“Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo plan to intensify a joint military
offensive against Islamic State-linked militants and degrade their abi

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


February 1, 2022

  

Bloomberg: Uganda, Congo Intensify Fight Against Islamic State-Linked Group
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“Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo plan to intensify a joint
military offensive against Islamic State-linked militants and degrade their
ability to attack civilians. The first phase of the campaign against the Allied
Democratic Forces that began with bombardments on Nov. 30 led to the capture of
several of the militants’ camps, according to a statement from the office of
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Routes have been secured in eastern Congo to
enable ground forces to pursue the militants who also operate as the Islamic
State’s self-proclaimed Central Africa Province. “We should really work
together and finish this problem,” Museveni said in the statement. “We are now
ready for phase two.” Forces from the two nations went after the militants who
claimed responsibility for bombings in Uganda, one of which left at least seven
people dead in the capital, Kampala, in November. Museveni met with Congo’s
defense officials in Kampala over the weekend. He urged the Congolese
government to create a community defense system that will try and avoid further
insurgencies, especially in areas secured by the joint forces.”

 

New York Post: United Arab Emirates Intercepts Missile Fired By Yemen’s
Iran-Backed Houthi Militants
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“The United Arab Emirates on Monday intercepted a ballistic missile fired by
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants as Israeli President Isaac Herzog was
visiting — the third attack this month. The Middle Eastern country’s state-run
media said the “attack did not result in any losses, as the remnants of the
ballistic missile fell outside the populated areas.” A US patriot missile
battery was engaged, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at Monday’s briefing,
but ground-to-air-missiles fired by UAE forces successfully hit the target. “We
of course stand with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and our gulf partners in defending
against threats to their peoples and their territories,” Kirby said. The attack
came as Herzog was visiting the capital Abu Dhabi where he discussed security
and relations with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The
Israeli president left the country later Monday. “While Israel’s president is
visiting the UAE to build bridges and promote stability across the region, the
Houthis continue to launch attacks that threaten civilians,” State Department
spokesman Ned Price said. Houthi military spokesman Yehia Sarei said that
rebels targeted “sensitive sites” in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with Zulfiqar
ballistic missiles and drones.”

 

United States

 

The xxxxxx: Both the Right and Left Have Illiberal Factions. Which Is More
Dangerous?
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“…Right illiberal sites can be identified in several ways. Many such outlets
identify themselves in their content or with their very names: Alt-Right.com,
kkk.com, third-reich-books.com, national-socialist-worldview.blogspot.com,
radioaryan.com, and even nwordrmania.com (the actual URL uses the full racial
expletive). Such self-identified sites often feature link lists and blog rolls
that indicate sites of similar orientation. The Southern Poverty Law Center,
the Anti-defamation League, and the Counter Extremism Project maintain lists of
such extremist sites. Academic and journalistic literatures also identify right
illiberal outlets, and two openly Far-Right oriented competitors to
Wikipedia—Metapedia and InfoGalactic—identify sympathetic websites.”

 

Syria

 

The New York Times: Teenage Inmates Found Among The 500 Dead In Syria Prison
Attack
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“The boy had dark brown hair coated in white dust, and on his chin were the
wispy beginnings of a beard. On Sunday, his body and that of another youth were
found lying on a dirt road behind the prison in northeastern Syria where a
Kurdish-led force, backed by the U.S. military, fought for more than a week to
put down an attempt by Islamic State militants to free former fighters held
there. The discovery of the bodies was the first confirmation that at least two
of up to 700 teenage boys, who had been detained in the prison because they
were the children of ISIS fighters, were killed in the fighting. The leader the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which ran the prison, acknowledged Monday
that “a very small number” of the boys had been killed. “Some escaped with the
adults,” the commander, known by his nom de guerre Mazlum Kobani, said in an
interview, his first since the siege began. “They were either rearrested or
were killed.” Some had been held as hostages during the prison siege, according
to the S.D.F. A fuller accounting of the ISIS prison siege, and the efforts by
the Kurdish-led militia and American forces to put it down, emerged on Monday,
a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., regained full control over
the Sinaa prison in the city of Hasaka.”

 

Washington Examiner: ISIS Prison Raid A 'Big Wake-Up Call' On Terror Group's
Capabilities
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“Islamic State fighters in Syria launched a coordinated attack on a local
prison housing thousands of ISIS militants that national security experts
warned showed the group's capabilities. The fighting, which broke out in
neighboring communities as well, lasted for multiple days while the Syrian
Democratic Forces attempted to regain control, and they had air support from
the U.S. military. National security adviser Jake Sullivan announced in a
statement on Sunday that the Syrian Democratic Forces were able to “re-take
full control of the Hasakah prison.” “Thanks to the bravery and determination
of the SDF, many of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice, ISIS failed in its
efforts to conduct a large-scale prison break to reconstitute its ranks,” he
said. “The barbarity of ISIS’s actions during this attack reaffirms why this
group must be denied the ability to regenerate and why nations must work
together to address the thousands of ISIS detainees in inadequate detention
facilities. ISIS remains a global threat that requires a global solution.” A
day later, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that “senior ISIS leaders
were captured or killed during the attempt to free detained ISIS members from
detention,” though he didn't specify any names.”

