April 23, 2020

The National: Experts Warn That High-Profile ISIS Terror Arrest In Spain Shows Group Is Using Virus Lockdowns To Move Around Europe <[link removed]>

“The terrorist cell in Germany had been raising funds for attacks on US forces stationed there. Nikita Malik, director of the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society, has given a warning that more terrorists could be using the pandemic to cross the continent and is urging authorities to be vigilant. “If Abdel Majed Abdel Bary has been hiding in Europe, this raises the possibility that there could be many other ISIS suspects who are still unaccounted for,” she said. “Covid-19 will allow suspected terrorists to hide indoors, and to travel outside undercover. “While those monitored by the authorities are less likely to present a threat during this period, the police must remain vigilant to those who are off the radar or may be using distractions to smuggle into Europe. “It is therefore imperative that intelligence is shared between countries to ensure that current gaps are not exploited by terrorists.” Earlier this month, judicial agency Eurojust said the number of terrorist investigations had risen by 14 per cent over the last year. It said it dealt with 222 terrorism cases last year, compared with 191 in 2018. The Counter Extremism Project says extremist groups are continuing to plot attacks. “The arrest of an ISIS-linked cell in Germany on April 15 is a reminder of that reality," it said. "The suspects were also reportedly involved in raising funds for their planned attacks, demonstrating that terror financing activities remain ongoing despite the economic slowdown.” Ms Malik has also said the terrorist plots could target emergency workers during the Covid-19 outbreak. “Regarding infrastructure – they will likely target hospitals or deliberately infect police officers,” she said.”

France 24: Dozens Die In Clashes Across Afghanistan As US Struggles To Broker Taliban Cease-Fire <[link removed]>

“Clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban militants killed dozens nationwide over the past 24 hours, authorities said on Wednesday, even as the United States tries to broker peace talks between the warring sides. Eight security force members were killed in a Taliban attack on a checkpoint at the Mes Aynak Copper Mine in eastern Logar province on Tuesday evening, Abdul Qadeer Mutfi, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Mine and Petroleum Ministry, said in a tweet. The insurgent group also attacked several checkpoints in northern Sar-e-Pul province, provincial governor spokesman Zabihullah Amani said, killing 11 Afghan security force members, wounding 19 and resulting in one being captured by the Taliban. Attacks are threatening to derail a fragile peace process, with the Taliban rejecting the Afghan government’s repeated calls for a ceasefire as the country also attempts to deal with a growing coronavirus outbreak and prisoner exchanges to take place with an eye to formal peace talks. After a week-long reduction in violence leading up to the signing of a troop withdrawal agreement with the United States in February, the Taliban resumed attacks on Afghan forces, though it has held back on attacking foreign forces.”

The Guardian: Fears Of Rise In UK Terrorist Recruits As Anti-Radicalisation Referrals Collapse <[link removed]>

“Counter-terrorism officials fear a rise in terrorist recruits after a collapse in referrals to the UK’s main anti-radicalisation scheme during the lockdown, as extremists pump out propaganda urging British attacks. The Guardian understands referrals to Prevent are down by more than 50% since the lockdown started on 23 March, according to official figures yet to be made public. Counter-terrorism officials fear a crucial defence is being weakened with young people spending more time online alone and unsupervised since schools and colleges closed. Ch Supt Nik Adams, the national coordinator for Prevent, said: “What concerns me greatly is that the decline in the number of referrals doesn’t mean that there are fewer people that need our help, but that fewer people are able to access the support they need. “Schools, mental health workers and other public services provide vital support and protection to young and vulnerable people, and the combination of those services being impacted by Covid-19 and the fact people are spending more time online means a small number of vulnerable people are at greater risk of being drawn towards terrorist activity.”

Syria

The New York Times: Warning Shots: Israel Spares Hezbollah Fighters To Avert A War <[link removed]>

“When the missile exploded near the black Jeep Cherokee, three Hezbollah operatives leapt out and ran for cover. A moment later, appearing to know they had time, they returned to get their bags, and strolled away before a second missile obliterated the SUV. No one was killed or wounded in the Israeli attack on the Hezbollah team in Syria last week, but that was the point. According to several current and former Israeli and Middle Eastern officials, Israel has adopted a policy of warning Hezbollah operatives in Syria before bombing their convoys to avoid killing them and risking a devastating war in Lebanon. The attack, which was caught on closed-circuit video, exposed a new wrinkle in the informal rules of engagement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, as both sides prepare for what could be the next big war while trying to avoid setting it off. Israel’s policy of pre-strike warnings in Syria, which has not been previously reported, reflects its fear of engaging Hezbollah’s vast rocket arsenal even as it tries to draw a red line to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring and developing precision-guided missiles, which it sees as a strategic threat.”

