An Update On ISIS Activities

September 28, 2016

September 28, 2016

Displaced People from Hawija (BasNews]

Displaced People from Hawija (BasNews)

Today’s Major Developments

600 more US soldiers will head to Iraq. []

Top-level KRG delegation to meet with Al-Abadi on Thursday. []

Central Diyala Daesh sleeper cells are forcing residents to move out. []

PMF Commission spokesman suggests clearing Anbar and Hawija before attacking Mosul. []

Daesh reported to be destroying the walls of ancient Nineveh. []

Kerry demands that Russia help stop the attacks on Aleppo. []

 

REPORTS FROM IRAQ

 

NATIONAL NEWS

The US Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, says President Obama approved sending 600 additional soldiers to Iraq after getting a request from Prime Minister Abadi. [Anadolu]

Prime Minister Abadi’s office had issued a statement saying the Iraqi Government requested additional American trainers and advisers in preparation for the Mosul battle. [Anadolu]

 

Vice President Biden said in a phone call with the KRG President Masoud Barzani that the United States support Barzani’s visit to Baghdad, according to a statement from the KRG Presidency. Barzani and senior KRG officials are visiting Baghdad on Thursday after an invitation from Prime Minister Abadi. A KRG senior official says Barzani will discuss the Mosul liberation and the relationships between Baghdad and Erbil after the Daesh era. [Rudaw] [BasNews]

DaeshDaily comment. This is one meeting that might prove to be important. It’s remarkable how much diplomacy the Vice President has done regarding Iraq over his eight years, usually with little or no public attention. As a non-partisan statement, he deserves enormous credit.

 

The Coalition says it conducted 10 airstrikes on Daesh locations in Iraq—near Mosul (4), Qayara (2), Sultan Abdullah (1), and Kasik (1), and near Ramadi (1) and Al-Qa’im (1). [InherentResolve]

 

BAGHDAD

Security-related incidents reported

Northwest (Kadhimiya, etc.)

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

 

North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)

An MoI source says an Iraqi Army force captured 5 people wanted on terrorism charges in Tarmiya.  [Mada]

Baghdad Operations Command says Iraqi Army 45th brigade found a weapons cache in the Ru’oud area. [Etejah]

The IFP says it captured a Daesh terrorist in the Taji area. [Baghdadia]

 

East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)

An MoI source says one person was killed and six wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in Suleikh. [Mada]

An MoI source says one person was killed and seven wounded when an IED exploded near a commercial area in a Shia area, Qraia’at. [Mada]

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

Baghdad Operations Command says Iraqi Army 44th brigade found 6 IEDs and other explosives in the Ghrair area, in Adhamiya. [Etejah]

 

Southeast (Mada’in, etc.)

A security source says the owner of electric devices store was shot and killed by armed men using silenced guns in Nahrawan. [Maalomah]

 

South (Dora, Yusufiyah, Mahmudiya, etc.)

A security source says one Sahwa fighter was killed and two wounded when armed men attacked a Sahwa checkpoint in the Albu Aitha area. [Maalomah]

Baghdad Operations Command says Iraqi Army 55th brigade found an IED and other explosives in the Quwam area. [Etejah]

 

Southwest (Rasheed, etc.)

A police source says the bodies of two unknown men were found shot in Rasheed. [Sumaria]

 

West (Ghazaliya, Abu Ghraib, etc.)

An MoI source says three people were killed and nine wounded when 2 mortar shells fell on a residential area in Radwaniya. [Mada]

Iraqi Army 59th brigade found 5.2 tons of C4 explosives in the Bani Zaid area. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

Total Baghdad incidents reported:   14    (Includes only incidents reported)

 

ANBAR

Falluja

The Anbar Operations commander says Iraqi forces cleared 50 houses and destroyed 45 IEDs in the Hassi and Nassaf areas in Falluja District. [Sumaria]

 

Ramadi

The MoD says Iraqi Army 10th division, supported by artillery and IAA, attacked Daesh positions in the Albu Ali Al-Jassem area, in Jazeera Ramadi. [Harbi]

