“Two Red Cross workers were killed on Wednesday when their car was attacked by
unidentified armed men in western Mali, the global humanitarian organis





 


 


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Eye on Extremism


June 3, 2022

 

Reuters: Two Red Cross Workers Killed In Attack In Western Mali
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“Two Red Cross workers were killed on Wednesday when their car was attacked by
unidentified armed men in western Mali, the global humanitarian organisation
said on Thursday. Armed men on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle in the
region of Kayes, the Malian Red Cross said in a statement. The driver, who was
Malian, and a staff member of the Netherlands Red Cross were killed, it said,
while two colleagues survived the attack. The area where the team was driving
was considered relatively safe, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement said in a separate statement, although large swathes of the West
African country are overrun by Islamist militants. “The International Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement is deeply concerned about the worsening security
situation in the Sahel region,” the statement said. “This violence, and the
specific targeting of humanitarian workers, makes it hard for Red Cross teams
to provide the needed assistance to vulnerable communities in the region.” An
Islamist insurgency that started in Mali a decade ago has since spread to
neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. Some of the groups fighting have links to
al Qaeda and Islamic State.”

 

Associated Press: UN: Taliban Faces Threat From Islamic State, New Resistance
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“Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are maintaining close ties with al-Qaida as
they consolidate control over the country, and their main military threat is
coming from the Islamic State extremist group and guerrilla-style attacks by
former Afghan government security personnel, U.N. experts said in a new report.
The experts said in the report to the U.N. Security Council that with the onset
of better weather, fighting may escalate as both Islamic State and resistance
forces undertake operations against Taliban forces. But neither IS nor al-Qaida
“is believed to be capable of mounting international attacks before 2023 at the
earliest, regardless of their intent or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain
them,” the panel of experts said. Nonetheless, it said the presence of IS,
al-Qaida, and “many other terrorist groups and fighters on Afghan soil” is
raising concerns in neighboring countries and the wider international
community. Since their takeover of Afghanistan last Aug. 15 as U.S. and NATO
forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country
after 20 years, the Taliban “have favored loyalty and seniority over
competence, and their decision-making has been opaque and inconsistent,” the
experts said.”

 

United States

 

Associated Press: Buffalo Gunman Pleads Not Guilty To Domestic Terror Charge
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“The white gunman who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket pleaded
not guilty Thursday to hate-motivated domestic terrorism and other charges. A
prosecutor called the evidence against him overwhelming. A lawyer entered the
plea for Payton Gendron, 18, in the first case to make use of New York’s
domestic terrorism hate crime law. Gendron didn’t speak during the brief
hearing with a heavy security presence. Witnesses, police and Gendron’s own
writings and livestreamed video have incriminated him as the gunman who used an
AR-style semi-automatic rifle May 14 to target shoppers and employees of a Tops
Friendly Market, and he surrendered at the crime scene after putting his rifle
to his neck. Authorities said he chose the store because of its location in a
predominantly Black neighborhood. “There is overwhelming proof of the
defendant’s guilt,” Assistant District Attorney John Fereleto said. “The
defendant was caught at the scene of the crime with the weapon in his hands.”
Gendron has been held without bail since the shooting and is due back in court
July 7. He was charged with murder shortly after the attack. On Wednesday, a
new indictment expanded the case to include the domestic terrorism charge,
along with 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder
as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and three counts of attempted
murder as a hate crime.”

 

Syria

 

Associated Press: Militant Attack On Bus Kills 3, Wounds 21 In Eastern Syria
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“Militants attacked a civilian bus in eastern Syria on Thursday, killing
three people and wounding 21, Syrian state TV reported. The TV said the bus was
attacked near a village in a desert area of the province of Deir el-Zour, which
borders Iraq. It did not say whether the bus was attacked with machinegun fire,
a missile or a roadside bomb. The report gave no further details and there was
no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Large parts of Deir
el-Zour were once controlled by the extremist Islamic State group, which in
2014 proclaimed a so-called “caliphate” in a third of both Iraq and Syria. In
the past, Syrian authorities have blamed such attacks on IS and its sleeper
cells, which have been active in eastern and central Syria, despite IS
militants losing areas they once controlled in 2019.”

