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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).

09:48 3.12.2015

Putin accuses Turkey of supporting militants in the North Caucasus since the 1990s.

09:51 3.12.2015

Turkey Dismisses Russia's 'Soviet-Style Propaganda' Over IS Oil

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has dismissed Russian allegations that his country is buying oil from the IS group as "Soviet-style propaganda," Reuters reports.

Davutoglu said Turkey was doing its utmost to secure its border with Syria.

"In the Cold War period there was a Soviet propaganda machine. Every day it created different lies. Firstly they would believe them and then expect the world to believe them. These were remembered as Pravda lies and nonsense," Davutoglu said, referring to the name of a Soviet newspaper.

"This was an old tradition but it has suddenly reared its head again. Nobody attaches any value to the lies of this Soviet-style propaganda machine."

10:04 3.12.2015

Russian 'Spy' Beheaded By IS 'Recruited By FSB'

RFE/RL's Kazakh service has more information on Magomed Khasiev, the Russian man beheaded by IS after being accused of being a "Russian spy."

RFE/RL have found a profile of a man named Magomed Khasiev on the Russian social network VKontakte whose photographs look very similar to the man by the same name who appears in the IS video.

From the age of nine, Khasiev was an orphan who "asked for help from the leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, but did not receive it," the report says.

In July 2014, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Khasiev on suspicion of transporting narcotic pills, then enlisted him in exchange for his release and sent him to Syria to obtain information about Russian nationals fighting alongside IS.

Among those about whom Khasiev informed to the FSB could be students from the Stavropol State Medical Academy, who were convicted on December 1 to prison terms from five to seven years on terrorism charges.

In the video, Khasiev says that he studied in Maykop, the capital city of the Republic of Adygea and lived in the Chechen capital Grozny.

10:18 3.12.2015

'Not Just Tomatoes' -- Putin Warns Turkey Over Jet Downing

"Russia Won't Sabre-Rattle -- But Turkey Won't Escape With Just Tomatoes," is this morning's headline by the TASS news agency, a quote from Putin's state of the nation address this morning.

Putin was referring to Russia's response -- which has so far included sanctions on imports of fruits and vegetables -- over the downing by Turkey of an Su-24 jet near the Syrian border.

"At the heart of our actions there will be responsibility towards our country and our people. We are not preparing to and will not sabre rattle," Putin said.

"But if anyone thinks that, after committing a heinous war crime -- the murder of our people, they can get away with tomatoes or some sort of limitations in construction or other industries, they are deeply mistaken. We will remember more than once what they have done and they will regret more than once what they have done. We know what we need to do about this."

10:26 3.12.2015

"Checkmate," reads the headline in today's Millet newspaper, which is supportive of Turkish President Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), referring to a preliminary agreement Turkey has signed with Qatar for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.

The move followed economic sanctions on Turkey by Russia after the downing of a Russian Su-24 jet near the Turkish border last week. Turkey is the biggest importer of Russian natural gas.

10:30 3.12.2015

Russia has said that talks with Turkey on the Turkish Stream pipeline project have been suspended, AFP is reporting.

10:33 3.12.2015

The head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has said that there is "confirmed information" that the Russian national beheaded by the IS group was a Chechen, RIA Novosti is reporting.

10:42 3.12.2015

Here's a video from RFE/RL's Afghan Service on an ex-Gitmo inmate who is now leading the fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan:

Haji Ghalib spent four years as a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, but is now leading the fight against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan. His best friend from his time in U.S. custody is now his deadliest enemy. (RFE/RL's Afghan Service)

Ex-Gitmo Inmate Leads Fight Against IS Militants
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10:47 3.12.2015

Turkish Stream Negotiations Suspended, Russia Says

TASS quotes Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak as saying that "negotations have been suspended" over the Turkish Stream pipeline project.

Novak's announcement comes after Russia suspended on December 1 the activities of the joint Russian-Turkish Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Earlier today, the head of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, told reporters that if Turkey needed the Turkish Stream project, it should "apply to Russia."

"Right now Turkey has not come to us with such a proposal," Miller said.

10:51 3.12.2015

Turkish President Erdogan has criticized as "immoral" Russia's claims that his family are involved in IS oil trade, AFP reports.

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