Philippines today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-i-prayed-for-them-says-indian-priest-captured-by-isis-20796">arrested a woman suspected of recruiting</a> foreigners through social media and messaging apps, reports said.

The woman believed to be an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/isis-challenges-prince-harry-to-a-fight-20665">IS recruiter was arrested in the southern city of&nbsp;Taguig&nbsp;</a>which is dominated by pro-Islamic rebels, Reuters reported.

&quot;Karen Aizha Hamidon, the widow of a former leader of a small extremist group in Mindanao, was arrested by special agents at her home in a Manila suburb a week ago and has been charged with inciting to rebellion,&quot;&nbsp;Philippine&#39;s justice minister told Singapore&#39;s local newspaper The Straits Times.&nbsp;

&quot;Agents found she had made 296 posts in chatrooms on Telegram and WhatsApp &quot;calling on Muslims in the Philippines, India and Singapore to come to Marawi to establish a province of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria&quot;, The&nbsp;Straits Times quoted the minister as saying.

Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city.

Justice minister Aguirre said Hamidon was formerly the wife of Singaporean security guard detained in 2015 for planning to join ISIS and using social media to incite violence.

Hamidon later married a Filipino, &nbsp;Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who led an IS-linked organization but was killed in January, justice minister added.

Hamidon was also allegedly close to an Australian preacher accused of recruiting IS fighters.

Expanding on Hamidon&#39;s arrest, Aguirre said: &quot;It is very clear that her actions are in a conspiracy, or in sync, with actions of the rebels.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;While her companions are fighting in Marawi, her part is to further recruit fighters to assist in the Marawi siege by the ISIS and Maute groups,&quot; the minister added. 
&nbsp;

Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city.

Philippines today arrested a woman suspected of recruiting foreigners through social media and messaging apps, reports said. The woman believed to be an IS recruiter was arrested in the southern city of Taguig which is dominated by pro-Islamic rebels, Reuters reported. "Karen Aizha Hamidon, the widow of a former leader of a small extremist group in Mindanao, was arrested by special agents at her home in a Manila suburb a week ago and has been charged with inciting to rebellion," Philippine's justice minister told Singapore's local newspaper The Straits Times. "Agents found she had made 296 posts in chatrooms on Telegram and WhatsApp "calling on Muslims in the Philippines, India and Singapore to come to Marawi to establish a province of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria", The Straits Times quoted the minister as saying. Hamidon is accused of using social media and messaging apps to call on foreigners to join the siege by an alliance of Islamic State loyalists in Marawi city. Justice minister Aguirre said Hamidon was formerly the wife of Singaporean security guard detained in 2015 for planning to join ISIS and using social media to incite violence. Hamidon later married a Filipino, Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, who led an IS-linked organization but was killed in January, justice minister added. Hamidon was also allegedly close to an Australian preacher accused of recruiting IS fighters. Expanding on Hamidon's arrest, Aguirre said: "It is very clear that her actions are in a conspiracy, or in sync, with actions of the rebels." "While her companions are fighting in Marawi, her part is to further recruit fighters to assist in the Marawi siege by the ISIS and Maute groups," the minister added.

Woman suspected of recruiting IS fighters in India, Singapore arrested in Philippines: Report

The UK has claimed that it has succeeded in crippling the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network with over 1,600 air strikes in Iraq and Syria in the past three years.

The country&#39;s Ministry of Defence (MoD) marked the third anniversary since the British Parliament voted to begin air strikes on the terror group in September 2014, by releasing details of successes as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.

The UK has carried out 1,340 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-strikes-in-syrias-idlib-kill-27-civilians-monitor-20644" target="_blank">airstrikes</a> in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years.

It also revealed that Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft destroyed 17 targets in Syria in a single day last week as the air campaign intensifies, forcing ISIS to &quot;splinter and retreat&quot; from areas it once ruled.

The MoD claimed that the &quot;barbaric cult&quot; are being pinned down by the RAF in their former stronghold of Raqqa and have lost territory, finances, leaders and fighters over the three-year-long campaign.

&quot;Britain has made a major contribution to the campaign that has crippled Daesh (ISIS) since 2014, forcing this miserable cult from the gates of Baghdad to the brink of defeat in Raqqa.

&quot;By air, land and sea, UK personnel have played a tireless role in striking targets and training allies,&quot; UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said.

The UK is the second-largest contributor to the global coalition&#39;s military campaign and has flown more than 8,000 sorties with Tornado and Typhoon jets and Reaper drones, providing strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance, refuelling and transport support, he noted.

Since 2014, the UK has been bombarding targets, including heavy machine-gun positions, truck-bombs, mortar teams, snipers and weapons stores from Raqqa and

Dayr az Zawr in Syria to Qayyarah and Al Qaim in Iraq.

&quot;This has been an immense effort by RAF airmen and airwomen over the last three years of continued operations, countering Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria,&quot; UK Air Chief Marshal Stephen Hillier said.

As part of the details of the war against ISIS, the MoD highlighted that three years ago the network demanding a so-called Islamic Caliphate was barely an hour from the gates of Baghdad in Iraq.

&quot;But today, it has lost more than 73 per cent of the territory it occupied in Iraq and 65 per cent of its former territory in Syria,&quot; the MoD said.

The RAF&#39;s role has included helping Syrian Democratic Forces engaged in ground close combat and the Iraqi Security Forces who continue their advance having liberated Mosul and Ninewah province.

More than 5.5 million people have reportedly been freed from ISIS rule and over 2 million displaced Iraqi civilians have returned to their homes.

In the Iraqi city of Mosul, it is estimated that over 265,000 people have returned.

On the ground, around 600 British soldiers remain in Iraq to train the country&#39;s forces.

UK troops have so far helped train over 58,000 Iraqi Security Forces in battle winning infantry, counter improvised explosive device (IED), engineering and combat medical skills, the MoD states.

The UK said its involvement from all three services, the Army, Air Force and Navy, to the fight against ISIS across the region now numbers just over 1,400 military personnel.&nbsp;

The UK has carried out 1,340 air strikes in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years

The UK has claimed that it has succeeded in crippling the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network with over 1,600 air strikes in Iraq and Syria in the past three years. The country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) marked the third anniversary since the British Parliament voted to begin air strikes on the terror group in September 2014, by releasing details of successes as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition. The UK has carried out 1,340 airstrikes in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years. It also revealed that Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft destroyed 17 targets in Syria in a single day last week as the air campaign intensifies, forcing ISIS to "splinter and retreat" from areas it once ruled. The MoD claimed that the "barbaric cult" are being pinned down by the RAF in their former stronghold of Raqqa and have lost territory, finances, leaders and fighters over the three-year-long campaign. "Britain has made a major contribution to the campaign that has crippled Daesh (ISIS) since 2014, forcing this miserable cult from the gates of Baghdad to the brink of defeat in Raqqa. "By air, land and sea, UK personnel have played a tireless role in striking targets and training allies," UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said. The UK is the second-largest contributor to the global coalition's military campaign and has flown more than 8,000 sorties with Tornado and Typhoon jets and Reaper drones, providing strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance, refuelling and transport support, he noted. Since 2014, the UK has been bombarding targets, including heavy machine-gun positions, truck-bombs, mortar teams, snipers and weapons stores from Raqqa and Dayr az Zawr in Syria to Qayyarah and Al Qaim in Iraq. "This has been an immense effort by RAF airmen and airwomen over the last three years of continued operations, countering Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria," UK Air Chief Marshal Stephen Hillier said. As part of the details of the war against ISIS, the MoD highlighted that three years ago the network demanding a so-called Islamic Caliphate was barely an hour from the gates of Baghdad in Iraq. "But today, it has lost more than 73 per cent of the territory it occupied in Iraq and 65 per cent of its former territory in Syria," the MoD said. The RAF's role has included helping Syrian Democratic Forces engaged in ground close combat and the Iraqi Security Forces who continue their advance having liberated Mosul and Ninewah province. More than 5.5 million people have reportedly been freed from ISIS rule and over 2 million displaced Iraqi civilians have returned to their homes. In the Iraqi city of Mosul, it is estimated that over 265,000 people have returned. On the ground, around 600 British soldiers remain in Iraq to train the country's forces. UK troops have so far helped train over 58,000 Iraqi Security Forces in battle winning infantry, counter improvised explosive device (IED), engineering and combat medical skills, the MoD states. The UK said its involvement from all three services, the Army, Air Force and Navy, to the fight against ISIS across the region now numbers just over 1,400 military personnel.

ISIS 'crippled' in Iraq, Syria with 1,600 air strikes: UK

A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain&#39;s Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to &quot;hellfire&quot;.

The man identifying himself as Abu Uqayl appeared in a three-and-a-half minute video in which he encourages would-be terrorists to fight for ISIS in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

&quot;To Harry, you come to Singapore and tell such stories to gain sympathy for the London terror attacks. Why don&#39;t you come here and fight us if you&#39;re man enough so that we can send you and your Apaches (helicopters) to hellfire,&quot; says Uqayl in the video.

The reference is to the fact that the 33-year-old prince flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan when he served as a soldier in the British Army in the past.

The fifth in line to the British throne had visited Singapore soon after an ISIS-claimed terror attack in London in June during which three knifemen had used a van to ram pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in restaurants and pubs around Borough Market area of London.

In his speech, Harry had made a reference to the attack, which had claimed eight lives and injured 48 others.

Singaporean authorities have identified the man in the video as 39-year-old Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, who left the city-state to work in the Middle East in 2014.

&quot;Our security agencies have been aware for some time now of the presence in Syria of a Singaporean, Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, 39, and have been monitoring his activities,&quot; the country&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

&quot;It is believed that the person in the video calling himself &#39;Abu Uqayl&#39; is Shahdan.&quot;&nbsp;

Prince Harry is currently in Toronto, Canada, at the Invictus Games a sporting event he founded for injured war veterans.

A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain's Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to 'hellfire'

A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain's Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to "hellfire". The man identifying himself as Abu Uqayl appeared in a three-and-a-half minute video in which he encourages would-be terrorists to fight for ISIS in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. "To Harry, you come to Singapore and tell such stories to gain sympathy for the London terror attacks. Why don't you come here and fight us if you're man enough so that we can send you and your Apaches (helicopters) to hellfire," says Uqayl in the video. The reference is to the fact that the 33-year-old prince flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan when he served as a soldier in the British Army in the past. The fifth in line to the British throne had visited Singapore soon after an ISIS-claimed terror attack in London in June during which three knifemen had used a van to ram pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in restaurants and pubs around Borough Market area of London. In his speech, Harry had made a reference to the attack, which had claimed eight lives and injured 48 others. Singaporean authorities have identified the man in the video as 39-year-old Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, who left the city-state to work in the Middle East in 2014. "Our security agencies have been aware for some time now of the presence in Syria of a Singaporean, Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, 39, and have been monitoring his activities," the country's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. "It is believed that the person in the video calling himself 'Abu Uqayl' is Shahdan." Prince Harry is currently in Toronto, Canada, at the Invictus Games a sporting event he founded for injured war veterans.

ISIS challenges Prince Harry to a fight

The Philippine military said&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;it had captured the command centre of Islamic State group supporters who have besieged a southern city for nearly four months.

Security forces have engaged in ferocious street-to-street combat and launched airstrikes in their efforts to expel the fighters from Marawi, in a battle that has left 800 dead and raised fears that IS is looking to establish a Southeast Asian base in the Philippines.

The military said it had captured the militants&#39; control centre in a deadly operation that began&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;against a mosque and another building.

&quot;This enormous (military) gain further weakened the terrorist group by denying them their erstwhile command and control hub,&quot; military chief General Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

&quot;As follow up and clearing operations continue, we expect the enemy to yield more previously occupied positions, but not without a fight,&quot; he said. &quot;We are ready for that.&quot;

Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the task force battling the militants, said the military had encountered some of the heaviest resistance in recovering the mosque.

