March 25, 2016
Today’s Major Developments
Iraqi forces recapture Kubaisa; residents celebrate in the streets.
Ninewa campaign moves further into Qayara as local residents turn on Daesh.
Yazidi PMFs, Shammar tribal fighters liberate border villages in Sinjar.
Daesh calls for general mobilization in Mosul.
#2 Daesh leader killed by Coalition airstrikes in Syria.
Dueling prayer services enliven political debate about cabinet reform.
Daesh suicide bomber kills at least 30 at north Babel soccer field.
Daesh issues videos to taunt Belgium; Belgium sending fighter planes to attack Daesh.
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
BAGHDAD
Political developments
The Alliance of National Power, the Sunni coalition, issued a statement saying it supports the reforms and the cabinet change “even if it is comprehensive,” as long as it comes within clear constitutional procedures. It also said that “street power” should not be used to push for changes “outside the constitution” (an obvious reference to Al-Sadr). [Sumaria]
The Minister of Planning, a member of the ANP, says he submitted his resignation to PM Abadi in order to give the PM a chance to move ahead with the reforms without pressure.
An informed source has said the Minister of Interior submitted his resignation to Hadi Al-Ameri, the leader of the Badr Organization. [Rudaw]
DaeshDaily comment. The last item reflects the problem Al-Abadi most needs to solve.
Thousands demonstrated in Baghdad, Basra, Amarah, Nasariya, Kut, Kerbala, Hilla, and Diwaniya, demanding acceleration of reforms and more anti-corruption measures. [Sumaria]
Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Samarra, after a Sunni-Shia united prayer, supporting the demands of the demonstrators in Baghdad. [Mada]
Thousands of people held a Sunni-Shia united prayer near the Green Zone, led by a Sadrist imam. [Sumaria]
Moqtada Al-Sadr said in a statement read by the imam of the prayer service that if CoR members vote against the reforms, demonstrations and sit-ins will be directed against them. Sadr threatened to take “another step” on Saturday if Abadi doesn’t submit a technocrat government on Saturday. Sadr also promised to support Abadi’s reforms if they are “satisfactory”. [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Mada]
DaeshDaily comment. The sheer arrogance of the man can be seen from this story. The COR members are subject to his personal retaliation; the Prime Minister is subject to his personal retaliation; the reform program is subject to his personal approval. The implication is that he considers himself the real leader of Iraq. People looking for the causes of Iraq’s political problems could learn a lot just from his statement.
The Dawa Party issued a statement responding to Sadr’s threat, saying that threatening the people’s representatives is unacceptable politically, constitutionally, and morally. It also said any bloc that demands reforms should not play the compromise game and should not cover up for its corrupt officials. [Rudaw]
Security developments
The Pentagon announced that the #2 man in Daesh, Abd Al-Rahman Al-Qaduli, also known as Abu Al-Ala Al-Afri and called “Haj Imam,” was killed in a Coalition airstrike in Syria earlier this month. (Photo) [Mawazin] US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said “we killed him, but I cannot tell you where and when.” The deceased was the supposed “finance minister” of Daesh, who, Carter said, was about to take the place of the late Abu Omar Al-Shishani (killed by a previous airstrike) as second in command of Daesh. [Arabi21] Al-Qaduli also used several other aliases. [IraqPress]
Carter said “we hit the first echelon of Daesh leaders this week.” He also praised the Iraqi armed forces performance on the ground, and confirmed that US Marines are providing artillery support in Ninewa. [Mawazin]
All roads leading to Tahrir Square and the Green Zone were cut off by security forces, forcing the people to walk for long distances. This was in anticipation of the unified mass prayer called for by Moqtada Al-Sadr in front of the Green Zone.[ Mada]
A security source in Baghdad said that Counter Terror forces were deployed in the Green Zone for the first time, a sign of the high state of alert among army and security forces. [Maalomah]
The IWMC reported that a Coalition airstrikes on the Al-Wihda neighborhood in the city killed Ayman Nameer, a Daesh leader, and killed and wounded 36 others. [Buratha]
Daesh says its terrorists detonated an IED on a group of PMFs in Abu Dsheer in Dora in south Baghdad, killing or wounding several of them. [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. As usual, any civilian in Baghdad is a PMF fighter according to Daesh.
