Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Iraq

Two explosive drones downed over Sulaimani in day of security breaches

2025-07-02

Could it be various Shiite militias on Iran’s payroll?

[Rudaw] Two explosive-laden drones were intercepted over Sulaimani province on Tuesday, officials confirmed to Rudaw, with one crashing in the province’s northwest.

Ahmed Latif, spokesperson for Unit 70 of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Forces, told Rudaw that both drones were brought down within Sulaimani’s borders. He specified that "one was intercepted in the Tasluja area," northwest of Sulaimani city, while the second was downed "outside the perimeter of Unit 70’s forces."

Latif confirmed that neither incident resulted in casualties or material damage.

Salam Abdulkhaliq, head of the Sulaimani-based Asayish (security forces) media team, corroborated the report, stating that "two drones fell in the Tasluja area within Sulaimani’s borders" on Tuesday evening. He added that the Kurdish security forces’ investigation teams were dispatched to the scene and have launched a probe.

Abdulkhaliq also confirmed no casualties were reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, a separate drone incident occurred in the Darkar camp, approximately 36 kilometers northwest of Duhok city. The drone, laden with explosives, caused material damage but no injuries, according to the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD).

The Darkar camp shelters Yazidis displaced from the Shingal (Sinjar) district following the Islamic State

Link

Iraq

Kurdish, Iraqi forces eliminate ‘three terrorist’ in Kirkuk

2025-06-30

[Rudaw] Kurdish and Iraqi security forces have eliminated "three terrorists," including a senior commander, during a joint operation in Kirkuk province, according to statements released on Sunday by the Sulaimani branch of the Kurdistan Region’s Security Agency (Asayish) and Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS).

In a statement on its official Facebook page, the Asayish announced that, in coordination with the ICTS, they "eliminated the battalion commander of Sulaiman Beg" - an area located east of Salahaddin province and south of Kirkuk - "along with two affiliated hard boyz during a direct confrontation."

An emir and two henchmen.

The operation was based on detailed intelligence as well as "credible input from informants," the Asayish added, noting that the Kurdish security forces and the ICTS were able to successfully "locate the terrorists' hideout" and "conduct a joint operation."

For its part, the ICTS said in a Sunday statement on X that they, in cooperation with the Kurdistan Region's Asayish, managed to successfully "eliminate three hard boyz in Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
" describing the operation as "a specialized, qualitative operation" that was "based on accurate intelligence information."

The statement further detailed that "after setting up a tight ambush following continuous surveillance, our heroes were able to kill three terrorists, two of whom held positions as sector commanders, and the third as a battalion commander in Kirkuk province."

The ICTS confirmed the joint operation in a separate statement on X, describing it as a "specialized, high-quality operation" carried out with "accurate intelligence."

"After conducting continuous surveillance and setting a tight ambush, our forces succeeded in killing three terrorists," the ICTS said. "Two of them held positions as sector commanders, and the third was a battalion commander in Kirkuk province."

Erbil and Baghdad have recently increased joint efforts to close security gaps between their territories, which have been exploited by krazed killer groups, including Islamic State

Link

Iraq

Two more Yazidi stolen by ISIS in 2014 are returning home

2025-06-28

Yazidi young man rescued 11 years after ISIS captivity

[Rudaw] A Yazidi man will be repatriated to his hometown of Shingal (Sinjar) in the coming days, nearly 11 years after being kidnapped by the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS), an informed source told Rudaw on Thursday.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source said that the 18-year-old Rawand N.H. was freed eight days ago in a 20-day operation. He is currently in the Kurdish-held northeast Syria (Rojava) and is expected to be reunited with family on Sunday.

He was freed in Syria’s Idlib province. It remains unclear who was involved in the operation.

From Rawand's family, 77 people were kidnapped by ISIS, of whom 38 have been freed so far, according to the source.

During its 2014 assault on Shingal, ISIS kidnapped 6,417 Yazidi women and kiddies, many of whom were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor. Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq by 2017 and in Syria by 2019, it continues to pose a security threat in the region.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced in April that they had rescued another Yazidi man.

As of now, nearly 2,600 Yazidis remain missing, according to the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

Kidnapped at 13, Yazidi woman reunited with family in Duhok

[Rudaw] A Yazidi woman who was kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS)

in 2014 has been reunited with her family in Duhok after nearly 11 years in captivity across Syria and Turkey.

