Britain Braces to Face the ISIS-influenced “Sisters” as Leader Baghdadi Reportedly Killed in an Air
In a worrying development on the terrorism front, an investigative reporter who works for Britain’s Channel 4 Dispatches has found a group of women, dubbed the “sisters,” that support the Islamic State (ISIS), and who may carry out the next terror attacks in the United Kingdom. An easyJet flight headed to London made an emergency landing in Germany after three men allegedly had a "terrorism-related" conversation. The three men, all British citizens, were released after witness testimony about the conversation could not be verified. The plane was traveling from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to London, when it was diverted to Cologne, Germany on Saturday. Muammar Gaddafi's second son, Saif al-Islam, has been released from prison and said to be staying in the Libyan city of Bayda.
At least 930 prisoners escaped and 11 people were killed during a militant attack on a prison in the central Democratic Republic of Congo town of Beni.
The Syrian Army and its allies have taken control of a vast territory in southeastern Syria, reaching the border with Iraq. The offensive south and east of Palmyra, Syrian has seen hundreds of ISIS terrorists killed and retaken many strategic points and positions within the territory which covers over 20 square kilometers in Badia. US-backed Syrian forces have advanced into the western part of Islamic State's "capital" of Raqqa. Raqqa, which has been held by ISIS since 2014, is a strategic hub for the terrorist group's operations and is reportedly defended by up to 4,000 fighters. Mosul continues to be in a state of siege from US-backed Iraqi forces. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has reportedly been killed in airstrikes on Saturday. The ISIS propaganda machine has been dealt a significant blow with the deaths of senior members significantly reducing the number and quality of videos published by the terrorist organization. It was reported that 12 ISIS terrorists killed in Mastung, Balochistan by Pakistani Security Forces did not include the most wanted Bangulzai brothers.
Sadly, an Afghan soldier opened fire on his US counterparts on Saturday, killing three Americans and wounding at least one other in the district of Achin, on the Pakistan border. All six US soldiers who have been killed this year were engaged in operations against ISIS.
US Special Forces are reportedly assisting the Philippines Armed Forces to end the ongoing ISIS siege of a Marawi, on Mindanao. In two weeks of fighting at least 178 people have been killed and the Philippine Army is still battling to regain the town with airstrikes and artillery.
On the international security scene, British Prime Minister, Theresa May, who fell short of an outright majority in Britain’s general election Thursday is expected to enter some form of coalition with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Union Party. This will have the effect of giving the governing Conservative Party a working majority in the House of Commons.
French President, Emmanuel Macron’s party is poised to win a landslide in parliamentary elections with the latest polls suggest that, La République En Marche, which was only founded 14 months ago, could win more than 400 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly, the largest majority achieved since President Charles de Gaulle founded the Fifth Republic in 1958.
The situation between the Gulf State, Qatar and its neighbors continues to deteriorate as the US has urged calm. The Qatar government has asked Turkey for troops to support it against its neighbors and Iran has sent food aid by aircraft. In another ominous sign, Iran has ordered two of its warships to leave port in Oman and sail to the Gulf of Aden.
North Korea has warned that it is very close to testing an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can reach the Continental US.
