Today’s Major Developments
Al-Abadi meets the Pope, and Italy’s Prime Minister.
Al-Jaafari meets Turkey’s Ambassador about the Turkish troops in Ninewa.
Anbar PC leader says campaign to re-take Hit and Kubaisa is just days away; tells residents to evacuate now.
Daesh attacks anticipated in Tikrit area and west of Samarra.
More Iraqi troops arriving in Ninewa; militia leaders say PMFs will be there too.
Barzani announces major anti-corruption initiative.
Sunni militia mortars Assad family burial ceremony in Syria.
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
BAGHDAD
Political developments
PM Abadi issues a statement after meeting with Pope Francis in Rome, thanking the Pope for his efforts to establish peace. Abadi says terrorism doesn’t represent Islam and it targets all Iraqis. The Pope thanked the Iraqi government for its efforts to support peaceful coexistence. [Sumaria]
Abadi also met with the Italian Prime Minister, then issued a statement thanking Italy for its support in the war against Daesh and its training of Iraqi troops. Abadi also said the Syrian problem needs a political solution and sending more ground troops will dangerously escalate the situation in Syria. [Sumaria]
Back in Baghdad, Foreign Affairs Minister Jaafari met with the Turkish Ambassador to discuss the Turkish troop presence in Bashiqa. Jaafari says that the Turkish violation has become an Arab and international issue after both the Arab League and UN Security Council rejected the Turkish presence. [Mada]
The Minister of Defense left for Belgium to participate in the international conference on counter-terrorism. [Mawazin]
The Central Criminal Court sentenced 40 people to death, all on kidnapping charges, under the terrorism statute. 60 others were sentenced to life, 19 to various other prison terms, while 31 were released for insufficient evidence. [Rudaw]
Brett McGurk said that the Mosul liberation has “started actually,” by cutting Daesh communications and supplies and targeting its weapons storehouses. He also says the Coalition is coordinating with the Peshmerga and “Sunni forces” to prepare an attack on Mosul. [Sumaria]
However, Lt. General Vincent Stewart, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said that Mosul is not likely to be liberated in 2016, describing the process as rather complicated. He said that the areas surrounding Mosul can be liberated, but the city itself is a different issue. [Ghad]
DaeshDaily comment. Whatever the merits of Stewart’s intelligence analysis, the passing of time is costing a lot of lives in Mosul. We doubt that the people stuck in Mosul can take another year or more of the current deteriorating conditions, increasing tensions, and a rising number of Daesh executions intended to intimidate them. Read the “Ninewa” section of this report for more examples, following all of yesterday’s examples. We doubt that all those Christian and other Ninewa refugees stuck in Kurdistan can cheerfully wait for Stewart’s timetable either. It has been a year and a half already.
Moreover, all the Coalition bombing in Ninewa, the re-taking of some areas already by the Peshmerga, and the success of Iraqi forces in neighboring Salahuddin have created a lot of momentum to go after Mosul sooner, not later. More Iraqi troops are arriving in Ninewa right now. If the US does not remain actively involved in that effort, and the momentum wanes, there is a serious risk that control of the Ninewa liberation campaign will shift to the wrong people, including the Ninewa separatists and their Kurdish collaborators, backed by the Turkish troops in Bashiqa.
President Obama won’t even be in office a year from now. It’s hard to imagine that he would leave without seeing his Iraq strategy through to the end. The publicly acknowledged last critical step in the strategy is the retaking of Mosul. We think the DIA should revisit the analysis.
Speaker Jubouri met with the Russian deputy prime minister in Baghdad to discuss the developments in the region and the relationships between Iraq and Russia, according to a statement from the Speaker’s office. [Sumaria]
Hadi Al-Amiri, the commander of the Badr PMF militia said that the PMF will participate in the liberation of Ninewa, whether others like it or not. Meanwhile, AAH, another PMF militia, said there are thousands of Shia in Ninewa, mainly Shabak and Turkmen in Tal Afar, and it’s only natural to go and defend them. [Karemlash]
Former Ninewa Governor Atheel Al-Nujaifi says he was not responsible for the Turkish troops entering Ninewa and they arrived through Peshmerga controlled areas. However, he says the Turkish military has provided assistance and he welcomes help from anyone in the war against Daesh. He also says it is early to talk about liberating Mosul but the preparations are going on. [Sumaria] [Sumaria]
Security developments
An airstrike by army helicopters killed 13 terrorists and destroyed a vehicle southwest of Baghdad, Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) said. [Ghad]
5 IEDs were defused in the area of Hsewa east of Baghdad, and an explosives factory in Al-Shakhat was destroyed by BOC troops. [Ghad]
The first group of Iraqi pilots completed their training on the L159 Czech fighters, and the second group is heading to the Czech Republic for the same training, according to the Deputy Commander of the Iraqi Air Force, Faris Hassan Falah said. [Maalomah]
According to security sources:
In north Baghdad
- The body of a man shot to death was found in Taji. [Ghad]
- The body of a man shot to death was found in Husseiniya. [Ghad]
- Armed men in a car opened fire and killed a civilian in Husseiniya. [Ghad]
- A roadside IED exploded in Saba’ Al-Bor, killing 2 civilians and wounding 10. [Baghdadia]
In east Baghdad
- Armed men wounded a civilian by shooting into his car on Palestine Street. [Baghdadia]
- A man was shot dead by unidentified armed men in the Tariq neighborhood. [Sumaria]
- An army 1st lieutenant was found shot to death in his car in Fudhailiya. [Mada]
- Armed men in a 4-wheel drive car shot a civilian dead in Fudhailiya. [Ghad]
- A sticky bomb attached to a civilian car exploded and killed one, wounded two PMF members driving through Baladiyat. [Baghdadia]
In south Baghdad
- An IED went off near car sale area in Nahrawan southeast of the city, killing one civilian and wounding 8. [Mada]
- Armed men kidnapped a civilian from his house in Mechanik neighborhood in Dora. [Sumaria]
- Several mortar shells fell on Arab Jabour village in Dora, killing two civilians and wounding 5. [Mada]
- An IED placed in a commercial area near Al-Sihha neighborhood in Dora killed 2 and wounded 7. [Mada]
- The body of a slaughtered woman was found on a back road in Mahmudiya, in southern Baghdad Governorate. [ Maalomah]
In west Baghdad
- Unknown attackers threw a hand grenade at the house of a civilian in Hay Al-Amel neighborhood in southwest Baghdad and wounded him. [Sumaria]
- An IED exploded near a car showroom in Al-Bayya neighborhood in southwest Baghdad, killing one civilian and wounding 6. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 16 (Not an overall total)
Coalition warplanes initiated 18 strikes on Iraq and two in Syria. Iraq raids targeted Haditha, Baghdadi, Habbaniya and Ramadi; Hawija and another location in Kirkuk; Mosul and Sinjar, and destroyed tactical units, vehicles, and Daesh fighting positions. Strikes on Syria targeted Mare’ and Raqqa. [AIN]
ANBAR
Falluja
Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari, BOC Commander, says 400 terrorists were killed in operations south of Falluja. 250 were killed by the Coalition air forces while 150 were killed by Iraqi land forces. [Mawazin]
Albu Shijil area was fully cleared, said BOC, after killing 20 terrorists and wounding 17 others. 7 booby-trapped houses, one vehicle, and 15 fighting positions were destroyed. A Coalition warplane destroyed a tunnel in Albu Shijil. Three more were killed and two vehicles destroyed in the Thirthar-Taqsim Dam area. An army helicopter killed 4 in Thirthar. [Ghad]
Daesh has arrested four men after they allegedly raised the Iraqi flag on Al-Wahda Bridge in Falluja. The men are now in detention pending execution, according to Juma’a Faza’ Al-Jumaili, commander of the tribal mobilization brigade. He says Falluja is under curfew following the killing of some Daesh fighters by unidentified men in the city. [Maalomah]
A source in the city of Falluja stated that $1000 must be paid for every person that exits the city alive through the routes specified by government forces. [Sumaria]
BOC says Coalition warplanes killed 250 Daesh terrorists while Iraqi forces killed 150 in recent operations in areas between north Baghdad and Falluja. [Mawazin]
Abu Othman Al-Khlefawi, Daesh supply official, and three of his assistants were killed in a security operation in the Albu Jasim area in Qarma District, according to Col Mahmoud Murdhi Al-Jumaili, Commander of the 1st battalion of the tribal fighters. Al-Khlefawi was securing food provisions for Daesh forces in Qarma. [Mada]
A BOC commander says his troops stopped a Daesh attack on the Subaihat area in Qarma, killing 7 terrorists. He also says his troops killed 12 terrorists in Albu Shijil. [Mawazin]
Daesh says 3 people were killed and 5 wounded, including women and children, in shelling on Falluja. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes photos of shelling Iraqi forces in Zoba’a. [DawaAlhaq]
Ramadi
A military parade was organized by army and security forces, with participation of tribal fighters, in Khaldiya east of Ramadi, celebrating the liberation of the eastern Ramadi area. [Sumaria]
9 men, 4 of Arab nationalities, were arrested while trying to escape east Ramadi with evacuating families, a Ramadi security source said. [Baghdadia] General Ismail Al-Mahalawi, Commander of Anbar Operations (AOC) said 20 Daesh members were arrested, including Amer Mohammed Al-Hezimawi, a leading Daesh figure. [Maalomah]
Adhal Al-Fahdawi, member of Anbar Provincial Council, said that the rate of destruction of civilian houses east of Ramadi is minimal, but government offices are badly damaged. He said Sajariya and Madhiq witnessed 30% destruction due to intensity of battles, whereas Sufiya, Juwaiba, and Hsaiba were not heavily damaged. [Sumaria]
A local official in Ramadi says 70 young men from east Ramadi formed teams to clean their city. He says some of them used to be policemen and have experience in removing IEDs. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. The Iraqi government and civil society organizations should take notice of this and help these young men.
AOC says its troops shot down a Daesh drone in the Jaraishi area north of Ramadi. [AIN]
Chairman of the security committee in Al-Wafa subdistrict, 70 km (43.5 miles) west of Ramadi, says Iraqi forces stopped a Daesh attack on the Awasel area west of Ramadi, destroying 3 vehicle bombs and killing “tens” of Daesh terrorists. He says Iraqi forces are in control of the area. [Sumaria]
Daesh says “tens” of Iraqi soldiers were killed and 3 Humvees were destroyed in its attack on Awasel on Tuesday evening. [A3maq]
Here Daesh says its terrorists broke into 10 Iraqi military positions in the area and destroyed 4 vehicles before returning safely. [DawaAlhaq]
Hit/Haditha
Deputy Chairman of Anbar Provincial Council Faleh Al-Eissawi, called on the population of Kubaisa and Hit to leave their areas, as the army attack is imminent. [Ghad] He says they should leave their areas within 48 hours. He said the cities are being surrounded and will be attacked shortly. Safe routes are set for the population to exit, but they should raise a white flag to be allowed through. [Maalomah]
18th brigade of the IFP attacked a Daesh convoy in the Kubaisa desert with rocket launchers, destroying some vehicles and forcing the rest to escape back to Kubaisa. [Mada]
Coalition warplanes destroyed the religious court building in Hit, also killing 3 Daesh members and wounding 10. The building was previously the office for personal identity documents in Hit. [Baghdadia]
Daesh says tribal fighters tried to sneak into its positions east of Haditha but they were trapped in an IED field. Then Daesh terrorists attacked, killing or wounding many tribal fighters. When Iraqi helicopters arrived on the area to evacuate the dead and the injured ,Daesh terrorists shot at them and forced them to flee. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh says its terrorists shelled Iraqi forces west of Haditha with Grad rockets. [DawaAlhaq]
Western Anbar
The mayor of Rutba says 400 tribal fighters from Rutba were trained by the Coalition in Habbaniya base preparing for the Rutba liberation operations. [Sumaria]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
Local sources say the situation in Shirqat is deteriorating and people can’t afford to buy food because of the rising prices. They also say a revolt against Daesh in the city might happen because of this. [Mada]
Baiji
IFP 1st special forces brigade killed 7 Daesh terrorists near the Shirqat Bridge, destroying a construction shovel and a motorcycle, and defusing 3 IEDs, according to General Shakir Jawdat, IFP commander. [Baghdadia]
Army and security units repelled a Daesh attack on the defense line outside Siniya west of Baiji, destroying three vehicles and killing an unknown number of attackers. [Ghad]
Tikrit
A curfew was imposed on Tel Ksaiba village east of Tikrit after news that Daesh intends to attack the area with suicide bombers and car bombs. Security troops also cut off the Tikrit-Udhaim road for the same reason. [Baghdadia]
Army helicopters destroyed a construction shovel and two car bombs in the desert area of Jazeera near Speicher camp, according to a source in Salahuddin Operations Command. [Ghad]
A Joint Operations Command source says the IAA destroyed a small bridge used by Daesh as a supply line east of Tikrit in addition to targeting a Daesh gathering near the bridge. [Harbi]
Samarra
A PMF force repelled a “violent” Daesh attack on their positions in the Strategic Line (pipeline) area west of Samarra, killing at least 9 attackers and destroying two car bombs, a Samarra Operations Command source said. [Ghad]
Ayad Al-Zamili, Chairman of the CoR Security Committee, says Daesh is mobilizing hundreds of fighters to attack the Strategic Line area west of Samarra, currently held by the Sadr movement’s Saraya Al-Salam regiments. Al-Zamili called for a massive governmental action to clear these areas. He says they are posing a constant threat, as terrorists are using Thirthar Lake as a natural defensive barrier. [Mada]
A PMF source says the IAA targeted Daesh hideouts in Al-Naqeeb village west of Samarra killing 11 terrorists and destroying 2 vehicles. [Harbi]
Daesh publishes photos of targeting Iraqi forces vehicles west of Samarra with a 22mm cannon. [DawaAlhaq]
DIYALA
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
Unidentified armed men shot and killed a Lt. Colonel working with the Ministry of Interior as his car passed through Abu Saida subdistrict, a police source said. [Maalomah]
A security source says unknown armed men shot and killed a civilian near Mukhaisa village. The source also says an unknown body was found dead with torture marks in Tawila, 17 km (10.5 miles) north of Baquba. [Sumaria]
Northern Diyala
A force of 500 PMF fighters will be deployed in northeast Diyala to protect the power lines and poles near Khanaqin District, which are targeted frequently, causing power outages. [Sumaria]
KIRKUK
An unidentified warplane bombed two Daesh command centers in Bashir village near Taza, southwest of Kirkuk, killing 3 and wounding six in addition to destroying several of their vehicles. [Mada]
Daesh says it shot down an Iraqi drone in Bashir on Tuesday (video). [A3maq] [A3maq]
Two civilians were killed and four wounded in an oil tanker explosion in Benja Ali neighborhood in east Kirkuk, a security source said. [Mada]
Khalid Al-Mafraji, of the Union of Iraqi forces said that the Peshmerga finally allowed 30 families that escaped Daesh in Hawija to enter Kirkuk city. They were sent to Nezrawa refugee camp after investigating their identities. [Mada]
A car bomb exploded while a police patrol was passing on the main road in 1st of June neighborhood in south Kirkuk city, wounding 4 policemen and 3 civilians, a police source said. [Mada]
Daesh says it detonated a parked car bomb near the police station in 1st June area, giving no further details. [A3maq]
A Kirkuk police source says a Daesh snipers’ commander was killed by a drone in Riyadh, south of Hawija. [Mada]
NINEWA
Mosul
A Coalition airstrike on a Daesh headquarters near Al-Salam Hospital in the Al-Wihda neighborhood of downtown Mosul killed 20 terrorists and destroyed 5 vehicles. [Mada]
Coalition air forces killed 13 Daesh leaders in two airstrikes south of Mosul. Nine Arab leaders were killed in Salamiya in south Mosul District, while four others were killed in a strike on Hatra farther south. [BasNews]
Four more Daesh execution incidents were reported today.
- Daesh executed a woman in Al-Noor neighborhood in east Mosul, after noticing her Facebook message welcoming the Iraqi army to liberate Mosul.[ Mada]
- Daesh executed Sheik Ali Badir, a mosque imam in Mosul, after he was detained for several months on charges of “disobedience”. [Maalomah]
- Daesh publicly executed Wathiq Abdul Wahab, the correspondent of the local Al-Hadba newspaper, one day after his detention. [Mawazin]
- Daesh executed Ammar Adnan Al-Jubouri and Khalili Ibrahim Al-Nuaimi, both former election candidates in Qayara south of Mosul, after 6 months in jail. [BasNews]
The Ninewa Operations Commander says Iraqi forces are deployed in areas around Mosul and waiting for the orders to start the liberation operations. [Mawazin]
DaeshDaily comment. Maybe someone should tell the Director of the DIA. See comment under “Baghdad.”
A PUK official says Daesh has started to arrest young men in Mosul arbitrarily and force them to compulsory training after the reports of the arrival of Iraqi troops in the Makhmur and Qayara areas. (See under “Makhmur” below) He also says Daesh is calling people through the mosques to join its terrorists. [PUKMedia]
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says one if its snipers killed a Daesh terrorists at a guard post in the Kokajli area in east Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
Makhmur
Chairman of the Security Committee in Ninewa Provincial Council says 2 Iraqi brigades arrived to Makhmur preparing for Ninewa liberation operations. He says more troops are arriving in the coming days. [Mada]
A PUK official says 19 civilians escaped from Daesh controlled areas and surrendered to the Peshmerga in Qaraj subdistrict in Makhmur. [PUKMedia]
Northwest Ninewa
DaeshDaily note. We thank the observant reader who wrote to point out that in our February 8 edition we placed Tal Afar northeast of Mosul instead of northwest.
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
The KRG President and KDP leader Masoud Barzani initiates a major series of reforms within the KRG and KDP. There will be a review of the KRG financial structure; audit units will be established in all ministries and other agencies. There will be reviews of all government properties given to citizens through contracts or investments; of government-owned rented property; of the investment system; of government agency expenses. Companies that got money improperly will be identified and the money recovered. Contributions will be solicited from successful companies to help offset the budget crisis.
Within the KDP, Barzani promises to review all properties, businesses, and investments of officials and party members, including previous members, and require that properties and funds acquired improperly by leveraging party positions be returned. A similar review will be made relative to KDP-connected companies and businesses and KDP officials, and improperly acquired revenues will be returned to the KDP. He promises to manage the KDP’s money by transparent principles.
Barzani proposes to use some of the funds recovered to help the families of Anfal martyrs and Peshmerga. [Rudaw]
DaeshDaily comment. Speaking from some experience with Kurdish politics, having Masoud Barzani talking reform is an astonishing development in itself. The KRG would not even acknowledge its endemic corruption for years, and much of it has been perpetrated by and for the benefit of political party members. So this will draw a lot of skepticism, but if implemented it would be a reform of huge importance.
Barzani is under a lot of political pressure right now, but the entire KRG is under enormous financial strain, as is the Government of Iraq. This likely affects the timing of the initiative. Much of this “reform” program is designed to find money.
What Barzani is going after at the KDP level is at the heart of the corruption. The KRG has a lot of public land and has a policy of giving it to local citizens who meet certain criteria, largely as housing lots. Many of the KRG’s shadiest deals have involved arrangements with politicians to trade those pieces of property for an equal amount of property in Erbil, which of course is much more valuable. Some of those deals have then been converted into lucrative businesses and investments. The KDP and party members have often done these and other political favors in exchange for a piece of the action. This is how a lot of people got rich, in Erbil especially but not only in Erbil. Barzani’s move will put some pressure on the PUK to make similar moves
Giving emphasis to the economic crisis, “tens” of mosque imams demonstrated in Erbil, protesting the declining economic situation and demanding that the government fight corruption and cancel the reduction of salaries. [Sumaria]
Turkish warplanes bombed areas near the city of Amedi, in Dahuk Governorate near the Turkish border, targeting PKK units, Amedi sources said. No reports on damages are available so far. [Sumaria] Turkish planes also bombed near the village of Sidikan in northern Erbil. [AIN]
A British fighter with the Peshmerga published photos of Daesh spying balloons on his Twitter account. He says that Daesh attaches cameras to the Dora the Explorer balloons and uses them to spy on Kurdish troops. [BasNews]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Basra. An armored battalion of the 9th army brigade arrived to Basra for another wave of searches for heavy and medium weapons in Abu Al-Khasib, in southern Basra. [Baghdadia]
Babil. The Chairman of the Security Committee in Babil Provincial Council says security forces captured a man who manufactures IEDs in his house in Hashemiya, 22 km (14 miles) south of Hilla, and confiscated several IEDs. [Sumaria]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Political developments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired a “high-level” meeting in Ankara Tuesday evening to discuss security issues on the Turkish-Syrian border. Present were the Prime Minister, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, the Minister of Interior, and the Chief of Intelligence. [Cihan]
Ankara denies reports it is preparing a force of 150,000 soldiers to participate in operations against Daesh, according to sources in the Prime Minister’s office. [Arabi21]
Security developments
The pro-PYD Hawar reports that gunfire by Turkish border guards injured a civilian in the hand as he crossed the border near Jindires, west of Afrin, in the northwest corner of Syria. Civilians routinely cross the international border in that area “to meet their daily needs” Hawar writes, but Turkish border guards routinely fire on those making the crossing. [Hawar]
Thirty-four vehicles and 170 Ahrar Al-Sham militia fighters crossed from Turkey into Syria on the 6th and 9th of February, respectively, under cover of the Turkish military, according to “exclusive sources.” The vehicles, carrying militiamen, entered Idlib while Turkish troops fired on the border areas by the Jindires subdistrict, reportedly to prevent potential witnesses from leaving their homes The 170 fighters entered Idlib Governorate and then found their way to Aleppo Governorate, according to Hawar’s sources. [Hawar]
Turkish media reported that the Turkish Army captured a group of 34 Syrians (men and women and 20 children) who were trying to cross the border from Daesh controlled areas to Gaziantep, and confiscated 15 kg of explosives and 4 explosives vests from them. [Sumaria]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Daesh fought violent battles with Syrian Army troops in the archaeological area of Raqqa, located on the Raqqa-Hama highway, as Daesh made the first attempt to expand its area of control in that direction. Neither side made advances in the battle, amid reports of deaths and injuries on both sides. [Qasioun]
The “Raqqa Revolutionaries Front” militia has announced that it has joined the Syria Democratic Forces. The announcement came in a press conference in Qamishli on Wednesday. [ARA] [Hawar]
Daesh shelled YPG positions near Ain Eissa north of Raqqa, amid retaliatory YPG strikes on the source of the Daesh artillery and rocket fire. [Qasioun]
