An Update On ISIS Activities

December 21, 2015

December 21, 2015

 

 

 

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REPORTS FROM IRAQ

 

Today’s Major Developments:

Announcements about Turkish troops leave uncertainty.

Mutually contradicting Iraqi political spokesmen say US military help is inadequate (Ramadi) or unnecessary (Falluja), depending on who’s talking.

Political crisis deepens in KRG as Barzani tries to assert his leadership.

Najaf citizens send message of solidarity to Iraq’s troubled Christians.

 

BAGHDAD

Political developments

The Iraqi Council of Ministers and Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the announcement Saturday by Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs that Turkey intends to redeploy its troops, which was interpreted in Baghdad as an impending withdrawal from Iraqi territory. On Monday, however, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s media office said Turkish troops had not yet withdrawn, and a second announcement from the Turkish foreign ministry suggested there was some misunderstanding of exactly what Turkey intends to do. [Rudaw] [IMN]

 

Former Ninewa Governor Atheel Al-Nujaifi claimed that his brother, former Vice President Osama Al-Nujaifi, facilitated a previous agreement between Turkey and Iraqi PM Abadi to allow the entry of Turkish trainers into Iraq. [Karemlash]

DaeshDaily comment: Al-Nujaifi’s version of events is sure to be rejected by the Baghdad government. Moreover, this whole bizarre affair seems likely to generate an investigation, either by prosecutors or the parliament or both.

 

The plane and pilot that launched a deadly friendly-fire attack on Iraqi forces near Falluja last week have been identified as Canadian, a military source said. [Sumaria]

The Coalition is investigating the recent deadly friendly-fire incident near Falluja in which several Iraqi soldiers were killed, said spokesman Steve Warren, who announced the formation of a committee, with Iraqi participation, to investigate the incident. The committee will issue its report after the investigation is concluded. [Sumaria]

 

According to Warren, the spokesman of the International Coalition, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has approved the deployment of a 200-man American special force in Iraq. This force will work on covert operations, mainly to cut off Daesh supply lines between Iraq and Syria. He added that 90% of Daesh’s petroleum capabilities have been destroyed already. [Mada]

 

Inclusion of 40,000 Sunni fighters within the Popular Mobilization Forces and monthly compensation for displaced families have been agreed to in negotiations between the Union of Iraqi forces (A Sunni coalition) and the government, and will be included in the coming year’s budget. The Sunni group said that this was agreed to by the Prime Minister among other recommendations. [Mada]

 

The Minister of Water Resources says after a meeting with the Italian Ambassador in Baghdad that Iraqi forces are capable of protecting the Mosul Dam and don’t need foreign troops to do that. He also says the contractual procedures were finished regarding maintenance of the Dam. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. Sensitivity about foreign military personnel in Iraq seems to be at peak level. (See stories above and below) It would be too logical to say that letting Italy send 450 soldiers to guard the dam project would mean 450 soldiers that undermanned Iraq could assign to the war effort. The larger consideration for the Italians was probably that Italian workers in Iraq would feel a lot safer if they were protected by Italian soldiers, which would make them more willing to go to Iraq to work on the project, in a part of Iraq where Iraqi troops (other than the Peshmerga) have almost no military presence.

 

Security developments

Daesh says it blew up a small Kia bus in Hay Al-Amel with an IED, killing or wounding several PMFs. [DabiqNews] However, a security source says an IFP anti-explosives unit defused a sticky IED that was planted under a small civilian Kia bus in Hay Al-Amel. [Ghad]

DaeshDaily comment. Many times Daesh report explosions or suicide attacks even when Iraqi forces thwart such attacks. Also, even when Daesh targets civilians it says they are PMFs. In Daesh’s religion it’s OK to kill Shia civilians but say it killed Shia PMFs serves one of Daesh’s main propaganda themes—that it is the protector of Sunnis.