Its capture may be a sign that the prolonged fighting with the Maute militant group, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to IS, may be nearing a conclusion, he said.

&quot;We believe we are close to the end. The area where the Maute terrorist group can move is shrinking. We noticed that their resistance is weakening,&quot; Brawner told AFP.

&quot;They are retreating while we are assaulting but in the process of doing so, we are encountering many improvised explosive devices so we cannot just advance. We have to be very careful,&quot; he said.

One soldier was killed and seven others were wounded in the battle, he said.

Brawner said they had hoped to rescue numerous civilian hostages when they captured the mosque but they found no one.

In the once-bustling city, gunfire could still be heard ringing out in the distance as troops backed by armoured vehicles, pressed towards militant positions.

The rubble-strewn streets of Marawi were practically empty except for scores of heavily armed soldiers securing the area. Philippine aircraft and an American P-3 Orion spyplane flew above the city.

Hundreds of armed extremists flying the black flag of the Islamic State movement in the Middle East occupied Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on&nbsp;May 23.

The government said 666 militants, at least 147 government troops and 47 civilians have since been killed in the battle, which has forced thousands to flee their homes.&nbsp;

Brawner said the ringleaders of the siege are still believed to be inside Marawi, adding that the military was determined to hunt them down.

&quot;We do not want this to happen again in any other city in the Philippines,&quot; he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has deployed thousands of troops and imposed martial law across the southern third of the country to deal with the crisis.

Security forces have engaged in ferocious street-to-street combat and launched airstrikes in their efforts to expel the fighters from Marawi, in a battle that has left 800 dead and raised fears that IS is looking to establish a Southeast Asian base in the Philippines

The Philippine military said Sunday it had captured the command centre of Islamic State group supporters who have besieged a southern city for nearly four months. Security forces have engaged in ferocious street-to-street combat and launched airstrikes in their efforts to expel the fighters from Marawi, in a battle that has left 800 dead and raised fears that IS is looking to establish a Southeast Asian base in the Philippines. The military said it had captured the militants' control centre in a deadly operation that began Saturday against a mosque and another building. "This enormous (military) gain further weakened the terrorist group by denying them their erstwhile command and control hub," military chief General Eduardo Ano said in a statement. "As follow up and clearing operations continue, we expect the enemy to yield more previously occupied positions, but not without a fight," he said. "We are ready for that." Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the task force battling the militants, said the military had encountered some of the heaviest resistance in recovering the mosque. Its capture may be a sign that the prolonged fighting with the Maute militant group, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to IS, may be nearing a conclusion, he said. "We believe we are close to the end. The area where the Maute terrorist group can move is shrinking. We noticed that their resistance is weakening," Brawner told AFP. "They are retreating while we are assaulting but in the process of doing so, we are encountering many improvised explosive devices so we cannot just advance. We have to be very careful," he said. One soldier was killed and seven others were wounded in the battle, he said. Brawner said they had hoped to rescue numerous civilian hostages when they captured the mosque but they found no one. In the once-bustling city, gunfire could still be heard ringing out in the distance as troops backed by armoured vehicles, pressed towards militant positions. The rubble-strewn streets of Marawi were practically empty except for scores of heavily armed soldiers securing the area. Philippine aircraft and an American P-3 Orion spyplane flew above the city. Hundreds of armed extremists flying the black flag of the Islamic State movement in the Middle East occupied Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23. The government said 666 militants, at least 147 government troops and 47 civilians have since been killed in the battle, which has forced thousands to flee their homes. Brawner said the ringleaders of the siege are still believed to be inside Marawi, adding that the military was determined to hunt them down. "We do not want this to happen again in any other city in the Philippines," he said. President Rodrigo Duterte has deployed thousands of troops and imposed martial law across the southern third of the country to deal with the crisis.

Philippine army captures key pro-IS base in besieged city Marawi

Carrot juice and gunfire

Israel is a country that stuns you with its beauty and incongruity. And that&rsquo;s an understatement. Our chopper (called BDS, not weird at all!) landed on Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. It&rsquo;s a dormant volcano where lava seeps from the base and not the top of the mountain, leaving the soil around it rich with minerals. There are lush vineyards as far as the eye can see. The Instagram happy lot had just turned on their selfie cameras when we were beckoned to the other side.

There was a UN convoy practicing a drill. The young Irish officers refused to talk. But a few minutes down the road we met more soldiers, men, and women, resting with their backpacks and machine guns, lying under olive trees, posing for cameras. War, perhaps, is just a state of mind for some.&nbsp;

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A female soldier smiling for the photograph shows for some war is just a state of mind. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others)
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We were headed to cafe Kofi Annan, packed with tourists and students. Kofi Annan in Hebrew sounds like &lsquo;coffee on the clouds&rsquo;. Apt. around tables laden with salads, coffee, carrot juice, pizzas and oranges, animated conversation ebbed and flowed. It was like any other cafe, except that you heard booming sounds intermittently.

It&rsquo;s the ISIS fighting, said our guide. He passed on a pair of binoculars. In the distance, you could see the Syrian border. This is the only place in the world or one of the only since I don&rsquo;t know better, where you can see the full theatre of war, live and unedited, perched on barstools.

After a while, the sounds ceased. It&rsquo;s lunch break for the fighters, we were told. Of course. Ideology gives only so much sustenance.&nbsp;

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Tourists on the Golan Heights looking able to see the Syrian border. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others)
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The scene reminded me of Tom Friedman&rsquo;s description of the Lebanese war in the 80s. An American friend of his was invited for dinner on Christmas Eve. Amid artillery salvos and machine gun fire that shook the neighborhood, the hostess put off serving dinner hoping that things would calm down. After a while, she asked, &ldquo;Would you like to eat now or wait for the cease-fire?&rdquo; I thought it was a bit exaggerated. Not anymore. It&rsquo;s a coping mechanism.

For a country that has lived under the constant shadow of war when it&rsquo;s not fighting one, this perhaps is the only way to survive and thrive. The Israelis have turned it into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill.&nbsp;

More power to Merav!

We were led into a fine dining restaurant with sparkling wine goblets and oversized lampshades. We were to meet a member of Knesset from the ruling coalition. Merav Ben Ari was to brief us on policy and politics. She walked in pushing a pram. Her three-month-old daughter gurgled greetings as the mother shook hands with us. She&rsquo;s the first lawmaker in Israel to have conceived a baby with a gay friend and opted for shared parenting out of wedlock. At the risk of soundly too credulous and callow, I have to say I cannot imagine a politician in India, much less a woman, doing this and being cheered for it.&nbsp;

She discussed the corruption allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu while burping her baby and forking her ravioli. The picture was almost inspirational - a working mother, unapologetic about tending to her baby while meeting a delegation, not expected to prove her dedication to her profession while balancing it with &#39;life&#39;. &nbsp;Envy.&nbsp;

All the exhortations about leaning in and claiming your space seemed fraudulent. It&rsquo;s not really a choice for most women where I come from. It&rsquo;s an offer with pre-conditions foisted on them. Most struggle to convince their bosses that they are committed professionals and to their children that they are committed mothers while living in the constant guilt that they might end up being neither.

Ben Ari gave me hope. But unfortunately, I did not follow much of what she said. My contemplative mood coupled with an overdose of cheesecakes that had me looking forward to a nap on the bus to our next destination.

Palki Sharma&nbsp;traveled to Israel for the AJC&#39;s Project Interchange 2017.&nbsp;

The Israelis have turned war into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill.

Carrot juice and gunfire Israel is a country that stuns you with its beauty and incongruity. And that’s an understatement. Our chopper (called BDS, not weird at all!) landed on Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. It’s a dormant volcano where lava seeps from the base and not the top of the mountain, leaving the soil around it rich with minerals. There are lush vineyards as far as the eye can see. The Instagram happy lot had just turned on their selfie cameras when we were beckoned to the other side. There was a UN convoy practicing a drill. The young Irish officers refused to talk. But a few minutes down the road we met more soldiers, men, and women, resting with their backpacks and machine guns, lying under olive trees, posing for cameras. War, perhaps, is just a state of mind for some. A female soldier smiling for the photograph shows for some war is just a state of mind. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others) × We were headed to cafe Kofi Annan, packed with tourists and students. Kofi Annan in Hebrew sounds like ‘coffee on the clouds’. Apt. around tables laden with salads, coffee, carrot juice, pizzas and oranges, animated conversation ebbed and flowed. It was like any other cafe, except that you heard booming sounds intermittently. It’s the ISIS fighting, said our guide. He passed on a pair of binoculars. In the distance, you could see the Syrian border. This is the only place in the world or one of the only since I don’t know better, where you can see the full theatre of war, live and unedited, perched on barstools. After a while, the sounds ceased. It’s lunch break for the fighters, we were told. Of course. Ideology gives only so much sustenance. Tourists on the Golan Heights looking able to see the Syrian border. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others) × The scene reminded me of Tom Friedman’s description of the Lebanese war in the 80s. An American friend of his was invited for dinner on Christmas Eve. Amid artillery salvos and machine gun fire that shook the neighborhood, the hostess put off serving dinner hoping that things would calm down. After a while, she asked, “Would you like to eat now or wait for the cease-fire?” I thought it was a bit exaggerated. Not anymore. It’s a coping mechanism. For a country that has lived under the constant shadow of war when it’s not fighting one, this perhaps is the only way to survive and thrive. The Israelis have turned it into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill. More power to Merav! We were led into a fine dining restaurant with sparkling wine goblets and oversized lampshades. We were to meet a member of Knesset from the ruling coalition. Merav Ben Ari was to brief us on policy and politics. She walked in pushing a pram. Her three-month-old daughter gurgled greetings as the mother shook hands with us. She’s the first lawmaker in Israel to have conceived a baby with a gay friend and opted for shared parenting out of wedlock. At the risk of soundly too credulous and callow, I have to say I cannot imagine a politician in India, much less a woman, doing this and being cheered for it. She discussed the corruption allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu while burping her baby and forking her ravioli. The picture was almost inspirational - a working mother, unapologetic about tending to her baby while meeting a delegation, not expected to prove her dedication to her profession while balancing it with 'life'. Envy. All the exhortations about leaning in and claiming your space seemed fraudulent. It’s not really a choice for most women where I come from. It’s an offer with pre-conditions foisted on them. Most struggle to convince their bosses that they are committed professionals and to their children that they are committed mothers while living in the constant guilt that they might end up being neither. Ben Ari gave me hope. But unfortunately, I did not follow much of what she said. My contemplative mood coupled with an overdose of cheesecakes that had me looking forward to a nap on the bus to our next destination. Palki Sharma traveled to Israel for the AJC's Project Interchange 2017.

There is an Israel beyond the gunfire

How much does a terrorist attack cost? Where does the money come from? How does the money get through to terror groups? How are far-off countries like India an integral part of the terror-funding network?

While Indian journalists like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.opindia.com/2017/07/an-open-letter-to-shekhar-gupta-by-a-man-whose-efforts-were-maligned-by-theprint/">Shekhar Gupta were busy justifying</a>&nbsp;and communalizing the issue, the&nbsp;<a href="https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/blog-posts/conflict-antiquities-a-terrorist-financing-risk/">Antiquities Coalition</a>&nbsp;published some shocking data on terror funding and its linkage to heritage theft. Media&rsquo;s penchant for fake news and malleable narratives ensured that this critical topic got no coverage whatsoever.

How Much Does a Terrorist Attack Cost?

