Archive

Scenes of Kurdish Women who Have Taken Up Arms Against ISIS; Kurdish Iraq and Syria, 2014-2015

Taken on 2015-04-01 *

Featured in this photo report are scenes of women who have taken up arms against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The majority of these female fighters come from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant organization with Marxist-Leninst roots based in Turkey and Iraq that seeks greater political rights and cultural autonomy for Kurds; and the Syria based Women's Protection Unit (YPJ), which is strongly associated with the PKK. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by several states and organisations including Turkey, the USA and NATO. Despite being listed as a terrorist organisation several sources have stated that informal cooperation between the USA and PKK exist in the context of the ongoing battle against ISIS. It is said among the Kurds that their female fighters inspire great fear in the ISIS militants, who believe that if they are killed by a woman they will not go to heaven.

Source: BBC Urdu/PBS/FolkKurd

Uploaded by Taylor on 2015-08-31

Faylaq Al Sham (Islamic Front Affiliated) Fighter Smashes a Statue of Hafez Al Assad

Taken on 2015-03-26

The Second Battle of Idlib ("Operation to Free Idlib") was a military operation in the Idlib Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War, conducted by rebels against Syrian government forces defending Idlib city. The Battle took place between March 24 - March 28 2015 and resulted in the Rebel Capture of Idlib City, the siege of the Shi'a towns of Kafarya and al-Fu'ah and a government retreat to al- Mastouma. Multiple Islamist and Free Syrian Army affiliated rebel factions conducted the operation under the unified 'Jaysh Al Fatah' (Army of Liberation) operations room. Present factions included Jabhat Al Nusra, Ahrar Al Sham, Faylaq Al Sham, Ajnad Al Sham, Jaysh Al Sunna, Liwa Al Haqq, and Jund Al Aqsa. Idlib became the second major provincial capital to fall to rebel forces, after Ar-Raqqah which was captured by the rebels in March 2013, who were subsequently routed from it by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (See Second Battle of Idlib Wiki page for more detail).

Uploaded by mfa1988 on 2015-04-19

Syrian Government Re-Capture of Sheikh Helal, North Eastern Hama, Mar 2015

Taken on 2015-03-23

Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and National Defense Force (NDF) pose on the outskirts of Sheikh Helal village - North Eastern Hama - north of the town of Salamiyah after its re-capture from the Islamic State. This comes after heavy fighting in which various sources claim between 60-75 Pro-Syrian Government fighters were killed in a Islamic State offensive in Salamiyah and surrounding villages in the preceding days. This attack coincides with the Islamic State's goal of controlling the main route used by Syrian Government Forces to move supplies and reinforcements from Damascus to Aleppo and Northern Syria; and ongoing clashes in the Eastern Homs/North-Eastern Hama vicinity aimed at controlling the Shaer and Jazal oil fields.

Source: Al Assad Misyaf Network News/BosnjoBoy

Uploaded by mfa1988 on 2015-05-03

Islamic State Enters Captured Brigade 26 Iraqi Military Base , Tharthar - Iraq , Mar 2015

Taken on 2015-03-13

The photographs, which were publicized on March 13, show Islamic State fighters entering the headquarters of Brigade 26. Several photos display severely damaged or burning Humvees, while a number of other vehicles appear to have been abandoned by Iraqi Army personnel. The last photo in the set shows what appears to be more than a dozen Iraqi soldiers taken captive by the jihadist group. According to Al Jazeera, the Islamic State launched four attacks on the headquarters which left at least 30 Iraqi Army personnel dead and forty wounded. Thar Thar is a strategic area for both the Iraqi military and the Islamic State. Control of the region allows the Islamic State to move forces and supplies between eastern Anbar province and southern Salahaddin province. Additionally, the jihadist group has used the Thar Thar area to launch attacks against against Iraqi Security Forces and Shiite militias as they travel between Baghdad and Samarra, as well as the towns of Taji, Shabab, Dujail, Ishaqi.

Source: Islamic State (North Baghdad)/Longwarjournal

Uploaded by mfa1988 on 2015-05-09

Islamic State Propaganda on Destruction of Cultural Artifacts, Mosul Iraq, Feb 2015

Taken on 2015-02-26

Isis followers have released a propaganda film of sledge-hammer wielding militants destroying Assyrian and other historical artifacts in Mosul, Iraq. Many of the pieces attacked date back millennia. The pieces were largely taken from the Mosul Museum.

Source: IS Social Media via The Independent

Uploaded by SamiGoat on 2015-02-26