Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Arabia
Over 700 more pro-Emirati forces arrive in Hadhramaut
2022-06-20
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] New Emirati forces arrived in the districts of the oil-rich Hadhramaut province, in eastern Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
, informed sources reported on Saturday.

The sources confirmed that, during the past two days, the UAE moved about 700 members of the so-called "Hadhrami Elite" militia from the city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut, after they received training by Emirati and American officers, and deployed them in Seiyun city to secure it.

The UAE is working to gradually strengthen these elements during the coming days, in preparation to expel the forces of the "First Military Region" loyal to the military leader of the Islah Party, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, towards Ma’rib province, in implementation of the demands of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) based on the directives issued by Abu Dhabi, according to the sources.

On another hand, eyewitnesses said that they had seen soldiers of the First Military Region in civil cloth leave Seiyun on busses during the past hours.

This came after the UAE assigned the leading member in the General People’s Congress Party, chief of the so-called "General Staff" Sagheer bin Aziz, to oversee the process of completing the exit of Islah forces of Evil from the Hadhramaut districts.
Link


Arabia
Supreme Political Council of Yemen: Humanitarian issues take precedence over military and political
2022-04-10
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Supreme Political Council of Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
has on Saturday confirmed that "dealing with the humanitarian file is the test and the real indicator of the success of the truce and the transition to positive steps after it."In its meeting, headed by President Mahdi al-Mashat, the Council stressed that "the correct dialogue in the beginning is with the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition, and the humanitarian file and the lifting of the siege take precedence over the military and political aspects."

The meeting discussed the current developments on the national arena, in the light of the armistice announced by the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
At the meeting, the Supreme Political Council stressed the necessity of Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
’s commitment to lifting the blockade, removing all obstacles to the ships’ arrival at the port of Hodeidah and opening Sanaa International Airport. The Council said it considered this as the way to deal with the rest of the issues, and said that any delay in this will shake confidence in the credibility of the truce.

The Supreme Political Council reiterated its firm stance towards honourable peace.

The meeting also dealt with the actions taken by the coalition recently in Riyadh under the so-called "consultations" and the accompanying launch of the so-called "leadership council" as an alternative to the nominal rule of the exiled Abdrabbuh Mansuur Hadi and Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar.

In this regard, the Council affirmed that "the Yemeni people are not concerned with illegal measures issued by an illegal party outside the country," noting that "what happened in replacing the roles of mercenaries should serve as a lesson to the rest of the mercenaries, as there is no legitimacy granted by the aggression countries."

The Supreme Political Council praised the awareness of the Yemeni people, who "became aware of all the conspiracies that the coalition is hatching to undermine their willpower and steadfastness and the great sacrifices they made for the soil of the country."

During the meeting, the Council affirmed that it seeks by all means to alleviate the suffering of the citizens caused by the continuation of obstacles to the arrival of fuel ships. It also called for the release of the captives on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan under the rule of releasing all those held by Yemen in exchange for all those held by the coalition.



Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel from Lebanon; Israel responds, as do the Druze
2021-08-06
Idiots.
[Jpost] The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 10 rockets, with 6 falling in open areas The others fell inside Lebanon.

A heavy barrage of close to 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Friday, activating the Iron Dome and setting off sirens throughout the area.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, saying that “at 11.15AM the Islamic Resistance responded to the Israeli aggression by targeting the vicinity of Israeli enemy posts in Shebaa Farms with dozens of rockets fired from woodlands that are far from residential areas.”

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 10 rockets, with 6 falling in open areas near Har Dov on the Lebanese border. The others fell inside Lebanon.

Incoming rocket sirens were activated in northern Israeli communities bordering the Lebanese and Syrian borders including Ein Quiniyye, Neveh Ativ and Snir, near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Syria.

There were no injuries or casualties.

The IDF initially responded with artillery fire toward the Mount Dov - Shebaa Farms - area in Lebanon, from where the rocket fire originated.

IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav told reporters that Hezbollah deliberately fired to open areas and not towards civilians.

“If Hezbollah wanted to carry out a significant response, they have the ability to do so,” he said.

