At its peak, ISIS controlled a third of Iraq and Syria; now it seems to have lost 45 per cent of its land in Iraq, while in Syria, after losing Palmyra, it is under siege by the opposition coalition at Manjib, at the Syria-Turkey border. Thus, military setbacks in Syria and Iraq will do little to diminish the appeal of ISIS among disenfranchised and indoctrinated Muslim youth in Asia, Africa and Europe, nor will they reduce its capacity and enthusiasm to carry out its horrendous acts of violence and hate.ISIS’ recent depredations are taking place two years after the proclamation of the “Caliphate” by its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, at the mosque in Mosul; they are also occurring in the holy last week of Ramzan when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Besides the suicide attack near the US consulate in Jeddah, representing the movement’s hated global foe, the ISIS hit a Shia mosque in Qatif, the stronghold of the country’s minority sect, and, significantly, a bomb blast near the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, recalling the 1803 attack on the Prophet’s grave in that city by Wahhabi zealots, who saw reverence for the mausoleum as idolatry.Before these lethal assaults in the month of Ramzan, the past year saw some spectacular acts of violence across a wide geographical space. The writer is a former diplomat. In the face of sustained military attacks on its positions and assets in Iraq and Syria, it may seek to maintain a core doctrinal leadership in a remote hideout, as Al Qaeda did after the US attacks in Afghanistan after 9/11, and decentralise its operational presence into areas where state order has broken down or where central authority is weak and its writ doesn’t run into large parts of the national territory.
Omar said Wani's killing is 'big news', but warned of some tense days ahead in the Valley.Omar said Wani's killing is a "big news", but warned of "some tense days" ahead in the Valley. Not sure after that," he said. Solution (sic)," the working president of opposition National Conference (NC), tweeted. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said Hizb commander Burhan Wani's killing will not end militancy in the Valley and asserted the political problems needs a political solution."Alas Burhan isn't the 1st to pick up the gun won't be the last."For all Burhan's social media activity I don't recall any militancy incident attributed to him while I was in office."If this (news of Wani's killing) is confirmed its big news will also mean some tense days in parts of the valley (sic)," he said.The former Chief Minister also said he does not recall any militancy incident attributed to Wani while he was in office. @JKNC has always maintained that a political problem needs lvlp guns pol.
