May 6, 2016
Today’s Major Developments
Friday demonstrators in Baghdad and nine other cities demand reforms.
Kurdish CoR leaders call for boycott of CoR, Council of Ministers.
Coalition unleashes 22 airstrikes in Iraq.
Suicide attack on West Baghdad checkpoint kills three soldiers, wounds five.
UN Representative expresses concern about situation in Diyala.
Babel Governorate reveals extent of kidnapping wave.
Russian, Syrian symphony orchestras play a concert in Tadmur.
Daesh military advance reverberates among Libyan leaders.
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Tahrir Square in downtown Baghdad, demanding reforms. Security forces cut off several roads and bridges in Baghdad, mainly the roads leading to Tahrir, and some demonstrators walked for miles to reach the square. [Mada] [Sumaria]
Also, hundreds of people demonstrated in Hilla, Najaf, Kerbala, Diwaniya, Kut, Basra, Samawa, Nasariya and demanded faster reforms. [Mada] [Sumaria]
The demonstrators in Samawa demanded better security measures in the wake of the terrorist attack last week. [Mada]
Moqtada Al-Sadr ordered his followers to demonstrate after Friday prayers in their own areas and not in downtown Baghdad. [Mada]
Kurdish CoR bloc leaders held a meeting on Thursday and decided to boycott the CoR sessions and demand that the Kurdish ministers boycott the Council of Ministers sessions. [Sumaria]
The Combined Joint Task Force says the Coalition conducted 22 airstrikes on Daesh in Iraq, near Falluja (1), Baghdadi (3), Hit (2), and Albu Hayat (2); in Baiji (1) and Bashir (1); and in Mosul (4), Makhmur (1), Qayara (3), Sultan Abdullah (1), Tal Afar (2), and Sinjar (1). [CJTF]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
Center (Rusafa, Karkh, Karrada, etc.)
A police source denied reports about the presence of a suicide bomber in Tahrir Square in downtown Baghdad. Media reports say a suicide bomber intended to attack the demonstrators in the Square. [Sumaria]
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
Iraqi forces found weapons and explosives caches in both the Dhabitiya and Sati’ areas. [BOC Facebook Page]
Northeast (Adhamiya, etc.)
An MoI source says an IED exploded near a commercial area in Shaab, killing two people and wounding five. [Mada]
East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)
A security source says unknown armed men shot and wounded a civilian in Sadr City. [Sumaria]
Southeast (Mada’in, etc.)
An MoI source says an IED exploded near an industrial area in Basmaya, killing one person and wounding nine. [Mada]
South (Dora, Mahmudiya)
Iraqi Army 23rd brigade unit troops found 12 IEDs in Baijiya in Arab Jubour. [BOC Facebook Page]
An MoI source says security forces captured 2 men wanted on terrorism charges and found weapons and explosives in the Mansiya area. [Mada]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint in Yusufiyah, killing or wounding several Iraqi soldiers, then blew up the checkpoint and detonated an IED on a patrol vehicle when reinforcements arrived. [JustPaste]
The MoI source says security forces captured a man wanted on terrorism charges in Yusufiyah, and captured a big cache of weapons and explosives. [Harbi] [Mada]
Daesh publishes photos of its agricultural activities in its Janoub (south) Wilaya. [JustPaste]
DaeshDaily comment. Daesh’s objective here is to claim that Daesh has an actual wilaya (governorate) south of Baghdad, and is not just a bunch of terrorists hiding in rat tunnels somewhere or disguised as civilians.
