Iran Ends Military Drills in Northeast

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Commander of Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan told reporters that the war game has successfully achieved its objectives.

The war game, codenamed “Muhammad Rasulullah-3” (Muhammad, the Messenger of God-3), was held in Torbat-e-Jam region, province of Khorasan Razavi, northeast of Iran.

According to Pourdastan, the exercise included deployment of rapid reaction forces, artillery units, chopper squads, drones and forces from the electronic warfare units.

According to the commander, the whole stages of the war game were held successfully according to the plans.

One of the main purposes, he added, was to dispatch the rapid reaction units to the target zone in the shortest time possible in order to block the hypothetical enemy’s path.

The war game signaled the message of peace and friendship for the friends and warned the enemies of Iran’s harsh and decisive response to threats, the commander noted.

Over the past few years, Iran has held several military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and test modern military tactics and equipment.

Tehran maintains that the maneuvers are defensive in nature and meant to convey a message of peace and friendship to regional countries.

Iran has repeatedly stated that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.

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ISIS executes Norwegian, Chinese captives

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The IS Takfiri group has killed two more of its captives, a Chinese and a Norwegian national, as the terrorists continue their atrocities in the territories under their control in Syrian and Iraq.

The terror group published graphic photos of what appeared to be the bodies of Chinese hostage Fan Jinghui and Norwegian Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad in its English-language Dabiq magazine on Wednesday.

The two were killed two months after Daesh (IS, ISIS, ISIL) demanded a ransom for their release.

From what is seen in the photos, it seems that the hostages were shot to death.

The Chinese government has so far showed no reaction to the announcement while the office of the Norwegian prime minister said it could not confirm the death.

There are “published photos that indicate that the hostage Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad has been executed. We are trying to get it verified and will come back with further information,” the office’s spokeswoman Trude Maseide said.

It is not clear how, when and where the two men had been captured, but the last post on Grimsgaard-Ofstad’s Facebook page on January 24 shows that he had entered Idlib, Syria, on his way to Hama.

Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, was a graduate student in political philosophy from Porsgrunn, south of Oslo and 50-year-old Jinghui was a self-described “wanderer” from Beijing.

The Norwegian government had said it would not pay for Grimsgaard-Ofstad’s release, with Foreign Minister Borge Brende saying it was “out of the question for Norway to pay a ransom.”

The terrorists that control parts of Syria and Iraq have already decapitated some of their hostages including, American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig and released gruesome videos and pictures.

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12th Conference on ‘Quran interpretation scholars’ kick off in Qom

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The 12th edition of the gathering of Quran interpretation scholars began in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.

The gathering, held on the occasion of the 35th demise anniversary of Allameh Tabatabayi, is underway in the house of the late Quran interpreter and philosopher.

400 Quran commentary scholars of seminary schools from around the country are present at the three-day event.

A number of senior seminary scholars and sources of emulation including Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, and Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani will address the gathering.

Allameh Seyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabayi (16 March 1903 – 7 November 1981) was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam.

He is famous for his Tafsir al-Mizan, a twenty-volume work of Quranic exegesis, which he worked on from 1954 until 1972.

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Imam Khomeini’s philosophical character introduced in Senegal

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The philosophical aspects of the character of Imam Khomeini (RA) was introduced in a session held on the occasion of World Philosophy Day by Iranian Cultural Center in Senegal.

According to the website of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, ‘Today’s Iran and Islamic Identity: Introduction of the Latest French Translation of Imam Khomeini’s (RA) Book Named ‘Quest and Will” was the title of the program.

It was organized at the 15th edition of Dakar International Show of Books and Learning Tools.

Addressing the session, Seyyed Hassan Esmati, Iranian cultural attaché in Senegal talked about the philosophical and mystical aspects of the character of Imam Khomeini (RA) and the influence of these aspects in strengthening Islamic identity.

He expressed the center’s readiness to create and develop interactions between the two countries in the fields of philosophy and mysticism.

The Senegalese former minister of religious affairs, who has translated the book into French, also presented a speech in the session and said that Imam Khomeini (AS) answered the most important question of humans on predetermination (jabr) and ‘free will’ (ekhtiyar) in his book.

Noting that the universities in Senegal are in great need of such valuable sources, he asked the Iranian center to publish and distribute the book in the African country.

Senegal is a country on Africa’s west coast. Islam is the predominant religion in the country.