 

Turkey

 

Daily Sabah: NATO Members Should Work In Harmony To Combat Terrorism, Turkey
Says
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“NATO members should work in harmony to combat terrorism, Turkey's
communications director said Thursday. Turkey wants to see concrete and
permanent steps taken to prevent activities of terrorist groups that threaten
its statehood and citizens, Fahrettin Altun said in an interview with the
Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. On the NATO bids of Finland and Sweden, he
said: “It is our most fundamental right to expect the countries that we would
pledge to assist in times of war not to support or tolerate organizations
targeting our nationals.” Turkish people no longer value words, but deeds, he
said. “For instance, we obtained a written assurance on Cyprus from Finland,
the European Union's term president at the 1999 Helsinki European Council. And
then, EU authorities stated that if Greek Cypriots did not agree to the Annan
Peace Plan (in 2004), they could not become an EU member. However, all this was
forgotten. The current situation is evident,” Altun exampled. NATO membership
is a privilege, not a right, he said, adding: “The current problem is not
because Turkey does not comprehend Finland, but rather because Finland does not
take Turkey's security concerns seriously.”

 

Pakistan

 

Associated Press: Pakistani Taliban Extend Truce With Government In Islamabad
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“The Pakistani Taliban said Thursday they have indefinitely extended a
cease-fire with the government in Islamabad, following two days of talks with a
delegation of Pakistani tribal elders that were hosted by the Afghan Taliban.
According to Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan group or TTP, the decision was made after “substantial progress” in
the talks with the 50-member team of elders. He did not elaborate and there was
no immediate confirmation from the Pakistani government about the extension of
the truce. The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with the
Afghan Taliban, who seized power in their country last August as the U.S. and
NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from Afghanistan. The TTP
has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 14 years, fighting for
stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their
members who are in government custody and a reduction of Pakistani military
presence in the country’s former tribal regions. Khurasani, the TTP spokesman,
said the talks in Kabul would continue in the coming days. There was no
statement from the Afghan Taliban, who in the past have only said they offer
neutral ground for the talks.”

 

Middle East

 

Associated Press: Israeli Troops Kill 2 Palestinians Amid West Bank Violence
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“Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank
during what the army described as violent confrontations on Thursday. They are
among four Palestinians who have been killed in the last two days at a time of
heightened Mideast tensions. The Israeli military said forces operating in the
Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem opened fire after
being pelted with rocks and makeshift bombs. The Palestinian Health Ministry
said Ayman Mheisen, 29, was killed. The health ministry later said a teenager
was shot by Israeli troops near the separation barrier west of the city of
Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered. The Wafa news
agency, run by the Palestinian Authority, identified the deceased as Auda
Sadaqa, 17. The Israeli military said three suspects hurled a firebomb at
forces operating near the barrier, who responded with live fire. No soldiers
were wounded. Late Wednesday, Israeli forces entered the village of Yabed, near
the northern West Bank city of Jenin, to destroy the family home of a slain
Palestinian attacker who had methodically gunned down five people in the
Israeli city of Bnei Brak in March. The military said Palestinians attacked the
soldiers with stones and firebombs, and that the troops exchanged gunfire with
Palestinian militants.”

 

NPR: A Look At Jewish Extremism In Israel
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“After violence by Jewish nationalists in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem on
Sunday, Israel is debating who is an extremist. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Events
over the weekend have prompted a new look in Israel at how it should handle
Jewish extremists. UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting in non-English language).
KELLY: That is from Sunday. The chant there, death to Arabs, rang out from
nationalists marching through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. They
went on to harass and assault Palestinians who live there. NPR's Daniel Estrin
witnessed this. He is in Jerusalem and joins us now to talk about whether
Israel might take new steps to control these extremists. Hey, Daniel. DANIEL
ESTRIN, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise. KELLY: I want to hear a little more. I want to
understand more what exactly you saw on Sunday. ESTRIN: I saw groups of Israeli
teens roaming the Muslim quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. They assaulted
Palestinians. They taunted them. I also saw some Palestinians curse at
Israelis, too. And that was for hours even before the flag parade began. I then
saw tens of thousands of Israelis marching through an area that's usually a
bustling gathering place for Palestinians. There were all kinds of people,
mainly fairly mainstream orthodox Jewish groups, chanting religious songs.”