West (Mansour, Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib)
Daesh says one of its Iraqi suicide terrorists attacked an Iraqi Army 55th brigade checkpoint with an explosives vest near Radwaniya, killing or wounding several soldiers. [JustPaste] Daesh publishes a photo of the suicide terrorist. [JustPaste]
The Baghdad Operations Command says a suicide terrorist attacked an Iraqi Army checkpoint on the international road between Radwaniya and Abu Ghraib, killing three soldiers and wounding five. [IraqPress]
Daesh says it killed a Sahwa leader in the Zaidan area in Abu Ghraib. [JustPaste]
An MoI source says an IED exploded near a commercial area in Abu Ghraib, killing one person, and wounding eight. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 13 (Includes only incidents reported)
ANBAR
Falluja
A tribal PMF commander says Iraqi forces shelled a Daesh house in Hay Al-Shurta in Falluja city, killing 4 terrorists, including a foreign commander. [Maalomah]
Daesh claims its snipers killed two Iraqi soldiers near the Albu Aziz area northwest of Falluja. [JustPaste]
Iraqi Army 14th division artillery killed 4 terrorists and wounded 1 in Rashad, northwest of Falluja city in Qarma. The division also defused 6 IEDs in the area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Daesh says one of its snipers killed an Iraqi soldier near the Abadi area in Qarma. [JustPaste]
Iraqi Army 60th brigade troops killed a Daesh terrorist and wounded 3 others in Ma’amir in Zoba’a, south of Falluja. [BOC Facebook Page]
Daesh says one of its snipers killed an Iraqi soldier in Ma’amir. [JustPaste]
An Anbar Operations Command source says the IAA targeted the house of a Daesh leader in the Albu Haratt area south of Falluja, killing 8 terrorists. [Maalomah]
Rapid Intervention troops destroyed a Daesh vehicle equipped with cameras used for recon near the industrial area south of Falluja, killing the terrorists inside. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi forces killed a Daesh terrorist in Bustan Al-Tikriti, southwest of Falluja. [BOC Facebook Page]
Daesh says it shot down an Iraqi helicopter during Thursday’s battles southwest of Falluja. [A3maq]
Ramadi
The IFP commander says his troops captured 3 “dangerous” Daesh leaders west of Ramadi. [Baghdadia]
A security source says Iraqi forces killed 3 Daesh terrorists who were attempting to plant an IED in Jazeera Khaldiya. [Maalomah]
Daesh publishes photos of battles north of Ramadi. [JustPaste]
Hit/Kubaisa/Baghdadi
The Chairman of the Hit District Council says Daesh targeted the residential areas in Hit with mortars and rockets, killing four civilians and wounding three. He says the rockets were launched from Hay Al-Bakr, west of Hit, which is still under Daesh control. [Mada]
The Chairman of the Anbar PC says Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh heavily in Jazeera Baghdadi, killing “tens” of terrorists. [Sumaria]
A tribal PMF commander says the IAA targeted a Daesh convoy that was en route to Baghdadi, destroying several vehicles and killing “tens” of terrorists. [Maalomah]
The JOC says Iraqi Army 7th division commandos stopped a Daesh attack in the Dolab area, killing 7 terrorists. An Iraqi soldier was killed and three others wounded including a captain. [Harbi]
Rutba/Western Anbar
A senior Anbar Operations Command source says Shakir Wahyib, a notorious Daesh leader from Anbar, was killed in an airstrike in Rutba. The source says Daesh mourned the terrorist through mosque loudspeakers in Rutba. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. This terrorist killed many civilians on the road between Iraq and Syria, and he filmed some of these crimes and published them on YouTube. He was captured by Iraqi forces around 2013 and for some reason was released. He then joined Daesh, as an executioner. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Iraqi authorities announced his death.
SALAHUDDIN
Baiji
A Salahuddin Operations Command source says the IAA destroyed 4 Daesh vehicles in the Al-Fatha and Himrin areas, north of Baiji. [Ghad]
Daesh publishes photos of targeting Iraqi forces on the Baiji-Haditha road between with mortars and locally made rockets. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes photos of targeting Iraqi forces in the Asmeda area, north of Baiji, with mortars. [JustPaste]
Samarra
The JOC says Salahuddin Operations Command troops removed 17 IEDs in the Strategic Line area. [Harbi]
DIYALA
Baquba
The UN Rep in Iraq issued a statement expressing his concern about the political and security conditions in Diyala. [Mada]
A security source says unknown armed men broke into a house in Zaghinya village, 9 miles northeast of Baquba, and shot and wounded three people, including a policeman. [Sumaria]
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
The manager of Abu Saida says two mortar shells fell on the residential area in the subdistrict, wounding two children. He says the mortars were launched from the orchards of Mukhaisa village. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. Notwithstanding official Iraqi reassurances, Daesh sleeper cells are still able to operate in this area.
