“The US military and Syrian Democratic Forces conducted a helicopter raid in
eastern Syria early Saturday, capturing an ISIS official, according to a
statement from US Central Command. Batar, ‘an ISIS Syria Province Official
involved in planning attacks on SDF-guarded detention centers and manufacturing
improvised explosive devices,’ was captured in the raid, CENTCOM said in the
statement. The US did not provide any additional information or evidence
regarding its claims about Batar. No civilians, SDF or US forces were killed or
injured in the raid, according to CENTCOM. The development comes on the heels
of an earlier helicopter raid in Syria on Thursday night that the US military
said killed Hamza al-Homsi, a senior ISIS leader, as well as wounded four US
troops and a working dog.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



February 21, 2023



CNN: US Conducts Helicopter Raid In Syria Capturing ISIS Official
<[link removed]>



“The US military and Syrian Democratic Forces conducted a helicopter raid in
eastern Syria early Saturday, capturing an ISIS official, according to a
statement from US Central Command. Batar, ‘an ISIS Syria Province Official
involved in planning attacks on SDF-guarded detention centers and manufacturing
improvised explosive devices,’ was captured in the raid, CENTCOM said in the
statement. The US did not provide any additional information or evidence
regarding its claims about Batar. No civilians, SDF or US forces were killed or
injured in the raid, according to CENTCOM. The development comes on the heels
of an earlier helicopter raid in Syria on Thursday night that the US military
said killed Hamza al-Homsi, a senior ISIS leader, as well as wounded four US
troops and a working dog.”



Associated Press: Taliban Claim Attack On Police In Pakistan’s Karachi, 7 Dead
<[link removed]>



“Militants launched a deadly suicide attack on the police headquarters of
Pakistan’s largest city on Friday, officials said, as the sound of gunfire and
explosions rocked the heart of Karachi for several hours. Three security forces
and a civilian were killed and 18 security forces wounded, according to
government officials and Ghulam Nabi Memon, police chief for the southern Sindh
province where Karachi is located. Two suicide bombers were killed and at least
one blew himself up after entering the police building, officials added.
Pakistani Taliban in a brief statement claimed responsibility. Murtaza Wahab, a
government adviser, confirmed that police and paramilitary forces in a joint
operation had cleared the police building within three hours of the attack late
Friday.”



United States



The Hill: Graham: US Should Designate Russia A State Sponsor Of Terrorism
<[link removed]>



“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday reiterated his call for the U.S. to
designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism as the Kremlin’s conflict
against neighboring Ukraine nears the end of its first year. Graham made the
point while responding to comments from Vice President Harris at the Munich
Security Conference over the weekend, where she said the U.S. has formally
determined that Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine. ‘And
let me just stress this — how can you call this war by Russia a crime against
humanity, and that’s what the vice president did in Munich — now, we’re talking
about Germany. We’re talking about the vice president of United States
declaring that Russia is involved in crimes against humanity in Germany of all
places, you know, echoes of World War II,’ Graham told ABC ‘This Week’
co-anchor Martha Raddatz. ‘How can she say that — and she is correct — and not
give the victim of the crime against humanity the defensive weapons they need
to stop the crime?’ he added.”



Fox News Dallas: Man Arrested, Charged With Making Terrorist Threat Against
Desoto Mosque
<[link removed]>



“48-year-old Demarcus Brodie, from DeSoto, was charged with issuing a
terrorist threat against the DeSoto House of Peace & Community Center on West
Beltline road. Police say he approached worshippers and threatened to kill
families and kill them, if they continue to practice their religion. Police
released images of Brodie from inside on the mosque on Tuesday, February 14.
They identified Brodie from the surveillance images and through background
checks, which found that he was charged with a 2007 violent crime in Charlotte,
North Carolina. In that case, witnesses said Brodie walked into a hotel
restaurant and slashed a server's neck, what police described as a serious and
nearly fatal wound.”



