Eye on Extremism
March 7, 2023
Reuters: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Suicide Bombing In Southwest Pakistan - SITE
“Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing attack in southwestern Pakistan that killed nine policemen on Monday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. A suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle into a police truck in in Sibbi, a city some 160 km (100 miles) east of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. ‘ISIS claims suicide attack in Sibi, Balochistan,’ tweeted Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intel Group that tracks Islamist extremists. Hospital officials said at least 7 policemen were wounded in the attack, the latest in a series targeting police personnel in Pakistan.”
Reuters: Somalia's Al Shabaab Recaptures Base It Lost To Military Offensive
“Fighters from Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group on Tuesday overran a military base in the southern Jubbaland region that they had lost to the army in January, a Somali officer and a local resident said. Al Shabaab, an affiliate of al Qaeda, has come under intense pressure from the military and allied clan-based militias, who launched a major offensive last year. But the group has repeatedly shown its ability to strike back with major attacks. There has been no fighting in the past week, fuelling speculation in Somalia that the offensive has stalled. The government said it was merely observing a pause before launching the next phase of operations.”
United States
American Military News: Ex-Soldier Infiltrated Army For Satanist Neo-Nazis, Plotted Deadly Ambush
“…Founded in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, O9A is associated with neo-Nazism, Satanism, and the occult. The group aims to topple existing societies, partly by encouraging members to infiltrate and subvert military and Christian organizations, according to the Counter Extremism Project.”
CNN: 23 Face Domestic Terrorism Charges After Arrests In ‘Cop City’ Protests At Planned Police Training Site In Atlanta
“Police say at least 23 people will face domestic terrorism charges after they were arrested Sunday amid violent protests at the site of a planned law enforcement training facility in Atlanta dubbed ‘Cop City’ by opponents who claim it would propagate militarized policing and harm the environment. Authorities said ‘violent agitators’ attacked Atlanta police officers and construction equipment with Molotov cocktails, commercial-grade fireworks, bricks and large rocks.vFootage from the area shows a construction tractor was set ablaze and smoke billowing into the air. At least four other fires burned in and around the fenced site as people dressed in black swarmed both sides of a police barricade before additional officers arrived, surveillance videos released by the Atlanta Police Department show.”
The Guardian: Biden Administration Urged To Block Extremist Israeli Minister’s Visit
“The Biden administration is under growing pressure to block a visit by Israel’s extremist finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, over his call to ‘wipe out’ a Palestinian town that was the target of an attack by Jewish settlers. Smotrich’s plan to speak at an investment conference in Washington, DC next week has drawn unusually strong criticism, including accusations that he is promoting ‘Jewish supremacy’, from individuals and groups that are more usually ardent defenders of Israel. More than 100 Jewish American leaders signed a statement opposing the visit by leader of the Religious Zionism party in Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government. It said they ‘reject the notion that someone must be accorded respect simply by dint of serving in the Israeli government’. ‘We call on all pro-Israel Americans to understand that welcoming Smotrich here will harm, rather than help, support for Israel,’ they said.”
Boston.com: South Boston Officials Look To Head Off Hate Groups At St. Paddy’s Parade
“…Members of NSC-131, identified as a white supremacist group by both the the Counter Extremism Project and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), unfurled a banner along last year’s parade route that read, ‘Keep Boston Irish.’ The display received swift condemnation from local leaders and even from the Dropkick Murphys, the Quincy Celtic-punk rockers, after NSC-131 made a video compilation of their parade attendance using the band’s music without authorization. Hate group activity has been on the rise in the region in recent years. Massachusetts saw the fourth highest levels of hate propaganda activity in America in 2021, according to a report released last year by the ADL.”
Iraq
The National: Iraq Rebuilding Ancient Sites Destroyed By ISIS, Abu Dhabi Conference Hears
“Iraq can restore many of the heritage sites destroyed during decades of conflict and put the focus back on rebuilding communities, a conference in Abu Dhabi has heard. With the help of international funding, many of its ancient sites will over the next five to six years be restored to their former glory. The work will help put the spotlight back on culture and communities, experts said. Dr Laith M Hussein, head of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage Iraq, told the Aliph 2023 Forum that projects such as the $50 million restoration of the 12th century Al Nuri Mosque in Mosul — undertaken by the UAE in co-operation with Unesco — will be completed by next year. The mosque and its famous leaning minaret were destroyed by ISIS in 2017 as government forces closed in on the last fighters from the terrorist group that once held much of north-west Iraq.”
Tasnim News Agency: Bomb Attack In Eastern Iraq Leaves Eight Dead
“Major Alaa al-Saadi from the Diyala police reported that a roadside bomb, planted by unidentified armed men, exploded in the evening near a civilian car outside the town of Maqdadiyah, which is located 100 km northeast of Baghdad, the National Iraqi News Agency reported. A security source announced last night that six civilians were killed including three children and three others were injured in the terrorist attack. Iraqi security forces have sealed off the area and launched an investigation into the incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Despite the defeat of Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) across Iraq in 2017, sporadic attacks still occur in the country. The terror group has been responsible for a number of attacks on crowded areas such as markets, cafes, and mosques.”
