February 12, 2016
Today’s Major Developments
Al-Abadi slams “out-of-control” militias.
CIA Director Brennan says Daesh has used chemical weapons.
Anbar PC says Daesh destroyed or looted 75% of Anbar’s industrial equipment.
Jazeera Khaldiya could be Daesh’s last stand in Ramadi District.
Politically-related kidnappings, assassinations roil Tooz.
Syria Democratic Forces advancing on Manbij with Coalition air support.
Daesh expanding in Libya toward Sahel countries; but faces attack from Misrata militiamen.
NOTE: In accordance with our policy of observing all US and Iraqi holidays, we will not publish on Monday February 15. Please enjoy the holiday.
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
BAGHDAD
Political developments
PM Haider Al-Abadi says in Munich that Daesh lost half of the lands it used to control in Iraq. He also says the PMF is an official establishment under government control but some groups (created by the PMF process) are outside government control and they will not be tolerated. (He was not specific.) He says the government will confront these militias and sue its members. [Rudaw]
Abadi also expressed his hope that Ninewa would be liberated this year. He says there are no Iranian or Saudi or Qatari or any foreign troops in Iraq, only trainers who came with the knowledge and approval of the Iraqi government—except the Turks, who insisted on sending soldiers without Baghdad’s approval. [Mada]
PM Abadi met with Barzani in Munich and discussed the war efforts against Daesh and how to solve the issues between Baghdad and Erbil, according to statement from the PM office. [Mada]
John Brennan, Director of the CIA, said Daesh has used chemical weapons in battle on more than one occasion. He said the CIA believes Daesh is capable of manufacturing small quantities of mustard and chlorine, and it is “possible” they have the ability to transfer these weapons for use outside Iraq and Syria. [Sumaria]
The High Coordination Committee (the new Sunni political alliance) issued a statement saying that Abadi’s call for a cabinet change is very important and everyone should be part of the decision making. It also says the Iraqi state is about to collapse and a new government should be formed “to save the country and not to save the government”. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. This non-mainstream political grouping is led by former VP Nujaifi and linked to the separatist movement in Ninewa led by his brother and supported by the Turks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman says Speaker Jubouri’s visit to Washington was not coordinated with the Ministry and he didn’t inform it about the results of the visit. He says that the Iraqi Embassy in DC was put in a difficult position because of this violation of protocol. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. OK, the Speaker violated protocol, but was it necessary to issue a public statement intended to embarrass him?
The chairman of the Sunni Endowment, Abdullatif Al-Humaim, says some “fronts” are trying to “sabotage” the return of the displaced people in Ramadi, and these fronts are well known to the Anbari people. [Mada]
DaeshDaily comment. The man has just been appointed to help and leads with a bombastic statement. We suspect that some politicians in Anbar did not like this appointment, and the gentleman is reacting to that.
A small crowd demonstrated in Baghdad and several Iraqi cities demanding more reforms. The demonstrators in Baghdad demanded that Abadi’s new cabinet change move away from sectarian quotas. [Sumaria] [Sumaria]
Masked men attacked the demonstrators in Nasariya with sticks when the demonstrators were trying to approach the governorate building. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. Who is sending masked men to attack demonstrators? The issues in Dhi Qar tend to be directed at the governorate and the demonstrations have been ongoing for a long time. Perhaps some people are taking it personally.
Steven Vandeput, the Belgian Minister of Defense, told his Iraqi counterpart, Khalid Al-Obeidi, that the Iraqi victory in Ramadi will make the “Daesh life shorter”. Military cooperation was discussed, as Belgium expressed readiness to assist Iraq in its counter-terrorism efforts. [Maalomah]
In its meeting in Belgium, the Coalition stressed the necessity of intensifying attacks on Daesh command posts in Mosul and Raqqa, as the stage of eliminating Daesh operational capabilities has started. [AIN]
Iraq has received a new batch of Pantsir AA rocket systems (SA-22) making it 20 received by Baghdad so far. Iraq ordered 24 systems from Russia in 2012 within a larger arms deal. [Maalomah]
Iraq is negotiating with Russia to buy several MIG29 fighters to enhance its airpower, Russian media said, without specifying the numbers required. [Mada]
The Oil Minister says his ministry is receiving reports about mafias that smuggle oil through the regional waters. He says this has been happening since the sanctions in the 1990s. [Mada]
Security developments
The Daesh member responsible for sticky bombs in Daesh in Southern governorates, nicknamed Abu Hajir, was arrested in Yusufiyah in southern Baghdad Governorate in an ambush set by a 7th Army brigade, a security source said. [Mada]
IFP later said that the whole cell was arrested, including terrorists Abu Zainab, Abu Kawther, and Abu Atiya, all local leaders, all forming a part of Wilayat Al-Janoub cell. [Mada] Later news said that Abu Hajir was killed in the operation, according to IFP commander Shakir Jawdat. [Qurtas]
Baghdad Operations Command today closed down Al-Ahrar Bridge in the middle of Baghdad to protect the crowded Souq Al-Ghazil (of birds and animals) in the middle of Baghdad. The market was targeted several times. [Ghad]
Ministry of Electricity in Baghdad said that 400 MW of power is temporarily lost after an attack on high pressure tower no. 65 in Tel Sukhairi in Nahrawan in southeast Baghdad Governorate. The Ministry said maintenance personnel are working hard to restore this important lost power supply source. [Shafaq]
14 IEDs were destroyed in Dhabitya, Um Najim, Sheet and Amia in north Baghdad, the BOC said. [Ghad]
Daesh says its snipers killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded another severely in Tarmiya District, north of the city. [DabiqNews]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked a PMF position in Sayafiya in Arab Jabour in south Baghdad, killing one fighter and wounding two others. Daesh says it destroyed a Humvee when a PMF force came to evacuate the wounded. [DabiqNews]
Two Daesh guest houses north of Baghdad were destroyed and a quantity of weapons was confiscated, said a security source without naming the location. [Maalomah]
According to security sources:
Downtown Baghdad
One man was killed and another wounded when armed men opened fire on a liquor store in Batawiyeen in downtown Baghdad. [Mada]
Northwest Baghdad
The body of a man was found shot in his car on the highway to Shula in northwest Baghdad. [Sumaria]
North Baghdad
A roadside IED exploded while an army patrol was passing through Tarmiya District. One soldier was killed, four wounded, and their vehicle damaged. [Mada]
An IED placed in a popular market in Rashidiya in north Baghdad killed one civilian and wounded seven. [Baghdadia]
East Baghdad
A sticky bomb attached to a minibus exploded in Mashtal in east Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding five. [Mada]
Armed men opened fire near Ibn Al-Baladi hospital in the Jamila neighborhood in east Baghdad, wounding one civilian. [Sumaria]
South Baghdad
The body of a PMF member was found in Sayafiya in Al-Rashid District. [Ghad]
Bodies of two men shot to death were found in Mahmudiya, in southern Baghdad Governorate. [Sumaria]
Southwest Baghdad
An IED placed in a commercial area in Diwanem, in Bayya neighborhood, killed one civilian and wounded five. [Baghdadia]
An IED placed in a commercial area in Hay Al-Amel neighborhood in southwest Baghdad killed one civilian and wounded seven. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 10 (Not an overall total)
There are usually fewer incidents on Fridays
IWMC reported 20 Coalition attacks, on Mosul, Tal Afar, Sinjar, and Thirthar, killing 14 terrorists and destroying 29 positions, weapons caches, a tunnel, a mortar position, and a car bomb. [AIN]
IWMC said that the Iraqi Air Force (IAF) initiated 12 attacks and Iraqi Army Air (IAA) helicopters 27 attacks in various operations sectors. [AIN]
ANBAR
Falluja
The PMF command in Falluja announced that tribal fighters killed 8 Daesh terrorists in the heart of Falluja, which resulted in Daesh issuing orders to ban its fighters from walking around alone. The attack was in the Al-Sina’a area of the Golan neighborhood. [Mada]
An Anbar Police commander says unknown armed men killed 6 Daesh terrorists in Hay Al-Jumhuriya in Falluja. He says Daesh started a search operation after the attack. [BasNews]
Baghdad Operations Command said that its force in Albu Shijil killed 27 terrorists including the religious judge of west Falluja, and wounded 7; and they destroyed three vehicles, two of them booby-trapped. [Ghad]
50 Daesh terrorists have been killed in Albu Shijil, the IWMC said. Badr forces of the PMF were in the forefront in this offensive. [Mawazin]
In its advance towards Saqlawiya, north of Falluja, army forces killed 8 terrorists, a security source in Anbar Operations Command (AOC) said. [Maalomah]
Saraya Al-Jihad of the PMFs said that its fighters killed two Daesh terrorists and captured their car bomb in Thirthar, PMF media said. [Etejah]
IWMC said today that the new Daesh military leader in Qarma, nicknamed Abu Anas, and four of his companions, were killed by IAF warplanes that attacked their position in Al-Rashad in Qarma subdistrict. [Mada]
Ramadi
Hsaiba police station in east Ramadi is reopened and in operation, according to Ali Dawood, the chair of Khaldiya Subdistrict Council. He said this is a sign of returning state control and that police are securing the area as is normal. [Sumaria]
Hameed Ahmed, member of Anbar Provincial Council, attributed the big achievement in Ramadi to the contribution of Army aviation helicopters, which inflicted huge losses on Daesh. [Mawqif]
The process of removing IEDs, mines, and war remains started in the areas of Sufiya, Hsaiba, and Juwaiba east of Ramadi, as well as preparation by government offices for returning basic services, so that civilians can return to their areas ASAP, Anbar Provincial Council said. [Mada]
Anbar Provincial Council says 75% of the industrial structure in Anbar is destroyed, and that billions of dinars are needed to rehabilitate it. The council said that Daesh looted heavy machinery and equipment in the Thermal factory in Falluja, cement factories in Kubaisa and Al-Qa’im, and phosphate factory in Al-Qa’im. Power generators were removed, storehouses were totally looted and the contents were sold in Syria. [Mada]
General Ismail Al-Mahalawi, Commander of AOC, said that Army, Rapid Intervention, Anbar Police, and tribal forces backed by army aviation and Coalition warplanes initiated an operation to clear Jazeera Albu Dhiab, killing 13 terrorists and destroying several vehicles. He said that Daesh leaders are escaping towards Jazeera Al-Khaldiya, their last shelter, which he says will be overwhelmed by the army in the coming hours. [BasNews]
IWMC reported that 35 Daesh terrorists were killed by the 38th and 41st brigades in their advance towards Albu Dhiab area from Jaraishi and Palestine Bridge with the support of Coalition warplanes, IAA, and 10th division artillery. 62 IEDs were destroyed and 25 booby-trapped houses were cleared. Two soldiers were killed and four wounded. [Ghad]
Albu Hayes area north of Ramadi was liberated by a quick army operation that forced Daesh terrorists to withdraw after heavy losses. “Tens” were killed, including foreign fighters, according to Ali Dawood, Chair of the Khaldiya council. [Maalomah]
8th Army engineering corps cleared a 1500-meter road in Juwaiba of mines and IEDs, as well as the road connecting Juwaiba to Khaldiya, where 62 IEDs were defused. 15th Army destroyed 20 IEDs and defused 15 in Albu Risha, as well as destroying 12 booby-trapped houses and defusing two more, IWMC said. 16th Army cleared a school of IEDs where 20 were defused and 10 containers of explosives were destroyed, and a large weapons cache captured. Artillery also killed 9 terrorists in a shelling on Zawiya village. [Ghad]
A search in Sajariya, east of Ramadi, resulted in finding three weapons and explosives caches and a large quantity of rockets hidden in a civilian house, General Al-Mahalawi said. [Sumaria]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked Iraqi forces in Thirthar, killing 5 soldiers and destroying 2 Humvees. [A3maq]
A security source says Iraqi soldiers shot down a Daesh drone while it was flying over the government compound in Ramadi city. [Maalomah]
Hit/Haditha
IWMC said that IAF initiated an attack, based on national intelligence information, on a Daesh command gathering and a car bomb factory in Hit, killing 40-50 terrorists and destroying the factory. [Ghad]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
Abu Yusur Al-Libi, responsible for recruiting Daesh fighters in Shirqat, was killed when a sticky bomb attached to his car exploded in Shirqat, a security source said. [Maalomah]
Baiji
PMFs repelled a Daesh attack in Makhoul Mountains, killing the attackers and destroying and capturing several vehicles. [AIN]
IFP killed 10 terrorists and destroyed 2 vehicles and 3 fighting positions in artillery shelling on Al-Salman and Al-Msahaq villages in Makhoul Mountains north of Baiji, according to the IWMC. [Ghad]
PMF forces repelled a Daesh attack on Makhoul Mountains, killing several of them and destroying two machine gun mounted trucks. [Ghad]
The 10th IFP brigade backed by the IAF attacked Daesh gatherings in Strategic Line areas west of Samarra and in the Makhoul Mountains, killing 16 terrorists and destroying 4 vehicles and 3 defensive positions, according to General Shakir Jawdat, Commander of IFP. [Mada]
Samarra
The Ministry of Defense praised the role of the Samarra artillery command in initiating lethal strikes on Daesh all along the Strategic Line area. [Mawazin]
Tooz
The Chair of Tuz Khurmatu District Council described the security situation in the district as “tense,” following the killing of two Kurds and one Turkmen, and wounding of two more men in two separate incidents in the center of the city. [Mada]
Bodies of two men shot in the head were found in the middle of Tuz Khurmatu District, a security source said. [Baghdadia]
Six persons, including 3 soldiers of the presidential brigade (President’s bodyguards), were kidnapped by armed men on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road near Amerli, according to the District government. The District government accused AAH and Badr militias of the kidnapping. Communications are under way to secure their release. [Mada]
Southern Salahuddin
Daesh says its terrorists attacked an Iraqi Army and PMF position in Al-Nida in Mandali with light and mid-size weapons and the clashes continued for hours, without giving more details. [DabiqNews]
DIYALA
Baquba
Daesh says its terrorists blew up a main electricity tower in Bizayez Buhriz that provided electricity to the Shia area of Khan Bani Saad. [DabiqNews]
A “model” checkpoint was inaugurated near Himrin Dam, northeast of Baquba, Diyala Police Commander Jasim Al-Saadi said. He also said the concept of protection for this strategic area has changed, and that more thorough inspection will be instituted for vehicles and persons. [Sumaria]
Five persons were arrested in north and west Baquba, two of them on terrorism charges, the Ministry of Interior said. [AynIraq]
Southern Diyala
Daesh says its terrorists attacked an Iraqi Army and PMF position in Al-Nida in Mandali near the Iran border with light and mid-size weapons, and the clashes continued for hours, without giving more details. [DabiqNews]
KIRKUK
An armed group in a speeding car opened fire on a car transporting employees of the Kirkuk gas power station, wounding three of them seriously, a security source said. [Sumaria]
An IED placed on an off-road route exploded while families were escaping through the Dibis District northwest of Kirkuk, killing one woman and wounding two others. [Mada]
A PMF source says the PMFs targeted a Daesh civilian car in Hawija, killing the terrorists inside it. [Harbi]
NINEWA
Mosul
Mahmoud Sorachi, spokesman of National Mobilization of Ninewa said that a US helicopter, protected by an Apache helicopter, executed an airborne operation and arrested the Daesh wali of Mosul who was in his car in Badoush west of Ninewa, after killing some terrorists in the area. [Maalomah]
DaeshDaily comment. Apparently the disparaged Mr. Sorachi intends to stay in the news by offering news and commentary about events with which he has no involvement.
A PUK official quickly denied that report, also mentioning the story had included Kasik and Mahalbiya. He also says Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh heavily in Kasik, killing 5 terrorists and wounding 45. [Sumaria]
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says its fighters killed a Daesh member in the Shamsiyat area in Mosul.
Makhmur
50 Arab families escaped from villages west of Makhmur city towards Peshmerga positions in the city. An IED exploded while were escaping, killing one child and wounding 11 persons, a security source said. [Rudaw]
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh in Lakta village in Makhmur District, killing or wounding “tens” of terrorists. [PUKMedia]
Mohammed Al-Jubouri, the commander of Jubour Mobilization forces, said that the tribe is ready to liberate and hold ground in Qayara and 16 other villages occupied by the Jubour tribe. He said that heavy weapons are needed for the process. He praised the arrival of Iraqi army units in the Makhmur area. [Mada]
In addition to the two brigades of the 15th Army that arrived in Makhmur to participate in Mosul liberation, orders were issued to add the 91st brigade based in Khazer, said Abdulrahman Al-Luwaizi, CoR member from Mosul. [Mawqif]
IWMC said that more army forces will be arriving in Makhmur, following the 15th Army units. [Maalomah]
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
Turkish warplanes attacked PKK positions in the areas of Derlok, Kani Masi, Zibar, and Kara Mountains near Amedi, in northern Dahuk, eyewitnesses said. [Sumaria]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Wasit. Wasit Police announced the arrest of a “dangerous” terrorist wanted for terror crimes in various parts of Iraq. The arrest was made in Suwaira, north Wasit. [Sumaria]
Muthanna. Muthanna Police Chief Saaran Al-A’ajibi, denied rumors of Saudi rockets falling in Muthanna desert. Saudi Arabia is organizing “North Lightning” maneuvers with several other Islamic countries. [Mawazin]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
The Turkish Prime Minister says there is a possibility of war between NATO and Russia near the Turkish-Syrian border. He also says Turkey will not send ground troops to Syria but it will fight back the aggressions from the Syrian side. He says that the Turkish military gatherings on the Syrian border are intended to secure Turkey’s border. [BasNews]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday he expected Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to provide special operations forces to help Syrian opposition fighters battling Islamic State to retake the city of Raqqa. “We’re going to try to give opportunities and power to … particularly Sunni Arabs in Syria who want to re-seize their territory back from ISIL, especially Raqqa,” Carter said after defense talks in Brussels. Carter, who met with officials from UAE on Friday, said it had also promised to resume participating in the U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State. He received a similar assurance from Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
“We’re not looking to substitute for them (the Syrian rebels), any more than we’re looking to substitute for the Iraqi forces. But we are looking to enable them strongly and help them organize themselves,” Carter said. He said the United Arab Emirates could also play an important role in Iraq, helping train local forces, including Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. [Reuters]
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Daesh publishes photos of targeting Al-Nakhil village east of Ain Eissa with 2 SPG9 rockets. [DabiqNews]
Daesh says one of its suicide terrorists detonated himself near a YPG barrier in Hammam Al-Turkmen village near Suluk in Raqqa northern countryside. [A3maq]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters have advanced toward Manbij, seizing several villages south of the city from Daesh as they advanced from the areas near Tishrin Dam. The SDF had support from Coalition air power as it advanced. [Qasioun]
SDF fighters clashed with militia factions north of Aleppo near Azaz. The results of the fighting were not clear from the reporting. [Qasioun]
Russian airstrikes killed seven civilians and injured more than ten others in residential areas in and around Al-Bab city Friday evening, according to residents. Syrian Army forces based near the “Harara” Thermal Plant also attacked the city, which is the site of continuing ground fighting between Syrian troops and Daesh. [Qasioun] [ARA]
Russian planes struck the village of Sheikh Eissa north of Aleppo, killing two civilians and wounding seven others. [Qasioun]
Daesh fired “tens” of mortars from areas west of the Euphrates at the east bank of the river, south of Kobane on Friday, a YPG fighter said. One shell killed a 30-year-old Arab civilian in the countryside west of Kobane on Friday. Injuries to civilians were reported in several other villages, the YPG fighter said. The YPG returned fire, he added, targeting the source of the shelling, with fighting still ongoing. [Welati]
Daesh publishes a video message to the people of Aleppo asking them to join the “caliphate”. Daesh also asks Syrian armed groups in Aleppo to either join it or stay on the sidelines and let Daesh fight the Syrian Army. [DabiqNews]
DaeshDaily comment. Daesh is using the defeats of the Syrian armed groups in Aleppo to say that it is the only group that can fight the Assad regime and protect the Sunnis.