Al Monitor: Turkish-Backed Rebels Fight Each Other In Ras Al-Ain, Syria <[link removed]>

“Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups are fighting themselves in the border town of Ras al-Ain, which is experiencing renewed violence since Turkey ended its major military operations in northeast Syria in November. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Ahrar al-Sharqiya and the al-Mutassim Brigade began fighting with machine guns and rocket launchers Monday. The Syrian state news agency SANA also reported fighting between the two groups. Both the observatory and the news agency reported casualties among the fighters. Ras al-Ain is near the border with Turkey and has a population of Arabs and Kurds. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) took the city in 2013. In 2019, Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies in the Syrian National Army (SNA) took the city from the YPG. Turkey began its incursion into northeast Syria in October because it considers the YPG to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought Ankara for decades inside Turkey. The groups in the SNA originally fought the Syrian government in the civil war. The SNA was formed in 2017 and since then has largely battled the YPG for territory in northeast Syria, though it has fought the Syrian army and the Islamic State as well.”

Afghanistan


Stars And Stripes: Suspected Head Of ISIS Shadow Court Arrested In Afghanistan, Officials Say <[link removed]>

“A senior member of the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate has been arrested, the latest high-profile member of the group to be detained this month, local officials said Wednesday. Muneeb, a fighter with several aliases, was captured by forces from the National Directorate of Security, the country’s main intelligence agency said in a statement. The Pakistani national, a former al-Qaida member who shifted allegiance to Islamic State – Khorasan Province, was a member of ISIS-K’s central council and headed its shadow court, Afghan officials said. In a recorded confession released by the NDS, a man who says he’s Muneeb also admits to working to strengthen ties between ISIS-K and other terrorist groups. NDS officials would not say exactly when and where Muneeb was captured. The arrest comes less than three weeks after the NDS announced it had arrested ISIS-K leader Abdullah Orakzai and over a dozen other militants from the group. Sustained American airstrikes, security forces operations and fighting between ISIS-K and the Taliban led to the surrenders of roughly 300 ISIS-K fighters in the final months of 2019. In January, the U.S. military said in a report that the group’s stronghold in eastern Nangarhar province was “dismantled.”

Voice Of America: Taliban Quiet On Afghan Government Call For A Cease-Fire During Ramadan <[link removed]>

“The Taliban has yet to respond to an Afghan government call for a temporary truce during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Friday. Experts say the insurgents are likely to continue their attacks against government forces. In a press conference on Tuesday, Abdul Hakim Munib, the Afghan minister for hajj and religious affairs, called for the cease-fire, which he said will also enable the government to better respond to the “common threat” of the coronavirus pandemic. The Taliban have rejected similar calls in the past. In 2018, the group only agreed to a cease-fire during Eid al-Fitr, the three-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. “It is unlikely (the Taliban) would offer an entire month of cease-fire,” said Andrew Watkins, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the International Crisis Group. Watkins said a temporary suspension of fighting could be “the greatest leverage that the Taliban has when it comes to negotiating with the Afghan government.” He said the group may want to delay using the leverage for a more strategic objective. Watkins said another reason the Taliban would refuse a truce is fear of not being able to maintain control of its own organization during a prolonged cease-fire.”

Pakistan

The New York Times: India Troops Kill 4 Rebels In Kashmir Amid Virus Lockdown <[link removed]>

“Indian government forces killed four rebels in a gunbattle in disputed Kashmir during a stringent lockdown to combat the coronavirus, the Indian army said Wednesday. The fighting broke out in a village in southern Shopian district as counterinsurgency police and soldiers raided a house on a tip that militants were hiding there late Tuesday night, said army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia. During the gunfight, troops blew up the house with explosives, a common tactic by security forces, residents said. India has continued its counterinsurgency operations across Kashmir despite a coronavirus lockdown. Militants also have not ceased their attacks on government forces and alleged informants. On Sunday, militants attacked a paramilitary post and killed three soldiers. The latest violence comes amid near daily fighting between Pakistani and Indian soldiers along the highly militarized frontier that divides Kashmir between the two rivals. Officer Amritpal Singh said police had not yet identified the slain militants. Residents posting on social media said they were local rebels. Last week, police secretly buried the bodies of two militants as “unidentified” in a faraway graveyard despite their families seeking to claim them.”