 

Daesh publishes photos of attacking Iraqi forces north of Baghdad. [DabiqNews]

 

An Iraqi Army 45th Brigade unit confiscated 5 rockets in Hamamiyat in northwest Baghdad. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

Iraqi forces killed a Daesh terrorist in the Awda Shukur area west of Baghdad. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

According to security sources:

  • An IED exploded near the industrial area in Taji, northern Baghdad Governorate, killing two civilians and wounding seven. [Mada]
  • An IED exploded in Shula north of Baghdad this evening, leaving eight casualties including one death. The IED was placed near a group of commercial shops. [Mada]
  • An IED exploded near a popular market in Shaab in northeast Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding six. [Mada]

 

  • The body of an unknown man was found shot in Al-Ma’amel in east Baghdad. [Baghdadia]
  • A sticky IED attached to a federal policeman’s private car went off this morning while the car was passing through the Al-Mashtal area in east Baghdad. The driver was killed and three persons in the car were wounded. [Mada]
  • A Ministry of Justice employee was killed when a sticky IED exploded under his car in Baladiyat in east Baghdad. [Baghdadia]

 

  • An Iraqi soldier was killed and two wounded when an unknown sniper shot at them in Dora in south Baghdad. [Baghdadia]
  • Unknown armed men shot and killed a policeman on Mustashfa Street in Mada’in in south Baghdad. [Ghad]
  • An IED targeting an Army patrol went off in Latifiya south of Baghdad this afternoon, killing one soldier, wounding five, and causing damage to their vehicle. [Mada]
  • An IED placed near a popular vegetable market in Al-Yusufiyah south of Baghdad exploded this morning, killing one civilian and wounding six others. [Baghdadia]
  • An IFP force captured a man wanted for terrorism charges in Mahmudiya in south Baghdad Governorate. [Baghdadia]

 

  • A civilian was killed when an IED exploded under his car in Hay Al-Amel in southwest Baghdad. [Baghdadia]
  • An IED exploded on a police Humvee in Suwaib in west Baghdad, wounding one policeman. [Ghad]
  • The body of a woman was found shot in her house in Abu Ghraib in west Baghdad Governorate. [Baghdadia]

 

ANBAR

Ramadi

The Iraqi Army Chief of Staff says the operation to retake Ramadi city will start in the coming hours. The Iraqi Joint Operations Command gave the citizens of Ramadi 72 hours to leave the city yesterday.  [Etejah]

A security source says heavy battles erupted in the Hawz area in Ramadi city between Iraqi forces and Daesh. [Baghdadia]

 

A member of the Qarma subdistrict council in Falluja District says Iraqi forces supported by tribal fighters and the IAA have started the military campaign to retake Ramadi. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh says 5 people were killed by a drone strike that hit a restaurant on Street 17 in Ramadi. [A3maq]

 

Daesh has executed a civilian by burning him to death, on the charge of having passed information on its movements to the security forces, an Anbar security source said. The Iraqi man was burned to death in public in the Street 17 area after Daesh members doused him with kerosene. [Maalomah]

 

A video of the destruction in the liberated areas in Ramadi [Rudaw]

 

Photo of a leaflet dropped by Iraqi forces over Ramadi urging residents to leave the city within   hours and advising which ways to exit the besieged Daesh-held central areas of the city [Maalomah]

 

A member of the Anbar Governorate Council says Iraqi forces are preparing contingency plans for liberating central Ramadi without Coalition support, fearing that the Coalition lacks the seriousness for the task. As the “zero hour” for the assault on Daesh’s positions in central Ramadi approaches, local security forces and their local PMF allies have appealed to the central government to ask the Coalition to change its strategy, he says, without being specific. [Maalomah]

DaeshDaily comment. The rather obvious tactic here is to get commitments for more American help. However, the US is already providing heavy air support, and it is not likely to send ground forces. Iraqi leaders have talked a good game about retaking Ramadi, whose liberation has been “imminent” for many weeks. Now that the time for talking and delaying is over, the unintended message may be that some leaders in Anbar are not as confident about retaking Ramadi as they pretended to be. The politicians’ confidence may not matter much, however, as it is the military’s level of confidence that really counts. Iraqi forces have been winning the battles around Ramadi, with a lot of Coalition help, and have taken territory within the city, and so they have some basis for confidence.

