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מ"למ( ןיעידומה תשרומל זכרמה ) רורטלו ןיעידומל עדימה זכרמ

מ"למ( ןיעידומה תשרומל זכרמה ) רורטלו ןיעידומל עדימה זכרמ

Main events of the week This week, the main event in the Syrian arena was a ground offensive by the Syrian

army in the Idlib region, which is controlled by the jihadi rebel organizations. The objective

of the move is apparently to take control of areas southwest of the Idlib region (in the

eastern part of the Al-Ghab Plain) and in the northwest (the area of Jisr al-Shughur). So far,

the Syrian army, with Russian air support, has taken control of a number of towns and

villages northwest of Hama (where the main effort of the attack is concentrated, in the

ITIC’s assessment).

Concurrently with the fighting, attempts were made in the diplomatic arena to prevent

the continuation of the attack and the massive harm to civilians (in light of the fear that a

wave of refugees is liable to flood Turkey and Europe). The diplomatic moves included a UN

Security Council session, talks between Turkey and Russia, and a joint statement by

Britain, Germany and France. The European countries expressed concern over the massive

civilian casualties caused by indiscriminate attacks by the Syrian regime and Russia (over 120

fatalities and 180,000 displaced persons in the past two weeks). However, so far the

diplomatic activity has had no real impact on the offensive moves of the Syrian army,

which are still ongoing.

The main event of the week in the Iraqi arena was a suicide bombing attack in an open

market in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad. The attack was unusual since most of the

attacks carried out by ISIS in Iraq up to now were “ordinary” (planting IEDs, shooting attacks,

executions, etc.). This might also be an indication of ISIS’s intention to carry out mass-

casualty showcase attacks also in Iraq, with an emphasis on attacks against members of

the Shiite community.

The usual activity of ISIS’s various provinces and regions around the globe continued: In

Libya, ISIS took control of a village in the south of the country for a short time, killing persons

affiliated with Haftar’s Army (whose attention is focused on the campaign to take over Tripoli

in northern Libya). In Nigeria, ISIS attacked a Nigerian army camp in Borno State (11 dead

Spotlight on Global Jihad May 8-15, 2019

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Nigerian soldiers, according to ISIS); in Central Africa (near the Uganda-Congo border), ISIS

operatives continued their attacks against the Congolese army; in Somalia, an attempt was

made to assassinate a senior judge in the city of Bosaso, on the shores of the Gulf of Aden,

which serves as a focal point for ISIS’s activity. In India, ISIS operatives attacked Indian

soldiers in the Kashmir Province and announced the establishment of the India Province (a

name that appeared for the first time); in Afghanistan, attacks continued against the Afghan

army and the Afghan government security apparatus.

Main events in Syria The Idlib area

Syrian army attack on the Idlib area (updated to May 14, 2019)

This week, the Syrian army continued its ground attack against the rebel organizations in the

Idlib area, which started in early May 2019. In the initial stage, the Syrian army moves focused

on the southwestern part of the Idlib area, where the army took over several towns and

villages northwest of Hama. Subsequently, the Syrian army exerted pressure on the rebel

organizations on the road between Latakia and the city of Jisr al-Shughur, on the

northwestern part of the Idlib area. The ground attack of the army was accompanied by

Syrian and Russian air support. Convening the UN Security Council (May 10, 2019), an

approach by the Turkish foreign minister to his Russian counterpart to stop the attack and

the airstrikes, as well as protests by West European countries, did not stop the attack so far.

The main war effort of the Syrian army focused on towns and villages along Road 56,

leading from Hama to the Al-Ghab Plain (the road crosses the Al-Ghab Plain and reaches

the city of Jisr al-Shughur controlled by the rebels). In the ITIC's assessment, the Syrian move

was intended to take control of the southwestern part of the Idlib area, thereby

undermining the jihadi organizations’ control of the entire Idlib region.

During the first days of the attack (May 6-10, 2019), the Syrian army took over several

towns and villages northwest of Hama, on the eastern outskirts of the Al-Ghab Plain (see

map). The army attached special importance to the village of Kafr Nabudah, east of the Al-

Ghab Plain, which was taken over with Russian air support. This village is perceived as the

“gate” to the region controlled by the rebels and as a key area in the defense of Idlib (Enab

Baladi, May 8, 2019; Al-Quds Al-Araby, May 9, 2019). A counterattack of the Headquarters for

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the Liberation of Al-Sham, which defended the village, was thwarted by the Syrian army

(Syria News, May 10, 2019).

