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Updated 3. 07 pm
US SPECIAL FORCES killed a senior Islamic State group leader and captured his wife in a daring night raid in eastern Syria
In the course of the dramatic operation, a Yazidi woman believed to have been enslaved by the couple was rescued as well, the White House announced on Saturday.
The bold raid, with elite American commandos striking at the inner circle of the IS group in their eastern Syrian stronghold, was a rare use of “boots on the ground” by the US which has fought the jihadists almost entirely from the air.
On orders from President Barack Obama, the special operations forces based in Iraq sought to capture the IS militant, Abu Sayyaf, who oversaw oil smuggling and military operations for the jihadists. But the extremist was killed after firing on the US troops, the White House said.
It comes as the US is committed to sending “continued and expedited” weapons to Iraq amid a major advance by Islamic State militants.
US Vice President Joe Biden has assured Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of the support as Islamic State extremists seized a government compound in the city of Ramadi.
Taking control of Ramadi would constitute the group’s most important victory this year in Iraq, and would give the jihadists control of the capitals of two of its largest provinces.
Mosul, capital of Nineveh province, has been under IS control since it launched a lightning offensive in June 2014.
Anbar province, of which Ramadi is the capital, extends from the Syrian, Jordanian, and Saudi borders to the gates of Baghdad.
Most of the Iraqi government forces and Sunni tribesmen fighting alongside them are concentrated in a nearby military base and in the Anbar Operations Command across the Euphrates river.
But on Saturday, there was no sign of the Ramadi counter-offensive that had been announced by Iraqi authorities, although civilians were fleeing the city in droves.
In their phonecall, Biden thanked Abadi, ”for his steadfast leadership in Iraq and for promoting national unity at a time of significant security challenges, including today’s ISIL attack on Ramadi,” a White House statement said.
“The vice president assured the prime minister of continued and expedited US security assistance to confront ISIL,” the White House added, including heavy weaponry, ammunition and supplies for Iraqi forces.
Executions
In neighbouring Syria, Islamic State jihadists advanced towards Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra after executing dozens of civilians on the city’s outskirts.
Situated in central Homs province, Palmyra lies at the gateway to Syria’s vast desert extending to IS-controlled territory in neighbouring Iraq, making the ancient city a key strategic target for the extremist group.
If Palmyra falls, it would expand IS control from Syria’s east and north to the country’s heartland.
The city is also key to IS’s propaganda machine, as the group has destroyed numerous pre-Islamic archeological sites during its rampage across Iraq and Syria.
In its brutal advance towards the city, IS executed at least 49 civilians over the course of two days according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
This, they said, included 26 people on Thursday after accusing them of “collaborating with the regime.”
Ten people were beheaded, the monitor said.
IS executed another 23 civilians, among them nine children, on Friday northeast of Palmyra.
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Hopefully now that things are calming he might take time out to release a new Gangham song for us fans.
Quick! Someone stop Leo before he invites him here!
@pats brandon: what has Leo got to do with this?
@Fabio Dillon: it’s called a humorous comment and as for Leo and Kim that won’t happen as there is no way you can be seen to meet with a monster, who has destroyed his peoples lives and forced more than a few people to leave their home and birth place for a better life and whose people are now suffering from food shortage, no money and health system that is 3rd world and has people dying as a result.
But if Kim has no problem with this and can overlook Leo’s faults and failings to the irish people so be it
@nelly:
Trying to compare Ireland to NK is moronic, even if its an attempt to be humourous.
@Walt Jabsco: so sorry snowflake, did I upset you
@Walt Jabsco: who performed your humour bypass?
Damn good whoever it was….
@Dessie Deratta:
I have a great sense of humour thanks sweetheart – it’s just that there was nothing even remotely funny in Nelly’s comment.
@Walt Jabsco: 25 thumbs up and counting says different. Unfortunately the journal and snowflakes, like yourself got rid of the red thumbs down, as you don’t do rejection well. Smiley face, smiley face, humorous face, laughing face. Wave bye bye
@Walt Jabsco: I’d say you’re great Craic over a pint.
@nelly: except for food shortage, I agree 100%
@Walt Jabsco: No you don’t and yes there was.
@pats brandon: Leo can invite Justin Trudea for an afternoon of ..
Orange Mocha Frappuccino’s ! !!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTrxEQnPtAg
@nelly: yeah it’s not a humorous comment. Completely and utterly a non relevant comment. Thanks for your dribble though.
Chins finally taking some responsibility for this rogue leader with nuclear weapons which they created…….Have to give Trump some credit for this…..
@pc_comments: What are you talking about?
@pc_comments: in this case you could use the common typo “rouge regime” and still be right.
@pc_comments: yes, puzzled myself. Read somewhere, USA has 5500 nuke warheads, Russia has about 4000 nukes, China has 250, India and Pakistan have about 5 each, and there is world panic that Rocket Man may have 1 ???
Expel some Chinese diplomats.
We don’t need an actual reason….or must we wait till British spooks instruct us to?
@Dessie Deratta: What has china done on ireland?
@Sean Conway: What have the Russians done to Ireland? Tory boys Leo and Simon wanting to please their superiors.
@Dessie Deratta: Stick to your day job.
@Sean Conway: As we see from the Russian affair we don’t need a reason…neither China nor Russia have every done Ireland any harm.
But lets expel them to show solidarity with the Pentagon.
Donald will sort out all those lads
@Ger Burke: The guy can’t even hire a lawyer.
@Larry Doyle: Thanks for the leftie input. Took a while for you to come up with that I’d say.
Now, let’s hope these two lads can sort things out themselves. No need for the US to stick their beak in. N.korea are no more a threat to the world than Wales are.
@Centerro:
Tell that to the South Koreans
@Walt Jabsco: actually the SoKos are scared that Trump will start a war that will kill millions of them.
@Dessie Deratta:
It’s possible to be afraid of both the US and NK you know. They just don’t want a war full stop, and who could blame them?
@Walt Jabsco: It’s ok for th US to have a civil war. but korea or anyone shouldn’t?
@Sean Conway: They did have one. 1950 to 1952. Read a history book.
Another triumph for Trump.
Its a good step forward
Funny how a guy that’s worshipped so much in North Korea is so scared that he has to take secret trips abroad. Thought he’d be a guy for full state honours when he travels abroad. But then the north Koreans probably don’t even know he’s gone!
@Adrian: apparently he is afraid of flying.
Perhaps not for the same reason that many people are.
@Adrian: probably so much secrecy because he’s scared of being assassinated or being kidnapped by the CIA.
If either happened the country would deny it and his clone would take over!
I’d love to go for a pint him
@johnbunton: with him
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