Countries - The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 8-15, 2019)

This week, the main event in the Syrian arena was a ground offensive by the Syrian army in the Idlib region. Concurrently with the fighting, attempts were made in the diplomatic arena to prevent the continuation of the attack and the massive harm to civilians. The usual activity of ISIS’s various provinces and regions around the globe continued Read more...

Spotlight on Iran (April 18 – May 5, 2019)

Negotiations continue between Iran and Russia concerning the settlement of the war in Syria. Iran is keeping up with its efforts to secure its interests in Iraq. A delegation of the Iranian-Palestinian parliamentary friendship caucus visited Lebanon and Syria and met with senior officials in both countries, as well as the deputy secretary general of Hezbollah, the secretary general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (April 17– April 30, 2019)

In the Gaza Strip, 6,000 to 7,000 Palestinians participated in the Friday return marches of April 19 and 26, gathering at the five usual sites. The level of violence continued to be relatively low. On April 28, 2019, a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory. Senior Hamas figures continued to threaten Israel with a renewal of violence if Israel did not implement the understandings reached. In Judea and Samaria, a stabbing attack targeting Border Police fighter was prevented. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 2-7, 2019)

In the Syrian arena, most of the fighting took place between the jihadi organizations and the Syrian army in the Idlib area. In the Iraqi arena, the Iraqi security forces began extensive mopping up operations against ISIS in the deserts of the northwestern part of the country. The intensive activity of ISIS’s provinces abroad continues. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 18 – May 1, 2019)

In light of ISIS’s difficulties in Syria and Iraq, during the past month, the organization has increased the scope of its attacks abroad, in terms of both “quality” and quantity. The focus of ISIS’s terrorist and guerrilla attacks around the world was a series of simultaneous suicide bombing attacks in three cities and seven locations in Sri Lanka. In the Syria and Iraqi arena, ISIS continues its guerrilla activity. ISIS’s terror attacks abroad were accompanied by a media campaign, culminating in the distribution of a new tape by the organization’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Read more...

Hezbollah’s Foundation for the Wounded: purpose, modus operandi and funding methods

Hezbollah maintains in Lebanon an extensive network of social foundations engaged in health, education, welfare, and media. The main goal of these foundations is to provide support for Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, to spread its ideology (mainly among youth) and strengthen Hezbollah’s image among the Shiite sect in particular and Lebanese society in general. Read more...

Hezbollah’s Martyrs Foundation: purpose, mode of operation and funding methods

Hezbollah maintains an extensive network of social foundations in Lebanon that deal with health, education, welfare and media. Their main goal is to serve as a supportive framework for the organization’s military infrastructure, to disseminate its ideology and to strengthen its position among the Shiite community and the internal Lebanese political arena. Of these institutions, the Lebanese Martyrs Foundation is of key importance. It was established by Iran in 1982, the year in which Hezbollah was established. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (April 11-17, 2019)

In the Syrian arena, the ongoing fighting is now concentrated in the Idlib area. In the Iraqi arena, ISIS’s intensive activity continues in the various provinces in the north and west of the country. ISIS continued its media campaign designed to encourage and raise the morale of its operatives following the blow that it had suffered in Syria. 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 (March 14-20, 2019)

The battle for the takeover of the ISIS outpost in Al-Baghouz is coming to an end. In the Upper Euphrates River (the Al-Mayadeen area), this week ISIS engaged in intensive activity against the SDF forces and the civilians collaborating with them. In the Idlib area, exchanges of artillery fire continue between the Syrian army and the jihadi rebel organizations. In the city of Manbij and its environs, the SDF forces and the SDF-backed local military council launched an operation aimed at exposing ISIS and pro-Turkish elements. In light of the pressure exerted on ISIS in Syria, ISIS’s provinces in Iraq and abroad carried out intensive activities Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (February 14-20, 2019)

The campaign waged by the SDF forces against the ISIS enclave, which has lasted for over five months, is drawing to a close. Idlib and its environs: This week, the exchanges of artillery fire between the Syrian army and the rebel organizations continued, at a higher intensity than in the previous weeks. In the deserts in eastern and southern Syria, the Syrian army carried out offensive operations against ISIS operatives, who continued to conduct guerrilla warfare. While ISIS’s main control zone in the Lower Euphrates Valley is about to fall into the hands of the SDF, ISIS continued to fight in other arenas. Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 27– April 2, 2019)

Events this past week focused on the return march held on Saturday, March 30, 2019, which marked the first anniversary of the return marches as well as Israeli Arab Land Day. In the meantime, tensions increased in the jails in Israel in the wake of the intention of the Israeli Prison Service to install devices to block the prisoners' cellular reception. Senior Hamas figures raised before the members of the Egyptian mediators' delegation the so-called "worsening" of the prisoners' conditions. Hamas also complained to the UN envoy to the Middle East. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (March 7-13, 2019)

The decisive battle being waged by the SDF forces in the village of Al-Baghouz continued this week. Following are additional incidents in the various Syrian arenas: Idlib: Incidents continue between the Syrian army and the jihadi organizations. Al-Sukhnah: The clashes continued between the Syrian Army and ISIS operatives in the desert area near the village of Al-Sukhnah. Manbij: An ISIS suicide bomber blew himself up near American vehicles traveling on the main road between Manbij and Al-Bab. According to a US media report, four American soldiers were killed. While ISIS is about to lose its significant stronghold in Syria, ISIS’s provinces abroad continue to carry out attacks and conduct fierce fighting against the local armies and regimes. 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...

The Terrorist Attack in Sri Lanka: Overview and Significance (Full Version)

On the morning of April 21, 2019, eight Sri Lankan suicide bombers, handled and supported by ISIS, carried out a series of simultaneous suicide bombing attacks in three cities and seven locations in Sri Lanka. Most of the attacks were carried out in Colombo, the capital, where there were attacks on a church and three luxury hotels. Read more...

Hossein Salami The New Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps

On April 21, 2019, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, appointed Hossein Salami to the position of the new Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC); Salami is the eighth commander of the force. Salami, who served as the Deputy Commander of the IRGC over the past decade, replaced Mohammad-Ali Jafari, who served at the IRGC Commander since September 2007. Upon retirement from his position, Jafari was appointed to head the cultural-social command, Baqiatollah al-A'zam, which is charged with “soft power warfare” led by the IRGC, intended to counter perceived Western efforts to promote “cultural penetration” of Iran. Read more...