Iraq holding 1,400 foreign wives, children of Islamic State fightersSeptember 11, 2017 - 14:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraqi authorities are holding about 1,400 foreign wives and children of suspected Islamic State fighters in a camp after government forces expelled the group from one of its last remaining strongholds in Iraq, security and aid officials said, according to Al Jazeera. Many of them say they are from Russia, Turkey and Central Asia, but there are also some from European countries, the officials said. They have mostly arrived at the camp south of Mosul since August 30. An Iraqi intelligence officer said that they were in the process of verifying their nationalities with their home countries, since many of the women no longer had their original documents. It is the largest group of foreigners linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group to be held by Iraqi forces since they started expelling the fighters from Mosul and other areas in northern Iraq last year, an aid official said. Thousands of foreigners have been fighting for IS in Iraq and Syria. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |