“Al Qaeda's Yemen branch has released a new video of a UN worker abducted 16
months ago in the war-torn country, the Site Intelligence Group has said. The
man, who identified himself as Akam Sofyol Anam from the UN Department of
Safety and Security in Aden, appealed for his release and warned he and two of
his fellow abductees were ‘seriously ill’. In February 2022, Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula kidnapped Mr Anam and four others as they were returning to
the port city of Aden after a field mission. Wearing a blue shirt and glasses
and reading from a prepared statement, Mr Anam – identified by the Site
monitoring service as Bangladeshi – said his sick colleagues needed urgent
hospital treatment. There was no way of knowing who prepared the statement,
which appeared to have been recorded on June 3. A previous recording of Mr Anam
was released by his captors last September.”











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Eye on Extremism



June 14, 2023



The National: Al Qaeda Releases Video Of Bangladeshi UN Worker Abducted In
Yemen
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“Al Qaeda's Yemen branch has released a new video of a UN worker abducted 16
months ago in the war-torn country, the Site Intelligence Group has said. The
man, who identified himself as Akam Sofyol Anam from the UN Department of
Safety and Security in Aden, appealed for his release and warned he and two of
his fellow abductees were ‘seriously ill’. In February 2022, Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula kidnapped Mr Anam and four others as they were returning to
the port city of Aden after a field mission. Wearing a blue shirt and glasses
and reading from a prepared statement, Mr Anam – identified by the Site
monitoring service as Bangladeshi – said his sick colleagues needed urgent
hospital treatment. There was no way of knowing who prepared the statement,
which appeared to have been recorded on June 3. A previous recording of Mr Anam
was released by his captors last September.”



Daily Sabah: Turkish Intelligence Eliminates Top PKK Terrorist In Iraq
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“A PKK terrorist accused of ordering a 2017 attack in Türkiye, was
‘neutralized’ by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in northern Iraq,
security sources said Wednesday. The term is used to indicate terrorists killed
or captured in operations. The terrorist was identified as Abdulkahar Karasaç,
also known as Alişer Çiya. He was part of PKK’s so-called ‘special force.’
Karasaç has ordered a 2017 attack at a courthouse in the western Turkish
province of Izmir, according to security sources. The attack, a rare instance
of terrorism in Izmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city, was thwarted with the
heroic efforts of police officer Fethi Sekin. Sekin was killed as he engaged in
a firefight against the terrorists on Jan. 5, 2017. Musa Can, a courthouse
employee, was killed in the attack. At the same time, Sekin’s efforts
ultimately blocked an all-out assault on the crowded courthouse by the
terrorist group which also blew up a car bomb outside the courthouse.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* CEP-KAS – Sahel Monitoring May 2023
<[link removed]>
* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in May 2023
<[link removed]>
* Afghanistan Terrorism Report: April 2023
<[link removed]>
* ISIS Women in Court: Marcia M. – A Perfect Cover?
<[link removed]>
* CEP-KAS: Sahel Monitoring April 2023
<[link removed]>

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United States



Arab News: Iraqi Immigrant Pleads Guilty In Federal Court In Oregon To
Supporting Daesh <[link removed]>



“An immigrant from Iraq pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Portland,
Oregon, to conspiring to provide material support to the Daesh group by
producing and distributing propaganda and recruiting materials online. Hawazen
Sameer Mothafar, 33, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a
$250,000 fine when he is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11 by US District
Court Judge Marco A. Hernández. Mothafar was arrested in November 2020
following an FBI investigation. The case underscores the Daesh group’s focus on
maintaining an online presence, or ‘digital caliphate,’ after the group — also
known as Daesh — lost most of its self-declared caliphate in territory it
seized in Iraq and Syria by late 2017. ‘One of the primary mechanisms Daesh
uses to threaten the West is its media outlets,’ Christine Abizaid, director of
the National Counterterrorism Center, said in January. ‘The most prolific Daesh
threat to the United States or other Western countries is through inspired
attackers who are vulnerable to influence by Daesh messaging.’”



Syria



Reuters: Turkey Says Military 'Neutralised' 53 Kurdish Militants In Northern
Syria
<[link removed](Reuters),defence%20ministry%20said%20on%20Wednesday.>



“Turkey's military ‘neutralised’ 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria,
using ground artillery and drones in retaliatory strikes following an attack on
a police post on the Turkish side of the border at the weekend, the defence
ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry typically uses the term ‘neutralized’
to describe killed and wounded. The latest strikes targeted the militants'
hideouts in the Manbij and Tal Rifaat regions. Turkey has previously launched
military incursions in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, regarding it as a
wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey, the United
States and the European Union designate as a terrorist group. The United States
has allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the YPG, in
the fight against Islamic State in Syria, causing a deep rift with Turkey.”



