US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria&#39;s largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa.

The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April.

This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city.

On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district.

SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.

Islamic State still control the dam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa.

In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State&#39;s pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014.

(Reuters)

The Syrian Democratic Forces have taken the old quarters of Tabqa, which has Syria's largest dam. But the dam remains under IS' control despite them having control of just 20% of the city

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa. The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April. This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city. On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district. SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. Islamic State still control the dam. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa. In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State's pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014. (Reuters)

US coalition ousts IS from vital town in Syria as part of Raqqa offensive

Two suspected fighters from India who joined the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda&nbsp;were&nbsp;reportedly killed during a US airstrike in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

With Yahya and Abu Thahir&#39;s death, the number of&nbsp;Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four.

Police said they received an information last night about the death of Thahir in Syria.

But Indian investigators have yet to confirm Yahya&#39;s&nbsp;death.

Yahya&#39;s family members got a message about his death last night on Telegram, a social media application, BCA Rahiman , a social worker told Press Trust of India.

The sender of the message, Asfak, said Yahya was &quot;martyred&quot; in the US attack.

&quot;He was killed while fighting the US forces,&quot; the message read.

It, however, does not specify as to when he was killed.

The US has ramped up its fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the most devastating strike occurring in mid-April when an American warplane dropped the &#39;Mother of All Bombs&#39; which reportedly left scores of IS militants dead.

According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the US carried out seven airstrikes or drone attacks in the war-stricken country in the last seven days, which has reportedly killed 127 extremists.

Yahya and Abu Thahir, both of whom hailed from Palakkad in Kerala, had reportedly joined Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, police said.

They were among the 21 people, including women and children from Kerala, who had travelled to the Middle East and went missing in 2016.

A fortnight ago, Murshid Muhammed from Padna in Kerala&#39;s Kasargod&nbsp;district was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan. 
 
WION&#39;s Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India&#39;s southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters.

Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state&nbsp;when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS&#39; ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups&#39; more progressive agenda, his report had stated.

Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation&nbsp;is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs.

In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

With Yahya and Abu Thahir's death, the number of?Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four

Two suspected fighters from India who joined the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda were reportedly killed during a US airstrike in Afghanistan. With Yahya and Abu Thahir's death, the number of Indian recruits in the last fortnight to have been killed in US strikes in Afghanistan has risen to four. Police said they received an information last night about the death of Thahir in Syria. But Indian investigators have yet to confirm Yahya's death. Yahya's family members got a message about his death last night on Telegram, a social media application, BCA Rahiman , a social worker told Press Trust of India. The sender of the message, Asfak, said Yahya was "martyred" in the US attack. "He was killed while fighting the US forces," the message read. It, however, does not specify as to when he was killed. The US has ramped up its fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the most devastating strike occurring in mid-April when an American warplane dropped the 'Mother of All Bombs' which reportedly left scores of IS militants dead. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the US carried out seven airstrikes or drone attacks in the war-stricken country in the last seven days, which has reportedly killed 127 extremists. Yahya and Abu Thahir, both of whom hailed from Palakkad in Kerala, had reportedly joined Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, police said. They were among the 21 people, including women and children from Kerala, who had travelled to the Middle East and went missing in 2016. A fortnight ago, Murshid Muhammed from Padna in Kerala's Kasargod district was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan. WION's Ramesh Ramachandran has reported in the past about how India's southern state of Kerala has confounded Indian authorities by becoming a fertile ground for IS to recruit more fighters. Despite high literacy rates and prosperity in the state when compared to the rest of the country, young men and women in Kerala have taken to IS' ultra-conservative Islamic interpretation as they have become disillusioned with local Islamic groups' more progressive agenda, his report had stated. Another alarming aspect of Indians joining the Middle East-based jihadist organisation is that some of the young men and women had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs. In total, there are about 100 Indians who have joined IS as per an Indian government data. (WION with inputs from PTI)

2 Indians who joined IS 'killed' in US airstrike in Afghanistan

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the &quot;Mother of All Bombs&quot;.

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops &quot;came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province&quot; late Wednesday.

The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria.

&quot;The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice,&quot; said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military&#39;s name for IS Khorasan.

In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar.&nbsp;

The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued.&nbsp;

&quot;Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB),&quot; the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP.

