An Update On ISIS Activities

October 14, 2016

October 14, 2016

Iraqi Forces in Ninewa

Iraqi Forces in Ninewa

Today’s Major Developments

War of words continues with Turkey, Saudi Arabia too, over Mosul liberation. [..]

Seven more deadly IEDs hit Baghdad. [..]

Iraqi Army battles Daesh on the Baiji-Haditha road. [..]

IAF, Coalition bombs hit multiple Daesh sites in Al-Qa’im, Anah [..]

Daesh attacks villages in northern Diyala. [..]

Al-Abadi visits Kirkuk; Hawija campaign seems to be close. [..]

Eight anti-Daesh resistance fighters executed in Mosul. [..]

Daesh crushes an intra-Daesh plot in Mosul. [..]

Government releases some details on impending Mosul campaign. [..]

Four media stories report Daesh foreign fighters leaving Mosul, Tal Afar, Anah. [..]

UN reports soaring casualties in Aleppo city. [..]

Syrian opposition group claims it killed six Russian military officers. [..]

At least 12 Egyptian soldiers killed in Daesh attack in North Sinai. [..]

 

REPORTS FROM IRAQ

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister Abadi says in a TV interview that he is surprised by some countries’ positions regarding the Mosul battle. He says these countries only raise their voices when Daesh is about to be defeated. He asks where were these countries when Daesh invaded Iraq, destroyed its cities, and enslaved its women? He says Iraq wants to liberate its lands and will not allow anyone to interfere. He also asks the people of Mosul to welcome Iraqi forces and says Iraqi forces will protect the citizens and will not allow any violations. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. The PM is certainly talking about Turkey and Saudi Arabia, perhaps among others, and could be including the sectarian Saudi media that has consistently supported Sunni extremists against the Iraqi government. He is on solid ground with this comment. The same high-pressure tactics showed up when Daesh was about to re-take Falluja. Iraq blew off the critics and blew Daesh out of Falluja.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman says the statement of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs is “worthless.” He says Iraq doesn’t care about the people who mourn Daesh. The Saudi minister said that the participation of the PMFs in the Mosul liberation will lead to a catastrophe. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. The minister forgets to mention the catastrophes created by the Wahhabi propaganda that Saudi Arabia has spent countless billions of dollars promoting and which Daesh adopted. He is ignoring the thousands of people in Iraq, and many thousands of people all over the world, who were killed because of the Wahhabi-inspired culture of hatred that has been disastrous in Iraq and many other countries, and has spread all over the world.

 

Turkey’s President Erdogan says Turkey will participate in the Mosul battle. He says “We will convey our request to coalition forces that we are determined to take our place in a coalition in Iraq. If they don’t want us, our Plan B will come into effect, and if not we will go to Plan C. If Turkey isn’t safe, nobody in the region is safe. Turkey is not a tribal country, and everyone should know that.” He also says “some parties” use terrorist organizations to target Turkey. [Anadolu]

 

The Department of State says the United States is opposed to the participation of the PKK in the Mosul liberation. “We clearly view the PKK as a terrorist organization so we would not be supporting them” as part of the Mosul campaign, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said during a daily press briefing. [Hurriyet]

DaeshDaily comment. The only practical effect of PKK participation would be to give Turkey an excuse to participate.

 

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, Maysan, and Dhi Qar, protesting the Turkish troop presence in Iraq. [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Sumaria] [Mada]

 

The Coalition says it conducted 9 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Iraq, eight in Ninewa, in or near Mosul (5), Kasik (1) and Sultan Abdullah (2); the other was in Rutba (1)). [InherentResolve]

 

BAGHDAD

The IFP commander says his troops captured 3 Daesh terrorists in different areas in Baghdad. [Etejah]

 

Security-related incidents reported

North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)

Iraqi forces found 2 explosives caches in the Fahhama and Khazraj areas. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)

An MoI source says two people were killed and six wounded when a sticky IED exploded under a small bus in Sadr City. [Mada]

 

Southeast (Mada’in, etc.)

