<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-searches-at-3-places-in-kerala-as-part-of-probe-into-isis-module-214123">National Investigation Agency (NIA)</a> on Monday arrested a person in connection with Kasargod IS module case.

The accused, identified as Riyas A alias Riyas Aboobacker, was allegedly conspiring to commit a terrorist attack in Kerala.

The accused will be produced in the NIA court in Kochi on Tuesday, according to an NIA statement.

During interrogation, he revealed that he was in online contact with an absconder in the case Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa and was following his audio clips instigating others to carry out attacks in India, the statement added.

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Kerala: NIA arrested one Riyas Aboobacker in connection with Kasaragod ISIS terror module case. He would be produced in a court in Kochi tomorrow
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The accused also disclosed that he was in contact with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, an accused in the Valapattanam ISIS case who is believed to be in Syria.

The accused is also said to have revealed that he had been following speeches and videos of Zahran Hashim from Sri Lanka for more than a year.NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons has been in contact with some of the accused including Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, and Abdul Khayoom who had already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria.

After verification, NIA on Sunday carried out searches at three places (two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad).

Three members have already been interrogated by the NIA for their IS links and plans.

In 2016, 15 persons had disappeared from Kasargod and allegedly migrated to ISIS. The case was registered in the matter with 14 of the accused alleged to have migrated to Afghanistan and one to Syria.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a person in connection with Kasargod IS module case. The accused, identified as Riyas A alias Riyas Aboobacker, was allegedly conspiring to commit a terrorist attack in Kerala.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a person in connection with Kasargod IS module case. The accused, identified as Riyas A alias Riyas Aboobacker, was allegedly conspiring to commit a terrorist attack in Kerala. The accused will be produced in the NIA court in Kochi on Tuesday, according to an NIA statement. During interrogation, he revealed that he was in online contact with an absconder in the case Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa and was following his audio clips instigating others to carry out attacks in India, the statement added. Kerala: NIA arrested one Riyas Aboobacker in connection with Kasaragod ISIS terror module case. He would be produced in a court in Kochi tomorrow — ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019 × The accused also disclosed that he was in contact with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, an accused in the Valapattanam ISIS case who is believed to be in Syria. The accused is also said to have revealed that he had been following speeches and videos of Zahran Hashim from Sri Lanka for more than a year.NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons has been in contact with some of the accused including Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, and Abdul Khayoom who had already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria. After verification, NIA on Sunday carried out searches at three places (two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad). Three members have already been interrogated by the NIA for their IS links and plans. In 2016, 15 persons had disappeared from Kasargod and allegedly migrated to ISIS. The case was registered in the matter with 14 of the accused alleged to have migrated to Afghanistan and one to Syria.

NIA arrests a person in ISIS Kasargod module case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday conducted searches at three places in Kerala as part of its investigation into the ISIS Kasaragod module case.

The probe agency said in a statement that it carried out the searches at the houses of three suspects -- two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad.

"These persons are suspected to have links with some of the accused persons in the said case who had exited India to join the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish," the NIA said in a statement.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

It said that mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs and books of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Syed Kutheb were seized during the searches.

"Digital devices will be forensically examined and analysed," the agency said, adding the three suspects are being questioned.&nbsp;

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday conducted searches at three places in Kerala as part of its investigation into the ISIS Kasaragod module case. The probe agency said in a statement that it carried out the searches at the houses of three suspects -- two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday conducted searches at three places in Kerala as part of its investigation into the ISIS Kasaragod module case. The probe agency said in a statement that it carried out the searches at the houses of three suspects -- two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad. "These persons are suspected to have links with some of the accused persons in the said case who had exited India to join the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish," the NIA said in a statement. It said that mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs and books of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Syed Kutheb were seized during the searches. "Digital devices will be forensically examined and analysed," the agency said, adding the three suspects are being questioned.

NIA searches at 3 places in Kerala as part of probe into ISIS module

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday blasts and released photographs showing the eight suicide bombers who blew themselves up at three churches and four hotels.

It is the worst violence that Sri Lanka has witnessed since the end of the civil war a decade ago. As per official sources, nine suicide bombers of whom eight, including a woman, have been identified, are members of a local Islamist group called National Thowheed Jamat (NTJ).&nbsp;

Incidentally, the Wahabi-aligned NTJ has a significant presence in Tamil Nadu, particularly in districts close to the maritime boundary with Sri Lanka. State minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, acknowledged that advance intelligence received about these blasts had suggested that the attackers were motivated by the Christchurch shootings.&nbsp;

It may be recalled that on March 15 this year, a lone white supremacist from Australia, Brenton Tarrant, attacked two mosques in Christchurch in New Zealand killing 50 worshippers and injuring another 50 while they were offering Friday prayers. India’s intelligence services are said to have alerted Sri Lankan officials at least three times on April 4, April 11 and two hours before the blasts on April 21.

Very specific information regarding churches to be targeted was shared on the basis of information allegedly obtained from an ISIS suspect arrested in Hyderabad by the NIA. Unfortunately, the Sri Lankan authorities did not act on these inputs. This is not the first time that Sri Lanka has ignored specific Indian intelligence inputs.&nbsp;

Even the assassination of the then Leader of the Opposition, Gamini Dissanayake, on October 24, 1994, by a female LTTE suicide bomber in which he and 55 others were killed in a virtual rerun of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, was said to have been shared in great detail and well in advance by Indian intelligence agencies with Sri Lanka, but no preventive action was taken. Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the so-called Caliph, had declared the official existence of ISIS from the now- destroyed Al Nuri mosque in Mosul on June 29, 2014.&nbsp;

After initial successes, it finally ceased to exist as a geographical entity only on March 23, 2019, when the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces officially declared its end by taking over the village of Baghouz and its roughly three-km boundary, which fell to the Kurds. Although officially the ISIS ceased to exist, but as anticipated, the ‘post Caliphate’ face of the ISIS is going to be difficult to tackle.&nbsp;

This is because the ISIS has an ideology that remains attractive to Islamist groups. Thousands of ISIS fighters have dispersed from Iraq and Syria to protect themselves and are trying to return to their countries of origin and so remain a potent threat. &nbsp;Further, the ISIS has very effectively used the internet and social media to create global support. It has succeeded in creating an international terrorist brand, one that anyone from an Islamist terrorist group to an individual, could brandish and conduct violence in its name attaining instant global interest.

So while the fight against the ISIS is over, the fight against its ideology is likely to be a long-drawn war where people, states and leaders will have to come up with better alternatives. The bombings in Sri Lanka show that the threat from ISIS is very real and at our doorstep. There have been a number of reports of Indian youth, particularly from Kerala, Karnataka, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir, being attracted to the ISIS to the extent of going to Syria to fight on their behalf.

Most of them have been radicalised through the internet or through certain Imams belonging to Wahabi extremist ideology. In mid-2014, the ISIS had issued a map depicting parts of north and western India to be a part of the Islamic State of Khorasan. These are areas, which had been ruled by Muslim rulers in the past.&nbsp;

India has a very large Muslim population of close to 180 million, which is the third largest in the world. Happily, most of them are well integrated in Indian society. Although poorly represented in formal jobs, they are largely self-employed or run MSME’s. The low radicalisation of Indian Muslims is attributed to the Sufi and non-Salafi nature of Islam in India. Official estimates put the number of Indian youth joining ISIS to be around 200. In sharp contrast, the neighbouring Maldives which has less than 0.4 million Muslims, has contributed nearly 700 fighters to ISIS.&nbsp;

Given the insidious threat from ISIS ideology, a regional, as well as global response, is urgently required. As events in Sri Lanka have shown, all SAARC countries are vulnerable to ISIS threats. ISIS has a significant presence in Afghanistan and controls a few provinces. Given Pakistan’s ambivalent attitude to terrorism, it is appropriate that India takes the remaining SAARC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, into confidence and works out a multilateral protocol to combat terror and terror financing in general and ISIS in particular.&nbsp;

A well-defined intelligence sharing mechanism and easy deportation of suspects to member countries without a difficult extradition process should be worked out. Steps for de-radicalisation and integrating Muslim youth into society with the sharing of best practices should also be included. Monitoring of cyberspace in real time is also required so that it is not misused for radicalisation. ISIS terrorism is trans-national in character and organisations propagating hatred are building networks around the world.

India’s proposal at the UN for a convention on Countering International Terrorism needs to be revived at the earliest.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-post-sri-lanka-blues-2743764">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday blasts and released photographs showing the eight suicide bombers who blew themselves up at three churches and four hotels.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday blasts and released photographs showing the eight suicide bombers who blew themselves up at three churches and four hotels. It is the worst violence that Sri Lanka has witnessed since the end of the civil war a decade ago. As per official sources, nine suicide bombers of whom eight, including a woman, have been identified, are members of a local Islamist group called National Thowheed Jamat (NTJ). Incidentally, the Wahabi-aligned NTJ has a significant presence in Tamil Nadu, particularly in districts close to the maritime boundary with Sri Lanka. State minister for defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, acknowledged that advance intelligence received about these blasts had suggested that the attackers were motivated by the Christchurch shootings. It may be recalled that on March 15 this year, a lone white supremacist from Australia, Brenton Tarrant, attacked two mosques in Christchurch in New Zealand killing 50 worshippers and injuring another 50 while they were offering Friday prayers. India’s intelligence services are said to have alerted Sri Lankan officials at least three times on April 4, April 11 and two hours before the blasts on April 21. Very specific information regarding churches to be targeted was shared on the basis of information allegedly obtained from an ISIS suspect arrested in Hyderabad by the NIA. Unfortunately, the Sri Lankan authorities did not act on these inputs. This is not the first time that Sri Lanka has ignored specific Indian intelligence inputs. Even the assassination of the then Leader of the Opposition, Gamini Dissanayake, on October 24, 1994, by a female LTTE suicide bomber in which he and 55 others were killed in a virtual rerun of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, was said to have been shared in great detail and well in advance by Indian intelligence agencies with Sri Lanka, but no preventive action was taken. Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the so-called Caliph, had declared the official existence of ISIS from the now- destroyed Al Nuri mosque in Mosul on June 29, 2014. After initial successes, it finally ceased to exist as a geographical entity only on March 23, 2019, when the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces officially declared its end by taking over the village of Baghouz and its roughly three-km boundary, which fell to the Kurds. Although officially the ISIS ceased to exist, but as anticipated, the ‘post Caliphate’ face of the ISIS is going to be difficult to tackle. This is because the ISIS has an ideology that remains attractive to Islamist groups. Thousands of ISIS fighters have dispersed from Iraq and Syria to protect themselves and are trying to return to their countries of origin and so remain a potent threat. Further, the ISIS has very effectively used the internet and social media to create global support. It has succeeded in creating an international terrorist brand, one that anyone from an Islamist terrorist group to an individual, could brandish and conduct violence in its name attaining instant global interest. So while the fight against the ISIS is over, the fight against its ideology is likely to be a long-drawn war where people, states and leaders will have to come up with better alternatives. The bombings in Sri Lanka show that the threat from ISIS is very real and at our doorstep. There have been a number of reports of Indian youth, particularly from Kerala, Karnataka, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir, being attracted to the ISIS to the extent of going to Syria to fight on their behalf. Most of them have been radicalised through the internet or through certain Imams belonging to Wahabi extremist ideology. In mid-2014, the ISIS had issued a map depicting parts of north and western India to be a part of the Islamic State of Khorasan. These are areas, which had been ruled by Muslim rulers in the past. India has a very large Muslim population of close to 180 million, which is the third largest in the world. Happily, most of them are well integrated in Indian society. Although poorly represented in formal jobs, they are largely self-employed or run MSME’s. The low radicalisation of Indian Muslims is attributed to the Sufi and non-Salafi nature of Islam in India. Official estimates put the number of Indian youth joining ISIS to be around 200. In sharp contrast, the neighbouring Maldives which has less than 0.4 million Muslims, has contributed nearly 700 fighters to ISIS. Given the insidious threat from ISIS ideology, a regional, as well as global response, is urgently required. As events in Sri Lanka have shown, all SAARC countries are vulnerable to ISIS threats. ISIS has a significant presence in Afghanistan and controls a few provinces. Given Pakistan’s ambivalent attitude to terrorism, it is appropriate that India takes the remaining SAARC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, into confidence and works out a multilateral protocol to combat terror and terror financing in general and ISIS in particular. A well-defined intelligence sharing mechanism and easy deportation of suspects to member countries without a difficult extradition process should be worked out. Steps for de-radicalisation and integrating Muslim youth into society with the sharing of best practices should also be included. Monitoring of cyberspace in real time is also required so that it is not misused for radicalisation. ISIS terrorism is trans-national in character and organisations propagating hatred are building networks around the world. India’s proposal at the UN for a convention on Countering International Terrorism needs to be revived at the earliest. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Post Sri Lanka blues: ISIS is now too close to Indian shores

Muslims fear adverse reaction after Sri Lanka terror attack.

