Islamic State is forced from Kobane
After months of fighting for control of the Syrian border town, the Islamic State has withdrawn from Kobane in the face of advances by Kurdish forces and Syrian rebels.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss
Islamic State assaults Iraqi Army base in Anbar
The Islamic State claims to have breached the perimeter of Camp Habbaniyah. The attack is reported to have been repelled by the Iraqi Army.
Jihadists continue to advertise training camps in Iraq and Syria
New camps belonging to the Islamic State, the Al Nusrah Front, the Chechen Jaish al Muhajireen wal Ansar, the Syrian Harakat Fajr al Sham al Islamiya, the Uzbek group Imam Bukhari Jamaat, and Jaish al Islam have been identified.
Islamic State routs Hezbollah Brigades unit north of Baghdad
The Northern Baghdad Belt remains contested ground between the Islamic State and Iraqi government forces and their Shiite militia allies.
Leader of Iranian-backed militia killed in eastern Iraq
The leader of the Mukhtar Army, who was also the secretary-general of Hezbollah in Iraq, was killed in Diyala province. Supporters of the Islamic State claimed the group is responsible for his death.
Taliban publicize training camp in northern Afghanistan
The Taliban are training fighters in Faryab province and have overrun Khamyab district in Jawzjan province.
Islamic State retakes Baiji after Iraqi forces withdraw
Iraqi forces withdrew from the city yesterday just one month after retaking it from the Islamic State with the help of Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham advance in northwestern Syria
The Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, backed by Jund al Aqsa, Ahrar al Sham, and several other groups, has launched an offensive on two major regime bases in the northwestern province of Idlib.
Islamic State overruns town in Anbar, executes Awakening fighters
The jihadist group remains on the offensive in the western Iraqi province.
French troops kill MUJAO founder during raid in Mali
In a midnight raid in the Gao region of Mali, the French military killed Ahmed el Tilemsi. He had a long history of al Qaeda ties, and was wanted by the United States.
Islamic State overruns Badr Brigade position near Samarra
The jihadist group also launched suicide attacks and assaults in towns around the central Iraqi city.
Taliban video shows training and planning for Camp Bastion attack
The video is very similar to previous footage that shows a different suicide assault on Camp Bastion in September 2012.
Jihadists tout training camps for children in Iraq and Syria
The Islamic State, the Al Nusrah Front, the Islamic Front, and Junud al Sham have been showcasing camps in Iraq and Syria that are used to indoctrinate and train children to wage jihad.
More jihadist training camps identified in Iraq and Syria
Four new training camps in Iraq and Syria, three of them operated by the Islamic State, have been identified, including one used by a so-called jihadist “special forces” unit. The Long War Journal has identified 46 jihadist training camps in Iraq and Syria.
Iraqi forces, Iranian-supported militias report success in Baiji
The League of the Righteous, a Shiite militia that is responsible for killing hundreds of US soldiers in Iraq between 2006-2011, helped Iraqi forces take control of Baiji. The US provided air support.
3 new jihadist training camps identified in Syria
Training camps run by the Al Nusrah Front, the Khorasan Group, and a Chechen-led group, Khalifat Jamaat, were identified in Syria. The Long War Journal has identified 42 jihadist training camps in Iraq and Syria.
French warplanes bomb Islamic State camp in Iraq
French warplanes hit an Islamic State training facility, recruitment center, and IED factory in Hawijah in Salahaddin province on Oct. 23.
Jihadist training camps proliferate in Iraq and Syria
More than 30 training camps have been established by the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and allied jihadist groups in both Iraq and Syria since 2012.
Islamic State photos highlight group’s grip on Ramadi
The jihadist group released photographs showing its fighters manning checkpoints in the 7 Kilo area west of Ramadi and in control of a base in Albu Aytha, just north of the provincial capital.
Al Nusrah Front releases photos of training camp in northwestern Syria
The al Qaeda branch is operating camps in Syria despite US airstrikes, which have not targeted the group since Sept. 22.
Islamic State photos detail rout of Iraqi Army at Camp Saqlawiya
The Islamic State seized or destroyed at least one M1 Abrams tank, four M113 armored personnel carriers, 15 Iraqi Army Humvees, a BMP infantry fighting vehicle, and other trucks.
Islamic State ambushes Iraqi military column near Ramadi
The Islamic State was able to destroy an Iraqi armored column near Ramadi in Anbar province, as well as take over an Iraqi police checkpoint.
Islamic State overruns Iraqi military base in Anbar
The Islamic State organized and successfully executed the large-scale assault despite six weeks of continuous US air operations in Iraq.
Islamic State assaults city in Syrian Kurdistan
The border town of Kobane is under siege from the Islamic State, which continues to advance in Aleppo province.