Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Iraq

Baghdad says ‘unacceptable’ for KRG to blame drone attacks on PMF

2025-07-06

[Rudaw] The Iraqi government on Saturday said it was "unacceptable" for Erbil to accuse the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) of being complicit in a string of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region.

"The accusation issued by the Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] against an official Iraqi security institution is unacceptable, condemned, and impermissible under any pretext, especially since it was issued in the absence of evidence," the prime minister’s spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in a statement.

On Friday, the KRG’s Interior Ministry blamed the PMF for recent drone attacks that it said were carried out "with the intention of creating chaos." It called on Baghdad to bring the perpetrators to account.

Baghdad said that such accusations risk undermining the country’s stability and instead urged "cooperation and coordination through official channels."

Multiple explosive-laden drones have crashed or been downed in the Kurdistan Region since a US-brokered ceasefire 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 went into effect on June 24.

Most recently, a drone was intercepted near Erbil International Airport on Thursday, but "did not cause any casualties or material damage," said the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), which is part of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC).

Iraqi militia groups have denied involvement and blamed the Islamic State

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

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

A Year of Proxy War: The Axis of Resistance Changes Its Central Striker

2024-12-30

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] By the end of 2024, the asymmetric conflict between Iran and Israel had entered a state of relative calm. Tehran and Tel Aviv temporarily transferred the confrontation to the diplomatic plane in order to prepare for a new round of confrontation.

The "Axis of Resistance", consisting of groups and movements loyal to Tehran, is leaving for recovery in varying states, while others are on the verge of defeat. However, despite the victorious reports of the Israelis, they have not yet managed to finally defeat any of the proxy groups.

No. But they’ve killed and maimed an awful lot of bad guys, and broken billions of dollars of their things while awaiting the replacement of the Biden Iran-lovers with the much more sensible Trump team.

HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH: ROUND TWO
The Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah bore the brunt of the confrontation with the Israelis in 2024. Both groups suffered heavy losses during the year: about 80% of the "old guard" (including top officials) were eliminated, and control over strategically important facilities was lost.

High-ranking Iranian military advisers who coordinated the allies' actions "on the ground" were also killed.

Nevertheless, both proxy forces retained their general outlines and core of supporters, and the reduction in the intensity of hostilities due to the conflict moving into the diplomatic realm made it possible to partially restore their previous combat effectiveness.

However, Tel Aviv is unlikely to allow Hamas and Hezbollah to fully recover. The "second round" of the struggle is approaching, during which the Israelis will seek the complete defeat of the enemy.

Preparations for the attack are underway: Israeli forces have invaded Syria and partially “cut off” the approaches to southern Lebanon from Syrian territory, effectively blocking the Iranian “transit corridor” through which weapons and volunteers were flowing to Lebanon.

A wedge has been driven between Hezbollah and like-minded Lebanese parties.

Similar work is being carried out against Hamas.

Israel continues to strengthen its hold on the occupied territory of Gaza, while simultaneously encouraging neutral Palestinian factions to join efforts to push Hamas out of the enclave.

On the other hand, Tel Aviv’s plans are being hindered by Arab countries and Türkiye, which have their own plans for the post-war structure of Gaza.

Iran is well aware of the “rat fight” around the enclave and is trying to turn it to the advantage of the “Axis of Resistance” – albeit with varying success so far.

HOUTHIS: CLOSER THAN THEY SEEM
In 2024, the role of the Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement in Iran's proxy group system increased significantly.

It was one of the first to engage in a real fight against Israel, paralyzing shipping in the Red and (partly) Mediterranean Seas, and after neutralizing Hamas and Hezbollah, it became the main executor of attacks on the territory of the Jewish state.

At the same time, unlike the missiles and UAVs launched by Iraqi and Lebanese proxies, Ansar Allah’s products were better at penetrating the Iron Dome system and reached their targets much more often.

More often than Iran’s Iraqi Shiite sock puppets, yes, but only a few of the Houthi thingies have gotten through the gauntlet. Hezbollah had a higher percentage of success, though in the end they couldn’t close the deal.

