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04/17/2023 ||
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Question from yesterdays article.... "Ten Years After the Boston Marathon Bombing, No One Dares Discuss Why It Happened."
My comment - "His (Tamerlan Tsarnaev's) American wife Katherine Russell was likely his undoing."
"I’m a little slow today... How do you come to that conclusion, Besoeker?"
My hunch has always been, in spite of her Muslim conversion she was stumbling over pressure cookers and fireworks in their tiny apartment, had to hear the planning, and finally came to her senses. She may have discussed the preparations with her parents who encouraged her to say something to the authorities, or they said something.
After the bombing, LE debriefing and hot cocoa, she was quickly whisked away by her parents and disappeared into the memory hole, quite like 6 Jan, Ray Epps.
HEKMATYAR MAY BE UNDER HOUSE ARREST – A few reports are beginning to arrive suggesting that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-e-Islami party, was placed under house arrest by the supreme leader. He is also reputedly banned from making any public statements or political action. This information has not been confirmed yet and a local source said security around his home and party headquarters appeared to be unchanged. It is not clear what would have provoked the supreme leader to take such actions. We are waiting on additional information.
DISTURBING REPORT FROM PAKISTAN CLAIMS EVIDENCE OF AFGHAN/PAKISTAN COOPERATION IN ANTI-POLICE ATTACKS – The Express Tribune has issued a report that is said to have originated from a senior Pakistani Intelligence official says that between 35%-50% of those participating in terrorist acts in Pakistan are Afghan citizens. The report went on to say that over the past three months, 51 militants killed in clashes were Afghans. Their source reputedly said that diplomatic notes are flying between Islamabad and Kabul. Our analysis indicates that Pakistan is using such leaks to build a case for eventual cross-border operations.
MORE RAIN AND SNOW PREDICTED – A strong storm system is expected to cause heavy rains and snowfall across the Central and Eastern portions of Afghanistan. Some Provinces have already reported rain and there is concern that flooding will wipe out four major bridges which were undergoing repairs from the previous flooding. Flooding is expected to affect communities and roadways as early as Monday afternoon.
DIRECTORATE IN CHARGE OF NGOS IN AFGHANISTAN MAY SUSPEND EDUCATION IN SELECT PROVINCES – A letter shared on social media is being attributed to the ‘Directorate of Coordination of Projects, NGOs, and Funding’ which is ordering the education departments in Kandahar and Helmand to suspend classes of all education centers until further notice. The letter has yet to be verified and the reason for any potential suspension was not provided.
RESISTANCE UNITS REPORTEDLY RECEIVING RECRUITS AFTER THE DEATH OF AKMAL AMIR – Sources with two prominent Resistance forces say they have taken on several recruits after the 10 April operation that resulted in the death of Commander Amir and 11 of his fighters. One of the sources says that no recruiting call had been communicated to people and that the recruits actively sought out contacts to join the struggle. It is not clear how many new recruits have volunteered so far.
PAKISTAN PLANS TO RELEASE REMAINING AFGHANS DETAINED IN PAKISTAN BEFORE EID – In a conversation between both Foreign Ministers, a deal was purportedly struck for Pakistan to release Afghans who have been imprisoned by the end of Ramadan. It is not clear if the deal can be achieved in such a short amount of time.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POTENTIAL FLOODING RISK WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS – With this new round of storms, flooding will likely paralyze transport across much of Central, Eastern, and Northern Afghanistan. At-risk Afghans should consider delaying any potential travel plans if at all possible.
#1
DISTURBING REPORT FROM PAKISTAN CLAIMS EVIDENCE OF AFGHAN/PAKISTAN COOPERATION IN ANTI-POLICE ATTACKS
Trying to sort out who will control Afghan narcotics trade, are they? The Pakistan ISI will not give up easily. As for the Taliban, after initial noises it was going to clean up Helmand, it now understands that opium is about the only domestic rice bowl it now can empty.
[Garowe] Somali National Army (SNA) on Saturday killed at least nine al-Shabaab ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... Death Eaters and injured more after conducting an operation near Janale town in southern Somalia, officials said.
