news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] According to the Associated Press report on July 17, the US Central Command issued a warning on the same day that the number of attacks launched by the extremist organization "Islamic State" this year may be twice that of 2023. The increase in the number of attacks means that the organization may be trying to reorganize.

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that from January to June 2024, the Islamic State has launched 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. According to this trend, the number of attacks by the Islamic State this year will double that of last year. A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press that the Islamic State carried out about 121 attacks in Syria and Iraq last year.

The statement said that in the first half of 2024, the US Central Command cooperated with the Iraqi security forces and the Syrian anti-government armed forces "Syrian Democratic Forces" to carry out a series of operations, killing 8 senior leaders of the "Islamic State" and arresting 32 leaders. These leaders are responsible for planning attacks in Iraq and Syria, as well as recruitment, training and weapons smuggling.

The US Central Command believes that the increase in the number of attacks by the Islamic State this year means that the organization may be trying to reorganize. The statement stressed that continuing to hunt down the approximately 2,500 Islamic State militants operating in Iraq and Syria is the key to completely eliminating the organization.

"The global fight against ISIS relies on the joint efforts of allies and partners," said General Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. "We will continue to focus our efforts specifically on ISIS members who seek to launch attacks in Iraq and Syria, as well as those who seek to rebuild their armed group."

The extremist organization "Islamic State" has rapidly expanded in Iraq and Syria since 2014, announcing the establishment of the so-called "caliphate" and designating the northern Syrian city of Raqqa as its "capital."

However, under the attack of the multinational coalition, the organization quickly retreated. In December 2017, the Iraqi government announced its victory in the fight against the "Islamic State". In March 2019, the "Islamic State" lost its last important stronghold in Syria. Since then, the remnants of the organization have been roaming around in Iraq, Syria and other places.

On July 16, local time, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting outside a mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, the day before. The attack killed at least nine people, including three attackers, and injured at least 28 others.

According to Reuters, the Ashura commemoration of the Shia Islam was being held that night. The victims included four Pakistanis, one Indian and one Omani policeman. The security forces shot and killed three attackers. The Islamic State claimed that the "suicide attackers" sent by the organization attacked the participants of the commemoration and "exchanged fire with the Omani security forces until the early morning."

As of now, the Omani police have not announced the total number, identity, nationality or motive of the attackers, nor have they disclosed whether other suspects have been arrested.

Reuters said that the Islamic State militants have now turned to covert operations, and a series of recent attacks have raised concerns about the Islamic State's comeback. The US National Counterterrorism Center released a report in August last year saying that although the threat posed by the Islamic State has decreased, several branches of the organization are still active in Africa and other places, and may "further expand."

This article is an exclusive article of Observer.com and may not be reproduced without authorization.