The Turkish military said 38 Islamic State militants have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes and clashes in northern Syria on Sunday.&nbsp;

The army said in a statement that 14 militants were killed while attempting to enter rebel-controlled Akhtarin and Turkmen Bareh villages, situated three kilometers east of Dabiq.&nbsp;

In the same area, 17 more were killed by coalition air strikes dubbed &quot;Euphrates Shield&quot; by the Turkish army.

The army also said two Syrian rebels had been killed and 19 injured in a fresh fight against the IS.&nbsp;

The military also targeted the Kurdish militia which is seen as a threat to Turkey.&nbsp;

According to Reuters, Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have been pushing towards Dabiq, an IS stronghold, since August. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Turkish army also said two Syrian rebels had been killed and 19 injured during an offensive against Islamic State

The Turkish military said 38 Islamic State militants have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes and clashes in northern Syria on Sunday. The army said in a statement that 14 militants were killed while attempting to enter rebel-controlled Akhtarin and Turkmen Bareh villages, situated three kilometers east of Dabiq. In the same area, 17 more were killed by coalition air strikes dubbed "Euphrates Shield" by the Turkish army. The army also said two Syrian rebels had been killed and 19 injured in a fresh fight against the IS. The military also targeted the Kurdish militia which is seen as a threat to Turkey. According to Reuters, Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have been pushing towards Dabiq, an IS stronghold, since August. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

38 Islamic State fighters killed in northern Syria: Turkey

After kilometres of a perfectly built road crossing along an empty and harsh desert Iraqi environment, a small checkpoint appears.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Documents! Where are you going?,&rdquo; an official says. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Mahkmour.&rdquo; The small town is roughly a hundred kilometres south of Mosul. Its hospital, which receives several injured by firearms on a daily basis, will be one of the many structures close to the southern frontline of the Mosul offensive. &nbsp;

&ldquo;No, you can&rsquo;t go to Mahkmour. Speak with the commander,&rdquo; says roughly, a soldier pointing towards an old house on the top of a hill.

The post seems to represent the current Iraqi situation, a place where war has become constant. Military life has become so routine and normal that soldiers care little to exhibit an image of order and discipline. Their rooms are not as the ones we usually imagine: tidy, clean, modular. Probably they were, but after spending years in the same checkpoint in the middle of Iraq, aesthetic becomes less important day by day. Beds are slightly sloppy, evidence of one of the many early and hasty wakening. Shoes are everywhere and weapons - mainly AK-47 - lie on the beds and under the pillows. Walls are not well painted and the floors not too clean. It resembles a long-term jail but without the family pictures, drawings, books or posters, nothing which helps to understand the identity of the people living there. Everything looks impersonal, only imperfections personalise the place: an open packet of cigarettes on the bed, a sun cream tube on a pillow, a movie ticket on the floor, an ashtray full of cigarettes&rsquo; butt on the end of a rifle.&nbsp;

The whole atmosphere is the one of a place where nobody wants to be, but it is forced to.

The commander sits in the operational room, his fatigue is open and worn in a casual way, it is slightly bigger than his size. He does not speak a single word of English, only German which he learned when training in Koln. A young Peshmerga soldier approaches the window, he speaks French and is willing to help. &ldquo;I studied French at the university of Mosul before Daesh came,&rdquo; he says. The university has now been shut down, he decided to voluntarily join the Peshmerga army after he was forced to flee Mosul with his family. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Why are you going there?&rdquo;, asks the commander swatting a fly in a swift motion.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We want to visit the hospital close to the frontline and understand how things are going there.&rdquo;

The atmosphere is calm, almost dozy due to the noon heat. The commander looks at us with the expression of a man who found on his way an annoying event which he would have preferably avoided, but now is forced to manage. Several phone calls later the hospital manager agreed to pick us up and take us to Doctor Saman, who prefers not to disclose his surname.

&ldquo;Fighting is going on in many areas between Mahkmour and Mosul and everyday we have to heal firearms injuries and send the patients to the bigger hospital in Erbil&rdquo;. The hospital is clean, but small, too small for the number of injured who could arrive once the official operations to liberate Mosul starts.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I think the doctors are not enough for this situation of war. I think the equipment here is not enough. I think that even the medication we have in order to stabilise a patient, especially in case of emergency, from the frontline is not enough. I am asking the Kurdistan Regional Government to provide us with further medication, further staff,&rdquo; says doctor Saman.

&ldquo;How many doctors you have here?&rdquo;

&ldquo;We do not have resident doctors. We have rotating doctors coming for a six-day-a-month shift from the capital city (Erbil) and two medical assistants.&rdquo;

The situation in Mahkmour&rsquo;s medical facility does not differ from the several others in the area. These structures were mostly built for small towns, and meant to be primary media points with the function of stabilising a patient and send him or her to larger, better-equipped hospitals.&nbsp;

The city lies close to what will most likely be the battle of Mosul&rsquo;s southern frontline. It won&rsquo;t be easy to manage the impact of the major ground operation in Iraq, that has been constantly battered since the last four years.&nbsp;

Every time a patient with bullet injuries arrives, doctors have to inform the national security agency, the Asayish which comes in to assess if the patient is a possible Islamic State terrorist.

&ldquo;As a doctor there is not even a need to ask this question. My job is to save everyone so even if I have to heal a Daesh terrorist I do it, then the security will do the rest.&rdquo;

A car with three members of the Asayish reaches us in the hospital parking and does not abandon us from that moment onwards, primarily to control our movements. This is something else which happens in war torn areas: limitations.

There are places where you can&rsquo;t go, things you can&rsquo;t do, words you can&rsquo;t say, streets you can&rsquo;t walk. This is what war does beside claiming lives: it is pervasive, it pauses normality. Whatever the topic, war and its consequences will sooner or later appear. Speaking with a barber while shaving you discover he fled Mosul, the fruit seller at the corner lost his brother in Sinjial against Daesh one year ago, the neighbour&rsquo;s son left his studies to join the army and fight. Casual interlocutors over a tea or a cigarette have always a war story to tell.

It invades minds and movements and becomes a constant, unwanted guest in the majority of conversations and considerations.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Four years of fighting and destruction have left hospitals scant, and Iraqis impassive to war

After kilometres of a perfectly built road crossing along an empty and harsh desert Iraqi environment, a small checkpoint appears. “Documents! Where are you going?,” an official says. “Mahkmour.” The small town is roughly a hundred kilometres south of Mosul. Its hospital, which receives several injured by firearms on a daily basis, will be one of the many structures close to the southern frontline of the Mosul offensive. “No, you can’t go to Mahkmour. Speak with the commander,” says roughly, a soldier pointing towards an old house on the top of a hill. The post seems to represent the current Iraqi situation, a place where war has become constant. Military life has become so routine and normal that soldiers care little to exhibit an image of order and discipline. Their rooms are not as the ones we usually imagine: tidy, clean, modular. Probably they were, but after spending years in the same checkpoint in the middle of Iraq, aesthetic becomes less important day by day. Beds are slightly sloppy, evidence of one of the many early and hasty wakening. Shoes are everywhere and weapons - mainly AK-47 - lie on the beds and under the pillows. Walls are not well painted and the floors not too clean. It resembles a long-term jail but without the family pictures, drawings, books or posters, nothing which helps to understand the identity of the people living there. Everything looks impersonal, only imperfections personalise the place: an open packet of cigarettes on the bed, a sun cream tube on a pillow, a movie ticket on the floor, an ashtray full of cigarettes’ butt on the end of a rifle. The whole atmosphere is the one of a place where nobody wants to be, but it is forced to. The commander sits in the operational room, his fatigue is open and worn in a casual way, it is slightly bigger than his size. He does not speak a single word of English, only German which he learned when training in Koln. A young Peshmerga soldier approaches the window, he speaks French and is willing to help. “I studied French at the university of Mosul before Daesh came,” he says. The university has now been shut down, he decided to voluntarily join the Peshmerga army after he was forced to flee Mosul with his family. “Why are you going there?”, asks the commander swatting a fly in a swift motion. “We want to visit the hospital close to the frontline and understand how things are going there.” The atmosphere is calm, almost dozy due to the noon heat. The commander looks at us with the expression of a man who found on his way an annoying event which he would have preferably avoided, but now is forced to manage. Several phone calls later the hospital manager agreed to pick us up and take us to Doctor Saman, who prefers not to disclose his surname. “Fighting is going on in many areas between Mahkmour and Mosul and everyday we have to heal firearms injuries and send the patients to the bigger hospital in Erbil”. The hospital is clean, but small, too small for the number of injured who could arrive once the official operations to liberate Mosul starts. “I think the doctors are not enough for this situation of war. I think the equipment here is not enough. I think that even the medication we have in order to stabilise a patient, especially in case of emergency, from the frontline is not enough. I am asking the Kurdistan Regional Government to provide us with further medication, further staff,” says doctor Saman. “How many doctors you have here?” “We do not have resident doctors. We have rotating doctors coming for a six-day-a-month shift from the capital city (Erbil) and two medical assistants.” The situation in Mahkmour’s medical facility does not differ from the several others in the area. These structures were mostly built for small towns, and meant to be primary media points with the function of stabilising a patient and send him or her to larger, better-equipped hospitals. The city lies close to what will most likely be the battle of Mosul’s southern frontline. It won’t be easy to manage the impact of the major ground operation in Iraq, that has been constantly battered since the last four years. Every time a patient with bullet injuries arrives, doctors have to inform the national security agency, the Asayish which comes in to assess if the patient is a possible Islamic State terrorist. “As a doctor there is not even a need to ask this question. My job is to save everyone so even if I have to heal a Daesh terrorist I do it, then the security will do the rest.” A car with three members of the Asayish reaches us in the hospital parking and does not abandon us from that moment onwards, primarily to control our movements. This is something else which happens in war torn areas: limitations. There are places where you can’t go, things you can’t do, words you can’t say, streets you can’t walk. This is what war does beside claiming lives: it is pervasive, it pauses normality. Whatever the topic, war and its consequences will sooner or later appear. Speaking with a barber while shaving you discover he fled Mosul, the fruit seller at the corner lost his brother in Sinjial against Daesh one year ago, the neighbour’s son left his studies to join the army and fight. Casual interlocutors over a tea or a cigarette have always a war story to tell. It invades minds and movements and becomes a constant, unwanted guest in the majority of conversations and considerations. (WION)

Life in Mosul: Iraq's medical facilities fear humanitarian disaster as another battle approaches

A new World Bank study suggests that Islamic State recruits are better educated than their average countryman.&nbsp;The revelation challenges the popular notion that the Syria- and Iraq-based extremist group attracts the poor and the marginalised.

In its recently released study, &quot;Economic and Social Inclusion to Prevent Violent Extremism,&quot; the World Bank attempts to provide a socio-economic explanation for Islamic State&#39;s global support base.&nbsp;

The study reveals that almost all the fighters joining Iraq and Syria-based forces of the IS were significantly better educated than the average citizen in their home countries, whether&nbsp;in Africa, Europe, &nbsp;or the Middle East.

And that those signing up to become suicide bombers belonged to an even more educated class. The report says the data clearly indicates&nbsp;&quot;poverty is not a driver of radicalisation into violent extremism.&quot;&nbsp;

The World Bank study was based on a leaked Islamic State database of 331 recruits.&nbsp;Of them,&nbsp;only 17 per cent had not finished high school. The education of the recruits&nbsp;coming from eastern European was marginally below average. But &quot;foreign recruits from the Middle East, North Africa and South and East Asia are significantly more educated than what is typical in their region,&quot; says the bank report.

Almost 25 per cent of them had had a&nbsp;university-level education.&nbsp;

Furthermore, those volunteering to become suicide bombers -- one in nine -- were almost as educated as those seeking administerial roles. The report says, &quot;The proportions of administrators but also of suicide fighters increase with education.&quot;

Approximately 30 per cent of the recruits indicated their preference for positions they wanted in Islamic State. Most of the recruits reportedly held jobs before joining the IS. However, many of those opting to become suicide bombers indicated that they were either unemployed or served the military in their home countries. &nbsp;

Observing the recruiting trends of the extremist group, also known as Daesh, the report says, &quot;We find that Daesh did not recruit its foreign workforce among the poor and less educated, but rather the opposite. Instead, the lack of economic inclusion seems to explain the extent of radicalisation into violent extremism.&quot; &nbsp;The study says, &quot;An important finding is that these individuals are far from being uneducated or illiterate. Most claim to have attended secondary school and a large fraction have gone on to study at university.&quot;

(WION)

Those volunteering to become suicide bombers -- one in nine -- were almost as educated as those seeking administerial roles

A new World Bank study suggests that Islamic State recruits are better educated than their average countryman. The revelation challenges the popular notion that the Syria- and Iraq-based extremist group attracts the poor and the marginalised. In its recently released study, "Economic and Social Inclusion to Prevent Violent Extremism," the World Bank attempts to provide a socio-economic explanation for Islamic State's global support base. The study reveals that almost all the fighters joining Iraq and Syria-based forces of the IS were significantly better educated than the average citizen in their home countries, whether in Africa, Europe, or the Middle East. And that those signing up to become suicide bombers belonged to an even more educated class. The report says the data clearly indicates "poverty is not a driver of radicalisation into violent extremism." The World Bank study was based on a leaked Islamic State database of 331 recruits. Of them, only 17 per cent had not finished high school. The education of the recruits coming from eastern European was marginally below average. But "foreign recruits from the Middle East, North Africa and South and East Asia are significantly more educated than what is typical in their region," says the bank report. Almost 25 per cent of them had had a university-level education. Furthermore, those volunteering to become suicide bombers -- one in nine -- were almost as educated as those seeking administerial roles. The report says, "The proportions of administrators but also of suicide fighters increase with education." Approximately 30 per cent of the recruits indicated their preference for positions they wanted in Islamic State. Most of the recruits reportedly held jobs before joining the IS. However, many of those opting to become suicide bombers indicated that they were either unemployed or served the military in their home countries. Observing the recruiting trends of the extremist group, also known as Daesh, the report says, "We find that Daesh did not recruit its foreign workforce among the poor and less educated, but rather the opposite. Instead, the lack of economic inclusion seems to explain the extent of radicalisation into violent extremism." The study says, "An important finding is that these individuals are far from being uneducated or illiterate. Most claim to have attended secondary school and a large fraction have gone on to study at university." (WION)

Islamic State recruits more educated than average: World Bank study

The Maldives National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) held talks aimed at&nbsp;stopping the financing&nbsp;of terrorism.

