An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced three French citizens to death after they were found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, a court official said.

Captured in Syria by a US-backed force fighting the jihadists, they are the first French IS members to receive death sentences in Iraq, where they were transferred for trial.

Named as Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou, they have 30 days to appeal.

Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists repatriated in recent months from neighbouring Syria, where they were caught by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces during the battle to destroy the IS "caliphate".

Iraqi courts have placed on trial hundreds of foreigners, condemning many to live in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed.&nbsp;

Those sentenced on Sunday were among 12 French citizens who were caught in Syria and transferred to Iraqi custody in February.

Rights groups including Human Rights Watch have criticised Iraq's anti-terror trials, which they say often rely on circumstantial evidence or confessions obtained under torture.

The country remains in the top five "executioner" nations in the world, according to an Amnesty International report in April.

Analysts have also warned that prisons in Iraq have in the past acted as "academies" for future jihadists, including IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced three French citizens to death after they were found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, a court official said. Captured in Syria by a US-backed force fighting the jihadists, they are the first French IS members to receive death sentences in Iraq, where they were transferred for trial.

An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced three French citizens to death after they were found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, a court official said. Captured in Syria by a US-backed force fighting the jihadists, they are the first French IS members to receive death sentences in Iraq, where they were transferred for trial. Named as Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou, they have 30 days to appeal. Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists repatriated in recent months from neighbouring Syria, where they were caught by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces during the battle to destroy the IS "caliphate". Iraqi courts have placed on trial hundreds of foreigners, condemning many to live in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed. Those sentenced on Sunday were among 12 French citizens who were caught in Syria and transferred to Iraqi custody in February. Rights groups including Human Rights Watch have criticised Iraq's anti-terror trials, which they say often rely on circumstantial evidence or confessions obtained under torture. The country remains in the top five "executioner" nations in the world, according to an Amnesty International report in April. Analysts have also warned that prisons in Iraq have in the past acted as "academies" for future jihadists, including IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Three French Islamic State members sentenced to death in Iraq

For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing.

The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017.

For nearly nine months, air strikes, mortar rounds and car bombs pummelled the city relentlessly, and thousands of residents still suffer hearing problems ranging from tinnitus to profound deafness.

"I lost my sense of hearing two years ago," Ali recalled.

"A warplane hit our neighbourhood in the fight for the western half of the city and my husband died of very bad burns," she told AFP.

Ali spent two years piecing her life back together, but could not afford to get specialised care for her diminished hearing.

"We lost our home and all our possessions -- we didn't have money to go to private clinics," she said.

Blasts in conflict zones can propel debris into the human ear and rupture the eardrum, which transmits sound further into the cochlea.&nbsp;

Nerves in the cochlea, which sends sound on to the brain to be processed, can also be destroyed by explosions.

Mines have noise levels approaching 170 decibels -- twice the loudness needed to cause permanent damage to ears.

Bleeding, nerve damage&nbsp;

In Mosul, civilians were exposed to repeated loud blasts that sent between 15 and 20 a day to hospitals complaining of hearing loss.

"They were bleeding from their ears because of the shelling, but they had nothing to stop the flow," according to hearing specialist Mohammad Saleh.&nbsp;

"Some never recovered because their nerve cells were torn by the loud sounds."

Mosul's health infrastructure was ravaged by IS's reign and subsequent fighting, with the 6,000 hospital beds available before the jihadist takeover reduced to just 1,000.

With help from outside charities, hospitals are slowly reopening wing by wing.&nbsp;

At Jumhuriya hospital in west Mosul, a specialised hearing impairment centre opened its doors less than a year ago with backing from Iraq's Dary Humanitarian Organisation.

The waiting room is packed with people, young and old, waiting to get long-delayed hearing tests to see how badly the blasts have damaged their ears.&nbsp;

"My hearing deteriorated after three mortars hit my house in west Mosul," 65-year-old Fathi Hussein yelled.

He can only respond to questions that are virtually screamed and answers them at the same volume.&nbsp;

"I put off treatment because I'm poor. I don't have the money for consultations or medicine," he said.&nbsp;

Since the centre opened less than a year ago, it has treated several thousand patients, according to specialist Mohammad Said.&nbsp;

"We have distributed 2,000 hearing aids so far. More complex cases get sent to hospitals in Baghdad for treatment, including cochlear implants which aren't available here yet," Said told AFP.&nbsp;

He expects there are thousands of more cases that have yet to visit the Jumhuriya centre.&nbsp;

"Some patients went to private clinics, others went elsewhere in Iraq or even left the country and still others have received no treatment at all," he said.

&nbsp;'I want to go to school'&nbsp;

For younger patients, partial deafness means more than just shouting to be heard -- it can affect schooling.

"In kids especially, hearing loss can damage speaking ability," Said said.&nbsp;

"It's extremely important because it means the hearing aids we distribute aren't enough, and these children are in need of treatments and speaking rehabilitation that we don't offer here."

Five-year-old Mohannad may not remember much of life under bombardment in Mosul, but it will likely mar his education for years to come.

He suffers both hearing and speech impediments from the fighting that were long left untreated.&nbsp;

"I didn't notice how weak his hearing was until weeks after Mosul was liberated," his mother told AFP. &nbsp;

She said she was now desperate to get free treatment for Mohannad in time for him to finally enrol in classes this autumn.

"I want to go to school like our neighbour's son, Ahmad," Mohannad mumbled with difficulty.&nbsp;

Watch: 400,000 minor still displaced in Iraq's Mosul

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For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing. The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017.

For months, Alia Ali endured the din of fighting in Iraq's second city Mosul. Then a missile slammed into her home, killing her husband and her hearing. The 59-year-old lost her sense of sound in the final phase of the ferocious battle between government forces and jihadists of the Islamic State group, not long before the guns fell silent in July 2017. For nearly nine months, air strikes, mortar rounds and car bombs pummelled the city relentlessly, and thousands of residents still suffer hearing problems ranging from tinnitus to profound deafness. "I lost my sense of hearing two years ago," Ali recalled. "A warplane hit our neighbourhood in the fight for the western half of the city and my husband died of very bad burns," she told AFP. Ali spent two years piecing her life back together, but could not afford to get specialised care for her diminished hearing. "We lost our home and all our possessions -- we didn't have money to go to private clinics," she said. Blasts in conflict zones can propel debris into the human ear and rupture the eardrum, which transmits sound further into the cochlea. Nerves in the cochlea, which sends sound on to the brain to be processed, can also be destroyed by explosions. Mines have noise levels approaching 170 decibels -- twice the loudness needed to cause permanent damage to ears. Bleeding, nerve damage In Mosul, civilians were exposed to repeated loud blasts that sent between 15 and 20 a day to hospitals complaining of hearing loss. "They were bleeding from their ears because of the shelling, but they had nothing to stop the flow," according to hearing specialist Mohammad Saleh. "Some never recovered because their nerve cells were torn by the loud sounds." Mosul's health infrastructure was ravaged by IS's reign and subsequent fighting, with the 6,000 hospital beds available before the jihadist takeover reduced to just 1,000. With help from outside charities, hospitals are slowly reopening wing by wing. At Jumhuriya hospital in west Mosul, a specialised hearing impairment centre opened its doors less than a year ago with backing from Iraq's Dary Humanitarian Organisation. The waiting room is packed with people, young and old, waiting to get long-delayed hearing tests to see how badly the blasts have damaged their ears. "My hearing deteriorated after three mortars hit my house in west Mosul," 65-year-old Fathi Hussein yelled. He can only respond to questions that are virtually screamed and answers them at the same volume. "I put off treatment because I'm poor. I don't have the money for consultations or medicine," he said. Since the centre opened less than a year ago, it has treated several thousand patients, according to specialist Mohammad Said. "We have distributed 2,000 hearing aids so far. More complex cases get sent to hospitals in Baghdad for treatment, including cochlear implants which aren't available here yet," Said told AFP. He expects there are thousands of more cases that have yet to visit the Jumhuriya centre. "Some patients went to private clinics, others went elsewhere in Iraq or even left the country and still others have received no treatment at all," he said. 'I want to go to school' For younger patients, partial deafness means more than just shouting to be heard -- it can affect schooling. "In kids especially, hearing loss can damage speaking ability," Said said. "It's extremely important because it means the hearing aids we distribute aren't enough, and these children are in need of treatments and speaking rehabilitation that we don't offer here." Five-year-old Mohannad may not remember much of life under bombardment in Mosul, but it will likely mar his education for years to come. He suffers both hearing and speech impediments from the fighting that were long left untreated. "I didn't notice how weak his hearing was until weeks after Mosul was liberated," his mother told AFP. She said she was now desperate to get free treatment for Mohannad in time for him to finally enrol in classes this autumn. "I want to go to school like our neighbour's son, Ahmad," Mohannad mumbled with difficulty. Watch: 400,000 minor still displaced in Iraq's Mosul ×

Long after guns fall silent, Mosul residents suffer hearing loss

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said.

The new bombardment of the largely jihadist-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market.

In neighbouring Hama province,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-and-syrian-army-step-up-attacks-on-rebel-held-northwestern-syria-sources-215395"> Syrian troops </a>battled for a third straight day to repel a jihadist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 15 combatants dead, 11 of them jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syrian government forces retook the town on May 8 but the jihadists retook most of it on Wednesday, the Britain-based monitor said.

More than 100 combatants have been killed in the fighting around Kafr Nabuda since Tuesday.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, controls much of Idlib as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

The jihadist-dominated region is nominally protected by a buffer zone deal, but the government and its ally Russia have escalated their bombardment in recent weeks, seizing several towns on its southern flank.

The United Nations has warned that an all-out offensive on the Idlib region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly thee million residents.&nbsp;

More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the upsurge of violence since April 28, the UN has said.

A total of 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation -- 19 of which remain out of service, it added.&nbsp;

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said.

Syrian government aircraft bombed several towns in northwestern Syria on Thursday killing five civilians as troops and militia battled jihadists on the ground, a monitor said. The new bombardment of the largely jihadist-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market. In neighbouring Hama province, Syrian troops battled for a third straight day to repel a jihadist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 15 combatants dead, 11 of them jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian government forces retook the town on May 8 but the jihadists retook most of it on Wednesday, the Britain-based monitor said. More than 100 combatants have been killed in the fighting around Kafr Nabuda since Tuesday. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, controls much of Idlib as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces. The jihadist-dominated region is nominally protected by a buffer zone deal, but the government and its ally Russia have escalated their bombardment in recent weeks, seizing several towns on its southern flank. The United Nations has warned that an all-out offensive on the Idlib region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly thee million residents. More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the upsurge of violence since April 28, the UN has said. A total of 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation -- 19 of which remain out of service, it added.

Deadly new air strikes as Syria army battles jihadists

At least six civilians were killed on Sunday when the rockets were fired by jihadists in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the state news agency reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor said 20 rockets were fired into neighbourhoods of Aleppo.

The state media reported that seven people were also wounded in the rocket fire.

Aleppo is located in the north of the country next to Idlib, a province dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

At least six civilians were killed on Sunday when the rockets were fired by jihadists in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the state news agency reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor said 20 rockets were fired into neighbourhoods of Aleppo.

At least six civilians were killed on Sunday when the rockets were fired by jihadists in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the state news agency reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor said 20 rockets were fired into neighbourhoods of Aleppo. The state media reported that seven people were also wounded in the rocket fire. Aleppo is located in the north of the country next to Idlib, a province dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Syria: At least six killed, seven wounded in rocket fire launched by jihadists

A US-backed force in Syria said Tuesday it has arrested jihadists suspected of involvement in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-us-troops-reported-among-16-dead-in-north-syria-attack-190816">deadliest attack on US troops</a> since they deployed in the war-torn country in 2014.

Nineteen people including four American personnel were killed in the January 16 suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group in the northern Syrian city of Manbij.

The four Americans killed were two soldiers, a civilian defence department employee and a Pentagon subcontractor.

The US Department of Defense had previously reported only two American personnel killed in combat in Syria, in separate incidents.

A spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said that several suspects have been detained over the Manbij bombing.

"A group of suspects believed to be involved in (the) January 16 Manbij bombing that killed several US and SDF servicemen were captured following technical surveillance by our forces," Mustefa Bali said in English on Twitter.

The spokesman's comments came as his force advanced against the jihadists in eastern Syria, confining holdout fighters to a tiny slither in the village of Baghouz on the banks of the Euphrates River.

The Kurdish-led force on Sunday said at least 520 IS fighters have been captured in "special operations" by the SDF since January 9.

An additional 5,000 jihadists who have fled their last redoubt have been detained over the same period, it said.

After sweeping across swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, the IS jihadists' cross-border "caliphate" has been whittled down by multiple offensives to the tiny embattled enclave in Baghouz.

But despite the stinging defeats, IS has proved it is still capable of carrying out deadly attacks using hideouts in the sprawling desert or sleeper cells in the towns.

Run by a Washington-backed town council since the US-led coalition and its ground partners pushed out jihadists in 2016, Manbij has been a realm of relative quiet.

The town was considered sufficiently secure that a group of top US military commanders and lawmakers strolled through its market without body armour last summer.

President Donald Trump in December announced he would pull all American troops from Syria, claiming IS had been "largely defeated".&nbsp;

But the White House has since said it would maintain a small "peace-keeping" force of 200 US troops in the country.

A US-backed force in Syria said Tuesday it has arrested jihadists suspected of involvement in the deadliest attack on US troops since they deployed in the war-torn country in 2014.