“We have no interest in escalation but we will continue to work to ensure that the northern border does not become a line of confrontation,” he said. “No side wants war, but on the other hand we will not accept that this continues; that every two to three weeks there is firing towards the north.”

According to Kohav, the Lebanese Armed Forces caught the mobile multi-barreled rocket launcher and the Hezbollah fighters who carried out the attack. Videos released on social media showed at least two Hezbollah operatives being violently forced into a car by Druze villagers in the town of Shwayya after they were stopped.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett convened an emergency gathering of senior officials at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi and others to discuss Israel's options.

Gantz also held a situational assessment at the Kirya along with Kohavi, Head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate Maj.-Gen. Oded Basiuk and Head of the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate Maj.-Gen. Tamir Heyman in order to determine the defense establishment’s operations.

It was the sixth such attack in recent months, and the first where Hezbollah said it was behind.

According to a statement released by the group, the barrage was fired in response to the Israel Air Force airstrikes carried out early Thursday morning after Palestinian militants fired three rockets towards the northern city of Kiryat Shemona on Wednesday.

The IDF had initially retaliated Wednesday by firing some 100 artillery shells towards the launch sites and later carried out airstrikes. The strikes targeted the areas from which the rockets were fired as well as other locations where rockets had been fired in the past. The IAF also struck additional infrastructure used for terrorism, a statment released by the military at the time said.

According to Kohav, “Hezbollah has tried to show that it is responding to these attacks” and that the group has “no choice but to respond” to Israeli strikes.

Gantz later spoke to his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and said that while it is still offering humanitarian aid to Lebanon the country is also prepared for any scenario. The call, which was scheduled prior to the rocket attack by Hezbollah on northern Israel earlier today, focused on Iranian aggression in the region including the deadly drone attack on the Mercer Street that left two men dead.

Gantz spoke to Austin about the recent rounds of rocket fire and told him that Israel’s defense establishment “is prepared for any scenario and will continue to operate against Hezbollah or any of its proxies in order to defend Israeli citizens.”

And though Israel is prepared to provide Lebanon with humanitarian aid through the international community or from Israel territory, “due to the volatile situation in Lebanon, Israel is asking the international community and the US, in particular, to demand from the Lebanese government and end to rocket launches at Israel.”

A senior defense official said that the IDF has been carrying out “extensive” strikes in Lebanon against infrastructure used by terror groups by artillery fire and airstrikes, something that “has not been the case for years.”

According to the official, the defense establishment is preparing options for additional responses by “various means, both overt and covert, depending on further developments.”

“The continuation of [Israeli] operations will be in accordance with the operational needs, and when it is convenient for Israel,” he said.

On Friday Instructions were sent to the residents of Kiryat Shmona, stating that shelters that opened on Tuesday following rocket fire from previous days will remain open over the weekend to give residents a sense of security. Mayor Avihay Shtern and the Municipal Chief of Staff Dekel Arieh are in continuous contact with military officials.
Al Ahram adds:
Manar TV of Hezbollah says Israeli warplanes are flying at low-altitude over southeast Lebanon.
An Nahar adds:
Hizbullah, which in recent years has been fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the neighboring country's civil war, named Friday's operation after two of its fighters who were killed by Israeli fire.

Ali Mohsen was killed in July last year in an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital Damascus. Mohammed Tahhan was shot dead by Israeli troops along the Lebanon-Israel border in May during a protest in support of Gaza during this year's Israel-Hamas war.

Israel has long considered Hizbullah its most serious and immediate military threat. It estimates the group possesses over 130,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel. In recent years, it also has expressed concerns that the group is trying to import or develop an arsenal of precision-guided missiles.
Another An Nahar article adds:
Hizbullah said in a statement Friday that a number of citizens intercepted Hizbullah fighters in Shwaya.
...also spelt Chouya, which is in the Hasbaya region near the Golan Heights. Hasbaya is Druze country, and the seat of the local branch of the Banu Shihab (spelt locally Chehab) since they took the Crusader castle in the 12th century...
at 11:15 a.m. after they had targeted Shebaa Farms with rockets, in a response to Israel’s previous attacks.

