“A European military task force that helped Mali’s government fight Islamic
extremists has formally withdrawn from the West African country amid tensi











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Eye on Extremism


July 5, 2022



Associated Press: European Force Battling Extremists Withdraws From Mali
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“A European military task force that helped Mali’s government fight Islamic
extremists has formally withdrawn from the West African country amid tensions
with its ruling military junta. The French military, which spearheaded the
Takuba task force, announced Friday that it officially ended its work Thursday.
The move was tied to France’s decision earlier this year to withdraw troops
from Mali after nine years helping Malian forces fight violent extremists who
had threatened to seize power. The European departure comes after at least 132
people were killed in several villages in central Mali in recent weeks in
attacks blamed on jihadi rebels linked to al-Qaida, and after a contractor for
the U.N. peacekeeping force in Mali was killed Thursday. It also comes as
Mali’s junta has grown closer to Russia, as Moscow has looked to build
alliances and gain sway in Africa. The European Takuba force was composed of
several hundred special forces troops from 10 countries: Belgium, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and
Sweden. It aimed at training and protecting Malian combat forces.”



Politico: Belgium Paves Way To Send Convicted Terrorist To Iran
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“Belgium’s parliament on Tuesday will debate whether to ratify a proposed
treaty with Iran that could allow an Iranian convicted of terrorism in Belgium
to be sent back to Tehran. Iran has loudly demanded that Belgium release
Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was convicted on terrorism charges
and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a bomb plot targeting a
rally by opponents of the Iranian regime in France. The Belgian government has
refused to explain the immediate need for the treaty, although Belgian media
reported Monday night that Iran has been holding a Belgian national in jail
since February, potentially as leverage. The treaty could also pave the way for
a future political deal on Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death by an
Iranian court in 2017 on charges of spying for Israel. Djalali, a former
researcher at the medical university Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and a
guest lecturer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), denies the charges.
Belgium and Sweden have lobbied for his release for years. However, he would
not immediately be covered by the treaty, as he doesn’t have Belgian
nationality.”



United States



Fox News: Texas Man Arrested After Making 'Terrorist Threat' Toward Supreme
Court
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“A man in Texas was arrested after he allegedly made a “terrorist threat”
toward the Supreme Court following the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Mikeal
Archambault, 20, was arrested on June 25 by The Colony Police Department in
Texas after allegedly making a “terrorist threat” toward the Supreme Court
online on Twitter. A spokesperson for the police department told Fox News
Digital that they were contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations
following the threat that Archambault allegedly made on Twitter. After an
investigation by the department's criminal investigative division, police
obtained “probable cause for an arrest warrant.” Archambault was then arrested
at his residence in The Colony, Texas, according to the spokesperson. “TCPD was
contacted by the FBI regarding on-line Twitter threats toward the Supreme
Court. In conjunction with the FBI, TCPD Criminal Investigative Division
conducted an investigation and obtained probable cause for an arrest warrant.
The suspect was arrested at his residence,” the spokesperson said. He was
charged with making a terroristic threat and booked into the Denton County Jail
on June 25 and was released on June 26 on a $25,000 surety bond.”



San Antonio Express-News: ISIS Supporters Who Distributed Instructions For
Making Bombs Sentenced To About Two Decades In Federal Prison
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“Two men have been sentenced to about two decades in federal prison for their
involvement with the terrorist organization ISIS, the U.S. Department of
Justice said in a news release. Kristopher Sean Matthews, 36, of South
Carolina, and Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 24, of Cost, in Gonzales County, both
pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria, better known as ISIS. Molina also
pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. Matthews, aka Ali
Jibreel, received a 20-year prison term while Molina, also known as Abdur
Rahim, will serve 18 years. Molina also received an 18-year sentence on the
child pornography charge. The sentences will be served concurrently, the
Justice Department said. “This sentencing serves as a reminder that terrorist
organizations such as ISIS and their affiliates remain a threat to the United
States in the homeland and abroad,” San Antonio FBI Special Agent in Charge
Oliver E. Rich Jr. said in the release. “Addressing this threat continues to be
the highest priority of the FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners.”
Court documents state that Matthews and Molina provided a range of services to
ISIS starting in May 2019, according to the news release. “



Syria



Al Monitor: Syrian Forces Crack Down On Islamic State In Syrian Desert
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“The Syrian desert known as the Badia region has been recently witnessing
violent battles between the Syrian government forces and Islamic State (IS)
militants, while Russian warplanes are raiding the group’s hideouts and
military vehicles in the main clash area of Jebel Bishri, which extends over
large areas south of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces in the east of the
country. Jebel Bishri in the Badia region is the same area where the government
forces lost dozens of their members in separate attacks carried out by IS
fighters during the past few weeks. On June 21, IS attacked the government's
military barracks in Jebel Bishri, south of Raqqa province, killing and
wounding several soldiers. A day early, on June 20, the group launched one of
the deadliest attacks against government forces in the area. Syria’s state news
agency SANA quoted a military source as saying, “At around 6:30 this morning, a
civilian passenger bus was subjected to a terrorist attack on the Raqqa-Homs
road in al-Jira area, which led to the death of 11 soldiers and two civilians,
while three soldiers were injured.” IS claimed responsibility for the attack on
the same day. IS’ Amaq news agency said that IS fighters ambushed a bus
carrying Syrian government soldiers, targeting it with heavy fire using light
and medium machine guns, killing 13 soldiers and wounding others.”



WTOP News: The Hunt: Explaining A US Terror Strike In Syria
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“A drone strike by the U.S.-led coalition in northwestern Syria killed a
senior member of an al-Qaida-linked group. His name was Abu Hamza al-Yemeni. On
this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J.
Green,” Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism
Project, explains who he was.”



Afghanistan



CNN: Taliban Labels Islamic State Affiliate A 'False Sect'
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“The Taliban has declared the Islamic State affiliate ISIS-K a corrupt “sect”
and forbidden Afghans from contact with it. “We call out to the nation that the
seditious phenomenon called ISIS-K is void of today's age and a false sect that
spreads corruption in our Islamic country. It is forbidden to have any kind of
help or relationship with them,” the Taliban said in a resolution on Saturday.
The resolution follows a three-day conference of religious leaders and elders
in Kabul, according to Afghanistan's state-run news agency, Bakthar. ISIS-K
(the k stands for Khorasan, the name of a historical region that covered parts
of modern Afghanistan and Pakisan) has been operating in Afghanistan for the
last few years. It is a branch of ISIS -- the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
-- according to the Wilson Center, a non-partisan policy forum. It has carried
out numerous attacks on Afghan civilians and is thought to be responsible for
thousands of deaths since its 2015 formation. The Taliban's resolution said
that Afghanistan follows an Islamic system of rule and that “armed opposition
to this system is considered rebellion and corruption.”It added that “any kind
of opposition to this Islamic ruling system, which is in conflict with Islamic
Sharia and national interests, is corruption and illegal action.”



CNN: Taliban Supreme Leader Warns Foreigners Not To Interfere In Afghanistan
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“The Taliban's supreme leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada has once again
warned foreigners not to interfere in Afghanistan during a rare speech at a
gathering of Islamic clerics in Kabul on Friday, according to state media. The
reclusive leader told the conference that Afghanistan “cannot develop without
being independent,” according to state-run Bakhtar News Agency. “Thank God, we
are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their orders,
it is our system, and we have our own decisions,” Akhundzada added In the
speech, Akhundzada praised the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan last August,
almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by US troops, saying: “The
success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans but also
for Muslims all over the world.” The speed of the takeover, just weeks after
the starts of the withdrawal of US troops, took the world by surprise and led
to the dissolution of the foreign-backed government of Ashraf Ghani, who had
fled the country. Akhundzada made the comments in an audio recording during a
three-day religious gathering of 3,000 attendees -- all of whom were male,
according to state media. The meeting was not open to the media, but CNN
listened to the recording of Akhundzada's speech.”



