“At least 462 Al-Shabaab members were killed last weekend in Somalia, Ethiopian
National Defense Forces [ENDF] confirmed, in an attempted ambush at a military
base controlled by the Ethiopian troops serving in the African Union Transition
Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. On Wednesday, ENDF recounted the last weekend
incident in southern Somalia, in which Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed over
178 Ethiopian soldiers in an ambush. In response, the Ethiopian army dismissed
the claims as "innuendos" and promised to give accurate reports. According to
the Ethiopian army, the incident which happened in Rabdhure, Southwest Somalia,
saw the militants plan to attack a base by use of 12 suicide bombers. Three
explosive-laden vehicles had also been loaded ready for the assault, the army
said, adding that the militants were neutralized.”











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Eye on Extremism



September 21, 2023



Garowe Online: Ethiopia's Military Says 462 Al-Shabaab Fighters Killed In
Failed Somalia Attack
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“At least 462 Al-Shabaab members were killed last weekend in Somalia,
Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] confirmed, in an attempted ambush at a
military base controlled by the Ethiopian troops serving in the African Union
Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. On Wednesday, ENDF recounted the last
weekend incident in southern Somalia, in which Al-Shabaab claimed to have
killed over 178 Ethiopian soldiers in an ambush. In response, the Ethiopian
army dismissed the claims as "innuendos" and promised to give accurate reports.
According to the Ethiopian army, the incident which happened in Rabdhure,
Southwest Somalia, saw the militants plan to attack a base by use of 12 suicide
bombers. Three explosive-laden vehicles had also been loaded ready for the
assault, the army said, adding that the militants were neutralized.”



Voice Of America: Cameroon Sees More Attacks On Schools, Civilians After Rebel
Leader Killed
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“Cameroon officials say separatists resumed attacks on civilians and schools
after a notorious insurgent leader and four of his collaborators were killed
during a raid this week. The military said the slain rebel leader, known as
Bitter Kola, was behind many atrocities, including the October 2020 murder of
seven students at Mother Teresa College in Kumba. Military officials reported
on Tuesday that Kola was among five rebels killed in a raid on their hideout in
Mofako Butu, a village near Kumba in the South West region. Chamberlin Ntou’ou
Ndong, the most senior Cameroon government official in the Meme district, where
Kumba is located, said Kola and his fighters had torched several dozen schools,
killed an unknown number of civilians and government troops, and abducted
scores of others for ransom. Separatists acknowledged that Kola and four of his
close collaborators were killed. They said on social media platforms that at
least seven Cameroon government troops also died in the raid.”



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Fighting Terror is a podcast that brings together counterterrorism experts and
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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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United States



NBC News: U.S. Senators Ask Biden Admin To Push For Release Of Princeton Grad
Student Held By Iran-Backed Militia
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“Two U.S. senators are urging the Biden administration to appeal to the Iraqi
government to help secure the release of a Princeton University graduate
student believed to have been abducted by an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq six
months ago. In a letter obtained by NBC News, Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez and
Cory Booker, who both represent New Jersey, home to Princeton, conveyed their
“grave concern” about Elizabeth Tsurkov’s plight in their appeal to Secretary
of State Antony Blinken.n They called on the administration “to use our close
and abiding relationship with Iraq to raise Elizabeth’s abduction and call for
her release at every opportunity and level.”nmTsurkov, 36, is a citizen of both
Israel and Russia, placing her in a “uniquely vulnerable position,” the
senators said. Israel is constrained in its ability to press for Tsurkov’s
release, as it has no diplomatic relations with Baghdad because Iraq does not
recognize Israel. And Russia has done nothing to advocate for Tsurkov’s release
as she has openly criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to the
letter.”



The Texas Tribune: Extremists Have Turned Texas Into A Hotbed For Hate, Report
Finds <[link removed]>



“Texas continues to be a hotbed for extremism and antisemitism, driven by the
heavy presence of white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups that are
headquartered or active in the state. That’s according to a report released
Thursday by the Anti-Defamation League that examined nearly three years of
“alarming levels of extremist ideology and activity” in Texas, and suggested a
handful of policies to combat the growing problem. Since 2021, the report
found, antisemitic incidents in the state have jumped by 89%, and there have
been six “terrorist plots” in addition to 28 “extremist events” such as
training and rallies. Texas also led the nation in white supremacist propaganda
last year; had the most residents charged in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021
insurrection; and, in March, saw a neo-Nazi and extreme misogynist gunman kill
8 people at an Allen shopping mall.”



