February 19, 2019
Badoush Hills (DD Feb 17)
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
Iraq
Report says US diplomats have archive of “embarrassing” info on Iraqi politicians. [..]
Report describes power struggle among PMF organizations. [..]
Increase of Daesh activity on western border sparks concern, brings Gen. Votel to Baghdad. [..]
Rash of Daesh kidnappings, killing of civilians raises concern in Anbar. [..]
IFP and Saraya Al-Salam kills 13 Daesh in Samarra desert. [..]
Syria
German study says Syria has carried out over 300 chemical attacks since 2012. [..]
Trump calls on European allies to repatriate their nationals held by SDF. [..]
SDF Commander in Chief asks US to keep troops in Syria. [..]
Russian report says US has set its final withdrawal for no later than April 1. [..]
Daesh incidents continue in Raqqa city. [..]
Two explosions in Idlib kill 13, wound 25. [..]
Diehard Daesh fighters holding human shields cling to last ½ kilometer of territory. [..]
62 Albu Kamal escapees, mostly children, have died en route to Al-Hawl camp. [..]
New anti-Assad militia surfaces in Daraa. [..]
Other countries
Egypt:
Amnesty International demands Egypt stop executions of prisoners tortured into confessions. [..]
Clashes in north Sinai leave many Egyptian soldiers, Daesh militants dead. [..]
Nigeria/Niger: Boko Haram, Daesh stage six more attacks in Nigeria, Niger. [..]
Afghanistan:
Khalilzad meets Ghani, other political leaders on peace negotiations. [..]
32 Taliban members killed by Afghan soldiers, police in separate incidents. [..]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Corruption
As reported by Sumaria, a Gulf newspaper quoted a “former minister” as saying that the US keeps an “embarrassing” archive of evidence of financial corruption, as well as humanitarian violations, implicating most Iraqi leaders both before and after 2003. The former minister said that the US reminds Iraqi leaders of this archive whenever the situation requires, and that the recent controversy over the US presence in Iraq had been the most recent such occasion. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. Corruption in Iraq is a serious problem and we shouldn’t laugh, but we can’t help it; we just love this story.
An analysis published in the Washington Post said that there is an internal power struggle among PMF groups for money and power. It says that the recent closure of offices of some militias is in fact an operation to centralize the PMF Command. It says this struggle is part of a wider political struggle among Shia forces for control of the country. [BasNews] [WaPo]
Daesh Daily comment. One of former Prime Minister Al-Abadi’s main initiatives was to bring the PMF organization under centralized military control. All the recent reports about dubious PMF activities in different parts of the country (Al-Qa’im, Mosul, Baghdad, etc) show that this initiative failed once Al-Abadi left office. More broadly, it also illustrates the relative weakness of the current government.
The major PMF organizations are an Iranian spearhead. It may be noteworthy that the efforts of Iraqi PMF units to make money from corrupt business practices seem to mirror similar and successful moves by elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to create an economic sector around themselves, which greatly weakened the elected side of the Iranian government. Not only are these organizations working around or outside of the military command structure, but because they have political protection in Baghdad, they don’t take orders from the Prime Minister, the supposed commander-in-chief. It is no wonder that Prime Minister Abd Ul-Madhi has had so much trouble getting a Minister of Defense approved.
Council of Representatives
The Victory bloc in the CoR, headed by Haider Al-Abadi, warned against the “ambiguous” understanding between Baghdad and Erbil. The bloc says the agreements reached between Baghdad and Erbil under the new government are unclear, particularly with regards to the budget and the amount of oil to be exported by Kurdistan. [BasNews]
Reconstruction
On Tuesday, Belgium’s Deputy PM and Minister of Finance and Development Cooperation, Alexander De Croo announced that Belgium would provide 7.6 million Euros in humanitarian aid to Iraq in 2019. [Sumaria]
The former Chairman of the Iraqi CoR’s Security and Defense Committee, Hakim Al-Zamili said that the amount of foreign debt owed by the Ministry of Defense was more than 2 billion USD. [SotAlIraq]
Anti-Daesh campaign
On Tuesday during its weekly meeting, Iraq’s National Security Council (NSC) approved a strategy that had been presented by the National Security Advisor to counter violent extremism that leads to terrorism. It reviewed and amended the strategy.
