Turkish police on Monday detained four Iraqis suspected of planning an attack on the US embassy in Ankara, media reports said.

The group were held during anti-terror raids in the Black Sea province of Samsun, the Hurriyet daily reported, after the US mission in the capital announced it would close Monday because of a &quot;security threat&quot;.

The mission&#39;s website urged Americans to &quot;avoid large crowds&quot; and &quot;keep a low profile&quot;.

Two of the suspects were detained on a bus on the Samsun-Ankara highway while the other two were taken into custody in the Samsun district of Ilkadim, the newspaper reported.

They were being held over alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

As a result of the security alert, 12 foreigners were detained earlier Monday over alleged links to IS after the Ankara prosecutor issued 20 arrest warrants, state news agency Anadolu said.

They were trying to recruit for IS, it reported, adding that the suspects were in contact with associates in &quot;conflict zones&quot;.

The Ankara governor&#39;s office said in a statement that it had taken &quot;extra security measures&quot; after US sources provided Turkish intelligence with information on the possibility of terror attacks against the embassy and American homes.

The mission issued a second statement on its website, saying the embassy would remain closed to the public on Tuesday because of a &quot;security threat&quot; again.

It did not indicate when it would reopen: &quot;The embassy will announce its reopening once it resumes services.&quot;

A US embassy spokesman said the embassy would be closed for visa and American citizen services specifically.

&quot;We appreciate the continuing strong support we receive from the Turkish national police and Turkish security services in making our facilities as safe as possible,&quot; the spokesman said.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters on Monday that 4,045 &quot;IS terrorists&quot; had been arrested including 1,858 &quot;foreign terrorist fighters&quot; since 2011.

Turkish police frequently conduct raids against IS across the country including one last month when 29 foreigners were detained in Istanbul over alleged links to the group.

A series of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016 as well as one in 2017 were blamed on IS and outlawed Kurdish militants.

The last attack IS claimed was in January 2017 when a gunman killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year&#39;s celebrations.

The group were held during anti-terror raids in the Black Sea province of Samsun

Turkish police on Monday detained four Iraqis suspected of planning an attack on the US embassy in Ankara, media reports said. The group were held during anti-terror raids in the Black Sea province of Samsun, the Hurriyet daily reported, after the US mission in the capital announced it would close Monday because of a "security threat". The mission's website urged Americans to "avoid large crowds" and "keep a low profile". Two of the suspects were detained on a bus on the Samsun-Ankara highway while the other two were taken into custody in the Samsun district of Ilkadim, the newspaper reported. They were being held over alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. As a result of the security alert, 12 foreigners were detained earlier Monday over alleged links to IS after the Ankara prosecutor issued 20 arrest warrants, state news agency Anadolu said. They were trying to recruit for IS, it reported, adding that the suspects were in contact with associates in "conflict zones". The Ankara governor's office said in a statement that it had taken "extra security measures" after US sources provided Turkish intelligence with information on the possibility of terror attacks against the embassy and American homes. The mission issued a second statement on its website, saying the embassy would remain closed to the public on Tuesday because of a "security threat" again. It did not indicate when it would reopen: "The embassy will announce its reopening once it resumes services." A US embassy spokesman said the embassy would be closed for visa and American citizen services specifically. "We appreciate the continuing strong support we receive from the Turkish national police and Turkish security services in making our facilities as safe as possible," the spokesman said. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters on Monday that 4,045 "IS terrorists" had been arrested including 1,858 "foreign terrorist fighters" since 2011. Turkish police frequently conduct raids against IS across the country including one last month when 29 foreigners were detained in Istanbul over alleged links to the group. A series of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016 as well as one in 2017 were blamed on IS and outlawed Kurdish militants. The last attack IS claimed was in January 2017 when a gunman killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year's celebrations.

Turkey detains Iraqis plotting US embassy attack: Report

At least three militants affiliated with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) terrorist group have been killed in the US drone strikes in Afghanistan&#39;s eastern Kunar province.

&quot;The latest drone strikes were carried out in the vicinity of Manogi district,&quot; reported Afghan&#39;s Khaama Press, citing the Afghan military, as saying on Sunday.

&quot;The hideouts of the terror group were targeted in the air raids and as a result, three militants were killed,&quot; it added.

A local leader of the group who has been identified as Mohib was also among those killed.

Earlier, at least three IS militants were killed and five others were injured during a cleanup operation by security forces in Sarkanay district of Afghanistan&#39;s eastern Kunar province on Tuesday.&nbsp;

No comments have been received from the anti-government armed militant and terrorist groups including the IS in connection with the report, by far.

A local leader of the group who has been identified as Mohib was also among those killed

At least three militants affiliated with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) terrorist group have been killed in the US drone strikes in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province. "The latest drone strikes were carried out in the vicinity of Manogi district," reported Afghan's Khaama Press, citing the Afghan military, as saying on Sunday. "The hideouts of the terror group were targeted in the air raids and as a result, three militants were killed," it added. A local leader of the group who has been identified as Mohib was also among those killed. Earlier, at least three IS militants were killed and five others were injured during a cleanup operation by security forces in Sarkanay district of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province on Tuesday. No comments have been received from the anti-government armed militant and terrorist groups including the IS in connection with the report, by far.

3 IS militants killed in US drone strikes in Afghanistan

Islamic State militants ambushed a convoy of government-backed militia fighters near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk late on Sunday, killing at least 12 of them, police and militia commanders said on Monday.

At least 10 other fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) are missing, a local militia commander said.

A security official said Iraqi security forces were pursuing the Islamic State militants who disguised themselves in police uniforms to carry out the attack.

&quot;Daesh ambushed the PMF convoy, making use of the bad and rainy weather. At least 10 fighters are still missing. We fear Daesh might execute them.&quot; said Abbas al-Jabouri, a local PMF commander, referring to Islamic State by an Arabic acronym.

Iraqi forces launched an operation this month to consolidate control of a mountain area near the oil city of Kirkuk to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil, highlighting concern about mountainous terrain where two armed groups are active.

Iraq declared victory in December over Islamic State militants who seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014. However, the group continues to carry out attacks and bombings in Baghdad and different parts of the country.

At least 10 other fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) are missing

Islamic State militants ambushed a convoy of government-backed militia fighters near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk late on Sunday, killing at least 12 of them, police and militia commanders said on Monday. At least 10 other fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) are missing, a local militia commander said. A security official said Iraqi security forces were pursuing the Islamic State militants who disguised themselves in police uniforms to carry out the attack. "Daesh ambushed the PMF convoy, making use of the bad and rainy weather. At least 10 fighters are still missing. We fear Daesh might execute them." said Abbas al-Jabouri, a local PMF commander, referring to Islamic State by an Arabic acronym. Iraqi forces launched an operation this month to consolidate control of a mountain area near the oil city of Kirkuk to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil, highlighting concern about mountainous terrain where two armed groups are active. Iraq declared victory in December over Islamic State militants who seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014. However, the group continues to carry out attacks and bombings in Baghdad and different parts of the country.

Islamic State kills 12 Iraqi militiamen near Kirkuk

Mohammed Kuraji returned to Syria&#39;s Raqa to prepare a homecoming but ended up organising a funeral. Stepping into his home, an unexploded mine detonated and killed his elderly father.

&quot;It was terrifying. The blast was so strong that I couldn&#39;t hear,&quot; said the 26-year-old, who was also wounded in the incident two months ago.

The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city.

Residents are desperate to return home, but they are being maimed and killed by unexploded -- and sometimes insidiously hidden -- ordnance.

Under piles of rubble, behind old refrigerator doors, in blown-out buildings, IS has sown death everywhere.

The explosives in Kuraji&#39;s home were triggered when his father leaned down to pick up a copy of the Koran.

&quot;I was thrown back into the neighbour&#39;s house and a wall collapsed onto my father,&quot; said Kuraji, who has two young children.

He said from under a mountain of blankets, pulling back the covers to reveal his legs, set in place by splints and screws in his shins.

Minehunting 

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces ousted IS from Raqa in October, then handed the city over to the Raqa Civil Council.

But Raqa natives are complaining that demining firms hired by the RCC are taking too long, and have taken matters into their own hands.

Young men are charging up to $100 to search and clear homes of mines -- a small fortune for war-weary Syrians.

&quot;It&#39;s becoming a lucrative business. The officials are ignoring it, and we don&#39;t have the means,&quot; said resident Hamed Saleh, 28.

A large part of his home in Raqa is inaccessible because of mines.

&quot;At any moment, even if a cat is just passing by, a bomb could go off. It&#39;s terrifying,&quot; said Saleh.

According to Human Rights Watch, local officials were receiving about 10 requests for house inspections for a single neighbourhood, every day.

But they were only able to clear about 10 cases per week across the entire city, the New York-based rights group said this week.

It documented at least 491 people, including 157 children, wounded in mine blasts, many of whom died.

Goh Mayama of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said his clinic receives an average of six mine blast casualties a day on average in Raqa, about a quarter of whom die.

&nbsp;&#39;A view to kill&#39;&nbsp;

Demining operations in Raqa have been supported by the US-led coalition that backed the SDF&#39;s drive against IS.

In December, the SDF said it had demined half the city.

&quot;The hospitals, public institutions, schools, power stations, and bakeries are all demined,&quot; said SDF official Lokman Khalil.

&quot;Raqa&#39;s a big city. There&#39;s a huge number of mines and it&#39;ll take time,&quot; he said.

He said the SDF had tried to keep civilians away, but Raqa natives eager to leave displacement camps and come home had ramped up the pressure.

Now, the city&#39;s main streets have been cleared for traffic, though mounds of debris still line the sidewalks.

Outside one damaged building, a group of children in oversized sweaters rummages through a pile of twisted metal and corrugated iron.

Men with picks and shovels poke through the ruins, emerging occasionally with an unexploded mine.

&quot;We&#39;re paying people out of our own pockets to clear our streets and houses,&quot; said Abu Mohammed, a resident in his forties.

The four-storey apartment building he owns has been completely destroyed, but he cannot begin rebuilding because of mines inside.

&quot;I have three kids. I keep them locked at home so that mines don&#39;t go off as they walk in the streets,&quot; he said.

According to the United Nations, some 60,000 people have returned to Raqa despite warnings of the danger.

&quot;The number of unexploded ordnance in Raqa is something that we have never seen before. It&#39;s extreme,&quot; said Panos Moumtzis, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria.

Between 50 and 70 people were being wounded or killed every week because of mines in the city.

&quot;Just to give you a point of comparison, it&#39;s the number that takes place in Afghanistan in a year,&quot; Moumtzis said.

&quot;It&#39;s planted with a view to kill.&quot;

&nbsp;

The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city.

Mohammed Kuraji returned to Syria's Raqa to prepare a homecoming but ended up organising a funeral. Stepping into his home, an unexploded mine detonated and killed his elderly father. "It was terrifying. The blast was so strong that I couldn't hear," said the 26-year-old, who was also wounded in the incident two months ago. The Islamic State group was ousted from its de facto Syrian capital Raqa in October, but it left mines scattered across the ravaged city. Residents are desperate to return home, but they are being maimed and killed by unexploded -- and sometimes insidiously hidden -- ordnance. Under piles of rubble, behind old refrigerator doors, in blown-out buildings, IS has sown death everywhere. The explosives in Kuraji's home were triggered when his father leaned down to pick up a copy of the Koran. "I was thrown back into the neighbour's house and a wall collapsed onto my father," said Kuraji, who has two young children. He said from under a mountain of blankets, pulling back the covers to reveal his legs, set in place by splints and screws in his shins. Minehunting The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces ousted IS from Raqa in October, then handed the city over to the Raqa Civil Council. But Raqa natives are complaining that demining firms hired by the RCC are taking too long, and have taken matters into their own hands. Young men are charging up to $100 to search and clear homes of mines -- a small fortune for war-weary Syrians. "It's becoming a lucrative business. The officials are ignoring it, and we don't have the means," said resident Hamed Saleh, 28. A large part of his home in Raqa is inaccessible because of mines. "At any moment, even if a cat is just passing by, a bomb could go off. It's terrifying," said Saleh. According to Human Rights Watch, local officials were receiving about 10 requests for house inspections for a single neighbourhood, every day. But they were only able to clear about 10 cases per week across the entire city, the New York-based rights group said this week. It documented at least 491 people, including 157 children, wounded in mine blasts, many of whom died. Goh Mayama of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said his clinic receives an average of six mine blast casualties a day on average in Raqa, about a quarter of whom die. 'A view to kill' Demining operations in Raqa have been supported by the US-led coalition that backed the SDF's drive against IS. In December, the SDF said it had demined half the city. "The hospitals, public institutions, schools, power stations, and bakeries are all demined," said SDF official Lokman Khalil. "Raqa's a big city. There's a huge number of mines and it'll take time," he said. He said the SDF had tried to keep civilians away, but Raqa natives eager to leave displacement camps and come home had ramped up the pressure. Now, the city's main streets have been cleared for traffic, though mounds of debris still line the sidewalks. Outside one damaged building, a group of children in oversized sweaters rummages through a pile of twisted metal and corrugated iron. Men with picks and shovels poke through the ruins, emerging occasionally with an unexploded mine. "We're paying people out of our own pockets to clear our streets and houses," said Abu Mohammed, a resident in his forties. The four-storey apartment building he owns has been completely destroyed, but he cannot begin rebuilding because of mines inside. "I have three kids. I keep them locked at home so that mines don't go off as they walk in the streets," he said. According to the United Nations, some 60,000 people have returned to Raqa despite warnings of the danger. "The number of unexploded ordnance in Raqa is something that we have never seen before. It's extreme," said Panos Moumtzis, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria. Between 50 and 70 people were being wounded or killed every week because of mines in the city. "Just to give you a point of comparison, it's the number that takes place in Afghanistan in a year," Moumtzis said. "It's planted with a view to kill."

