This month’s In Focus analyzes Al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adel, who continues to outline strategic directives through a series of recent publications disseminated by the group’s official Al-Sahab media agency. Al-Adel proposes various tactics aimed at confronting the group’s adversaries, particularly those in the West, while leveraging the ongoing conflict between Israel and regional terrorist factions to draw Muslims to Al-Qaeda’s agenda. His recommendations tend to be quite broad and general, such as recommending potential targets for terrorist operations, while also offering overarching guidance on training and preparation for militant jihad, alongside an appeal for individuals to migrate to Afghanistan for training purposes.
In Russia, two recent hostage incidents in prisons – one in Surovikino, in August 2024, and the other in Rostov-on-Don, in June 2024 – have highlighted several significant aspects concerning the Islamic State. Primarily, these events contribute to a pattern of heightened jihadist activity within Russia and in various other longstanding and emerging jihadist regions. Furthermore, the attacks reaffirm IS’ unyielding stance on issues related to jihad and incarceration. The nationalities of the assailants, identified as Uzbek and Tajik, suggest the continuing influence and importance of IS Khorasan Province. Lastly, when viewed in a global context, the assaults on Russian prisons are perceived by IS as part of an ongoing struggle against Christians.
In Germany, a Syrian man carried out a deadly knife attack during a festival in Solingen, killing three people and injuring eight others. The attack, which took place in front of a crowded music stage, was later claimed by the Islamic State as retaliation for Muslim suffering in Palestine. As the assailant was later identified as a rejected asylum seeker with radical Islamist views, the attack has reignited debates in Germany over immigration, while IS’ narrative linking the attack to the Palestinian conflict has brought attention to the evolving threat posed by lone wolf actors radicalized by online extremist propaganda.
This month’s Who’s Who? analyzes a Facebook profile that belongs to an Islamic State supporter from Mauritius. The profile was located following the sharing of a post regarding the political revolution and violent protests in Bangladesh during August 2024. Despite occasional non-incriminating content that appears throughout the profile, the owner of the profile is undoubtedly an IS supporter, as suggested by the IS videos published in his account and various IS symbolics.
This month’s Instant Messaging Applications analysis focuses on a phone number with a Bengali country code that participates in several IS-affiliated WhatsApp groups. The number was investigated against the background of the coup in Bangladesh. Additionally, a German phone number found in a WhatsApp group affiliated with the Palestinian “Lions’ Den” terrorist group was also investigated against the background of the recent increase in terrorist attacks in Germany.
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