“Iran’s top diplomat visited Lebanon’s border with Israel on Friday where he
expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle
against their common enemy: Israel. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian
began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and
expressing Tehran’s readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try
to end the Mediterranean country’s prevailing electricity crisis. Lebanon is in
the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in
decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nation’s ruling class. The
crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanon’s 6
million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.”











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Eye on Extremism



May 1, 2023



Associated Press: In Lebanon, Iran FM Visits Israel Border, Extolls Hezbollah
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“Iran’s top diplomat visited Lebanon’s border with Israel on Friday where he
expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle
against their common enemy: Israel. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian
began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and
expressing Tehran’s readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try
to end the Mediterranean country’s prevailing electricity crisis. Lebanon is in
the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in
decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nation’s ruling class. The
crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanon’s 6
million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.”



New York Post: Turkish Forces Killed ISIS Chief In Syria: Erdogan
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“Turkish forces have killed the leader of the Islamic State group during an
operation in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Sunday.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told TRT Turk television in an interview that the IS
leader, code-named Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi, was killed in a strike conducted on
Saturday. Erdogan said the Turkish intelligence agency, MIT, had been following
him ‘for a long time.’ ‘We will continue our struggle against terrorist
organizations without discriminating against any of them,’ Erdogan said in the
interview. Turkey has conducted numerous operations against IS and Kurdish
groups along the Syrian border, capturing or killing suspected militants.”



United States



Reuters: Cuba, US Officials Meet In Havana To Discuss Anti-Terrorism Measures
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“Cuban and U.S. officials met on Friday in Havana to discuss anti-terrorism
measures, Cuba's interior ministry said, broaching a particularly thorny
subject between the two long-time rivals in the latest in a series of bilateral
talks. Terrorism is a contentious issue as Cuba is on the U.S. list of state
sponsors of terrorism, a matter the two sides agreed to continue discussing,
however the talks this week were mainly ‘technical’. The meetings, which
included the U.S. State Department, Justice Department and Homeland Security
and their Cuban counterparts, addressed the hijacking of aircraft and maritime
vessels and the use of digital networks for violent purposes. ‘The realization
of this exchange is an expression of the commitment of the Cuban government in
the fight against (terrorism),’ the interior ministry statement said.”



Iraq



Kurdistan24: Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service Detains Eight ISIS Members
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“The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) announced on Sunday the detention
of eight Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) members. The CTS also released
figures on its operations conducted against ISIS militants. In April, 11
operations across Iraq were conducted against the terrorist group. ‘Eight ISIS
members were arrested and a terrorist plot was foiled as a result of the
operations,’ according to the CTS. A series of airstrikes targeting ISIS
hideouts were also conducted last month, resulting in the destruction of a
number of the group’s hiding places.”



Afghanistan



AFP News: Afghan Women Protesters Urge Against Foreign Recognition Of Taliban
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“A group of Afghan women protested in Kabul on Saturday, defying a crackdown
on dissent to urge foreign nations not to formally recognise the Taliban
government ahead of a UN summit next week. Protesters opposing creeping curbs
on women's rights have been beaten or detained since the Taliban surged back to
power in 2021, and security forces have fired into the air to disperse some
rallies. However, small groups of women have continued to stage sporadic
gatherings. Around 25 women marched through a residential area in the Afghan
capital on Saturday ahead of a summit in Doha that the United Nations says will
discuss a ‘durable way forward’ for the country. ‘Recognition of Taliban --
violation of women's rights,’ the women chanted during the march, which lasted
no longer than 10 minutes and passed without confrontation with security
forces.”



Pakistan



Dawn: 7 Terrorists Killed As Security Forces Repulse Attacks In KP’s Lakki
Marwat: ISPR <[link removed]>



“According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations
(ISPR), security forces repulsed the attacks which took place at different
locations within a short span of time. In the first incident, the ISPR said
that ‘a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself near security forces
post in Lakki Marwat followed by a fierce fire exchange between own troops and
terrorists’. ‘Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of
which four terrorists were sent to hell,’ the statement said. The ISPR said
that the remaining two incidents took place in the district’s Amir Kalam and
Tajbi Khel areas during which another three militants, including terrorist
commander Musa Kha, were eliminated.”