The NSC also reviewed a report regarding the situation on the Iraq-Syria border and the monitoring of Daesh to prevent Daesh members from crossing the border into Iraq. [Sumaria]
The local TV program “Red Line” will host Ahmed Jassim and Ziad Khulaif, known Daesh terrorists who carried out several operations, and 1 of whom received 5 Yazidi women as a reward for his service. Both will speak of their experience with Daesh on Tuesday evening. [Sumaria]
Daesh resurgence
Recent security reports said that “hundreds” of Daesh fighters entered Iraq from Syria carrying hundreds of millions of dollars, even as a few Iraqi parties are discussing legislation to expel US forces from Iraq. US officials say that there are serious gaps along the border that allow Daesh to infiltrate into Iraqi territories. These territories reportedly have seen increased Daesh activity, while some areas are under Daesh control during the nighttime. [Baghdadia]
A DaeshDaily source says that Daesh is reorganizing its “Wilayat Al-Iraq” after hundreds of terrorists escaped the battles in eastern Syria and arrived in western Iraq. The source said Daesh appointed new leaders, including a military commander, a security commander, and a finance officer.
General Joseph Votel, Commander of US CENTCOM, flew to Iraq on Sunday for talks with US and Iraqi officials. The talks were expected to focus on preventing a Daesh resurgence in Iraq following Daesh’s defeat in Syria. [Reuters]
The MoD says a new battle against Daesh is highly probable, while the Security and Defense Committee in the CoR says that Iraqi forces are ready for such a battle. Tahsin Al-Khafagi, an MoD spokesman, says that recent attacks show Daesh is still present in some areas, and added that the role of intelligence in vital in this coming battle. [BasNews]
National Security Advisor Faleh Al-Fayadh says Daesh will reappear under a new name and form, similar to Al-Qaeda. He was speaking to the German Der Spiegel. Al-Fayadh was participating in the Munich security conference in his capacity as the Iraqi National Security Advisor. While media reports have estimated the number of Daesh fighters remaining on the Iraq-Syria border at between 1,000 to 1,500, the UN believes there are still 20,000-30,000 Daesh fighters, and US intelligence reports have indicated there are about 15,000. [Baghdadia]
DaeshDaily comment. The numbers are an “apples and oranges” comparison. The number of Daesh fighters still fighting in Deir Ez-Zor may be 1,000 to 1,500 (and likely less by now). The other numbers are about overall Daesh manpower.
Kidnappings
An unidentified “military expert” told PUK Media that Daesh is using “soft” spots in desert areas where there is no population to regroup and re-initiate attacks on Iraqi forces and civilians. It is now concentrating on capturing civilians who go to the desert to collect mushrooms. [PUKMedia]
Security and terrorism expert Hisham Al-Hashemi also said on Tuesday that Daesh was carrying out kidnapping operations in the Anbar desert, either for ransom or against the future possibility of a prisoner swap for imprisoned Daesh members. This comes in the context of a recent spate of kidnappings in Anbar and the discovery of the bodies of some of the kidnapped. [BasNews]
First Deputy Speaker Hassan Al-Ka’abi also said on Tuesday that the recent spate of kidnappings in Nukhaib subdistrict in eastern Anbar and attempts to infiltrate Iraqi territory showed the need for urgent security action to rescue the abductees and clear the terrorist cells that were beginning to re-form. [IraqPress]
The Secretary-General of Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq (AAH), Qais Al-Khazali, tweeted on Tuesday that he did not rule out the possibility of US involvement in the recent kidnappings which occurred in Karbala and Salahuddin. He suggested the US may have kidnapped civilians to justify its presence in Iraq. [Rudaw]
See also related kidnapping stories below under Anbar
Court decisions
The Federal Supreme Court says that including individuals on the list for freezing terrorist funds is constitutional if sufficient grounds for such a listing are provided. Spokesman for the Court Ayad Al-Samouk said the Court cited an appeal that claimed that freezing the money of tourists was unconstitutional. Al-Samouk cited constitutional and legal clauses that make such a listing compliant with the constitution. [BasNews]
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that the Kirkuk Counterterrorism Court sentenced the former Daesh wali of Kirkuk to death. The source said the terrorist had been captured in a tunnel.
