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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Rudaw Round up: SDF vs ISIS in Syria
2024-06-02
SDF arrest suspect accused of smuggling ISIS families
6/1/2024
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday announced the arrest of an individual accused of smuggling people out of al-Hol camp, which houses families linked to the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) in northeast Syria (Rojava).

Abdullah Muhammad Ibrahim, known as Abu Hisham, was arrested in the village of Abu Jern in northeastern Hasaka. Ibrahim was "actively smuggling ISIS members and families out of al-Hol camp," the SDF stated.

"The terrorist Ibrahim was involved in smuggling children known as ’Cubs of the Caliphate’ and women affiliated with ISIS. He aimed to transport them to ISIS-controlled areas in the Syrian Badia desert and Ottoman Turkish-occupied territories that harbored the ISIS key leaders," read a statement from the SDF.

The SDF arrested thousands of ISIS fighters along with their wives and children when they took control of the group’s last stronghold in Syria in March 2019. Many of these people have been living in camps for the past five years.

Al-Hol is the largest of these camps. It is located in northeast Syria’s Hasaka province and houses over 50,000 ISIS-linked people. The camp has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism. Residents come from around the world, but the majority are Syrian and Iraqi.

Iraq has brought nearly 9,000 of its nationals back so far, but the repatriations have sparked opposition from tribes unwilling to accept and welcome people associated with the group that committed atrocious human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
abuses and war crimes from 2014 to 2017, when it controlled vast areas of the country.

SDF, US-led coalition arrest ISIS leader in east Syria: Monitor
6/1
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the United States-led coalition on Friday arrested a suspected leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, a conflict monitor reported.

“In a special operation in the town of al-Busayrah in Deir ez-Zor countryside, the global coalition forces and the SDF arrested a leader of the Islamic State organization who leads a cell in the town to launch attacks and target SDF areas,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.

Joint operations to pursue ISIS cells on the banks of the Euphrates River are ongoing, the monitor said, two days after the US-led coalition arrested three people in an airdrop operation in Hasaka province, with the support of the SDF.

ISIS attacks in Syria, particularly in the vast expanses of its eastern desert where the group is active amid a security vacuum, have been on the rise in recent months, sparking fears of a possible resurgence.

The commander of American operations in the Middle East, CENTCOM, General Michael Kurilla told Congress in March that if US troops were to leave, as they are under pressure to do in Iraq, “ISIS would reconstitute the ability to seize territory within two years,” according to the Pentagon’s most recent quarterly report on anti-ISIS operation.

Hundreds of US troops stationed in Syria are part of an international coalition that has fought ISIS alongside the SDF.

ISIS attacks oil field in east Syria: Watchdog
5/31
Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells on Friday attacked an oil field in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, setting one of the wells on fire, a conflict monitor reported. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that “ISIS cells attacked one of the oil wells in Al-Sabhan oil field in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where they burned it, before fleeing to an unknown destination.”

ISIS has increased its attacks in Syria in recent weeks, particularly in the vast expanses of desert where the group launches surprise attacks amid a security vacuum.

No casualties have been reported, according to the watchdog.

The Arab-majority province of Deir ez-Zor was where ISIS militants made their last stand in Syria and were territorially defeated. Control of the province, on the Iraqi border, is now split between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian regime, along with its Iranian backers.

It is also home to many of the country’s key oilfields, such as Omar and Conoco, which the US-led global coalition against ISIS helps the SDF protect.

According to SOHR data, ISIS has conducted 124 operations in the areas controlled by the SDF, killing 63 individuals, including 11 civilians.

SDF arrests senior ISIS member in Raqqa
5/25
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday announced they had arrested a senior Islamic State (ISIS) member in Raqqa earlier in the week.

On May 21, the Military Operations Teams (MOT) of our SDF forces conducted a precise and special security operation targeting one of the key leaders of ISIS cells in the northern countryside of Raqqa, known as Ayman Abdel Moati, aka Yacoub Al-Hadidi or Osama Al-Qurashi,” the SDF said in a statement.

Moati was the terror group’s “military official in Raqqa and the planner of all terrorist acts in Raqqa and its countryside, including bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and intimidation of civilians,” according to the SDF.