Over 90 percent of the country’s population is estimated to be Muslim. Islam has had a presence in Senegal since the 11th century.

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Iraq: 150 families escape from ISIS control into Sinjar

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The member of Sinjar council Maisr Haji announced on Tuesday, that Peshmerga forces have received about 150 families that fled from areas under ISIS control south of Sinjar, expecting to receive more families in the coming days.

Haji said, “Peshmerga forces received, today, about 150 families that have fled from areas under the control of the ISIS organization,” noting that, “All the families are from the population of Alqabussiya village south of the city of Sinjar.”

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ISIS withdraws from Syria to Iraq

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that Da’ish (ISIS) organization started leaving Syrian territories towards Mosul city, Iraq.

The Observatory added that Da’ish members and their families began moving from Syrian Riqa city to Iraq.

No other details were given.

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355 ISIS targets in Syria destroyed by Russian air force in last 48 hours

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Russia’s Armed forces staff said Wednesday that Russian air force carried out air raids against oil sites for ISIS terrorist organization, destroying 500 oil tanks that were smuggling oil from Syria to Iraq.

Meanwhile, a military source affirmed that 355 targets for seal-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization were destroyed in the countryside of Aleppo, Idleb, Raqqa and Dir Ezzor during the last 48 hours.

“The Russian air force, in cooperation with the Syrian air force, carried out 186 sorties against ISIS sites in Syria,” Syria news agency reported.

It added 26 command-centers, 35 depots, 28 fortified sites, 3 training camps, 8 explosive factories and 86 heavy-weapon stores for the ISIS were destroyed.

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Syrian man kills judge at ISIS Sharia Court for beheading his brother

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – A Syrian young man killed a judge from the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) along with two of his escorts in the city of Manbij in Aleppo province, north Syria, local sources reported on Wednesday.

After killing the ISIS judge in Manbij, the man has committed suicide by shooting himself.

“The young man has shot dead a Tunisian national, who served as a judge at the ISIS-linked Sharia Court in Manbij,” said an eyewitness  on the condition of anonymity, Kurdish Independent Agency reported.  

The incident took place on Tuesday, after the Sharia Court beheaded several family members of the Syrian young man.

“The same judge had order the beheading of at least three family members of the man, including his brother,”  the source reported.

“He took revenge and killed himself afterwards to avoid falling in the hands of Daesh (ISIS).”

In the meantime, dozens of people took to the street in Manbij to protest against ISIS atrocities. However, the group opened fire on the protesters, killing at least two and wounding several others. The rest of the protesters were arrested, said activists in Manbij.

This is the third protest organized by the people of Manbij in two months, calling for the departure of the terror group from their city and denouncing its violations against civilians.

The terror group has captured the city of Manbij more than a year and a half ago, after battles with the Syrian opposition forces.

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Israel is blame for Paris attack

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Chairman of the Dutch Socialist Party in the Netherlands has joined a growing chorus of argument that blame Israel for the Pris attacks, saying it was motivated by frustration at Israel.

Jan Marijnissen said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians somehow ignited the attack on French civilians at cafes, show venues, soccer stadiums and restaurants.

“Their behavior eventually is connected also to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” said Marijnissen in an interview with the Dutch NPO Radio1 on Monday.

“The guys – I assume they were guys – who carried out the attacks probably come from a group of outraged people from the French suburbs,” he said, adding the conflict in Israel “is the growth medium for such an attack.”

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First Quran recitation ceremony hold in al-Askariyain shrine in Samarra

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Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Dar al-Quran Center, affiliated to the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali, has held the first all-student Quran Recitation Ceremony in cooperation with al-Askariyain Holy Shrine in the holy city of Samarra.

“Within the College Quranic activities backed by the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali and in cooperation with al-Askariyain Holy Shrine, Dar al-Quran Center held a Quran Recitation Ceremony with participations from 90 students of the College of Pharmacy of Kufa University,” Sayyid Muhammad al-Mateen, director of the center, said.

From his part, the head of the Media Department of al-Askariyain Holy Shrine added, “The Holy Shrine has hosted the Kufa University students within its religious program,” pointing out that the holy shrine is continuously cooperating with various centers and institutions for the reception of delegations in order to provide the best services for offering pilgrimage to Imam Ali al-Hadi and Imam Hassan al-Askary, peace be upon them, and to establish different religious programs.


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