Turkey
Daily Sabah: Istanbul Terror Attack Trial Set To Begin On May 9
“The first hearing in the trial for the November 2022 terrorist attack in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street is slated to take place on May 9, Turkish authorities announced Monday. A total of 36 defendants, including Ahlam Albashir, the terrorist who planted the explosives at the scene of the attack, will be standing trial on May 9-11 for the bomb attack that left six dead and 99 injured on Nov. 13, 2022. According to the indictment released by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the charges against the members of the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian offshoot YPG include ‘disrupting the integrity of the state and unity of the nation,’ ‘founding or managing an armed terrorist organization,’ ‘being a member of an armed terrorist organization,’ ‘voluntary slaughter of children by bombing,” “voluntary manslaughter by bombing,’ ‘attempted manslaughter by bombing,’ ‘unauthorized possession or exchange of dangerous materials’ and ‘migrant smuggling.’ The prosecution’s investigation found that suspects Albashir and Bilal al-Hacmaus were brought through illegal routes to Türkiye by the YPG after being raised and trained as special intelligence officers.”
Daily Sabah: MIT Busted Agent Networks, Fought Terrorism In 2022: Report
“The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) engaged in a wide range of activities in 2022, including the continued fight against terrorist groups and spy networks while operating in conflict zones, according to its report. Saying that the current international system is undergoing a radical and dynamic transition, MIT head Hakan Fidan underlined in the report: ‘This situation, which makes the scope of national security more flexible and complex, adds a hybrid and asymmetrical dimension to the threats against our country.’ Within this scope, MIT has upgraded its technological capabilities, focusing on proactive intelligence. ‘The organization, which operates the intelligence wheel in the form of intelligence collection, analysis and submission to the relevant authorities, has reached a capability to compete with the major intelligence services,’ the report highlighted. ‘In the fight against the PKK, MIT has focused on eliminating the main backbone that manages the terrorist organization by using intelligence disciplines such as human intelligence, signal intelligence, electronic intelligence, image and satellite intelligence, and armed UAV capabilities,’ Fidan said, adding that MIT has thereby engaged in several cross-border operations and eliminated high-ranking terrorist members.”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: Amnesty Says Taliban Must Halt Their Abuses In Afghanistan
“A leading international rights group appealed on Monday for the U.N. Human Rights Council to address the ongoing, ‘relentless abuses’ by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, including severe restrictions on women and freedom of speech. Despite initial promises for a more moderate stance, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since taking power in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their pullout from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. The Taliban have banned women from public life and girls education beyond the sixth grade, carried out public executions after sentences before Taliban courts and cracked down on minority communities. Amnesty International said the Taliban have also targeted women’s rights defenders, academics, and activists in recent months and detained them unlawfully. The arrests are arbitrary and those detained have no legal recourse or access to their families.”
Pakistan
Bol News: CTD Arrests 11 Terrorists Of Banned Organization From Karachi
“The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Sindh has launched a crackdown against miscreants in Karachi and 11 terrorists belonging to the banned organization were detained. CTD officials said that all the arrested persons were previously arrested too in major terrorism cases. The officials also said that the arrested accused were released from jail on bail at different times, ‘They are no re-detained and being investigated.’ It was also said that the detained suspects have been involved in terrorism in Karachi adding that interrogation of the suspects is going on. The counter-terrorism department said that the names of the members of the banned organization will be included in the Fourth Schedule so that they can be monitored.”
The Nation: Defence Minister Vows To Root Out Menace Of Terrorism From Country
“Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif has reiterated the government's resolve to root out menace of terrorism from the country. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, he expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the terrorist incident in Balochistan, which claimed lives of security forces personnel. He said the security forces are valiantly fighting against terrorism. The Defence Minister said he received positive response from the interim Afghan authorities during his recent visit to Kabul. He said under Doha agreement, Afghanistan is bound that its soil is not used for terrorism and against Pakistan.”
Yemen
Associated Press: Al-Qaida Says 2 Operatives Killed In Drone Strike In Yemen
“Al-Qaida’s arm in the Arabian Peninsula said two of the militant group’s operatives, including its media chief, were killed by a suspected U.S. drone in central Yemen last month. The announcement came Sunday in a five-page obituary posted on militant websites typically used by the extremist group. It says the group’s media chief was killed along with another al-Qaida member when a purported U.S. drone strike hit their residence in central Yemen on Feb. 26. The CIA declined to comment on the suspected attack. Another suspected U.S. strike on al-Qaida operatives in January reportedly killed three in Yemen.”