Security-related incidents reported in Baghdad
North Baghdad
An IED placed in the popular Souq Shallal in Shaab city wounded four civilians. [Maalomah]
East Baghdad
The body of a man shot to death was found in Al-Ameen. [Sumaria]
Southeast Baghdad
An IED near the brick factories area in Nahrawan killed 2 civilians and wounded 6 others. [Mada]
South Baghdad
An armed attack on a house in Arab Jabour killed a civilian and his brother. [Mada]
Daesh says it killed a Sahwa fighter with an IED in Sayafiya in Arab Jabour. [JustPaste]
Daesh says it damaged an Iraqi Army Humvee in Sour in Arab Jabour with an IED, killing or wounding the soldiers inside it. [JustPaste]
Baghdad Operations Command troops defused 3 booby-trapped houses in Haramsha in Arab Jabour. [BOC Facebook Page]
DaeshDaily comment. What happened to the promise that Daesh had been eliminated in Arab Jabour? Since that bold statement, it has led the city in violent incidents.
Southwest Baghdad
An IED placed near a Health Center in Furat neighborhood, killed 1 civilian and wounded five others. [Mada]
An IED in a commercial area in Bayya’, killed one civilian and wounded seven others. [Mada]
West Baghdad
A sticky bomb attached to a car killed a jeweler and wounded his wife in Al-Adel neighborhood. [AIN]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 10 (Not an overall total)
ANBAR
Falluja
Joint Operations Command specified three safe routes for the Falluja population to exit the city. The first is through Albu Alwan Bridge, alongside the Euphrates, then towards Subaihat, reaching Saqlawiya Bridge. The second is over the new Falluja bridge, to Subaihat, and then to Saqlawiya Bridge. The third would be from either the old or the new bridge towards Al-Salam junction and then to the location of Iraqi army units. [Mawazin]
Col. Ahmed Kareem Bdewi, commander of the 3rd battalion of the Qarma mobilization announced the liberation of Zaghareed and Talea villages in Saqlawiya, killing “tens” of Daesh terrorists. Two car bombs and three guesthouses were destroyed. He said Daesh is using car bombs and mortars to delay the army advance. [Mada]
Baghdad Operations Command troops killed 28 terrorists and wounded 3 and destroyed a vehicle and 2 motorcycles in several areas in Falluja District. [BOC Facebook Page]
A PMF source says Saraya Ashura, a PMFs faction, captured the Qarma Bridge that leads to Falluja. [Harbi]
A video of Saraya Ashura in Saqlawiya [Harbi]
A video of Iraqi soldiers getting attacked by Daesh terrorists during a TV filming in Qarma [YouTube]
Ramadi
General Ismail Al-Mahalawi, Commander of Anbar Operations (AOC), said that Army Aviation helicopters destroyed three Daesh hideouts and a pickup truck in the Al-Ubaid area in Jazeera Khaldiya, killing all terrorists inside. He added that engineering units of the 15th and 16th divisions cleared and destroyed 65 IEDs and two explosives belts in Sajariya and al-Qarya Al-Asriya, while the 8th division defused 10 IEDs in Albu Daaij, north of Ameriyat Al-Falluja. [Sumaria]
Three Daesh terrorists were killed by army units while planting an IED on a main road leading to Jazeera Khaldiya, a security source in Anbar said. [Maalomah]
A video show displaced families from Qarya Asriya, happy to get rid of Daesh. [YouTube]
A video shows Counter Terrorism troops in Anbar [YouTube]
Hit/Kubaisa
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) formally announced the liberation of Kubaisa, killing 40 terrorists. Army units are clearing IEDs, mines, and war remains from the city. [Buratha]
The Chairman of Hit District Council also announced that Iraqi Army and tribal fighters liberated Kubaisa and raised the Iraqi flag over its public buildings. He also says “tens” of Daesh terrorists were killed and 4 vehicle bombs were destroyed. [Mada] The IWMC also issued the happy news
[Mawazin]
IWMC says the Kubaisa population received army units with cheers, flowers, and sweets. (Photo) [Mawazin] Another report says they celebrated with singing and dancing, and musical instruments appeared on the streets for the first time in a long time. [Maalomah]
The IWMC also reported, however, that the army requested the Kubaisa population to stay in their homes until the city is fully cleared. [Mawazin]
In his meeting with US Ambassador Stuart Jones, parliament speaker Salim Al-Jubouri praised army units for their liberation of Kubaisa, and asked them to treat the suffering population of the liberated city in a knightly manner. He thanked the US for its aerial support, which he says was vital in the operation. [Maalomah]
The IWMC said that Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh hideout in Kubaisa, killing all terrorists inside. [Ghad]
