Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 14-27, 2022)

Main events of the past week

• Over the past two weeks, there has been a significant increase in the scope of ISIS’s activity in its various provinces around the globe. This is apparently in light of ISIS’s announcement of the start of a campaign of vengeance for the deaths of its leader and its spokesman, and in light of the month of Ramadan, which is generally characterized by an increase in its activity^[1]. The lead article in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly was also devoted to the campaign of vengeance, encouraging the operatives to carry out attacks and expand them to new regions.
• Syria: Despite the announcement of the campaign, activity continued at a relatively low level and was directed mainly against the Syrian army, the forces supporting it, and the Kurdish SDF. Iraq: There was a significant increase in the scope of ISIS’s activity in Iraq, although most of the attacks were relatively minor.
• The Sinai Peninsula: There was an increase in ISIS’s activity. At the same time, the Egyptian army and the local militias supporting it continued their counterterrorism activity.
• Africa: There was an increase in ISIS’s terrorist activity, especially in Nigeria. In addition, ISIS operatives expanded their area of operations and carried out several attacks in regions where they had not operated in the past. The African coalition forces recorded achievements in the campaign against ISIS in the Lake Chad region, where nearly 200 ISIS operatives were killed, including seven senior operatives. At the same time, clashes between Boko Haram and ISIS’s West Africa Province in northeastern Nigeria continued.
• Afghanistan: There was an increase in ISIS’s activity. One noteworthy attack was the bombing of a Shiite mosque in the northern city of Mazar Sharif. Another attack was carried out against a bus carrying workers in Kunduz, in the north of the country.
• Uzbekistan: For the first time, ISIS’s Khorasan Province announced that it was carrying out activity against Uzbekistan. ISIS operatives fired rockets at positions of the Uzbek army near the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border.
• Counterterrorism in Israel: A Palestinian resident of Hebron, an ISIS supporter, was detained following the solving of a murder he committed three years ago of a couple in Jerusalem and another murder he committed about a month ago. In addition, the Israeli security forces detained several Arab-Israeli residents who are affiliated with ISIS.
• The battle for hearts and minds: On April 17, 2022, ISIS’s Al-Furqan Media Foundation released an audiotape of the organization’s spokesman Abu Omar al-Muhajer, entitled, “Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands” (Telegram, April 17, 2022). The spokesman announces a campaign of vengeance for the deaths of ISIS’s leader and the organization’s spokesman, who were killed on February 3, 2022, during a commando operation by US forces in the rebel enclave in Idlib, Syria. The spokesman calls on Muslims around the world to avenge the deaths of the two men and on ISIS’s supporters to carry out lone wolf attacks in Western countries. He also praises the perpetrators of the attack in the city of Hadera, Israel, and calls on ISIS’s operatives and supporters around the world, especially in the West and in Israel, to regard that attack as a model.

The Syrian arena

The desert region (Al-Badia)

• On April 25, 2022, ISIS operatives attacked a joint force of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it in the Al-Kharatah oil field, northwest of Deir ez-Zor. Two of the force fighters were killed (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 25, 2022).
• On April 25, 2022, three soldiers were killed in an ISIS attack against a Syrian army force in the Bishri Desert, about 70 km southeast of Al-Raqqah (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 25, 2022).
• On April 22, 2022, two Syrian soldiers were killed in the explosion of an old IED which was apparently planted by ISIS in Al-Raqqah’s desert region (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 22, 2022).
• On April 20, 2022, ISIS operatives activated an IED against a vehicle carrying Syrian soldiers east of Hama. Six soldiers were wounded (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 20, 2022).
• On April 19, 2022, after forces of the Syrian army and fighters of the militias supporting it had operated against ISIS squads in Ma’dan, about 60 km southeast of Al-Raqqah, it was reported that many bodies of soldiers arrived in the village (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 19, 2022).
• On April 17, 2022, an IED was activated (apparently by ISIS) against a Syrian army vehicle in the desert region east of Al-Raqqah. One soldier was killed and several others were wounded (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 17, 2022).

Attacks against ISIS targets

• Russian fighter jets carried out dozens of airstrikes against ISIS targets in various regions of the Syrian Desert. On April 1-24, 2022, about 470 sorties were reportedly carried out (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 16-24, 2022).

Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen

• On April 24, 2022, an SDF “spy” was killed in Mahaimida, about 10 km north of Deir ez-Zor (Telegram, April 24, 2022).
• On April 24, 2022, an SDF vehicle was targeted by gunfire in Jazrat Abu Hamid, west of Deir ez-Zor. An SDF fighter was wounded. In addition, a man who worked with the SDF forces was killed in the same area (Telegram, April 24, 2022).
• On April 21, 2022, an SDF roadblock was targeted by gunfire in Al-Wahid, north of Deir ez-Zor. Two SDF fighters were killed (Telegram, April 21, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, an SDF fighter was targeted by gunfire about 15 km north of Deir ez-Zor (Telegram, April 18, 2022).
• On April 17, 2022, an SDF “spy” was targeted by gunfire in Dhiban, about 3 km east of Al-Mayadeen (Telegram, April 17, 2022).
• On April 11, 2022, an employee of the SDF prisons was targeted by gunfire in Al-Sabha, about 25 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor. He was killed and ISIS operatives set fire to his car (Telegram, April 12, 2022).

Al-Raqqah region

• On April 24, 2022, an IED was activated west of Al-Raqqah against a vehicle carrying a man working with the SDF forces. He was killed (Telegram, April 24, 2022).
• On April 21, 2022, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in Al-Tabqa. An SDF commander and his escort were killed (Telegram, April 21, 2022).
• On April 19, 2022, an SDF commander was targeted by gunfire at his home in the Al-Karamah region, east of Al-Raqqah (Telegram, April 19, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle west of Al-Raqqah. After the activation of the IED, the vehicle was targeted by gunfire. Six SDF fighters were killed or wounded (Telegram, April 18, 2022).

Aleppo region

• On April 18, 2022, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle southwest of Manbij, about 85 km northeast of Aleppo. SDF fighters on board were killed or wounded (Telegram, April 18, 2022).

 The Iraqi arena

• In Iraq, there has been a substantial increase in the number of attacks, apparently due to the announced campaign of vengeance and the month of Ramadan, during which there is usually an increase in ISIS’s activity. All the attacks were relatively small in scope, which may indicate limited capability of ISIS’s operatives to act in Iraq, mainly due to the counterterrorism activity of the Iraqi security forces.

Attacks by province^[2]

Diyala Province

• On April 24, 2022, an Iraqi army post was targeted by gunfire in the Hamrin region, about 50 km northeast of Baqubah. Two soldiers were wounded.
• On April 23, 2022, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle west of Al-Azim, about 60 km north of Baqubah. The passengers on board were wounded.
• On April 19, 2022, a Popular Mobilization compound was targeted by gunfire in Qara Tapa, about 75 km north of Baqubah. Four fighters were killed and two others were wounded. A force arriving on the scene to provide assistance was targeted by gunfire. One fighter was killed and three others were wounded. An IED was activated against the vehicle that evacuated the casualties. The passengers on board were killed or wounded.
• On April 23, 2022, an IED was activated against a Popular Mobilization foot patrol in northern Al-Azim. Two fighters were wounded.
• On April 16, 2022, an IED was activated against a group of Iraqi soldiers in the Qara Tapa region. Two soldiers were killed and another was wounded.

Salah al-Din Province

• On April 17, 2022, a soldier was wounded in an attack (probably by ISIS operatives) against an Iraqi army force in Tuz Khormato, about 100 km northeast of Samarra (Rudaw, April 17, 2022). ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
• On April 14, 2022, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle in the Tuz Khormato region. An officer was killed and three soldiers were wounded.

Erbil Province

• On April 23, 2022, a shepherd abducted by ISIS was released after his family negotiated with the organization for 20 days and paid ISIS a ransom of $25,000 (Kurdistan24, April 24, 2022).
• On April 21, 2022, an Iraqi army post was targeted by gunfire in Suleiman, about 40 km southwest of Erbil. One soldier was killed.

Al-Anbar Province

• On April 24, 2022, two vehicles of the Iraqi army or militias supporting it were targeted by gunfire from an ISIS roadblock on the international highway, 70 km west of Ramadi. The soldiers in the vehicles were killed or wounded. Another Iraqi army vehicle was targeted by gunfire from another roadblock on the international highway, 35 km west of Ramadi. Several soldiers were killed or wounded.
• On April 19, 2022, three Iraqi army vehicles were attacked by gunfire at an ISIS roadblock on the international highway west of Al-Rutba, in western Iraq. Several soldiers were killed and wounded.
• On April 18, 2022, an Iraqi army post was attacked on the Akashat-Al-Qaim highway in western Iraq. Three soldiers were killed and the post was damaged. An IED was activated against a rescue force arriving on the scene. The vehicle was hit, and the passengers on board were killed or wounded.

Kirkuk Province

• On April 24, 2022, an Iraqi army post was targeted by gunfire in the southern Daquq region, in south Kirkuk. One soldier was wounded. The day before, a police post in the region was targeted by gunfire. Two policemen were wounded. A rescue force arriving on the scene was targeted by gunfire.
• On April 23, 2022, an Iraqi army post was targeted by gunfire north of Al-Zab al-Asfal, about 40 km northwest of Kirkuk. Two soldiers were killed and another was wounded.
• On April 23, 2022, an Iraqi police post was attacked in the Rashad region, about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk. One policeman was wounded. The day before, an Iraqi police patrol was targeted by gunfire in the same area and one policeman was killed.
• On April 21, 2022, a Tribal Mobilization patrol was targeted by gunfire near Rabida, in the Rashad region, about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk. An Iraqi police patrol arriving on the scene was also attacked. Two policemen were wounded.
• On April 21, 2022, an Iraqi army post was targeted by gunfire near Albu Saraj, in south Kirkuk. Two soldiers were wounded.
• On April 20, 2022, mortar shells were fired at an Iraqi army base in Tamour, in south Kirkuk. No casualties or damage were reported.
• On April 18, 2022, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army patrol near Albu Saraj. A truck was destroyed and the soldiers fled.
• On April 13, 2022, two Popular Mobilization posts were targeted by gunfire in Al-Yarqun al-Saghira, in south Kirkuk. One fighter was killed and two others were wounded.
• On April 11, 2022, an IED was activated against an Iraqi police armored vehicle in the Rashad region. The vehicle was put out of commission (Iraqi News Agency, April 13, 2022).

Counterterrorism activity

Kirkuk Province

• In an operation carried out against ISIS squads in Wadi al-Shay and Wadi Azghitun in the southern Kirkuk Province, the Iraqi security forces destroyed ISIS’s largest camp, ISIS guesthouses, hiding places, and three tunnels. They also seized equipment, IEDs, and substances for making IEDs (Iraqi News Agency, April 15, 2022).

Nineveh Province

• On April 15, 2022, the Iraqi security forces operating west of Mosul detained an ISIS operative who was in charge of collecting charity money (Jam’ al-Zakat) and found equipment and IEDs (Khaliyat al-I’lam al-Amni Facebook page, April 15, 2022).

Baghdad Province

• On April 13, 2022, the Iraqi security forces detained an ISIS operative in south Baghdad (Khaliyat al-I’lam al-Amni Facebook page, April 15, 2022).

Sinai Peninsula

ISIS’s activity

• On April 25, 2022, an Egyptian army patrol was targeted by gunfire in Al-Muqata’a, in south Sheikh Zuweid. Two soldiers were killed and another was wounded (Telegram, April 25, 2022).
• On April 25, 2022, there was an exchange of fire in Al-Muqata’a between ISIS operatives and Sinai Tribal Union fighters supporting the Egyptian army. The force was supported by planes and UAVs. Six fighters were killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, April 25, 2022). Two days before, an IED was activated against a Sinai Tribal Union patrol in the same area. One fighter was killed and several others were wounded, including a senior commander (Telegram, April 24, 2022).
• On April 23, 2022, five Sinai Tribal Union fighters were reportedly killed and seven others were wounded. In addition, two Sinai Tribal Union “agents” were killed (Telegram, April 23, 2022). The place or circumstances have not been mentioned.
• On April 22, 2022, a Sinai Tribal Union patrol was attacked near Al-Muqata’a. In the exchange of fire, a Sinai Tribal Union commander was killed and four others, including a commander, were wounded (Telegram, April 23, 2022).
• On April 22, 2022, during a search activity in Al-Muqata’a, a Sinai Tribal Union fighter was wounded in the explosion of an IED (apparently planted by ISIS) (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, April 22, 2022).
• On April 22, 2022, two tribe members who were abducted several days earlier from a village in the Sheikh Zuweid region were executed by armed men, apparently ISIS operatives (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, April 22, 2022). On April 24, 2022, ISIS’s Amaq News Agency released a video documenting the execution of two “spies” east of Bir al-Abd (Telegram, April 24, 2022). Apparently, they were the two abductees.
• On April 21, 2022, ISIS operatives exchanged fire with a Sinai Tribal Union force near Al-Muqata’a. Four fighters were killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, April 21, 2022). Local sources confirmed the above and noted that it happened during Sinai Tribal Union fighters’ activity in the area (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, April 22, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, three Sinai Tribal Union fighters were killed and two others were wounded south of Sheikh Zuweid. Their car was set on fire (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, April 19, 2022). ISIS released a video with a partial documentation of the incident. With the burning vehicle in the background, an ISIS operative is heard saying, “These are your vehicles, enemies of Allah. We shall still make you suffer. Do not think that we have been weakened. We shall fight you until our last breath …” (Telegram, April 18, 2022).

   
Right: The vehicle before being set on fire. Left: The vehicle going up in flames (Telegram, April 18, 2022)

• ISIS’s Sinai Province released two photos documenting two ISIS operatives firing at a Sinai Tribal Union patrol south of Sheikh Zuweid (Telegram, April 18, 2022).
• On April 17, 2022, Islam Mohammad al-Maadawi, an Egyptian soldier, was killed in the explosion of an IED probably planted by ISIS (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, April 17, 2022).

Counterterrorism activity

•  Five ISIS operatives were killed south of Rafah on April 24, 2022, in the Egyptian army’s counterterrorism activity on April 24, 2022, in various regions in the Sinai Peninsula. During the activity in Al-Muqata’a, the Egyptian army also detained 11 wives and 13 children of ISIS operatives (Akhbar Sinaa al-A’an Facebook page, April 24, 2022).

•  In a house on the outskirts of Al-Muqata’a, a Sinai Tribal Union force found computers and HD and Go Pro cameras used by ISIS to produce videos. They also seized a drone. ISIS operatives reportedly used the house as a point of departure for their attacks (Sinai Tribal Union Facebook page, April 25, 2022).

• According to a tribal source, the Sinai Tribal Union, under the supervision of the Egyptian army forces, succeeded in breaking into ISIS hiding places in two abandoned villages whose residents left several years ago. The forces also captured a senior ISIS operative and seized documents and books. According to the source, the troops deactivated IEDs and bombs planted by ISIS operatives in several houses, roads, and farms. The source noted that the operation had also been conducted in several other villages (Al-Arabiya.net, April 13, 2022).

Summary of ISIS’s activity in the various provinces

•  An infographic published by ISIS summing up its activity around the world between April 14 and April 20, 2022, indicates that in this period, ISIS carried out 76 attacks in its various provinces around the globe (compared to 59 in the previous week). The largest number of attacks was carried out in the Iraq Province (28). Attacks carried out in the other provinces: West Africa (22); Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (10); Syria (6); Sinai (4); Central Africa (2); Somalia (2); India (1); and Libya (1). A total of 196 people were killed or wounded in the attacks, compared to 146 in the previous week. The largest number of casualties was in the West Africa Province (93). The other casualties were in the following provinces: Iraq (51); Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (24); Syria (12); Sinai (7); Somalia (6); and Libya (3) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, April 21, 2022).

• An infographic summing up ISIS’s activity around the world between April 7 and April 14, 2022, indicates that in this period, ISIS carried out 59 attacks in its various provinces around the globe (compared to 45 in the previous week). The largest number of attacks was carried out in the Iraq Province (24). Attacks carried out in the other provinces: Central Africa (14); West Africa (11); Khorasan (5); Syria (3); and Somalia (2). A total of 146 people were killed or wounded in the attacks (compared to 295 in the previous week). The largest number of casualties was in the Central Africa Province (69). The other casualties were in the following provinces: Iraq (31); West Africa (28); Khorasan (12); Iraq (16); Syria (4); and Somalia (2) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, April 14, 2022).

ISIS attacks by week (according to ISIS data)

ISIS activity in Africa^[3]

• Al-Naba’ published an infographic summing up West Africa Province’s activity between February 11 and April 11, 2022. It indicates that in this period, the province carried out 153 attacks in the following forms: 72 IED detonations; 40 assaults and exchanges of fire; 5 suicide attacks; 8 ambushes; 3 targeted killings; and 25 other attacks. A total of 459 people were killed or wounded in the attacks, of whom 448 were Nigerian soldiers and fighters of militias loyal to the Nigerian army, 5 Cameroonian soldiers, 2 officers and commanders (apparently of the Cameroonian army), and 4 Westerners (Telegram, April 14, 2022).