A US-backed force in Syria said Tuesday it has arrested jihadists suspected of involvement in the deadliest attack on US troops since they deployed in the war-torn country in 2014. Nineteen people including four American personnel were killed in the January 16 suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group in the northern Syrian city of Manbij. The four Americans killed were two soldiers, a civilian defence department employee and a Pentagon subcontractor. The US Department of Defense had previously reported only two American personnel killed in combat in Syria, in separate incidents. A spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said that several suspects have been detained over the Manbij bombing. "A group of suspects believed to be involved in (the) January 16 Manbij bombing that killed several US and SDF servicemen were captured following technical surveillance by our forces," Mustefa Bali said in English on Twitter. The spokesman's comments came as his force advanced against the jihadists in eastern Syria, confining holdout fighters to a tiny slither in the village of Baghouz on the banks of the Euphrates River. The Kurdish-led force on Sunday said at least 520 IS fighters have been captured in "special operations" by the SDF since January 9. An additional 5,000 jihadists who have fled their last redoubt have been detained over the same period, it said. After sweeping across swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, the IS jihadists' cross-border "caliphate" has been whittled down by multiple offensives to the tiny embattled enclave in Baghouz. But despite the stinging defeats, IS has proved it is still capable of carrying out deadly attacks using hideouts in the sprawling desert or sleeper cells in the towns. Run by a Washington-backed town council since the US-led coalition and its ground partners pushed out jihadists in 2016, Manbij has been a realm of relative quiet. The town was considered sufficiently secure that a group of top US military commanders and lawmakers strolled through its market without body armour last summer. President Donald Trump in December announced he would pull all American troops from Syria, claiming IS had been "largely defeated". But the White House has since said it would maintain a small "peace-keeping" force of 200 US troops in the country.

Syria force says it arrested jihadists behind attack on US troops

Morocco said Sunday it had repatriated eight of its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/more-civilians-leave-islamic-states-syria-enclave-delaying-final-assault-202339">nationals from Syria</a>, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism".

"The competent Moroccan authorities proceeded on March 10 to repatriate a group of eight Moroccan citizens who were in conflict zones in Syria," the interior ministry said in a statement.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is spearheading a final offensive against the Islamic State group's last redoubt, confirmed its involvement in the transfer.

The force "handed over some citizens from Morocco who used to stay in camps of northeast Syria to the Moroccan government," SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali wrote on Twitter.

Backed by an international military coalition, the SDF has arrested thousands of IS jihadists who have fled the shrinking stronghold.

Many of those flooding out of IS territory are foreign fighters and their families -- including some Moroccan women, according to AFP journalists on the ground.

Sunday's operation had a "humanitarian character" and allowed the Moroccans to return to their home country safely, the ministry added.

In 2015, the number of Moroccans in jihadist ranks in Iraq and Syria was estimated at more than 1,600.

Those who return are arrested and receive sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Syria's multi-fronted war has killed more than 360,000 and displaced millions since it erupted in the wake of the government's bloody repression of street protests in 2011.

The SDF wants foreign fighters and their families to be repatriated by their countries of origin.

Rabat's move was praised by the United States, which said such actions "should encourage other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens" who have joined IS.

"Repatriating foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin is the best solution to prevent them from returning to the battlefield," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Washington last month said it would not allow a US-born woman who had joined IS in Syria, Hoda Muthana, back into the country and declared she was not an American citizen.&nbsp;

Morocco said Sunday it had repatriated eight of its nationals from Syria, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism". "The competent Moroccan authorities proceeded on March 10 to repatriate a group of eight Moroccan citizens who were in conflict zones in Syria," the interior ministry said in a statement.

Morocco said Sunday it had repatriated eight of its nationals from Syria, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism". "The competent Moroccan authorities proceeded on March 10 to repatriate a group of eight Moroccan citizens who were in conflict zones in Syria," the interior ministry said in a statement. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is spearheading a final offensive against the Islamic State group's last redoubt, confirmed its involvement in the transfer. The force "handed over some citizens from Morocco who used to stay in camps of northeast Syria to the Moroccan government," SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali wrote on Twitter. Backed by an international military coalition, the SDF has arrested thousands of IS jihadists who have fled the shrinking stronghold. Many of those flooding out of IS territory are foreign fighters and their families -- including some Moroccan women, according to AFP journalists on the ground. Sunday's operation had a "humanitarian character" and allowed the Moroccans to return to their home country safely, the ministry added. In 2015, the number of Moroccans in jihadist ranks in Iraq and Syria was estimated at more than 1,600. Those who return are arrested and receive sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison. Syria's multi-fronted war has killed more than 360,000 and displaced millions since it erupted in the wake of the government's bloody repression of street protests in 2011. The SDF wants foreign fighters and their families to be repatriated by their countries of origin. Rabat's move was praised by the United States, which said such actions "should encourage other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens" who have joined IS. "Repatriating foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin is the best solution to prevent them from returning to the battlefield," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said. Washington last month said it would not allow a US-born woman who had joined IS in Syria, Hoda Muthana, back into the country and declared she was not an American citizen.

Morocco repatriates eight alleged jihadists from Syria

Egypt's army on Monday said &nbsp;46 suspected jihadists were killed in clashes in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where troops are fighting the Islamic State group.

The "extremely dangerous" militants were killed in shootouts in north and central Sinai, the army said in a statement read on state television, without specifying when the clashes took place.

About 100 "criminal, wanted elements and suspects" were arrested, and security forces destroyed dozens of hideouts and vehicles used by the suspected jihadists during operations in the Sinai, the statement added.

Three soldiers also died in fighting in "various areas of operations", the army said but did not identify those locations.

The Sinai Peninsula is the epicentre of an insurgency spearheaded by the jihadist IS group which surged following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his one-year rule.

In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide operation against militants, mainly focused on the restive North Sinai region and the Western Desert, along the porous border with Libya.&nbsp;

Some 600 militants and around 40 soldiers were killed since the start of the offensive, according to the armed forces.

But no independent statistics are available and the North Sinai is largely cut off to media and foreigners. &nbsp;

Egypt's army on Monday said 46 suspected jihadists were killed in clashes in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where troops are fighting the Islamic State group. The "extremely dangerous" militants were killed in shootouts in north and central Sinai, the army said in a statement read on state television, without specifying when the clashes took place.

Egypt's army on Monday said 46 suspected jihadists were killed in clashes in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where troops are fighting the Islamic State group. The "extremely dangerous" militants were killed in shootouts in north and central Sinai, the army said in a statement read on state television, without specifying when the clashes took place. About 100 "criminal, wanted elements and suspects" were arrested, and security forces destroyed dozens of hideouts and vehicles used by the suspected jihadists during operations in the Sinai, the statement added. Three soldiers also died in fighting in "various areas of operations", the army said but did not identify those locations. The Sinai Peninsula is the epicentre of an insurgency spearheaded by the jihadist IS group which surged following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his one-year rule. In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide operation against militants, mainly focused on the restive North Sinai region and the Western Desert, along the porous border with Libya. Some 600 militants and around 40 soldiers were killed since the start of the offensive, according to the armed forces. But no independent statistics are available and the North Sinai is largely cut off to media and foreigners.

46 suspected jihadists killed in Sinai clashes: Egypt army

The battle against the Islamic State group is "far from over" and the jihadists remain unbroken and prepared for a resurgence despite the elimination of their physical base in Syria, a top US commander said Thursday.

"Reduction of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment -- but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over and our mission remains the same," General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, told Congress.

"The ISIS population being evacuated from the remaining vestiges of the caliphate largely remains unrepentant, unbroken and radicalized. We will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization," he said.

The battle against the Islamic State group is "far from over" and the jihadists remain unbroken and prepared for a resurgence despite the elimination of their physical base in Syria, a top US commander said Thursday.

The battle against the Islamic State group is "far from over" and the jihadists remain unbroken and prepared for a resurgence despite the elimination of their physical base in Syria, a top US commander said Thursday. "Reduction of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment -- but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over and our mission remains the same," General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, told Congress. "The ISIS population being evacuated from the remaining vestiges of the caliphate largely remains unrepentant, unbroken and radicalized. We will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization," he said.

Fight against Islamic State 'far from over': US commander

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-says-it-is-seeking-information-on-whether-pakistan-used-f-16s-to-shoot-down-indian-jet-200891">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-says-it-is-seeking-information-on-whether-pakistan-used-f-16s-to-shoot-down-indian-jet-200891"> says it is 'seeking information' on whether Pakistan used F-16s to shoot down Indian jet</a>

The United States is "seeking information" on whether Pakistan used US-built F-16 jets to down an Indian warplane, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Sunday, which may violate the F-16 sale agreements between Washington and Pakistan.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-pilot-sustained-injuries-in-one-of-his-ribs-after-assault-from-pakistani-mob-sources-200899">Wing Commander Abhinandan's lower spine, rib hurt: Sources</a>

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was held captive by the Pakistanis for two days after his jet was shot down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has suffered injuries to his lower spine and rib.&nbsp;

The news agency ANI quoted sources as saying Abhinandan might have hurt his spine while ejecting from his MiG-21.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-it-will-prevent-us-military-intervention-in-venezuela-tass-200896">Russia says it will prevent US military intervention in Venezuela: TASS</a>

Russia will do all possible to prevent a US military intervention in Venezuela, the TASS news agency quoted the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament as saying on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-dragon-capsule-successfully-docks-on-international-space-station-nasa-200895">SpaceX capsule docks successfully at International Space Station: NASA</a>

SpaceX's new Dragon capsule successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/al-qaeda-linked-syria-group-kills-21-regime-forces-monitor-200898">Al-Qaeda-linked Syria group kills 21 regime forces: Monitor</a>

A Syrian jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda killed 21 regime and allied forces Sunday near Idlib province, in one of the deadliest breaches of a six-month-old truce deal, a monitor said.

US says it is 'seeking information' on whether Pakistan used F-16s to shoot down Indian jet The United States is "seeking information" on whether Pakistan used US-built F-16 jets to down an Indian warplane, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Sunday, which may violate the F-16 sale agreements between Washington and Pakistan.

US says it is 'seeking information' on whether Pakistan used F-16s to shoot down Indian jet The United States is "seeking information" on whether Pakistan used US-built F-16 jets to down an Indian warplane, the US Embassy in Islamabad said on Sunday, which may violate the F-16 sale agreements between Washington and Pakistan. Wing Commander Abhinandan's lower spine, rib hurt: Sources Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was held captive by the Pakistanis for two days after his jet was shot down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has suffered injuries to his lower spine and rib. The news agency ANI quoted sources as saying Abhinandan might have hurt his spine while ejecting from his MiG-21. Russia says it will prevent US military intervention in Venezuela: TASS Russia will do all possible to prevent a US military intervention in Venezuela, the TASS news agency quoted the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament as saying on Sunday. SpaceX capsule docks successfully at International Space Station: NASA SpaceX's new Dragon capsule successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission. Al-Qaeda-linked Syria group kills 21 regime forces: Monitor A Syrian jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda killed 21 regime and allied forces Sunday near Idlib province, in one of the deadliest breaches of a six-month-old truce deal, a monitor said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

More than 20 civilians were killed Sunday in central Syria when a landmine left behind by jihadists exploded under a van, the state news agency SANA said.

The ordnance left behind by the Islamic State group in the town of Salamiyeh killed farmworkers who were heading to a region in the Hama province to pick truffles, SANA said, citing local police.&nbsp;

It was the second such incident since February 8 when a landmine that had been planted by IS in rural Hama exploded killing seven civilians, SANA said.

IS had a presence in Hama's countryside before the Syrian army drove the jihadists from the area in 2017.

Before withdrawing they had planted mines in the area and rigged buildings with explosives, a tactic they have used in other areas as well.

More than four years after IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and declared a "caliphate", the jihadist group has lost one territory after another and are left with only a tiny patch in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are closing in on jihadists defending their last sliver of territory.&nbsp;

The battle for Baghouz is now the only live front in Syria's war, which has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011.

Beyond Baghouz, IS retains a presence in the vast Syrian desert, and continues to claim deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

More than 20 civilians were killed Sunday in central Syria when a landmine left behind by jihadists exploded under a van, the state news agency SANA said. The ordnance left behind by the Islamic State group in the town of Salamiyeh killed farmworkers who were heading to a region in the Hama province to pick truffles, SANA said, citing local police.

More than 20 civilians were killed Sunday in central Syria when a landmine left behind by jihadists exploded under a van, the state news agency SANA said. The ordnance left behind by the Islamic State group in the town of Salamiyeh killed farmworkers who were heading to a region in the Hama province to pick truffles, SANA said, citing local police. It was the second such incident since February 8 when a landmine that had been planted by IS in rural Hama exploded killing seven civilians, SANA said. IS had a presence in Hama's countryside before the Syrian army drove the jihadists from the area in 2017. Before withdrawing they had planted mines in the area and rigged buildings with explosives, a tactic they have used in other areas as well. More than four years after IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and declared a "caliphate", the jihadist group has lost one territory after another and are left with only a tiny patch in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are closing in on jihadists defending their last sliver of territory. The battle for Baghouz is now the only live front in Syria's war, which has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since 2011. Beyond Baghouz, IS retains a presence in the vast Syrian desert, and continues to claim deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

Mine blast kills more than 20 civilians in Syria

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is barring a US-born former Islamic State propagandist from returning home, making the highly unusual case that she is not a US citizen.

