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 July 10, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a directive to open Istanbul's Hagia Sophia for Islamic prayers, overturning the 1934 decree designating the former Byzantine cathedral as a museum, after it had served as a mosque from the time of the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
In recent days on Telegram, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) and supporters of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a jihadi group controlling Syria's Idlib province, condemned Al-Qaeda's Central Command for the statement it released addressing the "vulnerable people" of the U.S. and the West following the killing of George Floyd.
On July 12, 2020, a pro-Al-Qaeda foundation released a new issue of its women's magazine, which included an article arguing that racism is deeply rooted in the U.S., and that protests and legislation will not end racism.
A Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed factions in Iraq, reported that a militia group carried out an IED attack on a U.S. convoy near an international highway on July 11, 2020.
On July 13, 2020, a pro-Al-Qaeda channel on Telegram shared an article urging Al-Qaeda fighters in Syria to stay committed to their cause of jihad and to explore news way to operate individually as an alternative to working within a faction.
On July 13, 2020, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media foundation published a poster in which it celebrated the increase in ISIS operations in Mozambique and called on ISIS supporters and "lone wolves" to carry out attacks against Western companies.
EXCLUSIVE: Iraqi Government Claims Killing Of ISIS Leader For Baghdad Region
On July 15, 2020, the spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Defense announced that the country's intelligence services had killed the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Baghdad.
On July 14 a Telegram news channel associated with Iran-backed factions in Iraq shared a post suggesting that a "Russian hacking team" obtained a highly sensitive and classified security information on the dark web."
On July 14, 2020, the newly emerged Ashab Al-Kahf (People of The Cave), an Iraqi Shi'ite faction, claimed responsibility for an attack on a U.S. convoy in Salahuddin province.
A recent convert to Islam expresses his support for the Taliban on Twitter and Q&A network CuriousCat. He called the Taliban his "heroes" in a tweet, said he loves Yemeni American sheikh and Al-Qaeda figure Anwar Al-'Awlaki, and has promoted jihad in many posts.
ISIS Claims Two Attacks In Pakistan In One Week
On July 6, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for an IED attack near Bajaur, Pakistan. The area borders the territory where ISIS is active in Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.
On July 16, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) released Issue 243 of its weekly newspaper Al-Naba'[1] whose editorial downplayed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's decision to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a mosque and opening it for Muslim prayers.
Islamic State (ISIS) Releases Photos Of Fighters In Yemen
On July 15, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) published a pictorial report showing aspects of the "daily life" of its "mujahideen" in Yemen.
ISIS Supporter Shares Video In French Inciting Muslims To Perpetrate Spontaneous Attacks
On July 3, 2020, a member of the Islamic State (ISIS) operated Rocket.Chat published a short incitement video in French, subtitled in English, urging supporters to perpetrate spontaneous terror attacks.
ISIS Supporter, Veteran Of Bosnian Jihad, Commemorates Srebrenica Massacre
A post in English, commemorating the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre and praying for its victims, was shared by a user of the Islamic State (ISIS) operated Rocket.Chat on July 10, 2020.
On July 8, 2020, Alexander Shcherbitsky, chief of the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, claimed that the Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) organization intended to perpetrate a chemical attack in three settlements in the Idlib area, most of which is under HTS control, in order to implicate the regime in a chemical attack.
On July 15, 2020, a pro-Hay'at Tahrir Al-sham (HTS) Telegram channel shared a photo of British aid worker Tauqir Sharif, also known as Abu Husam Al-Britani, with four HTS officials and wrote a post saying that he was released on bail and is awaiting trial in 15 days for the charges filed against him.
In English-Language Statement HTS Reassures Family Of Detained British Aid Worker
On July 11, 2020, the Media Relations Office of Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) issued a statement in English addressed to the family of British-born aid worker Tauqir Sharif, who was arrested by HTS on June 22, 2020.
On July 9, 2020, Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) released a statement declaring its rejection of the July 7, 2020 report issued by the United Nation's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
On July 14, 2020, a new group claimed responsibility of an attack on a joint Russian-Turkish patrol on the M-4 International Highway in south Idlib.
Al-Shabab Claims Suicide Attack Targeting Head Of Somali Army
On July 13, 2020, a media outlet of Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab) claimed responsibility for an attack targeting the convoy of the head of the Somali army.
Al-Qaeda Repository Website Raises Funds Via Cryptocurrency
A media operation which provides a repository of Al-Qaeda and pro-Al-Qaeda material, shared a post via its Telegram channel on July 11, 2020, soliciting donations via Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
A woman who appears to be from the West is begging for money to pay a smuggler in order to escape Camp Roj in Syria. In July 2019 it was reported that the Roj Camp in Syria's Al-Hasakeh governorate held 1,700 people.
