to intercept drones and missiles that last month struck key Saudi oil installations.

“We are ready to help Saudi Arabia protect their people. They need to make clever decisions…by deciding to buy the most advanced S-400 air-defence systems. These kinds of systems are capable of defending any kind of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia from any kind of attack,” Putin said immediately after the attacks.

Putin’s push for a multilateral security approach is helped by changing realities in the Gulf as a result of President Donald Trump’s repeated recent demonstrations of his unreliability as an ally.

Doubts about Trump have been fuelled by his reluctance to respond more forcefully to perceived Iranian provocations, including the downing of a US drone in June and the September attacks on the Saudi facilities as well as his distancing himself from Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu following last month’s elections, and most recently, the president’s leaving the Kurds to their own devices as they confront a Turkish invasion in Syria.

Framed in transactional terms in which Saudi Arabia pays for a service, Trump’s decision this week to send up to 3,000 troops and additional air defences to the kingdom is likely to do little to enhance confidence in his reliability.

By comparison, Putin, with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping, seems a much more reliable partner even if Riyadh differs with Moscow and Beijing on key issues, including Iran, Syria and Turkey.

“While Russia is a reliable ally, the US is not. Many in the Middle East may not approve of Moscow supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but they respect Vladimir Putin for sticking by Russia’s beleaguered ally in Syria,” said Middle East scholar and commentator Mark N Katz.

In a twist of irony, Trump’s unreliability coupled with an Iran’s strategy of gradual escalation in response to the president’s imposition of harsh economic sanctions in a bid to force the Islamic republic to the negotiating table appear to have moderated what was perceived as a largely disastrous assertive and robust go-it-alone Saudi foreign and defense policy posture in recent years.

While everyone would benefit from a dialling down of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Trump’s overall performance as the guarantor of security in the Gulf could in the longer term pave the way for a more multilateral approach to the region’s security architecture.

In the latest sign of Saudi willingness to step back from the brink, Saudi Arabia is holding back channel talks for the first time in two years with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The talks began after both sides declared partial ceasefires in the more than four-year-long Yemeni war.

The talks potentially open the door to a broader Russian-sponsored deal in the context of some understanding about non-aggression between the kingdom and Iran, in which Saudi Arabia would re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria in exchange for the Islamic republic dropping its support for the Houthis.

Restoring diplomatic relations and reversing the Arab League’s suspension of Syrian membership because of the civil war would constitute a victory for Al-Assad’s main backers, Russia and Iran. It would grant greater legitimacy to a leader viewed by significant segments of the international community as a pariah.

A Saudi-Iranian swap of Syria for Yemen could also facilitate Saudi financial contributions to the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria. Saudi Arabia was conspicuously absent at last month’s Rebuild Syria Expo in Damascus.&nbsp;

Putin is likely to further leverage his enhanced credibility as well as Saudi-Russian cooperation in curtailing oil production to boost prices to persuade Saudi Arabia to follow through on promises to invest in Russia.

Saudi Arabia had agreed to take a stake in Russia’s Novatek Arctic-2 liquefied natural gas complex, acquire Sibur, Russia's largest petrochemical facility, and invest an additional $6 billion in future projects.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak predicted that “about 30 agreements and contracts will be signed during President Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. We are working on it. These are investment projects, and the sum in question is billions of dollars.”

In anticipation of Putin’s visit, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said it was opening its first overseas office in Riyadh.

RDIF and the kingdom's counterpart, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are believed to be looking at some $2.5 billion in investment in technology, medicine, infrastructure, transport and industrial production.

The Russian fund is also discussing with Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, $3 billion in investments in oil services and oil and gas conversion projects.

Saudi interest in economic cooperation with Russia goes beyond economics. Ensuring that world powers have an increasing stake in the kingdom’s security is one pillar of a more multilateral regional approach. 
&nbsp;

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high on his agenda. So is Putin’s push for Saudi Arabia to finalise the acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-missile defence system in the wake of the failure of US weaponry to intercept drones and missiles that last month struck key Saudi oil installations. “We are ready to help Saudi Arabia protect their people. They need to make clever decisions…by deciding to buy the most advanced S-400 air-defence systems. These kinds of systems are capable of defending any kind of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia from any kind of attack,” Putin said immediately after the attacks. Putin’s push for a multilateral security approach is helped by changing realities in the Gulf as a result of President Donald Trump’s repeated recent demonstrations of his unreliability as an ally. Doubts about Trump have been fuelled by his reluctance to respond more forcefully to perceived Iranian provocations, including the downing of a US drone in June and the September attacks on the Saudi facilities as well as his distancing himself from Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu following last month’s elections, and most recently, the president’s leaving the Kurds to their own devices as they confront a Turkish invasion in Syria. Framed in transactional terms in which Saudi Arabia pays for a service, Trump’s decision this week to send up to 3,000 troops and additional air defences to the kingdom is likely to do little to enhance confidence in his reliability. By comparison, Putin, with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping, seems a much more reliable partner even if Riyadh differs with Moscow and Beijing on key issues, including Iran, Syria and Turkey. “While Russia is a reliable ally, the US is not. Many in the Middle East may not approve of Moscow supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but they respect Vladimir Putin for sticking by Russia’s beleaguered ally in Syria,” said Middle East scholar and commentator Mark N Katz. In a twist of irony, Trump’s unreliability coupled with an Iran’s strategy of gradual escalation in response to the president’s imposition of harsh economic sanctions in a bid to force the Islamic republic to the negotiating table appear to have moderated what was perceived as a largely disastrous assertive and robust go-it-alone Saudi foreign and defense policy posture in recent years. While everyone would benefit from a dialling down of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Trump’s overall performance as the guarantor of security in the Gulf could in the longer term pave the way for a more multilateral approach to the region’s security architecture. In the latest sign of Saudi willingness to step back from the brink, Saudi Arabia is holding back channel talks for the first time in two years with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The talks began after both sides declared partial ceasefires in the more than four-year-long Yemeni war. The talks potentially open the door to a broader Russian-sponsored deal in the context of some understanding about non-aggression between the kingdom and Iran, in which Saudi Arabia would re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria in exchange for the Islamic republic dropping its support for the Houthis. Restoring diplomatic relations and reversing the Arab League’s suspension of Syrian membership because of the civil war would constitute a victory for Al-Assad’s main backers, Russia and Iran. It would grant greater legitimacy to a leader viewed by significant segments of the international community as a pariah. A Saudi-Iranian swap of Syria for Yemen could also facilitate Saudi financial contributions to the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria. Saudi Arabia was conspicuously absent at last month’s Rebuild Syria Expo in Damascus. Putin is likely to further leverage his enhanced credibility as well as Saudi-Russian cooperation in curtailing oil production to boost prices to persuade Saudi Arabia to follow through on promises to invest in Russia. Saudi Arabia had agreed to take a stake in Russia’s Novatek Arctic-2 liquefied natural gas complex, acquire Sibur, Russia's largest petrochemical facility, and invest an additional $6 billion in future projects. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak predicted that “about 30 agreements and contracts will be signed during President Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. We are working on it. These are investment projects, and the sum in question is billions of dollars.” In anticipation of Putin’s visit, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said it was opening its first overseas office in Riyadh. RDIF and the kingdom's counterpart, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are believed to be looking at some $2.5 billion in investment in technology, medicine, infrastructure, transport and industrial production. The Russian fund is also discussing with Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, $3 billion in investments in oil services and oil and gas conversion projects. Saudi interest in economic cooperation with Russia goes beyond economics. Ensuring that world powers have an increasing stake in the kingdom’s security is one pillar of a more multilateral regional approach.

Saudi Arabia's interest in Russia goes beyond economics

Most of the 127 persons arrested in connection with cases linked to terror organisation ISIS from across 14 states in the country were inspired by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, according to Inspector-General (IG) of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jum-expanding-into-india-under-guise-of-bangladeshi-migrants-nia-top-offical-255775">National Investigation Agency</a>, Alok Mittal. 
 
Addressing a conference of anti-terror agencies here on Monday, Mittal said that 127 people arrested in ISIS-related cases over the years including 33 from Tamil Nadu, 19 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Kerala, and 14 from Telangana. 
 
Some of the accused arrested in cases related to ISIS have accepted that they were radicalised by the mastermind behind the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka and by the preacher Zakir Naik. 
 
"In three of these ISIS cases from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the accused have admitted that they were radicalised by Zahran Hashim's videos. Hashim, as we know, is the mastermind of the Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka," Mittal said. 
 
