“Iraqi forces and American troops have killed a senior commander with the
Islamic State group who was wanted by the United States, as well as several
other prominent militants, Iraq’s military said on Friday. The operation in
Iraq’s western Anbar province began in late August, the Iraqi military said,
and involved also members of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and Iraq’s
air force. Among the dead was an IS commander from Tunisia, known as Abu Ali
Al-Tunisi, for whom the U.S. Treasury Department had offered $5 million for
information. Also killed was Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the IS deputy commander in
Iraq. Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have
been on the rise over the past years, with scores of people killed or wounded.
Friday’s announcement was not the first news of the operation.”











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Eye on Extremism



September 16, 2024



Associated Press: Iraqi And US Forces Kill A Top IS Commander And Other
Militants In Joint Operation
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“Iraqi forces and American troops have killed a senior commander with the
Islamic State group who was wanted by the United States, as well as several
other prominent militants, Iraq’s military said on Friday. The operation in
Iraq’s western Anbar province began in late August, the Iraqi military said,
and involved also members of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and Iraq’s
air force. Among the dead was an IS commander from Tunisia, known as Abu Ali
Al-Tunisi, for whom the U.S. Treasury Department had offered $5 million for
information. Also killed was Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the IS deputy commander in
Iraq. Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have
been on the rise over the past years, with scores of people killed or wounded.
Friday’s announcement was not the first news of the operation.”



Reuters: Four ISIS Leaders Killed In Aug. 29 Raid In Iraq, Says US Military
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“Four ISIS leaders were killed as part of a U.S.-Iraqi raid in Western Iraq on
Aug. 29 that killed 14 operatives, the U.S. military said on Friday. The U.S.
disclosed the operation in August; it also injured seven military personnel. On
Friday, U.S. Central Command said it was able to confirm now the deaths of
several ISIS leaders, including Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, who
was responsible for all operations in Iraq.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* Counterpoint Brief: US Designates Nordic Resistance Movement Specially
Designated Global Terrorist Organization
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* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2024
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* CEP Report: Central Syria’s ISIS Insurgency In 2023
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* CEP Statement Calling For U.S. Sanctions Against Qatar, DIMDEX Conference,
And Al Thani Royal Family
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* Extremist Content Online: The Base Calls For Members of Other White
Supremacist Groups to Join
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CEP Mentions



The National: Does German Migration Crisis Spell The End For Olaf Scholz?
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“...It is really a tough time for the German government under any
circumstances, but it's also coming towards a government that has not found its
stride in simply governing," said Hans-Jakob Schindler, a former German
diplomat and director of the Counter Extremism Project. He said no mainstream
party had ‘found a recipe’ to counter the AfD's narrative. An air of constant
infighting in Mr. Scholz's coalition ‘gives the impression that it's a really
dysfunctional government,’ even if in fact it can point to certain successes
such as ending Germany's reliance on Russian gas imports, Mr. Schindler told
The National. An explosion of voter anger over migration has sent German
politics into a tailspin. Refugee centers have been filling up for months with
more than 174,000 asylum claims lodged this year, almost a third of them from
Syrians.”



Merkur.De: Attack On Bundeswehr Soldiers Planned In Bavaria – Expert Suspects
Actions Of Suspected Islamist
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“...The fact that the man wanted to attack soldiers is not necessarily
unusual for an Islamist perpetrator, says terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler
from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP): ‘The military is always part of the
target spectrum.’ Uniformed soldiers are potentially more capable of defending
themselves than average civilians and are therefore a riskier target. But: ‘An
act against the military also brings the perpetrator even more 'fame' in
terrorist propaganda.’ And: ‘Terrorists naturally also act according to the
principle of capacity and opportunity. When an opportunity arises, they
strike.’ Attacking soldiers during their lunch break and using the element of
surprise could have been just such an opportunity.”