Voice Of America: US, Taliban Agree To Continue Talks
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“The United States and Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban concluded a two-day
meeting in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, the first in-person talks between the two
sides in more than three months. Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas
West and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi led their respective
delegations at the negotiating table. The U.S. halted the dialogue in March
when the hard-line Islamist group abruptly decided against allowing all teenage
Afghan girls to resume secondary school education. Muttaqi’s spokesman, Abdul
Qahar Balkhi, wrote on Twitter after the Doha meeting that West was accompanied
by senior U.S. Treasury Department and White House representatives. The U.S.
side discussed, among other issues, the status of frozen Afghan reserves with
the Taliban team, which included Finance Ministry and officials from the
central bank of Afghanistan. “FM Muttaqi expressed gratitude to the U.S. for
announcing $55 million in humanitarian aid to earthquake victims, reiterating
release of Afghan assets & lifting of sanctions,” Balkhi’s tweet said. Balkhi
said the foreign minister stressed that engagement with his government “should
be cooperative and positive instead of pressure tactics to achieve progress.”



Lebanon



Al Arabiya: Over 30 Governments Gather To Discuss Hezbollah’s ‘Ongoing Global
Terrorist’ Plots
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“A group of over 30 governments met this week to discuss the global terrorist
threat posed by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, the State Department said on
Friday. “Participants discussed Hezbollah’s ongoing global terrorist plotting,
weapons procurement, and financial schemes, and outlined how Hezbollah may
adapt in the future to evade law enforcement detection,” according to a
statement. The Law Enforcement Coordination Group (LECG) also looked at ways to
disrupt “Hezbollah terrorist and criminal activities, and associated networks.”
“LECG participants noted that these actions demonstrate the growing recognition
among our partners about the need to cooperate on our efforts to counter
Hezbollah’s global terrorist networks,” the statement read. This was the
group’s ninth meeting, which gathered countries from the Middle East, South
America, Central America, Africa, Indo-Pacific and North America. Europol was
also present at the meeting in Europe, but the State Department did not specify
where it was held. Several countries have designated Hezbollah as a terror
group in recent years, following Washington’s lead. Others have banned or
limited Hezbollah’s activities in their respective countries, including
participating in pro-Hezbollah parades.”



Middle East



The National: NATO Says Its Fight Against Terrorism In Middle East Is
Intensifying
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“The threat of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for Nato as it
increases its ties with Arab states, a senior alliance official told The
National on Thursday. The western alliance has been developing its “building
defence capacity” programmes over the years with countries such as Jordan,
Tunisia and more recently Mauritania. The programmes underpin Nato’s
partnerships, he said. This week, Nato member states met in Madrid to discuss a
new strategy for countering international threats, and to adapt an evolving
security response. In Jordan, the alliance has been assisting the government in
its fight against terrorism since 2014. The latest updates to the region's
defence capabilities demonstrate “Nato’s commitment to Jordan and to the
region, and that the fight against terrorism is growing and becoming more
intense and in-depth,” the official said. “The most recent update of Jordan’s
package emphasises special operations forces, border security and other key
counterterrorism capabilities,” said the official. “It’s one of a good set of
success stories,” he said. In terms of capacity building, Nato has been
assisting Jordan's National Centre for Security Crisis to “achieve full
operational capacity. For example, it helped co-ordinate the country's Covid-19
pandemic response,” said the official.”



