“Islamic State-Khorasan, an offshoot of the Islamic State militant group, has
claimed a suicide attack that killed six people and wounded 12 others on March
27 near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital of Kabul. After the
Taliban's return to power in 2021, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has emerged as
the Taliban's main rival in the war-wracked country. Ahead of the March 27
attack, security forces spotted the bomber and shot at him but could not
prevent him from reaching a checkpoint in Malik Asghar Square, where he
detonated his explosive vest, according to Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the
Taliban's security command in Kabul.”











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Eye on Extremism



March 28, 2023



Radio Free Europe: IS-K Claims Suicide Attack Near Foreign Ministry In Kabul
That Killed Six
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“Islamic State-Khorasan, an offshoot of the Islamic State militant group, has
claimed a suicide attack that killed six people and wounded 12 others on March
27 near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital of Kabul. After the
Taliban's return to power in 2021, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has emerged as
the Taliban's main rival in the war-wracked country. Ahead of the March 27
attack, security forces spotted the bomber and shot at him but could not
prevent him from reaching a checkpoint in Malik Asghar Square, where he
detonated his explosive vest, according to Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the
Taliban's security command in Kabul.”



ABC News: Adelaide Man Arrested For Allegedly Sharing Christchurch Massacre
Footage Online
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“An Adelaide man who allegedly shared extremist material relating to the 2019
Christchurch terrorist attack, in which 51 people were murdered, has been
arrested and will face court later this year. Police allege the 53-year-old
from Edwardstown posted an online link to footage ‘related to the Christchurch
shooting’. The arrest, which occurred yesterday, was carried out by SA Police's
State Protective Security Branch. ‘Acting on information received earlier this
month, police arrested a 53-year-old man from Edwardstown,’ police said in a
statement. The man has since been charged with distributing extremist material
and has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on June 2.”



United States



Reuters: US Will Not Back Off Syria Mission Despite Deadly Attacks -White House

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“The United States will not back away from its nearly eight-year-old
deployment to Syria, where it is battling the remnants of Islamic State,
despite attacks on U.S. forces there last week by Iran-backed militia, the
White House said on Monday. A one-way attack drone struck a U.S. base in Syria
on March 23, killing an American contractor, injuring another and wounding five
U.S. troops. That triggered U.S. retaliatory air strikes and exchanges of fire
that a Syrian war monitoring group said killed three Syrian troops, 11 Syrian
fighters in pro-government militias and five non-Syrian fighters who were
aligned with the government. White House National Security Council spokesperson
John Kirby said he was not aware of any additional attacks over the past 36
hours but cautioned, ‘We're going to stay vigilant.’”



Iraq



Hawar News Agency: 7 ISIS Mercenaries Captured In Iraq
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“Today, the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency in the Ministry of
Interior in Iraq said, in a statement, that ‘our detachments managed to arrest
three wanted terrorists in accordance with the provisions of Article (4 /
terrorism) for their affiliation with ISIS gangs,’ according to Al-Sumaria News
Network. It added, ‘The terrorists provided logistical support to ISIS gangs in
Diyala province, in addition to transmitting information about the movements of
the security forces in the province.’ For its part, the Nineveh Police Command
stated, in a statement, that ‘Nineveh Police detachments and patrols arrested a
number of suspects wanted by the judiciary, including four people belonging to
ISIS terrorist gangs.’ It indicated that ‘detachments of the Directorate of
Control Affairs and external roads arrested three members of ISIS terrorist
gangs, at a time when detachments of the Qayyarah Police Directorate arrested a
fourth terrorist,’ noting that ‘they were handed over to the Directorate of
Intelligence and Combating Terrorism in Nineveh.’”



Turkey



Associated Press: Turkey Calls French Envoy, Protests Hosting Of Syria Kurds
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“Turkey’s foreign ministry summoned the French ambassador to ‘strongly
condemn’ the French senate’s decision to host Syrian Kurdish groups that Ankara
considers to be terrorists, the Turkish state-run news agency reported Monday.
Pierre Laurent, vice-president of the French Senate, announced on Twitter
Saturday that he hosted a delegation from northeast Syria last week to discuss
the situation in the region. Media reports said the senate awarded medals to
members of the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, and its women’s branch, the
Kurdish Women’s Protection Units, in recognition of their fight against the
extremist Islamic State group in Syria. Anadolu Agency reported that Turkish
officials protested to French Ambassador Herve Magro and reiterated Ankara’s
expectations of solidarity from its NATO allies in its fight against terrorism.
They also asked France not to support alleged efforts by Kurdish militants to
‘gain international credence,’ according to Anadolu.”