His personal documents and mobile phones, along with a variety of ammunition, were also seized during the operation.

On Tuesday, the SDF had said it arrested two “dangerous” ISIS leaders in Qamishli and Raqqa.

UK repatriates four ISIS-linked nationals from Rojava
5/24
Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) this week handed over a British woman and three children affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) to a visiting delegation from the United Kingdom.

A British woman and three children linked with ISIS were handed over to the delegation on Wednesday, the statement added, without identifying the four people or clarifying where they were held before their repatriation. The Associated Press reported that they were last detained at Roj camp.

The British government has yet to comment on the rare repatriation of its nationals from Syria.

Thousands of people from around the world affiliated with ISIS live in camps in Rojava, the largest of which is the sprawling al-Hol camp that has more than 40,000 residents. The camp has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism.

Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the ISIS-linked people held at al-Hol. Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said in March that around 20,000 Iraqis below the age of 18 are still at al-Hol.

Earlier this month, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Finland repatriated a total of 22 of their citizens.

Two ‘dangerous’ ISIS leaders captured in Rojava: SDF
5/22
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Tuesday the arrest of two “dangerous” Islamic State (ISIS) leaders during security operations in the cities of Qamishli and Raqqa.

“The Military Operations Teams (MOT) of our SDF forces have conducted two precise security operations that resulted in capturing two ISIS leaders in the cities of Qamishlo and Raqqa,” read a statement from the SDF.

The two leaders were identified as Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qurashi, going under the alias of Abu Moaz al-Kurdi, and Ahmed Thamer al-Muhammad. Quashi was arrested in Qamishli, and Muhammad was arrested in Raqqa.

According to the statement, Qurashi was involved in an explosive car attack in the al-Shuhail town in Deir ez-Zor.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran reduced its military presence in Syria following Israeli attacks against some of its military leaders
2024-04-25
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
… in the south of the country in recent weeks.

"They only have a representative office in Damascus through which communication with Syria and its allies in the region is carried out."
The Times of Israel adds:
Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
has reduced its military footprint in Syria after a succession of strikes blamed on Israel, a source close to Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah and a war monitor said Wednesday.

Iran has provided military support to Syrian government forces through more than a decade of civil war, but a series of strikes targeting its commanders in recent months has prompted a reshaping of its presence, the sources said.

"Iran withdrew its forces from southern Syria," including both Quneitra and Daraa provinces, which abut the Israeli-held Golan Heights, the source close to Hezbollah said.

But it still maintains a presence in other parts of the country, the source added.

Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, widely blamed on Israel, culminating in an April 1 strike that leveled what Iran said was a consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiraling. Israel allegedly responded with a missile strike on an Iranian air defense unit inside Iran.

But Iran had already begun drawing down its forces after a January 20 strike that killed five Revolutionary Guards in Damascus, including their Syria intelligence chief and his deputy, the source close to Hezbollah said.

A Britannia-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Iranian forces had withdrawn from Damascus and southern Syria.

Iran-backed Lebanese and Iraqi fighters had taken their place, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Iran has said repeatedly that it has no combat troops in Syria, only officers to provide military advice and training. But the Observatory, which is of unclear funding, says as many as 3,000 Iranian military personnel are present in Syria, supported by tens of thousands of Iranian-trained fighters from countries including Leb
...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah 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 dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original 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...
, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Abdel Rahman said that many of Iran’s advisers had left Syria in recent months, especially after a strike in March killed a Revolutionary Guard and two others — although some remained in Aleppo province in the north and Deir Ezzor province in the east.

People who have recently traveled to Damascus told AFP Iran’s presence had become less visible in the Syrian capital, with several Iranian army offices in its Old City now closed. The Iranian flags and portraits of Iran’s leaders that hung in parts of Damascus have mostly disappeared, they added.

Now, the Iranian presence was visible only in Sayyida Zeinab, an important Shiite pilgrimage destination in the city’s southern outskirts, they said.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Eight Syrians working with IRGC knifed to death in Deir Ezzor – report
2024-04-11
[IsraelTimes] Eight Syrian fighters working with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were killed Tuesday in a knife attack on their position in eastern Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, a war monitor says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says "unidentified armed individuals" raided the position in the Syrian desert, in the second deadly attack on pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
fighters in two days in the Mayadeen area.

