memri
August 5, 2022 Special Announcements No. 1232

Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekly: July 30-August 6, 2022

August 5, 2022
Special Announcements No. 1232

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.

 

EXCLUSIVE: In Official Statement, Afghan Taliban Condemn U.S. Drone Strike Killing Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri: 'If Such Action Is Repeated, The Responsibility Of Any Consequences Will Be On The United States Of America'

On August 4, 2022, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the ruling Taliban jihadi organization) issued an official statement in which it said it had "no information" about the stay of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 31 in Kabul city.

 

EXCLUSIVE: National Resistance Front (NRF) Of Afghanistan Says U.S.'s Diplomatic Engagement With Taliban Jihadi Leaders Has Turned Afghanistan Into 'A Sanctuary' For Terrorist Groups: 'Although The Leader Of Al-Qaeda [Ayman Al-Zawahiri] Is Killed... Terrorist Groups Like Al-Qaeda Have Had A Good Chance To Revive'

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 statement on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul city on July 31, 2022, the National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan has said that Afghanistan has once again become a sanctuary for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups because the U.S. and other Western countries have legitimized the Afghan Taliban over the past few years, facilitating the Taliban's takeover of power in August 2021.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Source Close To Al-Qaeda Claims: Haqqani Arranged Al-Zawahiri's Presence In Kabul

On August 3, 2022, an anonymous journalist who claims to be independent and has sources close to Al-Qaeda's leadership, confirmed through jihadi sources in Afghanistan the death of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 31.

 

EXCLUSIVE: After Fatal Drone Strike On Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, English-Speaking Jihadis Celebrate, Mourn, Condemn, And Speculate Whether Taliban Tipped Off U.S.: 'Don't Be Sad, When They Martyred Sheikh Osama Bin Laden They Similarly Celebrated And Claimed Victory… Thousands Of Youths Wanted To Become Like Sheikh OBL And Al-Qaeda Got More Strong'

English-speaking jihadis on Facebook and Twitter who support ISIS, Al-Qaeda, or the Taliban reacted with glee, condemnation, and grief and speculated as to whether the Taliban provided the U.S. with Al-Zawahiri's location.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Reacting To Al-Zawahiri's Death, Jihadis Mock Taliban For Breached Security, Eulogize Al-Qaeda Leader, Claim U.S. Is Eliminating The Opponents Of Syria's Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham

On August 2, 2022, jihadis online continued to react to U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement about the July 31 counterterrorism operation that killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Canada-Based Jihadi Cleric Pays Tribute To Slain Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri: The Knight Has Stepped Down But Jihad Will Never Die

On August 2, 2022, a Canada-based jihadi idealogue published a post on his website paying tribute to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 31. The tribute comes one day after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the success of the counterterrorism operation.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Afghan Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid Condemns Killing Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri In U.S. Drone Strike: 'Such Actions Are A Repetition Of The Failed Experiences Of The Past 20 Years And Are Against The Interests Of The U.S., Afghanistan, And The Region'

In a series of tweets and a statement posted on Justpaste.it, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the July 31, 2022 killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul city.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Reacting To Al-Zawahiri's Death, U.S.-Designated Somali Jihadi Leader Curses President Biden: 'In This Life Or The Hereafter, You Will Be Suffering'

On August 3, 2020, a Somali jihadi figure who once led an Al-Qaeda-affiliated organization released a Somali-language audio message eulogizing Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a July 31 U.S drone strike in Kabul.


EXCLUSIVE: Reacting To Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri's Death, Al-Qaeda Supporters Offer Eulogies, Islamic State (ISIS) Supporters Denouncements, Accuse Taliban Of Betraying Him

Salafi-jihadis of various affiliations, including supporters of Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), and Syrian jihadis, commented on the news of Al-Zawahiri's death.

 

EXCLUSIVE: On Twitter, Al-Qaeda Supporters Use Trending Hashtags To Eulogize Al-Zawahiri, Threaten The U.S., Spread Rumors He Is Alive

On August 1, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who led the global jihadi organization since the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Former Senior Al-Qaeda Associates Lament Al-Zawahiri's Death With Poems, Prayers, Calls To Unite Jihadi Groups

On Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, senior jihadi figures paid tribute to his jihadi journey and lamented his loss, calling on jihadi groups to unite their efforts in the face of their opponents, including Israel, Iran, and the "Crusaders."


EXCLUSIVE: As Supporters Await Official Al-Qaeda Confirmation Of Al-Zawahiri's Death, ISIS Supporters Celebrate, Accuse Afghan Taliban Of Betrayal

On August 1, 2022, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda reacted online to the announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan.

