“Islamic extremists killed eight farmers and abducted 10 in an attack in
northeastern Nigeria, officials said Friday — the latest in a volatile region
that is a key part of the country’s breadbasket and where militants have
threatened food supplies. The farmers were ambushed in the bush in the Borno
state’s Mafa district on Thursday. The attackers slit their throats,
authorities said. Babagana Zulum, the state governor, said the attack was an
attempt to ‘sabotage the successes of the government’ as it struggles to have
those displaced in Borno return to their villages and rebuild their lives. He
said the security forces need to rise to the challenge but also urged local
residents to take individual precautions.”











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Eye on Extremism



June 26, 2023



Associated Press: Islamic Extremists Kill 8 Farmers And Abduct 10 In Latest
Attack In Northeastern Nigeria
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“Islamic extremists killed eight farmers and abducted 10 in an attack in
northeastern Nigeria, officials said Friday — the latest in a volatile region
that is a key part of the country’s breadbasket and where militants have
threatened food supplies. The farmers were ambushed in the bush in the Borno
state’s Mafa district on Thursday. The attackers slit their throats,
authorities said. Babagana Zulum, the state governor, said the attack was an
attempt to ‘sabotage the successes of the government’ as it struggles to have
those displaced in Borno return to their villages and rebuild their lives. He
said the security forces need to rise to the challenge but also urged local
residents to take individual precautions.”



i24 News: Iran-Linked Terrorist Attack Against Israelis Prevented In Cyprus -
Report
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“A terrorist attack against Israelis linked was prevented in Cyprus, media
reported on Sunday. The attack was aimed at killing Jews was plotted by
intelligence services linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), local
media said. According to sources, the operation to thwart potential
assassinations was carried out in cooperation with Cyprus’ intelligence
together with Western partners, which reportedly included Israeli and American
secret services. Following the arrest two years ago of an Azeri suspect with a
Russian passport who has been acting on behalf of the IRGC, Cyprus’
intelligence was closely monitoring potential threats over the last few months,
the report said. The network of terrorists allegedly sent their recruits from
territories that are not controlled by Cyprus, which has its northern part
occupied by Turkish forces.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* West Africa's Terrorism Challenge: Development Of Al-Qaeda In The Western
Sahel Region
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* West Africa's Terrorism Challenge: Status Of ISWAP And ISGS In West Africa
And Sahel
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* Civilian Counterterrorism Forces and the Fight Against Extremism: A Review
of Nigeria, Somalia, and Burkina Faso
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* Extremism in Erdogan's AKP
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* Security Risks Emanating From Afghanistan
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United States



Sierra Club: Latest Threat To The Electricity Grid: White Supremacists
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“…For several years now, law enforcement and researchers have been monitoring
racially and ethnically motivated violent white supremacist groups and their
growing fascination with our country's power grid. Many in these groups are
"accelerationists," convinced that the best way to achieve their goal of a
white supremacist future is to cause society to collapse by plunging it into
darkness. "The belief is, when the lights go out, people will become violent
when they realize the government can't help them," said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a
researcher with the Counter Extremism Project, an international policy
organization. "It's also a great recruitment tactic." Attacking the electrical
grid, he noted, is a topic of growing interest in the neo-Nazi tracts he's
reviewed in recent months.”



New York Post: City Council Candidate Touts Endorsement From Alleged Terrorist
Plotter In 1993 WTC Bombing
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“Yusef Salaam — one of the exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ defendants now
running for a City Council seat in Harlem — is touting an endorsement from an
unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Imam Siraj
Wahhaj, 73, was identified with 170 others by U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White as
one of the ‘unindicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators’ in the
terrorist attack which killed six people. Wahhaj later served as a character
witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman — the infamous ‘blind sheikh’ who was
convicted in 1995 of plotting terrorist attacks in the United States. While
serving as vice president of the Islamic Society of North America, Wahhaj was
‘accused of urging his followers to overturn the U.S. system of government and
set up an Islamic dictatorship,’ according to the Department of Justice. In
past remarks, Wahhaj has defended the convicted World Trade Center bomb
plotters and disparaged the FBI and CIA as the ‘real terrorists.’”



Iraq



The National: Iraqi Official Leading Post-ISIS Reconstruction Dismissed Over
Corruption Claims
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“A senior Iraqi official in charge of postwar reconstruction has been
relieved of his duties on suspicion of corruption. Iraqi Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia Al Sudani dismissed Mohammed Al Ani, the head of the state-run
fund in charge of rebuilding areas damaged by the war with ISIS on Sunday, a
government spokesman said. Mr Al Ani’s termination following suspected
corruption is the first for a senior government official since Mr Al Sudani
took office in late October. In 2015, Iraq established the Reconstruction Fund
for Areas Affected by Terroristic Operations to carry out and supervise efforts
to rebuild areas damaged by the militant attacks.”