Nigeria

Clashes between Boko Haram and ISIS’s West Africa Province

• On April 19, 2022, two commanders of ISIS’s West Africa Province were killed by Boko Haram while moving at night to a newly established camp in Sambisa Forest, in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria (The Guardian, April 23, 2022; shaharareporters.com, April 23, 2022). On April 22, 2022, clashes broke out in the area between operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province and Boko Haram operatives. A total of 32 operatives of both sides were killed. It should be noted that Sambisa Forest is one of the epicenters of activity of the two organizations, which have had violent clashes for quite some time. Concerning the Boko Haram activity in Nigeria, Nigerian Defense Minister Bashir Magashi noted that in the recent attacks carried out by Boko Haram in the north of the country, the organization collaborated with criminal elements (punchng.com, April 13, 2022).

ISIS expanding its activity in Nigeria

• On April 19, 2022, there were reports of an explosion at a bar in the cattle market in the town of Iware, in Taraba State, eastern Nigeria. Three people were killed and 19 were wounded (allnews.ng, April 21, 2022; naijanews.com, April 20, 2022). ISIS’s West Africa Province claimed responsibility for the attack, noting that about 30 Christians were killed and wounded (Telegram, April 21, 2022). On April 22, 2022, another attack was reported in the same area. An IED was activated in Jalingo, in Taraba State. Nine people were wounded (www.naijanews.com, April 22, 2022). ISIS operatives were possibly behind the attack. This is the first time that ISIS has claimed responsibility for carrying out an attack in this state in Nigeria, which may indicate the expansion of the organization’s activity to the east of the country.
• On April 23, 2022, a Nigerian police building in Ojaminana, in Kogi State, southern Nigeria, was targeted by gunfire. An officer and four policemen were killed and several others were wounded. The building and two vehicles were set on fire. Five rifles and two handguns were seized (Telegram, April 23, 2022). Police sources confirmed the above and noted that three officers had been killed (saharareporters.com, April 24, 2022). This is the first time that ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack in Kogi State.
• On April 21, 2022, the Christian town of Butuku, in the northeastern Adamawa State, in eastern Nigeria, was attacked. The residents fled. ISIS operatives set fire to several homes.

ISIS attacks in Nigeria

• On April 24, 2022, an IED was activated against a group of Nigerian soldiers and civilians at a bar in the village of Jashua in Yobe State, in northeastern Nigeria. At least one soldier was killed and 11 civilians were wounded (Telegram, April 25, 2022).
• On April 23, 2022, an IED was activated near a high-voltage pylon in Goniri, Yobe State. The pylon collapsed.
• On April 23, 2022, a Nigerian army “spy” was abducted and executed in Katarko, northeastern Nigeria.
• On April 23, 2022, an IED was activated against a Nigerian army vehicle on the Damboa-Wajiroko highway in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. The passengers on board were killed or wounded.
• On the night of April 20, 2022, armed men attacked a popular bar in the city of Geidam, about 30 km south of the Nigeria-Niger border, in northeastern Nigeria. A total of 12 people were killed in the attack, including a retired policeman and two women. In addition, several government buildings as well as the Geidam Government Science and Technical College were set on fire (www.premiumtimesng.com, April 21, 2022; allnews.ng, April 21, 2022). ISIS’s West Africa Province claimed responsibility for the attack, announcing that its operatives killed eight Christian civilians and set fire to six government buildings (Telegram, April 22, 2022).
• On April 19, 2022, West Africa Province operatives abducted five girls and a boy from Yimirmugsa, Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria (humanglemedia.com, April 19, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, the Christian village of Bijibiji, in northeastern Nigeria, was targeted by gunfire. One militia fighter was killed and the others fled. ISIS operatives set fire to a church and several homes and left.
• On April 18, 2022, a Nigerian army camp which is also used by the Nigeria police in Mulay, in northeastern Nigeria, was targeted by gunfire. Two officers were killed and four soldiers were wounded. ISIS operatives set fire to the camp, two cars, an armored vehicle, and a water tanker. According to Nigerian army sources, operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province arrived on the scene in several vehicles armed with machine guns. They encountered resistance and several operatives were killed. Two soldiers and a policeman were killed in the exchange of fire. A reinforcement and air support drove the ISIS operatives away and the Nigerian army succeeded in thwarting the intended attack (punchng.com, April 19, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, mortar shells were fired at a Nigerian army camp in Sabon Gari, Yobe State, in northeastern Nigeria. Definite hits were identified.
• On April 10, 2022, IEDs were activated against a Nigerian army convoy between Damboa and Bulabulin, in Borno State. A total of 10 Nigerian soldiers were killed and several others were wounded.
• On April 10, 2022, a Nigerian soldier was killed and several others were wounded in an exchange of fire between ISIS operatives and Nigerian soldiers in Malam Fatori, in the Nigeria-Niger border area, in northeastern Nigeria. On the same day, a mortar shell was fired at a Nigerian army post and patrol force in the same area. According to ISIS, a definite hit was identified.
• On April 9, 2022, an IED was activated against a convoy of the Borno State governor, on the Bama-Maiduguri highway, in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. One vehicle was destroyed and several of the governor’s escorts were killed or wounded.
• On April 9, 2022, there was an exchange of fire between ISIS operatives and Nigerian soldiers near Gariri in Borno State. Several soldiers were wounded.
• On April 8, 2022, an IED was activated against a Nigerian army armored vehicle in Malam Fatori. Eight of the passengers were killed or wounded.