Easter Massacre: Muslims fear backlash

Watch Gravitas full segment and know what has been the most trending and important stories of the day. Watch this video to know more.

Watch: WION Gravitas, 26th April, 2019

By Greg Barton

In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried.

But the reality is that most, if not all, of these lives, need not have been taken. We owe it to them and their loved ones to make sense of what happened and work towards doing all that can be done to ensure it does not happen again.

The Easter attacks represent one of the most lethal and serious terrorist operations since the September 11 attacks in the US, outside of attacks within active conflict zones. And this in a now peaceful country, which for all its history of civil war and ethno-nationalist terrorism in decades past has never had a problem with jihadi radical Islamist terrorism.

A return to deadlier, more coordinated strikes

The long-anticipated claim of responsibility for the attacks was made by the Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday night. This could help explain how one local cell based around a single extended family circle of hateful extremists not previously known for terrorism could execute such a massive attack. It was larger even than IS’s previous truck-bomb attacks in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The attacks follow a familiar, if now rarely seen, IS operandi of coordinated suicide bombings. The targeting of Catholic churches, which made little sense initially in the context of the domestic social issues at the heart of the country’s recent civil war, fit an all-too-familiar pattern of IS attacks on Christians, along with fellow Muslims.

The fact that 40 or more Sri Lankans travelled to Syria to fight with IS could help explain how the terror network was able to build vital personal links in the very small community of Sri Lankan Islamist extremists so it could subcontract its attack plans to them. At this point, the precise involvement of returnees from Syria and foreign IS supporters in the bombings remains under investigation.

The Easter weekend attacks more resemble the al-Qaeda attacks of the 2000s than they do recent attacks of IS. Like the 2000 attack of the USS Cole in Yemen, the September attacks in New York and Washington, the 2002 bombings in Bali, the 2003 truck bombs in Istanbul, the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, the 2005 tube and bus bombings in London, the Sri Lanka bombings involved multiple attackers acting in concert. With the exception of September 11, all of these also involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Sri Lanka bombings exceeded all but the September 11 attacks in sophistication and deadliness, despite the fact the perpetrators were previously known only for acts of hateful vandalism.

Over the past decade, al-Qaeda has been unable to carry out significant attacks outside of conflict zones. It has also become increasingly focused on “reputation management” and has tended to avoid indiscriminate mass killings, all the whilst growing its global network of affiliates.

The emergence of IS saw the tempo and scale of terrorist attacks transformed. Most attacks took place in conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Philippines).

A number of significant attacks were conducted well beyond the battlefield. There were at least four such attacks in 2014, 16 in 2015, 22 in 2016, 18 in 2017, and 10 in 2018. The vast majority of these attacks were conducted by lone actors.

Why was it that, outside of conflict zones, not just Al-Qaeda but even IS at the height of its powers focused largely on lone-actor attacks?

It is probably not for want of trying. The reason is that most larger, more ambitious plots were tripped-up by intelligence intercepts. This is especially the case in stable democracies, including our neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.

Why Sri Lanka?

The other big question is how one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever was able to be executed in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka was a soft target. Having successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebel group a decade ago through military might, Sri Lanka has become complacent. It has not seen a pressing need to develop police and non-military intelligence capacity to counter terrorism.

At the same time, it has struggled with good governance and political stability. Just six months ago, it faced a major constitutional crisis when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his deputy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and attempted to replace him with the former prime minister and president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The attempt failed, but in the stand-off that ensued, Wickremesinghe, and ministers loyal to him, were excluded from intelligence briefings. In particular, they say that they were left unaware of the multiple warnings issued by the Indian intelligence service, RAW, to the authorities in Colombo about the extremist figures who played a key role in the Easter attacks.

Thus, despite several discoveries earlier this year of large amounts of explosives stored in remote rural locations on the island, and multiple warnings from the Indians, including final alerts just hours before Sunday’s attacks, the government and security community were left distracted and caught off-guard.

Between “fighting the last war” and fighting each other, they deluded themselves that there was no imminent terrorist threat.

What other countries are vulnerable?

If the massive attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter serve to remind us that IS is very far from being a spent force, the question is where this energetic and well-resourced network will strike next.

For all that it achieved in Sri Lanka, IS is unlikely to be able to build an enduring presence there. So long as the Sri Lankan government and people emerge from this trauma with renewed commitment to unity – and with elections at the end of the year, this is far from certain – the “perfect storm” conditions exploited by IS are unlikely to be repeated.

So where else is IS likely to find opportunity? India and Bangladesh continue to present opportunities, as does much of Central Asia. In our region, it is Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines that we should be most worried about.

Malaysia has emerged stronger and more stable from its swing-back to democracy but continues to be worryingly in denial about the extent to which it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, downplaying the very good work done over many years by the Special Branch of the Royal National Malaysian Police.

Thailand and the Philippines remain less politically stable, and rather more brittle than they care too acknowledge. And both tend to delude themselves into thinking that the problems of their southern extremes will never manifest in a terror attack in Bangkok or Manila, respectively.

The people of Sri Lanka have paid far too high price for the lessons of the Easter weekend attacks to be ignored or forgotten.

(Greg Barton is Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-has-claimed-responsibility-for-the-sri-lanka-terror-attack-heres-what-that-means-115915">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 Greg Barton In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried.

By Greg Barton In the wake of any tragedy, it should be enough to grieve and stand in solidarity with those who mourn. With a massive toll – about 250 dead, according to revised government figures – it feels disrespectful to the people of Sri Lanka to be dissecting what went wrong even as the dead are being buried. But the reality is that most, if not all, of these lives, need not have been taken. We owe it to them and their loved ones to make sense of what happened and work towards doing all that can be done to ensure it does not happen again. The Easter attacks represent one of the most lethal and serious terrorist operations since the September 11 attacks in the US, outside of attacks within active conflict zones. And this in a now peaceful country, which for all its history of civil war and ethno-nationalist terrorism in decades past has never had a problem with jihadi radical Islamist terrorism. A return to deadlier, more coordinated strikes The long-anticipated claim of responsibility for the attacks was made by the Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday night. This could help explain how one local cell based around a single extended family circle of hateful extremists not previously known for terrorism could execute such a massive attack. It was larger even than IS’s previous truck-bomb attacks in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The attacks follow a familiar, if now rarely seen, IS operandi of coordinated suicide bombings. The targeting of Catholic churches, which made little sense initially in the context of the domestic social issues at the heart of the country’s recent civil war, fit an all-too-familiar pattern of IS attacks on Christians, along with fellow Muslims. The fact that 40 or more Sri Lankans travelled to Syria to fight with IS could help explain how the terror network was able to build vital personal links in the very small community of Sri Lankan Islamist extremists so it could subcontract its attack plans to them. At this point, the precise involvement of returnees from Syria and foreign IS supporters in the bombings remains under investigation. The Easter weekend attacks more resemble the al-Qaeda attacks of the 2000s than they do recent attacks of IS. Like the 2000 attack of the USS Cole in Yemen, the September attacks in New York and Washington, the 2002 bombings in Bali, the 2003 truck bombs in Istanbul, the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, the 2005 tube and bus bombings in London, the Sri Lanka bombings involved multiple attackers acting in concert. With the exception of September 11, all of these also involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Sri Lanka bombings exceeded all but the September 11 attacks in sophistication and deadliness, despite the fact the perpetrators were previously known only for acts of hateful vandalism. Over the past decade, al-Qaeda has been unable to carry out significant attacks outside of conflict zones. It has also become increasingly focused on “reputation management” and has tended to avoid indiscriminate mass killings, all the whilst growing its global network of affiliates. The emergence of IS saw the tempo and scale of terrorist attacks transformed. Most attacks took place in conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern Philippines). A number of significant attacks were conducted well beyond the battlefield. There were at least four such attacks in 2014, 16 in 2015, 22 in 2016, 18 in 2017, and 10 in 2018. The vast majority of these attacks were conducted by lone actors. Why was it that, outside of conflict zones, not just Al-Qaeda but even IS at the height of its powers focused largely on lone-actor attacks? It is probably not for want of trying. The reason is that most larger, more ambitious plots were tripped-up by intelligence intercepts. This is especially the case in stable democracies, including our neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia. Why Sri Lanka? The other big question is how one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever was able to be executed in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka was a soft target. Having successfully defeated the Tamil Tiger rebel group a decade ago through military might, Sri Lanka has become complacent. It has not seen a pressing need to develop police and non-military intelligence capacity to counter terrorism. At the same time, it has struggled with good governance and political stability. Just six months ago, it faced a major constitutional crisis when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his deputy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and attempted to replace him with the former prime minister and president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The attempt failed, but in the stand-off that ensued, Wickremesinghe, and ministers loyal to him, were excluded from intelligence briefings. In particular, they say that they were left unaware of the multiple warnings issued by the Indian intelligence service, RAW, to the authorities in Colombo about the extremist figures who played a key role in the Easter attacks. Thus, despite several discoveries earlier this year of large amounts of explosives stored in remote rural locations on the island, and multiple warnings from the Indians, including final alerts just hours before Sunday’s attacks, the government and security community were left distracted and caught off-guard. Between “fighting the last war” and fighting each other, they deluded themselves that there was no imminent terrorist threat. What other countries are vulnerable? If the massive attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter serve to remind us that IS is very far from being a spent force, the question is where this energetic and well-resourced network will strike next. For all that it achieved in Sri Lanka, IS is unlikely to be able to build an enduring presence there. So long as the Sri Lankan government and people emerge from this trauma with renewed commitment to unity – and with elections at the end of the year, this is far from certain – the “perfect storm” conditions exploited by IS are unlikely to be repeated. So where else is IS likely to find opportunity? India and Bangladesh continue to present opportunities, as does much of Central Asia. In our region, it is Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines that we should be most worried about. Malaysia has emerged stronger and more stable from its swing-back to democracy but continues to be worryingly in denial about the extent to which it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, downplaying the very good work done over many years by the Special Branch of the Royal National Malaysian Police. Thailand and the Philippines remain less politically stable, and rather more brittle than they care too acknowledge. And both tend to delude themselves into thinking that the problems of their southern extremes will never manifest in a terror attack in Bangkok or Manila, respectively. The people of Sri Lanka have paid far too high price for the lessons of the Easter weekend attacks to be ignored or forgotten. (Greg Barton is Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University) (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.)

Sri Lanka attacks serve as a reminder that Islamic State is very far from being a spent force

Um Yusuf is the widow of an Islamic State (IS) group member. Her husband, Abu Yusuf, who worked as a policeman for IS, died in an airstrike in February 2017, during the battle to retake Mosul from the extremists.

IS families face exclusion in Iraq

"We cannot bring lives back," said an utterly helpless Chaminda Vaas Tuesday as thoughts of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-sri-lanka-bombings-212899">multiple blasts that killed nearly 300</a> and shattered Sri Lanka's tranquillity, crossed the former cricket star's mind.&nbsp;

Yearning for normalcy, Vaas and his colleague Rangana Herath said the need of the hour is to stay strong and united.

"So sad to see. We never thought these kinds of things will happen in Sri Lanka. It is a lovely country and hospitable. People are very friendly. It is so tragic to see such things happen," Vaas told reporters here.

"We need to rebuild. We can rebuild churches or hotels but we can't bring lives back. I am sure the Sri Lankan government and the people will be very united this time and make sure that we stick together," said the former left-arm pacer with 400 ODI and 355 Test wickets. Hearth has 433 Test wickets.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/cctv-video-shows-suspected-suicide-bomber-entering-sri-lankan-church-moments-before-blast-212866">CCTV video shows suspected suicide bomber entering Sri Lankan church moments before blast</a>

Sri Lankan authorities arrested 24 people in connection with the blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels in the island nation on Easter Sunday, killing over 290 people and injuring around 500 others.

