Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).

The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them.

The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, &quot;are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves&quot;.

&quot;The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence,&quot; the plea had said.

The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS&nbsp;and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court.

The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC&nbsp;and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi.

According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015.

Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged.

The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities.

The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries.

&quot;The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS&nbsp;and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS,&quot; it alleged.

The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS.

&quot;They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS&nbsp;and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS&nbsp;by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS,&quot; the NIA had claimed.

&quot;They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS,&quot; the agency said.

(PTI)

Azhar-ul-Islam from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh from Maharashtra plead guilty to raising funds and recruiting for IS

Special court today awarded seven-year jail terms to two men after they pleaded guilty of criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the terror outfit Islamic State (IS). The District judge Amar Nath convicted accused Azhar-ul- Islam (24) from Jammu and Kashmir and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh (25) from Maharashtra, following their U-turn more than a month after the court framed charges against them. The accused had moved an application through advocate MS Khan saying they, "are remorseful of the acts alleged against them. There is no prior criminal record against them and they want to join the mainstream and want to be productive for the society and want to rehabilitate themselves". "The applicants are pleading guilty without any pressure, threat, coercion or undue influence," the plea had said. The court had last month framed charges against both the accused and 36-year-old Adnan Hassan for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the IS and recruiting people for the terror outfit. The trial against Hassan is continuing separately before the same court. The court had framed the charges for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against the three accused on January 28 last year. They were arrested the next day on arrival here from Abu Dhabi. According to the probe agency, Hassan and Shaikh had been frequently visiting the UAE in connection with jobs since 2008 and 2012 respectively, while Islam had gone to join them in the UAE in July, 2015. Hassan was earlier allegedly affiliated to the Indian Mujahideen and later got inclined towards IS, it alleged. The charge sheet filed by NIA had claimed that the accused persons, in connivance with other known and unknown associates, had hatched a criminal conspiracy to propagate the ideology, recruit persons, raise funds and facilitate the travel of those recruited to Syria to join the IS and further its activities. The final report said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused had created multiple email IDs, used multiple mobile numbers obtained from their associates from different countries, formed various online forums and groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype, using the internet and invited and associated like-minded persons, residents of different countries. "The accused had formed a terrorist gang and acted as a frontal group of the IS and incited, motivated, invited and facilitated people of different nationalities to leave their respective countries and travel to Syria to join, support and further activities of the IS," it alleged. The agency said the accused persons were actively involved in perpetuating, promoting and propagating ideologies and terrorist activities of the IS. "They had voluntarily advocated and professed to be the supporters and members of the IS and actively supported, invited support from others, propagated and promoted unlawful activities and terrorist activities of the IS by exhorting, inciting, luring and influencing others to become members of this organisation by disseminating incriminating contents including sharing comments, pages, videos, images, literature and openly endorsing, justifying and glorifying the terrorist acts of the IS," the NIA had claimed. "They had also raised, collected and received funds in the UAE and transferred it to their associates in India, the Philippines and Tunisia to facilitate their travel to Syria to join IS," the agency said. (PTI)

Court sends Islamic State men to jail for 7 years in terror case

The Delhi Police Special Cell and Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad (ATS) have arrested three suspected Islamic State operatives from Jalandhar (Punjab), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh). Raids were also carried out in and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Narkatiaganj (Bihar). Police from six states were part of the operation.&nbsp;

Special Cell Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh (UP) ATS, Crime Investigation Department (CID) Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ATS, Punjab and Bihar Police were involved in the operation.&nbsp;

Speaking to the media from Lucknow, UP additional director general (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary told newswire PTI: &nbsp;&quot;They were conspiring to carry out a major attack to make a name for their group and create terror in the region.&quot;&nbsp;

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed the arrest of a suspect, Nazim Shamshad Ahmed (26), who is from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was nabbed from the Mumbra township near Mumbai.&nbsp;

&quot;Three persons were detained from Mumbra in a joint operation of Maharashtra Police and Uttar Pradesh ATS. One of them has been arrested for his suspected involvement in terror activities. The other two are being questioned,&quot; Maharashtra ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI.&nbsp;

While the UP ATS spokesperson said that six others have been detained by the police team for questioning, Maharashtra ATS sources said nearly 12 were taken into custody.&nbsp;

Those arrested are suspected to be part of a module that was looking for potential recruits in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra.&nbsp;

Chaudhary told reporters that the agencies have established evidence against four of the suspected, while five others were being interrogated.&nbsp;

&quot;All those arrested are between 18 and 25 years old and were living in places like Mumbai, Jalandhar and UP. We have also found that they were definitely influenced by the material available on the internet,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He said these appear to be misguided youth and efforts will be made to bring them back into the mainstream.&nbsp;

Investigations show that one of them wanted to finance the group and they were continuously communicating with each other about carrying out some major strike in the near future. The arrests were made before they could carry out any such attack after the police of different states tracked their conversations using surveillance.&nbsp;

The ADG ruled out any link between those arrested today with a suspected terrorist killed in an encounter in Lucknow recently.

&nbsp;Indian media outlets, citing sources in the ATS, said one of the accused is a 26-year-old suspected of being an Islamic State recruiter from Mumbra, in Mumbai, and that several SIM cards were taken from his house by the authorities.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The suspects from Jalandhar, Mumbai and Bijnor were arrested in the joint operation. An investigation is currently underway

The Delhi Police Special Cell and Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad (ATS) have arrested three suspected Islamic State operatives from Jalandhar (Punjab), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh). Raids were also carried out in and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Narkatiaganj (Bihar). Police from six states were part of the operation. Special Cell Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh (UP) ATS, Crime Investigation Department (CID) Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ATS, Punjab and Bihar Police were involved in the operation. Speaking to the media from Lucknow, UP additional director general (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary told newswire PTI: "They were conspiring to carry out a major attack to make a name for their group and create terror in the region." The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed the arrest of a suspect, Nazim Shamshad Ahmed (26), who is from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was nabbed from the Mumbra township near Mumbai. "Three persons were detained from Mumbra in a joint operation of Maharashtra Police and Uttar Pradesh ATS. One of them has been arrested for his suspected involvement in terror activities. The other two are being questioned," Maharashtra ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI. While the UP ATS spokesperson said that six others have been detained by the police team for questioning, Maharashtra ATS sources said nearly 12 were taken into custody. Those arrested are suspected to be part of a module that was looking for potential recruits in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra. Chaudhary told reporters that the agencies have established evidence against four of the suspected, while five others were being interrogated. "All those arrested are between 18 and 25 years old and were living in places like Mumbai, Jalandhar and UP. We have also found that they were definitely influenced by the material available on the internet," he said. He said these appear to be misguided youth and efforts will be made to bring them back into the mainstream. Investigations show that one of them wanted to finance the group and they were continuously communicating with each other about carrying out some major strike in the near future. The arrests were made before they could carry out any such attack after the police of different states tracked their conversations using surveillance. The ADG ruled out any link between those arrested today with a suspected terrorist killed in an encounter in Lucknow recently. Indian media outlets, citing sources in the ATS, said one of the accused is a 26-year-old suspected of being an Islamic State recruiter from Mumbra, in Mumbai, and that several SIM cards were taken from his house by the authorities. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Police from 6 Indian states arrest 3 Islamic State suspects

A policeman was killed and three others wounded Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint near St Catherine&#39;s monastery in Egypt&#39;s Sinai, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State jihadists.

&quot;A number of gunmen...facing one of the checkpoints on the road to St Catherine&#39;s in south Sinai shot at security forces at the checkpoint,&quot; the interior ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Security forces returned fire, wounding some of the attackers and &quot;forcing them to flee&quot;, it said.

The police were pursuing efforts to find the gunmen, the ministry said.

Khalid Abu Hashem, the health ministry official for South Sinai province, earlier told state television that one person had been killed and four wounded.

The injured were in a stable condition and had been taken to hospital in the nearby Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, he said.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after.

&quot;The attack that took place near St.&nbsp;Catherine Monastery in south Sinai was carried out by Islamic State fighters,&quot; the group&#39;s Amaq propaganda agency said on social media accounts, citing a &quot;security source&quot;.

St Catherine&#39;s monastery, a Christian site which lies some 500 kilometres (300 miles) southeast of Cairo in the south of the Sinai peninsula, attracts thousands of visitors a year.

The attack comes nine days after Palm Sunday services at Coptic Christian churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria were bombed by IS, killing 45 people.

IS has threatened to carry out more attacks on the minority, which makes up about 10 per cent of Egypt&#39;s 92 million people.

Egypt is battling a jihadist insurgency in north Sinai that has killed hundreds of policemen and troops since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In October 2015, IS claimed the bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular south Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

(AFP)

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting in Egypti's Sinai that killed a policeman and wounded three others

A policeman was killed and three others wounded Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint near St Catherine's monastery in Egypt's Sinai, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State jihadists. "A number of gunmen...facing one of the checkpoints on the road to St Catherine's in south Sinai shot at security forces at the checkpoint," the interior ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page. Security forces returned fire, wounding some of the attackers and "forcing them to flee", it said. The police were pursuing efforts to find the gunmen, the ministry said. Khalid Abu Hashem, the health ministry official for South Sinai province, earlier told state television that one person had been killed and four wounded. The injured were in a stable condition and had been taken to hospital in the nearby Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, he said. IS claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after. "The attack that took place near St. Catherine Monastery in south Sinai was carried out by Islamic State fighters," the group's Amaq propaganda agency said on social media accounts, citing a "security source". St Catherine's monastery, a Christian site which lies some 500 kilometres (300 miles) southeast of Cairo in the south of the Sinai peninsula, attracts thousands of visitors a year. The attack comes nine days after Palm Sunday services at Coptic Christian churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria were bombed by IS, killing 45 people. IS has threatened to carry out more attacks on the minority, which makes up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 92 million people. Egypt is battling a jihadist insurgency in north Sinai that has killed hundreds of policemen and troops since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. In October 2015, IS claimed the bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular south Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. (AFP)

Shooting near Egypt monastery kills policeman: Interior ministry

Egypt&#39;s Copts, targets of an apparent church bombing north of Cairo on Sunday, are the Middle East&#39;s largest Christian minority and one of the oldest.

Making up about 10 percent of Egypt&#39;s population of 90 million, the Coptic Orthodox form the largest Christian denomination in the Muslim-majority country.

Here is a recap of their history, their status today and recent attacks against them.

&#39;Dawn of Christianity&#39;&nbsp;

The Copts trace their history to the dawn of Christianity, when Egypt was integrated into the Roman and later the Byzantine empire.

The word &quot;Copt&quot; comes from the same root as the word for &quot;Egyptian&quot; in ancient Greek.

The community&#39;s decline started with the Arab invasions of the 7th century and the progressive Islamisation of the country, which today is largely Sunni Muslim.

Several churches and monasteries in Egypt are built on sites Copts believe were visited by the Holy Family.

The Bible says Joseph, Mary and Jesus sought refuge in Egypt after Christ&#39;s birth to escape a massacre of newborns ordered by King Harod.

Copts today&nbsp;

Copts, represented in all social classes, are present across the whole country, with the strongest concentration in central and southern Egypt.

Most adhere to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, headed since 2012 by Pope Tawadros II. A minority is divided between Coptic Catholics and various Coptic Protestant branches.

Tawadros, who succeeded pope Shenuda III, was chosen by a blindfolded altar boy picking his name from a chalice, according to tradition.

The Catholic Copts, who form part of the Church&#39;s eastern rite, have been headed by patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak since 2013.

The Vatican says some 165,000 Catholic Copts lived in Egypt in 2010.

Poorly represented in government, Copts complain that they are sidelined from many posts in the justice system, universities and the police.

Authorities often refuse to issue building permits for churches, arguing it would disturb the peace with their Muslim neighbours.

Deadly violence&nbsp;

Egypt&#39;s Copts have been the target of several deadly attacks since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

On January 1, 2011, more than 20 people died in the unclaimed bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt&#39;s second city, Alexandria.

In March the same year, 13 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Copts in Cairo&#39;s working class neighbourhood of Moqattam, where around 1,000 Christians had gathered to protest over the torching of a church.

In May 2011, clashes between Muslims and Copts left 15 dead in the Cairo neighbourhood of Imbaba, where two churches were attacked.

That October, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt.

The 2013 ouster of Mubarak&#39;s elected Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi after just one year in power sparked further attacks against Christians.

Pro-Morsi Islamists accused the Christian community of supporting his overthrow.

They pointed to the appearance of Tawadros alongside President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on television in July 2013 as the then army chief, also surrounded by Muslim and opposition figures, announced Morsi&#39;s removal.

The next month, security forces used deadly force to break up two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo.&nbsp;

The following two weeks saw attacks against more than 40 churches across the country, according to Human Rights Watch.

Amnesty International later said more than 200 Christian-owned properties were attacked and 43 churches seriously damaged, with at least four people killed.

In December last year, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during a Sunday mass in Cairo.&nbsp;

A spate of deadly jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula in February prompted some Coptic families to flee their homes.

About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video calling for attacks against the minority.

Pope Francis is set to visit Cairo late this month for talks with the grand imam of the capital&#39;s famed Al-Azhar mosque and to show solidarity with Coptic Christians.

