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Tag: ISIS

  • Nigeria@59: Trump writes Buhari, says Nigerians are talented, creative, hardworking

    Nigeria@59: Trump writes Buhari, says Nigerians are talented, creative, hardworking

    …offers to partner in fight against Boko Haram, ISIS

    The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has congratulated Nigeria on its 59th independence anniversary on October 1.

    He also welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s drive to diversify opportunities for talented, creative, and hardworking Nigerians to the benefit of both countries, Africa, and the world.

    In a message personally signed by the US president Monday, and made available to TNG, he said: “On behalf of the American people, I extend our warmest greetings and congratulate you on the 59th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.

    “Nigeria is among our strongest partners in Africa. We share common goals of expanding trade and growing our economic relationship. We are allies in the global battle against terrorism, and we want to see Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa driven out of the region and other insurgencies like them dismantled.” he said.

    Trump said he was pleased that following his meeting last year with President Buhari, vice presidents from both countries were also building on the longstanding history of cooperation. “I wish the people of Nigeria continued success as you mark another year of independence,” he added.

  • ISIS defeated 100 per cent – Trump

    The United States President, Mr Donald Trump on Saturday announced the total defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria territories.

    Trump, in a statement issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary, said ISIS had been defeated 100 per cent in its former controlled territories of Iraq and Syria.

    “I am pleased to announce that, together with our partners in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, including the Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the United States has liberated all ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq – 100 Percent of the ‘caliphate’.

    “Just two years ago, ISIS controlled a vast amount of territory in both Iraq and Syria.

    “Since then, we have retaken more than 20,000 square miles of land and liberated millions of Syrians and Iraqis from ISIS’s ‘caliphate’.

    “ISIS’s loss of territory is further evidence of its false narrative, which tries to legitimise a record of savagery that includes brutal executions, the exploitation of children as soldiers, and the sexual abuse and murder of women and children.

    “To all of the young people on the internet believing in ISIS’s Propaganda, you will be dead if you join. Think instead about having a great life,” Trump announced.

    The United States leader noted that “while on occasion these cowards will resurface, they have lost all prestige and power”.

    The president added that ISIS terrorists “are losers and will always be losers”.

    He went further that “We will remain vigilant against ISIS by aligning global counterterrorism efforts to fight ISIS until it is finally defeated wherever it operates.

    “The United States will defend American interests whenever and wherever necessary. We will continue to work with our partners and allies to totally crush Radical Islamic Terrorists”.

    Trump had declared that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) would be eliminated from its last territory in Syria by Wednesday night.

    While holding maps of ISIS’ territory in Iraq and Syria before and after his election, Trump pointed to a very small portion of the map that was currently being held by the terrorist group.

    The U.S. leader declared that by the end of Wednesday, “the mission will be complete”.

    “I brought this out for you because – this is a map of everything in the red, this was on election night in 2016.

    “Everything red is ISIS. When I took over, it was a mess.

    “Now, on the bottom, that’s the exact same: There is no red. In fact, there is actually a tiny spot, which will be gone by tonight,” Trump had declared at a press conference at the White House.

  • ISIS will be eliminated tonight – US President, DonaldTrump declares

    U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will be eliminated from its last territory in Syria by Thursday.

    Trump, who spoke at the White House, announced that the last of the Islamic State’s territory in Syria was currently being liberated by US-backed forces and that the situation would be resolved “by tonight.’’

    While holding maps of ISIS’ territory in Iraq and Syria before and after his election, Trump pointed to a very small portion of the map that was currently being held by the terrorist group.

    The U.S. leader declared that by the end of Thursday, “the mission will be complete”.

    “I brought this out for you because – this is a map of everything in the red, this was on election night in 2016.

    “Everything red is ISIS. When I took over, it was a mess.

    “Now, on the bottom, that’s the exact same: There is no red. In fact, there is actually a tiny spot, which will be gone by tonight.

    “So this is ISIS on Election Day, my Election Day, and this is ISIS now. So that’s the way it goes.

    “This just came out 20 minutes ago,’’ he said.

    Trump later showed off the maps on his Twitter handle comparing the territory ISIS seized before his election in 2016, and the small portion the terrorist group now occupied.

    “ISIS Caliphate two years ago in red vs. ISIS Caliphate TODAY. (Was even worse in November 2016 before I took office)”, Trump tweeted.

  • Bad time for Boko Haram as ISWAP-ISIS move to expel group from network

    There are strong indications that the terror group, Islamic States West African Province (ISWAP-ISIS) is planning to expel the Boko Haram group from its network at the expiration of a three-year ultimatum for it to establish a caliphate-like base in North East Nigeria.