Vaas and his former teammate Herath were in the city to inaugurate a local T20 cricket tournament organised by Jwala Singh. 
Herath, one of the best left-arm spinners of his time, said his country needs to stay strong during such times.

"We need to convey our deepest sympathies and condolences. As Chaminda said, we are a united country. We kind of have a panic situation but (we are sure that) we (will) become a strong country," he added.

Vaas expressed confidence that the situation would be normal again in Sri Lanka.

"This attack can happen anywhere in the world. We saw in New Zealand recently as well. These people don't have simply one place (and) they can attack anywhere in the world. I am pretty sure that things will go back to normal," Vaas remarked.

"We cannot bring lives back," said an utterly helpless Chaminda Vaas Tuesday as thoughts of the multiple blasts that killed nearly 300 and shattered Sri Lanka's tranquillity, crossed the former cricket star's mind.

"We cannot bring lives back," said an utterly helpless Chaminda Vaas Tuesday as thoughts of the multiple blasts that killed nearly 300 and shattered Sri Lanka's tranquillity, crossed the former cricket star's mind. Yearning for normalcy, Vaas and his colleague Rangana Herath said the need of the hour is to stay strong and united. "So sad to see. We never thought these kinds of things will happen in Sri Lanka. It is a lovely country and hospitable. People are very friendly. It is so tragic to see such things happen," Vaas told reporters here. "We need to rebuild. We can rebuild churches or hotels but we can't bring lives back. I am sure the Sri Lankan government and the people will be very united this time and make sure that we stick together," said the former left-arm pacer with 400 ODI and 355 Test wickets. Hearth has 433 Test wickets. Also Read: CCTV video shows suspected suicide bomber entering Sri Lankan church moments before blast Sri Lankan authorities arrested 24 people in connection with the blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels in the island nation on Easter Sunday, killing over 290 people and injuring around 500 others. Vaas and his former teammate Herath were in the city to inaugurate a local T20 cricket tournament organised by Jwala Singh. Herath, one of the best left-arm spinners of his time, said his country needs to stay strong during such times. "We need to convey our deepest sympathies and condolences. As Chaminda said, we are a united country. We kind of have a panic situation but (we are sure that) we (will) become a strong country," he added. Vaas expressed confidence that the situation would be normal again in Sri Lanka. "This attack can happen anywhere in the world. We saw in New Zealand recently as well. These people don't have simply one place (and) they can attack anywhere in the world. I am pretty sure that things will go back to normal," Vaas remarked.

We can't bring lives back, says former cricketer Chaminda Vaas on Lankan blasts

The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested a man from Delhi in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

Mohammad Gufran, a resident of Amroha in western Uttar Pradesh (UP), formed a pro-ISIS module named Harkat Ul Harb-e-Islam, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. He is the 13th accused to have been arrested in the case.

The man was one of the key conspirators in planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Delhi NCR and UP, the official said. He was inspired by the ideology of the ISIS terror group which is a proscribed organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), he said.

Investigation revealed that he was instrumental in procurement of arms and ammunition and also explosives to carry out terrorist attacks in Delhi NCR and UP, the official said. The man will be produced before the Patiala House court on Sunday, according to the NIA official.

The NIA has said that a man named Mufti Mohammed Suhail from Delhi was the ''Amir'' (local chief) of the pro-ISIS module which mobilised funds and procured weapons, ammunition and explosive materials to prepare improvised explosive devices with his other associates, the NIA official added.

The agency has so far seized a locally-made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kg of explosive material -- Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.

The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested a man from Delhi in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested a man from Delhi in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India. Mohammad Gufran, a resident of Amroha in western Uttar Pradesh (UP), formed a pro-ISIS module named Harkat Ul Harb-e-Islam, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. He is the 13th accused to have been arrested in the case. The man was one of the key conspirators in planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Delhi NCR and UP, the official said. He was inspired by the ideology of the ISIS terror group which is a proscribed organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), he said. Investigation revealed that he was instrumental in procurement of arms and ammunition and also explosives to carry out terrorist attacks in Delhi NCR and UP, the official said. The man will be produced before the Patiala House court on Sunday, according to the NIA official. The NIA has said that a man named Mufti Mohammed Suhail from Delhi was the ''Amir'' (local chief) of the pro-ISIS module which mobilised funds and procured weapons, ammunition and explosive materials to prepare improvised explosive devices with his other associates, the NIA official added. The agency has so far seized a locally-made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kg of explosive material -- Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.

Man behind ISIS-inspired module arrested by NIA in Delhi

By Harout Akdedian

The so-called Islamic State (IS) recently lost its last remnant of territory in Syria, but observers were quick to remind the world that the war against the organisation is far from over. What then does this loss of territorial control actually mean for IS?

At its height, the self-proclaimed “caliphate” controlled an estimated 34,000 square miles across Syria and Iraq, so its defeat on the ground is clearly a severe blow for it. Nevertheless, IS is now expected to evolve. Its networks will disperse into virtual, online spaces and become largely invisible. It will focus on insurgency tactics and terror attacks with a wider reach.

In the face of this evolution, it may seem like maintaining IS in a contained geographic pocket would have been better than eradicating its primary territorial base altogether.

With its defeat on the ground in Syria and Iraq, however, IS and its offshoots will have a more limited capacity for recruitment, indoctrination and growth.

The importance of territory

The success of rebel groups to survive protracted armed conflicts is dependent on their ability to maintain territorial control. They require it to extract resources and enlist local recruits.

Territorial control allows armed groups to force local populations into compliance and conformity with their ideological outlook. Since its inception, IS understood that its radical “Islamic” community does not locally exist. Instead, the organisation set about creating it, reshaping communities under its control in its own image.

Comparative evidence from civil wars around the world demonstrates how territorial control does not depend on a local population’s ideological agreement with the forces in place. Instead, in his book The Logic of Violence in Civil War, Stathis Kalyvas argues that a combination of coercive measures and local administrative bodies allows a force to maintain order, stability and compliance.

For example, during the Liberian civil war in the early 1990s, NPFL (The National Patriotic Front of Liberia) rebels, led by Charles Taylor, used administrative bodies and courts in the territory they controlled to create an alternative order backed up by displays of brutality and violence. This led to an intricate system of patronage and loyalty that created new dependencies between local communities and the new regime.

These Taylor-era Liberian courts are comparable to IS’s religious courts which controlled the issuing of permits for cross border activities, defined the educational content of local schools, distributed social services – and carried out extreme public punishments.

In enduring armed conflict, these administrative bodies, social services and displays of order encourage the cooperation of the local population. In other words, territorial control allows the occupier to manage the behaviour and, potentially, the ideology of the people under its control.

Instruments of control

Under IS, spectacles of brutality and violence were a key part of this. Public executions involved people being incinerated, stoned, decapitated and thrown off towers. Staged in front of local people, these executions were carefully choreographed and meticulously documented and disseminated – both locally and internationally.

IS explicitly claimed that these acts of brutality were intended to create a vacuum by disrupting local societal structures that could then be “filled” and “managed” by them. Essentially, displays of violence were used as an instrument of social organisation.

Data personally collected between 2012 and 2014 shows that many living under the rule of radicalised groups such as IS judge these groups based on their own immediate day-to-day conditions rather than the organisation’s overall performance or outlook.

If administrative structures function and people have access to food and basic services, for example, local populations may overlook – or even adhere to – the occupying force’s ideology (albeit under duress). And those that don’t are severely and publicly punished as an “example” to others.

The 2014 executions of members of the Sunni Arab al-Sheitaat tribe, in Deir el-Zor, Syria, are a case in point. IS took the lives of more than 700 of its members for revoking a pledge of allegiance. In addition, IS incessantly targeted other Jihadi or predominantly Sunni rebel formations. Indeed, the tally of those killed continues to increase as more mass graves are discovered.

Violent consolidation 
 
Such atrocities were examples of IS consolidating its power through the elimination of rivals and the suppression of potential or real dissent within its area of control. Faced with this, local populations had no choice but to imitate expressions of religiosity as defined by IS and to demonstrate compliance. For local people, this was a method of adaptation and survival – but IS’s loss of territorial control now greatly reduces its capacity to control and indoctrinate local residents in this way.

The question of how IS’s methods impacted local populations, in the long run, is yet to be answered. A lot will depend on what happens next in its former territory and to those living there now.

Either way, while IS is badly incapacitated, it certainly is not finished. It will most likely splinter into new organisations which might try to establish territorial control elsewhere. Parts of North Africa and the Maghreb are particularly susceptible, where control over vast swathes of land remain contested. In the meantime, IS will continue to try to nurture its virtual communities and seek new audiences online.

(Harout Akdedian is Carnegie SFM Postdoctoral fellow, Central European University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-the-caliphate-is-off-the-map-for-now-but-will-evolve-in-dangerous-ways-114831">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;

 
&nbsp;

By Harout Akdedian The so-called Islamic State (IS) recently lost its last remnant of territory in Syria, but observers were quick to remind the world that the war against the organisation is far from over.

By Harout Akdedian The so-called Islamic State (IS) recently lost its last remnant of territory in Syria, but observers were quick to remind the world that the war against the organisation is far from over. What then does this loss of territorial control actually mean for IS? At its height, the self-proclaimed “caliphate” controlled an estimated 34,000 square miles across Syria and Iraq, so its defeat on the ground is clearly a severe blow for it. Nevertheless, IS is now expected to evolve. Its networks will disperse into virtual, online spaces and become largely invisible. It will focus on insurgency tactics and terror attacks with a wider reach. In the face of this evolution, it may seem like maintaining IS in a contained geographic pocket would have been better than eradicating its primary territorial base altogether. With its defeat on the ground in Syria and Iraq, however, IS and its offshoots will have a more limited capacity for recruitment, indoctrination and growth. The importance of territory The success of rebel groups to survive protracted armed conflicts is dependent on their ability to maintain territorial control. They require it to extract resources and enlist local recruits. Territorial control allows armed groups to force local populations into compliance and conformity with their ideological outlook. Since its inception, IS understood that its radical “Islamic” community does not locally exist. Instead, the organisation set about creating it, reshaping communities under its control in its own image. Comparative evidence from civil wars around the world demonstrates how territorial control does not depend on a local population’s ideological agreement with the forces in place. Instead, in his book The Logic of Violence in Civil War, Stathis Kalyvas argues that a combination of coercive measures and local administrative bodies allows a force to maintain order, stability and compliance. For example, during the Liberian civil war in the early 1990s, NPFL (The National Patriotic Front of Liberia) rebels, led by Charles Taylor, used administrative bodies and courts in the territory they controlled to create an alternative order backed up by displays of brutality and violence. This led to an intricate system of patronage and loyalty that created new dependencies between local communities and the new regime. These Taylor-era Liberian courts are comparable to IS’s religious courts which controlled the issuing of permits for cross border activities, defined the educational content of local schools, distributed social services – and carried out extreme public punishments. In enduring armed conflict, these administrative bodies, social services and displays of order encourage the cooperation of the local population. In other words, territorial control allows the occupier to manage the behaviour and, potentially, the ideology of the people under its control. Instruments of control Under IS, spectacles of brutality and violence were a key part of this. Public executions involved people being incinerated, stoned, decapitated and thrown off towers. Staged in front of local people, these executions were carefully choreographed and meticulously documented and disseminated – both locally and internationally. IS explicitly claimed that these acts of brutality were intended to create a vacuum by disrupting local societal structures that could then be “filled” and “managed” by them. Essentially, displays of violence were used as an instrument of social organisation. Data personally collected between 2012 and 2014 shows that many living under the rule of radicalised groups such as IS judge these groups based on their own immediate day-to-day conditions rather than the organisation’s overall performance or outlook. If administrative structures function and people have access to food and basic services, for example, local populations may overlook – or even adhere to – the occupying force’s ideology (albeit under duress). And those that don’t are severely and publicly punished as an “example” to others. The 2014 executions of members of the Sunni Arab al-Sheitaat tribe, in Deir el-Zor, Syria, are a case in point. IS took the lives of more than 700 of its members for revoking a pledge of allegiance. In addition, IS incessantly targeted other Jihadi or predominantly Sunni rebel formations. Indeed, the tally of those killed continues to increase as more mass graves are discovered. Violent consolidation Such atrocities were examples of IS consolidating its power through the elimination of rivals and the suppression of potential or real dissent within its area of control. Faced with this, local populations had no choice but to imitate expressions of religiosity as defined by IS and to demonstrate compliance. For local people, this was a method of adaptation and survival – but IS’s loss of territorial control now greatly reduces its capacity to control and indoctrinate local residents in this way. The question of how IS’s methods impacted local populations, in the long run, is yet to be answered. A lot will depend on what happens next in its former territory and to those living there now. Either way, while IS is badly incapacitated, it certainly is not finished. It will most likely splinter into new organisations which might try to establish territorial control elsewhere. Parts of North Africa and the Maghreb are particularly susceptible, where control over vast swathes of land remain contested. In the meantime, IS will continue to try to nurture its virtual communities and seek new audiences online. (Harout Akdedian is Carnegie SFM Postdoctoral fellow, Central European University) (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.)

