“Armed gunment killed at least 23 people and wounded 12 in an attack on a
village in central Mali, officials said Sunday. Sidi Mohamed El Bechir,
governor of the Bandiagara region where the attack took place, said
unidentified men killed dozens of people and set fire to several homes in the
village of Yarou on Friday. “The assailants stayed in the village until 7 p.m.
and burned down part of the village, smashed stores and took away the
villagers’ cattle,” said Amadou Lougué, president of the regional youth
organization, on Sunday. The attack has not been claimed. Communities across
central and northern Mali have been in the grips of protracted armed violence
since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in the West African
nation’s northern cities the following year, with the help of a French-led
military operation. But they regrouped in the desert and began launching
attacks on the Malian army and its allies.”











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Eye on Extremism



August 21, 2023



Associated Press: Gunmen Kill At Least 23 In An Attack On A Village In Central
Mali
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“Armed gunment killed at least 23 people and wounded 12 in an attack on a
village in central Mali, officials said Sunday. Sidi Mohamed El Bechir,
governor of the Bandiagara region where the attack took place, said
unidentified men killed dozens of people and set fire to several homes in the
village of Yarou on Friday. “The assailants stayed in the village until 7 p.m.
and burned down part of the village, smashed stores and took away the
villagers’ cattle,” said Amadou Lougué, president of the regional youth
organization, on Sunday. The attack has not been claimed. Communities across
central and northern Mali have been in the grips of protracted armed violence
since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in the West African
nation’s northern cities the following year, with the help of a French-led
military operation. But they regrouped in the desert and began launching
attacks on the Malian army and its allies.”



Associated Press: A Roadside Bomb In Northwest Pakistan Kills 11 Laborers Near
The Border With Afghanistan
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“At least eleven laborers were killed and two others wounded when a roadside
bomb destroyed their vehicle in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district near the
border with Afghanistan, police said Sunday. Police officer Ibrar Khan said the
incident took place on Saturday night in the Gulmir Kot area. He said the
explosion destroyed the vehicle that was carrying 16 laborers, killing 11 of
them on the spot while two were taken to a hospital. No trace of the other
three could be found and police believe they may have fled into the mountains
to save themselves from any further attack. North Waziristan served as safe
haven for Islamic militants for decades until the military carried out a
massive operation there and other tribal regions along the Afghan border in
recent years. Most militants escaped across the border but often strike back,
targeting military convoys and civilians.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* Afghanistan Terrorism Report: June 2023
<[link removed]>
* 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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United States



ABC: Chicago Terrorist Charged In India Can Stay In US During Extradition
Appeal, Judge Rules
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“A convicted terrorist from Chicago has won a temporary court fight. A judge
ruled Tahawwur Rana may stay in the U.S. during appeal of his extradition to
India where he would face certain conviction and the death penalty for his role
in a Mumbai massacre. Rana has already been convicted in Chicago of ties to the
Pakistani terror group that was responsible for the several day siege in
Mumbai, India on November 2008. The attack killed 175 people, including six
Americans. Rana owned and operated a Rogers Park travel agency that authorities
said was perfect cover for a jihadist plot with his friend David Headley to
help terrorists in their native Pakistan attack arch-enemy India. After his
conviction in Chicago for ties to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and serving
a 15 year sentence, a US judge ruled Rana must be extradited to India to stand
trial there.”



The New York Times: Judge Throws Out Confession Of Bombing Suspect As Derived
From Torture
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“The military judge in the U.S.S. Cole bombing case on Friday threw out
confessions the Saudi defendant had made to federal agents at Guantánamo Bay
after years of secret imprisonment by the C.I.A., declaring the statements the
product of torture. The decision deprives prosecutors of a key piece of
evidence against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, 58, in the longest-running
death-penalty case at Guantánamo Bay. He is accused of orchestrating Al Qaeda’s
suicide bombing of the warship on Oct. 12, 2000, in Yemen’s Aden Harbor that
killed 17 U.S. sailors. “Exclusion of such evidence is not without societal
costs,” the judge, Col. Lanny J. Acosta Jr., wrote in a 50-page decision.
“However, permitting the admission of evidence obtained by or derived from
torture by the same government that seeks to prosecute and execute the accused
may have even greater societal costs.””



