“Russia unleashed airstrikes that it said killed as many as 200 militants in
central Syria amid an intensifying assault by Islamic State insurgents th

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


April 21, 2021

 

The Wall Street Journal: Russia Strikes Islamic State Strongholds In Syria As
Insurgency Gains Ground
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“Russia unleashed airstrikes that it said killed as many as 200 militants in
central Syria amid an intensifying assault by Islamic State insurgents that
threatens the Syrian government’s access to oil and heightens the risks for its
foreign backers. The airstrikes on a training camp took place Monday in
Palmyra, according to Alexander Karpov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for
Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, a military entity. Islamic
State militants are known to operate in the area. The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights, which monitors developments in the Syrian war, said 26 Islamic
State members died in Russian airstrikes in Palmyra and other areas of the
central Syrian desert in recent days. Mourners carrying the coffins of Syrian
army soldiers in the city of Homs. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a
Dec. 30 attack that killed nearly 40 soldiers in Syria. Islamic State in 2015
captured the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra and destroyed a series of
Roman temples, tombs and other objects. Backed by Russian airstrikes, the
Syrian government retook the ruins in 2016. The airstrikes came after Islamic
State claimed to have killed two Russian soldiers who attempted to land in a
helicopter in Syria’s Homs province.”

 

The Defense Post: Suspected ISWAP Jihadists Storm Army Base In Nigeria’s Borno
State
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“Suspected Islamic fighters stormed into a base in northeast Nigeria’s Borno
state before an aerial bombardment killed their “key commanders,” the military
said Monday. Jihadists from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
rolled up in a dozen gun trucks at the garrison town of Dikwa late Sunday and
dislodged troops after a lengthy battle. “The terrorists in their numbers…
attacked the town… just as the locals prepared to break their Ramadan fast for
the day,” the military said in a statement. The soldiers withdrew to nearby
Gulumba Gana town “to enable Air Component to engage” the insurgents, said the
statement from army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima. Troops
launched a counter-offensive against the jihadists on Monday and “successfully
reoccupied their main headquarters in Dikwa,” Yerima said. “The retreating
terrorists suffered heavy losses in both equipment and personnel including some
of their key leaders,” the statement said. A military source and residents said
the militants had attacked the base around 1700 GMT on Sunday and stole
weapons. “The terrorists attacked on two fronts aboard several light trucks
mounted with heavy machine guns,” a military officer told AFP.”

 

Iraq

 

The National: Iraqi Army Arrests Two Senior ISIS Commanders Involved In
Group's Financing
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“Two senior ISIS leaders were arrested on Monday while trying to cross the
border from Syria, Iraq's security forces said. One of the men was in charge of
the group’s Zakat Fund in the cities of Tell Afar and Hadhar outside the city
of Mosul in northern Iraq, the Iraqi military said. The men had been tracked by
the Intelligence Service of the Iraqi Army 15th Division. Zakat is one of
Islam’s five pillars. Muslims with sufficient income are required to pay a
certain amount each year and Zakat contributions are supposed to help the poor.
But in typical fashion, ISIS twisted this religious tradition and instead used
donations to finance its operations. The second militant was in charge of ISIS'
“War Spoils Diwan”, said the military. That department was in charge of
counting and safekeeping material, both civilian and military, captured during
ISIS operations. Both men were active at the time when ISIS overran large areas
in northern and western Iraq following its 2014 blitz, which ended up with the
group declaring an Islamic “caliphate” in vast parts of Iraq and Syria,
totaling around one third of Iraq at one point. The military did not reveal the
names or nationalities of the arrested pair. Requests to security officials for
more details went unanswered.”