Nigeria



Reuters: At Least 30 Nigerian Soldiers Killed In Ambush After Mine Attack
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“At least 30 Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ambush after gunmen attacked
a mine in the Shiroro area of Niger state earlier this week, three sources said
on Saturday. The troops were among security forces deployed to search for mine
workers, including four Chinese nationals, said to have been kidnapped during
the attack on Wednesday. Emmanuel Umar, the commissioner for state security in
northwestern Niger, initially said an unknown number of people had been killed
during the mine attack in Ajata Aboki village. When the security forces
responded to the attack, the gunmen ambushed them and opened fire, killing 30
soldiers travelling in three trucks, two army sources in Shiroro and Minna, the
Niger state capital, said on Saturday. “It's heartbreaking to lose our men who
went for reinforcements. It weakened us but we shall not relent,” said the
soldier from an army base in Shiroro, who cannot be named because he is not
authorised to speak to the press. The Nigerian army, which rarely comments on
losses in battle, acknowledged that “a number of personnel paid the supreme
price in fierce firefight that ensued”. A local leader in Shiroro told Reuters
by phone that the gunmen had arrived on motorbikes and a truck at the mine
before opening fire, killing seven policemen on guard.”



Sahara Reporters: 21 Terrorists Killed As Boko Haram, ISWAP Fighters Clash
Again In Borno
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“About 21 insurgents have been reportedly killed when Boko Haram fighters
clashed with members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP)
faction of the terrorists. A counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama,
disclosed this in a series of tweet on Friday. The rival groups have been
attacking communities in the North-East region since both camps fell apart over
leadership issues. The groups have also since been having clashes, and Abubakar
Shekau, leader of Boko Haram, was reportedly killed during one of such clashes
in 2021. According to Makama, ISWAP terrorists on five guntrucks and
motorcycles attacked Boko Haram acclaimed Caliphate in Gazuwa village on
Thursday, June 30. The caliphate formerly known as Gabchari, Mantari and Mallum
Masari, is located about nine kilometres from Bama Local Government Area of the
State. The counter-insurgency expert added that the attack triggered a fierce
gunbattle between the terror groups, which lasted for about three hours.
According to him, the Boko Haram faction later overpowered ISWAP, and killed 18
of them and recovered three of their trucks, while other terrorists on two
trucks and motorcycles took to their heels Three Boko Haram terrorists were
also killed while many others were injured in the coordinated attack, Makama
added.”



Africa



Reuters: Armed Men Kill At Least 22 In North Burkina Faso Attack
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“Armed assailants killed at least 22 civilians in northwest Burkina Faso on
Monday, a local official said, the latest deadly attack in an area marred by
militant activity. The attackers raided a rural commune in the province of
Kossi, around 55 kilometres from the border with Mali, in the hours between
late Sunday night and early Monday morning, regional governor Babo Pierre
Bassinga said in a statement. “The provisional death toll of this terrorist
attack is 22 dead, several wounded and material damage,” it said. Military
forces have been deployed to the scene and measures are in place host those who
fled to nearby cities, the statement added. Burkina Faso has been battling
Islamist militants active in northern regions, some with links to al Qaeda and
Islamic State, since 2015. The fighting has displaced more than 1.85 million in
the West African country alone and killed thousands across the Sahel, where
militant activity that took root in Mali has spread over the past decade. Army
officers angry about the escalating attacks overthrew Burkina Faso's president
in January and vowed to improve security, but levels of violence have remained
high. Armed men killed at least 100 civilians in another rural district in
northern Burkina Faso last month, the deadliest attack the country has seen in
at least a year.”



