Somali officials and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) claimed killing
189 al-Shabab fighters late Friday and in the early hours of Saturday

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


January 25, 2021

 

Voice Of America: Ugandan Airstrikes In Somalia Kill 189 Al-Shabab Fighters
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“Somali officials and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) claimed
killing 189 al-Shabab fighters late Friday and in the early hours of Saturday
in an operation in southern Somalia. Talking to VOA Somali Service by phone,
Lower Shabelle Governor Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Siidi said Ugandan soldiers
under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), using attack helicopter
gunships, have killed nearly 200 al-Shabab militants. Earlier, the Ugandan
army’s deputy spokesman, Lt. Col. Deo Akiki, said, “Their soldiers killed at
least 189 al-Shabab fighters in the operation and destroyed two mounted weapons
and motorbikes in separate fire strikes.”Siidi said the strikes, along with
ground assaults by the joint troops, occurred Friday and early Saturday in a
string of villages between the Qoryoley and Janaale districts in the southern
Somali region of Lower Shabelle. “The militias were struck in their hideouts in
the villages of Sigaale, Adimole and Kayitoy, just over 100 kilometers
southwest of the capital, Mogadishu,” Nur said. A statement from the Ugandan
Army said that during the operation, “a large number of military hardware and
items used by the terrorist were also destroyed.” “The UPDF also disrupted an
al-Shabab meeting, injuring several terrorists in Donca-daafeedow, which is
seven kilometers from the Janaale town,” the statement added.”

 

CNN: Biden Admin Launches Review Of Trump Decision To Designate Yemen's
Houthis As Foreign Terrorist Organization
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“The State Department has initiated a review of the Trump administration's
decision to designate Yemen's Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization
(FTO), a spokesperson told CNN Friday. It is a swift move by the newly
installed Biden administration to examine one of the most consequential 11th
hour actions taken by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who announced the
decision less than two weeks before leaving, with the designation going into
effect just a day before the inauguration on Wednesday. “As noted by
Secretary-Designate (Antony) Blinken, the State Department has initiated a
review of Ansarallah's terrorist designations,” the spokesperson said. Blinken,
President Joe Biden's pick for secretary of state, said at his nomination
hearing Tuesday that his “deep concern about the designation that was made is
that at least on its surface it seems to achieve nothing particularly practical
in advancing the efforts against the Houthis and to bring them back to the
negotiating table, while making it even more difficult than it already is to
provide humanitarian assistance to people who desperately need it.”

 

United States

 

The Washington Post: After Capitol Riot, Police Chiefs Work To Root Out
Officers With Ties To Extremist Groups
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“The revelation that the Capitol mob — covered in emblems of extremist groups
— included off-duty law enforcement officers possibly assisted by working
police is escalating pressure on sheriffs and police chiefs nationwide to root
out staff with ties to white supremacist and far-right armed groups. Law
enforcement leaders have faced criticism in the past for failing to police
their own officers’ involvement with extremist groups. However, the selfie
photos that off-duty officers took inside the Capitol during the violent siege,
which left one police officer dead and dozens of others injured, were a wake-up
call for many who have long denied the extent of the problem within policing.
National Sheriffs’ Association President David Mahoney said many police leaders
have treated officers with extremist beliefs as outliers and have
underestimated the damage they can inflict on the profession and the nation.
“We saw the anti-government, anti-equality and racist comments coming out
during the Obama administration. Shame on us for representing it as freedom of
speech and for not recognizing it was chiseling away at our democracy,” Mahoney
said in an interview. “As we move forward, we need to make sure we are teaching
our current staff members that they must have the courage to speak out when
they know about another deputy’s or officer’s involvement. There should be no
reference to the thin blue line.”