Daily News Egypt: Roadside Bomb Blast Kills 3 Soldiers In Southern Yemen
“Three Yemeni soldiers were killed Monday in a roadside bomb explosion in the country’s southern province of Abyan, a security official told Xinhua. The incident occurred when elements detonated their roadside bomb near an army patrol while passing through a road in the Mudiyah district of Abyan, causing an explosion, the local security official said on condition of anonymity. The official confirmed that three soldiers were killed and two others injured as a result of the bombing. Local security soldiers and medical personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene to assist the injured soldiers and secure the area. The explosion marks the latest in a series of similar attacks against government soldiers in Abyan, with tensions continuing to rise between government forces and terror elements of al-Qaida.”
Middle East
AFP News: Israel Strike Knocks Out Airport In Syria's Aleppo: Ministry
“Israeli warplanes struck Aleppo airport before dawn Tuesday, causing significant damage that halted flights to and from Syria's war- and quake-battered second city, the defence ministry said. The airport has been a major conduit for aid flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria, and they too were brought to a stop, a transport ministry official said. ‘At exactly 2:07 am (2307 GMT Monday), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the Mediterranean west of Latakia targeting Aleppo international airport,’ Syria's defence ministry said in a statement. The damage forced authorities to close the airport to all flights, the ministry added. There was no immediate word on any casualties.”
The Times Of Israel: Shin Bet Says It Busted Turkey-Based Hamas Ring Planning Attacks In Israel
“Four Palestinians from the West Bank were detained in recent weeks over plans to carry out attacks on behalf of the Hamas terror group, the Shin Bet security agency said Monday. According to the Shin Bet, Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Salah, 24, a student, was arrested several weeks ago after returning from studying abroad. The Shin Bet said that while in Turkey, Abu Salah was recruited by Hamas and carried out military training in Turkey and Syria. The training included ‘weapons training and studying the manufacturing of explosives, in order to advance terror attacks against the State of Israel,’ the agency said. Before returning to the West Bank, Abu Salah allegedly met with senior Hamas officials in Turkey, who instructed him to recruit others for a local cell to carry out terror attacks.”
Somalia
Garowe Online: Somali President Outlines Multifaceted Strategy To Combat Al-Shabaab Exclusive Interview With Al-Jazeera
“In a recent interview 06/03/2023 with Al-Jazeera, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud discussed the government's strategy in fighting the Al-Shabaab movement, as well as addressing issues related to economics, politics, and foreign affairs. The President confirmed that Mogadishu has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to combat the Al-Shabaab movement, which includes military, ideological, and economic measures. He emphasized that the solution to the problem is not based solely on military force, but on the implementation of the strategy's three pillars. The first pillar is the military aspect, as it has been used in the past. The second pillar involves the ideological dimension, where the government is working to mobilize scholars to show the people that the movement's behavior is not based on Islam. The third pillar is the economic aspect, which involves drying up the financial sources of the movement.”
Presna Latina: Somali Army Shoots Down 14 Members Of Extremist Group
“The commander of the 5th Brigade of the National Army, Arab Dheeg Ahmed, declared that the high-ranking chief of the extremist group and his subordinates were killed in the village of Turdho, in the city of Lower Jubba, when they were coordinating violent actions in that territory. Ahmed reported that following the operation against the insurgents, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on the military forces to continue their offensive to drive the extremists out of Jubaland and other regions. Since it was dislodged in 2011 from the capital, Mogadishu, Al-Shabab has controlled large areas in central and southern Somalia, although it has recently lost territory due to joint onslaughts by the army and the African Union Transition Mission.”
Africa
AFP News: At Least 12 Killed In Jihadist-Hit Burkina
“Between 12 and 14 people were killed last week in northern Burkina Faso, a region that has been battered by jihadist insurgents, local inhabitants said Monday. ‘A group of terrorists’ on Thursday attacked the village of Aorema, near the town of Ouahigouya, one of the locals told AFP. The attack was confirmed by a security source, who did not give a toll. ‘The attackers opened fire on a group of young people’ sitting at an informal restaurant, one inhabitant said. ‘Seven died on the spot and three died in their homes where they were hit by stray rounds. Two other people died of wounds,’ the source said. Another inhabitant said the fatality toll rose to 14 from others who subsequently died of wounds. The source said that ‘the terrorists’ had previously made incursions into the village and warned youngsters not to gather at the restaurant.”
United Kingdom
The Guardian: ‘Martyn’s Law’ Anti-Terrorism Bill To Be Published This Spring, Says Braverman
“A draft bill known as ‘Martyn’s law’, aimed at forcing all venues to draw up plans to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure public safety, is on track to be published this spring, the home secretary told MPs on Monday. Suella Braverman’s commitment came as MPs debated the critical third and final public report of the Manchester Arena terrorism inquiry, released last week, in response to a question from her Labour counterpart. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, pressed Braverman to tell her the timetable of the proposed law and whether it would start its passage through parliament before the summer recess. Named after Martyn Hett, 29, one of 22 killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack, the legislation was promised by the government in December but has yet to be formally introduced into parliament.”
