“France announced on Wednesday that soldiers from its operation battling
Islamist militants in the Sahel region of West Africa had captured Oumeya Oul











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Eye on Extremism


June 15, 2022



Reuters: France Announces Capture Of Senior Islamic State Figure In Mali
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“France announced on Wednesday that soldiers from its operation battling
Islamist militants in the Sahel region of West Africa had captured Oumeya Ould
Albakaye, a senior Islamic State figure in Mali. The French Armed Forces
ministry said Albakaye was captured by Operation Barkhane forces between the
night of June 11 and the early hours of June 12 close to the border between
Mali and Niger. Souring relations between France and the military junta in its
former colony of Mali have led France to withdraw troops that were deployed in
2013 to push back militants linked to al Qaeda, and later to Islamic State.
Mali has been hit by violence since 2012 when jihadists took over the north.
France beat them back, but by 2015 they had regrouped and unleashed a wave of
attacks in the centre. They have since spread into Niger and Burkina Faso,
raising concerns about regional instability.”



Reuters: Saudi Arabia And Yemen's Houthis Resume Direct Talks, Sources Say
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“Warring parties Saudi Arabia and the Yemen's Houthi movement have resumed
direct talks to discuss security along the kingdom's border and future
relations under any peace deal with Yemen, two sources familiar with the matter
said on Tuesday. The so far sporadic negotiations between the two sides resumed
last month before the scheduled renewal of a U.N.-brokered truce which was
extended by another two months on June 2. The resumption in talks is a positive
sign for efforts by the United Nations and United States to find a political
settlement to the conflict which has killed tens of thousands of people and
pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The virtual talks between senior Saudi and
Houthi officials were facilitated by Oman, both sources said, with one adding
that there were also plans for a face-to-face meeting in Muscat if there is
enough progress.”



United States



The Hill: What We Know About Patriot Front
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“…Alex Fields, who killed a counterprotester after driving his car into the
crowd and was later sentenced to life in prison, was seen wearing a Vanguard
America uniform during the rally, according to the Counter Extremism Project.
Vanguard America denied he was a member of the group. Thomas Ryan Rousseau, the
leader of Vanguard America’s Texas chapter, founded Patriot Front after
internal disagreements with the older organization. According to a Discord post
reviewed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rousseau announced he was forming
Patriot Front because of Vanguard America’s “unwillingness to meet any
semblance of a compromise” but said he would focus on similar goals under a new
brand and name that represents “original American patriots.” “The word patriot
itself comes from the same root as paternal and patriarch. It means loyalty to
something intrinsically based in blood,” he wrote. Traditional garb for members
includes a dark blue shirt, a white bandana stretched over the face and a brown
baseball cap, making them easily identifiable. Patriot Front’s insignia is the
fasces, a bundle of sticks with an axe inserted inside (with the head poking
out) encircled by 13 stars, similar to those on the American flag. The fasces
symbol dates back to the Roman Empire, which used the imagery to represent
authority and power.”



Syria



AFP: Syrians Returning From Al-Hol Camp Stigmatised Over IS Ties
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“Noura al-Khalif married an Islamic State group supporter and then wound up
without her husband in a Syrian camp viewed by many as the last surviving
pocket of the “caliphate”. The 31-year-old woman has been back in her hometown
outside the northern city of Raqa for three years but she is struggling to
shake off the stigma of having lived in the Al-Hol camp. “Most of my neighbours
call me an IS supporter,” she told AFP from her father's house near Raqa, where
she now lives with her two children. “I just want to forget but people insist
on dragging me back, and ever since I left Al-Hol I haven't felt either
financial or emotional comfort.” Al-Hol, in the Kurdish-controlled northeast,
still houses about 56,000 people, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, some of whom
maintain links with IS. About 10,000 are foreigners, including relatives of IS
fighters, and observers are increasingly worried what was meant as a temporary
detention facility is turning into a jihadist breeding ground. Most of Al-Hol's
residents are people who fled or surrendered during the dying days of IS's
self-proclaimed “caliphate” in early 2019. For staying, whether by choice or
not, until the very end, they are seen as fanatical IS supporters, although the
camp's population also includes civilians displaced by battles against the
jihadists.”



Iraq



Kurdistan 24: Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service Continues Anti-ISIS Operations
In Coordination With Kurdish Asayish
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“Iraq's Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) arrested four ISIS members in
coordination with the Kurdistan Region's Asayish in Sulaimani province on June
8. In a tweet on Monday, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (SOJTF)
said that these joint operations “demonstrate Iraqi security forces are
stronger together ensuring the lasting defeat of Daesh (ISIS).” The Iraqi
Counter Terrorism Service frequently cooperates with Kurdish Asayish forces
(also known as Internal Security Forces) in the Kurdistan Region against ISIS.
“The coordination between the CTS and KRG CT (Counter Terrorism) entities is by
far the most detailed of all Iraqi Federal coordination with KRG,” retired US
Army Special Forces Colonel and Middle East Foreign Area Officer David M. Witty
told Kurdistan 24 on Monday. “It has been occurring for years, and there
appears to be a level of trust that is missing in other Baghdad-Erbil security
efforts.” On June 6, the Iraqi CTS arrested six ISIS leaders in coordination
with the Kurdistan Region's Directorate of Counter-Terrorism. Also, on Apr. 12,
the Iraqi CTS arrested two suspected ISIS members in a similar joint operation.
Moreover, on Feb. 15, the Iraqi CTS announced the arrest of five suspected ISIS
members following a coordinated operation with the Asayish in the Kurdistan
Region capital Erbil.”



