Eye on Extremism
September 8, 2022
Reuters: At Least Six Mozambicans Beheaded, Italian Nun Shot Dead By Insurgents
“At least six people were beheaded and an Italian nun killed on Tuesday by Islamic State-linked insurgents in Mozambique's Nampula province, authorities said on Wednesday. Speaking in the resort town of Xai Xai north of the capital Maputo, President Filipe Nyusi said the insurgents unleashed a killing spree as they fled from soldiers from Mozambique, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) sent to tackle the violence. The insurgency is concentrated in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado and has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in 2017, disrupting multibillion-dollar natural gas projects. “On the 6th of September, as a result of terrorist attacks, six citizens were beheaded, three kidnapped, six terrorists were captured and dozens of houses torched in the districts of Erati and Memba, Nampula province,” Nyusi said. According to media reports, confirmed by Nampula province Secretary of State Mety Gondola, an 83-year-old Italian nun, who lived in the city of Nacala, was shot in an attack on Tuesday night, while two other missionaries managed to escape. Gondola gave no further details on the attack but said the situation was worrisome.”
The Washington Post: Raids On ISIS Camp In Syria Yield Hundreds Of Arrests
“Syrian forces allied with the United States have rounded up hundreds of suspected Islamic State operatives this year in raids on a refugee camp that has been a hotbed of violence perpetrated by terrorist sympathizers, operations coordinated and facilitated by the U.S. military. U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that, over the last two weeks alone, Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) had apprehended “dozens” of suspects at the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria and dissolved a “major ISIS facilitation network.” The operation is ongoing, according to a U.S. defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail an unfolding situation. The raid, characterized as a “full clearing operation,” is the largest carried out at the al-Hol camp since May 2021, the official said. It marked the seventh time this year that SDF units, enabled by their American allies, have raided the sprawling desert complex that houses about 55,000 people — many of them deemed ISIS sympathizers who traveled to Syria and Iraq at the height of the group’s power. Each raid has resulted in the detention of between 40 and 120 suspected ISIS operatives. Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement that, as part of the ongoing operation, Syrian forces on Monday rescued four women located in tunnels where they had been chained and tortured.”
United States
The Washington Post: U.S. Cited ‘Domestic Terrorism’ In Search Tied To Oath Keepers’ Lawyer
“A court opinion unsealed Tuesday evening marks what appears to be the first time the federal court in Washington has disclosed the FBI and Justice Department’s use of a domestic terrorism measure in the USA Patriot Act to obtain a search warrant connected to their sweeping probe into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Federal investigators probing the extremist group Oath Keepers on charges of seditious conspiracy last year invoked the provision that permits the government to obtain a search warrant from a U.S. magistrate judge anywhere in the country rather than one located where the search is to be executed in a domestic terrorism investigation, according to the newly unsealed court records. The 18-page opinion revealed that in July 2021, prosecutors asked a U.S. magistrate judge in D.C., rather than one in Texas, to approve a court-authorized search of a cellphone owned by a person who appears to match the description of an attorney for the Oath Keepers, Kellye SoRelle. The lawyer was arrested last week in Texas and was with the group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
Syria
CBS News: Young Yazidi Woman Rescued After 8 Years Of Forced Marriage, Rape And Captivity At The Hands Of ISIS
“A young woman has been rescued after an eight-year ordeal that saw her repeatedly sold, raped and enslaved by ISIS militants, officials in Syria tell CBS News. Her rescue began with a massive operation to root out ISIS sleeper cells and weapons hidden among the tens of thousands of refugees stuck in a sprawling camp in the northeast Syrian desert. The notorious Al-Hol camp is run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mostly Kurdish umbrella group that was a vital American ally during the U.S. military's operations against ISIS in the region. During a recent raid, SDF forces found explosives, weapons, ammunition and tunnels used by ISIS members to smuggle the illicit items into and around the sprawling camp. A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces' Women's Protection Units (YPJ) stands guard during a raid in the Al-Hol refugee camp in northeast Syria, aimed at rooting out ISIS sleeper cells and weapons in the sprawling compound. Syamad Ali, a spokesperson for the YPG, the SDF's main military force, told CBS News that interrogations during the raid revealed the daunting scope of the danger ISIS still poses inside the camp.”
