Weekly Updates

Syria: In the Idlib region, exchanges of fire continued between the Syrian army and the rebels. In one incident (July 3, 2021), eight people were killed by Syrian army gunfire. The fatalities included six children and one woman. Iraq: This week as well, ISIS operated in the various provinces in Iraq, but there has been a decrease in the number of attacks. The Sinai Peninsula: According to Gazan sources, a Palestinian from Rafah who joined ISIS several years ago was killed in an exchange of fire with Egyptian soldiers in the Bir al-Abd region. Read more...

Syria: The exchanges of artillery fire between the Syrian army and the rebel forces in the Idlib enclave continued this week. Iraq: ISIS continued to attack targets of the Iraqi security forces. Sinai: The province's activity against the Egyptian security forces was relatively limited this week. In one noteworthy attack, two soldiers were killed by an IED south of Bir al-Abd, in northern Sinai. In Africa, the relative downtrend in ISIS’s activity continues. Afghanistan: ISIS’s activity continued, mainly against Afghan government targets. One noteworthy incident this week was an attack on economic targets (an oil tanker and a high-voltage pylon) as part of what ISIS calls its economic war. Read more...

This week, ISIS’s activity in the various provinces continued at a "routine" level: Syria: Tension returned to the rebel enclave in Idlib after the Syrian army intensified its artillery fire, possibly in preparation for a ground attack. Iraq: ISIS has stepped up its activity in what it calls its economic war. As part of this activity, ISIS operatives targeted high-voltage pylons and refineries. Sinai: In the Sinai Province, ISIS has stepped up its activity against the Egyptian army. Afghanistan: ISIS’s activity in Afghanistan continues. Africa: The downtrend in ISIS’s activity in Africa continues. The battle for hearts and minds: On June 21, 2021, ISIS’s Al-Furqan Media Foundation released an audiotape of the speech by ISIS Spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi. Read more...