The leader of the Islamic State, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi blew himself and his family members up during a US military raid in Syria.

US: Blast killed ISIS leader, members of his family

ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi killed as US forces conduct raid in Syria in a counter-terrorism mission. Reports say the ISIS leader blew himself during the raid.

Top Islamic State leader killed in US special forces raid in Syria

US President Joe Biden says an elite US military force killed the leader of the Islamic State group, during an overnight raid in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

Current leader of ISIS killed in US raid in Syria, says Joe Biden

US special forces carried out a counter-terrorism mission in Syria on Thursday. The Pentagon said that the raid, carried out in northwest Syria was successful. Syrian sources were quoted by Reuters to say that the raid was aimed at an Al Queada-linked jihadist.

At least 13 people, including six children and four women were killed in the clashes, said Syrian rescue workers. The raid targetted a house in the Atmeh area near the Turkish border

"US&nbsp;Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counter-terrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria. The mission was successful," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

"There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available."

He did not identify the target.

A number of jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda operate in northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad in the decade-long Syrian war. Leaders of the Islamic State group have also hidden out in the area.

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Several rebel sources said they were almost certain the target was a leading jihadist, but could not be sure who.

Residents said helicopters landed and heavy gunfire and explosions were heard during the raid that began around midnight. U.S. forces used loud speakers to warn women and children to leave the area, they said.

A video taken by a resident and seen by Reuters showed the bodies of two apparently lifeless children and a man in the rubble of a building at the location.

A witness who lives nearby said he saw several bodies at the scene. "There was blood everywhere," he told Reuters. He added that one of the U.S. helicopters appeared to suffer a mechanical failure and was blown up by the U.S. forces.

A rebel official who declined to be named said the jihadist who was the apparent target of the raid was with his family at the time.

Witnesses said the raid ended with aircraft, believed to be helicopters, leaving the site but unidentified reconnaissance planes were still hovering in the area.

(With inputs from agencies)

US special forces carried out a counter-terrorism mission in Syria on Thursday. The Pentagon said that the raid, carried out in northwest Syria was successful. Syrian sources were quoted by Reuters to say that the raid was aimed at an Al Queada-linked jihadist.

US special forces carried out a counter-terrorism mission in Syria on Thursday. The Pentagon said that the raid, carried out in northwest Syria was successful. Syrian sources were quoted by Reuters to say that the raid was aimed at an Al Queada-linked jihadist. At least 13 people, including six children and four women were killed in the clashes, said Syrian rescue workers. The raid targetted a house in the Atmeh area near the Turkish border "US Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counter-terrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria. The mission was successful," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement. "There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available." He did not identify the target. A number of jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda operate in northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad in the decade-long Syrian war. Leaders of the Islamic State group have also hidden out in the area. Also Read | More than 3000 personnel face getting discharged as US Army tightens vaccine mandate rules Several rebel sources said they were almost certain the target was a leading jihadist, but could not be sure who. Residents said helicopters landed and heavy gunfire and explosions were heard during the raid that began around midnight. U.S. forces used loud speakers to warn women and children to leave the area, they said. A video taken by a resident and seen by Reuters showed the bodies of two apparently lifeless children and a man in the rubble of a building at the location. A witness who lives nearby said he saw several bodies at the scene. "There was blood everywhere," he told Reuters. He added that one of the U.S. helicopters appeared to suffer a mechanical failure and was blown up by the U.S. forces. A rebel official who declined to be named said the jihadist who was the apparent target of the raid was with his family at the time. Witnesses said the raid ended with aircraft, believed to be helicopters, leaving the site but unidentified reconnaissance planes were still hovering in the area. (With inputs from agencies)

US forces target Al-Qaeda jihadist in Syria raid, civillians killed in clashes

The US has conducted a midnight raid in Syria where locals have claimed that there are several civilian fatalities.

Locals report civilian fatalities as US forces conduct a midnight raid in Syria

Power-starved Lebanon signed an agreement to import electricity from Jordan via Syria to reduce chronic outages and heed international calls for reform. Ghadi Francis brings you this ground report from Beirut on The West Asia Post.

The West Asia Post: Lebanon to get electricity from Jordan

More than 300 people have been killed in Syria since the prison attack by the Islamic State. On 20th Jan 2022 terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State launched its biggest assault since 2019.

More than 300 people killed in Syria since prison attack

Clashes erupted between Kurdish forces and Islamic State fighters near a prison in Syria, said Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The prison where the fighting broke out has dozens of jihadists holed up.

An IS assault on the sprawling Ghwayran prison complex near the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on January 20 sparked days of heavy fighting that has left some 260 people dead, and a bulldozer on Saturday shovelled corpses onto a truck to take some for burial.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced they had recaptured the prison on Wednesday, but that mop-up operations continued.

On Saturday, there were "clashes in the vicinity of the prison between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Kurdish security forces on the one hand, and members of IS who are hiding in the area," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The war monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said that four IS fighters took a local official and three civilians hostage for hours, holding them in a residential building near the prison. 
Kurdish forces later freed the hostages and killed three IS fighters.

An AFP correspondent earlier reported that US troops and Kurdish-led forces surrounded the building and deployed snipers on nearby rooftops, reporting there was intermittent shooting.

The SDF said Wednesday some 3,500 IS members had surrendered, but that holdout IS fighters had barricaded themselves inside the prison facility.

(With inputs from agencies)

Clashes erupted between Kurdish forces and Islamic State fighters near a prison in Syria, said Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The prison where the fighting broke out has dozens of jihadists holed up.

