The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center's Spotlight on Global Jihad (November 11-17, 2021)

Main events of the past week

• Afghanistan: An IED exploded at a mosque in the town of Traili in Nangarhar Province. At least 15 people were wounded, and at least three of them died. It is estimated that the attack was carried out by ISIS, although it has not yet claimed responsibility. In addition, ISIS’s Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for activating two sticky bombs that had been attached by ISIS operatives to two buses belonging to the Hazara Shiite minority, in the city of Kabul. According to ISIS, the attack resulted in about 20 casualties. In another incident, ISIS operatives fired machine guns and RPG rockets at the Taliban headquarters in the Suki region, in the Kunar Province, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Five Taliban members, including a commander, were wounded in the exchange of fire.
• Syria: This week there was an increase in the volume of ISIS’s activity in Syria. The main attack was carried out in the Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region: ISIS operatives ambushed a force of a local militia supporting the Syrian army, about 30 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor. The name of the militia is Ussud al-Sharqiya and it belongs to the Al-Shueitat tribe. Thirteen militia fighters were killed and others were wounded. In the desert region (Al-Badia): ISIS operatives attacked positions of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it. There were casualties but it is not known how many. In southern Syria: ISIS operatives activated an IED against a Syrian army vehicle between Azraa and Al-Sheikh Maskin, about 24 km northeast of the city of Daraa. A Syrian army officer and three soldiers were killed.
• Africa: This week there was an increase in the volume of ISIS’s activity in Africa. After months of no reports of ISIS activity in Mozambique, ISIS claimed responsibility for several attacks in the northeast of the country. This could indicate an uptrend in ISIS’s activity in this country. Nigeria: A brigadier general and three Nigerian soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province in the town of Askira Uba, in northeastern Nigeria. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo: ISIS carried out several attacks against a number of Christian villages in the Beni region, near the border with Uganda. Uganda: Two explosions occurred in the Ugandan capital Kampala. One explosion was heard near Uganda’s Parliament building and the other near a police station. At least three people were killed and 33 were wounded. ISIS claimed responsibility for the incidents, noting that three of its suicide bombers had blown themselves up at these locations.
• Iraq: There has been a decrease in ISIS’s activity this week.
• Britain: A man was killed in an explosion in a taxi in the city of Liverpool. According to reports in Britain, the explosion occurred shortly after the taxi stopped outside a Liverpool hospital. According to police, the victim was the passenger, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver managed to escape from the burning vehicle. The incident was declared a terrorist incident.

Afghanistan

Taliban spokesman: 600 ISIS operatives and supporters have been arrested since the Taliban took control of the country

• According to Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, ISIS’s Khorasan Province does not pose a major threat to Afghanistan and the country is “more or less under control.” He added that since the Taliban took control of the country (August 15, 2021), some 600 ISIS operatives and supporters have been arrested (NDTV, November 10, 2021).

The Taliban has launched an operation against ISIS in Kandahar Province, in southeastern Afghanistan

• On November 14, 2021, the Taliban launched an operation against ISIS in Kandahar Province, in southeastern Afghanistan. According to the Taliban, at least four ISIS operatives have been killed to date (AFP, November 15, 2021).
• This week, ISIS continued its activity in Afghanistan against the Taliban and its collaborators. The following are the main incidents (mostly according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility on Telegram):
• On November 15, 2021, ISIS operatives activated a sticky bomb against a Taliban vehicle in the city of Kabul. The passengers were killed or wounded and the vehicle was damaged (Telegram, November 15, 2021).
• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives armed with machine guns killed a Taliban member in Nangarhar (Telegram, November 15, 2021).
• On November 13, 2021, an IED reportedly exploded in a minibus in the city of Kabul, in a predominantly Hazara (Shiite) neighborhood. One person was killed and another was wounded (AP, November 13, 2021). ISIS’s Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that ISIS operatives had activated two sticky bombs that had been attached to two buses belonging to the Hazara Shiite minority, in the city of Kabul. According to ISIS, the attack resulted in about 20 casualties (Telegram, November 14, 2021).
• On November 12, 2021, an IED exploded in a mosque in the town of Traili in Nangarhar Province. At least 15 people were wounded, and at least three of them died. It is estimated that the attack was carried out by ISIS, although it is has not yet claimed responsibility (www.wsaz.com, November 12, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns and RPG rockets at the Taliban headquarters in the Suki region, in the Kunar Province, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Five Taliban members, including a commander, were wounded in the exchange of fire (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED inside a store belonging to an Afghan Military Intelligence “spy” in the city of Kabul. The “spy” was killed (Telegram, November 11, 2021).

