Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Iraq

More displaced families return to Saadia, Diyala

2023-09-20

[Shafaq News] A local official announced on Tuesday the triumphant return of over 700 displaced families to the searing precinct of Saadia, located in the northeast of Baqubah. Their return had been significantly delayed due to the exigencies of essential services.

Ahmed Thamer al-Zarkoushi, the director of Saadia precinct, told Shafaq News agency, "Today, more than 700 displaced families from 21 villages have come back to their respective areas after the provisioning of crucial amenities by the local government and relevant authorities."

He further expounded, emphasizing that "these returning refugees represent the final tranche in the Saadia and Diyala district, their repatriation heretofore obstructed by the dearth of serviceable conditions and the havoc wrought by terrorist factions."

The specter of ISIS had gripped Saadia, situated 60 kilometers northeast of Baqubah, in June 2014, only to be wrested from their malevolent clutches by the security forces in November of the same year. Thousands of families had fled the regions of al-Azim, Saadia, Jalawla, northern Muqdadiya, and eastern Mansouriyah during ISIS's incursion and the ensuing liberation skirmishes that engulfed these domains.

The Rehabilitation and Repatriation Committee in Diyala, as conveyed to Shafaq News last May, formally declared the closure of the repatriation dossier, except for those desolate villages rendered destitute in terms of essential services.

Link

Iraq

Two Iraqi soldiers kaboomed in Diyala

2023-08-14

Two members of the Iraqi Army were injured today in an explosion that targeted a military patrol in Diyala province.

The explosion resulted in minor injuries to two soldiers.https://t.co/UW6CrFtFdk
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) August 13, 2023

Two members of the Iraqi Army were maimed today, Sunday, in a kaboom that targeted a military patrol in Diyala province.

An anonymous security source informed Shafaq News Agency that an improvised bomb detonated, targeting a patrol from the Diyala Operations Forces' al-Maghaweer Brigade in the al-Bijat area, south of Baqubah (20 kilometers south of Baqubah).

The source added that the earth-shattering kaboom resulted in minor injuries to two soldiers.

Link

Iraq

Explosive Device Targets Energy Transmission Tower in Diyala, Iraq

2023-08-05

[Shafaq News] An bomb targeted an energy transmission tower in Diyala province on Friday.

According to a security source, the incident occurred in the Mouradia area, situated approximately 15 kilometers southwest of Baquba, resulting in significant damage to the tower.

The source indicated that faceless myrmidons detonated the bomb, leading to the destruction of the electricity transmission tower, and a security force promptly arrived at the scene and launched an investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.

This attack marks the first in Diyala province this summer. However,
the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach...
the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity confirmed several incidents, including attacks, technical malfunctions, and fires, targeting power towers across several regions, including Saladin, Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
Wasit, and Basra. These assaults resulted in complete power line disconnections and subsequent shutdowns of the electrical grid.

As Iraqi cities grapple with record-breaking temperatures and water scarcity, the power crisis adds to citizens' burden.

Link

Iraq

Diyala implements extensive security plan in al-Waqf bassin

2023-05-23

[Shafaq News] A source in Diyala revealed on Monday the completion of the largest deployment plan in the al-Waqf basin area, located northeast of Baquba, aiming to establish security and restore long-absent stability.

Shaker al-Mulla Jawad, the director of al-Abara sub-district, situated 15 kilometers northeast of Baquba, informed Shafaq News Agency that federal police units, alongside emergency forces, have been deployed in al-Waqf bassin, encompassing over 25 villages through fixed security checkpoints. These checkpoints were preceded by surveillance fortifications equipped with cameras, and safe passages were established in orchards and closed areas to deter attacks and terrorist incidents.

Al-Mulla Jawad emphasized that this fortification and deployment plan is the largest since 2004, resulting from a clear improvement in security and the absence of any violations or incidents for several months. He noted that the security plan for al-Waqf bassin was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior and Joint Operations, following years of attacks and incidents.

Furthermore, he stated that the fortification and fixed surveillance plan began last year, covering dozens of villages in the vicinity of Abu Sayda and al-Abara sub-districts, northeast of Baquba. He also mentioned that this plan was accompanied by a service plan implemented by the provincial administration to facilitate the return of displaced individuals to their residential areas after bidding farewell to the horrors of terrorism and incidents.

al-Waqf bassin, located 25 kilometers northeast of Baquba, has been a hotbed of security and sectarian tensions, witnessing continuous security breaches and incidents attributed by experts to the lack of security reinforcements and tribal disputes, along with the influence of lawless groups.

Link

Iraq

Iraq to repopulate +20 villages previously controlled by ISIS

2023-05-01

[Shafaq News] Diyala's local government has devised a comprehensive plan to repopulate more than 20 villages that were evacuated by ISIS runover in 2014, Spokesperson Yaser Badr revealed on Sunday, but excluded people involved with the hardliner Sunni group.

"The local administration has completed preparations to repatriate the residents of 17 villages on the outskirts of Saadiyah sub-district, 60 kilometers to the northeast of Baqubah," Badr told Shafaq News Agency, "lack of services has impeded their return for years."

"Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) has mobilized troops to secure the territory. More than 500 million dinars were spent to reconstruct and rehabilitate the area," he added.

Badr revealed that the Iraqi government plans to repatriate the internally displaced people (IDPs) who left their homes in five villages in al-Miqdadiyah due to ISIS.

"The villages of Khailaniyah and Nahr Imam, in addition to the first and second Mithaq, have endured the atrocities of ISIS and its bloody massacres by the end of 2021," he explained, "the plan encompasses compensations and infrastructure in a bid to facilitate the people's return."

"Of course, this does not apply to the persons involved or collaborated with ISIS," he concluded.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi security forces thwart terrorist Plot in Kirkuk, capture two prominent ISIS members

2023-04-23

[Shafaq News] Iraq's National Security Agency has foiled a "terrorist scheme targeting markets in Kirkuk" and apprehended two prominent ISIS murderous Moslems, an official statement said on Saturday.

The Agency's operatives, in collaboration with the advanced joint operations headquarters and the provincial police, arrested a notorious terrorist, identified as "Abu Dujana", and his accomplice, in a complex intelligence and field operation.

The detainees confessed to their sinister intentions of targeting civilians and security forces in the province via a series of explosions in crowded markets in a bid to destabilize the security and spread chaos.

"However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
the vigilance of the security forces prevented the realization of these nefarious plans," the statement said.

Notably, "Abu Dujana," who recently renewed his allegiance to ISIS, had previously carried a kaboom targeting police patrols, killing an officer. He was also responsible for establishing a hideout for a terrorist cell in the Leilan sub-district of Kirkuk.

Colonel Jalil Mam Faiq, commander of the 3rd battalion of the 3rd Peshmerga brigade, revealed that the turbans are forced to move through the outskirts, and some neighborhoods of, Jalawla and the periphery of Qara Tapa in the northeast of the Diyala province in order to escape the aerial and missile bombardment of the security forces.

The commander said that ISIS members leave their strongholds in northern Jalawla and roam the areas and neighborhoods of Jalawla, 70 km northeast of Baqubah, and the peripheries of Qara Tapa (113 km northeast of Baqubah) during the night to avoid any ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
s or missile attacks targeting their hideouts.

Mam Faiq confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that security authorities are aware of the movements but are yet to address them. The commander attributed "the lack of reporting on them by locals to fears of threats and the existence of some enclaves that collaborate or sympathize with terrorists."

The territory northern Jalawla, including al-Islah basin, Sheikh Baba, the Jalawla border, and Qara Tapa, continue to harbor ISIS strongholds and hideouts due to the rugged geographical terrain and vast agricultural extensions.

