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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After the Israeli military recaptured areas seized during the October 7 attack, field manuals and other documents belonging to Hamas terrorists were found in multiple locations, which detailed Hamas' operational instructions to the attackers, including routes, procedures and targets. One of the manuals deals specifically with the capture and handling of hostages, reflecting the importance of this issue for Hamas. The operatives are instructed to kill and capture as many people as possible, both civilians and soldiers.
On October 19, 2023, the Islamic State (ISIS) published issue 413 of its weekly newsletter Al-Naba'. Titled "Practical Steps to Fight the Jews," the issue's editorial calls for moving the struggle against Jews from a Palestinian to a religious context of shari'a; ignoring international law in the war against Jews; and waging war against the Jews' allies in the West, and among 'apostate' Arab countries.
On October 19, 2023, the Islamic State (ISIS) published issue 413 of its weekly newsletter, Al-Naba', which featured an infographic titled: "Means Of Support To Muslims In Palestine." The graphic display listed operational instructions, primarily on the military and media fronts, to provide support to Palestinians against Israel and Jews "worldwide."
On October 18, 2023, the Al Madina Dawah [Preaching] Centre (AMDC), based in the Bankstown suburb of Sydney, Australia and affiliated with pro-Islamic State (ISIS) preacher Wisam (Abu Ousayd) Haddad, shared an announcement of the Mount Druitt Mosque, in Sydney's suburb of Mount Druitt, that it would dedicate its October 22 fundraising dinner to "raising funds for Palestine," "due to recent events in Gaza."
On October 22, 2023, pro-Al-Qaeda Telegram channels shared an audio message from Sami Al-'Uraydi, the senior shari'a official and co-founder of Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Hurras Al-Din (HAD).
On October 19, 2023, Al-Qaeda supporter, "Sandar," shared a post on Chirpwire calling on Muslims everywhere, particularly in Arab countries, to revolt against their local regimes and extend support to Gaza in its war against Israel.
In the aftermath of Hamas's surprise assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the reaction by Israel and her Western allies, a prominent jihadi writer and Al-Qaeda supporter, Jallad Al-Murji'ah, published posts on Telegram inciting lone wolf attacks and calling for attacks inside Israel targeting "soldiers and settlers alike."
On October 18, 2023, A pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet published a six-page booklet.
Iran-backed Hamas and other Gaza-based Palestinian factions issued statements encouraging Muslims and pro-Palestinian individuals around the world to pressure Washington to end its support of Israel ahead of the anticipated Israeli incursion of Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel.
The pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet Jaysh Al-Malahem Al-Electroni (Electronic Army of Epic Battles) published on October 22, 2023, a three-page Arabic-language statement claiming responsibility for a large "electronic warfare" attack against European and Jewish targets.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 23, 2023, the Hizbullah-affiliated Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily published[1] an article titled "Forty Years After Bloody Escape of U.S. From Lebanon, Washington Threatens to Send Marines: Welcome!" Written by Karim Al-Amin, the article reviews the main events that accompanied the military presence of the U.S. in Lebanon since 1958, in light of the dispatch by the U.S. of several warships to the Eastern Mediterranean, augmentation of U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft squadrons in the region, and provision of munitions and other equipment to the Israel Defense Forces to assist in its ongoing war with Hamas, which began with the latter's October 7 surprise attack against the Jewish state.
EXCLUSIVE: Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq Claim Missile Attack Against U.S. Base In Western Iraq
On October 19, 2023, Telegram channels linked to Iran-backed militias shared a statement issued by the "Islamic Resistance In Iraq," an Iran-backed joint operations room consisting of Iraqi militias.
On October 18, 2023, a news agency in Iraq reported that five thousand Iraqi resistance fighters were currently awaiting orders to attack Israel amid the conflict with Hamas.
On October 18, 2023, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) released two statements claiming two attacks against the Nigerian army on October 13 in Borno.
