Iraq News & Discussions

[BLACKEAGLE]

Air strikes killed 6,000 ISIS fighters: U.S. ambassador

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones described U.S.-led airstrikes as having a “devastating” effect on ISIS after Baghdad criticized Washington for not doing “enough” to eliminate the Islamist group. (Al Arabiya)

The U.S.-led airstrikes have “taken more than half” of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group’s leadership, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones told Al Arabiya News Channel in an interview aired Thursday.

Jones described the airstrikes as having a “devastating” effect on ISIS after Baghdad criticized Washington for not doing “enough” to eliminate the Islamist group.

“We estimate that the airstrikes have now killed more than 6,000 ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq,” Jones said.
The U.S. ambassador added that the airstrikes have “destroyed more than a thousand of ISIS vehicle inside Iraq.”

While he said the statistic were “not so important in themselves,” he said “they do show the degradation of ISIS.”

“They show ISIS inability to supply forces inside Iraq,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kurdish forces in northern Iraq said Wednesday that they had cleared ISIS insurgents from nearly 500 square kilometers of territory and broken a key ISIS supply line between the city of Mosul and strongholds to the west near Syria.

The Kurdish forces were assisted by air strikes that began the night before.

On Wednesday U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry headed for London to co-host talks on the fight against ISIS militants, insisting the 60-plus coalition of nations was determined to win the battle.

Last Update: Thursday, 22 January 2015 KSA 12:52 - GMT 09:52

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...illed-6-000-ISIS-fighters-U-S-ambassador.html

 

[UAE]

KRG offensive: Peshmerga with a U.S heavy sniping rifle
Serbian' M-93 "Black Arrow" in background

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Iraqi officials say Shi'ite militias executed 70 civilians

Sunni volunteers take part in military training as they prepare to fight against militants of the Islamic State, in the town of Amriyat al-Falluja in Anbar province, Jan. 8, 2015. (Reuters)

Reuters, Baghdad
Tuesday, 27 January 2015

An Iraqi governor, parliamentarian and two tribal chiefs on Monday accused Shi'ite militias of executing more than 70 unarmed civilians who had fled fighting with Islamic State militants.

Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan denied the claims, saying ISIS was trying to undermine the reputation of Iraqi security forces.

A local official said it was too soon to draw conclusions and suggested ISIS could have been behind the deaths in the eastern village of Barwanah.

Security forces and pro-government militias took control of about two dozen villages from Islamic State fighters in Diyala province near the border with Iran earlier on Monday after a three-day assault.


Last Update: Tuesday, 27 January 2015 KSA 00:03 - GMT 21:03

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...e-Shi-ite-militias-executed-70-civilians.html

 

[Scorpion]

Iraqi officials say Shi'ite militias executed 70 civilians

Sunni volunteers take part in military training as they prepare to fight against militants of the Islamic State, in the town of Amriyat al-Falluja in Anbar province, Jan. 8, 2015. (Reuters)

Reuters, Baghdad
Tuesday, 27 January 2015

An Iraqi governor, parliamentarian and two tribal chiefs on Monday accused Shi'ite militias of executing more than 70 unarmed civilians who had fled fighting with Islamic State militants.

Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan denied the claims, saying ISIS was trying to undermine the reputation of Iraqi security forces.

A local official said it was too soon to draw conclusions and suggested ISIS could have been behind the deaths in the eastern village of Barwanah.

Security forces and pro-government militias took control of about two dozen villages from Islamic State fighters in Diyala province near the border with Iran earlier on Monday after a three-day assault.


Last Update: Tuesday, 27 January 2015 KSA 00:03 - GMT 21:03

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...e-Shi-ite-militias-executed-70-civilians.html

Bunch of barbarians, sectarians and uncivilized people.

 

[UAE]

Helicopter downed in Samarra today

 

[Falcon29]

Some reports claiming ISIS bulldozed ancient city of Nimrod....

Or a Assyrian pyramid ?

Pathetic if true, they are losing the war and will be gone within a years time. This action is done purely for no reason.

 

[Falcon29]

New reports stating Iraqi army has begun counter offensive in Tikrit...

Past offensives have been in Salah Al Deen and Diyala provinces not Tikrit. Tikrit is hometown of Saddam. The battle there is major and will allow Iraqi army to prepare for offensive in Mosul.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Iraqi forces push toward Tikrit’s center

A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in the town of al-Alam, just north of Tikrit. (Reuters)

Staff writer, Al Arabiya News
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Iraqi forces jointly with tribesmen and Shiite volunteers started storming the ISIS-held city of Tikrit Tuesday from four sides in attempt to reach its center, sources told Al Arabiya News Channel.

The forces so far retook the building for Tikrit hospital located south of the city, the sources said.

Samara Operations Command told Al Arabiya News Channel that the hometown of the late President Saddam Hussein - currently occupied by ISIS militants – is “360 degrees surrounded.”

Members of ISIS have attempted to slow down advances made by the Iraqi army and militia towards Tikrit city center by blowing up a main bridge to the east of the city, a provincial council member has said.

In the Qadissya neighborhood the streets are littered with the bodies of ISIS fighters, according to local sources.

The campaign to retake Tikrit, which began one week ago, is the biggest since ISIS swept across the north last year, and the government hopes it will reverse the militants’ momentum.

The forces also took the center of a town on the northern edge of Tikrit from ISIS on Tuesday.

Al-Alam is the last ISIS stronghold that needs to be cleared before government forces and militiamen can enter the city of Tikrit itself, which has been under militant control since last summer.

Military commanders said ISIS militants were still holding out in houses in the northern section of al-Alam, but the army and mainly Shiite volunteers had retaken the town center and were preparing for street fighting to seize the rest.

“Snipers and booby traps are slowing our advance to completely control all parts of the town,” said army captain Wisam Ibrahim, speaking from al-Alam.

“We’re waiting for the army helicopters to secure the way for a smooth advance for the troops,” he said.

The battle for Tikrit its aftermath will inform any plans to move further north and recapture Mosul, the largest city under ISIS rule year, and the government hopes it will reverse the militants’ momentum.

ISIS has sent reinforcements to Tikrit from other parts of its self-proclaimed caliphate further north, where it came under attack on Monday from Kurdish forces around the oil-rich-city of Kirkuk.

In another blow to ISIS, Kurdish forces on Monday drove the Islamist militants back from the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

Their advance was backed by heavy air strikes from the U.S.-led coalition.

(With Reuters)

Last Update: Tuesday, 10 March 2015 KSA 18:58 - GMT 15:58
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/03/10/Iraqi-forces-begin-operation-to-liberate-Tikrit.html

 

[Sinan]

 

[Sinan]

 

[Iranian Knight]

Great Persia is coming again.

 

[Sinan]

Great Persia is coming again.

In your dreams Farsi.

 

[Iranian Knight]

In your dreams Farsi.

Our troops are in Iraq and have come to stay. From Iraq to Constantinople.

 

[Sinan]

Our troops are in Iraq and have come to stay. From Iraq to Constantinople.

No, conquer the world please, with your mullah soldiers.

Your influence has been always limited in ME since we came into the region...which makes a millennium.

Meaning, Turks confined Iranian influence in the ME since 1000 years and it's not gonna change anytime soon.

 

[UAE]

In your dreams Farsi.