Category: Majlis Shūrā al-Mujāhidīn Darnah

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: July 10

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IS in Action On 4 July, IS branch in eastern Libya, known as Wilayat Barqah, released a new video titled “The Point of Death” documenting its recent attacks against Libyan National Army (LNA) checkpoints in the Oil Crescent, the beheading of LNA soldiers, and interviews with four suicide bombers. This is the first video from IS-Barqah since September 2017. On 6 July, in the most recent edition (No. 138) of their digital newspaper al-Naba’, IS published a photo showing the captivity of two Libyan National Army (LNA) fighters who had been abducted just over a week before. On 26 June, IS fighters kidnapped two LNA air force and air defense officers, identified as Colonels Abdullah Hamad Bouamoud Zawawi and Mostafa Nasser al-Khuraisi, while they participated in a social gathering in the desert area between Zallah and Waddan. The officers were identified by their military uniforms. Other Jihadi Actors Last week, the Libyan National Army’s 101 Brigade published photos that circulated on social media of senior al-Qaeda leader Sufiyan Bin Qammu amongst other al-Qaeda militants in Darnah. Qammu is thought to be a prominent al-Qaeda theoretician in Libya and is known within the group as “The Libyan Knight.” A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: July 3

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IS in Action On 28 June, airstrikes targeting Benghazi Defence Brigade (BDB) and IS locations were reported near Bani Walid. At the time of writing it is unclear if it was either of the two groups or an amalgamation of forces fleeing the Oil Crescent after participating in Ibrahim Jadhran’s assault on the oil facilities. However, this is not the first time that IS and BDB units have been either observed together or confused for one or the other. A fortnight earlier on 14 June, unconfirmed reports suggested that IS and BDB fighters were spotted near the village of Harawa, 50 km east of Sirte, with Libyan National Army al-Saiqa Special forces having been mobilized to the location in response to the report. On 30 June, Sirte security forces declared a state of alert following reports of IS movement in the southern part of the city. The security forces have established checkpoints and are undertaking both mobile and stationed patrols in the city as a response. Other Jihadi Actors On 28 June, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced the ‘liberation’ of the city of Darnah. Earlier that day the LNA had stated that they had complete control of the city, after having supposedly taken control of 75 percent of Darnah three weeks prior, and that Brigadier General Salem al-Rifadi was appointed the head of the Joint Security Operations Room for the city. Prior to Haftar’s announcement on 27 June, the Darnah Protection Force (DPF) claimed to have been heavily barraged for more than 24 hours by UAE unmanned drone strikes on their positions in the Shiha neighborhood. Conflicting reports suggest that former Darnah Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC) Chairman Atiya al-Sharrir was killed during these strikes. Darnah has been under the control of the DMSC since 2014. In May 2018 the DMSC changed its name to the Darnah Protection Force (DPF), in what has been suggested as an effort to distance itself from the DMSC’s alleged links to al-Qaeda. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: June 26

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 26 June, IS fighters kidnapped two Libyan National Army (LNA) officers while they participated in a social gathering in the desert area between Zallah and Waddan. The officers were identified by their military IDs. In the most recent edition of their digital newspaper, al-Naba, IS claimed to have undertaken two attacks on LNA checkpoints near Zallah and al-Fugha on 1 and 5 of June. Other Jihadi Actors On 25 June, the leader of the Derna Protection Forces (formerly known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council), Atiyah al-Shaari, was reportedly killed in a Libyan National Army (LNA) airstrike in downtown Derna. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: June 12

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IS in Action On 6 June, locals claim that IS fighters established a fake checkpoint between Zillah and Waddan in the Jufra region and fired upon a vehicle killing two civilians from the Qadhafa tribe. However, in contrast to this version of events, IS published a claim stating that its fighters had killed two LNA soldiers during clashes at an LNA checkpoint in the Jufra district. Other Jihadi Actors On 9 May, one of the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council’s key religious ideologues with alleged connections to al-Qaeda, Omar Refaair Sorour, was killed during a Libyan National Army (LNA) air strike on a residential area in downtown Derna. Sorour is thought to have been one of al-Qaeda’s top recruiters in Libya and was a key figure in the group’s plans to rebuild itself following the demise of IS. Sorour is said to be one of Egypt’s most wanted terrorists in Libya with close ties to Hisham al-Ashmawy, a prominent Egyptian jihadist, and his death has been eulogized by significant al-Qaeda affiliated figures including Moroccan jihadi preacher Omar al-Haddouchi. The announcement of Sorour’s death coincided with reports that Abdulsalam al-Awami, the al-Qaeda Imam in Derna and prominent al-Qaeda leader, Sufian Bin Qammu, were also killed during LNA raids in Derna. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: June 5