A Jazeera Operations Command source says Coalition warplanes killed 9 Daesh terrorists and destroyed a vehicle bomb that was threatening Iraqi forces near Kubaisa. [Harbi]
General Ali Ibrahim Daba’oun said that the operations to liberate Hit and Kubaisa have resulted in killing 13 terrorists. He added that Counter Terrorism, Rapid Intervention, and tribal fighters are advancing under air cover by Iraqi Army Aviation (IAA) and Coalition warplanes, which killed 9 terrorists and destroyed a car bomb in Kubaisa. [Sumaria]
Jazeera Operations Command troops killed 3 Daesh suicide terrorists near Kubaisa. IAA helicopters killed 3 Daesh snipers and destroyed a personnel carrier, killing the terrorists inside. [MoD Website]
A video of Iraqi forces going to Kubaisa [YouTube]
Haditha
A Daesh convoy with 4 vehicle bombs and a shovel bomb was destroyed by IAA helicopters while approaching a checkpoint near Baghdadi, according to Lt. Saadoun Al-Ubaidi, spokesman of the 14th Rapid Intervention brigade. He said that all terrorists in the convoy were killed. [Maalomah]
Western Anbar
Daesh publishes photos of life in Rutba [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. It’s like clockwork; when Daesh is losing, it publishes innocuous photos intended to show that everything is fine. They should take Rutba photos while they can.
A video of Daesh terrorists executing an Iraqi tribal fighter somewhere in western Anbar. [YouTube]
SALAHUDDIN
Baiji
Lt. General Jumaa Enad, Commander of Salahuddin Operations, ordered a state of alert for all forces in multiple sectors, the MoD said. It added that a fortified building and several positions in Makhoul Mountains were shelled by Kornet missiles, killing Daesh terrorists inside. [Buratha]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked Iraqi Army positions on the Baiji-to-Haditha Road, killing 12 soldiers. [A3maq]
A video of PMFs fighting Daesh in the Makhoul Mountains area [Harbi]
A video of Daesh terrorists’ dead bodies after a failed attack in the Himrin Mountains [YouTube]
Samarra
A video of PMFs clashing with Daesh in Jazeera Samarra [YouTube]
DIYALA
Baquba
Two men wanted on terrorism charges were arrested in Baquba, says the Chief of Diyala Police. [Sumaria]
Northern Diyala
A roadside IED exploded in Akbashi, 25 km (15.5 miles) south of Khanaqin, and killed three Peshmerga soldiers and severely wounded another, a local source in Diyala said. [Sumaria]
Daesh says it detonated an IED on a Peshmerga vehicle near Khanaqin, killing a Peshmerga brigadier general and several of his associates. [JustPaste]
KIRKUK
Hawija
Iraqi Air Force warplanes destroyed Daesh hideouts in Al-Riyadh subdistrict of Hawija, killing tens of Daesh terrorists, a security source said. [Maalomah]
A Coalition airstrike on a Daesh gathering in Hawija killed 37. [Buratha]
Taza
Karim Al-Nouri, a leading PMF figure, warned against any secret plans for “annexing lands” after liberation, (an obvious reference to the Kurds). He said this kind of idea serves Daesh.
Speaking of Bashir liberation, Al-Nouri said that such a battle requires adequate preparation, as Bashir is connected to Al-Rashad and Al-Riyadh subdistricts, still held by Daesh, and that a more comprehensive liberation operation is required in this area. [Buratha]
IAA helicopters destroyed a Daesh sniper position and killed everyone inside, in Bashir village, Joint Operations command said. [Harbi]
NINEWA
An airborne operation (no details provided) by US forces resulted in the arrest of the high-ranking official responsible for the private mail of Awwad Al-Baghdadi, the Daesh leader, a security source in Ninewa said. The operation took place in Rabia, in Tal Afar. [Mada]
Makhmur/ Qayara
Joint forces continued their advance in Qayara. Meanwhile, a military source says Qayara residents and tribesmen are controlling over 80% of the subdistrict, after fierce clashes with Daesh terrorists. The rebellion is coinciding with the recent army advances towards the subdistrict. [Maalomah]
A field source in Ninewa said that Daesh ordered its units to withdraw from some Ninewa areas. The source speculated that a possible reason could be the internal rebellion against Daesh in these areas. [Maalomah]
Unidentified armed men raised the Iraqi flag over the municipal council building in Qayara, a local source said. However, surrounding areas are still witnessing clashes between advancing army forces and Daesh. [Maalomah]
15th army division artillery and rocket launchers shelled Daesh targets in Qayara, killing 25 Daesh members, a security source said. Army and security forces are preparing to liberate the entire Qayara subdistrict shortly. [Mawazin] Qayara is the southernmost subdistrict of Mosul District.