The towns and villages taken over by the Syrian army in the southwestern Idlib area, northwest of Hama, during the first days of the attack (SANA, May 11, 2019): Kafr Nabudah (1); Al-Janabra (2); Al-Bana (3); Tell Uthman (4); Qalaat al-Madiq (5); Bab al-Taqa (6); Karkat (7) (Google Maps)

Right: Syrian army soldiers in the village of Kafr Nabudah after it was taken over from the rebel forces. Left: The village of Kafr Nabudah (SANA, May 11, 2019)

Russian and Syrian airstrikes

Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out intensive airstrikes against targets in the Idlib

area, among other things as air support for the Syrian army ground attack. Thus, for instance:

The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham reported that Russian fighter jets

attacked the outskirts of Kafr Nabudah, 30 km northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 10,

2019).

Idlib

Hama

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Dust clouds rising in the wake of the Russian airstrikes on the outskirts of Kafr Nabudah, west of Hama (Ibaa, May 10, 2019)

On May 10, 2019, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham reported that Syrian

army helicopters had attacked the village of Maarat Harma, 47 km north of Hama,

with barrel bombs (Ibaa, May 10, 2019).

Right: Barrel bomb dropped from a Syrian army helicopter on Maarat Harma, north of Hama. Left: The hit by the barrel bomb (Ibaa, May 10, 2019)

Response of the jihadi organizations

In order to halt the Syrian army attack, the rebel organizations operating in the Idlib area set

up a joint operations room called “Fateh Dimashq” (i.e., victory over or conquest of

Damascus). This operations room comprises 26 organizations operating in the Idlib area,

headed by the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham.1 On the ground, the response to

the Syrian attack included mainly artillery and rocket fire at Syrian army forces in the

southern Idlib area. In addition, the rebel organizations sent reinforcements to the areas

attacked by the Syrian army in the southwestern Idlib area and attempted to carry out local

counterattacks, mostly without success. A demonstration took place in the city of Idlib,

during which the protesters called for toppling the Syrian regime (Khotwa, May 10, 2019).

1 Most of the organizations participating in the operations room are of a jihadi nature, with the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham being the dominant one. Other participants are Jaysh al-Izza (“Army of Glory”), the Turkestan Islamic Party (Uyghur operatives from China), and Ajnad al-Qawqaz (“Armies of the Caucasus”).

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Following are highlights of the rebel activity:

The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham announced that Grad rockets had

been launched against Syrian army forces northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 10, 2019).

Grad rockets launched by the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham at the Syrian army northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 10, 2019)

The Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham announced that it had fired heavy

weapons at Syrian army positions in the villages of Kafr Nabudah and Al-Mughayir,

northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 11, 2019).

Bombardment of Syrian army positions in Kafr Nabudah and Al-Mughayir, northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 11, 2019)

On May 8, 2019, a force of the Turkestan Islamic Party (Uyghur operatives from China)

attacked Syrian army positions in the central Al-Ghab Plain, 57 km northwest of

Hama. The Syrian army killed dozens of operatives who participated in the attack

(Sputnik, May 8, 2019; Butulat Al-Jaysh Al-Suri, May 9, 2019).

The commander of the Russian Coordination Center in Syria reported that on May 8,

2019, a total of 12 rockets were launched at the Hmeymim airbase. He noted that

thanks to the airbase air defense system, all rockets were intercepted. According to

him, there were no casualties and or damage (TASS, May 8, 2019).

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On May 13, 2019, the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham fired self-

manufactured rockets at Syrian army positions about 30 km northwest of Hama.

Self-manufactured rockets launched at Syrian army positions northwest of Hama (Ibaa, May 13, 2019)

Diplomatic initiatives

On May 10, 2019, the United Nations Security Council convened to discuss the situation

in Idlib. At the session, Russia prevented the Security Council from issuing a public statement,

claiming that the text of the statement presented the situation in Idlib improperly (TASS

News Agency, May 10, 2019). The United States, Britain, France and eight other countries

issued their own statement expressing their concerns about a humanitarian disaster in

Idlib due to attacks in the region. The statement called on all parties concerned to protect

civilians in the region and to comply with the ceasefire agreement that was decided upon

between Russia, Turkey and Iran in September 2018 (AP, May 11, 2018)2.