Desperate to come home, Syrians brave IS mines in Raqa

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari said on Wednesday 18,000 people had been killed and 36,000 wounded in the war with the Islamic State militant group since 2014.

18,000 people had been killed and 36,000 wounded in the war with the Islamic State.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari said on Wednesday 18,000 people had been killed and 36,000 wounded in the war with the Islamic State militant group since 2014.

Iraq says war with Islamic State killed 18,000

An Iraqi interior <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iraqs-tal-afar-liberated-is-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-fate-still-unknown-19749">ministry official has told a daily</a> newspaper that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is alive.

Intelligence and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-dead-syrian-observatory-17828">counterterrorism department head Abu </a>Ali al-Basri told the state-run run daily As-Sabah that Baghdadi was wounded in an air strike recently and was being treated at a hospital in Syria.

&quot;We have irrefutable information and documents from sources within the terrorist organisation that al-Baghdadi is still alive,&quot; Abu Ali al-Basri said.

Basri added that Baghdadi was suffering from &quot;injuries, diabetes and fractures to the body and legs that prevent him from walking without assistance&quot;.

There have been conflicting reports about the fate of the IS chief with Russia last year declaring that Baghdadi was killed.&nbsp;

In June last year, Russia&#39;s foreign ministry had said there was a &quot;high degree of certainty that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead&quot;.

Viktor Ozerov, the head of Russian defence committee had asserted that information was close to &quot;100 per cent correct&quot;.

However, US defence secretary &nbsp;James Mattis refuted the Russian claims, declaring that the IS leader was alive and that the US was &quot;going after him&quot;.

There have been conflicting reports about the fate of the IS chief with Russia last year declaring that Baghdadi was killed.

An Iraqi interior ministry official has told a daily newspaper that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is alive. Intelligence and counterterrorism department head Abu Ali al-Basri told the state-run run daily As-Sabah that Baghdadi was wounded in an air strike recently and was being treated at a hospital in Syria. "We have irrefutable information and documents from sources within the terrorist organisation that al-Baghdadi is still alive," Abu Ali al-Basri said. Basri added that Baghdadi was suffering from "injuries, diabetes and fractures to the body and legs that prevent him from walking without assistance". There have been conflicting reports about the fate of the IS chief with Russia last year declaring that Baghdadi was killed. In June last year, Russia's foreign ministry had said there was a "high degree of certainty that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead". Viktor Ozerov, the head of Russian defence committee had asserted that information was close to "100 per cent correct". However, US defence secretary James Mattis refuted the Russian claims, declaring that the IS leader was alive and that the US was "going after him".

IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being treated in Syrian hospital: Iraqi minister

Fire from the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State killed 10 members of the Iraqi security forces and a local official in an air strike west of Baghdad on Saturday, Iraqi officials said.

Early investigations indicated that Iraqi forces had called in an air strike against a local police force in the town of al-Baghdadi, 170 km (106 miles) north-west of Baghdad, assuming that they were militants, military and security officials said.

The local police group hit by the strike had come to the area without coordinating with an Iraqi army detachment that had been sent there to arrest an Islamic State suspect, an Iraqi military spokesman said in a statement.&nbsp;

The strike was called in after the army detachment arrested the suspect and withdrew from the area, he added.&nbsp;

A spokesman of the US-led international coalition said all its air strikes are carried out at the request of the Iraqi security forces.

&quot;Any and all support comes at request/approval of Iraq; NO unilateral coalition operations in Iraq,&quot; said the spokesman, US&nbsp;Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, in a tweet.

The Iraqi government last month declared victory over Islamic State which had declared a &quot;caliphate&quot; over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The group has morphed back into an underground insurgency and continues to carry out attacks.

Fire from the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State killed 10 members of the Iraqi security forces

Fire from the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State killed 10 members of the Iraqi security forces and a local official in an air strike west of Baghdad on Saturday, Iraqi officials said. Early investigations indicated that Iraqi forces had called in an air strike against a local police force in the town of al-Baghdadi, 170 km (106 miles) north-west of Baghdad, assuming that they were militants, military and security officials said. The local police group hit by the strike had come to the area without coordinating with an Iraqi army detachment that had been sent there to arrest an Islamic State suspect, an Iraqi military spokesman said in a statement. The strike was called in after the army detachment arrested the suspect and withdrew from the area, he added. A spokesman of the US-led international coalition said all its air strikes are carried out at the request of the Iraqi security forces. "Any and all support comes at request/approval of Iraq; NO unilateral coalition operations in Iraq," said the spokesman, US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, in a tweet. The Iraqi government last month declared victory over Islamic State which had declared a "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The group has morphed back into an underground insurgency and continues to carry out attacks.

Fire kills 11 in Iraq air strike: Iraqi security sources

The Iraqi parliament on Monday set May 12 for elections the winner of which will face the daunting tasks of rebuilding Iraq after a three-year war with Islamic State and a battle against entrenched corruption that is eating away at its oil revenue.

Parliament voted in Baghdad to approve the date proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who is seeking re-election, buoyed by a surge in popularity for successfully leading the war on the militants, with support from a U.S.-led coalition.

Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers had asked for elections to be postponed, to allow the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people to their homes, but Iraq&#39;s highest court on Sunday ruled that that would run against the constitution.

The May election will decide the prime minister who will lead the country for the next four years, a position reserved to the Shi&#39;ite Arab majority.

The personality of the prime minister will be important for Iraq to attract reconstruction funds at a conference planned for this purpose in Kuwait in February.

Baghdad says at least $100 billion will be needed to rebuild houses, businesses and infrastructure destroyed in the war.

But deep-rooted corruption remains an obstacle to attracting investment: the oil-rich nation is the 10th most corrupt worldwide, according to Transparency International.

&quot;Having Abadi as prime minister would be reassuring for the donors, given his strong views about the need to fight corruption, but he will be required to take stronger action,&quot; said Hisham al-Hashimi, a Baghdad-based analyst.

Two Iran allies

Among other contenders for the top executive job are former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Amiri, a former transportation minister who bolstered his clout during the war on Islamic State - both of whom are among Iran&#39;s closest allies in Iraq.

Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organisation, initially formed an electoral alliance with Abadi, but later announced they will be running separately and possibly form an alliance after the elections for the purpose of forming a government.

&quot;Regardless of the identity of the winner, Iran will have leverage,&quot; said Hassan Shaaban, a political commentator and rights activist in Baghdad. &quot;Given the escalation with Washington, it is very important for Iran that Iraq&#39;s leadership understands and preserves its interests.&quot;

U.S. President Donald Trump this month threatened to exit an agreement that curtails Iran&#39;s nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions, citing violations of the agreement by Tehran.

His administration also considers as a threat Tehran&#39;s support for groups like Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah, Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels and some Iraqi paramilitary groups.

Amiri&#39;s Badr Organisation was the largest group making up the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a coalition of paramilitary mainly backed by Iran with a considerable popular base among the Shi&#39;ite Muslim majority but accused by Sunni and Kurdish politicians of abuses including population displacement.

Abadi took over the premiership in 2014 from Maliki, who was widely blamed by Iraqi politicians for the army&#39;s collapse as Islamic State seized a third of Iraq.

Maliki, who holds the ceremonial position of vice-president, remains one of the most influential Shi&#39;ite politicians in his capacity of leader of the Dawa party.

Even though Abadi is a Dawa member, Maliki declined to endorse him, and the competition between them two means that they would need to seek the support of other Shi&#39;ite parties, as well as Sunni and Kurdish groups, to form governing coalitions.

Influential Shi&#39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has said he is backing an alliance called &quot;On the Move&quot; (Sa&#39;iroun) focused on fighting graft, formed between some of his supporters, the Iraqi Communist Party and other small secular groups.

Sadr, who has a large following among Iraq&#39;s urban poor, had criticized Abadi for his possible alliance with Amiri, saying it contradicted the prime minister&#39;s stated ambitions to reform the state. No candidate for the premiership has yet emerged from his &quot;On the Move&quot; alliance.

&quot;Whoever emerges as top contender for the premiership, he won&#39;t have enough seats to rule and will have to form understandings with others, with Shi&#39;ite, Sunni and Kurdish groups to have a solid governing base,&quot; said analyst al-Hashimi.

The May election will decide the prime minister who will lead the country for the next four years, a position reserved to the Shi'ite Arab majority.

The Iraqi parliament on Monday set May 12 for elections the winner of which will face the daunting tasks of rebuilding Iraq after a three-year war with Islamic State and a battle against entrenched corruption that is eating away at its oil revenue. Parliament voted in Baghdad to approve the date proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who is seeking re-election, buoyed by a surge in popularity for successfully leading the war on the militants, with support from a U.S.-led coalition. Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers had asked for elections to be postponed, to allow the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people to their homes, but Iraq's highest court on Sunday ruled that that would run against the constitution. The May election will decide the prime minister who will lead the country for the next four years, a position reserved to the Shi'ite Arab majority. The personality of the prime minister will be important for Iraq to attract reconstruction funds at a conference planned for this purpose in Kuwait in February. Baghdad says at least $100 billion will be needed to rebuild houses, businesses and infrastructure destroyed in the war. But deep-rooted corruption remains an obstacle to attracting investment: the oil-rich nation is the 10th most corrupt worldwide, according to Transparency International. "Having Abadi as prime minister would be reassuring for the donors, given his strong views about the need to fight corruption, but he will be required to take stronger action," said Hisham al-Hashimi, a Baghdad-based analyst. Two Iran allies Among other contenders for the top executive job are former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Amiri, a former transportation minister who bolstered his clout during the war on Islamic State - both of whom are among Iran's closest allies in Iraq. Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organisation, initially formed an electoral alliance with Abadi, but later announced they will be running separately and possibly form an alliance after the elections for the purpose of forming a government. "Regardless of the identity of the winner, Iran will have leverage," said Hassan Shaaban, a political commentator and rights activist in Baghdad. "Given the escalation with Washington, it is very important for Iran that Iraq's leadership understands and preserves its interests." U.S. President Donald Trump this month threatened to exit an agreement that curtails Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions, citing violations of the agreement by Tehran. His administration also considers as a threat Tehran's support for groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthi rebels and some Iraqi paramilitary groups. Amiri's Badr Organisation was the largest group making up the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a coalition of paramilitary mainly backed by Iran with a considerable popular base among the Shi'ite Muslim majority but accused by Sunni and Kurdish politicians of abuses including population displacement. Abadi took over the premiership in 2014 from Maliki, who was widely blamed by Iraqi politicians for the army's collapse as Islamic State seized a third of Iraq. Maliki, who holds the ceremonial position of vice-president, remains one of the most influential Shi'ite politicians in his capacity of leader of the Dawa party. Even though Abadi is a Dawa member, Maliki declined to endorse him, and the competition between them two means that they would need to seek the support of other Shi'ite parties, as well as Sunni and Kurdish groups, to form governing coalitions. Influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has said he is backing an alliance called "On the Move" (Sa'iroun) focused on fighting graft, formed between some of his supporters, the Iraqi Communist Party and other small secular groups. Sadr, who has a large following among Iraq's urban poor, had criticized Abadi for his possible alliance with Amiri, saying it contradicted the prime minister's stated ambitions to reform the state. No candidate for the premiership has yet emerged from his "On the Move" alliance. "Whoever emerges as top contender for the premiership, he won't have enough seats to rule and will have to form understandings with others, with Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish groups to have a solid governing base," said analyst al-Hashimi.

