ISIS growing stronger and more organised in Middle East

[Anthea]

Help in stopping militia attacks

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs on Monday called on the international Coalition against ISIS to help the region’s forces stop drone attacks from the outlawed groups, according to a statement

The ministry’s statement came a day after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced two explosive drone strikes had hit a Peshmerga base in the Pirmam-Erbil area, resulting in material damages only.

“We call on the Iraqi government and Coalition against ISIS to help us in stopping these irresponsible attacks which only escalate chaos in the Region, Iraq, and the wider region,” according to the statement.

The Ministry said it reserves the right to respond appropriately.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday similarly called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani to take practical steps to punish and sanction the outlawed groups. The Iraqi premier launched a “comprehensive investigation” into the matter hours later.

"We know well the issues at play here and the outlaws behind them, and have a right to defend our people," Barzani said.

The Kurdish premier said those use state money and weapons to "attack the Kurdistan Region, destabilize the whole of the country, and risk renewed conflict in a nation that has seen enough bloodshed.”

The KRG statement on early Saturday described the attack as "dangerous and provocative".

Kurdistan Region in recent months has come under increasing drone strikes, mostly targeting the Coalition against ISIS forces base.

In one such attack, at least three US service members were wounded, prompting a deadly US strike on an Iranian-backed group in Babylon governorate shortly after.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... ia-attacks

[Anthea]

SDF carries out large-scale operation
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Press Office of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday said they carried out a large security operation in the countryside of Raqqa in order to restore stability after tribal infighting

The SDF said they launched the operation after a tribal conflict between the clans of al-Madlaj al-Dhahir and al-Jammasa, which were allegedly exploited by ISIS and Syrian Government cells.

The SDF said that the operation resulted in “the arrest of many criminal elements linked to ISIS terrorist cells and Syrian regime mercenaries. Quantities of weapons and ammunition were also seized.”

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that on Jan. 27, the senate of Raqqa city organized a meeting with tribal leaders and military officials to stop the clan conflict between the two clans.

On Jan. 24, four people were killed in the clashes between the two clans in Raqqa.

The SDF liberated the city of Raqqa from ISIS in 2017 with the support of the US-led Coalition. Despite this, ISIS cells continue to operate in the region.

Furthermore, the Raqqa area has seen several rounds of tribal infighting, in which civilians have been killed.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... IS-capital

NOTE: the SDF have been releasing ISIS wives and families back to Raqqa which has strengthened ISIS

[Anthea]

UNITAD head address ISIS atrocities

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday received Christian Ritscher, Special Adviser and Head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD)

Hussein emphasized the team's historical significance in light of the violations committed by ISIS fighters in Iraq. He expressed his willingness, along with his ministry, to support the team until they successfully accomplish their mission in the country.

Ritscher, for his part, emphasized the significance of UNITAD's work on the crimes committed by ISIS. He also expressed gratitude to the Iraqi Foreign Minister for his support.

Although ISIS was eventually territorially defeated in Iraq and Syria in 2019, the terror group has survived and evolved into an insurgent group, launching sporadic hit-and-run attacks against Peshmerga, Iraqi and Syrian forces, in addition to civilian targets.

This contrasts sharply with when the terror group was at the height of its power, seizing advanced heavy weaponry and tanks from Western-backed Syrian rebels and the Iraqi Armed Forces. The group controlled a third of Iraq’s territorial landmass from 2014 to 2017.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... atrocities

[Anthea]

21 ISIS captured in al-Hol
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday that so far 21 ISIS suspects were captured during a large-scale joint operation in the al-Hol camp

The goal of the operation is to clean “the al-Hol camp from the ISIS terrorist cells and prevent the spreading of ISIS extremist ideologies in the future.”

The al-Hol camp hosts thousands of ISIS families, the majority of which women and children

Moreover, during the operation, numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), mines, explosive materials, and tunnels were uncovered

“These procedures underscore the critical need for the timing of the third phase of Operation Humanity and Security to eliminate the terrorist threat within the camp, preventing ISIS from escalating its terrorist acts and creating a safer area for eastern Syria and the rest of the world,” the SDF said.

