Overview -The ceasefire is being maintained in the Idlib region of northern Syria, but high-intensity local incidents continue between the warring sides. In the Euphrates Valley, ISIS has continued its intensive activity (mainly in the form of activating IEDs and attempted targeted killings). In the Sukhnah-Palmyra area, the Syrian forces carried out counterterrorism operations against ISIS operatives, with air and artillery support.
- The Iraq Province continues to be the most active of ISIS’s provinces (mainly in the form of activating IEDs, launching rockets, and targeted killings). This week, an unusual attack (the elimination of an “agent”) was carried out in southern Iraq, an area with a Shiite population where ISIS seldom carries out attacks.
- In the Sinai Peninsula, ISIS continued its intensive activity against the Egyptian army and the forces supporting it (activating IEDs, attacking a militia that supports the Egyptian army). In addition, the Sinai Province carried out an attack on a position of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi organization by the name of Jund al-Islam south of Rafah (seven Jund al-Islam operatives were killed). The attack demonstrated that ISIS is determined to prevent the entrenchment of rival jihadi organizations, certainly those affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
- In ISIS’s other provinces in Africa and Asia, “routine” military activity continues (Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Pakistan, India and the Philippines).
The Idlib region
Incidents in the Idlib region between the Syrian army and the jihadi organizations
This week as well, high-intensity incidents continued between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations. Most of the incidents consisted of firing in areas south and southwest of Idlib. Following are some of them:
- On July 7, 2020, snipers of the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham fired at the Syrian forces in Jabal Zawiya, about 20 km south of Idlib. One Syrian soldier was killed and two others were wounded (Ibaa, July 7, 2020).
- On July 7, 2020, the Syrian forces fired at villages about 40 km southwest of Idlib. Several civilians were wounded (Ibaa, July 7, 2020).
- On July 7, 2020, the rebel organizations fired rockets at a Syrian force about 20 km east of Idlib. One Syrian soldier was wounded (Khotwa, July 7, 2020).
- On July 6, 2020, the Syrian forces fired artillery at a village about 40 km south of Idlib (Edlib Media Center – EMC, July 6, 2020).
- On July 5, 2020, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham reported that the forces supporting the Syrian army had fired artillery at two villages about 40 km southwest of Idlib (Ibaa, July 5, 2020).
- On July 4, 2020, the Syrian forces fired artillery at two villages in the Jabal Zawiya area, about 20 km south of Idlib (Idlib Plus, July 4, 2020).
- On July 3, 2020, the Syrian forces fired artillery at a village about 30 km southwest of Idlib (Edlib Media Center – EMC, July 3, 2020).
- On July 2, 2020, the Syrian forces fired artillery at several villages 25 km south of Idlib (Idlib Plus, July 2, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, the rebel organizations ambushed the Syrian forces while they attempted to advance from a site about 40 km south of Idlib. The Syrian forces sustained casualties (Edlib Media Center – EMC, July 2, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, the Syrian forces fired artillery at a village about 30 km southwest of Idlib (Edlib Media Center – EMC, July 1, 2020).
Joint patrols on the M-4 highway continue
- During the week, the joint Russian and Turkish patrols on the M-4 highway (Aleppo-Latakia) continued uninterrupted. On the morning of July 7, 2020, Turkey and Russia carried out the 20th joint patrol. Prior to carrying out the patrol, the Turkish army deployed its forces along the road to preempt a possible disruption (Enab Baladi, a Syrian news website affiliated with the rebel organizations, July 7, 2020).
Northeastern Syria
The area of Deir ez-Zor, Al-Mayadeen, and Albukamal
Most of the incidents in the area of Deir ez-Zor, Al-Mayadeen and Albukamal consisted of activating IEDs, small arms fire at vehicles on the roads, and targeted killings. Following are details:
- On July 7, 2020, an SDF vehicle was targeted by machine gun fire about 10 km northeast of Deir ez-Zor. The passengers were wounded (Telegram, July 7, 2020).
- On July 6, 2020, an SDF vehicle was targeted by machine gun fire about 60 km north of Deir ez-Zor. One fighter was killed and another was wounded (Telegram, July 6, 2020).
- On July 6, 2020, a commander in one of the forces supporting the Syrian army was shot and killed near Al-Mayadeen (Telegram, July 6, 2020).
- On July 4, 2020, an SDF fighter was killed about 40 km northeast of Deir ez-Zor. An IED was activated against him or, according to another version, he was shot dead (Telegram, July 4, 2020).
- On July 2, 2020, an IED was activated against several SDF sappers about 20 km north of Al-Mayadeen. They were wounded (Telegram, July 3, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, a commander in the SDF forces was targeted by machine gun fire at his home, about 20 km north of Al-Mayadeen. He was killed (Telegram, July 2, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, an IED was activated at an SDF vehicle about 5 km east of Al-Mayadeen. The passengers were killed or wounded (Telegram, July 2, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, an IED was activated against two SDF sappers while they were trying to neutralize it about 5 km east of Al-Mayadeen. One was killed and the other was wounded (Telegram, July 2, 2020).
- On June 30, 2020, an SDF vehicle was targeted by machine gun fire on the road leading to the Al-Omar oil field (about 50 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor). The passengers were killed or wounded (Telegram, July 1, 2020).
The Al-Sukhnah-Palmyra area
ISIS activity
- On July 4, 2020, Syrian soldiers were targeted by machine gun fire east of Al-Sukhnah, about 60 km northeast of Palmyra. Several soldiers were wounded (Telegram, July 5, 2020).
