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.)
Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.
On October 27, 2018, a pro-ISIS media operative active on Telegram and Twitter who calls himself "Batar Al-Iraqi" published posters in English on Twitter urging Muslims to carry out attacks in the West.
Platform: Facebook
Additional Information: Appears to be a driver for Uber and Lyft living in Seattle, Washington.
On October 30, 2018, the Islamic State's (ISIS) Al-Hayat media released the eighth installment in its video series "Inside The Khilafah [Caliphate]," which is intended for non-Arabic speakers.
On October 21, 2018, an Indonesian fundraising group that raises money to buy food, weapons, clothing, and other materials for jihadis opened a new Telegram channel. The group frequently posts, primarily in Indonesian, on its Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts.
On October 29, 2018, the Syrian branch of the Uyghur jihad group Islamic Turkestan Party (TIP) released a video documenting the religious and military training of Uyghur children in Syria. The 50-minute video, titled "Protectors Of The Koran," is in Uyghur and Arabic and is dated October 2018.
On October 29, 2018, the Uyghur jihadi Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released a new visual nasheed (religious-themed acapella song) titled "Love of Jihad," on the Al-Qaeda-affiliated GIMF Telegram channel.
Al-Muhajireen Foundation is a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet which directs its content to foreign fighters in the organization, particularly those in Syria. The foundation publishes security warnings for ISIS fighters in Syria, as well as eulogies for foreign fighters.
The fourth issue of the pro-Al-Qaeda magazine Al-Haqiqa, which is published by Al-Qaeda supporters and was released on Telegram on October 15, 2018, includes an exclusive interview with Adnan Rasheed, a commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ("Movement of the Pakistani Taliban," TTP). Adnan Rasheed served in the Pakistani Air Force (PAF).
On November 1, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a new issue of its weekly newspaper Al-Naba', which includes an "exclusive" report claiming that an ISIS fighter had infiltrated a NATO special forces military camp in Herat province in Afghanistan and killed and wounded crusaders, including Americans.
On October 31, 2018, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet Abd Al-Faqir Foundation published a poster on Telegram threatening attacks on Halloween.
On October 29, 2018, the pro-Islamic State media foundation released a notice in English and Arabic reporting that two smugglers with "sensitive information about the Islamic State" had been arrested by "crusader coalition-backed forces" in Syria's Al-Hasakah Province, close to the Iraqi border.
Pro-ISIS Media Outlet Publishes Guide To Homemade Adhesive Improvised Explosive Devices
On October 28, 2018, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) telegram channel published an English online guide to producing homemade adhesive Improvised Explosive Devices.
Pro-ISIS Media Group Threatens Pope Francis: 'Don't Think That You're Immune From Our Attacks'
On October 29, 2018, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) group Al-Abd Al-Faqir foundation released a poster on Telegram threatening Pope Francis.
Pro-ISIS Posters Threaten Paris And Venice
In recent days, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) online continued to use posters to issue threats of attacks against famous Western landmarks. On October 24, 2018, a poster published by the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Al-Bushrayat was released on several Telegram channels.
ISIS Asserts Egyptian Military Failure In Sinai Campaign In Article In Online Weekly
In February 2018, the Egyptian military launched a largescale campaign in the Sinai Peninsula dubbed "Comprehensive Operation – Sinai 2018," aimed at uprooting the Islamic State (ISIS) from the Peninsula.
On October 25, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) released Issue 153 of its weekly newspaper, Al-Naba', which includes an editorial reiterating the group's threat to target election centers in Iraq and warning Sunnis "to stay away and not walk near them."
ISIS Claims Attack On Military Convoy Of 'Crusader,' PKK Forces In Syria
On October 27, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Al-Khair province released a statement saying that fighter Abu Anas Al-Kurdi had carried out a "martyrdom" operation targeting a convoy of the "Crusaders and their followers the apostate PKK fighters."