A Ninewa Operations Command source says Iraqi Army artillery shelled Daesh locations in several villages in Qayara subdistrict, preparing to liberate them. [Mada]
Photos show US Marines participating in Al-Fath military operation. [Ghad]
A Coalition airstrike destroyed a Daesh hideout in Awsaja village in Qayara, killing 7 and wounding 11 terrorists. [Buratha]
The Iraqi flag was raised over Kharbadaran village in Qayara after it was fully cleared. Several Daesh terrorists, including snipers, were killed in the village, local sources said. [Sumaria]
The village of Kodila was fully cleared of IEDs and mines by the 15th army division and local residents, according to Ninewa Operations Command. The Iraqi flag was raised in the village. [Mada]
Daesh says its terrorists destroyed an Iraqi Army convoy near Kodila with 2 suicide attacks. Daesh says an Iraqi and a foreign terrorist drove the two vehicle bombs. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
Gayath Sourachi, PUK media official, reported said Kodila village as well as Kermerdi, Salahiya, and Sultan Abdullah, the last just into Hamdaniya province, were cleared of IEDs and mines after liberation, and joint patrols have started in these villages to observe for possible Daesh infiltrations. He added that Mahana and Al-Nassr villages, both liberated, have a lot of booby-trapped houses that still need to be cleared. Daesh used all of these villages to shell Army and Peshmerga positions in Makhmur. [Sumaria]
Al-Nassr village south of Makhmur was only liberated a matter of hours ago, according to Sourachi. He added that Iraqi army units took full control of the village and raised the Iraqi flag thereon at 7:43 PM. [PUKMedia]
Daesh says one of its Indonesian suicide terrorists attacked Iraqi forces with a vehicle bomb near Kermerdi village, destroying 3 Humvees and killing the soldiers inside them. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
Daesh also says a Syrian suicide terrorist accompanied by another terrorist killed ten Iraqi soldiers near Kermerdi. Daesh says the Syrian terrorist detonated himself while the other returned safely. [JustPaste]
Daesh also says its terrorists destroyed 2 Iraqi Army Humvees in Makhmur. [A3maq]
A Ninewa Operations Command source says Iraqi forces defused 140 IEDs and destroyed 2 vehicle bombs in the liberated areas in Makhmur District. [Mada]
Mosul
An IAF attack based on National Intelligence Agency information destroyed several Daesh armored vehicles and heavy weapons hidden in the Ghabat area north of Mosul near the dairy. The weapons belonged to Daesh’s “armored regiment”, the IWMC said. [Sumaria]
A sermon in Daesh controlled mosques in Mosul called for a general mobilization, to join Daesh in confronting “the infidels attacking the Caliphate territories”. A source in Ninewa said Daesh is telling the population that the advancing forces will take revenge against them for supporting Daesh if they are caught. [Buratha]
Local sources also said that Daesh is moving the bulk of its forces to the right (west) side of Mosul which is more heavily populated and so more difficult for planes and artillery to target. unlike the left (east side).
DaeshDaily comment. Didn’t they just move a lot of people from west to east Mosul for defensive reasons?
The same source said that recent advances of Iraqi forces south of Mosul had a positive impact on the population, and has encouraged several armed groups to issue threats of revenge against Daesh. [PUKMedia]
Kata’eb Al-Mosul says its fighters killed a Daesh security official in his vehicle near the Islah area in Mosul. [KM Facebook Page]
The KM also says one of its snipers killed a Daesh terrorist near Mosul airport.
