Category: The Islamic State

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: December 4

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action

On 1 December, the Libyan National Army arrested five IS members in Ubari. The arrests were made while security forces patrolled the road between Ubari and Ghat. The five arrested were described as being of African decent.

On 29 November, IS released its Naba’ magazine No. 158. In the issue it detailed the group’s attack on the Libyan town of Tazirbu and threaten to undertake a “new approach” in their campaign against Libyan cities.

Other Jihadi Actors

On 29 November, US Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Government of National Accord (GNA), conducted an airstrike killing eleven al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) members and destroying three vehicles near al-Uwaynat in southern Libya.

Local Tuareg communities have responded angrily to the strike, claiming some of those killed were not members of al-Qaeda but were former members of the Tiniri/Wadi Janub brigade in al-Uwaynat.

Libyan media outlets suggest that one of those killed in the airstrikes was Mussa Ala Toni al-Tarqqi, a former al-Bunyan al-Marous fighter who participated in the fighting against IS in Sirte in 2016. Al-Tarqqi was reported to be a prominent member of AQIM and a resident of the Sharab neighborhood of Ubari. He is said to have been involved in arms smuggling and other activities assisting AQIM financing.

On 1 December, a Benghazi Defense Brigade convoy of 40 vehicles was observed driving along the coastal road from Tawergha to Misrata.

The Benghazi Defence Brigade was formed in May 2016 to support the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council retake the city of Benghazi from the Libyan National Army (LNA). The group is comprised of anti-LNA army and police personnel as well as militants with diverse political backgrounds. The group includes hardliner Islamists. It was involved in clashes with the Misratan Third Force against LNA forces in southern Libya in 2017 and took part in Ibrahim Jadhran’s assault on the Oil Crescent in 2018.

A weekly update of IS’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 IS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-IS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on IS in Libya report, click here.

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New release from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s Shu’ayb al-Mujāhid: “Be Glad … The Discord of al-Baghdādī to Demise”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shu’ayb al-Mujāhid — Be Glad … The Discord of al-Baghdādī to Demise

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Source: Telegram

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

New release from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s Abū Nūr al-Ṣana’ānī: “And They Will Surely Swear, ‘We Intended Only The Best'”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

The title of this release is in reference to Qur’anic verse 9:107. Here it is in full: “And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against God and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, ‘We intended only the best.’ And God testifies that indeed they are liars.”

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Abū Nūr al-Ṣana’ānī — And They Will Surely Swear, ‘We Intended Only The Best’

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Source: Telegram

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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #158”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #157, #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #158

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

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: November 27

Posted on by user
IS in Action

On 23 November, Islamic State (IS) fighters launched an assault on the town of Tazirbu, an oasis in Libya’s south-east some 250km north-west of Kufra, leaving at least 8 people dead, 11 wounded and 17 kidnapped. Arriving in as many as 15 vehicles the assailants took over a police station for a brief period before withdrawing towards the al-Harouj mountains in Central Libya.

A joint force from the Libyan National Army (LNA) pursued the attackers and engaged them in Wadi al-Hatab, near Zillah. The clashes resulted in 12 IS fighters being killed and three abductees being released.

On 25 November, IS’s Amaq News Agency claimed responsibility for the incident, stating they had killed 29 LNA soldiers and captured multiple police officers, including two Libyan National Army officers. In its statement, IS suggested it fighters targeted particular individuals.

In contrast, the LNA denied that any of its members had been killed and claimed to have killed 18 “terrorists,” destroyed two of their armed vehicles and seized another two.

On 24 November, Special Deterrence Forces (RADA) arrested suspected IS leader Adel Adulhamid in Bani Walid after several hours fighting. Adulhamid is thought to have been involved in human fuel smuggling and returned to Bani Walid after IS lost control of Sirte in late 2016.

Other Jihadi Actors

On 17 November, the Libyan National Army (LNA) undertook three airstrikes targeting an “al-Qaeda-linked group” suspected to be the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) at Sadada, near Misrata. The LNA claims the group were behind several recent attacks and that a significant number of vehicles and weapons were destroyed during the strikes.

A weekly update of IS’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 IS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-IS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on IS in Libya report, click here.

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New video message from The Islamic State: “Mesaage to the Families of the PKK Prisoners – Wilāyat al-Shām, al-Barakah”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #157”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #157

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

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: November 20

Posted on by user
IS in Action

On 19 November, IS members established a checkpoint along the Sirte-Benghazi coastal road in the Wadi al-Hunaywah area near Sirte. Locals reported that two cars bearing IS banners and masked men blocked the road and undertook identity checks.

A weekly update of IS’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 IS in Libya this week, click here, and to read about the developments within the anti-IS Coalition of Libyan militias, click here. To read all four sections of this week’s Eye on IS in Libya report, click here.

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