Day: August 7, 2021

Turkish Armed Forces have neutralized 18,313 terrorists since July 24, 2015, including 1,631 in Iraq and Syria since Jan. 1 this year, said the defense minister said on Saturday.

“Turkish Armed Forces’ story of heroism and sacrifice is not over, it continues. Mehmetcik (Turkish soldiers) continues to make history,” Hulusi Akar said at an oath-taking ceremony for Maroon Berets who have successfully completed their 47-week-long special training in Ankara.

Turkey’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler and the second chief of the Turkish General Staff, Lieut. Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, were also present at the ceremony.

Akar emphasized that the fight against terrorism, which began on July 24, 2015, has continued through the Claw operations.

The Claw operations are a series of military operations that Turkey launched in 2019 against terrorist organizations in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK.

The PKK terror group often hides out in northern Iraq, just across Turkey’s southern border, to plot terror attacks.

Underlining that Turkey respects all of its neighbor’s borders, sovereign rights, and laws, including those of Iraq, Akar added that the country will continue to stand by their Libyan and Azerbaijani brothers in their just cause.

Kabul airport

Touching upon the recent developments in Afghanistan, Akar said, “We have done our best, within our means, so that our Afghan brothers and sisters can live in safety and prosperity.”

Reiterating that the country has been working for 20 years to bring peace to Afghanistan, Akar added that Turkey has been operating the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul for the last six years and wants to continue managing the airport to support Afghan brethren.

Fires in Turkey

Regarding the wildfires in Turkey, Akar said that the Turkish Armed Forces have provided resources and personnel to help put out wildfires that erupted in several parts of the country.

Four drones, five landing ships, one patrol boat, four helicopters, more than 50 firefighter trucks, sprinklers, and over 600 personnel were provided by the Turkish Armed Forces, he added.

When needed, the country’s armed forces have mobilized all of their resources and capabilities, according to Akar, and the government has used their services in collaboration with relevant institutions and organizations.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Taliban on Saturday said it overrun Sheberghan, the capital city of northern Jowzjan province of Afghanistan, the second provincial capital to fall to the insurgents in less than a day.

An array of visuals posted on pro-Taliban social media accounts showed sights of fierce street battles in Sheberghan, home to former vice president Abdul Rasheed Dostum, as the Taliban marched on key government installations.

“Strategic capital of Jowzjan, Sherbarghan, ‘liberated’ by ‘Mujahidin’ amid AlFath operations. Latest info suggests governor office, police HQ, intelligence HQ & all related buildings cleared from Dostum militias & fell under complete ‘Mujahidin control’. Details later,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said on Twitter.

Jawzjan Deputy Governor Abdul Qader Malia told Anadolu Agency that there had been clashes between militants and Afghan security forces in Sherbarghan for the past two days.

The Taliban seized control of the city center Saturday afternoon, Malia said, adding the insurgents have over all public buildings there.

The security forces withdrew to an airport outside the city center, he added.

The fall of Sheberghan came a day after the Taliban captured Zaranj, the capital of the southwestern Nimroz province bordering Iran.

Dostum’s armed men led by his son Yar Mohammad have vowed to retake Sheberghan that has effectively been exchanged between the warring sides a couple of times this week.

But a little further from the city, a number of people affiliated with Dostum say they are preparing to repel Taliban attacks from the city center.

Inmates freed as Taliban break into prison, reports say

According to the local daily Etilaat Roz, the Taliban break into the Sheberghan prison and released “hundreds” of captives. However, neither the government nor the Taliban have made any definitive statements regarding the prison break and release of inmates.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that security forces have killed 385 Taliban insurgents and injured 210 others in the past 24 hours, as violence escalated amid stalled peace talks in Doha, Qatar.

After claiming to have taken control of nearly 200 rural districts last month, the Taliban launched a new round of deadly clashes last week as they marched on Herat, Kandahar, Taluqan, and Lashkargah, causing panic and concern among millions of civilians.

