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Recent Appearances... Rantburg
Abu Musab Abu Musab Jundulalh Afghanistan/South Asia 20040714 Link
Abu Musab Abd al-Wadoud Abu Musab Abd al-Wadoud Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat Africa: North 20051108 Link
Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Salafist Group for Call and Combat Africa: North 20050704  
  Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Supreme Council of Global Jihad Terror Networks 20030813  
  Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat Africa North 20060104 Link
Abu Musab Abdul Wadud Abu Musab Abdul Wadud Salafist Group for Call and Combat Africa: North 20050914 Link
Abu Musab Al Suri Abu Musab Al Suri al-Qaeda Afghanistan-Pak-India 20051107 Link
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Jihad and Tawhid Brigades Israel-Palestine-Jordan 20060921 Link
Abu Musab al Zarqawi Abu Musab al Zarqawi al-Qaeda Arabia Jordanian Deceased 20060228 Link
Abu Musab al-Iraqi Abu Musab al-Iraqi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq 20051017 Link
  Abu Musab al-Iraqi al-Qaeda Africa: North 20051116 Link
Abu Musab al-Saudi Abu Musab al-Saudi Supreme Council of Global Jihad Terror Networks 20030813  
Abu Musab al-Seif Abu Musab al-Seif Chechnya Africa North 20051215 Link
Abu Musab al-Siri Abu Musab al-Siri al-Qaeda in Europe Britain 20050804  
Abu Musab al-Suri Abu Musab al-Suri al-Qaeda Terror Networks 20040523 Link
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan At Large 20050704  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Moroccan Combatant Islamic Group Europe Jordanian Deceased 20040516 Link
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Tawhid and Jihad Africa: North 20050704  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Tawhid wal Jihad Africa North Jordanian Deceased 20060428 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Tawhid and Jihad Iraq Jordanian Deceased 20060608 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050627  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Iraqi Insurgency Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20040218  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Ansar al-Islam Europe Jordanian Deceased 20051118 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Jund al-Shams Terror Networks Jordanian Deceased 20040524 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Beyyiat el-Imam Terror Networks Jordanian Deceased 20040524 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Ansar Al-Islam Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20040210  
  Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi Al-Tawhid Europe 20030625  
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Al-Qaeda in Iraq Africa: North 20050805  
  Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq Jordanian Deceased Supremo 20051022 Link
    Deader than a rock
  Fadel Nazzal Al Khalayleh al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan 20040210  
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi al-Qaeda Arabia 20050705  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Tawhid and Jihad Movement Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20040707 Link
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Al Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan 20050714  
  Abu Mussab al Zarqawi al-Qaeda Arabia 20030207  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaida in Iraq Europe Jordanian Deceased 20051028 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050716  
  Abu Musab al- Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq 20051017 Link
  Abu Musab Zarqawi al-Tawhid Axis of Evil 20030930  
  Abu Musab Zarqawi al-Qaeda Axis of Evil 20021005  
  Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050614  
  Abu Musab Zarqawi Al Tawhid Terror Networks 20031208  
  Abu Musab Zarqawi Ansar al-Islam Europe 20040111  
  Fadel Nazzal al-Khalayleh al Qaeda Middle East Jordanian At Large Supremo 20030204  
    Real name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Deceased 20050825  
  Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi al-Tawhid Middle East 20050719  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased Supremo 20040210  
    Looking very natural
  Abu Zarqawi Ansar al-Islam Iraq 20040123  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Qaida al-Jihad Iraq Jordanian Deceased 20051104 Link
  Abu Musab Al Zarqawi Ansar al-Islam Europe 20040520 Link
  Abu Mussab al Zarqawi Ansar al-Islam Axis of Evil 20030123  
  Abu Mussab Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan 20050705  
  Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda Middle East Jordanian At Large Big Shot 20021215  
  Ahmed Fadil al-Khalayila al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050609 Link
    Doorknob dead
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Bayat al-Imam Central Asia Jordanian Deceased 20040606 Link
  Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda Iraq-Jordan Big Shot 20050713  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Jund al-Sham Syria-Lebanon-Iran Jordanian Deceased 20050707  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan Terror Networks Jordanian Deceased 20040524 Link
  Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda Arabia 20040107  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Europe Europe Jordanian Deceased 20051205 Link
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Europe Jordanian Deceased 20050815  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050713  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050712  
  Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi al Qaeda Middle East 20030204  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Tawhid Europe Jordanian Deceased 20030704  
  Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi al-Tawhid Iraq-Jordan 20031219  
  Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Jund al-Shams Middle East 20030703  
  Abu Musab al Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased Supremo 20050907  
    Deader than a rock.
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased Supremo 20050623  
    Deader than a rock.
  Abu Mussab al Zarqawi al-Tawhid Axis of Evil 20030502  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Omar Brigade Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050706  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Ansar al-Fath Europe Jordanian Deceased 20051011 Link
  Abu Mussab Zarqawi al-Tawhid Europe 20030727  
  Abu Musab al Zarqawi Coalition for Militant Action in the Niger Delta Africa: Subsaharan 20051027 Link
  Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi Ansar Al-Islam Europe Jordanian Supremo 20050701  
  Abu Mussab al Zarqawi al Qaeda Middle East 20030204  
  Fadel Nazzal Al Khalayleh Ansar Al-Islam Iraq-Jordan Jordanian At Large Big Shot 20040210  
    Real name of Zarqawi
  Abu Musab Zarqawi al-Qaeda in Iraq Syria-Lebanon-Iran Jordanian Deceased Supremo 20050613  
  Abu Mussab al Zarqawi Al Tawhid Europe 20030205  
  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Omar Corps Iraq-Jordan Jordanian Deceased 20050708  

