take with grain of salt. ISIS SURRENDERS IN IRAQ

[DinarThug]

LINK

Russian Defense: The International Alliance has sharply reduced its raids in Iraq

 

10th October, 2017

 

Announced the official spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Major - General Igor Konashenkov, said Tuesday that the international coalition led by the United States sharply reduced its raids on the organization of "Daesh" in Iraq sites, with the start of the Syrian army 's operation to liberate Deir al - Zour.

"With the start of the operation of the Syrian forces with the support of the Russian air force to liberate the province of Deir al-Zour, the US-led coalition has sharply reduced its raids a few times a day in Iraq," Konashinkov said. 
"The coalition has only five times less strikes than in Syria," he said. 

Konashnikov said earlier today that the Russian space air force is carrying out up to 150 daily raids on terrorist groups to organize the "Daash", who are trying to sneak into the town of Syrian fields.

[DinarThug]

Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS

October 10, 2017 in Security

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria over the previous two days, conducting 95 strikes consisting of 109 engagements Oct. 7 and yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday.

A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet receives fuel from an Air Force 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker during a mission over Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Sept. 7, 2017. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride

Officials reported details of those strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Oct. 7 Strikes in Syria

In Syria on Oct. 7, coalition military forces conducted 53 strikes consisting of 56 engagements against ISIS targets:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIS tactical unit and a vehicle.

Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIS command-and-control network. Near Raqqa, 51 strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed 50 fighting positions, a tactical vehicle, six vehicles, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and four command-and-control networks.

Yesterday’s Strikes in Syria

Coalition military forces conducted 25 strikes consisting of 30 engagements against ISIS targets in Syria yesterday:

• Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

Near Raqqa, 24 strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed 15 fighting positions, 11 vehicles, a vehicle-borne IED, a machine gun and four command-and-control networks.

Oct. 7 Strikes in Iraq

On Oct. 7, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 16 engagements against ISIS targets in Iraq:

• Near Qaim, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a headquarters and a vehicle.

Near Bashir, a strike destroyed an ISIS tactical vehicle. Near Hit, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a tunnel system. Near Rawa, four strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters, a vehicle-borne IED and a weapons cache. Near Tuz, a strike destroyed four ISIS-held buildings. Near Huwija, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

Yesterday’s Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets in Iraq yesterday:

• Near Qaim, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle.

Near Huwija, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit. Near Rawa, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three staging areas, a headquarters and a vehicle.

Previous Strikes

Officials also provided details today on 25 strikes consisting of 31 engagements conducted Oct. 5 and 6 in Syria and Iraq for which the information was not previously available:

• On Oct 5 near Raqqa, a strike damaged an ISIS fighting position.

On Oct 6 near Huwija, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit. On Oct. 6, near Raqqa, 23 strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed 17 fighting positions, six vehicles, a vehicle-borne IED and an ISIS supply road.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group’s ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

(Source: US Dept of Defense)

link

[mr.unlikely]

Go Putin go. Somehow a deal was brokered and now we opened up a corridor to the Syrian border to allow us Isis a escape route and they are rolling out in Humvees and Bradley fighting vehicles 🚗. Basically setting up a shooting gallery for Russian forces with some very expensive targets, all on the backs of the US taxpayers. I say let em go, but don't give em a friggen ride for cryin out loud!

[DinarThug]

ISIS Fighters Continue to Flee, DoD Spokesman Says

By Terri Moon CronkDoD News, Defense Media Activity 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2017 — Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters remain on the run in Iraq and Syria as coalition troops clear territory once controlled by the enemy, a Pentagon spokesman said today.

A member of the Iraqi security forces prepares to fire his rifle during marksmanship training at Camp Taji, Iraq, Sept. 28, 2017. DoD photo by Army Cpl. Rachel Diehm

 

Iraqi security forces are continuing clearance operations in the so-called "Hawija Pocket" in Iraq's Kirkuk province while facing small pods of ISIS resistance as they transition to a persistent hold posture, Army Col. Rob Manning told reporters.

"In the past 24 hours, they have cleared 1,083 square kilometers [about 418 square miles]," he said. "The federal police are conducting clearance and security operations throughout the Northern Hawija Pocket."

ISIS Cleared in Western Anbar

Clearance operations also are eliminating the enemy in western Anbar province, Manning said. In Ninevah province, police are continuing their routine patrols and security checkpoints as part of Mosul security operations.

"Security forces operating in Mosul and Tal Afar have reported success in finding and eliminating several locations storing or producing explosives and [improvised explosive device] systems," he said.