Coalition airstrikes destroyed a Daesh position and two trucks carrying AA guns, and killed 8 terrorists, in Al-Thawra in western Mosul. [Buratha]
A Ninewa Police commander says police units are participating with the Iraqi Army in Ninewa liberations operations. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. Ninewa police officers who really wanted to join the war against Daesh accepted the Iraqi government offer and went to the Speicher base in Salahuddin to be trained. Those who refused and wanted to stay comfortable in Erbil joined former governor Nujaifi.
34 Daesh bodies were received by the morgue in Mosul. 10 were of Arab and European nationalities, all arriving from battlefields in Makhmur. Daesh denied public access to several hospitals in preparation for receiving more bodies, a medical source said. [Sumaria]
Nineveh Plain
A Coalition airstrike destroyed a hideout in Khorsabad village, killing 26 terrorists, including Khalid Talib, a Daesh leader. [Buratha]
Northwest Ninewa (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
Yazidi PMF and fighters from the large Shammar tribe liberated the areas of Um Al-Diban and Um Jurais in Sinjar, on the Iraq-Syria border, after killing tens of Daesh terrorists, according to the JOC. The Iraqi flag was raised over this strategic border point again, cutting off a main supply line between Iraq and Syria. The JOC said the operation took weeks of planning. [Sumaria]
The commander of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YPS) says his troops liberated three villages near Baaj from Daesh after 15 days of fighting. He says 17 of his fighters were killed in addition to 84 Daesh terrorists. He says by liberating these villages a road was open between Kurdistan and Kurdish areas in Syria. [Rudaw]
The YPS issued a statement saying liberating the villages is the first step towards liberating Mosul. It also says it has 1,600 fighters participating in these military operations in coordination with the Iraqi government and “some regional powers” and they are supported by the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) and Free Women’s Troops (YJA Star). [SotKurdistan]
DaeshDaily comment. The YPS, HPG and YJA are linked to the YPG, who helped the Yazidi people against Daesh, along with the PKK. But it is interesting to see that the Iraqi government is on board also!
Southern Ninewa (Baaj, Hatra)
An attack on the Silo checkpoint between Baaj and Sinjar, where terrorists were gathering, killed 17 terrorists, including Abdul Hameed Al-Burkan (Abu Omar), a Daesh leader. [Buratha]
Other Governorates
KURDISTAN
Khairi Buzani, director of Yazidi affairs in the Kurdistan region, said that 12 Yazidis, including women and children, were liberated from Daesh in “Iraq and Syria,” He did not mention where they were captured. [Sumaria]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Babel
A suicide attacker detonated himself on a popular football (soccer) field in Al-Haswa, in Iskandariya subdistrict, north of Hilla, according to security sources. [Mawazin] Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack. [Ghad] Daesh initially said that 45 were killed and 80 wounded, all from PMF units gathering on the field. [Ghad] However, Falah Al-Khafaji, Chairman of the Babel PC Security Committee said that the field was hosting a football match attended by some of the subdistrict officials. [Mada] Ahmed Al-Khafaji, the subdistrict manager, was among those killed, while Hassoun Hussein, an AAH militia official, was wounded. [Sumaria]
Falah Al-Khafaji initially estimated casualties at 10 killed and 10 wounded. [Mada] The Musayyib council estimated 15 killed and 30 wounded. [Sumaria] The final count according to medical sources in Babel is 30 killed and 95 wounded. [Sumaria] Daesh later claimed that 65 PMFs were killed and tens wounded. [A3maq]
Daesh Daily comment. Daesh’s claim that it attacked PMFs is standard propaganda. The implication is that it is killing Shia militiamen, which is supposed to win approval from Sunnis. Reality is that they kill civilians almost indiscriminately, Sunnis as well as Shia, then cover it up with their propaganda. In mixed-sect north Babel, there were likely victims of both sects, and probably very few were PMFs.
A video of the football tournament and then the first moment of the terrorist attack in Haswa. [YouTube] The video shows a soccer game, not PMFs marching onto the field.
Basra
Armed men shot four civilians dead and wounded another in Al-Hussein neighborhood in downtown Basra, a security source in Basra said. [Sumaria]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Political developments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Belgium of being soft on militant groups and committing intelligence failures, citing the recent revelation that Turkey had deported one of the attackers in the recent bombings in Brussels, and he was subsequently not held by Belgian authorities. The Turkish President also criticized Belgium for allowing pro-PKK demonstrators to protest at a Turkey-EU summit in the Belgian capital earlier in the month. [Arabi21]
DaeshDaily comment. The seemingly less important PKK demonstration issue is probably Erdogan’s real issue.
