By Peter Clifford © (www.petercliffordonline.com/syria-iraq-news-4/)
SYRIA and IRAQ NEWS
Two months after the liberation of Kobane city, they are still finding the rotting bodies of Islamic State (IS) fighters under the rubble of collapsed and destroyed buildings, but additional aid and help to rebuild has started to trickle in.
Kurdish Woman and Child Walk Through Kobane
Fighting continues to the south-west of the Canton, to the south along and just below the M4 highway line and to the east towards the IS-held town of Tel Abayd.
On the south-western front, IS attempted another infiltration by boat across the Euphrates River near Qara Qwazak but this was detected by the YPG and their snipers repulsed and neutralised the attack.
However, further downstream on the Euphrates, IS managed a boat crossing from and into their own territory, sending reinforcements, weapons and ammunition to the defence of the town of Sarrin.
Repeated attempts by the Islamic State to recover ground north-east of Sarrin have been pushed back by the YPG/YPJ and the IS fighters inside the grain silo complex remain trapped and surrounded.
Coalition airstrikes continue in support of the Kurdish forces.
Recent strikes have targeted IS command and control centres on the west bank of the Euphrates plus vehicles and fighter groups.
Latest reports from US Central Command (Centcom) say that from Wednesday am through to yesterday morning, Thursday, they carried out 4 airstrikes in Kobane Canton, destroying 2 x IS fighting positions and hitting 5 others, plus 2 x IS tactical units.
The Coalition are also reported to have struck an IS military garrison near Raqqah, one of their key cities.
In the other other Kurdish Canton to the east, Cizire, the YPG have advanced on the western front, destroying an IS military vehicle and killing 2 x IS fighters near Tel Tamer.
Somehow, some of the Kurdish spirit to survive, whatever the odds, seems to have blessed a Kurdish football team based in Sweden. All 29 members of the Dalkurd FF team, which plays in the Swedish 3rd Division and was set up by Kurdish immigrants 11 years ago, were due to return together after training in Spain on the ill-fated Germanwings Flight 4U 9525.
However, at the last minute they decided to split into 3 groups and take other flights to Sweden via Germany and Switzerland, rather than have a 10 hour stopover in Dusseldorf. That decison saved their lives. One of their flights left at the same time as the plane that crashed into the French Alps. You can read more, HERE:
(EDITOR: Terrible decision of murderous, suicidal co-pilot of Germanwings aircraft if true. Very sad, so many wasted lives. My condolences to all the families concerned)
Kobane Canton SW Situation Map 26.03.15
Kobane Canton Map 25.03.15
BATTLE FOR SINJAR CITY CONTINUES, WHILE YEZIDI WONDER WHY THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN THEM:
In northern Iraq, the YPG, along with the Peshmerga and Yezidi militia, continue the fight to try and push the Islamic State completely out of Sinjar city. Territory in the city is still split approximately 50/50.
After 2 attacks by Islamic State fighters on Kurdish positions on Wednesday were repulsed, IS were hit with 7 Coalition airstrikes and around 35 of them were killed.
Ancient Minaret Destroyed by Barbaric Islamic State
Last Sunday, in their continuing destruction of everyone’s heritage, IS Jihadists in Sinjar blew up the ancient minaret of the Saljuqid mosque, a city landmark, as well as a number of houses.
At the headquarters of the EU in Brussels this week and in other cities around the world, members of the worldwide Yezidi community demonstrated to once again try and bring attention to the plight of their comrades and relatives in Iraq.
Apart from the hundreds of Yezidi killed by the Islamic State, thousands of captured young Yezidi women and girls are still missing after 8 months, and no-one seems to be doing anything about it.
As a result of Coalition airstrikes on Islamic State positions, an estimated 150 bodies of IS fighters were reported to have been transferred yesterday to the main mortuary in IS-held Mosul city.
The fighters were said to have been killed over the last 2 days in airstrikes on Kaske Kask, Kalak, Khorbasad and in Mosul’s Arabi neighborhood.
A Kurdish source said, “Mosul inhabitants have started buying tents and renting houses outside the city in fear of the battle for Mosul. They want to keep themselves away from clashes in the city”.
