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.)
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On the night of February 3, 2022, U.S. forces carried out an airborne operation near Atmah in Syria, north of Idlib on the Turkish border, and exchanged fire with militants for about two hours. Several hours later, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement confirming that the target of the operation was Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurasyhi.
On February 6, 2022, Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) issued a "Statement of Condemnation and Disapproval for the Incident of Killing Civilians and Children on the Syrian-Turkish Border." The statement criticized the U.S. for the February 3 operation it carried out near Atmah, north of Idlib, in a territory controlled by HTS.
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Following U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement that Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Qurayshi has been "removed" in a raid conducted by U.S. special forces in northern Syria, supporters of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) continue to react to Al-Qurayshi's death.
EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Opposition Outlet Publishes Rental Contract For Slain ISIS Leader's Idlib Hideout
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On February 3, 2022, a Syrian opposition news website published new information obtained from eyewitness describing the Idlib, Syria hideout of ISIS top leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurayshi, where he resided before he detonated himself and his family members during yesterday's U.S. military raid.
Issue 33 of a monthly magazine published by independent jihadi clerics in Syria's Idlib region who oppose Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), was released on February 8, 2022. It contains an editorial titled, "Idlib and the Sanctuary which is Fair Game," which discusses the February 3 airborne operation by U.S. Special Forces near Atmah, north of Idlib, which reportedly resulted in the death of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurayshi.
Over the past few days, a Syrian jihadi cleric who is a fierce critic of Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), published several posts on his Telegram channel which included messages from HTS fighters, in which they denounced HTS for its change in position regarding its ties with Turkey, and condemning the group's response to the February 3, 2022 U.S. raid in Syria that led to the death of the Islamic State's (ISIS) top leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurayshi.
On February 8, 2022, As-Sahab, the media arm of Al-Qaeda Central Command, released the third episode of its da'wa (preaching) against atheism series, titled "Together Towards Allah." In the video, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri reaffirmed the supremacy of Islam over other schools of thought.
On February 3, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue number 324 of its weekly newspaper Al-Naba', which included an editorial highlighting the role played by the divine promises in boosting the morale of the mujahideen, and reiterated ISIS's determination to take over the Arabian peninsula, Palestine, Istanbul, and Rome.
ISIS Breaks 20 Detainees Out Of Prison In Eastern Congo
On February 4, 2022, ISCAP (the Islamic State in Central Africa Province) reported that, on February 2, it had attacked and burned down Congolese army barracks near the Ugandan border and seized military gear.
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A foreword written in the inaugural issue of the English-language jihadi magazine "Voice Of Khurasan," the Islamic State (ISIS) urges its fighters to follow the early Islamic principle, "Stand and die upon that for which your brothers in faith before you have died," and tells the non-Muslim world: "The army of Allah is on the rise again, to rule the lands of Allah with his law, and by the will of Allah we are returning stronger than ever, and harsher on the people of Kufr [unbelief]."
Issue One Of Pro-ISIS Urdu-Language Weekly Is Aimed At South Asian Diaspora Audiences In The West
A pro-Islamic State (ISIS) channel on Telegram has posted the first issue of an Urdu-language weekly magazine focused on jihadi activities worldwide.
Issue 2 of the recently launched Urdu-language pro-Islamic State (ISIS) weekly magazine has graphic showing data on the number of ISIS operations carried out in different countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The third and fourth issues of the recently launched pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Urdu-language weekly magazine have been released via a jihadi Telegram channel. Both issues comprise short media reports about ISIS attacks in different parts of the world, especially Africa, Iraq, Syria, and "Khurasan [i.e., Afghanistan]."
Pro-ISIS Outlet Announces Resumption Of Media Activity On Twitter, Telegram After Hiatus
On February 9, 2022, a user of the Islamic State (ISIS)-operated Rocket.Chat server shared a post containing a Telegram handle and the Twitter account of a pro-ISIS outlet.
On February 9, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet, released an article claiming that mainstream media worldwide and in the Arab world is controlled by the enemies of Muslims and applies double standards by focusing on insignificant events and ignoring the suffering of Muslim women and children who are related to ISIS fighters.
ISIS Media Group Publishes English Book Urging Jihad Against Afghan Taliban
On February 8, 2022, a book published by the official media outlet of the Islamic State Khorasan (Afghanistan) Province (ISKP), was distributed on Telegram by a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media group.
On February 8, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media group published posts on Telegram criticizing Muslims who celebrated the attacks launched by the Iran-backed Yemeni Shi'ite group Ansar Allah, a.k.a. the Houthis, against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On February 7, 2022, the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice program announced a $10 million reward for information on the governor (Wali) of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP or ISIS-K), Sanaullah Ghafari aka Shahab Al-Muhajir.
An article in the latest issue of the Urdu-language jihadi magazine Nawa-i-Ghazwa-e-Hind ("The Voice Of The Battle Of India") lists conditions for acceptance of martyrdom before Allah. Another article lists the reasons why some mujahideen abandon the jihad.
