Pierluigi Paganini
July 11, 2016
GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE INSIGHT
Global Intelligence Insight delivers reports on worldwide jihadist operations with a particular focus on the Middle East and North of Africa, partnering with SecurityAffairs.co and Security Media Publishing.
All data are collected through both open and closed sources and thoroughly analyzed by experienced intelligence professionals, making use of rigorous methodologies in order to produce a trustworthy summary of the developments in the different theaters of operation, and also prospective assessments of what is most likely to happen next.
Global Intelligence Insight is a Cyber Intelligence company that gathers information from protected channels (Deep & Dark Web) and social media websites, delivering detailed analysis and live feed insights in order to provide support to our clients’ decision making processes.
We make use of a bespoke toolset collection, resulting of a balanced combination of automated and eyes-on monitoring.
Source Evaluation – Mostly Reliable (B)
Information/Intelligence Evaluation (1)
Handling Code (1)
Authors – Vasco Da Cruz Amador
Paolo Cardoso
As we have been predicting since May last year in our Intelligence Assessment Bulletins, ISIS successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.successfully continues to widen its range of terror attacks in the Middle East.
The deadliest (292 dead) was in a shopping center in the Shiite neighborhood of Karrada, central Baghdad – one of the busiest and most crowded places of the city – with a VBIED, a truck loaded with explosives.
The attack was executed in the peak of the shopping frenzy in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying the attacker as “Abu Maha, the Iraqi”.
In addition, another IED exploded in Al-Shaab, a Shiite neighborhood in northern Baghdad, killing 37.
Also, in Saudi Arabia there were 3 suicide bombings: near the US Consulate in Jeddah, in a Shiite mosque in the Qatif Governorate, and near the Grand Mosque in the city of Medina.
Even though they did not claim responsibility for the attacks, Saudi security sources confirmed that ISIS was the perpetrator. The suicide bomber near the prophet’s mosque in Medina was identified as Naer Hammad AlNajadi, a Saudi National (pictured below).
According to the Intelligence gathered through our WEBINT monitoring tool, mixed information was released by Pro-ISIS Telegram channels, where they were adamant in denying the responsibility for these attacks, but admitting later that the attack in Medina was executed by a “brother”.
According to information gathered from our ground sources, media reports, and WEBINT monitoring tool, we believe the airport attack was indeed perpetrated by ISIS.
A squad of five operatives was sent to Turkey one month ago, from Raqqah, Syria. The three terrorists who carried out the attack rented an apartment in Istanbul’s Fatih district. All of them presented Russian passports and signed a one-year lease.
A man named Rıza Coskun, who has been in jail 6 months ago on the suspicion of being an ISIS affiliate, was the real estate agent who rented the apartment.
The Turkish security forces managed to identify Coskun in a phone call between him and one of the three terrorists, just before the attack.
The attackers were carrying explosive belts/vests, Kalashnikov assault rifles and hand grenades (two hand grenades did not explode and were found after the attack). On the evening of the attack, they took a taxi to the international terminal of the airport, and waited for half an hour outside, before each of them went in different directions to execute their plan.
This attack had the same MO of Paris and Brussels, making use of advanced planning and intelligence gathering.
39 individuals were already detained, suspected of involvement in the attack. As for the three perpetrators, they were foreign operatives: an Uzbek, a Kyrgyz and a Russian from Dagestan.
Among the detainees, there’s also a Chechen national named Ahmed Catayev, suspect of having planned this and the two previous attacks in Istanbul on Istiklal Street and in The Sultan Ahmet Square.
Abu Kamal, Jun.29: The New Syrian Army,
Sirte and Benghazi: The forces of the Government of National Accord continue to fight near the Sirte’s city center. They have reportedly completed the takeover of “Neighborhood 700”, and are surrounding the convention center used by ISIS as headquarters. At the same time, the forces of General Khalifa Haftar continue their operation to cleanse western Benghazi, which is held by ISIS and a jihadi organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Jul.04: ISIS announced that operatives of the Abu Sayyaf organization from the Philippines (which previously belonged to AQ) pledged allegiance to the “Caliph” Al-Baghdadi and announced the establishment of a new province in the Philippines.
Also, another Philippines-based Salafist-jihad organization named Al-Muhajer Battalion, pledged allegiance to ISIS’s leader. The organization is also called “The Foreigners” (Al-Ghurabaa), since most of its operatives are foreigners, mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia.
To this day, we continue to intercept constant praises for the Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, along with the insisting threat of a new attack to be executed in Berlin, Germany.
Several Pro-ISIS channels were initially very adamant in denying responsibility for the attacks in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Screenshots of the Dallas Police Dept. United Cyber Caliphate & follow-up threads on Telegramhack, by the United Cyber Caliphate & follow-up threads on Telegramhack, by the United Cyber Caliphate & follow-up threads on Telegram.
Pro-ISIS channels were ecstatic with the Dallas shooting.
“We are all Osama” – screenshot of the video released on Jul.09 featuring Osama Bin Laden’s son, Hamza Bin Laden, vowing revenge for the death of his father
One of the most intriguing aspects following the recent attacks in Turkey and Saudi Arabia is the absence of claim of responsibility. But the intelligence we have gathered leads us to conclude it was indeed ISIS the perpetrator.
This reluctance may be connected with 3 factors:
#1 – not wanting to endanger their operatives and collaborators in both of these countries;
#2 – not wanting to give Turkey a pretext for severe acts of revenge – Turkey is still their main logistical center;
#3 – not wanting negative PR: attacking muslims during the month of Ramadan seriously affected the organization’s reputation, in a time where they are trying to bolster their ranks with new recruits.muslims during the month of Ramadan seriously affected the organization’s reputation, in a time where they are trying to bolster their ranks with new recruits.
Heavy fighting will continue in Manbij, Syria, with constant territorial gains and losses on both sides. ISIS’s defense lines are extremely well entrenched here.
In Iraq, the effort to establish a base-point to launch the offensive to retake Mosul continues.
On Jul.08 the Iraqi military received a new batch of Mi-28NE “Night Hunters” from Russia. We can foresee that the planning of a full assault is well under way.
Still, the recent bombings in Karrada and Al-Shaab pass the clear message that despite the fall of Fallujah, ISIS’s planning and operational capabilities are still intact
Author Bio:
Philip Ingram MBE – A journalist and entrepreneur who has built on a long and senior military career as an intelligence officer and planner. He´s a business planner, mentor and author of business planning articles for the IoD and security related articles for SecurityNewsDesk.com and SecurityMiddleEast.com and for the Middle East Security Expo INTERSEC.
Vasco Da Cruz Amador – Well experienced in counter surveillance and counter-intelligence with a vast experience at the field. Managed risk management Projects worldwide with a special emphasis in Africa and Middle East mostly in hostile environments. Former Team Leader of a Covert Unit. Played an active role as Intel Analyst for 2008 Angolan elections, as well as TL for 2010 World Soccer Cup in South Africa, mostly developed in Cape Town.Intel Analyst for 2008 Angolan elections, as well as TL for 2010 World Soccer Cup in South Africa, mostly developed in Cape Town.
Paolo Cardoso, MA – With over 10 years of experience in Public Diplomacy and Business Intelligence, and having developed several strategic investment projects in the fields of Security, Defense and Energy in Kosovo, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia and Russian Federation, today he is the President and Co-founder of the Portuguese Euro-Atlantic Diplomacy Agency, and an Intelligence Analyst at Global Intelligence Insight.
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(Security Affairs –Terrorism, intelligence)
Data Breach / November 21, 2024
