Eye on Extremism
September 28, 2022
Reuters: Eleven Soldiers Dead, 50 Civilians Missing After Burkina Faso Convoy Attack
“Eleven soldiers have been found dead and about 50 civilians are missing after an attack by Islamist militants on a 150-vehicle convoy taking supplies to a town in northern Burkina Faso on Monday, the government said on Tuesday. Twenty-eight people were wounded in the attack, including 20 soldiers, said the statement by government spokesman Lionel Bilgo. The army had said in a previous statement that dozens of trucks were destroyed. The assault took place in the commune of Gaskinde in Soum province, where jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have escalated attacks and seized territory since 2015. Militants have blockaded several areas, so government convoys and air drops have delivered essential goods to trapped civilians. The convoy, which was under military escort, was carrying supplies to the town of Djibo, just over 20 km (12 miles) away from Gaskinde. A video shared online showed people scrambling to retrieve goods from at least a dozen blazing trucks and a plume of smoke stretching across the scrubland. Another video showed crowds welcoming vehicles from the convoy that had survived the attack and made it to Djibo. Reuters has not been able to verify the footage. Separately, suspected militants set fire to the mayor's office and kidnapped one person in the town of Boni on Monday night, two local residents and a military source said.”
Reuters: Explosion Near Police Building In Turkey Kills One Police Officer
“One police officer was killed late on Monday when a bomb exploded near a residence that houses police in the southern Turkish province of Mersin, while a second officer was wounded, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. He said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was responsible for the attack, which occurred around 10:40 p.m. (1940 GMT), and that two women who carried out the attacks died during the explosions. The two attackers first shot at the police officer on duty and later detonated bombs that were attached to them, he said. The attack took place in the Mezitli district of Mersin, state-owned Anadolu Agency said. The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The PKK is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.”
AFP: India Arrests Over 200 In Crackdown On Islamic Group
“Indian police arrested over 200 members of an Islamic group in a nationwide crackdown Tuesday, accusing them of fomenting sectarian violence and subversive activities, police and local media said. Authorities have long claimed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) has close ties with the Students Islamic Movement of India, a militant group banned two decades ago. It has been accused of radical activity and links with Islamic State -- charges the organisation denies. More than 80 people were arrested in southern Karnataka state alone, officers said. “They were inciting communal violence (and) trying to foment trouble in the society,” senior state police official Alok Kumar said. Police confirmed another 57 arrests in northern Uttar Pradesh state while media reports said nearly 100 others had been taken into custody around the country. The raids were the latest action against the group following the detention of more than 100 people linked to the outfit last week. The PFI condemned the latest arrests in a Twitter statement that accused the government of a “witch-hunt” aimed at cracking down on protesters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has been accused by rights groups and foreign governments of championing discriminatory policies towards India's 200-million-strong Muslim minority since coming to power in 2014.”
Iraq
The Jerusalem Post: US Reaffirms Commitment To Assist Iraq And Kurdistan In Fight Against ISIS
“United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander met with top Iraqi officials last week to underscore the US' commitment to its alliance with the country and to defeating the Islamic State terrorist organization, the Department of Defense confirmed on Tuesday. Wallander also signed a memorandum of understanding with the minister of peshmerga affairs in the Kurdistan region describing the parameters by which the US will continue supporting Kurdish fighters against ISIS. Wallander also met with Iraqi Defense Minister Jumah Inad Sadun and other defense officials to talk about augmenting the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces and extending cooperation to combat new threats and increase interoperability. In Irbil, Wallander met with the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region and commander in chief of the peshmerga, Nechirvan Idris Barzani, and other Kurdish officials. “For decades, we have worked together based on shared objectives and a common commitment to the mandate that all people deserve dignity, security and the right to seek a better future,” Celeste Wallander, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.”
Turkey
Voice Of America: Kurdish Militants Attack Turkish Police, Kill Themselves
“Two suspected Kurdish militants opened fire on police in southern Turkey and later killed themselves by detonating suicide bombs, Turkey’s interior minister said. One police officer was killed in the attack while a second officer and a civilian were wounded. The attack was carried out late on Monday in the Mezitli district in the Mediterranean coastal province of Mersin, by two women affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters. They fired on police guarding a hotel for security officers, touching off clashes between them and police and a group of night guards who rushed to the scene, Soylu said. “The women terrorists were wounded during these clashes. As the clashes continued, two separate explosions were heard,” the minister said. “Because they were wounded, they understood they would not be able to escape and they (killed) themselves.” Soylu said a woman who was sitting on a balcony near the scene was hit by a stray bullet during the clashes. Neither she nor the second police officer was seriously hurt, he said. There was no immediate comment from the militant group. The PKK is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, Europe and the United States.”