 

Iraqi forces destroyed a Daesh explosives factory that adds chlorine to its explosives; and it destroyed 80 IEDs and 2 rocket launchers and killed 12 terrorists north of Ramadi. An Iraqi IFP fighter was killed in the operation. [IWMC Report]

 

The Anbar Operations Commander says his troops supported by tribal fighters and by Iraqi and Coalition airpower liberated 50% of Albu Dhiab north of Ramadi. [Sumaria]

 

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists in Zangoura west of Ramadi. [DabiqNews]

 

IFP troops killed a Daesh terrorist and defused 4 IEDs in east Hsaiba. [IWMC Report]

 

IWMC says Coalition warplanes flew 13 sorties on Ramadi, killing many terrorists and destroying a Daesh vehicle, 9 locations, 8 hideouts, 3 heavy weapon locations, and a communications center. [IWMC Report]

 

Falluja

The PMF fighters of Asa’eb Ahl Al-Haq have begun preparations for the battle to take Falluja from Daesh control, the AAH commander has said. The commander cited the battle for Baiji as a positive example, saying that the PMFs (the “Islamic Resistance” in his words) were able to take the city rapidly because of their preparation for battle and because of the lack of US-led Coalition participation in the fighting, and adding that the battle for Falluja will begin in the coming days. [Maalomah]

DaeshDaily comment. It’s just more bluster and anti-American nonsense from the AAH. Reality is that Coalition support was important to the military progress in Salahuddin and saved a lot of PMF lives, and also that the victory in Baiji was anything but rapid. Consider the absurdity of this statement in comparison to the Ramadi politician’s absurd statement reported above. One guy worries that the Americans aren’t doing enough to ensure the liberation of Ramadi; the other guy is confident about retaking Falluja because (he thinks) the Americans won’t be involved. By the way, the AAH leader promised months ago that he would be leading Eid prayers in Falluja. Eid has come and gone, some time ago.

 

Iraqi forces and PMFs are shelling Falluja indiscriminately and have killed four civilians and wounded 13 others, says the director of Falluja’s main hospital. [Rudaw]

 

Iraqi forces continued their operations in areas south of Falluja, killing 13 terrorists, destroying 2 vehicles carrying machine guns and 2 hideouts, and defusing 7 IEDs. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

Iraqi forces killed 4 terrorists and wounded 4 and destroyed a hideout in Qarma subdistrict. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

Hit/Haditha

Iraqi forces defused 14 IEDs and cleared 8 roads in east Baghdadi. [IWMC Report]

 

Eight Daesh members including a local security official for the group were killed in a raid on a Daesh checkpoint, by an armed group using light and medium caliber weapons, on the Kubaisa Cement Factory Road in Kubaisa near Hit, a local Anbar source said. A police source said the attackers used firearms fitted with silencers, sniper rifles, and other weapons. Daesh imposed a curfew on the area after the attack and conducted search operations, arresting a number of youths in the area, the sources added. [Maalomah] [Maalomah] [Baghdadia]

 

SALAHUDDIN

Baiji

The IWMC says the IAF bombed Daesh terrorists while they were trying to establish a barrier north of Msahaq, killing several terrorists and destroying 2 construction vehicles. [Ghad]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles northeast of Baiji. [DabiqNews]

 

Shirqat

PMFs in the Shirqat area claim to have recovered a mobile phone from the body of a prominent Daesh commander after killing him in an ambush two days ago. Its messages allegedly prove that Turkish intelligence provides support to Daesh in securing its militants’ passage in and out through Turkey. [Sumaria]

 

Tikrit

A security sources says Iraqi forces killed 4 Daesh fighters near Allas oil field east of Al-Alam. [Ghad]

 

A security source says Iraqi forces launched a search campaign in Al-Ali village in Al-Alam where several Daesh sleeper cells are operating and conducting occasional attacks on Iraqi forces. [BasNews]

