German prosecutors have formally charged a Russian Islamist and acquaintance of Berlin Christmas market attacker Anis Amri with plotting an explosives attack, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Magomed-Ali C, 31, had planned an attack with Tunisian Amri, who went on to kill 12 people in his 2016 truck rampage at the market, and French jihadist Clement Baur.

Magomed-Ali C&nbsp;-- who according to news site Zeit Online hails from the Russian Caucasus republic of Dagestan -- had allegedly kept TATP, a volatile explosive dubbed "mother of Satan", in a Berlin flat in October 2016.

The Russian national was arrested in August 2018 and formally charged on February 25 this year with preparing a serious act of subversive violence, prosecutors said in a statement.

His joint plan with Baur, who has been jailed in France, had allegedly been to carry out "an Islamist attack in Germany to kill or maim as many people as possible" in order "to create a climate of fear and uncertainty".

The Russian -- who had come to Germany as an asylum seeker in 2011, already a militant Islamist -- is believed to have first met Baur in Belgium in 2013.

By 2015, Magomed-Ali C. allegedly wanted to join the Islamic State group in Syria but was barred from leaving Germany after police in June alerted the immigration department.

He then planned to launch an attack within Germany and in July 2015 asked Baur to come to Berlin to help him.

The two met Amri that year in Berlin's Fussilet 33 mosque, which was later shuttered by authorities as a suspected meeting place for radical Islamists.

The two temporarily broke off contact with Amri when the Tunisian drew heightened police attention in February 2016.

C&nbsp;and Baur then either procured or produced the TATP in October 2016 and kept it in the Berlin flat, prosecutors charge.

Another police action, on October 26, 2016, however, interrupted their planning and led Baur to flee for France.

Amri in December committed the market attack and was killed days later by an Italian police officer.

Baur and another suspect were arrested in Marseille on April 18, 2017, accused of plotting an attack shortly before French elections.

French police found an IS flag, a loaded Uzi sub-machine gun, two pistols, a homemade grenade and TATP in an apartment.

Zeit Online reported that German police never found the TATP in the Berlin flat and that prosecutors had based their charge primarily on tapped phone calls.

German prosecutors have formally charged a Russian Islamist and acquaintance of Berlin Christmas market attacker Anis Amri with plotting an explosives attack, prosecutors said Tuesday.

German prosecutors have formally charged a Russian Islamist and acquaintance of Berlin Christmas market attacker Anis Amri with plotting an explosives attack, prosecutors said Tuesday. The suspect, identified as Magomed-Ali C, 31, had planned an attack with Tunisian Amri, who went on to kill 12 people in his 2016 truck rampage at the market, and French jihadist Clement Baur. Magomed-Ali C -- who according to news site Zeit Online hails from the Russian Caucasus republic of Dagestan -- had allegedly kept TATP, a volatile explosive dubbed "mother of Satan", in a Berlin flat in October 2016. The Russian national was arrested in August 2018 and formally charged on February 25 this year with preparing a serious act of subversive violence, prosecutors said in a statement. His joint plan with Baur, who has been jailed in France, had allegedly been to carry out "an Islamist attack in Germany to kill or maim as many people as possible" in order "to create a climate of fear and uncertainty". The Russian -- who had come to Germany as an asylum seeker in 2011, already a militant Islamist -- is believed to have first met Baur in Belgium in 2013. By 2015, Magomed-Ali C. allegedly wanted to join the Islamic State group in Syria but was barred from leaving Germany after police in June alerted the immigration department. He then planned to launch an attack within Germany and in July 2015 asked Baur to come to Berlin to help him. The two met Amri that year in Berlin's Fussilet 33 mosque, which was later shuttered by authorities as a suspected meeting place for radical Islamists. The two temporarily broke off contact with Amri when the Tunisian drew heightened police attention in February 2016. C and Baur then either procured or produced the TATP in October 2016 and kept it in the Berlin flat, prosecutors charge. Another police action, on October 26, 2016, however, interrupted their planning and led Baur to flee for France. Amri in December committed the market attack and was killed days later by an Italian police officer. Baur and another suspect were arrested in Marseille on April 18, 2017, accused of plotting an attack shortly before French elections. French police found an IS flag, a loaded Uzi sub-machine gun, two pistols, a homemade grenade and TATP in an apartment. Zeit Online reported that German police never found the TATP in the Berlin flat and that prosecutors had based their charge primarily on tapped phone calls.

Russian Islamist charged with bomb plot in Germany

US-backed fighters trucked out civilians from the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/operation-to-end-last-is-syria-pocket-hits-evacuation-snag-198904">last speck of the Islamic State group</a>'s dying "caliphate" in Syria on Friday, eager to press on with the battle to crush the jihadists.

More than four years after IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and declared a "caliphate", they have lost all of it but a tiny patch in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border.

More than 40 trucks carrying men, women and children left the enclave on Friday, AFP correspondents at a position of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces outside the village reported.

Most were women and children, their clothes caked in dust, but the passengers also included men with their faces wrapped in chequered scarves.

Women clung to the railings of the trucks, while the hair of younger girls blew in the wind, as they left the enclave in the second such large-scale evacuation in three days.

On the back of one of the trucks, three men covered their faces with their hands, apparently not to be caught on camera.

Asked what the situation was like inside IS's last scrap of territory, a young man replied: "Not good".

On the roof of one of the trucks, an old man with a thick white beard wearing a red and white checkered scarf on his head yelled down: "There is an ill man with us."

SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said more than 2,000 people were estimated to still be inside the pocket, and more trucks were expected to bring them out.

'War or surrender'&nbsp;

Once the evacuations have ended, the jihadists will have to decide whether to continue defending the less than half a square kilometre (a fifth of a square mile) they still hold, he said.

"They will be faced with a choice: war or surrender," Afrin said.

Earlier on Friday, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said he hoped civilian evacuations could be completed by Saturday.

The Kurdish-led SDF evacuated 3,000 people on Wednesday -- mostly women and children -- but trucks left near empty on Thursday.

Bali said that screenings had determined most of those evacuated on Wednesday were foreigners.

"The majority are Iraqi and from countries of the former Soviet Union, but there are also Europeans," he said.

David Eubank, the leader of the Free Burma Rangers aid group, said they included "many French women", as well as others from Australia, Austria, Germany and Russia, and one woman from Britain.

Human Rights Watch urged the SDF and the US-led coalition supporting it to make protecting civilians a priority.

"Witnesses described harrowing conditions in the last months, with lack of food and aid forcing them to eat grass and weeds to survive," it said.

Around 44,000 people -- mostly civilians -- have streamed out of IS's shrinking patch territory since early December, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Once the SDF have weeded out potential jihadists from each batch of new arrivals, civilians are trucked further north to Kurdish-run camps for the displaced.

They arrive "extremely hungry and dehydrated" and many of them require urgent medical care, the International Rescue Committee said.&nbsp;

The IRC said 69 people, mostly children, had died on the way to the Al-Hol camp or shortly after arriving in the past few weeks.

"Two-thirds of the deaths are of babies under one year old," it said, including one who died Friday during the six-hour drive.

US 'peacekeepers'

The battle for Baghouz is now the only live front in Syria's war, which has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011.

Any SDF victory would accelerate a planned withdrawal of American troops from Syria announced in December by US President Donald Trump.

Syria's Kurds have expressed fear that a full pullout would leave them exposed to a long-threatened attack by neighbouring Turkey.

But the White House said Thursday the US military will keep "a small peacekeeping group of about 200" in Syria after the withdrawal.

The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria welcomed the move.

It is "very important to maintain stability and protect our region from the Turkish threats, and ensure that terrorism will not be back," foreign affairs official Abdulkarim Omar said.

IS once imposed its brutal ideology on an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom, attracting thousands from abroad.

But some of those foreigners have been killed, while the SDF holds hundreds more.&nbsp;

The Kurds have repeatedly urged their governments to take them back, largely without success.

Syria's Kurds have requested their repatriation, but foreign governments have been reluctant.

On Thursday, the father of Hoda Muthana, 24, sued to bring her home after the Trump administration declared she was not a US citizen.

Shamima Begum, 19, faced being left stateless after Britain revoked her citizenship, and Bangladesh, where her parents are from, said it not want her.

Beyond Baghouz, IS retains a presence in the vast Syrian desert, and continues to claim deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

US-backed fighters trucked out civilians from the last speck of the Islamic State group's dying "caliphate" in Syria on Friday, eager to press on with the battle to crush the jihadists.

US-backed fighters trucked out civilians from the last speck of the Islamic State group's dying "caliphate" in Syria on Friday, eager to press on with the battle to crush the jihadists. More than four years after IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and declared a "caliphate", they have lost all of it but a tiny patch in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border. More than 40 trucks carrying men, women and children left the enclave on Friday, AFP correspondents at a position of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces outside the village reported. Most were women and children, their clothes caked in dust, but the passengers also included men with their faces wrapped in chequered scarves. Women clung to the railings of the trucks, while the hair of younger girls blew in the wind, as they left the enclave in the second such large-scale evacuation in three days. On the back of one of the trucks, three men covered their faces with their hands, apparently not to be caught on camera. Asked what the situation was like inside IS's last scrap of territory, a young man replied: "Not good". On the roof of one of the trucks, an old man with a thick white beard wearing a red and white checkered scarf on his head yelled down: "There is an ill man with us." SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said more than 2,000 people were estimated to still be inside the pocket, and more trucks were expected to bring them out. 'War or surrender' Once the evacuations have ended, the jihadists will have to decide whether to continue defending the less than half a square kilometre (a fifth of a square mile) they still hold, he said. "They will be faced with a choice: war or surrender," Afrin said. Earlier on Friday, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said he hoped civilian evacuations could be completed by Saturday. The Kurdish-led SDF evacuated 3,000 people on Wednesday -- mostly women and children -- but trucks left near empty on Thursday. Bali said that screenings had determined most of those evacuated on Wednesday were foreigners. "The majority are Iraqi and from countries of the former Soviet Union, but there are also Europeans," he said. David Eubank, the leader of the Free Burma Rangers aid group, said they included "many French women", as well as others from Australia, Austria, Germany and Russia, and one woman from Britain. Human Rights Watch urged the SDF and the US-led coalition supporting it to make protecting civilians a priority. "Witnesses described harrowing conditions in the last months, with lack of food and aid forcing them to eat grass and weeds to survive," it said. Around 44,000 people -- mostly civilians -- have streamed out of IS's shrinking patch territory since early December, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Once the SDF have weeded out potential jihadists from each batch of new arrivals, civilians are trucked further north to Kurdish-run camps for the displaced. They arrive "extremely hungry and dehydrated" and many of them require urgent medical care, the International Rescue Committee said. The IRC said 69 people, mostly children, had died on the way to the Al-Hol camp or shortly after arriving in the past few weeks. "Two-thirds of the deaths are of babies under one year old," it said, including one who died Friday during the six-hour drive. US 'peacekeepers' The battle for Baghouz is now the only live front in Syria's war, which has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011. Any SDF victory would accelerate a planned withdrawal of American troops from Syria announced in December by US President Donald Trump. Syria's Kurds have expressed fear that a full pullout would leave them exposed to a long-threatened attack by neighbouring Turkey. But the White House said Thursday the US military will keep "a small peacekeeping group of about 200" in Syria after the withdrawal. The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria welcomed the move. It is "very important to maintain stability and protect our region from the Turkish threats, and ensure that terrorism will not be back," foreign affairs official Abdulkarim Omar said. IS once imposed its brutal ideology on an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom, attracting thousands from abroad. But some of those foreigners have been killed, while the SDF holds hundreds more. The Kurds have repeatedly urged their governments to take them back, largely without success. Syria's Kurds have requested their repatriation, but foreign governments have been reluctant. On Thursday, the father of Hoda Muthana, 24, sued to bring her home after the Trump administration declared she was not a US citizen. Shamima Begum, 19, faced being left stateless after Britain revoked her citizenship, and Bangladesh, where her parents are from, said it not want her. Beyond Baghouz, IS retains a presence in the vast Syrian desert, and continues to claim deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

Syria force evacuates women, children from Islamic State holdout

Britain will strip citizenship from Shamima Begum, a UK teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-teen-who-joined-is-has-given-birth-in-syria-family-197927">wants to return home with a newborn baby</a>, a lawyer for her family said Tuesday.&nbsp;

"Family are very disappointed with the Home Office's intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship," their lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said on Twitter.&nbsp;

"We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision," he wrote.

ITV News reported that the Home Office has sent a letter to Begum's mother, received Tuesday, notifying the family of the decision, which it said Begum had the right to appeal.

The Home Office -- Britain's interior ministry -- did not immediately reply to a request for comment from AFP.

The 19-year-old East London native joined IS in Syria in 2015 along with two classmates.

She is currently in a &nbsp;refugee camp in northeast Syria where she fled fighting in the east of the country along with hundreds of other people with links to IS.&nbsp;

At the weekend she gave birth to her third child, and asked the British authorities to show "compassion" by allowing her to raise the baby in Britain -- while expressing no regret over having joined IS.

Her other two babies died, apparently from illness and malnutrition.

Begum's case points up a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to bar jihadists from returning home over security concerns, or allowing them to return to face prosecution.

Britain will strip citizenship from Shamima Begum, a UK teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria and wants to return home with a newborn baby, a lawyer for her family said Tuesday.

Britain will strip citizenship from Shamima Begum, a UK teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria and wants to return home with a newborn baby, a lawyer for her family said Tuesday. "Family are very disappointed with the Home Office's intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship," their lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said on Twitter. "We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision," he wrote. ITV News reported that the Home Office has sent a letter to Begum's mother, received Tuesday, notifying the family of the decision, which it said Begum had the right to appeal. The Home Office -- Britain's interior ministry -- did not immediately reply to a request for comment from AFP. The 19-year-old East London native joined IS in Syria in 2015 along with two classmates. She is currently in a refugee camp in northeast Syria where she fled fighting in the east of the country along with hundreds of other people with links to IS. At the weekend she gave birth to her third child, and asked the British authorities to show "compassion" by allowing her to raise the baby in Britain -- while expressing no regret over having joined IS. Her other two babies died, apparently from illness and malnutrition. Begum's case points up a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to bar jihadists from returning home over security concerns, or allowing them to return to face prosecution.

Britain to strip teen who joined Islamic State of citizenship: Lawyer

Afghan spy agency says it has arrested two operatives from the Islamic State group suspected to be behind a twin bombing at a sports club in Kabul last year that killed at least 26 people, including two journalists.

In a statement on Thursday, the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the two men who "had planned and facilitated" the deadly attack had been detained in Kabul, though it did not mention the date and time of their arrest.

In the twin bombing last September, a suicide bomber first blew himself up inside a wrestling hall in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood of west Kabul, followed by a car bomb that detonated as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene.

Two journalists -- a reporter and cameraman -- working for local Tolo News, were among the 26 dead, while at least four journalists were also among 70 people wounded in the attack.

