Eye on Extremism
April 17, 2023
Associated Press: Reports: Militants Kill 26 People In Syrian Countryside
“Islamic State militants have killed 26 people who were foraging for wild truffles in Syria’s Hama region, opposition and state media reported Sunday. Amid the economic devastation of Syria’s yearslong war, foraging for truffles can help people earn money, as the seasonal delicacy fetches a high price. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition media group based in Britain, said civilians and military personnel were among the victims of the armed attack in the eastern outskirts of the city of Hama, 115 miles (186 kilometers) north of the capital Damascus. State news agency SANA said that the attack was carried out by members of the Islamic State group.”
Garowe Online: Somalia Military Kills Nine Al-Shabaab Terrorists
“Somali National Army (SNA) on Saturday killed at least nine Al-Shabab militants and injured more after conducting an operation near Janale town in southern Somalia, officials said. The Chief of Defense Forces Odowaa Yusuf Rage told the Somali national news agency that their forces took swift action against the militants who ambushed a convoy of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) some 90 km south of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. ‘Our forces killed at least nine terrorist militants who carried out an ambush attack on ATMIS convoy along the road between Bufow location and Janale district. Intelligence reports helped the army to defeat the militants,’ Odowaa said.”
United States
WTOL Toledo: Bowling Green Pregnancy Center Vandalized Overnight
“…Jane’s Revenge, which is described as an abortion rights group, has been accused of targeting reproductive healthcare facilities across the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in June 2022. The Counter Extremism Project, which maintains databases on extremist and terrorist groups around the world, calls Jane’s Revenge a ‘militant pro-abortion rights group’ and says the group has claimed responsibility for arsons and vandalism across the country. At this time, it’s unknown if anyone claiming to be affiliated with the group has claimed responsibility for the vandalism in Bowling Green. Sikora says the clinic has been taking additional safeguards since Roe vs. Wade was overturned.”
Syria
Reuters: Twenty-Three US Troops Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury In Syria, Military Says
“Twenty-three U.S. troops in Syria suffered traumatic brain injuries during two attacks in March by Iran-backed militants, the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said on Friday. ‘We have identified 11 additional cases of mild Traumatic Brain Injury from the March 23rd and 24th attacks in eastern Syria,’ it said in a statement. ‘Twenty-three of those wounded and assessed as mTBI cases. Our medical teams continue to assess and evaluate our troops for indications of mTBI.’ Twenty-five U.S. troops were wounded as a result of the strikes and counter-strikes in Syria, which also killed an American contractor and injured another.”
CNN: US Helicopter Raid Targets Senior ISIS Leader In Syria
“A US helicopter raid in northeast Syria targeted a senior ISIS leader and planner early Monday morning, according to a spokesman for US Central Command. ‘We believe the raid killed a senior ISIS Syria leader and operational planner responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe,’ said Col. Joe Buccino. The identity of the target was not immediately available. Two other armed individuals were also killed in the raid, Buccino said. No US forces were wounded in the raid and no helicopters were shot down, Buccino added.”
Iraq
MenaFN: Iraq Arrests 4 IS Militants, Including 'Dangerous Leader'
“Iraq's Interior Ministry has announced that its intelligence agency had arrested four militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) in the northern province of Nineveh, including a ‘dangerous leader’. The militants were found to have engaged in terrorist operations against security forces, according to a statement by the Ministry on Sunday. No further details were provided regarding the timing of the arrests or the names of the militants. However, one of the arrested individuals was identified as a leader of IS who had been active in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Nineveh provinces, the statement added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.”
Turkey
TRT World: Turkish Security Forces Neutralise Wanted PKK Terrorists
“Security forces in eastern Türkiye have neutralised two PKK terrorists, the country's interior minister has said. The two terrorists were confirmed dead after clashes with security forces in the province of Van, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted on Sunday, adding that one of them had been sought after by Turkish authorities in the second-most wanted category. Türkiye's wanted list is divided into five colour-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange, and grey, with the most wanted terrorist on the blue list. Soylu had stated yesterday that there were 88 armed terrorists left in Türkiye, adding that, ‘On October 29, 2023, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Republic, we will not leave any terrorists in the mountains of Türkiye.’”
