Eye on Extremism
September 27, 2022
Reuters: Influential Cleric Qaradawi, Supporter Of Arab Spring Uprisings, Dies
“Senior Muslim cleric Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual leader for the Muslim Brotherhood and defender of Arab Spring revolts, died on Monday at age 96, according to a post on his official Twitter account. Born in Egypt in 1926, Qaradawi spent much of his life in Qatar, where he became one of the most recognisable and influential Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world thanks to regular appearances on Qatar's Al Jazeera network. "His Eminence Imam Youssef al-Qaradawi, who gave his life to making clear the tenets of Islam and defending his umma (Muslim community), has passed to the Lord's mercy" said a statement on Twitter announcing his death, alluding to struggles with ill health. Qaradawi's sermons offered a counterweight to the radical ideologies espoused by al-Qaeda and Islamic state, while supporting militant movements in other parts of the region. He was highly critical of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as well as the Saudi leadership, fuelling a rift with Doha.”
NBC News: Swastika-Wearing Gunman Kills 15, Wounds 24 In School Shooting In Russia
“A swastika-clad gunman opened fire at a school in central Russia on Monday, killing at least 15 people, 11 of them children, before he turned the gun on himself, authorities said. Another 24 people, 22 children and two adults, were wounded in the attack on School No. 88 in Izhevsk, the capital of Udmurtia, about 600 miles east of Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. The gunman was identified as Artem Kazantsev, 34. Udmurtia Gov. Alexander Brechalov said he was registered as a patient at a psychiatric facility. The Investigative Committee released video purporting to show the gunman’s body in a classroom. He appeared to be wearing nearly all black, including a balaclava covering his face and a T-shirt with a red swastika drawn on it. The video also showed the word "hate" written in Russian on all the gun clips.”
Afghanistan
Bloomberg: China Wooed Taliban With Investment Promises That Haven’t Panned Out
“The US withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war opened up an opportunity for China to expand its influence and lock down access to the country’s vast mineral deposits. It hasn’t worked out that way. More than a year after US troops left, Afghanistan’s economy is collapsing, 19 million people are at risk of acute hunger and the investment the Taliban were counting on from Beijing hasn’t arrived. Both sides blame the other. “There has not even been a penny of investment by China,” Khan Jan Alokozay, vice president of Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said in an interview. “Many of their companies came, met with us, conducted research and then left and vanished, which is frustrating.” From China’s perspective, the Taliban haven’t shown they are doing enough to crack down on a group that has ties to separatists in its far western Xinjiang region, according to two people familiar with the issue. What’s more, the people said, the Taliban are also seeking to renegotiate the terms of existing projects to tap Afghanistan’s resources.”
Saudi Arabia
Arab News: Saudi Counter-Extremism Center Works With Telegram To Remove Five Million Extremist Posts In Past Two Months
“More than five million examples of extremist content were removed from instant messaging service Telegram in the space of just two months. The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, also known as Etidal, on Monday said that between July 17 and Sept. 13, its work with a task force from Telegram to prevent and combat terrorism and violent extremism resulted in the deletion of 5,269,078 items from the platform. They included 3,012,489 messages relating to Tahrir Al-Sham, a militant group involved in the Syrian civil war, 1,168,447 about Al-Qaeda, and 1,088,142 about Daesh. Since the collaboration began on Feb. 21, Etidal said 7,146,016 examples of extremist content has been removed from Telegram to protect users from threats and damaging ideological influences. They include messages in Arabic that contained various types of media files, including PDFs, videos and audio recordings. Mubarak Al-Aati, a Saudi writer and political analyst, said that Etidal is showing that it is efficient and serious in its efforts to confront the rhetoric of extremism and the ideas of terrorism. He told Arab News that the organization’s work to combat the threats on the local, regional and global levels is well known, and its work with high-profile partners such as Telegram will help to reduce the extremist influence on social media and in other public online spaces.”
