September 23, 2016
Iraqi Forces in Jazeera Baghdadi (Sumaria)
Today’s Major Developments
Displacement ministry says 60,000 families have returned to Anbar in past two days. […]
JOC announces complete liberation of Jazeera Baghdadi in Hit. […]
Report says only 300 Daesh fighters remain in Hawija. […]
Daesh building concrete barriers, trenches in Mosul. […]
Daesh accelerates Mosul executions; 75 more reported since Tuesday. […]
Syrian regime launches major attack on opposition areas in Aleppo. […]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Baghdad and other governorates demanding reforms and anti-corruption measures. The demonstrators also demanded a new elections law, modifications on the Amnesty Law, and filling the vacant cabinet positions with technocrats. [Rudaw]
A member of the PUK Political Bureau, a senior Peshmerga commander, says the Peshmerga role in the Mosul campaign will be only in Kurdish areas, and there is no need for them to enter Mosul. He says there is still no political deal about the Mosul liberation. He also says a committee was formed between Baghdad and Erbil, sponsored by the United States, to solve any issues that might happen between the two sides in the future. [Rudaw]
The Chairman of the Turkmen Front, a CoR member, says the PKK presence in Iraq threatens the Turkmen. He alleges that the PKK wants to control oil resources in the country. He also says the PKK is receiving support from the Iraqi Government. [Anadolu]
DaeshDaily comment. This statement aims at encouraging Turkey to meddle in Iraq internal issues, and so casts considerable doubt on the gentleman’s Iraqi patriotism. However, it has some truth in it. The PKK has been in Iraq since the 1990s, in northern Kurdistan, taking advantage of the weakness of the central and Kurdish governments. Its recent presence in Kirkuk is disturbing. Turkmen sources have told DaeshDaily that whenever Turkey bombs the PKK in Kurdistan, the PKK distributes leaflets in Kirkuk threatening Iraqi Turkmen with retaliation.
The Coalition says it conducted 13 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Iraq, seven in the Mosul area and two in Qayara; plus Ramadi (2), Baghdadi (1), and Hit (1) in Anbar. [InherentResolve]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
Iraqi Army 45th brigade defused 3 IEDs in the Al-Fadhil area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi Army 22nd brigade destroyed a Daesh guesthouse in the Albu Hayat area. [BOC Facebook Page]
East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)
An MoI source says the owner of a real estate office was killed when a sticky IED exploded under his vehicle in Baladiyat. [Mada]
A security source says a civilian was killed when armed men shot him east of Sadr City. [Sumaria]
Southeast (Mada’in, etc.)
An MoI source says two people were killed and eight wounded when an IED exploded near a wholesale market in Nahrawan. [Mada]
An MoI source says two people were killed and nine wounded when an IED exploded near a popular café in the Old Diyala Bridge area. [Mada]
South (Dora, Yusufiyah, Mahmudiya, etc.)
An MoI source says 2 Daesh terrorists were killed and another wounded when an IED they were trying to plant exploded on them in Arab Jubour. [Mada]
A police source says a civilian was killed by a roadside IED in Arab Jubour. [Sumaria]
Iraqi Army 25th brigade defused 2 IEDs in the Sayyad Abdullah area. [BOC Facebook Page]
Iraqi forces found an ammunition cache in Mahmudiya. [MoD Website]
West (Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib, etc.)
