Islamic State

Iraqi armed forces conduct large counterterrorism operations against ISIS

In a large combined operation carried out over two different directorates and from four different axes of advance, the Iraqi military is attacking ISIS in an attempt to root out the terrorist group from their last remaining areas in the country.  ISIS (or Daesh, as they’re locally called) terrorists tried to take advantage of the […]

The Pic of the Day: Special Forces operators train in Syria

Green Berets prepare to breach an entryway during a readiness exercise near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, April 25, 2020. Coalition and partner forces regularly train on tactics and various weapon systems in an enduring effort to defeat of Daesh in southern Syria. Special Forces teams have deployed to Iraq and Syria since 2015 for the fight […]

Wagner Group: Russian mercenaries still floundering in Africa

Russia’s Wagner Group is having an increasingly difficult time in Africa. About a year ago, Moscow was crowing about beating the West and China in securing private military contracts, underbidding several western countries’ bids by touting their “Syrian Model” of success. As a result, they ended landing upwards of 20 private military contracts in Africa. […]

A religious war: Jihadists in the Sahel target Christians

One of the underreported aspects of the violence in the Sahel is the ongoing targeting of Christians and their churches, which threatens to drive them out of the area for good. According to an annual report by the Christian charity organization, Open Doors, 27 Islamist groups repeatedly target Christians in the Sahel.  Climate change played […]

German police arrests four ISIS terrorists plotting to attack US bases

German law enforcement officers arrested four Islamic State sympathizers who were plotting to attack U.S. installations and personnel in the country. The four men came from Tajikistan. Identified only by their first names and the first letter of their surname (Azizjon B., Muhammadali G., Farhodshoh K., and Sunatullokh K.), they age between 24- and 32-years-old. […]

The Pic of the Day: Iraqi Special Forces getting the word

An officer with the Qwat Al-Khasah, Special Forces of Iraq, speaks to the soldiers preparing to go out on a mission during the training stage for an upcoming mission with the United States Special Operations Force at Camp Taji, Iraq March 7, 2020. The Qwat al Khasah, Special Forces of Iraq, are leading a coalition […]

Treading carefully: How American troops are protecting Kurdish oil fields

American troops stationed in eastern Syria have the difficult and dangerous job of guarding the very oil-rich Kurdish-held land. And everyone — the Syrian government, the Russians, the Turks, and ISIS — wants to control it.  The area is developing into a very dangerous place for the American troops: They’ve come under attack from a […]

Sweden sends 150 commandos to augment French SOF task force

The Swedish government is planning to send helicopters and 150 special forces operators to augment the French-led Special Operations Task Force in the Sahel, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said in a release. In January, SOFREP had reported that the Swedish government was contemplating the option and weighing the pros and cons.  “The government has decided […]

US airstrikes against Kara’ib Hizbollah are well-warranted

The United States launched multiple airstrikes against Iranian-led Shia militias across Iraq in response to the latest rocket attack on the base at Taji that houses coalition troops. In the Taji attack, two U.S. and one U.K medical specialist were killed, with 12 wounded, five of them seriously.  The American airstrikes began at 1:00 a.m. […]

US strikes back at Iranian proxies behind deadly rocket attack in Iraq

In response to the deadly rockets against a Coalition base in Iraq, the U.S. military conducted targeted strikes against an Iranian-backed militia believed to be behind the attack. According to the Department of Defense (DoD), the airstrikes targeted five weapon storage facilities of the Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), a Shia paramilitary terror group. KH is believed […]

Pentagon identifies fallen Marine Raiders killed in Kurdistan

The Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) has identified the two Marine Raiders, who were killed in action, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, March 8. The two Critical Skills Operators killed in action are Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, a critical skills operator from Simi Valley, Calif., and Capt. Moises A. Navas, a special operations officer […]

The Video of the Week: Rangers assault ISIS stronghold in Afghanistan

This video shows a joint Special Operations assault force comprised of American Rangers and Afghan Special Security Forces raiding an ISIS stronghold in Afghanistan. The operation took place on April 11, 2018, and resulted in the death of 22 ISIS fighters. The operation occurred six days after Qari Hekmatullah, the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) emir […]