An Update On ISIS Activities

June 29, 2016

June 29, 2016

 

Tribal Fighters from Ameriyat Al-Falluja

 

Daesh Daily is a unique compilation of the latest reports from Arabic-language media, government, military, and Daesh, provided to government practitioners and others actively working on Iraq and other Daesh-affected countries, as a public service.

 

Note to Our Readers. Based on requests from several readers, we are expanding the Social Media section and adding more analysis, to serve you better. We would appreciate any comments.

 

Today’s Major Developments

Al-Abadi accuses Turkey of plotting to steal Mosul from Iraq.

Al-Jubouri criticizes Anbar politicians over firing of Governor.

Saudi Arabia under fire from Iraqi leaders over sectarian criticism of PMFs.

Daesh fighters trying to escape by convoy from Ameriyat Al-Falluja take major casualties.

Death toll rises from Istanbul airport attack.

US-trained New Syria Army has disastrous day in Albu Kamal.

 

REPORTS FROM IRAQ

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister Abadi says fears about Turkish ambitions to grab Mosul are real, and that any Turkish interference or expansion of Turkish troops into Mosul will lead to a massive war. [Sumaria]

Abadi says the military plans for Ninewa liberation were changed after MPs issued statements exposing the plans and endangering Iraqi forces. He also says Mosul will be liberated this year. [Sumaria]

 

Prime Minister Abadi’s Spokesman says Iraqi forces started the military campaign to move toward Mosul to liberate the city. He says the war on terrorism is the war of all Iraq and Iraqi forces including the Army, IFP, Counter Terrorism, local police, Peshmerga, and PMFs will all take part. [Anadolu]

 

Abadi visits a displaced people camp in Rasheed District in Baghdad and says he ordered government agencies to make a greater efforts to helping the displaced people. [Mada]

 

The Iraqi President, Fouad Masoum, Speaker Jubouri, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the KRG issued statements condemning the terrorist attack in Istanbul. [Sumaria] [Rudaw] [BasNews]

 

Speaker Jubouri issued a statement after meeting with members of Anbar Provincial Council, saying that political conflicts will not benefit Anbar and that international support requires a stable political situation in the governorate. The council voted the Governor out yesterday. [Sumaria]

DaeshDaily comment. If Jubouri can figure this out, why can’t the Anbar politicians figure it out? If the Governor did something criminal or otherwise disqualifying, a specific explanation is owed to the public. If not, this was a reversion to the dysfunctional politics that Iraq needs to leave behind.

Beyond the immediate Anbar situation, this incident reminds us that one constitutional reform most needed in Iraq is to have directly-elected term-limited governors, thus creating one position that is accountable to voters. Too often, the position is a political prize that causes scheming by political parties after every provincial election, often with outcomes that don’t reflect the election results and work against the public interest.

 

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs says the Iraqi PMFs are sectarian and are led by Iran. He also says these militias should be dissolved and the Iraqi Army should fight Daesh. He also called for the formation of an Iraqi government that includes all people and groups in the country. The Chairman of the PMFs Commission says the Minister is interfering, and that this is not the Minister’s business, and that this speech is not good for the relationships between countries. He also says there are 140,000 PMF fighters from different sectarian compositions. The spokesman of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign affairs says Iraqi Government objects to the continuous interference of the Saudis in Iraq’s internal affairs. He also advised Saudi Arabia not to export its problems to other countries or its internal crisis to Iraq. [Arabi21]

DaeshDaily comment. Instead of admitting its role in supporting terrorism in other countries, including  Iraq, Saudi Arabia keeps on making statements intended to undermine Iraq. The Iraqi government has its flaws, but regional interference has added to the burden. If Saudi Arabia wants to be friends with Iraq it could stop the anti-Shia rhetoric that is spewed everyday all over the kingdom. In Ramadan prayers, a Saudi cleric prays for God to support the faithful against “apostate Shia, the treacherous Jews, the begrudged Christians,..” Isn’t this the same as Daesh rhetoric?

