Islamic State Ongoing Updates - April 2017

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30 April 2017

• UPDATE (05-02-17): US-led fight on ISIS have killed 352 civilians in Iraq and Syria: Pentagon

26 April 2017

• UPDATE (05-02-17): American 'convert' who lived in ISIS territory detained by Turkey

21 April 2017

• UPDATE (05-02-17): Revealed: ISIS terrorist who shot dead cop in Paris attack was arrested two months ago for threatening to kill police and served 15 years for trying to murder two officers

18 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-19-17): ISIS Gunmen Attack Historic St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Monastery in Egypt
• Why does Egypt's largest Muslim beacon, Al-Azhar, refuse to declare IS 'apostate'

17 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-18-17): Celebrating Easter in an Iraqi Town That Has Lost Its Christians
• UPDATE (04-18-17): In Afghanistan, Battle With ISIS Grinds On After 'Mother of All Bombs'

16 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-17-17): Iraq forces make Mosul gains, but anti-ISIS war far from over
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Islamic State holding more than 3400 Yazidis since 2014: Kurdish official
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Islamic State executes senior member, aides in Mosul over leaks
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Army: 2900 IS members killed in Mosul in 4 days

15 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-17-17): Berlin Christmas market attacker got order directly from ISIS: report
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Islamic State militant linked to Charlie Hebdo attack could still be alive: Iraq
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Islamic State launches toxic gasses attack on west of Mosul
• UPDATE (04-17-17): Devastating aftermath of the 'Mother of ll Bombs': Children play among the rubble in Afghan town where largest non-nuclear weapon ever used by US military killed 94 militants including four ISIS leaders

14 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-17-17): Defeat by Annihilation: Mobility and Attrition the Islamic State Defense of Mosul
• Government: 36 Islamic State fighters killed by 'Mother of All Bombs' 

13 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-014-17): The Cross ISIS couldn't destroy
• Cause of Fr Jacques Hamel is officially opened
• U.S. Bombs, Destroys Khorasan Group Stronghold in Afghanistan
• ISIS deploy's 1,000 troops to claim 'new terror capital' in shock offensive 
• US drops 'mother of all bombs' on ISIS forces in Afghanistan
• 2 Franciscan friars minister in area under ISIS control
• Islamic State arrests workers at western Mosul blood bank
• Islamist arrested over soccer bus attack was IS member in Iraq

12 April 2017

• 2 suburban Chicago men face terror charges
• Anbar towners kill 3 IS members in a purported revolt 
• ISIS forces 33 of its fighters to have an EAR cut off after they refused to fight Iraqi troops

11 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-12-17): Alexandria Church Bomber Previously Arrested for ISIS Ties: Report

10 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-11-17): Despite deadly attacks, Pope Francis will still go to Egypt
• Italy expels ISIS sympathizer

9 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-10-17): Why ISIS Declared War on Egypt's Christians
• UPDATE (04-10-17): Suicide bombers kill 44 at Palm Sunday services in Egypt
• UPDATE (04-10-17): Terrifying moment one of two ISIS suicide bombers detonates outside Egyptian church after being turned away by three hero policemen in Palm Sunday massacre that killed nearly 50 Christians
• ISIS Claims 2 Deadly Explosions at Egyptian Coptic Churches on Palm Sunday
• Egypt's Coptic churches hit by deadly blasts on Palm Sunday

7 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-10-17): ISIS lifts veil on American at heart of its propaganda machine

6 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-10-17): ISIS slaughters 33 people by slitting their throats and then dumps their bodies in a mass grave in largest execution operation of the year

5 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-12-17): Pro-ISIS hackers release 'kill list' with 8,786 targets in US, UK
• UPDATE (04-10-17): Russia arrests six 'IS recruiters' in St. Petersburg
• UPDATE (04-10-17): IS executes three prominent leaders of west Mosul

4 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-10-17): US teen pleads guilty to IS-inspired plot to kill Pope

