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A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.
A woman rests near rubble in the Syrian town of Darat Izza in Aleppo Province on February 28.

Live Blog: Tracking Islamic State

Follow all of the latest developments as they happen.

Latest News For February 29

-- The United States Army's elite Delta Force is on the verge of beginning operations to target, capture or kill top IS operatives in Iraq, after several weeks of covert preparation, an administration official with direct knowledge of the force's activities told CNN.

-- Syrian government forces have regained control of a road used by the army to access Aleppo, after making advances against Islamic State fighters, a monitoring group and state television reported.


-- Authorities in Iraq say the death toll from a double bombing at a market in Baghdad’s Shi’ite neighborhood of Sadr City rose to 73 on February 29 after several critically wounded victims died overnight.

-- Tajik media are reporting that a woman known to be the second wife of Gulmurod Halimov, the fugitive Tajik colonel who defected to the IS group, has left for Syria along with the couple's four young children.

-- The UN is poised to begin delivering aid to people living in besieged areas of Syria, making use of a truce brokered by the United States and Russia. The first deliveries are planned for Feb. 29, with aid due to reach about 150,000 Syrians in besieged areas over the next five days.

-- A truce negotiated between Syrian rebels and the government has caused a dramatic decrease in airstrikes around rebel-held territory, but there were few celebrations, with many residents suspecting a trick, CNN report.

* NOTE: Live blog posts are time-stamped according to Central European Time (CET).

12:03 14.1.2016

IS-allied News Agency Says IS Behind Jakarta Attacks

The IS-aligned Aamaq news agency has said that the IS group carried out this morning's attacks in Jakarta.

"Islamic State fighters carried out an armed attack this morning targeting foreign nationals and the security forces charged with protecting them in the Indonesian capital," Aamaaq said on its Telegram channel.

11:41 14.1.2016

IS 'Definitely' Behind Attack -- Jakarta's Police Chief

Jakarta's police chief has now said that the IS group are "definitely" behind the attacks in the Indonesian capital this morning.

11:39 14.1.2016

Dutch UN Employee 'Critically Injured' In Jakarta Attacks

A United Nations employee from the Netherlands, Johan Kieft, was critically injured at a bomb blast near a Starbucks cafe in Jakarta this morning and was undergoing surgery, his wife has said in an interview.

11:34 14.1.2016

Timeline Of Jakarta Attacks

Reuters has created a timeline of the attacks in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta this morning in which seven people -- including five militants -- were killed.

The full timeline can be viewed here.

The first explosion occurred near a Starbucks cafe in central Jakarta at 10.49 a.m. local time (GMT +0700 hours).

A second explosion happened just eight minutes later at 10.57. A police officer was shot at 11.00 near the explosion site. Gunfire and several explosions -- six according to local TV -- were heard.

11:17 14.1.2016

Five policemen were shot after a clash with attackers in front of a Starbucks branch in Jakarta, Indonesian deputy police chief Budi Gunawan says.

11:05 14.1.2016

11:00 14.1.2016

Police in Jakarta say the situation there is now under control, and the five suspected attackers have been killed.

No group has yet claimed responsibility but police say they suspect that an IS-linked group was behind the attacks.

10:58 14.1.2016

'IS Issued Cryptic Warning' Before Jakarta Attacks

Indonesian police said that the IS group issued a "cryptic warning" before the attacks in the capital Jakarta this morning.

"The warning said there will be a concert in Indonesia and it will be international news," he told a local radio station.

He did not give any further details, or say when the warning was issued.

10:56 14.1.2016

Jakarta Attacks 'Following Pattern Of Paris Attacks'

A national police spokesman has told AFP that an Indonesian organization with links to the IS group is suspected of carrying out the attacks in Jakarta.

"From what we see today, this group is following the pattern of the Paris attacks," police spokesman Anton Charliyan said.

10:52 14.1.2016

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