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Shia News Wire_#15

December 12, 2014

Islamic State executes Shia militiamen north of Baghdad

On Sunday, militants from the Islamic State executed 12 Shia militiamen in a rural village north of Baghdad. The executions occurred in the village of Tal al-Thahab which is near the town of Balad which is roughly 50 miles north of Baghdad. These executions occurred at the head of an offensive by Shia militias and Iraqi security forces against Islamic State forces in the country. The offensive drove Islamic State fighters from their base in the Tal al-Thahab police stations but the militants regrouped and surrounded the police station trapping dozens of both security forces and militants inside. Although the siege on the police station would later be broken by security forces, militants from the Islamic State would end up killing at 12 Shia militiamen. In addition to those killed, are 10 Shia militiamen who were reported missing as well.

Shia killed an another injured in two separate attacks in Pakistan

A Shia man was kidnapped, tortured, and later killed in the Lower Kurrum Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Area in Pakistan last week. Jabir Hussain of Parachinar, Pakistan was kidnapped by militants from the Taliban and ASWJ. After killing Hussain, the militants disposed of his body outside before it was recovered by authorities. Shia communities in the Lower Kurrum Agency are demanding that the group ASWJ be included in the Pakistani security force offensive to rid the tribal areas of extremist groups which has been called Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Last week it was also reported that militants from ASWJ and Lashkar-e-jhangvi attacked yet another Shia doctor. Dr. Baqar Raza was attacked and injured in the North Nazimabad section of Karachi’s central district after being targeted by these groups. This attack comes in the midst of a coordinated campaign by extremist groups in the country to murder Shia doctors.

Nine Shia fighters killed in Suicide car bomb

On Wednesday, an explosive-laden vehicle drove into a gathering of Shia militia volunteers before detonating and killing nine people and injuring 13 others. This attack occurred in a small town roughly 12 miles south of the city of Tikrit. Although no group has yet t claim responsibility for the attack, people note that fighting between government forces and militants from the Islamic State have increased in the past few days. Government forces and Shia militias have been able to push Islamic State forces out of many of their previously held positions in the eastern part of the country; they still hold notable cities like Tikrit and Mosul in the north.

Shia trader killed in Peshawar

Last Friday, Siraj Hussain who is a Shia merchant from the Gulbahar area of Pakistan was shot and killed by armed gunmen. Hussain who was in Peshwar shopping with his friends, was approached by armed men on a motorcycle who proceeded to open fire. Hussain was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital but he would succumb to his gunshot wounds. The militants were able to flee the scene of the crime and have yet to be apprehended by Pakistani security forces.

Terrorists assassinate a Shia, and injure another in Karachi

Last Friday militants ambushed two Shia civilians in Karachi; killing one and critically injuring the other. Ghulam Hussain and Jafar were entering a car in the Korangi’s Zaman Town area of Karachi when militants from either ASWJ or LeJ attacked them. Witnesses say that militants arrived at the scene and began sporadically firing at the car before fleeing the scene. Ghulam Hussain was killed and Jafar Ali would be rushed to the hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment for his sustained gunshot injuries. Shia parties in the city condemned this attack as this is the third such attack in the last 10 days. The Shia community in Pakistan is calling for Pakistani Security forces to do more to protect the lives of their community members.

ISIS fire targeting Shia pilgrims kill schoolgirl

On Tuesday ISIS militants launching an attack on Shia pilgrims on the Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu road in Iraq hit a bus carrying schoolgirls with a rocket. This attack killed a schoolgirl and wounded two others. The Shia pilgrims traveling along this road were heading to the shrine of Imam Hussein for an important anniversary at the time of the attack. This anniversary known as arbayeen marks the end of the 40 day mourning period for the death of the Imam. Shia mark this anniversary by traveling to Najaf, the Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu road is a popular route for Shia pilgrims.

Arrests of Militants in Pakistan

The Pakistani security forces reported on Friday that they had arrested 63 criminals, 12 of which they claim have confessed to various crimes that extremist groups have carried out in the country. In addition to the arrests, Pakistani security forces seized numerous unlicensed weapons and ammunition in raids throughout Peshawar. The spokesman for the Peshawar police said that 16 of the 63 arrested were Afghan nationals who were taken into custody due to their illegal residence in the country. Of the weapons recovered, 53 pistols and two Kalashnikovs were among the stash. It has not been disclosed if any of those arrested had any connection to the string of Shia killings throughout the country.

Report documents number of killed by terrorists in November

A report released by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and BBC this week reveals that more than 5,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in November. Those killed in terrorist attacks were mostly civilians and overwhelmingly Muslim. 60 percent of the deaths in November were at the hands of militants from the Islamic State and Boko Haram. The Islamic State was the deadliest group in November by far with 2,206 deaths attributed to them; Boko Haram which was second has 801 deaths attributed to them. The bulk of attacks occurred in Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. While not included in the report, it is worth noting that Shia Muslims have suffered disproportionately from these attacks in November as groups like the Islamic State and Boko Haram have deliberately carried out attacks against Shia groups as Muharram commemorations commenced.

 

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