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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On January 29, 2021, Al-Qaeda’s Somali affiliate Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen released a new video documenting the preparations for the raid it conducted on the U.S. military base at Camp Simba near Manda Bay, Kenya on January 5, 2020 in which three Americans were killed and several aircraft destroyed.
On January 29, 2021, the Afghan Taliban issued a statement dismissing what they described as the U.S. Treasury's allegations that the group is harboring Al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan.
EXCLUSIVE: Al-Qaeda's Decline In Syria – Part I: Background And Current Status
In recent years, Al-Qaeda has been in decline in many of its areas of operation worldwide. Although a few years ago Iraq and Syria were major centers of Al-Qaeda operation, the jihadi organization's activity in the two countries is now extremely limited and has become nearly nonexistent after being displaced by former affiliates – the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, and Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN), in Syria.
On January 31, 2021, the Islamic State's (ISIS) official media outlet published an infographic detailing the attacks perpetrated by the ISIS's Khurasan Province fighters in Afghanistan over the course of 2020.
ISIS Editorial Defends Recent Double Suicide Attack In Baghdad, Vows To Continue Its War On Shi'ites
On January 28, 2021, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a new issue of its weekly newspaper that included an editorial defending the group's January 21 double suicide attack in the heart of Baghdad, Iraq, and lashing out at those who condemned the attack, vowing to continue to wage war against the Shi'ites.
On January 29, 2021, Issue 271 of the Islamic State (ISIS) weekly Al-Naba' published an "exclusive" report detailing attacks by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the West Africa region.
Online Supporters Dismiss Iraqi PM’s Claim To Have Killed Senior ISIS Leader Abu Yasser Al-Issawi
On January 28, 2021, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced that Iraqi security forces had killed the senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader Iraq.
On February 2, 2021, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet released a video showing the recent ISIS attacks in Iraq as retaliation for the attacks launched by the Iraqi government and its Shi'ite forces against ISIS members in Iraq.
ISIS Women Held In Camps In Syria Rebrand, Fundraise And Communicate In Hope Of Regaining Freedom
In November 2020, a media group associated with female detainees in SDF-run camps in Syria changed its name.
Admin Of ISIS Chat Group Condemns Egyptians, Envisions ISIS Takeover Of Upper Egypt
An admin of a Telegram chat group of supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) recently shared two lengthy posts about ISIS and Egypt.
The cover article in the latest issue of the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine Sawt Al-Hind advocates jihad, rejects democracy and communism, and calls for implementation of Islamic shari'a rule in Europe.
On February 2, 2021, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) tech group published a poster on Telegram warning its followers that a malicious Google Play Store app is being used to lure them and compromise their personal information.
A Maryland-based pro-ISIS cleric who was once very popular with jihadis has fallen out of favor with supporters amidst accusations of financial fraud and preying upon female students, and of collusion with the FBI.
On February 1, 2021, Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) claimed that its General Security Service had killed an Islamic State (ISIS) operative in a north Idlib raid.
On February 3, 2021, a Syrian human rights organization reported that on February 2, the commander of a militia which is affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) informed a group of tribal chiefs that he had been tasked by the IRGC to form a militia consisting of members of their tribes.
Several Syrian opposition websites have reported that over the past month, pro-Iranian Shi'ite militias stationed in Eastern Syrian have received several deliveries of short- and medium-range missiles manufactured in Iran which arrived in food trucks via Iraq.
Marking the fourth anniversary of the establishment of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), pro- and anti-HTS jihadis have been sharing their views on the group and its practices and achievements over the past four years.
On February 2, 2021, a pro-Al-Qaeda news agency published an infographic commemorating the third anniversary of the founding of the Syria-based Al-Qaeda-affiliate Hurras Al-Din, highlighting its recent operations.
Turkestan Islamic Party Reportedly Downs Surveillance Plane In Syria
On February 2, 2021, Syrian jihadi Telegram channels reported that fighters from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), an Uyghur jihadi group fighting in Syria, had shot down a surveillance plane.
On February 3, 2021, the media arm of Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), an Uyghur jihadi group fighting in Syria, released a new video urging mujahideen to show steadfastness on the frontlines despite hardships, knowing that they are fulfilling the most sacred mission in support of Allah's faith and will.
Syrian Jihadis Report Death Of Dagestani Fighter In Syria, Described As Oldest Foreign Fighter
On January 27, 2021, several Syrian jihadi Telegram channels reported that an elderly fighter from the Russian Republic of Dagestan had died the previous day.
On February 1, 2021, Al-Sahab, the media arm of Al-Qaeda, released a statement in which the group's central command eulogized a slain Al-Qaeda In the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leader.
On January 30, 2021, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a statement congratulating Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Mali for its recent successful operations against French forces in Mali.
In First Attack In 2021, Yemen-Based AQAP Claims Mortar Attack On Houthi Position
On February 3, 2021, Al-Qaeda supporters shared on Telegram two communiques with photos, claiming that the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) carried out a mortar attack on February 2, targeting a Houthi position.
Pro-AQ Media Group Shares Material On Website, Telegram, Rocket.Chat
Since December 2020, a pro-Al-Qaeda media group has been sharing new links to its online distribution channels, which include: a website, a channel on the Rocket.Chat operated by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated media outlet Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), a Telegram bot and a WhatsApp group.
On February 1, 2021, Al-Shabab, the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate, released a statement claiming that its fighters carried out an attack on a Hotel in the capital city of Mogadishu, killing over 23 people, including former Somali Defense Minister General Muhammad Nour Jalal.
On February 3, 2021, Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen announced the imminent release of a series of documentary-style videos about the current Somali administration.
Pro-Al-Qaeda Video Highlights Successful Operations Against French Forces In Mali
On January 29, 2021, a pro-Al-Qaeda media group released a video clip highlighting successful attacks against French forces in Mali in recent weeks by Al-Qaeda's Mali affiliate.
Iraqi Shi'ite Group Claims Four Attacks Against 'U.S. Occupier's Convoys' In Southern Iraq
On February 2, 2021, an Iraqi Shi'ite militia issued a statement claiming responsibility for four attacks in southern Iraq, three of them against "U.S. convoys" and the last on a "U.S. logistics convoy."
Unknown Group Claims Explosion Near Israeli Embassy In India
On the afternoon of January 29, 2021, a small bomb exploded near the Israeli Embassy in India's capital, New Delhi, on the 29th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and India.
On February 1, 2021, an official Taliban spokesman released an English-language statement responding to a statement released by the E.U., the U.S., and several other countries holding the group responsible for the continued assassinations, kidnappings, and destruction of vital infrastructure in Afghanistan.
An article in the latest of the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine Sawt Al-Hind accuses the Afghan Taliban of abandoning the jihadi methodology adopted by Muhammad and working in collaboration with the Americans against the ISIS fighters in Afghan provinces.
