Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The pro-Iraqi government paramilitary troops have shelled Islamic State members gathering inside Syrian lands, the media service of the forces announced on Thursday.

In a statement, al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said, “information from intelligence department showed that Islamic State members were gathering in Syria and that they were planning for an attack against the 29th brigade of the troops in Tal Sufuk, taking advantage of the bad weather.”

The troops, according to the statement, “fired missiles to shell the militants, leaving many of them killed and injured.”

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

On Wednesday, Saad al-Hadithi, spokesperson for the Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, was quoted as saying that Iraqi troops at the northern borders of Iraq have been on high alert to confront any attacks that could come from Syria.

On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria, lambasting Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

During a speech on Tuesday, Abadi stressed that measures have been taken to protect borders with Syria, saying that Islamic State will not be able to penetrate into Iraq once again.

 The Iraqi-Syrian borders are under the control of joint troops of military and border guards. </s> Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The pro-Iraqi government paramilitary troops have shelled Islamic State members gathering inside Syrian lands, the media service of the forces announced on Thursday.

In a statement, al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said, “information from intelligence department showed that Islamic State members were gathering in Syria and that they were planning for an attack against the 29th brigade of the troops in Tal Sufuk, taking advantage of the bad weather.”

The troops, according to the statement, “fired missiles to shell the militants, leaving many of them killed and injured.”

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

On Wednesday, Saad al-Hadithi, spokesperson for the Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, was quoted as saying that Iraqi troops at the northern borders of Iraq have been on high alert to confront any attacks that could come from Syria.

On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria, lambasting Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

During a speech on Tuesday, Abadi stressed that measures have been taken to protect borders with Syria, saying that Islamic State will not be able to penetrate into Iraq once again.

The Iraqi-Syrian borders are under the control of joint troops of military and border guards. </s> AMMAN - A jihadist group linked to the former branch of al Qaida in Syria claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian SU-25 warplane with a shoulder launched anti-aircraft missile.



The group Tahrir al-Sham released a statement on social media quoting a commander in charge of its air defenses as saying one of its fighters had hit the jet during an air raid over the city of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib. Tahrir al-Sham includes the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which served as al Qaida's Syrian branch. </s> DAMASCUS, Syria — Israeli jets fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus early Wednesday, the official Syrian news agency said, in a strike on an unknown target that caused loud explosions.

The news agency, SANA, said the missiles struck the Sabboura area, west of Damascus, and did not cause any casualties. Citing an unnamed military source, SANA did not specify what the missiles struck. Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud blasts around 2 a.m.

The Israeli military declined to comment, but Israel is widely believed to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles. The arms are believed to be destined for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group, a close ally of the Syrian government and a fierce enemy of Israel.

The strikes come days after Israeli aircraft hit a machine gun-mounted vehicle inside Syria, killing four Islamic State-affiliated militants inside after they opened fire on a military patrol on the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights. The violence appeared to be a rare case of an intentional shooting ambush by Islamic militants targeting Israeli troops.

Israel has been largely unaffected by the Syrian civil war raging next door, suffering only sporadic incidents of spillover fire over the frontier that Israel has generally dismissed as tactical errors of the Assad regime. Israel has responded to these cases lightly, with limited reprisals on Syrian positions in response to the errant fire. </s> Tehran: Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Monday that it launched ballistic missiles into eastern Syria, targeting militants which the force blames for a recent attack on a military parade.

The launch was the Islamic Republic's second such missile attack on Syria in over a year.

Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency said the attacks "killed and wounded" militants in Syria, without elaborating. Syrian state media did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

The TV aired footage of one of its reporters standing by as one of the missiles was launched, identifying the area as being in Iran's western province of Kermanshah. A state TV-aired graphic suggested the missiles flew over central Iraq near the city of Tikrit before landing near the city of Abu Kamal, in the far southeast of Syria.

Abu Kamal is held by forces loyal to Syria's embattled President Bashar Assad. However, the city has been targetted even now by militants from the extremist Islamic State group, who have lost almost all the territory they once held in Syria and Iraq.

