December 18, 2015
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
Today’s Major Developments:
Obama asks Erdogan to remove Turkish troops from Iraq.
Sistani and other Najaf clerical leaders warn of people compromising Iraq’s territorial integrity.
Errant Coalition airstrike kills Iraqi soldiers near Falluja.
Daesh launches more failed attacks against Peshmerga in Ninewa, Kirkuk
BAGHDAD
Political developments
President Obama calls President Erdogan and requests the withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Iraq. The President stressed that Turkey should respect Iraq’s sovereignty and the unity of its lands. [Hurra]
Baha Al-Ariji, the former Deputy Prime Minister, has suggested that the shelling of Camp Zilkan earlier this week could have been a false-flag operation by Turkey with the goal of prolonging the Turkish “aggression” in Iraq by providing Ankara with a pretext to prolong its troop deployment in Iraq. [Sumaria]
Iraq’s high-ranking Shia clerics known collectively as the marjaiya have called for Iraqis to reach agreement on plans to liberate the country from Daesh that preserve the territorial integrity of the country. A representative warned in a Friday sermon in Kerbala against plans by “local, regional, and international powers” that seek to divide the country and create in its place “small weak states in conflict with each other.” [Sumaria]
With the Ashura ceremonies now ended, demonstrations resumed in Baghdad and elsewhere, over a range of issues. Demonstrations were also held in the South provinces of Maysan, Basra, Muthanna, and Dhi Qar; in the South-Central provinces of Babel, Najaf, Diwaniya, and Wasit; and in Diyala. The demonstrators demanded more reforms, especially in the judicial system, and demanded more anti-corruption measures. Frustration was expressed about the delay in executing the reforms. Demonstrators in Baghdad also demanded a boycott of products from countries that support terrorism. Some demonstrators in Basra and Maysan objected to the Turkish troops in Ninewa. Some in Basra also objected the current rise in murders and assassinations in the city and demanded that the government to work on improving security there. Hundreds of demonstrators in Al-Khalis in Diyala objected to the Nigerian Army attack on a Shia group in that country. [Mada] [Mada] [Maalomah] [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Sumaria]
The anti-Daesh media conference concluded in Baghdad. It came up with several recommendations including establishing an “international electronic coalition” based in Iraq to fight e-terrorism, training Iraqis on new technologies in psychological and media war, and helping Iraq to sue countries, organizations and media outlets that support terrorism. [Ghad]
The Speaker of the CoR, Saleem Al-Jubouri, accompanied by several other high-ranking parliament members, has formally placed a Christmas tree in the parliament building in observance of the Christmas holiday and the beginning of the Christian new year, wishing in his remarks “security, stability, and peace, and the return of the displaced to their homes and their homeland.” He stressed the importance of cooperation between Iraqis in light of the difficult conditions Iraqis face, and noted the proximity on this year’s calendar between the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed and the Christmas holiday. [Ghad]
Security developments
Military sources say 100 Russian tanks, out of 300 expected to arrive eventually, arrived at Um Qasr in Basra for the Iraqi Army. [Buratha]
The IWMC says more than 40 Daesh terrorists were killed and many wounded, and several of its locations and hideouts destroyed, in different areas in Iraq. [Baghdadia]
Iraqi forces defused a booby-trapped house and a vehicle bomb inside it in the Al-Zor area in north Baghdad. [BOC Facebook Page]
An Iraqi Army 25th Brigade unit found 100 mortar shells in the Kilo 12 area in south Baghdad. [BOC Facebook Page]
According to security sources:
- An IED exploded near a fish market in Taji north of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding five others. [Maalomah]
- Unknown armed men attacked a woman near her home in Tarmiya north of Baghdad, killing her on the spot. [Baghdadia]
- Iraqi security forces found a weapons cache including IEDs, suicide vests, and mortar rounds, in a residence in the Dubatiya area of Tarmiya. [Baghdadia]
- A sticky IED fastened inside a civilian car exploded in the Adhamiya area of north Baghdad, killing the driver and wounding three others inside the vehicle. [Mada]
- An IED exploded near a liquor store in Batawiyeen in downtown Baghdad, killing a civilian and wounding five. [Mada]
- Unknown armed men in a civilian car shot and killed an Iraqi Army Major in his vehicle on Qanat highway in east Baghdad. [Mada]
- The body of a Ministry of Electricity employee was found shot in Sadr City in east Baghdad. [Ghad]
- An IED exploded near a popular market in the Alf Dar area of Baghdad Al-Jadida in east Baghdad, killing one person and wounding six others. [Mada]
- An IED exploded near a sheep market in Suwaib in southwest Baghdad, killing two people and wounding seven others. [Mada]
- A war correspondent working for the Ministry of Defense was wounded when an IED exploded while he was covering events in the Zaidan area of Abu Ghraib in western Baghdad Governorate. [Baghdadia]
- Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and six wounded, including a colonel and a captain, by mortar shells falling on an Army command post in Intisar village in Abu Ghraib. [Ghad]
PM Abadi received a phone call from his Qatari counterpart to discuss the issue of the kidnapped Qatari hunters, according to the PM office. [Mawazin]
DaeshDaily comment. The hunters were accompanied by dozens of Iraqi security members but they were overwhelmed by the many armed men in dozens of vehicles according to local sources. This incident sheds light on the lawlessness in Iraq, which is one reason for Daesh’s presence there. Criminal groups large enough to overwhelm security details, but leave no evidence behind, are not working entirely on their own. Such groups will be a major challenge to future governments.
