Main events of the past week
- Routine attacks continued in ISIS’s various provinces in Syria, Iraq and throughout Africa and Asia. Noteworthy examples:
- Syria: Clashes continue between ISIS and the Syrian army and forces supporting it in the desert region in eastern Syria. Russian and Syrian fighter jets reportedly provided air support to Syrian forces. ISIS’s intensive activity in the Euphrates Valley continued, in the form of activating IEDs, shooting at vehicles, targeted killings, and attacking military positions).
- Iraq: ISIS’s intensive activity in northern and western Iraq continued, in the form of sniper fire, mortar shell fire, and attacking positions and compounds of the Iraqi security forces. Worth noting are the burning of two oil wells in the Kirkuk Province and the bombing of high-voltage lines and pylons supplying electricity to the city of Al-Qaim, as part of what ISIS calls the “ongoing economic war” against the Iraqi government.
- The Sinai Peninsula: ISIS’s activity in northern Sinai continued, in the form of activating IEDs, targeted killings, and sniper fire. This week, there were reports of another incident of a gas pipeline being blown up, about 30 km west of Al-Arish (in the same area where a pipeline was blown up on November 19, 2020).
- Somalia: ISIS released a video vehemently attacking Al-Qaeda and its affiliated Al-Shabaab movement. ISIS claims that it has given the Al-Shabaab operatives an extension of more than a year to join it but they have not assented and therefore it is fighting against them. The video shows executions of Al-Shabaab operatives and encourages ISIS operatives to continue the struggle against them.
- Afghanistan: ISIS fired 10 rockets, claiming that they were aimed at the military part of Kabul International Airport. According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, the rockets hit residential areas and killed a civilian.
The Syrian arena
The Idlib region
In the Idlib region, exchanges of artillery fire continued between the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, and the rebel organizations. They were focused on a region about 25-40 km south and southwest of Idlib. There were also reports of Russian airstrikes (Edlib Media Center, December 12, 2020).
ISIS’s activity in Syria[1]
The region of Deir ez-Zor and Al-Mayadeen
Beheading of two people disguised as ISIS operatives
- On December 14, 2020, two severed heads were placed in the public park in central Al-Basira, about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen. They were the heads of two people who disguised themselves as ISIS operatives. A note was attached to them, reading “This is the fate of whoever robs in the name of the operatives of the [Islamic] State Organization (EuphratesPost Facebook page, December 14, 2020). The two people in question disguised themselves as ISIS operatives and demanded charity from residents. They were killed before dawn on December 15, 2020 (Khotwa, December 15, 2020). ISIS has not claimed responsibility. However, in the ITIC’s assessment, this was an act of intimidation, carried out by ISIS.
Further attacks
- On December 13, 2020, ISIS operatives captured an SDF fighter about 20 km north of Al-Mayadeen. He was interrogated and then executed.
- On December 13, 2020, an SDF vehicle was targeted by machine gun fire in the Al-Jazzar open market, about 60 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor. Three fighters were killed and three others were wounded.
- On December 12, 2020, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle about 14 km north of Al-Mayadeen. The passengers were wounded.
- On December 10, 2020, ISIS operatives attacked positions of pro-Iranian militias in the Al-Mayadeen Desert. About 10 fighters were killed or wounded (ALBADIA24 Twitter account, December 10, 2020). So far, no organization has claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack. However, it was probably ISIS.
- On December 9, 2020, two people affiliated with the Syrian regime and the SDF intelligence were targeted by machine gun fire about 4 km northeast of Al-Mayadeen. One of them was killed and the other was wounded.
The desert region (Al-Badia)
- On December 14, 2020, ISIS operatives repelled a large Syrian army tank force that attempted to advance towards ISIS positions in the desert region (Al-Badia) east of Hama. A truck with Syrian soldiers caught fire. Three soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded. ISIS prevented the arrival of a rescue force. Only when Russian and/or Syrian airstrikes were carried out did the Syrian force retreat with the wounded and the bodies of the dead soldiers.
- On December 13, 2020, Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out airstrikes against positions (of ISIS) in the Al-Rasafah Desert (about 40 km southwest of Al-Raqqah). The airstrikes were reportedly part of a military campaign under Russian command in this area (ALABADIA24 Twitter account, December 13, 2020).
- On December 13, 2020, an IED was activated against a Syrian army truck east of Hama. The passengers were killed or wounded.
Al-Hasakah region
- On December 11, 2020, an “agent” of the International Coalition was targeted by machine gun fire about 80 km south of Al-Hasakah. He was killed.
Southern Syria
Daraa region
- On December 10, 2020, a fighter of the forces supporting the Syrian army was targeted by machine gun fire in southern Daraa. He was killed.
SDF counterterrorism activities
- On December 8, 2020, an SDF force killed a senior ISIS operative about 45 km south of Al-Mayadeen. The dead operative had been in charge of ISIS’s security committee in Deir ez-Zor while ISIS was controlling Al-Mayadeen. The International Coalition offered a reward to anyone who provides information leading to his apprehension (North Press Agency, a Syrian news website, December 8, 2020; Deir ez-Zor24 Twitter account, December 15, 2020).
ISIS operative killed by the SDF
(Deir ez-Zor24 Twitter account, December 15, 2020)
Escape attempt from the Al-Raqqah Main Prison thwarted
- On the night of December 15, 2020, ISIS operatives tried to escape from the Al-Raqqah Main Prison, about 6 km northeast of the city of Al-Raqqah. The wardens opened fire at them. Two ISIS operatives were wounded. Most of the operatives held in that prison are Syrians (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, December 15, 2020).
The Iraqi arena
Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)
Summary of ISIS’s activity in the Iraqi arena
ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly released an infographic summarizing about four months of its activity in the Iraqi arena (from August 20 to December 10, 2020). The summary of activity was released on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Iraqi government’s announcement of victory over ISIS (see below). During this period, the province carried out 452 attacks, killing and wounding 794 people, including 39 commanders and officers in the Iraqi army and the militias supporting it. The main modus operandi was the activation of IEDs (158 incidents), followed by sniper fire (99); attacks (69); targeted killings (33); arson (12); ambushes (7); and others which were not specified (74) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, December 10, 2020).
- According to the infographic, the most active region of ISIS’s Iraq Province was the Diyala Province (north of Baghdad), where ISIS operatives carried out 146 attacks. It was followed by Kirkuk (79 attacks); Al-Anbar (55); Salah al-Din (49); north Baghdad, i.e., the southern part of the Salah al-Din Province (45); the Tigris (37); the south, i.e., Babel Province (25); Nineveh (8); and Fallujah, i.e., the eastern part of the Al-Anbar Province (8). Following is a breakdown of the casualties: Diyala (183); Kirkuk (167); Al-Anbar (137); north Baghdad (79); Salah al-Din (76); the Tigris (70); the South (59); Fallujah (18); and Nineveh (5).
ISIS attacks in the various provinces[2]
Salah al-Din Province
- On December 14, 2020, an IED was activated against a Tribal Mobilization vehicle about 10 km north of Tikrit. One fighter was killed.
Diyala Province
- On December 14, 2020, Popular Mobilization fighters were targeted by sniper fire about 40 km northeast of Baqubah. Two fighters were killed and two others were wounded.
- On December 12, 2020, three mortar shells were fired at Tribal Mobilization forces about 80 km northeast of Baqubah. Four fighters were wounded.
- On December 11, 2020, a Tribal Mobilization fighter was targeted by sniper fire about 80 km northeast of Baqubah. He was wounded.
Kirkuk Province
- On December 13, 2020, two Iraqi policemen were targeted by sniper fire about 60 km southwest of Kirkuk. One policeman was killed and another was wounded.
- On December 13, 2020, an Iraqi policeman was targeted by sniper fire on the Kirkuk-Baiji road. He was killed.
- On December 10, 2020, an Iraqi army compound was targeted by machine gun fire about 4 km southwest of Kirkuk. One soldier was killed.
- On December 9, 2020, an Iraqi army compound was targeted by sniper fire about 50 km west of Kirkuk. Two soldiers were killed.
- On December 9, 2020, ISIS operatives activated IEDs which they had planted in two oil wells in the Khabbaz oilfield, about 30 km northwest of Kirkuk. The wells caught fire and damage was caused.