Since the Peshmerga's withdrawal from their sectors following the October 2017 events, the areas between Jalawla, Qara Tapa, and the Khanaqin outskirts bordering the Kurdistan region have witnessed continuous attacks and incidents.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi Security Forces Repel ISIS Attack on Village near Baquba

2023-04-19

[Shafaq News] On Tuesday, the Iraqi forces repelled an attack on an agricultural village on the outskirts of Kanaan district, south of Baquba.

A security source told Shafaq News Agency that ISIS snuffies attempted to attack a security point belonging to the 4th Brigade _ 4th Regiment, Diyala Operations Commandos, in Qurba (Sukuk) on Monday night. However,
the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits...
the army forces responded quickly with medium weapons, and no losses or casualties were reported.

Link

Iraq

2023-04-11

Popular Mobilization Forces Secure Major "#Security Basin" Northeast of Baquba after 15-Year Struggle.#PMF #Iraq
Read more: https://t.co/jq25oB7ZJT
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) April 10, 2023

The PMF leader, Muhammad Salam al-Tamimi, told Shafaq News Agency that the success of the fortifications and deployment plans that began at the beginning of this year was part of an integrated plan under the supervision of the security ministries to secure the hot spots basin between the districts of al-Abara and Abi Saida, 25 km northeast of Baquba.

The fortification included more than 20 villages and over 30,000 dunams of agricultural land and orchards, with plans including the deployment of combat forces, the closure of security gaps, and the opening of safe passages of farm villages. He explained.

The Waqf Basin, including al-Abbara, Abi Saida, and their villages, has been the site of attacks and security incidents, including those by ISIS, clan conflicts, and organized crimes, which have occurred for several years due to its rugged geographical nature and vast area.

Link

Iraq

Eight casualties in an armed attack in Diyala

2023-03-07

[Shafaq News] Five non-combatants were killed and three others were maimed in an armed attack that took place on the outskirts of al-Muqdadiyah district, Diyala.

A source told Shafaq News agency that five non-combatants were killed and three others were maimed as a result of an bomb detonating on a car, followed by a gunfire attack that targeted those present at the scene of the incident in the village of al-Hazeeniyah, located 40 km northeast of Baquba.

According to the source, the toll is preliminary and the security forces headed to the scene of the incident and launched a search campaign for the perpetrators.

He added that preliminary information indicated that it was a terrorist attack.

Link

Iraq

Iraq's PM to supervise the investigation into the Jayayla massacre, reassess security commanders

2023-02-22

[SHAFAQ] The Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, will personally supervise the investigation into the "Jayayla massacre", politician Raad al-Dahlaki said on Tuesday.

"We met with Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to shed light on the circumstances of the Jayayla massacre. I held a phone call with some of the deaders' relatives and the Sheikhs of al-Azza tribes to inform al-Sudani about all the facts," al-Dahlaki said in a statement.

Al-Dahlaki said that the premier pledged to keep tabs on the investigation by himself and form a committee to assess the performance of the security commanders in the governorate.

"A local combat force will be formed to secure the village," he added.

Yesterday, a group of armed persons attacked the village of Jayayla, 18 kilometers northeast of Baqubah, and killed at least seven persons. The massacre comes in retaliation for a recent attack that targeted civilians in their farm on the outskirts of the Bu Bali village.

Forces from the army and police were deployed in the territory between the two villages to deter possible retaliatory attacks.

Link

Iraq

ISIS militants hide behind a wall of bombs and booby traps, local officials in Diyala say

2023-02-16

[ShafaqNews] ISIS gunnies are using bombs and booby traps to secure their hideouts and impede the security forces' campaigns in the "hot areas", two local officers in Diyala said on Tuesday.

Authorities in Iraq use the term "hot area" to imply that the area in question is infested by terrorist groups.

The director of the Qara Tappa sub-district, Wasfi Murtada al-Tamimi, told Shafaq News Agency, "ISIS members often plant bombs along the pathway the security forces use in the littoral triangle between the Narin sector, the outskirts of Jalawla, and the Hemrin lake."

"They hide behind a wall of bombs and booby traps to prevent the security forces from reaching their hideouts," he added, "many security operations ended up with casualties due to hidden bombs."

