Eye on Extremism - April 22, 2019

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Eye on Extremism
April 22, 2019
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April 22, 2019 Report

The Wall Street Journal: Sri Lanka Easter Bombings Kill More Than 200; Several Americans Dead

“A series of blasts tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter morning, killing at least 290 people and wounding more than 400 in coordinated attacks on tourists and the country’s minority Christian community. At least eight explosions, most blamed on suicide bombers, took place across the country. Restaurants and houses of worship that moments earlier were hosting holiday feasts and joyful services were plunged into chaos, filled with rubble, broken furniture, shards of glass and the wounded and dead. No one claimed responsibility for the bombings. Authorities said the government had received warnings about a South Asia-based Islamist militant group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath, possibly targeting religious sites or political figures. But officials said the warnings weren’t specific enough to effectively act upon and didn’t include hotels or tourist sites as potential targets.”

Haaretz: ISIS Continues To Fight In Syria, Killing Two Dozen Government Forces In 48 Hours

“Islamic State militants ambushed Syrian government forces in the country's desert, setting off two days of clashes that killed over two dozen soldiers, a war monitoring organization said Saturday. A pro-government militia confirmed the ambush, saying it had sent its fighters to liberate the two besieged battalions. The Islamic State group lost its last territories in Syria in March after months of battles with U.S-backed Kurdish-led fighters in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour. But the militants remain active in the desert to the west of Deir el-Zour, where they have taken refuge and increasingly targeted government troops and allied militia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS militants ambushed government forces in the desert of central Homs province Thursday night, setting off clashes that lasted for two days. The Observatory said at least 27 soldiers were killed, including four officers.”

The Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Large-Scale Assault In Afghan Capital

“Islamic State said Sunday that it carried out the deadly raid on a government building in teeming central Kabul, an attack that brought a return of large-scale violence to an anxious and exhausted Afghan capital following months of relative calm. The radical jihadists of Islamic State are a rival to the Taliban, and Saturday’s midday attack on the telecommunications ministry, about a half-mile from the presidential palace, renewed concerns over the threat they pose to U.S., Taliban and Afghan government efforts to reach a negotiated settlement of the 18-year Afghan war. In the raid, four Islamic State gunmen stormed the ministry after a suicide attacker blew himself up at the building entrance. When guards prevented them from entering the 18-story building, they retreated to an adjacent post office, where they were shot and killed during a three-hour gunbattle with soldiers and police, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. Seven people, including three police officers, were killed during the raid and three others later died from their wounds, Mr. Rahimi said. Some 2,000 ministry employees were evacuated safely during the raid, he added. A photo soon circulated on social media that showed a bloodied body on a sidewalk, purported to be that of one of the attackers.”

The Jerusalem Post: Pakistan Arrests ‘Last Terrorist At Large’ In Daniel Pearl Killing

“Counter-terrorism officials in Islamabad have confirmed that the remaining terrorist sought in the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl has been taken into custody. Azim Jan, a commander of the TTP, the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, was apprehended on Friday in a joint operation headed by Pakistan Security Forces. The mission was conducted in the hilly area of Mansehra, a district in the Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa Province, located about 100 miles north of the capital Islamabad. Azim Jan was the final fugitive of the group that was involved in the abduction and murder of Daniel Pearl. A senior official speaking to The Media Line on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media, said Jan was the master trainer of suicide bombers and that he was running a terrorist training camp in the area of Pakistan-Afghani border when he was arrested.”

The National: EU Parliament Passes Strict Rules For Removal Of Online Terror Content

“The European Parliament has voted to compel social media companies to remove terrorist content within an hour of being ordered to do so. The bill, which passed on Wednesday evening, requires social media companies to remove or block access to the content for EU users. Companies who fail to remove content in time could be fined up to four per cent of their global turnover. The Counter Extremism Project welcomed the shift from self-policing to regulation, praising the bill’s 'tangible punishments' for those who flout the rules. "In financial punishment for the removal of harmful terrorist propaganda, these service providers can be held accountable for their role in the spread of terror content," said CEP Executive Director David Ibsen. "Such regulation represents a positive start in the fight against digital radicalisation, propaganda, and recruitment, which have long played havoc with Europe’s digital users.”

The New York Times: Sri Lanka Blocks Social Media, Fearing More Violence

“Sri Lanka blocked several social media networks in the wake of terrorist attacks on Sunday, including Facebook and the messaging service WhatsApp. The extraordinary step reflects growing global concern, particularly among governments, about the capacity of American-owned networks to spin up violence. YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Viber were also inaccessible, according to internet monitoring groups. “This was a unilateral decision,” said Harindra Dassanayake, a presidential adviser in Sri Lanka. Officials blocked the platforms, he said, out of fear that misinformation about the attacks and hate speech could spread, provoking more violence. Sri Lankan officials have a troubled relationship with social media, which many in the country credit with helping bring democracy after years of civil war, but also accuse of fomenting racial fear and hatred.”