"Accused in the majority of these ISIS cases have also admitted that they were radicalised through videos of Zakir Naik and other Islamic preachers, so a case was registered against Naik and his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)," Mittal added. 
 
The inaugural session of the two-day national conference of chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad and Special Task Force (STF) that began here today was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy. 
 
Former IB Special Director and present Nagaland Governor RN Ravi and NIA, DG, YC Modi were also present at the meeting. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-support-terrorism-is-pakistans-state-policy-fatf-has-created-pressure-on-it-ajit-doval-255788">During the conference, one session was dedicated to Jihadi terrorism and the efforts being made to counter the menace.</a>

Most of the 127 persons arrested in connection with cases linked to terror organisation ISIS from across 14 states in the country were inspired by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, according to Inspector-General (IG) of the National Investigation Agency, Alok Mittal.

Most of the 127 persons arrested in connection with cases linked to terror organisation ISIS from across 14 states in the country were inspired by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, according to Inspector-General (IG) of the National Investigation Agency, Alok Mittal. Addressing a conference of anti-terror agencies here on Monday, Mittal said that 127 people arrested in ISIS-related cases over the years including 33 from Tamil Nadu, 19 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Kerala, and 14 from Telangana. Some of the accused arrested in cases related to ISIS have accepted that they were radicalised by the mastermind behind the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka and by the preacher Zakir Naik. "In three of these ISIS cases from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the accused have admitted that they were radicalised by Zahran Hashim's videos. Hashim, as we know, is the mastermind of the Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka," Mittal said. "Accused in the majority of these ISIS cases have also admitted that they were radicalised through videos of Zakir Naik and other Islamic preachers, so a case was registered against Naik and his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)," Mittal added. The inaugural session of the two-day national conference of chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad and Special Task Force (STF) that began here today was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy. Former IB Special Director and present Nagaland Governor RN Ravi and NIA, DG, YC Modi were also present at the meeting. During the conference, one session was dedicated to Jihadi terrorism and the efforts being made to counter the menace.

127 held in connection with ISIS claim they were inspired by videos of Zakir Naik, says NIA Inspector-General

Nearly 800 Islamic State supporters escaped from Syria

By James L Gelvin

Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East.

In a surprise October 6 statement, President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw its troops from northern Syria.

Approximately 1,000 American soldiers had been stationed in that region as a buffer separating Kurdish forces – who had been working with the Americans in the fight against the Islamic State – from Turkish troops. Turkey feared that the Syrian Kurds would link up with Turkey’s Kurdish minority who have demanded autonomy or independence.

On October 9, the Turkish military began its assault, pummeling Kurdish-held territory with artillery and airstrikes. Kurds are rapidly evacuating the region and at least 24 people have been killed in northern Syria. Retaliatory strikes from Syria have killed civilians in southern Turkey.

According to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s goal is to create a buffer zone separating Syria’s Kurds from the Turkish border.

But his country’s attack will do much more than that. If successful, it will destroy the most full-fledged democracy the Middle East has yet to see.

A different way to govern

The Kurds call their autonomous region in Syria “Rojava,” meaning “the land where the sunsets.”

Kurdish-led forces took possession of this swath of territory in northern and eastern Syria from direct Syrian government control in 2012. Then they successfully defended it against the Islamic State.

Kurdish Syria is a small portion of a territory, known as Kurdistan, that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Kurdistan is home to approximately 25-35 million Kurds, a cultural and ethnic minority in the Middle East.

The key to understanding the Rojava project, as those involved often refer to it, is the notion of “confederalism.” In this form of government, local units – in this case, Kurdistan’s “autonomous regions” – come together in a federation yet retain a great deal of autonomy.

Because sovereign power belongs to the local units and not to a central government, Kurdish confederalism differs from an American-style federal system.

The Kurds are so serious about devolving power to the local level that Rojava’s charter requires each of its three regions to have its own flag. And within each region, local elected councils are in charge. They organize garbage collection, adjudicate disputes and manage public health and safety.

Confederalism sets the Kurds apart from almost every other government in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Across the region, power is concentrated at the top. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is an authoritarian leader who has ruthlessly crushed his opponents in the country’s eight-year civil war. Egypt has a military government. Saudi Arabia has a king.

But Rojava would be an exceptional society almost anywhere.

Rojava’s charter guarantees freedom of expression and assembly and equality of all religious communities and languages. It mandates direct democracy, term limits and gender equality. Men and women share every position in government. Kurdish women have fought the Islamic State in Syria as soldiers in an all-female militia.

In a region where religion and politics are often intertwined, the Kurdish state is secular. Religious leaders cannot serve in politics. Rojava’s charter even affirms the right of all citizens to a healthy environment.

Surrounding countries, including Syria, also have constitutions with eloquent endorsements of political and human rights.

In Rojava, however, the constitution is actually in effect. Syrian Kurds have realized the dream of the 2010-2011 pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world.

Rojava’s downsides

Internal cleavages in Syria’s Kurdish community undermine the Rojava project – namely, the perpetual jockeying for power between rival Kurdish clans and the struggle for preeminence among Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds.

The Kurds also have a troubled relationship with Syria’s Arabs and other groups. Beginning in the 1960s, the Syrian government began moving other populations to Kurdish territory to challenge Kurdish dominance there, sparking Kurdish resentment.

The devastation wrought by the Islamic State – such as the mass murder of the Yazidis, a religious minority within the Kurdish community, and sexual enslavement of their women – further fueled this resentment.

There have been numerous reports of Kurdish soldiers taking violent revenge against captured Islamic State members, alleged collaborators and even entire villages suspected of aiding the Islamic State enemy.

The Kurdish region of Syria also has some politically problematic origins.

The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party – Rojava’s leading political party – played an outsized role in the creation of Rojava. The party is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a far-left militant group that has fought against the Turkish government, first for the independence of Kurds from Turkey in the 1980s and 1990s, then – in the early 2000s – for their autonomy within Turkish borders.

Many Kurds in Rojava consider PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan a national hero. It was Ocalan who came up with the idea of confederalism in the first place, back in 2005.

But both Turkey and the United States consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization. The PKK is currently conducting an insurgency against the Turkish government.

Danger ahead 
 
The Rojava project is now in imminent peril.

Even if Turkey hadn’t launched its military offensive, Rojava would probably still have a tenuous future.

The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party has refused to take sides in the Syrian civil war. Its vision, now realized, lay elsewhere.

Nevertheless, it is doubtful that the Syrian regime will reward Kurds for their relative impartiality during the civil war. Nor is it likely that the regime will reward them for limiting their goal to autonomy instead of independence.

The reason: Rojava sits atop Syria’s largest oil fields.

(James L Gelvin is Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/turkish-attack-on-syria-endangers-a-remarkable-democratic-experiment-by-the-kurds-125105">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By James L Gelvin Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East.