The Chief of Defense Forces Odowaa Yusuf Rage told the Somali national news agency that their forces took swift action against the Death Eaters who ambushed a convoy of the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) some 90 km south of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
"Our forces killed at least nine terrorist Death Eaters who carried out an ambush attack on ATMIS convoy along the road between Bufow location and Janale district. Intelligence reports helped the army to defeat the krazed killers," Odowaa said.
He did not comment on if there were casualties of SNA soldiers during the operation.
The latest onslaught on al-Shabaab Lions of Islam comes a week after the Somali government and local forces launched the second phase of the offensive operation against the group in the Hiraan and Galgudud regions in central Somalia, respectively.
BREAKING: Somali police say at least three al Shabab suspects have died after an explosive-laden auto–rickshaw they were driving has exploded near Yardımeli hospital in Mogadishu's Hamar-Jajab. https://t.co/t3BPt6xMv8pic.twitter.com/A7T9ThGamb
— Shabelle Media Network (@ShabelleMedia) April 16, 2023
Three al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... hard boyz were killed after a tuk-tuk they were in went kaboom! in a police chase in Mogadishu.
Banaadir Regional Police Command said the hard boyz had attempted to seize a police checkpoint along General Da’ud Street in Hamar Jajab district but police responded in hot pursuit against them. The street connects Villa Somalia and the Port of Mogadishu.
Police said the tuk-tuk was filled with explosives the hard boyz intended to use for an attack.
One civilian who was in the vicinity was injured, police said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] The Sudanese army reported that it had captured the headquarters of the Rapid Support Forces in six cities and the Karari base in Khartoum.
The festivities between the two belligerents continued in various parts of Khartoum and other cities, where heavy weapons, artillery shelling, and warplanes were used.
In a blurb seen by the Sudan Tribune, the army stated that it had taken control of RSF militia bases and headquarters in Port Sudan, Kassala, Gedaref, Damazin, Kosti, and Kadugli.
The army also announced that they had taken over the largest RSF base in the Karari area, northern Omdurman of Khartoum state along with vehicles, weapons, and equipment.
The RSF, however, claimed that foreign interference caused an attack on their forces in Port Sudan and reported shooting down a Sukhoi plane and a drone in Khartoum. They also claimed to have seized the navy forces’ headquarters at the army command, which the army denied.
The army headquarters in Khartoum, which includes various buildings such as the Staff Command, Air Force, Navy, and Ground Forces Command, experienced a fire outbreak in the Ground Forces Command headquarters, while festivities occurred in the nearby Buri area of the General Command.
The army denied that the Rapid Support Forces had taken control of or approached the General Command headquarters and stated that the fire was caused by the morning festivities, which were eventually brought under control without any harm.
َThe Sudanese army speaks about ending the RSF insurgency in the coming hours as they use now tanks and but observers say the military operations may take several days.
Also, Chad decided to close the border with Sudan until further notice to avoid the spread of the conflict into its territory, as some RSF garrisons continue to resist the Sudanese army.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] An official from the Sudanese army on Sunday said that they have successfully regained control of the air base at the Meroe airport in the Northern state.
On Saturday, the Rapid Support Forces had taken over the airport and air base and even released videos showcasing their soldiers alongside captured Egyptian officers.
However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... 24 hours later, the Sudanese armed forces managed to reclaim the air base from the Rapid Support Forces, according to a military official who spoke to Sudan Tribune.
The military official further disclosed that "the army had dealt a severe blow to the rebellious militia forces in terms of military equipment". He also shared that over a hundred soldiers and officers of the Rapid Support had been apprehended.
On Sunday afternoon, while the attack was taking place against the RSF forces in Merowe, the paramilitary group released a video where a militia military said they were in full control of the airport.
The deployment of the RSF in the northern Sudan city was the point of no return in the relationship between the regular army and the paramilitary force.
The military source said that the RSF forces fled from Meroe, taking several military pilots of the Egyptian army captured on Saturday.
