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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Daraa: 2 gov’t soldiers maimed in west, yoot 'toes up' in north, farmer killed by cycle of violence, prisoner’s body to be sent home

2023-05-08

Two government soldiers wounded in western Daraa

[NPASyria] On Sunday, unidentified button men shot at and maimed two soldiers of the Syrian government forces in the western countryside of Daraa, south Syria.

A local source told North Press that two government soldiers were seriously maimed after being targeted by unknown button men in the city of Nawa in the western countryside of Daraa.

The source added that the two men were in a car near the automated bakery in the city center.

"After taking the two soldiers to a hospital, the government forces sent several vehicles loaded with soldiers to the area in order to search for the perpetrators," the source noted.

Following their deployment, "a number of nearby shop owners were interrogated with the aim of finding the perpetrators."

The security centers and posts of the government forces have been repeatedly targeted by unknown attackers since the government took control of Daraa in 2018 as part of a Russian-mediated settlement agreement.

Young man killed in clashes in northern Daraa

[NPASyria] On Saturday, a person was killed in festivities between two gangs in the town of Jassem in the northern countryside of Daraa, south Syria.

A local source told North Press, "The young man, Alaa Ismail al-Badi al-Halqi, was killed in festivities between the groups of Tawfiq Fayez al-Jalam and Abdullah Ismail al-Halqi."

Neither appears in our archives, but some hints on the internet suggest the first group is connected to the SDF.

The source added that the festivities, which are taking place over old disputes, were renewed on Saturday. "The city’s residents appealed to the two groups to stop the festivities in order to preserve the lives of civilians, but to no avail."

The shops have been closed and the streets have been completely empty since the start of the festivities between the two groups, the source added.

"Khaled Fayez al-Jalam, the brother of the leader of the al-Jalam group, was killed on January 19 in festivities with the al-Halqi group, after which the city’s notables intervened and were able to calm things down at that time," the source concluded.

2 people from Syria’s Daraa killed

[NPASyria] Two people from Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, were killed on Saturday, one of them in Saydnaya prison near the capital of Damascus after years of arresting him.

A local source told North Press that the family of the detainee Muhammad Abdulghani, has received news about his killing, however, it has not received his body.

Abdulghani hails from the village of Umm al-Awsaj, in the northern countryside of Daraa, and he was arrested on a military checkpoint of Syrian government forces five years ago while he was heading to the city of Daraa, according to the source.

In addition, another local source told North Press that unknown people riding a cycle of violence opened fire on the young man Nayf Abazid in the security square in Daraa, killing him immediately.

Abazid is a farmer and he has not ever involved in military parties, according to the source.

In July 2018, the opposition armed factions and government forces reached a cease-fire agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the opposition armed factions agreed to hand over their weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa, and those who opposed the agreement they were sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS — formerly al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
Front).

On late April, the government forces handed over the bodies of two brothers after they were killed a week ago by their own members in north of Daraa.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

IDF troops kill armed Palestinian along Gaza fence

2019-08-12

[Jpost] Israeli troops shot and killed Marwan Nasser, 26, after he opened fire on them while trying to infiltrate into southern Israel, the military said Sunday morning. The Paleostinian terrorist was wearing a green bandanna associated with Hamas, a regional Iranian catspaw,’s military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.

"IDF observers spotted an armed terrorist approaching the security fence in the 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 an iron fist by Hamaswith 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," the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement. "The terrorist opened fire towards IDF troops. The troops, who were prepared for the event because of the observers, engaged the terrorist."

An Israeli tank fired at a post belonging to Hamas in response to the attempted infiltration.

No Israelis were hurt in the incident, and surrounding communities were not placed under increased security.

The incident came 24 hours after IDF troops rubbed out four heavily armed Paleostinians who attempted to infiltrate with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), AK-47 assault rifles and grenades. The four Lions of Islam were identified as Abdullah Ismail, 21; al-Hamaida Abdullah Ashraf al-Ghomri, 19; Ahmad Ayman al-Adeini, 20; and Abdallah al-Masri, 21, all of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

While the military hasn’t yet determined which group is behind the foiled attack, "Hamas is responsible for everything that happens in the Strip," IDF front man Ronen Manelis said. "There are incidents in which we can say there is a difference. [In some, there is] one person who plans an attack alone, like last week, and there are others like this one, which we see was a planned group attack."

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Arabia

Houthis Besiege Saleh’s Journalists

2017-09-17

London- Houthis have tightened the noose on journalists associated with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh after besieging them to choose between speaking in support of a united rhetoric or keeping silent.

The latest Houthi threat came in light of the dispute that erupted last month between both parties.

Yemen’s Minister of Information Muammar al-Iryani told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that “the general behavior of Houthis with journalists is marked by exclusion. The rebel groups do not miss a chance to silence any voice that does not respect their ideologies, even if their moves were at the expense of their partners in the coup.”

The minister said Houthis should release all prisoners, especially journalists.

Yemeni political analyst Najib Gholab explained that Houthis were currently expanding their threatening approach.