Trump's refusal to admit 24-year-old Hoda Muthana comes just as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/take-back-jihadists-trump-tells-europe-197895">he is pressing Europeans to repatriate their own Islamic State fighters</a> and will likely face legal challenges, with US citizenship extremely difficult to lose.

Trump said on Twitter he has "instructed" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the country" — a break with usual US protocol not to comment on individuals' immigration issues.

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I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!
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"Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a US citizen and will not be admitted into the United States," Pompeo said in a terse statement.

"She does not have any legal basis, no valid US passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States," he added.

The US generally grants citizenship to everyone born on its soil and the Alabama-raised Muthana is believed to have traveled to Syria on a US passport.

But a US official said a later investigation showed that she had not been entitled to her passport, adding: "Ms. Muthana's citizenship has not been revoked because she was never a citizen."

Officials declined further comment but in a loophole that could boost the government case, Muthana's father had been a diplomat from Yemen -- and children of diplomats are not automatically given citizenship.

Muthana's lawyer, Hassan Shilby, showed a birth certificate that demonstrated she was born in New Jersey in 1994 and said her father had ceased being a diplomat "months and months" before her birth.

"She is a US citizen. She had a valid passport. She may have broken the law and, if she has, she's willing to pay the price," Shilby told AFP at his office in Tampa.

He said Muthana wanted due process and was willing to go to prison if convicted.

"We cannot get to a point where we simply strip citizenship from those who break the law. That's not what America is about. We have one of the greatest legal systems in the world, and we have to abide by it."

US-born and radicalised 
Just this weekend, Trump took to Twitter to chastise European allies that have not taken back hundreds of Islamic State prisoners caught in Syria, where Trump plans to withdraw US troops.

Comparatively few Americans have embraced radical Islam, with the Counter Extremism Project at George Washington University identifying 64 who went to join the Islamic State group in Syria or Iraq.

Muthana, raised in a strict household in Hoover, Alabama, said she was brainwashed by social media messages and headed to Syria without her parents' knowledge in 2014.

Shortly afterward, Muthana posted on Twitter a picture of herself and three other women who appeared to torch their Western passports, including an American one.

She went on to post vivid calls on social media to kill Americans, glorifying the ruthless extremist group notorious for its beheadings that for a time ruled vast swathes of Syria and Iraq.

But with the Islamic State group down to its last stretch of land, Muthana said she has renounced extremism and wants to return home with her toddler son, born to one of her three jihadist husbands.

"To say that I regret my past words, any pain that I caused my family and any concerns I would cause my country would be hard for me to really express properly," she said in a handwritten note to her lawyer.

Tough to lose US citizenship 
The US decision on Muthana comes amid rising debate in Europe on the nationality of extremists. Britain recently revoked the citizenship of Shamina Begum, who similarly traveled to Syria and wants to return to her country of birth.

Britain asserted that she was entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship due to her heritage, but the Dhaka government on Wednesday denied that she was eligible, leading her to become effectively stateless.

US citizenship is significantly more difficult to lose. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War as slavery was abolished, establishes that anyone born in the country is a citizen with full rights.

The US Supreme Court in the landmark 1967 Afroyim decision rejected the government's attempt to revoke the nationality of a Polish-born naturalized American after he voted in Israel.

And last year a federal judge rejected a bid to strip the nationality of a Pakistani-born naturalized American who was convicted in a plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge.

But Trump has campaigned on a hard line over immigration and raised the prospect of ending birthright citizenship ahead of last year's congressional elections.

In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered drone strikes that killed two Americans in Yemen — prominent Al-Qaeda preacher Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son — but did not believe it was possible to revoke citizenship.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is barring a US-born former Islamic State propagandist from returning home, making the highly unusual case that she is not a US citizen.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is barring a US-born former Islamic State propagandist from returning home, making the highly unusual case that she is not a US citizen. Trump's refusal to admit 24-year-old Hoda Muthana comes just as he is pressing Europeans to repatriate their own Islamic State fighters and will likely face legal challenges, with US citizenship extremely difficult to lose. Trump said on Twitter he has "instructed" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the country" — a break with usual US protocol not to comment on individuals' immigration issues. I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019 × "Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a US citizen and will not be admitted into the United States," Pompeo said in a terse statement. "She does not have any legal basis, no valid US passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States," he added. The US generally grants citizenship to everyone born on its soil and the Alabama-raised Muthana is believed to have traveled to Syria on a US passport. But a US official said a later investigation showed that she had not been entitled to her passport, adding: "Ms. Muthana's citizenship has not been revoked because she was never a citizen." Officials declined further comment but in a loophole that could boost the government case, Muthana's father had been a diplomat from Yemen -- and children of diplomats are not automatically given citizenship. Muthana's lawyer, Hassan Shilby, showed a birth certificate that demonstrated she was born in New Jersey in 1994 and said her father had ceased being a diplomat "months and months" before her birth. "She is a US citizen. She had a valid passport. She may have broken the law and, if she has, she's willing to pay the price," Shilby told AFP at his office in Tampa. He said Muthana wanted due process and was willing to go to prison if convicted. "We cannot get to a point where we simply strip citizenship from those who break the law. That's not what America is about. We have one of the greatest legal systems in the world, and we have to abide by it." US-born and radicalised Just this weekend, Trump took to Twitter to chastise European allies that have not taken back hundreds of Islamic State prisoners caught in Syria, where Trump plans to withdraw US troops. Comparatively few Americans have embraced radical Islam, with the Counter Extremism Project at George Washington University identifying 64 who went to join the Islamic State group in Syria or Iraq. Muthana, raised in a strict household in Hoover, Alabama, said she was brainwashed by social media messages and headed to Syria without her parents' knowledge in 2014. Shortly afterward, Muthana posted on Twitter a picture of herself and three other women who appeared to torch their Western passports, including an American one. She went on to post vivid calls on social media to kill Americans, glorifying the ruthless extremist group notorious for its beheadings that for a time ruled vast swathes of Syria and Iraq. But with the Islamic State group down to its last stretch of land, Muthana said she has renounced extremism and wants to return home with her toddler son, born to one of her three jihadist husbands. "To say that I regret my past words, any pain that I caused my family and any concerns I would cause my country would be hard for me to really express properly," she said in a handwritten note to her lawyer. Tough to lose US citizenship The US decision on Muthana comes amid rising debate in Europe on the nationality of extremists. Britain recently revoked the citizenship of Shamina Begum, who similarly traveled to Syria and wants to return to her country of birth. Britain asserted that she was entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship due to her heritage, but the Dhaka government on Wednesday denied that she was eligible, leading her to become effectively stateless. US citizenship is significantly more difficult to lose. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War as slavery was abolished, establishes that anyone born in the country is a citizen with full rights. The US Supreme Court in the landmark 1967 Afroyim decision rejected the government's attempt to revoke the nationality of a Polish-born naturalized American after he voted in Israel. And last year a federal judge rejected a bid to strip the nationality of a Pakistani-born naturalized American who was convicted in a plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge. But Trump has campaigned on a hard line over immigration and raised the prospect of ending birthright citizenship ahead of last year's congressional elections. In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered drone strikes that killed two Americans in Yemen — prominent Al-Qaeda preacher Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son — but did not believe it was possible to revoke citizenship.

Trump says US woman who joined Islamic State cannot return

A British<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-government-to-strip-teen-who-joined-islamic-state-of-citizenship-lawyer-198405"> teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria</a> in 2015 said Wednesday she was shocked by a government decision to revoke her citizenship.

Shamima Begum, who <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-teen-who-joined-is-has-given-birth-in-syria-family-197927">now wants to return home</a> after giving birth in a refugee camp in Syria last weekend, said the order was "unjust".

"I am a bit shocked," she told ITV News after learning of the move which was announced in a letter Tuesday from Britain's interior ministry to her mother in London.

"It's a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it's a bit unjust on me and my son."

Begum's fate has stirred controversy since she and two friends fled her east London home to join the terror network four years ago when she was aged just 15.

The case highlights a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to allow jihadists and IS sympathisers home to face prosecution or barring them over security concerns as the so-called "caliphate" crumbles.

A spokeswoman for the interior ministry said on Tuesday it would not comment on individual cases, "but any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly".

She added that interior minister Sajid Javid was intent on prioritising "the safety and security of Britain and the people who live here".

"In order to protect this country, he has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless."

Begum gave birth to her third child at the weekend, and appealed to British authorities to show "compassion" by allowing her to raise the baby in Britain -- while expressing no regret over having joined IS.

'All legal avenues'

In the ministry's letter sent to Begum's mother, it said the teen had the right to appeal the order.

A lawyer for her family said it was disappointed with the move.

"(The) family are very disappointed with the... intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship," Tasnime Akunjee said on Twitter.

"We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision."

Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was born in Britain, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen, according to Akunjee.

The interior ministry reportedly believes that she is entitled to claim citizenship in the south Asian country.

Chiranjiv Sarker, head of the consular wing and dual nationality issues at Bangladesh's foreign ministry, told AFP it was aware of the case but had not received any contact from the family.

"So far none of her family members (has) approached us," he said. "What I learn from newspapers is that Shamima was trying to return to Britain."

He added that, if approached, the ministry would need to try to verify Begum's Bangladeshi heritage to assess any possible eligibility for citizenship.&nbsp;

Trump call rebuffed

Begum is currently in a refugee camp in northeast Syria where she fled to escape fighting in the east of the country along with hundreds of other people with links to IS.&nbsp;

She said she has previously given birth to two other children after marrying in Syria. Both children have died, apparently from illness and malnutrition.

Begum fled Britain with Kadiza Sultana, who has since been reported killed, and Amira Abase.

Begum said in recent media interviews that Abase had stayed in a village where IS fighters are making a final stand against US-backed forces.

European countries have been grappling with what to do with foreign fighters detained in Syria by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have warned they may not be able to guard their jails once US troops leave.

The British government on Monday rebuffed US President Donald Trump's call to take back alleged UK jihadists captured in the war-ravaged country.

Trump had called on Britain, France, Germany and other European allies "to take back over 800 IS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial".

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said the fighters should instead face justice in places where they committed their crimes.

A British teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria in 2015 said Wednesday she was shocked by a government decision to revoke her citizenship. Shamima Begum, who now wants to return home after giving birth in a refugee camp in Syria last weekend, said the order was "unjust".

A British teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria in 2015 said Wednesday she was shocked by a government decision to revoke her citizenship. Shamima Begum, who now wants to return home after giving birth in a refugee camp in Syria last weekend, said the order was "unjust". "I am a bit shocked," she told ITV News after learning of the move which was announced in a letter Tuesday from Britain's interior ministry to her mother in London. "It's a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it's a bit unjust on me and my son." Begum's fate has stirred controversy since she and two friends fled her east London home to join the terror network four years ago when she was aged just 15. The case highlights a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to allow jihadists and IS sympathisers home to face prosecution or barring them over security concerns as the so-called "caliphate" crumbles. A spokeswoman for the interior ministry said on Tuesday it would not comment on individual cases, "but any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly". She added that interior minister Sajid Javid was intent on prioritising "the safety and security of Britain and the people who live here". "In order to protect this country, he has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless." Begum gave birth to her third child at the weekend, and appealed to British authorities to show "compassion" by allowing her to raise the baby in Britain -- while expressing no regret over having joined IS. 'All legal avenues' In the ministry's letter sent to Begum's mother, it said the teen had the right to appeal the order. A lawyer for her family said it was disappointed with the move. "(The) family are very disappointed with the... intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship," Tasnime Akunjee said on Twitter. "We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision." Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was born in Britain, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen, according to Akunjee. The interior ministry reportedly believes that she is entitled to claim citizenship in the south Asian country. Chiranjiv Sarker, head of the consular wing and dual nationality issues at Bangladesh's foreign ministry, told AFP it was aware of the case but had not received any contact from the family. "So far none of her family members (has) approached us," he said. "What I learn from newspapers is that Shamima was trying to return to Britain." He added that, if approached, the ministry would need to try to verify Begum's Bangladeshi heritage to assess any possible eligibility for citizenship. Trump call rebuffed Begum is currently in a refugee camp in northeast Syria where she fled to escape fighting in the east of the country along with hundreds of other people with links to IS. She said she has previously given birth to two other children after marrying in Syria. Both children have died, apparently from illness and malnutrition. Begum fled Britain with Kadiza Sultana, who has since been reported killed, and Amira Abase. Begum said in recent media interviews that Abase had stayed in a village where IS fighters are making a final stand against US-backed forces. European countries have been grappling with what to do with foreign fighters detained in Syria by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have warned they may not be able to guard their jails once US troops leave. The British government on Monday rebuffed US President Donald Trump's call to take back alleged UK jihadists captured in the war-ravaged country. Trump had called on Britain, France, Germany and other European allies "to take back over 800 IS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial". Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said the fighters should instead face justice in places where they committed their crimes.

Islamic State teen 'shocked' after UK revokes her citizenship

As the end nears for the IS enclave in Syria and the fate of jihadists' family members becomes a prescient issue, Russia can be seen as a pioneer in systematically returning children of Islamist fighters home.

A potential homecoming of the many foreign women who have gone to live in the IS "caliphate" and their children, many of whom were born there, has been a subject of debate in Russia, with some security chiefs seeing them as potential threats.

Earlier this month, 27 children, from four to 13 years old, were flown from Iraq to the Moscow region.

Clutching stuffed toys and bundled in winter jackets, the children were carried off the cargo plane to face the Russian winter after years in the desert.

After health exams, they would be given into the care of their uncles, aunts, and grandparents in the Russian North Caucasus, the majority-Muslim territory in the south of Russia that is home to most of the Russians that had joined the Islamic State group.

