August 24, 2016
Iraqi Soldiers in Qayara (Sumaria)
Today’s Major Developments
Ambassador Jones says goodbye to Iraq. […]
Iraqi forces capture most of Qayara city and capture the Qayara oilfield. […]
Turkey crosses the border with Coalition air support, seizes Jarabulus and surrounding area. […]
Biden says PYD must stay east of the Euphrates. […]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
President Masoum received in his office US Ambassador Stuart Jones, who is at the end of his term in Iraq. [Sumaria]
Prime Minister Abadi met in his office with the chairman of the United Coalition (Sunni), Osama Al-Nujaifi, and discussed the liberation of Mosul and the needs of displaced people, according to a statement from Abadi’s office. The meeting also discussed “speaking with the same voice,” avoiding disputes, and supporting Iraqi forces in the war against Daesh. [Sumaria]
The Saudi Ambassador in Baghdad asks the Iraqi government to clarify its position regarding a Shia militia commander who publicly threatened the Ambassador’s life in a TV interview. [BasNews]
DaeshDaily comment. The same idiot was condemned widely because of a previous statement against the people of Falluja.
A PUK CoR member says the PMFs should participate in the Ninewa liberation because they are part of the Iraqi military organization. He also says the Peshmerga are essential to winning the battle. [SotKurdistan]
DaeshDaily comment. Aside from the nice rhetorical balancing act, the statement supporting PMF participation is significant because Barzani and the KDP have opposed it. This seems to separates the PUK (and Gorran) from Barzani’s scheming over Ninewa.
The Coalition says it conducted 4 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Iraq. Three were in or near Ramadi (2) and Hit (1) in Anbar; the other on Sinjar in far western Ninewa. [InherentResolve]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
Northwest (Kadhimiya)
An MoI source says a Baghdad Airport security man was severely wounded when unknown men broke into his house and stabbed him multiple times in Shula. [Mada]
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
Iraqi Army 59th brigade found 6 IEDs and other explosive materials in the Bani Zaid area. [BOC Facebook Page]
East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)
An MoI source says 4 men impersonating PMF fighters were captured at a checkpoint in Zayouna. [Mada]
An MoI source says an MoD major and his driver were killed when unknown armed men shot into the officer’s civilian car using silenced weapons on Qanat Street. [Mada]
South (Dora, Mahmudiya)
Iraqi Army 55th brigade found an explosives cache in the Baijiya area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi Army 23rd brigade defused an IED and found a hand grenade in the Thuwar area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Southwest (Rasheed)
An MoI source says two people were killed and six wounded when an IED exploded near a sheep market in the Suwaib area. [Mada]
West (Mansour, Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib)
An MoI source says two people were killed and nine others wounded when 2 mortar shells fell on a residential area in Al-Nasr Wa Al-Salam village in Abu Ghraib. [Mada]
A local police source says a school teacher was killed by unknown armed men who shot him using silenced guns in Hay Al-Adel. [Maalomah]
An MoI source says two people were killed and five wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Washash. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 10 (Includes only incidents reported)
ANBAR
Falluja
Iraqi forces defused 8 booby-trapped houses, 7 IEDs, 2 explosives vests, and a vehicle bomb in the Falluja area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Ramadi
The Anbar Operations Commander says his troops killed 4 Daesh terrorists who were trying to sneak into Jazeera Khaldiya from the river. [Ghad]
The PMF Press says the PMFs finished over 95% of their military operations in the Albu Kanaan area in Jazeera Khaldiya, destroying Daesh tunnels and defusing houses and streets from IEDs. It says more than 300 Daesh terrorists were imprisoned in the area. [Maalomah]
The IFP says its troops killed 49 Daesh terrorists and destroyed 11 hideouts, a tunnel, and 3 military positions in the Sadda and Albu Bali areas in Jazeera Khaldiya. [Maalomah]
Daesh publishes photos of battles in the Jaraishi area north of Ramadi. [Ana Al-Muslim]
Hit/Haditha
Daesh says it stopped an Iraqi attack by boat from a river near the Haditha Dam. [A3maq]
Rutba/Western Anbar
Daesh says seven people, including three women and two children, were wounded by “an American airstrike” on a residential area in Al-Qa’im. [A3maq]
SALAHUDDIN (No reports)
DIYALA
The Diyala Police Chief says his troops captured 2 men wanted on terrorism charges in Diyala. [Sumaria]
Baquba
The Diyala Police spokesman says a police emergency unit captured a man wanted on terrorism charges in Baquba after getting information from his brother. [Sumaria]
