Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see&nbsp;an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he &quot;lives up to his promise&quot; of fighting terrorists.&nbsp;

&quot;What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?&quot; Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies&nbsp;within the administration which influence the president.&nbsp;

Unlike Obama&#39;s policy,&nbsp;Trump has questioned the idea of&nbsp;backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn&#39;t like him but &quot;Assad is killing ISIS&quot;.

&quot;That&#39;s why for us it&#39;s still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not,&quot; Assad said. &quot;That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let&#39;s say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians,&quot; he added.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump has questioned the idea of?backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that, while he didn't like him, 'Assad is killing ISIS'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he "lives up to his promise" of fighting terrorists. "What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?" Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies within the administration which influence the president. Unlike Obama's policy, Trump has questioned the idea of backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn't like him but "Assad is killing ISIS". "That's why for us it's still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not," Assad said. "That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let's say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Syrian President hopes for 'natural ally' in Trump

An attack on an Indonesian church killed a toddler on Monday, police said, the latest assault on a religious minority in the Muslim-majority country, news agency AFP reported.

An attacker wearing a t-shirt with the word &quot;jihad&quot; on it threw explosives at the church on Borneo island on Sunday.

The Molotov cocktail thrown by the man on the motorbike injured four small children including the two-year-old Intan Olivia Marbun.

The youngsters, aged between two and four, had been playing in the car park of the church in the city of Samarinda at the time of the attack, reported AFP.

&quot;Unfortunately the doctors could not save the victim. She died early this morning,&quot; local police spokesman Fajar Setiawan told AFP. The two-year-old had suffered severe burn injuries.

The spokesman added that the other children were being treated in hospital. &quot;We hope they can come home soon,&quot; said Setiawan.

The 32-year-old suspected attacker has been arrested. He is a former terror convict from the West Java town of Bogor who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison over a 2011 terror attack and was released in July 2014, Press trust of India reported.

A &nbsp;teenager obsessed with the Islamic State stabbed a priest in a church in August. He also tried to detonate a homemade bomb. Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a suicide bombing and gun attack in Jakarta in January.

Indonesia, the world&#39;s most populous Muslim nation, has carried out a sustained crackdown on militant networks since the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, PTI said

(With inputs from agencies)

The attacker wearing a t-shirt with the word 'jihad' threw explosives at the church on Borneo island, killing one child and wounding three

An attack on an Indonesian church killed a toddler on Monday, police said, the latest assault on a religious minority in the Muslim-majority country, news agency AFP reported. An attacker wearing a t-shirt with the word "jihad" on it threw explosives at the church on Borneo island on Sunday. The Molotov cocktail thrown by the man on the motorbike injured four small children including the two-year-old Intan Olivia Marbun. The youngsters, aged between two and four, had been playing in the car park of the church in the city of Samarinda at the time of the attack, reported AFP. "Unfortunately the doctors could not save the victim. She died early this morning," local police spokesman Fajar Setiawan told AFP. The two-year-old had suffered severe burn injuries. The spokesman added that the other children were being treated in hospital. "We hope they can come home soon," said Setiawan. The 32-year-old suspected attacker has been arrested. He is a former terror convict from the West Java town of Bogor who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison over a 2011 terror attack and was released in July 2014, Press trust of India reported. A teenager obsessed with the Islamic State stabbed a priest in a church in August. He also tried to detonate a homemade bomb. Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a suicide bombing and gun attack in Jakarta in January. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has carried out a sustained crackdown on militant networks since the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, PTI said (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesia: 2-year-old killed in church attack, suspect arrested

The executive body of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted on Friday to condemn the use of banned toxic agents by the Syrian government and by the militant group Islamic State, a source who took part in the closed session said.

Roughly two-thirds of the 41 members on the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), endorsed a text compiled by Spain, sources told Reuters.

An initial US&nbsp;draft was replaced with a compromise text drafted by Spain, which dropped a reference to sanctions against those responsible for violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, sources added.

The OPCW&#39;s Executive Council, which meets behind closed doors, seldom votes on such matters, generally operating through consensus. But this text was supported by 28 members, including Germany, France, the United States, and Britain.

It was opposed by Russia, China, Sudan, and Iran. There were nine abstentions. Russia and Iran are Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s main allies against rebels seeking to overthrow him. Western and Gulf Arab states back the rebels.

&quot;There is a clear determination across the international community to hold those who have used these heinous weapons to account,&quot; said British foreign minister Boris Johnson in a statement responding to the vote.

But a US-Russian split over Syria highlighted continuing divisions. It was these two countries that in 2013 took the lead in getting the Damascus government to join the OPCW and avert threatened US-led military intervention in Syria&#39;s civil war.

A 13-month international inquiry by the OPCW and United Nations concluded in a series of reports that Syrian government forces, including helicopter squadrons, were responsible for the use of chlorine barrel bombs against civilians.

The OPCW-UN&nbsp;mission found that the Syrian government carried out three toxic attacks in March and April of last year, while Islamic State militants had used sulphur mustard gas.

The findings set the stage for a U.N. Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain, and France over how those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable.

Syrian authorities deny having used chemical weapons in the conflict. Islamic State has not commented.

(Reuters)

Roughly two-thirds of the 41 members on the Executive Council of OPCW endorsed a text compiled by Spain

The executive body of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted on Friday to condemn the use of banned toxic agents by the Syrian government and by the militant group Islamic State, a source who took part in the closed session said. Roughly two-thirds of the 41 members on the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), endorsed a text compiled by Spain, sources told Reuters. An initial US draft was replaced with a compromise text drafted by Spain, which dropped a reference to sanctions against those responsible for violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, sources added. The OPCW's Executive Council, which meets behind closed doors, seldom votes on such matters, generally operating through consensus. But this text was supported by 28 members, including Germany, France, the United States, and Britain. It was opposed by Russia, China, Sudan, and Iran. There were nine abstentions. Russia and Iran are Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main allies against rebels seeking to overthrow him. Western and Gulf Arab states back the rebels. "There is a clear determination across the international community to hold those who have used these heinous weapons to account," said British foreign minister Boris Johnson in a statement responding to the vote. But a US-Russian split over Syria highlighted continuing divisions. It was these two countries that in 2013 took the lead in getting the Damascus government to join the OPCW and avert threatened US-led military intervention in Syria's civil war. A 13-month international inquiry by the OPCW and United Nations concluded in a series of reports that Syrian government forces, including helicopter squadrons, were responsible for the use of chlorine barrel bombs against civilians. The OPCW-UN mission found that the Syrian government carried out three toxic attacks in March and April of last year, while Islamic State militants had used sulphur mustard gas. The findings set the stage for a U.N. Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain, and France over how those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable. Syrian authorities deny having used chemical weapons in the conflict. Islamic State has not commented. (Reuters)

Watchdog condemns Syrian government, IS use of banned chemical weapons

Elite Iraqi forces were engaged in &quot;intense&quot; fighting with jihadists in eastern Mosul on Saturday as they tried to fortify positions before advancing further into the city, an officer said.

Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the country&#39;s second city from the Islamic State group on October 17, and the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) special forces have pushed the jihadists back from some Mosul neighbourhoods.

But there are still weeks if not months of fighting ahead in the battle to recapture the last IS-held Iraqi city.

&quot;The fighting is intense this morning. We&#39;re trying to fortify our positions in Arbajiyah before continuing our attack into Al-Bakr,&quot; said Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem of CTS, referring to two Mosul areas.

CTS forces launched an assault on Arbajiyah the day before, and Salem said that they were in control of the area on Saturday.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained significant ground from the jihadists.

(AFP)

An officer said Elite Iraqi forces were fighting the Islamic State as they tried to fortify positions before advancing further into the city

Elite Iraqi forces were engaged in "intense" fighting with jihadists in eastern Mosul on Saturday as they tried to fortify positions before advancing further into the city, an officer said. Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the country's second city from the Islamic State group on October 17, and the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) special forces have pushed the jihadists back from some Mosul neighbourhoods. But there are still weeks if not months of fighting ahead in the battle to recapture the last IS-held Iraqi city. "The fighting is intense this morning. We're trying to fortify our positions in Arbajiyah before continuing our attack into Al-Bakr," said Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem of CTS, referring to two Mosul areas. CTS forces launched an assault on Arbajiyah the day before, and Salem said that they were in control of the area on Saturday. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained significant ground from the jihadists. (AFP)

'Intense' fighting in east Mosul: Officer

Amnesty International said on Thursday that Iraqi government forces tortured and killed villagers south of Mosul, the first such report of alleged rights abuse in a US-backed campaign to retake the city from Islamic State.

The New York-based rights group said victims included &quot;up to six&quot; people found last month in the Shura and Qayyara sub-districts who security forces suspected of ties to the ultra-hardline jihadist group which seized a third of Iraqi territory in 2014.

&quot;Men in Federal Police uniform have carried out multiple unlawful killings, apprehending and then deliberately killing in cold blood residents in villages south of Mosul,&quot; said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty&#39;s Beirut office.

Spokesmen for the federal police and the Interior Ministry, to which they belong, could not be reached for comment.

The Mosul operation, involving a 100,000-strong alliance of troops, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga and Shi&#39;ite Muslim militias and backed by U.S.-led air strikes, has entered its fourth week but has so far gained just a small foothold in the city.

Amnesty&#39;s report described several incidents on or around October 21 in which separate groups of men were beaten with cables and rifle butts before being shot to death. In one case, a man&#39;s head had been severed from his body, it said.

Amnesty said that. without accountability, the alleged abuses risked being repeated in other towns and villages as the Mosul offensive continues.

(Reuters)

The rights groups said the victims included 'up to six' people whom security forces suspected of ties to Islamic State

Amnesty International said on Thursday that Iraqi government forces tortured and killed villagers south of Mosul, the first such report of alleged rights abuse in a US-backed campaign to retake the city from Islamic State. The New York-based rights group said victims included "up to six" people found last month in the Shura and Qayyara sub-districts who security forces suspected of ties to the ultra-hardline jihadist group which seized a third of Iraqi territory in 2014. "Men in Federal Police uniform have carried out multiple unlawful killings, apprehending and then deliberately killing in cold blood residents in villages south of Mosul," said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty's Beirut office. Spokesmen for the federal police and the Interior Ministry, to which they belong, could not be reached for comment. The Mosul operation, involving a 100,000-strong alliance of troops, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga and Shi'ite Muslim militias and backed by U.S.-led air strikes, has entered its fourth week but has so far gained just a small foothold in the city. Amnesty's report described several incidents on or around October 21 in which separate groups of men were beaten with cables and rifle butts before being shot to death. In one case, a man's head had been severed from his body, it said. Amnesty said that. without accountability, the alleged abuses risked being repeated in other towns and villages as the Mosul offensive continues. (Reuters)

Iraqi govt forces tortured, killed civilians south of Mosul: Amnesty

Iraqi Kurdish forces have seized the town of Bashiqa near Mosul from the Islamic State group, an official said Tuesday, as US-backed militia forces advanced on the jihadists&#39; Syrian stronghold Raqa.

Capturing Bashiqa would be a final step in securing the eastern approaches to Mosul, three weeks into an offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the country&#39;s second city.

Iraqi troops have also seized the town of Hamam al-Alil south of Mosul, and Tuesday investigators carried out an initial examination of a mass grave site discovered in the area.

Bashiqa was under the &quot;complete control&quot; of Kurdish peshmerga forces, Jabbar Yawar, secretary general of the Kurdish regional ministry responsible for the fighters, told AFP.

&quot;Our forces are clearing mines and sweeping the city,&quot; Yawar said.

An AFP correspondent on the outskirts of Bashiqa said clashes were continuing, with three air strikes hitting the town and gunfire and an explosion heard.

The peshmerga said there were still some suicide bombers and snipers there, and about five percent of Bashiqa remained under jihadist control.

Iraqi forces have been tightening the noose around Mosul since launching the offensive on October 17, with elite troops last week breaching city limits.

Upping pressure on the jihadists, the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance on Saturday began its own offensive against IS&#39;s other main bastion, Raqa in Syria.

Raqa and Mosul are the last major cities in Syria and Iraq under IS control, and their capture would deal a knockout blow to the self-styled &quot;caliphate&quot; it declared in mid-2014.

&#39;Determined to succeed&#39;

The US-led coalition that launched operations against IS two years ago is providing crucial backing to both offensives, with air strikes and special forces advisers on the ground.

SDF forces have been pushing south from areas near the Turkish border towards Raqa, and alliance spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed said Tuesday they had moved to within 36 kilometres (22 miles) of the city.

&quot;Two more villages have been taken since yesterday,&quot; she told AFP, adding that SDF forces had so far advanced 14 kilometres (nine miles) closer to Raqa from Ain Issa, the operation&#39;s main staging point.

&quot;The fighting continues; morale is good and our fighters are determined that this offensive will succeed,&quot; she said.

The fighting has prompted a steady trickle of civilians to flee IS territory, most heading towards Ain Issa.

&quot;We were afraid of the planes, and we were afraid of the IS fighters,&quot; said 34-year-old Wazira Al-Jeely from Al-Tuwaila village.

&quot;When the strikes started, we took off our burqas and said &#39;we&#39;re done with you&#39; and we ran away.&quot;

Dozens fled the area aboard pick-up trucks and vans. Some left on mopeds, while others escaped on foot with their sheep and goats.

SDF fighters stopped them a few kilometers from Ain Issa, checking their identities and searching belongings to avoid infiltration by jihadists.

As in the battle for Mosul, the goal of the Raqa offensive is to surround and isolate the jihadists inside the city before mounting a street-to-street assault.

In both cases officials are warning of long and bloody battles ahead, with IS expected to put up fierce resistance and use trapped civilians as human shields.

More than a million people are believed to be in Mosul. Raqa in 2011 had a pre-war population of some 240,000, and more than 80,000 people have since fled there from elsewhere in Syria.

Iraqi forces scored another victory against IS on Monday by establishing full control over Hamam al-Alil, about 15 kilometres from the edge of Mosul and the last town of note on the way to the city from the south.

Mass grave site&nbsp;

They said a mass grave was found at an agricultural college in the area, with the offensive&#39;s Joint Operations Command saying &quot;100 bodies of citizens with their heads cut off&quot; had been uncovered.

An AFP journalist Tuesday said body parts and bones were visible among rubbish dumped there.

Men in Iraqi security forces uniforms used ropes to pull two bodies, one headless, from the grave, and also removed a decapitated head.

