Recent Appearances...

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

Iraq

Explosive-laden drone intercepted near Erbil airport

2025-07-05

[Rudaw] Local counterterrorism forces said an explosive-laden drone was intercepted in the skies of Erbil late Thursday, with no casualties reported.

The drone was downed at 9:58 pm local time near Erbil International Airport but "did not cause any casualties or material damage," the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), which is part of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), said on Facebook.

Earlier in the evening, Rudaw published CCTV footage showing the moment the drone fell in a village near the airport.

There are reports of flight cancellations at the airport.

Lawand Mamundi, CEO of Erbil Fly, told Rudaw that none of the flights of his company have been cancelled.

CCTV footage shows an apparent explosion near Erbil airport.

An explosive drone crashed in Sulaimani province's Garmiyan administration Thursday afternoon without causing casualties, a spokesperson for security forces said.

Remains of a suspected drone were found in Kirkuk late Thursday.

It is not clear where these drones originate from, but they are believed to be related to the latest deadly war between Iran
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...
and Israel.

The renewed drone activity follows the US-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on June 24, ending the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and rockets flew through the airspace of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted.

The Times of Israel points out:

In the past days, drone and rocket attacks have been reported in different parts of Iraq, including drones that landed in open spaces.

Earlier on Thursday, an explosive-packed drone fell near Kirkuk airport, which was struck on Monday by two rockets, a senior security official told AFP.

Kirkuk airport hosts Iraqi army units, federal police, and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitary forces now integrated into the regular armed forces.

Early on Tuesday, Iraq’s anti-aircraft defense engaged at least one drone near the key refinery of Baiji in Salaheddin province.

Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

Iraq has long been a battleground of drone and rocket assaults and has proved a fertile ground for proxy wars.

The country has only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil.

#BREAKING: Drone attacks, allegedly by pro-Iranian militias, struck Kirkuk and Erbil, Iraq

An explosive-laden drone hit Kirkuk International Airport, causing minor damage, while explosions rocked Erbil.

No group has claimed responsibility, but the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an… pic.twitter.com/MA2Ho9Q9RX
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) July 3, 2025

Link

Iraq

Who is behind recent rocket, drone attacks in Kurdistan Region, disputed territories?

2025-07-03

Apparently I was wrong yesterday. Good to know.

[Rudaw] Iran-aligned groups have denied involvement in recent rocket and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region and territories disputed between Baghdad and Erbil. Several of their leaders and affiliated politicians have publicly denied any involvement, blaming either 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) remnants or political scapegoating ahead of Iraq’s November elections.

A string of unclaimed drone and rocket attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region and several disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad since the start of the week, with no group claiming responsibility. The incidents come amid heightened tensions and diminished air defense capabilities following the Iran-Israel conflict in June, which left much of Iraq’s radar infrastructure inoperable.

A source from Iraq’s defense ministry told Rudaw on condition of anonymity that the radar systems remain severely compromised.

"Out of three radars, two have been taken out of service during the Iran-Israel war. One was in Baghdad and the other in Nasiriyah. Now, only the western sector radar is working, and that's not enough to track these objects," the source said.

Intelligence units in the Defense Ministry and other security agencies have launched investigations, but the source warned that the lack of functioning radar is delaying tracking and response efforts.

The renewed drone activity follows a US-brokered ceasefire that ended a 12-day war between 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...
and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and missiles flew through Iraqi airspace, including the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted, and a renewed series of similar incidents began again on Sunday.

RECENT DRONE AND ROCKET ATTACKS
On Tuesday, two explosive-laden drones were intercepted over Sulaimani province, with one crashing in the Tasluja area. No casualties were reported, according to local officials.

That same day, a drone struck the Darkar camp housing displaced Yazidis about 36 kilometers northwest of Duhok. The Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said the drone was laden with explosives and caused material damage. Civil defense teams from Zakho reported that three cabins at the camp caught fire as a result of the crash. No injuries were reported.

In Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
Governor Rebwar Taha said three Katyusha rockets struck the city overnight. One hit a residential home, while two others landed between the civilian and military zones of Kirkuk International Airport. No fatalities were reported.

In Salahaddin province, three people were maimed on Sunday when a kaboom hit the Baiji oil refinery. While some media outlets claimed the site was targeted by 12 drones, Saif Muhannad, head of the Salahaddin provincial council’s media office, said only two drones were confirmed, and there is no evidence of a coordinated 12-drone attack.

"This isn’t the first time the base has been targeted, but there are some gangs that are dominant in that area," he said.

MILITIA GROUPS DENY INVOLVEMENT, BLAME ISIS
Mahdi al-Kaabi, a political committee member of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group, denied responsibility for the recent attacks.

