Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 30 – May 6, 2015) Main events of the week1 In the Idlib province, northwestern Syria, fighting continued this week between the Al-Nusra Front and its allies (Jaysh al-Fatah) and the Syrian Army. They managed to take over other villages in the province and are fighting battles over the control of the Nabi Younes mountaintop, which dominates the entire region and the road to Latakia. Their achievements in the Idlib province pose a threat to Latakia and to the Syrian regime’s strongholds along the coastline. In Iraq, fighting continued between ISIS and the Iraqi forces in two main arenas: In the Sunni Al-Anbar province, ISIS’s stronghold, ISIS continues its efforts to take control of the city of Ramadi, the provincial capital, so far without success. On the other hand, Iraqi forces attacked the city of Al-Karamah, near Fallujah, to put pressure on ISIS. In the oil city of Baiji, the Iraqi Army continues to attack the refinery compound, most of which is still controlled by ISIS. On the other hand, ISIS carried out terrorist and guerilla operations in the city of Baghdad in order to divert attention and to relieve the pressure in the other battle zones. In the Sinai Peninsula, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, ISIS’s Egyptian branch, is facing twofold pressure: the Egyptian Army is waging an extensive security campaign against it and, at the same time, tension is increasing between ISIS and the Bedouin tribes in the Sinai, and the Tarabin tribe in particular. The international campaign against ISIS US and coalition airstrikes This week, the US and coalition forces continued their airstrikes against ISIS targets. During the week around 100 airstrikes were carried out in Syria and Iraq. Following are the locations of the main airstrikes (CENTCOM website): 1 The weekly publication Spotlight on Global Jihad monitors developments among ISIS and global jihad organizations in Syria and Iraq and in the Middle East as a whole. The publication also monitors terrorist activities around the world, directed, supported or inspired by the global jihad organizations in the Middle East. 070-15 2 Syria - the airstrikes were concentrated in the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Deir al-Zor, Al-Raqqah and Aleppo, and in the area of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab). The airstrikes damaged ISIS’s tactical units, battle positions, and vehicles. Iraq - the airstrikes were concentrated in the areas of Baiji, Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul, Al-Assad, Al-Qaim, Sinjar and Tal Afar. The airstrikes damaged ISIS’s tactical units, battle positions, buildings, logistics facilities, vehicles, weapons, tanks and armored vehicles, car bombs, and heavy machinery. Main developments in Syria Map of Syria (Google Earth) Idlib province In the Idlib province, fighting continues between the Syrian Army, with the support of Hezbollah, and Jaysh al-Fatah, the alliance formed by the Al-Nusra Front and its allies. The Al-Nusra Front’s goal, as stated by its operatives, is to “cleanse the Idlib province from combatants of the [Syrian] regime’s army” (from a video uploaded to YouTube by the SAS News Agency). This week, Al-Nusra Front operatives and its allies tried to cleanse the pocket of resistance remaining in the National Hospital compound southeast of Jisr al-Shughur. Around twenty Syrian soldiers and officers fought there (Radio Sham, May 1, 2015; SNN Facebook page, May 1, 2015). In order to overcome the pocket of resistance, 070-15 3 ISIS operatives detonated a truck bomb driven by a suicide bomber. According to reports, the explosion was powerful and the main building in the hospital compound was destroyed. However, according to a report in Russia al-Youm (May 4, 2015), the siege on the hospital is still ongoing. Left: A truck exploding in front of the National Hospital building (YouTube, May 1, 2015; Al-Nusra Front-affiliated Twitter account, May 2, 2015). Right: Al-Nusra Front truck bomb (circled in blue) in front of the National Hospital in Jisr al-Shughur, moments before the explosion. Following the takeover of Jisr al-Shughur, operatives of the Al-Nusra Front and its allies continued to advance toward the coastal city of Latakia. In view of this, the Syrian Army reinforced its forces on the Nabi Younes mountaintop, located in the Kurdish Mountains (Jabal al-Akrad), around 42 km south of Jisr al-Shughur and around 57 km northeast of Latakia (see map). Fierce battles have been waged between the Syrian Army and rebels on Mount Nabi Younes and the roads leading to it (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website, May 1, 2015). 