 

The Jerusalem Post: Jerusalem Day Terrorist Attack Thwarted, Israel Police
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“A young Palestinian man intending on carrying out a stabbing attack in
Jerusalem ahead of Jerusalem Day was arrested this past weekend, Israel Police
revealed on Thursday. The 21-year-old attempted attacker, a resident of Nablus,
was arrested at the entrance to the Old City when he was thought to be behaving
suspiciously. He had a knife in his possession. The suspect, according to
preliminary findings from the investigation, had intended to carry out a terror
attack on the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day. A prosecutor's statement was filed
against the suspect on Thursday at the end of the police investigation and an
indictment is expected for next week. His arrest has been extended until
Monday. Jerusalem District Police claim to have thwarted three terror attacks
in the past week. On Sunday, a suspect who had been reported to the police for
intending to carry out a terror attack, was arrested by the Temple Mount. On
Monday, a 15-year-old resident of Jabal Mukaber who was known to the police was
arrested in the Damascus Gate area, near the Temple Mount. He fled into the Old
City, leading to a short police chase through the area. He had a knife in his
bag, which he had thrown into a store as he ran past it.”

 

Nigeria

 

Premium Times Nigeria: Hunters Kill Boko Haram Commander, Deputy In Borno;
Retrieve Weapons
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“A group of hunters, popular in Borno for fighting armed robbers and
kidnappers, earlier in the week shot and killed a Boko Haram commander and his
deputy during a gun duet in Shafa Taku village, in the southern part of the
state. The two commanders were known for leading a gang of the proscribed group
to perpetrate terror on rural communities in the area. From Shaffa Taku, the
Islamist militants set out every day to terrorise folks in Mandaragirau in Biu
local government, Sabon Gari in Damboa and other fringe villages in Askira-Uba
council areas. Residents said they forcefully collect taxes, loot foodstuff and
rustle livestock in these communities. They have killed many villagers as well,
PREMIUM TIMES was told. To put an end to the unbridled act of terror, the
community contacted the hunters’ group under the leadership of a man, Yohanna,
to come to their aid. The hunters reportedly stormed the Shafa Taku axis of
Sambisa Forest, where they confronted the insurgents. “Yes, we acted on
intelligence about the movement of insurgents given residents,” Mr Yohanna
said. Mr Yohanna, said he and his men moved into action upon receiving the
information about the terrorists. “I mobilised my team and stormed the spot at
Shaffa Taku, a deserted community in Damboa and luckily we sighted the
terrorists numbering more than 20, riding on motorcycles,” he said.”

 

Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram, ISWAP: Nigerian Troops Eliminate 14
Terrorists, Rescue 100 Family Members
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“The Defence Headquarters has said troops of Operation Hadin Kai, had, in the
past two weeks, eliminated 14 terrorists and arrested 15 others. The Director,
Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, said this on Thursday
while briefing journalists in Abuja. Onyeuko disclosed that the achievement
followed military operations across Nigeria’s North-East region between May 19
and June 2. He also said 100 family members of terrorists in the North-East,
comprised of 67 children and 33 women, were also rescued by the troops. He
explained that troops in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force, in May
22, dealt a deadly blow to the terrorists at Ndakaine, Jango, Sabah, Amdaga,
Balazola, and Gobara in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno. The Boko
Haram and the Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists’ hideouts
in the area were levelled and cleared during the encounter, Onyeuko informed.
He said troops also recovered a dump truck belonging to the Borno State Road
Maintenance Agency. The terrorists fled due to the troops’ superior firepower,
while troops recovered 40 sheep. “Cumulatively, troops recovered 10 AK-47
rifles, five AK-56 rifles, two FN rifles, 227 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition,
seven AK 47 magazines and one PKM gun.”

 

Africa

 

All Africa: East Africa: Terrorism Threat High On Agenda As East African
States Ready Themselves For Joint Military Drills In Uganda
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“The UPDF deputy Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig Abdul Rugumayo has
reminded East African armed forces of the threat caused by terrorism to the
people and economies. “Terrorism is making the world less safe for everyone,”
Brig Rugumayo told a combination of military, police, prisons and key civilian
components from the EAC partner states. This was during the start of a joint
military drills at the 12th East African Community armed forces field training
pre - exercise clinic at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center in
Jinja, eastern Uganda. The deputy chief of military intelligence in Uganda
noted that failure to understand each other has led to the radicalization of
some people, hence leading them to commit terrorist acts. Citing terrorist
groups like Al Qaeda, Al - Shabaab and ADF, he said all of them begin with
violence which later turns into illegal immigrants, insecurity at border points
and unemployment due to government heavy expenditure in combating them, as
opposed to investing in infrastructure projects. He noted that terror acts
create insecurity, fear and uncertainty, lead to mass displacement and loss of
property and lives, among others. Maj Gen Don Nabasa tours the camps.”