ANBAR
Ramadi
Coalition warplanes struck the areas of Al-Jamiya, Al-Hawz, and Al-Thaila in central Ramadi, killing seven Daesh fighters and wounding eleven others. Coalition airstrikes also destroyed eight Daesh hideouts in Albu Aitha. [PUKMedia] [Sumaria] [Maalomah]
Iraqi joint forces with allied tribal fighters and Coalition air support have destroyed Daesh defensive lines west and south of Ramadi in fighting in the Al-Rousain area west of Ramadi and in Al-Sadda and nearby areas south of the city, killing 13 Daesh fighters in the battles, Anbar Tribal Fighters command announced. [Mada]
The IWMC says Coalition warplanes flew five sorties over different areas in Ramadi, killing 11 terrorists and destroying 3 Daesh hideouts and 4 other locations. [Baghdadia]
The Joint Operations Command says the Golden Division found a big Daesh weapons and explosives storehouse in Tameem in Ramadi. [Harbi]
The IWMC says an Iraqi Army 38th Infantry Brigade unit killed a Daesh terrorist and wounded 2 near the Albu Farraj Bridge north of Ramadi. [Baghdadia]
The IAF launched two airstrikes on Daesh hideouts in the Albu Shaban area in Jazeera Ramadi, killing and wounding tens of Daesh members. IAF strikes on Albu Farraj and Jaraishi killed seven Daesh fighters and wounded 11 others north of Ramadi. [Sumaria] [Maalomah]
A video of an elementary school in Ramadi turned into a Daesh foreign fighters’ guesthouse, since captured by Iraqi forces [Harbi]
A video of Iraqi forces in Ramadi [Harbi]
Falluja
A Coalition airstrike during joint operations to clear areas south of Falluja killed or injured ten Iraqi soldiers, a joint operations statement has announced. Iraqi forces captured a strategic position and killed several Daesh fighters. With weather conditions preventing Iraqi air power from operating, Iraqi ground forces called for Coalition air support. After two deadly Coalition airstrikes on Daesh positions, Iraqi ground forces advanced rapidly to engage Daesh fighters at close range. The Coalition then launched a third airstrike using old data that did not take account of the Iraqi ground advance. [Mada]
The Coalition issued a statement saying it will open an investigation into the airstrike and it asked Iraq to participate. [Shafaaq]
Russian Today TV publishes a video allegedly of the Coalition airstrike on Iraqi forces near Falluja. [RT]
Daesh publishes photos of Iraqi soldiers killed in the airstrike. [DabiqNews]
An Iraqi Army 59th Brigade unit defused 3 IEDs in Halabsa in southeast Falluja. [BOC Facebook Page]
A PMF source says PMF snipers killed 4 Daesh terrorists in Saqlawiya to the north. [Harbi]
Iraqi forces cleared the areas of Bayt Al-Tofaha and the zone near the entrance to Nuaimiya, 17 km (10.5 miles) south of Falluja, a member of Anbar provincial council has said. He said 17 Daesh fighters were killed in the operations, which come as part of the widespread campaign in Anbar to root out Daesh in the areas around Falluja and Ramadi. Iraqi forces and unnamed supporting forces also killed four Daesh members in fighting to clear areas near Al-Annaz bridge southeast of Falluja, an Anbar Operations source said. [Mada] [Maalomah]
The police commander of Ameriyat Fallujah has been wounded in clashes between Iraqi security forces and Daesh east of the city, an Anbar security source said. [Baghdadia] A local source says he was wounded in the battles in Zoba’a. [Gharbiya]
Daesh launched heavy mortar shelling on Ameriyat Fallujah on Friday, a member of the local council said, reporting that the shelling killed and wounded an unspecified number of residents and prompted security forces to seal the entrances and exits to the city. [Maalomah]
Baghdad Operations Command says Iraqi troops took control of a Daesh-occupied elementary school in the Zoba’a area east of Ameriyat Al-Falluja. [Sumaria]
Daesh’s version is that 20 Iraqi soldiers were killed in Zoba’a and 2 bulldozers were destroyed. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes photos of the battles in Zoba’a. Daesh paraded with the dead bodies of 2 Iraqi fighters and then threw them into the river. [DabiqNews]
