Main events of the past week
- Syria: In the Idlib region, exchanges of artillery fire continued south and southwest of Idlib between the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, and the rebel forces. In the Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region, ISIS continued to attack the Kurdish SDF forces. The most noteworthy incident was a combined attack carried out by ISIS operatives against an SDF headquarters in Diban, about 3 km east of Al-Mayadeen. In Deir ez-Zor, ISIS operatives issued a blacklist of residents of a village located about 20 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, and threatened that if they did not “repent” they would be executed and their homes would be destroyed. After several months of relative calm, ISIS operatives in the Hawran region claimed responsibility for several attacks against Syrian soldiers.
- Iraq: ISIS’s activity in the Salah al-Din Province this week consisted mainly of breaking into the homes of those suspected of collaborating with the authorities. One noteworthy incident was the execution of members of one family, including two women, who, according to ISIS, collaborated with the Popular Mobilization forces. At the same time, the Iraqi security forces continued to carry out counterterrorism activity.
- Africa: In view of the recent expansion of ISIS’s activity in Africa, the US Department of State has approved the imposition of economic sanctions on ISIS’s branch in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its leader, and on ISIS’s branch in Mozambique and its leader. In both of these countries, these are local organizations that have pledged allegiance to ISIS. At the same time, ISIS operatives continued their intensive activity against the Nigerian security forces. One noteworthy attack was in the city of Monguno, in which 33 soldiers were killed, 20 were wounded and one was taken prisoner.
- Afghanistan: ISIS’s activity still consists mainly of targeted killings and attempts on the lives of members of the security forces, primarily in Jalalabad. In the capital Kabul, ISIS operatives activated two IEDs against two buses carrying Shiites in two different locations. Twenty passengers were killed or wounded.
- The battle for hearts and minds: this week’s lead article in ISIS Al-Naba’ weekly was devoted to Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq and his meetings with Shiite clerics, led by Ayatollah Ali Sistani. According to the author, the Pope’s visit was mainly intended to instill “Crusader” ideas among Muslims and to express support for the Iraqi government.
The Syrian arena
Syrian governorates (freeworldmaps.net)
The Idlib region
- This week as well, exchanges of artillery fire continued in the region south and southeast of the rebel enclave in Idlib between the rebel forces headed by HTS, and the Syrian army and the forces supporting it (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, March 2021).
The Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region[1]
- The activity this week focused on the village of Diban, about 3 km east of Al-Mayadeen. On March 11, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked the SDF headquarters there. An SDF fighter was killed and another was wounded in the exchange of fire between the sides. When another force arrived at the site for assistance, the ISIS operatives detonated a motorcycle bomb. Four SDF fighters were wounded. Several days later, on March 14, 2021, RPG rockets were fired at the SDF headquarters. No casualties were reported. The building was damaged.
- On March 12, 2021, the house of an SDF intelligence operative in Al-Sour area, about 50 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor, was broken into. He was captured, interrogated and then shot to death.
- On March 10, 2021, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in Mahaimida, about 10 km north of Deir ez-Zor. The vehicle was put out of commission and the passengers on board were wounded. Two days before, on March 8, 2021, ISIS operatives shot at a man referred to as a “sorcerer” in the same place.
- ISIS operatives in Deir ez-Zor published a list of inhabitants of the village of Jadid Aqidat, situated about 20 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, threatening them that if they don’t “repent,” they will be executed and their homes will be destroyed (@DeirEzzor24 Twitter account, March 13, 2021).
Wording of ISIS’s threat against inhabitants in the Deir ez-Zor region
(@DeirEzzor24 Twitter account, March 13, 2021)
Al-Raqqah region
- On March 14, 2021, ISIS operatives broke into the home of an SDF fighter north of Al-Raqqah and killed him.
Hawran region
- After several months of relative calm, an increase in activity is evident in the region. ISIS claimed responsibility for carrying out two attacks against Syrian military personnel: On March 14, 2021, a soldier was abducted near Al-Harak, about 20 km northeast of Daraa; after being interrogated, he was executed. On March 15, 2021, an officer and a soldier were shot at west of Daraa. The soldier was killed and the officer was wounded.
