Fighter of the Homeland Defense Forces being executed by an ISIS operative (an Amaq photo as posted on Telegram, November 12, 2020)
Main events of the past week
- In the Idlib region, routine incidents continued between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations, chiefly Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The incidents included artillery exchanges, Russian airstrikes, and sniper fire.
- One noteworthy attack by ISIS’s provinces this week was the detonation of an IED at a cemetery in Jeddah during a memorial service commemorating the end of World War I. The ceremony was attended by European diplomats, including a French delegation headed by the French consul in Saudi Arabia. Two people were wounded, one of them an official at the Greek Consulate. According to ISIS’s claim of responsibility, the main target of the attack was the French consul. It should be recalled that ISIS’s spokesman recently called on the organization’s operatives to target Western citizens and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
- ISIS continued its routine activities in its other provinces in Asia and Africa. Noteworthy examples:
- Syria: This week, ISIS carried out intensive activity in the desert regions of eastern Syria. Dozens of fighters on both sides were killed in incidents between ISIS and the Syrian army. Thirteen fighters of the militias supporting the Syrian army were captured by ISIS and then executed.
- Burkina Faso: 14 soldiers were killed and eight were wounded in an ISIS ambush of a Burkina Faso army convoy. Weapons and ammunition also fell into the hands of ISIS.
- Mozambique: Law enforcement officials in Mozambique reportedly detained 12 Iraqi civilians suspected of assisting (ISIS-affiliated) rebels in the Cabo Delgado region in the northeast of the country. They may be ISIS operatives sent from Iraq to establish ISIS’s activity in the region.
- Ethiopia: Ethiopian security forces detained 14 people suspected of carrying out activity for ISIS and Al-Shabaab (an organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda). The detainees reportedly planned to carry out attacks in the capital Addis Ababa and other parts of the country.
ISIS’s attacks around the globe
Summary of ISIS’s activity in the various provinces (November 5-11, 2020)
- ISIS released an infographic summarizing its activity on November 5-11, 2020. During this time, ISIS carried out 46 attacks in the various provinces in Asia and Africa, compared to 53 in the previous week. Most of the attacks were carried out in Iraq (23). Attacks were also carried out in ISIS’s other provinces: West Africa (10); Syria (7); Sinai Peninsula (3); Central Africa (1); Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (1); and East Asia, i.e., the Philippines (1) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2020).
- According to the infographic, 137 people were killed and wounded in those attacks, compared to 289 in the previous week (i.e., a decrease of about 53% in the number of casualties). The largest number of casualties was in Iraq (75). The other casualties were in West Africa (34); Syria (17); Sinai Peninsula (5); Central Africa (3); Afghanistan (2); and the Philippines (1) (Telegram, November 12, 2020).
The Syrian arena
The Idlib region
In the Idlib region, incidents continued between the Syrian army and the forces supporting it and the rebel organizations, mainly Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). These incidents included exchanges of artillery fire, Russian airstrikes, and HTS sniper fire at the Syrian army. In addition, it was reported that a missile launched from a Russian battle ship had hit the western outskirts of the city of Idlib (Edlib Media Center, November 13, 2020).
ISIS’s activity in Syria[1]
The region of Deir ez-Zor and Al-Mayadeen
- On November 14, 2020, an SDF intelligence operative was targeted by machine gun fire about 9 km north of Al-Mayadeen. He was killed.
- On November 10, 2020, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in the city of Hajin, about 25 km north of Albukamal. Three fighters were wounded.
- On November 10, 2020, ISIS operatives captured a Syrian army “agent” about 23 km north of Al-Mayadeen. He was interrogated and then executed. The Amaq News Agency released a video saying that the “agent” had turned ISIS operatives in to the Syrian regime.
Al-Raqqah region
- On November 14, 2020, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle about 20 km west of Al-Raqqah. Three SDF fighters were killed.
The desert region southeast of Hama
- On November 14, 2020, ISIS operatives captured 11 operatives of a militia supporting the Syrian army, who apparently belonged to the Homeland Defense Forces[2]. The incident occurred on the Al-Raqqah-Salamiyah road (about 28 km southeast of Hama). All those taken prisoner were executed. Before that, on November 13, two fighters from the Homeland Defense Forces were taken prisoner (about 95 km northeast of Hama) and executed (Al-Badia 24 Twitter account, November 14, 2020).
- The Syrian media reported that on the night of November 11, 2020, ISIS squads had infiltrated into Syrian military positions in the desert region east of Hama. Syrian army units and forces supporting them repelled the attack. They exchanged fire with ISIS for several hours in the rural area east of Salamiyah (about 30 km southeast of Hama). Many ISIS operatives were killed. In addition, ISIS’s military equipment was destroyed. The Syrian army and the forces supporting it sustained 12 fatalities (Al-Watan Online, Syria, November 12, 2020).