The IWMC says Iraqi forces captured 10 Daesh weapons storehouses and 10 guesthouses in the Hashemiyat area west of Baquba and arrested the Daesh military official of Diyala. [Mawazin]
[Mawazin]
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
The PMF Press says Iraqi forces started a military operation to secure several villages and areas in north Muqdadiya. Daesh had conducted several attacks on civilians in those areas [Etejah]
KIRKUK
Hawija
A PMF commander says Daesh is searching for 3 teenage suicide bombers who escaped from a house in which they were imprisoned in Hawija. [Sumaria]
NINEWA
Mosul
A local source says unknown armed men on a motorcycle killed a local Daesh commander with a hand grenade in Mosul city center. [Maalomah]
Daesh issues photos of its sharia training for teachers in Ninewa. [DawaAlhaq]
Makhmur/Qayara
The IWMC says Iraqi forces, supported by Coalition warplanes, captured the Government Compound in Qayara, in addition to the Qayara oil refinery, killing more than 40 Daesh terrorists. [IraqPress]
The Counter Terrorism Service reported that Iraqi forces captured the General Hospital as well as the Government Compound. [AIN]
The IWMC says Counter Terrorism troops, supported by the IAA, captured the Qayara oil refinery and its residential compound, in addition to the Qayara Bridge, after killing tens of Daesh terrorists, destroying many vehicle bombs, and defusing hundreds of IEDs on the first day of military operations. It also says three Iraqi soldiers were killed and twelve wounded. [Etejah] The JOC spokesman says Daesh lost a big revenue source when Iraqi forces captured the oilfields. [Etejah]
Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army armored vehicle “on the outskirts” of Qayara city. [A3maq]
Daesh says it damaged an Abrams tank and destroyed 2 Humvees “near” the Qayara Bridge south of the city. [A3maq]
Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army Cougar armored vehicle, 2 Humvees, and damaged an Abrams tank “near” the hills west of Qayara city. [A3maq]
Daesh says it killed three Peshmerga fighters in the Qaraqiya hills near Kanhash. [A3maq]
DaeshDaily comment. These typical “victorious” stories from outside the real battlefield seem to confirm that Daesh lost. Daesh is always victorious (even when it isn’t).
However, the Ninewa Operations Commander says Iraqi forces destroyed 20 Daesh vehicles, killing the terrorists inside, and killed 10 more suicide terrorists in Qayara. However, 18 Iraqi soldiers were killed in the fighting. He also says Iraqi forces are moving towards areas in north Qayara. [ROJ]
Photos of Iraqi forces in Qayara [Sumaria]
Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
Daesh says ten people were wounded in “American airstrikes” on a commercial area in Tal Afar city. [A3maq]
Daesh issues a video showing results of the airstrikes. [A3maq]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Babel
The Babel Police say a joint security force captured a man wanted on terrorism charges in Jbala. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
News from Turkey revolved around issues related to Turkey’s incursion into Syria to capture the city of Jarabulus from Daesh. (See Northwest Syria report below)
Vice President Joe Biden left Ankara after a brief visit to meet with the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament Speaker. Biden said in a press conference that the YPG should not cross the Euphrates to the west and threatens that the United States would cut off its support if the YPG crosses the river. “We’ve made it absolutely clear” to the YPG that “they must move back across the river,” Biden said. “They cannot—will not—under any circumstance get American support if they do not keep that commitment.” [Anadolu]
DaeshDaily comment. This is the right policy under the circumstances, but Biden’s statement is more significant because it was not clear previously that this was the policy, and the YPG has made strenuous efforts to capture territory west of the Euphrates, meeting opposition from Turkey and other opposition groups as well as Daesh. The YPG and the larger SDF played a major if downplayed role in the Manbij campaign and Manbij is west of the river.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Yildirim says Assad cannot be ignored if any solution is to be reached in Syria. [SyriaNow] He says Turkey has no ambition to control Syrian land, and all Turkey cares about is that Syrian lands aren’t occupied by terrorist organizations like the PYD and YPG. Yildirim says Jarabulus will be under the control of Syrian people. [Anadolu]
A Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs source says countering terrorism on the Turkish-Syria borders is very important, but Ankara should coordinate with Syria about it. [EnabBaladi]