 

Iraq

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: Iraqi Army Targets ISIS Remnants
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“Iraq's outgoing Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
Mustafa Kadhimi, continues to ensure the country's security by launching a
campaign against ISIS remnants. ISIS and all armed organizations and factions
are taking advantage of the intense political rivalry between blocs and
parties. However, the Prime Minister maintained all military and security
efforts against the terrorist organization. Last week, ISIS terrorists attacked
an army brigade in the Hawi al-Azeem area, killing 11 soldiers. In response,
the Counter-Terrorism Service and the Joint Operations Command launched several
operations against the terrorist organization. Furthermore, ISIS tried to
implement several operations to create chaos in the country, especially after
the recent escape incident from al-Hasakah prison in Syria, where several
detainees entered Iraq. The developments prompted Kadhimi to visit the border
area between Iraq and Syria and address ISIS. Meanwhile, Security Media Cell
announced on Sunday that security units tracked and arrested three terrorists
in Heet, Anbar, after receiving information from the Intelligence Department of
al-Jazeera Operations Command. The judiciary wants the terrorists under the
provisions of Article 4 of terrorism.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Al Jazeera: Taliban Killed Dozens Of Former Afghan Officials: UN Report
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“More than 100 former members of the Afghan government, its security forces
and those who worked with international troops have been killed since the
Taliban took over the country in August, according to a report by the United
Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Sunday’s report
addressed to the UN Security Council that “more than two-thirds” of the victims
were allegedly killed extrajudicially by the Taliban or its affiliates.
“Despite announcements of general amnesties for former members of the
Government, security forces and those who worked with international military
forces, [the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan] UNAMA continued
to receive credible allegations of killings, enforced disappearances, and other
violations” against former government and coalition members, the report said.
The UN mission documented 44 cases of temporary arrests, beatings and threats
of intimidation, 42 of them by the Taliban. It also received “credible
allegations of extrajudicial killings of at least 50 individuals suspected of
affiliation with ISIL-KP”, the ISIL affiliate operating in Afghanistan,
according to the report. Eight civil society activists were killed, including
three by the Taliban and three by the ISIL-affiliated ISKP (ISIL-KP or ISIS-K),
and 10 were subjected to temporary arrests, beatings and threats by the
Taliban.”

 

Nigeria

 

Reuters: Gunmen Kill 11 Nigerian Security Agents, Some Villagers -State
Governor
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“Gunmen in Nigeria have killed 11 security agents and several villagers after
attacking remote villages in the north-central state of Niger, its governor
Alhaji Bello said on Monday. Gangs have been terrorising areas of northern
Nigeria in recent years, forcing thousands to flee and perpetrating mass
kidnappings for ransom. Bello said the latest incident, which he blamed on
“terrorists”, had happened on Sunday afternoon in the Shiroro local government
area. Local officials said last year that suspected Boko Haram militants were
now present in Shiroro. The Islamist group has been engaged in an insurgency in
Nigeria's northeast for more than a decade. “Terrorists, numbering over 100 are
said to have invaded the community in broad daylight, killing about 11 Joint
Security Taskforce members, several villagers and leaving many injured,” Bello
said, adding that scores of gunmen were killed during a gunfight with security
forces. Dahiur Muhammed, a resident of Galadiman Kogo village in Shiroro, told
Reuters via phone that at least 30 villagers were killed and dozens more
abducted after gunmen on motorbikes attacked three villages and set houses on
fire. Several people were fleeing to Niger state capital Minna where there is
better security, he said. Niger shares a boundary with the capital Abuja.”

 

All Africa: Nigeria: Boko Haram Releases Four Chibok Girls From Captivity
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“Armed Boko Haram terrorists suspected to be members of ISWAP group who
invaded Kautikari village of Chibok Local Government Area in Borno state have
freed four girls hitherto abducted on Friday 14th January, 2022, relevant
sources have said. Recall that during that incident, about nine residents of
Kautikari village were abducted, before they released about two old women and
some children, Unfortunately, the four young ladies were taken to Dille village
axis of nearby Askira Uba Local Government Area that shares Local border with
Sambisa forest. During that attack, a church and some residential houses
including that of a renowned business man (name withheld) were all set ablaze
before snatching a cell phone belonging to his wife. Kautikari is located East
and about 15km drive from Chibok town predominantly occupied by Christian
faithful. A son inlaw (name withheld) of the businessman who resides with his
family in Maiduguri confirmed the release of the four young girls. “I can
exclusively confirm to you that the four young girls who were in captivity of
insurgents have regained freedom today (Sunday).”

 

Africa

 

Africanews: 60 Militants Killed Ahead Of Burkina Coup - France
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“France says dozens of militants have been killed in Burkina Faso in
operations involving local and French troops. The assaults were conducted as
part of the French-led Operation Barkhane against Islamist groups in the Sahel
region of Africa - before the 23 January coup. According to the French
military, it took part in four operations alongside Burkinabè troops between 16
and 23 January. It said the objective of these assaults - using fighter jets,
attack helicopters and drones - was to locate “terrorist” groups in their zones
of refuge, along the northern border with Mali. The French authorities said up
to 60 militants were killed, while about 20 motorbikes and several armed trucks
were destroyed. As many as 2,000 people have died in jihadist attacks in
Burkina Faso since 2015, when militants linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic
State group started conducting raids from Mali. Islamist militants now move
freely across entire swaths of the country and have forced inhabitants of some
regions to conform to a strict version of Islamic law.”

