“A Florida man accused in 2020 of plotting terror attacks in the U.S. and
acquiring an arsenal of weapons has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State extremist group. Mohammed Al-Azhari, a
25-year-old U.S. citizen, also agreed Thursday to accept an 18-year prison
sentence during the plea hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli
in Tampa federal court. A formal sentencing date has not been set. Al-Azhari
admitted in court papers that he scouted potential terrorism targets in the
Tampa Bay area, sought to acquire multiple weapons and pledged an oath of
allegiance to the Islamic State. The FBI recorded many conversations between
Al-Azhari and confidential or undercover sources in which he discussed avenging
imprisoned Islamic State fighters and using violence to oppose U.S. military
actions in the Middle East.”











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<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



February 27, 2023



Associated Press: Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Supporting IS Extremist Group
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“A Florida man accused in 2020 of plotting terror attacks in the U.S. and
acquiring an arsenal of weapons has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State extremist group. Mohammed Al-Azhari, a
25-year-old U.S. citizen, also agreed Thursday to accept an 18-year prison
sentence during the plea hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli
in Tampa federal court. A formal sentencing date has not been set. Al-Azhari
admitted in court papers that he scouted potential terrorism targets in the
Tampa Bay area, sought to acquire multiple weapons and pledged an oath of
allegiance to the Islamic State. The FBI recorded many conversations between
Al-Azhari and confidential or undercover sources in which he discussed avenging
imprisoned Islamic State fighters and using violence to oppose U.S. military
actions in the Middle East.”



Associated Press: Bombing In Crowded Bazaar In Southwestern Pakistan Kills 5
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“A bombing at a crowded bazaar in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday killed at
least five people and wounded 16, authorities said amid a surge in violence in
this South Asian nation. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the
attack in Barkhan, about 600 kilometers (360 miles) northeast of Quetta, the
provincial capital. Sajjad Afzal, the local police chief, said the bomb was
apparently rigged to a motorcycle and was detonated by remote control. Apart
from inflicting casualties, the bombing also left several shops at the market
badly damaged. Rescuers took the wounded to hospital, Afzal said. Baluchistan
has long struggled with a low-level insurgency by the Baluchistan Liberation
Army and other small separatist groups demanding independence from the central
government in Islamabad.”



United States



Rolling Stone: Law Enforcement Warns Of Potential Neo-Nazi ‘Day Of Hate’
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“…An analysis of social media activity by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)
found that the call to action stemmed from accounts associated with the
National Socialist Movement, and three regional extremist groups based in Iowa,
New York, and California. Law enforcement in New York, Illinois, and Florida
have issued bulletins and statements announcing plans for heightened attention
to extremist activity this weekend, but maintain that they’ve identified no
specific threats of violence against Jewish communities.”



Newsweek: Police Patrols Ramped Up Across U.S. Ahead Of 'National Day Of Hate'
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“…Researchers at the Counter Extremism Project, an international non-profit
policy organization, said the National Socialist Movement is one of the
organizers of the day that has been promoted through social media platforms.
The Anti-Defamation League said in a press release that they have already
tracked instances of antisemitism across the U.S. in the lead-up to the day.
These included: "Shooting attacks against Jewish people in the streets of Los
Angeles. Antisemitic demonstrations in front of a Chabad in Florida. Increases
in the distribution of antisemitic propaganda in cities across the nation.
Neo-Nazi protestors in New York City spread vile antisemitism and conspiracy
theories outside the Broadway revival of Parade, the play that tells the story
of the false conviction and lynching of Leo Frank."”



Insider: Authorities In New York And Chicago Warn Jewish Communities To Stay
Alert After Neo-Nazi Groups Declare 'Day Of Hate'
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“...On Thursday, researchers for the Counter Extremism Project found that
several neo-Nazi groups had coordinated the "Day of Hate" on the messaging
platform Telegram. On the app, the National Socialist Movement, a prominent
neo-Nazi group based mainly in Iowa and California, encouraged other white
supremacist groups to "send photos and videos of antisemitic rallies," the
project said.’”



