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Hundreds of Iraqis Killed Daily in Sunni Muslim Arab Cities, by US-Led-Iraqi Government Air Strikes, Bombardments August 13, 2017 Editor's Note about reporting on the US-Led war in Iraq The US-led coalition which fights the Islamic State in northern Iraq consists of US-led NATO forces, Iraqi Shi'i government forces, Iranian-backed Shi'i militias, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces. The coalition's continuous attacks have resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of Iraqi Sunni Muslim Arabs and the eviction of hundreds of thousands as a result of the destruction of their cities and villages. Millions of Iraqi Sunni Muslim Arabs have left their cities and villages as the fighting intensified towards an all-attack by the US-led coalition on Mosul. The end outcome has been evicting (ethnic cleansing of) Sunni Muslim Arabs from the upper Euphrates region of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria. The larger context for understanding the Iraq-Syrian wars is that these wars contribute to the implementation of the Zionist-Israeli plan of destroying the Arab Middle Eastern states in preparation for the establishment of the greater Israeli empire, from the Nile of Egypt to the Euphrates of Iraq. The following news stories from the official US and Iraqi websites do not mention any civilian casualties, as all reported deaths are claimed to be for ISIS members, who are killed in air strikes and bombardment on cities! Needless to say that independent sources are hard to find or report from. Thus, the following is a documentation of the death and destruction, as reported basically in such official website. Other independent reporting will be presented whenever available. One of these independent websites, which provides some reporting on Iraq is yaqein, whose stories are also posted here but in Arabic, with English headlnes.
For a background, read: Zionist Creative Destruction of the Middle East for the Benefit of the Apartheid Israeli Regime
The following are news stories from the independent Iraqi Arabic news agency, Yaqein ( http://yaqein.net/ ): ***
*** 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: *** US-led coalition air raids kill dozens of IS east of Salahuddin by Mohamed Mostafa Aug 13, 2017, 11:28 am Tuz Khurmatu (IraqiNews.com) -- Tens of Islamic State militants were killed Sunday after warplanes from the United States.-led coalition pounded their locations in Salahuddin province. Abdullah Bur, area commander for Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Tuz Khurmatu, said coalition warplanes pounded gatherings of IS militants in a chicken pen in Zarka region, 75 Km east of Salahuddin. Bur said the militants were grouping at the area in preparation for an attack on Peshmerga forces, but the attack was foiled by the fighter jets based on intelligence information. Peshmerga forces have been actively contributing to Iraq’s war against Islamic State militants since the group emerged in 2014 to proclaim a self-styled Islamic “Caliphate”. Islamic State members have escalated attacks against civilians and security forces at areas recaptured by government troops and allied paramilitary forces over the past years. The attacks and counterattacks from security troops left hundreds of personnel, civilians and militants dead. Government troops managed early July to recapture the group’s largest stronghold, Mosul, after more than eight months of U.S. backed offensives. The government is bent on further offensives to recapture areas still under IS’s control. The group still holds smaller havens in Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk and Nineveh. Eleven Islamic State members killed in joint operations in Anbar desert by Nehal Mostafa Aug 10, 2017, 9:32 pm Anbar (IraqiNews.com) -- Eleven Islamic State militants were killed, while two others were arrested in a joint military operation in Anbar desert, the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell declared. Jazeera Operations Command, along with the Tribal Mobilization Forces carried out two military operations from two directions,” the WMC said in a statement on Thursday. “The first direction started from the desert toward Anah town. Troops reached to three kilometers away from Anah. The second direction started from the desert toward Anah then to the main road reaching to Rawa town. Troops reached to three kilometers away from Rawa.” “Eleven militants were killed, three motorbikes, a booby-trapped vehicle, booby-trapping workshop and three rest houses were destroyed. Twenty-two bombs were defused, while two IS members were arrested,” the statement added indicating that the operations lasted for two days. Earlier on the day, news reports said fifteen paramilitary personnel of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) were killed as IS militants attacked defense line in Okashat region in western Anbar. Anbar’s western towns of Anah, Qaim and Rawa are still held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic Caliphate. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them. Fifteen paramilitary personnel killed, injured in IS attack, western Anbar by Nehal Mostafa Aug 10, 2017, 5:32 pm Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Nine personnel of the Shia-led paramilitary troops were killed, while six others were wounded in an armed attack in western Anbar, BasNews reported. “Islamic State militants attacked the defense line in Okashat region using all kinds of weapons, leaving nine personnel of al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Units] killed and six others profoundly wounded. Three of the troops’ vehicles were destroyed,” a source from the Anbar Operations Command said on Thursday. “PMUs troops and Iraqi military units have been deployed at the defense line, which is near to the residential area in Okashat, for almost three years,” the source added. “Frequent IS attacks have been seen in areas of Rutba, Okashat and the regions on border with Syria, in west of Anbar, over the past few days.” Anbar’s western towns of Anah, Qaim and Rawa are still held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic Caliphate. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them. Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. More than 500 Iraqis were killed and injured during the month of July due to violence and armed conflicts, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). Fallujah needs US$2 billion for reconstruction: official by Mohamed Mostafa Aug 10, 2017, 12:05 pm Fallujah (IraqiNews.com) -- Anbar’s city of Fallujah needs USD2 billion to make up for destruction under the Islamic State, the city’s mayor said Thursday. Eissa al-Sayer told Aljournal News website that securing the amount at present would be difficult given the government’s engrossment in military operations against the extremist group, adding that world donors focus donations on service projects rather than the infrastructure. “Sanitation sector losses in Fallujah are estimated by USD50 million, the water services by USD10 million,” al-Sayer said. “The municipality needs USD15 million to compensate for machinery and buildings destroyed during the military operations, add to that losses at the education, health and energy sectors.” Iraqi government forces regained control over Fallujah in 2016. The war against Islamic State militants in Iraq has displaced more than four million people since the group emerged in 2014 and proclaimed a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria. Besides the human loss, the war in Mosul and at encounters at other IS havens in Iraq, have caused serious damages to infrastructure and basic services. In May, the Iraqi government approved a ten-year scheme for the rehabilitation of areas liberated from IS worth USD100 billion, saying it would secure the finances depending on international loans and grants. U.S. erects base near Tal Afar to back anticipated invasion by Mohamed Mostafa Aug 9, 2017, 5:08 pm2 Comments Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) -- U.S. forces have erected a military base near Islamic State’s last stronghold in Nineveh to support imminent Iraqi operations to retake the area, an army official said Wednesday. Lit. Col. Mahdi al-Khafaji, an official in charge of heavy machinery at the Iraqi army, told Anadolu Agency that the establishment of the base came after consultations by U.S. and Iraqi troops last Friday in Mosul. Engineering teams are done with 50 percent of work at the base, according to Khafaji, who revealed that special U.S. troops and advisers had arrived to the site in armored vehicles. Col. Ahmed al-Jubouri, from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) told the agency that current works were concentrated on preparing the runway for military aeroplanes that are supposed to provide logistic backing for the operations. He added that several JOC troops had arrived to the facility, including nearly 30 tanks, 190 armored vehicles, 100 tractors, 200 minesweepers and other equipment. Tal Afar is 65 kilometers away from Mosul, and is home to a mixed Turkmen and Arab population. Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul, Islamic State’s former capital, early July after more than eight months of U.S.-backed offensives. Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi and his defense officials have recently marked Tal Afar as their next target of anti-Islamic State action. Coalition jets kill 10 Islamic State members west of Anbar Anbar (IraqiNews.com) -- Ten Islamic State militants were killed in an airstrike in western Anbar, Jazeera Operations Command announced. “The U.S.-led coalition shelled IS rest houses and two booby-trapped vehicles in the towns of Anah and Rawa,” Maj.Gen. Qassim al-Mohammadi, commander of the Jazeera Operations, told AlSumaria News on Wednesday. “The shelling left ten militants killed,” Mohammadi added. On Sunday, an army source was quoted saying that coalition jets bombed the group’s so-called Hisbah (vigilantes) office in Anah, west of Anbar. Fighter jets from the Iraqi army and the international coalition regularly pound IS locations in the province. Anbar’s western towns of Anah, Qaim and Rawa are still held by the extremist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled Islamic Caliphate. Iraqi troops were able to return life back to normal in the biggest cities of Anbar including Fallujah, Ramadi and others after recapturing them. Lt.Gen Abdul-Amir Yarallah, commander of the Nineveh Operations, ordered to besiege IS havens in western Anbar preparing to invade them, a military source said in late July. Iraqi fighter jets reportedly dropped millions of leaflets informing locals that liberation offensives for the province were nearing. Three thousand corpses remain under rubbles in Mosul’s Old City by Mohamed Mostafa Aug 9, 2017, 11:31 am Mosul (IraqiNews.com) -- Rubbles from more than eight months of battles between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants in Mosul are still holding 3000 dead civilians’ bodies beneath, a relief team commander said. Mohamed Abdul-Sattar al-Hamadani, a commander of the third division of the Iraqi Civil Defense forces, was quoted Wednesday saying that 3000 corpses remain under the rubble in the Old City district. He said 839 new bodies had been extracted from different Mosul areas in three days. “Some corpses have been run on by tractors during removal of debris, and that is due to volunteers’ ignorance of the correct way of searching for civilians under the rubble,” Hamadani stated. “We believe there are at least 3000 dead bodies under the rubble, especially in the western side of the Old