Syria



The New York Times: Syria’s Leader Visits China In Search Of Friends And Funds
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“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria arrived in China on Thursday as he sought
financial support to rebuild his country and to improve his international
standing after being ostracized over atrocities committed during Syria’s
ongoing civil war. His visit takes place as China seeks to present itself as a
powerful influence in the Middle East, and a partner to nations that are
shunned by the United States and the West. He is expected to meet with China’s
top leader, Xi Jinping. Mr. al-Assad’s trip is his first visit to China in
nearly two decades and comes as he has pushed to rehabilitate Syria’s global
image. China maintained diplomatic ties with Syria even as other nations
isolated Mr. al-Assad over his brutal crackdown against the Arab Spring
uprising in 2011, which led to civil war.His government stands accused of
atrocities such as using chemical weapons against its own people, torturing
thousands of opponents in a network of secret prisons and besieging towns and
cities in a conflict that left more than half a million dead.”



The Jerusalem Post: UN Human Rights Chief Calls For End To Clashes In Syria's
Deir Ez-Zor Region <[link removed]>



“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for an end to
the current conflict in the Deir ez-Zor area in eastern Syria, where more than
50 people, many of them civilians, have been killed in several weeks of clashes
between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and local Arab tribes. Turk
said the fighting could add an additional “catastrophic dimension” to Syria's
long-running civil war, which has already affected millions of Syrians. “The
warning signs of a further fragmentation to the conflict in Syria are alarming.
We cannot afford to sit back and watch the country slide even deeper into an
endless conflict, which has already scarred the lives of so many civilians,”
the UN human rights chief said. The American Embassy in Syria has also been
working to bring an end to the clashes, with US officials meeting with SDF
representatives and Arab tribal leaders in a bid to restore calm.”



Pakistan



Daily Times: Pakistan Facing Big Threat Of TTP, ISIS-K From Afghan Soil: FM
<[link removed]>



“Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday said that Pakistan was
facing the biggest concern at present with an enhanced threat from the
terrorist organizations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and ISIS-K
(Islamic State – Khorasan Province). The foreign minister expressed concern
over the outfits’ ability to use the Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistan.
He was speaking on Pakistan’s foreign policy and its quest for peace,
stability, and shared prosperity at an event of Asia Society, held on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Jilani
said Pakistan remained closely engaged with the interim government of
Afghanistan on the issue. Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to fighting and
defeating the terrorists, he stressed that terrorist outfits trying to gain a
foothold in Afghanistan should be treated as a threat to the neighbourhood and
the entire international community. After Afghanistan itself, Jilani said,
Pakistan had the greatest stake in Afghanistan, i.e., peace within and with its
regional and international partners.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israel Bans Workers From Gaza As Border Tensions Escalate
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“Israel shut crossing points with Gaza on Wednesday, preventing thousands of
workers from getting to their jobs in Israel and the West Bank, after days of
border demonstrations in which Israeli troops have opened fire on
stone-throwing protesters. Around 18,000 Gazans have permits from Israeli
authorities to work outside the blockaded enclave, providing a vital injection
of cash amounting to some $2 million a day to the impoverished territory's
economy. Protests backed by Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, have
been held for days against issues ranging from the treatment of Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails to Jewish visits to the Al Aqsa mosque compound, a
site holy to both Muslims and Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount.
Demonstrators along the Gaza separation fence have hurled stones as well as
improvised explosive devices, while Israeli troops have responded with tear gas
and live fire. The Israeli military on Wednesday said it used crowd dispersal
methods against "over a hundred rioters gathered in a violent riot adjacent to
the security fence" along the Gaza Strip.”