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An article published in the Urdu-language jihadi magazine Nawa-i-Ghazwa-e-Hind ("The Voice Of The Battle Of India") narrates the history of armed struggle in Kashmir, which began in 1989 and continues to this day.
Following the death of its top leader, rumors that ISIS has appointed a new caliph have been circulating in the media for several days. On February 6, a Telegram post was published, allegedly by an ISIS supporter, containing an oath of allegiance to a new leader.
Al-Shabab Media Wing Releases Part 18 Of Video Series To Recruit East Africans To Fight In Somalia
On February 7, 2022, the media arm of the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab), released part 18 of its "Inspire the Believers" recruitment video series.
Mali-Based Al-Qaeda Affiliate Claims Two Operations In December 2021
On February 5, 2022, the media outlet of the Mali-based Al-Qaeda affiliate Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) issued its Statement 183, titled "The Progress of Operations [By] The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims."
On February 4, 2022, a pro-Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Telegram channel published an interview with an HTS recruitment official who claims that the increased turnout in youth recruitment is due to their belief that jihad is a religious duty and the only path to regain control of the occupied territories.
In the second week of February 2022, several Syrian opposition websites reported that on February 6, 2022, east of Homs in eastern Syria, the Russian forces deployed in the country blocked 40 trucks belonging to Hizbullah Lebanon which were en route for Lebanon loaded with phosphates.
On February 9, 2022, a Syrian pro-jihadi outlet released a poster with an image of U.S. President Joe Biden as he announced the U.S. Special Forces operation that resulted in death of the top leader of the Islamic State (ISIS), Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurayshi on February 3 in northwestern Syria.
On February 8, 2022, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah granted a two-hour, far-ranging interview to Al-'Alam TV, Iran's Al-Alam news network, which broadcasts in Arabic.
On February 6, 2022, Hizbullah's website posted an article threatening a significant increase in attacks by Ansar Allah, the Houthi movement in Yemen, against military and infrastructure targets in the UAE, especially on the Expo 2020 in Dubai.
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On January 31, 2022, a supporter of Lebanese Hizbullah who often publishes songs glorifying the group and its leader Hassan Nasrallah, shared on a social media account a new music video titled "Do not make a mistake with us," threatening the group's rivals, including Israel.
Spokesman Of Hizbullah Brigades In Iraq To Houthis: We Are Ready To Send You Money And Men
On February 5, 2022, a Telegram channel affiliated with the Yemen-based Houthi Ansar Allah movement posted a three-minute video of a ceremony marking the conclusion of "Your Money Is Drones Targeting the Zayed [Family]," a donation drive promoted by the Hizbullah Brigades in Iraq to empower Yemen-based Houthis to carry more drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
On February 7, 2022, a Telegram channel affiliated with Hizbullah Brigades in Iraq shared a short promotional music video documenting donations made to a "youth campaign" launched in support of the Yemen-based Houthi Ansar Allah movement, which is fighting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
Coordinating Body Of Iraqi Resistance Welcomes 'Legitimate' Attack On UAE
A February 4, 2022 Telegram post by the Coordinating Body of the Iraqi Resistance, an umbrella organization of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, thanks a militia for their February 2, 2022 drone attack on targets in the UAE.
A Telegram channel believed to be affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq is disseminating an anti-U.S. narrative aimed at discrediting U.S. support for Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), portraying the U.S. as a sponsor of terror.
On February 1, 2022, Turkish forces carried out airstrikes on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Defense Units (YPG), in northern Iraq and Syria. The strikes, which reportedly resulted in at least four casualties, evoked widespread condemnation by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, which consider Turkey an occupying force in the country.
On Feburary 3, 2022, Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq reported extensively on the U.S. Special Operations Command's operation that resulted in the killing of the Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurayshi aka Abdul Nasser Qardash, Abdullah Qardash, Abu Ubaydah Al-Iraqi in the town of Atmeh, Idlib.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban jihadi organization that seized power on August 15, 2021) has issued a statement marking the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and reiterating its adherence to the principle of jihadi fighting.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
In a series of tweets in January 2022, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, or the Taliban jihadi organization which seized power on August 15, 2021), revealed that a number of jihad and suicide bombing training centers had existed at undisclosed locations in Afghanistan during the jihad against America and NATO troops following 9/11. The IEA has also disclosed that the IEA took over the military corps of the Afghan armed forces.
In a series of video clips showing the Taliban mujahideen undergoing military training and graduating from passing-out ceremonies, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (or the Taliban jihadi organization that seized power on August 15, 2021, IEA) has revealed that around 100 mujahideen were trained at one of the eight Afghan army corps taken over by the Taliban and renamed after significant figures of early Islamic history.
Following are details of attacks that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of Pakistani Taliban, TTP) claimed during the week ending February 6, 2022.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Says It Killed 48 Pakistani Soldiers During January 2022
In a statement, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of the Pakistani Taliban, TTP) has claimed that it killed 48 Pakistani soldiers during January 2022, while 53 Pakistani security men were wounded during various TTP operations during the same period.
This report will review details of attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of the Pakistani Taliban, TTP) during the week ending January 30, 2022.
