Live Blog: War against Islamic State

Conflicting reports have come in suggesting that Peshmerga and Iraqi army forces have entered Mount Shingal in Iraq, underneath continuing airstrikes.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, writing on the LSE's USAPP blog, has suggested that navigating the legal territory of attacking Syria could prove tricky for the US:

"More than simply a part of the ‘fog of war,’ the lack of precision over the means, objectives, or even the targets of US and Arab air-strikes in Syria reflects the complicated battle-space in which there is no clear-cut distinction between friend and foe. After having stripped the Assad regime of its international legitimacy, neither the US nor its Arab allies will want to see Damascus benefit from the campaign against radical Islamist groups in eastern Syria. However, it is far from clear that ‘moderate’ elements of the Syrian opposition, such as the Free Syrian Army, possess the unit, resources, or capability to take full advantage of any vacuum in local authority that opens up. Uncertainty over what to do in Syria, both at a strategic and a tactical level, has confined France and Britain to military operations in Iraq, where they are at least working with a recognised government to combat extremist groups within its sovereign territory."

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Netanyahu's speech at the UN was "portraying Hamas and IS as two faces of the same coin although Hamas is a national liberation movement, while the (Israeli) occupier is the source of evil and terrorism in the world".

Walid al-Moallem, the Syrian Foreign Minister, has described the US-led airstrikes on Syria as "OK", in spite of the US not informing the Syrians before each strike, in an interview with AP.

"We are fighting ISIS, they are fighting ISIS," he said.

"Until today, we are satisfied. As long as they are aiming at ISIS locations in Syria and in Iraq, we are satisfied."

Turkey on Monday deployed tanks and armoured vehicles to reinforce its border with Syria amid escalating violence by the Islamic State group, as parliament was set to consider whether to authorise military action against the jihadists.

The army moved tanks and armoured vehicles to the border town of Mursitpinar, which lies across from the key Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, after some stray bullets hit Turkish villages, sparking retaliation from Turkey's military under its "rules of engagement".

The government said Monday it would shortly submit motions to parliament authorising the armed forces to take action in Iraq and Syria, so Ankara can join the US-led coalition against the IS fighters.

"The motions have not yet been sent to parliament. They may come tomorrow (Tuesday)," parliamentary speaker Cemil Cicek was quoted as saying by NTV television. 

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said the motions will be debated on Thursday.

Netanyahu, speaking at the UN, has condemned the Hamas "propaganda war" whereby it put civilians in harm's way in order to create an impression that Israel targetted civilians in the recent conflict.

Hamas used UN schools, mosques even hospitals to store rockets to fire at Israel.

"Palestinians civilians were tragically, but unintentionally, killed," he said.

He acknowledged there were "heart-rending images" but stated that they "deeply regret every single civilian casualty."

"Israel was doing everything to minimise Palestinian civilian casualties," he said.

"No other country and no other army in history have gone to greater length to avoid civilian casualites among the civilian population of their enemies."

"Last week, many countries rightly applauded Obama when he declared that he would confront ISIS," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United Nations General Assembly in Geneva. 

"But weeks before, some of these same countries opposed Israel for confronting Hamas," he continued. 

"They do not realise that IS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree."

"Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas. They share what all militants Islamists have in common."

Islamic State group fighters closed in to within only a few kilometres of the key Kurdish town of Kobane on Syria's border with Turkey, despite new air strikes by the US-led coalition.

It is the closest the militants had come to the town since they began advancing toward it nearly two weeks ago, sending tens of thousands of refugees across the border, said a Britain-based monitoring group.

As they advanced, the militants fired at least 15 rockets at the town centre, killing at least one person, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding other rockets hit the border zone.

NATO member Turkey deployed tanks to reinforce its side of the border and said parliament would this week debate joining the coalition against the jihadists operating on the country's doorstep.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu has slammed a recent government decision to allow schoolgirls to wear the headscarf, calling on mothers “not to surrender their daughters to ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] mentality.”

