The Pakistani Taliban have brought two splinter groups back into their fold,
they announced in a statement, days after the army said anti-militant ope

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


August 18, 2020

 

Reuters: Pakistan Taliban Reunite With Two Splinter Groups As Army Hails
Battle Success
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“The Pakistani Taliban have brought two splinter groups back into their fold,
they announced in a statement, days after the army said anti-militant
operations nationwide had brought “hard-earned success”. The Pakistani Taliban,
fighting to overthrow the government and install their own brand of Shariah,
are an umbrella of Sunni militant groups called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), which has broken into many divisions. The TTP, designated a terrorist
group by the United States, has been in disarray in recent years, especially
after several of its top leaders were killed by U.S. drone strikes on both
sides of the border, forcing its members into shelter in Afghanistan, or
fleeing to urban Pakistan. “Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan welcomes them,” the TTP
statement said of the two splinter groups, adding that it would like all groups
to unite. The reunion with Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA) appears
significant in view of the rise in militant attacks against security forces,
most claimed by the TTP, including some suicide bombings. Pakistani army
spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar said last week however that the
military’s operations against militants had been very successful.”

 

The New Humanitarian: Burkina Faso’s New Conflict Front: Jihadists Against
Jihadists
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“When 60 jihadists were killed and 40 captured in Burkina Faso’s northern
Sahel region one day in April, the country’s beleaguered armed forces didn’t
claim victory: A rival jihadist group did. The attack was among three reports
of infighting in as many days between the al-Qaeda linked Group to Support
Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), a
regional offshoot of the so-called Islamic State. The rival organisations,
which had previously tolerated each other – appearing to even cooperate on some
level – are now in open conflict. And as competition over territory heats up
and ideological differences become increasingly pronounced, civilians are
bearing the brunt of much of the violence. The infighting has added a dangerous
new dimension to an already multi-sided conflict that has uprooted nearly one
million people in Burkina Faso – the vast majority since January last year –
and left more than three million severely food insecure, compared to 680,000 by
this time in 2019. More than 90 people have been killed in the country overall
this year in 10 separate clashes between the two jihadist groups – up from just
one such recorded death in a single skirmish last year, according to the Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a conflict monitoring group.”

 

Iraq

 

Associated Press: Iraqi Leader Says Country Still Needs US Help To Counter
ISIS Threat
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“Iraq’s prime minister said Monday ahead of a much anticipated trip to
Washington that his country still needs U.S. assistance to counter the threat
posed by the Islamic State group and that his administration is committed to
introducing security sector reforms as rogue militia groups stage near-daily
attacks against the seat of his government. Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in an
exclusive interview with The Associated Press that Iraq currently does not need
direct military support on the ground, and that the levels of help will depend
on the changing nature of the threat. Al-Kadhimi is slated to meet with
President Donald Trump in Washington this week to conclude a strategic dialogue
launched in June to reconfigure U.S.-Iraq ties. Al-Kadhimi, who is backed by
the United States, assumed office in May when Baghdad’s relations with
Washington were precarious. The January killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem
Soleimani and a top Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in an American
drone strike in Baghdad prompted demands by Shiite lawmakers that U.S. forces
leave Iraq. Three years since Iraq declared victory over IS, sleeper cells
continue to stage attacks across the country’s north.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Associated Press: Afghans Halt Prisoner Release, Delaying Talks With Taliban
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“The Afghan government said Monday it would not release the last 320 Taliban
prisoners it is holding until the insurgents free more captured soldiers,
defying a traditional council held last week and further delaying intra-Afghan
talks sought by the United States. The talks, which were laid out in a peace
deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February, were
expected to begin on Thursday but are now postponed indefinitely. The ruling by
the traditional council, or jirga, which called for the immediate release of
the Taliban prisoners, had raised hopes of a breakthrough in the process. The
U.S.-Taliban peace deal called on the Taliban to free 1,000 government and
military personnel and for the government to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The
prisoner releases were to be a goodwill gesture ahead of intra-Afghan
negotiations aimed at devising a postwar roadmap. “We are going to release
them. That’s not an issue. But it has to be two-way,” government spokesman
Sediq Sediqqi told The Associated Press. “If we take this bold step, releasing
all these guys, all these bad people, why are the Taliban not releasing our
captives, which is a very small number?” Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s
political spokesman, said the group had fulfilled its obligations and was not
aware of any other security personnel in its custody who were to be released.”