 

EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Supporters Celebrate Death Of Al-Zawahiri, Condemn Him For Supporting Al-Joulani's Fight Against ISIS In Syria

In the aftermath of the death of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, killed on July 31 by a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters continue publishing their reactions to the event.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Clerics Affiliated With Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Eulogize Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri, Cast Doubt On His Killing

On August 1, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who had led the global jihadi organization since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011, had been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, which has been controlled by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban) since August 2021.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Russian-Language Outlet Linked To Chechen Jihadi Group In Syria Eulogizes Slain Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri On Telegram, Twitter, Instagram

A Russian-language media outlet that is affiliated with a Syria-based predominantly Chechen jihadi group eulogized slain Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Telegram Channels That Support Iran-Backed Militias: Assassination Of Al-Qaeda Leader Is Meaningless; An Attempt To Boost Biden's Popularity

Contrary to the reactions of the supporters of the Sunni jihadi organizations, who rushed to respond to the reports of the killing of Ayman Al-Zawahiri, as of this writing, supporters of the Shi'ite axis of resistance did not give the reports much attention.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Overview Of Islamic State East Asia Province (ISEAP) Activity In The Philippines Since August 2021 – Part III: Areas Of ISEAP Activity In The Philippines

By: Y. Kerman

Following is the third part of a five-part report focusing on Islamic State East Asia Province (ISEAP) activity in the Philippines over the past year, since August 2021.

 

ISIS Military Commander In Syrian Desert: We Effectively Control Large Parts Of The Desert Region, Have Carried Out More Than 20 Operations In Recent Months, Causing Dozens Of Casualties Among Syrian Army Forces, Shi'ite Militias

Issue 349 of the Islamic State (ISIS) weekly Al-Naba' newsletter, released on July 29, 2022, includes a rare interview with "the military commander of the mujahideen" in the Syrian Desert region.

 

ISIS Editorial Marks Islamic New Year By Reviewing Major ISIS Milestones Since August 2021, Likening Itself To Early Muslim Caliphate

On July 28, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue 349 of its weekly newsletter, Al-Naba'. The issue's feature article emphasized ISIS's activity as mirroring the conduct of the early Islamic Caliphate and reviewed its major achievements to mark the Islamic New Year, coinciding with July 29, 2022.

 

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Claims Second Attack On Outskirts Of Nigerian Capital

In a claim dated July 30, 2022, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) reported an attack on Nigerian soldiers on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja.

 

Islamic State (ISIS) Continues Attacks Against Christians In Northeastern Mozambique, Publishes Images Of Burning Houses And Victims

Over the past three weeks, the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a slate of new attacks against Christians in northeastern Mozambique, following a rising trend that began in early May 2022, when the group declared Mozambique an independent province within its organization.

 

Amharic-Language Video By ISIS Somalia Province Calls On Ethiopian Muslims To Join Group

On July 30, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) Somalia province released a 25-minute video in Amharic with Arabic subtitles seeking to recruit Ethiopian Muslims to join ISIS in Somalia.

 

Article In Issue Ten Of ISIS-K Magazine 'Voice Of Khurasan' Discusses Origins Of ISIS-K, Says That Despite U.S. Bombings In Support Of Taliban, ISIS-K 'Is More Powerful Than Ever'

An article in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by the Al-Azaim Foundation, which is the media arm of the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K), explains the conditions in which the Islamic State's central leadership in Iraq and Syria decided to establish ISIS's "Khurasan Wilayah [Afghanistan Province]."

 

Article In Issue Ten Of ISIS-K Magazine 'Voice Of Khurasan' Rejects Afghan Taliban Conference: 'The American Infidels Found The Taliban Movement As A Better And More Efficient Replacement... For Implementing Their Long-Term Kufri Plan On The Afghan Soil'

An article  in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by the media arm of the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K), gives the details of the terror attack carried out by three ISIS jihadis on the three-day conference of Islamic clergy and tribal elders organized by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban jihadi organization) to legitimize its rule in the country.

 

Fatwa By ISIS-K Orders Attacks On Places of Worship Of Christians, Jews, Hindus, And Afghan Taliban, Cites Prophet Muhammad's Demolition Of 'Masjid-e-Zarar'

The Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K) has released a fatwa ordering and justifying attacks on the places of worships of Shi'ites, Hindus, Christians, Jews, as well as the Afghan Taliban and their leaders.

 

British Pro-ISIS Preacher Announces 'Twitter Storm' On Ashura Holiday To Denounce Shi'ite Crimes Against Sunnis

On August 1, a British pro-ISIS preacher issued a press release to denounce the perceived oppression of Sunni Muslims at the hands of Shi'ite Muslims in countries across the Middle East.

 

British Pro-ISIS Preacher Urges Muslims To Show Faith In Lands Of 'Unbelief,' Promote Religion To Achieve 'Complete Domination'

On August 1, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) British preacher published on his Telegram channel an audio recording of an English-language religious lesson, part of a new series which highlights the obligation of Muslims living in non-Muslims lands governed by "laws of unbelief" to preach Islam and make the religion "prevail" worldwide.

