April 27, 2018
Hammam Al-Alil Camp
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
Iraq
US Embassy decries attacks on women candidates. [..]
Daesh kills 2 in north Baghdad for “promoting the elections.” [..]
Key Haqlaniya-Haditha bridge destroyed by floods. [..]
Diyala protest targets alleged Daesh-linked election candidates. [..]
Two bridges reopened in west Mosul. [..]
Major Daesh terrorist, 12 others arrested south of Mosul. [..]
Turkey
Major Daesh terrorist arrested in Izmir. [..]
Syria
Turkey announces plan with US to replace YPG in Manbij with new forces. [..]
Europol action weakens capabilities of Daesh propaganda network. [..]
French soldiers reportedly arriving in northern Syria. [..]
Coalition conducts 21 airstrikes in 1 week in Albu Kamal, southern Shaddadi. [..]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Election
The US Embassy in Baghdad on Friday repeated that attacks and disfigurements against women in the current election campaign were “disappointing and deserved condemnation,” calling for an end to all such [rights] violations and an investigation. The official US Embassy spokesman said in a press release, “The US Embassy in Baghdad is concerned about recent reports of harassment and defamation against candidates running for parliamentary elections … Attacks and campaigns of mutilation against women during the current election campaign are disappointing and deserve condemnation.” The Embassy added that these campaigns threaten the integrity of the electoral process, and that all candidates and electoral blocs should respect the concepts in the electoral charter that they signed earlier this year. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. It’s good to denounce the incidents, but would be better if the perpetrators could be identified, so that voters could use their actions against them.
An Arab leader in Kirkuk province, Abdul Rahman Manshid Al-‘Assi, called on Friday for the head of the “Victory” electoral coalition, PM Haider Al-Abadi, to withdraw his candidates from the race in Kirkuk to ensure that the Arab vote is unified rather than dispersed [among multiple lists]. Al-‘Assi said in a statement that “our demand is not a rejection of the ‘Victory’ coalition, but rather support of the electoral [unity] of a key group in this important district; the Arabs of Kirkuk are waiting for Al-Abadi to be supportive of the Arab alliance, which depends on this unity.” [Sumaria]
Former COR Speaker, Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, wrote that “the most important stage will be after the end of the election, that is, the stage of forming a government.” In an article published on Friday, Al-Mashhadani wrote that those who imagine that the most important stage [of Iraqi governance] is the election are mistaken, adding that the post-election stage would still have to address many remaining issues in Iraq, including IDPs, reconstruction, terrorism, and corruption. [Rudaw]
Reconstruction
Friday, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held a conference in Amman to support the economy, reconstruction and health in post-Daesh Iraq. The conference coordinators said that the donor countries have granted Iraq over $ 150 million for the implementation of several reconstruction projects in Ninewa, Anbar, Salahuddin and Suleimaniya, adding that those projects will be implemented under the supervision of UN-affiliated civil society organizations. [AlTaghier]
Al-Araby quoted an official in the Iraqi Ministry of Planning as saying that the Ministry conducted a detailed field survey of the damages caused by the war against Daesh in different provinces. He added that “If the current financial crisis and corruption continue at high levels, the government will only be able to allocate up to $3 billion a year for reconstruction, which means that we need nearly 25 years to return Iraq to what it was before June 2014.” [AlAraby]
Anti-Daesh Campaign
Friday, security expert Fadhil Abu Raghif said that Iraq, as a member of the joint intelligence-sharing coalition between Russia, Iran and Syria, has conducted several military operations in Syria, destroying the terrorists’ camps there. “As part of the RSII Coalition, the Iraqi Military Intelligence Service has conducted several military operations against many Daesh camps in Syria, including camps in Hajin and Albu Kamal. It also killed 300 Daesh fighters in the ‘Ansar Al-Khilapha’ camps in Syria.” [KnoozMedia]
The Coalition says it conducted 5 airstrikes on Daesh positions in Iraq between April 20 and April 26, in or near Mosul (1), Tal Afar (1), Kirkuk (1), Hawija (1), and Tooz (1). [InherentResolve]
Corruption
Friday, an Iraqi government source speculated that “under the Iraqi General Amnesty Law, the case of Ziad Al-Qattan, in which he is accused of financial and administrative corruption, can be settled if he returns the money he had illegally obtained during his term of public office.”The charges against Al-Qattan could produce a prison term of up to 640 years. On April 15th, Al-Qattan was arrested in Jordan and extradited to Baghdad. [Shafaaq]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
Northwest (Kadhimiya, etc.)
