War
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Sep- 2017 -26 September
US detects no change in posture of N. Korean military, top US general says
The U.S. military has not detected any change in posture of North Korean forces despite the politically charged rhetoric coming from Pyongyang, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said on Tuesday. “We haven’t seen a change in the posture of North Korean forces. We watch that very carefully,” Mr. Dunford said in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. On Monday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said the U.S. had declared war on his country. The remarks came after U.S. President Donald J. Trump tweeted that North Korea “won’t be around much longer,” if Mr. Ri echoed the views of the country’s leader Kim Jong–un. The White House later dismissed the notion that Washington was at war with Pyongyang. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier on Monday that the U.S. is going to continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean crisis. “Hope that’s the way we’ll solve this,” he said.
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26 September
Syrian regime carried out Sept. 25 strike on SDF near Deir Ezzor, Coalition says
Syrian forces conducted strikes "in the vicinity of" SDF positions near Deir Ezzor on Monday, a US-led Coalition spokesperson said.
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25 September
Iraqi officers join Turkish military drill on Kurdistan border
Iraqi troops joined the Turkish security forces for a joint military drill near Iraq border as Kurds went to polls for the independence referendum.
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24 September
US strikes against ISIS camp in Libya kill 17 fighters
The U.S. military carried out six strikes against an Islamic State camp in Libya killing 17 fighters, U.S. Africa Command said in a release on Sunday. The strikes, conducted on Friday in coordination with Libya’s Government of National Accord, also destroyed three Islamic State vehicles. “The camp was located approximately 150 miles southeast of Sirte,” AFRICOM said, adding that the location was used by the terror group to move fighters in and out of Libya, stockpile weapons and equipment, and to plot and conduct attacks. According to U.S. authorities, Islamic State and al-Qaeda have been using ungoverned spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries and conduct terrorist activities. “The United States will track and hunt these terrorists, degrade their capabilities and disrupt their planning and operations by all appropriate, lawful, and proportional means, including precision strikes against their forces, terror training camps and lines of communication, as well as partnering with Libyan forces to deny safe havens for terrorists in Libya,” the release said.
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22 September
Battle for Raqqa is down to 3 neighborhoods, US Coalition envoy says
The battle to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State is nearing its conclusion, US-led Coalition Envoy Brett McGurk said on Friday.
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21 September
Iraq announces start of offensive to retake Hawija from ISIS
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Thursday the start of the Hawija operation, with Iraqi Security Forces leading the fight to oust Islamic State fighters from the city. In a statement, Abadi said: “We announce the launch of the first phase of the liberation of Hawija, in fulfilment of our pledge to our people to liberate all Iraqi territory and cleanse it from terrorist Daesh gangs.” القائد العام للقوات المسلحة الدكتور حيدر العبادي يعلن انطلاق المرحلة الاولى من عملية تحرير الحويجةhttps://t.co/wEiMApidsy pic.twitter.com/3X3LKSqlEu — Haider Al-Abadi (@HaiderAlAbadi) September 21, 2017 ISIS captured Hawija, located about 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of Kirkuk, in June 2014. Col. Ryan Dillon said on Thursday that the Coalition believes between 800-1,500 ISIS fighters remain in Hawija, including foreign fighters. Previously the Coalition estimated fewer than 1,000 fighters were in the city. In an emailed statement, the Norwegian Refugee Council told The Globe Post an estimated 60,000-85,000 people may flee Hawija and the surrounding areas. “The biggest need for families inside Hawiga now is protection and safety away from the crossfire. We also know that civilians inside Hawiga have suffered a lack of food and water and medical care during the last couple of years under …
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