&quot;Today, the team conducted an initial examination,&quot; said Mohammed Taher al-Tamimi, an Iraqi cabinet official.

Tamimi said the victims had been blindfolded with their hands and feet bound.

He said around 25 bodies were initially visible, but investigators believed &quot;very large numbers&quot; of corpses were there.

Dhiyab Tareq, a 32-year-old from the area, said he had heard shots when IS carried out executions at the site.

&quot;I was sitting close to the door and heard the gunshots,&quot; Tareq said, adding that the next day IS members boasted about killing security forces members.

IS&#39;s rule has been marked by atrocities including mass beheadings and other executions.

(AFP)

Raqa and Mosul are now the last major cities in Syria and Iraq under IS control

Iraqi Kurdish forces have seized the town of Bashiqa near Mosul from the Islamic State group, an official said Tuesday, as US-backed militia forces advanced on the jihadists' Syrian stronghold Raqa. Capturing Bashiqa would be a final step in securing the eastern approaches to Mosul, three weeks into an offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the country's second city. Iraqi troops have also seized the town of Hamam al-Alil south of Mosul, and Tuesday investigators carried out an initial examination of a mass grave site discovered in the area. Bashiqa was under the "complete control" of Kurdish peshmerga forces, Jabbar Yawar, secretary general of the Kurdish regional ministry responsible for the fighters, told AFP. "Our forces are clearing mines and sweeping the city," Yawar said. An AFP correspondent on the outskirts of Bashiqa said clashes were continuing, with three air strikes hitting the town and gunfire and an explosion heard. The peshmerga said there were still some suicide bombers and snipers there, and about five percent of Bashiqa remained under jihadist control. Iraqi forces have been tightening the noose around Mosul since launching the offensive on October 17, with elite troops last week breaching city limits. Upping pressure on the jihadists, the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance on Saturday began its own offensive against IS's other main bastion, Raqa in Syria. Raqa and Mosul are the last major cities in Syria and Iraq under IS control, and their capture would deal a knockout blow to the self-styled "caliphate" it declared in mid-2014. 'Determined to succeed' The US-led coalition that launched operations against IS two years ago is providing crucial backing to both offensives, with air strikes and special forces advisers on the ground. SDF forces have been pushing south from areas near the Turkish border towards Raqa, and alliance spokeswoman Jihan Sheikh Ahmed said Tuesday they had moved to within 36 kilometres (22 miles) of the city. "Two more villages have been taken since yesterday," she told AFP, adding that SDF forces had so far advanced 14 kilometres (nine miles) closer to Raqa from Ain Issa, the operation's main staging point. "The fighting continues; morale is good and our fighters are determined that this offensive will succeed," she said. The fighting has prompted a steady trickle of civilians to flee IS territory, most heading towards Ain Issa. "We were afraid of the planes, and we were afraid of the IS fighters," said 34-year-old Wazira Al-Jeely from Al-Tuwaila village. "When the strikes started, we took off our burqas and said 'we're done with you' and we ran away." Dozens fled the area aboard pick-up trucks and vans. Some left on mopeds, while others escaped on foot with their sheep and goats. SDF fighters stopped them a few kilometers from Ain Issa, checking their identities and searching belongings to avoid infiltration by jihadists. As in the battle for Mosul, the goal of the Raqa offensive is to surround and isolate the jihadists inside the city before mounting a street-to-street assault. In both cases officials are warning of long and bloody battles ahead, with IS expected to put up fierce resistance and use trapped civilians as human shields. More than a million people are believed to be in Mosul. Raqa in 2011 had a pre-war population of some 240,000, and more than 80,000 people have since fled there from elsewhere in Syria. Iraqi forces scored another victory against IS on Monday by establishing full control over Hamam al-Alil, about 15 kilometres from the edge of Mosul and the last town of note on the way to the city from the south. Mass grave site They said a mass grave was found at an agricultural college in the area, with the offensive's Joint Operations Command saying "100 bodies of citizens with their heads cut off" had been uncovered. An AFP journalist Tuesday said body parts and bones were visible among rubbish dumped there. Men in Iraqi security forces uniforms used ropes to pull two bodies, one headless, from the grave, and also removed a decapitated head. "Today, the team conducted an initial examination," said Mohammed Taher al-Tamimi, an Iraqi cabinet official. Tamimi said the victims had been blindfolded with their hands and feet bound. He said around 25 bodies were initially visible, but investigators believed "very large numbers" of corpses were there. Dhiyab Tareq, a 32-year-old from the area, said he had heard shots when IS carried out executions at the site. "I was sitting close to the door and heard the gunshots," Tareq said, adding that the next day IS members boasted about killing security forces members. IS's rule has been marked by atrocities including mass beheadings and other executions. (AFP)

Iraqi Kurdish forces seize IS-held town of Bashiqa near Mosul,says official

Islamic State militants abducted over 295 former Iraqi security members near their stronghold of Mosul in Iraq last week, the United Nations Human Rights Organisation reported today. They also forced 1,500 families to flee with them &nbsp;from their town of Hammam al Alil to Mosul airport, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;People forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be used as human shields or - depending on their perceived affiliations - killed,&quot; Reuters reported Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as saying.&nbsp;

The abductions take place as the Kurdish forces backed by US-led airstrike are waging a war to recapture Mosul from the IS.&nbsp;

About 100 of Iraqi officers were abducted around midnight of November 3 over 20 km west of Mosul, followed by a further 195 between November 1 and November 4 from villages from northwestern Iraq, 63 kms from Mosul.&nbsp;

About 100 of the former ISF officers were taken at around midnight on Nov. 3 from Mawaly village, which is about 20 km (12 miles) west of Mosul. A further 195 were abducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 from villages in Tal Afar district, 63 kms from Mosul.&nbsp;

The conditions of those abducted, however, is not known, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;The fate of these civilians is unknown for the moment,&quot; Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva.

Reuters reported that the UN also had information about the abduction of at least 30 sheikhs on November 2 and November 3.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

'People forcibly moved or abducted are either used as human shields or killed'

Islamic State militants abducted over 295 former Iraqi security members near their stronghold of Mosul in Iraq last week, the United Nations Human Rights Organisation reported today. They also forced 1,500 families to flee with them from their town of Hammam al Alil to Mosul airport, Reuters reported. "People forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be used as human shields or - depending on their perceived affiliations - killed," Reuters reported Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as saying. The abductions take place as the Kurdish forces backed by US-led airstrike are waging a war to recapture Mosul from the IS. About 100 of Iraqi officers were abducted around midnight of November 3 over 20 km west of Mosul, followed by a further 195 between November 1 and November 4 from villages from northwestern Iraq, 63 kms from Mosul. About 100 of the former ISF officers were taken at around midnight on Nov. 3 from Mawaly village, which is about 20 km (12 miles) west of Mosul. A further 195 were abducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 from villages in Tal Afar district, 63 kms from Mosul. The conditions of those abducted, however, is not known, Reuters reported. "The fate of these civilians is unknown for the moment," Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva. Reuters reported that the UN also had information about the abduction of at least 30 sheikhs on November 2 and November 3. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State abducts over 200 in Mosul, forces families to retreat: UN

The Syrian army said it had taken a strategic district of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would mark the most important advance in the divided city by Damascus and its allies in weeks, but rebels said the battle was not over.

The 1070 Apartments district is located on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo and lies alongside the government&#39;s corridor into the parts of the city that it controls.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said government forces and their allies had seized full control of 1070 Apartments, calling it the most significant gain by the government in Aleppo since September.

A Syrian military source said the army and allied forces were in complete control of the area and surrounding hills. They have made repeated efforts to oust rebels from the 1070 Apartments area since the summer.

A military media unit run by the Damascus-allied Hezbollah carried a similar report. Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shi&#39;ite Muslim group, is fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria&#39;s war, now well in its sixth year.

But officials in two rebel groups fighting in Aleppo - Syria&#39;s largest city and commercial hub before the war - said insurgent forces were still trying to fight back.

&quot;The clashes around 1070 Apartments are still going on,&quot; Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group, said, while confirming that the army had taken the district.

Yasser Alyousef from the political office of the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said rebels had recovered positions they had lost on Monday.

Syrian government forces backed by allied militias and Russian air power launched a major assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people.

On Oct. 29, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting government-held western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.

But their progress slowed after early gains.

There were conflicting accounts of fighting on Tuesday in the village of Minian, also on the western edge of Aleppo.

Syrian state media said the army had advanced in Minian, which was taken by rebels at the start of their campaign.

The Observatory said the army and its allies had fully recaptured Minian, after heavy air strikes. The fall of Minian to the government would reverse some of the gains rebels have made during their offensive.

But Malahifji, of the Fastaqim rebel group, denied that there were any clashes inside the village. &quot;Minian is still with the rebels,&quot; he said.

Russia says its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18. The Observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air strikes had killed hundreds of people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that.

Russia is preparing to resume air strikes around Aleppo &quot;in coming hours&quot;, the Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed dozens of people, the United Nations said last week in an update on the humanitarian situation in the city.

(Reuters)

The government forces and their allies have reportedly seized 1070 Apartments, the most significant gain since last September

The Syrian army said it had taken a strategic district of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would mark the most important advance in the divided city by Damascus and its allies in weeks, but rebels said the battle was not over. The 1070 Apartments district is located on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo and lies alongside the government's corridor into the parts of the city that it controls. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said government forces and their allies had seized full control of 1070 Apartments, calling it the most significant gain by the government in Aleppo since September. A Syrian military source said the army and allied forces were in complete control of the area and surrounding hills. They have made repeated efforts to oust rebels from the 1070 Apartments area since the summer. A military media unit run by the Damascus-allied Hezbollah carried a similar report. Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group, is fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's war, now well in its sixth year. But officials in two rebel groups fighting in Aleppo - Syria's largest city and commercial hub before the war - said insurgent forces were still trying to fight back. "The clashes around 1070 Apartments are still going on," Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group, said, while confirming that the army had taken the district. Yasser Alyousef from the political office of the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said rebels had recovered positions they had lost on Monday. Syrian government forces backed by allied militias and Russian air power launched a major assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people. On Oct. 29, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting government-held western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. But their progress slowed after early gains. There were conflicting accounts of fighting on Tuesday in the village of Minian, also on the western edge of Aleppo. Syrian state media said the army had advanced in Minian, which was taken by rebels at the start of their campaign. The Observatory said the army and its allies had fully recaptured Minian, after heavy air strikes. The fall of Minian to the government would reverse some of the gains rebels have made during their offensive. But Malahifji, of the Fastaqim rebel group, denied that there were any clashes inside the village. "Minian is still with the rebels," he said. Russia says its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18. The Observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air strikes had killed hundreds of people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that. Russia is preparing to resume air strikes around Aleppo "in coming hours", the Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday. Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed dozens of people, the United Nations said last week in an update on the humanitarian situation in the city. (Reuters)

Syrian army retakes key Aleppo district as fighting rages on

&ldquo;Sir, you have been there&hellip;to my town? How is the situation?&rdquo; asks the barber.

He comes from Qaraqosh, the main Christian city in northern Iraq which the Islamic State (IS)&nbsp;recently lost after two years of occupation.

It is not&nbsp;easy to answer&mdash; the city is almost completely destroyed, houses have been vandalised, shops have been torched and churches have been used as shooting camps and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factories.

&ldquo;I am afraid to tell you that the situation is very bad. It will take time for you to go back.&rdquo;

He smiles, interprets this reporter&rsquo;s concern and says: &ldquo;No problem sir, you don&rsquo;t have to be sad. Houses, streets, we can build everything again. The important thing is that we are alive. Now, come! It is time to shave your beard, I know you journalists never have time.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The barber, just like many other refugees, lives in Ainkawa, a Christian enclave in the city of Erbil. He requested anonymity, specifying that he would love to be called just &ldquo;the barber&rdquo;, the Barber of Qaraqosh.

Before the Islamic State came in August 2014, Qaraqosh was&nbsp;lively. But when IS came, fifty thousand people had to flee. They knew the terrorist organisation would show them no mercy. Except for some elders and those very ill, everyone left. Destinies of those who stuck on remain unknown.

The Barber of Qaraqosh is a&nbsp;talkative man. As he shaves my beard&nbsp;he describes his city, the barber shop he had with his brother and his&nbsp;many memories&nbsp;of the town.&nbsp;

&ldquo;You know sir, if you go there, where the main street crosses the hospital, my shop is there. You can see my face on the board (of the shop),&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;

With a glint in his eye, he talks about returning to his hometown.&nbsp;&quot;No problem, we have waited for two years sir, there is no problem in waiting some more months.&rdquo;

There was no point in extinguishing the slivers of hope he harbours, but it was difficult to imagine the town described to me by the Barber.

 
Flattened town

Today, Qaraqosh is a ghost town. The abandoned buildings bear the scars of the heavy battles that&nbsp;raged&nbsp;for the last few years. Houses have been&nbsp;destroyed by air strikes, some have been damaged from the inside and some razed to the ground.

Islamic State fighters ensured the town was ravaged. They&nbsp;burned&nbsp;and destroyed&nbsp;everything they could lay their hands on: refrigerators, furnitures, sofas, shops, cars...&nbsp;

All the houses we visited were completely vandalised. Their idea was to leave behind a trail of enduring destruction.&nbsp;

Father Patros, who was a priest in one of the churches in Qaraqosh, showed us the house where he lived. The walls remained intact, but the interior of the house was destroyed. The boundary wall was partially broken too so as to create a passage between the priest&#39;s home and the next and allow IS personnel to move quickly when counter-attacking.&nbsp;

The other thing one observes is that many buildings in the town have bordering basements. Islamic State brought down the walls dividing them and connected the basements, to allow them to move around underground without being seen.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

IS vestige removed, but fears persist

There are no more IS jihadists in Qaraqosh. The last instance of violence was reported on November 3. The city is now under the control of the Nineveh Protection Units (Assyrian Christian militia) whose soldiers are mainly from this area. But tensions continue to run high.&nbsp;

During our visit, we were at one point asked to hide behind a wall, for the soldier heard a suspicious noise. It is not unusual for snipers to remain hidden for days and then carry out surprise attacks.&nbsp;

It will take months before civilians are allowed to return to their homes.&nbsp;

IS scattered the city with IEDs&nbsp;and it will take a while before they are removed. Every single object could be an active bomb. The objects could explode by simply moving them.&nbsp;

We spotted a phone placed on a wall, in a very conspicuous&nbsp;position, too perfectly placed with its receiver on and an IS propaganda pamphlet embedded underneath it. It is impossible to know&nbsp;if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem&nbsp;like an invitation&nbsp;to raise the receiver, thereby&nbsp;triggering a bomb.

