Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi ordered security forces to increase operations against militants after deadly attacks that officials blamed on ISIS.
Mr Al Kadhimi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, issued the directives at meeting convened late on Sunday after attacks on security troops in central and northern Iraq claimed at least 18 lives on Friday and Saturday.
These included “revitalising intelligence and security efforts, reactivating pre-emptive operations to confront ISIS terrorist gangs’ movements, drying up their sources and destroying their sleeper cells”, his office said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Iraqi officials said they were carried out by ISIS militants.
Leaders of the federal security forces, the ministers of interior, defence and finance, and leaders of the government-sanctioned paramilitaries known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, made up mostly of Iran-backed militias, attended the meeting.
The meeting also discussed co-operation between Baghdad-run security forces and those under the control of the self-ruled Kurdish region in “disputed areas” that are claimed by both sides, and where some of the attacks took place.
The deadliest attack was in the town of Tarmiyah, about 20 kilometres north of the capital Baghdad, where a roadside bomb killed two officers and two soldiers in a military convoy.
Another officer and two more soldiers died when militants ambushed reinforcements sent to the scene, the military Joint Operations Command said.
Security sources said a tribal fighter and a civilian also died as fighting raged until the early morning.
Iraqi security forces have been battling ISIS militants for weeks in the area.
The militant group launched attacks against security troops and local tribal fighters using bombs and light weapons.
Outside the northern city of Kirkuk, militants killed six soldiers and wounded several in an attack on Kurdish Peshmerga forces in a disputed area, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government said.
President Nechirvan Barzani blamed ISIS militants for the attack, saying they were taking advantage of “security voids in the disputed areas”.
Mr Barzani called for the Peshmerga and Iraqi Army to join forces to protect the territory.
Another officer and a soldier were killed when a bomb struck their convoy in the western desert bordering Syria, a security source said.
And in Diyala province, which borders Baghdad to the east, one soldier was killed and two wounded in two bomb attacks.
After more than three years of gruelling battles, Iraq declared ISIS defeated in late 2017 with the help of the US-led International Coalition.
But sleeper cells in the country’s mountains and deserts continued to carry out deadly attacks, often at night and in remote areas.
Iraqi security forces have killed or arrested thousands of suspected militants in operations against these cells.
A powerful Iran-backed militia suggested forcing Sunni residents out of volatile areas to secure them.
“Without any hesitation, we believe that the security situation in Tarmiyah and Mukhaissa in Diyala will not be stabilised without replicating the measures taken in Jurf Al Sakhar area,” Abu Ali Al Askari, a spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, said on Twitter.
Jurf Al Sakhar, about 65km south of Baghdad, was one of the main strongholds for Sunni militant groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003.
It came under the control of ISIS in June 2014 but it was driven out a few months later by security forces.
Thousands of Sunnis who fled the town have been unable to return as it is under the control of different militias, including Kataib Hezbollah. There are few government forces in the area.
Sunni politicians have repeatedly called for their community to return Jurf Al Sakhar, including at a recent meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif.
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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