Spotlight on Global Jihad (November 15-21, 2018)

Main events of the week

• The scope of incidents between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations, particularly the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham and other jihadi organizations, continues to increase in the Idlib area, including in the demilitarized zone. The incidents are characterized by exchanges of artillery fire and sporadic ground attacks. According to a Russian report, more than 530 violations of the ceasefire have been documented since the establishment of the demilitarized zone (the Sochi Agreement) was announced.
• In southern Syria, the Syrian army announced that it had succeeded in taking control of the ISIS enclave in Al-Safa (northeast of As-Suwayda), thus completing the mopping up of southern Syria from terrorism. Thus the Syrian regime recorded an important achievement that would help it deepen its control of southern Syria and shift the Syrian army’s efforts to other regions (Idlib, the last stronghold of the rebel organizations, and ISIS’s stronghold in the Euphrates Valley). ISIS, on its part, hastened to release a video praising the steadfastness of its fighters and blaming the rebel organizations for the fall of the enclave because they preferred not to fight and be evacuated to Idlib.
• In eastern Syria, a number of Coalition airstrikes were carried out this week against ISIS targets in the Hajin area (ISIS’s stronghold north of Albukamal). According to ISIS and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, dozens of civilians, women and children were killed in these airstrikes. The Coalition denied these reports, stating that the targets were legitimate ISIS targets that were attacked in support of the ground forces, and they had no evidence that there were civilians there.
• While ISIS is subject to pressure in Syria, operatives from its various provinces continued to carry out terrorist attacks around the world. Noteworthy attacks this week included a suicide bombing attack in Kabul targeting Muslim clerics (more than 50 killed and 83 wounded); a mass attack by ISIS’s West Africa Province, which was directed at a Nigerian army camp south of the Nigeria-Chad-Niger tri-border area (more than 40 dead soldiers, according to ISIS’s announcement); and an ambush by the (ISIS-affiliated) Abu Sayyaf organization against a Philippine army force operating in the south of the country (five dead, 23 wounded).

Implementation of the Sochi Agreement in Idlib

Intensified incidents in the Idlib area

• Incidents recently intensified in the Idlib area between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations, mainly the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham and jihadi organizations affiliated with it. Incidents mainly include artillery fire and sometimes ground attacks. According to an interview with Khaled al-Halabi, head of the Civilian Defense Center in the rural area south of Idlib, for over twenty days, artillery has been fired at the rural areas by forces supporting the Syrian army. As a result, Al-Halabi said, several people were killed or wounded and some of the residents left their homes in the wake of the escalation (Orient News, November 17, 2018). On the other hand, Russian media outlets reported that the rebel organizations had bombarded neighborhoods in Aleppo and Hama as well as towns and villages in the Latakia Province.

   
Right: Syrian army artillery fire at one of the villages southeast of Idlib (Twitter, November 17, 2018). Left: Artillery fired by the forces supporting the Syrian army hitting the Idlib rural area (Orient News, November 17, 2018)

• Following are some of the prominent incidents in the passing week:
  • A Syrian army force fired artillery at a rebel organization force, apparently operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham. According to the Syrian regime, the artillery was fired in the area of Al-Lataminah (a confrontation site located about 66 km south of Idlib, in the southern part of the demilitarized zone). According to the Syrian News Agency, the artillery targeted squads which tried to hit Syrian army staging zones. They were reportedly forced to retreat after sustaining casualties (SANA, November 5, 2018).
  • On November 16, 2018, a force of jihadi organizations, predominantly consisting of the Guardians of Religion Organization (Al-Qaeda branch in Syria), attacked positions of the Syrian army in the north of the Al-Ghab Plain (about 38 km southwest of Idlib). Nine Syrian army soldiers were killed as well as five operatives of the attacking force (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 16, 2018).
  • The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham announced that on November 16 and 18, 2018, the Syrian army had fired artillery at several villages and towns in the Idlib area which are controlled by the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham (Ibaa, November 18, 2018). Furthermore, on November 17, 2018, forces supporting the Syrian army fired over 100 shells and rockets at the rural area about 35 km south of Idlib (Orient News, November 17, 2018).
  • The operations room of jihadi organizations predominantly consisting of the Guardians of Religion Organization (Al-Qaeda branch in Syria) announced that its operatives had bombarded Syrian army targets (about 35 km east of Idlib). The attack reportedly included mortar fire and tank shelling (Khotwa, November 20, 2018). The operations room also reported machine gun fire at Syrian army positions in the rural area south of Aleppo (“Awaken the Believers” YouTube channel, November 19, 2018).

