Eye on Extremism
January 30, 2023
Associated Press: Suicide Bomber Kills 20, Wounds 96 At Mosque In NW Pakistan
“A suicide bomber struck Monday inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 20 people and wounding as many as 96 worshippers, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, said Saddique Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar who gave the latest casualty tolls, but the Pakistani Taliban have been blamed in similar suicide attacks in the past. The bomber detonated his suicide vest as some 150 worshipers — including many policemen from nearby police offices — were praying inside. The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer… Rescuers scrambled trying to remove mounds of debris from the mosque grounds and get to worshippers still trapped under the rubble, police said. Khan said said several of the wounded were listed in critical condition at a hospital and there were fears the death toll would rise.”
CNN: At Least Seven Dead In Jerusalem Synagogue Attack, Israeli Police Say
“Israeli police say at least seven people were killed and three were injured in a shooting near a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday amid high tensions in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Friday’s shooter was also later killed by police forces, according to police, in what police chief Yaakov Shabtai described as ‘one of the worst terror attacks in the past few years.’ ‘As a result of the shooting attack, the death of 7 civilians was determined and 3 others were injured with additional degrees of injury,’ police said. Five of the shooting victims were pronounced dead at the scene, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency rescue service said: four men and a woman. Five people were transported to hospitals, where another man and woman were declared dead.”
United States
NBC News: DOJ Charges 3 Men In Murder-For-Hire Plot Against Journalist Critical Of Iran
“The Department of Justice has charged three members of an Eastern European criminal group with ties to Iran with attempting to assassinate a prominent U.S. journalist and activist critical of the Iranian regime. In a 25-page indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice said the three men were enlisted last year to murder an American citizen of Iranian origin on U.S. soil… Soon after the charges were announced, writer and women's rights activist Masih Alinejad revealed that she was the target of the assassination plot. ‘I just learned from 12 FBI agents that the 3 men hired by the Iranian regime to kill me on US soil have been indicted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards have been conducting these terrorist operations for four decades. Islamic Republic is ISIS with oil. #WomanLifeFreedom,’ she tweeted.”
Syria
Associated Press: Report: Drones Attack Convoy In East Syria Coming From Iraq
“Drones attacked a convoy of trucks in eastern Syria Sunday night shortly after it crossed into the country from Iraq, Syrian opposition activists and a pro-government radio station said. There was no immediate word on casualties. The strike comes amid heightening tension between Iran and its rivals in the region. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the convoy in the Syrian border region of Boukamal, which is a stronghold of Iran-backed militias. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the drones appear to have been from the U.S.-led coalition, adding that they targeted six refrigerated trucks. The group said there were casualties and ambulances rushed to the area.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: Afghan Female Students Not Allowed To Sit University Entrance Exam
“The Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Education ordered private universities in Afghanistan not to allow female students to sit university entrance exams next month, underscoring its policy to restrict women from tertiary education. A letter from the ministry was addressed to institutions in Afghanistan's northern provinces, including Kabul, where exams are due to take place from the end of February. The letter said those institutions that did not observe the rules would face legal action. The Higher Education Ministry in December told universities not to allow female students "until further notice". Days later, the administration stopped most female NGO workers from working. Most girls' highschools have also been closed by authorities. The restrictions on women's work and education have drawn condemnation internationally. Western diplomats have signalled the Taliban would need to change course on its policies towards women to have a chance of formal international recognition and an easing of its economic isolation.”
Pakistan
Dawn: Security Forces Kill Militant, Arrest Two In Waziristan Operation
“Local officials said the security forces conducted the operation after they received information about presence of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan affiliates in Marsikhel area of Miramshah. They added one militant was killed during crossfire with the security forces, and two others were arrested. “Two affiliates of the banned outfit were arrested and arms and ammunition recovered from their procession,” officials said, adding some cash, Afghan origin SIM cards and other equipment used for com-munication were also recovered during the operation. The officials also said the arrested militants were being interrogated and more arrests were expected.”
Middle East
The Jerusalem Post: 13-Year-Old Palestinian Shoots At Israeli Father And Son At City Of David
“A 13-year-old resident of east Jerusalem opened fire on a group of pedestrians walking home from Shabbat services on Saturday morning near the City of David archaeological site in Jerusalem. A 47-year-old father and his 22-year-old son were shot by the child terrorist. The younger man, an off-duty IDF paratrooper officer, was able to shoot back and wound the terrorist, as shown by security cameras from the site. The video showed the youth lurking behind parked cars with a handgun – and when a group of Jewish pedestrians passed, he sprang out and started firing. The father was reported in moderate condition and his son in serious but stable condition on Saturday night. The terrorist was in serious condition.”
Outlook: Israel: 7 Killed In Attack At Synagogue In Jerusalem, Terrorist Shot Dead
“…The PIJ is a Palestinian terrorist group based in Gaza. It's the second-largest group in Gaza after Hamas and is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and establishing an autonomous Islamic Palestinian state in the lands currently comprising Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, according the think tank Counter Extremism Project (CEP). Saleh al-Arouri, deputy leader of Palestinian group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, vowed that Israel "will pay the price for the Jenin massacre". The Hamas is a Palestinian terrorist group that controls Gaza. The CEP states, "The group’s ideology blends Islamism and Palestinian nationalism and seeks the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River."”