"We, as the Nujaba movement, are not participating in any way in these recent attacks carried out with missiles and drones," he told Rudaw, adding that there is coordination between the resistance groups and the Iraqi government to prevent military escalations.

Kaabi suggested the accusations against militias are politically motivated.

"Pointing fingers at us and other resistance front groups is somewhat related to the approaching elections," he said, referring to Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary vote set for November.

Mohammed al-Bayati, a senior Badr Organization official in Kirkuk, also denied involvement.

"Never do the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi] and Badr attempt to carry out attacks in that manner, especially at this sensitive time," he said, suggesting that ISIS bad boys, who remain active in some regions, may be behind the attacks.

ISIS, which seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2017, continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks from remote mountain and desert areas.

In Diyala, Turki al-Attabi, a member of the provincial council, said that no evidence has emerged linking the government-affiliated and Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to any of the drone or rocket attacks. "If any necessary evidence is obtained, we will inform the public," he said.

Link

Iraq

Iraq begins testing repaired Kirkuk-Turkey pipeline

2024-04-08

[Rudaw] Iraq’s oil ministry has begun testing a repaired pipeline that will carry oil from Kirkuk to Turkey’s Ceyhan port, a source within the ministry told Rudaw on Friday.

Baghdad conducted oil pumping trials this week, through three compressor stations in Kirkuk, Beiji and Mosul, a ministry source told Rudaw’s Hemin Baban Rahim on the condition of anonymity.

One third of the pipeline is inside Iraq and Kurdistan Region, and the remaining passes through Turkish territory to Ceyhan port where the oil is loaded into ships.

The pipeline has been out of commission since it was damaged by the Islamic State (ISIS) when the group captured Mosul in 2014.

Repairs are now finished and the pipeline passed the first trial run without any problems, the source said. A second test will be done before exports resume.

Iraq has been repairing its oil infrastructure damaged during the war with ISIS. In February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani presided over the reopening of the country’s largest oil refinery in Baiji, nearly a decade after it stopped operations.

With the refinery now back online, "we are on track to meet the country's total oil derivatives needs by mid-next year, potentially even surpassing this goal ahead of schedule," Sudani said.

Iraq is one of the world’s top oil producers, pumping out some four million barrels per day according to Sudani. However, it still imports gas and refined products, especially from its neighbor Iran.

"Halting oil derivative imports will save billions of dollars," Sudani said, "that can be reallocated to other public services and economic sectors, marking significant reform."

Sudani’s government has eyed self-sufficiency in several energy-related sectors, especially oil and gas.

Last month, Sudani announced that Iraq will be self-sufficient with respect to oil derivatives within two months and that will lead to over $3 billion annually in savings when it ends imports.

Oil is Iraq’s main source of income, relied on to cover government costs and pay civil servant salaries. The country pocketed $97.5 billion from oil sales in 2023, a significant decline from 2022’s record-setting $115 billion.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi court hands down life sentences for ISIS terrorists

2023-10-04

[Shafaq News] The Saladin Criminal Court issued two life imprisonment sentences for individuals convicted of belonging to ISIS and participating in an armed attack against security forces.

According to the media center of the Supreme Judicial Council, the first ISIS member was responsible for collecting zakat (charitable donations), and involved in abducting a civilian in the Baiji district.

The second was found guilty of participating in an armed attack against security forces in the Baiji district and on a refinery in 2015.

Both individuals were sentenced in accordance with Article 4/1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi warplanes kill 3 suspected ISIS militants in Salahaddin

2023-09-04

30-08-2023
[Rudaw] At least three suspected Islamic State

Link

Iraq

Air strikes target ISIS hideouts in Iraq's Makhoul Mountains

2023-04-09

[Shafaq News] On Friday, a security source reported that warplanes carried out intensive air strikes on ISIS hideouts in the Makhoul Mountains, which spread across four governorates.

The source informed the Shafaq News agency that the air strikes were concentrated in the Shirqat district and the outskirts of Baiji district, north of Saladin.

No other details are provided.

It is worth noting that Makhoul Mountains are the most prominent strongholds for ISIS and previous terrorist groups.

They extend between the governorates of Saladin, Nineveh, and Kirkuk and the borders of Kurdistan.

Link

Iraq

Explosion injures four PMF fighters in Saladin's Baiji

2022-11-15

[ShafaqNews] Four members of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) have been injured in a blast from an bomb in Saladin, an official statement said on Sunday.

The statement said that the injured troops were on a mission in the Saladin Island when a roadside kaboom targeted their vehicle.