070-15 4 ﻧﺒﻲ ﯾﻮﻧﺲ Nabi Younes Mount Nabi Younes, in the Kurdish Mountains, dominating the provinces of Idlib and Latakia (Google Maps) The Nabi Younes mountaintop, in the Kurdish Mountains, is considered a place of strategic importance. The summit is the highest in the region (around 1,500 meters above sea level) and dominates the provinces of Latakia, Hama and Idlib. The Syrian Army, which took over the mountaintop in April 2013, regularly shells the villages occupied by rebel organizations throughout the entire region. The summit dominates the main road between Latakia, Jisr al-Shughur and Aleppo. The takeover of the Nabi Younes mountaintop by the Al-Nusra Front and Jaysh al-Fatah increases the threat posed to the Syrian regime’s outposts in Latakia and along the entire coastline. According to Arab media reports, the Syrian Army suffered heavy losses in the fighting in Jisr al-Shughur and Idlib. According to “oppositionist operatives,” more than 1,000 Syrian Army soldiers and Syrian homeland defense force troops were killed in battle and more than 600 soldiers were captured by the rebels (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, May 4, 2015). Al-Hasakah province According to a spokesman for the US Army Central Command, Kurdish forces in eastern Syria continue to hold onto areas that they took over in the Al-Hasakah province and to expand into other areas. ISIS, on its part, is trying to contain the areas occupied by the Kurdish forces (US Department of Defense website, May 2, 2015). 070-15 5 In the Al-Hasakah province, battles took place this week between ISIS operatives and Kurdish PKK militias. The battles were concentrated in Tall Tamr, about 42 km northwest of the city of Al-Hasakah. On May 1, 2015, ISIS published photos showing ISIS operatives firing in the area and capturing a Kurdish fighter (justpaste.it, May 1, 2015; ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, May 2, 2015). Map of Tall Tamr, north of Al-Hasakah (marked with a red circle) (Google Maps, May 2, 2015) Top: ISIS operatives firing in the area of Tall Tamr. Bottom: Kurdish fighter captured by ISIS operatives during the battles in Tall Tamr (justpaste.it, May 1, 2015). The area of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that at least 52 people were accidentally killed in a coalition airstrike on the night of April 30 - May 1, 2015. This was in the village of Bir Mahli, near the town of Sarrin, 070-15 6 about 39 km south of Kobani, which is controlled by ISIS. According to the report, coalition aircraft mistakenly attacked civilians rather than ISIS targets (SOHR, May 2, 2015). According to ISIS, more than eighty civilians, nearly half of them women and children, were killed in the airstrike, which was carried out in support of the Kurdish forces, (Aamaq, May 1, 2015). Top: Kobani (Ayn al-Arab). Bottom: The town of Sarrin (Google Maps, May 2, 2015) ISIS flags hanging in the town of Sarrin (ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, May 3, 2015) Al-Qalamoun (the Syrian-Lebanese border) According to Arab media, the rival sides are preparing for a new battle over control of the Al-Qalamoun region. The Al-Nusra Front and several other rebel organizations have formed a joint force by the name of Jaysh al-Fatah, as they did in Idlib. Commanders and an Islamic law (Sharia) committee have been appointed for the 070-15 7 united force. ISIS is not part of the united military framework. On the other hand, the Syrian Army and its ally, Hezbollah, are making preparations for the campaign (Al- Araby Al-Jadeed, May 3, 2015). According to the Lebanese media, around 3,500-4,000 Hezbollah operatives may participate in the campaign in Al-Qalamoun. Many of them are already in the area (Al-Nashra, May 4, 2015). On the other hand, a “military source” in Al-Qalamoun reported that the number of Al-Nusra Front operatives exceeded 6,000. According to the same source, the Al-Nusra Front’s force became stronger upon completion of military courses at its four bases in the area of Al-Qalamoun (MTV, May 5, 2015). An Al-Nusra Front-affiliated Twitter account posted photos of the organization’s operatives being trained to operate anti-tank weapons at its training camps in the Al-Qalamoun Mountains. Following are a few photos (Al-Nusra Front-affiliated Twitter account, Mourasel al-Qalamoun, May 3, 2015). Right: Al-Nusra Front operatives being trained to operate anti-tank weapons. Left: End of training course for anti-tank missile operators 070-15 8 Right: Anti-tank training at the Al-Nusra Front’s camps in the Al-Qalamoun Mountains. Left: Al- Nusra Front operatives training with the support of APCs in the Al-Qalamoun Mountains Closing ceremony of the Al-Nusra Front operatives’ training courses at the training camps in the Al-Qalamoun Mountains 070-15 9 Main developments in Iraq Map of Iraq (Google Earth) Salah al-Din province The city of Baiji The Iraqi Army continues its efforts to regain control of the city of Baiji.