“A suicide bomber targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on
Wednesday, killing two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian, security officials
said. It was the second attack to hit Pakistan in as many days. The bombing
happened in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that
borders Afghanistan and is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani
Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. A number of
civilians were also wounded in the attack, according to Rehmat Khan, a local
police official. No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion is
likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban. In the last six months, the TTP has
stepped up its attacks since it unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the
Pakistani government, brokered by neighboring Afghanistan last year.”











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Eye on Extremism



May 24, 2023



Associated Press: Suicide Bomber Hits Checkpoint In Northwest Pakistan,
Killing 4 In Second Attack In As Many Days
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“A suicide bomber targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on
Wednesday, killing two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian, security officials
said. It was the second attack to hit Pakistan in as many days. The bombing
happened in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that
borders Afghanistan and is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani
Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. A number of
civilians were also wounded in the attack, according to Rehmat Khan, a local
police official. No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion is
likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban. In the last six months, the TTP has
stepped up its attacks since it unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the
Pakistani government, brokered by neighboring Afghanistan last year.”



The North Africa Post: Benin: 700 People In Prison For Terrorism
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“In Benin, 700 people, including expats, are currently held in detention on
terrorism charges, head of Benin’s Court of Economic Crimes and Terrorism
Repression (CRIET) revealed, as the country strives to combat terrorism in the
north. Cyriaque Dossa, head of the Court, said, during a conference held in
Benin’s top university of Abomey-Calavi, that the Constitution of the West
African country requires ‘life imprisonment for people charged with terrorism.’
Any person informed of a terror plan or attack and who fails to inform
authorities also faces 8 to 10 years in prison. The alleged terrorists hail
from Benin, Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso, Cyriaque Dossa indicated, adding
that they are yet to appear in court for judgement. Benin since November 2021
has been grappling with dozens of terror attacks. The army has lost 22 soldiers
and 42 reported wounded according Chief of Staff Abou Issa. At least 52 alleged
terrorists have been killed while 72 have been arrested.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* Afghanistan Terrorism Report: April 2023
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* ISIS Women in Court: Marcia M. – A Perfect Cover?
<[link removed]>
* CEP-KAS: Sahel Monitoring April 2023
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* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in April 2023
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* Accounts for White Supremacist Active Clubs Allowed to Remain on Instagram
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United States



Associated Press: Software Engineer Who Photographed US Landmarks For Possible
Attacks Gets 12 Years In Prison
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“A New Jersey software developer who prosecutors say once photographed
landmarks in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., for possible terrorist
attacks was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison by a federal judge who said
it seemed he no longer was a danger. In fact, Judge Paul G. Gardephe noted,
Alexei Saab, 46, has become a model prisoner since his 2019 arrest, helping
others incarcerated at New York City’s federal jails to get high school
equivalency certificates, learn English and find relief from psychological
problems. Gardephe called Saab’s 2005 exit from his relationship with the
Lebanon-based Hezbollah Islamic Jihad Organization and the ‘peaceful and
productive’ life he lived in the New York City area afterward among
‘inconvenient facts’ that made it impossible to grant the government’s request
that Saab be incarcerated for 20 years. A jury at a trial last year heard
prosecutors portray Saab as a highly trained terrorist who scoped out landmarks
in the U.S., France, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Prosecutors said Saab was a
sleeper cell waiting to activate if Iran was attacked by the United States.”



Iraq



Reuters: Turkish Drone Kills Three YBS Fighters In Iraq - Kurdish Authorities
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“A Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq on Tuesday killed three fighters
from the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said. The 5:00
a.m. strike targeted a YBS headquarters in the Sinjar district, the
counter-terrorism service said. Turkey has led a long-running campaign in Iraq
and Syria against militants of the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, both
of which Ankara regards as terrorist groups. Turkey regularly carries out air
strikes in northern Iraq and has dozens of outposts on Iraqi territory.”



Pakistan



Pakistan Observer: CTD Arrests Banned SRA Terrorist
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“The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh police claimed to have a
banned Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA) terrorist from Karachi. The SRA operative
was arrested during a successful operation in Karachi’s posh area of Clifton.
The arrested operator of the Sindh Revolutionary Army has made startling
revelations in the initial probe. According to spokesman CTD, a remote control
bomb had been recovered from the terrorist, adding that the bomb was to be
planted in Karachi’s biggest restaurant.”



Saudi Arabia



The National: Saudi Arabia Executes Citizen Who Planned Terrorist Attack
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“Saudi Arabia executed a citizen on Tuesday who it said planned a terrorist
attack in the kingdom after joining a training camp abroad. Ahmed Al Badr
illegally left the kingdom for training on the use of weapons and bombs
provided by a ‘hostile country’, the Saudi Interior Ministry said. It said Al
Badr was a spy who returned to Saudi Arabia in possession of weapons ‘to carry
out a terrorist act in order to disturb the security of the kingdom’. He was
referred to a special court that convicted him of ‘corruption on earth’ and
sentenced him to death. He was executed in the eastern region, the ministry
added. In March, Saudi Arabia executed two citizens convicted of joining a
terrorist cell to target security forces.”