Afghanistan



Foreign Policy: Afghanistan’s Warlords Prepare Their Comeback
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“Exiled warlords, power brokers, and ethnic leaders who fled Afghanistan last
year ahead of the Taliban’s victory are threatening civil war unless the
Islamists start negotiating to let them return home and reclaim their power and
authority as an alternative to the nihilistic rule of the terrorists currently
in charge. The band that broke Afghanistan in the early 1990s and hobbled it
for years after is, in other words, getting back together. Unlike their first
time around in power—right after the Soviet pullout in 1989—this time the
warlords might even seem appealing, so awful is the Taliban regime that took
over in August of last year. The back-to-the-future moment for the old guard
came in May when 40 of the like-minded converged in the Turkish capital,
Ankara, to meet with Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum and his hangers-on.
Dostum, like some of his fellow warlords, used the wealth accumulated during
the 20 years of the U.S.-backed Afghan republic to build his own patronage
network, the coin of the realm in Afghanistan’s political landscape. At the
time, Dostum and men like him supported the reconstruction effort funded by the
United States and allies and encouraged education for women, including the
dispatch of thousands of Afghan students abroad to stud.”



India



Reuters: Indian Forces In Kashmir Kill Militant Suspected Of Targetted Killing
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“Indian forces in Kashmir killed two militants on Wednesday, one them
suspected of gunning down a bank manager this month, police said, part of a
stepped-up counter-insurgency effort that has triggered an exodus from the
Muslim-majority region. India has been fighting an Islamist separatist
insurgency in Kashmir since the late 1980s. Muslim Pakistan also claims the
region over which the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three
wars. "Indian troops killed two militants this morning in a gun battle, one of
them, Jan Mohammad Lone, was involved in the killing of a bank manager," said
Vijay Kumar, the police chief of Kashmir. Militants entered a branch of the
Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kulgam town this month and killed the manager, who came
from the desert state of Rajasthan, and had only been posted to the branch four
days earlier. A little-known militant group called the Kashmir Freedom Fighters
claimed responsibility for the attack, warning outsiders not to settle in the
Kashmir Valley.”



Yemen



Arab News: Houthis Break Truce With New Attacks On Taiz City
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“The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen have launched coordinated attacks on
the besieged city of Taiz, threatening to undermine a fragile UN-brokered
truce. The Houthis bombarded government troops with artillery fire, heavy
weapons and explosive drones on the northwestern, northeastern and northern
sides of the city before launching three simultaneous ground attacks in a bid
to seize control of new areas. “The Houthi attacks sparked heavy clashes with
the national army troops that ended early on Tuesday,” Col. Abdul Basit
Al-Baher told Arab News. Under the terms of the truce, the Houthis and the
Yemeni government committed to joint work on opening roads in Taiz and other
provinces. However, the Houthis continue to resist local and international
calls to end their siege of Taiz as part of the truce, which came into effect
at the beginning of April. Al-Baher said the militia had recently deployed at
least 200 new fighters, tanks and artillery pieces in Taiz, apparently
preparing to launch more attacks to capture the city center from government
forces. “The truce is only from our side,” he said. “The Houthis have not
respected it and are preparing for a long and fiercer battle in Taiz.” Two
rounds of talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis in Amman on
opening roads in Taiz collapsed as the Houthis insisted on opening only small
and unpaved roads.”



Libya



The Libya Observer: “Conflict In Libya Has Intensified Cycles Of Violence And
Terrorism”, Guterres Says
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“The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said during the
eighth meeting of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination
Compact that the terrorism threat in Africa is in fact increasing, although the
overall number of deaths from terrorism has declined. Guterres stressed that
the international community cannot effectively address terrorism without
tackling the conditions conducive to its spread, such as weak institutions,
inequalities, poverty, hunger and injustice. “In conflict-affected countries
like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya and Somalia, terrorism has
intensified cycles of violence, fuelling further instability, undermining peace
efforts, and setting back development goals”, Guterres added. He also stressed
that “this Compact continuing to support Member States in their counter-terror
efforts from technical assistance and capacity-building, to helping build
institutions that are people-centred, and grounded in human rights and the rule
of law.”



Nigeria



Premium Times Nigeria: Boko Haram Abducts Two Women In Konduga LG – Borno
Police Chief
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“The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, says Boko Haram
insurgents abducted two women in Mairari village in Konduga Local Government
Area. Mr Umar made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in Maiduguri. He said the incident occurred on June 7. “At about 7.30,
one Ari Mustapha of Mairari village in Konduga, reported that some gun men
suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents invaded his home and kidnapped his two
daughters. “He said they were aged 26 and 30. “He also said that the insurgents
stole two bulls and other belongings before fleeing away,” the commissioner
said. The commissioner of police said that on receiving the information, a
crack-team was deployed on a a search and rescue around the environment but to
no avail. Mr Umar said that the command would intensify the search until the
victims are rescued and reunited with their families. The commissioner urged
the people to report any suspicious activities to the nearest security outfit
around them.”