One missile shown on state television bore the slogans "Death to America, Death to Israel, Death to Al Saud," referring to Saudi Arabia's ruling family. The missile also bore in Arabic the phrase "kill the friends of Satan," referring to a verse in the Quran on fighting infidels.

"This is the roaring of missiles belonging to the Revolutionary Guard of the Islamic Revolution," the state TV's reporter said as the missiles launched behind him. "In a few minutes, the world of arrogance — especially America, the Zionist regime and the Al Saud — will hear the sound of Iran's repeated blows."

The semi-official Fars news agency, believed to be close to the Guard, identified the six missiles used as Zolfaghar and Qiam variants, which have ranges of 750 kilometress and 800 kilometres respectively.

Iran also launched drone attacks on the site afterward, state TV reported.

The attack adds to confusion over who carried out an assault on a military parade in Ahvaz on 22 September that killed at least 24 people and wounded over 60.

Iran initially blamed Arab separatists for the attack in which gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire on the crowd and officials watching the parade from a viewing platform in the southwestern city.

Arab separatists also immediately claimed the attack and offered details about one of the attackers that ultimately turned out to be true.

The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the assault, but initially made factually incorrect claims about it. Later, Islamic State released footage of several men that Iran ultimately identified as attackers, though the men in the footage never pledged allegiance to the extremist group.

In announcing the attack, Iranian state media said the missiles targeted both "takfiri" militants — a term it often applies to the Islamic State group — and Ahvazi separatists. The separatists have not been known to work with Islamic State in the past.

This is the third time in the last couple of years that Iran has fired its ballistic missiles in anger.

In 2017, Iran fired ballistic missiles into Syria over a bloody Islamic State attack on Tehran targeting parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In September, Iran fired missiles into Iraq targeting a base of an Iranian Kurdish separatist group. The separatists say that strike killed at least 11 people and wounded 50. </s> CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes fired missiles targeting Syrian military positions in Homs and the Damascus outskirts, the Syrian military said on Monday.

Syrian air defenses confronted the attack, which was launched from Lebanese airspace, the Syrian defense ministry said in a brief report on its Telegram feed.

An Israeli military spokeswoman, asked about the report, said: “We don’t comment on such reports.”

Syrian state news agency SANA said there were reports the attack had caused civilian deaths and injuries in Sahnaya, south of Damascus. It said a baby had been killed in Sahnaya as “a result of the Zionist aggression”.

SANA also cited its correspondent as saying Syrian air defenses had brought down a number of the missiles.

In recent years, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria that it says have targeted its regional arch foe, Iran, and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which it calls the biggest threat to its borders.

Iran and Hezbollah are fighting on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war, and Israel says they are trying to turn Syria into a new front against Israelis. </s> Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analyses from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Iran said it fired missiles on Monday at Islamic State militants in Syria it blames for an attack on its soil on Sept. 22 and said the action shows the government's readiness to punish the "wickedness" of its enemies.



Tehran has accused US-backed Gulf Arab states of attacking a military parade in southwestern Iran and killing 25 people, nearly half of them members of the elite Revolutionary Guards.Monday's strike targeted the bases of "takfiri terrorists" backed by Washington and regional powers in eastern Syria, the Guards said in a statement on Sepah News, their news site. It killed a number of militant leaders and destroyed their supplies and infrastructure, they said.Iranian officials often use the word "takfiri" to describe Sunni Muslim hardliners. Iran is predominantly Shi'ite Muslim.





JPOST VIDEOS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU:

