A senior Iraqi Kurdish official said: “We’ve seen significant uptick in Isis attacks from mid last year, with the centre of gravity having now moved further south. “Their rural networks remain very much intact; after all, Isis members in Iraq still receive monthly salaries and training in remote mountainous areas. The new Isis leader is thought to have maintained connections with his brother until he was named as leader. Another senior Isis figure who used religious credentials to offer rulings, Shifa al-Nima, was arrested last week in a Mosul suburb. Iraqi officials said Nima regularly ordered the execution of clerics and security officials who did not abide by the rigid decrees of the organisation.

Source: The Guardian January 20, 2020 17:37 UTC