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https://twitter.com/Minalami/status/1162787485212188672

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Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Jan 22

🧵#AlHolCamp #Hasakah #ISIS #AlNaba
1/ Unlike its online supporters, who have openly called for militant action and practical assistance in support of women held at al-Hol camp and other IS-linked detainees in eastern Syria, IS, in its first comment on the issue (through its weekly paper al-Naba) adopted a more political and analytical tone and stopped short of issuing any explicit call to action.

It's unclear whether this reflected a deliberate attempt to keep operational guidance discreet.

2/ In the al-Naba editorial, titled "Your Hol and our Hol not alike", IS adopted a tone of glee and vindication towards the SDF, arguing that the Kurdish-led force had been used and discarded by the US. It claimed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who IS said currently enjoyed the favour of President Trump, would ultimately meet the same fate.

3/ IS appeared particularly vexed by what it described as celebratory rhetoric from al-Sharaa's supporters, who, according to the group, portrayed the government's takeover of al-Hol as an act of "liberating women and children" from the grips of extremism.
Such framing appeared to strike a sensitive nerve for IS, as it implicitly contrasted the group's inability to free its detained women with claims that a rival force had succeeded where it had failed. This was despite reports that government forces moved quickly to seal the camp and prevent further departures after some women were said to have escaped during the transition in control.

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Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Mar 31, 2025

🧵A few key takeaways from JNIM’s (al-Qaeda in the Sahel) slew of Ramadan and Eid images, which we have extensively covered in BBCM reporting:

1/ They reflect JNIM’s ongoing effort to boost, expand and diversify its media offering, drawing on "best practice" from other militant groups, esp its jihadist rival, IS

2/ The Ramadan and Eid images serve multiple purposes. The display of dozens of fighters - often shown worshipping, cooking, or eating together - is a clear show of numbers, force and community. That these activities take place openly and in broad daylight signals a sense of confidence

Read 7 tweets

Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Jan 9, 2025

🧵1/ IS has finally commented on the 1 Jan attack in New Orleans and suggested the action was inspired by IS messaging and incitement, rather than being directly orchestrated by the group. Notably, IS did not indicate any connection between itself and the perpetrator, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was shot dead

2/ This IS commentary featured in the editorial of the group's weekly newspaper al-Naba, which was published on 9 Jan. The article was titled, "We [IS] were there!" It echoes a Naba editorial in Jul 2024 in which IS took credit for inspiring a range of attacks in the West and in Russia

3/ Commenting on global speculation about IS's potential involvement in the New Orleans attack, the group said that it does not hastily attribute every attack to itself simply because the perpetrators adhered to its ideology or were inspired by its messaging. The group implied that it adheres to specific "criteria" when deciding whether to claim affiliation with an attack or attacker

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Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Dec 13, 2024

🧵On latest IS message about events in Syria, featured in the editorial of the group's weekly publication al-Naba on 12 Dec (and covered in detail, with insight and context in BBCM output: )monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/b0002y…

1/ IS says it will continue its “jihad” in Syria, claiming the HTS-led Islamist authority was imposed through “infidel” intervention and won’t establish Islamic rule. IS compared HTS to the Taliban in Afghanistan, using similar arguments to justify ongoing attacks there

2/ IS welcomed the release of "Muslim prisoners" from Assad’s jails but didn’t specify if IS members were among them. Online, IS supporters hinted some members may have been freed but warned against sharing sensitive details. Others called for exploiting unrest to target prisons and camps holding IS members in NE Syria

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Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Dec 12, 2024

🧵on reports and clips of revenge attacks against alleged former gov/military personnel and "Shabiha" (Assad henchmen) in Syria

1/ On 9 Dec, the HTS-led rebel authority in Damascus issued a decree granting amnesty to military conscripts and foot soldiers not implicated in human rights abuses

2/ This sparked anger among some hardline Islamists in Syria and online, particularly on Telegram. Critics called the stance weak, unfair to victims, incompatible with Sharia, and an attempt to appease the West

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Mina Al-Lami

@Minalami

Dec 5, 2024

1/ The current HTS-led rebel offensive in Syria is making waves, not just for its relatively swift territorial gains, but for the relatively widespread support it’s getting among pro-opposition voices. This includes segments of the local population, journalists, activists, clerics, and militants (as far as I can gauge from social media activity and online debates on X's Spaces tool - despite dissenting voices and some critics in pro-opposition spaces)

2/ Over the past years, one of the biggest challenges for the Syrian opposition has been disunity: fragmentation, factionalism, and the involvement of global jihadist groups that severely weakened the revolutionary cause

3/ What sets this offensive apart is the relative unity - despite smaller existing frictions/rivalries - and broad support the rebels have achieved. Despite cautious criticism of HTS and its leader Jawlani fronting the offensive, this unity is seen as a potential game-changer

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