Foreign policy
The US Embassy in Baghdad says that President Trump does not seek war with Iran, and has no intention of using Iraqi territory to attack Iran or any other country. [Sumaria]
The US Chargé D‘affaires in Baghdad, Joey Hood, says the US, Coalition, and NATO forces will leave Iraq if the Iraqi government asks them to, but he says Iraqi forces are not ready yet to maintain security on their own. He said that there are 5,200 foreign troops in Iraq, and that this is not a fixed number but a figure which changes weekly. [Sumaria]
BAGHDAD
A security source says that a joint group dismantled Daesh cells in the former Daesh “Wilayat of Baghdad,” south of Baghdad, and in Diyala. The force also arrested a “serious” Daesh commander who was formerly the deputy governor of Daesh’s “Wilayat of Baghdad,” who was in possession of weapons and explosives where he was captured. [Ghad]
ANBAR
Anah (including Rawa)
A DaeshDaily source said that Daesh kidnapped 9 fishermen on Saturday west of Rawa.
A DaeshDaily source said Monday that during the last 7 days, Daesh has kidnapped more than 20 civilians, from Anbar and Karbala provinces, in the desert west of Rawa. The source said the civilians were truffle gatherers.
The Mayor of Rawa subdistrict said on Tuesday that an Army unit freed 5 hostages who had been kidnapped by Daesh earlier in the west of the subdistrict. The Army assault took place in Al-Madham, southwest of Rawa toward the desert. Sumaria published photos of the 5 freed men. [Sumaria]
Rutba
A security source says Daesh kidnapped 10 civilians on the road between Nukhaib and Arar, Saudi Arabia, while another 2 fled from Daesh into the desert and their fate is unknown. The operation was preceded by an attack on a military checkpoint that left a soldier and a policeman dead. [Etejah]
Sheikh Abdullah Hashal Al-Anzi, the Sheikh of the Anza tribe in Nukhaib, says the bodies of 6 people kidnapped by Daesh earlier were found in the desert with bullets in their heads. The bodies were of men from Anbar, Karbala, and Diwaniya who were kidnapped while collecting truffles in the desert. [Sumaria]
Ali Al-Mayali, the Deputy Governor of Karbala, says that Daesh executed 6 people, all from Hira, Najaf Province, after kidnapping them in Nukhaib. [Sumaria]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
Daesh said on Sunday that it killed a tribal PMF fighter, wounded another, and destroyed their vehicle with an IED near Shirqat intersection. [ICDNFeb16-Telegram]
Baiji
Daesh said it wounded three tribal PMF fighters and destroyed their vehicle on Saturday near Al-Laqlaq village, in the Al-Fatha area just northeast of Baiji. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Samarra
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that IFP and Saraya Al-Salam units killed 13 Daesh terrorists, including a local commander, in an ambush in Jazeera Samarra. The source said that the terrorists, who were in SUVs and were accompanied by a construction truck, were trying to demolish sand barriers and launch an attack in the Samarra area. The source sent us a video of the dead terrorists.
However, some Saraya Al-Salam soldiers were casualties.
On Sunday, a DaeshDaily source said 2 Saraya Al-Salam fighters were killed and another severely wounded when an IED exploded on their vehicle between Huwaish village and Samarra city.
On Monday, a DaeshDaily source said 4 Saraya Al-Salam fighters were killed when an IED destroyed their Humvee south of Samarra.
Daesh said it killed seven Saraya Al-Salam fighters, including commanders, and destroyed their SUV with an IED on Saturday in Jazeera Samarra. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Daesh said it killed or wounded PMF fighters with an IED on Sunday near Lake Thirthar, in the Jazeera Samarra area. [ICDNFeb18-Telegram]
Daesh said it damaged a PMF bulldozer with an IED on Sunday near Lake Thirthar. [ICDNFeb19-Telegram]
DIYALA
Baquba/Southeast Diyala
Daesh said its snipers wounded an IFP policeman on Saturday in Zaghniya Saghira village, in Al-Waqf. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Daesh said it wounded a tribal PMF fighter and a “spy,” and destroyed their vehicle with an IED, on Sunday near Sheikh Tami village, southern Buhriz. [ICDNFeb18-Telegram]
Northern Diyala (Khanaqin, Khalis)
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that 2 PMF fighters were killed in a Daesh attack on their military positions near the Udhaim Dam. The source said the PMFs killed a terrorist and forced the rest to flee.