 

Samarra

Samarra Operations Command troops killed 12 terrorists and destroyed several hideouts, 2 heavy machine guns, a rocket launcher and a vehicle. [IWMC Report]

 

A security source says the IAA destroyed 5 Daesh locations in the Jazeera area west of Samarra. [Ghad]

 

DIYALA

Baquba

Daesh says it detonated a sticky IED under a vehicle in Baquba, killing an informant and a SWAT member. [DabiqNews]

 

KIRKUK

Kirkuk’s provincial government has reached an agreement with the Iraqi PM and the Interior Ministry to replace the current head of Kirkuk police, Jamal Taher, with another Kurdish officer, to be determined shortly, according to the Interior Ministry. A Kirkuk MP has announced that the meetings last week between the Kirkuk Governor and Baghdad officials resolved the recent political impasse over the Interior Ministry’s attempt to dismiss Taher, which had been rejected by the Kirkuk government, prompting the central government to withhold the salaries of security personnel in the Governorate. [Rudaw]

 

The commander also says the police arrested 4 men wanted on terrorism charges and 18 other suspects in south Kirkuk. [Sumaria]

 

NINEWA

Mosul

Citing reports that National Mobilization Front fighters in Ninewa fled from Camp Zilkan during Daesh’s shelling and rocketing attack on the camp last week, a member of Ninewa GC has said that the Governorate would investigate these reports with the relevant officials, and, if they are confirmed, would ask the central government in Baghdad to dissolve the militia and bring those responsible for the militia’s performance to account, adding that after over a year of training at Camp Zilkan the NMF “failed at the first real test” of its competence. [Karemlash]

DaeshDaily comment. What the gentleman is saying is puzzling. If Iraq didn’t recognize them, or train them, why would it pass judgment on their competence? Moreover, since they were apparently being trained (likely by ex-Baathist officers) as part of a separatist scheme, why would the Iraqi government have any regrets about their alleged failure to perform.

 

A security source says Coalition airplanes bombed an important Daesh location in the 17 July area in north Mosul, killing 10 Daesh members including foreign fighters. [Sumaria]

Daesh says Coalition warplanes launched three airstrikes on the medical compound in the 17 July area and another on a plastic factory on the east side of the city. [A3maq] [A3maq]

 

A Ninewa police source says Coalition warplanes destroyed a big Daesh weapons and explosives storehouse in the Karama area east of Mosul, killing more than 10 terrorists. [Shafaaq]

 

Daesh says 6 people were killed and 3 wounded (all women and children) in a Coalition airstrike on a house in Qaser in east Mosul. [A3maq]

 

Some Iraqi units have traveled north to Ninewa in a first sign of preparation for anticipated operations to liberate Mosul from Daesh control, the head of Ninewa GC security committee has said, after meeting with the Ninewa Operations commander and advisor to the Coalition. He added, significantly, that major operations are not set to begin until operations have been completed in Anbar. [Karemlash]

 

A local source in Mosul says Daesh started a campaign to collect the national IDs of Mosul residents in order to prevent them from leaving the city. [Sumaria]

 

Daesh has executed two of its leaders in Mosul after arresting them yesterday near Hawija, a Ninewa police source said. Khalil Ahmad Ali, known as Khalil Al-Wis, and Udai Salih Hasan, both former officers in the pre-2003 Iraqi Army and later joined the Naqshbandi army, were executed on charges of stealing the wealth of the Islamic State. [BasNews]

 

Northwest Ninewa

The head of the “General Organization for Kurdistani Areas outside the Administration of Kurdistan Region,” who holds the rank of minister in the KRG, has demanded the withdrawal of PKK forces from Sinjar, and called for the area to be attached to the KRG rather than turned into a governorate of Iraq outside the KRG. Ninety-six percent of south (Iraqi) Kurdistan is now under Peshmerga control he said, referring to villages in the Ninewa Plain and around Sinjar that he said will be captured from Daesh. He estimated that Sinjar was sixty percent destroyed after being taken back from Daesh and said that a plan to implement the Cabinet’s plan for reconstruction in Sinjar had not been reached. [Rudaw]