On October 19, 2023, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue 413 of its weekly Al-Naba' newsletter, which included an “exclusive,” extensive article about ISIS operations during the previous two months in various parts of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, in the ISIS so-called "Sahel Province."
On October 22, 2023, supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) discussed ways to kill Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee residing in Sweden who burned copies of the Quran several times over recent months. Among the suggested means to target him were fire, bomb and poison.
On October 16, 2023, Abd Al-Salem Jilani Meftah Lassoued, a 45-year-old Tunisian residing in Belgium illegally, carried out a shooting in Brussels, killing two and seriously injuring another. The next day, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack.
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On October 16, 2023, a gunman armed with an automatic rifle shot three Swedish football fans in Brussels, Belgium, killing two and seriously injuring another. Videos of the perpetrator, Abdesalem Jilani Meftah Lassoued, circulated quickly online. The shooter, a 45-year-old Tunisian who was in Belgium illegally, was shown in the videos swearing allegiance to Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Hafs Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi, and declaring that the attack was perpetrated to avenge Muslims.
The latest issue of an English-language monthly magazine published by a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), has two key articles that discuss the "crumbling" international order and argue that this disintegration is the result of the collaboration between Jews and Christians against Islam during the 21st century. The magazine's current issue was published before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
A key article in the latest issue of "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), narrates the story of spread of Islam to China from 615 CE, the uprising of Muslims against Chinese "unbelievers" since 1933, and the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in "East Turkestan [i.e., Xinjiang province]," and warns of revenge and bloodshed in the streets of China.
The latest issue of "Khurasan Ghag [Voice of Khurasan]," the Pashtu-language magazine published by Al-Azaim Foundation, which is the media arm of the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISKP), has a cover article criticizing Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for having "relations with Jews and Israel."
An article in the latest issue of an English-language monthly magazine published by a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), accuses the Afghan Taliban leadership of implementing a distorted version of shari'a which, it says, is vastly different from Umari justice system under second Islamic caliph Umar ibn Khattab.
A lead article in the latest issue of an English-language monthly magazine published by a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), criticizes democracy, saying that it transfers the power of legislation from Allah to people, promotes obscenity and social evils, and promises free speech while denying the same to Muslims.
On October 18, 2023, Al-Malahem, the media arm of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), shared a video.
The Shahada News Agency, the media arm of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab), reported on October 21, 2023, that more than 49 members of government militias were killed, including officers, and dozens more wounded in a same-day Al-Shabab "martyrdom-seeking" (suicide) operation against a barracks of "United Arab Emirates mercenaries" and the Somali security and intelligence apparatus, in the Ceelasha region on the outskirts of Mogadishu.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 16, 2023, Al-Qaeda In The Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released a 19-page document whose cover has an image of a jihadi fighter landing in Al-Aqsa compound of Jerusalem by paragliding. The document, titled "The Work That Remains Is Obligatory On You," is written by Moinuddin Shami and is published by Nawa-i-Ghazwa-e-Hind Publications.
On October 24, 2023, a pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet released a nine-page document.
On October 24, 2023, a Syria-based jihadi Telegram channel published a commentary discussing the October 7 Hamas surprise attack on Israel.
Hamas's Military Wing, Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Promotes 'Media App' For Android Users
On October 19, 2023, Hamas's military wing, Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, released, on its Telegram channel, what it described as an application that would enable Android cell phone users to get access to content released by the group as part of its propaganda outreach effort in its war against Israel.
On October 21, 2023, a Telegram channel in Farsi linked to an Iran-backed group with the same name, announced a donation campaign in support of Gaza.
On October 21, 2023, a website reported that the WhatsApp instant messaging service had removed the phone number of Salamah Ma’rouf, head of the Hamas-controlled Government Press Office in Gaza, from its application.
Hamas and other Gaza-based militant Palestinian factions launched on October 7, 2023, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (also called Al-Aqsa Storm), a surprise attack on Israel in the early morning of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
On Telegram, Hamas Creates Official 'Alternative' Channel To Evade Future Bans
On October 24, 2023, Hamas's official Telegram channel shared a link to a new "alternative" channel, which, it noted, subscribers should follow if its primary channel is banned.
