The Supreme Court will today hear a petition filed by advocate Harvinder Choudhry seeking a ban on jokes against the Sikh community.

Choudhary had earlier contended that such jokes portray the Sikh community in a&nbsp;negative light and wants such websites, which disseminate such `insensitive` jokes, to be prosecuted under laws that carry a prison term of six months to five years.

The petitioner argued that such jokes on many social network websites portray Sikhs as &#39;unintelligent&#39;, &#39;foolish&#39; and &#39;na&iuml;ve&#39;, making them an easy target of ridicule and racial abuse.

Choudhary, herself belonging to a Sikh family, said that she too had been a target of ridicule and abuse because of such jokes.

The apex court has asked an expert panel headed by former apex court judge HS Bedi to submit draft guidelines so that appropriate orders can be passed to prevent circulation of Sardar jokes on websites.

In July, a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave six weeks time for the panel to hold discussions and submit the guidelines.

The bench passed the order after hearing the counsel for various parties including the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) which said that the community is being bullied by such jokes.

(ANI)&nbsp;

Three people were arrested in Spain and two in Hungary, with suspected links to Islamic State terrorists

The Supreme Court will today hear a petition filed by advocate Harvinder Choudhry seeking a ban on jokes against the Sikh community. Choudhary had earlier contended that such jokes portray the Sikh community in a negative light and wants such websites, which disseminate such `insensitive` jokes, to be prosecuted under laws that carry a prison term of six months to five years. The petitioner argued that such jokes on many social network websites portray Sikhs as 'unintelligent', 'foolish' and 'naïve', making them an easy target of ridicule and racial abuse. Choudhary, herself belonging to a Sikh family, said that she too had been a target of ridicule and abuse because of such jokes. The apex court has asked an expert panel headed by former apex court judge HS Bedi to submit draft guidelines so that appropriate orders can be passed to prevent circulation of Sardar jokes on websites. In July, a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave six weeks time for the panel to hold discussions and submit the guidelines. The bench passed the order after hearing the counsel for various parties including the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) which said that the community is being bullied by such jokes. (ANI)

Spain, Hungary arrest suspected Islamic State terrorists

In November 2016, India&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country&#39;s Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50&nbsp;were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. 
&nbsp; 
The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India&rsquo;s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS&nbsp;has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. 
&nbsp; 
The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS&nbsp;have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. 
&nbsp; 
But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. 
&nbsp; 
Consider these:

<ul>
	<li>Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

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23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others)
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&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the&nbsp;investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the&nbsp;&ldquo;Telegram&rdquo;,&nbsp;Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS&nbsp;flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS&nbsp;handlers to watch a video titled &ldquo;Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar&rdquo; on Youtube.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

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In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others)
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&nbsp;

Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note.

Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria.

For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad.

Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn&rsquo;t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS&nbsp;on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. 
&nbsp; 
Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. 
&nbsp; 
India&rsquo;s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won&rsquo;t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. 
&nbsp; 
The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

IS&nbsp;arrests in India in 2016:

<ul>
	<li>Maharashtra-11</li>
	<li>Telengana-11</li>
	<li>Karnataka-07</li>
	<li>Kerala-06</li>
	<li>Uttarakhand-04</li>
	<li>Tamil nadu-02</li>
	<li>West bengal-02</li>
	<li>Uttar pradesh-02</li>
	<li>Delhi-01</li>
	<li>Rajasthan-01</li>
	<li>Madhya pradesh-01</li>
	<li>Jammu &amp; kashmir-01</li>
	<li>Bihar-01</li>
</ul>

(WION)

The number of arrests may not be very big, but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India?s security establishment

In November 2016, India's Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country's Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50 were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India’s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. Consider these: Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking. 23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others) × Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the “Telegram”, Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS handlers to watch a video titled “Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar” on Youtube. In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others) × Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note. Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria. For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad. Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn’t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won’t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. IS arrests in India in 2016: Maharashtra-11 Telengana-11 Karnataka-07 Kerala-06 Uttarakhand-04 Tamil nadu-02 West bengal-02 Uttar pradesh-02 Delhi-01 Rajasthan-01 Madhya pradesh-01 Jammu & kashmir-01 Bihar-01 (WION)

India: 50 Islamic State supporters arrested in 2016

Lush, green landscape. Stunning beaches. Scenic backwaters. And mountain treks. Kerala is a tourist&#39;s delight. The Association of British Travel Agents ranks it eighth in the 12 destinations to watch in 2017, higher than the United States, Italy, South Africa and Vietnam. But there&#39;s trouble brewing in paradise. And Padanna is in the thick of it.

Padanna is a sleepy little hamlet in the Kasargode district of north Kerala. You could easily miss it on the map. But it has gained notoriety in the last few years for sending young men -- and women -- to join the ranks of the Islamic State.

Mubaris is your average, middle-class boy in T-shirt and jeans. He loves football and enjoys hanging out with friends. Born into a Muslim family, Mubaris and his siblings received modern education. Like their late father, Mubaris&#39;s elder brother Murshid landed a job in West Asia, too. All was well until June 2016 when Murshid and 21 other young men and women from Kerala left home to join the Islamic State.

According to various studies, a large number of Islamic State recruits come from countries where Muslims by and large feel isolated. But India and certainly Kerala would not fall in that category. They enjoy a syncretic tradition and a culture of assimilation. So what is it about Kerala that makes it vulnerable to this combustible mix as it were of religion and virulpent ideology?

Padanna is not exactly America&#39;s Wild West. In fact, far from it. Like the rest of Kerala, the village enjoys a high literacy rate and a high degree of civic consciousness, too. It also boasts of high social development indices, particularly when it comes to status of women and social welfare programmes. Over the years, many from these parts have travelled abroad, especially to West Asia, where they established successful careers or businesses. Remittances play a big role in Kerala&#39;s economy. In 2015, people from Kerala repatriated more than $14 billion.

The people of Padanna are as bewildered as they are hurt by repeated references to their village as a fertile ground for the Islamic State cadres. Some doubt whether the youths indeed joined the Islamic State. Others claim that some of the messages sent by the youths to their families back home suggest that they had reached the land of Islam. For their part, the elders of the Muslim community are reticent and resent being seen as the Other. They certainly don&#39;t welcome the prying eyes of the media. However, the Muslim youth is more forthcoming. Mubaris&#39;s friend Riyaz says that those who allegedly joined the ranks of the Islamic State might have been motivated by a desire to practise the doctrine of Salafism voluntarily, not out of coercion.

&quot;They would not have done it for money. They grew up here like the children that you see playing football here,&quot; Riyaz says, pointing to children playing football nearby. &quot;Some of the youth&nbsp;went to study in Bengaluru or Mumbai. We respected them as our brothers. We noticed a change in them after they became regulars at the mosque.&quot;

What is confounding is that all the young men and women were in their 20s and 30s and some had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs.

VPP Musthafa, an academic-turned-political activist, says that it is generally agreed that radicalisation of youths is a threat but there is little or no consensus or understanding on how to tackle it, or where to begin. &quot;They (the youths who joined the Islamic State) did not have any political or religious affiliation. That is what is strange about this situation.&quot;

The number of Indian nationals who might have joined the Islamic State is fewer than 100, so in absolute terms and also as a percentage of India&#39;s population their number is minuscule as compared to some other countries of the world. But they pose a security threat nevertheless, especially for a country such as India which is already at the receiving end of cross-border terrorism emanating from its immediate neighbourhood. The spectre of hardened Islamic State recruits only adds to India&#39;s woes and raises the threat of lone wolf attacks. But what is even more worrying for India is that a majority of the Islamic State recruits come from Kerala and many of them have since been learnt to have relocated closer home to Afghanistan, where the Taliban and Pakistan&#39;s deep state are active. According to some Indian media reports, the Indian intelligence agencies have traced some of these youths to Afghanistan&#39;s eastern province of Nangarhar, bordering Pakistan.

Padanna is still coming to terms with the situation. There are no easy answers yet to some of the questions swirling in Mubaris&#39;s mind. For a state that prides itself on being called &quot;God&#39;s Own Country&quot;, the quest for understanding man&#39;s relationship, or the lack of it, with God has taken a curious turn.