Palmyra-Al-Sukhnah region
- On November 15, 2020, the Palestinian Al-Quds Brigade sent a force to Al-Bishri Mountain (about 80 km northeast of Al-Sukhnah) in order to reinforce Syrian army positions in this area (Al-Badia 24 Twitter account, November 15, 2020).
- On November 11, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked three compounds and staging zones of the Syrian army and the Homeland Defense Forces in the desert region north of Al-Sukhnah (about 60 km northeast of Palmyra). A total of 11 soldiers were killed and a fighter of the Homeland Defense Forces was taken prisoner and executed. The attackers set fire to three army compounds and blew up a gas pipeline.
- On November 10, 2020, an IED was activated against a Syrian army truck near Al-Sukhnah, about 60 km northeast of Palmyra. The passengers were wounded.
Al-Hasakah region
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 500 ISIS family members had been released from the Al-Hawl detention camp (about 40 km east of Al-Hasakah) on November 16, 2020. Most of those released are residents of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. A total of about 23,000 Syrians remained in the camp. The camp management intends to release them within the next few days. About 16,000 of them live in areas controlled by the Syrian army, which will be a major obstacle preventing their release. It was also reported that Iraqi families detained in the camp refuse to leave for Iraq as they are afraid of acts of revenge by the Shiite Popular Mobilization militias.
- According to Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 4,000 Syrian detainees have recently been released from the Al-Hawl camp. Some of them preferred to move to other areas under SDF control as it is impossible for them to live in the areas where they were captured. Most of these Syrians originally lived in areas which are now under Syrian army control or under the control of the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield forces. It was also reported that so far, the SDF had released 125 children (of ISIS operatives) and sent them to European countries and to Russia (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 16 and 17, 2020).
Babel Province
- On November 16, 2020, two fighters of the militia of the Hezbollah Battalions were targeted by sniper fire about 40 km southwest of Baghdad. One of them was killed and the other was wounded.
The Iraqi arena
Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)
ISIS attacks in the various provinces[3]
Diyala Province
- On November 15, 2020, Popular Mobilization fighters were targeted by sniper fire about 60 km north of Baqubah. One fighter was killed and four others were wounded.
- On November 13, 2020, a sticky bomb was activated against the vehicle of a Tribal Mobilization fighter on the outskirts of Al-Miqdadiya, about 40 km northeast of Baqubah. He was wounded.
- On November 13, 2020, Iraqi soldiers were targeted by sniper fire about 80 km northeast of Baqubah. Two soldiers were killed and two others were wounded.
- On November 12, 2020, an IED was activated against Iraqi police about 20 km northeast of Baqubah. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded.
- On November 12, 2020, a fighter of the Iraqi counterterrorism unit was targeted by sniper fire about 20 km northeast of Baqubah. He was wounded.
- On November 12, 2020, an IED was activated against Iraqi soldiers about 40 km northeast of Baqubah. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded.
Salah al-Din Province
- On November 16, 2020, a Popular Mobilization fighter was targeted by sniper fire northwest of Samarra. He was killed.
- On November 15, 2020, an Iraqi army “agent” was targeted by machine gun fire in the city of Al-Tarmiyah, about 30 km north of Baghdad. He was killed.
Al-Anbar Province
- On November 13, 2020, ISIS operatives broke into the house of an Iraqi soldier near the city of Al-Rutba. He was taken prisoner and executed.
Kirkuk Province
- On November 13, 2020, a Popular Mobilization intelligence operative was targeted by machine gun fire in the city of Kirkuk. He was wounded.
- On November 13, 2020, an Iraqi police compound was targeted by machine gun fire about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk. According to ISIS, four policemen were killed and four others were wounded. According to an Iraqi security source, two policemen were killed and four others were wounded (Iraqi News Agency, November 14, 2020).
Counterterrorism activities by the Iraqi security forces
Kirkuk Province
- In the early morning hours of November 15, 2020, teams of the Iraqi counterterrorism unit landed by helicopter, with International Coalition support, about 50 km southwest of Kirkuk. They apprehended two ISIS commanders. The two were responsible for the logistical support of ISIS squads operating in the area (Al-Sumaria, November 15, 2020).
- On November 15, 2020, teams of the Iraqi Police Intelligence Directorate set up an ambush where ISIS operatives intended to plant IEDs on the road between the Kirkuk Province and Tikrit. Two ISIS operatives were observed planting IEDs. One of them was killed and the other was wounded (Al-Sumaria, November 15, 2020).
Nineveh Province
- On November 17, 2020, the Iraqi security forces apprehended three operatives of an ISIS elite unit in the Nineveh Province (Al-Sumaria, November 17, 2020).
- On November 17, 2020, the Iraqi security forces apprehended two wanted ISIS operatives in the city of Mosul (Facebook page of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, November 17, 2020).
- On November 15, 2020, the Iraqi security forces uncovered an ISIS sleeper cell of 15 operatives. The cell members, who were operating in various places in the Nineveh Province, were detained. They admitted having planned to carry out attacks (Al-Sumaria, November 15, 2020).