Dima A., 24, was abducted from her hometown of Kocho in the Shingal district of northern Iraq at the age of 13, along with eight other family members. Her case is one of thousands in the Yazidi community, which was targeted by ISIS in its brutal campaign of mass abductions and killings.

“That life I lived before was very bad and I saw many types of torture,” Dima said after returning home. “They stole my childhood from me, they stole my dreams and destroyed my life. I won’t forgive them for this. Their fate is with God.”

“Today I am very happy because I have returned to my family after a long time. After nearly eleven years I have returned to my family and homeland,” she said.

During its 2014 assault on Shingal, ISIS abducted 6,417 Yazidi women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor, or forced to marry their captors.

Dima said she was held for three years in Syria and then for seven years in Turkey. Last year, her Saudi Arabian husband tried to take her to Egypt, but they were detained due to problems with their passports and jailed for a year. After their release, she fled and contacted her family.

Her escape and return were coordinated by Abdullah Shrem, a Yazidi rescuer who has helped more than 400 people since ISIS's territorial defeat.

He said a network of friends helped bring Dima across Turkey.

“Through friends, we brought some people from Adana in Turkey to their homes, and then through some people we took them to Gaziantep, and today we brought this one across,” said Shrem. “We thank the government very much for helping us.”

Dima’s return brought relief to her community, many of whom still await news of their missing relatives.

“By God we are very happy and to anyone who helped us, may their homes be blessed,” said Mulka Khidir, a relative of Dima’s. “We hope all our girls will be rescued, they are everywhere - they are in Turkey, in Syria, in al-Hol camp and everywhere.”

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanese Army says arrested IS Lebanon leader

2025-06-26

[AnNahar] The Lebanese Army said it has arrested the suspected leader of the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group in Leb
Leb

...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade....
after implicating him in planning several operations.

"Following a series of security, surveillance and monitoring operations, the Intelligence Directorate arrested citizen R.F., nicknamed "Qasoura", a prominent leader of the terrorist organization ISIS," the army said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Weapons and ammunitions were also seized.

According to the army, Qasoura took over the group's Lebanon branch after the arrest of several prominent figures in December.

The announcement comes days after a jacket wallah killed at least 25 people in a church in neighboring Syria, with authorities there blaming IS.

IS and other Sunni bad boy groups fought several battles with the Lebanese Army in the 2010s and carried out a series of deadly bombings targeting Shiite Death Eater group Hezbollah and its supporters.

But they were largely defeated militarily in 2017

Rudaw adds:

He was described as ISIS’s top leader in Lebanon and “one of the most prominent leaders of the terrorist organization ISIS.”

Qaswara is accused of “participating in the planning of various destabilizing security operations,” the statement noted, adding that the arrest followed “extensive surveillance and intelligence efforts” by the Lebanese Army’s Intelligence Directorate.

According to the army, Qaswara assumed leadership of ISIS operations in Lebanon following the arrest of his predecessor - another Lebanese citizen identified by the initials “M.K.” and known as “Abu Said al-Shami” - who, along with several other ISIS commanders, was detained in December.

During Qaswara’s apprehension, authorities “seized a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, electronic devices, and equipment used for manufacturing drones.”
ISIS’s presence in Lebanon stems largely from the spillover of the Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011. The group exploited the porous 375-kilometer border between the two countries. While ISIS never controlled substantial territory inside Lebanon, it sought to destabilize the country through attacks and recruitment.

Its early operations in 2013–2014 included targeting Hezbollah and predominantly Shiite areas with bombings. ISIS also collaborated with the al-Nusra Front in clashes against the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah near the Syrian border, particularly in the Sunni-majority town of Arsal in August 2014 and July 2017.

The group was also responsible for a number of high-profile attacks, including the November 2015 twin suicide bombings in Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah powerbase.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

More than 20 killed in Damascus church attack

2025-06-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] More than 20 people were killed in a terrorist attack during a service at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Damascus, Syria TV reported on June 22.

“According to preliminary data, more than 20 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attack in the church in Duweil,”

…I think that means the Damascus Old City district of Duweil'a, a traditional Christian neighbourhood…

the publication’s Telegram channel said.

