MESOPOTAMIA INTEL BY MEIR AMIT INTELLIGENCE & TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER – Spotlight on Global Jihad (June 5-12, 2019)

ISIS operative aiming a shoulder-fired missile during the combined attack. It is unclear whether the picture was taken during the combined attack (Telegram, June 5, 2019)

Clouds of smoke rising in the wake of a Russian airstrike in the city of Khan Shaykhun, south of Idlib (Ibaa, June 9, 2019)

Operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham shooting at Syrian army soldiers in the rural area north of Hama.

An Army of Glory operative preparing to launch an antitank missile on the route leading to Kafr Hud on June 8, 2019 (Ibaa, June 9, 2019)

Iraqi police force searching for ISIS operatives in the Al-Hawija area west of Kirkuk (Al-Sumaria, June 8, 2019)

Iraqi police force searching for ISIS operatives in the Al-Hawija area west of Kirkuk (Al-Sumaria, June 8, 2019)

ISIS operatives near an armored police vehicle damaged in the attack.

• The Syrian arena: About a month after the start of the Syrian army offensive in the Idlib region, the rebel groups, led by the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham, mounted a counterattack. The offensive was carried out in three efforts, with the goal of retaking several villages east of the southern Al-Ghab Plain and cutting off Road 56, which runs from Hama to the Al-Ghab Plain and from there to Idlib. The Syrian army managed to repel the attacks, apart from the southern effort, where the rebel organizations managed to take over several villages. The rebel organizations and the Syrian army sustained heavy losses. The Syrian army sent reinforcements and is preparing to retake the area that was taken over by the rebel organizations.
• The Iraqi arena: Terrorist and guerrilla activity continued in the various provinces. This week, routine attacks were carried out in the form of sniper fire, detonation of IEDs, light arms fire and mortar shells. A new modus operandi this week was setting fire to a field of grain and then detonating an IED against a force of the Shiite militias of the Popular Mobilization, which arrived at the scene of the fire. These attacks were accompanied by intensive media activity by ISIS

• The main event of the week in ISIS’s provinces outside Syria and Iraq was an attack by ISIS’s Sinai Province on an Egyptian police checkpoint in southern Al-Arish. At the same time, ISIS operatives carried out diversionary action against a nearby checkpoint. According to ISIS’s claim of responsibility, more than 14 Egyptian policemen were killed in these attacks. This combined attack indicates an improvement in the capabilities and daring of ISIS operatives in the northern Sinai Peninsula, and the fact that the Egyptian security forces are finding it difficult to respond effectively.
• The routine activity in ISIS’s other provinces around the world continued. In Nigeria, ISIS operatives carried out attacks against the Nigerian army and the Niger army in the northeast of the country (dozens killed); In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ISIS operatives attacked a Congolese army base in the east of the country (25 killed and wounded); in Mozambique, ISIS, for the first time in this country, claimed responsibility for repelling an attack by the Mozambican army; in Afghanistan, ISIS operatives attacked security personnel in the Nangarhar Province; in Pakistan, ISIS continued its activity against intelligence personnel in the Baluchistan Province; and in Kashmir in India, ISIS operatives exchanged fire with the Indian army.

Main events in Syria

The Idlib region

Rebel counterattack in the southern Idlib region

Rebel counterattack

• Following is the ITIC’s overview of the results of the counterattack (updated to June 11, 2019):
  • The northern route – the village of Al-Qasabiya (about 3 km north of Kafr Nabudah): Special forces of the rebel organizations attacked positions of the Syrian army and the militias supporting it. About 13 Syrian army soldiers, including two officers, were reportedly killed during the attack (Khotwa, June 9, 2019). The Syrian army managed to repel the attack along this route (Muraselon, June 9, 2019).
  • The central route – the village of Karnaz: About 80 operatives, moving in vehicles, took part in the attack. At the same time, a force of about 60 operatives, supported by two tanks, attacked the village Al-Hamamiyat southeast of Karnaz. The Syrian army managed to repel the attacks. The attacking forces sustained heavy losses. Bodies of Uyghurs and Chechens were also found (Muraselon, June 10, 2019). On June 9, 2019, it was reported that the Syrian army regained control of all the sites previously taken over by the rebel organizations.
  • The southern route – the village of Tal Malah: The attack on this route was carried out by the Army of Glory, which is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. The rebel force managed to take over the villages of Tal Malah, Al-Jubain, Al-Jalamah and Kafr Hud (the area marked in grey in the above map). The Syrian army managed to retake the area of Kafr Hud several hours after it was taken over by the rebel organizations (Khotwa, June 7, 2019). It seems that the area of Tal Malah is still held by the rebel organizations. During the fighting, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham employed UAVs for offensive purposes. The Syrian News Agency reported that the Syrian army had downed an aircraft armed with small bombs around the village of Tal Malah (SANA, June 11, 2019).