    This was revealed in a survey carried out by the International Terror Monitoring Group (ITMG), a global monitoring group on the activities of terrorists Group across the world.

    According to the ITMG, the ISIS groups have seen that the Boko Haram sect has lost steam in the last three years with the recapturing of territories once under their control.

    “The ISIS has threatened to expel Boko Haram from its fold for its inability to sustain the tempo in the ongoing war with the Nigeria Army as reflected in it losing areas that hitherto were strongholds, such as Camp Zero in Sambisa forest as well as the lucrative Kukawa-Baga-Chad-Niger route,” the survey read in part.

    The survey further highlighted the fact that should Boko Haram lose support from ISIS, that may signal the end of its existence.

    “The critical aspect of the deal for the Boko Haram insurgents is in their desire to continue to have supplies in arms and ammunition from the ISIS group. Their main supply would be cut off, and they stand the risk of going into oblivion should that happen,” it added.

    It stated that the renewed attacks by Boko Haram is as a result of the ultimatum handed over to them to either capture territories or risk been excommunicated from the terror network.

    “The renewed onslaught against the Nigerian Army is to put out a bold face to the ISIS network that they Boko Haram are in control of major communities in North East Nigeria, and which is far from the case. This much they have tried to achieve but with a heavy price in the number of causalities it suffered,” it said.

    The ITMG survey further emphasized that the pressure on the Boko Haram sect by the ISIS network has been on in the past six months, especially as the election is approaching.

    “Part of the reason for the pressure is to ensure that the northeast region is unsuitable for elections, and which would in a way disrupt the political process in Nigeria. But as it stands that aim is not possible because Boko Haram has not been able to lay claim to any territory in the past three years, unlike in times past where it was in control of over 16 local government areas in North East Nigeria,” it said.

  • Remarks by Trump, Buhari before bilateral meeting

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s an honor to be with President Buhari of Nigeria. We have many things that we do together, as you know, probably — especially on terrorism and terrorism-related.

    We also have a very big trade deal that we’re working on for military equipment — helicopters and the like. We have met before. We have developed a great relationship. And we look forward to our discussion today — very important — but again, especially as it relates to terrorism. And that’s terrorism here and terrorism all over the world. It’s a hotbed, and we’re going to be stopping that.

    Also, we’ve had very serious problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed in Nigeria. We’re going to be working on that problem, and working on that problem very, very hard, because we can’t allow that to happen.

    Mr. President, thank you very much for being here. Thank you.

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: Thank you, Mr. President, very much for inviting me. It’s a great honor. I’m very grateful for it.

    Sadly, security is the main issue. We very grateful to the United States for agreeing to give us the aircraft we asked for — the spare parts. We are even more grateful for the physical presence of the United States military (inaudible) that are going to our institutions in Nigeria, and train them and go to the front, in the northeast, to see how they are performing, as an example of the training given to them.

    So the commitment of the United States to get rid of terrorism across the world, we have firsthand experience of that, and we are very grateful for it.

    The problem about the (inaudible) and jihadists in Nigeria is a very long, historical thing. But the state is most concerned — they know that the Nigerian jihadists never carry anything more than a stick, and occasionally a machete, to cut down foliage and give it to the (inaudible) and carrying AK-47s.

    So I don’t think people should underrate what happened in Libya: Forty-three years of Qaddafi. People were recruited from the Sahel; they were caught — and nothing other than shoot and killed.

    With the demise of Qaddafi, they moved to their countries, into their regions, and they carried away with them the only experience they have — trained using weapons. And that’s what is aggravating the situation.

    We are doing our best to make sure we have stopped the cross-border and so on, and — to get the weapons from the (inaudible) and weapons in the region checked. But it’s going to take time, and the action by the United States in trying to see the end of ISIS has helped us a lot. Because Boko Haram in Nigeria at one time made a statement that they are loyal to ISIS.

    Now that ISIS have virtually gone with the help of the United States, we are very grateful for that. And we are sure that we are still (inaudible) the situation and the security in Nigeria.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: We have very much decimated ISIS. Much has taken place over the last 12 months. But Boko Haram has been terrible. And how did you do with the young women that were kidnapped? How is that going?

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: The Chibok girls and the Dapchi one — the Chibok one was before we came — 2014. But only a number of them — we recovered about 80 of them. But the Dapchi one, there were 106 that were kidnapped. We got 100 back. Four died; one is still held in captivity. And we are very grateful to the United Nations organization that is acting as (inaudible) between us and the kidnappers. And we haven’t given up. We are trying to get everybody back to join their families and their schools.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: A terrible problem. Mr. President, thank you very much, everybody.