 

Pakistan

 

Reuters: Six Killed In Kashmir In One Of Deadliest Days Since Autonomy Revoked
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“Four Indian security forces and two militants were killed in related
incidents in Kashmir on Monday, in one of the deadliest days in the disputed
Muslim-majority region since its autonomy was ended last year. Kashmir Police
Chief Vijay Kumar told Reuters that militants attacked a security checkpoint
north of the main city of Srinagar in the morning and killed one local
policeman and two officers from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force.
In a counter operation by security forces, two militants were shot down while a
soldier also died, Kumar said. Monday's total death toll was the third highest
in such violence in the valley in the past year. Two policemen were killed in a
militant attack on Friday. This month Kashmir, claimed by both India and
Pakistan, marked one year since New Delhi revoked its constitutional autonomy,
inflaming religious tensions. Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan
since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both countries claim it in full
but rule it in part. Many people saw the move as another step in the erosion of
Muslim rights by India's Hindu-nationalist government. New Delhi rejects that
argument and says it will bring the region closer to the rest of the country.”

 

Yemen

 

Saudi Gazette: 11 Yemen Soldiers Killed In Houthi Attack, Clashes
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“Eleven Yemeni government troops, including a senior officer, were killed in a
Houthi militia missile attack and clashes to the northeast and east of Sanaa,
military and medical sources said Monday. Gen. Mohammed Ali-Roqn, commander of
the army’s 122 brigade, along with eight other soldiers were killed in battle
in Al-Jawf province Sunday while trying to reclaim positions lost months ago,
the sources said. The rebels also suffered casualties, the military source
added without elaborating. Houthi militia members took control of the capital
of the northern province of Al-Jawf earlier this year — a strategic advance
that means they now threaten oil-producing Marib province. Yemen’s Vice
President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, in a statement carried by the official Saba news
agency, said Roqn was killed “while conducting military operations” in Al-Jawf.
Two government troops were killed and four others wounded in a Iran-backed
Houthi missile attack on a military base in Marib, east of Sanaa, a government
official said. Renewed clashes also broke out in Al-Baida — which is under
nominal government control — between loyalist forces and the Houthis, who have
launched offensives against Al-Qaeda militants in the province.”

 

Lebanon

 

Reuters: Factbox: Heavily-Armed Hezbollah Is Lebanon's Most Powerful Group
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“Four suspects belonging to Lebanon’s armed Shi’ite movement Hezbollah have
been tried in absentia by the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon for the
2005 murder of former prime minister Rafik al Hariri. The verdict is due on
Tuesday. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and is a close ally of Syria, has
denied any role in the 2005 bombing. Here is some background on the group:
Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has accused the tribunal of
serving a political agenda — to undermine Hezbollah — and has said it is a tool
of its enemies in the United States and Israel. None of the four suspects named
have been detained by Lebanese authorities. Hezbollah has said they will not
be. The indictment said the suspects were linked to the attack largely by
circumstantial evidence gleaned from phone records. Hezbollah said the
accusations are fabricated. Founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,
Hezbollah (Party of God) is the most powerful group in Lebanon thanks to a
heavily armed militia that fought several wars with Israel. It grew stronger
after joining the war in Syria in 2012 in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
It is both a political movement and guerrilla army, drawing its support from
among Lebanon’s Shi’ite population. The group and its allies helped form
Lebanon’s current government.”

 

Middle East

 

The National: Bahrain To Set Up Committee To Counter Money Laundering And
Terrorism
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“Bahrain will form a committee to counter extremism, money laundering and
terrorism, under a royal decree announced on Sunday. Official media said the
interior minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, will head the
committee, which will propose to the government individuals and entities to be
blacklisted. The degree said the committee will be also tasked with “studying
all issues related to extremism and counter-terrorism, funding of terrorism and
money laundering”. The committee will report to the council of ministers. Among
its members will be the religions affairs minister, governor of the central
bank, and heads of intelligence and police. Bahrain, which has a population of
1.6 million is a Middle East banking centre. The decree said the committee will
specialise in streamlining the government’s anti-terrorism efforts and
“assessing the dangers of extremist thought.” The committee will work on
“proposing laws and special regulations to counter extremism and terrorism and
its funding, and combat money laundering,” the decree said. Gulf countries have
stepped up measures in recent years to prevent terror financing and money
laundering.”