Middle East
The Jerusalem Post: Israeli Officials Warn IDF Soldiers Of Terrorist Ambush In West Bank
“Terrorist networks in the West Bank are attempting 'provocation attacks,' in which they lure Israeli soldiers into an ambush by getting their attention, Israeli security officials warned on Monday. This strategy was used last week when shots were fired toward the settlement of Har Bracha, near Nablus, as well as toward a nearby military post. The shooter managed to escape, but the IDF found at least 60 shell casings during sweeps. IDF intelligence officials and field observers were asked to be alert and aware of such incidents occurring again in the West Bank. In addition, Palestinian social media is being heavily monitored to observe and detect individuals who could potentially carry out attacks. Sources within the Israeli security establishment warned the Palestinian Authority and its security mechanisms that if it does not act to prevent terrorist attacks and violent clashes in the West Bank, the IDF will. The IDF leadership is seeking to restore calm in the region and avoid any provocative activities that could potentially cause tensions to escalate. Palestinian terrorist group Lions' Den later claimed responsibility for the shootings in Har Bracha. Early on Sunday morning, Israeli forces killed one Palestinian terrorist and wounded several others in an operation conducted in Nablus.”
The Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Security Must Thwart Terror Attacks In West Bank, Gantz Tells Abbas
“Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke on Monday evening with Palestinian Authority head Mansour Abbas, Israeli media reported. In the phone call, Gantz stressed that the authority's security mechanism must act to stop the escalation of terror and violence in the West Bank.”
Libya
Africanews: Libya: Fifth Session Of Trial Of 46 Alleged IS Members
“Libya's Court of Appeal held Sunday (September 25) the fifth session of the trial of 46 men accused of belonging to terrorist organization: the Islamic State. Clad in blue prison overalls the suspects appeared in the dock. Among the accused, Libyan, Tunisian, Egyptian, Algerian, Moroccan, Jordanian and Sudanese nationals. They are accused of being members of a terrorist group and of carrying out killings. During the session, which was attended by families of IS victims, the judge listened to eyewitness statements. Islamic State organization took advantage of the turmoil following the murder of Muammar Gaddafi to set up a base in Libya in 2014. The following year the terrorist group captured the coastal city of Sirte. It is eventually in 2016 that it was ousted of the city after losing heavy fighting with national forces. Fighters from the “Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous” Operation who fought battles with Islamic State militants were present at the session. The families of the victims have appealed for the harshest punishment possible including death penalty. According to judicial sources cited by the AFP news agency, a total of 320 suspects are facing trial. Although the group was defeated in Libya, some experts have expressed concern that it could reappear in the country's south where its members have staged deadly ambushes against security forces.”
Nigeria
Sahara Reporters: Breaking: ISWAP Claims Responsibility For Killing Of Two Igbo Traders In Kano
“The Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād has claimed responsibility for the killing of two businessmen in Kano State. Gunmen on Saturday night killed the duo around Azubros Plaza, off France Road, Sabongari in Kano. The deceased are Ifeanyi Elechukwu, aged 41, who was the target of the attack and his friend, Chibuille Emmanuel, 33, who was shot in the leg, but eventually died at a private clinic in the state capital. Elechukwu, a battery dealer, was said to have been lured to his shop by one of the gunmen, who pretended to be a customer. He was shot at close range and killed while his friend was chased and also shot. However, ISWAP in a statement said the attack was carried out by “soldiers of the caliphate”. The terror group described Elechukwu as a Nigerian Army spy. The latest claim by ISWAP comes a few days after it said its men attacked police checkpoints in Ondo and Edo states. ISWAP had claimed expansion into Abuja, Kogi, and Taraba in the last six months.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Somalia Military Makes Gains In Large-Scale Offensive Against Al-Shabab
“Somalia's state media on Monday said the military has pushed al-Shabab terrorists out of large parts of the country's central area in the latest gains in a large-scale offensive. An offensive by the Somali tribal militia backed by the Somali government was launched in the Hiran region a few weeks ago against al-Shabab militants, liberating several key townships before moving on to Galgaduud and then the Bay region in the south. There has been significant progress in the liberation of 40 settlements in the Hiran region alone, with the support of the Somali government's military commandos trained by the United States. However, the actual fight is taken up by the clan-based, state-supported independent Macawisley militia as part of the popular uprising against militants. Local militia members formally linked to the southwest administration of Somalia captured four settlements on the outskirts of Baidoa in the Bay region from militants with the support of the Somali national army forces Monday, proving that the uprising against the group has now expanded to the south. State-run media reported Monday that Busley, Bulo-Jadid, Matani and Usli were among the newly liberated villages. In an appearance on a talk show hosted by a local TV station Sunday, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, the interior minister of the Somalia government, said the Somali army and local militia tribes had defeated militants in central Somalia after liberating much of the Hiran and Galgaduud regions.”
