“The Nigerian Army troops of 28 Task Force Brigade in Chibok and Askira have
killed about 48 Boko Haram terrorists and rescued 11 abducted victims in

 

 


<[link removed]>
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Eye on Extremism


March 29, 2021

 

Premium Times Nigeria: Nigerian Soldiers Ambush Boko Haram Fighters, Kill 49 –
Official
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“The Nigerian Army troops of 28 Task Force Brigade in Chibok and Askira have
killed about 48 Boko Haram terrorists and rescued 11 abducted victims in an
onslaught in Borno. The Director, Army Public Relations, Mohammed Yerima,
disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. Mr Yerima said that troops
achieved the feat while acting on credible intelligence that some remnants of
insurgents were fleeing due to the intensity of troops’ operations in Sambisa
Forest. He said the troops laid ambush for the terrorists on Chibok-Damboa
axis, killing nine while several others escaped with fatal gunshot wounds in
one encounter. Mr Yerima said that the troops also recovered seven AK47 Rifles
and freed three kidnapped victims.He said that troops of 28 Task Force Brigade
located in Askira also laid a successful ambush along Askira – Chibok Main
Supply Route (MSR) and neutralised 39 terrorists in another encounter. The army
spokesperson also disclosed that the troops successfully rescued eight
kidnapped victims from the terrorists in the course of the encounter.
“Unfortunately, however, one of the kidnapped victims sustained injury to his
leg while in the hands of his abductors. “He has since been conveyed to a
military medical facility for immediate treatment,” he said.”

 

Daily Sabah: 22 Iraqi Nationals With Daesh Links Arrested In Capital Ankara
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“More than 20 foreign nationals were arrested in the Turkish capital Ankara
over their suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group, a security source said
on Friday. Police teams in the capital launched an operation and arrested 22
Iraqi nationals for their alleged links to conflict zones, said the source on
condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. Efforts
are ongoing to arrest more suspects. In 2013, Turkey became one of the first
countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group. The country has since been
attacked by the terrorist group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and
hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks and
four armed assaults. In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at
home and abroad to prevent further attacks.”

 

United States

 

The New York Times: Far-Right Extremists Move From ‘Stop The Steal’ To Stop
The Vaccine
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“Adherents of far-right groups who cluster online have turned repeatedly to
one particular website in recent weeks — the federal database showing deaths
and adverse reactions nationwide among people who have received Covid-19
vaccinations. Although negative reactions have been relatively rare, the
numbers are used by many extremist groups to try to bolster a rash of false and
alarmist disinformation in articles and videos with titles like “Covid-19
Vaccines Are Weapons of Mass Destruction — and Could Wipe out the Human Race”
or “Doctors and Nurses Giving the Covid-19 Vaccine Will be Tried as War
Criminals.” If the so-called Stop the Steal movement appeared to be chasing a
lost cause once President Biden was inaugurated, its supporters among extremist
organizations are now adopting a new agenda from the anti-vaccination campaign
to try to undermine the government. Bashing of the safety and efficacy of
vaccines is occurring in chatrooms frequented by all manner of right-wing
groups including the Proud Boys; the Boogaloo movement, a loose affiliation
known for wanting to spark a second Civil War; and various paramilitary
organizations.”

 

The New York Times: The Original 20 Guantánamo Detainees: A Roster, And Where
They Are Now
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“Mr. Ali, a Pakistani citizen, was among the earliest people repatriated from
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, at a time when the main prison facility, Camp Delta, held
680 detainees. The journalist Mark Bowden wrote that he traveled to Pakistan to
meet some former Guantánamo prisoners and found Mr. Ali and another detainee,
who said they had not been abused in American custody “except for some roughing
up immediately after they were captured.” Both were in their 20s, he wrote in a
later account, from tiny villages in the mountainous region of Pakistan where
Al Qaeda and the Taliban hid, and he described them as “hapless young
Pakistanis” who were rounded up by “Afghani warlords” for a bounty of $4,000 a
head. Feroz Abassi, sent to Britain in 2005. Mr. Abassi returned to England,
attended university and assumed a new name. He was among a group of former
prisoners who received compensation in 2010 from the British government. By
2011, he was divorced, had a son and was working part time for a moving company
and for Cage Prisoners, an advocacy group based in Britain for people taken
prisoner during the war on terrorism. Friends and lawyers who knew him from his
Guantánamo days say he decided not to keep in touch, and he resisted overtures
through intermediaries to discuss how he was doing.”

