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 rep orts, 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.
According to an Urdu daily, it is not certain that Omar Khalid Khorasani – the emir of the jihadi group Jamaat Ahrarul Hind – was killed in the U.S. drone strikes carried out on October 17 in the Paktia province of Afghanistan.
On October 11, 2017, an Instagram user posted an Instagram "story" video, which was tagged at the W Hotel in Washington D.C. The video shows that the user's view from the hotel overlooks the White House.
On October 5, 2017, Amjad Visual Production, a media group affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) released a video documenting sniping operations in which two Syrian soldiers were killed by a sniper named Abu Osama.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies.
Platform(s): Facebook
Type of account: Pro-ISIS
Additional information: According to his Facebook profile, the user is in Louisiana.
Sharing of jihadi content: The Facebook user has posted content by Islamist clerics such as Sheikh Abdullah Faisal and Anwar Al-'Awlaki. He has also shared graphics by the Birmingham, UK group Invite To Islam, which has ties to the Islamic State (ISIS). In one post, he cited a 2014 speech by ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies.
Platform(s): Facebook
Type of account: Jihadi sympathizer
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating terror-related activity / sympathies
Platform: Telegram
On October 11, 2017, two announcements were posted on a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Telegram channel calling for ISIS supporters to target Westerners, either in their own countries or when visiting Arab countries as tourists.
On October 16, 2017, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Telegram channel posted the seventh installment in its English-language how-to series for lone jihadis, "Knights Of Lone Jihad."
ISIS Video Shows Group Of Snipers From Russia, Turkey, And Morocco In Syria
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On October 13, 2017, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Al-Khayr province, Syria, released a video featuring a number of snipers, including foreigners from Russia, Turkey, and Morocco.
On October 15, 2017, an Instagram user promoted a Dailymotion channel following YouTube's removal from its own platform of a number of Islamist videos. YouTube recently removed most of the lectures from the official YouTube channel of Michigan-based Islamist cleric Ahmed Musa Jibril.
ISIS Al-Hayat Media Releases Jihadi Nasheed Dedicated To 'Brothers In Marawi'
On October 12, 2017, Al-Hayat, one of the Islamic State's (ISIS) leading media foundations, released a jihadi nasheed dedicated to the "Brothers In Marawi," in reference to ISIS fighters who have been clashing with the army of the Philippines in the city of Marawi for the past several months.
ISIS-Sinai Claims Attacks In North Of Peninsula
On October 9, 2017, Al-Farouq, the media foundation of the Iran-based Sunni jihadi group Ansar Al-Furqan, released a video featuring dozens of armed fighters with different types of weapons, including AK-47s and other automatic weapons as well as rocket-propelled grenades, and using at least three Toyota Land Cruiser pickup trucks.
On October 15, 2017, Instagram user abu_anonymous_ promoted a Dailymotion channel following YouTube's removal from its own platform of a number of Islamist videos. YouTube recently removed most of the lectures from the official YouTube channel of Michigan-based Islamist cleric Ahmed Musa Jibril.
On October 18, 2017, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media organization released on Telegram several posters highlighting the importance of online jihad while calling upon ISIS supporters to use social media in support of the Islamic State.
Pro-ISIS Group Announces: Facebook Accounts Will Be Provided To Media Groups Only
A pro-Islamic State (ISIS) group online supplies ready-made social media accounts to the organization's supporters.
ISIS Supporters Launch Technical Support Group On Telegram, Accept Questions Via Bot
On October 16, 2017, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters launched a Telegram group offering technical support.
On October 13, 2017, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) hacking group shared screenshots of dozens of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts it claimed to have hacked.
ISIS-Affiliated Nasher News Telegram Groups Begin Using Bots To Improve Administration Of Groups
The Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated Nasher News has begun using bots to better manage content posted on its Telegram groups. Nasher operates dozens of channels and groups on Telegram that post ISIS content simultaneously across the platform.