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that Moscow is deeply worried over the potential consequences after Ankara sent troops into Syrian territory, saying that the Turkish operation could lead to a further deterioration in the situation and casualties among civilians. [BasNews]
Turkish media sources say Istanbul police launched a raid campaign against Daesh suspects in several areas of the city. [BasNews]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
The Coalition says it conducted 17 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Syria, including 10 in the Shaddadi area in Hasaka, and the others around Manbij (4), Raqqa (1), and Deir Ez-Zor (2). [InherentResolve]
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
People in Hasaka are returning to their houses after the cease-fire between the Syrian government and the PYD. [Hawar]
Zaman Al-Wasl, a Syrian anti-government TV outlet, says the battles in Hasaka happened because the Syrian government was trying to arm the Arab tribes, and because Syrian forces captured Kurdish young men (in Arab villages) to force them to join its compulsory military service. [Zaman Al-Wasl]
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh locations in the Zayanat area near Shaddadi. It also says heavy battles continued between Syrian Democratic Forces and Daesh in the Azzawi area. It says the SDF recaptured the areas it had lost to Daesh yesterday. [SyriaHR]
Daesh says it killed or wounded eight YPG fighters with an IED southeast of Al-Hawl. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes photos of its attacks on YPG fighters south of Shaddadi. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh says a group of its terrorists attacked YPG units in the Salman area west of Shaddadi, capturing a Humvee, a machine gun mounted vehicle, and a truck loaded with ammunition. [A3maq] [A3maq]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Jarabulus military operation
Turkish military sources say opposition groups, supported by Turkish special forces, captured Jarabulus city and 4 villages in the west, after killing 46 Daesh terrorists, including the Jarabulus emir. [BasNews]
One thousands opposition groups fighters and 250 Turkish Special Forces troops participated in the attack. [Hawar]
Local sources say the Turkish Army troops, artillery and warplanes, and Syrian opposition groups, attacked Jarabulus city and its villages, killing more than 49 civilians. [Hawar] The villages captured included Jamel village, south of Jarabulus. [ARA]
The Syrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack as a violation of Syrian sovereignty. [Hawar]
The Syrian Democratic Council, the political leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a statement condemning the Turkey attack on Jarabulus. [Hawar]
Pentagon said Wednesday that U.S. jets conducted airstrikes supporting Turkish efforts to clear Daesh from Jarabulus in northern Syria.
“U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft participated in these operations near the Syria-Turkey border,” Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway told Anadolu Agency in a written statement.
Galloway said the Coalition’s airstrikes were in support of the operation by vetted Syrian opposition forces seeking to clear Daesh from Jarabulus–located 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border.
According to Galloway, the Coalition’s intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets have been regularly monitoring the border as it is “a key transit point for (Daesh) fighters moving back and forth between Syria and Turkey.” The spokesman added that the Coalition is continuing to monitor ongoing operations along the border. [Anadolu]
The opposition-affiliated Dorar says more than 1,200 fighters from the Sham Corps, Sultan Murad, the Islamic Movement of Ahrar Al-Sham, Nour Al-Din Al-Zanki Movement, the Liberation Army, the Mountain Hawks, and the Jabha Shamiya participated in the attack on Jarabulus. [Dorar]
Other groups participating included M’utasem Brigade and the Northern Division. [EnabBaladi]
YPG sources say Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, participated in the attack. [Hawar]
DaeshDaily comment. This has not been confirmed from other sources and the Nusra Front would not have passed any US vetting process.
Turkish military sources say Turkish F-16s targeted 12 Daesh locations in Jarabulus. [Dorar]
A local activist says the Free Syrian Army captured Jarabulus completely, while Daesh terrorists left the city to the south. [EnabBaladi]
3,000 civilians reportedly left their houses in Jarabulus toward Manbij. [Hawar]
A local activist says large numbers of civilians left Jarabulus toward Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor. [ARA]
An opposition group commander says the opposition group forces will head to Al-Bab after liberating Jarabulus. [Zaman Al-Wasl]
Political consequences
The military results are clearer than the political fallout.