3 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-10-17): Catholic priest tops list of CNN heroes for sheltering persecuted Christians
• UPDATE (04-10-17): ISIS captive among new refugees welcomed by Pope Francis

2 April 2017

• UPDATE (04-03-17): World's most wanted terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi escaped capture by Iraqi special forces 'by minutes after escaping through a trapdoor'

1 April 2017 

• ISIS's second-in-command is killed in an air strike in Iraq

• ISIS car bomb factory discovered in Mosul where 'jihadis pack vehicles with deadly chlorine and paint trucks bright colours to fool US spy drones 

Islamic State Ongoing Updates - October 2016

Previous Updates: September 2016 | August 2016 | July 2016 | June 2016 | May 2016 | April 2016 | March 2016 | February 2016| January 2016 | December 2015 | November 2015 | October 2015 | September 2015 | August 2015 | July 2015| June 2015 | May 2015 | April 2015 | March 2015 | February 2015 | January 2015 | December 2014 | November 2014 | October 2014 | April - November 2014

31 October 2016

• UPDATE (11-3-16): In city liberated from Islamic State, Iraqi bishop celebrates first Mass in over two years

30 October 2016

• UPDATE (11-3-16): 60 Minutes: American teen wanted to participate in ISIS executions
  
• UPDATE (11-3-16): IS claims responsibility for a knife attack in Germany that left a boy, 16, dead and his teenage girlfriend injured

29 October 2016

• UPDATE (11-3-16): The horror of ISIS' human shields: Terrified innocents of Mosul plead for their liberators to save, not shoot them as troops move in
• IS suicide bombing targeting Iraq Shiites kills 4

28 October 2016

• UPDATE (11-3-16): ISIS' bomb-making expertise leaves lethal legacy

27 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-29-16): US general says 800-900 ISIS fighters killed in Mosul offensive

26 October 2016

• UPDATE (11-3-16): Britain Terror Warning: ISIS jihadis 'will unleash attacks on Europe as payback for Mosul'
• UPDATE (10-29-16): U.S. Pushes Up Plan to Attack ISIS Capital to Stop Attacks in the West

25 October 2016

• Sunni Arabs forced to leave Kirkuk after Islamic State attack, residents say

24 October 2016

• Pope Francis denounces 'brutal acts of violence' being carried out by ISIS in Mosul
• Va. man pleads guilt to helping friend who wanted to join the Islamic State
• ISIS militants fleeing to Syria, says tribal leader
• Islamic State steps up counter-attacks as Mosul offensive enters second week

23 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-24-16): Christian girls who barely escaped ISIS credit Mary for their safety
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Turkey's Push to Join Battle for Mosul Inflames Tension with Iraq
• UPDATE (10-24-16): As battle for Mosul rages, Pope appeals for an end to violence in Iraq
• UPDATE (10-24-16): E.U. authorities brace for wave of Islamic State fighters after Mosul assault
• UPDATE (10-24-16): The Islamic State's Coming Rural Revival
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Turkish and Kurdish forces launch attacks on IS
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Iraqi airstrike on Tel Keppe kills ISIS Deputy Wali of Mosul
• UPDATE (10-24-16): ISIS militants storm Iraqi town of Rutba
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Barbaric ISIS brutally kills 250 children in dough kneader and burns others alive in oven

22 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-24-16): Iraq Forces Shaken by ISIS Resistance in Fight for Mosul
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Reframing Reversals: The Islamic State's media jihad
• UPDATE (10-24-16): ISIS Militants In Mosul Execute 284 Civilians, Including Children, As Offensive Intensifies: Report
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Iraqi army drives ISIS from Christian region near Mosul

21 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-24-16): ISIS in Asia: Islamic State's Abu Sayyaf Kidnaps South Korean Ship Captain and Crewmember in Philippines
• UPDATE (10-24-16): And now the bloody revenge for ISIS's crimes: Shocking videos appear to show Mosul civilians and even children being tortured with hammers by Western-backed Iraqi soldiers and militia
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Iraqi Christians celebrate after military take back ISIS territory

