More than 10,000 Islamic State fighters are estimated to remain active in Iraq
and Syria two years after the militant group’s defeat, and their attack

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


August 25, 2020

 

Associated Press: UN: Over 10,000 Islamic State Fighters Active In Iraq, Syria
<[link removed]>

 

“More than 10,000 Islamic State fighters are estimated to remain active in
Iraq and Syria two years after the militant group’s defeat, and their attacks
have significantly increased this year, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said
Monday. Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that Islamic State
fighters move freely “in small cells between the two countries.” He said the
Islamic State extremist group — also known as IS, ISIL and ISIS — has regrouped
and its activity has increased not only in conflict zones like Iraq and Syria
but also in some regional affiliates. “However, in non-conflict zones, the
threat appears to have decreased in the short term,” he said. “Measures to
minimize the spread of COVID-19, such as lockdowns and restrictions on
movement, seem to have reduced the risk of terrorist attacks in many
countries.” Nonetheless, Voronkov said, “there is a continued trend of attacks
by individuals inspired online and acting alone or in small groups, which could
be fueled by ISIL’s opportunistic propaganda efforts during the COVID-19
crisis.” He said the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the challenges of
eliminating the threat of terrorism, pointing to actions by IS and other
terrorist groups seeking “to exploit the far-reaching disruption and negative
socioeconomic and political impacts of the pandemic.”

 

Financial Times: Mali Is The Epicentre Of A Growing Extremist Threat
<[link removed]>

 

“Set alongside a global pandemic or an oncoming US presidential election, a
coup in the poor west African state of Mali may not appear to matter very much.
It matters a great deal. If Mali descends further into chaos, as is eminently
possible, then what is already the epicentre of a jihadist threat in the vast
semi-desert Sahel could become a launch pad for terrorism across west Africa
and conceivably beyond. Mali has form. After the last coup in 2012, groups
linked to al-Qaeda exploited the vacuum in power to take over much of the
country’s north, including Timbuktu. Their ascendancy was aided by the earlier
collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammer Gaddafi, which triggered an exodus to
Mali both of fighters and caches of arms. Jihadis might have imposed sharia law
on the whole country had it not been for a 2013 French military intervention
and the restoration of civilian power in the same year through the election of
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Since then, a fragile (to put it politely)
democracy has held — until last week when IBK, as he is known, was arrested by
mid-ranking officers fancifully named the National Committee for the Salvation
of the People. The ousted president was indeed a poor choice.”

 

Syria

 

Reuters: Syria Gas Pipeline Explosion “Almost Certainly” ISIS Strike -U.S.
Envoy <[link removed]>

 

“The United States is still looking into an explosion at a gas pipeline in
Syria but the incident appears to bear the hallmarks of Islamic State, U.S.
Syria envoy James Jeffrey said on Monday. The explosion on the Arab Gas
Pipeline, which caused a power blackout in Syria on Monday, was the result of a
“terrorist” attack, state media cited the nation’s energy minister as saying.
“We are still looking into that. But it was almost certainly a strike by ISIS,”
Jeffrey told reporters in Geneva at the start of U.N.-sponsored talks of the
Syrian Constitutional Committee.”

 

The Washington Times: Explosion Destroys Gas Pipeline 1 Day After Iran Admits
Natanz Blast Was Deliberate
<[link removed]>

 

“A day after Tehran admitted for the first time that last month’s explosion at
its Natanz nuclear site was a deliberate act of sabotage, a giant explosion on
Monday destroyed a major gas pipeline in Syria and cut off electricity for most
of the country. Many in the region are quick to blame — or credit — Israel or
the U.S. for the explosions, but few doubt recent events mark a significant
escalation in the brazenness of such attacks and counterattacks…Last month, the
group carried out at least 23 attacks in Syria alone, according to data
compiled by the Counter Extremism Project. Those attacks were aimed mostly at
forces loyal to Mr. Assad. Despite the group’s resurgence, no one has claimed
responsibility for several attacks on Syria’s oil and gas infrastructure over
the last several years. Syria is far from alone at a target for attempts to
disrupt power infrastructure in the Middle East. Last month, a mysterious,
roaring fire broke out at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site, about 150
miles south of the capital Tehran. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) at
the time acknowledged “significant” damage to the site, and over the weekend
finally admitted the explosion was the result of “sabotage.” “Security
investigations confirm this was sabotage and what is certain is that an
explosion took place in Natanz,” spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said on
Sunday. “But how this explosion took place and with what materials security
authorities will reveal in due time the reason behind the [Natanz] blast,” he
was quoted by state news outlet IRNA.”

