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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
Damascus is preparing to take control of al-Hol camp
2025-05-25
It will be interesting to see whether the HTS government absorbs the ISIS fighters into their ranks or sees them as the undesirable other.
[Rudaw] The Syrian government will assume control of al-Hol and shift focus to rehabilitation of the thousands of suspected 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) sympathizers and family members being held in the camp in northeast Syria, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.

"Regarding the al-Hol camp issue, it is part of the agreement signed between the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which stipulates that the Syrian Arab Republic will assume control over all areas in the Syrian Jazira region - namely, in Hasakah and Raqqa areas," Interior Ministry spokesperson Nouraldeen Albaba told Rudaw in a presser on Saturday.

The goal will be to ensure the camp is no longer a source of unrest and extremism. "Now, it will become a comprehensive societal rehabilitation dossier targeting the victims and families of individuals who joined ISIS," he said.

Al-Hol camp in Hasaka province is infamous for its squalid conditions and has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the 40,000 ISIS-linked people who have been held at the camp since the defeat of the group in 2019. There are also people in the camp from around the world who had traveled to join the so-called ISIS caliphate.

A delegation from the Syrian government visited al-Hol camp on Saturday, according to local media. The delegation consisted of 10 people and was the first visit to the camp by the interim government. They were also joined by representatives from the US-led global coalition against ISIS, Ronahi TV reported.

The purpose of the visit was to inspect conditions in the camp and explore returning Syrian nationals to their home regions, according to Ronahi, which is affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) in January announced that its doors are open to the "voluntary return" of Syrians in the camp to their hometowns. Iraq has been repatriating its nationals in groups, putting them through a rehabilitation program before they return to their original homes.

Rojava authorities also have thousands of ISIS fighters detained in jails.

United States President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...
, when he met interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa last week, urged him to assume responsibility for ISIS detention centres in Rojava. The newly-appointed US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack noted progress Damascus has taken on meeting Trump’s request when he met Sharaa in Istanbul on Saturday.
Related:
Al-Hol: 2025-05-17 UN hails Iraq’s repatriations from Syria ISIS detention camps
Al-Hol: 2025-05-17 New AK-12 for the Russian Armed Forces
Al-Hol: 2025-05-12 More than a decade on, 2,500 Yazidis still missing after ISIS attack
Related:
Jazira region: 2022-09-18 Turkey-Syria Border: Turkish Forces and Catspaws Continue Breaching Ceasefire Agreement In NE Syria versus Kurds and Syrian army
Jazira region: 2022-08-28 Turkish Forces shell village north of Syria’s Hasakah
Jazira region: 2022-08-21 Turkish Forces Resume Shelling Syria's Hasakah Countryside
Related:
Hasakah: 2025-05-21 SDF repels two ISIS attacks amid growing resurgence threat
Hasakah: 2025-05-12 More than a decade on, 2,500 Yazidis still missing after ISIS attack
Hasakah: 2025-03-08 A landmine blast in Hasakah Governorate, NE Syria, injures a 27-year-old civilian
Related:
Raqqa: 2025-05-20 Kurdish couple tried in Germany for ISIS links
Raqqa: 2025-04-20 Dagestan resident sentenced for helping militants in Syria
Raqqa: 2025-03-03 Three Stavropol residents accused of links to ISIS
Link


Iraq
Sulaimani security forces arrest three ISIS suspects
2025-05-25
[Rudaw] Three suspected members 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) were arrested by Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in separate operations in Sulaimani province, the Asayish said on Friday.

"In three separate operations and in coordination with the Iraqi national security forces, three wanted holy warriors were arrested in the areas of Sulaimani, Chamchamal, and Sharazur," Colonel Salam Abdulkhaliq, head of the Sulaimani-based Asayish media team, told Rudaw.

All three suspects "were active members of the ISIS organization," Abdulkhaliq said.

ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraqi land in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in 2017 but it continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions.

The snuffies have taken shelter in an area of land stretching across the provinces of Salahaddin, Diyala, Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
and Nineveh where there is a security vacuum because it is disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.

Kurdish and Iraqi security forces frequently cooperate and carry out joint operations against ISIS cells in the Kurdistan Region.

Thousands of people have been detained across Iraq since 2014 for suspected links to krazed killer groups, including ISIS, and hundreds have been executed.
Related:
Sulaimani province: 2025-04-20 Turkey drops leaflets calling for PKK fighters to surrender
Sulaimani province: 2025-04-14 Kurdish Peshmerga destroy suspected ISIS hideouts in Diyala
Sulaimani province: 2025-03-21 ISIS suicide bomber detonates near army position in north Iraq
Related:
Sulaimani: 2025-05-17 Turkey says its anti-PKK operations continue in both Iraq and Syria despite progress in peace process
Sulaimani: 2025-04-20 Turkey drops leaflets calling for PKK fighters to surrender
Sulaimani: 2025-04-14 Kurdish Peshmerga destroy suspected ISIS hideouts in Diyala
Related:
Chamchamal: 2025-02-03 Drone attack targets Khor Mor gas field
Chamchamal: 2024-10-19 One Asayish killed in Kurdish-Iraqi joint anti-ISIS operation in Kirkuk
Chamchamal: 2024-04-28 Drone attack on Khor Mor gas field kills four Yemenis, cuts power
Related:
Sharazur: 2025-01-10 Sulaimani counter-terrorism forces arrest several ISIS suspects
Sharazur: 2021-04-21 22 suspected ISIS members arrested in past three months: Sulaimani Asayish
Sharazur: 2021-04-21 Asayish dismantles a huge ISIS network extending in Kurdistan
Link


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



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