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 September 23, 2014, a statement purportedly announcing the establishment of a new militant group in Egypt named Jund Al-Khilafa Bi Ard Al-Kinana("The Caliphate Army In Egypt") was posted online. According to the statement, whose authenticity couldn't be verified, the new group pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and promised to target Egyptian President Al-Sisi, anyone who is aiding him, as well as Egyptian military and police. It also threatened to target the U.S.'s and other "cross worshipers'" embassies and nationals in Egypt. The statement was dated 25 Dhu Al-Qa'da (corresponding to September 20, 2014).
Maulana Qasim Khorasani, emir of Jamaatul Ahrar
Recently, a group of Pakistani Taliban militants led by Omar Khalid Khorasani, who has been removed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from his post of the emir for TTP's Mohmand Agency, established a new terror group called Jamaatul Ahrar.
In a 42-minute video released by the new group in Pashtu with Urdu subtitles, the militants loyal to Khorasani rue that the TTP has failed to achieve its desired objectives in Pakistan and speak openly about rifts in the TTP ranks. The video is titled "Ahlul Azaem-3." Khorasani was dismissed from the TTP for creating new militant groups which did not owe allegiance to TTP emir Maulana Fazlullah.
Asim Umar has released numerous jihadist videos over past few years
According to an Indian media report, Asim Umar, the head of the newly-established Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), is closely working with Pakistan-based anti-India jihadist organizations Harkat ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and Jaish-e-Mohammed to recruit and train jihadis for operations in India's Jammu & Kashmir state.
Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) recently released an audio lecture by its spokesman, Usama Mahmood, in which he compares the anti-Taliban Pakistani military operation in North Waziristan to the recent Israel action in Gaza and urges jihadist fighters to be prepared for a long guerrilla war.
On September 20, 2014, Al-Qaeda's media wing Al-Sahab released a video message by its American-born spokesman, Adam Gadahn, which was titled "The Pakistani Regime: The Agent Of The Devil." In it, Gadahn accuses the Pakistani government, military, and intelligence services of collaborating with the U.S. and UK for decades. He also says that the Pakistani government's role has been to subdue the Muslim population from Burma to Afghanistan, and beyond.
ISIS Graduation Ceremony At Al-Raqqah Military Training Camp
ISIS Graduation Ceremony at Al-Raqqah Military Training Camp.
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Dutch Jabhat Al-Nusra Fighter From Site Of U.S. Air Strike In Syria: We Will Keep Fighting
In this English-language video, posted on the Internet on September 23, a Dutch Islamist fighting with Jabhat Al-Nusra in Syria displays the destruction caused by the U.S. air strikes in Syria and vows: "We will stay strong and keep on fighting the enemies."
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
ISIS Spokesman Calls On Muslims In The West to Kill Americans, Europeans, Australians, And Canadians
In an audio address posted on the Internet on September 21, 2013, ISIS Spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani called on Muslims to kill infidels - whether civilian or military - in the West: "Smash his head in with a rock, slit his throat with a knife, run him over with your car, throw him to his death from a great height, strangle him, or poison him." Addressing Americans and Europeans, he warned: "You will pay dearly as you walk down your own streets, looking back over your shoulder in fear of the Muslims."
Following are excerpts:
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani: "Oh Crusaders, you have realized the danger of the Islamic State, but you do not know how to deal with it and you never will, because there is no way to deal with it. When you fight it, it only grows stronger, and when you leave it to its own devices, it flourishes and expands.
"Obama promised you that he would defeat the Islamic State – well, Bush lied before him. Our Lord promised us victory, and indeed, we are victorious. Allah will always support us for He never reneges on His promises. We promise you that, Allah willing, this will be your last campaign, and that it will be shattered and will fail, just like all your previous campaigns.
"This time, however, we will be the ones raiding you, when the campaign is over. You shall never raid us again. We will conquer your Rome, shatter your crosses, and take your women captive, Allah willing. This is Allah's promise to us, and Allah never reneges on His promise."
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) published a statement in which it called upon Sunni Yemenis to take up arms against the Iranian-backed Houthi threat in the country. AQAP also promised Shi'ites a bloody response for their crimes against Sunnis. It is noteworhty that AQAP's statement, which was dated 27 Dhu Al-Qa'da, 1435 (corresponding to September 22, 2014), comes a day after the Islamic State (IS) spokesman, Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani, attacked AQAP for allowing the Houthis to gain control over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa without putting up armed resistance.
Filipino Group Threatens To Behead One Of Two German Hostages
On September 21, 2014, the Tanum Group, a unit of the Filipino Abu Sayyaf jihad organization, threatened to execute one of the two German hostages it is holding. The message, posted on the Twitter account of Al-Sayyaf activist "Abu Muhajir Al-Filibini," is addressed to the hostages' families, the German government and the government of the Philippines, and signed by one "Abu Raami."
On September 24, 2014, a video purportedly showing the beheading of French national Herve Gourdel was released online. Gourdel was kidnapped by the Algerian-based jihadi group Jund Al-Khilafa, who threatened to kill Gourdel if France didn't stop its participation in the attack against the Islamic State (IS). The video is 4:46 in duration, and is titled "Letter In Blood To The French Government."