The incident occurred in the Duweil area, where the Christian population lives. It is noted that the suicide bomber, who entered the temple, opened fire on believers with an automatic weapon, after which he detonated an explosive device.

The area was cordoned off by police and ambulances arrived at the scene.

According to SANA, the terrorist was a member of the Islamic State (IS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia). This information was later confirmed by the Syrian authorities.

The Times of Israel adds:

A jacket wallah in Syria on Sunday let 'er rip inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people, killing at least 20, Syrian state media reported.

The explosion in Dweila, on the outskirts of Damascus, took placej as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. SANA, citing Syria’s health ministry, said that at least 53 others were maimed.

Britannia-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 people killed and dozens of others maimed, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus, under its de facto Islamist rule, is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of bad boy groups in the war-torn country.

No group immediately grabbed credit Sunday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said an bad boy from the Islamic State

More from Rudaw:

Twenty people were killed and 52 others injured in a suicide bombing that targeted Mar Elias Church in Damascus on Sunday, according to Syrian authorities.

The Syrian health ministry confirmed in a statement that "nine civilians were killed and 13 others were injured in the terrorist attack that targeted Mar Elias Church in the Dweilaa area of Damascus."

Mar Elias Church is regarded as one of the most prominent Christian places of worship in rural Damascus. It holds deep spiritual and historical significance for Syria’s Christian community and frequently hosts both religious and social gatherings, particularly on Sundays and during holidays.

Link

Africa Horn

Cleaning out Puntland’s Cal-Miskaad mountains: Puntland forces capture final hideouts of ISIS militants in Bari region

2025-06-21

18/06/2025
[ShabelleMedia] Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
security forces have seized the last remaining hideouts of Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(IS) Lions of Islam in the Baallade valley of the Calmiskaad mountains in Puntland’s Bari region, officials said Wednesday.

The forces launched a coordinated offensive from multiple directions, securing all water wells and positions previously held by fleeing IS fighters from the nearby Miraale valley, according to a statement from the Puntland regional administration.

Security sources in Puntland told local media that troops are still pursuing a small number of IS Lions of Islam who narrowly escaped the recent operation and remain in the surrounding area, monitoring the movements of Puntland forces.

The Puntland military continues efforts to secure the area and prevent Lions of Islam from regrouping or launching further attacks.

Puntland says ISIS Leader Escaped Amid Ongoing Offensive in Cal-Miskaad Mountains
16-06-2025
[Garowe] Authorities in Somalia’s northeastern Federal State of Puntland confirmed that Abdulkadir Mumin, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Somalia, has fled the Cal-Miskaad mountain range amid an ongoing military offensive.

The spokesperson for Operation Hillaac, Gen. Mahmoud Ahmed Faadhigo, told local media that intelligence shared by international partners revealed Mumin had escaped the area earlier, although the exact timing and method of his departure remain unclear.

“Abdulkadir Mumin is no longer in Cal-Miskaad,” Faadhigo said, noting that security forces have regained control of 98% of the mountain range, which has been a stronghold for ISIS fighters over the past six months.

While the group's top leader has reportedly escaped, his deputy, Abdirahman Faahiye Isse Mahmoud — the operational commander of ISIS in Somalia — is believed to still be hiding in the area. “We are confident our forces will soon apprehend him,” Faadhigo added.

US Military Airdrops Aid to Puntland Forces Battling ISIS in Calmiskaad Mountains
15/06/2025
[ShabelleMedia] US military aircraft have provided critical support to Puntland security forces fighting ISIS militants in the rugged Calmiskaad mountain region of Somalia’s Bari province.

Due to the difficult terrain, which is inaccessible to vehicles and lacks suitable airstrips, US warplanes have airdropped troops, supplies, and military equipment to Puntland forces actively engaged in counterterrorism operations against entrenched ISIS fighters in the area.

In addition to logistical support, US aircraft have carried out heavy airstrikes targeting ISIS bases and infrastructure in the mountainous region, significantly degrading the extremist group’s operational capabilities.

This military assistance forms part of a broader security partnership between the US and the Puntland administration aimed at dismantling ISIS networks and enhancing regional stability.

Puntland forces have been conducting intense ground operations to reclaim territory from militants who have long used the Calmiskaad mountains as a stronghold.

The operation is seen as a crucial step in curbing the threat posed by ISIS in northeastern Somalia, improving security in the Bari region and Puntland as a whole.

Puntland president says ISIS sought to turn Cal-Miskaad into global terror command center
15-06-2025
[Garowe] Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni said Sunday that ISIS-linked militants planned to turn the Cal-Miskaad mountain range into a global hub for coordinating terror activities. Still, the plan was foiled by Puntland's "heroic forces."

Speaking before the Puntland parliament, Deni said militants aimed to establish the remote mountain range in northeastern Somalia as a base for directing extremist attacks worldwide.

"The terrorists planned to make Cal-Miskaad the main base for directing heinous acts around the world, but the courageous forces of Puntland dismantled that plot,” he said.

Deni added that the fourth phase of the region’s ongoing counterterrorism operation is scheduled to begin Monday. The campaign will target remaining militant-held positions and prepare for Operation Onkod, a major offensive focused on the nearby Cal-Madaw mountains.

Puntland forces have been battling both ISIS and al-Shabab militants entrenched in rugged terrain. In December 2024, Puntland launched Operation Hilaac in the Cal-Miskaad mountains, killing several foreign fighters and reclaiming large areas from ISIS control.

Puntland Forces Capture Turkish ISIS Fighter Amid Major Anti-Terror Offensive
14-06-2025
[Garowe] The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces have arrested a Turkish national fighting with the ISIS militants group in the northeastern state of Somalia, a significant step towards defeating the terrorists who have been on the receiving end for the last five months.

Puntland Defense Forces, working closely with the US Africa Command and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Forces, have managed to penetrate the Cal-Miskaad mountains, a major stronghold of the ISIS terrorists since the start of the Hilaac operation in December 2024.

Photos published by the Puntland Television show a Turkish national believed to be a member of ISIS militants in the remote Cal Miskaad mountains, where a security operation is ongoing in what is currently known as Operation Lightning.

The man was reportedly carrying an AK-47 and was collecting water from a well when troops spotted him within Baalade valley, Bari region, which is a major stronghold of the ISIS terrorists, whose presence in the state has drastically waned.

It may not be a surprise because since the operation started in December 2024, many foreign nationals, especially fighters from Yemen, Morocco, Ethiopia, and even Kenya, have been either killed or captured in Puntland state.

With the intelligence reports suggesting a growing number of foreign nationals fighting alongside ISIS militants in Somalia, the regional government of Puntland instructed locals to report foreigners within key towns and market centers in the state for action.

Several foreigners were arrested following the order, with a number of them currently in police custody as investigations continue. Puntland maintains that the victory against ISIS militants is inevitable while accusing the federal government of Somalia of failing to support the troops.

The US and the United Arab Emirates have been providing aerial surveillance throughout the operations, managing to eliminate several terrorists. In February, President Donald Trump announced the death of a key ISIS fighter following an operation.

Last year, the Americans thought they had eliminated Abdulkadir Mumin, the ISIS global leader, but intelligence reports suggested otherwise. The group, however, has lost the strategic Cal-Miskaad mountains, which served as their command base.

A few days ago, the Puntland forces took control of areas along the Sadow, Cadalle, and Raa-raha valleys in Baallade (Calmiskaad) after 3 days of air and ground Operations. Several ISIS terrorists were killed, and weapons and equipment were seized, officials said.

Turkey is a major security and development partner of Somalia, and the news about its national serving alongside ISIS militants could trigger national debate. Turkey trains the elite Gorgor troops who are critical in the fight against Al-Shabaab within the southern and central regions.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has routinely worked with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on counterterrorism strategies, with Somalia being a huge beneficiary. Hassan Sheikh is under intense criticism over his approach in the fight against terror groups.

Link

Home Front: WoT

Afghan National Brought to US As a ''Refugee'' by Biden Admin Pleads Guilty to Plotting Election Day Terror Attack in Oklahoma on Behalf of ISIS

2025-06-17

[THEGATEWAYPUNDIT] A citizen of Afghanistan has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he was planning an election day terror attack in Oklahoma City.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi,

…also in our archives as Nasir Ahmad Toohidi. Along with brother-in-law, Abdullah Haji Zada, Tawhedi being married to Zada's sister Maria Haji Zada. But she filed for divorce in January after their second child was born — I guess she doesn’t want to be shackled to a jailed jihadi. Oddly enough, Mr. Tawhedi’s younger brother was picked up a week later in France for exactly the same thing, because once arrested the authorities can access your devices, including your secret Telegram messages plotting parallel mayhem for Allah. Md,Tawhedi could receive 20 years for each charge….

27, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State

… 18-year-old Afghan with permanent U.S. residency. Upon completion of Mr. Zada’s sentence, he will be deported and will lose his permanent residency and asylum eligibility….

were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing the firearms and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee,'' the blurb continued. ''Zada, 18, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to the firearms offense in connection with his role in the terror plot and is awaiting sentencing. Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult.''

Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. Zada faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

Following any prison sentences, both conspirators ''will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan.''

Link

Terror Networks

Islamic State reactivating fighters, eyeing comeback in Syria and Iraq

2025-06-13

[IsraelTimes] Western and Middle Eastern authorities see terror group making moves to fill power vacuums, but claim security forces have effective countermeasures in place

Middle East leaders and their Western allies have been warning that the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group could exploit the fall of the Assad regime to stage a comeback in Syria and neighboring Iraq, where the turban group once imposed a reign of terror over millions.

Islamic State (IS) has been attempting just that, according to more than 20 sources, including security and political officials from Syria, Iraq, the US, and Europe, as well as diplomats in the region. The group has started reactivating fighters in both countries, identifying targets, distributing weapons, and stepping up recruitment and propaganda efforts, the sources said.

So far, the results of these efforts appear limited. Security operatives in Syria and Iraq, who have been monitoring IS for years, told Rooters they foiled at least a dozen major plots this year.

A case in point came in December, the month Syria’s Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Leveler of Latakia...
was toppled.

As rebels were advancing on Damascus, IS commanders holed up near Raqqa, former capital of their self-declared caliphate, dispatched two envoys to Iraq, five Iraqi counter-terrorism officials told Rooters. The envoys carried verbal instructions to the group’s followers to launch attacks. But they were captured at a checkpoint while traveling in northern Iraq on December 2, the officials said.

Eleven days later, Iraqi security forces, acting on information from the envoys, tracked a suspected IS jacket wallah to a crowded restaurant in the northern town of Daquq using his cell phone, they said. The forces shot the man dead before he could detonate an explosives belt, they said.

The foiled attack confirmed Iraq’s suspicions about the group, said Colonel Abdul Ameer al-Bayati, of the Iraqi Army’s 8th Division, which is deployed in the area. "Islamic State elements have begun to reactivate after years of lying low, emboldened by the chaos in Syria," he said.

Still, the number of attacks claimed by IS has dropped since Assad’s fall.

IS grabbed credit for 38 attacks in Syria in the first five months of 2025, putting it on track for a little over 90 claims this year, according to data from SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors bad boys’ activities online. That would be around a third of last year’s claims, the data shows.

In Iraq, where IS originated, the group claimed four attacks in the first five months of 2025, versus 61 total last year.

Syria’s government, led by the country’s new Islamist leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, did not answer questions about IS activities. Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra told Rooters in January the country was developing its intelligence-gathering efforts, and its security services would address any threat.

A US defense official and a spokesperson for Iraq’s prime minister said IS remnants in Syria and Iraq have been dramatically weakened, unable to control territory since a US-led coalition and its local partners drove them from their last stronghold in 2019.

The Iraqi spokesperson, Sabah al-Numan, credited preemptive operations for keeping the group in check.

The coalition and partners hammered bad boy hideouts with ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s and raids after Assad’s fall. Such operations captured or killed "terrorist elements," while preventing them from regrouping and carrying out operations, Numan said.

Iraq’s intelligence operations have also become more precise, through drones and other technology, he added.

At its peak between 2014 and 2017, IS held sway over roughly a third of Syria and Iraq, where it imposed its extreme interpretation of Islamic sharia law, gaining a reputation for shocking brutality.

None of the officials who spoke with Rooters saw a danger of that happening again. But they cautioned against counting the group out, saying it has proven a resilient foe, adept at exploiting a vacuum.

Some local and European officials are concerned that imported muscle might be traveling to Syria to join jihadi groups. For the first time in years, intelligence agencies tracked a small number of suspected imported muscle coming from Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
to Syria in recent months, two European officials told Rooters, though they could not say whether IS or another group recruited them.