Over the weekend, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes in Iraq against ISIS targets in Qaim, Huwija, Rawa, Hit and Tuz, Manning said.

Syria: Day 126 in Raqqa

Today marks Day 126 of operations to defeat ISIS in Raqqa, Syria, where the Syrian Democratic Forces continue to take in civilians who are fleeing from ISIS control there, Manning said.

"They continue to make steady progress, liberating 17 city blocks in Raqqa and 26 square kilometers [10 square miles] along the Jazeera axis in the past 24 hours," he added.

More than 80 percent of the city has been cleared so far, Manning said.

Fighting to Continue

While the impending defeat of ISIS in Raqqa will be "a significant operational and moral blow" to ISIS, there is more fighting to be done as the enemy continues to hold a large amount of territory along the Euphrates River Valley," the colonel noted.

In the past 24 hours, the Syrian Democratic Forces have cleared 9 square kilometers – more than 3 square miles – in the Khabur River Valley and Dayr Az Zawr province, Manning told reporters.

"The coalition and its partners remain committed to continued deconfliction with Russian officials and call on all forces to focus their efforts defeating ISIS," he said.

LINK

[DinarThug]

CNN. Broadcasting While ISIS Can Kiss Their Little Daash-holes Goodbye !

 

 

 

Abadi: Current year to witness end of ISIS in Iraq

October 10 2017 10:10 PM

Current year to witness end of ISIS in Iraq.

 

 

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said Monday that this year would witness the end of ISIS in Iraq.

 Speaking at a press conference, Abadi stressed that the joint forces recaptured most ISIS-held areas, noting that ISIS terrorists are currently in panic everywhere.

 Abadi also stressed that Iraq will not cut its relations with Kurdistan.

 The PM warned against foreign agendas to incite sectarian rifts between Iraq's sects, noting that any discussions must concentrate on Iraq's unity, respecting its constitution and refusing Kurdistan's recent referendum.

 He also noted the forming a confederacy requires modifying the constitution and the approval of two thirds of the parliament.

 Abadi called for extending Baghdad's control over all Kirkuk governorate's oil wells, urging Peshmerga forces not to clash with the Iraqi forces in Kirkuk.

 Kirkuk is an oil rich governorate and a disputed area between Erbil and Baghdad, as both sides claim their sovereignty over it.

 On 25th of September Kurdistan carried out an independence referendum and included Kirkuk governorate in I, which caused a major rift between Baghdad and Erbil.

link

[DinarThug]

The start of attacks against the sites of "Daash" west of Anbar

 

 8 hours ago  security  35 visits

 

The head of the security committee in the Anbar province, Naim al-Ka'oud al-Nimrawi, announced on Wednesday the start of attacks on the sites of "Daash" in the districts of Rao and al-Qaim west of the province, stressing the readiness of the forces to liberate those areas.

Al-Nimrawi said that "the security forces and the support forces are ready to liberate the districts of Rao and Qaim west of Anbar in conjunction with the completion of the liberation battles of Hawija."

"The criminal gangs are in a state of chaos and breakdown as a result of the successive defeats of elements criminal organization in Mosul and Hawija, and his inability to withstand the military units that intend to storm the western sector of the province."

Al-Nimrawi said that "the security forces and the support forces began to carry out attacks on the strongholds of the criminal organization close to the areas of its concentration in the districts of Rao and al-Qaim in a move aimed at sensing the pulse of the lines of criminal response calling before the break-in strongholds."

link

[ChuckFinley]

I am hoping that by the end of 2017 they are cleaned out and all dead.   

[10 YEARS LATER]

22 hours ago, mr.unlikely said:

Go Putin go. Somehow a deal was brokered and now we opened up a corridor to the Syrian border to allow us Isis a escape route and they are rolling out in Humvees and Bradley fighting vehicles 🚗. Basically setting up a shooting gallery for Russian forces with some very expensive targets, all on the backs of the US taxpayers. I say let em go, but don't give em a friggen ride for cryin out loud!

 

For us Abrams Tankers, it's a " MAD MINUTE " in a " TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT  " 

[DinarThug]

(by don961)

Hundreds of IS Militants Surrender Near Kirkuk

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Hundreds of IS Militants Surrender Near Kirkuk

 

According to Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on IS who spoke with some of the surrendered militants in the Dibis camp near Kirkuk, “[The militants] no longer seem to believe in the cause”

 

AKurdish security official confirmed Tuesday that hundreds of suspected self-styled Islamic State militants surrendered to Kurdish authorities after Iraqi government forces reclaimed the IS base in Hawija, a major Iraqi city north of Baghdad.
“Approximately 1,000 men surrendered over the last week. Not all, however, are terrorists,”the security official said, explaining that many militants surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga —the military forces of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan— near the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk, east of Hawija, Sputnik reported.

