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.
By: N. Mozes*
In recent weeks, there have been a series of attacks in Iraq on operatives, positions, and weapons depots of Iran-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militias.
Between August 22 and 25, 2019, pro-Islamic State (ISIS) news outlets released several posters threatening U.S. and French nationals, and those of "any of their allies," urging supporters to perpetrate terror attacks against them. In one of the posters, the Chicago River is visible in the background.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has accused Afghanistan's Salaam Telecom Network of spying for U.S. and Afghan governments. In a statement, the Islamic Emirate said the telecom firm, its fiber network, and its officials will be considered military targets.
On August 28, 2019, a pro-Al-Qaeda outlet focusing primarily on East Africa published an essay.
A veteran Al-Qaeda member and a commander of the group's Syrian affiliate, Hurras Al-Din, was killed by unknown assailants on August 22, 2019, in an IED attack targeting his vehicle in the city of Idlib.
On August 26, 2019, Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a statement that condemned Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their involvement in South Yemen, accused them of serving their own agendas and those of the U.S., and called on the people of South Yemen to abide by shari'a and take part in jihad.
On August 28, 2019, Al-Sahab, the media arm of Al-Qaeda, released a eulogy statement for a Jordanian national, Al-Qaeda veteran, and commander of the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras Al-Din, who was killed in an IED attack targeting his vehicle in the city of Idlib on August 22, 2019.
Al-Qaeda Affiliate Al-Shabab Claims IED Attack On American APC In Southern Somalia
On August 23, 2019, the Somali Al-Qaeda affiliate, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for an attack on a U.S. Army Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) in southern Somalia.
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On August 19, 2019, Al-Kataib Foundation, the media wing of the Somali Al-Qaeda affiliate Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, released a 50-minute video titled "Then Fight the Leaders of Disbelief 3 – Part 2," which is the second part of the third video in the series of the same name.
Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Issues Military Recruitment Poster
On August 26, 2019, a Telegram account associated with Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) published a poster calling for new recruits to join its military wing.
Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Fighters In Latakia Province Pledge To Fight To The Death
On August 25, 2019, a Syrian rebel-affiliated media operative, Abu Muhammad Al-Shamali, released a short video clip on Telegram, showing HTS fighters, pledging to Allah that they will fight to the death.
A Russian-speaking self-described "photographer" based in the rebel-controlled city of Idlib, Syria has published hundreds of posts on Telegram, Twitter, and Instagram highlighting daily life there.
Al-Qaeda-Affiliated GSIM Claims Bombardment Of French Military Base In Mali
On August 27, 2019, Jama'at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (The Group for Support of Islam and Muslims – GSIM) claimed that one of its units bombarded a French military base on August 25, 2019, in the Menaka region of Mali.
On August 21, 2019, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) outlet published an article on its Telegram channel warning users of Telegram and WhatsApp of an exploit that hackers can use to access media files in their devices.
In August 26, 2019, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet shared on Telegram an infographic in Bengali identifying a list of key media outlets that translate the media releases and productions of the "Caliphate" into 13 languages.
ISIS Supporters Distribute Operational Material In Italian
Islamic State (ISIS) supporters have launched a new Telegram dedicated to distributing pro-ISIS operational content translated into Italian.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating engagement with jihadi clerics and ideology.
There are several Instagram accounts promoting the works and statements of Dearborn-based Jihadi cleric Ahmad Musa Jibril and late Yemeni-American Al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-'Awlaki.
Iranian Sunni Jihadi Group Documents Its Fight Against Syrian Regime Forces Near Latakia
On August 25, 2019, the Telegram account of a group of Iranian Sunni jihadi fighters engaged in the Syrian conflict alongside other jihadi and rebel factions, published a series of photographs of its operatives deployed on the frontline in Al-Kabinah, in the mountains of western Idlib and Latakia Province.
Abdul Salam Zaeef, who served as Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan during the 1990s when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, has said that an agreement between the U.S. and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) is likely to be signed during the ninth round of the U.S.-Taliban talks, which began in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, August 22, 2019.
Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Doha-based political office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization), said that the U.S. and the Taliban have reached an agreement on a time frame for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Afghan Website: Taliban Militants In Faryab Province Flog Young Couple For Eloping
According to a report by Khaama.com, militants from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) flogged a young couple in the northern Faryab province of Afghanistan, after charging them with eloping.
On August 19, 2019 the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) released a statement accusing U.S. and Afghan forces of killing civilians, looting, and committing extensive destruction to property over the course of their operations.
Afghan Taliban Post Images To Website Of Taliban Fighters Training At A Camp In Afghanistan
On August 20, 2019, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) posted photos to one of its websites of Taliban fighters dressed in military fatigues training at a camp somewhere in Afghanistan.
Video Titled 'Caravan Of Khyber' Shows Taliban Militants Training Somewhere In Afghanistan
On August 18, 2019, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) released a video, titled "Caravan Of Khyber" and Number 102 in a series, showing Taliban militants training somewhere in Afghanistan.
Amid the ninth round of the U.S.-Taliban negotiations underway in Doha, Qatar, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has issued a statement.
