May 2, 2018
Election Ads in Old Mosul
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
Iraq
Wall Street Journal report suggests that cross-sectarian tickets indicate the alleviation of sectarian divisions. [..]
68 civilians killed, 122 wounded in April—but casualties are dropping. [..]
Arab donor countries reported holding their money until after election. [..]
29 of 160 IDP camps have now closed. [..]
Arrest of 3 Education ministry staff in Mosul a source of mystery. [..]
Mosul grave holds 12 civilians killed by Daesh for trying to escape. [..]
KRG PM talks up free trade zone with Iran. [..]
Syria
SDF, Coalition launch final phase of anti-Daesh campaign. [..]
UK Defence Minister touts British contributions to the Coalition. [..]
Manbij Military Council announces preparations for defense of city, new US-France base. [..]
Russian planes destroy hospital in Hama. [..]
Islamist militias reject Russian withdrawal terms in Homs. [..]
SDF renews effort to gain control of Hajin in Albu Kamal. [..]
Daesh still battling Syrian troops, Russian airstrikes south of Damascus. [..]
Other countries
Libya: At least 12 dead in Daesh attack on electoral commission HQ. [..]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
Election
A report published by the Wall Street Journal on the May 12thCoR elections said that many signs in Iraq point to alleviation of the country’s sectarian tensions. The newspaper observed that a number of Sunni politicians were running on predominantly Shia lists. The Journal went on to say that many politicians were encouraged to stand up against Shia-dominated governance, and began to talk about Iraqi unity, because they want to win the votes of people who are tired of sectarian politics.
Sunni politicians know that their people are exhausted. The Iraqi Islamic Party [Sunni] was one of the main forces behind demonstrations in 2013, which Daesh used as an opportunity. “Past experience has shown that Iraqis have to unite,” said Mohammed Yasin, a candidate running on Al-Abadi’s list. Some Sunni politicians say that they need to face the fact that their dominance in Iraq ended in 2003. Misha’an Al-Jubouri, a well-known Sunni politician, said, “Sunnis have come to believe that they have all the power, [but] they have been totally defeated.” Although this can be seen as an alleviation of Iraq’s sectarian divide, as the Journal says, some Sunni politicians may see it only as an indication of Sunni weakness. [Rudaw]
Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi condemned the killing of the Financial Officer of the Popular Mobilization Forces, and promised to arrest the perpetrators. The following words by Al-Abadi were transmitted during the youth festival in Baghdad: “The victory that has been realized through the shedding of young blood is a trust on the necks of society and it is imperative that we continue to preserve it and honor it as we desire to establish a state of justice on the basis of nationhood.” He also called for unity in the face of enemies and in the effort to combat corruption, as corruption has robbed the youth of their dreams. [Shafaq]
Bas News reported that by holding a campaign event for the “Victory” electoral coalition at the University of Diyala, some political parties and activists felt that PM Haider Al-Abadi was violating the prohibition against use of state resources in electoral campaigns, and particularly the prohibition against the use of Iraqi universities in electoral campaigns or as a platform for electoral propaganda. Al-Abadi has been on a tour of Iraqi cities as part of his campaign for the “Victory” coalition, using cars belonging to the Council of Ministers for travel between cities, as well as taking various government employees with him.
