“Operatives of the Taliban government in Kabul are trying to identify and
retaliate against Afghans who cooperated with the 20-year American military and
reconstruction effort, using fingerprint records, gun records and other methods
to sniff them out and target them for retribution, according to a U.S.
government report. Eighteen months after President Biden withdrew the last U.S.
combat forces from Afghanistan, the radical Islamist regime remains intent on
revenge against those who served in the Afghan National Defense and Security
Forces, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
(SIGAR) said in a survey being released this week. The hasty, bloody evacuation
in the summer of 2021 resulted in casualties for U.S. forces and friendly
Afghans alike. Critics said the operation left behind tens of thousands of
Afghan nationals who had worked with the U.S.-led military mission in the
country as the Taliban consolidated power.”











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



Eye on Extremism



February 28, 2023



The Washington Times: Taliban Using Fingerprints, Gun Records To Track Down
Afghans Who Assisted U.S., Audit Finds
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“Operatives of the Taliban government in Kabul are trying to identify and
retaliate against Afghans who cooperated with the 20-year American military and
reconstruction effort, using fingerprint records, gun records and other methods
to sniff them out and target them for retribution, according to a U.S.
government report. Eighteen months after President Biden withdrew the last U.S.
combat forces from Afghanistan, the radical Islamist regime remains intent on
revenge against those who served in the Afghan National Defense and Security
Forces, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
(SIGAR) said in a survey being released this week. The hasty, bloody evacuation
in the summer of 2021 resulted in casualties for U.S. forces and friendly
Afghans alike. Critics said the operation left behind tens of thousands of
Afghan nationals who had worked with the U.S.-led military mission in the
country as the Taliban consolidated power.”



Daily Sabah: Turkish Intelligence Brings Top PKK Figure From Iraq
<[link removed]>



“Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) caught Ramazan Güneş, a
PKK member who was behind 12 acts of terrorism that killed 60 Turkish security
personnel in the past, in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah, media outlets reported Tuesday.
The Turkish intelligence agency has stepped up its operations abroad in recent
years to stamp out terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria, Türkiye’s two
neighbors. In 2022 alone, 23 senior figures of the terrorist group were
eliminated in MIT’s operations in the two countries, while a large number of
PKK members were transported to Türkiye. Since 2018, more than 100 terrorists
have been eliminated by Turkish intelligence. Last week, a PKK member behind a
terrorist attack on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street last year was killed in a MİT
operation in Syria.”



United States



Homeland Security Today: National Institute Of Justice Examines Link Between
Location Of Terrorists And Risk Of Terrorism
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“The Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has
today published an article summarizing an NIJ-supported study that examines
where terrorists live and plan terrorist acts, in relation to where the acts
occur. According to the American Terrorism Study, 296 terrorism incidents
occurred in the United States from 9/11 through 2019. In domestic terrorism
investigations, as in conventional policing, place matters. Although the
location of terrorist violence is critical, the places where a terrorist lives
and plans violent acts can also represent vital evidence.”



Syria



Associated Press: Islamic State Land Mines In Central Syria Kill 10 Workers
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“Land mines left behind by the Islamic State group in central Syria went off
in two different locations on Monday, killing 10 workers as they were
collecting truffles in the countryside and wounding 12, state media reported.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the two mines exploded east of the
central town of Salamiyeh. All the casualties were taken to a hospital in the
town, the report added. It wasn’t immediately clear what had triggered the
explosions.”



The National News: Iraq Repatriates More Than 500 Residents Of Syria's Al Hol
Camp
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“Iraq repatriated more than 500 residents of Syria's Al Hol displacement camp
that houses relatives of suspected ISIS extremists, the US army said in a
statement on Monday. The US military's Central Command, the headquarters of US
forces in the Middle East, confirmed that ‘154 families, comprising of 582
people’ were transferred by the Iraqi authorities to the Jeddah-I camp on
February 26. The Jeddah-I camp is near the northern city of Mosul and has been
described by Iraqi authorities as a ‘rehabilitation’ centre for those returning
from Syria. ‘Iraq continues to make progress in the repatriation,
rehabilitation, and reintegration of Iraqis residing at the Al Hol camp for
displaced persons in north-east Syria,’ the Central Command said on Twitter.
Gen Michael Kurilla, commander of the Central Command, commended the Iraqi
government for its ‘constructive and courageous role in this repatriation’.”



Iran



The Jerusalem Post: IRGC Quds Force Finances Terrorism Through Money
Laundering Scheme <[link removed]>



“High-level Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force
commanders have set up a host of shell companies used to launder money in a
scheme that was brought to light by documents obtained by Iran International, a
Washington DC-based Persian language news organization. According to the Iran
International report, the documents they obtained outline how IRGC commanders
have created fake construction companies in order to funnel money to the
regime’s terrorist beneficiaries. The revenue being sent to the extremist
organizations primarily originates as revenue collected from Iraq in exchange
for legitimate Iranian energy exports. The term ‘Quds Force’ relates to the
Arabic term for Jerusalem, ‘al-Quds.’ Iran, which has a long history of
financing Palestinian terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian
Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, designates the laundered money for such groups in
the name of ‘resistance.’”