“It’s fair to say hundreds probably are [IS] members, but that will be clear after the debriefs,” the official, who asked to stay anonymous, added.

According to Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on IS who spoke with some of the surrendered militants in the Dibis camp near Kirkuk, “[The militants] no longer seem to believe in the cause,” Reuters reported.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released an audio recording two weeks ago, further solidifying speculation that he remains alive, despite reports from months past that he had been killed. In his recording, he implored his followers to continue fighting despite the blows they’d suffered in Iraq and Syria.

The group is still in control of some territory in Iraq along the western border with Syria, including the town of al-Qaim.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed that IS militants would be defeated once this final piece of territory is recaptured before the end of the year.

IS currently has command over territories on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq, but are gradually being defeated by the Iraqi forces, and Syrian government troops and its allies supported by Iran and Russia.

In July, after a nine-month battle, IS’s cross-border caliphate crumbled after Iraqi forces recaptured its de facto capital of Mosul.

 Court Orders Arrest of Vote Organizers

In unrelated news, an Iraqi court has ordered the arrest of the chairman and two other members of the commission that organized the 25 September vote for Kurdish independence, a judicial official said.

The court in Baghdad acted in response to a request from the National Security Council (NSC) headed by the prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, Supreme Judicial Council spokesman Abdel Sattar Bayraqdar told AFP, Middle East Eye reported.

The court issued warrants against chairman of the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission (KHEC), Hendren Saleh, and members Yari Hajji Omar and Wahida Yofo Hermez.

A member of the KHEC media committee confirmed the news to Middle East Eye, but said it was “stupid” of the courts to think that their warrants mattered in Kurdistan.

In an statement on Monday announcing a series of measures designed to increase pressure on the autonomous region which voted overwhelmingly to split from Iraq, the NSC said that the country’s general prosecutor had launched a legal case against the referendum officials.

In addition to proceeding with the vote, the officials were being sought for legal action because they violated an 18 September Supreme Court ruling which called for the vote’s suspension.

The NSC also said the government would seek to take control of Kurdistan-based mobile phone operators and move their headquarters to Baghdad.

The statement did not name the networks involved, but they are believed to be Korek and Asiacell.

The government, according to the statement, will also continue to pursue an ongoing probe into oil revenues which were deposited in Kurdistan’s financial institutions and officials’ bank accounts.

https://goo.gl/ikhp94

[blueskyline]

Thanks Thug

 

[DinarThug]

http://www.almaalomah.com/2017.....12/244442/

Americans are worried about the "armor-piercing package" six years after their disappearance in Iraq

16:08 - 12/10/2017

 

 

US officials have expressed concern about the return of the "armor-piercing", especially after an explosive device earlier this month killed a US soldier near Salahaddin province, where the package was developed and had not been used for six years, suggesting that the US military can Faces again a deadly threat, as happened with him during his occupation of Iraq and face the Iraqi resistance to his soldiers.

"According to preliminary investigations, the bomb was developed from what is known as the EFP, a weapon known for its destructive and lethal effects on American armored vehicles and crew," the Washington Post quoted a US military report as saying.

"The explosion that targeted the wheel killed the US soldier" Alexander W. Misselden "and wounding another soldier, was the wheel led by" Mesildin "heading south on one of the main roads of the province of Salahaddin north of Baghdad," according to the US military.

EFPs were among the deadliest weapons faced by US forces during their occupation of Iraq after 2003 and were seen as a defining feature of the Islamic resistance in Iraq.

"The US military officials have confirmed that they have not yet determined who is responsible for targeting the US mechanism," the report said, stressing that "despite the fact that it has the necessary expertise to manufacture the bombs, it has not been known about the use of this type of weapons before."

It is noteworthy that Daqash did not claim responsibility for the attack carried out on the first of October, which led to the destruction of the American mechanism and the killing and wounding of two US soldiers in Iraq.

"Investigations continue to determine the exact type and characteristics of the package," US military spokesman in Iraq, Ryan Dillon, said. "He can not confirm whether or not an advocate has done so."

"The question of the type of explosive device continues to be a sensitive issue because it coincides with the threats of some factions of the resistance, which is fighting and advocating and opposes the US presence in Iraq and demands the departure of its forces now that the defeat of the terrorist was almost defeated."