Article 27 of the electoral law, which was approved by the CoR, prohibits the “exploitation of state services, resources, means, or devices for the benefit of [state] employees in electoral propaganda or influencing voters.” However, Hussein Al-Adli, a spokesman for the “Victory” coalition, says that they are “not exploiting state resources.” Al-Adli went on to say that accusations of exploiting the position [of PM] were a normal part of electoral races, adding that most of Al-Abadi’s recent visits to various provinces were of an official nature. He said, “The celebration at Diyala University was not an investment in the university, but an investment in the space only, by renting a hall there. It occurred on Saturday, which is an official holiday, when there are no students there.” Abdul Razzaq Al-Issa, the Minister of Higher Education, had previously issued a directive on March 8th, telling universities not to allow electoral candidates to come to academic institutions. [BasNews]
Al-Abadi visited Sadr City in Baghdad on Tuesday as part of the campaign for his electoral list. According to Rudaw, a “large number” of citizens attended the event, most of whom were young people chanting slogans for Al-Abadi. Baghdad has 69 of the CoR’s 329 seats, prompting many electoral lists to pay the most attention to the capital province. [Rudaw]
Wednesday, a Ninewa CoR member, Ali Al-Matyouni, announced that “for the first time in Ninewa’s history, the number of all the CoR candidates in Ninewa is 907,” saying that “Ninewa is the only province in Iraq where there is a great interaction between voters and candidates.” “There is a clear desire for the Mosul people to change and overcome the suffering of the previous stage,” he explained. [Sngiq]
On Wednesday, Muqtada Al-Sadr pledged to rebuild Iraq, eradicate American hegemony, and liberate the country democratically through the “Million Electoral Reforms.” When asked about the importance of participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Al-Sadr did not give a straight answer. [Rudaw]
The Federal Supreme Court spokesman, Iyas Samuk, said on Wednesday that the Court dismissed a request to oblige the CoR Speaker and the IHEC to allocate one quota seat for the Fayli Kurds, saying it’s a matter of CoR legislative discretion under Article 61 of the Constitution. [Skypressiq]
Anti-Daesh campaign
On Wednesday, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq, Ján Kubiš, warned Iraqi leadership of further attacks from Daesh. Kubiš strongly condemned the shooting that occurred in the district of Tarmiya north of Baghdad, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. UNAMI said in a statement that the Special Representative expresses condolences to the families of the victims in the attack and wishes a fast recovery to those injured, reiterating support for Iraqi authorities in their efforts to quash terrorism. The statement also mentioned that sleeper cells continue to launch attacks despite the destruction of their main military structures at the hands of the Iraqi security forces. [Dijlah]
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), 68 Iraqi civilians were killed and 122 injured as a result of acts of terrorism, violence, and armed conflict in Iraq in April 2018. These figures include citizens and others considered civilians at the time of death or injury, such as non-combat police, civil defense, personal or facility security teams, or the fire department. Totals not including police were 64 killed and 121 injured. Anbar province was the worst affected, with 24 killed and 29 wounded, followed by Baghdad, with 8 killed and 30 wounded, and Kirkuk, with 10 killed and 21 wounded. UN Special Envoy to Iraq Ján Kubiš said that the number of recorded casualties in Iraq is slowly declining. [BasNews]
Reconstruction
Al-Arabi Al-Jadid newspaper reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is suspending financial support for Iraq pending election results, citing fears of a pro-Iranian figure coming to power. The newspaper quoted a “senior Iraqi official” in Baghdad, who said that Riyadh had been stalling for weeks on fulfilling its financial commitments to Baghdad, and believed that the Saudis were waiting to see who the new PM would be after May 12th.
Saudi Arabia had previously pledged $1 billion for investment projects in Iraq and $500 million additionally to support Iraqi exports, as well as other, smaller grants for projects in cities liberated from Daesh control. The Iraqi national team for the restoration of stability held a closed-door meeting in Baghdad on Monday, in which it discussed the fact that several countries were stalling on fulfilling their commitments to Iraq, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, and the UAE.