ISIS In Barqah, Libya Claims Killing And Capture Of Policemen In Al-Fuqaha
On October 29, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Barqah, Libya, released a statement saying that its fighters had attacked the town of Al-Fuqaha, which is controlled by the forces of General Haftar, burned down a police station, and killed and captured a number of policemen.
AQAP Video Features Men Accused Of Spying Confessing To Committing Espionage
On October 30, 2018, Al-Malahem, the media arm of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released Part One of a video series titled "Demolishing The Espionage," which features spies confessing to committing various acts of espionage.
Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Condemns Niqab Ban In Algeria, Calls It 'War Against Islam'
On October 30, 2018, Al-Andalus, the media arm of Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), released a communique denouncing the government's ban on the niqab in the workplace and called it a "war against Islam." The communique was posted on the Telegram channel of the pro-Al-Qaeda group Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF).
On October 30, 2018, the pro-Al-Qaeda Mali-based Group For The Support Of Islam And Muslims (GSIM) released a video saying that its fighters, including two "martyrdom" seekers, had attacked a camp of the international forces in the Bir area of Timbuktu, Mali. The video was posted on the official Telegram channel of the pro-Al-Qaeda media group the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF).
Syria-Based Pro-Al-Qaeda Group Hurras Al-Din Announces Death Of Senior Commander Abu Islam Al-Diri
On October 31, 2018, the Syria-based pro-Al-Qaeda jihadi group Hurras Al-Din announced the death on October 29 of Abu Islam Al-Diri, who was a member of the command and of the group's shura council, in the city of Idlib, Syria, after having been ill for several months.
Articles In Pro-Al-Qaeda Magazine Warn That Sochi Agreement May Wipe Out Jihad And Lead To Massacres
The inaugural issue of Al-Falah, a pro-Al-Qaeda online magazine published in Arabic, which was released on October 23, 2018, features two articles on the Sochi agreement between Russia and Turkey concerning the future of the rebel-controlled Idlib area in northwestern Syria.
Jihadi Social Media – Account Review (JSM-AR): Pro-Al-Qaeda Magazine Promotes Jihad On Facebook
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies
Platform: Publication Facebook page
Type of Account: Pro-Al-Qaeda Magazine
On its Telegram account, jihadi fundraising group Al-Sadaqah recently posted a message announcing that it had a new Facebook page after the previous one was deleted.
On October 27, 2018, the Syria News Network Telegram channel posted a video calling on Muslims to donate to help displaced Syrians living in camps before the winter season.
The following information is based on a general overview of a WhatsApp account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies.
Platform: WhatsApp
ISIS Weekly Newspaper Publishes Poster Urging Fighters To Avoid Using Cellphones
On October 25, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) released its weekly newspaper Al-Naba', which includes a poster warning fighters to never use cellphones, describing them as "the ideal spy" that security agencies, which can restore deleted data, could use during interrogations.
Pro-ISIS Outlet Shares Encrypted Communication App Wickr, Assures Jihadis It Is Safe To Download
On October 25, 2018, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media foundation posted on several of its Telegram outlets the file for the encrypted communication app Wickr.
On October 24, 2018, pro-Islamic State (ISIS) tech group Electronic Horizons Foundation's (EHF) released a poster warning against the use of smartphones for communication, saying that they are a "security threat" and recommending instead the use of laptops and desktop computers.
On October 24, 2018, Al-Falah, a pro-Al-Qaeda magazine, released its first issue, which includes two articles on best practices in choosing passwords and in maintaining personal electronic security.
Afghan Taliban Welcome Mullah Baradar's Release, Deny 'Any Sort Of Deal'
On October 26, 2018, it emerged that Pakistan had released Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who had served as deputy to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) issued a statement welcoming the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) issued three statements about Afghanistan's October 20, 2018 parliamentary elections. Two of the statements were issued after the polling, while the Islamic Emirate's Military Commission issued one statement the day before the polling.
On October 17 and 18, 2018, ahead of the October 20 parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) issued two statements urging teachers and professors of educational institutions as well as tribal elders and mosque imams to boycott the elections.