DaeshDaily comment. In Iraq, an area that is semi-enclosed by the rivers is usually called “Jazeera” (island), and sometimes “Zuwiya” or “Zawiya (corner). It is important to notice that even after a city is liberated, Daesh still hangs out in such areas (Jazeera Khaldiya, Jazeera Ramadi, Jazeera Hit, Jazeera Baghdadi, etc.) Daesh has developed a sophisticated defense system in such areas that includes tunnels, hideouts, water transportation, etc. that makes it difficult for the attacking forces to break into those areas. 

 

The Anbar Operations commander says Iraqi forces liberated five positions in the Albu Dhiab area, killing “tens” of terrorists. [Mada]

 

The MoD issues a video of an Iraqi airstrike destroying a truck bomb that was aiming at attacking Iraqi military convoys, in the Qanater area, in Jazeera Khaldiya. [AIN]

 

Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army bulldozer with a guided missile near the Zaidan factory north of Ramadi. [A3maq]

Daesh also says it destroyed an Iraqi Army armored vehicle with a guided missile in the same area. [A3maq]

 

Hit/Haditha

A Tribal PMF commander says Iraqi forces, supported by Coalition planes, started a military operation to liberate Jazeera Hit. [Mada]

 

A security source says Iraqi forces liberated the Taliha and Safaqiya areas in Jazeera Hit. [Baghdadia]

 

An Anbar Operations Command source says Iraqi forces captured 2 Daesh Syrian terrorists and confiscated weapons and communications devices in the Jazeera Hit area. [Mada]

 

The MoD says Iraqi forces captured Jazeera Dolab and cleared 5 villages in the area, killing 15 terrorists and destroying 167 IEDs and 45 explosives cans. [Harbi]

 

Daesh issues a video about an attack on Iraqi forces on the road between Haditha and Baiji. [A3maq]

 

Rutba/Western Anbar

The IWMC says Iraqi Sukhois destroyed 3 Daesh vehicle bombs factories and a large weapons and ammunition storehouse in Anah. [Baghdadia]

 

Daesh publishes photos of its zakat activities in Rawa. [DawaAlhaq]

 

The IFP says it rocketed Daesh positions in the Faidha area, south of Rutba. It also says it captured 5 Daesh terrorists in the same area. [Baghdadia]

 

Daesh publishes photos of an attack on Iraqi forces near Rutba. [DawaAlhaq]

 

SALAHUDDIN

Shirqat

The MoD says the IAA killed 15 Daesh terrorists and destroyed 3 vehicle bombs in Tilul Al-Baj. It also says Iraqi forces destroyed small bridges used by Daesh in the area, in addition to 15 tunnels and several IEDs. Iraqi Army 35th brigade killed 11 Daesh terrorists and destroyed 4 vehicle bombs in a nearby area. Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh vehicle bomb in the Sdaid area, west of Tilul Al-Baj. [Harbi]

 

A PMF source says a PMF unit captured a local terrorist, close to the Daesh leader Baghdadi, and captured explosives and mustard gas in the Makhoul area. [Harbi]

 

The Salahuddin Governor says more than 4,500 displaced families returned to their houses in Shirqat. [Mada]

 

Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi Army tank with a guided missile near Al-Naml Intersection, south of Shirqat. [A3maq]

 

Baiji

The IFP says its troops stopped a Daesh attack north of Siniya, destroying 6 vehicle bombs and killing the suicide terrorists inside. [Baghdadia]

 

Southern Salahuddin

The MoD says a joint security force captured 5 men wanted on terrorism charges in Ishaqi. It also says Iraqi forces killed 2 Daesh suicide terrorists before they reached their targets in the Adhiya area.  [Harbi]

Daesh’s version claims that its two suicide terrorists attacked Iraqi forces in Adhiya village in Ishaqi subdistrict, killing thirty-three people, including high ranking officers, and wounding six. [A3maq] [A3maq]

DaeshDaily comment. Conceding that government and Daesh accounts of the same battle always diverge significantly, the discrepancy in this case is huge. We wonder how Daesh could count enemy casualties, given that its two terrorists were dead.