A video widely shared on social media showed angry villagers blocking the truck's passage and accusing Hizbullah of endangering civilian lives by launching rockets from close to residential areas.

Hizbullah responded that they had targeted open areas “in order to preserve the security of citizens.”
A patent untruth. Because if they’d only targetted open areas, Iron Dome would not have been triggered to respond to the majority of the rockets. The alternative being that Hezbollah has the aiming skills of a five year old...
The statement stressed that “Hizbullah has been and will remain keen on protecting its people and not to expose them to any harm during its resistance work.”

A force from the Lebanese army and army intelligence agents later arrived in Hasbaya, and confiscated the truck carrying the rocket launcher.

The truck was carrying 32 rockets, 21 of which were fired into the occupied Shebaa Farms and the Golan Heights, media reports said.
The Times of Israel has videos of the Druze villagers stopping the Hezbollah rocket launcher truck and dragging Hezbollah men out of it. Skidmark gives us more videos from the Jerusalem Post, with an explanation of the political situation in that corner of Lebanon.
Update from the Times of Israel at 1:25 p.m. ET:
Witnesses reported artillery fire by Israeli forces on the Lebanese side of Shebaa Farms and outside the town of Kfar Shouba.
The Sunni Muslim village of Kfar Shouba — which has several alternative spellings — has been a frequent target of Israeli ire since 1972, resulting in 90% of the population having fled Lebanon altogether.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah strikes Israeli army decoy along southern border
2020-08-30
[ALMASDARNEWS] al-Mayadeen TV published a video clip of Hezbollah attacking a decoy doll along the Lebanese-Israeli border on Saturday, revealing that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have taken precautions since the killing of Ali Mohsen in Syria.

According to al-Mayadeen, Hezbollah revealed that the Israeli army used dolls in the form of soldiers to deceive its fighters on the Lebanese border.

The lens of the military media of Hezbollah in Leb
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
captured this video on Sunday, August 23rd, at the outskirts of the town of Mays al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.

They explained that "the army forces used various camouflage methods to make the fake soldier appear as a real target moving on the borders, in order to lure the resistance to strike an imaginary target, and to turn the page of response."

The video shows a robot moving back and forth, raising a model of an Israeli soldier in the midst of an artificial smoke cloud, during an engineering activity by the Israeli forces in the Krom al-Sharqi area.
Link


Arabia
11 Yemen soldiers killed in clashes and rebel attack
2020-08-18
[AlAhram] Eleven Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
i government troops, including a senior officer, were killed in a rebel missile attack and festivities to the northeast and east of Sanaa, military and medical sources said Monday.

General Mohammed Ali-Roqn, commander of the army's 122 brigade, along with eight other soldiers were killed in battle in al-Jawf province Sunday while trying to reclaim positions lost months ago, the sources said.

The rebels also suffered casualties, the military source added without elaborating.

Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
rebels took control of the capital of the northern province of al-Jawf earlier this year -- a strategic advance that means they now threaten oil-producing Marib province.

Yemen's vice president, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, in a statement carried by the official Saba news agency, said Roqn was killed "while conducting military operations" in al-Jawf.
May he quickly find himself precisely where he belongs, as opposed to where he fondly believed himself headed.
Two government troops were killed and four others maimed in a Houthi missile attack on a military base in Marib, east of Sanaa, a government official said.

Renewed festivities also broke out in al-Baida -- which is under nominal government control -- between loyalist forces and the Houthis, who have launched offensives against al-Qaeda snuffies in the province.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...
-- considered by the United States as the radical group's most dangerous branch -- has carried out operations against both the Houthis and government forces..

The government and rebels have been locked in a five-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands -- triggering what the UN terms the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Fighting has carried on despite repeated calls for a ceasefire as part of global efforts to combat coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
, which health agencies fear could become a disastrous outbreak in impoverished Yemen.