Tampa Bay Times: Tampa Man Accused In Terrorism Case To Plead Guilty, Accept
18 Years In Prison
<[link removed]>



“The Tampa man accused of plotting an attack in the name of the Islamic State
has agreed to plead guilty to a terrorism charge and accept an 18-year prison
sentence, according to a plea document filed this week in federal court.
Muhammed Alazhari, 25, signed an agreement Monday that calls for him to plead
guilty to a single charge of attempting to provide material support and
resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Two other criminal charges,
related to a pair of guns he was alleged to have illegally possessed, will be
dismissed. If a judge approves the guilty plea, it will abruptly end a case
that for more than two years has seen intense and complex litigation of issues
related to government surveillance, searches and the defendant’s mental health.
Prosecutors and the defense sparred over information related to the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, a federal law that governs evidence collected in
espionage or international terrorism investigations.”



Syria



Reuters: At Least 53 Killed Syria Attack, Islamic State Blamed -State TV
<[link removed]>



“At least 53 civilians were killed in an attack in Syria's central desert
province of Homs, state media reported on Friday, blaming jihadist militant
group Islamic State. The bodies of all victims taken to the Palmyra state
hospital had gunshot wounds to the head, state news agency SANA cited the
hospital's head as saying. State media said the victims had been gathering
desert truffles when they were attacked. Homs province is controlled by the
Syrian government and its allies. Five people who were wounded were transferred
to another hospital. One of the survivors told SANA that IS had burned their
cars.”



AFP: Israeli Strike Kills 15 In Syrian Capital: War Monitor
<[link removed]>



“An Israeli air strike killed early Sunday 15 people including two Syrian
civilians and badly damaged a building in a Damascus district housing state
security agencies, a war monitor said. The strike targeted a meeting that
included Syrian regime officers and was ‘the deadliest Israeli attack in the
Syrian capital’ since the civil war began, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights. The overnight strike cratered a road and wrecked
the adjacent 10-storey building in the Kafr Sousa district, which is home to
senior state officials and Syrian intelligence headquarters, said the
Britain-based Observatory. A woman was also killed in the Mazraa district,
possibly hit when Syrian anti-aircraft munitions crashed down, it added. It was
not immediately clear who was the intended target of the strike, which AFP
correspondents reported shook Damascus and left a gaping hole in the street.
Other missiles overnight hit a warehouse used by pro-regime Iranian and
Hezbollah fighters near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a wide
network of sources inside Syria.”



Hawar News Agency: SDF Kills 2 ISIS Leader In Deir Ezzor Countryside
<[link removed]>



“SDF's Media Center stated, ‘Within the framework of our forces’ pursuit of
the remnants of ISIS terrorist cells; The day before yesterday, on February 16,
our forces carried out two security operations against ISIS cells in the
eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.’ ‘In the first operation carried out by the
Anti-Terrorism Units (YAT) of our forces, with the support and participation of
the International Coalition Forces, which took place in the ‘Al-Sabha’ district
in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, it aimed at arresting a leader in the
organization called "Muhannad Al-Sari’. Al-Fadgham, who is one of the dangerous
security forces of the terrorist organization ISIS, was carrying out
assassination operations against our forces. After besieging his whereabouts,
our units called on him to surrender, but he refused the call and started
shooting at our units, which forced them to respond and a clash broke out,
which led to his death.”



Iran



Qantara.de: Iran-Based Egyptian Saif Al-Adel Is New Al-Qaida Chief, Says U.S.
<[link removed]>



“…Adel, 62, is a former Egyptian special forces lieutenant colonel and figure
in the old guard of al-Qaida. He helped build the group's operational capacity
and trained some of the hijackers who took part in the September 11, 2001
attack on the United States, according to the U.S. Counter Extremism Project.
He has been in Iran since 2002 or 2003, at first under house arrest, but later
free enough to make trips to Pakistan, according to Ali Soufan, a former FBI
counter-terrorism investigator.”



AFP News: Iranian-German Dual National Sentenced To Death For 'Terrorism':
Judiciary
<[link removed]>



“A Tehran court on Tuesday sentenced to death an Iranian-German dual national
accused of being the leader of a ‘terrorist’ group behind a deadly 2008 mosque
bombing, the judiciary said. ‘The Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Jamshid
Sharmahd, the leader of the Tondar terrorist group, to death on the charge of
corruption on earth through planning and directing terrorist acts,’ the
judiciary's Mizan Online news agency reported.”