Islamic State is off the map for now, but war against the organisation is far from over

Two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits have been arrested near Patna Junction railway station and documents related to a deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been found from them, officials said Tuesday.&nbsp;

Photocopies of orders pertaining to a deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir post-Pulwama terror attack, besides pamphlets and posters of terror group ISIS were found from them when they were arrested on Monday evening, a statement issued by the Anti-Terror Squad of the Bihar Police said.

The duo — Khairul Mandal and Abu Sultan from Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh — are associated with the terror outfit Jamiat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State Bangladesh (ISBD), it said. The ATS team acting on specific inputs had caught the two Bangladeshi men from a motorcycle stand adjacent to Madni Musafirkhana, a lodge near the railway station. They were produced before the ATS court, which sent them to jail, the statement said.

Police have also seized three mobile phones, a memory card, two fake voter identity cards, a fake PAN card, railway tickets from Gaya to Patna and New Delhi to Howrah and also a bus ticket from Kolkata to Gaya from them, it said. The two had entered the country without any legal document and had procured fake voter identity cards, the statement said, adding they were tasked by the head of JMB to lure and induct Muslim youths into the outfit.

They had visited Kolkata, Kerala, Delhi and Patna and Gaya in Bihar for inducting Muslim youths besides carrying out a recce of Buddhist shrines to execute their terror plan, the ATS said. The two, who said they wanted to join ISIS, had even stayed in Gaya for 11 days for the purpose.

Two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits have been arrested near Patna Junction railway station and documents related to a deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been found from them, officials said Tuesday.

Two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits have been arrested near Patna Junction railway station and documents related to a deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been found from them, officials said Tuesday. Photocopies of orders pertaining to a deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir post-Pulwama terror attack, besides pamphlets and posters of terror group ISIS were found from them when they were arrested on Monday evening, a statement issued by the Anti-Terror Squad of the Bihar Police said. The duo — Khairul Mandal and Abu Sultan from Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh — are associated with the terror outfit Jamiat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State Bangladesh (ISBD), it said. The ATS team acting on specific inputs had caught the two Bangladeshi men from a motorcycle stand adjacent to Madni Musafirkhana, a lodge near the railway station. They were produced before the ATS court, which sent them to jail, the statement said. Police have also seized three mobile phones, a memory card, two fake voter identity cards, a fake PAN card, railway tickets from Gaya to Patna and New Delhi to Howrah and also a bus ticket from Kolkata to Gaya from them, it said. The two had entered the country without any legal document and had procured fake voter identity cards, the statement said, adding they were tasked by the head of JMB to lure and induct Muslim youths into the outfit. They had visited Kolkata, Kerala, Delhi and Patna and Gaya in Bihar for inducting Muslim youths besides carrying out a recce of Buddhist shrines to execute their terror plan, the ATS said. The two, who said they wanted to join ISIS, had even stayed in Gaya for 11 days for the purpose.

Suspected terrorists arrested in Patna with ISIS posters, troop deployment documents

US backed forces seize ISIS camp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-syrian-forces-resume-assault-on-last-islamic-state-redoubt-202497">Islamic State's final enclave in eastern Syria </a>was pounded with air strikes and artillery on Monday in a US-backed assault aimed at wiping out the last shred of its territorial rule that once spanned a third of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-marked-another-bloody-year-in-syria-187022">Syria</a> and Iraq.

Fires raged after dark in the enclave at Baghouz near the Iraqi border as it was targeted with rockets and thick plumes of smoke rose from the area, Reuters TV footage showed. Heavy gunfire could be heard and flares lit up the night sky.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said earlier its fighters were encountering sniper fire and landmines and advancing slowly to avoid losses. The most hardened IS foreign fighters are still holed up in the area, the SDF has said.

Air strikes destroyed IS stores and vehicles, the SDF said.&nbsp;

The defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz will mark a milestone in the campaign against the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/over-1100-children-were-killed-in-the-syrian-war-in-2018-deadliest-year-202550"> jihadist group</a>, ending its control of populated territory in the area straddling Iraq and Syria where it suddenly expanded in 2014 and declared a caliphate.

However, the group still operates in remote territory elsewhere and has shown it will continue to mount a potent security threat, with a string of insurgent attacks in both countries.&nbsp;

A US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States did not believe senior Islamic State leaders were still in Baghouz. 
"We`re pretty confident the leadership is not still down in this tiny little, basically hellhole that remains there," the official said.

"Most of those folks have moved elsewhere as part of our assessment of their movement towards a more clandestine insurgency or preparing for the next fight when they don`t control territory," the official added.

SDF commander Adnan Afrin said many jihadist fighters had been killed or wounded since the assault began on Sunday. Reuters could not independently confirm the death toll.

Islamic State fighters attempted four suicide attacks but the SDF captured an arms dump, said Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office. One SDF fighter was killed and four wounded.&nbsp;

The SDF has held off from a full assault for most of the past few weeks as many thousands of people poured from the enclave, including surrendering fighters, Islamic State supporters, other civilians and some of the group`s captives.

By Sunday evening, no more people had come out, prompting the SDF to start its attack. However, on Monday evening a Reuters journalist saw a group of around 100 people, including women and children, coming out of the enclave.

Pro-Syrian government forces hold the opposite bank of the Euphrates across from Baghouz and Iraqi militias are stationed at the border, cutting off any easy escape route for the jihadists.&nbsp;

HARSH CONDITIONS&nbsp;

Inside Baghouz, a squalid area of makeshift shelters, garbage and trenches filmed by Reuters TV on Sunday showed the harsh conditions in the ruins of Islamic State`s `caliphate`.&nbsp;

Amid palm trees and scrubby patches of vegetation, rusting cars stood among the bivouacs made by stringing blankets from rope. Oil drums and plastic barrels lay scattered around.&nbsp;

The SDF has shipped most people fleeing the wreckage of Islamic State`s rule over recent weeks to al-Hol in northeast Syria where some 65,000 people now live in a camp that the UN says was built to house 20,000.&nbsp;

The obdurate support voiced by many of them for Islamic State, particularly among foreigners, has posed a complex security, legal and moral challenge for both the SDF and their own governments.

Those issues were underscored on Friday with the death of the newborn son of Shamima Begum, a British woman who left to join Islamic State when she was a schoolgirl.

On Monday, the head of the United Nations children`s agency UNICEF said there were about 3,000 children from 43 countries living in al-Hol, along with many more Syrian and Iraqi children, in "extremely dire conditions".&nbsp;

"Since the 1st of January 2019, every single day, a child has died fleeing the fight against ISIS," UNICEF head Geert Cappelaere told a news conference in Beirut.

Islamic State's final enclave in eastern Syria was pounded with air strikes and artillery on Monday in a US-backed assault aimed at wiping out the last shred of its territorial rule that once spanned a third of Syria and Iraq.

Islamic State's final enclave in eastern Syria was pounded with air strikes and artillery on Monday in a US-backed assault aimed at wiping out the last shred of its territorial rule that once spanned a third of Syria and Iraq. Fires raged after dark in the enclave at Baghouz near the Iraqi border as it was targeted with rockets and thick plumes of smoke rose from the area, Reuters TV footage showed. Heavy gunfire could be heard and flares lit up the night sky. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said earlier its fighters were encountering sniper fire and landmines and advancing slowly to avoid losses. The most hardened IS foreign fighters are still holed up in the area, the SDF has said. Air strikes destroyed IS stores and vehicles, the SDF said. The defeat of Islamic State at Baghouz will mark a milestone in the campaign against the jihadist group, ending its control of populated territory in the area straddling Iraq and Syria where it suddenly expanded in 2014 and declared a caliphate. However, the group still operates in remote territory elsewhere and has shown it will continue to mount a potent security threat, with a string of insurgent attacks in both countries. A US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States did not believe senior Islamic State leaders were still in Baghouz. "We`re pretty confident the leadership is not still down in this tiny little, basically hellhole that remains there," the official said. "Most of those folks have moved elsewhere as part of our assessment of their movement towards a more clandestine insurgency or preparing for the next fight when they don`t control territory," the official added. SDF commander Adnan Afrin said many jihadist fighters had been killed or wounded since the assault began on Sunday. Reuters could not independently confirm the death toll. Islamic State fighters attempted four suicide attacks but the SDF captured an arms dump, said Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office. One SDF fighter was killed and four wounded. The SDF has held off from a full assault for most of the past few weeks as many thousands of people poured from the enclave, including surrendering fighters, Islamic State supporters, other civilians and some of the group`s captives. By Sunday evening, no more people had come out, prompting the SDF to start its attack. However, on Monday evening a Reuters journalist saw a group of around 100 people, including women and children, coming out of the enclave. Pro-Syrian government forces hold the opposite bank of the Euphrates across from Baghouz and Iraqi militias are stationed at the border, cutting off any easy escape route for the jihadists. HARSH CONDITIONS Inside Baghouz, a squalid area of makeshift shelters, garbage and trenches filmed by Reuters TV on Sunday showed the harsh conditions in the ruins of Islamic State`s `caliphate`. Amid palm trees and scrubby patches of vegetation, rusting cars stood among the bivouacs made by stringing blankets from rope. Oil drums and plastic barrels lay scattered around. The SDF has shipped most people fleeing the wreckage of Islamic State`s rule over recent weeks to al-Hol in northeast Syria where some 65,000 people now live in a camp that the UN says was built to house 20,000. The obdurate support voiced by many of them for Islamic State, particularly among foreigners, has posed a complex security, legal and moral challenge for both the SDF and their own governments. Those issues were underscored on Friday with the death of the newborn son of Shamima Begum, a British woman who left to join Islamic State when she was a schoolgirl. On Monday, the head of the United Nations children`s agency UNICEF said there were about 3,000 children from 43 countries living in al-Hol, along with many more Syrian and Iraqi children, in "extremely dire conditions". "Since the 1st of January 2019, every single day, a child has died fleeing the fight against ISIS," UNICEF head Geert Cappelaere told a news conference in Beirut.

Last Islamic State enclave in eastern Syria pounded in US-backed assault

Wounded and alone, children emerge from last Islamic State enclave in Baghouz

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, 3rd March, 2019

Kurdish-led forces launched a final assault Friday on the last pocket held by the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mass-grave-found-in-last-islamic-state-bastion-syrian-democratic-forces-200317"> Islamic State group </a>in eastern Syria, their spokesman said.

The "operation to clear the last remaining pocket of ISIS has just started", Mustefa Bali, the spokesman of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a statement using an acronym for the jihadist group.

The US-led forces&nbsp;on Friday extracted more people from the ruins of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" and geared up for a final assault against jihadists hunkered down for a desperate last stand.

Diehard IS fighters and their families remained holed up in the last pocket, despite US President Donald Trump's claims that 100 per cent of the territory was retaken.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) evacuated six truckloads of people on Friday from Baghouz, a hamlet by the Euphrates where the "caliphate" looks set to peter out.

Kurdish-led forces launched a final assault Friday on the last pocket held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, their spokesman said. The "operation to clear the last remaining pocket of ISIS has just started", Mustefa Bali, the spokesman of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a statement using an acronym for the jihadist group.