"It is also possible that gangs or other armed groups have used this kind of bomb hidden to charge some of the Shiite factions," said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The factions of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued warnings to US forces to stay in Iraq, saying that it will deal with them as occupiers, as they have dealt with them before.

[DinarThug]

Security coordination between Iraq, Syria and Jordan to secure the border

 Journal  October 12, 2017

 

 

Baghdad - Journal News 
The Security and Defense Committee of the Iraqi parliament announced on Thursday the existence of high security coordination between Iraq, Syria and Jordan to free the remaining areas of Anbar province, in addition to protecting and controlling the border.

"Iraq has a lot of options in the western region, through cooperation and coordination with Jordan and Syria, to liberate the remaining parts of western Anbar, which is under the control of the terrorist," Majid al-Gharawi told the Journal News.

He added that "there is high coordination at the level of the leadership of the border guards," pointing out that "the coordination came after mutual visits and security cooperation between Iraq and Jordan."

"The options for the armed forces include aerial landing on areas close to the Jordanian-Jordanian border, where these areas include terrorist cells to organize an advocate," he said.

"It is not limited to aerial landing, but there are road blocks through military campaigns between the two countries, as happened in the border areas previously."

He pointed out that "the military units, headed after the completion of the Hawija and neighboring areas, towards the west of Anbar to complete the security plan judicial release of him and Rawah and remaining Akashat."

"The coordination with the neighboring countries comes within the framework of a security plan prepared by the Joint Operations Command, under the supervision of the leaders and the two, to liberate all areas of Iraq from the terrorist organization, where the government resolved to resolve the dossier before the end of this year."

The security forces of all kinds, backed by the international coalition, continue to call for a dens in the areas west of Anbar, which is still under the control of the terrorist organization, causing heavy losses in lives and equipment.

link

[DinarThug]

Pentagon: liberating 95% of the land occupied by "Da'ash" in Iraq

12.10.2017 

A US military commander from the International Alliance has announced the liberation of 95% of the land that enabled the organization "Da'ash" from its former occupation of Iraq.

"The United States and its partners have managed to liberate 95 per cent of the territory of Iraq that has been under the control of an authoritarian organization," said Robert White, commander of the United States' "Steel Intolerance" process at a news conference in Baghdad.

"The enemy is retreating, the insurgents are surrendering in large numbers ... they realize that they are losing," White said.

The organization, "Da'ash", classified as a terrorist at the international level, controls vast areas in both Iraq and Syria, but the ongoing military operations, carried out by Iraqi forces with the support of the International Coalition in Iraq, and Syrian government forces, with the support of the Russian army on the one hand, And the Syrian Democratic Forces, on the other hand, in Syria, the organization was greatly weakened and besieged in areas extending from the areas of Rawa and al-Qaim inside Iraq to Deir al-Zour.

Source: Agencies

Ali Jaafar

https://arabic.rt.com/middle_east/904076-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82/

[10 YEARS LATER]

4 hours ago, DinarThug said:

Joint Operations: Only 2.9% of Iraq's territory remains for Daas

Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 11:36 p

 

 

Joint operations spokesman Brigadier General Yehia Rasool reported that the control of the Da'id organization has receded to 2.9% of Iraq's territory.

Rasul said in a press conference to lead the joint operations, today and his follower, al-Marb, that there is only left to Da'ash only 2.9 of the territory of Iraq, represented West Anbar, the Upper Euphrates and Rawa and Qaim.

He added that the coming days will see the liberation of areas west of Anbar, Upper Euphrates, as well as Rawa, Qaim and the border strip, with the participation of various military units.

LINK

 

Let's hope they take this 2.9% Sharpish Like. 

[DinarThug]

Top US ground commander all but declares victory over ISIS in Iraq

by Jamie McIntyre | Oct 12, 2017, 12:59 PM 

 

 

 Increasingly desperate Islamic State fighters in Iraq are in full retreat and showing other signs of giving up in the face of a relentless campaign by Iraqi forces, backed by coalition airpower, the top U.S. military land commander in Iraq said Thursday.

"The Iraqis are winning. To use a sports analogy they are 7 and 0," said Maj. Gen. Robert White, the Combined Joint Forces Land Component commander.White said that while Iraqi forces still have a few major population centers to clear of ISIS control, the terrorist group has for all intents and purposes been vanquished in Iraq.