 

Other Governorates 

KURDISTAN

KRG President Masoud Barzani has requested his KDP to begin caucusing with the KRG’s other political parties to develop a mechanism for a referendum on Kurdish independence from Iraq. However, this comes amid protests from the PUK that Barzani’s KDP is acting unilaterally by moving to replace Gorran’s Yusuf Mohammad as head of the KRG parliament while he is prevented by the KDP from reaching Erbil to convene the body, and amid protests from the Gorran party that the KDP is dominating KRG politics without the oversight of other parties. [Rudaw] Gorran’s ministers are also still excluded from the government.

A Gorran high ranking official says the talk about the future of the Kurdistan Region and its future should not be exclusive for only one party and everyone should participate in such fateful decision. He also warns that the KDP’s action will put Kurdistan in great risks. [IMN]

 

An MP of the Gorran bloc in the KRG parliament has said that there is no rapprochement with the KDP, citing KRG President Barzani’s “clinging to power and to the presidency in an illegitimate way.” He held the KDP responsible for the political difficulties in the KRG.  [Maalomah]

DaeshDaily comment. With all the recent political and military news from Iraq, it is too easy to overlook the really major leadership crisis in the KRG. With his presidential term over, no legal authority to preside further, no political support from the majority of the KRG parliament for his continuing in office, and having excluded others from the government cabinet by moves resembling a military coup, Barzani seems to be doubling down, creating a dangerous situation for both the KRG and Iraq as a whole.

He seems to have gambled that by coming on strong as the champion of Kurdish independence, and demanding personally or through surrogates that Iraqi territory be taken over by the KRG, he will strengthen his leadership role at the expense of his Kurdish political opponents. He is also opposing not only the PKK but the YPG militia of its affiliated PYD party in Syria on behalf of President Erdogan. 

The US leadership including the White House keeps stepping up to support Iraq, on a range of issues with Barzani. It may need to extend this policy to support more publicly the need for a return to democratic governance in the KRG itself.

 

SOUTHERN IRAQ

Najaf. A group of Najaf activists initiated a gesture of solidarity with the Christians of Iraq on the occasion of Christmas. They issued a “Message of Peace” to the whole world and pronounced their solidarity with Christians, especially those living in war-torn areas. The event, held on Rawan Street in downtown Najaf, included a big Christmas tree and distribution of gifts to children. [Mada]

 

Dhi Qar. Six of the Iraqi soldiers killed in the Coalition airstrike that accidentally killed a number of Iraqi soldiers near Falluja last week hailed from Dhi Qar Governorate, its Deputy Governor announced, calling for an urgent investigation into the details of the deadly incident.  [Sumaria]

 

Basra. The Criminal Court in Basra sentenced two men who participated in terrorist attacks to death. [Sumaria]

 

REPORTS FROM SYRIA

 

Northeast

The Syrian Democratic Forces deny receiving military aid from the Coalition in the last few days in the Hasaka countryside, the group’s spokesman has said, contradicting earlier remarks by a YPG commander who told ARA that his forces had received weapons from the Coalition to support the fight in areas around Hasaka and Al-Hawl against Daesh in its stronghold of Shaddadi. [ARA]

DaeshDaily comment. We suspect that the original YPG statement was denied so as not to offend Turkey, which dislikes US cooperation with the YPG.

 

The commander of Syrian government forces in the eastern sector has asked Arab tribal leaders in Hasaka to support the regime’s upcoming efforts in taking Shaddadi from Daesh to avoid the city falling to the YPG, warning of Kurdish control over the city. The commander also said that Syrian forces would be divided into multiple smaller units, each under a responsible commander, to avoid the flight of forces in battle as occurred during the battle for Hasaka. YPG forces are encamped near Shaddadi but halted their advance over two weeks ago in order to rest and reinforce their forces, ARA writes. [ARA]

DaeshDaily comment. We are noticing in recent stories that the YPG, which had been riding high and gaining a lot of territory in northeastern Syria, has come under growing pressure. Turkey is one source, Barzani a second, and now the Syrian Army is aiming at territory the YPG was intending to seize. Add to this the growing opposition from non-Kurds in YPG-captured areas who object to the PYD’s undemocratic takeover of government authority and private property.