The Syrian arena

Syrian governorates (freeworldmaps.net)

The Idlib region

Artillery fire

• Exchanges of artillery fire continued this week between the Syrian army and the rebel forces in the rebel enclave in Idlib (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 11-14, 2021).

Russian airstrikes

• On November 11, 2021, Russian fighter jets attacked targets in the rebel enclave in northern Idlib (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 11, 2021).

Deir ez-Zor and Al-Mayadeen region^[1]

• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives ambushed a local militia force supporting the Syrian army, Ussud al-Sharqiya, belonging to the Al-Shueitat tribe, about 30 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor. Thirteen militia fighters were killed and others were wounded (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 14, 2021).
• On November 12, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at an ATV of the Kurdish forces (SDF) between Al-Susah and Al-Baghouz, about 4 km south of Albukamal. The vehicle was put out of commission and the passengers on board were wounded.
• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at an SDF roadblock in the village of Abu Hamam, in the Shueitat region. A Kurdish fighter was killed.
• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against two SDF fighters riding on a motorcycle in the city of Hajin, about 50 km southeast of Al-Mayadeen. Both of them were killed.

The desert region (Al-Badia)

• On November 16, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked positions of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it in the Rasafah region, about 40 km southwest of Al-Raqqah, and in the village of Ghanem Ali, in the western rural area of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. The Syrian army and the forces supporting it suffered casualties but it is not known how many. The Syrian army sent reinforcements to the areas under attack (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 16, 2021).
• On November 15, 2021, Russian fighter jets carried out about 50 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the Syrian Desert (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 15, 2021).
• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked positions of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it in the Palmyra Desert. There were exchanges of fire between the sides. No casualties were reported (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 14, 2021).
• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives abducted two shepherds about 25 km east of Palmyra and stole dozens of goats and sheep (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 14, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, Russian fighter jets carried out over 40 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the desert regions of Palmyra and Ithriya, about 110 km northeast of Hama (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 11, 2021).

Al-Hasakah region

• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at a small truck carrying 10 SDF fighters in the Ghariba region, about 90 km south of Al-Hasakah. Several SDF fighters were killed or wounded (Telegram, November 10, 2021).
• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against a truck carrying oil belonging to the Al-Qaterji company, which is affiliated with the Assad regime, on the Al-Jarrafi road, about 50 km south of Al-Hasakah. The truck was put out of commission (Telegram, November 10, 2021).
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against a convoy of US forces in the village of Al-Saada al-Gharbiyah, in the southern rural area of Al-Hasakah. One of the vehicles went up in flames (Telegram, November 10, 2021). No casualties were reported.
• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives broke into the house of an SDF fighter in the village of Tal Khamis, firing machine guns at him. He was wounded (Telegram, November 10, 2021).

Al-Raqqah region

• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives activated a sticky bomb against an SDF ATV in the city of Al-Raqqah. The vehicle was put out of commission and the passengers on board were killed (Telegram, November 10, 2021).
• On November 8, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked with machine gun fire an SDF vehicle around the village of Al-Maziuna, about 50 km northwest of Al-Raqqah. The vehicle was damaged and the passengers on board were wounded (Telegram, November 10, 2021).

Southern Syria

• On November 8, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against a Syrian army vehicle between Azraa and Al-Sheikh Maskin, about 24 km northeast of the city of Daraa. A Syrian army officer and three soldiers were killed, and the vehicle was put out of commission (Telegram, November 14, 2021).