On September 22, 2014, a four-minute video purportedly showing a French national who was kidnapped by the newly established Jund Al-Khilafa group in Algeria was released online. The kidnapping, according to a masked man speaking in the video, came in response to yesterday's call by Islamic State (IS) spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani for killing Westerners. The Frenchman, according to unconfirmed reports on Twitter, is 55-year-old French hiker Herve Pierre Gourdel.
Wife Of IS Fighter: Alan Henning Has Been Found Innocent Of Espionage
On September 24, 2014, an English-speaking woman who is married to an Islamic State (IS) fighter in Syria posted an update on the fate of the British hostage Alan Henning on her Tumblr blog, called "Diary of a Muhajirah" (diary-of-a-muhajirah.tumblr.com). She wrote that, unlike the three Western hostages who were recently beheaded by the IS, Henning has been found innocent of espionage by a Shari'a court: "Alan Henning has been found innocent. I haven't received any official statement about the issue (unconfirmed and unverified), but I was told by my husband that Alan was brought to Shari'a court after [a] series of investigation[s], he has been found innocent because there is no solid and valid proofs of him being a spy. Remember all three previous prisoners has been proved that they were involved in war against Muslims either directly or indirectly. For people who keep turning against the Mujahideen, I hope the spit landed back on your face! For people who keep been [sic] trusting that IS will come with a good result—may this news soon been confirmed. Have a nice day, from the land of grey sky---Syria."
On September 19, 2014, the Islamic State (IS) via Al-Hayat Media, released a video in English titled "Flames Of War – Fighting Has Just Begun." The video recounts IS operations in Syria and Iraq, focusing on several major battles that took place in Syria. It highlights the IS mujahideens' ferocious fighting skills and courage, as well as their brutality towards their enemies. It also features a masked IS fighter, believed to be an American, delivering a short message in English at the end of the video moments before he participates in the execution of several Syrian soldiers. The video also includes portions of previously released messages by IS figures, including its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Much of the video, which is 55:13 in duration, are narrated by a native English speaker.
The first 20 minutes or so of the video feature various scenes from the battle over the Minnagh airbase north of Aleppo, which, according to the IS, was instrumental in the IS's spread into other parts of Syria in 2013. Previously, in August 2013, the IS had released a statement describing its role in the capturing of the Minnagh airbase, which was at the time had been under siege for several months by a number of rebel groups. This video does not mention the role of those rebels in the takeover of the Minnagh airbase, creating the impression that the victory belonged solely to the IS.
Throughout the video, the character of the IS mujahideen is emphasized, with their courage, ferocity in battle, brutality against their enemies, and willingness to die for Allah presented as examples.
Next, the video briefly recounts the infighting among jihadi groups in Syria, which culminated, according to the video, in January 2014 when anti-IS groups launched a coordinated campaign against the IS and its fighters. That campaign, the video says, forced the IS into a tactical decision to withdraw from a number of areas in Syria in order to fight those groups, whom the IS collectively call the Sahawat (Awakening). The video goes on to explain that regardless, the IS managed to push into large areas of western Iraq and take control of them as well, and shows some of the IS's battles against the Iraqi army.
In a message posted on an Arabic jihadist forum, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated media group has announced the launch of a Bengali-language jihadist forum and has begun registrations. It also promises to open such forums in other languages from South Asia. The announcement was made by Al-Qadisiyyah Media Company, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda. After customary salutations, the message reads: "By the help of Allah, we are delighted to announce to the Muslim Ummah the creation of another jihadi forum dedicated for the Indian Subcontinent, 'Dawah Ilallah,' which is now open for registration.
Indian Army Report: Kashmiri Youths Returning To Militancy
Below are excerpts from an Indian media report that quotes an Indian Army document saying that youths in India's Jammu & Kashmir state are returning to militancy:
"The armed insurgency in Kashmir is gradually changing course to thrive on more homegrown militants, rather than foreign fighters, with social media as a rampant and virtually unchecked tool, an internal assessment of the army has said. The 14-page analysis… also raises concerns that glaring policy failures now threaten to undo precious gains made against terror outfits in Kashmir. The shift towards 'local recruits' and the [militant group] Hizbul Mujahideen — which has 'local affinity' unlike the Lashkar-e-Taiba — helps cut costs and takes focus away from the 'involvement of Pakistan,' which is under increasing scrutiny of the West, the document notes. 'Thus, there has been a radical change in the nature of insurgency, from a phenomenon supported by external forces to a primarily domestic-driven movement,' the report states."
"The document notes that a poorly managed rehabilitation policy to help integrate those who gave up militancy has pushed many of them back into insurgency. It even identifies a few illustrative cases, such as that of Shakil Ahmed Wani of Badgaum, who carried out a daring strike at Pakharpura Shrine on June 16 this year. Describing his background, the document states Shakil had three postgraduate degrees from various universities."
Report: Al-Qaeda Is Trying To Set Up Base In India's Northeastern Assam State
Tarun Gogoi, the chief minister of India's northern state of Assam, has revealed that Al-Qaeda is trying to set up a base in the state, according to an Indian website.
"We have got some information that Al-Qaeda is trying to gain access to Assam. We have taken steps to prevent any such development and asked all concerned to remain cautious," Gogoi told a press conference in Guwahati, the state capital. He also indicated that Al-Qaeda has a "tacit understanding" with the banned secessionist militant group ULFA, or the United Liberation Front of Assam. "The global terrorist outfit had earlier too tried to set up links in the northeast and Assam in association with insurgent groups here, but failed to do so," he said.