An MoI source says one person was killed and seven wounded when an IED exploded in an industrial area in Nahrawan.  [Mada]

An MoI source says one person was killed and eight wounded when an IED exploded near a popular café in Zafaraniya. [Mada]

 

South (Dora, Yusufiyah, Mahmudiya, etc.)

An MoI source says two people were killed and eight wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Yusufiyah. [Mada]

An MoI source says the bodies of two Iraqi Army soldiers were found shot in an orchard in Hor Rijab. [Mada]

An MoI source says two people were killed and seven wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Sayyed Abdullah village in Mahmudiya. [Mada]

 

Southwest (Rasheed, etc.)

An MoI source says one person was killed and five wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Hay Al-Hussein. [Mada]

 

West (Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib, etc.)

An MoI source says a shop owner was killed when a sticky IED exploded under his vehicle in Ghazaliya. [Mada]

 

Total IED incidents:                                7

Total Baghdad incidents reported:    9     (Includes only incidents reported)

 

ANBAR

Ramadi

Anbar University says three cleanup workers were wounded when an old shell exploded on them near the university’s fence. [Maalomah]

 

An Anbar Operations Command source says Iraqi Army 10th division found a large rockets and explosives cache in Jazeera Ramadi. [Sumaria]

 

Hit/Haditha

An Anbar Police source says Iraqi forces found the bodies of 40 civilians killed by Daesh in a mass grave in Jazeera Hit. [BasNews]

DaeshDaily comment. Jazeera Hit is the home area of the Albu Nimr tribe. Daesh killed hundreds of people from this tribe.

 

A military source says Iraqi Army 7th division and tribal fighters continued their operations to clear the Haditha-Baiji road. He also says Iraqi Army 27th brigade is heading to the area to hold the ground. [Sumaria]

Daesh says it killed fifteen Iraqi service members by blowing up a site on the road between Baiji and Haditha. [A3maq]

Daesh says it targeted a PMF commander convoy with 7 mortars on the Haditha-Baiji road. [GooglePlus]

 

Daesh says it targeted a Sahwa military position near the Haditha Dam with 10 mortars. [GooglePlus]

 

Rutba/Western Anbar

Daesh says it killed twelve Iraqi service members in an attack in the Kilo 35 area north of Rutba. Daesh also says it captured a Humvee, a military vehicle, and a quantity of weapons in the attack. [A3maq] [A3maq]

Daesh publishes photos and a video of the attack. At the end, the video shows children gathering around and kicking the body of an Iraqi soldier that was being dragged by a vehicle. [A3maq] [DawaAlhaq]

 

A senior Anbar Operations Command source says Iraqi forces stopped a Daesh attack on Qarya Assriya village, west of Rutba, killing 6 terrorists, and destroyed 3 machine gun-mounted vehicles and confiscated a lorry bomb. [Sumaria]

 

The IWMC says the IAF targeted Daesh positions in 3 areas in Al-Qa’im, destroying several guesthouses, killing Daesh Uzbek terrorists, in addition to destroying a vehicle bomb factory and a weapons storehouse. [Mada]

 

The Jazeera Operations Commander says Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh vehicle bomb and an explosives vest factory in Anah, killing 9 terrorists. He also says most of the Daesh foreign terrorists have fled western Anbar to Syria, and only local terrorists remain. [BasNews]

DaeshDaily comment. It would be interesting to see what would happen to the foreign terrorists if Syria were cleared from Daesh also. The local terrorists, as usual, shave their beards and try to pass as innocent civilians, but what can a foreign terrorist do? There are several media reports about Daesh foreign terrorists defecting and fleeing back to Turkey. In Syria however, another option for them would be joining the plethora of jihadi groups.