Tehran Times: Third Trial Session For Shah Cheragh Terrorist Attack Held
<[link removed]>



“The trial meeting was held at the presence of the defendants and their
lawyers, parents of the victims and a group of witnesses of the horrible
incident. On October 26, 2022, a gunman entered the Shah Cheragh shrine and
mowed down at visitors, leaving 13 people dead, including children, and 30 more
injured. The gunman and his accomplices come from the neighboring countries.
Fars province’s head of justice department stated that 5 persons have been
indicted in the terrorist attack, underlining that those responsible for such a
devilish act are linked to the Daesh terrorist group.”



Iraq



Gulf Today: Four Daesh Militants Killed In Eastern Iraq Airstrike
<[link removed]>



“A total of four Daesh militants were killed in an airstrike in eastern Iraq
and a raid in the west, the Iraqi military has said. Acted on intelligence
reports, the Iraqi fighter jets bombarded an Daesh hideout in the Himreen
mountain range on Friday, killing three Daesh militants, said the media office
of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command in a statement. The statement gave no
further details about the bombed Daesh hideout but said more information would
be released later, Xinhua news agency reported. A security source anonymously
told the news agency that one of the three killed is believed to be a local
leader of the extremist group.”



Iraqi News: Iraqi PM Announces Elimination Of ISIS Terrorist Group
<[link removed]>



“The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, announced on Sunday that
the terrorist group of ISIS has been eliminated in Iraq, during a symposium on
the sidelines of his participation in the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Al-Sudani indicated that Iraq needs the assistance of the international
community to arrest terrorists outside Iraq and to prevent their financing.
‘Corruption in Iraq threatens development and reconstruction plans, and part of
the corruption finances terrorism,’ Al-Sudani said during the symposium. ‘Our
forces are able to achieve security and stability in Iraq, and our stance is
clear that there is no need for combat forces belonging to the international
coalition, but we only need advisory missions,’ Al-Sudani stated.”



Tasnim News Agency: Iraqi Army Launches Military Operation Against Daesh Cells
In 3 Provinces
<[link removed]>



“The Iraqi army has initiated a military operation to track down Daesh (ISIS
or ISIL) cells in three provinces following the terrorist group's recent
escalation of violent attacks across Iraq. The operation, which involves all
security forces and the support of army aviation, aims to pursue the remnants
and cells of Daesh in the provinces of Anbar, Saladin, and Nineveh, AlyaumTV
reported, citing the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The military operation is part
of ongoing efforts by the Iraqi army to eliminate the threat of Daesh in the
country. ‘The army launched a comprehensive military operation to pursue the
remnants and cells of the terrorist organization Daesh,’ the Iraqi Ministry of
Defense stated in a press release. ‘This operation is part of continuous
operations during this period.’”



Afghanistan



The Print: Top Kashmir Jihad Commander Who Led Indian Suicide Bombers In
Afghan IS Attacks Believed Killed
<[link removed]>



“Kashmir-born jihad commander Ejaz Ahmad Ahanger — alleged to have led an
Islamic State cell responsible for a series of suicide attacks by Indian
nationals in Kabul and Jalalabad — is believed to have been killed in southern
Afghanistan, intelligence officials, as well as members of his family, have
told ThePrint. The one-time iron-foundry apprentice from Srinagar was
designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs in January. Fahmida
Shafi, Ahanger’s sister, told ThePrint that authorities have informed the
family the terrorist leader ‘had slept off’. ‘The police summoned my older
brother to give him the news a few days ago,’ she said. ‘I do not know whether
this is true or not, but I have been crying since then.’”



Reporters Without Borders: TV Channel Raid, Arrests, Website Blocking In
Taliban Offensive Against Afghan Media
<[link removed]>



“Tolo News TV journalist Mohammad Yaar Majroh was finally released on 19
February after being held for six days. Six other Afghan journalists continue
to be detained. Journalists at the Kabul headquarters of the independent
Tamadon TV channel were on the point of going home at 4:20 p.m. on 14 February
when ten armed Taliban stormed in, took all of the personnel hostage for more
than 30 minutes, beat some of them, insulted them and accused them of being
‘infidel Hazaras’ who broadcast ‘information contrary to the Islamic Emirate’s
interests.’ After talking to the head of Tamadon TV, they finally left, taking
two of the TV channel’s vehicles with them, but they threatened to return. The
specific reason for the raid is still unclear, but one of the TV channel’s
employees told RSF that ‘the lives of Tamadon’s journalists are now in great
danger’ and he said he was no longer living at home.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Pakistan, Afghan Taliban Trade Fire At Border Crossing
<[link removed]>