Here is what we know. It is surprisingly cheap to orchestrate a terror attack, even one large enough to shake the world. The 2015 attacks in Paris, for example, cost only $88,160. Interestingly, only $22,570 was spent in truly criminal activities (like making false IDs and acquiring weapons). The rest of it went toward phone calls, car rentals, travel &mdash; the seemingly harmless simple stuff. In other words, the Islamic State (IS) took 130 lives for the price of a mid-range car.

Where Does this Money Come From?

Now, this is where it gets really interesting. Terror-funding sources like oil, money laundering and narcotics have dominated the public perception and media narrative for decades. This image fits in well with a Hollywood-like James Bond villain that funds an evil empire through &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; ill-gotten gains.

What doesn&rsquo;t fit into that image, however, is the bad guy selling stolen rag-tag antiquities to fund terror. The United Nations Security Council passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11775.doc.htm">Resolution 2199</a>&nbsp;saying exactly that. That IS was stealing and smuggling heritage artifacts to fund its terror operations. The United States quickly followed suit passing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2285/actions">H.R.2285: Prevent Trafficking in Cultural Property Act</a>, recognizing &ldquo;trafficking of cultural property&rdquo; as a &ldquo;homeland security&rdquo; issue &mdash; not an art or heritage concern limited to cocktail evenings at museums and high-society dinners.

In short, heritage from across the world is being peddled so bombs can be thrown back at us.

How Does India Fit In?

Between 2011 and 2016, the declared imports of antiquities into the US grew by almost 50%. That sure is a phenomenal growth rate. More so for a product or market that is not new or fancy. Of the $147 million-worth of arts/antiquities traded in 2016, $79 million came from India. Compare that to Iraq at only $2.5 million. In short, more than half of America&rsquo;s arts/antiquities&nbsp;<a href="https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/blog-posts/conflict-antiquities-a-terrorist-financing-risk/">imports had their origins in India</a>.

When you view this in the context of India&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cag.gov.in/content/report-no-18-2013-performance-audit-preservation-and-conservation-monuments-and-antiquities">CAG report</a>&nbsp;(the country&rsquo;s official review and audit agency), commenting on ASI (India&rsquo;s official agency responsible for preventing heritage-crimes), they chose to not mince words and describe the agency&rsquo;s efforts as &ldquo;completely ineffective.&rdquo;

To add to this, a recent High Court ruling in India had &ldquo;not come across even a single case, where the persons involved in smuggling the idols out of the country have been independently prosecuted.&rdquo;

The team at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaPrideProj">India Pride Project</a>&nbsp;posts regular updates on heritage thefts. Interestingly, most of those thefts are not even officially reported by the local police. No wonder multinational-terror groups chose India for its ripe, repercussion-free pickings.

Why We All Are Wrong?

The collective consciousness has gotten two facts drastically wrong. So, let me correct them for you. First, it is actually quite inexpensive to fund a terror attack. Second, it is also very lucrative to trade in stolen heritage.

Once you put these two together, you have a potent, dangerous, flammable mix ready to explode in your face. As an example, with the gains from selling one Buddha sculpture (stolen from Mathura, India and illicitly sold for $1 million), terrorists could literally fund a dozen Paris-style attacks. To put that in an extrapolated perspective, that&rsquo;s 1,500 lives that could be lost by smuggling out&nbsp;one&nbsp;piece of Indian heritage. Let that sink in for a minute.

So paradoxically, though Lord Buddha spent every waking minute spreading the world of peace and coexistence, terrorists today are using his very image to fund quite the opposite.

The National Security Conundrum

Heritage destruction has been an integral part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq6b07Ln0Pc&amp;feature=youtu.be">civilizational conquests</a>. Nazis destroyed Jewish art and we all know what happened with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/saving-mes-aynak-revisited-02258/">Bamiyan Buddhas</a>. What is new, though, is where new-age terrorists are taking this deplorable act.

You and I are regular people. We don&rsquo;t think like IS; we don&rsquo;t get into their heads; and that&rsquo;s exactly what encourages them. National security agencies are still chasing narcotics and counterfeit currency operations, conveniently barking up the wrong tree, just because it fits into a traditional, comfortable construct.

Make no mistake. Just because we have our heads in the sand doesn&rsquo;t mean that terrorists do too. Collective ignorance and government apathy act like a pep pill for them to push the pedal (on heritage crime-funded terror).

Unfortunately, that pedal is in a van that&rsquo;s headed right at us.

This article has been originally published in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/india-funding-terrorist-groups-latest-news-headlines-today-97021/">Fair Observer</a>

Cultural artifacts from across the world, particularly India, are being peddled so bombs can be thrown back at us.

How much does a terrorist attack cost? Where does the money come from? How does the money get through to terror groups? How are far-off countries like India an integral part of the terror-funding network? While Indian journalists like Shekhar Gupta were busy justifying and communalizing the issue, the Antiquities Coalition published some shocking data on terror funding and its linkage to heritage theft. Media’s penchant for fake news and malleable narratives ensured that this critical topic got no coverage whatsoever. How Much Does a Terrorist Attack Cost? Here is what we know. It is surprisingly cheap to orchestrate a terror attack, even one large enough to shake the world. The 2015 attacks in Paris, for example, cost only $88,160. Interestingly, only $22,570 was spent in truly criminal activities (like making false IDs and acquiring weapons). The rest of it went toward phone calls, car rentals, travel — the seemingly harmless simple stuff. In other words, the Islamic State (IS) took 130 lives for the price of a mid-range car. Where Does this Money Come From? Now, this is where it gets really interesting. Terror-funding sources like oil, money laundering and narcotics have dominated the public perception and media narrative for decades. This image fits in well with a Hollywood-like James Bond villain that funds an evil empire through “traditional” ill-gotten gains. What doesn’t fit into that image, however, is the bad guy selling stolen rag-tag antiquities to fund terror. The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2199 saying exactly that. That IS was stealing and smuggling heritage artifacts to fund its terror operations. The United States quickly followed suit passing H.R.2285: Prevent Trafficking in Cultural Property Act, recognizing “trafficking of cultural property” as a “homeland security” issue — not an art or heritage concern limited to cocktail evenings at museums and high-society dinners. In short, heritage from across the world is being peddled so bombs can be thrown back at us. How Does India Fit In? Between 2011 and 2016, the declared imports of antiquities into the US grew by almost 50%. That sure is a phenomenal growth rate. More so for a product or market that is not new or fancy. Of the $147 million-worth of arts/antiquities traded in 2016, $79 million came from India. Compare that to Iraq at only $2.5 million. In short, more than half of America’s arts/antiquities imports had their origins in India. When you view this in the context of India’s CAG report (the country’s official review and audit agency), commenting on ASI (India’s official agency responsible for preventing heritage-crimes), they chose to not mince words and describe the agency’s efforts as “completely ineffective.” To add to this, a recent High Court ruling in India had “not come across even a single case, where the persons involved in smuggling the idols out of the country have been independently prosecuted.” The team at India Pride Project posts regular updates on heritage thefts. Interestingly, most of those thefts are not even officially reported by the local police. No wonder multinational-terror groups chose India for its ripe, repercussion-free pickings. Why We All Are Wrong? The collective consciousness has gotten two facts drastically wrong. So, let me correct them for you. First, it is actually quite inexpensive to fund a terror attack. Second, it is also very lucrative to trade in stolen heritage. Once you put these two together, you have a potent, dangerous, flammable mix ready to explode in your face. As an example, with the gains from selling one Buddha sculpture (stolen from Mathura, India and illicitly sold for $1 million), terrorists could literally fund a dozen Paris-style attacks. To put that in an extrapolated perspective, that’s 1,500 lives that could be lost by smuggling out one piece of Indian heritage. Let that sink in for a minute. So paradoxically, though Lord Buddha spent every waking minute spreading the world of peace and coexistence, terrorists today are using his very image to fund quite the opposite. The National Security Conundrum Heritage destruction has been an integral part of civilizational conquests. Nazis destroyed Jewish art and we all know what happened with the Bamiyan Buddhas. What is new, though, is where new-age terrorists are taking this deplorable act. You and I are regular people. We don’t think like IS; we don’t get into their heads; and that’s exactly what encourages them. National security agencies are still chasing narcotics and counterfeit currency operations, conveniently barking up the wrong tree, just because it fits into a traditional, comfortable construct. Make no mistake. Just because we have our heads in the sand doesn’t mean that terrorists do too. Collective ignorance and government apathy act like a pep pill for them to push the pedal (on heritage crime-funded terror). Unfortunately, that pedal is in a van that’s headed right at us. This article has been originally published in the Fair Observer

Blood Buddhas: How Indian Heritage Fuels the Terror Machinery

Islamic State issued a video on Wednesday threatening new attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran and calling on young Iranians to rise up and launch jihad in their country.

A man wearing a black ski mask and holding an AK-47, seated alongside two others, made the threat in a video bearing the Islamic State&#39;s Amaq news agency logo and showing footage of two attacks in Tehran in June claimed by the militant group.

&quot;The same way we are cutting the necks of your dogs in Iraq and Syria we will cut your necks in the centre of Tehran,&quot; the man said, speaking accented Farsi.

Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group which has sought to establish a caliphate in parts of the Gulf but is now under pressure from national armies and international groups in Syria and Iraq, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi&#39;ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region.

The group killed at least 18 people in attacks on parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 7.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards fired several missiles at Islamic State bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack. Iranian officials have also announced the arrests of dozens allegedly linked to the attacks.

Another portion of the video showed militants in black ski masks speaking out against Shi&#39;ites in Arabic and threatening attacks against them in Iraq.

&nbsp;

Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi'ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region

Islamic State issued a video on Wednesday threatening new attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran and calling on young Iranians to rise up and launch jihad in their country. A man wearing a black ski mask and holding an AK-47, seated alongside two others, made the threat in a video bearing the Islamic State's Amaq news agency logo and showing footage of two attacks in Tehran in June claimed by the militant group. "The same way we are cutting the necks of your dogs in Iraq and Syria we will cut your necks in the centre of Tehran," the man said, speaking accented Farsi. Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group which has sought to establish a caliphate in parts of the Gulf but is now under pressure from national armies and international groups in Syria and Iraq, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi'ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region. The group killed at least 18 people in attacks on parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 7. Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired several missiles at Islamic State bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack. Iranian officials have also announced the arrests of dozens allegedly linked to the attacks. Another portion of the video showed militants in black ski masks speaking out against Shi'ites in Arabic and threatening attacks against them in Iraq.

Islamic State releases video threatening new attacks in Iran

The US defence secretary said on Friday that he believes Islamic State leader&nbsp;Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive.

The defence secretary&#39;s comments come a month after the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-may-have-been-killed-by-russian-army-16897"> Russian military claimed they had hit a meeting</a> Baghdadi was attending near Raqqa, Syria and that he&nbsp;had possibly died in the strike.&nbsp;

Several other reports since then have suggested the IS chief was killed either in Iraq or Syria.&nbsp;

&quot;I think Baghdadi&#39;s alive... And I&#39;ll believe otherwise when we know we&#39;ve killed him,&quot; James Mattis told reporters.

&quot;But, we&#39;re going after him. We assume he&#39;s alive,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The defence secretary's comments come a month after the Russian military claimed they had hit a meeting Baghdadi was attending near Raqqa, Syria and that he?had possibly died in the strike

The US defence secretary said on Friday that he believes Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive. The defence secretary's comments come a month after the Russian military claimed they had hit a meeting Baghdadi was attending near Raqqa, Syria and that he had possibly died in the strike. Several other reports since then have suggested the IS chief was killed either in Iraq or Syria. "I think Baghdadi's alive... And I'll believe otherwise when we know we've killed him," James Mattis told reporters. "But, we're going after him. We assume he's alive," he added.

Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi still alive: US defence secretary

Islamic State militants began reinventing themselves months before US-backed Iraqi forces ended their three-year reign of terror in Mosul, putting aside the dream of a modern-day caliphate and preparing the ground for a different fight.