Turkey’s Minister of Interior says the Euphrates Shield operation will continue until the entire threat on the Turkey border with Syria is removed. [Dorar]
Turkey’s President, Erdogan, being more specific, says the operation targets Daesh and the YPG in north Syria. [Hawar]
Several Kurdish opposition groups withdrew from the Jarabulus operation after this statement, according to the PYD-backed Hawar. [Hawar]
The PYD President says Turkey will lose a lot in the “Syria swamp”. [Hawar]
The Turkey Prime Minister responded to the PYD president’s comment by saying that the PYD is not interested in fighting Daesh, and only interested in establishing a state in north Syria. He says the YPG troops that participated in liberating Manbij should withdraw to areas east of the Euphrates; otherwise Turkey will take action. [Zaman Al-Wasl]
Elizabeth Trudeau, Director of the Office of Press Relations at the State Department, says Kurdish leaders in Syria promised the United States that they would leave the areas they liberate from Daesh, and hand them to local residents. She says the United States is expecting the Kurdish organizations to keep their promise. [Anadolu]
Qasioun claims that Coalition warplanes targeted SDF forces in Amarna village, north of Manbij and 8 km (5 miles) south of Jarabulus, according to opposition sources. [Qasioun] However, an SDF commander refuted the report. He also said there were no battles between the SDF and the FSA near Jarabulus. [Qasioun]
A field source says SDF withdrew from 5 villages south of Jarabulus, including Amarna. The source says the SDF received orders to withdrew to areas 15 km south of Jarabulus, based on an agreement between the US and Turkey. [BasNews] [BasNews]
One report said that Turkish artillery targeted YPG locations north of Manbij. [Dorar]
The PYD-backed Hawar media outlet says Turkish troops and opposition groups attacked Manbij Military Council fighters from Jarabulus in Amarna village and that the battles are still ongoing. [Hawar]
Hawar claimed later that the MMC stopped the Turkish and opposition group advances toward the liberated areas in Manbij. [Hawar]
Meanwhile, a tribal source says the commander of the newly established and PYD-backed Jarabulus Military Council was killed over a personal dispute. The JMC had issued a statement accusing Turkey of the assassination, which happened a couple of hours after the JMC was established 2 days ago. [BasNews]
PYD officials say the Turkish Army has started construction of a concrete wall between Suruc and Kobane. [BasNews]
Manbij campaign
Manbij Military Council troops captured Haqnah and Hanna villages south of Manbij, killing several Daesh terrorists. [Hawar]
Daesh issues a video of destroying the YPG bulldozer yesterday with a guided missile in Nahliya village south of Manbij. [A3maq]
Other Northwest Syria reports
Turkish artillery also shelled the northern villages of the Al-Bab area. [Hawar]
Turkey-backed opposition groups stopped a Daesh attack on Ikada village, in the Azaz area along the border. [ARA]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
Battles continued between Syrian troops and Daesh in the Arak oilfield area east of Homs. Syrian warplanes bombed Daesh locations in the Taiba and Sukhnah areas east of Homs. [SyriaHR]
Syrian warplanes destroyed Daesh vehicles and machinery, killing “tens” of terrorists east of Ithariya. [SyriaNow]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Daesh issues a video of damaging a Syrian Army tank with a guided missile in the Panorama area in Deir Ez-Zor. [A3maq]
South (Rif Damashq, Suwayda, Daraa, etc.)