United States

Associated Press: Canadian Sentenced To Life In Prison For US Airport Attack

“A Canadian man convicted of terrorism for nearly killing a Michigan police officer while yelling “God is great” in Arabic was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, after boldly declaring that he only regretted not having a machine gun during the knife attack. Amor Ftouhi’s statements stunned U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman, who said he’d been “wrestling very hard” with a decision about whether to allow the Tunisia native a chance to someday be released from prison. Leitman said the remarks “persuaded me beyond any shadow of a doubt” that a life term was appropriate for the 51-year-old Ftouhi, who moved to Montreal in 2007. “He was crystal clear today: If he had the opportunity to kill more people, he would,” the judge said. Ftouhi drove 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Montreal to the airport in Flint, Michigan, where he repeatedly stabbed Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck in June 2017. Investigators said Ftouhi wanted to take Neville’s gun and start shooting people at Bishop Airport. Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife. “Do I regret what I did? Never,” Ftouhi told the judge inside a federal courtroom in Flint.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: FBI Seeks To Stop Next Hate-Based Attack Before It Ever Occurs

“The FBI led the investigation into the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in October. It wants to stop the next hate-fueled massacre before it happens. That was the topic of discussion Wednesday during a panel session with members of the FBI-Pittsburgh field office at the citywide public safety meeting at the Teamsters Temple in Lawrenceville. “The goal here is prevention,” said John Pulcastro, an FBI supervisory intelligence analyst. “From an intelligence standpoint, we can prosecute people from now until the end of time ... but we will still have people that have been hurt, killed or whatever.” But how can violent acts of hate be prevented? One of the first steps is recognizing indicators, which are similar no matter the kind of extremist views people hold. “Bottom line is they look very much the same,” Mr. Pulcastro said. ”Particularly before they engage in acts of violence.” People often start out with a justification for their hatred, which Mr. Pulcastro called a ”grievance narrative.” That grievance narrative may hold a sliver of truth, but then the message becomes twisted. For example, Mr. Pulcastro said, the Islamic State group targeted people by telling them that the United States was bombing Syria and Iraq — that was accurate.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Charles Man Charged With Making Terrorist Threat At Mental Health Office

“A St. Charles man was charged Wednesday with making a terrorist threat at a mental health facility in Creve Coeur. Louis M. Frye, 50, of the 2300 block of Canyon Drive, called the Insynergy Counseling and Mental Health facility in Creve Coeur on Tuesday and told an employee, “Get everybody out of the office because I am on my way and I won’t be the only one to die today,” charges said. Frye's phone call prompted an evacuation of the office from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., court documents said. Frye was a patient of the office at the time of the alleged threat. The facility is at 11477 Old Cabin Road. Frye was charged with a felony count of making a terrorist threat. Bail for Frye was set at $50,000. A booking photo of Frye was not immediately available.”

Syria

Al Jazeera: Separate Attacks Kill Nearly 50 Syrian Soldiers

“Syrian government forces came under separate attacks from ISIL and al-Qaeda-linked rebels in different parts of the country that killed nearly 50 soldiers and allied fighters. In one attack, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters ambushed Syrian forces in the desert of central Homs province on Thursday night, setting off two days of clashes that killed 27 soldiers, including four officers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday. A pro-government militia, known as Liwa al-Quds, confirmed the ambush saying it had sent its fighters to liberate the two besieged battalions, made up of nearly 500 soldiers, east of the town of al-Sukhna. In a Facebook post, the militia said it successfully broke the siege and liberated the surviving soldiers before pulling the bodies of those killed and damaged vehicles to safety. Liwa al-Quds, one of the elite militias operating side by side with government troops, didn't give a casualty figure. It said the besieged battalions were out in the desert looking for an army division that disappeared in the area over the last few days. ISIL lost its last territories in Syria in March after months of battles with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters in the eastern province of Deir Az Zor.”

NPR: 'We Pray For The Caliphate To Return': ISIS Families Crowd Into Syrian Camps

“The women huddle for shelter from the rain under a corrugated iron roof, their long black cloaks dragging in the mud as they wait in line for food and pray for the return of the ISIS caliphate. The squalid al-Hol camp, in the Kurdish-majority region of Syria known as Rojava, is filled with more than 72,000 people — most of them women and children who came out of the last piece of ISIS-held territory in Baghouz. They include thousands of Iraqis and Syrians who believe they will usher in a new caliphate. And they pose a risk to the Iraqi government, seeking to repatriate the Iraqis, and to Syrian Kurdish authorities, having nowhere to send the Syrians. "This is injustice — we pray for the caliphate to return," says one of the women, who says this is the third day they have been turned away from promised cartons of food. Everything is in short supply here. "If it weren't for the airstrikes on our tents and camps killing our children," she says, "we would not have left the caliphate." All refuse to give their names.”

Reuters: Syrian Government Shelling Kills Seven In Rebel-Held Northwest-Civil Defence

“Syrian government shelling killed at least seven people and wounded many others on Thursday in the last major territory still held by rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, rescue workers in the rebel-held area said. The deaths occurred in Um Jalal village in southeast Idlib province, the Syrian White Helmets told journalists on the WhatsApp messaging service. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, put the death toll at 10. Most of the deaths were women and children, said the White Helmets, known officially as the Syrian civil defence. Syrian state media made no mention of shelling in that area. State news agency SANA said militants had blown up a bridge in the northern Hama area which is adjacent to Idlib. The northwest is the last big piece of territory held by rebels opposed to Assad, who has recaptured most of the rest of the country since 2015 when Russia joined the Syrian civil war on his government’s behalf. The war is now entering its ninth year, with half of Syria’s population displaced and many hundreds of thousands of people killed. On Sunday, militants in the northwest fired rockets at the government-held city of Aleppo, killing at least 11 civilians in al-Khalidiya neighbourhood, SANA reported.”