Baghdad Operations Command said on Friday that 2 people had been arrested, including 1 foreign national, on charges of carrying counterfeit currency in Kadhimiya. [Sumaria]
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
Daesh issues a video of killing two people who were “promoting the elections” in Tarmiya. [ICDNApr27]
Daesh said on Wednesday it killed two National Security Service “spies” in the Al-Azri area in Tarmiya. Daesh said on Thursday that it “clashed” with a tribal leader who was promoting the elections in the Al-Azri area, in Tarmiya. [ICDNApr26]
Daesh said on Thursday that it wounded a PMF fighter after targeting his house with light weapons in the Al-Khan area, near Meshahda. [ICDNApr26]
South (Dora, Yusufiyah, Mahmudiya, etc.)
Baghdad Ops Command announced on Friday that its forces had found IEDs left behind by Daesh. In a statement to the press, Baghdad Ops Command said that they had found 12 IEDs near Karaghoul, south of Baghdad, which were handled without incident. [Sumaria]
Total Baghdad incidents reported: 4 (Includes only incidents reported)
Total IED incidents reported: 1
ANBAR
Falluja
A DaeshDaily source says a US organization defused 14 IEDs planted inside the Falluja Iron Bridge.
Hit/Haditha
A DaeshDaily source says the Haqlaniya Bridge was destroyed by floods resulted from heavy rains, cutting off Haqlaniya from Haditha. The source says the bridge was built by people from the area after Daesh blew up the main bridge in 2015.
Anah (including Rawa)
A DaeshDaily source says the government opened an office in Rawa to pay compensations to citizens who were affected by military operations.
The spokesman for the Center for Security Information, Brigadier General Yahya Rasul, said in a statement that a force under Anbar Ops Command had arrested 3 Daesh terrorists in the Al-Saqra area, who had previously been involved in bombing operations against military personnel. Rasul said that another group of security personnel detonated 6 IEDs left behind by Daesh in the Al-Jaffa area, and found 3 homemade rockets, an anti-armor explosive, and an RPG during a search west of Ayn Al-Tamur. [Ghad]
SALAHUDDIN
Samarra
11 IEDs were found and 2 terrorists killed in Samarra. The spokesman for the Center for Security Information, Brigadier General Yahya Rasul, said in a statement that a force under Samarra Ops Command conducted a search operation around Al-Layn and found 11 IEDs, 7 shaped explosives, and 4 glycerin-based explosives, which were detonated in a controlled explosion. [Ghad]
A DaeshDaily source says four PMF fighters were killed when a sticky IED exploded under their vehicle east of Samarra.
Southern Salahuddin (Balad, Dujail)
The Center for Security Information announced on Friday that a “terrorist” had been killed and other Daesh fighters wounded in southern Salahuddin province. In a press release, the Center said that units from the Directorate of Military Intelligence and Samarra Ops Command, in cooperation with the 6th Federal Police and the PMF, had thwarted an infiltration attempt in the Yathrib region. [Sumaria] [SngIq]
A DaeshDaily source says Samarra Operations Command units killed 2 Daesh terrorists who sneaked into the Tal Al-Dhahab area, in Yathrib subdistrict.