By James L Gelvin Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East. In a surprise October 6 statement, President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw its troops from northern Syria. Approximately 1,000 American soldiers had been stationed in that region as a buffer separating Kurdish forces – who had been working with the Americans in the fight against the Islamic State – from Turkish troops. Turkey feared that the Syrian Kurds would link up with Turkey’s Kurdish minority who have demanded autonomy or independence. On October 9, the Turkish military began its assault, pummeling Kurdish-held territory with artillery and airstrikes. Kurds are rapidly evacuating the region and at least 24 people have been killed in northern Syria. Retaliatory strikes from Syria have killed civilians in southern Turkey. According to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s goal is to create a buffer zone separating Syria’s Kurds from the Turkish border. But his country’s attack will do much more than that. If successful, it will destroy the most full-fledged democracy the Middle East has yet to see. A different way to govern The Kurds call their autonomous region in Syria “Rojava,” meaning “the land where the sunsets.” Kurdish-led forces took possession of this swath of territory in northern and eastern Syria from direct Syrian government control in 2012. Then they successfully defended it against the Islamic State. Kurdish Syria is a small portion of a territory, known as Kurdistan, that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Kurdistan is home to approximately 25-35 million Kurds, a cultural and ethnic minority in the Middle East. The key to understanding the Rojava project, as those involved often refer to it, is the notion of “confederalism.” In this form of government, local units – in this case, Kurdistan’s “autonomous regions” – come together in a federation yet retain a great deal of autonomy. Because sovereign power belongs to the local units and not to a central government, Kurdish confederalism differs from an American-style federal system. The Kurds are so serious about devolving power to the local level that Rojava’s charter requires each of its three regions to have its own flag. And within each region, local elected councils are in charge. They organize garbage collection, adjudicate disputes and manage public health and safety. Confederalism sets the Kurds apart from almost every other government in the Middle East. Across the region, power is concentrated at the top. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is an authoritarian leader who has ruthlessly crushed his opponents in the country’s eight-year civil war. Egypt has a military government. Saudi Arabia has a king. But Rojava would be an exceptional society almost anywhere. Rojava’s charter guarantees freedom of expression and assembly and equality of all religious communities and languages. It mandates direct democracy, term limits and gender equality. Men and women share every position in government. Kurdish women have fought the Islamic State in Syria as soldiers in an all-female militia. In a region where religion and politics are often intertwined, the Kurdish state is secular. Religious leaders cannot serve in politics. Rojava’s charter even affirms the right of all citizens to a healthy environment. Surrounding countries, including Syria, also have constitutions with eloquent endorsements of political and human rights. In Rojava, however, the constitution is actually in effect. Syrian Kurds have realized the dream of the 2010-2011 pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world. Rojava’s downsides Internal cleavages in Syria’s Kurdish community undermine the Rojava project – namely, the perpetual jockeying for power between rival Kurdish clans and the struggle for preeminence among Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds. The Kurds also have a troubled relationship with Syria’s Arabs and other groups. Beginning in the 1960s, the Syrian government began moving other populations to Kurdish territory to challenge Kurdish dominance there, sparking Kurdish resentment. The devastation wrought by the Islamic State – such as the mass murder of the Yazidis, a religious minority within the Kurdish community, and sexual enslavement of their women – further fueled this resentment. There have been numerous reports of Kurdish soldiers taking violent revenge against captured Islamic State members, alleged collaborators and even entire villages suspected of aiding the Islamic State enemy. The Kurdish region of Syria also has some politically problematic origins. The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party – Rojava’s leading political party – played an outsized role in the creation of Rojava. The party is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a far-left militant group that has fought against the Turkish government, first for the independence of Kurds from Turkey in the 1980s and 1990s, then – in the early 2000s – for their autonomy within Turkish borders. Many Kurds in Rojava consider PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan a national hero. It was Ocalan who came up with the idea of confederalism in the first place, back in 2005. But both Turkey and the United States consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization. The PKK is currently conducting an insurgency against the Turkish government. Danger ahead The Rojava project is now in imminent peril. Even if Turkey hadn’t launched its military offensive, Rojava would probably still have a tenuous future. The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party has refused to take sides in the Syrian civil war. Its vision, now realized, lay elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is doubtful that the Syrian regime will reward Kurds for their relative impartiality during the civil war. Nor is it likely that the regime will reward them for limiting their goal to autonomy instead of independence. The reason: Rojava sits atop Syria’s largest oil fields. (James L Gelvin is Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turkish attack on Syria endangers a remarkable democratic experiment by the Kurds

Several dozen protesters gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House in Washington on Tuesday (October 8) to demand President Donald Trump reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northeastern Syria, opening the door to a Turkish offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters.

Kurds rally outside White House - 'Don't let your allies perish'

India is conscious of threats emanating from the ISIS and is taking necessary precautions, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Wednesday. "ISIS terror group, which is hitherto a problem in West Asia, has slowly started expanding its tentacles into the Indian Ocean region, certain countries have already become a target of terror activities," he said while speaking to ANI after the conclusion of the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC).

India is conscious of threats emanating from the ISIS and is taking necessary precautions, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Wednesday. "ISIS terror group, which is hitherto a problem in West Asia, has slowly started expanding its tentacles into the Indian Ocean region, certain countries have already become a target of terror activities," he said while speaking to ANI after the conclusion of the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC). "So far as India is concerned, we are conscious of our threats and challenges emanating from west Asia. We are taking necessary precautions," added Madhav, who is also director of India Foundation. "Indian government is taking full care that India doesn`t provide space for any such an organisation," he said. Securing the Indian Ocean was one of the main themes of discussion at the two-day conference. Madhav said one of the threats that region faces is terrorism. "One of the threats that the Indian Ocean region faces is terrorism and in that, we have multiple state-sponsored and non-stake actors among which is ISIS also. Some countries in the region already have the experience of ISIS terror. So naturally regional powers express concerns over growing ISIS shadow over these countries," said Madhav. Leaders of Sri Lanka and the Maldives also underlined during the conference the need to forge strategy in tackling ISIS.

India is taking full care of ISIS threat: Ram Madhav

A 19-year-old man of Pakistani origin was on Friday charged for plotting a "lone wolf" attack inspired by the terror group Islamic State (ISIS) in New York City.&nbsp;

According to a criminal complaint filed against Awais Chudhary, a US naturalised citizen born in Pakistan, the suspect was planning to carry out a knife attack in Queens area on behalf of the ISIS and wanted to record his attack to inspire others to commit such violent acts.

The suspect allegedly ordered a tactical knife, a mask, gloves and a cellphone chest-and-head strap to record the attack. He was arrested on Thursday night while trying to pick up those items from an online vendor's retail location, Fox News reported.

The next day, a court charged the suspect on one count of attempting to provide material support to a "designated foreign terrorist organisation".&nbsp;

His bail request was also denied. Police said that Chaudhary had planned to conduct attacks at two locations in Queens -- the World's Fair Marina and a pedestrian bridge over the Grand Central Parkway to the Flushing Bay Promenade. The Counterterrorism Bureau of the New York Police Department (NYPD) said that Chaudhary conducted pre-operational surveillance of the target location, surrounding areas and possible escape routes.

"In collaboration with our federal partners at the FBI New York Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF), we have intercepted and thwarted a planned terrorist attack in the Flushing area of Queens," it tweeted."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In collaboration with our federal partners at the FBI New York Joint 
Terrorist Task Force (JTTF), we have intercepted and thwarted a planned 
terrorist attack in the Flushing area of Queens, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYC</a>. 1/5<a href="https://twitter.com/EDNYnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EDNYnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkFBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewYorkFBI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/kscEvNaEJ0">pic.twitter.com/kscEvNaEJ0</a>
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDCT/status/1167522132903026688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Awais Chudhary was planning to carry out a "lone wolf" style knife attack targeting the residents of #NYC in the name of ISIS. This case moved rapidly from planning to execution. Chudhary's target was the Flushing Bay Promenade near the World`s Fair Marina," the bureau said."Thanks to great work of the JTTF, made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, we are glad to be reporting an arrest in this case instead of a successful attack," it wrote.

If convicted, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.

A 19-year-old man of Pakistani origin was on Friday charged for plotting a "lone wolf" attack inspired by the terror group Islamic State (ISIS) in New York City.

A 19-year-old man of Pakistani origin was on Friday charged for plotting a "lone wolf" attack inspired by the terror group Islamic State (ISIS) in New York City. According to a criminal complaint filed against Awais Chudhary, a US naturalised citizen born in Pakistan, the suspect was planning to carry out a knife attack in Queens area on behalf of the ISIS and wanted to record his attack to inspire others to commit such violent acts. The suspect allegedly ordered a tactical knife, a mask, gloves and a cellphone chest-and-head strap to record the attack. He was arrested on Thursday night while trying to pick up those items from an online vendor's retail location, Fox News reported. The next day, a court charged the suspect on one count of attempting to provide material support to a "designated foreign terrorist organisation". His bail request was also denied. Police said that Chaudhary had planned to conduct attacks at two locations in Queens -- the World's Fair Marina and a pedestrian bridge over the Grand Central Parkway to the Flushing Bay Promenade. The Counterterrorism Bureau of the New York Police Department (NYPD) said that Chaudhary conducted pre-operational surveillance of the target location, surrounding areas and possible escape routes. "In collaboration with our federal partners at the FBI New York Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF), we have intercepted and thwarted a planned terrorist attack in the Flushing area of Queens," it tweeted." In collaboration with our federal partners at the FBI New York Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF), we have intercepted and thwarted a planned terrorist attack in the Flushing area of Queens, #NYC. 1/5@EDNYnews @NewYorkFBI @TheJusticeDept @FBI @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/kscEvNaEJ0 — NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) August 30, 2019 × Awais Chudhary was planning to carry out a "lone wolf" style knife attack targeting the residents of #NYC in the name of ISIS. This case moved rapidly from planning to execution. Chudhary's target was the Flushing Bay Promenade near the World`s Fair Marina," the bureau said."Thanks to great work of the JTTF, made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, we are glad to be reporting an arrest in this case instead of a successful attack," it wrote. If convicted, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.

Pakistan-origin man charged for plotting ISIS-inspired knife attack in New York City

Sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at five locations linked to alleged ISIS sympathisers on Thursday.

