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Somali forces end Al-Shabaab siege of Mogadishu hotel; 9 dead
Today's Headlines
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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Afghanistan
Civilian, Security Force Member Killed in 2nd Kabul Blast, 5 dead in 24 hours
[ToloNews] At least one civilian and a security force member were killed in a blast on an army vehicle in Kabul on Monday afternoon, Kabul police said in a statement.

The blast happened about 12:00pm local time from an IED hitting an army vehicle in the Jangalak area of PD7 of Kabul city, the statement said.

However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
the police have not provided further details about the blast.

No group including the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
immediately grabbed credit for the blast.

Also, a blast targeted an armored vehicle belonging to Khushnood Nabizada, head of the office of the state minister for peace affairs this morning, but there were no casualties, security officials said. The incident happened around 7:26 am local time in the Shaheed roundabout in Kabul in PD10 after Nabizada’s vehicle was hit by an IED, the security forces said.

Nabizada and two of his children were in the vehicle when the blast happened, but no one, including his driver, was hurt, said relatives. Nabizada is also founder of the Khaama Press, an online news agency in Afghanistan.

Kabul: 5 Killed in Targeted Attacks in 24 Hours

[ToloNews] Five people were killed in targeted attacks in Kabul and two were wounded in attacks by armed robbers in less than 24 hours, according to security officials and sources.

The first incident occurred in the Afshar area in Kabul’s PD5 on Sunday evening, in which two security guards of the former election commission chief Yusuf Nuristani were killed, police confirmed.

Two civilians meanwhile were wounded in an attack by armed robbers in Kabul’s PD12 on Sunday evening.

On the same day, two residents of Paktia, who were civilians, were killed in the Shahrak-e-Amniat area in Kabul’s PD12.

Meanwhile, an NDS member was killed in an attack by unknown armed men in the Company area in Kabul’s PD5 on Monday morning, police said.

Also, a blast targeted a vehicle carrying Khushnood Nabizada, head of the office of the state minister for peace affairs. He survived the attack, and no one was hurt in it, according to police.

Figures by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission show that in 2020 over 2,000 people were killed in incidents for which no one claimed responsibility.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
Al-Shabaab commanders killed in Somalia after US troops pull out
[Garowe] An unknown number of senior al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
commanders were killed in Somalia, impeccable sources from the Somali army have disclosed, in what could be a defining moment in the fight against the Death Eaters, who have been wreaking havoc in the country.

According to military sources, the US Africa Command launched another Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
in the vicinity of the Hudur town which is the regional administrative capital of the Bakool region, leaving several al-Shabaab commanders dead during the encounter.

The commanders, sources said, have been, have been on the radar of the US military and Friday marked the end of months of tracking them before unleashing, leading to their instant deaths. Their names are yet to be published but military sources termed the incident "major victory".

AFRICOM, which is responsible for such airstrikes, is yet to release a statement to confirm the incident but once confirmed, this will be the seventh airstrike targeting al-Shabaab this year in Somalia. The command usually notifies the public after thorough verification.

The US Africa Command has been working closely with the Somali National Army [SNA] and the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Mission Forces in Somalia in their bid to degrade the al-Shabaab within Somalia and the tactic seems to be paying off according to the Command.

Last week, the commander of AFRICOM General Stephen Townsend concluded his trip to East Africa which saw him visit Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti. His trip came days after the US formally withdrew from Somalia, repositioning troops elsewhere within East Africa.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab (AQ)


Al-Shabaab releases video of its leader made before raid on US Kenya base
[Garowe] Somalia-based al-Shabaab
...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
Lions of Islam have released a video of its leader, Ahmed Omar Diriye alias Abu Ubaidah
...named head of al-Shabab in 2014, after the group’s longtime emir, Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed in a U.S. drone strike...
purportedly captured moments before he released his team to attack Manda Airfield in Kenya which took place one year ago.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab (AQ)


Somali forces end Al-Shabaab siege of Mogadishu hotel; 9 dead
After action report, such as it is, following yesterday’s attack.
[Garowe] Security forces drawn from different departments have successfully ended the siege at Afric Hotel
...in yesterday’s report given as Hotel Afrik
in Mogadishu, which came under attack from al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
bully boys, who stormed at it around 5 pm local time, catching guards off guard.

Col Sadik Dodishe, the spokesperson of the police, said security forces managed to kill four al-Shabaab hard boyz who had stormed the hotel, disrupting peace for several hours. The names of the hard boyz could not be established at the time, but they were all confirmed dead.

The attack, Dodishe said, left five civilians dead and scores injured, in what becomes one of the deadly attacks this year within the capital, Mogadishu. Among those killed was General Mohammed Galal, a former operative within the regime of Siad Barre.

"There is normality now within the capital city," he said, adding that: "Our security forces managed to kill the four attackers who raided the hotel. There is calm and people should go on with their lives are we investigate the attack and being more culprits into the book."