 

Al-Qaeda Affiliate In African Sahel Publishes Infographic Summarizing July Attacks In Mali And Burkina Faso

On July 31, the media arm of Jama'at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimeen ("Group for Support of Islam and Muslims," GSIM), Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the African Sahel, published an infographic in Arabic detailing the group's operations during the month of July 2022.

 

Al-Qaeda Affiliate In Mali Claims Killing Ten Malian Soldiers In Barracks Attack, Posts Video Showing Seized Firearms, Ammunition

On July 28, 2022, the media arm of the Mali-based Al-Qaeda-affiliate Jama'at Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), aka the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), posted on its official Chirpwire account an Arabic-language statement claiming responsibility for a July 27 attack on a Malian army barracks in the town of Kaloumba, Mali.

 

Al-Shabab Claims It Killed Or Wounded 19 Somali Soldiers, Targeted Kenyan Military Base, Blew Up Ugandan Military Truck

On August 2, 2022, the Shahada News Agency, the official news outlet of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Al-Shabab, reported three new claims of attacks by Al-Shabab operatives in Somalia and Kenya.

 

Al-Shabab Claims Executions Of Six U.S., Somali Spies In Southwest Somalia

On July 30, 2022, the Shahada News Agency, the official news outlet of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Al-Shabab, reported that the Al-Shabab movement shari'a court had carried out the death sentences handed down against four men described as spies, who were convicted of collaborating with U.S. intelligence.

 

Al-Shabab Claims Killing Of 150 Ethiopian Soldiers In Three Attacks Against Ethiopian Bases On Somali-Ethiopian Border

On July 29, the Shahada News Agency, the official news outlet of Al-Qaeda's Somali-affiliate, Al-Shabab, published a series of claims of simultaneous attacks against three Ethiopian military bases on the border between Somalia and Ethiopia.

 

Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) In Syria Releases Clips Showing Eid Al-Adha Celebrations For Operatives In Syria, Afghanistan

During late July and early August 2022, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released two video clips in the Uyghur language that were produced by the group's media arm, to mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday.

 

Article In Taliban Magazine: U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan Was Defeat At Hands Of Taliban

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On July 27, 2022, the Taliban published Issue 198 of their official Arabic-language monthly magazine, Al-Somood. The issue featured an article, titled "Was America Indeed Defeated By The Taliban," which discussed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan almost a month before its one-year anniversary.

 

Following A Series Of Incidents On The Afghanistan Border, Taliban Magazine Warns: Afghanistan's Borders Are 'Red Lines Sacred To The Afghan People'

On July 28, 2022, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Afghan Taliban) published issue 198 of their official Arabic-language Al-Somood monthly magazine.

 

Lebanese Hizbullah Video Threatens Israeli Gas Infrastructure At Offshore Field: 'You Are In The Crosshairs'

On July 31, 2022, Lebanese Hizbullah (LH) released a one-minute video titled "[You Are] In The Crosshairs, Stalling Is Not Beneficial," which featured footage allegedly surveilling and identifying gas rigs and drilling ships moored near the disputed Karish offshore gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Syrian Opposition Websites: Hizbullah And The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Begin Captagon Drug Production In Northeast Syria In Deir Al-Zour

On August 1, 2022, a Syrian opposition website reported that for the first time Hizbullah, with the assistance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is manufacturing a popular amphetamine known as Captagon at one of its bases in the city of Deir Al-Zour in northeast Syria.

 

Telegram Channels That Support Iran-Backed Militias: Pelosi Visit To Taiwan – Provocation

Telegram channels that support Iran-backed militias have expressed great interest in the historic visit by speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan on August 2 and 3, 2022.

 

Lebanese Hizbullah Experts Reportedly Train Iran-Backed Militia On Drone Operations In Palmyra, Syria

On July 27, 2022, a Syrian opposition website reported that experts from Lebanese Hizbullah arrived in Palmyra, in Syria's Homs Governorate to provide drone operations training to an Iran-backed militia.

 

Pro-Iran Iraqi Shi'ite Militia Threatens To Attack U.S., UK Interests In Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Claiming They Orchestrated Rising Tensions Between Shi'ite Political Parties

On August 1, 2022, an Iran-backed group operating in Iraq that often claims attacks on U.S. military targets such as logistic convoys, issued a statement about the escalating tension in Baghdad between Iran-backed political parties and Shi'ite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr over the formation of a new government.

 

Pro-Iran Iraqi Telegram Channels Publish Posters Likening July 27 Sadrist Protests To January 6 U.S. Capitol Riot, PM Al-Kadhimi To Former President Trump

On July 30, 2022, Telegram channels that support Iran-backed militias in Iraq published three posters alleging that Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi was involved in orchestrating the recent protests by supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite populist cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr.

Share this Report: