February 23, 2016
Today’s Major Developments
Council of Ministers committee initiates selection process for new ministers.
Comprehensive arrests made of Baghdad car bomb collaborators.
Tribesmen already fighting in Hit; government is slow in sending troops.
Daesh losing more ground in Hasaka, gaining south of Aleppo
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
BAGHDAD
Political developments
Prime Minister Abadi emphasized the importance of liberating Falluja as soon as possible, in the cabinet meeting held Tuesday. [Maalomah]
A member of the State of Law coalition in the CoR says the Council of Ministers formed a committee of academics and experts for all ministries, to work with the Prime Minister to establish a mechanism to select the new ministers. The committee has started its work, divided into three groups. The first group will evaluate the work of the current ministers to see which have succeeded in their job and should remain in the new cabinet. The second group will select three technocrats as nominees and ask each political party that lost a ministry in the cabinet to choose one of them. The political party can nominate a technocrat on its own if it rejects the three nominees. The third committee will consult directly with the people to choose 2 non-partisan ministers in the cabinet, to ease the tension in the streets according to the MP. [Mada]
The Prime Minister’s office says Abadi met with Moqtada Al-Sadr in the Khadimiya Shrine to discuss the upcoming cabinet changes. Sadr announced he would lead a “unified” Friday prayer in the Tahrir Square in Baghdad. [Mada] [Mada]
Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy chairman of the PMF commission, denies in a press conference any disputes between the PMF commanders and the government. He says the PMFs are military units and they follow the orders of the General Commander of the Armed Forces, PM Abadi by law. He also says preparations for a major military operation are ongoing, without giving more details. Muhandis explained that the salaries of PMFs were not paid for the last two months of 2015 because of the increase in their numbers and the insufficient budget, but the salaries were paid for January and February. He says that although the PMFs are volunteers, so not barred from political activity like government employees, the Council of Ministers might issue orders in the coming days preventing them from any political activities. [Mada]
Abu Ali Al-Basri, commander of operations of PMF, said that the PMF will surprise Daesh with a large operation before the liberation of Mosul. He said that a decision has been made, but the location could be Hawija, or Falluja, or Jazeera Samarra. [Mawazin]
The Ministry of Interior formed a committee to study the return to service of police officers and soldiers who deserted in 2014. [Mawazin] 777 deserted policemen were pardoned following the study. [Mawqif]
Deputy Speaker of the CoR, Humam Hamoudi, says the CoR formed a committee to follow up and recover stolen monies. [Mada]
Prime Minister Abadi’s office issues a statement welcoming the ceasefire agreement in Syria. [Mada]
Security developments
Rusafa investigations court said that all persons involved in car bomb attacks in Baghdad and other governorates since last July were arrested through confessions of several terrorists arrested. The series of confessions led to the arrest of all those who collaborated, by equipping, transferring, parking, or detonating these cars. Operations in question took place in Sadr City, Jamila, Bab Al-Sham, Zafaraniya, Baghdad Al-Jadida, and Al-Shurta Al-Rabia, and also included foiled attacks in Najaf and Kerbala. [Mawazin]
DaeshDaily comment. We can’t evaluate the sweeping claim being reported. However, we notice the big drop-off in car bombings in Baghdad. Presumably there is a connection.
The MoD announced several attacks by army helicopters. One provided air cover for army units in the Arab Jabour area in south Baghdad, killing 3 terrorists and destroying a 23mm gun and two houses, including one with a tunnel. In Anbar, a vehicle and a house were destroyed, in addition to a motorcycle and 23mm gun in Hamdhiya. In Salahuddin, army helicopters killed 4 terrorists and destroyed a mortar unit in Allas, and killed 10 in the Makhoul area. A CH4 drone destroyed two vehicle bombs, a Hummer and a machine gun-mounted truck in the Strategic Line area west of Samarra. [AynNews]
Saraya Al-Jihad militia says that it manufactures sophisticated small size reconnaissance drones (photos). [Shafaq]
Baghdad Operations Command says its troops found 3 booby-trapped terrorists guesthouses in Hor Al-Basha in north Baghdad and destroyed them under control. [Ghad]
The following security incidents were reported.