As for the Shia PMFs, the Presidential Envoy, Brett McGurk, said only 20% of them are loyal to Iran. This is a problem, and the Iraqi government should address it, but not based on Saudi opinions.

 

The commander of the Ninewa PMFs, General Louis Yousif, says in the alternative Ninewa PMFs Command Center in Erbil that 5 training camps will be opened to receive PMF volunteers from Ninewa. He says the Ninewa PMFs will be under the PMF Commission administratively, and will take orders from the Ninewa Operations Command. He also says a committee will be formed, headed by the Ninewa Governor, to receive the volunteers. He says there are already 1,000 Christian, Shabak, Yazidi, and Turkmen PMF fighters from Ninewa who are fighting Daesh and will join the PMFs. [Mada]

 

The combined Joint Task Force says Coalition warplanes conducted 17 airstrikes on Daesh in Iraq. Significantly, five were around Al-Qa’im and one in Rutba (1), in western Anbar (See stories below), with others in Ramadi (2) and Falluja (1) in Anbar, Qayara (5) and Mosul (3) in Ninewa. [CJTF 

 

BAGHDAD

 

Baghdad Operations Command says security captured a Daesh terrorist cell in Baghdad and confiscated large quantities of weapons and ammunition. [Mawazin]

 

Security-related incidents reported

Northwest (Kadhimiya)

A security source says a traffic police officer was killed when a sticky IED exploded under his civilian vehicle in Hurriya. [Mawazin]

 

North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)

Iraqi Army 22nd brigade found a large Daesh guesthouse in an orchard in the Albu Hosa area, and confiscated IEDs, ammunition, equipment, and military uniforms. [BOC Facebook Page]

A security source says a tribal leader, who is also a member of a civil society network, was killed when an explosives vest he was wearing exploded accidently in Tarmiya. The source says the leader was trying to attack Shia gatherings in Dujail. [Ghad]

DaeshDaily comment. We don’t know what to make of this report. And so far we cannot confirm it. We once helped evaluate the USAID-funded program that actually created this civil society network, and it was a very good and meaningful program. Civil society activists in Daesh controlled areas, or in communities infected with Daesh, have been targeted. Some of them were killed, many left, and we suspect that hardly any joined Daesh. We don’t know if this is the case here, but it is a sad story anyway.

 

East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)

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

The body of an unknown man was found tied and tortured on Al-Qanat highway. [AIN]

An MoI source says the owner of a private electricity generator was shot by armed men in Baladiyat. [Mada]

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

 

Total Baghdad incidents reported:    7     (Includes only incidents reported)

 

ANBAR

Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education says it started the procedures to move Anbar University back to Ramadi. [Sumaria]

 

Falluja

Falluja city. Iraqi forces destroyed a Daesh car rigging factory and found rockets and IEDs in Hay Al-Jolan in northwest Falluja. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

Sumaria publishes a document showing a leave permit for Daesh terrorists found in Falluja. Interestingly enough, this document looks like the documents Saddam’s army once used. [Sumaria]

 

North. Iraqi Army 14th division defused 10 booby-trapped houses and 10 IEDs in Azraqiya, north of Falluja. [BOC Facebook Page]

 

South. There were several media reports about a major and violent clash in Ameriyat Al-Falluja in which Daesh took heavy casualties, but they were to some extent conflicting.