Hit/Haditha
Jazeera Operations forces have started transporting 480 students from Haditha to Baghdad to enroll in school, on orders by PM Abadi acting in his capacity as commander of the armed forces, a security source said. [Sumaria]
An Iraqi Army 7th Division source says Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh in Hit, Dolab, and Jazeera Baghdadi (east of Baghdadi), killing or wounding many Daesh terrorists. [Sumaria]
A security source says the Coalition bombed Daesh in Jazeera Baghdadi, killing 15 terrorists and destroying 3 vehicles. [Baghdadia]
West Anbar
An Al-Abbas Division (PMF unit) commander says his division in Nukhaib is recruiting and arming a battalion of displaced people from different areas in Anbar. He says the battalion will be trained in Nukhaib to help secure the subdistrict and participate in Anbar liberation battles. [Mada]
A security source says Daesh blew up tens of houses belonging to members of security forces in the Waleed subdistrict of Rutba with IEDs. The source attributed the motive for this action to Daesh’s defeats in Ramadi. [Maalomah]
Daesh publishes photos of Friday prayers in a mosque in Anbar. [DabiqNews]
SALAHUDDIN
Baiji
The Baiji District Mayor says 10,000 families returned to their houses in the District but are suffering from the lack of basic services. He also says 60% of the city is destroyed; reconstruction efforts will start when Iraqi forces move ahead to liberate Shirqat. [Mada]
A PMF commander says his troops stopped a Daesh attack on Siniya, killing 7 Daesh fighters. [Harbi]
Daesh publishes photos of battles in the Makhoul Mountains area. [DabiqNews]
Daesh publishes photos of its fighters in the same area. [DabiqNews]
Tikrit
The Tikrit District Mayor says more than 30,000 families have returned to the city since it was recaptured from Daesh. He also says the city needs more support from the central government to support local services. [Mada]
Samarra
A security source says Daesh launched a large attack on the Strategic Line area west of Samarra but Iraqi forces stopped the attack, killing 15 Daesh members and destroying two vehicles. [Ghad]
A PMF source says Saraya Al-Salam rocketed Daesh in 2 villages west of Samarra with Grads, killing around 20 and destroying 4 vehicles. Two Daesh local commanders were killed and a third wounded in the shelling. [Harbi] [Harbi]
Saraya Al-Salam captured a Daesh Humvee and a vehicle bomb in the Khuzaimi area west of Samarra. [Harbi]
Southern Salahuddin
A PMF source says PMF troops stopped a Daesh attack on the Ain Al-Faris area. The source says 15 Daesh terrorists tried to sneak into the area but PMFs shelled their location with artillery and mortars. [Harbi]
DIYALA
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
A civilian was killed and another wounded in a roadside IED blast near Abu Khanazir village in Abu Saida. [Sumaria]
Elsewhere in Diyala
A local official says hundreds of Sahwa fighters in Khan Bani Saad and the nearby areas haven’t gotten paid for the last 3 months and asks the central government to intervene. There are more than 9,000 Sahwa fighters in Diyala. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. The Sahwa units were established in Diyala in 2007, as were similar units in other Sunni provinces, by Anbar tribal leader Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, a leader much admired by Shia as well as Sunnis. He was soon after assassinated by Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
KIRKUK
Peshmerga forces with Coalition air support repelled a large Daesh attack in the Dibis District in the villages of Kraw and Kiba, 45 km (28 miles) northwest of Kirkuk, the Peshmerga commander for the Dibis area announced. His men retrieved the bodies of 11 Daesh militants. Daesh attacked at dawn with vehicles and suicide bombers; a force of more than 150 fighters moved in from Mosul and Shirqat, targeting Peshmerga installations in Dibis, he said. Peshmerga 8th Brigade and 108 Force fighters responded, the commander said, adding that his forces “had information on the movements of Daesh terrorists” during the combat.