A DaeshDaily source said that PMF units killed 2 Daesh terrorists and confiscated weapons and military uniforms on Friday, in a safehouse on a farm in Jalawla subdistrict in Khanaqin.
Daesh said its snipers wounded a PMF soldier on Saturday near the Mikhas area, north of Khanaqin. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Daesh said it shot and killed a Shi’i on Monday in the Ali Awa area, in Khanaqin. [ICDNFeb19-Telegram]
KIRKUK
No reports
NINEWA
Nineveh Plain (Hamdaniya)
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that Ninewa Police EOD units defused 105 IEDs in various areas of Hamdaniya District.
Mosul city
The MoI says that local police, with the assistance of a SWAT battalion, arrested 3 Daesh operatives in the Al-Rifa’i neighborhood, northwest Mosul. [PUKMedia]
Mosul District
South (Qayara)
A military source says that Daesh attacked a military checkpoint on the Qayara Road, killing 1 soldier and wounding another. 4 Daesh attackers were killed in the battle. [Rudaw]
A DaeshDaily source said that Military Intelligence Service units captured a former Daesh member who was appointed as a policeman in Qayara. The man had pledged allegiance to Daesh when it was in charge of the city, then worked as a PMF source after the liberation before joining the police.
Daesh said it killed four “PMF intelligence members” on Saturday in Al-Thaya village, in Qayara subdistrict. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
A DaeshDaily source had previously said on Friday that a group of Daesh terrorists murdered a man, his wife, and their 2 sons in Al-Thaya village.
DaeshDaily comment. So, the four “PMF intelligence members” were just civilians, including a woman.
Western Ninewa
Tal Afar
A DaeshDaily source said that the “Falcons” intelligence cell destroyed a Daesh vehicle bomb on Sunday on the road between Badoush Hills and Tal Afar, killing the suicide bomber inside. The source said the cell had obtained information about Daesh’s intent to send a vehicle bomb to Tal Afar city. The source sent us a photo of the destroyed vehicle.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that Iraqi Army and Ninewa SWAT units shelled Daesh positions in Abu Mariya Hills.
A DaeshDaily source said on Monday that 3 PMF EOD soldiers, including a commander, were killed when an IED destroyed their vehicle on the road between the Abu Mariya Hills and Tal Afar.
Southern Ninewa
No reports
KURDISTAN NEWS
No reports
REPORTS FROM TURKEY
No reports
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
NATIONAL NEWS
Political developments
A video from the Russian Khmeimim Air Base confirmed that an elder Shammar tribal leader, Hamidi Al-Jarbi, formed an alliance with the Syrian regime. The alliance had previously been reported by Bas News. He called on other Syrian tribal leaders to also embrace the Syrian regime and its allies. The video was shot with the Syrian–government and Russian flags behind him. [BasNews]
The Washington Post wrote that the Syrian government and affiliated forces had carried out over 300 chemical weapons attacks since December 2012. The Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) said that it had “credibly substantiated” 336 instances of chemical weapons uses. Of those, it said that 98% were carried out by the Syrian government or allied forces, including the Nimr Forces, nominally part of the Syrian Army and commanded by Suhail Al-Hassan. The remaining few attacks were attributed to Daesh. [ElDorar] [WaPo]
Repatriation
As reported by Sumaria, a Gulf newspaper says that Iraq officially approached the SDF to repatriate Iraqi nationals who are among the Daesh POWs held by the SDF. Iraq wanted the Daesh fighters to stand trial in Iraq. It also wants Iraq civilians in Hasaka and Al-Hawl to return to their homes. The SDF is reportedly holding approximately 1,300 foreign fighters in addition to Iraqis, and has called for an international tribunal to try them. [Sumaria]
President Trump said on Saturday that European countries need to repatriate their respective nationals who are held by the SDF for fighting for Daesh. Trump said in a tweet, “The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial.” [AFP]
2 Daesh wives of French nationality arrived at Al-Hawl camp in Hasaka, saying had they fled the Daesh-held areas out of hunger rather than regret. They said they are not ready to abandon the niqab (full-face covering), and demanded a fair trial in their country. [Rudaw]
