Countries - The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Spotlight on Iran (May 17, 2020 – May 31, 2020)

Senior Iranian officials denied reports about alleged agreements between Tehran and Moscow concerning deposing the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. A senior adviser to the speaker of the Majlis called these reports “a big lie and a game of the American and Zionist media.” The spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the ties between Iran and Syria are strategic and that only the Syrian people will determine the future of their government. n a rare reference to the extent of Iranian support to Syria in recent years, the outgoing chairman of the Majlis’ National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, declared that Iran provided Syria between 20 to 30 billion dollars and that it should demand those sums back. Read more...

The Nujaba Movement, an Iraqi Shiite militia handled by Iran, also operates in the Gaza Strip

The Nujaba Movement is an Iraqi Shiite militia handled by the Iranian Qods Force. It was established in 2013 by Sheikh Akram al-Ka’abi, who has had a close connection with Iran since the time he was fighting against the American forces in Iraq. Read more...

Spotlight on Iran (May 3, 2020 – May 17, 2020)

A fighter with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was killed in Syria. Conflicting reports emerged in Syrian pro-opposition websites with regards to the staging of the Shia militias operating under Iranian patronage in Syria. Iran welcomed the appointment of Mustafa al-Kazimi as the incoming Iraqi Prime Minister. For the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, due to the outbreak of the Corona virus, Iran announced the cancellation of the International Qods Day rallies. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 21-26, 2020)

The synchronized wave of attacks known as the Raids of Attrition, which began on May 14, ended on May 24, 2020. Over a period of 10 days, more than 100 attacks were carried out, the vast majority in Iraq (about 40) and Syria (about 30). After them, by a wide margin, are Nigeria (8 attacks) and other provinces in Africa and Asia (a few attacks in each province). Hence, an analysis of the current wave of attacks indicates an improvement in ISIS’s operational capability, mainly in the Iraqi arena and to some extent in the Syrian arena as well, in contrast with ISIS’s other provinces around the world. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 14-20, 2020)

On May 14, 2020, ISIS carried out a synchronized wave of terrorist attacks, accompanied by a media campaign, called Raids of Attrition. The waves of attacks and the accompanying media campaigns are intended to convey a message of strength to ISIS’s operatives, to its enemies, and to the international community. Most of the attacks carried out as part of the Raids of Attrition were carried out in Iraq, which continues to stand out as ISIS’s main arena. Read more...

The COVID-19 Infection in Lebanon

Until recently the number of reported cases was stable and it seemed that the spread of the disease was under control. Even locations that were potential hotspots, such as the Palestinian refugee camps, reported only isolated cases. However, this past week there was a rise in the number of infections detected, raising concern over a second outbreak, and prompting the Lebanese government to impose a four-day general lockdown on the entire country. Read more...

Germany outlaws Hezbollah, joining other countries which designated it as a terrorist organization

On April 30, 2020, Germany banned Hezbollah from operating on German soil and designated it as a terrorist organization. Immediately after doing so, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer instructed the security forces to conduct searches in mosques, in gathering places of Hezbollah followers and in a number of suspects’ homes in several cities (including Berlin, Bremen, Münster and Dortmund). Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 7-13, 2020)

In the Idlib region in northern Syria, the ceasefire is still surviving but the intensity and severity of the incidents have recently been increasing. In Iraq, ISIS is continuing its intensive activity, taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced activity of the US-led International Coalition. The most noteworthy incident in ISIS’s provinces abroad was a suicide bombing attack in the Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 1-6, 2020)

In the Idlib region in northern Syria, the ceasefire was generally maintained. In Iraq, ISIS’s high-intensity activity continues, taking advantage of the spread of COVID-19 and the reduction in the activity of the US-led International Coalition. ISIS’s other provinces in Africa and Asia continued their “routine” attacks, in the shadow of the COVID-19 crisis. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (March 5-11, 2020)

On March 5, 2020, an agreement was signed in Moscow between Russia and Turkey, which is intended to end the fighting in the Idlib region. In the ITIC’s assessment, this is a shaky ceasefire (like its predecessors). In the Euphrates Valley, ISIS’s intensive attacks continued, mainly in the form of activating IEDs. In Iraq, ISIS’s activity consisted mainly of activating IEDs, sniper fire and targeted killings. With regard to noteworthy ISIS activity abroad, the Khorasan Province recently resumed its activity and carried out two showcase attacks in the capital Kabul Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 4 – 10, 2020)

This past week the Gaza Strip was relatively quiet. A stabbing attack was attempted at the Nablus Gate in the Old City in Jerusalem. A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority (PA) government announced that so far 26 people infected with the coronavirus have been identified, most of them in Bethlehem. In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continue throwing stones at Israel vehicles driving on the roads Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (February 6-12, 2020)

This week, the Syrian army, with Russian air support, continued its attack on the Idlib region and managed to take over the city of Saraqib The Syrian army is now preparing to take over the city of Idlib. Violent friction continues between the Syrian army and Turkish forces in the area where the Syrian forces operate. The Syrian General Staff announced that the Turkish attacks would not prevent the Syrian army from continuing its military operation in the Idlib area and Aleppo. This week saw decrease in its activity in the Iraqi arena. Outside of these two “core countries,” ISIS’s Sinai Province carried out intensive activity. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (January 30 – February 5, 2020)

The Syrian army, with Russian air support, continued to advance towards Idlib. The Syrian army’s operation in an area where there are Turkish observation posts, and hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled from the battle zones (some towards the border with Turkey), have created friction on the ground and diplomatic tension between Turkey and Syria (which enjoys Russian support). On February 2, 2020, a Muslim terrorist, a released prisoner with a jihadist ideology, carried out a stabbing attack in south London Read more...

Wave of orchestrated ISIS terrorist retaliation attacks around the globe: overview and assessment

During four days, between April 8 and 11, 2019, the various ISIS provinces in Syria, Iraq and around the globe carried out a wave attacks in retaliation for the blow ISIS suffered in Syria. ISIS reported that eight of its provinces carried out more than 92 attacks in more than 80 areas. The attacks were accompanied by a media campaign and claims of responsibility entitled "Battle of vengeance for blessed [Province of] Sham" [Syria]. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (19-27 September 2017)

The Islamic State is disintegrating in Syria and Iraq. Its territorial areas of control Iraq are falling to the two anti-ISIS coalition forces one after another, although in some important strongholds ISIS operatives continue stubborn fighting. Read more...

Strong condemnation of Iran for its support of terrorism and calling Hezbollah a terrorist organization at an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo

On November 19, 2017, the Arab League's foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo at the request of Saudi Arabia. The meeting focused on Iranian intervention in the internal affairs of the Arab states. Saudi Arabia complained of the launching of an Iran-manufactured ballistic missile into Saudi territory by the Iranian-supported Houthis. Read more...

Funding terrorism: US sanctions imposed on an extensive network of Hezbollah companies supporting its military-terrorist activity

On February 26, 2020, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designation as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) of three senior officials heading Hezbollah’s Martyrs Foundation. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (March 19-25, 2020)

In the Idlib region, the ceasefire was generally maintained, with the exception of local incidents, one of which resulted in the deaths of two Turkish soldiers. In the meantime, there is an imminent threat of an uncontrollable outbreak of the coronavirus in the Idlib region, where there are about one million refugees, living in substandard conditions in refugee camps and makeshift facilities. In the Euphrates Valley, ISIS continued its activity in the form of sniper fire, launching rockets at an SDF headquarters, eliminating an “agent,” and activating an IED against a vehicle. ISIS operatives in the various provinces continued their routine activity this week. Read more...