Iraq sets May 12 date for elections to be contested by PM Abadi, Iran allies

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that hit Afghanistan&rsquo;s eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, according to the militant group&rsquo;s news agency Amaq, though it did not provide immediate evidence for the claim.

Amaq said the operation involved a car bomb and three other attacks that targeted British, Swedish, and Afghani government institutions in Jalalabad, without providing further details.

Gunmen stormed an office of aid agency Save the Children and battled security forces surrounding the building, killing at least two people and wounding 12, officials said.

Gunmen stormed an office of aid agency Save the Children and battled security forces surrounding the building, killing at least two people and wounding 12, officials said

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that hit Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, according to the militant group’s news agency Amaq, though it did not provide immediate evidence for the claim. Amaq said the operation involved a car bomb and three other attacks that targeted British, Swedish, and Afghani government institutions in Jalalabad, without providing further details. Gunmen stormed an office of aid agency Save the Children and battled security forces surrounding the building, killing at least two people and wounding 12, officials said.

Islamic State claims attack on Jalalabad in Afghanistan

Air strikes on a village held by Islamic State in the eastern part of Syria`s Deir al-Zor province killed at least 13 people including seven women on Tuesday, Syrian state media and a war monitoring group reported on Thursday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US-led coalition against Islamic State had carried out the air strikes.

Rival military campaigns by the Syrian army with its allies, and by militias backed by a U.S.-led international coalition, last year seized most of Islamic State`s territory in central and eastern Syria.&nbsp;

The jihadist militant group still holds patches of desert on either side of the Euphrates River in Deir al-Zor province, as well as isolated pockets of ground elsewhere in Syria.

The attack targeted Shafah, a village east of the Euphrates, and at least seven women were among 13 dead, the Observatory said. Syrian state media citing local sources as saying coalition air strikes had killed 15 civilians in the village, including seven women.

Asked to comment, the coalition did not specifically say whether it had carried out the strike or not. It referred in an email to an earlier statement saying that coalition strikes had killed an estimated 145-150 Islamic State fighters in a command centre near Shafah last Saturday.&nbsp;

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US-led coalition against Islamic State had carried out the air strikes

Air strikes on a village held by Islamic State in the eastern part of Syria`s Deir al-Zor province killed at least 13 people including seven women on Tuesday, Syrian state media and a war monitoring group reported on Thursday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US-led coalition against Islamic State had carried out the air strikes. Rival military campaigns by the Syrian army with its allies, and by militias backed by a U.S.-led international coalition, last year seized most of Islamic State`s territory in central and eastern Syria. The jihadist militant group still holds patches of desert on either side of the Euphrates River in Deir al-Zor province, as well as isolated pockets of ground elsewhere in Syria. The attack targeted Shafah, a village east of the Euphrates, and at least seven women were among 13 dead, the Observatory said. Syrian state media citing local sources as saying coalition air strikes had killed 15 civilians in the village, including seven women. Asked to comment, the coalition did not specifically say whether it had carried out the strike or not. It referred in an email to an earlier statement saying that coalition strikes had killed an estimated 145-150 Islamic State fighters in a command centre near Shafah last Saturday.

Air strikes kills at least 13 in east Syrian IS territory: Reports

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank">&nbsp;Watch: From Gurugram to Mumbai, violent protests rock cities ahead of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank"> release</a>

As Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum-opus&nbsp;Padmaavat is all set to hit theatres on January&nbsp;25, violence erupted in several parts of the country with buses being torched and cinema halls being vandalised.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-welcomes-pm-modis-speech-at-davos-looks-forward-to-working-with-india-30649" target="_blank">China welcomes PM Modi&#39;s speech at Davos, looks forward to working with India</a>

China welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-world-economic-forum-pm-modi-arrives-in-zurich-set-to-land-in-davos-shortly-30369">&nbsp;Davos speech</a>&nbsp;against protectionism as being &ldquo;as dangerous as terrorism,&rdquo; saying that the two countries can fight this practice together.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-claims-attack-on-jalalabad-in-afghanistan-30653" target="_blank">Islamic State claims attack on Jalalabad in Afghanistan</a>

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that hit Afghanistan&rsquo;s eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, according to the militant group&rsquo;s news agency Amaq, though it did not provide immediate evidence for the claim.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/office-of-profit-caseoffice-of-profit-case-delhi-hc-orders-ec-to-make-no-bypoll-announcement-until-29-january-30636" target="_blank">Office of profit: Delhi High Court asks Election Commission not to make </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/office-of-profit-caseoffice-of-profit-case-delhi-hc-orders-ec-to-make-no-bypoll-announcement-until-29-january-30636" target="_blank">bypoll</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/office-of-profit-caseoffice-of-profit-case-delhi-hc-orders-ec-to-make-no-bypoll-announcement-until-29-january-30636" target="_blank"> announcement until January 29</a>

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim order on staying the Centre&#39;s notification disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs in &#39;Office of Profit&#39; case. The court also asked the Election Commission not to make any announcement regarding bypolls in Delhi until January 29, the next date of hearing in the case.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/15-taliban-militants-killed-during-airstike-in-afghanistan-30646" target="_blank">15 Taliban militants killed during </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/15-taliban-militants-killed-during-airstike-in-afghanistan-30646" target="_blank">airstike</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/15-taliban-militants-killed-during-airstike-in-afghanistan-30646" target="_blank"> in Afghanistan</a>

At least 15 Taliban militants were killed and around 10 were left wounded in an airstrike in Afghanistan&#39;s northern province of Sari Pul on Wednesday, reports said.&nbsp;

Watch: From Gurugram to Mumbai, violent protests rock cities ahead of Padmaavat release As Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum-opus Padmaavat is all set to hit theatres on January 25, violence erupted in several parts of the country with buses being torched and cinema halls being vandalised. China welcomes PM Modi's speech at Davos, looks forward to working with India China welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Davos speech against protectionism as being “as dangerous as terrorism,” saying that the two countries can fight this practice together. Islamic State claims attack on Jalalabad in Afghanistan Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that hit Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, according to the militant group’s news agency Amaq, though it did not provide immediate evidence for the claim. Office of profit: Delhi High Court asks Election Commission not to make bypoll announcement until January 29 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim order on staying the Centre's notification disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs in 'Office of Profit' case. The court also asked the Election Commission not to make any announcement regarding bypolls in Delhi until January 29, the next date of hearing in the case. 15 Taliban militants killed during airstike in Afghanistan At least 15 Taliban militants were killed and around 10 were left wounded in an airstrike in Afghanistan's northern province of Sari Pul on Wednesday, reports said.

WION Evening News Brief, January 24, 2018

The US today designated Indian-origin ISIS terrorist from Britain Siddhartha Dhar along with a Belgian-Moroccan citizen as global terrorists and imposed sanctions on them, the State Department said.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-new-jihadi-john-siddhartha-dhar-30586"> Who is &#39;New Jihadi John&#39; Siddhartha Dhar?</a>

Siddhartha Dhar, a British Hindu who converted to Islam and now goes by the name Abu Rumaysah, had skipped police bail in the UK to travel to Syria with his wife and young children in 2014.

Nihad Barakat, a Yazidi teenager held as a sex slave by ISIS, was quoted as saying by the Independent in May 2016 that she was kidnapped and trafficked by Siddhartha Dhar, who was based in Mosul, the group&#39;s former stronghold in Iraq.

Siddhartha Dhar was dubbed as the &quot;New Jihadi John&quot; and became a senior commander of the dreaded outfit, the report had said.

The State Department has designated two ISIS members, Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Section 1(b) of Executive Order which also imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the US, a state department spokesperson said in a statement.

These designations seek to deny Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini the resources they need to plan and carry out further terrorist attacks, it said.

Among other consequences, all of Siddhartha Dhar&#39;s and Abdelatif Gaini&#39;s property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them, it said.

Siddhartha Dhar was a leading member of now-defunct terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun. In late 2014, Siddhartha Dhar left the United Kingdom to travel to Syria to join ISIS, it said.

He is considered to have replaced ISIS executioner Mohammad Emwazi, also known as &quot;Jihadi John&quot;, it said.

Siddhartha Dhar is believed to be the masked leader who appeared in a January 2016 ISIS video of the execution of several prisoners ISIS accused of spying for the UK, the statement said.

Abdelatif Gaini is a Belgian-Moroccan citizen believed to be fighting for ISIS in the Middle East. Abdelatif Gaini is connected to UK-based ISIS sympathizers Mohamad Ali Ahmed and Humza Ali, who were convicted in the UK in 2016 of terrorism offenses, it said.

Today&#39;s action notifies the US public and the international community that Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism, it said.

Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments, it said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Siddhartha Dhar, a British Hindu who converted to Islam and now goes by the name Abu Rumaysah, had skipped police bail in the UK to travel to Syria with his wife and young children in 2014

The US today designated Indian-origin ISIS terrorist from Britain Siddhartha Dhar along with a Belgian-Moroccan citizen as global terrorists and imposed sanctions on them, the State Department said. Also read: Who is 'New Jihadi John' Siddhartha Dhar? Siddhartha Dhar, a British Hindu who converted to Islam and now goes by the name Abu Rumaysah, had skipped police bail in the UK to travel to Syria with his wife and young children in 2014. Nihad Barakat, a Yazidi teenager held as a sex slave by ISIS, was quoted as saying by the Independent in May 2016 that she was kidnapped and trafficked by Siddhartha Dhar, who was based in Mosul, the group's former stronghold in Iraq. Siddhartha Dhar was dubbed as the "New Jihadi John" and became a senior commander of the dreaded outfit, the report had said. The State Department has designated two ISIS members, Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Section 1(b) of Executive Order which also imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the US, a state department spokesperson said in a statement. These designations seek to deny Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini the resources they need to plan and carry out further terrorist attacks, it said. Among other consequences, all of Siddhartha Dhar's and Abdelatif Gaini's property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them, it said. Siddhartha Dhar was a leading member of now-defunct terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun. In late 2014, Siddhartha Dhar left the United Kingdom to travel to Syria to join ISIS, it said. He is considered to have replaced ISIS executioner Mohammad Emwazi, also known as "Jihadi John", it said. Siddhartha Dhar is believed to be the masked leader who appeared in a January 2016 ISIS video of the execution of several prisoners ISIS accused of spying for the UK, the statement said. Abdelatif Gaini is a Belgian-Moroccan citizen believed to be fighting for ISIS in the Middle East. Abdelatif Gaini is connected to UK-based ISIS sympathizers Mohamad Ali Ahmed and Humza Ali, who were convicted in the UK in 2016 of terrorism offenses, it said. Today's action notifies the US public and the international community that Siddhartha Dhar and Abdelatif Gaini have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism, it said. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments, it said.

US designates Indian-origin IS man, called 'New Jihadi John', global terrorist

The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants.

The United States has signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State&rsquo;s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran&rsquo;s influence.

&quot;The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control centre in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley,&quot; a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation.

Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with US, Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey&#39;s southern border.

&quot;Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region,&quot; Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement.

The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. The&nbsp;US&nbsp;troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad&rsquo;s government and his allies.

The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria

The US-led coalition fighting Islamic State said it killed nearly 150 militants in strikes on Saturday in the Syrian middle Euphrates River Valley. The latest strikes come as the United States urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria and to focus on fighting Islamic State militants. The United States has signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State’s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence. "The precision strikes were a culmination of extensive intelligence preparation to confirm an ISIS headquarters and command and control centre in an exclusively ISIS-occupied location in the contested middle Euphrates River Valley," a statement issued on Tuesday said, using an acronym for Islamic State. The strikes took place near As Shafah, Syria and killed between 145 and 150 militants. The statement added that US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Kurdish YPG fighters, helped in target observation. Turkey seeks to avoid any clash with US, Russian or Syrian forces but will take any steps needed for its security, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday, the fourth day of its air and ground offensive against Kurdish forces. The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria and have urged Turkey to show restraint in its campaign, named Operation Olive Branch, to crush the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG in the Afrin region on Turkey's southern border. "Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region," Major General James Jarrard, commander of special operations for the coalition, said in the statement. The United States has led an international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State since 2014. The US troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria. The coalition has said in the past that fewer than 1,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, but that the militant group still remains a threat. The figure excludes areas in western Syria under the control of Assad’s government and his allies.