Military developments
Turkish police arrested six suspected Daesh members in Gaziantep province on Friday, according to a statement issued by the provincial government. It said the detainees are suspected of providing logistical support to Daesh and were planning attacks against UN buildings, security targets, and Kurdish-owned cafes in Turkey and against foreign tourists in Antalya and Istanbul. Turkish courts also ordered that an individual arrested earlier in Gaziantep be transferred for interrogation in connection with the recent deadly bombing in Istanbul that Turkish authorities have linked to Daesh. [Anadolu]
Also in Gaziantep, Turkish border guards arrested a Daesh member as he attempted to enter Syria by illicit means, according to a statement issued by the provincial government. [Anadolu]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters fought continuing battles with Daesh near Markada south of Hasaka. SDF fighters destroyed two Daesh vehicle bombs south of Hasaka Thursday evening before they could reach their targets, according to the SDF. A land mine Daesh planted earlier in Ras Al-Ayn, northwest of Hasaka, exploded and caused civilian injuries. [Qasioun]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Opposition militias regained control of the village of Al-Toqali north of Aleppo near the Turkish border on Friday, according to a militia field commander. Daesh retreated after heavy fighting in which over 20 Daesh members were killed or injured, the source said. The militias destroyed several Daesh vehicles, including three vehicle bombs which the opposition fighters destroyed before they reached their targets, the source added. [ARA]
Daesh concedes that Syrian opposition groups captured Toqali, citing their support from 4 American warplanes. [A3maq]
Daesh says 2 of its suicide terrorists attacked Syrian opposition groups with two car bombs, after they entered the village, killing several fighters. [A3maq] [JustPaste]
A video of Syrian opposition groups in Toqali. [YouTube]
Opposition militia shelling of the Aleppo neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud with gas canisters killed three civilians on Friday, according to Welati’s correspondent. [Welati]
Daesh has required women in the city of Manbij, east of Aleppo, to attend a 15-day course in sharia law, according to announcements it made in mosques on Friday as reported by a local source. [BasNews]
Syrian aircraft conducted airstrikes on residential areas of the Daesh-held city of Tadif and village of Abu Taltal, east of Aleppo, on Friday, wounding three civilians. [Qasioun]
Daesh publishes photos of shelling Syrian troops in Kaffir Saghir village. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes photos of shelling YPG fighters in Ihris village with Katyushas. [JustPaste]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
Fighting continued between Daesh and the Syrian Army in and around the city of Tadmur (Palmyra) on Friday, even after the Syrian Army claimed it had taken back the city from Daesh on Thursday. The Army claimed Friday that it had captured the historic Palmyra citadel, a claim Daesh denied in its own online media. An activist said that some reports said Daesh captured three Syrian soldiers on Thursday. Daesh announced Friday that it had regained sites northwest of Tadmur after losing them to Syrian Army troops on Thursday. A media activist said Daesh fired “hundreds” of mortars on Syrian Army positions north of the city, killing more than eight Syrian soldiers and forcing the remainder into retreat. [ARA] [Qasioun]
Residents of Tadmur have been fleeing by the hundreds toward Deir Ez-Zor and other areas under Syrian shelling, Russian airstrikes, and heavy fighting in their city [ARA]
A Russian officer was killed in fighting in Tadmur on Thursday, according to the Coordination Center at the Russian base at Khmeimim, southeast of Latakia. The Russian was reportedly involved in targeting operations for Russian airstrikes. [ARA]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Syria Democratic Forces fighters reportedly seized the Al-Maliha area of Deir Ez-Zor governorate on Thursday, marking the first territorial gain by the SDF inside the province. The SDF reportedly advanced 15 km (9 miles) inside Deir Ez-Zor Governorate. [Qasioun]
Daesh publishes photos of battles near Deir Ez-Zor airport. [JustPaste]
Daesh says a Syrian soldier surrendered to its fighters in Deir Ez-Zor. [A3maq]
South
The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, which is linked to Daesh, has announced its control over the city of Sahm Al-Jolan, in the western Daraa countryside, after battles with opposition and Islamic militias. An activist in the area said that the group launched raids on the area Thursday evening. The militias launched mortars at the headquarters of Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade but only hit civilian buildings, the source added. [ARA]
