[Garowe] Backed by local forces, the Somali National Army (SNA) conducted multiple operations against al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... snuffies in central regions, in the latest crackdown geared towards liberating remaining areas that are still under the group’s control.
Mudug region has been the main hot-spot for al-Shabaab operations but the concerted military effort has drastically improved the situation, blocking the snuffies from infiltration the areas that had been liberated, so far.
Military officials in Wisil District said two vehicles loaded with fuel and other supplies were seized, dealing a blow to the krazed killers. Besides enabling them to move around with vehicles, fuel is used in making Improvised Explosive Devices.
The officials added that two individuals were also arrested and are being interrogated to determine the destination of the impounded fuel and supplies in the vehicle. They are being interrogated by the military officials.
Somali National Army has worked closely with local militia to handle al-Shabaab in many parts of the country and the strategy has effectively worked in the past. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had declared total war against al-Shabaab.
Besides the local militia, the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops and the US Africa Command have played a significant role in aiding local troops in responding to al-Shabaab resistance and periodic attacks across Somalia.
In a significant policy shift, the Somali federal government has opted to reintegrate Æthiopian troops into the forthcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as per diplomatic insiders.
This reversal follows commendations from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for Æthiopia's stabilizing efforts in Somalia. The policy change marks the resolution of a year-long diplomatic tension, initiated by Æthiopia's contentious agreement with Somaliland ...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells.... to potentially set up a naval base in return for acknowledging Somaliland's independence, an arrangement Somalia considered an affront to its territorial integrity.
[Garowe] al-Shabaab ... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa... faceless myrmidons launched a pre-dawn assault on a Somali military base in Hawadley, Middle Shabelle region, early Friday, beginning with a suicide car kaboom followed by heavy fighting.
The al-Qaeda-linked group claimed to have killed 21 soldiers, among them several officers, in the attack, although these claims couldn't be independently verified due to disrupted communications in the area.
Al-Shabaab also stated they captured soldiers and took military equipment. Somali government officials have not yet commented on the specifics of the attack or confirmed any casualties.
The major attack is part of an ongoing series of violent mostly peaceful actions by al-Shabaab against government forces, highlighting the persistent security issues in the region. Hawadley previously saw a similar attack in January 2023, resulting in the death of Colonel Abshir Mohamud Mohammed Shataqey and other soldiers.
The silence from Somali officials and the communication blackout continue to obscure a clear picture of the situation on the ground in Hawadley, approximately 60 kilometers north of Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
[ShabelleMedia] Æthiopian troops have reportedly crossed into Somalia’s Gedo region, engaging in significant military activities around the Dolow district, according to local sources. The incursion has sparked concerns over potential escalations in an already volatile area.
Residents in Dolow have reported that Æthiopian forces, equipped with military vehicles, are conducting thorough searches of individuals and vehicles. These operations, which extend to the border areas between Somalia and Æthiopia, appear to be part of a broader strategic move by Æthiopia.
The specifics of the Æthiopian military’s objectives remain unclear, but local accounts suggest that the troops are not only focusing on security checks but are also setting up temporary military outposts. This development follows recent reports of increased Æthiopian military presence near the border, which has been a point of contention in the past.
This military movement comes at a time of heightened tension between Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland state, which has its capital in Kismayo ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.... The relationship between the two has been strained over issues of autonomy, resource sharing, and security responsibilities. Jubbaland has often viewed Æthiopian military involvement with suspicion, fearing that it might bolster federal government control at the expense of regional autonomy.
The Æthiopian operations in Gedo are particularly sensitive because the region is strategically located near the borders with both Æthiopia and Kenya, and it has been a focal point for al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... , the al-Qaeda-linked bully boy group. The presence of Æthiopian troops could be interpreted as an effort to combat al-Shabaab or to assert influence in an area where multiple actors vie for control.
Political analysts are expressing concern that these actions could lead to a direct confrontation between Æthiopian forces and local militias or even Jubbaland’s own security forces, potentially destabilizing the region further.
The federal government of Somalia has yet to comment officially on the situation, but there’s an expectation that a response or mediation efforts might soon be forthcoming, possibly through regional bodies like the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... or the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Residents in the area are anxious, with some expressing fears of becoming caught in the middle of escalating military actions. The region has seen its share of conflict, and any increase in military activity could lead to displacement or further complicate humanitarian access to an already struggling populace.