An Ameriyat Al-Falluja subdistrict council member says Iraqi forces issued a curfew in the subdistrict after Daesh terrorists sneaked into liberated areas. Iraqi forces then started searching the suspected areas in order to protect civilians and government offices. [Mada] He says a Daesh terrorist who was arrested admitted that 40 Daesh snipers sneaked into the liberated areas. [Maalomah]

The council member also said Iraqi forces trapped 450 Daesh terrorists, including notable commanders, in the Al-Hassi, Albu Assi, and Albu Aifan areas in Ameriyat Al-Falluja. However, Iraqi forces somehow withdrew from a nearby area, allowing the terrorists to escape. When local officials contacted the military commanders they said the convoys should not be attacked because they were carrying families. So Coalition warplanes didn’t target the convoy; however, IAA helicopters targeted the last 10 vehicles of the convoy, killing “tens” of Daesh terrorists. [Maalomah]

The IAA Commander says a Daesh convoy of more than 700 vehicles, retreating from the Al-Hassi area, was attacked by the IAA, destroying more than 130 vehicles, and killing “tens” of Daesh terrorists. He says most of the Daesh members who were retreating were foreigner who refused to surrender to Iraqi forces. The Joint Operations Command (JOC) spokesman says Iraqi forces started an operation to catch the Daesh terrorists who escaped to the desert. [Mada]

The Anbar Operations Commander’s version says his troops trapped 2,000 Daesh terrorists and 500 vehicles in the Al-Hassi area south of Falluja. However, a Daesh construction shovel managed to open the road for the terrorists and more than 400 vehicles sneaked from the Al-Hassi area toward the desert in the west. He says Iraqi forces attacked them, destroying the vehicles, and killing a large number of terrorists. He says Daesh had attacked a military position in Al-Salam intersection south of Falluja yesterday. Iraqi forces stopped the attack, destroying more than 20 vehicles. [Sumaria]        In a separate statement, the Commander said Iraqi forces killed “tens” of Daesh terrorists and destroyed 300 vehicles while the terrorists were trying to flee from areas south of Falluja. [Ghad]

The spokesman of Kata’eb Hezbollah, says Iraqi forces, supported by the IAA, destroyed more than 100 Daesh vehicles, killing more than 60 terrorists. He says tens of Daesh terrorists have fled to desert areas and are trying to regroup. [Mada]

 

DaeshDaily comment. This video published by the MoD shows the IAA destroying dozens of vehicles. Other videos from the scene show also many vehicles. The estimates of the AOC commander are inconsistent, but this was clearly a carnage. [YouTube] [YouTube] [YouTube] [YouTube] [Etejah] [Twitter] [Twitter]

A video of an alleged Daesh terrorist captured in Ameriyat Al-Falluja [Twitter]

 

Ramadi

Daesh says it stopped an Iraqi Army attack on the Zangoura area, destroying a Humvee and a minesweeper, and captured another minesweeper, killing several soldiers and forcing the rest to flee. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh says it captured an Iraqi Army minesweeper on the outskirts of the Zangoura area. [A3maq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles in the Zangoura area. [JustPaste]

 

Hit/Haditha

The Jazeera Operations commander source says Iraqi Army 7th division artillery shelled Daesh in Jubba and Dolab, killing 9 terrorists and destroying 3 boats and a motorcycle. He also says Iraqi forces continued their operations in areas west of Hit and up the Euphrates river, destroying Daesh hideouts and supply lines. He also says Iraqi forces, supported by Coalition warplanes, are working on liberating Jazeera Hit, Rawa, and Al-Qa’im and intend to reach the Iraq-Syria border. [Mada] [Harbi]

DaeshDaily comment. The other side of the western Anbar story is the new initiative by the newly arrived New Syria Army and Coalition airpower on the Syria side of the border, as reported yesterday. However, see today’s bad news Syria story under East (Deir Ez-Zor) below.