An MoI source says three people were killed and seven wounded when 2 mortar shells fell on a residential area in Al-Nasr Wa Al-Salam village in Abu Ghraib. [Mada]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 11 (Includes only incidents reported)
ANBAR
The Ministry of Displacement and Migration says more than 60,000 displaced families have returned to their houses in Anbar during the last two days. [Sumaria]
Falluja
A member of the Qarma subdistrict council says 14 displaced families, mostly women and children, who were kicked out of Laylan Camp in Kirkuk, arrived at a camp east of Falluja. He says the families were forced out of Kirkuk in an “inhumane manner.” [Sumaria]
Iraqi forces found an explosives cache in the Hassi area south of Falluja. [MoD Website]
Ramadi
The Anbar Operations Commander says Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh weapons storehouse in Jazeera Ramadi, killing several terrorists inside. [Sumaria]
The Commander also reports that Iraqi forces killed 9 Daesh terrorists and destroyed an IED and vehicle bomb factory, in addition to 3 Daesh headquarters in the Albu Dhiab area. [Mada]
Anbar Operations Command says Coalition planes stopped a Daesh attack on Bravo Camp in the Albu Assaf area west of Ramadi, killing 12 terrorists and destroying their vehicles. [PUKMedia]
The Anbar Operations Commander says Iraqi forces attacked Daesh positions in the Albu Assaf and Albu Ali Al-Jassem areas in Jazeera Ramadi and destroyed 4 guesthouses and 4 tunnels, killing 19 terrorists. [BasNews]
Hit/Haditha
The Joint Operations Command (JOC) issued a statement officially announcing that Iraqi forces liberated Jazeera Baghdadi completely. [Mada]
A tribal PMF commander says Iraqi forces liberated Jazeera Dolab north of Hit, killing tens of terrorists. [Mada]
The Anbar Ops Commander says that Daesh burned down several headquarters and guesthouses in Jazeera Hit. He says Daesh has moved its communications center equipment to Rawa. [Mada]
DaeshDaily comment. Most likely these “headquarters” belong to people Daesh didn’t like and were confiscated when Daesh took over the area.
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
A PMF source says Iraqi forces closed down “tens” of roads in Shirqat city because they were booby-trapped by Daesh. He also says Daesh moved 30 of its wounded terrorists to Hawija Hospital. [Harbi]
A PMF commander says the Daesh emir of Rashad and 3 other senior Daesh terrorists in Kirkuk were killed in the Shirqat liberation battles. [Sumaria]
Daesh publishes 3 photos of allegedly burning down Iraqi Army military positions on the road between Tilul Al-Baj and Hatra. [DawaAlhaq]
Daesh says it destroyed 4 Iraqi Army personnel carriers near Tilul Al-Baj. [A3maq]
DaeshDaily comment. OK, Daesh, keep scoring victories over the military equipment. However, the caliphate has just lost an entire city and district in the same area, which you didn’t mention.
Baiji
Daesh says it killed four “PMF members” with an IED on the road between the Dibis village in Shirqat and the Asmeda area north of Baiji. [A3maq]
Daesh says it targeted PMF positions in 3 areas north of Baiji with 17 heavy artillery shells and 7 mortars. [JustPaste]
Tikrit
Daesh says its snipers killed five PMF fighters in Allas Oilfield. It also says it targeted the field with 14 mortars. [JustPaste]
Daesh says it detonated and blew up a Badr headquarters in Salabkha village in Al-Daur District. [JustPaste]
DIYALA
Muqdadiya/Abu Saida
A security source says one civilian was killed and three wounded when armed men shot into their vehicle in Abu Saida. [Mada]
A security source says tribal armed men deployed in Abu Saida and forced shops to close, without giving more details. [Ghad]
Northern Diyala (Kifri, Khanaqin, etc.)
A security source says an Iraqi soldier was killed when an IED exploded on an EOD vehicle in Albu Eissa village. [Mada]
Daesh publishes a photo of its suicide terrorists who attacked Iraqi forces with a vehicle bomb in Udhaim yesterday. [JustPaste]
KIRKUK
Kirkuk
Security forces captured a man wanted on terrorism charges near the industrial area in Kirkuk. [MoD Website]
Hawija
A Tribal PMF commander says “tens” of Daesh terrorists from Hawija are surrendering to the Peshmerga every day. He says there are less than 300 terrorists left in Hawija. [Sumaria]
An Iraqi Army captain says Iraqi forces supported by the Peshmerga are removing road barriers and preparing to launch an attack on Hawija. [BasNews]
A security source says the Coalition bombed a Daesh convoy of 9 vehicles near Sdairat in Al-Zab, killing ten terrorists, including a hisbah official, and wounded five. [Sumaria]
The Badr commander says Iraqi forces will start the Hawija liberation operations in the coming days. [Rudaw]
A security source says the Peshmerga received in Dibis 248 people who escaped Daesh controlled areas in Hawija. [Sumaria]
A local source says Daesh executed 3 of its terrorists in Hawija who fled from the fighting in Shirqat. [Sumaria]
Southwest
A security source says the Coalition targeted Daesh locations in Rashad subdistrict, killing 2 local commanders and 3 other terrorists. [Sumaria]