Iraq



AFP News: Turkish Drone Kills 3 PKK-Affiliated Fighters In Iraq: Kurds
<[link removed]>



“A Turkish drone attack Monday in northern Iraq killed at least three
fighters from the minority Yazidi community affiliated with the rebel Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), Iraqi Kurdish officials said. ‘A drone from the Turkish
army targeted a vehicle’ in the region, killing an officer and two combattants
from the Yazidi Sinjar Resistance Units, a statement from the Kurdistan
region's anti-terrorist squad said. The three fighters were heading towards
Sinjar, a stronghold of the Yazidis, at the time of the attack. Turkey has
dozens of military facilities in northern Iraq for use in its war against the
PKK, and it has repeatedly carried out strikes targeting the group in northern
Iraq, where it has bases, and its allies. The Turkish army has yet to comment
on Monday's reported drone strike.”



Mehr News Agency: 1 Killed As ISIL Terrorists Renew Attack On Iraq's Diyala
<[link removed]>



“According to the reports, the ISIL terrorist group renewed its attack on the
northeast of Diyala province on Monday, leaving an Iraqi citizen killed and two
others wounded. The terrorist attack occurred near an area in the east of Lake
Hamrin in Iraq's Diyala Governorate. In another development, the Iraqi security
forces announced the arrest of three dangerous terrorists, who had been wanted,
in Baghdad. In December 2017, after nearly three and a half years of fighting
with the ISIL terrorist group, which occupied about a third of the country, the
Iraqi government announced the liberation of all its territories from the hands
of this terrorist group. The remaining elements of ISIL are still operating in
areas of Baghdad, Saladin, Diyala, Kirkuk, Niveneh, and Al Anbar provinces.”



Mehr News Agency: Iraqi Army Kills 17 ISIL Members In Al Anbar
<[link removed]>



“Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul in a statement
announced that the country's anti-terrorism unit clashed with ISIL terrorists
on Monday morning in the Akashat area located in the desert of Al Anbar
province, killing 17 members and one of the leaders of the group. In December
2017, after nearly three and a half years of fighting with the ISIL terrorist
group, which occupied about a third of the country, the Iraqi government
announced the liberation of all its territories from the hands of this
terrorist group. The remaining elements of ISIL are still operating in areas of
Baghdad, Saladin, Diyala, Kirkuk, Niveneh, and Al Anbar provinces.”



Pakistan



Firstpost: Pakistan Threatens Afghanistan With War Even As Taliban Refuses To
Act Against TTP Bases
<[link removed]>



“Pakistan has warned of military action inside Afghanistan if the Afghan
Taliban continues to provide support to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However, the Afghan Taliban has denied the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) bases inside Afghanistan. According to reports in the Pakistani
media, a delegation from Pakistan led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
delivered this message during a meeting in Kabul with Mullah Abdul Ghani
Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister of Afghanistan. Asif was accompanied
by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed
Anjum and other senior officials from the defence and foreign ministries of
Pakistan.”



Opindia: After Imtiaz Alam From Hizbul, Former Commander Of Terrorist Group Al
Badr Shot Dead In Pakistan: Read About The Terror Group And Their Jihad Against
India
<[link removed]>



“On Sunday, February 26, unidentified men killed Syed Khalid Raza, a former
commander of the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Al Badr. The dreaded terrorist
was shot outside his residence in Gulistan-e-Johar Block 7 area of Karachi,
Pakistan. For almost 8 years in the 1990s, Syed Khalid Raza was the commander
of the Al-Badr terror group in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Jamaat e Islami
President Karachi, the deceased was also associated with JeI Talba Wing.”



Pakistan Observer: CTD Arrests Terrorist Of Proscribed Lashkar-E-Jhangvi
<[link removed]>



“Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday arrested an alleged
terrorist affiliated with proscribed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, who was involved in
sectarian target killings. According to spokesman for CTD, accused identified
as Muhammad Siddiq son of Nasir-ud-Din, was arrested on a tip off from Garden
area of the megalopolis. The accused during initial interrogation confessed his
involvement in sectarian target killings. He revealed that he had escaped to
Hyderabad after his house was raided by law enforcement agency for number of
times. He had returned to Karachi few days back. Further investigations were
underway and the arrested was handed over to concerned authorities.”



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: Hunt For Terrorists Who Killed 3 Continues; 8 Detained In
Overnight West Bank Raids
<[link removed]>



“After a brief lull in West Bank operations, Israeli troops detained eight
wanted Palestinians during overnight raids, as manhunts continued for a number
of terrorists who killed three Israelis in recent shooting attacks, the
military said Tuesday morning. Violence has spiked since two Israeli brothers
from the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha were shot to death on Sunday in the
nearby Palestinian town of Huwara. Settlers seeking revenge rampaged through
Huwara hours later, further inflaming the volatile situation. One Palestinian
was killed and hundreds more were hurt amid the violence.”