Southern Diyala
Daesh says it attacked an Iraqi army barracks in the Al-Nida area in Balad Ruz, killing 3 soldiers. Daesh says when military reinforcement arrived, it targeted them with 2 IEDs, destroying a Humvee and killing or wounding the soldiers inside. Daesh says all of its terrorists returned back safely. [JustPaste]
KIRKUK
A video of a Coalition airstrike destroying a Daesh logistics facility near Hawija on April 27 [CJTF]
NINEWA
Makhmur/Qayara
Local sources say the Daesh wali of Hawija was killed by a Coalition airstrike in Qayara. [ARA]
A Ninewa Operations Command source says Coalition warplanes bombed a truck carrying 2 vehicle bombs in Qayara as well as a tunnel under the subdistrict’s soccer field, killing “tens” of terrorists. [Mada]
Daesh publishes a video of the results of an American airstrike on a market in Qayara. [A3maq]
The IWMC says Iraqi forces, supported by Coalition warplanes, stopped a Daesh attack on Mahana and Kharbadran villages, killing 20 terrorists including 4 suicide bombers. The source also says Iraqi Army 15th division artillery destroyed a Daesh vehicle carrying weapons, and killed a sniper in Khara’eb Jabur village. [Ghad]
Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army personnel carrier and an SUV with 2 IEDs near Kharbadran. [JustPaste]
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes destroyed a Daesh hisbah office and a checkpoint in Khabata village, near Haj Ali, killing 7 terrorists. [PUKMedia]
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes destroyed a Daesh machine gun-mounted vehicle in Al-Jawa’na village, killing 5 terrorists. [PUKMedia]
Daesh says it destroyed 2 Iraqi army vehicles near Karaw village and a 3rd one near Kharbadran. [A3maq]
Mosul
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes destroyed a Daesh vehicle in the Ghabat area in Mosul, killing the terrorists inside. [PUKMedia]
A PUK official says Coalition warplanes destroyed 2 Daesh headquarters in Bashiqa in Mosul District, killing or wounding 7 terrorists and destroying 2 vehicles. [PUKMedia]
KURDISTAN
Turkish military sources say Turkish warplanes bombed PKK locations in Kari and Khakoreq in Kurdistan on May 3, 4 and 5. [ARA]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Babel
The Babel Governorate says hundreds of its people have been killed and more than 1,000 kidnapped over the past two years. It says 50 people were kidnapped just since the Daesh attack on the soccer field in Haswa, and several other citizens were killed. Babel says the people are asking the government to take steps toward their protection. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
A Turkish official says 2 Daesh rockets fell on Kilis, one of which wounded several people. [BasNews]
Turkish security sources say 1 rocket fell on an empty area of Kilis, without causing human casualties. [Anadolu]
Documents were published by Dijla News Agency about the relationship between Turkey and Daesh, and accuse the Turkish authorities of facilitating the movement of Daesh terrorists through Syria. The documents also reveal that Turkish authorities arrested terrorists implicated in the terrorist attack that killed 33 people in Suluk, north of Raqqa, then released them. [Hawar]
Security sources say Turkish authorities arrested a Syrian Daesh suspect in Ankara. [Anadolu]
Security sources say Turkish border guards shot at a group of 15 people as they were entering Syria, killing five and arresting ten in Gaziantep. The initial investigation shows that the group intended to join Daesh in Syria. [Anadolu]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
The Combined Joint Task Force says the Coalition conducted 2 airstrikes on Daesh in Syria, near Shaddadi (Hasaka) and near Manbij (Aleppo). [CJTF]
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Local sources say the YPG recruited a twelve year old girl, taking her from her school in Korek village south of Kobane, without her parent’s approval. [ARA]
The YPG found a Daesh explosives storehouse in a school in Jalaba village west of Tal Abyad, with 200 IEDs and mines. The YPG also found an explosives manufacturing workshop in the grain silo of Suluk city. The YPG is still finding Daesh explosives months after the areas were liberated. [Hawar]
A video of the displaced Iraqi families from Ninewa in the Al-Hawl camp [Hawar]
People of Al-Hawl city are returning to their houses six months after the city’s liberation from Daesh. The families say Daesh stole their belongings before leaving the city. [ARA]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