 

Iraq

 

Al Monitor: Iraqi Protesters Brace For More Violence In Wake Of Assassinations
<[link removed]>

 

“Violence against protesters in Iraq has been rising sharply in recent days,
especially after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi traveled to Washington
for the second round of the country's strategic dialogue with the United
States. Immediately after returning from the United States, Kadhimi traveled to
Basra with a number of his ministers to follow up on the rising violence
against protesters in the oil-rich southern province. He visited the family of
Riham Yacoub, a female doctor and activist who was assassinated in Basra on
Aug. 19. Speaking to Yacoub's family during his visit, Kadhimi said, “I swear
by the blood of the martyr (Yacoub) that the criminals will not escape
punishment no matter how long it takes, and that the blood of the martyr Hisham
al-Hashimi and the martyr Tahseen Osama (a female activist killed in Basra by
unidentified gunmen on Aug. 19) will not be wasted.” Kadhimi had made the same
promise when he visited the family of murdered Iraqi analyst Hisham al-Hashimi
on July. 6. No one has been charged with his killing, nor have the results of
any investigation been released. This rise in the number of assassinations
comes in conjunction with dissatisfaction expressed by some Iraqi militias with
Kadhimi's trip to the United States and the lack of a timetable for the
departure of US troops.”

 

Turkey

 

Associated Press: Turkey Detains IS Suspect Planning ‘Sensational’ Attack
<[link removed]>

 

“Police in Istanbul have detained a suspected Islamic State group militant who
was allegedly planning a “sensational” attack in the city, Turkey’s state-run
news agency reported Tuesday. Anadolu Agency said the suspect, identified by
the initials H.S., was detained in an operation at a hotel in the low-income
Kucukcekmece district. Police seized an automatic rifle, spare magazines and
bullets during the raid, the report said. The suspect had scouted Istanbul’s
main Taksim Square and surrounding areas with the aim of carrying out a
“sensational” attack, Anadolu reported. He had illegally crossed into Turkey
from Syria and made his way to Istanbul, the report said. It wasn’t immediately
clear when the man was detained. Anadolu said the suspect has appeared before a
court which ordered his formal arrest. It was the second time this month that
police reportedly foiled possible attacks by the IS militants. Two weeks ago,
police in northwestern Bursa province detained a suspected IS militant who was
allegedly planning an attack on a police station. Turkey has suffered a string
of attacks by Islamic State militants over the last five years, including an
attack at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s celebrations in the early
hours of 2017. The attack killed 39 people, most of them foreigners.”

 

Pakistan

 

Bloomberg: Pakistan Invites Taliban, China To Discuss Afghanistan Peace
<[link removed]>

 

“Pakistan has invited Taliban and Chinese leaders for talks in Islamabad to
smooth the way for intra-Afghan negotiations aimed at bringing an end the
19-year war that’s ravaged Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
said talks with a delegation of Taliban leaders would be held on Tuesday, to be
followed by a visit by Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Liu Jian, to
ensure a “coordinated and considered approach” toward peace. The dates for
Liu’s visit have yet to be announced. “We can’t impose our decisions,” Qureshi
told a news conference in Islamabad on Monday. “We acknowledge and respect
Afghanistan’s sovereignty and we are trying to make progress in these
engagements.” Qureshi didn’t give further details of the Taliban’s stay in
Pakistan. The visit follows the U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed on Feb. 29,
which included a prisoner swap between Kabul and the Taliban in the lead up to
intra-Afghan talks. Since then only partial progress has been made on a key
demand by the insurgent group for a prisoner swap -- up to 5,000 Taliban
fighters for about 1,000 government troops. On Aug. 9, Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani said he would free 400 hardened Taliban prisoners “in order to remove the
obstacles to the start of peace talks, stop the bloodshed and serve the common
good.” Their release has not yet occurred.”

 

Nigeria

 

Al Jazeera: More Than 1,100 Villagers Killed In Nigeria This Year: Amnesty
<[link removed]>

 

“More than 1,100 people have been killed in rural areas across several states
of northern Nigeria amid an alarming escalation in attacks and abductions
during the first half of the year, according to Amnesty International. “The
Nigerian authorities have left rural communities at the mercy of rampaging
gunmen who have killed at least 1,126 people in the north of the country since
January,” the London-rights group said in a new report on Monday, giving a
figure until the end of June. The killings, during attacks by “bandits” or
armed cattle rustlers, and in clashes between herders and farming communities
for access to land, have been recurrent for several years. Amnesty said it had
interviewed civilians in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and
Zamfara states, who reported living in fear of attacks and kidnappings. The
rights watchdog said villages in the south of Kaduna state were affected the
most, with at least 366 people killed in multiple attacks by armed men since
January. “Terrifying attacks on rural communities in the north of Nigeria have
been going on for years,” said Osai Ojigho, director of Amnesty International
Nigeria. “The ongoing failure of security forces to take sufficient steps to
protect villagers from these predictable attacks is utterly shameful,” he
added.”