&quot;They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don&#39;t know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation,&quot; he added.

On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties.&nbsp;

US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops&#39; next of kin.&nbsp;

An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8.

America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces.&nbsp;

But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat.

IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists.

But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help.

The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation.

Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.

(AFP)

US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops 'came under attack' during an operation in an area not very far from where the 'Mother of All Bombs' was dropped

Two US troops were killed and one was wounded while fighting an Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan, the US military said Thursday, near where Washington this month dropped the "Mother of All Bombs". US Forces-Afghanistan said the troops "came under attack during a raid against insurgents in Nangarhar province" late Wednesday. The troops were working with partnered Afghan soldiers in the raid against IS Khorasan, a local offshoot of the jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. "The fight against ISIS-K is important for the world, but sadly, it is not without sacrifice," said US Forces-Afghanistan chief General John Nicholson, using the military's name for IS Khorasan. In mid-April, the US military earlier dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions in Nangarhar. The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued. "Last night US forces along with some Afghan forces, conducted a night time operation in a village next to Assadkhail village (site of the MOAB)," the governor of Achin district, where the fighting took place, Ismail Shinwari, told AFP. "They used helicopters to deploy forces and the sound of heavy fighting could be heard from the site. We don't know anything about possible American casualties, but as per our information, up to 40 IS fighters were killed in the operation," he added. On Thursday evening the Islamic State group claimed on its website to have repelled an attack conducted by American and Afghan forces and to have caused US casualties. US Forces-Afghanistan did not immediately provide additional information ahead of notification of the dead troops' next of kin. An American special forces soldier was killed while conducting operations against IS in Nangarhar on April 8. America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most are part of a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces. But about 2,150 of these troops work in a counterterrorism role and are more likely to be engaged in actual combat. IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists. But the group has steadily lost ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces. This week Afghan authorities arrested 35 soldiers who served on an army base in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban staged a deadly attack last week as fears grew they had inside help. The brutal assault in which 135 recruits were killed is believed to be the deadliest-ever Taliban attack on a military installation. Afghan forces, already beset by killings and desertions, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. (AFP)

Two US troops killed, one hurt during raid against IS in Afghanistan

Islam Maytat thought marrying an Afghan-British businessman was her ticket to a new life as a fashionista in London. Instead she became a&nbsp;widow&nbsp;living under jihadist rule in Syria.

At just 23, the young Moroccan spent three traumatic years in northern Syria under the Islamic State group&#39;s so-called &quot;caliphate&quot;.

Tens of thousands of foreigners have joined jihadist groups in Syria, including women who are encouraged to marry and raise the children of IS fighters.

Some, like Maytat, have been lured unknowingly into marriages with would-be jihadists.

Maytat spoke to AFP after fleeing IS&#39;s northern stronghold of Raqa to territory controlled by a US-backed alliance fighting the extremist group.

Now safe in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli, Maytat holds her gurgling 10-month-old daughter Maria in her lap as she tells her story.

&quot;Meeting my husband was one of the things that motivated me to study fashion design in Europe, but I had no luck. Everything went wrong,&quot; she said.

She first met Khalil Ahmed, an Afghan-British trader who worked in Dubai, online in early 2014, and they married two months later.

He flew to Morocco to marry her and they then went to Dubai, stepping into a complex web of lies and journeys across the Middle East that would eventually take her to Syria.

&#39;Going to the caliphate&#39;

Ahmed proved to be a strict, controlling husband who did not allow her to wear makeup or bright clothes.

After a brief trip to Afghanistan to meet his family, Maytat was eager to get to London and start working as a stylist.

Ahmed proposed travelling to Istanbul, convincing a reluctant Maytat that it would be easier to move to London from there.

But as soon as they landed in Turkey, Ahmed immediately drove her to the southeastern city of Gaziantep near the border with Syria.

Ankara has long been accused of turning a blind eye to IS fighters using the porous Syrian-Turkish border to transport people, goods, and funds, allegations it vehemently denies.

In Gaziantep, Maytat and Ahmed moved into a large house full of ecstatic couples from countries including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and France.

&quot;I asked them &#39;Why are you here?&#39; And they told me they were there to migrate to the caliphate in Syria,&quot; Maytat recalls.