(AFP)

The Pajhwok Afghan News agency said a security source had confirmed the news

Egypt's Copts, targets of an apparent church bombing north of Cairo on Sunday, are the Middle East's largest Christian minority and one of the oldest. Making up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 90 million, the Coptic Orthodox form the largest Christian denomination in the Muslim-majority country. Here is a recap of their history, their status today and recent attacks against them. 'Dawn of Christianity' The Copts trace their history to the dawn of Christianity, when Egypt was integrated into the Roman and later the Byzantine empire. The word "Copt" comes from the same root as the word for "Egyptian" in ancient Greek. The community's decline started with the Arab invasions of the 7th century and the progressive Islamisation of the country, which today is largely Sunni Muslim. Several churches and monasteries in Egypt are built on sites Copts believe were visited by the Holy Family. The Bible says Joseph, Mary and Jesus sought refuge in Egypt after Christ's birth to escape a massacre of newborns ordered by King Harod. Copts today Copts, represented in all social classes, are present across the whole country, with the strongest concentration in central and southern Egypt. Most adhere to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, headed since 2012 by Pope Tawadros II. A minority is divided between Coptic Catholics and various Coptic Protestant branches. Tawadros, who succeeded pope Shenuda III, was chosen by a blindfolded altar boy picking his name from a chalice, according to tradition. The Catholic Copts, who form part of the Church's eastern rite, have been headed by patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak since 2013. The Vatican says some 165,000 Catholic Copts lived in Egypt in 2010. Poorly represented in government, Copts complain that they are sidelined from many posts in the justice system, universities and the police. Authorities often refuse to issue building permits for churches, arguing it would disturb the peace with their Muslim neighbours. Deadly violence Egypt's Copts have been the target of several deadly attacks since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. On January 1, 2011, more than 20 people died in the unclaimed bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt's second city, Alexandria. In March the same year, 13 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Copts in Cairo's working class neighbourhood of Moqattam, where around 1,000 Christians had gathered to protest over the torching of a church. In May 2011, clashes between Muslims and Copts left 15 dead in the Cairo neighbourhood of Imbaba, where two churches were attacked. That October, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt. The 2013 ouster of Mubarak's elected Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi after just one year in power sparked further attacks against Christians. Pro-Morsi Islamists accused the Christian community of supporting his overthrow. They pointed to the appearance of Tawadros alongside President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on television in July 2013 as the then army chief, also surrounded by Muslim and opposition figures, announced Morsi's removal. The next month, security forces used deadly force to break up two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo. The following two weeks saw attacks against more than 40 churches across the country, according to Human Rights Watch. Amnesty International later said more than 200 Christian-owned properties were attacked and 43 churches seriously damaged, with at least four people killed. In December last year, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during a Sunday mass in Cairo. A spate of deadly jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula in February prompted some Coptic families to flee their homes. About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video calling for attacks against the minority. Pope Francis is set to visit Cairo late this month for talks with the grand imam of the capital's famed Al-Azhar mosque and to show solidarity with Coptic Christians. (AFP)

13 Indians died in Mother of all Bombs attack: Afghan news agency

Suspected Boko Haram jihadists killed five Nigerian soldiers and injured five others in a raid on a military post in the violence-torn northeast, locals and a military officer said Tuesday.

&quot;Our men were outgunned and outnumbered,&quot; said a military officer in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak about the incident.

Scores of fighters loyal to the Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi late Monday stormed a checkpoint near Sabon Garin Kimba village about 140 kilometres (90 miles) from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram.

&quot;We lost five men in the fight. Five more were injured,&quot; the military officer said.

The Islamic State group last year appointed Al-Barnawi as head of Boko Haram, replacing long-time leader Abubakar Shekau.&nbsp;

Mustapha Karimbe, a civilian assisting the military, said the jihadists took military vehicles and burned three armoured cars along with makeshift sheds at the checkpoint.

&quot;The terrorists attacked the soldiers... and remained in the village for three hours before they withdrew,&quot; said Karimbe.

This was the second attack on the same military checkpoint in under a month.

Late last month, jihadists dressed in Nigerian military uniforms attacked the checkpoint and forced soldiers to withdraw before looting food and medical supplies from the village.&nbsp;

Boko Haram has in recent weeks intensified attacks on military targets in the northeast.

The insurgency began in northeast Nigeria and has spread to Chad, Cameroon and Niger, claiming more than 20,000 lives and displacing 2.6 million people. &nbsp;

(AFP)

Scores of fighters loyal to the Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi stormed a checkpoint near Sabon Garin Kimba village

Suspected Boko Haram jihadists killed five Nigerian soldiers and injured five others in a raid on a military post in the violence-torn northeast, locals and a military officer said Tuesday. "Our men were outgunned and outnumbered," said a military officer in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak about the incident. Scores of fighters loyal to the Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi late Monday stormed a checkpoint near Sabon Garin Kimba village about 140 kilometres (90 miles) from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram. "We lost five men in the fight. Five more were injured," the military officer said. The Islamic State group last year appointed Al-Barnawi as head of Boko Haram, replacing long-time leader Abubakar Shekau. Mustapha Karimbe, a civilian assisting the military, said the jihadists took military vehicles and burned three armoured cars along with makeshift sheds at the checkpoint. "The terrorists attacked the soldiers... and remained in the village for three hours before they withdrew," said Karimbe. This was the second attack on the same military checkpoint in under a month. Late last month, jihadists dressed in Nigerian military uniforms attacked the checkpoint and forced soldiers to withdraw before looting food and medical supplies from the village. Boko Haram has in recent weeks intensified attacks on military targets in the northeast. The insurgency began in northeast Nigeria and has spread to Chad, Cameroon and Niger, claiming more than 20,000 lives and displacing 2.6 million people. (AFP)

Nigeria: 5 soldiers killed in attack by suspected Boko Haram militants

The number of Islamic State fighters killed by a massive US bomb in eastern Afghanistan has nearly tripled to at least 90, Afghan officials said Saturday.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the &quot;Mother Of All Bombs&quot; -- was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday.

The bomb smashed their mountain hideouts, a tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground attacks, engulfing the remote area in towering flames.

&quot;At least 92 Daesh (IS) fighters were killed in the bombing,&quot; Achin district governor Esmail Shinwari told AFP on Saturday. Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani gave a toll of 90.

Afghan officials had earlier said the bombing had killed 36 IS fighters.

Shinwari insisted there were &quot;no military and civilian casualties at all&quot;.&nbsp;

Security experts say IS had built their redoubts close to civilian homes, but the government said thousands of local families had already fled the area in recent months of fighting.

The massive bomb was dropped after fighting intensified over the past week and US-backed ground forces struggled to advance on the area. An American special forces soldier was killed last Saturday in Nangarhar while conducting anti-IS operations.

President Ashraf Ghani threw his support behind the bombardment.

But some officials close to him condemned the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that controls only a tiny sliver of territory and is not considered a huge threat.

IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists.

But the group has been steadily losing ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

(AFP)

The bomb smashed IS' mountain hideouts, a tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground attacks

The number of Islamic State fighters killed by a massive US bomb in eastern Afghanistan has nearly tripled to at least 90, Afghan officials said Saturday. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the "Mother Of All Bombs" -- was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday. The bomb smashed their mountain hideouts, a tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground attacks, engulfing the remote area in towering flames. "At least 92 Daesh (IS) fighters were killed in the bombing," Achin district governor Esmail Shinwari told AFP on Saturday. Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani gave a toll of 90. Afghan officials had earlier said the bombing had killed 36 IS fighters. Shinwari insisted there were "no military and civilian casualties at all". Security experts say IS had built their redoubts close to civilian homes, but the government said thousands of local families had already fled the area in recent months of fighting. The massive bomb was dropped after fighting intensified over the past week and US-backed ground forces struggled to advance on the area. An American special forces soldier was killed last Saturday in Nangarhar while conducting anti-IS operations. President Ashraf Ghani threw his support behind the bombardment. But some officials close to him condemned the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that controls only a tiny sliver of territory and is not considered a huge threat. IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists. But the group has been steadily losing ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. (AFP)

At least 90 Islamic State fighters killed in US MOAB strike, claim Afghanistan officials

One of the 21 missing Kerala youth, who was later found to have joined the Islamic State, was killed in the mega airstrike conducted by the United States in the Achin district of Afghanistan&#39;s Nangarhar province.

The US military had dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb to target the Islamic State tunnels and personnel.

According to the report, four US military officials with direct knowledge of the mission said a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed MOAB, was dropped at 7 pm local time Thursday.

The MOAB is also known as the &quot;mother of all bombs.&quot; A MOAB is a 21,600-pound, GPS-guided munition that is America&#39;s most powerful non-nuclear bomb.

The information about Murshid&#39;s death was received by his family through a telegram message.

Earlier in February, another youth from the same group was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan.

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The message was received by a distant relative of Hafesudheen Theke Koleth in Kasaragod, Kerala, who was from the missing 21-member group who have left the nation.

The message went on to say that the killed youth had been buried in Afghanistan.

At least four out the 21 individuals, who belong to Christian and Hindu families, had converted to Islam over a year ago, reports state.

Two of the individuals had reportedly sent text and voice messages to their families confirming that they have moved to a remote location.

Earlier, the NIA had arrested two people in connection with the criminal conspiracy hatched within and outside India, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the Islamic State(IS) and for joining and supporting the organisation.

The investigation revealed that the conspiracy had been in operation since the month of July 2015.

(ANI)

The US military had dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb to target the Islamic State tunnels and personnel

One of the 21 missing Kerala youth, who was later found to have joined the Islamic State, was killed in the mega airstrike conducted by the United States in the Achin district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. The US military had dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb to target the Islamic State tunnels and personnel. According to the report, four US military officials with direct knowledge of the mission said a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed MOAB, was dropped at 7 pm local time Thursday. The MOAB is also known as the "mother of all bombs." A MOAB is a 21,600-pound, GPS-guided munition that is America's most powerful non-nuclear bomb. The information about Murshid's death was received by his family through a telegram message. Earlier in February, another youth from the same group was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. The message was received by a distant relative of Hafesudheen Theke Koleth in Kasaragod, Kerala, who was from the missing 21-member group who have left the nation. The message went on to say that the killed youth had been buried in Afghanistan. At least four out the 21 individuals, who belong to Christian and Hindu families, had converted to Islam over a year ago, reports state. Two of the individuals had reportedly sent text and voice messages to their families confirming that they have moved to a remote location. Earlier, the NIA had arrested two people in connection with the criminal conspiracy hatched within and outside India, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the Islamic State(IS) and for joining and supporting the organisation. The investigation revealed that the conspiracy had been in operation since the month of July 2015. (ANI)

Kerala youth who joined Islamic State killed in US strike in Afghanistan

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

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

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

IS kills 25 civilians for attempting to flee Iraqi city

Egyptians in the Nile Delta city of Tanta held funerals for a number of victims of Sunday&#39;s&nbsp;bombings targeting Egyptian churches that left at least 44 people dead in Tanta and Alexandria.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also injured more than 100 people and occurred a week before Coptic Easter, with Pope Francis scheduled to visit Egypt later this month.

The assault is the latest on a religious minority increasingly targeted by Islamist militants, and a challenge to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has pledged to protect them as part of his campaign against extremism.

The first bombing, in Tanta, a Nile Delta city about 100 km (60 miles) north of Cairo, tore through the inside of St. George Church during its Palm Sunday service, killing at least 27 people and injuring at least 78, the Ministry of Health said.

The second, a few hours later in Alexandria, hit Saint Mark&#39;s Cathedral, the historic seat of the Coptic Pope, killing 17 people, including three police officers, and injuring 48, the ministry added.

Coptic Pope Tawadros had been leading the mass at Saint Mark&#39;s Cathedral at the time of the explosion but was not injured, the Interior Ministry said.

Islamic State said two of its fighters wearing suicide vests carried out the attacks, and it warned of more to come.

Islamic State&#39;s branch in Egypt has stepped up attacks and threats against Christians, who comprise about 10 percent of Egypt&#39;s 90 million people and are the biggest Christian minority in the Middle East.

(Reuters)

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks which left 44 dead and injured more than 100

Egyptians in the Nile Delta city of Tanta held funerals for a number of victims of Sunday's bombings targeting Egyptian churches that left at least 44 people dead in Tanta and Alexandria. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also injured more than 100 people and occurred a week before Coptic Easter, with Pope Francis scheduled to visit Egypt later this month. The assault is the latest on a religious minority increasingly targeted by Islamist militants, and a challenge to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has pledged to protect them as part of his campaign against extremism. The first bombing, in Tanta, a Nile Delta city about 100 km (60 miles) north of Cairo, tore through the inside of St. George Church during its Palm Sunday service, killing at least 27 people and injuring at least 78, the Ministry of Health said. The second, a few hours later in Alexandria, hit Saint Mark's Cathedral, the historic seat of the Coptic Pope, killing 17 people, including three police officers, and injuring 48, the ministry added. Coptic Pope Tawadros had been leading the mass at Saint Mark's Cathedral at the time of the explosion but was not injured, the Interior Ministry said. Islamic State said two of its fighters wearing suicide vests carried out the attacks, and it warned of more to come. Islamic State's branch in Egypt has stepped up attacks and threats against Christians, who comprise about 10 percent of Egypt's 90 million people and are the biggest Christian minority in the Middle East. (Reuters)

Egypt: Church bombing victims' funerals held in Tanta

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 44&nbsp;people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory.