“Pakistani border guards and Afghan Taliban forces traded cross-border fire on
Monday morning, officials said, a day after Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers closed
the Torkham border crossing amid increasing tensions between the two neighbors.
There was no immediate word on casualties on either side. On Sunday, the Afghan
Taliban shut Torkham, a key trade route, over Pakistan’s alleged refusal to
allow Afghan patients and their caretakers to enter Pakistan for medical care
without travel documents, Pakistani security officials said. They spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss border issues. Khalid Khan, a local Pakistani
police official, confirmed the border closure and what he described as
intermittent exchanges of fire at Torkham, located in Pakistan’s northwestern
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan’s military and the Foreign Ministry made
no immediate comments.”



Outlook India: Pakistan: Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan Attacks Police Chief's
Office In Karachi, Kills Four
<[link removed]>



“…The TTP is committed to the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in
Pakistan by overthrowing the current Pakistani state. The Caliphate is a term
that Islamist terrorist groups often use to refer to their Islamic states. The
word is rooted in historic Islamic kingdomes ruled by Caliphs. The TTP also
links with the Afghan Taliban and terrorist groun Al Qaeda, notes think tank
Counter Extremism Project (CEP). The CEP says, ‘As an ally of the Afghan
Taliban, the TTP also fought the US-backed Afghan government prior to the
latter’s defeat in August 2021. The TTP was founded in late 2007 by a group of
Pakistani militants who had previously fought in Afghanistan alongside both the
Taliban and al-Qaeda, and the group has maintained close ties to both
organizations since.’”



Hindustan Times: Top Hizbul Commander From J&K Killed In Pakistan; Bashir
Ahmad Was Wanted In India | Details
<[link removed]>



“The launching commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Bashir Ahmad Peer alias
Imtiyaz Alam, was killed in Pakistan's Rawalpindi on Monday evening. An
assailant shot at him from point-blank range outside a shop in Rawalpindi,
killing the top Hizb commander who was wanted in India. On October 4 of last
year, the Narendra Modi government designated Peer as a terrorist under the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was involved in providing logistics to
the banned outfit’s terrorists, especially for infiltration into the Kupwara
district in Jammu and Kashmir.”



Yemen



Yemen Online: 9 Killed In Houthi Rebels' Overnight Attack On Gov't Forces In
Yemen <[link removed]>



“Nine people were killed in Yemen after Houthi rebel militants launched an
overnight attack on sites of the government forces in the northern province of
al-Jawf, a military official said on Monday. ‘Heavy armed confrontations took
place between the government forces and the Houthi fighters in Abtar area and
other adjacent areas bordering Saudi Arabia late on Sunday night, killing at
least four soldiers and five rebels,’ the local military official said on
condition of anonymity, Xinhua news agency reported. ‘The government forces
succeeded in aborting the rebel attack,’ he said, adding that Houthis have
stepped up their attacks on the Yemeni government forces stationed in the areas
bordering Saudi Arabia in the past few weeks. Yemen has witnessed sporadic
armed confrontations between the local warring factions, after a cease-fire
brokered by the United Nations expired in October last year.”



Arab News: In Rare Admission, Yemen’s Houthis Confirm They Released Al-Qaeda
Terrorists <[link removed]>



“The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have admitted trading Al-Qaeda prisoners for
their own captured fighters. It was a rare admission by the group, which has
long denied freeing militants. It came a day after Rashad Al-Alimi, the
chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, accused the Houthis of
releasing Al-Qaeda militants, arming them and sending them to attack Yemeni
government troops. Abdulkader Al-Murtada, head of the Houthis’ prisoner
exchange committee, said on Sunday that they traded two Al-Qaeda terrorists,
purportedly captured on the battlefields of Al-Bayda province, for three of the
militia’s fighters.”



