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Iraq

Iraqi forces target ISIS bomb factories in sweeping operation

2019-07-11

[Rudaw] Iraqi forces have cleared several villages in Nineveh, Anbar, and Saladin of explosive remnants left by 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) group and shut down workshops used to manufacture improvised bombs (IEDs), the Iraqi defense ministry said Wednesday. Dozens of IEDs were retrieved and destroyed on Wednesday as "Will of Victory" ‐ a combined operation of the Iraqi Army and Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitias ‐ enters its fourth day, paving the way for displaced civilians to return to their homes. The Iraqi Army’s brigade 60, supported by the Iraqi Air Force, destroyed seven suspected ISIS hideouts in Nineveh, according a Ministry of Defense statement released Wednesday. Nine IEDs were destroyed in a controlled demolition and 33 Katyusha rockets seized. Brigade 43 also destroyed 12 suspected ISIS hideouts in Nineveh, and disposed of six IEDs, according to the statement. Hashd al-Shaabi, with the assistance of Iraqi jets, destroyed an ISIS vehicle in Nineveh and killed four ISIS suspects. Eleven IEDs were also recovered and destroyed. This follows the killing of three ISIS suspects in the same province on Monday. Meanwhile in Saladin province, the Iraqi Army destroyed several more suspected ISIS hideouts and eleven IEDs. It also seized four Katyusha rockets and machinery used to produce IEDs. In the Anbar village of al-Shwilly, the Iraqi Army destroyed three IEDs. Mohammed al-Askari, a front man for the Ministry of Interior Staff General, said Monday the operation was initiated after an increase in ISIS activity and the interception of messages from ISIS leaders in Syria telling cells to regroup in western areas of Iraq, particularly Anbar. "These operations will not end until they reach the last frontiers of Iraq," Askari told news hounds. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense published a video on Wednesday showing brigade 60 and brigade 28 meeting between Nineveh and Anbar having completed their sweep of these territories. Iraqi security forces launched the "Will of Victory" operation to target ISIS sleeper cells in Nineveh, Anbar, and Saladin, military officials announced Sunday.

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Iraq

Salahuddin Combat Courier

2016-06-19

Defense Minister announces launching operation to free Qayyarah, Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi announced on Saturday launching a military operation to free Qayyarah vicinity, while the military adviser for the Defense Ministry Mohammed al-Askari said the vicinity is the most important air and administrative base to secure the troops heading towards Mosul. Askari said in a statement obtained by Iraqi News, “The Defense Minister announced launching the liberation operation of Qayyarah from the control of the ISIS,” noting that, “The [army’s] Ninth Armored Division and regiments of the Anti-Terrorism Directorate, in addition to the international coalition aviation and the Iraqi Air Force, participated in the operation.” He added, “Those forces began advancing into the northern axis of Salahuddin towards their specified targets in [Qayyarah] vicinity.” Security forces liberate Mashak village north of Baiji (IraqiNews.com) Salahuddin – Media officials with the Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday liberating the village of al-Mashak, located north of Baiji District, from the ISIS control. The officials said in a statement, a copy of which was received by IraqiNews.com, “The joint [security] forces managed, at noon today, to liberate al-Mashak village north of Baiji District from the ISIS control,” adding that, “The security forces are advancing into the areas north of Salahuddin Province.” Casualties in suicide bombing on Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s headquarters in central Tuz (IraqiNews.com) Salahuddin – Tuz Khurmatu District Council announced on Saturday, that a number of people had been either killed or wounded in a suicide bombing by a booby-trapped vehicle that targeted the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the center of the district east of Tikrit. The Mayor of Tuz Kharmatu Disrict Shalal Abdul said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “A booby-trapped vehicle driven by a suicide bomber exploded, before noon today, near the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the general hospital street in the center of the district, killing and wounding a number of people.” Abdul added, “A security force transferred the wounded to a nearby hospital to receive medical treatment and the dead bodies to the forensic medicine department.” Tuz suicide attack on Patriotic Union of Kurdistan kills, wounds 13 people (IraqiNews.com) Salahuddin – A security source in Salahuddin Province said on Saturday, that the outcome of the suicide bombing that targeted the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Tuz Khurmatu District amounted to 13 dead and wounded. According to information shared by the source, and obtained by Iraqi News, it was stated, “The outcome of the suicide bombing that targeted the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, before noon today, amounted to three dead and ten wounded.” “The wounded are receiving medical treatment in one of the hospitals and some of them are suffering from serious injuries due to the intensity of the bombing,” the information added.