The two wells in the Khabbaz oilfield in flames (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, December 10, 2020)
Al-Anbar Province
- On December 9, 2020, ISIS operatives raided an Iraqi army compound northwest of Hit. Seven soldiers were killed and six others were wounded.
Power supply to Al-Qaim cut off
On December 6, 2020, the power supply to the city of Al-Qaim, near the Iraqi-Syrian border, was cut off when eight high-voltage pylons were blown up by IEDs (Akhbar al-Iraq, December 7, 2020). ISIS claimed responsibility. According to ISIS, its operatives activated IEDs against three high-voltage pylons, thus cutting off the power supply to the city. ISIS noted that this activity had been carried out as part of the “ongoing economic war” against the Iraqi government (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, December 10, 2020).
Damaged high-voltage pylons which cut off the power supply to the city of Al-Qaim
(Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, December 10, 2020)
- It should be recalled that on November 24, 2020, ISIS operatives blew up several high-voltage pylons by IEDs about 60 km south of Mosul. The power line that was hit had served the army, the oil facilities and the water facilities located along it (Iraqi News Agency, November 24, 2020; the ITIC’s Spotlight on Global Jihad from November 25, 2020).
Nineveh Province
- On December 11, 2020, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle about 30 km southeast of Mosul. One officer was killed and several soldiers were wounded.
Counterterrorism activities by the Iraqi security forces
Kirkuk Province
- On December 13, 2020, teams of the Iraqi army Intelligence Directorate apprehended the woman in charge of ISIS’s Allowances in the Kirkuk Province after breaking into her house about 80 km southwest of Kirkuk (Al-Sumaria, December 13, 2020).
- On December 12, 2020, Iraqi police teams captured a wanted ISIS operative who had worked in ISIS’s Information Office (Diwan al-I’lam). This media operative had disseminated information on ISIS’s attacks on social media. In addition, he took part in carrying out attacks against the Iraqi security forces. A portable memory storage device was found in his possession, which contained videos and reports on ISIS’s attacks (Al-Sumaria, December 12, 2020).
- On December 12, 2020, Iraqi army intelligence teams seized a vehicle where IEDs and detonators for IEDs were hidden, about 80 km southwest of Kirkuk (Iraqi Defense Ministry Facebook page, December 12, 2020).
Al-Anbar Province
- On December 12, 2020, Iraqi army intelligence teams located a 20-meter-long underground tunnel. They found 10 IEDs. Engineering teams destroyed the tunnel (Iraqi Defense Ministry Facebook page, December 12, 2020).
Nineveh Province
- On December 12-13, 2020, forces of the Iraqi Counterterrorism Unit carried out a security operation against ISIS about 40 km southwest of Mosul. After two days of fighting, they forced the surviving ISIS operatives to return to tunnels and caves where they had been hiding. The unit personnel broke into the tunnels and threw hand grenades at the operatives. A total of 42 ISIS operatives were killed, including several high-ranking figures. In addition, weapons and equipment as well as local and foreign currency were found. The operation was carried out with Iraqi and Coalition air support (Iraqi Army Spokesman Yahya Rasoul’s Facebook page, December 13, 2020).
Right: The site of the operation against ISIS (Google Maps). Left: Fighters of the Iraqi Counterterrorism Unit during the operation (Facebook page of Iraqi Army Spokesman Yahya Rasoul, December 13, 2020)
- On December 12, 2020, the Iraqi security forces located and destroyed a tunnel used by ISIS about 40 km south of Mosul (Facebook page of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, December 12, 2020).
The city of Baghdad
- On December 13, 2020, Iraqi police teams apprehended two wanted ISIS operatives in a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Baghdad. The two had carried out executions inside Al-Jumhuriya Hospital in the Nineveh Province. In addition, they had taken part in activity against the Iraqi security forces and in driving Iraqi citizens from of their homes while ISIS controlled the Nineveh Province (Al-Sumaria, December 13, 2020).
- On December 12, 2020, teams of the Baghdad Intelligence and Security Directorate apprehended a wanted ISIS operative while he was trying to move to a neighborhood southeast of central Baghdad (Facebook page of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, December 12, 2020).