"They know they are losing. They can see it coming, and they are starting to run away, and they are starting to ask for surrender, which is something you would not have seen a year ago," White said in a briefing from Iraq piped into the Pentagon."Daesh [ISIS] is fighting for survival. The physical caliphate has been destroyed. It will be finished off in another part of the world here shortly," White said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has predicted publicly that Iraq will be free of ISIS by the end of the year.The Pentagon says that, as of last week, Iraqi forces had liberated more than four million Iraqis and reclaimed more than 16,000 square miles of territory once held by ISIS. That is more than 95 percent of what ISIS controlled at its peak of power.

Fighting continues in Syria, where U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have succeeded in clearing ISIS from 80 percent of Raqqa, its once self-declared capital.White said ISIS' certain defeat in Iraq shows their days are numbered in Syria as well."I think that is indicative of where they are as an organization," White said. "They are losing, they know they are losing, and there's no way out."

LINK

[DWitte]

On 10/10/2017 at 9:57 AM, DinarThug said:

 

Which Is Only Fitting Since Most Of His Customers Always Read His Publication Single Handedly !  

 

     

One hand up their a s s since they have no TP and the other doing the jack hammer imitation while that jello in their niggin simply melts away.  Simpletons at heart.

[DinarThug]

U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

 

 

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 13, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 29 strikes consisting of 29 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

 

 

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes consisting of 27 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

-- Near Raqqa, 25 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units, suppressed a fighting position; destroyed two communications nodes, 10 fighting positions, a vehicle and an ISIS supply road.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed a vehicle-borne-bomb factory.

-- Near Haditha, a strike engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle and a heavy machine gun.

Oct. 10-11 Strikes

Additionally, 12 strikes consisting of 13 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Oct. 10-11 for which the information was not previously available:

-- On Oct. 11 near Raqqa, eight strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed four ISIS communication lines, two communications nodes and a fighting position.

-- On Oct. 11 near Rawa, Iraq, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and an ISIS-held building.

-- On Oct. 10 near Rawa, two strikes destroyed four ISIS supply routes, a command-and-control node and an ISIS-held building.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

LINK

[DinarThug]

ISIS ‘caliphate’ crumbles as militants surrender and forced out of Raqqa

US-backed fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces have been battling ISIS under the cover of airstrikes by the US-led coalition. (AFP)

AgenciesSaturday, 14 October 2017

Text size A A A

 

 

 

Some 100 fighters from ISIS handed themselves over to US-backed fighters in the northern city of Raqqa Friday as fighting continued with remaining gunmen in a pocket inside the city.

Omar Alloush of the Raqqa Civilian Council did not give details how the 100 fighters surrendered but said fighting is still ongoing in parts of the city that was once the de facto capital of ISIS's self-proclaimed "caliphate."

US-backed fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces have been on the offensive in Raqqa since early June and have so far captured more than 80 percent of the city under the cover of airstrikes by the US-led coalition.

Foreign ISIS fighters not allowed to leave

All Syrian ISIS fighters have left the one-time bastion of Raqqa, a monitor said Saturday.

The Syrian militants left Raqqa with their families, heading to unknown destinations, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Foreign ISIS fighters ‘not allowed’ to leave Raqqa, the US-led coalition said.
 

Smaller control

“There are still fighters but the area they control is getting smaller,” said Mohammed Khedher of Sound and Picture Organization, which tracks atrocities by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Earlier Friday, scores of civilians including women and children fled the last few remaining neighborhoods held by the ISIS in Raqqa, ahead of an anticipated final push by US-backed fighters seeking to retake the city.

A new video that emerged Friday shows desperate, terrified residents emerging from destroyed districts, some of them collapsing on the ground in exhaustion as they arrive. They seemed to be taking advantage of a slowdown in the fighting and airstrikes by the US-led coalition amid efforts to ensure the safe evacuation of an estimated 4,000 civilians who remain trapped in the city.

The coalition has said that ISIS militants are holding some civilians to use as human shields, preventing them from escaping as the fight enters its final stages. The city, on the banks of the Euphrates River, has been badly damaged by the fighting, and activists have reported that over 1,000 civilians have been killed there since June.

Petrified residents

The video released by the Turkey-based Kurdish Mezopotamya Medya on Friday showed clearly petrified residents running toward safety, some clutching babies or wounded people.

“This is my husband, we are civilians!” one woman cried, fearing that fighters from the US-backed force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces would take him away. Some of the arriving men were searched before being allowed in while others kissed the ground in relief.

“God is stronger than them (ISIS),” shouted another woman, clutching what appeared to be a large Quran in her hand.

Another elderly man hobbled out on crutches, begging for water. After drinking from a bottle handed to him, he collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

Gunfire could be heard in the background.

