Eye on Extremism
December 3, 2024
CNN: Deadly Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon After Hezbollah Attacks, Testing Shaky Ceasefire
“Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon, Lebanese authorities said Monday, the deadliest day since a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France came into effect last week. The strikes in the Nabatiyeh governorate near the Israeli border killed five people in the town of Haris and four in the town of Tallousa, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Three people were injured, it added. But the uneasy truce between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah appeared to be holding — even as the two sides accused each other of breaching the deal. Hezbollah on Monday fired two projectiles toward Israeli-occupied territory, responding to repeated Israeli strikes that have hit Lebanon daily since Thursday, the day after the ceasefire came into force.”
The Guardian: Why Did Syrian Militants HTS Seize Aleppo – And How Did They Do It So Quickly?
“Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist militant group that has surged to global attention by launching a surprise and successful offensive in Syria over the past week, has long been the country’s most powerful rebel faction. Now its tens of thousands of fighters have seized a major city, cut a strategic highway and forced the military of Bashar al-Assad into a hasty retreat across a swath of the country, opening a new phase in a 13-year civil war that many presumed was over. This sudden turn of events is shocking but not entirely surprising, veteran observers say.”
CEP Mentions
The South African: Mayhem In Moz – Part 2: Then Came ISIS (And Where Is AFRICOM?)
“... According to CEP (Counter Extremism Project) and scholars at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a new wave of Islamic extremism began to take hold in Cabo Delgado as early as 2014 and 2015 when radical preachers from nearby countries began proselytizing in northern Mozambique. Since 2017, Mozambique has seen a steady rise in terrorist attacks which have primarily been limited to the northern region of the country, particularly Cabo Delgado. In late March 2020, Al-Shabaab launched another attack on Mocimboa de Praia, taking a military base.”
Barron’s: Who Are The Former Jihadists Now Holding Syria's Aleppo?
“... Hans-Jakob Schindler, the director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), said this was justified. "If you have to ask for permission before you break ties with al-Qaeda, from the leadership of Al-Qaeda, the sincerity of the ideological reorientation is in question," he told AFP. He pointed to the case of a young Austrian man who Munich police shot dead in September after he opened fire at the Israeli consulate in the German city. Investigators last year found three videos he had recorded in 2021, showing scenes from a computer game "with Islamist content", according to Austrian prosecutors.”
RFI: Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Leads Lightning Offensive In Northern Syria
“HTS, which is allied to rebel groups, some of which are backed by Turkey, says it has renounced the foundations of its origins, when the group was called Jabhat al-Nusra and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. It adopted its new name in January 2017 and, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG), has questioned leaders of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group in its strongholds… A bit like the Taliban, the de facto rulers of Afghanistan since the summer of 2021, who are not yet recognised as such by the international community, HTS may have difficulty getting off Western lists of terrorist organisations. A position that German Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) think tank and former expert at the United Nations Security Council, considers justified. He stresses that HTS "glorified Hamas' attacks" against Israel on October 7, 2023.”
Syria
Reuters: Syrian Army Confronts Attack By SDF In Deir Al Zor, State News Agency Says
“The Syrian army and allied forces confronted an attack launched by forces affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance on villages in the northern countryside of Deir Al Zor province on Tuesday, state news agency (SANA) reported. The SDF is a Kurdish-led alliance in north and east Syria which worked with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Spearheaded by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and including Arab fighters, it holds a quarter of Syria, including oil fields and areas where some 900 U.S. troops are deployed. Turkey, Syria's northern neighbour, considers the YPG and the SDF by extension to be "terrorist" groups.”
The Washington Post: Who Are The Key Players Fighting In Syria’s Civil War?
“Syrian rebels launched a lightning assault against government forces in the country’s northwest, reshaping the front lines of the nation’s bloody civil war for the first time in years. The rebel groups fighting in Syria’s 13-year-long war are a complex patchwork of fighters, focused on battling against different enemies — including, sometimes, each other — backed at times by foreign powers. In the past week, Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) has emerged as a formidable challenger to President Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s ruler for nearly a quarter-century — over half of which he has spent fighting for survival in this conflict. The impacts of the rebels’ advances will not just reshape the contours of the civil war, but could ripple beyond Syria’s borders, too.”
Iraq
Reuters: Iraqi Fighters Head To Syria To Battle Rebels But Lebanon's Hezbollah Stays Out, Sources Say
“Hundreds of Iran-backed Iraqi fighters crossed into Syria on Monday to help the government fight rebels who seized Aleppo last week, but Lebanon's Hezbollah has no plans for now to join them, according to sources. Iran's constellation of allied regional militia groups, aided by Russian air power, has been integral to the success of pro-government forces in subduing rebels in Syria who rose up against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011. But that alliance faces a new test after last week's lightning advance by rebels in northwest Syria, with Russia focused on war in Ukraine and Hezbollah's leadership decimated by a war with Israel that ended in a ceasefire last week. The rebel storm of Aleppo is the biggest success of anti-Assad fighters for years.”
Lebanon
The Washington Post: In A Ruined Hezbollah Stronghold, Supporters Question The Costs Of War
“The bodies were laid out in long rows, hundreds of them, mostly fighters but civilians too, in plywood boxes poking out from heaps of earth. “It’s our culture to view this as a victory,” said Mahmoud, a police officer, standing by the grave of a relative and tracing the outline of the coffins with his finger. “But anyone who tells you that we won militarily … something has gone wrong in their head.” Like others in this story, Mahmoud spoke on the condition that he be identified by his first name, fearing retribution from Hezbollah. The ceasefire in Lebanon that came into force last week was spun by the Iranian-backed militant group as a triumph over Israel, but among its supporters — now getting a first glimpse of their devastated villages — the sense of loss is overwhelming.”
The New York Times: Hezbollah And Israel Trade Fire, Further Testing Cease-Fire
“Hezbollah fired at Israeli-controlled territory on Monday for the first time since a cease-fire was reached last week, prompting Israel to launch a wave of airstrikes in Lebanon, as each side blamed the other for violating the tenuous truce. The Israeli military said two Hezbollah projectiles fell in open areas without causing casualties. They hit a strip of land called Shebaa Farms — Mount Dov to Israelis — that was seized by Israel in the 1967 war, but is claimed by both Israel and Lebanon. The Lebanese armed group said its launches had been prompted by “repeated violations of the agreement by the Israeli enemy,” describing it as “an initial defensive response that serves as a warning.” In response, the Israeli military said it had bombarded sites “throughout Lebanon,” including dozens of missile launchers.”
Qatar
Reuters: Qatar Says It Is Working With Turkey, Other Partners To End Hostilities In Syria
“Qatar is working with Turkey and other partners in the region to bring solutions to end hostilities in Syria, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in a press conference on Tuesday. When asked about reports in Iranian state media that Iran, Russia and Turkey would meet to discuss Syria at the Doha Forum foreign policy conference this weekend, Al-Ansari said he was not aware of any such plans, but that Qatar was always open.”
Middle East
Reuters: Hamas Says 33 Hostages Killed In Course Of War In Gaza
“Hamas said on Monday that 33 hostages in Gaza had been killed during the almost 14-month-old war between the Palestinian militant group and Israel in the enclave, without giving their nationalities. Hamas added that other hostages had gone missing. "With the continuation of your crazy war," it said in a statement addressed to Israel, "you could lose your hostages forever. Do what you have to do before it is too late." Hamas shortly afterward published a video it said detailed when and how the hostages had been killed, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their fate. The Israeli military did not immediately comment, which came as Israeli military strikes continued in Gaza.”
Africa
Associated Press: Islamic Rebels Kill At Least 10 People And Abduct Others In Attack In Eastern Congo, Authorities Say
“At least 10 people were killed and an unspecified number of others were abducted in eastern Congo by extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group, a military spokesperson said Monday. The rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces, an IS-affiliate in the region, attacked the area of Batangi-Mbau the North Kivu province on Sunday night, according to the spokesperson, Mak Hazukay. Several houses were burned down in the attack, he added. “We call on the population to be vigilant and we assure them that we will drive the enemy out of our territory,” Hazukay said. Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities.”
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK Sanctions Northern Ireland Man Under Domestic Counter-Terrorism Laws
“Britain used counter-terrorism laws to freeze the assets of a man from Northern Ireland, citing his suspected involvement with "terrorist activity" associated with the New Irish Republican Army, a statement on Tuesday said. The government said it had "reasonable cause" to suspect that the individual, Brian Sheridan, who was born in Armagh, was involved in terrorist activity by facilitating terrorism and associating with members of the New IRA, as well as making funds available for the organisation. The New IRA is one of a small number of active militant groups opposed to Northern Ireland's 1998 peace deal. It has been behind some of the sporadic attacks that have continued, including the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in 2019. "This action is the first use of the Treasury-led domestic counter terrorism financial sanctions regime targeting Northern Ireland related terrorism," Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq said.”
BBC: College Praised For Action Over Spotting Extremism
“Staff and bosses at a college in West Yorkshire have taken action to ensure students can spot the risks of radicalisation, a watchdog has found. In January, Shipley College was rated by Ofsted as "requires improvement" following an inspection in October 2023. In its report after that inspection, the watchdog said while staff provided information on the risks of extremism and radicalisation, most learners "cannot not recall that information well". However, a report monitoring the college's progress which was published by Ofsted on Monday noted that "leaders and managers have taken very effective action" to tackle the issues raised since last year's inspection.”
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