Baghdad Center
MoI explosives units defused a locally made IED in a bus belonging to the public transportation department in Bab Al-Moatham, in the middle of Baghdad. [AIN]
North Baghdad
A roadside IED exploded when an army patrol was passing through Taji District, killing two soldiers and wounding five others. [Baghdadia]
Two hand grenades placed in a trash can in Husseiniya exploded, wounding two civilians, while another IED placed near a private generator was found and defused. [Ghad]
Southeast Baghdad
An IED placed near a bakery in Jisr Diyala killed two civilians and wounded five. [Mada]
South Baghdad
An IED exploded in Hor Rijab village in Dora, killing one civilian and wounding seven. [Mada]
An IED placed in a vegetable market in Arab Jassem village in Yusufiyah killed two civilians and wounded eight. [Baghdadia]
An IED placed near a coffee shop in Ja’ara, in Mada’in District, killed two civilians and wounded eight. [Mada]
West Baghdad
Armed men shot dead an officer with the rank of 1st Lieutenant as he was driving on Ghazaliya Expressway. [Mada]
Southwest Baghdad
An IED placed in a commercial area in Suwaib killed one civilian and wounded six. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 9 (Not an overall total)
The IWMC said that 120 Daesh terrorists were killed in various areas of armed forces operations. [Baghdadia]
The IWMC says Coalition warplanes attacked Sinjar, Mosul, Tal Afar, and Jubba killing 4 terrorists and destroying various types of equipment, and Shirqat and Hammam Al-Alil, killing 26 terrorists including the wali of Shirqat Omar Ghanem (from Hammam Al-Alil) and destroying 10 vehicles. [Baghdadia]
A separate report says the Coalition reported its planes conducted 15 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Iraq and 11 on targets in Syria, adding that attacks in Syria targeted oil wellheads near Deir Ez-Zor. [Sumaria]
ANBAR
Falluja
Sheikh Wissam Al-Hardan, head of Iraqi Sahwa forces, said that his forces fighting Daesh in the frontlines have not been paid for 3 months now. He also said contacts with Baghdad on the issue resulted in promises and more promises. He says that Sahwa forces played a big role in standing up to Daesh, and he wants the central government to resolve this issue. [Maalomah]
Baghdad Operations Command said that its forces are continuing to advance in the Albu Shijil, Qarma, and Taqsim Dam area, killing 10 terrorists and destroying two machine gun-mounted trucks. 3 terrorists were killed in Bustan Al-Tikriti, 6 in Albu Khanfar, and 1 in Khayamiyat. [Ghad]
According to Col. Juma’a Faza’ Al-Jumaili, commander of Tribal Mobilization in Qarma, Daesh offered negotiations to allow withdrawal of their leaders to Mosul and evacuate Qarma without fighting. He added that local Daesh fighters requested amnesty and waiver of liability for their actions in exchange for allowing the army to enter the city without fighting. [Maalomah]
15 Daesh terrorists were killed and several of their vehicles destroyed when army units repelled a Daesh attack in Hayakel in southeast Falluja, according to Col. Al-Jumaili. More reinforcements arrived to secure the area. [Mada] 9 Daesh suicide attackers were killed in various areas around Qarma subdistrict east of Falluja according to Al-Jumaili. [Mada]
PMFs have advanced to 3 km from the city of Falluja from the east after major advances in Subaihat area along with army forces, killing large numbers of terrorists and destroying their equipment, according to the PMF website. [Qurtas]
Basim Al-Salami, a Badr militia commander, said that the PMF supported Falluja’s rebelling tribesmen with ammunition and food supplies, through secret passages. [Mawazin]
A Baghdad Operations commander says Iraqi and Coalition warplanes killed 5 Daesh terrorists and destroyed a vehicle and a construction shovel near Tuffaha Bridge south of Falluja. [Mawazin]
Daesh executed 12 persons in the middle of Falluja on charges of trying to escape the city, a source in Anbar Police said. Civilians in Falluja try to cross through Meshahda and Falahat train station. [Mada]
Daesh executed 4 ex-policemen in Falluja for participating in armed clashes initiated in the past few days, according to Anbar Operations Command. [Maalomah]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked 2 Iraqi Army positions in Tuffaha in Zoba’a, destroying a BMP vehicle and a Humvee and killing several soldiers. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes a video of normal life in Falluja [A3maq]
Ramadi
An operation by the Iraqi army in Jazirat Al-Khaldiya killed Abu Hajir Al-Suri, the security officer of Daesh in Khaldiya and 6 of his assistants, according to Ali Dawood, Chairman of the Khaldiya subdistrict council. The attack destroyed 3 vehicle bombs, a rocket launching platform, and a truck full of medical supplies and foodstuffs heading for the Albu Obeid area north of Ramadi. [BasNews]
16th Army repelled an attack by Daesh terrorists on Albu Risha north of Ramadi, killing “tens” of attackers and destroying their vehicles, the Ministry of Interior said. [Maalomah]
Daesh publishes photos of battles in Albu Risha and Albu Delma north of Ramadi. [JustPaste]
An attempt by Daesh to regain control of Hamdhiya east of Ramadi was repelled by army forces after killing 23 terrorists and destroying three vehicle bombs. [Mawazin]
4 Daesh terrorists were killed while attempting to plant an IED in Abu Taiban, northwest of Ramadi, after their IED exploded. They had several more IEDs in their possession. [Baghdadia]
13 Daesh terrorists including three leaders were killed in clashes with the army in Al-Khasfa, west of Ramadi, a security source in Anbar said. [Baghdadia]
Major General Ra’ed Shakir Jawdat, commander of IFP, said that his forces found and destroyed a sophisticated Daesh tunnel network in Hsaiba, east of Ramadi. The IFP recovered sniper rifles and ammunition from these tunnels before burying them. [Ghad]
Hameed Al-Dulaimi, member of Anbar Provincial Council, says it is too early to speak about return of the IDPs to the cities of Anbar, due to the very large number of IEDs, mines and war remains that require an international effort to clear them. [BasNews]
The MoD ordered a specialized engineering unit to Anbar to assist in removing IEDs and mines, with the necessary equipment to remove the remains of destroyed buildings. [AIN]
A video of Iraqi forces under Daesh fire in Juwaiba [YouTube]
A video of a Daesh member approaching Iraqi soldiers in Albu Dhiab in Ramadi District. The soldiers tell him to take his clothes off but he refuses and they kill him. [YouTube]
A video of IFP fighters in a close encounter with a Daesh vehicle bomb [YouTube]
Hit/Haditha
Joint Operations Command said the uprising of Hit is a great motive to army troops to expediently liberate Hit. It added that the process to liberate Falluja is proceeding as planned; so is that of Mosul. [Baghdadia]
Naeem Al-Kaood, the commander of Hit tribal fighters said that tribesmen of Hit and Kubaisa engaged Daesh terrorists in the neighborhoods of Dawar, Jami’ya, Mualimeen, and Dolab in the city with light and medium weapons, adding that they work in coordination with the army and tribal mobilization. [Sumaria]
Malallah Al-Obeidi, the chair of the subdistrict council of Baghdadi said that Hit and Kubaisa tribes are pleading with the army to support their revolt against Daesh and clear the two cities from its control. [Sumaria]
Lt. Saoud Al-Obeidi, the spokesman of 14th Rapid Intervention battalion, said that large military reinforcements are arriving at Ain Al-Asad base to liberate the district of Hit and its surroundings, in coordination with continued airstrikes on Daesh targets in the city by Iraqi and Coalition aircraft. [Maalomah]
DaeshDaily comment. The four stories above illustrate one of the weaknesses of the Iraqi military. It is methodical and efficient lately in winning battles, but it does not show the agility to adapt quickly to events on the ground. We have had countless reports of Iraqi Army Air attacking targets on the ground but none of moving troops to combat areas. In Hit, the government told non-combatants to evacuate within 72 hours; local tribesmen responded to that and have already started rebelling against Daesh; but only now are large enforcements arriving at Ain Al-Asad, which is not where the tribesmen are risking their lives.