The attacks followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis intended to show support for Egypt&#39;s Christian minority.

The first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed 27 people, the health ministry said.

&quot;I just felt fire grabbing my face. I pushed my brother who was sitting next to me and then I heard people saying: &#39;explosion&#39;,&quot; a wounded witness in hospital told state television.

Emergency services had scrambled to the scene when another blast rocked Saint Mark&#39;s church in Alexandria where Coptic Pope Tawadros II had been leading a Palm Sunday service.

Sixteen people including three police officers were killed in that attack, which the interior ministry said was caused by a suicide bomber who blew himself up when prevented from entering the church.

The ministry said Tawadros was unharmed, and a church official said he left before the explosion.

The private CBC Extra channel aired footage of the Alexandria blast, with CCTV showing what appeared to be the church entrance engulfed in a ball of flame and flying concrete moments after a security guard turned away a man.

Eyewitnesses said a police officer detected the bomber before he blew himself up.

At least 78 people were wounded in Tanta and 40 in Alexandria, the health ministry said.

Officials denounced the violence as an attempt to sow divisions in Egypt, and Francis sent his &quot;deep condolences&quot; to Tawadros.

IS claimed its &quot;squads&quot; carried out both attacks, in a statement by its self-styled Amaq news agency published on social media.

After the bombings, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to guard &quot;vital and important infrastructure&quot;, his office said.

State television reported that the interior minister sacked the provincial head of security and replaced him after the attack.

There were bloodstains on the floor of the church in Tanta, next to shredded wooden benches.

On March 29, the Mar Girgis church&#39;s Facebook page said a &quot;suspicious&quot; device had been found outside the building that security services removed.

&quot;I heard the blast and came running. I found people torn up... some people, only half of their bodies remained,&quot; said Nabil Nader, who lives in front of the Tanta church.

Worshippers had been celebrating Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus&#39;s triumphant entrance to Jerusalem.

Pope prays for victims

Francis, who is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29, offered prayers for the victims.

&quot;Let us pray for the victims of the attack unfortunately carried out today,&quot; he said in an Angelus prayer.

&quot;May the Lord convert the heart of those who sow terror, violence and death and also the heart of those who make weapons and trade in them.&quot;

Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt&#39;s population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months.

Jihadists and Islamists accuse Copts of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers in a Cairo church adjacent to the papal seat.&nbsp;

The group later released a video threatening Egypt&#39;s Christians with more attacks.

A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, led some Coptic families to flee.

About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the minority.

US President Donald Trump led international condemnation of Sunday&#39;s attacks.

&quot;So sad to hear of the terrorist attack in Egypt. US strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly,&quot; he tweeted.

String of attacks

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail condemned the attack, stressing Egypt&#39;s determination to &quot;eliminate terrorism&quot;.

The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, an influential Sunni Muslim authority, said it aimed to &quot;destabilise security and... the unity of Egyptians&quot;.

Egypt&#39;s Copts have endured successive attacks since Morsi&#39;s ouster in July 2013.

More than 40 churches were attacked nationwide in the two weeks after the deadly dispersal by security forces of two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on August 14 that year, Human Rights Watch said.

Sisi, who as then army chief helped remove Morsi, has defended his security forces and accused jihadists of attacking Copts in order to divide the country.

In October 2011, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest outside the state television building in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt.

A few months earlier, the unclaimed New Year&#39;s Day bombing of a Coptic church killed more than 20 people in second city Alexandria.

(AFP)

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both the attacks that left at least 44 dead and scores injured

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 44 people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory. The attacks followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis intended to show support for Egypt's Christian minority. The first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed 27 people, the health ministry said. "I just felt fire grabbing my face. I pushed my brother who was sitting next to me and then I heard people saying: 'explosion'," a wounded witness in hospital told state television. Emergency services had scrambled to the scene when another blast rocked Saint Mark's church in Alexandria where Coptic Pope Tawadros II had been leading a Palm Sunday service. Sixteen people including three police officers were killed in that attack, which the interior ministry said was caused by a suicide bomber who blew himself up when prevented from entering the church. The ministry said Tawadros was unharmed, and a church official said he left before the explosion. The private CBC Extra channel aired footage of the Alexandria blast, with CCTV showing what appeared to be the church entrance engulfed in a ball of flame and flying concrete moments after a security guard turned away a man. Eyewitnesses said a police officer detected the bomber before he blew himself up. At least 78 people were wounded in Tanta and 40 in Alexandria, the health ministry said. Officials denounced the violence as an attempt to sow divisions in Egypt, and Francis sent his "deep condolences" to Tawadros. IS claimed its "squads" carried out both attacks, in a statement by its self-styled Amaq news agency published on social media. After the bombings, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered military deployments to guard "vital and important infrastructure", his office said. State television reported that the interior minister sacked the provincial head of security and replaced him after the attack. There were bloodstains on the floor of the church in Tanta, next to shredded wooden benches. On March 29, the Mar Girgis church's Facebook page said a "suspicious" device had been found outside the building that security services removed. "I heard the blast and came running. I found people torn up... some people, only half of their bodies remained," said Nabil Nader, who lives in front of the Tanta church. Worshippers had been celebrating Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus's triumphant entrance to Jerusalem. Pope prays for victims Francis, who is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29, offered prayers for the victims. "Let us pray for the victims of the attack unfortunately carried out today," he said in an Angelus prayer. "May the Lord convert the heart of those who sow terror, violence and death and also the heart of those who make weapons and trade in them." Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months. Jihadists and Islamists accuse Copts of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters. In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers in a Cairo church adjacent to the papal seat. The group later released a video threatening Egypt's Christians with more attacks. A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, led some Coptic families to flee. About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the minority. US President Donald Trump led international condemnation of Sunday's attacks. "So sad to hear of the terrorist attack in Egypt. US strongly condemns. I have great confidence that President Al Sisi will handle situation properly," he tweeted. String of attacks Prime Minister Sherif Ismail condemned the attack, stressing Egypt's determination to "eliminate terrorism". The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, an influential Sunni Muslim authority, said it aimed to "destabilise security and... the unity of Egyptians". Egypt's Copts have endured successive attacks since Morsi's ouster in July 2013. More than 40 churches were attacked nationwide in the two weeks after the deadly dispersal by security forces of two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on August 14 that year, Human Rights Watch said. Sisi, who as then army chief helped remove Morsi, has defended his security forces and accused jihadists of attacking Copts in order to divide the country. In October 2011, almost 30 people -- mostly Coptic Christians -- were killed after the army charged at a protest outside the state television building in Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in southern Egypt. A few months earlier, the unclaimed New Year's Day bombing of a Coptic church killed more than 20 people in second city Alexandria. (AFP)

Twin suicide bomb attacks on churches rock Egypt on Palm Sunday

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration&#39;s priorities in the country wracked by civil war. 
&nbsp; 
Defeating Islamic State, pushing Iranian influence out of Syria, and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are priorities for Washington, Haley said in an interview on CNN&rsquo;s &ldquo;State of the Union&rdquo; which will air in full on Sunday.

&quot;We don&rsquo;t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there,&quot; Haley said.

The comments represented a departure from what Haley had said before the United States hit a Syrian air base with 59 Tomahawk missiles on Thursday in retaliation for what it said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad&#39;s forces on Syrian civilians.

President Donald Trump ordered the missile strike after watching television images of infants suffering from chemical weapons injuries.

&quot;You pick and choose your battles and when we&#39;re looking at this, it&#39;s about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out,&quot; Haley had told reporters on March 30, just days before dozens of Syrian civilians died from chemical weapons injuries.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to take a more patient stance in regard to Assad, saying on Saturday that Washington&#39;s first priority is the defeat of Islamic State. 
&nbsp; 
Once the threat from Islamic State has been reduced or eliminated, &ldquo;I think we can turn our attention directly to stabilizing the situation in Syria,&rdquo; Tillerson said in excerpts from an interview on CBS&rsquo;s &ldquo;Face the Nation,&rdquo; that will air in full on Sunday. 
&nbsp; 
Tillerson said the United States is hopeful it can help bring parties together to begin the process of hammering out a political solution.

&quot;If we can achieve ceasefires in zones of stabilization in Syria, then I believe - we hope we will have the conditions to begin a useful political process,&rdquo; Tillerson said.

Syrian forces launched further airstrikes on Saturday that killed 18 people including five children in rebel-controlled Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service reported.

(Reuters)

'We don?t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there,' Haley said

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration's priorities in the country wracked by civil war. Defeating Islamic State, pushing Iranian influence out of Syria, and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are priorities for Washington, Haley said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” which will air in full on Sunday. "We don’t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there," Haley said. The comments represented a departure from what Haley had said before the United States hit a Syrian air base with 59 Tomahawk missiles on Thursday in retaliation for what it said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad's forces on Syrian civilians. President Donald Trump ordered the missile strike after watching television images of infants suffering from chemical weapons injuries. "You pick and choose your battles and when we're looking at this, it's about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out," Haley had told reporters on March 30, just days before dozens of Syrian civilians died from chemical weapons injuries. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to take a more patient stance in regard to Assad, saying on Saturday that Washington's first priority is the defeat of Islamic State. Once the threat from Islamic State has been reduced or eliminated, “I think we can turn our attention directly to stabilizing the situation in Syria,” Tillerson said in excerpts from an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” that will air in full on Sunday. Tillerson said the United States is hopeful it can help bring parties together to begin the process of hammering out a political solution. "If we can achieve ceasefires in zones of stabilization in Syria, then I believe - we hope we will have the conditions to begin a useful political process,” Tillerson said. Syrian forces launched further airstrikes on Saturday that killed 18 people including five children in rebel-controlled Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service reported. (Reuters)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster a priority for US: Nikki Haley

Swedish police have found a suspect device in the truck that slammed into a crowd in central Stockholm, killing four people and injuring 15, authorities said on Saturday.

&quot;We have found a device in the vehicle that doesn&#39;t belong there ... A technical examination is ongoing, we can&#39;t go into what it is right now ... whether it&#39;s a bomb or a flammable device,&quot; police chief Dan Eliasson told reporters. 
 
Flags flew at half-mast across Stockholm on Saturday as the city slowly returned to normal a day after the&nbsp;truck attack, as police said they had the suspected driver in custody.

A stolen beer truck ploughed into a crowd of people at the corner of the bustling Ahlens department store and the Drottninggatan pedestrian street on Friday afternoon, above ground from Stockholm&#39;s central subway station.

Fifteen people were injured, nine of whom remained in hospital on Saturday.

It was the third terror attack in Europe in two weeks, coming on the heels of assaults in London and St. Petersburg, although there has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Previous attacks using vehicles have occurred in London, Berlin and the southern French city of Nice, all of them claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS).

&quot;Terror hits the heart of the city,&quot; Sweden&#39;s biggest broadsheet Dagens Nyheter headlined its front page above a picture of the truck with its front end smashed into the store.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he had strengthened the country&#39;s border controls, as flags flew at half-mast at parliament, the royal palace, the government offices, and City Hall.

&quot;Terrorists want us to be afraid, want us to change our behaviour, want us to not live our lives normally, but that is what we&#39;re going to do. So terrorists can never defeat Sweden, never,&quot; Lofven said.

City streets were empty early Saturday, slowly filling as the day wore on as things began to return to normal -- apart from a heavy police presence, a rare scene in this normally tranquil country.

A swelling crowd milled by the security barrier erected around the scene, many placing flowers on the ground or in the security fence.&nbsp;

Sweden&#39;s Crown Princess Victoria, 39, was one of those laying down a bouquet, wiping tears from her cheek.

&quot;I feel an incredible sadness, an emptiness,&quot; she told reporters.

But, she said, &quot;society has demonstrated enormous strength and we stand together against this.&quot;

Suspected driver in custody 
 
Swedish police said a man arrested on &quot;suspicion of a terrorist crime&quot; was probably the truck driver.

&quot;We suspect that the man who was arrested is the perpetrator,&quot; Stockholm police spokesman Lars Bystrom told AFP.&nbsp;

The man was arrested &quot;on suspicion of a terrorist crime through murder,&quot; Karin Rosander, spokeswoman at the Swedish Prosecution Authority, said.

The man was detained on Friday in Marsta, a suburb north of Stockholm. According to several media outlets, he is a 39-year-old of Uzbek origin and an IS supporter.

Prosecutors did not disclose his identity, but police said his appearance &quot;matched the description&quot; of a photo they released of a suspect wearing a dark hoodie and military green jacket.

Intelligence agency Sapo said meanwhile it was hunting for &quot;possible accomplices or networks that may have been involved in the attack.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;Terrifying&#39; 
 
Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic on Friday.

&quot;A massive truck starts driving ... and mangles everything and just drives over exactly everything,&quot; eyewitness Rikard Gauffin told AFP.

&quot;It was so terrible and there were bodies lying everywhere... it was really terrifying,&quot; he added.

Passerby Hasan Sidi told Aftonbladet he saw two elderly women lying on the ground.&nbsp;

He said people at the scene urged him to help one of the women who was &quot;bleeding to death&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;One of them died... I don&#39;t know if the other one made it,&quot; Sidi said.

The truck was towed away in the early hours of Saturday.

&nbsp;&#39;It was expected&#39; 
 
An attack on Stockholm was just a matter of time, the head of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College, Magnus Ranstorp, told AFP.