Daesh publishes a video stating that the Saudis and the Americans will lose the battle. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh publishes another video about the “dirty deal” between Saudi Arabia and the US regarding Syria. [Dawlat4]
Daesh says it targeted Syrian troops with 2 suicide attacks near Tal Maksour and Jab Al-Kalb villages west of Kowaires airbase in Aleppo’s eastern countryside. [A3maq]
Daesh says 13 Syrian soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in the first suicide attack. [A3maq]
Daesh says it destroyed a Syrian tank near Al-Seen village west of Kowaires. [A3maq]
A Kurdish military source says Daesh continued its shelling on villages in Kobane’s western countryside. The source also says Daesh shelled heavily the YPG positions in Jarabulus western countryside and the Shamiya hills west of the Euphrates, wounding 4 civilians and destroying many houses. [BasNews]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
The militia of the “Sharia High Court,” to which most Islamic opposition groups belong but is opposed by Daesh, attacked a Daesh headquarters outside of Homs, killing two Daesh leaders, according to Qasioun’s correspondent, who reported that the two slain Daesh militants (Abu Bakr Al-Yamani and Abd Al-Rahman Matar, also known as Abu Bakr Al-Ansari) were suspected of assassinations of opposition fighters in Homs. The anti-Daesh attackers faced fierce resistance in fighting that ensued, forcing them to withdraw. [Qasioun]
Friday noon prayers were cancelled in Homs today due to the heavy Russian airstrikes, according to media reports. [IslamMemo]
Daesh says Syrian troops supported by 40 tanks attacked its positions in the Hazm Mahin hills, 8 km (5 miles) northwest of Qaryatayn in Homs countryside but its terrorists stopped the attack, after hours of clashes, killing 21 Syrian soldiers and destroying 2 tanks and damaging a third. Daesh says Russian warplanes launched more than 60 airstrikes on the hills. [A3maq]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Two masked gunmen on a motorcycle fired an RPG on a Daesh hisbah vehicle in Deir Ez-Zor on Thursday evening, killing all those inside including a Daesh emir, according to “several sources.” [ARA]
Harsh conditions are affecting those fleeing from Daesh in the Deir Ez-Zor countryside, many of whom fled into the desert areas toward the Iraqi border. [ARA]
South (Damascus, Rif Dimashq, etc.)
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has said he does not rule out the possibility of Turkish and Saudi ground forces entering Syrian territory. [Erem]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Saudi Arabia. The Saudi decision to send ground troops to Syria to combat Daesh is “irreversible,” a Saudi defense advisor said in Brussels. The advisor added that the details of the deployment were still to be worked out. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the US Defense Secretary said that after bilateral talks with Saudi Arabian officials on the sidelines of the international conference of 49 defense ministers in Brussels, Riyadh had committed to expanding its role in the air war against Daesh. [Aawsat]
DaeshDaily comment: We suspect that the Saudi position (like the Turkish) is motivated not only by a desire to defeat Daesh but to shape the situation on the ground, especially in Sunni Arab areas of Syria, after Daesh is defeated.