 

SALAHUDDIN

Shirqat

Daesh issues a video of targeting an Iraqi forces’ minesweeper with a missile south of Shirqat. [A3maq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles near Shirqat. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Baiji

The IFP commander says his troops killed 8 Daesh terrorists and destroyed 2 vehicles in 2 areas north of Baiji. [Etejah]

Daesh says it targeted PMF positions in the north Baiji area with 72 mortars and 4 artillery shells. [GooglePlus]

 

DIYALA

Muqdadiya/Abu Saida

Daesh says it targeted “PMF” positions in the Albu Saida area with 19 mortars and a Katyusha rocket, killing or wounding several soldiers. [GooglePlus]

 

Northern Diyala (Kifri, Khanaqin, etc.)

A PMF commander said Daesh launched an attack on Khulafa and Albu Rajab villages in the Hawi area and clashed with tribal fighters. He said one of the villages was almost completely surrounded by Daesh, and asked for IAA intervention. He says Daesh is trying to reopen the road for its vehicle bombs in the area in order to move them to Diyala, Kirkuk, and Baghdad. [Sumaria]

Later on, he says Iraqi forces took control of the situation in the area and forced the Daesh terrorists to flee. He says an elderly man was killed another man wounded in the Daesh attack. [Sumaria]

 

The Chairman of the Security Committee in the Diyala Provincial Council says Iraqi forces killed a senior Daesh commander, the Syrian Abu Bakr Al-Halabi, and an accomplice in the Hawi area. He says Halabi was sent by Daesh to reactivate Daesh’s Wilayat Diyala (province). [Sumaria]

He also says a PMF unit found a Daesh guesthouse and confiscated an explosives vest in the Hawi area. [Sumaria]

 

Daesh says it killed one policeman and wounded three others in Saadiya subdistrict. [GooglePlus]

 

A security source says the National Security Service captured a person wanted on terrorism charges in Mansouriya. [Sumaria]

 

KIRKUK

Kirkuk

Prime Minister Abadi visited Kirkuk and met with the Governor and with Iraqi Army and Peshmerga commanders. Abadi says Iraqi forces will enter Hawija, Riyadh, and Rashad (in Daquq District) soon, according to a statement from his office. [ROJ]

DaeshDaily comment. This meeting is a very strong indication that the Hawija liberation campaign is on.

 

Hawija

A local source says Daesh cancelled the Friday prayers in Hawija and deployed its terrorists there because of Prime Minister Abadi’s visit to Kirkuk. The source believes Daesh saw this unexpected visit as sign of the start of the Hawija liberation battle. [Sumaria]

 

The Chairman of the PMFs Commission says the JOC has established the East Dijla Operations Command to liberate Hawija District. [Sumaria]

 

A security source says 200 Daesh vehicles, loaded with weapons and “spoils,” withdrew from Hawija towards the desert near Mosul. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh publishes photos of the Al-Zab area. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Southwest

A Peshmerga commander says 3 mortar shells fell on the Maktab Khaled area, without causing human casualties.

 

NINEWA

Mosul

Military Developments in Mosul

Daesh executed eight anti-Daesh resistance fighters after capturing them in Mosul, a Ninewa Police source said Thursday. The men were arrested in a public area of Mosul after Daesh captured them in a “secret headquarters” in Rashidiya, 20 km (12 miles) north of the city. [BasNews]

 

Daesh crushed a plot within its own ranks that threatened to undermine its defense of Mosul and help deliver the city to Iraqi troops, according to a report in Reuters today, which cited Mosul residents and Iraqi security officials. The plot leader was reportedly a top aide to Daesh “caliph” Awwad Baghdadi. The scheme was discovered through a message on one of the plotters’ mobile phones that Daesh inspected. The message pointed to a weapons transfer in support of the plan. The plot leader confessed during interrogation that weapons were being hidden in three locations, to be used in a rebellion to support the Iraqi army when it closed in on Mosul. Daesh raided three houses on October 4 where the weapons were stored. [Reuters]

The Counter Terrorism Service spokesman, Sabah Al-Numani in Baghdad, says “Those were Daesh members who turned against the group in Mosul.” “This is a clear sign that the terrorist organization has started to lose support not only from the population, but even from its own members.” [Reuters]

DaeshDaily comment. If verified, the incident could also indicate that at least some local Daesh members are desperate to distance themselves from Daesh at this point, as they would be at serious risk of revenge from the population or Iraqi forces once Daesh is driven out. Unlike Daesh’s foreign fighters, the locals have nowhere to run, though some presumably will. The desperate alternative is to (seem to) switch sides.

