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11 Dead in Iraq Attack Blamed on ISIS

A view of the old city of Mosul and buildings destroyed during past fighting with ISIS militants, in Mosul, Iraq February 22, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
A view of the old city of Mosul and buildings destroyed during past fighting with ISIS militants, in Mosul, Iraq February 22, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
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11 Dead in Iraq Attack Blamed on ISIS

A view of the old city of Mosul and buildings destroyed during past fighting with ISIS militants, in Mosul, Iraq February 22, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
A view of the old city of Mosul and buildings destroyed during past fighting with ISIS militants, in Mosul, Iraq February 22, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

ISIS militants killed 11 people including a woman on Tuesday in an attack on a village in Diyala province, east of Iraq, the country's Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The attack that targeted "defenseless civilians" in the village of Al-Hawasha, near the town of Muqdadiya, injured others, it added.

The attack left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said.

Another said that civilians were among those killed by small arms fire in the village, home to many members of the security services.

The area has been sealed off and reinforcements sent to hunt for the attackers, the first source said.

Both sources said most of the village's inhabitants belong to the same Bani Tamim tribe as the Diyala provincial governor.

ISIS surged to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but its "caliphate" later crumbled under successive attacks.

Iraq declared it defeated in 2017 and the group was smashed in neighboring Syria in 2019.

But the extremist threat remains and the group continues to carry out attacks.

A UN report published early this year estimated that around 10,000 ISIS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.

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Fierce Fighting in Syria's Manbij as Tensions Rise in Homs, Coastal Areas

Men suspected of being part of militias or loyalist soldiers of ousted president Bashar Assad are detained by members of the new security forces during an operation in Homs, Syria, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Men suspected of being part of militias or loyalist soldiers of ousted president Bashar Assad are detained by members of the new security forces during an operation in Homs, Syria, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Fierce Fighting in Syria's Manbij as Tensions Rise in Homs, Coastal Areas

Men suspected of being part of militias or loyalist soldiers of ousted president Bashar Assad are detained by members of the new security forces during an operation in Homs, Syria, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Men suspected of being part of militias or loyalist soldiers of ousted president Bashar Assad are detained by members of the new security forces during an operation in Homs, Syria, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Syria’s new authorities are cracking down on former regime cells in Alawite neighborhoods in Homs and coastal areas, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

At the same time, heavy fighting broke out in northern Syria’s Manbij between Turkish-backed groups and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to the UK-based monitor.

The Observatory reported that at least 28 Türkiye-backed fighters were killed in the clashes, and Turkish forces heavily shelled SDF-held areas.

The SDF accused Turkish-backed forces of launching a major assault on villages near Manbij, but said they had repelled the attacks around the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River.

Türkiye wants to expel the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, claiming they are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group designated as terrorist.

At the same time, tensions have been increasing in the Alawite-majority neighborhoods of Homs as authorities conduct raids for former regime members, with effects spreading to the coastal areas.

In Tartus, about 50 community leaders representing various religious and social groups met with political officials from Syria’s military leadership. During the four-hour meeting, they expressed concerns about the coastal region, home to many former regime supporters.

The discussion focused on maintaining peace and unity in Syria, especially in the coastal areas, following updates on the political and international situation.

Lara Aizouqi, moderator of a press session organized by the Stabilization Support Unit (SSU), told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting included a wide range of local community members from various religious and social groups, as well as political representatives from Syria's military leadership.

Aizouqi said the community’s main demand was security.

A proposal was made to create local protection committees, allowing each area to safeguard itself and prevent chaos, with a commitment to handing over wanted individuals in exchange for guarantees against reprisals.