April 19, 2016
Today’s Major Developments
Plotting against Al-Abadi, Al-Jubouri continues in Baghdad.
Sadrists invade another ministry; cause a second one to close.
Al-Abadi deploys security forces to ministries, orders arrests for similar future incidents.
PMFs reported gathering in western Anbar for military operation toward Rutba and the Trebil border crossing to Jordan.
Turkish tank crew in Bashiqa retaliates for Daesh shelling, kills 32 Daesh fighters.
US Special Forces stage another helicopter-to-ground operation against a Daesh HQ west of Mosul.
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
BAGHDAD
Political developments
President Masoum met in his residence with representatives of the sit-in MPs, according to a statement from the President’s office. The President stressed on continuing the efforts to solve the crisis, while the delegation said they don’t want to marginalize any Iraqi group. [Sumaria]
President Masoum met in his office with the UK Ambassador, Frank Baker, to discuss the current political crisis and the President’s efforts to find constitutional solutions that satisfy all parties, according to a statement from the President’s office. [Mada]
Sadrists demonstrators broke through the Ministry of Justice building in downtown Baghdad and forced the employees to leave. The Ministry of Finance also gave its employees leave until further notice. [Mada] [Mada]
Photos of the mostly Sadrist sit-in in Tahrir Square in Baghdad. [Sumaria]
A video of Sadrists demonstrating in front of the Ministry of Oil. [YouTube]
Prime Minister Abadi held an emergency meeting with the security and military commanders, according to a statement from his office. Abadi issued orders to prevent any unlicensed demonstrations and to arrest anyone who assaults government ministries or offices. [Sumaria]
Security forces were deployed near the ministries and security offices in Baghdad. [Sumaria]
Saleem Al-Jubouri issued a statement after meeting with the Kurdish Alliance in Baghdad saying he thanks the political blocs that are loyal to the CoR as an institution. He also says he respects the will of the CoR but refuses to allow some parties who want to kidnap the will of the CoR with their loud noise. [Sumaria]
Jubouri and his two deputies went to the CoR but didn’t attend the session today. The rump session was led by Adnan Al-Janabi, who was chosen by the sit-in MPs as a provisional speaker. Janabi postponed the session until Thursday. [Mada] [Mada] [Mada] [Mada]
Jubouri had suspended the CoR session until further notice. [Sumaria]
A Kurdish MP says the Kurdish Alliance, The Powers Union, Badr, ISCI, Dawa, Fadhila and Turkmen and Christian MPs attended the CoR session today responding to President Masoum’s initiative. She says the sit-in MPs didn’t respect that initiative and started a vote on the CoR leadership, which caused 5 blocs, including the Kurds and the Sunni blocs, to leave the session. [Sumaria]
A Sadrist MP says the sit-in MPs refused Masoum’s initiative. [Mada]
The alliance of Sunni blocs issued a statement saying they won’t return to the CoR unless “the legitimacy returns” [Mada]
A State of Law MP says the CoR session today reached the required quorum because 230 MPs attended. She says the withdrawal of some blocs later doesn’t mean that the session was not valid. She also says 65 SoL MPs are with the sit-in MPs and the goal is to change the leadership of the three presidencies. [Sumaria]
Ammar Al-Hakim, the ISCI chief, issued a statement after meeting in his office with Saleem Al-Jubouri, saying that all parties should meet in the middle, and warning of plans to “destroy the legislative authority and the entire political process”. [Sumaria]
Security developments
In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted 17 airstrikes, in Anbar (Baghdadi and Rutba); Hawija; and especially Ninewa (Kasik, Mosul, Qayara, Tal Afar, and Sinjar), using bomber, ground-attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft. All aircraft returned to base safely. [CJTF]
A Russian source says Russia will provide Iraq with 20 MI-28NE helicopters. [Buratha]
Security-related incidents in Baghdad Governorate
North Baghdad
Baghdad Operations Command troops defused 7 IEDs in north and northeast Baghdad.
