Islamic State Says America and the Taliban Are Conspiring in Afghanistan, Continues to Focus on Africa

The 252nd edition of Al-Naba, the weekly newsletter of the Islamic State (IS), was released on 17 September.

Al-Naba 252 contained reports of guerrilla attacks and targeted assassinations at the Centre—against Iraqi security forces and the Iranian proxy militias in the Hashd al-Shabi in Iraq, and against the SDF/PKK in eastern Syria—and the “West African State”, Chad and Niger specifically. IS has been making the Maghreb a primary front since the caliphate collapsed. There was, as ever, the ideological essay on page eleven (of twelve).

SDF Lends a Helping Hand to Assad

Converging news sources said today that more than 800 tanks belonging to Hossam al-Qatirji’s company, affiliated with the regime, entered the areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to transport oil to the Homs refinery.

Al-Mishri rejects Haftar-Mitig Libyan oil deal

The Head of the High Council of State Khalid Al-Mishri rejected Sunday the deal made by the member of the Presidential Council Ahmed Mitig and Khalifa Haftar’s son Khalid to resume oil production and exports, saying in a letter to the Presidential Council Head and members – two days after the deal was announced – that the deal violated Libyan Political Agreement laws.

Defense Ministry in Tripoli refused to obey the Libyan Government

The readiness to accept any decision of the Libyan government, except for the one in which Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar participates, was expressed by the plenipotentiary Minister of Defense in the Government of National Accord (GNA) Salah ad-Din al-Nimrush on September 20, learned BulgarianMilitary.com citing the press service of the Ministry of Defense in Tripoli statement.

The new Eastern Mediterranean crisis

Earlier this month, six boats carrying Syrian and Lebanese migrants set sail from northern Lebanon and attempted to dock in Cyprus. That might not sound like much, yet it is six times more than the total number of migrant vessels that have embarked for Cyprus from Lebanon over the last year. A fast boat can cover the 185km between Tripoli and Cape Greco, a rocky outcrop in the southeast of the island, in six hours. And with Lebanon’s government in shambles, these calm, largely unpoliced waters are a smuggler’s dream.

Evacuating Incirlik airbase could mark end to US-Turkey alliance

While Turkish-Western relations have been overshadowed by clouds of differences over the past few years, Greek media recently reported that the US eyes relocating its forces from Turkey’s Incirlik airbase to another base in one of the Greek islands. Washington Examiner news website, quoting Senator of Wisconsin who chairs Senate Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Ron Johnson, reported that the UN navy is building a base in Crete island in the Souda Bay south of the country.