Daesh says its snipers killed a Peshmerga fighter in Nawafel village in Rashad subdistrict. [JustPaste]
NINEWA
Mosul
Mosul campaign
Daesh has raised concrete barriers along the streets of several areas in Mosul leading to the main arteries in and out of the city, a local source said. The barriers force all traffic through one checkpoint, the source explained. The source listed the neighborhoods where these barriers have been installed as Sumer, Al-Intisar, Kokajli, Mamoun, Mansour, Tal Al-Raman, Souq Al-Ma’ash, Al-Arabi, and Al-Kindi. The barriers suggest that Daesh will close these routes completely with the start of Iraqi operations to dislodge it from Mosul, the source added. Daesh has also completed digging its defensive trenches in Mosul, which it began excavating months ago, especially in the southern and western areas of the city, the source also said. The trenches have been filled with crude oil and reinforced by six-meter high earthen berms, the source explained. [Mada]
Daesh has placed small boats at strategic points along the banks of the river Tigris in Mosul in preparation for use during the anticipated battle in the city, local sources said. The boats are for transport of fighters and materiel in the event that ground transport options are cut off. [Mawsleya]
Since Thursday Daesh has positioned “tens” of barrels of asphalt around Mosul to be ignited as part of its defense of the city, a media activist in Mosul said. [ARA]
Daesh says it targeted Peshmerga positions near the Kafraj Camp with 25 mortars. [JustPaste]
Conditions in city
Daesh has conducted a series of executions of prisoners in Mosul, a local source said. The source said Daesh has executed over 75 prisoners since executions began at dawn on Tuesday, all of them originally from Mosul. Most were accused of collaborating with the Coalition or working with Iraqi or Peshmerga security agencies. [ARA]
Daesh arrested around 200 people in Mosul on allegations of spying in the last few months, as well as arresting 60 people over the Eid Al-Adha holiday who are accused of disobeying Daesh’s prohibition on visiting graves, according to a Ninewa Police official. [IraqPress]
In the same article, an unnamed Kurdish security commander is cited as estimating that there could be as many as 20,000 Daesh fighters inside Mosul, a number at variance with other, lower estimates. [IraqPress]
The fall of Shirqat to Iraqi troops has prompted Daesh to transfer its files and documents from Mosul to Syria, local sources said. The source interpreted this move as a sign that Daesh is preparing for the loss of Mosul. [Mawsleya]
Daesh has detained “tens” of boys over the age of 14 from Daesh-affiliated families that fled Shirqat, transferring them to unknown locations, a local source in Ninewa said. The remaining family members (mostly women, young children, and the aged) have been transferred elsewhere, the source said. Their whereabouts are also unknown. The families in question are originally Iraqi, the source explained, not foreign nationals. [Sumaria]
Daesh has reduced the number of its hisbah police on the streets of Mosul after its defeat in Shirqat, local sources said. [Mawsleya]
Qayara
The chairman of the Sunni religious endowment (waqf) Abdul Latif Al-Hmyem traveled to Ninewa governorate to hold Friday prayers in the village of Al-Jawa’ana in Qayara subdistrict. Al-Hmyem announced that soon he would be praying in Mosul whose liberation will come very soon, he said. [Mawsleya]
Daesh says it targeted Iraqi Army positions in Qayara city and Qayara Airfield with 36 rockets and 50 mortars. [JustPaste]
Nineveh Plain
The Peshmerga artillery destroyed a large Daesh weapons and ammunition storehouse in Tarjala village in Al-Khazer in Hamdaniya. [Karemlash]
Daesh is sending reinforcements from Mosul east toward Bashiqa just to the east, according to eyewitnesses. It is also attempting to strengthen its defensive position on the eastern front in Ninewa with concrete barriers that it is installing with heavy machinery, the sources added. [Mawsleya]
Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)
Daesh says it targeted Peshmerga positions with 25 mortars in Hassan Shami and Qarqasha villages. [JustPaste]
KURDISTAN
A senior US military delegation, headed by CENTCOMM Commander General Joseph Votel, arrived in Erbil to meet with the KRG President. [BasNews]
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Qadisiya
An Iran-backed Shia militia commander says tens of his fighters were wounded in battles in Aleppo and are being treated in Diwaniya hospitals. [Arabi21]
DaeshDaily comment. Again, these groups are using Iran money and weapon to throw Iraqi young men into a war that aims at keeping the Syrian dictator in power. Iraq needs these men in the battle against Daesh in Iraq. Despite the confused political situation in Iraq, it is hard to see how the government could fail to address this problem. At least it could be frank with its citizens and address this issue publicly. Not many Iraqis, including Shia, are fond of the Baathist Syrian regime, which until recently used to send suicide terrorists to Iraq.
