All posts tagged: Islamic State (IS) group

‘Race to the border’ as Islamic State group and JNIM clash in Niger

‘Race to the border’ as Islamic State group and JNIM clash in Niger

Published by Sam Flores

For the first time, the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM have clashed in West Africa’s Niger. While previous confrontations between the two jihadist groups had taken place in the tri-border area with Mali and Burkina Faso, they are now spreading toward a new border region between Niger, Nigeria, and Benin, in what FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr describes as a “race to the border” as the two groups vie for resources and recruits. Keywords for this article Source link

Former IS group child ‘fighters’ jailed in Iraq seek repatriation to France

Former IS group child ‘fighters’ jailed in Iraq seek repatriation to France

Published by Sam Flores

Three Frenchmen held in Iraq, forced to work for the Islamic State group as children, are seeking repatriation on the grounds they were victims of war, their lawyers said Friday. International humanitarian law prohibits the recruitment and use of children in hostilities. The men – taken to Syria by their jihadist parents aged 11 or 12 then made to take part in propaganda videos, fight or join IS group police – have filed legal documents in France claiming they were the victim of a war crime over their recruitment, a source with knowledge of the case told AFP. The three detainees are part of 5,700 suspected IS group “fighters” of 61 nationalities transferred from Syria to neighbouring Iraq earlier this year. France is investigating them for alleged “terrorist” crimes while in Syria. WatchIn Syria, fate of French families in IS group camps remains uncertain But according to their lawyers arguing for their repatriation, the French judicial system should instead be considering them as “war victims”. “No child chooses to be enlisted, and France is displaying the worst …

Somalia, the Islamic State group’s new front line in Africa – Reporters

Somalia, the Islamic State group’s new front line in Africa – Reporters

Published by Sam Flores

Jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group have established a stronghold in Somalia’s Puntland region, operating largely undisturbed across a vast mountainous area after setbacks in Iraq and Syria and using it as a base for wider operations in Africa and beyond. Local authorities have launched a major offensive, driving fighters from villages into cave positions amid ongoing clashes and mounting casualties, in a campaign officials say is crucial to restoring stability in Somalia and countering a broader global security threat. A report by Bastien Renouil, Will Swanson and ARTE.  The semi-autonomous Puntland government launched a major offensive to eliminate the group. Within months, its forces drove IS group fighters out of occupied villages, forcing them to take refuge in caves. Daily clashes continue, with casualties mounting on both sides. Despite the ongoing violence, the army is making progress and hopes to defeat the IS group soon. The battle is crucial not only for Somalia’s stability but also for global security. Source link

French jihadist sentenced to life in jail over IS group genocide of Iraq’s Yazidis

French jihadist sentenced to life in jail over IS group genocide of Iraq’s Yazidis

Published by Sam Flores

A French jihadist was sentenced to life in jail on Friday for involvement in Islamic State group atrocities against Iraq’s Yazidi minority, the first case in France to tackle the issue. The Paris Assizes Court found Sabri Essid guilty in absentia of genocide, crimes against humanity and complicity in the crimes, committed between 2014 and 2016 when the jihadists occupied swathes of northern Syria and Iraq. “Sabri Essid took part in the genocide perpetrated by the Islamic State group,” presiding judge Marc Sommerer told the court. “Essid became part of the criminal network repeatedly buying and reselling a very large number of Yazidi victims,” he said, adding the court judged that the group had “specifically targeted” the Yazidi minority for its religious beliefs. The Islamic State group regarded the Yazidis, who follow a pre-Islamic faith, as heretics. Essid, a Frenchman born in 1984 and who joined the IS group in Syria in 2014, is presumed to have been killed in 2018. But without proof of his death, he was tried and convicted in absentia. He …

Two men charged with terror after nail bomb thrown at NY anti-Islam protest

Two men charged with terror after nail bomb thrown at NY anti-Islam protest

Published by Sam Flores

Two men were charged Monday with “terrorist” offences for throwing a nail bomb near a weekend anti-Islam protest, after which the pair told police they were aligned with the Islamic State group, charging documents showed. The two men, both US citizens, are in custody after allegedly being involved in tossing the bomb packed with explosives. “This is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, using another name for the Islamic State (IS) group. She said it was not thought to be linked to the ongoing conflict in Iran. No one was hurt during the incident. Read moreHistoric bomb cyclone paralyses US Northeast with record snowfall Two suspicious devices were thrown by a man identified by police as Emir Balat near the protest Saturday led by a far-right influencer to oppose public Muslim prayer. An AFP correspondent at the scene heard Balat shout “Allahu akbar” (“God is the greatest”) during the incident, which is under investigation by counter-terrorism detectives. According to the charging document the men “referred to ISIS in …

Islamic State group claims deadly attack on Niamey airport in Niger

Islamic State group claims deadly attack on Niamey airport in Niger

Published by Sam Flores

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on the airport in Niger’s capital Niamey in a statement on Friday, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity and communications worldwide. The claim of responsibility was contained in a statement on Amaq News Agency, the group’s propaganda wing, that said it was “a surprise and coordinated attack” that inflicted heavy losses. The IS group’s affiliate in the region has been linked to high-profile attacks in Niger in recent months, killing over a 120 people in strikes targeting the Tillaberi region in September and abducting an American pilot in October. Niger’s government said in a statement that the attackers arrived on motorcycles and security forces quickly repelled their advance, killing 20 of the attackers and arresting 11 others. Material losses at the airport included a stash of ammunition that caught fire, the government said, and several civilian airplanes that were damaged. Read moreGunfire and explosions heard near airport in Niger’s capital, residents say Niger has struggled to contain deadly jihadist violence that has battered parts of Africa’s …

US officials enter Al-Hol camp in Syria

US officials enter Al-Hol camp in Syria

Published by Sam Flores

The United Nations announced it will assume control of the Al-Hol camp in north-eastern Syria, which houses thousands of people suspected of having links to the Islamic State group, after Kurdish-led forces that had been managing the facility withdrew amid an advance by Syrian government troops. Yinka Oyetade reports. Keywords for this article Source link

Syria’s government says it has struck ceasefire deal with Kurdish-led forces

Syria’s government says it has struck ceasefire deal with Kurdish-led forces

Published by Sam Flores

The ‍Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire ​on all fronts on Sunday after days of fighting as ​the army advanced into Kurdish-held territories in the northeast. Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said he agreed to the deal to avoid a broader war. He made the decision after deadly clashes in the Syrian city of Raqa Sunday between Kurdish-led forces and local fighters loyal to Damascus, and fighting this month between the Kurds and government forces. The agreement will also see the Kurdish administration and forces integrate into the state after months of stalled negotiations on the issue. But it marks a blow for the minority, which has long held ambitions of preserving the de facto autonomy they had exercised over areas they held for over a decade. Sharaa announced the agreement to reporters on Sunday. He said had had been scheduled to meet Abdi, who heads the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but that it had been postponed until Monday due to poor weather. “In …