Syria



Associated Press: Drone Strike In Syria Kills 2 Al-Qaida-Linked Operatives
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“A drone strike believed to have been carried out by the U.S.-led coalition
in northwestern Syria on Friday killed two operatives with an al-Qaida-linked
group, Syrian opposition activists said. The two militants were killed while
riding a motorcycle near the northern village of Qah, close to the Turkish
border, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an
opposition war monitor, and several other activist collectives. There was no
immediate comment from the U.S. military. The strike was the latest in a series
of attacks over the past years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in
northwestern Syria. The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White
Helmets, said its members extinguished a fire caused by the drone strike,
adding that two ‘unknown persons’ were killed. The Observatory said the two
were members of Horas al-Din, which is Arabic for ‘Guardians of Religion.’”



Iran



Arab News: Al-Qaeda-Iran Tactical Alliance Exposed In Un Report On Terror
Group’s ‘De-Facto Leader’ Saif Al-Adel – Analysis
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“…In comments to the Voice of America’s news website, Edmund Fitton-Brown, a
former senior UN counterterrorism official who is now an adviser to the
nonprofit Counter Extremism Project, said: “The presence of Al-Qaeda in Iran is
a sort of a chip that the Iranians have. They’re not entirely sure how or when
they might play it but . . . it was something that they considered to have
potential value.” Unsurprisingly, Iran continues to deny its relationship with
Al-Qaeda. Rejecting the UN report, the country’s permanent mission to the UN in
New York said on Feb. 13: “It is worth noting that the address for the
so-called newly appointed Al-Qaeda leader is incorrect.” Dismissing the
findings as “misinformation,” the Iranians said they could “potentially hinder
efforts to combat terrorism.””



Iraq



Gulf Today: Five Daesh Militants Killed In Airstrikes In Iraq
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“Five Daesh militants were killed in airstrikes in Iraq's central Salahudin
Province, the Iraqi military said. Their bodies were founded at dawn near a
Daesh hideout bombarded by Iraqi aircraft the night before, said the Security
Media Cell affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Xinhua news
agency reported. The Daesh hideout is located in a rugged area of Wadi Al
Udhaim in eastern Salahudin, near the neighboring province of Diyala, it said
in a statement. Wadi al-Udhaim is characterized by its rugged terrain and dense
vegetation, which militants use to hide.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Taliban Raid Kills 2 IS; Embassy In Tehran Changes Control
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“Taliban security forces killed two militants from the Islamic State group
and detained a third in an overnight raid in the Afghan capital of Kabul, the
spokesman for the Taliban government said Monday. The regional affiliate of the
Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is a
key rival of the Taliban. The militant group has increased its attacks in
Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021. Targets
have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority.
Separately, the Taliban gained control over the weekend of Afghanistan’s
Embassy in Iran, previously staffed with appointees of the U.S.-backed Afghan
government, and on Monday appointed their own diplomats to the mission.”



Radio Free Europe: Suicide Bomber Killed Outside Bank In Northern Afghanistan
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“A suicide bombing took place on February 24 outside a bank branch in
Faizabad city, the provincial capital of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province. The
suicide bomber was targeted before he could reach the crowd gathered at the
bank, the provincial director of the Taliban's Information and Culture
Department, Muezuddin Ahmadi, said. ‘Except for the assailant, no one was
seriously injured,’ Ahmadi added. There was no immediate claim of
responsibility for the attack.”



Pakistan



Daily Excelsior: MHA To Launch Major Crackdown On Militants Operating From
Pak, Pojk
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“The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with the assistance of Jammu and
Kashmir Police (JKP) and Intelligence Agencies has prepared a list of local
militants, who were operating from Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir
(PoJK) and trying to fan terror in the Union Territory to declare them as
‘individual terrorists’ leading to attachment of their assets and freezing of
bank accounts besides initiating other legal action against them available
under various Acts including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Security agencies believed that Dhangri attack in Rajouri district on January 1
could also be the handiwork of the local militants sitting in Pakistan and PoJK
especially in selecting the target as they are well versed with
minority-dominated villages though it has been established that the killings
were executed by the foreign terrorists. Official sources told the Excelsior
that Doda district in Jammu region has highest numbers of 118 militants
operating from Pakistan and PoJK and 10 of them are in the rank of commanders
of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits.”