Russian reports on the rebel organizations in the Idlib area

• According to the spokesman of the Russian Reconciliation Center, within 24 hours, the rebel forces in the demilitarized zone bombarded the city of Aleppo four times, wounding two Syrian soldiers and one civilian (TASS, November 15, 2018). According to a report from November 17, 2018, during the previous 24 hours, rebel forces bombarded neighborhoods in Aleppo (twice) and in Hama (three times). Towns and villages in the Latakia Province were also bombarded. At least 18 soldiers were killed and two were wounded (TASS, November 17, 2018).
• Lt. Gen. Vladimir Savchenko, chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center, reported that ever since it was decided to establish the demilitarized zone in Idlib, the Reconciliation Center had documented over 530 violations of the ceasefire. He added that due to the violations, 25 Syrian soldiers were killed and 67 people were wounded, including five civilians (TASS, November 16, 2018).

Statement about sending Iranian peace-keeping units to the Idlib area

• Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Ali Jaafari said at a press conference that in view of the peace talks between Iran, Russia and Turkey, the Syrian government had asked Iran to organize peace-keeping units in the Idlib area and in northwestern Aleppo. He added that for the time being, there were no confrontations in Syria and it was decided to deploy limited forces for keeping the peace in this area (ISNA, November 15, 2018). Mohammad Jaafari did not elaborate on the scope or nature of those forces.

Southern Syria

Syrian army completed takeover of ISIS’s enclave in Al-Safa

• On November 17, 2018, the Syrian army took over several hills dominating the Al-Safa area. Its forces advanced towards ISIS’s last outpost from several directions, under the cover of artillery fire. On November 19, 2018, the Syrian General Headquarters announced that the ISIS enclave in the area of Al-Safa was fully taken over. Thus, according to the announcement, the Syrian army completed mopping up the entire southern Syria from terrorism (SANA, November 20, 2018).
• The takeover of the ISIS enclave northeast of As-Suwayda constitutes a major achievement for the Syrian regime, allowing it to deepen its control over southern Syria and transfer army troops to the other confrontation sites: the Idlib area (the last stronghold of the rebel organizations, predominantly consisting of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham) and the Euphrates Valley north of Albukamal (controlled by ISIS).

Spokesman for the General Headquarters of the Syrian army announces on November 19, 2018, the mopping up of the whole of southern Syria from terrorism, after achieving full control of the Al-Safa area, formerly held by ISIS (SANA, November 20, 2018)

    
Right: Syrian army soldiers after taking over a dominant hill in the Al-Safa area (Twitter, November 17, 2018). Left: Operatives of forces supporting the Syrian army after the takeover of the Al-Safa area from ISIS (Wissam@Wissamsy997 Twitter account, November 17, 2018)