Activation of an IED against a Syrian army vehicle between Azraa and Al-Sheikh Maskin (Telegram, November 14, 2021)

The Iraqi arena

Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)

Attacks by province^[2]

Diyala Province

• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives exchanged machine gun fire with a Popular Mobilization force in the northern Al-Azim, about 60 km north of Baqubah. Five Popular Mobilization fighters were wounded. A bulldozer was put out of commission and a Popular Mobilization aircraft was shot down.
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked with machine gun fire an Iraqi army position in the northern Al-Azim. One soldier was wounded and a thermal camera was destroyed.

Nineveh Province

• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked with machine gun fire an Iraqi army position in the Makhmur region, about 70 km southeast of Mosul. A thermal camera was destroyed. The position was apparently unmanned.

Al-Anbar Province

• On November 16, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against an Iraqi army ATV near the Arar border crossing between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. The vehicle was destroyed.
• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives fired two mortar shells at an Iraqi army camp on the outskirts of Al-Rutba, in western Iraq.

Salah al-Din Province

• On November 9-10, 2021, ISIS operatives equipped with machine guns ambushed a Tribal Mobilization force on Lake Al-Azim, about 70 km northeast of Samarra. Two Tribal Mobilization fighters were killed and their boat was destroyed. The following day, ISIS operatives equipped with machine guns once again ambushed a Tribal Mobilization patrol trying to retrieve the bodies of the dead fighters. Four Tribal Mobilization fighters were killed in the attack and four others were wounded. In addition, ISIS operatives downed a Tribal Mobilization aircraft used for reconnaissance missions.

Kirkuk Province

• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against an Iraqi army foot patrol in the southern Daquq region, in south Kirkuk. One soldier was killed and another was wounded.
• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED against an Iraqi police vehicle in the southern Daquq region, in south Kirkuk. The vehicle was put out of commission. No casualties were reported.

Counterterrorism measures in Iraq

Diyala Province

• On November 13, 2021, the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization launched an operation to locate ISIS operatives in the Hamrin Mountains, in the northeastern Diyala Province, near the border with Iran (Al-Nashra, November 13, 2021).

Al-Anbar Province

• On November 14, 2021, the Iraqi security forces arrested the ISIS official in charge of the Al-Anbar administration. The detainee, codenamed Abu Sayf, was arrested in the Al-Rutba region, in western Iraq (Facebook page of the Iraqi Security Information Media Section, November 14, 2021).

Nineveh Province

• On November 14, 2021, a Popular Mobilization force drove away ISIS operatives who had planned to attack it with heavy weapons south of Mosul (Popular Mobilization website, November 14, 2021).

Kirkuk Province

• On November 14, 2021, the Iraqi security forces in the Kirkuk region destroyed two ISIS hiding places containing military equipment (Facebook page of the Iraqi Security Information Media Section, November 14, 2021).
• On November 13, 2021, the Iraqi security forces arrested the ISIS official in charge of distributing funds to ISIS families in the Kirkuk Province (Al-Ikhbariya, November 13, 2021).

Sinai Peninsula

• On November 15, 2021, an Egyptian army armored vehicle was hit by an RPG rocket in southern Sinai. Two soldiers were killed and another was wounded (Shahed Sinaa al-Rasmia Facebook page, November 15, 2021). It can be estimated that ISIS’s Sinai Province operatives were behind the attack.

The Gaza Strip

• The Salafist-jihadi organization Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) operating in the Gaza Strip released a series of photos of its operatives training in the Gaza Strip. The masked operatives are shown praying near their arms, holding maps or charts, and engaged in foot drill (Telegram, November 14, 2021).