Coalition warplanes killed 50 other Daesh militants in airstrikes that included targets in the villages of Batma, Sartak, Gouba, and Al-Haqt, he added. According to the commander’s latest statements, one Peshmerga fighter and two others were wounded in the fighting in Dibis.
A PMF commander says Iraqi forces stopped a Daesh attack, killing 28 fighters including 2 local commanders, during the last two days near the Turkmen village of Bashir in southwest Kirkuk. [INA]
A PMF source says PMF commanders met with PUK leaders and agreed to work together to free Bashir in the coming days. [Harbi]
NINEWA
Mosul
A local source says Daesh executed a Shabak family of four for refusing to join Daesh in Nimrud east of Mosul. Daesh also executed another female teacher who objected to Daesh’s curriculum. [Mada]
Local sources say Daesh is using prisoners to destroy graves in Mosul. The sources say every prisoner must destroy a certain number of graves in order to be released. Daesh launched a large campaign to destroy graves in several areas in Mosul. [INA]
DaeshDaily comment. The real story here is neither the prisoners nor the deceased. The prisoners involved are the minor offenders who would be release after a short term anyway. The new Saudi coalition is the likeliest reason behind this. The only country in the Muslim world that opposes and therefore destroys graves is Saudi Arabia. By following the Saudi example, Daesh passes the message that they are real Salafis, real Wahhabis. This seems to emulate the Saudis but the real message is that they are competing with the Saudis for leadership of Sunni Islam. One of Daesh’s basic long-term strategies is to become the pre-eminent power and authority in the Muslim world, uniting all Muslims under their caliphate to fight the West and all other opponents of their version of Islam.
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says one of its snipers killed a Daesh terrorist at a checkpoint outside Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
A Peshmerga commander says Daesh launched an attack on the Kurdish forces in Batnaya, three miles north of Mosul in the Tel Keif District, but the Peshmerga, supported by Coalition airpower, stopped the attack and killed 7 Daesh fighters. [Rudaw]
Daesh publishes photos of the battles in Ninewa. [DabiqNews]
Daesh publishes a video of the Wednesday battles in Ninewa. [A3maq]
Photos of some of the Daesh vehicles captured by the Peshmerga during the last two days [BasNews]
Videos of Peshmerga fighters gathering Daesh’s dead bodies [YouTube] [YouTube]
Makhmur
Daesh launched attacks on Peshmerga positions at dawn on Friday in the Makhmur District, which Peshmerga forces were able to repel in battles lasting longer than two hours, a local source said. He added that 9 Daesh fighters were killed in the battle and 16 injured. However, 13 Peshmerga fighters were killed and four injured in the fighting around Arab-majority Qaraj subdistrict at the southern end of Makhmur, a Peshmerga source said. Peshmerga forces are launching counter-attacks in the area to “hunt down remnants” of Daesh fighters. [Mada] [Baghdadia] [BasNews]
In the Qaraj fighting, the Peshmerga killed Mohsen Eisa Abd, reportedly a close associate of Daesh leader Al-Baghdadi who had been responsible for planning attacks on Peshmerga forces in the area, a local Peshmerga source said. [Rudaw]
Five Daesh commanders were among those killed in Wednesday’s fighting in Nahrawan, identified by Peshmerga as Abu Hamoudi, the commander responsible for the Nahrawan area (announced yesterday), Abu Talha, Hussein Sulayman, and Abu Naba, each responsible for special operations, and Abu Humam, responsible for the Khazer area.
Daesh says its terrorists “broke into” a Peshmerga barracks in Tal Reem without giving more details. [DabiqNews]
A video of yesterday’s battles in Makhmur [Rudaw]
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
The American Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement saying US Defense Secretary Carter informed KRG President Masoud Barzani that the KRG should coordinate with Baghdad in order to get its weapons and training. [Buratha]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Qadessiya. Counter-terrorism and intelligence forces in Diwaniya arrested a man from Hsaiba in Ramadi on terrorism charges. [Etejah]
Dhi Qar. Special operations police of the Interior Ministry, with cooperation from local police, have arrested two people accused of conducting terrorist activities in various areas of Nasariya in Dhi Qar Governorate, a Dhi Qar security source said. The two detainees were taken to Baghdad for interrogation. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Northeast
Local activists say 3 Daesh suicide bomber blew themselves up on a YPG checkpoint near Suluk, killing or wounding several YPG fighters. [BasNews]
A Kurdish military source says Daesh detonated a vehicle bomb on Bir Eissa village south of Ain Eissa, then its terrorists attacked the YPG in the village. The attack reportedly failed, five Daesh terrorists were killed and several wounded, and a vehicle was destroyed. [BasNews]
Daesh says only 3 of its terrorists attacked the YPG near Suluk and fought with them for 3 hours, killing or wounding “tens” of YPG fighters. Daesh publishes photos of the 3 terrorists but doesn’t say exactly what happened to them. However, Daesh’s A3maq says the three terrorists detonated themselves, killing all YPG fighters in the location. [DabiqNews] [A3maq]
DaeshDaily comment. This is a standard Daesh propaganda approach. Every battle is a victory one way or the other, and Daesh is always victorious. If their suicide bombers blew themselves up, that shows they succeeded, and some exaggerated or made-up estimate of enemy deaths is added to the story. They use this tactic over and over, usually to cover for failures and defeats.