Clashes erupted between Kurdish forces and Islamic State fighters near a prison in Syria, said Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The prison where the fighting broke out has dozens of jihadists holed up. An IS assault on the sprawling Ghwayran prison complex near the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on January 20 sparked days of heavy fighting that has left some 260 people dead, and a bulldozer on Saturday shovelled corpses onto a truck to take some for burial. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced they had recaptured the prison on Wednesday, but that mop-up operations continued. On Saturday, there were "clashes in the vicinity of the prison between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Kurdish security forces on the one hand, and members of IS who are hiding in the area," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said that four IS fighters took a local official and three civilians hostage for hours, holding them in a residential building near the prison. Kurdish forces later freed the hostages and killed three IS fighters. An AFP correspondent earlier reported that US troops and Kurdish-led forces surrounded the building and deployed snipers on nearby rooftops, reporting there was intermittent shooting. The SDF said Wednesday some 3,500 IS members had surrendered, but that holdout IS fighters had barricaded themselves inside the prison facility. (With inputs from agencies)

Kurdish forces fight IS near Syria prison, says monitor

A prison attack in Syria is the latest sign of ISIS resurgence in the region. ISIS has mounted a series of recent attacks in both Syria and Iraq, suggesting it is re-emerging as a serious threat three years after it was driven out. Ghadi Francis tells you about this resurgence in this week's episode of The West Asia Post.

The West Asia Post: Kurdish fighters recapture prison after a week

&nbsp;Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.S.-backed militia a day earlier that it had regained full control of the entire complex.

The prison, in the city of al-Hasaka, housed thousands of Islamic State former fighters. Their fellow militants attacked a week ago in an attempt to free them. An official with one of the Syrian-Kurdish paramilitary groups battling the Islamic State said 60 to 90 militants from the group were still fighting from inside the partly destroyed prison complex, most of them attackers who had stormed the prison but some of them prisoners who had joined forces with them.

The prison attack was the starkest evidence yet of a resurgence of Islamic State across parts of Syria and Iraq, three years after the group lost the last territorial foothold in its so-called caliphate across a vast stretch of both countries. The extremists have also mounted a series of attacks on military forces in neighbouring Iraq in recent months.

The prison fight drew the U.S. military into the fray in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, providing airstrikes, intelligence and armoured vehicles to cordon off the prison. This was the broadest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State since the end of the caliphate.

The fighting was also raging in surrounding areas near the prison complex.

At a traffic circle a few hundred yards from the prison complex in the centre of al-Hasaka, a New York Times team took cover along with a group of local journalists and civilians caught in the middle as Kurdish-led forces traded fire with Islamic State gunmen who had opened fire from a street near the prison.

Explosions from rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Kurdish-led forces at the prison and the sound of truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns rang out.

The SDF said two Islamic State fighters were killed in the engagement near the traffic circle, but there were no reports of civilians harmed in that clash.

A bulldozer emerged from the ruins of a cultural centre next to the prison complex carrying the crumpled body of an Islamic State fighter before dumping it in the back of a pickup truck.

At another building behind the cultural centre, which had been hit by an airstrike, SDF fighters pulled out the remains of two other Islamic State fighters. A charred oil tanker on its side still burned across the street.

SDF forces said the tanker and three others that were burned beside it had been destroyed in a U.S. airstrike.

Siyamend Ali, the head of media for the People’s Protection Units, one of the Kurdish factions in the SDF, said more than 3,000 detainees had surrendered and most had been taken to a new detention facility built by the U.S.-led coalition that has fought the Islamic State in Syria.

He said some of the Islamic State militants still inside the prison were believed to be foreign fighters.

“The prison attack has activated sleeper cells in other places,” Ali said.

Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.

Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.S.-backed militia a day earlier that it had regained full control of the entire complex. The prison, in the city of al-Hasaka, housed thousands of Islamic State former fighters. Their fellow militants attacked a week ago in an attempt to free them. An official with one of the Syrian-Kurdish paramilitary groups battling the Islamic State said 60 to 90 militants from the group were still fighting from inside the partly destroyed prison complex, most of them attackers who had stormed the prison but some of them prisoners who had joined forces with them. The prison attack was the starkest evidence yet of a resurgence of Islamic State across parts of Syria and Iraq, three years after the group lost the last territorial foothold in its so-called caliphate across a vast stretch of both countries. The extremists have also mounted a series of attacks on military forces in neighbouring Iraq in recent months. The prison fight drew the U.S. military into the fray in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, providing airstrikes, intelligence and armoured vehicles to cordon off the prison. This was the broadest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State since the end of the caliphate. The fighting was also raging in surrounding areas near the prison complex. At a traffic circle a few hundred yards from the prison complex in the centre of al-Hasaka, a New York Times team took cover along with a group of local journalists and civilians caught in the middle as Kurdish-led forces traded fire with Islamic State gunmen who had opened fire from a street near the prison. Explosions from rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Kurdish-led forces at the prison and the sound of truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns rang out. The SDF said two Islamic State fighters were killed in the engagement near the traffic circle, but there were no reports of civilians harmed in that clash. A bulldozer emerged from the ruins of a cultural centre next to the prison complex carrying the crumpled body of an Islamic State fighter before dumping it in the back of a pickup truck. At another building behind the cultural centre, which had been hit by an airstrike, SDF fighters pulled out the remains of two other Islamic State fighters. A charred oil tanker on its side still burned across the street. SDF forces said the tanker and three others that were burned beside it had been destroyed in a U.S. airstrike. Siyamend Ali, the head of media for the People’s Protection Units, one of the Kurdish factions in the SDF, said more than 3,000 detainees had surrendered and most had been taken to a new detention facility built by the U.S.-led coalition that has fought the Islamic State in Syria. He said some of the Islamic State militants still inside the prison were believed to be foreign fighters. “The prison attack has activated sleeper cells in other places,” Ali said.