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran sentences three to death over deadly attacks on Shiite shrine
2025-05-19
[IsraelTimes] Verdicts address two ISIS-linked shootings in 2022 and 2023 that killed 15 at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz

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...
has sentenced three people to death and nabbed
I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece!
several others convicted over their roles in deadly attacks on a Shiite shrine in the southern city of Shiraz, the judiciary said Sunday.

The verdicts stem from two shootings — in October 2022 and August 2023 — that killed 15 people at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in the capital of Fars province. The attacks were claimed 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....
group.

"Three of these defendants were sentenced to death for aiding and abetting in ’corruption on earth’ following proceedings" at Shiraz Revolutionary Court, Fars chief justice Sadrollah Rajaei-Nasab said, quoted by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.

They were also sentenced to 25 years in prison for "aiding and abetting in moharebeh," he added, referring to the capital offence of enmity against God.

Two other alleged members of the jihadist IS were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in prison "based on their level of cooperation and influence in the Shah Cheragh terrorist events."

Two women were each sentenced to five years, but "their sentences will be served under Islamic leniency, monitored by electronic ankle bracelets, and within a one-kilometer radius of their homes."

Rajaei-Nasab said other parts of the case, including charges related to weapons trafficking, remained under review, and that some verdicts had been appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court.

In July 2023, Iran executed two men in public over the first attack on the shrine.

Following the second attack, the judiciary said in August 2023 that security forces had arrested nine people — all foreigners — and later sentenced a Tajik IS member to death the following month.
Related:
Shah Cheragh: 2023-09-23 Iran hands 2 death sentences to Tajik man for deadly attack on Shiite shrine
Shah Cheragh: 2023-08-15 Iran arrests four seven more after deadly attack at Shiite shrine, all foreigners
Shah Cheragh: 2023-08-14 Eight people were injured and one died in a terrorist attack in Iran
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
SDF captures 10 ISIS suspects in east Syria, kills 1
2025-05-17
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday they captured 10 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) suspects in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province after a deadly attack by the hard boys.

"Our forces raided the place where the gunnies were hiding, capturing ten ISIS gunnies who were involved in attacks against our forces, civilians, and public infrastructure," read a statement from the SDF.

The announcement added that they seized a cache of weapons and ammunition during the raid.

The raid took place on Thursday, the same day one member of the SDF was killed and three others were maimed in an ISIS attack.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the clash took place in the town of Abu Hamam, around 45 kilometers from the border with Iraq.

ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019, has recently sought to regain ground, taking advantage of instability following the fall of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Scourge of Qusayr...
’s regime. The SDF, which is the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava), has fought to prevent the bully boyz from reestablishing a foothold in the shifting security landscape.

