Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses. Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Hundreds of Sunni Muslim Arabs Still Being Killed by Iraqi Government Forces and US Air Strikes, Health Disaster in Mosul

 April 4, 2018

Editor's Note:

The following are just examples of news stories about the continuous Iraq war. Daily news stories can be accessed from the news sources listed below and others in the internet.

 

An Iraqi family leaves its destroyed residential neighborhood in Mosul, file, 2017	More than 6,400 decaying corpses threaten a health disaster in Mosul, April 4, 2018

 

The following are news stories from the independent Iraqi Arabic news agency, Yaqein ( http://yaqein.net/ ):

***

More than 6,400 decaying corpses threaten a health disaster in Mosul الموصل القديمة.. أكثر من 6400 جثة متفسخة تنذر بكارثة صحية 31 مارس 2018 18 بعد أكثر من ستة أشهر على انتهاء العمليات العسكرية فيها، تعيش مدينة “الموصل” كابوسًا يحبس أنفاس سكانها، فرائحة الجثث المتراكمة تحت ركام المنازل؛ تجعل هذه المدينة بيئة حاضنة للأوبئة والأمراض التي تهدد سكانها، لاسيما في ظل انعدام الخدمات الطبية والمستشفيات، وغياب الكوادر الصحية، أرقام تقدر بالآلاف لجثث لا تزال تحت الأنقاض، وعجز حكومي عن إزالة هذه الجثث التي تقبع تحت ركام المنازل، ومتفجرات وألغام وسيارات مفخخة لم يتم تفكيكها تملأ الشوارع وأزقة أيمن “الموصل”، لتنذر بكارثة تزيد من مصائب سكان هذه المدنية المنكوبة. آلاف الجثث تحت الأنقاض حيث أكد رئيس لجنة انتشال الجثث في بلدية “الموصل” “دريد حازم” في حديثه لـ”وكالة يقين” عن انتشال 2600 جثة لمدنيين، فيما لا تزال أكثر من 6400 جثة تحت الأنقاض بحسب إحصائيات أولية، مبينًا أن هذه الأرقام تم تعدادها من خلال بلاغات الأهالي عن مفقوديهم، فيما تبقى أرقام إضافية مجهولة لأشخاص قضوا في منازلهم لم يتم التبليغ عنهم. http://yaqein.net/reports/100331 Iraqi government militia forces bombard northeastern villages of Diyala (Sunni Muslim Arabs) استمرار قصف الميليشيات على قرى شمال شرق ديالى 04 أبريل 2018   تتعرض مختلف المناطق في محافظة ديالى ، بين الحين والآخر لقصف بقذائف الهاون والصواريخ من قبل الميليشيات المنفلتة ، يسفر عن أضرار بشرية ومادية ، وفي هذا الإطار ، أعلن عضو مجلس النواب عن محافظة ديالى النائب “رعد الماس” عن سقوط خمس قذائف هاون على قرى زركوش شمال شرق المحافظة. وقال الماس في تصريح صحفي إن “خمسة قذائف هاون سقطت ، على قرى زركوش في حوض حمرين شمال شرق ب‍عقوبة دون وقوع إصابات بشرية”. وأضاف الماس أن “سقوط الهاونات تأكيد على تحذيراتنا السابقة من خطورة نشاط (تنظيم الدولة) في حوض حمرين واستهدافه المتكررة للقرى والمناطق المدنية بالهاونات بين فترة واخرى ، داعيا الى خطة امنية شاملة تنهي فلول (التنظيم) في حمرين بشكل عام”. وتعرضت قرى زركوش خلال الاشهر الماضية الى هجمات بالهاونات اسفرت عن اصابات في صفوف المدنيين. وكان مدير ناحية السعدية في محافظة ديالى “أحمد الزركوشي” قد أعلن في وقت سابق ، سقوط 3 قذائف هاون في محيط مجمع حمرين السكني شمال شرقي المحافظة. http://yaqein.net/politics/101391

***

The following are news stories from a pro-Iraqi government website (http://www.iraqinews.com/), which usually reports those who are killed by Iraqi government attacks as Islamic State fighters, implying no civilians were killed by bombing residential neighborhoods:

***

65 Islamic State militants killed in Anbar ambush

by Mohammed Ebraheem Apr 2, 2018, 4:27 pm

Anbar (Iraqinews.com) –

Iraqi security forces killed on Monday 65 militants of the Islamic State (IS) group in a well-established ambush in Anbar province, according to a military source.