Jazeera Operations Command announced that its forces killed 7 terrorists in the Dolab area and destroyed a rig and a shovel, while the Coalition warplanes destroyed a car bomb in Baghdadi and killed two terrorists in Al-Qotniya near Baghdadi. [Baghdadia]
Coalition warplanes attacked a gathering of Daesh terrorists in the Al-Mashtal neighborhood of Hit, killing them all, and then attacked the area of Kassara where another gathering of Daesh was located, and killed all of them, a security source in Anbar said. [Sumaria]
Daesh publishes a video of an unexploded rocket that was allegedly dropped by an American warplane on the Albu Hayat area east of Haditha. [A3maq]
Anbar Police announced it has equipped Rapid Intervention battalions with weapons and supplies to take part in the liberation of west Anbar areas. [Baghdadia]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
Major General Ra’ed Shakir Jawdat, commander of IFP, said that IFP shelled Daesh positions in Makhoul, Himrin, and Fatha, as well as the Shirqat area, with multiple rocket launchers as a step towards final clearing of all of these areas. [Ghad]
Daesh adopted the tactic of “human guarantee” to ensure that the population would not escape Shirqat District. This means that anybody wanting to leave the District for any reason must place a relative in custody of Daesh until the first person’s return as a guarantee, otherwise the person in custody will be held responsible and be subject to “religious court” orders, according to Jabbar Al-Ma’mouri, a PMF commander. [Sumaria]
Baiji
The IFP commander says his troops found a Daesh IED and car bomb factory west of Siniya and confiscated 37 IEDs. [Ghad]
Tikrit
60 Arab young men escaping Daesh controlled areas in west and south Kirkuk disappeared in the area between Himrin and Al-Alam subdistrict in Salahuddin. As their destiny is still unknown, rumors are spreading about their either falling to a Daesh ambush or being arrested by the Kerbala battalion of the PMF in the area. [Mada]
Samarra
Daesh publishes photos of its hisbah activities in Jazeera Samarra. [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. Daesh wants to prove it still can do its normal activities of whiplashing people and burning cigarettes even in contested area like Jazeera Samarra. The message is that everything is fine and under control (even when it isn’t).
DIYALA
Baquba
Major General Jasim Al-Saadi, commander of Diyala Police, said that the arrests in the governorate are very limited and are done through judicial orders. He added that settlement of an arrestee’s file does not exceed 24 hours, be it for criminal or terrorist cases. [Sumaria]
Northern Diyala
Daesh says its terrorists detonated an IED on an oil pipe that provides oil to the Shia in Baghdad from Nafut Khana in Khanaqin. [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. It’s all propaganda, reinforcing the theme that Daesh is the protector of Sunni Arabs, for which purpose it attacks Shia. Well, Baghdad is a mixed city and logically Sunnis as well as Shia will be affected by damage to the pipeline, a small detail Daesh always omits.