The YPG arrested four civilians in Tal Abyad north of Raqqa on allegations of cooperating with Daesh. [Qasioun]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
The “Democratic Self-Administration” Government that controls much of the largely Kurdish area with the backing of the PYD has opened an official office in the Russian capital Moscow. [ARA]
The PYD President, Saleh Muslim, says he doesn’t want the Kurds to be separated from Syria. [BasNews]
Daesh publishes photos of destroying a Syrian T72 tank west of Tal Maksour village. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh says Syrian Army troops and its allied militias supported by Russian warplanes and Syrian helicopters launched a massive attack west of Kowaires airbase. Daesh says its terrorists stopped the attack, killing 7 soldiers and destroying a T72 tank. [A3maq]
Daesh launched shells at YPG positions in rural areas north and west of Kobane on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, as well as shelling areas by the Tishrin Dam, according to a YPG fighter, who said there were no injuries to report. [ARA]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
President Bashar Al-Assad survived an assassination attempt when the Saudi-backed Ahrar Al-Sham militia, noted above, shelled the burial of his mother in Qardaha, a village overlooking the city of Latakia. The rockets killed four and wounded several others, Ahrar Al-Sham said. [Rudaw]
Syrian Army troops with Russian air support fought heavy battles with Daesh militants in Qaryatayn east of Homs but were unable to advance against the Daesh fighters. The two sides also fought renewed battles in the oilfields of Sha’ir and Hajjar. [Qasioun]
Daesh publishes a video of its hisbah activities in Homs. [DawaAlhaq]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Russian planes airdropped food supplies to besieged Syrian troops in Deir Ez-Zor. One drop reportedly landed near the Al-Siyasiya Bridge which is under Daesh control. Daesh shelled Syrian Army positions in and around the Deir Ez-Zor military base, while Syrian artillery and Russian planes struck the Daesh-held neighborhoods of Al-Sina’a, Al-Rusafa, and Kasarat. Ground battles continued between Daesh and Syrian Army troops supported by Lebanese Hezbollah militiamen as Daesh tried to storm areas close to the airport.
Daesh executed three people west of Deir Ez-Zor and crucified them on the main roads. The reason for the executions was not known. [Qasioun]
South
The Daesh-aligned “Sadiq” Brigade executed 14 opposition fighters in the city of Al-Damir in Rif Dimashq just after signing a 48-hour truce with opposition factions! Local sources report that Sadiq Brigade militants stormed the headquarters of the Ahmad Al-Abd Brigade, prompting heavy clashes with injuries reported on both sides. Meanwhile, the Jaish Tahrir Al-Sham militia has denied any relationship with the Sadiq Brigade, which formerly operated under the Jaish Tahrir Al-Sham banner but split off to join Daesh. [Qasioun]
Jaysh Al-Islam, another Saudi-backed militia, has released aerial “reconnaissance” photos of Damascus (photos). [Arabi21]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Saudi Arabia. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has again stated that Saudi Arabia is prepared to participate in any ground force that enters Syria to fight Daesh, speaking in a press conference with his Moroccan counterpart. [Qasioun]
Kuwait. Kuwait will not send ground troops outside its borders to fight Daesh, the Kuwaiti Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Muhammad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah announced on Tuesday, citing constitutional restrictions on deployment of Kuwaiti troops. Al-Sabah said that Kuwait supported the efforts of the Saudi-led coalition against extremist groups, saying that Kuwait’s role in the effort related to “exchange of information and providing necessary facilities to the coalition to facilitate [its] activities.” [Arabi21]
North Africa
Egypt
Any foreign intervention in Libya should come under Libyan leadership or could backfire, the Egyptian foreign minister has said. [AfriGate]
DaeshDaily comment. Both Egypt and Tunisia are distancing themselves from any western intervention in Libya. The problem with relying on Libyan leadership is that so far we don’t know who that is, as there are still dueling governments and politicians. Meanwhile, Daesh is getting stronger in Libya.