Kurdish-led forces launched a final assault Friday on the last pocket held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, their spokesman said. The "operation to clear the last remaining pocket of ISIS has just started", Mustefa Bali, the spokesman of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a statement using an acronym for the jihadist group. The US-led forces on Friday extracted more people from the ruins of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" and geared up for a final assault against jihadists hunkered down for a desperate last stand. Diehard IS fighters and their families remained holed up in the last pocket, despite US President Donald Trump's claims that 100 per cent of the territory was retaken. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) evacuated six truckloads of people on Friday from Baghouz, a hamlet by the Euphrates where the "caliphate" looks set to peter out.

Assault on last IS pocket in Syria has started: Syrian Democratic Forces

At least 84 people,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220"> two-thirds of them young children</a>, have died since December on their way to al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria after fleeing Islamic State in the Deir al-Zor region, the United Nations said on Friday.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been poised for several weeks to wipe out the last vestige of Islamic State's territorial rule at the besieged village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border, but the operation has been held up by efforts to evacuate thousands of civilians.

The United Nations is "gravely concerned" about the plight of thousands of civilians fleeing the last ISIL-held areas of Baghouz in rural Deir al-Zor province after intense fighting, Jens Laerke, spokesman of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a news briefing.

Al-Hol camp, in northeastern Hasaka province, now holds at least 45,000 people, including 13,000 people who fled Deir al-Zor last week, he said.

"Many of them have arrived exhausted, hungry and sick," he said, adding that nine out of 10 were women and children.

"It's a very long, a very tiring journey to this camp, so far have reports of more than 84 deaths on that road, on that stretch of territory. Two-thirds of those who have died are children under five years of age," Laerke said.

Some 175 children have been hospitalised due to severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening form of the disease, he said, citing reports from U.N. agencies and aid groups on the ground.

At least 84 people, two-thirds of them young children, have died since December on their way to al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria after fleeing Islamic State in the Deir al-Zor region, the United Nations said on Friday.

At least 84 people, two-thirds of them young children, have died since December on their way to al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria after fleeing Islamic State in the Deir al-Zor region, the United Nations said on Friday. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been poised for several weeks to wipe out the last vestige of Islamic State's territorial rule at the besieged village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border, but the operation has been held up by efforts to evacuate thousands of civilians. The United Nations is "gravely concerned" about the plight of thousands of civilians fleeing the last ISIL-held areas of Baghouz in rural Deir al-Zor province after intense fighting, Jens Laerke, spokesman of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a news briefing. Al-Hol camp, in northeastern Hasaka province, now holds at least 45,000 people, including 13,000 people who fled Deir al-Zor last week, he said. "Many of them have arrived exhausted, hungry and sick," he said, adding that nine out of 10 were women and children. "It's a very long, a very tiring journey to this camp, so far have reports of more than 84 deaths on that road, on that stretch of territory. Two-thirds of those who have died are children under five years of age," Laerke said. Some 175 children have been hospitalised due to severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening form of the disease, he said, citing reports from U.N. agencies and aid groups on the ground.

At least 84 people, two-thirds young children, died on way to al-Hol camp in Syria: UN

A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday.

Many of the bodies found in the Baghouz area were those of women. "They were slaughtered," SDF commander Adnan Afrin said. Most had been decapitated, he added.

The SDF was still trying to confirm if the bodies belonged to members of the Yazidi sect.

Thousands of members of the minority sect from Iraq were forced into sexual slavery by the jihadists when they surged across the border in 2014 and seized swathes of territory.

More than 3,000 other Yazidis were killed in an onslaught the United Nations later described as genocidal, which prompted the first US&nbsp;air strikes against Islamic State. Thousands more fled on foot and many of them remain displaced more than four years later.

The SDF, the main partner of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria, has been trying to evacuate thousands of civilians in Baghouz before storming it or forcing the surrender of the remaining jihadists, who the SDF has said are mostly foreigners.

It said earlier on Thursday that it had freed 24 of its fighters held by Islamic State in Baghouz but gave no details about how they were recovered.

Thousands of people of many nationalities have streamed out of the final shred of land in recent weeks, an exodus of both its supporters and victims, surpassing initial estimates and delaying an end to the battle.

A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday.

A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday. Many of the bodies found in the Baghouz area were those of women. "They were slaughtered," SDF commander Adnan Afrin said. Most had been decapitated, he added. The SDF was still trying to confirm if the bodies belonged to members of the Yazidi sect. Thousands of members of the minority sect from Iraq were forced into sexual slavery by the jihadists when they surged across the border in 2014 and seized swathes of territory. More than 3,000 other Yazidis were killed in an onslaught the United Nations later described as genocidal, which prompted the first US air strikes against Islamic State. Thousands more fled on foot and many of them remain displaced more than four years later. The SDF, the main partner of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria, has been trying to evacuate thousands of civilians in Baghouz before storming it or forcing the surrender of the remaining jihadists, who the SDF has said are mostly foreigners. It said earlier on Thursday that it had freed 24 of its fighters held by Islamic State in Baghouz but gave no details about how they were recovered. Thousands of people of many nationalities have streamed out of the final shred of land in recent weeks, an exodus of both its supporters and victims, surpassing initial estimates and delaying an end to the battle.

Mass grave found in last Islamic State bastion: Syrian Democratic Forces

By Elizabeth Pearson

Just days after Shamima Begum called for public sympathy for her return to the UK, another young woman was jailed in Baghdad for her role with the so-called Islamic State. Linda Wenzel is German and, like Begum, was 15 years old when she joined Islamic State in 2016. Wenzel has also asked to return to Europe to serve her sentence. There are no signs this will be allowed.

In 2016 I was in Germany, trying to understand young women like Wenzel, for a five-country study on the gender dynamics of violent extremism with my colleague Emily Winterbotham, a senior research fellow at the RUSI think tank. We talked to communities and families affected by radicalisation in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Canada.

These countries had diverse approaches to radicalisation. France produced counter-radicalisation strategies after the Paris attacks of 2015, while the UK and Netherlands have worked on policy to counter violent extremism since the mid-2000s. Both the Netherlands and UK permit deprivation of citizenship without criminal conviction – which is what has now happened to Begum.

We heard stories of people prevented from travel by police, as well as of both women and men who left for Syria and Iraq. Across the five countries, we noted differences in how men and women were recruited, such as more cases of online approaches to women. We also saw how Muslim community anger was often reserved for the young men who fled to join the Islamic State. Focus groups within Muslim communities often told us women were “naïve”, lacking in self-esteem, “tricked” by “lover-boys” they met online. They were seen as victims.

Back in 2015-16 this sentiment was mirrored in government policy. France, Germany and the Netherlands tended to treat women jihadists as “victims” of Islamic State. Recent research on returning foreign fighters in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands noted that back then women were “treated with more clemency” and routinely not prosecuted.

That position has changed, with toughening measures for both men and women across Europe. Countries including the UK, Netherlands, Germany and France now investigate and risk-assess both men and women returners. From a position where women and their agency in joining Islamic State were not recognised, the pendulum swung firmly in the other direction.

Hardening attitudes

The first reason why this shift happened was numbers. Countries have had to evolve to catch up with events on the ground. From the Islamic State’s announcement of a “caliphate” in 2014, Europe saw a significant minority of women travel – and women made up around 16-17 per cent of the approximately 6,000 people who left Europe to join the caliphate.

In the case of France, which was new to counter-radicalisation strategies at home and where women made up around 28 per cent of its returners, the shift in policy meant sharp changes to the law and procedures. Canada, which had fewer fighters, adopted a liberal response with few prosecutions of returners – both fighters and others.&nbsp;

This prompted accusations from Canada’s opposition Conservative Party of a policy of “group hug sessions”.

A second reason for the hardening of attitudes to women who joined IS was increased knowledge of women’s role in Islamic State. Women were active propagandists, recruiters, ideologues, supporters of current warriors and producers of the next generation. They were involved in the abuse of other women, whether enslaved Yazidis, or in the al-Khansaa brigade, which policed women. Both Begum and Wenzel suggested they were only housewives. But for Islamic State, the wife is the key to the endurance – or baqiya – of both ideology and “caliphate”.

The perception of women’s threat was also explicitly influenced by cases involving women and a seemingly new phenomenon: the all-female jihadist cell. In 2016, three women were arrested in France after a failed attack near Notre Dame. This proved a game-changer for both public opinion and policy regarding returners, despite the fact that these women were radicalised in France. In the UK, another all-female plot was uncovered in 2017.

An increase in threat levels linked to male returners also had an influence on how women were viewed. In 2015, male returners were involved in the Paris attacks and the following year in attacks in Brussels. While women have not yet returned in large numbers, the fear is that women, newly recognised as ideologically committed, might also carry out an attack. 
 
The gender dimension

Both policy and public opinion are shifting from ignoring women in jihadist movements, to “adding” them into counter-extremism strategies, and increasingly treating the threat they pose as equal to men. There is now an increased assumption in France, the Netherlands and Germany of parity in male and female potential for violence. However, it’s not enough to just to “add women” into existing strategies – governments must recognise the ways in which terrorist groups understand men and women differently.

This means acknowledging two important facts related to power. First, compared to men, instances of women perpetrators of jihadist violence are rare, not because women are “naturally” less violent, or do not support jihad, but because patriarchal jihadi ideology judges female violence is highly transgressive.&nbsp;

The second relates to the power imbalances in women’s radicalisation. Islamic State ran a systemised online recruitment campaign targeting women, with parallels to child sexual exploitation and grooming. Often older men sought out teenage girls. Women desperate to return emphasise their own victimhood. Some women radicalised to join Islamic State report experiences of sexual abuse, domestic or honour-based violence.

This doesn’t deny women agency or excuse them from complicity in Islamic State atrocities but recognises the context within which their choices were made. It is more important now, in the current chaos of the end of the caliphate when many women may return to their countries of origin, including within Europe and North America, to recognise the complexity of what it meant to be involved in Islamic State.

 
(Elizabeth Pearson is Lecturer at the Cyber Threats Research Centre, Swansea University)

(This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shamima-begum-how-europe-toughened-its-stance-on-women-returning-from-islamic-state-112048">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

By Elizabeth Pearson Just days after Shamima Begum called for public sympathy for her return to the UK, another young woman was jailed in Baghdad for her role with the so-called Islamic State.