 

The Washington Post: A Family Seeks And Can’t Find Answers As One Of Their Own
Is Accused Of 10 Murders In Boulder Mass Shooting
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“On March 16, nearly a week before the mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery
store here, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who has been charged with 10 counts of
first-degree murder, bought an AR-15-style pistol. His family was upset and
bewildered when they first saw the weapon, according to a close relative. “What
are you doing with this gun?” a family member asked Alissa. “Where did you get
it? Why do you need it?” Alissa said he had been shooting at a range where he
had previously rented a pistol and thought it would be cheaper to buy his own,
according to the relative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
family fears for its safety. Three other more distant relatives, who also
requested anonymity, described the family and its journey from Syria to the
United States. Alissa, 21, seemed uncertain about some of the basic mechanics
of the weapon, a Ruger AR-556 pistol, and talked “about having a bullet stuck
in the gun,” according to a police affidavit. Police said he bought the weapon
legally. The family seized the pistol, and Alissa seemed to accept the
decision, the relative said. On the day before the shooting, a Sunday, Alissa
visited the home of one of his sisters. “He was normal, he was playing with the
children, laughing with them,” the relative said.”

 

Politico: 'Be Aware': The Pentagon's Target List For Extremist Infiltrators —
Right And Left
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“Flags from the left-wing Antifa movement. Depictions of Pepe the Frog, the
cartoon character that's been misappropriated by racist groups. Iconography
from the far-right Proud Boys, including the phrase “stand back and stand by”
from former President Donald Trump. They are all signs that extremists could be
infiltrating the military, according to internal training materials that offer
a more detailed view into the array of radical groups and ideologies the
Pentagon is trying to keep out of the ranks. “There are members of the
[Department of Defense] who belong to extremist groups or actively participate
in efforts to further extremist ideologies,” states a 17-page briefing obtained
by POLITICO that was compiled by the DoD Insider Threat Management and Analysis
Center, which is part of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.
“Be aware of symbols of far right, far left, Islamist or single issue
ideologies,” it warns, stressing that members of the military and civilian
personnel have “a duty and responsibility” to report extremist behavior or
activity. The materials were prepared as part of a broader Pentagon effort to
crack down on extremists who may be lurking inside the military after dozens of
ex-service members were arrested for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the
U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of the presidential election.”

 

Syria

 

Associated Press: US-Backed Syrian Forces Raid Camp Of IS Families, Arrest 9
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“Thousands of Kurdish-led forces, with assistance from the U.S.-led coalition,
launched a military operation Sunday at a sprawling camp in northeast Syria, in
a new effort to identify and arrest Islamic State militants and tamp down
escalating killings and violence in the camp. The security sweep at the al-Hol
camp will continue over time and is being conducted with “indirect”
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support provided by the
coalition, U.S. officials said Sunday. The Kurdish-led forces said they have
nearly 5,000 fighters participating in the operation and on Sunday they
arrested nine people, including an Iraqi IS member who worked in recruitment.
The al-Hol camp houses some 62,000 people, including wives and children of IS
members, and U.S. officials say it has become a breeding ground for the next
generation of Islamic State militants. There have been 47 killings in the camp
since the start of 2021, according to the Kurdish-led forces, while U.S
officials put the figure at well over 60. Military leaders have long warned of
the growing security problems in the camp. In comments to the Middle East
Institute in February, Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said
the “systemic indoctrination” of the camp’s population to IS ideology is an
alarming, long-term risk.”

 

The Guardian: Kurdish Forces Enter Detention Camp In Syria To Eliminate ISIS
Cells
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“Kurdish forces in north-east Syria have begun a security operation inside
al-Hawl detention camp in an attempt to eliminate Isis sleeper cells that have
become increasingly active over the last few months. Around 5,000–6,000 Kurdish
troops and Asayish security police, led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
military, entered the camp on Sunday to conduct searches and arrests in what is
expected to be a 15-day operation. Local Kurdish sources said the aim was to
isolate and arrest Isis ringleaders – one of whom had already been detained –
and to improve access for relief groups at a site where living conditions are
desperate and malnutrition is rife. Western forces were not involved, the
Kurdish sources added. However, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the
US-led military coalition against Isis, said it was taking place with their
support. “Our SDF and Asayish partners began an op[eration] intent on improving
security, safety and access to NGO assistance for those residing at al-Hawl IDP
camp. Preventing future generations of Daesh [Isis] from growing at the camp
will ensure the enduring mission to defeat Daesh,” spokesman Wayne Marotto
tweeted.”