In fact, by the end of 2024, the Houthis had moved up to first place in the ranking of Tel Aviv’s opponents.

That’s because the other parties have already been taken off the table. Winning because Israel’s attention was elsewhere for mos of the year is only lucky timing, not ability. And soon the Houthis will have lost as badly as their fellow Axis of Resistance parties.

Israel, no matter how hard it tried, has not yet succeeded in the fight against the Houthis - powerful air strikes supported by the US and Great Britain, although they damaged the infrastructure of the movement, did not reduce its combat potential. Moreover, Ansar Allah responds to each such attack proportionally, expanding the range of weapons used.

The few Houthi leaders have also failed to be caught. The Israelis have attempted to locate the flagship command posts more than once, but to no avail.

The lack of a common border with the Houthis has a negative impact on the effectiveness of Israeli operations. There are also no loyalists in Yemen on whom one could theoretically rely when conducting a combined operation. Tel Aviv's Arab allies (in particular, the UAE) are also not eager to use their own creature to solve Israeli military-political problems.

Israel has some hopes for normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, as rapprochement with Riyadh would open up opportunities for gradually moving closer to the Yemeni borders, or at least for increasing the efficiency of identifying targets for airstrikes.

That’s formal normalization. Israel and Saudi Arabia have been informally normalized for years. But then the Biden[-Harris] administration started sabotaging the situation, and the Saudis saw an opportunity to get America to sweeten the pot. We’ll see how long that holds up with The Donald in the White House.

However, the normalization process is being deliberately delayed by the Saudis. So Tel Aviv will have to look for alternative ways to fight Ansar Allah, who are not even thinking about reducing the degree of confrontation with the Jewish state.

Tehran also sees the zeal of its protégés and is ready to use the resources they have to the fullest.

IRAQI PROXIES IN AMBUSH
Throughout 2024, Iran used its Iraqi proxy forces in a fairly limited format - numerous but still fairly disparate groups were involved either in carrying out retaliatory operations (True Promise) or conducting harassing fire on American military bases in Iraq.

However, during the time of being in the "ambush", the pro-Iranian formations have done a lot of work to build a new command structure. The disparate (and often small) groups are gradually being replaced by a "proxy confederation", in the center of which are concentrated the most numerous and combat-ready forces: "Kataib Hezbollah" and "Hashd al-Shaabi".

At the same time, the Hashd al-Shaabi, being integrated into the country’s armed forces, also act as an instrument of influence on official Baghdad.

The strengthening of Iranian proxies in Iraq is making Tel Aviv increasingly nervous. Israeli "hawks" have repeatedly hinted at their readiness to attack Iraq if the threat from it "exceeds the permissible level."

The United States, acting as one of the guarantors of stability in Iraq, does not want an open conflict between partners and is trying to put pressure on the leaders of the Shiite militias through the Iraqi government.

However, Tehran also takes advantage of the continuing divisions in Iraqi society (as well as official Baghdad’s dependence on economic relations with the Iranian side) to get its protégés out of harm’s way. By the end of 2024, the diplomatic game between Tehran and Washington had effectively reached a stalemate.

Given that there is no way out of the diplomatic impasse yet, Iraq could well become the arena of confrontation between Iran and Israel in 2025.

They trumpet their war status against Israel. It would certainly be a learning experience if Israel took it hot…

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syrian Air Force and Russian Aerospace Forces Destroy Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Headquarters in Idlib

2024-12-03

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Syrian Air Force, with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, destroyed one of the headquarters of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) in Idlib. This was reported on December 2 by the Sham FM radio station.

According to the radio station, dozens of militants were killed and wounded as a result of the strike, including one of the leaders of the terrorist group of Arab origin.

Very good.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on November 27, militant groups in Syria launched an offensive against government army positions in the Aleppo region. The terrorists were able to capture 13 settlements.