 

Western Anbar

Related to the above story, a PMF commander says Daesh attacked Iraqi forces in the Kilo 160 area. He says Iraqi forces stopped the attack, destroying 30 vehicles, killing large numbers of terrorists and capturing 9, including 5 foreigners. He says the battles are still ongoing. [Sumaria]

 

The Jazeera Operations Commander says Iraqi forces, supported by Coalition and IAF warplanes, killed 300 Daesh terrorists and destroyed 50 vehicles south of the Kilo 160 area. He says the terrorists were trying to sneak from a village south of Kilo 160, near Rawa, toward Al-Qa’im. [Sumaria]

 

SALAHUDDIN

Shirqat

A Salahuddin Police commander says his troops stopped a Daesh attack on a village south of Shirqat city, killing 8 terrorists and destroying a vehicle bomb. He also says Iraqi forces found the bodies of 35 Daesh members who were killed in battles in Tulul Al-Baj. [Mada]

 

A Salahuddin Operations Command source says Iraqi forces found a multi-km long tunnel in the Tulul Al-Baj area. The tunnel links the area to Baiji District and is equipped with rooms and hideouts. [Maalomah]

 

The Counter Terrorism Service Commander says Iraqi forces in Shirqat District advanced 15 km (9 miles) toward Shirqat city. He also says Iraqi units moved toward the desert northwest of Shirqat to secure the area. He says Daesh is using only vehicle bombs to attack and the IAA destroyed 3 vehicle bombs. [Baghdadia]

DaeshDaily comment. The geography is somewhat confusing in this area. Tulul Al-Baj is small but strategically located on the main road north into Ninewa, whereas Shirqat is just northwest of Tulul Al-Baj, off the main highway. In general, our impression from fragmentary reports is that Iraqi forces are trying to surround Shirqat. Shirqat is an important military objective, on its own terms and for the Ninewa liberation campaign, but the road north moves through Makhmur District and close to the city of Qayara. Still, Iraqi reports yesterday claimed that they had already reached Shirqat city.

 

Daesh says it targeted Iraqi in the Shirqat intersection with 60 mortars. [JustPaste]

 

A local source says unknown armed men attacked a Daesh communications center in Shirqat, killing the communications officer and 2 of his associates and burning down the center. [Sumaria]

 

The director of the Salahuddin Migration and Displacement Directorate says two civilians were killed and eight wounded by a Daesh mortar shell in the Tulul Al-Baj area while they were escaping Shirqat toward Baiji. [Mada]

 

The IWMC says Iraqi forces advanced 4 km (2.5 miles) on the road between Tulul Al-Baj and Qayara. It contradicted an earlier MoD report, which said Iraqi forces were close to the Qayara Base, saying Iraqi forces are more than 40 km (25 miles) away from the Qayara Base. [Ghad]

 

Baiji

Daesh issues a video of a small group of its terrorists in the residential compound near the Shirqat intersection, claiming it controls the compound. [A3maq]

 

The IFP commander says his troops killed 31 Daesh and destroyed a machine gun-mounted vehicle and ammunition cache, and a mortar unit, in the Fatha and thermal stations areas north of Baiji.  [Ghad]

 

Daesh says it attacked Iraqi Army positions near the oil factory north of Baiji, killing eighteen soldiers and wounding twenty-five. Daesh also says it targeted Iraqi forces with mortars in different areas in Baiji District. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh says it attacked an Iraqi Army Humvee with an IED in the Fatha area. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles near Al-Dibis village. [JustPaste]

 

Tikrit

Daesh says one of its snipers killed a PMF fighter in Allas Oilfield. [JustPaste]

 

DIYALA

Baquba

The Diyala Sahwa official says five Sahwa commanders received dead threats recently. He says the Sahwa fighters will be eliminated by Daesh or Al-Qaeda if there is no support from Baghdad. [Sumaria]

 

A security source says Daesh gave a 48-hour ultimatum to Badoush prison escapees to join its terrorists in areas between Abbara and Abu Saida, northeast of Baquba. The source says 30-40 prisoners who escaped Badoush prison when Daesh captured Mosul are hiding in orchards in the area, and Daesh wants them to join its ranks. [Sumaria]

 

Northern Diyala

Daesh says it destroyed an Iraqi police vehicle in the Al-Ridha area in Udhaim, killing the policemen inside. [JustPaste]

