Syria

Spotlight on Global Jihad (March 8-14, 2018)

This week, the fighting in Syria was concentrated in eastern Al-Ghouta, where the Syrian forces managed to divide the area controlled by the rebel organizations into three parts. South of the city of Damascus, ISIS, which controls most of the area of the Yarmouk refugee camp, is preparing for the possibility that the Syrian effort will be directed against it after the fall of eastern Al-Ghouta. Another site of fighting is the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria. The Egyptian security forces, which are carrying out intensive security operations against ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula, continue to report on their successes against ISIS
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Split among Al-Qaeda’s supporters in Syria, in light of severe differences of opinion regarding the nature of the ties with Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri

At the end of February 2018, six local groups of jihadists operating in northern Syria announced their withdrawal from the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham and the establishment of a new organization called the Guardians of the Religion Organization.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (March 1-7, 2018)

This week as well, the fighting in Syria focused on eastern Al-Ghouta. This week, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham (affiliated with Al-Qaeda) continued its violent clashes with other rebel organizations in order to gain exclusive control of the Idlib area. In Iraq, the security forces continue to achieve successes in their activity against ISIS operatives and networks in the various provinces.
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The Establishment of ISIS in Syria in the Lower Euphrates Valley

In November 2017, the city of Albukamal near the Syrian-Iraqi border was taken over by the Syrian army and the pro-Iranian militia forces that support it. The city of Albukamal, which is located near an important border crossing between Syria and Iraq, was the last significant outpost of the Islamic State to fall into the hands of the Syrian forces and their allies.
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Spotlight on Iran (February 18 – March 4, 2018)

While Iran continues to downplay its involvement in the ongoing campaign in eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, emphasized that "the cleansing of the Damascus suburbs controlled by the terrorists" will continue. While Iran continues to downplay its involvement in the ongoing campaign in eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, emphasized that "the cleansing of the Damascus suburbs controlled by the terrorists" will continue. In Iraq, where preparations are underway for the general election in May of this year, Iran continues to pursue its efforts to establish ties with various political and social groups in the country.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (February 22-28, 2018)

The focus of the fighting in Syria has been moved to the area of eastern Ghouta (east of Damascus. The shift in the focus of the fighting to eastern Ghouta gave a timeout to the rebel organizations in the Idlib region. In various provinces in Iraq, the Iraqi security forces continue to exert pressure on local ISIS networks. The Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate uncovered an ISIS network of 17 operatives.
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