In June 2014, IS declared a self-styled &quot;caliphate&quot; across Syria and Iraq, where it implemented its literal interpretation of Islamic law.

&quot;I began to cry. It was two weeks after the caliphate was declared and the women kept saying &#39;We&#39;re going to the land of the caliphate, the land of the Muslims&#39;, and they were all happy,&quot; Maytat says.

In August, Ahmed and Maytat made their own journey across the border into war-ravaged northern Syria.

&#39;I had no choice&#39;&nbsp;

They settled in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, where Ahmed&#39;s brother was already living with his family.

&quot;I said to my husband &#39;Why did you destroy my life like this? You should have told me from the beginning that this is what we were going to do&#39;,&quot;&nbsp;Maytat recalls.&nbsp;

&quot;And he said &#39;You&#39;re my wife, you have to listen to what I say&#39;.&quot;

Tears welling, Maytat says she had felt powerless to resist Ahmed, her only link to her previous life.

By September, she was pregnant with her first child, Abdullah, and Ahmed was sent to a month-long military training before deploying to IS&#39;s front in Kobane.

On October 8, 2014, Ahmed&#39;s brother told Maytat her husband had been killed in combat.

&quot;I became more depressed. I said to myself, this is the only person I knew in this foreign land, and now I&#39;m alone here,&quot; she tells AFP.

Pregnant and alone, Maytat moved into a shared &quot;guest house&quot; for widows of jihadists, mostly Uzbeks and Russians.

This is when the military training started.

&quot;When they forced us to do weapons training I was pregnant, but I had no choice,&quot; she says.

Unable to communicate with many other widows, Maytat was allowed to move into a building housing other Arabic-speakers.

&quot;There were French, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians. I stayed there until I gave birth to Abdullah.&quot;

&#39;Secret route&#39; to safety

Less than a year after her first husband died, Maytat remarried in order to escape the shelter.

Her second husband, an Afghan known as Abu Abdullah, took her to Raqa, the de facto capital of IS&#39;s caliphate.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t deal with life there, he wouldn&#39;t let me leave the house, so I asked him for a divorce two months later,&quot; she says.

She then married for the third time in three years, this time to an Indian fighter in Raqa known as Abu Talha al-Hindi.

That 18-month marriage produced her daughter, Maria.

When Maytat learned Abu Talha had been killed battling the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, she joined up with another jihadist&nbsp;widow, a Yazidi woman.

They escaped IS territory via &quot;a secret route&quot; that she refused to divulge.

Traumatised by her past, Maytat is now also worried about her future and that of her two young children.

&quot;I still don&#39;t know what to do with my life.

&quot;I hope to return to Morocco with both of my children, but I don&#39;t know if I&#39;ll have a future or not there.&quot;

(AFP)

Islam Maytat, a 23-year-old Moroccan, was lured unknowingly into marriage with a would-be jihadist. This is her story