 

Somalia

 

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Executes Four Men For Spying
<[link removed]>

 

“Alshabab militants have publicly executed four men on Sunday for spying for
Somali intelligence agencies, Ethiopia, the U.S. and one working for the
federal government according to the militants, which supports the Islamist
group that's linked to al-Qaeda on the group in El-Adde of Gedo region. The
extremist group said it had publicly executed Dini Abdiqadir Mohamed, Isse
Osman Gelle, Adan Hassan Mohamed and Abdiaziz Hassan Abdi after they were
reportedly found guilty by the local militant leader of spying in a what was
described as a hurriedly constituted hearing held in front of residents and
children. The executions follow recent precision attack that was carried out by
US drones and killed Alshabab bomb maker in the vicinity of KunturWarey Lower
Shabelle region on Thursday. The militants who are affiliated to Alqaeda
control much territory in rural areas in Somalia and are fighting the
internationally recognised central government since 2008 to establish Islamic
Sharia-based in their own interpretation. The militants are known for killing
suspected informers including those accused of spying for the U.S and the
foreign countries.”

 

Africa

 

The Daily Beast: The Next Dangerous Front In ISIS’ Holy War
<[link removed]>

 

“In recent months, Islamist militant groups in Africa allied to the so-called
Islamic State have been on the rampage—attacking communities, slaughtering aid
workers and seizing important government assests. Since ISIS was squeezed out
of its self-proclaimed caliphate in the Middle East last year, its
offshoots—particularly those in West and Central Africa—seem to be waxing even
stronger. In the last five months, about 100 Nigerian and Chadian soldiers have
been killed in deadly attacks by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
around the Lake Chad region (an area in the Sahelian zone of west-central
Africa with a freshwater lake at the conjunction of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria,
and Niger). Since late July, the group has murdered several humanitarian
workers in Nigeria and are suspected of slaughtering French aid workers in
Niger. And after a series of attacks early this year in northwestern Nigeria,
the Nigerian government was forced to admit last month that the terror group,
which usually operates in the northeastern part of the country, does have a
foothold in the northwest region.”

 

The Washington Times: Coup In Mali Coup Complicates U.S. Military Mission
Fighting Terrorism
<[link removed]>

 

“A coup in the small West African nation of Mali is having an outsized impact
on the Pentagon’s campaign to confront violent jihadi groups now flourishing in
Africa. For the second time in less than a decade, soldiers from the Malian
armed forces ousted their president in a military coup. The overthrow of
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last week seems certain to add to the
political instability of a region where U.S., French and other forces are
battling Islamic movements. Mr. Keita, now being held in detention by the
soldiers who engineered the coup, won popular elections in 2013 and 2018, but
his popularity took a nosedive after his government failed to rein in Islamic
extremists in Mali’s north and the military faced punishing losses from the
jihadis. Mali is strategically located at the heart of Africa’s troubled Sahel
region, where jihadi groups have been expanding their influence. The coup was
carried out as a time of questions about U.S. Africa Command and whether the
Trump administration wanted to keep troops in the region as it tries to focus
defense strategy on the challenge posed by China. After the coup, Pentagon
officials cited their “long-standing partnership” with the Malian military in
the campaign against terrorism, but that relationship is now in jeopardy.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: New IRA Investigation: Six Terror Suspects Appear In Court
<[link removed]>

 

“Six people have appeared in court charged under the Terrorism Act. They were
arrested as part of a major PSNI and MI5 investigation into dissident
republican group the New IRA. All six have been accused of belonging to a
proscribed organisation and of directing terrorism. They are also charged with
being at two meetings, both held in County Tyrone, with the intent of
committing acts of terrorism. One of the meetings took place close to the
townland of Creggan, the other about a mile from the village of Gortin. A
senior police officer told the court that the two meetings were filmed and
recorded by MI5, operating under the direction of the PSNI. The six were
charged as part of Operation Arbacia, which is targeting the New IRA, an
organisation considered to be the largest dissident republican group. So far,
10 people have been charged as part of the investigation. On Saturday, two men,
one from Lurgan and the other from Derry, appeared in court. On Monday, a
49-year-old man from the Dungannon area and a 62-year-old man from Scotland
became the ninth and 10th people to be charged. Both are due in court on
Tuesday.”

