War

ISIS may be planning “enormous and spectacular” attacks on the UK, the national head of counter-terrorism warned on Monday. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said that the Islamic State are broadening their terror campaign. He believes the terror group is targeting the “Western lifestyle” and that they could be gearing up for a large-scale attack. The Telegraph reports: He said: “In recent months we’ve seen a broadening of that, much more plans to attack Western lifestyle, and obviously the Paris attacks in November.

Thousands took to the streets of London to protest against Ankara’s military operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which causes suffering to the Kurdish minority both in Turkey and beyond. Organized by an activist group known as Stop War on Kurds, the protest took place in central London on Sunday amid media silence. RT reports: The crowd was a mixture of both Kurds and non-Kurdish supporters.

North Korea has threatened nuclear strikes on the US and South Korea as the two begin their biggest ever military drills. Pyongyang issued a statement ordering a “pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice” unless the joint military drills off the Korean Peninsula, involving more than 300,000 South Korean and 15,000 American troops, are halted. The joint exercises, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, due to start on Monday are an annual event that always generates tension. RT reports: The exercise involves conducting amphibious operations for possible wartime missions.

Local sources say the clashes in the Islamic State stronghold Raqqa have been escalating for several days and have resulted in numerous ISIS defections A popular uprising reportedly resulted in dozens of deaths as fierce clashes erupted between local residents and the terrorist group. Around 200 ISIS militants are said to have switched sides and are now fighting against their former comrades. RT reports: “About 200 Syrian militants of Daesh took the side of residents of Raqqa, which forced the terrorists to organize roadblocks at the entrance to the city,” one source told Sputnik.

The United States is constructing two air bases in Kurdish-controlled northern Syria. One base is nearing finished being set up and another dual purpose military-civilian base is under construction, according to a Kurdish website. Reuters UK reports: The Erbil-based news website BasNews, quoting a military source in the Kurdish-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), said most of the work on a runway in the oil town of Rmeilan in Hasaka was complete while a new air base southeast of Kobani, straddling the Turkish border, was being constructed.