Raids were conducted at the residences of Umar Farooq in GM Nagar, Shanofar Ali at Vincent Road, Shamesa Mubin at Slum Clearance Board Apartment, Vincent Road, Mohammad Yasir at Bilal Estate and Saddam Hussain at Palli Street, GM Nagar.

All five are being questioned. Laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, and pen-drives have been seized. Further information is awaited&nbsp;

Sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at five locations linked to alleged ISIS sympathisers on Thursday. Raids were conducted at the residences of Umar Farooq in GM Nagar, Shanofar Ali at Vincent Road, Shamesa Mubin at Slum Clearance Board Apartment, Vincent Road, Mohammad Yasir at Bilal Estate and Saddam Hussain at Palli Street, GM Nagar.

Sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at five locations linked to alleged ISIS sympathisers on Thursday. Raids were conducted at the residences of Umar Farooq in GM Nagar, Shanofar Ali at Vincent Road, Shamesa Mubin at Slum Clearance Board Apartment, Vincent Road, Mohammad Yasir at Bilal Estate and Saddam Hussain at Palli Street, GM Nagar. All five are being questioned. Laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, and pen-drives have been seized. Further information is awaited

Coimbatore: NIA conducts raids at locations linked to ISIS sympathisers

Mobile cinema brings movie magic to Syria Kurd children

Afghanistan is in the grip of violence again. Two brutal attacks have been taken place in two days. Watch this video to know more.

Series of blasts in Eastern Afghanistan

China's Syria envoy said on Tuesday that "terrorist organisations" including the Islamic State group are being revived in the war-ravaged country, urging the international community not to ignore the "early warning" signs.

China's Syria envoy said on Tuesday that "terrorist organisations" including the Islamic State group are being revived in the war-ravaged country, urging the international community not to ignore the "early warning" signs. Xie Xiaoyan, Beijing's point man for the Syrian conflict, made the comments after meeting in Geneva with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen. "There is now a danger of terrorist organisations like ISIS being revived," Xie told reporters, using another acronym for IS. "The international community should pay attention to." IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" there, but offensives in both countries reclaimed the territory. Xie's Geneva visit came as concern mounts over a possible major offensive by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on Idlib, a jihadist-run area in the northwest which is the last major opposition stronghold in Syria. The UN has warned that an assault on Idlib could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe. Idlib has for several years served as a reception zone for those escaping government advances elsewhere in the country, who now number in their hundreds of thousands. Today they have nowhere to run in case of a full assault on Idlib. Asked about Beijing's position on a prospective of such an assault and the humanitarian fallout, Xie described the issue as "very complicated". "We all know that this is the last stronghold of some of the terrorist organisations... so this is an issue that needs to be dealt with," he said. "The fight against terrorism is not finished yet." Since January, Idlib has been administered by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by jihadists from Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

China warns on Islamic State revival in Syria

Watch WION's exclusive story on a former Islamist and wife of ISIS commander.

The story of a former Islamist and wife of ISIS commander | WION Exclusive

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist.

Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration.&nbsp;

She was radicalised at age 17, after the September 11 terror attacks in New York.

"We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism with an organisation through workshops for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course", Tania said.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

WION - Do you think that ISIS will get dismantled ever as there are reports of their regrouping in Syria again? There are reports also of them expanding to other regions in Asia.

Tania Joya - They have been dismantled but they can regroup and they have a plan for that. They are not going to stop their agenda and are waiting to regroup. I know that they are growing in the Philippines and also in Afghanistan. I don't know much about their growth in Asia or India.

WION - Can you tell us something about your background and where are you living now? Also, about your story of transition from a ranking ISIS member to now a deradicalisation activist?

Tania Joya - I was a British Bengali, grew up in England and when I was 17-18, I was radicalised and became a Muslim fundamentalist and after September 11, I got married at 19 to my ex-husband John Georgelas (Yahya al-Bahrumi). We travelled together. We were married for about 10 years, but the marriage was dysfunctional and wasn't perfect. I have four children with him. I wanted to leave the marriage as it was very difficult.

I did not have the right to divorce, I did not have the permission to leave the house without his permission. Before I was married, I did not realise how tough my life would be. Once I got married, I was pretty much stuck. 10 years later in 2013, we were in Turkey, my ex-husband took us across the border where I informed US authorities that I need to get away from my ex-husband as I was afraid for the life of my children. I crossed the border back to Turkey and I returned to US and currently living in Dallas.

WION - How do you think your story evolution as a woman and independent thinker should now be heard?

Tania Joya - I think that I can be a good role model for lost kids,&nbsp;lot of teenagers growing in the west, having an identity crisis and mental breakdown. They turn to a coping mechanism through drugs or religion or something else.

They aren't given counselling as well.&nbsp;I would like to show young people to not give up on life as I did. When I decided to be a Muslim fundamentalist, I gave up my will power and my rights as a human being. I did it subconsciously and did not realise what I was doing. So I would like to speak up and help other young girls to encourage that you can have spiritual power. You have to work at this life as we do not have any other evidence that the other life that we are going to have would be real or not. So, we would focus on this life and should not give up easily. Because if you work on it, you can get better. I was labelled as former extremist, I was not extremist as I did not use violence. But I was definitely fundamentalist. So my story alone can show a lot of girls, and I know other women who are stuck in marriage can't get out. But when they see how I managed, it gives them some hope. I want to help others who were like me feeling helpless. I want to get them out of domestic abuses and get them rebuild themselves and find them who they were.

WION - From a hardcore jihadist to de-radicalisation activist, how have people around you accepted you? If you come across women leading on the same path as you did, what are you going to say to them?

Tania Joya - Well, I am in America and in America, people are very different from England. Since I am in America, it was the American values that changed my ideology. Like I did not know about the constitutional bill of rights when I was growing in the UK. I learned about the value system in the US. I understood that it is better than Islam, being in America, I was not afraid of questioning of religion. I had the freedom to do that. I did not have the Muslim community that would tell me that I was weak or I was not a good Muslim. It really changed my life. A lot of extremism has to do with the environment. If a person is in that environment, they also think the same way. So once you put that individual out and put them into a different space, they can adjust and start learning and becoming something new.

I hope to break these toxic environments and want to dismantle them. We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism that way. At least in the West, we are going to start it with America first and then the West. I also work for an organisation, which prevents violent extremism programming and conduct workshops which is for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course which breaks up all the stages when people radicalised.&nbsp;The workshop is free and we are going to the therapist and will help individuals from extremism the prisons are more terrible. We want to break that delusion and we want to bring them back into reality. It is hard as it has been for myself because I had to go through the other mental breakdown and had to realise how wrong I was.

WION - You are often referred to as "First lady of ISIS", how do you come up with such taglines and how did you felt on knowing this after you were completely out of such things?

Tania Joya - Yes, well that's a terrible name. But all those names like "ISIS bride", and all these labels are terrible. I was married to the highest-ranking American in ISIS and he was the commander. He enjoyed ISIS but I separated from him and came to America. But those names are in self a headline I guess. But I am not an ISIS bride. I was a fundamentalist and married to extremist and finally got out with my children.&nbsp;

You have to accept and do not need to question. Because if you are questioning, you are sinning. Part of my de-radicalisation was educating myself. I was always interested in psychology, philosophy and different religion of the middle east before Islam. Every woman deserves better as they are not property. No one is property. Women and children have equal rights as men do.

WION - What events manipulated you and made you close to radicalisation?

Tania Joya - Well, first my children, when I came to America I already came to the acceptance that Islam is not perfect. I got to stop pretending, after having children, I really did not want my children to be like their dad or their dad's friends for the way they use to treat their women. I wanted to see my children live life and help people rather than destroying it. Because extremists do not want to save the world or environment and are not concerned. They are irresponsible&nbsp;and I do not want to see the end of my children. I do not want to be parents like you see the Kurdish camps separating children every day was fear, natural materialist fear and I could not switch off that voice that I want to make my children feel safe. I see woman brainwashed to a different level.

WION - What is the one message that you want to give out to all the women out there?

Tania Joya - My message to women is to aim high and don't settle for less. Educate yourself and do not depend upon anyone. You should know that you are worthy.

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist. Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration.