The discussion was held at the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and was headed by the Minister of Defence, &nbsp;Adam Shareef Umar, and the Governor of MMA, Dr&nbsp;Azeema Adam.

The discussion was centered on possible collaborative measures that could be taken against financing&nbsp;terrorism, as well as money laundering.

The Maldives established the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in order to combat the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism in the country.

Citing the&nbsp;Indian Intelligence Bureau, Media Report says that&nbsp;the future threat of Islamic State (IS)&nbsp;in&nbsp;South Asia&nbsp;could be from the Maldives, rather than from Bangladesh.

This intelligence report said, in addition to the people who have already joined to the terrorist group, IS&nbsp;may have as many as 500 sympathisers in the Maldives.

There are conflicting accounts of the IS presence in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has denied that IS has any presence in the country at all, and attributed the rash of high-profile killings that plagued the country this summer to a local&nbsp;offshoot&nbsp;of&nbsp;al-Qaeda.

But groups like Stratfor, a global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas, have issued reports stating&nbsp;that IS is focusing on expanding in Bangladesh.

(WION)

The discussions aimed at uprooting terrorism come as reports indicate that Islamic State may be expanding in the Maldives

The Maldives National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) held talks aimed at stopping the financing of terrorism. The discussion was held at the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and was headed by the Minister of Defence, Adam Shareef Umar, and the Governor of MMA, Dr Azeema Adam. The discussion was centered on possible collaborative measures that could be taken against financing terrorism, as well as money laundering. The Maldives established the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in order to combat the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism in the country. Citing the Indian Intelligence Bureau, Media Report says that the future threat of Islamic State (IS) in South Asia could be from the Maldives, rather than from Bangladesh. This intelligence report said, in addition to the people who have already joined to the terrorist group, IS may have as many as 500 sympathisers in the Maldives. There are conflicting accounts of the IS presence in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has denied that IS has any presence in the country at all, and attributed the rash of high-profile killings that plagued the country this summer to a local offshoot of al-Qaeda. But groups like Stratfor, a global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas, have issued reports stating that IS is focusing on expanding in Bangladesh. (WION)

Maldives officials hold talks to stop terrorism funding

At least 10 people were killed today and about 30 were wounded in Iraqi capital in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State &nbsp;(IS) on two Shi&#39;ite majority areas, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Reuters, however, put the death toll at 11.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While one of the attacks was reported in &nbsp;the Amil neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, where at least six people were killed, &nbsp;the other attack was reported in the eastern Mashtal district, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the second attack, the &nbsp;bomber detonated explosives near a garage for taxis and buses and a tent providing refreshments to passersby as part of a Shiite religious ritual, reported AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

IS later claimed the attack in a statement, saying it targetted the Shi&#39;ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad&#39;s grandson Hussein, according to Reuters.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Shi'ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein were targetted in the suicide attacks, IS said

At least 10 people were killed today and about 30 were wounded in Iraqi capital in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) on two Shi'ite majority areas, international news agency AFP reported. Reuters, however, put the death toll at 11. While one of the attacks was reported in the Amil neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, where at least six people were killed, the other attack was reported in the eastern Mashtal district, according to Reuters. In the second attack, the bomber detonated explosives near a garage for taxis and buses and a tent providing refreshments to passersby as part of a Shiite religious ritual, reported AFP. IS later claimed the attack in a statement, saying it targetted the Shi'ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein, according to Reuters. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamic State suicide bombers target Shia processions in Baghdad, at least 10 killed

India&#39;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with teams of police officials from the southern states of Kerala, Delhi and Telangana arrested six youth on charges of plotting terror attacks. The agency officials said that the youth, who belonged to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, entered into criminal conspiracy and allegedly formed a terror module after being inspired by the dreaded Islamic State (IS) outfit. All the accused are to be produced in a special NIA court in Kerala&rsquo;s Ernakulam where the probe agency will be seeking their police custody.

The accused have been identified as Manseed (30), Abu Basheer (29), Swalih Mohamad (26), Safwan (30), Jasim(25) and Ramshad Nageelan Kandiyil (24).While Abu Basheer hails from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, the rest of the youth belong to Kozhikode, Kannur, Mallapuram and Thrissur in Kerala. According to the NIA, the accused were allegedly collecting explosives to target important persons and places of public importance.

&ldquo;Credible information was received that some youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu along with their accomplices have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts by collecting explosives and other offensive material for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of south lndia,&rdquo; said NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal. NIA on Sunday said that the information was passed on to the Central government which directed the agency to investigate the case.

&ldquo;Acting on the information, the NIA teams along with Kerala Police, Delhi police and Telangana police, launched surveillance on the movements of the accused involved in the conspiracy. During searches conducted today in the districts of Kozikhode and Kannur in Kerala, 6 persons, have been arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy. Five of them were arrested while they were conducting a meeting at Kanakamala hilltop, Kannur district, Kerala. During subsequent searches, another person was detained from Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode district and arrested later on,&rdquo; said NIA officials.

The agency registered a case at its Kochi branch and booked the accused under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) 121 )Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section )and 122 (collecting arms) of the Indian Penal code and other sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency also said that during the searches, incriminating material including electronic devices have been seized from their possession and search of their premises. Follow-up searches are being conducted by NIA in Chennai, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Kannur, Kozikhode and Mallapuram in Kerala with support of Tamil Nadu and Kerala police.

(This piece first appeared in DNA)

The youth allegedly entered into criminal conspiracy and formed a terror module after being inspired by the Islamic State, police said

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with teams of police officials from the southern states of Kerala, Delhi and Telangana arrested six youth on charges of plotting terror attacks. The agency officials said that the youth, who belonged to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, entered into criminal conspiracy and allegedly formed a terror module after being inspired by the dreaded Islamic State (IS) outfit. All the accused are to be produced in a special NIA court in Kerala’s Ernakulam where the probe agency will be seeking their police custody. The accused have been identified as Manseed (30), Abu Basheer (29), Swalih Mohamad (26), Safwan (30), Jasim(25) and Ramshad Nageelan Kandiyil (24).While Abu Basheer hails from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, the rest of the youth belong to Kozhikode, Kannur, Mallapuram and Thrissur in Kerala. According to the NIA, the accused were allegedly collecting explosives to target important persons and places of public importance. “Credible information was received that some youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu along with their accomplices have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts by collecting explosives and other offensive material for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of south lndia,” said NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal. NIA on Sunday said that the information was passed on to the Central government which directed the agency to investigate the case. “Acting on the information, the NIA teams along with Kerala Police, Delhi police and Telangana police, launched surveillance on the movements of the accused involved in the conspiracy. During searches conducted today in the districts of Kozikhode and Kannur in Kerala, 6 persons, have been arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy. Five of them were arrested while they were conducting a meeting at Kanakamala hilltop, Kannur district, Kerala. During subsequent searches, another person was detained from Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode district and arrested later on,” said NIA officials. The agency registered a case at its Kochi branch and booked the accused under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) 121 )Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section )and 122 (collecting arms) of the Indian Penal code and other sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency also said that during the searches, incriminating material including electronic devices have been seized from their possession and search of their premises. Follow-up searches are being conducted by NIA in Chennai, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Kannur, Kozikhode and Mallapuram in Kerala with support of Tamil Nadu and Kerala police. (This piece first appeared in DNA)

India's investigation agency arrests six 'IS-inspired' youth

Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the two major cities controlled by the Islamic State, will be the twin epicentres of the most crucial battle&nbsp;against the terrorist organisation&#39;s hold in West Asia. While the attack against Raqqa is hostage to political games between Turkey and the United States (US), everything suggests that the attack against IS (Islamic State) in Mosul will happen before 2016-end. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
US secretary of defence Ashton Carter recently agreed to send another 600 special forces for training the Iraqi army before the attack on Mosul. The contingent will add to the 4,400 US troops already on Iraqi soil. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Last week&rsquo;s military operations near Mosul succeeded in depriving the IS&nbsp;of its last oil wells. Iraqi oil minister Jabbar-al-Luaibi declared on Wednesday that the terrorist organisation no longer controlled any oil well in the country.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This is just the latest blow against the IS in Northern Iraq. A month ago IS lost the Qayyara oilfield to the Iraqi forces who are since then preparing to march northward. This is apart from the several villages that were liberated. In December 2015, IS lost the city of Sinjar to the Kurdish Peshmerga army and Yazidi fighters.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
What Mosul&#39;s capture meant&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Mosul fell to IS in 2014 and represented a crucial victory. It is the largest city under the control of IS, as well as the second largest Iraqi city.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Conquering a city means taking full possession of all its resources and Mosul was a &ldquo;goldmine&rdquo; both from a military as well as economic perspective &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
IS seized all weapon and ammunition left behind by the regular forces during their retreat, a precious arsenal that guaranteed control over Mosul and made further military operations in the vicinity possible. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<div class="media-description">
Not losing Mosul is now as important to IS as it was once to conquer it. (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Mosul had long been an operational base for the US forces and the weapons and vehicles left behind were relatively new and up-to-date. To add to this, a good number of arms and ammunitions could also be sourced from the city&#39;s many police stations that lay abandoned. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Immediate financial liquidity is also one of the fallouts of taking over a city. All the cash available in banks, post offices, government offices, hospitals and many other institutions contributed to the IS fund for paying soldiers and also compensated for losses incurred in war. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Oil, however, was the real booty to be won in Mosul. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Ammunition eventually runs out, as does cash. Oil does not. It is the most enduring economic resource of the whole region and every country in the world wants to buy it at half price &ndash; nevermind the seller. And IS capitalised on this.

&#39;Iraqi HQ&#39; key to IS hold over West Asia&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
IS does not control oil wells any more. This means it has to rely on other resources for sustaining an attack. The terror organisation is probably not running out of cash immediately, but in the long run they will be forced to increase taxation to sustain their expenses, which will likely undermine their relationship with the local population.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
And more isolated a city gets, the more every sort of resource becomes expensive. If the main external supplies are then cut, cash becomes useless. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Not losing Mosul is now as important to IS as it was once to conquer it. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
An IS defeat here will deprive them of what they call their &quot;Iraqi headquarter&quot;. A loss which will deliver a huge psychological blow on IS affiliates and on the ambition of being a State. How can a State which claims to be willing to rule West Asia not have a &ldquo;capital city&rdquo; in Iraq? How can a State transmit an image of power and the capability to govern if it is not able to defend its major cities? And, without such major centres and their resources, how will this State economically survive and pay its soldiers and employees? &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Many IS terrorists are believed to be fighting only for the pay rather than for a cause and economic difficulties are not likely to make brave warriors of them.

The combatants up for the final fight

The final fight for Mosul won&rsquo;t be easy. All sides will fight till the very end. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
US President Barack Obama would obviously like to close his second term with a big win against IS terrorists. A US victory could also improve the shaky chances of Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton finally making it to the White House after the elections in November. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Iraqi regular army and the government want to regain a crucial portion of its territory to restore their legitimacy, access to oil extraction, and the reputation of its forces that have often been perceived as victims of internal conflict and polarisation -- something that led to losses, not the least that of Mosul.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Kurdish Peshmergas are willing to secure their regional borders and get Iraqi Kurdistan back to the pre-IS economic boom phase, a time when the local media described its capital city, Erbil, as &ldquo;the new Dubai&rdquo;. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It is, however, not the only aim of the Kurdish Peshmergas, and talks between their President, Masoud Barzani, and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi are to happen soon in Baghdad. The meeting is expected to decide the future of the Kirkuk oil plants that have been under Peshmerga control since they pushed the IS out. The oil plants were previously administrated by the central government of Iraq. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The IS, on the other hand, has a lot to lose and is definitely alert about an upcoming offensive. It has been preparing and this suggests the battle will be bloody and long, most probably involving a lot of house-to-house operations. The only advantage of the current situation is that the preparation for the defence of Mosul has slowed the IS&#39;s political proselytism. &nbsp; 
Organisations under attack are often forced to redirect their resources and energies in preparing the defence phase and this leaves less time for consensus building, the very pillar of every organisation and of every resistance against a siege.

From strategy to ethnicity: Challenges in the aftermath&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
If the US air force, the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga storm Mosul together from any direction, an Islamic State&rsquo;s victory is very unlikely. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Open battle is not the strategy IS prefers most. There is a concrete risk that cells active all over the world will be ordered, or will independently decide, to carry out as many attacks as possible against civilians. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This will internationalise the conflict and open several fronts in the mainlands of all the countries taking part in a possible attack against Mosul.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
However, military challenges are not the only expected outcomes of this offensive. A &nbsp;massive surge of civilians is expected to reach Iraq and Kurdistan and the many non-governmental organisations on the ground are already at work to set up emergency camps.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The complex social fabric of Iraq poses several challenges for a Mosul aftermath even before the battle has begun. Who will eventually rule the city and how is a crucial decision. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Mosul&rsquo;s residents are predominantly Sunni as it is located in western Iraq, but the country&rsquo;s army has relied heavily on Shiite militias to win their battles against IS in the area. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
If these militias play a crucial role in the battle of Mosul, residents of the cities will probably not show their solidarity, and in an urban battle the support of the local population counts more than anything else. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It could be that Sunni inhabitants of Mosul decide to shelter and help IS terrorists - who are also Sunni - in order to avoid a Shiite supremacy in the city government. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
There are several other unofficial armed groups willing to take part in Mosul&rsquo;s battle, with or without official invitation. These include Sunni local tribes, Assyrian Christian groups and Iran-backed Shia groups who will not hesitate to open minor fronts within the battle to avoid rival control of neighbourhoods. A war-within-the-war scenario similar to what has been going on in Syria&rsquo;s Aleppo. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The mix of participants, all eager to claim their part in the liberation of Mosul, poses a major threat for the future stability of the city if a shellproof and binding political agreement is not secured before the attack.