African Coalition achievements in fighting against ISIS near Lake Chad

• Close to 200 operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province, including seven senior operatives, were killed in an operation by the African Coalition^[4] forces in northeastern Nigeria, near Lake Chad. The Coalition ground forces, with air support, attacked ISIS compounds in the area. During the operation, the forces destroyed bunkers, weapons, ammunition, and equipment used by the organization’s operatives, including boats, motorcycles, and bikes (af24news, April 18, 2022).
• Two days later, the Coalition fighters reportedly killed at least 27 operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province in the Lake Chad basin and liberated six women abducted from Nigeria between October 2020 and April 2021 (www.channelstv.com, April 20, 2022).
• On April 24, 2022, military sources in Nigeria reported that over 70 operatives of Boko Haram and ISIS’s West Africa Province had turned themselves in to local security forces following the activity of the Coalition forces, the Nigerian Air Force airstrikes, and famine in those regions (www.tvcnews.tv, April 24, 2022).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

• On April 25, 2022, a Congolese army patrol was ambushed and fired at in Bamandi, in the Ituri region, about 50 km west of the Congo-Uganda border. Several soldiers were killed and wounded in the exchange of fire.
• On April 15, 2022, the Christian village of Baunga, in eastern Congo, was attacked. Three trucks and other property belonging to the residents were set on fire.

   
Oil tankers going up in flames (Telegram, April 17, 2022)

• On April 12, 2022, an IED was activated against a Congolese army patrol in the Masanzi region, near the border with Uganda. Several soldiers were killed and wounded.
• On April 12, 2022, a joint force of the Congolese army and militias supporting it was ambushed and fired at in Combo, north of Beni, about 50 km west of the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Two militia fighters were killed.

Niger

• On April 24, 2022, a Nigerian army camp was attacked in the Diffa region, in the southeast of the country, on the Niger-Nigeria border. One soldier was killed in the exchange of fire. ISIS operatives set fire to part of the camp and seized three vehicles.

Somalia

• On April 23, 2022, six people were killed and seven others were wounded in the explosion of an IED in a restaurant on Mogadishu’s beach. There were sporadic gunshots after the explosion. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack (www.trtworld.com, April 23, 2022).
• On April 18, 2022, mortar shells were fired at the parliament building in Mogadishu. Several people were wounded. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack (africanews, April 18, 2022; AFP, April 18, 2022).

Mali

Wagner force fighter abducted

• The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) announced that it had abducted a Russian fighter of the Wagner force (a private military organization affiliated with the Russian government) (AFP, April 25, 2022).

Car bomb explosions in Malian army bases

• The Malian army announced that six soldiers had been killed and 20 others had been wounded in car bomb detonations on three different bases in central Mali in what seemed to be a synchronized attack. Six soldiers were killed and 15 others were wounded in the detonation of a car bomb in Sevare camp. Five other soldiers were wounded in the detonations of the other car bombs on the two other bases. Al-Qaeda-affiliated elements claimed responsibility for the attacks (AFP, April 24, 2022; Al-Jazeera, April 24, 2022).

Benin

• On April 13, 2022, five soldiers were killed in an attack that was supposedly carried out by ISIS- or Al-Qaeda-affiliated elements in a park in the north of the country (Al-Jazeera, April 13, 2022).

Libya

• ISIS operatives detonated a car bomb parked near the gate of a General Haftar army base in Oumm al-Aranib, in southern Libya, about 770 km south of Tripoli. At least one soldier was killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, April 18, 2022).

