Spotlight on Global Jihad (February 20-26, 2020)

Highlights of the events

• This week, the Syrian army refrained from making a significant advance towards the city of Idlib. Most of its activity centered on establishing its control over the Aleppo area and “gnawing away” at areas under the control of the rebel organizations in the southern and southeastern Idlib region. The Syrian army also continued to repel the rebel organizations from their outposts west of the Aleppo-Damascus highway (M-5), which opened to traffic this week. At the same time, artillery exchanges continued, along with Russian and Syrian airstrikes and friction on the ground between the Syrian and Turkish armies.
• The Syrian and Turkish armies continued to reinforce their troops in the Idlib region. Turkish President Erdoğan continued to threaten to take military action if the Syrian army did not withdraw to the Sochi lines by the end of February 2020, while the Syrian army continued its preparations for ending the campaign to take over the Idlib area. At the same time, diplomatic talks are being held between Russia and Turkey. There is also the possibility of a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Turkey, Germany and France in early March 2020.
• In the Euphrates Valley in Syria, ISIS’s intensive attacks continue, taking the form of planting IEDs, detonating car bombs, and killing fighters and “agents” affiliated with the SDF forces. In the Iraqi arena, ISIS resumed its intensive attacks, after a decrease in the organization’s activity the previous week.
• In ISIS’s provinces abroad, there was an increase in attacks against the Nigerian army, in northeastern Nigeria (dozens of Nigerian army fatalities). A noteworthy attack was carried out by the Khorasan Province in Afghanistan, which is evidence of a resumption of activity by the province after several months of inactivity. ISIS operatives also carried out attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Somalia, the Philippines, and Yemen.

Idlib region

Overview

During the week, the Syrian army refrained from significantly advancing towards the city of Idlib. Its main activity focused on the takeover of areas south and southeast of the Idlib region (see map). In addition, the army took over two villages in the southeast of the enclave, about 5 km west of the M-5 highway. In the ITIC’s assessment, this was done in order to establish its control over the highway, which opened for traffic. The Syrian and Turkish armies continued to send reinforcements to the Idlib region as part of the preparations for the final stage in the Syrian army campaign to take over Idlib. Concurrently with the diplomatic talks between Turkey and the Europeans, friction continues on the ground between the Syrian and Turkish armies. Turkish President Erdoğan continues to threaten the Syrian army and demand its withdrawal by the end of February 2020 from the territories taken over in the Idlib region.

• The Syrian army’s established presence west and east of the M-5 highway and its control of the entire road made it possible to open it for traffic. On February 22, 2020, Syrian Transport Minister Ali Hammoud announced that the Damascus-Aleppo highway (M-5) had been opened for civilian traffic. In addition, the recommissioning of the railway between Homs, Hama and Aleppo has started. The railway is expected to resume operation in May 2020 (SANA, February 22, 2020). On February 19, 2020, the first flight arrived from Damascus to Aleppo after the airport had been inactive for eight years (SANA, February 19, 2020).

    
Right: The Damascus-Aleppo highway (M-5) which opened for traffic (SANA, February 23, 2020). Left: Civilians waiting near the bus platform to Homs, which resumed operation (SANA, February 23, 2020)

• This week, Russia and Syria continued to carry out airstrikes against targets south of Idlib. In addition, the Syrian army fired artillery at rebel targets south of Idlib and west of Aleppo. On February 20, 2020, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham fired rockets at Syrian army positions in the village of Al-Nayrab, about 8 km southeast of Idlib (Ibaa, February 20, 2020). Russian fighter jets provided air support to the Syrian army’s ground attack in the southern Idlib region (Khotwa, February 25, 2020).