Eyewitnesses said that the attackers first detonated a bomb outside the hotel before storming inside as they fired indiscriminately. Security forces responded in time and managed to rescue tens of people who were within the premises.

Authorities said that there was a meeting involving senior government officials that were taking place at the time of the attack. The al-Shabaab bully boys, who have been causing havoc in the country, grabbed credit for the attack but did not immediately reveal their target.

Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble sent condolences to the affected families and asked the people to work closely in a bid to end terrorism in the country. He condemned the hard boyz for causing mayhem in the country which has struggled with instability for five decades.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the heinous terror attack in Hotel Afrik including Gen Mohammed Nur Galal who served his country with valor for over 50 years. This attack is yet another reminder of the savage enemy we face. We must unite against terror," he noted.
The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
and Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
, which are some of the close development partners of Somalia, have condemned the ye attack, terming it "cowardice". The two nations have borne the brunt of al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
attacks in Somalia, with the group often targeting their nationals.

For the past year, the al-Shabaab turbans have been losing ground in several former strongholds following operations by the Somali National Army, the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Mission Forces in Somalia, and the US Africa Command.

However,
the hip bone's connected to the leg bone...
the terror group still controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab (AQ)


Africa Subsaharan
Iranian agents scouted Israeli, US, UAE embassies in East Africa for attack — TV
[IsraelTimes] Attempted strike to avenge deaths of Iranian general, nuclear scientist was thwarted last month, Kan News claims, citing Western intelligence sources.

Several Iranian agents who scouted out the Israeli, American, and Emirati embassies in an unnamed East African country in preparation for a potential attack have been arrested, according to a Monday Israeli TV report.

The agents were sent by Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
to gather intelligence on the sites for a terror attack, Kan News reported, citing Western intelligence sources.

Some held dual European and Iranian citizenship, and some were arrested in the East African country, while others were apprehended in different countries. The attack was thwarted last month, according to the report.

The report said Iran intended to target one of the missions in retaliation for the killing of its top general Qassem Soleimani
by the US last year and of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November. Iran blamed Israel for Fakhrizadeh’s killing and swore Dire Revenge.

In September, the Politico news site reported that Iran was plotting to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa for the killing of Soleimani. Iran dismissed the allegation.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ...Kind of a dog-bites-man story - I'd be surprised if they weren't...

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 02/02/2021 4:58 Comments || Top||

#2  been doing it long before sslami was killed
Posted by: Chris || 02/02/2021 13:34 Comments || Top||

#3  The Biden Pretendership will ship them a few pallets of cash; that'll settle them down. What the hell, at the rate they're printing the stuff, we'll be using it for tp soon, anyway.
Posted by: Mercutio || 02/02/2021 18:54 Comments || Top||

#4  "....I'd be surprised if they weren't..."

Don't disagree MK however the E Africa part does surprise me. They have MUCH better connections in W Africa due to the large number of Lebanese traders/merchants/restaurants. All up n down the seaboard from Dakar to Libreville. Big time Hezbollah money movers and organized crime. I'm not aware of a similar network in E Africa.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy || 02/02/2021 19:37 Comments || Top||

#5  I would be surprised if they didn't have partnerships in east africa. Mercutio is right about the cash though. Print, Print
Posted by: Chris || 02/02/2021 20:27 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Situation in Yemen, February 1st, 2021
[SouthFront] On January 30, Saudi Arabia announced that its air-defense system had intercepted an armed drone of the Houthis (formally known as Ansar Allah) that was flying in Yemeni airspace. The drone was intercepted, Riyadh claimed, because it was a threat to Saudi Arabia and its forces.

“Joint Coalition forces intercepted and destroyed this evening (Saturday) a bomb-laden UAV in Yemeni airspace, which was launched by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia toward the Kingdom to deliberately and systematically target civilians and civilian objects.”


A day later, on January 31, pro-Saudi sources claimed that another drone was intercepted over the south of Saudi Arabia.

A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:

The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 198 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours;

On January 31, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Madghal area;

On January 31, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Sarwah area;

On January 31, the Saudi-led coalition claimed that it shot down a drone over the south of Saudi Arabia;

On January 31, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, head of South of Yemen Transition Council, with a committee of Southerners arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian representatives.
Posted by: badanov || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Fifth Column
Police in Washington Clear Homeless Camp After Antifa Made Calls for Disruption
[EpochTimes] Law enforcement in Washington state on Thursday cleared a homeless camp that was dubbed an "occupation," after the far-left Antifa
...the armed wing of the Democratic Party...
network called for members to descend on the camp and confront officers.

Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood gave permission to police to clear the camp a day earlier than was previously announced because of information indicating calls to action were made to activists in the Pacific Northwest to try to stop the clearance.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Antifa/BLM


Iraq
Iraqi forces move in to Kirkuk, Erbil border
SULAIMANI — Following reports of force movements in Kirkuk governorate’s northwestern Sargaran sub-district, Kurdistan Region Vice President Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa confirmed to reporters on Monday (February 1) that the Iraqi Security Forces had moved units within the disputed areas.