 

Internal fighting among Daesh members pitting foreign fighters against local members left an unspecified number dead and wounded in the Mahalabiya neighborhood, residents said. The fighting began when a group of foreign fighters, mainly from the Caucasus and Central Asia, tried to leave Mosul for Tal Afar, intending to go from there to Syria, the residents said. Local Daesh members intercepted a number of Daesh vehicles carrying around 30 foreign members and prevented them from passing, sparking armed battles between the two factions, the residents said. [Maalomah]

 

Local sources said on Thursday that Mosul witnessed unprecedented Daesh movements. The sources say Daesh moved a lot of its weapons and vehicles outside of the city and redeployed its fighters. This report also says many Daesh terrorists have left the city for the Syrian border over the last 2 days. [ARA]

 

During those same two days, Daesh has been placing “tens” of caravan trailers filled with petroleum on the main thoroughfare, Al-Sayidin Road, in the Al-Arabi neighborhood and along points in the Al-Ghabat, Al-Faisaliya, and Al-Baath neighborhoods and reaching as far as Al-Mithaq neighborhood, according to a local source. Daesh intends to ignite the oil inside the trailers. [Maalomah].

 

A local source says Daesh deployed several trucks loaded with oil in order to burn them during the anticipated Mosul battle. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh has ignited oil in the three-meter-deep trenches it dug in Bashiqa and Al-Khazer, filling the skies with black smoke in an effort to impede the aerial attacks that are targeting its assets. [Karemlash] [Mawsleya (photo)]

 

Daesh has placed IEDs in the streets of Mosul in an effort to create as many obstacles as possible to the anticipated advance of Iraqi troops and allied fighters. [Mawsleya]

 

Unknown armed men pulled a Daesh commander from his car and decapitated him on the spot in the in the Qahtaniya neighborhood in western Mosul, a local source said. [Maalomah]

 

A local source says Ahrar Ninewa, an anti-Daesh local group, destroyed a Daesh vehicle in Hay Al-Rifaq in east Mosul. [Harbi]

DaeshDaily comment. The same neighborhood was targeted by the Coalition yesterday.

 

Mosul campaign

According to a report by the pro-PYD Hawar, the Iraqi PM has met with the relevant parties and settled the date and time for the launch of anticipated operations to recapture Mosul from Daesh. The launch date is to be announced within “hours,” Hawar claims. [Hawar]

 

Newly arrived units of Iraqi troops have been deployed to three fronts around Mosul in preparation for the upcoming operations, according to the Chairman of the Ninewa Provincial Council’s Security Committee on Thursday. The three fronts are Al-Khazer in Hamdaniya, Mosul Dam north of the city, and near the Qayara air base, he said. [Mada]

DaeshDaily comment. This suggests that the ground troops will move toward the city from the east, through the Nineveh Plain, and from the south, starting in Qayara, while the third front ensures that Daesh can’t take advantage of the situation by attacking the sensitive Mosul Dam.