Read part II--<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kerala-breeding-ground-for-radicalised-youth-11200">Kerala: Breeding ground for radicalised youth</a>

(WION)

Despite being nestled in the syncretic culture of India, a sleepy hamlet in Kerala has gained notoriety for supplying radicalised men to IS

Lush, green landscape. Stunning beaches. Scenic backwaters. And mountain treks. Kerala is a tourist's delight. The Association of British Travel Agents ranks it eighth in the 12 destinations to watch in 2017, higher than the United States, Italy, South Africa and Vietnam. But there's trouble brewing in paradise. And Padanna is in the thick of it. Padanna is a sleepy little hamlet in the Kasargode district of north Kerala. You could easily miss it on the map. But it has gained notoriety in the last few years for sending young men -- and women -- to join the ranks of the Islamic State. Mubaris is your average, middle-class boy in T-shirt and jeans. He loves football and enjoys hanging out with friends. Born into a Muslim family, Mubaris and his siblings received modern education. Like their late father, Mubaris's elder brother Murshid landed a job in West Asia, too. All was well until June 2016 when Murshid and 21 other young men and women from Kerala left home to join the Islamic State. According to various studies, a large number of Islamic State recruits come from countries where Muslims by and large feel isolated. But India and certainly Kerala would not fall in that category. They enjoy a syncretic tradition and a culture of assimilation. So what is it about Kerala that makes it vulnerable to this combustible mix as it were of religion and virulpent ideology? Padanna is not exactly America's Wild West. In fact, far from it. Like the rest of Kerala, the village enjoys a high literacy rate and a high degree of civic consciousness, too. It also boasts of high social development indices, particularly when it comes to status of women and social welfare programmes. Over the years, many from these parts have travelled abroad, especially to West Asia, where they established successful careers or businesses. Remittances play a big role in Kerala's economy. In 2015, people from Kerala repatriated more than $14 billion. The people of Padanna are as bewildered as they are hurt by repeated references to their village as a fertile ground for the Islamic State cadres. Some doubt whether the youths indeed joined the Islamic State. Others claim that some of the messages sent by the youths to their families back home suggest that they had reached the land of Islam. For their part, the elders of the Muslim community are reticent and resent being seen as the Other. They certainly don't welcome the prying eyes of the media. However, the Muslim youth is more forthcoming. Mubaris's friend Riyaz says that those who allegedly joined the ranks of the Islamic State might have been motivated by a desire to practise the doctrine of Salafism voluntarily, not out of coercion. "They would not have done it for money. They grew up here like the children that you see playing football here," Riyaz says, pointing to children playing football nearby. "Some of the youth went to study in Bengaluru or Mumbai. We respected them as our brothers. We noticed a change in them after they became regulars at the mosque." What is confounding is that all the young men and women were in their 20s and 30s and some had degrees in engineering, medicine or management with well-paying jobs. VPP Musthafa, an academic-turned-political activist, says that it is generally agreed that radicalisation of youths is a threat but there is little or no consensus or understanding on how to tackle it, or where to begin. "They (the youths who joined the Islamic State) did not have any political or religious affiliation. That is what is strange about this situation." The number of Indian nationals who might have joined the Islamic State is fewer than 100, so in absolute terms and also as a percentage of India's population their number is minuscule as compared to some other countries of the world. But they pose a security threat nevertheless, especially for a country such as India which is already at the receiving end of cross-border terrorism emanating from its immediate neighbourhood. The spectre of hardened Islamic State recruits only adds to India's woes and raises the threat of lone wolf attacks. But what is even more worrying for India is that a majority of the Islamic State recruits come from Kerala and many of them have since been learnt to have relocated closer home to Afghanistan, where the Taliban and Pakistan's deep state are active. According to some Indian media reports, the Indian intelligence agencies have traced some of these youths to Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, bordering Pakistan. Padanna is still coming to terms with the situation. There are no easy answers yet to some of the questions swirling in Mubaris's mind. For a state that prides itself on being called "God's Own Country", the quest for understanding man's relationship, or the lack of it, with God has taken a curious turn. Read part II--Kerala: Breeding ground for radicalised youth (WION)

Exclusive: Islamic State of mind in God's own country

Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria.&nbsp;

Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West&nbsp;Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. &nbsp;

There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation&#39;s Terrorism Monitor.&nbsp;If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. &nbsp;

The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist.&nbsp;Six of them have already died. &nbsp;

In April 2015, the Maldives&#39; Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits.&nbsp;

The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries.&nbsp;But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a&nbsp;threat the paradise islands have&nbsp;never experienced before.&nbsp;

A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra&#39;s BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Former Maldives&#39; president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria&#39;s Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks&nbsp;them for their contribution&nbsp;to jihad - the holy war.

&quot;And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah),&quot; shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib.&nbsp;

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Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals.&nbsp;

Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language.&nbsp;

On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows&nbsp;the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show&nbsp;Abu Younes&nbsp;with his one-year-old daughter.&nbsp;

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Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others)
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&nbsp;

While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu&nbsp;media centre which describes him as &quot;the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS).&quot;&nbsp;

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Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others)
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&nbsp;

The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing.&nbsp;

There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. &nbsp;

Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But&nbsp;while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad.&nbsp;

But what did pave&nbsp;the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives?&nbsp;

&quot;One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative,&quot; says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. &nbsp;

The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other&#39;s interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government&#39;s major ally in preserving the archipelago&#39;s Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male&#39;s coffers. &nbsp;

All factors come together to help&nbsp;the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. &nbsp;

This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country.&nbsp;But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam.&nbsp;

The shift is clearly visible though.&nbsp;Walking on the street of Mal&eacute;, one can nowadays see shops selling so called &#39;halal&#39; perfumes, &#39;halal&#39; literature, all sort of &#39;halal&#39; goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties,&nbsp;who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word &#39;Wahhabi&#39;&nbsp;was often used as an insult.&nbsp;Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers.

The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. &nbsp;

Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President&nbsp;Abdulla Yameen. &nbsp;

Living in denial means letting the problem grow.&nbsp;More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to.&nbsp;

(WION)

Certain reports place their number at 200, making the Maldives the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad

Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor. If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist. Six of them have already died. In April 2015, the Maldives' Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits. The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries. But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a threat the paradise islands have never experienced before. A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra's BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. Former Maldives' president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria's Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks them for their contribution to jihad - the holy war. "And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah)," shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib. Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals. Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language. On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show Abu Younes with his one-year-old daughter. Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others) × While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu media centre which describes him as "the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS)." Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others) × The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing. There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad. But what did pave the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives? "One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative," says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other's interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground. Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government's major ally in preserving the archipelago's Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male's coffers. All factors come together to help the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country. But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam. The shift is clearly visible though. Walking on the street of Malé, one can nowadays see shops selling so called 'halal' perfumes, 'halal' literature, all sort of 'halal' goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties, who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word 'Wahhabi' was often used as an insult. Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers. The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President Abdulla Yameen. Living in denial means letting the problem grow. More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to. (WION)

Exclusive: From the white sand beaches to the arid Syrian desert, young Maldivians swell the ranks of Islamist terrorists

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists&#39; last major Iraqi stronghold.

Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold.

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground.

A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier.

The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between.

&quot;Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing,&quot; Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex.

Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire.

During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air.

They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy&#39;s lines.

Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul.

Lise Grande, UN&nbsp;humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces.

She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area.

&quot;Siege is a very real possibility. We don&#39;t know if that will happen, but we&#39;re worried that it might,&quot; she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies.

Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway.

Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them.

But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military&#39;s advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea.

Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul.

&quot;They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources,&quot; she said.

CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign.

Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week.

The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi&#39;ite militias.

Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones.

Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government&#39;s Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was &quot;on the verge of collapse&quot;. His region&#39;s peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city.

Islamic State&#39;s loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West.

(Reuters)

The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander

Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in eastern Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, military officials said, keeping up the momentum of a renewed offensive in the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold. Elite troops have pushed into several neighbourhoods in the east and northeast of the city in the past few days as they tried to reach the Tigris River bisecting Mosul before launching an offensive on the west, all of which the militants still hold. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) were advancing into the northeastern Sadeeq and 7th Nissan districts, according to a senior commander on the ground. A Reuters reporter in eastern Mosul saw CTS forces fighting Islamic State militants in Sadeeq, firing towards Mosul University and into the adjacent Hadba area, which army units advancing from the north had breached a day earlier. The forces are expected to meet somewhere in between. "Operations are ongoing and this district will be liberated very shortly, God willing," Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told Reuters on the front line in Sadeeq, one block from the strategically important university complex. Tank shells, machine gun fire and air strikes from a US-led coalition backing the Iraqis targeted Islamic State gunmen holed up in a handful of buildings nearby. The militants detonated several car bombs and returned gunfire. During their attack, Iraqi soldiers repeatedly diverted their attention to the sky to fire their machine guns at white commercial drones circling at a few hundred metres in the air. They were unable to down the aircraft, which Islamic State uses for reconnaissance, to record its suicide attacks and to drop grenades behind its enemy's lines. Securing Hadba, Sadeeq and other nearby districts would allow the CTS to advance further towards the Tigris, control of whose eastern bank will be crucial to launching attacks on western Mosul. Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said on Wednesday there were still some 750,000 people trapped in western Mosul. In the east, she said there were some 450,000 people, of which 400,000 were in areas recaptured by Iraqi forces. She said the operation to retake the western part of the city could get underway in late February or March and that the United Nations was preparing for a possible siege or mass exodus of civilians from the area. "Siege is a very real possibility. We don't know if that will happen, but we're worried that it might," she told reporters in New York via video conference, adding that the United Nations was working to try and pre-position aid supplies. Near Sadeeq and 7th Nissan, in the Sukkar district, a plume of white smoke rose from the site of an Islamic State suicide bomb on Wednesday morning, while charred limbs and car parts from an earlier explosion were scattered along a carriageway. Some residents streamed out of areas where clashes took place, waving white flags and towing suitcases behind them. But many civilians have stayed in their homes, watching the military's advance from behind curtains and locked doors before walking out cautiously to greet soldiers and offer them tea. Grande said Islamic State militants were still using civilians as human shields and also targeting civilians, who she said account for half the casualties in Mosul. "They have been shot as they try and leave the city and they have been shot as they try and secure food and other resources," she said. CTS forces also clashed with the militants further south, a military statement said, seeking to build on gains along that part of the river bank, which they reached last week for the first time in the nearly three-month campaign. Troops from the rapid response division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, with the backing of coalition air strikes, also battled in the Sumer district in the south where they have faced fierce resistance since they entered it this week. The US-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul involves a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi troops, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias. Colonel Brett Sylvia told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that Islamic State militants were using drones to drop munitions on Iraqi forces. He said the U.S.-led coalition had helped bring down almost a dozen Islamic State drones. Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Security Council, said on Twitter that Islamic State was "on the verge of collapse". His region's peshmerga forces are not fighting inside the city. Islamic State's loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi part of its self-styled caliphate, which straddles Iraq and Syria, but the militants could pose a guerrilla threat in both countries and continue to plot attacks on the West. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces push further into northeast Mosul

At least 12 killed and 50 injured in a car bomb blast at a vegetable market in Baghdad on Sunday, the police said.&nbsp;

The Islamic State claimed the attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported.

Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, &quot;A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

The blast struck eastern Baghdad&#39;s Shiite district of Jamila, Reuters quoted sources as saying.&nbsp;

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now.&nbsp;

In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Interior minister spokesman said a soldier opened fire on the car after noticing a suspicious vehicle but the militant blew up the car

At least 12 killed and 50 injured in a car bomb blast at a vegetable market in Baghdad on Sunday, the police said. The Islamic State claimed the attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported. Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, "A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car," AFP reported. The blast struck eastern Baghdad's Shiite district of Jamila, Reuters quoted sources as saying. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now. In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Baghdad: At least 12 killed, 50 injured in suicide car bombing by Islamic State

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with French media to be aired on Monday that his forces are on the road to victory after recapturing the key city of Aleppo last month.

&quot;We do not consider that (retaking Aleppo from the rebels) as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists,&quot; Assad said, according to a French translation of his remarks provided by France&#39;s RTL television.

&quot;But it is a critical moment in this war because we are on the path to victory.&quot;

Earlier Sunday in Damascus, Assad told visiting French lawmakers that he was &quot;optimistic&quot; about new peace talks planned for later this month in Kazakhstan.

Lawmaker Thierry Mariani said the Syrian president also declared himself willing to negotiate with nearly 100 rebel groups fighting against his government, excluding jihadist organisations.

The talks in Astana are being organised by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, following a fragile nationwide ceasefire currently in effect in Syria.

(AFP)

We do not consider retaking Aleppo as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists, Assad said

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with French media to be aired on Monday that his forces are on the road to victory after recapturing the key city of Aleppo last month. "We do not consider that (retaking Aleppo from the rebels) as a victory because victory will be when we have eliminated all the terrorists," Assad said, according to a French translation of his remarks provided by France's RTL television. "But it is a critical moment in this war because we are on the path to victory." Earlier Sunday in Damascus, Assad told visiting French lawmakers that he was "optimistic" about new peace talks planned for later this month in Kazakhstan. Lawmaker Thierry Mariani said the Syrian president also declared himself willing to negotiate with nearly 100 rebel groups fighting against his government, excluding jihadist organisations. The talks in Astana are being organised by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, following a fragile nationwide ceasefire currently in effect in Syria. (AFP)

Syrian forces on road to victory after recapturing Aleppo, says Assad

Turkish media reported that the gunman who killed 39 people in a nightclub in Turkey on New Year&#39;s night has been identified as an Ismalic State group jihadist.

Intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul have identified the man as a 34-year-old Uzbek who is part of a central Asian IS cell, the Hurriyet daily and other Turkish newspapers reported. They also said his code name was Ebu Muhammed Horasani. The reports were not confirmed officially.

Initial reports had suggested that the assailant was a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China. Despite a large manhunt the killer is still on the run. Some reports suggest he is still in Istanbul.

Last week, Turkish police had released the alleged killer&#39;s images. They also released a silent video he purportedly took in central Istanbul with a selfie stick.

This is the first time the Islamic State group has claimed a major attack in the country. The jihadist group has been blamed for attacks in the past.

Istanbul&#39;s main airport was hit by triple suicide bombings and gun attack in June. IS militants from Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as from Russia&#39;s Muslim regions of Dagestan and Chechnya were suspected to be behind the attack.

(AFP)

The man was identified as a 34-year-old Uzbek who is part of a central Asian Islamic State cell. The reports were not officially confirmed

Turkish media reported that the gunman who killed 39 people in a nightclub in Turkey on New Year's night has been identified as an Ismalic State group jihadist. Intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul have identified the man as a 34-year-old Uzbek who is part of a central Asian IS cell, the Hurriyet daily and other Turkish newspapers reported. They also said his code name was Ebu Muhammed Horasani. The reports were not confirmed officially. Initial reports had suggested that the assailant was a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China. Despite a large manhunt the killer is still on the run. Some reports suggest he is still in Istanbul. Last week, Turkish police had released the alleged killer's images. They also released a silent video he purportedly took in central Istanbul with a selfie stick. This is the first time the Islamic State group has claimed a major attack in the country. The jihadist group has been blamed for attacks in the past. Istanbul's main airport was hit by triple suicide bombings and gun attack in June. IS militants from Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as from Russia's Muslim regions of Dagestan and Chechnya were suspected to be behind the attack. (AFP)

Istanbul nightclub attacker identified as Islamic State jihadist: Local media

Two suicide bombings in Baghdad killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 50 people, police and medics said on Sunday.

The first blast struck&nbsp;eastern Baghdad&#39;s Shiite district of Jamila. An attacker drove&nbsp;an explosives-rigged car into a large vegetable market and detonated it after security forces opened fire to try to stop the vehicle, Reuters said.

The second explosion occurred a few hours later&nbsp;at a market in the mostly Shi&#39;ite Baladiyat district.

Reuters reported that 13 people were killed in the first blast and seven in second.

The Islamic State claimed the first attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported.

Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, &quot;A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State.&nbsp;More than 80 people have died in the attacks.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Islamic State claimed the first attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in Jamila

Two suicide bombings in Baghdad killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 50 people, police and medics said on Sunday. The first blast struck eastern Baghdad's Shiite district of Jamila. An attacker drove an explosives-rigged car into a large vegetable market and detonated it after security forces opened fire to try to stop the vehicle, Reuters said. The second explosion occurred a few hours later at a market in the mostly Shi'ite Baladiyat district. Reuters reported that 13 people were killed in the first blast and seven in second. The Islamic State claimed the first attack, saying in an online statement that a suicide car bomber had detonated his explosives in the Jamila area, Reuters reported. Interior minister spokesman Saad Maan said, "A soldier at the gate of Jamila market opened fire on a suicide car bomb after noticing a suspect vehicle but the terrorist blew up his car," AFP reported. In just over a week, Baghdad and other cities have experienced series of blasts, many orchestrated by the Islamic State. More than 80 people have died in the attacks. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Baghdad: Twin suicide bombing kills 20, injures more than 50

&nbsp;

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two car bomb&nbsp;explosion in Baghdad on Thursday. Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were&nbsp;injured.&nbsp;

The explosive devices were placed in cars parked on the side of the road. In an online&nbsp;statement released by the IS, the attack was targeted at the city&#39;s Shia community.&nbsp;

This new attack is part of a growing&nbsp;wave of violence that has hit Iraq&#39;s capital city since 2016. The Islamic State is carrying on several attacks in retaliation to the war the country is fighting against them alongside the US-led coalition. &nbsp;

It is an effective, deadly and unpredictable strategy as&nbsp;more than 60 people have been killed in Baghdad over the past week alone. In 2016, IS&#39; attacks killed&nbsp;more than 600 people in Baghdad and injured nearly a thousand. &nbsp;

The worst bombing happened in July last year, when shortly after midnight a truck exploded in the mainly Shia district of Karrada. The area was busy with families shopping and eating at the end of a long day of Ramzan. More than 300 people died and hundreds were injured.&nbsp;

The aggressive&nbsp;upsurge comes after&nbsp;a year of heavy losses the Islamic State faced in West&nbsp;Asia. &nbsp;

In Iraq IS&nbsp;remains in control of the sole western part of Mosul, once their stronghold and de facto capital. The battle to retake the city is ongoing; the Iraqi army is fighting an urban guerrilla warfare which has resulted in heavy casualties, but the Islamic State is almost completely isolated and is unlikely hold Mosul for very long.&nbsp;

Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, Iraq&#39;s joint operation commander, said that the country&#39;s army now controls nearly 70 per cent of Mosul&#39;s eastern part.&nbsp;

The Islamic State has been deprived of all the oil fields it used to control in Iraq, a major blow to its&nbsp;finances which has severely dented its&nbsp;military capabilities. In an interview released to WION, Iraqi Major General Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri, commander of the Niniveh&nbsp;operation, said that the IS funded many of its activities, even in neighbouring countries, by selling Iraqi oil.&nbsp;

The terrorist organisation is stronger in Syria, but it is suffering daily defeats due to a successful on-the-ground advance by Arabs and Kurds fighting within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has been&nbsp;providing air support aimed at&nbsp;retaking&nbsp;the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed&nbsp;capital of the caliphate. Turkish troops and Ankara-backed armed groups have been involved in the campaign for the last six months. &nbsp;

The anti-Islamic State offensive in Syria is still at the initial stage and it will probably take several months before the city of Raqqa can be directly attacked. &nbsp;

Islamic State terrorism has morphed from an Iraqi and Syrian&nbsp;&#39;problem&#39; into a&nbsp;global security menace. Turkey has recently become the prime&nbsp;target for elements inspired by the group&#39;s propaganda. Many of the terrorist acts&nbsp;carried out in Europe and Asia have been the brainchildren of &#39;lone wolves&#39; or small groups, radical&nbsp;elements who have been inspired by carefully manipulated IS video propaganda, responsible for carrying out deadly attacks across Europe recently. &nbsp;

Islamic state may resort to sudden attacks as twin strategy to not only survive but also to spread terror. The organisation is under attack in its strongholds and the only way it can hit the enemy is a possible surprise attack, not only in Iraq &amp; Syria but anywhere in Europe. This will primarily &#39;divert&#39; the focal point of the conflict and will force the enemy to divide its forces giving it much-needed breathing space&nbsp;in its war in West Asia. &nbsp;