“The Justice and Development Party’s [AKP] ‘new Turkey’ is not only against the 81-year-old traditions of the Republic, but also defies the thousand-year accumulation of Islam in Anatolia and the tradition of Sufism in these lands,” Kılıçdaroğlu told Hürriyet in Bolu’s Mengen district on 27 September. 

“We must say that this mentality is not local,” he added.

According to Kılıçdaroğlu, this “exported religion” has ties to organizations that are enemies to humankind, such as IS.

"This terrorism will not be confined within the borders of Syria, because terrorism knows no borders," said Walid Muallem, the Syrian deputy prime minister at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.  

"Today I ask: hasn't the time come for us all to stand one against this terrorist ideology. Has the moment of truth not arrived for us to admit that IS, Nusra and all al-Qadea affiliates will not be confined to Syria but will reach the whole world including US and Europe," he added. 

Muallem criticised countries funding and arming 'terrorist'. 

He also said that Syria reiterates supports any international efforts - done in conformity with international law and respect countries' sovereignty - that are fighting IS, he said.

Seven people were arrested near Kirkuk in northern Iraq in connection with the transportation of four tankers of oil extracted by ISIL in the fields it controls in the south of Iraq, said the Kurdish Regional Government's (KRG) natural resources minister during a World Economic Forum meeting in Istanbul on Monday.

Speaking at the meeting entitled "Unlocking Resources for Regional Development" at the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul; Ashti Hawrami said, "Yesterday KRG ministry of interrior told me that four tankers filled with oil, extracted by ISIL from the fields it controls in Iraq's south, were trying to enter into Kurdish region. Seven people were arrested and investigations are ongoing."

Hawrami, called on KRG's neighbors and the international community to share intelligence, and said, "Then they will see how we deal with smuggling." 

ISIL's oil income should be cut off via determined and coordinated efforts of international community, said Hawrami.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina, criticised the past action of Western governments in funding terrorism at the UN.

"Where do ISIS and Al-Qaeda take their guns from? Yesterday’s freedom fighters are today’s terrorists," she told the assembly.

“The way in which we’ve been fighting terrorism has not been up to the job. Something is not working.”

She referenced US training of mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 80's and said "the only thing cannibals can’t do is eat themselves.” 

“The situation in the Middle East is getting more and more complicated.”

Iranian state-TV channel PressTV accused the "media" of censoring her speech.

The British tabloid the 'Sunday Mirror' reported that UK intelligence officers have been talking to officials from Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government for months to pave the way for attacks on Islamic State militants.

A source told the Sunday Mirror: "It makes sense that MI6 would try to make inroads with Assad by talking to his people, first through proxy channels like other Arab nations, but then directly.

"It may be there are no face-to-face meetings with Assad himself but behind the double-speak of foreign relations it is perfectly normal for them to see his senior people. It would be staggering if Britain’s intelligence agencies were not talking to Assad’s people.

"The talks they have within Syria are of invaluable benefit to Britain’s security."

The Syrian army was asked not to use its sophisticated ground-to-air missile defence system against the US-led ­coalition pounding IS fighters from the air.

Jordan, which has joined a US-led coalition waging air strikes on the Islamic State group, said Sunday it has secured the country's borders against "any threat".

The government's statement follows warnings from analysts that Jordan was taking a risk by joining the US-led coalition.

"The government and the armed forces, as well as security forces, are monitoring closely the situation in several neighbouring countries," it said.

"Precautionary measures have been taken to control the borders and protect Jordan against any threat," it said, quoted by state news agency Petra.

Interior Minister Hussein al-Majali, briefing the cabinet, said security in the kingdom and at its borders was "good and stable. There is no real direct threat for Jordan."

The IS has called on its supporters to carry out attacks against coalition partners, prompting concerns that Jordan could be targeted.