US-led strikes kill 150 Islamic State militants in Syria

Two <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-fighters-with-brainwashed-children-could-carry-out-attacks-german-intelligence-chief-31343">British Islamic State fighters, members </a>of a kidnapping cell dubbed &quot;The Beatles&quot; that was notorious for videotaping beheadings, have been captured in Syria, a US defense official confirmed Thursday.

 
The two members of the group who had still been in the field, Alexanda Amon Kotey and El Shafee el-Sheikh, both from Britain, were captured in January in eastern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

 
The pair are believed to have &quot;participated in the detention, exploitation and execution of Western detainees,&quot; the official said in a statement.

 
The two were also &quot;believed to have acted as guards and interpreters involved in ISIS&#39;&nbsp;illegal captivity of Western hostages, and are thought to have links to the British terrorist often called `Jihadi John`,&quot; the official said.

 
Last year, the US State Department said the London-born Kotey had &quot;likely&quot; taken part in executions and used &quot;exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electric shock and waterboarding,&quot; while guarding the group`s captives.

 
Among the other two members of the &quot;Beatles&quot; group, Mohammed Emwazi -- &quot;Jihadi John&quot; -- was killed in 2015 in a drone strike by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

 
The fourth member of the gang, Aine Davis, is being held in Turkey.

 
Emwazi was the group`s leader, gaining notoriety for using a knife to kill hostages in a string of beheadings that were videotaped and posted on the internet, generating outrage against the IS group but also inspiring similar acts by the extremists.

 
His victims included US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning. 
Overall, the group handled more than 20 foreign hostages during the 2014-2015 period, earning a reported millions of dollars in ransom payments.&nbsp;

 
Hostages who survived reported being beaten, shocked by Tasers, and undergoing waterboardings at the hands of the group.

 
It was the hostages who gave them their nickname &quot;The Beatles,&quot; after the legendary rock group, for their British accents. The US official did not give any information on the condition of the two or what would happen to them.&nbsp;

 
&quot;El-Shafee el-Sheikh and Kotey represent a small portion of the hundreds of foreign-born ISIS terrorists from several nations who have been taken off the battlefield by Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria since October 2017,&quot; the official said, requesting anonymity.

 
The British foreign ministry declined to confirm the capture.

 
&quot;We don`t comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations,&quot; a spokesperson said.

 
The SDF last year turned over another English-speaking IS captive to the US forces. While his name remains secret, he has been identified as a native-born American with Saudi dual nationality.&nbsp;

 
The US Justice Department says they have considered transferring him to a third country -- presumably Saudi Arabia -- while US civil rights lawyers are battling to have his case transferred to US civilian courts.

 
President Donald Trump has said that Islamist fighters captured on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq, including Americans, could be sent to the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 
Last week he reversed an order by his predecessor Barack Obama to close the Guantanamo prison, which still holds 41 people.&nbsp;

 
Most of them were captured in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The prison has not received any new inmates since 2008.

 
&quot;I am asking Congress to ensure that in the fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda, we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them, and in many cases for them, it will now be Guantanamo Bay,&quot; Trump said during his State of the Union Speech on January 30.

The two were also "believed to have acted as guards and interpreters involved in ISIS' illegal captivity of Western hostages

Two British Islamic State fighters, members of a kidnapping cell dubbed "The Beatles" that was notorious for videotaping beheadings, have been captured in Syria, a US defense official confirmed Thursday. The two members of the group who had still been in the field, Alexanda Amon Kotey and El Shafee el-Sheikh, both from Britain, were captured in January in eastern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The pair are believed to have "participated in the detention, exploitation and execution of Western detainees," the official said in a statement. The two were also "believed to have acted as guards and interpreters involved in ISIS' illegal captivity of Western hostages, and are thought to have links to the British terrorist often called `Jihadi John`," the official said. Last year, the US State Department said the London-born Kotey had "likely" taken part in executions and used "exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electric shock and waterboarding," while guarding the group`s captives. Among the other two members of the "Beatles" group, Mohammed Emwazi -- "Jihadi John" -- was killed in 2015 in a drone strike by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. The fourth member of the gang, Aine Davis, is being held in Turkey. Emwazi was the group`s leader, gaining notoriety for using a knife to kill hostages in a string of beheadings that were videotaped and posted on the internet, generating outrage against the IS group but also inspiring similar acts by the extremists. His victims included US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning. Overall, the group handled more than 20 foreign hostages during the 2014-2015 period, earning a reported millions of dollars in ransom payments. Hostages who survived reported being beaten, shocked by Tasers, and undergoing waterboardings at the hands of the group. It was the hostages who gave them their nickname "The Beatles," after the legendary rock group, for their British accents. The US official did not give any information on the condition of the two or what would happen to them. "El-Shafee el-Sheikh and Kotey represent a small portion of the hundreds of foreign-born ISIS terrorists from several nations who have been taken off the battlefield by Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria since October 2017," the official said, requesting anonymity. The British foreign ministry declined to confirm the capture. "We don`t comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations," a spokesperson said. The SDF last year turned over another English-speaking IS captive to the US forces. While his name remains secret, he has been identified as a native-born American with Saudi dual nationality. The US Justice Department says they have considered transferring him to a third country -- presumably Saudi Arabia -- while US civil rights lawyers are battling to have his case transferred to US civilian courts. President Donald Trump has said that Islamist fighters captured on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq, including Americans, could be sent to the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Last week he reversed an order by his predecessor Barack Obama to close the Guantanamo prison, which still holds 41 people. Most of them were captured in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The prison has not received any new inmates since 2008. "I am asking Congress to ensure that in the fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda, we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them, and in many cases for them, it will now be Guantanamo Bay," Trump said during his State of the Union Speech on January 30.

2 British Islamic State fighters captured in Syria

Al-Qaeda&#39;s global network remains &quot;remarkably resilient,&quot; posing more of a threat in some regions than the Islamic State group, UN sanctions monitors said in a report today.

The report sent to the Security Council said that Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen, served as a communications hub for the UN-designated terror group as a whole.

&quot;Al-Qaeda affiliates remain the dominant terror threat in some regions, such as Somalia and Yemen, a fact demonstrated by a continuous stream of attacks and foiled operations,&quot; said the report.

In West Africa and South Asia, Al-Qaeda-linked groups pose as serious a threat as IS affiliates who &quot;currently remain unable to reach a dominant position,&quot; it said.

UN member-states, however, see a potential for linkups between Al-Qaeda and IS groups to support each other, warning that in some regions this could be a new threat, the report said.

The Islamic State lost its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq last year but Al-Qaeda &quot;remained remarkably resilient,&quot; said the UN monitors.

In Syria, the Al-Nusrah Front &quot;remains one of the strongest and largest Al-Qaeda affiliates globally,&quot; with its fighters &quot;using threats, violence and material incentives&quot; to absorb smaller armed groups.

Al-Nusrah commands between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters, including several thousand foreigners, and has its main power base in Syria&#39;s Idlib province.

In Libya, IS remains intent on regaining a foothold following the loss of Sirte and has reinforced its presence with fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, the report said.

Fighters from Boko Haram, which has expanded its reach from northern Nigeria, are maintaining small cells in Libya who could then move on to other regional countries.

&quot;Member-states assessed that there is a potential for the transfer of leaders from ISIL in Libya to other conflict zones in West Africa and the Sahel region, including Mali,&quot; said the report.

The Islamic State lost its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq last year but Al-Qaeda "remained remarkably resilient," said the UN monitors

Al-Qaeda's global network remains "remarkably resilient," posing more of a threat in some regions than the Islamic State group, UN sanctions monitors said in a report today. The report sent to the Security Council said that Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen, served as a communications hub for the UN-designated terror group as a whole. "Al-Qaeda affiliates remain the dominant terror threat in some regions, such as Somalia and Yemen, a fact demonstrated by a continuous stream of attacks and foiled operations," said the report. In West Africa and South Asia, Al-Qaeda-linked groups pose as serious a threat as IS affiliates who "currently remain unable to reach a dominant position," it said. UN member-states, however, see a potential for linkups between Al-Qaeda and IS groups to support each other, warning that in some regions this could be a new threat, the report said. The Islamic State lost its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq last year but Al-Qaeda "remained remarkably resilient," said the UN monitors. In Syria, the Al-Nusrah Front "remains one of the strongest and largest Al-Qaeda affiliates globally," with its fighters "using threats, violence and material incentives" to absorb smaller armed groups. Al-Nusrah commands between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters, including several thousand foreigners, and has its main power base in Syria's Idlib province. In Libya, IS remains intent on regaining a foothold following the loss of Sirte and has reinforced its presence with fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, the report said. Fighters from Boko Haram, which has expanded its reach from northern Nigeria, are maintaining small cells in Libya who could then move on to other regional countries. "Member-states assessed that there is a potential for the transfer of leaders from ISIL in Libya to other conflict zones in West Africa and the Sahel region, including Mali," said the report.

Al-Qaeda still going strong as Islamic State crumbles: UN report

China on Tuesday urged Pakistan to rapidly bring perpetrators to justice after unidentified gunmen shot at two Chinese nationals in the southern city of Karachi, killing one of them.

The two Chinese were in their car in an upmarket area on Monday when the attackers in another car opened fire on their vehicle, according to police, describing it as an apparent &quot;targeted attack&quot;.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-national-shot-dead-in-karachi-31862"> Chinese national shot dead in Karachi</a>

One of the Chinese suffered two bullet wounds to his head and later succumbed to his injuries, the head of the government hospital said.

&quot;The consulate general of China has sent officials to the hospital and urged the police to solve the case as soon as possible and bring the criminals to justice,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular briefing.&nbsp;

The two Chinese were working for a shipping company.

Thousands of Chinese engineers and technicians are working in Pakistan.

China is ramping up investment as part of a $54 billion project known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, upgrading infrastructure, power and transport links between its far-western Xinjiang region and Pakistan&#39;s Gwadar port.

Last October, Pakistan confirmed the death of two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped in the southwestern city of Quetta, months after the Islamic State group claimed it had killed them.

When asked whether Beijing was concerned about the safety of its citizens in Pakistan, Geng noted Pakistan&#39;s government and military have taken a series of counterterrorism and social security measures.

&quot;We support Pakistan&#39;s relevant actions to safeguard national security and we believe Pakistan will continue to take measures to safeguard the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan,&quot; Geng said.&nbsp;

The two Chinese were in their car in an upmarket area on Monday when the attackers in another car opened fire on their vehicle

China on Tuesday urged Pakistan to rapidly bring perpetrators to justice after unidentified gunmen shot at two Chinese nationals in the southern city of Karachi, killing one of them. The two Chinese were in their car in an upmarket area on Monday when the attackers in another car opened fire on their vehicle, according to police, describing it as an apparent "targeted attack". Also read: Chinese national shot dead in Karachi One of the Chinese suffered two bullet wounds to his head and later succumbed to his injuries, the head of the government hospital said. "The consulate general of China has sent officials to the hospital and urged the police to solve the case as soon as possible and bring the criminals to justice," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular briefing. The two Chinese were working for a shipping company. Thousands of Chinese engineers and technicians are working in Pakistan. China is ramping up investment as part of a $54 billion project known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, upgrading infrastructure, power and transport links between its far-western Xinjiang region and Pakistan's Gwadar port. Last October, Pakistan confirmed the death of two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped in the southwestern city of Quetta, months after the Islamic State group claimed it had killed them. When asked whether Beijing was concerned about the safety of its citizens in Pakistan, Geng noted Pakistan's government and military have taken a series of counterterrorism and social security measures. "We support Pakistan's relevant actions to safeguard national security and we believe Pakistan will continue to take measures to safeguard the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan," Geng said.

