“The U.N. Security Council condemned the supply of weapons and ammunition to
al-Shabab extremists and others in Somalia in violation of a U.N. arms em

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


November 16, 2021  

 

Associated Press: UN Condemns Arms Supply To Somalia's Al-Shabab, Keeps UN Ban
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“The U.N. Security Council condemned the supply of weapons and ammunition to
al-Shabab extremists and others in Somalia in violation of a U.N. arms embargo
and voted Monday to extend the ban for a year, saying the al-Qaida affiliate’s
terrorist activities continue to destabilize the Horn of Africa nation. It
urged Somalia’s federal government to keep working with financial authorities,
private sector financial institutions and the international community to crack
down on al-Shabab’s ability “to generate revenue and launder, store and
transfer resources” for use in terrorist and other activities. The council’s
resolution also expressed concern at “continued reports of corruption and
diversion of public resources in Somalia.” The council kept in place the arms
embargo on the sale or resale of weapons and military equipment to Somali
forces, a ban on the sale or shipment to Somalia of components used to
manufacture improvised explosive devices that al-Shabab is increasingly using,
and a ban on the export of charcoal, once a key money-earner for the country.
The vote was 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining. Russia objected to
references to Eritrea and Djibouti in the resolution, which says the council
“will continue to follow developments towards the normalization of relations
between Eritrea and Djibouti.”

 

The Washington Post: U.K. Raises Terrorism Threat Level After Taxi Explosion
Outside Liverpool Hospital
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“The British government raised its terrorism threat warning to its
second-highest level on Monday, after police labeled two attacks in the past
month — a car explosion outside a Liverpool hospital and the fatal stabbing of
a British lawmaker — terrorist incidents. The government announced it was
upgrading its terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” — meaning
that the government considers the possibility of an attack “highly likely.” The
move came after an incident Sunday morning, when a taxi pulled up outside an
entrance to Liverpool Women’s Hospital in northwestern England. Video footage
shows a blast ripping through the vehicle, which then burst into flames. Police
said that the blast killed the passenger in the car, who they suspect was
carrying a homemade bomb. Police arrested four men in relation to Sunday’s car
explosion, but they were released after questioning on Monday. Although police
declared the car explosion a “terrorist incident,” they did not release any
details to support that conclusion and said the motive was unclear. On Monday
evening, police identified the deceased and indicated he was a suspect in the
bombing. “Our inquiries are very much ongoing but at this stage we strongly
believe that the deceased is 32-year-old Emad al Swealmeen,” detective chief
inspector Andrew Meeks said in a short statement.”

 

United States

 

Associated Press: Proud Boys Leader Seeks Release, Citing DC Jail Conditions
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“Complaining about jail conditions, a top leader of the Proud Boys far-right
extremist group asked a judge on Monday to free him before he finishes serving
a five-month sentence for burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a
historic Black church in Washington, D.C. D.C. Superior Court Judge Jonathan
Pittman said Monday he would rule by the end of the week on whether to reduce
Proud Boys chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio's sentence to 90 days. But the judge
struck a consistently skeptical tone that left Tarrio, testifying by video from
jail, visibly slumped in frustration. Tarrio asked that his sentence be reduced
or that he be allowed to finish it under house arrest because he claims he has
been harassed by correctional officers and exposed to inhumane jail conditions.
He said his cell has regularly flooded with dirty toilet water from a
neighboring cell. “I've been to jail before and what I've seen here, I've never
seen anywhere else,” Tarrio said, wearing an orange jumpsuit and a mask over
his face. “This place needs to be shut down immediately.” He detailed abusive
guards, constantly flooded cells, smoke-filled hallways and medical neglect,
saying he witnessed a prisoner have a seizure who lay there for a half hour
before any help arrived.”