Operatives of the Salafist-jihadi organization Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) operating in the Gaza Strip praying by their arms (Telegram, November 14, 2021)

Operatives of the Salafist-jihadi organization Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) operating in the Gaza Strip praying by their arms (Telegram, November 14, 2021)

Operatives of the Salafist-jihadi organization Jaysh al-Islam holding maps or charts
(Telegram, November 14, 2021)

Operatives of the Salafist-jihadi organization alongside a boy from Gaza
(Telegram, November 14, 2021)

Operatives of Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) holding maps or charts
(Telegram, November 14, 2021)

Summary of ISIS’s activity in the various provinces

Weekly summary of ISIS’s activity

• An infographic published by ISIS summing up its activity around the world in the period between November 3, 2021, and November 10, 2021, indicates that in this period, ISIS carried out 58 attacks in its various provinces in Asia and Africa, compared to 46 in the previous week. The largest number of attacks was carried out by ISIS’s Syria and Iraq provinces (18 in each). Attacks carried out in the other provinces: West Africa (9); Central Africa (8); Khorasan (i.e., Afghanistan) (4); and Somalia (1) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• A total of 66 people were killed and wounded in the attacks, compared to 163 in the previous week. The largest number of casualties was in the Iraq Province (18). The other casualties were in the following provinces: Syria (17); West Africa (11); Central Africa (10); Khorasan, i.e. Afghanistan (7); and Somalia (3) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• The infographic indicates an increase in the number of ISIS’s attacks around the world compared to the previous week, although the number of casualties has significantly dropped. Iraq continues to lead in the number of ISIS’s attacks around the world. However, Syria was prominent this week, after many weeks during which the scope of the province activity reported by ISIS was low. The Khorasan Province has significantly reduced its activity. ISIS’s activity in the provinces of Central and West Africa apparently continues without significant changes.

The infographic as it appeared in the Al-Naba’ weekly
(Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021)

Release of an infographic by an element affiliated with ISIS, summing up ISIS’s global activity during the past month

• An element affiliated with ISIS, which publishes information on ISIS under the name of Nasr (i.e., victory), released an infographic summing up ISIS’s activity around the globe by province during the recent month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, i.e., between October 7 and November 5, 2021. According to the infographic, during the period in question, ISIS carried out 179 attacks, in which 1,029 people were killed or wounded, including 11 administration officials and commanders. The largest number of attacks took place in Iraq (61), followed by Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (37); West Africa (36); Central Africa (20); Syria (18); Somalia (3); Sinai (2); India (1); and East Asia (1). The largest number of casualties was in the Khorasan Province (649), followed by Iraq (147); West Africa (110); Central Africa (63); Syria (37); Somalia (15); Sinai (7); and India (1) (Telegram, November 10, 2021).

The infographic summing up ISIS’s activity around the globe in the past month
(Telegram, November 10, 2021)

ISIS attacks in recent months (according to ISIS data)

Africa

Nigeria

• On November 16, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at a Nigerian army camp in the town of Dili in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. After an exchange of fire, the soldiers fled and ISIS operatives set fire to the homes of Christian residents in the town (Telegram, November 16, 2021).
• On November 13, 2021, a brigadier general and three Nigerian soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with operatives of ISIS’s West Africa Province, who attacked the town of Askira Uba in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. Nigerian soldiers killed several ISIS operatives. According to military sources, ISIS operatives arrived in the town in at least 12 vehicles equipped with machine guns, and set fire to houses, a store and a school. The residents fled the town and then the army waged a prolonged battle against the ISIS operatives (Reuters, November 13, 2021).
• ISIS’s Amaq News Agency issued a statement saying that 17 Nigerian soldiers had been killed in its attack against the town itself and the Nigerian army position inside the town. In the first stage, according to ISIS, 13 Nigerian soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with the operatives. Later, when a patrol comprising an officer and three soldiers arrived at the scene, ISIS operatives exchange fire with them, killing all four of them. According to ISIS, its operatives set fire to a Nigerian army armored vehicle and an ATV, and seized a Nigerian army tank, weapons and ammunition. In addition, they set fire to the position before leaving (Telegram, November 14, 2021).

Nigerian army position being set on fire in the town of Askira Uba, in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria (Telegram, November 14, 2021)

• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at positions of local militias loyal to the Nigerian army in a village in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. Four militia fighters were killed and another was abducted. In addition, ISIS operatives seized four rifles (Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked a village in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria, setting fire to both a Christian school and the home of a fighter in a militia loyal to the authorities. Subsequently, ISIS operatives exchanged fire with a Nigerian army patrol, killing a Nigerian soldier and wounding others. ISIS operatives seized a rifle and ammunition (Telegram, November 10, 2021).
• On November 9, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked a Nigerian army camp in the village of Nagom, in Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria. There was an exchange of fire in which at least four Nigerian soldiers were killed and others were wounded (Telegram, November 12, 2021).