Intelligence and local officials said that, a few months ago, they noticed a growing stream of commanders and fighters flowing out of the city to the Hamrin mountains in northeast Iraq which offer hideouts and access to four Iraqi provinces.

Some were intercepted but many evaded security forces and began setting up bases for their new operations.

What comes next may be a more complex and daunting challenge for Iraqi security forces once they finish celebrating a hard-won victory in Mosul, the militants&#39; biggest stronghold.

Intelligence and security officials are bracing for the kind of devastating insurgency al Qaeda waged following the 2003 US-led invasion, pushing Iraq into a sectarian civil war which peaked in 2006-2007.

&quot;They are digging in. They have easy access to the capital,&quot; Lahur Talabany, a top Kurdish counter-terrorism official, told Reuters. As part of the US-led coalition, he is at the forefront of efforts to eliminate Islamic State.

&quot;I believe we have tougher days coming.&rdquo;

Some Iraqi Islamic State fighters have roots dating back to al Qaeda&#39;s campaign of car and suicide bombs that exploded by the dozens each day and succeeded in fueling a sectarian bloodbath in Iraq, a major oil producer and key US&nbsp;ally.

When a US-funded tribal initiative crushed al-Qaeda, the hardcore regrouped in the desert between Iraq and Syria. They reappeared with a new jihadist brand that took the world by surprise: Islamic State.

Shortly after its lighting sweep through Mosul, the group outdid al Qaeda&#39;s brutality, carrying out mass beheadings and executions as it imposed its ultra-hardline ideology.

Unlike al-Qaeda, it seized a third of Iraqi territory, gaining knowledge of land that could come in handy as it hits back at Iraqi security forces.

&nbsp;

SADDAM&#39;S INTELLIGENCE AGENTS

Former Iraq intelligence officers who served under Saddam Hussein joined forces with Islamic State in an alliance of convenience. These shrewd military strategists from his Baath Party are expected to be the new generation of Islamic State leaders, Talabany and other security officials said.

Instead of trying to create a caliphate, a concept which attracted recruits from disaffected fellow Sunni Muslims, Islamic State leaders will focus on far less predictable guerrilla warfare, Iraqi and Kurdish security officials said.

Iraqi forces have come a long way since they collapsed in the face of the Islamic State advance in 2014, throwing down their weapons and removing their military uniforms in panic.

They fought for nearly nine months to seize Mosul, with steady help from US-led airstrikes that flattened entire neighbourhoods.

The key question is whether an army that is far more comfortable with conventional warfare can take on an insurgency with sleeper cells and small units of militants who pop out of deserts and mountains, carry out attacks and melt away.

&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll try to hide with the population. Their cells will get smaller &ndash; instead of companies and platoons, they&rsquo;ll go to squads and cells, much smaller elements hiding in the population,&quot; Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend, commander of the US-led coalition, told reporters.

&ldquo;Our Iraqi security force partners will have to engage in counter-insurgency style operations at some point and we&rsquo;re already making efforts now to start shaping their training towards that next ISIS tactic.&quot;

History suggests training may not be enough. The United States spent $25 billion on the Iraqi military during the American occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and triggered an insurgency that included al Qaeda.

That did not prepare the army for the long-haired Islamic State militants who sped into Mosul in pickup trucks with weapons stolen from retreating Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces can certainly point to successes in Mosul and the cities of Falluja and Ramadi in Anbar province, once held by Islamic State.

But local officials say the cities remain vulnerable to attacks from the vast desert nearby mastered by militants.

&quot;Security operations will be useless unless security forces control the desert,&quot; said Anbar official Emad Dulaimi, adding that the desert had become a safe haven for Islamic State. &quot;It is not present as an organization in cities but it carries out attacks by individuals. Car bombs. Suicide bombers. People fear Islamic State will come back. There are attacks every day.&quot;

Tareq Youssef al-Asal, leader of a tribal force, shares those concerns and complains of what he says is a lack of a coordination among numerous local security forces.

&quot;In the end these leaderships have no experience fighting in the desert,&quot; he said.

Some ordinary citizens still do not feel safe despite the Iraqi army&#39;s improved performance.

Anbar resident Ahmed al-Issawy does not plan on re-opening his restaurant anytime soon. He is afraid it will be destroyed the same way it was in clashes between security forces and Islamic State in 2014. &quot;I am afraid there could be an attack at any second,&quot; he said.

Islamic State has not wasted any time in implementing its new strategy despite a major loss in Mosul.

About 30 militants armed with machine guns and mortars crossed the Tigris river in wooden boats, attacked the village of Imam Gharbi, some 70 kilometres&nbsp;(44 miles) south of Mosul in early July and then pulled out, according to security officials.

&quot;The notion of a caliphate is gone. The dream is gone. They will revert back to their old tactics of hit and run attacks,&quot; said senior Kurdish official and former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari. &quot;The hardcore will keep fighting.&quot;

Instead of trying to create a caliphate, Islamic State leaders will focus on far less predictable guerrilla warfare

Islamic State militants began reinventing themselves months before US-backed Iraqi forces ended their three-year reign of terror in Mosul, putting aside the dream of a modern-day caliphate and preparing the ground for a different fight. Intelligence and local officials said that, a few months ago, they noticed a growing stream of commanders and fighters flowing out of the city to the Hamrin mountains in northeast Iraq which offer hideouts and access to four Iraqi provinces. Some were intercepted but many evaded security forces and began setting up bases for their new operations. What comes next may be a more complex and daunting challenge for Iraqi security forces once they finish celebrating a hard-won victory in Mosul, the militants' biggest stronghold. Intelligence and security officials are bracing for the kind of devastating insurgency al Qaeda waged following the 2003 US-led invasion, pushing Iraq into a sectarian civil war which peaked in 2006-2007. "They are digging in. They have easy access to the capital," Lahur Talabany, a top Kurdish counter-terrorism official, told Reuters. As part of the US-led coalition, he is at the forefront of efforts to eliminate Islamic State. "I believe we have tougher days coming.” Some Iraqi Islamic State fighters have roots dating back to al Qaeda's campaign of car and suicide bombs that exploded by the dozens each day and succeeded in fueling a sectarian bloodbath in Iraq, a major oil producer and key US ally. When a US-funded tribal initiative crushed al-Qaeda, the hardcore regrouped in the desert between Iraq and Syria. They reappeared with a new jihadist brand that took the world by surprise: Islamic State. Shortly after its lighting sweep through Mosul, the group outdid al Qaeda's brutality, carrying out mass beheadings and executions as it imposed its ultra-hardline ideology. Unlike al-Qaeda, it seized a third of Iraqi territory, gaining knowledge of land that could come in handy as it hits back at Iraqi security forces. SADDAM'S INTELLIGENCE AGENTS Former Iraq intelligence officers who served under Saddam Hussein joined forces with Islamic State in an alliance of convenience. These shrewd military strategists from his Baath Party are expected to be the new generation of Islamic State leaders, Talabany and other security officials said. Instead of trying to create a caliphate, a concept which attracted recruits from disaffected fellow Sunni Muslims, Islamic State leaders will focus on far less predictable guerrilla warfare, Iraqi and Kurdish security officials said. Iraqi forces have come a long way since they collapsed in the face of the Islamic State advance in 2014, throwing down their weapons and removing their military uniforms in panic. They fought for nearly nine months to seize Mosul, with steady help from US-led airstrikes that flattened entire neighbourhoods. The key question is whether an army that is far more comfortable with conventional warfare can take on an insurgency with sleeper cells and small units of militants who pop out of deserts and mountains, carry out attacks and melt away. “They’ll try to hide with the population. Their cells will get smaller – instead of companies and platoons, they’ll go to squads and cells, much smaller elements hiding in the population," Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend, commander of the US-led coalition, told reporters. “Our Iraqi security force partners will have to engage in counter-insurgency style operations at some point and we’re already making efforts now to start shaping their training towards that next ISIS tactic." History suggests training may not be enough. The United States spent $25 billion on the Iraqi military during the American occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and triggered an insurgency that included al Qaeda. That did not prepare the army for the long-haired Islamic State militants who sped into Mosul in pickup trucks with weapons stolen from retreating Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces can certainly point to successes in Mosul and the cities of Falluja and Ramadi in Anbar province, once held by Islamic State. But local officials say the cities remain vulnerable to attacks from the vast desert nearby mastered by militants. "Security operations will be useless unless security forces control the desert," said Anbar official Emad Dulaimi, adding that the desert had become a safe haven for Islamic State. "It is not present as an organization in cities but it carries out attacks by individuals. Car bombs. Suicide bombers. People fear Islamic State will come back. There are attacks every day." Tareq Youssef al-Asal, leader of a tribal force, shares those concerns and complains of what he says is a lack of a coordination among numerous local security forces. "In the end these leaderships have no experience fighting in the desert," he said. Some ordinary citizens still do not feel safe despite the Iraqi army's improved performance. Anbar resident Ahmed al-Issawy does not plan on re-opening his restaurant anytime soon. He is afraid it will be destroyed the same way it was in clashes between security forces and Islamic State in 2014. "I am afraid there could be an attack at any second," he said. Islamic State has not wasted any time in implementing its new strategy despite a major loss in Mosul. About 30 militants armed with machine guns and mortars crossed the Tigris river in wooden boats, attacked the village of Imam Gharbi, some 70 kilometres (44 miles) south of Mosul in early July and then pulled out, according to security officials. "The notion of a caliphate is gone. The dream is gone. They will revert back to their old tactics of hit and run attacks," said senior Kurdish official and former Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari. "The hardcore will keep fighting."

After Mosul, Islamic State digs in for guerrilla warfare

Iraq&#39;s prime minister declared victory over Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, three years after the militants seized the city and made it the stronghold of a &quot;caliphate&quot; they said would take over the world.

&quot;I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul,&quot; Haider al-Abadi said in a speech shown on state television, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

A 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi government units, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shi&#39;ite militias launched the offensive to recapture the northern city from the militants in October, with key air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition.

Abadi, wearing a black military uniform and flanked by commanders from the security forces, thanked troops and the coalition. But he warned that more challenges lay ahead.

&quot;We have another mission ahead of us, to create stability, to build and clear Daesh cells and that requires an intelligence and security effort, and the unity which enabled us to fight Daesh,&quot; he said before raising an Iraqi flag.

Iraq declared a week-long holiday to mark the victory. People celebrated in the streets of the capital Baghdad and southern cities.

Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday to congratulate military commanders who have waged a nearly nine-month battle to recapture the city, many parts of which were reduced to rubble.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard earlier in the day as the last few Islamic State positions were pounded.

The coalition said in a statement Iraqi forces were in &quot;firm control&quot; of Mosul, but some areas still needed to be cleared of explosive devices and possible Islamic State fighters in hiding.

Around the time of Abadi&#39;s announcement, Islamic State released a statement claiming to have mounted an attack on Iraqi forces in Mosul. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Abadi had been meeting military and political officials in Mosul in an atmosphere of celebration that contrasts with the fear that spread after a few hundred Islamic State militants seized the city and the Iraqi army crumbled in July 2014.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi shocked the Middle East and Western powers three years ago by appearing at the pulpit of Mosul&#39;s Grand al-Nuri Mosque to declare the caliphate and himself the leader of the world&#39;s Muslims.

A reign of terror followed which eventually alienated even many of those Sunni Muslims who had supported the group as allies against Iraq&#39;s Shi&#39;ite majority. Opponents of Islamic State were executed and such crimes as smoking a cigarette were punishable by public whipping.

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the Shi&#39;ites have been politically dominant in Iraq but the country has been racked by ethnic conflict.