 

Nigeria

 

Vanguard: Nigeria: Again, Boko Haram Invades Borno, Destroys Telecom Mast,
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“Heavily armed Boko Haram terrorists on Monday invaded Magumeri Local
Government Headquarters of Borno state and firstly razed down the only
functional Telecommunications mast before setting ablaze other infrastructural
facilities. Just last week, some terrorists invaded surrounding communities of
Magumeri and displaced hundreds of farmers and herders, after killing 6 other
with an unspecified number of fleeing residents sustained gunshot injuries.
Magumeri is north and about 40km drive from Maiduguri the state capital which
has witnessed series of Boko Haram attacks including the abduction of Oil
Exploration Workers and staff from the Department of Geology, University of
Maiduguri, on a mission around the shores of the Lake Chad Basin. Vanguard
Correspondent gathered from fleeing residents that the insurgents invaded the
community at about 4 pm, while the military airstrike engaged them, but to no
avail, as the insurgents succeeded and infiltrated the Council Headquarters
which make it difficult for the airstrike to engage the terrorists amidst
innocent civilians. Member Representing Magumeri, Gubio and Kaga federal
constituency, Hon Usman Zannah, in a telephone call confirmed the fresh
infiltration of Boko Haram in Magumeri Council.”

 

Somalia

 

The Wall Street Journal: Hotel Assault In Somalia’s Capital Raises Fresh
Questions About Al-Shabaab
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“Al-Shabaab militants’ deadly assault on a popular seaside hotel in Somalia’s
capital has raised fresh questions about the threat posed by the terrorist
group, despite a heightened U.S.-backed counterterrorism campaign in the Horn
of Africa nation. The militants, carrying AK-47 rifles and explosives,
detonated a car bomb outside Mogadishu’s Lido beach Sunday afternoon, before
shooting their way into the compound of the upscale Elite hotel, killing 11
civilians and one police officer, a government spokesman said Monday. It took
four hours before Somalia Special Forces reclaimed the hotel—a favorite hangout
for government officials and members of Somalia’s diaspora—and killed the five
gunmen. Troops also rescued some 200 guests, some of them via ropes strung from
hotel windows. Among those saved was Abdullahi Mohamed Nor, the hotel’s owner,
who is also a former finance minister and current member of parliament. “This
attack was clearly intended to cause maximum casualty on innocent
civilians—men, women and children” said Francisco Madeira, the head of African
Union troops in Somalia. Hours later, al-Shabaab launched a similar attack on
an army base in south-west Somalia, killing five soldiers.”

 

United Nations News: Somalia: UN Condemns ‘Brazen’ Terrorist Attack On
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“This brazen attack targeted civilians, including government workers,
peacefully enjoying their Sunday evening, causing many casualties”, the UN
Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, said on Monday. “This savagery
has no place in the country being built by Somalis and it merits the strongest
condemnation”, he added. In recent months, the extremist group Al-Shabaab,
which claimed responsibility for the attack, has been increasing its assaults
across the country. The latest attack involved a car bomb at the seaside hotel,
reportedly followed by an intense gun battle between the terrorists and Somali
security forces.  According to news reports, more than 200 people were rescued
and five assailants were counted among those killed. “This abhorrent attack
should not and will not deter Somalis, and the entire United Nations family in
Somalia reaffirms its commitment to and solidarity with all peace-loving
Somalis in the face of such violence”, said the Special Representative.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: Regional Leaders Meet As Mozambique Security Crisis Worsens
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“When fighters from a shadowy group, known as Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama (ASWJ) or
“followers of the prophetic tradition”, began launching attacks in northern
Mozambique in October 2017, security agencies dismissed it as isolated acts of
banditry. But the fighters continued attacking villages and towns in the
resource-rich Cabo Delgado region, killing residents, burning houses and
forcing thousands from their homes. While not much is known about the fighters
or ASWJ itself, some of the more recent assaults have been claimed by the
ISIL-affiliated Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP). In April this
year, police said 52 villagers in Cabo Delgado were killed when they refused to
be recruited by the fighters, a major escalation that prompted authorities to
admit for the first time the presence of ISIL-affiliated fighters in the
country. The National Council for Defence and Security, the body that advises
President Filipe Nyusi on security matters, said in a statement it had
“analysed the situation of the attacks in the province of Cabo Delgado and
concluded that ... they were committed by the Islamic State, a terrorist
organisation”. The council added that the country was dealing with “external
aggression.”