Daesh says it terrorists destroyed an Egyptian Army armored vehicle south of Sheikh Zuweid, killing or wounding most of its crew (video). [A3maq] [A3maq]
North Sinai
Egyptian security troops killed 15 militants and injured another nine with gunfire near the Jihad Abu Tabal agricultural area south of Arish city after receiving intelligence information of a gathering of unidentified “terrorists” in the area. [VetoGate]
Egyptian troops fought an hour-long gun battle with masked gunmen in the streets of central Arish on Monday after an armed group attacked a security patrol in the early morning hours, without causing any casualties, security sources report. [VetoGate]
Egyptian security troops apprehended ten suspected Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis members in connection with planting deadly IEDs in North Sinai, security sources said. Some of the suspects reportedly received training from Daesh in Syria and Libya. The operations reportedly came after obtaining information from secret informants who helped the security agencies identify unfamiliar faces in the targeted areas and create a list of 30 wanted militants. Operations are ongoing to block the escape of other members of the IED-planting cell and capture the remaining wanted suspects. [VetoGate]
Egyptian authorities reportedly destroyed a weapons and explosives cache linked to Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis on Wednesday in a desert area of North Sinai. The cache reportedly contained machine guns, ammunition and explosives in the form of gunpowder and TNT [VetoGate]
Three policemen were wounded on Wednesday when an IED exploded on their armored vehicle south of Sheikh Zuweid, medical sources said. [ElWatan]
A security source claimed that Arish would largely be secure within three months. [ElWatan]
Libya
A military column of “tens” of vehicles and three brigades of fighters have left Misrata headed for Daesh-held territory, local sources said. The force is reportedly outside the city of Saddada (115 miles west of Sirte). [AfriGate]
Residents of Sirte are fleeing the city in advance of anticipated airstrikes in the Daesh-held city, local sources say. The displaced are reportedly heading to areas south and west of the city. [Wasat]
Libyan warplanes struck the “400” neighborhood of Derna where Daesh members are known to be concentrated, according to Muhammad Manfour, commander of the Air Force Operations Room. [AfriGate]
American warships have approached the coast of Libya, Tunisian activists said. US battleships were reported in Tunisian waters near the coastal Tunisian city of Zarzis. Arab and Western diplomatic sources in Tunisia have reportedly said that western airstrikes on Libya will commence in mid-March. [AfriGate]
The Tripoli-based “National Salvation” government has threatened to close its land border with Tunisia if Tunis does not permit flights departing from Libya to land at Tunis–Carthage International Airport. The Tunisian authorities have closed the country’s main airport to flights from Libya, announcing an extension of that policy on Tuesday. The Tripoli-based government’s Foreign Minister Ali Buzekok said Libyan departures have been required to land in Sfax in the south of the country, causing discomfort to Libyan citizens bound for Tunis without improving security. [Wasat]
Tunisia
Tunisian authorities foiled a plot by the “Soldiers of the Caliphate” group to attack three cafes in Tunis, according to media reports. The would-be attackers were reportedly acting on orders from Daesh. [Tunisien]
The Tunisian government said it is preparing a plan to deal with the humanitarian situation resulting from anticipated Western operations against Daesh in Libya, the country’s Prime Minister said. The Tunisian Minister of Trade has announced that Tunisia has begun stockpiling foodstuffs in preparation for shortages in the market in the case of an influx of refugees from Libya. The Foreign Ministry is reportedly overseeing a committee of government agencies formed to coordinate with international relief organizations that work in Tunisia. [Arabiya] [Wasat] [Tunisien]
Five Tunisians were handed over to the Tunisian authorities by the Tripoli-based Libyan government after being captured in Libya on suspicions of joining unidentified terrorist groups, a Tunisian activist and specialist in Libyan affairs said on Wednesday. [Tunisien]
Other countries
Belgium. Belgian authorities arrested a Belgian from Antwerp on suspicions of planning to travel to Libya to join Daesh, according to Belgian media reports. [Wasat]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
A pro-Assad news page from Hasaka
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/muslimjihadist2
https://twitter.com/aboelmoatassi20
https://twitter.com/eng_988eng
https://twitter.com/80_fi__SNABIL
