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A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.
A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.

Live Blog: Tracking Islamic State

Follow all of the latest developments as they happen.

Latest News For February 29

-- The United States Army's elite Delta Force is on the verge of beginning operations to target, capture or kill top IS operatives in Iraq, after several weeks of covert preparation, an administration official with direct knowledge of the force's activities told CNN.

-- Syrian government forces have regained control of a road used by the army to access Aleppo, after making advances against Islamic State fighters, a monitoring group and state television reported.


-- Authorities in Iraq say the death toll from a double bombing at a market in Baghdad’s Shi’ite neighborhood of Sadr City rose to 73 on February 29 after several critically wounded victims died overnight.

-- Tajik media are reporting that a woman known to be the second wife of Gulmurod Halimov, the fugitive Tajik colonel who defected to the IS group, has left for Syria along with the couple's four young children.

-- The UN is poised to begin delivering aid to people living in besieged areas of Syria, making use of a truce brokered by the United States and Russia. The first deliveries are planned for Feb. 29, with aid due to reach about 150,000 Syrians in besieged areas over the next five days.

-- A truce negotiated between Syrian rebels and the government has caused a dramatic decrease in airstrikes around rebel-held territory, but there were few celebrations, with many residents suspecting a trick, CNN report.

* NOTE: Live blog posts are time-stamped according to Central European Time (CET).

10:16 3.12.2015

Four British RAF Tornado jets have carried out their first strikes against IS targets in Syria after MPs voted last night to approve bombing.

The strikes targeted the Omar oil fields in eastern Syria and were "successful," Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said.

20:17 2.12.2015

That concludes our live-blogging of the Islamic State militant group and related crises, including the ongoing tensions between Russia and Turkey. Check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage.

18:06 2.12.2015

Poland is considering how it might support the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said.

Waszczykowski said: "We will certainly exchange political and intelligence reports. Everything depends on the abilities of the Defense Ministry."

It is unlikely that Warsaw will send troops.

18:00 2.12.2015

The U.S. special forces being deployed to Syria will be involved in combat but not "major combat," U.S.-led coalition spokesman Steve Warren has reportedly said.

17:59 2.12.2015

The U.S.-led anti-IS coalition spokesman Steve Warren has dismissed Russia's claims that Turkey is buying oil from the IS group.

"We flatly reject the notion that Turkey is working with [IS]," Warren said.

17:56 2.12.2015

New U.S. Force Being Sent To Iraq To Number 'About 100'

U.S. military spokesman Steve Warren has said that the new force of special operations troops that the United States is deploying to Iraq will number around 100.

"It's really going to be a majority support personnel, everything from ... aviators to collectors. So actual forces who will do offensive or kinetic operations, it's a very small number, double digit," Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military campaign against IS, said.

17:53 2.12.2015

U.S. military spokesman Steve Warren says that the United States has assessed that Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft system is now operational in Syria's Latakia province.

17:28 2.12.2015

Turkey May Cut Russian LPG Imports By 25 Percent

Reuters has more on its exclusive about Turkey's possible plans to cut imports of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia by 25 percent next year.

Two sources told Reuters that the move was prompted by a chill in ties between Russia and Turkey following the downing of a Russian war plane near the Syrian border last week.

17:03 2.12.2015

Al-Qaeda militants have taken over two towns in southern Yemen today, residents and local fighters have said, Reuters is reporting.

The militants, from the local Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, took over the Abyan province capital Zinjibar and neighboring town of Jaar in an early morning surprise attack. At least seven local militiamen were killed as well as five militants.

17:00 2.12.2015

Moscow is not currently considering a complete cessation of air links with Turkey, Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov has said.

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