 

Voice Of America: Attacks Targeting Aid Workers In Niger Are Latest In
Worrying Spike
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“New findings out Monday show an alarming spike in attacks against
humanitarian workers last year, including in part of Africa’s Sahel region.
That's where some of the latest attacks took place last week against French and
Nigerien nationals. France held a memorial ceremony Friday for six French aid
workers killed in Niger on August 9, along with two Nigeriens. It was one of a
pair of strikes against French humanitarian activists last week— last Monday,
another was gunned down in Guatemala. The Niger attack took place in a nature
reserve outside the capital, Niamey — an area once considered safe for
humanitarian activity. But the Sahel region overall is becoming increasingly
violent. French troops are working with regional counterparts to fight an
Islamist insurgency. It’s not the only area of concern. Worldwide, last year
marked the highest number of major attacks against aid workers over the past
decade — with 483 workers killed, kidnapped and wounded, according to
independent research group Humanitarian Outcomes.  Report co-author Abby
Stoddard is a former humanitarian worker.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Gatwick Airport: Man Arrested Over Terror Offence
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“A man has been arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of committing
terrorism offences. The Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command arrested a
25-year-old man at about 04:00 BST after he arrived on a flight from Turkey. He
was arrested on suspicion of possessing material likely to be useful to a
terrorist. The Met said the man remained in custody and a search was also under
way at an address in north London.”

 

The National: Brain Damaged London Bridge Terror Victim Sues Attackers’ Estates

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“A man who suffered severe brain damage three years ago during the London
Bridge terrorist attack by an ISIS-inspired gang is to sue the estates of the
dead terrorists Peter Lunt is also taking the same legal action against the
insurers of a vehicle rental company after one of its vans was used in the
atrocity, in which the extremists killed eight people in 2017. A claim was
taken to the High Court in London by Mr Lunt, 44. He suffered severe brain
damage when the 2.5-tonne Renault van ploughed into crowds walking over London
Bridge just before 10pm on the Saturday, June 3. The van, driven by Khuram
Butt, knocked one victim, Xavier Thomas, over the bridge railings and into the
Thames, where he drowned. After hitting Mr Lunt and his wife Tanya and other
pedestrians, the three terrorists – Butt, 27, Youssef Zaghba, 22, and Rachid
Redouane, 30 – jumped out and went on a knife rampage. They stabbed people at
random in the restaurants and bars around Borough Market, south London. ISIS
later claimed the attack, which happened three months after a similar
vehicle-and-knife attack on Westminster Bridge in which a policeman was killed.
The terrorist gang at Borough Market injured another 48 people, including Mr
and Mrs Lunt, and four unarmed police officers who tried to stop them.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Stars And Stripes: Report: Multiyear Counterterror Operation Has Failed To
Dislodge Extremists From Philippines
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“Islamic extremists remain a stubborn problem in the Philippines despite a
multiyear U.S. military effort to combat the threat, according to a recent
report to Congress. Operation Pacific Eagle — Philippines, an overseas
contingency operation led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, has been ongoing since
Sept. 1, 2017. Three years later, there are still 300-500 Islamic
State-affiliated fighters in the Southeast Asian nation, according to the
latest assessment by Defense Department acting inspector general Sean
O’Donnell. “There has been little change in the capabilities, size, financing,
and operations of [the Islamic State in East Asia],” O’Donnell wrote in the
most recent report on the operation, which covers April 1 through June 30. The
failure to make progress eliminating the militant group comes despite the U.S.
budgeting $72.3 million for the operation in the current fiscal year, according
to the report. It cost more than $100 million in each of the previous two
years, Voice of America reported Aug. 12. Extremists continue to carry out
sporadic, mostly small-scale attacks and the Philippines military, with
intelligence and air support from the U.S., continues counterterrorism
operations to keep Islamic State affiliates from spreading, O’Donnell wrote.”

 

Technology

 

Endgadget: Google Reportedly Sent Identifying Info Of Extremist Users To Law
Enforcement
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“Google may have shared identifying information of certain users with law
enforcement, according to a report from The Guardian. Leaked documents indicate
that the company’s CyberCrime Investigation Group (CIG) has been forwarding
data like real names, street addresses, credit card numbers, Gmail and recovery
emails, as well as IP addresses from recent logins. In some cases, the CIG
reportedly also included copies of comments made on Google’s platforms like
YouTube, which include threats of racist and terrorist violence. While working
with law enforcement to tackle dangerous individuals is part of the process of
reducing risk to the general public, privacy advocates that The Guardian spoke
to are concerned that Google is simply handing off responsibility. In a few
cases, it seems the company passed along information about individuals
displaying concerning behavior, but did not take down the comments that threw
up red flags. A Google spokesperson told Engadget, “If we reasonably believe
that we can prevent someone from dying or from suffering serious physical harm,
we may provide relevant information to a government agency. We consider these
data disclosures in light of applicable laws and our policies.”



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