The arrests come days after the Afghan spy agency said it had detained three suspected of being behind a truck bombing that killed 150 people in Kabul's diplomatic area in May 2017.

In a statement, the NDS said the trio -- who were members of the Haqqani network, an ally of the Taliban -- were also accused of planning a separate suicide bombing last November that killed five employees of a multinational security company G4S in Kabul.

Separately, police in northern Afghanistan announced on Thursday they had detained one suspect in connection with the murder of two Afghan journalists who were killed in Takhar province last week.

The pair, both men in their 20s, were gunned down inside the studios of Radio Hamsada, a private broadcaster based in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province on February 5th.

Khalil Aseer, a spokesman for the provincial police described the suspect&nbsp; 
as an "illegal armed man" saying they were investigating the motive behind the killing.

Journalists and media workers have paid a heavy price covering the Afghan conflict with at least 15 of them killed in 2018, the deadliest year yet for the Afghan media, according to Reporters Without Border(RSF).

Three Afghan journalists have been killed so far this year.

Afghan spy agency says it has arrested two operatives from the Islamic State group suspected to be behind a twin bombing at a sports club in Kabul last year that killed at least 26 people, including two journalists.

Afghan spy agency says it has arrested two operatives from the Islamic State group suspected to be behind a twin bombing at a sports club in Kabul last year that killed at least 26 people, including two journalists. In a statement on Thursday, the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the two men who "had planned and facilitated" the deadly attack had been detained in Kabul, though it did not mention the date and time of their arrest. In the twin bombing last September, a suicide bomber first blew himself up inside a wrestling hall in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood of west Kabul, followed by a car bomb that detonated as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene. Two journalists -- a reporter and cameraman -- working for local Tolo News, were among the 26 dead, while at least four journalists were also among 70 people wounded in the attack. The arrests come days after the Afghan spy agency said it had detained three suspected of being behind a truck bombing that killed 150 people in Kabul's diplomatic area in May 2017. In a statement, the NDS said the trio -- who were members of the Haqqani network, an ally of the Taliban -- were also accused of planning a separate suicide bombing last November that killed five employees of a multinational security company G4S in Kabul. Separately, police in northern Afghanistan announced on Thursday they had detained one suspect in connection with the murder of two Afghan journalists who were killed in Takhar province last week. The pair, both men in their 20s, were gunned down inside the studios of Radio Hamsada, a private broadcaster based in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province on February 5th. Khalil Aseer, a spokesman for the provincial police described the suspect as an "illegal armed man" saying they were investigating the motive behind the killing. Journalists and media workers have paid a heavy price covering the Afghan conflict with at least 15 of them killed in 2018, the deadliest year yet for the Afghan media, according to Reporters Without Border(RSF). Three Afghan journalists have been killed so far this year.

Islamic State group suspects behind Kabul twin bombing arrested: Officials

A group of 27 Russian children whose mothers are being held in Iraq for belonging to the Islamic State group arrived home in Russia Sunday.

The children landed at Ramenskoye airport, near Moscow, on Sunday evening, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, quoted by TASS agency.

"Twenty-seven Russian children have been repatriated from Baghdad," a Russian foreign ministry official said earlier. &nbsp;

Thirty other children had been sent back to Moscow in late December.

The fathers of the children were killed during three years of fighting between the jihadists and Iraqi troops, the official said.

Anna Kuznetsova, Russia's envoy for the rights of children, confirmed the report, according to the TASS state news agency.

She said the 27 children were aged from four to 13 and were from 10 different regions in Russia.

IS seized large swathes of Iraq in a lightning 2014 offensive before the government dislodged the jihadists from urban centres and eventually declared victory in December 2017.&nbsp;

The Kremlin announced in early January that 115 Russian children aged under ten -- along with eight aged between 11 and 17 -- were still in Iraq.&nbsp;

Iraqi law allows detainees to be held with their offspring until the age of three, but older children have to live with relatives. &nbsp;

In November, Kheda Saratova -- an adviser to Chechnya's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov -- estimated "around 2,000" widows and children of Russian IS fighters were still in Iraq and neighbouring Syria. &nbsp;

Around one hundred women and children -- mostly from Caucasus republics -- have returned to Russia so far.&nbsp;

Nearly 4,500 Russian citizens went abroad to fight "on the side of terrorists", Russia's FSB domestic intelligence agency said last year.&nbsp;

More than 300 people, including around 100 foreign women, have been sentenced to death in Iraq for belonging to the Islamic State, while others have been sentenced to life in prison.&nbsp;

Most of those convicted are Turks or originate from former republics of the Soviet Union.&nbsp;

A group of 27 Russian children whose mothers are being held in Iraq for belonging to the Islamic State group arrived home in Russia Sunday. The children landed at Ramenskoye airport, near Moscow, on Sunday evening, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, quoted by TASS agency.

A group of 27 Russian children whose mothers are being held in Iraq for belonging to the Islamic State group arrived home in Russia Sunday. The children landed at Ramenskoye airport, near Moscow, on Sunday evening, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, quoted by TASS agency. "Twenty-seven Russian children have been repatriated from Baghdad," a Russian foreign ministry official said earlier. Thirty other children had been sent back to Moscow in late December. The fathers of the children were killed during three years of fighting between the jihadists and Iraqi troops, the official said. Anna Kuznetsova, Russia's envoy for the rights of children, confirmed the report, according to the TASS state news agency. She said the 27 children were aged from four to 13 and were from 10 different regions in Russia. IS seized large swathes of Iraq in a lightning 2014 offensive before the government dislodged the jihadists from urban centres and eventually declared victory in December 2017. The Kremlin announced in early January that 115 Russian children aged under ten -- along with eight aged between 11 and 17 -- were still in Iraq. Iraqi law allows detainees to be held with their offspring until the age of three, but older children have to live with relatives. In November, Kheda Saratova -- an adviser to Chechnya's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov -- estimated "around 2,000" widows and children of Russian IS fighters were still in Iraq and neighbouring Syria. Around one hundred women and children -- mostly from Caucasus republics -- have returned to Russia so far. Nearly 4,500 Russian citizens went abroad to fight "on the side of terrorists", Russia's FSB domestic intelligence agency said last year. More than 300 people, including around 100 foreign women, have been sentenced to death in Iraq for belonging to the Islamic State, while others have been sentenced to life in prison. Most of those convicted are Turks or originate from former republics of the Soviet Union.

Russia 'repatriates' 27 Islamic State children from Iraq

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides.

The failed assault came a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are backed by the US-led coalition, took the village of Baghouz from IS.

On Thursday, the jihadist group launched a counterattack including at least three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts against SDF fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Sixteen SDF fighters and 34 IS jihadists were killed in the assault aimed at retaking the village near the Iraqi border, the Britain-based monitor said.

A further "21 IS fighters were taken prisoner as they tried to open up a gap" in defences and make an escape towards Iraq, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF have since September been whittling away at a pocket of territory on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

The latest advance by the US-backed group has left the last diehard IS fighters holed up in scattered farmhouses near the Euphrates.

Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have fled into SDF-held territory in recent days, according to the Observatory.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate", but they have since lost almost all of it to various offensives.

The jihadists have however retained a presence in the vast Badia desert stretching across Syria, and have continued to claim attacks in SDF-held territory and abroad.

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides.

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides. The failed assault came a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are backed by the US-led coalition, took the village of Baghouz from IS. On Thursday, the jihadist group launched a counterattack including at least three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts against SDF fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Sixteen SDF fighters and 34 IS jihadists were killed in the assault aimed at retaking the village near the Iraqi border, the Britain-based monitor said. A further "21 IS fighters were taken prisoner as they tried to open up a gap" in defences and make an escape towards Iraq, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The SDF have since September been whittling away at a pocket of territory on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The latest advance by the US-backed group has left the last diehard IS fighters holed up in scattered farmhouses near the Euphrates. Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have fled into SDF-held territory in recent days, according to the Observatory. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate", but they have since lost almost all of it to various offensives. The jihadists have however retained a presence in the vast Badia desert stretching across Syria, and have continued to claim attacks in SDF-held territory and abroad.

Dozens killed in failed IS counterattack in east Syria

Over 600 people were evacuated Saturday from the Islamic State group's remaining holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-led-coalition-withdrawing-equipment-from-syria-189689">US-backed fighters</a> prepare for a final assault on the area.

"More than 600 people, mainly women and children, were evacuated on 25 buses sent" by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance.&nbsp;

The SDF, backed by air strikes from a US-led coalition, in September launched an offensive to oust IS from the rump of the once-sprawling "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014.

Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December.

But "this is the first time that buses have been provided by the SDF and coalition", he said, suggesting a potential deal had been struck between the warring sides.

The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions.&nbsp;

An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the UN said.

The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The monitor said some 300 SDF combattants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault.&nbsp;

The fight to eliminate the remaining pockets of IS has been shaken by President Donald Trump's shock December announcement that he is withdrawing US troops from Syria.&nbsp;

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them.

Over 600 people were evacuated Saturday from the Islamic State group's remaining holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area.

Over 600 people were evacuated Saturday from the Islamic State group's remaining holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area. "More than 600 people, mainly women and children, were evacuated on 25 buses sent" by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance. The SDF, backed by air strikes from a US-led coalition, in September launched an offensive to oust IS from the rump of the once-sprawling "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014. Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December. But "this is the first time that buses have been provided by the SDF and coalition", he said, suggesting a potential deal had been struck between the warring sides. The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions. An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the UN said. The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said. The monitor said some 300 SDF combattants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault. The fight to eliminate the remaining pockets of IS has been shaken by President Donald Trump's shock December announcement that he is withdrawing US troops from Syria. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them.

600 people leave in first evacuation from Syria IS holdout: Monitor

Air strikes by the US-led coalition killed 13 jihadist fighters and 14 of their relatives Friday in eastern Syria, a war monitor said.

The strikes came two days after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pressures-democrats-warns-government-may-close-for-very-long-time-185701">US President Donald Trump</a>'s decision to pull troops out of Syria raised fears the Islamic State group would use the vacuum to regroup.

"At least 27 people were killed this morning in Al-Shaafa," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.

He said eight children were among the 14 civilian victims and added several people were seriously wounded in the strikes.

The raids targeted IS positions in Al-Shaafa, one of the two main villages in the last pocket of territory still controlled by IS in the Euphrates River valley.

Close to 1,000 IS fighters have been killed since Kurdish-led forces, backed by coalition air strikes, launched an operation on that pocket in September.

Trump said he was ordering a withdrawal of the estimated 2,000 US troops in Syria because IS had been defeated, an assessment rubbished by many, including in his own camp.

On Friday, the leadership of the Kurdish force that has spearheaded the fight against IS warned it might have to pull back from the anti-jihadist front if a US withdrawal invites a Turkish military assault against them.

According to the Observatory, 545 members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were killed battling IS since the start of the operation on September 10.

Air strikes by the US-led coalition killed 13 jihadist fighters and 14 of their relatives Friday in eastern Syria, a war monitor said. The strikes came two days after US President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria raised fears the Islamic State group would use the vacuum to regroup.

Air strikes by the US-led coalition killed 13 jihadist fighters and 14 of their relatives Friday in eastern Syria, a war monitor said. The strikes came two days after US President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria raised fears the Islamic State group would use the vacuum to regroup. "At least 27 people were killed this morning in Al-Shaafa," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. He said eight children were among the 14 civilian victims and added several people were seriously wounded in the strikes. The raids targeted IS positions in Al-Shaafa, one of the two main villages in the last pocket of territory still controlled by IS in the Euphrates River valley. Close to 1,000 IS fighters have been killed since Kurdish-led forces, backed by coalition air strikes, launched an operation on that pocket in September. Trump said he was ordering a withdrawal of the estimated 2,000 US troops in Syria because IS had been defeated, an assessment rubbished by many, including in his own camp. On Friday, the leadership of the Kurdish force that has spearheaded the fight against IS warned it might have to pull back from the anti-jihadist front if a US withdrawal invites a Turkish military assault against them. According to the Observatory, 545 members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were killed battling IS since the start of the operation on September 10.

Air strikes by US-led coalition kill 27 in eastern Syria: War monitor

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said.

The trio, all Australian nationals of Turkish descent, were nabbed in overnight raids as they escalated preparations to attack crowded areas of Melbourne, according to police.

The men were "certainly inspired by ISIS", the Islamic State group, but had no known links to a specific organisation, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.

"We're very confident that our actions taken early this morning have neutralised any threat to the... community from this group." he said. "We don't believe there's any extended threat outside of the group."

The three, who were not named, had been under investigation since March but had become "more energised" since the IS-inspired stabbing attack in Melbourne on November 9, he said.

In that attack, a Somali-born Australian, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, stabbed and killed one man and wounded two others in a central shopping area before being shot dead by police.

Tuesday's arrests coincided with a state funeral for the victim of that attack: Sisto Malaspina, 74, the owner of a local Italian cafe and a popular figure in Melbourne's vibrant restaurant scene.

The three arrested men were aged 30, 26 and 21, and will be charged in a Melbourne court later in the day with terrorism-related offences that carry a potential penalty of life in prison, police said.

They had no previous criminal records, but had all had their passports cancelled earlier this year to prevent them from joining terror groups overseas, police said.

"If we had not acted early in preventing this attack, we'll allege the consequences would have been chilling, with... a &nbsp;potential significant loss of human life," said Ian Mccartney, a federal counter-terror police spokesman.

Mccartney said the trio had attempted to acquire semi-automatic. 22 calibre rifles for the attacks, but had not yet chosen specific targets, he said.

Australian police have charged 90 people in relation to 40 counter-terrorism investigations since 2014.&nbsp;

They said the probe into the three men arrested Tuesday had been complicated by their use of encrypted messaging applications, an element certain to fuel debate about government attempts to force device makers and telecom companies to grant access to the applications.

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said.

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said. The trio, all Australian nationals of Turkish descent, were nabbed in overnight raids as they escalated preparations to attack crowded areas of Melbourne, according to police. The men were "certainly inspired by ISIS", the Islamic State group, but had no known links to a specific organisation, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. "We're very confident that our actions taken early this morning have neutralised any threat to the... community from this group." he said. "We don't believe there's any extended threat outside of the group." The three, who were not named, had been under investigation since March but had become "more energised" since the IS-inspired stabbing attack in Melbourne on November 9, he said. In that attack, a Somali-born Australian, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, stabbed and killed one man and wounded two others in a central shopping area before being shot dead by police. Tuesday's arrests coincided with a state funeral for the victim of that attack: Sisto Malaspina, 74, the owner of a local Italian cafe and a popular figure in Melbourne's vibrant restaurant scene. The three arrested men were aged 30, 26 and 21, and will be charged in a Melbourne court later in the day with terrorism-related offences that carry a potential penalty of life in prison, police said. They had no previous criminal records, but had all had their passports cancelled earlier this year to prevent them from joining terror groups overseas, police said. "If we had not acted early in preventing this attack, we'll allege the consequences would have been chilling, with... a potential significant loss of human life," said Ian Mccartney, a federal counter-terror police spokesman. Mccartney said the trio had attempted to acquire semi-automatic. 22 calibre rifles for the attacks, but had not yet chosen specific targets, he said. Australian police have charged 90 people in relation to 40 counter-terrorism investigations since 2014. They said the probe into the three men arrested Tuesday had been complicated by their use of encrypted messaging applications, an element certain to fuel debate about government attempts to force device makers and telecom companies to grant access to the applications.