Committee To Protect Journalists: Turkey Charges 17 Kurdish Journalists, Media Worker With Membership In A Terrorist Organization
“On Wednesday, April 12, the 4th Court of Serious Crimes in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır charged 17 Kurdish journalists and a media worker with membership in the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the government has designated as a terrorist organization, according to multiple news reports and the 728-page indictment, which CPJ reviewed. They face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty under Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws. The defendants are expected back in court on July 11, 2023, and have denied any ties to terrorism during their interrogations last year and their testimonies summarized in the indictment. Fifteen of the defendants have been in pretrial arrest without charge since June 2022.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Pakistan: Military Kills 8 Militants Near Afghanistan Border
“Pakistani security forces killed eight insurgents in an overnight operation at a militant hideout near the Afghan border, the military said, and the shootout left one soldier dead and four wounded Wednesday. According to a military statement, the shootout took place in Shin Warsak area of South Waziristan, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where an intelligence-based operation was conducted. It said the dead militants were actively involved in attacks on security forces and killing innocent citizens. The military did not identify the militant group to which the slain insurgents belonged but the mountainous region along the Afghan border has long served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militants until a few years ago, when the army said it cleared the region of insurgents. But occasional attacks have continued.”
Dawn: Minors Charged With Terrorism Be Tried In Juvenile Court, Orders PHC
“A single-member bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim accepted plea of an under-trial juvenile accused and directed that his case should be forthwith transferred to Peshawar juvenile court. The petitioner was arrested after a firing incident on the premises of Peshawar Judicial Complex that left three persons injured, including a lawyer Yousaf Riaz Khalil, in September 2018. He was charged under section 324, 34 and 337-4 (i) of Pakistan Penal Code, section 15 of Arms Act and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act. At the time of occurrence, the petitioner was below 17 years of age.”
Times Of India: 854 People Killed In Three Months In Terrorist Attacks, Counterterrorism Operations In Pakistan
“Casualties from violence have soared in Pakistan, at least 854 people were killed or wounded in terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations in the first quarter of this year, reported Dawn. According to the report, prepared by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, the number of deaths was 358 and that of injuries was 496, which resulted from as many as 219 terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations during the January-March period. Notably, this number was half of what was witnessed during the entire of 2022. Most deaths -- 245 (or 68 per cent) -- were reported from KP, followed by Balochistan's 64 (18 pc), and then in Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad, reported Dawn. As per the report, the month of January 2023 was the most fatal for security forces in a decade, following a similar trend from the previous year, which ended with the decade's deadliest Dec for them.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: Hezbollah Chief: Israel Didn't Hit Hamas In Lebanon Strikes
“The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group on Friday claimed that Israel did not hit Hamas or Hezbollah targets in last week’s strikes on southern Lebanon. The strikes last Friday in south Lebanon came a day after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said it had targeted installations of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, in southern Lebanon. Speaking at an a ceremony in Beirut marking ‘Jerusalem Day,’ or al-Quds Day after the city’s Arabic name — an annual show of support for the Palestinians held on the last Friday of every Islamic holy month of Ramadan — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called the Israeli statements ‘a barefaced lie’ and that ‘no Hezbollah or Hamas infrastructure was struck.’”
Middle East
i24 News: Israel's Shin Bet Exposes Iranian Efforts To Recruit West Bank Terrorists
“Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency revealed Monday the results of a long period of intelligence surveillance on attempts by the Hezbollah terror organization and Iran's Quds Force to recruit residents of the West Bank as operatives to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel. The Shin Bet further revealed that in recent months, Yosef Mansour and Marsil Mansour, two residents of the West Bank, were arrested. In their investigation, a Hezbollah terrorist cell was identified that was trying to smuggle weapons into Israel. The weapons were meant to assist different criminal and terrorists' activities in the country.”
Jewish News Syndicate: Police Neutralize Terrorist Vandalizing Cars In Jerusalem
“Israeli police on Monday shot and wounded an eastern Jerusalem resident while attempting to place him under arrest for vandalizing vehicles in the city’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood. According to police, when officers arrived on the scene, the suspect was wearing a coat and holding an unidentified object in his hand. As the officers confronted the suspect, a blast was heard, which according to a police spokesperson is believed to have been caused by a vehicle the suspect had set on fire. The suspect allegedly damaged at least 10 vehicles.”
The Jerusalem Post: 8 Terrorist Attacks Thwarted By Security Forces In Jerusalem
“Eight terrorist attacks were thwarted by police and security forces in Jerusalem recently, the Jerusalem Municipality and Israel Police announced on Monday morning. Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman noted that some of the attacks were thwarted thanks to intelligence information, while others were thwarted by vigilant police officers who spotted the attackers. ‘We are nearing the end of a significant and complex month. All the commanders who sit around the table and the cooperating elements lead the strenuous and continuous work in a value-oriented manner and with great dedication,’ said Turgeman.”