Another 30 children were brought back in late December.

"They attend school and kindergarten. Volunteers work with them and talk to them about what they have been through, explaining how they have been indoctrinated," said Kheda Saratova, an advisor to Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has assumed a central role in the process of repatriating Islamists' relatives.

Russian authorities have given sometimes conflicting figures of returnees. Saratova said that about 200 children have been brought to Russia, but nearly 1,400 are still stuck in Iraq and Syria.

Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, began efforts to bring back fighters' children in 2017. Diplomatic negotiations are often led by Aleppo-born Chechnya senator Ziyad Sabsabi.

Endorsing Kadyrov's efforts, President Vladimir Putin in late 2017 called the drive to return the children "a very honourable and correct deed" and promised to help.

"It's very good for the image of Kadyrov. He seems somebody who doesn't just use violence against terrorists but who builds mosques and hands out humanitarian aid," said Grigory Shvedov, who edits a Caucasus-focused news website Caucasian Knot.

When he began Russia's intervention in Syria in 2015, Putin justified it by the need to kill jihadists before they come to Russia.

Although some regions have tried rehabilitation programmes for Islamic extremists, these have failed to catch on at the national level. Young men who returned from Syria or Iraq and turned themselves in have faced harsh punishment.

This month Russia's Supreme Court confirmed a 16-year-term for a young man who went to Syria as a 19-year-old student and worked as a cook and driver on IS-controlled territory for six months.

Returning the wives of jihadists is also complicated by the absence of an extradition agreement between Russia and Iraq, where many have been sentenced, sometimes to life, in prison.

But there is also reluctance by Russia's powerful security services to bring home adult civilians.

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov in November noted that many women with children exiting conflict zones have been used by jihadists as suicide bombers or recruiters.

"The FSB sees them as dangerous, even though many of these wives purchase their freedom from the Kurds and will eventually return one way or another," said Saratova.

Any affiliation with Islamic State jihadists is a crime, since the group is banned under Russian law.

As the end nears for the IS enclave in Syria and the fate of jihadists' family members becomes a prescient issue, Russia can be seen as a pioneer in systematically returning children of Islamist fighters home.

As the end nears for the IS enclave in Syria and the fate of jihadists' family members becomes a prescient issue, Russia can be seen as a pioneer in systematically returning children of Islamist fighters home. A potential homecoming of the many foreign women who have gone to live in the IS "caliphate" and their children, many of whom were born there, has been a subject of debate in Russia, with some security chiefs seeing them as potential threats. Earlier this month, 27 children, from four to 13 years old, were flown from Iraq to the Moscow region. Clutching stuffed toys and bundled in winter jackets, the children were carried off the cargo plane to face the Russian winter after years in the desert. After health exams, they would be given into the care of their uncles, aunts, and grandparents in the Russian North Caucasus, the majority-Muslim territory in the south of Russia that is home to most of the Russians that had joined the Islamic State group. Another 30 children were brought back in late December. "They attend school and kindergarten. Volunteers work with them and talk to them about what they have been through, explaining how they have been indoctrinated," said Kheda Saratova, an advisor to Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has assumed a central role in the process of repatriating Islamists' relatives. Russian authorities have given sometimes conflicting figures of returnees. Saratova said that about 200 children have been brought to Russia, but nearly 1,400 are still stuck in Iraq and Syria. Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, began efforts to bring back fighters' children in 2017. Diplomatic negotiations are often led by Aleppo-born Chechnya senator Ziyad Sabsabi. Endorsing Kadyrov's efforts, President Vladimir Putin in late 2017 called the drive to return the children "a very honourable and correct deed" and promised to help. "It's very good for the image of Kadyrov. He seems somebody who doesn't just use violence against terrorists but who builds mosques and hands out humanitarian aid," said Grigory Shvedov, who edits a Caucasus-focused news website Caucasian Knot. When he began Russia's intervention in Syria in 2015, Putin justified it by the need to kill jihadists before they come to Russia. Although some regions have tried rehabilitation programmes for Islamic extremists, these have failed to catch on at the national level. Young men who returned from Syria or Iraq and turned themselves in have faced harsh punishment. This month Russia's Supreme Court confirmed a 16-year-term for a young man who went to Syria as a 19-year-old student and worked as a cook and driver on IS-controlled territory for six months. Returning the wives of jihadists is also complicated by the absence of an extradition agreement between Russia and Iraq, where many have been sentenced, sometimes to life, in prison. But there is also reluctance by Russia's powerful security services to bring home adult civilians. FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov in November noted that many women with children exiting conflict zones have been used by jihadists as suicide bombers or recruiters. "The FSB sees them as dangerous, even though many of these wives purchase their freedom from the Kurds and will eventually return one way or another," said Saratova. Any affiliation with Islamic State jihadists is a crime, since the group is banned under Russian law.

Russia pioneering return of 'ISIS children'

US President Donald Trump Sunday called on his European allies to take back alleged jihadists captured in Syria, as Islamic State group fighters defended the <a href="Last Islamic State 'caliphate' on brink of defeat in east Syria">last scrap of their "caliphate"</a>.

IS declared a proto-state across parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014 but has since lost all of it except a tiny patch of less than half a kilometre square near the Iraqi border.

After years of fighting IS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for the group, and well as related women and children.

Syria's Kurds have repeatedly called for their countries of origin to take them back, but these nations have been reluctant.

The issue has taken on greater urgency, however, amid fears of a security vacuum since Trump's shock announcement in December that US troops would withdraw.

"The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS.

"The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. The US does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go."

'European solution'

His tweet prompted a reaction from Paris, Brussels and Berlin.

In Syria, "it is the Kurds who hold them (the French jihadists) and we have every confidence in their ability to keep them detained," French junior interior minister Laurent Nunez told the BFM news channel.

If suspected jihadists return to France, "they will all be tried, and incarcerated," he said.

Coalition member France this month opened the door to bringing back its citizens.

A French source told AFP an estimated 150 French nationals, including 90 children, could be brought back to France, but authorities have not confirmed any planned transfer.

In Belgium, justice minister Koen Geens called for a collective "European solution" to the problem of foreign fighters, urging a solution that carries the least security risks.

"We currently have mothers and children in northern Syria, but also some fighters who are known," he told Belgian public television network VRT.

In Germany, foreign ministry sources said "the federal government is examining options to enable German citizens to leave Syria, especially in humanitarian cases".

Thousands of people have streamed out of the so-called "Baghouz pocket" in recent weeks, but hundreds of civilians are believed to still be inside.

At a collection point for new arrivals outside Baghouz on Sunday, dozens of tents and a few trucks sat empty.

Earlier in the week, the area had been thronging with people -- women and children, but also suspected jihadists led to one side.

"It's been two days since anyone came out," an SDF fighter told AFP.

'Human shields'

SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said IS had blocked roads out of its holdout, preventing those remaining from escaping to safety.

"Daesh has sealed off all the streets" but up to 2,000 civilians could still be inside, he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

A spokesman for the US-led coalition said IS was using these women and children as "human shields".

"Civilians who have escaped are reporting ISIS is using them as human shields and killing innocent civilians in order to intimidate others from trying to leave," Sean Ryan said.

Trump on Friday promised announcements linked to "the eradication of the caliphate" within 24 hours, but a top SDF commander then warned the battle would take a few more days.

Beyond Baghouz, IS still has thousands of fighters and sleeper cells scattered across several countries.

In Syria, it retains a presence in the vast Badia desert, and has claimed deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

"Over the past month, more than one foreign sleeper cell was arrested in multiple areas in Syria," spokesman Bali said.

Any withdrawal would leave Syria's Kurds exposed to a long-threatened attack by neighbouring Turkey, which views Kurdish fighters as "terrorists".

They have scrambled to seek a new ally in the Damascus government after spending most of Syria's civil war working towards self-rule.

Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, President Bashar al-Assad's government controls nearly two-thirds of the country.

But the SDF hold around a third of the country still beyond its control.

US President Donald Trump Sunday called on his European allies to take back alleged jihadists captured in Syria, as Islamic State group fighters defended the last scrap of their "caliphate".

US President Donald Trump Sunday called on his European allies to take back alleged jihadists captured in Syria, as Islamic State group fighters defended the last scrap of their "caliphate". IS declared a proto-state across parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014 but has since lost all of it except a tiny patch of less than half a kilometre square near the Iraqi border. After years of fighting IS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for the group, and well as related women and children. Syria's Kurds have repeatedly called for their countries of origin to take them back, but these nations have been reluctant. The issue has taken on greater urgency, however, amid fears of a security vacuum since Trump's shock announcement in December that US troops would withdraw. "The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS. "The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. The US does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go." 'European solution' His tweet prompted a reaction from Paris, Brussels and Berlin. In Syria, "it is the Kurds who hold them (the French jihadists) and we have every confidence in their ability to keep them detained," French junior interior minister Laurent Nunez told the BFM news channel. If suspected jihadists return to France, "they will all be tried, and incarcerated," he said. Coalition member France this month opened the door to bringing back its citizens. A French source told AFP an estimated 150 French nationals, including 90 children, could be brought back to France, but authorities have not confirmed any planned transfer. In Belgium, justice minister Koen Geens called for a collective "European solution" to the problem of foreign fighters, urging a solution that carries the least security risks. "We currently have mothers and children in northern Syria, but also some fighters who are known," he told Belgian public television network VRT. In Germany, foreign ministry sources said "the federal government is examining options to enable German citizens to leave Syria, especially in humanitarian cases". Thousands of people have streamed out of the so-called "Baghouz pocket" in recent weeks, but hundreds of civilians are believed to still be inside. At a collection point for new arrivals outside Baghouz on Sunday, dozens of tents and a few trucks sat empty. Earlier in the week, the area had been thronging with people -- women and children, but also suspected jihadists led to one side. "It's been two days since anyone came out," an SDF fighter told AFP. 'Human shields' SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said IS had blocked roads out of its holdout, preventing those remaining from escaping to safety. "Daesh has sealed off all the streets" but up to 2,000 civilians could still be inside, he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. A spokesman for the US-led coalition said IS was using these women and children as "human shields". "Civilians who have escaped are reporting ISIS is using them as human shields and killing innocent civilians in order to intimidate others from trying to leave," Sean Ryan said. Trump on Friday promised announcements linked to "the eradication of the caliphate" within 24 hours, but a top SDF commander then warned the battle would take a few more days. Beyond Baghouz, IS still has thousands of fighters and sleeper cells scattered across several countries. In Syria, it retains a presence in the vast Badia desert, and has claimed deadly attacks in SDF-held territory. "Over the past month, more than one foreign sleeper cell was arrested in multiple areas in Syria," spokesman Bali said. Any withdrawal would leave Syria's Kurds exposed to a long-threatened attack by neighbouring Turkey, which views Kurdish fighters as "terrorists". They have scrambled to seek a new ally in the Damascus government after spending most of Syria's civil war working towards self-rule. Eight years into the conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people, President Bashar al-Assad's government controls nearly two-thirds of the country. But the SDF hold around a third of the country still beyond its control.

Donald Trump asks Europe take back jihadists, as IS in last stand in Syria

European nations must take back hundreds of Islamic State group fighters captured in Syria, President Donald Trump said late Saturday, after a delay in announcing what he said would be the end of the "caliphate."

Trump shocked allies in December by declaring the pullout of roughly 2,000 US troops who had been assisting local forces in Syria against IS, whose sole remaining territory is half a square kilometer (one-fifth of a square mile) in eastern Syria.

The pending US pullout set off a countdown for governments whose citizens, having joined IS, were captured by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-syrian-forces-launch-final-battle-against-islamic-state-enclave-196295">800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria</a> and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS.

"The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. The US&nbsp;does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go."

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The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial. The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them........
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Once the US-led coalition declares it has taken all IS territories, the White House is expected to withdraw American troops.

When that happens, the risk is high that "foreign terrorist fighters" will escape SDF control, posing a new threat.

For about two weeks, the Trump administration has been pushing its allies to take their citizens home, and the US said it was ready to help in the repatriation, but time has been running out.

Several countries, including France, that have chosen to leave the jihadists in SDF detention now confront a diplomatic, legal, political and logistical puzzle.&nbsp;

"We do so much, and spend so much - Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate victory!" Trump said in his late-Saturday tweets.

On Friday he said announcements on the fall of the caliphate would be made "over the next 24 hours," but that deadline came and went.

Deep transatlantic rift 
An SDF commander said his US-backed forces slowed their advance to protect civilians.

The jihadists declared a "caliphate" in large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, but have since lost all but a tiny patch of territory near the Iraqi border.

Trump's Syria pullout has highlighted the deep trans-Atlantic rift that emerged under his presidency, and the differing views of the two sides were on display Saturday at a security conference in Munich.

A French government source criticized the Trump administration's approach as "we're leaving, you're staying" and added: "They're trying to manage the consequences of a hasty decision and making us carry the responsibility."

European nations must take back hundreds of Islamic State group fighters captured in Syria, President Donald Trump said late Saturday, after a delay in announcing what he said would be the end of the "caliphate.