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IS in Action On 2 June, IS fighters attacked a police station in al-Qanan, 10km south-east of Ajdabiya, killing a civilian and injuring another five. No police were injured or killed despite two police cars being set aflame. The casualties were allegedly a family in a car passing by the raid. Later that day IS claimed responsibility for the attack, which was precluded by a supposed fake claim on behalf of the group. A go-pro camera recovered at the scene by the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) 21 Infantry Brigade has shown that the raid involved 8-9 fighters. Despite an official IS claim, local sources have suggested that incident was fabricated by police as an “IS attack” in an attempt to evade social and tribal responsibility. Other Jihadi Actors On 5 June, the Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari announced that LNA forces had taken control of 75 percent of Derna from the Derna Protection Force (DPF). The day before in a video announcement to the LNA and civilians in Derna, Haftar highlighted to his troops the importance of protecting prisoners of war and warned of the dangers to civilians of Derna in aiding and abetting ‘terrorists”. He also said that the victory of his forces was near in Derna and that once the city is ‘liberated’, the LNA would take total control of the infrastructure and would ensure the safety of residents and buildings by establishing security barriers. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: May 15

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 11 May, local sources from Sirte reported that IS fighters were seen moving in the valleys, southeast of the city. A senior official of the Sirte Protection Force said that their force mobilized patrols along the coastal highway at the city’s main exits in anticipation of an attack. On 14 May, 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians killed by IS in Libya in 2015 were returned back to Egypt. The deceased were transported by Libyan Afriqiyah Airways from Misrata to Cairo. The bodies of the 20 Egyptians and another man, believed to be from sub-Saharan Africa, were discovered near Sirte in October 2017. Other Jihadi Actors On 12 May, the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC), who currently controls the city Derna, announced it was dissolving itself and changing its name to the ‘Derna Protection Force’. On 15 May, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) Omar Mukhtar Operations Room claim to have completely captured al-Hila, south of Derna, as a part of on going operations to take the city from the DMSC. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001

New statement from Majlis Shūrā al-Mujāhidīn Darnah: "And It Increased Them Only In Faith and Acceptance"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

The title of this release is in reference to Qur’anic verse 33:22. Here it is in full: “And when the believers saw the companies, they said, “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.” And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.”
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Islamist militias created a joint Shura Council of Derna region. Claim support for Benghazi Shura Council. #Libya
Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Majlis Shūrā al-Mujāhidīn Darnah — And It Increased Them Only In Faith and Acceptance
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Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: May 2

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 2 May, at least two suicide bombers blew themselves up while multiple gunmen assaulted the Libyan electoral commission headquarters in Tripoli. According to Libyan officials at least 12 people have been killed and several more injured. IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, naming the suicide bombers as Abu Ayub and Abu Tawfik.

On the 26 April, Sirte security forces found a body in an orange jumpsuit, thought to have been killed by IS. It is unclear if the body was from a recent killing or from when IS controlled the city up until late 2016.

Other Jihadi Actors On 23 April, reports suggest the al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia (AS) were involved in clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) west of Derna near Wadi al-Arqub. This follows an arrest by the LNA earlier in the month on 12 April of an AS figure from Sirte named Salem Abdul Qaway al-Gaddafi while hiding in the Jufra area. On 23 and 25 April, LNA sources report that the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC) conducted two operations against LNA positions west and south of Derna respectively, with the latter killing two LNA fighters after their tank was destroyed by a pre-planted mine. A weekly update of ISIS’s actions, the Western response, and developments pertaining to Libya’s other militias is available by subscribing here. To read about Western countries’ responses to ISIS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-ISIS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on ISIS in Libya report, click here. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001