SOHR said it has documented 84 operations carried out by ISIS cells in Rojava since the beginning of 2025. These included armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings.

ISIS kills 1 SDF, injures 3 in eastern Syria

[Rudaw] One member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed and three others were injured in an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Kurdish-led force announced on Thursday.

“The terrorist cell treacherously and cowardly targeted one of our military vehicles, prompting an immediate response from our forces,” the SDF stated, adding that casualties among the ISIS members “remain unknown.”

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the clash took place in the town of Abu Hamam, around 45 kilometers from the border with Iraq.

“Our forces remain determined to pursue the remnants of ISIS cells and uphold the security and stability of our regions,” the SDF said.
Related:
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-11 SDF thwarts multiple ISIS attacks in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-07 ISIS escalates attacks on SDF, kills two fighters in east Syria
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-06 SDF repels ISIS attack in east Syria
Link


Africa Subsaharan
Jihadists Kill Troops, Fishermen In Northern Nigeria
2025-05-17
[BARRONS] Twin jihadist attacks across Lake Chad killed at least 22 people in Nigeria, sources told AFP Friday, with 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...
killing more than a dozen civilians and 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 raiding a military base.

The attacks come as Nigeria's embattled northeast -- facing an insurgency that since 2009 has killed 40,000 and displaced two million -- has witnessed renewed attacks in recent weeks.

While violence has fallen from its 2014-2015 peak, the governor of Borno recently warned that the military was losing ground to jihadists. A spate of attacks killed 100 people.

Militants from Boko Haram killed at least 17 fishermen and farmers on Thursday, local anti-jihadist militia members told AFP, warning that the toll may rise.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian militants continue abuses in north Syria despite integration: HRW
2025-05-15
[Rudaw] Syrian National Army (SNA) Death Eaters continue to detain and extort civilians in northern Syria despite a decline in arrests in recent months, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said on Wednesday, warning that commanders complicit in serious human rights
...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
abuses are now being integrated into Syria’s official military structure.

"These fighters are being integrated into Syria’s Armed Forces, with their commanders appointed to key government and military positions, despite their past involvement in serious abuses," HRW said, calling on the transitional government in Damascus to "end and investigate ongoing abused and exclude those with records of abuse from the Syrian security forces."

The report cited Syrian for Truth and Justice (STJ) - a local human rights organization - which last month documented dozens of arrests by SNA factions in January and February. Despite the removal of most SNA checkpoints in the vicinity of the Kurdish city of Afrin in northern Syria, "hundreds remain detained in SNA-run, Ottoman Turkish-supervised prisons."

The watchdog also cited a December attack by fighters from the SNA’s notorious Suleiman Shah Brigade, who allegedly took control of a village in Aleppo province, beat residents, stole personal belongings, and arrested seven men "under the pretext of searching for weapons." Two of the men "remained in detention" as of early May, according to the HRW.

It also referred to earlier reports that detail "abductions, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, including of children, sexual violence, and torture by the various factions of the SNA, the Military Police, a force established to curb such abuses, and members of the Ottoman Turkish Armed Forces and Ottoman Turkish intelligence agencies."

"The primary targets were Kurds and those linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkiye considers part of the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK], which announced its dissolution on May 12," HRW said.

"Turkiye, which still oversees former SNA factions and continues to provide weapons, salaries, training, and logistical support to these factions, also bears responsibility for their abuses and potential war crimes," it added.

In 2018, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
and its allied Syrian militias seized control of Afrin, a Kurdish enclave in Rojava. Thousands of Kurds fled, with many settling in the nearby Shahba region. International organizations have recorded widespread violations in Afrin since then, including killings, kidnappings, looting of crops, and extortion of Kurdish farmers.

In December, the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) launched a blistering offensive from their stronghold of Idlib in northwest Syria and marched on Damascus, overthrowing Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Lord of the Baath...
’s regime. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa set up a transitional government and appointed himself as interim president.

But Syria’s new authorities have faced backlash, particularly from the Kurds, for appointing militia leaders complicit in serious human rights abuses, including Ahmad al-Hayes, better known as Abu Hatem Shaqra, the former leader of the SNA’s Ahrar al-Sharqiya, and Mohammad Hussein al-Jassim (Abu Amsha), the notorious commander of the Suleiman Shah Brigade.

