• Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
  • Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP
    Iraqi mourners pray at the funeral of eight people killed in attacks claimed by ISIS. AFP

Funerals for Iraq family gunned down by ISIS


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Hundreds gathered in villages north of Baghdad at the weekend, to bury the victims of an ISIS attack that killed six members of the same family.

The people killed in the attack on Friday included two women, as well as a lawyer and a police officer in the village of Al Bobdor, 133km north of the Iraqi capital.

Witnesses said men in military uniform had carried out the three attacks on the victims' homes in the village.

The Iraqi military said it was a revenge attack ordered by a village resident who had been driven out by neighbours who accused him of being an ISIS member.

It said the perpetrators entered the area on foot, wearing military fatigues as a disguise, and entered the homes on the pretext of search operations before carrying out the murders.

An ISIS statement said those killed on Friday had been spying for the Hashed Al Shaabi or Popular Mobilisation Forces, a largely Shiite-led coalition of paramilitary forces that played a key role in 2017 in ending the militants' control of large parts of Iraqi territory.

Many Popular Mobilisation Forces units are funded and trained by Iran and the government retains only nominal control.

Ali Al Bayati, of the semi-official Independent Human Rights Commission, said the killings showed clear security loopholes.

Iraq declared ISIS territorially defeated in December 2017 after a three-year fight aided by US-led coalition air strikes.

ISIS attacks in urban areas have since dramatically dropped, but Iraqi troops continue to battle sleeper cells in the country's mountainous and desert areas.

Ways to control drones

Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.

"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.

New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.

It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.

The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.

The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.

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