A senior Iraqi official in Baghdad is reported as saying, “The government is facing enormous pressure from the destroyed cities in the north and west of the country. . . . Millions of Iraqis have no [public] services in those cities, and about a quarter million homes and housing units there are destroyed.” The official added, “The government has once again launched a diplomatic initiative, the second of its kind in the last two months, to the Arab and non-Arab countries that pledged [financial aid for reconstruction] during the Kuwait Conference in February . . . regarding fulfilling their pledges to Iraq.” [Sumaria]
IDPs
The Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration spokesman, Sattar Nuruz, announced on Wednesday that the number of IDP camps all over the country has decreased from 160 to 131 due to the ongoing IDPs’ return to their homes in the liberated areas. “29 IDP camps have been closed recently in several provinces, following the IDPs’ return to their homes,” he added. [AlAraby]
Head of the Khanaqin Migration Directorate, Ali Ghazi, announced that “85% of Diyala IDPs have returned to their homes.” “The other 15% haven’t returned yet because either their houses are still destroyed, or they have issues with the tribes there,” he added. He pointed out that “the Khanaqin Migration Directorate is coordinating with all related parties in order to facilitate the IDPs” return to their homes.” [IkhNews]
Foreign policy
Dindar Zebari, the Coordinator for International Advocacy in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), held a meeting with Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, the Foreign Minister for Iraq, on Wednesday, in which he requested that the federal government include representatives from the [Kurdistan] Region in the Iraqi delegation to the Geneva meetings on human rights. He said it would be impossible to provide a true picture of the human rights situation without KRG participation. Zebari’s media office said in a statement that Zebari wished to highlight the steps taken by the KRG in order to comply with human-rights principles, particularly following the war on terrorism. Zebari further noted that many international organizations were concerned with human-rights issues, especially as related to Daesh, and said that his office continues to provide information on these issues as reported by human-rights organizations. [Rudaw]
BAGHDAD
Security-related incidents reported
North (Tarmiya, Taji, etc.)
Baghdad Ops Command said on Wednesday that the security situation in Tarmiya is under control, adding that all of the armed men who attacked the area yesterday were killed. Jalil Al-Rubaie, Baghdad Ops Commander, made the statement in an interview, adding that media reports about Daesh expanding in the area were not correct. [Sumaria]
Daesh’s version of yesterday’s events says a group of its terrorists attacked tribal PMF units in the Albu Farraj area in Tarmiya with light and mid-sized weapons on Tuesday evening, killing 22 people including a lawyer, wounding 10 others, and damaging 3 vehicles. [ICDNMar2]
A DaeshDaily source was quoted here yesterday as saying that at least 18 people were killed, including civilians, when a group of 30 Daesh terrorists coming from orchards in Tarmiya attacked Iraqi Army units in the area. A security source in Baghdad was quoted here as saying that an armed group had opened fire indiscriminately in Tarmiya, killing five civilians and wounding four others. [Sumaria]
A DaeshDaily source says Abudl Raheem Al-Faraji, a lawyer from Tarmiya, was killed in the attack.
ANBAR
Ramadi
A source in Anbar Ops Command said on Wednesday that 2 Daesh fighters had been arrested in Ramadi. The source, who asked not to be named, said, “Units in the 10th Division of the Army arrested one of the wanted Daesh members in the Al-Tash district south of Ramadi. . . . Other units arrested another wanted Daesh fighter in the area of Albu Assaf.” [Sumaria]
The Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that units from the 10th Division in Anbar had arrested several wanted Daesh members. The units also discovered a tunnel 20 meters long leading to the “Palestinian Bridge” in the city of Ramadi, which was destroyed. The Ministry added that various operations had found 38 IEDs in or around Albu Assaf. [Ghad]
Hit/Haditha
A DaeshDaily source says Iraqi Army 10th division units found a Daesh explosives cache in a house near Barwana in Haditha.
Rutba
The Ministry of Defense said in a press statement on Wednesday that forces under Anbar Ops Command, in cooperation with the Iraqi Air Force, destroyed 2 fortified Daesh hideouts and killed the occupants, in southern Rutba. [Ghad]
SALAHUDDIN
Election. Wednesday, an IHEC source in Salahuddin said that “although the current polling staff in Samarra are well trained and have full knowledge of the electoral process, their names are being manipulated by some members close to a CoR candidate, who was previously working in the Salahuddin PC, by replacing them with people working for him.” [AlGhadPress]
Baiji
Wednesday, the PMF Media Center announced that the PMF Field Engineering Directorate found and destroyed a large cache of IEDs and mortar rounds in Baiji. [stuprag]
Eastern Salahuddin (Al-Daur, Tooz)
Election. Daesh says it blew up the house of a female CoR election candidate in the Turkmen city of Yankjah, near the Kirkuk border and west of Tuz Khurmatu. [ICDNMar2]
DIYALA
On Wednesday, a member of the Security Committee in the Diyala Provincial Council, Abd Al-Khaleq al-Ghazali, announced the start of an investigation of black-listed families in some liberated areas after the events of June 2014. Ghazali said that dozens of families are black-listed in many liberated areas due to intelligence that they or their children may have been involved with terrorist groups. The families will have to clear up that issue before they can return. [Sumaria]
Diyala Ops Commander Lieutenant General Mizher Al-Azzawi announced on Wednesday that 3 [Daesh] safehouses had been destroyed, military hardware seized, and 10 wanted persons arrested in various areas of the province. He said that the seizures and arrests were the result of search operations throughout the province, and added that out of the 10 wanted persons arrested, 1 was wanted on terrorism charges. [Sumaria]
Baquba/Southeast Diyala
Daesh says it targeted a military convoy in the Al-Waqf area with 2 IEDs on Tuesday, killing two soldiers, wounding an officer, and damaging an SUV. [ICDNMar2]
On Wednesday, the Diyala Police announced the arrest of two wanted men for terrorism after their return to a village near Baquba. [Sumaria]
Northern Diyala (Kifri, Khanaqin, Khalis north)
A Peshmerga officer in Kifri District said on Wednesday that a joint American and Peshmerga force had fought with “terrorist” fighters on the Kifri-Tooz road. Officer Mohammed Juri said that the joint force was carrying out security operations on the road, in an area where Daesh fighters are active, when they were ambushed. He said that they entered a village in southeastern Tooz District, and withdrew after hours of fighting, adding that no losses were suffered. [Sumaria]
The chairman of the Udhaim local council, Mohammed Dhifan Al-Ubaidi, said on Wednesday that 3 siblings, 2 of whom were girls, had been killed by an IED explosion north of the town. Al-Ubaidi said that the explosion took place on a farm road 23 km (14 miles) north of Udhaim. [Sumaria]
Daesh says its snipers killed an Iraqi soldier in Um Talil village, north of Udhaim on the Salahuddin border, on Tuesday evening. [ICDNMar2]
A DaeshDaily source says an Iranian explosives expert who works with Kata’eb Hezbollah was killed with 2 KH members when an IED exploded on their vehicle on the road between Himrin and Mtaibija. The source says the KH arrested 4 Daesh suspects in the Himrin area after the attack.
A source in the governorate of Diyala reported clashes between security forces and members of Daesh in northeast Diyala. [Ghad]
KIRKUK
Kirkuk/Dibis
A security source in Kirkuk province said that a farmer had been killed by an IED in Dibis District. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the IED had been planted inside a farm near the village of Kubaiba in Dibis, and killed the victim as he was working the farm. The IED had been left behind by Daesh. [Sumaria]
Wednesday, the PMF spokesman in the North, Ali Al-Husseini, announced that Daesh’s supply routes were cut off during the PMF and security forces’ operations on the outskirts of Hawija and the far northwestern areas of Kirkuk. He added that “95% of the outskirts of Kirkuk are safe, and the people of those areas have a great desire to participate in the upcoming elections.” [knoozmedia]
A DaeshDaily source says PMF units killed a Daesh suicide terrorist who was trying to blow himself up near a PMF military position in the Dibis area. The terrorist was originally from Baiji.
Hawija (Riyadh, Al-Zab, etc.)
Daesh says it killed three PMF fighters and wounded two others by detonating 2 IEDs in Barima and Mahmudiya villages, east of Hawija. [ICDNMar2]
The Security Media Center announced Tuesday that the PMF 11th Brigade and the IFP launched a joint operation to hunt down Daesh sleeper cells and hideouts in Adhibiya and Sharifiya in Hawija’s Riyadh subdistrict. According to the statement, a number of Daesh tunnels and safehouses were found.
NINEWA
Mosul
A security source said on Wednesday that the PMF had arrested 3 employees of the Ninewa Directorate of Education without a warrant. The source, who declined to be named, said that PMF units had arrested the 3 without providing any reason, and took them to an unknown location without informing the Directorate of Education. The families of the 3 asked the Ninewa Police Ops Commander, Major General Najm Al-Jubouri, to intervene and find out where their relatives were being held. The families added that the 3 employees had previously been issued security clearances, and said they were not in any way affiliated with Daesh in Mosul. [BasNews]
A DaeshDaily source says the bodies of 12 Daesh victims, including women and children, were found in a mass grave in the garden of the Mosul Hotel. The source says the victims, who were shot in the head and the chest, were trying to leave during the liberation battles, but were caught and executed by Daesh.