Afghanistan
Vice: ISIS-K Is Stepping Up Its Brutal Attacks Against The Taliban
“Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate, ISIS-K, is ramping up its attacks on the Taliban in Afghanistan, undermining the group’s pledge to end suicide bombings in the country. The Afghan branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a string of high-profile suicide attacks over the last couple of weeks, including one on the Russian embassy in Kabul on Monday, which killed eight people, including two embassy staff, and injured many more. The attack on the Russian embassy, one of the very few foreign missions still operating in the country, was a bad look for the Taliban. The group has already struggled to convince countries to keep their representatives in Afghanistan. The attack on Monday appeared to surprise the Taliban. Lucas Webber, an expert and the co-founder and editor of Militant Wire, a research outlet tracking extremist groups, said it was “a culmination of years of hostile rhetoric directed at Moscow by ISKP [another abbreviation for the group] and months of markedly intensified threats. ISKP had been promising to attack Russian interests and had also been encouraging its followers to do the same.” ISIS-K has accused the Taliban of not being “Islamic enough” and has killed hundreds of civilians as well as targeting prominent Taliban leaders.”
WTOP News: The Hunt: Who Killed A Russian Diplomat In Afghanistan?
“In 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, talks about who did it and why.”
Middle East
Asharq Al-Awsat: Palestinian Killed In Israel West Bank Raid
“A Palestinian was killed during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. “Yunis Ghasan Tayeh, 21, was killed by a bullet to the heart fired by a soldier of the occupation in al-Fara camp,” between Jenin and Tubas, in an area that has seen repeated clashes in recent weeks. The Israeli military said it carried out arrest raids across the West Bank as part of a monthslong crackdown on Palestinian militants. It said its soldiers came under fire during the arrest of a wanted person in the Faraa refugee camp in the northern West Bank. Israel has stepped up operations in the northern West Bank after a wave of attacks against Israeli targets killed 19 people, mostly Israelis, in March. It has carried out near nightly raids on Palestinian-administered towns and cities, that have sparked frequent clashes with residents. Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi said Monday some 1,500 wanted people had been arrested in the raids and “hundreds of attacks” prevented, AFP reported. On Tuesday, one Palestinian was killed and 16 wounded when Israeli troops entered Jenin to demolish the home of the shooter who carried out an attack in Tel Aviv in April.”
The Jerusalem Post: Hamas, Islamic Jihad Call To Step Up 'Resistance' In West Bank
“Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Wednesday called on Palestinians to step up the “resistance” attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. The call came in response to increased IDF counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank. A senior Palestinian official, meanwhile, ruled out the possibility that the Palestinian Authority security forces would move to disarm armed groups in the northern West Bank. The official told The Jerusalem Post that the PA leadership has come under pressure from Israel and some international parties to take action against the gunmen, most of whom belong to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the ruling Fatah faction headed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas. “If Israel wants the violence to stop, it should stop sending its soldiers every night to arrest and shoot young Palestinians,” said the official. “We can’t do anything while Israel is continuing to escalate its military operations.”
Mali
Associated Press: Mali Launches Air Strikes After Militants Seize Village
“The Malian military launched air strikes Wednesday near a village that witnesses said had been seized by extremists with ties to the Islamic State group. Witnesses reported the takeover of Talataye, in Mali’s northern Gao region, on Tuesday. The development has renewed fears extremists would again expand their reach following the Aug. 15 departure of French troops last after nearly a decade of battling insurgents. “Islamic State fighters attacked our position in the village of Talataye and our fighting unit finally withdrew from the village,” said Fahad Ag Almahmoud, secretary general of GATIA, an umbrella organization representing formerly armed groups that signed a peace agreement with the Malian government. But Almahmoud said it’s unclear whether the militants control the village following the air strikes. “Last we heard, the Islamic State fighters took control of the village all night, but this morning there were air strikes by the Malian army on the site. At this moment, we still don’t know if they are still in the village or if they have withdrawn,” he said. Extremist groups have in the past briefly seized towns and vilages. In September 2016, al-Qaeda-linked fighters took control of the central town of Boni before abandoning the town a day after the attack.”
Africa
Voice Of America: Togo Extends State Of Emergency Due To Militant Attacks
“The West African nation of Togo has extended a state of emergency in its northern Savanes region for another six months due to continued attacks by Islamist militants. A six-month state of emergency was approved Tuesday by the Togolese parliament to restore security in the region. A statement from Damehame Yark, the Togolese security minister, said that the extension was “necessary for the proper conduct of military operations” and “a return to peace” in the region. Togo declared a three-month state of emergency in the Savanes region in June, after Islamist militants attacked an area near the border with Burkina Faso, killing eight troops and wounding 13. More recently, local media said that between 15 and 20 people were killed in a series of attacks on July 15. While the army gave no official figures about this incident, it was confirmed that “several” people were killed and wounded. Togolese defense and security forces were again attacked on August 22 in the village of Blamonga, close to the border with Burkina Faso. A few soldiers were injured during an exchange of fire that lasted several minutes before armed groups retreated. Togo, after Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is the latest country on the coast of West Africa to become the target of Islamist militants coming from the Sahel region.”