China urges Pakistan to solve Chinese citizen's killing

Around 34 militants of the Islamic State were killed and seven were left wounded on Monday in two incidents in Afghanistan&#39;s eastern province of Nangarhar.&nbsp;

Almost 25 militants of the Islamic State were killed during airstrikes in Mahmand Dara, Achin district on Monday. There were no casualties among the security forces in the attack.&nbsp;

Also, at least nine militants were killed in clashes between the Lashkar-e-Islami (LeI) and the Islamic State terrorist group in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The clashes also took place in the same area as well. Three LeI and six IS militants died as well as and 10 armed men from two sides were left wounded.&nbsp;

Both the rival armed groups often fight over expanding territory in parts of Afghanistan.

Last year in October, a deadly fight between the two factions of Taliban in western Heart region left 50 insurgents dead.

There were no casualties among the security forces in the attack.

Around 34 militants of the Islamic State were killed and seven were left wounded on Monday in two incidents in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar. Almost 25 militants of the Islamic State were killed during airstrikes in Mahmand Dara, Achin district on Monday. There were no casualties among the security forces in the attack. Also, at least nine militants were killed in clashes between the Lashkar-e-Islami (LeI) and the Islamic State terrorist group in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The clashes also took place in the same area as well. Three LeI and six IS militants died as well as and 10 armed men from two sides were left wounded. Both the rival armed groups often fight over expanding territory in parts of Afghanistan. Last year in October, a deadly fight between the two factions of Taliban in western Heart region left 50 insurgents dead.

Almost 34 IS, LeI militants killed in Afghanistan

&nbsp;Armed officers patrol a train station where television screens and giant posters warn of the threat from militants. Nearby, fake gunmen storm a shopping mall in one of many recent terror attack simulations.

But this is not some war-ravaged country. It is one of the safest in the world, Singapore.

The wealthy island-state has a near-perfect record of keeping its shores free from terror, but as it prepares to host defence ministers from around Southeast Asia this week, it appears to have good reason to have prioritised stopping the spread of militancy in the region.

The cosmopolitan financial hub, which was second only to Tokyo in The Economist Intelligence Unit&#39;s Safe Cities Index in 2017, says it has been the target of militant plots for years, some stemming from its Muslim-majority neighbours, and that it&#39;s a matter of &#39;when&#39; and not &#39;if&#39; militants will strike.

&quot;Singapore continues to face a serious security threat from both homegrown radicalised individuals and foreign terrorists who continue to see Singapore as a prized target,&quot; Singapore&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in response to e-mailed questions from Reuters.

Singapore authorities say they have been a target of Islamic extremism since the 1990s, but efforts to deter terrorism have stepped up markedly in recent years with more frequent attacks on Western countries and after Islamic State (IS) militants briefly took over a town in the southern Philippines last year.

Raising further concerns about the threat to the island, a Singaporean soldier has featured on a number of Islamic State promotional videos, most recently in December where he was filmed executing men alongside other militants.

In its inaugural Terrorism Threat Assessment Report released last year, the MHA said Islamic State has demonstrated that Singapore is &quot;very much on its radar&quot; and that the threat to the country remains &quot;the highest in recent years&quot; - claims that are backed up by security experts.

&quot;Singapore, being known as safe and secure, makes it such a risk target,&quot; said Dan Bould, Asia director of crisis management at professional services firm Aon and a former captain in the British army.

&quot;If there&#39;s an attack in the Philippines, it may get half an hour in a 24-hour news cycle. An attack in Singapore with all the multicultural individuals operating here will be within the narrative for a few days at least.&quot;

In early 2017, Aon lifted Singapore in the terrorism and political violence category of its annual risk map from negligible to low risk.

Mobile app

The reality is that Singapore has so far escaped the attacks seen in other major world cities like New York, London and Berlin in recent years. That&#39;s why it is at the bottom of the 2017 Global Terror Index, with no reported terror-related attacks post 9/11.

But three in four Singaporeans believe that it&#39;s only a matter of time before the country experiences a terror attack, a poll by the local newspaper Sunday Times last year showed.

Singapore authorities certainly do not want their citizens to be complacent. Everyone, including school children, is encouraged to download a mobile app that alerts them to emergency situations and allows them to send in videos and photos of suspicious events.

The MHA said that as of the end of last year, more than 1.3 million devices were equipped with the SGSecure app, a large chunk of the population of around 5.6 million.

Simulations of terror attacks - including one just over a week ago where masked gunman stormed a children&#39;s activity centre on the resort island of Sentosa - are regular. Last month, Singapore&#39;s military undertook its biggest mobilisation exercise in more than three decades, including an inter-agency response to the simulation of a gunman at its national stadium.

Authorities said last year there was reliable information that IS militants were considering carrying out an attack in Singapore in the first half of 2016, a threat which they said was countered.

In August 2016, neighbouring Indonesia, which has the world&#39;s largest Muslim population, arrested six suspects with links to IS who were accused of plotting rocket attacks on Singapore&#39;s iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Malaysia, Singapore&#39;s northern neighbour which also has a Muslim-majority, and Indonesia say thousands of their citizens sympathize with IS and hundreds are believed to have travelled to Syria to join the group. Regional security officials say many are returning home after reverses in the Middle East.

Hardline Approach

Singapore takes a hardline approach to suspected radicals and Bilveer Singh, an adjunct senior fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, says it is one of the reasons behind its success so far.

The most controversial measure at its disposal is its colonial-era Internal Security Act which allows for suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial.

The MHA said it currently has 20 people detained under the Act for &quot;terrorism-related&quot; activities, and since 2002 has held close to 90 for such activities.

&quot;ISA is a fantastic deterrent, and so far it has worked,&quot; Singh said.

Authorities have also deported scores of foreigners for suspected radicalism in recent years, and in October banned two popular Muslim preachers from Zimbabwe and Malaysia from entering the city-state, saying their views bred intolerance and were a risk to its social harmony.

Armed officers patrol a train station where television screens and giant posters warn of the threat from militants

Armed officers patrol a train station where television screens and giant posters warn of the threat from militants. Nearby, fake gunmen storm a shopping mall in one of many recent terror attack simulations. But this is not some war-ravaged country. It is one of the safest in the world, Singapore. The wealthy island-state has a near-perfect record of keeping its shores free from terror, but as it prepares to host defence ministers from around Southeast Asia this week, it appears to have good reason to have prioritised stopping the spread of militancy in the region. The cosmopolitan financial hub, which was second only to Tokyo in The Economist Intelligence Unit's Safe Cities Index in 2017, says it has been the target of militant plots for years, some stemming from its Muslim-majority neighbours, and that it's a matter of 'when' and not 'if' militants will strike. "Singapore continues to face a serious security threat from both homegrown radicalised individuals and foreign terrorists who continue to see Singapore as a prized target," Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in response to e-mailed questions from Reuters. Singapore authorities say they have been a target of Islamic extremism since the 1990s, but efforts to deter terrorism have stepped up markedly in recent years with more frequent attacks on Western countries and after Islamic State (IS) militants briefly took over a town in the southern Philippines last year. Raising further concerns about the threat to the island, a Singaporean soldier has featured on a number of Islamic State promotional videos, most recently in December where he was filmed executing men alongside other militants. In its inaugural Terrorism Threat Assessment Report released last year, the MHA said Islamic State has demonstrated that Singapore is "very much on its radar" and that the threat to the country remains "the highest in recent years" - claims that are backed up by security experts. "Singapore, being known as safe and secure, makes it such a risk target," said Dan Bould, Asia director of crisis management at professional services firm Aon and a former captain in the British army. "If there's an attack in the Philippines, it may get half an hour in a 24-hour news cycle. An attack in Singapore with all the multicultural individuals operating here will be within the narrative for a few days at least." In early 2017, Aon lifted Singapore in the terrorism and political violence category of its annual risk map from negligible to low risk. Mobile app The reality is that Singapore has so far escaped the attacks seen in other major world cities like New York, London and Berlin in recent years. That's why it is at the bottom of the 2017 Global Terror Index, with no reported terror-related attacks post 9/11. But three in four Singaporeans believe that it's only a matter of time before the country experiences a terror attack, a poll by the local newspaper Sunday Times last year showed. Singapore authorities certainly do not want their citizens to be complacent. Everyone, including school children, is encouraged to download a mobile app that alerts them to emergency situations and allows them to send in videos and photos of suspicious events. The MHA said that as of the end of last year, more than 1.3 million devices were equipped with the SGSecure app, a large chunk of the population of around 5.6 million. Simulations of terror attacks - including one just over a week ago where masked gunman stormed a children's activity centre on the resort island of Sentosa - are regular. Last month, Singapore's military undertook its biggest mobilisation exercise in more than three decades, including an inter-agency response to the simulation of a gunman at its national stadium. Authorities said last year there was reliable information that IS militants were considering carrying out an attack in Singapore in the first half of 2016, a threat which they said was countered. In August 2016, neighbouring Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, arrested six suspects with links to IS who were accused of plotting rocket attacks on Singapore's iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel. Malaysia, Singapore's northern neighbour which also has a Muslim-majority, and Indonesia say thousands of their citizens sympathize with IS and hundreds are believed to have travelled to Syria to join the group. Regional security officials say many are returning home after reverses in the Middle East. Hardline Approach Singapore takes a hardline approach to suspected radicals and Bilveer Singh, an adjunct senior fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, says it is one of the reasons behind its success so far. The most controversial measure at its disposal is its colonial-era Internal Security Act which allows for suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial. The MHA said it currently has 20 people detained under the Act for "terrorism-related" activities, and since 2002 has held close to 90 for such activities. "ISA is a fantastic deterrent, and so far it has worked," Singh said. Authorities have also deported scores of foreigners for suspected radicalism in recent years, and in October banned two popular Muslim preachers from Zimbabwe and Malaysia from entering the city-state, saying their views bred intolerance and were a risk to its social harmony.

It's when, not if: Singapore worries, and prepares, for militant attack

Germany&#39;s domestic intelligence chief wants the government to review laws restricting the surveillance of minors to guard against the children of Islamist fighters returning to the country as &quot;sleeper agents&quot; who could carry out attacks.

Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the BfV agency, told Reuters that security officials were preparing for the return of Islamic State fighters to Germany along with potentially &quot;brainwashed&quot; children, although no big wave appeared imminent.

Nearly 1,000 people are believed to have left Germany to join up with the Islamist militants. As the group&#39;s presence in the Middle East crumbles, some are returning with family members.

Only a small number of the 290 toddlers and children who left Germany or were born in Syria and Iraq had returned thus far, Maassen said. Many were likely to still be in the region, or perhaps moving to areas such as Afghanistan, where Islamic State remains strong.

He said Germany should review laws restricting surveillance of minors under the age of 14 to prepare for the increased risk of attacks by children as young as nine who grew up in Islamic State schools.

&quot;We see that children who grew up with Islamic State were brainwashed in the schools and the kindergartens of the IS,&quot; he said.

&quot;They were confronted early with the IS ideology ... learned to fight, and were in some cases forced to participate in the abuse of prisoners, or even the killing of prisoners.&quot;

He said security officials believed such children could later carry out violent attacks in Germany.

&quot;We have to consider that these children could be living time bombs,&quot; he said. &quot;There is a danger that these children come back brainwashed with a mission to carry out attacks.&quot;

Maassen&#39;s comments were the first specific estimate of the number of children affected, following his initial warning in October that such children could pose a threat after being indoctrinated in battlefield areas.

The radicalisation of minors has been a big topic in Germany given that three of five Islamist attacks in Germany in 2016 were carried out by minors, and a 12-year-old boy was also detained after trying to bomb a Christmas market in Ludwigshafen.

The German government says it has evidence that more than 960 people left Germany for Iraq and Syria through November 2017 to fight for the Islamic State jihadist group, of which about a third are believed to have returned to Germany. Another 150 likely died in combat, according to government data.

Maassen said Islamic State also continued to target vulnerable youths in Germany through the Internet and social media, often providing slick advertising or age-appropriate propaganda to recruit them to join the jihadist group.

&quot;Islamic State uses headhunters who scour the Internet for children that can be approached and tries to radicalise these children, or recruit these children for terrorist attacks,&quot; he said.