As the situation develops, international observers are closely monitoring the potential for this to ignite larger regional conflicts, especially given the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the Horn of Africa.
[ShabelleMedia] The Somali National Armed Forces (SNA) conducted a meticulously planned operation over the weekend between the towns of Wajid and Baar in the Bakool region. The operation led to the successful dismantling of several Khawarij militant hideouts and trenches in and around the Baar area.
According to SNA officials, the operation was intelligence-driven, targeting known locations where Khawarij, a term often used by Somali authorities to refer to extremist groups including Al-Shabaab, have been actively hiding and planning attacks. “Our forces have effectively neutralized a key operational area used by these terrorists,” stated Colonel Abdi Hassan, a senior SNA commander involved in the operation.
The operation involved a combined force of infantry, special units, and local militias known as Ma’awisley, who have been increasingly integrated into anti-terror efforts in the region. The use of drones for reconnaissance was also reported, providing real-time intelligence that helped pinpoint the hideouts’ exact locations.
No official numbers on casualties or captures were released, but sources within the military suggested that several militants were either killed or detained during the raids. The operation also led to the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and explosive materials, which the SNA described as a critical blow to the insurgents’ capabilities in the region.
Residents expressed relief and cautious optimism. “We have lived in fear for too long. Operations like this give us hope that peace might return,” said Halima Osman, a resident of Baar. However, there are concerns about potential retaliatory attacks by the militants, a common occurrence after such military engagements.
This operation underscores the Somali government’s broader strategy to secure previously ungoverned spaces, particularly in the more remote and volatile regions like Bakool, which have been hotspots for insurgent activities. The SNA, with support from international partners including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and various bilateral agreements, continues to push forward in reclaiming territory from extremist control.
The success of the operation between Wajid and Baar is seen as part of a series of efforts to dismantle the logistical and operational networks of groups like Al-Shabaab, aiming to reduce their influence and enhance stability across Somalia eventually.
The government has reiterated its commitment to these operations, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and support from both the local populace and the international community to achieve lasting peace and security.
While they only managed to cause minor injury by sprayed glass while destroying that building, the Israelis are seriously displeased. And at the moment, except for shooting up the occasional bad guys in the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon, and doing yet another bombing run against the list of weapons storage sites from former president of Syria, Bashir al Assad, the only currentdistraction from going after Houthi sites again is planning and practicing what they are going to do to Iran. Were I a Houthi Big Turban, I’d be digging a new, extra deep bunker far away from anything that even remotely resembles a human shield — like hospitals and schools — just in case that might fool the Yahuds.
Update:
CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen
TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP
… a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana'a, Yemen, on Dec. 21 Yemen time.
CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.
During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea.
The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.
The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.
…and possibly also because it’s embarrassing that the IDF accomplished their own very dramatic attack from an airport 2,000 miles away. while American forces apparently have been plinking.
100 University of Chicago faculty and activists protest lack of 'Gaza Scholars at Risk' program
[CampusReform] Anti-Israel activists at the University of Chicago recently gathered to protest university administrators for [not] implementing a 'Gaza Scholars at Risk' program.
Demonstrators reportedly chanted, sang songs, and listened to speeches outside while university officials met inside Stuart Hall.
Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University revealed they are "fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization."
Why are taxpayer dollars going to Columbia University when they are teaching students to take down Western civilization? pic.twitter.com/Y4n6vz28BZ
Columbia Professor Resigns in Protest After Pro-Hamas Instructor Allowed to Teach Class on Zionism
[PJMedia] International and public affairs adjunct professor at Columbia University, Lawrence Rosenblatt, sent a resignation letter to the school's administration after it had been confirmed that Professor Joseph Massad would teach a class on the "History of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) in 19th century Europe and the development of Zionism."
Massad is a piece of work. On Oct. 8, 2023, the day after the Hamas slaughter of 1,200 Israelis, Massad wrote a column for the Electronic Intifada, saying, "The sight of the Palestinian resistance fighters storming Israeli checkpoints separating Gaza from Israel was astounding, not only to the Israelis but especially to the Palestinian and Arab peoples who came out across the region to march in support of the Palestinians in their battle against their cruel colonizers."