Homeland Security Today: U.S. Airstrike Kills Five Al-Shabaab Terrorists
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“At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command
conducted a collective self-defense airstrike in a remote area near Cali Heele,
approximately 244 kilometers North East of Mogadishu, Somalia against
al-Shabaab terrorists on August 15. The airstrike was in support of Somali
National Army forces who were engaged by the terrorist organization. Working
with the Somali National Army, U.S. Africa Command’s initial assessment is that
the U.S. airstrike killed 5 al-Shabaab terrorists and that no civilians were
injured or killed. U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian
casualties. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s
operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa.



Syria



The Jerusalem Post: Turkish-Backed Extremist Groups In Syria Sanctioned By US
- Analysis <[link removed]>



“The US has continued to confront human rights abuses in Syria by targeting
extremist groups that occupied in Turkish-occupied areas of Syria. The US has
sanctioned the Syrian regime as well, but in the last several years a spotlight
as fallen on Syrian rebel groups that became more extreme. Over the weekend the
US Treasure Department sanctioned two more Turkish-backed groups. Al-Monitor
noted that these groups were “accused of forcibly displacing and oppressing the
local Kurdish population in northern Syria's Afrin region.” The groups listed
include the Suleiman Shah Brigade and Hamza Division and they are accused of
exacerbating “the suffering caused by years of civil war in northern Syria and
hindered the region’s recovery by engaging in serious human rights abuses
against vulnerable populations."”



Associated Press: Lebanese State Media Say Syrian Man Suspected Of Deadly
Bombing Committed Suicide To Avoid Detention
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“A Syrian citizen suspected of being behind a deadly bombing that killed and
wounded dozens near the capital, Damascus, last month committed suicide when
gunmen tried to detain him in Lebanon where he fled, state-run National News
Agency reported Saturday. The agency identified the man as Wissam Dalla and
said that he entered Lebanon illegally and was staying with relatives in a
southern suburb of Beirut — a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah —
where he was planning another “terrorist attack.” The 23-year-old man jumped
from the 7th floor of the building where he was staying late Friday night and
later succumbed to his wounds in hospital. NNA did not report on who tried to
detain Dalla but other media outlets said they were members of Hezbollah,
adding that the dead man was suspected of links to the extremist Islamic State
organization.”



Afghanistan



NE Global: The Global Impact Two Years After The Taliban’s Takeover
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Two years ago, the world saw the return of a repressive Taliban regime. The
rapid fall of the Afghan government sent shockwaves throughout neighbouring
countries and beyond, as the new Taliban powerbrokers in Kabul systematically
degraded human rights and afforded protection to a long list of Al-Qaeda linked
terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The complex competition between Taliban on the
one hand the local branch of ISIS, Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISKP, on
the other, extends far beyond local political objectives, as it becomes
increasingly evident that the resulting terror threat is being transmitted
across the globe.



The New European: Is The Taliban Getting Hooked On Fentanyl?
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“…Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Berlin-based Counter Terrorism
Project and an expert on Afghanistan, has seen it all before. Last time the
Taliban were in power, from 1996-2001, they curtailed poppy production for the
2000-01 season. Heroin prices soared. Then, when the Taliban were pushed out of
power after 9/11, they needed cash to fund their insurgency. In an unequivocal
demonstration of their control over the drugs trade, they went back into the
opium business.”



The Economic Times: Afghanistan: Girls, Women Demand Reopening Educational
Institutes For Them
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“Girls and Women both students and teachers in Afghanistan who were deprived
of their basic rights have demanded the reopening of educational institutes in
the country for them, TOLONews reported. As the Taliban regime completed its
second year in Afghanistan after taking over the country, the women wished that
their basic right to education will be given back to them. "Yesterday, I
thought that maybe schools, universities, and many other places that were
closed would open but they didn't," said Marwa, a student. "We call on the
government to reopen schools and universities for girls," said Najma, a
student. Meanwhile, some students and teachers warn of the negative
consequences of closing girls' schools and said that closing the gates of
schools will spread illiteracy in the country more than before, as per
TOLONews.”