Outlook India: Pakistan Reopens Border Crossing With Afghanistan That It Shut
Over Shelter To Terrorists
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“…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
organisations since.’ The CEP further notes, ‘TTP militants regularly conduct
attacks against civilians, security forces, and political leaders in both
Pakistan and Afghanistan, using everything from small arms to IEDs to suicide
bombers. Among their most high-profile attacks was the December 16, 2014,
attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which nine militants
killed 145 people, including 132 children, using grenades, guns, and suicide
vests.’”



Pakistan Today: CTD Busts Seven TTP-Militants From Lahore, Other Cities
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“The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department on Saturday claimed to have captured
seven terrorists, said to be affiliated with outlawed TTP from Lahore and other
cities of the province. A spokesperson for the CTD told media on Saturday that
the CTD launched an operation following credible information about the presence
of terrorists and managed to arrest seven terrorists from Lahore and other
cities. He said that the captured terrorists belonged to the proscribed
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He said the militants were identified as: Ahmad
Ullah, Usama, Nazeer, Hammad, Abdul Rehman, and Aman Ullah. He informed the CTD
also recovered material used in making suicide jackets, explosives and arms
from the possession of the militants. The spokesperson revealed that the
terrorists had planned targeting sensitive installations and other areas.”



Dunya: Two Soldiers Martyred In North Waziristan Gun Battle With Terrorists
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“Two troops were martyred a fire exchange with terrorists in general area
Spinwam, North Waziristan district on Sunday, said military’s media wing. The
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said the Pakistani
troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. Two terrorists were also
killed while two terrorists were apprehended. Weapons and ammunition were
recovered from the terrorists who remained actively involved in terrorist
activities against security forces and killing of innocent citizens. The
martyred troops were identified as Sepoy lmranullah, 25, and Sepoy Afzal Khan,
21. Sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any terrorist
found in the area, it said. ‘Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the
menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further
strengthen our resolve,’ the ISPR said.”



Middle East



CNN: Two Israeli Settlers Killed In West Bank Shooting, Days After Israeli
Raid Kills 11 Palestinians
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“Two Israeli settlers were shot and killed in the West Bank on Sunday, local
settler leader Yossi Dagan said, calling it ‘an extremely serious terrorist
attack.’ The shooting sparked revenge attacks by Israeli settlers against
Palestinians, causing at least one death and numerous injuries. The shooting of
the settlers took place in Huwara, south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West
Bank, just days after a massive Israeli military raid into Nablus in search of
wanted militants left at least 11 Palestinians dead. The settlers killed on
Sunday were named as brothers Hillel Menachem Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaakov
Yaniv, 19, the local settler council said. ‘We embrace the family and will be
with them as much as necessary,’ the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council said.
They were from the settlement of Har Bracha, council leader Yossi Dagan said.”



The National: Istanbul Bombing 'Mastermind' Killed In Operation In Northern
Syria, Says Turkey
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“Turkish forces have killed the alleged mastermind behind last year's deadly
bombing in Istanbul during an operation in northern Syria, state media reported
on Friday. The man, identified as Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) member Halil
Menci, was ‘neutralised’ in a ‘pinpoint operation’ by Turkish intelligence
agents, the Anadolu Agency said. HaberTurk television said the operation took
place on Wednesday in the town of Qamishli. The PKK has waged an insurgency
against Turkey for decades and is considered a terrorist organisation by
Turkey, the EU and the US.”



