Eye on Extremism
July 14, 2022
Associated Press: Hezbollah Threatens Israel With Escalation In Border Spat
“The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group threatened Israel with military escalation Wednesday if a future deal over the disputed maritime border between the two countries is not in Lebanon’s favor. Sayyed Hassan Narallah said in a televised speech that Lebanon should be able to extract oil and gas in Lebanese waters. He warned that sending unarmed drones over the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was “a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading.” On July 2, the Israeli military said it shot down three drones before Hezbollah issued a statement saying they were unarmed and were sent on a reconnaissance mission. “The mission was accomplished and the message was received,” a Hezbollah statement said at the time. Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong war in the summer of 2006. Israel considers the Iranian-backed Lebanese group its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. “The message of the drones meant that we are serious and we are not after a psychological war but we are gradually moving in our steps,” Nasrallah said, adding that Lebanese officials should take advantage of his group’s strength to use it in indirect talks. Nasrallah added that “whatever we are supposed to do, we will without any hesitation. This message was understood by the Israelis and by the Americans.”
Reuters: Ahead Of Mali Withdraw, France Prepares Future Sahel Strategy
“French officials head to Niger on Friday to redefine the country's strategy to fight Islamist militants in the Sahel as thousands of troops complete a withdrawal from Mali and concerns mount over the growing threat to coastal West African states. Coups in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso have weakened France's alliances in its former colonies, emboldened jihadists who control large swathes of desert and scrubland, and opened the door to greater Russian influence. Concerns have grown that the exit of 2,400 French troops from Mali - the epicentre of violence in the Sahel region and strongholds of both al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates - is worsening violence, destabilising neighbours and spurring migration. With the withdrawal expected to be completed by the end of the summer, France's new Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrive in Niger on Friday to seal a regional redeployment.”
Syria
Fox News: State Dept Official: ISIS 'Resurgence' More Likely If American, Other Foreign Fighters Stay Detained In Syria
“A State Department official warned that the large number of non-Syrian fighters currently detained in Northeast Syria would pose less of a risk to global security if they went back to their home countries – including the U.S. – than if they stayed there. Speaking to the Middle East Institute on Wednesday, acting State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Timothy Betts said there are roughly 4,000 to 5,000 non-Syrian fighters detained in the region, with tens of thousands of their family members in displaced persons camps. “These staggering numbers point to a serious and ongoing security and humanitarian threat for the region and the broader global community,” Betts said. Betts acknowledged that this is a “difficult” situation that cannot be solved easily, but he suggested that sending these people to their home countries is the best option. “We believe the only durable solution to the challenge we face in Northeast Syria is for each country to take back its nationals from detention facilities and displaced persons camps,” he said, noting that this includes people who fought for ISIS. Betts argued that sending these people back to their home countries is better than keeping such a large number of them in Syria, where so much fighting has taken place.”
Kurdistan 24: SDF Continues Operations Against ISIS In Deir Ez-Zor
“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday said that they targeted two ISIS members in Deir Ez-Zor (Deir al-Zor). “Our SDF Special Units, enabled by air and field support by the International Coalition forces, conducted yesterday a precise security operation in the al-Zir village , al-Busayrah town, the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor,” the SDF Media Centre said. One of the ISIS members was killed while refusing to surrender, whereas another one was arrested. “The operation targeted two ISIS members who were responsible for recruiting new terrorists, manufacturing IEDs (improvised explosive devices) for the terrorist cells, and conducting terrorist attacks against our forces in Deir Ezzor,” the SDF said. The SDF said that the operations with the support of the US-led coalition will continue against ISIS to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Also on Tuesday, the SDF said it arrested 12 ISIS suspects in Hasakah, al-Hol, Tal Hamis, Tal Brak, and Derik in coordination with the International Security Forces (Asayish). While the SDF continues operations against ISIS, Turkey has continuously threatened to launch a new operation against the SDF. However, so far, both Russia and the US have opposed a new Turkish operation.”