Saudi Arabia



Associated Press: Rights Group Says Saudi Arabian Border Guards Fired On And
Killed Hundreds Of Ethiopian Migrants
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“Border guards in Saudi Arabia have fired machine guns and launched mortars
at Ethiopians trying to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, likely killing
hundreds of the unarmed migrants in recent years, Human Rights Watch said in a
report released Monday. The rights group cited eyewitness reports of attacks by
troops and images that showed dead bodies and burial sites on migrant routes,
saying the death toll could even be “possibly thousands.” The United Nations
has already questioned Saudi Arabia about its troops opening fire on the
migrants in an escalating pattern of attacks along its southern border with
war-torn Yemen. A Saudi government official, speaking on condition of anonymity
as he was not authorized to speak publicly, called the Human Rights Watch
report “unfounded and not based on reliable sources,” without offering evidence
to support the assertion. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who allegedly make tens of
thousands of dollars a week smuggling migrants over the border, did not respond
to requests for comment.”



Middle East



i24 News: Netanyahu Vows To Catch Huwara Terrorist: 'His Day Will Come Sooner
Than He Thinks'
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“The Israeli military continues to search for the terrorist responsible for
murdering two Israeli civilians in the town of Huwara in the West Bank. The
victims, identified as Shai Silas Nigerker, 60, and his son Aviad Nir, 28, from
the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, were killed on Saturday afternoon while at
a car wash station. According to witnesses, the two men stopped there to have
maintenance work done on their vehicle. The employees of the car wash
reportedly alerted the terrorist about the presence of people speaking Hebrew.
The terrorist then allegedly approached the victims on foot and shot them at
point-blank range before fleeing. The IDF arrested the owner of the car wash on
suspicion of collaborating with the terrorist. Israeli forces also closed the
roads around the town and the nearby Tapuach junction, and extended their
search to the West Bank city of Nablus, where the terrorist is believed to have
escaped.”



Jewish News Syndicate: What Is Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Thinking?
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“Since the beginning of July 2023, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has
escalated his anti-Israel rhetoric, belittling the Jewish state and arguing
that the Jewish state has lost its deterrence because of its domestic weakness.
Nasrallah, who is known to be a compulsive reader of the Israeli press and
international press coverage relating to Israel, seems to have concluded that
Israel is weakened from within and lacks the resolve to wage war against
Hezbollah or any other adversary. Few doubt that Nasrallah’s bellicose policies
match the strategies of his Iranian patrons and are carried out with Iran’s
approval. When his operatives erected tents on the Israeli side of the “Blue
Line,” the designated boundary that since 2000 has demarcated the
U.N.-recognized line of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, he openly threw down
his gauntlet, stating that Hezbollah was prepared to act militarily if Israel
moved to dismantle the outpost. He bluntly declared that the tents had been
erected on Lebanese land and that Hezbollah did not intend to dismantle them
and withdraw.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalis Protest Against Al-Shabaab Menace, Support Army
Offensive
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“In a rare show of solidarity, hundreds of Somali citizens have thronged into
streets of various towns across the country, protesting against Al-Shabaab's
frequent attacks and taxation, usually targeting innocent civilians mostly
women and children. On Friday, residents of Adado demonstrated in support of
the military offensive against Al-Shabaab, just hours after President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud announced that his administration is working around the clock to
ensure the militants have been defeated within the next months. The residents,
state media reports, showed support to the military besides thanking them for a
well-executed first phase of operations against the group, which targeted
HirShabelle and Galmadug states. Currently, the military is combining the two
states before embarking on the second and perhaps final assault against
Al-Shabaab.”



Reuters: Somalia Bans TikTok, Telegram And 1XBet Over 'Horrific' Content,
Misinformation
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“Somalia has banned TikTok, messaging app Telegram and online-betting website
1XBet to limit the spread of indecent content and propaganda, its
communications minister said." The minister of communications orders internet
companies to stop the aforementioned applications, which terrorists and immoral
groups use to spread constant horrific images and misinformation to the
public," the minister, Jama Hassan Khalif, said in a statement late on Sunday.
Members of insurgent group al Shabaab often post about their activities on
TikTok and Telegram. The decision comes days after Somali President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud said a military offensive against al Shabaab aims to eliminate
the al Qaeda-linked group in the next five months. TikTok, Telegram and 1XBet
did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The order gave
internet service providers until Aug. 24 to comply.”