Iran

Haaretz: Iran Floods Leave Its Regime Drowning In Domestic Criticism

“President Rohani's major difficulty to conduct a consistent policy, implement economic reforms or navigate between the sanctions and EU states lies in the fact elite Quds Force's chief Qassem Soleimani is the one pulling all the strings. In about two weeks, from mid-March to the beginning of April, some 70 percent of the annual precipitation fell in Iran.”

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. Carves Out Exceptions For Foreigners Dealing With Revolutionary Guards

“The United States has largely carved out exceptions so that foreign governments, firms and NGOs do not automatically face U.S. sanctions for dealing with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards after the group’s designation by Washington as a foreign terrorist group, according to three current and three former U.S. officials. The exemptions, granted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and described by a State Department spokesman in response to questions from Reuters, mean officials from countries such as Iraq who may have dealings with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, would not necessarily be denied U.S. visas. The IRGC is a powerful faction in Iran that controls a business empire as well as elite armed and intelligence forces. The exceptions to U.S. sanctions would also permit foreign executives who do business in Iran, where the IRGC is a major economic force, as well as humanitarian groups working in regions such as northern Syria, Iraq and Yemen, to do so without fear they will automatically trigger U.S. laws on dealing with a foreign terrorist group.”

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. To End Iran Oil Waivers To Drive Tehran’s Exports To Zero

“The State Department is expected to announce the end of waivers for countries to import Iranian oil on Monday, part of the Trump administration’s effort to drive Iran’s exports to zero, people familiar with the decision said. The U.S. had previously granted eight countries a 180-day waiver to continue to buy Iranian crude despite U.S. sanctions, provided that each took steps to reduce purchases and move toward ending imports. The deadline for renewing the waivers was set to fall on May 2. China, India and Turkey were among Iran’s top customers and had been expecting to receive a renewed waiver to continue to buy Iran’s oil. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the decision to end oil waivers would put a complete halt to permitted exports. A “wind down” grace period would allow certain customers to continue to receive the oil it had already purchased, or agreed to buy, two people familiar with the matter said. It wasn’t immediately clear how such a mechanism would work.”

The Washington Post: Iran’s Top Leader Picks New Revolutionary Guard Chief

“Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday appointed a new chief of the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, picking a general with a history of threatening the U.S. just days after America designated the paramilitary force a terrorist organization. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decision replaces the commander of a force that controls the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program and has had tense encounters at sea with American warships. The decision comes as Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers is in tatters following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the accord and restore crippling sanctions, which has sparked outrage in Iran. Taking over will be Gen. Hossein Salami, a 59-year-old who had been serving as a deputy commander in the Guard. Salami joined the Guard at the outbreak of the bloody 1980s Iran-Iraq war, later rising in the ranks to head of its air forces.”

Iraq

The Guardian: Iraq's Oldest Christian Town Celebrates Easter Without ISIS

“The church ceiling was still scorched and some cherished relics missing, but after five years of war and exile, their tormentors were finally gone. When the men and women of Iraq’s oldest Christian town gathered for Easter mass this weekend, they did so knowing that the Islamic State extremists who had chased them away were not coming back. Their battlefield defeat two months ago meant the people of Hamdaniya (also called Qaraqosh) could once again celebrate without fear. A large congregation shuffled into pews that only two years ago lay in splintered ruin, both in the Church of the Immaculate Conception and every other church in Hamdaniya, which, like much of the rest of northern Iraq, had been overrun by extremists from Isis. A priest in bright red robes holding a gold crosier in one hand and a small cross in the other spoke in Syriac only blocks away from where militants plotted chaos and even genocide for vulnerable communities. In the darkest years of insurgency, from mid-2014 until late 2016, Hamdaniya and nearby towns had been hotbeds of the Isis presence; bases from which the militant group had planned attacks, assembled bombs and pledged to lay waste to millennia of coexistence. For a while, it seemed that those who had left would never return.”

The Washington Times: Trump To Help Iraqi Christians Wreak Justice On Islamic State Militants

“The Islamic State’s “caliphate” in the heart of the Middle East may be no more, but some Iraqi Christians, with an assist from the Trump administration, want to ensure the group that terrorized their community and other minorities faces justice for its crimes. The offices of the Shlomo Organization for Documentation are on a busy street in Ankawa, the predominantly Assyrian Christian part of Irbil in Iraq’s Kurdish region. The volunteer staff keeps town-by-town statistics on the number of Iraqi Christian victims of the Islamic State posted on the office walls, and testimonies of the victims’ experiences fill several dozen bulging binders. Islamic State militants displaced some 60,000 adherents of this ancient Christian offshoot from their historic homeland in the Nineveh Plains when they surged to power in Iraq and Syria in 2014. They killed or kidnapped many others. The Shlomo organization’s chairman, Faris Jejjo, a former science and technology minister in Baghdad, is keen to get the word out about the volunteers’ work to rescue kidnapped Christians once held captive by the Islamic State, which sometimes required paying smugglers.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Apprehend Four Islamic State Jihadists In Anbar

“Four members of the Islamic State terrorist group were apprehended Saturday in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, a security source was quoted as saying. “Security forces arrested four Islamic State terrorists during crackdowns in al-Husainiat and Mueishar areas in Haditha district, west of Anbar,” the source told Almaalomah news website. The troops also destroyed three Islamic State terrorist hotbeds and two armored vehicles, in addition to seizing a large cache of ammunition, added the source. The operation was launched with the aim of eliminating the remaining IS terrorists in Anbar, he noted. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city. Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Gun Islamic State Warlord Down In Diyala

“Iraqi counter-terrorism forces killed on Sunday an Islamic State warlord during a security operation in a mountain ridge in northeast Iraq. Abu Idris, a notorious Islamic State leader, was shot dead during a specific operation by the elite Counter-Terrorism Service in Hamrin mountains in Diyala province, Alforat News website quoted the Security Media Cell as saying in a press statement. The service said that it will provide further details about the operation later. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. Islamic State declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital. Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State militants continue to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.”