European nations must take back hundreds of Islamic State group fighters captured in Syria, President Donald Trump said late Saturday, after a delay in announcing what he said would be the end of the "caliphate." Trump shocked allies in December by declaring the pullout of roughly 2,000 US troops who had been assisting local forces in Syria against IS, whose sole remaining territory is half a square kilometer (one-fifth of a square mile) in eastern Syria. The pending US pullout set off a countdown for governments whose citizens, having joined IS, were captured by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). "The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS. "The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. The US does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go." The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial. The Caliphate is ready to fall. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them........ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2019 × Once the US-led coalition declares it has taken all IS territories, the White House is expected to withdraw American troops. When that happens, the risk is high that "foreign terrorist fighters" will escape SDF control, posing a new threat. For about two weeks, the Trump administration has been pushing its allies to take their citizens home, and the US said it was ready to help in the repatriation, but time has been running out. Several countries, including France, that have chosen to leave the jihadists in SDF detention now confront a diplomatic, legal, political and logistical puzzle. "We do so much, and spend so much - Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate victory!" Trump said in his late-Saturday tweets. On Friday he said announcements on the fall of the caliphate would be made "over the next 24 hours," but that deadline came and went. Deep transatlantic rift An SDF commander said his US-backed forces slowed their advance to protect civilians. The jihadists declared a "caliphate" in large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, but have since lost all but a tiny patch of territory near the Iraqi border. Trump's Syria pullout has highlighted the deep trans-Atlantic rift that emerged under his presidency, and the differing views of the two sides were on display Saturday at a security conference in Munich. A French government source criticized the Trump administration's approach as "we're leaving, you're staying" and added: "They're trying to manage the consequences of a hasty decision and making us carry the responsibility."

Take back jihadists, Trump tells Europe

Over 30,000 people fled the Nigerian town of Rann and across the border to Cameroon over the weekend amid fears of renewed attacks by Boko Haram jihadists, the UN said Tuesday.

"All the population seems to be panicking and they are on the run as a preemptive measure to save their lives," UN refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva.

Rann, near the border with Cameroon in northern Borno state, already saw an exodus of some 9,000 people earlier this month after a Boko Haram attack on January 14 left 14 people dead.

Baloch said that Cameroon had sent back the 9,000 refugees and had initially sent in troops that are part of a multinational task force to protect the town.

"It was a bit peaceful, but as far as we understand now, that multinational taskforce has left," he said.

Refugees had told aid workers that Boko Haram militants had "promised to return to Rann," he said, explaining the panic.

He said UNHCR was reiterating its call to Cameroonian authorities "to keep the borders open, as we see thousands fleeing every day."

Baloch said that a recent upsurge in violence in northeastern Nigeria had already driven more than 80,000 civilians to seek refuge in already crowded camps or in towns in Borno State, "where they are surviving in tough living conditions."

Rann, he said, had already been housing some 80,000 displaced people.

"The escalation in the conflict has thwarted people's intention of returning to their homes," he said, adding that some refugees who had attempted to return home from Cameroon had been displaced multiple times inside Nigeria or forced to become refugees again in Cameroon.

"The hostilities have strained humanitarian operations there and forced aid workers to pull out from some locations," he said.

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency, meanwhile told reporters that we have "260 aid workers who were withdrawn from three locations in Borno state" since early December.

Over 30,000 people fled the Nigerian town of Rann and across the border to Cameroon over the weekend amid fears of renewed attacks by Boko Haram jihadists, the UN said Tuesday.

Over 30,000 people fled the Nigerian town of Rann and across the border to Cameroon over the weekend amid fears of renewed attacks by Boko Haram jihadists, the UN said Tuesday. "All the population seems to be panicking and they are on the run as a preemptive measure to save their lives," UN refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva. Rann, near the border with Cameroon in northern Borno state, already saw an exodus of some 9,000 people earlier this month after a Boko Haram attack on January 14 left 14 people dead. Baloch said that Cameroon had sent back the 9,000 refugees and had initially sent in troops that are part of a multinational task force to protect the town. "It was a bit peaceful, but as far as we understand now, that multinational taskforce has left," he said. Refugees had told aid workers that Boko Haram militants had "promised to return to Rann," he said, explaining the panic. He said UNHCR was reiterating its call to Cameroonian authorities "to keep the borders open, as we see thousands fleeing every day." Baloch said that a recent upsurge in violence in northeastern Nigeria had already driven more than 80,000 civilians to seek refuge in already crowded camps or in towns in Borno State, "where they are surviving in tough living conditions." Rann, he said, had already been housing some 80,000 displaced people. "The escalation in the conflict has thwarted people's intention of returning to their homes," he said, adding that some refugees who had attempted to return home from Cameroon had been displaced multiple times inside Nigeria or forced to become refugees again in Cameroon. "The hostilities have strained humanitarian operations there and forced aid workers to pull out from some locations," he said. Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency, meanwhile told reporters that we have "260 aid workers who were withdrawn from three locations in Borno state" since early December.

30,000 fled Nigerian town in two days amid Boko Haram threat: UN

French forces have "put out of action" some 30 Islamist militants, possibly including veteran Malian jihadist leader Amadou Koufa, during a raid in the central Mali region of Mopti, the army said on Friday.

The French army, which has about 4,500 troops in West Africa battling Islamist militants, did not specify whether the jihadists had all been killed or taken prisoner. The operation took place with air support on Thursday night, it said.

"At this stage of the evaluation of the operation, it appears that about 30 terrorists were put out of action," the army said in its statement, adding that Koufa and other prominent militants were probably among them.

Koufa, a radical preacher, inspired the Massina Liberation Front (MLF), a group blamed for a wave of attacks that has shifted Mali’s six-year-old Islamist insurgency from the remote desert north ever closer to its populous south.

French forces have "put out of action" some 30 Islamist militants, possibly including veteran Malian jihadist leader Amadou Koufa, during a raid in the central Mali region of Mopti, the army said on Friday.

French forces have "put out of action" some 30 Islamist militants, possibly including veteran Malian jihadist leader Amadou Koufa, during a raid in the central Mali region of Mopti, the army said on Friday. The French army, which has about 4,500 troops in West Africa battling Islamist militants, did not specify whether the jihadists had all been killed or taken prisoner. The operation took place with air support on Thursday night, it said. "At this stage of the evaluation of the operation, it appears that about 30 terrorists were put out of action," the army said in its statement, adding that Koufa and other prominent militants were probably among them. Koufa, a radical preacher, inspired the Massina Liberation Front (MLF), a group blamed for a wave of attacks that has shifted Mali’s six-year-old Islamist insurgency from the remote desert north ever closer to its populous south.

France says puts 30 jihadists 'out of action' in Mali

Jihadists have killed at least eight Syrian government troops near a planned buffer zone around the country's last major rebel bastion, a monitor said on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack took place late on Friday in the north of Hama province near the planned buffer zone around rebel-held territory in neighbouring Idlib.

The attack was led by fighters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda branch which is the dominant force in Idlib, the Britain-based monitoring group said.

"An assault by HTS targeted a Syrian regime position on the outskirts of the de-militarised zone" and was followed by clashes in which eight regime forces were killed, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Two jihadists also died.

The de-militarised zone was announced by rebel backer Ankara and Damascus ally Moscow in September to separate government troops from rebel fighters in Idlib and adjacent areas.

Under the deal, the rebels were supposed to have removed all heavy weapons from the buffer zone by October 10 but skirmishes have continued to pit regime forces against jihadists and other insurgents on the ground.

Rebel factions have said they withdrew their heavy weapons from the zone but HTS and other hardline groups have refused to pull out their fighters.

The deadly jihadist assault came hours after government troops killed 23 fighters of a formerly US-backed rebel group inside the planned buffer zone.

Idlib and some adjacent areas are the last major rebel bastion in Syria, where the Russian-backed government has in recent months retaken much of the territory it had lost since the civil war erupted.

It had threatened an assault on rebel territory around Idlib, which is home to some three million people, but the truce deal struck by Russia and Turkey averted it.

Aid organisations had warned that a fully-fledged offensive on Idlib could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the civil war so far.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.&nbsp;

Jihadists have killed at least eight Syrian government troops near a planned buffer zone around the country's last major rebel bastion, a monitor said on Saturday.

Jihadists have killed at least eight Syrian government troops near a planned buffer zone around the country's last major rebel bastion, a monitor said on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack took place late on Friday in the north of Hama province near the planned buffer zone around rebel-held territory in neighbouring Idlib. The attack was led by fighters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda branch which is the dominant force in Idlib, the Britain-based monitoring group said. "An assault by HTS targeted a Syrian regime position on the outskirts of the de-militarised zone" and was followed by clashes in which eight regime forces were killed, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Two jihadists also died. The de-militarised zone was announced by rebel backer Ankara and Damascus ally Moscow in September to separate government troops from rebel fighters in Idlib and adjacent areas. Under the deal, the rebels were supposed to have removed all heavy weapons from the buffer zone by October 10 but skirmishes have continued to pit regime forces against jihadists and other insurgents on the ground. Rebel factions have said they withdrew their heavy weapons from the zone but HTS and other hardline groups have refused to pull out their fighters. The deadly jihadist assault came hours after government troops killed 23 fighters of a formerly US-backed rebel group inside the planned buffer zone. Idlib and some adjacent areas are the last major rebel bastion in Syria, where the Russian-backed government has in recent months retaken much of the territory it had lost since the civil war erupted. It had threatened an assault on rebel territory around Idlib, which is home to some three million people, but the truce deal struck by Russia and Turkey averted it. Aid organisations had warned that a fully-fledged offensive on Idlib could spark the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the civil war so far. More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Jihadists kill 8 Syria troops near truce zone: Monitor

Jihadists have killed three village chiefs in less than a week in Iraq's restive north, local officials said Saturday, as the targeting of state representatives escalates.

Iraq declared victory against the Islamic State group last year, but small jihadist cells still wage attacks, especially in mountainous areas like the northern province of Kirkuk.

There, IS has attacked state infrastructure and government officials, especially targeting local administrative heads known as "mukhtars." The latest victim, on Friday night, was mukhtar of the village of Mahmudiya near the town of Hawija.

The town has long been a bastion of radical Sunni Muslim groups and was one of the last IS holdouts retaken by government troops last year.

Mahmudiya mukhtar "Abdallah al-Wasmi was executed by Daesh members who attacked his home," a local security official told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

His death followed the similar killing of the mukhtar of a nearby village, Hanutiya, late Wednesday.

And on Monday, a provincial official told AFP that "IS fighters attacked the home of Mohammad Jumaa, the mukhtar of the village of Jassemiya", also near Hawija. "They took him out of his house and executed him in front of it before fleeing," the official said.

The recent killings bring to nine the number of village chieftains executed by IS in the past seven months in Kirkuk province.

Jihadists have killed three village chiefs in less than a week in Iraq's restive north, local officials said Saturday, as the targeting of state representatives escalates.

Jihadists have killed three village chiefs in less than a week in Iraq's restive north, local officials said Saturday, as the targeting of state representatives escalates. Iraq declared victory against the Islamic State group last year, but small jihadist cells still wage attacks, especially in mountainous areas like the northern province of Kirkuk. There, IS has attacked state infrastructure and government officials, especially targeting local administrative heads known as "mukhtars." The latest victim, on Friday night, was mukhtar of the village of Mahmudiya near the town of Hawija. The town has long been a bastion of radical Sunni Muslim groups and was one of the last IS holdouts retaken by government troops last year. Mahmudiya mukhtar "Abdallah al-Wasmi was executed by Daesh members who attacked his home," a local security official told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS. His death followed the similar killing of the mukhtar of a nearby village, Hanutiya, late Wednesday. And on Monday, a provincial official told AFP that "IS fighters attacked the home of Mohammad Jumaa, the mukhtar of the village of Jassemiya", also near Hawija. "They took him out of his house and executed him in front of it before fleeing," the official said. The recent killings bring to nine the number of village chieftains executed by IS in the past seven months in Kirkuk province.

Islamic State kills 3 Iraq village chiefs in a week: Officials

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area.

Further complicating Turkey's task, a war monitor said hundreds of members of the Islamic State group were transferred by the regime to the northwestern region from eastern Syria.

Russia, the government's main ally, and Turkey, the rebels' top sponsor, agreed last week in Sochi on a plan meant to avert a largescale regime offensive on Idlib.

The country's last major rebel stronghold is home to around three million people and the United Nations had warned an assault could have sparked a humanitarian disaster on a scale yet unseen in the seven-year conflict.

The deal reached in the Russian resort puts the onus on Turkey, which is now expected to get jihadists to hand over their heavy weapons and vacate a U-shaped demilitarised zone around Idlib.

Turkey already has 12 military "observation points" dotted across the province and on Tuesday an AFP correspondent saw a convoy of reinforcements after they crossed the border into Idlib.

Around 35 military vehicles travelled south down the main highway near the town of Saraqib after midnight.

The convoy was accompanied by pro-Ankara rebels of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who control part of the enclave on the Turkish border.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls more than half of the rebel zone, while NLF fighters hold sway over most of the rest.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that the government had transferred hundreds of rival IS jihadists to the area.

Excuse for an assault

On Monday, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said they were brought from an area where IS still holds a few pockets near the Iraqi border in Deir Ezzor province.

"Regime forces transported more than 400 IS fighters late Sunday from the desert near the town of Albu Kamal," he said.

They arrived in the eastern countryside of Idlib at dawn on Monday, near areas where other jihadist groups are present, he said.

Abdel Rahman said the transfer came after days of negotiations and as the Syrian army with allied Iranian forces threatened an operation against IS.

"An agreement was reached with IS fighters in one of their pockets in the desert south of Albu Kamal to evacuate them," he said.

Observers have already warned that Turkey's task was almost impossible and the presence of IS, over which it has very limited sway, will further muddy the waters.

Tore Hamming, a Copenhagen-based academic specialised in the study of jihadist groups, argued that the IS transfer could spark clashes between rival factions inside Idlib.