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It is impossible to know&nbsp;if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem&nbsp;like an invitation&nbsp;to raise the receiver, thereby&nbsp;triggering a bomb. (WION)
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Many devices have already been detonated, but many could still be placed inside the houses. The danger of random explosions could persist for months;&nbsp;Qaraqosh is not a small village and it is virtually impossible to check every single corner. Driving back to the NPU base in the town, we come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and&nbsp;could blast at anytime.

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We come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and&nbsp;could blast at anytime. (WION)
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Buildings and infrastructure&nbsp;are not the only things that&nbsp;got destroyed in these two years under&nbsp;Islamic State control. &ldquo;Father Patros do you think it will ever be possible to rebuild the social fabric of the city, to live together with the muslim population in peace?&rdquo;

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. I am a Christian priest and I must be tolerant, I must put all my effort. Many of us though know that people from the nearby villages helped the Islamic State, and it will be very difficult to go back to normality.&rdquo;

This is one of the many situations the invasion of the Islamic State worsened in an already divided and potentially sectarian society. It brought suspicion&nbsp;among the people, and mistrust toward whoever did not flee, who are&nbsp;believed to have supported the terrorist organisation. Suspicion is an enemy of coexistence, and rebuilding a peaceful&nbsp;society where the many souls of Iraq will live together will&nbsp;probably&nbsp;be the most difficult problem to solve&nbsp;after IS&#39;&nbsp;defeat.

(WION)

Qaraqosh is a ghost town; its abandoned buildings bear the scars of heavy battles that?have raged?here for the past few years

“Sir, you have been there…to my town? How is the situation?” asks the barber. He comes from Qaraqosh, the main Christian city in northern Iraq which the Islamic State (IS) recently lost after two years of occupation. It is not easy to answer— the city is almost completely destroyed, houses have been vandalised, shops have been torched and churches have been used as shooting camps and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factories. “I am afraid to tell you that the situation is very bad. It will take time for you to go back.” He smiles, interprets this reporter’s concern and says: “No problem sir, you don’t have to be sad. Houses, streets, we can build everything again. The important thing is that we are alive. Now, come! It is time to shave your beard, I know you journalists never have time.” The barber, just like many other refugees, lives in Ainkawa, a Christian enclave in the city of Erbil. He requested anonymity, specifying that he would love to be called just “the barber”, the Barber of Qaraqosh. Before the Islamic State came in August 2014, Qaraqosh was lively. But when IS came, fifty thousand people had to flee. They knew the terrorist organisation would show them no mercy. Except for some elders and those very ill, everyone left. Destinies of those who stuck on remain unknown. The Barber of Qaraqosh is a talkative man. As he shaves my beard he describes his city, the barber shop he had with his brother and his many memories of the town. “You know sir, if you go there, where the main street crosses the hospital, my shop is there. You can see my face on the board (of the shop),” he says. With a glint in his eye, he talks about returning to his hometown. "No problem, we have waited for two years sir, there is no problem in waiting some more months.” There was no point in extinguishing the slivers of hope he harbours, but it was difficult to imagine the town described to me by the Barber. Flattened town Today, Qaraqosh is a ghost town. The abandoned buildings bear the scars of the heavy battles that raged for the last few years. Houses have been destroyed by air strikes, some have been damaged from the inside and some razed to the ground. Islamic State fighters ensured the town was ravaged. They burned and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on: refrigerators, furnitures, sofas, shops, cars... All the houses we visited were completely vandalised. Their idea was to leave behind a trail of enduring destruction. Father Patros, who was a priest in one of the churches in Qaraqosh, showed us the house where he lived. The walls remained intact, but the interior of the house was destroyed. The boundary wall was partially broken too so as to create a passage between the priest's home and the next and allow IS personnel to move quickly when counter-attacking. The other thing one observes is that many buildings in the town have bordering basements. Islamic State brought down the walls dividing them and connected the basements, to allow them to move around underground without being seen. IS vestige removed, but fears persist There are no more IS jihadists in Qaraqosh. The last instance of violence was reported on November 3. The city is now under the control of the Nineveh Protection Units (Assyrian Christian militia) whose soldiers are mainly from this area. But tensions continue to run high. During our visit, we were at one point asked to hide behind a wall, for the soldier heard a suspicious noise. It is not unusual for snipers to remain hidden for days and then carry out surprise attacks. It will take months before civilians are allowed to return to their homes. IS scattered the city with IEDs and it will take a while before they are removed. Every single object could be an active bomb. The objects could explode by simply moving them. We spotted a phone placed on a wall, in a very conspicuous position, too perfectly placed with its receiver on and an IS propaganda pamphlet embedded underneath it. It is impossible to know if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem like an invitation to raise the receiver, thereby triggering a bomb. It is impossible to know if it is an IED, but the anomalous place and the pamphlet seem like an invitation to raise the receiver, thereby triggering a bomb. (WION) × Many devices have already been detonated, but many could still be placed inside the houses. The danger of random explosions could persist for months; Qaraqosh is not a small village and it is virtually impossible to check every single corner. Driving back to the NPU base in the town, we come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and could blast at anytime. We come across a rudimentary armoured vehicle which IS meant to launch against the troops entering the city. The car was gunned down by light artillery, but it still contains all the explosives and could blast at anytime. (WION) × Buildings and infrastructure are not the only things that got destroyed in these two years under Islamic State control. “Father Patros do you think it will ever be possible to rebuild the social fabric of the city, to live together with the muslim population in peace?” “I don’t know. I am a Christian priest and I must be tolerant, I must put all my effort. Many of us though know that people from the nearby villages helped the Islamic State, and it will be very difficult to go back to normality.” This is one of the many situations the invasion of the Islamic State worsened in an already divided and potentially sectarian society. It brought suspicion among the people, and mistrust toward whoever did not flee, who are believed to have supported the terrorist organisation. Suspicion is an enemy of coexistence, and rebuilding a peaceful society where the many souls of Iraq will live together will probably be the most difficult problem to solve after IS' defeat. (WION)

Iraq's ravaged town of Qaraqosh embodies IS' appetite for destruction

Hundreds of families have been driven out of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk in apparent retaliation for a recent attack by the Islamic State group, Amnesty International said on Monday.

Authorities in the Kurdish-controlled city demolished the homes of hundreds of Arab residents and ordered them to leave Kirkuk in the wake of the attack on October 21, the London-based rights group said.

Those displaced include an estimated 250 families who had fled to Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, from other areas in Iraq.&nbsp;

An additional 190 families were said to have been displaced from nearby villages by Kurdish Peshmerga and Asayesh forces.

Amnesty said those forced from their homes were told to return to their places of origin or moved to camps, after being suspected of helping IS coordinate its attack.

Three days of clashes left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces.

The governor of Kirkuk province, Najmeddin Karim, told AFP at least 81 jihadists were killed while several others were detained.&nbsp;

Amnesty&#39;s report quoted residents as saying homes were demolished on October 25, a day after Karim announced the attack was over.

Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty&#39;s deputy director for research in Beirut, said destroying homes without military necessity amounts to &quot;a war crime&quot;.

&quot;Forcibly evicting and displacing Sunni Arab residents of Kirkuk is unlawful and cruel.

&quot;Kurdish authorities must immediately put an end to unlawful destruction of civilian property and forced displacement,&quot; Maalouf said.

The brazen raid on Kirkuk appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul, where a major offensive is under way to retake the city from the jihadists.

(AFP)

The eviction, by the city's Kurdish authorities, is retaliation for an attack by Islamic State

Hundreds of families have been driven out of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk in apparent retaliation for a recent attack by the Islamic State group, Amnesty International said on Monday. Authorities in the Kurdish-controlled city demolished the homes of hundreds of Arab residents and ordered them to leave Kirkuk in the wake of the attack on October 21, the London-based rights group said. Those displaced include an estimated 250 families who had fled to Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, from other areas in Iraq. An additional 190 families were said to have been displaced from nearby villages by Kurdish Peshmerga and Asayesh forces. Amnesty said those forced from their homes were told to return to their places of origin or moved to camps, after being suspected of helping IS coordinate its attack. Three days of clashes left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces. The governor of Kirkuk province, Najmeddin Karim, told AFP at least 81 jihadists were killed while several others were detained. Amnesty's report quoted residents as saying homes were demolished on October 25, a day after Karim announced the attack was over. Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty's deputy director for research in Beirut, said destroying homes without military necessity amounts to "a war crime". "Forcibly evicting and displacing Sunni Arab residents of Kirkuk is unlawful and cruel. "Kurdish authorities must immediately put an end to unlawful destruction of civilian property and forced displacement," Maalouf said. The brazen raid on Kirkuk appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul, where a major offensive is under way to retake the city from the jihadists. (AFP)

After IS attack, Arabs forced out of Iraq's Kirkuk: Amnesty

With the Iraqi Army&#39;s latest phase in the Mosul offensive to reconquer the last stronghold of the Islamic State (IS)&nbsp;in Iraq, the Counter Terrorism Forces (CTF) and the 9th armoured division of the Iraqi army claim to have liberated six neighbourhoods on the southeastern edge of the city.

Small lanes and tall buildings define Mosul, making it an ideal scenario for the kind of resistance the Islamic State puts on: snipers, urban guerrilla, car bombs and ambushes.

Iraqi forces are involved every day in heavy fighting&nbsp;against the IS that does not seem close to surrendering.

The latest attack by the forces is made up of daily raids from the Iraqi Army&#39;s advanced posts within the city borders.

They leave their temporary bases, enter the city, try to advance as far as possible and then return to base. The objective is to gain territory every day in order to move their temporary bases forward inside the cities. The army thus needs to fully secure every area it conquers, an action which can take days even for a few hundred metres. It is an intermittent advance.

The presence of many civilians contributes to the slow pace of advance: engaging in heavy fights in heavily populated areas involves the risk killing of many people who are not fighting any war.

For the Iraqi army, reconquering Mosul is also a matter of restoring a reputation they lost in 2014 when 30,000 Iraqi soldiers withdrew and the 1,000 militant-strong IS took control of the city, its international airport and all the military and civil facilities in a week.

Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir Jawdat declared on Saturday that Iraqi forces took control of Hammam al-Alil, a town located 15 km south of Mosul which prior to IS control was home to approximately 65,000 people.

Regarding the operation, Major-General Najm al-Jabouri informed the media that some 70 terrorists were posted in the town.

&quot;Our elite forces have reached an area just 4 km (a little more than 2 miles) from Mosul airport,&quot; he told Al-Hurra television channel. The general said his forces had destroyed 17 bomb-laden cars meant to target the troops while advancing.

The Islamic State has been using civilians as human shields, a strategy which already used in many other battles. When troops start advancing within their territory, IS militants force civilians to follow them to other areas they still control in order to avoid direct attacks during their movements.

The United Nations said that the militants transported 1,600 abducted civilians from Hammam al-Alil to the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, earlier this week and took another 150 families from the town to Mosul the next day. UN human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that IS terrorists force people to handover their children, especially young boys over nine years who could be used in the future as child soldiers.

Civilians, whenever possible, are now leaving their homes as soon as the Iraqi regular forces advance and travel towards the refugee camps that NGOs have set up for months in preparation to what could be a massive exodus. There are no certain figures, but according to William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), after a week of fighting in Mosul, 31,000 persons left their homes.

(WION)

Iraqi forces have recaptured six areas of the city but their task is getting increasingly difficult as they march deeper into the city

With the Iraqi Army's latest phase in the Mosul offensive to reconquer the last stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the Counter Terrorism Forces (CTF) and the 9th armoured division of the Iraqi army claim to have liberated six neighbourhoods on the southeastern edge of the city. Small lanes and tall buildings define Mosul, making it an ideal scenario for the kind of resistance the Islamic State puts on: snipers, urban guerrilla, car bombs and ambushes. Iraqi forces are involved every day in heavy fighting against the IS that does not seem close to surrendering. The latest attack by the forces is made up of daily raids from the Iraqi Army's advanced posts within the city borders. They leave their temporary bases, enter the city, try to advance as far as possible and then return to base. The objective is to gain territory every day in order to move their temporary bases forward inside the cities. The army thus needs to fully secure every area it conquers, an action which can take days even for a few hundred metres. It is an intermittent advance. The presence of many civilians contributes to the slow pace of advance: engaging in heavy fights in heavily populated areas involves the risk killing of many people who are not fighting any war. For the Iraqi army, reconquering Mosul is also a matter of restoring a reputation they lost in 2014 when 30,000 Iraqi soldiers withdrew and the 1,000 militant-strong IS took control of the city, its international airport and all the military and civil facilities in a week. Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir Jawdat declared on Saturday that Iraqi forces took control of Hammam al-Alil, a town located 15 km south of Mosul which prior to IS control was home to approximately 65,000 people. Regarding the operation, Major-General Najm al-Jabouri informed the media that some 70 terrorists were posted in the town. "Our elite forces have reached an area just 4 km (a little more than 2 miles) from Mosul airport," he told Al-Hurra television channel. The general said his forces had destroyed 17 bomb-laden cars meant to target the troops while advancing. The Islamic State has been using civilians as human shields, a strategy which already used in many other battles. When troops start advancing within their territory, IS militants force civilians to follow them to other areas they still control in order to avoid direct attacks during their movements. The United Nations said that the militants transported 1,600 abducted civilians from Hammam al-Alil to the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, earlier this week and took another 150 families from the town to Mosul the next day. UN human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that IS terrorists force people to handover their children, especially young boys over nine years who could be used in the future as child soldiers. Civilians, whenever possible, are now leaving their homes as soon as the Iraqi regular forces advance and travel towards the refugee camps that NGOs have set up for months in preparation to what could be a massive exodus. There are no certain figures, but according to William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), after a week of fighting in Mosul, 31,000 persons left their homes. (WION)

Battle for Mosul: Dense population, narrow lanes play into IS hands

The United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have launched a massive operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State in Syria.

SDF on Sunday announced the beginning of Ghadab al-Firat (Anger of the Euphrates) campaign to liberate Raqqa.&nbsp;

The offensive will see nearly 30,000 soldiers advance towards Raqqa.