Islam Maytat thought marrying an Afghan-British businessman was her ticket to a new life as a fashionista in London. Instead she became a widow living under jihadist rule in Syria. At just 23, the young Moroccan spent three traumatic years in northern Syria under the Islamic State group's so-called "caliphate". Tens of thousands of foreigners have joined jihadist groups in Syria, including women who are encouraged to marry and raise the children of IS fighters. Some, like Maytat, have been lured unknowingly into marriages with would-be jihadists. Maytat spoke to AFP after fleeing IS's northern stronghold of Raqa to territory controlled by a US-backed alliance fighting the extremist group. Now safe in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli, Maytat holds her gurgling 10-month-old daughter Maria in her lap as she tells her story. "Meeting my husband was one of the things that motivated me to study fashion design in Europe, but I had no luck. Everything went wrong," she said. She first met Khalil Ahmed, an Afghan-British trader who worked in Dubai, online in early 2014, and they married two months later. He flew to Morocco to marry her and they then went to Dubai, stepping into a complex web of lies and journeys across the Middle East that would eventually take her to Syria. 'Going to the caliphate' Ahmed proved to be a strict, controlling husband who did not allow her to wear makeup or bright clothes. After a brief trip to Afghanistan to meet his family, Maytat was eager to get to London and start working as a stylist. Ahmed proposed travelling to Istanbul, convincing a reluctant Maytat that it would be easier to move to London from there. But as soon as they landed in Turkey, Ahmed immediately drove her to the southeastern city of Gaziantep near the border with Syria. Ankara has long been accused of turning a blind eye to IS fighters using the porous Syrian-Turkish border to transport people, goods, and funds, allegations it vehemently denies. In Gaziantep, Maytat and Ahmed moved into a large house full of ecstatic couples from countries including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and France. "I asked them 'Why are you here?' And they told me they were there to migrate to the caliphate in Syria," Maytat recalls. In June 2014, IS declared a self-styled "caliphate" across Syria and Iraq, where it implemented its literal interpretation of Islamic law. "I began to cry. It was two weeks after the caliphate was declared and the women kept saying 'We're going to the land of the caliphate, the land of the Muslims', and they were all happy," Maytat says. In August, Ahmed and Maytat made their own journey across the border into war-ravaged northern Syria. 'I had no choice' They settled in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, where Ahmed's brother was already living with his family. "I said to my husband 'Why did you destroy my life like this? You should have told me from the beginning that this is what we were going to do'," Maytat recalls. "And he said 'You're my wife, you have to listen to what I say'." Tears welling, Maytat says she had felt powerless to resist Ahmed, her only link to her previous life. By September, she was pregnant with her first child, Abdullah, and Ahmed was sent to a month-long military training before deploying to IS's front in Kobane. On October 8, 2014, Ahmed's brother told Maytat her husband had been killed in combat. "I became more depressed. I said to myself, this is the only person I knew in this foreign land, and now I'm alone here," she tells AFP. Pregnant and alone, Maytat moved into a shared "guest house" for widows of jihadists, mostly Uzbeks and Russians. This is when the military training started. "When they forced us to do weapons training I was pregnant, but I had no choice," she says. Unable to communicate with many other widows, Maytat was allowed to move into a building housing other Arabic-speakers. "There were French, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians. I stayed there until I gave birth to Abdullah." 'Secret route' to safety Less than a year after her first husband died, Maytat remarried in order to escape the shelter. Her second husband, an Afghan known as Abu Abdullah, took her to Raqa, the de facto capital of IS's caliphate. "I couldn't deal with life there, he wouldn't let me leave the house, so I asked him for a divorce two months later," she says. She then married for the third time in three years, this time to an Indian fighter in Raqa known as Abu Talha al-Hindi. That 18-month marriage produced her daughter, Maria. When Maytat learned Abu Talha had been killed battling the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, she joined up with another jihadist widow, a Yazidi woman. They escaped IS territory via "a secret route" that she refused to divulge. Traumatised by her past, Maytat is now also worried about her future and that of her two young children. "I still don't know what to do with my life. "I hope to return to Morocco with both of my children, but I don't know if I'll have a future or not there." (AFP)

She wanted to be a stylist, ended up becoming a jihadist widow in Syria

&ldquo;You have a BKC with 42 shots and in front of you there are seven&nbsp;blasphemous and apostate people. You are asked to equally distribute the shots through sniping the following: An apostate, a Sahawat, a crusader (Christian), an atheist, a Salouli (Saudi), a Rafidi (Shiite), and a spy.&rdquo;

This is an exercise meant for 8-year-old children found in a Mathematics book used in Islamic State (IS) controlled territories in Syria. This sample was recently published on the report <a href="http://sound-and-picture.com/en/curricula-islamic-state-isis-controlled-areas/" target="_blank">The Curricula in the Islamic State</a>&nbsp;written by Sarmad al-Jilane for the Sound &amp; Picture Organisation.

When I was 8 years old I studied in a peaceful and rather wealthy Europe and this was the kind of Mathematics exercises that our teachers used to give us: &ldquo;There is a birthday party and in order to make all the children happy, Daniele&rsquo;s mother decides to equally distributes some biscuits. If we have 54 biscuits and there are 9 children at the party, how many biscuits will each child receive?&rdquo;

I do not I think I really need to highlight the difference.&nbsp;

Beside undoubtedly teaching a bit of mathematics, the real objective of the IS-made exercise is to brainwash children and inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism. In many part of the world, an 8-year-old child would not divide his or her society on the basis of the attitude towards religion. I can quite safely say that when I was in second standard, no child in my class even knew what an apostate was and if they did, they would not probably have considered him as an enemy.

