October 28, 2016
Arkan Al-Salman
Today’s Major Developments
Thousands demonstrate in support of Iraqi forces in Ninewa. [..]
Daesh in Ninewa has abducted 8,000 people as human shields. [..]
Pause in Ninewa liberation operations continues. [..]
900 Qayara residents return home from displacement camp. [..]
Turkmen PMFs expect to put 12,000 men into Tal Afar liberation fight. [..]
Putin holding back on resuming Aleppo airstrikes. [..]
Conflicting interpretations continue on using YPG in Raqqa liberation. [..]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Thousands of people demonstrated in Baghdad and several other governorates supporting Iraqi forces in the Ninewa battles and demanding more reforms. Tens of activists demonstrated in the Al-Mutanabi Street area in Baghdad objecting to the CoR’s ban on alcohol. [Mada] [Mada]
President Masoum says the CoR should reconsider the ban, which will affect personal freedoms and government revenues. He says the provision about alcohol, included in the Municipalities Revenues Law, was illegal before the vote as it was not read twice before the vote as the rules require. [Mada]
The Coalition says it conducted 6 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Iraq, on and near Mosul (3), Tal Afar (1), Sinjar (1), and Rutba (1). [InherentResolve]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
The MoD says the Intelligence Service captured 3 men wanted on terrorism charges and confiscated weapons in the Meshahda area, in Tarmiya. [Baghdadia]
An MoI source says two PMF fighters were killed and four wounded when an IED exploded on their vehicle in Taji. [Mada]
Iraqi Army 22nd brigade found a Daesh suicide terrorists’ guesthouse and an explosives cache in the Albu Hosa area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi Army 59th brigade found 14 IEDs and other explosives in the Tal Mishaan area. It also found a weapons cache in the Dhabitya area. [BOC Facebook Page]
South (Dora, Yusufiyah, Mahmudiya, etc.)
An MoI source says two people were killed and nine wounded when an IED exploded near a busy market in Mahmudiya. [Mada]
Iraqi Army 55th brigade killed a terrorist and found 17 IEDs and other explosives in the Albu Kanaan and Harkawi areas. It also found 4 IEDs in the Albu Faris area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi Army 23rd brigade found 20kg of explosives in the Albu Saif area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi Army 23rd brigade destroyed a Daesh guesthouse in the Khtaimiya area. The same brigade captured a man wanted on terrorism charges in Zanbaraniya. [MoD Website]
Iraqi Army 25th brigade found an explosives cache in the Shabisha area. [MoD Website]
West (Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib, etc.)
A security source says one person was killed and seven wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Iskan. [Maalomah]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 11 (Includes only incidents reported)
Total IED incidents 6
ANBAR
Ramadi
The Anbar Police Chief says his troops captured 11 Daesh terrorists and confiscated silenced guns and other weapons in the Al-Tash area, south of Ramadi but close to the city. He says the terrorists were planning terrorist attacks. [Baghdadia]
The Anbar Police Chief says Iraqi forces found a 25m Daesh tunnel filled with weapons and explosives in East Hsaiba after getting information from residents. [Maalomah]
Iraqi army 8th division destroyed 35 IEDs in the Zangoura area. [MoD Website]
Rutba/Western Anbar
The Anbar Operations Commander says Iraqi forces captured 20 Daesh terrorists while searching and securing several areas in Rutba District. They confiscated large quantities of hallucination pills from the terrorists. He says Iraqi forces, with help from civilians, cleared Rutba after the recent Daesh attack. He also says Iraqi forces are preparing to launch an attack to clear Daesh’s last strongholds in northwest Anbar in Anah, Rawa, and Al-Qa’im. [Mada] [Ghad]
DaeshDaily comment. Defense Secretary Carter’s statement two days ago about pursuing Raqqa simultaneously with Mosul was an indication that the northwest Anbar campaign may soon be on.