(WION with input from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were injured in the attack meant to hit the city's Shia community

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Thursday. Police and medical sources say 14 people died and at least 15 were injured. The explosive devices were placed in cars parked on the side of the road. In an online statement released by the IS, the attack was targeted at the city's Shia community. This new attack is part of a growing wave of violence that has hit Iraq's capital city since 2016. The Islamic State is carrying on several attacks in retaliation to the war the country is fighting against them alongside the US-led coalition. It is an effective, deadly and unpredictable strategy as more than 60 people have been killed in Baghdad over the past week alone. In 2016, IS' attacks killed more than 600 people in Baghdad and injured nearly a thousand. The worst bombing happened in July last year, when shortly after midnight a truck exploded in the mainly Shia district of Karrada. The area was busy with families shopping and eating at the end of a long day of Ramzan. More than 300 people died and hundreds were injured. The aggressive upsurge comes after a year of heavy losses the Islamic State faced in West Asia. In Iraq IS remains in control of the sole western part of Mosul, once their stronghold and de facto capital. The battle to retake the city is ongoing; the Iraqi army is fighting an urban guerrilla warfare which has resulted in heavy casualties, but the Islamic State is almost completely isolated and is unlikely hold Mosul for very long. Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, Iraq's joint operation commander, said that the country's army now controls nearly 70 per cent of Mosul's eastern part. The Islamic State has been deprived of all the oil fields it used to control in Iraq, a major blow to its finances which has severely dented its military capabilities. In an interview released to WION, Iraqi Major General Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri, commander of the Niniveh operation, said that the IS funded many of its activities, even in neighbouring countries, by selling Iraqi oil. The terrorist organisation is stronger in Syria, but it is suffering daily defeats due to a successful on-the-ground advance by Arabs and Kurds fighting within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has been providing air support aimed at retaking the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the caliphate. Turkish troops and Ankara-backed armed groups have been involved in the campaign for the last six months. The anti-Islamic State offensive in Syria is still at the initial stage and it will probably take several months before the city of Raqqa can be directly attacked. Islamic State terrorism has morphed from an Iraqi and Syrian 'problem' into a global security menace. Turkey has recently become the prime target for elements inspired by the group's propaganda. Many of the terrorist acts carried out in Europe and Asia have been the brainchildren of 'lone wolves' or small groups, radical elements who have been inspired by carefully manipulated IS video propaganda, responsible for carrying out deadly attacks across Europe recently. Islamic state may resort to sudden attacks as twin strategy to not only survive but also to spread terror. The organisation is under attack in its strongholds and the only way it can hit the enemy is a possible surprise attack, not only in Iraq & Syria but anywhere in Europe. This will primarily 'divert' the focal point of the conflict and will force the enemy to divide its forces giving it much-needed breathing space in its war in West Asia. (WION with input from agencies)

Islamic State claims responsibility for car bomb attack in Baghdad

Eighteen people were detained in Turkey on Friday and the justice minister blamed Kurdish militants for the attack that killed two in Izmir city.

&quot;All the information we have obtained show it was the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) terrorist organisation who gave instructions for the attack and that the terrorists were from the PKK,&quot; he said.

The attack killed a police officer and a court employee and wounded nine. Militants detonated a car bomb in a clash with police outside the main courthouse in Turkey&#39;s third largest city on Thursday after they were stopped at a checkpoint. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Authorities say that the militants&#39; plan for a bigger attack, as indicated by the weapons seized from them, was foiled when they were caught at a security check point.

A security source told Reuters police had shot dead two attackers following the blast, and the state-run Anadolu news agency said they were searching for a third.

Justice minister Bekir Bozdag on Friday said that the two assailants have been identified and a search for their accomplices was under way.

Hundreds in Izmir&#39;s main Alsancak square protested over the attack, holding up banners that read, &quot;We are not afraid.&quot;

The bombing comes less than a week after a gunman shot dead 39 people at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year&#39;s Day in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The gunman is still at large.

Turkey faces multiple security threats. It has been hit by a series of bombings over the past 18 months, some of them blamed on Islamic State, others on Kurdish militants.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The attack had killed a police officer and a court employee and wounded nine others

Eighteen people were detained in Turkey on Friday and the justice minister blamed Kurdish militants for the attack that killed two in Izmir city. "All the information we have obtained show it was the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) terrorist organisation who gave instructions for the attack and that the terrorists were from the PKK," he said. The attack killed a police officer and a court employee and wounded nine. Militants detonated a car bomb in a clash with police outside the main courthouse in Turkey's third largest city on Thursday after they were stopped at a checkpoint. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Authorities say that the militants' plan for a bigger attack, as indicated by the weapons seized from them, was foiled when they were caught at a security check point. A security source told Reuters police had shot dead two attackers following the blast, and the state-run Anadolu news agency said they were searching for a third. Justice minister Bekir Bozdag on Friday said that the two assailants have been identified and a search for their accomplices was under way. Hundreds in Izmir's main Alsancak square protested over the attack, holding up banners that read, "We are not afraid." The bombing comes less than a week after a gunman shot dead 39 people at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Day in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The gunman is still at large. Turkey faces multiple security threats. It has been hit by a series of bombings over the past 18 months, some of them blamed on Islamic State, others on Kurdish militants. (With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey detains 18 people over Izmir attack, minister blames Kurdish militants

The number of US military advisors deployed on the Mosul frontline will double to 450. Iraqi regular forces are currently fighting an urban guerrilla war&nbsp;to drive out the Islamic State from their&nbsp;last stronghold in Iraq.&nbsp;

A US-led coalition is supporting the offensive with airstrikes, heavy artillery firing, strategic advices and on-the-ground coordination.

&quot;We have increased the number of advise and assist forces that are there with the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) command elements to help advise them as they move forward and to synchronise operations,&quot; coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian said in a video conference from Baghdad.

Dorian said the decision was taken in order to &quot;accelerate the advance of the Iraqi security forces&quot;.

Iraqi forces entered Mosul two months ago and are currently engaged in a slow advance made of street-to-street battle, ambushes and unconventional warfare.&nbsp;

&quot;There are more than 200,000 buildings in Mosul and...you end up having to clear each one,&quot; Colonel Dorrian said.&nbsp;

&quot;And that goes from rooftop level, often in four-storey or higher buildings, through every single room, and every single closet, and into tunnels that have been dug between these buildings, and sometimes beneath them,&quot; he added. &quot;It&#39;s going to take time. It&#39;s going to be extraordinarily dangerous.&quot;

It will most likely take months before the city could be judged secure and free from all military Islamic State presence.

The US Army has a total of approximately 5,000 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Troops are not only advising and training, but also directly participating in the offensive.

The Mosul offensive is taking a high toll from civilians who are still living within the city walls. From the beginning of the offensive more than 125,000 Iraqis have been displaced, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

A senior commander from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service said on Sunday that Iraqi forces now control&nbsp;more than 60 per cent of Mosul&#39;s eastern half.

The battle is nowhere near over,&nbsp;though. The entire western part of the city&nbsp;is still in the hands of Islamic State terrorists, whose numbers remain&nbsp;unknown.&nbsp;It could take months before the city is&nbsp;completely cleared and gets back on track.

(With inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

The newly deployed US military personnel will help coordinate Iraqi forces in Mosul fighting against the Islamic State

The number of US military advisors deployed on the Mosul frontline will double to 450. Iraqi regular forces are currently fighting an urban guerrilla war to drive out the Islamic State from their last stronghold in Iraq. A US-led coalition is supporting the offensive with airstrikes, heavy artillery firing, strategic advices and on-the-ground coordination. "We have increased the number of advise and assist forces that are there with the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) command elements to help advise them as they move forward and to synchronise operations," coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian said in a video conference from Baghdad. Dorian said the decision was taken in order to "accelerate the advance of the Iraqi security forces". Iraqi forces entered Mosul two months ago and are currently engaged in a slow advance made of street-to-street battle, ambushes and unconventional warfare. "There are more than 200,000 buildings in Mosul and...you end up having to clear each one," Colonel Dorrian said. "And that goes from rooftop level, often in four-storey or higher buildings, through every single room, and every single closet, and into tunnels that have been dug between these buildings, and sometimes beneath them," he added. "It's going to take time. It's going to be extraordinarily dangerous." It will most likely take months before the city could be judged secure and free from all military Islamic State presence. The US Army has a total of approximately 5,000 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Troops are not only advising and training, but also directly participating in the offensive. The Mosul offensive is taking a high toll from civilians who are still living within the city walls. From the beginning of the offensive more than 125,000 Iraqis have been displaced, according to the United Nations. A senior commander from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service said on Sunday that Iraqi forces now control more than 60 per cent of Mosul's eastern half. The battle is nowhere near over, though. The entire western part of the city is still in the hands of Islamic State terrorists, whose numbers remain unknown. It could take months before the city is completely cleared and gets back on track. (With inputs from AFP)

US doubles military advisers in Iraq

The commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq has said that the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State militants in Mosul has gained momentum.

US army Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend has also said that the coordination between the Iraqi army and the security forces was largely absent in the first two months of the campaign, Reuters reported.

Lack of coordination between the Iraq army and the security forces was one of the reason that the campaign had stalled last month.