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: Thank you very much.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much everybody.

    Q Are you working on a deal on immigration?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

     

  • U.S. places new sanctions on Boko Haram, leader

    U.S. places new sanctions on Boko Haram, leader

    The United States government has imposed new sanctions on the terror group, Boko Haram, and its factional leader, Mus’ab al-Barnawi.

    The new sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department targets the Islamic State and its affiliate networks around the world.

    The U.S. department added Boko Haram, also known as ISIS-West Africa, to the sanction list for global terrorism.

    Mr. al-Barnawi and Mahad Moalim from Somalia and seven organisations in Africa and Asia, linked to Islamic state (ISIS), were added to the list.

    Mr. al-Barnawi was the spokesperson for Boko Haram before the group pledged allegiance to ISIL.

    The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the additions include ISIS-Philippines, ISIS-Bangladesh, ISIS-West Africa, ISIS-Egypt, ISIS-Somalia, Jund al-Khilafah-Tunisia, also known as ISIS-Tunisia, and the Philippines-based Maute Group, also known as Islamic State of Lanao.

    Reuters reports that the U.S. State Department, in a separate statement, said that it had designated 40 Islamic State leaders and operatives dating back to 2011 under an order aimed at denying them access to the U.S. financial system, including the latest additions.

    “These designations are part of a larger comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS that, in coordination with the 75-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, has made significant progress toward that goal.

    “This effort is destroying ISIS in its safe havens, denying its ability to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, stifling its financial resources, negating the false propaganda it disseminates over the internet and social media, and helping to stabilise liberated areas in Iraq and Syria so the displaced can return to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives,” the statement added.

    Islamic State fighters were driven last year from all the population centres they occupied in both Syria and Iraq, but Washington still considers them a threat, capable of carrying out an insurgency and plotting attacks elsewhere, Reuters reported.

  • Benue attackers not ISIS but Fulani herdsmen – Fani Kayode tells DSS

    Benue attackers not ISIS but Fulani herdsmen – Fani Kayode tells DSS

    Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, has reacted to a report by the Department of State Security, that Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) network are currently operating within some north-central and south-south states in the country.

    In a security report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, the nation’s secret police claimed that Benue, Kogi and Edo states were identified as operating camps used by the foreign terrorists.

    The report indicated that ISWA network was using foreign militants and recruiting young men to fight and kill innocent persons to aggravate tensions along the county’s ethnic, religious and regional fault lines.

    A Presidency source, who confirmed the report, said a “good number” of the Islamic State militants had been arrested not only in the Benue valley but significantly in several towns in Edo, specifically in Akoko-Edo, Okpella and Benin as well as in Okene, in Kogi.

    Recall that tensions have risen across some north-central states as suspected Fulani Herdsmen have killed more than 100 persons in 2018 alone.

    But reacting on Monday, Fani Kayode described the security report as false, claiming that those responsible for the killings across the country are Fulani Herdsmen and Miyetti Allah

    “Through leaked intelligence reports the DSS claims that a group they describe as ISWA (Islamic State In West Africa) is responsible for the genocide and ethnic cleansing going on in our country today. This is false. Those behind it are the Fulani terrorists and Miyetti Allah,” the former minister wrote on Twitter.

  • Islamic State terrorists behind killings in Benue, others – DSS

    Security agencies, including the Department of State Service (DSS), have identified an Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) network operating within some areas in North Central and South South geopolitical zones as mastermind of recent killings in the country.

    According to them, the ISWA terror group use foreign terrorists and recruit young men to fight and kill innocent Nigerians ostensibly to exacerbate tensions along the county’s ethnic, religious and regional fault lines.

    This is reportedly contained in a report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari by the security agencies.

    Reliable sources in the presidency said that this discovery was made following the arrest of several suspected attackers made up of Fulani herdsmen, government-sponsored militias, militants and other miscreants in Benue Sate.

    They said among those in custody were many who spoke none of the languages native to Nigeria but the French language.

    This is the first time security officials have confirmed that members of the Islamic State in West Africa are operating as a unit in Nigeria and the level of their penetration in the country.

    One of the sources revealed that a good number of the Islamic State terrorists have been arrested not only in the Benue valley but significantly in several towns in Edo State, specifically in Akoko-Edo, Okpella and Benin as well as in Okene, Kogi State.