SDF fighters have been on the offensive in Raqqa since June 5 and have so far captured more than 80 percent of the city that was the de facto capital of ISIS.

ISIS still controls the city’s stadium believed to be a jail run by the extremists, as well as the National Hospital and a small area north of Raqqa.

(AP, Reuters and AFP)

Last Update: Saturday, 14 October 2017 KSA 12:19 - GMT 09:19

 

 

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/10/14/100-ISIS-fighters-surrender-in-Syria-s-Raqqa.html

[DinarThug]

ISIS facing imminent collapse in Syria's Raqqa

Associated PressPublished 12:32 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2017

 

 

BEIRUT — Syrian government forces and their allies on Saturday said they seized the town of Mayadeen, an Islamic State stronghold in the country’s east, in a major gain in the race for territories previously held by the militant group.

The announcement came as U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said they were in the “final” battle for control of Raqqa, the ISIS' de facto capital and the symbol of the group’s reign of terror. However, officials with the Kurdish-led SDF said it could be hours or days before ISIS is uprooted from the city, to the north of Mayadeen.

Over the past months, Mayadeen had become a refugee for the IS leadership from Syria and Iraq as its self-proclaimed caliphate crumbled.

The town, on the western bank of the Euphrates River, was also a major node in the race for control of the oil-rich eastern Deir el-Zour province that straddles the border with Iraq.

 

SDF has steadily been making a bid for areas in the province, securing territory to the east of the river as the U.S.-backed offensive focused on the Iraq border area, still controlled by ISIS.

Washington fears further advances by Syrian government forces could help Iran, which backs militias fighting alongside the Syrian military, expand its influence across the region by securing a land route extending from from Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, all the way to Israel.

As the Syrian government launched its Deir el-Zour offensive in September, the U.S.-backed forces diverted some fighters from Raqqa toward Deir el-Zour to secure the Iraqi border. This prompted the government troops and allied militiamen to push south to Mayadeen, finally securing the town on Saturday.

 

The fall of Mayadeen would strangle ISIS militants in the city of Deir el-Zour, cutting their supply route from the south and the desert.

The pro-government Al-Ikhbariya TV quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that ISIS’ defenses in Mayadeen collapsed on Saturday, with troops chasing last ISIS fighters out of town as corps of engineers cleared land mines.

Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government troops, backed by Shiite militias, have control of the town but are still combing it for militants.

With ISIS under fire in Deir el-Zour and Raqqa, the only remaining urban stronghold still in the militants’ hand is Boukamal, a strategic border town that had linked ISIS territory in Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said the ISIS militants were putting up a desperate fight in its few remaining neighborhoods in Raqqa, spokesman Mustafa Bali, said. The U.S. coalition said about 85% of Raqqa was now controlled by the SDF.

Scores of civilians were seen in a video that surfaced Friday leaving Raqqa in desperate and terrified condition. They emerged from destroyed districts, some of them collapsing on the ground in exhaustion as they arrive to a Kurdish-held area of the city, in haunting scenes reflecting their years-old ordeal. Earlier this week, U.S. officials said an estimated 4,000 civilians are believed still trapped in the city.

Omar Alloush, a local Raqqa official, told The Associated Press on Friday that about 100 ISIS militants surrendered at once.

The Observatory said negotiations over the fate of foreign fighters who remain in Raqqa have delayed the final push to regain control of the city. But SDF officials deny there are talks to evacuate ISIS fighters. U.S. officials have said that only surrender, not a negotiated withdrawal for ISIS fighters in Raqqa, would be accepted while the top U.S. envoy for the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk had said earlier foreign fighters in Raqqa will die in the city.

Losing Raqqa, in many ways the symbol of ISIS’ caliphate, would be yet another blow to the militant group and its reign of terror in the region as its strongholds crumble one after another in Iraq and other parts of Syria.

Still, the U.S.-led coalition said it expects “difficult fighting” in the days ahead to completely oust IS from the city and secure it. SDF and U.S. officials said the remaining militants are mostly suicide bombers who only have small arms and rifles. With a small area remaining, they have no access to their weapon of choice, car bombs, said Bali, the SDF spokesman.

“Our forces are waging the final phase of the battle of the presence of 'Daesh' in Raqqa. We have not decided if this battle will last hours, days or weeks,” Bali said, using the Arabic name for ISIS.

Militants seized Raqqa in 2014, the first city to fall under the full control of the extremist group. It became synonymous with ISIS’ reign of terror, with public killings and beheadings — videotaped slayings that have shocked the world. It was also from Raqqa, which became a destination for foreign fighters from around the world, that many of IS’ attacks in the West were plotted.