A Tribal PMF commander says Iraqi forces conducted a military operation near the Al-Waleed Border Crossing, killing 14 Daesh terrorists and destroying 6 vehicles. [Mada]
A Tribal PMF commander says Arkan Al-Salman, a notable Tribal PMF commander, was killed when an IED exploded in his personal vehicle near Rutba. [Maalomah]
DaeshDaily comment. These brave men have fought Daesh for years, but Daesh sleeper cells are still functioning.
A PMF commander says PMF troops stopped a Daesh attack on the Saqqar area destroying a Daesh vehicle and capturing another. [Ghad]
Iraqi forces destroyed an armored vehicle bomb, and Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh car bomb factory and 3 armored vehicles bombs, north of Rutba. [MoD Website]
Coalition warplanes destroyed 2 IED storehouses in the Anah area. [MoD Website]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
Iraqi Army 75th brigade targeted a Daesh group with a mortar, east of Shirqat, killing several terrorists. [MoD Website]
Daesh says it killed three Iraqi soldiers in an ambush near the Zuwiya intersection, south of Shirqat. [A3maq]
Daesh says it killed three PMF fighters and destroyed an armored vehicle in an attack on the Bedouin Residential Compound, south of Shirqat. [A3maq]
Baiji
Daesh says it attacked, then burned down 2 PMF military positions in the Makhoul Mountains area, north of Baiji. [DawaAlhaq]
Tikrit
Salahuddin EOD Department found 3 IEDs in the Awja Jadida area, south of Tikrit. [MoD Website]
Samarra
The IFP captured 2 men wanted on terrorism charges, near the Jalam Intersection. [MoD Website]
DIYALA
Baquba/southeast Diyala
A security source says a special security unit captured a Daesh “intelligence” member in the Qatoun area, 6 km (4 miles) west of Baquba. [Sumaria]
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
A security source says National Security units captured a man wanted on terrorism charges in Abu Saida. [Sumaria]
KIRKUK
Kirkuk
The Kirkuk Governor issued a statement refuting a Sunni MP’s accusations that the Peshmerga and asayesh destroyed Arab homes in two villages and removed displaced people out of Kirkuk. [Mada]
DaeshDaily comment. This is exactly what Daesh wants: More Sunni displacements, more Sunni anger, more Daesh recruits.
Hawija
Daesh publishes photos of burning up cigarette boxes in Hawija. [DawaAlhaq]
NINEWA
Daesh has abducted more than 8,000 families from the areas around Mosul to use as human shields, the UNHCR announced Friday. Daesh executed 232 civilians on Wednesday, the UNHCR also said. [Sumaria]
The IWMC says Iraqi forces killed 250 Daesh terrorists in Ninewa during the last four days. [ARA]
A UN spokesperson said that around 16,000 people have fled the conflict area around Mosul, citing fears of a public health disaster. An Iraqi Red Crescent activist said more and more displaced persons are being received in his organization’s facilities as the Joint Forces advance. More than 1,000 people experienced health problems due to the smoke billowing from the burning oil wells around Mosul, the UN said. [ARA] [Buratha]
The IWMC says it kicked out a reporter from an Arab satellite channel because of his coverage that impacted the military operations in Ninewa. Other sources say the reporter is from the Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya. [Sumaria] [AIN]
DaeshDaily comment. Saudi and Qatari news channels are hardly “neutral” in the coverage.
Mosul
Military developments in Mosul
The Kata’eb Al-Mosul resistance group announced that its fighters shot a Daesh member dead in Mosul’s Al-Shuhada neighborhood. Another Daesh member fled the scene, the KM said. [KM Facebook Page]
Mosul liberation campaign
The Ninewa Operations Command says Ninewa liberation battles are ongoing and within the scheduled plans. [Mada]
The Coalition spokesman said that Iraqi Joint Forces have temporarily paused their operations and that the Coalition expects the advance on Mosul to resume after two days. However, the JOC denied this, and the commander of the Counter-Terrorism Service troops said his Force had received no orders to pause operations. [Hawar] [Sumaria] [Buratha]
DaeshDaily comment. We think it is apparent to our readers that there is a pause, even if not everyone got the word. The sharp drop in the number of battle stories, and in villages reported captured, makes that clear. As reported here last night from our correspondent in Ninewa, the reason is the risks to civilian populations from Daesh’s human shields strategy.