 

Iraq

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: Iraq Secures Border With Syria To Prevent Infiltration Of
ISIS Militants
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“Iraq’s government announced taking a series of new measures to prevent the
infiltration of ISIS militants through the border with Syria. Commander of the
Border Guards Lieutenant General Hamid al-Husseini announced on Thursday that
fortifications have been initiated to secure the borders, including the
installation of thermal cameras and control towers. “More than 150 control
towers will be erected in Mount Sinjar,” he noted, stressing the efficiency of
the thermal-camera systems. According to Husseini, the situation is constantly
improving. The 617 kilometer-long border will be under the border guards’
control, he stressed, pointing to their determination to eliminate the threat
posed by ISIS remnants. ISIS militants recently stepped up their attacks in
Iraq, prompting the NATO to expand its training mission in the country from 500
to around 4,000 personnel. Notably, Baghdad and Washington revealed earlier
that US military has cut troop levels in Iraq to 2,500 amid continuous calls
for foreign troops to leave the country. Meanwhile, attacks on US targets in
Iraq continue despite a number of armed groups announcing a truce and vowing
not to attack US interests, including the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily
fortified Green Zone.”

 

Deutsche Welle: Iraq's Yazidis Warn Of Ongoing Threats From Extremists
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“In a landmark decision this month, Iraq's parliament passed the Yazidi Female
Survivors Law, recognizing the atrocities committed by the extremist group
known as “Islamic State,” or “IS,” against the ethno-religious group as
genocide. When “IS,” an Islamist terror group, took control of swathes of
northern Iraq between 2014 and 2017, it killed, kidnapped and enslaved
thousands of Yazidis, while tens of thousands more were forced to flee their
homes. “The passage of the law represents a watershed moment,” the United
Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement
after the law was passed on March 1. It makes Iraq one of the first Arab
countries to focus “institutional attention on female survivors of
conflict-related sexual violence.” The bill was hailed by Iraqi President
Barham Salih as “an important step.” But even while the law aims to “prevent
the recurrence of violations,” not everyone is convinced it will live up to its
promises. Yazidi survivors say the existential threats that fueled “Islamic
State's” genocidal campaign against them still persist in Iraq. How does the
law help survivors? The law pledges to provide assistance to victims of “IS,”
primarily Yazidi female survivors who were kidnapped and later freed — but also
members of other minorities who suffered the same fate, including Turkmen,
Christian and Shabak Iraqis.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The New York Times: Officials Try To Sway Biden Using Intelligence On
Potential For Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan
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“As President Biden signaled this week that he would let a May 1 deadline pass
without withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, some officials are using
an intelligence assessment to argue for prolonging the military mission there.
American intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that if U.S.
troops leave before a power-sharing settlement is reached between the Taliban
and the Afghan government, the country could fall largely under the control of
the Taliban within two or three years after the withdrawal of international
forces. That could potentially open the door for Al Qaeda to rebuild its
strength within the country, according to American officials. The classified
assessment, first prepared last year for the Trump administration but not
previously disclosed, is the latest in a series of grim predictions of
Afghanistan’s future that intelligence analysts have delivered throughout the
two-decade-long war. But the intelligence has landed in a changed political
environment. While President Donald J. Trump pushed for a withdrawal of all
forces even before the terms of the peace deal required it, Mr. Biden has been
more cautious, saying Thursday that he does not view May 1 as a deadline he
must meet, although he also said he “could not picture” troops being in the
country next year.”

 

The Washington Post: With U.S. Withdrawal Delay Likely, And New Peace Proposal
On The Table, Taliban Faces Inevitable Crossroads
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“For months, the Taliban has managed to both talk peace and wage war across
Afghanistan. The strategy appeared to appease the hard-liners within the
militant group who want an outright military victory to end the 20-year
conflict and moderate members of the movement who would accept a political
solution.But the new, aggressive U.S. push for a peace deal has brought the
Taliban to an inevitable crossroads: Accepting a place in a power-sharing
government, as proposed by the United States, would bring the group one step
closer to its ultimate goal of retaking full control of the country and
establishing an Islamic government — and yet any path to power that prevents
Afghanistan from again being labeled a pariah state will require compromise at
odds with the core beliefs of the militants’ rank and file. A deadline looms.
The Biden administration has until May 1 to withdraw troops from the country,
under a U.S.-Taliban deal signed in February 2020, or negotiate a new
arrangement. What the Taliban does could signal where the movement’s balance of
power lies and what its vision is for Afghanistan’s future. So far, the Taliban
leadership has said little publicly to reveal the specifics of what kind of
government it would accept, beyond one ruled by Islamic law.”