US-backed forces in Syria are still fighting Islamic State at prison

In Syria, US-backed Kurdish forces advanced inside a detention facility that came under attack by Islamic State militants last week.

Syria prison standoff: 550 Jihadists turn themselves in as SDF gains control

An audacious attack on a Syrian prison that houses thousands of Islamic State detainees. A series of strikes against military forces in neighboring Iraq. The dissemination of a video showing the beheading of a kidnapped Iraqi police officer.

The evidence of a resurgence of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is mounting by the day, three years after the militants lost their last territorial foothold in the so-called caliphate, which once stretched across vast parts of the two countries. The fact that the Islamic State group was able to mount multiple, coordinated and sophisticated attacks is evidence that what had been believed to be disparate sleeper cells are re-emerging as a more serious threat.

“It’s a wake-up call for regional players, for national players that ISIS is not over, that the fight is not over,” said Kawa Hassan, Middle East and North Africa director at the Stimson Center think tank. “It shows the resilience of ISIS to strike back at the time and place of their choosing.”

On Thursday, Islamic State fighters attacked a prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka in an attempt to free the 3,500 prisoners held there and took a group of detained boys hostage to use as human shields. The assault drew the U.S. military into fight in what has become the biggest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State in three years.

By Tuesday, the Islamic State attackers still controlled part of the prison in Hasaka, even after the United States sent in ground troops and air support for the Kurdish-led forces trying to take it back.

In Iraq last week, around the same time as the prison attack began, ISIS fighters stormed an army outpost in Diyala province, killing 10 soldiers and an officer in the deadliest attack in several years on an Iraqi military base. Gunmen approached the base from three sides late at night while some of the soldiers slept.

The success of the attack raised fears that some of the same conditions in Iraq that allowed for the rise of the Islamic State in 2014 were once again making room for it to reconstitute.

In December, the Islamic State kidnapped four Iraqi hunters in a mountainous area of northeast Iraq, including a police colonel. The militants beheaded the police officer, and then released a gruesome video of the kidnapping that was reminiscent of what was once a common practice during the reign of ISIS.

The attacks in Iraq, conducted by ISIS sleeper cells in remote mountain and desert areas, have highlighted a lack of coordination between Iraqi government forces and the Peshmerga, Kurdish forces that answer to the government of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Many of the attacks take place in disputed territory claimed by both the Iraqi Kurdish government and the central government.

Ardian Shajkovci, director of the American Counterterrorism Targeting &amp;amp; Resilience Institute, said many of the ISIS fighters arrested in attacks since the group lost the last of its territory three years ago were younger and came from families with older members who had ties to the Islamic State.

“If so, this is a new generation of ISIS recruits, changing the calculus and threat landscape in many ways,” he said.

Iraq has struggled to deal with tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens who are relatives of ISIS fighters and have been collectively punished and placed in detention camps, which are now seen as breeding grounds for radicalization.

Corruption in Iraqi security forces has left some bases in the country without proper supplies and allowed soldiers and officers to neglect their duties, contributing to the collapse of entire army divisions which retreated in 2014 rather than face the Islamic State. 
&nbsp;

An audacious attack on a Syrian prison that houses thousands of Islamic State detainees. A series of strikes against military forces in neighboring Iraq. The dissemination of a video showing the beheading of a kidnapped Iraqi police officer.

An audacious attack on a Syrian prison that houses thousands of Islamic State detainees. A series of strikes against military forces in neighboring Iraq. The dissemination of a video showing the beheading of a kidnapped Iraqi police officer. The evidence of a resurgence of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is mounting by the day, three years after the militants lost their last territorial foothold in the so-called caliphate, which once stretched across vast parts of the two countries. The fact that the Islamic State group was able to mount multiple, coordinated and sophisticated attacks is evidence that what had been believed to be disparate sleeper cells are re-emerging as a more serious threat. “It’s a wake-up call for regional players, for national players that ISIS is not over, that the fight is not over,” said Kawa Hassan, Middle East and North Africa director at the Stimson Center think tank. “It shows the resilience of ISIS to strike back at the time and place of their choosing.” On Thursday, Islamic State fighters attacked a prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka in an attempt to free the 3,500 prisoners held there and took a group of detained boys hostage to use as human shields. The assault drew the U.S. military into fight in what has become the biggest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State in three years. By Tuesday, the Islamic State attackers still controlled part of the prison in Hasaka, even after the United States sent in ground troops and air support for the Kurdish-led forces trying to take it back. In Iraq last week, around the same time as the prison attack began, ISIS fighters stormed an army outpost in Diyala province, killing 10 soldiers and an officer in the deadliest attack in several years on an Iraqi military base. Gunmen approached the base from three sides late at night while some of the soldiers slept. The success of the attack raised fears that some of the same conditions in Iraq that allowed for the rise of the Islamic State in 2014 were once again making room for it to reconstitute. In December, the Islamic State kidnapped four Iraqi hunters in a mountainous area of northeast Iraq, including a police colonel. The militants beheaded the police officer, and then released a gruesome video of the kidnapping that was reminiscent of what was once a common practice during the reign of ISIS. The attacks in Iraq, conducted by ISIS sleeper cells in remote mountain and desert areas, have highlighted a lack of coordination between Iraqi government forces and the Peshmerga, Kurdish forces that answer to the government of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Many of the attacks take place in disputed territory claimed by both the Iraqi Kurdish government and the central government. Ardian Shajkovci, director of the American Counterterrorism Targeting &amp; Resilience Institute, said many of the ISIS fighters arrested in attacks since the group lost the last of its territory three years ago were younger and came from families with older members who had ties to the Islamic State. “If so, this is a new generation of ISIS recruits, changing the calculus and threat landscape in many ways,” he said. Iraq has struggled to deal with tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens who are relatives of ISIS fighters and have been collectively punished and placed in detention camps, which are now seen as breeding grounds for radicalization. Corruption in Iraqi security forces has left some bases in the country without proper supplies and allowed soldiers and officers to neglect their duties, contributing to the collapse of entire army divisions which retreated in 2014 rather than face the Islamic State.