Online Jihadi Urges ISIS Supporters To Use Facebook And Twitter, Downplays Importance Of Telegram
On October 18, 2017, an online jihadi who supports the Islamic State (ISIS) published a post on his Telegram channel urging ISIS supporters to leave Telegram and use Facebook and Twitter to promote the ideology of ISIS and refute the allegations against it.
The official Arabic-language website of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, directly links to the group's account on Flickr, the San Francisco-based video and photo sharing website. Flickr is currently owned by Yahoo, which was recently acquired by Verizon. In addition to Flickr, the Al-Qassam Brigades' official Arabic site also links to the group's other social media pages, including its Facebook and Instagram profiles. The group's Flickr account was opened in 2012 and holds 2,883 photos.
HTS Releases Video Of Its Leader Al-Joulani Addressing His Men
On Ocober 18, 2017, Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) released via its media outlet, Amjad, a 20-minute video titled "The Battle for the Liberation of the Villages of Al-Mushayrafa and Abu Dali." The video shows HTS leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani talking to his men. It also shows HTS attacks on Syrian army positions in the villages of Al-Mushayrafa and Abu Dali, north of Hamma. The attacks took place on October 7, 2017, five days after Al-Joulani was declared to be the commander of the HTS instead of Hashem Al-Shaykh Abu Jaber.
On October 18, 2017, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released the second issue of its English-language online magazine Sunnat E Khaula. The first issue was released on August 1, 2017.[1] The 39-page issue touches upon a range of subjects including U.S. President Donald Trump's siding with India over Pakistan, Muslim women as political tools, reasons why women join the mujahideen, and the second part of an interview with the wife of TTP emir Mulla Fazlullah Khursani.
Urdu Daily: Afghan Taliban Have Established Shari'a Courts Across Afghanistan
According to the Urdu daily Roznama Ummat, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the organization of the Afghan Taliban militants), has established shari'a courts across Afghanistan and people are using these courts to resolve their disputes.
Pakistan-based jihadi terror group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) has said that it will soon send jihadis to fight for the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (previously known as Burma), according to an Urdu-language weekly.
The Pakistan-based jihadi terror group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) has published an annual calendar titled "Ghazwa-e-Hind" ("Battle of India").
A Pakistan-based jihadi group has vowed to continue the struggle against "India's tyrannical occupation on Kashmir," according to the Urdu-language daily Roznama Siasat.
Pakistani Jihadi Group Jaish-e-Muhammad Launches Fundraising Campaign For Rohingya Refugees
The Pakistan-based jihadi terror group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) has launched a nationwide fundraising campaign to help the Rohingya refugees.
Urdu Daily: 17 Outlawed Militant Organizations Active In Pakistan's Punjab Province
According to the Urdu-language daily Roznama Dunya, 17 outlawed militant and criminal groups are active in Pakistan's Punjab province.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami party who returned to Kabul following a 2016 peace agreement with the Afghan government, has said that some groups are inciting violence in Afghanistan at the behest of foreign powers. Following are excerpts from an Afghan media report, the original English of which has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization: "The leader of Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has said efforts are underway by certain circles who are attempting to spark ethnic violence among different groups in the country. Hekmatyar made the remarks during a meeting with the elders of the nomad people of the country, but did not elaborate further in this regard.
According to a report published by an Afghan website, Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada, the emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, recently visited Afghanistan accompanied by officials of the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Following are excerpts from the report, the original English of which has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
Following is a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization), on the U.S. president Donald Trump's new strategy for Afghanistan and the region: "To extend the illegitimate and brutal occupation of Afghanistan by savage allied forces, the American president Donald Trump recently announced his new strategy for Afghanistan and the region which was hailed and widely propagated by the American administration and their internal [i.e. Afghan] puppet regime established and sustained by the foreign occupying forces. This strategy was addressed as an essential and the only solution of all issues and security concerns faced by the American people and government by giving the impression that if implemented properly, this strategy will crush the ongoing resistance, thus restoring law and order throughout the country.