"Death to the family of Saud," "Death to America," and "Death to Israel" were written on one of the missiles shown on the Fars News site.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday night saying that “Iran's attempt to tie Israel to the terrorist attack in southern Iran is ridiculous.The fact that 'Death to Israel' was written on the missiles launched at Syria proves everything."The strike targeted the last pocket of territory in southeastern Syria held by Islamic State, said an official in the Iran-backed regional alliance fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.It is an area where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a new offensive last month against Islamic State.The US-led coalition confirmed Iranian forces had conducted "no notice strikes last night.""At this time, the coalition is still assessing if any damage occurred and no coalition forces were in danger," Col. spokesman Sean Ryan said.Fars News posted video footage of several missiles streaking into a dark sky during the attack.The six ballistic missiles used in the attack flew 570 km (354 miles) to hit the targets, the Guards said.A map shown on state TV pinpointed Kermanshah in western Iran as the launch site and Albu Kamal in southeast Syria as the target.The missiles were Iranian-made Zolfaqar and Qiam missiles, Fars News reported."Our iron fist is prepared to deliver a decisive and crushing response to any wickedness and mischief of the enemies," the Guards, the most powerful military force in the Islamic Republic, said.Seven drones were also used to bomb militant targets during the attack, they said.The Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab separatist movement, and the Islamic State have both claimed responsibility for the Sept. 22 attack.Neither group has presented conclusive evidence to back up its claim."The terrorists used bullets and we gave them a reply with missiles," Fars News quoted Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' airspace division, as saying."The security of the Iranian people is our red line and we will not be found wanting."A senior Revolutionary Guards commander said on Monday that Islamic State militants in Syria's Deir al-Zor province had helped coordinate the parade attack.These Islamic State militants were the target of the missile strike, said Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the armed forces chief of staff, according to Fars News."The area east of the Euphrates where Islamic State is based is under the control of the American military and the Guards' missiles hit an area that is close to the area under American control," Baqeri said.He added, "All of these are a warning for the enemies so they don't move toward creating insecurity in Iran."Iranian military support has been vital to helping Assad through the Syrian war, and Iran-backed forces are deployed in southeastern Syria on the west bank of the Euphrates River. Iran has dismissed US demands that it leave Syria.The official in the Iran-backed alliance described Monday's strike, targeting an area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, as a "limited message.""One of the messages, to those it concerns, is that 'our missiles are one of our powerful cards that are ready to respond whenever we want'," the official said.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, has said the militants responsible for the Sept 22 attack were paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and that Iran would "severely punish" those behind the violence.Saudi Arabia and the UAE have denied involvement in the attack.Mohsen Rezaie, a former commander of the Guards, suggested in a Twitter message on Monday that more attacks were coming."The main punishment is on the way," Rezaie, who is secretary of the Expediency Council, an unelected arbitration body that resolves disputes between parliament and a clerical vetting body, the Guardian Council, wrote.Last year, the Guards fired missiles at Islamic State militants in Syria after the group claimed responsibility for an attack on the parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of the founder of Iran’s revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, that left at least 18 people dead and dozens wounded.Herb Keinon contributed to this reported.Herb Keinon contributed to this reported.

Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> </s> Anbar (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi government has stressed that all security measures are taken to face dangers that could result from the crises in Syria.

Speaking to Baghdad Today website on Thursday, Mohamed al-Bayati, head of the security committee of Nineveh provincial council, said, “Factions of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), Iraqi army and the border troops are deployed in the regions in the province that stretch along borders with Syria. Dormant cells of Islamic State are followed on a daily basis in the desert regions.”

Bayati indicated that border areas are highly secured, saying that plans are drawn to secure al-Jazirah region, which link between three provinces. “Thus it needs more deployment, fearing what could result from the U.S. threats or Islamic State members who could sneak into Iraq.”

On Wednesday, Saad al-Hadithi, spokesperson for the Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, was quoted as saying that Iraqi troops at the northern borders of Iraq have been on high alert to confront any attacks that could come from Syria.

Earlier today, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia of imminent military action in Syria, lambasting Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

During a speech on Tuesday, Abadi stressed that measures have been taken to protect borders with Syria, saying that Islamic State will not be able to penetrate into Iraq once again.

The Iraqi-Syrian borders are under the control of joint troops of military and border guards.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. </s> Following the attack Russian Air Forces conducted a high-precision group strike in the area controlled by terrorist group Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [previously known as al-Nusra Front], from where the missile that downed the Russian jet fighter was allegedly launched.

The video footage and photos of the incident shared in social networks, shows the aftermath of the attack.

Another video supposedly depicts the Russian plane hit by MANPAD.
An al-Hashd al-Shaabi statement claims the group launched missiles over the Syrian border at Islamic State militants preparing to launch an international assault, killing and injuring dozens of militants.