Southern Ninewa
Qayara/Hatra
A DaeshDaily source says security units captured a Daesh female member in a displacement camp near Al-Jada’a village, in Qayara. The source says the women was married to a Daesh Belgian terrorist and had appeared in a Daesh publication. The woman admitted she was distributing salary payments to Daesh members in the camp. The source says security units captured 7 of those members based on information obtained from the woman.
A DaeshDaily source says armed men in 4 pickup vehicles kidnapped four civilians and stole their sheep in Aliba village, in Hatra. The source says one of the kidnapped people was the mukhtar of the village, who had been cooperating with PMF units in the area and provided them with names of Daesh members.
Western Ninewa (No reports)
SOUTHERN IRAQ
BABEL
Yahya Rasul, spokesman for the Center for Security Information, said in a statement that a joint force under the Middle Euphrates Ops Command had found a Daesh safehouse in the Al-Abd Wais area in Jurf Al-Sakhar, north Babel. The safehouse included various food, bedding, and medical supplies. [Etejah]
KURDISTAN NEWS
ERBIL
The HPG, the military wing of the PKK, launched an attack on Turkish Army soldiers in northern Iraqi Kurdistan, killing two and injuring others. Roj News Agency reports on the same incident, adding that in the aftermath of the fighting, the Turkish army launched missiles and rockets on the area. [Hawar]
DAHUK
In a statement released on Wednesday, Turkey’s Chief of Staff announced that two PKK terrorists were “neutralized” in a Turkish military airstrike near Avasin and Basyan in Dahuk’s Amedi District near the Turkey border. A number of PKK shelters, hideouts and weapons depots were also destroyed, the statement added. [Anadolu]
SULEIMANIYA
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani said on Wednesday that there were ongoing efforts to establish a free trade zone with Iran, noting that talks between Baghdad and Erbil had helped solve some problems related to border crossings. In a speech at the economic development conference held between the Kurdistan Region and Iran, Barzani said that efforts were focused on opening the zone at the Parvez Khan border crossing on the Suleimaniya border, and called on Iraqi and Iranian investors to expand their activities. [Sumaria]
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
NATIONAL NEWS
Wednesday, the US Special Envoy to the International Coalition against Daesh, Brett McGurk, said that the military operation launched by the SDF with coalition support against the remains of Daesh on the Iraq-Syria border would be “long and difficult.” The American Al-Hurra channel reported McGurk as saying, “We destroyed about 98% of Daesh’s so-called ‘Caliphate,’ but we will not rest until it is 100% eliminated. . . . The SDF in cooperation with the international coalition launched the final phase of the war on Tuesday. . . . Most of the Daesh leaders and foreign fighters are entrenched in that region. . . and the battle will be long and difficult.” McGurk declined to give a timeframe for the operation. [Rudaw]
On Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry demanded that the UN stop “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” committed by the International Coalition in Syria. In a letter from the Syrian Ministry to the UN Secretary General and Head of the UN General Assembly, the Ministry described the fight of the Coalition and its partners in Syria against Daesh as heretical to international legitimacy, and accused the Coalition of supporting Daesh. The Ministry announced that the Coalition’s goal is to undermine Syrian sovereignty, unity, and peace and to prolong the crisis. The Ministry also called for an end to illegitimate aggressive foreign involvement on Syrian soil. [Qasioun]
Wednesday, UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said that “Daesh has lost 98% of the territory it once occupied in Iraq and Syria, and 7.7 million people have been liberated from its rule.” He added that his country “is playing a leading role in the International Coalition to defeat Daesh. We have sent nearly 1,400 military personnel to the region to provide support for local partners.” “In the air, the UK RAF has conducted more than 1,600 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, and provides highly advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to Coalition partners. These strikes are undertaken in the collective self-defense of Iraq as part of the International Coalition to defeat Daesh, and at the request of the Iraqi Government. On the ground, British soldiers have trained over 60,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces in engineering, medical, counter-IED and basic infantry skills,” he added.