Middle East



i24 News: Israeli Counter-Terrorism Operation Arrests Eleven Suspects In The
West Bank
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“Israeli security forces, with support from the Shin Bet internal security
agency, arrested 11 suspects throughout the West Bank before dawn on Tuesday,
and seized a stash of weapons and cash. During the operation near Nablus, IDF
forces arrested two wanted persons, located and confiscated weapons and
ammunition. During the activity, suspects threw stones at the fighters and
gunfire was heard in the area. In addition, six other suspects were arrested in
several Palestinian villages and in the city of Bethlehem.”



The Times Of Israel: Shin Bet Says It Foiled Hadera Bus Bombing By Umm Al-Fahm
Man Recruited By Hamas
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“The Shin Bet security agency on Wednesday said it had foiled an attempt by
the Gaza Strip-ruling Hamas terror group to carry out a bombing attack on a bus
in the north, using an Israeli man to plant the device. In the early hours of
April 2, Muhammed Nadir Mahajneh, 20, a resident of the Arab city of Umm
al-Fahm, was detained by the elite police Unit 33, also known as Gideonim, over
his alleged involvement in the plot. According to the Shin Bet, Mahajneh was
recruited by the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,
several months ago, to carry out a bombing against civilians on a bus in
Hadera. The agency said the suspect, due to financial pressure and mental
distress, began to ‘adopt the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, and later
decided that he wanted to commit jihad.’ Mahajneh was found to be in possession
of ‘media used to communicate with Hamas in the Gaza Strip,’ the Shin Bet and
police said.”



Nigeria



Daily Post: Air Strikes Reportedly Eliminate Scores Of ISWAP Terrorists In Yobe

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“Airstrikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, (NAF), fighter jets have
reportedly killed an unconfirmed number of ISWAP terrorists in Turo and Ambia
villages, Gujba local government area of Yobe State. The terrorists were said
to have been eliminated on Monday afternoon after the fighter jet bombed the
ISWAP position in an intelligence-led operation. Impeccable sources from the
intelligence community also told Zagazola Makama, Counter-Insurgency Expert and
Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that, the airstrikes were carried out,
following surveillance missions showing eight gun trucks conveying ISWAP
fighters. The sources said many of them were killed in the process. The
Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai has not yet released a statement on the
operation.”



Somalia



Voice Of America News: US Says Al-Shabab Leader Injured In Airstrike In Somalia

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“Al-Shabab's head of external operations was the target of the latest U.S.
airstrike against the militant group, two sources, including an al-Shabab
defector, told VOA Somali. Former al-Shabab official Omar Mohamed Abu Ayan told
VOA that veteran military commander Osman Mohamed Abdi, known as Moallim Osman,
was the target. The name of the target and his position was also confirmed by
Somalia's Ministry of Information in a statement issued Tuesday. The ministry
said Moallim Osman oversees bringing foreign fighters into Somalia to help
al-Shabab. He appears to have survived the airstrike, a spokesperson for U.S.
Africa Command said.”



Germany



Daily Sabah: Turkish Community Urges Germany To Launch Probe Into PKK Attack
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“The Turkish minority in northwestern Germany called on authorities to launch
an investigation into an attack on a mosque carried out by PKK terrorist
sympathizers. A mosque in the northwestern city of Bad Bentheim was vandalized
by supporters of the PKK terrorist group, authorities reported on Monday. The
assailants sprayed graffiti on the walls of the Bad Bentheim mosque, run by the
Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB). Hakkı Gümüşkuşak, the
chairperson of the mosque association, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the attack
was carried out by supporters of the PKK terror group on Saturday.”



Australia


Daily Mail: Australia's Top Spy Opens Up On Nation's Neo-Nazi Problem - But
Warns That Religious Fanatics Are Still The Biggest Security Threat
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“The country's top spy has confirmed neo-Nazis are growing in Australia - but
warned the biggest threat to national security remains espionage. Australian
Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) head Mike Burgess said neo-Nazis were
staging public displays more often but monitoring these groups still didn't
form the bulk of his organisation's caseload. Appearing before a Senate
estimates hearing on Tuesday, Mr Burgess said he had briefed Anthony Albanese
after he claimed last week that right-wing extremism had 'for some time' posed
a growing threat to Australia's security. The Prime Minister made the comments
after members of a neo-Nazi group performed the Sieg Heil salute during an
anti-immigration rally in Melbourne on May 13 following similar public
gatherings earlier this year.”



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