 

Voice Of America: White House Focuses On Fight Against Domestic Terrorism
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“Fears that an untold number of Americans are being radicalized is prompting
the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to take a closer look at efforts
to counter domestic extremism and at whether enough is being done. White House
press secretary Jen Psaki announced the overhaul of the country’s approach to
domestic terrorism Friday, citing the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol. “The
tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we have long known
— the rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national
security threat,” Psaki told reporters, calling the new effort “really the
first step.” “The Biden administration will confront this threat with the
necessary resources and resolve,” she added … New research also suggests that
extremist movements in the United States are increasingly connected to similar
movements in other countries, including Finland, France, Germany, Sweden and
Britain. "During the last few years, a new leaderless, transnational,
apocalyptic and violent extreme right-wing movement has emerged," said
Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project. "The
extreme right-wing movement is connected to frequent international travel, to
music and mixed martial arts events, as well as marches and rallies," Schindler
said Friday during a webinar about the latest research.”

 

Syria

 

Voice Of America: UN Security Concerns Rise Following Killings In Syria's
Al-Hol Camp
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“U.N. officials are expressing alarm over worsening security at Northeast
Syria’s al-Hol refugee camp after multiple killings between January 1 and 16.
Fears for the safety and protection of camp residents and humanitarian workers
are growing following the killings of 12 Syrian and Iraqi residents, including
one female Iraqi refugee.  Another person was critically injured during a
violent attack. Al-Hol, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, is
the largest camp for refugees and Syrians who have fled their homes, with
nearly 62,000 residents.  Most are women and children of Syrian and Iraqi
origin.  They fled to the camp after a U.S.-led coalition ousted Islamic State
militants from their stronghold in the northern city of Raqqa in 2018. The U.N.
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs laments the tragic loss of
life in al- Hol.  OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke says the recent rise in violence
also threatens the security and the ability of aid workers to provide crucial
assistance to the residents. “What they are delivering is primary health care,
water, shelter, nonfood items, food and hygiene distribution, nutrition and
protection.  All of that delivery is being thrown into jeopardy when the level
of insecurity rises to what we have seen now,” he said.”

 

Iraq

 

BBC News: Islamic State Tries To Shore Up Relevance With Iraq Carnage
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“The Islamic State group (IS) has not gone away. The twin suicide bombing in
Baghdad on Thursday was a hideous reminder that the group which once controlled
a vast swathe of territory across Syria and Iraq is still capable of mounting
high casualty attacks in the heart of a city. In this case its target was the
Shia community, whom Sunni jihadists refer to dismissively as rafidain -
rejectionists. “Suicide bombings in major cities have always been a major part
of IS strategy of creating sectarian tension and provoking retribution against
Sunni populations,” says Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at King's
College London. “IS needs sectarian conflict, in which it can portray itself as
a provider of order,” he adds. The market square that was hit was a target of
convenience, the primary aim of the planners being to try to show they are
still a force to be reckoned with after the loss of their physical territory in
2019. The attackers took advantage of the inherent good nature of Iraqis who
crowded round to help a man who said he was unwell. He waited until enough
people had gathered and then triggered his bomb.”

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: 11 Iraqi PMF Fighters Killed In ISIS Attack
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“At least 11 fighters from Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces were killed in
an ambush by ISIS north of the capital on Saturday, PMF security sources said.
The militants used light weapons and the cover of darkness to target the PMF
east of Tikrit, the capital of Iraq's Salahaddin province, two days after a
twin suicide attack claimed by the group killed 32 people in Baghdad. “ISIS
launched an attack on PMF's Brigade 22,” said one of the unit's officers Abu
Ali al-Maliki. Maliki told AFP the brigade commander was among those killed
before reinforcements from the federal police came to the unit's aid. PMF
security sources said the total toll was 11 dead and 10 wounded. There was no
immediate claim of responsibility, but security sources interviewed by AFP
blamed ISIS. Iraq declared the group territorially defeated in late 2017, but
has continued to battle extremist sleeper cells, mostly in the country's
mountainous and desert areas. Local troops have been aided by a US-led
coalition, which first intervened to help fight ISIS in 2014 and continues to
provide training, surveillance and airstrikes in support of anti-militant
operations. The coalition has significantly drawn down its troop numbers over
the past year, with the US shrinking its force from 5,200 to 2,500.”