He continued, "No less awesome were the scenes witnessed by millions of jubilant Arabs who spent the day watching the news, of Palestinian fighters from Gaza breaking through Israel’s prison fence or gliding over it by air."
Four of the resolved cases involved the University of California, Los Angeles, where an unruly spring encampment ended in violence and arrests. UCLA received complaints on behalf of both Jewish and pro-Palestinian students that the school had failed to protect them during the encampments, which also recently earned the campus a legal rebuke based on accusations that protesters blocked Jewish students’ access to parts of campus.
An internal antisemitism task force at UCLA also recently found that the school had fostered an antisemitic environment, including as a result of the encampments.
“Speakers leaned very heavily into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a very one-sided, dangerous rhetoric,” Uxbridge High School Principal Michael Rubin told the Herald.
That included references to “Israeli genocide” and “Israeli apartheid.”
A panelist also suggested that the teaching of the Holocaust has been one-sided, and “two perspectives needed to be taught,” recalled Rubin, whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, during which the Nazis killed 6 million Jews.
[IsraelTimes] Building damaged but students still able to attend classes on Friday; condemning antisemitism, mayor says ‘enough is enough’
Toronto Police are investigating evidence of gunshots fired overnight on Friday at Bais Chaya, a Jewish girls’ school, the third such incident since May.
As in the previous shootings, no one was injured in the incident.
Police said they were notified of the shooting at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday. The department’s Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force is investigating, with support from the Hate Crime Unit.
The building sustained property damage, according to the Toronto Jewish federation’s Jewish Security Network, but students were ultimately able to attend school Friday.
Bais Chaya Mushka is part of a network of Chabad-Lubavitch schools. All three shootings at the school took place overnight when the building was closed.
The first shooting occurred on a Shabbat in May at around 4 a.m. Then, in October, on Yom Kippur, gunshots were fired at the school from a vehicle. About a week later, two suspects — a 20-year-old man and 17-year-old boy — were arrested on firearm charges for that shooting.
"Enough is enough. Antisemitism and antisemitic attacks have no place in Toronto," Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement on Friday. "The latest shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School is unacceptable. Once again students, families, and neighbors are waking up to safety concerns."
She added, "Toronto Police acted swiftly and arrested two individuals connected to the October 12 firearm discharge incident. I trust the police will do everything they can again."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ...hereditary prime minister of the Great White North... tweeted, "I’m sickened by reports of shots fired at a Jewish elementary school in North York. This is a hateful, antisemitic attack on Toronto’s Jewish community."
The shooting comes just days after a Montreal-area synagogue was Molotov cocktailed and is the latest in a series of attacks on Canadian Jewish institutions since Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... ’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, which launched the war in 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 a rusty 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... and has sparked a global spike in antisemitism.
In November 2023, assailants tossed a Molotov cocktail at the same synagogue, Congregation Beth Tikvah. The same month, shots were fired at two Orthodox Jewish schools in Montreal. In March, a venue postponed a Jewish film festival in Hamilton, Ontario due to "security and safety concerns," despite objections from the local Jewish federation, which said that the concerns centered on opposition to Israeli films. In August, bomb threats were sent to dozens of Jewish institutions across Canada.
[GEO.TV] Sixteen Pakistain Army soldiers were martyred while thwarting terrorists' bid to attack a security check post in South Wazoo district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the military's media wing said on Saturday.
On the night between December 20-21, a group of murderous Moslems attempted to attack security forces check post in general area Makeen in the tribal district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
It said the attempt was effectively thwarted by troops and in ensuing fire exchange, "eight khwarij [terrorists] were sent to hell".
"However,
we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... during intense fire exchange, sixteen brave sons of soil, having fought gallantly embraced shahadat."
The ISPR said sanitisation operation was launched in the area and the perpetrators of the heinous act will be brought to justice.
"Security forces of Pakistain are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve."
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack by murderous Moslems on a security check post in the Makeen area of South Waziristan district.
In a statement, he paid glowing tribute to the 16 brave security personnel, who embraced shahadat while valiantly combating the terrorists. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the deaders' families, and prayed for the elevation of their ranks.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11134 views]
Top|| File under: Pak Taliban (TTP)
[IsraelTimes] Military says it has already implemented lessons from Air Force, Home Front Command investigations; drone likely also launched by Yemeni rebels shot down over south
After a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed 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... s 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... impacted a playground in south Tel Aviv early Saturday, the Israeli military said that it had implemented lessons learned from failed attempt ...Curses! Foiled again!... s to intercept the missile.