The SDF, with the support of the U.S.-led Coalition and the Syrian Kurdish Asayish, last week staged an operation in Syria’s notorious Al-Hol camp that hosts thousands of ISIS families.

According to a report of the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) humanitarian organisations are allowed to provide life-saving activities in Al-Hol, including healthcare, water, and bread distribution.

This while all other activities are suspended until further notice.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... ation:-SDF

21 ISIS captured in al-Hol camp !?!

What about the rest of the thousands of ISIS families !?!

Seems as though ISIS is a joke to SDF and US

[Anthea]

Old ISIS Landmine Kills 13

At least 13 civilians, including women, lost their lives in the Syrian desert due to a landmine explosion left behind by the Islamic State (ISIS) group, according to the Syria Observatory for Human Rights

The incident occurred as the victims were foraging for truffles in Raqa province, an activity known to carry risks due to the presence of landmines scattered throughout the region.

The Syrian desert, renowned for producing high-quality truffles, becomes a hotspot for foragers between February and April, despite authorities' frequent warnings about the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance. The area, also known as the Badia, has long been a hideout for jihadist groups like ISIS, even after the group lost its territorial control in Syria in March 2019.

While military campaigns backed by the US-led Coalition have pushed ISIS out of its strongholds, remnants of the group persist in the desert, where they continue to pose threats to civilians and security forces alike. These attacks underscore the ongoing challenges faced by Syrians, who have endured over a decade of conflict since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began in March 2011.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/840647

[Anthea]

ISIS threats to soccer teams

Anonymous online supporters of the Islamic terror group ISIS have issued a threat to soccer stadiums across Europe ahead of major games in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League — European soccer's biggest club competition

A post disseminated this week by the pro-ISIS online media outlet Al Azaim Foundation showed graphic imagery of a gunman in a balaclava, with the message, "Kill them all," in large text. The post lists London's Emirates Stadium, Paris's Parc de Prince (sic), and Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu as targets.

All three stadiums are set to host major Champions League games, with tens of thousands of fans in attendance.

UEFA, the body that runs the Champions League competition, said in a statement sent to CBS News on Tuesday that it was "aware of alleged terrorist threats made towards this week's UEFA Champions League matches and is closely liaising with the authorities at the respective venues."

"All matches are planned to go ahead as scheduled with appropriate security arrangements in place," the statement said.

Richard Barnes, a counterterrorism adviser who leads stadium security for London's Metropolitan Police, confirmed that the force was looking into the online threats ahead of the Champions League game between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening.

He told CBS News, however, that the online threats were "not a new tactic used by various terrorist groups to cause or raise alarm."

Barnes said the London police counterterrorism unit was "investigating this and they will also be engaging with internal and external partners and stakeholders to ensure this evening's fixture at Emirates Stadium is not affected."

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said security would be "considerably reinforced" around Wednesday's Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, in the French capital, in response to the threat, according to the AFP news agency.
ISIS claims responsibility for Moscow attack, suspects appear in court 03:16

The threats and heightened security measures come just weeks after the bloody attack on the Russian capital's Crocus City Hall, which saw gunmen storm the concert venue before setting it on fire.

A previously unheard-of ISIS Russia branch claimed responsibility for the attack, which left almost 200 people dead.

It also comes just days after an 18-year-old man from Idaho was arrested and accused of plotting to kill churchgoers in his town in the name of ISIS, according to court documents unsealed earlier this week.

ISIS has a history of bloody attacks on European soil, including the devastating, well-orchestrated assault on multiple locations around Paris in 2015. France's national soccer stadium, just north of Paris, was the only location outside the capital city that was attacked by the ISIS militants during that siege. It is not the same venue that was mentioned in the post on the pro-ISIS website this week.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uefa-champ ... ity-alert/