Iran has gone on the record with the accusation of direct material support being given by the US for ISIS. This is a very serious charge, and as of yet they have not released any information to corroborate it. Tehran, the nation's capitol was the victim of a recent terrorist attack that ISIS claimed responsibility for, and Iran may see this as an act of war by the United States.
This information was made public at a ceremony to commemorate the 17 Iranians that died in the attacks, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the supreme leader of Iran, thinks that this attack will serve to increase the ire that the Iranian population holds for both the USA, and Saudi Arabia, who he presents as a vassal state of the USA.
Turning tide
ISIS has been under increased military pressure lately in Iraq and Syria, and in Iraq anti-ISIS vigilante groups have been growing. Their goal is to exact justice for the atrocities that have been committed in their communities over the last few years, and the retribution they are delivering is aimed not only at the ISIS members themselves, but also at their families.
Hammam al-Alil Revolution is an Iraqi vigilante group that is committed to revenge against ISIS ( Deash ), and they currently have 650 members in their Facebook group. ISIS has been responsible for a number of violent, reprehensible acts across the middle east, murder and human trafficking among them.
Last month the group told their members to “burn them and their families”, and that they are currently looking for ISIS members, and their families locations.
Eleven suspected militants were recently found south of Mosul, and they had been bound, and shot to death.
While Hammam al-Alil Revolution didn't claim responsibility for this multiple homicide, they did say in their first Facebook that,‘We will make them regret joining. Good luck everyone,’ and this sort of action would fit their mission statement.
A new front
Against all this action, it would appear that ISIS has expanded its reach to the Philippines. ISIS is currently holding the city of Marawi hostage, and they have taken around 1,500 people as their prisoners.
More than 50 security personnel have died so far in the battle to take the city back from ISIS, and the President of the Philippines has pledged that, “When I say crush them, you have to destroy everything including lives.” and added that, “I cannot stop my soldiers now – let’s finish this war that Islamic State has started.”
The sometimes brash President Duterte has agreed to accept the help of US Special Forces, and they have arrived to continue to hunt and kill ISIS fighters. The siege has lasted three weeks so far, and is ongoing.