Daesh says it detonated an IED on an Iraqi Army vehicle in Nafut Khana, destroying it and killing or wounding three soldiers and an officer. [JustPaste]
The 14th group of returning families has arrived in Jalawla, according to the subdistrict directorate. 300 families have returned to the Khadra neighborhood in the eastern part of the subdistrict after finalizing security clearances. More groups will follow. [Etejah]
KIRKUK
Abu Hudhaifa Al-Jubouri, the official of the hisbah office of Kirkuk and one of Daesh’s major revenue sources, was killed in an attack by Coalition warplanes in Hawija, a security source in Kirkuk said. [Sumaria]
Coalition warplanes destroyed a car packed with weapons in the middle of Hawija, killing three terrorists and wounding another two, and destroying their car. [Mada]
Daesh executed 4 persons in Al-Abbasi subdistrict in Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk on charges of cooperating with security forces. It called on the population to renew its repentance after the profusion of anti-Daesh wall writings. [Mada]
A civilian was shot dead by unidentified armed men on Baghdad Road in the middle of Kirkuk, a security source said. [Sumaria]
NINEWA
Mosul
Daesh is selling Christians’ and Kurds’ properties to cover its expenses, local sources in Mosul said. Daesh terrorists called the population to attend a public auction for 400 houses, 19 commercial buildings, and 167 garages, storehouses, and shops. [Mawazin]
A local source says Daesh withdrew most of its members from the east side of Mosul without giving a reason. The source also says 400 Daesh members escaped the city because they were not being paid. [Sumaria]
A sniper in Mosul killed Abu Bakr Al-Mahdi and Abu Noor Al-Ghalib, both Yemeni nationals and responsible for planting explosives and mines in Mosul and other Ninewa cities, a source in Ninewa said. [Maalomah]
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says its fighters killed a member of Daesh intelligence near the Yarmouk building in Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
Daesh publishes photos of the normal life in Souq Al-Saray in Mosul. [JustPaste]
Northwest Ninewa (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
Coalition warplanes attacked 4 bomb-rigged vehicles in Tal Afar, in Al-Ashiq village in Zamar subdistrict and in Antlawi village, according to Gayath Sourachi, PUK media official. He also said terrorists were killed and 14 wounded in these raids. [Qurtas]
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
A special force of Kurdistan counter terrorism forces initiated a special operation in Daesh controlled areas near Mosul and liberated a 16 year old Swedish girl, Marlin Stivani Nivarlain, who was lured by one of the Daesh terrorists almost a year ago. Her family sought the assistance of KRG authorities to release her, Kurdistan Security Council said. [Mawazin]
Kurdistan24 TV channel broadcasts an interview with the Swedish girl. [Kurdistan24]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Najaf
Najaf Police said that financial and economic intelligence units arrested a weapons trader who tried to smuggle a variety of weapons to Baghdad. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Turkish officials made “strange remarks” regarding the identity of the perpetrator of last week’s attack in Ankara that killed 28 people, Cihan writes. This comes a day after it emerged that DNA testing showed the bomber was apparently from the Turkish Kurdish TAK organization, not from the Syrian Kurdish YPG as initially claimed by the government. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said Monday after the results of the DNA test were reported that the identity of the bomber is not important. “The important thing is that he [the attacker] was a member of the Kurdish YPG.” This of course contradicts the evidence that the attacker was a TAK operative.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu made even stranger remarks, which Cihan takes to mean as suggesting that another face had been attached to the body of the suicide attacker. “What we witnessed and documented is clear, and we presented [these] to every country that wanted [to see them]. Through a simple Internet search they found someone’s passport photo and attached the image of the face over the face of the attacker.” The PM also questioned the sincerity of the TAK’s claim to of responsibility as it came “three days” after the attack, in his description. [Cihan]
DaeshDaily comment: The Turks would seem to be taking the “spin” game to some bizarre extreme. The evidence so far is that they made an apparently false statement as to the affiliation of the suicide bomber, which was exposed by DNA testing. Rather than acknowledging their likely error, they are still trying to sell their original position. Ankara appears very eager to pin the blame on the YPG, whatever the facts.