The eight dead fighters "worked under the command" of Iran’s Guards and were "slaughtered" using knives, says Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britannia-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria. It has been accused in the past of inflating corpse count numbers.

Control of Deir Ezzor is split between US-backed Kurdish-led forces to the east of the Euphrates River and Iran-backed Syrian government forces and their proxies to the west, while Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group jihadists are also active in the province.

On Monday, the Observatory said button men killed three Syrians who were also working with the Revolutionary Guards, in an attack on a military position on the outskirts of Mayadeen city.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
IDF strikes Iran-linked operatives, assets in eastern Syria; more than 15 said killed
2024-03-27
[IsraelTimes] Israel targets sites belonging to IRGC units involved in attempts to smuggle advanced arms to West Bank terrorists; Quds Force officer named among the dead

The Israeli Air Force carried out Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s in the predawn hours of Tuesday morning in eastern Syria, targeting Iranian assets and operatives involved in a recent plot to smuggle advanced arms to West Bank terrorists, The Times of Israel has learned.

More than 15 people were reportedly killed in the strikes in the Deir Ezzor and al-Bukamal areas, close to Syria’s border with Iraq.

The strikes targeted assets belonging to Iran’s Unit 4000, the Special Operations Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Intelligence Organization, and the special operations unit of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria, known as Unit 18840, according to Israeli defense sources.

On Monday, the Shin Bet announced that it had foiled attempts by the two Iranian units to smuggle advanced weapons to West Bank Paleostinian terrorists.

The strikes overnight were a response to the smuggling attempts and targeted assets related to the Iranian plot, the defense sources said. Israel was aware that several Iranian or Iran-linked operatives were killed in the strikes.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, previously accused of inflating tolls and false reporting, claimed 15 people, most of them pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
fighters including an IRGC official, were killed in the strikes. The Observatory said that an IRGC adviser, "his two Iranian security escorts, two Syrian fighters" and five other combatants belonging to pro-Iran groups were killed in a villa in Deir Ezzor city.

The Observatory also said that a few hours earlier, an Iranian cargo plane flew from Damascus to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor carrying technical equipment and IRGC soldiers.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported the attack was "carried out by the Zionist regime," its term for Israel. It identified the dead officer as Behrouz Vahedi, saying he belonged to the Quds Force.

The World Health Organization said one of its staff members was killed in the airstrike, naming him as Emad Shehab, an engineer in Deir Ezzor. Shehab worked as WHO’s focal point for water, sanitation and hygiene in the city.

The Observatory said the villa "served as a communications center" in the area, reporting that the building was destroyed and its Syrian owner, a civilian, was also killed.

Four other fighters were killed in a separate strike in the town of al-Bukamal on the Iraqi border, said the Britannia-based Observatory, which claims to have a network of sources inside Syria.

It said in total nine of the dead in the strikes were Iraqi nationals.

Syria’s state-run SANA broadcaster, meanwhile, said the strikes killed seven Syrian soldiers and one civilian.

Citing a military source, SANA claimed the strikes were carried out by the United States. A US defense official told AFP the United States "did not conduct any airstrikes" overnight.

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Related:
Deir Ezzor: 2024-03-04 Iraq to repatriate nearly 600 from Syria ISIS detention camp
Deir Ezzor: 2024-03-04 Yazidi woman reunites with family nearly 10 years after ISIS abduction
Deir Ezzor: 2024-03-04 Bodies of eight pro-regime fighters found in Syria: Monitor
Related:
Bukamal: 2024-02-08 2 Hezbollah fighters among 10 dead in Israeli strike in Syria
Bukamal: 2024-02-07 Syrian Ministry of Defense confirms Israeli attack on Homs province
Bukamal: 2024-01-24 Two pro-Iran militiamen killed in airstrike on Syria-Iraq border: Monitor
Link


Iraq
Iraq to repatriate nearly 600 from Syria ISIS detention camp
2024-03-04
[Rudaw] Iraq is set to repatriate around 600 people from northeast Syria’s (Rojava) al-Hol camp that houses tens of thousands of Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) affiliates, an official from Iraq’s ministry of migration and displaced said on Sunday.