Beyond exacerbating differences among its foes, he said the regime may have sought to create a justification for a full-blown Russian-backed offensive.

"It is easier to convince international players to accept an offensive if you can say there are substantial numbers of IS fighters," Hamming argued.

The conflict in Syria, which has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011, will feature prominently on the agenda of the UN General Assembly which opens Tuesday in New York.

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area.

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area. Further complicating Turkey's task, a war monitor said hundreds of members of the Islamic State group were transferred by the regime to the northwestern region from eastern Syria. Russia, the government's main ally, and Turkey, the rebels' top sponsor, agreed last week in Sochi on a plan meant to avert a largescale regime offensive on Idlib. The country's last major rebel stronghold is home to around three million people and the United Nations had warned an assault could have sparked a humanitarian disaster on a scale yet unseen in the seven-year conflict. The deal reached in the Russian resort puts the onus on Turkey, which is now expected to get jihadists to hand over their heavy weapons and vacate a U-shaped demilitarised zone around Idlib. Turkey already has 12 military "observation points" dotted across the province and on Tuesday an AFP correspondent saw a convoy of reinforcements after they crossed the border into Idlib. Around 35 military vehicles travelled south down the main highway near the town of Saraqib after midnight. The convoy was accompanied by pro-Ankara rebels of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who control part of the enclave on the Turkish border. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls more than half of the rebel zone, while NLF fighters hold sway over most of the rest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that the government had transferred hundreds of rival IS jihadists to the area. Excuse for an assault On Monday, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said they were brought from an area where IS still holds a few pockets near the Iraqi border in Deir Ezzor province. "Regime forces transported more than 400 IS fighters late Sunday from the desert near the town of Albu Kamal," he said. They arrived in the eastern countryside of Idlib at dawn on Monday, near areas where other jihadist groups are present, he said. Abdel Rahman said the transfer came after days of negotiations and as the Syrian army with allied Iranian forces threatened an operation against IS. "An agreement was reached with IS fighters in one of their pockets in the desert south of Albu Kamal to evacuate them," he said. Observers have already warned that Turkey's task was almost impossible and the presence of IS, over which it has very limited sway, will further muddy the waters. Tore Hamming, a Copenhagen-based academic specialised in the study of jihadist groups, argued that the IS transfer could spark clashes between rival factions inside Idlib. Beyond exacerbating differences among its foes, he said the regime may have sought to create a justification for a full-blown Russian-backed offensive. "It is easier to convince international players to accept an offensive if you can say there are substantial numbers of IS fighters," Hamming argued. The conflict in Syria, which has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011, will feature prominently on the agenda of the UN General Assembly which opens Tuesday in New York.

Turkey sends reinforcements to Syria's Idlib

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

"Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday. "Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

12 killed, 14 wounded in Mozambique jihadist attacks: Source

The Egypt army on Tuesday killed 8 Jihadists and arrested 64 others in a wide-scale military operation called 'Comprehensive Sinai 2018' in Sinai.&nbsp

Two soldiers were also reported dead and three were left wounded in the operations carried out. In a statement released by the on Tuesday, the armed forces said that the 64 arrested were believed to be members of the Islamic State affiliated group'Sinai Province.'&nbsp

The Egyptian forces targetted two vehicles which were crossing Egypt's western borders and were loaded with weapons and bombs. In addition, 20 vehicles and 79 motorbikes used by the militants were destroyed.

Also destroyed were 80 stationing points used by the militants as hiding places and storage for their ‘Improvised Explosive Devices’ (IEDS).

Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

More than 200 jihadists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed since the military launched the operation, according to official figures.&nbsp

Human Rights Watch said last month the Sinai operation could spark a humanitarian crisis, leaving "up to 420,000 residents in four northeastern cities in urgent need of humanitarian aid".

The Egyptian forces targetted two vehicles which were crossing Egypt's western borders and were loaded with weapons and bombs. In addition, 20 vehicles and 79 motorbikes used by the militants were destroyed

The Egypt army on Tuesday killed 8 Jihadists and arrested 64 others in a wide-scale military operation called 'Comprehensive Sinai 2018' in Sinai. Two soldiers were also reported dead and three were left wounded in the operations carried out. In a statement released by the on Tuesday, the armed forces said that the 64 arrested were believed to be members of the Islamic State affiliated group'Sinai Province.' The Egyptian forces targetted two vehicles which were crossing Egypt's western borders and were loaded with weapons and bombs. In addition, 20 vehicles and 79 motorbikes used by the militants were destroyed. Also destroyed were 80 stationing points used by the militants as hiding places and storage for their ‘Improvised Explosive Devices’ (IEDS). Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests. More than 200 jihadists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed since the military launched the operation, according to official figures. Human Rights Watch said last month the Sinai operation could spark a humanitarian crisis, leaving "up to 420,000 residents in four northeastern cities in urgent need of humanitarian aid".

Egypt Army Forces kill 8 jihadists, arrests 64 suspected IS militants

Australia on Saturday warned the use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks was the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times and urged a &quot;united and cohesive&quot; response.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the &quot;dark web&quot; by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem.

&quot;The use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times,&quot; he said.

Dutton added at the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that the only way to deal with the threat, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members, was together.

&quot;While our nations are focused on countering the ongoing threat of terrorism domestically, it would be a mistake to approach the problem from a purely national perspective,&quot; he said.

&quot;Terrorism and violent extremism transcend national borders.&nbsp;

&quot;Countering the threat requires a united and cohesive regional effort involving coordination between our respective national security and law enforcement agencies.&quot;

Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism.

The problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed.

The issue was driven home last year when pro-Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back.

A memorandum of understanding will be issued at the summit later Saturday, reportedly with an agreement to pool cyber intelligence and police resources across the region for the first time.

The Australian newspaper said it would include a regional digital forensics taskforce and uniform criminal legislative frameworks to secure prosecutions.

Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney.

In response, Canberra has consolidated key functions like national security, immigration, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, and border protection under a newly-created Home Affairs department, headed by Dutton.

He said that to address the issue of apps which allow extremists to operate clandestinely, Canberra planned to introduce legislation to strengthen agencies&#39; ability to adapt to encryption.

This will include making companies that provide communications services and devices obliged to assist when asked, while also making the use of surveillance devices and computer network exploitation by authorities easier.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Australia a dialogue partner since 1974.&nbsp;

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the 'dark web' by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem

Australia on Saturday warned the use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks was the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times and urged a "united and cohesive" response. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the "dark web" by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem. "The use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times," he said. Dutton added at the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that the only way to deal with the threat, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members, was together. "While our nations are focused on countering the ongoing threat of terrorism domestically, it would be a mistake to approach the problem from a purely national perspective," he said. "Terrorism and violent extremism transcend national borders. "Countering the threat requires a united and cohesive regional effort involving coordination between our respective national security and law enforcement agencies." Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism. The problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed. The issue was driven home last year when pro-Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back. A memorandum of understanding will be issued at the summit later Saturday, reportedly with an agreement to pool cyber intelligence and police resources across the region for the first time. The Australian newspaper said it would include a regional digital forensics taskforce and uniform criminal legislative frameworks to secure prosecutions. Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney. In response, Canberra has consolidated key functions like national security, immigration, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, and border protection under a newly-created Home Affairs department, headed by Dutton. He said that to address the issue of apps which allow extremists to operate clandestinely, Canberra planned to introduce legislation to strengthen agencies' ability to adapt to encryption. This will include making companies that provide communications services and devices obliged to assist when asked, while also making the use of surveillance devices and computer network exploitation by authorities easier. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Australia a dialogue partner since 1974.

Australia warns Southeast Asia of high-tech terror threat

Warplanes pounded Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta on Friday as Islamist groups tried to resist an advance by Russian-backed regime forces and civilians looked for cracks through which to flee the five-year-old siege.

At least 57 civilians were killed as the toll for the month-old assault near Damascus continued to mount and world powers remained unable to stop one of the seven-year conflict&#39;s worst crises.

The war entered its eighth year with another deadly assault unfolding in the north, where Turkish-led forces pressed an operation to seize the Kurdish-majority region of Afrin, sending thousands more civilians on to the roads.

Turkish artillery fire killed 18 civilians on Friday in the city of Afrin, where remaining residents were stocking up on food in preparation for a fully-fledged siege.

On the edge of Ghouta, a sprawling semi-rural area within mortar range of central Damascus, hundreds of civilians were still streaming out of destroyed towns, carrying scant belongings in bags and bundles.

Exhausted and distraught, the estimated 12,000 people who poured out of Ghouta on Thursday had harrowing tales of life in fear and deprivation, trapped for weeks in their cellars as regime and Russian jets rained bombs.

&quot;We were around 66 families in the basement, with seven people per family,&quot; Hussein Samid said, pausing on the roadside to smoke a cigarette.

&quot;Those of us who were in the cellar got together and decided to leave, whatever the cost,&quot; the 40-year-old said.

Exodus

Hundreds of them were crammed in a centre on the edge of Eastern Ghouta on Friday, unsure what the next step would be after walking straight into the arms of the forces that have relentlessly pounded their homes for weeks.

They were sitting on the ground and had little access to sanitation as the sudden exodus appeared to have caught the government flat-footed.

Despite mild temperatures, most of them were wearing several layers of heavy winter clothes, the same they had kept on for weeks in their freezing basements.

The ground offensive pressed by Syrian troops and allied militia has splintered Eastern Ghouta into three pockets.

Most of the civilians fleeing since Thursday have left from the town of Hammuriyeh, in the south of Eastern Ghouta.

The Islamist and jihadist groups which have dominated this area of the enclave over the past few years retook much of the town they had almost lost a day earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&quot;Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Faylaq al-Rahman have almost completely retaken the town but fighting continues on the outskirts,&quot; the Britain-based monitoring group said.

Few residents remain in Hammuriyeh itself but tens of thousands of others were still scattered across the southwestern pocket, the largest of three still in rebel hands.

President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, who was inside rebel-held Ghouta on Thursday when food aid was brought in, voiced his exasperation with the continued bloodshed.

&quot;I am myself with many humanitarian workers on the ground both exhausted and fed up with the blind justification of gross violations against civilians,&quot; he said in a statement.

Afrin encircled 

The Observatory said at least 57 civilians were killed in Russian air strikes on Kfar Batna and Saqba, in the southwestern Ghouta pocket on Friday.

The latest deaths brought to more than 1,300 the number of civilians killed since the start of the ground and air offensive on the enclave on February 18, around a fifth of them children.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has in recent months recovered swathes of territory lost at the beginning of the conflict and Ghouta was one of his key remaining targets.

No deal has been reached with the rebel fighters inside Ghouta, some of whom are jihadists and ex-members of a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

An exodus of similar proportions was under way hundreds of kilometres (miles) to the north near the border with Turkey, as civilians tried to escape a looming siege of the city of Afrin.

The Observatory said on Thursday that more than 30,000 people had fled the city of Afrin in 24 hours and civilians were still trying to slip out on Friday before Turkish-led forces cut the last exit road.

&quot;Since midnight (2200 GMT Thursday), 18 civilians, including five children, were killed by Turkish artillery fire on the city of Afrin,&quot; it said.

On January 20, Turkey and Syrian Arab rebel proxies launched an air and ground offensive on the Afrin region, which is controlled by the US-backed Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara has consistently denied targeting civilian infrastructure but the Observatory said at least 245 civilians, including 41 children, have been killed in less than two months.

In seven years, more than half of Syria&#39;s pre-war population of 20 million has been displaced.

At least 57 civilians were killed as the toll for the month-old assault near Damascus continued to mount and world powers remained unable to stop one of the seven-year conflict's worst crises

Warplanes pounded Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Friday as Islamist groups tried to resist an advance by Russian-backed regime forces and civilians looked for cracks through which to flee the five-year-old siege. At least 57 civilians were killed as the toll for the month-old assault near Damascus continued to mount and world powers remained unable to stop one of the seven-year conflict's worst crises. The war entered its eighth year with another deadly assault unfolding in the north, where Turkish-led forces pressed an operation to seize the Kurdish-majority region of Afrin, sending thousands more civilians on to the roads. Turkish artillery fire killed 18 civilians on Friday in the city of Afrin, where remaining residents were stocking up on food in preparation for a fully-fledged siege. On the edge of Ghouta, a sprawling semi-rural area within mortar range of central Damascus, hundreds of civilians were still streaming out of destroyed towns, carrying scant belongings in bags and bundles. Exhausted and distraught, the estimated 12,000 people who poured out of Ghouta on Thursday had harrowing tales of life in fear and deprivation, trapped for weeks in their cellars as regime and Russian jets rained bombs. "We were around 66 families in the basement, with seven people per family," Hussein Samid said, pausing on the roadside to smoke a cigarette. "Those of us who were in the cellar got together and decided to leave, whatever the cost," the 40-year-old said. Exodus Hundreds of them were crammed in a centre on the edge of Eastern Ghouta on Friday, unsure what the next step would be after walking straight into the arms of the forces that have relentlessly pounded their homes for weeks. They were sitting on the ground and had little access to sanitation as the sudden exodus appeared to have caught the government flat-footed. Despite mild temperatures, most of them were wearing several layers of heavy winter clothes, the same they had kept on for weeks in their freezing basements. The ground offensive pressed by Syrian troops and allied militia has splintered Eastern Ghouta into three pockets. Most of the civilians fleeing since Thursday have left from the town of Hammuriyeh, in the south of Eastern Ghouta. The Islamist and jihadist groups which have dominated this area of the enclave over the past few years retook much of the town they had almost lost a day earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Faylaq al-Rahman have almost completely retaken the town but fighting continues on the outskirts," the Britain-based monitoring group said. Few residents remain in Hammuriyeh itself but tens of thousands of others were still scattered across the southwestern pocket, the largest of three still in rebel hands. President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, who was inside rebel-held Ghouta on Thursday when food aid was brought in, voiced his exasperation with the continued bloodshed. "I am myself with many humanitarian workers on the ground both exhausted and fed up with the blind justification of gross violations against civilians," he said in a statement. Afrin encircled The Observatory said at least 57 civilians were killed in Russian air strikes on Kfar Batna and Saqba, in the southwestern Ghouta pocket on Friday. The latest deaths brought to more than 1,300 the number of civilians killed since the start of the ground and air offensive on the enclave on February 18, around a fifth of them children. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has in recent months recovered swathes of territory lost at the beginning of the conflict and Ghouta was one of his key remaining targets. No deal has been reached with the rebel fighters inside Ghouta, some of whom are jihadists and ex-members of a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. An exodus of similar proportions was under way hundreds of kilometres (miles) to the north near the border with Turkey, as civilians tried to escape a looming siege of the city of Afrin. The Observatory said on Thursday that more than 30,000 people had fled the city of Afrin in 24 hours and civilians were still trying to slip out on Friday before Turkish-led forces cut the last exit road. "Since midnight (2200 GMT Thursday), 18 civilians, including five children, were killed by Turkish artillery fire on the city of Afrin," it said. On January 20, Turkey and Syrian Arab rebel proxies launched an air and ground offensive on the Afrin region, which is controlled by the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Ankara has consistently denied targeting civilian infrastructure but the Observatory said at least 245 civilians, including 41 children, have been killed in less than two months. In seven years, more than half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million has been displaced.