20 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-25-16): Man arrested at O'Hare admits to wanting to join ISIS
• UPDATE (10-25-16): How Islamic State Weaponized the Chat App to Direct Attacks on the West
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Arab-Israeli couple arrested for joining Islamic State in Iraq
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Inside the underground hide-out of an Islamic State leader
• UPDATE (10-24-16): Video shows joy of Christians freed from the oppression of ISIS
• UPDATE (10-22-16): 2 Indonesian Police Stabbed By Suspected Islamic Terrorists

19 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-24-16): The bloodbath begins: Mustard gas. Truck bombs. Trenches full of oil. And a million civilians being used as human shields. How ISIS will unleash hell in defense of their last Iraqi stronghold
• UPDATE (10-22-16): Anti-ISIS Iraqis marked and executed in Mosul
• UPDATE (10-22-16): Orange County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempting to Aid ISIS
• UPDATE (10-22-16): Iraqi Christians rejoice over liberation of Qaraqosh

18 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-19-16):The battle for Mosul: Giant explosion rocks the battlefield as ISIS suicide car bomb detonates as it attempts to ram an Iraqi tank

17 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-22-16): Nelash Mohamed Das indicted on a charge of attempting to provide support to ISIS
• UPDATE (10-22-16): Iraqi refugee living in Houston pleads guilty to trying to help ISIS
• UPDATE (10-19-16): The ISIS apocalypse has been postponed but the militants might still believe in it

16 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-22-16): ISIS loses 'prophesied' town of Dabiq to Syrian rebels after short battle
• UPDATE (10-19-16): Iraqi forces begin assault to retake Mosul from Islamic State

15 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-22-16): Escambia Man Threatens ISIS Attacks on Schools, Beaches, Bases
• UPDATE (10-19-16): Cross-Channel ferries to get French armed guards to protect against ISIS attacks on holidaymakers
• UPDATE (10-19-16): Islamic State suicide bomber strikes funeral gathering in Iraq killing 35, wounding more than 60
• Two Suspected ISIS Recruits Traveling to Mexico Busted in Texas

 14 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-22-16): Milwaukee men charged with attempting to provide support to ISIS
• UPDATE (10-19-16): Islamic State crushes rebellion plot in Mosul as army closes in
• ISIS is using drones which are available for sale on Amazon as 'Trojan horses' to blow up its enemies in Iraq

13 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-15-16): Christians join the Battle for Mosul to win new province in northern Iraq

12 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-22-16): Islamic State threat to Kerala Christians worries leaders
  
• UPDATE (10-19-16): Report: ISIS is using exploding drones as battles for Iraq, Syria wear on

10 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-24-16): ISIS gunmen use machine guns to carry out mass executions in sickening new footage
• UPDATE (10-13-16): ISIS Crucifies 11 Christians Missionaries, Cuts Fingertips Off 12 Y-O in Front of Preacher-Father Before Killing Them
• UPDATE (10-11-16): ISIS Destroy Assyrian Church in Iraq

9 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-13-16): Christians in Syria Still Deprived of Their Homes Even as ISIS Loses Ground
• Former topless model held over Facebook terrorism links to Islamic State

8 October 2016

UPDATE (10-09-16): Almost 400 ISIS jihadis trained in Iraq and Syria are now at large on Britain's streets . . . as it's revealed just 14 fighters who have returned to the UK have been jailed

• UPDATE (10-09-16): Daesh retakes territory in Iraq
• UPDATE (10-09-16): UK airport terror fears as ISIS flag 'found stitched inside baggage handler's glove'

7 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-13-16): For the 'children of ISIS,' target practice starts at age 6. By their teens, they're ready to be suicide bombers