ISIS’s initial reaction to the fall of Al-Safa

• Following the fall of the ISIS enclave in Al-Safa, ISIS’s Damascus Province released a video (25 minutes) glorifying ISIS’s steadfastness in Al-Safa and explaining the causes for the fall of the enclave. ISIS blames the rebel organizations, who abandoned the fighting and withdrew to the Idlib area, while ISIS continued to fight courageously and hold on for a long time (Shabakat Shumukh, November 220, 2018).
• Following are ISIS’s main topics in the video:
  • While the rebel organizations abandoned the fighting and agreed to be evacuated to the Idlib area, the ISIS operatives continued to fight. After fighting in the Yarmouk refugee camp, they organized their forces in the Al-Safa area and continued fighting against the Syrian regime from there.
  • The Al-Safa area became ISIS’s stronghold, a base for attacks against the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, such as the attack against the Syrian army base in the city of As-Suwayda.
  • In spite of the difficulties and the hunger, the ISIS operatives managed to hold on for a long time (the video includes documentation of the fighting of the ISIS operatives in the Al-Safa area).
  • Two ISIS operatives appear on the video, calling on Muslims to join jihad against the “infidels.” Also included are excerpts from an audiotape of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

    
Right: ISIS operatives calling on Muslims to join jihad, claiming that victory is imminent. Left: Documentation of ISIS operatives firing from the Al-Safa area (Shabakat Shumukh, November 20, 2018)

 Eastern Syria

Coalition airstrikes in the Hajin area

• On November 17, 2018, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that 29 civilians, most of them women and children, family members of ISIS operatives, were killed in Coalition airstrikes. Seven others were also killed in the airstrikes, but there was no way to verify whether they were civilians or ISIS operatives. The airstrikes were carried out in the village of Abu al-Hassan, about 6 km southeast of Hajin (France 24, November 17, 2018). ISIS, on its part, claims that about 40 residents of the village of Al-Buqan, southwest of Hajin, mostly women, were killed in a Coalition airstrike (Ghurabaa, November 17, 2018).
• The Coalition denied the allegations on killing civilians in the airstrikes near Hajin, describing them as “false.” The announcement stated that on the night of November 16 until the morning of November 17, 2018, there had been 19 airstrikes against ISIS targets, in support of the ground forces operating in the central Euphrates Valley. According to the announcement, the targets were ISIS’s legitimate targets and there is no evidence that civilians were present on the scene. Furthermore, it was also reported that there were at least ten other airstrikes in the same area, which were not carried out by the Coalition, were not coordinated with it and were not authorized by it. The announcement calls on all sides operating in the Euphrates Valley to stop carrying out uncoordinated airstrikes (website of Operation Inherent Resolve, November 17, 2018).

Detonation of a motorcycle bomb by ISIS

• On November 16, 2018, a motorcycle bomb was detonated with remote control against an SDF vehicle, wounding several fighters. The incident happened on the outskirts of the city of Al-Basira, about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 18, 2018). So far, no claim of responsibility by ISIS has been found, but it would be reasonable to assume that the attack was carried out by the organization.

SDF sends reinforcements

• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that about 1,700 SDF fighters had arrived in the area of the ISIS enclave (north of Albukamal). These are Kurdish fighters who had been stationed in the areas of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), Manbij, and other sites. The reinforcements were sent as part of the preparations for a large-scale ground operation intended to put an end to the presence of ISIS in that area (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 17, 2018).

Main developments in Iraq

The activity of the Iraqi security forces

Military activity near the Iraqi-Syrian border

• This week, too, intensive military activity continued near the Iraqi border with Syria, following the establishment of ISIS’s presence along the border. The Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization forces near the border were reportedly reinforced (Middle East Online, November 14, 2018; Popular Mobilization Website, November 17, 2018). The Popular Mobilization fired artillery at a concentration of ISIS operatives in the area of Al-Baghouz Fawqani, about 1 km east of Albukamal (Popular Mobilization website, November 17, 2017).

Activities of the Iraqi security forces against ISIS

• Following are the main activities carried out by the Iraqi security forces against ISIS:
  • Al-Anbar Province: ISIS announced that it had executed an agent of the Iraqi government in the city of Rutba in the western Al-Anbar Province (Iraq–Al-Anbar Province, November 19, 2018).
  • Salah al-Din Province: Iraqi warplanes carried out an airstrike about 70 km south of Mosul. A total of 10 ISIS operatives were killed and ISIS hiding places and trenches were destroyed (Iraqi News Agency, November 18, 2018).
  • Nineveh Province: A Nineveh Province police force detained six ISIS operatives in eastern Mosul. The detainees operated in the framework of the organization’s military bureau (Al-Sumaria News, November 17, 2018).
  • Al-Anbar Province: Iraqi security forces located half a ton of plastic explosives and 100 old ISIS IEDs. The IEDs were neutralized (Iraqi News Agency, November 17, 2018).