(Edited by Anuradha Mukherjee, WION)

IS has lost control over oil wells and now the battle to liberate the largest Iraqi city under terrorist control will begin before year end

Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the two major cities controlled by the Islamic State, will be the twin epicentres of the most crucial battle against the terrorist organisation's hold in West Asia. While the attack against Raqqa is hostage to political games between Turkey and the United States (US), everything suggests that the attack against IS (Islamic State) in Mosul will happen before 2016-end. US secretary of defence Ashton Carter recently agreed to send another 600 special forces for training the Iraqi army before the attack on Mosul. The contingent will add to the 4,400 US troops already on Iraqi soil. Last week’s military operations near Mosul succeeded in depriving the IS of its last oil wells. Iraqi oil minister Jabbar-al-Luaibi declared on Wednesday that the terrorist organisation no longer controlled any oil well in the country. This is just the latest blow against the IS in Northern Iraq. A month ago IS lost the Qayyara oilfield to the Iraqi forces who are since then preparing to march northward. This is apart from the several villages that were liberated. In December 2015, IS lost the city of Sinjar to the Kurdish Peshmerga army and Yazidi fighters. What Mosul's capture meant Mosul fell to IS in 2014 and represented a crucial victory. It is the largest city under the control of IS, as well as the second largest Iraqi city. Conquering a city means taking full possession of all its resources and Mosul was a “goldmine” both from a military as well as economic perspective IS seized all weapon and ammunition left behind by the regular forces during their retreat, a precious arsenal that guaranteed control over Mosul and made further military operations in the vicinity possible. Not losing Mosul is now as important to IS as it was once to conquer it. (WION) × Mosul had long been an operational base for the US forces and the weapons and vehicles left behind were relatively new and up-to-date. To add to this, a good number of arms and ammunitions could also be sourced from the city's many police stations that lay abandoned. Immediate financial liquidity is also one of the fallouts of taking over a city. All the cash available in banks, post offices, government offices, hospitals and many other institutions contributed to the IS fund for paying soldiers and also compensated for losses incurred in war. Oil, however, was the real booty to be won in Mosul. Ammunition eventually runs out, as does cash. Oil does not. It is the most enduring economic resource of the whole region and every country in the world wants to buy it at half price – nevermind the seller. And IS capitalised on this. 'Iraqi HQ' key to IS hold over West Asia IS does not control oil wells any more. This means it has to rely on other resources for sustaining an attack. The terror organisation is probably not running out of cash immediately, but in the long run they will be forced to increase taxation to sustain their expenses, which will likely undermine their relationship with the local population. And more isolated a city gets, the more every sort of resource becomes expensive. If the main external supplies are then cut, cash becomes useless. Not losing Mosul is now as important to IS as it was once to conquer it. An IS defeat here will deprive them of what they call their "Iraqi headquarter". A loss which will deliver a huge psychological blow on IS affiliates and on the ambition of being a State. How can a State which claims to be willing to rule West Asia not have a “capital city” in Iraq? How can a State transmit an image of power and the capability to govern if it is not able to defend its major cities? And, without such major centres and their resources, how will this State economically survive and pay its soldiers and employees? Many IS terrorists are believed to be fighting only for the pay rather than for a cause and economic difficulties are not likely to make brave warriors of them. The combatants up for the final fight The final fight for Mosul won’t be easy. All sides will fight till the very end. US President Barack Obama would obviously like to close his second term with a big win against IS terrorists. A US victory could also improve the shaky chances of Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton finally making it to the White House after the elections in November. Iraqi regular army and the government want to regain a crucial portion of its territory to restore their legitimacy, access to oil extraction, and the reputation of its forces that have often been perceived as victims of internal conflict and polarisation -- something that led to losses, not the least that of Mosul. Kurdish Peshmergas are willing to secure their regional borders and get Iraqi Kurdistan back to the pre-IS economic boom phase, a time when the local media described its capital city, Erbil, as “the new Dubai”. It is, however, not the only aim of the Kurdish Peshmergas, and talks between their President, Masoud Barzani, and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi are to happen soon in Baghdad. The meeting is expected to decide the future of the Kirkuk oil plants that have been under Peshmerga control since they pushed the IS out. The oil plants were previously administrated by the central government of Iraq. The IS, on the other hand, has a lot to lose and is definitely alert about an upcoming offensive. It has been preparing and this suggests the battle will be bloody and long, most probably involving a lot of house-to-house operations. The only advantage of the current situation is that the preparation for the defence of Mosul has slowed the IS's political proselytism. Organisations under attack are often forced to redirect their resources and energies in preparing the defence phase and this leaves less time for consensus building, the very pillar of every organisation and of every resistance against a siege. From strategy to ethnicity: Challenges in the aftermath If the US air force, the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga storm Mosul together from any direction, an Islamic State’s victory is very unlikely. Open battle is not the strategy IS prefers most. There is a concrete risk that cells active all over the world will be ordered, or will independently decide, to carry out as many attacks as possible against civilians. This will internationalise the conflict and open several fronts in the mainlands of all the countries taking part in a possible attack against Mosul. However, military challenges are not the only expected outcomes of this offensive. A massive surge of civilians is expected to reach Iraq and Kurdistan and the many non-governmental organisations on the ground are already at work to set up emergency camps. The complex social fabric of Iraq poses several challenges for a Mosul aftermath even before the battle has begun. Who will eventually rule the city and how is a crucial decision. Mosul’s residents are predominantly Sunni as it is located in western Iraq, but the country’s army has relied heavily on Shiite militias to win their battles against IS in the area. If these militias play a crucial role in the battle of Mosul, residents of the cities will probably not show their solidarity, and in an urban battle the support of the local population counts more than anything else. It could be that Sunni inhabitants of Mosul decide to shelter and help IS terrorists - who are also Sunni - in order to avoid a Shiite supremacy in the city government. There are several other unofficial armed groups willing to take part in Mosul’s battle, with or without official invitation. These include Sunni local tribes, Assyrian Christian groups and Iran-backed Shia groups who will not hesitate to open minor fronts within the battle to avoid rival control of neighbourhoods. A war-within-the-war scenario similar to what has been going on in Syria’s Aleppo. The mix of participants, all eager to claim their part in the liberation of Mosul, poses a major threat for the future stability of the city if a shellproof and binding political agreement is not secured before the attack. (Edited by Anuradha Mukherjee, WION)

West Asia's fate lies in balance over Mosul's liberation from IS

Egypt&#39;s top assisstant prosecutor general survived the car bomb explosion in the eastern suburb of Cairo on Thursday evening.&nbsp;

According to the interior ministry, Abdel Aziz was on his way home in Cairo when a car parked beside his motorcade exploded.&nbsp;

&quot;A bomb in a car parked on the side of the road exploded after deputy prosecutor general Zakareya Abdel Aziz drove past&quot; in an upmarket district of eastern Cairo, the ministry said in a statement.

A civilian was wounded but the Aziz and his bodyguards escaped unscathed.&nbsp;

Twenty kg worth of TNT-- explosive Trinitrotoluene-- was packed and detonated inside a car using a mobile phone, a state news agency quoted a security source as saying.&nbsp;

Hundreds of senior officials, soldiers and police have been killed in the Islamist insurgency led by the terror group Islamic State and the Muslim Brotherhood.&nbsp;

Just last month, Egypt&#39;s former Grand and&nbsp;an Islamist groups critic&nbsp;Mufti Ali Gomaa was targeted by two men on motorcycle who fired on him as he entered the mosque.&nbsp;

Last year, the country&#39;s prosecutor general Hisham Barakat was assassinated by a car bomb in June.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Abdel Aziz was on his way home in Cairo when the car beside his motorcade exploded, the interior ministry said

Egypt's top assisstant prosecutor general survived the car bomb explosion in the eastern suburb of Cairo on Thursday evening. According to the interior ministry, Abdel Aziz was on his way home in Cairo when a car parked beside his motorcade exploded. "A bomb in a car parked on the side of the road exploded after deputy prosecutor general Zakareya Abdel Aziz drove past" in an upmarket district of eastern Cairo, the ministry said in a statement. A civilian was wounded but the Aziz and his bodyguards escaped unscathed. Twenty kg worth of TNT-- explosive Trinitrotoluene-- was packed and detonated inside a car using a mobile phone, a state news agency quoted a security source as saying. Hundreds of senior officials, soldiers and police have been killed in the Islamist insurgency led by the terror group Islamic State and the Muslim Brotherhood. Just last month, Egypt's former Grand and an Islamist groups critic Mufti Ali Gomaa was targeted by two men on motorcycle who fired on him as he entered the mosque. Last year, the country's prosecutor general Hisham Barakat was assassinated by a car bomb in June. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Egypt assistant prosecutor general survives assassination attempt

The Islamic State is likely to mustard gas as the Iraqi forces advance to re-take Mosul, IS group&#39;s last main stronghold in Iraq, a Pentagon spokeman said on Monday. 
 
&quot;We can fully expect that as this road towards Mosul progresses, ISIL is likely to try to use it again,&quot; Jeff Davis was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Davis said that IS&#39;s ability to weaponise mustard agent has been rudimentary. Their mustard gas is typically a powder bound together with tar. The gas is more of an irritant than lethal, Davis said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not generally in a lethal concentration. It&#39;s more of an irritant than anything else, but again, not something we view as militarily significant,&quot; he said, noting that the gas form of mustard agent used in the First World War was far more lethal, Reuters reported. 
 
&quot;We recognise this is real. They&#39;re dead set on it. They would love to be able to use chemical weapons against us, against the Iraqis as they move forward. We are making every effort to make sure that we&#39;re ready for it.&quot; 
 
Davis added that Iraqi soldiers have been given training and have practiced to be in a situation of exposure to the IS chemical weapon. The United states has provided more than 50,000 gas masks to the Iraqi forces, he said. 
 
&quot;We want to make sure that the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters) have the ability to detect this and to defend against it,&quot; Davis said. 
 
A rocket was launched, with a possible chemical agent, against US soldiers at a base near Qayyarah, a northern town in Iraq. The Pentagon suspects that the IS group used mustard gas in the attack last week. 
 
Hundreds of US troops are working to prepare an airfield for an Iraqi offensive to recapture the city of Mosul neat the base, Reuters reported. 
 
Iraqi security forces, backed by US-led coalition air power, are in the final weeks of preparing operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, according to AFP.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

According to the spokesman, the IS group's mustard gas is 'not generally in a lethal concentration' but more of an irritant

The Islamic State is likely to mustard gas as the Iraqi forces advance to re-take Mosul, IS group's last main stronghold in Iraq, a Pentagon spokeman said on Monday. "We can fully expect that as this road towards Mosul progresses, ISIL is likely to try to use it again," Jeff Davis was quoted as saying by AFP. Davis said that IS's ability to weaponise mustard agent has been rudimentary. Their mustard gas is typically a powder bound together with tar. The gas is more of an irritant than lethal, Davis said. "It's not generally in a lethal concentration. It's more of an irritant than anything else, but again, not something we view as militarily significant," he said, noting that the gas form of mustard agent used in the First World War was far more lethal, Reuters reported. "We recognise this is real. They're dead set on it. They would love to be able to use chemical weapons against us, against the Iraqis as they move forward. We are making every effort to make sure that we're ready for it." Davis added that Iraqi soldiers have been given training and have practiced to be in a situation of exposure to the IS chemical weapon. The United states has provided more than 50,000 gas masks to the Iraqi forces, he said. "We want to make sure that the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters) have the ability to detect this and to defend against it," Davis said. A rocket was launched, with a possible chemical agent, against US soldiers at a base near Qayyarah, a northern town in Iraq. The Pentagon suspects that the IS group used mustard gas in the attack last week. Hundreds of US troops are working to prepare an airfield for an Iraqi offensive to recapture the city of Mosul neat the base, Reuters reported. Iraqi security forces, backed by US-led coalition air power, are in the final weeks of preparing operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, according to AFP. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pentagon: Islamic State could use mustard gas to defend Mosul

Bombings targeting shopping areas in Shiite districts of the Iraqi capital today killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said.

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed an attack in the Baghdad Jadida neighbourhood in the east of the city, saying it was carried out by a man wearing an explosive vest.

Officials said at least eight people were killed and at least 29 wounded in Baghdad Jadida, although some said the area was hit by a roadside bomb as well as a suicide bomber.

Conflicting accounts are common in the confused aftermath of attacks in Iraq: police at the scene said it was hit by a roadside bomb that wounded six people but left no fatalities.

Another suicide bomber targeted the Bayaa area in south Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding at least 26, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack, but IS frequently carries out suicide bombers targeting Iraqi Shiite Muslims, whom it considers to be heretics.

Today&#39;s violence came two days after another suicide bombing claimed by IS killed six people in western Baghdad.

A day before that, bomb and gun attacks claimed by the jihadist group killed 12 people in the area of Tikrit, a city north of the capital. 
Iraqi forces are preparing for a push on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the Iraqi territory the jihadists seized in June 2014.

But IS has maintained the ability to carry out attacks in government-controlled areas even as the jihadist group lost ground, and it is likely to increasingly turn to such insurgent tactics if it loses Mosul.

