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Boko Haram Remains a Threat in Sub-Saharan Africa ADA News - February 11th, 2020 While Boko Haram has in recent months suffered a series of defeats in Nigeria, its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa has not diminished as much as some had hoped. It appears that the terrorist group has taken advantage of Islamic State’s setbacks in Afghanistan and Syria, offering the terrorists a safe haven and a promise of a renewed Caliphate. The leadership of Boko Haram has also switched tactics, embracing a more structured system of control in their occupied territories and focusing on securing weapons and funds. Pictured: Aftermath of the bank heist in Djibo In an apparent demonstration of that change in tactics on Monday, it was reported that the Coris Commonwealth Bank in the city of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, was the victim of a coordinated raid by Boko Haram. The bank robbery, which left eight civilians and two police officers dead, is believed to have provided the terror group with approximately $700,000 USD, which has only raised the concern about the group’s ambitions. For comparison, it is estimated that the 9/11 attacks cost Al-Qaeda somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 USD. Some, however, are doubtful that even with the influx of cash and fighters, the terror group will be able to maintain a long-term presence in the region. By Alan Cunningham ADA News

Suicide bombing in Iran. Ayatollah confirmed dead. A large scale suicide bombing took place this morning in Tehran. The Ayatollah accompanied by IRGC forces and several high ranking members of the Iranian government and clergy, was attending morning prayer at the Mirsa Mousa Mosque when two vehicle-borne IEDs were driven straight through the security perimeter. The vehicles, one large URAL brand truck and a smaller pickup truck, both loaded with explosives proceeded to ram into the main entrance where the Ayatollah was located along with several aides and members of the Iranian clergy. The blast levelled most of the entrance complex to the Mosque and instantly killed the Ayatollah as well as 36 other people. Alongside the 36 dead another 140 were wounded with most of them being evacuated to local hospitals during the day. A handful of people were extracted from the rubble during the course of the day and most of them were treated on site by local paramedics before being taken to hospital. A handful of people remained to be treated on site. This attack comes at a precarious time for Iran. With the country wracked by civil unrest, kurdish independence and Saudi military occupation of the critical Straits of Hormuz, international experts are predicting drastic action will be taken by the Iranian government in the very near future. No member of the Iranian government could be reached in the immediate aftermath but natonwide martial law has been declared with IRGC and regular Iranian military seen rounding up civilians and manning checkpoints in most major cities. ADA News will continue to monitor this seeming escalating situation. Malcolm Reynolds ADA News Middle East Division

Iranian Counteroffensive Retakes Siraf Main News Channel - January 27th, 2020 The ongoing counteroffensive that was launched last week by the Iranian army has retaken the important crossroads of Siraf, severing the overland supply lines Saudi forces had with their troops west of the town. This leaves at least two Saudi brigades surrounded, and the port facilities in the area have taken heavy bombardment from Iranian ballistic missiles. The fighting in the area has reportedly claimed at least 55 lives from soldiers on both sides, and there are concerns that civilians in the area are in danger of suffering from a lack of medicine. Pictured: Iranian ballistic missiles landing in on the Saudi-occupied port of Tonbak. The Saudi invasion of the Iranian coast started with some wondering if the battered Iranian military would simply be forced to retreat into the mountains and surrender their coast to the Saudis. This week’s counteroffensive has dispelled those beliefs, routing the Saudi army who has so far only seen small skirmishes from scattered and largely untrained Iranian garrison forces. With the deployment of the battle-hardened regular Iranian forces fresh from fighting on the Kurdish front, the spread-out Saudis suffered a string of defeats in the western half of the country. There are numerous reports of Saudi units falling back in a disorganized manner, though a spokesperson for the Saudi armed forces denied these as “worthless Iranian disinformation”. By Philippe Leclerc Main News Channel