All Africa: Kenya: 10 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed By Kenyan Forces In Boni
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“Kenyan military forces said they had killed 10 suspected Al-Shabaab
militants following a security operation in Sarira and Kolbio areas in the vast
Lamu's Boni Forest. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) said in a statement Friday
that other suspected Shabaab terrorists escaped with injuries during the
operation conducted near the Lamu-Somalia border. According to the KDF, the
Al-Qaeda-linked militant group are suspected to be part of the Jeysh Ayman team
led by Maalim Ayman who had allegedly planned to carry out attacks within the
Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor. “During the
operation, ten newly graduated Al Shabaab terrorists were killed as others
escaped with multiple injuries,” it said in a statement. One Rocket Propelled
Grenade launcher (RPG), several assault weapons, assorted ammunition as well as
personal effects were recovered during the operation. The KDF said that its
troops have been actively engaged in a number of operations along the border
areas to prevent further attacks from the Somalia-based militant group. “KDF
troops continue with operations along the Kenya-Somalia border, along with
other security agencies and support from local residents, to pacify the area in
a bid to get rid of Al Shabaab terrorists,” they said.”



United Kingdom



The National: Alleged ISIS Beatle Faces Deportation To Britain As Turkey Jail
Term Ends
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“A terrorist alleged to be one of the ISIS Beatles execution squad is facing
deportation from Turkey to Britain now that he has served his jail term. UK
officials are being questioned as to why Aine Davis, from west London, has not
been stripped of his citizenship, a move which would have blocked his
deportation. Davis, 38, was jailed for seven years in Turkey in 2015. He had
been discovered hiding out in a villa near Istanbul after being smuggled out of
Syria by ISIS and was convicted of being a senior member of the terrorist
group. He is believed to be the fourth member of the brutal squad known as the
ISIS Beatles due to their English accents, along with ringleader Mohammed
Emwazi, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey. Emwazi was killed in a drone
strike and this year Elsheikh and Kotey were convicted in the US of executing
hostages. The group was responsible for the killings of a number of western
hostages, including Alan Henning and David Haines from Britain, and four
Americans, journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla
Mueller and Peter Kassig. Davis has admitted attending the same London mosque
as Emwazi and of knowing him but denies seeing him in Syria or being part of
the group.”



The Independent: 19-Year-Old Man Charged With Terrorism And Explosives
Offences After Arrest In Cheshire
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“A teenager has been charged with possession of explosives and terrorism
offences, following his arrest in northwest England. Vaughn Conrad John
Dolphin, from Aldridge in Walsall, was arrested on the night of 27 June at an
address in Cheshire on suspicion of terror offences, West Midlands Police said.
Police listed a total of 10 charges levelled against him on Monday, including
eight counts under the Terrorism Act and two under the Explosive Substances
Act. The 19-year-old will appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates Court on
Tuesday to face the charges, the force said. He is accused of being in
possession of explosive substances, and faces six counts of possessing
documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of
terrorism, police said. He also faces two counts of sharing material online
which could encourage acts of terrorism. In February, the UK’s security
services lowered their assessment of the threat posed by terrorism to
“substantial” from “severe”, meaning a future attack is judged to be likely but
not highly likely. In its statement on Monday evening, West Midlands Police
said: “Our Counter Terrorism Unit has charged a teenager with possessing
explosive material and manuals on how to make improvised explosives and
firearms.”



Canada



CBC: Do More To Counter Violent Extremism In Canada, MPs Recommend
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“The federal government has to do more to counter the threat of ideologically
motivated violent extremism in Canada, including strengthening terrorist
financing laws to counter it, the House of Commons public safety committee has
recommended. In a report tabled before the House of Commons rose for the
summer, the committee also recommended the federal government work with
provinces to prevent what it described as a rising threat in Canada and to take
steps to hold online companies more accountable for extremist or hateful
content circulating on their platforms. However, the committee also
acknowledged that there are issues surrounding any move to limit free speech.
“Each member of this committee is sensitive to the charter issues that are
implicated in responding to the threat of [ideologically motivated violent
extremism], IMVE,” the committee wrote. “Any limitations on freedom of
expression must be reasonable and justified in a free and democratic society.”
The committee report comes after Canada saw a number of ideologically motivated
violent extremist attacks in recent years — a phenomenon that experts told the
committee was on the rise and fuelled by pandemic lockdowns that prompted
people to spend more time online.”



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