 

KIRKUK

Kirkuk

A Kirkuk Police commander says his troops captured 6 people wanted on terrorism charges and confiscated weapons and military gear in Tarklan village, 15 km (9 miles) southwest of Kirkuk. [Sumaria]

 

The Kirkuk Criminal Court sentenced 2 Daesh members responsible for several explosions in Kirkuk to 15 years in prison. [Sumaria]

 

NINEWA

The Ninewa Governor issues a statement saying the Iraqi Minister of Defense approved establishing an air bridge (rescue flights) in order to bring back 7,000 people who fled areas in Ninewa and are in a camp in Al-Hawl. [ARA]

 

Mosul

A local source says the Daesh leader, Awwad Baghdadi, appointed a new military commander for Mosul. The new terrorist is German citizen who spent several years in Afghanistan and came to Iraqi when Daesh captured Ninewa in 2014. [Sumaria]

 

Security sources say people of Mosul are cooperating extensively with Iraqi forces and are providing a lot of information about Daesh in the city. The Iraqi Army has dropped leaflets on Mosul containing phone numbers of security forces so civilians can communicate with them more efficiently. [ARA]

 

A high ranking Iraqi officer tells Reuters that Iraqi military are in contact with people in Mosul who are preparing for a popular uprising against Daesh when Iraqi forces attack the city. [AIN]

 

Local sources say a Daesh member surrendered to the Peshmerga in Bashiqa, east of the city in Mosul District. Local sources also say the Daesh terrorist forced his family out into the street and then blew up his house in Fadhiliya village. [ARA]

 

A local source says Daesh executed three religious leaders in Mosul after accusing them of inciting people against Daesh. [Maalomah]

 

Daesh publishes photos of “normal life” in Hay Al-Nour in Mosul. [JustPaste]

 

Makhmur/Qayara

The Ninewa Operations Command says Iraqi forces stopped a Daesh attack on Al-Nassr village, killing 10 terrorists and destroying 2 vehicle bombs. [MoD Website]

Daesh says it shelled and rocketed Iraqi forces in Al-Rajla and Al-Nassr villages. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh says it attacked Iraqi forces in Al-Nassr village, then an Iraqi suicide terrorist attacked Iraqi forces.

Daesh says several Iraqi soldiers were killed or wounded in the attack. [JustPaste]

 

Northwest (Tal Afar, Sinjar)

Daesh says it detonated a booby-trapped house in Um Al-Dhiban village west of Sinjar on Kurdish “infidels,” killing seven of them. Daesh also says it shelled and rocketed Peshmerga positions in several areas in Sinjar District. [JustPaste]

 

Kerbala

Daesh says it attacked Iraqi forces west of Kerbala with 3 vehicle bombs and an explosives vest. [A3maq]

DaeshDaily comment. On Tuesday, the Mid Euphrates Operations Command says a group of Daesh terrorists attacked a security barricade in west Kerbala on the road to Nukhaib in Anbar with 3 vehicle bombs, but Iraqi forces stopped the attack, killing the terrorists and destroying the vehicle bombs. [Mada]

 

Muthanna

The Chairman of the Security Committee in the Muthanna PC says Daesh is planning to conduct several attacks in southern and central governorates during the later days of Ramadan month and during Eid celebrations. [Mada]

 

REPORTS FROM TURKEY

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying an Iraqi man and a woman were killed, and several other Iraqis wounded, in the suicide attack in Ataturk Airport. [Sumaria]

 

Security officials in Ataturk International Airport say the 2 terrorists started to shoot at people at the international departure area of the airport then blew themselves up after police shot them. The Turkish Prime Minister says the evidence of the attack points to Daesh. [ARA]

According to Sputnik, the PKK issued a statement saying it doesn’t conduct attacks against civilians and its troops have not conducted suicide attacks [Xeber24]

 