On November 29, it became known that Syrian soldiers launched a counteroffensive against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants in Aleppo and Idlib. The government army also managed to liberate the city of Al-Bakoum.

On December 2, the command of the Syrian government army announced that the country's troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces had destroyed more than 400 militants in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces in a few hours.

More from regnum.ru
Terrorists seized Aleppo with the help of US technology and support from Ukraine
Terrorists from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) captured the city of Aleppo thanks to Ukrainian advisers and advanced American technology. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a source close to the Syrian special services.

According to the source, the militants of the group have no experience in using high technology, but they managed to master it with the support of advisers from Ukraine, from the Islamic Party of Turkestan

…the Uighur contingent of Al Qaeda it started as an Islamist independence movement in China, joined Al Qaeda on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and sent a contingent to Syria to join Al Nusra/Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. They are known in Syria for being particularly nasty in a milieu that encourages nastiness…

(a terrorist organization banned in Russia) and Syrian officers who went over to the terrorists' side.

“The assault groups and drones were equipped with encrypted GPS devices and extensive use of artificial intelligence, so that the use and navigation of attack UAVs and kamikaze drones could be carried out from a long distance,” the unnamed source added.

He also noted that the Syrian army encountered powerful electronic warfare systems during the militants' offensive for the first time since 2011. As reported by Regnum News Agency, on November 27, militant units in Syria launched an offensive against government army positions in the Aleppo region. The terrorists were able to capture 13 settlements.

On November 29, it became known that Syrian soldiers launched a counteroffensive against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants in Aleppo and Idlib. The government army also managed to liberate the city of Al-Bakum. On December 2, the command of the Syrian government army stated that Syrian troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) had destroyed more than 400 militants in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces in a few hours.

Courtesy of Lord Garth:

Iran sends aid to Syria, maybe including troops
[IsraelTimes] As Iran sends forces to Syria, IDF warns it not to smuggle arms to Hezbollah

Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the military is closely following the events in Syria and has observed Tehran sending forces to bolster Assad’s regime.

-------------
article contained image of Bashir Assad in his palace, per the image it was on 1 December 24.

Good to know.

More from the Times of Israel

Hundreds of Iran-backed Iraqi fighters crossed into Syria on Monday to help the government fight rebels who seized Aleppo last week, while Lebanon’s Hezbollah has no plans for now to join them, according to sources.

Iraqi and Syrian sources confirmed the deployment of more Iran-backed Iraqi fighters to Syria. Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran “will provide any support needed” and that “resistance groups” would come to Assad’s aid.

At least 300 fighters, primarily from Iraq’s Badr and Nujabaa groups, crossed late on Sunday using a dirt road to avoid the official border crossing, two Iraqi security sources said, adding that they were there to defend a Shi’ite shrine.

A senior Syrian military source said the fighters had crossed in small groups to avoid airstrikes. “These are fresh reinforcements being sent to aid our comrades on the front lines in the north,” the source said.

The head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, which includes the major Shi’ite militia groups aligned with Iran, said no group under its umbrella had entered Syria, and that it does not operate outside Iraq.

But Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group, which is the most capable Iran-backed force in Assad’s military alliance in Syria, has not yet been asked to intervene and was not ready to send forces after the 14-month-long war it initiated with Israel, said three sources familiar with the group’s thinking.

In recent months, Hezbollah withdrew its operatives from Syria, including the north, to focus on battling Israel in southern Lebanon, after the IDF launched its ground operation in late September after a year of near-daily Hezbollah attacks displaced some 60,000 residents of northern Israel.

The rebels who swept this week into Aleppo pointed to Hezbollah’s withdrawal as one of the reasons they faced little resistance from government forces.

Hezbollah bases and weapons shipments through Syria have been repeatedly hit by Israel, which has sought to weaken Iran across the region.

Arab countries and Washington have seen the weakening of Hezbollah as a potential opportunity to peel Assad away from his alliance with Iran.