More than 1,800 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Yemen, including 530 deaths.
Related:
Al-Jawf province: 2020-04-13 More than 12 advances, more than 100 raids of Aggression warplane in 72 hours
Al-Jawf province: 2020-03-02 Yemenis Seize Capital of Strategic al-Jawf as Saudi-led Mercenaries Retreat
Al-Jawf province: 2020-02-16 Dozens of civilians killed in Saudi-UAE-led air raids in Yemen
Related:
Marib province: 2020-05-28 Eight Yemeni Soldiers Killed in Rebel Attack
Marib province: 2020-04-13 Army repels 3 infiltrations in Bayda, Marib
Marib province: 2020-03-20 Operation Fa'amkan Menhom, during which Houthi-led forces defeated the 6th military region of Saudi-backed forces and captured Hazm city
Related:
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar: 2019-07-16 UN special envoy to Yemen holds talks with Saudi deputy defense minister
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar: 2017-12-04 What we know so far about the situation in Yemen
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar: 2017-11-21 Yemeni vice president warns against Houthi backstabbing
Link


Arabia
UN special envoy to Yemen holds talks with Saudi deputy defense minister
2019-07-16
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Martin Griffiths, the United Nations
...boodling on the grand scale...
special envoy to Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
, said he held "productive talks" with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman during his visit to Jeddah on Monday.

"We discussed how to keep Yemen out of the regional tensions, make progress in the implementation of the #Stockholm agreement & KSA's support to the grinding of the peace processor," Griffiths said in a tweet.

The UN envoy is expected to hold talks with Yemeni government officials during his visit to Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
Griffiths’ visit to the Kingdom comes amid a tour that saw the envoy visiting Moscow, Washington, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi as part of UN efforts to revive the political process in Yemen.

Griffiths also met with Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar regarding the obstacles to the implementation of the Stockholm agreement on the port of Hodeidah and the government’s demands to correct the course of that deal.

Link


Afghanistan
Afghan Military, Civilian Casualties Saw Sharp Rise In 1397 (3/21/2018 - 3/20/2019)
2019-03-21
Happy Persian New Year!
[ToloNews] Civilian and military deaths and injuries in Afghanistan from suicide kabooms and other violence-related incidents by forces of Evil rose by 12 percent in 1397 Solar year, according to statistics by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

The fall of Ghazni city to the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
, for few days, attack on Afghan Army’s 215 Maiwand Corps in southern Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
province, a suicide attack on a sports complex in Kabul, suicide attack on Mawood tuition center in the west of Kabul and the suicide attacks on a demonstration in Momand Dara district in eastern Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
province were among the deadliest attacks in 1397 which resulted to massive civilian casualties.

The AIHRC statistics show that 3,010 non-combatants were killed and 7,500 civilians were maimed in 1397.

The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, said hundreds of Talibs were killed during 1397 (March 21, 2018 to March 21, 2019), including 600 commanders and shadow governors of the group. But the ministry’s officials refrained to give an exact figure about the toll among Afghan forces.

On March 8, at least 11 people were killed in an attack on a gathering of Afghan politicians and hundreds of their supporters in the west of Kabul.

Mohammad Ayub and Ghulam Abbas were among those who bit the dust in the attack. They were the only breadwinners of their families.

"There are many problems, especially economic problems and other issues, but I will not surrender and I will stay alongside my mother," said Humaira, the elder daughter of Mohammad Ayub. Ayub left behind a widow and two daughters.

The second victim, Ghulam Abbas, has left four children and a widow.

"We are devastated. How can we grow the four children?" said Zohra, Ghulam Abbas’s wife.

DETAILS OF FOUR MAJOR ATTACKS IN 1397:
    • Attack on Maiwand wrestling club left 20 civilians dead and 70 other maimed

    • Attack on Mauood tuition center left 48 students dead and 67 others maimed

    • Attack on Momand Dara protests left 45 civilians dead and 160 others maimed

    • Attack on Green Village Camp in Kabul killed 4 civilians and maimed 95 others

    • Attack on death anniversary of Abdul Mazari killed 11 civilians, 95 others, including 12 women, were maimed in the attack.

    • Attack on a construction company in Nangarhar which killed 16 civilians

"Our statistics show that over 10,575 non-combatants were killed or maimed last year which shows a 12 percent increase compared to this period a year before," said Bilal Sediqqi, front man to AIHRC.