Clashes continue between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations in Al-Nayrab

• On February 24, 2020, the rebel organizations and the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham regained control over the village of Al-Nayrab, about 8 km southeast of Idlib. This is the closest point to Idlib reached by the Syrian army after control had switched hands over the past few weeks. According to an unconfirmed report, in their takeover of the village, the rebel organizations were supported by Turkish army artillery fire. The Syrian army and the forces supporting it allegedly sustained about 50 fatalities, including officers, in the campaign over Al-Nayrab. Users of social media affiliated with the Syrian regime expressed their condolences on the death of Amid (brigadier general) Sharaf Sadir al-Bari in battle in the Idlib Province. It was not mentioned on which front he was killed (Khotwa, February 24, 2020).

Syrian army locates tunnels of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham

• The Syrian army located a tunnel network of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham on the outskirts of the village of Hiyan, about 10 km northwest of Aleppo. Weapons and ammunition were found there (SANA, February 22, 2020). On February 23, 2020, the Syrian army located tunnels and underground command posts in the area which it had taken over southwest of Maarat Nu’man (the southeastern Idlib region).

   
Right: The entrance of a network of tunnels and underground command posts of the rebel organizations in Tillat al-Nar, southwest of Maarat Nu’man. Left: One of the tunnels in Tillat al-Nar (SANA, February 25, 2020)

Syrian and Turkish reinforcements

• This week, it was reported that Syrian army reinforcements, including an armored force, had arrived in the area south of Idlib, and that the army had raised its alert level (Khotwa, February 22, 2020). The Syrian army is apparently preparing to continue “gnawing away” at the southern part of the Idlib region, with the strategic goal of taking over Idlib, the rebel stronghold.
• According to several reports, Turkish army reinforcements arrived in Syria: on February 22, 2020, a Turkish army convoy including APCs and other vehicles entered Syrian territory near the village of Hazanu (about 20 km north of Idlib). The convoy made its way to the Idlib rural area (Edlib Media Center – EMC, February 22, 2020). On February 24, 2020, two convoys of the Turkish army, consisting of dozens of vehicles, entered Syrian territory through the Kafr Lusin border crossing (35 km north of Idlib) on their way deep into the Idlib Province.

Another incident between the Syrian and Turkish armies

• As a result of the ongoing fighting, friction continued between the Syrian army and the Turkish forces in the Idlib region. On February 23, 2020, the Syrian army fired artillery at the village of Al-Bara, about 25 km south of Idlib. Five Turkish soldiers were reportedly wounded (Edlib Media Center – EMC, February 23, 2020). According to another report, which in the ITIC’s assessment refers to the same incident, several Turkish soldiers were wounded on February 23, 2020, by artillery fire targeting a Turkish convoy by forces affiliated with the Syrian regime (Reuters; Khotwa, February 25, 2020). According to another report, a Turkish military convoy which entered Syria on February 23, 2020, was forced to return to Turkey due to Russian airstrikes (Reuters, February 23, 2020). The Russian media denied this report (TASS, February 23, 2020).

The Euphrates Valley

The area of Al-Mayadeen and Albukamal

ISIS’s intensive activity continues in the Euphrates Valley. Prominent attacks this week included the planting of IEDs, the detonation of a car bomb, and the elimination of SDF fighters and “agents” working for them.