The Print: Pakistan: Counter-Terrorism Official Killed In Bomb Blast In Khuzdar

<[link removed]>



“A police official of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station
was killed after a roadside bomb went off all of a sudden in Khuzdar city of
Balochistan, Dawn reported on Friday. On his way to the police station,
Inspector Sharbat Khan’s vehicle was on the Quetta-Karachi Highway when a
roadside bomb exploded. According to hospital staff, Khan died there and then
after the explosion completely wrecked his vehicle. According to police, an IED
containing about 5kg of explosive substance was used in the blast. No group has
claimed responsibility for the attack as of now, Dawn reported.”



Middle East



Reuters: Hezbollah Behind Roadside Bomb In Israel Last Month, Israeli Official
Says
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“Lebanon's Hezbollah was behind a rare roadside bomb attack last month that
wounded a motorist in northern Israel, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi
Hanegbi said on Friday. Israel's military said that security forces had killed
a man carrying an explosive belt after he apparently crossed from Lebanon into
Israel and detonated a bomb on March 13 near Megiddo junction in northern
Israel. A possible link to Iran-backed Hezbollah was being investigated,
officials said at the time. Asked on Channel 12 television whether a political
crisis in Israel regarding the government's plan to overhaul the country's
judiciary has emboldened Israel's enemies, Hanegbi said: ‘We estimate that for
now it may lead to operations that were not considered in the past.’”



Reuters: Hamas Armed Wing Announces Suspension Of Bitcoin Fundraising
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“The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Thursday it
would stop receiving fundraising via the crypto currency bitcoin, a method it
has used for years, citing an increase in ‘hostile’ activity against donors.
‘This comes out of concern about the safety of donors and to spare them any
harm,’ the group said in a statement late on Thursday, adding that it had seen
increased efforts to prevent people and groups sending it bitcoin funds. The
group, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, Gaza's most powerful armed faction that
has fought several wars with Israel over many years, renewed its call for
‘continued donation to Qassam and the resistance by all available means.’
Contacted by Reuters, the Israeli military declined to comment on the Hamas
statement.”



Al Jazeera: Israeli Missiles Hit Syria, Three People Wounded: State Media
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“Three people have been injured, with fires and explosions reported after an
Israeli air attack on a site near the Syrian city of Homs, state media
reported, with a monitoring group saying a munitions depot was hit. Syria’s
state news agency SANA, citing military officials, said three civilians were
wounded in the attack in the early hours of Saturday and that a civilian fuel
station caught fire. A number of fuel tankers and trucks were also burned. ‘At
around 00:50 [21:50 GMT]…the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a
number of missiles, from the direction of north Lebanon, targeting several
positions in the vicinity of the city of Homs,’ SANA reported. SANA said Syrian
air defences shot down some of the Israeli missiles in the sky over Homs.”



Nigeria



Sahara Reporters: Terrorists Collect Another N3million Ransom, Fail To Release
85 Abducted Zamfara Residents
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“The terrorists who kidnapped 85 people in Wanzamai village in the Tsafe
Local Government Area of Zamfara State have failed to release their abductees
despite collecting an additional N3millon ransom. Abubakar Na’allah, a resident
of the locality, said the terrorists sent a message requesting an additional
N3million for the abductees' final release. He stated that each of the
households was urged to contribute an additional N35,000 in order to reach the
N3million target. According to Na’allah, N2,975,000 was realised and given to
the bandits in the hope that they would free the abductees. He lamented,
however, that the victims had not been released two days after the payment.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalia: Al-Shabaab "Target" Governor Jeyte Holds Talks With US
Envoy
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“Outgoing US ambassador to Somalia Larry Andre has held talks with Hiiraan
Governor Ali Jeyte, who has been under constant trial from the Al-Shabaab
militants, a group he has openly taken arms and fought in the last seven
months, leading to the liberation of several strategic towns in HirShabelle.
Through video conference, Andre supported initiatives taken by Jeyte's
leadership to fight Al-Shabaab, noting the contributions of local Ma'awisley
militia, who have been instrumental in dislodging the group from strategic
areas within the central state of Somalia. Jeyte has been under surveillance
from Al-Shabaab who have reportedly contributed millions of dollars to aid in
the removal of him from the prestigious seat, with former HirShabelle leader
Mohamed Abdi Ware calling for support to the goverrlor, Al-Shabaab views Jeyte
as a threat to their dominance. The governor lauded the US for supporting the
Al-Shabaab war through the provision of guns, ammunition and other military
hardware which are essential in operations, The US has been instrumental in
providing aerial support during the Al-Shabaab crackdown leading to the
elimination of several senior and junior Al-Shabaab commanders.”