“We do everything we can to minimize the risk to civilian life from UK strikes through our rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of UK Service personnel. It is therefore deeply regrettable that a UK air strike on 26 March 2018, targeting Daesh fighters in eastern Syria, resulted in an unintentional civilian fatality. During a strike to engage three Daesh fighters, a civilian motorbike crossed into the strike area at the last moment and it is assessed that one civilian was unintentionally killed,” Williamson continued. “These events serve to remind us of the consequences of conflict and of the heavy price that the Syrian people have paid. Such incidents will not weaken our resolve to defeat Daesh and rid the world of its poisonous ideology of hate and intolerance,” he added. [Shafaaq]
Northwest
Manbij
Wednesday, Rudaw quoted the Manbij Military Council Spokesperson, Sharfan Darwish, as saying that “we have reinforced our front lines, increased our preparations, and stepped up our coordination with the International Coalition, which has set up a new military base in Manbij, besides the already existing ones in western Manbij, in order to protect it.” “The new US-French base is being built on Manbij’s northern border, while ground and air patrols are being conducted to monitor and protect the area,” he added. [Dorar]
Northeast
Hasaka
Wednesday, Hawar reported that a number of children were wounded by an IED explosion in a garbage dump near Jisr Abyad in southwestern Hasaka. [Hawar]
A DaeshDaily source says that Abu Mohammed Al-Halabi, the former Daesh military commander of Mayadin, was killed in a Coalition airstrike on the Dashisha area near the Iraq border on Tuesday.
Central and West
Hama
Wednesday, the Hama Health Directorate reported that Russian planes targeted Kafr Zita Hospital with 4 airstrikes, killing one of its staff members and wounding others. The hospital was completely destroyed, the Directorate added. [Dorar]
Homs
Wednesday, the Syrian Liberation Front and Failaq Al-Sham rejected a Russian proposal to stop their military operations in northern rural Homs in return for their withdrawal from the area, along with their families, towards Jarabulus and Idlib and handing over their weapons in three days. They described the proposal as “humiliating and degrading.” [Dorar]
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Mayadin District
Wednesday, Qasioun reported that Daesh conducted a large-scale attack on the Syrian forces’ positions in the Mayadin desert in eastern Deir Ez-Zor. [Qasioun]
Albu Kamal District
Wednesday, SOHR reported that fierce clashes are still ongoing between the Coalition-backed SDF members and Daesh in different locations in Hajin, in an attempt by the SDF to fully capture Daesh’s last enclave east of the Euphrates. [SyriaHR]
Tuesday, Qasioun reported that the SDF brought large military reinforcements to the desert area of eastern Deir Ez-Zor, near the Syrian border with Iraq, in preparation for resuming its “Al-Jazeera Storm” operation against Daesh. [Qasioun]
A DaeshDaily source says that the Daesh hisbah official of Albu Kamal issued an order to kill anyone who has a mobile phone and anyone who wants to leave the area. The executions would be carried out without seeking approval from a Daesh sharia court.
Daesh publishes photos of targeting a Syrian Army position in Al-Sukkariya village with an SPG9 rocket. [ICDNMar2]
South
Damascus/Rif Damashq
Wednesday, Qasioun reported that violent clashes are still ongoing between the Syrian forces and Daesh in different locations in the southern neighborhoods of Damascus, accompanied by the Syrian forces’ intensified shelling of the area. [Qasioun]
On Wednesday, Daesh official intelligence reported that violent clashes erupted along the axis between Yarmouk Camp and Al-Hajar Al-Aswad south of Damascus, following regime attempts to advance on the area. Daesh claimed that dozens of regime elements and militiamen loyal to the regime have died in these clashes. [Dorar]
Daesh says it stopped government attacks on the Yarmouk Camp, Hay Al-Tadhamun, and Hay Al-Hajar Al-Aswad. It says it killed 10 soldiers, wounded others, and destroyed a bulldozer in the Yarmouk Camp. It also says it killed 5 soldiers and wounded others in Hay Al-Tadhamun, and destroyed 2 tanks in Hay Al-Hajar Al-Aswad. [ICDNMar2]
A DaeshDaily source says several Daesh fighters were killed when Russian planes bombed them near Hay Al-Tadhamun. The source says the fighters were leaving the area after reaching an agreement with the government forces. The sources say Syrian soldiers shot and killed the remaining wounded fighters.