Daesh posts photos of those terrorists deploying in Sahm Al-Jolan. [JustPaste]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Saudi Arabia
Daesh issues a video threatening attacks inside Saudi Arabia. [Isdarat]
North Africa
Egypt
Egyptian F-16 warplanes and Apache helicopters conducted over 40 airstrikes overnight and into the morning against suspected Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis sites in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid, and southeast of Arish in North Sinai, according to security sources. In a statement released Friday evening, the Egyptian Armed Forces said the air raids killed 60 terrorists and injured 40 others, destroyed 27 vehicles, two unlicensed motorcycles, and three pieces of construction equipment, as well as destroying 32 Daesh sites. [EgyArmySpoxFB] [ElWatan]
A video released by the Egyptian Armed Forces purportedly shows the airstrikes in North Sinai. [EgyArmySpoxFB]
An unknown party threatened the owners of a café on the Arish waterfront next to the Al-Khulafa Al-Rashidoun mosque, causing the owners to close the establishment. [VetoGate]
Libya
Northeast
Four mortars fell on a power station north of Benghazi on Thursday, without causing casualties or damage, according to an official from the Authority for Electricity and Alternative Energy. [Wasat]
An officer in a Libyan Army engineering unit was killed by a landmine during mine-clearing operations in Benghazi on Thursday, according to the unit’s spokesman. [Wasat]
Libyan aircraft from the Al-Abraq Airbase bombed a Daesh weapons cache in Derna’s Al-Hajaj neighborhood on Friday, according to the base’s media officer. [AfriGate]
Central Coast
Unidentified warplanes struck a house in Sirte on Friday where Daesh leaders were reportedly residing, one a Yemeni national and another a Tunisian national, according to Libyan media reports. [AfriGate]
Daesh executed three people in Sirte on Friday, according to local sources. One of the victims, Ali Naser Al-Qadrawi Al-Gaddafi, was reportedly a member of the military under the pre-2011 regime who was captured by Daesh at his home a month and a half ago. Two other military men were also reportedly executed by Daesh on Friday, according to eyewitnesses who were not able to identify the victims. [Wasat] [Wasat]
Photos purportedly show a demonstration in Sabratha on Friday supporting the Sabratha Operations Room in its battle against Daesh. One of the signs held aloft by a demonstrator reads “We are All Sirte” and another reads “Yes to the Sabratha Field Operations Room.” The Sabratha Municipal Council called for the demonstration in a statement issued earlier. [Wasat (photos)] [Wasat]
Other countries
Yemen
Daesh claimed responsibility for a triple-suicide bombing attack in the Yemeni city of Aden that has reportedly killed at least 26 people so far. The attacks all targeted military checkpoints around Aden. In one, the suicide driver struck with an ambulance laden with explosives. Most of the dead are civilians, according to the spokesman for the local Aden government. [Reuters (English)]
Daesh’s A3maq website says Daesh fighters carried out the Aden attacks. [A3maq]
Daesh says it conducted 3 suicide attacks on the Arab Coalition headquarter in Aden, killing at least 27 people. [A3maq]
Belgium
Daesh issues a video from Deir Ez-Zor about the Brussels attacks. The video explains why Belgium was targeted and shows footage of Daesh members celebrating in Deir Ez-Zor. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh issues a video from Ninewa about the Brussels attacks. The video has messages from Belgian terrorists threatening more attacks and asking the people of Belgium to withdraw their planes from the Coalition. [DawaAlhaq]
However, the Belgian government passed its own message. In the wake of this week’s deadly bombing attacks in Brussels, Belgium will be sending its F-16 fighters to participate in air operations against Daesh targets, according to remarks to the press by the Prime Minister on Friday. [Tunisien]
Germany
A German court has sentenced a suspected Daesh member of Syrian nationality to a prison sentence on charges of operating with Daesh in Syria in 2013 and 2014 before allegedly entering Germany as a refugee, according to media reports. The man is not suspected of links to any past or planned attacks in Europe but was convicted for supporting Daesh operations in Syria. [Tunisien]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
A pro-Daesh page from Ninewa
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/boterbeel_hamed
https://twitter.com/AboKital556443