(AFP)

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed the attack in the Baghdad Jadida neighbourhood in the east of the city

Bombings targeting shopping areas in Shiite districts of the Iraqi capital today killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said. The Islamic State jihadist group claimed an attack in the Baghdad Jadida neighbourhood in the east of the city, saying it was carried out by a man wearing an explosive vest. Officials said at least eight people were killed and at least 29 wounded in Baghdad Jadida, although some said the area was hit by a roadside bomb as well as a suicide bomber. Conflicting accounts are common in the confused aftermath of attacks in Iraq: police at the scene said it was hit by a roadside bomb that wounded six people but left no fatalities. Another suicide bomber targeted the Bayaa area in south Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding at least 26, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack, but IS frequently carries out suicide bombers targeting Iraqi Shiite Muslims, whom it considers to be heretics. Today's violence came two days after another suicide bombing claimed by IS killed six people in western Baghdad. A day before that, bomb and gun attacks claimed by the jihadist group killed 12 people in the area of Tikrit, a city north of the capital. Iraqi forces are preparing for a push on Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the Iraqi territory the jihadists seized in June 2014. But IS has maintained the ability to carry out attacks in government-controlled areas even as the jihadist group lost ground, and it is likely to increasingly turn to such insurgent tactics if it loses Mosul. (AFP)

Bombings kill at least 17 in Baghdad: Officials

More than 1,000 Islamic State (IS) boats have been sunk by the US-led coalition&rsquo;s warplanes, with 65 of them destroyed this month, PTI reported. 
 
The IS has been using watercraft to transport fighters and execute attacks through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq. 
 
The coalition had also provided CNN with a video of a September 10 airstrike against an IS unit aboard a boat near Bayji, Iraq. 
 
Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Colonel Joseph Scrocca informed that barges, skiffs and motorised watercraft have been observed operating along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 
 
The coalition bombs have also targeted bridges used by the IS. 
 
The coalition strikes took place near Qayyara and Sultan Abdallah towns, along the Tigris river south of the IS-held city of Mosul. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

The IS has been using watercraft to transport fighters and execute attacks through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq

More than 1,000 Islamic State (IS) boats have been sunk by the US-led coalition’s warplanes, with 65 of them destroyed this month, PTI reported. The IS has been using watercraft to transport fighters and execute attacks through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq. The coalition had also provided CNN with a video of a September 10 airstrike against an IS unit aboard a boat near Bayji, Iraq. Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Colonel Joseph Scrocca informed that barges, skiffs and motorised watercraft have been observed operating along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The coalition bombs have also targeted bridges used by the IS. The coalition strikes took place near Qayyara and Sultan Abdallah towns, along the Tigris river south of the IS-held city of Mosul. (WION with inputs from PTI)

'US has sunk 100 Islamic State boats to stop watercraft moves'

By Pooja Mehta 
 
Islamic State recently released a 15-minute video in Bangla language glorifying the five Dhaka attackers and urging the youth of Bangladesh to join them. 
 
The video was released by At-Tamkin, the official media channel of Bangla IS. 
 
It initially exhorts the Bangladesh youth to spread Islam through &lsquo;jihad&rsquo; across the world. 
 
The second half of the video blames Islamic scholars for preventing the youth from joining the banned terror outfit. 
 
The final segment of the clip shows how IS jihadists are being targeted in Iraq. It then instigates its viewers to pick up arms and wage a war against the people responsible for such crackdowns. 
 
It also glorifies the five men responsible for the Gulshan attack. The five attackers &mdash;&nbsp;Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Khairul Islam Payel, Shafiqul Islam Uzzal and Meer Saameh Mubasser &mdash;&nbsp;launch a blistering attack on the Bangladesh government, seemingly recorded ahead of the Gulshan attack. 
 
&ldquo;No matter how advanced you are in the field of technology or the kind of arms you have, no one will be able to save you from us. I urge all the youth of Bangladesh to pick up arms and wage a war against the kaafir, they do not deserve to live,&rdquo; Meer Saameh Mubasser is seen saying in the video. 
 
On the night of July 1, 2016, over 20 people were killed after they were taken hostage by five Islamic State militants in the Dhaka&rsquo;s high-security zone of Gulshan. Among the killed were several foreign nationals, including one Indian national. 
 
It ends with a song in Bangla, &lsquo;eseche caliphate, jege otho mujaheed&rsquo;, meaning that the caliphate is here, the warrior must rise for the cause of jihad. 
 
This is the second such video released by the Islamic State&rsquo;s Bangladesh wing. 
 
(WION)

The video urges Bangladeshi youth to join the Islamic State and spread Islam through 'jihad'

By Pooja Mehta Islamic State recently released a 15-minute video in Bangla language glorifying the five Dhaka attackers and urging the youth of Bangladesh to join them. The video was released by At-Tamkin, the official media channel of Bangla IS. It initially exhorts the Bangladesh youth to spread Islam through ‘jihad’ across the world. The second half of the video blames Islamic scholars for preventing the youth from joining the banned terror outfit. The final segment of the clip shows how IS jihadists are being targeted in Iraq. It then instigates its viewers to pick up arms and wage a war against the people responsible for such crackdowns. It also glorifies the five men responsible for the Gulshan attack. The five attackers — Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Khairul Islam Payel, Shafiqul Islam Uzzal and Meer Saameh Mubasser — launch a blistering attack on the Bangladesh government, seemingly recorded ahead of the Gulshan attack. “No matter how advanced you are in the field of technology or the kind of arms you have, no one will be able to save you from us. I urge all the youth of Bangladesh to pick up arms and wage a war against the kaafir, they do not deserve to live,” Meer Saameh Mubasser is seen saying in the video. On the night of July 1, 2016, over 20 people were killed after they were taken hostage by five Islamic State militants in the Dhaka’s high-security zone of Gulshan. Among the killed were several foreign nationals, including one Indian national. It ends with a song in Bangla, ‘eseche caliphate, jege otho mujaheed’, meaning that the caliphate is here, the warrior must rise for the cause of jihad. This is the second such video released by the Islamic State’s Bangladesh wing. (WION)

Islamic State releases video glorifying Dhaka attackers

Syria&#39;s nearly week-old ceasefire was facing a crucial deadline on Monday as the Syrian army said the truce could expire later in the day after a particularly bloody weekend. 
 
The deal came into effect on the evening of September 12, backed by world powers hoping that it could bring an end to Syria&#39;s brutal five-year conflict. 
 
But after several days of relative calm, fighting escalated across major battlefronts, culminating in a deadly US-led air raid on a Syrian army position and fresh strikes on Aleppo. 
 
The strike on Syrian soldiers has strained relations between the deal&#39;s primary sponsors, Washington and Moscow, who had said they would increase cooperation against jihadist groups if the truce held for a week. 
 
A senior military source in Damascus told AFP that the truce would expire Monday at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) if no extension was announced. 
 
&quot;The current situation leaves much to be desired,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, blasting the US-led strike on Syria&#39;s army which he said &quot;is still the only party respecting the ceasefire&quot;. 
 
&quot;All of this puts the ceasefire in danger,&quot; he said, also without commenting on whether the truce would be extended.&nbsp; 
 
Since September 12, a total of 26 civilians, including eight children, have been killed in areas where the truce had been set to take hold, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
The bloodiest day for civilians was Sunday, when a barrel bomb attack killed 10 in a southern rebel-held town and one woman was killed in the first raids on Aleppo since the truce began. 
 
On Monday, fierce clashes were reported from all across Damascus as Syria&#39;s military launched &quot;a major military operation&quot; against rebels. 
 
&quot;The army blocked a huge attack by the Faylaq al-Sham group and is beginning a major military operation on the edges of the capital,&quot; a military source said. 
 
But forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were once again on the back foot near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where they have been battling Islamic State group jihadists since last year. 
 
The Observatory said IS militants seized Jabal Therdeh, a set of hills overlooking the Deir Ezzor airbase -- from Russia-backed Syrian soldiers on Sunday. 
 
A military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP on Monday the army had begun a new operation backed by Russian and Syrian warplanes to roll back IS&#39;s advance. 
 
&quot;The army has redeployed around Jabal Therdeh after a fierce attack by Daesh,&quot; he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. 
 
Syria&#39;s military accused the US-led air coalition of paving the way for IS, after a strike by coalition forces on Jabal Therdeh killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers on Saturday. 
 
Senior government adviser Buthaina Shaaban told AFP on Sunday Damascus believed the raid had been &quot;intentional&quot;. 
 
Russia called the strike a &quot;bad omen&quot; for its deal with the US to halt Syria&#39;s war, which has killed more than 300,000 people since it erupted in 2011. 
 
Under the agreement, fighting was to halt across Syria and humanitarian aid would reach civilians living in increasingly dire humanitarian conditions. 
 
On Monday, convoys of food and medical aid were en route to two hard-to-reach areas in Syria, said David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 
 
The first would reach the rebel-held town of Talbisseh, where at least two people were killed by shelling during the truce. 
 
Swanson said the aid would be enough for 84,000 people in the area. 
 
Another 78,000 people living in and around Greater Orum in the north of Aleppo province would also receive wheat flour and health supplies, Swanson told AFP. 
 
But aid convoys to the rebel-held districts of Aleppo city were still stuck on Syria&#39;s border with Turkey Monday, he said. 
 
UN humanitarian chief Stephen O&#39;Brien said he was &quot;pained&quot; that Aleppo&#39;s residents had still not received promised aid deliveries. 
 
&quot;I am pained and disappointed that a United Nations convoy has yet to cross into Syria from Turkey, and safely reach eastern Aleppo, where up to 275,000 people remain trapped without food, water, proper shelter or medical care,&quot; O&#39;Brien said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The US air raid that killed as many as 83 Syrian soldiers has strained relations between the ceasefire's primary sponsors -- the US & Russia

Syria's nearly week-old ceasefire was facing a crucial deadline on Monday as the Syrian army said the truce could expire later in the day after a particularly bloody weekend. The deal came into effect on the evening of September 12, backed by world powers hoping that it could bring an end to Syria's brutal five-year conflict. But after several days of relative calm, fighting escalated across major battlefronts, culminating in a deadly US-led air raid on a Syrian army position and fresh strikes on Aleppo. The strike on Syrian soldiers has strained relations between the deal's primary sponsors, Washington and Moscow, who had said they would increase cooperation against jihadist groups if the truce held for a week. A senior military source in Damascus told AFP that the truce would expire Monday at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) if no extension was announced. "The current situation leaves much to be desired," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, blasting the US-led strike on Syria's army which he said "is still the only party respecting the ceasefire". "All of this puts the ceasefire in danger," he said, also without commenting on whether the truce would be extended. Since September 12, a total of 26 civilians, including eight children, have been killed in areas where the truce had been set to take hold, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bloodiest day for civilians was Sunday, when a barrel bomb attack killed 10 in a southern rebel-held town and one woman was killed in the first raids on Aleppo since the truce began. On Monday, fierce clashes were reported from all across Damascus as Syria's military launched "a major military operation" against rebels. "The army blocked a huge attack by the Faylaq al-Sham group and is beginning a major military operation on the edges of the capital," a military source said. But forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were once again on the back foot near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where they have been battling Islamic State group jihadists since last year. The Observatory said IS militants seized Jabal Therdeh, a set of hills overlooking the Deir Ezzor airbase -- from Russia-backed Syrian soldiers on Sunday. A military source in Deir Ezzor told AFP on Monday the army had begun a new operation backed by Russian and Syrian warplanes to roll back IS's advance. "The army has redeployed around Jabal Therdeh after a fierce attack by Daesh," he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Syria's military accused the US-led air coalition of paving the way for IS, after a strike by coalition forces on Jabal Therdeh killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers on Saturday. Senior government adviser Buthaina Shaaban told AFP on Sunday Damascus believed the raid had been "intentional". Russia called the strike a "bad omen" for its deal with the US to halt Syria's war, which has killed more than 300,000 people since it erupted in 2011. Under the agreement, fighting was to halt across Syria and humanitarian aid would reach civilians living in increasingly dire humanitarian conditions. On Monday, convoys of food and medical aid were en route to two hard-to-reach areas in Syria, said David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The first would reach the rebel-held town of Talbisseh, where at least two people were killed by shelling during the truce. Swanson said the aid would be enough for 84,000 people in the area. Another 78,000 people living in and around Greater Orum in the north of Aleppo province would also receive wheat flour and health supplies, Swanson told AFP. But aid convoys to the rebel-held districts of Aleppo city were still stuck on Syria's border with Turkey Monday, he said. UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said he was "pained" that Aleppo's residents had still not received promised aid deliveries. "I am pained and disappointed that a United Nations convoy has yet to cross into Syria from Turkey, and safely reach eastern Aleppo, where up to 275,000 people remain trapped without food, water, proper shelter or medical care," O'Brien said. (AFP)

Syria truce may end Monday evening

The Pentagon has admitted that US-led coalition aircraft hit a Syrian army position&nbsp;in the east of the country on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
Syrian state media reported the raid near the Deir Ezzor airport around 1700 hours local time.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Warplanes from the American coalition hit one of the Syrian army&#39;s positions... near the Deir Ezzor airport,&quot; the statement said. 
 
A Pentagon statement said, &quot;Coalition forces believed they were striking an Islamic State fighting position.&quot; 
 
&quot;The coalition air strike was halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military,&quot; the statement read. 
 
The monitoring group in the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 83 soldiers were killed in the raids on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport. 
 
The coalition strikes are believed to have hit two hilltops near the airport.&nbsp; 
 
A Syrian military source also claimed rounds were fired at the wounded soldiers and paramedics from the planes.&nbsp; 
 
The raids have allowed the Islamic State militant group to advance on government troops in the region.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is a dangerous and bold attack against the Syrian state and army, and clear evidence that the United States and its allies support the terrorist group Islamic State,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. 
 
