Category: The Islamic State

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: July 10

Posted on by libyaanalysis
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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #138"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #138
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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: July 3

Posted on by libyaanalysis
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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: "al-Nabā’ #137"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #137
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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: 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

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: "al-Nabā’ #136"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #136
____________

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

Eye On Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: June 19

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 14 June, unconfirmed reports suggest IS and Benghazi Defence Brigade fighters were spotted near the village of Harawa, 50 km east of Sirte. Libyan National Army al-Saiqa Special forces are said to have mobilized to the location in response to the reports. Other Jihadi Actors On 16 June, the Libyan National Army (LNA) claimed to have captured al-Qaeda linked Ansar al-Sharia commander Sufian bin Qumu during a raid in northern Derna. Bin Qumu is reported to have been the personal driver of Osama bin Laden while he was in Sudan. On 14 June, two senior leaders of the Benghazi Defence Brigade (BDB), Ahmad al-Tajouri and Faraj Shaku, were allegedly killed by airstrikes as they moved from Bani Walid to the Oil Crescent. Families held a wake on Saturday in the Zureik area of Misrata and a group from Ajdabiya allegedly attempted unsuccessfully to bury the bodies. Prior to becoming a member of the BDB, Faraj Shaku was a commander of the now-disbanded Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BSRC) and the February 17 Martyrs’ Brigade, while Ahmad al-Tajouri was the former leader of the BRSC hailing from the Tajuri district of Benghazi. 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