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Iraq

Askari dismissed, says source

2014-11-14

[Iraq News] Reliable source revealed that âThe Commanding General of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Haider al-Abadi, issued a decree to dismiss the Media Advisor of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, General Mohammed al-Askari from his post.â The source told IraqiNews.com âAskari has been transferred to another department within the Defense Ministry.â Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has decided on Wednesday to dismiss 26 high rank military officers and refer 10 others for retirement.

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Iraq

Iraq Army Chief Claims Major Victory in Sunni Town

2014-10-04

[AnNahar]. Iraq's army chief Friday claimed a major victory in Dhuluiyah, a town north of Baghdad where a Sunni tribe has been resisting the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... jihadist group for almost four months. The Dhuluiyah fighters contacted by Agence La Belle France-Presse, however, said the town had not yet been fully liberated. "Dhuluiyah has been completely cleared of IS," Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP. "The Iraqi army, as well as volunteers from the tribes and popular brigades (Shiite militias), entered Dhuluiyah and have now reached the office of the mayor," he said. Dhuluiyah lies about 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Baghdad and the Jubur tribe in the south of the town has held out against relentless attacks by the jihadists. A victory against IS there has been described as crucial to efforts by the government to show it was willing to support Sunni tribes rejecting IS. "The army arrived from the north and moved into areas close to the Khazraj district" which has been under IS control for the best part of the past four months, said one fighter in Dhuluiyah, Abu Haitham al-Juburi. He said the operation was coordinated with another tribe, the Albu Faraj, and explained that pro-government forces had left an escape route open for the jihadists in order to avoid more bloodshed. "The officer in charge decided not to attack Khazraj tonight in order to minimize casualties. We will go there tomorrow," he said.

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Iraq

Iraq Defense Minister Heads to Moscow with Wish List

2014-07-24

[An Nahar] Iraq's defense minister flew to Moscow on Wednesday to ask his counterpart for military equipment, as his forces struggle to hold off a jihadist-led Sunni Lion of Islam offensive, a front man said. "Defense Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi left Baghdad for Moscow," Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Askari told Agence La Belle France Presse. He said the minister was carrying a letter from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... "explaining the security and political situation in Iraq and the need to strengthen military cooperation". "Dulaimi will meet the Russian defense minister and other officials to urge them to provide Iraq with weapons, equipment and modern military aircraft," Askari said. Despite the billions of dollars spent on training and equipment by the United States during its eight-year occupation, Iraq's million-strong army completely folded when Death Eaters attacked last month. Within days, the Islamic State jihadist group and allied Sunni factions conquered Iraq's second city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and large swathes of the north and west. The front lines have since stabilized and Baghdad has already received intelligence assistance from Washington and Sukhoi warplanes from Russia and Iran. Shiite militias with ties to Tehran have also joined the armed forces on the battlefield, in some cases even taking the lead.