The militant group on Saturday afternoon claimed it had seized full control of Jabal Therdeh, which overlooks the Deir Ezzor airport.&nbsp; 
 
Syria&#39;s biggest ally, Russia, said 62 Syrian soldiers were killed and at least 100 more wounded in strikes by &quot;warplanes from the international coalition&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Russia has cast doubt over the prospects of the ceasefire negotiated with the United States. Under the fragile deal which into force on Monday, the fighting is to be halted on all fronts.&nbsp; 
 
But Moscow raised questions over Washington&#39;s commitment to the deal and said the situation had worsened.&nbsp; 
 
Moscow and Washington are to begin joint military operations against Islamic State in Syria, as the next step in the ceasefire deal, provided it holds for a week.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raid killed at least 83 soldiers

The Pentagon has admitted that US-led coalition aircraft hit a Syrian army position in the east of the country on Saturday. Syrian state media reported the raid near the Deir Ezzor airport around 1700 hours local time. "Warplanes from the American coalition hit one of the Syrian army's positions... near the Deir Ezzor airport," the statement said. A Pentagon statement said, "Coalition forces believed they were striking an Islamic State fighting position." "The coalition air strike was halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military," the statement read. The monitoring group in the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 83 soldiers were killed in the raids on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport. The coalition strikes are believed to have hit two hilltops near the airport. A Syrian military source also claimed rounds were fired at the wounded soldiers and paramedics from the planes. The raids have allowed the Islamic State militant group to advance on government troops in the region. "This is a dangerous and bold attack against the Syrian state and army, and clear evidence that the United States and its allies support the terrorist group Islamic State," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The militant group on Saturday afternoon claimed it had seized full control of Jabal Therdeh, which overlooks the Deir Ezzor airport. Syria's biggest ally, Russia, said 62 Syrian soldiers were killed and at least 100 more wounded in strikes by "warplanes from the international coalition". Russia has cast doubt over the prospects of the ceasefire negotiated with the United States. Under the fragile deal which into force on Monday, the fighting is to be halted on all fronts. But Moscow raised questions over Washington's commitment to the deal and said the situation had worsened. Moscow and Washington are to begin joint military operations against Islamic State in Syria, as the next step in the ceasefire deal, provided it holds for a week. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US air raid hits Syrian government troops, allow IS militants to advance

UN-backed Libyan forces renewed its fight against the Islamic State militants in the city of Sirte, after a two-week pause.&nbsp; 
 
The pro-government forces pressed an offensive pounding the militant holdouts with heavy artillery.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our forces are using heavy artillery to target the positions where Daesh (IS) holdouts are cowering,&quot; they said in a statement. 
 
Heavy shelling was noted inside the Sirte city, targeting militants. Two fighters had been killed and six more were wounded and brought to the Misrata central hospital.&nbsp; 
 
The forces killed at least two suicide bombers before the militants could detonate their vehicles.&nbsp; 
 
The spokesman for the loyalist forces said the field commanders held several meetings before the decision was taken to resume the offensive after the two-week lull.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Progress is now being achieved and our forces are clashing with Daesh fighters,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
Several buildings were seized in fierce clashes, including a school that was turned into an Islamic State workshop for assembling bombs.&nbsp; 
 
Libyan troops have made significant advances in Sirte with the help of US air strikes and helicopter raids.&nbsp; 
 
But suicide bombing and sniper fire have slowed the offensive by the pro-government forces. 
 
Losing the city of Sirte would be a major blow for the militant group that had taken captured in the city on June last year.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The pro-government forces pounded Islamic State holdouts with heavy artillery in its renewed offensive to retake city of Sirte

UN-backed Libyan forces renewed its fight against the Islamic State militants in the city of Sirte, after a two-week pause. The pro-government forces pressed an offensive pounding the militant holdouts with heavy artillery. "Our forces are using heavy artillery to target the positions where Daesh (IS) holdouts are cowering," they said in a statement. Heavy shelling was noted inside the Sirte city, targeting militants. Two fighters had been killed and six more were wounded and brought to the Misrata central hospital. The forces killed at least two suicide bombers before the militants could detonate their vehicles. The spokesman for the loyalist forces said the field commanders held several meetings before the decision was taken to resume the offensive after the two-week lull. "Progress is now being achieved and our forces are clashing with Daesh fighters," he told AFP. Several buildings were seized in fierce clashes, including a school that was turned into an Islamic State workshop for assembling bombs. Libyan troops have made significant advances in Sirte with the help of US air strikes and helicopter raids. But suicide bombing and sniper fire have slowed the offensive by the pro-government forces. Losing the city of Sirte would be a major blow for the militant group that had taken captured in the city on June last year. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Libyan forces renew fight against Islamic State in Sirte after two-week lull

Terrorism charges were filed by&nbsp;Brazilian prosecutors on Friday&nbsp;against eight people, accused of plotting attacks and recruiting followers for terrorist organisations ahead of the Rio Olympics held last month.&nbsp; 
 
The eight Brazillian nationals were arrested in July for organising what the authorities described as an &quot;amateur&quot; terrorist cell that had sworn loyalty to the Islamic State, international news agency AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The prosecutors reportedly asked a court to charge all eight accused, including two minors, with &quot;recruitment and promotion of a terrorist organisation.&quot; 
 
The&nbsp;police intercepted messages sent using the cell phone application Telegram in which the suspects discussed &quot;the idea that they had to step out of the virtual realm and start acting for real,&quot; prosecutor Rafael Brum told a news conference. The investigation was dubbed as Operation Hashtag.&nbsp; 
 
While there was no direct evidence of concrete plot or an actual link with the Islamic State group,&nbsp;the discussions included the possibility of staging an attack on the Games and tips on home-made bomb-making. But there was no evidence of a he added. 
 
The Brazilian authorities received an initial tip-off about the group from the FBI in the United States, prosecutors said.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, six other suspects remain under investigation. 
 
The Olympics, which were held from August 5 to 21, went off without major incident despite security fears. Some 85,000 police and soldiers were deployed for the event. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The Brazillian nationals were arrested in July for organising what the authorities described as an 'amateur' terrorist cell

Terrorism charges were filed by Brazilian prosecutors on Friday against eight people, accused of plotting attacks and recruiting followers for terrorist organisations ahead of the Rio Olympics held last month. The eight Brazillian nationals were arrested in July for organising what the authorities described as an "amateur" terrorist cell that had sworn loyalty to the Islamic State, international news agency AFP reported today. The prosecutors reportedly asked a court to charge all eight accused, including two minors, with "recruitment and promotion of a terrorist organisation." The police intercepted messages sent using the cell phone application Telegram in which the suspects discussed "the idea that they had to step out of the virtual realm and start acting for real," prosecutor Rafael Brum told a news conference. The investigation was dubbed as Operation Hashtag. While there was no direct evidence of concrete plot or an actual link with the Islamic State group, the discussions included the possibility of staging an attack on the Games and tips on home-made bomb-making. But there was no evidence of a he added. The Brazilian authorities received an initial tip-off about the group from the FBI in the United States, prosecutors said. Meanwhile, six other suspects remain under investigation. The Olympics, which were held from August 5 to 21, went off without major incident despite security fears. Some 85,000 police and soldiers were deployed for the event. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Brazil prosecutors file terror charges against 8 accused of plotting attacks before Olympics

The Syrian cease-fire appears near collapse after scores of Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were killed in a United States-led coalition air strike on Saturday. 
 
One of the key tenets of the Syrian &quot;cessation of hostilities&quot; brokered by Washington and Moscow was to freeze all attacks on forces allied to either camps. 
 
But the latest air strike, which killed at least 62 soldiers of the Syrian regime at&nbsp;Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor airport, has jeopardised the truce signed by the US and Russia.&nbsp; 
 
Moscow called for an emergency UN security meeting with the US but that ended abruptly. 
 
While Washington dubbed Moscow&#39;s request for the meeting as a &quot;stunt&quot;, Russia said the US was violating the peace agreements.&nbsp; 
 
The US, however, has apologised for the Saturday strike, saying they had intended to attack &quot;Daesh (IS) fighting position&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The Pentagon said coalition forces &quot;would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit&quot;. 
 
But the latest development has got Moscow &quot;deeply worried&quot; about the continuation of the peace deal signed earlier this week.&nbsp; 
 
The Syria cease-fire was signed by US and Russia on September 12, halting months of deadly violence in Syria.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The actions of the pilots &mdash;&nbsp;if they, as we hope, were not taken on orders from Washington &mdash;&nbsp;fall between criminal negligence and direct pandering to IS terrorists,&quot; a statement from the Russian foreign ministry said, AFP reported. 
 
Russia is also worried about US&#39; inability to get all factions of Syrian rebels give their full backing to the cease-fire.&nbsp; 
 
The US-allied Syrian rebels have agreed to &quot;cooperate positively&quot; to the peace deal but they have voiced their concerns about its long-term efficacy.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, government forces which are supported by Russia have launched a fresh offensive against Islamic State in the key airbase of Deir Ezzor, AFP quoted unnamed military sources as saying. 
 
The Syrian government said the offensive was necessary as the truce has given IS time to recover and plan its next strikes. 
 
The airbase is crucial as IS is using it to bomb Syrian army aircraft. On Sunday, IS claimed to have struck a Syrian plane close to Deir Ezzor, killing one pilot.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

Washington's 'unintentional' bombing of a Syrian army position has got Moscow 'deeply worried' about the efficacy of the peace deal

The Syrian cease-fire appears near collapse after scores of Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were killed in a United States-led coalition air strike on Saturday. One of the key tenets of the Syrian "cessation of hostilities" brokered by Washington and Moscow was to freeze all attacks on forces allied to either camps. But the latest air strike, which killed at least 62 soldiers of the Syrian regime at Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor airport, has jeopardised the truce signed by the US and Russia. Moscow called for an emergency UN security meeting with the US but that ended abruptly. While Washington dubbed Moscow's request for the meeting as a "stunt", Russia said the US was violating the peace agreements. The US, however, has apologised for the Saturday strike, saying they had intended to attack "Daesh (IS) fighting position". The Pentagon said coalition forces "would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit". But the latest development has got Moscow "deeply worried" about the continuation of the peace deal signed earlier this week. The Syria cease-fire was signed by US and Russia on September 12, halting months of deadly violence in Syria. "The actions of the pilots — if they, as we hope, were not taken on orders from Washington — fall between criminal negligence and direct pandering to IS terrorists," a statement from the Russian foreign ministry said, AFP reported. Russia is also worried about US' inability to get all factions of Syrian rebels give their full backing to the cease-fire. The US-allied Syrian rebels have agreed to "cooperate positively" to the peace deal but they have voiced their concerns about its long-term efficacy. Meanwhile, government forces which are supported by Russia have launched a fresh offensive against Islamic State in the key airbase of Deir Ezzor, AFP quoted unnamed military sources as saying. The Syrian government said the offensive was necessary as the truce has given IS time to recover and plan its next strikes. The airbase is crucial as IS is using it to bomb Syrian army aircraft. On Sunday, IS claimed to have struck a Syrian plane close to Deir Ezzor, killing one pilot. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria truce frays after US-led air strike kills soldiers

A US-led coalition air strike killed an Islamic State leader who oversaw the militant group&#39;s propaganda, said Pentagon said on Friday. 
 
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that the airstrike took place near Raqqa, Syria, and targeted and killed Wa&#39;il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Dr. Wa&#39;il, on September 7. 
 
The US Department of Defense said Wa&#39;il was the minister of information and a prominent member of the IS. 
 
&quot;Wa&#39;il oversaw ISIL&#39;s production of terrorist propaganda videos showing torture and executions,&quot; Cook said in the statement, using an Arab acronym for the group. &quot;He was a close associate of Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the ISIL spokesman and leader for plotting and inspiring external terror attacks.&quot; 
 
On August 30, Islamic State said Adnani was killed in a US airstrike in Syria, which was later confirmed by the Pentagon. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that the air strike took place near Raqqa, Syria, and targeted and killed Dr Wa'il

A US-led coalition air strike killed an Islamic State leader who oversaw the militant group's propaganda, said Pentagon said on Friday. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that the airstrike took place near Raqqa, Syria, and targeted and killed Wa'il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Dr. Wa'il, on September 7. The US Department of Defense said Wa'il was the minister of information and a prominent member of the IS. "Wa'il oversaw ISIL's production of terrorist propaganda videos showing torture and executions," Cook said in the statement, using an Arab acronym for the group. "He was a close associate of Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the ISIL spokesman and leader for plotting and inspiring external terror attacks." On August 30, Islamic State said Adnani was killed in a US airstrike in Syria, which was later confirmed by the Pentagon. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US-led coalition air strike killed IS information minister: Pentagon

A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Paris on suspicion of planning an attack, two judicial sources said on Saturday.&nbsp; 
This is the second alleged plot with links to the terror group Islamic State this weekend.&nbsp; 
 
Last Sunday, seven people including two women were arrested when a car loaded with gas cylinders was found near Notre Dame cathedral.&nbsp; 
 
France has been under a state of emergency since the IS attacks on Paris in November killed 130 people.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Three suicide bombers had struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis during a football match on November 13, 2015. This was followed by several mass shootings, and a suicide bombing, at caf?s and restaurants. Gunmen carried out another mass shooting and took hostages at a concert in the Bataclan theatre, leading to a stand-off with police. 
 
The boy had been under house arrest since the attacks but was arrested on Saturday after he was suspected of planning an attack, two sources said on condition of anonymity. They did not say why he was under house arrest. 
 
The second source said the boy had been in contact with suspected French Islamist militant Rashid Kassim. Kassim had also guided one of the women arrested last week in the plot to attack a train station in Paris, the source added.&nbsp; 
 
One of the sources said Kassim, 29, had also led two men to carry out an attack in a French church.&nbsp; 
 
An 84-year-old priest was killed and four other people were&nbsp;taken hostage by two armed men during the attack.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The boy had been house arrest since the 2015 November terrorist attack, sources said

A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Paris on suspicion of planning an attack, two judicial sources said on Saturday. This is the second alleged plot with links to the terror group Islamic State this weekend. Last Sunday, seven people including two women were arrested when a car loaded with gas cylinders was found near Notre Dame cathedral. France has been under a state of emergency since the IS attacks on Paris in November killed 130 people. Three suicide bombers had struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis during a football match on November 13, 2015. This was followed by several mass shootings, and a suicide bombing, at caf?s and restaurants. Gunmen carried out another mass shooting and took hostages at a concert in the Bataclan theatre, leading to a stand-off with police. The boy had been under house arrest since the attacks but was arrested on Saturday after he was suspected of planning an attack, two sources said on condition of anonymity. They did not say why he was under house arrest. The second source said the boy had been in contact with suspected French Islamist militant Rashid Kassim. Kassim had also guided one of the women arrested last week in the plot to attack a train station in Paris, the source added. One of the sources said Kassim, 29, had also led two men to carry out an attack in a French church. An 84-year-old priest was killed and four other people were taken hostage by two armed men during the attack. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

15-year-old boy arrested in France on suspicion of planning attack

A ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States took effect in Syria at sundown Monday, but there was deep scepticism over whether it would hold. 
 
