Islamic State

Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorists fight it out in the Sahel

This article was written by Ana Maria Baloi and originally published on Grey Dynamics.  Why Does This Matter The Islamic State’s (IS) newspaper al-Naba reported that heavy fighting between the IS-affiliated Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) and al-Qaeda-aligned Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has been ongoing since 17 April 2020. ISGS blames JNIM for […]

American strategy in North Africa

This article was written by Louis Tayler and originally published on Grey Dynamics.  Key Judgements AFRICOM’s mission in North Africa is to limit the instability caused by the second Libyan Civil War. This mission has achieved some measure of success. AFRICOM, and by extension, the United States, has a de-facto neutrality policy regarding the second Libyan […]

30 years ago Iraq invaded Kuwait and changed the Middle East forever

In the mid-summer of 1990, Saddam Hussein made a decision that changed the face of the Middle East and sealed the fate of Iraq and his own rule. In the early morning hours of August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait and in a lightning operation, quickly took over the country in just two days.  […]

Iraqi TV shows clips of dead American soldiers & burned vehicles

An animated video, which is an obvious threat for the United States to get out of Iraq, was shown on al Etejah Television. The short 45-second video portrays American troops as occupiers and the fist of Kata’ib Hezbollah, wrapped in the Iraqi and Hezbollah flags, smashing American vehicles and tanks with the slogan, “expel the […]

US drone strike kills 7 Islamic State fighters in Somalia

On Thursday, the United State’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, conducted an airstrike against ISIS terrorists from the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS). The airstrike took place as Somalian Puntland Security Forces (PSF) were conducting an operation in a remote location in the Iskushuban area of the Bari region near […]

British SAS commandos kill 100 ISIS Jihadists in silent campaign

The British SAS have been conducting several operations in the hilly, remote part of northern Iraq. They have been targeting ISIS leadership in an attempt to stop the terrorist group’s resurgence. ISIS has been largely, but not completely eradicated from Iraq.  The U.K. special operators have been working closely with Kurdish resistance fighters who have […]

Russian patrol in Syria ambushed by massive IED

A joint Russian-Turkish vehicle patrol in northwest Syria’s Idlib Province was hit with a massive improvised explosive device (IED) on Tuesday morning at 0850 hours local time. Three Russian troops and several Turks were injured in the blast. Both Russian and Turkish vehicles were damaged in the attack.  Although the Russians and Turks support opposing […]

US troops will keep deploying to Iraq

After conducting meetings with the Iraqi government, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is confident that the United States will continue to have an enduring presence in Iraq for the foreseeable future. General McKenzie was in Baghdad on Tuesday for a meeting with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi. […]

Iraqis crackdown on Iranian proxies amid renewed missile attacks

On Saturday night, two missiles, one targeting the Green Zone where the American Embassy is located and another the Taji base north of Baghdad, were launched. The first rocket was launched from the Ali al-Saleh area of Baghdad and landed next to a home close to a TV station in the Green Zone, injuring a […]

Iraqi government held hostage by Iranian proxies

After talks between Washington and Baghdad on resetting the relationship between the two countries, the Iraqis finally took action against Iranian proxy militias that have been launching mortar and rocket fire attacks at bases housing U.S. troops. Iraqi inaction had been a major thorn in the U.S.’s side for months. As a result, the Iraqi […]

Italian security services bust a $1 billion ISIS drug shipment

Italian police made a huge drug bust when they impounded three suspicious container ships on Wednesday that contained 15.4 tons (14 metric tons) of amphetamines, manufactured by ISIS in Syria. Law enforcement officials said the haul is the world’s largest drug bust in terms of both value and quantity. Authorities were tipped off about the […]

Qwat al-Khasah: The battle-hardened Iraqi Special Operations unit

Coalition Special Operations forces have been fighting the good fight in Iraq for over 17 years. The face of the enemy has somewhat changed over the years, but the tactics the enemy uses to inflict damage and terror have largely remained the same. Our Special Operations units have proved their worth time and time again […]