A decisive victory in Mosul will be the final nail in the coffin for the so-called Islamic Caliphate.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Lack of coordination between Iraq army and Security forces was one reason for the pause

The commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq has said that the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State militants in Mosul has gained momentum. US army Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend has also said that the coordination between the Iraqi army and the security forces was largely absent in the first two months of the campaign, Reuters reported. Lack of coordination between the Iraq army and the security forces was one of the reason that the campaign had stalled last month. A decisive victory in Mosul will be the final nail in the coffin for the so-called Islamic Caliphate. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Campaign against IS gaining momentum in Mosul, says senior US army commander

After a strategic break meant to&nbsp;relieve troops after&nbsp;two months of intense&nbsp;urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces launched a new wave of attacks to retake Mosul, the last stronghold&nbsp;and the de facto capital city of&nbsp;the Islamic State in Iraq.&nbsp;

The Iraqi army is now conducting a multi-axis advance, and according to the US Department of Defense two new fronts have been opened to increase pressure on the terrorists still fighting in the city.&nbsp;

Pentagon sources told CNN they have no reason to think that&nbsp;IS leader Abu Bakhr al-Baghdadi is dead.&nbsp;The reward for information leading to his capture is now at $25 million.

&nbsp;

Humanitarian challenges

The major challenge in the Mosul offensive is the presence of many civilians within the city. There are no official figures on the current situation, but before the offensive begun the population was believed to be close to one million.&nbsp;

When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A&nbsp;mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 3,125 civilians have been injured in Mosul since the army entered the city in early&nbsp;November. That&#39;s a rate of about&nbsp;approximately 50 persons per day.&nbsp;

As the Iraqi army advances, more and more citizens decide to&nbsp;leave their home. The new round of attacks caused an increase in the number of people fleeing with as many as 13,000&nbsp;running away in the first days. &nbsp;

Since&nbsp;the offensive started on October 17, the <a href="http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Situation%20Report_14_Mosul%20final.pdf">United Nation says</a>&nbsp;that as many as 125,569 civilians have abandoned their home. The majority of them&nbsp;now live&nbsp;in the many refugee camps in northern Iraq, where a severe winter hits hard. The region sees temperatures which easily drop below zero during the night.&nbsp;

Some Iraqis who fled war&nbsp;are slowly deciding to go back as soon as their neighbourhoods&nbsp;are declared safe. The OCHA says that as many 14,000 people have currently returned.

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A fundamental part of the Mosul offensive is dictated&nbsp;by the five bridges that cross&nbsp;the Tigris river,&nbsp;connecting the eastern and the western parts of the city. The bridges are&nbsp;the only way terrorists have to move between the two sides and partially escape isolation. All major roads from and to the city are in fact cut off by troops, so&nbsp;the only possibility for them to fight is to move within Mosul and organise as many ambushes as possible. Between December 26&nbsp;and 27, at the request of the Iraqi army, US-led coalition forces disabled three bridges.&nbsp;

While this is militarily significant, it is also&nbsp;concerning for all those&nbsp;living&nbsp;in&nbsp;western Mosul, now suffering complete isolation. No humanitarian agency has access to the area.&nbsp;

OCHA reports that due to scarcity of food, prices are skyrocketing and many &quot;water boreholes in the eastern part of the city are drying up or turning brackish from overuse&quot;.&nbsp;

The Mosul humanitarian emergency adds a problem to a country already devastated by more than ten years of conflict, from the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein to the current fight against the Islamic State.

In 2016 alone,&nbsp;war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.

That&#39;s nearly one life per hour.

While the Iraqi army is achieving moderate gains against IS, no matter how well they fight, destruction and death is inevitable.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Some Iraqis who fled?are slowly deciding to go back to their neighbourhoods, but in 2016 war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead

After a strategic break meant to relieve troops after two months of intense urban guerrilla warfare, Iraqi forces launched a new wave of attacks to retake Mosul, the last stronghold and the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. The Iraqi army is now conducting a multi-axis advance, and according to the US Department of Defense two new fronts have been opened to increase pressure on the terrorists still fighting in the city. Pentagon sources told CNN they have no reason to think that IS leader Abu Bakhr al-Baghdadi is dead. The reward for information leading to his capture is now at $25 million. Humanitarian challenges The major challenge in the Mosul offensive is the presence of many civilians within the city. There are no official figures on the current situation, but before the offensive begun the population was believed to be close to one million. When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 3,125 civilians have been injured in Mosul since the army entered the city in early November. That's a rate of about approximately 50 persons per day. As the Iraqi army advances, more and more citizens decide to leave their home. The new round of attacks caused an increase in the number of people fleeing with as many as 13,000 running away in the first days. Since the offensive started on October 17, the United Nation says that as many as 125,569 civilians have abandoned their home. The majority of them now live in the many refugee camps in northern Iraq, where a severe winter hits hard. The region sees temperatures which easily drop below zero during the night. Some Iraqis who fled war are slowly deciding to go back as soon as their neighbourhoods are declared safe. The OCHA says that as many 14,000 people have currently returned. When wars are fought in highly and densely populated cities, citizens are forcibly and heavily involved in the conflict: A mortar can fall on their house any moment, a flying bullet can hit them, a car bomb or a rudimentary explosive device can explode in front of them without notice. × A fundamental part of the Mosul offensive is dictated by the five bridges that cross the Tigris river, connecting the eastern and the western parts of the city. The bridges are the only way terrorists have to move between the two sides and partially escape isolation. All major roads from and to the city are in fact cut off by troops, so the only possibility for them to fight is to move within Mosul and organise as many ambushes as possible. Between December 26 and 27, at the request of the Iraqi army, US-led coalition forces disabled three bridges. While this is militarily significant, it is also concerning for all those living in western Mosul, now suffering complete isolation. No humanitarian agency has access to the area. OCHA reports that due to scarcity of food, prices are skyrocketing and many "water boreholes in the eastern part of the city are drying up or turning brackish from overuse". The Mosul humanitarian emergency adds a problem to a country already devastated by more than ten years of conflict, from the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein to the current fight against the Islamic State. In 2016 alone, war has left 6,878 Iraqis dead, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. That's nearly one life per hour. While the Iraqi army is achieving moderate gains against IS, no matter how well they fight, destruction and death is inevitable. (WION)

Mosul's humanitarian crisis continues as Iraqi forces fight IS

Turkey said Wednesday it had identified the gunman behind the New Year&#39;s attack on an elite Istanbul nightclub that killed 39, as efforts intensified to catch the suspect&nbsp;before he strikes again.

The assailant stormed the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus early on Sunday morning, shooting&nbsp;120 bullets at terrified partygoers celebrating the start of 2017. Of the 39 dead, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Canada and India.

Many of those killed were laid to rest in their respective countries by grieving relatives on Tuesday.

&quot;The identity of the person responsible for the attack has been established,&quot; foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during an interview with state-run Anadolu news agency, without giving any name.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, with reports suggesting the authorities suspect the gunman may be from either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan, both ex-Soviet states. There was a flurry of interest surrounding a 28-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan who flew out of Istanbul on Tuesday but he was released after questioning in Bishkek. After slipping into the night following the attack, the killer remains on the run.

&quot;Efforts to capture him continue,&quot; said Cavusoglu, adding that the house the suspect lived in &quot;has been searched&quot; and that the attack he mounted had been &quot;professionally&quot; planned.

IS took responsibility for the massacre in a statement on Monday, marking the first time it has issued a clear and undisputed claim for a major attack inside Turkey.

The group said it was in response to Turkey&#39;s military intervention against the jihadists in war-ravaged Syria where Turkish troops are pressing on with a four-month incursion to oust jihadists from the border area.

Turkish media reported the attacker rented a flat in the central city of Konya before moving to Istanbul to carry out the attack. There were also press reports suggesting he appeared to be well trained in the use of arms and had fought in Syria for IS.

Despite no name made public, police released the first clear images of the attacker earlier this week, including one taken by security cameras on the night of the attack.In the western city of Izmir, at least 20 people including 11 women were taken into custody as part of the investigation into the attack, Anadolu reported.

The news agency said they were of Central Asian and Syrian origin while Dogan news agency said they were members of three families. It was alleged that some of those detained had been living in the house with the suspected attacker in Konya.

The new arrests bring the number of those detained to at least 36, including two foreigners detained by Turkish police at Istanbul`s main airport on Tuesday.&nbsp;

One of them was reportedly a woman suspected of being his wife with whom he had stayed in Konya along with two children. Dogan news agency quoted her as saying she was not aware of the attack until it was reported.

On Wednesday, the Haberturk daily said that during his getaway, the gunman took a taxi to an Uighur restaurant in the city&#39;s Zeytinburnu district, where he got out and went inside to get money from someone to pay the fare. The restaurant owner told the paper that police had since detained seven of his workers -- all of them Turkic Uighurs from the Xinjiang region of China -- but that he did not know the attacker himself.

The shooting occurred after a bloody year in Turkey in which hundreds of people were killed in violence blamed on both IS jihadists and Kurdish militants.

Turkey is also still reeling from a failed July 15 coup blamed by the government on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from state institutions.

Parliament on Tuesday extended a controversial state of emergency in place since the coup,&nbsp;and which has seen over 41,000 people arrested,&nbsp;by another three months to April 19.