ISIS’s terrorist and guerrilla activity

•   ISIS’s noteworthy activity was the detonation of a car bomb on November 18, 2018, near a restaurant in central Tikrit. According to the Iraqi media, five civilians were killed and 16 were wounded (Al-Sumaria News, November 18, 2018). ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the claim of responsibility, an ISIS squad detonated a car bomb in central Tikrit against the convoy of the assistant commander of the 51st Brigade of the Popular Mobilization (Shiite militias). As a result, 30 people in the convoy were killed and wounded, including some of the brigade commander’s security guards (Iraq–Salah al-Din Province, November 19, 2018).

   
Cars on fire at the scene of the car bomb explosion in central Tikrit (Mohammed Abed Suleman’s Twitter account, November 18, 2018)

• In addition, ISIS continued its routine guerrilla operations in the various provinces. The following are its main activities (according to ISIS’s announcements):
  • Kirkuk Province: Machine guns were fired at an Iraqi police compound about 50 km southwest of Kirkuk. A policeman was killed and two others were wounded (Iraq–Kirkuk Province, November 16, 2018).
  • Kirkuk Province: An IED was detonated against a vehicle belonging to the Tribal Mobilization about 53 km west of Kirkuk. All the passengers were killed or wounded (Iraq–Dijla Province, November 16, 2018).
  • Kirkuk Province: An Iraqi Federal Police vehicle was destroyed by an IED about 58 km southwest of Kirkuk. All the passengers were killed or wounded (Iraq–Kirkuk Province, November 16, 2018).
  • Salah al-Din Province: Tribal Mobilization vehicles were destroyed in an IED explosion in the industrial zone in southwest Baiji. All the passengers were killed or wounded (Iraq–Salah al-Din Province, November 16, 2018).

Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula

ISIS attacks in northern and central Sinai

• Last week, ISIS claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks in northern and central Sinai, mainly detonating IEDs. Following are details of some of the attacks:
  • Detonating an IED against an Egyptian army foot patrol north of Sheikh Zuweid. According to ISIS, several soldiers were killed and wounded (Amaq, November 18, 2018).
  • Blowing up an Egyptian army bulldozer in Rafah with an IED (ISIS’s Sinai Province, November 17, 2018).
  • Blowing up an Egyptian army bulldozer and a truck with two IEDs east of the Al-Arish airport (ISIS’s Sinai Province, November 17, 2018).
  • Destroying a vehicle carrying soldiers by detonating an IED near Jabal al-Halal in central Sinai (Twitter account quoting a report by the Amaq News Agency, November 15, 2018).

    
Right: Egyptian security forces in Sinai searching for mines and IEDs. Left: Egyptian security forces in Sinai neutralizing IEDs (Twitter account @mahmouedgamal44, November 17, 2018)

ISIS video instigates desertion among Egyptian security forces

• On November 16, ISIS’s Sinai Province released a video about 40 minutes long. The video deals with four officers who deserted from the Egyptian army and were killed by the Egyptian security forces^[1]. The video calls on members of the Egyptian security forces to desert and join ISIS’s Sinai Province to carry out jihad against the infidels.
• The video presents the Egyptian army as an “infidel army” that commits injustices against Muslims and coordinates its moves in Sinai with Israel. In the video, ISIS admits for the first time the death of Abu Osama al-Masri, former commander of ISIS’s Sinai Province^[2]. The video presents military attacks against Egyptian security forces, but these are operations carried out more than a year ago (Ghurabaa; Al-Arabi Al-Masri; Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, November 16, 2018).