Turkey
Reuters: U.S. Issues Another Warning Of Possible Terrorist Attacks In Turkey
“The U.S. embassy in Turkey warned Americans on Monday of possible attacks against churches, synagogues, and diplomatic missions in Istanbul, marking its second such notice in four days, following Koran-burning incidents in Europe. In an updated security alert, the U.S. embassy said ‘possible imminent retaliatory attacks by terrorists’ could take place in areas frequented by Westerners, especially the city's Beyoglu, Galata, Taksim, and Istiklal neighbourhoods. Turkish authorities are investigating the matter, it added. On Friday, several embassies in Ankara including those of the United States, Germany, France and Italy issued security alerts over possible retaliatory attacks against places of worship, following separate incidents in which the Muslim holy book, the Koran, was burned in Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark. On Saturday, Turkey warned its citizens against ‘possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks’ in the United States and Europe.”
Nigeria
Voice Of America News: Reprisals Feared In Nigeria After Bombing Of 40 Pastoralists
“Officials in Nigeria say the death toll from an attack on animal herders has risen to 40. The strike took place Wednesday in Rukubi, a village on the border between Nigeria's Nassarawa and Benue states, a region known for ethnic and religious conflict. Nassarawa state governor Abdullahi Sule has refuted claims that a military jet bombed pastoralists and said Thursday it was an unidentified drone operated from an unknown location that exploded. He said he has deployed security operatives to the area to prevent tensions or reprisals. "I've been on it all night trying to resolve the matter with chief of defense staff, Miyetti Allah, and all the security agencies including our commissioner of police to ensure that we continue to douse the tension that may generate as a result of this," Sule said. Pastoralists were returning from nearby Benue state with hundreds of cattle they had bailed out from officials enforcing an anti-open grazing law when the bomb exploded among them.”
Vanguard News: Troops Eliminate Terrorists’ Commander, Abu Illiya, 32 Others In Borno
“The Nigerian Army troops of Operation Hadin Kai in collaboration with hybrid forces of the Civilian Joint Task Force have eliminated 32 terrorists including a top Boko Haram commander, Abu Illiya, during a raid in the terrorist camps in Konduga Local Governments of Borno State. According to a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analysts in Lake Chad, “the troops achieved the feats during an intelligence-led aggressive fighting patrol in some identified Boko Haram hideouts in Kayamari, Habasha and Yuwe villages. “Troops made contact with the terrorists in the course of the counter-offensive patrol in Yuwe which led to a heavy gun battle.””
Somalia
Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab Assassinates Regional Minister In Somalia
“A regional minister became the latest casualty of Al-Shabaab terrorists, the Galmadug state announced on Saturday evening, following an unprecedented shooting in the capital Mogadishu, in the latest incident involving senior government officials and the Somalia-based militants. According to a statement issued by authorities in Dhusumareb, Farhiya Abdi Mohamed, the state minister for Transport and Aviation, was killed instantly by armed Al-Shabaab militants who were trailing her in the heavily fortified zone in the capital city, which is under surveillance by security forces. It is not clear why the militants targeted thee minister but traditionally, Al-Shabaab militants have been targeting senior government officials, members of security forces, and even innocent civilians. The militants have been on a revenge mission having been toppled from strategic towns by advancing security forces.”
Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab Commander Surrenders To Somalia Troops
“A number of Al-Shabaab militants have continued to use the amnesty window given by the Somali National Army [SNAI, with one of the high-ranking commanders officially defecting from the group, which has been counting losses in the last seven months across the Horn of Africa nation. State media reported that Aden Isaq Hassan, a member of the militant group Al-Shabaab surrendered to the Somali National Army in Baidoa, the capital of the South West State today on Saturday. Southwest has been one of the most infiltrated states by the militants according to records. For the last three years, state media reported, Hassan has been in charge of the Al-Shabaab guerrilla unit that was terrorizing citizens in the Middle Jubba, Bakol, and Bay regions. The Somali National Army has been camping in their particular regions for the last couple of months.”
MSN: Somali Government Announces More Than 130 Jihadists Killed In Last Two Days Of Operations
“The Somali government announced Sunday that 136 militiamen of the jihadist organization Al Shabaab have been killed during the last two days of military operations in the country, as part of the ‘total war’ declared by President Hassan Shaykh Mohamud against the terrorist group. The operations have been concentrated in the Lower Shabelle region and among the dead jihadists there are prominent leaders of the organization such as its head of coastal operations, Salman Dheere, or the regional commander Macalin Hashi. At least 98 jihadists were wounded in these operations, reported the Somali deputy information minister, Abrahman Yusuf al Addaala, in comments reported by the portal Hiraan on Line. In addition, the Somali president is finalizing an announcement in which he will announce the exact amount of money seized from the jihadist organization following the economic offensive launched by the government against its sources of financing and hidden accounts both at home and abroad. The total amount seized is expected to amount to ‘millions of dollars’.”