On Friday, PMF units killed a suicide bomber in southern Balad District. According to a PMF media statement, the 43rd Brigade (PMF) killed the suicide bomber in Tal Al-Dhahab. [Mawazin]
The Center for Security Information said that the Samarra Ops Command had killed 2 terrorists and wounded 2 others in the incident. [Ghad]
Eastern Salahuddin (Al-Daur, Tooz)
In a statement released on Friday, the Rapid Reaction Force announced it foiled a Daesh attempt to blow up one of its positions north of Tooz District between Kirkuk and Salahuddin, using a booby-trapped car tire. According to the statement, the Rapid Reaction Force in Tuz Khurmatu dismantled the tire. [SngIq]
DIYALA
Baquba/Southeast Diyala
Families of “victims of terrorism” demonstrated outside of the Diyala Provincial Council building in Baquba on Friday to protest candidates with alleged terrorist affiliations. An official for the demonstration, Dia’ Selem, said, “Dozens of families of victims of terrorism in Diyala took part in a peaceful demonstration . . . to reject the candidacy of those whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent people.” [Sumaria]
KIRKUK
Kirkuk/Dibis
A DaeshDaily source says a group of Daesh terrorists briefly captured the building of the North Oil Company, west of Dibis, after Oil Protection Police withdrew without a fight. The terrorists fled after IFP units arrived in the area.
Hawija (Riyadh, Al-Zab, etc.)
Daesh says it destroyed 2 IFP bulldozers and damaged an SUV in clashes near Barima village, east of Hawija, on Wednesday. [ICDNApr26]
Daesh said it killed four PMF fighters by detonating a booby-trapped house in Lazzaqa village, east of Riyadh, on Wednesday. [ICDNApr26]
Southwest (Daquq, Rashad, Taza, etc.)
Daesh said it blew up an electricity tower that “belongs to PMFs” near Kathahiya village in Daquq District, on Tuesday. [ICDNApr26]
NINEWA
Mosul
7 Daesh fighters were killed in an Iraqi Army operation in northwest Mosul. Lieutenant Colonel Haitham Ahmed, an officer in the 15th Division of the Iraqi Army, said in a press statement that the 7 Daesh fighters were killed during an operation to clear the hills of the Badoush area. He said that the operation was carried out with air support from Iraqi Army Aviation helicopters, adding that the Army has carried out several operations in those hills, which are fortified by the remaining Daesh fighters there. [Rudaw]
Salem Hashem, the Director of Roads and Bridges for Ninewa, announced on Friday that they were re-opening two bridges in west Mosul that had been destroyed during the period of Daesh control of the city. He said in a press statement that “Engineering and technical cohorts completed the reconstruction of the bridges . . . which were opened for traffic.” He added that dozens more bridges destroyed during Daesh control of Mosul would be rebuilt in the coming months. [Rudaw]
Southern Ninewa
Mosul subdistrict/ Hammam Al-Alil/Shura
The Center for Security Information announced on Friday that they had arrested a “terrorist” in Mosul who they said led riots during the “sit-ins.” Brigadier General Yahya Rasul, the spokesman for the Center, said that units of the Military Intelligence Directorate in the 20th Division had arrested the terrorist in Hammam Al-Alil. Rasul said, “The terrorist played a negative role in fueling sectarianism and incitement against security forces, and supported Daesh during the so-called ‘sit-in,’ and was among the first of those announcing their support for Daesh when they entered into Mosul, and was one of the heads of the riots and those calling for fighting the security forces during the liberation [of Mosul].” [Sumaria] [Ghad]
Ninewa Police Command said that they had arrested 12 Daesh fighters during an inspection. Brigadier General Hamad Al-Jubouri said in a statement that Ninewa Police had arrested the 12 wanted persons in the village of Rahmaniya in Mosul Subdistrict. [Mawazin]
Western Ninewa (No reports)
KURDISTAN NEWS
ERBIL
The armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) announced on Friday that they had killed 3 Turkish special forces fighters in the Barzan district. The PKK said in a statement, “Armed forces targeted a Turkish Army special force in the Barzan border area … and killed 3 Turkish fighters.” They added that “these [PKK] units specialize in ambushes … our fighters had been tracking their movements for 2 days.” [Sumaria]
Friday, Hawar reported that the PKK in northern Erbil attacked 6 Turkish Army positions in Tal Lilkan in the Sidekan border region in northern Erbil, destroying 5 of them and killing 6 Turkish soldiers. [Hawar]
Friday, Anadolu reported that a Turkish soldier was killed, and another wounded in a PKK attack on Turkish Army personnel in Kani Rash in northern Erbil. [Anadolu]
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Friday, according to security sources, Anadolu reported that the Turkish security forces in Izmir arrested Daesh’s emir of Deir Ez-Zor as well as 3 other senior Daesh leaders as they tried to flee Turkey. The sources added that Daesh’s emir of Deir Ez-Zor is a senior Daesh leader who was close to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and was involved in the killing of 700 civilians in Syria. [Dorar]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