EXPLOITING DIVISIONS
The IS push comes at a delicate time for Sharaa, as he attempts to unite a diverse country and bring former rebel groups under government control after 13 years of civil war.

US President Donald Trump
...Oh, noze! Not him!...
’s surprise decision last month to lift sanctions on Syria was widely seen as a win for the Syrian leader, who once led a branch of al Qaeda that battled IS for years. But some Islamist hardliners criticized Sharaa’s efforts to woo Western governments, expressing concern he might acquiesce to US demands to expel imported muscle and normalize relations with Israel.

Seizing on such divides, IS condemned the meeting with Trump in a recent issue of its online news publication, al-Naba, and called on imported muscle in Syria to join its ranks.

At a May 14 meeting in Saudi Arabia

...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, Trump asked Sharaa to help prevent an IS resurgence as the US begins a troop consolidation in Syria it says could cut its roughly 2,000-strong military presence by half this year.

The US drawdown has heightened concern among allies that IS might find a way to free some 9,000 fighters and their family members, including foreign nationals, held at prisons and camps guarded by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). There have been at least two attempted jailbreaks since Assad’s fall, the SDF has said.

Trump and President Tayyip Erdogan of neighboring ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...a NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis....
member, but not the most reliable...
want Sharaa’s government to assume responsibility for these facilities. Erdogan views the main Kurdish factions as a threat to his country. But some regional analysts question whether Damascus has the manpower needed.

Syrian authorities have also been grappling with attacks by suspected Assad loyalists, outbreaks of deadly sectarian violence, Israeli airstrikes and festivities between Ottoman Turkish-backed groups and the SDF, which controls about a quarter of the country.

"The interim government is stretched thin from a security perspective. They just do not have the manpower to consolidate control in the entire country," said Charles Lister, who heads the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, a US think tank.

Responding to a request for comment, a US State Department spokesperson said it is critical for countries to repatriate detained nationals from Syria and shoulder a greater share of the burden for the camps’ security and running costs.

The US defense official said Washington remains committed to preventing an IS resurgence, and its vetted Syrian partners remain in the field. The US will "vigilantly monitor" Sharaa’s government, which has been "saying and doing the right things" so far, the official added.

Three days after Trump’s meeting with Sharaa, Syria announced it had raided IS hideouts in the country’s second city, Aleppo, killing three bad boys, detaining four and seizing weapons and uniforms.

The US has exchanged intelligence with Damascus in limited cases, another US defense official and two Syrian officials told Rooters. The news agency could not determine whether it did so in the Aleppo raids.

The coalition is expected to wrap up operations in Iraq by September. But the second US official said Baghdad privately expressed interest in slowing down the withdrawal of some 2,500 American troops from Iraq when it became apparent that Assad would fall. A source familiar with the matter confirmed the request.

The White House, Baghdad and Damascus did not respond to questions about Trump’s plans for US troops in Iraq and Syria.

REACTIVATING SLEEPER CELLS
The United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
estimates IS, also known as ISIS or ISIS, has 1,500 to 3,000 fighters in the two countries. But its most active branches are in Africa, the SITE data shows.

The US military believes the group’s secretive leader is Abdulqadir Mumin, who heads the Somalia branch, a senior defence official told news hounds in April.

Still, SITE’s director, Rita Katz, cautioned against seeing the drop in IS attacks in Syria as a sign of weakness. "Far more likely that it has entered a restrategizing phase," she said.

Since Assad’s fall, IS has been activating sleeper cells, surveilling potential targets and distributing guns, silencers and explosives, three security sources and three Syrian political officials told Rooters.

It has also moved fighters from the Syrian desert, a focus of coalition airstrikes, to cities including Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, according to the security sources.

"Of the challenges we face, ISIS is at the top of the list," Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab told state-owned Ekhbariya TV last week.

In Iraq, aerial surveillance and intelligence sources on the ground have picked up increased IS activity in the northern Hamrin Mountains, a longtime refuge, and along key roads, Ali al-Saidi, an advisor to Iraqi security forces, told Rooters.

Iraqi officials believe IS seized large stockpiles of weapons left behind by Assad’s forces and worry some could be smuggled into Iraq.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad was in contact with Damascus about IS, which he told Rooters in January was growing and spreading into more areas.