Kurdistan24: Five Suspected ISIS Militants Killed In Kirkuk, Announces Military

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“The Iraqi forces in Kirkuk on Sunday announced that they had killed five
suspected militants of the so-called Islamic State in an operation, according
to a press release. Wearing ‘explosive belts’, three members of the group were
killed in the Turkalan area in southwestern Kirkuk by the Iraqi Army’s Eighth
Division soldiers, a statement from the Security Media Cell read. Overall, the
forces had killed five ‘terrorists’ in the area, according to the press
release. As a result of the operation, an Iraqi soldier was killed and another
one was wounded, per the release. Three weapons belonging to the suspected
members were confiscated, it added. The operation comes as the Iraqi fighter
jets on Saturday targeted a remote area in the province, where they killed a
number of suspected ISIS militants.”



Turkey



Daily Sabah: French Terrorist Among PKK Members Who Surrendered To Türkiye
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“Confessions of a PKK terrorist who chose to surrender disclosed the
terrorist group's free rein in Europe and how it recruits members thousands of
kilometers away from its strongholds in Iraq's north. The terrorist was among
four who decided to quit the group and fled its hideouts in northern Iraq. They
surrendered to Turkish security forces on the Turkish-Iraqi border last week.
The Ministry of National Defense on Sunday announced that the man, code-named
‘Munzur B,’ has admitted that he joined the group last year while residing in
France and was sent to terrorist camps in northern Iraq. He also stayed in a
camp in Greece for a while before going to Iraq, the ministry said.”



Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty: Alleged Islamic State-Khorasan Leader From
Tajikistan Detained In Turkey
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“Police in Istanbul say they detained Tajik citizen Shamil Hukumatov on June
22 on suspicion of being a leader of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K)
extremist organization. Hukumatov, also known as Abu Miskin, has allegedly been
involved in recruiting fighters for IS-K. Islamic State-Khorasan, created in
2014, wants to create an Islamic state of the Great Khorasan on the territory
of Afghanistan, eastern parts of Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Tajik
authorities have yet to comment on the reports about Hukumatov’s detention in
Turkey.”



Pakistan



Dunya News: CTD Arrests Nine Terrorists In Several Cities Of Punjab
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“The Counter Terrorist Department (CTD) has arrested nine terrorists during
Intelligence-Based Operations (IBO) in several cities of Punjab. According to
the CTD spokesman, the arrests were made from Faisalabad, Gujranwala,
Bahawalpur, DG Khan and Multan. The arrested terrorists are linked with the
banned militant outfits Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda.
Explosives, detonators, fuses and Rs152,800 have been recovered from the
terrorists. CTD officials said the arrested terrorists had been identified as
Naveed Khan, Khurram, Ghulam Hussain, Ghulam Abbas, Owais, Muhammad Saif,
Hussain, Ismail and Akhwan. Seven cases have been registered against the
terrorists while further investigation is being carried out.”



Pakistan Today: Islamic State Group Claims Killing Sikh Man In Peshawar
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“Gunmen shot and killed a member of the Sikh community in an overnight attack
in the city of Peshawar, police said Sunday. Gauher Khan, a local officer, said
the attack on Manmohan Singh, 35, appeared to be a targeted killing. A police
investigation continues, Khan said, into the motive. Khan said the assailants
opened fire at Singh while he was returning home from a suburban area. The
assailants fled the scene. The Islamic State group in a statement claimed
responsibility for the killing, saying Singh had been a follower of what it
called a ‘polytheistic’ Sikh sect in Peshawar. It also claimed wounding a Sikh
in the city the previous day. It’s the third killing of a Sikh community member
this year in Pakistan.”



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: Jewish Extremists Try To Interrupt Messianic Jewish Event
In Jerusalem
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“Jewish extremists attempted to disrupt a convention of Messianic Jews in
Jerusalem on Thursday. Activists from the Lehava organization, which opposes
interfaith and interethnic relationships and marriages, and Or l’Achim, an
organization that tries to counter Christian proselytization in Israel, tried
to block participants from attending the event and attempted to break into the
main hall at the Clal Center. Police were called to the event to disperse the
protesters and ensure the safety of the event. One person was arrested for
allegedly attacking police at the event.”



Jewish News Syndicate: Terrorists Target Israeli Soldiers In Drive-By Near
Nablus
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“Terrorists fired from a passing vehicle at Israeli soldiers near Nablus
(Shechem) on Sunday morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The
Israeli forces, who were stationed at a military post, returned fire, and a
search was launched for the shooters, according to the military. The military
post suffered damage, but no Israeli injuries were reported. The shooting comes
amid heightened tensions in Samaria following a series of deadly Palestinian
terrorist attacks, including last week’s shooting at a restaurant near the town
of Eli that killed four people and wounded four others.”



