Eye on Jihadis in Libya Weekly Update: 23 January 2018

Posted on by libyaanalysis
IS in Action On 15 January, Ghanaian security forces arrested three returnees from Libya for planning a terrorist-related attack. One of the suspects, Ishmael Ali Musa, is alleged to have connections to ISIS in Libya. The men were found to possess grenades, ammunition and explosives, thought smuggled into Ghana from Libya. The arrests are a part of joint military and police “intelligence-led operations” focusing on Ghanaian returnees with possible links to IS in Libya. On 19 January, the al-Bunyan al-Marsous Sirte Security Force deputy commander, Ali Rafida, announced they had been tracking IS fighters for three days in the valleys south of Sirte. Other Jihadi Actors On January 20 and 21, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) 321 Battalion and the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) were reportedly shelling each other in the southern districts of Derna. The 321 Battalion are also said to have been firing heavy artillery on the western entrance of the city. The escalation of fighting follows the DMSC advance into areas once controlled by the LNA.

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. To read their explanation of 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. To subscribe to receive this report weekly into your inbox, sign up on the subscribe page. Eye-on-Isis-Logo-001  

Articles of the Week – 1/13-1/19

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Saturday January 13: 
A New American Leader Rises in ISIS – Seamus Hughes, Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, and Bennett Clifford, The Atlantic: https://theatln.tc/2rpTtFX
Sunday January 14:
Five Myths About Boko Haram – Alex Thurston, Lawfare: https://bit.ly/2mVhPlZ
Monday January 15:
Through the Looking Glass: Taking Stock of Offender Reentry – Melinda D. Schlager, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice:
Tuesday January 16:
The Others: Foreign Fighters in Libya – Aaron Y. Zelin, Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://bit.ly/2B6NLIE
Driving Factors behind Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq – Elena Pokalova, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2DkmMv4
Thursday January 18:
Muslim-American Involvement with Violent Extremism, 2017 – Charles Kurzman, Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security: https://unc.live/2DlGGWm

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #115"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #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 #115
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