    The presidency source who did not want his name in print said, “It is understood that the sect which has members in different parts of the country concentrates on recruiting young men to fight for the Islamic State in West Africa by unleashing the cold-blooded murder of innocent citizens.

    “There was intelligence that they had planned several attacks here, before and during Christmas and the New Year. Their bombing targets included fuel depots, foreign missions and police and military establishments. Their network is very wide.

    “But so much was achieved by the DSS which had made a significant number of arrests in the last two months that helped to preempt those attacks. This helped to save Nigeria from the spate of major terrorist attacks witnessed elsewhere that were syndicated by ISIS worldwide.”

    The reports said to have been submitted to the president also revealed that security officials now fear an influx of other ISIS members into many parts of the country. “We are learning more and more about this complex and sophisticated network.

    This is the main reason why the secret service is not parading those suspects so far arrested. It has become clear to us by now that the challenge facing this country is a serious one,” the source added.

    When contacted, presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed that President Buhari had been receiving what he described as “report upon report on the situation in Benue and other states”. He added that though the DSS has recorded a lot of success lately, he had “not been briefed on any of those reports”.

  • ‘ISIS on the run, we’re breaking them’ – Pentagon

    The U.S. says it is crushing life out of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS’) terrorist group, as the terror organisation is on the run.

    U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis also said the destruction of ISIS’ physical caliphate would change the way the coalition was working to defeat ISIS.

    “As we sit here today at the end of 2017, the caliphate is on the run, we’re breaking them.

    “Some ISIS terrorists escaped the encirclement of Raqqa into the Middle Euphrates River Valley.

    “We are in the process of crushing the life out of the caliphate there, while trying to keep the innocent people safe – which is very hard with this group,” Mattis said.

    He explained that the demarcation line between the Syrian President Bashar Assad regime and its ally Russia, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the coalition, was the middle of the river in the area.

    Mattis said the line had held up well, adding that communications between Russian and coalition forces continued.

    “The ISIS fighters that escaped into the valley will have to be hunted down,” Mattis said.

    He said ISIS operatives who moved into the region controlled by the Assad’s regime and the Russians was another matter, saying the SDF and the coalition would not launch attacks past the demarcation line.

    The Pentagon chief explained that having the terrorists in their area was not in Assad’s or the Russian’s best interests.

    “The United States tipping off Russia of a potential ISIS attack in St. Petersburg is an example of ways the countries can work together against the group,’’ the U.S. defence chief stressed.

    Mattis, however, noted that the battle against ISIS was not over, saying while the group had been shattered, its survivors were looking for ways and places to reconstitute.

    “Its only a safe haven if people give them one,” the Pentagon chief said adding that hunting ISIS down was not over.

    “Am I worried about it? Not in the least. These guys have not proven they can stand against the Iraqi security forces or the SDF. They are best against unarmed men, women and children.”

    Looking to 2018, Mattis said the operations against ISIS would change, declaring the group as being a ‘losing brand’ for terrorists, adding, however, it could inspire lone wolf attacks or other groups.

    “But it is less inspirational when they have lost their physical caliphate. It is less inspirational as the stories of what it was like living under their rule come out.

    “I think it is a brand with a diminishing appeal, but the appeal is still there for those who go in for that philosophy,” the Pentagon chief said.

    NAN

  • Black Christmas: ISIS bomber strikes at Afghan spy centre, kills 6

    Black Christmas: ISIS bomber strikes at Afghan spy centre, kills 6

    A suicide bomber sent by Islamic State(ISIS) killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in Kabul Monday in the latest assault claimed by the group in the capital.

    The attacker struck as workers were arriving at the offices of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), a week after militants stormed an NDS training centre in Kabul.

    Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said six civilians in a car were killed when the attacker blew himself up.

    “Six people were martyred and three others were wounded,” Danish said.

    “They were hit when they were passing the area in their Toyota sedan vehicle. We still do not know the target of the attack but it happened on the main road.”

    The health ministry confirmed the death toll but put the number of wounded at one.

    The attack happened outside the main entrance to an NDS compound, AFP reported. Security forces have swarmed into the area, closing off the main road leading to the building.

    Ambulances were seen leaving the scene, apparently taking casualties to hospitals in the city.

    “Our initial information shows a blast took place near an intelligence headquarters in Shash Darak neighbourhood of Kabul,” deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

    The Islamic State claimed the attack in a statement via their Amaq propaganda arm. It was the latest claimed assault by the Middle Eastern jihadist group in Kabul, which in recent months has become one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians.

    Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others — mostly civilians.