Three arrested over alleged Melbourne terror plot which killed two people

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-knife-attacker-who-killed-one-drove-car-loaded-with-gas-cylinders-176403">Melbourne on Friday.</a>

The incident&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-knife-attacker-who-killed-one-drove-car-loaded-with-gas-cylinders-176403">killed one person</a> and wounded two others.

"The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying.

Australian police said a Somali man who stabbed three people in the city of Melbourne on Friday drove a car laden with gas cylinders which caught fire and that they are treating the attack as terrorism.

The man stabbed three people, killing one before he was shot by police. He later died in hospital, Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters.

"We don't believe there is an ongoing threat at this stage, but certainly we are treating it as a terrorism incident," Ashton said. He declined to identify the attacker, but said he was Somali with "family associations that are well known to us".

The counter-terrorism command has taken a lead role in the investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday. The incident killed one person and wounded two others.

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday. The incident killed one person and wounded two others. "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying. Australian police said a Somali man who stabbed three people in the city of Melbourne on Friday drove a car laden with gas cylinders which caught fire and that they are treating the attack as terrorism. The man stabbed three people, killing one before he was shot by police. He later died in hospital, Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters. "We don't believe there is an ongoing threat at this stage, but certainly we are treating it as a terrorism incident," Ashton said. He declined to identify the attacker, but said he was Somali with "family associations that are well known to us". The counter-terrorism command has taken a lead role in the investigation. (With inputs from agencies)

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-group-claims-melbourne-stabbing-that-killed-one-person-propaganda-agency-176428">Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person</a>

The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said.

"The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-postponed-us-talks-because-they-werent-ready-nikki-haley-176424">North Korea postponed US talks because 'they weren't ready': Nikki Haley</a>

North Korea postponed talks with the United States on Thursday "because they weren't ready," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said as she urged Pyongyang to implement a June deal between the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/2714-people-killed-in-409-us-drone-attacks-in-pakistan-since-january-2004-report-176396">2,714 people killed in 409 US drone attacks in Pakistan since January 2004: Report&nbsp;</a>

The US has carried out a total of 409 drone attacks in Pakistan targeting suspected militants since January 2004, killing 2,714 people and injuring 728 others, a media report said on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-attack-kills-22-rebels-in-truce-zone-176401">Syria regime attack kills 22 rebels in truce zone</a>

Syrian government forces killed 22 rebels near Idlib province on Friday, the deadliest clash to rock a buffer zone where a Russian-Turkish truce is to be enforced.

The attack on a position held by the Jaish al-Izza rebel group took place on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, in an area due to be de-militarised.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-peace-council-tells-taliban-it-is-ready-for-talks-ria-176420">Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks: RIA</a>

Members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani's offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said.

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said. "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying. North Korea postponed US talks because 'they weren't ready': Nikki Haley North Korea postponed talks with the United States on Thursday "because they weren't ready," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said as she urged Pyongyang to implement a June deal between the two countries. 2,714 people killed in 409 US drone attacks in Pakistan since January 2004: Report The US has carried out a total of 409 drone attacks in Pakistan targeting suspected militants since January 2004, killing 2,714 people and injuring 728 others, a media report said on Friday. Syria regime attack kills 22 rebels in truce zone Syrian government forces killed 22 rebels near Idlib province on Friday, the deadliest clash to rock a buffer zone where a Russian-Turkish truce is to be enforced. The attack on a position held by the Jaish al-Izza rebel group took place on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, in an area due to be de-militarised. Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks: RIA Members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani's offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Islamic State group killed 12 US-backed fighters in a surprise attack Sunday from the jihadists' holdout in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, a Britain-based monitor said.

Twelve fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide car bombing and subsequent clashes in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

An SDF spokesman, however, denied any members of his Kurdish-led alliance had been killed.

"There are counter-attacks every day and the clashes are ongoing, but the talk of martyrs among our ranks is not true," Mustefa Bali said.

According to Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman, Sunday's attack "started with a car bomb driven by a suicide attacker against an SDF position between Hajin and Al-Bahra".

The attack allowed IS to advance towards Al-Bahra from its holdout around Hajin, and push back the first lines of defence of the SDF, which is backed by the US-led coalition, the Observatory said.

The monitor said 14 civilians and nine IS jihadists were killed Saturday in coalition air strikes in Hajin and the nearby towns of Sousa and Al-Shaafa.

A coalition spokesman said those strikes targeted IS positions.

"The strikes killed ISIS terrorists and destroyed three operational facilities critical to ISIS's operations," Sean Ryan told AFP, using an alternative acronym for IS.

The SDF, with the support of coalition air strikes, in September launched an offensive to wrest the Deir Ezzor pocket including Hajin from IS, making slow advances.

But the alliance suffered a major setback as they retreated last week from the entire pocket after IS suicide bombings and low visibility due to sand storms.

Last Wednesday, the SDF suspended its fight against the jihadists after Turkish forces fired on the group's positions in northern Syria.&nbsp;

The coalition estimates 2,000 IS fighters remain in the Hajin pocket near the border with Iraq, which has reinforced military positions near its Al-Qaim crossing to prevent a spillover of clashes.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across land it controlled.

But the jihadist group has since lost most of that territory to various offensives in both countries.

In Syria, its presence has been reduced to parts of the vast Badia desert and Hajin.

A total of more than 360,000 people have been killed since Syria's multi-front war erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

The Islamic State group killed 12 US-backed fighters in a surprise attack Sunday from the jihadists' holdout in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, a Britain-based monitor said.

The Islamic State group killed 12 US-backed fighters in a surprise attack Sunday from the jihadists' holdout in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, a Britain-based monitor said. Twelve fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide car bombing and subsequent clashes in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. An SDF spokesman, however, denied any members of his Kurdish-led alliance had been killed. "There are counter-attacks every day and the clashes are ongoing, but the talk of martyrs among our ranks is not true," Mustefa Bali said. According to Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman, Sunday's attack "started with a car bomb driven by a suicide attacker against an SDF position between Hajin and Al-Bahra". The attack allowed IS to advance towards Al-Bahra from its holdout around Hajin, and push back the first lines of defence of the SDF, which is backed by the US-led coalition, the Observatory said. The monitor said 14 civilians and nine IS jihadists were killed Saturday in coalition air strikes in Hajin and the nearby towns of Sousa and Al-Shaafa. A coalition spokesman said those strikes targeted IS positions. "The strikes killed ISIS terrorists and destroyed three operational facilities critical to ISIS's operations," Sean Ryan told AFP, using an alternative acronym for IS. The SDF, with the support of coalition air strikes, in September launched an offensive to wrest the Deir Ezzor pocket including Hajin from IS, making slow advances. But the alliance suffered a major setback as they retreated last week from the entire pocket after IS suicide bombings and low visibility due to sand storms. Last Wednesday, the SDF suspended its fight against the jihadists after Turkish forces fired on the group's positions in northern Syria. The coalition estimates 2,000 IS fighters remain in the Hajin pocket near the border with Iraq, which has reinforced military positions near its Al-Qaim crossing to prevent a spillover of clashes. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across land it controlled. But the jihadist group has since lost most of that territory to various offensives in both countries. In Syria, its presence has been reduced to parts of the vast Badia desert and Hajin. A total of more than 360,000 people have been killed since Syria's multi-front war erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Islamic State attack kills 12 US-backed fighters in east Syria: Monitor

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attack which targeted the Afghan election commission's office in Kabul on Monday.

A police officer said that at least one was killed and five were injured.

The bomber was walking toward the gate of the heavily fortified election commission offices when the police became suspicious of his intentions and opened fire, prompting him to detonate his explosives vest, said police chief Bismillah Taban.

Both Taliban and the IS had warned to disrupt parliamentary elections in Afghanistan which were held in most provinces on October 20 and in southern Kandahar province last Saturday.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attack which targeted the Afghan election commission's office in Kabul on Monday. A police officer said that at least one was killed and five were injured.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attack which targeted the Afghan election commission's office in Kabul on Monday. A police officer said that at least one was killed and five were injured. The bomber was walking toward the gate of the heavily fortified election commission offices when the police became suspicious of his intentions and opened fire, prompting him to detonate his explosives vest, said police chief Bismillah Taban. Both Taliban and the IS had warned to disrupt parliamentary elections in Afghanistan which were held in most provinces on October 20 and in southern Kandahar province last Saturday.

Islamic State group claims responsibility for suicide bombing near Kabul election office

The Islamic State group has killed 60 US-backed fighters in Syria who are battling to oust the jihadists from their eastern holdout of Hajin on the Iraqi border, a war monitor said Saturday.

IS late Friday dispatched suicide bombers as part of a counter-attack against the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights.

The SDF fighters, who are backed by US-led coalition air strikes, were killed overnight, the Observatory said.

In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, IS said it had attacked the village of Sousa late Friday and detonated a car bomb near the village of Al-Baghuza further south, down the Euphrates river.

The SDF last month launched an offensive against the jihadists in the Hajin pocket on the eastern banks of the Euphrates, in Deir Ezzor province.

IS has staged a bloody fightback.

Since September 10, 270 SDF fighters and 496 IS jihadists have been killed in the offensive, the Observatory says.

The coalition estimates that 2,000 IS fighters remain in the Hajin area.

Last week, the Observatory said coalition air strikes had killed 41 civilians in Sousa, 10 of them children, on October 18 and 19.

But the coalition said it had targeted an IS command post on October 18, and denied carrying out any strikes in the area the following day.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across land it controlled.

But the jihadist group has since lost most of that territory to various offensives in both countries.

In Syria, its presence has been reduced to parts of the vast Badia desert and the Hajin pocket.

Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

The Islamic State group has killed 60 US-backed fighters in Syria who are battling to oust the jihadists from their eastern holdout of Hajin on the Iraqi border, a war monitor said Saturday.

The Islamic State group has killed 60 US-backed fighters in Syria who are battling to oust the jihadists from their eastern holdout of Hajin on the Iraqi border, a war monitor said Saturday. IS late Friday dispatched suicide bombers as part of a counter-attack against the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights. The SDF fighters, who are backed by US-led coalition air strikes, were killed overnight, the Observatory said. In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, IS said it had attacked the village of Sousa late Friday and detonated a car bomb near the village of Al-Baghuza further south, down the Euphrates river. The SDF last month launched an offensive against the jihadists in the Hajin pocket on the eastern banks of the Euphrates, in Deir Ezzor province. IS has staged a bloody fightback. Since September 10, 270 SDF fighters and 496 IS jihadists have been killed in the offensive, the Observatory says. The coalition estimates that 2,000 IS fighters remain in the Hajin area. Last week, the Observatory said coalition air strikes had killed 41 civilians in Sousa, 10 of them children, on October 18 and 19. But the coalition said it had targeted an IS command post on October 18, and denied carrying out any strikes in the area the following day. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" across land it controlled. But the jihadist group has since lost most of that territory to various offensives in both countries. In Syria, its presence has been reduced to parts of the vast Badia desert and the Hajin pocket. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Islamic State group kills 60 US-backed fighters in eastern Syria: Monitor

The families of Druze hostages held by the Islamic State group rallied for a third day &nbsp;Friday to demand action by the Syrian government to free them, witnesses said.

The jihadists abducted around 30 people -- mostly women and children -- from the southwestern province of Sweida in late July during the deadliest attack on Syria's Druze community of the seven-year civil war.

On Friday, a handful of people gathered for a sit-in at the government's provincial headquarters in Sweida, a reporter in the city told AFP.

The protests began on Wednesday, a day after families learned that IS had executed a 25-year-old female captive, Nour Radwan, the head of news website Sweida24, told AFP.

They began protesting to "demand that the government intervene immediately to free the hostages", he said.

A protester, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was not related to the Druze hostages but had joined the sit-in to show support.

"Those who are related to them are always here, and there are large numbers that come in solidarity," he told AFP, though adding that the numbers were lower on Friday.

"We're demanding the return of the hostages. That's not a tall order," he said.

Negotiations between the government's Russian ally and the jihadists for the release of the Druze captives had stalled, but Radwan said they resumed on the first day of the sit-in.

Footage of the protest on Thursday published online by Sweida24 showed a few dozen men and women in front of the provincial headquarters.&nbsp;

They gathered on the building's front steps around neatly lined up photographs of the missing, and a sign that said: "We demand the hostages be returned alive."

IS demands $1 million ransoms&nbsp;

Government forces have battled IS in the volcanic plateau of Tulul al-Safa in the east of the province since the July attack.

Radwan said the jihadists had demanded $1 million in ransom for each of the 27 hostages, as well as an end to the government's offensive against them in Tulul al-Safa and the release of 48 wives of IS fighters from government custody.

In the July 25 attack, IS killed more than 250 people, most of them civilians, in a wave of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings across Sweida province.

They kidnapped around 30 people -- mostly women and children -- at the same time.

In August, IS executed a 19-year-old male student among the captives.

A 65-year-old Syrian woman among the hostages also died, with her IS captors telling negotiators she had died of an illness.

IS swept across large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" in territory it controlled.

But its self-declared state has since crumbled, and in Syria the jihadists have seen their presence dwindle to parts of the vast desert that stretches from the capital to the Iraqi border and a small pocket in the Euphrates valley.

US-backed Kurdish-led forces are battling to expel the jihadists from that pocket around the town of Hajin in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

The families of Druze hostages held by the Islamic State group rallied for a third day Friday to demand action by the Syrian government to free them, witnesses said.

The families of Druze hostages held by the Islamic State group rallied for a third day Friday to demand action by the Syrian government to free them, witnesses said. The jihadists abducted around 30 people -- mostly women and children -- from the southwestern province of Sweida in late July during the deadliest attack on Syria's Druze community of the seven-year civil war. On Friday, a handful of people gathered for a sit-in at the government's provincial headquarters in Sweida, a reporter in the city told AFP. The protests began on Wednesday, a day after families learned that IS had executed a 25-year-old female captive, Nour Radwan, the head of news website Sweida24, told AFP. They began protesting to "demand that the government intervene immediately to free the hostages", he said. A protester, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was not related to the Druze hostages but had joined the sit-in to show support. "Those who are related to them are always here, and there are large numbers that come in solidarity," he told AFP, though adding that the numbers were lower on Friday. "We're demanding the return of the hostages. That's not a tall order," he said. Negotiations between the government's Russian ally and the jihadists for the release of the Druze captives had stalled, but Radwan said they resumed on the first day of the sit-in. Footage of the protest on Thursday published online by Sweida24 showed a few dozen men and women in front of the provincial headquarters. They gathered on the building's front steps around neatly lined up photographs of the missing, and a sign that said: "We demand the hostages be returned alive." IS demands $1 million ransoms Government forces have battled IS in the volcanic plateau of Tulul al-Safa in the east of the province since the July attack. Radwan said the jihadists had demanded $1 million in ransom for each of the 27 hostages, as well as an end to the government's offensive against them in Tulul al-Safa and the release of 48 wives of IS fighters from government custody. In the July 25 attack, IS killed more than 250 people, most of them civilians, in a wave of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings across Sweida province. They kidnapped around 30 people -- mostly women and children -- at the same time. In August, IS executed a 19-year-old male student among the captives. A 65-year-old Syrian woman among the hostages also died, with her IS captors telling negotiators she had died of an illness. IS swept across large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" in territory it controlled. But its self-declared state has since crumbled, and in Syria the jihadists have seen their presence dwindle to parts of the vast desert that stretches from the capital to the Iraqi border and a small pocket in the Euphrates valley. US-backed Kurdish-led forces are battling to expel the jihadists from that pocket around the town of Hajin in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

Syria families demand regime action to free IS hostages

It may look like they're just planting and weeding, but for the women tending the public gardens of Jalalabad, the tasks represent far more: the rare chance to work outside the home in one of Afghanistan's most conservative and unstable provinces.

A hood and scarf partially hiding their faces, the women working in the eastern city's public gardens wear an ample fluorescent orange work blouse -- like their male colleagues -- which contrasts sharply with the deep green of the grass.

It is a dapper take on the traditional sky-blue burqa worn by the few other women seen in public in Jalalabad.

For six days a week, the women gardeners -- all of them poor, and many of them widowed -- are busy between the rose hedges and the fruit trees.&nbsp;

Their salary, amounting to roughly $130 per month, is for most of them the first they have ever earned.

"Men think the women can work only inside their home. By doing this, we are showing to everybody the women can do much more," says team leader Lailuma Shirzad, 26, so wrapped in hood and scarf that only her eyes show.

Employing women was not an obvious choice in Nangarhar.

The province -- home to the Tora Bora mountain range, where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hid after the 9/11 attacks -- is now a stronghold of the Islamic State group, where they compete with the Taliban.

The United Nations agency UN-Habitat, which is behind the initiative, had to negotiate hard with families.&nbsp;

"For most women, this is the first work experience out of the home," said Mohammad Nader Sargand, head of UN-Habitat's "Clean and Green City" programme in Jalalabad.&nbsp;

But the culture of Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in eastern Afghanistan, "imposes so many restrictions on women, far more than Islam," he says. "It's not allowed for women to go outside without a man of the family."

&nbsp;Pashtun bastions&nbsp;

The programme, launched in 2016, aims to create, rehabilitate and maintain urban parks in Afghanistan's main cities by employing the most vulnerable: including women and those displaced by war.&nbsp;

Some 8,000 apprentice gardeners selected from among these populations have been hired in a dozen provinces, including Kabul.&nbsp;

Among them are 1,000 women. One hundred of them, aged 18 to 60, are active in Jalalabad.&nbsp;

According to the World Bank, 19 per cent of Afghan women had official jobs in 2017.

"Jalalabad and Kandahar have been proved the most difficult areas to work in," says Sargand, citing the southern city that is the birthplace of the Taliban and, like Jalalabad, a Pashtun and conservative bastion.

In an Asia Foundation study in May 2017, 66 per cent of Pashtun Afghans surveyed accepted the idea of women working outside the home -- compared to 74 per cent of the national average.

"The main concern was to make sure that women would not be in contact with men outside the family," says Sargand.&nbsp;

"In the first week, brothers and husbands continually checked that their virtue and dignity were preserved."&nbsp;

'Difficult, not impossible'&nbsp;

Most of the women are untrained widows, their husbands' deaths leaving them destitute in a country where men are often the sole breadwinners in their families.&nbsp;

Najiba, in her 40s, advances with a billhook in hand in Bibi Saira, one of the five gardens of Jalalabad where the programme is run.

"People in the country say I shouldn't come and work with men but I am very happy to do that work and I am really happy to come here," she laughs. "I hope my daughters will be able to join me too."

Torpaikay, a delegate from the Ministry of Women who goes by one name, explains that most of these women were already attending social workshops organised by the UN.

"Afghan women are powerful, they can work if given the same opportunities (as men) and they want it," she adds.&nbsp;

"But this is the first time that they are given a chance to work," she adds. "It's difficult, but not impossible."

In the absence of funding, the greening agenda for Afghan cities is set to end in June in Jalalabad and by December elsewhere.&nbsp;

But with the support of enthusiastic municipalities, UN-Habitat hopes to convince donors to continue funding the programme.&nbsp;

Zalmay Akhehar, a community leader in Jalalabad, is in any case also convinced that in this case, women do a better job.&nbsp;

"Here women are sweeping the paths. If we stop, we'll have garbage everywhere."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The gardens give the women who tend them the rare chance to work outside the home in one of Afghanistan's most conservative and unstable provinces

It may look like they're just planting and weeding, but for the women tending the public gardens of Jalalabad, the tasks represent far more: the rare chance to work outside the home in one of Afghanistan's most conservative and unstable provinces. A hood and scarf partially hiding their faces, the women working in the eastern city's public gardens wear an ample fluorescent orange work blouse -- like their male colleagues -- which contrasts sharply with the deep green of the grass. It is a dapper take on the traditional sky-blue burqa worn by the few other women seen in public in Jalalabad. For six days a week, the women gardeners -- all of them poor, and many of them widowed -- are busy between the rose hedges and the fruit trees. Their salary, amounting to roughly $130 per month, is for most of them the first they have ever earned. "Men think the women can work only inside their home. By doing this, we are showing to everybody the women can do much more," says team leader Lailuma Shirzad, 26, so wrapped in hood and scarf that only her eyes show. Employing women was not an obvious choice in Nangarhar. The province -- home to the Tora Bora mountain range, where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hid after the 9/11 attacks -- is now a stronghold of the Islamic State group, where they compete with the Taliban. The United Nations agency UN-Habitat, which is behind the initiative, had to negotiate hard with families. "For most women, this is the first work experience out of the home," said Mohammad Nader Sargand, head of UN-Habitat's "Clean and Green City" programme in Jalalabad. But the culture of Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in eastern Afghanistan, "imposes so many restrictions on women, far more than Islam," he says. "It's not allowed for women to go outside without a man of the family." Pashtun bastions The programme, launched in 2016, aims to create, rehabilitate and maintain urban parks in Afghanistan's main cities by employing the most vulnerable: including women and those displaced by war. Some 8,000 apprentice gardeners selected from among these populations have been hired in a dozen provinces, including Kabul. Among them are 1,000 women. One hundred of them, aged 18 to 60, are active in Jalalabad. According to the World Bank, 19 per cent of Afghan women had official jobs in 2017. "Jalalabad and Kandahar have been proved the most difficult areas to work in," says Sargand, citing the southern city that is the birthplace of the Taliban and, like Jalalabad, a Pashtun and conservative bastion. In an Asia Foundation study in May 2017, 66 per cent of Pashtun Afghans surveyed accepted the idea of women working outside the home -- compared to 74 per cent of the national average. "The main concern was to make sure that women would not be in contact with men outside the family," says Sargand. "In the first week, brothers and husbands continually checked that their virtue and dignity were preserved." 'Difficult, not impossible' Most of the women are untrained widows, their husbands' deaths leaving them destitute in a country where men are often the sole breadwinners in their families. Najiba, in her 40s, advances with a billhook in hand in Bibi Saira, one of the five gardens of Jalalabad where the programme is run. "People in the country say I shouldn't come and work with men but I am very happy to do that work and I am really happy to come here," she laughs. "I hope my daughters will be able to join me too." Torpaikay, a delegate from the Ministry of Women who goes by one name, explains that most of these women were already attending social workshops organised by the UN. "Afghan women are powerful, they can work if given the same opportunities (as men) and they want it," she adds. "But this is the first time that they are given a chance to work," she adds. "It's difficult, but not impossible." In the absence of funding, the greening agenda for Afghan cities is set to end in June in Jalalabad and by December elsewhere. But with the support of enthusiastic municipalities, UN-Habitat hopes to convince donors to continue funding the programme. Zalmay Akhehar, a community leader in Jalalabad, is in any case also convinced that in this case, women do a better job. "Here women are sweeping the paths. If we stop, we'll have garbage everywhere."

How Afghanistan's urban gardens are changing women's lives

The door of the blue bus slides open and dozens of children excitedly bound up the steps, eager to get their hands on hard-to-find books in Kabul's first mobile library.

Named Charmaghz -- the Dari for walnut, which is associated with logic in Afghanistan because the nut resembles a brain -- the converted public bus is hard to miss as it winds through the dusty streets of the Afghan capital.

The library-on-wheels offers pupils and street kids free access to children's books, which are in short supply at public schools and libraries.

It also offers one of the few spaces outside the home that children can use in a city where fear is increasingly keeping residents behind closed doors.

As both the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up their attacks in Kabul, with civilians paying the price, many parents -- traumatised by the violence, some of them already devastated by loss -- have stopped taking their children out in public.

Charmaghz, used by as many as 300 children every day, is a rare exception.

The vehicle, which is rented from a state-owned bus company and takes precautions to avoid government buildings, main roads or other crowded areas targeted by militants in Kabul, is a relatively secure place for them to read, play chess and see friends.

"Boys, you sit in the back and girls in the front. It is important to be organised," one of three volunteers tells the children as he pulls books from an overhead shelf and places them in outstretched hands.

Unlike traditional libraries where chatting is discouraged, the constant hum of voices fills Charmaghz.

Children sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor or at desks reading aloud from some of the 600 books that have been donated by Afghan publishers.

"I come to the bus once a week to read books," 13-year-old Zahra told AFP.

"Today I'm reading about how to improve your health. I'm reading what I should do and what I should eat."

"When I go home I share the stories I read here with my brothers and sisters."

The library bus was launched in February by Oxford University graduate Freshta Karim, who has dedicated herself to improving the reading and storytelling abilities of children in Afghanistan -- an opportunity she never had as a child.

Karim grew up as a refugee in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan after the fall of Taliban in 2002. She completed her undergraduate degree in Kabul before winning a Chevening scholarship to study a master's in public policy at Oxford.

"When we were children we did not have access to... libraries for children," Karim, 26, told AFP

"I remember as a kid at school we didn't even have chairs -- we were sitting on the floor to study."

The library bus stops at schools, parks or orphanages throughout the week, and is an "efficient" way to reach lots of children, Karim said, helping to improve Afghanistan's low general rate of literacy of just 36 percent.

Even now most public schools in Afghanistan do not have libraries, said Shafiullah, who used to work at Kabul's main public library and now helps non-profit organisations publish children's books.

"Young people and children do not have access to different types of books except their school textbooks," Shafiullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name, told AFP.

"And there are only a few non-governmental organisations that sometimes help publish books for children."

The time many children spend at schools in Afghanistan is limited.

Afghans receive an average of 4.6 years of formal education, according to a 2017 survey by the Asia Foundation.

Inside Charmaghz, 15-year-old Abbas reads to his friends the tragic story of Rostam, a hero in Persian mythology, and his son Sohrab.

Abbas said the library bus had given him access to books he could not find at his school.

"At school, you have a limited choice. You don't have a lot of books. But here you can find a whole range," he told AFP.

More than eight million children are enrolled in schools across Afghanistan this year, official figures show.

But 3.5 million other school-age kids will miss out due to school closures, grinding conflict and poverty.

Karim is realistic about the changes to literacy the mobile library can achieve in a country the size of Afghanistan.

But it is a start, said Karim, who is hoping to garner enough donations to rent another two buses.

"I don't think a mobile library will solve the thousands of problems that we have in our education system," she said.

"But a mobile library is a small effort among a lot of efforts that we have to make."

The library-on-wheels offers pupils and street kids free access to children's books, which are in short supply at public schools and libraries

The door of the blue bus slides open and dozens of children excitedly bound up the steps, eager to get their hands on hard-to-find books in Kabul's first mobile library. Named Charmaghz -- the Dari for walnut, which is associated with logic in Afghanistan because the nut resembles a brain -- the converted public bus is hard to miss as it winds through the dusty streets of the Afghan capital. The library-on-wheels offers pupils and street kids free access to children's books, which are in short supply at public schools and libraries. It also offers one of the few spaces outside the home that children can use in a city where fear is increasingly keeping residents behind closed doors. As both the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up their attacks in Kabul, with civilians paying the price, many parents -- traumatised by the violence, some of them already devastated by loss -- have stopped taking their children out in public. Charmaghz, used by as many as 300 children every day, is a rare exception. The vehicle, which is rented from a state-owned bus company and takes precautions to avoid government buildings, main roads or other crowded areas targeted by militants in Kabul, is a relatively secure place for them to read, play chess and see friends. "Boys, you sit in the back and girls in the front. It is important to be organised," one of three volunteers tells the children as he pulls books from an overhead shelf and places them in outstretched hands. Unlike traditional libraries where chatting is discouraged, the constant hum of voices fills Charmaghz. Children sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor or at desks reading aloud from some of the 600 books that have been donated by Afghan publishers. "I come to the bus once a week to read books," 13-year-old Zahra told AFP. "Today I'm reading about how to improve your health. I'm reading what I should do and what I should eat." "When I go home I share the stories I read here with my brothers and sisters." The library bus was launched in February by Oxford University graduate Freshta Karim, who has dedicated herself to improving the reading and storytelling abilities of children in Afghanistan -- an opportunity she never had as a child. Karim grew up as a refugee in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan after the fall of Taliban in 2002. She completed her undergraduate degree in Kabul before winning a Chevening scholarship to study a master's in public policy at Oxford. "When we were children we did not have access to... libraries for children," Karim, 26, told AFP "I remember as a kid at school we didn't even have chairs -- we were sitting on the floor to study." The library bus stops at schools, parks or orphanages throughout the week, and is an "efficient" way to reach lots of children, Karim said, helping to improve Afghanistan's low general rate of literacy of just 36 percent. Even now most public schools in Afghanistan do not have libraries, said Shafiullah, who used to work at Kabul's main public library and now helps non-profit organisations publish children's books. "Young people and children do not have access to different types of books except their school textbooks," Shafiullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name, told AFP. "And there are only a few non-governmental organisations that sometimes help publish books for children." The time many children spend at schools in Afghanistan is limited. Afghans receive an average of 4.6 years of formal education, according to a 2017 survey by the Asia Foundation. Inside Charmaghz, 15-year-old Abbas reads to his friends the tragic story of Rostam, a hero in Persian mythology, and his son Sohrab. Abbas said the library bus had given him access to books he could not find at his school. "At school, you have a limited choice. You don't have a lot of books. But here you can find a whole range," he told AFP. More than eight million children are enrolled in schools across Afghanistan this year, official figures show. But 3.5 million other school-age kids will miss out due to school closures, grinding conflict and poverty. Karim is realistic about the changes to literacy the mobile library can achieve in a country the size of Afghanistan. But it is a start, said Karim, who is hoping to garner enough donations to rent another two buses. "I don't think a mobile library will solve the thousands of problems that we have in our education system," she said. "But a mobile library is a small effort among a lot of efforts that we have to make."