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED in the Christian village of Tinambo, in the Oicha area of the city, about 20 km north of Beni and about 50 km west of the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At least three Christian residents were killed or wounded (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked the Christian town of Kissanga, in the Beni region, about 50 km west of the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Five Christian residents were killed. In addition, ISIS operatives set fire to several houses in the town (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at Congolese army forces in the town of Nadalia in the Ituri region, about 50 km west of the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The soldiers fled and ISIS operatives set fire to the homes of several Christian residents, and seized various types of ammunition (Telegram, November 11, 2021).

Mozambique

• On November 14, 2021, ISIS operatives abducted and beheaded two Mozambican army “spies” in the village of Najama in the Mueda district, in the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 12-13, 2021, ISIS operatives killed at least 17 Mozambican soldiers, policemen and soldiers of the African Coalition and wounded others in a series of coordinated attacks against forces and exchanges of fire in various towns in the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique. The attacks were carried out in several villages in the Mueda district. ISIS operatives seized equipment and ammunition in these attacks. According to ISIS, the attacks were carried out after the Mozambican government announced the establishment of a new military force against ISIS (Telegram, November 14, 2021). In a separate statement, ISIS’s Central Africa Province added details of the attack on the village of Neida. According to the statement, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at a Mozambican army patrol in the town. As a result, seven soldiers were killed and the rest fled the scene, while ISIS operatives seized weapons and ammunition (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 12, 2021, ISIS operatives abducted and beheaded three Mozambican soldiers in the village of Namatili, in the Mueda district, in the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique (Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• On November 12, 2021, ISIS operatives attacked the Christian village of Nambini, in the Macomia region, in the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique. They abducted and beheaded two Mozambican army “spies” in the town. They then stole items from houses in the town and set fire to them (Telegram, November 13, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives abducted and beheaded three Mozambican army “spies” in the village of Miguiliwi, in the Muidumbe region, in the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique, and seized their weapons (Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• On November 11, 2021, ISIS operatives exchanged machine gun fire with Mozambican soldiers in the village of Chai, in the Macomia region of the Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique. One soldier was killed and the rest fled. ISIS operatives seized their weapons (Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives exchanged machine gun fire with a Mozambican army patrol in the Nangade region, in western Cabo Delgado in northeastern Mozambique, 10 km from the Mozambique-Tanzania border. The patrol soldiers fled the scene and ISIS operatives seized ammunition (Telegram, November 10, 2021).
• On November 10, 2021, ISIS operatives equipped with machine guns shot and killed a Mozambican army “spy” in the Macomia region (Telegram, November 10, 2021).

Uganda

• On November 16, 2021, two explosions were heard in the Ugandan capital Kampala. One explosion was heard near Uganda’s Parliament building and the other near a police station. At least three people were killed and 33 others were wounded (CNN, November 16, 2021). ISIS’s Central Africa Province and ISIS’s Amaq News Agency published a claim of responsibility. According to ISIS, the attacks were carried out by three suicide bombers who blew themselves up among policemen and “Christians,” one after the other, near the Parliament building and near the main police building in the city. Two of the suicide bombers, codenamed Abd al-Rahman al-Ughandi (i.e., the Ugandan) and Abu Shahid al-Ughandi (i.e., the Ugandan), got off a motorcycle near the Parliament building holding two bags containing IEDs, and blew themselves up in front of the guards at the entrance. The third terrorist, Abu Sabar al-Ughandi (i.e., the Ugandan), arrived at a checkpoint at the entrance to the police station with a bag containing an IED and blew himself up. The claim of responsibility states that “it should be noted that Uganda is one of the countries participating in the fighting against the fighters of the Islamic State in Central Africa” (Telegram, November 16, 2021). ISIS was responsible for the previous explosion in the capital Kampala, around two weeks ago.