Prison attack is latest evidence of ISIS resurgence

The Kurdish led forces have said that they've raided parts of a prison seized by the ISIS fighters in Northeastern Syria. According to reports, at least about 300 ISIS terrorists have surrendered on Monday.

Syria: Terrorists holed up with minors, UNICEF calls for evacuation of children

Syria has been witnessing fierce fighting between the so-called Islamic state fighters and the Kurdish forces; this after the ISIS attacked a prison that was holding several of these terrorists. According to reports, at least 135 people have been killed so far in the fighting this includes about 84 ISIS terrorists in about 45 Kurdish fighters and 7 innocent civilians.

Syria prison attack: Fighting continues between ISIS, Kurdish forces

Fighting raged for a third day Saturday between the Islamic State group and Kurdish forces in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;after IS attacked a prison housing jihadists, in violence that has claimed over 70 lives, a monitor said.

The assault on the Ghwayran prison in the northern city of Hasakeh is one of IS's most significant since its "caliphate" was declared defeated in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;nearly three years ago.

"At least 28 members of the Kurdish security forces, five civilians and 45 members of IS have been killed" in the violence, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

IS launched the attack on Thursday night against the prison housing some 3,500 suspected members of the jihadist group, including some of its leaders, said the Observatory.

Hundreds of jihadist inmates had since been detained and around 10 were believed to have escaped, said the Observatory, a Britain-based monitor that relies on sources inside war-torn&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;for its information.

"The exceptional situation continues in and around the prison," said Farhad Shami, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The fighting on Saturday morning was taking place north of the prison, he added.

The jihadist group said in a statement released by its Amaq news agency that its attack on the jail aimed to "free the prisoners".

IS has carried out regular attacks against Kurdish and government targets in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;since the rump of its once-sprawling proto-state was overrun on the banks of the Euphrates in March 2019.

Most of their guerrilla attacks have been against military targets and oil installations in remote areas, but the Hasakeh prison break could mark a new phase in the group's resurgence.

The Kurdish authorities have long warned they do not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, the thousands of IS fighters captured in years of operations.

According to Kurdish authorities, more than 50 nationalities are represented in a number of Kurdish-run prisons, where more than 12,000 IS suspects are now held.

The war in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;broke out in 2011 and has since killed close to half a million people and spurred the largest conflict-induced displacement since World War II.

Fighting raged for a third day Saturday between the Islamic State group and Kurdish forces in Syria after IS attacked a prison housing jihadists, in violence that has claimed over 70 lives, a monitor said.

Fighting raged for a third day Saturday between the Islamic State group and Kurdish forces in Syria after IS attacked a prison housing jihadists, in violence that has claimed over 70 lives, a monitor said. The assault on the Ghwayran prison in the northern city of Hasakeh is one of IS's most significant since its "caliphate" was declared defeated in Syria nearly three years ago. "At least 28 members of the Kurdish security forces, five civilians and 45 members of IS have been killed" in the violence, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. IS launched the attack on Thursday night against the prison housing some 3,500 suspected members of the jihadist group, including some of its leaders, said the Observatory. Hundreds of jihadist inmates had since been detained and around 10 were believed to have escaped, said the Observatory, a Britain-based monitor that relies on sources inside war-torn Syria for its information. "The exceptional situation continues in and around the prison," said Farhad Shami, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The fighting on Saturday morning was taking place north of the prison, he added. The jihadist group said in a statement released by its Amaq news agency that its attack on the jail aimed to "free the prisoners". IS has carried out regular attacks against Kurdish and government targets in Syria since the rump of its once-sprawling proto-state was overrun on the banks of the Euphrates in March 2019. Most of their guerrilla attacks have been against military targets and oil installations in remote areas, but the Hasakeh prison break could mark a new phase in the group's resurgence. The Kurdish authorities have long warned they do not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, the thousands of IS fighters captured in years of operations. According to Kurdish authorities, more than 50 nationalities are represented in a number of Kurdish-run prisons, where more than 12,000 IS suspects are now held. The war in Syria broke out in 2011 and has since killed close to half a million people and spurred the largest conflict-induced displacement since World War II.

More than 70 dead in fighting after Syria jail attack

For a third consecutive day, fighting raged between the Islamic State and Kurdish forces in Syria. This was after IS attacked a prison housing jihadists. As per reports, so far 70 people have been killed in the fighting.

Reports: 70 people killed in Syria as fighting continues to rage between the IS & Kurdish forces

The revival of the Islamic State is knocking at West Asia's doors as two attacks took place, one at a high profile prison in Syria and the other at a military base near Iraq. Now, a car bomb went off outside the prison, shortly after which gunmen clashed with security forces. This led to the killings of at least 40 Kurdish security forces and five civilians.

ISIS resurgence further destabilise West Asia with 40 Kurdish security officers killed in attacks

Near the height of the war against the Islamic State group in Syria, a sudden riot of explosions rocked the country’s largest dam, a towering, 18-story structure on the Euphrates River that held back a 25-mile-long reservoir above a valley where hundreds of thousands of people lived.

The Tabqa Dam was a strategic linchpin controlled by the Islamic State group. The explosions March 26, 2017, knocked dam workers to the ground. A fire spread and crucial equipment failed. The flow of the Euphrates River suddenly had no way through, the reservoir began to rise and authorities used loudspeakers to warn people downstream to flee.

The Islamic State group, the Syrian government and Russia blamed the United States, but the dam was on the U.S. military’s “no-strike list” of protected civilian sites, and the commander of the U.S. offensive at the time, then-Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, said allegations of U.S. involvement were based on “crazy reporting.”

In fact, members of a top secret U.S. special operations unit called Task Force 9 had struck the dam using some of the largest conventional bombs in the US&nbsp;arsenal, including at least one BLU-109 bunker-buster bomb, according to two former senior officials. And they had done it despite a military report warning not to bomb the dam, because the damage could cause a flood that might kill tens of thousands of civilians.

The decision to strike the dam would normally have been made high up the chain of command. But the former officials said the task force used a procedural shortcut reserved for emergencies, allowing it to launch the attack without clearance.

The two former officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they were not authorized to discuss the strikes, said some officers overseeing the air war viewed the task force’s actions as reckless.

Even with careful planning, hitting a dam with such large bombs would likely have been seen by top leaders as unacceptably dangerous, said Scott F. Murray, a retired Air Force colonel.

“Using a 2,000-pound bomb against a restricted target like a dam is extremely difficult and should have never been done on the fly,” he said. “Worst case, those munitions could have absolutely caused the dam to fail.”

After the strikes, dam workers stumbled on an ominous piece of good fortune: Five floors deep in the dam’s control tower, a US&nbsp;BLU-109 bunker buster lay on its side, scorched but intact — a dud. If it had exploded, experts say, the whole dam might have failed.

In response to questions from The New York Times, U.S. Central Command, which oversaw the air war in Syria, acknowledged dropping three 2,000-pound bombs but denied targeting the dam or sidestepping procedures. A spokesperson said that the bombs hit only the towers attached to the dam, not the dam itself, and while top leaders had not been notified beforehand, limited strikes on the towers had been preapproved by the command.

“Analysis had confirmed that strikes on the towers attached to the dam were not considered likely to cause structural damage to the Tabqa Dam itself,” said Capt. Bill Urban, the chief spokesperson for the command. Noting that the dam did not collapse, he added, “That analysis has proved accurate.”

But the two former officials, who were directly involved in the air war at the time, and Syrian witnesses interviewed by the Times, said the situation was far more dire than the US&nbsp;military publicly said.

Critical equipment lay in ruins and the dam stopped functioning entirely. The reservoir quickly rose 50 feet and nearly spilled over the dam, which engineers said would have been catastrophic. The situation grew so desperate that enemies in the yearslong conflict — the Islamic State group, the Syrian government, Syrian defense forces and the United States — called an emergency cease-fire so civilian engineers could race to avert a disaster.

Engineers who worked at the dam, who did not want to be identified because they feared reprisal, said it was only through quick work that the dam and the people living downstream of it were saved.

“The destruction would have been unimaginable,” a former director at the dam said.

The United States went into the war against the Islamic State group in 2014 with targeting rules intended to protect civilians and spare critical infrastructure.

But the Islamic State group sought to exploit those rules, using civilian no-strike sites as weapons depots, command centers and fighting positions. That included the Tabqa Dam.

The task force’s solution to this problem too often was to set aside the rules intended to protect civilians, current and former military personnel said.

Soon, the task force was justifying the majority of its airstrikes using emergency self-defense procedures intended to save troops in life-threatening situations, even when no troops were in danger. That allowed it to quickly hit targets — including no-strike sites — that would have otherwise been off-limits.

Perhaps no single incident shows the brazen use of self-defense rules and the potentially devastating costs more than the strike on the Tabqa Dam.

It is unclear what spurred the task force attack March 26.

Dam workers said they saw no heavy fighting or casualties that day before the bombs hit.

What is clear is that Task Force 9 operators called in a self-defense strike, which meant they did not have to seek permission from the chain of command.

A military report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit shows the operators contacted a B-52 bomber and requested an immediate airstrike on three targets. But the report makes no mention of enemy forces firing or heavy casualties. Instead, it says the operators requested the strikes for “terrain denial.”

A senior Defense Department official disputed that the task force overstepped its authority by striking without informing top leaders. The official said the strikes were conducted “within approved guidance” set by Townsend, the commander of the campaign against the Islamic State group.

First, the B-52 dropped bombs set to explode in the air above the targets to avoid damaging the structures, the senior military official said. But when those failed to dislodge the enemy fighters, the task force called for the bomber to drop three 2,000-pound bombs, including at least one bunker buster, this time set to explode when they hit the concrete.

Two workers were at the dam that day. One of them, an electrical engineer, recalled Islamic State fighters positioned in the northern tower as usual that day, but no fighting underway when they went into the dam to work on the cooling system.

Hours later, a series of booms knocked them to the floor. The room filled with smoke. The engineer found his way out through a normally locked door that had been blown open. He froze when he saw the wings of a US&nbsp;B-52.

The dominoes of a potential disaster were now in motion. Damage to the control room caused water pumps to seize. Flooding then short-circuited electrical equipment. With no power to run crucial machinery, water couldn’t pass through the dam. There was a crane that could raise the emergency floodgate, but it, too, had been damaged by fighting.

The engineer hid inside until he saw the B-52 fly away and then found a motorcycle. He sped to the house where the dam manager lived and explained what had happened.

Engineers in Islamic State territory called their former colleagues in the Syrian government, who then contacted allies in the Russian military for help.

A few hours after the strike, a special desk phone reserved for directed communications between the United States and Russia started ringing in an operations center in Qatar. When a coalition officer picked up, a Russian officer warned that U.S. airstrikes had caused serious damage to the dam and there was no time to waste, according to a coalition official.