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Iraq

Iraq Forces 'Take Back Control' of Western Areas

2014-01-30

[An Nahar] Iraqi forces Wednesday wrested back control of key areas west of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... that have been out of government hands for weeks amid a deadly standoff between forces of Evil and security forces. The battles in Anbar province, a mostly-Sunni desert region bordering on Syria, and a protracted surge in nationwide violence, have killed more than 850 people this month, fueling fears Iraq is slipping back into the all-out conflict that plagued it from 2006 to 2008. Washington has said it plans to sell Iraq 24 Apache attack helicopters in a $4.8 billion deal to help the country fight Death Eaters. But foreign leaders have also urged the Shiite-led government to address long-term grievances in the disaffected Sunni community to undercut support for militancy. Security forces and allied tribal fighters regained control Wednesday of Albu Farraj, just north of Ramadi, as well as a district on the outskirts of Fallujah, ... the City of Mosques, which might have somthing to do with why it's not called Center of Prosperity or a really nice place to raise your kids... officials said. "Iraqi security forces have taken control of Albu Farraj," said defense ministry front man Mohammed al-Askari, describing the area as an "important base" for Death Eaters, including the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL). "We will give it back to the tribes and police forces to return the area to normal." Officials said Iraqi forces also took back Al-Nasaf, on the western outskirts of Fallujah. Security forces have been locked in battles in Ramadi, where forces of Evil hold several neighborhoods, and have carried out operations in rural areas of Anbar province. Anti-government fighters also hold all of Fallujah, on Storied Baghdad's doorstep. ISIL has been involved in the fighting, and witnesses and tribal leaders in Fallujah say the group has tightened its grip on the city in recent days, but other Death Eater groups have also taken part in the battles. It is the first time forces of Evil have exercised such open control in Iraqi cities since the peak of violence that followed the 2003 US-led invasion. The standoff has forced more than 140,000 people to flee their homes, the U.N. refugee agency said, describing this as the worst displacement in Iraq since the 2006-2008 conflict. In Storied Baghdad and the main northern city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , multiple shootings and bombings killed seven people Wednesday, including two members of the security forces and three anti-Qaeda militiamen.

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Iraq

Not possible for Iraqi forces to attack Fallujah now: Ministry

2014-01-08

[Al Ahram] It is not currently possible for Iraqi security forces to storm the city of Fallujah, which was lost to militants last week, the defence ministry spokesman said Tuesday. "It is not possible to assault it (Fallujah) now" due to concerns about civilian casualties, Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP. That statement probably made more sense in Arabic.

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Iraq

Iraq missile strikes kill '25 militants': Ministry

2014-01-08

[Al Ahram] Iraqi missile strikes on the city of Ramadi killed 25 militants Tuesday, the defence ministry spokesman said. Iraqi forces targeted militants with "missile strikes, resulting in the killing of 25," Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.

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Iraq

Bomb Hits Iraq Defence Minister's Convoy, Wounds Two

2013-12-25

[An Nahar] A bomb struck the acting Iraqi defense minister's convoy west of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... on Tuesday, wounding two of his guards, the ministry said. The roadside kaboom hit Saadun al-Dulaimi's convoy as it traveled between Fallujah and Ramadi, "wounding two of his guards and damaging one of the vehicles," the ministry said on its website. It did not specify whether or not Dulaimi was travelling in the convoy, but a senior defense ministry official told Agence La Belle France Presse that he was not present at the time of the attack. The bombing comes after five senior officers, among them a divisional commander, and 10 other soldiers were killed on Saturday during an operation against gunnies in Anbar, the same province in which Dulaimi's convoy was travelling when it was attacked. The Iraqi government responded by launching an operation dubbed "Avenge the Leader Mohammed," named after the divisional commander who was killed. "Military operations are continuing in Anbar 24 hours per day, and we are focusing on areas near the border," the bigwig said, adding there was a major deployment along the Syrian border to stop the movement of gunnies and weapons. On Monday, defense ministry front man Mohammed al-Askari said Iraqi forces had destroyed two bad turban camps in Anbar. Such camps have proliferated in areas near the border with neighboring Syria, where a brutal civil war has bolstered bad turban groups and fueled violence in Iraq, Askari said at the weekend. Speaking to AFP, he said aerial photographs and other information pointed to "the arrival of weapons and advanced equipment from Syria to the desert of western Anbar and the border of Nineveh province". This has encouraged al-Qaeda-linked gunnies to "revive some of their camps that were eliminated by security forces in 2008 and 2009," Askari said, adding that aerial photos showed 11 bad turban camps near the border with Syria. "Photographs and intelligence information indicate that whenever there is pressure on gangs in Syria, they withdraw to Iraq... to regroup and then carry out terrorist operations in the two countries," Askari said.

