Feeds

ISIS has expanded its posture in Diyala, an area in which it has clashed for territory. Iraqi Shi’a militias have, however, held a line against ISIS advances at Khalis.

ISIS continues to threaten tribes as it attempts to enforce the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the self-proclaimed Caliph of the Islamic State.

ISIS attacked the northwest Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhmiya for the second time in a week, this time employing an SVBIED. This indicates that ISIS can still attack heavily protected areas in Baghdad with vehicles.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a public sermon in his proclaimed role as Caliph Ibrahim, the leader of the Islamic State, presenting a major challenge to al-Qaeda senior leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The public appearance of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Mosul and the destruction of shrines and mosques in Mosul and Tal Afar indicate that ISIS control in northern Iraq is uncontested.