PERSPECTIVE: Can We Repatriate the ISIS Children?
They were either brought, or born, into the terrorist group by their parents who served ISIS in various capacities. Keep Reading
The Security Threat COVID-19 Poses to the Northern Syria Detention Camps Holding Islamic State Members
Even without a single confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in detention facilities holding alleged Islamic State affiliates in northeastern Syria, the pandemic is complicating a range of humanitarian and security challenges within the prisons and camps. Keep Reading
U.S. Used Missile with Long Blades to Kill Qaeda Leader in Syria
American and Qaeda officials said that Khaled al-Aruri, the de facto leader of the Qaeda branch, called Hurras al-Din, perished in a drone strike in Idlib in northwest Syria on June 14. Keep Reading
The Security Risk Posed by ISIS Women Smuggling Their Way Out of Camp Hol
The SDF acknowledges these escapes, most recently confirming Swedish news reports that ISIS women from the Netherlands, France, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden have all been smuggled out of the camp in recent months. Keep Reading
ISIS on the Iraqi-Syrian Border: Thriving Smuggling Networks
While counterterrorism efforts initially focused on the group’s centers in Mosul and Raqqa, it is the areas adjacent to the Iraq-Syria borders that would prove to be the group’s last stand after major defeats. Keep Reading
Kurdish-Led SDF Launches Large-Scale Operation Against ISIS in Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a large-scale operation on Thursday against the Islamic State in Syria's Deir al-Zor province after a recent increase in attacks by the extremist group. Keep Reading
Remaining and Expanding: The Recovery of Islamic State Operations in Iraq in 2019-2020
The Islamic State continues to show very significant resilience inside Iraq, undertaking a surge in attack activities in the second half of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. Keep Reading
Coalition Strike Kills Senior ISIS Leader Wanted by the U.S.
A senior Islamic State leader the U.S. had put a $5 million bounty on was killed this week in a coalition airstrike aided by Syrian partner forces, officials said. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
ISIS Is Using Coronavirus to Rebuild Its Terrorism Network in Iraq and Syria
COVID-19 has cut a wide swath of pain and loss across a world which has struggled to keep pace with a deadly virus that has moved swiftly across borders. Keep Reading
ISIS Women Raise ISIS Flag, Create Chaos at al-Hol Camp
Mercenary women of ISIS at al-Hol camp, have repeated the chaos in the camp, through gatherings and repeated killings that are often the victims of Iraqi refugees. Keep Reading
Terror Fire Season: ISIS Ramps Up Use of Wildfire Arson as Simple Tactic
Highlighting the danger of scorching summers, terrorists have linked their calls for wildland arson to recent devastating fires. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
Senior al-Qaeda Leader Urges Americans, Europeans to Pressure Governments to Withdraw from Middle East – So They Can Focus on Coronavirus at Home
Such a move would help those countries deal with the economic aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, he claimed. Keep Reading
‘Risk of a Mass Breakout’ at ISIS Prison Camps in Syria: Report
Published on Wednesday, the quarterly Inspector General report -- covering January through March of this year -- provided Congress an update on the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Keep Reading
Seven ISIS Militants Escape Jail in Syria; Four Are Recaptured
Seven members of Islamic State escaped from a small prison in northeastern Syria on Sunday, but four were recaptured and a search continued for the remaining three, said Syrian state media and an official with the main Kurdish-led U.S.-backed force in the region. Keep Reading
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Pakistani Doctor with Trying to Join ISIS
Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood made several statements to others, including pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and its leader, and expressing his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. Keep Reading
Global Maritime Advisory Warns Industry to Watch for ‘Novel Ways’ to Evade Sanctions
Mariners along with the energy and metal sectors were alerted by the State Department, Treasury Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard to watch for "deceptive shipping practices" intended for Iran, North Korea and Syria to evade sanctions. Keep Reading
Countries Certified as Not Cooperating Fully with U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts
The Department of State notified Congress that Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Cuba were certified under Section 40A(a) of the Arms Export Control Act as “not cooperating fully” with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2019. Keep Reading
How Assad’s Atrocities Became a Powerful Motivator for Terrorist Recruitment
Lessons for the world to learn about how terrorist groups use humanitarian crises to influence and engage youth. Keep Reading
U.S. SOF Troops and Kurdish Fighters Take Down ISIS Cell Leader
U.S. Special Operation Forces led a Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operation against an Islamic State cell in Syria in response to increased ISIS attacks in the region. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
ISIS Extremists Step Up Attacks as Iraq, Syria Grapple with Virus
The man wearing an explosive vest emerged from a car and calmly marched toward the gates of the intelligence building in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk. When he ignored their shouts to halt, guards opened fire, and he blew himself up. Keep Reading