Middle East



Reuters: Taliban Plans To Turn Former Foreign Bases Into Special Economic Zones

<[link removed]>



“The Taliban administration will move ahead with plans to turn former foreign
military bases into special economic zones for businesses, the acting deputy
prime minister for economic affairs said in a statement on Sunday. The acting
commerce minister had told Reuters in December that his ministry was working on
the plan for former American bases and would submit it to both the economic
committee led by acting deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and to the cabinet
for approval. ‘Following a thorough discussion, it was decided that the
Ministry of Industry and Commerce should progressively take control of the
remaining military bases of the foreign forces with the intention of converting
them into special economic zones,’ Mullah Baradar said in the statement. He
added a pilot plan would begin to convert bases in the capital Kabul and in
northern Balkh province.”



The Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Brother Of City Of David Terrorist Indicted By
Israel Police <[link removed]>



“The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office indicted on Sunday the older brother
of the 13-year-old Palestinian who carried out a terrorist shooting at the City
of David archaeological site in the Israeli capital last month. Omar Aliawat,
29 years old, is accused of acquiring the pistol used by his younger brother in
the attack that injured an Israeli father and son. According to the indictment,
the accused hid the weapon and two full clips in a storage warehouse near the
brothers' east Jerusalem home. He was charged with illegal carrying and
possession of weaponry and acts of recklessness and negligence.”



i24 News: Israeli Military Arrests Known Terrorist Trying To Cross Syrian
Border
<[link removed]>



“Israeli security forces apprehended two suspects who crossed the border from
Syria into Israeli territory in the southern Golan Heights. The arrest of the
suspects by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops was made possible by detailed
intelligence concerning the cell's activities. Following the arrest, the
suspects were transferred for questioning, at which point it became apparent
that one of the suspects, a Syrian named Ei'th Abdollah, is involved in
terrorist activity and intelligence gathering operations in the border area in
order to promote future terrorist activities. The cell is known as the ‘Project
Golan.’”



Nigeria



Daily Trust: Security Operatives Gun Down Militants In Anambra
<[link removed]>



“Combined security operatives in the early hours of Sunday killed five gunmen
in 3-3 Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Oyi local government council of Anambra state. The
gunmen were said to be on their way to wreak havoc at 3-3 police divisional
headquarters, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, when they met their waterloo. The security
operatives said they recovered two AK-47 rifles, Toyota Sienna and various
charms from the gunmen.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalia Sentences Military Trainer To 15 Years In Prison Over
Spying For Al-Shabaab
<[link removed]>



“The court of the Somali military on Sunday jailed a man believed to be a spy
of the Al-Qaeda-linked group, the Al-Shabaab, noting that he had been sharing
critical information on the movements of soldiers and their subsequent
operations. Abdiaziz Hussein Nur, 63, was slapped with 15 years in jail by the
military court which has been prosecuting his case for months. The final
sentencing by the court is not subject to appeal and he will now be a guest of
the state for the next 15 years over what the court termed as a ‘conspiracy to
endanger the lives of soldiers’. The convict, who has been sharing critical
details about the Somali National Army to, the Al-Shabaab, was one time a
trainer with the national army thus his immense knowledge of operations, the
court noted. Evidence was tabled in the court on the allegations, leading to
his imminent conviction.”



Africa



Reuters: At Least 51 Soldiers Killed In North Burkina Faso Attack On Friday
<[link removed]>



“At least 51 soldiers were killed when their unit was ambushed in northern
Burkina Faso on Friday, the army said on Monday, one of the highest reported
death tolls from a single attack since the area became a hotbed of jihadist
activity. The incident occurred two days before France officially marked the
end of its military operations in the West African nation, where in 2015 some
400 French special forces had been sent to help fight an insurgency that spread
from neighbouring Mali. The soldiers were ambushed in Oudalan province, in
Burkina Faso's Sahel region, which shares a border with Mali. The provisional
death toll was revised up from eight reported earlier on Monday after an
additional 43 bodies were found, the army said. It did not directly blame
anyone for the attack but said around 160 ‘terrorists’ were killed in a
counter-offensive air strike, up from about 60 in the previous statement.”