Al Arabiya: “We Will Continue War On Terrorism,” Says Iraqi Speaker Al-Halbusi At Summit

“The one-day summit bringing together parliament heads from neighboring countries of Iraq began on Saturday in the capital Baghdad. In his opening remarks, Iraq’s parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi said: “We will continue the war on terrorism with the help of regional and international powers.” “Iraq’s relations are solid with neighboring countries and we rely on their development,” al-Halbusi added. Iraq is hosting senior officials from neighboring countries, as it carves out a role as a mediator in the region. An Iraqi parliamentary spokesman told AFP on Friday that parliament heads from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Kuwait will be attending the summit. Iran will be represented by a “senior official,” the spokesman said. On Thursday night, Syria’s parliament chief Hammudeh Sabbagh, had landed in Baghdad with a large delegation. As part of its new regional role, Baghdad has sought to bring Syria back into the Arab League.”

Turkey

The Jerusalem Post: Four Turkish Soldiers Killed In Clashes With Kurdish Terrorist Organization

“Four Turkish soldiers were killed on Friday in clashes with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) near the border with Iraq, Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Saturday. Demiroren News Agency said a military base had been attacked in the mountainous Cukurca district of Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari, prompting the Turkish military to respond with a “large-scale” military operation.”As part of ongoing operations in the Turkey-Iraq border, two soldiers were killed in clashes with terrorists despite all efforts to save them,” the ministry said, adding a total of four soldiers were killed and six wounded. “Terrorists are under intense fire with the air operation and fire support vehicles in the region,” it said. The PKK, which has waged an insurgency for autonomy in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast since 1984, is deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.”

Afghanistan

The Jerusalem Post: Taliban, ISIS-Aligned Fighters Engage In Deadly Afghanistan Clashes

“At least 12 Taliban and six Islamic State fighters have been killed in bloody clashes that erupted in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, according to the Afghan military. The rival militant groups aim to take control eastern Afghanistan, where Kabul has apparently lost government writ, and fighting between the two has significantly escalated since last year. The latest clashes broke out last Monday and continued into the weekend. Last month, the Taliban unleashed an attack on ISIS forces in Afghanistan’s Kunar province and claimed to seize control in a majority of districts. ISIS first appeared in Afghanistan in 2014. Since then it has become increasingly deadly. Afghan intelligence officials believe the group has a total strength of 3,000-4,000 fighters, although they lack public support because they have attacked the country's minority Shi’ite population.”

The Washington Post: Taliban Meets With Women’s Rights Activists, Others After Talks With Afghan Officials Collapse

“The sudden cancellation of eagerly awaited talks between Taliban officials and Afghan leaders, planned to begin last Friday in Qatar, seemed a stunning reversal in slow-going efforts to bring a peaceful negotiated end to the 17-year Afghan war.As it turned out, the moment did not go entirely to waste. On Saturday, about 20 Afghan emigres from Europe and the United States, including three women, privately met Taliban representatives in Doha, the Qatari capital. They said they spoke for more than six hours with the group’s chief negotiator, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, and a dozen other insurgent representatives. The result, or at least the vibe, was unexpectedly positive. Several participants said there was not much detailed discussion, but they described a willingness by Taliban representatives to explore issues of importance to Afghans and to keep open a dialogue that could lead to the end of the conflict. “This was the cracking open of the door,” said Masuda Sultan, 46, an Afghan American activist and board member of the nonprofit organization Women for Afghan Women, which has offices in Washington and Kabul. She said her organization had been excluded from the Afghan delegation to the formal talks, but she flew to Doha anyway.”

Xinhua: Over 60 Militants Killed In 24 Hours As Afghan Fighting Gains Momentum

“More than 60 anti-government militants were killed across Afghanistan over the past 24 hours as fighting gained momentum in the conflict-battered country, officials said Sunday. The government forces in latest crackdown against the armed militants have stormed a Taliban hideout in Panah area of Gero district in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province, killing seven insurgents on the spot and wounding three others, said a statement of provincial government released Sunday. Similarly, fighting between security forces and the Taliban group left five armed militants dead and two injured in Dasht-e-Qala district of the country's northern Takhar province Saturday night, provincial government spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajari told Xinhua. At least 28 militants have been confirmed dead as fighting aircraft pounded Taliban positions in Saiqal Ghara area of Nawbahar district in southern Zabul province since Saturday, said an army statement. According to army statements, 17 militants have been killed in eastern Wardak province and seven more insurgents have been killed in southern Uruzgan province since Saturday. However, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit has spurned the claims made by security officials, saying the militants have inflicted casualties to government forces over the past 24 hours.”

