Eye on Extremism

July 18, 2023 

The Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Authority Arrests Five Islamic Jihad Terrorists In Jenin

“The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group said Palestinian security forces detained five more of its members in Jenin overnight, underlining rifts between groups in the West Bank two weeks since Israel launched its largest raid there in years. Israel - which says its raid targeted terrorists - has pressed the Palestinian Authority to take tougher action against Iran-backed Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and also has fighters in the West Bank. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported arrests, or from the security forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited governance in parts of the West Bank. The city of Jenin and the huge adjoining refugee camp have been at the heart of an escalation of violence across the West Bank that has triggered mounting alarm from Washington to the Arab world.”

Voice Of America News: Al-Shabab Imposes Blockade On Baidoa Town In Somalia

“Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has condemned the militant group al-Shabab for imposing a weeklong blockade on the southwestern town of Baidoa. Authorities say the Islamist group has cut off supplies in and out of the area, worsening hunger caused by record drought and insecurity. Al-Shabaab set up the blockade Tuesday, cutting off transport to and from Baidoa, the capital of South West state. The blockade, which comes ahead of a planned government military offensive in the region, has affected businesses and resulted in price hikes as vehicles transporting goods from towns such as Mogadishu are stranded. Hussein Mohamud, the chief of staff for Somalia’s president, said the blockade demonstrates that al-Shabab is at war against the people of Somalia.”

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United States

Homeland Security Today: Colorado Man Arrested On Terrorism Charges At Denver International Airport

“The Department of Justice has announced that a man was arrested as he attempted to board an international flight at Denver International Airport on July 14. Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, of Castle Rock is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and made his initial appearance in federal court on July 17. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq. The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.”

Afghanistan

Dawn: US Joins Pakistan In Urging Taliban To Prevent Afghanistan From Becoming ‘Safe Haven’ For Terrorists

“The statement from US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller comes a day after Pakistan Army blamed Kabul for the uptick in militancy, saying that ‘safe havens and liberty of action’, along with the latest weapons available to militants from Afghan­istan enabled them to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terror­­ism. In a recent statement, the military said it expected the government in Afghanistan to take action against militants and abide by the Doha agreement. ‘The sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and availability of latest weapons to the terrorists were noted as major reasons impacting [the] security of Pakistan,’ a statement issued by the ISPR after the Corps Commander Conference on Monday said. The conference said the banned TTP continued to enjoy safe havens and managed to get its hands on sophisticated weapons, as it operates freely in Afghanistan.”

Pakistan

Reuters: No Indication Afghan Refugees In Pakistan Have Engaged In Extremism -White House

“There is no indication that Afghan refugees in Pakistan or along its border have engaged in acts of extremism, the White House said, after Pakistan's army expressed concern that militants had found safe havens in Afghanistan. ‘We've seen no indication that Afghan refugees in Pakistan or along that border are guilty of acts of terrorism,’ White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in a press briefing on Monday. Nine soldiers died after Islamist fighters stormed an army base in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, and three more were killed in an exchange of fire in the area last week, according to the Pakistan military. ‘And we're grateful to Pakistan for the incredible generosity that they have extended to so many Afghans who are just looking for a safe and secure place to be,’ Kirby said. ‘And we'll continue to work with Pakistan as we have on their legitimate terrorism threats.’”

Middle East

i24 News: Hezbollah Publishes Video Of Simulated Attack On Israeli Outpost

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization released a video on Sunday evening simulating an attack on an Israeli military base on the northern border with Lebanon. The six-minute long video was published by the terrorist movement’s media wing to mark the 17th anniversary of the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The video, titled ‘No one can overcome you,’ shows a simulated strike on Israeli tanks and vehicles using rockets and then a storming of the Israeli base by members of its elite commando unit Radwan, who then erect the group’s flags over it.  It then shows a simulation of the terrorists blowing up the outpost with Israeli soldiers trapped inside it. The video ends on a graphic of a phrase from the Quran: ‘If Allah helps you, none can overcome you’ written in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The footage was released amid heightened tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border.”

United Kingdom

CapX: Britain Must Do Much More To Tackle ‘Anti-Blasphemy’ Islamist Zealots

“Is blasphemy a national security threat to the UK? The Henry Jackson Society (HJS) think so. Their soon to be published report, trailed by the Telegraph yesterday, found that Muslim anti-blasphemy preachers imported from Pakistan and Bangladesh had accelerated and toxified the response to perceived insults against Islam. Pakistan’s existing blasphemy laws, made even harsher this year, make insulting the Prophet Muhammed or any of his family in effect a capital crime, often without the necessity of a trial because those accused are abducted and murdered by lynch mobs before the justice system gets anywhere near them. These forms of legal intolerance are often weaponised to settle political scores or intimidate others by false accusation. And the consequences, when paired with institutional timidity, can be horrific.”

Daily Mail: Hate Preacher Anjem Choudary Is Arrested On Suspicion Of Terrorism Offences In Dawn Police Raid At His Home

“Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in a police raid at dawn at his home. Officers searched the home of Choudary, 56, in east London at around 5.40am yesterday, according to The Telegraph. They also arrested a 28-year-old Canadian national at Heathrow Airport at approximately 12.35pm, after he arrived on a flight from Canada. Both were arrested on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The men are currently being held at a west London police station.”

India

The Economic Times: Four Terrorists Killed In Encounter With Security Forces In J-K's Poonch

“Four terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Tuesday, officials said. A joint operation was launched by the Army and police in the Sindhara top area of the Surankote belt on Monday night which led to a firefight, they said. Around 5 am on Tuesday, the gunfight resumed in which four terrorists were killed, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh. The White Knight Corps, in a tweet, said, ‘Operation Trinetra II. In a major cordon and search operation, acting on specific intelligence, four terrorists were eliminated in a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police near Sindarah and Maidana villages in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district.’”

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