Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Deadly jihadist attack kills dozens in northeast Nigeria, including soldiers Eye on Extremism January 30, 2026   Top Stories Associated Press: Kurdish-led force and Syrian government reach new agreement to stabilize ceasefire The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced a new agreement Friday with the country’s central government intended to stabilize a ceasefire that ended weeks of fighting and to lay out the steps toward integration between the two sides. Under the agreement, the SDF said, security forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Interior would go into the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli in the Kurdish heartland, which they had previously been barred from entering, and the process of integrating SDF and government forces would begin. France 24: Deadly jihadist attack kills dozens in northeast Nigeria, including soldiers A jihadist attack blamed on Islamic State-aligned militants killed dozens of people in northeast Nigeria on Thursday, including soldiers, local sources told AFP, in the latest violence in the region. The attack happened overnight in Sabon Gari in remote Borno state, which has been the epicentre of an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) offshoot rival since 2009.   CounterPoint Blogs The Continuing Threat of Doxing as an Extremist Tactic The Case of Shamima Begum: Balancing Victimhood, Accountability, and National Security The Faked Death of the “White King” in Ukraine: What the Kapustin ‘Killing’ Episode Means for Europe’s Violent Extreme Right Islamic State Propaganda Evolution Since October 7 — Content   United States Associated Press: Man sentenced to 15 years for assassination plot against Iranian American journalist A federal judge gave a man would-be assassin the maximum 15 years in prison Wednesday for plotting to kill an Iranian American writer on behalf of Tehran after hearing the woman who was targeted describe multiple attempts on her life as threats against all Americans. Judge Lewis J. Liman said Carlisle Rivera’s written conversations as he plotted to kill journalist and human rights advocate Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn in 2024 were “chilling” and he inflicted “great harm” on her and her husband. Amu: U.S. Senate panel advances bill to block aid reaching Taliban The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday approved the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, legislation aimed at preventing U.S. taxpayer money from reaching militant groups in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. Committee chairman Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, said the bill was among the most “commonsense” measures considered by the panel and was designed to stop any U.S. funds from benefiting what he described as terrorist organisations. Israel Hayom: White supremacist terror plot on Passover foiled in US An Israeli organization combating online antisemitism announced Thursday it has uncovered a terror plot by far-right elements in the United States who planned to carry out a stabbing attack against Jews using cold weapons on the upcoming Seder night, scheduled for April 1, 2026. The information was transferred to American authorities approximately two months before the planned execution date and, according to the organization, led to a comprehensive federal investigation by the FBI. Alabama Political Reporter: North Alabama neo-nazi bought firearms with intent to take out “high value targets,” FBI says A Madison County man is in federal custody after a year-long undercover investigation found he bought automatic firearms with the intent to take out high-value targets, according to a federal criminal complaint filed earlier this month. Aiden Cuevas, 20, faces a federal charge of conspiracy to traffic in firearms in the Northern District of Alabama. Federal agents also filed those charges against Andrew Nary, a 23-year-old North Carolina man who purchased guns as part of the sting. Times of Israel: Suspect in Chabad HQ ramming charged with hate crimes; had previously attended event there The suspect who allegedly rammed a vehicle into Chabad’s world headquarters in New York City was charged with hate crimes on Thursday, a day after the incident. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, at a briefing in Manhattan, named the suspect as Dan Sohail, 36, from Carteret, New Jersey. CBS News: New York City Council beats Mayor Mamdani to punch with antisemitism task force The New York City Council is establishing an antisemitism task force, beating Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the punch, in the wake of what appears to be the city's latest act of Jewish hate. Republican Inna Vernikov and Democrat Eric Dinowitz will chair the bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced Thursday. Charlotte Observer: NC teen says he’s not guilty of supporting ISIS, planning NYE attack near Charlotte The teen accused of supporting ISIS and planning a hammer and knife attack in Charlotte around New Year’s Eve pleaded not guilty in federal court Thursday. Christian Strudivant, 18, was arrested New Year’s Eve, and prosecutors say he posted ISIS support on TikTok and told undercover federal agents on the app that he planned to kill people in a Mint Hill attack on Dec. 31. Fox News: Josh Shapiro: Antisemitism is a problem for both Republicans and Democrats Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro talks collaboration with federal authorities on crime, concerns over rising antisemitism on both sides of the aisle on 'Special Report.’ New York Post: Washington gang member sacrificed horse in bizarre ritual so murdered pal could ‘ride it into the Valhalla’ The founder of a white supremacist gang and accused killer allegedly slaughtered a horse in a bizarre ritual so that his friend — and accomplice — could ride the stallion “into Valhalla.” Brandon Gerner, 42, who is on trial for a double murder and first-degree animal cruelty, allegedly slaughtered the animal, Lemon, so his pal Kody Olsen could get into the mythological paradise for warriors, Valhalla — or Viking afterlife, according to a police report obtained by KATU-TV. Bloomberg Law News: UC Berkeley, Jewish Groups Settle Campus Antisemitism Claims Jewish groups and the University of California, Berkeley settled a lawsuit alleging the college fostered a spread of antisemitism, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. The proposed stipulation to end the case before Judge James Donato of the US District Court for the Northern District of California says the parties, including plaintiffs Louis B. Brandeis Center Inc. and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, “have reached a settlement-in-principle that would resolve this matter in its entirety,” without disclosing the deal’s details. The defendants also include UC’s president, chancellor, and provost. Miami Herald: University of Miami investigating antisemitic statements made at campus event The University of Miami released a statement that it is investigating antisemitic statements made during an argument at a campus event on Tuesday. During the Spring Involvement Fair, Kaylee Mahony, a sophomore who has a large TikTok following, started an argument with members of the Students Supporting Israel club, stating, “Christianity, which says love everyone, meanwhile your Bible says eating with someone who is a non-Jew is like eating with an animal. That’s what the Talmud says,” The Miami Hurricane student newspaper reported. Germany Politico: Germany’s Far Right Is on the Threshold of Power. This Man Is Leading the Charge. At a lectern in a regional parliament just before Christmas, Ulrich Siegmund begins to set up a joke. “No one should be forced to pay for disinformation,” Siegmund thunders. He is the floor leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the former East German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and he launches into a diatribe against a familiar target: Germany’s giant publicly funded broadcasters ARD and ZDF, institutions comparable to a supercharged blend of PBS, NPR and local public television and radio. Critics, not just from the far-right, have accused ARD and ZDF of runaway costs and a pronounced leftward political bias for many years. Spain Reuters: Spanish police arrest Chinese hair salon owner accused of financing Hamas Spanish police have detained a 38-year-old Chinese national who owned a hair salon near Barcelona on suspicion of financing the militant group Hamas through about 600,000 euros ($714,960) in cryptocurrency transfers, regional police said on Friday. Investigators traced at least 31 crypto transactions from virtual wallets controlled by the suspect to addresses that are suspected of being linked to an entity used by the Islamist group, whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered a two-year war in the Gaza Strip. United Kingdom Reuters: Sudanese man jailed in UK for murdering asylum hotel worker A Sudanese asylum seeker was jailed on Friday for a minimum of 29 years for murdering a woman who worked at the hotel in central England where he and other migrants were being housed. Anti-immigration activists have seized on other criminal cases involving asylum seekers, predominantly young men, in hotels to argue that they are a danger to nearby communities. Fox News: Convicted terrorist who plotted consulate, church bombings to run in UK election A Muslim activist who served a prison sentence for his role in an overseas terror plot is now seeking elected office in Birmingham, Britain’s second-largest city, as local elections approach amid heightened communal tensions. Shahid Butt was convicted by a Yemeni court in 1999 and sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of forming an armed gang and conspiring to bomb the British consulate in Aden, an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel in Yemen. At the time, Yemeni prosecutors said the group had been sent to carry out violence by Abu Hamza, the extremist preacher who was the father of one of the convicted men. The Telegraph: Terror victims criticise former jihadist for standing in local elections Victims of Islamist attacks have said allowing a convicted