In 2021, the US sanctioned Hayes, accusing him of serious human rights violations, including trafficking Yazidi women and kiddies, and connections with 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). He is also accused by Syrian Kurds of killing popular Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf during Turkey’s 2019 military offensive against the Kurdish-led SDF in northern Syria.

Washington has also sanctioned Abu Amsha for "serious human rights abuses" in the Afrin region and for ordering his Death Eaters to "forcibly displace Kurdish residents and seize their property" in northern Syria.

"The fall of Assad’s abusive government has meant decades of atrocities by that government have come to an end," said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "But Syrian National Army factions are continuing to detain, extort, and torture residents with impunity."

Notably, Damascus has also faced criticism over a deadly crackdown in the Alawite-majority coastal areas, where at least 1,500 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In late April, over 100 were also killed in southern Syria’s Druze-majority areas after sectarian violence erupted like lava from a volcano following a fake audio clip insulting the Prophet Muhammad, initially blamed on a Druze holy man.

Sharaa met with locals in Afrin in February and pledged to remove gangs and end abuses. In March, he signed a landmark agreement with SDF chief Mazloum Abdi to integrate the SDF into Syria’s state institutions, declare a nationwide ceasefire, and facilitate the return of displaced Syrians under government protection.

The deal resulted in a prisoner swap and a joint security arrangement in Kurdish-majority neighborhoods north of Aleppo previously held by the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the SDF’s backbone.

Ahmed Hassan, head of Afrin’s council of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), told Rudaw in March that the number of Kurds returning to Afrin has significantly increased since the deal, with some Arab settlers reportedly leaving the city.

However,
denial ain't just a river in Egypt...
Nadine Maenza, president of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), told Rudaw in April that many displaced Kurds and Yazidis are still afraid to return due to militia presence.

"The Syrian transitional government should urgently unify its military under an accountable command with civilian oversight and ensure adherence to international human rights standards. It should take steps to prevent further abuses against Kurdish and other residents in northern Syria, ensure the release of all arbitrarily detained people, and investigate past abuses with fair legal proceedings," HRW said, also calling on Ankara to suspend its support to abusive SNA commanders and factions and provide reparations to victims.

The human rights watchdog also called on the international community to provide assistance to ensure that civilians are protected under the new transitional authorities, "including supporting an independent judiciary to ensure lawful detention and treatment of detainees."

"As Syria’s transitional government is integrating into its ranks SNA factions and other gangs, it must exclude those in the SNA that are responsible for abuses and hold them accountable," Coogle said. "If it doesn’t do so, the Syrian people will not be able to trust their armed forces and will be vulnerable to yet more abuse."
Related:
Syrian National Army: 2025-04-10 Syrian Kurds struggle to repair key dam damaged by militants
Syrian National Army: 2025-03-18 SDF says nine civilians killed in Kobane airstrike
Syrian National Army: 2025-03-12 SDF reports 'unprecedented' escalation with Turkey in northern Syria
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
SDF thwarts multiple ISIS attacks in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province
2025-05-11
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday said they had successfully thwarted a number of attacks 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) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

"Today, our forces successfully thwarted an attempted terrorist attack by ISIS cells on one of our military points in the Hawaij Dhiban, Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside," read a statement by the SDF.

It added that "the terrorist attackers, riding a cycle of violence, opened fire on the military point using AK-47 rifles. Our forces responded decisively, engaging in a direct clash that forced the Death Eaters to flee under heavy fire. One member of the attacking cell was maimed, while no casualties were reported among our forces."

Earlier in the same day, the SDF announced it had thwarted two additional ISIS attacks in the same region.

"Our forces successfully foiled two ISIS terrorist attacks Wednesday evening in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, when ISIS cells targeted a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces [Asayish] in Dhiban and a Self-Defense vehicle in Jdeidet Akidat," the SDF said in a statement.

No casualties were recorded in the attacks, according to the SDF.

"Vigilance and swift response by our forces foiled both attacks," the statement added.

These incidents are part of a broader uptick in ISIS activity in Deir ez-Zor.

