TARMIYAH: Iraqi security forces clashed with Daesh north of Baghdad on Saturday, leaving at least five extremists and two security personnel dead.
A joint force of army troops and state-sponsored tribal fighters raided a Daesh hideout in the leafy plains of Tarmiyah, according to a statement from the military.
“We had learnt that Daesh was holding a meeting there to plan for attacks on the capital Baghdad,” Ahmad Salim, head of the Baghdad Operations Command, said near the site of the fighting.
Ensuing clashes killed five Daesh terrorists and two tribal pro-government forces, the military statement said.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi met with top military commanders as troops combed the fields and agricultural lands around Tarmiyah.
The new raid comes nearly one month to the day after twin suicide bombers killed more than 30 people in the packed Tayaran Square, the bloodiest such attack in Baghdad in three years.
Security sources said the two terrorists had infiltrated the city from the north.
A few days later, nearly a dozen fighters from Iraq’s Hashed Al-Shaabi, a powerful network of state-sponsored groups, were killed in a Daesh ambush — also north of the capital.
Since then, security forces have ramped up their efforts to hunt Daesh sleeper cells there, with Al-Kadhemi announcing the killing of Abu Yasser Al-Issawi, identified as the top IS figure in Iraq, on January 28.
In early February, security forces killed another IS leader who they believed helped transport the twin bombers into Baghdad.
Iraq declared Daesh territorially defeated in late 2017 after a three-year fight aided by US-led coalition air strikes and military advisers.
Daesh attacks in urban areas have dramatically dropped since then, but Iraqi troops have continued to battle sleeper cells in the country’s mountainous and desert areas.
Clashes between Iraqi forces and Daesh leave 7 dead
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Clashes between Iraqi forces and Daesh leave 7 dead
- The new raid comes nearly one month to the day after twin suicide bombers killed more than 30 people in the packed Tayaran Square, the bloodiest such attack in Baghdad in three years
Syrian authorities bust smuggling ring, tighten border controls
- Smugglers' boat collides with rocks as it attempted to flee pursuing as Coast Guard vessels
- The boat was about to illegally transport passengers from the Syrian coast of Tartus coast to Cyprus
DAMASCUS: Syrian Coast Guard forces have arrested members of a human smuggling network operating in the western town of Tartus, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Saturday.
Authorities pounced on the smugglers as they were about to transport passengers from the Tartus coast to Cyprus by illegal means, the state media said, citing a statement from the General Authority of Ports and Customs.
"The operation resulted in the arrest of all those involved, including the organizers of the trip," said the report, adding that the smugglers' boat attempted to escape as Coast Guard vessels surrounded it, but collided with rocks.
No details were made available on how many suspects were arrested and how many passengers were rescued. Criminal charges are being prepared against the arrested suspects, SANA said.
New restrictions on commercial transit
In a separate move to regulate trade and border security, the ports and customs authority has issued a new policy restricting truck access at land crossings and seaports.
Commercial trucks will now only be permitted entry for loading or unloading upon presentation of an original receipt from the Ministry of Transport’s freight office.
The transfer of cargo between Syrian and non-Syrian vehicles must now take place strictly within designated customs yards at border crossings.
Trucks passing through Syria in transit remain permitted, provided they are under a mandatory customs escort between entry and exit points.