In addition, Turkey and Western European countries carried out political activity aimed at

halting the Syrian army’s offensive and preventing civilian casualties:

According to a report by the Turkish news agency from May 9, 2019 (the eve of the

Security Council meeting), Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu asked

his Russian counterpart for Russia to stop the airstrikes, which, according to him,

2On September 17, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in the city of Sochi, Russia. President Putin said that both sides had decided to establish a demilitarized zone 15-20 km wide along the line of contact between the forces of the Syrian regime and the opposition forces, which would be carried out by October 15, 2018. It was agreed that this would be accompanied by the removal of the “extremist armed forces” from the demilitarized zone. Iran took part in the political talks that led to the Sochi agreement, but due to disagreements it did not join the Russian-Turkish statement. However, the Sochi agreement was not implemented in practice on the ground.

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have killed more than 100 civilians in the past two weeks (Anatolia News Agency, May

10, 2019). On May 13, 2019, the British, German and French governments issued a joint

statement saying that “this military escalation must stop.” The statement also

condemned the targeting of the civilian population by the Syrian regime and

Russia. According to the statement, more than 120 civilians have been killed in

recent weeks as a result of airstrikes and indiscriminate bombing of population

centers and humanitarian infrastructure (schools, medical facilities). According to the

statement, in the past two weeks, there were more than 180,000 newly displaced

persons. The statement ends with a call on all parties concerned to “avoid any military

offensive in the region,” to maintain the ceasefire and to ensure the protection of

civilians (www.gov.uk, May 13, 2019).

On May 13, 2019, Turkish President Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with

Russian President Putin on the developments in Idlib. Erdoğan expressed concern

over the ceasefire violations by the Assad regime in the Idlib region and protested the

attacks on civilians and hospitals. According to him, the Assad regime is striving to

sabotage Turkish-Russian cooperation on the Idlib issue, to undermine the Sochi

Agreement, and to torpedo political processes in Syria (Anatolia, May 14, 2019). On May

14, 2019, a telephone conversation took place between the defense ministers of Turkey

and Syria, who discussed the steps to be taken to reduce tension in Idlib, as part of the

Sochi Agreement (Anatolia, May 14, 2019).

Continuation of the Syrian army offensive moves

In spite of the political efforts of Turkey and western European countries to halt the fighting,

Syrian army offensive moves in the southern Idlib area continued. On May 13, 2019, the

Syrian army announced that its forces had continued to advance in the rural area northwest

of Hama. According to the announcement, the Syrian army took over several sites about

40 km northwest of Hama, including the villages of Sheikh Idris, Al-Toubah and Tal Hawash

(Enab Baladi, May 13, 2019). The rebel organizations reported that they had managed to

retake the village of Sheikh Idris, which is situated on an important crossroads (Khotwa, May

13, 2019). Fighter jets (possibly Syrian) continued to drop barrel bombs on the southern Idlib

area (Khotwa, May 13, 2019).

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Towns, villages and areas which the Syrian army announced that it had taken over on May 13, 2019. One of the villages (Sheikh Idris) was retaken by the rebel organizations. The area marked

in red was taken over by the Syrian army in the initial days of the attack (Google Maps)

Right: Antitank missile launched by the National Liberation Front at a van of the forces supporting the Syrian army in the village of Sheikh Idris (YouTube channel of the National Liberation Front, May 13, 2019). Left: The van being hit (YouTube channel of the National

Liberation Front, May 13, 2019)

On May 12, 2019, it was reported that Syrian army helicopters dropped barrel bombs on

the Kabanah area, 13 km southwest of Jisr al-Shughur (in the northwestern part of the

Idlib area, controlled by the jihadi organizations). It was reported that the Syrian army and

the forces supporting it had started to fire artillery at the positions of the rebel organizations

in the area with the purpose of advancing towards the rebel forces (Syria TV, May 12,

2019). The Turkestan Islamic Party announced on May 13, 2019, that the organization

operatives had curbed the Syrian army advance on the Kabanah road for three

consecutive days (announcement by the Turkestan Islamic Party, Telegram, May 13, 2019).

Idlib

Hama

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The Kabanah area, southwest of the city of Jisr al-Shughur (Wikimapia)

On May 14, 2019, fighter jets attacked an open market and a school in Jisr al-Shughur.

According to one version, those were Syrian fighter jets; according to another version –

Russian fighter jets. Five civilians were reportedly killed in the airstrike and over 10 others

were wounded (Orient News, May 14, 2019; Idlib Plus@IdlibPlus Twitter account, May 14,

2019).