Africa



The Defense Post: Togo’s President Says 140 People Killed In Jihadist ‘War’
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“Around 40 soldiers and 100 civilians have been killed in a jihadist ‘war’ in
northern Togo, President Faure Gnassingbe said in a ground-breaking interview.
The small West African nation, along with neighbouring Benin, Ghana, and Ivory
Coast, is increasingly facing threats of a jihadist spillover from Burkina Faso
and Mali. ‘We have paid a heavy price, especially our defence and security
forces, who have lost around 40 men unfortunately, and then we add civilian
victims, a hundred or so civilian victims in the country,’ Gnassingbe said in
an interview with local private station New World TV broadcast on Thursday. The
president’s family has ruled Togo since 1967.”



United Kingdom



The Guardian: Far-Right Extremist Who Set Off ‘Fireball’ In His Kitchen
Convicted Of Terrorism Offences
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“A far-right extremist who accidentally set off a ‘fireball’ in his own
kitchen while experimenting with explosives has been convicted of terrorism
offences. Vaughn Dolphin, who had spoken of his desire for ethnic minorities to
be shot, was found guilty on a series of charges after a jury viewed videos and
incriminating conversations on social media. In one self-filmed video, he was
seen in a gas mask surrounded by a choking cloud of smoke after attempting to
blend a blast mixture in a saucepan on a domestic hob. Dolphin spoke of causing
an ‘awesome fireball’ in videos posted on far-right chatrooms, in which he
complained: ‘Ah the bastard fucking mixture set itself prematurely, oh my God.
Next time I’ll do this outside, but, ah well, you live and learn.’”



Voice Of America News: Iranians Urge Britain To Declare Revolutionary Guard A
Terrorist Organization
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“Thousands of Iranians participated in a rally in London on Saturday and
asked Britain to declare the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist
organization. According to the videos received by Voice of America, the
protesters chanted against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranians who
oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran had called for the protest rally weeks ago.
Alireza Akhondi, an Iranian-born member of the Swedish Parliament, said on
Friday that he would participate in ‘the big demonstration in London to
convince Britain and the countries of the European Union to take the final
steps toward weakening the Islamist regime in Iran, including the
classification of IRGC as a terrorist organization.’ The Association of
Families of Flight PS752 victims has also asked the international community to
hold the IRGC ‘accountable for its crimes.’”



The Times Of India: Sikh Extremism And Hindu Nationalism Are Growing Threats
In The UK: Report
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“Sikh extremism and Hindu nationalism are emerging threats facing the UK that
have grown under the noses of the British authorities whilst they were focused
on other threats, such as Islamist extremism, a report commissioned by the UK
government, when Boris Johnson was PM, has found.Whilst the aim of the recently
published Bloom Review, written by independent faith engagement adviser Colin
Bloom, was to provide recommendations on how to make relations between the
state and faith groups stronger, it ended up devoting an entire chapter to
threats from faith extremism, with by far the largest space dedicated to Sikh
extremism. The report, based on 21,000 public responses and interviews with
experts, calls on the government to investigate extremist activity within the
Sikh community, stating there is an “extremely vocal and aggressive minority of
British Sikhs who can be described as pro-Khalistan extremists, promoting an
ethno-nationalist agenda. Some of these extremists have been known to support
and incite violence and intimidation in their ambition to establish an
independent state called Khalistan, the physical borders of which are largely
shared with specific parts of the Punjab state in India.”