As Spring approaches, it is anticipated that the Coalition, the Iraqi Army and the Kurdish Peshmerga will launch a joint operation to retake Mosul, where there are thought to be only 2,000 Islamic State fighters remaining.
Families who have escaped the city say that people still living there are suffering a reign of terror as IS struggles to maintain to control of a large area. One estimate suggests that IS have only the support of about 5% of the population.
IS maintains its position by imposing severe penalties for what it sees as transgressions of its “laws”, according to some even cutting off the hands of children accused of theft. Stoning and executions are not uncommon. You can read more, HERE:
Further south, where the Iraqi Army and Iraqi militias have made progress against the Islamic State around Tikrit, the Coalition joined the fight for the city by carrying out 17 airstrikes on Wednesday am through to Thursday morning.
The airstrikes, according to US Central Command, hit multiple IS buildings, 2 x IS bridges, 3 x IS checkpoints, 2 x IS fighter staging areas, 2 x IS berms (defensive banks), an IS roadblock and an IS command and control facility. The attack on one of the bridges and nearby targets can be seen, here:
Although the Iraqi Government requested Coalition air support from the US, the action had not pleased everyone. Some of the Iraqi militias sponsored by Iran, with as many as 30,000 men, have threatened to pull back from Tikrit, claiming that the US is trying to “hijack victory”.
The attempt to retake Tikrit, after initial advances, has been stalled for more than 2 weeks, with the Iraqis unable to unseat a relatively small group of Islamic State fighters holding the centre. You can read more, HERE:
AL-NUSRA CONTINUE RAPID ADVANCE INTO IDLIB CITY, TAKING CONTROL OF KEY POINTS AND EXIT ROUTES:
The Al-Nusra Front (ANF) and the Islamic Front have continued their rapid advance into Idlib city in Syria with, it seems, little effective resistance from Assad’s Syrian Army or his supporters, Hezbollah and other Shia militias.
ANF Sniper View onto Mehrab Roundabout in Idlib
Latest reports today, Friday, suggest that advancing in through the countryside and the industrial zone from the east, ANF and their allies are now in control of a large complex of grain silos, an olive oil factory, the Cardamom Market, the Idlib Antiquities Museum and were at the Mehrab roundabout military checkpoint at sunset this evening, HERE:
Fighting near the grain silos earlier can be seen, HERE:and just north of the grain silos, ANF seized Government BMP armoured vehicles, though it is not clear if they are still functional, HERE:
This car tour shows the industrial zone firmly in the hands of ANF and Islamic Opposition units, (Caution, some dead bodies) HERE:
South-east of Idlib city, ANF have captured the “Brick Factory Checkpoint” also knows as Qameed Camp after, as reported earlier (scroll down – see below), Assad’s troops defected, HERE:
There are also unconfirmed reports that columns of Assad’s forces have withdrawn from the city to the Baath Vanguards Camp just south of Idlib at Al-Mastouma.
On the northern-western approaches to Idlib city, ANF are in control of the University buildings, HERE: and from where they are able to fire down on Assad’s defending forces, HERE:
Reports late this afternoon, Friday, say that the Al-Nusra fighters have also captured the Nara North district to the north-east of the city, and together with their control of the uncompleted “Youth Housing” project taken yesterday, they have effectively completely cut the regime from any routes north of the city.
Footage of yesterday’s battle for the “Youth Housing” is, HERE:
In a fast moving situation, ANF are also claiming control of the main western road into the city and the Idlib Municipal Stadium.
As dusk approached this evening, Friday, ANF units pounded Government positions, HERE:
As always, when in danger of losing ground, the Assad regime this evening launched 4 or 5 Scud missiles from Damascus, which have landed on the villages of Saraqib and Sarmin in Idlib province, thought by the Syrian Army to be the centres of ANF’s operations.
Just to add to a bad day for President Assad, the Islamic State Jihadists, it has just been reported, launched an attack today on the Al-Tayfur military base in Homs province with 2 suicide bombs.
Very latest unconfirmed reports in on Friday night say that ANF forces are now attacking Assad’s Political Security Branch in Sabaa Bahrat Square. More news awaited.
In a rapidly changing situation, this map, courtesy of @archicivilians, shows the Idlib position of ANF and its allies as of yesterday – since then they have advanced even further, as detailed above:
Situation Map for Idlib 26.03.15
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