Iraqi army 9th Davison captured a man wanted for terrorism who led them to a weapons and explosives cache in the Ru’oud area in north Baghdad. [MoD Website]
East Baghdad
An MoI source says an IED exploded in the industrial area in Basmaya, killing one person and wounding six. [Mada]
Southeast Baghdad
An MoI source says an IED exploded near a restaurant in Zafaraniya, killing two people and wounding five. [Mada]
A security source says a civilian and his wife were killed when a sticky IED exploded under their car in Zafaraniya. [Maalomah]
Iraqi army 42nd brigade found an explosives vest and 7 IEDs in Hasna village in Mada’in.
South Baghdad
Baghdad Operations Command troops defused an IED in Madhanik. [BOC Facebook Page]
A police source says an MoI employee was killed when a sticky IED exploded under his car in Mahmudiya. [Maalomah]
Iraqi army 17th division found a weapons and explosives cache in Latifiya. [MoD Website] A security source says unknown armed men attacked a PMF checkpoint in Yusufiyah, wounding 3 fighters. [Baghdadia]
Iraqi army 17th division destroyed 3 IEDs and diffused 4 booby trapped houses in Sayed Abdullah in Yusufiyah. [MoD Website]
Iraqi army 23rd brigade arrested a man wanted on terrorism charges in Bizayez Al-Yusufiyah. [MoD Website]
Southwest Baghdad
An MoI source says an IED exploded near a commercial area in Saidiya, killing two people and wounding five. [Mada]
An MoI source says an IED exploded in the Al-Ray area, killing one person and wounding four. [Mada]
West Baghdad
An MoI source says an IED exploded in Ghazaliya, killing one person and wounding eight. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 15 (Not an overall total)
ANBAR
Falluja
A tribal PMF commander says Daesh removed its IEDs from bridges and railroads in Falluja suddenly, most likely in order to flee from the city. He also says that many Daesh leaders have escaped Falluja toward Western areas in Anbar and then on to Syria. [Maalomah]
He also says Daesh faces a lack of explosives because of the siege on the city. [AIN]
The Qarma PMF Brigade commander says many Daesh terrorists, especially foreigners, are leaving Falluja for the Thirthar area after the reports about Iraqi forces preparing to attack Falluja. [Mada]
A Kata’eb Hezbollah source says the KH targeted a Daesh meeting with a Grad rocket in the Jolan neighborhood in Falluja. The KH also destroyed 2 oil tanks and a weapons storehouse in Hay Jubail, Falluja. [Harbi] [Harbi]
Rapid Intervention units killed 15 terrorists, wounded 5, and destroyed an IED factory, 3 hideouts, and 2 machine gun-mounted vehicles in the east Falluja military sector.
The West Baghdad Operations Commander says a group of Daesh terrorists were planting IEDs in the Shiha area, north of Qarma, but the Iraqi army 14th division killed 11 of them and destroyed 6 of their vehicles. [Mawazin] [BOC Facebook Page]
The MoI issued a statement saying Baghdad Operations Command killed 1 terrorist and wounded 2, and destroyed 2 military vehicles in the Qarma/Albu Shijil/Nadhem Al-Taqsim military sector. [Ghad]
A PMF source says PMF troops killed Muhammad Saleh Abtan, a Daesh local commander responsible for IEDs in Qarma, and 6 of his associates, in the Albu Jassem area. [Harbi]
The police chief of Ameriyat Al-Falluja says Daesh targeted the city with 10 mortar shells but caused no human casualties. [Sumaria]
Ramadi
The Anbar Operations Commander says the AOC’s artillery shelled Daesh in the Qurtan area in Jazeera Khaldiya, destroying 2 vehicles and killing 2 local commanders, one from Anbar and one from Mosul. [Sumaria]
The IFP commander says his troops killed 6 Daesh terrorists and destroyed a vehicle north of Thirthar. [PUKMedia]
The Anbar Operations Commander says the IAF destroyed 4 Daesh locations in Albu Dhiab, northwest of Ramadi. [Sumaria]
The PMF media office says security forces arrested a group of Daesh foreign terrorists in a tunnel west of Ramadi. [Etejah]
A member of Anbar Provincial Council says two new mass graves were found, with bodies of civilians including women and children killed by Daesh, in the stadium area south of Ramadi. [Mada]
The Mayor of Ramadi says 3 mass graves were found containing the bodies of 30 victims, including two children, killed by Daesh when it captured the city in mid-2015. The mass graves were found based on confessions from captured Daesh terrorists. [Sumaria]
An Anbar Operations Command source says a house that was booby trapped by Daesh in the Tameem area in southwest Ramadi exploded, killing three people and wounding two from the same family. The family had just returned from displacement. [Maalomah]
Daesh says its snipers killed 2 Iraqi soldiers in the Albu Delma area north of Ramadi. [JustPaste]
Hit/Kubaisa/Baghdadi
A Counter-Terrorism source says that, according to Daesh documents found in Hit, 650 Daesh members were killed during the Hit liberation operations. [Etejah]
A Counter-Terrorism commander says more than 5,000 displaced families have returned to their houses in Hit District after security forces cleared several areas and roads. [Mawazin]
Iraqi army 29th brigade troops, supported by tribal fighters, found 339 Grad rockets, 62 IEDs, and 2 explosives vests in a house used by Daesh as an explosives factory in Wadi Al-Hijjiya, 20 km (12.5 miles) from Kubaisa. [MoD Website]
The Jazeera Operations Commander says Coalition warplanes destroyed 3 Daesh vehicle bombs trying to attack a residential compound in Baghdadi. [Sumaria]
Coalition warplanes destroyed 2 Daesh ammunitions caches in Mahboubiya and Dolab, northeast of Baghdadi. [MoD Website]
Western Anbar
A tribal PMF commander says military reinforcements arrived in the Kilo 160 area, preparing for a large military operation on Rutba city and Trebil border station on the Jordan border, west of Rutba. [Mada]
The IWMC says the IAF, in coordination with Al-Suqoor Intelligence Cell, bombed a Daesh weapons and explosives storehouse in Rutba, killing Abu Khattab Al-Jazrawi, a Daesh military emir and 6 other terrorists. One was responsible for the car bomb attack in Nasariya. Jazrawi, a Saudi terrorist, was buried this evening in Rutba, according to the IWMC. [Harbi]
A security source says Daesh leaders withdrew from Rutba, leaving mostly Iraqi terrorists in the city. He also says Daesh stole 7,000 deer from the desert area near the city of Rutba and took them to an unknown location. [AIN]
DaeshDaily comment. The story about foreign fighters withdrawing from Rutba confirms an earlier Daesh Daily story.
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
An Iraqi special forces commander says Coalition and Iraqi warplanes bombed several Daesh boats carrying explosives crossing the river from Fatha to Shirqat, killing many Daesh fighters. [Mawazin]
Daesh publishes photos of beheading a man, after accusing him of “sorcery.” [JustPaste]
Baiji
A PMF source says Al-Nujaba’ Movement destroyed a Daesh vehicle bomb in Makhoul Mountains. [Harbi]
Daesh says it targeted Iraqi army units near the Asmeda area with mortars and heavy artillery. Daesh also says it targeted Iraqi army units on the Baiji-Haditha Road. [JustPaste]
Tikrit
A Salahuddin police source says a Daesh sniper shot at Col. Omar Thamer, the commander of Tikrit local PMFs, wounding one of his bodyguards. The colonel survived the attack. [Mada]
Security forces captured a man wanted for terrorism south of Tikrit. [MoD Website]
A PMF source says 2 Daesh suicide terrorists who sneaked with families through the Himrin Mountains were killed when one of their explosives vests detonated near Al-Alam. [Ghad]
Daesh issues a video of battles near Ajil oilfield. [AKI]
Samarra
Salahuddin Operations Command troops defused 14 IEDs in the Strategic Line (pipeline) area.