The initial 48-hour truce entered into force at 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) across Syria except in areas held by jihadists like the Islamic State group. 
 
Syria&#39;s armed forces immediately announced a seven-day &quot;freeze&quot; on military operations, lasting to midnight next Sunday. 
 
But opposition forces had yet to formally sign on and the deal&#39;s fragility was underscored just hours before sundown when President Bashar al-Assad vowed to retake the whole country from &quot;terrorists&quot;. 
 
The agreement, announced Friday, after marathon talks between Russia and the United States, has been billed as the best chance yet to halt the bloodshed in Syria&#39;s five-year civil war. 
 
As well as bringing a temporary end to the fighting, it aims to provide crucial aid to hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians. 
 
AFP correspondents in Syria&#39;s devastated second city Aleppo, divided between a rebel-held east and regime-controlled west since mid-2012, said fighting appeared to have stopped as the ceasefire took effect. 
 
A final rocket was fired from the east into government areas just five minutes before 7:00 pm, while rebel neighbourhoods had not been hit by bombardments for about two hours, they said. 
 
Just before the truce came into force, senior Russian military official Sergei Rudskoi said the ceasefire would cover all of Syria except &quot;terrorist targets&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Today from 1900 (local time) the cessation of hostilities is being resumed across all the territory of Syria,&quot; Rudskoi said at a Moscow briefing, adding that Russia would &quot;continue to carry out strikes against terrorist targets&quot;. 
 
Rebels demand guarantees 
 
Under the agreement, fighting will halt in areas not held by jihadists and aid deliveries to besieged areas will begin, with government and rebel forces ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access in particular to divided Aleppo city. 
 
The ceasefire will be renewed every 48 hours and, if it holds for a week, Moscow and Washington will begin unprecedented joint targeting of jihadist forces. 
 
World powers have thrown their weight behind this new deal after several rounds of peace efforts failed to end the conflict that has killed more than 290,000 people. 
 
But Syria&#39;s opposition and rebels are deeply sceptical that Assad&#39;s regime will abide by the truce agreement, and demanded guarantees before endorsing a deal. 
 
&quot;We are asking for guarantees especially from the United States, which is a party to the agreement,&quot; Salem al-Muslet from the High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition umbrella group, told AFP Monday. 
 
&quot;We fear that Russia will classify all the Free Syrian Army (rebel factions) as terrorists,&quot; as it was unclear how the deal defined &quot;terrorist groups&quot;, he said. 
 
Rebel groups on Sunday sent a letter to the US saying they would &quot;deal positively with the idea of the ceasefire&quot; but listed several &quot;concerns&quot; and stopped short of a full endorsement. 
 
&quot;The clauses of the agreement that have been shared with us do not include any clear guarantees or monitoring mechanisms... or repercussions if there are truce violations,&quot; they said. 
 
Ahmad al-Saoud, who heads the US-backed Division 13 rebel group which signed the letter, said they had received no response. 
 
Questions remain about how the ceasefire will apply in parts of Syria where the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, is present. 
 
A crucial part of the deal calls for rebels to distance themselves from the group before joint US-Russian operations against it begin. 
 
But Fateh al-Sham cooperates closely with many of Syria&#39;s rebels, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, which on Sunday issued a scathing condemnation of the Russian-US deal. 
 
October peace talks? 
 
Russia&#39;s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told state-run news agency RIA Novosti that peace talks could resume within a month. 
 
&quot;I think that probably at the very beginning of October, (UN envoy Staffan) de Mistura should be inviting all parties&quot; to talks, he said. 
 
Syria&#39;s government and its allies including Iran and Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah movement have backed the truce. 
 
But on Monday Assad made clear he was intent on recapturing all of Syria. 
 
&quot;The Syrian state is determined to recover every area from the terrorists,&quot; he said as he toured Daraya, a former rebel stronghold that surrendered last month after a four-year government siege. 
 
&quot;The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
The run-up to the truce saw a spike in violence, with at least 74 people killed in weekend strikes on Aleppo and Idlib cities. 
 
Just moments before the ceasefire came into force, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported three people killed in regime shelling in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus. 
 
At least 13 civilians were also killed in unidentified air raids on a town in Idlib province hours before the truce began, the Observatory said. 
 
Fresh raids had also earlier on Monday hit Aleppo, an AFP correspondent said, where residents have struggled to celebrate the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival amid shortages created by a renewed government siege. 
 
In August, rebels broke a weeks-long regime siege of the east, but Assad loyalists restored the blockade on September 8. 
 
&quot;We hope there will be a ceasefire so that civilians can get a break,&quot; said east Aleppo resident Abu Abdullah. &quot;Civilians have no hope any more.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Syria's armed forces immediately announced a seven-day 'freeze' on military operations, lasting to midnight next Sunday

A ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States took effect in Syria at sundown Monday, but there was deep scepticism over whether it would hold. The initial 48-hour truce entered into force at 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) across Syria except in areas held by jihadists like the Islamic State group. Syria's armed forces immediately announced a seven-day "freeze" on military operations, lasting to midnight next Sunday. But opposition forces had yet to formally sign on and the deal's fragility was underscored just hours before sundown when President Bashar al-Assad vowed to retake the whole country from "terrorists". The agreement, announced Friday, after marathon talks between Russia and the United States, has been billed as the best chance yet to halt the bloodshed in Syria's five-year civil war. As well as bringing a temporary end to the fighting, it aims to provide crucial aid to hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians. AFP correspondents in Syria's devastated second city Aleppo, divided between a rebel-held east and regime-controlled west since mid-2012, said fighting appeared to have stopped as the ceasefire took effect. A final rocket was fired from the east into government areas just five minutes before 7:00 pm, while rebel neighbourhoods had not been hit by bombardments for about two hours, they said. Just before the truce came into force, senior Russian military official Sergei Rudskoi said the ceasefire would cover all of Syria except "terrorist targets". "Today from 1900 (local time) the cessation of hostilities is being resumed across all the territory of Syria," Rudskoi said at a Moscow briefing, adding that Russia would "continue to carry out strikes against terrorist targets". Rebels demand guarantees Under the agreement, fighting will halt in areas not held by jihadists and aid deliveries to besieged areas will begin, with government and rebel forces ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access in particular to divided Aleppo city. The ceasefire will be renewed every 48 hours and, if it holds for a week, Moscow and Washington will begin unprecedented joint targeting of jihadist forces. World powers have thrown their weight behind this new deal after several rounds of peace efforts failed to end the conflict that has killed more than 290,000 people. But Syria's opposition and rebels are deeply sceptical that Assad's regime will abide by the truce agreement, and demanded guarantees before endorsing a deal. "We are asking for guarantees especially from the United States, which is a party to the agreement," Salem al-Muslet from the High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition umbrella group, told AFP Monday. "We fear that Russia will classify all the Free Syrian Army (rebel factions) as terrorists," as it was unclear how the deal defined "terrorist groups", he said. Rebel groups on Sunday sent a letter to the US saying they would "deal positively with the idea of the ceasefire" but listed several "concerns" and stopped short of a full endorsement. "The clauses of the agreement that have been shared with us do not include any clear guarantees or monitoring mechanisms... or repercussions if there are truce violations," they said. Ahmad al-Saoud, who heads the US-backed Division 13 rebel group which signed the letter, said they had received no response. Questions remain about how the ceasefire will apply in parts of Syria where the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, is present. A crucial part of the deal calls for rebels to distance themselves from the group before joint US-Russian operations against it begin. But Fateh al-Sham cooperates closely with many of Syria's rebels, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, which on Sunday issued a scathing condemnation of the Russian-US deal. October peace talks? Russia's deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told state-run news agency RIA Novosti that peace talks could resume within a month. "I think that probably at the very beginning of October, (UN envoy Staffan) de Mistura should be inviting all parties" to talks, he said. Syria's government and its allies including Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement have backed the truce. But on Monday Assad made clear he was intent on recapturing all of Syria. "The Syrian state is determined to recover every area from the terrorists," he said as he toured Daraya, a former rebel stronghold that surrendered last month after a four-year government siege. "The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances," he added. The run-up to the truce saw a spike in violence, with at least 74 people killed in weekend strikes on Aleppo and Idlib cities. Just moments before the ceasefire came into force, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported three people killed in regime shelling in the rebel-held town of Douma near Damascus. At least 13 civilians were also killed in unidentified air raids on a town in Idlib province hours before the truce began, the Observatory said. Fresh raids had also earlier on Monday hit Aleppo, an AFP correspondent said, where residents have struggled to celebrate the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival amid shortages created by a renewed government siege. In August, rebels broke a weeks-long regime siege of the east, but Assad loyalists restored the blockade on September 8. "We hope there will be a ceasefire so that civilians can get a break," said east Aleppo resident Abu Abdullah. "Civilians have no hope any more." (AFP)

Syria ceasefire takes effect under US-Russia deal

Twenty Islamic State militants were killed in Turkish air strikes in northern Syria on Saturday, the Turkish military said. 
 
Three buildings, one vehicle and a motorbike were targeted in the town of Tel el-Hawa as part of the attack. 
 
&lsquo;Operation Euphrates Shield&rsquo;, a Turkish incursion into Syria against the IS and Kurdish militia fighters was launched more than two weeks ago. The operation would &ldquo;continue decisively&rdquo;, local broadcaster NTV reported.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The air strikes targeted three buildings, one vehicle and a motorbike in the town of Tel el-Hawa

Twenty Islamic State militants were killed in Turkish air strikes in northern Syria on Saturday, the Turkish military said. Three buildings, one vehicle and a motorbike were targeted in the town of Tel el-Hawa as part of the attack. ‘Operation Euphrates Shield’, a Turkish incursion into Syria against the IS and Kurdish militia fighters was launched more than two weeks ago. The operation would “continue decisively”, local broadcaster NTV reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Turkish air strikes kill 20 Islamic State fighters in Syria

While 9/11 failed to bring America to its knees as Al-Qaeda hoped, it ushered in an era of instability, especially in the Middle East, that Islamic extremists have skilfully exploited, analysts say. 
 
By reacting with a doctrine of &quot;Shock and Awe&quot; and invading Iraq in 2003, the US committed a series of missteps that indirectly helped foment jihadism, say critics. 
 
Founded in the 1980s, Al-Qaeda was gravely weakened after being expelled from Afghanistan in 2001 by the US-led invasion of the country that had harboured the terror group&#39;s leader Osama bin Laden. 
 
But the occupation of Iraq offered them a new opportunity, underlining how jihadist groups have resisted attempts to vanquish them and have now expanded into franchises in the Middle East, Asia, the West and parts of Africa. 
 
&quot;September 11 was the culmination of several years of planning by Al-Qaeda of &#39;the big one&#39;,&quot; Didier Le Bret, who recently resigned as France&#39;s national intelligence coordinator to run in next year&#39;s parliamentary election, told AFP. 
 
&quot;Above all it marked the start of a realisation (by the Americans) of their vulnerability on home soil. And that is something they cannot bear.&quot; 
 
He said the invasion illustrated the dangers of acting first and worrying about the consequences afterwards. 
 
Among the consequences was the damage done to America&#39;s reputation by the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, the camp opened by George W Bush at a US base in Cuba to hold &quot;enemy combattants&quot; captured around the world. 
 
For Le Bret, the conflict in Iraq was &quot;an unfinished war, built on a lie&quot; that ended up destabilising the whole region. 
 
Jean-Pierre Filiu, professor of Middle East studies at Sciences-Po University in Paris, said it also squandered support for the US among its allies. 
 
&quot;The US enjoyed unprecedented international solidarity in its campaign against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda (in Afghanistan),&quot; he said. &quot;But after that campaign, which was crowned with success within a few weeks, the Neoconversatives imposed a strategy of a &#39;global war on terror&#39; which reignited global jihad.&quot; 
 
Tai chi terror tactics 
 
The US presence in Iraq made it a magnet for jihadists, with Al-Qaeda in Iraq becoming a major force in the post-war insurgency that later morphed into the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
IS extremists, seeing power vacuums created through weak governance in Iraq and a civil war in Syria, grabbed territory in both countries after declaring their &quot;caliphate&quot; for Muslims in 2014. 
 
Spurred by social media and the forces of globalisation, they have since encouraged Muslims to take up arms against the West which they see as an ideological enemy. 
 
While conducting a campaign of mass murder and terror in territories under their control, they have spread their tentacles worldwide, inspiring or carrying out attacks in France, Germany, the United States, Turkey or Bangladesh. 
 
&quot;Daesh, or the so-called Islamic State, was born out of the alliance of two totalitarianisms, that of Al-Qaeda and the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein,&quot; Filiu said. 
 
&quot;Instead of taking the measure of this new threat, Barack Obama was for a long time in denial, allowing the emergence of a &#39;terror caliphate&#39; that has spread around the world,&quot; he argued. 
 
Obama&#39;s reticence to commit the US to a new battle in the Middle East reflected the caution of a nation scarred by Iraq, where thousands of US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians died during the post-invasion insurgency.&nbsp; 
 
Bin Laden&#39;s son said 9/11 was aimed at setting up a grand showdown with America in Afghanistan where the Soviet army had been defeated by US-backed mujahideen. 
 
&quot;I was surprised the Americans took the bait&quot;, Omar bin Laden, one of 11 sons, told Rolling Stone magazine in 2010, a year before his father&#39;s death at the hands of US special forces. 
 
By forcing Washington out of its isolationism and luring it into Iraq, bin Laden was using what historian Yuval Noah Harari calls the &quot;tai-chi masters method.&quot; 
 
&quot;The terrorists hope that even though they can barely dent the enemy&#39;s material, power, fear and confusion will cause the enemy to misuse its strength,&quot; the author of Sapiens, a history of humanity, wrote in The Guardian newspaper last year. 
 