The exact number of the Egyptian military personnel is unknown but the Sudanese and Egyptian army confirmed their presence in Merowe.
The military added that over a hundred RSF vehicles had withdrawn from the airport and that the army is presently pursuing them.
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Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] 1. In the morning, fighting continued between the army and the rapid reaction forces in the capital and in a number of provinces.
2. The stuffing of the rebels about the capture of the leadership of the army was refuted yesterday late in the evening.
3. The army in the morning reported on the capture of headquarters and the location of the rebels in several provinces.
4. The base of the rebels in Port Sudan was subjected to air strikes, and the planes were without identification marks. One plane shot down.
5. In the capital of the country, part of the city is controlled by the army, part by the rebels. Both sides moved reinforcements to Khartoum during the night.
6. There were unconfirmed reports that the CIA might be behind the mutiny. So far, the outer contour of events is in a fog, but it does not leave the feeling that there is a foreign hand in the events.
7. According to preliminary estimates, from 30 to 50 people died in the capital yesterday and more than 150 were injured. The numbers are very preliminary. There is no exact information about losses in the provinces.
Overall, Sudan continues to teeter on the brink of a long-term civil war.
A remarkable satellite photo of Khartoum International Airport after the fighting began. Made April 16th.
In the picture you can see 2 destroyed Il-76s, a Ukrainian Boeing-737 (which was used to transport weapons), an Airbus A-330 + several more damaged and destroyed aircraft. Also visible are the damage to various administrative buildings of the airport as a result of the fighting, as well as the use of armored vehicles and artillery.
Fighting in Sudan continues despite calls for peace - the parties continue to claim that they are winning, capturing various military and administrative facilities along the way, as well as cities and provinces. No one fully controls the capital for the evening, although Al Jazeera claims that the rebels have already occupied 90% of the city. It is also worth noting that the parties have already taken hundreds of prisoners from each other.
At least one commander of an army division defected to the rebels. On the other hand, the army was able to capture several military bases of the rebels and take trophies. The rebels, in turn, captured at least 2 military bases with hundreds of armored vehicles and wheeled vehicles. In general, there is plenty of fuel for a civil war here even without foreign intervention, but it is not excluded. Egypt is already making hints about the possibility of sending troops to Northern Sudan "
PS. In connection with the war in Ukraine, I am unlikely to be able to fully cover the war in Sudan, so I will periodically write in light mode about how things are going there. In other times, this war would have been at the epicenter of the military-political agenda, but against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, it will obviously remain in the background.
[AlAhram] At least 34 defence volunteers and six soldiers died in a suspected jihadist attack in insurgency-hit northern Burkina Faso ...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other... , the regional governorate said on Sunday.
A detachment of soldiers and the civilian volunteers "was the target of an attack by unidentified gunnies on Saturday ... at about 4:00 pm," near Aorema village, the Ouahigouya governorate said in a statement.
The provisional corpse count was 34 auxiliaries from the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) and six soldiers, the statement said, adding that 33 more people were maimed and in a "stable condition" in the regional capital Ouahigouya's university hospital.
A security source confirmed the corpse count and said "several dozen hard boyz had been neutralised", meaning killed, during a "riposte" launched after the attack.
Another security source said the detachment that came under assault was deployed to maintain security at Ouahigouya's aerodrome.
"Violent festivities took place yesterday evening ... for nearly two hours," a villager who witnessed the fighting told AFP, asking not to be named.
"Several air strikes had targeted suspected positions held by the jihadists," on Friday, the villager added.
Traore, Burkina's transitional president, has declared a goal of recapturing the 40 percent of the country's territory which is controlled by jihadists.
Burkina Faso's military junta had declared Thursday a "general mobilisation" to give the state "all necessary means" to combat a string of bloody attacks blamed on jihadists affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems... group.
- STATE OF EMERGENCY -
Details of the plan were not disclosed, though a security source told AFP it would include "a state of emergency for the affected territories".
Authorities also issued an "advisory" that gives the president "the right to requisition people, goods and services and the right to restrain certain civil liberties", according to another security source.