 

Turkey

 

The National: Turkey Summons Ambassador To Accuse Sweden Of ‘Supporting
Terrorists’
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“Turkey summoned Sweden’s Ambassador to demand an explanation after two
Swedish ministers met with members of the internationally backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara considers a terrorist group. The SDF was
the main partner in the US-led international coalition fighting against ISIS on
the ground in Syria. While the SDF is made up of Kurdish and Arab groups,
Ankara says the control and backbone of the force are made up of the Syrian
Kurdish YPG, an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia
that has waged a decades-old insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkish
diplomatic sources said the ambassador was summoned to the ministry over a
recent videoconference between Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist and
senior SDF officials and added the call came shortly after contact between
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and “terrorist elements”. There are 60,000
refugees in the Al Hawl camp on the Syria-Iraq border. AFPISIS prisoners could
sow seeds of new violent extremism, deputy coalition commander in Iraq warns.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Reuters: U.S.-Backed Afghan Peace Conference In Turkey Postponed Over Taliban
No-Show -Sources
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“A Washington-backed Afghan peace conference in Turkey has been postponed due
to the Taliban's non-participation, three sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The
meeting was scheduled for April 24 to fast-track an agreement between Taliban
insurgents and the Afghan government following Washington's announcement that
foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11. “The Istanbul meeting is
not happening on the given date because the Taliban refused to attend,” a
senior Afghan government official told Reuters. The postponement was confirmed
by two other sources, including one official whose country is involved in the
planning process. There was no immediate revised date. Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu of Turkey, one of the hosts of the talks, later confirmed that they
had been put off until after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends
around mid-May. An Afghan government spokesman declined comment on the matter.
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told Reuters in a text message that the group
did not have any information about the postponement, and that he could not say
anything about future dates for the conference post Ramadan.”

 

The Washington Post: ‘Extremely Difficult, But Not Impossible’: General
Provides Assessment Of Afghan Counterterrorism Effort After U.S. Troops Depart
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“America’s ability to strike extremist targets in Afghanistan will be
significantly constrained once U.S. forces depart this year, making the task of
containing terrorism threats extremely difficult but “not impossible,” a top
general said Tuesday. Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central
Command, told members of the House Armed Services Committee that he is
developing plans to address extremist threats in the wake of the withdrawal,
which President Biden announced will be completed by Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th
anniversary of the terrorist attacks that set off the long U.S. conflict
there.  Describing the intense logistical and security challenges the United
States may face trying to prevent renewed plots by al-Qaeda or other extremists
without a presence on the ground, McKenzie said the military could use
long-range missiles, crewed aircraft or Special Operations raids to strike
targets when they are located. “I don’t want to make that sound easy,” McKenzie
said of the larger “over the horizon” counterterrorism mission, as military
officials call the effort to combat militants from afar. “It’s going to be
extremely difficult to do it, but it will not be impossible.” McKenzie’s annual
posture testimony marked the first public comments from a senior military
official involved in Afghanistan.”

 

Arab News: Third Taliban Leader Killed In Peshawar In Past 4 Months
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“A senior Taliban leader, Mullah Nek Muhammad Rehbar, was killed in Peshawar
on Monday in an attack by two unidentified gunmen riding a motorbike, a police
official and two Taliban leaders told Arab News. “A probe has been launched to
determine the motive behind the incident,” the police official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, told Arab News. Three others accompanying Rehbar, 35,
were also injured in the attack, according to the police official. The slain
Taliban commander oversaw military deployments in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar
province. Its governor, Ziaulhaq Amarkhil, tweeted about the attack, which
Daesh has claimed responsibility for. Rehbar was scheduled to return to his
native Afghanistan after he and other key commanders were summoned by top
Taliban leaders to their respective areas in the war-torn country. Rehbar’s
brother, Maulvi Noor Muhammad, was also killed in Peshawar, in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province, during a shooting incident about 15 years ago. Afghan
analysts say the slain Taliban commander had fought against Daesh militants in
Nangarhar, which could be the main reason behind the attack in Peshawar. Zakir
Jalali, a security analyst, said Taliban officials are easier to target when
they live as refugees in other countries.”