Voice Of America: Cameroon Separatists Attack Bus, Kill 6 Civilians
“Military officials in Cameroon say armed separatists killed at least six people and wounded nine when they attacked a bus on a highway in the country's troubled Southwest region. The military has deployed scores of troops to track down the rebels. Locals say there has been heavy fighting between the two sides since the Tuesday attack. These are voices of Cameroon government troops pulling people out of a bus, asking what could have prompted separatist fighters to kill innocent commuters. In the video, widely circulated on social media platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp, the men in military gear say they have removed four bodies from the bus. The Cameroon military has confirmed that the video is of its troops helping victims after separatists opened fire Tuesday on a bus at Ekona, a village in Cameroon’s Southwest region. The military says four people died on the spot, while two died on their way to a hospital in Buea, capital of the Southwest region. It says fighters disappeared into the bush and villages after the attack. The military says troops have been deployed and the shooters are wanted dead or alive. Austin Ebai is a commuter. He says there has been heavy shooting since government troops arrived in Ekona on Tuesday.”
France
The National: Nice 2016 Attacker 'Cannot Be Divorced From ISIS'
“French officers investigating the 2016 Nice attack told a court that the ISIS terrorist group bore responsibility for the “lone wolf” rampage, having drawn in Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel through propaganda in the weeks before the July 14 killing spree. The Tunisian used a hired 19-tonne lorry to mow down men, women and children on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, killing 86 people. He was shot and killed by police after a four-minute killing spree. “Sometimes ISIS is content to make recommendations on operating methods or targets available to all,” one of the agents that investigated the attack told a court hearing. “The Nice attack is part of a period when France had been continually threatened by the propaganda of ISIS.” The court was told on Wednesday of Lahouaiej-Bouhlel's fascination with violence and how he had a long history of domestic abuse before he began looking at the ISIS propaganda. His interest deepened in the lead-up to the killings during Bastille Day celebrations. The judge presiding questioned the analysis. “Was he able to carry out his attack to satisfy his personal need for violence, devoid of Islamist ideology?” he asked. ISIS propaganda may have played a role,” the investigator said. “Lahouaiej-Bouhlel took action alone.”
Germany
Reuters: German Court Hands Islamic State Member 10 Years In Prison For Murder, War Crimes
“A German court has sentenced an Islamic State member to 10 years in prison for war crimes and murder committed in Syria, including the beating of a prisoner who later died in custody. The man, who was not named, travelled to Syria from Germany and joined Islamic State in March 2014, according to a statement on Wednesday from the Duesseldorf court after the verdict. He became a prison guard and along with three other men was ordered to punish a prisoner. The defendant beat the handcuffed man, who was suspended from the ceiling by his hands tied behind his back. He died two days later. A German court last year sentenced a former Islamic State militant to life imprisonment for involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity.”
Technology
The Hill: Violent Extremist Movement ‘Boogaloo Bois’ Reemerges On Facebook: Report
“The violent extremist “boogaloo” movement is showing new signs of activity on Facebook, in spite of the social media platform’s ban on the group, according to a new report from the Tech Transparency Project.
Boogaloo groups and individual “boogaloo bois” have increased their activity on Facebook following the FBI’s search of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, the Tech Transparency Project found. The boogaloo movement appears to “see this moment as a growth opportunity for their movement” and hopes to “capitalize on the wave of far-right anger at the FBI,” the report said. In particular, several boogaloo groups on Facebook have been “valorizing” an armed man who tried to breach an FBI field office in Cincinnati soon after the Mar-a-Lago search, according to the report. The man was killed following an hours-long standoff with police. Even though the Tech Transparency Project saw a resurgence accompanying the Mar-a-Lago search, several boogaloo accounts were created in the spring after President Biden announced efforts to curb gun violence, the report noted. The accounts appear to be evading Facebook’s detection by using coded keywords and variations of boogaloo like “bogaloo” and “big igloo,” according to the report. The Tech Transparency Project also found several new boogaloo memes, which the movement often uses for recruitment and propaganda.”
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