(AFP)

Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu did not reveal the attacker's identity, but said 'efforts to capture him continue'

Turkey said Wednesday it had identified the gunman behind the New Year's attack on an elite Istanbul nightclub that killed 39, as efforts intensified to catch the suspect before he strikes again. The assailant stormed the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus early on Sunday morning, shooting 120 bullets at terrified partygoers celebrating the start of 2017. Of the 39 dead, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Canada and India. Many of those killed were laid to rest in their respective countries by grieving relatives on Tuesday. "The identity of the person responsible for the attack has been established," foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during an interview with state-run Anadolu news agency, without giving any name. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, with reports suggesting the authorities suspect the gunman may be from either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan, both ex-Soviet states. There was a flurry of interest surrounding a 28-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan who flew out of Istanbul on Tuesday but he was released after questioning in Bishkek. After slipping into the night following the attack, the killer remains on the run. "Efforts to capture him continue," said Cavusoglu, adding that the house the suspect lived in "has been searched" and that the attack he mounted had been "professionally" planned. IS took responsibility for the massacre in a statement on Monday, marking the first time it has issued a clear and undisputed claim for a major attack inside Turkey. The group said it was in response to Turkey's military intervention against the jihadists in war-ravaged Syria where Turkish troops are pressing on with a four-month incursion to oust jihadists from the border area. Turkish media reported the attacker rented a flat in the central city of Konya before moving to Istanbul to carry out the attack. There were also press reports suggesting he appeared to be well trained in the use of arms and had fought in Syria for IS. Despite no name made public, police released the first clear images of the attacker earlier this week, including one taken by security cameras on the night of the attack.In the western city of Izmir, at least 20 people including 11 women were taken into custody as part of the investigation into the attack, Anadolu reported. The news agency said they were of Central Asian and Syrian origin while Dogan news agency said they were members of three families. It was alleged that some of those detained had been living in the house with the suspected attacker in Konya. The new arrests bring the number of those detained to at least 36, including two foreigners detained by Turkish police at Istanbul`s main airport on Tuesday. One of them was reportedly a woman suspected of being his wife with whom he had stayed in Konya along with two children. Dogan news agency quoted her as saying she was not aware of the attack until it was reported. On Wednesday, the Haberturk daily said that during his getaway, the gunman took a taxi to an Uighur restaurant in the city's Zeytinburnu district, where he got out and went inside to get money from someone to pay the fare. The restaurant owner told the paper that police had since detained seven of his workers -- all of them Turkic Uighurs from the Xinjiang region of China -- but that he did not know the attacker himself. The shooting occurred after a bloody year in Turkey in which hundreds of people were killed in violence blamed on both IS jihadists and Kurdish militants. Turkey is also still reeling from a failed July 15 coup blamed by the government on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from state institutions. Parliament on Tuesday extended a controversial state of emergency in place since the coup, and which has seen over 41,000 people arrested, by another three months to April 19. (AFP)

Istanbul nightclub attack: Turkey identifies gunman, makes new arrests

New details have emerged about the&nbsp;New Year&#39;s Eve attack, and about the&nbsp;gunman who is still on the loose after killing&nbsp;39 people&nbsp;at the Reina nightclub.

Experts are examining the CCTV tapes from the surrounding area. So&nbsp;far, according to media reports,&nbsp;it&#39;s been determined that the shooter wore a green shirt, dark pants and black boots.

The attacker took a taxi, then walked to the Reina Nightclub on foot. He shot a policeman and a passerby dead at 1:20 am.

First he went upstairs,&nbsp;then back down to the ground floor of the Reina nightclub. He is said to have handled his weapons professionally.&nbsp;

The attacker reportedly chose headshots. He fired more than 180 shots and changed cartridges six times. &nbsp;

A 500 Lira bill was found in the pocket of the attacker&#39;s coat.

Turkish police have released a video of the suspect:

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The video -- a selfie -- shows the suspect walking around Istanbul&#39;s Taksim square (WION)
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(WION)

&nbsp;

Some information has been reported about the man who authorities believe killed 39 in a massacre claimed by Islamic State

New details have emerged about the New Year's Eve attack, and about the gunman who is still on the loose after killing 39 people at the Reina nightclub. Experts are examining the CCTV tapes from the surrounding area. So far, according to media reports, it's been determined that the shooter wore a green shirt, dark pants and black boots. The attacker took a taxi, then walked to the Reina Nightclub on foot. He shot a policeman and a passerby dead at 1:20 am. First he went upstairs, then back down to the ground floor of the Reina nightclub. He is said to have handled his weapons professionally. The attacker reportedly chose headshots. He fired more than 180 shots and changed cartridges six times. A 500 Lira bill was found in the pocket of the attacker's coat. Turkish police have released a video of the suspect: The video -- a selfie -- shows the suspect walking around Istanbul's Taksim square (WION) × (WION)

Istanbul New Year's nightclub attack: What we know about the suspected gunman

French President Francois Hollande vowed that Islamic State would be beaten after a meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, as the militant group killed 24 people with a car bomb in a square in Baghdad.

Iraqi forces backed by a coalition of countries including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, its last major stronghold in the country, but are facing fierce resistance.

&quot;Daesh is retreating. And Daesh will be beaten,&quot; Hollande said using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, adding that French military support in the march on Mosul was contingent on respect for the human rights of civilians.

The meeting with Adabi happened as Islamic State detonated a bomb in the Sadr City district in an attack that killed 24 people.

An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports the group, said the attack had targeted a gathering of Shi`ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates.

&quot;I invite the security forces and the Iraqi people to be alert, the terrorists are again attacking civilians. I promise the Iraqi people and the French president and all the countries suffering attacks by Islamic State, that we are fighting to end Islamic State,&quot; Abadi said.

(Reuters)

Iraqi forces backed by a coalition including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul

French President Francois Hollande vowed that Islamic State would be beaten after a meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, as the militant group killed 24 people with a car bomb in a square in Baghdad. Iraqi forces backed by a coalition of countries including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, its last major stronghold in the country, but are facing fierce resistance. "Daesh is retreating. And Daesh will be beaten," Hollande said using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, adding that French military support in the march on Mosul was contingent on respect for the human rights of civilians. The meeting with Adabi happened as Islamic State detonated a bomb in the Sadr City district in an attack that killed 24 people. An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports the group, said the attack had targeted a gathering of Shi`ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates. "I invite the security forces and the Iraqi people to be alert, the terrorists are again attacking civilians. I promise the Iraqi people and the French president and all the countries suffering attacks by Islamic State, that we are fighting to end Islamic State," Abadi said. (Reuters)

French President Hollande meets Iraq's PM, vows to defeat IS

The Islamic State (IS) group on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack on a nightclub in the Turkish city of Istanbul that killed 39 people on New Year&#39;s Eve.

The Reina nightclub attacker was still at large on Monday, with Turkey&#39;s interior minister saying intense efforts were under way to find him.

The Islamic State has falsely claimed responsibility for attacks they did not commit before. Sometimes they are perpetrated&nbsp;by a &quot;lone wolf&quot;, who may or may not be influenced or inspired to some degree by IS, but is not&nbsp;officially affiliated&nbsp;or connected&nbsp;with the terrorist group. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/isis-bangladesh-possible-target-1.3669162">In Bangladesh in 2016</a>, the same attack was&nbsp;claimed&nbsp;by both&nbsp;IS and&nbsp;Al Qaeda, and officials deny IS&#39; role in attacks the group themselves have claimed.

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/world/europe/istanbul-nightclub-attack.html?_r=1">The New York Times</a> reports that this is&nbsp;a rare claim of responsibility in Turkey. The New Year&#39;s&nbsp;attack&nbsp;comes days after a pro-Islamic State group called the Nashir Media Foundation urged attacks against clubs, markets and movie theatres, the New York Times reports.&nbsp;

IS could have been responsible for the Reina nightclub attack, but they also have a&nbsp;vested interest in&nbsp;having people believe they are more powerful than they are in reality.

In a statement circulated on social media, the jihadist group said one of the &quot;soldiers of the caliphate&quot; had carried out the attack on the Reina nightclub, saying&nbsp;the attacker used hand grenades and a gun.

It accused Turkey, a majority-Muslim country, of serving Christians, in a possible reference to Ankara&#39;s alliance with the international coalition fighting IS in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

The statement said the attack was in response to Turkey&#39;s military intervention against IS in Syria. Turkey is a backer of Syria&#39;s opposition, but has also been waging its own military intervention in Syria since August, targeting both IS and Kurdish fighters.

The US-led coalition carrying out strikes against IS in Syria uses airbases inside Turkey. A string of deadly attacks rocked Turkey throughout 2016, with some claimed by a Kurdish extremist group and others suspected to be the work of IS.

(With inputs from AFP)

The IS said one of the 'soldiers of the caliphate' had carried out the attack

The Islamic State (IS) group on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack on a nightclub in the Turkish city of Istanbul that killed 39 people on New Year's Eve. The Reina nightclub attacker was still at large on Monday, with Turkey's interior minister saying intense efforts were under way to find him. The Islamic State has falsely claimed responsibility for attacks they did not commit before. Sometimes they are perpetrated by a "lone wolf", who may or may not be influenced or inspired to some degree by IS, but is not officially affiliated or connected with the terrorist group. In Bangladesh in 2016, the same attack was claimed by both IS and Al Qaeda, and officials deny IS' role in attacks the group themselves have claimed. The New York Times reports that this is a rare claim of responsibility in Turkey. The New Year's attack comes days after a pro-Islamic State group called the Nashir Media Foundation urged attacks against clubs, markets and movie theatres, the New York Times reports. IS could have been responsible for the Reina nightclub attack, but they also have a vested interest in having people believe they are more powerful than they are in reality. In a statement circulated on social media, the jihadist group said one of the "soldiers of the caliphate" had carried out the attack on the Reina nightclub, saying the attacker used hand grenades and a gun. It accused Turkey, a majority-Muslim country, of serving Christians, in a possible reference to Ankara's alliance with the international coalition fighting IS in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. The statement said the attack was in response to Turkey's military intervention against IS in Syria. Turkey is a backer of Syria's opposition, but has also been waging its own military intervention in Syria since August, targeting both IS and Kurdish fighters. The US-led coalition carrying out strikes against IS in Syria uses airbases inside Turkey. A string of deadly attacks rocked Turkey throughout 2016, with some claimed by a Kurdish extremist group and others suspected to be the work of IS. (With inputs from AFP)

IS claims responsibility for Istanbul nightclub attack

An Islamic State car bomb killed 24 people in a busy square in Baghdad&#39;s sprawling Sadr City district on Monday, and the militants cut a key road north from the capital to Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country.