On Tuesday, the SDF reported the deaths of two of its fighters following a machine-gun assault by an ISIS cell on a military point in the town of al-Bahra, located in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The assailants reportedly expeditiously departed at a goodly pace on cycle of violences.

The SDF, backed by the United States, functions as the de facto military force of northeastern Syria (Rojava) and remains a key partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Since its territorial defeat in Syria in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
The Kurdish-led force on Tuesday characterized the latest attacks as "part of a broader escalation by the terrorist organization against our forces in northern and eastern Syria, making use of the ongoing chaos in the country."

"Our forces reaffirm their commitment to pursuing these terrorist cells until they are completely dismantled and the security and stability of the region are secured," the SDF asserted.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in early April that ISIS has ramped up its attacks in SDF-controlled areas, targeting both civilians and security forces. The monitor documented over 50 such incidents since the beginning of 2025.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned about the persistent threat of ISIS, especially within detention centers and camps. In January, Abdi stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."
Related:
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-07 ISIS escalates attacks on SDF, kills two fighters in east Syria
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-06 SDF repels ISIS attack in east Syria
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-05-05 Kurdish forces arrest suspected ISIS leader in east Syria
Related:
Hawaij Dhiban: 2024-06-30 ISIS kills SDF member in east Syria: Monitor
Link


Africa Horn
U.S. AFRICOM Airstrike Targets ISIS Militants in Puntland, Says Somali Defence Ministry
2025-05-06
[ShabelleMedia] In a coordinated effort with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
this morning in 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...
, targeting turbans affiliated with 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). The airstrike resulted in significant enemy casualties, according to initial reports.

The Ministry of Defence of Somalia has commended the successful operation, praising the collaboration between the Somali government and the U.S. military in combating terrorism. A statement from the Ministry emphasized the importance of the ongoing partnership and reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to working with international allies to eradicate terrorist groups operating within the country.

"The airstrike today is a clear demonstration of the strength of our partnership with U.S. AFRICOM," the Ministry said in a statement. "Together, we remain dedicated to defeating the terrorist threat posed by ISIS and other holy warrior factions. This successful operation is another step forward in ensuring the security and stability of Somalia."

The airstrike, according to AFRICOM, is part of an ongoing campaign to target and eliminate al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
and ISIS, which have been destabilizing the region, particularly in the northern and central parts of Somalia.

While no specific details have been released regarding the number of ISIS turbans killed or captured, the Somali government has vowed to continue its counterterrorism operations in collaboration with international partners to disrupt and dismantle these holy warrior networks.

The U.S. military has been conducting operations in Somalia for several years, primarily focused on targeting al-Shabaab holy warriors, but ISIS-affiliated groups have increasingly become a threat in the country, particularly in Puntland.

This operation underscores the continued international effort to support Somalia’s fight against terrorism and its ongoing commitment to securing a peaceful future for its citizens.
Related:
AFRICOM: 2025-04-23 U.S. conducts airstrikes on vessel carrying weapons to al-Shabaab – AFRICOM
AFRICOM: 2025-04-20 Death Toll Rises After Al-Shabaab Attack on Aadan Yabaal, Former Mogadishu Official Says
AFRICOM: 2025-04-18 Somali Forces Kill Over 35 Al-Shabaab Fighters in Operation Near Baidoa
Related:
Puntland: 2025-05-02 Somalia banks on Arab League in Al-Shabaab war
Puntland: 2025-05-01 Somaliland released Puntland prisoners captured in past skirmishes
Puntland: 2025-04-28 Fighting Erupts Among ISIS Militants in Somalia’s Bari Region
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Kurdish forces arrest suspected ISIS leader in east Syria
2025-05-05
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday that a suspected "high-ranking" 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....
(ISIS) was arrested in an operation in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

The SDF, with US-led coalition support, "conducted a precise and targeted security operation ... targeting a high-ranking leader of the terrorist organization ISIS named Hamoud Abdullah al-Khatib, aka Abu Zakaria," the Kurdish-led force said in a statement.

It labeled him as the group’s so-called economic "emir" who "extorted money from civilians at gunpoint under the pretense of collecting ’zakat’ and threatening those who refused with death."