 

A “high level source” said that the following array of Iraqi troops and fighters would participate in the battle for Mosul:

  • 16 Special Operations brigades comprising an entire division, including Counter Terrorism Service
  • 16 tank battalions
  • 4 armored groups of the 37th Brigade
  • 12 Emergency Groups of Ninewa Police
  • 17 Rapid Response groups
  • First and Second Commando brigades
  • SWAT Force of the Ninewa Command
  • 8 Iraqi Federal Police groups
  • An unspecified number of heavy armor groups
  • Peshmerga fighters
  • PMF Fighters (in a supporting role) on the level of four military divisions.
  • 3 Iraqi Air Force (IAF) squadrons
  • 10 formations of Iraqi Army Air (IAA) helicopters [Maalomah]

Hawar provides a similar though less detailed report, also mentioning that troops of the Iraqi Army 15th Battalion have taken up positions near Mosul. [Hawar]

Peshmerga commanders have ordered their forces to battle stations around the Mosul front, while Iraqi units continue to arrive, passing through KRG-held territory. In the past two days Iraqi units have massed in Tesgofa in Tel Keif, north of Mosul, and nearby areas. [ARA]

 

An unspecified number of PMF fighters has deployed “near Mosul” and is waiting for the “zero hour” for the launch of the operations to take the city from Daesh, according to the spokesman for the PMF authority. [Maalomah]

 

The Ninewa Governorate Council has formed a committee of its members that will visit the battlefronts to coordinate with the Mosul operation, as well as a committee to manage the problem of the Yazidis abducted by Daesh, according to Council President Bashar Al-Kiki. [Mada]

 

500 journalists and 1000 civil society activists are participating in a media campaign to support the Mosul operations, according to the PMF authority. 350 of the journalists will be working the battlefield while another 150 will be located at the PMF media operations center in Baghdad. The campaign will distribute information about the battles as they occur, 24/7, from the PMF media office, the PMF authority announced. [Maalomah]

 

Joint Operations Command issued instructions Friday to media outlets covering the upcoming battle for Mosul. According to the statement these are:

  • Not to publish any news about the operation except that issued by the authorized sources, including:
  • Joint Operations Command/IWMC
  • Official spokesman of the JOC, Col. Yahya Rasul
  • Official spokesman of the Ministry of Interior/Media, Col. Saad Al-Muin
  • Official spokesman of the PMF, MP Ahmad Al-Asady
  • Official spokesman of the KRG Peshmerga Ministry, Col. Halkurd
  • Official spokesman of the Counter-Terrorism Service, Sabah Al-Numani
  • Refrain from publishing news that would reveal the locations where armed units are operating.
  • Refrain from revealing military capacity in publications (such as weapons and materials possessed by Iraqi troops and allied fighters).
  • Two media centers have been opened by JOC, at Qayara air base and in Erbil.
  • Journalists require a pass from Ninewa Operations Command.
  • Media outlets will be held responsible if they break the above rules. [ROJ]

 

Conditions in Mosul

Daesh has announced a state of emergency and closed its hisbah offices in Mosul as it transfers its members to the front lines. [Mawsleya]

 

Daesh’s elite “Usra Army” suddenly surrounded three mosques in Mosul and emptied them completely of people before holding Friday prayers, while Daesh 4-wheel-drive vehicles were reportedly on the scene amid rumors that Daesh caliph Awwad Baghdadi would or did appear for the prayers, a local source said. Daesh snipers deployed to nearby buildings around the mosques at the same time, the source said. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. Another reported Baghdadi “sighting” in which he was not actually sighted.

 

On Thursday, Daesh issued a video of an American shelling on 2 areas in Mosul. [A3maq]

DaeshDaily comment. Same old propaganda line: U.S. bombing always misses Daesh and hits innocent civilians.

 

Qayara

A PMF commander says military reinforcements, including IFP and PMF units, arrived in Qayara to participate in the Mosul liberation battles. [Sumaria]

 

Nineveh Plain

Daesh says it targeted Peshmerga positions in the Bashiqa Mountain area with 3 rockets and 2 mortars. [GooglePlus]

 

Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)

A local activist says Daesh terrorists withdrew from Tal Afar District completely, taking their weapons with them and destroying Tal Afar Hospital before leaving. [ARA]

DaeshDaily comment. This would be a major story if true, but we would like to see it confirmed.

 

A local source says unknown armed men beheaded a Saudi Daesh commander publicly in Qahtaniya. The source says the terrorist was responsible for executing many policemen in the city. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh says it targeted Peshmerga military positions at Kafraj Camp in Tal Afar with 37 mortars. [GooglePlus]

 

REPORTS FROM TURKEY

 

See National News above

 

REPORTS FROM SYRIA

 

The Coalition says it conducted 13 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Syria, in or near Shaddadi (6) and Ain Eissa (1); Tadmur (1); and Deir Ez-Zor (4) and Albu Kamal (1)). [InherentResolve]

 

The Turkish military says it destroyed 62 Daesh targets in northern Aleppo. It also says two opposition group fighters were killed in battles on Friday. [Qasioun]

 

Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)

Hasaka

A Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander said in a press conference in Hasaka on Thursday that he defected from the FSA with other officers and joined the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF). He says the FSA was “destroyed” by the Muslim Brothers, who are now dominating the FSA, and the remaining FSA groups were forced to merge with radical groups. [Hawar]

DaeshDaily comment. This reinforces our previous comment that there is essentially no Free Syrian Army any more. Turkey and its opposition groups have just appropriated the title.

 

Another commander from the same group was assassinated west of Daraa just one day after the press conference. [Hawar]

 

A local source says Daesh executed 4 of its members in Markada south of Hasaka. The source says Daesh tightened its security measures in the town and is executing anyone who tries to escape or defect. [ARA]

 

Daesh says it killed or wounded five Asayesh members with an IED in Hay Ghuwairan in Hasaka city. [A3maq]

Eyewitnesses say a “sound bomb” planted in a garbage bag near a school in Hay Ghuwairan exploded, severely wounding a child. [BasNews]

 

Raqqa

Local media sources say warplanes, supposedly belonging to the Coalition, targeted Al-Ghazali village north of Raqqa, killing eleven people, including two women and two children, and wounding one. [Dorar]

 

The SOHR says Daesh informed the people of Raqqa that it has privatized electricity. Somewhat contradictorily, it says Daesh is charging people in US dollars for their electricity services. Daesh also told the citizens that they have to get rid of their electricity generators. [SyriaHR]

 

The SOHR says Daesh captured nine of its own members, including an Egyptian official in Raqqa, after accusing them of planning to flee to Turkey. [SyriaHR]

 

Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)

Aleppo city

The UN says 406 people were reported killed and 1,384 were injured in rebel-occupied eastern Aleppo from 23 September to 8 October. It also says 492 persons were injured and 91 were killed, including 19 women and 18 children in government-run western Aleppo from 20 September to 12 October. [ReliefWeb]

 

The SOHR says eight people were killed, including women and children, by airstrikes in different areas in Aleppo city. [SyriaHR]

 

Al-Bab

Local sources say Daesh gave a 24-hour ultimatum to people from 3 villages in the Al-Bab area to leave their houses. 2,500 displaced people have arrived in Afrin from different areas in north Aleppo on Tuesday. A local activist says Daesh is trying to increase the displaced persons burden on mostly Kurdish Afrin by displacing as many people as it can. [Hawar] [ARA]

DaeshDaily comment. Most of the displaced are likely Kurdish, but Afrin deserves credit for trying to help all the displaced who have come there.

 

Daesh says it killed thirteen opposition fighters in its attack on Al-Ra’i city on Thursday. [A3maq]

 

Daesh says it stopped an opposition group attack that was supported by the Turkish Army on Tal Hajar village east of Al-Ra’i. [A3maq]

Daesh issues a video of the battles. [A3maq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of targeting opposition groups in Shaw Al-Saghir village east of Al-Ra’i. [DawaAlhaq]

Daesh publishes photos of battles with opposition groups south and east of Al-Ra’i. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of targeting Al-Barij village near Al-Ra’i with mortars. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of distributing pamphlets in the cities of Al-Bab and Maslama. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Azaz