Tagesspiegel: Raids, Air Strikes, Terrorist Attacks: Is The West Bank Becoming
A Second Gaza?
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“…Hans-Jakob Schindler sees three main reasons for the increasing violence in
the West Bank. ‘On the one hand, Hamas, which has been under enormous military
pressure in Gaza for months, is of course trying to activate its networks in
the West Bank as well,’ the senior director of the international Counter
Extremism Project told the Tagesspiegel. Secondly, attacks by radical settlers
in the West Bank have steadily increased since October 2023. ‘This has caused
the situation to escalate further.’ And thirdly, it can be assumed that Iran,
whose announced retaliatory strike has so far failed to materialize, is trying
to operate via the West Bank. ‘The Israeli security services regularly find
weapons that Iran is trying to smuggle into the West Bank,’ says Schindler.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkey Spy Chief Meets Members Of Hamas Political Bureau In Ankara,
TRT Reports
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“Turkey's spy chief has met a delegation from the Palestinian militant group
Hamas in Ankara and discussed the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, state
broadcaster TRT said on Friday. Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey's National
Intelligence Agency, had met the delegation from the Hamas political bureau
leadership, TRT Haber said citing Turkish security sources, without saying who
the members of the delegation were. Turkey has denounced Israel's assault on
Gaza. The war was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200
people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's
subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according
to the enclave's health ministry. Turkey's intelligence agency has been in
contact with all actors including Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States,
and is conducting intensive diplomacy for a ceasefire in Gaza, TRT said.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: IS Militants Kill 14 In A Shiite Area Of Afghanistan In One
Of The Deadliest Attacks This Year
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“Islamic State militants killed 14 people in a Shiite-majority area in
central Afghanistan in one of the deadliest attacks in the country this year.
The militant group claimed responsibility for the shooting, which took place on
Thursday and targeted a group of minority Hazaras traveling between the
provinces of Ghor and Daikundi. Six other people were wounded in the attack.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shootings before the
Taliban authorities in Kabul acknowledged the attack. The IS said its fighters
used a machine gun in the assault and claimed inflicting a higher death toll
than the Taliban later reported. The Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Foreign
Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as saying the gunmen targeted people
welcoming Afghan Shiites who were returning home from visiting shrines in Iraq.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Weekend Bombing That
Killed 2 Police Officers In Pakistan
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“The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the weekend bombing that
killed two police officials in restive southwestern Pakistan, officials said
Monday. Analysts say the latest violence is a sign of increasing coordination
between Islamic militants and separatists who for years have been targeting
security forces and civilians in the oil- and gas-rich Balochistan province
bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The Islamic State group said in a statement on
Sunday that it detonated an explosive device a day earlier targeting a
Pakistani police vehicle in Kuchlak town near Quetta, the capital of
Balochistan. Pakistani officials say the attack killed two officers and wounded
two others on a highway. The Balochistan Liberation Army has previously claimed
such attacks, but the Islamic State has carried out similar attacks in recent
months.”



Yemen



Reuters: Operation To Tow Stricken Tanker And Avert Spill Starts In Red Sea
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“The operation has started to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded in
the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants last month, a shipping source
told Reuters on Saturday. Towing the 900-foot MV Sounion to safety is the first
step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel that caught fire after it was
repeatedly attacked on Aug. 21. The second step is the transfer of its cargo of
about 1 million barrels of crude oil. Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region,
will offer its assistance with that project, sources have said. Any oil spill
could be one of the largest from a ship, risking catastrophic environmental
damage in an area that is particularly dangerous to enter. An initial effort to
salvage the vessel was paused earlier this month due to safety reasons. At
least two tugboats owned by a Greek-based salvage company are involved in the
latest towing attempt, sources told Reuters on Thursday.”



The Washington Post: Houthis Fire Missile From Yemen Into Central Israel, Warn
Of More Strikes
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“Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for a surface-to-surface
missile attack targeting central Israel on Sunday morning, marking a continued
escalation between the Iranian-backed group and Israel. The missile caused no
direct injuries, Israel said. However, the country’s Magen David Adom emergency
services said it was treating nine people who were injured on their way to
shelters after sirens sounded. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree described
it as a ‘hypersonic ballistic missile’ targeting military operations. The
Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the missile was hit by an
interceptor, ‘as a result of which the target fragmented but was not
destroyed.’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened a cabinet meeting
by declaring Israel in a ‘multi-front campaign against Iran’s axis of evil,
which is striving for our destruction.’”