Kabul library bus drives Afghan children to read

Afghanistan&#39;s &quot;King of the North&quot; handed the reins to his hand-picked successor on Thursday, ending a three-month political crisis that many had feared would turn violent.

Atta Mohammad Noor, who sees himself as a potential presidential contender, agreed to step down from the governorship of Balkh province after his Jamiat-e-Islami party struck a deal with President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s US-backed government.

Ghani sacked Noor on December 18 but the strongman refused to leave the position he had held since 2004, triggering a standoff that threw up a challenge to the president&#39;s authority.

Noor will be replaced by one of his chosen successors, Mohammad Ishaq Rahguzar, who also belongs to the Jamiat party and is a member of the Balkh parliament.

&quot;I say goodbye today but I will still be here and always with my people,&quot; Noor said at a ceremony in the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif as he introduced his successor.

&quot;Big political games are ahead, including the elections, and we will be major players.&quot;

The decision to oust Noor backfired badly on Ghani, who was criticised for his poor timing and clumsy handling of the issue.

Instead of weakening a rival ahead of the presidential election in 2019, Ghani thrust the more charismatic Noor onto the national stage where he capitalised on his newfound fame.

The political crisis came at a bad time for the president, with his government facing a deteriorating security situation as the Taliban and the Islamic State group continue to carry out deadly attacks across the country.

Rahguzar served as the first governor of Balkh in the post-Taliban era before he was replaced by Noor.

&quot;They are very close,&quot; an Afghan analyst told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

The two men were part of the US-funded mujahideen who fought to expel the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 1980s.

&quot;He&#39;s acceptable to Atta -- not Ghani&#39;s first choice, but face-saving,&quot; a Western diplomat told AFP.

In his address for Nawrooz, the traditional Persian new year holiday, on Wednesday, Noor welcomed the deal with Ghani.

Another Western official told AFP that Noor&#39;s demands to Ghani, that included selecting people for key posts such as the police chief, had been met but Jamiat was still locked in negotiations over some issues including electoral law reform.

Mohammad Daud, who had been Ghani&#39;s choice to replace Noor and was forced to work in Kabul during the crisis, would likely be appointed governor of &quot;another province&quot;, a senior Afghan official said.

Afghanistan's 'King of the North' handed the reins to his hand-picked successor on Thursday, ending a three-month political crisis that many had feared would turn violent

Afghanistan's "King of the North" handed the reins to his hand-picked successor on Thursday, ending a three-month political crisis that many had feared would turn violent. Atta Mohammad Noor, who sees himself as a potential presidential contender, agreed to step down from the governorship of Balkh province after his Jamiat-e-Islami party struck a deal with President Ashraf Ghani's US-backed government. Ghani sacked Noor on December 18 but the strongman refused to leave the position he had held since 2004, triggering a standoff that threw up a challenge to the president's authority. Noor will be replaced by one of his chosen successors, Mohammad Ishaq Rahguzar, who also belongs to the Jamiat party and is a member of the Balkh parliament. "I say goodbye today but I will still be here and always with my people," Noor said at a ceremony in the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif as he introduced his successor. "Big political games are ahead, including the elections, and we will be major players." The decision to oust Noor backfired badly on Ghani, who was criticised for his poor timing and clumsy handling of the issue. Instead of weakening a rival ahead of the presidential election in 2019, Ghani thrust the more charismatic Noor onto the national stage where he capitalised on his newfound fame. The political crisis came at a bad time for the president, with his government facing a deteriorating security situation as the Taliban and the Islamic State group continue to carry out deadly attacks across the country. Rahguzar served as the first governor of Balkh in the post-Taliban era before he was replaced by Noor. "They are very close," an Afghan analyst told AFP on the condition of anonymity. The two men were part of the US-funded mujahideen who fought to expel the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 1980s. "He's acceptable to Atta -- not Ghani's first choice, but face-saving," a Western diplomat told AFP. In his address for Nawrooz, the traditional Persian new year holiday, on Wednesday, Noor welcomed the deal with Ghani. Another Western official told AFP that Noor's demands to Ghani, that included selecting people for key posts such as the police chief, had been met but Jamiat was still locked in negotiations over some issues including electoral law reform. Mohammad Daud, who had been Ghani's choice to replace Noor and was forced to work in Kabul during the crisis, would likely be appointed governor of "another province", a senior Afghan official said.

Afghan strongman makes way for hand-picked successor, ending crisis

A year after an Islamic jihadist ploughed a truck into a Christmas market crowd, killing 12, Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet today with the victims&#39; families for the first time.

The private gathering on the eve of the anniversary of the atrocity comes against the backdrop of angry recriminations by many of the bereaved, who say official incompetence and neglect since the assault have inflicted fresh pain.

Merkel acknowledged Monday that &quot;some had wanted such a meeting earlier&quot; but pledged to listen the families&#39; concerns.

&quot;It is clear to me that their suffering, this complete transformation of their lives, cannot be put right,&quot; she told reporters ahead of the gathering.

&quot;But nevertheless we can show compassion and will improve the things that must be improved.&quot;

Last December 19 at 8:02 pm, Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian who had failed to obtain asylum, rammed a stolen truck into crowds at the market on the Breitscheidplatz, a popular destination for Berliners and tourists alike.

The victims came from Germany as well as countries including Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility the next day, and Amri was shot and killed four days later by police in Italy, where he had previously lived.

More than 70 people were injured in the attack, the deadliest ever carried out by IS in Germany.

In a wrenching open letter to the chancellor this month, before the meeting was announced, several family members condemned her &quot;political inaction&quot; and accused her of failing to reach out to them.

&quot;Almost a year after the attack, we note that you have not shared your condolences with us either in person or in writing,&quot; the letter said.

&quot;In our opinion, this means that you are not living up to the responsibilities of your office.&quot;

A government-commissioned report released last week identified a litany of shortcomings in the response to the tragedy.

Some relatives desperately searching for their loved ones were told only three days after the attack that a family member had perished, even though they could have been given early warning through facial identification.

Others were sent &quot;bills for autopsies -- including warnings for late payment, I didn&#39;t want to believe it, but I had such a letter in hand,&quot; said the author of the report, Kurt Beck.

&quot;Such experiences should never be repeated,&quot; he said, adding that Germany &quot;was not prepared&quot; to deal with the attack&#39;s aftermath.

The government has paid out 1.6 million euros (USD 1.9 million) in compensation to the wounded and victims&#39; families.

Another factor keeping the wounds raw has been revelations in the media about administrative gaffes and missteps leading up to the attack.

Amri, who arrived in Germany in the summer of 2015, at the height of the refugee influx, registered under several different identities.

Authorities knew him to be an Islamist extremist and drug dealer whose asylum claim had been rejected and who was being intermittently monitored by police.

But Amri was never deported or arrested.

Merkel noted Monday that a parliamentary inquiry had been called to &quot;get to the bottom of all the questions surrounding the perpetrator&quot;.

A year after an Islamic jihadist ploughed a truck into a Christmas market crowd, killing 12, Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet today with the victims' families for the first time. The private gathering on the eve of the anniversary of the atrocity comes against the backdrop of angry recriminations by many of the bereaved, who say official incompetence and neglect since the assault have inflicted fresh pain. Merkel acknowledged Monday that "some had wanted such a meeting earlier" but pledged to listen the families' concerns. "It is clear to me that their suffering, this complete transformation of their lives, cannot be put right," she told reporters ahead of the gathering. "But nevertheless we can show compassion and will improve the things that must be improved." Last December 19 at 8:02 pm, Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian who had failed to obtain asylum, rammed a stolen truck into crowds at the market on the Breitscheidplatz, a popular destination for Berliners and tourists alike. The victims came from Germany as well as countries including Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility the next day, and Amri was shot and killed four days later by police in Italy, where he had previously lived. More than 70 people were injured in the attack, the deadliest ever carried out by IS in Germany. In a wrenching open letter to the chancellor this month, before the meeting was announced, several family members condemned her "political inaction" and accused her of failing to reach out to them. "Almost a year after the attack, we note that you have not shared your condolences with us either in person or in writing," the letter said. "In our opinion, this means that you are not living up to the responsibilities of your office." A government-commissioned report released last week identified a litany of shortcomings in the response to the tragedy. Some relatives desperately searching for their loved ones were told only three days after the attack that a family member had perished, even though they could have been given early warning through facial identification. Others were sent "bills for autopsies -- including warnings for late payment, I didn't want to believe it, but I had such a letter in hand," said the author of the report, Kurt Beck. "Such experiences should never be repeated," he said, adding that Germany "was not prepared" to deal with the attack's aftermath. The government has paid out 1.6 million euros (USD 1.9 million) in compensation to the wounded and victims' families. Another factor keeping the wounds raw has been revelations in the media about administrative gaffes and missteps leading up to the attack. Amri, who arrived in Germany in the summer of 2015, at the height of the refugee influx, registered under several different identities. Authorities knew him to be an Islamist extremist and drug dealer whose asylum claim had been rejected and who was being intermittently monitored by police. But Amri was never deported or arrested. Merkel noted Monday that a parliamentary inquiry had been called to "get to the bottom of all the questions surrounding the perpetrator".

Merkel to meet bereaved one year after Christmas market attack

Iraqi Prime Minister on Tuesday said in a televised address that the security forces need only three more months to completely eliminate the Islamic State group.

The Iraqi forces launched their offensive against the IS in October. The premier had previously promised to retake the IS-held Mosul &quot;before the end of the year&quot;. The jihadists have occupied the city since June 2014.

&quot;The available data indicate that Iraq requires three months to eliminate Daesh,&quot; Haider al-Abadi told a televised news conference, referring to the jihadist group by an Arabic acronym.

Although the Iraqi forces have reconquered several parts of eastern Mosul but IS still occupies the city&#39;s west.

High-ranking officials believe that the battle against IS could drag on, and the Sunni extremist group continues to carry out attacks in areas from which it had been dislodged by the government offensive, reports AFP.

At least 23 people were killed last week in an IS triple car bombing on a market in Gogjali, east of Mosul. Gogjali was retaken after more than two years of IS occupation in early November.

(With inputs from AFP)

Previously, he had vowed that the IS-held city of Mosul would be retaken 'before the end of the year'

Iraqi Prime Minister on Tuesday said in a televised address that the security forces need only three more months to completely eliminate the Islamic State group. The Iraqi forces launched their offensive against the IS in October. The premier had previously promised to retake the IS-held Mosul "before the end of the year". The jihadists have occupied the city since June 2014. "The available data indicate that Iraq requires three months to eliminate Daesh," Haider al-Abadi told a televised news conference, referring to the jihadist group by an Arabic acronym. Although the Iraqi forces have reconquered several parts of eastern Mosul but IS still occupies the city's west. High-ranking officials believe that the battle against IS could drag on, and the Sunni extremist group continues to carry out attacks in areas from which it had been dislodged by the government offensive, reports AFP. At least 23 people were killed last week in an IS triple car bombing on a market in Gogjali, east of Mosul. Gogjali was retaken after more than two years of IS occupation in early November. (With inputs from AFP)

Iraq PM says three months needed to eliminate IS

Factories churning out tens of thousands of munitions and an entire street turned into a conveyor belt for car bombs: advances by Iraqi forces around Mosul have laid bare the scale of the Islamic State group&#39;s arms industry.

In the more than two years since it seized control over swathes of the country, IS established a sprawling and highly organised system that experts say no other insurgent group has matched.

The capability has seriously boosted the threat from the group as it battles ferociously to cling to territory in Iraq and Syria -- and the fresh intelligence could now prove vital in countering its plots to carry out attacks on the West.

Iraqi army deminer Hashim Ali picked his way carefully through the rubble as he explained how IS transformed Mart Shmony street in Qaraqosh, some 16 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of Mosul, into a production line of death after seizing the town in 2014 and forcing the mainly Christian population to flee.

Once it was a bustling thoroughfare of car workshops and stores selling Turkish furniture, but for the jihadists it offered all they needed to make the armoured car bombs they use to blow up civilians and slow advancing Iraqi troops.

In one building they stripped the vehicles, in the neighbouring one they cut the metal plates for armour. A few doors down they made the explosives. Just up the road they loaded the bombs into the car.

&quot;These people are not stupid, they are very well organised,&quot; Ali told AFP. &quot;If you give them more time then they always find ways to surprise you.&quot;

Nearby the remnants of a pickup truck with a metal plate welded to its front stood inside a former furniture shop devastated by an air strike from the US-led coalition backing Iraqi troops.

In towns, villages and districts retaken from IS the pattern was repeated.

AFP visited a number of sites where the group cannibalised existing infrastructure to create their own improvised arms factories.

In a former cement plant in the town of Areej the lathes in a cavernous hall had been put to work manufacturing mortars and rockets. Moulds for shells lay on tables and unfinished casings littered the floor.

At another location nearby, part of an abandoned gas storage facility was strewn with the deadly improvised explosive devices IS produced there.

The white powder of homemade explosives spilled out of large bombs that the group had not had time to lay in the path of the advancing Iraqi troops.

&#39;Something else&#39;

&quot;In terms of scale, planning, centralised command and control and the precision to which they are manufacturing, this is something else,&quot; James Bevan, director of Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based group which investigates arms flows around the globe, told AFP.

&quot;I can&#39;t name another armed group that manufactures on such a scale and with such a degree of coordination.&quot;

Bevan and teams from his organisation have been on the ground in Iraq cataloguing the extent of IS arms production.

Their findings, detailed in a report released Wednesday, show a sophisticated system that pours out tens of thousands of standardised mortars, rockets and explosives on an &quot;unprecedented scale&quot; and under strict quality controls.

While the raw materials for shell casings and missiles come from scrap metal and spare parts in the cities that IS have captured, the explosives and propellant are made from precursors mostly procured in bulk from the open market in Turkey and diverted through Syria.

As proof of their high standards the final IS products are often painted a military green, branded with the group&#39;s logo and packed into specially made crates to be dispatched to the various fronts it is fighting on.

Lessons for West?

On the battlefield the weapons they manufacture themselves have proven an important way for IS to supplement their flow of factory-made arms seized from government forces or rebel groups in Iraq and Syria.

Commanded by former Iraqi military and intelligence officers, the group has fought conventional campaigns with the help of its own improvised weaponry.

But now, as the group faces increasing fragmentation with the territories it controls under pressure from various offensives, the intelligence being gleaned could prove invaluable for countering its threat beyond its shrinking heartland.