• On February 19, 2020, an IED was activated against an SDF oil tanker about 60 km northeast of Deir ez-Zor. The tanker was destroyed and its passengers were killed (Telegram, February 19, 2020).
• On February 19, 2020, three IEDs were activated against Syrian army vehicles in the Al-Mayadeen Desert. An officer with the rank of aqid (colonel) and two officers with the rank of muqaddam (lieutenant colonel) were killed. In addition, a sapper was taken prisoner (Telegram, February 21, 2020).
• On February 20, 2020, a Syrian regime “agent” was taken prisoner in the village of Diban, 5 km east of Al-Mayadeen. He was interrogated and then executed (Telegram, February 20, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, a store of an SDF intelligence “agent” was broken into in the village of Al-Halwa, about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen. The “agent” was shot to death (Telegram, February 22, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, ISIS operatives broke into the house of one of the people responsible for the SDF checkpoints in the area of Al-Basira, about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen. He was shot to death. In addition, ISIS operatives broke into the house an SDF “agent” in the area. He was shot to death (Telegram, February 22, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, an SDF fighter was targeted by machine gun fire about 10 km northeast of Deir ez-Zor. He was killed (Telegram, February 22, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, a vehicle carrying an SDF commander was targeted by machine gun fire about 60 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor (on the east bank of the Euphrates River). The commander was killed (Telegram, February 23, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, a car bomb was detonated against an SDF vehicle in the area of Al-Basira, about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen. The passengers were killed (Telegram, February 23, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, an SDF vehicle was targeted by machine gun fire in the village of Sweidan, about 15 km southeast of Al-Mayadeen. Two SDF fighters were killed (Telegram, February 24, 2020).

The area of Palmyra-Al-Sukhnah

• On February 23, 2020, ISIS operatives exchanged fire with Syrian soldiers west of Al-Sukhnah, about 60 km northeast of Palmyra. Six soldiers were killed (Telegram, February 23, 2020).

Northeastern Syria, under Kurdish control

• This week, it was reported that starting on March 2020, thousands of ISIS operatives would be put on trial in Syria. This refers to about 12,000 ISIS operatives from Syria and Iraq as well as foreign fighters from 54 different countries, held in SDF prisons in northeastern Syria. A senior Kurdish official said that the operatives would be tried by the new judicial system that would start operating on March 2020. The Kurds are concerned that secret ISIS networks might carry out attacks against the prisons in order to liberate the detainees (Vice, February 19, 2020).

The Iraqi arena

This week, ISIS resumed its intensive terrorist attacks, after a decrease in their scope was evident last week. The main incident was an exchange of fire between ISIS operatives and Iraqi soldiers in Rutba, western Al-Anbar Province. Eight soldiers were killed, including two officers. In another incident, near Rutba, three Iraqi soldiers were killed. Following are the main activities for which ISIS claimed responsibility.

Diyala Province

• On February 18, 2020, an Iraqi army camp about 80 km northeast of Baqubah was targeted by sniper fire and an RPG rocket. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded (Telegram, February 19, 2020).
• On February 20, 2020, an Iraqi police station was targeted by machine gun fire about 15 km north of Baqubah. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded. In addition, a vehicle was set on fire. An IED was activated against a police force which arrived on the scene for assistance. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded (Telegram, February 21, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, an IED was activated against a Tribal Mobilization vehicle about 80 km northeast of Baqubah. Two fighters were wounded (Telegram, February 24, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, an Iraqi police station was targeted by sniper fire about 20 km northeast of Baqubah. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded (Telegram, February 24, 2020).
• On February 24, 2020, a Tribal Mobilization fighter was targeted by sniper fire about 80 km northeast of Baqubah. He was wounded (Telegram, February 25, 2020).

Kirkuk Province

• On February 18, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked a Popular Mobilization camp about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk. There was an exchange of fire. One fighter was killed and six others were wounded (Telegram, February 19, 2020).
• On February 18, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked Popular Mobilization forces about 40 km northwest of Kirkuk. There was an exchange of fire. Six Popular Mobilization fighters were killed and two others were wounded (Telegram, February 22, 2020).

Salah al-Din Province

• On February 19, 2020, ISIS operatives ambushed two vehicles of the Shiite Peace Brigades militia (led by Shiite Muqtada Sadr). The ambush was set up on the road between Samarra (about 100 km northwest of Baghdad) and Fallujah (about 50 km west of Baghdad). The forces exchanged fire. Several commanders and fighters were killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, February 20, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, Popular Mobilization fighters and local Iraqi police were targeted by machine gun fire about 80 km north of Baghdad. Two fighters were killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, February 24, 2020).

