The Lebanese army continued for a third consecutive day to target ISIS group positions on the country’s eastern border with Syria after capturing a third of the territory held by militants in the area. The army had begun its operation in the Arsal, Baalbek and Jurud al Qaa region early …
Read More »US Defence Secretary visits Jordan
US Defence Secretary James Mattis arrived Monday in the Jordanian capital Amman, state-run news agency Petra reported, part of a tour that also includes stops in Turkey and Ukraine. Mattis met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, where they discussed Syrian safe zones, the refugee crisis the war has produced, and …
Read More »US forces shell Daesh positions in Iraq’s Tal Afar
U.S. forces are taking part in an ongoing military operation to dislodge the Daesh terrorist group from Iraq’s northwestern Tal Afar district, according to an Iraqi military source. “U.S. forces stationed at the Kahrez base are pounding Daesh positions inside the city,” Army Captain Ihab al-Yasseri said on Monday.
Read More »Iraqi troops retake 5 villages in Tal Afar
Iraqi troops have retaken five villages in Tal Afar town, located northwest of Iraq, from Islamic State, Tal Afar Operations Command announced on Monday. In a statement by the Joint Operations Command and the War Media Cell, Lt.Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah said the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service managed to free …
Read More »US Defense Secretary to visit Turkey, Jordan, Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Saturday will begin a five-day trip to Jordan, Turkey and the Ukraine, Pentagon officials announced Friday. The trip is intended “to reaffirm the enduring US commitment to strategic partnerships,” the officials said. Mattis will begin his engagements Monday in Jordan by meeting with King …
Read More »Iraq: Popular Mobilization to field 20.000 fighters for Tal Afar battle
Iraq: The pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces will field 20.000 fighters for the anticipated offensive to retake the town of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s last bastion i Nineveh province, a spokesperson said. PMF spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi said Friday that 20.000 fighters will take part in the imminent battle, saying that the …
Read More »Iraq cities can take up to 25 years of work to clear explosives
The wires protruding from the small, misshapen stuffed animal revealed the deadly booby-trap tucked inside. For the people of Mosul, the sophisticated bomb was a reminder of how difficult it will be to return to homes littered with hidden explosives by Daesh militants and dotted with the remnants of undetonated …
Read More »US-led coalition raids kill 17 Daesh terrorists in Tal Afar
U.S.-led coalition warplanes and Iraqi forces pounded Daesh positions in the northwestern city of Tal Afar on Tuesday, killing at least 17 terrorists, according to an Iraqi military officer. Lieutenant Colonel Shams al-Din al-Anbari said the attacks targeted Daesh arms depots and training sites in the city.
Read More »Saudi, Iraq to re-open border crossing
Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar border crossing for trade for the first time since 1990, when it was closed after the countries cut ties following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Saudi local media reported on Tuesday. Saudi and Iraqi officials toured the site on Monday and …
Read More »40k Iraqi troops prepare to retake Tal Afar
Some 40,000 Iraqi troops are preparing for military operations to retake the Iraqi town of Tal Afar from Daesh. Iraqi authorities have announced that the town, located 80 kilometres west of Mosul, will be the next target in the war against Daesh following the recapture of Mosul. Tal Afar, which …
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