 

Bloomberg: Taliban Says It Will Fight U.S. Forces Again If They Miss Exit
Deadline
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“Afghanistan’s Taliban said it would resume fighting against American or other
foreign forces if the U.S. misses the May 1 troop withdrawal deadline agreed in
a peace deal last year. “If, God forbid, all foreign troops do not withdraw
from Afghanistan on the specified date in line with the Doha agreement,
undoubtedly, it will be considered a violation of the accord by America,”
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem wrote on Twitter. The Taliban would then “be
compelled to defend its religion and homeland and continue its Jihad and armed
struggle against foreign forces to liberate its country.” The Taliban’s warning
comes after U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday that it would be
“hard” to meet the deadline though he “can’t picture” troops remaining in the
war-ravaged country by next year. The former administration of President Donald
Trump finalized the agreement with the Taliban in February last year in
exchange for security guarantees. Following the deal, the Taliban stopped
attacking U.S. forces. Biden has also promised to end the 20-year war in
Afghanistan but says he wants to review the agreement.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: Over 180 People Trapped In Mozambique Hotel After Attack
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“More than 180 people including foreign workers are trapped inside a hotel in
a northern Mozambique town under siege for three days by fighters linked to the
ISIL (ISIS) group, according to workers and security sources. Several people
were dead, AFP news agency reported citing witnesses and a rights group, after
the attack in the town of Palma near a liquified natural gas (LNG) site in Cabo
Delgado province. Reuters news agency on Saturday also reported the death of at
least one civilian and the wounding of others when their convoy was attacked as
they tried to flee.. ISIL-linked fighters began a raid on the coastal town on
Wednesday afternoon, forcing terrified residents to flee into the surrounding
forest as LNG and government workers sought shelter at the Amarula Palma hotel.
“Almost the entire town was destroyed. Many people are dead,” said a worker on
the LNG site speaking on the phone on Friday evening after he was evacuated to
Afungi. He did not give details about the casualties nor their nationalities.
“As locals fled to the bush, workers from LNG companies, including foreigners,
took refuge in hotel Amarula where they are waiting to be rescued,” he said,
asking not to be named.”

 

The New York Times: As Militants Seize Mozambique Gas Hub, A Dash For Safety
Turns Deadly
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“As gunshots rang out across a port town in northeastern Mozambique on Friday
afternoon, nearly 200 people sheltering inside the Amarula Palma hotel
confronted a devastating reality: The armed insurgents outside the hotel’s
doors had all but taken control of the town and there was no one coming to save
them any time soon. For two days, hundreds of insurgents in the gas-rich region
had been laying siege to the coastal town of Palma, firing indiscriminately at
civilians, hunting down government officials and setting buildings ablaze as
security forces tried in vain to repel them. The violence sent thousands of
people fleeing, with some rushing to the beach, where a ragtag fleet of cargo
ships, tugboats and fishing vessels was ferrying people to safety. But at the
hotel, with daylight hours dwindling, the local residents and foreign gas
workers who remained faced an impossible choice: Either wait inside,
defenseless, for a promised evacuation in the morning, or try to make it to the
beach. In a desperate dash, dozens of people crammed into a 17-vehicle convoy
and left the hotel for the oceanfront. Only seven vehicles completed the trip.
Militants ambushed the convoy after it left the hotel grounds, setting on the
occupants of the cars. Many arrived at the beach bloodied.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Bristol Man Jailed For Possessing Terrorism Material
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“A man described as “immature but no fool” has been jailed after police found
terrorist material in his home. Sohaib Embarek was arrested at his flat in
Bristol after an operation involving Avon and Somerset Police and
counter-terrorism officers. In January this year he admitted five charges of
possessing terrorism material. The judge told Embarek he had spent his time
“drinking too much and spending too much time on the internet”. The 34-year-old
was jailed at The Old Bailey on Thursday for a total of six years, including
prison time for three counts of making indecent images of children and one
count of possession of extreme pornography. Armed officers raided the flat
where Embarek was living on Tyndale Road on 9 December, 2019 as part of a joint
operation involving Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), Counter
Terrorism Policing South West and Avon and Somerset Police. They discovered the
Spanish national had downloaded bomb-making manuals, guides on how to make
poison and Islamic State propaganda. He had also shared terrorist material
using the messaging app Telegram.”

