Tag: Islamic State

Russia releases drone footage of fresh Palmyra destruction

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia’s military on Monday released drone footage showing more destruction of treasured monuments by the Islamic State in Syria’s Palmyra since jihadists recaptured the UNESCO World Heritage Site late last year. The black-and-white video dated February 5 shows part of the Roman amphitheater reduced to rubble and the tetrapylon, a 16-columned structure that marked one end of the ancient city’s colonnade, wiped out. “The pictures clearly show that the terrorists blew […]

Iraq forces launch new assault on IS in Mosul

by Ammar Karim Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – Iraqi forces advanced Thursday after declaring a new phase in their offensive on eastern Mosul, stepping up efforts to reclaim the Islamic State group’s last major stronghold in the country. Elite forces have reconquered several parts of eastern Mosul since beginning the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the jihadists on October 17, but IS still occupies the city’s west. Security chiefs said several […]

PHL government respects Kuwaiti court sentence on Filipina linked to IS jihadists

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Tuesday said that the Philippine government respects the decision of a Kuwaiti Court to sentence a Filipina who was linked to Islamic State Jihadist Group (ISIS). According to media reports, a Kuwaiti Court sentenced a Filipina to ten (10) years imprisonment after she was found guilty of joining the ISIS and plotting attacks in Kuwait. “In the case of the Filipina in Kuwait, what our embassy can […]

Indonesian militants planned New Year’s assault with machetes: police

  (Reuters)  Indonesian militants supporting Islamic State planned to attack a police post on New Year’s eve with machetes and knives, a police spokesman said on Monday. The plot was broken up after police arrested two of the would-be attackers who led them to their hideout, where police shot dead their two co-conspirators on Sunday after police said they tried to attack officers with machetes. “The four of them were planning to attack a police […]

FBI warns of possible Islamic State-inspired attacks in U.S.

  (REUTERS)  U.S. federal authorities cautioned local law enforcement on Friday to be aware that supporters of Islamic State have been calling for their sympathizers to attack holiday gatherings in the United States, including churches, a law enforcement official said. The warning, issued in a bulletin to local law enforcement, said there were no known specific, credible threats. The notice from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security was issued out of […]

Four policemen killed in new shootout in Jordan

by Kamal Taha Agence France-Presse AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) – Gunmen killed four Jordanian policemen in a new shootout Tuesday in Karak, where a weekend attack claimed by the Islamic State group left 10 people dead, an official said. Security forces came under fire during an operation to track down suspects following Sunday’s assault, whose victims included a Canadian tourist, government spokesperson Mohammed Momani said. “The operation is ongoing but has entered its final stages and […]

IS claims Berlin truck attack, suspect at large

by Frank Zeller with Michelle Fitzpatrick in Frankfurt Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 people, as German police hunted for the attacker. “A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of coalition countries,” the IS-linked Amaq news agency said, without identifying the perpetrator. The claim came […]

IS claims suicide attack in Yemen’s Aden city

ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) — The Islamic State (IS) group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that struck a gathering of pro-government forces in Yemen’s temporary capital of Aden that left at least 49 soldiers dead. An online statement made by IS on twitter claimed that “more than 70 apostates were killed in the jihadist attack.” The suicide bomber who carried out the terrorist operation was identified as Abu Hashim Radfani, according to an […]

For Mosul displaced, the added pain of divided families

KHAZIR, Iraq (AFP) – by Rouba El Husseini Ihsan Ismail has spoken to his family just twice in a month. In the desperate flight from their village outside Mosul they were separated and are now confined to different camps for the displaced. More than 70,000 people have fled their homes since Iraqi forces launched their offensive on October 17 to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, from the Islamic State group. As if living under IS rule […]

In major blow, Syria rebels lose all northeast Aleppo

ALEPPO, Syria (AFP ) – by Karam al-Masri with Sara Hussein in Beirut Syria’s rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city. The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control. […]

IS truck bomb in Iraq sows carnage among Shiite pilgrims

HILLA, Iraq (AFP) – by Abbas al-Ani with Max Delany in Mosul A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 70 people, mainly Shiite pilgrims, south of Baghdad Thursday, in the latest jihadist attack as Iraqi forces battle to retake Mosul. The huge truck bomb blast ripped through a petrol station where buses packed with faithful returning from the Arbaeen commemoration in Karbala were parked, officials said. Most of the victims […]

A month into Mosul assault, tough fighting still ahead

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – by W.G. Dunlop and Ali Choukeir Iraqi forces have broken into jihadist-held Mosul and recaptured neighbourhoods inside the city, but a month into their offensive, there are still weeks or more of potentially heavy fighting ahead. Iraq launched the massive operation to recapture Mosul, which has been held by the Islamic State group since 2014, on October 17, advancing on the city from the north, east and south. Iraq’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service […]