 

Agence France-Presse: Fears Of Iraq Execution Spree After IS Attack
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“Rights defenders fear Iraq may give the green light to a spree of executions
of convicted jihadists in a show of strength, days after a deadly suicide
attack in Baghdad. On Sunday, an official from Iraq's presidency told AFP more
than 340 execution orders “for terrorism or criminal acts” were ready to be
carried out. “We are continuing to sign off on more,” said the official,
speaking on condition of anonymity. The orders were disclosed to AFP after twin
suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State group on Thursday killed at least
32 people in a crowded open-air Baghdad market. The blasts were a jolting
reminder of the persistent threat posed by the jihadists, despite the
government declaring victory over them in late 2017. The official, along with
judicial sources contacted by AFP, could not provide additional details on when
the executions may take place or if they included foreigners convicted of
belonging to IS. A 2005 law carries the death penalty for anyone convicted of
“terrorism,” which can include membership of an extremist group even if they
are not convicted of any specific acts. Rights groups have warned that
executions were being used for political reasons. “Leaders resort to
announcements of mass executions simply to signal to the public that they're
taking... (these issues) seriously,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and
conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.”

 

Kurdistan 24: Coalition Airstrikes Kill 7 ISIS Militants On Outskirts Of
Kirkuk, Erbil
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“The Iraqi army announced on Saturday that seven Islamic State members were
killed in two airstrikes by the US-led Coalition to defeat the extremist group
in Kirkuk and Erbil province's Makhmour district. A statement released by the
military's Security Media Cell pointed out that, “in coordination with the
Joint Operations Command, the international coalition carried out two
airstrikes,” the first in the “Qarachough Mountain and the other in the Kirkuk
sector.” It added that the two strikes “resulted in the killing of seven ISIS
elements and the destruction of 4 tunnels used by the terrorist group’s
militants.” Makhmour district is located between the four provinces of Erbil,
Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahuddin, and is considered part of the disputed
territories between Erbil and Baghdad and is claimed as part of Erbil province
by the autonomous Kurdistan Region. The vast majority of the town's population
is Kurdish, but there are also ethnic Arabs living there. These are just the
latest strikes by the Coalition after a series of others in areas that included
Diyala province. A source in the Peshmerga forces told Kurdistan 24 that the
most recent strikes in Kirkuk province destroyed Islamic State hideouts at
Ghara Mountain, between the towns of Kifri and Tuz-Khurmatu.”

 

Turkey

 

Daily Sabah: 15 Daesh Terrorists, 1 With Links To Turkey Emir, Detained
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“Turkish security forces detained at least 15 foreign nationals, including one
with links to the Daesh terrorist group’s so-called Turkey emir Mahmut Özden,
in simultaneous counterterrorism raids conducted in several provinces on
Friday. Police in southern Osmaniye province detained terrorist C.A., upon
receiving intelligence that there was a Daesh sleeper-cell and he had
connections to Özden. The suspected terrorist was arrested by the court and
transferred to prison. Police squads in the Black Sea province of Samsun
launched simultaneous operations at 13 addresses in Ilkadım, Canik and Çarşamba
districts, according to a security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity
due to restrictions on speaking to the media. During the operation, four Syrian
and 10 Iraqi nationals, who were active within the terrorist group, were
detained. Digital materials were also seized from the suspects' addresses. In
2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist
group. The country has since been attacked by Daesh terrorists multiple times,
with at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and four armed attacks
that killed 315 people and injured hundreds more. In response, Turkey launched
anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further assaults.”