On Tuesday, the defence minister called for current and retired military personnel to hand in unused uniforms to help outfit army soldiers.
Last week, 44 civilians were reported killed by "armed terrorist groups" in two villages in the northeast, near the Niger border.
It was one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power last September, after 51 soldiers were killed in February at Deou, in the far north.
The government had already announced the same month a plan to recruit 5,000 more soldiers to battle the insurgency that has gripped one of the world's poorest countries since 2015.
Traore, Burkina's transitional president, has declared a goal of recapturing the 40 percent of the country's territory which is controlled by jihadists.
The violence has left more than 10,000 people dead, according to non-governmental aid groups, and displaced two million people from their homes.
A photo of the #trantifa protesters who showed up earlier today to oppose women's rights campaigner @ThePosieParker in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They shouted, "Posie Parker, you can't hide, you've got Nazis on your side." #transpic.twitter.com/cCbroiiV7J
[SAHARAREPORTERS] Some gunmen on Saturday reportedly killed six adults and a child at a water park in central Mexico.
Local authorities said that the incident which left one other person severely injured in the assault caused panic among those present.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at La Palma swimming resort in the Cortazar municipality of Guanajuato state.
Cortazar City Hall, the municipality where the attack occurred said in State that police “arrived at the scene where they found… three dead women, three dead men, and a seven-year-old minor, in addition to one person seriously wounded,” according to AFP.
Violence linked to drugs has increased significantly recently in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato.
Attackers went directly toward a group of people and opened fire, then yanked out security cameras from the site before retreating, authorities said.
According to a video posted on local news site Debate Noticias, which was taken by an eyewitness at the scene, the victims had collapsed on the floor or on the chairs where they were sitting amid thick clouds of smoke — apparently from the gunshots.
The attackers arrived at the La Palma swimming resort at 4:30 p.m. local time (2230 GMT) “to perpetrate the attack,” according to AFP.
The footage also shows people running for cover from the gunfire.
The website of TV Azteca, one of Mexico’s main television networks, had a video from the scene showing panic-stricken adults and children still in swimwear — including pool floats — on the scene after the shooting.
The attack occurred on the last day of the spring school vacation period.
The resort, abutting a university campus, was swarmed by military and state police after the attack.
Guanajuato, a prosperous industrial state, has become one of Mexico’s most dangerous due to a feud between the Santa Rosa de Lima crime syndicate and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is dedicated to fuel theft and drug trafficking.
Since the government controversially sent the army to battle drug cartels in 2006, Mexico has recorded over 350,000 homicides, the majority of which have been blamed on criminal groups, reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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The investigations into the case of cross-border narcotic smuggling has resulted in the arrest of two more accused, including one PSO, by Jammu and Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... Police.
Both the accused are presently lodged at Police Station Rajbagh, a top police official said.The official identified the accused as Gairat Ali, a PSO, son of Ali Mohammad Bajad of Karnah.
"The accused was attached to a police brass hat. He was arrested after a raid was carried out by police at the residence of the senior police officer," the official said. Another one has been identified as Bashir Ahmed Shikh son of Suliman Shikh of Amrohi karnah."Both have been arrested in case FIR no 17/23 U/S 8/20 NDPS. They are lodged at Police station Raj Bagh," the official said.
As already reported, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 6 of 2023 arrested two cross-border narco smugglers namely Sajjad Ahmed Badana son of Aijaz Ahmed Badana from Nachyan, Karnah and Zaheer Ahmed Tanch son of Alamdin Tanch from Amroyi Karnah, kupwara at Srinagar with 11.089 Kgs of Heroin (worth Rs 70 crore in international market) and Rs 11.82 lakh.
"Sajjad Badana was working in the Central Security Agency and was posted at 160Bn, Jammu," the official said.
Following their arrest, an FIR under FIR no 17/2023 has been registered under sections 8,21,29 of NDPS act in Police station Rajbagh. The police had said that both the accused were residing in a rented accommodation owned by Ghulam Mohammad Dar of Kursoo Rajbagh.
