“At least 50 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed in a fresh* operation at
Weelmarow village in Lower Jubba, state media reported, in the latest crackdown
targeting the group which has been wreaking havoc in the country for the last
16 years. The operation, officials said, targeted Weelmarow village which is
about 45 kilometers northeast of Afmadow town which falls under Sector Il of
the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. Sector II is manned by
Kenya Defence Forces [KDF] which has been operating in Lower Jubba. During the
raid, state media reported, 50 Al-Shabaab militants were killed with dozens of
others arrested by the Danab Special Forces. Furthermore, the Somali National
Army [SNA] commandos with the assistance of Jubaland regional forces seized
vehicles and weapons during the operation.”











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Eye on Extremism



July 13, 2023



Garowe Online: Somalia: Fresh Operation Leaves Over 50 Al-Shabaab Militants
Dead
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“At least 50 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed in a fresh* operation at
Weelmarow village in Lower Jubba, state media reported, in the latest crackdown
targeting the group which has been wreaking havoc in the country for the last
16 years. The operation, officials said, targeted Weelmarow village which is
about 45 kilometers northeast of Afmadow town which falls under Sector Il of
the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. Sector II is manned by
Kenya Defence Forces [KDF] which has been operating in Lower Jubba. During the
raid, state media reported, 50 Al-Shabaab militants were killed with dozens of
others arrested by the Danab Special Forces. Furthermore, the Somali National
Army [SNA] commandos with the assistance of Jubaland regional forces seized
vehicles and weapons during the operation.”



AFP News: Ex-Rapper, Notorious IS Suspect Goes On Trial In Spain
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“Former British rapper and notorious Islamic State suspect Abdel-Majed Abdel
Bary, who was arrested in Spain in 2020, went on trial in Madrid on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old former rapper from west London, who allegedly posted an image
of himself holding a severed head on Twitter, went on trial at Spain's
Audiencia Nacional criminal court for joining the Islamic State (IS) group
while visiting Syria between 2013 and 2015. Prosecutors also accuse him of
running ‘online scams’ with two friends to fund ‘terrorist activities’. They
are calling for a nine-year jail sentence. When he was arrested in April 2020
in the southern town of Almeria several days after arriving by boat from
Algeria, police described the British-Egyptian national as one of IS's ‘most
wanted foreign terrorist fighters’.”



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approaches to combating terrorism in our society. Our frank discussions cover
the lifecycle of terrorism from propaganda and recruitment, to financing,
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Pakistan



The National: Soldiers Killed As Militants Storm Army Base In Northern Pakistan

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“An attack on a military base by suspected militants in northern Pakistan
killed several soldiers. Nine soldiers were killed at the base Islamist
militants stormed into armed with guns, hand grenades and rockets, army and
security officials said. All five militants who stormed the base in early hours
were killed in retaliatory fire, Reuters cited the army as saying. Three other
soldiers died in a separate exchange of fire with heavily armed ‘terrorists’ in
Sui district, the army said.”



Dunya News: CTD Arrests Six Terrorists In Punjab-Wide Operations
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“The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab claims to have arrested six
alleged terrorists including a commander of a banned outfit during the multiple
operations. A CTD spokesperson said that the department has arrested Bakht
Sher, a high-profile commander of a banned militant organisation and caught
five other terrorists in other intelligence-based operations (IBOs). He further
added that explosive material, mobile phones, weapons and some money have been
recovered from the possession of the arrested suspects.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: Explosion Along Lebanon-Israel Border Wounds 3 Members Of
Militant Group Hezbollah
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“An explosion near Lebanon’s border with Israel slightly wounded at least
three members of the militant Hezbollah group, a Lebanese security official
said, raising tensions in the area. The three Hezbollah members were taken to a
hospital near the scene of the explosion in the village of Bustan in the
southern Lebanese province of Tyre, the official said on condition of anonymity
in line with regulations. The Israeli army said in a statement that several
suspects approached a security fence and attempted to sabotage it, drawing
efforts by soldiers to force them to retreat. It posted surveillance footage
showing four people in civilian clothing approaching the border fence, and
running away after an explosion. The identity of the suspects is unknown, it
said.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israel Files Terrorism Charges Against Two Settlers In West Bank
Rampages
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“Israeli prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges on Wednesday against two
Jewish settlers, one accused of desecrating a mosque and the other of setting a
fire in a home, during rampages against Palestinians that drew U.S. calls for
accountability. The spree of vandalism and arson by hundreds of settlers in
several villages and towns in the occupied West Bank last month followed the
June 20 killing of four Israelis by Hamas gunmen. Some of the Palestinians who
lost property were U.S. dual nationals. One defendant, in his early 30s, was
among ‘a large number (of) rioters’ who threw objects at buildings in Orif
village, wrecked furniture and windows in its mosque and ripped up copies of
the Koran and threw them to the floor, the indictment said. Their goal was ‘to
arouse fear or shock in the community through a grave blow to the sacrosanct,’
it said. The second defendant, a 22-year-old off-duty soldier, was accused
separately of taking part in a mob break-in at a home in Umm Safa village while
a mother and her four children were present, forcing her to hide them in a
closet.”



Jewish News Syndicate: Six Palestinian Terrorists Charged For Series Of Attacks

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“Six Palestinians have been charged in connection with a string of shootings
over the past few months in Judea and Samaria, the Israel Security Agency (Shin
Bet) announced Wednesday. The terrorists all hailed from the
Palestinian-controlled village of al-Mughayyir, and their attacks mostly
centered around the Jewish community of Shilo, according to the agency. The
attacks caused no injuries, said the Shin Bet. Members of the cell procured
firearms from a dealer near Jenin and had contact with ‘terror elements’ in the
Gaza Strip in a bid to seek funding, according to the security agency. The Shin
Bet said the terrorists posted evidence of their attacks to social media,
including footage, and referred to themselves as the ‘Martyr Raed Naasan
Group,’ named after a Palestinian rioter killed by IDF troops in al-Mughayyir
in 2022.”