The Jerusalem Post: Death Penalty For Terrorists Bill Approved By Israeli
Cabinet
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“The Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday approved a bill that
institutes a death penalty for terrorists. The approval came despite
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara’s issuing an opinion last week that there
was a ‘legal impediment’ to voting on the law before the national security
cabinet meets to decide whether the penalty would create deterrence. According
to the bill proposed by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, someone who
‘intentionally or out of indifference causes the death of an Israeli citizen
when the act is carried out from a racist motive or hate to a certain public...
and with the purpose of harming the State of Israel and the rebirth of the
Jewish people in its homeland,’ faces a death sentence, and that sentence
alone. In addition, if such a crime is committed in the West Bank, the
punishment would apply in military courts even if the ruling is not unanimous,
and the punishment could not be lightened after it is finalized in a regional
court.”



Nigeria



The Sun Nigeria: Boko Haram Bombs Borno Town, Injures 5 Voters
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“Suspected mortar bombs believed to have been fired by Boko Haram terrorists
in Borno’s town while voting was underway have injured five people. The
terrorists according to some residents, fired the mortar from the hilly side of
Gwoza, a town located in the southeastern part of Borno while voting was going
on. At least five people including some young persons were injured, the sources
said. The report indicated that one of the wounded persons later passed away,
although Sunday Sun could not confirmed that at press time.”



Africa



Associated Press: More Than 70 Soldiers Killed In Burkina Faso, Extremists Say
<[link removed]>



“The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for killing more than 70
soldiers, wounding dozens and taking five hostage, in an ambush on a military
convoy in northern Burkina Faso. The statement, posted Friday by Amaq, the
group’s news agency, said it attacked a convoy trying to advance to areas under
its control near Deou, in the Sahel’s Oudalan province. It said it seized
weapons and chased retreating soldiers for miles into the desert. Images
released by the group show 54 slain bodies in military uniform lying in the
bloodstained dirt, as well as more than 50 seized assault rifles and images of
the five soldiers it said were taken prisoner. The announcement comes one week
after the attack in Deou and days after another attack in Tin-Akoff town, where
locals and civil society groups say dozens more soldiers and civilians were
killed when a military outpost was hit.”



Associated Press: 19 People Injured In Blast At Cameroon Sports Event
<[link removed]>



“At least 19 people were injured in an explosion Saturday at a sports event
in southwest Cameroon, authorities said. Nine athletes competing in the Mount
Cameroon Race of Hope in Buea town were injured, as well as 10 civilians,
including a baby, said Bernard Okalia Bikai, governor of the southwest region.
The injured have been taken to Buea regional hospital and are receiving
treatment, he told The Associated Press. The Central African nation has been
plagued by fighting since English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion in
2017, with the stated goal of breaking away from the area dominated by the
French-speaking majority country and setting up an independent,
English-speaking state. The government has accused the separatists of
committing atrocities against English-speaking civilians. The conflict has
killed more than 3,300 people and displaced more than 750,000 others, according
to the U.N.”



Voice of America News: Suspected Al-Shabab Militants Kill 2 Police Officers,
Wound 3 Others in Kenya
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“Two police officers have been killed and three others injured in a suspected
al-Shabab militant attack on a police vehicle near the Dadaab refugee camp in
northeast Kenya. Security officials in Kenya say two police officers have died
and three others were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in came in
contact with an improvised explosive device along Garissa Dadaab Road, in
Kenya’s Garissa County. Security officials declined to respond to VOA’s request
for a comment. Dadaab Parliament member Farah Maalim said in a telephone
conversation the government needs to change its tactics. ‘The way to deal with
al-Shabab is not to use mechanized conventional military system, the way to
deal with them is to have people tracking them and bringing them down one by
one,’ Maalim said.”



United Kingdom



AFP: Alleged ISIS ‘Beatle’ Extremist Goes On Trial In UK
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“The UK terror trial of an alleged member of the ISIS group’s “Beatles”
kidnap-and-murder cell begins on Monday. Aine Davis is accused of belonging to
the notorious group of four hostage takers, who grew up and were radicalized in
London, something he is understood to deny. Active in Syria from 2012 to 2015,
the four were allegedly involved in abducting more than two dozen journalists
and relief workers from the United States and other countries. The group
members were nicknamed the ‘Beatles’ by their captives because of their
distinctive British accents.”



