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Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 6/25/2015 11:23:55 AM
	IS in two-pronged Syria offensive after setbacks By Sara Hussein2 hours ago Kurdish Syrian girls are pictured among destroyed buildings in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on March 22, 2015 (AFP Photo/Yasin Akgul) View Gallery Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group launched a two-pronged offensive in northern Syria on Thursday after several setbacks, reentering the symbolic town of Kobane and seizing parts of the city of Hasakeh. Related Stories Kurds advance towards IS-held Syria border town: monitor AFP Islamic State attacks Syrian government and Kurds in twin assault Reuters IS seizes parts of northeast Syria city Hasakeh AFP Thousands flee as Syria Kurds advance on IS-held border town AFP US-led raids hit IS battling rebels, Qaeda in Syria AFP In southern Syria, an alliance of rebel groups, including Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, attacked government-held areas of the city of Daraa. Kobane, on the border with Turkey, is an important symbol in the battle against the jihadists, having been secured by Kurdish militia with US-led air support in January after four months of ferocious fighting. The jihadists reentered the town by using a suicide car bomb, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "IS detonated a suicide bomb in the area near the border crossing with Turkey, killing at least five people," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. "Fierce clashes erupted afterwards in the centre of the town and there are bodies lying in the streets," he added, without giving a specific toll. View gallery IS has suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (pictu … Local Kurdish official Idris Nassan confirmed that IS fighters had penetrated the town. "Daesh or Daesh-related terrorist groups are trying to create confusion to avenge their defeat and force Kurds to flee," he told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Since being pushed out of Kobane at the start of the year, IS has suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and their Arab rebel allies. The YPG seized the border town of Tal Abyad farther east on June 16 and then drove on south towards the Euphrates valley city of Raqa, IS's de facto Syrian capital. Tal Abyad had been a key conduit for IS, allowing it to transport weapons and fighters to and from Raqa. View gallery An image made available by Jihadist media outlet Welayat Raqa on June 30, 2014, allegedly shows memb … - 'Diversionary operations' - The Kurdish advance to within 55 kilometres (35 miles) of Raqa this week prompted the IS counteroffensive, said Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brooking Doha Centre think tank and author of "The Syrian Jihad," a book on IS. Overnight, IS fighters seized two neighbourhoods of Hasakeh, capital of a Kurdish-majority province in the northeast, the Observatory said. At least 30 government loyalists and 20 jihadists were killed in the fighting, which continued into Thursday morning. "Events overnight in Kobane and Hasakeh have displayed classic IS strategy, whereby unexpected, spectacular attacks have been launched as diversionary operations aimed at distracting the Kurds from their role approaching Raqa," Lister said. View gallery Control of Hasakeh is divided between government loyalists and Kurdish militia who are mostly presen … Control of Hasakeh is divided between government loyalists and Kurdish militia who are mostly present in the city's north and northwest. IS has sought repeatedly to enter the city, including earlier this month when it advanced to the southern outskirts before government forces pushed it back. State television acknowledged the jihadists had penetrated the city. "Heavy clashes ongoing between Syrian army troops and National Defence Forces against IS terrorists in the Al-Nashwa district of Hasakeh," it said in a breaking news alert. IS media also reported the assault on the city. "In a surprise attack facilitated by God, the soldiers of the caliphate took control of Al-Nashwa district and the areas around it," the group said in a statement posted on Twitter. In southern Syria, government troops came under attack in Daraa, another provincial capital. An alliance of rebel groups including Al-Nusra attacked government-held parts of the city, the Observatory said. The attack followed a series of advances by rebels in the region, much of which is under opposition control. State media acknowledged the attack, saying "six people were killed and 13 wounded in a terrorist assault on Daraa city with mortar rounds and gas canister bombs." It said army units had "foiled attempts by terrorist groups to attack several military positions in Daraa province," although it made no mention of fighting inside Daraa city. More than 230,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government demonstrations in March 2011.
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
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Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 6/25/2015 4:06:37 PM
	Thanks for visiting and posting, Jan. Quote: I saw this on the early morning news; I admire the President's sense of humor. He gave the heckler a chance to calm down, prior to being ejected. He expressed, he does not mine a few hecklers, however, NOT in his house being rude after eating and enjoying his hospitality.