Yemen

Yemen Online: Clash In Yemen Leaves 8 Dead <[link removed]>

“A local government military source said that a clash that took place between Houthi militants and the Yemeni army in Bayda province of Yemen on Tuesday has resulted in the death of eight. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “A soldier and seven militiamen were killed during today's battle in al-Sawma'ah district”. Adding that “The fighting erupted after the Houthi militia launched a surprise attack on the troops' positions”. Yahya Sarea, Houthi military spokesman, said that the clash started as the government troops tried to attack the areas that Houthis control. He said in a statement that “Our fighters managed today to repel an attempt of advance (by the government troops) in al-Sawma'ah district of al-Bayda province”, without providing more details.”

Middle East

The National: Hezbollah Suffers Blow To Funding From Iran Amid Pandemic <[link removed]>

“Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is set to lose 40 per cent of its income from Iran after the dramatic fall in oil prices as a result of coronavirus, a leading expert in terrorist finance said on Wednesday. But the group’s financing has become so sophisticated that it can rely on significant income from activities in Europe through fundraising that includes fake orphanages. There are now renewed calls for more European governments to proscribe both Hezbollah’s political and military wings as terrorist organisations to clamp down on the funding. The blow to funding has emerged in a paper on Hezbollah's finances by Dr Matthew Levitt, a former FBI analyst. The huge drop in oil prices, US President Donald Trump's “maximum pressure” campaign and sanctions on Iran has meant that funding could be cut by $280 million (Dh1.02 billion) from an estimated annual $700m. Dr Levitt, speaking to an online seminar hosted by the Royal United Services Institute, said that on three previous occasions Tehran has “very suddenly cut back its financing for Hezbollah” by 40 per cent, according to Israeli intelligence. “I should imagine it’s happening again,” he said. Sanctions and a need to focus on internal domestic issues, including the Covid-19 crisis that has infected 86,000 Iranians, has probably forced Iran to cut funding.”

The Jerusalem Post: Shin Bet Arrests Hamas Operatives Planning Terror Attacks In Jerusalem <[link removed]>

“The Shin Bet, in cooperation with the IDF and the Israel Police, arrested three Hamas operatives who were planning to commit several terror attacks against security forces and Israelis in Jerusalem and Ramallah area. 27-year-old Ahmed Sjadiyeh, 26-year-old Mohammad Hamed and 24-year-old Omer Eid met during their studies at the Bir Zeyt University, and were a part of Hamas' central student's union in the West Bank. The three attempted to created home-made explosive devices by downloading instructions from the internet and bough several chemicals and metals to accomplish their task. Their plans included bombing the Beitar Jerusalem soccer stadium in Jerusalem as well as several other terror attacks against Israeli security forces in the West Bank. To achieve this task, Eid was sent to the stadium on December 4, during a soccer match and review the security and possible ways to commit their act. The three were funded by Hamas through another member of the university, who is currently imprisoned in Israel. The funds amounted to tens of thousands of shekels.”

Africa

The New York Times: Cameroon's President Acknowledges Army Massacre Of Civilians <[link removed]>

“Cameroon's President Paul Biya has acknowledged that the military massacred innocent people, including women and children, in a northwestern village in February after the government first denied it. “The corpses of the three women and 10 children, whom the military killed and tried to cover up their actions by also torching several houses and blaming separatist fighters, will be exhumed for the state to conduct decent burials,” a statement from Biya's office said. The president has asked for legal action, it said. Three soldiers have already been arrested. Innocent Laban, a spokesman for the people of the English-speaking northwestern village of Ngarr-buh who escaped fighting between armed separatists and the military, said he was pleased that Biya was for once acknowledging that troops have committed atrocities. Laban called on Biya to apologize to the rights groups he accused of fabricating the massacre to tarnish the military's image. “This declaration comes to confirm the fact that the Cameroonian military is so unprofessional. A military that is killing the people rather than protecting them,” he said. “This comes to show us that human rights activists are doing a good job.” On the night of Feb. 14, residents said, soldiers raided their village and killed dozens of people.”

