Terrorism in Iraq

During a Fox TV interview on Dec. 21, retired Gen. Raymond Odierno said that because of the "passive" strategy of U.S. President Barack Obama against terrorism, Russia had gained leadership in the Middle East.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed three suicide car bombs that killed at least 15 civilians and eight Iraqi policemen on Dec. 22 in an eastern suburb of Mosul, according to a military statement. 

The attacks targeted Kokjali, a suburb that the authorities said they had retaken from the jihadists almost two months ago. 

Shortly after a breaking story on the Russian news site Sputnik on Dec. 21 about the al-Nusra Front's claiming of responsibility for the assassination of Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Ankara, on Dec 19, it was understood that the claim was fake.

Last Saturday was a sad day globally and in Turkey. While twin attacks in the center of Istanbul killed 44 people and wounded more than 150, a suicide attack on a military base in Aden killed 48 and wounded at least 40 and, the next day, a bomb attack at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral killed 25 and wounded another 49.

Iraqi parliament on Nov. 26 voted to accord full legal status to government-sanctioned Shiite militias, the al-Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization, as a "back-up and reserve" force for the military and police and empower them to "deter" security and terror threats facing the country, like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

A U.S. drone strike has killed a senior al-Qaeda leader in Syria who previously operated in Afghanistan, the U.S. Defense Department announced on Nov. 22.
The Nov. 18 strike near Sarmada in northwestern Syria targeted Abu Afghan al-Masri, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.  

Iraqi forces entered Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-held Mosul on Nov. 3 for the first time in more than two years since the jihadists took control of the city and were battling ISIL militants on the front line, CNN International quoted Iraqi defense officials as saying.

The leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has expressed confidence in victory as Iraqi forces entered the city of Mosul where he declared a “caliphate” two years ago.

Security forces battled for a second day on Oct. 22 with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) gunmen who infiltrated Kirkuk in a brazen raid that rattled Iraq as it ramped up an offensive to retake Mosul.

 A day after the shock attack on the Kurdish-controlled city, extremist snipers and suspected suicide bombers were still at large, prompting Baghdad to send reinforcements.

The long-awaited operation to free Iraq's second city, Mosul, from the Islamic State (IS) extremist organization has begun, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says.

"Dear people of Iraq, beloved people of Nineveh province, the hour of victory has come and operations to liberate Mosul have begun," DPA quotes Al-Abadi as saying in a televised address.