Both the American Hoda Muthana and the British Shamima Begum, who both went to Syria to marry Daesh fighters, pled to be allowed to return to their respective countries. Muthana is currently in the Al-Hawl refugee and IDP camp, and said she had had no contact with US authorities. Begum has previously said that she wants to return to the UK to raise her newborn child there. USA Today wrote that there were about 1,500 foreign women and children in the Al-Hawl camp. [USAToday]
However, Shamima Begum had her British citizenship revoked by the UK Home Office, and is now banned from entering the UK. As Begum had dual citizenship, with Bangladeshi her other nationality, the British decision was premised on the judgment that this would not leave her stateless. However, Begum’s family’s lawyer said she did not have a current Bangladeshi passport and would be effectively stateless if she is denied a visa to Bangladesh. [Telegraph]
Also see below under Europe – Great Britain
Iran
Jorf News reported that the IRGC transferred its personnel in Deir Ez-Zor to the Al-Waha area in Aleppo to avoid Israeli airstrikes. They were followed by Syrian intelligence and members of the loyalist Syrian group Baqir Brigade. The network said that they took an entire residential building as their headquarters in Al-Waha, and they designated one floor for weapons storage. [ElDorar]
Foreign policy
United States
Mazloum Kobane, the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, called on Monday for around 1,000 to 1,500 Coalition troops to remain in Syria to fight Daesh. Speaking to reporters, Kobane said that the SDF would like to retain air support and a ground-based force for coordination, and expressed hope that the US would rethink its plans to withdraw. He requested that “a partial group of American forces” remain. [Reuters] [WSJ]
Abd Al-Karim Mustafa, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abd Ul-Mahdi, says that Iraq and the US reached an agreement permitting the US to withdraw its troops from Syria via Iraqi territory. The Russian news service Sputnik says the US says its withdrawal date will be no later than April 1. [Arabi21]
Northwest
Manbij
Kurdish security arrested a Daesh operative who it said was facilitating Daesh operations in Manbij and its surroundings. [Hawar]
Northeast
Raqqa
Raqqa city & district
The SOHR said that a land mine explosion occurred near the Al-Na’im roundabout in Raqqa city on Monday. [SyriaHR]
A DaeshDaily source said that a parked car bomb exploded near Hazima circle, in Raqqa city. The source said the car had been stolen from a civilian 2 weeks earlier.
The SOHR wrote that unidentified gunmen believed to belong to Daesh cells assassinated a pharmacist in the Panorama neighborhood of Raqqa. [SyriaHR]
Daesh said on Sunday it shot and killed an SDF “spy” in Panorama neighborhood, in Raqqa city. [ICDNFeb18-Telegram]
DaeshDaily comment. Daesh’s first targets of extortion are doctors and pharmacists. The victim most likely didn’t pay Daesh and was killed for that reason. Beyond that, notice the pattern of Daesh attacks in Raqqa, where Daesh activity had been largely stopped after its defeat by the SDF. This is the start of an intended Daesh comeback in Raqqa that needs more attention. Once US troops withdraw, Daesh in Raqqa won’t have them to worry about, likely leading to an expanded effort to restore some of its control in the province.
Forat wrote that the SDF released several Daesh prisoners who had been previously arrested in Raqqa. [Qasioun]
Central and West
Idlib
The SOHR said that two explosions in the Qusour neighborhood of Idlib on Monday killed 13 people and wounded 25. The activist Idlib Media Center said that the bombings had killed 10 people and wounded “dozens.” Civil Defense said 1 of its responders had been wounded in the second bombing. [AP]
Hama
The Jaish Al-Izza (Army of Glory) militia says it killed and wounded “several” Syrian soldiers in a rocket attack on their positions north of Hama city. [ElDorar]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Deir Ez-Zor District
Daesh said on Sunday it killed an SDF fighter and wounded another in an ambush in the town of Al-Shahil.
Mayadin District
Daesh said on Saturday it killed three SDF fighters when it shot at their vehicle in an ambush in Dhiban town. [ICDNFeb16-Telegram]
Daesh said that it targeted an SDF security barrier in Dhiban town with three rockets on Monday. [ICDNFeb19-Telegram]
DaeshDaily comment. Two more “victorious” stories from Dhiban, which Daesh lost long ago. Either there is a Daesh counter-movement in Dhiban that is going unreported or Daesh’s creative writing department is working overtime.