Nigeria
Arise News: Boko Haram Terrorists Kill 10 Villagers In Yobe Governor Buni’s Hometown
“Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed no fewer than 10 persons in Buni Gari village, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Buni Gari is the hometown of the State governor, Mr. Mai Mala Buni. One of the residents, who spoke after the attack, said the suspected terrorists stormed the town to kidnap a resident, Mallam Shati Gawi, who was later killed. Another resident said that, ‘I want to tell you that we lost more than 10 people here because we have seen the security personnel, including soldiers and policemen going to the area for response. I spoke with one of my friends there; he confirmed to me that about 15 persons have been killed by suspected Boko Haram.’”
Somalia
Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab Militants Killed In Own Explosion In Somalia's Capital
“At least three Al-Shabaab militants were killed on Sunday within Somalia's capital Mogadishu, police said, noting that the incident happened after a rickshaw laden with explosives detonated before probably reaching the destination, even as the military continued with à crackdown against the group. The auto-rickshaw exploded in the Hamar-Jajab district after the occupants were forced through a checkpoint with the officers pursuing them for arrests, police said. Only one civilian who was passing by escaped with minor injuries as the militants succumbed to their injuries on the spot, police added in a statement. ‘At 7:30 AM this morning, assailants on a motorcycle breached a checkpoint and triggered an explosive device in the General Daud Department. Their scheme aimed at the fasting population backfired, as three attackers were killed. Meanwhile, a civilian passing by the scene suffered minor injuries,’ the statement read.”
Africa
Associated Press: Dozens Of Security Force Members Killed In Burkina Faso
“At least 40 members of Burkina Faso’s security forces were killed by gunmen in the northern part of the country, and dozens of others were injured, authorities said Sunday. Six soldiers and 34 volunteer fighters, civilians who assist the military, were killed near the town of Ouahigouya on Saturday afternoon, northern region secretary-general Kouilga Albert Zongo said in a statement. The 33 wounded were hospitalized in stable condition, he said. The attack comes amid surging violence in the conflict-ridden country that is linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Thousands have been killed and around 2 million people have been displaced. Earlier this month, at least 44 people were killed by Islamic extremists in multiple attacks in the north.”
United Kingdom
BBC: Man From High Wycombe Admits Travelling To Syria To Join IS
“Shabazz Suleman, 27, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was 19 when he disappeared while on a family holiday to Turkey in 2014. The former grammar school pupil was arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2021 and charged with terror offences. He pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism by travelling from the UK to Turkey in order to join IS in Syria. Suleman was also charged with being a member of IS between 2014 and 2017 and receiving training in the use of firearms.”
Germany
The Jerusalem Post: Berlin Bans Protests Of Terrorist NGO After Calls Of 'Death To Israel'
“The authorities in the city-state of Berlin banned protests on Saturday and Sunday, organized by the Israeli government-designated terrorist NGO Samidoun that aids Palestinian terrorists. This was reported by the Berlin newspaper BZ on Friday. A police official said: ‘According to our forecast, we would have to deal with added acts of violence.’ The Jerusalem Post reported that on last Saturday an estimated 500 Germans, most of whom were Muslims, marched through two Berlin neighborhoods chanting ‘Death to Jews’ and ‘Death to Israel.’ The protest was organized by Samidoun, a Palestinian NGO that has been classified as a terrorist entity by Israel. According to Israel’s The National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing (NBCTF), ‘The Samidoun organization was designated as a terrorist organization as it is part of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and was founded by members of the PFLP in 2012.’”
Europe
Fox News: Spain Releases Man Charged With Terrorism For Sending Letter Bombs
“A Spanish magistrate on Friday ordered the conditional release of a man charged with terrorism for sending six letters containing explosives to high-profile diplomatic and government targets. The National Court magistrate said Pompeyo González Pascual, 74, must appear in court each week, relinquish his passport and remain in Spain as conditions for getting and remaining out of jail. In deciding to release him, the court considered that González Pascual had no previous criminal record and found there was no indication he might commit more offenses. A date for his trial has not been set.”
Australia
The Guardian: US Neo-Nazi Accused Of Sniper Plot Appears To Have Shared Instructions With Australian Far-Right Figures
“Brandon Russell, a US neo-Nazi who was charged this year with conspiring to attack the Maryland power grid, appears to have shared instructions on how to carry out such an attack months earlier in an Australian far-right channel on Telegram. Leaked chats show Russell posted extreme right propaganda and interacted with known Australian neo-Nazis on the encrypted messaging platform last year. Russell is the founder of Atomwaffen Division, which was proscribed by the Australian government as a terrorist organisation last year. The organisation, now known as the National Socialist Order, ‘advocates the use of violence to initiate a ‘race war’ to accelerate the collapse of western society and establish a ‘white ethno-state’,’ the government’s listing said.”
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