Daesh says it attacked a Free Syrian Army (FSA) camp in the Matouta area, 5 km (3 miles) from the Jordan border. Daesh says a Syrian suicide terrorist attacked the camp with a vehicle bomb, then a group of its fighters entered the headquarters and killed several FSA fighters, and captured 2 SUVs, in addition to ammunition. Daesh says 26 FSA fighters were killed in the attack. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
A Syrian military source says a Syrian Army unit destroyed Daesh fuel tanker trucks in the Rashida oilfields area east of Suwayda. [SyriaNow]
The Jabha Sharqiya (Eastern Front), an FSA faction, says its troops stopped a Daesh attack on the Syrian desert, killing 30 terrorists and destroying 5 vehicles and capturing one. [EnabBaladi]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
North Africa
Egypt
Daesh claimed responsibility for killing an Egyptian Army officer and a police officer in Arish yesterday. [A3maq]
A security source says Egyptian Apaches are searching North Sinai for a police vehicle that was hijacked by Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis yesterday. The terrorists have hijacked government vehicles previously and used them as a vehicle bombs. [ElWatan]
Libya
Northeast
Two paramedics were wounded when their field hospital was targeted deliberately by mortar rounds in the Chinese Buildings area in west Benghazi, according to the hospital’s manager. [Wasat]
Central coast
AFRICOM says it conducted 7 more airstrikes on Daesh locations and vehicles in Sirte. The National Accord Government Military spokesman says Daesh withdrew suddenly from Hay 3 in Sirte. [AfriGate]
He also says his forces have captured 95% of Sirte, and Daesh is operating in only two neighborhoods, where it is trapped. He anticipates that the battles will be over within few weeks. [AfriGate]
A security source says Libyan troops captured a Daesh Libyan leader east of Sirte. As usual, the terrorist had shaved his beard. [Wasat]
Tunisia
A Tunisia Ministry of Interior source says security forces captured in Souse a terrorist cell of 6 members who were sending terrorists abroad. [Tunisien]
The Tunisia Ministry of Defense spokesman says his troops found a terrorist training camp in the El-Kef Mountains. He also says one of the soldiers was wounded by a land mine in the area. [Tunisien]
Other countries
Bangladesh
Daesh says a group of its terrorists attacked the priest of a Hindu temple with knives in the Narsingdi area in central Bangladesh. [A3maq]
Finland
A senior Finnish security official says a 24-year-old Iraqi man indicted by Iraq for his role in the Speicher Massacre, was arrested in Finland. This is the third person the Finland authorities have arrested for the same reason so far. [Ghad]
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media activists published an audio recording of a phone call between a Nusra terrorist and the mother of a Syrian soldier. The terrorist tells the mother her son was beheaded. [ARA]
DaeshDaily comment. This is not the first time such a recording got published. It shows that the level of jihadi hatred and inhumanity have gone deeper than anyone could imagine. This is not about Assad, who actually benefits from such hatred; it is about the future of Syria. How could Syrian people trust people from such groups?
Daesh supporters link the Turkey attack on Jarabulus to the climactic Dabiq battle described in its ideology. Interestingly enough, Turkey chose the date of August 24th, which the same date as the battle of Marj Dabiq, when Ottoman troops defeated the Mamluk Army in 1516 and captured Egypt and most of the Middle East after that. [Ana Al-Muslim]
DaeshDaily comment. In Daesh’s theory, this Dabiq battle is the sign of the end of days, where Rome comes to fight. The fact is that the vast majority of Muslims don’t believe this story because it came from weak historical sources.
Videos of the Day
A video of the explosion of a Daesh terrorist who detonated his explosives vest when he got trapped by Iraqi forces in Jazeera Khaldiya [Harbi]
A video of IFP troops in the Albu Kanaan area in Jazeera Khaldiya. The video shows a Daesh “police station.” [Yalla]
A video of Iraqi forces during a Daesh suicide attack in Qayara. The suicide terrorist was killed before reaching his target. [Mosuliya]
Videos of Iraqi forces in Qayara [MoD] [MoD] [YouTube]
A video of a Daesh Saudi terrorist captured by Iraqi forces in Qayara [YouTube]
A video of a Coalition airstrike destroying a Daesh fighting position near Sultan Abdullah on August 9. [CJTFOIR]
Videos of opposition fighters inside Jarabulus, Syria [YouTube] [YouTube]
DaeshDaily comment. There are no signs of heavy battles in these videos. We couldn’t find videos of battles in Jarabulus today.
OTHER DAESH MEDIA
Daesh audio newsletter for today [YouTube]
Daesh issues a propaganda video of its suicide attacks in Ninewa. Several suicide terrorists from Gulf countries, Iraq, and one from Denmark appear in the video. [Archive] [YouTube]