Death and exodus as two Syria assaults escalate

At least 25 people have died in intercommunal violence in central Mali over the past week, a local community leader said Tuesday, as ethnic groups clashed over land in a zone where the state is near-absent and jihadists roam freely.

Nomadic Fulani people and farmers from the Dogon ethnic group have engaged in tit-for-tat violence sparked by Fulanis grazing their cattle on Dogon land.

Dogons also accuse Fulanis in the area of colluding with cleric Amadou Koufa, whose Islamist group recently joined the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, a jihadist alliance with links to al-Qaeda.

&quot;Over the last eight days 25 Fulani have been killed by Dogon hunters armed with weapons only found among the ranks of the regular army,&quot; said Abdoul Aziz Diallo, president of the Tabital Pulaaku community group which represents Mali&#39;s Fulani community,

There was no official toll from the authorities in Bamako, but an elected official in central Mali spoke of &quot;dozens killed on one side or the other&quot;.

The Malian government and the regional governor have denied providing arms to the opposing groups.

Mali&#39;s security minister Salif Traore on Tuesday described the situation as &quot;very complex&quot;.

&quot;When the security forces go into the area the armed men hide their weapons, and when the forces leave again these people bring their weapons back out,&quot; he told a press conference.

Nomadic Fulani people and farmers from the Dogon ethnic group have engaged in tit-for-tat violence sparked by Fulanis grazing their cattle on Dogon land

At least 25 people have died in intercommunal violence in central Mali over the past week, a local community leader said Tuesday, as ethnic groups clashed over land in a zone where the state is near-absent and jihadists roam freely. Nomadic Fulani people and farmers from the Dogon ethnic group have engaged in tit-for-tat violence sparked by Fulanis grazing their cattle on Dogon land. Dogons also accuse Fulanis in the area of colluding with cleric Amadou Koufa, whose Islamist group recently joined the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, a jihadist alliance with links to al-Qaeda. "Over the last eight days 25 Fulani have been killed by Dogon hunters armed with weapons only found among the ranks of the regular army," said Abdoul Aziz Diallo, president of the Tabital Pulaaku community group which represents Mali's Fulani community, There was no official toll from the authorities in Bamako, but an elected official in central Mali spoke of "dozens killed on one side or the other". The Malian government and the regional governor have denied providing arms to the opposing groups. Mali's security minister Salif Traore on Tuesday described the situation as "very complex". "When the security forces go into the area the armed men hide their weapons, and when the forces leave again these people bring their weapons back out," he told a press conference.

25 killed in ethnic violence in Central Mali: Community leader

Egypt&#39;s military said on Sunday four soldiers and 10 jihadists were killed in a military operation in Sinai against Islamic State group jihadists.

The deaths raise military casualties to at least 16 dead, along with more than 100 jihadists, since the start of the operation on February 9, according to previous army tolls.

The army launched the campaign after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections for his second term this month, gave them a three month deadline to crush IS in Sinai.

Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected Islamic State gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers in a Sinai mosque associated with Muslim Sufi mystics.

IS in Sinai has been among the group`s most resilient affiliates, killing hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians in Sinai and elsewhere in Egypt.

It has killed scores of Christians in church bombings and shootings, and bombed a Russian airliner carrying tourists from an Egyptian resort in 2015, killing all 224 people on board.

The military says it has evidence IS has sought to move members to Sinai following its defeats in Iraq and Syria.

The deaths raise military casualties to at least 16 dead, along with more than 100 jihadists, since the start of the operation on February 9

Egypt's military said on Sunday four soldiers and 10 jihadists were killed in a military operation in Sinai against Islamic State group jihadists. The deaths raise military casualties to at least 16 dead, along with more than 100 jihadists, since the start of the operation on February 9, according to previous army tolls. The army launched the campaign after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections for his second term this month, gave them a three month deadline to crush IS in Sinai. Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected Islamic State gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers in a Sinai mosque associated with Muslim Sufi mystics. IS in Sinai has been among the group`s most resilient affiliates, killing hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians in Sinai and elsewhere in Egypt. It has killed scores of Christians in church bombings and shootings, and bombed a Russian airliner carrying tourists from an Egyptian resort in 2015, killing all 224 people on board. The military says it has evidence IS has sought to move members to Sinai following its defeats in Iraq and Syria.

4 soldiers, 10 jihadists killed in Egypt Sinai campaign

Every Friday in Iraq, a gripping show on state television beams the alleged confessions of death-row jihadists into homes around the country.

At peak viewing time, it broadcasts gruesome images of their purported crimes before interviewing the convicts, who appear clad in orange or yellow jumpsuits.

Baghdad declared victory against the ISIS group in December, after years of fighting to regain vast stretches of territory the jihadists seized in 2014.

Iraq has detained thousands of suspected members of IS, a group infamous for deadly attacks, mass killings and the execution of detainees in orange jumpsuits.

Once a week, a show titled &quot;In the grip of the law&quot; escorts convicted jihadists back to the scene of their crime under heavy security.

By spotlighting ISIS atrocities, the show aims to stamp out any remaining support for the jihadist group&#39;s ideology, its presenter says.

&quot;I get tipped off by the interior ministry, the defence ministry or national security, who captured them,&quot; Ahmad Hassan, 36, says.

&quot;They choose the case to highlight and I ask the justice ministry for permission to interview the convict,&quot; says Hassan, whose show is aired by state channel Al-Iraqiya.

The programme is up to its 150th episode, he says, and not about to end any time soon.

&quot;Even if IS has lost militarily, its ideology still exists,&quot; he says.

&quot;Its supporters view others as non-believers and will continue to murder as long as its ideology lives on.&quot;

&#39;Detective agency&#39;

Dressed in a beige suit and brown tie, on a set meant to evoke a detective agency, Hassan starts his show each week with shocking images.

One episode opens with a photo of dozens of Sunni tribesmen lying in a pool of their own blood, after their 2014 execution by ISIS in the town of Heet, northwest of Baghdad.

It then introduces Mithaq Hamid Hekmet, 41, one of those condemned over the massacre, who recounts the killings in chilling detail -- even citing the names of others who took part.

On the show&#39;s set, a mahogony desk, stacks of papers, maps of Baghdad and mugshots of the day&#39;s convict seek to create an intriguing atmosphere to draw in viewers.

In another episode, former IS finance official Mohammad Hamid Omar, nom de guerre Abu Hajjaj, describes his speciality: extorting funds from pharmacies, schools, real estate agencies, petrol stations and doctors.

Hassan says all of his interviewees have been found guilty and sentenced -- most to death, but some to lengthy prison terms.

They are mostly Iraqis, but also sometimes nationals from other Arab countries.

Some have since been executed, Hassan says, but &quot;that&#39;s the justice ministry&#39;s business, not mine&quot;.

Iraq executed more than 100 people last year, mostly after &quot;terrorism&quot; convictions, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said.

The country&#39;s anti-terrorism law orders the death penalty for any person who commits, plans, funds or assists in acts of &quot;terrorism&quot;.

&nbsp;&#39;Why kill my sons?&#39;

Hassan says all his convict interviewees take part &quot;voluntarily&quot;, and know participating will in no way help to alleviate their sentence.

&quot;They do it because they have regrets,&quot; he says.

&quot;They want to show the horrendous acts they have committed and reveal the thinking of the group they belonged to, to persuade others not to make the same mistake.&quot;

The show&#39;s most poignant moments are meetings set up between the convicts and the mothers of their purported victims.

In one such scene, the mother of two policemen killed by ISIS vents her anger.

&quot;Why did you kill my sons Ahmad and Hamid?&quot; she asks three sentenced jihadists, who hang their heads in response.

&quot;They were your friends. Did they ever wrong you? Why did you destroy my family?&quot; asks the woman, dressed from head-to-toe in black.

Another woman, whose son ISIS shot in the head, asks four prisoners: &quot;How can you eat with those hands that killed my son?&quot;

Human rights groups have criticised the programme for showing death-row inmates on television before their execution.

Hassan says the interviews comply with human rights laws.

&quot;We don&#39;t pressure anyone,&quot; he says.

&quot;But we&#39;re in a situation of war and it&#39;s best to focus on the rights of victims, rather than those of the terrorists&quot;.

Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan is a fan of the programme.

&quot;Thanks to this show, people can see security forces provide true information. It creates bonds with the population.&quot;

At peak viewing time, it broadcasts gruesome images of their purported crimes before interviewing the convicts, who appear clad in orange or yellow jumpsuits

Every Friday in Iraq, a gripping show on state television beams the alleged confessions of death-row jihadists into homes around the country. At peak viewing time, it broadcasts gruesome images of their purported crimes before interviewing the convicts, who appear clad in orange or yellow jumpsuits. Baghdad declared victory against the ISIS group in December, after years of fighting to regain vast stretches of territory the jihadists seized in 2014. Iraq has detained thousands of suspected members of IS, a group infamous for deadly attacks, mass killings and the execution of detainees in orange jumpsuits. Once a week, a show titled "In the grip of the law" escorts convicted jihadists back to the scene of their crime under heavy security. By spotlighting ISIS atrocities, the show aims to stamp out any remaining support for the jihadist group's ideology, its presenter says. "I get tipped off by the interior ministry, the defence ministry or national security, who captured them," Ahmad Hassan, 36, says. "They choose the case to highlight and I ask the justice ministry for permission to interview the convict," says Hassan, whose show is aired by state channel Al-Iraqiya. The programme is up to its 150th episode, he says, and not about to end any time soon. "Even if IS has lost militarily, its ideology still exists," he says. "Its supporters view others as non-believers and will continue to murder as long as its ideology lives on." 'Detective agency' Dressed in a beige suit and brown tie, on a set meant to evoke a detective agency, Hassan starts his show each week with shocking images. One episode opens with a photo of dozens of Sunni tribesmen lying in a pool of their own blood, after their 2014 execution by ISIS in the town of Heet, northwest of Baghdad. It then introduces Mithaq Hamid Hekmet, 41, one of those condemned over the massacre, who recounts the killings in chilling detail -- even citing the names of others who took part. On the show's set, a mahogony desk, stacks of papers, maps of Baghdad and mugshots of the day's convict seek to create an intriguing atmosphere to draw in viewers. In another episode, former IS finance official Mohammad Hamid Omar, nom de guerre Abu Hajjaj, describes his speciality: extorting funds from pharmacies, schools, real estate agencies, petrol stations and doctors. Hassan says all of his interviewees have been found guilty and sentenced -- most to death, but some to lengthy prison terms. They are mostly Iraqis, but also sometimes nationals from other Arab countries. Some have since been executed, Hassan says, but "that's the justice ministry's business, not mine". Iraq executed more than 100 people last year, mostly after "terrorism" convictions, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said. The country's anti-terrorism law orders the death penalty for any person who commits, plans, funds or assists in acts of "terrorism". 'Why kill my sons?' Hassan says all his convict interviewees take part "voluntarily", and know participating will in no way help to alleviate their sentence. "They do it because they have regrets," he says. "They want to show the horrendous acts they have committed and reveal the thinking of the group they belonged to, to persuade others not to make the same mistake." The show's most poignant moments are meetings set up between the convicts and the mothers of their purported victims. In one such scene, the mother of two policemen killed by ISIS vents her anger. "Why did you kill my sons Ahmad and Hamid?" she asks three sentenced jihadists, who hang their heads in response. "They were your friends. Did they ever wrong you? Why did you destroy my family?" asks the woman, dressed from head-to-toe in black. Another woman, whose son ISIS shot in the head, asks four prisoners: "How can you eat with those hands that killed my son?" Human rights groups have criticised the programme for showing death-row inmates on television before their execution. Hassan says the interviews comply with human rights laws. "We don't pressure anyone," he says. "But we're in a situation of war and it's best to focus on the rights of victims, rather than those of the terrorists". Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan is a fan of the programme. "Thanks to this show, people can see security forces provide true information. It creates bonds with the population."