A local activist in Shaddadi says Daesh imposed a new tax on electricity in the city and removed the internet satellite dishes, forcing people to go to cafes it operates. [ARA]
A local Shaddadi source says Daesh publicly stoned four of its members to death (a Tunisian and 3 Syrians. [ARA]
Northwest
At least 34 people, including 11 women and six children, were killed in Raqqa and in the Aleppo countryside in a series of Russian air raids on these areas in the last 24 hours, and many more were wounded, the Syrian Human Rights Observatory said,. [PUKMedia]
Daesh says one of its Syrian suicide terrorists attacked Syrian troops in Nasrallah village north of Kowaires airbase with a vehicle bomb filled with 4 tons of explosives, killing or wounding many soldiers, including a colonel, and destroying several vehicles. After that, Daesh terrorists invaded Nasrallah and Irbeed villages killing or wounding many soldiers before retreating safely. [DabiqNews]
Local activists say Daesh continued its shelling on Tal Aren, wounding two Kurdish civilians. They also say Syrian warplanes launched three airstrikes on Daesh north of Tal Aren, killing or wounding 15 Daesh fighters and destroying heavy weapons. [BasNews]
A Jabha Shamiya commander says JS fighters stopped a Daesh attack on Hamzat village, killing 5 Daesh fighters and capturing two. He also says heavy clashes erupted between the two groups near Mare’ without any gain for either. [ARA]
Five civilians were killed and others wounded in Russian airstrikes on Aleppo’s countryside. [Qasioun]
Daesh says its terrorist destroyed a Syrian Army vehicle on the road between Ithariya and Silmiya with an IED, killing four soldiers. [DabiqNews]
Central and West
Battles continued between Daesh and the Syrian Army near Hadath and Mahin and other areas in Homs eastern countryside. Four Syrian soldiers were killed and others wounded when Daesh fighters sneaked into Maksar Al-Hisan. Meanwhile Russian airplanes bombed Daesh locations in Tadmur and Qaryatayn and two other locations east of Homs. [Qasioun]
Daesh publishes a video of the battles in Homs. By the end of the video, Daesh executes four men, accusing them of spying for the Syrian government. [DabiqNews]
REPORTS FROM OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Daesh publishes more video messages to Saudi Arabia. [DabiqNews] [DabiqNews] [DabiqNews] [DabiqNews] [ADI]
Note: Daesh’s audio newsletter for today did not get issued, at least not in the usual place.
Yemen. A source close to Daesh says 70 Daesh members in Yemen, including important leaders, defected recently because of “failed military policies” that led to the death of many terrorists. Daesh also executed 2 members of the Awlaki tribe, many of whose members had supported Daesh, accusing them of being soldiers in the Yemeni Army. [Arabi21]
Egypt. Daesh says it detonated an IED on a police vehicle in Arish, giving no further details. [DabiqNews]
Libya. Daesh publishes photos of destroying graves in Sirte. [DabiqNews]
Tunisia. The Tunisian Ministry of Interior says his country’s participation in the Saudi-led coalition doesn’t mean it’s going to send troops outside Tunisia. [Tunisien]
Algeria. Daesh says it detonated 2 IED on an Algerian Army patrol in Qasantina, killing or wounding several soldiers. [DabiqNews]
Afghanistan. The Spokesman of the Afghani Ministry of Communications says Daesh established an FM radio station in Nangarhar and his country is coordinating with NATO to destroy it. [Anadolu]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
A news page from Raqqa
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/almonaseronn27
https://twitter.com/AkhuMen111
https://twitter.com/Y_A_S_R__k
https://twitter.com/asd62090048
https://twitter.com/Hossam19902
