Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Ayman Al Zawahiri	Ayman Al Zawahiri	al-Qaeda	India-Pakistan	20031115
Ayman Al-Zawahiri	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	Al-Qaeda Al-Jihad	Terror Networks	20030125
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	Taliban	Afghanistan/South Asia	20050706
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	al-Qaeda	Britain	20050903
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	Jamaat Al-Jihad	Terror Networks	20030125
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	al-Qaeda	Afghanistan/South Asia	20040104
	Ayman Al-Zawahiri	Salafist Group for Call and Combat	North Africa	20030605

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Mufti who negotiated with occupiers of Rostov pretrial detention center detained by FSB

2025-05-30

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] In the Rostov region, law enforcement officers detained self-proclaimed mufti Akhmed Abusupyanov on suspicion of extremism, who in 2023 negotiated with terrorists who seized the Rostov pretrial detention center No. 1. This was reported on May 29 by the Kommersant publication, citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

The interlocutor told journalists that the detainee collaborated with the extremist organization At-Takfir Wal-Hijra

...sometimes spelt At-Takfir Val-Hijra, they called themselves Jama'at al-Muslimin (Society of Muslims), but their Egyptian neighbours mocked them as Excommunication and Exile. Cult-like, they require members to cut off all contact with their families. The introverted Takfir Wal Hijra faction split off from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1960s. The extroverted “moderate” faction followed Ayman Al-Zawahiri into Al Qaeda. Takfir Wal Hijra consists of loosely affiliated cells that have committed acts of terror as far afield as Morocco, Holland, Crimea, and Moscow.

(an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation). In September 2023, together with his supporters, he attacked a Muslim with whom he had disagreements on religious grounds.

A criminal case was opened against the detainee under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (“Organization of the activities of an extremist organization”) and Part 2 of Article 213 (“Hooliganism”).

It is noted that the Rostov FSB department reported the suppression of the activities of a Russian citizen who was spreading radical religious views. According to the investigation, he incited interfaith strife and conflicted with official Islamic structures. The department did not report the name of the detainee.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, in June 2023, six prisoners managed to escape from their cell in Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don and took an operational department employee and a guard hostage. The attackers, who called themselves ISIS supporters (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation), demanded that they be provided with weapons and transport to escape.

OMON fighters arrived at the scene. According to the official statement of the Federal Penitentiary Service, all the attackers were neutralized, and the hostages were released without physical harm. It was later revealed that one of the participants in the capture survived - Daniil Kamnev (listed as a terrorist and extremist). In August 2024, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Six residents of Karachay-Cherkessia accused of involvement in 'At Takfir wal-Hijra'

2025-05-20

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The prosecution considers Khasin Kabardaev, a resident of the Adyge-Khablsky district, to be the organizer of the extremist cell; five more local residents will appear in court as its participants.

As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, in May 2024, a court in Cherkessk placed six residents of Karachay-Cherkessia under arrest, suspected of organizing and participating in the activities of the extremist organization "At Takfir wal-Hijra". "At Takfir wal-Hijra" is not popular among residents of the North Caucasus and has not claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks in Russia, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated at the time.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" (accusation of unbelief and hijra) appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus, especially in Kabardino-Balkaria in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi movement in Islam and are distinguished by strict demands on co-religionists, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article " Kabardino-Balkaria: On the Path to Disaster. Prerequisites for the Armed Revolt in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005."

They called themselves Jama'at al-Muslimin (Society of Muslims), but their Egyptian neighbours mockingly called them Excommunication and Exile. Cult-like, they require members to cut off all contact with their families. The introverted Takfir Wal Hijra faction split off from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1960s. The extroverted “moderate” faction followed Ayman Al-Zawahiri into Al Qaeda. Takfir Wal Hijra consists of loosely affiliated cells which have committed acts of terror as far afield as Morocco and Holland.

The Adyge-Khabl District Court of Karachay-Cherkessia has accepted for consideration the case of six residents of the republic who were detained in May 2024 on charges of involvement in an extremist religious organization.

The prosecution believes that the organizer of the At Takfir wal-Hijra* cell was Khasin Kabardaev: according to the investigation, he used his knowledge of the Islamic religion and Sharia, as well as his “leadership skills” and authority among members of the Muslim community of Karachay-Cherkessia, to create a division of the banned organization in the republic.

