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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 18 July 2024
Islamic State attacks on track to double in Iraq and Syria

compared to last year, U.S. military says

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA just after the 10-year mark
and ABBY SEWELL since the militant group de-
Associated Press clared its caliphate in large
BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. parts of Iraq and Syria. At
Central Command said its peak, the group ruled
Wednesday that the Islamic an area half the size of the
State group is trying “to re- United Kingdom where it at-
constitute” as the number of tempted to enforce its ex-
attacks in Syria and Iraq is treme interpretation of Islam,
on track to double this year, which included attacks on
compared to the year be- religious minority groups and
fore. harsh punishment of Muslims
IS claimed 153 attacks in the deemed to be apostates.
two countries in the first six Militants also killed thou-
months of 2024, CENTCOM sands of members of the
said in a statement. Accord- Yazidi religious minority and
ing to a U.S. defense official, kidnapped thousands of
who spoke on condition of women and children, many
anonymity as he wasn’t al- of whom were subjected to
lowed to speak publicly on sexual abuse and human
the matter, the group was trafficking.
behind 121 attacks in Syria A coalition of more than 80
and Iraq in 2023. countries, led by the United
“The increase in attacks indi- A motorist passes by a flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah, 175 miles (281 kilometers) States, was formed to fight
cates ISIS is attempting to re- northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, on July 22, 2014. Associated Press IS, which lost its hold on the
constitute following several territory it controlled in Iraq
years of decreased capabil- Forces, or SDF, are hold- said a life sentence will be that killed people. and 2017 and in Syria in
ity,” CENTCOM said. ing over 10,000 captured reduced to 15 years in jail, Legal expert Khaled Jabr 2019, although sleeper cells
In northeastern Syria, Kurd- IS fighters in around two while those detainees serv- told The Associated Press remain in both countries and
ish-led authorities issued a dozen detention facilities ing life sentences who have that the amnesty will include abroad.
general amnesty Wednes- — including 2,000 foreign- incurable diseases will be set some 600 Syrian citizens who Iraqi officials say that they
day that would include hun- ers whose home countries free, as will those who have are held on terrorism charg- can keep the IS threat under
dreds of Syrians who have have refused to repatriate reached the age of 75. It es and links to IS, as long as control with their own forces
been held by the main U.S.- them. The SDF captured the said the amnesty will not in- their hands are not tainted and have entered into talks
backed force over their roles last sliver of land in Syria from clude IS officials and mem- with blood or they were with the U.S. aimed at wind-
within IS. IS in March 2019. bers who fought against the detained while fighting SDF ing down the mission of the
The U.S.-backed and Kurd- The Autonomous Administra- SDF, nor those who carried members. U.S.-led military coalition in
ish-led Syrian Democratic tion of North and East Syria out attacks with explosives The announcement comes Iraq. q

Interpol arrests 300 people in a global crackdown on West African

crime groups across 5 continents

By MONIKA PRONCZUK derscore the critical need most prominent criminal and globally, the agency police forces communi-
Associated Press for international law en- networks in West Africa. added. cate with each other and
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — In forcement collaboration Black Axe operates in cy- Black Axe used money track suspects and crimi-
a global operation target- to combat these extensive ber fraud, human traffick- mules to open bank ac- nals in fields like counterter-
ing West African organized criminal networks.” ing, drug smuggling, and counts worldwide and is rorism, financial crime, child
crime groups across five One of the targeted groups is responsible for violent now under investigation in pornography, cybercrime
continents, police arrested was Black Axe, one of the crimes both within Africa over 40 countries for relat- and organized crime.
300 people, seized $3 mil- ed money laundering ac- The world’s biggest if not
lion and blocked 720 bank tivities, the agency said. best-funded police orga-
accounts, Interpol said The suspects include citi- nization has been grap-
Tuesday. zens from Argentina, Co- pling with new challenges
Operation Jackal III, which lombia, Nigeria and Ven- including a growing case-
ran from 10 April to 3 July in ezuela. load of cybercrime and
21 countries, aimed to fight In Argentina, following a child sex abuse, and in-
online financial fraud and five-year investigation, the creasing divisions among
the West African syndicates police cracked down on its member countries.
behind it, the agency said Black Axe and seized $ 1.2 Interpol had a total budget
in a statement. million in high-quality coun- of about 176 million euros
“The volume of financial terfeit banknotes, arrested (about $188 million) last
fraud stemming from West 72 suspects and froze ap- year, compared to more
Africa is alarming and proximately 100 bank ac- than 200 million euros at
increasing,” said Isaac counts. the European Union’s po-
Oginni, director of Inter- Interpol, which has 196 lice agency, Europol, and
pol’s Financial Crime and The entrance hall of Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, central member countries and cel- some $11 billion at the FBI in
Anti-Corruption Centre. France on Sept. 27, 2017. ebrated its centennial last the United States.q
“This operation’s results un- Associated Press year, works to help national