&quot;Terrorists calculate that when the enraged enemy uses its massive power against them, it will raise a much more violent military and political storm than the terrorists themselves could ever create.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

By reacting with the doctrine and invading Iraq in 2003, the US committed a series of missteps that indirectly helped foment jihadism

While 9/11 failed to bring America to its knees as Al-Qaeda hoped, it ushered in an era of instability, especially in the Middle East, that Islamic extremists have skilfully exploited, analysts say. By reacting with a doctrine of "Shock and Awe" and invading Iraq in 2003, the US committed a series of missteps that indirectly helped foment jihadism, say critics. Founded in the 1980s, Al-Qaeda was gravely weakened after being expelled from Afghanistan in 2001 by the US-led invasion of the country that had harboured the terror group's leader Osama bin Laden. But the occupation of Iraq offered them a new opportunity, underlining how jihadist groups have resisted attempts to vanquish them and have now expanded into franchises in the Middle East, Asia, the West and parts of Africa. "September 11 was the culmination of several years of planning by Al-Qaeda of 'the big one'," Didier Le Bret, who recently resigned as France's national intelligence coordinator to run in next year's parliamentary election, told AFP. "Above all it marked the start of a realisation (by the Americans) of their vulnerability on home soil. And that is something they cannot bear." He said the invasion illustrated the dangers of acting first and worrying about the consequences afterwards. Among the consequences was the damage done to America's reputation by the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, the camp opened by George W Bush at a US base in Cuba to hold "enemy combattants" captured around the world. For Le Bret, the conflict in Iraq was "an unfinished war, built on a lie" that ended up destabilising the whole region. Jean-Pierre Filiu, professor of Middle East studies at Sciences-Po University in Paris, said it also squandered support for the US among its allies. "The US enjoyed unprecedented international solidarity in its campaign against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda (in Afghanistan)," he said. "But after that campaign, which was crowned with success within a few weeks, the Neoconversatives imposed a strategy of a 'global war on terror' which reignited global jihad." Tai chi terror tactics The US presence in Iraq made it a magnet for jihadists, with Al-Qaeda in Iraq becoming a major force in the post-war insurgency that later morphed into the Islamic State (IS) group. IS extremists, seeing power vacuums created through weak governance in Iraq and a civil war in Syria, grabbed territory in both countries after declaring their "caliphate" for Muslims in 2014. Spurred by social media and the forces of globalisation, they have since encouraged Muslims to take up arms against the West which they see as an ideological enemy. While conducting a campaign of mass murder and terror in territories under their control, they have spread their tentacles worldwide, inspiring or carrying out attacks in France, Germany, the United States, Turkey or Bangladesh. "Daesh, or the so-called Islamic State, was born out of the alliance of two totalitarianisms, that of Al-Qaeda and the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein," Filiu said. "Instead of taking the measure of this new threat, Barack Obama was for a long time in denial, allowing the emergence of a 'terror caliphate' that has spread around the world," he argued. Obama's reticence to commit the US to a new battle in the Middle East reflected the caution of a nation scarred by Iraq, where thousands of US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians died during the post-invasion insurgency. Bin Laden's son said 9/11 was aimed at setting up a grand showdown with America in Afghanistan where the Soviet army had been defeated by US-backed mujahideen. "I was surprised the Americans took the bait", Omar bin Laden, one of 11 sons, told Rolling Stone magazine in 2010, a year before his father's death at the hands of US special forces. By forcing Washington out of its isolationism and luring it into Iraq, bin Laden was using what historian Yuval Noah Harari calls the "tai-chi masters method." "The terrorists hope that even though they can barely dent the enemy's material, power, fear and confusion will cause the enemy to misuse its strength," the author of Sapiens, a history of humanity, wrote in The Guardian newspaper last year. "Terrorists calculate that when the enraged enemy uses its massive power against them, it will raise a much more violent military and political storm than the terrorists themselves could ever create." (AFP)

'Shock and awe' response to 9/11 helped jihad's spread: Analysts

A militant suspected to be involved in the attack on Dhaka&#39;s Holey Artisan bakery killed himself during a raid on a hideout in Dhaka, media reports quoted Bangladesh police as saying.&nbsp; 
 
The Dhaka Tribune said Bangladesh police captured three female militants from a hideout in Dhaka&#39;s Azimpur area last night, while another killed himself.&nbsp; 
 
National police chief Shahidul Hoque&nbsp;said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack&#39;s planners. Reuters said he was suspected to have rented a flat for the militants who carried out the attack. 
 
Another official, Sanwar Hossain, was quoted as saying: &quot;He killed himself inside the flat so that we can&rsquo;t collect information from him through interrogation.&quot; 
 
Police said the women also attacked and wounded five officers from the counter-terrorism unit. Police said the women used&nbsp;chilli powder, explosives and knives. 
 
Police said one of the women could have been the wife of a man killed last week in a shootout. That man is believed to have trained the attackers. 
 
The July attack which left 22 of the bakery&#39;s patrons dead was claimed by Islamic State; the Bangladesh government however blamed home-grown militants for the attack. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry, referring to the attack&nbsp;during a visit to Dhaka last month, said elements of Islamic state are &#39;&#39;connected&#39;&#39; to operatives in Bangladesh. 
 
More than two dozen suspected militants have been killed by the police since the attack.&nbsp; 
 
(WION wit Reuters)

National police chief Shahidul Hoque?said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack's planners

A militant suspected to be involved in the attack on Dhaka's Holey Artisan bakery killed himself during a raid on a hideout in Dhaka, media reports quoted Bangladesh police as saying. The Dhaka Tribune said Bangladesh police captured three female militants from a hideout in Dhaka's Azimpur area last night, while another killed himself. National police chief Shahidul Hoque said the man was identified as Abdul Karim and was suspected of being one of the attack's planners. Reuters said he was suspected to have rented a flat for the militants who carried out the attack. Another official, Sanwar Hossain, was quoted as saying: "He killed himself inside the flat so that we can’t collect information from him through interrogation." Police said the women also attacked and wounded five officers from the counter-terrorism unit. Police said the women used chilli powder, explosives and knives. Police said one of the women could have been the wife of a man killed last week in a shootout. That man is believed to have trained the attackers. The July attack which left 22 of the bakery's patrons dead was claimed by Islamic State; the Bangladesh government however blamed home-grown militants for the attack. US secretary of state John Kerry, referring to the attack during a visit to Dhaka last month, said elements of Islamic state are ''connected'' to operatives in Bangladesh. More than two dozen suspected militants have been killed by the police since the attack. (WION wit Reuters)

Dhaka cafe attack suspect killed himself during raid, police say

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Sunday of new terror attacks against France. 
 
Paris was put on high alert last week after French authorities said they had dismantled a &#39;terrorist cell&#39; planning to attack a Paris railway station under Islamic state&#39;s guidance. 
 
&quot;This week at least two attacks were foiled,&quot; Manuel Valls said in an interview with Europe 1 radio and Itele television on Sunday, Reuters reported. 
 
Three French women were arrested this Friday after a car loaded with gas cylinders was found near Notre Dame cathedral. 
 
Valls, however, said former president Nicolas Sarkozy&#39;s proposals to boost security was not the right way to deal with threats. 
 
Sarkozy had suggested special courts and detention facilities for citizens suspected of militant links in an interview to local newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. 
 
&quot;Every Frenchman suspected of being linked to terrorism, because he regularly consults a jihadist website, or his behavior shows signs of radicalisation or because is in close contact with radicalised people, must be preventively placed in a detention center,&quot; Sarkozy had said in the interview. 
 
Last month, Sarkozy announced his candidature for the 2017 presidential election. 
 
&quot;He (Sarkozy) is wrong about trying to wring the neck of the rule of law,&quot; Valls said in response to Sarkozy&#39;s statement. 
 
Valls said there were 15,000 people on the radar of police and intelligent services who were in the process of being radicalised, Reuters reported. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Officials said last week they had dismantled a 'terrorist cell' that planned to attack a Paris railway station under IS guidance

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Sunday of new terror attacks against France. Paris was put on high alert last week after French authorities said they had dismantled a 'terrorist cell' planning to attack a Paris railway station under Islamic state's guidance. "This week at least two attacks were foiled," Manuel Valls said in an interview with Europe 1 radio and Itele television on Sunday, Reuters reported. Three French women were arrested this Friday after a car loaded with gas cylinders was found near Notre Dame cathedral. Valls, however, said former president Nicolas Sarkozy's proposals to boost security was not the right way to deal with threats. Sarkozy had suggested special courts and detention facilities for citizens suspected of militant links in an interview to local newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. "Every Frenchman suspected of being linked to terrorism, because he regularly consults a jihadist website, or his behavior shows signs of radicalisation or because is in close contact with radicalised people, must be preventively placed in a detention center," Sarkozy had said in the interview. Last month, Sarkozy announced his candidature for the 2017 presidential election. "He (Sarkozy) is wrong about trying to wring the neck of the rule of law," Valls said in response to Sarkozy's statement. Valls said there were 15,000 people on the radar of police and intelligent services who were in the process of being radicalised, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

French prime minister warns of new attacks, says 15,000 people on police radar

Two bomb blasts in a shopping mall in Iraq&rsquo;s central Baghdad killed at least 13 people and injured more than 30 on Friday night. 
One explosion came from a parked car and another was caused by a suicide bomber in a vehicle outside Nakheel mall on Palestine street, the police informed. 
 
The blast also shattered windows of nearby structures. 
 
Shops in the mall were likely to be open until late in the night ahead of Eid al-Adha festival on Monday. 
 
No one claimed immediate responsibility for Friday&rsquo;s bombing but the Islamic State had said that it had carried out the previous attacks in Baghdad&rsquo;s shopping centres. 
 
A car bomb had killed seven people on Tuesday in Baghdad&rsquo;s Karrada district and another suicide bombing in July had left more than 300 people dead. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The two blasts in a shopping mall follow a series of blasts that rocked the capital city in the last few months

Two bomb blasts in a shopping mall in Iraq’s central Baghdad killed at least 13 people and injured more than 30 on Friday night. One explosion came from a parked car and another was caused by a suicide bomber in a vehicle outside Nakheel mall on Palestine street, the police informed. The blast also shattered windows of nearby structures. Shops in the mall were likely to be open until late in the night ahead of Eid al-Adha festival on Monday. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Friday’s bombing but the Islamic State had said that it had carried out the previous attacks in Baghdad’s shopping centres. A car bomb had killed seven people on Tuesday in Baghdad’s Karrada district and another suicide bombing in July had left more than 300 people dead. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Blasts in Baghdad kill at least 13, injure more than 30

Three Islamic State-linked women, who were planning to launch a jihadist attack&nbsp;in France, were arrested on Thursday, French authorities said on Friday. 
 
The suspects were arrested after French police found a car laden with gas cylinders. 
 
A half-lit cigarette&nbsp;and a flammable material&nbsp;found in the boot of the car were used to launch the cylinder attack, investigators said. Fortunately, the women were unable to blow up the car. 
 
&quot;A terrorist cell made up of young women totally receptive to the deadly ideology of Daesh (IS) has been dismantled,&quot; France&#39;s anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said a press conference.&nbsp; 
 
France is on high alert after security services received warnings about a potential attack in railway stations. 
 
The incarcerated women were hiding in an apartment in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Paris&nbsp;suburb of Boussy-Saint-Antoine. 
 
One policeman was stabbed during the Thursday night operation. 
 
Prosecutors have also found&nbsp;links between one of the arrested women and IS. 
 
Nineteen-year-old Ines Madani, suspected to lead the radical group, was the fiancee of&nbsp;Larossi Abballa. Madani had also individually pledged her allegiance to the IS, prosecutors said. 
 
In June, 25-year-old&nbsp;Abbala had murdered policeman&nbsp;Jean-Baptiste S and his partner in Magnanville, a&nbsp;Paris suburb. 
 
Madani was then engaged to another IS jihadist&nbsp;Adel Kermiche who&nbsp;killed priest Jacques Hamel in July.&nbsp; 
 
The other two women have been idenified as 23-year-old&nbsp;Sarah H&nbsp;and Amel S, who is 39 years of age. Amel&#39;s daughter has also been taken to police custody. 
 
Sarah was the woman who stabbed the policeman in the Thursday swoop. 
 
The developments also demonstrated IS&#39;s willingness to use women to launch fatal attacks in France. 
 
(AFP)

Three radicalised women were 'determined' on launching an attack in the city, French investigators said

Three Islamic State-linked women, who were planning to launch a jihadist attack in France, were arrested on Thursday, French authorities said on Friday. The suspects were arrested after French police found a car laden with gas cylinders. A half-lit cigarette and a flammable material found in the boot of the car were used to launch the cylinder attack, investigators said. Fortunately, the women were unable to blow up the car. "A terrorist cell made up of young women totally receptive to the deadly ideology of Daesh (IS) has been dismantled," France's anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said a press conference. France is on high alert after security services received warnings about a potential attack in railway stations. The incarcerated women were hiding in an apartment in the Paris suburb of Boussy-Saint-Antoine. One policeman was stabbed during the Thursday night operation. Prosecutors have also found links between one of the arrested women and IS. Nineteen-year-old Ines Madani, suspected to lead the radical group, was the fiancee of Larossi Abballa. Madani had also individually pledged her allegiance to the IS, prosecutors said. In June, 25-year-old Abbala had murdered policeman Jean-Baptiste S and his partner in Magnanville, a Paris suburb. Madani was then engaged to another IS jihadist Adel Kermiche who killed priest Jacques Hamel in July. The other two women have been idenified as 23-year-old Sarah H and Amel S, who is 39 years of age. Amel's daughter has also been taken to police custody. Sarah was the woman who stabbed the policeman in the Thursday swoop. The developments also demonstrated IS's willingness to use women to launch fatal attacks in France. (AFP)

France foils IS-directed gas cylinder explosion in Paris

United Kingdom-based Anjem Choudary was handed a five-and-a-half year prison sentence today for mobilising support for Islamic State. 
 
Choudary was convicted by a UK court on July 28, 2016, for using his online lectures to influence &quot;impressionable&quot; youth to rally for the Middle East-based jihadist organisation. 
 