Pakistan

Radio Free Europe: Pakistan Says Iran-Based Group Behind Deadly Attack

“Pakistan has urged Iran to take action against terrorist groups believed to be behind the killing of 14 soldiers earlier this week. “We hope that Iran will take visible action,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said during an April 20 press conference. Qureshi said 15 gunmen wearing military uniforms ambushed a bus in southwestern Balochistan Province on April 18, killing 14 Pakistani Army personnel. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the Iranian government that the assailants came from an alliance of three Baluch terrorist organizations based in Iran.The announcement came a day before Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Iran. Qureshi told reporters that the planned two-day visit, beginning on April 21, was intact and that Khan would take up the matter with Iranian authorities. Qureshi said he spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on April 20 to share the initial findings of a Pakistani probe into the killing of security personnel with him. There was no immediate reaction from Tehran. Earlier this year, Iran called on Pakistan to take action against a militant group behind a deadly attack on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Twenty-seven IRGC members were killed in the February suicide car bombing near the border with Pakistan.”

Yemen

The National: Yemen's Houthis Block Relief Convoy And Use Civilians As Human Shields In Hodeidah

“Houthi rebels were stopping relief convoys from reaching dozens of civilians, some of whom were being used as human shields in the centre of the Al Durayhimi district, eastern Hodeidah. The Iran-backed rebels, who control a small neighbourhood in Al Durayhimi, prevented an Emirates Red Crescent relief convoy from providing aid to 50 civilians in the district on Saturday, which was 90 per cent liberated by pro-government forces in August 2018. “We called on the Houthis who still hold that neighbourhood, urging them to leave peacefully or allow the detained civilians to reach the relief convoy, which stopped about one kilometre away," Col Wathah Al Dubaish, spokesman for the joint forces in Hodeidah, told The National. "But they shot at us and at some of the women.” Most of the civilians used as human shields were elderly and disabled people and women, a former resident of the district said. “The detained civilians have been living in very hard conditions in the centre of the city since August 2018," the former resident said.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Yemeni Army: Houthis Smuggled African Fighters To Hodeidah

“The Yemeni army has accused Houthi militias of smuggling dozens of African fighters into the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah to fight alongside the insurgents. Yemeni National Army spokesman Brigadier General Abdo Abdullah Majali told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis have forced a large number of migrants coming from the Horn of Africa region to enroll in their camps. The insurgents later deployed them on several fronts, he said. Majali urged the international community to take action to stop the militias from recruiting African migrants and children. The Yemeni army says it has made great advances on several fronts mainly in Saada and Nahm provinces, which are at close proximity to the Houthi-controled capital of Sanaa. In the past two months, the army has been able to bring under its control large swaths of territory. Houthis have also suffered major losses.”

Saudi Arabia

Bloomberg: Attack Thwarted On Saudi Security Facility, Four Gunmen Dead

“Saudi Arabian police foiled an attack by unidentified gunmen on a security facility north of the capital, Riyadh, on Sunday, killing all four, a government spokesman said. The men tried to storm a building belonging to Saudi Arabia’s mabahith security agency in the town of Al Zulfi, located in a conservative area about 155 miles (250 kilometers) from the capital, a spokesman for the Presidency of State Security said in a statement. Three police officers were lightly hurt in what the statement called a “terrorist attack.” The mabahith deal with domestic security and are sometimes referred to as the kingdom’s secret police. The gunmen carried automatic weapons, bombs and firebombs, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel reported. The kingdom intensified its counter-terrorism efforts after a string of domestic assaults by Saudi militants in the early 2000s. But while attacks have grown rarer, efforts persist, and two assailants were killed in an incident earlier this month in the country’s east.”

Middle East

The Jerusalem Post: Nasrallah Warns Of War This Summer, Worries He Could Be Killed - Report

“Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned top military commanders in a private meeting this week that there will be a war with Israel this summer and that he may not be around to support them, according to Elijah J. Magnier, a writer for the Kuwaiti Al Rai news. “I may not remain among you for very long; it is possible that the entire first level of leadership could be killed, including myself,” Nasrallah reportedly told the commanders. “Measures and procedures have already been taken to be ready even if this extreme case happens.” Al Rai is Kuwait's daily newspaper. Surveys by the Washington-based Intermedia group have ranked the paper one among Kuwaiti newspapers. Nasrallah reportedly said that he expects the war to take everybody by surprise, like the 2006 Lebanon War. “Israel can surprise us all like it did in Gaza in 2008 with the objective of removing the threat on its borders once and for all,” Nasrallah stated. “This is what our people should know, and they should from now on be prepared for the worse-case scenario.”

Nigeria

Reuters: British Woman Killed, Three Other People Kidnapped In Northern Nigeria

“Kidnappers in Nigeria killed a British woman and a Nigerian man, and abducted three others in the northern city of Kaduna, local police and the British High Commission said on Sunday. Kidnappings are rampant in Nigeria, where both locals and foreigners are targeted — mostly for ransom. The woman traveled from Lagos as a tourist and was attending a party before the incident happened, police said. The British High Commission named the woman as Faye Mooney and said it was aware of the incident that happened late on Friday but added it would not speculate on the motive or nature of attack. There has been no claim of responsibility for the incident and the kidnappers have yet to be identified, police said. Mooney was employed in Nigeria by a non-governmental organization called Mercy Corps. Her next of kin have been notified, the British High Commission said. ”Some suspected kidnappers armed with dangerous weapons gained entry into a recreational resort called Kajuru Castle in Kajuru local government area shooting sporadically and in the process shot dead two persons, including an expatriate lady, and took away three others,” Kaduna state police spokesman said. The police did not name the other person killed.”