 

India

 

The Washington Post: Further Evidence In Case Against Indian Activists Accused
Of Terrorism Was Planted, New Report Says
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“An unknown hacker planted more than 30 documents that investigators deemed
incriminating on a laptop belonging to an Indian activist accused of terrorism,
a new forensic analysis finds, indicating a more extensive use of malicious
software than previously revealed. The report will heighten concerns about the
controversial prosecution of a group of government critics under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. Arsenal Consulting, a Massachusetts-based digital forensics
firm, examined an electronic copy of the laptop at the request of defense
lawyers. The Washington Post reviewed a copy of the report. A previous analysis
by Arsenal, which The Washington Post reported in February, found that 10
letters had been deposited on the laptop, including one that discussed an
alleged plot to assassinate Modi. The latest report by Arsenal finds that 22
additional documents were also delivered to the computer by the same attacker.
The documents — now totaling 32 — have been cited by law enforcement as
evidence against a group of activists accused of working with a banned Maoist
militant group that has waged a decades-old insurgency against the Indian
state. Known as the Bhima Koregaon case, the prosecution is considered a
bellwether for the rule of law in India.”

 

Lebanon

 

The Times Of Israel: Gantz Warns Hezbollah Of ‘Heavy Consequences’ If It
Threatens Israel
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“Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror
group that it will suffer “heavy consequences” if it acts against Israel.
Touring the IDF’s Northern Command with senior military commanders, Gantz said
the Israel Defense Forces “is ideally prepared along the northern border and
definitely on the Lebanese front.” “We are aware of Hezbollah’s attempts to
challenge us in new ways,” he said, without elaborating on the new tactics. “We
will deal with any threat. If Hezbollah challenges the IDF and the State of
Israel, it will suffer very, very heavy consequences and I hope they don’t do
that.” Gantz issued a similar warning to Hezbollah last month. While in the
north, Gantz attended a drill simulating fighting in Lebanon and visited a
cross-border tunnel dug by Hezbollah, which was sealed by the IDF as part of
“Operation Northern Shield” in the winter of 2018-2019. He also highlighted the
Lebanese terror group’s backing from Iran and reiterated Israel’s opposition to
the Islamic Republic obtaining nuclear weapons capability. “The State of Israel
continues to act together with its partners in the world generally and the US
in particular to prevent Iran from reaching a nuclear threshold,” Gantz said.”

 

Egypt

 

Egypt Independent: Al-Azhar Condemns Islamic State Murder Of Coptic Man In
North Sinai
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“Al-Azhar, the top institution in the world of Sunni Islam, condemned on the
Islamic State’s murder of a Coptic Egyptian man, saying that the killing
confirms that “these terrorist groups lack the lowest mean of humanity.”
Undersecretary Mohamd al-Dhawini expressed his condolences to the the family of
the 62 year-old victim, Nabil Habashy, calling his murder a scene that is
shameful for humanity. The Islamic State had uploaded a video online on Sunday
of Habashy being executed. The victim was shot to death six months after being
abducted in the city of Bir al-Abed in North Sinai. ISIS members kidnapped
Habashy in November while he was walking on a street in the city, using a
stolen car to drive away. Habashy’s condition remained unknown until the video
of his execution was posted. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced Monday
that it had killed three terrorists involved in executing Habashy, who helped
build a church in North Sinai. According to the ministry, the National Security
Agency received information about the presence of a group of terrorists
involved in the killing in North Sinai’s al-Abtal area. The information said
that these terrorists were planning further hostile attacks targeting Coptic
citizens, their properties, their places of worship, and the posts of armed
forces and the police.”