 

Syria

 

Kurdistan 24: SDF Arrest ISIS Facilitator In Deir Al-Zor
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“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested an Islamic State (ISIS) weapons
and explosives facilitator in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zor on
Sunday night, the Special Operation Joint Task Force – Levant’s official
Twitter account announced on Monday. “This operation, assisted by Coalition
forces, was part of continued efforts of SDF to deter Daesh (ISIS) resurgence
and shut down their terrorist network,” the account said. “(The) SDF is an
effective ground force partner in the continued mission to make a safer and
more secure #NESyria (Northeast Syria) and the surrounding region,” it added.
“They are making tactical and strategic moves to stop the logistics,
facilitation and planning of Daesh (ISIS) terrorism.” Special Operations Joint
Task Force–Levant (SOJTF-Levant) replaced Special Operations Joint Task
Force-Operation Inherent Resolve on July 1, which had been overseeing special
operations activities in Syria and Iraq, Military Times reported. The
SOJTF-Levant now also oversees activities in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, in
addition to Syria and Iraq. Although the SDF and the coalition announced the
territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in March 2019, sleeper cell attacks
continue in northeastern Syria. In response, with coalition support, the SDF
continues operations against ISIS sleeper cells in the region, especially Deir
al-Zor.”

 

Iraq

 

Al Monitor: Iraqi Airstrikes Hit Terror Targets
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“The Iraqi air force has reported conducting new airstrikes against enemy
fighters. Pilots commanding F-16 fighter jets carried out the aerial strikes
northwest of Mutaybija in Iraq’s Salah ad-Din province in the north of the
country. They destroyed a tunnel used for smuggling weapons, a generator and
other structures used by “terrorists,” Iraq’s Security Media Cell said
yesterday. The statement did not specify who the strikes targeted. In April,
the Iraqi air force bombed Islamic State fighters in Mutaybija. IS was
territorially defeated in 2017 but continues to operate in the country. The
group conducted a deadly attack on a village near Diyala north of Baghdad in
October. Iraqi forces arrested a group of IS fighters earlier this month. IS’
continued presence is one factor pushing Iraqis to flee abroad. The mysterious
insurgent group the White Flags has also been active in northern Iraq in recent
years. Iraq’s air force also carried out airstrikes against unspecified
“terrorists” near the disputed northern city of Kirkuk in September. The US-led
anti-IS coalition also provides air support to Iraqi security forces.”

 

Kurdistan 24: Iraqi Security Forces Destroy 18 ISIS Hideouts In Diyala:
Coalition
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“The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) destroyed 18 Islamic State (ISIS) hideouts in
Diyala, sixty kilometers north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, on Monday with
support of the US-led coalition. “Our shared mission to #DefeatDaesh (ISIS)
continues as we transition from combat ops to #AdviseAssistEnable,” the
official account of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
(CJTF-OIR), the US-led coalition against ISIS, tweeted. The spokesman for the
ISF, Gen Yehia Rasool, also tweeted that the Iraqi forces continued an
operation in Diyala with coalition and Iraqi air support for a second day.
During the operation, near Hamrin mountains, 11 villages and orchards were
cleared of the militants. The ISF also found 32 explosive devices, 10 rockets,
and rocket launchers. ISIS remnants regularly launch attacks in territories
disputed by Baghdad and Erbil due to a security vacuum between ISF and Kurdish
Peshmerga front lines in disputed provinces such as Diyala and Kirkuk. Diyala
has faced security challenges following the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2017.
Also, in September, three Iraqi soldiers were killed in a suspected ISIS attack
in rural Diyala. Recently, the ISF have carried out several operations against
ISIS sleeper cells.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Defense Post: Taliban Launch Operation Against IS In Southern Afghanistan
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“The Taliban have launched a crackdown on suspected Islamic State hideouts in
southern Afghanistan, officials said Monday, following an increase in bloody
attacks by the group in recent weeks. The operation against Islamic
State-Khorasan — the local chapter of the jihadist group — started around
midnight in at least four districts of Kandahar province and continued through
Monday morning, Taliban provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Mohammadi told
AFP. “So far, four Daesh (IS) fighters have been killed and ten arrested… one
of them blew himself up inside a house,” he said. A member of the Taliban
intelligence agency who declined to be named told AFP at least three civilians
were killed in the operation. Local media quoted a Taliban official as saying
there had also been a blast in a western suburb of Kabul Monday morning with no
casualties. In the three months since the Taliban came to power, IS-K has been
active in Jalalabad, Kunduz, Kandahar, and Kabul. Last month the group claimed
responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in Kandahar that
killed at least 60 people and injured scores more. That attack came a week
after another deadly mosque blast claimed by IS-K in northern Kunduz province
killed more than 60 people. The group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a
bomb that destroyed a minibus in Kabul at the weekend killing a well-known
local journalist and up to two others.”

