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.
Since the start of the military operation to retake the city of Mosul on October 16, 2016, ISIS and its supporters have also been trying to fight back on the informational level, and have been published increasing reports on its fighters' achievements on the battlefield and the execution of dozens of martyrdom attacks against enemy forces.
EXCLUSIVE: British ISIS Recruiter Preys On Western Women On Facebook
A British ISIS fighter and recruiter is an easily accessible ISIS figure on social media. The fighter is friends with hundreds of Westerners on Facebook, but he seems to concentrate his efforts on women.
On October 18, 2016, the official ISIS news agency A'maq published a 3-minute video showing ISIS fighters being deployed in Mosul at night. The video, which was also posted on pro-ISIS Telegram channels, was likely published at this time to show that the organization still holds the city despite the campaign to retake it.
Mosul-Focused Activist Group: ISIS Is Demanding That All Mosul Residents Hand Over Their SIM Cards
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On October 19, 2016, the Mosul-focused activist group reported that the Islamic State (ISIS) had ordered the public to hand over all cellular phone SIM cards within 24 hours. The report was posted on the groups Facebook and Twitter accounts.
ISIS In Aleppo Releases Video Showing Fighters' Rivalry To Carry Out Martyrdom Operations
On October 19, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Halab (Aleppo) Province released a video showing fighters from Syria and Tunisia expressing their desire for martyrdom and showing their rivalry to carry out martyrdom operations, prior to carrying out the operations. The video, titled "The Seekers of Life," featured men identified as Abu Al-Farouq Al-Shami, who was disabled; Abu Luqman Al-Tunisi, who laughed with joy after winning a coin toss to carry out a martyrdom operation; Abu Mariyya Al-Shami; and Abu Shihab Al-Hamawi, a brigade commander. According to the video, which was posted on the leading ISIS-affiliated jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam, these fighters' stories were selected from the Halab Province martyrs archives, by an official who was shown in the video browsing on an Apple laptop.
On October 17, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Ninawa Province released a 12-minute long video showing the confessions and executions of three groups of men accused of writing anti-ISIS statements on walls, and saying that it managed to locate and find them through their accounts on social media.
ISIS Supporters Complain About Twitter Suspensions, But Remain Defiant, Undeterred
Pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Twitter users have recently been complaining, across several social media platforms, about suspensions of their Twitter accounts - sometimes even before anything had been tweeted. This may indicate that Twitter has stepped up its removal of ISIS and pro-ISIS accounts. In light of the suspensions, ISIS supporters have circulated instructions for circumventing Twitter's phone number and email requirements for opening an account on the platform.
On October 19, 2016, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel dedicated to tech issues, posted a video tutorial providing step-by-step instruction on getting Facebook pages suspended by flagging them and reporting that they belong to underage children.
Australian Jabhat Fath Al-Sham Cleric, A U.S.-Designated Global Terrorist, Announces His Resignation
On October 17, 2016, senior Australian Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (JFS) cleric Mostafa Mahamad, aka Abu Sulayman Al-Muhajir, announced via Twitter his resignation from JFS.
The pro-Jabhat Fath-Al Sham (JFS) media group Fursan Al Sham Media, which was launched in September 2016, disseminates its content on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram. The group mainly eulogizes fighters, giving details on their backgrounds and on the battles in which they fought and also shares stories of current fighters. The group's Twitter description reads: "Media outlet based in Syria run by Muhajireen [i.e. foreign fighters]." Fursan Al Sham directs its Telegram followers to contact it via its Facebook page if they have any questions about Syria.
On October 13, 2016, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters launched a "Sports News" channel on Telegram. The seemingly innocuous channel, which features a soccer ball image as its avatar and promises to "deliver to you sports news and what's going on in the playing arenas for free," is in fact promoting ISIS channels on the platform.