 

Nigeria

 

All Africa: Nigeria: Soldiers Working With Boko Haram Expose Civilian
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“Some soldiers arrested in the crack down on Boko Haram funders have disclosed
the identities of their civilian collaborators, according to sources. The
arrests of the officers came after an in-depth investigation into connections
between Boko Haram members and military officers, that they helped to
infiltrate into the army and sabotage efforts to end insurgency in Nigeria.
Daily Trust had reported how the Federal Government launched an operation
against suspected financiers and collaborators of Boko Haram. The ongoing
inter-agency operation is being led by a top intelligence officer, with an army
general leading a task team comprising military personnel and staff from
intelligence services. Multiple sources informed Daily Trust that the
closely-guarded operation is being coordinated by Defence Intelligence Agency
(DIA), in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian
Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). As
part of the operation, billions of naira traced to businesses belonging to
persons of interest have been blocked in banks in series of “post no debit”
letters sent out to banks by the CBN and NFIU. Twenty soldiers who were
arrested in the operation are currently being detained in Borno State.”

 

Africa

 

The Wall Street Journal: Chad’s President Dies After Battle With Rebels,
Military Says
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“Idriss Déby, the military commander who ruled the oil-producing desert nation
of Chad with an iron fist for three decades, died after sustaining injuries in
clashes between rebels and government troops outside the capital. It was a
shocking development for a region plagued by instability and rising jihadist
violence. Gen. Azem Bermandoa Agouma, a military spokesman, read a statement on
state television saying that Mr. Déby died from injuries in a weekend battle
with rebels advancing on N’Djamena from the Libyan border. Parliament was
dissolved and Mr. Déby’s son, Mahamat Kaka, took over as interim president
until new elections can be held, Gen Agouma said. Two western diplomats and a
rebel spokesman confirmed that Mr. Deby was wounded in the desert region of
Kanem on Monday then flown 130 miles to an N’Djamena hospital where he died of
his injuries. But they said questions remained over the circumstances,
including how he was killed and why he was so close to the front line. Chad’s
government has switched off the internet, imposed a 6 p.m. curfew and closed
the country’s external borders.”

 

The Nation: The Bewildering Search For The Islamic State In Congo
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“In 2003, three American college friends set out for Uganda. As they traveled
through the north of the country, they were so moved by the suffering caused by
the conflict between the government and the warlord Joseph Kony that they
started an NGO called Invisible Children to spread awareness about the crisis
and raise money for relief projects. Their work eventually drew the attention
of Shannon Sedgwick Davis, a young Texas lawyer and CEO of the Bridgeway
Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, a
multibillion-dollar hedge fund with investments in oil, pharmaceuticals, and
consumer products. For years, Davis had been troubled by the limitations of
charity, which she likened to “putting Band-Aids on bullet holes.” In January
2009, she was nursing her 1-month-old second child when she read a report from
Human Rights Watch, a Bridgeway grantee, about a series of massacres committed
by Kony’s forces. Having fled Uganda, they’d stormed through a cluster of
hamlets in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, abducting children and
killing their parents. Davis was so outraged that she resolved to seek a new
approach to Bridgeway’s work. Documenting atrocities would no longer be enough.”

 

United Kingdom

 

Reuters: N. Irish Police Suspect New IRA Planted Bomb In Officer's Car
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“Police in British-ruled Northern Ireland said on Tuesday they suspect that
dissident Irish republican militants planted a booby-trap bomb found in the car
of a part-time police officer. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
said the bomb had been found on Monday in a car outside the family home of the
female officer in Dungiven, a town near the northwestern city of Londonderry.
The bomb was defused overnight. “What is really distressing here is the
terrorists placed the bomb at the rear of the car, directly at the point where
the victim’s three-year-old daughter sits,” PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark
McEwan told journalists. “While the investigation is at an early stage and
detectives are keeping an open mind, a strong line of inquiry is that this
attack was the work of the New IRA,” McEwan said. The New IRA is one of a small
number of active militant groups opposed to Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace deal.
It has been behind some of the sporadic attacks that have continued, including
the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in 2019. Some 3,600 people were killed in
the conflict that began in the late 1960s between mainly Protestant unionists,
who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and
predominantly Catholic nationalists, who want to be part of a united Irish
republic.”

