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

 

13 Iraqis Killed in Attacks, 'Hashd Militia Sent to Talafar, Iraqi Warplanes Strike IS Posts in Syria

January 2, 2019

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.

 

Iraqi government soldiers defend their headquarters against attacks by Islamic State fighters, during sand storm in Ramadi. file, January 1, 2019	Members of Iraqi government Shi'i militiamen, known as 'Hashd, file, January 2, 2019 yaqein

 

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

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The Iraqi government sent troops from its 'Hashd militia to the Ninawa Province, to maintain security (subjugation) in Tal Afar, mainly composed of Al-'Abbas brigade, which participated in fighting the Islamic State in 2017. This came a week after a car bomb explosion there but the 'Hashd security forces are responsible for human rights violations, indiscriminate arrests for blackmailing people to pay for their release, and for imposing forced-payments on local businesses (mugging). الحكومة ترسل فصائل من مليشيا الحشد إلى تلعفر 02 يناير 2019  أرسلت حكومة بغداد، اليوم الأربعاء، فصائل من مليشيا “الحشد الشعبي” إلى قضاء تلعفر في محافظة نينوى، بحجة ضبط الأمن ومنع حدوث خروقات مستقبلاً. وقال النقيب في الجيش “كريم الطائي” بتصريح صحفي، أن “قوة مدرعة تابعة لأحد فصائل الحشد الشعبي وصلت إلى قضاء تلعفر بمحافظة نينوى لضبط الأمن ومنع حدوث خروقات أمنية مستقبلاً”. وأوضح، أن “التعزيزات العسكرية تابعة لفصيل فرقة العباس القتالية، مبيناً أن هذه الفرقة شاركت مع الجيش قي إستعادة القضاء من تنظيم الدولة عام 2017”. ولفت، إلى أن “هذه التعزيزات جائت بعد أسبوع على إنفجار سيارة مفخخة وسط القضاء، مما أدى إلى سقوط قتلى وجرحى”. وتشهد محافظة نينوى خروقات أمنية كبيرة، تتمثل بالهجمات المسلحة والعبوات الناسفة، بسبب سيطرة مليشيا الحشد الشعبي على أمن المحافظة، حيث تقوم تلك المليشيات بالعديد من الإنتهاكات بحق المواطنين، عن طريق الإعتقالات العشوائية وإطلاق سراح المواطنين مقابل مبالغ مالية، بالإضافة إلى فرض أتاوات على التجار وأصحاب المحال التجارية، الأمر الذي زاد من معاناة المواطنين. https://yaqein.net/politics/166437

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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:

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Islamic State militants kill 2 army soldiers, wound others in Iraq’s Diyala

by Mohammed Ebraheem Jan 1, 2019,

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) –

An Iraqi security source said on Tuesday that two army personnel were killed and two others injured in an attack that was launched last night by Islamic State in the province of Diyala.

Speaking to the privately-owned Dijlah TV channel, the source said that a group of Islamic State fighters launched an armed attack last night on Taha al-Rashed village, south of Buhriz, in Diyala province.

“The attack left two army personnel dead, and two others wounded, including an officer,” the source added.

In January 2015, Iraqi forces announced liberation of Diyala province from Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The province has seen months of fighting between Iraqi troops and IS militants especially in the Jalawla and Saadiyah areas in the province’s north and areas near the town of Muqdadiyah.

The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city. Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.

7 security men killed in sniper attacks by Islamic State over 3 months: source

by Mohammed Ebraheem Dec 31, 2018,

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) –

An Iraqi governmental source said on Monday that Islamic State snipers shot dead seven security men in Diyala province over the past three months.

Speaking to the Arabic-language Baghdad Today news website, the source said that seven army and police personnel were killed in sniper attacks by Islamic State in al-Waqf basin, 25 km northeast of Baqubah, in the past three months.

The source warned that the security situation in Diyala is still unstable due to the presence of Islamic State cells in several villages, calling on the government to immediately intervene to put an end to the terrorist attacks in the province.

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.

IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.

Armed attack on northern Baghdad, one killed

by Loaa Adel Dec 29, 2018,

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) --

An official source informed, on Friday, that a civilian was killed in an armed attack by anonymous gunmen, in northern the capital, Baghdad.