    
Right: Operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham shooting at Syrian army soldiers in the rural area north of Hama. Left: An Army of Glory operative preparing to launch an antitank missile on the route leading to Kafr Hud on June 8, 2019 (Ibaa, June 9, 2019)

The Kabanah area

• Fighting continued without any major change on the ground in the Kabanah area, on the Kurd Mountains (southwest of the city of Jisr al-Shughur). The Syrian army and the militias supporting it reportedly tried several times to advance, but were repelled by operatives of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham (Ibaa; Enab Baladi, June 11, 2019). The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham reported that more than eight operatives of pro-Syrian militias were killed and over 25 others were wounded (Ibaa, June 11, 2019).

Syrian and Russian airstrikes

• On June 6-9, 2019, during the rebel counterattack, over a thousand airstrikes were carried out in the Idlib area by Syrian warplanes and helicopters and Russian warplanes (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, June 9, 2019). The airstrikes were carried out in support of the Syrian army ground forces at the main fighting zone northwest of Hama and also with the purpose of hitting rebel targets in the Idlib area.
• The city of Khan Shaykhun, south of Idlib, continued to be a target for (apparently mostly Russian) airstrikes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that on June 8, 2019, an explosion occurred at an ammunition depot belonging to the Turkestan Islamic Party (Uyghur operatives from China). At least four Uyghur operatives were killed (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, June 8, 2019).

Rocket fire at the Hama military airbase

• The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham announced that on June 7-9, 2019, Grad rockets had been launched at the Hama military airbase. One helicopter was reportedly hit, as well as the airbase radar. Several rockets hit the main runway, and as a result, warplanes could not take off from the airbase for a whole day (Ibaa, June 9, 2019).

Interim summary of the losses in the fighting

• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since April 30, 2019 (the eve of the Syrian army offensive) until June 11, 2019, a total of 1,508 people had been killed. A total of 609 of the dead belonged to the rebel forces, 507 to the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, and 392 were civilians (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, June 11, 2019).

Eastern Syria

The area between Al-Sukhnah and the Euphrates Valley

• ISIS continues its guerrilla activity against the Syrian army forces in the area between Al-Sukhnah and the Euphrates Valley:
  • A Syrian force was ambushed by ISIS operatives south of the city of Palmyra. Three soldiers were killed, including an officer (Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • On June 7, 2019, ISIS operatives fired an antitank missile at the militias supporting the Syrian army in the southern Al-Sukhnah Desert. Five soldiers were killed, including an officer. In response, Syrian fighter jets carried out several airstrikes against ISIS forces operating in the area (Khotwa, June 7, 2019).
  • ISIS reported that a Syrian army tank had been destroyed during an attack against a Syrian army position east of Palmyra. Several soldiers were killed and wounded (Telegram, June 11, 2019).

The area of Al-Mayadeen and Deir ez-Zor

• During the past week, ISIS continued its terrorism and guerrilla activity in the Al-Mayadeen area in the Euphrates Valley. Following are the main activities:
  • June 10, 2019: ISIS operatives attacked positions of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it on the west bank of the Euphrates, about 9 km southeast of Al-Mayadeen (Deir ez-Zor 24 twitter account, June 10, 2019).
  • June 9, 2019: A young man affiliated with the SDF forces was executed. He was captured by ISIS in the village of Al-Sabha, about 20 km north of Al-Mayadeen (photos on behalf of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as released on Shumukh, June 10, 2019).
  • June 9, 2019: An IED was detonated in the village of Al-Shahil, about 9 km north of Al-Mayadeen (Deir ez-Zor 24, June 10, 2019).
  • June 6, 2019: Three SDF fighters were killed in machine gun fire at their vehicle in the Diban area, east of Al-Mayadeen ((announcement of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as posted on Telegram, June 7, 2019).
  • June 6, 2019: An IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in the village of Al-Shahil, 9 km north of Al-Mayadeen. Four SDF fighters were killed (announcement of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as posted on Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • June 5, 2019: An SDF fighter was captured and executed in the village of Al-Shahil, north of Al-Mayadeen (announcement of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as posted on Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • June 5, 2019: An IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in the village of Al-Hajna, about 30 km east of Deir ez-Zor, killing and wounded the passengers (announcement of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as posted on Telegram, June 5, 2019).
  • June 5, 2019: An IED was activated against an SDF armored vehicle in the village of Al-Shahil, north of Al-Mayadeen. The passengers were either killed or wounded (announcement of the Al-Sham Province – Al-Khayr region, as posted on Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • June 4, 2019: An IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in the village of Al-Shahil, north of Al-Mayadeen. Three SDF fighters were killed and wounded (announcement of ISIS’s Amaq News Agency, as posted on Telegram, June 6, 2019).

Northern Syria

Northeastern Syria (the heart of the Kurdish control area)

• ISIS operatives detonated a motorcycle bomb against SDF forces in the southern part of Al-Hasakah, killing four SDF fighters and wounding others (Telegram, June 8, 2019). According to the Kurdish internal security forces, two people, one of them a YPJ fighter, were wounded in the explosion of the motorcycle (Al-Watan, a Syrian news website affiliated with the Assad regime, June 10, 2019).
• ISIS operatives shot and killed an SDF fighter near the village of Al-Ya’rabiya, northeast of Al-Hasakah (near the Syrian-Iraqi border) (Telegram, June 5, 2019).