&quot;It was pretty expected, the police and intelligence agency have practised for this several times the past year... We just didn&#39;t know when it was going to happen,&quot; he said.

Friday&#39;s attack was the latest in a string of assaults with vehicles in Europe.

The deadliest came last year in France on the July 14 Bastille Day national holiday, when a man rammed a truck into a crowd in the Mediterranean resort of Nice, killing 86 people.

In December, a man hijacked a truck and slammed into shoppers at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people.

In London last month, Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old convert to Islam, killed five people when he drove a car at high speed into pedestrians before launching a frenzied knife attack on a policeman guarding parliament.

In 2014, IS called for attacks on citizens of Western countries and gave instructions on how they could be carried out without military equipment, using rocks or knives, or by running people over in vehicles.

Friday&#39;s attack was the second terror attack in Stockholm.&nbsp;

In December 2010, a suicide bomber blew himself up, also on the Drottninggatan pedestrian street, lightly injuring several passersby. 
 
(AFP)

The man was arrested 'on suspicion of a terrorist crime through murder', a Swedish Prosecution Authority official said

Swedish police have found a suspect device in the truck that slammed into a crowd in central Stockholm, killing four people and injuring 15, authorities said on Saturday. "We have found a device in the vehicle that doesn't belong there ... A technical examination is ongoing, we can't go into what it is right now ... whether it's a bomb or a flammable device," police chief Dan Eliasson told reporters. Flags flew at half-mast across Stockholm on Saturday as the city slowly returned to normal a day after the truck attack, as police said they had the suspected driver in custody. A stolen beer truck ploughed into a crowd of people at the corner of the bustling Ahlens department store and the Drottninggatan pedestrian street on Friday afternoon, above ground from Stockholm's central subway station. Fifteen people were injured, nine of whom remained in hospital on Saturday. It was the third terror attack in Europe in two weeks, coming on the heels of assaults in London and St. Petersburg, although there has been no immediate claim of responsibility. Previous attacks using vehicles have occurred in London, Berlin and the southern French city of Nice, all of them claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS). "Terror hits the heart of the city," Sweden's biggest broadsheet Dagens Nyheter headlined its front page above a picture of the truck with its front end smashed into the store. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he had strengthened the country's border controls, as flags flew at half-mast at parliament, the royal palace, the government offices, and City Hall. "Terrorists want us to be afraid, want us to change our behaviour, want us to not live our lives normally, but that is what we're going to do. So terrorists can never defeat Sweden, never," Lofven said. City streets were empty early Saturday, slowly filling as the day wore on as things began to return to normal -- apart from a heavy police presence, a rare scene in this normally tranquil country. A swelling crowd milled by the security barrier erected around the scene, many placing flowers on the ground or in the security fence. Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria, 39, was one of those laying down a bouquet, wiping tears from her cheek. "I feel an incredible sadness, an emptiness," she told reporters. But, she said, "society has demonstrated enormous strength and we stand together against this." Suspected driver in custody Swedish police said a man arrested on "suspicion of a terrorist crime" was probably the truck driver. "We suspect that the man who was arrested is the perpetrator," Stockholm police spokesman Lars Bystrom told AFP. The man was arrested "on suspicion of a terrorist crime through murder," Karin Rosander, spokeswoman at the Swedish Prosecution Authority, said. The man was detained on Friday in Marsta, a suburb north of Stockholm. According to several media outlets, he is a 39-year-old of Uzbek origin and an IS supporter. Prosecutors did not disclose his identity, but police said his appearance "matched the description" of a photo they released of a suspect wearing a dark hoodie and military green jacket. Intelligence agency Sapo said meanwhile it was hunting for "possible accomplices or networks that may have been involved in the attack." 'Terrifying' Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic on Friday. "A massive truck starts driving ... and mangles everything and just drives over exactly everything," eyewitness Rikard Gauffin told AFP. "It was so terrible and there were bodies lying everywhere... it was really terrifying," he added. Passerby Hasan Sidi told Aftonbladet he saw two elderly women lying on the ground. He said people at the scene urged him to help one of the women who was "bleeding to death". "One of them died... I don't know if the other one made it," Sidi said. The truck was towed away in the early hours of Saturday. 'It was expected' An attack on Stockholm was just a matter of time, the head of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College, Magnus Ranstorp, told AFP. "It was pretty expected, the police and intelligence agency have practised for this several times the past year... We just didn't know when it was going to happen," he said. Friday's attack was the latest in a string of assaults with vehicles in Europe. The deadliest came last year in France on the July 14 Bastille Day national holiday, when a man rammed a truck into a crowd in the Mediterranean resort of Nice, killing 86 people. In December, a man hijacked a truck and slammed into shoppers at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people. In London last month, Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old convert to Islam, killed five people when he drove a car at high speed into pedestrians before launching a frenzied knife attack on a policeman guarding parliament. In 2014, IS called for attacks on citizens of Western countries and gave instructions on how they could be carried out without military equipment, using rocks or knives, or by running people over in vehicles. Friday's attack was the second terror attack in Stockholm. In December 2010, a suicide bomber blew himself up, also on the Drottninggatan pedestrian street, lightly injuring several passersby. (AFP)

Sweden: Uzbek origin man arrested in truck attack, suspect device found

An air strike killed 18 civilians including five children in Syria&#39;s northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The monitoring group said the toll in the strike on Urum al-Joz could rise further because a number of people wounded in the attack were in serious condition.

It said the strike was believed to have been carried out by Russian planes, which operate in support of the Syrian government.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.

Idlib province is controlled by a rebel alliance that includes a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and is regularly targeted by both the Syrian government and its Russian ally.

Earlier this week, a suspected chemical attack hit the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib, killing at least 87 civilians, including 31 children.

Much of the international community accused Assad&#39;s government of responsibility for that attack, though Damascus involved responsibility.

The Khan Sheikhun strike prompted Washington to take its first direct military action against Assad&#39;s government, with missile strikes against a central air base on Friday morning.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government demonstrations.

(AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the strike was believed to have been carried out by Russian planes

An air strike killed 18 civilians including five children in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. The monitoring group said the toll in the strike on Urum al-Joz could rise further because a number of people wounded in the attack were in serious condition. It said the strike was believed to have been carried out by Russian planes, which operate in support of the Syrian government. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. Idlib province is controlled by a rebel alliance that includes a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and is regularly targeted by both the Syrian government and its Russian ally. Earlier this week, a suspected chemical attack hit the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib, killing at least 87 civilians, including 31 children. Much of the international community accused Assad's government of responsibility for that attack, though Damascus involved responsibility. The Khan Sheikhun strike prompted Washington to take its first direct military action against Assad's government, with missile strikes against a central air base on Friday morning. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government demonstrations. (AFP)

Strike kills 18 civilians, including 5 children, in Syria's Idlib: Monitor

Russia&#39;s Investigative Committee said Wednesday it had detained six &quot;terrorist&quot; recruiters from Central Asia in Saint Petersburg, but insisted there was no proof yet of a link between them and the suspected metro bomber in the city.

The authorities said that those detained had been recruiting people to join groups including the Islamic State &quot;to carry out terrorist crimes&quot; and join &quot;illegal armed groups&quot; abroad.

Yesterday Russian authorties released the name of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russian-investigators-confirm-metro-bomber-as-akbarjon-djalilov-14173" target="_blank">suspected&nbsp;attacker,</a> Akbarjon Djalilov, and&nbsp;claimed he planted&nbsp;a second bomb found at a different station&nbsp;which authorities&nbsp;defused before it could explode. The bomb that exploded on Monday on the St Petersburg metro killed 14 people and injured dozens more.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The authorities said they were recruiting for groups like Islamic State but that there was no link to the suspected metro bomber in the city

Russia's Investigative Committee said Wednesday it had detained six "terrorist" recruiters from Central Asia in Saint Petersburg, but insisted there was no proof yet of a link between them and the suspected metro bomber in the city. The authorities said that those detained had been recruiting people to join groups including the Islamic State "to carry out terrorist crimes" and join "illegal armed groups" abroad. Yesterday Russian authorties released the name of the suspected attacker, Akbarjon Djalilov, and claimed he planted a second bomb found at a different station which authorities defused before it could explode. The bomb that exploded on Monday on the St Petersburg metro killed 14 people and injured dozens more. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Russia says six 'terrorist' recruiters detained in St Petersburg

A New Jersey teen pleaded guilty Monday to a plot allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group to kill Pope Francis during his 2015 visit to the United States.

The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope as he celebrated mass in Philadelphia on September 27, 2015. Colon also allegedly planned to set off explosives.

But the teen unwittingly recruited an undercover FBI agent for the job, and was arrested quietly 12 days before the event.

&quot;Colon engaged someone he believed would be the sniper, but in reality was an undercover FBI employee. Colon engaged in target reconnaissance with an FBI confidential source and instructed the source to purchase materials to make explosive devices,&quot; the Justice Department said in a statement.&nbsp;

Court documents said Colon sought to carry out the act in support of the Islamic State group and that he had used the adopted name Ahmad Shakoor.

In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Colon, now 17, agreed to forego trial and plead guilty as an adult to one charge of providing material support to a terror group.&nbsp;

With the deal, prosecutors dropped three other charges filed against him as a juvenile.&nbsp;

Court documents said the charges were in relation to the Islamic State group, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.&nbsp;

But there were no details on how Colon became interested in the group and if or how he communicated with them.

Pope Francis celebrated mass for tens of thousands of followers in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the historic east coast city to cap a week-long visit for the World Meeting of Families

Colon&#39;s home is in Lindenwold, New Jersey, just east of Philadelphia.

Colon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison but sentencing would likely be held off until 2021 while he undergoes psychiatric treatment in a secure facility.&nbsp;

In a plea statement, Colon acknowledged having been a patient in a mental institution in the past.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope in 2015

A New Jersey teen pleaded guilty Monday to a plot allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group to kill Pope Francis during his 2015 visit to the United States. The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope as he celebrated mass in Philadelphia on September 27, 2015. Colon also allegedly planned to set off explosives. But the teen unwittingly recruited an undercover FBI agent for the job, and was arrested quietly 12 days before the event. "Colon engaged someone he believed would be the sniper, but in reality was an undercover FBI employee. Colon engaged in target reconnaissance with an FBI confidential source and instructed the source to purchase materials to make explosive devices," the Justice Department said in a statement. Court documents said Colon sought to carry out the act in support of the Islamic State group and that he had used the adopted name Ahmad Shakoor. In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Colon, now 17, agreed to forego trial and plead guilty as an adult to one charge of providing material support to a terror group. With the deal, prosecutors dropped three other charges filed against him as a juvenile. Court documents said the charges were in relation to the Islamic State group, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization. But there were no details on how Colon became interested in the group and if or how he communicated with them. Pope Francis celebrated mass for tens of thousands of followers in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the historic east coast city to cap a week-long visit for the World Meeting of Families Colon's home is in Lindenwold, New Jersey, just east of Philadelphia. Colon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison but sentencing would likely be held off until 2021 while he undergoes psychiatric treatment in a secure facility. In a plea statement, Colon acknowledged having been a patient in a mental institution in the past. (AFP)

US teen pleads guilty to IS-inspired plot to kill Pope Francis

Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.

The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV.

Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;The air force&#39;s planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh&#39;s second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister,&quot; state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.

Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

Former Saddam official&nbsp;

US &nbsp;and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders.

A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa.

The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion.&nbsp;

Jumaili led Islamic State&#39;s top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts.

Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State&#39;s territorial rule in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the US-led invasion.

The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement.

More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information

Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday. The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV. Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters. "The air force's planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh's second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister," state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence. Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago. Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations. Former Saddam official US and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders. A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa. The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion. Jumaili led Islamic State's top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts. Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State's territorial rule in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the US-led invasion. The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement. More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor. (Reuters)

IS second-in-command killed in airstrike: Iraqi intelligence

A senior army officer who headed the intelligence wing of Bangladesh&#39;s elite security force died Friday, days after he was injured in a bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad was on life support and flown to Singapore on Sunday a day after he was critically injured in an explosion near a militant hideout.&nbsp;

He was flown back to Dhaka Wednesday and admitted to a military hospital after his condition remained unchanged.&nbsp;

&quot;He died very early on Friday,&quot; Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a spokesman of the Rapid Action Battalion told AFP.&nbsp;

Bangladesh prides itself on being a mainly moderate Muslim country. But that perception has been damaged by a series of gruesome killings of atheist bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities.

Colonel Azad, 41, was the intelligence director of the RAB, which has been at the forefront of Bangladesh&#39;s fight against Islamist militancy.&nbsp;

He was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country&#39;s more than a decade-long fight against Islamist extremism.&nbsp;

On Saturday six people including two police officers were killed in twin explosions that targeted a crowd and security officers who were watching army commandos storming an Islamist hideout in the northeastern city of Sylhet.&nbsp;

IS took credit for the attack while the Bangladeshi government and police blamed the blast on a homegrown Islamist militant outfit.&nbsp;

About a dozen more police and security officers were also injured in the attack.&nbsp;Army commandos said they later shot dead four Islamist extremists including one of their top leaders after a three-day gunfight.&nbsp;

On Thursday police&#39;s counter-terrorism officers and SWAT raided another Islamist hideout in a village in the northeast and found bodies of up to eight people. Police believed they blew themselves up in an explosion to avoid being arrested.

