forces Archives

Kurdish Forces Bulldoze Thousands of Arab Homes in Northern Iraq

January 19, 2016 By administrator

1033406396 According to a report by a prominent rights watchdog, Kurdish militias have destroyed thousands of homes belonging to Arabs in northern Iraq for their alleged support of the Daesh militant group.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kurdish militias have destroyed thousands of homes belonging to Arabs in northern Iraq for their alleged support of the Daesh militant group, a report by a prominent rights watchdog said Wednesday.

“Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish militias in northern Iraq have bulldozed, blown up and burned down thousands of homes in Arab villages,” Amnesty International said in the report.

The 46-page report documents widespread burning of homes and property in villages and towns in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala governorates which Peshmerga forces captured from Daesh militants.

Accusations of widespread destruction in Arab communities were substantiated by a field investigation in 13 villages, satellite images and reports from over a hundred witnesses.

Many Arabs displaced by fighting in northern Iraq have been prevented from returning to their homes by Kurdish militias, while others were expelled after Peshmerga forces had taken control of the areas, the report said.

“They are examples of a wider pattern across the disputed areas of northern Iraq, where parties which had long vied for exclusive control of these areas are now intent on consolidating territorial gains,” the report said.

Amnesty International has called on KRG, as well as states from the US-led coalition providing support to Kurds, to take steps to ensure those responsible for the abuses are held accountable for what the watchdog said constituted a war crime.

Iraqi defense spokesman: Turkish forces withdrawal empty statements, done nothing

December 24, 2015 By administrator

Despite the announcement of a “partial withdrawal” of Turkish forces from a training camp near the ISIS-controlled northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Ankara has done nothing to follow up on itsempty statements, the Iraqi defense ministry says.

In fact there is no Turkish troop withdrawal. There are just statements from Anakara,” said Iraqi defense ministry spokesman Nasir Nouri Mohammed, TASS reported. According to the spokesman, Ankara’s forces “only slightly relocated near the same positions.”

This cannot even be called a “partial withdrawal,” Nouri Mohammed said, let alone a full withdrawal of the Turkish contingent.

Tensions between the two countries have increased dramatically since Turkey reinforced its military deployment in Iraq with about 150 soldiers backed by artillery and around 25 tanks in a base near the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)-controlled northern Iraqi city of Mosul on December 4.

The Iraqi government considered this action as an hostile act in violation of its sovereignty and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops.

Nouri Mohammed expressed hope that Turkey would follow up on its promises and will proceed to the “actual withdrawal” of its contingent. Yet, the spokesman reiterated, “no concrete steps” have been taken by Ankara so far.

On Sunday, the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced the withdrawal of military troops from Iraq to reduce tensions following international criticism. The decision to pull out troops also came after Iraq brought the issue to the United Nations Security Council.

Yet despite the announcement made by Erdogan on December 20, Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday that the troops will remain in Iraq to fight IS militants. According to the PM, Turkish training and equipment mission for Iraq will continue until IS-held Mosul is liberated.

“Within this framework and in line with Iraqi authorities’ demands, we have been providing training and equipment to both the Peshmerga and the local Mosul volunteers. Our support will continue until Mosul is liberated,” Davutoglu said, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Addressing national assembly members on Tuesday, Turkish defense minister Ismet Yilmaz said that IS is a direct security threat for Turkey.

“Ensuring Iraq’s stability passes from neutralizing Daesh [the Arabic name for IS]. This can only be possible through the recapture of Mosul, which has, in the first place, strategic importance,” he said.

IS captured Iraq’s second-largest city in 2014. The United States and its allies have been carrying out air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq since August 2014, but are yet to produce any tangible results.

Any targets threatening Russian forces in Syria must be immediately destroyed – Putin

December 11, 2015 By administrator

Jihadists in Syria pose a direct threat to Russia, Putin has told a defense meeting in Moscow, adding that any targets threatening the country’s military there should be destroyed. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Islamic State’s influence in Syria continues to expand.

The Russian military’s actions in Syria are being coordinated with Russian special services such as the FSB, who are disclosing terrorist cells, including Islamic State, Putin said.

All forces threatening Russian servicemen in Syria should be destroyed, according to the Russian president.

“Any targets threatening our [military] group or land infrastructure must be immediately destroyed,” Putin said, speaking at a Defense Ministry event.

Putin said more 5,000 members of the Free Syrian Army are operating on the terrorists’ side.

“In general, the actions of the Russian groups deserve high praise. This is a result of work by the Ministry of Defense, General Staff officers, Russian Air Force pilots and the Russian Navy,” he added.

‘ISIS influence expanding in Syria’ – Russian Def Min

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu added that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) controls about 70 percent of Syria’s territory, adding that in Syria and Iraq there are about 60,000 militants.

“The Islamic State area of influence is expanding,” he said, “There is a threat that their actions will be transferred to Central Asia and the Caucasus.”

To date the Russian military has carried out about 4,000 sorties, striking around 8,000 terrorist facilities in Syria, he added.

Kurdish forces liberate seven Iraqi villages from Daesh

September 11, 2015 By administrator

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have managed to retake seven villages in the northern part of Iraq from Takfiri Daesh militants as they continue to push the terrorists back from the area.

Idris Sheikh Adel, the chairman of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) political party in Kirkuk Province, told Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network on Friday that Peshmerga fighters liberated the villages of Albu Mohammad, located some 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the provincial capital city of Kirkuk, Minor Tal Rabiah, Major Tal Rabiah, Sheikh Saleh, situated 45 kilometers (27 miles) south of Kirkuk, Zaklawa, Samoud and 7 Nisan (April 7) following fierce skirmishes with Daesh extremists.
Separately, seven members of the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces lost their lives when bombs struck them as they were securing the road linking Baghdad to Kirkuk as well as the center of Daquq town, located approximately 180 kilometers (111 miles) north of Baghdad.

Brigadier General Mohammed Mustafa Hama, a Peshmerga commander, said 16 Kurdish fighters were also wounded in the act of violence.

Meanwhile, at least 20 Daesh Takfiri have been injured when Iraqi security forces fired a barrage of rockets at terrorist hideouts in the districts of Tal Masoud and al-Maziq, located nine kilometers (5.5 miles) east of Anbar’s provincial capital city of Ramadi.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists mounted an offensive in June 2014. The militants have been committing vicious crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

The Iraqi army together with fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units has been engaged in operations to liberate militant-held regions.

Source: RT.com