Middle East



Jewish News Syndicate: Five Israelis Wounded In Samaria Drive-By Shooting
<[link removed]>



“Five Israelis were wounded in a terrorist attack on Tuesday near the Rihan
Crossing in northwestern Samaria. In an initial shooting, terrorists driving in
a vehicle opened fire on a passing car near the Palestinian-controlled town of
Yabad. Magen David Adom emergency medical personnel treated the victim, a man
in his 30s, for a wound to his upper body before evacuating him to the hospital
in stable condition. Four soldiers were wounded by subsequent gunfire targeting
their military vehicle, according to the IDF.”



Egypt



The Jerusalem Post: BDS Celebrates Egypt Border Terrorist In Arabic Facebook
Post <[link removed]>



“The BDS Egypt page published a post, shared by the BDS Arabic page, mourning
the death of the terrorist responsible for murdering three IDF soldiers in a
terror attack on the Egyptian border on June 3. The post celebrating the
terrorist, Mohammed Salah Ibrahim, was published a few days after the attack.
Despite the Facebook post celebrating the actions of Ibrahim, the BDS website
claims to urge ‘nonviolent pressure on Israel.’ The post, on the page with
56,000 followers, had accumulated a total of 76 reactions and 11 shares at the
time of the report.”



Mali



AFP News: Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Deadly Mali Attack On UN Peacekeepers
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“An Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for an
attack last week in Mali's deeply troubled north that killed two United Nations
peacekeepers. Mali has been grappling with a political and security crisis
since 2012 when separatist and jihadist rebellions broke out in the north,
later spreading to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. The UN peacekeeping
force in Mali, called MINUSMA, said a ‘complex attack’ involving an improvised
explosive device and direct fire targeted a patrol Friday near the town of Ber,
in the Timbuktu region. The victims were from a contingent from Burkina Faso,
the mission said. The Support Group for Islam and Muslims, or GSIM according to
its Arabic acronym, said it had staged the attack. The claim was made on its
propaganda site Al-Zallaqa, the SITE intelligence group said.”



Africa



Associated Press: More Than 45 People Killed By Militia Groups In Eastern
Congo, Says The United Nations
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“More than 45 people have been killed and a dozen wounded by a militia group
in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, said the United Nations peacekeeping mission
in Congo on Monday. The attack, which occurred Sunday evening into Monday
morning, is believed to have been perpetrated by the CODECO militia group,
which massacred vulnerable displaced people at the Lala displacement site in
Djugu territory, said the U.N. The peacekeeping mission ‘extends its
condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the
injured. This attack constitutes a serious violation of international
humanitarian law and (the peacekeeping mission) wishes to recall that
deliberate attacks against civilian populations can constitute war crimes,’
said the statement. Fighting between CODECO, a loose association of various
ethnic Lendu militia groups, and Zaire, a mainly ethnic Hema self-defense
group, has been ongoing since 2017 but has worsened recently. Dozens of
civilians have been killed by CODECO this year.”



Goa Chronicle: 12 Killed, Dozens Injured In Militant Attack In Kenya
<[link removed]>



“At least 12 people, including six servicemen, were killed and dozens were
injured in an attack by militants of Al-Shabaab radical group in two cities in
southeastern Kenya, local media reported. The attackers used improvised
explosive devices to strike Kenyan security agencies, local newspaper The Star
reported. The police have confirmed the attacks, though refused to give any
details, the report said. Al-Shabaab is a Somalia-based jihadist militant group
linked to al-Qaeda terrorist group (banned in Russia). Al-Shabaab militants
have been waging an armed struggle against the government of Somalia for over a
decade and are controlling large areas in the southern and central parts of the
country, also venturing in neighboring countries.”



Southeast Asia



CNN Philippines: ISIS Southeast Asia Leader Killed In Marawi Encounter –
Military
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“Government forces killed the Islamic State’s emir in Southeast Asia in an
encounter in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur early Wednesday, the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) said. The AFP Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) said
Abu Zacharia, who was also leader of the Daulah Islamiyah group, was the target
of an arrest warrant by the 103rd Infantry Brigade and the Philippine National
Police. ‘Sensing the government forces’ presence, the target opened fire,
forcing the operating troops to retaliate. Abu Zacharia also threw a 60mm
mortar and two hand grenades toward the troops’ position,’ the WesMinCom said
in a statement. The military said a soldier was wounded in the fire fight that
lasted 10 minutes, adding it recovered two M16A1 rifles with ammunition.”



India



The New Indian Express: Nine Killed, Ten Injured After Militant Attack In
Manipur; Imphal Curfew Timings Extended
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“At least nine people were killed while 10 to 11 others were injured after
several hours of a gunbattle between two groups of unidentified gunmen in
strife-torn Manipur on Wednesday. The incident was reported from the foothill
areas of Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district in the hills and Meitei-majority
Imphal East district in the Imphal Valley. The police confirmed the deaths and
said the condition of one of the injured was critical. Some villages such as
Khamenlok, Chullouphai and Aigejang on the border of the two districts have
come under intense gunfire since Monday when some people were injured.”



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