There has been a resurgence of extremist attacks in recent weeks in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million after a relative lull since five IS-linked gunmen killed 22 people including 18 foreign hostages at a Dhaka cafe on July 1.

Since the cafe attack, security forces have launched a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremist groups, killing around 60 suspected militants.

(AFP)

Colonel Azad was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country's more than 10-year fight against Islamist militancy

A senior army officer who headed the intelligence wing of Bangladesh's elite security force died Friday, days after he was injured in a bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad was on life support and flown to Singapore on Sunday a day after he was critically injured in an explosion near a militant hideout. He was flown back to Dhaka Wednesday and admitted to a military hospital after his condition remained unchanged. "He died very early on Friday," Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a spokesman of the Rapid Action Battalion told AFP. Bangladesh prides itself on being a mainly moderate Muslim country. But that perception has been damaged by a series of gruesome killings of atheist bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities. Colonel Azad, 41, was the intelligence director of the RAB, which has been at the forefront of Bangladesh's fight against Islamist militancy. He was the highest ranked military officer to have been killed in the country's more than a decade-long fight against Islamist extremism. On Saturday six people including two police officers were killed in twin explosions that targeted a crowd and security officers who were watching army commandos storming an Islamist hideout in the northeastern city of Sylhet. IS took credit for the attack while the Bangladeshi government and police blamed the blast on a homegrown Islamist militant outfit. About a dozen more police and security officers were also injured in the attack. Army commandos said they later shot dead four Islamist extremists including one of their top leaders after a three-day gunfight. On Thursday police's counter-terrorism officers and SWAT raided another Islamist hideout in a village in the northeast and found bodies of up to eight people. Police believed they blew themselves up in an explosion to avoid being arrested. There has been a resurgence of extremist attacks in recent weeks in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million after a relative lull since five IS-linked gunmen killed 22 people including 18 foreign hostages at a Dhaka cafe on July 1. Since the cafe attack, security forces have launched a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremist groups, killing around 60 suspected militants. (AFP)

Top Bangladesh army officer dies from IS-claimed blast

The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it &quot;probably&quot; played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists.

West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city&#39;s east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before.

&quot;We probably had a role in those casualties,&quot; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul.

&quot;If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war,&quot; he said.

Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq&#39;s second city as the &quot;most significant urban combat&quot; since World War II and &quot;probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service&quot;.

The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation.

Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS.

UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17.

IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead.

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces &quot;to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum&quot;.

IS&#39;s &quot;strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality,&quot; he said.

Amnesty&#39;s Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed &quot;an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside&quot;.

&nbsp;

Jihadists deployed among civilians

&quot;The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,&quot; she said.

In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents.

&quot;The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties,&quot; Rovera said.

Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city.

&quot;We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes,&quot; he said.

Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes.

In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses.

Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area.

One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives.

He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time.

More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities.

(AFP)

West Mosul is smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians

The US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Tuesday it "probably" played a role in civilian casualties in west Mosul, as the UN and Amnesty International called for greater efforts to protect civilians. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are still inside west Mosul, caught up in deadly fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and Iraqi forces who are backed by coalition air strikes in the battle to retake the area from the jihadists. West Mosul is both smaller and more densely populated than the city's east, meaning that this stage of the battle poses a greater danger to civilians than those that came before. "We probably had a role in those casualties," Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led operation against IS, told reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad, referring to civilians killed and wounded by aerial bombing in west Mosul. "If those innocents were killed, it was an unintentional accident of war," he said. Townsend described the fighting in the narrow streets of Iraq's second city as the "most significant urban combat" since World War II and "probably the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that I have experienced in my 35 years of service". The coalition had previously said it carried out a strike on March 17 in an area of west Mosul in which civilian casualties were reported, and that it had opened an investigation. Iraq is also investigating civilian deaths in west Mosul, but has sought to place the blame on IS. UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday that more than 300 civilians have been killed in west Mosul since February 17. IS has targeted civilians and used them as human shields, while strikes by anti-IS forces have also left civilians dead. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Iraqi and US-led coalition forces "to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum". IS's "strategy of using children, men and women to shield themselves from attack is cowardly and disgraceful. It breaches the most basic standards of human dignity and morality," he said. Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said field research in east Mosul -- which was recaptured from IS in January -- showed "an alarming pattern of US-led coalition air strikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside". Jihadists deployed among civilians "The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces... have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," she said. In the east, the Iraqi forces adopted a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay at home, dropping leaflets into the city with safety instructions for residents. "The fact that Iraqi authorities repeatedly advised civilians to remain at home instead of fleeing the area, indicates that coalition forces should have known that these strikes were likely to result in a significant numbers of civilian casualties," Rovera said. Amnesty quoted Waad Ahmad al-Tai, an east Mosul resident, as saying six members of his extended family -- including his nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter -- were killed after they followed government advice not to flee the city. "We heard these instructions on the radio...Also leaflets were dropped by planes. This is why we stayed in our homes," he said. Amnesty said that, in many cases it investigated, east Mosul residents said IS fighters had been present in or near houses targeted in the strikes. In one case, five members of a family and their neighbour were killed in a raid on a house where IS fighters were hiding but the jihadists survived that attack, Amnesty quoted survivors as saying. That pattern has also been repeated in west Mosul, according to witnesses. Two witnesses who have now fled the city said that a building with around 170 people inside was destroyed in the Mosul al-Jadida area. One of them said that IS snipers had fired on Iraqi forces, after which an aircraft targeted them with a missile. Another man said that IS placed snipers atop a house where he was residing with more than 20 relatives. He was told that an air strike hit the house, an attack he survived because he was away at the time. More than 200,000 civilians have fled west Mosul since the battle for the area began, according to Iraqi authorities. (AFP)

US-led coalition 'probably' had role in Mosul civilian casualties

The top US general in Iraq told reporters on Tuesday that a strike near the Islamic-State-held Syrian city of Raqqa last week appears to have killed dozens of militants and not civilians.

Last week the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people killed at least 33 people, adding it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State in the area.

&quot;I would tell you that we haven`t completed our assessment of that event yet, but my initial read is (it is) not credible,&quot; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told reporters at a Pentagon via teleconference.&nbsp;

&quot;I think that was a clean strike,&quot; Townsend said.&nbsp;

&quot;We had multiple corroborating intelligence sources from various types of intelligence that told us the enemy was using that school and we observed it and we saw what we expected to see,&quot; Townsend said, adding that it appeared to have hit about 30 Islamic State militants.

(Reuters)

Last week the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people killed at least 33 people

The top US general in Iraq told reporters on Tuesday that a strike near the Islamic-State-held Syrian city of Raqqa last week appears to have killed dozens of militants and not civilians. Last week the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people killed at least 33 people, adding it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State in the area. "I would tell you that we haven`t completed our assessment of that event yet, but my initial read is (it is) not credible," Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told reporters at a Pentagon via teleconference. "I think that was a clean strike," Townsend said. "We had multiple corroborating intelligence sources from various types of intelligence that told us the enemy was using that school and we observed it and we saw what we expected to see," Townsend said, adding that it appeared to have hit about 30 Islamic State militants. (Reuters)

Strike in Syria hit militants, not civilians : US general

Iraqi forces have resumed their bid to reclaim Mosul&#39;s Old City from jihadists, even as the fight against Islamic State has been dwarfed by reports of scores of civilians dying due to air strikes.

The Iraqi forces had launched a massive operation to reclaim Mosul last month, and so far have retaken a series of neighbourhoods.

But their bid to recapture the Old City has been fraught with a cluster of problems, most notably the labyrinthine nature of the town.

The Old City -- a warren of narrow streets and closely-spaced buildings in which the UN said 400,000 people still reside -- poses unique challenges in terms of the difficulty of advancing as well as the danger to civilians.

&quot;Federal Police and Rapid Response Division units began to advance today on the southwestern axis of the Old City,&quot; Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the federal police, said in a statement.

One of the main objectives for the troops is to target Faruq Street, which is close to the Al-Nuri mosque -- the place where&nbsp;IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance after seizing Mosul in 2014.&nbsp;

Heavy toll on civilians&nbsp;

Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for Iraq&#39;s Joint Operations Command, said that interior ministry units have deployed snipers to target IS jihadists using civilians as human shields.

However, Iraqi forces have also frequently fired mortar rounds and unguided rockets during the battle for&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;-- weapons that pose a much greater risk to residents of areas where fighting is taking place.

The battle has already taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing more than 200,000 to flee in addition to others who have been killed or wounded in the fighting.

An AFP photographer saw civil defence personnel and volunteers digging through the remains of houses to recover the dead in&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;al-Jadida on Sunday.

The remains of at least 12 people -- among them women and children -- were placed in blue plastic body bags.

Rasool said that the defence ministry has opened an investigation into the reports that strikes killed civilians in west&nbsp;Mosul.

The US-led coalition against IS has indicated that it may have been responsible for at least some of the civilian deaths.

&quot;An initial review of strike data... indicates that, at the request of the Iraqi security forces, the coalition struck (IS) fighters and equipment, March 17, in west&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties,&quot; it said in a statement on Saturday.

But that only addresses one day, while Iraqi officials referred to strikes carried out over several days.

On Sunday, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel called recent civilian deaths in&nbsp;Mosul&nbsp;a &quot;terrible tragedy&quot;.

&quot;We are investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened and will continue to take extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians,&quot; he said in a statement.

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The west has been vociferous about Russian air strikes on Aleppo claiming that Russia was committing war crimes. But a US airstrike in Mosul may have killed at least 200 people (WION)
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(WION with innputs from AFP)

Iraqi troops are intent on targeting the Al-Nuri mosque where?IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance in 2014

Iraqi forces have resumed their bid to reclaim Mosul's Old City from jihadists, even as the fight against Islamic State has been dwarfed by reports of scores of civilians dying due to air strikes. The Iraqi forces had launched a massive operation to reclaim Mosul last month, and so far have retaken a series of neighbourhoods. But their bid to recapture the Old City has been fraught with a cluster of problems, most notably the labyrinthine nature of the town. The Old City -- a warren of narrow streets and closely-spaced buildings in which the UN said 400,000 people still reside -- poses unique challenges in terms of the difficulty of advancing as well as the danger to civilians. "Federal Police and Rapid Response Division units began to advance today on the southwestern axis of the Old City," Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the federal police, said in a statement. One of the main objectives for the troops is to target Faruq Street, which is close to the Al-Nuri mosque -- the place where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance after seizing Mosul in 2014. Heavy toll on civilians Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, said that interior ministry units have deployed snipers to target IS jihadists using civilians as human shields. However, Iraqi forces have also frequently fired mortar rounds and unguided rockets during the battle for Mosul -- weapons that pose a much greater risk to residents of areas where fighting is taking place. The battle has already taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing more than 200,000 to flee in addition to others who have been killed or wounded in the fighting. An AFP photographer saw civil defence personnel and volunteers digging through the remains of houses to recover the dead in Mosul al-Jadida on Sunday. The remains of at least 12 people -- among them women and children -- were placed in blue plastic body bags. Rasool said that the defence ministry has opened an investigation into the reports that strikes killed civilians in west Mosul. The US-led coalition against IS has indicated that it may have been responsible for at least some of the civilian deaths. "An initial review of strike data... indicates that, at the request of the Iraqi security forces, the coalition struck (IS) fighters and equipment, March 17, in west Mosul at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties," it said in a statement on Saturday. But that only addresses one day, while Iraqi officials referred to strikes carried out over several days. On Sunday, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel called recent civilian deaths in Mosul a "terrible tragedy". "We are investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened and will continue to take extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians," he said in a statement. The west has been vociferous about Russian air strikes on Aleppo claiming that Russia was committing war crimes. But a US airstrike in Mosul may have killed at least 200 people (WION) × (WION with innputs from AFP)

Iraqi forces resume bid to recapture Mosul's Old City

Iraqi&#39;s military said on Sunday 61 bodies had been recovered from a collapsed building that was boobytrapped by Islamic State (IS) in Western Mosul, but there was no sign it had been hit by a coalition strike though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby.

The statement was a response to reports by eyewitnesses and local officials that as many as 200 bodies had been pulled from a collapsed building after a coalition strike last week targeted IS militants and equipment in al Jadida district area.

The incident remains far from clear and details are difficult to confirm as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State to recapture the densely populated parts of the western half of Mosul, the militant group&#39;s last stronghold in Iraq.

The US-led coalition on Saturday said it carried out a strike on Islamic State militants and equipment in the area of the reported deaths, but it was still investigating. It did not give figures for any casualties or details on targets.

The Iraqi military command said eyewitnesses had told troops that the buildings were boobytrapped and militants had forced residents inside basements to use them as human shields. IS militants had also fired on troops from those houses, it said.

But its figures were lower than other local officials. A local municipal official said on Saturday, 240 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. A local lawmaker and two eyewitnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a large truck bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings.

The incident has highlighted the complexity of fighting around Western Mosul&#39;s Old City, where Islamic State are hiding among families and using the narrow streets and alleys to their advantage, forcing Iraqi forces into street fighting.