Europe



Associated Press: Authorities: Key Hezbollah Financier Arrested In Buchares
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t
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“A Lebanese and Belgian citizen considered a key financier of the
Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah was arrested Friday in Bucharest,
Romania’s capital, federal authorities said. Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi, 58, who
was labeled a ‘global terrorist’ by the United States in 2018 when $10 million
was offered for information about his whereabouts, has funneled millions of
dollars to Hezbollah over the years, authorities said. U.S. Attorney Breon
Peace in Brooklyn said the extradition of Bazzi and Lebanese citizen Talal
Chahine, 78, was sought on charges contained in an indictment returned last
month in Brooklyn federal court. ‘Mohammad Bazzi thought that he could secretly
move hundreds of thousands of dollars from the United States to Lebanon without
detection by law enforcement,’ Peace said in a release. ‘Today’s arrest proves
that Bazzi was wrong.’”



Daily Sabah: EU Extends Sanctions On PKK Terrorist Group In List Update
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“The European Union extended its sanctions on the PKK terrorist group for
another six months on Friday. The Council of the European Union, which
represents member states in the bloc, announced in a statement that it had
‘renewed, with no changes the so-called terrorist list.’ The sanctions list
targets 13 people and 21 entities or groups, including the PKK and the far-left
DHKP-C, another terrorist group. In order to combat terrorism, the bloc freezes
the funds and financial assets that listed individuals and groups hold in the
EU and bans operators in the bloc from making economic resources available to
them. The EU applies a separate sanction mechanism for al-Qaida and Daesh. In
its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been
responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women and
children.”



India



The Dispatch: SIU Attaches 4 Houses In Srinagar For Harboring Militants
<[link removed]>

“Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Srinagar police on Monday attached 4
houses for wilfully providing shelter to terrorists. In a statement to The
Dispatch, an official said, ‘Special Investigation unit (SIU-II) Srinagar today
attached 4 residential houses, 3 located at Barthana Qamerwari and 1 at Sangam
Eidgah Srinagar for providing shelter to terrorists’. The said orders were
issued in exercise of power confered U/S 25 read with 2 (g)( ii) UA(P) Act. The
information of attachment of properties was submitted to designated authority,
he said.”



The Economic Times: Kashmiri Pandit ATM Guard Shot Dead By Terrorists In
Pulwama
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“Terrorists on Sunday shot dead a 40-year-old Kashmiri Pandit man in Jammu and
Kashmir's Pulwama district while he was on his way to a local market, in yet
another targeted killing of a minority community member in the valley. Sanjay
Sharma, who worked as an ATM guard, was shot in the chest at point-blank range
barely 100 metres from his residence in the Achan area of the south Kashmir
district at around 11 am, police said, adding he was rushed to a hospital by
passersby but succumbed to injuries. He was not reporting to duty of late
following an earlier spate of terror attacks on his community members, his
colleagues said. ‘Terrorists fired upon one civilian from minority namely
Sanjay Sharma S/O Kashinath Sharma R/O Achan Pulwama while on way to a local
market,’ the Kashmir Zone police said on Twitter.”



Southeast Asia



The Manila Times: 5 Extremists Killed In Weeklong Ops
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“THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday said it was able to
neutralize five communist and Muslim rebels during weeklong operations in
Eastern Samar in the Visayas and South Cotabato, Sulu and Sultan Kudarat in
Mindanao. According to the AFP, its focused military operations led to the
death of two New People's Army (NPA) rebels, two Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) and an Abu Sayyaf Group bandit. An NPA member was killed in an
encounter between Philippine Army troops and nine rebels in Barangay San
Andres, Borongan City, Eastern Samar, on February 18. The troops recovered an
anti-personnel mine, which is prohibited by the International Humanitarian Law,
along with other war materiel from the insurgents.”



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