Less than 24 hours after the strikes, US-backed forces, Russian and Syrian officials and the Islamic State group coordinated a pause in hostilities. A team of 16 workers — some from the Islamic State group, some from the Syrian government, some from U.S. allies — drove to the site, according to the engineer, who was with the group.

They succeeded in repairing the crane, which eventually allowed the floodgates to open, saving the dam.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces dismissed reports of serious damage as propaganda. A spokesperson said the coalition had struck the dam with only “light weapons, so as not to cause damage.”

A short time later, Townsend denied the dam was a target and said, “When strikes occur on military targets, at or near the dam, we use noncratering munitions to avoid unnecessary damage to the facility.”

No disciplinary action was taken against the task force, the senior officials said. The secret unit continued to strike targets using the same types of self-defense justifications it had used on the dam.

Near the height of the war against the Islamic State group in Syria, a sudden riot of explosions rocked the country’s largest dam, a towering, 18-story structure on the Euphrates River that held back a 25-mile-long reservoir above a valley where hundreds of thousands of people lived.

Near the height of the war against the Islamic State group in Syria, a sudden riot of explosions rocked the country’s largest dam, a towering, 18-story structure on the Euphrates River that held back a 25-mile-long reservoir above a valley where hundreds of thousands of people lived. The Tabqa Dam was a strategic linchpin controlled by the Islamic State group. The explosions March 26, 2017, knocked dam workers to the ground. A fire spread and crucial equipment failed. The flow of the Euphrates River suddenly had no way through, the reservoir began to rise and authorities used loudspeakers to warn people downstream to flee. The Islamic State group, the Syrian government and Russia blamed the United States, but the dam was on the U.S. military’s “no-strike list” of protected civilian sites, and the commander of the U.S. offensive at the time, then-Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, said allegations of U.S. involvement were based on “crazy reporting.” In fact, members of a top secret U.S. special operations unit called Task Force 9 had struck the dam using some of the largest conventional bombs in the US arsenal, including at least one BLU-109 bunker-buster bomb, according to two former senior officials. And they had done it despite a military report warning not to bomb the dam, because the damage could cause a flood that might kill tens of thousands of civilians. The decision to strike the dam would normally have been made high up the chain of command. But the former officials said the task force used a procedural shortcut reserved for emergencies, allowing it to launch the attack without clearance. The two former officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they were not authorized to discuss the strikes, said some officers overseeing the air war viewed the task force’s actions as reckless. Even with careful planning, hitting a dam with such large bombs would likely have been seen by top leaders as unacceptably dangerous, said Scott F. Murray, a retired Air Force colonel. “Using a 2,000-pound bomb against a restricted target like a dam is extremely difficult and should have never been done on the fly,” he said. “Worst case, those munitions could have absolutely caused the dam to fail.” After the strikes, dam workers stumbled on an ominous piece of good fortune: Five floors deep in the dam’s control tower, a US BLU-109 bunker buster lay on its side, scorched but intact — a dud. If it had exploded, experts say, the whole dam might have failed. In response to questions from The New York Times, U.S. Central Command, which oversaw the air war in Syria, acknowledged dropping three 2,000-pound bombs but denied targeting the dam or sidestepping procedures. A spokesperson said that the bombs hit only the towers attached to the dam, not the dam itself, and while top leaders had not been notified beforehand, limited strikes on the towers had been preapproved by the command. “Analysis had confirmed that strikes on the towers attached to the dam were not considered likely to cause structural damage to the Tabqa Dam itself,” said Capt. Bill Urban, the chief spokesperson for the command. Noting that the dam did not collapse, he added, “That analysis has proved accurate.” But the two former officials, who were directly involved in the air war at the time, and Syrian witnesses interviewed by the Times, said the situation was far more dire than the US military publicly said. Critical equipment lay in ruins and the dam stopped functioning entirely. The reservoir quickly rose 50 feet and nearly spilled over the dam, which engineers said would have been catastrophic. The situation grew so desperate that enemies in the yearslong conflict — the Islamic State group, the Syrian government, Syrian defense forces and the United States — called an emergency cease-fire so civilian engineers could race to avert a disaster. Engineers who worked at the dam, who did not want to be identified because they feared reprisal, said it was only through quick work that the dam and the people living downstream of it were saved. “The destruction would have been unimaginable,” a former director at the dam said. The United States went into the war against the Islamic State group in 2014 with targeting rules intended to protect civilians and spare critical infrastructure. But the Islamic State group sought to exploit those rules, using civilian no-strike sites as weapons depots, command centers and fighting positions. That included the Tabqa Dam. The task force’s solution to this problem too often was to set aside the rules intended to protect civilians, current and former military personnel said. Soon, the task force was justifying the majority of its airstrikes using emergency self-defense procedures intended to save troops in life-threatening situations, even when no troops were in danger. That allowed it to quickly hit targets — including no-strike sites — that would have otherwise been off-limits. Perhaps no single incident shows the brazen use of self-defense rules and the potentially devastating costs more than the strike on the Tabqa Dam. It is unclear what spurred the task force attack March 26. Dam workers said they saw no heavy fighting or casualties that day before the bombs hit. What is clear is that Task Force 9 operators called in a self-defense strike, which meant they did not have to seek permission from the chain of command. A military report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit shows the operators contacted a B-52 bomber and requested an immediate airstrike on three targets. But the report makes no mention of enemy forces firing or heavy casualties. Instead, it says the operators requested the strikes for “terrain denial.” A senior Defense Department official disputed that the task force overstepped its authority by striking without informing top leaders. The official said the strikes were conducted “within approved guidance” set by Townsend, the commander of the campaign against the Islamic State group. First, the B-52 dropped bombs set to explode in the air above the targets to avoid damaging the structures, the senior military official said. But when those failed to dislodge the enemy fighters, the task force called for the bomber to drop three 2,000-pound bombs, including at least one bunker buster, this time set to explode when they hit the concrete. Two workers were at the dam that day. One of them, an electrical engineer, recalled Islamic State fighters positioned in the northern tower as usual that day, but no fighting underway when they went into the dam to work on the cooling system. Hours later, a series of booms knocked them to the floor. The room filled with smoke. The engineer found his way out through a normally locked door that had been blown open. He froze when he saw the wings of a US B-52. The dominoes of a potential disaster were now in motion. Damage to the control room caused water pumps to seize. Flooding then short-circuited electrical equipment. With no power to run crucial machinery, water couldn’t pass through the dam. There was a crane that could raise the emergency floodgate, but it, too, had been damaged by fighting. The engineer hid inside until he saw the B-52 fly away and then found a motorcycle. He sped to the house where the dam manager lived and explained what had happened. Engineers in Islamic State territory called their former colleagues in the Syrian government, who then contacted allies in the Russian military for help. A few hours after the strike, a special desk phone reserved for directed communications between the United States and Russia started ringing in an operations center in Qatar. When a coalition officer picked up, a Russian officer warned that U.S. airstrikes had caused serious damage to the dam and there was no time to waste, according to a coalition official. Less than 24 hours after the strikes, US-backed forces, Russian and Syrian officials and the Islamic State group coordinated a pause in hostilities. A team of 16 workers — some from the Islamic State group, some from the Syrian government, some from U.S. allies — drove to the site, according to the engineer, who was with the group. They succeeded in repairing the crane, which eventually allowed the floodgates to open, saving the dam. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces dismissed reports of serious damage as propaganda. A spokesperson said the coalition had struck the dam with only “light weapons, so as not to cause damage.” A short time later, Townsend denied the dam was a target and said, “When strikes occur on military targets, at or near the dam, we use noncratering munitions to avoid unnecessary damage to the facility.” No disciplinary action was taken against the task force, the senior officials said. The secret unit continued to strike targets using the same types of self-defense justifications it had used on the dam.

