ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

 A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest near a mosque in Syria's northern city of Idlib on Friday, killing a body guard of a key jihadi commander and other rebels as well, activists said. The bomber set off his explosives in front of the Abi Thar mosque in the rebel-held city of Idlib, targeting the Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini, a prominent religious figure of the Front for Liberating the Levant, otherwise known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, Idlib-based activists said. The explosion killed one of the bodyguards of al-Muhaysini, and other jihadists. However, it's not yet clear whether al-Muhaysini was killed or not, amid reports that he might have escaped unscathed. The attack is believed to have been carried out by rival jihadi groups, which want to see an end to the influence of the Nusra Front in Idlib. The Nusra Front is designated as a terror group by the international community, and it has been excluded from all recent truces and agreements, inc

FILE IMAGE [Photo via Newscom] ISIS began transferring its important HQs from the terrorist group’s self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa – currently under attack by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – to Al-Mayadeen city in the Deir Ezzor countryside, the Associated Press reported citing American security sources and Syrian activists According to the sources, several ISIS commanders fled the besieged cities of Mosul and Raqqa in the last few months and headed to Al-Mayadeen which is entirely under the control of the terrorist organization. They are using the city as a HQ for planning terrorist operations in western countries. According to US officials, the US-led coalition is aware of the presence of these commanders in Al-Mayadeen city, and that’s why the US-led coalition recently stepped up air strikes on ISIS positions in Al-Mayadeen. Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led coalition said “if we find them and know where they are, we will strike them.” The Deir Ezzor provi

A vehicle of the Philippine Army The Philippine government announced on Friday that the Philippine Army is now in control of 90% of Marawi City. The Philippine Army added that some ISIS fighters who took over the southern Philippine city of Marawi last month may have been hiding among civilians who were evacuated from the city in order to escape the fighting that continue for the fourth week in a row. Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said that security measures have been tightened in the cities of Elijan and Cagayan de Oro and the authorities are looking for any suspicious figures who may be trying to “spread confusion and fear”. The general added “We’re not denying that there’s probably a few who may have slipped along with the evacuees from Marawi going to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.” According to the Philippine Army, at least 200 local ISIS fighters pluse foreign fighters remain inside Marawi as the Philippine army is working to exterminate them as soon as possible.

In southeastern Syria, the region around al-Tanf has quickly become a focal point for the ongoing conflict in the region. Near to both  the Iraqi and Jordanian borders (see map below), al-Tanf is currently the location of a contingent of US-led coalition forces , supposedly there for the purpose of providing training to ‘anti-ISIS’ militias, but also anti-Assad militias too – the fabled ‘moderate rebels’. Not surprisingly, the US-led coalition has unilaterally imposed a self-styled ‘ deconfliction zone ‘ around their camp in al-Tanf and claim to be defending their position from ‘pro-Syrian forces’, otherwise known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied militias. It has been reported by mainstream media outlets that coalition members represented at al-Tanf include not only the United States but also the British SAS, and also possibly Norway too. Click to see the full-size image Although coalition forces are also present in other parts of Syria, including the area around Raqqa,

© AFP 2017/ ANATOLII STEPANOV The UN has released a report  ( link )  covering a dramatic deteoration of the situation in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine as well as a pure human rights situation and a systematic use of torture practices in Ukraine. “The report covers the period from 16 February to 15 May 2017, during which the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) recorded 36 conflict-related civilian deaths and 157 injuries – a 48 per cent increase on the previous reporting period from 16 November 2016 to 15 February 2017.  There were daily ceasefire violations and routine use of small arms and light and heavy weapons in the conflict zone. Such attacks and the resulting damage to critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and water facilities, raise serious concerns for the protection of civilians, the report notes.  The report warns that, as summer approaches, there is a risk of further escalation in hostilities, as in previous years.” Yest

FILE IMAGE The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the US militay deployed High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from Jordan to Syria. “ The US has redeployed two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems from Jordan to a US special operations forces base near the Syrian town of al-Tanf  [at the Syrian border with Iraq]. Deployment of any foreign weaponry to Syria, especially multiple artillery rocket systems, has to be coordinated with the sovereign state’s government”, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that these sytems cannot provide a support to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces storming the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah. Instead, they pose a direct threat to government forces. “ The US-led anti-Daesh coalition has several times already attacked Syrian government forces fighting Daesh [ISIS] near the Jordanian border. It is possible to assume that similar strikes could be continued in the future, involving HIMARS from now on

Romeo Ranoco/Reuters According to a Philippines politician, Zia Alonto Adiong, residents fleeing Marawi City said they have seen hundreds of dead bodies on the front lines as they fled the city. According to the politician, at least 100 bodies were seen at the entrances to Marawi City. “Dead bodies, at least 100, are scattered around the encounter area,” Adiong said. From its side, the Philippine Army said it could not confirm or deny these reports. Philippines military sources said at least 290 people have been killed in more than three weeks of clashes, including 206 extremists, 58 soldiers and 26 civilians. Last week ISIS published a video from Marawi showing its fighters executing civilians in the city. This means that reports of massacres are often true. Yesterday, ISIS claimed the killing of five Philippines soldiers by sniper fire in Mabandi district in Marawi City, moreover they claimed killing three other soldiers during clashes in Moncado district. Spokesm

A screenshot from the video The video shows a moment when Houthi forces targeted a Saudi vessel carrying weapons for troops involved in the Saudi-led coalition oepration in Yemen. The pro-Houthi media outlet  Al Masirah TV reported  on Wednesday, that the Yemeni Navy targeted the vessel off the coast near the port of Mocha. According to pro-Houthi sources, the vessel was destroyed. However, the video does not allow to confirm this.