An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports Islamic State, said the ultra-hardline Sunni group had targeted a gathering of Shi&#39;ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates. Sixty-seven people were wounded in the blast.

US-backed Iraqi forces are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, but are facing fierce resistance. The group has lost most of the territory it seized in a blitz across northern and western Iraq in 2014.

The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for its self-styled caliphate, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West.

Three bombs killed 29 people across the capital on Saturday, and an attack near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday left seven policemen dead. Monday&#39;s blast in Sadr City hit a square where day labourers typically gather.

Nine of the victims were women in a passing minibus. Their charred bodies were visible inside the burnt-out remains of the vehicle. Blood stained the ground nearby.

A separate blast near a hospital in central Baghdad killed one civilian and wounded nine, police and medical sources said.

&quot;The terrorists will attempt to attack civilians in order to make up for their losses, but we assure the Iraqi people and the world that we are able to end terrorism and shorten its life,&quot; Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters after meeting with visiting French President Francois Hollande.

Hollande, whose country has faced a series of militant attacks in the past two years, said French soldiers serving in a U.S.-led coalition against the jihadists in Iraq were preventing more mass killings at home.

Road to Mosul

Since the drive to recapture Mosul began on October 17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of the city in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Abadi has said the group will be driven out of the country by April.

Clashes continued in and around Mosul on Monday. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) blew up several Islamic State car bombs before they reached their targets, and linked up with the Rapid Response forces, an elite Interior Ministry unit, said spokesman Sabah al-Numani.

CTS was also clearing North Karma district of remaining militants, the fourth area the unit has retaken in the past week, he said.

Islamic State targeted military positions away from the main battlefield, killing at least 16 pro-government fighters and cutting a strategic road linking the city to Baghdad.

Militants attacked an army barracks near Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of the capital, killing four soldiers and wounding 12 people, including Sunni tribal fighters, army and police sources said.

They seized weapons there and launched mortars at nearby Shirqat, forcing security forces to impose a curfew and close schools and offices in the town, according to local officials and security sources.

Shirqat mayor Ali Dodah said Islamic State seized three checkpoints on the main road linking Baiji to Shirqat following the attacks. Shelling in Shirqat had killed at least two children, he told Reuters by phone.

In a separate incident, gunmen broke into a village near Udhaim, 90 km (56 miles) north of Baghdad, where they executed nine Sunni tribal fighters with shots to the head, police and medical sources said.

In the same area, at least three pro-government Shi&#39;ite militia fighters were killed and seven wounded when militants attacked their position with mortar rounds and machine guns, police sources said.

(Reuters)

An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports IS, said the ultra-hardline Sunni group had targeted a gather Shi'ites

An Islamic State car bomb killed 24 people in a busy square in Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City district on Monday, and the militants cut a key road north from the capital to Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country. An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports Islamic State, said the ultra-hardline Sunni group had targeted a gathering of Shi'ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates. Sixty-seven people were wounded in the blast. US-backed Iraqi forces are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, but are facing fierce resistance. The group has lost most of the territory it seized in a blitz across northern and western Iraq in 2014. The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for its self-styled caliphate, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West. Three bombs killed 29 people across the capital on Saturday, and an attack near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday left seven policemen dead. Monday's blast in Sadr City hit a square where day labourers typically gather. Nine of the victims were women in a passing minibus. Their charred bodies were visible inside the burnt-out remains of the vehicle. Blood stained the ground nearby. A separate blast near a hospital in central Baghdad killed one civilian and wounded nine, police and medical sources said. "The terrorists will attempt to attack civilians in order to make up for their losses, but we assure the Iraqi people and the world that we are able to end terrorism and shorten its life," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters after meeting with visiting French President Francois Hollande. Hollande, whose country has faced a series of militant attacks in the past two years, said French soldiers serving in a U.S.-led coalition against the jihadists in Iraq were preventing more mass killings at home. Road to Mosul Since the drive to recapture Mosul began on October 17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of the city in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Abadi has said the group will be driven out of the country by April. Clashes continued in and around Mosul on Monday. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) blew up several Islamic State car bombs before they reached their targets, and linked up with the Rapid Response forces, an elite Interior Ministry unit, said spokesman Sabah al-Numani. CTS was also clearing North Karma district of remaining militants, the fourth area the unit has retaken in the past week, he said. Islamic State targeted military positions away from the main battlefield, killing at least 16 pro-government fighters and cutting a strategic road linking the city to Baghdad. Militants attacked an army barracks near Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of the capital, killing four soldiers and wounding 12 people, including Sunni tribal fighters, army and police sources said. They seized weapons there and launched mortars at nearby Shirqat, forcing security forces to impose a curfew and close schools and offices in the town, according to local officials and security sources. Shirqat mayor Ali Dodah said Islamic State seized three checkpoints on the main road linking Baiji to Shirqat following the attacks. Shelling in Shirqat had killed at least two children, he told Reuters by phone. In a separate incident, gunmen broke into a village near Udhaim, 90 km (56 miles) north of Baghdad, where they executed nine Sunni tribal fighters with shots to the head, police and medical sources said. In the same area, at least three pro-government Shi'ite militia fighters were killed and seven wounded when militants attacked their position with mortar rounds and machine guns, police sources said. (Reuters)

Iraq: At least 24 killed in car bomb attack in Baghdad

An artillery strike by the US-led coalition in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul struck a mortar position next to two empty school buildings that Islamic State had been using to target Iraqi security forces, the US&nbsp;military said on Sunday.

No civilians were in the area and minimal damage was reported to the buildings, the Combined Joint Strike Force said in a statement. Schools, like hospitals and mosques, are protected under international law.

&quot;While the Coalition takes extraordinary effort to protect civilians and strike appropriate military targets, we will continue to strike ISIL wherever and whenever our partner`s lives are in danger in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict,&quot; it said, using an acronym for Islamic State.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

No civilians were in the area and minimal damage was reported to the buildings, the Combined Joint Strike Force said in a statement

An artillery strike by the US-led coalition in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul struck a mortar position next to two empty school buildings that Islamic State had been using to target Iraqi security forces, the US military said on Sunday. No civilians were in the area and minimal damage was reported to the buildings, the Combined Joint Strike Force said in a statement. Schools, like hospitals and mosques, are protected under international law. "While the Coalition takes extraordinary effort to protect civilians and strike appropriate military targets, we will continue to strike ISIL wherever and whenever our partner`s lives are in danger in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict," it said, using an acronym for Islamic State. (Reuters)

US-led coalition strikes Islamic State mortar position

Islamic State attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, killing seven policemen as government forces in the north made more gains against the militants in Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country.

The Najaf attack, which involved gunmen and a suicide car bomb, followed blasts a day earlier in Baghdad that left 29 people dead, a reminder of Islamic State&#39;s continued ability to operate away from territory under its control.

The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for the group&#39;s self-styled caliphate in it areas seised in 2014, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West.

Since the US-backed offensive began on October&nbsp;17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of Mosul in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of the country by April.

The second phase of the campaign launched on Thursday following weeks of deadlock has pushed Islamic State out of several more areas despite fierce resistance.

The fourth day of the renewed push saw incremental advances on the eastern and southeastern fronts.

A military statement said the counter-terrorism forces had retaken part of Karama district. A federal police officer said Iraqi forces had taken near total control of Intisar and Siha neighbourhoods, and were clearing Salam.

&quot;For the fourth day in a row, federal police units supported by the army are on the offensive,&quot; he told Reuters at a forward base in Intisar.

The attack near Najaf, 500 kilometres&nbsp;south of Mosul, happened when two vehicles travelling through the desert were stopped at a police checkpoint around al-Qadisiya town, local police sources said. The driver detonated an explosive load and the second vehicle fled. Police pursued it and killed the two militants inside.

In a statement distributed online by supporters, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 17 people including civilians. It said four gunmen had opened fire before detonating explosive vests and then a fifth assailant launched a suicide car bomb. It was not immediately possible to reconcile those accounts.

&nbsp;

Fleeing Civilians

Although the militants are vastly outnumbered in Mosul, they have embedded themselves among residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected.

Thousands more people have fled their homes since the military&#39;s new push began, many under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by Islamic State. Families leaving Mithaq district on Sunday had to climb over earthen berms the military has built across roads to block car bombs.

One resident reached by phone in eastern Mosul said he had never seen such heavy bombardment. Several civilians were wounded when a mortar fell in his street, but they could not be ferried to the hospital on the western side of the city because air strikes have taken all the bridges out of service.

&quot;One of them is my friend. His stomach is bleeding badly. We found a doctor in the neighbourhood to treat him but I fear he will die if he stays like this for long,&quot; he said.