NATIONAL NEWS
Manbij
Friday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey is working with the U.S. to get the YPG to withdraw from Syria’s Manbij. Turkey and the U.S. have agreed to approve a roadmap on Syria to avoid potential confrontation between the two allies, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said after meeting with the new U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels on the occasion of a NATO summit. “In our meeting we confirmed approval of a roadmap on which our joint working group has reached an initial agreement,” Çavuşoğlu told reporters. “We will implement the Manbij model in other parts of Syria, particularly east of the Euphrates. We’ll therefore be taking a step with the U.S. on an issue that causes tension in our bilateral ties. If the roadmap is implemented, the YPG will be withdrawn from Manbij and a transparent process will be carried out for the security and governance of the city. Otherwise we’ll have to intervene against the terrorists just like we did in Afrin,” he said. [Qasioun]
Anti-Daesh campaign
In a statement released on Friday, Europol announced that law enforcement authorities of the European Union Member States, Canada and the USA have seized servers and data from Daesh propaganda outlets in a multi-country operation aimed at tracking down radicals and crimping the group’s ability to spread its violent message. With this takedown action, targeting major Daesh-branded media outlets like A3maq, Al-Bayan Radio, Halumu and Nashir news, Daesh’s capability to broadcast and publicize terrorist material has been compromised. Rob Wainwright, Executive Director of Europol, commented said “with this ground-breaking operation we have punched a big hole in the capability of Daesh to spread propaganda online and radicalize young people in Europe. I applaud the determined and innovative work by Europol and its partners to target a major part of the international terrorist threat prevalent in Europe today.” [EnabBaladi]
In a statement released on Friday, the International Coalition against Daesh operating in Syria and Iraq has admitted to killing 28 more civilians. The latest deaths bring the overall confirmed toll of civilians killed in the Coalition operations to at least 883. The coalition acknowledged the new deaths after a review of 49 reports of potential civilian casualties from air and artillery strikes. The US-led Coalition has conducted over 29 thousand strikes over the past four years in Iraq and Syria. [Qasioun]
Refugees
Friday, the German Foreign Ministry announced that it was “deeply angered” by Assad’s latest decree, under which Syrians will have only 30 days to document property ownership in the war-torn country after the release of any new urban rebuilding plan. In a statement to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Foreign Ministry said it regarded Assad’s decree as a “specious” attempt to put Syrians’ property rights into question. “It was an apparent attempt to fundamentally modify local conditions to the benefit of the regime and its supporters and hinder the return of a huge number of Syrians,” the Ministry added. [Dorar]
Tahrir Al-Sham
Friday, Hawar said that Turkish authorities have held a number of meetings with Tahrir Al-Sham’s leaders in Turkey to reach an a agreement, under which Tahrir Al-Sham will be dissolved and merged into the other Turkey-backed Syrian militias that Russia doesn’t consider as being terrorists. In order to achieve that end, Hawar added, Turkey has invented a fake war between Tahrir Al-Sham and the Syria Liberation Front. [Hawar]
Northwest
Manbij/Al-Bab/Jarabulus
A Syrian Kurdish source close to the SDF said on Friday that large numbers of French military reinforcements arrived during the past week in northern Syria. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source told Bas News that large numbers of French special forces had been arriving over the last week in Manbij and Kobane, following the Turkish threat to enter Manbij. The source said that some of the [French] forces are now spread across areas where pro-Turkey militias have been operating, including Jarabulus and Al-Bab. The source emphasized that the Coalition is trying to establish local forces composed of Arabs, Kurds, and Christians to protect the eastern Euphrates border area from being threatened by Daesh. [BasNews]
Northeast
Hasaka
A DaeshDaily source said an 18-year-old Daesh member committed suicide in the Dashisha area. The man was one of many young people forcibly recruited by Daesh. The source says Daesh fighters in the area are under huge pressures because of the continuous fighting. Daesh hasn’t paid salaries for the last 4 months. The source also says that while Daesh prohibits its fighters from smoking, its leaders are making money from smuggling cigarettes.
