Tag: ISIL

Two suicide bombers kill 15 at Shi’ite mosque in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) — Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Shi’ite mosque in Baghdad on Thursday (February 25), killing at least 15 people in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants. Fifty other people were wounded in the blast in the predominantly Shi’ite Shuala neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital, police and medical sources said. The first bomber detonated his vest inside the mosque and the second blew himself up when security forces gathered […]

Obama warns Russia ‘world will be watching’ Syria ceasefire

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama put the onus for upholding a ceasefire in Syria firmly on the regime and its Russian ally Thursday, warning Moscow and Damascus that the “world will be watching.” Hours before the Saturday cessation of hostilities comes into force, Obama huddled with his top national security advisors to plot the way forward and discuss the campaign against the Islamic State group. “Everybody knows what needs to happen,” Obama […]

Obama says U.S. will prevail in fight against Islamic State

WASHINGTON D. C., United States (Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday (February 25) expressed confidence that the United States would prevail in its fight against the Islamic State, but said that an end to the conflict in Syria would be key to dismantling the group. Obama made the comments following a meeting with the National Security Council at the State Department. Obama said his security team was realistic about how difficult the fight […]

Islamic State ‘enjoyed Turkish money for oil’ – Israeli minister

Israel’s defence minister Moshe Yaalon said on Tuesday (January 26) that Islamic State militants had been funded with ‘Turkish money’, an assertion that could hinder attempts to mend fences between the two countries after years of estrangement. Yaalon said that the Turkish government wasn’t pulling their weight in the fight against “terrorism”. “Now it’s up to Turkey, the Turkish government, the Turkish leadership, to decide whether they want to be part of any kind of […]

Fight against ISIS “bearing fruit”, says commander of French aircraft carrier

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday (January 21), its 2,000-strong crew taking a break from nearly two months of intensive air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The jihadist group lost control of the western Iraqi city of Ramadi last month, in a sorely needed victory for Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition. Rear Admiral Rene-Jean Crignola, the commander […]

American special forces arrive in Anbar to assist in war against I.S.

Special American forces arrived at Al Asad Airbase in Anbar on Wednesday (January 20) to aid Iraqi joint forces in the liberation of West Anbar from Islamic State. The arrival of the soldiers triggered mixed reaction from Iraqi politicians. Some were dismissive of the help, while others welcomed the arrival. “We welcome any international effort to liberate our areas and eliminate terrorism and ISIS. There is news of international forces landing at one of the […]

Seven countries to intensify campaign against IS

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter won agreement from defense ministers from France and five other nations on Wednesday to intensify the campaign against IS militants in Iraq and Syria. A bilateral meeting was held firstly between Ashton Carter and Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s Defense Minister, to discuss the issue before the closed-door meeting among the defense ministers from the other five countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy and Germany. This is the […]

Defense officials confim sailors’ navigational error, warn of more Islamic State attacks

Defense officials on Thursday (January 14) said to brace for more attacks, like the one in Indonesia claimed by Islamic State, as the organization was looking to distract from setbacks on the battlefield. The officials made the comments at a news conference at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, where Defense Secretary Ash Carter also confirmed a navigational error caused sailors to stray into Iranian waters where they were detained. An Indonesian and a […]

IS fires rockets at Iraq base used by Turkish troops

Islamic State militants fired rockets at a base in northern Iraq where Turkish troops are stationed on Wednesday ( December 160, as they launched a wave of attacks against Kurdish forces, officials said. The Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement its soldiers returned fire, and four had been lightly injured when katyusha rockets landed in their camp north of the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. Turkey deployed around 150 troops in the Bashiqa area […]

Islamic State militants plant mines and bombs in Palmyra – monitoring group

(REUTERS)  Islamic State has planted mines and bombs in the ancient part of the central Syrian city of Palmyra, a group monitoring the war said on Sunday (June 21). Video released by the group in May appeared to show the ancient Roman-era ruins in Palmyra still intact, despite fears that it would be destroyed after the Sunni militant group seized the city from government control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not […]

U.S. military failed in rescue attempt for journalist Foley

(Reuters) – The U.S. military earlier this summer carried out an attempt to rescue journalist James Foley and other American hostages held in Syria, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, in an operation that the Pentagon said ultimately failed to find the captives. Foley, 40, was beheaded by an Islamic State militant in a video that surfaced on the Internet on Tuesday. President Barack Obama expressed revulsion on Wednesday at the execution and vowed the United States […]

Battle for Iraq refinery as U.S. hesitates to strike

(Reuters) – Iraqi government forces battled Sunni rebels for control of the country’s biggest refinery on Thursday as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki waited for a U.S. response to an appeal for air strikes to beat back the threat to Baghdad. The sprawling Baiji refinery, 200 km (130 miles) north of the capital near Tikrit, was a battlefield as troops loyal to the Shi’ite-led government held off insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraqand the Levant and […]