The US has promised to provide aerial support to the militia group, just like they did during the battle for Kobane in 2015.

People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish-dominated force, is believed to be the backbone of the militia group. Some estimates suggest that 25,000 of the 30,000 fighters will be provided by the YPG.&nbsp;

The operation to reclaim Raqqa comes amid the ongoing offensive in Mosul, a major military operation bidding to reconquer the Iraqi capital of the Islamic State.

The coordinated attacks mean&nbsp;that the IS faces the prospect of losing its two key towns in Syria and Iraq.

In case of defeat in both towns,&nbsp;it will be very difficult for the jihadist&nbsp;organisation to sustain the caliphate narrative. IS had announced a caliphate after it captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria two years back.

Further, the battleground reversals will most likely affect the morale of their remaining fighters in the region.

American gambit

Washington&#39;s decision to support the Kurds comes despite a possible fallout&nbsp;with Turkey, which has been a crucial ally of the US in their fight against Islamic State.

Ankara is unhappy with YPG&#39;s role in the Raqqa offensive&nbsp;because it believes the group to have strong ties with Kurdistan Workers&nbsp;Party (PKK). PKK is an insurgent group that has been fighting with Turkey for autonomy of Kurdistan since the 1980s.

Turkey fears that a possible success in Raqqa would give the Kurds the international legitimacy to request for an autonomous region located in Rojava, a vast region in the north of Syria.

Rojava has been under the Kurds ever since they drove IS fighters out of the region in 2014.

The US&#39; alliance with Kurdish fighters come at a time when Turkey has launched a massive crackdown on pro-Kurdish voices in their own country.

The co-leaders of the left-wing pro-Kurdish group People&rsquo;s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, were recently arrested along with nine other members of the party for allegedly&nbsp;spreading terrorist propaganda&nbsp;in Turkey.

The alliance between the US and the YPG in&nbsp;Raqqa operation will leave Turkey isolated for the second time in their fight against IS, after&nbsp;Iraq recently disallowed Ankara&#39;s participation in the Mosul offensive.

With the US election&nbsp;around the corner, Washington chose the perfect time to declare the Raqqa operation. The announcement has given the US the opportunity to present&nbsp;itself as the most active actor in the fight against IS.

(WION)

30,000 soldiers will advance on the city, the US will provide air support

The United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have launched a massive operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic State in Syria. SDF on Sunday announced the beginning of Ghadab al-Firat (Anger of the Euphrates) campaign to liberate Raqqa. The offensive will see nearly 30,000 soldiers advance towards Raqqa. The US has promised to provide aerial support to the militia group, just like they did during the battle for Kobane in 2015. People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish-dominated force, is believed to be the backbone of the militia group. Some estimates suggest that 25,000 of the 30,000 fighters will be provided by the YPG. The operation to reclaim Raqqa comes amid the ongoing offensive in Mosul, a major military operation bidding to reconquer the Iraqi capital of the Islamic State. The coordinated attacks mean that the IS faces the prospect of losing its two key towns in Syria and Iraq. In case of defeat in both towns, it will be very difficult for the jihadist organisation to sustain the caliphate narrative. IS had announced a caliphate after it captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria two years back. Further, the battleground reversals will most likely affect the morale of their remaining fighters in the region. American gambit Washington's decision to support the Kurds comes despite a possible fallout with Turkey, which has been a crucial ally of the US in their fight against Islamic State. Ankara is unhappy with YPG's role in the Raqqa offensive because it believes the group to have strong ties with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). PKK is an insurgent group that has been fighting with Turkey for autonomy of Kurdistan since the 1980s. Turkey fears that a possible success in Raqqa would give the Kurds the international legitimacy to request for an autonomous region located in Rojava, a vast region in the north of Syria. Rojava has been under the Kurds ever since they drove IS fighters out of the region in 2014. The US' alliance with Kurdish fighters come at a time when Turkey has launched a massive crackdown on pro-Kurdish voices in their own country. The co-leaders of the left-wing pro-Kurdish group People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, were recently arrested along with nine other members of the party for allegedly spreading terrorist propaganda in Turkey. The alliance between the US and the YPG in Raqqa operation will leave Turkey isolated for the second time in their fight against IS, after Iraq recently disallowed Ankara's participation in the Mosul offensive. With the US election around the corner, Washington chose the perfect time to declare the Raqqa operation. The announcement has given the US the opportunity to present itself as the most active actor in the fight against IS. (WION)

US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces launch offensive to reclaim IS capital Raqqa

Suicide bombers in ambulances packed with explosives detonated their vehicles at a checkpoint and a car park for Shi&#39;ite pilgrims in two Iraqi cities on Sunday, killing at least 21 people and wounding dozens, officials told Reuters.

The attacks took place in the towns of Tikrit and Samarra as Iraqi troops, backed by a US-led international coalition intensified their offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants who have controlled it for more than two years.

Ultra-hardline Sunni Islamists have struck the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk, the capital Baghdad and a western desert town during the three-week Mosul campaign.

Al-Askari mosque in Samarra, 125 km (80 miles) north of Baghdad is considered one of Shi&#39;ite Islam&#39;s holiest shrines.&nbsp;

Reuters reported that ten Iranian pilgrims were among the people killed. Pilgrimage official Mohammad Javad Daneshyar said that the Iranians were getting off a bus when the blast took place.

Authorities in both cities declared curfews, fearing possible further attacks.

An AFP report stated that there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State group frequently carries out suicide bombings in Iraq.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Suicide bombers in ambulances packed with explosives carried out the attacks in the towns of Tikrit and Samarra

Suicide bombers in ambulances packed with explosives detonated their vehicles at a checkpoint and a car park for Shi'ite pilgrims in two Iraqi cities on Sunday, killing at least 21 people and wounding dozens, officials told Reuters. The attacks took place in the towns of Tikrit and Samarra as Iraqi troops, backed by a US-led international coalition intensified their offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants who have controlled it for more than two years. Ultra-hardline Sunni Islamists have struck the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk, the capital Baghdad and a western desert town during the three-week Mosul campaign. Al-Askari mosque in Samarra, 125 km (80 miles) north of Baghdad is considered one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines. Reuters reported that ten Iranian pilgrims were among the people killed. Pilgrimage official Mohammad Javad Daneshyar said that the Iranians were getting off a bus when the blast took place. Authorities in both cities declared curfews, fearing possible further attacks. An AFP report stated that there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State group frequently carries out suicide bombings in Iraq. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Suicide bombing in Iraq kills at least 21

Iraqi security forces drove Islamic State fighters from the centre of a town just south of the militants&#39; main stronghold of Mosul on Saturday and reached within a few km (miles) of an airport on the edge of the city, a senior commander said.

Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir Jawdat said security forces were in control of the centre of Hammam al-Alil, about 15 km (10 miles) south of Mosul, although he did not say whether the militants had been pushed out completely.

The advance on the southern front comes days after Iraqi special forces fought their way into the eastern side of Mosul, taking control of six neighbourhoods according to Iraqi officials and restoring a foothold in the city for the first time since the army retreated ignominiously two years ago.

Another unit advanced further north up the western bank of the Tigris river on Saturday, Jawdat added. &quot;Our elite forces have reached an area just 4 km (2 1/2 miles) from Mosul airport,&quot; he told Al-Hurra television channel.

Recapturing Mosul would crush the Iraqi half of a caliphate declared by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque in 2014. His Islamist group also controls large parts of east Syria.

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&nbsp;

There were no reports of further gains in the east of the city on Saturday, and officers said the military was clearing areas it took in recent days.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, speaking on a visit to the eastern front, said he brought &quot;a message to the residents inside Mosul who are hostages in the hands of Daesh (Islamic State) - we will liberate you soon&quot;.

Abadi said progress in the nearly three-week-old campaign, and the advance into Mosul itself, had been faster than expected. But in the face of fierce resistance, which has included suicide car bombings, sniper fire and roadside bombs, he suggested that progress may be intermittent.

&quot;Our heroic forces will not retreat and will not be broken. Maybe in the face of terrorist acts, criminal acts, there will be some delay,&quot; he said.

General Jawdat said his forces had destroyed 17 bomb-laden cars which had targeted them on their advance north.

So far the army controls only a small part of Mosul which was home to 2 million people before Islamic State took over in 2014. More than 1 million remain in the city - by far the largest under Islamic State control in either Iraq or Syria.

A Reuters correspondent in the village of Ali Rash, about 7 km (4 miles) southeast of the city, saw smoke rising from eastern districts on Saturday, while air strikes, artillery and gunfire could be heard.

The United Nations has warned of a possible exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. So far only 31,000 have been displaced, of which more than 3,000 have already returned to their homes, said William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration.

&quot;The numbers are not as large so far as had been expected. We&#39;d heard figures all the way up to 500,000 or 700,000,&quot; he told Reuters.

&quot;We&#39;re trying to prepare accordingly, but it&#39;s very difficult to do contingency planning with any level of accuracy because we don&#39;t know what they&rsquo;re going to find when they get inside&quot;.

Last town before Mosul

The assault on Hammam al-Alil, about 15 km (10 miles) south of Mosul, targeted a force of at least 70 Islamic State fighters there, commander of the Mosul operations Major-General Najm al-Jabouri said.

Jabouri said the assault began around 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) and some militants had tried to escape across the river, although others put up heavy resistance and the troops had thwarted three attempted suicide car bombings.

&quot;(The battle) is very important - it&#39;s the last town for us before Mosul,&quot; Jabouri told reporters. Iraqi helicopters were supporting the army, he said, backed also by jets from a U.S.-led air coalition.

He said the jihadists were using hundreds of people as human shields, although it was not clear how many civilians were left in the town. Before Islamic State swept in more than two years ago, Hammam al-Alil and outlying villages had a population of 65,000.

As well as forcing residents to stay as they came under attack in Hammam al-Alil, Islamic State fighters retreating north in the last two weeks have forced thousands to march with them as cover from air strikes, villagers have told Reuters.

The United Nations said the militants transported 1,600 abducted civilians from Hammam al-Alil to the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, on Tuesday and took another 150 families from the town to Mosul the next day.

They told residents to hand over children, especially boys aged over nine, in an apparent recruitment drive for child soldiers, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.

Jabouri said a man he described as a senior Islamic State figure, Ammar Salih Ahmed Abu Bakr, was killed by federal police - who are fighting with the army in Hammam al-Alil - as he tried to escape by car.

Many of the remaining militants were non-Iraqis, he said. &quot;There are at least 70 Daesh fighters in the town. The majority are foreign fighters, so they don&#39;t know where to go. They are just moving from place to place.&quot;

(AFP)

The advance on the southern front comes days after Iraqi special forces fought their way into the eastern side of Mosul

Iraqi security forces drove Islamic State fighters from the centre of a town just south of the militants' main stronghold of Mosul on Saturday and reached within a few km (miles) of an airport on the edge of the city, a senior commander said. Lieutenant-General Raed Shakir Jawdat said security forces were in control of the centre of Hammam al-Alil, about 15 km (10 miles) south of Mosul, although he did not say whether the militants had been pushed out completely. The advance on the southern front comes days after Iraqi special forces fought their way into the eastern side of Mosul, taking control of six neighbourhoods according to Iraqi officials and restoring a foothold in the city for the first time since the army retreated ignominiously two years ago. Another unit advanced further north up the western bank of the Tigris river on Saturday, Jawdat added. "Our elite forces have reached an area just 4 km (2 1/2 miles) from Mosul airport," he told Al-Hurra television channel. Recapturing Mosul would crush the Iraqi half of a caliphate declared by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque in 2014. His Islamist group also controls large parts of east Syria. Recapturing Mosul would crush the Iraqi half of a caliphate declared by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from the pulpit of a Mosul mosque in 2014. His Islamist group also controls large parts of east Syria × There were no reports of further gains in the east of the city on Saturday, and officers said the military was clearing areas it took in recent days. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, speaking on a visit to the eastern front, said he brought "a message to the residents inside Mosul who are hostages in the hands of Daesh (Islamic State) - we will liberate you soon". Abadi said progress in the nearly three-week-old campaign, and the advance into Mosul itself, had been faster than expected. But in the face of fierce resistance, which has included suicide car bombings, sniper fire and roadside bombs, he suggested that progress may be intermittent. "Our heroic forces will not retreat and will not be broken. Maybe in the face of terrorist acts, criminal acts, there will be some delay," he said. General Jawdat said his forces had destroyed 17 bomb-laden cars which had targeted them on their advance north. So far the army controls only a small part of Mosul which was home to 2 million people before Islamic State took over in 2014. More than 1 million remain in the city - by far the largest under Islamic State control in either Iraq or Syria. A Reuters correspondent in the village of Ali Rash, about 7 km (4 miles) southeast of the city, saw smoke rising from eastern districts on Saturday, while air strikes, artillery and gunfire could be heard. The United Nations has warned of a possible exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. So far only 31,000 have been displaced, of which more than 3,000 have already returned to their homes, said William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration. "The numbers are not as large so far as had been expected. We'd heard figures all the way up to 500,000 or 700,000," he told Reuters. "We're trying to prepare accordingly, but it's very difficult to do contingency planning with any level of accuracy because we don't know what they’re going to find when they get inside". Last town before Mosul The assault on Hammam al-Alil, about 15 km (10 miles) south of Mosul, targeted a force of at least 70 Islamic State fighters there, commander of the Mosul operations Major-General Najm al-Jabouri said. Jabouri said the assault began around 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) and some militants had tried to escape across the river, although others put up heavy resistance and the troops had thwarted three attempted suicide car bombings. "(The battle) is very important - it's the last town for us before Mosul," Jabouri told reporters. Iraqi helicopters were supporting the army, he said, backed also by jets from a U.S.-led air coalition. He said the jihadists were using hundreds of people as human shields, although it was not clear how many civilians were left in the town. Before Islamic State swept in more than two years ago, Hammam al-Alil and outlying villages had a population of 65,000. As well as forcing residents to stay as they came under attack in Hammam al-Alil, Islamic State fighters retreating north in the last two weeks have forced thousands to march with them as cover from air strikes, villagers have told Reuters. The United Nations said the militants transported 1,600 abducted civilians from Hammam al-Alil to the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, on Tuesday and took another 150 families from the town to Mosul the next day. They told residents to hand over children, especially boys aged over nine, in an apparent recruitment drive for child soldiers, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said. Jabouri said a man he described as a senior Islamic State figure, Ammar Salih Ahmed Abu Bakr, was killed by federal police - who are fighting with the army in Hammam al-Alil - as he tried to escape by car. Many of the remaining militants were non-Iraqis, he said. "There are at least 70 Daesh fighters in the town. The majority are foreign fighters, so they don't know where to go. They are just moving from place to place." (AFP)

Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State say nearing Mosul airport

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group&#39;s de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul.