By Elizabeth Pearson Just days after Shamima Begum called for public sympathy for her return to the UK, another young woman was jailed in Baghdad for her role with the so-called Islamic State. Linda Wenzel is German and, like Begum, was 15 years old when she joined Islamic State in 2016. Wenzel has also asked to return to Europe to serve her sentence. There are no signs this will be allowed. In 2016 I was in Germany, trying to understand young women like Wenzel, for a five-country study on the gender dynamics of violent extremism with my colleague Emily Winterbotham, a senior research fellow at the RUSI think tank. We talked to communities and families affected by radicalisation in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Canada. These countries had diverse approaches to radicalisation. France produced counter-radicalisation strategies after the Paris attacks of 2015, while the UK and Netherlands have worked on policy to counter violent extremism since the mid-2000s. Both the Netherlands and UK permit deprivation of citizenship without criminal conviction – which is what has now happened to Begum. We heard stories of people prevented from travel by police, as well as of both women and men who left for Syria and Iraq. Across the five countries, we noted differences in how men and women were recruited, such as more cases of online approaches to women. We also saw how Muslim community anger was often reserved for the young men who fled to join the Islamic State. Focus groups within Muslim communities often told us women were “naïve”, lacking in self-esteem, “tricked” by “lover-boys” they met online. They were seen as victims. Back in 2015-16 this sentiment was mirrored in government policy. France, Germany and the Netherlands tended to treat women jihadists as “victims” of Islamic State. Recent research on returning foreign fighters in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands noted that back then women were “treated with more clemency” and routinely not prosecuted. That position has changed, with toughening measures for both men and women across Europe. Countries including the UK, Netherlands, Germany and France now investigate and risk-assess both men and women returners. From a position where women and their agency in joining Islamic State were not recognised, the pendulum swung firmly in the other direction. Hardening attitudes The first reason why this shift happened was numbers. Countries have had to evolve to catch up with events on the ground. From the Islamic State’s announcement of a “caliphate” in 2014, Europe saw a significant minority of women travel – and women made up around 16-17 per cent of the approximately 6,000 people who left Europe to join the caliphate. In the case of France, which was new to counter-radicalisation strategies at home and where women made up around 28 per cent of its returners, the shift in policy meant sharp changes to the law and procedures. Canada, which had fewer fighters, adopted a liberal response with few prosecutions of returners – both fighters and others. This prompted accusations from Canada’s opposition Conservative Party of a policy of “group hug sessions”. A second reason for the hardening of attitudes to women who joined IS was increased knowledge of women’s role in Islamic State. Women were active propagandists, recruiters, ideologues, supporters of current warriors and producers of the next generation. They were involved in the abuse of other women, whether enslaved Yazidis, or in the al-Khansaa brigade, which policed women. Both Begum and Wenzel suggested they were only housewives. But for Islamic State, the wife is the key to the endurance – or baqiya – of both ideology and “caliphate”. The perception of women’s threat was also explicitly influenced by cases involving women and a seemingly new phenomenon: the all-female jihadist cell. In 2016, three women were arrested in France after a failed attack near Notre Dame. This proved a game-changer for both public opinion and policy regarding returners, despite the fact that these women were radicalised in France. In the UK, another all-female plot was uncovered in 2017. An increase in threat levels linked to male returners also had an influence on how women were viewed. In 2015, male returners were involved in the Paris attacks and the following year in attacks in Brussels. While women have not yet returned in large numbers, the fear is that women, newly recognised as ideologically committed, might also carry out an attack. The gender dimension Both policy and public opinion are shifting from ignoring women in jihadist movements, to “adding” them into counter-extremism strategies, and increasingly treating the threat they pose as equal to men. There is now an increased assumption in France, the Netherlands and Germany of parity in male and female potential for violence. However, it’s not enough to just to “add women” into existing strategies – governments must recognise the ways in which terrorist groups understand men and women differently. This means acknowledging two important facts related to power. First, compared to men, instances of women perpetrators of jihadist violence are rare, not because women are “naturally” less violent, or do not support jihad, but because patriarchal jihadi ideology judges female violence is highly transgressive. The second relates to the power imbalances in women’s radicalisation. Islamic State ran a systemised online recruitment campaign targeting women, with parallels to child sexual exploitation and grooming. Often older men sought out teenage girls. Women desperate to return emphasise their own victimhood. Some women radicalised to join Islamic State report experiences of sexual abuse, domestic or honour-based violence. This doesn’t deny women agency or excuse them from complicity in Islamic State atrocities but recognises the context within which their choices were made. It is more important now, in the current chaos of the end of the caliphate when many women may return to their countries of origin, including within Europe and North America, to recognise the complexity of what it meant to be involved in Islamic State. (Elizabeth Pearson is Lecturer at the Cyber Threats Research Centre, Swansea University) (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.)

Shamima Begum: How Europe toughened its stance on women returning from Islamic State

The Islamic State (ISIS) has been reduced to just 700 square metres in Syria, as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a major offensive last week to eliminate the terror outfit from the war-torn country, a top commander overseeing the operations said on Saturday.

The offensive is currently taking place in Baghouz Al-Fawqani town located in eastern Syria, said Commander Chia Kobani, head of operations for the SDF, CNN reported.

Kobani said that the SDF fighters have slowed down their advance in order to avoid harming thousands of civilians who are being held by the ISIS as human shields, although the US-backed forces have encircled the terror group`s last stronghold.

The commander underlined that the SDF is taking precautionary steps to free prisoners held by the ISIS, adding that 10 of them have been liberated in recent days.

"Some may be surprised that Baghouz has not yet fallen. But the firing has stopped. The area is within range of our fire. But we are moving cautiously because there are thousands of civilians being held as human shields," Kobani was quoted by CNN as saying.

"In the coming few days, very shortly, we will broadcast the good news to the world, to all the people of the region, the Kurds, the Arabs, the Assyrians, all the people of the region, of the military end of the ISIS terrorist group," he added.

Kobani put forth that the SDF`s efforts would not conclude with the removal of ISIS` presence "on the ground."

"We will move to the next stage to the stage of combating ISIS and its sleeper cells and its remnants in the area in order to secure the safety of this region and the lives of people," he said.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. The grim situation was further aggravated with the establishment of ISIS in Syria and Iraq in 2014, when its de facto leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate".

At its peak, the terror outfit controlled huge parts of Iraq and Syria with a population of over 10 million people. However, since 2017, the group has been losing hold on major territories in both countries to US-backed military forces.

The Islamic State (ISIS) has been reduced to just 700 square metres in Syria, as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a major offensive last week to eliminate the terror outfit from the war-torn country, a top commander overseeing the operations said on Saturday.

The Islamic State (ISIS) has been reduced to just 700 square metres in Syria, as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a major offensive last week to eliminate the terror outfit from the war-torn country, a top commander overseeing the operations said on Saturday. The offensive is currently taking place in Baghouz Al-Fawqani town located in eastern Syria, said Commander Chia Kobani, head of operations for the SDF, CNN reported. Kobani said that the SDF fighters have slowed down their advance in order to avoid harming thousands of civilians who are being held by the ISIS as human shields, although the US-backed forces have encircled the terror group`s last stronghold. The commander underlined that the SDF is taking precautionary steps to free prisoners held by the ISIS, adding that 10 of them have been liberated in recent days. "Some may be surprised that Baghouz has not yet fallen. But the firing has stopped. The area is within range of our fire. But we are moving cautiously because there are thousands of civilians being held as human shields," Kobani was quoted by CNN as saying. "In the coming few days, very shortly, we will broadcast the good news to the world, to all the people of the region, the Kurds, the Arabs, the Assyrians, all the people of the region, of the military end of the ISIS terrorist group," he added. Kobani put forth that the SDF`s efforts would not conclude with the removal of ISIS` presence "on the ground." "We will move to the next stage to the stage of combating ISIS and its sleeper cells and its remnants in the area in order to secure the safety of this region and the lives of people," he said. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. The grim situation was further aggravated with the establishment of ISIS in Syria and Iraq in 2014, when its de facto leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate". At its peak, the terror outfit controlled huge parts of Iraq and Syria with a population of over 10 million people. However, since 2017, the group has been losing hold on major territories in both countries to US-backed military forces.

ISIS controlling just 700 square metres in Syria: SDF

As US-backed forces fight the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-syrian-fighters-close-in-on-last-islamic-state-held-area-in-eastern-syria-196469">last battle against the Islamic State in Syria</a>, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men.&nbsp;

Chaos and rivalry seem to reign within the terror group’s ranks as they try to negotiate a safe passage offering to free hostages. WION's West Asia bureau chief Daniele Pagani has the story.

As per a report recently published in British newspaper The Guardian, on January 10, al-Baghdadi narrowly escaped a coup attempt by some of his own foreign fighters.

This would be the most recent proof that al-Baghdadi is alive and in Syria. August 2018 was the last time the world heard his voice.&nbsp;

Despite a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, local intelligence sources say rumours and information of his whereabouts have not been heard since.

The Islamic State has put a bounty on a veteran foreign fighter, who is believed to be the coup mastermind.&nbsp;

There appears to be chaos within the ranks of the terror group. Captured ISIS fighters talk about growing rivalry between local and foreign fighters.

"I guess there's a lot of bad blood between the foreigners and the Iraqis now, and the Syrians. The foreigners feel they were left out, hung to dry, they've been used and abused and now the trust is not there at all between the foreigners and the locals,” Mohammad Ali, 28, known as Abu Turab al-Kanadi, foreign jihadist fighter of IS was quoted by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

The last Islamic State contingent is trying to play all its cards to avoid total annihilation. Kurdish sources reported that terrorists tried to negotiate safe passage in return for well-known hostages.

Negotiations for safe passage have been common in the Syrian war. It was usually offered in return for surrender.&nbsp;

But now, the Islamic State is offering to free high-profile hostages on top of that. This could be out of desperation or to protect al-Baghdad and grant him the last escape.

All named hostages were kidnapped more than five years ago, which makes it difficult to assess if they are still alive.

The Syrian democratic forces’ spokesperson has recently clarified that, regardless of any ISIS negotiation attempt, no safe passage will be given.

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After saving more than 20K civilians from IS-held area and ensuring their safety in nearby camps, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SDF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SDF</a> started to move on to the last village remaining under jihadists’ control in N. Syria. Village of Baghuz, which is the only remaining <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISIS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISIS</a> pocket, will be cleared soon.
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) <a href="https://twitter.com/mustefabali/status/1094258579354324992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The US-backed Syrian democratic forces launched the final offensive against the 500 terrorists holed-up in two villages on the border of Iraq and Syria.

There have been intensive clashes over the weekend. Civilians living in the area have been evacuated to nearby camps.

The US-backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have been fighting the Islamic State since 2014, losing hundreds of men and women on the battlefield. They now, finally, see the end.

"Today, there are no more military gangs (Islamic State militants) left in Rojava. But their masterminds are still hiding. The time will come for them. We will finish them off. But as of today, it's over. We are very joyful. This was the last day. The war with Daesh gangs is over. It's good to finish them off. We avenged our martyrs' death. There is nothing left (of is militants)," Kurdish unidentified man, purported to be an SDF soldier was quoted by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

As US-backed forces fight the last battle against the Islamic State in Syria, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men.

As US-backed forces fight the last battle against the Islamic State in Syria, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men. Chaos and rivalry seem to reign within the terror group’s ranks as they try to negotiate a safe passage offering to free hostages. WION's West Asia bureau chief Daniele Pagani has the story. As per a report recently published in British newspaper The Guardian, on January 10, al-Baghdadi narrowly escaped a coup attempt by some of his own foreign fighters. This would be the most recent proof that al-Baghdadi is alive and in Syria. August 2018 was the last time the world heard his voice. Despite a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, local intelligence sources say rumours and information of his whereabouts have not been heard since. The Islamic State has put a bounty on a veteran foreign fighter, who is believed to be the coup mastermind. There appears to be chaos within the ranks of the terror group. Captured ISIS fighters talk about growing rivalry between local and foreign fighters. "I guess there's a lot of bad blood between the foreigners and the Iraqis now, and the Syrians. The foreigners feel they were left out, hung to dry, they've been used and abused and now the trust is not there at all between the foreigners and the locals,” Mohammad Ali, 28, known as Abu Turab al-Kanadi, foreign jihadist fighter of IS was quoted by news agency AFP. The last Islamic State contingent is trying to play all its cards to avoid total annihilation. Kurdish sources reported that terrorists tried to negotiate safe passage in return for well-known hostages. Negotiations for safe passage have been common in the Syrian war. It was usually offered in return for surrender. But now, the Islamic State is offering to free high-profile hostages on top of that. This could be out of desperation or to protect al-Baghdad and grant him the last escape. All named hostages were kidnapped more than five years ago, which makes it difficult to assess if they are still alive. The Syrian democratic forces’ spokesperson has recently clarified that, regardless of any ISIS negotiation attempt, no safe passage will be given. After saving more than 20K civilians from IS-held area and ensuring their safety in nearby camps, #SDF started to move on to the last village remaining under jihadists’ control in N. Syria. Village of Baghuz, which is the only remaining #ISIS pocket, will be cleared soon. — Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) February 9, 2019 × The US-backed Syrian democratic forces launched the final offensive against the 500 terrorists holed-up in two villages on the border of Iraq and Syria. There have been intensive clashes over the weekend. Civilians living in the area have been evacuated to nearby camps. The US-backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have been fighting the Islamic State since 2014, losing hundreds of men and women on the battlefield. They now, finally, see the end. "Today, there are no more military gangs (Islamic State militants) left in Rojava. But their masterminds are still hiding. The time will come for them. We will finish them off. But as of today, it's over. We are very joyful. This was the last day. The war with Daesh gangs is over. It's good to finish them off. We avenged our martyrs' death. There is nothing left (of is militants)," Kurdish unidentified man, purported to be an SDF soldier was quoted by news agency Reuters.