Hans-Georg Maassen said Germany should review laws restricting surveillance of minors under the age of 14

Germany's domestic intelligence chief wants the government to review laws restricting the surveillance of minors to guard against the children of Islamist fighters returning to the country as "sleeper agents" who could carry out attacks. Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the BfV agency, told Reuters that security officials were preparing for the return of Islamic State fighters to Germany along with potentially "brainwashed" children, although no big wave appeared imminent. Nearly 1,000 people are believed to have left Germany to join up with the Islamist militants. As the group's presence in the Middle East crumbles, some are returning with family members. Only a small number of the 290 toddlers and children who left Germany or were born in Syria and Iraq had returned thus far, Maassen said. Many were likely to still be in the region, or perhaps moving to areas such as Afghanistan, where Islamic State remains strong. He said Germany should review laws restricting surveillance of minors under the age of 14 to prepare for the increased risk of attacks by children as young as nine who grew up in Islamic State schools. "We see that children who grew up with Islamic State were brainwashed in the schools and the kindergartens of the IS," he said. "They were confronted early with the IS ideology ... learned to fight, and were in some cases forced to participate in the abuse of prisoners, or even the killing of prisoners." He said security officials believed such children could later carry out violent attacks in Germany. "We have to consider that these children could be living time bombs," he said. "There is a danger that these children come back brainwashed with a mission to carry out attacks." Maassen's comments were the first specific estimate of the number of children affected, following his initial warning in October that such children could pose a threat after being indoctrinated in battlefield areas. The radicalisation of minors has been a big topic in Germany given that three of five Islamist attacks in Germany in 2016 were carried out by minors, and a 12-year-old boy was also detained after trying to bomb a Christmas market in Ludwigshafen. The German government says it has evidence that more than 960 people left Germany for Iraq and Syria through November 2017 to fight for the Islamic State jihadist group, of which about a third are believed to have returned to Germany. Another 150 likely died in combat, according to government data. Maassen said Islamic State also continued to target vulnerable youths in Germany through the Internet and social media, often providing slick advertising or age-appropriate propaganda to recruit them to join the jihadist group. "Islamic State uses headhunters who scour the Internet for children that can be approached and tries to radicalise these children, or recruit these children for terrorist attacks," he said.

Islamic State fighters with 'brainwashed' children could carry out attacks: German intelligence chief

Militants on Monday raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers, the fourth major attack in a spate of violence over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy under the spotlight.

Five gunmen attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan&#39;s main military academies on Monday and 11 soldiers were killed and 15 wounded before the attackers were subdued, the defence ministry said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city&#39;s western outskirts, in which four of the gunmen were killed and one captured.

It came two days after an ambulance bomb in the city centre killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20.

Both of those attacks were claimed by the Taliban.

Ministry of Defence officials said the five militants, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, attacked the outpost near the well-defended academy just before dawn.

&quot;The Afghan National Army is the country&#39;s defence force and makes sacrifices for the security and well-being of the people,&quot; the ministry said.

Security officials at the scene said the gunmen had used a ladder to get over a wall into the post.

In October, a suicide attacker rammed a car full of explosives into a bus carrying cadets from the academy, known as the Defence University, killing 15 of them.

While militants claiming allegiance to Islamic State operate in mountains in the eastern province of Nangarhar, little is known about the group and many analysts question whether they are solely responsible for the attacks they have claimed in Kabul and elsewhere.

Islamic State claimed an assault on the office of aid group Save the Children in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday in which six people were killed.

The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US&nbsp;allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres.

The United States has stepped up its assistance to Afghan security forces and its air strikes against the Taliban and other militant groups, aiming to break a stalemate and force the insurgents to the negotiating table.

However, the Taliban have dismissed suggestions they have been weakened and said Saturday&#39;s bombing was a message to President Donald Trump.

&quot;The Islamic Emirate has a clear message for Trump and his hand kissers, that if you go ahead with a policy of aggression and speak from the barrel of a gun, don&#39;t expect Afghans to grow flowers in response,&quot; Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using the term the Islamist militants use to describe themselves.

This week&#39;s surge of violence is unlikely to sway the U.S. strategy, or breathe life into stalled efforts to get peace talks going.

The U.S. military and the Afghan government say big attacks on civilians are evidence that the militants are being squeezed in the countryside.

Trump condemned the Saturday attack, saying it &quot;renews our resolve and that of our Afghan partners&quot;.

&quot;We will not allow the Taliban to win!&quot; he said on Twitter on Sunday.

But Ghani, embroiled in confrontation with provincial powerbrokers defying central rule, faces anger from an increasingly frustrated population, who want him to set aside political divisions and focus on security.

&quot;People think the government is working very badly, that the security agencies think about themselves and don&#39;t care, and the international coalition just wants to fight with air strikes and doesn&#39;t have any good intelligence,&quot; said Najib Mahmood, political science professor at Kabul University.

Saturday&#39;s blast in one of the most heavily protected parts of the city, close to foreign embassies and government buildings, was the worst in the Afghan capital since a truck bomb near the German embassy killed 150 people in May.

The May blast triggered bloody anti-government protests but there has been no sign of any such agitation this week.

The United States and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of helping the Taliban in a bid to undermine old rival India&#39;s growing influence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, which denies accusations it fosters the Afghan war, condemned the attack and called for &quot;concerted efforts and effective cooperation&quot; to tackle militancy.

A few hours after Monday&#39;s attack, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Kabul. Indonesia has the world&#39;s biggest Muslim population, and Widodo has proposed its Islamic scholars could help promote Afghan peace.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city's western outskirts.

Militants on Monday raided a military academy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 11 soldiers, the fourth major attack in a spate of violence over the past nine days that is putting a new, more aggressive US strategy under the spotlight. Five gunmen attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan's main military academies on Monday and 11 soldiers were killed and 15 wounded before the attackers were subdued, the defence ministry said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack near the Marshal Fahim military academy on the city's western outskirts, in which four of the gunmen were killed and one captured. It came two days after an ambulance bomb in the city centre killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, also in Kabul, killed more than 20. Both of those attacks were claimed by the Taliban. Ministry of Defence officials said the five militants, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, attacked the outpost near the well-defended academy just before dawn. "The Afghan National Army is the country's defence force and makes sacrifices for the security and well-being of the people," the ministry said. Security officials at the scene said the gunmen had used a ladder to get over a wall into the post. In October, a suicide attacker rammed a car full of explosives into a bus carrying cadets from the academy, known as the Defence University, killing 15 of them. While militants claiming allegiance to Islamic State operate in mountains in the eastern province of Nangarhar, little is known about the group and many analysts question whether they are solely responsible for the attacks they have claimed in Kabul and elsewhere. Islamic State claimed an assault on the office of aid group Save the Children in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday in which six people were killed. The attacks have put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani and his US allies, who have expressed growing confidence that a new, more aggressive military strategy has succeeded in driving Taliban insurgents back from major provincial centres. The United States has stepped up its assistance to Afghan security forces and its air strikes against the Taliban and other militant groups, aiming to break a stalemate and force the insurgents to the negotiating table. However, the Taliban have dismissed suggestions they have been weakened and said Saturday's bombing was a message to President Donald Trump. "The Islamic Emirate has a clear message for Trump and his hand kissers, that if you go ahead with a policy of aggression and speak from the barrel of a gun, don't expect Afghans to grow flowers in response," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, using the term the Islamist militants use to describe themselves. This week's surge of violence is unlikely to sway the U.S. strategy, or breathe life into stalled efforts to get peace talks going. The U.S. military and the Afghan government say big attacks on civilians are evidence that the militants are being squeezed in the countryside. Trump condemned the Saturday attack, saying it "renews our resolve and that of our Afghan partners". "We will not allow the Taliban to win!" he said on Twitter on Sunday. But Ghani, embroiled in confrontation with provincial powerbrokers defying central rule, faces anger from an increasingly frustrated population, who want him to set aside political divisions and focus on security. "People think the government is working very badly, that the security agencies think about themselves and don't care, and the international coalition just wants to fight with air strikes and doesn't have any good intelligence," said Najib Mahmood, political science professor at Kabul University. Saturday's blast in one of the most heavily protected parts of the city, close to foreign embassies and government buildings, was the worst in the Afghan capital since a truck bomb near the German embassy killed 150 people in May. The May blast triggered bloody anti-government protests but there has been no sign of any such agitation this week. The United States and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of helping the Taliban in a bid to undermine old rival India's growing influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan, which denies accusations it fosters the Afghan war, condemned the attack and called for "concerted efforts and effective cooperation" to tackle militancy. A few hours after Monday's attack, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Kabul. Indonesia has the world's biggest Muslim population, and Widodo has proposed its Islamic scholars could help promote Afghan peace.

11 Afghan soldiers killed in Kabul attack, IS claims responsibility

The Islamic State group claimed a pre-dawn attack on a military compound in Kabul today that officials said has killed at least five army soldiers and wounded 10 others.

&quot;Islamic State fighters targeted the military academy in the city of Kabul in a suicide attack,&quot; IS said via its propaganda arm Amaq.

At least five militants attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan&rsquo;s main military academies on Monday, Tolo news reported.&nbsp;

The attack in the western outskirts of the capital, Kabul, came two days after an ambulance bomb in the centre of the city killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental killed more than 20.

Security forces have killed three terrorists and arrested one so far. The battle continues against what appears to be one remaining attacker. Afghanistan&#39;s Ministry of Defence has said 10 personnel of the Afghan National Army have been injured in the attack.

As per media reports, &nbsp;The attack on the Afghan Military Academy this morning had the fingerprints of the Pakistan Army as the equipment used were issued by the Pakistan Army and have been supplied earlier to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terror groups.

Afghan diplomat Majeed Qarar took to Twitter to allege that the equipment used by the attackers were supplied by the Pakistan Army to the terrorist organisation in Kashmir and Afghanistan.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand&#39;s ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company &amp; supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir &amp; Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int&#39;l terrorist org.
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/957805793541345283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Pressure in, pressure out. The harsh wave of attacks in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> was expected after <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> tweet about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a>. Does anyone in the world still doubt about Pakistan&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/terrorist?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#terrorist</a> status? Just link these two dots, the picture is clear.
&mdash; Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajeedQarar/status/957786489982738432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The attack was reportedly launched at around 5 am on the Military University in PD5, Kabul city.

At least five militants attacked an army outpost

The Islamic State group claimed a pre-dawn attack on a military compound in Kabul today that officials said has killed at least five army soldiers and wounded 10 others. "Islamic State fighters targeted the military academy in the city of Kabul in a suicide attack," IS said via its propaganda arm Amaq. At least five militants attacked an army outpost near one of Afghanistan’s main military academies on Monday, Tolo news reported. The attack in the western outskirts of the capital, Kabul, came two days after an ambulance bomb in the centre of the city killed more than 100 people and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental killed more than 20. Security forces have killed three terrorists and arrested one so far. The battle continues against what appears to be one remaining attacker. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence has said 10 personnel of the Afghan National Army have been injured in the attack. As per media reports, The attack on the Afghan Military Academy this morning had the fingerprints of the Pakistan Army as the equipment used were issued by the Pakistan Army and have been supplied earlier to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terror groups. Afghan diplomat Majeed Qarar took to Twitter to allege that the equipment used by the attackers were supplied by the Pakistan Army to the terrorist organisation in Kashmir and Afghanistan. The night vision goggles found with Taliban attackers in maiwand's ANA base were military grade goggles (Not sold to public) procured by Pak army from a British company & supplied 2 Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Kashmir & Taliban in Afghanistn. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is an int'l terrorist org. — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × Pressure in, pressure out. The harsh wave of attacks in #Kabul was expected after @realDonaldTrump tweet about #Pakistan. Does anyone in the world still doubt about Pakistan's #terrorist status? Just link these two dots, the picture is clear. — Majeed Qarar (@MajeedQarar) January 29, 2018 × The attack was reportedly launched at around 5 am on the Military University in PD5, Kabul city.