&quot;The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun,&quot; Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion.

The operation, dubbed &quot;The Wrath of the Euphrates,&quot; involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then &quot;taking control of the city&quot; itself.

&quot;The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria,&quot; he said.

An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline.

The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot;.

The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts.

After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists.

Complicated battlefield

The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group&#39;s claim to a self-declared &quot;state&quot;.

But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process.

Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014.&nbsp;

The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF.

Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles.

Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place &quot;within weeks&quot;.

The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa &quot;has been part of our planning for quite a while,&quot; he said.

But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated.

After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory.

Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition&#39;s potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault.

Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August.

Scene of worst atrocities

Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey&#39;s fierce opposition to the YPG.

Ankara considers the militia a &quot;terrorist&quot; group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG.

Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had &quot;agreed definitively&quot; with the United States &quot;that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation&quot; to capture Raqa.&nbsp;

In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country.

It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began.

IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic &quot;caliphate&quot; in Syria and Iraq.

Raqa became the scene of some of IS&#39;s worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves.&nbsp;

Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group&#39;s attacks abroad.

(AFP)

Syrian forces' spokesman said it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa , then 'taking control of the city' itself

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul. "The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion. The operation, dubbed "The Wrath of the Euphrates," involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said. SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then "taking control of the city" itself. "The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria," he said. An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline. The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border "caliphate". The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts. After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists. Complicated battlefield The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group's claim to a self-declared "state". But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process. Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014. The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF. Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles. Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place "within weeks". The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa "has been part of our planning for quite a while," he said. But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated. After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory. Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition's potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault. Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August. Scene of worst atrocities Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey's fierce opposition to the YPG. Ankara considers the militia a "terrorist" group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG. Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had "agreed definitively" with the United States "that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation" to capture Raqa. In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country. It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began. IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq. Raqa became the scene of some of IS's worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves. Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group's attacks abroad. (AFP)

Syria: US-backed forces launch offensive to capture Islamic State's 'capital'

Iraqi forces said that they had managed to recapture six districts in eastern Mosul on Friday, Reuters reported.

A military statement said that an offensive by an officer of the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) and his troops had the militants completely surrounded.

The neighbourhoods of Malayeen, Samah, Khadra, Karkukli, Quds and Karama had been taken over by the CTS troops with heavy losses to the militant fighters.

The CTS units may try to push all the way to the Tigris river, which runs through the centre of Mosul, an officer of the special forces told Reuters on Thursday.

A campaign was launched three weeks ago by Iraqi troops and special forces, Shi&#39;ite militias, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and other groups backed by US-led air strikes to retake Mosul, the urban stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) militants.

The Islamic State also holds large parts of neighbouring Syria.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS leader was reported as saying that there could be no retreat in a &quot;total war&quot; against anti-IS forces.

Mosul is home to nearly 1.5 million people and the United Nations (UN) has warned of a potential humanitarian crisis and a refugee exodus. A UN report says that 21,000 people have been displaced since the start of the Mosul campaign.

Iraqi officials, however, say that the Islamic State is holding the civilian population as human shields.

Mosul residents, who spoke to Reuters by telephone, said that Islamic State fighters had deployed artillery and rocket launchers around residential areas.

&quot;We saw Daesh (Islamic State) fighters installing a heavy anti-aircraft machine gun alongside a rocket launchpad, and mortars as well,&quot; a Mosul resident told Reuters.

Militants stormed a mosque and several houses early on Friday in Shirqat, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Mosul, a local police officer said. The attack killed seven soldiers and fighters from the Shi&#39;ite Popular Mobilisation force, Reuters reported.

Security forces soon declared a curfew in the region.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Expanding their foothold in Mosul, the Iraqi army said they have recaptured six districts in the east, inflicting heavy losses on militants

Iraqi forces said that they had managed to recapture six districts in eastern Mosul on Friday, Reuters reported. A military statement said that an offensive by an officer of the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) and his troops had the militants completely surrounded. The neighbourhoods of Malayeen, Samah, Khadra, Karkukli, Quds and Karama had been taken over by the CTS troops with heavy losses to the militant fighters. The CTS units may try to push all the way to the Tigris river, which runs through the centre of Mosul, an officer of the special forces told Reuters on Thursday. A campaign was launched three weeks ago by Iraqi troops and special forces, Shi'ite militias, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and other groups backed by US-led air strikes to retake Mosul, the urban stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) militants. The Islamic State also holds large parts of neighbouring Syria. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS leader was reported as saying that there could be no retreat in a "total war" against anti-IS forces. Mosul is home to nearly 1.5 million people and the United Nations (UN) has warned of a potential humanitarian crisis and a refugee exodus. A UN report says that 21,000 people have been displaced since the start of the Mosul campaign. Iraqi officials, however, say that the Islamic State is holding the civilian population as human shields. Mosul residents, who spoke to Reuters by telephone, said that Islamic State fighters had deployed artillery and rocket launchers around residential areas. "We saw Daesh (Islamic State) fighters installing a heavy anti-aircraft machine gun alongside a rocket launchpad, and mortars as well," a Mosul resident told Reuters. Militants stormed a mosque and several houses early on Friday in Shirqat, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Mosul, a local police officer said. The attack killed seven soldiers and fighters from the Shi'ite Popular Mobilisation force, Reuters reported. Security forces soon declared a curfew in the region. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iraqi forces reclaim six Mosul districts from Islamic State

Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi escaped from Mosul even as the Iraqi Army advanced for a final assault on IS&#39;s last stronghold in Iraq, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

Johnson, who was updating Parliament about the progress in the fight against the IS, said western intelligence sources believed that Baghdadi was no longer in Mosul, The Guardian reported.

The IS chief, who was believed to be hiding in Mosul, broke his year-long silence with an audio recording, urging jihadists to continue their fight to the end in the city. &quot;Do not retreat,&quot; he said in an audio recording that was released on the Internet on Wednesday.

Johnson said Baghdadi&#39;s audio recording was &quot;cruelly ironic since some of the intelligence we have suggests he had himself vacated the scene and is yet using internet media to encourage others to take part in violence,&quot; The Guardian reported.

ISIS fighters patrolled the Mosul streets broadcasting Baghdadi&rsquo;s call.

The battle for Mosul is expected to end in a decisive defeat for the terrorist group, but Baghdadi&#39;s escape is likely to complicate matters for Iraqi and coalition forces.

If Baghdadi, who surprised the world by establishing the caliphate after capturing Mosul in June 2014, were to be killed, IS would have to choose a new caliph. But it&#39;s unlikely Baghdadi&#39;s successor would have his authority and prestige.

Johnson said the recapture of Mosul, in the face of IS&#39;s &quot;scorched earth campaign&quot;, would take time and represented &quot;the coalition&#39;s greatest challenge&quot;, according to the report.

Johnson also said efforts were under way to prevent sectarian violence once the jihadist group was ousted from Mosul, whose Sunni population fears massacres from Shia militias determined to take revenge against those who collaborated with IS.

The foreign secretary also warned that once Mosul was freed an ISIS counter-insurgency was likely.

&quot;This is going to be a long struggle for hearts and minds,&rdquo; The Guardian quoted him as saying.

(WION)

Baghdadi's escape is likely to complicate matters for Iraqi and coalition forces fighting the Islamic State

Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi escaped from Mosul even as the Iraqi Army advanced for a final assault on IS's last stronghold in Iraq, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday. Johnson, who was updating Parliament about the progress in the fight against the IS, said western intelligence sources believed that Baghdadi was no longer in Mosul, The Guardian reported. The IS chief, who was believed to be hiding in Mosul, broke his year-long silence with an audio recording, urging jihadists to continue their fight to the end in the city. "Do not retreat," he said in an audio recording that was released on the Internet on Wednesday. Johnson said Baghdadi's audio recording was "cruelly ironic since some of the intelligence we have suggests he had himself vacated the scene and is yet using internet media to encourage others to take part in violence," The Guardian reported. ISIS fighters patrolled the Mosul streets broadcasting Baghdadi’s call. The battle for Mosul is expected to end in a decisive defeat for the terrorist group, but Baghdadi's escape is likely to complicate matters for Iraqi and coalition forces. If Baghdadi, who surprised the world by establishing the caliphate after capturing Mosul in June 2014, were to be killed, IS would have to choose a new caliph. But it's unlikely Baghdadi's successor would have his authority and prestige. Johnson said the recapture of Mosul, in the face of IS's "scorched earth campaign", would take time and represented "the coalition's greatest challenge", according to the report. Johnson also said efforts were under way to prevent sectarian violence once the jihadist group was ousted from Mosul, whose Sunni population fears massacres from Shia militias determined to take revenge against those who collaborated with IS. The foreign secretary also warned that once Mosul was freed an ISIS counter-insurgency was likely. "This is going to be a long struggle for hearts and minds,” The Guardian quoted him as saying. (WION)

Islamic State chief Baghdadi escapes Iraqi Army's final assault: UK

With Iraqi forces poised to enter the city of Mosul, the Islamic State&#39;s last bastion in Iraq, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on jihadists in the city to fight to the end in what is said to be his first message this year, reported AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;Do not retreat,&quot; he said in an audio recording that was released on the Internet yesterday. &quot;Holding your ground with honour is a thousand times easier than retreating in shame.&quot;

Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, had launched a massive offensive to reclaim the city on October 17.

The recording, entitled &quot;This is what God and his messenger have promised us&quot; has not yet been authenticated but leading experts on the terror organisation said they did not doubt its veracity.&nbsp;

In his latest message, Baghdadi called for attacks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey and told his followers to aim for Libya while urging his fighters to stay united in adversity.&nbsp;

Self-declared caliph Baghdadi announced the creation of Islamic State in large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. But lately, his forces have lost a major chunk of their territory, including Fallujah in Iraq and Dabiq in Syria to Iraqi forces.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Iraqi forces are poised to enter the city, the last Islamic State bastion in Iraq

With Iraqi forces poised to enter the city of Mosul, the Islamic State's last bastion in Iraq, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on jihadists in the city to fight to the end in what is said to be his first message this year, reported AFP. "Do not retreat," he said in an audio recording that was released on the Internet yesterday. "Holding your ground with honour is a thousand times easier than retreating in shame." Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, had launched a massive offensive to reclaim the city on October 17. The recording, entitled "This is what God and his messenger have promised us" has not yet been authenticated but leading experts on the terror organisation said they did not doubt its veracity. In his latest message, Baghdadi called for attacks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey and told his followers to aim for Libya while urging his fighters to stay united in adversity. Self-declared caliph Baghdadi announced the creation of Islamic State in large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. But lately, his forces have lost a major chunk of their territory, including Fallujah in Iraq and Dabiq in Syria to Iraqi forces. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Fight to the end, IS boss Baghdadi urges Mosul jihadists

Challenging online jihadist propaganda with counterarguments or shutting down extremist websites and social media accounts have little impact, and distract from the real threat, according to experts.

 
As the Islamic State group (IS) spread across parts of Iraq and Syria, it ramped up its outreach to youths.

 
Videos shared online depicting executions and others touting the creation of a caliphate became powerful recruiting tools, drawing hundreds of Western youths to the Middle East to join IS.

 
Experts who met this week in Quebec City to find ways to combat this threat agreed that IS has used online propaganda to extend the conflict zone like no other.

 
Western governments over the past two years have launched various initiatives to try to counter IS messaging.

 
&quot;We&#39;re doing counterpropaganda. The political fight begins with words. Our counterarguments count on youth being critical thinkers,&quot; Juliette Meadel, French Secretary of State for victims, told AFP.

 
Days after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015, the French government launched a website (stop-djihadisme.gouv.fr) and a few months later accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

 
The initiative aimed &quot;to present arguments against extremism for youth who may be drawn to jihadist sites,&quot; said Meadel.

 
The American, British and Canadian governments have taken similar measures, and with the help of major Internet firms such as Twitter took down some 235,000 extremist accounts in the first six months.

&nbsp;Legitimation

 
But instead of quashing extremism, this only emboldened them.

 
&quot;Censorship doesnt work,&quot; said Google&#39;s global head of international relations, Ross LaJeunesse. &quot;You don&#39;t really change someone&#39;s heart and mind by just taking down what they said (in an online post). What you do is that you drive that underground.&quot;

 
&quot;Instead we want to engage... and change their mind,&quot; he said.

 
In fact, &quot;suspending Twitter accounts was seen as a legitimation, even as Shahada (the profession of Islamic faith), or martyrdom in Islam,&quot; said Amarnath Amarasingam, a fellow at George Washington University&#39;s Program on Extremism.

 
The researcher spends his days dissecting IS communications on the Telegram secure messaging network favored by jihadists. He follows 80 discussion groups and sees between 50 to 150 messages posted by extremists each day, and the flow is incessant.

 
&quot;You can&#39;t just focus on the way media are being used and forget about the Iraq invasion in 2003, about Shia-Sunni conflicts and others complex issues,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

 
It&#39;s useless to try to gain ground on the ideological front by countering jihadist propaganda, which is run &quot;by kids who grew up in the West and have perfectly mastered these online communication tools,&quot; he said.

 
Heading up a UNESCO initiative to compile any and all research on the subject, Toulouse University professor Seraphin Alava adds: &quot;There is no evidence of a direct link between radicalization of youth and online propaganda.&quot;

 
We must accept that &quot;some young people see a role for themselves in the world that IS offers,&quot; said Oslo University researcher Cristina Archetti.

 
&quot;It&#39;s unrealistic to think that you can de-radicalize (youth) with messages on the Internet. You have to address the real issues those youths face,&quot; said Amarasingam.

 
&quot;If we want to rid the Internet of jihadist propaganda, we must act in real life,&quot; agreed Meadel.