"A number of Iraqis in al-Hol camp are scheduled to be returned next week. The returnees will be about 150 families and about 600 people," Ali Abbas, spokesperson for Iraq’s ministry of migration and displaced, told Rudaw.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested thousands of ISIS fighters along with their wives and children when they took control of the group’s last stronghold in Syria in March 2019. Many of these people were taken to al-Hol and Roj camps.

Al-Hol camp is located in northeast Syria’s Hasaka province and houses over 50,000 ISIS-linked people. The camp has infamously been branded a breeding ground for terrorism, with authorities describing it as a "ticking time bomb." The camp residents come from around the world, but the bulk are Syrian and Iraqi.

The repatriation of ISIS-linked citizens has sparked opposition in Iraq, with tribes unwilling to accept and welcome people associated with the group that committed atrocious human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
abuses and war crimes from 2014 to 2017, when they controlled vast swathes of the country.

Iraq has repatriated 1,924 families from al-Hol camp, totaling 7,556 people. Of that number, 1,230 people have returned to their hometowns in Iraq, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday.
Related:
Hol camp: 2024-02-29 SDF announces capture of 16 ISIS members, affiliates
Hol camp: 2024-02-20 Some 6,000 Iraqi families remain in Syria’s al-Hol
Hol camp: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
Link


Iraq
Yazidi woman reunites with family nearly 10 years after ISIS abduction
2024-03-04
[Rudaw] A Yazidi woman who was kidnapped during the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
’s (ISIS) reign of terror in Shingal (Sinjar) in 2014, returned home to Iraq and was reunited with her family on Saturday, a month after she was rescued during an operation in northeast Syria’s al-Hol camp.

Iraq’s national intelligence service on Saturday said that Kovan Aidi Khourto was repatriated by their forces, following a directive from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.

"The operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence about her whereabouts in Syrian territory, in order to reach her and return her to Iraq and hand her over to her family," said the Iraqi intelligence in a statement.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on February 4 announced that Khourto was liberated in al-Hol camp by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) - the SDF’s all-female partner force.

The YPJ said that the group handed the Yazidi woman to her family on Saturday.

When ISIS swept through the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in August 2014, committing genocide, the group kidnapped 6,417 women and kiddies who were forced into sexual slavery and labour. Around 2,700 of them are still missing. Many have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters.

The sprawling camp has been criticized for its poor conditions and insecurity. Many of the residents still hold ISIS ideology and the camp has been dubbed a breeding ground for terrorism.

Kurdish forces have conducted several security operations in the camp.
Related:
Shingal: 2024-02-20 Some 6,000 Iraqi families remain in Syria’s al-Hol
Shingal: 2024-01-13 Two 'suicide bombers' planning to target Fazlur Rehman, Aimal Wali arrested
Shingal: 2024-01-10 Remains of 57 Yazidis killed by ISIS to be returned to Shingal
Related:
Hol camp: 2024-02-29 SDF announces capture of 16 ISIS members, affiliates
Hol camp: 2024-02-20 Some 6,000 Iraqi families remain in Syria’s al-Hol
Hol camp: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
Related:
YPJ: 2024-02-19 Hamas scrambles to replace flailing, radio-silent Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, Israel says
YPJ: 2024-02-02 One killed, several injured as multiple explosions reported in Balochistan
YPJ: 2024-01-30 Australian Surfing Co. Rip Curl Slammed for Hiring Male-Born Trans Model as Female Brand Ambassador
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Bodies of eight pro-regime fighters found in Syria: Monitor
2024-03-04
[Rudaw] The bodies of eight fighters affiliated with the Syrian government who disappeared 11 days ago were found on Sunday in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, a war monitor reported, blaming the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) for their killings.

"The bodies of 8 members of the National Defense Forces [NDF] militia were found, killed by ISIS cells on the outskirts of Jabal al-Bishri in the western desert of Deir ez-Zor," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Britannia-based war monitor.

The NDF is a pro-government militia that has fought alongside Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.