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Iraq

Iraq Violence Kills 11, Police Kidnapped

2013-05-19

[Naharnet] Violence in Iraq killed 11 people on Saturday including a police officer, his wife and two children, while gunnies kidnapped up to 10 people, among them police, officials said. The attacks are the latest in a wave of violence that has killed more than 270 people since the beginning of May, as tensions simmer between Iraq's Sunni minority and Shiite majority. Gunmen broke into the home of the administrator for the Rashid area, south of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... , killing one of his guards, an interior ministry official said. They then moved to the nearby house of Captain Adnan al-Obaidi, a member of a police anti-terrorism unit, and killed him, his wife and their two children, the official said. In Latifiyah, also south of Storied Baghdad, a boom-mobile went kaboom! in a popular market, killing at least one person and wounding at least 15, medical officials said. Gunmen also killed a policeman in djinn-infested Mosul in north Iraq and rubbed out a local administrative official to the west of the city, while others killed the imam of a Sunni mosque near the main southern port city of Basra. Near Ramadi, west of Storied Baghdad, security forces tried to arrest Mohammed Khamis Abu Risha, who is wanted in connection with the killing of five soldiers, police said. That sparked festivities with armed rustics in which two of them were killed. Abu Risha is the nephew of powerful tribal sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, a key supporter of Sunni anti-government protesters in Anbar province who led the fight against al-Qaeda in the province from 2007. The nephew confirmed to Agence La Belle France Presse that two members of his tribe were killed. Hundreds of gunnies then gathered in the area of the Anbar Operations Command headquarters near Ramadi, but later withdrew, police said. Meanwhile, ...back at the pie fight, Bella opened her mouth at precisely the wrong moment... up to 10 people were kidnapped in Anbar province, where Ramadi is located, though security officers gave varying numbers. The head of the Anbar Operations Command said five police were kidnapped, a figure confirmed by a police officer who said the five were highway police. A police lieutenant colonel said 10 security forces members had been kidnapped. Defense ministry front man Mohammed al-Askari gave the same number, telling Al-Hurra TV they were four police, four border guards and two civilians. The Ramadi area is one of the main centers of the Sunni protest movement in Iraq, which began almost five months ago. Tensions are festering between Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, and Sunnis who accuse the authorities of marginalizing and targeting their community, including through wrongful detentions and accusations of involvement in terrorism. While the government has made some concessions, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda gunnies, underlying issues have not been addressed.

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Iraq

Syrian Opposition Accuses Iraq of 'Intervention'

2013-03-04

[An Nahar] A key Syrian opposition group on Sunday accused the government in Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... of intervening in the country and "attacking the Syrian people," a day after festivities were reported near the border. "After the Iraqi government headed by (premier) Nouri al-Maliki ... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party.... gave political and intelligence support to the Syrian regime... the Storied Baghdad regime has moved on to a new level of intervention in Syrian affairs," the Syrian National Council said. It charged that Storied Baghdad was "attacking the Syrian people, their basic rights and their territorial illusory sovereignty." An Iraqi official said on Sunday that one Iraqi soldier was killed and three people including a soldier were maimed inside northern Iraq during a shootout near a border post the day before. The casualties were caused by "fighting at the Yaarubiyeh border crossing inside Syria" between regime forces and rebels on Saturday, defense ministry front man Mohammed al-Askari told Agence La Belle France Presse. Four Syrian soldiers were also treated at an Iraqi hospital after the clash, Askari added. The SNC called on the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... and the United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aim of facilitating interational security involves making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... to condemn Storied Baghdad for what it called an attack "on Syrian illusory sovereignty," saying the international community should "at the very least condemn this aggressive behavior."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iraqi Soldier Killed by Fire from Syria

2013-03-04

[An Nahar] An Iraqi soldier was killed and three people including a soldier were maimed inside north Iraq in fire exchanged between regime forces and rebels in Syria, the defense ministry front man in Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... said. The casualties were caused by "fighting at the Yaarubiyeh border crossing inside Syria" on Saturday, Mohammed al-Askari told Agence La Belle France Presse by telephone. "The Iraqi forces that were hit by the fire were about 600 meters (yards) away from the crossing" into Iraq's Nineveh province, Askari said. He also said that four maimed Syrian soldiers were treated at an Iraqi hospital during Saturday's fighting. Mohammed Rahim al-Shammari, the head of the Nineveh provincial council security and defense committee, told Agence La Belle France Presse that no one was controlling the Syrian side of the crossing on Sunday, and that there was no activity there.

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