Our report was followed this morning by a front-page in-depth story in the Washington Post by Loveday Morris, based on statements from villagers. [WashingtonPost]
The IWMC says Iraqi F-16s destroyed a rocket storehouse and a rocket launcher, 2 vehicles loaded with weapons, and a rocket factory, and killed many terrorists in several airstrikes on Mosul. [Baghdadia]
Conditions in Mosul
The UNHCR confirmed Friday that Daesh executed at least 232 people in Mosul in the past week. [AIN]
Prominent Daesh leaders and preachers were absent from the Friday prayers in the mosques of Mosul for a second week running, local source said. [Sumaria]
Daesh has raised the prices of basic foodstuffs by 30 percent in the areas it controls in order to bolster its war effort, a local source said. [Sumaria]
Daesh is setting up shops to buy people’s gold at low prices, a local source said. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. It’s yet another Daesh tactic to exploit the misery of Mosul citizens—which Daesh and their collaborators caused.
Daesh has detained seven families in Mosul, all of them families from which Daesh has previously executed family members, a local source said. The source said that there is a fear that Daesh will massacre the new detainees. [Sumaria]
Shura/Hammam Alil
Daesh executed “tens” of captives in the city of Hammam Al-Alil in an attempt to intimidate residents from supporting the advancing Iraqi troops, a Ninewa GC member said. Daesh has also fired on Iraqi troops from its positions in the city and attempted to attack them with vehicle bombs, the Iraqi Army spokesman said. [BasNews]
IFP artillery reportedly fired on Daesh positions in Shura in advance of an anticipated ground assault there. [Harbi]
PMF fighters captured the village of Hwaider and nearby villages southwest of Mosul after killing “tens” of Daesh fighters, the Ashura Brigade announced. [Ghad]
PMF fighters captured an area south of Mosul, then raised the Iraqi flag on another village and are advancing toward a third village, PMF media announced. [Forat] [Waradana]
The Al-Muntadher PMF captured the village of Al-Sharifa south of Mosul, PMF media announced. [Forat]
Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army armored vehicle with a missile and killed three Iraqi soldiers near the Shura Intersection, south of Mosul. [A3maq]
Qayara
900 Qayara residents returned to their homes from a displacement camp in Makhmur, the Migration Ministry announced. [PUKMedia]
Photos of darkness at noon in Qayara, created by the smoke from burning oil wells ignited by Daesh. [Sumaria]
Nineveh Plain
Hamdaniya
IAA aircraft reportedly killed “tens” of Daesh fighters in airstrikes in areas around Hamdaniya. [Ghad]
Daesh issues a video of targeting an Abrams tank near Qaraqosh. [A3maq]
Tel Keif
Peshmerga fighters captured two Daesh militants on the Nawaran front. One of the captives told Rudaw’s correspondent that there are many foreign fighters remaining inside Mosul (video). [Rudaw]
Daesh says Coalition planes attacked a Peshmerga and PMF gathering in Al-Qa’im, village near Khorsabad, which is nine miles northeast of Mosul, in the “third mistaken attack during the last 24 hours.” [A3maq]
DaeshDaily comment. Daesh is putting out this propaganda almost every day now. Take it seriously only if you see a confirming statement from the Coalition. This happens occasionally but not often.
Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
A Turkmen PMF commander says 12,000 Turkmen fighters will participate in the liberation of Tal Afar. [Mada]
The PMF operation to open a new front in Tal Afar and encircle Mosul could begin “in hours or in days” according to the PMF spokesman Ahmad Al-Asadi. [Harbi]
South (Baaj, Hatra)
Daesh says one of its Turkish suicide terrorists attacked the PMFs with a vehicle bomb, near the Hatra Intersection, south of Mosul, killing more than 20 fighters and wounding others and destroying 5 vehicles. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh publishes a photo of the suicide terrorist. [MRKZGulf]
Daesh issues a video of the results of an “American” airstrikes on the Baaj Silos. [A3maq]
Daesh says it shot down an “Iranian” recon drone near the Hatra Intersection. [A3maq]
KURDISTAN
The KRG Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, says the KRG will discuss Kurdistan independence with Baghdad after the liberation of Mosul. [ARA]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Basra
The Chairman of the Security Committee in Basra Provincial Council says armed men broke into Basra Airport and stole heavy equipment. He says the group, which is linked to a “powerful front,” handcuffed the guards and left without being interrupted by the airport’s security. [Mada]
DaeshDaily comment. If true, this is a significant security breach that not only affects the airport and its passengers, but also the foreign consulates. Basra have been facing a militia problem since 2003, even worse than Baghdad’s.
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
President Putin has denied the Russian military’s request to order a resumption of airstrikes in eastern Aleppo, his press secretary said. The military had asked permission to resume airstrikes due to the increased activity of militants.
“The Russian president considers it inappropriate at the present time to resume airstrikes in Aleppo,” Dmitry Peskov told the press. However, Peskov said “in case of extreme necessity to prevent provocative actions on the part of terrorist groups, the Russian side reserves the right to use all means at its disposal to provide an appropriate level of support to the Syrian armed forces.”
He also said Russia will decide on further action in accordance with the events on the ground in Aleppo. [RT]
John Kirby, US Department of State spokesman, says there are no plans to include, or to coordinate with, the Assad regime in the Raqqa battles. [Dorar]
A PYD official says the PYD and the US have an agreement to have the YPG participate “effectively and directly” in Raqqa liberation. [SotKurdistan]
European diplomatic sources say the YPG might participate in surrounding Raqqa, but they will not be allowed to enter the city. They say the US and Turkey agreed not to allow the YPG enter Raqqa before or after the liberation. [Aki]
The Coalition says it conducted 3 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Syria, 2 near Mare’ and 1 near Albu Kamal. [InherentResolve]
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Hasaka
Local sources say the PYD Asayesh raided an Assyrian private school in Hasaka on Tuesday in order to prevent Arab and Kurdish children from learning from the official curriculum. The PYD had issued orders that each ethnicity should learn using its own language. [ZamanAlWasl]
Media sources say the United States finished rebuilding and equipping the Rmeilan Airfield in Abu Hajar village in Hasaka province. The airfield will be used to host airplanes and helicopters. [Dorar]
EOD units have defused 719 Daesh land mines in the Al-Hawl area so far. [Hawar]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Aleppo City
Jaish Al-Fath (Army of Conquest) joint command center of Islamist groups announced the start of the “epic battle” of Aleppo. The battle started with 40 vehicle bombs (video). [Qasioun] [Qasioun]
The Syrian government’s director of health in Aleppo says fifteen people were killed and one hundred wounded by opposition groups shelling and rocketing on Aleppo city. [SyriaNow]
Two civilians were wounded by opposition heavy machine gun fire on Sheikh Maqsoud. [Hawar]
Opposition groups also targeted Sheikh Maqsoud with 8 shells. [Hawar]
Syrian Army units stopped a Daesh attack on the Air Force College in east Aleppo. [SyriaNow]
Al-Bab
Syrian Democratic Forces factions captured Hawadhin Farms, north of Tal Madhiq, from Turkey-backed opposition groups. SDF factions also captured Gharnata village from Daesh. Battles are ongoing on both military fronts. [Hawar]
Idlib