The Times Of Israel: ‘Won’t Stay Quiet’: Hezbollah Chief Threatens Israel Over
Tent Row On Tense Border
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“Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened to attack Israel if it
tries to remove a tent set up by his group on the unofficial border with
Lebanon, as tensions along the often-restive frontier spiked Wednesday. The
comments from Nasrallah were broadcast hours after Israel Defense Forces troops
foiled an attempt by a number of alleged Hezbollah suspects to damage the
border fence near the northern town of Zar’it, the latest in a string of
security incidents setting the UN-monitored frontier on edge. Israel has sought
since early June to remove two tents placed by Hezbollah in the contested Mount
Dov region, also known as the Shebaa Farms. One tent was removed after Israel
reportedly sent a message to Hezbollah threatening an armed confrontation if it
did not remove the outpost soon. But Nasrallah said the other would remain.”



Nigeria



Daily Post: Terrorists Suffer Devastating Losses As Airstrikes Kill Scores In
Northeast
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“Military airstrikes conducted by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai
have reportedly decimated scores of Islamic State West Africa Province
(ISWAP)/Boko Haram terrorists following a sustained onslaught against the
jihadists in the northeast region. This was disclosed on Wednesday by a
security analyst and a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region,
Zagazola Makama, via Twitter. He quoted sources as saying an intelligence-led
aerial mission against identified terrorists hideouts was carried out on July 9
and 10, 2023, in Chikun, Gudu and Jibularam, Kwalaram, Arinna Ciki in Marte
Local Government Area of Borno State where damage assessment from the scene
confirmed the successful elimination of scores of fighters including some
commanders who were yet to be identified. ‘In continuation of intensive air
raids, similar strikes were also undertaken at Talala in the axis of Sambisa
forest after receiving intelligence of terrorists moving on seven motorcycles.
‘The strikes were successful as at least six bodies of the eliminated
terrorists were sighted after the clearance operations,’ he tweeted.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Kenyan And Ethiopian Al-Shabaab Fighters Killed In Somalia
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“The Security Forces in Jubaland state have intensified the crackdown against
Al-Shabaab militants, officials said in a statement, with the latest operation
taking place in the notorious Weelmarow village in Lower Jubba, about 45
kilometers from Afmadow town. According to reports, Jubaland regional troops
with assistance from US-trained

Danab Special Forces, killed at least 17 militants within the village. The
regional team in the intelligence docket participated in the raid, officials
said, noting that security teams

had planned the operation. The regional security agency claimed that a number
of photos were retrieved from phones associated with the militants. Among those
killed, the agency added, were A Shabaab fighters mainly from Kenya and
Ethiopia, who had been conducting attack the country.”



Africa



AFP News: Thousands Flee Homes In Jihadist-Hit Niger
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“Nearly 11,000 people in jihadist-hit southwestern Niger have fled their
homes this month, the United Nations and local authorities said Wednesday.
‘These people are running from violence perpetrated by suspected armed
non-state groups found in the Tillaberi region and the tri-border zone,’ where
Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali meet, the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Niamey said. Local authorities in Niger's Say
department reported that over 10,800 people from nine villages in the Ouro
Gueladjo area ‘were forced to flee their homes’ from July 3-9. More than 8,430
people had taken refuge at Ouro Gueladjo town and 2,140 nearby close to Torodi.
Some 215 had arrived in the capital Niamey, another 70 kilometres (45 miles)
away, OCHA and the authorities said.”



The North Africa Post: U.S Grant Togo $3 Million To Address Displaced
Population Fleeing Terrorism
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“The U.S. have granted Togo $3 million to attend to around 60.000 people
displaced in the north of the African country struggling to contain terrorism
activities. USAID, Washington’s agency, provided the aid facility. The World
Food Program (WFP) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will be the agency’s
operational partners on the ground.

Per a press release from the US embassy in Togo, Catholic Relief Services
(CRS) will use the funds disbursed to provide multi-purpose financial
assistance to around 27.000 people to cover their basic needs. This will be
done in collaboration with the diocese of the city of Dapaong. WFP on the other
hand will provide emergency nutritional assistance to a further 37.000 people.
The assistance, the mission added, will be of particular benefit to these
people, especially during the lean season when ‘families generally need support
the most’. Togo since November 2021 has been facing sporadic attacks from
terrorists spilling from Burkina Faso grappling terrorist activities since
2015.”



United Kingdom



Daily Mail: British Terrorist, Now 31, Who Went To Syria Intent On 'Martyrdom
On The Battlefield' Is Released From Prison After Just Nine Years
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“A British terrorist who travelled to Syria intending on ‘martyrdom on the
battlefield’ has been released from a UK jail after just nine years behind
bars. Yusuf Zubair Sarwar and his childhood friend Mohammed Nahin Ahmed were
both jailed in 2014 and branded ‘dangerous’ by the trial judge after pleading
guilty of joining a jihadi group in Syria. Woolwich Crown Court was told that
the pair had travelled to the war-torn country in May 2013 to join an Al-Qaeda
linked terrorist group after contacting Islamic extremists who were fighting
against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Traces of military-grade explosives,
including TNT and nitroglycerine, were found on their clothes when they
returned to the UK in January 2014. They had joined a militant group called
Kataib al-Muhajireen (KaM).”



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