North Africa
Egypt
Cairo
In a phone conversation Friday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Egyptian President Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi called for the lifting of international restrictions on arms transfers to the Libyan military, according to remarks by the spokesman for the Egyptian presidency. Pres. Sisi also reportedly urged the parties in Libya to work toward the formation of the much-anticipated government of national accord in Libya. [AfriGate]
North Sinai
Arrest sweeps by security personnel in various areas of North Sinai netted 22 suspected members of “takfiri” groups, a security source said. [ElWatan]
The body of an Egyptian Bedouin man was found in the village of Naga Shabana, south of Rafah on Thursday, clothed in orange as though he had been executed by Daesh. Egyptian authorities identified the body as that of Abd Al-Hadi Sabih Said, a resident of the village, who had been abducted by Daesh-affiliated militiamen a week before on allegations of collaborating with the Army. [ElWatan]
Daesh publishes photos of the shelling of Arish airport with Grad rockets yesterday. [DabiqNews]
Daesh publishes statistics of its operations in Sinai for the last lunar month. [Dawlat4]
Libya
Daesh is spreading southward in Libya and threatens the vast African Sahel region, including Libya’s southern neighbors Niger and Chad. A military official in Niger said Daesh is establishing a presence in the Sahel region in preparation for Western intervention in Libya that could hamper its ability to operate in the coastal areas where it is now established. A Chadian counter-terrorism officer said his units are establishing checkpoints near the Libyan border and working with local populations to monitor for Daesh expansion. An expert in Sahel security affairs said that Western intervention in Libya would force Daesh fighters to disperse in all directions. [Arabi21]
Benghazi
Libyan warplanes bombed Daesh positions in Benghazi and Derna on Wednesday and Thursday, targeting Daesh gatherings in both places and a sea transport containing ammunition in Benghazi. [Wasat]
Daesh says its terrorists shot down a Libyan jet over Benghazi and they are looking for the pilots. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes a short video of the fallen plane. [A3maq]
The spokesman of the 309 Tobruk Battalion, Mundhar Al-Khartoush, has said that his units had converted Type “30” sea cannons to land-based artillery for use against Daesh on the western front of Benghazi. [Wasat]
Derna
Daesh and the fighters of the Mujahidin Shura Council of Derna fought renewed battles in the “400” neighborhood of Derna, “well-placed sources” said. The fighting reportedly began intermittently and escalated to heavy clashes in the Daesh-controlled mountain areas that overlook the city. The Mujahidin fighters and allied local fighters defused several Daesh mines and IEDs planted to impede their progress. A “watchful calm” has followed the apparently inconsequential fighting, with occasional exchange of artillery fire. [Wasat]
Sirte
The Georgian national known as Abu Omar Al-Shishani, the red-bearded Daesh terrorist who has outlasted previous reports of his death and capture, has traveled to Libya to take part in Daesh operations, according to British intelligence reports which say that Al-Shishani entered Sirte with the convoy of 14 vehicles that reportedly arrived Monday night.
Daesh has maintained a state of alert in Sirte since Wednesday and has sent militants into the streets with megaphones calling the people to “jihad,” local sources say. Meanwhile, several families were forced to leave their waterfront homes in Sirte when Daesh informed them to leave. Residents also reported a spike in prices by 20 percent in basic foodstuffs and commercial goods for children as Libyan security officials have prevented supply trucks from entering the city since Wednesday. [Wasat]
Daesh has moved a large number of fighters, many of them foreigners, from Bin Jawad to Sirte to prepare for a possible attack by militias from Misrata, local sources say, amid escalating tensions and reported troop movements there. [Wasat]
Misrata
Fighters from Misrata have advanced past Abu Qarin (60 miles southeast of Misrata) and established checkpoints on the road to Sirte, and have fanned out to stake out other positions stretching from the coast to the interior, a Misrata security source said. The move appears to be preparation for a confrontation with Daesh, whose Libyan stronghold is located to the east. [Wasat]
Bin Jawad
A displaced former resident of Bin Jawad said that the humanitarian conditions in the Daesh-held coastal city are deteriorating, as the local hospital is low on supplies and basic foods have become scarce and expensive. [Wasat]
Tunisia
Former Interim Prime Minister Moncef Marzouki has said that Western intervention in Libya would be “a gift to Daesh,” lambasting the idea of military intervention as a costly mistaken idea that could destabilize the region, send waves of refugees fleeing the country, and ultimately drive more young people into the arms of Daesh or similar organizations. [MustakbalLibya]
The Tunisian government plans to form “local committees” in border areas with Libya to monitor and respond to the repercussions of anticipated international intervention in Libya, according to a statement issued today by the country’s prime minister. The committees will liaise with a national response committee, which was announced earlier this week. [Anadolu]
Other countries
Pakistan. Daesh says its terrorists killed two policemen and wounded another in the IJP Road Sector i9 in Islamabad. [DabiqNews]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
A Syrian opposition page
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/lkjhghjkl1234
https://twitter.com/ouhgngdbjmvd
https://twitter.com/Fitciyhcf1
Other Daesh media
Daesh publishes an instruction video for its supporters about how to evade being traced online. [Dawlat4]