Sources in the Afghan government’s peace delegation told Anadolu Agency that the Taliban had floated the idea of an extended cease-fire provided up to 7,000 more of their captives are freed by the Afghan government and their leaders’ names removed from the UN sanctions list.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world and the coronavirus pandemic.

Developments in Turkey, coronavirus pandemic, and other news

Turkey has administered more than 75.55 million coronavirus vaccine doses since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January, according to official figures.

The Health Ministry confirmed 24,297 new infections and 108 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 6,636 additional patients have recovered.

Turkey’s president announced that 202 wildfires have been contained since they began last week. Efforts to extinguish the remaining 12 blazes are underway.

Forest fires have been contained in two more districts in the southern province of Antalya, according to the nation’s agriculture and forestry minister.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sent a message of condolence to his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias. Greece has been fighting wildfires that have left acres of forestland in ashes and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Turkish wrestler Taha Akgul clinched a bronze in the men’s freestyle 125 kilogram class at the Tokyo Olympics.

Worldwide developments related to COVID-19

The number of coronavirus vaccines given worldwide topped 4.36 billion, according to Our World In Data, a tracking website affiliated with the University of Oxford.

The more contagious delta variant now makes up an estimated 97% of new infections in Germany, according to the country’s disease control agency.

CNN fired three employees who went into work at the media company without being vaccinated for COVID-19.

Half of all Americans are “fully vaccinated” against the virus, said the White House COVID-19 data director.

Developments across the world

Jailed former South African President Jacob Zuma was admitted to a hospital outside the prison facility where he has been serving a 15-month sentence, according to authorities.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing a barrage of rockets at northern Israel.

Hezbollah said the action was “in response to Israeli airstrikes on open lands in the al-Jarmaq and al-Shawakir areas on Thursday night.”

Israeli forces retaliated by firing artillery munitions at the Kafr Shuba and Habariya areas in southern Lebanon, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

Lebanon urged the UN to pressure Israel to stop violating its sovereignty.

Thousands of hectares of rich leafy forests have turned to ash in Attica’s northeastern suburbs as fires burned for a fourth day in Greece, forcing residents to flee.

A senior Afghan official and former spokesman of the president was assassinated by the Taliban in the capital, Kabul, authorities confirmed.

The advancing Taliban insurgents entered the key border town of Zaranj in western Nimorz province next to Iran, said officials.

Afghanistan is at a “dangerous turning point” as the Taliban continue to press a sweeping nationwide offensive against government forces, warned the UN special envoy for the war-torn country.

The US sharply denounced the Taliban’s offensive, saying the hardline group should take ongoing peace negotiations in Qatar as seriously as it does its military campaign.

Due to continuing attacks by the Bashar-al-Assad regime, 80% of nearly 50,000 civilians living in targeted neighborhoods of Daraa, southwestern Syria, left their homes and migrated to other neighborhoods as talks for peace continue.

Azerbaijan said army posts in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic came under fire by Armenian forces.

The G7 foreign ministers condemned an “unlawful attack” on the Mercer Street merchant vessel, which they blamed on Iran.

The US and Israeli defense chiefs vowed to cooperate closely on regional security after they also laid blame on Iran for the attack on the oil tanker.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Brazil defeated Spain 2-1 to secure the gold in men’s football at Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Saturday.

Brazil’s Richarlison missed a penalty in the 38th minute as goals from Matheus Cunha and Mikel Oyarzabal sent the game into extra time.

Malcom’s goal in the 108th minute gave Brazil a 2-1 win in the final at International Stadium Yokohama.

Brazil won the Olympic gold in men’s football for the second time in a row.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US men’s basketball team won a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics, after defeating France 87-82 on Saturday in Tokyo.

Superstar Kevin Durant scored 29 points in the final at Saitama Super Arena.

Jasyon Tatum added 19, Damian Lillard had 11 and Jrue Holiday scored 11.

Rudy Gobert led France with 16 points.

Source: Anadolu Agency