"Initial questioning of the accused revealed that the consignment of these drugs had come from Pakistain," the police in a statement had said. Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched a massive drive against the drug abuse to eradicate the menace from the society. The massive crackdown on the drugs has been launched in wake of the latest surveys depicting involvement of young boys and girls in drug addiction. In Baramulla district alone, drugs worth crores of rupees have been seized while 120 persons were arrested in connection with the seized drugs from January to March 2023. "Six of the arrested persons have been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) while 75 cases have been registered so far," the front man said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Youghul Manhas when contacted said the two accused initially arrested in the cross -border narcotic smuggling case by Srinagar Police were already in radar of Kupwara Police. Asked how the accused managed to carry the narcotic substance from Kupwara to Srinagar district, he said they were yet to go through the interrogation report to ascertain how they managed to carry it.
[Rudaw] At least two people were killed and two others maimed in dronezaps on several villages in Sulaimani province on Saturday, the governor said on Sunday.
The strikes on Saturday evening hit three villages in Sulaimani's Penjwen district near the border with Iran.
"According to preliminary investigations, as a result of these bombings, two people have been martyred and two others injured," said Haval Abubakir, governor of Sulaimani.
The strikes were carried out by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... and targeted fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an anonymous source told Rudaw.
Abubakir said that he discussed the strikes in a phone call with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and hoped that "these attacks will end and keep away from the citizens of the region."
The PKK is an armed Kurdish group that for decades has struggled for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, which frequently launches air and dronezaps on alleged members of the group in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.
Ankara has not commented on the latest strikes.
Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. Many families have been forced to flee their homes in the Kurdistan Region's villages because of festivities, especially those in northern Duhok province near the border with Turkey, leaving entire villages empty.
On Saturday, a suspected Ottoman Turkish warplane targeted the countryside around a village in Duhok province, sparking fear among residents.
A dronezap on April 7 targeted a convoy of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi in the vicinity of Sulaimani International Airport. US troops were also present among the SDF convoy. Iraq and the SDF have blamed Turkey.
Turkey considers the SDF and its backbone — the People's Protection Units (YPG) — as a Syrian front for the PKK and views the force as a terrorist organization.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/17/2023 02:47 ||
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[Shafaq News] A security official reported on Sunday that a drone had crashed into a US military base at Baghdad International Airport.
The source told Shafaq News agency that the drone crashed into a training school in the airport after being jammed by US forces stationed there.
The source added that the drone was handed over to the Joint Coordination Center. It remains unclear whether the drone was carrying explosives or for surveillance purposes.
[IsraelTimes] Officer opens fire when man carrying suspicious object calls out Allahu Akbar; Suspect taken to hospital, but no details released on his condition
Police in Jerusalem shot and maimed a Paleostinian man accused of setting a car on fire and vandalizing other vehicles in the Jewish East Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaakov early Monday, authorities said.
Officials suspect the middle-of-the-night attack was motivated by nationalist sentiment, a police statement said without elaborating.
According to police, officers responding to a complaint about cars being damaged came upon a man in a jacket "holding some sort of object."
Officers attempted to apprehend the man, identified as an East Jerusalem man in his 20s, and told him to remove the jacket, but he ignored their calls, a police statement said.
"At a certain point, the suspect began muttering Allahu Akbar ["God is great" in Arabic] and other verses, and an officer fired a single bullet at him," the statement read.
Police said he was brought to a local hospital for treatment but did not elaborate on the location or extent of his injuries.
According to authorities, one car was set on fire and at least 10 more were vandalized.
Pictures distributed by police showed several parked cars with side-view mirrors that had been knocked off. One car showed evidence of more extensive damage, including smashed or blackened windows and what appeared to be light burn marks on a door.
[IsraelTimes] Israeli security forces foil an attempt to smuggle 15 handguns from Jordan into Israel, the military says.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted two vehicles and suspicious movement near the border, close to the town of Neve Ur.
IDF troops and coppers dispatched to the scene catch one of the cars, detain three men, and the 15 handguns in their possession are seized, the military says.