AFGHAN COPS ALSO SUFFERED MAJOR CASUALTIES IN 1397
The attack on Ghazni city left 200 Taliban fighters dead. 100 military personnel and 30 civilians were also killed in the attack.

"I assure the residents of Ghazni that in 1398, the security forces are fully on alert to secure the central province," said Ramazan Ali Mohseni, Commander of Ghazni Security Department.

An attack by Talibs on a training center of National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
(NDS) in Maidan Wardak province left at least 43 officers dead and 57 others maimed. Later last month, the Taliban launched a coordinated attack on 215 Maiwand Army Corps which left 26 soldiers dead. Almost 20 faceless myrmidons were killed in the attack.

"In 1397, the security forces in joint cooperation with the defense and air forces of the country carried out over 6,270 joint operations against the enemies of the people of Afghanistan," said Nusrat Rahimi, front man for Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Link


Arabia
What we know so far about the situation in Yemen
2017-12-04
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Sunday:
- al-Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militias stormed the house of Mohammed Abdullah al-Qusi, the interior minister of the unrecognized coup government, a leader of the General People's Congress party in Mina al-Asbahi, south of the capital, Sana’a, after they clashed with the house guards, killing three of them and detaining the rest.

- Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar said that what happened in Sanaa is the result of the oppression by the Houthi militias and renewed his call to the masses to continue their struggle and docking with legitimacy until the defeat of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias

- The Popular Congress forces have strengthened their presence in Sana’a, especially in the vicinity of many vital facilities, ministries and government buildings. They tightened control over the northern entrance of the capital in the Azraq region, as well as at strategic positions south of the capital, and also reinforced their presence in the Ministry of the Interior, Defense, Najda Aid Camp and the International Airport.

- Yemeni media outlets said that the festivities continued until dawn on Sunday amid kabooms, and that the capital was completely paralyzed, with schools and universities closed and the streets cleared of bystanders and vehicles.

- A video online allegedly showed dozens of Houthi snuffies being captured in Sanaa by Elite Republican Guards’ forces affiliated with former President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
- The command of the General People's Congress in support of legitimacy in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
said it supports the "popular uprising against Houthi militias and called on everyone to unite to deter the Iranian project in the country."

- The Arab coalition in support of legitimacy in Yemen launched five Arclight airstrikes on Houthi posts in heights in South Sanaa, including al-Rayan hills that overlook the neighborhood of Hadda.

- UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, NCEMA, has denied claims made by Houthi militias in Yemen of a missile launch towards the country’s airspace.
Link


Arabia
Yemeni vice president warns against Houthi backstabbing
2017-11-21
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Yemeni Vice President General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar has reaffirmed that the "Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
party represents Iran’s claws in Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula and the region."

Ahmar also said that Yemenis cannot target Mekkah or Riyadh "the nation’s cradle."

The general made this statement during his visit with the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Ma’rib the Nahem front east of Sanaa.

Also during his visit, Ahmar expressed his congratulations on the Yemeni army’s victories, backed by the coalition’s efforts.

Referring to the victories, Ahmar said that they are "in order to complete the liberation of and to restore the capital Sanaa, and to save it from Houthi militia corruption."

Meanwhile,
...back at the cheese factory, there was only one thought in the mouse's mind: I can do this! I can do this! Then the trap sprung...
the vice president noted that all areas bordering Sanaa were not a platform for the Houthis and will never be. At this point Ahmar called on the tribe members of these areas to actively participate in the "liberation battle."

Also, Ahmar directed a message to the children of Sanaa, the free members of the armed forces, the General People’s Congress (headed by ousted Yemeni President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
) and all political and social elements.

In his message, Ahmar demanded these sides to "be warned and remain alert from the Houthi’s backstabbing" whom he said, "does not exclude any one and targets houses, camps, schools and places of worship."
Link


Iraq
Mosul Offensive News
2017-07-11


Iraqi forces smoke 19 ISIS troops in Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Nineteen Islamic State militants were killed in western Mosul’s Old City on Monday as troops continue to clear the city after declaring victory over the extremist group.

