Islamic State sleeper cells target Raqqa
The rising of Islamic State sleeper cells could become more common as the Kurdish-dominated SDF is diverted to the newly announced Turkish invasion of northern Syria.
Tag Archives: Islamic State
Islamic State trains in Somalia’s Puntland
The camp is at least the second one ran by the Islamic State in Somalia’s northern Puntland region.
U.S. kills 8 Islamic State fighters in Libya airstrike
The U.S. military killed eight Islamic State fighters yesterday in the first recorded airstrike against the group in more than one year.
Al Qaeda, Islamic State report attacks in Burkina Faso
Both groups have claimed deadly assaults in Burkina Faso, playing into the already perilous security situation in the country.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi praises the Islamic State’s global operations
In a newly-released audio message, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi boasts that his Islamic State has conducted “unified raids” across the globe this year. Many of these operations were conducted by the Islamic State’s wilayat, or provinces,
AQAP and Islamic State resume fighting in Yemen
The past week has seen the harshest fighting between the two jihadist groups since April.
US announces rewards for 3 Islamic State leaders
On Aug. 21, the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced rewards of up to $5 million each for information concerning three wanted Islamic State leaders. The three jihadists are “legacy” members of the group and serve as a money man, a senior ideologue, and an explosives expert.
Islamic State suicide bomber strikes wedding in Kabul
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing at a hotel where a wedding party was celebrating. ISIS-K claims the bombing operation was two-part. After a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the hotel, a car bomb was detonated outside.
Islamic State wages desert-based insurgency in Iraq and Syria
According to a new report released by the Pentagon’s inspector general, ISIS has devised a three-part “overarching strategy” for its “desert-based insurgency” in Iraq and Syria. The three parts are: “sahara” (desert), “sahwat” (meaning awakenings — a derogatory reference to any Sunni Muslims who oppose the group), and “sawlat” (“hit-and-run operations”).
UN: Islamic State replaced leader in Afghanistan after visit from central leadership
According to a recently released report submitted to the UN Security Council, the Islamic State’s central leadership replaced the group’s head in Afghanistan earlier this year. The leadership change reportedly occurred after an Islamic State “core delegation” visited the country.
Islamic State claims last month’s shootout in Lebanon
The Islamic State retroactively claimed last month’s attack in Tripoli, Lebanon, was perpetrated by one of its soldiers.
Fighters throughout the Khorasan renew allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
The Islamic State’s Wilayah Khorasan is the latest province of the so-called caliphate to release a video as part of the “And the Best Outcome is for the Righteous” series. Fighters in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kashmir, and Pakistan are shown renewing their oaths of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. One speaker blasts the Taliban, encouraging its fighters to defect.
Islamic State claims twin suicide bombings in Tunis
Today’s suicide bombings demonstrate the Islamic State’s residual threat to the North African country.
Jihadists in the Caucasus, Philippines renew allegiance to Baghdadi
As part of its “And the Best Outcome is for the Righteous” series, the Islamic State has released videos of jihadists from the Caucasus and the Philippines renewing their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Islamic State claims attack on Chechen leader’s home in Grozny
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack outside the home of Chechnya’s leader in Grozny. Security sources claim the terrorist was stopped for a routine ID check. The so-called caliphate’s men have carried out a string of operations in or near Grozny.
Islamic State claims attacks on American, French forces in the Sahel
The Islamic State’s men in the Sahel have claimed a recent IED on US troops in Niger, as well as downing a French helicopter and assassinating a Tuareg militia member in Mali.
Islamic State’s Sinai province renews allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
The Islamic State’s Sinai Wilayah has released a short video showing a cadre of fighters renewing their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their ringleader is a masked man identified as Abu Jafar al-Ansari.
Islamic State claims first attack in Mozambique
It is not immediately clear if today’s statement represents a legitimate claim from Mozambique.
Islamic State bombs bus, security personnel in western Kabul
The Islamic State’s Afghan arm detonated three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Kabul earlier today. The first bomb struck a bus carrying civilians, while the second two were detonated after security forces and journalists made their way to the scene.
Caliphate, interrupted
The defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was neither final nor decisive, and policymakers should heed the War on Terror’s lessons to ensure the West doesn’t squander this advantage and enable ISIS, or its copycats and successor groups, to rally.
Analysis: Islamic State claims in the DRC
The Islamic State has claimed at least nine attacks in the DRC since April.
Suicide bomber strikes military academy in Kabul
An Islamic State suicide bomber struck outside the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul earlier today. It is the second time the so-called Khorasan province has attacked the academy. According to UNAMA, the jihadists launch more “suicide and complex attacks” in the Afghan capital than in any other area of the country.
Deadly Niger ambush claimed by the Islamic State
The jihadist group also claimed an assault on a high-security prison near the capital of Niamey.
UN sanctions Islamic State’s Khorasan province, as jihadists claim operations in Kashmir and Pakistan
On May 14, the UN Security Council added the Islamic State’s so-called Khorasan province to its list of sanctioned terrorist entities. The group has recently rebranded operations in Kashmir and Pakistan as the work of supposedly new “provinces.”
Islamic State releases photos from DRC
The photos show more evidence of ties between militants in the DRC and the Islamic State.
Islamic State loyalists fight on in Libya
The Islamic State’s loyalists raided a military camp in southern Libya on May 4, targeting a prison inside the facility. In an appearance late last month, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi praised the jihadists in Libya, saying that they and other Islamic State representatives are fighting a “battle of attrition.”
Examining the Global Terrorism Landscape
Bill Roggio testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism, and examines the global terrorism landscape.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears in first video in nearly five years
The Islamic State has released the first video of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in nearly five years.
Sri Lankan security forces clash with Islamic State loyalists
Sri Lankan security forces clashed with Islamic State loyalists during a raid in Kalmunai. The Islamic State claims that 17 members of the security forces were killed, but that claim is not corroborated by independent reporting. Instead, it appears that several terrorists, along with women and children, perished in the raid.
Analysis: The Islamic State’s allegiance videos
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency has released a video of eight jihadists in Sri Lanka swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before a series of bombings on Easter Sunday. The video is similar to a string of others released by Amaq since mid-2016.