 

Afghanistan

 

France 24: White House To Review Landmark US-Taliban Deal For Peace Talks With
Kabul
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“Top Afghan officials on Saturday welcomed the decision of US President Joe
Biden's administration to review a landmark US deal with the Taliban and focus
on whether the insurgents have reduced attacks in Afghanistan in keeping with
the agreement. Washington struck a deal with the Taliban in Qatar last year to
begin withdrawing its troops in return for security guarantees from the
militants and a commitment to kick-start peace talks with the Afghan
government. But Biden administration officials are to re-evaluate the pact
after violence across Afghanistan has surged in recent weeks, despite the
Taliban and Afghan government continuing talks since September. Afghanistan's
Acting Minister for Peace Abdullah Khenjani said the outcome of the review
should be a truce to end attacks in the war-ravaged country. Khenjani said the
review should lead to “an immediate stop to violence and achieving permanent
peace” in a video statement on Saturday. President Joe Biden's newly appointed
national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, spoke with his Afghan counterpart
Hamdullah Mohib and “made clear the United States' intention to review” the
deal, said National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne late Friday.”

 

Lebanon

 

Arab News: Hezbollah Should Have No Role In Lebanon’s Future, Says Bahaa
Hariri, Son Of Rafik Hariri <[link removed]>

 

“Bahaa Hariri, the eldest son of slain Lebanese statesman Rafik Hariri, is
calling for a broad alliance — a “supermajority” — to coalesce around a plan to
agree on the way forward for Lebanon as it faces multiple crises. Such an
alliance is needed to implement the unfinished business of the Taif Agreement,
the peace deal brokered by Saudi Arabia 30 years ago, Bahaa said as he gave a
candid assessment of Lebanon’s situation on Frankly Speaking, the televised
interview in which senior Middle East policymakers are questioned on their
views about the most important issues of the day. “We have to make sure that
across the sectarian divide, the forces of moderation go hand in hand to put
(together) a complete comprehensive plan — whether it’s an economic plan, a
COVID-19 plan, a constitutional plan, a judiciary plan, or a security plan,” he
said, noting that Lebanese was “at the precipice.” Bahaa, a billionaire
Lebanese businessman, added: “We seek the full support of Saudi Arabia to make
sure of the full implementation of the Taif Accord. It is key for us that Saudi
Arabia helps us out and supports us in this. That's the key.”

 

Egypt

 

Al Monitor: Islamic State Kills 1, Wounds 3 In Sinai
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“The Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack that Egyptian security
forces said killed one security officer and wounded three other people in the
Sinai Peninsula early Thursday. IS’ local franchise claimed to have detonated
roadside bombs in two separate attacks on the Egyptian army Thursday, one
targeting a tank near the coastal town of Sheikh Zuweid and the other a
bulldozer at a village near Egypt’s border with Gaza. Egypt’s government under
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has struggled to tamp down the insurgency. Last
month, a pair of roadside bombs killed three soldiers near Sheikh Zuweid.  In
February 2018 the Egyptian military announced a major nationwide sweep against
Islamist terrorists mainly focused on the peninsula just a few months after IS
gunmen mowed down more than 230 civilians attending Friday prayers at a
Sufi-affiliated mosque near el-Arish. North Sinai emerged as the insurgency’s
epicenter following the popular ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in
2011 and the subsequent military coup against President Mohammed Morsi led by
then-Defense Minister Sisi two years later.”

 

Nigeria

 

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Fighters Kill Nine Soldiers In Nasarawa
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“Boko Haram fighters have killed nine soldiers in the Doma area of Nasarawa
State. The soldiers were sent on a rescue operation in a forest along
Mararaba-Udege road in the state, linking Otukpo Oweto in Benue State. The
slain soldiers were led to the forest by an officer Felix Kura, an indigene of
Benue State. According to TheNation, the slain officers were on a mission to
dislodge the Boko Haram terrorists from the forest who kidnapped some indigenes
of the state and held them captive. The operation led to about five Boko Haram
terrorists' death before they were overpowered by the terrorists whose weapons,
it was gathered, were more sophisticated than those used by the soldiers.
According to reports, the slain soldiers were from the 177 Guards Battalion,
Shitu Barracks in Keffi, Nasarawa State. “As soon as they ran into the ambush
and they realised they were being overpowered, Kura was said to have told his
colleagues to escape. “The authorities of the 117 Guards Battalion have
informed the families of the slain soldiers of their fate, and a signal has
been sent to the headquarters,” a source said. A source in the barracks said,
“We lost nine soldiers in that mission and not seven, it is quite unfortunate
but that is the supreme price of a military officer.”

 

Mali

 

Al Jazeera: Six Malian Soldiers Killed In ‘Complex And Simultaneous’ Attacks
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“At least six Malian soldiers have been killed in two “complex and
simultaneous” attacks in Mali’s conflict-wracked centre, according to the
military. The coordinated assault took place at about 3am (03:00 GMT) on Sunday
in the villages of Boulkessi and Mondoro in the Mopti region, near the
country’s border with Burkina Faso. “The provisional toll is six dead and 18
wounded” among the soldiers, the army said in a statement, adding that the
attacks prompted a military response which left “around 30 dead on the
terrorist side”. Some 40 motorcycles and a large amount of military gear were
seized from the attackers, it added. It was not immediately clear who was
behind the attacks. Mali’s crisis was triggered in 2012 when ethnic Taureg
separatists, allied with fighters from an al-Qaeda offshoot, launched a
rebellion that took control of Mali’s north. But the armed group fighters
swiftly pushed over the Tuareg rebels and seized key northern cities until they
were driven out in early 2013 by French troops, together with Malian forces and
soldiers from other African countries.”

 

Africa

 

Deutsche Welle: Burkina Faso: Theater Squeezed By Terrorism And Coronavirus
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“Soldiers start shooting in the middle of Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.
People scream. They take cover, waiting in fear to see what will happen next.
Will the soldiers keep firing their weapons? Are innocent civilians about to
die? Or are the bullets aimed at an insurgent planning to blow up the whole
town? It's a scene that has been replayed many times in the past years in
Burkina Faso, where violent attacks have caused more than one million Burkinabe
out of a population of 20 million to flee their homes. Fortunately, today the
violence is taking place on stage at the open-air Carrefour International
Theater of Ouagadougou, or CITO for short.  It's a scene from the play “La
Patrie ou la Mort” (“Fatherland or Death”) by Burkinabe playwright and actor
Mahamadou Tindano. You can't ignore the topic of violence, Tindano says: “As
artists, we must react”.  Tindano had started out writing short pieces about
the increasing terrorist activity in Burkina Faso and what it means for his
country. Then CITO commissioned him to write “La Patrie ou la Mort”. Tindano
made a deliberate decision to not to locate the play specifically in Burkina
Faso to make it relevant for others in West Africa's volatile Sahel region.
“Terror can just as well happen in Niger or Mali. Wherever you find terror, you
find stigmatization. And so, my play can be performed anywhere,” Tindano says.”

 

The Africa Report: Is Algeria Once Again Confronted With The Threat Of
Terrorism?
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“Across Algeria, a growing number of attacks, arrests and weapons have come to
light, indicating a possible resurgence in jihadist activity in the country; a
chapter from the 1990s that many hoped would stay closed. At dawn on 14
January, a group of hunters from the town of Bir El Ater, in the province of
Tébessa, set off towards their hunting area in a pick-up truck. Their vehicle
drove over a home-made bomb operated from a distance. The resulting explosion
killed five people and caused a stir among the town’s residents, who have long
suffered from terrorism. This is not the first time that hunters or hikers have
been victims of mines in the region, usually abandoned bombs from the 1990s.
However, it is the first time a civilian vehicle has been deliberately targeted
by terrorists since the end of the dark decade. A few hours later and about
30km away, in the province of Khenchela, the army shot down a terrorist who had
taken refuge in a cave. The equipment found in his possession – binoculars, a
machine gun and a radio – indicate that he was in charge of monitoring this
strategic area for armed groups. A week earlier, on 7 January, an operator of
the 104th operational manoeuvre regiment – an elite anti-terrorist unit of the
Algerian army – had uncovered the long tube of a portable Russian Strela-2
anti-aircraft missile."

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Schoolboys In Court Charged With Terrorism Offences
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“Two boys accused of being members of a far-right extremist group have
appeared in court on terrorism charges. The pair, aged 15 and 16, are alleged
to have been part of a Telegram chat group found to contain images of Adolf
Hitler and the white supremacist behind the 2019 Christchurch massacre. The
boys appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday but did not enter
pleas. They are due to appear at the same court on 26 February. The younger
boy, from South Derbyshire, is accused of possessing a terrorist publication,
namely the Anarchy Cookbook Version 2000 on or before 22 September. He is also
charged with disseminating a terrorist publication on 18 September and has been
remanded in custody. The other teenager, from Kent, is accused of providing an
electronic link that allowed others to access a terrorist publication, namely
the “white resistance manual”. It is alleged he did so with the intention it
would encourage others to commit a terrorist act. He is also charged with the
dissemination of a terrorist publication on 28 August. The boy was granted
conditional bail with restrictions on his internet use and a curfew ordering
him to remain at home between 20:00 and 06:00 GMT.”

 

The Guardian: Terrorism Watchdog To Open Inquiry Into Radicalisation In Prison
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“An inquiry into the way prisons deal with convicted terrorists is being
launched by the independent terror watchdog amid concerns of growing
radicalisation behind bars. Jonathan Hall QC said there had been a succession
of terror attacks on prison officers while other inmates were coming under the
influence of “high status” terrorist prisoners. Hall, the government’s
independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said that if terrorist activity
was taking place in jails then it had to be dealt with. “There has been a
steady drumbeat over recent years of terrorist attacks against prison officers,
and an increasing number of individuals who may well have formed their
terrorist intent in prison under the influence of high status terrorist
prisoners,” he told the Times. “If terrorism exists (in prison) then it ought
to be dealt with. We need scrutiny of how prisons operate to either contain, or
worse encourage, terrorism.” His comments followed a series of high-profile
cases, including the 2019 London Bridge attack when Usman Khan, a terrorist
prisoner out on licence, stabbed two people to death. Khairi Saadallah, who was
given a whole life sentence earlier this month for murdering three men in a
terror attack in a Reading park, had been befriended by a radical preacher
while serving an earlier prison term.”

 

Technology

 

Gizmodo: FBI Says Far-Right Militia Used Facebook Messenger To Coordinate
Attack On Capitol Building
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“Parler, a veritable breeding ground of far-right extremists, has arguably
come under the most fire for its part in the Capitol riots, but let’s not
forget that the internet is a big place, and violent radicalization on the
scale we saw on Jan. 6 doesn’t develop in a bubble. Case in point: The Federal
Bureau of Investigation said this week that a group of far-right militia
members used Facebook Messenger to coordinate their actions during the siege on
the Capitol Building. According to the FBI, Thomas Edward Caldwell, a ranking
member of the self-described paramilitary group known as the Oath Keepers,
appeared to lead the group’s efforts to track down legislators during the
attack. Screenshots of Facebook messages between Caldwell and other rioters
show him bragging about “storming the castle” on Jan. 6 and receiving updates
about the specific whereabouts of lawmakers as they fled from the flood of
violent insurgents raiding the building, per federal court documents shared by
the George Washington University Program on Extremism. While storming the
Capitol building—which he stupidly bragged about online in real-time, as did
scores of other idiots—Caldwell is said to have received several disturbing
Facebook messages goading him on to hunt down lawmakers.”



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