MSN: Nearly 25 Suspected Islamic State Members Arrested In Turkey
“Turkish security forces on Tuesday detained nearly 25 suspected members of the Islamic State jihadist group in a series of operations carried out in the city of Istanbul and the province of Mersin. Istanbul Anti-Terrorism Police have carried out raids on fourteen locations in the city to arrest 16 suspects preparing operations in the country, while eight others have been detained in Mersin. According to information reported by the Turkish daily 'Hurriyet', those arrested in Mersin had been under investigation for the last six months due to their propaganda acts in favor of the group and the sending of money on behalf of the jihadist organization. Turkish authorities have carried out dozens of operations against the group over the past few years and in June 2021 announced the arrest of a senior Islamic State official considered to be responsible for the jihadist group's activities in the country as part of an operation carried out by the Intelligence services in Syria. Islamic State, which Turkey declared a terrorist group in 2013, has perpetrated several attacks on Turkish soil in recent years in which at least 300 people have been killed and hundreds more injured.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: EXCLUSIVE Afghan Taliban Sign Deal For Russian Oil Products, Gas And Wheat
“The Taliban have signed a provisional deal with Russia to supply gasoline, diesel, gas and wheat to Afghanistan, Acting Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters. Azizi said his ministry was working to diversify its trading partners and that Russia had offered the Taliban administration a discount to average global commodity prices. The move, the first known major international economic deal struck by the Taliban since they returned to power more than a year ago, could help to ease the Islamist movement's isolation that has effectively cut it off from the global banking system. No country formally recognises the group, which fought a 20-year insurgency against Western forces and their local Afghan allies before sweeping into Kabul as U.S. troops withdrew. Western diplomats have said the group needs to change its course on human rights, particularly those of women, and prove it has cut ties with international militant groups in order to gain formal recognition.”
India
Reuters: India Bans Islamic Group PFI, Accuses It Of ‘Terrorism’
“India declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) Islamic group and its affiliates unlawful on Wednesday, accusing them of involvement in "terrorism" and banning them for five years, after authorities detained more than 100 PFI members this month. The PFI did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment but its now-banned student wing, the Campus Front of India (CFI), called the government action a political vendetta and propaganda. ‘We are against the concept of a Hindu nation, we are against fascism, not India,’ Imran P.J., national secretary of the CFI, told Reuters. ‘We will overcome this challenge. We will revive our ideology after five years. We will also consider going to court against the ban.’ On Tuesday, the PFI denied accusations of violence and anti-national activities when its offices were raided and dozens of its members were detained in various states.”
Yemen
Arab News: Yemeni Forces Drive Al-Qaeda From Stronghold After Bitter Fighting
“Yemeni forces say they have driven Al-Qaeda out of a key stronghold in the south of the country, after fierce fighting in which 32 soldiers and at least 24 militants were killed. Mohammed Al-Naqeeb, a spokesman for the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council, which commands the military operations, told Arab News that the third phase of an offensive named “Eastern Arrows” had ended after their forces captured Omaran valley in Abyan province. He said 32 soldiers were killed and 42 wounded by Al-Qaeda counterattacks, booby traps and roadside bombs. The militants suffered 24 dead in combat or in the bombardment of Abyan’s high, rocky highlands. Al-Naqeeb said STC forces had recovered landmines and improvised explosive devices from captured Al-Qaeda strongholds, and were next preparing to target the group’s final hiding places around the town of Al-Mahfad. “Al-Qaeda has taken significant hits and lost one of its key strongholds in Omaran,” Al-Naqeeb said. “Our manpower and readiness make us capable of clearing entire southern provinces. It has been eight years since we began fighting terrorism. Our forces have gained expertise in combating Al-Qaeda.” The Yemeni military and security services launched their offensive earlier this month to drive Al-Qaeda out of Abyan and neighboring Shabwa, from where the militants have trained and planned attacks against Yemeni cities.”
Nigeria
All Africa: Nigeria: Military Artillery Kills Scores Of ISWAP Terrorists In Yobe As 1 Cjtf Dies In Borno
“The Nigerian Military Artillery have bombed a rendezvous of the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), killing many of the terrorists in Yobe State. LEADERSHIP gathered that the insurgents had converged at a location given as Wulle on motorcycles and vehicles with the intention to carry out an attack on the nearest Military formation. An intelligence report obtained by Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad from top military sources, which was made available to our correspondent, indicated that acting on the intelligence, the troops of 27 Task Force Battalion fired several artillery at the terrorists which resulted in the killing of unspecified number of them. It was further reported that the terrorists later returned on six motorcycles and one vehicle to evacuate their corpses. In another development, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) was killed while four others were injured in a midnight raid by the ISWAP terrorists in Benisheik, a village in Kaga local government area of Borno State. Benisheikh is located about 72 km and 44.8 miles to Maiduguri, Borno State capital. It was gathered that the terrorists sneaked into the town on motorcycles at about 3:30am and engaged security men in a heavy gun battle.”