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist. Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration. She was radicalised at age 17, after the September 11 terror attacks in New York. "We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism with an organisation through workshops for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course", Tania said. Edited excerpts of the interview: WION - Do you think that ISIS will get dismantled ever as there are reports of their regrouping in Syria again? There are reports also of them expanding to other regions in Asia. Tania Joya - They have been dismantled but they can regroup and they have a plan for that. They are not going to stop their agenda and are waiting to regroup. I know that they are growing in the Philippines and also in Afghanistan. I don't know much about their growth in Asia or India. WION - Can you tell us something about your background and where are you living now? Also, about your story of transition from a ranking ISIS member to now a deradicalisation activist? Tania Joya - I was a British Bengali, grew up in England and when I was 17-18, I was radicalised and became a Muslim fundamentalist and after September 11, I got married at 19 to my ex-husband John Georgelas (Yahya al-Bahrumi). We travelled together. We were married for about 10 years, but the marriage was dysfunctional and wasn't perfect. I have four children with him. I wanted to leave the marriage as it was very difficult. I did not have the right to divorce, I did not have the permission to leave the house without his permission. Before I was married, I did not realise how tough my life would be. Once I got married, I was pretty much stuck. 10 years later in 2013, we were in Turkey, my ex-husband took us across the border where I informed US authorities that I need to get away from my ex-husband as I was afraid for the life of my children. I crossed the border back to Turkey and I returned to US and currently living in Dallas. WION - How do you think your story evolution as a woman and independent thinker should now be heard? Tania Joya - I think that I can be a good role model for lost kids, lot of teenagers growing in the west, having an identity crisis and mental breakdown. They turn to a coping mechanism through drugs or religion or something else. They aren't given counselling as well. I would like to show young people to not give up on life as I did. When I decided to be a Muslim fundamentalist, I gave up my will power and my rights as a human being. I did it subconsciously and did not realise what I was doing. So I would like to speak up and help other young girls to encourage that you can have spiritual power. You have to work at this life as we do not have any other evidence that the other life that we are going to have would be real or not. So, we would focus on this life and should not give up easily. Because if you work on it, you can get better. I was labelled as former extremist, I was not extremist as I did not use violence. But I was definitely fundamentalist. So my story alone can show a lot of girls, and I know other women who are stuck in marriage can't get out. But when they see how I managed, it gives them some hope. I want to help others who were like me feeling helpless. I want to get them out of domestic abuses and get them rebuild themselves and find them who they were. WION - From a hardcore jihadist to de-radicalisation activist, how have people around you accepted you? If you come across women leading on the same path as you did, what are you going to say to them? Tania Joya - Well, I am in America and in America, people are very different from England. Since I am in America, it was the American values that changed my ideology. Like I did not know about the constitutional bill of rights when I was growing in the UK. I learned about the value system in the US. I understood that it is better than Islam, being in America, I was not afraid of questioning of religion. I had the freedom to do that. I did not have the Muslim community that would tell me that I was weak or I was not a good Muslim. It really changed my life. A lot of extremism has to do with the environment. If a person is in that environment, they also think the same way. So once you put that individual out and put them into a different space, they can adjust and start learning and becoming something new. I hope to break these toxic environments and want to dismantle them. We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism that way. At least in the West, we are going to start it with America first and then the West. I also work for an organisation, which prevents violent extremism programming and conduct workshops which is for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course which breaks up all the stages when people radicalised. The workshop is free and we are going to the therapist and will help individuals from extremism the prisons are more terrible. We want to break that delusion and we want to bring them back into reality. It is hard as it has been for myself because I had to go through the other mental breakdown and had to realise how wrong I was. WION - You are often referred to as "First lady of ISIS", how do you come up with such taglines and how did you felt on knowing this after you were completely out of such things? Tania Joya - Yes, well that's a terrible name. But all those names like "ISIS bride", and all these labels are terrible. I was married to the highest-ranking American in ISIS and he was the commander. He enjoyed ISIS but I separated from him and came to America. But those names are in self a headline I guess. But I am not an ISIS bride. I was a fundamentalist and married to extremist and finally got out with my children. You have to accept and do not need to question. Because if you are questioning, you are sinning. Part of my de-radicalisation was educating myself. I was always interested in psychology, philosophy and different religion of the middle east before Islam. Every woman deserves better as they are not property. No one is property. Women and children have equal rights as men do. WION - What events manipulated you and made you close to radicalisation? Tania Joya - Well, first my children, when I came to America I already came to the acceptance that Islam is not perfect. I got to stop pretending, after having children, I really did not want my children to be like their dad or their dad's friends for the way they use to treat their women. I wanted to see my children live life and help people rather than destroying it. Because extremists do not want to save the world or environment and are not concerned. They are irresponsible and I do not want to see the end of my children. I do not want to be parents like you see the Kurdish camps separating children every day was fear, natural materialist fear and I could not switch off that voice that I want to make my children feel safe. I see woman brainwashed to a different level. WION - What is the one message that you want to give out to all the women out there? Tania Joya - My message to women is to aim high and don't settle for less. Educate yourself and do not depend upon anyone. You should know that you are worthy.

'I can be good role model for those having identity crisis and mental breakdown', says ISIS first lady to WION

Just 5 months ago, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that ISIS has been defeated but according to a Pentagon report released last week, ISIS is regrouping and they are looking to strike back. Watch full video to know more.

ISIS rebuilding in Iraq, Pentagon report says

Over 1,400 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deported-from-turkey-syrians-return-to-unfamiliar-country-239462">Syrian refugees have returned to their country</a> from Jordan and Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

'Over the past day, 1,412 people returned to the Syrian Arab Republic from the territory of foreign states: 311 people, including 93 women and 158 children, from Lebanon via the Jaydet-Yabus and Talkalakh checkpoints; and 1,101 people, including 330 women and 562 children, from Jordan via the Nassib checkpoint,' Russia's Center for the Reception, Allocation and Accommodation of Refugees, which is looked after the country's defence ministry, said in its daily bulletin.

According to the bulletin, the Syrian engineering units defused 40 explosive devices throughout the country, clearing 2.5 hectares (6.17 acres) of the territory from mines.

Syria is marred by civil war since 2011.

More than 370,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Syria and abroad since the beginning of the Syrian war in March 2011.

The Russian-backed offensive has so far failed to make major inroads into rebel territory in northern Hama and southern Idlib provinces, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mass-grave-discovered-in-syrias-raqqa-highlighting-islamic-states-brutality-233014">the Islamic State</a> (ISIS or ISIL) is putting up fierce resistance in their last remaining bastion in Syria.

However, Moscow and the Syrian army have repeatedly denied allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas or any campaign to paralyse the daily life in rebel-held areas.

Russia has blamed the terrorist group for breaking a truce by hitting government-held areas and said Turkey has failed to live up to its obligations under a deal brokered last year which created a buffer zone in the area that obliges it to push out rebels.

According to the United Nations, nearly half of the estimated three million inhabitants in northwest Syria - including Idlib province and parts of neighbouring provinces - had already fled the fighting and moved to areas near the border with Turkey.&nbsp;

Over 1,400 Syrian refugees have returned to their country from Jordan and Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. 'Over the past day, 1,412 people returned to the Syrian Arab Republic from the territory of foreign states: 311 people, including 93 women and 158 children, from Lebanon via the Jaydet-Yabus and Talkalakh checkpoints; and 1,101 people, including 330 women and 562 children, from Jordan via the Nassib checkpoint,' Russia's Center for the Reception, Allocation and Accommodation of Refugees, which is looked after the country's defence ministry, said in its daily bulletin.

Over 1,400 Syrian refugees have returned to their country from Jordan and Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. 'Over the past day, 1,412 people returned to the Syrian Arab Republic from the territory of foreign states: 311 people, including 93 women and 158 children, from Lebanon via the Jaydet-Yabus and Talkalakh checkpoints; and 1,101 people, including 330 women and 562 children, from Jordan via the Nassib checkpoint,' Russia's Center for the Reception, Allocation and Accommodation of Refugees, which is looked after the country's defence ministry, said in its daily bulletin. According to the bulletin, the Syrian engineering units defused 40 explosive devices throughout the country, clearing 2.5 hectares (6.17 acres) of the territory from mines. Syria is marred by civil war since 2011. More than 370,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Syria and abroad since the beginning of the Syrian war in March 2011. The Russian-backed offensive has so far failed to make major inroads into rebel territory in northern Hama and southern Idlib provinces, where the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) is putting up fierce resistance in their last remaining bastion in Syria. However, Moscow and the Syrian army have repeatedly denied allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas or any campaign to paralyse the daily life in rebel-held areas. Russia has blamed the terrorist group for breaking a truce by hitting government-held areas and said Turkey has failed to live up to its obligations under a deal brokered last year which created a buffer zone in the area that obliges it to push out rebels. According to the United Nations, nearly half of the estimated three million inhabitants in northwest Syria - including Idlib province and parts of neighbouring provinces - had already fled the fighting and moved to areas near the border with Turkey.