 

DIYALA

Muqdadiya/Abu Saida

A member of the Diyala Provincial Council says Daesh sleeper cells are active in Abu Qarma village in Abu Saida, and they have started to target civilians in the area with assassinations and IEDs, forcing them to leave. He says there are 50 Daesh terrorists hiding in the area, and they aim at capturing the village and using it as a launch pad against Abu Saida and Abbara. [Sumaria]

 

A member of the Abu Saida subdistrict council says Daesh forced most of the residents of Qubba and Chalabi villages in the Waqf area to leave their houses by threatening them continuously. [Sumaria]

 

KIRKUK

Kirkuk

Arab tribes’ leaders held a meeting in Kirkuk to discuss the liberation of Daesh-controlled areas. A tribal leader says tribal laws should be applied in order to solve anticipated disputes in those areas. [Sumaria]

 

Hawija

A security source says 16 Daesh terrorists were killed and 17 wounded when an explosives vest exploded mistakenly in a meeting in Mahawes village in Hawija District.  [Etejah]

 

A Tribal PMF commander says the Daesh security official of Kirkuk was killed with 4 other terrorists in airstrike that targeted his vehicle on the road between Hawija and Kirkuk. [Sumaria]

 

A local source says Daesh lashed a young man in Hawija because it found a song about Iraq on his mobile phone. He says Daesh conducts surprise searches on people’s mobiles from time to time. [Sumaria]

 

A PMF commander says Daesh gave a 24-hour ultimatum to 29 families, whose sons were killed by Daesh, to leave Hawija. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. This seems to contradict earlier reports about Daesh keeping its victims’ families to use them later as human shields.

 

NINEWA

Mosul

Mosul campaign

The “security spokesman” of the PMF office in Baghdad, Yusuf Al-Kalabi, has suggested that recapturing the remaining Daesh-held areas of Anbar province and Hawija in Kirkuk province are strategic objective that should occur before operations begin to retake Mosul. [Masalah]

 

Ali Husseini, the spokesman for a Turkmen PMF bloc has said that his militiamen are ready to participate in the battle for [predominantly Turkmen] Tal Afar and for Mosul and are waiting for the “zero hour.” Turkmen PMFs will also participate in the battle for Hawija, the spokesman said, in a “supporting” role. [Etejah]

 

An official of the KRG’s Peshmerga ministry has announced that the Peshmerga are ready to participate in the battle for Mosul. His troops are stationed 28 km (17 miles) away from the center of Mosul and are waiting for the Iraqi Army to be ready for the assault, he added. The Peshmerga ministry’s undersecretary said that the Iraqi military relies on roads in the IKR rather than on roads south of Mosul as the former are paved and can be traveled more easily by military vehicles. [SotAlIraq]

 

Coalition airstrikes killed 36 Daesh members and wounded others in multiple raids in the Mosul area, a Ninewa police colonel said. [BasNews]

 

Three mortar shells landed on a Daesh command center in central Mosul on Wednesday morning, killing two Daesh members and destroying the facility, a Ninewa security source said. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh has been moving its forces around within Mosul and replacing its leaders, many of whom have disappeared. [Mawsleya]

 

The corpse of a Daesh property registry official has been discovered bearing heavy trauma wounds to the head in a garden on Mosul’s Right Bank two days after he disappeared, a local source said. The deceased Daesh member was originally from Diyala governorate, and had worked in Daesh’s Diyala property registry before fleeing to Mosul after Daesh’s expulsion from that governorate, the source said. [Sumaria]

 

Two Daesh members were killed by gunfire from unknown sources using weapons fitted with silencers in a popular market in Mosul, a Ninewa Operations Command source said. [BasNews]

 