In February, an ISIS attack in the Syrian desert killed at least nine Syrian army soldiers.
Related:
Eastern Deir ez-Zor: 2024-01-09 US-led coalition kills ISIS leader in Syria: Monitor
Eastern Deir ez-Zor: 2023-12-10 ISIS kills seven pro-regime fighters in Syria: Monitor
Eastern Deir ez-Zor: 2023-10-30 26 killed in clash between SDF, pro-Syrian regime armed group
Related:
National Defense Forces: 2023-09-22 One dead in infighting between regime elements in Hasaka: Monitor
National Defense Forces: 2023-09-19 Ethiopia rubbishes Al-Shabaab claims that it killed 167 ENDF soldiers, ENDF sez up to 50 Shaboobs toes up
National Defense Forces: 2023-09-10 Breaking the blockade of the heroic Deir ez-Zor
Related:
Jabal al-Bishri: 2023-09-10 Breaking the blockade of the heroic Deir ez-Zor
Jabal al-Bishri: 2022-02-08 ISIS attacks Syrian government forces in Deir ez Zor
Jabal al-Bishri: 2021-07-12 Iranian-backed factions deploy rockets in Syria's Deir ez-Zor
Related:
Syrian desert: 2024-02-29 ISIS landmine kills 14 Syrian truffle hunters in Raqqa: State media
Syrian desert: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
Syrian desert: 2024-01-10 ISIS kills 14 regime soldiers in Syria: Monitor
Link


Iraq
Sulaimani security forces arrest 30 ISIS suspects
2024-02-29
From a week ago.
[Rudaw] Internal security forces (Asayish) in Sulaimani on Thursday announced the arrest of 30 Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) suspects who were found to be "spreading the turban ideas of ISIS" on social media platforms.

The forces "received information about the presence of two groups in the Pishdar and Bitwen regions who were spreading turban ideas on social media platforms and had planned to join the ranks of ISIS and become fighters for the terrorist group," the Asayish said in a statement.

The suspects were placed under surveillance for 20 days and later arrested in several large-scale operations in December of last year.

Confessions aired by the Asayish on Facebook on Thursday detail that the suspects had intended to leave their hometowns to join the ranks of ISIS on several occasions but were told by the group to remain in the Kurdistan Region and spread their ideology there.

According to the confessions, they considered the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as well as all civil servants receiving government salaries and religious holy mans who they accused of spying for government agencies, as kuffar, or infidels (non-believers).

In November, 55 ISIS suspects, including three emirs, were arrested in a five-month long operation in Sulaimani.
Related:
Asayish: 2024-02-20 Some 6,000 Iraqi families remain in Syria’s al-Hol
Asayish: 2024-02-12 'High-value target': Daesh commander eliminated in Khyber IBO, says ISPR
Asayish: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
Related:
Sulaimani: 2024-02-20 Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region
Sulaimani: 2024-01-28 Dana Gas resumes gas production at Khor Mor after drone attack: Deputy minister
Sulaimani: 2024-01-26 Khor Mor gas field attacked: officials
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Some 6,000 Iraqi families remain in Syria’s al-Hol
2024-02-20
[Rudaw] Iraq has repatriated over 1,500 families from al-Hol camp in Syria and about 6,000 others remain to be brought back, an official from the ministry of migration and the displaced told Rudaw on Saturday.

"So far, about 1,560 Iraqi families have been returned from al-Hol camp, and about 5,500 to 6,000 families remain to be returned," Ali Abbas, spokesperson for the ministry of migration and the displaced told Rudaw’s Nahro Mohammed.

Iraqis made up more than half of the population of al-Hol camp in Rojava’s Hasaka province. The camp houses over 50,000 people, most of whom are wives and children of the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) fighters.

Abbas said that the repatriation continues and soon another group will be returned.

"Following security checks, they are sent to the al-Jada camp in Nineveh for rehabilitation and reintroducing them to society, and later they will be sent back to their hometowns,"

Iraqi Migration and the Displaced Minister Ivan Fayaq told news hounds in December that the repatriation of families from Syria will continue throughout 2024.

Fayaq said that the repatriations will focus on women and kiddies who have "no connection to ISIS at all."

According to documentation from the al-Jada camp that Rudaw English had seen in November, the majority of the families originally come from Iraq’s western Anbar province. Over half of the people in the camp are female, and more than 60 percent are under 18 years of age.