The director of al-Saadiya sub-district, Ahmed Thamer al-Zarkoushi, said that the borders of al-Saadiya with the Hemrin lake are "fully secured".

"All the bombs sporadically found here and there are war remnants," he explained.

"ISIS hotbeds are found outside the lake's territory, near the far northeastern borders of the sub-district," he added.

Diyala, which stretches from the Iranian border to just north of the capital, Baghdad, is crossed by the Hamrin mountain chain, infamous for its longstanding use as a hideout for Death Eater groups even before ISIS existed.

It was east of Diyala's capital city, Baquba, that the Jordanian-born leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq at that time, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a 2006 ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
In recent years, Diyala has been one of the Iraqi governorates with the highest number of attacks by ISIS cells.

While security issues have been left to fester in the governorate and must be addressed, there are also major concerns about sectarian killings.

Sunni Arabs in general across Iraq experienced major displacement during the ISIS occupation of their hometowns and the subsequent fight against the international terrorist group. ISIS was declared defeated by the Iraqi government in December 2017.

Many from areas previously under ISIS control have still not returned home almost five years later, or have no homes to return to. In some cases, such as Jurf al-Sakr (now renamed Jurf al-Nasr), they are not being allowed back into the area by Shiite armed forces that have claimed the area for themselves.

Such situations — which have deprived many of their lives, homes, and livelihoods — are being used for propaganda purposes by ISIS or others seeking to place collective blame on already suffering communities.

Link

Iraq

'Revealing Road:' an operation to purge 'hot territories' in Diyala

2023-01-29

#Iraq's military has proceeded with building a road that traverses a "hot territory" in #Diyala in a bid to eradicate sleeping #ISIS cells and repatriate the internally displaced #citizens, a local official says.#ISIL #terrorisme #terrorism

Read more: https://t.co/C7CzQd2Qhg pic.twitter.com/xwx18rw5ec
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) January 28, 2023

Iraq's military has proceeded with building a road that traverses a "hot territory" in Diyala in a bid to eradicate sleeping ISIS cells and repatriate the internally displaced citizens to their hometowns, a local official said on Saturday.

Iraqi authorities use the term "hot territories" to imply that the area in question is infested by terrorist groups.

Al-Miqdadiyah's interim commissioner, Hatem Abd Jawad, told Shafaq News Agency that Diyala's Operations Command is building a road that travels along with the Diyala River to explore abandoned orchards and lands in the towns of Sheikhi, Abi Karma, Makhisa, and Abi Khanazir.

"Operation Revealing Road aims to uncover the hideouts and transportation routes used by ISIS militants in order to purge the entire area and ultimately allow the return of the displaced citizens to their hometowns," he said.

"More than 50% of the families that were displaced from the Abi Saida sub-district are still unable to return due to security concerns," Abd Jawad added.

Diyala, which stretches from the Iranian border to just north of the capital, Baghdad, is crossed by the Hamrin mountain chain, infamous for its longstanding use as a hideout for insurgent groups even before IS existed.

It was east of Diyala's capital city, Baquba, that the Jordanian-born leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq at that time, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in a 2006 airstrike.

In recent years, Diyala has been one of the Iraqi governorates with the highest number of attacks by ISIS cells and has seen attacks using similar methods to the most recent one.

While security issues have been left to fester in the governorate and must be addressed, there are also major concerns about sectarian killings.

Sunni Arabs in general across Iraq experienced major displacement during ISIS occupation of their hometowns and the subsequent fight against the international terrorist group, victory against which in the country was declared by the Iraqi government in December 2017.

Many from areas previously under ISIS control have still not returned home almost five years later, or have no homes to return to. In some cases, such as Jurf al-Sakr (now renamed Jurf al-Nasr), they are not being allowed back into the area by Shiite armed forces that have claimed the area for themselves.

Such situations — which has deprived many of their lives, homes and livelihoods — are being used for propaganda purposes by ISIS or others seeking to place collective blame on already suffering communities.

Link

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