The SOHR says one person was killed and others wounded by opposition shelling on Al-Foua’a, a Shia town in Idlib. [SyriaHR]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
The SOHR says warplanes conducted several airstrikes on Sukhnah city, east of Homs. [SyriaHR]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
A local activist says at least twelve people were killed and fifteen wounded by Coalition airstrikes on Buqrus, east of Deir Ez-Zor. He also says Syrian and Russian planes targeted several areas in and around Deir Ez-Zor. [ARA]
Daesh cut off the hand of a civilian in Basira city, after accusing him of stealing a motorcycle. [ARA]
The SOHR says Coalition planes conducted several airstrikes on the Kam Station area, east of Deir Ez-Zor. [SyriaHR]
The SOHR says warplanes conducted several airstrikes near Deir Ez-Zor Military Airport, in addition to areas on the outskirts of Deir Ez-Zor city. [SyriaHR]
Daesh is forcing people out of their houses in several areas in Deir Ez-Zor province, claiming that the owners of the houses fought against Daesh. [ARA]
The Syrian Army destroyed a Daesh tunnel used to move vehicle bombs in Hay Al-Haweiqa, in Deir Ez-Zor. [SyriaNow]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
North Africa
Egypt
Security forces established 8 checkpoints and security barriers near Bala’a village, west of Rafah. The village used to be an ABM stronghold before it was liberated 3 days ago. [VetoGate]
Security sources say security units killed an ABM sniper and captured another in Bala’a. Security personnel destroyed 17 hideouts and 3 motorcycles, and captured 34 suspects, in the ongoing campaign west of Rafah. Security sources continued their campaign also in two neighborhoods in Rafah city. [ElWatan] [ElWatan]
Security units defused an IED planted near olive farms in Sheikh Zuweid. [VetoGate]
Security units captured an ABM terrorist while he was planting IEDs near Joura village, in Sheikh Zuweid. The terrorist had previously killed six security personnel with IEDs. He admitted that the ABM developed a new type of IED that gets activated when detecting armored vehicles movement. [VetoGate]
A 17-year-old girl was killed and two other women wounded when a mortar shell fell on their house in Matala village, south of Rafah. [VetoGate]
Eyewitnesses say a taxi driver was killed by a random bullet in Sheikh Zuweid city. [ElWatan]
Libya
Northeast
A security source says the bodies of ten unknown people were found in the Shanaba area, in Benghazi. [Wasat]
Eyewitnesses says a Grad rocket fell on a house in the Tablino area, in west Benghazi, without causing human casualties. [AfriGate]
Tunisia
The Tunisian Ministry of Interior says security units captured in Monastir a cell of 5 members who were communicating with terrorists in Syria. [Tunisien]
The Tunisian MoI says security units found 14 rockets hidden in Ben Guerdane. [Tunisien]
Other countries
Afghanistan
Daesh publishes a video of the battles to capture the Bir Bajir area, south of Jalalabad. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh said on October 20 that it captured the Bir Bajir area.
Somalia
Daesh says it attacked a police station in Bosaso city with hand grenades. [A3maq]
Daesh says it destroyed an African Union armored vehicle in the Elasha Biyaha area, near Mogadishu. [A3maq]
SOCIAL MEDIA
Videos of the Day
Iraq
Two videos of a tribal leader from Ninewa, one year apart. In the first video, issued by Daesh, the tribal leader, in a big gathering, is pledging loyalty to Daesh against the Shia and the Kurds. In the later video, in Erbil and in front of the Iraqi flag, the same man says he was forced to support Daesh and talks about brotherhoods with the Shia and the Kurds. [Facebook]
DaeshDaily comment. While it is undeniable that Daesh forces people to attend such meeting and to pledge allegiance, it is also undeniable that Daesh could never have controlled such large parts of Iraq without support from local tribes. Iraq is already facing a huge challenge regarding transitional justice, as thousands of people will seek redress for the harm done to them and their families, and the challenge will become even bigger after the Ninewa liberation.
A video of an Iraqi soldier from Anbar meeting his family for the first time in 3 years. The family was trapped in an area that had been besieged by Daesh. [Yalla]
A video of the displaced families in Debaga Camp [Yalla]
A video of Iraqi Army tanks in the Bazwaya area [Yalla]
Syria
A video of an old Syrian man singing near his destroyed house. The entire neighborhood is destroyed. [Facebook]
Libya
A GNA video of the Sirte battles [YouTube]
OTHER DAESH MEDIA
Daesh audio newsletter for today [Bayan]
Daesh issues a propaganda video about Raqqa [DawaAlhaq]
