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April 16, 2022 Special Announcements No. 1191

Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekly: April 9 – 16, 2022

April 16, 2022
Special Announcements No. 1191

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.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Jihadis Online Celebrate Brooklyn Subway Shooting, Express Hope That Perpetrator Is One Of Them

On April 12, 2022, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda celebrated the shooting that took place the same day on a Brooklyn, NY subway train, carried out by a man in a gas mask and an orange construction vest, according to New York police officials.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Al-Qaeda Media Group Casts Doubts On Reports That Brooklyn Subway Attacker Is Not A Jihadi

During morning rush hour on April 12, 2022, a gunman set off two smoke bombs and opened fire in a subway car in Brooklyn, New York, injuring more than 20 people. As of April 13, the perpetrator is still at large.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Prominent Islamic State (ISIS) Supporter Defends Legitimacy Of ISIS Caliphate, New Leader Despite His Unknown Identity

On April 8, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) outlet published a 12-page essay by a prominent supporter in which she defends the legitimacy of the ISIS caliphate and of the organization's new leader against arguments that ISIS controls little territory, and that the identity of its caliph is unknown.

 

EXCLUSIVE: British Pro-ISIS Preacher Rejects Association With Killer Of British MP, Claims He Was 'Radicalized By The British'

On April 10, 2022, an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter from London born to Somali parents was sentenced to life imprisonment by a British court for the stabbing to death of British MP Sir David Amess in a lone-wolf attack in October 2021.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Telegram Channel Affiliated With Michigan-Based Jihadi Cleric Documents Cash Donations It Received For Muslim Women In Syria

On April 10, 2022, a Telegram channel affiliated with a Michigan-based pro-ISIS cleric shared photos showing cash donations it reportedly received as part of a fundraiser for Muslim women in Syrian refugee camps.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Houthis Threaten To Target New U.S.-Led Naval Force To Be Deployed In Red Sea

On April 13, 2022, the United States Navy (USN) announced the establishment of a new multinational naval task force to target arms smuggling in the waters around Yemen.

 

ISIS's Central Africa Province Continues Its Attacks On Congolese Army And Christians In Northeastern DRC

The Islamic State (ISIS) is continuing its streak of attacks against Christians and the Congolese army in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during Ramadan. Thirteen attacks have been launched since the beginning of the holy month, all concentrated in an area near the Ugandan border.

 

WARNING — GRAPHIC: ISIS Releases Photos Showing Execution Of Alleged Iraqi Government Spy

On April 12, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released three photos showing operatives executing an alleged spy affiliated with Iraqi National Security after capturing him in Iraq's Nineveh Province.

 

ISIS Editorial Mocks Muslim Brotherhood's Arguments In Defense Of Turkish President Erdoğan's Ongoing Ties With Israel

On April 7, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue 333 of its weekly newspaper Al-Naba', which includes an editorial mocking the arguments and justification presented by Muslim brotherhood pundits in defense of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ongoing relationship with Israel, including his March 9 meeting in Turkey with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

 

ISIS Releases First Photoset Of Ramadan Diaries Documenting Fighters Observing Fasting Month In Syria

On April 12, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a photoset documenting its fighters in Syria observing Ramadan.

 

ISIS's West Africa Province Video Showcases Group's Power And Its Importance In ISIS Operations

On April 6, 2022, the Islamic State's (ISIS) West Africa Province released a 20-minute video with archival footage of the group's operations against the Nigerian Army and the Niger Armed Forces.

 

ISIS's West Africa Province Steps Up Suicide Operations In Nigeria As Nigerian Army And African Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Intensify Campaign Against It

In recent weeks, the Islamic State (ISIS) has dramatically increased its suicide attacks in northeastern Nigeria. ISIS claimed five car bombings in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno within two weeks, between March 23 and April 4, 2022.

 

Pro-ISIS Group In East Asia Posts Video Documenting Attack And Training On Archive.Org; Claims To Have Killed Two In Philippines

On April 10, 2022 a user posted on the Internet Archive a six-minute video produced by a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) group based in East Asia.

 

Pro-ISIS Outlet Releases Infographic On Espionage Balloons Following Reported U.S. Airship Sighting In Syria

On April 11, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet released an infographic detailing the history, functions, and capabilities of espionage balloons after one such American dirigible airship was reportedly sighted over Deir Az-Zour, Syria, in late March.

 

Issue Three Of ISIS Magazine 'Voice Of Khurasan' Stresses The Importance Of Jihad In The Fasting Month Of Ramadan, Urges Muslims To Adopt ISIS Methodology

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

The official media of the Islamic State in Khurasan Province (ISKP), has released the latest issue of its English-language monthly magazine "Voice of Khurasan," which includes a series of articles, including one on the importance of jihad in the fasting month of Ramadan as well as a key article on what it calls the West's "Crusade War" against Islam.