City. Bab al-Toub and Rajm Hadid neighborhoods had been levelled, and nobody came alive from there,” he added. The medieval Old City was the birthplace of the Islamic State. It was from its Grand Nuri Mosque that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of the group’s rule in Iraq and Syria. The Iraqi government said early July it retook full control over Mosul from IS. The military command said more than 1000 civilians were killed in the campaign. Seventeen IS militants killed in artillery shelling in Tal Afar by Nehal Mostafa Aug 8, 2017, 11:34 pm Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) -- Seventeen Islamic State militants, including leaders, were killed in artillery shelling in west of Mosul, an Iraqi army official said on Tuesday. “An army artillery unit targeted IS strategic and tactic sites by 12 missile strikes on Tuesday at al-Beshmata village, in Tal Afar, depending on intelligence information,” Lt.Gen. Ali al-Daini, told Anadolu Agency. “The strikes killed each of Abi al-Hareth al-Ahmadi, an Iraqi national from Mosul, who used to be in charge of the security protection in Tal Afar, Abi Ali al-Afari, an Iraqi national who was in charge of booby-trapping workshops and bombs manufacturing and Zidan Jamal al-Jirba, a prominent leader in the town and a main geographical expert there,” Daini added. Such operations, according to Daini, “have the biggest impact in destroying the group’s fighting capabilities.They also allow the ground troops deployed at the boundaries of the town to go through the battles with minimal losses. An Iraqi army source was quoted saying on Tuesday as saying that the army’s ninth armored division arrived to boundaries of the town ahead of anticipated battle to free it from IS. On Monday, the Defense Ministry declared conclusion of arrangements ahead of military invasion of the town. An army official was quoted as saying that an army division was ordered to leave Mosul toward Tal Afar within preparations to retake the town, which has been set as the next target of operations after victory was declared in Mosul on July 10. *** The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) : *** OIR Spokesman: No Safe Havens Left for ISIS in Syria or Iraq Edited from a news story by Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity With 50 percent of Raqqa, Syria, now under the control of (the US-backed) Syrian Democratic Forces and holding forces in place in Mosul, Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has no safe haven left in either country, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said today. US Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon, briefing the media live from Baghdad, gave an update on operations in Syria and Iraq, noting that determined SDF fighters continue to make progress against ISIS as they fight block by block in Raqqa. “The SDF has now cleared more than 50 percent of the city from terrorists,” Dillon said. “The SDF are in a fierce urban fight and have almost managed to link up their forces along the eastern and western axes as they conduct deliberate clearance operations of areas under their control,” he added. Syria Operations Fighting in the tightly packed old city is difficult because buildings and even corpses are rigged with improvised explosives by ISIS to stall the SDF advance, the colonel said. The Raqqa Internal Security Force, otherwise known as the RISF, now more than 1,000 strong and composed mainly of Arabs from the Raqqa area, is filling in behind the SDF to provide security and prevent ISIS from returning to cleared neighborhoods, Dillon said. In southern Syria, near the Iraq-Syria border, there were clashes Monday between ISIS and militia groups, he said, noting that there were initial allegations of coalition strikes on Iraqi popular mobilization forces. Iraq Operations The coalition conducted more than 50 strikes in the past week against ISIS defensive positions, headquarters, weapons caches and vehicle bomb and road bomb factories in Tal Afar and Kisik Junction, which is about 30 kilometers east of Tal Afar, Dillon said, where ISIS is defending the approach to the city. The coalition estimates that about 2,000 ISIS fighters are in and around Tal Afar, and the colonel said the fight to root them out from one of ISIS' last Iraq strongholds is expected to be difficult, he said. In Tikrit, liberated in April 2015, more than 95 percent of those who fled the city have returned, the colonel said. In Ramadi, liberated in February 2016, more than 300,000 displaced persons have returned, and 20 schools, 18 health centers and 250 houses are rehabilitated, he added. In Fallujah, liberated in June 2016, 400,000 displaced persons have returned, clean water is pumped to 60 percent of residents, and projects have begun to rehabilitate more than 10,000 houses over the next 18 months, Dillon said. Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 12, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting strikes and engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 27 strikes consisting of 34 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIS vehicle. -- Near Raqqa, 26 strikes engaged 19 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 35 fighting positions, two vehicles, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS communication line. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Huwayjah, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed five pieces of oil equipment, two vehicles, an explosives cache, an ISIS-held building and a vehicle bomb factory. -- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed three ISIS unmanned aerial system launch platforms and suppressed a mortar team and an artillery system. -- Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIS weapons cache and a mortar system, and suppressed two mortar teams. Aug. 9-10 Strikes Additionally, 17 strikes consisting of 19 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Aug. 9-10 that closed within the last 24 hours: -- On Aug. 9, near Raqqa, Syria, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions. -- On Aug. 10, near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, a mortar system, a logistics node and a command-and-control node. -- On Aug. 10, near Rawah, Iraq, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit. -- On Aug. 10, near Tal Afar, Iraq, three strikes destroyed a vehicle bomb and suppressed two ISIS tactical units. SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 11, 2017 — Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 34 strikes consisting of 43 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle. -- Near Raqqa, 33 strikes engaged 14 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 21 fighting positions, four command-and-control nodes, three ISIS communication nodes, two improvised bombs, a logistics node and an ISIS communication facility. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of eight engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed a vehicle bomb factory. -- Near Tal Afar, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed three ISIS warehouses, two ISIS-held buildings, two tunnel entrances and a command-and-control node. Aug. 9 Strikes Additionally, 18 strikes consisting of 21 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Aug. 9 that closed within the last 24 hours: -- Near Raqqa, Syria, 16 strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units; destroyed 13 fighting positions, three command-and-control nodes, a mortar system, an improvised bomb and a heavy machine gun; and damaged two fighting positions. -- Near Kisik Iraq, two strikes destroyed four ISIS headquarters buildings. SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 10, 2017 — Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes consisting of 25 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed ISIS oil equipment. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIS wellhead. -- Near Raqqa, 14 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed 27 fighting positions, five command-and-control nodes, two heavy machine guns, a mortar system, a vehicle and an improvised explosive device factory. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of four engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS-held building and a vehicle. Aug. 8 Strikes Officials also announced results today on 11 strikes consisting of 19 engagements conducted Aug. 8 in Syria and Iraq for which the information was unavailable in time for yesterday's report: -- Near Raqqa, seven strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, three command-and-control nodes, an IED and a heavy machine gun. -- Near Kisik, two strikes suppressed 10 mortar systems. -- Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIS staging area and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit. SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 9, 2017 — Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 25 strikes consisting of 32 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed three ISIS supply routes. -- Near Raqqa, 22 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 20 fighting positions, an improvised explosive device, ISIS engineering equipment, a logistics node and a command-and-control node. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three vehicle-borne-IED facilities. -- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a staging area and a vehicle. -- Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two command-and control-nodes and an IED factory. -- Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed three vehicle-borne-IED facilities. Other Recent Strikes Officials also reported results today from nine other recent strikes consisting of 17 engagements for which details were unavailable at the time of yesterday's report: -- Near Raqqa, an Aug. 6 strike destroyed 10 ISIS fighting positions and two mortar systems. -- Near Raqqa, six Aug. 7 strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, an ISIS communications tower and a mortar system. -- Near Tal Afar, two Aug. 7 strikes destroyed two IED facilities and a vehicle-borne-IED factory and suppressed five ISIS mortar teams. SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 8, 2017 — Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 36 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an improvised-bomb factory. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed seven ISIS wellheads and a weapons cache. -- Near Raqqa, 25 strikes engaged 17 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 37 fighting positions, two command-and-control nodes, two weapons caches, two vehicles and a weapons depot. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed a vehicle-borne-bomb supply site. -- Near Bashir, a strike destroyed three ISIS oil stills. -- Near Kisik, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles, a tractor and a silo. -- Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle and an ISIS-held building. Aug. 6 Strikes Officials also reported results today of 16 Aug, 6 strikes consisting of 28 engagements for which details were unavailable at the time of yesterday's report: -- Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, a mortar system, an anti-air artillery system and a vehicle-borne bomb. -- Near Huwayjah, Iraq, a strike destroyed two ISIS oil stills and a refinery. -- Near Qaim, two strikes destroyed 12 ISIS oil stills and a vehicle-borne-bomb factory. -- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit. *** Share the link of this article with your facebook friendsFair Use Notice This site contains copyrighted material the
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