Mosul’s morgue received the bodies of 14 Daesh fighters on Wednesday according to a source inside the morgue. The Daesh members were among those targeted in a Peshmerga artillery attack north of the city, the source added. [BasNews]

 

Kata’eb Al-Mosul says its fighters killed a Daesh hisbah member in Hay Al-Intisar. [KM Facebook Page]

 

Daesh issues a video of an attack on Peshmerga positions near Kafraj Camp, northwest of Mosul. [A3maq]

 

Daesh says it shot down an “American” recon drone near Aski Mosul Intersection west of Mosul yesterday. [A3maq]

 

Conditions in Mosul

Daesh is destroying the historic walls of Nineveh and tearing down the hills surrounding the ancient city, according to local sources. [Mawsleya]

 

Unidentified Mosul residents have reportedly raised the Iraqi flag on the Muthanna Intersection and burned Daesh symbols, according to a report citing “PMF intelligence.” [PressIraq]

 

Daesh has cancelled sick leave for its members in the areas it controls due to the manpower losses it has suffered recently, according to “PMF intelligence.” Daesh has reportedly announced that any Daesh member who does not report to Daesh headquarters or stay in his home will be arrested so he does not flee. [PressIraq]

 

In a further sign of financial distress, Daesh has begun to impose a fee for obtaining marriage contracts in Mosul, according to local source. [Sumaria]

 

Shura/Hammam Alil

The commander of one of Daesh’s armed female corps was found dead on a main road in an area near Hammam Al-Alil, a local source said. The dead woman was of Russian nationality, and she was the head of the “biters”. [Sumaria]

 

A security source says 2 Daesh terrorists were killed and 5 wounded when an IED exploded on a Daesh police vehicle near Hammam Al-Alil. [Sumaria]

 

Qayara

A security source says Coalition planes targeted the Daesh hisbah office in Al-Hawd village, killing the Qayara hisbah official and 3 other terrorists. The source also says the planes destroyed 5 Daesh vehicle bombs in the village. [Harbi]

 

Daesh issues a video of an attack on Iraqi forces near the Hatra Intersection, south of Qayara. [A3maq]

 

Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)

Yazidi community leaders issued a statement after a meeting in Sinjar demanding that the PKK leave Sinjar and saying they don’t want Sinjar to be another Qandil. [BasNews]

However, a Yazidi armed group issued a statement saying the KDP interfered in the meeting to serve its own political agenda. It also says the Yazidis don’t want to be a part of any political dispute and they don’t approve of the presence of military camps in their areas. [SotKurdistan]

DaeshDaily comment. The context here is that the Peshmerga abandoned the Yazidis in the middle of the night as Daesh approached; then later returned to capture most of Sinjar, and Barzani claimed it for Kurdistan; but the YPG moved in from Syria and also contributed to the victory. The Yazidis, who were the most victimized people in Iraq from the failure of government to protect them, are now stuck in the middle of a dispute between outsiders about the Yazidis’ political status.

 

A KDP member of the KRG Parliament says Turkey wants to capture Sinjar in order to create a barrier between the Kurds in Iraq and those Syria. [Sumaria]

 

Unidentified warplanes reportedly destroyed an unspecified number of Daesh mortar units on the Aski front. [PressIraq]

 

KURDISTAN

The Turkish military says it conducted airstrikes on PKK hideouts in the Kara area of northern Kurdistan. [ARA]

 

REPORTS FROM SYRIA

 

The US Department of State issued a statement saying Secretary John Kerry informed his Russian counterpart in a phone call that the US would suspend its cooperation with Russia in Syria if Russia doesn’t take immediate measures to end the attacks on Aleppo. [Anadolu]

 

Al-Nusra Front says it freed the German journalist, Janina Findeisen, and her baby, who were kidnapped in Syria in October 2015. Al-Nusra says a small group, that claimed it was from Al-Nusra, had kidnapped the journalist and demanded a ransom of 5 million euros. It says Al-Nusra raided their prison, freeing the journalist and her baby. The German Foreign Ministry said that the journalist and her baby arrived in Turkey. [Dorar]

DaeshDaily comment. Al-Nusra may be doing a PR stunt here, as part of its new propaganda line. Al Qaeda in Iraq, from which Al-Nusra came, was notorious for kidnapping people for money.