Middle East



Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israeli Airstrikes Kill 16 In Gaza,
Including 4 Children, Palestinians Say
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“Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in the
Gaza Strip, including five women and four children. A strike early Monday
flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing
at least 10 people, including four women and two children. The Awda Hospital,
which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were
wounded. Hospital records show that the dead included a mother, her child and
her five siblings. Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people,
including a woman and two children, according to the Civil Defense, first
responders who operate under the Hamas-run government. Israel says it only
targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering
civilians by operating in residential areas.”



The Wall Street Journal: The Crude System Of Coded Messages Keeping Hamas’s
Leader Alive
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“Hamas’s top leader Yahya Sinwar could well be dead today if not for a
low-tech communications system honed in prison that shields him from Israel’s
intelligence-gathering dragnet. Sinwar has largely shunned phone calls, text
messages and other electronic communications that Israel can track and that
have led to the demise of other militants. Instead, he is using a complex
system of couriers, codes and handwritten notes that allows him to direct
Hamas’s operations even while hiding in underground tunnels, according to Arab
cease-fire mediators.



The New York Times: Top Biden Aide To Visit Israel Amid Fears Of Escalation
With Hezbollah
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“One of President Biden’s most trusted advisers is expected to arrive in
Israel on Monday amid deepening concern that months of cross-border violence
between Israel and Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia, could escalate
into a larger regional war. Hezbollah and Israel’s military has been trading
near-daily fire since last October, when the start of the war in Gaza prompted
the Iran-backed militia to launch rocket attacks on northern Israel in
solidarity with Hamas. The cross-border clashes have intensified, and Israel’s
reduced combat operations in Gaza have freed up more of its forces for a
possible offensive in the north against Hezbollah. The visit by the adviser,
Amos Hochstein, is part of efforts by the Biden administration to prevent ‘an
escalation and a widening of this conflict,’ John Kirby, a White House
spokesman, told reporters last week.”



Nigeria



Associated Press: Nigerian Army Rescues 13 Hostages From Extremist Group
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“Nigerian troops have rescued 13 hostages who were kidnapped by an extremist
group in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the country’s army said on Saturday.
The army said in a statement that ‘the troops successfully overwhelmed the
terrorists, forcing them to abandon their captives.’ Several kidnappers were
killed, and others captured, the military added. It didn’t specify what armed
group the kidnappers belonged to. The rescued hostages were taken to a military
facility for a medical assessment before being reunited with their families.
Weapons, ammunition, solar panels and cash were also discovered during the
rescue operation. Kidnappings have become common in parts of northern Nigeria,
where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to
carry out attacks in villages and along major roads.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab Raid On Somalia Outpost Linked To Military Overhaul,
Leaves Two Dead
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“Multiple security sources have linked Sunday's al-Shabaab raid in a military
base within Baidoa to a recent security overhaul that saw several soldiers
transferred to nearby bases while others sought reinforcements elsewhere. The
Al-Shabaab militants targeted an outpost within Baidoa, the regional
administrative capital of Southwest, killing two individuals after hours of a
gunfight. The Sunday early morning incident left three other people critically
injured. According to sources, some of the security officers in the outpost
were recently dispatched to the Yaaq Bari Weyne area to reinforce regional
forces in a dispute over a checkpoint involving local militias. Such disputes
are common in Somalia. Yet again, about 20 paramilitary forces were also
transferred from the same outpost and deployed in Barawe town. This, sources
said, created a gap that was exploited by the militants who have long sought to
control the region.”



Germany



Associated Press: Islamic Extremist Plotted To Attack German Soldiers During
Their Lunch Break, Prosecutors Say
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“An alleged Islamic extremist has been arrested in connection with plotting
an attack on German soldiers during their lunch break in Munich, killing as
many of them as possible and causing a feeling of insecurity among the larger
population, authorities said Friday. The 27-year-old Syrian is a suspected
supporter of radical Islamic ideology, according to the Munich public
prosecutor’s office. It said that the suspect procured two machetes, each about
40 centimeters (15.75 inches) long, earlier this month, and allegedly planned
to attack the soldiers with them. The suspect was brought before a judge on
Friday following his arrest a day earlier, the prosecutor’s office said in a
statement. His name was not released in line with German privacy rules. The
arrest comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three people dead
and eight wounded.”



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