Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Raqqa, Syria. Photo: Reuters
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Raqqa, Syria. Photo: Reuters
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Raqqa, Syria. Photo: Reuters
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Raqqa, Syria. Photo: Reuters

US-backed Syrian forces stop ‘massive’ ISIS car bomb


Robert Tollast
  • English
  • Arabic

US-led local fighters in eastern Syria killed two members of an ISIS terrorist cell north of Raqqa during an operation to foil a car bombing, a spokesman for the force said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces is a coalition formed to fight the terrorist group’s short-lived takeover of much of northern Iraq and eastern Syria, between June 2014 and March 2019.

Syrian Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, teamed up with Syrian anti-government rebels and Arab tribes in 2016 to form the SDF, which was then backed by US airpower and Special Forces.

Heavy fighting in Raqqa, the last major city to be held by ISIS, ended in October 2017, after the capture of Mosul in Iraq in July that year by internationally backed Iraqi government forces.

Despite the near-total defeat of ISIS, sporadic attacks still occur and the group has a presence in remote areas.

Biden pledge

The US has about 900 military personnel stationed in outposts with the SDF in eastern Syria.

This is despite President Joe Biden’s remarks at the UN General Assembly that the US was no longer engaged in foreign conflicts.

“I stand here today for the first time in 20 years with the United States not at war. We’ve turned the page,” he said on September 22.

On Monday, SDF spokesman Farhad Shami said the anti-ISIS operation foiled a large car bombing. He did not say when the operation occurred.

“Our special units conducted a qualitative security operation against a dangerous Daesh cell north of Raqqa. Based on the intelligence gathered by our competent agencies, we confirmed that the cell was planning to conduct a massive bombing in Raqqa city using a car bomb.”

Mr Shami said that during the operation the ISIS suspects fired on security forces and were subsequently shot by return fire.

Several ISIS terrorists have been killed or captured since the start of August in joint operations by the SDF and US Special Forces.

Six ISIS fighters were captured and two killed at the end of September, said Col Wayne Marotto, the spokesman for the US-led anti-ISIS mission, Operation Inherent Resolve.

The SDF said that in August, ISIS carried out 20 attacks killing 15 civilians in the Euphrates valley area of operations, which includes Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.

But the terrorist group generally attacks the Syrian regime, according to a US government report released on August 3.

The report, from the Inspector General of Operation Inherent Resolve, said ISIS was struggling to cope with harsh desert conditions, and with having lost control of towns and oilfields, a major revenue source.

“ISIS leaders depend on known routes that traverse ungoverned areas of the Syrian desert to connect from Idlib governorate to Iraq’s Anbar desert. ISIS senior leaders use Idlib as a safe haven,” the report said.

It also said Bashar Al Assad’s government still does not have full control of many areas, a decade into Syria's civil war.

“The desert is sparsely populated, with few potential recruits and few economic resources to exploit. ISIS extracts ‘taxes’ from truckers carrying oil through the region, but the revenue is likely far below the amounts ISIS received when it controlled the oil fields,” the quarterly report said.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m

7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m

8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m

9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Company%20profile
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Results

4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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EPL's youngest
  • Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
    15 years, 181 days old
  • Max Dowman (Arsenal)
    15 years, 235 days old
  • Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
    15 years, 271 days old
  • Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
    16 years, 30 days old
  • Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
    16 years, 68 days old
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Updated: October 04, 2021, 12:48 PM`