Sources have told Reuters that the United Arab Emirates and United States had been discussing the possibility of lifting sanctions against Assad if he reduces his reliance on Tehran. The rebel advance could complicate this if it pushes Assad to depend more on Iranian support.

Fog of war?

Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army
[IsraelTimes] Iranian-backed militias entered Syria overnight from Iraq and were heading to northern Syria to beef up beleaguered Syrian army forces battling insurgents, according to two Syrian army sources.

Dozens of Iran-aligned Iraqi Hashd al Shaabi fighters from Iraq also crossed into Syria through a military route near Al Bukamal crossing, a senior Syrian army source tells Reuters.

“These are fresh reinforcements being sent to aid our comrades on the front lines in the north,” the officer says, adding that the militias included Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun groups.

“It’s time to earn those paychecks, boys!”

Iran sent thousands of Shiite fighters to Syria during the Syrian war and, alongside Russia with its air power, enabled Syrian President Bashar Assad to crush the insurgency and regain most of his territory.

A lack of that manpower to help thwart the rebel onslaught in recent days contributed to the speedy retreat of Syrian army forces and withdrawal from Aleppo city, according to two other army sources. Militias allied to Iran, led by the Hezbollah terror group, have a strong presence in the Aleppo area.

Hezbollah has been seriously weakened in its war with Israel over the past year.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi Shiite militia announces full mobilization to help Lebanese

2024-09-24

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum News Agency] The Shiite "people's militia" of Iraq announced its full readiness and mobilization to provide humanitarian aid to the residents of Lebanon. This was stated in a statement by the militia leader Falih al-Fayya.

He is the titular Iraqi emir of the Popular Mobilisation Forces — Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic — organized, paid, and officered by the IRGC as their military arm in Iraq.

“We declare our full readiness and mobilization to provide all possible types of assistance at the food, medical and humanitarian levels to our brothers in Lebanon in response to the call of the highest religious authority and out of human duty,” the statement, cited by RIA Novosti, reads.

Falih al-Fayyad also called on other countries to provide aid and humanitarian support to the Lebanese.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on September 23, the Israeli army announced the expansion of the strike zone on targets of the Shiite movement Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the IDF will continue fighting until it restores security in northern Israel.

On September 23, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that at least 100 people were killed and more than 400 were injured as a result of strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force on populated areas in southern Lebanon.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 8, 2024

2024-09-09

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:53 Russians fired at Ochakov in the Nikolaev region using barrel artillery, one person was killed, reported the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.

21:29 The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a fuel storage site in the Belgorod Region, and railway tanks caught fire, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported. According to him, the incident occurred in the Volokonovsky District, and according to local residents, in the village of Yutanovka.

20:37 The number of victims as a result of the Russian strike on the city of Dergachi in the Kharkiv region has grown to 13, one person has died, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

20:14 Zelensky once again emphasized the need for long-range solutions in his evening video address. The President also thanked Germany, the United States, Britain, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia for the steps announced at the Rammstein meeting, as well as for other assistance agreed upon this week.

In addition, Zelensky said that Ukraine continues to work with representatives of both US parties. In particular, on the sidelines of the forum in Italy, he held a meeting with a delegation of the US Congress. "We talked, in particular, about a plan for victory for Ukraine - about certain details of it. And we will fully present all the steps to US President Biden and both presidential candidates - Trump and Harris," Zelensky noted.

The president also reported that after the attack on the Poltava Institute of Communications, 220 wounded are still being treated in hospital, including seriously and very seriously.

19:18 Russians attacked the private sector in Dergachi, Kharkiv region - one person was killed, at least ten were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

16:55 In the Dniprovsky district of Kherson, six people were injured due to an attack by a Russian drone, reported the head of the OVA Oleksandr Prokudin. In particular, four people were injured as a result of explosives being dropped from a drone onto a minibus, and two more were on the street at the time of the strike. In addition, a resident of Novoberislav, who was hit by an enemy drone yesterday morning, went to the hospital.