“They arrested some journalists and threatened others. Journalist Nabil al-Soufi who is close to Saleh, already announced that he will not speak about politics, and cynically said he will talk about cooking and fashion in order to avoid being arrested,” Gholab said.

He said that several social media activists considered the fact of submitting to the threats as not a right decision.

Yemeni political analyst Abdullah Ismail told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that “Houthis have started early to target pro-Saleh journalists,” adding that those insurgents do not accept any kind of criticism.

“Several journalists were subject to distortion and threats,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry denied Iranian claims that Saudi Arabia requested Iranian mediation with Houthis.

Director of Media Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Osama Ahmed Nugali, refuted the statements of Hossein Amir Abdollahian, senior advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker, carried by Iranian News Agency (IRNA) that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requested Iranian mediation with Houthis in Yemen.

He further confirmed that these claims are outright baseless and unfounded.

Early this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said that Tehran’s propaganda of rapprochement with Riyadh is “ridiculous.”

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Iraq

Mosul Offensive News

2017-01-11

Army forces recapture al-Sukkar district

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi army forces recaptured al-Sukkar district in eastern Mosul on Tuesday, said the commander of the government’s joint military operations seeking to retake the city occupied by Islamic State militants since 2014.

Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah, commander of operation “We Are Coming, Nineveh”, said in a statement that the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service forces raised the Iraqi flag above the neighborhood’s buildings.

The force said Monday they were getting closer to storming Mosul University campus, a major Islamic State stronghold in eastern Mosul.

Iraqi forces, backed by US-led fighter jets, popular militias and Kurdish troops, have been carrying out a major campaign since mid October to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the Islamic State’s last urban stronghold in Iraq.

Iraqi generals said recently they became in control over more than 70 percent of the eastern section of the city and are hoping to retake it entirely so as to move onwards to fight for IS’s western hideouts. The current operations are the second phase of the campaign that began on December 29th after weeks of recess.

The Pentagon said through a spokesperson on Monday that the extremist group’s days in Mosul are “numbered”, and that its capabilities were waning.

The conflict has forced at least 169.000 civilians to flee the city to refugee camps.

ISIS destroys bridges in effort to stop Iraqi forces

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Media officials with the Ministry of Defense (War Media Cell) announced on Tuesday, that the Islamic State extremist group detonated two bridges in the city of Mosul, in order to hinder the advance of security of security forces to the western side of the city.

The officials said in a press statement, “Today, the Islamic State terrorist group detonated the 5th bridge and the iron bridge in the western side of Mosul.”

“The Islamic State detonated the bridges in order to hinder the advance of security forces to the western side of Mousl,” the statement added.

The province of Nineveh is witnessing extensive military operations to retake the city of Mosul that was captured by the Islamic State in June 10, 2014.

Iraqi forces continue advance in eastern Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces made further advances in eastern Mosul on Tuesday, recapturing one more district and preparing to invade another as operations continue to drive off Islamic State militants.

A security source was quoted by Sahfaaq news website as saying that the forces recaptured al-Dhubbat district, in the northeast, and were preparing to invade the nearby al-Maliya neighborhood.

Also in the north, the website added that government troops brought down IS’s biggest flag, a five-meter tall post erected at a “festivities arena”. Troops are also proceeding towards a so-called Al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya area.

Meanwhile, Iranian news agency Tasnim said forces liberated Masjid al-Saegh area, and were engaging in violent encounters with IS militants on their way to al-Andalus district.

Federal Police commander, Raed Shaker Jawdat, said his forces moved through Sumer neighborhood in the southeast and opened safe pathways to evacuate civilians from the area. He said IS militants were “indiscriminately shelling residential areas to take revenge from the people.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service said they took over al-Sukkar district.

Iraqi forces, backed by US-led fighter jets, popular militias and Kurdish troops, have been carrying out a major campaign since mid October to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the Islamic State’s last urban stronghold in Iraq.

Iraqi generals said recently they became in control over more than 70 percent of the eastern section of the city and are hoping to retake it entirely so as to move onwards to fight for IS’s western hideouts. The current operations are the second phase of the campaign that began on December 29th after weeks of recess.

The Pentagon said through a spokesperson on Monday that the extremist group’s days in Mosul are “numbered”, and that its capabilities were waning.

The conflict has forced at least 169.000 civilians to flee the city to refugee camps.

ISIS corpses in Mosul pile up like cord wood

(Reuters) The leaflet dropped from the skies over Mosul urged Islamic State militants to give themselves up. “Who will look after your families if you are killed?” read the message, found on the ground in an apartment complex on the city’s northern edge.

Sent by the Iraqi government, it appears to have been ignored.

At the bottom of a stairwell in one of the apartment blocks lay the corpses of three militants who must have known they would lose against the overwhelming numbers and firepower of their opponents.

Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition took the Hadba apartment complex several days ago as the campaign to drive Islamic State out of Mosul gains momentum in the city’s east.

A tour arranged for Reuters to show off the government forces’ latest gains showed how the militants, though vastly outnumbered and overpowered, are still putting up a fight for their largest urban stronghold.

Beneath blankets thrown over their remains, the militants appear to have fought on even after being gravely wounded.