Building on fire following the airstrikes in Jisr al-Shughur (Orient News, May 14, 2019)

Summary of the casualties in the fighting (updated to May 14, 2019)

On May 14, 2019, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 364

people were killed during the first two weeks which had passed since the beginning of the

escalation in the Idlib area. At least 132 of the fatalities belonged to the rebel forces, 110

belonged to the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, and 122 were civilians (Syrian

Observatory for Human Rights, May 14, 2019).

Idlib

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Eastern Syria ISIS continues to carry out intensive guerrilla activity against the SDF forces in the Al-

Mayadeen-Deir ez-Zor area, mainly on the east bank of the Euphrates. Following are the

main attacks carried out in the passing week (see map):

On May 7, 2019, a motorcycle bomb was detonated near an SDF vehicle in the

village of Kashkiya, about 30 km south of Al-Mayadeen. An SDF fighter was killed and

three others were wounded (Pastethis.to file-sharing website, May 8, 2019).

On May 8, 2019, ISIS captured two SDF fighters in the village of Jadid Baqarah, 24

km north of Al-Mayadeen. The two were executed in the village of Al-Basira, 14 km

north of Al-Mayadeen (pastethis.to file-sharing website, May 8, 2019).

On May 9, 2019, fire was shot at an SDF vehicle on the Dhiban-Al-Tiyana Road,

southeast of Al-Mayadeen. Several SDF fighters were killed and wounded (Deir ez-Zor

24, May 9, 2019).

On May 10, 2019, an IED was activated against an SDF checkpoint in the village of

Al-Jardhy, about 19 km southeast of Al-Mayadeen. One of the SDF fighters was killed

and two others were wounded (Deir ez-Zor 24, May 10, 2019).

On May 10, 2019, ISIS operatives attacked a position of the Syrian army and the

forces supporting it in the Ayn Ali area on the west bank of the Euphrates, about 10 km

southeast of Al-Mayadeen (Deir ez-Zor 24, May 10, 2019).

On May 11, 2019, a motorcycle bomb was detonated in the village of Al-Sour, about

50 km northeast of Deir ez-Zor. Two SDF fighters were wounded (Deir ez-Zor 24, May 11,

2019).

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Attacks carried out by ISIS in the Al-Mayadeen-Deir ez-Zor area during the past week: Kashkiya (1); Al-Jardhy (2); Ayn Ali spring (3); Al-Tiyanah (4); Dhiban (5); Jadid Baqarah (6); Al-Sour (7)

(Google Maps) On May 14, 2019, ISIS operatives shot at an SDF vehicle in the Al-Basira area, about

30 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, killing three fighters who were in the vehicle. On May 13,

2019, ISIS operatives shot at an SDF checkpoint in the Al-Basira area and wounded two

fighters (Shabakat Shumukh, May 14, 2019).

Northern and northeastern Syria This week, ISIS carried out terrorist attacks in the Upper Euphrates Valley:

On May 8, 2019, an SDF fighter was shot at in Tabqa, west of Al-Raqqah. The fighter

was wounded (pastethis.to file-sharing website, May 8, 2019).

On May 8, 2019, an IED was detonated against an SDF vehicle in the village of Al-

Hus, about 40 km east of Al-Raqqah. Two fighters were wounded and the vehicle was

damaged (pastethis.to file-sharing website, May 8, 2019).

On May 10, 2019, an SDF fighter was shot dead while riding a motorcycle in the area

of Al-Shaddadi (some 47 km south of Al-Hasakah). The incident was documented by

ISIS (Telegram, May 11, 2019)

Main developments in Iraq ISIS’s terrorist and guerrilla activity

The main ISIS attack this week was a suicide bombing attack in the Al-Jamila open

market in Madinat Al-Sadr, the Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad (Al-Sumaria, May

9, 2019). ISIS’s Amaq News Agency released a message claiming responsibility for the attack.

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According to the claim of responsibility, an ISIS operative blew himself up with an explosive

belt, killing eight Shiites and wounding 10 others (Shabakat Shumukh, May 11, 2019). Note: A

senior Iraqi police officer told Reuters that the report on the suicide bomber was not true.

According to him, this was a controlled detonation of a suspicious object (Reuters, May 10,

2019). In the ITIC's assessment, this was indeed a suicide bombing attack since it is

known that a fire broke out and ambulances arrived at the site.

