Page 10 - AT

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 7 March 2019
Angry and defiant, IS families surrender in Syria

By SARAH EL DEEB both Syria and Iraq.
Associated Press On Wednesday, a group of
BAGHOUZ, Syria (AP) — women seen at a reception
Angry civilians evacuating area set up in the desert,
from the last shred of terri- where they were screened
tory held by Islamic State by SDF officials, were row-
militants in Syria praised the dy, aggressive and defiant,
extremist group Wednes- praising the Islamic State
day and chanted "Islamic group and screaming an-
State will remain," under- grily at journalists. Wearing
scoring the defiance of IS black robes with a black
fighters and their supporters face cover, they pointed
even as their defeat looms. their fingers at the group
There were no signs of com- and screamed: "Islamic
bat on Wednesday to allow State will stay, God is great,
for evacuations from the IS- God is great, Islamic State
held pocket in the eastern will stay!" A couple of wom-
Syrian village of Baghouz. en took off their shoes and
Associated Press journalists raised them in the direction
positioned across from the of journalists. "Take a pic-
IS-held pocket saw lines of ture of the shoe, the shoes
pickup trucks, motorcycles are better than you," one
and people walking on said. Children joined, rais-
foot, in what appeared to Men, women and children ride in a truck after being evacuated out of the last territory held by ing their fingers in the air.
be a group evacuating. Islamic State militants outside Baghouz, Syria, Wednesday, March 6, 2019. A 30-year-old Iraqi woman
The U.S.-backed Syr- Associated Press said her 1-month-old baby,
ian Democratic Forces, the who was sick, died over-
group spearheading the lowed by pauses to allow a stepped-up assault by step closer — a milestone in night in the reception area
fight against IS in Syria, has for the evacuation of civil- the U.S.-led coalition and the devastating four-year from the cold.
been applying a combina- ians. their ground partners. The campaign to defeat the "I didn't want to leave ex-
tion of military force to put Thousands of people have latest wave of evacuations group's so-called "caliph- cept to treat her," the wom-
pressure on the militants streamed out of Baghouz brings the final defeat of ate" that once covered an who identified herself as
who refuse to surrender, fol- in the last few days under IS by the Kurdish-led SDF a a vast territory straddling Um Fatima said. q

Kenya flights disrupted by airport workers strike

By TOM ODULA been diverted elsewhere
Associated Press because of the strike.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — "The so called morning
Hundreds of air passengers wave (of flights) was dis-
were stranded Wednes- rupted," he said. He said
day in Kenya because of international flights will be
a strike at Nairobi's interna- delayed but would take
tional airport by the Kenya off. He said the logistical
Aviation Workers Union. challenge had been to
Police violently dispersed check in passengers and
striking workers who at- screen them properly.
tempted to protest at the "The process is slow but im-
Jomo Kenyatta Internation- proving every minute," he
al Airport. said.
The labor court suspended Wyne Winters an American
the strike until a petition by national stranded at the
a local airline opposing the airport said it was " a little
strike is heard Thursday. bit frustrating".
James Kariuki, the transport " I wish the airport officials
minister, said the strike was would come out and give
illegal because the govern- us more information about
ment got court orders Tues- how long we are going to
day barring the union from wait or where we should
proceeding with it. Stranded passengers wait for their delayed flights out of JKIA airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednes- wait. Because right now it
Kenya's military took over day, March 6, 2019. is everybody pushing past
screening and security ser- Associated Press everybody else,"
vices at the airport follow- Kenya's parliamentary
ing the strike. ing airline, Kenya Airways. Jomo Kenyatta Interna- ruptions has been substan- Public Investment Com-
The union said in a state- It demanded the removal tional Airport are steadily tively cleared," said a state- mittee is investigating the
ment that the strike was of the top management of normalizing. ment from the authority. deal which the govern-
over the proposed take- Kenya Airways and the Ke- "All scheduled arrivals have Kenya Airways Managing ment claims is necessary to
over of the Kenya Airport nya Airport Authority. been processed and the Director Sebastian Mikosz reduce the loss of market
Authority, that runs airports, Kenya Airports Author- backlog of departures aris- said 24 flights had been de- share to competitors such
by the country's loss-mak- ity said flight operations at ing from this morning's dis- layed and two flights had as Ethiopian Airlines.q