&quot;This will be critical for future efforts to counter the spread of this group,&quot; said arms expert Bevan.

From France and Belgium to Egypt and Turkey the group and its affiliates have already carried out bloody terror attacks in a string of countries across the globe.

Earlier this month the Europol police agency warned that IS were evolving their tactics to attack soft targets in Europe and could use the deadly car bombs they have employed to devastating effect in Iraq and Syria.

&quot;If you look at the Iraq and Syria theatre as a hotbed for the development of more and more sophisticated improvised devices then it is probably unparalleled,&quot; Bevan said.

&quot;If and when Islamic State is pushed out of Mosul and pushed out of large parts of Syria its fighters will disperse and that means its bomb-makers will disperse too.&quot;

(AFP)

The group dismantled existing infrastructure to create their own improvised arms factories that experts say no insurgent group has matched

Factories churning out tens of thousands of munitions and an entire street turned into a conveyor belt for car bombs: advances by Iraqi forces around Mosul have laid bare the scale of the Islamic State group's arms industry. In the more than two years since it seized control over swathes of the country, IS established a sprawling and highly organised system that experts say no other insurgent group has matched. The capability has seriously boosted the threat from the group as it battles ferociously to cling to territory in Iraq and Syria -- and the fresh intelligence could now prove vital in countering its plots to carry out attacks on the West. Iraqi army deminer Hashim Ali picked his way carefully through the rubble as he explained how IS transformed Mart Shmony street in Qaraqosh, some 16 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of Mosul, into a production line of death after seizing the town in 2014 and forcing the mainly Christian population to flee. Once it was a bustling thoroughfare of car workshops and stores selling Turkish furniture, but for the jihadists it offered all they needed to make the armoured car bombs they use to blow up civilians and slow advancing Iraqi troops. In one building they stripped the vehicles, in the neighbouring one they cut the metal plates for armour. A few doors down they made the explosives. Just up the road they loaded the bombs into the car. "These people are not stupid, they are very well organised," Ali told AFP. "If you give them more time then they always find ways to surprise you." Nearby the remnants of a pickup truck with a metal plate welded to its front stood inside a former furniture shop devastated by an air strike from the US-led coalition backing Iraqi troops. In towns, villages and districts retaken from IS the pattern was repeated. AFP visited a number of sites where the group cannibalised existing infrastructure to create their own improvised arms factories. In a former cement plant in the town of Areej the lathes in a cavernous hall had been put to work manufacturing mortars and rockets. Moulds for shells lay on tables and unfinished casings littered the floor. At another location nearby, part of an abandoned gas storage facility was strewn with the deadly improvised explosive devices IS produced there. The white powder of homemade explosives spilled out of large bombs that the group had not had time to lay in the path of the advancing Iraqi troops. 'Something else' "In terms of scale, planning, centralised command and control and the precision to which they are manufacturing, this is something else," James Bevan, director of Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based group which investigates arms flows around the globe, told AFP. "I can't name another armed group that manufactures on such a scale and with such a degree of coordination." Bevan and teams from his organisation have been on the ground in Iraq cataloguing the extent of IS arms production. Their findings, detailed in a report released Wednesday, show a sophisticated system that pours out tens of thousands of standardised mortars, rockets and explosives on an "unprecedented scale" and under strict quality controls. While the raw materials for shell casings and missiles come from scrap metal and spare parts in the cities that IS have captured, the explosives and propellant are made from precursors mostly procured in bulk from the open market in Turkey and diverted through Syria. As proof of their high standards the final IS products are often painted a military green, branded with the group's logo and packed into specially made crates to be dispatched to the various fronts it is fighting on. Lessons for West? On the battlefield the weapons they manufacture themselves have proven an important way for IS to supplement their flow of factory-made arms seized from government forces or rebel groups in Iraq and Syria. Commanded by former Iraqi military and intelligence officers, the group has fought conventional campaigns with the help of its own improvised weaponry. But now, as the group faces increasing fragmentation with the territories it controls under pressure from various offensives, the intelligence being gleaned could prove invaluable for countering its threat beyond its shrinking heartland. "This will be critical for future efforts to counter the spread of this group," said arms expert Bevan. From France and Belgium to Egypt and Turkey the group and its affiliates have already carried out bloody terror attacks in a string of countries across the globe. Earlier this month the Europol police agency warned that IS were evolving their tactics to attack soft targets in Europe and could use the deadly car bombs they have employed to devastating effect in Iraq and Syria. "If you look at the Iraq and Syria theatre as a hotbed for the development of more and more sophisticated improvised devices then it is probably unparalleled," Bevan said. "If and when Islamic State is pushed out of Mosul and pushed out of large parts of Syria its fighters will disperse and that means its bomb-makers will disperse too." (AFP)

Iraqi gains reveal huge scale of IS arms industry

At elast 16 people were killed in a&nbsp;suicide attack when a bomber&nbsp;detonated a car full of explosives&nbsp;at a Sunni wedding&nbsp;on Thursday.&nbsp;

At least 30 people were injured in the attack which took place in &nbsp;Amriyat al-Fallujah, a town in Anbar province 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Baghdad.

Authorities suspect the attack was targeting Sunni provincial officials who were attending the wedding, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

No militant group has claimed responsibilty for the attack as of yet, however officials suspect the Islamic State group to be behind it.&nbsp;

The attack came three days after twin suicide bombings claimed by IS in Fallujah where&nbsp;at least 15 people were killed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

At least 30 people were injured but no group has claimed responsibility yet. However officials believe the Islamic State group was involved

At elast 16 people were killed in a suicide attack when a bomber detonated a car full of explosives at a Sunni wedding on Thursday. At least 30 people were injured in the attack which took place in Amriyat al-Fallujah, a town in Anbar province 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Baghdad. Authorities suspect the attack was targeting Sunni provincial officials who were attending the wedding, Reuters reported. No militant group has claimed responsibilty for the attack as of yet, however officials suspect the Islamic State group to be behind it. The attack came three days after twin suicide bombings claimed by IS in Fallujah where at least 15 people were killed. (WION with inputs from agencies)

At least 16 killed in Iraqi wedding suicide attack

The Iraqi&nbsp;military on Sunday said that soldiers south of Mosul have recaptured the&nbsp;Nimrud&nbsp;area,&nbsp;home&nbsp;to the site of an&nbsp;ancient&nbsp;Assyrian&nbsp;city blown up by the Islamic State (IS) group earlier.

&quot;Units of the 9th Armoured Division completely liberate the&nbsp;Nimrud&nbsp;(area) and raise the Iraqi flag over the buildings,&quot;&nbsp;Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement quoting a top&nbsp;military&nbsp;officer.

He&nbsp;did not exactly mention the&nbsp;Nimrud&nbsp;archaeological site located around a kilometre (less than a mile) west of the village, stated an AFP report.

The Iraqi forces also retook another village southeast of Nimrud. The&nbsp;city&nbsp;became the capital of the Assyrian empire&nbsp;with vast palaces and monuments that have drawn archaeologists from around the world, AFP reported.

The IS had posted a&nbsp;video on the internet earlier of its fighters demolishing monuments and planting explosives around the site.

IS calls its destruction of artefacts and historic sites as religiously mandated elimination of idols.

But it also sells smaller artefacts to fund its operations, AFP stated.

Many of Nimrud&#39;s monumental stone sculptures and reliefs were taken away for display in museums around the world but some massive structures remained when the jihadists took over in 2014.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Iraqi forces seeking to drive IS from second?city?Mosul also retook another village southeast of the site of?Nimrud

The Iraqi military on Sunday said that soldiers south of Mosul have recaptured the Nimrud area, home to the site of an ancient Assyrian city blown up by the Islamic State (IS) group earlier. "Units of the 9th Armoured Division completely liberate the Nimrud (area) and raise the Iraqi flag over the buildings," Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement quoting a top military officer. He did not exactly mention the Nimrud archaeological site located around a kilometre (less than a mile) west of the village, stated an AFP report. The Iraqi forces also retook another village southeast of Nimrud. The city became the capital of the Assyrian empire with vast palaces and monuments that have drawn archaeologists from around the world, AFP reported. The IS had posted a video on the internet earlier of its fighters demolishing monuments and planting explosives around the site. IS calls its destruction of artefacts and historic sites as religiously mandated elimination of idols. But it also sells smaller artefacts to fund its operations, AFP stated. Many of Nimrud's monumental stone sculptures and reliefs were taken away for display in museums around the world but some massive structures remained when the jihadists took over in 2014. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Iraq military says ancient city of Nimrud recaptured

The UN refugee agency&#39;s chief said on Monday it was preparing to receive 150,000 Iraqis fleeing the city of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last stronghold in Iraq.

&nbsp;

&quot;The preparations are proceeding well... UNHCR (&nbsp;United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)&nbsp;is going to have in two or three days 30,000 tents in Iraq, enough for 150,000 people,&quot; Filippo Grandi told reporters in Jordan after visiting Iraq, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Last week, Iraqi forces launched a major offensive operation to retake the Islamic State&#39;s last major bastion in the country.

&nbsp;

More than 3 million people have been displaced since the start of 2014 and a million more people could lose their homes in the offensive, UN&#39;s refugee agency fears.

&nbsp;

Grandi said a key issue was &quot;to find enough sites to be able to receive this huge mass of people should it come out of Mosul&quot;.

&nbsp;

&quot;Negotiations in this respect are going on with the government of Iraq and with the Kurdish regional government,&quot; he said, reported AFP.

&nbsp;

About 7,500 people have moved from the outskirts of Mosul to other locations. The outflow of people has been from the outskirts and not the city of Mosul, Grandi added. &quot;We have perhaps around 1,000 (people) that have crossed into Syria,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

'More than 3 million people have been displaced since the start of 2014 and a million more people are at risk of losing their homes'

The UN refugee agency's chief said on Monday it was preparing to receive 150,000 Iraqis fleeing the city of Mosul, Islamic State's last stronghold in Iraq. "The preparations are proceeding well... UNHCR ( United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is going to have in two or three days 30,000 tents in Iraq, enough for 150,000 people," Filippo Grandi told reporters in Jordan after visiting Iraq, news agency AFP reported. Last week, Iraqi forces launched a major offensive operation to retake the Islamic State's last major bastion in the country. More than 3 million people have been displaced since the start of 2014 and a million more people could lose their homes in the offensive, UN's refugee agency fears. Grandi said a key issue was "to find enough sites to be able to receive this huge mass of people should it come out of Mosul". "Negotiations in this respect are going on with the government of Iraq and with the Kurdish regional government," he said, reported AFP. About 7,500 people have moved from the outskirts of Mosul to other locations. The outflow of people has been from the outskirts and not the city of Mosul, Grandi added. "We have perhaps around 1,000 (people) that have crossed into Syria," he said. (With inputs from AFP)

Mosul offensive: UN refugee agency prepares to receive 150,000 Iraqis fleeing the city

US President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to embrace the nation&#39;s diversity and not to allow &quot;terrorists&quot; to divide the country. 
 
Extremist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group &quot;know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America,&quot; Obama said at a memorial service at the Pentagon, one of the sites attacked on September 11, 2001. 
 
&quot;So instead they try to terrorise, in the hopes that they can stoke enough fear that we turn on each other,&quot; said Obama, who observed a moment of silence on Sunday at the Oval Office in honor of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. 
 
&quot;And that&#39;s why it is so important today that we reaffirm our character as a nation (...) Our diversity, our patchwork heritage, is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to.&quot; 
 
In an indirect reference to the controversial anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Obama recalled that Americans were &quot;a people drawn from every corner of the world, every color, every religion, every background.&quot; 
 
Obama, who is a Democrat, has repeatedly criticised Trump&#39;s statements, including the billionaire&#39;s proposal in the wake of last December&#39;s mass shooting attack in San Bernardino, California to ban Muslims from entering the United States. 
 
In the 15 years since the Al-Qaeda suicide plane strikes on the Pentagon, New York&#39;s World Trade Center, and in Pennsylvania, &quot;the threat has evolved,&quot; the president said. 
 
&quot;With our stronger defenses, terrorists often attempt attacks on a smaller but still deadly scale,&quot; he added, recalling the Boston marathon bombings, the nightclub massacre in Orlando in June and the carnage in San Bernardino. 
 
(AFP)

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State 'know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America,' he said

US President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to embrace the nation's diversity and not to allow "terrorists" to divide the country. Extremist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group "know that they will never be able to defeat a nation as great and as strong as America," Obama said at a memorial service at the Pentagon, one of the sites attacked on September 11, 2001. "So instead they try to terrorise, in the hopes that they can stoke enough fear that we turn on each other," said Obama, who observed a moment of silence on Sunday at the Oval Office in honor of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day. "And that's why it is so important today that we reaffirm our character as a nation (...) Our diversity, our patchwork heritage, is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths," he added. "This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to." In an indirect reference to the controversial anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Obama recalled that Americans were "a people drawn from every corner of the world, every color, every religion, every background." Obama, who is a Democrat, has repeatedly criticised Trump's statements, including the billionaire's proposal in the wake of last December's mass shooting attack in San Bernardino, California to ban Muslims from entering the United States. In the 15 years since the Al-Qaeda suicide plane strikes on the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center, and in Pennsylvania, "the threat has evolved," the president said. "With our stronger defenses, terrorists often attempt attacks on a smaller but still deadly scale," he added, recalling the Boston marathon bombings, the nightclub massacre in Orlando in June and the carnage in San Bernardino. (AFP)

Obama on 9/11: Diversity one of America's 'greatest strengths'

Libya&#39;s internationally recognised parliament yesterday voted no confidence in a UN-backed unity government, in a blow to efforts to end the country&#39;s political chaos. 
 
But lawmakers gave prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj a 10-day deadline to come up with a new unity government line-up, they said in a statement issued later. 
 
The Government of National Accord led by Sarraj is struggling to assert its authority in Libya, which has been riven by turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. 
 
National support for the GNA is seen as crucial to restoring stability and to tackling the Libyan branch of the Islamic State group, which pro-GNA forces are battling in the jihadists&#39; coastal stronghold of Sirte. But at a session on Monday, the House of Representatives, Libya&#39;s recognised legislature based in the far east, refused to give its support to the GNA. 
 
&quot;The majority of lawmakers present at the parliament session voted no confidence in the government,&quot; said parliament spokesman Adam Boussakhra. 
 
Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh as well as 101 lawmakers attended Monday&#39;s vote, the assembly said on its website. Sixty-one parliamentarians rejected the GNA, it said, 39 abstained from voting and a lone parliamentarian voted confidence in the government. 
 
The unity government was the result of a UN-brokered power-sharing deal struck in December, but has struggled to unite the North African country and fully assert its authority. A rival government in the east has refused to cede power until the House of Representatives passes a vote of confidence, which has been repeatedly delayed including over a lack of quorum. 
 