(Reuters)

Iraq's military says there was no sign the building had been hit by a coalition strike, though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby

Iraqi's military said on Sunday 61 bodies had been recovered from a collapsed building that was boobytrapped by Islamic State (IS) in Western Mosul, but there was no sign it had been hit by a coalition strike though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby. The statement was a response to reports by eyewitnesses and local officials that as many as 200 bodies had been pulled from a collapsed building after a coalition strike last week targeted IS militants and equipment in al Jadida district area. The incident remains far from clear and details are difficult to confirm as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State to recapture the densely populated parts of the western half of Mosul, the militant group's last stronghold in Iraq. The US-led coalition on Saturday said it carried out a strike on Islamic State militants and equipment in the area of the reported deaths, but it was still investigating. It did not give figures for any casualties or details on targets. The Iraqi military command said eyewitnesses had told troops that the buildings were boobytrapped and militants had forced residents inside basements to use them as human shields. IS militants had also fired on troops from those houses, it said. But its figures were lower than other local officials. A local municipal official said on Saturday, 240 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. A local lawmaker and two eyewitnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a large truck bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings. The incident has highlighted the complexity of fighting around Western Mosul's Old City, where Islamic State are hiding among families and using the narrow streets and alleys to their advantage, forcing Iraqi forces into street fighting. (Reuters)

61 bodies pulled from collapsed Mosul site, says Iraqi military

The US&nbsp;military said on Saturday a US-led coalition strike had hit an Islamic State-held area of the Iraqi city of Mosul where residents and officials say dozens of civilians have been killed as result of an air raid.

The incident occurred on March 17 but what exactly happened is still unclear as IS militants fight to defend the areas of the city they still control.

Iraqi government forces paused in their push to recapture western Mosul on Saturday because of the high rate of civilian casualties, a security forces spokesman said, a move apparently motivated by the incident.

The United Nations also expressed its profound concern, saying it was &quot;stunned by this terrible loss of life&quot;.

Initial reports from residents and Iraqi officials in the past week said dozens of people had been killed or wounded in Mosul&#39;s al-Jadidah district after air strikes by Iraqi or US-led coalition forces.

US&nbsp;Central Command, which oversees US&nbsp;military Middle East operations, said on Saturday that a review had determined that US-led coalition operation, requested by the Iraqi government, had struck Islamic State fighters and equipment &quot;at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties&quot;.

It was investigating to determine the facts and the validity of reports of civilian casualties, it said. It did not specify which coalition nation carried out the strike.

Reports on the numbers of civilian dead and wounded have varied but Civil Defence chief Brigadier Mohammed Al-Jawari told reporters on Thursday that rescue teams had recovered 40 bodies from collapsed buildings. Many other lay buried in the rubble.

The exact cause of the collapses was not clear but a local lawmaker and two residents said on Thursday the air strikes may have detonated an IS truck filled with explosives, destroying buildings in the heavily-populated area.

The speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Salim al-Jabouri, said in a statement: &quot;What&#39;s happening in the west part of Mosul is extremely serious and could not be tolerated under any circumstances.&quot;

Up to 600,000 civilians are still believed to remain in IS-held areas of Mosul, complicating the government offensive tactically but also politically as the Shi&#39;ite Muslim-led government seeks to avoid alienating people in the mainly Sunni city.

&nbsp;

NEW TACTICS

Residents escaping besieged western Mosul have told of Iraqi and US-led coalition air strikes demolishing buildings and killing civilians in several cases.

The insurgents have also used civilians as human shields and opened fire on them as they try to escape Islamic State-held neighbourhoods, fleeing residents said.

&quot;The recent high death toll among civilians inside the Old City forced us to halt operations to review our plans,&quot; a Federal Police spokesman said on Saturday. &quot;It&#39;s a time for weighing new offensive plans and tactics. No combat operations are to go on.&quot;

The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul, now in its sixth month, has recaptured the entire eastern side of Mosul and about half of the west.

But advances have stuttered in the last two weeks as fighting enters the narrow alleys of the Old City, home to the al-Nuri mosque where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate spanning large areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

&quot;We need to make sure that taking out Daesh (Islamic State) from the Old City will not cost unwanted high casualties among civilians. We need surgical accurate operations to target terrorists without causing collateral damage among residents,&quot; the Federal Police spokesman said.

A US&nbsp;deputy commanding general for the coalition told Reuters on Friday that the solution could lie in a change of tactics. The Iraqi military is assessing opening up another front and isolating the Old City, US&nbsp;Army Brigadier General John Richardson said.

Fleeing residents have described grim living conditions inside IS-held parts of Mosul, saying there was no running water or electricity and no food coming in.

But families are streaming out of the northern city, Iraq&#39;s second largest, in their thousands each day, headed for cold, crowded camps or to stay with relatives. Hunger and fighting are making life unbearable inside.

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said that since the campaign on western Mosul began on February&nbsp;19, unconfirmed reports said nearly 700 civilians had been killed by government and coalition air strikes or Islamic State actions.

The militants have used car bombs, snipers and mortar fire to counter the offensive. They have also stationed themselves in homes belonging to Mosul residents to fire at Iraqi troops, often drawing air or artillery strikes that have killed civilians.

The United Nations chief humanitarian official, Lise Grande, said civilians were at extreme risk as the fighting intensified and all sides must to do their utmost to avoid such casualties.

&quot;International humanitarian law is clear. Parties to the conflict &mdash; all parties &ndash; are obliged to do everything possible to protect civilians. This means that combatants cannot use people as human shields and cannot imperil lives through indiscriminate use of fire-power,&quot; she said in a statement.

(Reuters)

Air strikes may have detonated an IS truck filled with explosives, destroying buildings in the heavily-populated area

The US military said on Saturday a US-led coalition strike had hit an Islamic State-held area of the Iraqi city of Mosul where residents and officials say dozens of civilians have been killed as result of an air raid. The incident occurred on March 17 but what exactly happened is still unclear as IS militants fight to defend the areas of the city they still control. Iraqi government forces paused in their push to recapture western Mosul on Saturday because of the high rate of civilian casualties, a security forces spokesman said, a move apparently motivated by the incident. The United Nations also expressed its profound concern, saying it was "stunned by this terrible loss of life". Initial reports from residents and Iraqi officials in the past week said dozens of people had been killed or wounded in Mosul's al-Jadidah district after air strikes by Iraqi or US-led coalition forces. US Central Command, which oversees US military Middle East operations, said on Saturday that a review had determined that US-led coalition operation, requested by the Iraqi government, had struck Islamic State fighters and equipment "at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties". It was investigating to determine the facts and the validity of reports of civilian casualties, it said. It did not specify which coalition nation carried out the strike. Reports on the numbers of civilian dead and wounded have varied but Civil Defence chief Brigadier Mohammed Al-Jawari told reporters on Thursday that rescue teams had recovered 40 bodies from collapsed buildings. Many other lay buried in the rubble. The exact cause of the collapses was not clear but a local lawmaker and two residents said on Thursday the air strikes may have detonated an IS truck filled with explosives, destroying buildings in the heavily-populated area. The speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Salim al-Jabouri, said in a statement: "What's happening in the west part of Mosul is extremely serious and could not be tolerated under any circumstances." Up to 600,000 civilians are still believed to remain in IS-held areas of Mosul, complicating the government offensive tactically but also politically as the Shi'ite Muslim-led government seeks to avoid alienating people in the mainly Sunni city. NEW TACTICS Residents escaping besieged western Mosul have told of Iraqi and US-led coalition air strikes demolishing buildings and killing civilians in several cases. The insurgents have also used civilians as human shields and opened fire on them as they try to escape Islamic State-held neighbourhoods, fleeing residents said. "The recent high death toll among civilians inside the Old City forced us to halt operations to review our plans," a Federal Police spokesman said on Saturday. "It's a time for weighing new offensive plans and tactics. No combat operations are to go on." The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul, now in its sixth month, has recaptured the entire eastern side of Mosul and about half of the west. But advances have stuttered in the last two weeks as fighting enters the narrow alleys of the Old City, home to the al-Nuri mosque where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate spanning large areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014. "We need to make sure that taking out Daesh (Islamic State) from the Old City will not cost unwanted high casualties among civilians. We need surgical accurate operations to target terrorists without causing collateral damage among residents," the Federal Police spokesman said. A US deputy commanding general for the coalition told Reuters on Friday that the solution could lie in a change of tactics. The Iraqi military is assessing opening up another front and isolating the Old City, US Army Brigadier General John Richardson said. Fleeing residents have described grim living conditions inside IS-held parts of Mosul, saying there was no running water or electricity and no food coming in. But families are streaming out of the northern city, Iraq's second largest, in their thousands each day, headed for cold, crowded camps or to stay with relatives. Hunger and fighting are making life unbearable inside. The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said that since the campaign on western Mosul began on February 19, unconfirmed reports said nearly 700 civilians had been killed by government and coalition air strikes or Islamic State actions. The militants have used car bombs, snipers and mortar fire to counter the offensive. They have also stationed themselves in homes belonging to Mosul residents to fire at Iraqi troops, often drawing air or artillery strikes that have killed civilians. The United Nations chief humanitarian official, Lise Grande, said civilians were at extreme risk as the fighting intensified and all sides must to do their utmost to avoid such casualties. "International humanitarian law is clear. Parties to the conflict — all parties – are obliged to do everything possible to protect civilians. This means that combatants cannot use people as human shields and cannot imperil lives through indiscriminate use of fire-power," she said in a statement. (Reuters)

US confirms coalition strike in Mosul district where dozens of civilians reported killed

Islamic State gunmen are opening fire on men, women and children as they try to flee Mosul under cover of darkness, civilians who escaped the besieged Iraqi city said on Friday.

Hungry and exhausted, thousands sloshed through the mud, past wrecked buildings and shattered pavements, to reach an army checkpoint.

Some carried suitcases or bags, others had fled with just the clothes on their backs. They came by foot or piled into carts, and some pushed relatives in wheelchairs.

A black-uniformed intelligence officer said about 6,000 people had come through on Thursday, the most he had seen at this exit, and a similar flow had poured in on Friday since about 4 am.

Relieved to reach the safety of the checkpoint, some of those escaping described running a gauntlet of fire.

&quot;The snipers are professional, they do not care. Anybody that moves, they kill,&quot; said Faris Khader, from al-Abar district.

The battle for Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major urban stronghold in Iraq, has now lasted more than five months.

Government forces recaptured the east side in January and are besieging the militants on the western side of the Tigris river.

At least 500,000 civilians are trapped inside, battered by the government and US-led air strikes and artillery, caught in the crossfire of ground fighting, or targeted by IS gunmen. The militants sometimes use residents as human shields.

Khader blamed the government and international coalition for some of the death and mayhem. An IS sniper had been firing from the roof of his home when an air strike hit, he said.

&quot;There are many people dead under the rubble. Some in my family died. Nobody can take the bodies out. They were killed by an air strike.&quot;

&#39;No food, no water&#39;

Omar, a car mechanic, described life under IS.

&quot;It&#39;s very difficult. There&#39;s no food, no water. They are killing a lot of people. They kill anyone who goes out, they kill them in the street.

&quot;We have no money. We have suffered for three years,&quot; he said, clutching his young son to his shoulder.

Salwan, 19, pushed his sister Noor, 21, who is paralysed and deaf, for more than two hours in her wheelchair to reach safety after their house was blown up. They were shot at during the trek, he said.

Sweat poured from the face of Khaled Khalil as he trudged up the last stretch of the debris-strewn boulevard with his young son slung on his shoulder and his wife and three other children behind. He had no coat, no bag, and just a pair of plastic sandals on his mud-spattered feet.

&quot;I came like this. We had the chance so we fled,&quot; said the 36-year-old. &quot;We have been travelling since yesterday. We are very tired but now we are safe.&quot;

He was a carpenter but his shop had been destroyed.

Taking the risk

Then an army jeep drove up with a wounded man on a stretcher. He was laid on the ground by an abandoned building.

Bashar Hazem, 43, and Ali, 29, had carried out their brother Maan, 32, overnight. He was shot in the right thigh 20 days ago. He was bandaged up in the Jamhori hospital inside an IS-held area but left for home after three days because it was dangerous. He had no painkillers and grimaced as his brothers spoke.

&quot;We had no food. That&#39;s why we decided to risk escaping,&quot; Bashar said.

They made a run with a big group in the early hours of Friday. But IS gunmen starting shooting at them and the group was split up. They saw three women shot in the legs.

&quot;Even if you are injured, they shoot at you. Our family is still inside but they are coming soon, God willing,&quot; Ali said.

At the checkpoint, soldiers separated the women and children from the men. They waited, tired but visibly relieved, for buses to take them to a United Nations reception camp at Hamman al-Alil about 20 km (15 miles) away.

The men were gathered in a park, sitting on the ground under guard by soldiers and awaiting questioning.

&quot;We do a first check here. Anyone we suspect of working with Daesh (IS), we pull to one side,&quot; the intelligence officer said.

Some IS fighters had tried to leave disguised as women, their faces concealed by veils, he said, scrutinising arrivals.

The men were then loaded onto trucks and taken to a centre for more thorough checks.

An avuncular Sergeant Hussam Imad told jokes to a group of women and children waiting to be transported to the reception camp. They boarded the bus with smiles on their faces.