A Turkey-backed opposition group commander says Daesh shelled Mare’ with mortars and Katyushas. He also says the opposition group attacked Daesh near Harbal and Hour Al-Nahar. He says Turkish artillery targeted Daesh west of Soran, killing or wounding several terrorists, while Coalition warplanes bombed Daesh locations in the area. [ARA]
The YPG backed Hawar reports that eyewitnesses from Hawar Kilis village north of Aleppo say Turkey-backed Syrian opposition groups are using a secret route to gain free passage in and out of Syria instead of the official Bab Al-Salama border crossing. [Hawar]
Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)
Russian and Syrian orchestras held a concert in Tadmur Historical Theater. The Russian President, Putin, spoke through live video and thanked everyone who participated on Thursday. The concert was attended by UNESCO reps and international journalists in addition to local officials. [SANA]
A Syrian military source says Syrian troops shelled Daesh locations near Jazal, northeast of Tadmur, killing several terrorists. [SANA]
Daesh says its terrorists attacked Syrian troops in the Al-Mahr oilfield, northwest of Tadmur, and captured half of the field, killing several Syrian soldiers. [JustPaste]
Daesh says fire erupted inside the Al-Mahr gas company as a result of Daesh artillery shelling. [A3maq]
Daesh publishes photos of battles with Syrian troops near Tadmur. [JustPaste]
Daesh publishes infographics about its earlier attack on the Al-Sha’er area east of Homs. [A3maq]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Daesh says its terrorists attacked Syrian Army positions in the Tahtouh neighborhood in Deir Ez-Zor (video). Daesh says 10 Syrian soldiers were killed in the attack. [A3maq] [A3maq] [JustPaste]
Local sources say Daesh advanced into Tahtouh after clashes with Syrian troops. The sources say the clashes are ongoing, and Syrian warplanes are bombing several neighborhoods in Deir Ez-Zor. Daesh targeted Joura neighborhood with mortars, wounding several civilians. A local activist says Daesh crucified the bodies of the dead Syrian soldiers in Deir Ez-Zor. The activist also says Daesh is surveying the people of Deir Ez-Zor to register data on inhabitants. He says Daesh may issue more taxes and draft young men to join its ranks. [ARA]
Russian and Syrian warplanes bombed several areas in Deir Ez-Zor while the clashes continued between Syrian troops and Daesh in Sinaa neighborhood. The clashes also continued near the Deir Ez-Zor military airport. [Qasioun]
South (Rif Damashq, Suwayda, Daraa, etc.)
A local activist says opposition armed groups shelled the Daesh affiliate group, Liwa’ Shuhada Al-Yarmouk, near Ain Dhukur city, west of Daraa, then captured some of the surrounding areas, forcing Daesh to retreat into the city. [ANA]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Saudi Arabia
A Saudi court sentenced a terrorist who fought with Daesh in Syria to six years in prison. He was charged for disobeying the authorities and traveling to a disturbed area to fight without proper permission from authorities or religious leadership. [IslamMemo]
A Saudi police spokesman says a policeman was shot and killed in Al-Qurai’ police station in Mecca. [Rudaw]
Saudi Ministry of Interior published the names and information of the 4 terrorists who were killed by security forces in Mecca yesterday. [IslamMemo]
North Africa
Egypt
A 65 year old man was shot and wounded in Mansoura village in Rafah. [VetoGate]
A local official says unknown armed men shot at an ambulance on the road to Arish Hospital without causing any casualties. [VetoGate]
Two children, a ten year old girl and a four year old boy, were wounded when a land mine planted by takfiri (Daesh) exploded on them in the Hay Al-Rasm area in Rafah. [VetoGate]
Daesh says one of its snipers wounded an Egyptian soldier in Hay Al-Tarabin in Sheikh Zuweid. [JustPaste]
Security forces defused 2 IEDs near Kharouba, south of Sheikh Zuweid, and a third one in Al-Tanak intersection, south of Rafah. [ElWatan]
Daesh publishes more video messages to its members in Sinai. [JustPaste] [JustPaste] [JustPaste] [JustPaste] [JustPaste] [JustPaste]
Libya
Northeast
Four civilians were killed and thirty three wounded when mortar shells fell on demonstrators in Al-Kish Square in Benghazi. The demonstrators were there in support of the Libyan Army’s war on terrorism. [AfriGate]
Thousands of people celebrated the defeat of Daesh in Derna on Thursday (photos). [Ana Al-Muslim]
The Libyan General Electricity Company in Benghazi mourned the death of one of its employees, killed by a leftover Daesh land mine. [AfriGate]
Central coast