Monday&#39;s vote was &quot;the first time quorum has been reached in five months,&quot; Boussakhra said. After one such vote postponement in February, 100 lawmakers in the 198-member legislature said they supported the GNA but had faced intimidation. 
 
&#39;Last chance&#39; 
 
The parliament, in a statement approved by lawmakers who attended yesterday&#39;s session, gave Sarraj a &quot;last chance&quot; to present a new line-up for a unity government within 10 days. It called for &quot;a consensus between members of the presidential council&quot; of the GNA headed by Sarraj to select no more than eight to 12 candidates for the new cabinet. 
 
Sarraj named a cabinet of 18 ministers in February, and four of them were dismissed last month because they never took office. 
 
Mattia Toaldo, a Libya expert with the European Council on Foreign Relations, warned yesterday&#39;s vote could lead to &quot;a new institutional crisis&quot; in the war-wracked country and called for &quot;immediate international mediation&quot;. 
 
&quot;We will have to see if Sarraj and the members of the (House of Representatives) who support him will accept the legitimacy of the vote,&quot; he said. 
 
The GNA last month moved into its official Tripoli offices, more than 100 days after starting to work from a naval base in the capital. 
 
Since the prime minister-designate arrived in Tripoli on March 30, the GNA has won the loyalty of the central bank and national oil corporation - depositors of the country&#39;s wealth -- as well as cities and armed groups in western Libya. And Sarraj&#39;s government has managed to gather forces who since May 12 have been battling to kick IS out of Sirte east of the capital. 
 
Pro-GNA fighters, backed by US air strikes, have recaptured more ground from jihadists holed up in the centre of Sirte in recent days. 
 
The jihadists seized control of Sirte, Kadhafi&#39;s hometown, in June 2015, raising fears they would use the city as a springboard for attacks across the Mediterranean in Europe. 
 
Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 revolution that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival authorities vying for control of the country. 
 
The House of Representatives has been based in the eastern city of Tobruk since a militia alliance including Islamists seized the capital in mid-2014. More than 2.4 million people in Libya are in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN said on Friday. 
 
(AFP)

Lawmakers have given prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj a 10-day deadline to come up with a new unity government line-up

Libya's internationally recognised parliament yesterday voted no confidence in a UN-backed unity government, in a blow to efforts to end the country's political chaos. But lawmakers gave prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj a 10-day deadline to come up with a new unity government line-up, they said in a statement issued later. The Government of National Accord led by Sarraj is struggling to assert its authority in Libya, which has been riven by turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. National support for the GNA is seen as crucial to restoring stability and to tackling the Libyan branch of the Islamic State group, which pro-GNA forces are battling in the jihadists' coastal stronghold of Sirte. But at a session on Monday, the House of Representatives, Libya's recognised legislature based in the far east, refused to give its support to the GNA. "The majority of lawmakers present at the parliament session voted no confidence in the government," said parliament spokesman Adam Boussakhra. Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh as well as 101 lawmakers attended Monday's vote, the assembly said on its website. Sixty-one parliamentarians rejected the GNA, it said, 39 abstained from voting and a lone parliamentarian voted confidence in the government. The unity government was the result of a UN-brokered power-sharing deal struck in December, but has struggled to unite the North African country and fully assert its authority. A rival government in the east has refused to cede power until the House of Representatives passes a vote of confidence, which has been repeatedly delayed including over a lack of quorum. Monday's vote was "the first time quorum has been reached in five months," Boussakhra said. After one such vote postponement in February, 100 lawmakers in the 198-member legislature said they supported the GNA but had faced intimidation. 'Last chance' The parliament, in a statement approved by lawmakers who attended yesterday's session, gave Sarraj a "last chance" to present a new line-up for a unity government within 10 days. It called for "a consensus between members of the presidential council" of the GNA headed by Sarraj to select no more than eight to 12 candidates for the new cabinet. Sarraj named a cabinet of 18 ministers in February, and four of them were dismissed last month because they never took office. Mattia Toaldo, a Libya expert with the European Council on Foreign Relations, warned yesterday's vote could lead to "a new institutional crisis" in the war-wracked country and called for "immediate international mediation". "We will have to see if Sarraj and the members of the (House of Representatives) who support him will accept the legitimacy of the vote," he said. The GNA last month moved into its official Tripoli offices, more than 100 days after starting to work from a naval base in the capital. Since the prime minister-designate arrived in Tripoli on March 30, the GNA has won the loyalty of the central bank and national oil corporation - depositors of the country's wealth -- as well as cities and armed groups in western Libya. And Sarraj's government has managed to gather forces who since May 12 have been battling to kick IS out of Sirte east of the capital. Pro-GNA fighters, backed by US air strikes, have recaptured more ground from jihadists holed up in the centre of Sirte in recent days. The jihadists seized control of Sirte, Kadhafi's hometown, in June 2015, raising fears they would use the city as a springboard for attacks across the Mediterranean in Europe. Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 revolution that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival authorities vying for control of the country. The House of Representatives has been based in the eastern city of Tobruk since a militia alliance including Islamists seized the capital in mid-2014. More than 2.4 million people in Libya are in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN said on Friday. (AFP)

Libya parliament rejects UN-backed unity government

Indonesia&#39;s most wanted Islamist extremist has been killed in a firefight with troops, police said today, ending a years-long hunt for the Islamic State (IS) group supporter. 
 
Santoso, the leader of the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, was shot dead on Monday on mountainous Sulawesi island, where he had been hiding out in the jungle with a small band of followers. 
 
His death is a major victory for the Indonesian authorities who had pursued the extremist for five years, sending thousands of security forces to hunt for him. 
 
His group carried out a string of deadly attacks on domestic security forces and was known for training militants from around the archipelago. In 2014 he pledged allegiance to IS and earlier this year was placed by the United States on a list of global terrorists. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s definitely Santoso,&quot; Rudy Sufahriadi, police chief of central Sulawesi province on the island, told AFP after a process to identify the militant&#39;s body. &quot;I have hunted him and I have arrested him before, we have asked people and we have sent people (to identify the body) who fought with him and went on jihad with him - they have confirmed it was him.&quot; 
 
After Indonesia suffered a string of Islamic extremist attacks in the early 2000s, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed more than 200, authorities launched a crackdown that weakened the most dangerous networks.&nbsp;But Santoso&#39;s group remained a thorn in the side of the government, with the long-haired, gun-toting militant regularly appearing in videos urging extremists to launch attacks on the security forces. 
 
Significant blow 
 
The picture has changed recently, with other cells now considered a greater threat - Santoso was not believed to have played role in an IS-claimed attack in Jakarta in January. But his death will still be seen as a significant blow to Islamic militancy in Indonesia. 
 
The extremist, known by several aliases including Abu Wardah, was killed alongside one other militant in Tambarana village in Poso district, an area that has become known as a terror hotbed. 
 
Police said the pair were killed beside a river and a rifle was recovered. Two women, one of whom was suspected to be Santoso&rsquo;s wife, and another man, escaped from the gunfight. 
 
Following a sustained campaign by security forces, authorities believe just 19 members of Santoso&#39;s group now remain on Sulawesi waging a guerrilla campaign against the government. 
 
Santoso also attracted militants from abroad, with several members of China&#39;s mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority travelling to Indonesia to join his group.&nbsp;Several were killed fighting with the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, and in July last year four Uighurs were jailed after being caught on Sulawesi attempting to join the group. 
 
Santoso became involved in Islamic extremism during bloody fighting between Muslims and Christians around Poso from the late 1990s to the early 2000s which left hundreds dead.&nbsp;He went on to form the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen and quickly jumped to the top of the most wanted list after his men began killing police officers. 
 
(AFP)

Santoso, the leader of the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, was shot dead on Monday on the mountainous Sulawesi island

Indonesia's most wanted Islamist extremist has been killed in a firefight with troops, police said today, ending a years-long hunt for the Islamic State (IS) group supporter. Santoso, the leader of the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, was shot dead on Monday on mountainous Sulawesi island, where he had been hiding out in the jungle with a small band of followers. His death is a major victory for the Indonesian authorities who had pursued the extremist for five years, sending thousands of security forces to hunt for him. His group carried out a string of deadly attacks on domestic security forces and was known for training militants from around the archipelago. In 2014 he pledged allegiance to IS and earlier this year was placed by the United States on a list of global terrorists. "It's definitely Santoso," Rudy Sufahriadi, police chief of central Sulawesi province on the island, told AFP after a process to identify the militant's body. "I have hunted him and I have arrested him before, we have asked people and we have sent people (to identify the body) who fought with him and went on jihad with him - they have confirmed it was him." After Indonesia suffered a string of Islamic extremist attacks in the early 2000s, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed more than 200, authorities launched a crackdown that weakened the most dangerous networks. But Santoso's group remained a thorn in the side of the government, with the long-haired, gun-toting militant regularly appearing in videos urging extremists to launch attacks on the security forces. Significant blow The picture has changed recently, with other cells now considered a greater threat - Santoso was not believed to have played role in an IS-claimed attack in Jakarta in January. But his death will still be seen as a significant blow to Islamic militancy in Indonesia. The extremist, known by several aliases including Abu Wardah, was killed alongside one other militant in Tambarana village in Poso district, an area that has become known as a terror hotbed. Police said the pair were killed beside a river and a rifle was recovered. Two women, one of whom was suspected to be Santoso’s wife, and another man, escaped from the gunfight. Following a sustained campaign by security forces, authorities believe just 19 members of Santoso's group now remain on Sulawesi waging a guerrilla campaign against the government. Santoso also attracted militants from abroad, with several members of China's mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority travelling to Indonesia to join his group. Several were killed fighting with the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, and in July last year four Uighurs were jailed after being caught on Sulawesi attempting to join the group. Santoso became involved in Islamic extremism during bloody fighting between Muslims and Christians around Poso from the late 1990s to the early 2000s which left hundreds dead. He went on to form the eastern Indonesia Mujahideen and quickly jumped to the top of the most wanted list after his men began killing police officers. (AFP)

Indonesia's most wanted Islamist militant killed

US and Australian troops plan to step up training so they are &quot;fully prepared&quot; to answer challenges in the Pacific, US Vice President Joe Biden said today amid rising tensions over Beijing&#39;s claims in the South China Sea.&nbsp; 
 
Speaking in Sydney after meeting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Biden said the two nations were a &quot;genuine brotherhood&quot; committed to &quot;making sure the sea lanes are open and the skies are free for navigation&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are the life bloodlines of commerce and the economic growth worldwide,&quot; Biden said in the wake of last weeks ruling by a UN-backed tribunal against Beijings claims in the disputed waters. 
 
Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours -- most notably US ally the Philippines, which took the case to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.&nbsp; 
 
The United States, like Australia, has no claims of its own in the South China Sea, but insists that all shipping has a right to pass through seas it regards as international waters.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We also discussed the steps that Australia and the United States are taking so our troops can train more together and increase our interoperability so that we are fully prepared to respond to any challenges, any challenges, in the Pacific with a united front,&quot; Biden said. 
 
&quot;It is important we stand together,&quot; he added, as he stressed that the United States was a Pacific power and intended to remain so. 
 
Turnbull used a short media briefing alongside Biden to announce that Australia was expanding its role in Iraq to include the training of law enforcement officers and police as well as its current training of the Iraqi army. 
 
Australia has been a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq and in the fight against the Islamic State group. 
 
Biden&#39;s visit, which comes as President Barack Obama enters the final months of his administration, ends on Wednesday when he travels to New Zealand. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Australia has been a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq and in the fight against the Islamic State group?

US and Australian troops plan to step up training so they are "fully prepared" to answer challenges in the Pacific, US Vice President Joe Biden said today amid rising tensions over Beijing's claims in the South China Sea. Speaking in Sydney after meeting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Biden said the two nations were a "genuine brotherhood" committed to "making sure the sea lanes are open and the skies are free for navigation". "They are the life bloodlines of commerce and the economic growth worldwide," Biden said in the wake of last weeks ruling by a UN-backed tribunal against Beijings claims in the disputed waters. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours -- most notably US ally the Philippines, which took the case to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration. The United States, like Australia, has no claims of its own in the South China Sea, but insists that all shipping has a right to pass through seas it regards as international waters. "We also discussed the steps that Australia and the United States are taking so our troops can train more together and increase our interoperability so that we are fully prepared to respond to any challenges, any challenges, in the Pacific with a united front," Biden said. "It is important we stand together," he added, as he stressed that the United States was a Pacific power and intended to remain so. Turnbull used a short media briefing alongside Biden to announce that Australia was expanding its role in Iraq to include the training of law enforcement officers and police as well as its current training of the Iraqi army. Australia has been a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq and in the fight against the Islamic State group. Biden's visit, which comes as President Barack Obama enters the final months of his administration, ends on Wednesday when he travels to New Zealand. (AFP)

South China Sea dispute: US, Australia a 'united front' in Pacific, says Biden?

The Nice truck attacker staked out the seafront for two days before striking, it emerged Sunday, as investigators pieced together details of the IS-claimed massacre and questioned possible accomplices. 
 
A source close to the investigation told AFP that Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, sent a text message just before the attack in which he &quot;expresses satisfaction at having obtained a 7.65mm pistol and discusses the supply of other weapons&quot;.&nbsp;He also took a selfie at the wheel of the 19-tonne truck in the days before he ploughed it into a crowd of people who had been enjoying a fireworks display on Bastille Day, France&#39;s national day, killing 84 and injuring about 300. 
 
Mangled bodies were left strewn across the Riviera city&#39;s seafront in the grisly attack by a man described by those who knew him as a loner with a history of violence and depression. 
 
While some relatives and friends described the delivery driver as someone who drank heavily and never attended the local mosque, others questioned by investigators spoke of &quot;a recent shift to radical Islam&quot;, said a police source.&nbsp;But there has been no evidence yet linking him to the Islamic State group, which on Saturday claimed the attack. 
 
An Albanian suspected of providing the driver with the pistol was arrested in Nice on Sunday. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel fired at police who sprayed his rampaging truck with gunfire, eventually killing him.&nbsp;Two replica assault rifles and a dummy grenade were also found in the truck, which he rented a few days earlier and used for reconnaissance on the seafront on the two consecutive days before the attack. 
 
One of five other people being held over the carnage is a 22-year-old suspected of lending logistical support, said his lawyer Jean-Pascal Padovani. 
 
The lawyer said the pair had only known each other for a few months.&nbsp;Lahouaiej-Bouhlel&#39;s estranged wife, the mother of his three children, was released Sunday after two days of questioning. 
 
Slow identification of victims 
 
In Nice, many people were still desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.&nbsp;Prosecutors said only 35 victims have been officially identified as they take painstaking measures to avoid errors of identification seen during the Paris attacks last November. 
 
&quot;We have no news, neither good nor bad,&quot; said Johanna, a Lithuanian who was looking for her two friends, aged 20. 
 
At least 10 children were among the dead, as well as tourists from the United States, Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany and about 10 people from Russia, a local Russian association said.&nbsp;Health Minister Marisol Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 18 of them in critical condition. 
 