Defense Post: Boko Haram Kills 11 In Overnight Attack In Cameroon’s Far North

“Boko Haram fighters have killed 11 civilians in an overnight attack in Cameroon’s troubled Far North Region, security sources told AFP on Friday, April 11. “Boko Haram made an incursion at night in the Tchakamari area. The toll is 11,” a source close to security services in the area said, confirming a report from a member of a local self-defense militia. The bodies were “charred,” the source close to security services said, adding that the attackers had burnt the village. The dead included both children and the aged and began at around 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) and lasted until about 1 a.m. Friday. It was the deadliest Boko Haram raid in recent months in Cameroon. In November, a female suicide bomber killed 29 people in a busy market in Amchide, also in the Far North.”

Reuters: Islamic State Cites 69 Casualties From Nigerian Army And African Troops

“Islamic State (IS) has recorded 69 casualties from the Nigerian Army and troops from an African anti-militant force in attacks over the past week, the Jihadist group said in its weekly paper on Thursday. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from Nigeria-based Boko Haram in 2016, has carried out a series of attacks in the last few months. In its newspaper Al-Nabaa, IS said its fighters killed a number of African coalition soldiers in attacks on a military barracks, a military post and a town in northeastern Borno state and the Lake Chad region. It said its fighters detonated explosives on Saturday on a tank of the African alliance near the town of Tomer in Niger, killing all soldiers on board. ISIS did not specify the number killed. The militants said over the past week troops from Nigerian and Cameroon were either killed or injured, without providing details. A Nigerian military spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. Boko Haram has waged a decade-long insurgency in northeast Nigeria which has killed around 30,000 people and forced about 2 million to leave their homes.”

Somalia

Xinhua: U.S. Military Kills 2 Al-Shabab Militants In Southern Somalia

“The United States military said Saturday its special forces on Friday conducted an airstrike against al-Shabab terrorists in southern Somalia, killing two militants. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) which oversees American troops on the African continent said in a statement that the latest strike was conducted in cooperation with Somali government near Jamaame, Lower Juba Region. AFRICOM said no civilians were injured or killed in the airstrike. The statement said al-Shabab group now has been pushed back up the Lower Juba River Valley. “Our Somali security partners have built combat outposts and have created more stability in the valley,” William West, AFRICOM deputy director of operations said in the statement, adding that the Somalia government has increased its governance in the region which is vital to create durable and long-term stability.”

Africa

The New York Times: ISIS, After Laying Groundwork, Gains Toehold In Congo

“Just over a year ago, Congolese troops found a book written in Arabic on the body of an enemy combatant. The book was from the Islamic State’s Research and Studies Office, a department of the terrorist group’s now-defunct state in Syria and Iraq that issued doctrinal texts buttressing its brutal worldview. The discovery of the book in the spring of 2018 was among a number of clues indicating that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, was trying to establish a toehold in the lawless jungles of eastern Congo. On Thursday, the Islamic State’s news agency claimed the group’s first attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stating that its soldiers had assaulted a military barracks in the area of Beni, killing eight people. The attack took place in a region beset by violence in a part of the world long outside government control, the kind of terrain that has proved to be fertile ground for ISIS. If the group succeeds in planting its flag here, it would not only expand its reach into a new part of the continent, but it would also do so far outside the grasp of international forces. Congolese officials confirmed that an attack on a small military unit had occurred there days earlier, but they said the assailants belonged to the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group that originated in neighboring Uganda and is accused of killing hundreds of people over the past three years.”

Reuters: Attack On Mali Army Base Kills 11 Soldiers

“Gunmen attacked a Malian army base in a dawn raid on Sunday, killing 11 soldiers and burning the camp in west-central Mali, the army and a local lawmaker said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Central Mali has in the past few years been overrun by jihadists with links to al Qaeda. The unidentified armed assailants attacked the base in Guire district at 0500 local time (0500 GMT) after approaching in a convoy of 11 vehicles, local lawmaker Niame Keita said. “They burnt the camp and took equipment,” he said. In a statement, the defence ministry confirmed the attack and said 11 soldiers were killed and more were wounded. Keita had earlier said 12 were reported killed. In March, an al Qaeda affiliate said it was behind a similar overnight attack on an army base in the central region of Mopti in which 16 soldiers were killed. Escalating violence led to the resignation last week of the entire Malian government. The authorities have come under fire for failing to beat back militants and disarm militias, after a massacre of 157 villagers by an ethnic vigilante group shocked the nation in March. Both Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso have been hit by the spike in hostilities fuelled by Islamist militants seeking to extend their influence over the Sahel, an arid region between Africa’s northern Sahara desert and its southern savannas.”

Voice Of America: Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger Deploy Troops After Fresh Attack

“The Multi-National Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission made up of forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger, has deployed troops after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Cameroon killing at least 13 people and leaving hundreds homeless. Cameroon has been asking its people to collaborate with the military, stating that more attacks will be reported during Ramadan, expected in a few weeks. It is a very quiet and deserted Tchakarmari village on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria with carcasses of animals and torched houses reminding visitors of a sad event. Resident Abba Malloum says the village of more than 400 people was reduced to ashes by Boko Haram fighters who came from neighboring Nigeria on the late Thursday night. He says over a hundred Boko Haram fighters attacked their village, shooting indiscriminately and torching all of their houses. He says at least 13 people were either shot to death or slaughtered, many wounded, about a hundred men, women and children abducted, and their maize, beans, groundnuts and sheep burned as hundreds of their cattle were taken away. Bachair Hachimi, traditional ruler of Tchakarmari says relative peace had returned to their village a year ago after several attacks by the terror group and residents who had fled started to return.”

Voice Of America: Sudan Delegation to Visit US to Discuss Removal from Terror List

“A Sudanese delegation is expected to visit the United States for talks aimed at getting Sudan removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Sudan's army ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in his first interview on state television since taking power, said the delegation could travel as soon as “this week or next week for discussions.” The U.S. government added Sudan to its terrorism list in 1993 over allegations that then-President Omar al-Bashir's government was supporting terrorism. Al-Bashir was ousted earlier this month by the military after three decades in power. In 2017, the United States lifted its 20-year-old trade embargo imposed on Sudan, but it left Sudan on its state sponsors of terrorism list along with Iran, Syria and North Korea. Since al-Bashir's removal, U.S. officials have praised the country's new military leader for freeing political prisoners. On Thursday, State Department officials announced it would send an envoy to Khartoum to encourage a transition to democracy. Burhan took the leadership position after his predecessor, General Awad Ibn Ouf, resigned less than 24 hours after becoming military council chief.”

United Kingdom

The Guardian: Journalist Killed In Derry 'Terrorist Incident', Say Northern Ireland Police

“A 29-year-old woman has died after shots were fired in Derry, with police in Northern Ireland treating it as a “terrorist incident”. The victim was named as journalist and author Lyra McKee, who was covering the unrest taking place in the Creggan area of the city. The assistant chief constable, Mark Hamilton, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said a murder inquiry had been launched after the death on Thursday evening. Petrol bombs were thrown and images from the scene show vehicles alight and others burnt out. “Unfortunately, at 11pm last night, a gunman appeared and fired a number of shots towards police and a young woman, Lyra McKee, 29 years old, was wounded,” he said. “She was taken away in a police Land Rover to Altnagelvin hospital but unfortunately she has died there. We have now launched a murder inquiry here in the city. “We believe this to be a terrorist act, we believe it has been carried out by violent dissident republicans, our assessment at this time is that the New IRA are most likely to be the ones behind this and that forms our primary line of inquiry.” A local journalist at the scene, Leona O’Neill, wrote on Twitter that after the woman was hit and fell beside a police Land Rover, officers rushed her to hospital, where the woman died.”

Europe

The New York Times: Kosovo Flies Home Jihadists’ Families From Syria

“The authorities in Kosovo said on Saturday that more than 100 of their citizens, mostly women and children who were relatives of jihadists, had been flown home from Syria under heavy security with the assistance of the United States. Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri told journalists that “a planned operation to bring back some of our citizens from Syria ended successfully.” Officials said four men suspected of having been fighters with the Islamic State militant group, 32 women and 74 children were among the group. The four suspected fighters were arrested. Nine of the children had lost parents during the fighting in Syria. Other details were not immediately released, officials said, because of “the sensitivity of the case.” Two buses holding the women and children stood for hours at the Kosovo airport before being transported under police escort to army barracks just outside Pristina, the capital. The group was taken to a center in Vranidoll, north of the city, before being sent to homes in the next 72 hours, officials said. Mr. Tahiri said that a task force had been created in October in close cooperation with the United States. “Our message is clear,” he said. “The Kosovo government will strongly continue to prevent and fight violent extremism and terrorism.”

Reuters: Bosnia Brings Back, Detains Islamic Fighter From Syria

“A Bosnian national suspected of fighting for Islamic State in Syria has been transferred to Bosnia and put in detention, the Balkan country’s prosecutor’s office said on Saturday. After the collapse of Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq, countries around the world are wrestling with how to handle militants and their families seeking to return. ”I.C, 24, is suspected for criminal acts of organising a terrorist group, illegal formation and of joining foreign paramilitary or para-police formations, and terrorism,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Bosnia’s state court has tried and convicted 46 people who have returned from Syria or Iraq in the past few years. Local media identified the man as Ibro Cufurovic from the northwestern town of Velika Kladusa who, along with Armin Curt, 22, from Sarajevo, had been detained by the Kurdish militia more than a year ago. The prosecution outlined the assistance of the United States in bringing the man back. The United States is the ally of the Kurdish militia operating in the northern Syria. When asked about the return of the man to Bosnia and the separate return of fighters to Kosovo, U.S. military spokesman Sean Robertson said, “U.S. assets were used in support of this repatriation operation.” ”At no time did the U.S. take custody of the FTF (foreign terrorist fighter) detainees,” Robertson said.”

