The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)
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El Shafee Elsheikh, a member of the British ISIS cell known as the "Beatles," which became notorious for its beheading videos of foreign hostages, gave an interview to journalist Jenan Moussa of Alaan TV from his cell. Elsheikh, who refused to answer questions regarding the charges against him, citing the "ongoing legal process," said that he did not agree with everything ISIS did. When pressed by Moussa as to what things he opposed, he responded: "Traffic tickets... such things that have no basis in the law of Allah." With regard to the enslavement of Yazidi women, Elsheikh said: "I don't denounce slavery... Just because America decided to abolish something... It does not mean that every person has to run behind America and say: This is now an abominable act." He further said that he decided to travel to Syria because of the oppression of Muslims worldwide. "Every environment has corruption, but nothing beats the West," he said. The Sudanese-born Elsheikh, who was raised in London, is being held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces since his capture in January in eastern Syria, along with another member of the ISIS cell.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here.
A jihadi Telegram channel has released a video interview of Ustad Usama Mehmood, spokesman of Al-Qaeda In The Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), in which he discusses the role of the Pakistan Army with regard to the jihad in Kashmir.
A female Islamic State (ISIS) supporter whose profile says she lives in Houston, Texas has indicated her support for the Islamic State on her Facebook account.
An Instagram user has posted content on Instagram that indicates his support for jihad. He posts many photos of himself preaching at subway stations in New York City.
On April 7, 2018, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Telegram channel published a brief article in Arabic titled "Increasing Motivation to Attack the Nations."
On April 5, 2018 and April 8, 2018, the "Al-Muhajireen Foundation," a group of Islamic State (ISIS) supporters active on Telegram, published two posters in Arabic and English under the title "Security Alert" warning ISIS foreign fighters in Syria that they are in danger of being turned over to Coalition forces and urging them to exercise caution.
On April 11, 2018, Abo Ykthan, a jihadi preacher based in Syria, posted a video on his Telegram channel documenting his visit to a cemetery where Uyghur fighters, also known as Turkestan fighters, are buried.
ISIS Supporters Launch Campaign To Renew Allegiance To Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
On April 2, 2018, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters launched a campaign on Telegram calling for Muslims to renew their pledge of allegiance (bay'ah in Arabic) to the ISIS leader, "Caliph of the Muslims" Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
ISIS Urges Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Fighters To Repent And Join Its Ranks
On April 11, 2018, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) province in Damascus, Syria, released a video urging the fighters of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) to repent from the "acts of unbelief" it accused them of committing and calling on them to join its ranks.
ISIS Branch In Afghanistan-Pakistan Releases Night-Vision Device Images Of Raid On Taliban
On April 2, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Wilayat Khurasan (Khurasan province) released a series of photographs depicting a nighttime operation in the Afghan Nangarhar province.
ISIS Releases Photos Of Sniper Training Near Al-Bukamal
On April 10, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) Al-Furat province, which operates in the area around Al-Bukamal in eastern Syria, released a series of photos documenting the training of snipers.
Pro-ISIS Media Outlet Releases Poster Threatening NYC
On April 11, 2018, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet published a poster on Telegram digitally edited to show man wearing a backpack at the High Street Brooklyn Bridge subway station, and behind him an explosive charge and the word "ISIS" scrawled on the wall.
On April 9, 2018, an Indonesian pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet published on Telegram a graphic showing an armed militant holding Pope Francis hostage. In the image, the Pope is sitting on a toilet.
ISIS Supporters Threaten Putin, Russia, And The 2018 World Cup
Between March 31, 2018 and April 7, 2018, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters on Telegram shared several new posters in English, Arabic, and Russian, threatening terror attacks on Russian soil, and specifically targeting the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia during the summer.
ISIS-Affiliated Nasher News Telegram Channels Promote Nasher News TamTam Channels
On April 7, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated Nasher News outlets on Telegram posted links to the group's channels on the messenger app TamTam.
On April 7, 2018, Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghrib (AQIM) via its media wing Al-Andalus released a statement on behalf of its affiliate group in Tunisia, the 'Uqba Bin Nafi' Brigade, threatening France and French interests while blaming France for the theft of natural resources in the country.
Post On Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Telegram Channel Incites Against France
On April 12, 2018, a Telegram channel associated with jihadi groups, including Al-Qaeda, that operate in Mali, called "Azawad will Not Bow to Anyone besides Allah" published a post inciting against France and calling for its destruction.
English-Language Pro-Al-Qaeda Content Flourishes On Telegram
By. A. Agron*
Al-Qaeda's Telegram presence has been largely maintained by Arabic-language channels such as Al-Qaeda's media wing Al-Sahab, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), and channels belonging to Al-Qaeda's regional branches, such as Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Jaysh Khalid Bin Al-Walid Publishes Photos Of Children
On April 7, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in southwestern Syria, Jaysh Khalid bin Al-Walid, published photographs depicting an activity conducted by its "education bureau" – a ceremony honoring children who memorized portions of the Quran.
Jihadi Media Group Publishes Photo Of Alleged U.S. Soldier In Somalia
On April 10, 2018, the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) published a photo of what it claims is a U.S. soldier attending a meeting with government officials in Somalia.
UK-Based Website Hosts Lectures By Jihadi Clerics
A UK-based website hosts many lectures by jihadi clerics such as Michigan-based Ahmad Musa Jibril, Iraq-American Ali Al-Timimi, and late Yemeni-American sheikh and Al-Qaeda figure Anwar Al-'Awlaki.
Afghan Website: Islamic State Militants Launch Attack In Darzab District Of Jawzjan, Afghanistan
According to an Afghan news website, militants affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group launched a coordinated attack on security posts in the Darzab district of Afghanistan's northern Jawzjan province.
Afghan Taliban Website Denies Claims About Killing Of Chinese Militants In Badakhshan Province
The Urdu-language website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has rejected the Afghan government's claim that two Chinese nationals were among the several militants killed by the Afghan security forces in Badakhshan province on March 30, 2018.
Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who was Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan when the Taliban were in power in Kabul during 1996-2001, says in an interview that Pakistan has "increased pressure" on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) to hold peace talks.
Given below is the text of an April 2 statement published on Telegram by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization), accusing the American and Afghan security forces of committing atrocities against civilians across Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban Promise Security To Journalists And NGOs That Probe Kunduz Killings
The official website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has published a statement dated April 4 in which it has urged international media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to investigate the killings of scores of huffaz (memorizers of the Koran) in an attack by the Afghan security forces in Kunduz province on April 2, 2018.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Kashmir has accused India of committing human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir state, warning that the reaction against such oppression will reach Mumbai and Kolkata.
