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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The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On March 31, 2020, Salafi-jihadi ideologue Abu Muhammad Al-Maqisi shared a post on his channel on Telegram stating: "There is nothing wrong with a Muslim praying for the deaths of infidels and wishing that they contract coronavirus or any similar fatal disease."
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity/sympathies.
Platform: Telegram
The latest issue of the Islamic State (ISIS) weekly magazine Al-Naba' includes an article commemorating two doctors of Sudanese origin, one UK-born, who joined the group's ranks and were killed in the battle of Mosul. The article seeks to use their story to inspire more doctors to join the ranks of ISIS, by stressing their contribution to jihad and the reward they can receive for it.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies.
Platform: Instagram
This report reviews Al-Muhaysini's opinions regarding the joint Russian-Turkish patrols and the attack on Turkish soldiers, as well as Al-Qaeda supporters' condemnation of the cleric, in response.
On March 25, 2020, the Hizbullah Brigades militia published a proclamation on its website in which threatens all American military, security, and economic interests in Iraq should the U.S. take advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iraq and attack the PMU.
On March 25, 2020, social media accounts affiliated with Kata'ib Hizbullah released a series of photos showing the group's fighters conducting a military drill in the Jurf Al-Sakhar area of southern Baghdad.
In recent days, Syrian opposition websites have reported that militias loyal to Iran, headed by Hizbullah, are establishing a presence in Aleppo and Idlib and in the Damascus area.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity/sympathies.
Platform: Facebook, Twitter
On March 26, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) released its weekly newspaper Al-Naba', which includes an editorial downplaying the forecasting abilities of the U.S. and condemning those who overstate the U.S. role in global events.
ISIS Releases Video Showing Attacks On Syrian Army In Homs Desert Region
On March 31, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria released a rare video from its Homs district.
ISIS Women Held In Al-Hol Camp Urge Worldwide Attacks To Avenge Them
In recent days, social media accounts linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) have distributed a post published on Telegram on March 29, 2020, on behalf of detainees at Al-Hol camp in eastern Syria, where female members of the group and the wives and widows of ISIS fighters are held.
Pro-ISIS Website Shares Instructions In Italian For Making Explosives
On March 28, 2020, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters on the pro-ISIS Rocket.Chat platform released a poster in English featuring instructions for how to produce lead azide, a highly explosive compound. The poster was accompanied by a full translation into Italian.
In the Issue 2 of Sawt Al-Hind (the Voice of India) magazine, the Islamic State in Kashmir has declared the coronavirus epidemic to be a punishment from Allah and mercy for the Muslims.
On March 25, 2020 the Supporters of the [Islamic State, ISIS] Caliphate in India released the second issue of the "Voice of Hind [India]" magazine.
ISIS Video Clip Features Final Message From Sikh Temple Attacker In Kabul
On March 27, 2020, the Islamic State's (ISIS) news agency released a video clip portraying the perpetrator of an attack carried out two days previously on March 25, on a Sikh place of worship in Kabul, as he delivers his final message.
ISIS Claims Capture, Interrogation And Beheading Of SDF Soldiers
On March 29, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a set of photographs documenting the beheading of two SDF soldiers in the in the Deir Al-Zour Province in Syria.
ISIS West Africa Province Releases Photos Documenting Preaching Event In Lake Chad Region
On March 27, 2020, the Islamic State (ISIS) West Africa Province released a series of photographs documenting the activities of its preaching office in the Lake Chad region.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On March 31, 2020, Al-Qaeda Central's media outlet, the Al-Sahab Foundation, issued a statement in English and Arabic titled in "The Way Forward – A word of Advice on the Coronavirus Pandemic."
Al-Qaeda General Command Publishes Eulogy For Abu Iyadh Al-Tunsi
On March 30, 2020, the Al-Qaeda general command released a statement eulogizing a Tunisian jihadi cleric and senior commander in Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), whose death was acknowledged by AQIM in late February.
Al-Qaeda Media Operatives Release ISIS-Style Posters Threatening U.S., Russia And Turkey
A new group of Al-Qaeda media operatives, which appears to be based in Syria, has been publishing menacing posters on Telegram since March 13, 2020.
On March 25, 2020, the media outlet of Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Muslimeen (Al-Shabab), posted on its Rocket.Chat channel that a "Consultative Forum Regarding the Jihad in East Africa" was held by Al-Shabab's Office of Politics and Wilayat (Provinces) during the five-day period between March 13 and March 17, 2020.
Following the recent acknowledgment by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), confirming the deaths of some of its senior leaders, commanders, and operatives, Somali Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen issued a statement of condolence to its sister group.
Group For Support Of Islam And Muslims (GSIM) Reports 14 Attacks In The Sahel For The Month Of March
On April 1, 2020, the official media outlet of Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel region, released an infographic poster which claims to present the "outcome" of the group's operations in the Sahel region for the month of March.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has released a video and images showing how the Taliban are enforcing social distancing norms, following the coronavirus outbreak, in the areas of Afghanistan under their control.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) continues to attack Afghan security forces amid peace-talk overtures. On March 30, 2020, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Taliban, posted the fol at the Abu Bakr Siddique Training Camp, located somewhere in Afghanistan.