“It is not clear it is what kind of force,” he said.

“The Kurdistan Region Presidency is ready to meet with the political parties about the Kurdistan Region’s situation and to create unity,” he added.

The Peshmerga has responded by moving units affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) within Erbil’s Dibagah sub-district in recent days, including near the Khurmala oilfield and Jastan and Darband villages.

Neither the Peshmerga ministry nor the Iraqi Security Forces have commented so far.

No clashes have been reported.

“The arrival of the Iraqi government forces is not normal,” Kirmanj Abdulla, head of the KDP’s Branch 23 in Qarachough sub-district Kirmanj Abdulla, told the party’s official media outlet.

“If they could, they will Arabize all the villages in the area,” he added, referencing the notorious campaign by the former Iraqi regime of displacing ethnic Kurds and replacing them with Arab settlers.

(NRT Digital Media)
Posted by: badanov || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iranian border guards gun down one, wound six more
SULAIMANI — At least one kolbar (porter) or tradesman was killed and six others were wounded by direct fire by the Iranian security forces in the border areas of the Iranian Kurdistan in January 2021, a watchdog said on Monday (February 1).
Gotta pay the baksheesh toll
Forty-seven percent of the total fifteen casualties was killed and wounded by direct fire from the Iranian armed forces, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which reports on human rights biases, said in its monthly report, adding that there were the same percent of casualties from natural incidents.

Another Kolbar lost his life due to a heart failure, according to the watchdog.

There were six cases in Kurdistan Province’s Sanandaj, five in west Azerbaijan and four in Kermanshah, it added.

At least 59 Kolbars died and 179 others were injured in 2020, most of whom were shot by the Iranian or Turkish armed forces, Hengaw said in its end-year report on December.

Kolbars are Kurdish porters who brave mountains passes carrying goods between Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.
Smugglers?
Posted by: badanov || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Hizbullah 'Downs' Israeli Drone in Blida
[AnNahar] Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
said on Monday it downed an Israeli drone that breached Lebanese airspace after it flew over the U.N.-demarcated Blue Line border, while Israel acknowledged an unmanned aircraft had crashed.

The Military Media of the Islamic Resistance® issued a statement on Monday saying it "downed an Israeli drone that breached the Lebanese airspace over the outskirts of the town of Blida in south Leb
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
The statement added: "The drone is now in the hands of our fighters."

Israeli army front man Avichay Adraee said in a tweet: "A short while ago, an Israeli army drone fell inside Lebanese territory during operational activity on the border with Lebanon.

"There is no risk of breach of information," he said.

Hizbullah released images of a four-armed drone equipped with what appeared to be a camera.

The announcement came just 10 days after the Israeli army shot down an unmanned aircraft it said had entered its airspace from Lebanon.

In August 2020, Hizbullah also said it downed and seized an Israeli drone that flew into Lebanese airspace. Israel at the time likewise said the drone had "fallen."

Hizbullah had in September 2019 vowed to down Israeli drones overflying Lebanon following an incident a month earlier when two drones packed with explosives targeted Hizbullah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The Israel Defense Forces confirms that one of its drones fell in Lebanese territory, but refrains from specifying the reason why.

"During operational activities by IDF troops on the Lebanese border, an IDF drone fell in Lebanese territory," the military says.

The IDF says there is no risk of intelligence being taken from the device, which appears to have been a small, off-the-shelf reconnaissance model.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/02/2021 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah



Who's in the News
44[untagged]
3Govt of Iran
3al-Shabaab (AQ)
2Antifa/BLM
2Palestinian Authority
2Commies
2Sublime Porte
1Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
1Devout Moslems
1Govt of Iraq
1Hezbollah
1Houthis
1Ottoman Proxies
1Taliban

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Two weeks of WOT
Tue 2021-02-02
  Somali forces end Al-Shabaab siege of Mogadishu hotel; 9 dead
Mon 2021-02-01
  Kidnappers Demand 15,000 Libyan Dinars for Each Egyptian Kidnapped in Tripoli
Sun 2021-01-31
  A busy day in Kabul: Talib assassin toes up, Talib Kabul Number 2 tied up, 2 kabooms kill 1
Sat 2021-01-30
  Lashkar-e-Islam leader killed in an IED explosion
Fri 2021-01-29
  At least 150 Soddies defect to Houthis in Yemen
Thu 2021-01-28
  Turkey announces arrest of 12 foreign ISIS members attempting to enter Syria
Wed 2021-01-27
  100 Jihadists Killed in French-Malian Offensive
Tue 2021-01-26
  Texas Federal Judge Blocks China Joe's Deportation Moratorium
Mon 2021-01-25
  Twitter Suspends Antifa-Linked Accounts Following Inauguration Day Riots
Sun 2021-01-24
   Many of us are concerned....
Sat 2021-01-23
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