The Al-Raqqah area

• ISIS operatives activated an IED against an SDF vehicle about 30 km east of Al-Raqqah, killing and wounding the passengers (Telegram, June 7, 2019).
• ISIS operatives attacked an SDF vehicle about 25 km southwest of the city of Al-Raqqah, killing three SDF fighters, including an officer. ISIS operatives also killed an SDF fighter and his wife at their home, in the village of Al-Mansura (Telegram, June 11, 2019).

Southern Syria

ISIS activity in the Daraa area

• After a period of relative quiet since the Syrian army had taken over the Al-Safa area (northeast of As-Suwayda), ISIS resumed its activity in the Daraa area. Its activity is carried out by the Al-Sham Province – Khawran region, which announced the resumption of its activity. On June 4, 2019, two IEDs were activated against a vehicle carrying Syrian army soldiers 14 km northeast of Daraa. Three soldiers were reportedly killed and the vehicle was destroyed (announcement by the Al-Sham Province – Khawran region, as posted on Telegram, June 4, 2019).

Main developments in Iraq

ISIS’s terrorist and guerrilla activity

• Following are ISIS’s main attacks (based on ISIS’s claims of responsibility):
  • Diyala Province: An IED was detonated against an Iraqi army vehicle about 30 km southwest of Baqubah, killing or wounding the passengers (Telegram, June 4, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: A Tribal Mobilization checkpoint was attacked about 30 km southwest of Baqubah (Telegram, June 7, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: A policeman was wounded by sniper fire in the eastern part of the Diyala Province (Telegram, June 5, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: A Popular Mobilization fighter was killed by sniper fire in the rural area of the city of Baqubah (Telegram, June 5, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: An IED was detonated against an Iraqi army vehicle about 20 km southwest of Khanaqin, wounding two soldiers (Telegram, June 5, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: Ten mortar shells were fired at an Iraqi army force about 20 km southwest of Khanaqin (Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • Nineveh Province: An IED was detonated against a government vehicle west of Tal Afar. Two passengers were wounded (Telegram, June 5, 2019).
  • Nineveh Province: Iraqi policemen were ambushed by ISIS operatives 60 km south of Mosul. An officer and three policemen were killed in the exchange of fire (Telegram, June 6, 2019).
  • Nineveh Province: An IED was detonated against Popular Mobilization fighters while they were trying to put out a fire in a grain field north of Tal Afar. One of them was killed and four others were wounded (Telegram, June 9, 2019). The ITIC considers this the first evidence of combining setting fire to fields as carried out by ISIS and using IEDs against the forces arriving to put out the fire.
  • Nineveh Province: An IED was detonated north of Tal Afar, killing and wounding five members of the Iraqi Interior Ministry security services (Telegram, June 9, 2019).
  • Kirkuk Province: An IED was detonated at an Iraqi police post west of Kirkuk. The post, which was apparently unmanned, was destroyed (Telegram, June 11, 2019).
  • Kirkuk Province: Two IEDs were activated against an APC west of Kirkuk. Four policemen were killed and wounded (Telegram, June 11, 2019).
  • Kirkuk Province: An IED was activated against a vehicle carrying French soldiers and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the Kirkuk area. Two passengers were wounded (Telegram, June 11, 2019).
  • Al-Anbar Province: A sticky bomb was activated in the house of a Tribal Mobilization operative near Al-Baghdadi. The operative was wounded (Telegram, June 11, 2019).

Threat to harm collaborators with the Iraqi regime

• On June 11, 2019, an ISIS network in the Dijla (Tigris) Province released a video entitled “Smashing Heads – 2”. In the video, ISIS threatens to harm anyone who collaborates with the Iraqi authorities, especially among the Sunnis. The video includes photos documenting the execution of collaborators, and praises ISIS’s operatives, presenting archival footage of their operations (archive.org file-sharing website, June 11, 2019). The video is similar to a video released by ISIS last week calling on residents of the city of Fallujah to cooperate with ISIS and threatening to kill anyone who did not cooperate with the organization.

Counterterrorist activities by the Iraqi security forces

• Following are the main counterterrorist activities carried out by the Iraqi security forces in the various provinces:
  • Kirkuk Province: Iraqi police conducted an extensive manhunt for the ISIS squads in the area of Al-Hawija and the nearby villages, some 50 km west of Kirkuk. During the manhunt, ISIS “guesthouses” were found and several suspects were detained (Al-Sumaria, June 8, 2019).
  • Salah al-Din Province: On June 8, 2019, a joint force of the Popular Mobilization and Iraqi security forces launched a security operation against ISIS operatives in the northeast of the area of Tikrit and the Baiji District. During the operation, many ISIS “guesthouses” were destroyed, and logistical and medical equipment was found (al-hashed.net, June 8, 2019).
  • Diyala Province: An Iraqi intelligence force raided an ISIS “guesthouse” some 5 km south of Baqubah. The force found IEDs, ammunition and supplies for ISIS operatives staying there overnight (Iraqi News Agency, June 9, 2019).