"We hope that Syria, in the first place, will be stable, and Syria will not be a place for terrorists," he said, "especially ISIS terrorists."

Link

Home Front: WoT

President Trump has convened a security meeting with top military officials in the White House, Defense Sec’ty Hegseth orders mil. dependents home from MidEast, nonessential diplo. staff sent home from Iraq

2025-06-12

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

President Trump has convened a security meeting with top military officials in the White House. ALL US bases in the Middle East have been placed on a full state of alert!
— Israel News Pulse (@israelnewspulse) June 11, 2025

Here’s what just went down — and it’s very interesting:

1. UK Maritime Trade issued a rare warning about rising tensions in the Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman, citing potential military escalation that could directly affect shipping.

2. The US Embassy in Iraq is…
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 11, 2025

… 2. The US Embassy in Iraq is prepping for an ordered evacuation due to security threats.

3. The State Department is pulling nonessential staff and families from Bahrain and Kuwait.

4. U.S. military dependents in Bahrain have been cleared for temporary departure.

None of these moves came from Fleet Forces Command, meaning this likely came from the top, possibly the White House. Something serious is unfolding.

5. Trump just said he’s feeling he won’t get a deal done with Iran.
6. @iaeaorg report came out on advanced enrichment
7. Ayatollah said they won’t stop nuclear program
8. Netanyahu speaking with Trump.

It’s all coming together.
— @JudeanGeneral ll🇺🇸🇨🇦🇮🇱 (@judeangeneral2) June 11, 2025

We do live in interesting times — though perhaps even more interesting for the other guys.
Courtesy of Skidmark:

Trump gives ominous warning as Pete Hegseth authorizes major military move in the Middle East
[MAIL] President Donald Trump delivered an ominous warning on Wednesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized a major military move in the Middle East amid rising tensions in the area.

The Defense Department has announced it has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from bases in the Middle East ahead of continued negotiations with Iranian officials over its rapidly advancing nuclear program

It affects bases in Iraq, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - but primarily affects military spouses and their children in Bahrain near the US Navy base, according to Fox News.

US says reducing presence in Iraq
[Rudaw] The United States is reducing its footprint in Iraq and evacuating non-essential staff in line with measures to keep its diplomatic personnel safe, two US officials told Rudaw on Wednesday.

"We are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce our Mission in Iraq," the State Department said in an email.

It came after reports that Washington was preparing to partially evacuate its embassy in Iraq due to "heightened security risks in the region," according to Rooters, citing American and Iraqi sources.

The potential evacuation, which sent oil prices rising, is also taking place amid ongoing talks between the US and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
over Tehran’s nuclear program. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...
expressed pessimism over the Islamic republic’s readiness to cease uranium enrichment - a key US demand.

"President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad," the State Department official said.

A Pentagon official later told Rudaw that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth "authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations" across the Middle East, saying the decision came amid rising regional tensions.

In response, an Iraqi government source said that Washington's decision to partially reduce its diplomatic presence is not exclusive to Iraq.

"These steps concern measures related to the American diplomatic presence in a number of Middle Eastern countries and not only Iraq," the source said while praising Iraq’s security and stability, as reported by state media.

On Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh threatened attacks on American bases in the region if the ongoing nuclear talks faltered and Iran was subjected to military strikes.

"If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be higher, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach," Nasirzadeh said. "We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation."

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if the two sides fail to reach a deal.

Also on Wednesday, Iraqi army chief of staff General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah met Major General Kevin Leahy, commander of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State

Link

Arabia

Al-Qaeda’s Yemen chief threatens Trump, Musk over Gaza war: ‘There are no red lines’

2025-06-08

[IsraelTimes] Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, who has $6 million US bounty on head, calls for lone-wolf assassinations of Egyptian, Jordanian, and Gulf leaders due to war

The leader of al-Qaeda’s Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
branch has threatened both US President Donald Trump
...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!...
and billionaire Elon Musk over the Israel-Hamas
Hamas

..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
war in the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Strip, in his first video message since taking over the group last year.

The half-hour video message by Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, which spread online early Saturday via supporters of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...>
, also included calls for lone-wolf bully boyz to assassinate leaders in Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf Arab states over the war, which has decimated Gaza.

Interesting. They must be particularly upset in Egypt, where they’ve tried so hard to balance their brotherly Moslem duty to Hamas with their dislike of Jewish Israel despite the billions of lovely American dollars the ostensible peace brings in.

