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 January 25, 2018, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group operating in the Sinai Peninsula published a video titled "To be Absolved before Your Lord" featuring the testimony of an alleged defector from the Islamic State (ISIS) Sinai Province.
On February 1, 2018, a Telegram channel belonging to Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) supporters published a video from a British fighter from the battlefields in Idlib.
Issue 22 of Turkestan Al-Islamiyyah, the Arabic-language magazine of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), published a fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) by Egyptian cleric Hani Al-Siba'i, a jihadi scholar who lives in London, in which he writes that women are permitted to emigrate from East Turkestan [the Chinese province of Xinjiang] to Syria, and waives the need for her to be accompanied by a male escort [mahram], because of the difficult situation of the Muslims living there.
On January 29, 2018, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group released a video of Gloria Cecilia Narvaez Argoti, a Colombian nun who had been kidnapped by militants in Karangasso, Mali in February 2017. In the video, dated January 2018, Argoti also refers to Pope Francis' trip to Latin America, which took place during the same month.
On January 26, 2018, the Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet Al-Hayat, released a new nasheed in English on Telegram titled "Answer The Call."
A media outlet of the Jaish Al-Islam jihadi group that operates in Gaza published a series of photographs on January 28, that document a training course for mujahideen fighters in the operation of SA-7 antiaircraft rocket launchers.
The media arm of the Gaza-based Salafi group Jaish Al-Ummah released an audio message on January 25, 2018, with the title, "Message to Our People in the West Bank and the Occupied [Land, i.e. Israel]," recorded by a man named Sheikh Huzaifa.
The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a militant group of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, has issued a press statement saying that a number of criminal groups including human traffickers, drug traffickers, dacoits (armed bandits), and other armed groups are "disguising as the members of ARSA" to tarnish the group's image in the eyes of the international community.
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On January 26, 2018, Al-Qaeda media wing Al-Sahab released an audio recording of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri marking the seventh anniversary of Egypt's revolution. In it, Al-Zawahiri notes the failure of the Arab Spring in general and highlights the main reasons behind this failure.
Al-Qaeda Supporters Mourn Death Of Head Of Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Media Department
On January 31, 2018, the Algerian Ministry of National Defense reported on its website, that Abu Rawaha Hisham, the head of the Al-Qaeda In The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) media department, was killed during an operation conducted by Algerian security forces the day before.
To Boost Morale, HTS Releases Video Of Leader Al-Joulani Visiting Fighters On The Idlib Front
A media group affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), published a video on their website entitled, "Confident of Allah's Victory," on January 27, 2018.
On January 25, 2018, a pro-Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Telegram channel published a photo taken from the field showing HTS leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani standing in front of a group of fighters.
HTS Announces Campaign To Recruit New Fighters In The Aleppo Region Using WhatsApp
The Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) organization that is active in Syria published an advertisement on January 28, 2018, announcing the start of a campaign to attract new recruits into its ranks in the Aleppo region.
A Facebook user is a prominent pro-Islamic State (ISIS) figure in jihadi circles in the UK.
ISIS In Damascus Province: Photographs From Military Training Course For Boys
The Islamic State (ISIS) Damascus Province published a series of photographs on February 1, 2018, depicting a military training course for young boys from the "Al AShbal [Lion Cub] Camp."
Public Pro-Jihadi Facebook Group With Over 7,000 Members Circulates Jihadi Content
A public pro-jihadi Facebook group currently has over 7,000 members.
Albanian Jihadi Disseminates Content From Syria On Facebook, Telegram
An Albanian jihadi in Syria on Facebook regularly disseminates jihadi content on his Facebook and on his Telegram account.
Al-Shabab Seizes U.S. Drone That Crashed In Southern Somalia
According to a January 25, 2018 report by the Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen-affiliated Shahada News, Al-Shabab had taken control of a U.S. drone that crashed in southern Somalia.
Al-Shabab Seizes Another U.S. Drone That Crashed In Southern Somalia – The Second In Under A Week
On January 31, 2018, the Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen-affiliated Shahada News reported that the group had seized control of a U.S. drone that crashed in the outskirts of the coastal town of Kismayo.
Pro-ISIS Media Company On Telegram Announces Forthcoming Course On Hacking Facebook, Twitter
On January 29, 2018, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) group published an announcement on Telegram about a hacking course it will be offering.
In recent days, the Syrian branch of the Uyghur jihad organization Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released several photos and a video documenting the ongoing battles against Syrian regime forces in rural southern Idlib, Syria.
On January 29, 2018, it was reported that the prominent Uyghur cleric Sheikh Muhammad Salih Hajim died in a Chinese prison at age 82.
After U.S. President Donald Trump said on January 30 that there will be "no peace talks" with the Afghan Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization), issued the following statement: "U.S. President Donald Trump exposed his war-mongering face yesterday by stating that he had no intention of holding peace talks with the Taliban. These expressions by Trump prove and clear up the following points:"
Given below is a weekly statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization): "Whenever a country is under occupation, its land and air space is under control of foreigners and its system runs on the commands of foreigners; then obviously, chaos and anarchy replace peace and prosperity. It is because people want freedom and independence while the regime works for the interests of the invaders contrary to aspirations of the people."
Afghan Taliban Name Suicide Bomber In Kabul Attack, Claim 246 Military Personnel Dead
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) claimed that at least 246 military personnel of the Afghan security forces died in the January 27 suicide bombing near the old interior ministry building in Kabul, according to a statement. Afghan and foreign news agencies put the number of the dead at 95, including dozens of civilians.
Improvised Explosive Devices And Rocket Launchers Seized In Pakistani Town Of Hangu
On January 26, 2018, in the northwestern Pakistani town of Hangu, security officials seized a large cache of weapons, including improvised explosive devices and rocket launchers, as per this photograph that appeared in the local media.
Round-Up Of Reports On Jihadi Activities Of Pakistani Jihadi Group Jaish-e-Muhammad
Given below are six short reports on the activities of the Pakistani jihadi organization Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) published by the group's weekly Urdu magazine Haftroza Al-Qalam dated January 26 – February 1, 2018.