 
It is therefore necessary to focus on &quot;education, supporting early childhood, promoting integration and inclusion, and provide job opportunities,&quot; she said.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

They say Islamic State has used online propaganda to extend the conflict zone like no other

Challenging online jihadist propaganda with counterarguments or shutting down extremist websites and social media accounts have little impact, and distract from the real threat, according to experts. As the Islamic State group (IS) spread across parts of Iraq and Syria, it ramped up its outreach to youths. Videos shared online depicting executions and others touting the creation of a caliphate became powerful recruiting tools, drawing hundreds of Western youths to the Middle East to join IS. Experts who met this week in Quebec City to find ways to combat this threat agreed that IS has used online propaganda to extend the conflict zone like no other. Western governments over the past two years have launched various initiatives to try to counter IS messaging. "We're doing counterpropaganda. The political fight begins with words. Our counterarguments count on youth being critical thinkers," Juliette Meadel, French Secretary of State for victims, told AFP. Days after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015, the French government launched a website (stop-djihadisme.gouv.fr) and a few months later accounts on Facebook and Twitter. The initiative aimed "to present arguments against extremism for youth who may be drawn to jihadist sites," said Meadel. The American, British and Canadian governments have taken similar measures, and with the help of major Internet firms such as Twitter took down some 235,000 extremist accounts in the first six months. Legitimation But instead of quashing extremism, this only emboldened them. "Censorship doesnt work," said Google's global head of international relations, Ross LaJeunesse. "You don't really change someone's heart and mind by just taking down what they said (in an online post). What you do is that you drive that underground." "Instead we want to engage... and change their mind," he said. In fact, "suspending Twitter accounts was seen as a legitimation, even as Shahada (the profession of Islamic faith), or martyrdom in Islam," said Amarnath Amarasingam, a fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism. The researcher spends his days dissecting IS communications on the Telegram secure messaging network favored by jihadists. He follows 80 discussion groups and sees between 50 to 150 messages posted by extremists each day, and the flow is incessant. "You can't just focus on the way media are being used and forget about the Iraq invasion in 2003, about Shia-Sunni conflicts and others complex issues," he said. It's useless to try to gain ground on the ideological front by countering jihadist propaganda, which is run "by kids who grew up in the West and have perfectly mastered these online communication tools," he said. Heading up a UNESCO initiative to compile any and all research on the subject, Toulouse University professor Seraphin Alava adds: "There is no evidence of a direct link between radicalization of youth and online propaganda." We must accept that "some young people see a role for themselves in the world that IS offers," said Oslo University researcher Cristina Archetti. "It's unrealistic to think that you can de-radicalize (youth) with messages on the Internet. You have to address the real issues those youths face," said Amarasingam. "If we want to rid the Internet of jihadist propaganda, we must act in real life," agreed Meadel. It is therefore necessary to focus on "education, supporting early childhood, promoting integration and inclusion, and provide job opportunities," she said. (AFP)

Challenging jihadist propaganda online eggs on extremists: Experts

The US embassy in New Delhi has issued a travel advisory to its nationals warning of an increased threat of an attack by Islamic State on foreign travellers. The advisory, issued on Tuesday, has warned Americans to be vigilant while travelling to religious sites, markets and festival venues.

Although the IS itself has no presence in India, security agencies have detained more than 50 suspects with alleged connections to IS-inspired terror modules in the country.

The US advisory comes close on the heels of reports that militants are planning to attack foreign nationals on behalf of the IS. In at least two such cases involving suspects arrested recently in Kolkata and Kerala, police officials said the suspects were looking for foreign nationals to target.

Police said the suspects were told to decapitate foreigners, film the act, and send videos to their handlers so that the attacks could later by claimed by the IS.

(This report first appeared in DNA)&nbsp;

The US advisory comes close on the heels of reports that militants are planning to attack foreign nationals on behalf of the IS

The US embassy in New Delhi has issued a travel advisory to its nationals warning of an increased threat of an attack by Islamic State on foreign travellers. The advisory, issued on Tuesday, has warned Americans to be vigilant while travelling to religious sites, markets and festival venues. Although the IS itself has no presence in India, security agencies have detained more than 50 suspects with alleged connections to IS-inspired terror modules in the country. The US advisory comes close on the heels of reports that militants are planning to attack foreign nationals on behalf of the IS. In at least two such cases involving suspects arrested recently in Kolkata and Kerala, police officials said the suspects were looking for foreign nationals to target. Police said the suspects were told to decapitate foreigners, film the act, and send videos to their handlers so that the attacks could later by claimed by the IS. (This report first appeared in DNA)

US embassy in New Delhi warns of possible IS attacks in India

As Iraqi regular forces approach&nbsp;Mosul&#39;s&nbsp;eastern suburbs, Islamic State&#39;s&nbsp;last stronghold&nbsp;in Iraq, they got some good news.

Fuad Hussein, the chief of staff to Kurdish president Masoud Barzani, declared that IS chief&nbsp;&ldquo;Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is there and, if he is killed, it will mean the collapse of the whole [IS] system&rdquo;.

The self-proclaimed caliph, the de facto leader of the sunni terrorist&nbsp;organisation, remained hidden for almost a year, but opted to remain in Mosul while other IS senior leaders decided to leave and reach&nbsp;Syria. Many important figures have been killed during the last offensives to retake important cities like Fallujah and Ramadi.&nbsp;

The importance of Mosul for the terrorist organisation is not only a matter of military control but also a fundamental part of the narrative of being a&nbsp;state --&nbsp;losing it will surely represent a major psychological blow for the many who decided to fight within IS ranks. It will be difficult to sustain the propaganda of a newly born and strong state if the organisation cannot manage to&nbsp;defend its Iraqi capital.&nbsp;

The battle to reconquer the city of Mosul is far from&nbsp;over, it&nbsp;has just entered a new phase which is likely to be the toughest, characterised by urban-guerrilla and unconventional warfare. Iraqi forces reached the eastern border of the city, but there are still many villages especially on the northern side, which need to be conquered and secured before stating that the Islamic State is definitely surrounded.

The Islamic State is also putting up&nbsp;fierce resistance against the first small advance of the Iraqi army. &ldquo;Daesh (IS) is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighbourhood and [stop] our troops&rsquo; advance,&rdquo; said Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces.

Fuad Hussein said &ldquo;it is obvious that they will lose, but not how long this will take to happen&rdquo;, and stated that the Peshmerga, the Kurdish regional forces, were surprised when they found an&nbsp;extensive network of underground tunnels which the Islamic State created in&nbsp;the villages and the towns surrounding Mosul.In several areas of the city, the terrorist organisation enjoys the protection&nbsp;of a part of the local population which will prove to be important.&nbsp;

Major General Najim Al-Jubouri, commander in chief of the Nineveh operations, told me in an interview: &ldquo;The most important part of the Mosul offensive is the people. If we bring here the Chinese army, they will not be able to win if they do not enjoy the support of the people, and I believe that the bad relation between the security forces and the people played a central role in the rise of the Islamic State.&rdquo;

The presence of al-Baghdadi in Mosul could make things harder, for many of its loyalists will surely fight until the very end to protect the city. While the&nbsp;eventual death&nbsp;of the&nbsp;man who is perceived by&nbsp;many to be&nbsp;the father of the Islamic State could result in several organisational problems, but it is something which should not be taken for granted.

Other terrorist organisations proved&nbsp;capable of&nbsp;substituting&nbsp;their leaders and continued&nbsp;their operations, such as al Quaeda, which did not dissolve after Bin Laden&rsquo;s died. Al-Baghdadi&rsquo;s decision not to leave Mosul and eventually die&nbsp;fighting, should he in fact be killed, could also turn out to set an example for the many terrorists still supporting the organisation. It could&nbsp;become a powerful instrument of propaganda on how a real Islamic State member should not fear death and martyrdom.&nbsp;

(WION)

IS is putting up fierce resistance, and even their leader's death might inspire them to fight harder towards martyrdom

As Iraqi regular forces approach Mosul's eastern suburbs, Islamic State's last stronghold in Iraq, they got some good news. Fuad Hussein, the chief of staff to Kurdish president Masoud Barzani, declared that IS chief “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is there and, if he is killed, it will mean the collapse of the whole [IS] system”. The self-proclaimed caliph, the de facto leader of the sunni terrorist organisation, remained hidden for almost a year, but opted to remain in Mosul while other IS senior leaders decided to leave and reach Syria. Many important figures have been killed during the last offensives to retake important cities like Fallujah and Ramadi. The importance of Mosul for the terrorist organisation is not only a matter of military control but also a fundamental part of the narrative of being a state -- losing it will surely represent a major psychological blow for the many who decided to fight within IS ranks. It will be difficult to sustain the propaganda of a newly born and strong state if the organisation cannot manage to defend its Iraqi capital. The battle to reconquer the city of Mosul is far from over, it has just entered a new phase which is likely to be the toughest, characterised by urban-guerrilla and unconventional warfare. Iraqi forces reached the eastern border of the city, but there are still many villages especially on the northern side, which need to be conquered and secured before stating that the Islamic State is definitely surrounded. The Islamic State is also putting up fierce resistance against the first small advance of the Iraqi army. “Daesh (IS) is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighbourhood and [stop] our troops’ advance,” said Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces. Fuad Hussein said “it is obvious that they will lose, but not how long this will take to happen”, and stated that the Peshmerga, the Kurdish regional forces, were surprised when they found an extensive network of underground tunnels which the Islamic State created in the villages and the towns surrounding Mosul.In several areas of the city, the terrorist organisation enjoys the protection of a part of the local population which will prove to be important. Major General Najim Al-Jubouri, commander in chief of the Nineveh operations, told me in an interview: “The most important part of the Mosul offensive is the people. If we bring here the Chinese army, they will not be able to win if they do not enjoy the support of the people, and I believe that the bad relation between the security forces and the people played a central role in the rise of the Islamic State.” The presence of al-Baghdadi in Mosul could make things harder, for many of its loyalists will surely fight until the very end to protect the city. While the eventual death of the man who is perceived by many to be the father of the Islamic State could result in several organisational problems, but it is something which should not be taken for granted. Other terrorist organisations proved capable of substituting their leaders and continued their operations, such as al Quaeda, which did not dissolve after Bin Laden’s died. Al-Baghdadi’s decision not to leave Mosul and eventually die fighting, should he in fact be killed, could also turn out to set an example for the many terrorists still supporting the organisation. It could become a powerful instrument of propaganda on how a real Islamic State member should not fear death and martyrdom. (WION)

Islamic State facing trouble in Mosul, but not finished yet

Islamic State (IS) chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been trapped by the Iraqi army in Mosul, a&nbsp;report in the Independent suggested.

This is the first time that the Iraqi army has been able to enter the terrorist group&rsquo;s stronghold in more than two years for an assault.

Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish president Massoud Barzani, told the newspaper that this will mean &quot;the collapse of the whole [IS] system&rdquo;.

Many other influential members of the IS from Syria and other countries&nbsp;have been killed after they took over northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

If Baghdadi is killed, IS would have to look for a new leadership in the middle of a crisis.

&quot;It is obvious that they will lose, but not how long this will take to happen,&rdquo; the Independent reported Hussein as saying.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been impressed by the number of tunnels that IS had dug to provide hiding places in the villages around Mosul, he added.

The Iraqi Special Forces advanced into Mosul on Tuesday and seized the state television on the east bank of the Tigris River that divides the city in half.

The fall of Mosul depends on many things including whether or not IS &ldquo;is going to destroy the five bridges over the river&rdquo;, Hussein said.

Iraqi troops entered Gogjali, a district inside Mosul&rsquo;s city limits, and later the borders of the more built-up Karama district, according to Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces, PTI reported.

The entire anti-IS offensive is dependent on US-led air strikes and the presence of US special forces.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

'Baghdadi is there and, if he is killed, it will mean the collapse of the whole [IS] system,' Fuad Hussein chief of staff to Barzani said

Islamic State (IS) chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been trapped by the Iraqi army in Mosul, a report in the Independent suggested. This is the first time that the Iraqi army has been able to enter the terrorist group’s stronghold in more than two years for an assault. Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish president Massoud Barzani, told the newspaper that this will mean "the collapse of the whole [IS] system”. Many other influential members of the IS from Syria and other countries have been killed after they took over northern Iraq and eastern Syria. If Baghdadi is killed, IS would have to look for a new leadership in the middle of a crisis. "It is obvious that they will lose, but not how long this will take to happen,” the Independent reported Hussein as saying. Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been impressed by the number of tunnels that IS had dug to provide hiding places in the villages around Mosul, he added. The Iraqi Special Forces advanced into Mosul on Tuesday and seized the state television on the east bank of the Tigris River that divides the city in half. The fall of Mosul depends on many things including whether or not IS “is going to destroy the five bridges over the river”, Hussein said. Iraqi troops entered Gogjali, a district inside Mosul’s city limits, and later the borders of the more built-up Karama district, according to Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces, PTI reported. The entire anti-IS offensive is dependent on US-led air strikes and the presence of US special forces. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamic State chief Baghdadi trapped, surrounded in Mosul: Report

US-backed Iraqi forces were set to enter Mosul Monday after two weeks of fighting Islamic State militants on the outskirts of the city.&nbsp;

Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem said the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had recaptured Bazwaya, one of two IS-held villages standing between Iraqi security forces and the eastern edges of Mosul.&nbsp;

&quot;Tonight, if everything is secured, we will be 700 metres from Mosul,&quot; Salem said.

