Iraq declares three-day mourning period after deadly protests

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi has declared three days of mourning as deadly protests have swept over several provinces, including the capital Baghdad, since October 1.

The mourning period will start on Thursday for those killed in the protests, whether demonstrators or security forces, the prime minister said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said that the death toll from anti-government protests in the country rose to 104, including eight security members, while at least 6,000 others were injured.

Violent anti-government protests have erupted in Baghdad and other cities since Tuesday, October 1, prompting security forces to fire live rounds and tear gas into the demonstrating crowds.

The demonstrations came in response to online campaigns to express anger about the deteriorating situation in the country, topped by the lack of services, rampant corruption and high unemployment rates.

 

Source : Iraq News

Security Media Cell announce seizing 3 car bombs in Nineveh

Nineveh (IraqiNews) The security media cell announced on Thursday, seizing three car bombs in different areas of Nineveh, while pointed out that the car bombs were detonated on site.

In a press statement, the Cell reported that based on accurate intelligence information, joint forces from the 60th Brigade of the 20th Division and al-Hashd al-Ashaeri, managed to seize three booby-trapped vehicles, southwest of Lake Sinisla and southeast of Munayef Mount.
“It was treated and detonated without inflicting any losses,” the cell further added.

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.

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.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Iraqi court sentences two Islamic State terrorists to life in jail

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi court has sentenced two Islamic State militants to life in jail for attempting to assassinate a judge at the Court of Appeals in Salahuddin province.

The court ruling was issued by the Karkh Criminal Court in line with article no. ¼ of the anti-terrorism law, the media center of the Supreme Judicial Council said in a press statement on Tuesday.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.

Iraqi courts have sentenced many of Islamic State members to death over joining the militant group.

The exact number of detained militants is still unknown, however, it’s estimated to be at thousands. It’s also unclear how many members are likely to face death sentences.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Iraq foils Islamic State scheme to attack village during Eidul Adha

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – A pro-government force said on Wednesday that a plot by Islamic State militants to spoil Iraqis’ celebration of Eidul Adha (Greater Bairam) was foiled in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

In a press statement, a copy of which was obtained by Iraqi website Alforat News, the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that a plot by the Islamic State militant group to storm a village in Hawija district, in Kirkuk, was successfully foiled during Eidul Adha holiday.

“A PMF member was killed while repelling the IS attack on the village,” added the statement.

In October 2017, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.

The town had fallen to IS in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”. There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.

The offensive on Hawija began in September 2017 and has involved army, police and special forces units, as well as the Shia-led paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces. Despite the victory over IS in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Iraq foils Islamic State scheme to attack village during Eidul Adha

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – A pro-government force said on Wednesday that a plot by Islamic State militants to spoil Iraqis’ celebration of Eidul Adha (Greater Bairam) was foiled in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

In a press statement, a copy of which was obtained by Iraqi website Alforat News, the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that a plot by the Islamic State militant group to storm a village in Hawija district, in Kirkuk, was successfully foiled during Eidul Adha holiday.

“A PMF member was killed while repelling the IS attack on the village,” added the statement.

In October 2017, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.

The town had fallen to IS in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”. There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.

The offensive on Hawija began in September 2017 and has involved army, police and special forces units, as well as the Shia-led paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces. Despite the victory over IS in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.

 

Source : Iraqi News

3 Daesh militants killed by Iraqi security in Diyala, 2 caught in Mosul

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Three Islamic State militants were killed on Monday as part of an Iraqi security operation in a region between the provinces of Diyala and Salahuddin, while two others were arrested in Mosul.

Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces said through their media outlet that forces killed the militants  at Mutaibija. A fourth militant was arrested during the operation, according to PMF media.

Iraq security authorities announced earlier this month they launched an operation, backed by the international coalition against IS, to clear northern Baghdad, Diyala, Nineveh and Salahuddin provinces from remnant terrorist cells.

Meanwhile, Interior Ministry spokesperson, Saad Maan, said in a statement that two IS militants, who worked for the extremist group’s health and recruitment divisions. The pair was arrested in al-Maamoun district in the west of Mosul, the group’s formerly-proclaimed capital, according to the statement.

Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants late 2017, and the recapture of territories under the group’s control since 2014.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Corrected: Iraq rejects Israeli participation in Gulf maritime security

*The word (stranger) was replaced by (Western)

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq has voiced opposition to a suggested Israeli role in a proposed U.S.-led coalition to secure maritime movement in the Arab Gulf.

Foreign Minister Mohamed Al- al-Hakim tweeted that “Iraq rejects the participation of the Zionist entity in any military force designed to secure the passage of ships in the Arab Gulf”.

According to the minister, “Gulf countries, combined are able to secure ship movement”.

The minister added that “Iraq is seeking deescalation in the region through quiet negotiations, and the presence of Western forces will increase tensions”.

The United States has called for the formation of a military coalition to secure shipping through the Strati of Hormuz after tensions on the backdrop of Iran’s confiscation of a UK ship there for allegedly violating maritime rules.

Israel foreign minister Yisrael Katz was quoted recently saying Israel would take part in the efforts.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Seven people injured in clashes between two families in Iraq’s Duhok

Erbil (IraqiNews.com) – Seven people were wounded Saturday in clashes between two families in Duhok governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan, a security source said.

Speaking to the Arabic-language Baghdad Today news website, the source said that two of the wounded are in critical condition, adding that the confrontation erupted over a plot of land.

Police forces were able to control the situation, added the source.

The Iraqi government and non-governmental organizations launched many initiatives over the past period to persuade rival tribesmen to sign petitions to stop their fighting, which claims the lives of several people daily.

Chieftains were also urged to intervene to put an end to tribal disputes in the country through forcing tribesmen to hand over their weapons to the Iraqi army.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Iraqi troops destroy five Islamic State hideouts in Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi police chief announced on Wednesday the destruction of five hideouts of the Islamic State terrorist group in Diyala province.

“Five Islamic State hotbeds were destroyed Wednesday on the outskirts of Khanaqin and in Jalawla districts in Diyala as part of the third phase of the Victory Will operation,” Diyala police chief Maj. Gen. Faisal Kazem al-Abadi told the privately-owned Alghad Press website.

Abadi pointed out that Iraqi troops will step up their efforts to arrest Islamic State terrorists and destroy their terrorist hotbeds across Iraq.

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.

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.

 

Source : Iraqi News

Two Iraqi citizens wounded as bomb blast rocks Iraq’s Baghdad

Citizens inspect the scene after a car bomb explosion at a crowded outdoor market in the Iraqi capital’s eastern district of Sadr City, Iraq

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Two Iraqi people were wounded Tuesday in a bomb attack in Baghdad, a security source was quoted as saying.

Speaking to Iraqi website Alforat News, the source said that an explosive charge went off Tuesday in al Baladiyat district in Baghdad, leaving two people wounded.

According to the source, the wounded citizens were moved to a nearby hospital for treatment.

He added that security forces cordoned off the blast site and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.

 

Source : Iraqi News