    
Right: Lieutenant who deserted from the Egyptian army and joined ISIS’s Sinai Province praising jihad and criticizing the “infidel” Egyptian regime (Ghurabaa, November 16, 2018). Left: Egyptian officer named Hanafi Jamal Mahmoud Sultan, who served as an operations officer in the Egyptian security forces and deserted to join ISIS. According to the video, the deserter had extensive military experience, contributed greatly to ISIS’s Sinai Province, and was subsequently killed (Ghurabaa, November 16, 2018).

Jihadi activity in other countries

Suicide bombing attack in Kabul, Afghanistan

• On November 20, 2018, ISIS carried out a suicide bombing attack against hundreds of Muslim clerics. The clerics had gathered in a reception hall in north Kabul to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad by reading the Koran and performing ceremonies. Over 50 people were killed and 83 were wounded (Afghanistan Times, November 20, 2018).

Stabbing attack in Belgium

• On November 20, 2018, a stabbing attack was carried out in central Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The terrorist stabbed a policeman near the central police station in the city, and another policeman shot and wounded the terrorist. According to eyewitness reports, the terrorist shouted “Allah Akbar” during the attack and, from his appearance, was clearly a Muslim. To date, no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. At this stage, it is unclear whether this was a terrorist incident and the matter is under investigation (Reuters; CNN, November 20, 2018).

Suicide bombing attack in Chechnya

• On November 17, 2018, a suicide bombing attack was carried out near a police checkpoint in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. A woman approaching the checkpoint in the center of the city aroused the suspicion of the policemen. She was asked to stop and present her ID. She began to run toward the checkpoint. The policemen, who realized that she was wearing an explosive belt, fired a warning shot in the air, and then the woman detonated her explosive belt near the checkpoint. Apart from the suicide bomber, there were no casualties. The identity of the suicide bomber was not published, but according to local media reports she might have been a Dagestan resident known to the security services (Russia Today, November 17, 2018). So far no claim of responsibility by ISIS or any other organization has been found.

ISIS ambush against a Philippine army force

• On November 16, 2018, operatives of the ISIS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf organization ambushed a Philippine army force on the island of Jolo, on the southern island of the Philippines. This took place while a Philippine Army force was conducting a search for hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf organization. Five Filipino soldiers were killed and 23 others were wounded in the exchange of fire between the sides (Manila Standard, November 17, 2018).
• On November 18, 2018, ISIS’s Amaq News Agency released a video documenting the ambush. The video shows at least six ISIS operatives firing light weapons. One of the operatives appears to be an Arab, while the rest have Asian facial features (Shumukh, November 19, 2018). At the end of the video, ISIS operatives are seen next to the organization’s flag, along with weapons and equipment that had been seized. One of the operatives said in Arabic: “O worshipers of the Cross [a derogatory term for Christians], you may lie in wait, but there are those lying in wait for you, and what is to come will be more shocking and bitter” (Shumukh, November 19, 2018).

    
Right: The island of Jolo in the southern Philippines (Google Maps). Left: ISIS operatives next to the organization’s flag, along with weapons and equipment that had been seized (Amaq News Agency, November 19, 2018).

^[1] These four officers are the main defendants charged with membership in the terrorist squad that planned to assassinate Egyptian President Abd al-Fatah al-Sisi. The affair was uncovered in January 2018. ↑
^[2] Abu Osama al-Masri is an Egyptian born in northern Sinai who grew up in Egypt’s Nile Delta region. His name Is apparently Mohammad Ahmad Ali. He was born in the 1980s (there are various versions regarding his date of birth). He served as commander of ISIS’s Sinai Province. In 2014, he went to Syria with about 20 of his supporters. In the past, his death was reported several times, but this is the first time that ISIS has publicly admitted that he was killed (Wikipedia; Mada, Egypt, November 15, 2018: Al-Kawthar, July 21, 2018). ↑

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