The IFP commander says his troops found an explosives workshop west of Samarra. [PUKMedia]
DIYALA
The Diyala police chief says his troops raided and searched several areas in the governorate and arrested 15 men wanted on criminal or terrorism charges. He says 6 terrorist cells were “disassembled” in addition to 4 criminal gangs. [Mada]
A member of Diyala PC says the Sahwa leadership put out orders to reduce the number of Sahwa fighters by 50%, which means more than 3,000 fighters will lose their salaries. He says this decision will have dire consequences for the security situation in the governorate. [Sumaria]
Baquba
A local police source says unknown armed men shot and killed an Iraqi Army officer while he was leaving his house in Baquba center. [Maalomah]
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
A COR member from Diyala says Daesh is very close to Baquba. He says recent Daesh attacks in the Muqdadiya area are a clear sign that Daesh is coming back to Diyala. [Sumaria]
A member of Diyala PC says PMF fighters from the Jubour tribe captured 3 Daesh headquarters in the Shirween area, capturing large weapons, explosives, and Katyusha rockets. He says the terrorists escaped without engaging in combat.[Sumaria]
The Diyala police chief says men wanted on terrorism charges were arrested in the Zaghinya village orchards. [Sumaria]
KIRKUK
Southern Kirkuk
A security source says Kirkuk police arrested a Daesh terrorist from Tal Keif in Ninewa at a checkpoint near Taza. [Sumaria]
PMFs publish photos of Daesh weapons captured in Tel Ahmed, south of Kirkuk, after its failed attack. [Harbi]
Hawija
The IWMC says the IAF bombed a big Daesh weapons and explosives storehouse in Hawija. [AIN]
Coalition airstrikes in the Hawija area hit a tactical unit and a staging area.
Daesh says it detonated an IED on a Peshmerga vehicle on Mansouriya Mountain in Hawija. [JustPaste]
NINEWA
Mosul
A PUK official says Coalition forces conducted another helicopter-to-ground operation in the Badoush area, west of Mosul, using 10 helicopters. He says Coalition troops clashed with the terrorists, killing all of them in their headquarters. [PUKMedia]
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes bombed a Daesh vehicle in Hay Al-Wihda in east Mosul, killing 4 terrorists, including the new commander of Daesh’s Usra Army. The former commander of this army was also killed by a Coalition airstrike in March. [PUKMedia]
DaeshDaily comment. Usra Army is an elite group of Daesh terrorists, formed after other elite units like Al-Battar lost most of their fighters. This group is supposedly responsible for defending Ninewa. The name means “shortage” or “difficulty”, which might mean that these terrorists are less equipped and less financed than the former elite groups, and mostly depend on older methods of warfare.
CNN Turk says Turkish troops killed 32 Daesh terrorists near Bashiqa in response to Daesh destroying a tank in the Turkish camp. [Sumaria]
Daesh says its terrorists stopped an attack by Turkish troops and Peshmerga on Bariman village near Mount Bashiqa. Daesh says the battles continued until the early morning under Coalition air cover. Daesh says the village was on the borderline between its positions and the Peshmerga and no troops had been present there. Daesh says the attacking force retreated after sustaining casualties and under Daesh shelling. Daesh says it destroyed a Turkish tank in the battle. [A3maq] [A3maq]
Daesh issues a video of destroying a Turkish tank with a guided rocket. [A3maq]
However, Turkish sources say Daesh terrorists attacked a Turkish tank in Bashiqa with a Kornet missile, but the tank was not destroyed and its crew responded by shelling Daesh terrorists with 8 rockets, killing 10 of them, then shelled 5 vehicles and 3 bicycles, killing 22 more terrorists. [Anadolu] In short, the 32 Daesh fighters were killed by the tank they were attacking.
DaeshDaily comment. The Daesh tank attack video is unconvincing. It doesn’t show any battle ongoing when the rocket was launched at the tank. As for the rest of the Daesh story, it seems to come from one of the graduates of their creative writing course.
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says its fighters killed a Daesh security man in Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
Kata’eb also says its fighters killed a Daesh informant in the Abar neighborhood in western Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
A Ninewa police source and eyewitnesses say that 7 shops selling mobile phones and 3 money exchange offices were broken into on Monday night in downtown Mosul. The sources say the shop owners accused Daesh members who were supposed to protect the market during the night of the break-ins. [BasNews]
Daesh says a fire erupted in a fuel station in the Hadba’ area in Mosul after an American airstrike. [A3maq]
Seven Coalition airstrikes in the Mosul area struck three separate tactical units and destroyed two assembly areas, three supply caches, a fighting position, two vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), a VBIED factory, a bed-down location, a vehicle, and a tactical unit.