This is not because the Western education is somehow better, but just because we were not taught to. The Islamic State survives also thanks to sectarian hatred and teaching children to hate whoever thinks differently is vital for the organisation.

It is not only about concepts, but also about weapons. I can&rsquo;t help but wondering how many of our readers do know what a BKC is. A BKC, more widely known as PK machine gun, is an automatic rifle which can be both used by the infantry or mounted on vehicles. It&nbsp;shoots hundreds of projectiles per minute up to a distance of 1.5 kilometres.&nbsp;It is an instrument of death which is smuggled and widely used in West Asia. I learned&nbsp;all this during my last trip to Mosul as a war correspondent.&nbsp;A&nbsp;child in Raqqa learns it at 8 years old.

The report highlights how the presence of war, guns and violence is widespread over all the school books that the IS has created. When talking about the Arabic language course, the report reads that, &ldquo;The textbook is rich in violence and hatred that ISIS feeds to children; For instance, the first grade textbook contains many images of various weapons such as machine guns, tanks, planes, and masked soldiers engaged in combat&rdquo;.

In its curricula, the Islamic State gives importance to what they call &quot;Physical Development&quot; which, according to the report&rsquo;s authors, is more similar to martial art. The teacher&rsquo;s book cover is rather self explanatory and is reminiscent of&nbsp;the cages where Mixed Martial Art fighters challenge each other&nbsp;in bloody tournaments.

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The &quot;Physical Development&quot; teacher&rsquo;s book cover. Courtesy: Sound &amp; Picture. (Others)
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Since the Islamic State gained control over swathes of land in Syria and Iraq in 2014, this is what their education&nbsp;has imposed in the schools they run. Citizens have little options since education is not diversified at all. In the beginning there was the possibility to enrol children in private schools which used different curricula, but then the IS closed them all. Now the choice is between sending children to &quot;government&quot;&nbsp;schools or not sending them to school at all.

According to the report, out of the 115 schools active in Raqqa, the de facto Syrian capital city of the Islamic State, only 24 remain actives. Twelve for boys and twelve for women, since the IS do not admit mixed schools nor difference of gender between teachers and students.&nbsp;

Education is a dangerous tool in the hands of any totalitarian government.&nbsp;Perhaps we can say that establishing a monopoly over education is the most important objective of a dictatorship which aims at surviving in the future.

Right after coming to power, most dictators and authoritarian governments create&nbsp;a commission to review books in order to re-shape history in their favour. Changing the narrative of historical figures helps in creating new enemies and heroes, a crucial need for the regime.

The biggest effort is normally made towards the primary school, where knowledge is easier to control; Children this young learn mostly&nbsp;new things and they do not have enough terms of comparisons to decide what is true and what is not.&nbsp;

Brainwashing children through a biased education is an investment on the future. If the IS succeeds in doing so, it will create a generation of blind followers who will be ready to do whatever they are ordered without questioning.&nbsp;

The effort the IS is taking, despite the military defeats they are clearly suffering, to push their curricula into the children&rsquo;s mind tells us once again how the organisation does not perceive itself as temporary or limited to the present time.&nbsp;

It is also interesting to notice that, despite condemning all Western countries as enemies, the IS curricula&nbsp;teaches&nbsp;in the English language, suggesting that the terrorist organisation does not perceive itself as only a local group. According to the report, the Islamic State established on the ground even schools in foreign languages, in order to teach to sons and daughter of foreign fighters coming from non-Arabic speaking countries.

The Islamic State is not a hyper-local group made only of crazy shouting fanatics, but&nbsp;an organisation with a global view and the capability to address their political necessities.

In all this process of forced re-education of young minds, teachers have absolutely no role and are not allowed to speak out. The Islamic State is not a tolerant organisation: They&nbsp;labelled all the curricula used before they came as blasphemous, introducing all sorts of punishments - from fines to death - to &ldquo;any teacher who reverted to teaching the previous curriculum&rdquo;. Teachers are also forced to attend religious sessions where they must accept the new curricula. &nbsp;

Smuggling children out of IS-controlled areas has now become impossible due to the heavy control that the organisation imposes. The only option to save children&#39;s minds is not to send them to school.