The video of al-Awlaki’s speech showed images of Trump and Musk, as well as US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio
...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration...
, and Secretary of State Pete Hegseth. It also included images of logos of Musk’s businesses, including the electric carmaker Tesla.

"There are no red lines after what happened and is happening to our people in Gaza," al-Awlaki said. "Reciprocity is legitimate."

BRANCH LONG THOUGHT MOST DANGEROUS
Though believed to have been weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected US dronezaps killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP had been considered the most dangerous branch of al-Qaeda still operating after the 2011 killing by US Navy SEALs of founder the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now beyond all cares and woe......
, who criminal masterminded the September 11, 2001, attacks.

In 2022, a US dronezap in Afghanistan killed bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...>
, who also helped plot 9/11. The September 11 attacks began decades of war by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq, and fomented the rise of the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group.

Al-Awlaki already has a $6 million US bounty on his head, as Washington says he "has publicly called for attacks against the United States and its allies." He replaced AQAP leader Khalid al-Batarfi, whose death was announced by the group in 2024.

A FOCUS OF THE HOUTHIS AS WELL
AQAP seizing onto the Israel-Hamas war follows the efforts of Yemen’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
rebels to do the same. The Iranian-backed group has launched missile attacks on Israel and targeted commercial vessels moving through the Red Sea corridor, as well as American warships.

The Trump administration launched an intense campaign of strikes on the Houthis, which only ended before the president’s recent trip to the Middle East.

The Houthis’ international profile rose as the group remains mired in Yemen’s long-stalemated war. al-Awlaki may be betting on the same for his group, which UN experts have estimated has between 3,000 and 4,000 active fighters and passive members. The group raises money by robbing banks and money exchange shops, as well as smuggling weapons, counterfeiting currencies, and ransom operations, according to the UN.

The Shiite Zaydi Houthis have previously denied working with AQAP, a Sunni Death Eater group. However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
AQAP targeting of the Houthis has dropped in recent years, while the bully boyz keep attacking Saudi-led coalition forces, who have battled the Houthis.

"As the Houthis gain popularity as leaders of the ’Arab and Moslem world’s resistance’ against Israel, al-Awlaki seeks to challenge their dominance by presenting himself as equally concerned about the situation in Gaza," said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemeni expert at the Basha Report risk advisory firm.

"For a national security and foreign policy community increasingly disengaged from Yemen, this video is a clear reminder: Yemen still matters."

Link

Europe

Sweden tries sole surviving ISIS jihadist over Jordan pilot burned to death in Syria

2025-06-05

[IsraelTimes] Osama Krayem, 32 — already in prison over the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels attacks — acknowledges being present at the killing of Moaz al-Kasasbeh, but denies prosecution’s account

A jihadist enjugged
Please don't kill me!
over the Gay Paree and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016 went on trial in Stockholm on Wednesday for his role in the 2014 capture and subsequent killing of a Jordanian pilot burned alive in Syria.

The case is considered unique as the other jihadists involved in the brutal killing, which sparked international outrage at the time, are presumed dead, Swedish prosecutor Henrik Olin told AFP.

Osama Krayem, a 32-year-old Swede, is already serving long prison sentences for his role in the November 2015 attacks in Gay Paree and the March 2016 bombings in Brussels.

He now faces charges of "serious war crimes and terrorist crimes" for his alleged role in the killing of the Jordanian pilot.

On December 24, 2014, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria.

The pilot was captured the same day by fighters from the Islamic State

Link

Africa Subsaharan

Nigeria's defence chief proposes fencing borders to curb insecurity

2025-06-04

All the kewl coutries are doing it.

[REUTERS] Nigeria's defence chief on Tuesday called for the country's borders with its four neighbours to be completely fenced to curb the entrance of gangs amid escalating insecurity.

Nigeria's military has been strained by widespread security issues, particularly a 16-year insurgency in the northeast led by Islamist bad boy group Boko Haram

... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
and its offshoot Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
West Africa Province. Security forces and civilians have been attacked and killed and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Defence Chief of Staff, General Christopher Musa, who spoke at a security conference in the capital Abuja, said "border management is very critical," citing Pakistain's 1,350 km (839 miles) fence with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia

Link

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