A coup, hostages and chaos: ISIS's final days in Syria 

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested 9 people under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

According to reports, ATS Maharashtra, on receipt of reliable input about a group aligned with international terrorist organisation ISIS, carried out searches at five different locations in Mumbra, Thane and Aurangabad on the intervening night of January 22, 23.&nbsp;

The nine men in question have been brought for questioning from Aurangabad and Mumbra, Thane district. Inquiries are in progress, further details are awaited.&nbsp;

Certain chemicals, powder, mobile phones, hard drives SIM cards, acid bottle, sharp knives, among other articles were seized during searches, ANI reported.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> On receipt of reliable input about a group aligned with proscribed international terrorist organisation ISIS, ATS Maharashtra carried out searches&amp;seizures at 5 different locations in Mumbra, Thane Dist&amp;Aurangabad during the intervening night&amp;early morning today(22 Jan). <a href="https://t.co/BZ6qhxXYwN">https://t.co/BZ6qhxXYwN</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1087952604645261312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On January 12, a Delhi court on sent to six-day NIA remand a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isis-module-nia-gets-six-day-remand-of-man-arrested-from-up-189914">man arrested by the agency from Uttar Pradesh</a> in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maharashtra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maharashtra</a> Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS): Based on reliable information, total 9 youths have been brought for questioning from Aurangabad and Mumbra, Thane district. Inquiries are in progress. Further details will be informed in due course.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1087698781968056320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Absar, a resident of Jasora village in Meerut district of western Uttar Pradesh, had presented himself before the agency after being a served a notice under Section 41 of the CrPC but was later produced by the agency as arrested, according to Noorullah, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

An NIA spokesperson said Absar was arrested by the agency from Hapur on Friday night. He said Absar used to teach at Jamia Husania Abul Hassan in Piplera area of Ghaziabad.

The NIA has so far arrested 12 people in connection with the case.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested 9 people under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, ATS Maharashtra, on receipt of reliable input about a group aligned with international terrorist organisation ISIS, carried out searches at five different locations in Mumbra, Thane and Aurangabad on the intervening night of January 22, 23.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested 9 people under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, ATS Maharashtra, on receipt of reliable input about a group aligned with international terrorist organisation ISIS, carried out searches at five different locations in Mumbra, Thane and Aurangabad on the intervening night of January 22, 23. The nine men in question have been brought for questioning from Aurangabad and Mumbra, Thane district. Inquiries are in progress, further details are awaited. Certain chemicals, powder, mobile phones, hard drives SIM cards, acid bottle, sharp knives, among other articles were seized during searches, ANI reported. #UPDATE On receipt of reliable input about a group aligned with proscribed international terrorist organisation ISIS, ATS Maharashtra carried out searches&seizures at 5 different locations in Mumbra, Thane Dist&Aurangabad during the intervening night&early morning today(22 Jan). https://t.co/BZ6qhxXYwN — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2019 × On January 12, a Delhi court on sent to six-day NIA remand a man arrested by the agency from Uttar Pradesh in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India. #Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS): Based on reliable information, total 9 youths have been brought for questioning from Aurangabad and Mumbra, Thane district. Inquiries are in progress. Further details will be informed in due course. — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2019 × Absar, a resident of Jasora village in Meerut district of western Uttar Pradesh, had presented himself before the agency after being a served a notice under Section 41 of the CrPC but was later produced by the agency as arrested, according to Noorullah, news agency PTI reported. An NIA spokesperson said Absar was arrested by the agency from Hapur on Friday night. He said Absar used to teach at Jamia Husania Abul Hassan in Piplera area of Ghaziabad. The NIA has so far arrested 12 people in connection with the case. (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra: Anti-Terrorism Squad arrest 9 men for suspected ties with ISIS 

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi has demanded to shut down of primary-level madrasas across the country in order to check terror group ISIS’ influence on Muslim children.&nbsp;

Rizvi, who has supported the demand for Ram temple in Ayodhya and uniform civil code, said Muslim children if they want, can take admission in madrasas after completing high school.

“It can be seen that children are soft targets for running any mission and at this point of time ISIS is a dangerous terror organisation which is gradually getting hold over the Muslim population across the world.

“…if madrasas are not shut down, about half of the country’s population will become supporters of the ISIS ideology in 15 years’ time,” Rizvi said in the letter.

Stressing that the support to the ISIS is clearly visible in Kashmir, where through the monetary support to the children attending madrasas, they are being alienated from people of other religion in the name of Islamic education, he said.

“In the rural areas of the country also, the primary madrasas in the name of donations are harming the future of our children and promoting fundamentalist thinking…this is damaging both the country and the Muslim children,” he said.

Taking admission in madrasas after schooling will not only help them take normal education till the high school level along with children of different sections of society and religion but also will deter them from getting easily influenced by fundamentalist thinking.

He has previously supported the building of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and a mosque ‘Masjid-e-Aman’ in Lucknow.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi has demanded to shut down of primary-level madrasas across the country in order to check terror group ISIS’ influence on Muslim children.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi has demanded to shut down of primary-level madrasas across the country in order to check terror group ISIS’ influence on Muslim children. Rizvi, who has supported the demand for Ram temple in Ayodhya and uniform civil code, said Muslim children if they want, can take admission in madrasas after completing high school. “It can be seen that children are soft targets for running any mission and at this point of time ISIS is a dangerous terror organisation which is gradually getting hold over the Muslim population across the world. “…if madrasas are not shut down, about half of the country’s population will become supporters of the ISIS ideology in 15 years’ time,” Rizvi said in the letter. Stressing that the support to the ISIS is clearly visible in Kashmir, where through the monetary support to the children attending madrasas, they are being alienated from people of other religion in the name of Islamic education, he said. “In the rural areas of the country also, the primary madrasas in the name of donations are harming the future of our children and promoting fundamentalist thinking…this is damaging both the country and the Muslim children,” he said. Taking admission in madrasas after schooling will not only help them take normal education till the high school level along with children of different sections of society and religion but also will deter them from getting easily influenced by fundamentalist thinking. He has previously supported the building of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and a mosque ‘Masjid-e-Aman’ in Lucknow.

Shut madrasas to check ISIS influence on Muslim children: UP Shia board chief to PM Modi

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday.

Brett McGurk, who quit as America's envoy to the anti-IS coalition after Trump declared victory over the group last month, warned a US withdrawal would shore up President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran.

And "the Islamic State and other extremist groups will fill the void opened by our departure, regenerating their capacity to threaten our friends in Europe —- as they did throughout 2016 —- and ultimately our own homeland," McGurk wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post.

McGurk, a Barack Obama-era appointee whom Trump kept on, said he was in the US embassy in Baghdad on December 17 when he got an urgent call from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informing him of Trump's decision.

Two days later, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria."

"But that was not true, and we have continued to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State," McGurk said.

The decision came just days after National Security Advisor John Bolton had suggested an indefinite US troop presence in Syria, and as McGurk and then defense secretary Jim Mattis met coalition partners to confirm commitments for at least the next year.

"My counterparts in coalition capitals were bewildered," McGurk said.&nbsp;

"The president's decision to leave Syria was made without deliberation, consultation with allies or Congress, assessment of risk, or appreciation of facts."

Mattis quit after Trump's decision.

Female sailor killed

McGurk said Trump had made his decision after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had said Istanbul would lead the fight against IS remnants in Syria.&nbsp;

But Turkey has also vowed to take action against US-backed Syrian Kurds who have conducted the fight against IS and lost thousands of troops as they slowly wrested territory from the jihadists.&nbsp;

"The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal," McGurk said.&nbsp;

"His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State -- and other American adversaries -- new life."

Just one month after Trump declared victory over IS, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a brutal attack in Syria this week.

Four Americans, including two services personnel, were among those killed when a suicide bomber hit a restaurant in the key city of Manbij in Syria's north -- the deadliest attack against US forces since they first deployed in the war-torn nation four years ago.

The Pentagon on Friday identified three of those killed.&nbsp;

Among them was Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent of New York. Her death marked the first time a female US service member was killed in Syria.

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday.

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday. Brett McGurk, who quit as America's envoy to the anti-IS coalition after Trump declared victory over the group last month, warned a US withdrawal would shore up President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran. And "the Islamic State and other extremist groups will fill the void opened by our departure, regenerating their capacity to threaten our friends in Europe —- as they did throughout 2016 —- and ultimately our own homeland," McGurk wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post. McGurk, a Barack Obama-era appointee whom Trump kept on, said he was in the US embassy in Baghdad on December 17 when he got an urgent call from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informing him of Trump's decision. Two days later, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria." "But that was not true, and we have continued to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State," McGurk said. The decision came just days after National Security Advisor John Bolton had suggested an indefinite US troop presence in Syria, and as McGurk and then defense secretary Jim Mattis met coalition partners to confirm commitments for at least the next year. "My counterparts in coalition capitals were bewildered," McGurk said. "The president's decision to leave Syria was made without deliberation, consultation with allies or Congress, assessment of risk, or appreciation of facts." Mattis quit after Trump's decision. Female sailor killed McGurk said Trump had made his decision after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had said Istanbul would lead the fight against IS remnants in Syria. But Turkey has also vowed to take action against US-backed Syrian Kurds who have conducted the fight against IS and lost thousands of troops as they slowly wrested territory from the jihadists. "The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal," McGurk said. "His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State -- and other American adversaries -- new life." Just one month after Trump declared victory over IS, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a brutal attack in Syria this week. Four Americans, including two services personnel, were among those killed when a suicide bomber hit a restaurant in the key city of Manbij in Syria's north -- the deadliest attack against US forces since they first deployed in the war-torn nation four years ago. The Pentagon on Friday identified three of those killed. Among them was Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent of New York. Her death marked the first time a female US service member was killed in Syria.

Trump giving 'new life' to IS, former envoy says

The <a href="National Investigation Agency">National Investigation Agency (NIA)</a> Thursday carried out searches at eight places in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India.

The agency has arrested 12 people in this connection since December 26 last year.

The fresh raids come five days after the NIA&nbsp;arrested Muhammad Absar (24) from Hapur on January 12.

The NIA said that searches were being conducted based on inputs from an interrogation of the people arrested for allegedly being part of 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam' module of the global terrorist group ISIS.

The agency had earlier said it had seized a locally made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kg of explosive material -- Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur.&nbsp;

The group had allegedly purchased remote-controlled cars and wireless doorbells to use their circuits in assembling remote-controlled improvised explosive devices.

Besides, the NIA had also seized steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, ISIS-related literature during the searches conducted earlier.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday carried out searches at eight places in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday carried out searches at eight places in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group, which was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India. The agency has arrested 12 people in this connection since December 26 last year. The fresh raids come five days after the NIA arrested Muhammad Absar (24) from Hapur on January 12. The NIA said that searches were being conducted based on inputs from an interrogation of the people arrested for allegedly being part of 'Harkat ul Harb e Islam' module of the global terrorist group ISIS. The agency had earlier said it had seized a locally made rocket launcher, material for suicide vests and 112 alarm clocks to be used as timers besides recovering 25 kg of explosive material -- Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate and Sulphur. The group had allegedly purchased remote-controlled cars and wireless doorbells to use their circuits in assembling remote-controlled improvised explosive devices. Besides, the NIA had also seized steel containers, electric wires, 91 mobile phones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, ISIS-related literature during the searches conducted earlier.

Probe against IS-inspired group: NIA carries out searches in UP, Punjab

A Delhi court Saturday sent to six-day NIA remand a man arrested by the agency from UP in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmender Singh sent 24-year-old Muhammed Absar to six-day remand.

Advocate Mohammed Noorullah, appearing for Absar, had opposed the National Investigation Agency's request for remand.

Absar, a resident of Jasora village in Meerut district of western Uttar Pradesh, had presented himself before the agency after being a served a notice under Section 41 of the CrPC but was later produced by the agency as arrested, according to Noorullah.

An NIA spokesperson said Absar was arrested by the agency from Hapur on Friday night. He said Absar used to teach at Jamia Husania Abul Hassan in Piplera area of Ghaziabad.

The NIA has so far arrested 12 people in connection with the case.

A Delhi court Saturday sent to six-day NIA remand a man arrested by the agency from UP in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India.

A Delhi court Saturday sent to six-day NIA remand a man arrested by the agency from UP in connection with its probe against an ISIS-inspired group allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts targeting politicians and government installations in Delhi and other parts of north India. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmender Singh sent 24-year-old Muhammed Absar to six-day remand. Advocate Mohammed Noorullah, appearing for Absar, had opposed the National Investigation Agency's request for remand. Absar, a resident of Jasora village in Meerut district of western Uttar Pradesh, had presented himself before the agency after being a served a notice under Section 41 of the CrPC but was later produced by the agency as arrested, according to Noorullah. An NIA spokesperson said Absar was arrested by the agency from Hapur on Friday night. He said Absar used to teach at Jamia Husania Abul Hassan in Piplera area of Ghaziabad. The NIA has so far arrested 12 people in connection with the case.