 

Article In Issue Three Of ISIS Magazine 'Voice Of Khurasan' Urges Jihad In Every Aspect Of Life, Says: 'Social Media Warfare Holds The Utmost Importance'

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

An article in the latest issue of the Islamic State's English-language monthly magazine "Voice of Khurasan" criticizes the West's policy to win the hearts and minds of Muslims and tells Muslims: "Jihad against the Crusaders and their allies is the best way to deter them."

 

Article In ISIS Magazine Addresses Jihadi Fighters In Pakistan And India: 'The Last Epic War Is Near In Which If A Jew Hides Behind A Rock, [The Rock] Will Shout And Say: O Muslim! O Servant Of Allah, This Is The Jew Behind Me, So Go Ahead And Kill Him'

A lead article in the latest issue of an ISIS magazine which is published by the supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Indian subcontinent, says that the allegiance of mujahideen from Pakistan and India "has caused great fear among the Hindu polytheists and Pakistani Tawagheet [tyrant rulers]."

 

ISIS Magazine Carries Several Articles Urging Jihad, Says: 'America, The Protector Of The Cross, Is Unable To Extinguish The Light Of Allah'

The supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Indian subcontinent have released the latest issue of their English-language magazine which carries several articles, including one eulogizing the slain ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi and calling upon Muslims to offer bay'a ("oath of allegiance") to his successor Abu Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi.

 

Article In ISIS Magazine Stresses Importance Of Oath Of Allegiance, Says: 'Over The Years The Kuffar [Unbelievers] Have Lost The War With Islam Hundreds Of Times'

An article in the latest issue of an ISIS magazine which is published by the supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Indian subcontinent, stresses the significance of bay'a ("oath of allegiance") and urges Muslims to offer their oaths to Abu Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi, the new ISIS emir who succeeded Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Quraishi.

 

Syrian News Websites: Despite Syrian Regime Efforts, Islamic State (ISIS) Attacks Continue Against Regime Positions In Eastern Syria

During the month of April 2022, Syrian news websites – both those affiliated with the opposition and those affiliated with the regime – reported several attacks perpetrated by operatives from the Islamic State (ISIS) against targets connected with the Syrian regime and its allies in the Deir Al-Zour area in eastern Syria.

 

Albanian Jihadi Who Praises Adolf Hitler, Oswald Mosley Issues Threats On Instagram Account: 'Jewish Blood Will Run On Jerusalem's Streets'

An Albanian jihadi Instagram user follows other jihadis and posts content featuring notable Nazis such as Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and early 20th century businessman Henry Ford.

 

Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Releases Photos Showing Fighters At Stronghold In Turkmen Mountains, Syria

On April 12, 2022, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released photos of its fighters at a stronghold in the Turkmen Mountains in Syria's Latakia governorate.

 

Turkestan Islamic Part (TIP) In Syria Releases Video Documenting Graduation Of Teenage Fighters

On April 10, 2022, the Turkestan Islamic Part (TIP) in Syria published on its website an 18-minute Uyghur-language video documenting an April 2022 graduation ceremony of a jihadi course for fighters aged 12-16.

 

Pro-Al-Qaeda Magazine Incites Lone Wolves To Conduct New Attacks In The West, Provides Guidance On Combat Clashing Tactics

On April 4, 2022, a pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet released the third issue of its magazine, which included a written transcript of an audio message by a slain son of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, and another article, both of them encouraging supporters to carry out new attacks in the West and providing religious and tactical tips and operational guidance.

 

New Pro-Al-Qaeda Outlet Calls On Supporters To Submit Stories Of 'Abused Muslims' For Magazine Publication

On April 11, 2022, a new pro-Al-Qaeda group published a poster on Al-Qaeda's Rocket.Chat server announcing its launch of a poster series.

 

English-Language Biography Of Osama Bin Laden By New Jihadi Group Praises Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, 9/11

On April 10, 2022, a user of an Al-Qaeda-operated Rocket.Chat server posted a six-page English-language document titled "Heroes of Islam," which provides a biography of Osama bin Laden and describes Al-Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks in glowing terms.

 

Lebanese Hizbullah Launches Ramadan Charity Campaign Allegedly Spending Two Million USD In Sidon

On April 12, 2022, Hizbullah's website reported that the organization's social services department has distributed approximately three billion Lebanese lira, which is approximately $2 million, in aid to residents of the city of Sidon and its surrounding areas.

 

Iran-Backed Group Claims Responsibility Another Attack On U.S. Forces In Iraq, Its 10th This Month; Thanks Iraqi Intelligence Agencies For Their Cooperation

On April 14, 2022, an Iran-backed Shi'ite claimed responsibility for "attacking and destroying an American military logistical convoy" in Iraq on April 13.