terrorist to stand for election as a council candidate “makes a mockery of our political system”. Shahid Butt, who was jailed for five years in 1999 for conspiring to bomb the British consulate, an Anglican church and a hotel in Yemen, is standing as an independent in Birmingham’s council elections in May. The Guardian: Labour accuses Reform candidate of ‘toxic politics’ after Tommy Robinson endorsement Labour have accused the Reform UK candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, Matthew Goodwin, of representing “toxic politics” after he was endorsed by the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson. The move will be uncomfortable for Nigel Farage, who has consistently kept the parties he leads separate from Robinson, an anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK’s leading far-right figures. GBN: Banned 'extremist' groups invited to hate crime review Home Office officials sent a "call for evidence" to groups banned from engaging with the Government over extremism fears. Groups including the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Friends of Al-Aqsa were invited to feed into new laws on public order in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack. Belarus BelSat: Belarus mass-adds Threads accounts to its list of "extremist materials" The Ministry of Information of Belarus has updated the "National List of Extremist Materials." Based on court decisions over the last two weeks, dozens of accounts in the social network Threads have been added to it. The first Threads accounts began appearing on the list of extremist materials as early as January 2024, but for a long time, these were isolated cases. Tajikistan Afghanistan International: Clash On Tajikistan–Afghanistan Border Leaves 3 Dead Tajik border guards clashed with a group of armed men along the border with Afghanistan, leaving three of the suspects dead, the state-run Khovar news agency reported. Khovar, which operates under the Tajik presidency, said the men were smugglers who had crossed illegally from Afghanistan into Tajikistan. Afghanistan Amu: Taliban confirm talks with Russia on defense cooperation The Taliban-run defense ministry on Thursday confirmed talks with Russian officials on “defense cooperation” during a visit by its delegation to Moscow. In a statement, the ministry said the delegation, led by Mohammad Qasim Farid, Taliban deputy minister for strategy and policy, discussed “regional security, mutual cooperation and ways to prevent security challenges” with Russian counterparts. Gaza Strip/West Bank Times of Israel: Trump claims ‘it looks like’ Hamas will disarm; Witkoff: They’ll give up their AK-47s US President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that “it looks like” Hamas is “going to disarm,” despite a senior Hamas official insisting otherwise hours earlier. Trump did not provide any proof for the claim, which he made during a cabinet meeting. Tagrib News: Hamas: We Have Never Agreed to the Disarmament of the Resistance According to Taghrib News Agency, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior leader of Hamas, said in an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera network that any arrangements concerning the Gaza Strip must be carried out through understanding and agreement with the Hamas movement. Times of Israel: Board of Peace proposal appears to relegate Gaza panel with Turkey, Qatar to ‘advisory’ role A draft resolution laying out the powers of various bodies tasked with managing postwar Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative appears to limit the significance of a panel that had sparked worries in Israel. The document, which must still be signed by Trump, could help soften Israeli qualms about the inclusion of senior representatives from Qatar and Turkey on the Gaza Executive Board. That body was previously understood as having a leading role in managing the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: IDF official says 71,000 killed in Gaza war, matching Gaza Health Ministry estimate A senior Israel Defense Forces official told Israeli media outlets on Thursday that the military estimates a death toll in Gaza of approximately 71,000 — the same number that the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry announced this week. In the past, Israeli officials have sometimes disputed Gaza Health Ministry data, accusing the ministry of inflating death tolls. Though Israeli officials have not officially disputed the overall Gaza war figures for some time, they frequently contested the toll in specific incidents, and some pro-Israel advocates have continued to challenge estimates of the death toll in Gaza as Hamas propaganda. AFP: Hamas calls for immediate reopening of Rafah Crossing Palestinian terror group Hamas calls for Israel to reopen Gaza’s Rafah Crossing to Egypt immediately in both directions. In a statement, the group calls for the “immediate transition to the second phase” of the US-brokered truce in Gaza, namely its provision for the reopening of Rafah, as well as the entry of a technocratic Palestinian committee to administer the territory. Iran Associated Press: How Iran’s Revolutionary Guard became a powerful force within the country’s theocracy Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has grown into a powerful force within the country’s theocracy, answering only to its supreme leader and overseeing its ballistic missile arsenal and launching attacks overseas. The force was in the spotlight on Thursday as the European Union moved to declare it a terrorist organization over its part in the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran earlier this month. Iraq Kurdistan24: Peshmerga Repel ISIS Attack in Garmiyan, No Casualties Reported Peshmerga forces successfully repelled an attempted attack by ISIS militants early Friday in the Dawda area of the Garmiyan Independent Administration, according to Kurdistan24 correspondent Harem Jaff. Shafaq News: Iraq strikes ISIS hideouts in Saladin’s Balkana Mountains Iraqi forces carried out airstrikes targeting suspected ISIS activity in the Balkana mountain range within Tuz Khurmatu district in eastern Saladin, a source told Shafaq News on Friday. According to the source, the strikes followed intelligence-driven monitoring of militant movements across the rugged terrain, aiming to deny ISIS the use of the mountains for shelter or mobility. Ground forces have continued sweep operations supported by aerial surveillance to locate remaining cells and secure the area, the source said, adding that an assessment of damage and casualties will be released after field inspections are completed. Israel Associated Press: Israel returns Palestinian bodies, marking last exchange between Israel and Hamas Israel turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Thursday, just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage, a Gaza Health Ministry official said. It marks the last hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas carried out as part of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in October. Times of Israel: Freed captive Sasha Troufanov reveals sexual harassment during Gaza captivity Freed Israeli hostage Sasha Troufanov revealed Thursday that he was sexually harassed while being held captive in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In an interview with the BBC, Troufanov — who was released in February 2025 after almost 500 days in captivity — said that during a six-week period that he was held above ground, a guard tried to encourage him to perform a sexual act on himself. Lebanon Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah-Aoun dialogue suspended, group won't join Iran war Political forces agree that the dialogue between President Joseph Aoun and MP Mohammad Raad is currently suspended and fraught with irreconcilable differences, a media report said. Naharnet: Geagea calls for handover of power not just arms south of Litani Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has rejected Sheikh Naim Qassem's remarks on the possibility of supporting Iran in case of U.S.-Israeli strikes against it. "Qassem's remarks are rejected in all standards," Geagea said, adding that Hezbollah's chief has violated all laws and has become "an outlaw". Syria Associated Press: Foreign women linked to IS group in Syrian camp hope for amnesty after government offensive Foreign women linked to the Islamic State group and living in a Syrian camp housing more than 2,000 people near the border with Iraq are hoping that an amnesty may be on the horizon after a government offensive weakened the Kurdish-led force that guards the camp. The women spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday in northeast Syria’s Roj camp, where hundreds of mostly women and children linked to IS have been held for nearly a decade. Arab News: US kills Al-Qaeda affiliate leader tied to December attack in Syria, Centcom says US military forces on Friday killed an Al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to a Daesh attack on Americans in Syria last month, US Central Command ⁠said in a statement on Saturday. Bilal Hasan Al-Jasim had “direct ties” to a Daesh gunman who killed and injured US and Syrian ⁠personnel on December 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said. Yemen Reuters: UN says Houthi seizure of telecom gear threatens Yemen aid Yemen's Iran‑aligned Houthi paramilitary has removed critical telecommunications equipment belonging to the U.N., the global body said on Friday, warning that further restrictions on its work would fuel a worsening humanitarian crisis, The Houthis, who control areas in north Yemen, entered at least six unstaffed U.N. offices in the capital Sanaa and took telecommunications equipment and several vehicles to an unknown location, the U.N.'s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Julien Harneis said in a statement. Yemen Online: Yemen : Woman Killed in Houthi Sniper Attack in Eastern Taiz Local residents in Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen, reported on Thursday, January 29, the killing of a young woman in a sniper incident attributed to the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization. According to eyewitnesses, the victim, identified as Asmaa Ali Naji Saeed Naji, in