All Africa: Nigeria: Investigation - Why Terror Attack On Nigeria's Kuje Prison Was Successful
“The attack on the Kuje prison reveals a lacuna in the general preparedness and armed reaction capacity of Nigeria's security services. In the security circle, the prison is described as a “self-sustained defended” facility with some resources to thwart attacks. But the vigil of armed personnel there had slipped into a groove in which they usually lowered their guard. So, with a chill in the air one night in July, they were relaxed, unprepared for the coming danger despite the intelligence available to their office-based superiors warning of an attack. Suddenly, they heard a loud bang, then sounds of gunfire, pitching them into turmoil and panic. Disoriented, having not prepared, they fled, making the attackers advance and ultimately deliver a successful operation barely challenged. Terrorists attacked the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory on 5 July with a cocktail of Improvised Explosive Devices and high-calibre weapons to free imprisoned fighters. ISIS-aligned Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed the attack, which intelligence sources and researchers familiar with the terror group's setup said was carried out by the group's Kogi cell fighters, aided by another terror group, Ansaru.”
Somalia
Bloomberg: US, Militia Help Somalia Gain Control Of Militant-Held Areas
“Somalia’s army, backed by thousands of militia members, have driven al-Shabaab militants out of central areas of the country in the largest offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked group in five years, the government said. Allied forces captured 50 settlements, including several key villages in central Somalia, covering an area of about 200 square kilometers (77 square miles), Somali Interior Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi told reporters in the capital, Mogadishu. After taking office in May, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed to escalate the fight against al-Shabaab as it threatened to spread attacks into Ethiopia and carry out more in neighboring Kenya. The rebels reacted with a deadly siege on a hotel in Mogadishu last month. Somalia has been battling the insurgency since 2006 and suffers regular blasts in the capital and elsewhere. The group’s most violent operations included a 2015 raid on a university campus that claimed at least 147 lives and an assault on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall in 2013, which killed 67. In July, it attacked four towns near the border with Ethiopia. The offensive against the militants has gained momentum this year, aided by President Joe Biden’s decision to send US Special Operations troops back to the country.”
United Kingdom
The Independent: British Police Fear Weapons From Ukraine War Could Reach The UK And Terrorists
“British police are “working closely” to ensure that weapons from the Ukrainian war do not reach the UK and find their way into the hands of terrorists. Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Matt Twist said the conflict was one of several “international challenges” affecting security in the UK. Speaking at the International Security Expo in London on Tuesday, he added: “Whatever the outcome of this awful conflict, it is clear that over the medium term there will be huge amounts of weapons and ammunition in the region, which will take some time to stabilise and normalise when the phase of outright war ends. “We will work very closely across policing and with security partners, particularly the National Crime Agency to ensure that weapons from this or any other conflict zone do not find their way to the UK.” British counter-terror police are also leading investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine and taking testimonies from refugees fleeing to Britain. Mr Twist, who heads the “protect and prepare” strand of counter-terrorism policing, said officers were also monitoring other potential impacts from the Russian invasion, adding: “World events have an impact on the streets of London and elsewhere in the UK.”
Arab News: Daesh ‘Beatle’ Dodges US Supermax Prison In ‘Kick In The Teeth’ To Victims
“Daesh “Beatle” El Shafee El-Sheikh has avoided serving prison time in a US supermax prison after being moved to a lesser penitentiary following conviction, The Mirror reported. The terrorist, who grew up in Britain and had his citizenship stripped in 2018, was part of the four-man Daesh terror group dubbed the “Beatles” that carried out brutal high-profile killings during Syria’s civil war. But after being convicted in the US, the 34-year-old has avoided being transferred to Colorado’s ADX Florence — the country’s most notorious supermax prison — as was expected. Instead, the Sudan-born terrorist is being held at nearby USP Florence High, where he will stay as part of the general prison population rather than in solitary confinement. Earlier this year in August, El-Sheikh’s legal team argued during sentencing that due to mental health issues, the man dubbed “Jihadi Ringo” should serve time in a lesser prison. “Sending Mr. El-Sheikh, an individual who is already showing signs of mental and physical deterioration from his present and past detention, to ADX Florence, is not an appropriate sentence,” they said. However, trial judge Thomas Selby Ellis dismissed the plea at the time. El-Sheikh was found guilty on eight charges, including four counts of hostage-taking resulting in death, murder conspiracy and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.”
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