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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).

10:04 7.12.2015

The Syrian government is saying this morning that four warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition targeted a Syrian army camp in Deir Ezzor province on Sunday, killing three soldiers and wounding 13.

Deir Ezzor is mostly controlled by IS.

Syria's Foreign Ministry says nine missiles were fired at the camp, Reuters reports.

21:45 6.12.2015

Barring any major developments, that concludes our live-blogging of Islamic State for Sunday, December 6. Check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage.

17:40 6.12.2015

An update on the incident in London from our News Desk:

British counterterrorism police were questioning a 29-year-old man on December 6 on suspicion of attempted murder following a knife attack at a London underground that injured three people.

The Metropolitan Police said the "violent unprovoked" attack at Leytonstone Underground Station late on December 5 is being treated as "a terrorist incident."

Authorities have asked witnesses who filmed the stabbing to share their footage with police.

The suspect reportedly screamed "This is for Syria!" as he attacked.

Police said one of the victims was seriously injured.

Britain on December 3 began carrying out air strikes against suspected Islamic State targets in Syria.

Britain's national terrorism threat level remains at "severe," meaning that authorities believe an attack is highly likely.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa
16:12 6.12.2015

14:24 6.12.2015

U.S., allies say 17 strikes launched in Iraq, 12 in Syria against Islamic State

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) -- The United States and its allies conducted 17 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and 12 in Syria on Saturday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement.

In Iraq, the air strikes focused on the militant strongholds of Mosul and Ramadi, where four and six strikes respectively hit tactical units, weapons and buildings, the coalition said on Sunday. Other strikes hit near Albu Hayat, Sinjar, Sultan Abdalla and al Huwayjah.

In Syria, the strikes hit near Ayn Isa, Mar'a, RaqqaDayr Az Zawr, where five strikes destroyed five Islamic State oil wellheads, the statement said.

14:24 6.12.2015

Apparent US coalition raids kill 32 IS fighters in Syria: monitor

Beirut, Dec 6, 2015 (AFP) -- At least 32 Islamic State group fighters were killed on Sunday in apparent US-led coalition air strikes on the group's Syrian stronghold of Raqa province, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the series of strikes to the north, east and southeast of Raqa city hit IS bases and also injured more than 40 members of the group.

13:04 6.12.2015

IS Claims Blast That Kills Governor Of Yemen's Aden Province

Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for an explosion that killed the governor of Yemen’s southern province of Aden along with at least six of his bodyguards.

Yemeni security officials say Governor Gaafar Muhammad was traveling to his office on the morning of December 6 when the explosion struck his convoy in the Rimbaud area of the southern port city.

Pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition drove Shi’ite Huthi rebels out of Aden earlier in 2015.

But IS militants and their allies in a local Al-Qaeda affiliate -- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- have been exploiting the chaos of Yemen’s conflict to seize territory in the south and east of the country. Militants also have a growing presence in Aden.

On December 5, masked gunmen on motorcycles carried out separate attacks on vehicles in Aden, killing military intelligence Colonel Aqeel al-Khodr and Judge Mohsen Alwan.

Judge Alwa was known for sentencing Al-Qaeda militants.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
12:40 6.12.2015

12:26 6.12.2015

Obama To Speak From White House On Terrorism Threat

By RFE/RL

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to make a rare primetime television speech to the country on December 6 about how he will keep Americans safe and defeat Islamic State (IS) militants -- just days after 14 people were killed in a California mass shooting.

Speaking from the White House at 8 p.m. local time, Obama will try to reassure Americans in the wake of the shooting, which is being investigated by the FBI as a possible act of terrorism.

Obama’s speech comes a day after the IS praised the couple behind the mass shooting in San Bernardino as its “soldiers,” and after Obama on December 5 said the United States “will not be terrorized.”

Investigators are collecting evidence on the background of 28-year-old Syed Farook and his 29-year-old Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik.

Both were killed after opening fire on December 2 at a social services center.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
12:24 6.12.2015

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