Human Rights Watch: Burkina Faso: New Massacres By Islamist Armed Groups <[link removed]>

“Suspected Islamist armed groups in Burkina Faso killed at least 90 civilians in 3 attacks on villages in late January 2020 that forced thousands to flee, Human Rights Watch said today. The attacks, between January 17 and 25, accelerated government plans to create a new militia force, raising concerns of future abuses. The killings in Rofénèga, Nagraogo, and Silgadji villages occurred amid a surge in armed group attacks in the center and north of the country and the growth of Islamist armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel (ISGS). The violence had displaced over 775,000 people by the end of March. Human Rights Watch is also investigating the February 16 attack on Pansi village, allegedly by armed Islamists, which left over 20 civilians dead. “The massacre of scores of civilians by Islamist armed groups shows their utter disregard for human life,” said Jonathan Pedneault, crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Armed group leaders should immediately stop and denounce such attacks against civilians.” Human Rights Watch previously documented Islamist armed group attacks that killed more than 250 civilians between April and December 2019, as well as dozens of cases in which government security forces summarily executed men in their custody for their alleged support of the groups, most recently during an incident on April 9 in Djibo.”

United Kingdom

The Telegraph: Coronavirus Lockdown Could Be Good News For Terrorist Recruiters, Police Warn <[link removed]>

“The coronavirus lockdown could prove a fertile recruiting ground for online jihadists and other extremists, a leading Counter Terror officer has warned. With millions of youngsters at home, unable to attend school or other facilities, it is feared terrorists could be exploiting the situation by seeking to groom and radicalise them. Since the start of the lockdown last month there has been around a 50 per cent drop in the number of young people being referred to Prevent, the government’s deradicalisation programme. But counter-terror specialists believe that rather than going away, the problem is simply hidden behind closed doors and could even be getting worse because of the sense of isolation and boredom many teenagers are feeling...”

Germany

The Jerusalem Post: German Intel Agency Probes Anti-Israel Magazine For ‘Right-Wing Extremism’ <[link removed]>

“Germany’s federal intelligence agency last month announced it launched a probe into the magazine Compact because it allegedly spreads xenophobia and conspiracy theories. “We have also declared Compact-Magazin GmbH a suspected case,” Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution President Thomas Haldenwang said. “The magazine uses revisionist conspiracy theory and xenophobic motives.”  The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is roughly equivalent to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). Haldenwang’s remarks about Compact took place at a press conference on Germany’s current “fight against right-wing extremism.” Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad welcomed the editor-in-chief of Compact, Jürgen Elsässer, during a 2012 formal state visit in Tehran. Elsässer issued a “congratulatory” wish to Ahmadinejad on his reelection in 2009. Iranian democrats protested the result of the election at the time because it was reportedly marred with widespread fraud and misconduct. That same year, Elsässer expressed support for the annual Iranian-regime sponsored Al-Quds Day rally in Germany, which calls for the destruction of Israel and is attended by Hezbollah activists, supporters of Iran’s mullah regime and neo-Nazis.”

Southeast Asia

The Straits Times: Risk Of Home-Grown Terrorism In Hong Kong, Security Chief Says <[link removed]>

“Hong Kong's Security Secretary John Lee yesterday said the Chinese-ruled city was facing the risk of “home-grown terrorism” after several police reports of finding explosive materials. It was unclear whether any of the incidents were related to the anti-government protests that rattled Hong Kong last year before pausing in recent months amid curbs to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The latest incident involved a suspected homemade explosive device mailed in an envelope to police headquarters. Police said it could have injured anyone within 1m. They said an explosive ordnance disposal team dealt with it and evacuation was deemed unnecessary. In recent months, the police have said they had discovered explosive substances and devices across the city, including in a downtown school and on train tracks near the mainland border. They said some homemade devices were discovered at protest sites last year and during raids of homes where protesters were arrested. “I want to remind people of the risk of rising home-grown terrorism,” Mr Lee told reporters. “Some might die because of bombs, buildings might be demolished.” “I asked police and other law enforcement agencies to strengthen the work related to that,” he added, saying that this could include using terrorism-financing legislation to freeze the assets of those involved.”



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