Revenge

In the aftermath of victory in Mosul, Abadi&#39;s government faces the task of managing the sectarian tensions there and elsewhere that enabled Islamic State to win support, and the threat of a wave of revenge violence in the city.

The coalition warned that victory in Mosul did not mark the end of the group&#39;s global threat.

&quot;Now it is time for all Iraqis to unite to ensure ISIS (Islamic State) is defeated across the rest of Iraq and that the conditions that led to the rise of ISIS in Iraq are not allowed to return again,&quot; Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend said in a statement.

Baghdadi has fled the city and his whereabouts are unknown. Reports have circulated that he is dead but Iraqi and Western officials say they cannot corroborate this.

His death or capture would not be the end of Islamic State, which still controls areas south and west of Mosul and which is now expected to take to the desert or mountains to wage an insurgency.

The militants are likely to keep trying to launch attacks on the West and inspiring violence by &quot;lone wolves&quot; or small groups of the kind mounted recently in Britain, France and elsewhere.

But the loss of Iraq&#39;s second-largest city is a grave body blow to Islamic State.

&quot;The recovery of Mosul is a significant step in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism,&quot; said the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Islamic State is also under heavy pressure in its operational headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

Humanitarian crisis

The stench of corpses along Mosul&#39;s streets was a reminder of the gruelling urban warfare required to dislodge Islamic State.

Much of the city of 1.5 million has been destroyed in the fighting, its centuries-old stone buildings flattened by air strikes and other explosions. One of Islamic State&#39;s last acts was to blow up the historic al-Nuri mosque and its famous leaning minaret.

Thousands of people have been killed. The United Nations says 920,000 civilians have fled their homes since the military campaign began in October. Close to 700,000 people are still displaced.

&quot;It&#39;s a relief to know that the military campaign in Mosul is ending. The fighting may be over, but the humanitarian crisis is not,&quot; said U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande.&quot;Many of the people who have fled have lost everything. They need shelter, food, healthcare, water, sanitation and emergency kits. The levels of trauma we are seeing are some of the highest anywhere. What people have experienced is nearly unimaginable.&quot;

Iraqi soldiers relaxed. Some swam in the Tigris river which runs through the city. One wiped the sweat from his face with an Islamic State flag.

In the aftermath of victory in Mosul, Abadi's government faces the task of managing the sectarian tensions there and elsewhere that enabled Islamic State to win support, and the threat of a wave of revenge violence in the city

Iraq's prime minister declared victory over Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, three years after the militants seized the city and made it the stronghold of a "caliphate" they said would take over the world. "I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul," Haider al-Abadi said in a speech shown on state television, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. A 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi government units, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shi'ite militias launched the offensive to recapture the northern city from the militants in October, with key air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition. Abadi, wearing a black military uniform and flanked by commanders from the security forces, thanked troops and the coalition. But he warned that more challenges lay ahead. "We have another mission ahead of us, to create stability, to build and clear Daesh cells and that requires an intelligence and security effort, and the unity which enabled us to fight Daesh," he said before raising an Iraqi flag. Iraq declared a week-long holiday to mark the victory. People celebrated in the streets of the capital Baghdad and southern cities. Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday to congratulate military commanders who have waged a nearly nine-month battle to recapture the city, many parts of which were reduced to rubble. Gunfire and explosions could be heard earlier in the day as the last few Islamic State positions were pounded. The coalition said in a statement Iraqi forces were in "firm control" of Mosul, but some areas still needed to be cleared of explosive devices and possible Islamic State fighters in hiding. Around the time of Abadi's announcement, Islamic State released a statement claiming to have mounted an attack on Iraqi forces in Mosul. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Abadi had been meeting military and political officials in Mosul in an atmosphere of celebration that contrasts with the fear that spread after a few hundred Islamic State militants seized the city and the Iraqi army crumbled in July 2014. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi shocked the Middle East and Western powers three years ago by appearing at the pulpit of Mosul's Grand al-Nuri Mosque to declare the caliphate and himself the leader of the world's Muslims. A reign of terror followed which eventually alienated even many of those Sunni Muslims who had supported the group as allies against Iraq's Shi'ite majority. Opponents of Islamic State were executed and such crimes as smoking a cigarette were punishable by public whipping. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the Shi'ites have been politically dominant in Iraq but the country has been racked by ethnic conflict. Revenge In the aftermath of victory in Mosul, Abadi's government faces the task of managing the sectarian tensions there and elsewhere that enabled Islamic State to win support, and the threat of a wave of revenge violence in the city. The coalition warned that victory in Mosul did not mark the end of the group's global threat. "Now it is time for all Iraqis to unite to ensure ISIS (Islamic State) is defeated across the rest of Iraq and that the conditions that led to the rise of ISIS in Iraq are not allowed to return again," Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend said in a statement. Baghdadi has fled the city and his whereabouts are unknown. Reports have circulated that he is dead but Iraqi and Western officials say they cannot corroborate this. His death or capture would not be the end of Islamic State, which still controls areas south and west of Mosul and which is now expected to take to the desert or mountains to wage an insurgency. The militants are likely to keep trying to launch attacks on the West and inspiring violence by "lone wolves" or small groups of the kind mounted recently in Britain, France and elsewhere. But the loss of Iraq's second-largest city is a grave body blow to Islamic State. "The recovery of Mosul is a significant step in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism," said the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Islamic State is also under heavy pressure in its operational headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa. Humanitarian crisis The stench of corpses along Mosul's streets was a reminder of the gruelling urban warfare required to dislodge Islamic State. Much of the city of 1.5 million has been destroyed in the fighting, its centuries-old stone buildings flattened by air strikes and other explosions. One of Islamic State's last acts was to blow up the historic al-Nuri mosque and its famous leaning minaret. Thousands of people have been killed. The United Nations says 920,000 civilians have fled their homes since the military campaign began in October. Close to 700,000 people are still displaced. "It's a relief to know that the military campaign in Mosul is ending. The fighting may be over, but the humanitarian crisis is not," said U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande."Many of the people who have fled have lost everything. They need shelter, food, healthcare, water, sanitation and emergency kits. The levels of trauma we are seeing are some of the highest anywhere. What people have experienced is nearly unimaginable." Iraqi soldiers relaxed. Some swam in the Tigris river which runs through the city. One wiped the sweat from his face with an Islamic State flag.

Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi declares victory over Islamic State in Mosul

Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city.

The defeat would be the biggest yet for the Islamic State group three years since it seized Mosul in a lightning offensive, swept across much of the country&#39;s Sunni Arab heartland and proclaimed a &quot;caliphate&quot; straddling Iraq and Syria.

The Iraqi forces launched their campaign to recapture Mosul in October, and since then IS has gone from holding the entire city to being trapped between security forces and the Tigris River on its western side.

Backed by a ferocious aerial bombing campaign by a US-led international coalition, the offensive has turned much of the city to rubble and forced tens of thousands of people to flee.

Diehard jihadists have been putting up fierce resistance in recent days, but their efforts to keep the Iraqi troops at bay look to be coming to an end.

&quot;An announcement is imminent,&quot; Brigadier General Robert Sofge told AFP by phone.

&quot;I don&#39;t want to speculate if it&#39;s today or tomorrow but I think it&#39;s going to be very soon,&quot; he added.

The jihadists that remain in Mosul are fighting to the death in a tiny area of just two blocks of the Old City next to the Tigris, Sofge said, and those that remain are &quot;desperate&quot;.

&#39;Fleeing with shaven beards&#39;

The general said some jihadists were trying to blend in with fleeing civilians by shaving their beards and changing their clothes, others were playing dead then detonating explosive vests as Iraqi forces close in.

Women had blown themselves up amid throngs of displaced civilians.

&quot;They are doing as much damage as they can during these final moves,&quot; Sofge said.&nbsp;

Iraq&#39;s Counter-Terrorism Service, which has spearheaded the assault, said the jihadists now only held a band of territory 100-150 metres (yards) deep and 300 metres wide.

&quot;The end of the battle is near, I would say two days, but it could go on,&quot; said CTS commander Abdel Ghani al-Assadi.

The battle for Mosul first began on October 17, 2016 and the fight grew tougher when Iraqi forces entered the warren of narrow alleys in the densely populated Old City.&nbsp;

Slowing the advance toward the final holdouts, IS fighters have placed booby traps and bombs in structures they occupied.&nbsp;

&quot;The enemy has strung IEDs (improvised explosive devices) all over the place, in every place, in every closet, in one case under a crib,&quot; said Sofge.&nbsp;

A final victory in Mosul would mark an epic milestone for the Iraqi security forces, who had crumbled in the face of an IS onslaught across Iraq in 2014.

&#39;Celebration and pride&#39;

&quot;They deserve every bit of a celebration and pride and sense of accomplishment that a military force can feel,&quot; Sofge said, offering a &quot;congratulations in advance in a great battle.&quot;

&quot;This fight in Mosul is not like anything modern militaries have done in our life time. You have to go back to World War II to find anything that&#39;s even close.&quot;

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared on Twitter late last month that &quot;we are seeing the end of the fake (IS) state&quot;.

That claim came after Iraqi forces retook what remained of Mosul&#39;s Great Mosque of al-Nuri and the adjacent Al-Hadba (&quot;The Hunchback&quot;) minaret.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself &quot;caliph&quot; at the mosque in his only public appearance in 2014.

But IS blew the two landmarks up on June 22, in what Abadi said was &quot;an official declaration of defeat&quot;.

In Mosul on Saturday, jubilant interior ministry forces -- whose mission has been declared over -- were seen flashing V-for-victory signs and posing for selfies in front of each other holding up IS&#39;s notorious black flag upside down.

But others were not celebrating as the fighting continued, and distraught women and children emerged covered in dust and clutching what few belongings they could carry.

An AFP team saw more than 60 women and children in tears having lost loved ones in the crossfire, coalition bombing, jihadist shelling and sniper fire.

Hungry and haggard, they said they had spent months being held as human shields by the jihadists.

One group of jihadists tried to escape across the Tigris from west Mosul but were killed by the Iraqi forces, a senior commander said on Saturday.

&quot;Some of them tried to cross to.... the far bank (of the river), but we have forces there,&quot; said Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior commander in Iraq&#39;s elite Counter-Terrorism Service.

The jihadists wanted to go back, but security forces &quot;fired on them and killed them,&quot; he said, without specifying how many died.

Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command said 35 IS members were killed and six captured when they tried to escape &quot;the advance of our forces&quot; in Mosul&#39;s Old City.

The recapture of Mosul will not however mark the end of the threat posed by IS, which holds territory elsewhere in Iraq and is able to carry out frequent bombings in government-held areas.