Nigeria



Punch: Boko Haram Kills Eight Youths In Borno
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“Suspected Boko Haram insurgents, on Thursday, killed youths across four
communities in Mafa and Jere Local Government Areas of Borno State. Four of the
youths who were reportedly out in the bush fetching firewood were in
Tamsu-Ngamdu, two in Baram-Karuwa and one in Shuwari, all in Mafa LGA while one
was killed in Muna, Jere LGA. ‘One of the youths, just about 16, who said he
was spared by the killers to come and report the story, said those killed all
had their hands tied at the back and shot,’ Sherif Goni, a resident of
Tamsu-Ngamdu, told newsmen on Friday. The state Governor, Babagana Zulum, who
went around condoling the bereaved communities on Friday assured that the
government would not be deterred in efforts to end insecurity in the state.”



Africa



AFP News: Jihadists Kill Five Civilians In East Kenya: Witness, Police Source
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“Al-Shabaab jihadists have killed five civilians, some by beheading, in
eastern Kenya, a witness and a police source told AFP on Sunday. The attack
occurred on Saturday around 7:30 pm (1630 GMT) in the villages of Juhudi and
Salama in Lamu county, close to the Somali border, the source said. ‘Five
people were killed. The victims had their throats slit and there are others who
were beheaded.’ One resident, Hassan Abdul, said that ‘women were locked in the
houses and the men ordered out, where they were tied with ropes and butchered’.
A secondary school student was among the five people killed, Abdul said, adding
that ‘all those killed had their throats cut and some of them had been
beheaded’. Another resident, Ismail Hussein, said the militants stole food
supplies before leaving, firing their weapons into the air.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Far-Right Fitness Guru Jailed Over Terror Manifestos
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“Kristofer Kearney, 39, from Liverpool, is believed to be the first member of
a group known as Patriotic Alternative to be convicted of terrorist offences.
Known online as Charlie Big Potatoes, he shared posts encouraging violence
against Jews and Muslims. He was sentenced to four years and eight months with
a two-year extended licence period at the Old Bailey. The offences relate to
two Telegram posts on 23 January and 8 March 2021 which disseminated dozens of
documents encouraging extreme right-wing terror attacks. This included the
manifestos of Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant and Anders Breivik,
who murdered 77 people in Norway. Two other far-right extremist manifestos
related to Texas Walmart mass killer Patrick Crusius and John Earnest, who shot
people at a California synagogue in 2019.”



India



Voice Of America News: Militancy Resurfacing In Jammu Division On Indian Side
Of J&K
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“Militance by separatist insurgents in Jammu, part of India’s Jammu and
Kashmir territory, is resurfacing after a gap of 14 years, a former top
military officer told VOA June 20. There have been at least six deadly attacks,
resulting in the loss of 33 lives, including 10 civilians, since 2021. The
first wave of militancy emerged in 1990. Deependra Singh Hooda, former general
officer commanding-in-chief of the Indian army’s Northern Command said two
factors contribute to the resurgence – difficulties the militants face in the
Kashmir Valley because of tough Indian government response and a shifting of
troops from Jammu to deal with border issues with China.”



The Times Of India: 1,500 Manipur Women Force Army To Set Free 12 Militants
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“An almost 1,500-strong mob led by women interrupted a counter-insurgency
operation in Manipur's Imphal district late Saturday and forced the Army to
release 12 cadres of the banned Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup (KYKL), including a
wanted militant identified as the mastermind of the 2015 Chandel ambush in
which 18 soldiers of the 6 Dogra Regiment were killed and 15 others wounded.
The forced release of Moirangthem Tamba, alias Uttam, and 11 other armed
militants capped an unprecedented sequence of events, starting with the mob
barging into an area that had been cordoned off to avert collateral damage and
then haranguing senior Army officers till the captured men were freed.
Kohima-based defence PRO Lt Col Amit Shukla said security forces had launched
the operation on Friday morning, based on specific information about the
presence of armed militants in Itham village, about 6km east of Andro. Besides
capturing 12 KYKL cadres, the Army seized arms, ammunition and other battle
equipment. The mob, comprising 1,200 to 1,500 locals, immediately laid siege to
the area and prevented security forces from continuing with the operation
despite repeated appeals to disperse, he said.”



The New Indian Express: Infiltration Up In Jammu And Kashmir; 12 Militants
Killed In 8 Days
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“There has been a surge in infiltration attempts from across the Line of
Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and 12 heavily armed militants have been
killed after troops foiled three infiltration attempts by militants in eight
days. The surge in infiltration attempts began in May and the trend continued
in June. Five infiltration bids have taken place along the LoC in Jammu and
Kashmir during this month. Of the five infiltration bids, three have taken
place in Kashmir (two in Machil and another in the Keran sector) and two in the
border district of Poonch in the Jammu region. The troops while foiling these
five infiltration bids killed 14 militants --- 11 in Kashmir and 3 in Poonch.”



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