A resident of Karama district said Islamic State had begun forcing residents out of some areas, burning the cars of residents who refused to move. &quot;They want to clear out the neighbourhood before the Iraqi forces enter,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The attack came in the southern city of Najaf, as government forces make gains against IS in Mosul, the group's last stronghold in Iraq

Islamic State attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, killing seven policemen as government forces in the north made more gains against the militants in Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country. The Najaf attack, which involved gunmen and a suicide car bomb, followed blasts a day earlier in Baghdad that left 29 people dead, a reminder of Islamic State's continued ability to operate away from territory under its control. The recapture of Mosul would probably spell the end for the group's self-styled caliphate in it areas seised in 2014, but the militants would still be capable of fighting a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq, and plotting or inspiring attacks on the West. Since the US-backed offensive began on October 17, elite forces have retaken a quarter of Mosul in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said the group would be driven out of the country by April. The second phase of the campaign launched on Thursday following weeks of deadlock has pushed Islamic State out of several more areas despite fierce resistance. The fourth day of the renewed push saw incremental advances on the eastern and southeastern fronts. A military statement said the counter-terrorism forces had retaken part of Karama district. A federal police officer said Iraqi forces had taken near total control of Intisar and Siha neighbourhoods, and were clearing Salam. "For the fourth day in a row, federal police units supported by the army are on the offensive," he told Reuters at a forward base in Intisar. The attack near Najaf, 500 kilometres south of Mosul, happened when two vehicles travelling through the desert were stopped at a police checkpoint around al-Qadisiya town, local police sources said. The driver detonated an explosive load and the second vehicle fled. Police pursued it and killed the two militants inside. In a statement distributed online by supporters, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 17 people including civilians. It said four gunmen had opened fire before detonating explosive vests and then a fifth assailant launched a suicide car bomb. It was not immediately possible to reconcile those accounts. Fleeing Civilians Although the militants are vastly outnumbered in Mosul, they have embedded themselves among residents, hindering Iraqi forces who are trying to avoid civilian casualties. Despite food and water shortages, most civilians have stayed in their homes rather than fleeing as had been expected. Thousands more people have fled their homes since the military's new push began, many under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by Islamic State. Families leaving Mithaq district on Sunday had to climb over earthen berms the military has built across roads to block car bombs. One resident reached by phone in eastern Mosul said he had never seen such heavy bombardment. Several civilians were wounded when a mortar fell in his street, but they could not be ferried to the hospital on the western side of the city because air strikes have taken all the bridges out of service. "One of them is my friend. His stomach is bleeding badly. We found a doctor in the neighbourhood to treat him but I fear he will die if he stays like this for long," he said. A resident of Karama district said Islamic State had begun forcing residents out of some areas, burning the cars of residents who refused to move. "They want to clear out the neighbourhood before the Iraqi forces enter," he said. (Reuters)

Islamic State attacks Iraqi police; 7 dead, 17 wounded

The Pentagon said on Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader.

Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

&quot;We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN.

&quot;If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves,&quot; he said.

&quot;We&#39;re doing everything we can. This is something we&#39;re spending a lot of time on.&quot;

In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader&#39;s head to $25 million.

The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014.

Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders.

&quot;He&#39;s having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us,&quot; the spokesman said.

According to an official Iraqi government document, Baghdadi was born in Samarra in 1971. He apparently joined the insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and spent time in an American military prison.

(AFP)

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last month released an audio message urging his supporters to defend the Iraqi city of Mosul

The Pentagon said on Friday it believes that Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed alive, despite repeated efforts by the US-led coalition to take out the jihadist group leader. Baghdadi has kept a low profile, despite having declared himself the leader of a renewed Muslim caliphate, but last month released a defiant audio message urging his supporters to defend the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. It is not clear if he is in the besieged city, where he declared his caliphate in 2014 after the IS group seized territory covering much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq. "We do think Baghdadi is alive and is still leading ISIL and we are obviously doing everything we can to track his movements," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN. "If we get the opportunity, we certainly would take advantage of any opportunity to deliver him the justice he deserves," he said. "We're doing everything we can. This is something we're spending a lot of time on." In mid-December, the United States more than doubled the bounty on the shadowy IS leader's head to $25 million. The group has only released one video of Baghdadi, showing a man with a black and grey beard wearing a black robe and matching turban, dating back to 2014. Cook suggested that Baghdadi is isolated because coalition raids have killed many IS leaders. "He's having a hard time finding advisers and confidants to speak with because a lot of them are no longer with us," the spokesman said. According to an official Iraqi government document, Baghdadi was born in Samarra in 1971. He apparently joined the insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and spent time in an American military prison. (AFP)

Islamic State leader alive, still leading: US

Bangladesh will be on high alert on New Year&#39;s&nbsp;as much as Europe and other parts of the world. But unlike the other countries where civilians will be watchful, in Dhaka&nbsp;people must end their outdoor errands by 8 pm on December 31, and no fireworks are allowed.

Bangladesh&nbsp;interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan has already announced that tight security will be maintained on the streets&nbsp;and the diplomatic zones will have tight security.

New Year celebrations in Bangladesh have become a very dry, private and restricted affair in the past decade or so, and the July caf&eacute; attack in Dhaka has added to the reasons to continue the trend. At least 20 lives were lost in the caf&eacute; attack, and, while no life matters less, the killing of 17 foreigners alarmed visitors to the country.

This has had implications on investments in the country, besides concerns for tourism, and reputation. The garment industry, which attracts most interest from western and European buyers, has witnessed a fall in visits.&nbsp;Many business meetings now take place in Hong Kong and Singapore.

&ldquo;We are aware that a lot of buyers cancelled their tickets and did not travel to Bangladesh. Many restaurants and hotels ran out of customers for quite a few months,&rdquo; said Monirul Islam, chief of counter-terrorism and transnational crime, Bangladesh police.

Since July&nbsp;security forces have carried out at least nine operations in which 28 suspected militants were killed. The counter-terrorist units have claimed significant success in the operations,&nbsp;which took down Tamim Chowdhury, a suspected leader of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The Neo JMB, according to Bangladesh law enforcement agencies, is an affiliate of the Islamic State.

In another operation, Jahidul Islam, a former major of Bangladesh army, and a suspected member of Neo JMB, was killed on September 2.

Syed Ziaul Haque --&nbsp;another former major of Bangladesh army, who is said to be leading Ansar Al Islam, an affiliate of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) --&nbsp;is still at large. Two others of interest are Maynul Musa and Nurul Islam Marzan --&nbsp;both leaders of the Neo JMB.

&ldquo;In 2016 we had some unprecedented terrorist incidents that never happened in Bangladesh. Law enforcment&nbsp;agencies are working (on it)&nbsp;and after the Gulshan incident, people from all spheres of life have come together against terrorism. That is the main strength of Bangladesh,&rdquo; says Islam, also an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

&ldquo;We think that we are now more experienced in combating terrorism. We are optimistic that in 2017, with our increased knowledge and expertise of countering terrorism, we will be able to dismantle their organisational structure,&rdquo; Islam told WION.

Islam&rsquo;s counter-terrorist unit&nbsp;arrested five members of JMB on December 28 in Dhaka with 30 kilograms of explosive. Even as law enforcers take preemptive measures to thwart subversive activities in an otherwise peace-loving Bangladesh, the attacks and efforts at foiling them have become almost concurrent.

(WION)

Security forces say they hoped to dismantle terror organisations in 2017 with the experience gathered in countering them this year

Bangladesh will be on high alert on New Year's as much as Europe and other parts of the world. But unlike the other countries where civilians will be watchful, in Dhaka people must end their outdoor errands by 8 pm on December 31, and no fireworks are allowed. Bangladesh interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan has already announced that tight security will be maintained on the streets and the diplomatic zones will have tight security. New Year celebrations in Bangladesh have become a very dry, private and restricted affair in the past decade or so, and the July café attack in Dhaka has added to the reasons to continue the trend. At least 20 lives were lost in the café attack, and, while no life matters less, the killing of 17 foreigners alarmed visitors to the country. This has had implications on investments in the country, besides concerns for tourism, and reputation. The garment industry, which attracts most interest from western and European buyers, has witnessed a fall in visits. Many business meetings now take place in Hong Kong and Singapore. “We are aware that a lot of buyers cancelled their tickets and did not travel to Bangladesh. Many restaurants and hotels ran out of customers for quite a few months,” said Monirul Islam, chief of counter-terrorism and transnational crime, Bangladesh police. Since July security forces have carried out at least nine operations in which 28 suspected militants were killed. The counter-terrorist units have claimed significant success in the operations, which took down Tamim Chowdhury, a suspected leader of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The Neo JMB, according to Bangladesh law enforcement agencies, is an affiliate of the Islamic State. In another operation, Jahidul Islam, a former major of Bangladesh army, and a suspected member of Neo JMB, was killed on September 2. Syed Ziaul Haque -- another former major of Bangladesh army, who is said to be leading Ansar Al Islam, an affiliate of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) -- is still at large. Two others of interest are Maynul Musa and Nurul Islam Marzan -- both leaders of the Neo JMB. “In 2016 we had some unprecedented terrorist incidents that never happened in Bangladesh. Law enforcment agencies are working (on it) and after the Gulshan incident, people from all spheres of life have come together against terrorism. That is the main strength of Bangladesh,” says Islam, also an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. “We think that we are now more experienced in combating terrorism. We are optimistic that in 2017, with our increased knowledge and expertise of countering terrorism, we will be able to dismantle their organisational structure,” Islam told WION. Islam’s counter-terrorist unit arrested five members of JMB on December 28 in Dhaka with 30 kilograms of explosive. Even as law enforcers take preemptive measures to thwart subversive activities in an otherwise peace-loving Bangladesh, the attacks and efforts at foiling them have become almost concurrent. (WION)

Terror-stricken Bangladesh gears up for muted New Year's celebration

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