Jihadists have been putting up fierce resistance in recent days, but their efforts to keep the Iraqi troops at bay look to be coming to an end

Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. The defeat would be the biggest yet for the Islamic State group three years since it seized Mosul in a lightning offensive, swept across much of the country's Sunni Arab heartland and proclaimed a "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria. The Iraqi forces launched their campaign to recapture Mosul in October, and since then IS has gone from holding the entire city to being trapped between security forces and the Tigris River on its western side. Backed by a ferocious aerial bombing campaign by a US-led international coalition, the offensive has turned much of the city to rubble and forced tens of thousands of people to flee. Diehard jihadists have been putting up fierce resistance in recent days, but their efforts to keep the Iraqi troops at bay look to be coming to an end. "An announcement is imminent," Brigadier General Robert Sofge told AFP by phone. "I don't want to speculate if it's today or tomorrow but I think it's going to be very soon," he added. The jihadists that remain in Mosul are fighting to the death in a tiny area of just two blocks of the Old City next to the Tigris, Sofge said, and those that remain are "desperate". 'Fleeing with shaven beards' The general said some jihadists were trying to blend in with fleeing civilians by shaving their beards and changing their clothes, others were playing dead then detonating explosive vests as Iraqi forces close in. Women had blown themselves up amid throngs of displaced civilians. "They are doing as much damage as they can during these final moves," Sofge said. Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, which has spearheaded the assault, said the jihadists now only held a band of territory 100-150 metres (yards) deep and 300 metres wide. "The end of the battle is near, I would say two days, but it could go on," said CTS commander Abdel Ghani al-Assadi. The battle for Mosul first began on October 17, 2016 and the fight grew tougher when Iraqi forces entered the warren of narrow alleys in the densely populated Old City. Slowing the advance toward the final holdouts, IS fighters have placed booby traps and bombs in structures they occupied. "The enemy has strung IEDs (improvised explosive devices) all over the place, in every place, in every closet, in one case under a crib," said Sofge. A final victory in Mosul would mark an epic milestone for the Iraqi security forces, who had crumbled in the face of an IS onslaught across Iraq in 2014. 'Celebration and pride' "They deserve every bit of a celebration and pride and sense of accomplishment that a military force can feel," Sofge said, offering a "congratulations in advance in a great battle." "This fight in Mosul is not like anything modern militaries have done in our life time. You have to go back to World War II to find anything that's even close." Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared on Twitter late last month that "we are seeing the end of the fake (IS) state". That claim came after Iraqi forces retook what remained of Mosul's Great Mosque of al-Nuri and the adjacent Al-Hadba ("The Hunchback") minaret. IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself "caliph" at the mosque in his only public appearance in 2014. But IS blew the two landmarks up on June 22, in what Abadi said was "an official declaration of defeat". In Mosul on Saturday, jubilant interior ministry forces -- whose mission has been declared over -- were seen flashing V-for-victory signs and posing for selfies in front of each other holding up IS's notorious black flag upside down. But others were not celebrating as the fighting continued, and distraught women and children emerged covered in dust and clutching what few belongings they could carry. An AFP team saw more than 60 women and children in tears having lost loved ones in the crossfire, coalition bombing, jihadist shelling and sniper fire. Hungry and haggard, they said they had spent months being held as human shields by the jihadists. One group of jihadists tried to escape across the Tigris from west Mosul but were killed by the Iraqi forces, a senior commander said on Saturday. "Some of them tried to cross to.... the far bank (of the river), but we have forces there," said Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior commander in Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service. The jihadists wanted to go back, but security forces "fired on them and killed them," he said, without specifying how many died. Iraq's Joint Operations Command said 35 IS members were killed and six captured when they tried to escape "the advance of our forces" in Mosul's Old City. The recapture of Mosul will not however mark the end of the threat posed by IS, which holds territory elsewhere in Iraq and is able to carry out frequent bombings in government-held areas.

Mosul victory imminent: US general

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the car bomb attacks in Egypt&#39;s Sinai that killed at least 23 soldiers in the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in two years.

The IS issued an online statement saying it carried out the coordinated attack.&nbsp;

At least 23 soldiers were killed and 26 injured when two car bombs hit two checkpoints just south of Rafah, Reuters cited security sources as saying.

The two cars blew up as they passed through two checkpoints outside of a military compound, on the border with the Gaza Strip, the security sources said.&nbsp;

Security sources described Friday&#39;s attack as a coordinated strike, with car bombs blowing apart checkpoints as gunmen in four-wheel drive vehicles shot down soldiers running for cover.

Militants in armoured vehicles meanwhile fired rocket-propelled grenades at a military site just beyond the checkpoint, the sources said.

The attack is the most severe in Sinai since at least July 2015, when Islamic State militants assaulted simultaneously a slew of checkpoints and military sites around North Sinai. At least 17 soldiers were killed, according to an official tally.

(With inputs from Reuters)

At least 23 soldiers were killed and 26 injured when two car bombs hit two checkpoints just south of Rafah, according to security sources

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the car bomb attacks in Egypt's Sinai that killed at least 23 soldiers in the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in two years. The IS issued an online statement saying it carried out the coordinated attack. At least 23 soldiers were killed and 26 injured when two car bombs hit two checkpoints just south of Rafah, Reuters cited security sources as saying. The two cars blew up as they passed through two checkpoints outside of a military compound, on the border with the Gaza Strip, the security sources said. Security sources described Friday's attack as a coordinated strike, with car bombs blowing apart checkpoints as gunmen in four-wheel drive vehicles shot down soldiers running for cover. Militants in armoured vehicles meanwhile fired rocket-propelled grenades at a military site just beyond the checkpoint, the sources said. The attack is the most severe in Sinai since at least July 2015, when Islamic State militants assaulted simultaneously a slew of checkpoints and military sites around North Sinai. At least 17 soldiers were killed, according to an official tally. (With inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State claims car bomb attacks in Egypt's Sinai that killed 23 soldiers

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces.

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential &quot;targets&quot;.

Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria&#39;s crowded air space.

Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was &quot;a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk&quot;.

&quot;The suspension has since been lifted,&quot; it added.

The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS.

A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the &quot;deconfliction&quot; hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa.

Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East.

The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria.

Australia&#39;s Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane.

(AFP)

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces. Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential "targets". Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria's crowded air space. Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was "a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk". "The suspension has since been lifted," it added. The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS. A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the "deconfliction" hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa. Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East. The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria. Australia's Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane. (AFP)

Australia's military resumes air operations over Syria

Eight Afghan guards have been&nbsp;killed and two others wounded after&nbsp;gunmen attacked the American base at Bagram&nbsp;in Afghanistan.

Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base&nbsp;contains the largest US contingent in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dozens-killed-and-wounded-in-attack-on-regional-afghanistan-police-hq-officials-16965">Also Read:&nbsp;At least 5 dead, 18 wounded in Afghan police HQ attacks</a>

&quot;They were all local residents serving as guards at Bagram,&quot; said district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi, adding that they were riding back home in a convoy when attacked.&nbsp;

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban are setting up nationwide attacks to regain&nbsp;their Afghanistan stronghold, while ISIS is trying to make new inroads into the country.&nbsp;

The US is expected&nbsp;to increase military deployment in the country to help Afghan forces contain the Taliban&#39;s rising offensive. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-to-send-4000-more-troops-to-afghanistan-reports-16891">At present, there are 8,400 US troops and another 5,000 from NATO allies </a>in Afghanistan, much&nbsp;less&nbsp;compared to the 100,000 troops six years ago.&nbsp;

Seven American soldiers were wounded in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier at Camp Shaheen near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday.

Analysts say such attacks are expected to increase this year as US troops engage with the Afghan military to double the size of its special forces, considered to be effective in the fight against insurgents.

The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led forces at war there since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001. 
&nbsp;

Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base?contains the largest US contingent in the country

Eight Afghan guards have been killed and two others wounded after gunmen attacked the American base at Bagram in Afghanistan. Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base contains the largest US contingent in the country. Also Read: At least 5 dead, 18 wounded in Afghan police HQ attacks "They were all local residents serving as guards at Bagram," said district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi, adding that they were riding back home in a convoy when attacked. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban are setting up nationwide attacks to regain their Afghanistan stronghold, while ISIS is trying to make new inroads into the country. The US is expected to increase military deployment in the country to help Afghan forces contain the Taliban's rising offensive. At present, there are 8,400 US troops and another 5,000 from NATO allies in Afghanistan, much less compared to the 100,000 troops six years ago. Seven American soldiers were wounded in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier at Camp Shaheen near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday. Analysts say such attacks are expected to increase this year as US troops engage with the Afghan military to double the size of its special forces, considered to be effective in the fight against insurgents. The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led forces at war there since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

Eight Afghan guards killed, two injured in attack on American base at Bagram

&nbsp;Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa,&nbsp;passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said.

At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city,&nbsp;people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified.

United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria&#39;s civil war.

The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State&rsquo;s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week.

&quot;The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath,&quot; said Abu Hamoud. &quot;They used phosphorus.&quot;

Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city.

Hassan Kirfou,&nbsp;said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit.

&ldquo;I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.&rdquo;

Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. &ldquo;My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,&rdquo; Kirfou said.

The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of&nbsp;its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group,&nbsp;people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said.

&ldquo;They have started using microphones to tell people: &#39;Don&rsquo;t go to the infidels, stay with Islam&#39;,&rdquo; said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food.

&ldquo;They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s.&quot;

The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe.

Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle.

&ldquo;They take over people&rsquo;s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,&rdquo; said Thaier Ibrahim.

Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes.

About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said.

Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months.

&ldquo;They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,&rdquo; he said.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city

Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa, passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said. At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city, people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified. United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria's civil war. The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State’s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week. "The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath," said Abu Hamoud. "They used phosphorus." Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas. The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city. Hassan Kirfou, said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit. “I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,” he said. “I don’t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.” Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. “My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,” Kirfou said. The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group, people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said. “They have started using microphones to tell people: 'Don’t go to the infidels, stay with Islam',” said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food. “They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s." The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe. Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle. “They take over people’s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,” said Thaier Ibrahim. Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes. About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said. Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months. “They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,” he said.

Air strikes kill civilians as Raqqa battle intensifies, Syrians say militants shoot escapees

&nbsp;An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State&#39;s channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.&nbsp;

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

&quot;O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man,&quot; said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi&#39;ite Muslims.

&quot;To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done.&quot;

&nbsp;

An unverified audio message distributed on?Islamic State's channel on Telegram called on followers to launch?attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines

An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May. The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer. The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman. "O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims. "To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

Islamic State calls for attacks in US, Europe, Middle East, Asia during Ramzan

US-backed Syrian militias advanced further into Islamic State&#39;s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa from the east on Monday, reaching the walls of the Old City, a war monitor and a militia spokesman said on Monday.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa last Tuesday with the aim of taking it from Islamic State militants, after a months-long campaign to cut it off.&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city, and had reached the walls of the Old City neighbourhood.

SDF media officer Ahmad Mohammed said the SDF had reached the walls but there were still fierce clashes in al-Sanaa and the district had not yet been totally secured.

The Old City, east of central Raqqa, is a neighbourhood of modern housing bordered on two sides by fortified city walls built in the eighth century by the Abbasid Islamic Caliphate which at one point used Raqqa as its capital.

Residents said on Monday the Old City area was being shelled intensely.

The US-led coalition estimates that Raqqa, which Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in 2014 during their lightning advance in Syria and Iraq, is defended by 3,000 to 4,000 jihadists.

It has been a hub both for Islamic State`s military leaders and its bureaucrats, and has been used to plot attacks in countries around the world.

The SDF also advanced from north of the city on Monday, taking a sugar factory complex northeast of Raqqa. A video said to show SDF officers within the complex shows heavy damage to the factory.

Since the offensive began the SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city

US-backed Syrian militias advanced further into Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa from the east on Monday, reaching the walls of the Old City, a war monitor and a militia spokesman said on Monday. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa last Tuesday with the aim of taking it from Islamic State militants, after a months-long campaign to cut it off. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the SDF took the al-Sanaa industrial neighbourhood on Monday as part of their push into the eastern half of the city, and had reached the walls of the Old City neighbourhood. SDF media officer Ahmad Mohammed said the SDF had reached the walls but there were still fierce clashes in al-Sanaa and the district had not yet been totally secured. The Old City, east of central Raqqa, is a neighbourhood of modern housing bordered on two sides by fortified city walls built in the eighth century by the Abbasid Islamic Caliphate which at one point used Raqqa as its capital. Residents said on Monday the Old City area was being shelled intensely. The US-led coalition estimates that Raqqa, which Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in 2014 during their lightning advance in Syria and Iraq, is defended by 3,000 to 4,000 jihadists. It has been a hub both for Islamic State`s military leaders and its bureaucrats, and has been used to plot attacks in countries around the world. The SDF also advanced from north of the city on Monday, taking a sugar factory complex northeast of Raqqa. A video said to show SDF officers within the complex shows heavy damage to the factory. Since the offensive began the SDF, supported by heavy coalition air strikes, have taken territory to the west, east and north of the city.