His associate&nbsp;Mohammed Mizanur Rahman was also slapped with the same sentence. 
 
Judge&nbsp;Justice Holroyde said the pair had &quot;indirectly encouraged violent terrorist activity&quot;. 
 
Choudary remained seated when the judge read out the prison sentence. The judgement was followed by cries of &#39;Allahu Akbar&#39; (God is great) from his followers sitting in the court room. 
 
Choudary ran into trouble in 2014 when his name appeared in an oath that legitimised the purpose of the Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Although the 49-year-old has denied his role in any militant activity, the police have long seen him as a key source in galvanising support for the IS and radicalising young Muslims to participate in the war against the West.&nbsp; 
 
Choudary gained notoriety for making incendiary comments in his videos. In one of them, he had spelled his desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The judge said Choudary and his confidant, who was also handed the same prison sentence, had "indirectly encouraged terrorist activity"

United Kingdom-based Anjem Choudary was handed a five-and-a-half year prison sentence today for mobilising support for Islamic State. Choudary was convicted by a UK court on July 28, 2016, for using his online lectures to influence "impressionable" youth to rally for the Middle East-based jihadist organisation. His associate Mohammed Mizanur Rahman was also slapped with the same sentence. Judge Justice Holroyde said the pair had "indirectly encouraged violent terrorist activity". Choudary remained seated when the judge read out the prison sentence. The judgement was followed by cries of 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) from his followers sitting in the court room. Choudary ran into trouble in 2014 when his name appeared in an oath that legitimised the purpose of the Islamic State. Although the 49-year-old has denied his role in any militant activity, the police have long seen him as a key source in galvanising support for the IS and radicalising young Muslims to participate in the war against the West. Choudary gained notoriety for making incendiary comments in his videos. In one of them, he had spelled his desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UK Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary jailed for supporting IS

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for a spate of bomb attacks across Syria on Monday that left dozens dead in mostly government-controlled territory.&nbsp; 
 
The IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said the jihadist group was behind a &quot;string of simultaneous suicide attacks&quot; in Damascus, coastal Tartus, central Homs, and Hasakeh in the northeast. 
 
At least 48 people died in the blasts, Syrian state media reported, a majority of them in a double bombing in President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s coastal stronghold of Tartus.&nbsp; 
 
Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, state television said 35 people were killed and 43 others wounded in the attack.&nbsp; 
 
In the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in Hasakeh city, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present. 
 
State media said the dead were six members of the Kurds&#39; Asayesh security forces and two civilians. 
 
Amaq said in a statement that a bomber wearing a suicide belt had attacked an Asayesh checkpoint there. 
 
Another four people were killed in a car bomb in Homs city&#39;s Al-Zahraa neighbourhood, whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad.&nbsp; 
 
A bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person was killed and three were wounded. 
 
(AFP)

The IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said the jihadist group was behind a 'string of simultaneous suicide attacks'

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for a spate of bomb attacks across Syria on Monday that left dozens dead in mostly government-controlled territory. The IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said the jihadist group was behind a "string of simultaneous suicide attacks" in Damascus, coastal Tartus, central Homs, and Hasakeh in the northeast. At least 48 people died in the blasts, Syrian state media reported, a majority of them in a double bombing in President Bashar al-Assad's coastal stronghold of Tartus. Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, state television said 35 people were killed and 43 others wounded in the attack. In the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in Hasakeh city, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present. State media said the dead were six members of the Kurds' Asayesh security forces and two civilians. Amaq said in a statement that a bomber wearing a suicide belt had attacked an Asayesh checkpoint there. Another four people were killed in a car bomb in Homs city's Al-Zahraa neighbourhood, whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad. A bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person was killed and three were wounded. (AFP)

48 dead in IS-claimed string of bomb attacks across Syria

Turkey ramped up its its offensive against the Islamic State in Syria on Saturday as its tanks crossed into the northern part of the country from the Kilis province. 
 
Turkey&#39;s fresh military impetus helped Syrian rebels retake two villages held by the IS.&nbsp;
&quot;Today, they (Turkey-backed Syrian rebels)&nbsp;managed to take control of the villages of Arab Ezza, al-Fursan, and have moved towards Lilwa,&quot; Ahmed Othman,&nbsp;a commander in the pro-Turkey rebel group Sultan Murad, told Al Jazeera from Aleppo&#39;s northern suburbs.&nbsp;
Howitzers belonging to the Turkish force pounded IS strongholds in the area, Dogan news agency reported. 
 
A Reuters cameraman in the area earlier heard a repeated booming sound and saw plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. 
 
The tanks are reported to have crossed the frontier near the Turkish village of Cobanbey.&nbsp; 
 
The area is some 55 kilometres southwest of Jarablus, where last week Turkish-backed Syrian forces launched &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, Turkey&#39;s first major incursion into Syria since the civil war began five years ago. 
 
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have made advances against IS militants on one hand and the US-backed Kurdish rebels on the other.&nbsp; 
 
The same day, Turkish-backed rebel factions from the Free Syrian Army announced that they had seized several villages from the Islamic State, news that was confirmed by monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp; 
 
The Hamza Brigade, a group fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, said it had taken control of Arab Ezza, a village near which Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on Friday. 
 
A source in the Failaq al-Sham rebel group said FSA factions had also captured the villages of Fursan, Lilawa, Kino and Najma just south of Arab Ezza. 
 
The US has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups which it backs in its battle against the Islamic State stating that it would jeopardise the broader goal of ridding Syria of the militant group. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkish tanks crossed into northern Syria to intensify its attack on Islamic State

Turkey ramped up its its offensive against the Islamic State in Syria on Saturday as its tanks crossed into the northern part of the country from the Kilis province. Turkey's fresh military impetus helped Syrian rebels retake two villages held by the IS. "Today, they (Turkey-backed Syrian rebels) managed to take control of the villages of Arab Ezza, al-Fursan, and have moved towards Lilwa," Ahmed Othman, a commander in the pro-Turkey rebel group Sultan Murad, told Al Jazeera from Aleppo's northern suburbs. Howitzers belonging to the Turkish force pounded IS strongholds in the area, Dogan news agency reported. A Reuters cameraman in the area earlier heard a repeated booming sound and saw plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. The tanks are reported to have crossed the frontier near the Turkish village of Cobanbey. The area is some 55 kilometres southwest of Jarablus, where last week Turkish-backed Syrian forces launched "Operation Euphrates Shield", Turkey's first major incursion into Syria since the civil war began five years ago. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have made advances against IS militants on one hand and the US-backed Kurdish rebels on the other. The same day, Turkish-backed rebel factions from the Free Syrian Army announced that they had seized several villages from the Islamic State, news that was confirmed by monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Hamza Brigade, a group fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, said it had taken control of Arab Ezza, a village near which Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on Friday. A source in the Failaq al-Sham rebel group said FSA factions had also captured the villages of Fursan, Lilawa, Kino and Najma just south of Arab Ezza. The US has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups which it backs in its battle against the Islamic State stating that it would jeopardise the broader goal of ridding Syria of the militant group. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkey ups its offensive against IS in Syria

Pakistan has foiled Islamic State&#39;s plans to launch attacks in the country, its military establishment&nbsp;said. 
 
Pakistani authorities have so far arrested 309 extremists to nip terror attacks in the bud. 
 
&quot;They (the apprehended men) were involved in attacks on media and security personnel and were planning attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets,&quot;&nbsp;said&nbsp;Lieutenant-General Asim Bajwa, Pakistan&nbsp;military&#39;s top spokesperson.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They tried to make an ingress, and they failed, and they have been apprehended so far,&quot; he further said. 
 
Most of the arrested&nbsp;militants are Pakistani jihaidists who switched allegiances to the IS. There were a few foreign fighters&nbsp;including some from Afghanistan and Syria. 
 
Bajwa also said authorities have arrested a core group of 20 organisers. &quot;We have captured all of them, except for one who I am sure is not in Pakistan.&quot; 
 
The comments come a few days after a bomb explosion ripped through a Quetta hospital, killing 70. The attack was claimed by the IS, stoking fears that the West Asia-based jihadi&nbsp;militants were building up a presence in the country.&nbsp; 
 
A Pakistani Taliban splinter group also claimed responsibility for the attack. This prompted Bajwa to say IS&#39;s claims of perpetrating the bomb attack were false.&nbsp; 
 
Bajwa also said there were IS militants active in the Afghan provinces of&nbsp; Nangarhar, Khost and Kunar.&nbsp; 
 
The spokesman also responded to US secretary of state John Kerry&#39;s comment made in India that Pakistan was not doing enought to wipe out militants from their country. 
 
&quot;Terrorists&nbsp;of all organisations, including Haqqanis, including Afghan Taliban, have been killed and some apprehended ... so if you say that you know actions have not been taken or (are) not being taken, that is wrong,&quot; he said, referring to US concerns about the country being lenient towards certain jihadist groups. 
 
&quot;We have paid $106.9 billion (on) this war ... If anyone points a finger at Pakistan or casts an eye of suspicion on Pakistan, they need to know this cost,&quot; said Bajwa. 
 
(WION with added inputs from Reuters)

The country's military said over 300 Islamist militants, who were planning 'attacks on government and civilian targets', have been arrested

Pakistan has foiled Islamic State's plans to launch attacks in the country, its military establishment said. Pakistani authorities have so far arrested 309 extremists to nip terror attacks in the bud. "They (the apprehended men) were involved in attacks on media and security personnel and were planning attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets," said Lieutenant-General Asim Bajwa, Pakistan military's top spokesperson. "They tried to make an ingress, and they failed, and they have been apprehended so far," he further said. Most of the arrested militants are Pakistani jihaidists who switched allegiances to the IS. There were a few foreign fighters including some from Afghanistan and Syria. Bajwa also said authorities have arrested a core group of 20 organisers. "We have captured all of them, except for one who I am sure is not in Pakistan." The comments come a few days after a bomb explosion ripped through a Quetta hospital, killing 70. The attack was claimed by the IS, stoking fears that the West Asia-based jihadi militants were building up a presence in the country. A Pakistani Taliban splinter group also claimed responsibility for the attack. This prompted Bajwa to say IS's claims of perpetrating the bomb attack were false. Bajwa also said there were IS militants active in the Afghan provinces of Nangarhar, Khost and Kunar. The spokesman also responded to US secretary of state John Kerry's comment made in India that Pakistan was not doing enought to wipe out militants from their country. "Terrorists of all organisations, including Haqqanis, including Afghan Taliban, have been killed and some apprehended ... so if you say that you know actions have not been taken or (are) not being taken, that is wrong," he said, referring to US concerns about the country being lenient towards certain jihadist groups. "We have paid $106.9 billion (on) this war ... If anyone points a finger at Pakistan or casts an eye of suspicion on Pakistan, they need to know this cost," said Bajwa. (WION with added inputs from Reuters)

Pakistan has thwarted IS attacks in country: Military

Islamic State spokesman and head of external operations Abu Muhammad al-Adnani has been killed in Aleppo in Syria, the organisation&#39;s Amaq news agency said on Tuesday. 
 
The United States carried out an air strike targeting Adnani, a US&nbsp;defense official said after the militant group announced the group&#39;s longest-serving leaders&nbsp;had been killed. 
 
The Amaq&nbsp;news agency, however, reported that Adnani was killed &quot;while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo&quot;. 
 
The US&nbsp;official said the strike targeted a vehicle in the town of al-Bab in Syria. 
 
He declined to say whether Adnani was killed.&nbsp; 
 
Adnani was one of the group&#39;s most prominent leaders&nbsp;along with group&#39;s caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 
 
He has been the group&#39;s chief propagandist since he declared in a statement that the group was establishing a caliphate cover huge swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. 
 
Recent advances by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and by Syrian rebels backed by Turkey, have made inroads into Islamic State holdings in Aleppo province, cutting them off from the Turkish border and supply lines along it. 
 
According to Hisham al-Hashimi, a&nbsp;security analyst who advises the Iraqi government on Islamic State, Adnani was injured in a coalition strike on August 17 in north of Aleppo. 
 
The Islamic State is fighting Turkish and US-backed Syrian rebels there. 
 
A US&nbsp;counter-terrorism official who monitors Islamic State said that Adnani&#39;s death will hurt the militants &quot;in the area that increasingly concerns us as the group loses more and more of its caliphate and its financial base ... and turns to mounting and inspiring more attacks in Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere&quot;. 
 
Designated a &ldquo;global terrorist&rdquo; by the US this year, Adnani was one of the first foreign fighters to oppose US-led coalition forces in Iraq since 2003. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The US carried out an air strike targeting Adnani, a US defense official said after IS announced the leader had been killed

Islamic State spokesman and head of external operations Abu Muhammad al-Adnani has been killed in Aleppo in Syria, the organisation's Amaq news agency said on Tuesday. The United States carried out an air strike targeting Adnani, a US defense official said after the militant group announced the group's longest-serving leaders had been killed. The Amaq news agency, however, reported that Adnani was killed "while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo". The US official said the strike targeted a vehicle in the town of al-Bab in Syria. He declined to say whether Adnani was killed. Adnani was one of the group's most prominent leaders along with group's caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He has been the group's chief propagandist since he declared in a statement that the group was establishing a caliphate cover huge swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Recent advances by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and by Syrian rebels backed by Turkey, have made inroads into Islamic State holdings in Aleppo province, cutting them off from the Turkish border and supply lines along it. According to Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst who advises the Iraqi government on Islamic State, Adnani was injured in a coalition strike on August 17 in north of Aleppo. The Islamic State is fighting Turkish and US-backed Syrian rebels there. A US counter-terrorism official who monitors Islamic State said that Adnani's death will hurt the militants "in the area that increasingly concerns us as the group loses more and more of its caliphate and its financial base ... and turns to mounting and inspiring more attacks in Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere". Designated a “global terrorist” by the US this year, Adnani was one of the first foreign fighters to oppose US-led coalition forces in Iraq since 2003. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State propaganda chief killed in Syria's Aleppo

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