Nineveh Province

• On February 18, 2020, an IED was activated against a village leader and Iraqi soldiers about 40 km south of Mosul. The soldiers and the village leader were wounded (Telegram, February 19, 2020).

Al-Anbar Province

• On February 20, 2020, two Iraqi soldiers were targeted by sniper fire about 80 km east of Al-Rutba. The two soldiers were wounded and their weapons were seized (Telegram, February 22, 2020).
• On February 21, 2020, there was an exchange of fire between ISIS operatives and Iraqi soldiers in Rutba, in the western Al-Anbar Province. Eight soldiers were killed, including two officers. In another exchange of fire near Rutba on the same day, three soldiers were killed (Telegram, February 22, 2020).
• On February 24, 2020, an IED was activated against a vehicle carrying a Tribal Mobilization commander and a senior operative of the Badr militia (which is part of the Popular Mobilization) about 10 km northeast of Fallujah. Both of them and their escort were wounded. Another IED was activated against a vehicle of a village leader. He was wounded (Telegram, February 25, 2020).

Counterterrorist activities by the Iraqi security forces

Nineveh Province

• On February 20, 2020, an intelligence force of the Iraqi counterterrorism service located two tunnels of “terrorist operatives” [implicitly ISIS] about 10 km west of Mosul. After they were searched, they were destroyed in an airstrike (Al-Sumaria, February 20, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, an intelligence force in Mosul captured the operative [who used to be] in charge of ISIS’s tribal bureau and coordinating the organization’s activities outside Iraq (al-hashed.net, February 22, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, police in eastern Mosul arrested seven ISIS operatives who had held positions at institutions of the Islamic State when the city was controlled by ISIS (Al-Sumaria, February 23, 2020).

Diyala Province

• On February 23, 2020, Iraqi security forces took action against ISIS hideouts about 20 km southeast of Baqubah. They exchanged fire with ISIS operatives. An ISIS operative blew himself up with his explosive belt (SecMedCell Facebook page, which belongs to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, February 23, 2020).
• On February 24, 2020, a Popular Mobilization force located and destroyed ISIS “guesthouses” in the area of Khanaqin, about 100 km northeast of Baqubah (al-hashed.net, February 24, 2020).

Al-Anbar Province

• On February 23, 2020, the Iraqi army mounted an operation against ISIS operatives in the western Al-Anbar Province, near the border with Syria (Al-Iraqiya Channel, February 24, 2020).

Kirkuk Province

• On February 24, 2020, members of the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service’s Special Forces were dropped by International Coalition helicopters about 50 km southwest of Kirkuk, and killed three “terrorist operatives” (implicitly ISIS operatives) affiliated with ISIS’s leader. In addition, seven operatives were detained (SecMedCell Facebook page, which belongs to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, February 24, 2020).

The Sinai Peninsula

• On February 23, 2020, a checkpoint east of Sheikh Zuweid was targeted by sniper fire. Two Egyptian soldiers were wounded (Telegram, February 24, 2020).

The activity of ISIS’s provinces in Africa and Asia

Nigeria

• This week, there was an increase in ISIS’s attacks against the Nigerian army. As in the past, most of the attacks were carried out in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. Following are ISIS’s main attacks, according to its claims of responsibility:
•  On February 18, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked a Christian village in Borno State and fought against Nigerian soldiers. Two soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. Two Christians and a fighter from a militia that supports the Nigerian army were taken prisoner (February 19, 2020).