And when not educating children&nbsp;is&nbsp;the best available option available for them, the dimension of the problem becomes even clearer.&nbsp;

(WION)

When the IS takes over a region they control children's education to inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism

“You have a BKC with 42 shots and in front of you there are seven blasphemous and apostate people. You are asked to equally distribute the shots through sniping the following: An apostate, a Sahawat, a crusader (Christian), an atheist, a Salouli (Saudi), a Rafidi (Shiite), and a spy.” This is an exercise meant for 8-year-old children found in a Mathematics book used in Islamic State (IS) controlled territories in Syria. This sample was recently published on the report The Curricula in the Islamic State written by Sarmad al-Jilane for the Sound & Picture Organisation. When I was 8 years old I studied in a peaceful and rather wealthy Europe and this was the kind of Mathematics exercises that our teachers used to give us: “There is a birthday party and in order to make all the children happy, Daniele’s mother decides to equally distributes some biscuits. If we have 54 biscuits and there are 9 children at the party, how many biscuits will each child receive?” I do not I think I really need to highlight the difference. Beside undoubtedly teaching a bit of mathematics, the real objective of the IS-made exercise is to brainwash children and inculcate into their young minds brutality, violence and sectarianism. In many part of the world, an 8-year-old child would not divide his or her society on the basis of the attitude towards religion. I can quite safely say that when I was in second standard, no child in my class even knew what an apostate was and if they did, they would not probably have considered him as an enemy. This is not because the Western education is somehow better, but just because we were not taught to. The Islamic State survives also thanks to sectarian hatred and teaching children to hate whoever thinks differently is vital for the organisation. It is not only about concepts, but also about weapons. I can’t help but wondering how many of our readers do know what a BKC is. A BKC, more widely known as PK machine gun, is an automatic rifle which can be both used by the infantry or mounted on vehicles. It shoots hundreds of projectiles per minute up to a distance of 1.5 kilometres. It is an instrument of death which is smuggled and widely used in West Asia. I learned all this during my last trip to Mosul as a war correspondent. A child in Raqqa learns it at 8 years old. The report highlights how the presence of war, guns and violence is widespread over all the school books that the IS has created. When talking about the Arabic language course, the report reads that, “The textbook is rich in violence and hatred that ISIS feeds to children; For instance, the first grade textbook contains many images of various weapons such as machine guns, tanks, planes, and masked soldiers engaged in combat”. In its curricula, the Islamic State gives importance to what they call "Physical Development" which, according to the report’s authors, is more similar to martial art. The teacher’s book cover is rather self explanatory and is reminiscent of the cages where Mixed Martial Art fighters challenge each other in bloody tournaments. The "Physical Development" teacher’s book cover. Courtesy: Sound & Picture. (Others) × Since the Islamic State gained control over swathes of land in Syria and Iraq in 2014, this is what their education has imposed in the schools they run. Citizens have little options since education is not diversified at all. In the beginning there was the possibility to enrol children in private schools which used different curricula, but then the IS closed them all. Now the choice is between sending children to "government" schools or not sending them to school at all. According to the report, out of the 115 schools active in Raqqa, the de facto Syrian capital city of the Islamic State, only 24 remain actives. Twelve for boys and twelve for women, since the IS do not admit mixed schools nor difference of gender between teachers and students. Education is a dangerous tool in the hands of any totalitarian government. Perhaps we can say that establishing a monopoly over education is the most important objective of a dictatorship which aims at surviving in the future. Right after coming to power, most dictators and authoritarian governments create a commission to review books in order to re-shape history in their favour. Changing the narrative of historical figures helps in creating new enemies and heroes, a crucial need for the regime. The biggest effort is normally made towards the primary school, where knowledge is easier to control; Children this young learn mostly new things and they do not have enough terms of comparisons to decide what is true and what is not. Brainwashing children through a biased education is an investment on the future. If the IS succeeds in doing so, it will create a generation of blind followers who will be ready to do whatever they are ordered without questioning. The effort the IS is taking, despite the military defeats they are clearly suffering, to push their curricula into the children’s mind tells us once again how the organisation does not perceive itself as temporary or limited to the present time. It is also interesting to notice that, despite condemning all Western countries as enemies, the IS curricula teaches in the English language, suggesting that the terrorist organisation does not perceive itself as only a local group. According to the report, the Islamic State established on the ground even schools in foreign languages, in order to teach to sons and daughter of foreign fighters coming from non-Arabic speaking countries. The Islamic State is not a hyper-local group made only of crazy shouting fanatics, but an organisation with a global view and the capability to address their political necessities. In all this process of forced re-education of young minds, teachers have absolutely no role and are not allowed to speak out. The Islamic State is not a tolerant organisation: They labelled all the curricula used before they came as blasphemous, introducing all sorts of punishments - from fines to death - to “any teacher who reverted to teaching the previous curriculum”. Teachers are also forced to attend religious sessions where they must accept the new curricula. Smuggling children out of IS-controlled areas has now become impossible due to the heavy control that the organisation imposes. The only option to save children's minds is not to send them to school. And when not educating children is the best available option available for them, the dimension of the problem becomes even clearer. (WION)

Brainwashing under the Islamic State

In the panic that followed the rattle of gunfire on Paris&#39;s famed Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es on Thursday, tourists and locals dashed for their lives, took refuge where they could and hoped the bullets wouldn&#39;t find them.

&quot;People were running, bumping into each other and crashing into tables&quot;, said a 39-year-old woman who had been dining in a restaurant off the boulevard bustling with visitors.

In the end, the attacker who opened fire with an automatic weapon killed one police officer and wounded two others, one of them seriously. A foreign tourist was hit in her knee by shrapnel.

The gunman was shot dead in return fire while trying to flee on foot, police sources told AFP.

Nobody understood what was happening, &quot;especially the foreign tourists&quot;, said the woman who spoke on condition of anonymity.

&quot;The waiters told us to get out the back of the restaurant, but there was no exit so we had to hide in a back courtyard,&quot; she said, as the lights of dozens of emergency vehicles flashed.&nbsp;

The two-kilometre (1.2-mile) road that links the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde is lined with high-priced real estate, luxury shops and theatres.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&#39;Want to go home&#39;

In the moments after the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State jihadists and came just three days before France&#39;s presidential election first round, people hid where they could.

Some took cover in restaurants or shops, others ran into cinemas to get off the strip that is nicknamed &quot;the most beautiful avenue in the world&quot;.

&quot;I heard shots and I went to see what it was. I saw two bodies on the ground and people screaming, running everywhere,&quot; said Mehdi, a communications consultant. &quot;I was afraid. I left. I didn&#39;t even pay the bill!&quot;

The attack&#39;s impact on the outcome of one of the most unpredictable election contests in decades is unclear, but far-right leader Marine Le Pen and scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon immediately cancelled their campaign events on Friday.

The burst of violence and rush of police action left visitors bewildered, and saddened by the new reality of a steady threat of terror attacks in the French capital.

Jihadist-inspired assaults have killed more than 230 people in France since 2015, with many of the victims being people who had gone out for the evening.

Isabel, a 34-year-old Australian tourist, was unable to reach her lodging because of the police lines.

&quot;I just want to go home,&quot; she said.

(AFP)

Moments after the attack, which was claimed by IS just 3 days before France's presidential election first round, people hid where they could

In the panic that followed the rattle of gunfire on Paris's famed Champs Élysées on Thursday, tourists and locals dashed for their lives, took refuge where they could and hoped the bullets wouldn't find them. "People were running, bumping into each other and crashing into tables", said a 39-year-old woman who had been dining in a restaurant off the boulevard bustling with visitors. In the end, the attacker who opened fire with an automatic weapon killed one police officer and wounded two others, one of them seriously. A foreign tourist was hit in her knee by shrapnel. The gunman was shot dead in return fire while trying to flee on foot, police sources told AFP. Nobody understood what was happening, "especially the foreign tourists", said the woman who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The waiters told us to get out the back of the restaurant, but there was no exit so we had to hide in a back courtyard," she said, as the lights of dozens of emergency vehicles flashed. The two-kilometre (1.2-mile) road that links the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde is lined with high-priced real estate, luxury shops and theatres. 'Want to go home' In the moments after the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State jihadists and came just three days before France's presidential election first round, people hid where they could. Some took cover in restaurants or shops, others ran into cinemas to get off the strip that is nicknamed "the most beautiful avenue in the world". "I heard shots and I went to see what it was. I saw two bodies on the ground and people screaming, running everywhere," said Mehdi, a communications consultant. "I was afraid. I left. I didn't even pay the bill!" The attack's impact on the outcome of one of the most unpredictable election contests in decades is unclear, but far-right leader Marine Le Pen and scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon immediately cancelled their campaign events on Friday. The burst of violence and rush of police action left visitors bewildered, and saddened by the new reality of a steady threat of terror attacks in the French capital. Jihadist-inspired assaults have killed more than 230 people in France since 2015, with many of the victims being people who had gone out for the evening. Isabel, a 34-year-old Australian tourist, was unable to reach her lodging because of the police lines. "I just want to go home," she said. (AFP)