Muthanna
The Muthanna Police spokesman says 5 people who were funding Daesh by smuggling stolen sheep were captured in the Samawa desert. [Mada]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Following a tip-off that a suicide bomb attack would be mounted to coincide with Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the town of Şahinbey in Gaziantep province, tight security measures were imposed in the vicinity of the mosque. [Cumhuriyet]
We thank our friend in Turkey for this report.
The Turkish President, Erdogan, says no one is listening to Turkey’s call to establish a safe zone in Syria, but Turkey will establish the zone whether “they” like it or not. He says Turkey wants the safe zone to protect “our Syrian brothers” and to “build their houses” (which seems to imply he wants to stay a while). He also says “how is it possible that 65 countries in the Coalition cannot get rid of Daesh?” He warns against dealing with the YPG and says you cannot get rid of one terrorist organization by cooperating with another. [Dorar]
DaeshDaily comment. Erdogan should have thought of that when his government was at least tacitly collaborating with Daesh.
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
Syrian and international media reported heavily today on a major Syrian government bombing attack on opposition-held areas in Aleppo. It was alleged that there were three major strikes, with at least 33 people killed, mainly civilians. [Dorar]
The Coalition says it conducted 14 airstrikes on Daesh targets in Syria, including two near Mare’ (2). The others were in or near; Manbij (1); Raqqa (2) and Shaddadi (1); Deir Ez-Zor (7) and Albu Kamal (1). The seven attacks on Deir Ez-Zor were described as destroying 14 Daesh transportation routes in the area. Deir Ez-Zor has only recently become a frequent Coalition target. [InherentResolve]
DaeshDaily comment. The sudden Coalition interest in Deir Ez-Zor, including Albu Kamal, makes us think this has some military connection to the pending campaign in northwest Anbar.
Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)
Daesh says it shot down an “American drone” near the Iraqi-Syrian border southeast of Shaddadi. [A3maq]
Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)
Jarabulus
A group of PYD fighters fled from Kobane to Jarabulus. The group says the PYD is forcing at least one member of each family to be on the front lines. [Anadolu]
Nusra Front, AKA Fath Al-Sham Front, issued a statement saying it refuses to fight in the Euphrates Shield operation because of the Coalition involvement. [DawaAlhaq]
Al-Bab
Opposition group commanders say opposition groups, supported by Turkish artillery and planes, launched a counter attack on Daesh near Al-Ra’i, and recaptured 5 villages, killing or wounding several terrorists, and destroying a vehicle. [ARA]
A local activist says Coalition planes targeted residential areas where Daesh terrorists are barricaded in the northwestern part of Al-Bab city, killing more than twelve civilians and wounding tens, in addition to killing several Daesh terrorists. [ARA]
Local sources say more than twelve people, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by unknown planes in Al-Bab city. [Qasioun]
The Turkish military says its planes destroyed 3 Daesh positions in Tal Atiya, and another one in Athariya village. [Anadolu]
Azaz
Daesh targeted Um Hawsh village with mortars, causing material damage. [Hawar]
Daesh says 17 opposition group fighters were killed and 14 wounded by its car bomb attack east of Azaz yesterday. [A3maq]
The YPG says Turkey backed opposition troops launched an attack on its positions in Maranaz village, southwest of Azaz city, using heavy and light weapons. It says the YPG was in a defensive positions (not operating in the area, which is west of the river, where they are prohibited), and it responded to the attack. [Hawar]
Afrin
Local sources say the Turkish Army brought military reinforcements to the border area near Afrin. [Hawar]
Manbij
Local sources say the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) are forcing young people who are returning to their houses in the liberated areas in villages near Manbij to join the SDF’s compulsory military services. [Dorar]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Daesh attacked the Syrian Army and allied militias with a vehicle bomb in Hay Al-Sinaa in Deir Ez-Zor city. After that, Daesh launched an attack on the Syrian Army positions in the area. Syrian Army artillery and airplanes targeted Daesh locations in different areas in Deir Ez-Zor. Daesh responded by shelling Joura and Qusour. [Hawar]
A local activist says Daesh captured several military locations in Jufra, near Deir Ez-Zor military airport, after heavy battles with Syrian troops and Hezbollah militias, killing more than 14. Russian and Syrian planes bombed Daesh in the area, killing 8 terrorists. [ARA]
Syrian warplanes attacked Al-Muhasan east of Deir Ez-Zor, killing five civilians, including two children and a woman, and wounding others, according to local activists. [ARA]
Daesh issues a video of “graduation ceremonies” of a new group of its terrorists in Albu Kamal. [A3maq]
South (Rif Damashq, Suwayda, Daraa, etc.)
Daesh says an opposition group targeted Jamla and Shajara towns in the Yarmouk Basin with 13 mortars. [A3maq]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
North Africa
Egypt
Eyewitnesses say armed men executed a young man who was tied and dressed in a red suit publicly on Assiut Street in Arish city. The man had been kidnapped during Eid. [ElWatan]
Daesh’s version says it killed a “spy” on Assiut Street in Arish city. [JustPaste]
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack on an Egyptian Police patrol near Arish Post Office yesterday, saying it killed one policeman and took his weapon, and wounded two others. [JustPaste]
VetoGate reported yesterday that ABM terrorists shot at a police patrol near the post office in Arish, killing one policeman and wounding two.
Security sources say a police captain and 2 other policemen were wounded when an IED exploded on their armored vehicle in the Kilo 17 area west of Arish. [ElWatan]
Daesh’s version says it detonated an IED on a police patrol in the Kilo 17 area west of Arish. [JustPaste]
Eyewitnesses say armed men kidnapped a mosque imam in Hay Al-Masaeed west of Arish. [VetoGate]
Daesh says it destroyed burned down 9 Egyptian water tanker trucks near Hay Al-Ahrash in Rafah city. [JustPaste]
Yesterday, VetoGate reported that eyewitnesses said takfiri terrorists broke into a state-owned water company in the Al-Ahrash area in Rafah and burned it down with vehicles inside, in order to prevent the company from providing security forces with bottled water.
Daesh says it attacked an Egyptian Army patrol in the Sadout area south of Rafah. [JustPaste]
Local sources say armed men released a young man they had kidnapped yesterday in Abu Tawila village south of Sheikh Zuweid. [ElWatan]
We reported yesterday that ABM terrorists had kidnapped this man.
Libya
Central coast
A Misrata Hospital spokesman says ten GNA troops were killed and 65 wounded during the battles against Daesh in Giza in Sirte on Friday. [Wasat]
The GNA military says it destroyed 3 Daesh vehicle bombs before they reached their targets in Sirte. [AfriGate]
The GNA spokesman says GNA will capture the last Daesh positions in Sirte, in the Giza area, in the next 3 days. He also says Sirte city should be searched carefully because Daesh terrorists have sneaked in and out of different areas in the city several times. He says Daesh is still holding women and children hostage in Sirte and using them as human shields. [AfriGate] [Libya24]
A GNA military source says a Sudanese Daesh commander, who trains Daesh snipers, was killed in Sirte. [Wasat]
Other countries
Bangladesh
Daesh issued a propaganda video about its attack on a restaurant in Dhaka in July. The video shows the terrorist who conducted the attack pledging allegiance to Daesh. [DawaAlhaq]
Nigeria
A Nigerian Army spokesman says the army stopped a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Abadam in Borno, killing 15 terrorists. He also says two soldiers were killed and four wounded in the attack. [AfriGate]
SOCIAL MEDIA
Aleppo, Syria
A video of opposition civil defense units saving an infant buried under a destroyed building in Aleppo. [YouTube]
Iraq
Video purportedly shows PMF fighters destroying a Daesh vehicle bomb, location unspecified. [YouTube]
Anbar
Video purportedly shows PMF fighters walking among Daesh corpses and rubble in Jazeera Khaldiya. [YouTube]
Ninewa
Video of World Food Programme aid being distributed in Qayara. [Mawsleya]
Video of Ninewa Operations receiving civilians who fled Daesh south of Mosul. [Twitter]
Salahuddin
An Iraqi man is filmed from atop a high building as he raises the Iraqi flag over Shirqat and celebrates the victory over Daesh in the city. [Twitter]
Photos purport to show celebrations in Tikrit upon news breaking of the capture of Shirqat by Iraqi troops. [Twitter]
OTHER DAESH MEDIA
Daesh audio newsletter for today [Bayan]