 

The Coalition says it conducted 12 airstrikes on Daesh locations in Syria—near Shaddadi (2) and Raqqa in the Northeast; (1), Deir Ez-Zor (2) in the East; and Manbij (2), and Mare’ (5) in Aleppo. [InherentResolve]

 

Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)

Hasaka

A local source says Daesh started digging a trench around Markada town south of Hasaka, in anticipation of a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attack. [ARA]

 

Raqqa

Three YPG fighters were wounded when a land mine exploded on their vehicle in Al-Hawi village, east of Tal Abyad. [Hawar]

 

Daesh issues a video of confiscating expired food items in Raqqa. [A3maq]

 

Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)

Al-Bab

The Turkish armed forces say that three of its troops suffered light injuries in a Daesh drone attack. They also say that opposition forces have regained control of a residential quarter in the southeast of Al-Ra’i and are fighting to take control of other parts of the town. [Cumhuriyet]

[We thank our friend in Turkey for translating this report.]

 

Turkey-supported opposition groups captured 7 Kurdish villages south of Al-Ra’i. [Hawar]

 

It also says opposition groups, supported by Turkish air cover and ground support, captured Ayoubiya village east of Al-Ra’i. However, Daesh recaptured Talaar after a heavy attack. It says Turkish artillery attacked 82 Daesh targets with 486 shells. [Anadolu]

 

An opposition group commander says Coalition planes targeted Daesh positions in Mraighil town southwest of Al-Ra’i, destroying 2 vehicle bombs. He also says Turkey-backed opposition groups stopped a Daesh attack on West Talaar, killing or wounding several terrorists. [ARA]

Daesh says it stopped a Turkey-backed opposition groups’ advance on Mraighil village east of Azaz. Daesh says Turkish artillery targeted the village with 40 shells. [A3maq]

 

Turkey-supported opposition groups targeted several villages in the Al-Bab area with artillery and Katyushas, destroying several houses and wounding several people, forcing many people to leave their houses. [Hawar]

 

Daesh says Turkish artillery targeted villages south of Al-Ra’i with more than 30 shells. [A3maq]

Daesh says it stopped pro-Turkey opposition groups’ attacks on Jabin village and the Electricity Company, south of Al-Ra’i. [A3maq]

 

Azaz

The Turkish military says Coalition planes targeted Daesh positions in Awishiya and Ihtaimlat villages and destroyed 2 buildings and an ammunition storehouse. It says Turkish planes attacked Daesh in Rael and Talalin in Azaz. [Anadolu]

 

Daesh says it stopped a Turkey-backed opposition groups’ attacks on Talalin north of Mare’. [A3maq]

 

Jaish Al-Thuwar, an SDF faction, says it stopped 2 Daesh attacks near Hasiya village, destroying 2 vehicle bombs. It also says Daesh continued targeting Um Al-Qura and Um Hawsh villages with heavy mortars and machine guns. [Hawar]

 

Afrin

The PYD Asayesh says it captured a large truck loaded with weapons and ammunition south of Afrin. It says the shipment was intended for Daesh in Raqqa. [ARA]

 

The SOHR says a woman who was shot by the Turkish Army near Ras Al-Ayn died in the hospital today, raising the number of victims to seven from the same family. Local sources say the Turkish Army is preventing people from retrieving the bodies of the fallen victims. [SyriaHR]

 

Manbij

Daesh says it killed thirteen “PKK” armed men in an attack on Nahilya village south of Manbij. [A3maq]

 

Other Northwest Syria

The UNICEF says 96 children in Aleppo were killed and 223 wounded since Friday. Justin Forsyth, deputy executive director of the UNICEF says the children of Aleppo are “trapped in a living nightmare.” “There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing.” [Anadolu]