US-backed Syrian fighters reach old city walls in Islamic State-held Raqqa

Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain must be tougher in stamping out Islamist extremism after attackers killed at least seven people by ramming a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbing revellers in nearby bars.

After the third militant attack in Britain in less than three months, May said Thursday&#39;s national election would go ahead. But she proposed regulating cyberspace and said Britain had been far too tolerant of extremism.

&quot;It is time to say enough is enough,&quot; the Conservative leader said outside her Downing Street office, where British flags flew at half-staff.

&quot;We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are,&quot; May said, adding that Britain was under attack from a new breed of crude copycat militants.

Islamic State, which is losing territory in Syria and Iraq to an offensive backed by a US-led coalition, said its militants were responsible for the attack, the group&#39;s media agency Amaq said in a statement monitored in Cairo.

One French national and one Canadian were among those killed. At least 48 people were injured in the attack. Australia said one of its citizens was among the injured.

Police shot dead the three male assailants in the Borough Market area near London Bridge within eight minutes of receiving the first emergency call shortly after 10 pm. (2100 GMT).

Mark Rowley, head of counter-terrorism police, said eight officers had fired about 50 bullets to stop the attackers, who appeared to be suicide bombers because they were wearing what turned out to be fake suicide vests.

&quot;The situation these officers were confronted with was critical: a matter of life and death,&quot; Rowley said. &quot;I am humbled by the bravery of an officer who will rush towards a potential suicide bomber thinking only of protecting others.&quot;

A member of the public received non-critical gunshot wounds. Police did not release the names of the attackers.

London police arrested 12 people in the Barking district of east London in connection with the attack and raids were continuing there, the force said. A Reuters photographer saw another raid take place in nearby East Ham.

Less than two weeks ago, a suicide bomber killed 22 children and adults at a concert by US&nbsp;singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England. In March, in an attack similar to Saturday&#39;s, five people died after a man drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in central London and stabbed a policeman.

May said the series of attacks were not connected in terms of planning and execution but were inspired by what she called a &quot;single, evil ideology of Islamist extremism&quot; that represented a perversion of Islam and of the truth.

She said this ideology had to be confronted both abroad and at home, adding that the internet and big internet companies provided the space for such extremism to breed.

Facebook said it wanted to make its social media platform a &quot;hostile environment&quot; for terrorists. Twitter also said it was working to tackle the spread of militant propaganda.

After the Manchester attack, Britain raised its threat level to &quot;critical&quot; - meaning an attack is expected imminently - but downgraded it back to &quot;severe&quot;, which means an attack is highly likely, on May 27.

Harrowing scenes

Witnesses described harrowing scenes as the attackers&#39; white van veered on and off the bridge sidewalk, hitting people along the way, and the three men then ran into an area packed with bars and restaurants, stabbing people indiscriminately.

Accounts emerged of people trying to barricade themselves in a pub while others tried throwing tables and other objects to fend off the attackers.

One eyewitness said the attackers screamed &quot;this is for Allah&quot; as they stabbed people.

England&#39;s health authority said on Sunday afternoon that 36 of those injured remained in hospital, of whom 21 were in a critical condition.

May made a private visit to staff and patients at King&#39;s College Hospital, where some of the injured were being treated, a spokeswoman said.

The government announced that a nationwide minute of silence would be held at 1000 GMT on Tuesday to pay respect to the victims of the attack and flags would remain at half-mast on government buildings until Tuesday evening.

A Reuters photographer saw four women being removed from an apartment block in Barking, shielding their faces as they stepped into police vans.

Islamic State militants had sent out a call on instant messaging service Telegram early on Saturday urging its followers to carry out attacks with trucks, knives and guns against &quot;Crusaders&quot; during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Islamist militants have carried out scores of deadly attacks in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the United States over the past two years.

&quot;We believe we are experiencing a new trend in the threat we face as terrorism breeds terrorism,&quot; May said.

&quot;Perpetrators are inspired to attack not only on the basis of carefully constructed plots ... and not even as lone attackers radicalised online but by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack.&quot;

&quot;Tolerance of extremism&quot;

May, who served as Britain&#39;s interior minister from 2010 to 2016, said there was too much tolerance of extremism in Britain.

&quot;While we have made significant progress in recent years, there is - to be frank - far too much tolerance of extremism in our country,&quot; she said, urging Britons to be more robust in stamping it out in the public sector and in wider society.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Britain needed to have difficult conversations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states about the funding of Islamist extremism.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, taking to Twitter on Sunday, urged the world to stop being &quot;politically correct&quot; in order to ensure public security against terrorism.

Most of the main political parties suspended election campaigning on Sunday, but May said this would resume on Monday. The anti-European Union UK Independence Party said it would not suspend its campaign because disrupting democracy was what the extremists wanted.

London Bridge is a transport hub and nearby Borough Market is a fashionable warren of alleyways leavened with bars and restaurants that is always bustling on a Saturday night.

The area remained cordoned off and patrolled by armed police and counter-terrorism officers on Sunday, with train stations closed. Forensic investigators could be seen working on the bridge, where buses and taxis stood abandoned.

At several points outside the cordon, people laid flowers and messages of grief and solidarity.

Ariana Grande and other music stars were giving a benefit concert at Manchester&#39;s Old Trafford cricket ground on Sunday evening to raise funds for victims of the concert bombing and their families.

&quot;Today&#39;s One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue but will do so with greater purpose,&quot; Grande&#39;s manager, Scooter Braun, said on Twitter after the London attack.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the official threat level in Britain remained at severe, meaning a militant attack is highly likely. It had been raised to critical after the Manchester attack, then lowered again days later.

&quot;One of the things we can do is show that we aren&#39;t going to be cowed is by voting on Thursday and making sure that we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil liberties and our human rights,&quot; Khan said.

In tweets, Trump offered help to Britain but also levelled apparent criticism of Khan for saying there was no need to be alarmed. Khan had earlier said Londoners would see an increased police presence on the streets of the city and people should not be alarmed by that.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among those who sent messages of condolence and made statements of solidarity.

The Manchester bombing on May 22 was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated assaults on London&#39;s transport network.

(Reuters)

After the third militant attack in Britain in less than three months, May said Thursday's national election would go ahead

Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain must be tougher in stamping out Islamist extremism after attackers killed at least seven people by ramming a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbing revellers in nearby bars. After the third militant attack in Britain in less than three months, May said Thursday's national election would go ahead. But she proposed regulating cyberspace and said Britain had been far too tolerant of extremism. "It is time to say enough is enough," the Conservative leader said outside her Downing Street office, where British flags flew at half-staff. "We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are," May said, adding that Britain was under attack from a new breed of crude copycat militants. Islamic State, which is losing territory in Syria and Iraq to an offensive backed by a US-led coalition, said its militants were responsible for the attack, the group's media agency Amaq said in a statement monitored in Cairo. One French national and one Canadian were among those killed. At least 48 people were injured in the attack. Australia said one of its citizens was among the injured. Police shot dead the three male assailants in the Borough Market area near London Bridge within eight minutes of receiving the first emergency call shortly after 10 pm. (2100 GMT). Mark Rowley, head of counter-terrorism police, said eight officers had fired about 50 bullets to stop the attackers, who appeared to be suicide bombers because they were wearing what turned out to be fake suicide vests. "The situation these officers were confronted with was critical: a matter of life and death," Rowley said. "I am humbled by the bravery of an officer who will rush towards a potential suicide bomber thinking only of protecting others." A member of the public received non-critical gunshot wounds. Police did not release the names of the attackers. London police arrested 12 people in the Barking district of east London in connection with the attack and raids were continuing there, the force said. A Reuters photographer saw another raid take place in nearby East Ham. Less than two weeks ago, a suicide bomber killed 22 children and adults at a concert by US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England. In March, in an attack similar to Saturday's, five people died after a man drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in central London and stabbed a policeman. May said the series of attacks were not connected in terms of planning and execution but were inspired by what she called a "single, evil ideology of Islamist extremism" that represented a perversion of Islam and of the truth. She said this ideology had to be confronted both abroad and at home, adding that the internet and big internet companies provided the space for such extremism to breed. Facebook said it wanted to make its social media platform a "hostile environment" for terrorists. Twitter also said it was working to tackle the spread of militant propaganda. After the Manchester attack, Britain raised its threat level to "critical" - meaning an attack is expected imminently - but downgraded it back to "severe", which means an attack is highly likely, on May 27. Harrowing scenes Witnesses described harrowing scenes as the attackers' white van veered on and off the bridge sidewalk, hitting people along the way, and the three men then ran into an area packed with bars and restaurants, stabbing people indiscriminately. Accounts emerged of people trying to barricade themselves in a pub while others tried throwing tables and other objects to fend off the attackers. One eyewitness said the attackers screamed "this is for Allah" as they stabbed people. England's health authority said on Sunday afternoon that 36 of those injured remained in hospital, of whom 21 were in a critical condition. May made a private visit to staff and patients at King's College Hospital, where some of the injured were being treated, a spokeswoman said. The government announced that a nationwide minute of silence would be held at 1000 GMT on Tuesday to pay respect to the victims of the attack and flags would remain at half-mast on government buildings until Tuesday evening. A Reuters photographer saw four women being removed from an apartment block in Barking, shielding their faces as they stepped into police vans. Islamic State militants had sent out a call on instant messaging service Telegram early on Saturday urging its followers to carry out attacks with trucks, knives and guns against "Crusaders" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Islamist militants have carried out scores of deadly attacks in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the United States over the past two years. "We believe we are experiencing a new trend in the threat we face as terrorism breeds terrorism," May said. "Perpetrators are inspired to attack not only on the basis of carefully constructed plots ... and not even as lone attackers radicalised online but by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack." "Tolerance of extremism" May, who served as Britain's interior minister from 2010 to 2016, said there was too much tolerance of extremism in Britain. "While we have made significant progress in recent years, there is - to be frank - far too much tolerance of extremism in our country," she said, urging Britons to be more robust in stamping it out in the public sector and in wider society. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Britain needed to have difficult conversations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states about the funding of Islamist extremism. US President Donald Trump, taking to Twitter on Sunday, urged the world to stop being "politically correct" in order to ensure public security against terrorism. Most of the main political parties suspended election campaigning on Sunday, but May said this would resume on Monday. The anti-European Union UK Independence Party said it would not suspend its campaign because disrupting democracy was what the extremists wanted. London Bridge is a transport hub and nearby Borough Market is a fashionable warren of alleyways leavened with bars and restaurants that is always bustling on a Saturday night. The area remained cordoned off and patrolled by armed police and counter-terrorism officers on Sunday, with train stations closed. Forensic investigators could be seen working on the bridge, where buses and taxis stood abandoned. At several points outside the cordon, people laid flowers and messages of grief and solidarity. Ariana Grande and other music stars were giving a benefit concert at Manchester's Old Trafford cricket ground on Sunday evening to raise funds for victims of the concert bombing and their families. "Today's One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue but will do so with greater purpose," Grande's manager, Scooter Braun, said on Twitter after the London attack. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the official threat level in Britain remained at severe, meaning a militant attack is highly likely. It had been raised to critical after the Manchester attack, then lowered again days later. "One of the things we can do is show that we aren't going to be cowed is by voting on Thursday and making sure that we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil liberties and our human rights," Khan said. In tweets, Trump offered help to Britain but also levelled apparent criticism of Khan for saying there was no need to be alarmed. Khan had earlier said Londoners would see an increased police presence on the streets of the city and people should not be alarmed by that. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among those who sent messages of condolence and made statements of solidarity. The Manchester bombing on May 22 was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated assaults on London's transport network. (Reuters)

'Enough is enough' PM May says after London Bridge attack

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

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

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

IS kills 25 civilians for attempting to flee Iraqi city

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

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

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

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

The Gujarat anti-terror squad (ATS) has arrested two brothers, who they are claiming are involved in activities related to the terror group Islamic State.&nbsp;

The two brothers, Wasim and Nathin, were arrested from Rajkot and Bhavnagar.&nbsp;

ANI reported that earlier this month, the National Investigation Agency had arrested a Kerala resident while probing an alleged IS module. &nbsp;

It added that last year, the Rajasthan ATS had arrested an alleged Islamic State operative in Sikar district. And that he was allegedly involved in collecting and transferring funds for the terror organisation from Dubai.

