Eye on Extremism
February 27, 2023
Associated Press: Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Supporting IS Extremist Group
“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
“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’
“…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'
“…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'
“...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
“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
“…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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“…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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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 Bucharest
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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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