Syrian Democratic Council issued a statement condemning the terrorist attack in Istanbul and expressed their condolences for the people of Turkey. [Hawar]

The Istanbul Governor issued a statement saying forty-one people were killed and two hundred and thirty-nine wounded in the terrorist attack. [Hawar]

 

Two Turkish MPs and other politicians accused President Erdogan of supporting Daesh and allowing the formation of terrorist cells in Turkey, in addition to allowing injured Daesh terrorists to be treated in Turkey. [SANA]

 

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior issued a statement saying a Tunisian military doctor was killed in the terrorist attack on Ataturk Airport. A Tunisian Ministry of Defense source says the General/Doctor traveled to Turkey 2 months ago to bring back his son, a medical college student, who joined Daesh 2 years ago. [Arabi21]

 

Photos of 2 of the suicide terrorists [Arabi21]

 

Turkish newspapers published a list of the names of victims (photo). [Arabi21]

 

REPORTS FROM SYRIA

 

The combined Joint Task Force says Coalition warplanes conducted 15 airstrikes on Daesh in Syria. In and around Albu Kamal (8) in eastern Syria and Manbij (6) and Mare’ (1) in northwest Syria. [CJTF] (But see story below about Albu Kamal.)

 

Northeast (Hasaka, Raqqa)

A 23-year-old man from Kobane was killed by the Turkish Army while trying to cross the border into Turkey. Local sources say the young man was disabled and was trying to cross into Turkey to get treatment. [Hawar] [ARA]

A 10-year-old boy died after being wounded yesterday by the Turkish army in Hashisha village in Tal Abyad. Twelve people were wounded yesterday by the Turkish Army as they were trying to cross the Turkish border. [Hawar]

 

Syrian Democratic Forces say they stopped a Daesh attack southeast of the Tishrin Dam, killing or wounding several terrorists and capturing a military vehicle. They also say they shot down a Daesh recon drone. [Hawar]

 

The Tal Abyad Asayesh (Kurdish security) says eight civilians and two YPG fighters were killed and more than ten civilians wounded when a parked car bomb exploded near the local government office in Tal Abyad. [Xeber24]

Another victim died later on from wounds caused by the explosion. [Hawar]

Daesh says it detonated a parked vehicle bomb in front of YPG headquarters in Tal Abyad, killing or wounding fifty “YPG members”. [JustPaste]

A video of the aftermath of the explosion [Hawar]

 

Battles continued between Syrian Democratic Forces and Daesh in Suwaidan village north of Raqqa. Coalition warplanes launched extensive airstrikes on Daesh locations in Raqqa city. [Qasioun]

 

Daesh issues a video of its religious activities for young boys in Tabaqa city. [A3maq]

 

Daesh publishes photos of beheading a man publicly in Raqqa after accusing him of blasphemy. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh issues a photo of its terrorists in Raqqa. [JustPaste]

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists in north Raqqa. [JustPaste]

 

Northwest (Aleppo, Idlib)

A man who was displaced from the Al-Bab area and is now in Afrin says he saw the dead bodies of more than one thousand civilians dropped in a garbage dump near Al-Bab city. He says Daesh terrorists are raiding Kurdish areas in the city and are kidnapping boys aged 11 years and older. [Hawar]

 

The YPG issued a statement saying the Turkish Army increased its shelling on its positions and civilian locations in the Kobane area. [BasNews]

 

Twelve civilians, including four children, were wounded by Turkey-backed opposition group shelling on Sheikh Maqsoud. [Hawar]

 

Manbij campaign. Manbij Military Council troops captured the traffic police building in Manbij city and found two 800m tunnels. Battles are still ongoing in other parts of the city. [Hawar]

Manbij Military Council troops captured the Mills intersection in the city. Street battles are ongoing in different neighborhoods (video). [Hawar]

Manbij Military Council troops advanced from the silos area toward the west, killing 7 Daesh terrorists. [Hawar]

