ISIS

Islamic State (IS) said the coronavirus pandemic was divine punishment for its enemies, according to an audio broadcast on Thursday, where the jihadists also vowed more attacks. The person on the tape, which was posted on one of the militants’ websites but could not be verified by Reuters, identified himself …

Islamic State said on Monday it was behind a blast in a small town in southern Libya on Saturday, the militant group’s first attack in the country for at least a year. The blast targeted a security point at the entrance to Taraghin, 780 km (590 miles) south of Tripoli, …

The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants said its troops opened fire on Wednesday at a checkpoint in northeast Syria after they came under small arms fire. The coalition said in a statement the situation had calmed down and the patrol had returned to the base. “After coalition troops issued …

A Malaysian minister warned on Wednesday that the Islamic State militant group may shift its base of operations to Southeast Asia after the death of its leader, according to a media report. Authorities in the region have said it will be a long battle to thwart the jihadist group’s ideology, …

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on four companies and two people operating in Syria, Turkey, the Gulf and Europe for providing financial and logistical support to Islamic State. The targets were blacklisted under an executive order that imposes sanctions on terrorists and those who have provided assistance or …

The CSIS isn’t optimistic about the end of Islamic radicalism with the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—and his replacement by Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurash.  They note, “What factors have contributed to the resurgence of jihadist violence? And what are the implications following the death of al-Baghdadi? In answering these questions, …

Turkey has captured a wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, more than a week after the Islamic State leader killed himself during a raid by U.S. special forces in northern Syria. “The United States said Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel. They started a communication …

Somalia’s Islamic State affiliate, one of the most important outposts of the militant group, swore allegiance in a statement on Sunday to the new leader named by the organization following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Somalia’s Province posted pictures on Telegram of around a dozen fighters standing among trees, …

Islamic State confirmed on Thursday that its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a weekend raid by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria, and vowed revenge against the United States. The Iraqi rose from obscurity to lead the ultra-hardline group and declare himself “caliph” of all Muslims, holding sway …

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, in a letter to police prefects seen by Reuters, called on Sunday for increased vigilance to prevent possible revenge attacks following the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “… The possible intensification of jihadist propaganda following this death, which could possibly call for …

Iran said on Sunday the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not mean the end of the group and its ideology, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei tweeted. “The killing of Baghdadi will not end Daesh (the Islamic State) and its ideology … which was created and flourished …

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria, in a major blow to the jihadist group. Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest, Trump said in a televised address …

Dr. Haytham Mouzahem, head of Beirut Centre for Middle East Studies talks to International Affairs Review on the current situation in Syria and the Turkish military operations and the implications for the region.   Please walk us through what is happening right now in north east Syria. Turkey has been invading areas …

Everybody Betraying Everybody in Syria Graham E. Fuller (grahamefuller.com) 16 October 2019 Just what have we witnessed in the recent events in Syria? It’s hard to know, given the avalanche of superficial and over-the-top headlines in most US media: betrayal of the Kurds, handing Syria over to Russia, caving to …

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes in northeast Syria on Friday in an offensive against Kurdish militia that has raised the prospect of a humanitarian disaster and questions about U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy in the region. The Kurds, who recaptured swathes of northeastern Syria from Islamic State with …

A senior Chinese official said on Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State militants re-emerging in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Damascus government and the opposition to end the war. “There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived, …

At least seven members of Iraq’s security forces were killed and 16 wounded overnight in two separate attacks by Islamic State militants, police said on Thursday. Three members of the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and two policemen were killed in an attack in the Sayed Gharib area north of …

U.S. forces have quietly sent at least 30 suspected foreign Islamic State fighters captured in Syria last year and in late 2017 to stand trial in Iraq, interviews with the men, Iraqi sources and court documents show. FILE PHOTO: Islamic state fighters and their families walk as they surrender in …

By Elias Farhat* In the aftermath of the 9,11 attacks, the US under president George W. Bush announced the Global war on terror. This terror was recognized as al-Qaeda and its offshoot Taliban.  Al Qaeda owned the ideology, the mobilization and sleeper cells all around the world, while Taliban owned …

Islamic State remains a potent threat around the world despite reduced capabilities, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday, adding its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had made his latest video appearance in a “remote area”. Abdul Mahdi did not say which country that area was in. A video …

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formally announced the destruction of Islamic State’s control of land in eastern Syria on Saturday but said it would continue its military and security campaigns against jihadist sleeper cells. At a televised ceremony, its general command called on the Syrian government, which has sworn to …

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday denied any agreement to hand over captured Iraqi Islamic State fighters or their families to Iraq. SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel cited Iraqi officials as issuing statements in recent days saying there was a deal to hand Iraqi Islamic State fighters and their …

With ISIS’ leader nowhere to be found, deep fissures have emerged within the crumbling terrorist organisation as desperate militants make a last stand. by Chris Massaro for FOX NEWS — As the once-powerful Islamic State (IS) crumbles, and its desperate fighters make a last stand in its final enclave surrounded …