One had a makeshift splint on his leg, and a big skidmark of blood indicated a militant may have dragged himself into cover, or been pulled by the others.

The lower half of one insurgent’s body was blown off before he had a chance to detonate the suicide belt still tied around his waist.

“We came from here and hit him with a rocket,” said an Iraqi soldier, retracing his steps through the outdoor passage they used to come up on the militants from behind.

The complex is made up of more than 160 blocks — the three-storey buildings now giving Iraqi forces an added advantage over the enemy, which is being pushed back towards the Tigris river bisecting Mosul from north to south.

Some Iraqi units further south reached the banks of the Tigris over the weekend — a milestone in the offensive that began when the elite counterterrorism service (CTS) pushed into Mosul from the east in October.

The western half of the city remains fully under Islamic State control and retaking it from Islamic State is likely to be complicated by narrow alleys.

TRIP WIRES
The pastel-colored apartment blocks show marks of heavy fighting and the sound of gunfire was audible nearby.

Spirits were high among the soldiers, who broke into song and dance for the camera, and posed for photographs with Islamic State flags they had torn down.

Victory in Mosul would deal a symbolic and perhaps lethal blow to Islamic State’s self-styled caliphate.

But the group has recently demonstrated the insurgent tactics to which it will likely revert as it loses territory. Dozens of civilians have been killed in bomb blasts in Baghdad since the start of the year and the militants have attacked security forces in areas retaken from them.

Touring the compound, Major-General Najm al-Jubbouri said Islamic State had hit back with four to five car bombs during and after the battle, but they were detonated before hitting their target.

Islamic State newsletters were scattered on the ground outside the entrance to the mosque inside the compound, hailing attacks carried out by its fighters against Iraqi forces.

A ground floor apartment served as a real estate office for Islamic State, which rented out the apartments of those who fled to people displaced from other parts of Mosul or beyond during the two years they ruled over the city.

Another Islamic State flyer warned civilians against informing the security forces about the location of militants.

All civilians were evacuated during and after the battle and government soldiers now appear in the windows of their apartments.

Sheets are stretched across the balconies — in some cases for privacy, but also so that Islamic State snipers could see Iraqi forces without being spotted.

“Some of the doors were rigged with trip wires,” said the head of one of the battalions that retook the apartments, whose name, Colonel Ibrahim, has been graffitied on the walls by his men.

He said his men had broken into one apartment and found a discarded suicide belt and a cup of tea, still steaming hot, suggesting at least one of the militants chose to flee rather than fight on.

ISIS Australian leader bites the dust in airstrike in Mosul
I didn't even know ISIS had an Australian brigade
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A security source in Nineveh Province revealed that the Islamic State’s Commander of the Australian Brigade was killed, along with three of his aides, north of the province, Alsumaria News reported on Tuesday.

The source said, “Iraqi Air Force, with the cooperation of the military intelligence, conducted an air strike on Islamic State’s headquarters of Australian leaders in al-Hadba neighborhood, north of Nineveh, destructing the headquarters completely, as well as killing all leaders inside it.”

“The air strike also killed the commander of Islamic State’s Australian Brigade, Khaled Sharouf, also known as Abu Mosab al-Australi, along with his aides Mohamed Abdel Karim (Abu Waleed al-Australi), Abdullah Ismail (Abu Aisha) and Sedrouf (Abu Taiba al-Australi),” the source added.

The province of Nineveh is witnessing extensive military operations to retake the city of Mosul that was captured by the Islamic State in June 10, 2014.

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India-Pakistan

America basher's backfire: Killed by flag smoke

2012-09-19

[NY Post]

In an apparent case of red, white and blue revenge, a Pakistani protester died yesterday after inhaling smoke from a burning American flag during an anti-US rally.

Abdullah Ismail succumbed at Mayo Hospital in Lahore a day after attending the fierce protest at the city's Mall Road, where an estimated 10,000 people rallied.

Witnesses said Ismail had complained of feeling ill after breathing fumes from burning flags, Pakistan's Express Tribune reported.

Another Pakistani protester was killed during clashes with police yesterday after demonstrators set a press club ablaze, apparently angry that their protest of an anti-Islam film wasn't getting enough media coverage.

Hundreds set fire to the club in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Upper Dir area, authorities said. Police said cops charged the crowd, beating them with batons. The mob then set a government office ablaze.

The protester died and several were wounded when police and the demonstrators exchanged gunfire, police said.

Also yesterday, a man died after being shot in the head Sunday during a march in which hundreds of people broke through a barricade to get to the US Consulate in the southern city of Karachi.

There were more clashes in Karachi yesterday as demonstrators from the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party tried to reach the consulate.

Police lobbed tear gas, fired rounds in the air and made 40 arrests. No injuries were reported.

Pakistanis have also held many peaceful protests against the film, which critically portrays the prophet Mohammed. One held in the southwest town of Chaman yesterday was attended by about 3,000 students and teachers.

The chief justice of Pakistan's supreme court ordered the state telecommunications authority to block the film on YouTube because it is considered blasphemous.

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-Short Attention Span Theater-

Old Glory Strikes Back

2012-09-18

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