ISIS activity in Asia^[5]

Yemen

Senior Al-Qaeda operative killed in Yemen

• A senior Al-Qaeda commander in Yemen was killed in an exchange of fire between local security forces and Al-Qaeda operatives in the Hadhramaut Province, Al-Qaeda’s stronghold in Yemen (www.republicworld.com, April 24, 2022).

Al-Qaeda expanding its activity in the Abyan Province

• According to several reports, Al-Qaeda has expanded its activity in Yemen in the Mudiyah region in the northern part of the Abyan Province in southern Yemen. Al-Qaeda operatives demolished two sacred burial structures (Al-Khabar al-Yamani, April 25, 2022). Al-Qaeda might be taking advantage of the ceasefire between the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces and the Houthis, which was announced under the auspices of the UN, in order to expand its presence in the country.

India

• ISIS’s India Province reported that one of its operatives had thrown a Molotov cocktail at an Indian police post in Srinagar, Kashmir. A fire broke out (Telegram, April 19, 2022). Amaq News Agency released a video documenting the incident (Telegram, April 20, 2022).

Afghanistan

• The main event was an explosion at a Shiite mosque in the northern city of Mazar Sharif. According to reports, 33 people were killed and 43 others were wounded (FRANCE24, April 22, 2022; NBC, April 22, 2022). ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. According to ISIS, its operatives managed to smuggle a booby-trapped bag into the mosque and once the mosque was full of worshipers, the bomb was activated remotely. According to ISIS, over 100 people were killed or wounded (Telegram, April 21, 2022).
• On April 22, 2022, an IED was activated against a Taliban vehicle in Kabul. Five Taliban members were killed or wounded.
• On April 21, 2022, an IED was activated against a Taliban vehicle in the Khogyani region, southwest of Jalalabad. Four Taliban members were killed and a commander was wounded.
• On April 21, 2022, an IED was activated against a Taliban vehicle in Kabul. The passengers were killed or wounded. The day before, an IED was activated against a Taliban military intelligence vehicle in Kabul. Five Taliban members were killed or wounded.
• On April 19, 2022, a Taliban vehicle was targeted by gunfire in Jalalabad. A commander and two Taliban members were killed and two others were wounded.
• On April 19, 2022, an IED was activated against a Taliban vehicle in Kabul. About seven Taliban members were killed or wounded.
• On April 18, 2022, an IED was activated against a Taliban member in the Shikal region of the Kunar Province, northeast of Jalalabad. He was killed.
• On April 18, 2022, a Taliban vehicle was targeted by gunfire in Takht-e Shah, in the Lugar region, south of Kabul. One Taliban member was killed and another was wounded.
• On April 24, 2022, an IED was activated against a senior Taliban member in the Faiz Abad region of the Badakhshan Province, in northeastern Afghanistan. He was killed, along with two of his escorts, and three other people were wounded (Telegram, April 24, 2022).
• On April 21, 2022, an IED was activated against a bus carrying workers in the city of Kunduz, in the north of the country. According to ISIS, about 20 passengers were killed or wounded (Telegram, April 21, 2022). According to local sources, four people were killed and 18 others were wounded (Al-Jazeera, April 22, 2022).
• On April 15, 2022, two Taliban “spies” were targeted by gunfire in the Nangarhar Province (Telegram, April 17, 2022).

Pakistan

• On April 15, 2022, a pro-government preacher was targeted by gunfire in the city of Peshawar, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border (Telegram, April 17, 2022).On the same day, an IED was activated against another preacher in the Mamund region, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He was killed (Telegram, April 16, 2022).
• On April 15, 2022, a policeman was targeted by gunfire in the Bajur region. He was wounded (Telegram, April 16, 2022).

Uzbekistan

• According to an announcement by ISIS’s Khorasan Province, its operatives fired 10 rockets at Uzbek army positions in the southern Termez region, near the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border. According to ISIS, definite hits were identified. ISIS’s Amaq News Agency released a video documenting the rockets being fired, and ISIS’s Khorasan Province posted a photo of a masked and armed operative (apparently from Uzbekistan) beside the rockets before they were fired (Telegram, April 17, 2022). Uzbek government officials have denied the allegations, claiming that no rockets were fired (eurasianet.org, April 19, 2022). If the report is correct, this is the first time ISIS has fired rockets at Uzbekistan.

 
Right: A rocket being fired. Left: An operative of ISIS’s Khorasan Province alongside the rockets (Telegram, April 17, 2022)

• In this context, we would like to mention a new study warning of the possibility of the spread of ISIS in East Asian countries which were previously subject to the Soviet regime, and especially Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. According to the study, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is a key factor that could radiate instability to the countries bordering on it^[6]. The rocket fire mentioned above could serve as an example of a trend that is liable to develop in this direction.