Speaking to IKH News, the source said security forces received information about a plot by the IS militants to infiltrate into Iraq coming from Syria to carry out terrorists attacks.

“Immediately, a security force set up an ambush on a road in Ar-Rutbah town in western Anbar province, managing to kill all the 65 infiltrators, including foreign fighters,” the source said.

He added that “no troops were killer or injured in the clashes.”

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq earlier in November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.

In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

Despite its crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces,Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Seven Islamic State members killed in operation, southwest of Mosul

by Nehal Mostafa Apr 1, 2018, 10:44 pm

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) --

Security troops have killed seven militants in an operation carried out in southwest of Mosul, a security source announced on Sunday.

“F16 jets purged, for more than two hours, an area of more than four kilometers in the desert region linking between Qayyarah and Baaj towns,” Cap. Safwan al-Asali, of the Iraqi military, was quoted by news agencies as saying on Sunday.

“Security permissions from the air force operations command indicate killing seven militants and destroying nine tunnels, murdering those who were inside,” he added.

The operation, according to Asali, “depended on intelligence information as it was hard to purge some regions with only the ground troops.”

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against security troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

UN agency: 104 Iraqis killed, another 177 injured in March clashes

by Mohammed Ebraheem Apr 4, 2018, 1:30 pm

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) –

A total of 104 Iraqi civilians and policemen were killed and another 177 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in March, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

In its monthly statement released on Wednesday, the UN agency said the number of civilians killed, excluding police, was 84, while 164 others were injured.

Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 124 civilian casualties (33 killed, 91 injured), followed by Salahuddin with 12 killed and 26 injured, and Anbar with 11 killed and 22 injured.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December with the help of a US-led alliance, having retaken all the territory captured by the extremists in 2014 and 2015.

Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country. 

Over 80 Islamic State members killed between February, March: Statement

by Nehal Mostafa Apr 2, 2018, 9:15 pm

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) --

Over eighty Islamic State members were killed during operations carried out between February and March, southwest of Kirkuk, the pro-government paramilitary troops announced on Monday.

A statement by the intelligence of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said “18 operations were carried out in Kirkuk and towns of Hawija, al-Riyad and al-Rashad between February 24 to March 27, during which 82 IS members were killed, while two others were wounded. Several types of weapons were seized as well as rest houses and tunnels.”

The operations, according to the statement, were carried out by PMFs, in collaboration with Federal Police, military and air force. They took place in 20 villages.

In March, PMFs’ Kirkuk operations command said troops killed 80 members of the extremist group over the past 20 days.

Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group.

As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.

***

The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) :

***

Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 30, 2018 —

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continued to strike Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets in designated parts of Syria and Iraq between March 23-29, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 12 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Strikes in Syria

Yesterday in Syria, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike destroyed an ISIS building.

On March 28, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike destroyed an ISIS tactical unit.

On March 27, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

On March 26, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

There were no reported strikes in Syria on March 25.

On March 24, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

On March 23, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

There were no reported strikes in Iraq March 28-29.

On March 27, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets near Ramadi. The strike destroyed an ISIS tunnel system.

On March 26, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Qayyarah. The strike destroyed three ISIS tunnels.

On March 25, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Qayyarah. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS watercraft.

There were no reported strikes in Iraq on March 24.

On March 23, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Rutbah. The strike destroyed an ISIS vehicle.

***

Share the link of this article with your facebook friends