A large cache of weapons was also seized during the operation.

The jihadists have tried to take advantage of the changing security landscape in Syria after the fall of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
’s regime to regroup and reorganize, particularly in the country’s vast central and eastern deserts.

The SDF played a key role in defeating ISIS in Syria and captured thousands of the group’s fighters and their kin. The Kurdish-led force operates alongside hundreds of US troops as part of the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

In mid-January, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi noted that 10,000 ISIS fighters are imprisoned in Syria, 2,000 of whom are considered "highly dangerous." He stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."
Related:
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-04-19 SDF clashes with ISIS in east Syria
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-04-10 ISIS ramps up attacks in SDF-held regions: War monitor
Deir ez-Zor province: 2025-04-09 Iraqi forces foil smuggling of 400,000 Captagon pills from Syria
Link


Africa Subsaharan
Nigeria appoints new commander after renewed militant attacks in northeast
2025-05-03
[MSN] Nigeria has appointed a new commander for its fight against insurgency in the northeast after renewed attacks in the last four months that have killed several civilians and soldiers in the region.

The military appointed Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar as its 15th commander in the fight against 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...
/ISWAP insurgency in the northeast, Reuben Kovangiya, spokesperson for the operation, said in a statement.

Abubakar's previous roles include deputy commandant of the Nigerian Defence College and commander of a major security operation in north-central Nigeria.

Boko Haram and its splinter rival, 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....
West Africa Province, have increased attacks in recent weeks in northeast Nigeria
... a particularly crimson stretch of Islam's bloody border...
. These incidents have raised fears of a major comeback by the jihadists, whose tactics now include armed drones and bombs planted on major roads, security experts said.

On Tuesday, ISWAP grabbed credit for an attack on Borno state that killed at least 26 people, the group said in a statement on Telegram.

The hard boyz have been battling security forces for over 15 years in the northeast and often use improvised bombs to attack civilians and security forces.
Related:
Boko Haram: 2025-05-01 Iran hangs 'high-ranking spy' for Israel
Boko Haram: 2025-05-01 So far, its been determined that George Soros received $260M from USAID
Boko Haram: 2025-04-30 Boko Haram kills seven Christians in Borno state, Nigeria - Christian Daily International
Related:
Islamic State: 2025-04-30 Kurdish-led forces in eastern Syria say five fighters killed in ISIS attacks
Islamic State: 2025-04-30 26 killed in Nigeria as truck drove over explosive device
Islamic State: 2025-04-30 UPS cutting 20K jobs due to fewer Amazon shipments
Link


Africa Horn
Fighting Erupts Among ISIS Militants in Somalia’s Bari Region
2025-04-28
[ShabelleMedia] Heavy fighting
... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy...
between two groups within 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) is reported to have broken out today in the CalMiskad Mountains, located in the Bari region of northeastern Somalia. The clash resulted in both casualties and material losses.

The violence erupted like lava from a volcano after a faction of Somali ISIS fighters attempted to surrender to 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 amidst a broader ongoing offensive against the group. Sources indicate that the fighters sought to escape the conflict, but tensions among the hard boyz led to open combat.

Puntland military officials confirmed that the battle lasted for about an hour, with fatalities and injuries reported, though they have yet to specify the exact number of casualties. The fighting also caused significant damage to property, but further details remain scarce.

According to reports, a dispute within the ISIS ranks may have contributed to the clash. The disagreement appears to center on whether the group should continue fighting or lay down their weapons and surrender to Puntland forces.

The ISIS group has lost considerable territory in the Bari region as part of the ongoing Hilaac operation by Puntland forces in the CalMiskad Mountains, an area heavily targeted by both U.S. and UAE Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s.