The goal of the cell is said to be the propaganda and dissemination of radical views and ideas of the ideologists of "At Takfir wal-Hijra"* among the Muslims of the republic. According to investigators, the voluntary members of the association were Arsen Aichepshev, Murat Kabardaev, Nazir Koshev, Murat Mulazhev and Mikhail Smadich, who supported the religious views of Khasin Kabardaev, the United Press Service of the Courts of Karachay-Cherkessia reported today on its Telegram channel.

The hearing on the case is scheduled for May 21. The "Caucasian Knot" does not yet have any comments from the accused or their lawyers regarding the prosecution's version of events.

Link

Home Front: WoT

Virginia man charged with planning 'mass casualty' attack at NYC Israeli consulate

2024-12-20

[FoxNews] Abdullah Azz al-Din Taha Muhammad Hassan, an Egyptian citizen, was slated to be deported

An Egyptian man living in Virginia who was slated to be deported has been charged with planning an attack on the Israeli consulate in New York City.

Abdullah Azz al-Din Taha Muhammad Hassan allegedly provided bomb-making instructions and plans on how to attack the Manhattan consulate to an undercover FBI source, according to court documents. He was arrested Tuesday, the FBI told Fox News Digital.

Another vicious idiot whose very bestest BFF turns out to be an FBI informant. Send him home to trouble the Egyptian government.

Hassan is charged with distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of the commission of a federal crime.

"The FBI’s New York Office wants to reassure our Jewish community here in New York that our office — along with our law enforcement partners — remains vigilant in our efforts to identify, investigate and disrupt potential threats to our community, using every tool at our disposal to do so. As always, we urge all community members to report suspicious activity to law enforcement and call 911 in cases of imminent violence or threats to life," the FBI said in a statement.

"We will continue working to ensure our communities remain safe places for all, and we thank the public for their continued trust and partnership."

Hassan caught the FBI's attention after the Fairfax County Police Department informed federal authorities that a tipster alerted police about his social media posts on X. The tipster said the account engaged in "radical and terrorist-leaning behavior."

In several posts, Hassan praised the Islamic State terror group and other radical figures, federal prosecutors said. In August, he began messaging with an FBI confidential source whom he believed he recruited to conduct a "mass casualty attack," authorities said.

Over several weeks, Hassan directed the informant on how to make a bomb, acquire weapons and how to make a "martyrdom video," authorities said. In November, he allegedly selected the Consulate General of Israel as the target of the attack, saying it would be easier to commit an attack using small arms and be "martyred" by the police.

He believed New York would be "a gold mine of targets" for an attack, prosecutors said. As the pair planned the attack, Hassan also allegedly told him to book flights to countries without extradition agreements with the United States. During the attack, Hassan said the source could either murder people at the consulate with an assault rifle or detonate an explosive vest while standing in a group of targets, court documents state.

Hassan also asked for the source to livestream the attack so he could watch it in real time, authorities said.

In a statement, Jonathan Harounoff, the international spokesperson for Israel's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said the Jewish state "will not cower to terror."

"We will not be silent in the face of hate and violence," he said. "We will not stop in our pursuit of justice and peace. We will continue in our fight to return all 100 of our hostages still being held in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza."

Ofir Akunis, Israel's consul general in New York, expressed gratitude to authorities for thwarting the alleged attack.

"This attempted attack by terror organizations is an attack on the sovereign soil of the State of Israel in its entirety," he wrote on X. "It's proof that terror knows no boundaries and that we must fight it everywhere and every time. The threat it poses to the western world and its values must be fought together by all western democracies alike. Together we will prevail."

Red State adds:

The FBI "Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint and Arrest Warrant" noted that Hassan is an Egyptian national living in Falls Church, Virginia, and — surprise — is apparently in the country illegally, as the affidavit notes that he is currently in removal proceedings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The affidavit also described social media posts made by Hassan threatening attacks, "Praying for an ISIS masterclass," and "revering" Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri.

The FBI affidavit that led to Hassan's arrest may be viewed here.

What information is available as of this writing — the affidavit alone contains quite a lot — paints quite a vivid picture of a committed Islamic terrorist, willing and able to carry out terror attacks on American soil and who, by the way, has no business being in the country. What isn't clear is how he came to be here in the first place, although the affidavit mentions a Verizon account belonging to Hassan's father, whose whereabouts are not mentioned.

More from the Times of Israel:

The suspect, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, an 18-year-old Egyptian national living in Falls Church, Virginia, instructed an FBI informant to carry out the attack, according to a criminal complaint filed on Monday. He was later confirmed by the Washington Post to be a freshman at George Mason University.