AFP: Africa Leaders Urge Pullout Of Armed Groups In East Drc By March 30
<[link removed]>



“African leaders called on Friday for all armed groups to withdraw from
occupied territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of
next month, the regional EAC bloc said. It was the latest bid by the
seven-nation East African Community to silence the guns in the mineral-rich
region, where fierce fighting has driven vast numbers of Congolese from their
homes and exacerbated regional tensions. The EAC deployed troops late last year
in the east, which has been struggling with the rise of militias including the
rebel March 23 Movement (M23) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) -- which
the Islamic State group describes as its regional affiliate. At a mini-summit
in Addis Ababa on Friday, regional leaders ‘directed withdrawal of all armed
groups by 30th March 2023 from occupied areas’, the EAC said on Twitter. They
also called for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ by all armed groups and the
resettlement of people displaced by the violence, it added.”



Daily Monitor: Tackling Illicit Trade Is Key To Safeguarding Livelihoods
<[link removed]>



“In 2021, global research by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) observed that
illicit trade in the region is fueling political instability as it funds
corruption, insurgency, and the trafficking of illegal weapons. If this doesn’t
worry us, then it is time to rethink our priorities. These research papers are
widely available, and these allegations impact the country’s reputation among
its peers on the continent and across the globe. To quote Benjamin Franklin,
‘It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to
lose it’. We must not allow illicit trade to tarnish our reputation as a
people.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Birmingham Pair Arrested At Heathrow Airport Over Alleged Terrorism
Offence <[link removed]>



“Two men from Birmingham have been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion
of a terrorism offence. West Midlands Police said the men, aged 30 and 66, were
due to fly out of the UK and were detained on Thursday. The pair were taken to
a police station in the West Midlands and an address in Birmingham is due to be
searched. They have been arrested under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 on
suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism.”



BBC: Barnsley Prison Officer Denies Terrorism Charges
<[link removed]>



“A prison officer has denied possessing extreme right-wing material. Ashley
Neil Sharp, 42, pleaded not guilty to a charge of disseminating a terrorist
document at Sheffield Crown Court. He also pleaded not guilty to possessing a
document containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person
committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Mr Sharp of Cudworth, Barnsley,
told the judge ‘I believe I am innocent.’ He was given conditional bail and
will appear at the same court again for his trial on 2 May.”



Daily Mail: Mother Of British ISIS Fighter 'Jihadi Jack' Reveals She Is Racked
With 'Self Recrimination' And 'Guilty Thoughts' Over Fears Her 'Liberal'
Parenting And His 'Chaotic' Childhood Caused Him To Travel To Syria And Join
Terror Group
<[link removed]>



“The mother of British-born Islamist 'Jihadi Jack' has said she has 'guilty
thoughts' about whether her 'liberal' parenting and his 'chaotic' childhood led
to him fleeing to Syria to become a self-declared 'enemy of Britain'. In an
autobiography, Sally Lane, 60, penned that she wonders if her 'over liberal'
parenting style influenced her sons decision to travel to the Middle East to
join ISIS. Letts, now 28, held a dual UK and Canadian citizenship and was
brought up in Oxfordshire. He fled to Syria as a teenager in 2014, using money
given to him by his parents to visit a friend in Jordan. He reportedly told his
parents he intended on learning Arabic and studying the Koran on a three-month
trip in Kuwait but joined ISIS in Raqqa. After being captured by Kurdish
authorities in 2017, he begged to be allowed back to the UK but the Home Office
tore up his British passport in 2019, making him the responsibility of the
Canadian government.”



France



Reuters: French Court Sentences Four Far-Right Group Members In Plot Against
Macron
<[link removed]>



“A French court on Friday found three members of a far-right group guilty of
conspiring to prepare an act of terrorism against President Emmanuel Macron in
2018. The Paris criminal court handed the three men sentences ranging from
three to four years in jail, with one to two years suspended each, saying it
found a causal link between preparations they were involved in and the violent
project to kill the French president. Prosecutors have said members of the
group planned to attack the president with a knife during a World War One
memorial ceremony in eastern France in November 2018. They were also suspected
of plotting attacks against mosques and migrants. Charges against a fourth man
were reduced to acquisition, possession and handover of weapons, for which he
was found guilty and given a six-month suspended sentence.”