Albu Kamal District
Combat
The SDF said on Monday that Daesh fighters defending the last patch of Daesh-held territory had “no choice but to surrender.” Agence France Press wrote that the last “diehard” Daesh fighters were trapped in less than half a square kilometer of territory. SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali told the AFP that Daesh was still using the last few civilians there as human shields, and that the SDF and the Coalition were working to get civilians out. [AFP]
Daesh is reportedly reverting to guerilla warfare tactics, following its loss of Al-Baghouz, by initiating sporadic attacks against the SDF in various areas, showing that it still has fighters on the ground. [EnabBaladi]
The SOHR says that negotiations between the SDF and Daesh are continuing regarding the transfer of Daesh fighters who surrender to a safe place, probably the Iraqi desert. No agreement has been reached so far, the SOHR says. [SyriaHR]
Civilians
International Rescue Committee (IRC) spokesman Paul Donohoe said on Monday that at least 62 people have died in the last few weeks during or immediately after their trip from Daesh-held territory to the Al-Hawl refugee and IDP camp. He said that two-thirds of the deaths have been children under 1 year old, and that the deaths were mostly from exhaustion or malnutrition. [AP]
Deir Ez-Zor 24 posted on its Facebook page a video of an entire family that had reportedly been killed by the SDF. It included a mother and 5 children, the oldest of whom was no more than 10 years old and the youngest was about 2 months old. The identity of the family was unclear. [ElDorar]
The UNHCR says 200 families are still caught in the crossfire between Daesh and the SDF, and are subject to bombardment by the SDF and the Coalition. It called on the Kurdish forces to make the protection of civilians a priority, taking into account that Daesh fighters are hiding among civilians. [EnabBaladi] [Ghad]
Kurdish media says that the SDF freed more civilians held by Daesh in Al-Baghouz. [Hawar]
South
Daraa
The “South Squad,” a new opposition militia, announced on its Facebook page that it was responsible for an attack on the Ba’ath headquarters in the town of Um Walad in Daraa. The announcement also stated that that the bombing was a “last warning” for the “dogs of Al-Assad,” and threatened to uproot any security posts belonging to the “gangs of sectarian occupiers and the Assad militia.” It also said that the South Squad was determined to overthrow the regime. [ElDorar]
The SOHR says that a land mine killed a young man in Daraa, which it noted was part of a series of similar incidents this month. [SyriaHR]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Iran
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Mohammad Pakpour said that the February 13 bombing of a bus which killed 27 IRGC soldiers had been carried out by a team of 3 Pakistani citizens and 3 others from Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province, where the bombing occurred. The Salafi group Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) has already claimed responsibility. [NYT]
Yemen
Daesh said it stopped a Houthi attack on the Za’aj area in Qifa on Sunday, killing or wounding many fighters and forcing the rest to flee. Daesh said it used light and mid-sized weapons and set off several IEDs. [ICDNFeb18-Telegram]
Daesh published a photo of one of its terrorists on Tuesday, saying he was killed in Al-Baidha. [ICDNFeb19-Telegram]
Bahrain
The High Criminal Court of Bahrain on Tuesday sentenced 3 people to life imprisonment (25 years), 2 people to 5 years, and another to 7 years. The court stripped the nationality of 5 of them. They were convicted of receiving military training in Iraq and Iran. [Sumaria]
North Africa
Egypt
On Tuesday, Amnesty International called on the Egyptian government to stop the execution of 9 people convicted of murdering Former Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat in 2015. An Amnesty representative said the planned executions were unfair because some of the confessions were extracted through torture. [Anadolu]
A suicide attacker detonated himself near Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, killing a police NCO and wounding 3 officers. He was chased by the police on Darb Al-Ahmar Street prior to the explosion, a police source said. [Sumaria]
The Egyptian MoI says that 16 gunmen were killed in clashes with national security forces in 2 locations in Arish, northeastern Sinai. This followed the explosion near Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. [ZamanAlWasl] [BBC]
A Daesh attack in the Al-Safa neighborhood of Arish killed 15 Egyptian soldiers and wounded at least 5, as evidenced by the killed and wounded sent to the Arish military hospital. An officer was among those killed. A spokesman for the Egyptian Army said that 7 of the Daesh attackers had been killed. [MadaMasr] [BBC]