 

All Africa: Mozambique: Over 400,000 Children Displaced By Terrorism In Cabo
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“Over 400,000 children are currently displaced due to the terrorist attacks
that have been plaguing parts of the northern Mozambican province of Cabo
Delgado, since October 2017. The data were revealed on Wednesday by the
national director for children in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social
Welfare, Angélica Fulano. She was interviewed by Radio Mozambique, on the
occasion of International Children's Day. “Due to the difficult moments that
the children went through before they arrived in the regions where they are
accommodated now, there is a specific follow-up that is being carried out to
discover the psychological impact of the war on the children”, she stated,
stressing that “we know that in war zones there are negative events that mark
children for the rest of their lives.” “Right now”, she explained, “we are
carrying out permanent monitoring actions to help these families, providing
social assistance to them”. “After the humanitarian assistance that took place
when the attacks were still very intense, social welfare provision was extended
so that the affected families could have a minimum for their livelihood in
their new areas of residence”, said the director.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Anti-Extremism Prevent Strategy 'Failing To Engage Muslim
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“The government's flagship counter-extremism Prevent strategy is failing to
engage with Muslim communities, a government adviser has said. Dame Sara Khan
said a “vacuum” of information about its purpose had been left by the
government, which was then being filled by Islamists. She added the government
must address the concerns of Muslim communities. Dame Sara also said fears of
racism accusations made some local authorities uncomfortable with tackling
extremism. The controversial Prevent scheme was launched in 2007 and was
designed to stop people becoming terrorists and to reduce the terror threat to
the UK by stopping people from being drawn into terrorism. In the year to March
2020, just over 6,000 people were referred to the Prevent scheme in England and
Wales, because of concerns they were at risk of radicalisation. However, it has
long been criticised by some Muslim groups for what they see as an unfair focus
on their communities. Speaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, Dame
Sara said the government had failed to explain what the counter-terror strategy
is to Muslim communities, which “in essence... left a vacuum” about the purpose
of the scheme to be “dominated” by Islamists.”

 

NewsChain: Londoners United In Face Of Terrorism, Says Mayor On Attack’s Fifth
Anniversary
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“…Sir Ivor, from the Counter Extremism Project, and former head of
counter-terrorism in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said the attack could
be attributed “in significant part, to the failure of the intelligence
community to monitor appropriately subjects of interest”. In a statement on the
anniversary, he said: “The 2017 London Bridge attack can be attributed, in
significant part, to the failure of the intelligence community to monitor
appropriately subjects of interest. “The primary perpetrator of the attack,
Khuram Shazad Butt, was known to both the police and MI5 from as early as 2015.
At that time he was investigated, but the investigation was quickly ‘moved into
the lower echelons’ and his file was classed as ‘low priority’. “While the
monitoring of peripheral subjects like Butt can often be a tedious and
thankless task, it is also often the difference between life and death. The
Government’s subsequent official enquiry into the numerous terrorist attacks
which occurred in the UK in 2017 specifically identified this as an area of
counter terror policy in need of significant reform.” He referred to the case
of Malik Faisal Akram, originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, who carried out
an attack on a Texas synagogue in January.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Associated Press: Philippine Troops Kill Suspected Bomber, Capture Another
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“Philippine troops killed a suspected militant and captured another in a
brief gunbattle with rebels aligned with the Islamic State group who are blamed
for recent bombings in the south, military officials said Thursday. Army troops
and police clashed briefly with fighters of the Daulah Islamiyah group on
Wednesday in M’lang town in Cotabato province while searching for the people
behind recent bombings believed aimed at extorting money from bus companies and
other businesses in the south, military officials said. A suspected militant,
Monir Lintukan, was killed in the clash and another, Randy Saro, was arrested,
army battalion commander Lt. Col. Rommel Mundala said. Several others escaped.
Lintukan and Saro are among the suspects in bombings last month of a bus in
Koronadal city and a bus parking lot in Tacurong city, army officials said. One
person was injured in the Korondal explosion. “Due to our intensified
intelligence gathering, we immediately tracked down those suspects and launched
manhunt operations,” said Col. Jovencio Gonzales, a regional army infantry
brigade commander. Despite a 2014 government peace pact with the largest Muslim
separatist group and years of military offensives, pockets of armed insurgents,
some aligned with the Islamic State group, still pose a threat in the south,
the homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.”

 

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