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Jordan
A Jordanian military court sentenced 9 Daesh members to 5-15 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack against security forces. “The defendants planned to target all the Jordanian security services, vital sites, including the tourist ones, after communicating with the Daesh foreign operations officer who asked them to carry out a terrorist attack before sending them money,” the court said. [AlAan]
North Africa
Egypt
Egypt’s Ambassador to Iraq, Alaa Moussa, said that the story of the Egyptian citizen Ismael and his return from Iraq after disappearing during the war on Daesh was a special humanitarian story, and evidence that Egyptian citizens have the right to return to their country at any time. In a statement published by several media outlets, Moussa said that the case began when Ismael’s family contacted the Foreign Minister [for Egypt], Sameh Shoukry, who directed the Embassy of Egypt in Iraq to search for the Egyptian citizen. The search was complicated because nobody knew where Ismael was, and involved contacting the UN regarding several camps in Iraq. Moussa explained that after Ismael was found, they coordinated with the Iraqi government to let him travel to Mosul, and then Erbil and Baghdad, seeing as there are pockets of Daesh in the areas between those cities. Ismael was then extracted from Iraq despite having lost all of his papers [e.g., passport], and taken to his family in Cairo. Moussa concluded that the story had great human appeal, not just because it was about an Egyptian citizen. [Sumaria]
Libya
At least 12 people have been killed and several injured in a Daesh attack on Libya’s electoral commission headquarters. At least one suicide bomber blew himself up while other armed assailants stormed the building in the capital, Tripoli, and set it on fire. Voters have been registering for elections expected later this year. Electoral commission spokesman Khaled Omar told Reuters that three officials and four security officers were killed in the attack. The health ministry later put the number of dead at 12. Mr. Omar said he saw the attackers, including two suicide bombers, storm the building and spotted bombers’ body parts strewn on the ground. He added that security officers had entered the building to respond to the attack, west of central Tripoli. [BBC]
Daesh’s version says that 2 of its suicide terrorists, responding to the speech of Daesh’s speaker about attacking elections, attacked the Libyan election commission in Tripoli. It says the terrorists shot at people, then detonated their explosives vests. It says at least 15 commission members and workers were killed and others wounded. [ICDNMar2]
REPORTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
U.S./EUROPE
Russia
Daesh says one of its terrorists stabbed and wounded two policemen in the city of Neftekamsk in southern Russia on Tuesday. [ICDNMar2]
ASIA
Afghanistan
On Wednesday, the Presidency of Afghanistan stated that terrorist groups still pose a great threat to Afghanistan even seven years after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Shah Hussein Murtazawi, the Deputy to the Spokesperson of the President of Afghanistan, stated that terror groups continue to target the innocent, the media, and mosques on a daily basis. [Anadolu]
Provincial Governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said that an explosion targeted Iftikhar Momand,
a member of the provincial council in the eastern Nangarhar province, leaving at least six people dead or wounded on Tuesday. Khogyani said Momand was wounded in the explosion along with his two security guards. He said at least three people including two civilians and a security guard of Mr. Momand were killed in the explosion.
In the meantime, the provincial government media office, in a statement said the incident took place in Kama district at around 9:30 am local time. According to the provincial government, at least four people, including Mr. Momand, two of his guards, and a civilian were wounded. [Khaama]
Daesh said on Tuesday it wounded a member of the Nangarhar Shura Council (provincial council) and three of his associates and killed a fourth associate and damaged their vehicle with an IED in Kama district. [ICDNMar1]
Daesh says it shot and killed a Taliban member in Khogyani, on Monday. [ICDNMar1]
Daesh said on Tuesday it killed two Afghan soldiers and wounded two others in an attack on a military position in Manogai, in Kunar. [ICDNMar1]