16:13 Iranian MP Ahmad Bakhshaesh Ardestani admitted that his country sent ballistic missiles to Russia. He explained that Iran has to engage in barter to meet its needs, including importing soybeans and wheat. Part of the barter includes sending missiles, and another part includes sending military drones to Russia. At the same time, the MP noted that Tehran is not afraid of sanctions: "It cannot be worse than it is now. We give missiles to Hezbollah, Hamas and the Hashd al-Shaabi, so why not give them to the Russian Federation?"

15:37 A Russian military drone crashed in Latvia on Saturday, September 7. The country's Defense Ministry reported that the incident occurred in Rezekne County in eastern Latvia. Responsible services are investigating the circumstances of the incident, but according to preliminary data, the Russian drone flew into Latvian airspace from Belarus.

14:58 Ukraine has banned Russian prisoners from calling home in response to the increase in the number of executions of Ukrainian soldiers, said Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets: "I will say frankly, we are changing some things. For example, there were many discussions about the possibility of Russian prisoners of war calling their relatives in Russia... At the moment, we have been informed that Russians still have the opportunity to write letters, but they no longer have the right to make phone calls." The ombudsman added that the Geneva Conventions provide for the right to correspondence, not to make phone calls.

14:09 Russians fired from MLRS at the village of Cherkasskoye in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region - as a result of cluster munitions hitting, three people were killed and two were wounded, the prosecutor's office reported.

13:51 Rescuers have pulled the bodies of two people from under the rubble of a destroyed hotel in the city of Nikolaevka in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk Oblast, which Russians attacked the previous evening, the State Emergency Service reported. Radio Liberty reports that the deceased were animal volunteers from a public organization who were helping homeless animals.

12:58 The death toll from the Russian strike on Poltava on September 3 has increased to 58 - three more wounded died in hospitals, said OVA head Filipp Pronin.

11:15 Cyber specialists of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense attacked a number of Russian resources involved in waging war against Ukraine, the department reported. The enterprises that produced elements for the electronic base, other spare parts for Russian weapons, and metalworking equipment were hit. The resources of companies involved in the construction of military infrastructure facilities were also damaged. As a result of the cyber operation, the Main Intelligence Directorate specialists gained access to 14 servers and destroyed the internal infrastructure of the attacked targets by erasing system files, databases, and backup copies.

10:07 In Donetsk Oblast, five people were killed as a result of Russian shelling on September 7: three in Konstantinovka, one each in Petrovka and Shcherbinovka. Another 11 people in the region were injured in the past 24 hours, said OVA head Vadim Filashkin. Suspilne reports, citing Vladimir Proskunin, deputy head of the Nikolaev GVA, that the Russian army dropped three aerial bombs on the Zarya Hotel in the city of Nikolaevka near Slavyansk on the evening of September 7.

09:54 Romania is checking the places where the Russian drone could have fallen during today's attack, the country's Defense Ministry reported. It noted that at night during the Russian attack, two F-16 aircraft flew to the border with Ukraine for monitoring. The surveillance system detected the Russian drone that flew into Romania. It returned to Ukraine, but the probable impact zone is being checked. Residents of the regions bordering Ukraine received a warning about the danger of falling objects.

09:26 Russian troops attacked Kamyshany in the Kherson region at night, four people were wounded, the OVA reported. Over the previous day, as a result of Russian shelling in the region, one person was killed and nine were wounded.

09:13 Air defense destroyed 15 of 23 Shahed attack UAVs and one of four Kh-59 guided air missiles at night, the Air Force reported. In addition, two enemy drones were lost (probably fell under the influence of electronic warfare systems), and three Kh-59 missiles did not reach their targets as a result of "active counteraction." Air defense operated in the Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

08:38 As a result of yesterday's Russian shelling of the village of Staroverovka in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and five were injured, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Another five people were injured as a result of enemy shelling of Malaya Danilovka in the Kharkiv district, one in the village of Novoosinovo in the Kupyansk district, and another in the village of Vysshee Solenoye in the Izyum district. In addition, on the evening of September 7, Russians shelled the village of Kovsharovka in the Kupyansk district, one person was killed.