Islamic State group claims attack on Kabul military compound

The cyber wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs has intercepted articles and images posted on a Telegram channel which it says is pro-ISIS and supports the establishment of sharia&nbsp;in Jammu and Kashmir, sources have told the Zee group.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Telegram channel, the MHA sources say, was created on September 23, 2017, renamed on October 3, 2017, and has 223 members.&nbsp;A Telegram channel is similar to a WhatsApp group.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The MHA report adds that VeraCrypt, a programme used to encrypt files and disks, was also posted on the channel. As was content related to lone-wolf attacks and techniques explaining the usage of explosives.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/wont-allow-anti-india-activities-in-kashmir-army-chief-29627" target="_blank">Won&#39;t allow anti-India activities in Kashmir, says Army chief</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-and-a-difficult-out-of-south-kashmir-3206" target="_blank">In and a difficult out of South Kashmir</a>

The report adds that a hashtag in support of Islamic State has been doing the rounds of social media in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

The report says the hashtag was used in 2014 when the IS was active in Iraq and Syria and that, as per analysis on Facebook, usage of the hashtag has seen a tenfold increase in 2017.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The sources said the MHA has instructed security agencies to identify&nbsp;the admininstrator of the channel and take action. 
&nbsp; 
For security reasons, the Zee group has decided not to disclose the name of pro-IS Telegram channel.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The cyber wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs has intercepted articles and images posted on a Telegram channel which it says is pro-ISIS and supports the establishment of sharia in Jammu and Kashmir

The cyber wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs has intercepted articles and images posted on a Telegram channel which it says is pro-ISIS and supports the establishment of sharia in Jammu and Kashmir, sources have told the Zee group. The Telegram channel, the MHA sources say, was created on September 23, 2017, renamed on October 3, 2017, and has 223 members. A Telegram channel is similar to a WhatsApp group. The MHA report adds that VeraCrypt, a programme used to encrypt files and disks, was also posted on the channel. As was content related to lone-wolf attacks and techniques explaining the usage of explosives. Also read: Won't allow anti-India activities in Kashmir, says Army chief Also read: In and a difficult out of South Kashmir The report adds that a hashtag in support of Islamic State has been doing the rounds of social media in Jammu and Kashmir. The report says the hashtag was used in 2014 when the IS was active in Iraq and Syria and that, as per analysis on Facebook, usage of the hashtag has seen a tenfold increase in 2017. The sources said the MHA has instructed security agencies to identify the admininstrator of the channel and take action. For security reasons, the Zee group has decided not to disclose the name of pro-IS Telegram channel.

Pro-IS groups may be encouraging lone-wolf attacks in Kashmir: MHA sources

Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan&nbsp; on Sunday.

The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle.&nbsp;

Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district.

According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter.&nbsp;

Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike.&nbsp;

There have been no comments from the militant group as yet.&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well.

Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province.

Around 17 militants affiliated with the Islamic State have been killed in a drone strike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Sunday. The latest airstrike was conducted by the United States forces in two districts using an unnamed aerial vehicle. Officials have informed that 14 militants were killed in Haska Mina district while the rest three were killed in Achin district. According to reports, foreign fighters were are also among those killed in the airstrikes. The coalition sent an Afghan militia leader, a USA service member, and an interpreter. Reports further say that a compound of terror group was also targeted and taken during the air strike. There have been no comments from the militant group as yet. According to the report, US warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while its special forces conducted ground operations in the province. As per the new Afghan strategy of the US administration, which President Donald Trump announced in August, the forces have intensified the attacks against Taliban and the number of soldiers has gone up as well. Presently, there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan.

17 IS militants killed in airstrike in Afghanistan

The Bangladeshi man accused of attempting an Islamic State-inspired suicide bomb attack on a busy New York City commuter hub in December pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal terrorism charges.

&quot;At this moment, not guilty,&quot; said Akayed Ullah, 27, when US District Judge Richard Sullivan asked him for his plea at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan.

The charges against Ullah include supporting a foreign terrorist organisation, using a weapon of mass destruction and carrying out a terrorist attack against a mass transit system. Ullah faces life in prison if convicted.

Ullah was arrested on December 11 after trying to detonate a pipe bomb secured to his body in a pedestrian tunnel in New York City&#39;s subway system, according to federal prosecutors. The tunnel is in a busy subway station in Manhattan&#39;s Times Square that is connected to the busy Port Authority Bus Terminal, which is used by commuters from New York&#39;s suburbs as well as out-of-town travellers.

Ullah was hospitalised for injuries suffered after the bomb ignited but failed to detonate as intended, while three other people suffered minor injuries, according to prosecutors.

Ullah told police officers after the blast that he &quot;did it for the Islamic State,&quot; according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 13.

Prosecutors said that Ullah, who has lived in the United States since 2011, began his self-radicalization in 2014 when he started viewing pro-Islamic State materials online. Inside Ullah&#39;s passport, which was recovered from his home, was a handwritten note that read, &ldquo;O AMERICA, DIE IN YOUR RAGE,&rdquo; according to the complaint.

Monirul Islam, head of the Bangladesh police&rsquo;s counterterrorism unit, told Reuters shortly after the attack in December that his country had found no evidence linking Ullah to militants in his home country.

Ullah&#39;s court-appointed lawyer, Amy Gallicchio, said at Thursday&#39;s hearing that Ullah, who is currently being held in Manhattan&#39;s Metropolitan Correctional Center, had not been seen by a doctor in days and asked the judge to order that he receive medical attention.

Sullivan told Gallicchio to direct her request to prison authorities first.

Ullah was arrested on December 11 after trying to detonate a pipe bomb secured to his body in a pedestrian tunnel in New York City's subway system.

The Bangladeshi man accused of attempting an Islamic State-inspired suicide bomb attack on a busy New York City commuter hub in December pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal terrorism charges. "At this moment, not guilty," said Akayed Ullah, 27, when US District Judge Richard Sullivan asked him for his plea at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan. The charges against Ullah include supporting a foreign terrorist organisation, using a weapon of mass destruction and carrying out a terrorist attack against a mass transit system. Ullah faces life in prison if convicted. Ullah was arrested on December 11 after trying to detonate a pipe bomb secured to his body in a pedestrian tunnel in New York City's subway system, according to federal prosecutors. The tunnel is in a busy subway station in Manhattan's Times Square that is connected to the busy Port Authority Bus Terminal, which is used by commuters from New York's suburbs as well as out-of-town travellers. Ullah was hospitalised for injuries suffered after the bomb ignited but failed to detonate as intended, while three other people suffered minor injuries, according to prosecutors. Ullah told police officers after the blast that he "did it for the Islamic State," according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 13. Prosecutors said that Ullah, who has lived in the United States since 2011, began his self-radicalization in 2014 when he started viewing pro-Islamic State materials online. Inside Ullah's passport, which was recovered from his home, was a handwritten note that read, “O AMERICA, DIE IN YOUR RAGE,” according to the complaint. Monirul Islam, head of the Bangladesh police’s counterterrorism unit, told Reuters shortly after the attack in December that his country had found no evidence linking Ullah to militants in his home country. Ullah's court-appointed lawyer, Amy Gallicchio, said at Thursday's hearing that Ullah, who is currently being held in Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center, had not been seen by a doctor in days and asked the judge to order that he receive medical attention. Sullivan told Gallicchio to direct her request to prison authorities first.

Bangladeshi bomber pleads not guilty in New York subway bomb attack

Two people have been arrested on charges of helping a Muslim man &quot;forcibly&quot; convert a Kerala woman and attempting to take her to Syria to be sold off to Islamic State terrorists.

Fayaz and Siyad, both natives of North Paravur near Kochi, were arrested on Wednesday following investigations based on a complaint by the 25-year-old woman, who was rescued from Saudi Arabia and brought home last year by her family.

The two are friends of Muhammad Riyaz from Thalassery in Kannur district, the prime accused in the case.

&quot;They have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,&quot; Ernakulam Rural SP A V George said, adding a hunt is on to arrest eight more accused, including Riyas, in the case.

He said the police have begun a probe into their alleged link with the Islamic State terrorists.

George said both Fayaz and Siyad were arrested based on the woman&#39;s complaint that she was allegedly tortured by them in a house in North Paravoor before Riyaz took her abroad.

The woman had alleged that Riyaz pretended to be in love with her when she was studying in Bengaluru in 2014 and forced her to convert to Islam and married her.

The woman from Pathanamthitta was brought up in Gujarat. She had moved the Kerala High Court last year seeking an NIA probe against Riyaz for attempting to take her to Syria from Saudi Arabia and sell her to the Islamic State terrorists as a sex slave.

She has also alleged that her marriage was registered using forged documents.

Fayaz and Siyad, both natives of North Paravur near Kochi, were arrested on Wednesday following investigations based on a complaint by the 25-year-old woman, who was rescued from Saudi Arabia and brought home last year by her family

Two people have been arrested on charges of helping a Muslim man "forcibly" convert a Kerala woman and attempting to take her to Syria to be sold off to Islamic State terrorists. Fayaz and Siyad, both natives of North Paravur near Kochi, were arrested on Wednesday following investigations based on a complaint by the 25-year-old woman, who was rescued from Saudi Arabia and brought home last year by her family. The two are friends of Muhammad Riyaz from Thalassery in Kannur district, the prime accused in the case. "They have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," Ernakulam Rural SP A V George said, adding a hunt is on to arrest eight more accused, including Riyas, in the case. He said the police have begun a probe into their alleged link with the Islamic State terrorists. George said both Fayaz and Siyad were arrested based on the woman's complaint that she was allegedly tortured by them in a house in North Paravoor before Riyaz took her abroad. The woman had alleged that Riyaz pretended to be in love with her when she was studying in Bengaluru in 2014 and forced her to convert to Islam and married her. The woman from Pathanamthitta was brought up in Gujarat. She had moved the Kerala High Court last year seeking an NIA probe against Riyaz for attempting to take her to Syria from Saudi Arabia and sell her to the Islamic State terrorists as a sex slave. She has also alleged that her marriage was registered using forged documents.

2 held over bid to sell off Kerala woman to IS after 'forced conversion'

The Islamic State (IS) militant group poses a major threat to Pakistan and is alarmingly increasing its presence in the country, according to a think- tank report.

Pakistan has been denying that ISIS had an organised presence in the country, however, even though the terrorist group has claimed responsibility for several other attacks in Baluchistan in recent years.

The security report by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) yesterday stated that the ISIS, especially active in northern Sindh and Balochistan, was also behind the abduction and killing of two Chinese nationals last year, Dawn News reported.

The PIPS shared the findings of its security analysis titled Special Report 2017, providing an insight into security challenges of Pakistan.

&quot;Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaatul Ahrar and others with similar objectives perpetrated 58 per cent attacks, while 37 per cent and 5 per cent of the attacks were carried out by nationalist insurgents and violent sectarian groups respectively,&quot; it said.

The report has also highlighted that Baloch nationalist- insurgent groups, especially Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were only second to TTP as far as their threat capability was concerned.

The report also noted the alarming increase in the footprint of ISIS, especially in Balochistan and northern Sindh as it carried out the deadliest attacks in those provinces. It said that footprints of ISIS was increasing and it &quot;killed 153 in 6 deadliest attacks&quot;.

It said, &quot;down 16 per cent from the year before, 370 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan (in 2017), killing 815 and injuring 1,736 people.&quot;

 
It said that Balochistan and the tribal region remained critical areas with 288 and 253 terrorism-related killings, respectively, in 2017.

The report said that security forces and law enforcement agencies killed 524 militants in military/security operations as well as armed clashes and encounters.

It also reported that Pakistan&#39;s National Security Policy is set to be released in 2018 and it will take into account especially global and regional scenarios, including the evolving Pakistan-US relations.

Though Pakistan government has denied the presence of the Islamic State (IS) on its soil, a leading think-tank here has warned that the dreaded terror outfit is alarmingly increasing its presence, posing a major threat to the country

The Islamic State (IS) militant group poses a major threat to Pakistan and is alarmingly increasing its presence in the country, according to a think- tank report. Pakistan has been denying that ISIS had an organised presence in the country, however, even though the terrorist group has claimed responsibility for several other attacks in Baluchistan in recent years. The security report by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) yesterday stated that the ISIS, especially active in northern Sindh and Balochistan, was also behind the abduction and killing of two Chinese nationals last year, Dawn News reported. The PIPS shared the findings of its security analysis titled Special Report 2017, providing an insight into security challenges of Pakistan. "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaatul Ahrar and others with similar objectives perpetrated 58 per cent attacks, while 37 per cent and 5 per cent of the attacks were carried out by nationalist insurgents and violent sectarian groups respectively," it said. The report has also highlighted that Baloch nationalist- insurgent groups, especially Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were only second to TTP as far as their threat capability was concerned. The report also noted the alarming increase in the footprint of ISIS, especially in Balochistan and northern Sindh as it carried out the deadliest attacks in those provinces. It said that footprints of ISIS was increasing and it "killed 153 in 6 deadliest attacks". It said, "down 16 per cent from the year before, 370 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan (in 2017), killing 815 and injuring 1,736 people." It said that Balochistan and the tribal region remained critical areas with 288 and 253 terrorism-related killings, respectively, in 2017. The report said that security forces and law enforcement agencies killed 524 militants in military/security operations as well as armed clashes and encounters. It also reported that Pakistan's National Security Policy is set to be released in 2018 and it will take into account especially global and regional scenarios, including the evolving Pakistan-US relations.