The Times Of Israel: Shin Bet Accuses Hamas Of Recent Attempt To Smuggle
Explosive Material From Gaza
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“The Shin Bet security agency on Wednesday accused the Gaza-ruling Hamas
terror group of directing a recent attempt to smuggle explosive material out of
the coastal enclave. The Defense Ministry announced earlier this month that
guards at the Kerem Shalom Crossing found several kilograms of “high-quality”
explosive material hidden in a shipment of clothes being exported from the Gaza
Strip to Israel. Citing initial assessments, the ministry at the time said the
explosives were intended to be used for terror activity in the West Bank. The
September 4 incident led the military to order a halt to commercial deliveries
from Gaza to Israel, before resuming nearly a week later. The Shin Bet blamed
the smuggling attempt on Arafat Natash and Muhammad Abu Awwad, both of whom
originally hail from the West Bank but were expelled to Gaza as part of a
prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. Citing their pasts, the security
service asserted their alleged involvement was an effective “fingerprint”
indicating the “West Bank headquarters” of Hamas was behind the effort.”



Egypt



Daily News Egypt: Egypt And EU Co-Chair GCTF Meeting, Reaffirm Commitment To
Fighting Terrorism
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“Egypt and the European Union co-chaired the 13th Ministerial Meeting of the
Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) in New York on Wednesday. The GCTF is a
multilateral forum for exchanging experiences and best practices in the fight
against terrorism and extremism. In his speech, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh
Shoukry highlighted the magnitude of the suffering that the people of some
countries continue to face from the threat of terrorism and its repercussions,
especially in light of the development of the forms and practices of terrorist
organizations and groups. He stressed the need for concerted international
efforts to confront and uproot such contemporary terrorist threats, as well as
devising new methods of confrontation that keep up with the successive
developments in the working methods of these organizations while drying up
their funding sources. This is in order to prevent more innocent victims, stop
the waves of displacement, and ensure the realization of human rights
guaranteed by international conventions.”



Nigeria



Reuters: Nigeria's Tinubu Tells UN He Seeks To Restore Democratic Order In
Niger
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“Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said on Tuesday he was seeking to
re-establish constitutional order to address political and economic problems in
neighboring Niger following a July coup and welcomed any support for the
process. Tinubu is chairman of the main West African bloc ECOWAS, which has
been trying to negotiate with the Niger military junta. ECOWAS has said it is
ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts
fail. In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Tinubu
assailed military coups, which have swept through West Africa in the past few
years and are sometimes cheered by citizens. "The wave crossing parts of Africa
does not demonstrate favor towards coups. It is a demand for solutions to
perennial problems," Tinubu said. "Regarding Niger, we are negotiating with the
military leaders. As chairman of ECOWAS, I seek to help re-establish democratic
governance in a manner that addresses the political and economic challenges
confronting that nation, including the violent extremists who seek to foment
instability in our region."”



Somalia



Reuters: Somalia Aid Theft - A Daily Reality For Country's Most Vulnerable
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“For Somalis who reached the Muri camp in the capital Mogadishu after fleeing
hunger and conflict in the countryside, the $130 per month they were promised
to feed their families was a godsend - before they learnt there was a catch.
"After the aid agency that brought the money leaves, the chairman of the camp
asks for the SIM cards," said one of two affected beneficiaries who spoke to
Reuters, a mother of six from central Somalia. "He says go home and I will send
you the money through your mobile phone. You reach home and you see they have
sent $65." Both beneficiaries spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of
reprisals. The chairman of the camp, Mohamed Ahmed, denied the allegations. "We
never divert what the aid agencies bring for the IDPs (internally displaced
persons)," he told Reuters. Alleged schemes similar to this one this one litter
a confidential U.N. report commissioned by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
that said its findings suggest the theft of aid in Somalia is "widespread and
systemic".”



India



The Times Of India: India Suspends Visa Services To Canada Amid Tension Over
Killing Of Khalistani Extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
<[link removed]>



“Amid an ongoing diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani-linked
terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, India on Thursday suspended
visa services for Canadian citizens till further notice. "Important notice from
Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023,
Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep
checking BLS website for further updates, a notification on the official
website of a visa consultancy service provider BLS International said. BLS
International also said that the notice from the Indian mission cited
"operational reasons" for suspension of visa services "till further notice".
Canada said on Monday that it was "actively pursuing credible allegations"
linking government agents to the murder of the Khalistani extremist British
Columbia in June. The government, however, has categorically rejected any such
claims from the Canadian side, adding that the allegations are "absurd" and
"motivated".”



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