WTOP: The Hunt: Who Was The Shadowy ISIS Leader Killed In A US Drone Strike?
“On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that a U.S. drone strike killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Syria. On this week’s episode of “The Hunt” with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green, the senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, Hans-Jakob Schindler, explains who he was and why he was so important.”
Iran
Bloomberg: Biden Says Iranian Military Unit Will Remain On US Terrorist List
“President Joe Biden said in an interview with an Israeli TV station that an elite Iranian military unit would remain designated a terrorist group by the US, even if that means he can’t secure a return to the multinational deal intended to restrain Iran’s nuclear program. He also said he wouldn’t rule out US military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon “if that was the last resort.” Biden answered “yes” after he was asked in the interview with Channel 12 news whether he was committed to keeping the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on the US list of foreign terrorist organizations. Iran has demanded that the designation be lifted, as talks on the nuclear agreement remain stalled. But Biden said he would also continue to pursue a return to the nuclear accord with Iran, despite opposition by Israel’s government. “The only thing worse than the Iran that exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons,” Biden said. “And if we can return to a deal and hold them tight -- I think it was a gigantic mistake for the last president to get out of the deal. They’re closer to a nuclear weapon now than they were before.” Former President Donald Trump scrapped the nuclear agreement with Iran that was reached by President Barack Obama and other world leaders.”
Lebanon
Axios: 30 Countries Took Part In U.S.-Led Meeting On Countering Hezbollah
“Diplomats, law enforcement officers and intelligence experts from Israel, Saudi Arabia, four other Gulf states and two dozen additional countries gathered in late June for a two-day meeting, organized by the U.S. State Department, on countering Hezbollah's illicit activities, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. Why it matters: The meeting of the Law Enforcement Coordination Group, which was established in 2014, was part of an effort led by the U.S. to mobilize countries to counter Hezbollah’s activities outside of Lebanon in order to block its terror, finance and procurement networks, a State Department official told Axios. Driving the news: 30 countries attended the meeting on June 29-30, which was held in Europe and was the first such meeting since President Biden took office. Officials from Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and many European, African and Latin American countries took part, according to sources with direct knowledge. Hezbollah, a political and militant organization based in Lebanon, has been declared a terrorist group by about 20 countries as well as the Arab League and EU. There was a push during the meeting for more countries — particularly in Africa and Latin America — to join them, according to a State Department official who attended the meeting.”
Nigeria
Premium Times Nigeria: We’re Not Aware Ex-Boko Haram Terrorist Is Employed As Prison Official, Controller-General Says
“The Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, has said he was not aware a former Boko Haram fighter, Wilberforce Yohanna, is a staffer of the New Yola Custodial Centre. Mr Nababa said this on Monday during an interactive session on the Twitter Space organised by PREMIUM TIMES on the recent Kuje prison attack. A PREMIUM TIMES investigation, published on Saturday, exposed how an ex-terrorist was recruited into a prison facility in Yola without proper vetting. The story, based on leaked official documents and interviews with insiders, said that the presence of Mr Yohanna has created the fear of possible security compromise at the custodial centre. The Controller-General said the information did not reach him that Mr Yohanna, an Assistant Cadre (ASC11) at the Yola Custodial Centre, was an ex-Boko Haram member until a PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed it. He, however, said the correctional service has launched a probe into the matter. “Nothing of such was brought to the attention of the controller-general,” Mr Nababa said. “Nobody like a former Boko Haram member in Yola.” Although Mr Nababa claimed he is not aware of such a report, PREMIUM TIMES has seen an internal document circulated within the service on February 18, 2022, raising an alarm about the presence of the former Boko Haram fighter as an official in the prison facility.”