The source told Alsumaria News that unknown gunmen shot a civilian, while he was passing in al-Basatin neighborhood, in al-Shaab area, in northern Baghdad, killing him immediately.

The source, who asked to be anonymous, added that security forces cordoned off the area of the incident, and transferred the body to the forensic medicine department, while carried out an operation to search for the perpetrators of the incident.

It is noteworthy that the capital, Baghdad, is witnessing frequent blasts using booby-trapped vehicles, IEDs and explosive belts, in addition to separate attacks on civilians and security forces, which results in the fall of dozens of casualties.

Islamic State claims attack at its former stronghold in Iraq’s Tal Afar

by Mohamed Mostafa Dec 25, 2018,

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) --

 Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on at a former stronghold in western Iraq, their news outlet said.

Amaq News Agency said the group was behind the attack on the town of Tal Afar, a former group bastion which Iraq forces had recaptured in August 2017.

Iraqi security had said earlier on Tuesday that the attack left 2 people dead and 11 wounded. A booby-trapped vehicle was used to carry out the assaut, according to authorities.

Iraq recaptured all of the territories occupied by Islamic State extremists in December 2017, but the group continues to target security and civilians occasionally.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq says 41 civilians and off-duty security personnel were killed in violence and armed conflict during the month of November.

3 people killed, 12 wounded in Iraq market explosion west of Mosul city

by Mohammed Ebraheem Dec 25, 2018,

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) –

At least 15 people were killed and wounded Tuesday in a car bomb attack at a marketplace west of Mosul city, a security source was quoted as saying.

“A booby-trapped vehicle went off at Ras Al-Jadah marketplace in Tel Afar district, west of Mosul, leaving three people dead,” the source told Arabic-language Baghdad Today news website.

The source added that the explosion also left 12 people wounded.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for attacks targeting crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

Last month, a total of 41 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 73 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Baghdad was the most affected governorate, with 55 civilian casualties (23 killed, 32 injured), followed by Nineveh (08 killed and 19 injured) and Anbar (04 killed and 15 injured).

The latest figures are the lowest to be recorded by UNAMI since it began counting the casualties in November 2012.

Iraqi warplanes strike Islamic State outpost in Syria

by Mohammed Ebraheem Dec 31, 2018,

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) –

The Iraqi military announced on Monday that its jet fighters targeted an Islamic State position inside Syria that was used by the jihadist group as a meeting place.

“Iraqi F-16 warplanes have carried out an airstrike against a two-story house in Sousa town inside Syria, where 30 Islamic State members were present,” the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The IS outpost was completely destroyed in the air raid, the command said, without elaborating how many IS militants were exactly killed.

An Iraqi governmental source said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave the Iraqi government the green light to bombard Islamic State positions inside the Syrian territories without taking permission from Damascus.

Under Assad’s directives, the Iraqi warplanes will be able to enter the Syrian territories and bombard sites of Islamic State without waiting for permission from the Syrian government, RT quoted the source as saying.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 American troops from Syria two weeks ago, bringing a sudden end to a military campaign that largely vanquished the Islamic State.

Assad received on Saturday a message from Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on means of boosting bilateral relations in various fields.

Assad greenlights Iraq to target Islamic State sites in Syria without permission

by Mohammed Ebraheem Dec 30, 2018,

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) –

An Iraqi governmental source said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave the Iraqi government the green light to bombard Islamic State positions inside the Syrian territories without taking permission from Damascus.

Under Assad’s directives, the Iraqi warplanes will be able to enter the Syrian territories and bombard sites of Islamic State without waiting for the approval of the Syrian government, RT quoted the source as saying.

However, Assad made it clear that the Iraqi government should inform the Syrian side first before launching any attacks against IS sites in Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 American troops from Syria two weeks ago, bringing a sudden end to a military campaign that largely vanquished the Islamic State.

Assad received on Saturday a message from Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on means of boosting bilateral relations in various fields.

The message, conveyed by Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayad, focused on the developments of relations between the two countries and the necessity of continuing coordination between them at all levels, particularly in the field of combating terrorism along borders between the two states, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

He further affirmed the importance of continuing this cooperation and coordination to completely eliminate the remnants of Islamic State terrorist cells, who are still active in some Syrian and Iraqi regions.

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