 

Local sources say Daesh is displacing families from Shaddadi and sending them towards Hasaka, and sending some of its own members with the displaced families to form sleeper cells in Hasaka. [Hawar]

 

Daesh says two of its terrorists attacked the YPG in Jamous village near Suluk on Sunday, one of whom detonated his explosives vest after 3 hours of fighting, killing 4 YPG fighters and wounding 5, while the other terrorist was wounded but managed to return alive. [A3maq]

 

Northwest

Daesh has executed and crucified a youth from Manbij in the center of a village, a local activist has said. The victim, the son of a local tribal leader, was detained some days ago in an apparent effort to pressure the tribe to join Daesh. [BasNews] A local activist says Daesh crucified the son publicly in Buz Kij village north of Manbij because the father refused to call the men of his tribe to join Daesh. [ARA]

 

Daesh says Syrian planes dropped 5 barrel bombs on Al-Bab. [A3maq]

Daesh says 11 people were killed and 20 wounded in the bombing on Al-Bab yesterday. [A3maq]

Central and West

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists in Hama. [DabiqNews]

 

Daesh publishes a video of executing a Syrian Army “spy” in Tadmur. [DabiqNews]

 

Daesh says its terrorists killed 10 Syrian soldiers and destroyed 3 tanks and a vehicle in clashes between Sadad and Mahin. Daesh also says its terrorists captured a tank on Sunday. [A3maq] [A3maq]

DaeshDaily comment. And again there is no mention of Daesh losses. Daesh proudly tells us about suicide bombers who die, because they claim those as success stories (even if the terrorist failed to kill anyone else). Otherwise, based on Daesh media, it seems Daesh suffers no casualties.

 

East

Syrian warplanes bomb Deir Ez-Zor, wounding several civilians. Meanwhile, Daesh executed a man in Bukamal on the Iraqi border, accusing him of being a “murtad”. [Qasioun]

 

REPORTS FROM OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES

 

Daesh audio newsletter for today in Arabic [DabiqNews]

 

Egypt. Eyewitnesses says an Egyptian Army Apache targeted a Daesh gathering in Al-Ajra village south of Rafah, killing 10 Daesh terrorists, including its deputy leader in Sinai, and wounding 30 others. Security sources and eyewitnesses say two other Daesh local commanders were killed in an airstrike on their vehicle in Balaa village south of Rafah. [VetoGate] [VetoGate]

 

Daesh publishes 2 photos of targeting the convoy of the deputy security commander of Sinai with an IED on the coastal road in Arish. The results of the attack were not reported. [DabiqNews]

 

Libya.  Daesh publishes a video of its police in Sirte. [AKI]

 

Tunisia. The Tunisian Ministry of Interior says security forces arrested a terrorist cell of 4 members responsible for recruiting young men and women. [Tunisien]

 

Algeria. Algerian security arrested a cell of three women and a man in the capital Algiers who were responsible for recruiting women for Daesh. [AfriGate]

 

Other countries

Nigeria. A Nigerian colonel says security forces were searching three boys, age 10-15, when one of the boys detonated his explosives vest, killing 8 people, including his two other companions, and wounding 24 in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. [IslamMemo 

 

Philippines. Daesh publishes a video of its training camp in the Philippines. [AKI]  

 

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Facebook Page of the Day

Another news page from Falluja

 

Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day

https://twitter.com/LionSword4

https://twitter.com/893416dabdc94fd

https://twitter.com/_Jeff44

https://twitter.com/22lllkcggk4j4q

https://twitter.com/koroSEkai37

 

 

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