A video of families escaping from Manbij [Hawar]

A video of weapons and ammunition seized by MMC troops in Manbij [Hawar]

 

Daesh says it conducted a suicide attack that destroyed 2 buildings where YPG fighters had set up barricades west of Manbij. [A3maq]

Daesh issues a distant video of a suicide attack on a YPG gathering near Kilo 4 village north of Manbij. [A3maq]

 

Local activists say Daesh launched a counter attack on Syrian troops near Khanasir city in Aleppo’s southern Safira District and captured Al-Haman Mountain. He also says Daesh cut off the supply lines between Khanasir and Hama. [ARA]

 

Central and West (Homs, Hama, etc.)

A Syrian military source says Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes on Daesh gatherings south of Tadmur, destroying 5 vehicles and killing or wounding many terrorists. [SANA]

 

East (Deir Ez-Zor)

Day 2 for the New Syria Army appears to have been a disaster in spite of American participation.

Daesh says Syrian opposition groups trained at an American compound in Jordan arrived in areas west of Albu Kamal, supported by American airpower. Daesh says it attacked them in the Al-Hamdan Airport in the Al-Hizam area, killing forty fighters and capturing fifteen in addition to capturing 6 SUVs, 6 trucks loaded with weapons and explosives, and 12 drones. It says the remaining opposition fighters escaped to the desert and that Daesh is now hunting them down. [JustPaste]

Daesh publishes photos of beheaded opposition group fighters who were killed in battles west of Albu Kamal. [JustPaste]

Daesh publishes photos of vehicles and weapons it had captured from opposition groups west of Albu Kamal. [JustPaste]

Daesh also issues a video of the vehicles, weapons, and dead opposition fighters. [A3maq]

Daesh says it destroyed 2 opposition group SUVs in an ambush. Daesh says the 2 vehicles were escaping the battles toward the Al-Tanaf border crossing. [A3maq]

 

The spokesman of the New Syria Army confirmed that his troops withdrew toward the desert from the Albu Kamal area, telling Reuters that the first part of the campaign is over. [Xeber24]

The spokesman says their troops conducted an airdrop operation from American planes in the Albu Kamal area. He says the idea was to conduct a “qualitative hit” against Daesh. He says their troops captured some areas, then retreated. [HalabToday]

 

The General Secretary of the New Syria Army says the reason for the failure in the Albu Kamal battle is the lack of military support and the small number of fighters. He says there is no real intention from the international community to fight Daesh or the Assad regime. He says the New Syria Army coordinated with tribal fighters from Anbar to start an attack from the Iraqi side, but this was not done. The New Syria Army captured Hamad village and airport before retreating. [Dorar]

DaeshDaily comment. Amidst ground and bombing campaigns that are apparently working, this is one that seems to have failed abysmally, in spite of the reported participation of US pilots and aircraft. The hard-to-miss conclusion is that somebody screwed up, and since the US trained these units and supported them in the field, some explanation is in order.

Unfortunately, this experience is too similar to an earlier failure of a small US-trained force that likewise ran immediately into overwhelming force and was decimated, causing derision and a lot of negative comments. That experiment never recovered.

We thought yesterday that the New Syria Army was part of a larger strategy and that a cross-border effort also involving Iraqi troops coming into Al-Qa’im could eventually be part of the strategy, but while they may be on their way they are not there yet and the New Syria Army was put into a position for which it was not prepared. The direction seemed clear yesterday; now we wonder whether there was less to this than it seemed. We are listening for the explanation.