Link

The Grand Turk

A native of Dagestan faces the threat of deportation from Turkey

2024-02-14

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

[KavkazUzel] The Turkish authorities are preparing for the deportation of a native of Dagestan, Ibragim Askerov, whom the Russian Investigative Committee has put on the wanted list for his involvement in the extremist organization At Takfir Wal-Hijra, sources said.

Originally they called themselves Jama'at al-Muslimin (Society of Muslims), but their Egyptian neighbours mockingly called them Excommunication and Exile. The introverted Takfir Wal Hijra faction of the split from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1960s. The extroverted “moderate” faction followed Ayman Al-Zawahiri into Al Qaeda. Takfir Wal Hijra consists of loosely affiliated cells which have committed acts of terror as far afield as Morocco and Holland. Cult-like, they require members to cut off all contact with their families.

According to sources, the Turkish authorities are preparing for extradition to Russia of a native of Dagestan, Ibragim Askerov, who in his homeland is suspected of involvement in the extremist organization At Takfir Wal-Hijra, banned in Russia by the court.

Askerov left for Turkey in January 2021, and was detained in the fall of the same year. He spent about four months in the deportation center, after which he was released. In August 2023, Askerov was detained again and again placed in a deportation center. Earlier, the Investigative Committee of Russia put Askerov on the Interpol wanted list, the telegram channel “Conscience of Dagestan” reported today.

Askerov previously received a residence permit in Turkey, but the authorities revoked it. “There is a decision to deport him. He applied for asylum and was refused everywhere. They offer to leave for a third country, but he does not have a valid passport. And he is wanted by Interpol,” the source was quoted as saying by “Caucasus. Realities” on August 11, 2023.

Turkish intelligence services registered Askerov as a person involved in an extremist organization who poses a threat to the country’s national security, another source said.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that on November 1, 2022, six followers of the At Takfir Wal-Hijra* organization were detained in Dagestan, Moscow and Voronezh, and during a search, religious literature with extremist content was confiscated from them.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" (Accusation of unbelief and hijra) appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus, especially in Kabardino-Balkaria in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi movement in Islam and are distinguished by strict demands on fellow believers, says the Caucasian Knot material “ Kabardino-Balkaria: On the Road to Catastrophe. Preconditions for the armed uprising in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005.”

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

14 residents of Karachay-Cherkessia are suspected of extremism

2023-12-12

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Security forces detained 14 residents of Karachay-Cherkessia suspected of involvement in the extremist organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra*,

...At Takfir wal Hijra split off from the Muslim Brotherhood in about 1970 to pursue violent jihad. It split again when the more moderate faction followed Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who subsequently became Al Qaeda’s second in command. Takfir wal Hijra has cells all over the world ...

the FSB reported.

As the Caucasian Knot wrote, in September 2022, five people were sentenced in Karachay-Cherkessia to prison terms on charges of involvement in the banned organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" ("Accusation of disbelief and hijra") appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi movement in Islam and are distinguished by strict requirements for fellow believers. They consider anyone who does not pray five times a day to be an apostate, even if such a person calls himself a Muslim, says the Caucasian Knot material “ Kabardino-Balkaria: On the Road to Catastrophe. Preconditions for the armed uprising in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005.”

In Karachay-Cherkessia, 14 local residents suspected of involvement in the activities of the At-Takfir wal-Hijra cell were detained, a representative of the republican FSB Directorate reported today.

“As a result of the measures taken, 14 local residents involved in the activities of the extremist organization and its propaganda, including on the Internet, were detained,” he said.

According to him, firearms, ammunition and communications equipment, as well as “extremist literature exposing their illegal activities,” were seized from the homes of the detainees.

Criminal cases have been initiated against some of the detainees under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it), while the issue of initiating criminal cases is being decided against the rest, Interfax reports.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

A resident of Karachay-Cherkessia convicted of preparing a terrorist act

2023-07-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The court found Dmitry Igumentsev, a resident of Karachay-Cherkessia, guilty of preparing a terrorist attack and participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The man was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A resident of Karachay-Cherkessia, Dmitry Igumentsev, was found guilty in the case of a terrorist attack, the press service of the Southern District Military Court reported today.

According to the investigation and the court, Igumentsev joined a cell of the banned extremist association At-Takfir Val-Hijra

and organized its activities - held meetings of participants, organized the study of extremist religious literature. Igumentsev was also preparing for a terrorist attack - "illegally acquired and stored explosive devices, explosives, firearms, ammunition and cartridges in a cache," but was detained on February 9, 2021, according to a message on the court's Telegram channel.