The air raids have been part of a broader strategy to weaken ISIS positions in the region’s Calmiskad mountains.
Link


Africa Subsaharan
Salafi-Jihadi Cells Continue to Grow Across Nigeria
2025-04-26
Goody.
[UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG] Nigeria. Salafi-jihadi factions are strengthening in Nigeria outside the typical hotspots in the northeastern parts of the country. These factions in north-central and northwestern Nigeria have ties to 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 the al Qaeda and 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....
affiliates in West Africa. These factions could facilitate these groups' activities around the Gulf of Guinea and the Sahel.
Link


Home Front: WoT
Minnesota Heads Off ‘Mass Casualty Attack’ Planned for ‘the Next 24 Hours’
2025-04-25
[PJMedia] How many Americans are aware of how active jihadis have been in this country of late? In New York, Ahmed al Jabali went into a barber shop to get his beard trimmed and ended up stabbing the Jewish barber with his own barber’s scissors, explaining that it was his "right as a Moslem to punish Jews." In Kentucky, Mirsad Ramic has just been "convicted of providing material support to 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....
of Iraq and al-Sham, known as ISIS; conspiracy to support the organization; and receiving military training." In Georgia, Aliakbar Mohammed Amin threatened to murder both President Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

And now, it looks as if Mohammed Adan Mohammed, a young resident of the left’s brave, new, multicultural Mankato, Minn., was stopped just in the nick of time. A special agent with the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said that "there were strong indicators that Mohammed was preparing to conduct some sort of attack (Mass Casualty Event) in the next twenty-four hours." Mohammed Adan Mohammed was stopped, but what is being done to prevent others in the future from plotting jihad massacres of the kind that he wanted to perpetrate? Nothing whatsoever, of course.

Minnesota’s Alpha News reported Wednesday that "the Blue Earth County Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against Mohammed Adan Mohammed after he allegedly stole $2,150 worth of firearm magazines and made a threatening, anti-American post on social media." The social media posts were the first indication that this was much more than just a shoplifting case.

Mohammed, who is 24, behaved suspiciously from the beginning. He "entered a Mankato store last week wearing a COVID mask, gloves, a green stocking cap, and a heavy winter coat." It's getting warmer these days, even in Mankato, and so Mohammed’s attire gave the impression that he had something to hide or was himself intending to hide items he shoplifted. And indeed, he "reportedly began selecting high-priced items such as body armor, bear spray, and 9mm firearm magazines without checking prices. As such, the business became suspicious." With good reason.

While he was in the store, Mohammed also spoke to store employees about "an AR-style rifle he claimed to possess." Then he left with "approximately $2,150 worth of products," for which he had not paid. Store security officers tried to stop him, but Mohammed Adan Mohammed got into a car and sped away, "nearly [running] over a person" in the process.



Mohamed had been in such a hurry to get out of the store that he “reportedly left behind a list that he referred to as he selected products.” These included a “Survival Gear List,” which included a “sleeping bag, lighters, 8 magazines, knives, pepper spray, a ‘6-mag chest right,’ bows and arrows.” In line with this, Mohamed “had stolen eight magazines” among the other items he purloined from the store.

All this took place against the backdrop of the fact that Mohamed recently put up a series of social media posts “featuring ammunition and guns.” One showed Mohamed himself “pointing an assault rifle at the camera and included the hashtag ‘#deathtoamerikkan&israelliImperialism.’”

No one has faced the implications of the fact that America is now home to large numbers of people who wish death to it, but they’ll have to be faced sooner or later. In the meantime, it appears that Mohamed was stopped from carrying out an imminent jihad attack, and for that, we can all be grateful. He has since been charged with “one count of felony theft and one count of felony threats of violence,” and his bail has been set at a million bucks “with no conditions, or $500,000 with conditions.”

‘Boozed up’ antisemitic goon who slashed Yonkers barber with his own scissors in rage over Gaza war makes plea deal
​[NYPost] A “boozed up” Yonkers man who attacked a Jewish barber with his own scissors in a shocking antisemitic attack last year is facing six years in prison after making a plea deal with a Westchester County judge.

Ahmed al Jabali, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime last week in the Aug. 29 assault on Yonkers barber Slava Shushakova over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, prosecutors said Monday.

Shushakova told The Post after the attack that Jabali was having his beard trimmed at his Yonkers Avenue shop when he flew into a rage, telling the barber that “he has a right as a Muslim to punish Jews.”

Jabali, a Muslim originally from Yemen, was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the lesser assault charge, with the judge promising him a six-year sentence. The charge carries a sentence of up to 15 years under state law.

“Hate has no home in Westchester County,” county District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement released Monday. “The rise in antisemitic hate over the last several years is disturbing and completely unacceptable.