Earlier today, a joint force from the PMF's 31st and 51st brigade, the anti-narcotics department, and a force from the Iraqi army carried out a large-scale campaign in Saladin's Baiji.

The operation uncovered a network of tunnels used by ISIS turbans as hideouts and a number of bombs, according to the statement.

Link

Iraq

Scores of ISIS militants killed, injured following a failed infiltration attempt in Saladin

2022-07-26

[Shafaq News] ISIS Lions of Islam were seen clearing bodies from at the borders of al-Shirqat district following an unsuccessful attempt to near a site of the 51st brigade of the Tribal Mobilization, a source revealed on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that a group of ISIS Lions of Islam was detected moving from al-Jazeera (the Island) toward the site near the Makhoul Mount, northern Baiji.

"The Tribal Mobilization forces showered the group with projectiles and managed to kill and injure scores of them," the source added, "the corpse count from the attack was not immediately clear, but the holy warriors were seen evacuating dead and injured fighters from the field."

Link

Iraq

Four terrorists killed in Saladin

2022-03-11

Four terrorists killed in Saladinhttps://t.co/nmOsjkf6rp
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) March 10, 2022

Shafaq News / Four ISIS terrorists were killed north of Saladin, a security source reported.

The source told Shafaq News agency that ISIS terrorists attacked a security point of the Iraqi army in Baiji district.

Four terrorists were killed, according to the source, while two Iraqi soldiers were wounded.

This area constantly witnesses terrorist attacks, as al-Jazeera area, located on the outskirts of al-Anbar, Nineveh, and Saladin, still contains ISIS hideouts.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi Forces pursue ISIS in Saladin, destroy a terrorist hideout

2022-02-15

Iraqi Forces pursue ISIS in Saladin, destroy a terrorist hideouthttps://t.co/daXmZgEV79
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) February 14, 2022

Shafaq News/ On Monday, a joint force in Saladin Governorate carried out security operations in Makhoul Mountains, northern Iraq, where ISIS members are located.

A source told Shafaq News Agency that forces from Police and Emergency Regiments launched large-scale security operations in the Makhoul Mountains, near Al-Mashak Village, north of Baiji District, to find ISIS hideouts and militants.

"The Iraqi forces destroyed an ISIS hideout and a tunnel."

According to our source, the operations continue to pursue the terrorists.

In 2017, Iraq declared final victory over ISIS after Iraqi forces drove its last remnants from the country, three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq's territory.

Yet, ISIS still has sleeper cells in several Iraqi Governorates.

Link

Iraq

Heavy security deployment in Baiji, local official says

2022-02-09

Heavy security deployment in Baiji, local official sayshttps://t.co/pJ4EDlQlEo
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) February 8, 2022

Shafaq News/ Authorities in Saladin ramped up security in the north of Baiji district to curb ISIS night attacks and cut the pathways of its militants, the administrator of al-Zawya sub-district, Mohammad Zeidan said on Tuesday.

"Saladin police's third emergency regiment was deployed at the periphery of the sub-district and al-Mashak," he said, "In addition to patrols, fixed security checkpoints and thermographic cameras were installed to trace the movements of the terrorists and prevent him from carrying any attacks."

"ISIS operatives seek gaps and weakness points between Makhoul mountains and al-Fatha area. Their activity is under continuous observation. They have not launched an attack in months."

Link

Iraq

Ninevah: Iraqi airstrike kills three ISIS suspects

2022-01-23

[Rudaw] Three 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, including two leaders, were killed in an ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
south of the ancient city of Hatra, Iraqi Security Media Cell announced on Saturday.

"In response to the recent cowardly, treacherous terrorist activities, and through field follow-up and intensification of intelligence efforts of the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency in the Ministry of Interior, as well as the Joint Operations Command, two leaders of the ISIS terrorist gang were followed up," Iraq's Security Media Cell said in a tweet.

"The terrorist gangs of ISIS, namely the terrorist named Abu Issam, who holds the position of the so-called official of the Tigris sector, and the criminal terrorist Abu Mahmoud, were riding a pickup truck and wearing two boom belts, accompanied by a third terrorist," noted the statement, as it described who the members were.

The air force was provided with the information, which in turn directed a precise airstrike on their location south of Hatra between the districts of Hawija and Baiji, killing the members and destroying the vehicle.

The attack come a day after a deadly ISIS attack on an Iraqi base in Diyala province that killed 11 soldiers. The terror group grabbed credit for the attack.

In its propaganda magazine on Thursday, ISIS claimed to have conducted 6 attacks in Iraq from January 13 to January 19, killing and injuring 17 people.

Link

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