Counterterrorist activity
- On July 7, 2020, Syrian forces operating on the basis of intelligence ambushed terrorist operatives (implicitly ISIS) about 35 km north of Palmyra. Three operatives were killed and three others were captured. In addition, weapons, ammunition and military equipment were seized (SANA, July 7, 2020).
Right: ISIS operatives who were killed and captured. Left: Seized weapons, ammunition, and military equipment (SANA, July 7, 2020).
- On July 3-4, 2020, clashes took place during 48 hours between Syrian forces and ISIS operatives in the Al-Sukhnah Desert, 60 km northeast of Palmyra. They were accompanied by exchanges of artillery fire and Russian airstrikes. A total of 18 Syrian soldiers and operatives of the forces supporting them and 26 ISIS operatives were killed (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, July 4, 2020).
The Iraqi arena
Iraq’s central role in ISIS’s attacks
- On July 2, 2020, ISIS released an infographic entitled “The Harvest of the Fighters,” summing up its activity in the various provinces between June 25 and July 1, 2020. According to the infographic, a total of 60 attacks were carried out by ISIS around the world, compared to 44 in the preceding week. A total of 34 attacks (about 56%) were carried out in Iraq, most of them (14, about 41%) in the Diyala Province. In addition, eight attacks (about 13%) were carried out in West Africa (mainly Nigeria), seven in Syria (about 11%), three in the Sinai Province, three in Central Africa, two in East Asia (the Philippines), two in Yemen, and one in Somalia.
- Over 154 people were killed and wounded in the attacks. The largest number of casualties (60) was in Iraq. The other casualties were in the provinces of West Africa (36), Central Africa (25), Syria (12), Somalia (7), Sinai (6), East Asia (i.e., the Philippines) (6), and Yemen (2) (Al-Naba’ weekly, July 2, 2020).
Attacks in Iraq according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility
Diyala Province
- On July 4, 2020, a Tribal Mobilization fighter was targeted by machine gun fire about 60 km north of Baqubah. He was wounded (Telegram, July 5, 2020).
- On July 2, 2020, a Tribal Mobilization fighter was targeted by machine gun fire about 60 km north of Baqubah. He was killed (Telegram, July 3, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, an IED was activated against a Popular Mobilization fighter about 20 km north of Baqubah. He was killed (Telegram, July 1, 2020).
Salah al-Din Province
- On July 2, 2020, an IED was activated against a vehicle of the Popular Mobilization intelligence in the city of Baiji, about 90 km southwest of Kirkuk. Two commanders were killed (Telegram, July 2, 2020).
- On June 30, 2020, two Grad rockets were fired at an Iraqi police station in the city of Baiji (Telegram, July 1, 2020). No casualties were reported.
- On June 30, 2020, an IED was activated against a Tribal Mobilization commander west of Baiji. The commander and five of his escorts were killed (Telegram, July 1, 2020).
Nineveh Province
- On July 1, 2020, a hand grenade was thrown at a force of the Iraqi army and the Tribal Mobilization about 50 km southwest of Mosul. Several soldiers and fighters, including an officer, were wounded (Telegram, July 3, 2020).
- On July 1, 2020, an IED was activated against a Popular Mobilization vehicle about 40 km south of Mosul. Four fighters were killed (Telegram, July 3, 2020).
Al-Anbar Province
- On July 4, 2020, an IED was activated against a Tribal Mobilization fighter south of Fallujah. He was wounded (Telegram, July 5, 2020).
Wasset Province
- On July 3, 2020, an Iraqi army “agent” was targeted by machine gun fire in the Al-Kut area, about 150 km southeast of Baghdad. He was killed (Telegram, July 4, 2020). An ISIS attack in southern Iraq, an area predominantly Shiite, is unusual.
Counterterrorist activities by the Iraqi security forces
Al-Anbar Province
- On July 4, 2020, an Iraqi army intelligence force captured a wanted ISIS operative who operated in the Al-Anbar Province, near the border between Iraq and Syria (Facebook page of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, July 4, 2020).
Kirkuk Province
- On July 5, 2020, an IED was activated against a vehicle of the Iraqi federal police about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk. The passengers were wounded (Telegram, July 6, 2020).
Right: The Iraqi police vehicle before the IED was activated. Left: The IED being activated (Telegram, July 6, 2020)
Salah al-Din Province
- On July 3, 2020, the Iraqi army announced that it had located five guesthouses of “terrorist operatives” (i.e., ISIS) during an operation in the Al-Tarmiyah area, about 30 km north of Baghdad. One of those guesthouses was an underground structure which included three rooms. It was used as a headquarters, and the soldiers found IEDs and explosives inside. The IEDs were neutralized and the “terrorist operatives” inside the headquarters were captured (Al-Sumaria, July 3, 2020).
- On July 4, 2020, a Popular Mobilization force captured a wanted ISIS operative about 80 km southwest of Kirkuk (al-hashed.net, July 4, 2020).
- On July 2, 2020, teams of the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate captured four wanted ISIS operatives about 40 km northwest of Kirkuk. The operatives admitted in their interrogation that they had provided logistical support to ISIS operatives (Al-Sumaria, July 2, 2020).
Nineveh Province
- On July 4, 2020, International Coalition aircraft carried out airstrikes to destroy tunnels used by ISIS in the Nineveh Province (Al-Sumaria, July 4, 2020).
- On July 3, 2020, teams of the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate captured eight wanted ISIS operatives in various areas in the Nineveh Province (Al-Sumaria, July 3, 2020).