Islamic State

6 Islamic State militants, 3 police officers killed in clash in Turkiye

Militants of the Islamic State group opened fire on police and wounded seven officers during a raid on the group in northwest Turkiye on Monday, the country's state-run media reported. The clash broke out in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, Anadolu Agency said. Special forces from neighboring Bursa province were dispatched to reinforce the operation. Anadolu said none of the wounded officers were in serious condition. Last week, police launched scores of simultaneous raids, detaining 115 militants of the extremist group who were allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year's celebrations. Officials said the group had called for action, particularly against non-Muslims, during the celebrations. IS has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkiye in recent years, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.

What histories of Islamic-world slavery get right, and what they miss

A probing review of Captives and Companions reveals how slavery's long legacy in the Middle East shapes language, race, and memory - and how history itself becomes contested terrain

Militants targeted by US airstrikes in Nigeria: All you need to know

The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that the West African's overstretched military has struggled with for years. US President Donald Trump said on social media that the "powerful and deadly" strikes in the state of Sokoto were carried out against IS gunmen who were "targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians". Residents and security analysts have said Nigeria's security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north. In an interview on Friday with Politico, Trump said he decided on the timing of the strikes. "They were going to do it earlier," he said. "And I said, 'Nope, let's give a Christmas present.'" Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said the US strikes were part of an exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination between the two countries. The Associated Press cou

Turkiye nabs over 100 IS suspects planning attacks on Christmas, New Year

Istanbul police launched scores of simultaneous raids on Thursday, detaining over a hundred suspected members of the militant Islamic State group who were allegedly planning attacks against Christmas and New Year's celebrations, authorities said. A statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said police were tipped off that the extremist group had called for action -- particularly against non-Muslims -- during the celebrations. The office had issued warrants for 137 suspects, of whom 115 were detained. Officers also seized many firearms, cartridges and documents during the raids. It said 124 locations were raided. The arrests come days after the Trump administration launched widespread military strikes in neighbouring Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State fighters and weapons' sites in retaliation for an ambush blamed on the group that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter. Syrian security forces have also launched operations against IS in recent .

US struck IS targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday night that he had launched a "powerful and deadly strike" against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after he spent weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians. The president's post did not include information about how the strike was carried out and what effects it had and the White House did not immediately provide further details. "Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" the president posted on his social media site. Last month, Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution. The State Department then announced in recent weeks that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members

Pakistan's oldest brewery resumes alcohol exports after decades-long ban

Murree's suspension was highlighted in 2017 when another brewery, run by a Chinese company, was allowed to operate in Pakistan

Bondi Beach attack raises fears of Islamic State's resurgence in Asia

The extremist network has expressed admiration for the shooting - and while not officially claiming responsibility has acknowledged the influence of their ideology on the gunmen

Jordan confirms its air force joined US strikes on Islamic State in Syria

Jordan confirmed Saturday that its air force took part in strikes launched by the United States on Islamic State group targets in Syria in retaliation for the killing of three US citizens earlier this month. The US launched military strikes Friday on multiple sites in Syria to eliminate Islamic State group fighters and weapons in retaliation for an attack by a Syrian gunman that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week earlier. The Jordanian military said in a statement that its air force participated in precise airstrikes... targeting several ISIS positions in southern Syria, using a different abbreviation for the Islamic State group. Jordan is one of 90 countries making up the global coalition against IS, which Syria recently joined. The US military did not say how many had been killed in Friday's strikes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that at least five people were killed, including the leader and members

US launches retaliatory strikes on 70 targets in Syria after Trump threat

The US Central Command said that fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites

Islamic State-Khorasan spokesperson arrested by Pak authorities: UN report

Pakistani authorities this year arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, a spokesperson for Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), according to a recent report submitted to the UN Security Council. The UN 16th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that IS-K's ability to operate in the region had been degraded as a result of high-profile arrests by Pakistan, such as that of Azzam this May. IS-K is an abbreviation for the Islamic StateKhorasan Province, a terrorist organisation active primarily in Afghanistan, Central Asia and South Asia. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan and PTV News stated that intelligence agencies arrested Azzam during an operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The UN report claimed that following his arrest, IS-K propaganda arms, such as the Al-Azaim Foundation, had suffered a major blow. Overall, the capability of [IS-K] has been degraded as a result of counter-terrorism operations, the UN report read. Key [IS-K] commanders and ...