(Reuters)

'The snipers are professional, they do not care. Anybody that moves, they kill,' said Faris Khader, from al-Abar district

Islamic State gunmen are opening fire on men, women and children as they try to flee Mosul under cover of darkness, civilians who escaped the besieged Iraqi city said on Friday. Hungry and exhausted, thousands sloshed through the mud, past wrecked buildings and shattered pavements, to reach an army checkpoint. Some carried suitcases or bags, others had fled with just the clothes on their backs. They came by foot or piled into carts, and some pushed relatives in wheelchairs. A black-uniformed intelligence officer said about 6,000 people had come through on Thursday, the most he had seen at this exit, and a similar flow had poured in on Friday since about 4 am. Relieved to reach the safety of the checkpoint, some of those escaping described running a gauntlet of fire. "The snipers are professional, they do not care. Anybody that moves, they kill," said Faris Khader, from al-Abar district. The battle for Mosul, Islamic State's last major urban stronghold in Iraq, has now lasted more than five months. Government forces recaptured the east side in January and are besieging the militants on the western side of the Tigris river. At least 500,000 civilians are trapped inside, battered by the government and US-led air strikes and artillery, caught in the crossfire of ground fighting, or targeted by IS gunmen. The militants sometimes use residents as human shields. Khader blamed the government and international coalition for some of the death and mayhem. An IS sniper had been firing from the roof of his home when an air strike hit, he said. "There are many people dead under the rubble. Some in my family died. Nobody can take the bodies out. They were killed by an air strike." 'No food, no water' Omar, a car mechanic, described life under IS. "It's very difficult. There's no food, no water. They are killing a lot of people. They kill anyone who goes out, they kill them in the street. "We have no money. We have suffered for three years," he said, clutching his young son to his shoulder. Salwan, 19, pushed his sister Noor, 21, who is paralysed and deaf, for more than two hours in her wheelchair to reach safety after their house was blown up. They were shot at during the trek, he said. Sweat poured from the face of Khaled Khalil as he trudged up the last stretch of the debris-strewn boulevard with his young son slung on his shoulder and his wife and three other children behind. He had no coat, no bag, and just a pair of plastic sandals on his mud-spattered feet. "I came like this. We had the chance so we fled," said the 36-year-old. "We have been travelling since yesterday. We are very tired but now we are safe." He was a carpenter but his shop had been destroyed. Taking the risk Then an army jeep drove up with a wounded man on a stretcher. He was laid on the ground by an abandoned building. Bashar Hazem, 43, and Ali, 29, had carried out their brother Maan, 32, overnight. He was shot in the right thigh 20 days ago. He was bandaged up in the Jamhori hospital inside an IS-held area but left for home after three days because it was dangerous. He had no painkillers and grimaced as his brothers spoke. "We had no food. That's why we decided to risk escaping," Bashar said. They made a run with a big group in the early hours of Friday. But IS gunmen starting shooting at them and the group was split up. They saw three women shot in the legs. "Even if you are injured, they shoot at you. Our family is still inside but they are coming soon, God willing," Ali said. At the checkpoint, soldiers separated the women and children from the men. They waited, tired but visibly relieved, for buses to take them to a United Nations reception camp at Hamman al-Alil about 20 km (15 miles) away. The men were gathered in a park, sitting on the ground under guard by soldiers and awaiting questioning. "We do a first check here. Anyone we suspect of working with Daesh (IS), we pull to one side," the intelligence officer said. Some IS fighters had tried to leave disguised as women, their faces concealed by veils, he said, scrutinising arrivals. The men were then loaded onto trucks and taken to a centre for more thorough checks. An avuncular Sergeant Hussam Imad told jokes to a group of women and children waiting to be transported to the reception camp. They boarded the bus with smiles on their faces. (Reuters)

Islamic State gunmen target civilians fleeing Mosul by night

Police searched a number of residential properties in Birmingham on Thursday,&nbsp;a day after British-born Khalid Masood killed four people in central London in the worst attack on the capital since 2005.

Since the attack in London, police have raided a number of addresses across the city, arresting five men and two women on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-claims-london-terror-attack-13717"> Islamic State</a> has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists. According to a study by the Henry Jackson think tank earlier this month, 39 of 269 people convicted in Britain of terrorism offences from 1998 to 2015 came from the city.

There are over 213,000 Muslims in Birmingham, making up over a fifth of the population, according to the 2011 census, and there has been growing concern about divisions in the diverse city.

The car Masood used in Wednesday&#39;s attack had been hired from rental firm Enterprise&#39;s Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, suggesting he still had connections to the area.

In Luton, a former neighbour said she had minimal interactions with Masood and voiced regret for not being more vigilant towards Masood.

 
London&#39;s response

London mayor Sadiq Khan reassured citizens and visitors to London, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sadiq-khan-london-attack-response-westminster-parliament-terror-a7644761.html" target="_blank">saying </a>&quot;our city remains one of the safest in the world...we stand together against those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of&nbsp;life&quot;.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism. <a href="https://t.co/LTLhgZ7OLQ">pic.twitter.com/LTLhgZ7OLQ</a>
&mdash; Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/844633197191335936">March 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Whenever a terror attack occurs there is&nbsp;a range of reactions. The pro-Brexit, anti-immigrant former leader of UKIP Nigel Farrage took the opportunity to fear monger:

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage">@Nigel_Farage</a>: &ldquo;If you open your door to uncontrolled immigration from Middle Eastern countries you are inviting in terrorism.&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hannity?src=hash">#Hannity</a> <a href="https://t.co/p9QQgAkpbD">pic.twitter.com/p9QQgAkpbD</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/844740679955873792">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Not everybody&#39;s reaction was cynical or opportunistic.&nbsp;

Perhaps embodying the famous dry humour of the British,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/youre-not-even-in-our-top-five-worries-londoners-tell-extremists-20151207104505" target="_blank">The Daily Mash</a> found London-resident 32-year-old Tom Booker,&nbsp;who is far more terrified of other things in London:

&quot;I already have nightmares on a rotating basis about my barely-affordable rent, work-related exhaustion, meeting a partner who isn&#39;t weird, growing older in a lonely city and a lingering stomach ache that I reckon is an ulcer.

&quot;If terrorists think they can make me more scared than I already am, good luck with that. As far as nagging daily anxieties go, I&#39;m afraid they&#39;ll have to take a number and join the back of the queue.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists, but many Londoners remain defiant in the face of terrorism

Police searched a number of residential properties in Birmingham on Thursday, a day after British-born Khalid Masood killed four people in central London in the worst attack on the capital since 2005. Since the attack in London, police have raided a number of addresses across the city, arresting five men and two women on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Birmingham has been one of the hotbeds for British Islamists. According to a study by the Henry Jackson think tank earlier this month, 39 of 269 people convicted in Britain of terrorism offences from 1998 to 2015 came from the city. There are over 213,000 Muslims in Birmingham, making up over a fifth of the population, according to the 2011 census, and there has been growing concern about divisions in the diverse city. The car Masood used in Wednesday's attack had been hired from rental firm Enterprise's Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, suggesting he still had connections to the area. In Luton, a former neighbour said she had minimal interactions with Masood and voiced regret for not being more vigilant towards Masood. London's response London mayor Sadiq Khan reassured citizens and visitors to London, saying "our city remains one of the safest in the world...we stand together against those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life". Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism. pic.twitter.com/LTLhgZ7OLQ — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 22, 2017 × Whenever a terror attack occurs there is a range of reactions. The pro-Brexit, anti-immigrant former leader of UKIP Nigel Farrage took the opportunity to fear monger: .@Nigel_Farage: “If you open your door to uncontrolled immigration from Middle Eastern countries you are inviting in terrorism.” #Hannity pic.twitter.com/p9QQgAkpbD — Fox News (@FoxNews) March 23, 2017 × Not everybody's reaction was cynical or opportunistic. Perhaps embodying the famous dry humour of the British, The Daily Mash found London-resident 32-year-old Tom Booker, who is far more terrified of other things in London: "I already have nightmares on a rotating basis about my barely-affordable rent, work-related exhaustion, meeting a partner who isn't weird, growing older in a lonely city and a lingering stomach ache that I reckon is an ulcer. "If terrorists think they can make me more scared than I already am, good luck with that. As far as nagging daily anxieties go, I'm afraid they'll have to take a number and join the back of the queue." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

London terrorist attack: Police search for clues in Birmingham

Another person, who was injured in Wednesday&#39;s terrorist attack outside the UK Parliament,&nbsp;has died, police said on Thursday.

The victim was a 75-year-old man, the police said.&nbsp;

With his death, the total number of victims who have died has reached four.

On Wednesday, London was struck by a terror attack. The attacker, who has been identified as British-born Khalid Masood, was killed by the police outside the UK parliament after he stabbed a policeman to death.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the British Prime Minister Theresa May described as &quot;sick and depraved&quot;. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Victim death toll mounts to four in one of the worst terrorist attacks in London in over a decade

Another person, who was injured in Wednesday's terrorist attack outside the UK Parliament, has died, police said on Thursday. The victim was a 75-year-old man, the police said. With his death, the total number of victims who have died has reached four. On Wednesday, London was struck by a terror attack. The attacker, who has been identified as British-born Khalid Masood, was killed by the police outside the UK parliament after he stabbed a policeman to death. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the British Prime Minister Theresa May described as "sick and depraved". (WION with inputs from Reuters)

London terrorist attack: 75-year-old man succumbs to injuries

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

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

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

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

An air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people near the Islamic-State held Syrian city of Raqqa killed at least 33 people, a group that monitors the war said on Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition forces fighting Islamic State in the area.

Observatory activists counted at least 33 bodies at the site near the village of al-Mansoura, west of Raqqa, Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters. The air strike took place on Monday night, he said.

The Pentagon said there were no indications that a US-led coalition strike near Raqqa had hit civilians, but that it would carry out further investigations.

Abdulrahman said the US-led coalition has escalated its aerial campaign against Islamic State around Raqqa this month, causing numerous civilian casualties.

The nearest Islamic State installation to the site of the air strike was a religious school 3 km (2 miles) away, he said.

The Syrian government urged the United Nations to stop &quot;the devastation and destruction that the &#39;international coalition&#39; is committing&quot;, state-run SANA news agency said on Wednesday.

Syria&#39;s foreign ministry accused the US-led coalition of committing a &quot;massacre&quot; by striking a school in the al-Mansoura village, SANA reported.

A spokesman for the US-led coalition has previously said that it does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties and that it investigates those that are reported as a result of its air strikes.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance of militias backed by the US-led coalition, is fighting to isolate Raqqa ahead of an anticipated assault on the city, which Islamic State has used as a command node to plan attacks abroad.

The head of the YPG militia, the strongest in the SDF, said last week that the offensive to retake Raqqa would begin in early April but a spokesman for the U.S. Pentagon said no decision had yet been made.

(Reuters)

The monitor said that the strike was believed to be carried out by the US-led coalition forces fighting Islamic State in the area

An air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people near the Islamic-State held Syrian city of Raqqa killed at least 33 people, a group that monitors the war said on Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it believed the strike was carried out by the US-led coalition forces fighting Islamic State in the area. Observatory activists counted at least 33 bodies at the site near the village of al-Mansoura, west of Raqqa, Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters. The air strike took place on Monday night, he said. The Pentagon said there were no indications that a US-led coalition strike near Raqqa had hit civilians, but that it would carry out further investigations. Abdulrahman said the US-led coalition has escalated its aerial campaign against Islamic State around Raqqa this month, causing numerous civilian casualties. The nearest Islamic State installation to the site of the air strike was a religious school 3 km (2 miles) away, he said. The Syrian government urged the United Nations to stop "the devastation and destruction that the 'international coalition' is committing", state-run SANA news agency said on Wednesday. Syria's foreign ministry accused the US-led coalition of committing a "massacre" by striking a school in the al-Mansoura village, SANA reported. A spokesman for the US-led coalition has previously said that it does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties and that it investigates those that are reported as a result of its air strikes. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance of militias backed by the US-led coalition, is fighting to isolate Raqqa ahead of an anticipated assault on the city, which Islamic State has used as a command node to plan attacks abroad. The head of the YPG militia, the strongest in the SDF, said last week that the offensive to retake Raqqa would begin in early April but a spokesman for the U.S. Pentagon said no decision had yet been made. (Reuters)

Airstrike on school kills 33 near Raqqa in Syria: monitor

Twitter has said that it has suspended around 377,000 accounts during the final six months of 2016 for &quot;violation&nbsp;related to promotion of terrorism&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The revelation came as part of its semi-annual &quot;transparency report&quot;.

The report also said that the maximum number of requests to takedown posts came from Turkey.

It said that it wanted to &quot;shine a bright light&quot; on the requests as a threat to press freedom.

The micro-blogging website said that during the last six-months of 2016, it received 88 court orders and legal requests from around the world asking it to remove content posted by verified journalits. The highest number of such requests came form Turkey.

Twitter said that it had also stepped up efforts to rid the social networking website of content advocating political and religious violence. It is taking help from a software&nbsp;to spot such tweets instead of relying on government requests.