The Iraqi arena
Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)
ISIS’s attacks in the various provinces in Iraq[2]
Salah al-Din Province
- On March 12, 2021, ISIS operatives broke into several homes in a village south of Tikrit:
- Break-in at the home of a family suspected of collaboration with the Popular Mobilization forces: After being interrogated, six family members, including two women, were executed.
- Break-in at the home of a policeman: ISIS operatives killed him and seized weapons and ammunition.
- Break-in at the home of a lawyer working in a government court: He was killed.
- On March 13, 2021, ISIS operatives broke into the home of a Tribal Mobilization fighter in the Tarmiyah area, about 30 km north of Baghdad. After being interrogated, the fighter was executed. They also executed his mother, who they said was a “spy in the service of the Iraqi army.”
- On March 15, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army foot patrol in the Al-Ghaith area, in the eastern Salah al-Din Province. One soldier was killed and another was wounded.
Diyala Province
- On March 11, 2021, an Iraqi soldier was targeted by machine gun fire on the outskirts of Miqdadiya, about 40 km northeast of Baqubah. He was killed and a thermal camera at the site was destroyed.
Kirkuk Province
- On March 13, 2021, an Iraqi police post in the Riyad area, about 50 km southwest of Kirkuk, was targeted by machine gun fire and RPG rockets. One policeman was killed and another was wounded.
- On March 11, 2021, an Iraqi army outpost south of Daquq, in southern Kirkuk, was attacked. Two soldiers were killed.
Nineveh Province
- On March 15, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle west of Mosul. The vehicle was destroyed and the passengers on board were wounded.
Counterterrorism measures in Iraq
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According to Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto, the International Coalition forces continue to support the Iraqi forces, mainly by airstrikes when the latter ask for their support. However, he said, the Iraqi army air and ground forces are in a high level of readiness and training and, at least in some of the cases, are able to carry out their missions and fight independently against ISIS without the need for support (Iraqi News Agency, March 10, 2021).
- Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt-General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah said during a visit at an Iraqi Air Force base that in fighting against ISIS, the Iraqi Air Force uses refurbished Su-25 and Antonov fighter jets. According to Lt-General Yarallah, these planes have successfully attacked many terror squads even outside Iraqi borders. He noted that the Air Force’s success in returning these fighter jets to service and maintaining the equipment would greatly support the ground forces in their war against ISIS (Iraqi Minister of Defense’s YouTube channel, March 8, 2021).
Nineveh Province
- On March 13, 2021, the Iraqi security forces prevented the infiltration of ISIS operatives (“terrorist operatives” in the original statement) from Syria into Iraq. The Iraqi security forces that fired at the infiltrators were targeted by gunfire from Jabal Sinjar in Iraq, apparently by ISIS operatives who helped the infiltrators. After an exchange of fire that lasted for about half an hour, the ISIS operatives returned to Syrian territory. The attackers from the Iraqi side fled. One Iraqi soldier was killed in the incident (Akhbar Al-Aan, March 14, 2021).
- On March 13, 2021, the Iraqi security forces detained the members of a squad that had intended to carry out a terrorist attack by detonating a car bomb in the Nineveh Province (Al-Sumaria, March 13, 2021). No further details were given but these were probably ISIS operatives.
- On March 11, 2021, the Iraqi security forces carried out a counterterrorism ground operation in the region of the Makhmur Mountains, about 70 km southeast of Mosul. The US-led International Coalition planes supported the ground forces by attacking ISIS targets in the area (RUDAW, March 12, 2021; Kurdistan 24, March 12, 2021).
Kirkuk Province
- On March 13, 2021, the Iraqi army took control of an ISIS hiding place in the Daquq area, in southern Kirkuk. Explosives and IEDs were found at the site (Al-Sumaria, March 13, 2021).