6 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-09-16): Islamic State recruits are above average when it comes to education, according to World Bank report
• IS bomb kills rebels at Turkey border crossing

5 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-13-16): 11 Christian Missionaries Crucified and Beheaded
• UPDATE (10-06-16): Rocket attack in Israel is delcared part of Islamic State's 'jihad against Jews'

4 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-09-16): ISIS Calls for Random Knife Attacks in Alleys, Forests, Beaches, 'Quiet Neighborhoods'
• UPDATE (10-07-16): ISIL releases posthumous report from Canadian who led terror attack on Dhaka restaurant
• UPDATE (10-07-16): ISIS fighters packing human bodies, kid's toys and fridges with bombs as they flee Iraq's towns and cities

3 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-09-16): India Arrests ISIS Cell Suspected of Plotting Attacks During Diwali
• UPDATE (10-09-16): Morocco says arrests 10 suspected female Islamic State militants
• UPDATE (10-09-16): Md. man charged with planning to kill US military member to support ISIS 

2 October 2016

• UPDATE (10-09-16): Suspected IS gunmen kill 6 police in Egypt's restless Sinai
   

An interview with Bishop Habash about the real situation with ISIS

The National Catholic Register's Doreen Abi Raad recently sat down with His Excellency the Most Reverend Barnaba Yousif Habash, Bishop of the Syrian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance, which has its see in Bayonne, New Jersey, to discuss the dire situation of the Christians in Iraq and Syria. Bishop Habash is a native of Qaraqosh, Iraq.

Please, take the time to read the interview, in which His Excellency spared no words, so that you might come a fuller understanding of what is happening now with the Islamic State. Here are a few snippets:

• Why? The jealousy of the devil is what happened. This storm, what happened to them, you can easily call it the jealousy of the devil. They are Christians; they are authentic people. They are hard workers for peace. They love the others. They love their country. And all of a sudden, they have been told it’s not allowed for you to continue with Christianity without paying a tax, although we are in our land 600 years before Islam, although we were the teacher of the prophet of Islam. We were the teachers of the language of Islam; we were the teacher of the law of Islam; we were the engineers of the buildings and cities of Islam, since the beginning, until recent days. We are their doctors, as we were before; we are their professors. We taught them everything, until the last hours of our existence. Their sick were brought to our hospitals, treated by our doctors.

• I visited more than 500 families in tents and uncompleted buildings. They said to me, “You are most welcome, Bishop.” And they have absolutely nothing. “Oh, you know what, Bishop, yes, we lost everything, but we still have our faith in the Lord Jesus.” Honest to God, almost every family said this: “We give thanks to the Lord. We are still Christian.” And our people were very convinced that, although they had been through a very evil storm, the arm of God saved them. They understood this very well.

• I came from Irbil, I saw the miserable people, the catastrophe, and I have to speak with diplomatic words and to hide the crime, the crime of the world? Because what happened is truly genocide: uprooting innocent people of the wonderful and peaceful civilization of Christianity in this part of the world. But, unfortunately, when you speak about human rights in Europe or America, it is only for your people inside your country. But concerning the outside, the other human beings: “No, we don’t care; it’s their problem.” I say that about the (Western) politicians, not ordinary people. Americans are the most generous people, the most fine, with their love and with their respect. But the foreign politics is from hell. Nobody cares about us.

• When we speak out, we get the routine answer from the Islamic religious or the Muslim authorities: “They are non-Muslim, the Islamic State.” How can it be, they are non-Muslim? All of them are Muslim. Or: “They work outside of the Islamic world.” So who is the financial source of ISIS? It’s very clear; it’s Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, no one has the guts to say that. Who is fighting Syria? Who is supporting and financing the war against Syria? It’s very clear: Saudi Arabia.

• Please pray for our people. They do need prayer. And these prayers will save us, surely, surely. All the iron gates made by politics, by religion, will be broken; all the Christians will be liberated like Peter, when he was in prison and the angel brought him (to safety).