At least 40 ISIS fighters were killed by Iraqi security forces in southern Mosul during a major anti-terrorism operation on Sunday.
The operation, Sweeping Torrent, was carried out in Ain Al Jahesh and resulted in the killing of a commander and a media official as well as the seizure of large amounts of money and weapons that belonged to the insurgents.
“The heroic operation resulted in the killing of 42 ISIS fighters, including the so-called governor of the Tigris sector, called Baraa, his deputy Abu Mahmoud and several other significant members,” Iraqi military spokesman Yehya Rasool said on Twitter.
Fierce clashes broke out between counterterrorism forces and the terrorists for two consecutive days, Mr Rasool said.
“Security forces managed to strike the insurgents to retreat and return to the tunnels and caves in which they were hiding,” he said.
The anti-ISIS coalition and Iraqi air forces conducted the strikes.
Last week Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi hailed the three-year victory over the insurgents in Iraq.
Mr Al Kadhimi said it “was achieved by the sacrifice of Iraqi blood” and warned against attempts to threaten the country’s stability.
Sporadic attacks continue across the country and are blamed on ISIS sleeper cells. Mosul and other northern areas have been targeted.
Much of Mosul was destroyed during the nine-month assault to liberate it from ISIS, particularly the Old City, where the militants blew up the historic Great Mosque of Al Nuri and its famous leaning Al Hadba minaret as Iraqi forces advanced.
The group's reign of terror in northern and western Iraq began in June 2014 with the capture of the northern city of Mosul, which was also the last Iraqi city to be retaken from ISIS in July 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition.
Since then ISIS remnants have been squeezed into a shrinking pocket of desert straddling the frontier between Iraq and Syria.
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