The latest battle for Raqqa began in June, with heavy street-by-street fighting amid intense U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and shelling. The battle has dragged on in the face of stiff resistance from the militants and civilians trapped in the city.

On Saturday, the SDF said they seized the al-Nahda neighborhood in Raqqa’s western sector. A day earlier, ISIS carried out an offensive on SDF forces near the city’s main hospital, an ISIS fortified headquarters.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/10/14/isis-facing-imminent-collapse-syrias-raqqa/764695001/

 

[DinarThug]

Military Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release 

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 14, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting four strikes consisting of four engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

 

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. DoD Graphic

 

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes consisting of three engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIS headquarters building.

-- Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions and a logistics node.

Strikes in Iraq

Near Qaim, Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement, which destroyed a piece of ISIS communications infrastructure.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, seven strikes consisting of 10 engagements were conducted Oct. 12 in Syria and Iraq that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Qaim, Iraq, two strikes destroyed an ISIS vehicle-borne-bomb factory and a headquarters building.

-- Near Ramadi, Iraq, a strike destroyed an ISIS camp.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, four strikes destroyed three ISIS lines of communication and a fighting position.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said. 

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

LINK

[DinarThug]

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/.....ital-Raqqa

ISIS on brink of losing battle for de facto capital Raqqa

 

14th October, 2017

The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said that ISIS  is on the verge of defeat in Raqqa, and the city may be finally cleared of these terrorists on Saturday or Sunday, The Independent reported Saturday.

"The battles are continuing in Raqqa city. Daesh (ISIS) is on the verge of being finished. Today or tomorrow the city may be liberated," YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud said.

The YPG dominates the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Arab and Kurdish militias that have been battling since June to defeat ISIS at Raqqa, which served as the terrorists' group's de facto capital in Syria.

An activist group that reports on Raqqa, Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, said on its Facebook page on Saturday that dozens of buses had entered Raqqa city overnight, having traveled from the northern Raqqa countryside.

The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian ISIS terrorists and their families had already left the city, and buses had arrived to evacuate remaining foreign terrorists and their families. It did not say where they would be taken to.

The Observatory said the evacuation was taking place according to a deal reached between the SDF and the US-led coalition on the one hand, and Isis on the other.

During the more than six-year Syrian war, the arrival of buses in a conflict zone has often signaled an evacuation of combatants and civilians.

[DinarThug]

ISIS now controls less than 8% of Syrian territory – Russian General Staff

Published time: 13 Oct, 2017 16:23Edited time: 13 Oct, 2017 16:23

 

 

The area controlled by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria has been reduced to less than 8 percent as Syrian government troops, backed by Russian Airspace Forces, continue their successful advance in Deir ez-Zor Province.

“Islamic State currently controls 14,800 square kilometers, which is less than 8 percent of the Syrian territory," said General Sergey Rudskoy, spokesman for the Russian General Staff.

US-led coalition ‘annihilates Syrian people, protects ISIS’ – Syrian FM to RT

According to Rudskay, IS lost 5,841 square kilometers of territory during the last month alone, with 142 town and villages liberated from the terrorists.

Syrian government forces continue their successful advance near Deir ez-Zor, taking control of a large area on the right bank of the Euphrates River to the northwest and west of the city, he said.

In the southeast, the military has completely blocked the city of al-Mayadeen, which remains the largest IS-held settlement in Syria.

“The city is in full blockade at the moment. The liberation of its central districts is now close to completion,” Rudskoy said.

IS was planning to turn the city into its new stronghold, deploying its remaining battle-worthy units to al-Mayadeen, he added.

The Syrian operations are carried out with the backing of Russian aviation, which has intensified its airstrikes against the terrorists “one and a half times.”

“Over the past week, in the Deir-ez-Zor area alone, the Russian Airspace Forces have carried out 383 sorties, hitting 993 IS targets,” said the General.

In late September, the Syrian forces prevented a major counteroffensive by a 3,000-strong grouping of terrorists in Deir-ez-Zor Province.

Read more

US ‘simulates’ anti-ISIS fight in Iraq as terrorists cross into Syria – MoD

The force was comprised of militants inside Syria and IS units, which crossed into the country from Iraq’s Anbar and Nineveh Provinces where the US-backed forces are carrying out an anti-terrorist operation, the spokesman explained. 

“In addition to that, the government forces were attacked by 450 IS fighters, coming from the area near al-Tanf, controlled by the US,” he added.