BBC: Israeli-American Killed In West Bank As Unrest Intensifies
<[link removed]>



“An Israeli American has been shot and killed in the occupied West Bank as
retaliatory unrest intensifies. Elan Ganeles, 26, was killed in an attack on
vehicles on a highway near the city of Jericho. The shooting happened after
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank on Sunday
night, with dozens of cars and houses burned. That attack came after two
settlers, from a nearby village, were shot dead by a Palestinian on Sunday.”



Middle East Monitor: Israel Sentences Hamas Official To 20 Months
<[link removed]>



“An Israeli occupation court yesterday sentenced Hamas official and
Palestinian MP Hassan Yousef to a 20-month suspended sentence in addition to
renewal of his administrative detention, Quds Press reported. Yousef's son,
Owais, said that the Israeli court of Ofer renewed his father's administrative
detention until July and issued him with a 20-month suspended sentence. Yousef,
65, was arrested on 13 December 2021 from his house in the neighbourhood of
Bitonya, near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. He has spent a total of
approximately 22 years in Israeli jails, most of them under administrative
detention – without charge or trial.”



Nigeria



Igbere TV: Children Injured As Terrorists Attack Voters In Borno Community
(Photos)
<[link removed]>



“Five persons including children sustained injuries when Boko Haram
insurgents fired shots targeting voters from Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local
Government Area of Borno State, IGBERETV reports. Borno commissioner of police,
CP Abdu Umar, who confirmed the incident in an interview with newsmen, said
several gunshots were fired at voters from the top of the Mandara mountain He
said the injured victims comprised two females and three males, adding that the
troops of the Nigerian Army were deployed to the area. ‘Efforts of the military
within the area of responsibility helped in chasing the terrorists, forcing
them to flee due to the superior firepower,’ he said.”



Africa



The Star: Man Found With Bomb After Shouting To Mombasa Airport Officials He
Had Explosive
<[link removed]>



“Mystery surrounds the motive of a 50-year-old man who was arrested after he
shouted to airport officials at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, that he had
a bomb. After a search of his luggage, police said they found a bomb on
Wednesday, February 23. Harrison Njenga Kiarie,50, was being screened for
departure when he shouted at staff he was carrying a bomb in his bag. It is not
clear what motivated him. Police called it bizarre.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Manchester Bomber Friend Known To MI5, BBC Reveals
<[link removed]>



“A Muslim preacher who was close to the Manchester bomber had been suspected
by MI5 of being a radicaliser more than a decade earlier, the BBC can reveal. A
public inquiry into the atrocity will this week report on how Salman Abedi was
radicalised, and whether security services missed chances to stop him. The
preacher, Mansour Al-Anezi, had been investigated before another close
associate of his tried to carry out a suicide bombing in Exeter in 2008.
Al-Anezi died before the arena attack.”



France



Arab News: French Daesh Midwife Faces 30 Years’ Imprisonment
<[link removed]>



“A French woman accused of acting as a midwife for Daesh is facing more than
30 years’ imprisonment, The Times reported. Douha Mounib, 32, is on trial in
Paris after having spent several years in a French prison following her arrest
in Turkiye in 2017 and subsequent repatriation. She is one of more than 30
women from France alleged to be former members of Daesh, with many having
returned to the country from Syria or Turkiye following the collapse of the
terror group. Mounib, who was completing her third year of midwifery studies at
the time she first traveled to Syria in 2014, returned to the caliphate a
second time a year later.”



India



Reuters: Indian Security Forces Battle Kashmir Militants After Killing Of Hindu

<[link removed]>



“Indian security forces shot dead two militants in Kashmir on Tuesday during
a 12-hour battle in the disputed region in which a soldier was also killed, the
chief of police said. The battle occurred in a village south of Srinagar after
security forces launched a manhunt for the suspected killers of a Hindu
security guard who was shot dead on Sunday in another nearby village, Kashmir
Police Chief Vijay Kumar said. ‘One of the slain militants , Aquib Mushtaq, was
responsible for killing (security guard) Sanjay Kumar Nath,’ he said. On
Monday, members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party held a protest
in Kashmir against the killing.”



News 18: Kashmiri Pandit Bank Guard's Murder 'Avenged'. Pulwama Terrorist
Killed In Encounter
<[link removed]>



“The terrorist killed in the Awantipora encounter in the early hours of
Tuesday has been identified as Hizbul Mujahideen, who had shot dead a Kashmiri
Pandit bank guard two days ago. ‘The killed terrorist has been identified as
Aqib Mustaq Bhat of Pulwama (A category). He initially worked for Hizbul
Mujahideen terror outfit, but later joined The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy
outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba,’ the Kashmir ADGP said, adding that the killer
of bank guard Sanjay Sharma had been neutralised. Two Army personnel were also
injured in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Awantipora area. Sources said
that one of the soldiers succumbed to injuries. However, there’s no official
confirmation yet.”



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