The repatriation of ISIS-linked citizens has sparked opposition in Iraq, with tribes unwilling to accept and welcome people associated with the group that committed atrocious human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
abuses and war crimes from 2014 to 2017, when they controlled vast swathes of the country.

Iraq has also brought home men accused of fighting for ISIS. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told American officials in June that Baghdad had returned around 3,000 ISIS-affiliated Iraqi fighters who were tossed into the calaboose in northeast Syria (Rojava). Most have been put on trial. The fighters had been arrested by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Related:
Al-Hol camp: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
Al-Hol camp: 2024-02-05 At least four members of Iran-backed Fatemiyoun Brigade were killed in US strikes in Syria
Al-Hol camp: 2024-01-28 Kurdish forces pursue ISIS in Syria’s al-Hol camp
Related:
Jada camp: 2023-04-29 Yazidis say alleged mosque attack stokes tensions in Shingal
Jada camp: 2023-04-20 UN 'concerned' about hasty closure of IDP camp in Nineveh
Jada camp: 2022-12-30 Iraq to repatriate over 150 people from al-Hol camp
Related:
Nineveh: 2024-01-10 Remains of 57 Yazidis killed by ISIS to be returned to Shingal
Nineveh: 2024-01-07 ISIS kills two PMF fighters in Salahaddin
Nineveh: 2023-12-30 Kurdish parties lose majority in Kirkuk provincial polls, Final results announced across Iraq
Link


India-Pakistan
'High-value target': Daesh commander eliminated in Khyber IBO, says ISPR
2024-02-12
[GEO.TV] Security forces eliminated a "high-value target" Surat Gul aka Saif Ullah of ISIS in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Khyber district on Sunday.

On the reported presence of a high-profile terrorist, security forces swung into action immediately and carried out a raid in the tribal district, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

An intense fire exchange occurred during the conduct of the operation in which the ’ring leader’ of the outlawed terrorist outfit was killed by the security forces.

"Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorist commander, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities including murder of innocent civilians as well as extortion and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies."

"Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area. Locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism," the military’s media wing added.

Earlier in the month, two bandidos bully boyz including a ring leader in KP’s North Wazoo district were killed by the security forces on the night of February 5 and 6.

The ring leader Ayubullah, also known as Mansoor, alongside another, was bumped off, as the forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on the reported presence of terrorists, a military statement read.

Pakistain has witnessed a surge in attacks in its tribal districts bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
returned to power there in 2021.

Islamabad claims Kabul is sheltering allied Death Eaters such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) allowing them to strike on its soil with impunity.

According to the statistics issued by the Department of Interior and Tribal Affairs KP, the areas most affected by terrorism include Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
, Khyber, Bajaur, and Tank while Dera Ismail Khan
... the Pearl of Pashtunistan ...
, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan are included in the terror-affected areas.

The documents of the Home and Tribal areas revealed that a total of 1,050 incidents of terrorism took place in KP last year while 419 incidents of terrorism took place in the arranged districts, and 631 incidents in the merged districts.

Related:
ISIS: 2024-02-10 Two residents of Pyatigorsk sentenced to long terms for preparing a terrorist attack
ISIS: 2024-02-09 Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
ISIS: 2024-02-08 Terrorist in 2015 Paris attacks transferred from Belgium to France — lawyer
Related:
Khyber district: 2023-11-22 Three terrorists gunned down in separate KP IBOs
Khyber district: 2023-09-28 Pakistan Claims Capture of 4 Islamic State Operatives
Khyber district: 2023-09-27 3 terrorists killed in ‘intelligence-based operation’ in Khyber district: ISPR
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Second attack in two hours Drone belonging to Iranian-backed groups attacks US base in Al-Omar oil field
2024-02-09
[SYRIAHR] Deir Ezzor province: SOHR sources have reported hearing explosions in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, which were caused by an attack by a drone launched by Iranian-backed groups on the US base in al-Omar oil field. However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything...
no casualties have been reported.

The drone attack coincided with flights by drones over al-Busayrah, al-Shuhayl and Theban in the same countryside.