The men and weapons are handed over to police for further investigation.
Incidents of gun smuggling on the border with Jordan are frequent.
[IsraelTimes] Iranian police say authorities have closed more than 150 businesses in 24 hours for not respecting the obligation for women to wear headscarves under Iran’s strict Islamic dress code.
The closures are announced a day after police said they have now implemented a plan to deal with women who violate the law, using surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology.
The requirement for women to wear the headscarf in public was enshrined in law shortly after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
"Unfortunately, police have had to seal 137 shops and 18 restaurants and reception areas for not heeding previous warnings" on the dress code, the Tasnim news agency quotes police front man Said Montazerolmahdi as saying.
The crackdown comes after the number of women defying the code has risen since a protest movement triggered by the death in jug last year of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, 22, for allegedly flouting it.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/17/2023 03:18 ||
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[Shafaq News] Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... has sentenced ten members of the armed forces to prison on charges of involvement in the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian airliner that killed 176 people, according to the Iranian judiciary's website.
Mizan Online on April 16 reported that a commander was sentenced to 10 years in prison while nine others received terms of one to three years.
"Examining this case has been one of the most important, sensitive, and complex judicial processes in the last few years of the country," the website said.
The website added that the commander's action in leading the downing of the craft "was due to his ignorance of the situation and his misplaced belief that the discovered target was hostile."
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed on January 8, 2020, while en route to Kyiv, killing all 176 people on board.
Days after official denials, Iran admitted that a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had inadvertently shot down the plane amid heightened tensions with the United States over the U.S. drone liquidation of top IRGC general, Qasem Soleimani, near Baghdad.
The majority of the victims were Iranians and Canadians, but 11 of them were citizens of Ukraine. The families have demanded transparency and accountability. The Iranian government has allocated $150,000 to compensate the family of each passenger, but some families have refused the money.
Canada said last year that it found no evidence of premeditation in the downing of the airliner. A Canadian court awarded $84 million and interest to the families of six of the victims.
The Group of Seven industrialized countries (G7) last year said in a joint statement that Iran should be held accountable for the shooting down of Flight PS752.
"We continue to support international efforts to hold Iran accountable for the illegal downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752," the June 28, 2022, statement said.
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) late Saturday announced the arrest of an operative of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the US-led coalition that supports the force announced, calling the operation’s success a hindrance to ISIS activities in the region.
SDF and coalition forces detained Mohammed al-Sayid, a proven ISIS operative, in a "successful execution," a statement from the coalition’s Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force - Levant (SOJTF-Levant) read, adding that Sayid was "known for leading several ISIS cells" that broadened the terror group’s operations.
"The success of this operation will disrupt ISIS’s financial and lethal aid networks in northeast Syria," said SOJTF-Levant spokesperson Jonathan Ferrer. "The SDF remains an effective and credible partner of choice in maintaining the enduring defeat of ISIS."
About a thousand US troops stationed in Syria are part of an international coalition that has fought ISIS in the country since 2014. The coalition has been an ally of the SDF since 2017, providing the forces with weapons, military equipment, and advisers.
On Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had detained three ISIS members in eastern Syria without revealing further details.
Two more ISIS members were killed by the SDF as they were preparing for a suicide kaboom attack in early April, according to CENTCOM.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/17/2023 01:14 ||
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CONFIRMED: US Special Operations Forces believed they killed a “very senior ISIS leader responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe” during a helicopter-borne raid in northwest #Syria tonight, a US official tells me.
[NPASYRIA] Five shepherds were killed on Sunday at the hands of unknown people in a town in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
A local source in the town of Bokres, in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, said, "Unknown gunnies in a van targeted shepherds near the town with machineguns."
Militants of the Iranian-backed Liwa Fatemiyoun were accused of the attack, because they have a military post near the site of the incident, in addition, eyewitnesses saw their car fleeing towards the post, the source added.
Recently, the countryside of Deir ez-Zor has been witnessing an increase in liquidation operations, targeting Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, Autonomous Administration employees, clan dignitaries and civilians, as Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS) grabbed credit for most of them.