Germany



Al Arabiya: German Prosecutors Probe Suspected Extremist Stabbings
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“German federal prosecutors said Friday they were investigating a 26-year-old
Syrian man for two separate knife attacks in the western city of Duisburg,
where an extremist motive was suspected. The federal prosecutor’s office, which
generally investigates cases including terrorist incidents, was taking over the
probe from local authorities due to its particular significance, a spokeswoman
said. The Syrian man was arrested by police over the weekend in relation to a
stabbing at a city center gym last week, which left four men severely injured.
The suspect initially evaded law enforcement but was identified after police
shared CCTV images from the night of the incident.”



Europe



CNN: Convicted Terrorist Pardoned In Hungary On Eve Of Pope’s Visit
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“A far-right activist convicted of terrorism was among several prisoners
pardoned in Hungary before the Pope’s official visit to the country this week,
it has emerged. György Budaházy, convicted of terrorism in March, left prison
on Friday night on horseback, authorities said. He was one of a number of
prisoners pardoned by Hungarian President Katalin Novák before the Pope’s
arrival. ‘The week of the papal visit is a special occasion for the head of
state to exercise her power of pardon,’ Novák’s office said in a statement.”



The Jerusalem Post: Seven Syrians Face Terror-Related Charges In Malta
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“Seven Syrian men were accused in a heavily guarded Maltese court on Sunday
of having encouraged and trained others to commit terrorism in Europe. The
seven, aged between 21 and 27, were arrested on Saturday in an operation
coordinated with the European police agency Europol, the Malta police said. The
group are accused of association with an extremist organization, inciting
terrorism through public messages, recruiting or attempting to recruit others
to commit terrorism, instructing others on the use of explosives or firearms
and attempting to travel to Europe to commit terrorism. They all pleaded not
guilty and were remanded in custody at the end of the hearing. They did not ask
for bail.”



Ecuador



Reuters: Ecuador To Launch Military Operations To Fight Terrorism -Minister
<[link removed]>



“Ecuador's military will launch special-forces operations nationally in a bid
to counter groups and individuals who commit terrorism in the country, Defense
Minister Luis Lara said on Friday. Ecuador's security council declared
terrorism a threat to the South American country's security late on Thursday,
urging the implementation of measures to combat criminal groups. The security
council also requested that President Guillermo Lasso issue a decree
authorizing the use of lethal force by security forces to combat organized
criminal groups. Lasso, a conservative former banker, has struggled to stem
rising crime and violence on Ecuador's streets and in prisons, which the
government attributes to conflicts over territory and power between
drug-trafficking gangs.”



Australia



The Guardian: Legal Aid Lawyers Kept In The Dark Over Damning Report On Terror
Risk Assessment Tool
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“Legal Aid lawyers were left oblivious to a damning government-held report
which cast doubt on a tool used to try to lock up or control 25 of their
clients on the basis they might commit a terrorist offence in the future.
Guardian Australia has revealed serious problems with the way the federal and
New South Wales governments have wielded extraordinary powers to detain or
control individuals for crimes they have not yet committed. The powers are
reliant on a tool used to assess an individual’s likelihood of future terror
offending, known as VERA-2R, which is used by lawyers for the commonwealth and
NSW to convince courts to use continuing detention orders (CDOs) or extended
supervision orders (ESOs) to prevent a future crime from occurring.”



Technology



Hindustan Times: India Blocks 14 Mobile Apps Used By Terrorists In Pakistan To
Send Information In J-K
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“The Indian government has blocked 14 messenger mobile apps that were used by
terrorists in Pakistan to transmit information to J&Kashmir. The Indian
government has blocked 14 messenger mobile apps that were used by terrorists in
Pakistan to transmit information to J&Kashmir. The apps blocked by the
government include Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar,
BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi, Threema among others.
It was found that these apps were being used by terrorists in Kashmir to
communicate with their supporters and on-ground workers (OGW), News18 reported
citing sources.”



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