Southeast Asia

The Washington Post: At Least 290 Killed In Easter Sunday Attacks On Churches And Hotels

“Suicide bombers struck churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 290 people in a highly coordinated attack targeting Christians and foreigners that left this island nation reeling. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, the worst violence here since the end of the civil war a decade ago. Police arrested 13 people in connection with the bombings, and three police officers were killed during a raid at a residence. Sri Lankan officials did not identify those arrested or discuss a motive for the attacks. At least 450 were injured in the attacks, according to a police spokesman. Images of splintered pews and bloodstained floors played across local television screens Sunday as the enormity of the attacks, launched on the holiest day of the Christian calendar, became clear. The dead included “several” Americans, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. He blamed “radical terrorists” for the attacks. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters Sunday that some government officials had prior intelligence about the attacks but didn’t act on it. “Information was there,” he said at a news conference. “This is a matter we need to look into.” A letter circulating on social media appeared to be a notice issued by a senior police official on April 11, warning of potential attacks on churches by a little-known Islamist extremist group.”

The New York Times: Police Warned That Sri Lanka Churches Were Bombing Targets

“As Christians in Sri Lanka gathered on Sunday morning to celebrate Easter Mass, powerful explosions ripped through three churches packed with worshipers, leaving hundreds of victims amid a havoc of splintered and blood-spattered pews. In what the police said were coordinated terrorist attacks carried out on both sides of the country by a single group, suicide bombers also struck three hotels popular with tourists. At least 207 people were killed and 450 others injured, a police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera, said. News of the bombings, the largest attack on South Asian Christians in recent memory, rippled out all Easter morning, interrupting celebrations across the world. Pope Francis, after celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square, said the attacks had “brought mourning and sorrow” on the most important of Christian holidays. The bombings began around 8:45 a.m., and targeted Roman Catholic houses of worship — St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, the capital; St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo; and Zion Church in Batticaloa — along with three luxury hotels: the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand, and the Kingsbury, all in Colombo. Thirteen suspects were held in connection with the bombings, the authorities said. Three officers were killed hunting for the attackers at a housing complex.”

The Wall Street Journal: Sri Lanka Points To Islamic Militants In Easter Bombing Attacks

“Sri Lankan officials believe an Islamist militant group was behind the Easter morning attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed at least 290 people and wounded another 500, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. Officials had said previously that another country had warned that the group, known as National Thowheed Jamath, was planning attacks in Sri Lanka, but the warnings weren’t specific enough to effectively act on and didn’t include hotels or tourist sites as potential targets. Mr. Senaratne said there is no specific evidence connecting the group to the bombings, but that authorities see it as the most likely organizer. He said all the bombers were Sri Lankan citizens. Police said yet another explosive device was discovered Monday in a parcel inside a vehicle parked in Colombo near St. Anthony’s Shrine, which was attacked on Sunday. The bomb was disposed of with a controlled explosion, they said, and there were no injuries.”

The Verge: Sri Lanka Restricts Access To Social Media Sites Following Terror Attack

“A coordinated series of attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka this morning has killed at least 200 people, and injured at least 450 more. In response to the attack, the Sri Lankan government has restricted access to a number of social media sites, including Facebook, Whatsapp, and Youtube, according to local media and monitoring site Netblocks (via The New York Times). The site says that the government appears to have blocked Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, and YouTube, and authorities have issued a curfew in the country. Presidential advisor Harindra Dassanayake told The New York Timesthat “this was a unilateral decision,” and was done over concerns that the attacks would trigger additional waves of widespread misinformation, hate speech, and violence. It is not immediately clear when the ban will be lifted. The move isn’t unprecedented in the country, which last year saw riots fueled by misinformation on Facebook, and which temporarily banned sites. The move comes as Facebook and other social media platforms have come under scrutiny in recent years over their roles in the spread of misinformation and hoaxes that fuel violence, and the company has admitted that its efforts to contain such problems has fallen short in places like Myanmar, and countries like India have proposed new rules to try and force companies to do more to combat the problem.”

The Guardian: Sri Lanka's Social Media Blackout Reflects Sense That Online Dangers Outweigh Benefits

“The Sri Lankan government’s decision to block all social media sites in the wake of Sunday’s deadly attacks is emblematic of just how much US-based technology companies’ failure to rein in misinformation, extremism and incitement to violence has come to outweigh the claimed benefits of social media. Sri Lanka’s government moved to block Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – all owned by Facebook – on Sunday out of concern that “false news reports … spreading through social media” could lead to violence. The services will be suspended until investigations into the blasts that killed more than 200 people are concluded, the government said. Non-Facebook social media services including YouTube and Viber have also been suspended, but Facebook and WhatsApp are the dominant platforms in the country.”

Technology

The New York Times: After Social Media Bans, Militant Groups Found Ways To Remain

“In July 2013, a broadcaster affiliated with the Islamist group Hezbollah posted a threatening video on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It featured gun-toting militants practicing an ambush to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The message: This is how we kill you. In December, the broadcaster posted another video that showed how Hezbollah’s social media strategy had changed. This one contained close-up footage of Israeli soldiers on patrol, with no Hezbollah members visible. The message was also dialed back: We are watching you. Hezbollah is among dozens of groups classified by the United States as terrorist entities that have learned how to stay a step ahead of the social media giants. In the past, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have taken down the official pages of these militant groups dozens of times and banned their accounts. But Hamas and Hezbollah, in particular, have evolved by getting their supporters to publish images and videos that deliver their message — but that do not set off the alarm bells of the social media platforms. Today, the groups mostly post images of festive parades and religious celebrations online, as well as videos of speeches by their leaders.”