In addition, since early 2023, dozens of shepherds and truffle hunters were killed at the hands of unknown button men in the western and eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
[NPASYRIA] Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems... (ISIS) killed on Sunday 26 truffle hunters in the eastern countryside of Hama, central west Syria.
The state-run SANA News Agency said, citing a source in Police Command of the Syrian government forces, that ISIS attacked a group of locals in the village of Duizen, in the eastern countryside of Hama, killing 26 citizens while collecting truffles.
In truffle hunting season, hundreds of truffle hunters have gone missing under mysterious circumstances, some of whom were killed by turbans or mines, while others were kidnapped. The fate of many is still unknown.
Each year, hundreds of Syrians risk their lives in the vast Syrian Desert, which is rich in high-quality truffles. The late winter season is largely seen as an opportunity to earn a good income, due to the high prices paid for the desert delicacy, despite the threats of landmines and ISIS presence.
ISIS lost its final stronghold in Syria in March 2019. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the support of the US-led Global Coalition, defeated ISIS after fierce battles in the town of Baghouz in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, bringing an end to the so-called caliphate declared by the terrorist ISIS.
Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP the jihadist group "killed 36 people on Sunday while they were collecting truffles in the desert east of (the central city) Hama".
He said 17 of the dead were pro-regime fighters.
The official Syrian news agency ... and if you can't believe the Official Syrian News Agency who can you believe? SANA reported the deaths of at least 26 people.
The Observatory, which has a wide network of sources on the ground in Syria, said jihadists riding cycle of violences also attacked a group of shepherds in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, killing five and seizing their livestock.
Two other shepherds were kidnapped, the war monitor said.
SANA also reported five dead in the attack, and said the jihadists opened fire on the animals, killing 250 sheep.
Also in Deir Ezzor, the decomposed bodies of two civilians thought to have been truffle hunters killed days earlier by jihadists were recovered, the Observatory said.
Since February, more than 240 people have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters or by landmines left by the holy warriors, according to the Observatory.
The victims included 15 people foraging for truffles who had their throats slit by IS last month.
In February, IS fighters on cycle of violences opened fire on truffle hunters and killed at least 68 people, the Observatory said at the time.
Syria's desert truffles fetch high prices in a state battered by 12 years of war and a crushing economic crisis.
However, if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning... the authorities frequently warn against the high-risk practice of gathering them.
Between February and April each year, hundreds of impoverished Syrians still search for truffles in the vast Syrian desert, or Badia -- a known hideout for jihadists that is also littered with landmines.
Syrian truffles are less fragrant than truffles found in La Belle France and Italia, and can only be found during the rainy season. The prized fungus can sell for up to $25 per kilo (2.2 pounds) depending on size and grade -- in a country where the average monthly wage is around $18.
In its propaganda magazine on Thursday, ISIS claimed to have conducted five attacks in Syria from April 6 to April 12, killing and injuring seven people.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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[NPASYRIA] Ottoman Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA), shelled several areas and villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, northern Syria, with mortar and artillery shells.
An exclusive source told North Press that the Ottoman Turkish artillery located in Scientific Research Center on Yahmoul-Azaz way shelled the villages of Malkiyah and Shwargha, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, with more than 100 shells.
The SNA factions shelled the villages of Maraanaz and al-Alqamiyah, in Shahba Region, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, with more than 50 mortar shells, the source added.
The northern countryside of Aleppo, also known as Shahba Region, houses IDPs of the Kurdish region of Afrin, northwest Syria, which was occupied by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... in 2018.
The Ottoman Turkish operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 original Kurdish inhabitants of Afrin, who sheltered in some 40 villages and five camps in the Shahba Region.
Areas of north and east Syria witness Ottoman Turkish shelling and missile attacks from time to time, in addition to threats to launch military operations against the region, terrifying residents and causing a state of instability.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2023 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Question from yesterdays article.... "Ten Years After the Boston Marathon Bombing, No One Dares Discuss Why It Happened." 
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
.jpg "Kashmir")
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it 
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