 

Africanews: At Least 10 Killed In Kenya When Vehicle Runs Over Explosive
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“Six people died Monday when a minibus was destroyed by a roadside bomb during
an ambush by armed men in northeastern Kenya near the border with Somalia,
police said. The assailants opened fire on the 14-seater vehicle after it ran
over the explosive device about eight kilometres (five miles) from the town of
Mandera. “Six people were killed during an attack on a vehicle,” said national
police spokesman Bruno Shioso. “A security operation is under way to get the
attackers.” There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault. A
police report said a General Service Unit patrol team, which was on foot and
nearby, engaged the attackers, who fled towards the Somali border. The
assailants used guns and rocket-propelled grenades during the assault, it
added. The minibus, which was completely mangled in the attack, was carrying an
unknown number of passengers. Shioso told AFP seven people had survived but had
“various degrees of injuries”. The Mandera region is prone to raids over its
long and porous land border with Somalia, where the Al-Shabaab Islamist
militant group controls swathes of countryside. Other regions bordering Somalia
are also susceptible to attacks and Kenyan officials are often quick to blame
the militants for assaults on its soil.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Birmingham Terrorist Who Plotted Soldier Beheading Denied Parole
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“A terrorist who plotted to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier is to
remain in prison after the Parole Board decided he should not be released.
Parviz Khan, from Birmingham, was handed a life sentence, with a minimum of 14
years at Leicester Crown Court in February 2008 after pleading guilty to the
plan. The board said it was “not satisfied” Khan was suitable for release. His
case will next be considered again in about two years' time. Khan's trial heard
he was claiming benefits of over £20,000 a year while claiming to be a
full-time carer for his elderly mother during the time he plotted to kidnap a
serviceman and decapitate him “like a pig”. Four other men were sentenced
alongside Khan, but the trial heard he was the prime mover in the
Birmingham-based cell.  A document detailing the Parole Board's decision said
the risk factors at the time of his offending included his “acceptance of
extremist ideology”. It added he had “problems with his self-identity and had
needed the excitement and status which involvement in terrorist conspiracies
had provided. This raised concerns about his ways of thinking and the decisions
he made”. A subsequent conviction for violence in prison “suggested possible
anger management problems and difficulties in dealing with extremes of emotion.”

 

France

 

Daily Mail: French Journalist, 34, Is Given Police Guard Over Her Report On
Radical Islam In Town Where Shops Sell FACELESS DOLLS, Restaurant Has Cubicles
For Women To Eat And Muslim Who Spoke Out Was Threatened With Beheading
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“…'Kafir' has been a word used by supporters of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other
Islamic extremist groups, to refer to 'Muslim and non-Muslim adversaries'
through 'various propaganda materials', according to the Counter Extremism
Project.  Lawyer Jean Tamalet told AFP: 'He is told that he is going to be
beheaded and slaughtered. We won't let a single threat pass. 'We will file a
complaint against anyone threatening this gentleman.' Three members of the
charity association, which received the council payout of €64,640, accused by
prosecutors as being used for offering Islamic education, are to appear in
court alongside the mayor of Roubaix on Wednesday. French legislation states
that public bodies are prohibited from contributing to religious charities, a
law which is designed to uphold the secular values and views of the state.
Mayor Guillaume Delbar, 50, is facing charges of breaking this law 'by
negligence' when he gave the go-ahead for the association to receive funding,
but he says he may have been tricked. The three charity members are accused of
breach of trust - which they deny. They say the association never offered
religious lessons.”

 

Europe

 

The Guardian: Revealed: How Fake Passports Allow IS Members To Enter Europe
And US
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“A booming online industry specialising in fake passports with official visas
and travel stamps is offering people with links to Islamic State the
opportunity to leave Syria and travel onwards to the UK, EU, Canada and the US,
a Guardian investigation has found. One such network, run by an Uzbek with
extremist links living in Turkey, is now selling high-quality fake passports
for up to $15,000 (£11,132) purporting to be from various countries. In at
least 10 cases the Guardian is aware of, people who illegally crossed the
Syrian border into Turkey have used his products to depart through Istanbul
airport. Sellers claim the EU is the most popular destination but say in at
least two cases people were able to travel from Istanbul to Mexico on fake
Russian passports and, from there, illegally over the border into the US. Niger
and Mauritania are also popular destinations, as are Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The Uzbek’s business is doing so well he recently opened a new channel on the
encrypted messaging app Telegram with the official-sounding name “Istanbul
Global Consulting”. The growing trade suggests that dangerous extremists could
be slipping under the radar of security services around the world, escaping
justice for past crimes and potentially able to continue terrorist activity in
countries other than Syria.”

 

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