08:15 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 8:

personnel - about 625,260 (+1270) people,

tanks - 8636 (+4),

combat armored vehicles - 16,897 (+19),

artillery systems - 17,804 (+30),

MLRS - 1180 (+2),

air defense systems - 942 (+0),

aircraft - 368 (+0),

helicopters - 328 (+0),

Operational-tactical level UAVs - 14,864 (+80),

cruise missiles - 2588 (+0),

ships/boats - 28 (+0),

submarines - 1 (+0),

automotive equipment and tank trucks - 24,218 (+47),

special equipment - 3047 (+10).

07:42 On the evening of September 7, the Russian army fired heavy artillery at the Mirovskaya and Marganets communities of the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region - one person was killed, two were injured, reported the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak.

05:19 The enemy carried out an air strike on the city of Sumy - two people were killed, four were wounded, including two children, OVA reported.

04:58 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Russian army captured the village of Sin'kovka during offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatovo-Kremennaya line. The Russians also advanced near Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk direction and on the islands in the Dnieper delta in the Kherson region.

00:10 Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState reports that the Russian army has captured the village of Nevelskoye northeast of Krasnogorovka.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Iran legislator admits Iran has sent missiles to Russia

2024-09-09

[X] A member of Iran's parliament admitted that Russia has received Iranian ballistic missiles to use in attacks on Ukraine. When asked about potential sanctions for sending missiles to Russia, he responded, "It can't get worse. We provide missiles to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Hashd al-Shaabi, so why not to Russia?"

Link

Iraq

Repeated attacks on KFC and Caterpillar in Baghdad lead to gov’t denial the PMF dunnit

2024-06-15

If not the PMF, then definitely some other Iran sock puppets…

Iraq denies Hashd al-Shaabi behind attacks on KFC in Baghdad
11-06-2024
[Rudaw] Iraq’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) were not behind the recent attacks on several KFC franchises in Baghdad, days after Washington accused the group of engaging in ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful activities.

"The attacks that took place on some restaurants were carried out by outlaw groups and do not in any way represent Hash al-Shaabi," the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement without mentioning the names of the restaurants.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told Rudaw in a press briefing on Thursday that "We do remain concerned that individuals within the PMF are not responsive to the Iraqi commander in chief and engage in ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful and destabilizing activities in Iraq and Syria."

The Iraqi ministry described Miller’s remarks as "inaccurate information."

American and British companies in Baghdad, including KFC and Caterpillar, have been the target of a series of attacks in recent days, and have been subject to boycott calls over their alleged links to Israel.

Security forces have arrested several people, including their own members in relation to the attacks.

The US embassy recently warned that attacks on foreign businesses in Baghdad "could weaken Iraq’s ability to attract foreign investment," and condemned the attacks.

Iraq is a staunch supporter of the Paleostinian cause and has on several occasions condemned the lack of global support for justice for Paleostinians.

Iraq arrests new batch of foreign business attackers in Baghdad
05-06-2024
[Rudaw] Iraq’s interior ministry on Wednesday announced the arrest of a new batch of assailants who targeted American and foreign businesses in Baghdad, adding that security services are pursuing the remaining suspects.

“The security services in the Ministry of Interior through qualitative operations arrested a new group of defendants in incidents of attacks and vandalism that affected KFC restaurants and foreign businesses in various areas,” the ministry said in a statement.

Iraq arrests assailants of American businesses in Baghdad
04-06-2024
[Rudaw] Iraq’s interior ministry on Tuesday announced the arrest of a number of assailants who targeted American and foreign businesses in Baghdad, adding that several attackers belong to the security forces.

American and British companies in Baghdad, including KFC and Caterpillar, have been the target of a series of attacks in recent days, and have been subject to boycott calls over their alleged links to Israel.

“After collecting accurate information, the names and places of work and residence of the perpetrators were determined and an arrest warrant was issued by the investigative judge,” said an Iraqi interior ministry statement.