 

Australia

 

ABC News Australia: White Supremacist Group The Base Should Be Banned In
Australia, Federal Labor MP Anne Aly Says
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“…Joshua Fisher-Birch from non-profit group Counter Extremism Project (CEP)
said designating a white supremacist group as a terrorist organisation could
transform how law enforcement and intelligence agencies could approach it. “The
Canadian government proscribed them as a terror group for a number of reasons,”
he said. “It means that it might prevent individuals from joining the group
because they see that as a potential liability. “Beyond that, it sort of
prevents banks from doing business with individuals who are members of those
groups.” He said in Canada it was not illegal to be a member of a proscribed
terrorist organisation, but it could open them up to different criminal
charges. He said, as an example, committing acts of violence could see a member
slapped with additional federal terrorism charges. “Hopefully it will make the
operational environment much more difficult for those groups to operate,
recruit and fundraise,” he said.”

 

The Guardian: Victoria Police Reveal Active Counter-Terrorism Investigation
Involving Rightwing Extremists
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“Victorian police have revealed there is an active counter-terrorism
investigation involving rightwing extremists in the state, and confirmed that
separate action could be taken against a handful of people who have allegedly
made vile threats against others because of their race or religion.In a
wide-ranging briefing about the extent of the rightwing extremism threat in
Victoria, senior police said about 40% of the “hundreds” of extremists
currently being monitored in Victoria were from that cohort – a workload that
had almost doubled in the past 18 months. Assistant commissioner Mick Hermans
would not be drawn on further details regarding the current investigation,
including whether it related to a group or individual. But he said police were
also awaiting advice from the office of public prosecutions regarding charging
four people for allegedly breaching Victoria’s contentious racial and religious
tolerance act. A Victorian parliamentary inquiry found earlier this month that
the act’s ability to address racial and religious vilification was
“questionable”, and recommended Victoria police start collating data on hate
crime. Hermans said that cases brought under the act were complex but typically
related to the most vile racist threats reported to police.”

 

Europe

 

Yahoo News: European Jihadists' Children 'At Risk Of Radicalisation' <>

 

“The children of European jihadists left trapped in a Syrian camp after their
fathers' defeat on the battlefield now face radicalisation in their turn, a
Belgian expert warns. Heidi De Pauw, director of the association Child Focus,
has visited orphans and widows in the Al-Hol camp in northern Syria and says it
is time to bring the youngsters home. Belgium has been one of the main sources
of foreign fighters who travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight under the banner
of the Islamic State jihadist group. The group's so-called caliphate centred
around Raqa has now been overrun by western-baked forces and many militants
have been slain -- leaving behind their wives and children.Belgium's Prime
Minister Alexander de Croo has recognised the need to bring the youngest
children home to prevent a new generation of extremists growing up in camps.
His decision came as Brussels marks the fifth anniversary of the triple suicide
bombing that was the deadliest peacetime attack in Belgium's history, and some
here are worried. But De Pauw told AFP that the western-backed Kurdish forces
that over-ran Raqa are losing control of the Al-Hol camp and the children held
there should be protected.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

The Wall Street Journal: Dozens Shot Dead In Myanmar As Military Continues
Ruthless Campaign Against Civilians
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“On a day when Myanmar’s commander in chief vowed in a speech “to protect
people from all dangers,” soldiers and police he controls gunned down dozens of
men, women and children across the country, continuing a campaign to suppress
widespread opposition to last month’s military coup. Demonstrations began a
week after the Feb. 1 takeover, which abruptly ended Myanmar’s decadelong shift
toward democracy. They have continued every day since as protesters demand that
elected government be restored. A civil disobedience movement has brought large
parts of the economy to a standstill, with civil servants, factory workers,
shopkeepers, bank staff and others refusing to go to work in an effort to push
the military to give up power. Soldiers have responded by shooting citizens in
the streets. The U.N.’s Human Rights office said Saturday it had received
reports of scores of people killed and hundreds injured across 40 locations in
the country. A representative for the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners, a nonprofit that monitors arrests and fatalities, said at least 91
people had been killed and that the group was working to confirm the full death
toll. Before Saturday, armed forces and police had slain 328 people, according
to the group.”

 

Reuters: Indonesia President Condemns Church Attack As “Terrorism”
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“Indonesian president Joko Widodo strongly condemned a suspected suicide bomb
attack outside a church that wounded 14 people in the city of Makassar on the
island of Sulawesi on Sunday. In a video broadcast, he described the attack in
the country with the world’s largest Muslim population as an “act of
terrorism”, and urged people to remain calm, saying the government would ensure
that everybody can worship freely, “without fear.”



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