 

Lebanon

 

The Times Of Israel: Hezbollah Planned To Murder Israeli In Colombia To Avenge
Soleimani – Report
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“Hezbollah planned to assassinate an Israeli national in Bogota as part of an
operation that also targeted Americans to avenge the January 2020 killing of
Iranian al-Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani, a Colombian newspaper
reported Sunday. The El Tiempo newspaper said the Israeli targeted by the
Lebanese terror group was a former intelligence officer who had been stationed
in the city as a member of the diplomatic corps, then opened a company involved
in the import and sale of surveillance cameras and technology. The report,
citing unnamed sources in Colombia’s military intelligence services, said
Israel’s Mossad security service discovered that the businessman had been spied
on at a number of locations. The Colombian daily said an intelligence dossier
on the matter, including information provided by Mossad, indicated that in
addition to the Israeli, members of a US delegation in the city were also under
surveillance by the terror group. The report said Colombian authorities were
notified that evidence indicated that the Israeli was going to be assassinated,
and that the group was additionally spying on other foreigners in the Colombian
capital. The newspaper said the Israeli national was quickly whisked out of
Bogata, back to Tel Aviv.”

 

Africa

 

Reuters: Burkina Attack Death Toll Rises To 32 In Security Forces' Worst Loss
Yet
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“At least 32 people, including 28 military police officers and four civilians,
were killed in an attack on a gendarmerie post in northern Burkina Faso, the
government said on Monday, raising its earlier death toll of 20. The
government's statement said the toll was provisional as of Monday afternoon.
The attack is the deadliest suffered by Burkina Faso troops since an insurgency
by Islamist militants took off in 2017. President Roch Kabore decreed three
days of national mourning for the victims of the attack, which took place on
Sunday morning near a gold mine in Inata and came two days after another raid
in the area killed seven police. The government said it was carried out by
unidentified armed men. Burkinabe forces and civilians are regularly targeted
by militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, particularly near the
borders with Mali and Niger. The militants' insurgency across West Africa's
Sahel region has expanded in recent years, claiming thousands of lives, forcing
millions from their homes and wearing down national forces. The gendarmerie
post in Inata had run out of food and been forced to slaughter animals in the
vicinity for the past two weeks, according to a memo sent by the post's
commander to his superiors last week and seen by Reuters.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The National: Tareena Shakil: I Had Lost My Way When I Joined ISIS
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“The first woman found guilty in the UK of joining ISIS has said she “just
lost her way in life” and regretted her decision to align with the terrorist
group. Tareena Shakil was jailed for six years for joining ISIS in Syria and is
now living in the UK. She travelled to Syria in 2014 with her young son and
spent several months as a member of the extremists. After becoming
disillusioned and escaping ISIS-held territory, she flew back to Britain and
was arrested at Heathrow Airport, west London, in 2015. She was jailed for
being a member of ISIS and encouraging acts of terrorism on social media. In
her first interview since being released, Shakil, who is from the English city
of Birmingham, expressed scepticism about allowing other British ISIS recruits
to return. In a new documentary for ITV called Tareena: Return From ISIS, the
32-year-old said her case was different from that of many other recruits, such
as Shamima Begum, because she chose to leave when ISIS still controlled a large
territory. “I can't sit here and say: 'No, don't bring them back', because that
makes me a hypocrite, because I've been in a very similar situation,” Shakil
said. She said her story was different from others who joined ISIS “because I
escaped.”

 

France

 

The National: Female ISIS Inmate Uses Knotted Bedsheets In Escape Attempt At
French Prison
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“A female inmate at a French prison tried to escape by tying bedsheets
together then climbing down the security wall. The woman, 31, who has served
four years on terrorism charges after travelling to Syria, was caught after
setting off motion detectors. She had dug a hole in the wall of her cell before
using her improvised rope. France’s Justice Ministry said guards had thwarted
the escape attempt from the Paris region’s second-largest prison on Sunday
morning. Guards immediately inspected all of the women’s cells at the Fresnes
Prison to ensure all other prisoners were accounted for and an investigation
was launched by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, the ministry
said. The prisoner was jailed after she travelled to Syria to join ISIS,
Broadcaster France Info reported.”

 

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