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A leader with the Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab, who had a $3 million bounty on his head, surrendered in Somalia, a Somali intelligence official said Saturday.
Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi surrendered to Somali police in the Gedo region, said the intelligence officer, who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
Kurdish YPG fighters on the frontline against ISIS in Ras al-Ain, northern Syira. (Reuters)
ISIS has lost more ground to Kurdish fighters in the embattled city of Kobane in northern Syria, according to local reports.
“Kurdish forces now control more than 60 percent of the city,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels were on Dec. 27 set to complete a swap of hundreds of prisoners as part of a new push for peace that came despite Kiev’s decision to cut off key transport links to breakaway Crimea.
The exchange began Dec. 26 on a dark and isolated stretch of a road north of the devastated eastern rebel stronghold of Donetsk, and unfolded as negotiators from both sides held video talks on Skype at reviving stalled negotiations.
Militiamen loyal to Galmudug authorities in Galkayo’s Barahley neighborhood attacked Mudug region town of Saho according to officials on Wednesday, Garowe Online reports.
Saho Mayor Abdisalan Guled told the media that a gun-battle between locals and Galmudug militiamen resulted in 20 deaths and left scores wounded.
Syrian planes and helicopters have reportedly dropped improvised barrel bombs on Islamic State-held areas in the north-east, which activists say killed at least 40 civilians.
The air raids coincide with more than 30 air strikes by the US-led Combined Joint Task Force against Islamic State (IS) group targets in Iraq and Syria.