A mass grave containing the bodies of dozens of people who may be Yazidis enslaved by Islamic State has been found in territory recently seized by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an SDF official said on Thursday. Many of the bodies found in the Baghouz area were those of …

Some 200 families are trapped in a shrinking area of Syria still controlled by Islamic State, whose forces are stopping some from fleeing, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday. “Many of them (also) …continue to be subjected to intensified air and ground-based strikes by the U.S.-led Coalition …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem* –I will try in this paper to present the more likely expected scenarios in short and will focus on two issues. First, before discussing the future of terrorism, we must first agree on the reasons that led to the rise of the extremism and the motives …

Tolerance and non-judgemental understanding may be the best way to try to save radicalized young Europeans who want to go and join militant Islamists in Middle Eastern conflicts, veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve said on Tuesday. “Farewell to the Night”, which premiered on Tuesday at the Berlin Film Festival, tells …

An Indonesian militant who appeared on an Islamic State propaganda video showing the execution of a hostage and was said to be close to the militant group’s leader was killed in Syria last month, an Indonesian police spokesman and his brother said. Muhammad Saifuddin, who was known by various aliases, …

Russian investigators on Friday dismissed an Islamic State claim of responsibility for a deadly apartment building explosion in December that killed 39 people, saying that militant groups had a history of falsely taking credit for such incidents. Islamic State (IS) made the claim in its Al Naba newspaper on Thursday …

A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed U.S. troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces. A U.S. official who declined to be named said four U.S. troops had been killed and three …

The Kurdish YPG militia’s fight with Islamic State in Syria was “a huge lie”, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, as he criticized U.S. comments that Ankara must agree to protect Washington’s Kurdish allies. Turkey sees the YPG, which the United States has backed in the fight against Islamic …

A Belgian judge has ordered the government to repatriate six children of Islamic State (IS) militants and their mothers who have been detained in a camp in Kurdish-controlled Syria, the national news agency Belga said on Wednesday. Tatiana Wielandt, 26, and Bouchra Abouallal, 25, both Belgian citizens, and their children …

A top U.S. envoy leading a global coalition fighting Islamic State has quit over President Donald Trump’s decision this week to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat the militant …

U.S.-led war planes targeted an Islamic State leader on Sunday in Syria responsible for killing hostages including an American, Washington’s envoy to the coalition fighting the jihadist group said. “Earlier today, coalition air forces conducted precision strikes against a number of ISIS leaders in southeast Syria. Those targeted included Abu …

Syrian state media said insurgent shelling on Aleppo city wounded 50 people on Saturday, causing breathing problems. State news agency SANA, citing a health official in the city which is under government control, said the shells hit two districts and contained gases that made people choke. Source: Reuters

Iraqi forces have killed 15 Islamic State militants inside a tunnel during a search operation in the northern Sunni-majority Salahuddin province, the military said on Wednesday. Islamic State, which once occupied a third of Iraq’s territory, has been largely defeated in the country but has continued to carry out ambushes, …

The Trump administration hopes that the U.S.-backed fight against Islamic State in its last foothold in northeastern Syria will end within months but American forces will remain to ensure the “enduring defeat” of the militant group, a top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday. Ambassador James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative …

The Syrian army has rescued a group of 19 women and children who were abducted by Islamic State in the Syrian city of Sweida in July, Syrian state television reported on Thursday. The group was freed in an area northeast of the desert city of Palmyra, in what state television …

By Areej Zaher*   The retreat of Isis, about a year ago, from eastern Syria and Mosul in Iraq wasn’t much of a relief, as a result of its latest attacks on the Swaida governorate in the south west of Syria. Maybe it’s too soon to determine the decisive battle …

Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan are just days away, and the Taliban and ISIS fighters, countered by Afghan and U.S. troops, are doing all they can to disrupt voters. Nangarhar in Eastern Afghanistan was the deadliest province for Americans in 2017. Of the 11 American troops killed in Afghanistan last year, …

U.S.-backed fighters braved a sandstorm to battle the Islamic State group in eastern Syria on Thursday in heavy clashes that killed several fighters on both sides. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group, said it was fighting to retake the village of Sousah, where the extremists took advantage of …

The slave market opened at night. We could hear the commotion downstairs where militants were registering and organising, and when the first man entered the room, all the girls started screaming. It was like the scene of an explosion. We moaned as though wounded, doubling over and vomiting on the …

The United Nations’ cultural agency wants to use the reconstruction of Iraq’s second city Mosul as a way to restore its credibility and show how a fraying multilateral order can be revived, its director general said on Monday. Officially entitled the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Paris-based Unesco …

Well over 500,000 Syrians have so far returned to their homes after vast swathes of lands in eastern Syrian were recently cleared of Daesh jihadists. In the course of sweeping joint operations in al-Mayadeen in Deir ez-Zor, in southeast Syria, the authorities in cooperation with Syrian Army engineers discovered weapons, ammunition and medicines, some of which were …