Meanwhile, Indian doctor K Ramamurthy who landed in India after being rescued from the clutches of the&nbsp;Islamic State after two years said the terror outfit is keeping an eye on and wants and wants to push its ideology in the country.

(WION with inputs from ANI)

Wasim and Nathin were arrested from Rajkot and Bhavnagar respectively

The Gujarat anti-terror squad (ATS) has arrested two brothers, who they are claiming are involved in activities related to the terror group Islamic State. The two brothers, Wasim and Nathin, were arrested from Rajkot and Bhavnagar. ANI reported that earlier this month, the National Investigation Agency had arrested a Kerala resident while probing an alleged IS module. It added that last year, the Rajasthan ATS had arrested an alleged Islamic State operative in Sikar district. And that he was allegedly involved in collecting and transferring funds for the terror organisation from Dubai. Meanwhile, Indian doctor K Ramamurthy who landed in India after being rescued from the clutches of the Islamic State after two years said the terror outfit is keeping an eye on and wants and wants to push its ideology in the country. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Gujarat ATS arrest two brothers, claim they're IS

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

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

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

Violence in Syria rattles regime, rebel peace talks in Geneva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Afghanistan: Women take up arms against IS

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists&#39; last major Iraqi stronghold.

Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold.

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground.

A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier.

The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between.

&quot;Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing,&quot; Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex.

Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire.

During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air.

They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy&#39;s lines.

Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul.

Lise Grande, UN&nbsp;humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces.

She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area.

&quot;Siege is a very real possibility. We don&#39;t know if that will happen, but we&#39;re worried that it might,&quot; she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies.

Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway.

Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them.

But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military&#39;s advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea.

Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul.

&quot;They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources,&quot; she said.

CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign.

Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week.

The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi&#39;ite militias.

Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones.

Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government&#39;s Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was &quot;on the verge of collapse&quot;. His region&#39;s peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city.

Islamic State&#39;s loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West.

(Reuters)

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold. Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground. A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier. The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between. "Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing," Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex. Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire. During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air. They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy's lines. Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul. Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces. She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area. "Siege is a very real possibility. We don't know if that will happen, but we're worried that it might," she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies. Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway. Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them. But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military's advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea. Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul. "They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources," she said. CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign. Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week. The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias. Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones. Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was "on the verge of collapse". His region's peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city. Islamic State's loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces push further into northeast Mosul

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

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

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

Turkey Prime Minister travels to Iraq to mend relations

At least 12 killed and 50 injured in a car bomb blast at a vegetable market in Baghdad on Sunday, the police said.&nbsp;

The Islamic State claimed the attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported.

Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, &quot;A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

The blast struck eastern Baghdad&#39;s Shiite district of Jamila, Reuters quoted sources as saying.&nbsp;

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now.&nbsp;

In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Interior minister spokesman said a soldier opened fire on the car after noticing a suspicious vehicle but the militant blew up the car

At least 12 killed and 50 injured in a car bomb blast at a vegetable market in Baghdad on Sunday, the police said. The Islamic State claimed the attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported. Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, "A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car," AFP reported. The blast struck eastern Baghdad's Shiite district of Jamila, Reuters quoted sources as saying. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now. In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Baghdad: At least 12 killed, 50 injured in suicide car bombing by Islamic State

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with French media to be aired on Monday that his forces are on the road to victory after recapturing the key city of Aleppo last month.

&quot;We do not consider that (retaking Aleppo from the rebels) as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists,&quot; Assad said, according to a French translation of his remarks provided by France&#39;s RTL television.

&quot;But it is a critical moment in this war because we are on the path to victory.&quot;

Earlier Sunday in Damascus, Assad told visiting French lawmakers that he was &quot;optimistic&quot; about new peace talks planned for later this month in Kazakhstan.

Lawmaker Thierry Mariani said the Syrian president also declared himself willing to negotiate with nearly 100 rebel groups fighting against his government, excluding jihadist organisations.

The talks in Astana are being organised by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, following a fragile nationwide ceasefire currently in effect in Syria.

(AFP)

We do not consider retaking Aleppo as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists, Assad said

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with French media to be aired on Monday that his forces are on the road to victory after recapturing the key city of Aleppo last month. "We do not consider that (retaking Aleppo from the rebels) as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists," Assad said, according to a French translation of his remarks provided by France's RTL television. "But it is a critical moment in this war because we are on the path to victory." Earlier Sunday in Damascus, Assad told visiting French lawmakers that he was "optimistic" about new peace talks planned for later this month in Kazakhstan. Lawmaker Thierry Mariani said the Syrian president also declared himself willing to negotiate with nearly 100 rebel groups fighting against his government, excluding jihadist organisations. The talks in Astana are being organised by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, following a fragile nationwide ceasefire currently in effect in Syria. (AFP)

Syrian forces on road to victory after recapturing Aleppo, says Assad

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

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

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

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

&nbsp;

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two car bomb&nbsp;explosion in Baghdad on Thursday. Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were&nbsp;injured.&nbsp;

The explosive devices were placed in cars parked on the side of the road. In an online&nbsp;statement released by the IS, the attack was targeted at the city&#39;s Shia community.&nbsp;

This new attack is part of a growing&nbsp;wave of violence that has hit Iraq&#39;s capital city since 2016. The Islamic State is carrying on several attacks in retaliation to the war the country is fighting against them alongside the US-led coalition. &nbsp;

It is an effective, deadly and unpredictable strategy as&nbsp;more than 60 people have been killed in Baghdad over the past week alone. In 2016, IS&#39; attacks killed&nbsp;more than 600 people in Baghdad and injured nearly a thousand. &nbsp;

The worst bombing happened in July last year, when shortly after midnight a truck exploded in the mainly Shia district of Karrada. The area was busy with families shopping and eating at the end of a long day of Ramzan. More than 300 people died and hundreds were injured.&nbsp;

The aggressive&nbsp;upsurge comes after&nbsp;a year of heavy losses the Islamic State faced in West&nbsp;Asia. &nbsp;

In Iraq IS&nbsp;remains in control of the sole western part of Mosul, once their stronghold and de facto capital. The battle to retake the city is ongoing; the Iraqi army is fighting an urban guerrilla warfare which has resulted in heavy casualties, but the Islamic State is almost completely isolated and is unlikely hold Mosul for very long.&nbsp;

Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, Iraq&#39;s joint operation commander, said that the country&#39;s army now controls nearly 70 per cent of Mosul&#39;s eastern part.&nbsp;

The Islamic State has been deprived of all the oil fields it used to control in Iraq, a major blow to its&nbsp;finances which has severely dented its&nbsp;military capabilities. In an interview released to WION, Iraqi Major General Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri, commander of the Niniveh&nbsp;operation, said that the IS funded many of its activities, even in neighbouring countries, by selling Iraqi oil.&nbsp;

The terrorist organisation is stronger in Syria, but it is suffering daily defeats due to a successful on-the-ground advance by Arabs and Kurds fighting within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has been&nbsp;providing air support aimed at&nbsp;retaking&nbsp;the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed&nbsp;capital of the caliphate. Turkish troops and Ankara-backed armed groups have been involved in the campaign for the last six months. &nbsp;

The anti-Islamic State offensive in Syria is still at the initial stage and it will probably take several months before the city of Raqqa can be directly attacked. &nbsp;

Islamic State terrorism has morphed from an Iraqi and Syrian&nbsp;&#39;problem&#39; into a&nbsp;global security menace. Turkey has recently become the prime&nbsp;target for elements inspired by the group&#39;s propaganda. Many of the terrorist acts&nbsp;carried out in Europe and Asia have been the brainchildren of &#39;lone wolves&#39; or small groups, radical&nbsp;elements who have been inspired by carefully manipulated IS video propaganda, responsible for carrying out deadly attacks across Europe recently. &nbsp;

Islamic state may resort to sudden attacks as twin strategy to not only survive but also to spread terror. The organisation is under attack in its strongholds and the only way it can hit the enemy is a possible surprise attack, not only in Iraq &amp; Syria but anywhere in Europe. This will primarily &#39;divert&#39; the focal point of the conflict and will force the enemy to divide its forces giving it much-needed breathing space&nbsp;in its war in West Asia. &nbsp;

(WION with input from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were injured in the attack meant to hit the city's Shia community

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Thursday. Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were injured. The explosive devices were placed in cars parked on the side of the road. In an online statement released by the IS, the attack was targeted at the city's Shia community. This new attack is part of a growing wave of violence that has hit Iraq's capital city since 2016. The Islamic State is carrying on several attacks in retaliation to the war the country is fighting against them alongside the US-led coalition. It is an effective, deadly and unpredictable strategy as more than 60 people have been killed in Baghdad over the past week alone. In 2016, IS' attacks killed more than 600 people in Baghdad and injured nearly a thousand. The worst bombing happened in July last year, when shortly after midnight a truck exploded in the mainly Shia district of Karrada. The area was busy with families shopping and eating at the end of a long day of Ramzan. More than 300 people died and hundreds were injured. The aggressive upsurge comes after a year of heavy losses the Islamic State faced in West Asia. In Iraq IS remains in control of the sole western part of Mosul, once their stronghold and de facto capital. The battle to retake the city is ongoing; the Iraqi army is fighting an urban guerrilla warfare which has resulted in heavy casualties, but the Islamic State is almost completely isolated and is unlikely hold Mosul for very long. Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, Iraq's joint operation commander, said that the country's army now controls nearly 70 per cent of Mosul's eastern part. The Islamic State has been deprived of all the oil fields it used to control in Iraq, a major blow to its finances which has severely dented its military capabilities. In an interview released to WION, Iraqi Major General Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri, commander of the Niniveh operation, said that the IS funded many of its activities, even in neighbouring countries, by selling Iraqi oil. The terrorist organisation is stronger in Syria, but it is suffering daily defeats due to a successful on-the-ground advance by Arabs and Kurds fighting within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has been providing air support aimed at retaking the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the caliphate. Turkish troops and Ankara-backed armed groups have been involved in the campaign for the last six months. The anti-Islamic State offensive in Syria is still at the initial stage and it will probably take several months before the city of Raqqa can be directly attacked. Islamic State terrorism has morphed from an Iraqi and Syrian 'problem' into a global security menace. Turkey has recently become the prime target for elements inspired by the group's propaganda. Many of the terrorist acts carried out in Europe and Asia have been the brainchildren of 'lone wolves' or small groups, radical elements who have been inspired by carefully manipulated IS video propaganda, responsible for carrying out deadly attacks across Europe recently. Islamic state may resort to sudden attacks as twin strategy to not only survive but also to spread terror. The organisation is under attack in its strongholds and the only way it can hit the enemy is a possible surprise attack, not only in Iraq & Syria but anywhere in Europe. This will primarily 'divert' the focal point of the conflict and will force the enemy to divide its forces giving it much-needed breathing space in its war in West Asia. (WION with input from agencies)

Islamic State claims responsibility for car bomb attack in Baghdad

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