 

Sky News: London Bridge Terrorist Attack: Porter Grabbed Pike In Bid To Stop
Killer
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“The porter at Fishmongers' Hall who was attacked by a terrorist wielding a
knife, grabbed a ceremonial pike from the wall and used it to try to stop the
killer, the inquest has been told. Lukasz Koczocik was injured during this
attack as Usman Khan grabbed the pike and stabbed the porter in his arm and
hand, resulting in Koczocik dropping the weapon. Khan stabbed graduates Saskia
Jones, 23 and Jack Meritt, 25, at a Cambridge University prison education
conference, on November 29 2019. He then made his way onto London Bridge, where
he told his pursuers to “call the police” before being shot dead, the inquest
has heard. Mr Koczocik explained how he had been on the lower ground floor of
Fishmongers' Hall, putting up Christmas decorations in the staff canteen when
the housekeeper ran downstairs screaming “someone's got stabbed”. “I ran
upstairs, literally ran upstairs, to check what had happened because I thought
it was just an accident that had happened. “I see three men throwing and
holding different objects like a chair, signs saying 'Mind the steps', trying
to defend themselves. “It looks like a brawl to me, it wasn't that serious. I
went through the first doors into the lobby, the reception area.”

 

New Zealand

 

Newsroom: Countering Dominant Narratives Of NZ’s Far Right
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“A European Union-funded study has praised Jacinda Ardern's response to the
March 15 terror attack and offered suggestions for how New Zealand can counter
far-right narratives in the future. The report surveyed 12 far-right groups,
including defunct 1990s-era skinhead gangs like Unit 88 and more modern white
supremacist outfits like Action Zealandia, to determine the most prevalent
extremist narratives. It then recommended potential avenues for countering
these narratives. Titled From Gangs to Groupuscules and Solo-Actor Terrorism:
New Zealand Radical Right Narratives and Counter-Narratives in the Context of
the Christchurch Attack, the paper was written by William Allchorn, an expert
on anti-Islamic extremism in Europe. It was published by the Hedayah Center and
the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, which study extremism, and funded
by a European Union counter-extremism project. Allchorn found 25 different
extremist narratives had been deployed in New Zealand, ranging from white
supremacy to anti-Semitism to identitarianism. “Key narratives centre upon
ethno-nationalism and/or white supremacism, antisemitic and Islamophobic
tropes, anti-establishment sentiment, environmentalism, and chauvinism at this
present time,” he wrote.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

International Business Times: Who Is Jozeph Paul Zhang? ISIS And Al-Qaeda Want
To Behead Indonesian Who Says He Is '26th Prophet'
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“An Indonesian man of Chinese origin named Jozeph Paul Zhang ruffled feathers
after calling himself the ''26th Prophet'' in a YouTube video that eventually
went viral in no time, angering Muslims during the Ramadan season. Zhang, apart
from claiming to be the 26th Prophet, also made offensive remarks about Islam
and Muslims. He now faces death threats by the terrorist group ISIS. The
Islamic State (ISIS) in Indonesia and Malaysia has called for Zhang's beheading
for insulting the Prophet. Pro Al-Qaeda groups have also called for his death.
The Indonesian police have filed a complaint against Zhang for hurting the
religious sentiments of Muslims and are investigating the case. Zhang is booked
under blasphemy laws and the Interpol has issued a red notice against him.
Where is Jozeph Paul Zhang? The whereabouts of Jozeph Paul Zhang is a mystery,
as the local media in Indonesia quoted immigration authorities saying that
Zhang left the country in 2018 and flew to Hong Kong with a one way ticket and
never returned. Speculations are rife that Zhang is currently somewhere in
Europe but his exact location is yet to be confirmed. While several leaders in
Indonesia claim him to be in Germany, the others say he might be somewhere else
and has remained as a speculation.”



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