"The incident is still being thoroughly investigated," the Israel Defense Forces said, adding that following initial investigations by the Israeli Air Force and Home Front Command, "some of the conclusions have already been implemented, both regarding interception and early warning."
"No further details regarding aerial defense activities and the alert system can be given due to operational security considerations," the IDF added.
According to an initial IAF probe, several different types of interceptor missiles were launched at the target. Interception attempts were made both above and in the atmosphere.
Israel operates a multi-tiered air defense array, which includes the short-range Iron Dome, the medium-range David’s Sling, and the long-range Arrow system, the latter of which is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere.
The interceptors all failed to knock down the missile, which ultimately went kaboom! in a public park in Jaffa, south Tel Aviv, causing damage to nearby homes and wounding several.
Medics said 16 people were lightly injured by shattered glass, including a three-year-old girl, while 14 were bruised while rushing to shelters.
Footage from the park showed a crater where the missile had impacted.
The missile triggered sirens throughout central Israel at 3:44 a.m., sending millions rushing to shelters from their beds, the second time in as many days that a Houthi missile sparked alerts in the center in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile,
...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck and Manuel's rivalry was entering a new and more dangerous phase... the Saudi Al Arabiya network reported Saturday that Houthi leaders had begun to leave the Yemeni capital of Sana’a in recent days. The report cited sources as saying that the leaders left Sana’a in anticipation that Israel would carry out targeted retaliatory attacks on political and military leadership inside the city.
Following the missile attack, Houthi official Hezam al-Asad posted several mocking messages to X, some of them in Hebrew.
Mocking doesn’t work nearly as well when the mocker is running off to hide away from anticipated punishment.
Also Saturday, the IDF said that the IAF intercepted a drone that entered Israeli airspace in southern Israel “from the east,” meaning likely from Yemen. The drone crossed the border via Egypt, a route previously seen with drones launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis. Sirens had sounded in several communities near the border with the Gaza Strip amid the incident and footage showed IAF helicopters shooting down the drone.
[IsraelTimes] Channel 12 reports that the Houthis placed less explosive material and additional fuel in the ballistic missile launched last night for it to have a better chance of reaching Israel while evading detection.
Israel launched several interceptors at the missile but failed to bring it down, resulting in 16 people wounded in the Tel Aviv area.
#2
IAF intercepted a drone that entered Israeli airspace in southern Israel “from the east,” meaning likely from Yemen. The drone crossed the border via Egypt
As I've read previously, "from the east" usually meant Iraq? Yemen is south, and Egypt is west. Confusion reigns
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/22/2024 5:17 Comments ||
Top||
#5
The SCUD missiles that the US Patriot missiles intercepted that Saddam fired at Israel tended to break up leaving the warhead falling ...somewhere. Just because they "intercepted" it doesn't mean the ballistic missile is still not dangerous.
The few thousand-person remnant devoted to forcing a reactionary socialist government into power showing their true, antigovernment colours.
[IsraelTimes] Hostage families and their supporters held two separate, thousands-strong protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday, with smaller groups also demonstrating across Israel, to demand the government close a hostage-ceasefire deal to free their loved ones from captivity in the 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 a rusty 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... Strip.
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal published an interview in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his long-standing position that he would not end the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... ’s October 7, 2023, massacre, as part of a hostage deal.
Conflicting reports have emerged in recent days about Hamas’s willingness to release some hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, without a guaranteed end to the war; so far, the terror group has refused to do so, leaving talks stalled, as Israel has refused any deal that would leave the Paleostinian terror group in control of Gaza.
Speaking at the Begin Road entrance to the IDF headquarters, Yifat Calderon, cousin of hostage Ofer Calderon and a prominent anti-government activist, slammed Netanyahu’s comment to the US newspaper.
Shay Mozes, nephew of hostage Gadi Mozes, said that even if a deal is reached, protests must continue to ensure "the government of Israel doesn’t find an excuse to scrap an agreement."
If the protests won’t stop, why should the government bother trying to make the protesters happy?