Right: The scene of the suicide bombing attack (www.iraqnews-in.com, May 10, 2019). Left: Ambulances arriving at the site after the attack (Akhbar Shams al-Haqiqa, May 9, 2019)

During recent months, most of the attacks carried out by ISIS throughout Iraq were

“ordinary” attacks (planting IEDs, shooting attacks, executions, etc.). The last suicide

bombing attack in Baghdad took place about a year ago, in one of the Shiite neighborhoods,

when a suicide bomber blew himself up with an explosive belt, killing four people and

wounding 15 others (Al-Jazeera, May 24, 2018). The suicide bombing at the open market in

Baghdad, assuming it did take place, is therefore unusual and may indicate an ISIS effort to

carry out mass-casualty showcase attacks, mainly targeting the Shiites.

At the same time, ISIS’s usual attacks continued in the various provinces:

Salah al-Din Province: ISIS operatives fired machine guns at an Iraqi army vehicle

east of Samarra, killing and wounding several soldiers (Akhbar al-Muslimeen, May 11,

2019).

Diyala Province: Snipers shot at an Iraqi army position about 40 km southeast of

Baqubah, killing one soldier and wounding another (Akhbar al-Muslimeen, May 1,

2019).

Salah al-Din Province: The Popular Mobilization announced that it had located

dozens of ISIS IEDs south of Samarra (Al-Sumaria, May 9, 2019).

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ISIS IEDs located by the Popular Mobilization south of Samarra (Al-Sumaria, May 9, 2019)

Salah al-Din Province: ISIS’s Amaq News Agency announced that the organization

operatives had detonated an IED against a Popular Mobilization position south of

Shirqat, killing a Popular Mobilization fighter, wounding two others, and hitting military

equipment of the militia (Telegram, May 9, 2019).

Diyala Province: ISIS operatives detonated an IED against an Iraqi army vehicle in

the Khanaqin area, wounding soldiers who were in the vehicle (Shabakat Shumukh,

May 14, 2019).

Counterterrorist and preventive activity of the Iraqi security forces

The Iraqi Defense Ministry announced that as part of the operation to mop up Al-Jazeera

(the desert area in northwestern Iraq), several ISIS operatives were killed. In addition, several

ISIS vehicles and guest houses in the desert were destroyed (Iraqi Defense Ministry, May 8,

2019).

Right: ISIS vehicle seized during the operation. Left: ISIS underground shelter located during the operation (Iraqi Defense Ministry, May 8, 2019)

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Additional activity:

Nineveh Province: In Mosul, Iraqi Military Intelligence detained an ISIS operative

who was in charge of making car bombs in the Nineveh Province. According to the

report, he was involved in setting up ISIS sleeper cells (Al-Sumaria, May 14, 2019). The

name of the detainee was not disclosed.

Al-Anbar Province: The Iraqi security forces deactivated five IEDs ready for use west

of the city of Hit, about 90 km west of Ramadi (Al-Sumaria, May 13, 2019).

Salah al-Din Province: The Saraya al-Islam militia, led by the Shiite cleric Muqtada

al-Sadr, announced that it had located and destroyed four ISIS guest houses north of

the city of Samarra (Al-Sumaria, May 13, 2019).

The Sinai Peninsula and Egypt On May 11, 2019, ISIS’s Sinai Province announced that the organization’s operatives had

detonated an IED against an Egyptian army tank east of Al-Arish. The tank was put out of

commission (Telegram, May 11, 2019). According to reports by local sources, a damaged tank

being towed was spotted in the area (@ShahidSinai Twitter account, May 11, 2019).

ISIS’s Amaq News Agency announced that the organization’s operatives had killed an

Egyptian army agent in the city of Al-Arish (Shabakat Shumukh, May 14, 2019).

ISIS’s activity around the globe Libya

According to an announcement by ISIS’s Amaq News Agency, operatives of the Libya

Province took control of the town of Ghadwa in southern Libya (about 65 km southwest of

the town of Sabha). According to the announcement, the organization’s operatives attacked

a number of command posts of Haftar’s Army in the town, set fire to them and killed a

number of so-called wanted men, including two Haftar’s Army commanders. They also set

fire to homes and cars belonging to commanders and supporters of Haftar’s Army. The

attackers set fire to the town council building and the “military council” building that belongs

to Haftar’s supporters (Akhbar al-Muslimeen, May 9, 2019).

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The towns of Ghadwa (1) and Sabha (2) where ISIS operated in southern Libya (Google Maps)

Attack by ISIS operatives in the town of Ghadwa (Telegram, May 10, 2019)

Right: Local militiamen carrying out a search in Ghadwa after the withdrawal of ISIS operatives. Left: One of the burned cars (Libya al-Ahrar, May 9, 2019).