Some 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, policemen, and Kurdish peshmerga are advancing on Mosul, backed up by US-backed coalition airstrikes.&nbsp;

International news agencies AFP and Reuters reported that fighting was underway in Karama district, which troops invaded on Monday.&nbsp;

Iran-led Shi&#39;ite fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) joined the battle two days ago but they will not be entering Mosul. Instead, they will head to Tal Afar in the west to cut off Islamic State&#39;s supply lines between Mosul and the Syrian border, AFP reported. &nbsp;

Colonel Mustafa al-Obeidi told AFP via radio, &quot;They&#39;re fleeing, the jihadists are fleeing into Mosul,&quot; as Iraqi forces approached Bazwaya.&nbsp;

CTS troops also entered Gogjali, the second village held by IS.&nbsp;

Senior CTS commander Abdelwahab al-Saadi told AFP the Iraqi troops were still 2.5 kilometres away from Mosul.&nbsp;

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the troops were closing off all escape routes.&nbsp;

&quot;God willing, we will chop off the snake&#39;s head, they have no escape, they either die or surrender,&quot; Reuters quoted him as saying.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Troops capture one of two Islamic State-held villages standing between them and the city, enter the other

US-backed Iraqi forces were set to enter Mosul Monday after two weeks of fighting Islamic State militants on the outskirts of the city. Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem said the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had recaptured Bazwaya, one of two IS-held villages standing between Iraqi security forces and the eastern edges of Mosul. "Tonight, if everything is secured, we will be 700 metres from Mosul," Salem said. Some 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, policemen, and Kurdish peshmerga are advancing on Mosul, backed up by US-backed coalition airstrikes. International news agencies AFP and Reuters reported that fighting was underway in Karama district, which troops invaded on Monday. Iran-led Shi'ite fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) joined the battle two days ago but they will not be entering Mosul. Instead, they will head to Tal Afar in the west to cut off Islamic State's supply lines between Mosul and the Syrian border, AFP reported. Colonel Mustafa al-Obeidi told AFP via radio, "They're fleeing, the jihadists are fleeing into Mosul," as Iraqi forces approached Bazwaya. CTS troops also entered Gogjali, the second village held by IS. Senior CTS commander Abdelwahab al-Saadi told AFP the Iraqi troops were still 2.5 kilometres away from Mosul. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the troops were closing off all escape routes. "God willing, we will chop off the snake's head, they have no escape, they either die or surrender," Reuters quoted him as saying. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Mosul frontline: Iraqi forces set to enter city

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF) officially entered the eastern outskirt of Mosul, stabilising their presence in the village of Gogjali. Taleb Kanani, the ICTF commander, told reporters on the ground that the area is now under full control of the Iraqi army.

According to a BBC reporter who followed the operation embedded, regular forces faced strong resistance.

The advance is ongoing and Iraqi troops are moving forward. According to Lieutenant&nbsp;General&nbsp;Abdul Amir Rasheed Jarallah, the deputy-commander for the Joint Operations, the ninth&nbsp;division has entered Judaydat al-Mufti, a neighbourhood located south of Gogjali.

It is the first time in&nbsp;two years that a regular force has crossed&nbsp;the border&nbsp;of the Islamic State&#39;s (IS) de facto Iraqi capital. However,&nbsp;it is unlikely that this battle could represent an early end to&nbsp;the offensive:&nbsp;there are still many villages located on the belt surrounding Mosul which&nbsp;need to be reconquered and secured, especially on the northern side.&nbsp;

But the possibility of&nbsp;conquering and securing&nbsp;even a small&nbsp;portion of the city&nbsp;represents a major success in the offensive to drive&nbsp;IS out of Mosul.&nbsp;

The Iraqi army will have the possibility to launch regular raids to weaken and test the enemy&rsquo;s line of defence and to intercept their communications, opening an entire new phase of the offensive based on urban-style guerrilla combat.

The offensive proceeds as scheduled and the plan to choke the city from several areas is taking place. Mosul is also under attack from the western front, where several militias, predominantly Shiite, launched an offensive to reconquer the town of Tal Afar.

Meanwhile, Turkey is deploying a significant number of soldiers&nbsp;and tanks in the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. Turkish defence minister Fikri Isik declared that his country has&nbsp;the right&nbsp;to act in order to protect its citizens from terrorism, and that they have no &ldquo;obligation&rdquo; to wait behind its borders while threats increase.

&nbsp;

A war with parallel wars&nbsp;

It seems, though, that Isik&#39;s main concern is not the Islamic State but the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)&nbsp;and the Shia militias based west of&nbsp;Mosul, both perceived as threats to the ethnic Sunni Turkmen population living in the area.&nbsp;

Turkish&nbsp;President Erdogan declared on Saturday that Ankara will have a &ldquo;different response&rdquo; in case Shiite militias would &ldquo;cause terror&rdquo; in Tal Afar. Erdogan&rsquo;s fears are not unfounded: the NGO Human Rights Watch documented and reported the many abuses perpetrated by Shia militias against Sunni civilians in recent operations, especially the ones to reconquer the city of Fallujah.

Defending human rights is not the only variable.&nbsp;Many Shia militias are under direct Iranian influence, and by tackling them&nbsp;Turkey is also tackling Tehran&#39;s willingness to extend its area of influence beyond its western borders.

The PKK, a socialist organisation classified as terrorists by Turkey, has a significant presence in the western Iraqi constituency of Sinjar, a mainly Yazidi town which their guerrilla soldiers contributed to reconquer from Islamic State in 2015. The PKK guerrillas have also participated in the operation to defeat the Islamic State commando who attacked the city of Kirkuk one week ago, and are&nbsp;willing to take part in the Mosul offensive. This could earn further political legitimacy to an organisation with whom Turkey fought a three-decade separatist insurgency, an eventuality Ankara would certainly not permit.

The situation between the PKK and Turkey is currently at its lowest. After the July coup, Ankara gave new lifeline to its attacks against the organisation&nbsp;and are generally against the Kurds living on its soil;&nbsp;many government employees hit by the purge were Kurdish. Ankara is also constantly bombing the Qandil mountains in Iraq.&nbsp;

Kurdistan, where the organisation has its headquarters as well as many cities in southeast Turkey, is&nbsp;traditionally a PKK controlled area.

For the last three weeks the Turkish presence on Iraqi soil has been the object of a dispute with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who has repeatedly asked Turkey not to deploy its troops during the Mosul offensive. Ankara did not follow this request&nbsp;since Turkish tanks have been deployed on the frontline during the offensive against Bashiqa, on the eastern front.

The offensive to reconquer Mosul is not only a matter of national Iraqi interest, but also a war made of parallel wars where two major regional players, Iran and Turkey, are trying to expand their influence.&nbsp;

(WION)

While Iraqi forces enter the IS stronghold's boundaries for the first time in two years, Turkey deploys soldiers and tanks on the border

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF) officially entered the eastern outskirt of Mosul, stabilising their presence in the village of Gogjali. Taleb Kanani, the ICTF commander, told reporters on the ground that the area is now under full control of the Iraqi army. According to a BBC reporter who followed the operation embedded, regular forces faced strong resistance. The advance is ongoing and Iraqi troops are moving forward. According to Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rasheed Jarallah, the deputy-commander for the Joint Operations, the ninth division has entered Judaydat al-Mufti, a neighbourhood located south of Gogjali. It is the first time in two years that a regular force has crossed the border of the Islamic State's (IS) de facto Iraqi capital. However, it is unlikely that this battle could represent an early end to the offensive: there are still many villages located on the belt surrounding Mosul which need to be reconquered and secured, especially on the northern side. But the possibility of conquering and securing even a small portion of the city represents a major success in the offensive to drive IS out of Mosul. The Iraqi army will have the possibility to launch regular raids to weaken and test the enemy’s line of defence and to intercept their communications, opening an entire new phase of the offensive based on urban-style guerrilla combat. The offensive proceeds as scheduled and the plan to choke the city from several areas is taking place. Mosul is also under attack from the western front, where several militias, predominantly Shiite, launched an offensive to reconquer the town of Tal Afar. Meanwhile, Turkey is deploying a significant number of soldiers and tanks in the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. Turkish defence minister Fikri Isik declared that his country has the right to act in order to protect its citizens from terrorism, and that they have no “obligation” to wait behind its borders while threats increase. A war with parallel wars It seems, though, that Isik's main concern is not the Islamic State but the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Shia militias based west of Mosul, both perceived as threats to the ethnic Sunni Turkmen population living in the area. Turkish President Erdogan declared on Saturday that Ankara will have a “different response” in case Shiite militias would “cause terror” in Tal Afar. Erdogan’s fears are not unfounded: the NGO Human Rights Watch documented and reported the many abuses perpetrated by Shia militias against Sunni civilians in recent operations, especially the ones to reconquer the city of Fallujah. Defending human rights is not the only variable. Many Shia militias are under direct Iranian influence, and by tackling them Turkey is also tackling Tehran's willingness to extend its area of influence beyond its western borders. The PKK, a socialist organisation classified as terrorists by Turkey, has a significant presence in the western Iraqi constituency of Sinjar, a mainly Yazidi town which their guerrilla soldiers contributed to reconquer from Islamic State in 2015. The PKK guerrillas have also participated in the operation to defeat the Islamic State commando who attacked the city of Kirkuk one week ago, and are willing to take part in the Mosul offensive. This could earn further political legitimacy to an organisation with whom Turkey fought a three-decade separatist insurgency, an eventuality Ankara would certainly not permit. The situation between the PKK and Turkey is currently at its lowest. After the July coup, Ankara gave new lifeline to its attacks against the organisation and are generally against the Kurds living on its soil; many government employees hit by the purge were Kurdish. Ankara is also constantly bombing the Qandil mountains in Iraq. Kurdistan, where the organisation has its headquarters as well as many cities in southeast Turkey, is traditionally a PKK controlled area. For the last three weeks the Turkish presence on Iraqi soil has been the object of a dispute with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who has repeatedly asked Turkey not to deploy its troops during the Mosul offensive. Ankara did not follow this request since Turkish tanks have been deployed on the frontline during the offensive against Bashiqa, on the eastern front. The offensive to reconquer Mosul is not only a matter of national Iraqi interest, but also a war made of parallel wars where two major regional players, Iran and Turkey, are trying to expand their influence. (WION)

Iraqi forces gain foothold in Mosul's eastern outskirt

A car bomb parked in a shopping street of a Shi&#39;ite district of Baghdad killed at least eight people and wounded more than 30 others on Sunday, police and medical staff said.

The bombing, which hit the Hurriya district, came as Iraqi security forces are engaged in an offensive to take back Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s last major city stronghold in Iraq.

It wasn&#39;t clear if there was a suicide driver in the car.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It wasn't clear if there was a suicide driver in the car. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack

A car bomb parked in a shopping street of a Shi'ite district of Baghdad killed at least eight people and wounded more than 30 others on Sunday, police and medical staff said. The bombing, which hit the Hurriya district, came as Iraqi security forces are engaged in an offensive to take back Mosul, Islamic State's last major city stronghold in Iraq. It wasn't clear if there was a suicide driver in the car. (Reuters)

Car bomb kills at least eight, wounds 30 in Baghdad market: Police, medics

Saudi Arabia has arrested at least eight suspected militants plotting killings and a car bombing, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.&nbsp;Authorities were pursuing other accomplices.

According to the ministry statement,&nbsp;those arrested included Islamic State suspects, who had planned to killi&nbsp;security officials in the Shaqra district north of the capital Riyadh.

Other militants had planned to attack civilians in the eastern city of Qatif and stage a car bomb attack on a visiting United Arab Emirates (UAE) football team at a stadium in the western port city of Jeddah, the statement said.

The statement said the eight arrested suspects were from a variety of countries, including:&nbsp;two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The statement also said that eight Saudis and a Bahraini were among the suspects still at large.

Saudi security forces have grappled with sporadic attacks by adherents to the ultra-hardline Islamic State militant group, which is based in Iraq and Syria, and say they have arrested hundreds of its members.

Local Saudi affiliates of Islamic State have carried out several deadly shootings and bombings in the conservative kingdom, the world&#39;s largest&nbsp;oil exporter. Many of the attacks have targeted security personnel and Shi&#39;ite Muslim mosques.

The Sunni Islamic State is bitterly hostile to the Gulf Arab monarchies, and is seen to be trying to stoke Sunni-Shi&#39;ite sectarian confrontation in Arabian peninsula countries to destabilise and ultimately overthrow them.

(Reuters)

Those arrested included Islamic State suspects who had planned killings of security officials in Riyadh. Suspects are still at large

Saudi Arabia has arrested at least eight suspected militants plotting killings and a car bombing, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. Authorities were pursuing other accomplices. According to the ministry statement, those arrested included Islamic State suspects, who had planned to killi security officials in the Shaqra district north of the capital Riyadh. Other militants had planned to attack civilians in the eastern city of Qatif and stage a car bomb attack on a visiting United Arab Emirates (UAE) football team at a stadium in the western port city of Jeddah, the statement said. The statement said the eight arrested suspects were from a variety of countries, including: two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The statement also said that eight Saudis and a Bahraini were among the suspects still at large. Saudi security forces have grappled with sporadic attacks by adherents to the ultra-hardline Islamic State militant group, which is based in Iraq and Syria, and say they have arrested hundreds of its members. Local Saudi affiliates of Islamic State have carried out several deadly shootings and bombings in the conservative kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter. Many of the attacks have targeted security personnel and Shi'ite Muslim mosques. The Sunni Islamic State is bitterly hostile to the Gulf Arab monarchies, and is seen to be trying to stoke Sunni-Shi'ite sectarian confrontation in Arabian peninsula countries to destabilise and ultimately overthrow them. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia says arrests Islamic State suspects plotting attacks

A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group targeted Shiite Muslims in the Iraqi capital on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding 16, security and medical officials said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack in which it boasted that the bomber had successfully passed security checkpoints to carry the attack.

The bomber targeted a tent in the Iskan area of western Baghdad where Shiites were distributing food and drinks to pilgrims making their way to the shrine city of Karbala, south of the capital.

The Sunni extremist group considers Shiites to be heretics and frequently targets them with bombings in Baghdad.

The latest attack comes as Iraqi forces close in on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the territory that the jihadists had overran in 2014.

But even their ouster from the northern city of Mosul is unlikely to bring an end to IS bombings, and the jihadists may increasingly turn to such attacks as they continue to lose ground.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The latest attack comes as Iraqi forces close in on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country

A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group targeted Shiite Muslims in the Iraqi capital on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding 16, security and medical officials said. IS issued a statement claiming the attack in which it boasted that the bomber had successfully passed security checkpoints to carry the attack. The bomber targeted a tent in the Iskan area of western Baghdad where Shiites were distributing food and drinks to pilgrims making their way to the shrine city of Karbala, south of the capital. The Sunni extremist group considers Shiites to be heretics and frequently targets them with bombings in Baghdad. The latest attack comes as Iraqi forces close in on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the territory that the jihadists had overran in 2014. But even their ouster from the northern city of Mosul is unlikely to bring an end to IS bombings, and the jihadists may increasingly turn to such attacks as they continue to lose ground. (AFP)

Iraq: At least 4 killed, 16 injured in IS suicide bombing

Singapore&#39;s senior minister for defence and foreign affairs, Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, visited his Bangladeshi counterpart Shahriar Alam in Dhaka this week to discuss counter-terrorism efforts between the two countries among other bilateral issues.

Singapore has deported at least 37 Bangladeshi workers after the country&#39;s internal security department found incriminating materials linking them to jihadist ideologies.