ISIS module: NIA gets six-day remand of man arrested from UP

At least 23 forces of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-should-expect-turkey-to-provide-assurance-to-terror-organisation-turkey-on-kurdish-forces-189051">US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)</a> were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces.

The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists.

The Islamist forces used the cover of the bad weather and launched a deadly counterattack against the Kurdish-led force.

IS fighters took advantage of poor visibility to unleash suicide attackers on SDF forces along the front line in the Euphrates valley late on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Twenty-three SDF fighters were killed and nine IS jihadists were also killed in fighting that lasted all night and into Monday morning," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF launched what is meant to be the final offensive on the jihadist organisation four months ago with air and ground support from coalition forces.

(With inputs from AFP)

At least 23 forces of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces. The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists.

At least 23 forces of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed on Tuesday in a fight with the radical Islamist forces. The Islamist State could not retain their last bastion in eastern Syria in the fight which also killed nine jihadists. The Islamist forces used the cover of the bad weather and launched a deadly counterattack against the Kurdish-led force. IS fighters took advantage of poor visibility to unleash suicide attackers on SDF forces along the front line in the Euphrates valley late on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Twenty-three SDF fighters were killed and nine IS jihadists were also killed in fighting that lasted all night and into Monday morning," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The SDF launched what is meant to be the final offensive on the jihadist organisation four months ago with air and ground support from coalition forces. (With inputs from AFP)

IS counterattack in east Syria leaves 32 dead: Monitor

President Donald Trump on Monday sought to end fears of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-defends-pullout-from-syria-says-time-for-others-to-finally-fight-185539">an abrupt US pullout from Syria</a>, saying the fight against the Islamic State group was not over and that withdrawal would be done in a "prudent" manner.

"We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!" Trump tweeted.

The president has come under withering pressure both at home and in allied capitals after previous statements indicating that he considered the IS group vanquished and that he wanted US troops out of Syria imminently.

Trump's new statement follows a trip by his national security adviser John Bolton to Israel in which he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that withdrawal would not happen before "ISIS is defeated and not able to revive itself."

The reassurances followed a diplomatic storm caused by Trump's surprise announcement in December that appeared to signal a rapid withdrawal from Syria, where US special forces play an important role in supporting local forces fighting IS.

"We've won against ISIS," he said at the time. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home."

Allies like Britain and France warned that IS was not defeated. Questions were also raised over the fate of Kurdish groups that have done much of the fighting alongside the United States in Syria, but now fear attacks from Turkey.

The initial pullout promise also sparked outspoken opposition from within Trump's Republican party and the resignation of respected defense secretary James Mattis.

In Monday's statement, Trump complained that media coverage had skewed his original words, saying that his latest position on Syria was "no different from my original statements."

Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the Syria, which is in the grips of a complex civil war. Most of the US soldiers are there to train local forces fighting the hardcore-Islamist IS.

President Donald Trump on Monday sought to end fears of an abrupt US pullout from Syria, saying the fight against the Islamic State group was not over and that withdrawal would be done in a "prudent" manner.

President Donald Trump on Monday sought to end fears of an abrupt US pullout from Syria, saying the fight against the Islamic State group was not over and that withdrawal would be done in a "prudent" manner. "We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!" Trump tweeted. The president has come under withering pressure both at home and in allied capitals after previous statements indicating that he considered the IS group vanquished and that he wanted US troops out of Syria imminently. Trump's new statement follows a trip by his national security adviser John Bolton to Israel in which he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that withdrawal would not happen before "ISIS is defeated and not able to revive itself." The reassurances followed a diplomatic storm caused by Trump's surprise announcement in December that appeared to signal a rapid withdrawal from Syria, where US special forces play an important role in supporting local forces fighting IS. "We've won against ISIS," he said at the time. "We've beaten them and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land. And now it's time for our troops to come back home." Allies like Britain and France warned that IS was not defeated. Questions were also raised over the fate of Kurdish groups that have done much of the fighting alongside the United States in Syria, but now fear attacks from Turkey. The initial pullout promise also sparked outspoken opposition from within Trump's Republican party and the resignation of respected defense secretary James Mattis. In Monday's statement, Trump complained that media coverage had skewed his original words, saying that his latest position on Syria was "no different from my original statements." Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the Syria, which is in the grips of a complex civil war. Most of the US soldiers are there to train local forces fighting the hardcore-Islamist IS.

Trump says US will pull out of Syria in 'prudent' way

An Islamic State group suicide bomber attacked a centre for Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian city of Raqa on Monday, killing four civilians and an anti-jihadist fighter, a monitor said.

The attacker blew himself up after entering the centre run by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"A suicide attacker wearing an explosives belt blew himself up inside a YPG centre after opening fire on a security checkpoint at its entrance," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp;

At least four civilians and a YPG fighter were killed in the attack, he added.

The YPG forms the backbone an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battling to expel IS from its last redoubt in eastern Syria.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack they said targeted a "recruitment centre" for Kurdish forces.

"The attacker aimed at them with a machine gun then blew up his explosives vest in the middle of them," it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Backed by the US-led coalition, the SDF has in recent weeks advanced against IS fighters in their last holdout in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor near the Iraqi border.

The jihadists are clinging on to a handful of villages in the Euphrates River Valley, including Sousa and Baghouz.

They also retain a presence in the country's vast Badia desert.

IS swept across large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across areas under its control. But it has since lost most of that territory to various offensives.

The SDF ousted IS fighters from Raqa in 2017, more than three years after the jihadists overran the city and made it their de-facto Syrian capital.

Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions more since it erupted in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

An Islamic State group suicide bomber attacked a centre for Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian city of Raqa on Monday, killing four civilians and an anti-jihadist fighter, a monitor said.

An Islamic State group suicide bomber attacked a centre for Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian city of Raqa on Monday, killing four civilians and an anti-jihadist fighter, a monitor said. The attacker blew himself up after entering the centre run by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "A suicide attacker wearing an explosives belt blew himself up inside a YPG centre after opening fire on a security checkpoint at its entrance," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. At least four civilians and a YPG fighter were killed in the attack, he added. The YPG forms the backbone an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battling to expel IS from its last redoubt in eastern Syria. IS claimed responsibility for the attack they said targeted a "recruitment centre" for Kurdish forces. "The attacker aimed at them with a machine gun then blew up his explosives vest in the middle of them," it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Backed by the US-led coalition, the SDF has in recent weeks advanced against IS fighters in their last holdout in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor near the Iraqi border. The jihadists are clinging on to a handful of villages in the Euphrates River Valley, including Sousa and Baghouz. They also retain a presence in the country's vast Badia desert. IS swept across large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across areas under its control. But it has since lost most of that territory to various offensives. The SDF ousted IS fighters from Raqa in 2017, more than three years after the jihadists overran the city and made it their de-facto Syrian capital. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions more since it erupted in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

IS suicide bomber kills 5 in Syria's Raqa: Monitor

At least 595 people, including <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-government-says-pak-based-terror-groups-continue-to-train-cadres-to-infiltrate-by-sea-187875">Pakistani security officials</a>, have been killed and 1,030 others injured in 262 terror attacks in the country during 2018, according to a report.

<a href="http://13.232.42.114/south-asia/surgical-strike-figment-of-indian-imagination-pakistan-188101">Most of the attacks were targeted</a> at security and law enforcement agencies. Among these attacks, the most menacing were carried out on political leaders and workers.

The deadliest attacks took place in the run-up to the July 25 general elections, the Pak Institute for Peace Studies' (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its annual Pakistan Security Report 2018.

In July, a suicide bomber killed 128 people at an election rally in southwestern Pakistan in the second election-related attack. The bombing was the most deadly attack in Pakistan in over three years.

It stated that there was a "29 per cent decline in terrorist attacks and 27 per cent in consequent fatalities in 2018, compared to previous year".

The PIPS said that about 38 per cent of the total 595 people killed in acts of terrorism in Pakistan in 2018 was the result of five lethal attacks claimed by ISIS in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

"Balochistan was the only region where terrorism-related killings surged, by over 23 per cent, when compared to 2017; most of these fatalities resulted from attacks by religiously-inspired militant groups," according to the report.

Around 171 attacks in entire Pakistan were perpetrated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its splinter groups Jamaatul Ahrar, Hizbul Ahrar and others, which killed 449 people.

Nationalist insurgent groups, mostly in Balochistan and a few in Sindh, carried out 80 attacks, martyring 96 people.

"As many as 11 terrorist attacks were sectarian-related, killing 50 people and injuring 45 others," it said.

More than half of these attacks, around 136, hit security and law enforcement agencies.

The security forces killed a total of 120 militants in 2018 as compared to 524 in 2017.

It noted that 24 attacks were against political leaders and workers, in which 218 people were killed martyred and 394 injured.

A total of 131 cross-border attacks from Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan, India, and Iran, claiming 111 lives and injuring 290 others.

Balochistan remained the centre of attention with 354 people martyred in attacks while 59 per cent of the total toll in Pakistan took place in the province.

The PIPS report called for comprehensive policy and action to completely end violence from the country.

It said that questions were raised on the status of those banned individuals who signed Paigham-e-Pakistan - a violence-opposing decree but continued to hold protests and even paralysing cities.&nbsp;

The report stated that there was a '29 per cent decline in terrorist attacks and 27 per cent in consequent fatalities in 2018, compared to previous year'.

At least 595 people, including Pakistani security officials, have been killed and 1,030 others injured in 262 terror attacks in the country during 2018, according to a report. Most of the attacks were targeted at security and law enforcement agencies. Among these attacks, the most menacing were carried out on political leaders and workers. The deadliest attacks took place in the run-up to the July 25 general elections, the Pak Institute for Peace Studies' (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its annual Pakistan Security Report 2018. In July, a suicide bomber killed 128 people at an election rally in southwestern Pakistan in the second election-related attack. The bombing was the most deadly attack in Pakistan in over three years. It stated that there was a "29 per cent decline in terrorist attacks and 27 per cent in consequent fatalities in 2018, compared to previous year". The PIPS said that about 38 per cent of the total 595 people killed in acts of terrorism in Pakistan in 2018 was the result of five lethal attacks claimed by ISIS in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. "Balochistan was the only region where terrorism-related killings surged, by over 23 per cent, when compared to 2017; most of these fatalities resulted from attacks by religiously-inspired militant groups," according to the report. Around 171 attacks in entire Pakistan were perpetrated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its splinter groups Jamaatul Ahrar, Hizbul Ahrar and others, which killed 449 people. Nationalist insurgent groups, mostly in Balochistan and a few in Sindh, carried out 80 attacks, martyring 96 people. "As many as 11 terrorist attacks were sectarian-related, killing 50 people and injuring 45 others," it said. More than half of these attacks, around 136, hit security and law enforcement agencies. The security forces killed a total of 120 militants in 2018 as compared to 524 in 2017. It noted that 24 attacks were against political leaders and workers, in which 218 people were killed martyred and 394 injured. A total of 131 cross-border attacks from Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan, India, and Iran, claiming 111 lives and injuring 290 others. Balochistan remained the centre of attention with 354 people martyred in attacks while 59 per cent of the total toll in Pakistan took place in the province. The PIPS report called for comprehensive policy and action to completely end violence from the country. It said that questions were raised on the status of those banned individuals who signed Paigham-e-Pakistan - a violence-opposing decree but continued to hold protests and even paralysing cities.

262 terror attacks killed 595 people in Pakistan in 2018: Report

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-marked-another-bloody-year-in-syria-187022">Syrian</a> government and urged them to revisit their decision.

"We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him."

The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”.

The brutal all-out war in Syria is now <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-arab-countries-embracing-syrian-again-is-countrys-isolation-over-188046">coming to an end</a>. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region.&nbsp;

Syria fell into a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/opinions/international-community-has-failed-syria-167928&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsnbKlvMLfAhUKsI8KHaviDoUQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0LihMYnQQnV8TUmMHDGua-">civil war</a>&nbsp;in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government.

The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring.

The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it.

Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians.

(With inputs from Reuters) 
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Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision.

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision. "We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him." The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”. The brutal all-out war in Syria is now coming to an end. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region. Syria fell into a civil war in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government. The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring. The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it. Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians. (With inputs from Reuters)

Syrian opposition says surprised by countries reconciling with Assad

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