Africa
AFP: 'Dozen' Dead In Suspected Burkina Faso Terror Attack
“A suspected terror attack in the north of Burkina Faso has killed around a dozen people, mostly soldiers, security sources told AFP on Monday. Violence has raged in the landlocked west African country after Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba seized power in a January coup, ousting Burkina's elected leader and promising to rein in militant groups. But as in neighbouring countries, insurgents affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) group have stoked the unrest. In the latest attack, a convoy carrying supplies to local residents and escorted by a military unit “was the target of a terrorist attack” near Gaskinde in the Sahel region, an army statement said. “The attack unfortunately caused human and material losses,” and a full toll would be established “as soon as possible”, it said. A security source told AFP that a preliminary toll indicated “about a dozen dead among elements of the unit. There were also a number of seriously wounded.” The source added that reinforcements had been sent to the area, both to secure it and to aid the victims. On Sunday an improvised explosive device that targeted another army-escorted resupply convoy in the Sahel wounded four people, security sources said.”
The Epoch Times: Jihadists In Mozambique Far From A Spent Force, Says New Intelligence Report
“New intelligence into a jihadist insurgency in Mozambique shows that radical, anti-West religious leaders from across East Africa continue to win recruits for extremists supported by the ISIS international terror network, negating gains made by a regional peacekeeping force. It says hardened terrorists from across Africa still enjoy almost unfettered access to the resource-rich Southern African country, because of porous borders and a coastline that’s largely unpoliced. This, even as thousands of troops from the region, plus Rwanda, claim notable victories over the insurgents, killing and capturing many, but driving them into previously peaceful areas where they’ve set up new bases. Soldiers from some of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, bloc and Rwanda, have been in northern Mozambique since July last year, to oppose the militants who call themselves Ahlu-Sunnah wal Jama’ah (ASWJ), or “true followers of the Prophet Muhammad” and “the people who will be saved on the Day of Judgement.” The insurgency flared up in October 2017, when ASWJ fighters attacked villages and towns in Cabo Delgado province; men were beheaded, women were raped.”
All Africa: Ghana: Protecting Country Against Terrorist Attacks - 48 Foreigners Nabbed In Ejisu
“The Ejisu Divisional Police Command is investigating 48 foreigners arrested in two separate operations in connection with alleged terrorism and other fraudulent acts. Of the number,21 of the suspects were arrested last Thursday, while 27 were also arrested on Saturday evening. The arrest followed about three months of monitoring by the community members in the area who noticed the abnormal behaviours of the suspects. They are said to be from Niger, Nigeria, Kenya and Mali. A police source at the Ejisu Divisional Police Command, who confirmed the operation, said the arrest was made at Ekyem, a community in Ejisu Municipality, based on a tip off. According to the source, the investigation was focused on whether they had links to any terrorist group in some of the neighbouring countries. Some of the suspects have been placed in police custody at Fumesua and others at Donyina and Ejisu. Throwing more light on the incident, the Assemblyman for Akokoamon-Achiase-Ekyem electoral areas, Daniel Owusu, said the community members had observed the 'suspicious activities' of the suspects for some months and therefore decided to report them to the police for further investigations. He said they did not know what exactly was happening in the house, but “you will always see them making calls for hours in the evening.”
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