Last May, the security department detained eight Bangladeshis suspected of being members of &quot;Islamic State in Bangladesh&quot;.&nbsp;

Singaporean investigators said members of the terror outfit intend to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. &quot;However, as they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically-elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS&#39; self-declared caliphate,&quot; says a press release issued by the Singapore&#39;s ministry of home affairs.

Bangladeshi authorities however, said they have not found link of the group with any of the existing terror outfits in the country.

&quot;We didn&#39;t get any connection with those who were deported from Singapore with the killers in our country,&quot; Monirul Islam, chief of Bangladesh&#39;s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime told WION.

He continued, &quot;They were workers in Singapore. They have been working there for a long time. Some of them have stayed there for three to eight years. Before going to Singapore they were not radicals. We think it was someone from Singapore who played a key role in radicalising these people. &quot;

Investigators told WION that members of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh have been waging attacks in the country by pledging their allegiance to Islamic State while another group Ansar Al Islam with affiliation to Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been carrying out attacks in the home soil.

At least 30 people, including atheist bloggers, academicians, clerics of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths, an LGBT activist&nbsp;and&nbsp;and policemen have been killed in machete attacks across Bangladesh since 2013.

Last July, Bangladesh experienced the deadliest terror attack in which 20 civilians including 17 foreign nationals were killed at an upmarket restaurant in Dhaka. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Singapore has deported at least 37 Bangladeshi workers after finding incriminating materials linking them to jihadist ideologies

Singapore's senior minister for defence and foreign affairs, Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, visited his Bangladeshi counterpart Shahriar Alam in Dhaka this week to discuss counter-terrorism efforts between the two countries among other bilateral issues. Singapore has deported at least 37 Bangladeshi workers after the country's internal security department found incriminating materials linking them to jihadist ideologies. Last May, the security department detained eight Bangladeshis suspected of being members of "Islamic State in Bangladesh". Singaporean investigators said members of the terror outfit intend to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "However, as they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically-elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS' self-declared caliphate," says a press release issued by the Singapore's ministry of home affairs. Bangladeshi authorities however, said they have not found link of the group with any of the existing terror outfits in the country. "We didn't get any connection with those who were deported from Singapore with the killers in our country," Monirul Islam, chief of Bangladesh's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime told WION. He continued, "They were workers in Singapore. They have been working there for a long time. Some of them have stayed there for three to eight years. Before going to Singapore they were not radicals. We think it was someone from Singapore who played a key role in radicalising these people. " Investigators told WION that members of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh have been waging attacks in the country by pledging their allegiance to Islamic State while another group Ansar Al Islam with affiliation to Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has been carrying out attacks in the home soil. At least 30 people, including atheist bloggers, academicians, clerics of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths, an LGBT activist and and policemen have been killed in machete attacks across Bangladesh since 2013. Last July, Bangladesh experienced the deadliest terror attack in which 20 civilians including 17 foreign nationals were killed at an upmarket restaurant in Dhaka. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. (WION)

Singapore and Bangladesh officials discuss counter-terrorism efforts in Dhaka meeting

Islamic State has slaughtered at least 232 people near Mosul last week, the United Nations said on Friday.&nbsp;

&quot;Last Wednesday 232 civilians were reportedly shot to death. Of these there were 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers,&quot; UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, news agency AFP reported. &nbsp;

&quot;These reports have been corroborated to the extent possible,&quot; she added, stressing that the number of people killed in recent days could be higher.&nbsp;

The offensive, backed by a US-led coalition, was launched on October 17.

According to the US, 900 IS militants have died so far in the offensive to retake Iraq&rsquo;s second-largest city.

About 50,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the operation, according to BBC.&nbsp;

Shamdasani said the execution-style killings came as IS was pushing forward with its strategy of forcing people living near the northern Iraqi city into Mosul, AFP reported.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&quot;ISIL has been forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes in some districts around Mosul,&quot; Shamdasani said.

Iraq&#39;s ministry of displacement and migration said on Thursday that more than 11,700 people had been displaced since the operation began.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'Last Wednesday 232 civilians were reportedly shot to death. Of these there were 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers,' UN said

Islamic State has slaughtered at least 232 people near Mosul last week, the United Nations said on Friday. "Last Wednesday 232 civilians were reportedly shot to death. Of these there were 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, news agency AFP reported. "These reports have been corroborated to the extent possible," she added, stressing that the number of people killed in recent days could be higher. The offensive, backed by a US-led coalition, was launched on October 17. According to the US, 900 IS militants have died so far in the offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city. About 50,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the operation, according to BBC. Shamdasani said the execution-style killings came as IS was pushing forward with its strategy of forcing people living near the northern Iraqi city into Mosul, AFP reported. "ISIL has been forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes in some districts around Mosul," Shamdasani said. Iraq's ministry of displacement and migration said on Thursday that more than 11,700 people had been displaced since the operation began. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Islamic State killed at least 232 people near Mosul this week: UN

Islamic State group fighters are trickling out of Iraq&#39;s Mosul as the militants suffered heavy casualties, the general overseeing American military operations in the region told AFP on Thursday.

Army general Joseph Votel, head of the US military&#39;s central command, said groups of half a dozen or fewer IS fighters have been seen slipping out of the city as US-backed Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces close in.

Some of them dump weapons and try to look like civilians, making it hard for coalition drones and planes to track them, Votel said, but some presumably are headed toward Raqa, the IS group&#39;s Syria stronghold.

&quot;They don&#39;t have uniforms, so it is a little bit of a challenge. These aren&#39;t big groups, they aren&#39;t moving in military formations,&quot; the four-star general said, speaking from an undisclosed military base in southwest Asia.

&quot;There are some that will get away, and I think that happens in a lot of cases. Nothing is 100 per cent, but in this case we are doing a pretty good job.&quot;

Between 800 and 900 militants have been killed in and around Mosul since the Iraqi-led operation to recapture the city began 10 days ago, he added.

Earlier US estimates had put the total population of IS fighters in Mosul itself at between 3,500 and 5,000.

Up to another 2,000 were thought to be in the broader region.

The offensive is seeing tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters advancing on Mosul from the south, east and north in a bid to retake the last major Iraqi city under IS control.

Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces are pushing along several axes and have made relatively quick progress as they approach the city.

Some strategists question the Iraqis&#39; decision to leave part of the city open, but Votel said there were advantages to doing so.

&quot;It certainly provides a way for the refugees of the population to get out of there,&quot; the general said, and &quot;it does provide an opportunity to limit destruction in the city itself&quot;.

Votel said he had spoken with Iraqi military leaders late Tuesday who told him that, as of that time, 57 Iraqi security forces had been killed and about 255 wounded.&nbsp;

For the Kurdish peshmerga, numbers were lower, with about 30 killed and between 70 and 100 wounded.

The US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces is also trying to defeat the group in Syria, where they retain parts of the north and the key city of Raqa.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The US military said IS militants are fleeing the city as the Iraqi-led offensive is slowly gaining territory

Islamic State group fighters are trickling out of Iraq's Mosul as the militants suffered heavy casualties, the general overseeing American military operations in the region told AFP on Thursday. Army general Joseph Votel, head of the US military's central command, said groups of half a dozen or fewer IS fighters have been seen slipping out of the city as US-backed Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces close in. Some of them dump weapons and try to look like civilians, making it hard for coalition drones and planes to track them, Votel said, but some presumably are headed toward Raqa, the IS group's Syria stronghold. "They don't have uniforms, so it is a little bit of a challenge. These aren't big groups, they aren't moving in military formations," the four-star general said, speaking from an undisclosed military base in southwest Asia. "There are some that will get away, and I think that happens in a lot of cases. Nothing is 100 per cent, but in this case we are doing a pretty good job." Between 800 and 900 militants have been killed in and around Mosul since the Iraqi-led operation to recapture the city began 10 days ago, he added. Earlier US estimates had put the total population of IS fighters in Mosul itself at between 3,500 and 5,000. Up to another 2,000 were thought to be in the broader region. The offensive is seeing tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters advancing on Mosul from the south, east and north in a bid to retake the last major Iraqi city under IS control. Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces are pushing along several axes and have made relatively quick progress as they approach the city. Some strategists question the Iraqis' decision to leave part of the city open, but Votel said there were advantages to doing so. "It certainly provides a way for the refugees of the population to get out of there," the general said, and "it does provide an opportunity to limit destruction in the city itself". Votel said he had spoken with Iraqi military leaders late Tuesday who told him that, as of that time, 57 Iraqi security forces had been killed and about 255 wounded. For the Kurdish peshmerga, numbers were lower, with about 30 killed and between 70 and 100 wounded. The US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces is also trying to defeat the group in Syria, where they retain parts of the north and the key city of Raqa. (AFP)

Battle for Mosul: US claims up to 900 Islamic State militants killed in Mosul

Iraqi Shi&#39;ite militias backed by Iran said on Friday they would soon join the fight against Islamic State on a new front west of Mosul, a move which could block any retreat by the jihadists into Syria but might alarm Turkey and the United States.

The Shi&#39;ite militias, with thousands of battle-hardened fighters trained by Iran, would bring important extra firepower to what is expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

But their arrival on the battlefield in one of the most diverse parts of Iraq also creates worry for Western countries backing the Iraqi government offensive, who fear that the Shi&#39;ite fighters could alienate residents in mainly Sunni areas.

A spokesman for the paramilitary groups said the advance towards the Islamic State-held town of Tal Afar, about 55 km (35 miles) west of Mosul, would start within &quot;a few days or hours&quot;.

If successful, the offensive would leave Islamic State fighters - and the 1.5 million civilians still living in Mosul - encircled by an advancing coalition of forces which seeks to crush the hardline Sunni militants in their Iraq stronghold.

As many as 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, police and Kurdish peshmerga fighters, backed by US-led air strikes and support on the ground, have advanced on Mosul for nearly two weeks from the south, north and east.

They have already recaptured scores of villages on the flat plains east of Mosul and along the Tigris river to the south of the city, Islamic State&#39;s last big bastion in Iraq.

Until now, it has not been clear whether the Shi&#39;ite paramilitaries would join the fight, or whether the western approaches of the city would be left open so that civilians and militants could escape.

Rights groups have called on Baghdad to keep the Shi&#39;ite militias away from the battlefield, accusing them of carrying out revenge killings and kidnappings in other areas freed from Islamic State. The militias and the Baghdad government say any such abuses were isolated incidents and not widespread.

The battle for Mosul itself, a city many times larger than any other ever held by Islamic State, is expected to be the biggest military operation in Iraq since US&nbsp;troops invaded to topple former president Saddam Hussein nearly 14 years ago.

Adding to the challenges facing the advancing forces, retreating Islamic State fighters have forced women and children from outlying villages to march alongside them as human shields as they withdraw into the city, according to villagers who spoke to Reuters by telephone from Mosul.

Older boys and men of fighting age were taken off to an unknown fate, they said.

The United Nations said on Friday Islamic State had abducted 8,000 families from around Mosul to use as human shields, and had killed 232 people near the city on Wednesday who refused to comply with orders.

The group&#39;s &quot;depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilians to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations, effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields,&quot; UN&nbsp;high commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al Hussein said.

A man who was among those taken to Mosul from a village south of the city described the exodus for those forced to retreat with the fighters as human shields.

&quot;They put us in a trailer pulled by a tractor, and along the way we saw civilians shot dead with bullets in the head on both sides of the road; about ten, all of them men,&quot; said the man, speaking from one of the few parts of Mosul where mobile phone coverage still works. &quot;We are in shock.&quot;

(Reuters)

The move could block any retreat by the IS into Syria, but western countries fear the fighters could alienate residents in mainly Sunni area

Iraqi Shi'ite militias backed by Iran said on Friday they would soon join the fight against Islamic State on a new front west of Mosul, a move which could block any retreat by the jihadists into Syria but might alarm Turkey and the United States. The Shi'ite militias, with thousands of battle-hardened fighters trained by Iran, would bring important extra firepower to what is expected to be the biggest battle in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003. But their arrival on the battlefield in one of the most diverse parts of Iraq also creates worry for Western countries backing the Iraqi government offensive, who fear that the Shi'ite fighters could alienate residents in mainly Sunni areas. A spokesman for the paramilitary groups said the advance towards the Islamic State-held town of Tal Afar, about 55 km (35 miles) west of Mosul, would start within "a few days or hours". If successful, the offensive would leave Islamic State fighters - and the 1.5 million civilians still living in Mosul - encircled by an advancing coalition of forces which seeks to crush the hardline Sunni militants in their Iraq stronghold. As many as 50,000 Iraqi soldiers, police and Kurdish peshmerga fighters, backed by US-led air strikes and support on the ground, have advanced on Mosul for nearly two weeks from the south, north and east. They have already recaptured scores of villages on the flat plains east of Mosul and along the Tigris river to the south of the city, Islamic State's last big bastion in Iraq. Until now, it has not been clear whether the Shi'ite paramilitaries would join the fight, or whether the western approaches of the city would be left open so that civilians and militants could escape. Rights groups have called on Baghdad to keep the Shi'ite militias away from the battlefield, accusing them of carrying out revenge killings and kidnappings in other areas freed from Islamic State. The militias and the Baghdad government say any such abuses were isolated incidents and not widespread. The battle for Mosul itself, a city many times larger than any other ever held by Islamic State, is expected to be the biggest military operation in Iraq since US troops invaded to topple former president Saddam Hussein nearly 14 years ago. Adding to the challenges facing the advancing forces, retreating Islamic State fighters have forced women and children from outlying villages to march alongside them as human shields as they withdraw into the city, according to villagers who spoke to Reuters by telephone from Mosul. Older boys and men of fighting age were taken off to an unknown fate, they said. The United Nations said on Friday Islamic State had abducted 8,000 families from around Mosul to use as human shields, and had killed 232 people near the city on Wednesday who refused to comply with orders. The group's "depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilians to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations, effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields," UN high commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said. A man who was among those taken to Mosul from a village south of the city described the exodus for those forced to retreat with the fighters as human shields. "They put us in a trailer pulled by a tractor, and along the way we saw civilians shot dead with bullets in the head on both sides of the road; about ten, all of them men," said the man, speaking from one of the few parts of Mosul where mobile phone coverage still works. "We are in shock." (Reuters)

Iran-backed Shi'ite militias to join assault near Mosul on new front

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