Middle East events and news

EXCLUSIVE: Russian-Speaking ISIS Fighter Announces New ‘Battalion,’ Threatens Terrorist Attacks In Russia In New Video
On January 18, 2018, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) distributed via Telegram a three-minute video in which an armed, masked man, speaking in Russian, announced the establishment of a new force that will operate for ISIS in Russia, especially in the Caucasus, and threatened terrorist attacks against Russia. Judging by his accent, the armed man is likely of Tatar or Bashkiri origin.
Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Video Features Men Accused Of Spying, Announces Banning Of Cellphones, Internet
On January 17, 2018, Al-Malahem, the media arm of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released a video stressing the danger of revealing the group’s secrets over the phone or to other members, saying these actions had caused the death of hundreds of mujahideen.
ISIS Branch In Mali Claims Responsibility For Killing Of U.S. Special Forces Soldiers In Niger
On January 12, 2018, the Nouakchott News Agency published a communique issued by the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Mali, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, led by Adnan Abu Al-Walid Al-Sahrawi, in which it claims responsibility for the attack against a joint patrol of U.S. Special Forces and soldiers of the Nigerian Army that was safeguarding the border area between Niger and Mali on October 4, 2017.(by memri.org)