   
Nigerian army weapons and ammunition seized by ISIS
(Telegram, February 20, 2020)

• On February 21, 2020, ISIS operatives ambushed Nigerian soldiers about 120 km west of Maiduguri. The forces exchanged fire. Four Nigerian soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. A fighter from a militia that supports the Nigerian army was taken prisoner (February 21, 2020).
• On February 21, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked a Nigerian army camp in Borno State. The forces exchanged fire. Three Nigerian soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. In addition, weapons, ammunition and two vehicles were seized (Telegram, February 21, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, ISIS operatives ambushed a Nigerian army convoy in Borno State. The forces exchanged fire. A total of 20 soldiers were killed (Telegram, February 23, 2020).
• On February 23, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked a Nigerian army camp in Borno State. Several Nigerian soldiers were killed. In addition, weapons, ammunition and a vehicle were seized (Telegram, February 23, 2020).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

• On February 22, 2020, ISIS operatives ambushed Congolese soldiers about 2 km northwest of Beni, in the northeastern part of the country. One officer was killed and others were wounded (Telegram, February 23, 2020).

Mozambique

• On February 19, 2020, operatives of ISIS’s Central Africa Province attacked a Mozambican army camp in the area of Cabo Delgado in the northeastern part of the country. The forces exchanged fire. Nine soldiers were killed. The rest fled. ISIS operatives seized weapons and ammunition. The next day, ISIS operatives attacked the camp once again. The forces exchanged fire. Eight soldiers were killed. In addition, weapons and ammunition were seized (Telegram, February 24, 2020).

    
Right: Part of a Mozambican army camp set on fire by ISIS operatives in the area of Cabo Delgado. Left: Mozambican army weapons and ammunition seized by ISIS operatives (Telegram, February 24, 2020)

Niger

• The Niger Ministry of Defense reported that 120 “terrorists” were killed in a joint operation by Niger and French forces in the Tillabéri area near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso. In addition, vehicles and equipment for making IEDs were seized. Neither force suffered any losses. The reason for the operation was attacks by “jihadist groups” during December 2019 – January 2020, resulting in the deaths of 174 Niger soldiers. Niger Defense Minister Issoufou Katambe praised the cooperation (implicitly, between Niger and France) in the campaign against terrorism (The Guardian, February 22, 2020, citing the French news agency from Niamey, the capital of Niger).
• According to the report in The Guardian, since 2015, Niger has been struggling against a wave of jihadist attacks near its border with Mali and Burkina Faso (in the western part of the country). These attacks have worsened the residents’ situation, causing 78,000 people to flee the region. Earlier this year, France announced that it would increase its military presence in West Africa (as part of Operation Barkhane) by sending 600 military personnel to join the 4,500 military personnel taking part in the operation.

Somalia

• On February 20, 2020, a Somali policeman was shot at by ISIS operatives in the city of Bosaso on the shores of the Gulf of Aden (in northeastern Somalia). He was killed (Telegram, February 20, 2020).

The Philippines

• According to an announcement by the Philippine army command, on February 23, 2020, there was an exchange of fire between the Philippine army and a faction of the ISIS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf organization. The exchange of fire took place in the Patikul area, on Jolo Island in the southwestern Philippines. Two Abu Sayyaf operatives were killed and two soldiers were wounded in the exchange of fire (Rappler, February 24, 2020).
• On the other hand, ISIS’s East Asia Province announced that its operatives had fought against the Philippine army in the same area. According to the organization, 20 soldiers were killed and five others were wounded (Telegram, February 24, 2020). In the ITIC’s assessment, the Philippine army’s version of the incident is more reliable than ISIS’s.

Yemen

• On February 17, 2020, an IED was activated against a vehicle of Houthi rebels in Qifah, in the northwestern Al-Bayda Province (about 100 km southeast of Sana’a). Four Houthi fighters were killed and several others were wounded (Telegram, February 19, 2020).

Afghanistan

• On February 21, 2020, ISIS operatives launched three rockets at Bagram Airbase, where US army troops are stationed. The military airbase is located about 40 km north of Kabul (Telegram, February 22, 2020). This is the second consecutive week that ISIS’s Khorasan Province has issued claims of responsibility for carrying out attacks. This may indicate the beginning of the resumption of the province’s activity, after a few months of its inactivity in the wake of the blow that it suffered at the hands of the Afghan government in the Nangarhar Province (southwest of Kabul).

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