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Daesh militants attempted to infiltrate the Syria Democratic Forces–held village of Tal Baroud in the Abdul Aziz Mountain area of southeast Hasaka, advancing from the Daesh front lines with the SDF in the village of Nawfala, a YPG fighter said. The fighter said the SDF learned of the Daesh presence and targeted the fighters, injuring some before they fled. The source added that the SDF advanced 18 km (11 miles) in the area, eventually forcing Daesh out of Nawfala as well. [ARA]
Daesh publishes 2 photos of shelling YPG positions west of Mount Abdul Aziz with locally made rockets. [JustPaste]
A Kurdish military source says YPG troops stopped 2 Daesh vehicle bombs attacks north of Shaddadi and killed 6 terrorists in clashes in the same area. [BasNews]
A video of YPG fighters destroying a Daesh vehicle bomb in Shaddadi [YouTube]
Although media are still banned from entering the city, the pro-YPG Hawar news agency correspondent was permitted to enter the city, reporting that Daesh had hung flyers inside the shops of the city forbidding traders and customers to use the new Syrian currency. The flyers (photo) said that the “Nusayri” (a derogatory term for Alawite) regime is using the currency to steal money from “the Muslims.” Hawar’s correspondent also visited a prison in Shaddadi where Daesh held its captives (photos/video). The Hawar correspondent reported that in one room there was evidence of burning prisoners to death who refused to cooperate with Daesh. [Hawar][Hawar]
Daesh says it recaptured Abdan village west of Shaddadi after a suicide attack. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
Daesh says 16 YPG fighters were killed in a suicide attack in Tal Al-Basha’er intersection southeast of Shaddadi. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
Daesh says its terrorists destroyed 3 vehicles carrying YPG fighters in an ambush in Um Madfa’ village west of Shaddadi. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes 2 photos of targeting Zor Maghar village in Kobane’s western countryside with a 14.5mm weapon. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes photos of executing a man publicly in Raqqa, after accusing him of blasphemy. [JustPaste]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
The SDF, with Coalition air support, repelled another Daesh attack west of Tishrin Dam in battles that lasted from late Monday night until Tuesday morning, a YPG fighter said. [ARA]
Opposition groups in Aleppo are suspicious of the dramatic uncontested withdrawal by Daesh from over two dozen villages east of Aleppo, allowing the Syrian Army to take control of the abandoned territory. Although there is no concrete evidence of coordination between the two sides, some have suggested a coordinated exchange of territory between Daesh in eastern Aleppo and the Syrian Army in Homs near Palmyra/Tadmur. [Aawsat]
Daesh seized control of the city of Khanasir south of Aleppo on Tuesday evening, after battles with Syrian Army troops and allied militias aided by Russian air strikes. A media activist said Daesh targeted Syrian and allied militia troop concentrations inside Khanasir from the south and east, killing at least 35 Syrian and allied troops and injuring “tens” more in taking the city. Daesh also seized a number of villages and checkpoints along the road between Aleppo and Hama, which runs through Khanasir, the activist said. [ARA] [ARA]
Daesh says its terrorists are in full control of Khanasir. Daesh says it attacked Syrian troops and their allied militias with a vehicle bomb, then heavy clashes erupted before its terrorists captured the city. [A3maq] [A3maq] [A3maq]
Daesh publishes a video of its attack on Syrian troops on the road between Silmiya and Athariya. [A3maq]
Daesh says it targeted a big Syrian Army convoy with 2 suicide attacks north of Rasm Al-Nafal village near Al-Bab in Aleppo’s southern countryside. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes photos of shelling Seen village west of Kowaires with mortars. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists shooting at Syrian helicopters west of Kowaires. [JustPaste]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Daesh stoned a 27 year-old woman to death in Mayadin Monday on charges of adultery, an activist said. The woman had reportedly been held by Daesh for more than a month. The woman’s cousin was sentenced to 100 lashes on the same charge, the source added. Daesh stoned a woman to death in Deir Ez-Zor city on Sunday on the same charges. [ARA]
South
Daesh publishes a video of a tunnel it captured that was used by Syrian armed groups in Yelda. [A3maq]