This is the fourth retaliatory attack by Iranian-backed militias on the US bases in 72 hours
This is the fourth retaliatory attack by Iranian-backed militias on the US bases in 72 hours following the latest round of violent mostly peaceful attacks by US Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s on positions of Iranian-backed militias in different areas across Syria.

SOHR sources had reported hearing a kaboom in the US largest base in Syria, which was caused by an attack by a drone on the "Green Village," which hosts the US soldiers’ residences in the military base in al-Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor countryside.

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that explosions were heard in the vicinity of al-Omar Oil Field, where US forces are stationed, due to an attack by kamikaze drones fired by Iran-backed militias. However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything...
no casualties were reported.

While the first attack was documented on February 5 when seven members of the Special Task Forces "commandos" of SDF, who were present with the American forces at al-Omar oil field base in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor were killed and 18 others were maimed, some of them seriously, as a result of the attack that carried out by the "Islamic Resistance®" on the base with a drone, after Midnight on Sunday-Monday, as part of "Revenge for Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
" campaign.

Since October 19, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented 111 attacks carried out by Iranian-backed militias on Coalition bases in different areas across Syria.

Here is a breakdown of those attacks:

30 attacks on al-Omar oil field base.

16 attack on al-Shaddadi base in al-Hasakah countryside.

29 attacks on Koniko gas field base.

17 attacks on the Kharab al-Jair base in al-Rumailan.

13 attacks on al-Tanf garrison.

Two attacks on Tel Baydar base in al-Hasakah countryside.

Two attacks on the American base in Rubarya in al-Malikiyah countryside.

One attack on Qasrak base in al-Hasakah countryside.

One attack on Istrahat Wazir base in al-Hasakah countryside.
Related:
Deir Ezzor: 2024-02-04 Syria culture ministry slams US strikes near historic site
Deir Ezzor: 2024-01-31 Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria said to evacuate ahead of feared US retaliation
Deir Ezzor: 2024-01-01 Shiites attack two US military bases in northeast Syria
Related:
Al-Omar oil field: 2023-10-24 Iran-backed groups claim fresh attacks on US bases in Syria
Al-Omar oil field: 2023-03-26 US strikes in Syria kill 19 as Biden vows to 'forcefully' protect personnel; Saturday IRGC, militias move bases in hope Yanks, Israelis won’t find them
Al-Omar oil field: 2021-07-05 US military base fired upon in Syria
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Asayish Forces arrest five people accused of 'belonging to regime forces and ISIS' in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor
2024-02-09
[SYRIAHR] Members of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) carried out two separate security campaigns in Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor, arresting four individuals accused of “belonging to ISIS” and a man accused of “belonging to regime forces.” The security forces confiscated several heavy weapons in western Deir Ezzor.

Separately, Asayish Forces arrested four members of ISIS cells and confiscated weapons in Al-Raqqah, where the arrested members carried out an attack yesterday, targeting Asayish members stationed at “Al-Maqbarah” checkpoint near Tel Al-Bay’ah to the east of Al-Raqqah city. The attack had left a member of Asayish Forces dead.
Related:
Asayish: 2024-01-16 In Syria, Turkish air strikes knock out two power substations
Asayish: 2023-12-30 SDF announces killing of senior ISIS official in al-Hol camp
Asayish: 2023-12-30 Over 50 suspected terrorists killed in 2023: Iraqi counterterrorism
Related:
Al-Raqqah: 2020-12-31 Jihadist Attack Kills 30 Soldiers in East Syria
Al-Raqqah: 2020-12-14 Syrian desert in 24 hours 22 regime soldiers and ISIS members killed in violent clashes, while nearly 70 Russian airstrikes pound the region
Al-Raqqah: 2020-07-09 Good morning
Related:
Deir Ezzor: 2024-02-04 Syria culture ministry slams US strikes near historic site
Deir Ezzor: 2024-01-31 Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria said to evacuate ahead of feared US retaliation
Deir Ezzor: 2024-01-01 Shiites attack two US military bases in northeast Syria
Related:
ISIS: 2024-02-07 Syrian Ministry of Defense confirms Israeli attack on Homs province
ISIS: 2024-02-04 Papers please? The feds want to card you to use the internet​
ISIS: 2024-02-04 US strikes in Syria, Iraq threaten regional peace: Hamas
Link



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