Category: The Islamic State

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

Surabaya Church Suicide Bombing

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For an archive of other Attack and Plot Dossiers click here.
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May 12, 2018: 
Family of IS-inspired suicide bombers attack Indonesian churches, at least 13 dead – Reuters
May 13, 2018: 
Indonesia links church attacks to local ISIL-inspired group – Al Jazeera
Surabaya church attacks: One family responsible, police say – BBC News


Indonesia Church Bombings Carried Out by Family With Children in Tow – The New York Times

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: "al-Nabā’ #131"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #131
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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: May 8

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 2 May, Islamic State (IS) fighters attacked the High National Election Commission Office (HNEC) building in the Ghout al-Shaal area of Tripoli at 10:10 local time. Following a brief shootout with security guards, two assailants detonated explosive vests. As many as 16 people were killed and more than 19 were injured. Soon after the incident IS claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the attackers as Abu Ayoub and Abu Tawfik. On 5 May, IS’s al-Naba’ online newsletter claimed that fighters from the group undertook two attacks on the Libyan National Army in the Wahat province, in late April. On 8 May, IS undertook an SVBIED attack on an LNA controlled checkpoint near Bin Jawwad, 70 km from Ras Lanuf, killing two and injuring four. Other Jihadi Actors On 1 May, factions in Misrata eulogised the former leader of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), Wissam Bin Hamid, after news of his death was officially announced by his family. He was reportedly killed on 10 December 10, 2016. 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’ #130"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #130
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To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new ‘Policy Watch’ for the Washington Institute: "The Islamic State Targets Tunisia Ahead of Elections"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


Tunisia’s first-ever municipal elections, scheduled for May 6, are an important milestone in the quest to implement democratic institutions and give locals more agency in making decisions about their needs—two goals that, unsurprisingly, run counter to the vision, interests, and ideology of Salafi-jihadist groups in the region. The Islamic State (IS) has signaled that it hopes to disrupt the vote, focusing official propaganda on Tunisia for the first time since summer 2016.
Over the past two years, the group’s activity in Tunisia has been significantly constrained, but low-profile attacks have continued in the interior governorate of Kasserine. The elections represent a high-stakes opportunity to encourage and empower residents of this forgotten area, so the government would be wise to focus on securing not only higher-profile targets in the capital and coastal regions, but also polling sites in the interior. Such efforts could further legitimize the democratic process, showing skeptical locals that the central authorities are slowly but steadily reaching out to them on governance and other issues.
Click here to the read the rest.

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #129"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #129
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To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

New video message from The Islamic State: "Then Is It the Judgement of [the Time of] Ignorance They Desire? – Wilāyat al-Furāt"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

The title of this release is in reference to Qur’anic verse 5:50. Here it is in full: “Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than God in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].”
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To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]