Oxford Mail: Oxford Woman To Appear At Old Bailey Over Terrorism Charges
“Roma Iqbal, 22, of Kestrel Crescent, Oxford, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (March 6) charged with three offences under the Terrorism Act. Prosecutors claim that in October and December 2021 she ‘transmitted the contents of a terrorist publication electronically’ or enabled others to ‘obtain, read, listen or look at a terrorist publication’. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said last month that the charges related to ‘Islamist terrorism offences’. Iqbal’s case was before Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Administrative staff said she entered no plea and was bailed to appear before the Old Bailey on March 17 for a trial preparation hearing.”
Sunday World: Convicted Terrorist Lisa Smith’s Sentence Appeal Verdict Due This Week
“The Court of Appeal will deliver its judgment this week on an appeal brought by former soldier Lisa Smith against her 15-month conviction for membership of Isis. Smith’s lawyers told the appeal court in October that she was at the ‘lowest level’ of the terrorist organisation and her sentence of 15 months was ‘excessive’. Michael O'Higgins SC told the court that his client went to Isis-controlled Syria where she ‘got married’ and ‘kept house’ only. He said she ‘did not contribute to any state-building exercise and did no positive act in favour of Isis’. However, Sean Gillane SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Smith knew of Isis’ ‘bloodlust and discusses the terrorist groups atrocities in online conversations with jihadis. He added: ‘The very essence of the terror was known to her, discussed by her and in some situations explicitly approbated by her.’”
India
The Kashmir Walla: Two Let Militant Associates Arrested In North Kashmir: Police
“Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested two militant associates of Lashkar-i-Toiba oufit in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. In an handout, the police said that joint forces of Baramulla police and 176 Bn CRPF on a specific information regarding presence of militants in village Monchkhud Kunzer launched a joint CASO in the said village. During CASO two suspect persons were apprehended, identified as: Khurshid Ahmad Khan son of Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Reyaz Ahmad Khan son of Gh Mohi ud Din Khan both residents of Zandpal Kunzer. The spokesperson further stated that from their possession following two AK 47 Magazines, 15 AK 47 rounds, 20 blank posters of banned LeT (TRF) were recovered.”
The Print: 4 IS-Khorasan Commanders Wanted In India Killed In Separate Shootouts In Pakistan, Afghanistan
“Four Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) commanders wanted in India have been killed in separate shootouts in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. The four wanted commanders identified as Syed Noor Shalobar, Syed Khalid Raza, Ejaz Ahmed Ahangar alias Abu Usman al-Kashmiri and Bashir Ahmed Peer alias Imtiaz Alam were eliminated in separate shootouts within a month. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province is an affiliate of the Islamic State militant group active in South Asia and Central Asia. According to Khaama Press, Syed Noor Shalobar was assassinated on Friday by unknown gunmen in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area of Pakistan. Shalobar was responsible for recruitment and spreading terror in Kashmir Valley and ‘was allegedly working closely with Pakistan Army and ISI,’ the report stated.”
Hindustan Times: Mangaluru Blast Accused Out Of Hospital, Sent To Nia Custody
“The prime accused in the Mangaluru auto-rickshaw blast case Mohammad Shariq was discharged from Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital on Monday, officials close to developments said, adding that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took him into custody. Shariq’s discharge comes on the same day officers in the Karnataka government ruled out the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Islamic Resistance Council (IRC) behind the blast, as claimed on social media. Local intelligence officers said they believe some locals, whose motive would be known only after a detailed interrogation of Mohammad Shariq, the lone suspect in the case, carried out the blast. The blast occurred in an auto-rickshaw on November 19, injuring its driver, Purushottam, and the passenger, later identified as Thirthahalli-based Shariq. The 24-year-old accused was allegedly travelling with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) placed inside a pressure cooker when it exploded.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: Hezbollah Says It Backs Christian Ally To Become President
“The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah said Monday the group backs a former Cabinet minister and strong ally to become Lebanon’s next president. It was the first time that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah openly named Sleiman Frangieh as the candidate they support to win the top post in the crisis-hit country. Despite Hezbollah’s support, Frangieh still needs the backing of other blocs — support that could prove hard to get. Frangieh, a Maronite Christian, does not have the backing of the largest Christian blocs in parliament and many in the Western-backed coalition oppose him because of his alliance with Hezbollah and his close personal friendship with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Frangieh, 57, and army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, are the top candidates for president. Hezbollah is believed to oppose the army chief’s bid for president because he enjoys backing by the U.S.”
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