On Thursday, an opposition fighter says, a vehicle bomb loaded with a large quantity of explosives targeted an opposition security barrier at the northern entrance to Azaz city, killing twenty-five people, including civilians and opposition fighters, and wounded tens. [ARA]

A security source says “defected” Daesh members are facilitating the entrance of vehicle bombs to the liberated areas. Social media accounts close to Daesh claimed Daesh is responsible for the attack in Azaz. [Dorar] [EnabBaladi]

 

Daesh says it killed an opposition fighter and wounded six others in a mortar shelling on Mare ‘ city. [GooglePlus]

Daesh publishes photos of targeting Mare’ city with locally made rockets. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of targeting Akhtarin with mortars and locally made rockets. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Manbij

Daesh publishes 2 photos of targeting “PKK” positions in Nahilya village south of Manbij with SPG 9 rockets. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)

Failaq Al-Sham, a Syrian opposition group, says it killed six Russian officers, including a General, in addition to Iranian and Syrian officers, in an attack on their convoy in Hama city. [Qasioun]

It says it monitored the movement of the Russian officers in the city for a few months before conducting the operation. [EnabBaladi]

 

Daesh says it stopped another Syrian Army and allied militia attack on Tal Al-Sawana in the Huwaisis area east of Homs, killing five soldiers and militia members and wounding twenty-eight. [A3maq]

Daesh says it destroyed a Syrian Army tank, armored vehicle, and ammunition truck in the area. [A3maq]

Daesh had said on Tuesday that it stopped a Syrian attack on Tal Al-Sawana, killing or wounding forty-two Syrian soldiers and destroying 3 tanks. [A3maq] [A3maq]

Daesh issues a video of destroying a Syrian Army tank in the Huwaisis area. [A3maq]

Daesh publishes photos of the battles in the Huwaisis area. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Daesh says it destroyed a Syrian Army cannon-mounted vehicle east of Hama. [A3maq]

 

East (Deir Ez-Zor)

Heavy battles erupted between Daesh and Syrian forces near Jufra village near Deir Ez-Zor military airport. Heavy battles also erupted near Tharda Mountain. Warplanes targeted Daesh positions in the airport area. Warplanes also launched more than 10 airstrikes on Hay Al-Haweiqa in Deir Ez-Zor city. Daesh targeted the Joura and Qusour areas with mortars. [Qasioun]

 

Local activists say Daesh is forcing people to pay penalties for several violations by using only Daesh’s silver coin. [ARA]

 

South (Rif Damashq, Suwayda, Daraa, etc.)

An Al-Nusra source says Nusra discovered a cell of Daesh terrorists in the Syrian Desert. The source says one of the terrorists blew himself up and the other was killed, and two were captured. [Qasioun]

 

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists in the Hamad Desert. [DawaAlhaq]

 

OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS

 

North Africa

Egypt

A medical source says twelve soldiers were killed and eight wounded in terrorist attack on a security barrier in Bir Al-Abd in North Sinai. [VetoGate] [VetoGate]

Security sources say the terrorists attacked the barrier using RPGs and machine gun-mounted vehicles. The sources also say security forces killed 15 terrorists in the attack. [VetoGate]

Daesh says it killed twenty Egyptian soldiers and wounded others in the attack south of Bir Al-Abd, 80 km (50 miles) west of Arish. It also says it destroyed 2 vehicles and captured all of the weapons and ammunition at the barrier. Daesh says all of its terrorists returned safely after the attack. [A3maq]

DaeshDaily comment. In Daesh propaganda, all its fighters return home safely after each attack (with few exceptions), unless they blow themselves up (which always defines a success). However, notice the Egyptian count above: 15 terrorists killed.