It should be noted that in early May 2019, ISIS operatives attacked a military command post

in the town of Sabha, near the town of Ghadwa, and took it over for several hours. In the

ITIC’s assessment, their activity is evidence of ISIS’s establishment in southern Libya, where it

is exploiting the weakness of the Haftar forces, engaged in their activity in the north of the

country.

Libya

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India

On May 10, 2019, ISIS issued a statement bearing the name of the “India Province,”

claiming responsibility for killing and wounding several Indian soldiers in a town in the

Shopian district of Kashmir. According to the claim of responsibility, operatives of the India

Province exchanged fire with the Indian army (Telegram, May 10, 2019; an identical report

was also published by the Amaq News Agency on the Akhbar al-Muslimeen website, May 10,

2019). According to Reuters, one of the gunmen who was killed was known to be affiliated

with ISIS. According to a statement by the Indian police, the dead man was identified as

Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi. A source in the Indian army confirmed that over the past decade, Sofi

had been active in a number of militant organizations in Kashmir and was affiliated with

ISIS (Reuters, May 11, 2019).

The site of the incident between ISIS and the Indian army in the Shopian district of Kashmir (Google Maps)

India

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This is the first time that the term “India Province” has appeared in ISIS’s

announcements. This may indicate that ISIS is trying to expand its activities in Kashmir, and

possibly elsewhere in India as well. Recently there has been a proliferation of

announcements from new provinces and new regions of ISIS such as the Somalia

Province, the Central Africa Province and (the areas of) Tunisia and Sri Lanka. It is

unclear at this stage whether the announcements from the new provinces do indeed indicate

the existence of a significant infrastructure, but it can be assumed that ISIS will make an

effort to demonstrate activity in them. ISIS’s announcements about the new provinces and

regions are designed to convey the message that even after the blow that ISIS suffered in

Syria, the organization continues to operate throughout the world and is even

expanding its activities.

West Africa

Nigeria

On May 10, 2019, West Africa Province operatives attacked a Nigerian army camp in Borno

State, in northeastern Nigeria. The operatives stormed the camp riding on a motorcycle

and fired at Nigerian army soldiers (Reuters, May 11, 2019). ISIS’s Amaq News Agency issued a

claim of responsibility. According to the claim of responsibility, the attackers killed 11

soldiers, destroyed two tanks, and seized weapons and military equipment. At the end of the

attack, the ISIS operatives set fire to the camp (Shabakat Shumukh, May 12, 2019).

Right: Nigerian army camp in flames (Shabakat Shumukh, May 12, 2019).

Left: Weapons and equipment seized by the attackers (Shabakat Shumukh, May 12, 2019)

Central Africa

ISIS’s Central Africa Province claimed responsibility for an attack by the organization’s

operatives against a Congolese army post in the town of Bundibugyo, located in Uganda

(around 10 km east of the Ugandan-Congolese border). A number of Congolese army soldiers

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were wounded and others managed to flee (Telegram, May 8, 2019). This is the third attack in

the border region between Congo and Uganda that ISIS’s Central Africa Province claimed

responsibility for in the past three weeks (thedefensepost.com, May 9, 2019).

The town of Bundibugyo in Uganda, near the border with Congo (Google Maps)

Somalia

According to an announcement by ISIS’s Somalia Province, on May 11, 2019, the

organization’s operatives attempted to assassinate a senior judge in the city of Bosaso, on

the shores of the Gulf of Aden in the eastern part of the country (Telegram, May 12, 2019).

ISIS’s Amaq News Agency said that this was an attempt to kill the president of the Bosaso

District Court by detonating an IED against his car. However, he was not there at the time.

Eight security guards and assistants of the judge were injured, including another judge and

the court’s security chief (Telegram, May 12, 2019). Local sources in Somalia confirmed the

report (Al-Somal al-Youm, May 11, 2019). The city of Bosaso in northeastern Somalia has

recently become the site of intensive activity by ISIS.

Ugandada

Democratic Republic of

the Congo

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The city of Bosaso, in northeastern Somalia, on the shores of the Gulf of Aden (Google Maps)

Afghanistan

ISIS’s Amaq News Agency announced that on May 13, the organization’s operatives had

killed an officer of the Afghan security apparatus in the city of Nangarhar. On the same day,

ISIS operatives detonated an IED near a military vehicle in the city of Jalalabad, wounding the

soldiers in the vehicle (Shabakat Shumukh, May 14, 2019).

Somalia