A dam in Syria was on a ‘no-strike’ list. US bombed it anyway

Syria's decade-long conflict has forced children out of the classroom and into child labour, where they work long hours to support their families in difficult conditions to put food on the table and provide education for their siblings, so they don't have to suffer the same fate. Ghadi Francis brings you their story.

The West Asia Post: Syria's children forced out of school and into work

Russian Sukhoi jets bombed areas near the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, which is a bastion of Turkish-backed rebels.

Russian Sukhoi jets bombs areas near the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday announced a plan costing more than USD 300 million to double Jewish Israeli settlers in the Golan Heights. This territory was captured by Israel from Syria more than 40 years ago.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who held his weekly cabinet meeting at the Mevo Hama community in the Golan on Sunday, vowed this was the "moment" to boost the number of Jewish Israelis living in the territory.

"Our goal is to double the population in the Golan," the right-wing Bennett said as he presented his one billion shekel ($317 million) programme to improve housing, transportation, tourism and medical facilities in the area.

Israel captured Golan Heights from Syria during Six-Day War in 1967.&nbsp;

Around 25,000 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights, along with some 23,000 Druze, who remained on the land after it was seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israel annexed the territory on December 14, 1981, in a move not recognised by most of the international community.

Former US president Donald Trump, widely viewed as pro-Israeli, granted US recognition to Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in 2019.

"It goes without saying that the Golan Heights is Israeli," Bennett said Sunday, noting the Trump recognition and what he described as the "important" fact that President Joe Biden's administration had "made it clear that there is no change in policy".

Shortly after the Biden administration took office in January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested there were legal questions surrounding Trump's move, which Syria condemned as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty.

But Blinken indicated there was no thought of reversing course, especially amid the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Israel and Syria, which are still technically at war, are separated by a de facto border at the Golan Heights.

Bennett, who leads an ideologically disparate eight-party coalition, needs cabinet approval before his Golan plan can move forward.

Sunday's meeting was temporarily delayed after the premier's 14-year-old daughter tested positive for the coronavirus, sending Bennett into isolation, but a vote on the plan was still expected.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday announced a plan costing more than USD 300 million to double Jewish Israeli settlers in the Golan Heights. This territory was captured by Israel from Syria more than 40 years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday announced a plan costing more than USD 300 million to double Jewish Israeli settlers in the Golan Heights. This territory was captured by Israel from Syria more than 40 years ago. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who held his weekly cabinet meeting at the Mevo Hama community in the Golan on Sunday, vowed this was the "moment" to boost the number of Jewish Israelis living in the territory. "Our goal is to double the population in the Golan," the right-wing Bennett said as he presented his one billion shekel ($317 million) programme to improve housing, transportation, tourism and medical facilities in the area. Israel captured Golan Heights from Syria during Six-Day War in 1967. Around 25,000 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights, along with some 23,000 Druze, who remained on the land after it was seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel annexed the territory on December 14, 1981, in a move not recognised by most of the international community. Former US president Donald Trump, widely viewed as pro-Israeli, granted US recognition to Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in 2019. "It goes without saying that the Golan Heights is Israeli," Bennett said Sunday, noting the Trump recognition and what he described as the "important" fact that President Joe Biden's administration had "made it clear that there is no change in policy". Shortly after the Biden administration took office in January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested there were legal questions surrounding Trump's move, which Syria condemned as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty. But Blinken indicated there was no thought of reversing course, especially amid the ongoing Syrian civil war. Israel and Syria, which are still technically at war, are separated by a de facto border at the Golan Heights. Bennett, who leads an ideologically disparate eight-party coalition, needs cabinet approval before his Golan plan can move forward. Sunday's meeting was temporarily delayed after the premier's 14-year-old daughter tested positive for the coronavirus, sending Bennett into isolation, but a vote on the plan was still expected. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel to double settlers in Golan Heights

A number of ancient sites have turned into temporary shelters for the displaced. The fifth-century ruined and ancient monuments have become a convenient place for the people seeking a home in Syria, take a look.