Makhmur/Qayara
The Ninewa Operations Commander says Coalition warplanes bombed 4 Daesh locations in the Saba’awiyeen village in Qayara, killing 23 Daesh terrorists and destroying several Humvees. [BasNews]
The IWMC says the IAF bombed a Daesh fuel station in Qayara. [AIN]
The Coalition bombed a weapons storage facility in Qayara.
A Ninewa Operations Command source says Iraqi forces secured 60 more families who escaped from Daesh-controlled areas and moved them to safe areas in Makhmur District. [Mada]
Northwest Ninewa (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
A Peshmerga unit says Daesh targeted its location in Zamar. The source says the Peshmerga responded with artillery and shot at Daesh locations in Al-Ashiq village in Tal Afar. [Harbi]
The Coalition conducted three airstrikes near Kasik, hitting two separate tactical units, a vehicle, two tunnels, and a mortar position. An airstrike near Tal Afar destroyed three rocket rails.
A strike in Sinjar targeted a tactical unit and destroyed an assembly area.
Daesh publishes photos of one of its “sharia” institutes. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes photos throwing a young man off of a roof, in Tal Afar, accusing him of sodomy. [JustPaste]
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
The Turkish Military Command says 22 Turkish warplanes “successfully” targeted the PKK in the Jara area in northern Iraqi Kurdistan. [Mawazin]
An informed source says Turkish warplanes bombed two villages in Amedi, in northern Dahuk. No casualties have been reported. [PUKMedia]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Babel
The PMF Commission Director in Babel says the commission decided to provide more reinforcements in north Babel. He also says the PMFs will start military operations in south Baghdad to secure the north Babel areas. [Etejah]
DaeshDaily comment. They should put some of their attention on military operations to secure south Baghdad areas, where Daesh attacks have greatly increased lately. North Babel is just south of South Baghdad.
Wasit
A joint security force arrested a woman on terrorism charges in Suwaira. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Clashes erupted south of Suluk in Raqqa’s northeastern countryside between Syria Democratic Forces and Daesh. [SyriaHR]
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently says a Daesh terrorist called Abu Uqba Al-Qairawani was killed by an airstrike on his vehicle in Raqqa. The RSS also says two children were killed in Raqqa by airstrikes. [RSS] [RSS]
The Combined Joint Task Forces says Coalition military forces conducted one airstrike in Syria, in Raqqa, using remotely piloted aircraft, striking a tactical unit and destroying a vehicle. [CJTF]
Kurdish activists say Daesh cut off internet services in Manbij and Azaz and forced people to use a service provided from Turkey. The sources say Daesh did that to control communications and to generate revenue. [Welati]
A local activist says a trade deal between Daesh and other opposition groups, through intermediaries, allowed trucks loaded with food items to enter Raqqa in exchange for oil. He says such deals are common, and the fighting restarted between Daesh and the other groups immediately after the deals. [Arabi21]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Local sources say Daesh executed a Kurdish man in Al-Bab, accusing him of cooperating with the YPG. Other local sources say Daesh is forcing people in Al-Bab to donate blood to its wounded terrorists. People who refuse to donate are forced to dig trenches. [Hawar]
Daesh continued its shelling on Tal Al-Abr village west of Kobane, causing material damages. [Hawar]
Syrian opposition groups kept up their shelling on Sheikh Maqsoud today, wounding one civilian. [ARA]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
A Syrian military source says Syrian troops captured more areas from Daesh north of Tadmur. The source also says Syrian warplanes destroyed several Daesh convoys north and east of Tadmur. [SANA]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Daesh says it attacked Syrian troops in a Sinaa neighborhood in Deir Ez-Zor, capturing it completely, killing 20 soldiers and wounding 10 and capturing weapons and ammunition. Daesh says its terrorists expanded to nearby areas. [JustPaste] [A3maq]