Russia continues its support of the liberated areas in Syria, delivering 74 tons of humanitarian aid to Aleppo and Damascus in recent months.

The medics from the Russian Defense Ministry’s hospital in the country have also treated over 2,000 patients during the period.

“One of the most acute problems in the areas liberated from Islamic State is the presence of a large number of explosive devices left by the militants as well as unexploded ordnance,” said Rudskoy.

Russian sappers have so far cleared 838 buildings and 87 kilometers of roads in Syria, neutralizing 24,000 mines and improvised explosive devices.

“The Russian Airspace Forces will continue the operation against IS and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups until their full elimination,” he said.

LINK

[Theseus]

On 9/28/2017 at 2:22 PM, ChuckFinley said:

Still can not believe he and Hillarious are not being charged as war criminals.   

Don't forget McLame or McPain however you want to label the traitor.

[DinarThug]

http://www.almaalomah.com/2017.....15/245251/

Air force hawks destroy the most important headquarters of the al-Qa'im and al-Bawamal, killing dozens

15:47 - 15/10/2017 

 

The military information cell announced on Sunday the destruction of air force hawks, the most important headquarters of the Al-Qaim in Al-Qaim and Bu Kamal, Syria, and the killing of dozens of elements of "Da'ash" criminals.

"Through continuous monitoring and intensive efforts by the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency at the Ministry of the Interior to collect the names of terrorist gangs, the heroes of the intelligence agency and through their sources, in coordination with the Operations Command, have been able to give coordinates," the cell said in a statement. The task of the air hawks for the presence of serious targets of elements in the district of Qaim and Bu Kamal Syrian. "

He added that "the operations resulted in the destruction of the headquarters of the meetings of the most prominent leaders of the gangs, where the presence of about (20) terrorists, including (security - legal - Mali) and one of the most prominent leaders Abu Omar, one of the leaders of the first line in Syria."

The statement said that "the headquarters of the presence of one of the leaders of the gangs was suppressed, calling on Abu Muhannad al-Halabi, the so-called Islamic police official in the area of Albu Kamal and al-Qaim, with him from 30 to 35, ) In the area of Albu Kamal, one of the experts of research and development and the blitz and with him (4) Chechens specialized in the bombing of the wheels and development of weapons.

He pointed out that "air force planes managed to destroy the headquarters of the so-called operations of the Euphrates to the Da'is in Qaim and there are a lot of leaders and terrorist elements, in addition to targeting one of the leaders of gangs, called the (Abu Said Masri) Coptic origin of Christian origin and his so-called official Diwan of Finance in a house belonging to the Diwan of Finance in the area of Albu Kamal with (3) terrorists from the leaders of the first line in the Diwan of Finance.

The statement added that "the bombing led to the destruction and burning of weapons and equipment and mechanisms that were accompanied by these terrorists."

[DinarThug]

Evacuation of local ISIS from Raqqa complete: SDF

By Rudaw 15 minutes ago

 

Syrian civilians on Raqqa’s western front after fleeing the city centre on Thursday. Photo: Bulent Kilic/AFP

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The final group of local ISIS fighters who agreed to leave Raqqa in an evacuation deal departed Saturday night, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed. Some foreign fighters may have also left the city, according to reports. 

“The operation has finished and the battle continues,” SDF spokesperson Mostafa Bali told Reuters. “Last night, the final batch of fighters [who agreed to leave] left the city.”

They took with them civilians as human shields, he said, adding that foreign fighters did not leave under the deal.

The US-led anti-ISIS Coalition, in a statement announcing the agreement, said foreign fighters were not included in the evacuation deal that was supposed to bring civilians out of the conflict zone.

The initiative was proposed by local Arab tribal leaders in order to save civilian lives and minimize further destruction. The tribal leaders brokered the deal with Raqqa Civil Council. 

Some foreign fighters have left Raqqa under the deal however, AFP reported, citing a local official. 

"A portion of the foreigners have left," Omar Alloush, a senior member of the Raqqa Civil Council, told AFP.

On Saturday he had said, “The foreign fighters have two choices: either surrender or be taken out.”

Alloush said that as many as 500 ISIS fighters, both locals and foreigners, were still in the city as of Saturday and they were holding 400 women and children hostage in a hospital. 

The number of fighters and civilians who have left the city has not been confirmed.

The militants were likely being taken to eastern Deir ez-Zor province where ISIS still controls territory.

The SDF expects to complete military operations and be in full control of Raqqa within a matter of days.

link