&#39;Radicalised very quickly&#39; 
 
Despite several brushes with the law for petty crime, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had never appeared on the radar of intelligence services.&nbsp;Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Saturday he &quot;seemed to have been radicalised very quickly, from what his friends and family&quot; told police. 
 
People who went to the same gym as Lahouaiej-Bouhlel - where he took salsa dancing classes and lifted weights - described him as a vain man who &quot;flirted with anything that moved&quot;. 
 
The Islamic State group said one of its &quot;soldiers&quot; carried out the attack in response to its calls to target countries from the US-led coalition engaged in airstrikes against the group. 
 
Cazeneuve described the massacre as a &quot;a new kind of attack&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are now confronted with individuals open to IS&#39;s message to engage in extremely violent actions without necessarily having been trained or having the weapons to carry out a mass (casualty) attack,&quot; he said. 
 
Patriots called to volunteer 
 
France&#39;s third major attack in the past 18 months has left the government fending off criticism over security failures and scrambling to reassure citizens about their safety.&nbsp;Cazeneuve called for volunteers to boost the security forces who were already on high alert under an eight-month-old state of emergency. 
 
&quot;I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve,&quot; said Cazeneuve of a force currently made up of 12,000 volunteers aged between 17 and 30. 
 
The latest attack comes after a French parliamentary inquiry last week criticised numerous failings by the intelligence services following jihadist assaults in January and November last year. 
 
France is a prime target of IS, due to its role in fighting the group in Iraq and Syria, its emphasis on secular values, and what the government has admitted is a &quot;social and ethnic apartheid&quot; that alienates its large Muslim community.&nbsp;Hundreds of French jihadists have gone to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria. 
 
French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that IS had recently repeated calls for supporters to &quot;directly attack the French, Americans, wherever they are and by whatever means&quot;. 
 
&quot;Even when Daesh is not the organiser, Daesh breathes life into the terrorist spirit that we are fighting,&quot; he said, using an Arabic name for IS. 
 
(AFP)

Only 35 victims have been officially identified as prosecutors take painstaking measures to avoid errors seen during November's Paris attack

The Nice truck attacker staked out the seafront for two days before striking, it emerged Sunday, as investigators pieced together details of the IS-claimed massacre and questioned possible accomplices. A source close to the investigation told AFP that Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, sent a text message just before the attack in which he "expresses satisfaction at having obtained a 7.65mm pistol and discusses the supply of other weapons". He also took a selfie at the wheel of the 19-tonne truck in the days before he ploughed it into a crowd of people who had been enjoying a fireworks display on Bastille Day, France's national day, killing 84 and injuring about 300. Mangled bodies were left strewn across the Riviera city's seafront in the grisly attack by a man described by those who knew him as a loner with a history of violence and depression. While some relatives and friends described the delivery driver as someone who drank heavily and never attended the local mosque, others questioned by investigators spoke of "a recent shift to radical Islam", said a police source. But there has been no evidence yet linking him to the Islamic State group, which on Saturday claimed the attack. An Albanian suspected of providing the driver with the pistol was arrested in Nice on Sunday. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel fired at police who sprayed his rampaging truck with gunfire, eventually killing him. Two replica assault rifles and a dummy grenade were also found in the truck, which he rented a few days earlier and used for reconnaissance on the seafront on the two consecutive days before the attack. One of five other people being held over the carnage is a 22-year-old suspected of lending logistical support, said his lawyer Jean-Pascal Padovani. The lawyer said the pair had only known each other for a few months. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel's estranged wife, the mother of his three children, was released Sunday after two days of questioning. Slow identification of victims In Nice, many people were still desperately waiting for news of their loved ones. Prosecutors said only 35 victims have been officially identified as they take painstaking measures to avoid errors of identification seen during the Paris attacks last November. "We have no news, neither good nor bad," said Johanna, a Lithuanian who was looking for her two friends, aged 20. At least 10 children were among the dead, as well as tourists from the United States, Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany and about 10 people from Russia, a local Russian association said. Health Minister Marisol Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 18 of them in critical condition. 'Radicalised very quickly' Despite several brushes with the law for petty crime, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had never appeared on the radar of intelligence services. Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Saturday he "seemed to have been radicalised very quickly, from what his friends and family" told police. People who went to the same gym as Lahouaiej-Bouhlel - where he took salsa dancing classes and lifted weights - described him as a vain man who "flirted with anything that moved". The Islamic State group said one of its "soldiers" carried out the attack in response to its calls to target countries from the US-led coalition engaged in airstrikes against the group. Cazeneuve described the massacre as a "a new kind of attack". "We are now confronted with individuals open to IS's message to engage in extremely violent actions without necessarily having been trained or having the weapons to carry out a mass (casualty) attack," he said. Patriots called to volunteer France's third major attack in the past 18 months has left the government fending off criticism over security failures and scrambling to reassure citizens about their safety. Cazeneuve called for volunteers to boost the security forces who were already on high alert under an eight-month-old state of emergency. "I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve," said Cazeneuve of a force currently made up of 12,000 volunteers aged between 17 and 30. The latest attack comes after a French parliamentary inquiry last week criticised numerous failings by the intelligence services following jihadist assaults in January and November last year. France is a prime target of IS, due to its role in fighting the group in Iraq and Syria, its emphasis on secular values, and what the government has admitted is a "social and ethnic apartheid" that alienates its large Muslim community. Hundreds of French jihadists have gone to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria. French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that IS had recently repeated calls for supporters to "directly attack the French, Americans, wherever they are and by whatever means". "Even when Daesh is not the organiser, Daesh breathes life into the terrorist spirit that we are fighting," he said, using an Arabic name for IS. (AFP)

Nice attack investigation unfolds gradually

Iraqi forces have captured a key airbase from the Islamic State group that can serve as a launchpad for retaking the jihadist-held city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday. 
 
&quot;The Qayyarah airbase in the Tigris valley 60 kilometres south of Mosul would be an important base for the liberation of Mosul,&quot; Abadi said in a statement. 
 
He called for the people of Iraq&#39;s northwestern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, to &quot;prepare for the liberation of their cities.&quot; 
 
Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command said two army divisions and members of the country&#39;s counter-terrorism forces took the base with air support from a US-led international coalition. 
 
Security sources said jihadists had fled towards Mosul after the base was taken. 
 
An officer taking part in the operation said bomb disposal teams were removing booby traps and mines left behind by IS fighters. 
 
No further details were immediately available on the scale of fighting for the base. 
 
At the end of last month, Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, in a major setback for IS. 
 
That focused attention on the battle to remove IS from the northwest of the country. 
 
In recent months, IS has lost significant parts of the territory north and west of Baghdad which it seized in 2014. 
 
The fighting to get into Fallujah was initially fierce, particularly on the southern side, and Iraqi forces were supported by more than 100 US-led coalition air strikes. 
 
On June 26, Abadi stood outside a hospital in Fallujah and vowed that the Iraqi flag would soon be raised over Mosul. 
 
In his statement on Saturday, he said government forces had advanced 100 kilometres in the past few days. 
 
&quot;This is important revenge against the terrorist gangs, which we will crush and cleanse from all of our land very soon,&quot; he said. 
 
Rights groups have raised concerns about alleged abuses carried out by Iraqi forces during the fight for Fallujah, including executions of civilians. 
 
Human Rights Watch called on the government on Thursday to be transparent about an enquiry into the alleged abuses, which it said was &quot;mired in secrecy&quot;. 
 
More than 80,000 have been displaced since the start of the Fallujah offensive, bringing to more than 3.3 million the number of Iraqis forced from their homes by conflict since the start of 2014. 
 
The Sunni extremist group has responded to its battlefield setbacks by hitting back against civilians, particularly Shiites. 
 
Experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
IS said it had carried out an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad that started on Thursday evening and killed 30 people. 
 
That came just days after a devastating bombing in the capital that killed 292 people. 
 
(AFP)

Prime Minister Abadi said the Qayyarah airbase will be an important base for the liberation of Mosul

Iraqi forces have captured a key airbase from the Islamic State group that can serve as a launchpad for retaking the jihadist-held city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday. "The Qayyarah airbase in the Tigris valley 60 kilometres south of Mosul would be an important base for the liberation of Mosul," Abadi said in a statement. He called for the people of Iraq's northwestern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, to "prepare for the liberation of their cities." Iraq's Joint Operations Command said two army divisions and members of the country's counter-terrorism forces took the base with air support from a US-led international coalition. Security sources said jihadists had fled towards Mosul after the base was taken. An officer taking part in the operation said bomb disposal teams were removing booby traps and mines left behind by IS fighters. No further details were immediately available on the scale of fighting for the base. At the end of last month, Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, in a major setback for IS. That focused attention on the battle to remove IS from the northwest of the country. In recent months, IS has lost significant parts of the territory north and west of Baghdad which it seized in 2014. The fighting to get into Fallujah was initially fierce, particularly on the southern side, and Iraqi forces were supported by more than 100 US-led coalition air strikes. On June 26, Abadi stood outside a hospital in Fallujah and vowed that the Iraqi flag would soon be raised over Mosul. In his statement on Saturday, he said government forces had advanced 100 kilometres in the past few days. "This is important revenge against the terrorist gangs, which we will crush and cleanse from all of our land very soon," he said. Rights groups have raised concerns about alleged abuses carried out by Iraqi forces during the fight for Fallujah, including executions of civilians. Human Rights Watch called on the government on Thursday to be transparent about an enquiry into the alleged abuses, which it said was "mired in secrecy". More than 80,000 have been displaced since the start of the Fallujah offensive, bringing to more than 3.3 million the number of Iraqis forced from their homes by conflict since the start of 2014. The Sunni extremist group has responded to its battlefield setbacks by hitting back against civilians, particularly Shiites. Experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. IS said it had carried out an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad that started on Thursday evening and killed 30 people. That came just days after a devastating bombing in the capital that killed 292 people. (AFP)

Iraq army seizes key airbase from Islamic State in south of Mosul

Islamic State group militants killed 30 people at a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad, striking the area with suicide bombers, gunfire and mortar rounds, an Iraqi security spokesman said today.&nbsp; 
 
The overnight attack also wounded 50 people, the Joint Operations Command spokesman said in a statement.&nbsp;The Sayyid Mohammed shrine was first targetted with mortar rounds, after which suicide bombers arrived at the shrine and opened fire, the statement said. 
 
Two of the bombers then blew themselves up in a market next to the shrine while the third was killed and his explosive belt defused, it said, without specifying which forces killed the bomber. 
 
The attack in the Balad area, located 70 kilometres north of Baghdad, came just five days after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged minibus in the capital, killing 292 people.&nbsp;That blast was one of the deadliest bombings to hit Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion of the country, which set the stage for 13 years of bloody violence. 
 
The Baghdad bombing was claimed by the Islamic State group, which overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces.&nbsp;In response to the battlefield setbacks, the group has hit back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
 
After the bombs 
 
Health minister Hamoud said the bodies of 115 killed in the Sunday bombing attack had now been handed over to families, while the identities of 177 others have yet to be determined. 
 
The blast also wounded 200 people, said the minister, who on Tuesday told AFP that the process of identifying the unknown dead - which she put at 150 at the time - was expected to take 15-45 days. 
 
People have been furious over delays in determining the fate of their loved ones, and with the number of unidentified bodies now bigger, it may take even longer. 
 
 
Lack of emergency exits 
 
The attack has overshadowed what would normally be a joyful holiday for Iraqi Muslims, instead turning it into a time of mourning and sadness.&nbsp;Investigators now believe they know what caused the attack to claim so many lives. 
 
Police major general Talib Khalil Rahi said the suicide bomber detonated a minibus loaded with plastic explosives and ammonium nitrate.&nbsp;The initial blast killed a limited number of people, but flames spread and trapped people inside shopping centres that lacked emergency exits, Rahi told a news conference in Baghdad. 
 
The raging fires have made it difficult to identify the dead.&nbsp;Interior minister Mohammed Ghabban tendered his resignation following the bombing, and authorities also announced the execution of five convicts and the arrest of 40 jihadists in an apparent bid to limit the fallout from the attack. 
 
An official in Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi&#39;s office told AFP on Wednesday that the premier had accepted the minister&#39;s resignation, though there has been no official statement from him on the matter. 
 
Sunday&#39;s bombing was claimed by IS, which has its roots in the insurgency that began after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the 2003 US-led invasion.&nbsp;IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant territory from the jihadists. 
 
In response to the battlefield setbacks, the Sunni extremist group has hit back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
(AFP)

Three IS suicide bombers opened fire before two of them blew themselves up in a market

Islamic State group militants killed 30 people at a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad, striking the area with suicide bombers, gunfire and mortar rounds, an Iraqi security spokesman said today. The overnight attack also wounded 50 people, the Joint Operations Command spokesman said in a statement. The Sayyid Mohammed shrine was first targetted with mortar rounds, after which suicide bombers arrived at the shrine and opened fire, the statement said. Two of the bombers then blew themselves up in a market next to the shrine while the third was killed and his explosive belt defused, it said, without specifying which forces killed the bomber. The attack in the Balad area, located 70 kilometres north of Baghdad, came just five days after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged minibus in the capital, killing 292 people. That blast was one of the deadliest bombings to hit Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion of the country, which set the stage for 13 years of bloody violence. The Baghdad bombing was claimed by the Islamic State group, which overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces. In response to the battlefield setbacks, the group has hit back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. After the bombs Health minister Hamoud said the bodies of 115 killed in the Sunday bombing attack had now been handed over to families, while the identities of 177 others have yet to be determined. The blast also wounded 200 people, said the minister, who on Tuesday told AFP that the process of identifying the unknown dead - which she put at 150 at the time - was expected to take 15-45 days. People have been furious over delays in determining the fate of their loved ones, and with the number of unidentified bodies now bigger, it may take even longer. Lack of emergency exits The attack has overshadowed what would normally be a joyful holiday for Iraqi Muslims, instead turning it into a time of mourning and sadness. Investigators now believe they know what caused the attack to claim so many lives. Police major general Talib Khalil Rahi said the suicide bomber detonated a minibus loaded with plastic explosives and ammonium nitrate. The initial blast killed a limited number of people, but flames spread and trapped people inside shopping centres that lacked emergency exits, Rahi told a news conference in Baghdad. The raging fires have made it difficult to identify the dead. Interior minister Mohammed Ghabban tendered his resignation following the bombing, and authorities also announced the execution of five convicts and the arrest of 40 jihadists in an apparent bid to limit the fallout from the attack. An official in Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office told AFP on Wednesday that the premier had accepted the minister's resignation, though there has been no official statement from him on the matter. Sunday's bombing was claimed by IS, which has its roots in the insurgency that began after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the 2003 US-led invasion. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant territory from the jihadists. In response to the battlefield setbacks, the Sunni extremist group has hit back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

Iraq blast: 30 dead, 50 wounded near Shiite shrine north of Baghdad

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