Premium Times Nigeria: 61,000 Boko Haram Suspects Detained In Northeast Nigeria – Official
“About 61,000 persons suspected to be members of Boko Haram and other criminal gangs are being held in Nigerian prisons in the North-eastern part of the country, an official has said. Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola said this Tuesday when he paid a visit to the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos, according to his spokesperson, Sola Fasure. The Boko Haram insurgency across Nigeria has caused over 100,000 deaths and led to the displacement of millions of people, according to official figures. Mr Aregbesola’s remarks came barely one week after the Kuje Custodial Center, Abuja, was attacked by suspected members of Boko Haram. Over 60 Boko Haram members are among the hundreds of inmates who escaped from the Kuje prison and are still at large. “Today, a core of the criminal elements and insurgents across the country are on a path to defeat, they have been heavily degraded. Over 61,000 of them are in our custody in the North-East,” Mr Aregbesola said. He said Nigeria is on the path to totally defeating Boko Haram and other criminals across the country. PREMIUM TIMES reported how various prisons were attacked between 2020 and 2021, leading to the escape of over 5,000 inmates. Last Tuesday, Kuje Custodial Center was attacked by suspected members of Boko Haram.”
Africa
Reuters: Suspected Islamists Kill Seven In East Congo City Of Beni
“Suspected Islamist militants killed seven people in an attack on the city of Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday night, an army spokesman said on Wednesday. The army had received intelligence that members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were planning to break into Beni's central prison and dispatched troops to stop them, according to army spokesman Antony Mwalushayi. The ADF fighters staged a diversion by attacking the neighbourhoods of Rwangoma and Paida, where they killed civilians and kidnapped at least one person, said Mwalushayi. The prison break was averted and the assailants fled into Virunga National Park, he told Reuters. The ADF is a Ugandan armed group that has operated in the dense forests of eastern Congo for decades. “It was around 8 p.m. local time that the ADF enemy surprised us yesterday, while I was at the table with the children,” said Kavira Malekani, a resident of the neighbourhood of Paida. “We survived in a miraculous way by leaving the food on the table and spending the night on a balcony in town. Other people including my cousin were kidnapped.” Uganda has sent at least 1,700 troops to neighbouring Congo to help fight the ADF after accusing the group of responsibility for a string of bombings in Kampala last year.”
Voice Of America: Togo Experts Aim To Prevent Islamist Insurgents From Recruiting Youth
“Authorities in Togo are working to prevent their small, West African nation from becoming the next country in the region to struggle with a violent, spreading, Islamist insurgency. Saturday’s deadly explosion could mark a turning point if it’s confirmed that the seven minors killed were the first civilian casualties in the conflict. Togo’s military did not immediately confirm the cause but local media reported the victims were killed when an improvised explosive device went off. In June, Togo declared a state of emergency in its northern Savanes Region after Islamist militants attacked near the border with Burkina Faso in May, killing eight troops and wounding 13. They were the first recorded deaths from terrorism in Togo, a country of 8 million people wedged between Ghana and Benin on the West African coast. An al-Qaida-affiliated group fighting in Burkina Faso and Mali claimed responsibility for the attack. But Togo authorities are also concerned that Islamists are recruiting disaffected youth for domestic terrorism and have formed the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Prevention and Fight Against Violent Extremism (CIPLEV). Ouro-Bossi Tchacondoh, the committee’s rapporteur, said the group exists to capitalize on the thoughts and requests of the local population. He said it centralizes information and sends it to a committee of ministries that analyzes it and delivers its conclusions to the government.”
All Africa: Ghana: Collective Action Needed To Prevent Terrorist Attack
“As part of efforts to avert any acts of terrorism in the country, personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) stationed at Magnori have intensified patrols on the stretch of the Ghana-Burkina Faso border under their jurisdiction, while those in Bawku in the Upper East Region are patrolling Ghana-Togo border portion under their control. The patrols have been occasioned by a suspected terrorist attack that claimed two lives, including an Imam based at a village called Benyayile in neighbouring Burkina Faso. In the Monday attack, the assailants were said to have targeted influential people such as Imams and other leaders of the various religious denominations. As a result of the attack near Bawku, hundreds of Burkinabes tried to cross over to Mognori, but they were restrained by both the personnel of the GIS detailed there and the overflow of a river which had cut off the foreign nationals from crossing over to Ghana. Even though no militant group has claimed responsibility of the killings and sporadic gunshots in Burkina Faso, judging from recent happenings, security sources suspect the attack might have been carried out by the al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, Islamist groups who have in recent years wreaked havoc on lives and property in neighbouring Burkina Faso. It is good security personnel can conjecture about who might have carried out the attack.”