Europe



Al Mayadeen: Russian Security Thwarts ISIS Terrorist Attack In Kaluga
<[link removed]>



“The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that it has
thwarted a terrorist attack in the Russian Kaluga region, where ISIS members
planned to detonate fuel and lubricant tanks at a chemical plant. The agency's
special service stated that the terrorist act was set to be implemented using a
homemade explosive device to detonate the tanks. The FSB stated that during the
arrest, two terrorists demonstrated armed resistance and were injured by
gunfire. According to the FSB, the two militants swore allegiance to the
international terrorist organization and after committing the crime, were
planning to flee to rebel-held Syrian territories. The FSB reported no
casualties during the clash.”



Southeast Asia



Yahoo News Singapore: 2 Self-Radicalised Teens Given ISA Orders; 15-Year-Old
Is Youngest-Ever Detainee
<[link removed]>



“A self-radicalised 15-year-old student, who envisioned beheading non-Muslims
and becoming a suicide bomber, has been detained under the Internal Security
Act (ISA). The Secondary 3 student is the youngest person to be charged under
the ISA for terrorism-related activities. The Internal Security Department
(ISD) said in a media release on Tuesday (21 February) that the teenager is one
of two youths who have been dealt with under the ISA. The other is a
16-year-old Secondary 4 student who is under a restriction order, which
prevents him from making public statements and restricts his movements. Since
the teenagers are both under 18, they cannot be identified.”



DAWN: CTD Arrests Eight TTP ‘Militants’ In Punjab
<[link removed]>



“The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed on Saturday to have arrested
eight suspected terrorists of banned organisation from different areas of the
province. The CTD spokesperson said the teams had conducted intelligence-based
operations in Lahore, Sargodha and Multan and arrested eight members of banned
outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The teams also recovered a huge
quantity of arms, ammunition and suicide jackets from their possession. The CTD
also registered seven cases under terrorism charges in different police
stations of the province.”



MSN: Assam: New Militant Group GCLO Formed Demanding Separate Kamtapur State
<[link removed]>



“Anew armed rebel group that goes by the name Greater Behar Liberation
Organisation (GCLO) has been formed in Assam, as per a video shared by the
outfit. Sharing a video message, the cadres of the armed group GCLO demanded a
separate Kamtapur state failing which the group will take up arms. Speaking on
the lines of the banned militant group Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, who
too have for long been demanding a separate Kamtapur state in the tribal belt
of Assam and North Bengal, the cadres of GCLO reiterated that the struggle for
the separate will continue until the Central government do not fulfil their
demand. Earlier, the banned militant outfit Kamtapur Liberation Organisation
(KLO) renewed its demand for a separate Kamtapur state.”



Australia



ABC News Australia: Far-Right Group Member Patrick Patmore Sentenced To More
Than Three Years' Home Detention Over Extremist Material
<[link removed]>



“A senior member of a South Australian national socialist group found in
possession of a small explosive, weapons and extremist material will serve at
least 19 months on home detention. Patrick Patmore, 34, was this morning given
a three-year-and-two-month sentence with a non-parole period of 19 months for
six crimes, including taking steps to manufacture an explosive. District Court
Judge Michael Burnett ordered the sentence be served on home detention because
of his lack of prior convictions, admission to the offences and fair prospect
of rehabilitation. When police raided Patmore's home in April 2021, they found
a ‘small and crude’ explosive device in his shed, homemade knives, a machete,
battle axe and ammunition. Judge Burnett said he was also in possession of
documents detailing ways of ‘committing a terrorist act’, including techniques
for ‘silent killing’ and ‘household torture’.”



Technology



Lawfare: Oral Argument Preview: Gonzalez, Et Al. V. Google And Twitter, Inc.
V. Taamneh, Et Al.
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“…One group of amici focus on whether technological developments, such as the
rise of algorithm-generated recommendations, should make a difference in
interpreting Section 230. Briefs filed by Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.), the Counter
Extremism Project, and a group of former national security officials argue that
the tech companies that spread illegal content through an algorithm should not
be covered by Section 230. Hawley argues that liability arises from ‘incendiary
content’ being highlighted, which, he writes, constitutes ‘actual knowledge’ by
tech companies. The Counter Extremism Project claims that Google intentionally
‘promote[s] divisive, extremist content to generate revenue’ with non-neutral
algorithms and thus should not be shielded by Section 230 for those
recommendations.”



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