Africa



Reuters: Soldiers In Burkina Faso Recover 79 Bodies So Far After Weekend Attack

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“Soldiers in Burkina Faso have recovered 79 bodies so far after an attack in
the northern Seno province over the weekend, the government said on Tuesday, as
new details of the assault emerged. At least 100 people were killed, and
possibly as many as 165, in the attack, security and local sources have told
Reuters. It was the deadliest attack in at least a year in the West African
country, which is battling an insurgency by groups linked to al Qaeda and
Islamic State. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Unidentified
assailants first attacked a military police post in Seytenga, a department of
Seno province, on Thursday evening, killing 11 gendarmes, the army said on
Friday. It said that gendarmes fought back but were outnumbered. Three security
sources told Reuters on Tuesday that the military police then withdrew to the
regional capital, Dori, to regroup, leaving no one at the security post when
armed men returned two days later and slaughtered dozens of civilians. Burkina
Faso's army spokesman referred questions to the minister of security, who could
not immediately be reached for comment. The government said that the search for
bodies was continuing house by house. The search was slow because soldiers
suspect the attackers left improvised explosive devices behind, it said.”



AFP: Eight Gendarmes Killed In Niger Attack
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“Armed fighters killed eight gendarmes and injured 33 in a “terrorist” attack
near Niger's border with Burkina Faso, the Nigerien government said on Tuesday.
A defence ministry statement said “armed terrorists” riding motorcycles and
other vehicles attacked the gendarmes in Waraou in southwestern Niger at around
05:30 am (0430 GMT) on Tuesday while they were carrying out a security mission
in nearby villages. Around 50 “terrorists” had been killed, the ministry said,
while six of the wounded gendarmes were in a serious condition. The statement
said the gendarmes' swift reaction and support from national and international
ground and air forces “routed the enemy”. The Nigerien army lost five cars and
a lorry in the attack, the ministry added, with search operations in the area
ongoing. Waraou is located in the restive Tillaberi region, which is part of
the so-called “three borders” zone including neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso
that has become a centre of jihadist attacks including groups affiliated with
the Islamic State group. Waraou was the scene of another incident in February
2021, when seven members of Niger's national electoral commission died after
their vehicle struck a mine. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum has tried to
change the government's approach in recent months by initiating dialogue with
the jihadists.”



France



RFI: Defence Lawyers Launch Last, Crucial Phase Of November 2015 Terror Trial
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“After ten days of heart-rending reminders of horror from the legal teams
representing the victims, followed by last week's demands for punishment from
the prosecution, on Monday the Paris attacks trial moved into a different
emotional realm with the first of the closing statements from those defending
the 14 accused. The change in atmosphere could not have been more striking.
Since the start of June, we've heard the stories of the survivors,
professionally retold by their lawyers. We have been chilled by the mastery of
the prosecution, with their unflinching insistence on legally established
facts. This time it's personal. Maître Judith Lévy is one of the two lawyers
defending Ali Oulkadi. Oulkadi faces twenty years in jail for having given
Salah Abdeslam a lift when the failed terrorist returned to Brussels the day
after the Paris attacks. Last Friday, the prosecution called for him to serve
five years. Maître Lévy explained that she had originally refused to take any
part in this case. “Not for the victims, not for the defence. The answer was
'No!'“ Then, completely by chance, she found herself sitting in a prison
meeting room, “a cupboard with a Velux,” when four prison officers brought in a
broken man, handcuffed and hobbled, trembling like a beaten dog.”



Australia



Daily Mail: Australian Police Are So Focused On Islamic Terrorist Threats They
Are Failing To Monitor Growing Risks From Far-Right Extremism, Inquiry Hears
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“A 'myopic' focus on Islamist extremism in Australia since the September 11
attacks has come at the expense of monitoring the far-right groups, a
parliamentary inquiry has been told. Liberty Victoria President Michael Stanton
has acknowledged the recent emergence of far-right extremism in the state,
citing neo-Nazis gathering in the Grampians and gallows erected outside state
parliament as pandemic legislation was debated last year. He told an inquiry on
Tuesday that far-right extremism is real but argued Victorian politicians need
to be careful not to blindly expand executive powers, surveillance and
censorship to combat its influence. 'We need to make sure that in responding to
those confronting scenes in the Grampians - whether it be Nazi salutes or
display of the swastika - or the erection of gallows outside parliament, that
we do not have a legislative response that throws the baby out with the
bathwater,' Mr Stanton said. 'Sometimes that involves tolerating speech that we
find offensive or humiliating.' The barrister said Australian law enforcement
agencies' focus has been drawn away from neo-Nazis and other far-right
movements over the past 20 years by Islamist extremism. Both must be addressed,
Mr Stanton said, but Victoria's parliament should not cast the net too wide
with any reforms.”



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