Central and West
Aleppo/Idlib
According to local Syrian sources, a car bomb exploded in the fuel market in the city of Jarabulus, with no casualties. The area has recently been hit by a number of terrorist attacks, including a motorcycle bombing in the city of Al-Bab, which did result in civilian casualties. [Sumaria]
Homs
Friday, the anti-government “Syrian National Army” said that its 4th Brigade’s snipers killed 3 members of the Syrian forces in Kissin village north of Homs. [Qasioun]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Albu Kamal District
The Coalition says it conducted 21 airstrikes on Daesh positions in between April 20 and April 26, 13 near Albu Kamal and 8 near Shaddadi in southern Hasaka. [InherentResolve]
Friday, Qasioun reported that a Coalition airstrike killed 5 Daesh members who were trying to infiltrate the SDF-held positions in Al-Bahra village. Meanwhile, Daesh reportedly conducted a fierce attack against the Syrian forces’ positions near Maizila town east of Deir Ez-Zor. [Qasioun]
SOHR reported that clashes resumed on Thursday evening between the SDF and Daesh in different locations on the outskirts of Hajin, accompanied by mutual shelling. Meanwhile, the SDF, backed by the Coalition, is reportedly preparing to launch a military operation against Daesh in rural southern Hasaka in the coming days. [SyriaHR]
Daesh said on Thursday it targeted 2 Syrian Army military positions near Albu Kamal with 2 SPG9 rockets. [ICDNApr26]
Daesh said on Thursday its snipers killed a Syrian soldier near Albu Kamal. [ICDNApr26]
Daesh publishes photos of a group of its terrorists watching a Daesh propaganda video in Hajin. [ICDNApr27]
Daesh publishes 2 photos of rain in the Susah area. [ICDNApr27]
South
Damascus/Rif Damashq
Friday, Qasioun reported that Russian warplanes conducted airstrikes on the Daesh-held positions in Al-Yarmouk Camp and another area south of Damascus. Meanwhile, Syrian helicopters dropped barrel bombs on the outskirts of Al-Tadhamun in south Damascus and the Al-Zain neighborhood in Yelda, south of Damascus, causing extensive destruction of infrastructure. [Qasioun]
Daesh says it stopped a Syrian Army attack on Hay Al-Zain, south of Damascus, killing 8 soldiers. [ICDNApr27]
Daesh said on Thursday it killed 3 Syrian Army soldiers, including an officer, in clashes in Hay Al-Tadhamun and the Yarmouk Camp. [ICDNApr26]
Friday, A3maq reported that Daesh snipers killed 20 members of the Syrian forces who were trying to advance into Al-Qadam neighborhood south of Damascus. It also added that Daesh destroyed 3 BMP vehicles and a Syrian forces’ ammunition depot in the same neighborhood. [Dorar]
Daesh says the Syrian Army couldn’t advance south of Damascus after 9 days of battles. [ICDNApr27]
Daesh said on Thursday its snipers killed 2 Syrian soldiers in Hay Al-Qadam. [ICDNApr26]
Friday, SOHR reported that a partial agreement was reached between the Syrian anti-government militias operating in southern Rif Damashq and the Syrian government to let a batch of injured fighters leave the area and head to northern Syria. Those fighters were reportedly attacked by the Syrian forces’ helicopters three days ago. [SyriaHR]
In its Naba’ magazine, Daesh issues infographic about its battles south of Damascus during the last week. It says it stopped 12 attacks, killed 155 soldiers, including officers, wounded “tens,” and destroyed or damaged 7 tanks and 4 bulldozers. [ICDNApr27]
Daesh issues a propaganda video about its battles south of Damascus. [ICDNApr27]
Daraa
A DaeshDaily source says Daesh is training children, as young as a 6-year-old, on using weapons in Tasil town, west of Daraa. The source says the children are mostly orphans whose fathers were killed during military operations.
