Syria

Spotlight on Global Jihad (August 5-11, 2021)

Syria: This week, the downtrend in ISIS’s activity in the various provinces in Syria continued. Iraq: ISIS’s activity continued in the various provinces, albeit on a relatively small scale. Sinai: This week, ISIS's activity was concentrated in the Rafah region. Africa: ISIS's activity in Africa continues. The main event was ISIS's takeover of two villages in the Congo, on the Congo-Uganda border, after prolonged clashes with the Congolese army. Afghanistan: Taliban forces took control of the city of Kunduz, near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, and other regions in the country. At present, it is unclear how this will affect ISIS's activity in the region. The battle for hearts and minds: This week, the main article in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly dealt with the international coalitions against ISIS that are being formed in Mozambique and the Congo.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 29 – August 4, 2021)

Syria: There was a decrease in ISIS’s activity this week. Iraq: This week, there was a decrease in ISIS’S activity in Iraq as well. Sinai: A major event this week was an attack on an army base near Al-Joura in the Sheikh Zuweid region in the northern Sinai Peninsula. Africa: This week, there was a decrease in the volume of ISIS’s activity in Africa. Afghanistan: Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu expressed concern over the pullback of the US forces from the region. Propaganda: The feature article in ISIS’s Al-Naba' weekly is dedicated this week to events in Tunisia.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 22-28, 2021)

Jordan: According to the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ra’i, in February 2021, the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) thwarted plans by an ISIS squad numbering four operatives to carry out a shooting attack against Israeli soldiers on the Jordanian-Israeli border. This week was marked by a decrease in the volume of ISIS’s activity in the various provinces around the globe, despite the fact that it usually increases its activity during the Muslim holidays. Syria: In the Idlib region, the Syrian army and the forces supporting it continued to fire artillery at the rebel enclave, with Russian air support. Iraq: In general, there was a decline in the volume of ISIS’s activity this week.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 15-21, 2021)

Syria: Idlib region – 10 soldiers were killed and several others were wounded in exchanges of artillery fire between the Syrian army and the rebels. Iraq: One noteworthy attack this week was a deadly attack carried out by ISIS operatives on the eve of Eid al-Adha in a crowded open market in a Shiite neighborhood in east Baghdad. Africa: ISIS announced the resumption of hostilities between its operatives and the joint forces of Mozambique, South Africa and Portugal in the Palma region, northeast of Mozambique. Afghanistan: ISIS operatives continued to attack government and Taliban targets.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 8 –14, 2021)

Syria: In the Idlib region, several wanted ISIS operatives were arrested as part of a counterterrorism operation carried out by HTS, the dominant organization in the rebel enclave. Iraq: This week, ISIS’s activity focused on the electricity infrastructure as part of what it calls its economic war. Africa: Most ISIS’s activity this week focused on Nigeria. Afghanistan: The Taliban movement continues to take over large areas of the country following the pullback of the international forces from the country and the weakness of the local government. The battle for hearts and minds: This week, the main article in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly dealt with the failure of the International Coalition against ISIS to defeat the organization, against the backdrop of the June 2021 summit in Rome.
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Spotlight on Iran (June 24, 2021 – July 8, 2021)

The President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, spoke on the phone with Iranian President-Elect, Ebrahim Raisi, and wished him success in his role. The two stressed the need to bolster cooperation between the two countries and to maintain coordination between them. In light on the ongoing confrontation between the United States and Shia militias along the Syria-Iraq border, the commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), condemned the American presence in the region. The Iranian embassy in Beirut issued a statement insisting that the arrival of oil tankers from Iran to Lebanon does not require approval by the United States. In a TV interview, the former head of Hamas’ Politburo, Khaled Mashal, confirmed once again that Iran provides Hamas with weaponry and technology. He added, however, that Hamas is interested in also improving its ties with Saudi Arabia.
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