 

Lebanese Daily Close To Hizbullah: Appointment Of New ISIS Leader Was Delayed Due To Disagreements Within The Organization

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

In an April 7, 2022 article, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily, which is close to Hizbullah, reported that the announcement of ISIS's new leader, following the death of its previous leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi, had been delayed due to disagreements within the organization leadership regarding who the next leader should be.

 

Iran-Backed Group Claims Responsibility For Three Attacks In One Day Against U.S. Forces In Iraq In Apparent Ramadan Escalation

On April 10, 2022, an Iran-backed Shi'ite group claimed responsibility for three separate attacks against U.S. Army logistics support convoys in Iraq.

 

Iran-Backed Militias Report Drone Attack On 'Ayn Al-Assad Base, Iraq; Publish Photo Of Alleged Attack On U.S. Forces In Syria

On April 8, 2022, a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, reported an attempted drone attack on the 'Ayn Al-Assad air base in Iraq, where U.S. forces are stationed.  The channel published three photos showing the drone's wreckage.

 

Pro-Iran Media Outlet Mocks UK's Guardian Newspaper For Alleging Russia Is Using Weapons That Iran Smuggled Into Ukraine Via Iraq

On April 12, 2022, a Telegram channel that supports Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, posted a screenshot of a Guardian news report titled "Russia 'using weapons smuggled by Iran from Iraq against Ukraine.'" The channel ridiculed Britain and the newspaper, describing the article as "stupid."

 

Head Of Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq Militia: We Support Attacks On U.S. Bases In Iraq; Foreign Intelligence Is Responsible For Attacks On Diplomatic Missions In Iraq

On April 9, 2022, Secretary General of an Iraqi, Iran-backed militia gave a one hour and 45 minute pre-recorded interview to an Iraqi satellite television channel.

 

Saudi-Funded Daily: Iran And The Iran-Backed Militias Exploit Ukraine War To Fortify Their Hold On Central And Northeast Syria

On April 7, 2022, a Saudi-funded daily published an article which reviews the expansion of the deployment of the pro-Iranian forces in Syria, in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.

 

Video Shows Afghan Taliban Using Drones For Surveillance And To Search Homes

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban jihadi organization which seized power in mid-August of 2021) is using camera drones for surveillance and search of government vehicles and military equipment hidden in homes, according to an Afghan news website.

 

In Panjshir Valley, Afghan Taliban Forces Recover Dozens Of Russian-Made Scud Missiles

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban, whose government is yet to be recognized by the international community), have recovered around 40 Russian-made Scud missiles in Afghanistan's northern Panjshir province.

 

Hizbut Tahrir Afghanistan: 'The Ukraine Crisis Has Given A Special Chance To Muslims To Make Efforts For The... Establishment Of Caliphate'

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

Hizbut Tahrir Afghanistan, the Afghan branch of the global Islamist organization Hizbut Tahrir, which for years has sought to seize power in Muslim nations by sowing religious dissatisfaction within the armed forces, has urged Muslims to seize opportunities presented by the Russian invasion of Ukraine to unify the Muslim Ummah.

 

Former Afghan Governor: Afghan Taliban Emir Mullah Hibbatullah Akhundzada Was Killed And Buried Four Years Ago, Pakistani Intelligence Agencies Are Now 'Trying To Introduce Another Man' To Impersonate Him

On December 13, 2021, MEMRI published a special dispatch titled "Is Afghan Taliban Emir Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada Even Alive?" raising the possibility that the Afghan Taliban leader might already be dead. Now further questions have been raised in Afghan media about whether the Taliban emir is alive.

 

In Week Ending April 10, 2022, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Carried Out Attacks In Pakistan's Border Region

Following are details of attacks claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of Pakistani Taliban, TTP) during the week ending April 10, 2022.

 

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Releases Monthly Report For March 2022, Claims It Killed 75 Pakistani Soldiers In 39 Operations

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of Pakistani Taliban, TTP) claimed to have killed 75 members of the Pakistani security forces in 39 attacks during March 2022, according to the TTP's latest monthly report.

 

Editorial In Pakistani Daily 'Dawn' Hails Conviction Of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Founder Hafiz Saeed, Says: 'It Is Hoped The [Pakistani Military] Establishment Has Learned Its Lesson And Will Never Again Encourage Jihadi Actors'

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

Following 9/11, when jihadi groups in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region attracted global attention, the Pakistani military-backed jihadi organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) came under international scrutiny. However, the Pakistani government, unable to act against the military-aided jihadi organizations, continued to turn a blind eye to LeT.

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