“Today and every day, my office stands with the Jewish community of Westchester and will seek justice for victims of antisemitic violence,” the statement said.

Police said Shushakova needed 30 stitches to close the bloody gashes to his right hand and wrist that he suffered in the attack, which temporarily knocked him out of work.

“Thank God he didn’t touch my face because he tried to hit me different ways,” he said in the earlier interview. “This is how I stopped him, with my hands.”

The barber shop attack came during an Israeli military counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip following a sneak attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Jabali is due to be sentenced by Judge James McCarty on May 29.

Bowling Green man found guilty of terrorism charges after joining, fighting for ISIS
June 24, 2024
[LouisvilleCourierJournal] A federal jury has found a man from southwestern Kentucky guilty of several terrorism charges related to his involvement with 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....
of Iraq and al-Sham, colloquially known as ISIS, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Kentucky announced Wednesday.

Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, a 34-year-old from Bowling Green, has been charged with providing material support to ISIS and receiving military-type training from the organization. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 and term of supervised release up to life.

Ramic is believed to have flown to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
with two other people in 2014, then traveled into Syria to join ISIS, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Secretary of State.

After joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp, where a photo of Ramic posted on social media depicted him "wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag," according to a blurb.

Ramic, a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen, then joined a fighting unit comprised primarily of Bosnian imported muscle and participated in ISIS’s offensive in Kobane, Syria.

He was brought into federal custody in December 2021 after being deported to the United States from Turkey.

His sentencing hearing has been set for September 24.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Kurdish forces arrest 20 ISIS affiliates, foil mass escape attempt from al-Hol camp: Asayish
2025-04-24
[Rudaw] Twenty 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) forces of Evil were arrested during a six-day operation by Kurdish forces at the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava), the Kurdish forces announced on Wednesday.

The internal security forces (Asayish) in Rojava stated that "to ensure security and stability and confront the growing threats posed by terrorist cells and remnants of ISIS," Kurdish forces have "completed a security operation inside al-Hol Camp," which led to "arrest of 20 ISIS members and collaborators."

The operation also dismantled "a dangerous ISIS cell that had been coordinating with other cells to carry out terrorist activities." The Kurdish forces additionally seized "three Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, several magazines and rounds of ammunition, in addition to military equipment."

Alongside the Asayish, the operation saw the participation of the Women’s Internal Security Forces, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and the support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Kurdish forces further thwarted "a coordinated mass escape attempt involving cells inside and outside the camp."

Al-Hol and Roj camps in northeastern Syria primarily house individuals with suspected ISIS affiliations. These camps are managed by the Kurdish-led SDF and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), with support from international organizations.

Al-Hol is the larger of the two, currently housing 34,927 individuals linked to ISIS, including 15,861 Syrians, 15,681 Iraqis, and 6,385 third-country nationals, according to data obtained by Rudaw English in mid-April.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wrecked scow, Agent 49 felt gingerly for his head. It was still there. He had been hoping differently...
Roj camp houses around 2,000 individuals, primarily women and kiddies associated with ISIS.

Kurdish forces have long warned of the growing threat posed by ISIS, particularly within these camps.

On Wednesday the Asayish stated that the recent "military and political" developments in the region, "have given ISIS cells the opportunity to increase their movement and carry out terrorist acts." They urged the international community to assume responsibility in addressing the issue of these camps and to support AANES in "effectively and safely managing this complex dossier."

ISIS captured vast swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014, and lost control over much of them by 2019, but its sleeper cells continue to pose a security threat.

Following a swift offensive in December, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Scourge of Qusayr...
ISIS has tried to take advantage of the changing security landscape in Syria after the fall of the regime of Bashir al-Assad.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi in mid-January noted that 10,000 ISIS fighters are imprisoned in Syria, 2,000 of whom are considered "highly dangerous." He stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."
Related:
Hol camp: 2025-04-20 16 ISIS suspects detained in Rojava’s al-Hol camp
Hol camp: 2025-04-19 SDF clashes with ISIS in east Syria
Hol camp: 2025-04-19 Rojava forces warn of ISIS resurgence, launch operation in al-Hol
Link



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