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 6/25/2015 4:50:22 PM
	ISIS reinforces its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa as Kurds get closer By Salma Abdelaziz, CNN Updated 0859 GMT (1559 HKT) June 25, 2015 Residents examine a damaged mosque after an Iraqi Air Force bombing in the ISIS-seized city of Falluja, Iraq, on Sunday, May 31. At least six were killed and nine others wounded during the bombing on Sunday. ISIS moved a convoy of nearly 100 military vehicles packed with arms, ammunition and fighters from the eastern countryside of Raqqa to one of the terror group's bases within the city, Rami Abdurahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told CNN on Wednesday. The observatory is a London-based monitoring group. Fortification of the group's de-facto capital in Syria comes just a day after Kurdish YPG forces backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes wrested control of the town of Ain Isa, the observatory reported. The tactical victory puts ISIS' formidable rivals just 55 kilometers (about 34 miles) away from the city of Raqqa. "Fighters are still clearing homes and streets of booby-traps and mines. There are some clashes from ISIS pockets on the outskirts of the town, but Ain Isa and the surrounding villages are free of the ISIS terrorists," said Ismet Sheik Hassan, the Kurdish Defense Minister of Kobani where many of the YPG fighters originate. South of the clashes, one activist group reported Raqqa's Kurdish minority was ordered to evacuate the city or face detention, said Abu Ibrahim al-Raqawi, the head of Raqqah is Being Slaughtered Silently, from the Turkey-Syria border. "ISIS is afraid the Kurds will lend their support to the YPG, and some may be sleeper cells, so an order was issued. All Kurds must report to an ISIS office within 72 hours," al-Raqawi said based on reporting from activists inside Raqqa. "They are forced to hand over the keys to their homes and leave the city." Abdurahman raised questions about that report and tells CNN some inside the city denied the claim. A Kurdish media activist, Mahmoud Bali, snapped photos on Wednesday of Kurdish families packed into the back of pickups with nothing but a canvas bag fleeing Raqqa. "Yes there is a willingness to enter Raqqa because we want to cleanse all of Syria. We want to get rid of all of ISIS. We have sworn anywhere that there is ISIS, we must get rid of them for the sake of a free, democratic and plural Syria," Hassan says. Observers: Kurds might not be ready to attack yet Activists and observers say the Kurdish YPG is not ready to launch an attack on the predominately Arab city of Raqqa, where the militia may face an onslaught by thousands of well-trained and equipped ISIS fighters. The ethnic minority might also face resistance from the residents of the predominately Arab city, which views the militia as an outside fighting force. "We are serious about our goal to get rid of ISIS, and we want to work with the Free Syria Army. We are willing to provide any support, and we are responding to the calls of the people," Hassan said, pointing to the partnership of Arab rebel forces such as the Raqqa Revolutionaries' Brigade as a sign of cooperation. "Many people are preparing to flee if a battle breaks out between the YPG and ISIS. Residents are particularly afraid that Kurds will retaliate for Kobani," al-Raqawi says in reference to the Kurdish border city left in utter devastation after more than a 100 days of fighting between ISIS and YPG. Sunni activists accuse the Kurdish militia of violations in territories under their control, including arbitrary arrests and summary execution, according to al-Raqawi. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch documented cases of abduction, murder and abuse in detention in the minority's enclaves. "The people are afraid of the YPG, and they are afraid of ISIS. They feel like this war has torn the fabric of society in Raqqa," al-Raqawi says. "Unfortunately, it is a war of militias and the civilians are paying the price."