 

A Syrian military spokesman says Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes on Daesh locations in Tharda village in Deir Ez-Zor, destroying 3 headquarters and killing or wounding several terrorists. [SANA]

 

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists on the front lines against Syrian troops in Deir Ez-Zor. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh publishes photos of beheading a man, after accusing him of supporting infidels in Deir Ez-Zor. The photos show dozens of children in the audience as the terrorists conduct the public execution. [JustPaste]

 

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

Daesh says Khaled Bin Al-Waleed Army, a Daesh affiliate, killed four opposition fighters and wounded six while they were trying to sneak into the Ain Dhikr area in the Yarmouk Basin west of Daraa. [A3maq]

Opposition groups clashed heavily with Daesh in different areas west of Daraa. Opposition groups also rocketed Daesh locations in the Ain Dhikr area. [Qasioun]

 

OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS

 

North Africa

Egypt

Daesh says it killed an Egyptian Army “spy” in Sheikh Zuweid. [JustPaste]

Armed men shot and killed a civilian near his house in Sheikh Zuweid. [VetoGate]

 

Medical sources say a police officer was killed and two policemen were wounded when an IED exploded on their armored vehicle in Rafah. [AfriGate]

 

Daesh says it destroyed 2 Egyptian Army vehicles with 2 IEDs, one south of Kharouba, and another west of Karm Al-Qawadis, killing or wounding several soldiers. [JustPaste]

 

Libya

Northeast

A Libyan military commander says twenty-two soldiers were killed and sixty-one wounded in the battles to liberate Qar Younes. [AfriGate]

 

The Libyan military says it conducted 4 airstrikes on the Qawarsha area in west Benghazi. [AfriGate]

 

Libyan Special Forces say they found underground Daesh storehouses in the Najila area in Benghazi. [AfriGate]

 

Daesh publishes photos of battles in west Benghazi. [JustPaste]

 

Central coast

The National Accord Government Military says it captured Daesh defense lines in east Sirte after heavy clashes. It also says its troops are defusing Daesh IEDs and land mines in the area. A military source says Libyan warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on Daesh position in Sirte, causing massive damages. [Wasat]

 

Daesh publishes photos of its terrorists in Sirte. [JustPaste]

 

Tunisia

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior says it captured a “takfiri” in Sousse who previously tried to join a terrorist group in Syria. [Tunisien]

 

Other countries

Afghanistan

Daesh says it captured 2 Afghani Border Police positions in the Dih Bala area in Nangarhar after killing ten policemen and capturing light and mid-sized weapons. [JustPaste]

 

Daesh publishes photos of an attack on Afghani Army vehicles in the Kot area in Nangarhar. [JustPaste]

 

India

An Indian official told Reuters security captured 5 men linked to Daesh that were planning several attacks in the country. The men were recruited by a Daesh terrorist who lives outside of India. [Sumaria]

 

The Philippines

Daesh says it killed fifteen Philippine soldiers in 2 attacks during the past 2 days in Marawi, on the southern island of Mindanao. [A3maq]

 

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Daesh supporters started a hashtag called the South Falluja Massacre, claiming the convoy that was destroyed by Iraqi forces in Ameriyat Al-Falluja was for civilian people. They accuse specifically the Fallujan Albu Eissa tribe of the attack. Of course they don’t say why these “civilians” were heading west carrying rocket launchers and heavy machine guns and why there are no women and children in any video or photo on the scene. [Twitter]

An Iraqi pilot says no woman or child was hurt in the attack. He also says he used his own gun to kill a Daesh terrorist who fled a destroyed vehicle.

 

A video of PMF fighters killing a Daesh terrorist who was trapped in a trench in Kerbala desert. [Twitter]

Daesh said it attacked Iraqi forces west of Kerbala with vehicle bombs and suicide terrorists, without telling the rest of the story. Iraq officials said all Daesh terrorists were killed and their vehicles destroyed.

 

Videos of the Day

(Iraq) A video of families from Shirqat secured by Iraqi forces [MoD]

 

(Syria) A video of a Coalition airstrike that destroyed a Daesh fighting position near Mare’ on June 21 [CJTF]

 

OTHER DAESH MEDIA

 

Daesh audio newsletter for today [JustPaste]

 

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