Daesh captured all Sinaa neighborhoods in Deir Ez-Zor after heavy clashes with Syrian troops and supported militias. Syrian warplanes launched 5 airstrikes on the area. [SyriaHR]
A Syrian military source had earlier claimed that Syrian troops destroyed several Daesh hideouts in Sinaa. The source also said Syrian warplanes bombed Daesh in Haweigat Saqar and Bighailiya in Deir Ez-Zor. [SANA]
South
Daesh says it launched a massive attack on the Al-Nusra Yarmouk camp in south Damascus and captured more areas, in addition to weapons and ammunitions. [JustPaste]
A Syrian military source says Syrian troops killed 10 Daesh terrorists in Tal Ishaib, in Suwayda northeastern countryside. [SANA]
Ahrar Al-Sham, a Saudi and Turkey-backed opposition group, said it recaptured, with Nusra support, Sahm Al-Jolan in Daraa’s western countryside from Daesh affiliates, Shuhada’ Al-Yarmouk and Muthanna Movement, after heavy battles. [Qasioun]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
North Africa
Egypt
Daesh says it attacked Egyptian army units south of Sheik Zuweid, killing or wounding 20 soldiers and destroying several vehicles. [A3maq]
Daesh says it blew up the houses of two civilians working for the Egyptian army, south of Sheik Zuweid. [A3maq]
A medical source says an 11 year old boy and three policemen were killed, and 14 policemen wounded in addition to seven civilians, in an RPG attack on a police bus in Sheikh Zuweid. [VetoGate]
Tribal sources say Egyptian forces clashed with an armed group west of Rafah, while warplanes covered the area. Another source says 10 ambulances were sent to Sheikh Zuweid with heavy security. [ElWatan]
A security source says security forces killed an Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis leader responsible for several attacks in Sinai, and 2 other terrorists, in a shelling of his hideout. [VetoGate] [VetoGate]
Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis terrorists shot and killed a farmer in Abu Shanar village in Rafah, accusing him of cooperating with the Egyptian Army. [VetoGate]
Libya
Northeast
The Libyan Army says Libyan troops captured the livestock market area in Qawarsha in Benghazi, in addition to the other areas they captured recently. [AfriGate]
Videos of Libyan troops in the liberated areas [YouTube] [YouTube] [YouTube]
The Libyan Army 115th battalion issued a statement mourning the death of its commander who was killed in Qawarsha. [AfriGate]
The Benghazi Medical Center says two of its staff were captured by Daesh on Monday in Qawarsha. Daesh published photos of the two men and said they were soldiers. [Wasat]
Daesh photos of the two medical staffers described as “soldiers.” [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. This has happened before, in Iraq in January 2014, when four paramedics in Ramadi agreed to go help someone in need and got killed for their dedication. Since when is capturing medical personnel a military victory?
The Libyan Military Command says a military photographer was killed while covering the battles in west Benghazi. [AfriGate]
A military source says although the Libyan Army has captured large areas in west Benghazi, it is still moving slowly in the area because of the land mines. [AfriGate]
The spokesman for Libyan Military Engineering died after he was wounded by a land mine in west Benghazi two days ago. [AfriGate]
A Libyan commander says the Army will announce the liberation of Benghazi in the next two days. [AfriGate]
Central Coast
Local sources say Daesh’s “Ashbal Al-Khilafa,” a group of boys trained by the terrorists, paraded on Sirte streets. [Wasat]
Other countries
Yemen
Daesh says it killed or wounded several members of the Southern Resistance after targeting their vehicle with an IED in the Memdara area of Aden. [A3maq]
Denmark
Denmark said it would increase its military operations against Daesh to include Syria in addition to Iraq. The Danish Parliament approved deploying 7 F-16s and 1 C-130 in addition to 60 special forces soldiers. [Xendan]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
Libya News Today page
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/1WGodd3H1lBtiz1
https://twitter.com/The__SoUul
https://twitter.com/afaaaq20031
Other Daesh media
Daesh audio newsletter for today in Arabic [JustPaste]
A new issue of Daesh’s Al-Naba’ magazine [JustPaste]
Daesh archive for the last lunar month [JustPaste]