Igumentsev was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, storing weapons and ammunition, and preparing for a terrorist attack and was sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime colony with the first five years in prison. He also was fined 100,000 rubles.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that in February 2021, the FSB reported on the detention in four regions of southern Russia, including Karachay-Cherkessia, 19 supporters of "At-Takfir wal-Hijra"* who were planning terrorist acts in the North Caucasus. In a forest in Karachay-Cherkessia, they found a cache with a machine gun, an AKM assault rifle, cartridges and improvised explosive devices with a total mass of more than three kilograms of TNT, "including the so-called suicide belt with striking elements," the report says.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Resident of Kaspiysk sentenced for participation in 'At-Takfir Val-Hijra'

2023-06-10

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Kazbek Gasanov was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for organizing the activities of At-Takfir Val-Hijra*

...the At Takfir wal Hijra movement was founded 1971, led by Upper Egyptian agronomist Shukri Mustafa (1942-1978). Originally Muslim Brotherhood, he joined Sayyid Qutb in splitting off to pursue violent jihad. After Shukri Mustafa was executed, the group split again, the more moderate faction following Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who subsequently became Al Qaeda’s second in command. Takfir wal Hijra has cells all over the place — Ukraine reported arresting three Crimean turbans in 2009, and a larger cell was tied up in Moscow in 2013.

and storing ammunition. The court in Kaspiysk took into account the defendant's cooperation with the investigation and the presence of five children, and sentenced Gasanov to three years and two months in prison.

Kazbek Gasanov, a resident of Kaspiysk, was found guilty of organizing the activities of the At-Takfir Val-Hijra religious association and storing ammunition, Kavkaz.Realii reported today.

As follows from the verdict published on the website of the court, Hasanov joined a religious group until 2015 and attended meetings of its cell. According to the investigation and the court, he participated in joint prayers, discussed the future "World Caliphate" and interpreted religious publications recognized in Russia as extremist. The security forces reported on the seizure of 17 cartridges for a Kalashnikov assault rifle, 10 cartridges for a Makarov pistol and a RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade from Gasanov during a search.

The court took into account that Hasanov had no previous convictions, had a disabled mother, a wife and five children, and actively contributed to the investigation. He "fully pleaded guilty." As a result, he was sentenced to three years and two months in prison in a penal colony. The court also deprived Gasanov of the right to engage in religious activities for five years and sentenced him to a year of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 rubles.

The case, at the request of the defense, was considered in a special order. During the preliminary investigation, Gasanov "gave detailed testimony about the criminal activities of other members of the organized group", on the basis of which the investigation opened criminal cases against its members, as well as "against 14 persons from among the members of the cell of the religious association "At-Takfir Wal-Hijra", which were not previously known to law enforcement agencies," the verdict says.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" (Accusation of disbelief and hijra) appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus, especially in Kabardino-Balkaria in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi trend in Islam and are distinguished by strict requirements for fellow believers. They consider an apostate anyone who does not pray five times a prayer , even if such a person calls himself a Muslim, and also insist on the inadmissibility of working in the structure of Russian law enforcement agencies, the Caucasian Knot reports Kabardino-Balkaria: On the Road to Disaste, performances in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005."

Since the At-Takfir wal-Hijra group was recognized as extremist and banned in Russia in 2010, its members have been repeatedly detained in different regions of the country, a British journalist, creator of the project "Chechens in Syria", analyst Joanna Parashchuk.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that the Leninsky District Court of Makhachkala found Abdulmumin Abdulmuminov guilty of organizing the activities of the religious association "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" * and sentenced him to a year and eight months in prison.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Resident of Stavropol received nine years for financing terrorism

2023-05-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] A court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Stavropol resident Yusup Ismailov to nine years in prison for raising money to finance terrorist activities.

The " Caucasian Knot " wrote that on June 22, 2021, the FSB department for the Stavropol Territory reported on the detention of eight alleged members of the At-Takfir wal-Hijra

...also in our archives spelt Al-Takfeer wal Hijra, the mocking name given to Jama'at al-Muslimin, a takfiri spinoff of the Muslim Brotherhood that’s been around since 1971. It’s the original home of Ayman Al-Zawahiri and his Al Qaeda buddies, back in Egypt particularly known for requiring members to cut off all contact with non-member friends and relations...

extremist organization banned in Russia*. On July 22, 2021, it became known that on suspicion of involvement in an attempted terrorist attack on the territory of the police department in Kislovodsk, seven more residents of Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Stavropol were detained , whom the investigation considers members of an extremist religious association banned in Russia, among them was Yusup Ismailov.