her twenties, was shot dead by a Houthi sniper while she was on the rooftop of her home in the Asifra neighborhood of Cairo district, east of Taiz city. Residents said the sniper, stationed at the Kanbatayn hilltop, targeted Asmaa as she was hanging laundry, fatally striking her. Niger Associated Press: Islamic State claims responsibility for Niger air base attack The Islamic State extremist group on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack in Niger on an air force base in the capital that wounded four soldiers and damaged an aircraft. The claim of responsibility was contained in a statement on Amaq News Agency, the group’s propaganda wing, that said it was “a surprise and coordinated attack” that inflicted heavy losses. Reuters: Niger military ruler accuses France, Benin, Ivory Coast of sponsoring airport attack Niger's military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani on Thursday blamed French, Benin and Ivory Coast presidents for sponsoring the attack on Niamey international airport, an accusation he made without offering any evidence. Gunfire and loud explosions echoed around Niger's international airport in Niamey shortly before midnight in what two security sources described as a "terrorist attack", before calm returned to the capital on Thursday morning. Nigeria Reuters: Drone-backed militants attack Nigerian army base, several soldiers dead Islamist militants backed by armed drones raided an army base in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, killing several troops in the early hours of Thursday, the military said, in the second assault reported there this week. The use of drones by the fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in recent attacks has marked a significant escalation in the violence in the region, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba said. Sudan Reuters: Sudanese paramilitary force abducting children in Darfur, witnesses say Paramilitary fighters kidnapped children during their takeover of the Sudanese city of al-Fashir in October and in other attacks in the Darfur region over the course of Sudan's civil war, in some cases killing their parents first, witnesses say. The descriptions, based on Reuters interviews with more than two dozen witnesses, included four accounts of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) telling families the children would be used as slaves, to herd animals. Australia Financial Review: Antisemitism royal commission a tool for Israel propaganda: Adler Former Adelaide Writers’ Week creative director Louise Adler has been criticised by Australia’s peak Jewish body for calling the royal commission on antisemitism “an opportunity for pro-Israel propagandists” and “McCarthyites”. In a fundraising letter this week to the 1300 members of the progressive Jewish Council of Australia (JCA), Adler called on the organisation to provide an “alternative perspective to the Jewish establishment” by subsidising submissions to Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion being led by Justice Virginia Bell. Amu: Afghanistan’s embassy in Canberra to suspend operations from mid-2026 Afghanistan’s embassy in Canberra, which is held by the former government’s diplomats, will suspend operations after June 30, 2026, following consultations with the Australian government, the two sides said in a joint statement on Friday. In the statement, the embassy and the Australian government said they stood with the people of Afghanistan and did not recognize the Taliban as the country’s legitimate representatives. Technology Jewish Telegraphic Agency: TikTok deal fuels rise of UpScrolled, whose founder conceived it as a haven for Palestinian activism Spooked by the deal finalized last week to sell part of TikTok to a U.S. investor group, some users have sought alternatives to the wildly popular social media platform. Many are turning to UpScrolled, an app founded last year by a Palestinian tech entrepreneur who has promoted it as an alternative to mainstream social media outlets that he claims have silenced pro-Palestinian voices. NKH: UN conference discusses links between online gaming and violent extremism An international conference at the United Nations has discussed how online games are being used to spread violent extremism and radicalize young people. The meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday was jointly organized by UN organizations and the Japanese government, among others. CEP Podcasts Unpacking the week's extremism-related anniversaries and news, as well as counter extremism developments and prospects. A deep dive into CEP's research and topics that are relevant to our mission, from our Berlin-based team.   The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit and non-partisan international policy organization working to combat the growing threat posed by extremist ideologies. CEP depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation. DONATE Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe for yourself here. Counter Extremism Project (CEP) | PO Box 3980 | NEW YORK, NY 10185 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice