Tag archives: Islamic State

Philippines kills leader of Islamic State-linked militant group in clash
January 6, 2017 By Faith Matters

Philippines kills leader of Islamic State-linked militant group in clash

Philippine security forces killed the leader of a militant group supporting Islamic State in a clash early on Thursday, the country’s police chief said, warning against possible retaliation. President Rodrigo Duterte recently cautioned against Islamic State taking root in the southeast Asian country, saying it needed to avoid “contamination”. “I strongly believe that we have […]

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Gunman kills 39 in Istanbul nightclub, manhunt under way
January 1, 2017 By Faith Matters

Gunman kills 39 in Istanbul nightclub, manhunt under way

A gunman opened fire on New Year revellers at a packed nightclub on the shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway on Sunday killing at least 39 people, including many foreigners, then fled the scene. Some people jumped into the Bosphorus to save themselves after the attacker began shooting at random in the Reina nightclub just over […]

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Islamic State attacks Iraqi police near Najaf, kills seven
January 1, 2017 By Faith Matters

Islamic State attacks Iraqi police near Najaf, kills seven

Islamic State attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, killing seven policemen as government forces in the north made more gains against the militants in Mosul, their last major stronghold in the country. The Najaf attack, which involved gunmen and a suicide car bomb, followed blasts a day earlier […]

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Iraqi forces face fierce Islamic State combat in south Mosul
December 31, 2016 By Faith Matters

Iraqi forces face fierce Islamic State combat in south Mosul

Iraqi forces are facing fierce resistance from Islamic State militants in southern Mosul on their second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks. Nathan Frandino reports. Firing from the sky and on the ground, Iraqi forces engage Islamic State fighters during the second day of a […]

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Pope pays tribute to Iraqi Christians persecuted by Islamic State
December 27, 2016 By Faith Matters

Pope pays tribute to Iraqi Christians persecuted by Islamic State

Pope Francis paid tribute on Monday to Middle East Christians who have clung to their faith during persecution by Islamist militants, saying there are more Christians martyrs now than in the Church’s early days. The pope spoke to thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square for his holiday blessing on the feast of St. Stephen, […]

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Jordanian police storm castle, free tourists, operation continuing – security source
December 18, 2016 By Faith Matters

Jordanian police storm castle, free tourists, operation continuing – security source

Jordanian security forces freed tourists trapped inside a medieval castle on Sunday after storming the building where armed men had taken shelter following a shoot-out with police that killed at least nine people, security sources said. A Canadian woman, three other civilians and five police officers were among the nine killed during the exchange of […]

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Vigil to mourn victims of Cairo church bombing
December 17, 2016 By Faith Matters

Vigil to mourn victims of Cairo church bombing

A vigil takes place in Cairo to remember those who lost their lives in a bombing at the city’s largest Coptic cathedral last Sunday (December 11). Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a suicide bombing that killed at least 25 people. The militant group said in a statement carried by its news agency Amaq […]

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U.S. estimates 50,000 Islamic State fighters killed so far – U.S. official
December 10, 2016 By Faith Matters

U.S. estimates 50,000 Islamic State fighters killed so far – U.S. official

The U.S. military believes that some 50,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed since the United States started battling the group more than two years ago, a senior U.S. military official said on Thursday, calling it a “conservative estimate.” The official, who spoke to Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity, said the figure showed how […]

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Belgium detains 8 for questioning over Islamic State support
December 6, 2016 By Faith Matters

Belgium detains 8 for questioning over Islamic State support

Belgian authorities searched houses and detained eight people for questioning on suspicion of supporting Islamic State financially and through the recruitment of fighters for the Syrian civil war, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday. The prosecutors said nine houses were searched in a district of Brussels, as well as the cities of Bruges, Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas. […]

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Mosul residents fear cold and hunger of winter siege
December 3, 2016 By Faith Matters

Mosul residents fear cold and hunger of winter siege

No food or fuel has reached Mosul in nearly a week and the onset of rain and cold weather threatens a tough winter for more than a million people still in Islamic State-held areas of the city, residents said on Saturday. Iraqi troops waging a six-week-old offensive against the militants controlling Mosul have advanced into […]

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