Over 1,400 Syrian refugees returned home in 24 hours: Russia

A man from Kerala, who joined the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-islamic-state-sniper-charged-in-new-york-justice-department-237202">Islamic State (ISIS)</a> in October 2017, reportedly died in an American drone strike in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-in-afghanistan-aspires-to-attack-us-marine-general-frank-mckenzie-226736">Afghanistan</a> on July 18.

According to sources, Muhammad Muhasin, a resident of Edappal town in Malappuram district in Kerala died along with Huzaifa-al-Bakistani, a key commander of the Islamic State in the Khorosan province of Afghanistan.

Bakistani was a highly trained Pakistani terrorist, who radicalised several Indian youths.

The news of Muhammad Muhasin`s death was communicated to his family in Kerala via a WhatsApp message from an unidentified number from Afghanistan.

The text in the Malayalam language said, "Your brother was seeking martyrdom. Allah has fulfilled his wish as per his aspiration. He was martyred 10 days ago in a drone attack by the American forces".

"Please do not reveal this to the police, otherwise they will come to your home and start bothering you. Your brother doesn`t want this", the message read.

Several people from the state, both men and women, have joined ISIS over the last few years. According to government data, accessed by ANI, the majority of people who have joined ISIS from Kerala are from the Kannur city of the state.

As on June 15, nearly 40 people including eight women, from Kannur, have joined the ISIS.

The data further reveals that over the last few years 98 people from Kerala joined the Islamic State, out of which 38 were killed and 60 are still alive and fighting for the terrorist organisation.

Besides Kannur, some misguided people from Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Eranakulam and Thrissur have joined ISIS.

A majority of them were influenced by ISIS through social media. According to sources, most of the pro-ISIS accounts of Malayalee groups are operated from the Gulf countries.&nbsp;

These groups specifically target Muslims from Kerala. The ISIS, which has made inroads in southern India, could potentially extend support to several radical groups like it did in Sri Lanka.

A man from Kerala, who joined the Islamic State (ISIS) in October 2017, reportedly died in an American drone strike in Afghanistan on July 18. According to sources, Muhammad Muhasin, a resident of Edappal town in Malappuram district in Kerala died along with Huzaifa-al-Bakistani, a key commander of the Islamic State in the Khorosan province of Afghanistan.

A man from Kerala, who joined the Islamic State (ISIS) in October 2017, reportedly died in an American drone strike in Afghanistan on July 18. According to sources, Muhammad Muhasin, a resident of Edappal town in Malappuram district in Kerala died along with Huzaifa-al-Bakistani, a key commander of the Islamic State in the Khorosan province of Afghanistan. Bakistani was a highly trained Pakistani terrorist, who radicalised several Indian youths. The news of Muhammad Muhasin`s death was communicated to his family in Kerala via a WhatsApp message from an unidentified number from Afghanistan. The text in the Malayalam language said, "Your brother was seeking martyrdom. Allah has fulfilled his wish as per his aspiration. He was martyred 10 days ago in a drone attack by the American forces". "Please do not reveal this to the police, otherwise they will come to your home and start bothering you. Your brother doesn`t want this", the message read. Several people from the state, both men and women, have joined ISIS over the last few years. According to government data, accessed by ANI, the majority of people who have joined ISIS from Kerala are from the Kannur city of the state. As on June 15, nearly 40 people including eight women, from Kannur, have joined the ISIS. The data further reveals that over the last few years 98 people from Kerala joined the Islamic State, out of which 38 were killed and 60 are still alive and fighting for the terrorist organisation. Besides Kannur, some misguided people from Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Eranakulam and Thrissur have joined ISIS. A majority of them were influenced by ISIS through social media. According to sources, most of the pro-ISIS accounts of Malayalee groups are operated from the Gulf countries. These groups specifically target Muslims from Kerala. The ISIS, which has made inroads in southern India, could potentially extend support to several radical groups like it did in Sri Lanka.

Kerala man, who joined ISIS, dies in US drone strike in Afghanistan

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/easter-attack-bombers-not-linked-islamic-state-ntj-persuaded-terror-group-to-claim-blasts-sri-lanka-investigators-238246">Sri Lanka`s Easter attacks</a> that killed more than 250 people were carried out by local groups who drew inspiration from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group, a top investigator said on Wednesday.

Ravi Seneviratne, the head of Sri Lanka`s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that the suicide bombers who targeted three churches and three hotels had no direct link to the foreign armed group, Al Jazeera reported.

The investigator made the remarks in a meeting with the country`s parliamentary panel investigating the security and intelligence lapses that led to the April 21 bombings."They followed the IS ideology, but our investigations have not shown any link between them," Seneviratne told the parliamentary panel.

He noted that remnants of the National Thowheeth Jamath (NTJ), the armed group that was held responsible for the Easter attacks, had persuaded ISIL to claim the attack two days after the deadly events in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

NTJ leader Zahran Hashim made a video with fellow NTJ members pledging allegiance to ISIL leader Abu Bakr Al-Bagdadi. The video was released by ISIL two days later.

Sri Lanka`s former police chief, Pujith Jayasundara, and former secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Hemasiri Fernando, are currently facing criminal charges over their alleged negligence in failing to prevent the attack.

Several NTJ operatives were known to have travelled to India to meet with fellow extremists there, according to the Sri Lankan military.

Another investigator, Shani Abeysekara, told the same parliamentary panel that the CID found 105 kilogrammes of explosives from an NTJ hideout earlier this year."If not for this discovery, they would have been able to cause much more damage," Abeysekara said, adding that they were already investigating the NTJ when the attacks took place.

In a statement last week, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/drug-gangs-behind-sri-lanka-easter-bombings-president-maithripala-sirisena-236223">Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena</a> alleged the attacks "were the work of international drug dealers" to sabotage his anti-narcotics drive.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka`s Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people were carried out by local groups who drew inspiration from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group, a top investigator said on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka`s Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people were carried out by local groups who drew inspiration from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group, a top investigator said on Wednesday. Ravi Seneviratne, the head of Sri Lanka`s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that the suicide bombers who targeted three churches and three hotels had no direct link to the foreign armed group, Al Jazeera reported. The investigator made the remarks in a meeting with the country`s parliamentary panel investigating the security and intelligence lapses that led to the April 21 bombings."They followed the IS ideology, but our investigations have not shown any link between them," Seneviratne told the parliamentary panel. He noted that remnants of the National Thowheeth Jamath (NTJ), the armed group that was held responsible for the Easter attacks, had persuaded ISIL to claim the attack two days after the deadly events in Sri Lanka. NTJ leader Zahran Hashim made a video with fellow NTJ members pledging allegiance to ISIL leader Abu Bakr Al-Bagdadi. The video was released by ISIL two days later. Sri Lanka`s former police chief, Pujith Jayasundara, and former secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Hemasiri Fernando, are currently facing criminal charges over their alleged negligence in failing to prevent the attack. Several NTJ operatives were known to have travelled to India to meet with fellow extremists there, according to the Sri Lankan military. Another investigator, Shani Abeysekara, told the same parliamentary panel that the CID found 105 kilogrammes of explosives from an NTJ hideout earlier this year."If not for this discovery, they would have been able to cause much more damage," Abeysekara said, adding that they were already investigating the NTJ when the attacks took place. In a statement last week, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena alleged the attacks "were the work of international drug dealers" to sabotage his anti-narcotics drive.

Attackers of Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings were inspired by ISIS

Migrants at a Libyan detention centre say they are forced to live in unhygienic conditions, and often face food shortages.

Migrants stranded at Libya detention centre

India Calls Out Pakistan's Bluff Over Dawood Ibrahim's Whereabouts

Gravitas: The resurgence of Islamic state

Iraqi troops and Iran backed militias launch joint operations

Iraq's all-out crackdown on ISIS

Western donors must ensure that humanitarian aid and any future reconstruction assistance in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/facing-imminent-defeat-in-syria-and-iraq-isis-shifts-its-attention-to-south-asia-214681">Syria</a> do not fuel repression or benefit "cronies" of President Bashar al-Assad, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday.&nbsp;

The Syrian government has kept tight controls on the aid flow into the country throughout its eight-year civil war, often depriving civilians in opposition areas of supplies while favouring loyalists, according to New York-based HRW.

Syrian authorities have denied using starvation tactics as a weapon of war or diverting aid to government-held areas.

In Pictures: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220">Children become victims of 'chemical attack' in Syria</a>

But Human Rights Watch, in a report based on interviews with aid workers and experts, said that UN and other aid agencies had been forced into complicity in selective distributions in order to access some areas.

Donors must be in the "driver`s seat" now that Assad has all but won the war and millions of Syrian refugees consider returning to their homeland where one-third of the infrastructure has been destroyed, the report said.

The Syrian government has proven to be "a master of manipulation when it comes to aid", Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.

"This is an important moment...because it is a moment when the Syria government is also begging the West for billions (of dollars) of new funds for reconstruction aid. So the problems that we have seen are going to recur in spades if there is not a serious effort to address them."

The United States and European Union say they cannot provide aid for reconstruction in Syria without a political transition and end to a war that has killed hundreds of thousands.

The economies of Syria`s main allies Russia and Iran are hurting, Roth said. "So I don`t see other big sources of funds. They are going to be Western funds which gives the Western donors some leverage which we hope that they will exercise."

"Anybody proposing to provide humanitarian or reconstruction assistance in Syria has the responsibility to do basic due diligence to ensure that their funds are going to those in greatest need, that they are not underwriting ongoing repression, that they are not padding the bank accounts of government officials and cronies," he said.

Western donors must ensure that humanitarian aid and any future reconstruction assistance in Syria do not fuel repression or benefit "cronies" of President Bashar al-Assad, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday.

Western donors must ensure that humanitarian aid and any future reconstruction assistance in Syria do not fuel repression or benefit "cronies" of President Bashar al-Assad, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday. The Syrian government has kept tight controls on the aid flow into the country throughout its eight-year civil war, often depriving civilians in opposition areas of supplies while favouring loyalists, according to New York-based HRW. Syrian authorities have denied using starvation tactics as a weapon of war or diverting aid to government-held areas. In Pictures: Children become victims of 'chemical attack' in Syria But Human Rights Watch, in a report based on interviews with aid workers and experts, said that UN and other aid agencies had been forced into complicity in selective distributions in order to access some areas. Donors must be in the "driver`s seat" now that Assad has all but won the war and millions of Syrian refugees consider returning to their homeland where one-third of the infrastructure has been destroyed, the report said. The Syrian government has proven to be "a master of manipulation when it comes to aid", Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. "This is an important moment...because it is a moment when the Syria government is also begging the West for billions (of dollars) of new funds for reconstruction aid. So the problems that we have seen are going to recur in spades if there is not a serious effort to address them." The United States and European Union say they cannot provide aid for reconstruction in Syria without a political transition and end to a war that has killed hundreds of thousands. The economies of Syria`s main allies Russia and Iran are hurting, Roth said. "So I don`t see other big sources of funds. They are going to be Western funds which gives the Western donors some leverage which we hope that they will exercise." "Anybody proposing to provide humanitarian or reconstruction assistance in Syria has the responsibility to do basic due diligence to ensure that their funds are going to those in greatest need, that they are not underwriting ongoing repression, that they are not padding the bank accounts of government officials and cronies," he said.

West must be in 'driver's seat' for Syria reconstruction: Human Rights Watch

The US on Thursday warned European countries they were making a "bad decision" by leaving their nationals who fought with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belgium-takes-back-six-islamic-state-children-227306">Islamic State group</a> in Syria instead of repatriating them to face justice.

The collapse of the IS "caliphate" has left <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-in-afghanistan-aspires-to-attack-us-marine-general-frank-mckenzie-226736">US-backed Syrian rebel forces</a> holding thousands of foreign fighters and many Western countries are reluctant to take them back due to public opposition and fears they could pose a threat.

But James Jeffrey, the US special representative on Syria and Washington's ambassador to the global coalition to defeat ISIS, said that by dodging their responsibility for their citizens, rich countries were risking fresh violence.

"We're talking about countries with per capita incomes about the same as the United States... putting the burden on informal local authorities who are detached from a state structure in the middle of a war zone," Jeffrey told reporters at a meeting of the coalition in Brussels.

"That's a bad decision. Period. If those people break out -&nbsp;many of them are dangerous -&nbsp;they will kill people."

Repatriation is a sensitive issue for Western nations such as France and Britain, which have suffered attacks by homegrown extremists and have little interest in seeing more return.

Britain has even gone as far as stripping some former IS fighters and supporters of citizenship, but the US insists they should be brought home to face the courts.

"They should be prevented from killing people and the best way to do that is to bring them back to Europe and to deal with them in the justice systems of the respective countries," Jeffrey said.&nbsp;

"That's what we're doing in the relatively limited number of cases we have. But we are doing it, why can't they?"

As well as opposition to the cost of detaining the fighters, there are also worries that it could prove difficult to successfully prosecute fighters in European courts for crimes committed in Iraq or Syria.

The coalition met on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers' gathering, and Jeffrey said the new US Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper wanted allies to help the fight against the last remnants of IS in northeast Syria.

The Syrian civil war is likely to come up when Trump meets President Vladimir Putin of Russia -&nbsp;the Syrian government's key backer -&nbsp;at the G20 which starts in Osaka, Japan on Friday.

Jeffrey said the US was in constant contact with Russia over the conflict and had warned Moscow that any use of chemical weapons in the regime's ongoing assault on the city of Idlib could trigger a military response.

"If chemical weapons are used in Idlib, which is always a possibility, we have made it clear that we will take very very firm action," Jeffrey said, pointing out that the US has already carried out strikes in retaliation for Syrian chemical weapons attacks twice.

The US on Thursday warned European countries they were making a "bad decision" by leaving their nationals who fought with the Islamic State group in Syria instead of repatriating them to face justice.

The US on Thursday warned European countries they were making a "bad decision" by leaving their nationals who fought with the Islamic State group in Syria instead of repatriating them to face justice. The collapse of the IS "caliphate" has left US-backed Syrian rebel forces holding thousands of foreign fighters and many Western countries are reluctant to take them back due to public opposition and fears they could pose a threat. But James Jeffrey, the US special representative on Syria and Washington's ambassador to the global coalition to defeat ISIS, said that by dodging their responsibility for their citizens, rich countries were risking fresh violence. "We're talking about countries with per capita incomes about the same as the United States... putting the burden on informal local authorities who are detached from a state structure in the middle of a war zone," Jeffrey told reporters at a meeting of the coalition in Brussels. "That's a bad decision. Period. If those people break out - many of them are dangerous - they will kill people." Repatriation is a sensitive issue for Western nations such as France and Britain, which have suffered attacks by homegrown extremists and have little interest in seeing more return. Britain has even gone as far as stripping some former IS fighters and supporters of citizenship, but the US insists they should be brought home to face the courts. "They should be prevented from killing people and the best way to do that is to bring them back to Europe and to deal with them in the justice systems of the respective countries," Jeffrey said. "That's what we're doing in the relatively limited number of cases we have. But we are doing it, why can't they?" As well as opposition to the cost of detaining the fighters, there are also worries that it could prove difficult to successfully prosecute fighters in European courts for crimes committed in Iraq or Syria. The coalition met on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers' gathering, and Jeffrey said the new US Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper wanted allies to help the fight against the last remnants of IS in northeast Syria. The Syrian civil war is likely to come up when Trump meets President Vladimir Putin of Russia - the Syrian government's key backer - at the G20 which starts in Osaka, Japan on Friday. Jeffrey said the US was in constant contact with Russia over the conflict and had warned Moscow that any use of chemical weapons in the regime's ongoing assault on the city of Idlib could trigger a military response. "If chemical weapons are used in Idlib, which is always a possibility, we have made it clear that we will take very very firm action," Jeffrey said, pointing out that the US has already carried out strikes in retaliation for Syrian chemical weapons attacks twice.

Bad decision by Europe to leave its nationals who fought for Islamic State in Syria: US

A total of 155 members and sympathisers of banned terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) have been arrested in the country so far, the Home Ministry said Tuesday.

Some instances of individuals from different states joining the IS have also come to the notice of central and state security agencies, it said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the state police forces have registered cases against IS members and sympathisers, and have arrested 155 accused from across the country so far, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply to Lok Sabha., it said.

The Islamic State (IS), the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Daesh has been notified as a terrorist organisation and included in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, by the central government.

"The IS is using various Internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyberspace is being closely watched in this regard by agencies concerned and action is taken as per the law," Reddy said.

Coastal states and Union territories are advised to regularly enhance surveillance and patrolling along the coastline, in view of the threat perception, he said.

A total of 155 members and sympathisers of banned terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) have been arrested in the country so far, the Home Ministry said Tuesday.

A total of 155 members and sympathisers of banned terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) have been arrested in the country so far, the Home Ministry said Tuesday. Some instances of individuals from different states joining the IS have also come to the notice of central and state security agencies, it said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the state police forces have registered cases against IS members and sympathisers, and have arrested 155 accused from across the country so far, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply to Lok Sabha., it said. The Islamic State (IS), the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Daesh has been notified as a terrorist organisation and included in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, by the central government. "The IS is using various Internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyberspace is being closely watched in this regard by agencies concerned and action is taken as per the law," Reddy said. Coastal states and Union territories are advised to regularly enhance surveillance and patrolling along the coastline, in view of the threat perception, he said.

155 Islamic State members, sympathisers arrested so far: Home Ministry

Sri Lankan authorities Thursday ordered the first criminal charges against security personnel for "lapses" before the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 258 people.

Nine police officers will face "criminal investigations" for failing to act on warnings ahead of the April 21 bombings on three churches and three hotels carried out by Islamic State-backed jihadists.

In a notice ordering the probe, Attorney General Dappula de Livera said an inquiry commission appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena had found the officers liable for criminal negligence.

All nine were senior officers in the districts where the attacks were carried out.

Authorities have admitted that warnings sent by neighbouring India of an impending attack by a local group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were ignored.

Forty-five foreign nationals were among the dead and 500 people were injured in the attacks. The tourist hotspot has been under a state of emergency since.

Sri Lanka's State Intelligence Service (SIS) has been criticised for failing to act on the Indian warnings.

Sirisena, who is also defence minister and law and order minister, has also faced allegations that he could have prevented the attacks.

The president has objected to a parliamentary investigation into the attacks and ordered police not to cooperate. But the hearings have gone ahead and police have testified before legislators.

Earlier this month, Sirisena sacked national intelligence chief Sisira Mendis after he testified that the attacks could have been prevented. Mendis said the president had failed to hold regular security meetings to assess security threats.

Defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and police chief Pujith Jayasundara also suggested Sirisena did not follow proper protocol in dealing with the intelligence warnings from India.

Fernando was forced to resign, while Jayasundara has been suspended from duty.

Indian intelligence shared information about the targets -- gleaned from a jihadist in Indian custody -- as early as April 4.&nbsp;

Sri Lankan authorities Thursday ordered the first criminal charges against security personnel for "lapses" before the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 258 people.

Sri Lankan authorities Thursday ordered the first criminal charges against security personnel for "lapses" before the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 258 people. Nine police officers will face "criminal investigations" for failing to act on warnings ahead of the April 21 bombings on three churches and three hotels carried out by Islamic State-backed jihadists. In a notice ordering the probe, Attorney General Dappula de Livera said an inquiry commission appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena had found the officers liable for criminal negligence. All nine were senior officers in the districts where the attacks were carried out. Authorities have admitted that warnings sent by neighbouring India of an impending attack by a local group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were ignored. Forty-five foreign nationals were among the dead and 500 people were injured in the attacks. The tourist hotspot has been under a state of emergency since. Sri Lanka's State Intelligence Service (SIS) has been criticised for failing to act on the Indian warnings. Sirisena, who is also defence minister and law and order minister, has also faced allegations that he could have prevented the attacks. The president has objected to a parliamentary investigation into the attacks and ordered police not to cooperate. But the hearings have gone ahead and police have testified before legislators. Earlier this month, Sirisena sacked national intelligence chief Sisira Mendis after he testified that the attacks could have been prevented. Mendis said the president had failed to hold regular security meetings to assess security threats. Defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and police chief Pujith Jayasundara also suggested Sirisena did not follow proper protocol in dealing with the intelligence warnings from India. Fernando was forced to resign, while Jayasundara has been suspended from duty. Indian intelligence shared information about the targets -- gleaned from a jihadist in Indian custody -- as early as April 4.

Sri Lanka to charge police for 'lapses' over Easter attacks

Two suspected ISIS terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the abductions of former prime minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-top-anti-graft-body-files-corruption-case-against-former-prime-minister-164015">Yousaf Raza Gilani</a>'s son and a US national, were killed by Pakistani security agencies in Punjab province, police said Thursday.

The terrorists, identified as Muhammad Rizwan and Imran Saqi, were killed in a late night raid on a house in Multan district on Wednesday, the Punjab Police's counter-terrorism department (CTD) department said.

They were also involved in the killing of three intelligence officers.

In a statement, the CTD said it received information that five terrorists of banned terror group ISIS were hiding in a house in the district, around 350 km from Lahore.&nbsp;

It said a team surrounded the house and told the terrorists to surrender. "The terrorists instead of surrendering opened fire on the raiding team which returned fire, killing two terrorists on the spot while three of their accomplices managed to escape taking advantage of darkness," the CTD said.&nbsp;

The terrorists had planned to attack personnel of intelligence agencies. Nine hand grenades, explosives and weapons were seized from the house, it said.

They were involved in the kidnapping of US national Warren Weinstein in 2011 and Yosuf Gilani's son Ali Haider Gilani in 2013.

Weinstein, who was abducted from Lahore, was accidentally killed in a US drone strike in 2015 on the Afghan border, while Haider Gilani was rescued from Afghanistan after three years.&nbsp;

The terrorists had also killed two police officers in Faisalabad in an attempt to kidnap a senior law enforcement officer. Earlier this year, security agencies killed two other members of the group in Faisalabad in Punjab province.

Two suspected ISIS terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the abductions of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's son and a US national, were killed by Pakistani security agencies in Punjab province, police said Thursday.

Two suspected ISIS terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the abductions of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's son and a US national, were killed by Pakistani security agencies in Punjab province, police said Thursday. The terrorists, identified as Muhammad Rizwan and Imran Saqi, were killed in a late night raid on a house in Multan district on Wednesday, the Punjab Police's counter-terrorism department (CTD) department said. They were also involved in the killing of three intelligence officers. In a statement, the CTD said it received information that five terrorists of banned terror group ISIS were hiding in a house in the district, around 350 km from Lahore. It said a team surrounded the house and told the terrorists to surrender. "The terrorists instead of surrendering opened fire on the raiding team which returned fire, killing two terrorists on the spot while three of their accomplices managed to escape taking advantage of darkness," the CTD said. The terrorists had planned to attack personnel of intelligence agencies. Nine hand grenades, explosives and weapons were seized from the house, it said. They were involved in the kidnapping of US national Warren Weinstein in 2011 and Yosuf Gilani's son Ali Haider Gilani in 2013. Weinstein, who was abducted from Lahore, was accidentally killed in a US drone strike in 2015 on the Afghan border, while Haider Gilani was rescued from Afghanistan after three years. The terrorists had also killed two police officers in Faisalabad in an attempt to kidnap a senior law enforcement officer. Earlier this year, security agencies killed two other members of the group in Faisalabad in Punjab province.

Pakistan security forces kill two terrorist linked to abduction of Yousaf Raza Gilani's son

Three terror suspects arrested in connection with the Kerala-Tamil Nadu ISIS module case were on Saturday sent to judicial custody.

Principal Judicial Magistrate Saktivel sent accused Mohammad Hussain, Shajahan and Safiullah to judicial custody after the trio was presented before him at his residence.

They were arrested in connection with the ISIS module case of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Information was received that the three suspects were staunch supporters of ISIS and have been propagating the terror group's ideologies on social media.

They were also an active supporter of alleged Sri Lankan bombings mastermind Zahran Hashim.

A search was conducted at their residence and digital devices including cell phones, SIM cards computers, hard disks, bank account documents, pen drives, memory cards and certain other incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

Three terror suspects arrested in connection with the Kerala-Tamil Nadu ISIS module case were on Saturday sent to judicial custody. Principal Judicial Magistrate Saktivel sent accused Mohammad Hussain, Shajahan and Safiullah to judicial custody after the trio was presented before him at his residence.

Three terror suspects arrested in connection with the Kerala-Tamil Nadu ISIS module case were on Saturday sent to judicial custody. Principal Judicial Magistrate Saktivel sent accused Mohammad Hussain, Shajahan and Safiullah to judicial custody after the trio was presented before him at his residence. They were arrested in connection with the ISIS module case of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Information was received that the three suspects were staunch supporters of ISIS and have been propagating the terror group's ideologies on social media. They were also an active supporter of alleged Sri Lankan bombings mastermind Zahran Hashim. A search was conducted at their residence and digital devices including cell phones, SIM cards computers, hard disks, bank account documents, pen drives, memory cards and certain other incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

Kerala-Tamil Nadu ISIS module: 3 terror suspects sent to judicial custody

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