He said the government "pounced on the opportunity" to resume hostilities after last November’s weeklong truce, which saw 105 civilian hostages freed in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Paleostinian security prisoners.
"Hamas said it would stop releasing women and kiddies and continue releasing elderly and slain hostages," Mozes said, adding that the government preferred to "teach Hamas a lesson, thus abandoning the chance to save lives."
A block away, at the Hostage Families Forum’s weekly rally at the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, speakers reiterated the Forum’s opposition to a deal that wouldn’t release all the hostages at once.
Protests in support of a hostage deal were also held Saturday night in Jerusalem, Ra’anana, Beersheba, Carmei Gat, Modi’in, and various other locales and intersections across the country.
Meanwhile,
...back at the shattered spaceship, Fffflirgoll the Arcturan slithered stealthily toward the control room, where the humans had barricaded themselves... speaking to about 1,000 protesters on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid vowed to topple the government, in a fiery ...a single two-syllable word carrying connotations of both incoherence and viciousness. A fiery delivery implies an audience of rubes and yokels, preferably forming up into a mob... speech that drew some heckles from disenchanted audience members.
Protests have returned to Kaplan Street in recent weeks to rail against the government’s renewed push to overhaul the judiciary.
A large contingent of Yesh Atid activists was present as well.
A few feet away from the crowd, some two dozen activists held a more stridently left-wing protest, hoisting signs accusing the government of committing genocide in Gaza.
[IsraelTimes] Hundreds of people are demonstrating outside the Kishon prison in northern Israel in support of the four suspects accused of launching flares at the Caesarea home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month who are being held inside.
The protesters are calling for their immediate release.
No.
On Thursday, the prosecution asked the Haifa Magistrate’s Court to keep the suspects behind bars until the end of legal proceedings against them. The judge is slated to reach a decision next week.
[GEO.TV] The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... , have announced that they have killed five Israeli soldiers in two different operations in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern 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 a rusty 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... In a statement issued on Saturday, the group said that their fighters ambushed and fatally stabbed three Israeli soldiers, seizing their weapons.
Following the ambush, the fighters advanced to a nearby house under the control of Israeli forces. They eliminated two more soldiers at the entrance of the building.
[Rudaw] After a day of intense festivities near Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday that it lost five fighters while thwarting an attack by Syrian National Army (SNA) militia groups and claimed to have killed 52 from their enemy’s ranks.
"The number of the eliminated Ottoman Turkish occupation mercenaries has risen to 52 during festivities in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam today. This includes several leaders," the SDF’s Manbij Military Council announced in a statement.
"Furthermore, two armored vehicles and one tank belonging to the mercenaries were destroyed. Our forces also seized a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition," it added.
The SNA has been attacking the SDF at Tishreen Dam for more than a week. The dam sits on the Euphrates River, upstream from scores of towns and villages as well as urban centers like Raqqa and downstream from the border town of Kobane. It provides electricity to much of northeast Syria (Rojava). The SDF took control of the facility from ISIS in 2015 with the help of American troops.
The SNA assault has been supported by Ottoman Turkish drones, according to the Manbij Military Council who claimed victory at the end of the day.
"After more than 12 hours of fierce festivities, the mercenaries were forced to flee the area," the statement said.
Earlier on Saturday the SDF announced that five of its fighters were killed in the festivities as The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure.... member, but not the most reliable... "intensified its aerial bombardment and artillery shelling on the area."
The conflict began late last month when Turkey-backed opposition militia groups launched an offensive against the SDF in the north of the country, taking control of Shahba and Manbij.
The United States brokered a temporary ceasefire between the warring parties, but the Ottoman Turkish foreign ministry denied agreeing to a truce and said that Ankara does not negotiate with "terrorist organizations."
Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as the Syrian front for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - designated as a terrorist group by Ankara.
CENTCOM Forces Kill ISIS Leader During Precision Strike in Syria
On Dec. 19, U.S. Central Command Forces conducted a precision airstrike targeting ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud in the Dayr az Zawr Province, Syria resulting in two ISIS operatives killed, including Abu… pic.twitter.com/g3nO68Ye1T
This airstrike is part of CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.
This strike was conducted in an area formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians.
“As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute. ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria. We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells....
... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,....png "Wazoo")
Wazoo
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
...a 