Africa
TRT World: Militant Attacks Kill Over Dozen In Eastern DRC
“A wave of attacks on villages in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo attributed to Daesh-affiliated ADF militants have killed at least 15 people, local officials said. Sunday's killings come a week after a similar attack left at least 23 people dead. "There were simultaneous attacks this Sunday between 4:00 and 5:00 am on three villages...," said local official Dieudonne Malangai. "In Manyala village we found seven bodies... at Ofay, there were eight dead, including seven women," Malangai told AFP news agency, and indicated that the final toll might be higher. A humanitarian source confirmed seven fatalities in Manyala and "at least eight" in Ofay. "These ADF rebels also attacked Bandibese village but ran into resistance from soldiers who intervened and so there were no civilian deaths," Malangai said after the raids on three villages in Ituri province bordering Rwanda.”
Al Jazeera: UNICEF Urges Release Of 13 Kidnapped Children In Eastern DRC
“The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF urged on Friday for the release of 13 children who were abducted during a deadly attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern region this month. In a statement, the agency said 11 boys and two girls were believed to have been kidnapped by an armed group during an attack on a village in North Kivu province. “UNICEF which condemns the abduction, is concerned that the abducted children are being inhumanely treated and is calling for them to be released immediately,” it said. On January 22, suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) members killed at least 23 people during an attack on the village of Makugwe and kidnapped several people, sources previously told AFP. The ADF is one of the deadliest armed groups in eastern DRC, a volatile region that has been plagued by violence for decades. The armed group – which the ISIL (ISIS) group has claimed as its central African affiliate – has been accused of slaughtering thousands of Congolese civilians and carrying out bomb attacks in Uganda.”
United Kingdom
Reuters: British Police Charge Soldier With Terrorism Offence
“British police said on Friday that they had charged a 21-year-old serving soldier with a terrorism offence and an explosives-related charge, following an investigation. London's Metropolitan Police said they had charged Daniel Abed Khalif, from Stafford in central England, with eliciting or attempting to elicit in August 2021 information that could used by a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Khalif was also charged on Friday with the offence of placing an article which other people might fear was a bomb, police said in a statement, adding that the offence took place on or before Jan. 2 this year.”
CBS News: U.K. Jails Right-Wing Extremist Who Helped "Inspire" U.S. Mass Shootings
“A 19-year-old British man whose extreme right-wing videos helped ‘inspire’ two recent U.S. shootings, according to police, was sentenced Friday to 11 years in prison by a U.K. court. Daniel Harris was convicted of encouraging terrorism. He had been previously found guilty of six terrorism offenses in November of 2022, following a slew of online posts on the World Truth Videos platform spewing racist rhetoric and issuing calls for the death of minorities. Harris was also convicted of the possession of a 3D printer with the intent to make his own gun. The teenager's online videos were referenced several times by the gunman behind the supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York last May, as well as the suspect in the mass killing at a Colorado gay club in November.”
Europe
Associated Press: Spanish Ministry: ‘Bomb Workshop’ Found In Retiree’s Home
“Police in Spain discovered a bomb-making workshop in the home of a 74-year-old man charged with terrorism for sending six letters containing explosives to high-profile diplomatic and government targets, the Spanish Interior Ministry said Friday. Spain’s National Court said earlier it had charged the retiree with six offenses for allegedly sending letter bombs to the country’s prime minister and to the U.S. and Ukrainian embassies in Madrid. An employee at the Ukrainian Embassy was slightly injured while handling one of the letters. An Interior Ministry statement issued as the suspect appeared in court Friday detailed items in the man’s home that indicated meticulous planning had gone into making the letter bombs.”
The National News: Far-Right Extremist Burns Quran Outside Danish Mosque
“A far-right extremist sparked fresh anger on Friday when he burnt a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Denmark, streaming his stunt live on Facebook. Loud music blared from inside the mosque in Copenhagen as anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan spoke outside, in an apparent attempt to drown out his words. “This mosque has no place in Denmark,” said Mr Paludan, wearing a protective helmet and surrounded by riot police. The activist was later driven away in a police car. Later, in front of the Turkish embassy, the Danish-Swedish activist said: “Once he [Erdogan] has let Sweden into Nato, I promise that I will not burn the Quran outside the Turkish embassy. Otherwise, I will do so every Friday at 2pm.” Mr Paludan had performed the same stunt in Sweden last Saturday.”
Southeast Asia
United News Of Bangladesh: CTTC Arrests 5 ‘Huji Militants', 1 ‘Al Qaeda Member’ In Dhaka
“The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested five suspected members of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) and a member of Al Qaeda from different parts of the capital on Friday. The arrestees were Fakhrul Islam, 58, Saiful Islam, 24, Suruzzaman, 45, Abdullah Al Mamun, 46, Din Islam, 25 and Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, 46. During the drives, the law enforcers also seized nine mobile phone sets from their possession, said Md Asaduzzaman, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, in a press briefing on Saturday.”
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