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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).

16:48 15.1.2016

Russia To Seek Extradition Of Citizen Arrested In Turkey Over IS Ties

Russia intends to pursue the extradition of a Russian national from Tatarstan, Aydar Suleymanov, who was arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to the IS group, a source "familiar with the situation" has told Interfax.

The source said that Russia was negotiating with Turkey via Interpol over Suleymanov, who is on an international wanted list.

16:36 15.1.2016

Life Under IS Rule In Raqqa Was 'Hell...Horrible,' British Mother Says

A British mother standing trial in the UK accused of taking her toddler to Syria to join the IS group has described life in IS-controlled Syria as "hell" and "horrible," according to local media reports.

Tareena Shakil allegedly spent three months beginning October 2014 in IS's stronghold of Raqqa.

Photographs allegedly show Shakil posing with an AK-47 assault rifle. A senior security analyst reportedly told the court that only women from IS's all-female al-Khansa brigade were allowed access to weapons in IS-controlled areas.

16:32 15.1.2016

U.S. Military Discloses 8 Civilian Deaths In Air Strikes In Iraq, Syria

The United States military has said that eight civilians were killed and three others wounded in five air strikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria between April 12 and July 4, 2015.

16:30 15.1.2016

IS Funded Jakarta Attacks Through 'Intellectual Jihadi,' Police Say

Indonesia's national police chief General Badrodin Haiti has said that yesterday's deadly attacks militants in Jakarta were funded by the IS group and that the funds were driven through Bahrun Naim, a militant arrested in 2011 for illegal arms possession.

"The planners, financiers and supporters that provide [explosive] materials, assemble the bombs, facilitate accommodations and vehicles, etc…of course this is the work of a team that could be big or small," Haiti said.

"This obviously was not conducted by five men, this takes teamwork."

15:45 15.1.2016

Jakarta Attacks May Have Not Gone To Plan...

Yesterday's deadly attacks in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta may not have gone completely to plan, Reuters suggests.

The attacks, which appear to have been modeled on the November 13 Paris attacks -- for which the IS group also claimed responsibility -- were apparently designed to take many lives.

But of the seven people killed in the attacks, five were the attackers themselves.

In interviews with witnesses and authorities, as well as video obtained by Reuters, a picture emerges of a calculated attack that swiftly fizzled out due to the militants' lack of sophisticated weaponry and amateurish execution.

15:40 15.1.2016

Full Transcript, Video of U.S.-led Coalition Spokesman's Briefing

The U.S. Department of State has now published a full transcript of a briefing yesterday by U.S.-led coalition spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren on the current situation regarding operations against the IS group in Syria and Iraq.

A video of the complete briefing has also been published today.

15:36 15.1.2016

The official Twitter account for the U.S.-led coalition against the IS group in Syria and Iraq tweeted this photo of an Australian Army trainer leading Iraqi forces at the start of a bayonet course.

15:30 15.1.2016

Severe Malnutrition Confirmed In Syria's Madaya

UNICEF has confirmed cases of severe malnutrition among children in the besieged rebel-controlled town of Madaya.

Local aid workers reported 32 deaths from starvation there within the past month.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent has despatched a mobile clinic and medical team after the government approved an urgent request. The World Health Organization said a vaccination campaign will go ahead in Madaya next week.

14:56 15.1.2016

Medical Team To Enter Besieged Syrian Town Of Madaya

The Syrian government, whose forces are besieging the Syrian town of Madaya alongside fighters from Hizbullah, have granted permission to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to enter the town with a mobile clinic.

14:52 15.1.2016

Australia's Airports Ramp Up Security Checks For Returning Militants

Australia's international airports have stepped up security checks to focus on foreign fighters returning from the war zone in Syria and Iraq, as well as checks for those potentially traveling to join the IS group there.

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