 

BBC News: UK Drone Terror Attack Plotter Accused Acquitted
<[link removed]>

 

“A former chicken shop worker has been cleared of planning a drone terrorism
attack after a trial at the Old Bailey. Hisham Muhammad, 26, was accused of
having a stash of weapons and devising a contraption with lollipop sticks to
drop a projectile from a small drone. He was arrested in June 2018 after his
landlord became suspicious after seeing knives, a tub of wires and a soldering
iron at his home in Bury. He had denied engaging in conduct in preparation for
acts of terrorism. His cousin Faisal Abu Ahmad, 25, who lived with him in
Victoria Avenue, Whitefield, was cleared of failing to disclose a plot to
authorities. A jury last October failed to reach a verdict and following a
retrial Mr Muhammad was found not guilty of preparing for an act of terrorism.
He admitted making £8,000 from a fake escort agency, but said most of it was
sent to his wife and family living in Senegal. The Old Bailey heard he had an
interest in weapons and his collection included axes, bear-claws, a tomahawk, a
machete, and Japanese “ninja eggs” packed with glass shards and chilli seeds.
Mr Muhammad explained he liked to invent household gadgets, such as a “coconut
hammer” and a “fly zapper”. The jury deliberated over four days before
acquitting him of the terror charge.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Associated Press: 14 Killed, 75 Wounded In Bomb Attacks In South Philippines
<[link removed]>

 

“Muslim militants allied with the Islamic State group set off a powerful
motorcycle explosive followed by a suicide bombing that together killed 14
people on Monday, many of them soldiers, in the worst extremist attack in the
Philippines this year, military officials said. At least 75 soldiers, police
and civilians were wounded in the midday bombings in Jolo town in southern Sulu
province, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said. The
bombings were staged as the government grapples with the highest number of
coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia. Vinluan said most of the victims,
including children, were killed and wounded in the first attack, when a bomb
attached to a motorcycle exploded near two parked army trucks in front of a
grocery store and computer shop in Jolo. “It was a vehicle-borne improvised
explosive device which exploded while our soldiers were on a marketing run,”
Vinluan told reporters. A second blast, apparently from a female suicide
attacker, occurred about an hour later and killed the bomber, a soldier, a
police commando and wounded several others, a military report said. It said the
suspected bomber walked out of a snack shop, approached soldiers who were
securing a Roman Catholic cathedral and “suddenly blew herself up.”

 

Technology

 

Defense One: Right-Wing Extremism And Islamic Extremism Spreads Online In
Similar Ways, New Study Says
<[link removed]>

 

“Right-wing American extremists and white supremacist groups are adopting the
same ISIS-favored ways to attract and radicalize their members online,
according to a new study. Under Trump, extreme right-wing and white nationalist
groups have grown and felt emboldened to emerge from their historic shadows
into public fora. But online, in the past year their methods appear to have
been borrowed, or at least mimic, how violent jihadists around the world
recruit and reach their own members. “While ISIS is a well-established and
centralized group with a hierarchical organizational structure, the [tactics,
techniques, and procedures] they leverage to organize, recruit, incite action,
and disseminate information online appear to have been adopted by several
emergent radical domestic groups in the United States,” says the new report
from data analytics company Babel Street, obtained exclusively by Defense One.
Researchers looked at several groups with various beliefs, structures, and
intensities, including the Atomwaffen Division, a fairly closed neo-Nazi group,
and the Not Fucking Around Coalition, or NFAC, is a heavily-armed,
anti-government group with a strong central, charismatic leader who produces
podcasts and daily messages for members.”

 

The Herald: Zimbabwe: Interpol Warns Of Online Terrorist Threat
<[link removed]>

 

“The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has urged member
states to be wary of terrorists and rogue elements using social media to spread
propaganda and advertise weapons, among other criminal activities. To assist
police across Africa in understanding the ways in which criminals leverage
social media and how to incorporate social media into their criminal
investigations, Interpol held a virtual workshop on “Social Media and Law
Enforcement” for 37 officers from 13 African countries. Organised by Interpol's
Regional Counter-Terrorism Nodes in Africa, the recent two-day meeting reviewed
how countries can engage Interpol for investigative and operational support in
cases with a social media element. While the focus was on counter-terrorism
investigations and the role of Interpol's Terrorism Online Presence unit, other
types of crime known to have online elements were also discussed. The workshop
explored the role of social media in police investigations, how to request
assistance, restrictions on data sharing and other legal considerations.
Interpol enables police in 194-member countries to work together to fight
international crime and Zimbabwe has been a member since November 1980."



Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>