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 6/25/2015 5:28:54 PM
	ISIS just lost its Libya stronghold CODY ZOSCHAK AND HARLEEN GAMBHIR, INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR JUN. 25, 2015, 9:24 AM File photo of ISIS militants. The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)’s affiliate in Libya lost control of its eastern stronghold of Derna after tensions with a local Islamist militia escalated into violent conflict on June 9, 2015. Gunmen from ISIS allegedly assassinated Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade (ASMB) leader Nasser al-Aker, who was a senior member of the al-Qaeda-associated Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). The Mujahedeen Shura Council of Derna (MSC Derna), an umbrella group controlled by ASMB, released a statement declaring jihad on ISIS in Derna soon after the assassination. Clashes erupted across the city. Anti-ISIS forces cleared ISIS from central Derna and captured ISIS’s headquarters on June 13, despite ISIS’s defensive deployment of multiple SVBIEDs. ISIS now holds no territory inside the city. Institute for the Study of War Social media reports from activists within Derna indicate strong local animosity towards ISIS. Derna’s residents organized demonstrations against ISIS on June 11 and 12, and according to unconfirmed rumors may have been armed by ASMB to participate in military operations against ISIS. After ISIS’s expulsion, MSC Derna released statements announcing the reopening of a hospital, the creation of a program to return stolen cars, and plans for a municipal council, likely in an attempt to replace ISIS’s governance efforts. This development demonstrates the ability of local groups likely to capitalize on discontent within ISIS’s areas of control to undermine the organization. ISIS’s expulsion is especially striking because Derna contains historically strong extremist networks, some of which have ties to ISIS. Records captured from ISIS’s predecessor al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2007 revealed that Derna contributed more foreign fighters per capita to AQI than any other city. Derna natives associated with ISIS in Syria returned to Libya in 2014 and formed the Majlis Shura Shabab al-Islam group, which later took control of Derna. These militants administered sharia law, conducted public executions, and provided basic services in all areas of the city. The group publicly declared its allegiance to ISIS’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October 2014, and ISIS recognized it as an official affiliate in November 2014. Institute for the Study of War ISIS is executing a coherent global strategy that involves defending its territory within Iraq and Syria, establishing affiliates within the Middle East and North Africa, and encouraging terror attacks in the wider world. ISIS’s regional affiliates, or wilayats, allow the organization to claim success even when it suffers losses within Iraq and Syria. ISIS also uses its regional affiliates to exacerbate local and regional conflicts in order to facilitate the organization’s expansion beyond Iraq and Syria in the long term. ISIS’s regional efforts have been most successful in Libya, where the group controls terrain, administers governance, and operates militant training camps. ISIS’s leadership now encourages fighters who cannot travel to Iraq and Syria to fight in Libya instead. ISIS seeks to exacerbate the Libyan conflict and seize terrain where Libya’s rival governments are unable to prevent the group’s expansion. The organization’s campaign includes explosive attacks on prominent targets, strikes on oil infrastructure, and sustained guerilla warfare to fix adversaries in major cities. ISIS also takes advantage of the disorder within Libya to seize terrain through conventional maneuver operations, most recently near the city of Sirte on Libya’s central coast. social media ISIS firing from a captured US Humvee. ISIS’s presence in Derna appears unlinked to its military offensives in central and western Libya, making the loss of the city unlikely to interrupt those operations. However, the development indicates that ISIS may face challenges in establishing social control in Libya in the long term, given its brutal methodology and intolerance of other armed groups. ISIS’s recent loss suggests that the group failed to cultivate support in Derna. This failure may be due in part to ISIS’s inability to provoke mobilization on sectarian grounds as it has done in Iraq and Syria, since Libya has a Sunni majority population. It is also likely a result of ISIS’s inability to cooperate with other militant organizations. This latter vulnerability may impair ISIS’s efforts in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, all areas characterized by increasing disorder and competition amongst multiple armed groups. ISIS’s leadership acknowledged the challenge of indigenous opposition in a speech on June 23, 2015, specifically warning anti-ISIS forces within Syria and Libya to cease targeting the group. ISIS likely will continue to execute military operations in order to seize terrain within Libya. ISIS controls Sirte entirely, and may attempt to launch an offensive on the valuable oilfields southeast of the city. ISIS also maintains a presence in Benghazi, and likely will continue to launch explosive attacks on Tripoli and Misrata. ISIS’s increased rhetoric against local enemies since the loss of Derna suggests that the organization’s friction with local groups likely will persist, however. This uncompromising stance may chronically undermine ISIS’s efforts to expand and govern in the Middle East and North Africa. Copyright 2015. Follow Institute For The Study Of War on Twitter.
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
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Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 6/25/2015 5:42:37 PM
	IS 'executes 23 Kurds' in village near Syria's Kobane 6 hours ago IS have reentered the town of Kobane which was secured by Kurdish militia with US-led air support in January after four months of ferocious fighting (AFP Photo/Yasin Akgul) Beirut (AFP) - Islamic State group fighters executed at least 23 Syrian Kurds, among them women and children, in a village south of the border town of Kobane on Thursday, a monitor said. "Islamic State forces shot dead at least 23 people in the Kurdish village of Barkh Butan, including women and children and residents who had taken up arms to fight," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IS launched a surprise attack on Kobane on Thursday, using at least two suicide car bombs and clashing with Kurdish forces. Kobane, on the border with Turkey, is an important symbol in the battle against the jihadists, having been secured by Kurdish militia with US-led air support in January after four months of ferocious fighting. IS fighters briefly entered Barkh Butan, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Kobane, in the morning but withdrew after coalition air strikes and the arrival of Kurdish forces, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. At least five jihadists were killed in clashes with residents, the Observatory said. Arin Shekhmos, a Kurdish activist in northern Syria, confirmed the executions. "IS committed a massacre in Barkh Butan, killing some 20 civilians," Shekhmos said.
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

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