United Kingdom
The Guardian: MI5 Needs More Funds To Tackle Rightwing Terror Threat, Says Watchdog
“MI5 should be given increased funding to help tackle the rising threat of extreme-right terrorism, which now accounts for approaching a fifth of the spy agency’s investigations, a parliamentary watchdog has said. MPs and peers on the intelligence and security committee said the agency had been forced to progress other work – almost certainly relating to Islamist terrorism – more slowly and had been unable to expand other activities as it had hoped. “This situation is untenable,” the committee concluded in a report released on Wednesday. “MI5 must be given additional funding to enable it to conduct these cases without other areas of work suffering as a consequence.” The domestic spy agency gradually took on responsibility for tackling extreme rightwing terrorism from 2018, after a review in the aftermath of the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016. It rapidly became a significant area of work. According to the committee report, in July 2020 a fifth of MI5’s investigations in Britain were devoted to extreme rightwing terrorism plus a lesser focus on leftwing, anarchist and single-issue terrorism. Although the committee was careful to redact from the report which areas of MI5’s work were affected, it is likely to be in areas relating to Islamist terrorism, which shares many of the resources, staffing and techniques used to thwart extreme rightwing attacks.”
Europe
Associated Press: Man Who Placed Explosive In Warsaw Probed For Terrorism
“Prosecutors in Poland’s capital said Wednesday that a 31-year-old man is facing allegations of having posed a threat to the life and health of many people in Warsaw with the use of an artillery shell that he possessed illegally. Poland’s top National Prosecutor’s Office said it was treating the case as an act of terrorism because a threat was posed to a large number of people and involved an explosive. The man, identified only as Lukasz K., was questioned Wednesday and could face up to eight years in prison. Additionally, he faces allegations of illegal possession of a 80 mm artillery shell. He allegedly placed the projectile in a busy street in downtown Warsaw on Monday as a rally attended by over 300 people was being held. Prosecutors want him to remain under arrest during the investigation. No one was reported injured, and the object did not explode.”
Southeast Asia
Yahoo News: Greater Risk Of ISIS-Inspired Attacks In Region Due To ‘Cyber Jihad’: Singapore ISD
“The region is facing a greater risk of attacks by home-grown extremists who are inspired by “cyber jihad” linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), said Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) on Wednesday (13 July). In its “Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment 2022” report, ISD flagged the continuous ability of Islamist terrorist groups like ISIS to radicalise and inspire attacks among their followers. Through a “thriving” pro-ISIS network on social media, ISIS supporters have been circulating ISIS materials alongside self-produced propaganda. “This facilitates the radicalisation and recruitment of a virtual ‘caliphate of believers’ who remain loyal to ISIS, notwithstanding the group’s leadership losses and operational setbacks,” ISD said. The online network also facilitates communication between regional supporters and ISIS core in Syria and Iraq including the coordination of terror activities across borders and exchange of operational knowledge like weapons-making. Regional authorities have taken action to combat this threat such as the arrest of five members of a pro-ISIS media group in Indonesia. “As travel restrictions ease, online collaboration between extremists could manifest as real-world attacks,” ISD said. ISIS affiliates pose the “most immediate threat” through their ability to mount ISIS-inspired attacks, with militant factions in southern Philippines persistently engaging security forces in armed clashes and Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) elements in Indonesia remaining active in plotting attacks, according to ISD.”
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