Author: M Barbu

Tens of Kurdish residents of disputed Kirkuk were arrested and later released after celebrating the victory of Kurdish parties in the election.

The heads of the Kurdistan Region and federal governments in Iraq attempted on Wednesday to defuse election tensions in the disputed city of Kirkuk.

Shortly after the beginning of the “Syrian Revolution” in March 2011, hundreds of rebel factions, including some local factions, some were backed by foreign countries and some others were based on religious ideology, were formed throughout Syria. After these factions had controlled eastern Ghouta, eastern Qalmoun and Rif Dimashq and the number of their fighters, including fighter from east Homs countryside and Deir Ezzor, had increased in these areas, Colonel “Bakur al-Salim” formed “Quwat al-Sitin” faction (the Sixtieth Forces) with its headquarter being in al-Hammad region near the Syria-Jordan border, near al-Hadalat area.

Russia’s self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery Pantsir-S1 systems have shot down a Turkish Bayraktar-TB2 attack UAV over Iraqi airspace, the pro-PKK news agency ANF News reported.

According to ANF News reporters, the Russian system attacked the Turkish drone in northern Iraq. There is a discrepancy in the time it is alleged that the Turkish drone was shot down. Reporters from the news agency claim that this happened only a few days ago, while other field sources say that the video is at least from May this year.

Shaam news network monitored the death of four officers of the Assad regime, including a brigadier general and three others with the rank of first lieutenant. The deaths happened in varying circumstances, between a traffic accident in Damascus, a heart attack in Lattakia, and direct targeting in Badia and Idleb.

A car bombing in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on Monday killed six people, including at least one Turkey-backed rebel fighter, a war monitor said.

An AFP video journalist saw civil defence members douse the charred remains of a car with water, as rescue workers carried away what appeared to be a victim’s remains under a blanket on a stretcher.

Iraqis made their way to the ballot boxes to cast their votes for the council of representatives, as results show significant surprises.

Iraq’s parliamentary elections on Sunday were held in a quiet environment compared to previous elections.

Security measures meant to ensure a smooth and safe process were largely successful, as only 75 complaints during public voting and 16 complaints from the special voting of security forces were submitted to the independent electoral commission.

Turkish intelligence helped Iraq capture a senior Islamic State leader who had been hiding out in northwestern Syria, three security sources said on Tuesday, in an operation that points to closer cooperation against remnants of the jihadist group.

Iraq announced on Monday that its security forces had captured Sami Jasim, an Iraqi national, in what it described as “a special operation outside the borders”. It did not give details on when or where he was seized.