Syria: Displaced citizens take shelter in ancient monuments

A controversial revelation by the Pentagon documents has shown that the US air wars in the Middle East, which have taken several civilian lives, was marked by “deeply flawed intelligence”.<o:p></o:p>

A report by the New York Times has revealed that a heap of confidential documents have reported that the US government has time and again failed to fulfil their pledge of transparency and accountability.<o:p></o:p>

"Not a single record provided includes a finding of wrongdoing or disciplinary action," the report stated.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/roswell-crash-pentagon-admits-testing-wreckage-from-ufo-crashes-363656">Roswell crash: Pentagon admits 'testing' wreckage from UFO crashes</a></o:p>

As per the New York Times newspaper, several confidential documents that highlighted more than 1,300 reports of civilian casualties during air wars in Middle East. This was justified by the government as a part of the wars fought with ‘precision bombs’.<o:p></o:p>

The newspaper has also claimed that the number of civilian deaths has been largely underreported by the US authorities and at least several hundreds of innocent civilians had lost their lives during these air wars.<o:p></o:p>

One such incident cited was bombing by US forces in northern Syria on July 19, 2016 during which it was reported that 85 fighters had been killed by the authorities. However, reports are now stating that 120 farmers and villagers were the ones who were killed during this strike.<o:p></o:p>

Similarly, during a November 2015 attack in Iraq’s Ramadi, the US forces had targeted a man carrying an ‘unidentified object’ into an Islamic State position. That ‘unidentified object’ was actually a small child, the report claimed.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-you-need-to-know-about-pentagons-newly-discovered-secret-army-385910">All you need to know about Pentagon's newly discovered 'secret army'</a></o:p>

Similarly, the Times stated that sometimes "men on motorcycles moving 'in formation,' displaying the 'signature' of an imminent attack, were just men on motorcycles."<o:p></o:p>

Poor or inadequate surveillance footage has been given as a plausible reason behind such gruesome errors in these air wars.<o:p></o:p>

This report comes at a time when the world had already been questioning the US forces for its attack on an ‘unidentified vehicle’ and house in Kabul (a few days after Taliban took control of Afghanistan). What was described as an attack on possible IS militants actually turned out to be an error-filled attack on 10 members of a family, including minors.<o:p></o:p>

Many of these victims of US air strikes have also been left critically injured for life. However, the condolence payments have staggered.<o:p></o:p>

“Even with the best technology in the world, mistakes do happen, whether based on incomplete information or misinterpretation of the information available. And we try to learn from those mistakes,” Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for the US Central Command told the Times. “We work diligently to avoid such harm. We investigate each credible instance. And we regret each loss of innocent life."<o:p></o:p>

A controversial revelation by the Pentagon documents has shown that the US air wars in the Middle East, which have taken several civilian lives, was marked by “deeply flawed intelligence”.

A controversial revelation by the Pentagon documents has shown that the US air wars in the Middle East, which have taken several civilian lives, was marked by “deeply flawed intelligence”. A report by the New York Times has revealed that a heap of confidential documents have reported that the US government has time and again failed to fulfil their pledge of transparency and accountability. "Not a single record provided includes a finding of wrongdoing or disciplinary action," the report stated. Also read | Roswell crash: Pentagon admits 'testing' wreckage from UFO crashes As per the New York Times newspaper, several confidential documents that highlighted more than 1,300 reports of civilian casualties during air wars in Middle East. This was justified by the government as a part of the wars fought with ‘precision bombs’. The newspaper has also claimed that the number of civilian deaths has been largely underreported by the US authorities and at least several hundreds of innocent civilians had lost their lives during these air wars. One such incident cited was bombing by US forces in northern Syria on July 19, 2016 during which it was reported that 85 fighters had been killed by the authorities. However, reports are now stating that 120 farmers and villagers were the ones who were killed during this strike. Similarly, during a November 2015 attack in Iraq’s Ramadi, the US forces had targeted a man carrying an ‘unidentified object’ into an Islamic State position. That ‘unidentified object’ was actually a small child, the report claimed. Also read | All you need to know about Pentagon's newly discovered 'secret army' Similarly, the Times stated that sometimes "men on motorcycles moving 'in formation,' displaying the 'signature' of an imminent attack, were just men on motorcycles." Poor or inadequate surveillance footage has been given as a plausible reason behind such gruesome errors in these air wars. This report comes at a time when the world had already been questioning the US forces for its attack on an ‘unidentified vehicle’ and house in Kabul (a few days after Taliban took control of Afghanistan). What was described as an attack on possible IS militants actually turned out to be an error-filled attack on 10 members of a family, including minors. Many of these victims of US air strikes have also been left critically injured for life. However, the condolence payments have staggered. “Even with the best technology in the world, mistakes do happen, whether based on incomplete information or misinterpretation of the information available. And we try to learn from those mistakes,” Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for the US Central Command told the Times. “We work diligently to avoid such harm. We investigate each credible instance. And we regret each loss of innocent life."

Unidentified objects? US air wars were 'deeply flawed' , Pentagon documents reveal: Report

From the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to Guantanamo Bay near Cuba, American soldiers have left a trail of blood and death. Their war crimes are well-documented, yet ignored. Palki Sharma lists out America's crimes in the last two decades.

Gravitas: From Iraq to Afghanistan: America's trail of deaths

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