On October 21, 2023, "The Global Youth Front of Resistance," a Telegram channel in Farsi linked to an Iran-backed group with the same name, invited volunteers from around the world to register for fighting alongside Hamas against Israel.
On October 23, 2023, a news agency that supports Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip, continued to conduct online fundraising campaigns after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The channel has been requesting donations in cryptocurrencies, and provides wallet addresses, network identifiers, and QR codes.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 25, 2023, the website of the Hizbullah-affiliated Al-Manar TV channel published a first photograph and a first message from Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, and the advent of a security escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Media outlets affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanese Hizbullah (LH) have falsely reported on Telegram that protesters had set fire to the Israeli Embassy in Bahrain.
On September 23, 2023, the Syrian opposition-affiliated Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that hundreds of "elite forces from the Iranian militias" had deployed, during the two previous days, along the Syrian border with Israel on the Golan Heights. They noted that this move was overseen by Hizbullah and was not coordinated with the Syrian regime.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 22, the Lebanese Hizbullah legislator Hassan Fadlallah confirmed that Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah is personally overseeing the military operations against Israel in the north following the October 7 Hamas attack from Gaza.
On October 22, 2023, Abd Al-Aziz bin Habtour, prime minister of the Houthi Ansar Allah National Salvation Government, threatened attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea as part of Houthi support for Hamas.
On October 25, 2023, the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," an umbrella organization consisting of several Iran-backed militias in Iraq, claimed responsibility for a barrage of rockets against "the American occupation base" in in northeastern Syria.
Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq Threaten U.S. Forces In Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Red Sea
In October 24, 2023, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shi'ite group published a statement threatening attacks against U.S. barracks in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in response to the "crimes" of Israel and the U.S. in the Gaza strip.
On October 23, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization composed of several Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq, claimed responsibility for an attack on a U.S.-operated military base in western Iraq.
Iran-Backed 'Islamic Resistance In Iraq' Claims Three More Drone Attacks On U.S. Bases In Syria
On October 23, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization composed of several Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq, claimed responsibility for three drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases in Syria, including posts near Rukban, Al-Tanf, and Al-Malikiyah.
On October 22, 2023, The Islamic Resistance in Iraq – an entity which comprises several Iran-backed Iraqi Shi’ite militias – claimed responsibility for the launch of two drones at the Ayn Al-Assad airbase in western Iraq, where U.S. forces are stationed. In its statement, the militia claimed that the drones scored direct hits on their targets.
Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq Claim Drone Attacks On U.S. Bases In Western And Northern Iraq
On October 21, 2023, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq – a joint operations room comprising Iran-backed militias in Iraq – released two statements on Telegram claiming responsibility for drone attacks on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces.
On October 15, 2023, Kaf, a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed Iraq's Hizbullah Brigades shared a poster promoting a donation campaign in support of the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, dubbed "The Al-Aqsa Flood."
Jihadi Clerics Authorize Jihad Against Israel As A Religious Obligation For Every Muslim
In the aftermath of Hamas's surprise assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's strikes on suspected militant targets inside the Gaza Strip, extremist clerics have issued numerous statements approving, defending, and even mandating violence in support of Palestinians.
New Group Claims Two Drone Attacks Against U.S. Airbases In Saudi Arabia
On October 24, 2023, users of X (formerly known as Twitter) posted a statement issued by a new group claiming two drone attacks on October 23 against U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia.
On October 25, 2023, an anti-Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Telegram channel focusing on Syrian affairs reported that Russia is hiding the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, his brother Maher, and their families in a fortified location in the outskirts of Damascus.
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
The latest issue of the Urdu-language magazine "Taliban," which is published by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), carries a major article which says that a victory of "the jihad of Pakistan" will herald victories over India, Iran, and Syria, opening the doors to Jerusalem via Syria as well as by sea route from South Asia.
