Iraq – On the 20 Oct 13 reports that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (or Levant) (ISIS) used eight suicide bombers in a complex assault targeting police and local government officials in western Iraq. The attacks took place in the western town of Rawa in the Anbar province with the terrorists using up to 22 suicide bombers. A month ago ISIS carried out another complex attack in the town of Haditha with mortars and terrorists mounted in trucks assaulted a military headquarters in the town. Similar to the new attack the terrorists carried out an attack in Bayji on 21 Sep 13 where a suicide team attacked a police special forces base. The terrorist group appear not to have a problem in recruiting suicide bombers in Iraq and Syria and according to the Long War Journal the terrorists have used quite a number in the month of October; there was a suicide attack in Baghdad on the 19/20 Oct 13, three bombers were used on the 6 Oct, two on the 5 Oct, one on the 4 Oct and an assault team attacked Iraqi troops in Tikrit on the 1 Oct. There have been approximately seven suicide attacks in Syria during the month of October. The terrorist group ISIS has stepped up its campaign in Iraq and carefully planned attacks are an attempt to topple the Iraqi government which shows no signs of resolving the security situation in the country. Morale must be low within the Iraqi security and police forces with the government appearing to do nothing to stop any of the attacks which have plagued the country for some time. The terrorists appear to have the ability to go where they want and conduct operations when and where it pleases. With talks scheduled to be held in Geneva in November there could be a road map for the future regarding Syria providing all the parties firstly agree to attend and secondly are able to agree on the future regarding Syria. If the peace talks due to be held by the Syrian government and others in the future do take a responding positive to the future and if they should come to some sort of agreement then there will be a handful of terrorist willing to continue the fight in Syria but the majority could find themselves in Iraq fighting a failing deteriorating government and its inability to fight terrorism. However, this is not likely due to a number of rebel groups refusing to take part in the talks.
Yemen – Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were thought to be responsible for a major attack on a Yemeni military facility on the 18 Oct 13 according to an un-named military official. The terrorist group drove a vehicle with explosives and detonated the device at the gate of an army camp in Ahwar an area in the southern province of Abyan. Other terrorists attacked soldiers in the camp with heavy weapons and RPG’s resulting in five deaths and approximately fifteen injuries. With the cooler weather approaching attacks of this nature are likely to become common especially in areas that are remote and where the weather takes its toll.
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