The revelations assume importance in light of increased pressure on social media websites like Twitter, Facebook and Google to fight online radicalisation by Islamist groups like Islamic State.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The highest number of requests to takedown posts came from Turkey, Twitter said in a report

Twitter has said that it has suspended around 377,000 accounts during the final six months of 2016 for "violation related to promotion of terrorism". The revelation came as part of its semi-annual "transparency report". The report also said that the maximum number of requests to takedown posts came from Turkey. It said that it wanted to "shine a bright light" on the requests as a threat to press freedom. The micro-blogging website said that during the last six-months of 2016, it received 88 court orders and legal requests from around the world asking it to remove content posted by verified journalits. The highest number of such requests came form Turkey. Twitter said that it had also stepped up efforts to rid the social networking website of content advocating political and religious violence. It is taking help from a software to spot such tweets instead of relying on government requests. The revelations assume importance in light of increased pressure on social media websites like Twitter, Facebook and Google to fight online radicalisation by Islamist groups like Islamic State. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Twitter suspended 377,000 accounts last year for trying to promote extremism

A car bomb blast in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has killed 23 people and injured 45. The blast happened in a mainly Shi&#39;ite southern district.&nbsp;

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Islamic State has reportedly captured an Iraqi police colonel along with eight other officers on Monday during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, an Iraqi interior ministry official said as reported by Reuters.

The official said that the incident happened as the Iraqi forces closed in on Islamic State fighters in the Old City in west Mosul.&nbsp;

Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a media officer for the interior ministry&#39;s Rapid Response units, denied any such incident.

Federal police sources said that the officers have been killed and the Iraqi forces were trying to get their bodies, Reuters reported.

The battle for Mosul is expected to continue for several months. The offensive was launched last year in October and is supported by a US-backed coalition.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Islamic State reportedly killed nine Iraqi police officers during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, federal police sources said

A car bomb blast in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has killed 23 people and injured 45. The blast happened in a mainly Shi'ite southern district. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Meanwhile, Islamic State has reportedly captured an Iraqi police colonel along with eight other officers on Monday during the ongoing battle for west Mosul, an Iraqi interior ministry official said as reported by Reuters. The official said that the incident happened as the Iraqi forces closed in on Islamic State fighters in the Old City in west Mosul. Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a media officer for the interior ministry's Rapid Response units, denied any such incident. Federal police sources said that the officers have been killed and the Iraqi forces were trying to get their bodies, Reuters reported. The battle for Mosul is expected to continue for several months. The offensive was launched last year in October and is supported by a US-backed coalition. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iraq: 23 killed, 45 injured in car bomb blast in Baghdad

Smokey-eyed Zulala Hashemi, standing tall in four-inch gold heels, wants to sing for women.

The 18-year-old has become the first girl to reach the final of popular television music talent show Afghan Star.

Hashemi, a native of eastern Jalalabad, a stronghold of Taliban and Islamic State insurgents, will face off against the first rapper of the competition in Monday&#39;s final.

Their clash will be one of the most trailblazing in the popular show&#39;s 12-year history.

Quietly rooting for Zulala is Aryana Saeed, one of the judges and an indefatigable women&#39;s rights activist.&nbsp;

Saeed, who was born in Kabul but usually lives in London, is likened widely to American reality star Kim Kardashian and is despised by religious conservatives for her figure-hugging clothes.

&nbsp;

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Aryana Sayeed (L) poses with Zulala Hashemi. (AFP)
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Zulala and Saeed hug in a studio at local television station Tolo, their eyelashes fluttering.

&quot;I have never hidden my support as women have little chance in this country,&quot; Saeed told AFP. &quot;For the first time people have voted for a girl,&nbsp;and one who comes from a very conservative province, a land of Islamic State zealots.&quot;

Afghan Star, Tolo&#39;s adaptation of &quot;American Idol&quot;, has been a huge hit in conservative Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime that banned music and cinema.&nbsp;

But since its launch in 2005, it has also seen a backlash from mullahs for the way it features unveiled women singing and dancing.

A woman came in third place in 2008, and since then no female singer has gone beyond 7th or 8th position, said Omid Nezami, the show&#39;s presenter and a former contestant.

Aside from the backing of the public, Zulala can count on support from her mother Merem Hashemi, a smiling woman who designed and hand-stitched all her daughter&#39;s on-stage costumes.

&quot;Even if I do not win, I will be a singer,&quot; says Zulala in her deep voice, determination in her almond-shaped eyes.

&quot;I wear traditional dresses but my songs follow the path of Aryana. I want to convey a message to Afghan women: they must claim their rights and explore their talents,&quot; she added.

Massood Sanjer, the head of Tolo TV, said it was nothing short of revolutionary that a girl from conservative Jalalabad had reached the finals.

&quot;This is exactly what this country needs right now,&quot; he enthused, alluding to growing insecurity.&nbsp;

Tolo&#39;s maze of production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs and gunfire. The TV station has stopped outdoor recordings owing to security concerns.

The Afghan capital is regularly hit with insurgent gun and bomb attacks. Earlier this month, a group of gunmen stormed Afghanistan&#39;s largest military hospital in Kabul, killing more than 100 people, according to multiple surviving staff.

Competing against Zulala is Sayed Jamal Mubarez, a barber and a young rapper from northern Mazar-i-Sharif city.

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Zulala Hashemi (R) stands alongside competitor Sayed Jamal Mubarez as they perform. (AFP)
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Dressed in baggy pants, a cap and red sneakers, Mubarez shut down his hair salon for three months to participate in the show, borrowing $8 from his neighbours for the bus ride to Kabul.

At 23, he is the breadwinner of his family and is keenly eyeing the Afghan Star prize, a motorcycle and a trip to Kazakhstan.

&quot;Jamal has been in the lead since the beginning,&quot; said Omid.

However, his chances are weak if the voting is along ethnic lines in the deeply divided country.

Zulala is from the dominant Pashtun majority, whereas Mubarez is a Hazara, a long-persecuted minority.

&quot;Every show I encourage the audience to vote for talent, not according to ethnicity,&quot; Omid said.

In the semi-finals, Aryana Saeed took to the stage, intoning a new song dedicated to Farkhunda and Rukshana , &nbsp;two Afghan women who were beaten to death and became a symbol of endemic violence against women.

&quot;Your status is that of half a man/ But you are punished twice as much (...) Arise and shout / Raise your sleeves / Claim your rights / You can do it!&quot;

The final of the show will be live on Monday, on the eve of the Afghan New Year.

(AFP)

This music talent show's production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs

Smokey-eyed Zulala Hashemi, standing tall in four-inch gold heels, wants to sing for women. The 18-year-old has become the first girl to reach the final of popular television music talent show Afghan Star. Hashemi, a native of eastern Jalalabad, a stronghold of Taliban and Islamic State insurgents, will face off against the first rapper of the competition in Monday's final. Their clash will be one of the most trailblazing in the popular show's 12-year history. Quietly rooting for Zulala is Aryana Saeed, one of the judges and an indefatigable women's rights activist. Saeed, who was born in Kabul but usually lives in London, is likened widely to American reality star Kim Kardashian and is despised by religious conservatives for her figure-hugging clothes. Aryana Sayeed (L) poses with Zulala Hashemi. (AFP) × Zulala and Saeed hug in a studio at local television station Tolo, their eyelashes fluttering. "I have never hidden my support as women have little chance in this country," Saeed told AFP. "For the first time people have voted for a girl, and one who comes from a very conservative province, a land of Islamic State zealots." Afghan Star, Tolo's adaptation of "American Idol", has been a huge hit in conservative Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime that banned music and cinema. But since its launch in 2005, it has also seen a backlash from mullahs for the way it features unveiled women singing and dancing. A woman came in third place in 2008, and since then no female singer has gone beyond 7th or 8th position, said Omid Nezami, the show's presenter and a former contestant. Aside from the backing of the public, Zulala can count on support from her mother Merem Hashemi, a smiling woman who designed and hand-stitched all her daughter's on-stage costumes. "Even if I do not win, I will be a singer," says Zulala in her deep voice, determination in her almond-shaped eyes. "I wear traditional dresses but my songs follow the path of Aryana. I want to convey a message to Afghan women: they must claim their rights and explore their talents," she added. Massood Sanjer, the head of Tolo TV, said it was nothing short of revolutionary that a girl from conservative Jalalabad had reached the finals. "This is exactly what this country needs right now," he enthused, alluding to growing insecurity. Tolo's maze of production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs and gunfire. The TV station has stopped outdoor recordings owing to security concerns. The Afghan capital is regularly hit with insurgent gun and bomb attacks. Earlier this month, a group of gunmen stormed Afghanistan's largest military hospital in Kabul, killing more than 100 people, according to multiple surviving staff. Competing against Zulala is Sayed Jamal Mubarez, a barber and a young rapper from northern Mazar-i-Sharif city. Zulala Hashemi (R) stands alongside competitor Sayed Jamal Mubarez as they perform. (AFP) × Dressed in baggy pants, a cap and red sneakers, Mubarez shut down his hair salon for three months to participate in the show, borrowing $8 from his neighbours for the bus ride to Kabul. At 23, he is the breadwinner of his family and is keenly eyeing the Afghan Star prize, a motorcycle and a trip to Kazakhstan. "Jamal has been in the lead since the beginning," said Omid. However, his chances are weak if the voting is along ethnic lines in the deeply divided country. Zulala is from the dominant Pashtun majority, whereas Mubarez is a Hazara, a long-persecuted minority. "Every show I encourage the audience to vote for talent, not according to ethnicity," Omid said. In the semi-finals, Aryana Saeed took to the stage, intoning a new song dedicated to Farkhunda and Rukshana , two Afghan women who were beaten to death and became a symbol of endemic violence against women. "Your status is that of half a man/ But you are punished twice as much (...) Arise and shout / Raise your sleeves / Claim your rights / You can do it!" The final of the show will be live on Monday, on the eve of the Afghan New Year. (AFP)

Afghan star: Rap, stilettos and a musical revolution in war-torn Afghanistan

The Islamic State Group claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on a Bangladesh security forces camp, while police in Dhaka shot dead a suspected militant in a separate incident.

The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denied the presence of IS in the country, blaming attacks on local extremists.

&quot;A caliphate soldier in Bangladesh carried out a martyrdom operation with an explosive belt in a camp for special forces in Dhaka,&quot; IS announced in its daily al-Bayan radio bulletin Saturday.

Two policemen were wounded in the apparently botched attack on Friday when a man blew himself up at an elite forces camp near Dhaka&#39;s international airport.&nbsp;

The camp attacked was occupied by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force tasked with combatting militancy.

Asked about IS&#39; claim of responsibility, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told AFP: &quot;IS has no presence in Bangladesh at all&quot;.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed.

The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind that and other attacks.

Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s secular government of using the spate of attacks in the country to demonise her domestic opponents.

On Saturday a man on a motorbike tried to cross a RAB security roadblock in Dhaka carrying a bag with improvised explosive devices.

Bangladesh police shot the suspected militant dead, Khan said.

&quot;As he was carrying explosives we primarily suspect him of being a militant,&quot; Khan told AFP, adding further investigation was needed to ascertain his identity.

A bomb disposal unit recovered the biker&#39;s bag containing multiple small improvised bombs, which were later defused, Khan said.

Friday&#39;s bomb attack was one of the first in recent years against the elite RAB force, which has led a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremists, arresting scores of suspects.

Police have this month also been carrying out a series of raids in the southern Chittagong region and say they killed four suspected militants when they stormed an extremist hideout on Thursday.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry said last year there was evidence to link extremists behind attacks in Bangladesh to IS.

&quot;There is the ideological footprint of IS in Bangladesh, there is no denial about it,&quot; said Shahab Enam Khan, a terrorism expert at Jahangirnagar University.

&quot;However, we have not received enough evidence of their physical existence in concrete organisational form in the country yet.&quot;

(AFP)

Meanwhile, police have shot dead a man suspected to have been involved in Friday's attack that wounded two people

The Islamic State Group claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on a Bangladesh security forces camp, while police in Dhaka shot dead a suspected militant in a separate incident. The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denied the presence of IS in the country, blaming attacks on local extremists. "A caliphate soldier in Bangladesh carried out a martyrdom operation with an explosive belt in a camp for special forces in Dhaka," IS announced in its daily al-Bayan radio bulletin Saturday. Two policemen were wounded in the apparently botched attack on Friday when a man blew himself up at an elite forces camp near Dhaka's international airport. The camp attacked was occupied by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force tasked with combatting militancy. Asked about IS' claim of responsibility, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan told AFP: "IS has no presence in Bangladesh at all". The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed. The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind that and other attacks. Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government of using the spate of attacks in the country to demonise her domestic opponents. On Saturday a man on a motorbike tried to cross a RAB security roadblock in Dhaka carrying a bag with improvised explosive devices. Bangladesh police shot the suspected militant dead, Khan said. "As he was carrying explosives we primarily suspect him of being a militant," Khan told AFP, adding further investigation was needed to ascertain his identity. A bomb disposal unit recovered the biker's bag containing multiple small improvised bombs, which were later defused, Khan said. Friday's bomb attack was one of the first in recent years against the elite RAB force, which has led a nationwide crackdown on Islamist extremists, arresting scores of suspects. Police have this month also been carrying out a series of raids in the southern Chittagong region and say they killed four suspected militants when they stormed an extremist hideout on Thursday. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry said last year there was evidence to link extremists behind attacks in Bangladesh to IS. "There is the ideological footprint of IS in Bangladesh, there is no denial about it," said Shahab Enam Khan, a terrorism expert at Jahangirnagar University. "However, we have not received enough evidence of their physical existence in concrete organisational form in the country yet." (AFP)

IS claims role in attack on Bangladesh security forces

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