Kneejerk reactions not enough to stop the next Bondi Beach attack

Faced by such a targeted act of violence after years of increasing antisemitic attacks, it's unsurprising that Jewish Australians feel they've been left unprotected

Australia to toughen hate speech laws after Bondi Beach Jewish attack

The prime minister is under intense pressure over his centre-left government's handling of a rising tide of antisemitism over the past two years that critics say culminated in Sunday's massacre

Bondi Beach mass shooting inspired by Islamic State: Australian police

A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, Australia's federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday. The suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man was shot dead while his son was being treated at a hospital on Tuesday. A news conference by political and law enforcement leaders on Tuesday was the first time officials confirmed their beliefs about the suspects' ideologies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the remarks were based on evidence obtained, including the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized. There are 25 people still being treated in hospitals after Sunday's massacre, 10 of them in critical condition. Three of them are patients in a children's hospital. Also among them is a man who was captured on video appearing to tackle and disarm one assailant, before pointing the man's weapon

Islamic State-backed rebels kill nearly 52 people in eastern Congo, says UN

Attacks by an Islamic State-backed rebels killed at least 52 people between Aug. 9 and 16, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo said Monday. The UN mission, known as MONUSCO, said in a statement that the attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) took place in several localities of Beni and Lubero territories, in the North Kivu province. The violence was accompanied by abductions, looting, the burning of homes, vehicles, and motorcycles, as well as the destruction of property belonging to populations already facing dire humanitarian conditions, the statement read, adding that the death toll is likely to rise. Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates along the border with Uganda and often targets civilians. The group killed nearly 40 people in the Ituri province last month, when it stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire

IS, al-Qaeda threat intense in Africa, with growing risks in Syria: UN

The threat from Islamic State and al-Qaeda extremists and their affiliates is most intense in parts of Africa, and risks are growing in Syria, which both groups view as a strategic base for external operations, UN experts said in a new report. Their report to the UN Security Council circulated Wednesday said West Africa's al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin group, known as JNIM, and East Africa's al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab have continued to increase the territory under their control. The experts monitoring sanctions against the two groups said the organisation's pivot towards parts of Africa continued" partly because of Islamic State losses in the Middle East due to counterterrorism pressures. There are also increasing concerns about foreign terrorist fighters returning to Central Asia and Afghanistan, aiming to undermine regional security, they said. The Islamic State also continues to represent the most significant threat to Europe and the Americas, the experts said

Islamic State-linked rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo attack

Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group killed 66 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday. Fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians in the area of Irumu in the east of the country bordering Uganda. The attack comes as eastern Congo may see an end to its ongoing war with M23, a separate rebel group which is backed by Rwanda, another of Congo's neighbors. Jean Tobie Okala, the spokesperson for the United Nations mission in Ituri in eastern Congo, called the attack a bloodbath." Around 30 civilians were killed between Thursday and Friday, July 11, in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, Irumu territory, in Ituri, said Okala in a statement to the Associated Press. "Based on information from civil society, the death toll has risen from 31 to 66 civilians killed. The ADF is a Ugandan Islamist group that operates on both sides of the porous border. All the victims, including women, were killed with mache

​MEA confirms abduction of three Indians in Mali amid terror attacks

Three Indian nationals were abducted from a cement factory in Mali's Kayes region on July 1. The MEA is in contact with Malian authorities and urges swift action for their safe and early release

Islamic State group was behind deadly attack on Damascus church, says Syria

The sleeper cell behind a deadly church bombing near Damascus belonged to the Islamic State group, which had plans to target a Shiite shrine in a similar attack, Syria's Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. Sunday's attack on the Mar Elias church killed at least 25 people. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of the country's minorities. Noureddine Al-Baba told journalists a second attacker was caught Monday on his way to target a Shiite shrine in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb in Damascus, where many sites of the Islamic sect are located. Al-Baba said security forces also thwarted a third operation, where an attacker on a motorbike was going to target a crowded gathering in the capital. He did not give further details. We raided IS hideouts, seizing weapons and explosive caches, said Al-Baba, who said security forces were able to reach the sleeper cell's leader after interrogat

US to pull 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to fight IS

The US will withdraw about 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to work with Kurdish allies to counter the Islamic State group, a US official said Thursday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced publicly. The US troops have been critical not only in the operations against the Islamic State but as a buffer for the Kurdish forces against Turkey, which considers them to be aligned with terror groups. President Donald Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria during his first term, but he met opposition from the Pentagon because it was seen as abandoning allies and led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The departure of the 600 troops will return force levels to where they had been for years, after the US and its allies waged a multiyear campaign to defeat IS. The US had maintained about 900 troops in Syria to ensure that the IS militants did not regain a foothold, but also as a hedge to prevent ...

Morocco says it dismantled Islamic State cell that was planning attacks

Moroccan authorities this month arrested a dozen people they said were planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert, officials said on Monday. The discovery of the terrorist cell and what authorities called an imminent dangerous terrorist plot reflect the expanding ambitions of extremist groups in the region. Authorities did not provide details of the suspects' motives or their plot, beyond saying they planned to set off bombs remotely. They released photographs and videos showing officers raiding terrorist cells throughout the country. The images showed weapons stockpiles found during police raids, Islamic State flags drawn on walls, and thousands of dollars of cash. Morocco remains a major target in the agenda of all terrorist organisations operating in the Sahel, Habboub Cherkaoui, the head of Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, said at a news conference. Militant groups have been expanding their presence in