Middle East



i24 News: Israeli Forces Arrest Wanted Palestinian Terrorist Suspect Near
Jericho
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“Israeli security forces entered the Aqat Jaber refugee camp near Jericho in
the West Bank on Monday to make arrests of suspected terrorists. Palestinian
media reported that gunfire was exchanged at the scene, as security forces
entered the camp in large numbers and surrounded a building and demanded that
the wanted person surrender himself to Israeli forces. Earlier this month, as
part of a large-scale operation in the West Bank, the Israeli army mapped the
house of the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack in which
American-Israeli Elan Ganeles was killed. During the operation, 14 wanted
people were arrested in several locations in the West Bank, with six suspects
apprehended in the refugee camp for aiding the terrorists who shot up a
restaurant at the Almog junction last week.”



Nigeria



Voice Of America News: Nearly 600 Former Boko Haram Militants Graduate From
Nigeria Rehab
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“Nigerian authorities say a rehabilitation program for former Boko Haram sect
fighters is helping weaken the group's fighting power. Nearly 600 fighters
graduated from the program over the weekend and tendered a public apology for
their actions. Authorities say they will be reintegrated into society, but
experts are warning of possible relapse. The former Boko Haram fighters dressed
in white simultaneously and echoed an oath of allegiance to Nigeria during a
graduation ceremony Saturday at the De-radicalization, Rehabilitation and
Reintegration (DRR) camp in northern Gombe state. They're the latest batch of
voluntary defectors from the sect to undergo the six-month physical, mental and
psychosocial rehabilitation program tagged Operation Safe Corridor. Nigerian
authorities started the safe exit program in July 2016 as a strategy to degrade
the fighting power of terror groups like Boko Haram.”



United Kingdom



The Jewish Chronicle: Terrorist Who Attacked M&S Customers Over Store’s
'Israel Ties' Found Guilty
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“A terrorist who stabbed two women in a branch of Marks & Spencer because of
the shop’s ‘Israel links’ has been found guilty of attempted murder and
wounding with intent at Manchester crown court. Munawar Hussain, 59, stabbed
the store manager in the neck before launching himself at a customer on the
morning of December 2, 2020, in Burnley, Lancashire. Both victims survived.
Hussain said he carried out the attack because he believed the retailer funded
Israel’s ‘persecution’ of Palestine and carried a note on his person at the
time of the attack that read: ‘O Israel, you are inflicting atrocities on
Palestinians and Marks & Spencer is helping you financially.’ Hussain said in
court he had launched the attack so ‘Allah will not be upset with me or angry
with me and he will be happy with me.’”



BBC: Man Who Praised Samuel Paty Murder Found Guilty Of Terrorism Offences
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“A man who posted an image of a terrorism victim's severed head on Twitter,
urging others to decapitate those who insult Islam, has been found guilty of
encouraging terrorist acts. Ajmal Shahpal also praised the killer of French
school teacher Samuel Paty for being ‘as brave as a lion’. The 41-year-old, of
Birkin Avenue in Radford, Nottingham, was convicted after a trial at Birmingham
Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced on 13 April.”



Europe



The Print: US Volunteers’ Infighting In Ukraine Undermining The War Effort:
Report
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“…Ukrainian officials initially boasted of 20,000 potential Legion
volunteers, but far fewer actually enlisted. Currently, there are around 1,500
members in the organization, say people with knowledge of the Legion. Internal
documents show that the Legion is struggling. Recruitment has stagnated. The
Washington-based Counter Extremism Project wrote in March that the Legion and
affiliated groups ‘continue to feature individuals widely seen as unfit to
perform their duties.’ Meanwhile, US volunteers are involved in a messy,
distracting power struggle. Moreover, as per Pentagon many of them had no
military experience.”



Canada



CBC: Canada Extends, Shrinks Its Anti-ISIS Military Mission In The Middle East
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“Canada's signature military mission in the Middle East is being both
extended and downsized, the federal government announced Monday. In a media
statement, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Operation Impact, the
anti-terrorism mission launched by the previous Conservative government to
combat Islamic State extremists almost a decade ago, will continue until 2025.
Most of the military's efforts were focused in Iraq, but Canada also made
contributions to building up the military capabilities of Iraq, Jordan and
Lebanon. The extension will allow the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to continue
to play an important role in supporting regional partners in the advancement of
peace and security, Anand said in the statement. ‘When I visited them in
December, I saw directly how their presence makes a difference to our partners
and allies,’ she added.”



CBC: Ottawa Asks Court To Dismiss Ruling Directing It To Repatriate 4 Men
Detained In Syria
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“The federal government says the Federal Court of Appeal should dismiss a
high-profile ruling ordering Canada to bring home four Canadian men detained in
northeastern Syrian prisons for suspected ISIS members. Government lawyers told
a Toronto court that the Federal Court made errors in its ruling. They said the
court misinterpreted the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it directed
officials to ‘take extraordinary measures’ to secure the release of the men.
Federal lawyer Anne Turley argued during the one-day hearing that the lower
court's judgment interpreted a citizen's right to enter Canada as a right to
expect the government to rescue and return citizens if they're in trouble.”



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