 

Two of the biggest hospitals in the besieged areas in Aleppo are out of service after being targeted by airstrikes. [ZamanAlWasl]

 

An FSA commander say a “foreign country” provided the FSA with Grad rockets as a response to the Syrian and Russian attack on Aleppo city. [ARA]

 

Russian planes targeted residential areas in Aleppo, killing at least six civilians. [Qasioun]

 

Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)

The Syrian Army and allied militias started a military campaign to capture Sha’er Oilfield east of Homs. A local activist says the Syrian Army captured Tal Al-Sawana south of the field after battles with Daesh. [ARA]

The SOHR says several Daesh terrorists were killed by Daesh airstrikes on the area. [SyriaHR]

 

Daesh says it destroyed 3 Syrian Army tanks with guided missiles in Sha’er Oilfield. [A3maq]

 

Daesh says it stopped a Syrian Army attack in the Huwaisis area east of Homs, killing nine soldiers. [A3maq]

 

East (Deir Ez-Zor)

Local sources say Daesh published the names of fifteen young men it executed in Sabha village, east of Deir Ez-Zor. The sources say Daesh had arrested the young men more than a year ago after accusing them of cooperating with the Syrian government or the Free Syrian Army. The sources say the victims were civilians who had no connections to any government or military group. [Dorar]

 

A local activist says Coalition planes destroyed Ashara Bridge east of Deir Ez-Zor. The source says it was the last bridge linking the east and west sides of the Euphrates. [ARA]

By destroying the bridge, the Coalition isolated the eastern areas from the western areas on the Euphrates for 700 km (435 miles), from Jarabulus in the north to Albu Kamal in the east. [Qasioun]

 

A local activist says Daesh prohibited the selling or buying of boats in areas east of Deir Ez-Zor after the bridge was destroyed. He says only Daesh members can own boats and they charge people who want to cross the river. [ARA]

 

OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS

 

North Africa

Egypt

A security source says three policemen and a taxi driver were killed by takfiris who shot at the taxi in Hay Al-Masa’id in Arish. The terrorists stole the weapons of the policemen and fled the area in their vehicle. [VetoGate] [VetoGate]

 

Eyewitnesses say security personnel blew up a house used by terrorists to launch attacks in Abu Rifa’i village, south of Sheikh Zuweid. [ElWatan]

 

Counter Terrorism units destroyed 2 IEDs in Rafah city, and 1 south of Sheikh Zuweid. [ElWatan]

 

Libya

Media sources say Daesh appointed Mohammed Al-Ayouni, AKA Jalal Al-Din Al-Tunisi, a 34-year-old Tunisian terrorist who also has a French passport, as its new leader in Libya. [AfriGate]

 

Northeast

Benghazi Police captured 2 “dangerous” terrorists who admitted participating in killing soldiers and policemen. [AfriGate]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles in Benghazi. [DawaAlhaq]

 

Central coast

A local source says a Daesh terrorist who fled the Sirte battles on foot was captured east of Sirte. [Wasat]

 

Other countries

Afghanistan

Daesh says fifteen civilians were killed and ten wounded by an “American” bombing on the Shadal area in Nangarhar. [A3maq]

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Pro-PMF Twitter users have been using the hashtag (in Arabic) “The_PMF_is_an_official_party” over the last few days, usually accompanied by images or text praising or highlighting PMF activities in battle, to express support for the activities of the PMFs and to rebuff the many critics of the PMFs who see them as largely sectarian or ethnic militias. [Twitter]

 

A photo shared by a pro-PMF Twitter account shows a rifle rigged with a video camera and monitor, mounted to a wall. PMFs claim to have invented it. Somehow it is supposed to help avoid sniper fire. [Twitter]

 

Video purports to show Syrian opposition militiaman defusing a Daesh explosive shell without protective gear and with simple hand tools. [YouTube]

 

A video that shows Jabha Shamiya, a Turkey backed opposition group, executing a wounded Daesh terrorist. [Twitter]

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