 

A policeman was wounded when an IED exploded on his armored vehicle near Rafah city entrance. [VetoGate]

 

Daesh said on Tuesday that it targeted a police vehicle with an IED east of Arish city. [GooglePlus]

 

Libya

Northeast

The Jebel Al-Akhdar Police say they captured 4 Daesh Egyptian terrorists who fled the fighting in Benghazi. [Wasat]

 

Medical sources say five children were wounded when a shell fell on the Benina Stadium in Benghazi. [Wasat]

 

Daesh issued a video of a tank attack on Libyan National Army (LNA) positions in the Qawarsha area. [A3maq]

 

Central coast

The Misrata Hospital says fourteen GNA fighters were killed and thirty-three wounded in the Sirte battles today. [Wasat]

Daesh says Government of National Accord (GNA) units, supported by American planes, attacked Daesh positions in Sirte. Daesh says it stopped the attack, killing or wounding ninety-one GNA fighters. Daesh says American warplanes conducted 8 airstrikes on its positions, in addition to extensive Libyan airstrikes. Daesh says this is the second attack it has stopped in one week. [A3maq]

 

The GNA Military spokesman says his troops advanced into the last Daesh area in Sirte. A GNA source says heavy battles are ongoing in the Jiza and 600 areas. [AfriGate] [AfriGate]

 

AFRICOM says it conducted 9 airstrikes on Daesh sniper positions in Sirte raising the total number of airstrikes to 270. [AfriGate]

 

The GNA Military says it captured a Daesh position in Hay Al-Manara in south Sirte and found 4 small recon drones. [Libya24]

 

Tunisia

The Tunisian President says there 4,000 Tunisians fighting with terrorist groups in Syria. [Wasat]

 

The Tunisian National Guard captured a cell of 4 Daesh supporters and confiscated takfiri materials in their houses. [Tunisien]

 

Algeria

The Algerian Ministry of Defense says the Algerian Army killed 2 Daesh terrorists in the Skikda region east of the capital on Thursday, one of whom local media reports identified as the emir of the Daesh’s affiliate in Algeria that beheaded a French tourist in September 2014. It is his group that kidnapped 55-year-old Frenchman Herve Gourdel as he hiked in a national park in eastern Algeria. It also says that authorities discovered Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition in the raid, which took place in the Oued Zehour area of Skikda.

Private Algerian broadcaster Ennahar TV reported that one of those killed was Saddek Habbach, otherwise known as Abou Doujana, the leader of Jund al-Khilafa, or Soldiers of the Caliphate, an eastern Algerian extremist group that pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2014.

[ARA]

 

Other countries

Pakistan

Daesh says it killed three Pakistani border guards in Quetta city. [A3maq]

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

A social media video of Iraqi forces heading to Ninewa. [Sumaria]

Video of Iraqi Federal Police en route to the Mosul front. [Facebook]

 

Iraqis opposed to the presence of Turkish troops in Bashiqa have been tweeting with the hashtag (in Arabic) “Leave with your dignity Erdogan” [Twitter]. See for example this tweet that likens the unwelcome Turkish presence in Iraq to the earlier American presence. [Twitter]

 

Hashtags being used by for those waiting for the launch of the anticipated Mosul operation (in Arabic): “Mosul the beginning of the end” [Twitter] and “Announcing the Zero Hour” [Twitter] “The Hour of Liberation Has Drawn Near” [Twitter].

 

An unconfirmed report claiming Iraqi Army troops have surrounded Zilkan Camp where Turkish troops are stationed near Bashiqa. [Twitter]

 

Al-Qaeda supporters issue a video explaining why people should leave Daesh. [YouTube]

 

Daesh supporters publish photos of alleged leaked documents of the Mosul liberation plan [Ana Al-Muslim]

 

Video from Shirqat shows an Iraqi SWAT commander confronting a Daesh supporter and arrestee who blew up the commander’s house and took his land. What the commander says is not for translation. [YouTube]

 

DAESH MEDIA

 

Daesh publishes infographics showing that it distributed $29.6 million dollars of zakat money in Iraq and Syria during the last 12 months. [A3maq]

 

Daesh audio newsletter for today [Bayan]

 

Daesh publishes a new issue of its Naba’ magazine. [DawaAlhaq]

 

 

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