Israel

ISIS-inspired murders solved

• The murder of the late Tamar and Yehuda Kadouri in their home in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of Jerusalem on January 10, 2019, has been solved. The murderer is Wassim al-Said, a 34-year-old Palestinian resident of Hebron who supports ISIS and whose goal was to murder Jews. He acted alone and murdered the couple in their home with a knife. He is also responsible for the attempted murder of a young girl, Hadar Bezalel, in Armon Hanatziv, the day before the murder of the Kadouris, and for the murder of Ivan Tarnowski, a worker from Moldova, in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem about a month ago. The suspect was arrested and reenacted the three incidents (Ynet, April 14, 2022).

Counterterrorism activity against ISIS supporters

• In light of the ISIS-inspired attacks carried out in Israel (in the cities of Beersheba and Hadera), the Israeli security forces detained several suspected ISIS operatives:
  • A 31-year-old ISIS supporter was detained at his home in Sakhnin and taken for questioning by the Israel Security Agency (Israel Police Facebook page, April 18, 2022).
  • In March 2022, Bashar al-Galawi, an 18-year-old resident of Rahat, was detained on suspicion of carrying out ISIS-inspired security offenses. His investigation revealed that he intensively consumed ISIS-affiliated content and supported the organization’s ideas and goals, and that he had even made contact with an ISIS operative in Syria with the goal of helping him travel to Syria to join ISIS and fight within its ranks (14Now, April 13, 2022).

The battle for hearts and minds

• The lead article in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly, entitled, “One Country and United Raids [i.e.: terrorist attacks],” was devoted to the campaign of vengeance announced by ISIS’s spokesman on April 17, 2022. According to the author, these campaigns have several advantages: they break the border barrier, enable all Muslims to carry out jihad, enable them to reach new areas, and wear down their enemies. In addition, the campaigns bring unity to the believers. The article notes that the practical translation of the pledge of allegiance to ISIS’s new leader is to continue jihad, double it and expand it into new regions (Telegram, April 21, 2022).
•   The previous week’s lead article was entitled, “The Jihad of the Believers” and was devoted to the value of jihad (the violent jihad, according to ISIS’s concept)^[7]. According to the article, the Islamic State of ISIS continues to exist and the jihad that it carries out is permanent and ongoing. The article quoted verses from the Quran and Islamic tradition (hadith), which were intended to justify the concept of ongoing jihad. According to the author, jihad is the essence of ISIS’s existence and it has been maintained by the leaders of Islam continuously since the beginning of Islam. The author presents ISIS as the spearhead of jihad, stressing that despite the international war declared against ISIS, it has successfully led to the spread of jihad in Africa, East Asia and elsewhere around the globe (Telegram, April 14, 2022).

   
Right: Article about the campaign of vengeance (Telegram, April 21, 2022). Left: Article about jihad (Telegram, April 14, 2022)

• ISIS’s media network has released photos documenting the conduct of operatives of its various provinces during the month of Ramadan. The photos show ISIS operatives praying, preparing food, eating together, cleaning their weapons, and observing the area around them. Following are several examples:

 
Right: Operatives of ISIS’s Iraq Province in the Kirkuk region eating together (Telegram, April 14, 2022). Left: ISIS operatives in Sinai praying (Telegram, April 17, 2022).

 
Right: ISIS operatives in the Congo eating together. Left: ISIS operatives in Pakistan eating together (Telegram, April 16, 2022)

^[1] For more information, see the ITIC’s Information Bulletin from April 18, 2022: “ISIS announces campaign to avenge the death of its former leader and spokesman.” ↑
^[2] Mostly according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility posted on Telegram ↑
^[3] Mainly according to ISIS's claims of responsibility posted on Telegram ↑
^[4] The Coalition force, called the Multinational Joint Task Force – MNJTF, consists of forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger. ↑
^[5] Mainly according to ISIS's claims of responsibility posted on Telegram ↑
^[6] Dr. Alessandro Lundini, Terrorist threat in Central Asia. One problem, different approaches, IAF, April 2022: https://www.ia-forum.org/Content/ViewInternal_Document.cfm?contenttype_id=5&ContentID=8474 ↑
^[7] The name “The Jihad of the Believers” is also the name of ISIS's recently released series of propaganda videos documenting operatives of the various provinces pledging allegiance to ISIS's new leader. 

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