Iraq Situation Report: July 02 - 06, 2015
July 6, 2015 - Sinan Adnan
ISIS intensified its attacks against the ISF and Iraqi Shi’a militias in northern and western Iraq.
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Publications
Ukraine Crisis Update: July 2, 2015
July 2, 2015 - Hugo Spaulding
The rapid deterioration of political negotiations between the separatist “republics” and Kyiv may trigger a military escalation by the Russian-backed forces, which continue to conduct heavy indirect fire strikes against frontline Ukrainian positions.
ISIS’s Wilayat Sinai Launches Largest Offensive in Sheikh Zuweid
July 2, 2015 - Institute for the Study of War
ISIS’s most complex ground assault outside Iraq and Syria to date occurred in northern Sinai on July 1, suggesting the expansion of ISIS’s ground warfare to the Near Abroad. Previously ISIS’s attacks patterns across the region had primarily featured notable spectacular attacks.
Iraq Situation Report: June 30 - July 01, 2015
July 1, 2015 - Sinan Adnan
Various Iraqi Shi’a militias along with the Federal Police (FP) and elite units from the ISF appear to have made advances against ISIS in Baiji.
The Threat of New Al-Qaeda Leadership: The Case of Syria's Abu Mohammed Al-Joulani
June 30, 2015 - Jennifer Cafarella
The death of al-Qaeda’s general manager, Nasir al-Wahayshi, will likely disrupt al-Qaeda’s global operations until he is replaced. It is likely that al-Qaeda leader Aymen al-Zawahiri will nominate his replacement according to traditional leadership patterns. It is dangerous but plausible, however, that Zawahiri will seek to maximize the influence of newer al-Qaeda leaders. One possible candidate for future al-Qaeda leadership is Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, the leader of al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra.
Iraq Situation Report: June 27 - 29, 2015
June 29, 2015 - Sinan Adnan
There have been unconfirmed reports of advances by the Federal Police (FP) and Iranian-backed Iraqi Shi’a militias in Baiji district amid renewed clearing operations declared by the FP.
ISIS-Linked Regional Activity: June 2015
June 27, 2015 - Harleen Gambhir
ISIS’s affiliates gained new terrain in Libya and Afghanistan, while launching significant attacks in Yemen, Egypt, and Kuwait. ISIS also declared a new governorate in Russia’s North Caucasus. These gains allow the organization to offset territorial losses in Libya and northern Syria and maintain its claim that it is “Remaining and Expanding” a year after the declaration of the Caliphate.
Iraq Situation Report: June 25 - 26, 2015
June 26, 2015 - Sinan Adnan
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s Shi’a religious establishment (Hawza) has issued new guidance that is likely to increase the size of the armed groups fighting under its supervision and ultimately its base of popular support.
Ukraine Crisis Update: June 25, 2015
June 25, 2015 - Institute for the Study of War
Russian backed Separatist forces have launched multiple unsuccessful assaults on Marinka, a Ukrainian held town near Donetsk.