A Counter-Terrorism Service officer, Ali Mohsen, told BasNews that the service’s forces opened fire at two IS suicide bombers after suspecting them in the Old City. “Our forces are currently combing the liberated areas and have intensified vetting of refugees from the Old City for fear that they might be infiltrated by terrorists or IS suiciders.”

Col. Khaled al-Jawari, from the Joint Operations Command, told the website that Iraqi warplanes also killed 17 other militants after detecting their attempt to flee the Old City to the eastern side of Mosul via Tigris River.

BasNews quoted another source at Nineveh police service saying that four buildings at Shahwan and Qleyat neighborhoods exploded after they had been previously booby-trapped by IS members. The explosions left no casualties, according to the source.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday and celebrated victory over IS in Mosul, but abstained from delivering an official speech on the occasion until the last combing operations are concluded. “It is a matter of time until we announce victory to our great nation,” he was quoted saying.

Chinese ISIS operator dies in Mosul, 5 detained

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) A Chinese Islamic State militant has been killed, five other militants were arrested in Mosul city, according to troops of Atheel al-Nujaifi, former Nineveh governor.

Troops from the Nineveh guards killed a Chinese militant as he was trying to escape Dekket Barakah region in Mosul’s Old city while the forces were combing the region in collaboration with security troops, Zuhair al-Jabouri, spokesperson of the guards, told Shafaq News.

Moreover, Jabour announced the arrest of five militants at the outskirts of Imam Gharbi village in southern Nineveh, which is held by the militants, during operations there.

Nujaifi was the governor of Nineveh when Mosul was captured by IS in 2014. The guards were formed after the city fell to the militants. The armed force, trained by Turkey, include more than 5,000 fighters, 180 of them were killed while liberating the eastern side of the city, according to its leaders.

On Sunday, a security source told Shafaq News that the militants are in control of 60 percent of the village, located in Qayyarah, south of Mosul.

Iraqi troops had liberated Qayyarh in August.

Last week, twenty-five tribal forces personnel were killed and injured in an attack launched by IS in the same village.
Link


Iraq
Mosul Offensive News
2017-07-06


60 ISIS troops die in Old Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Around sixty Islamic State militants were killed while combing Mosul’s Old City, Federal Police have announced.

In a statement, Lt.Gen.Shaker Jawdat, Federal Police chief, said troops resume combing the remaining regions in the Old City.

Fifty-seven militants and four snipers were killed, according to the statement. Eplosive belts, missiles and weapons were found.

On Saturday, Jawdat said four regions including al-Nujeifi, al-Sarai and parts of Lakash and Bab Jadid were still held by IS. Once liberated, Federal Police will announce accomplishing its goals there.

Earlier this week,Counter-Terrorism Service Commander Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi expected the final liberation of Mosul to be achieved within a few days. Only between 200 and 300 IS fighters are cornered at areas overseeing the western bank of the Tigris River.

100 ISIS suicide combers said to be in Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi special forces are fighting 100 Islamic State suicide bombers remaining in western Mosul’s Old City district as operations continue to clear the last few kilometers held by the extremist group, according to a senior commander.

Abdul-Wahab al-Saidi, a senior commander of the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service, said in press statements Wednesday that only 150 meters remained in IS grip in the Old City, adding that 90 percent of the remaining militants were foreigners.

Major Ali Mohsen, a member of the CTS, was also quoted by BasNews saying that troops took over 90 percent of al-Midan area, which he said hosted the group’s incarceration units and ammunition reservoirs. He added that 40 persons detained by the group at one of its underground tunnels were set free, but were in poor health conditions.

Iraq’s state TV also quoted Abdul-Amir Yarallah, head of the Joint Operation Command’s Nineveh Operations, saying that troops recaptured Khatouniya and Tawaleb, two of the last remaining IS-held areas in the Old City.

Iraqi Federal Police forces also deployed snipers on Wednesday to secure their passageway to the last IS hideout on their axis of operations in the Old City.

The service’s chief, Shaker Jawdat, said in a statement that special forces deployed on the rooftop of a so-called “Shawwaf building” as forces advance towards al-Nujaifi area, the last spot held by IS at the police’s scope of operations in the medieval district.