ISIS on the rise in Pakistan: Report

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Thursday in Afghanistan&#39;s capital Kabul, the militant group&rsquo;s Amaq news agency said.

Officials in the capital said the attacker blew himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing.

The report by Amaq gave no evidence to support the claim.

A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital caused dozens of casualties on Thursday after blowing himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing, officials said.

Islamic State, which has claimed a series of attacks in Kabul over the past two years, issued a statement on its Amaq news agency saying it was responsible.

It said a suicide bomber targeting a group of police and intelligence service personnel had detonated an explosive vest, killing or wounding around 80 of them.

Wahid Majroh, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said 11 dead and 25 wounded had been brought to city hospitals after the blast in an area of the city not far from the U.S. Embassy and other foreign missions.

As security forces arrived, a Reuters reporter saw four police vehicles carrying dead or wounded security personnel from the scene.

Police officers at the scene said the bomber had been wearing police or army uniform and had approached a group of security personnel conducting controls on illegal drugs and alcohol sellers, but there was no official confirmation.

&quot;Kabul police forces were there to prevent a possible protest when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his suicide vest,&quot; Kabul police spokesman Bashir Mujahid said.

While Afghan forces backed by U.S. airstrikes have claimed some success against Taliban insurgents since the United States announced a stepped up military strategy last year, high profile attacks on civilian targets in Kabul have continued.

The attack happened days after a suicide bomber killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 80 at a Shi&#39;ite cultural centre in Kabul, underlining the precarious security situation in the Afghan capital.

That attack was also claimed by Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for a number of similar attacks in Afghanistan over the past two years.

Islamic State, which has claimed a series of attacks in Kabul over the past two years, issued a statement on its Amaq news agency saying it was responsible.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Thursday in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, the militant group’s Amaq news agency said. Officials in the capital said the attacker blew himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing. The report by Amaq gave no evidence to support the claim. A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital caused dozens of casualties on Thursday after blowing himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing, officials said. Islamic State, which has claimed a series of attacks in Kabul over the past two years, issued a statement on its Amaq news agency saying it was responsible. It said a suicide bomber targeting a group of police and intelligence service personnel had detonated an explosive vest, killing or wounding around 80 of them. Wahid Majroh, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said 11 dead and 25 wounded had been brought to city hospitals after the blast in an area of the city not far from the U.S. Embassy and other foreign missions. As security forces arrived, a Reuters reporter saw four police vehicles carrying dead or wounded security personnel from the scene. Police officers at the scene said the bomber had been wearing police or army uniform and had approached a group of security personnel conducting controls on illegal drugs and alcohol sellers, but there was no official confirmation. "Kabul police forces were there to prevent a possible protest when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his suicide vest," Kabul police spokesman Bashir Mujahid said. While Afghan forces backed by U.S. airstrikes have claimed some success against Taliban insurgents since the United States announced a stepped up military strategy last year, high profile attacks on civilian targets in Kabul have continued. The attack happened days after a suicide bomber killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 80 at a Shi'ite cultural centre in Kabul, underlining the precarious security situation in the Afghan capital. That attack was also claimed by Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for a number of similar attacks in Afghanistan over the past two years.

Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul suicide attack

A masked gunman shot dead two Christian brothers at their alcohol shop south of Cairo on Monday, security sources said.

The incident took place just days after attacks on a Coptic church and another Christian-owned shop also south of the Egyptian capital that killed more than 10 people, as security forces brace for attacks against the Arab world&#39;s largest Christian minority ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations.

The gunman used a rifle in the attack, shooting at the shop from outside after pulling up on a motorcycle, two security sources said. The attacker fled the scene afterwards.

An image on social media showed the body of what purported to be one of the victims, covered in blood from the waist down.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Islamic State claimed Friday&#39;s attack on a Coptic church in Helwan, east of Giza on Cairo&#39;s outskirts and on the opposite side of the Nile river.

Egypt&#39;s large Christian minority has increasingly been targeted in recent years by Islamist militants including Islamic State, which is waging an insurgency in the north of the remote Sinai Peninsula.

Sale and consumption of alcohol in Egypt is legal, and it is sold in specialist shops or licensed premises. Some Islamists say it should be banned because it is forbidden by Islam.

A masked gunman shot dead two Christian brothers at their alcohol shop south of Cairo on Monday, security sources said. The incident took place just days after attacks on a Coptic church and another Christian-owned shop also south of the Egyptian capital that killed more than 10 people, as security forces brace for attacks against the Arab world's largest Christian minority ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations. The gunman used a rifle in the attack, shooting at the shop from outside after pulling up on a motorcycle, two security sources said. The attacker fled the scene afterwards. An image on social media showed the body of what purported to be one of the victims, covered in blood from the waist down. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Islamic State claimed Friday's attack on a Coptic church in Helwan, east of Giza on Cairo's outskirts and on the opposite side of the Nile river. Egypt's large Christian minority has increasingly been targeted in recent years by Islamist militants including Islamic State, which is waging an insurgency in the north of the remote Sinai Peninsula. Sale and consumption of alcohol in Egypt is legal, and it is sold in specialist shops or licensed premises. Some Islamists say it should be banned because it is forbidden by Islam.

Gunman kills two Christians at their alcohol store south of Cairo: Security sources

At least 25 people, including 15 foreign nationals, have been detained by the police on Sunday in Istanbul and&nbsp;Ankara for alleged links with the Islamic State (IS).

The anti-terrorist police officials raided a number of different locations in Istanbul&#39;s three districts after being tipped off about individuals linked to IS leaders in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;

In another operation in Ankara, police arrested five IS suspects who were foreigners in simultaneous raids at two other locations in Etimesgut district.

Among the ones detained were three Syrians, an Iraqi and a Chechen who had entered the country illegally.

The suspects were apparently planning attacks during New Year&#39;s Eve celebrations in the cities.&nbsp;

This incident comes after Turkish security forces suspended over 2,700 personnel for having suspected links with the IS group.

More than 300 people have lost their lives in IS-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terrorist&nbsp;organisation has targeted civilians in suicide bombings, and rocket and gun attacks.

At least 25 people, including 15 foreign nationals have been detained by the police on Sunday in Ankara for alleged links with the Islamic State

At least 25 people, including 15 foreign nationals, have been detained by the police on Sunday in Istanbul and Ankara for alleged links with the Islamic State (IS). The anti-terrorist police officials raided a number of different locations in Istanbul's three districts after being tipped off about individuals linked to IS leaders in Syria and Iraq. In another operation in Ankara, police arrested five IS suspects who were foreigners in simultaneous raids at two other locations in Etimesgut district. Among the ones detained were three Syrians, an Iraqi and a Chechen who had entered the country illegally. The suspects were apparently planning attacks during New Year's Eve celebrations in the cities. This incident comes after Turkish security forces suspended over 2,700 personnel for having suspected links with the IS group. More than 300 people have lost their lives in IS-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terrorist organisation has targeted civilians in suicide bombings, and rocket and gun attacks.

Turkey arrests 25 IS suspects in Istanbul and Ankara

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people.

&quot;The attack that targeted a shopping centre in Saint Petersburg the day before yesterday (Wednesday) was carried out by an Islamic State-linked group,&quot; IS said in a statement via its propaganda agency Amaq.&nbsp;

On Wednesday evening, a homemade bomb placed in a locker at the supermarket in northwestern Saint Petersburg, Russia&#39;s second city and President Vladimir Putin&#39;s home town, went off sowing panic among customers and wounding 14 people including a pregnant woman.

Putin&#39;s 2015 decision to intervene in Syria militarily on the side of Bashar al-Assad has made Russia a priority target for the Islamic State group.

Officials said a total of 14 people had been wounded in the blast.&nbsp;

The bombing came after the FSB security service said earlier this month it had prevented a terror attack on a key Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg with the help of America&#39;s CIA, which led Putin to thank US President Donald Trump.

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has said Russia remains on alert for a possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the March presidential polls.

Saint Petersburg will host several World Cup matches including a semi-final.

Earlier this month Bortnikov said that at least 4,500 Russians had left the country to fight with &quot;terrorists&quot; in the Middle East, North Africa and other regions.

Over the past 20 years Russia fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, leading Islamist militants from the North Caucasus to frequently target Russians through suicide bombings and other attacks.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people. "The attack that targeted a shopping centre in Saint Petersburg the day before yesterday (Wednesday) was carried out by an Islamic State-linked group," IS said in a statement via its propaganda agency Amaq. On Wednesday evening, a homemade bomb placed in a locker at the supermarket in northwestern Saint Petersburg, Russia's second city and President Vladimir Putin's home town, went off sowing panic among customers and wounding 14 people including a pregnant woman. Putin's 2015 decision to intervene in Syria militarily on the side of Bashar al-Assad has made Russia a priority target for the Islamic State group. Officials said a total of 14 people had been wounded in the blast. The bombing came after the FSB security service said earlier this month it had prevented a terror attack on a key Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg with the help of America's CIA, which led Putin to thank US President Donald Trump. FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has said Russia remains on alert for a possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the March presidential polls. Saint Petersburg will host several World Cup matches including a semi-final. Earlier this month Bortnikov said that at least 4,500 Russians had left the country to fight with "terrorists" in the Middle East, North Africa and other regions. Over the past 20 years Russia fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, leading Islamist militants from the North Caucasus to frequently target Russians through suicide bombings and other attacks.

IS claims Saint Petersburg supermarket bombing

After the Indian cricketer took to Twitter, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/shikhar-dhawan-slams-airline-for-not-allowing-his-family-onboard-28076">slamming Emirates airline&nbsp;for causing inconvenience to his family</a>, the airlines issued an official statement.

Emirates stated that all passengers must adhere to the travelling regulations of the countries in which the airline operates.

The statement noted that passengers must carry relevant documents while travelling abroad.&nbsp;

&quot;Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor under 18 needs to prove parenthood or guardianship - while adults travelling alone with their children need to show that they have the consent of their non-travelling partner,&quot; Emirates noted in an official response.

&quot;Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers, who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary,&quot; the statement further read.

The 32-year-old opening batsman tweeted and complained that his wife and child were not allowed aboard at the Dubai airport.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We&#39;re sorry to hear this, Shikhar. We&#39;d like to find out more on a private message. Please include your booking reference or e-ticket numbers starting in 176. <a href="https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf">https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf</a>
&mdash; Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmiratesSupport/status/946665505276026880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam &amp; was told that my wife and kids can&#39;t board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates &amp; other documents for my kids at the airport which we obviously didn&#39;t have at that moment,&quot; he tweeted.&nbsp;

Dhawan was travelling to South Africa along with his family for Team India&#39;s 56-day tour of South Africa.

India will play a series of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20s against South Africa.&nbsp;

The first Test match will be played on January 5 in Cape Town.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

After the Indian cricketer took to Twitter, slamming Emirates airline for causing inconvenience to his family, the airlines issued an official statement. Emirates stated that all passengers must adhere to the travelling regulations of the countries in which the airline operates. The statement noted that passengers must carry relevant documents while travelling abroad. "Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor under 18 needs to prove parenthood or guardianship - while adults travelling alone with their children need to show that they have the consent of their non-travelling partner," Emirates noted in an official response. "Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers, who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary," the statement further read. The 32-year-old opening batsman tweeted and complained that his wife and child were not allowed aboard at the Dubai airport. We're sorry to hear this, Shikhar. We'd like to find out more on a private message. Please include your booking reference or e-ticket numbers starting in 176. https://t.co/67ooSY3Pnf — Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) December 29, 2017 × "Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam & was told that my wife and kids can't board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates & other documents for my kids at the airport which we obviously didn't have at that moment," he tweeted. Dhawan was travelling to South Africa along with his family for Team India's 56-day tour of South Africa. India will play a series of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20s against South Africa. The first Test match will be played on January 5 in Cape Town. (With inputs from ANI)

WION Morning News brief, 30 December 2017

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