Local sources say Daesh withdrew from Zamzam village, captured yesterday, and are positioned in Bu Qarin, 60 miles southeast of Misrata. Daesh terrorists celebrated by parading in the areas they had captured on Thursday. [Libya24]
The spokesman of the Misrata Central Hospital says six people were killed and one to five wounded in the Daesh attacks near Bu Qarin. [Libya24]
A military source says on Thursday evening, a Daesh suicide terrorist attacked a Misrata militia unit near the Saddada Bridge, 55 km (34 miles) southwest of Misrata, with a vehicle bomb, killing 3 fighters. [Libya24]
The Military Council of Misrata issued a curfew extending from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. [Libya24]
Local sources say large numbers of Daesh terrorists arrived in Bin Jawad. They say Daesh deployed snipers on the roofs of buildings including the government compound, the hospital, and the police station. [Libya24]
Eyewitnesses say “tens” of families escaping Sirte have been trapped since Thursday after the road between Sirte and Misrata was closed due to Daesh attacks. [Libya24]
A local source says Daesh executed nine Salafi young men in Sirte. The source says the victims were held captive for over 2 months. [Libya24]
Local sources say Daesh attacked the Tripoli Gate that links Bu Njaim and Waddan in Al-Jufra south of Sirte. Daesh also attacked the Jufra Military Airbase. Sources say the attacks were to test the areas for their resistance. [AfriGate]
Northwest
The Presidential Council of the Libyan National Accord Government issued an order, as the Commander in Chief of the Libyan Military Forces, to form a military operations room and appoint its commander and members to fight Daesh in Misrata and Sirte. The council also barred any military or paramilitary forces other than the Libyan army from initiating combat operations in that area. [Anadolu]
The Presidential Council issued a statement that expresses condolences for the victims of the Daesh attack on Bu Qarin but also says that uncoordinated military actions will not help in the fight against Daesh, and will be used by Daesh to undermine the mission to liberate Sirte. [Libya24]
DaeshDaily comment. This move exposes the absurdities enabled by the lack of a single government accepted in all parts of Libya. A centralized operations room in Tripoli sounds like a good-government idea, as does having the Presidential Council appoint the military commander. However, the strongest government military force seems to be the one assembled by General Khalifa Haftar (a returnee from the US), which has been operating lately on the opposite (northeast) corner of Libya. In the northeast, Daesh has lost its grip on both Derna and Benghazi, and within the past week there was an optimistic Libyan initiative to move west toward Sirte to attack Daesh. The successful Daesh attack on villages southwest of Sirte shows the government’s overall military weakness and calling the campaign against Daesh from the northeast an uncoordinated military action doesn’t help the new government’s credibility.
It is important that Libya has a united army, but marginalizing Haftar, who has a lot of support inside and outside Libya, is not necessarily a winning move. However, it also has to be conceded that Haftar, who started as the leader of his own militia, has been a wild card in Libya’s anarchic governing scenario, reflecting some personality factors as well, and has not tried to be part of a team effort. He is important to the anti-Daesh effort but building a unified government is also important. Reconciling those goals would seem to be an important priority for both sides.
Tunisia
The Tunisian Ministry of Interior says it captured a cell of 4 terrorists in Sidi Bouzid. [IslamMemo]
Algeria
The Algerian Ministry of Defense says its troops arrested 3 terrorists on Friday and 4 on Thursday in different areas of the country. [AfriGate]
Morocco
A Moroccan court sentenced Yaseen Aba Oud, the younger brother of the Abdul Hamid Aba Oud, the mastermind of the Paris attacks, to two years in prison. The official Moroccan news agency says Yaseen made excuses for terrorism and did not condemn the terrorist attacks. [IslamMemo]
Security forces in the Mohammad the 5th International Airport in Casablanca arrested a Moroccan citizen who was fighting with terrorist groups in Libya. [Libya24]
SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
Facebook Page of the Day
AIN, an Iraqi news page
Daesh Twitter Accounts of the Day
https://twitter.com/ctr_alt_del46
https://twitter.com/sxm_edn47T_rn
https://twitter.com/gDh_vSis711
Other Daesh media