In Iraq, death-row jihadists 'confess' on prime-time TV

Syrian regime forces on Sunday seized a strategic town as they pushed towards a jihadist-held airbase in an offensive to reclaim ground in northwestern Idlib province, a monitor said.&nbsp;

Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control.&nbsp;

Troops captured Sinjar, the &quot;biggest town in southeast Idlib&quot;, from Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate and were within 14 kilometres (9 miles) of the Abu al-Duhur military base, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

The base -- which government troops lost to the jihadists in 2015 after a two-year siege -- could provide President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces with a vital forward post in the Idlib province.

The drive into the region is aimed at securing a key road that links Syria&#39;s second city of Aleppo -- recaptured by the government just over a year ago -- to the capital Damascus, the Observatory said.

State news agency SANA reported Saturday evening that the regime forces had taken control of &quot;some towns and villages in the southeast&quot; of Idlib province.

Since the start of the operation in late December, Assad&#39;s forces have recaptured roughly 60 towns and villages on the border between Idlib and neighbouring Hama province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp;

In response to the situation on the ground the jihadists&#39; &quot;military council&quot; under leader Mohammad al-Jolani convened an &quot;urgent meeting&quot;, coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said.&nbsp;

&quot;The campaign by the criminal regime will not be easy,&quot; said the group, dominated by the one-time Al-Qaeda affiliate, previously known as Al-Nusra Front.

More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Russia&#39;s intervention in support of Assad has shifted the balance firmly in the regime&#39;s favour.&nbsp;

Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control

Syrian regime forces on Sunday seized a strategic town as they pushed towards a jihadist-held airbase in an offensive to reclaim ground in northwestern Idlib province, a monitor said. Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control. Troops captured Sinjar, the "biggest town in southeast Idlib", from Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate and were within 14 kilometres (9 miles) of the Abu al-Duhur military base, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The base -- which government troops lost to the jihadists in 2015 after a two-year siege -- could provide President Bashar al-Assad's forces with a vital forward post in the Idlib province. The drive into the region is aimed at securing a key road that links Syria's second city of Aleppo -- recaptured by the government just over a year ago -- to the capital Damascus, the Observatory said. State news agency SANA reported Saturday evening that the regime forces had taken control of "some towns and villages in the southeast" of Idlib province. Since the start of the operation in late December, Assad's forces have recaptured roughly 60 towns and villages on the border between Idlib and neighbouring Hama province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. In response to the situation on the ground the jihadists' "military council" under leader Mohammad al-Jolani convened an "urgent meeting", coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said. "The campaign by the criminal regime will not be easy," said the group, dominated by the one-time Al-Qaeda affiliate, previously known as Al-Nusra Front. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Russia's intervention in support of Assad has shifted the balance firmly in the regime's favour.

Syria regime forces push towards Idlib airbase: Monitor

Syrian regime forces advanced against jihadists Saturday on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, the last outside government control, a monitor and the state news agency said.

Government and allied forces backed by Russian warplanes have since Monday been battling mostly jihadist fighters in an area straddling the border between Idlib and Hama provinces.

The fighting, which could signal the start of a major offensive to seize Idlib province from rebels dominated by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, escalated on Thursday.

On Saturday, regime troops advanced, seizing several villages and surrounding areas, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. 
State news agency SANA said regime forces had taken control of five villages, areas and &quot;strategic hills&quot; in the northeast of Hama province.

An AFP correspondent said civilians continued to flee areas near the battle zone, heading north towards the provincial capital of Idlib with their belongings piled high on pickup trucks.

&quot;We were the target of strikes more than once -- we couldn&#39;t stay,&quot; said Abu Ahmed, a man in his 60s from the southeast of Idlib province, fleeing with his family in a pickup.

&quot;I don`t know how to say how I feel, leaving my land and home at my age. We are leaving without even knowing where we&#39;re headed.&quot;

In the Maaret al-Numan area, some people have put up tents, pots and pans piled at the entrance flaps.

&quot;We escaped for the sake of the children. They were terrified by air raids and strikes,&quot; said Abu Khaled, a bearded man in his thirties wearing a red and white checkered keffiyeh headscarf.

The father-of-four, originally from Hama province, had already fled once with his family -- to Idlib, where they lived in a camp for the displaced.

Since Thursday, the clashes have killed 32 soldiers and allied members of paramilitary units, as well as 29 rebels from Islamist groups or from former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham, the Observatory said.

Twenty-one civilians have also died.

Government forces first aim to take control of the southeast of Idlib province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

This would allow the regime to have full control of a road that links the capital Damascus to the government-held second city of Aleppo.

Russia intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime in 2015, helping it to take back control of swathes of territory including Aleppo.

The forces of Syrian General Suheil Hassan, on the front lines of the battle against the Islamic State group in the east of the country, are leading the Idlib offensive, the Observatory said.

&quot;After finishing off IS, the regime&#39;s forces are concentrating their operations on Idlib`s jihadists,&quot; Abdel Rahman said.

Outside Damascus, the rebel holdout region of Eastern Ghouta has also come under increasing bombardment from Assad&#39;s forces in the past weeks.

On Saturday, seven civilians were killed in different areas of the enclave, most of them in regime artillery fire, the Observatory said.

Eastern Ghouta has been under government siege since 2013, causing severe food and medicine shortages for some 400,000 residents.

The war in Syria has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. 
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Government and allied forces backed by Russian warplanes have since Monday been battling mostly jihadist fighters

Syrian regime forces advanced against jihadists Saturday on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, the last outside government control, a monitor and the state news agency said. Government and allied forces backed by Russian warplanes have since Monday been battling mostly jihadist fighters in an area straddling the border between Idlib and Hama provinces. The fighting, which could signal the start of a major offensive to seize Idlib province from rebels dominated by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, escalated on Thursday. On Saturday, regime troops advanced, seizing several villages and surrounding areas, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. State news agency SANA said regime forces had taken control of five villages, areas and "strategic hills" in the northeast of Hama province. An AFP correspondent said civilians continued to flee areas near the battle zone, heading north towards the provincial capital of Idlib with their belongings piled high on pickup trucks. "We were the target of strikes more than once -- we couldn't stay," said Abu Ahmed, a man in his 60s from the southeast of Idlib province, fleeing with his family in a pickup. "I don`t know how to say how I feel, leaving my land and home at my age. We are leaving without even knowing where we're headed." In the Maaret al-Numan area, some people have put up tents, pots and pans piled at the entrance flaps. "We escaped for the sake of the children. They were terrified by air raids and strikes," said Abu Khaled, a bearded man in his thirties wearing a red and white checkered keffiyeh headscarf. The father-of-four, originally from Hama province, had already fled once with his family -- to Idlib, where they lived in a camp for the displaced. Since Thursday, the clashes have killed 32 soldiers and allied members of paramilitary units, as well as 29 rebels from Islamist groups or from former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham, the Observatory said. Twenty-one civilians have also died. Government forces first aim to take control of the southeast of Idlib province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. This would allow the regime to have full control of a road that links the capital Damascus to the government-held second city of Aleppo. Russia intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2015, helping it to take back control of swathes of territory including Aleppo. The forces of Syrian General Suheil Hassan, on the front lines of the battle against the Islamic State group in the east of the country, are leading the Idlib offensive, the Observatory said. "After finishing off IS, the regime's forces are concentrating their operations on Idlib`s jihadists," Abdel Rahman said. Outside Damascus, the rebel holdout region of Eastern Ghouta has also come under increasing bombardment from Assad's forces in the past weeks. On Saturday, seven civilians were killed in different areas of the enclave, most of them in regime artillery fire, the Observatory said. Eastern Ghouta has been under government siege since 2013, causing severe food and medicine shortages for some 400,000 residents. The war in Syria has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Regime forces advance against jihadists in northwest Syria

Russian air strikes on Sunday killed 34 civilians, among them 15 children, in a village held by the Islamic State group in Syria&#39;s eastern Deir Ezzor province, a monitor said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.

Russia is a close ally of Syria&#39;s President Bashar al-Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory.

Syria&#39;s Deir Ezzor is one of the last places Islamic State jihadists hold territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqa city.

The oil-rich eastern province that borders Iraq was once almost completely under Islamic State control, but the jihadists now hold just nine percent of Deir Ezzor, according to the Observatory.

They have faced two separate offensives there, one led by the regime with Russian backing and the other by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, in the early hours of Sunday morning

Russian air strikes on Sunday killed 34 civilians, among them 15 children, in a village held by the Islamic State group in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province, a monitor said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. Russia is a close ally of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory. Syria's Deir Ezzor is one of the last places Islamic State jihadists hold territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqa city. The oil-rich eastern province that borders Iraq was once almost completely under Islamic State control, but the jihadists now hold just nine percent of Deir Ezzor, according to the Observatory. They have faced two separate offensives there, one led by the regime with Russian backing and the other by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Russian strikes kill 34 civilians in Syria's Deir Ezzor: Monitor

Iraqi forces thrust north from the Euphrates Valley into the desert on Saturday, opening up a new front in the drive to flush out fugitive Islamic State group fighters, a commander told AFP.

Islamic State has already been driven from all the towns it once held, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said he will not proclaim victory until the jihadists have been cleared from the western desert bordering Syria.

Troops and paramilitaries had advanced into the desert from the east and north on Thursday at the start of an offensive aimed at inflicting a final defeat on the jihadists.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-forces-launch-operation-to-clear-desert-bordering-syria-of-islamic-state-24909">Iraqi forces launch operation to clear desert bordering Syria of Islamic State</a>

On Saturday, troops and tribal militia pushed north from Al-Qaim and Rawa, two Euphrates Valley towns recaptured from Islamic State earlier this month, in a pincer movement against retreating Islamic State fighters, one of the operation&#39;s two commanders told AFP.

&quot;It&#39;s a matter of linking up with the forces advancing from Nineveh&quot; province in the north, the commander said, asking not to be identified.

&quot;The aim of the operation is to clear the desert right up to the Syrian border and hunt down the terrorists who fled into the desert from the towns that have been liberated.&quot;

The Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary force, which has played a key role in the offensive, said 100 villages and hamlets had already been cleared of Islamic State fighters.

&quot;The battle for the desert is very important because it&#39;s from there that Daesh fighters coming from Syria can attack our defence lines,&quot; said Hashed number two Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

In a video posted by the Hashed, Mohandis said the desert was &quot;the last region where Daesh still has a military presence.&quot;

He said operations against it were under away over an area of 27,000 square kilometres (10,400 square miles).

But he warned that their completion would not spell the end of Islamic State.

&quot;We must hunt them down in areas that have been liberated and we must arrest them before they slip back into urban areas,&quot; said Mohandis, who is widely regarded as the strongman of the Hashed, which is largely composed of Iran-backed Shiite militias.

&quot;We must remain in a state of alert,&quot; he added. &quot;Security will not be fully assured until we have complete control of the border with Syria.&quot;

At the peak of its power in 2014, Islamic State ruled some seven million people in a territory as large as Italy, encompassing large parts of Syria and nearly a third of Iraq.

It is now being flushed out of its last desert hideouts in Iraq at the same time as its final pockets of control in Syria face simultaneous operations by Russian-backed government forces and US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

Troops and paramilitaries had advanced into the desert from the east and north on Thursday at the start of an offensive aimed at inflicting a final defeat on the jihadists

Iraqi forces thrust north from the Euphrates Valley into the desert on Saturday, opening up a new front in the drive to flush out fugitive Islamic State group fighters, a commander told AFP. Islamic State has already been driven from all the towns it once held, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said he will not proclaim victory until the jihadists have been cleared from the western desert bordering Syria. Troops and paramilitaries had advanced into the desert from the east and north on Thursday at the start of an offensive aimed at inflicting a final defeat on the jihadists. Also read: Iraqi forces launch operation to clear desert bordering Syria of Islamic State On Saturday, troops and tribal militia pushed north from Al-Qaim and Rawa, two Euphrates Valley towns recaptured from Islamic State earlier this month, in a pincer movement against retreating Islamic State fighters, one of the operation's two commanders told AFP. "It's a matter of linking up with the forces advancing from Nineveh" province in the north, the commander said, asking not to be identified. "The aim of the operation is to clear the desert right up to the Syrian border and hunt down the terrorists who fled into the desert from the towns that have been liberated." The Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary force, which has played a key role in the offensive, said 100 villages and hamlets had already been cleared of Islamic State fighters. "The battle for the desert is very important because it's from there that Daesh fighters coming from Syria can attack our defence lines," said Hashed number two Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. In a video posted by the Hashed, Mohandis said the desert was "the last region where Daesh still has a military presence." He said operations against it were under away over an area of 27,000 square kilometres (10,400 square miles). But he warned that their completion would not spell the end of Islamic State. "We must hunt them down in areas that have been liberated and we must arrest them before they slip back into urban areas," said Mohandis, who is widely regarded as the strongman of the Hashed, which is largely composed of Iran-backed Shiite militias. "We must remain in a state of alert," he added. "Security will not be fully assured until we have complete control of the border with Syria." At the peak of its power in 2014, Islamic State ruled some seven million people in a territory as large as Italy, encompassing large parts of Syria and nearly a third of Iraq. It is now being flushed out of its last desert hideouts in Iraq at the same time as its final pockets of control in Syria face simultaneous operations by Russian-backed government forces and US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

Iraq forces open new drive to flush out Islamic State

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