Somalia

• ISIS’s Somalia Province issued photos from its training camp, which is named after ISIS’s former leader in the Sahara, Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi. The photos show ISIS operatives during physical fitness training and target practice with rifles, machine guns and RPGs (Telegram, November 15, 2021).

ISIS operatives in Somalia brandishing their rifles (Telegram, November 15, 2021)

ISIS operatives in Somalia firing machine guns and RPGs (Telegram, November 15, 2021)

Asia

Pakistan

• On November 13, 2021, ISIS operatives activated an IED at a Pakistani police position near the Raghagan Dam in the Bajaur region, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. A police officer and a policeman were killed (Telegram, November 13, 2021).

Turkey

• On November 13, 2021, Turkish security forces arrested two ISIS operatives when they attempted to enter the country illegally from Syria. One of them is on the Terrorist Exclusion List (Anatolia News Agency, November 13, 2021). The operative’s name was not published.

Europe

Britain

• On November 14, 2021, a man was killed in an explosion in a taxi in the city of Liverpool. According to reports in Britain, the explosion occurred shortly after the taxi stopped outside a Liverpool hospital. According to police, the victim was the passenger, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver managed to escape from the burning vehicle. Three individuals suspected of involvement in the incident were arrested and the incident was declared a terrorist incident. The victim is believed to be a terrorist who attempted to blow himself up at the hospital, but the taxi driver, who locked the doors of the taxi, apparently prevented a far more serious incident (Reuters, November 14, 2021; The Guardian, November 15, 2021).

France

• On November 14, 2021, French police prevented an attempt by a female ISIS supporter to escape from a prison in the Paris area, after she had managed to make a hole in the wall of her cell and tied sheets to each other, in order to escape (AP, November 14, 2021).

The battle for hearts and minds

• The lead article in the latest issue of ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly is entitled “[The reasons] why they are afraid of the Caliphate!” and analyzes the reasons why Western leaders fear ISIS.
• At the beginning of the article, the author creates an analogy between “the tyrants of today,” i.e., the West, led by the United States, and the Arab and Muslim regimes that cooperate with it, on the one hand, and the way Pharaoh reacted towards Moses (the story of Moses and Pharaoh is mentioned in the Quran) on the other. He claims that like Pharaoh, the tyrants of today fail to heed God’s warnings and take harsh measures against the believers, just as Pharaoh took against the Israelites, but in the end God punished him and thwarted his plots (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• According to the author, the United States is very much afraid of the Islamic Caliphate, and therefore it has formed the Global Coalition against ISIS. But despite all the harsh measures taken against it, ISIS continues to exist, while the United States will be punished, just as Pharaoh was punished (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram , November 12, 2021).
• According to the author, the Coalition countries’ fear of the Caliphate stems from the fact that they fear that the Muslims will gather as one body and wage a jihad war against the infidels, which the tyrants have been trying for years to prevent. According to the author, the West fears harming the interests of Christians and Jews; the Islamic concept that the government is not determined through a vote at the polls, but rather through the weapons and ammunition (of jihad); the Caliphate’s non-acceptance of international law established by the West; the Caliphate’s ambition to reclaim territories previously ruled by Islam; and the loss of hegemony in sea routes and land and sea trade routes (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021).
• The author stresses that sowing fear in the hearts of the “infidels” is a divine command, from which there is no escape, and that believers are ultimately guaranteed victory. He ends by claiming that the attempts by the “infidels” to threaten the believers only add to the believers’ faith and determination, just as Pharaoh’s threats against the Israelites strengthened Moses and his determination in the face of Pharaoh, since his belief in God was extremely strong. According to him, so too will the Muslim believers ultimately win and Allah will grant them control of the world (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021).

The lead article as it appeared in Al-Naba’ weekly
(Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, November 12, 2021)

^[1] Based on ISIS’s claims of responsibility posted on Telegram ↑
^[2] Mostly according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility posted on Telegram

SOURCE: The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center