The war against IS has displaced at least 900.000, according to Iraqi and United Nations authorities, and civilians continued to flee as operations reached the last hideouts in the Old City.

25 Iraqi militia die in fighting with ISIS

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Twenty-five tribal forces personnel were killed and injured in an attack launched by the Islamic State against a village in Qayyarah, south of Mosul, DPA reported.

According to sources, IS militants attacked al-Imam village, west of Qayyarah, located south of Mosul city, coming from Shirqat town, north of Salahuddin province. The Tribal Mobilization Forces confronted the fighters, which left two personnel killed and 25 others wounded.

The confrontations, according to the sources, are still ongoing.

Iraqi troops had liberated Qayyarh in August.

More than 700 Iraqis dead and wounded during the month of June as result of violence and armed conflicts, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) which excludes security members deaths. Baghdad ranked the second place with 22 deaths and 88 injuries.

According to a previous count by UNAMI, 824 Iraqis were killed and wounded during the month of May.

Observers argue that attacks outside the city prove that the extremist group can still pose a security threat for all cities.
Link


Iraq
Mosul Offensive News
2017-07-05


2 ISIS Big Turbans detained in Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Two Islamic State leaders were arrested fleeing western Mosul to its south, military media said Tuesday as operations continue to eliminate the last few hundred militants in the city.

The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said the pair was arrested fleeing from Yarmouk district in the western region to the town of Qayyara in the south. One of them was the group’s general administrative official, while the other was a top booby-trapping expert, said the statement.

Iraqi security Services have occasionally arrested several militants hiding in the middle of civilians fleeing the battle fields. Many were arrested as security combed areas recaptured in the eastern side of the city which government troops took over late January.

Iraqi forces enter another Mosul city sector

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi army has invaded Ras al-Kour in Mosul’s Old City, a security source said.

Speaking to Shafaq News, the source said “the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service destroyed the Islamic State’s front defense line in Ras al-Kour region, located in the Old City in western Mosul.”

The troops, according to the source, killed 13 IS fighters and are resuming their advance in the Old City.

Meanwhile, a CTS officer declared on Tuesday invading the last regions still held by IS in the Old City.

“Our troops stormed al-Midan, al-Kawazeen and Qulai’at regions, located on the Tigris River bank,” Col.Youness al-Sherifi told BasNews.

The forces, according to Sherifi, said that confrontations are ongoing against IS, adding that many of them were killed.

Lt.Gen.Ali Mohsen, of the CTS, told BasNews, that troops killed six suicide attackers at the front defense lines while invading al-Midan region.

Moreover, an officer from the Joint Operations Command, revealed that the U.S.-led coalition jets shelled si houses in the western bank of Tigris River.

“U.S.-led coalition jets launched airstrike against six houses inhabited by IS militants, killing 14 of them, including leaders,” Cap. Ahmed al-Obeidi told BasNews.

Twenty-two civilians rescued, militants killed in Mosul’s Old City

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi troops have rescued civilians who were under the rubble of a shelled house in Mosul’s Old City, Sputnik reported.

Hakam al-Dulaimi, founder of Nineveh youth cell, indicated coordination between the cell and military troops affiliated to the Counter-Terrorism Service, which resulted in rescuing 22 persons from under the rubble at Nabi Girguis in the Old City. Most of the rescued civilians, according to Dulaimi, were children and women from one family. Most of them were alive, despite spending hours under the debris.

In related news, security sources said Iraqi forces killed eight Islamic State militants as they were trying to flee the Old City.

A source from the Tribal Mobilization Forces told Shafaq News said the troops shot seven IS militants dead as they were trying to infiltrate from the Old City to al-Jawsaq district through Tigris River.

Moreover, “a suicide bomber was killed as he was trying to target the tribal fighters. However, the militant was killed before reaching to his target,” the source added.

In related news, Nineveh Police Commander Wathiq al-Hamdani, told Shafaq News that troops killed one of the IS militats who was trying to escape the Old City through the river at Yarimja region, in southeast of Mosul.
Link



Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More