Terror strikes Champs ?lys?es in deadly attack

One police officer was killed and two&nbsp;wounded Thursday in a shooting on Paris&#39;s Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es, police said, just days ahead of France&#39;s presidential election.

France&#39;s interior ministry said the attacker was killed in the incident in the early evening on the world-famous boulevard.&nbsp;

French President Francois Hollande said that a shooting on the Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;eson Thursday evening was suspected to be &quot;of a terrorist nature&quot;.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting in Paris of a police officer on Thursday, in a statement by the jihadists&#39; propaganda agency Amaq.

&quot;The perpetrator of the attack in Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es in central Paris is Abu Yussef the Belgian and he is one of the Islamic State&#39;s fighters,&quot; it said.

The famous shopping street in the heart of the city, which is usually teeming with tourists and Parisians, was blocked by armed police and metro stations in the area were closed.

Dozens of vehicles from the emergency services were sent to the area.

The shooting comes just two days after police arrested two men in southern Marseille with weapons and explosives who were suspected of preparing an attack to disrupt the first-round of the presidential election on Sunday.

France is in a state of emergency and at its highest possible level of alert since a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people.

Thousands of troops and armed police have been deployed to guard tourist hotspots such as the Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es or other potential targets like government buildings and religious sites.

Up until now, polls showed voters more concerned about unemployment and their spending power than terrorism or security, though analysts warned this would change in the event of further bloodshed.

For weeks, centrist former banker Macron and National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen have been out in front but opinion polls now show there is a chance that any of the four leading candidates could reach the second-round runoff on May 7.

Scandal-plagued conservative Francois Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have closed the gap substantially in the last two weeks.

(AFP)

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shooting on Champs ?lys?es

One police officer was killed and two wounded Thursday in a shooting on Paris's Champs Élysées, police said, just days ahead of France's presidential election. France's interior ministry said the attacker was killed in the incident in the early evening on the world-famous boulevard. French President Francois Hollande said that a shooting on the Champs Élyséeson Thursday evening was suspected to be "of a terrorist nature". The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting in Paris of a police officer on Thursday, in a statement by the jihadists' propaganda agency Amaq. "The perpetrator of the attack in Champs Élysées in central Paris is Abu Yussef the Belgian and he is one of the Islamic State's fighters," it said. The famous shopping street in the heart of the city, which is usually teeming with tourists and Parisians, was blocked by armed police and metro stations in the area were closed. Dozens of vehicles from the emergency services were sent to the area. The shooting comes just two days after police arrested two men in southern Marseille with weapons and explosives who were suspected of preparing an attack to disrupt the first-round of the presidential election on Sunday. France is in a state of emergency and at its highest possible level of alert since a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people. Thousands of troops and armed police have been deployed to guard tourist hotspots such as the Champs Élysées or other potential targets like government buildings and religious sites. Up until now, polls showed voters more concerned about unemployment and their spending power than terrorism or security, though analysts warned this would change in the event of further bloodshed. For weeks, centrist former banker Macron and National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen have been out in front but opinion polls now show there is a chance that any of the four leading candidates could reach the second-round runoff on May 7. Scandal-plagued conservative Francois Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have closed the gap substantially in the last two weeks. (AFP)

France: One policeman killed, two wounded in Paris shooting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police from 6 Indian states arrest 3 Islamic State suspects

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

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

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

Shooting near Egypt monastery kills policeman: Interior ministry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IS kills 25 civilians for attempting to flee Iraqi city

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

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

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

Egypt: Church bombing victims' funerals held in Tanta

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

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

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

Twin suicide bomb attacks on churches rock Egypt on Palm Sunday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russia says six 'terrorist' recruiters detained in St Petersburg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top Bangladesh army officer dies from IS-claimed blast

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