The suspects were arrested under Article Four of the Anti-Terrorism law, the statement said.

According to Article Four of the 2005 Counter-Terrorism Law, anyone found guilty of committing a terror offense is given a death sentence, with life imprisonment given to those who assist or hide those convicted of terrorism.

The attacks resulted in material damage but no injuries.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israeli airstrikes target Damascus: State media

2024-05-10

[Rudaw] A series of Israeli ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s on Thursday targeted a "building" in the Syrian capital Damascus, state media reported. A war monitor said the strikes targeted a 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 Sturmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Fuhrer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
Iraqi militia base in the city.

"At around 3:20 am today, the Israeli enemy launched airstrikes from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting a building in the Damascus countryside," Syria’s state-owned SANA news agency said citing a military source, adding that air defenses intercepted the missiles.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Britannia-based war monitor, reported that the strikes targeted "a base and cultural center" of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Harakat al-Nujaba, which comprises the 12th brigade of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi).

The strikes inflicted material damage, and were carried out in the Sayyida Zeinab area in southern Damascus — a stronghold for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated militias.

It is the latest amid increased hostilities against the backdrop of the Israel-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...
war with Israel on the cusp of launching its long-threatened ground offensive in Rafah, south of Gaza along the border with Egypt.

Last week, an Israeli strike on Damascus injured eight Syrian army soldiers. It was the first on the city since a deadly strike on the consular annex section of the Iranian embassy on April 1, which Tehran blamed on Israel.

Link

Iraq

Resistance Axis forces will resume attacks on US bases

2024-04-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] The Axis of Resistance forces in Iraq have announced that they will resume attacks on American bases in Iraq, as the United States is delaying the withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government, thereby prolonging the occupation of the country. The decision to withdraw American troops was made by the Iraqi parliament back in 2020. In 2023, the current Prime Minister of Iraq demanded the withdrawal of troops. The United States, taking advantage of Iraq’s weakness, is trying to delay it as much as possible, since leaving Iraq will entail a forced withdrawal from Syria.

The expected response to the attack on the Hashd Shaabi base (1 killed, 8 wounded + losses in equipment), which again led to an increase in anti-American sentiment in Iraq. As has been said more than once, attacks on Iranian proxies often do not hinder, but help Iran, since citizens of other countries included in the network of Iranian clients die. This allows Iran to influence domestic public opinion and other governments from within. Iran received such opportunities after the disappearance of Iraq as a deterrent and the Arab Spring, which weakened a number of countries and created space for the implementation of Iran’s general strategy.

In this case, we can expect new launches of homemade missiles and kamikaze drones at the Ain al-Assad bases and Erbil airport, as well as new attacks on American logistics convoys.

Link

Iraq

Blast rocks Iran-backed military base in central Iraq

2024-04-21

See here for possible cause.

[Rudaw] Overnight explosions at a military base housing Iraqi gangs backed by Iran
Iran

...The nation is 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...
on Saturday killed one fighter and caused injuries. The United States military denied responsibility.

The explosions hit Kalsu military base in Babil province, south of Baghdad, which houses fighters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi).

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Iraqi Resistance strikes 'vital' Israeli target in Eilat after Strike on PMU base

2024-04-21

See here for possible result.

[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Fighters from the Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups have launched a dronezap against a strategic target in the southernmost part of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories

…not even pretending to pretend…

in response to the attack on a military base housing a coalition of anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

The Islamic Resistance® in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in a statement published on its Telegram channel, grabbed credit for the attack on the "vital" site in the port of Eilat, which lies at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on Saturday morning.

It said the dronezap was carried out in continuation of the second phase of the struggle against the occupying Israeli regime, in support of Paleostinians 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 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...
, and in retaliation for the massacres that the usurping Zionist entity is perpetrating against ordinary people in the besieged territory.

The group noted that the strike also came in reprisal for grave violation of Iraqi illusory sovereignty and in response to the aggression on Hashd al-Sha’abi camps.

Link

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