Daesh said on Saturday that it killed twenty Egyptian soldiers in an attack with “different kinds of weapons” on a military position south of the Al-Safa neighborhood, near Arish Airport. Daesh said the remaining soldiers escaped, while its terrorists captured the position “completely” before retreating, carrying seized items. [ICDNFeb16-Telegram]
However, Daesh’s A3maq said that “at least” 15 soldiers were killed in the attack. [A3maq-Telegram]
Daesh published photos of the attack on Tuesday. [ICDNFeb19-Telegram]
Daesh said on Monday its snipers killed an Egyptian soldier and wounded another at a security barrier in Sheikh Zuweid. [ICDNFeb18-Telegram]
Libya
The headquarters of the municipal guard in Benghazi was attacked on Tuesday by “outlaws,” 1 of whom was wearing a military uniform, according to the municipal guard’s media office. The office said that 1 guardsman was injured in the attack. [Wasat]
An EOD division found and dismantled 2 unexploded shells left behind by Daesh in Sirte. The shells were near a primary school. [Libya24]
REPORTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
EUROPE
Great Britain
The Daily Telegraph wrote that the UK may invoke a 650-year-old law related to high treason in order to face the issue of returning UK-national Daesh fighters. The UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid says that he will do his best to prevent the return of those who “hate the UK.” [Sumaria]
France
A person injured 2 others with a knife on Tuesday at noon in the center of Marseille, France. A policeman killed the perpetrator. Motives for the attack are unclear. The Independent says that 4 people were attacked. [BasNews] [Independent]
AFRICA
Nigeria
Boko Haram attacked a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Saturday, with 2 suicide bombers and a gunman. All 3 attackers and 8 other people died, while 15 others were wounded. [VanguardNGR]
The Nigerian Army said on Sunday that it had repelled a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Yobe State on Saturday. It said that 3 soldiers and an officer were killed in the fighting, and 5 other soldiers were wounded. [VanguardNGR]
Local reports said that 5 civilians were also killed in the fighting. [VanguardNGR]
Daesh said on Saturday it killed or wounded Nigerian soldiers and destroyed two vehicles in an ambush in Malam Fatori town. [ICDNFeb16-Telegram]
Daesh said it killed or wounded Nigerian soldiers on Saturday in an attack on a military position in Gajiganna town, in Borno State. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Niger
The Niger government said on Saturday that 7 soldiers were killed and 6 wounded when their post was attacked by Boko Haram in the country’s southeast, near Nigeria. The Niger MoI said that the attack on Friday on the village of Chetima Wanou had also resulted in “several” deaths of the Boko Haram attackers and many injured. The MoI said the assailants were repelled after heavy fighting, adding that the soldiers had captured 8 jihadists and seized 3 vehicles, assault rifles and “loads” of ammunition. Chetima Wanou is a small village about 25 km (15 miles) southwest of the regional capital Diffa. Since 2015, the group has targeted areas near Lake Chad, north of the city. “Boko Haram wanted to surprise the Niger Army by attacking an area far from Lake Chad,” a local elected official told AFP. [DailyMail]
Daesh said it killed a Niger soldier, wounded two others, and stole seven vehicles on Thursday in an attack on a military position in Chetimari, in the Diffa area, just north of the Nigeria border. [ICDNFeb16-Telegram]
ASIA
Afghanistan
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the US was seeking a lasting peace in Afghanistan, not a way to exit Afghanistan. He made the remarks during a meeting with President Ghani, political party members, and representatives of civil society organizations and religious groups on Sunday evening. [Khaama]
During the same meeting, Khalilzad and Ghani agreed on a new working method regarding peace negotiations. President Ghani said that attention would be paid to the internal, regional and international situation in taking further steps. [Khaama]
DaeshDaily comment. It would be nice if this sort of press release said exactly what the “working method” in question is.
15 Taliban fighters were killed in an Afghan Special Forces raid in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, military sources said on Sunday. A separate airstrike in Khogyani district, Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, killed 5 fighters from Daesh’s Khorasan affiliate (ISIS-K). [Khaama]
At least 17 Taliban fighters and 3 Afghan Local Police officers were killed in fighting from Sunday night to Monday morning in the Qaisar district of Faryab Province, northern Afghanistan. Another 8 Taliban fighters and 4 Afghan Local Police were injured. [Khaama]
Daesh said on Sunday it shot and killed an Afghan security member in District 11, in Kabul city. [ICDNFeb17-Telegram]
Daesh said on Monday it killed an Afghan Army 4-star general with a sticky IED in the “Banshirwat” area, in Kabul city. [ICDNFeb18-A3maq]
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