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Saudi Arabia/Yemen
Friday, a Yemeni source said that an Al-Qaeda leader, Nasser Hussein Albu Bakri, was killed in a US drone attack in Rafd Valley near Al-Said town in Shabwa in southeastern Yemen. [KnoozMedia]
Daesh publishes a photo of one of its Yemeni terrorists, claiming he was killed in Bayda. [ICDNApr26]
North Africa
Egypt
Daesh says it killed or wounded several Egyptian soldiers and destroyed an armored personal carrier and a bulldozer as Egyptian Army units were “trying to advance” west of Rafah and east of Arish. [ICDNApr27]
REPORTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
U.S./EUROPE
UK
Two people were injured on Friday after a car hit them near a mosque in Birmingham (UK), according to the BBC. The 2 victims are both in their 20s. The police were quoted as saying they had not ruled out “terrorism” as a motive. [Rudaw]
Italy
Italian police announced that they had arrested a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Gambia, saying that he was one of a number of extremists encouraging a terrorist attack in the Naples area. Al-Aji Turay became a suspect after posting a video on social media declaring his allegiance to the leader of Daesh, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Police said at a news conference that Turay told them that the video was a “joke” and that a colleague from Gambia had asked Turay to coordinate a terrorist attack. [Sumaria]
Spain
Spanish and Moroccan media have been reporting on a female Daesh member who is classified as the most dangerous woman in Daesh, and is still wanted by international intelligence. Fadwa Hassad Al-Muzadad, a Moroccan immigrant living in Spain, has become one of the most famous female terrorists in Daesh. According to media reports, the search for Hassad became public after her husband, who works in Spain, was charged last Monday with financing the travel of his wife and a Palestinian Daesh leader to Syria. After the early April arrest of a Moroccan terrorist in Turkey considered the “head recruiter” for Moroccans [to join Daesh], Spanish security reports revealed that Hassad traveled to Turkey in February 2016, disembarking from her plane in Turkey and not going on to Greece as booked. Her husband said after being arrested that he sent her more than 60,000 [Moroccan] dirhams, used to cover her expenses and those of her 25-year-old Palestinian boyfriend in Turkey. Investigations indicated that the husband was aware of the relationship between his wife and the Palestinian Daesh leader. After returning to Spain, Hassad made a multi-stop trip to Syria in 2017, traveling by way of France, Italy, and Greece to the Turkey-Syria border. Reportedly, Hassad did not travel to Syria to marry a Daesh fighter, but rather to participate in combat herself, which has made Spanish and Moroccan authorities concerned that she will return to Europe to plan terrorist attacks there. [Ghad]
Russia
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday that it had dismantled a Daesh sleeper cell that was planning to carry out an attack in Moscow. In a press statement, the FSB said it intercepted the activity of 4 Daesh members in the city of Novi Urengoy, who planned to carry out a series of terrorist operation in and around Moscow. The FSB added that the cell was corresponding with Syria via the messaging app Telegram. The FSB also announced on Thursday that it had eliminated 12 “terrorists” and 14 “terrorist supporters” in a series of operations between April 21 and April 24 in Dagestan, Tatarstan, Stavropol, Omsk, and Ulyanovsk provinces. Also, 11 terrorists were eliminated in the city of Derbent, Dagestan, who were reportedly plotting to attack security forces. [Ghad] [Rudaw] [AlWafd]
AFRICA
Somalia
Daesh published on Thursday photos of shooting and killed two Somali Intelligence members in a market in Mogadishu. [ICDNApr26]
ASIA
Afghanistan
Daesh published on Thursday photos of one of its training camps in Afghanistan. [ICDNApr26]