Daesh says one of its snipers killed Syrian armed group member in the Yelda orchards. [JustPaste]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
North Africa
Egypt
Reports conflict on the availability of basic utilities in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid. ElWatan writes that water and electricity services have been interrupted in these areas for the sixth straight day and cites a source in the electric company who says that the matter “will take time” to repair. Two hours later VetoGate reported that services had returned to these two areas. [ElWatan] [VetoGate]
Daesh says it “destroyed” 44 kg of heroin it confiscated from an Egyptian “spy” in Shaibana village south of Rafah. Daesh says the man admitted he was smuggling heroin and showed the location of the heroin buried near his house before he was executed. [A3maq]
An IED exploded Tuesday on a police armored vehicle south of Sheikh Zuweid, killing an officer and a policeman, security sources said. [VetoGate]
A woman was injured by gunfire in Rafah on Tuesday as she walked down the street. Eyewitnesses said unidentified gunmen opened fire on her and then fled the scene. [VetoGate]
Egyptian engineers safely defused two IEDs in the Karm Al-Qawadis area south of Sheikh Zuweid, security sources said. [VetoGate]
Daesh says it detonated an IED on an Egyptian Army patrol in Karm Al-Qawadis. [JustPaste]
Libya
Northeast
Libyan troops launched heavy assaults on Daesh positions in various areas of Benghazi, making rapid progress. Libyan troops now control the Tika neighborhood of western Benghazi, a military source said. Clearing operations are still ongoing in the Tika area and other areas of Benghazi, according to the source and to a spokesman for military engineering units. Libyan Army troops and allied militias seized the camp of the “Raf Allah Al-Sihati” militia in Benghazi, which is supported by Daesh, in Benghazi on Monday, the source said. Another source said that the Army inflicted losses on a Daesh column in Benghazi and seized a carton factory west of the city. [AfriGate] [Wasat] [Wasat] [Libya24]
Daesh says its terrorists stopped a major attack by “Haftar troops” and allied militias in Saberi in Benghazi. The Libyan troops came with 6 tanks and 30 vehicles but Daesh terrorists detonated several IEDs on them, then its snipers started to shoot at them killing or wounding many soldiers. The clashes are still going on according to Daesh. [JustPaste]
Daesh says one of its snipers killed a Libyan soldier in Al-Shajar Square in Benghazi. [JustPaste]
Daesh launched fresh attacks on Derna on Monday, killing six fighters in battles with Mujahidin Derna Shoura Council and allied local militias, according to media reports. The attack was reportedly repelled after seven hours of heavy fighting in which a Daesh commander was killed and three Daesh tanks were destroyed. [Aawsat]
Daesh says its terrorists planted a sticker IED under the car of a Shoura Council of Mujahidin in Derna leader, killing him and wounding 2 of his associates. [JustPaste]
Daesh claimed responsibility for an IED attack in Derna on Monday which killed a member of the Ansar Al-Sharia group, according to a “well placed source.” [Wasat]
A car bomb reportedly exploded in Derna’s Shahya neighborhood on Monday evening, killing one person. [Wasat]
Central
Warplanes from Misrata attacked a Daesh site in the Sirte outskirts on Monday, according to a source in the “Central Security Operations Room.” Eyewitnesses in the city reported thick smoke rising from the targeted area. [Wasat]
Daesh publicly executed four young men in Sirte, two by stoning on charges of belonging to a “Salafi” group “from the apostate infidel government,” and two others by gunfire on charges of having participated in fighting against Daesh in Sirte in August 2015, according to local sources. [Wasat]
Other countries
Afghanistan
Daesh issues a video of its Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq battalion in Afghanistan. [JustPaste]
East Asia
An analyst at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies expects Daesh to declare a wilaya in East Asia sometime this year, most likely in the southern Philippines, according to a report in the Spanish daily El Mundo. [Arabi21] [ElMundo (Spanish)]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
Kurdistan 24 TC Channel English page
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/khilafafeb2136
https://twitter.com/talhaty122
Other Daesh media
Daesh audio newsletter for today in English and Arabic [JustPaste]
The new issue of Daesh’s Al-Naba’ magazine [JustPaste]