United Kingdom



Al Khaleej Today: UK Nurse Lucy Letby To Be Sentenced For Murdering Seven
Babies
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“…Former prison governor Prof Ian Acheson told the BBC judges should have the
power to compel criminals into the courtroom "to be sentenced in front of the
people they have harmed".”



The Guardian: Man Charged With Terrorism Offences After Northern Ireland
Police Data Breach
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“50-year-old man has been charged with possessing documents or records likely
to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism, in
relation to the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach. He
is due to appear at Coleraine magistrates court on Monday, the PSNI said. Last
week the force revealed that a document had mistakenly been shared online for
about three hours, in response to a Freedom of Information request, which
included the names of about 10,000 officers and civilian staff members. Details
released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank
or grade, where they were based, and the unit they worked in. A 39-year-old man
was also detained in relation to the breach after a search in Lurgan, County
Armagh, on Wednesday, and was released on bail.”



Independent: £1m Counterextremism Funding Returned To Home Office Despite
Rising Terror Threat
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“Almost £1m of unspent funding for counterextremism work has been handed back
to the government despite a warning that “the risk from terrorism is rising”.
The Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) was formed by the Home Office
following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing but the government has never
publicly responded to any of its recommendations or reports. Since current
commissioner Robin Simcox took the helm in 2021, it has published no new
research or scrutiny of government policy, despite home secretary Suella
Braverman warning last month that the threat to Britain is rising as attackers
become “increasingly unpredictable” and harder to detect. Shadow security
minister Holly Lynch said tackling extremism “should be a top priority for this
government”.”



Southeast Asia



The Manila Times: ISIS Troops Attack MILF – Reports
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“Local Muslim militants allied with the Islamic State launched simultaneous
attacks anew against the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) in the restive southern province of Maguindanao. The Middle East Media
Research Institute (Memri) which monitors, tracks, translates, researches, and
analyzes cyber jihad originating from the Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and
North and West Africa reported the attack was mounted by fighters of the
Islamic State East Asia Province (Iseap). It also released a photo showing an
automatic rifle and magazines, including a radio communication set seized by
Iseap from the MILF. An ISIS flag was prominently displayed along with the
seized weapon. The report was contained in the weekly ISIS newsletter Al-Naba'
and obtained by Memri which was released only this week.”



India



The Tribune: CBI Seeks Cancellation Of JKLF Terrorist Rafiq Pahloo’s Bail
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“The CBI on Saturday moved a court here seeking the cancellation of bail to
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist Rafiq Pahloo in connection with
the murders of Indian Air Force officers in 1990 and the abduction of Rubaiya
Sayeed in 1989. Both the terror-related cases came up for hearing in the
special TADA court on Saturday, Senior Additional Advocate General and chief
prosecutor of CBI Monika Kohli said. Pahloo has got the bail but was arrested
in Srinagar recently along with several others for trying to revive separatist
activities. JKLF chief Yasin Malik, also an accused in the killing and the
kidnapping cases, could not attend the proceedings through videoconferencing
facility due to some “technical glitch”.



The Economic Times: J-K Admin Selectively Terminating Kashmiri Employees From
Service: Mehbooba
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“PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday slammed the Jammu and Kashmir
administration for selectively terminating Kashmiri employees from service by
labelling them as "terrorist sympathisers". Mehbooba's reaction comes a day
after the Jammu and Kashmir Bank sacked its chief manager Sajad Ahmad Bazaz for
allegedly being a "threat to the security of the state". In a post on X,
formerly known as Twitter, the former chief minister wrote, "Selectively
terminating Kashmiri employees by wrongfully dubbing them as terrorist
sympathisers & pro ISI has been normalised." "The accused isn't given a chance
to prove his innocence with the government acting as judge & jury. This
hooliganism is meant to frighten Kashmiris into submission," she added.”



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