The Southern District Military Court has sentenced Yusup Ismailov, a resident of Stavropol, accused of assisting terrorist activities, Interfax reported today, citing the press service of the FSB Directorate for the Stavropol Territory.

"It was established that the person involved, being a member of the cell of the international religious extremist organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra* banned in the Russian Federation, collected money in order to finance terrorist activities," the report said.

According to the investigation and the court, Ismailov also shared the ideas of the Islamic State organization, the report says. The court sentenced him to nine years in prison with the first three years in prison, and the rest of the term - in a strict regime colony with restriction of liberty for six months. Ismailov is also prohibited from administering websites for two years.

As follows from the case file on the court website, the case against Ismailov was received by the Southern District Military Court on April 5. three court sessions were held, the last of which was scheduled for today.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra"* (Accusation of unbelief and Hijra) appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus, especially in Kabardino-Balkaria in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi trend in Islam and are distinguished by strict requirements for fellow believers. They consider an apostate anyone who does not pray five times a prayer, even if such a person calls himself a Muslim, and also insist on the inadmissibility of working in the structure of Russian law enforcement agencies, the "Caucasian Knot" material reads "Kabardino-Balkaria: On the way to disaster. Preconditions for armed performances in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005."

Since the At-Takfir wal-Hijra group* was recognized as extremist and banned in Russia in 2010, its members have been repeatedly detained in different regions of the country, a British journalist, creator of the project "Chechens in Syria", analyst Joanna Parashchuk.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Eight residents of the Stavropol were convicted in the case of extremism

2022-11-22

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] A court in Kislovodsk today recognized eight residents of the Stavropol Territory as members of the extremist organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra* banned in Russia. Each of the defendants received 2.5 years in prison, the FSB said.

The "Caucasian Knot" wrote that in July investigators reported on the completion of an investigation into eight residents of the North Caucasus accused of extremist activities. The names of these people coincide with the names of those who were informed about the court verdict today by the FSB.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" ("Accusation of disbelief and hijra")

appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi trend in Islam, explains in the material of the "Caucasian Knot" " Kabardino-Balkaria: On the way to disaster. Prerequisites for the armed uprising in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005."

Today, a court in Kislovodsk sentenced eight men recognized as members of the extremist organization At-Takfir wal-Hijra to 2.5 years in prison in a general regime colony.

Imanali Khadzhiev, Issa Bogatyrev, Komil Kholbaev, Amil Gaziev, Murat Apsov, Dmitry Ledenev, Alexander Bazhenov and Abumuslim Fatullayev "on behalf of the emissaries of an organization banned in the Russian Federation" conducted propaganda in the region in order to persuade them to join its ranks," said with reference to the department FSB in Stavropol "Interfax".

Investigators found that meetings were held in the region, where "the foundations of extremist ideology were studied, its superiority over other religions was promoted." The case was investigated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).

The defense of the convicts has not yet commented on the conclusions of the investigation and the court.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Five people convicted in the case of extremism in Karachay-Cherkessia

2022-09-06

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Five members of the At-Takfir Val-Hijra

The At Takfir wal Hijra movement was founded 1971, led by Upper Egyptian agronomist Shukri Mustafa (1942-1978). Originally Muslim Brotherhood, he joined Sayyid Qutb in splitting off to pursue violent jihad. After Shukri Mustafa was executed, the group split again, the more moderate faction following Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who subsequently became Al Qaeda’s second in command. Takfir wal Hijra has cells all over the place — Ukraine reported arresting three Crimean turbans in 2009, and a larger cell was tied up in Moscow in 2013.

were sentenced in Karachay-Cherkessia to terms ranging from two to two and a half years in prison.

The Malokarachaevsky District Court of Karachay-Cherkessia issued a guilty verdict against five members of a cell of an international religious extremist association, writes today with reference to the regional department of the FSB Interfax.

One of the convicts was sentenced to two years in prison, and the remaining four received two and a half years in a penal colony, the FSB reported.

All the convicts were found guilty under the article on participation in the activities of a banned religious association (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia). The defense of the convicts has not yet commented on the verdict delivered by the court.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that in July the FSB reported on the detention of 11 members of a cell of the Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia by a court.

Link

India-Pakistan

President Arif Alvi skipped funeral of Balochistan chopper crash martyrs

2022-08-06

[GEO.TV] The Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar Friday commented on rumours concerning the use of Pakistan’s air space in the drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri and said that there was "no question on the use of the Pakistani soil in Zawahiri's killing.

“The Foreign Ministry has issued a clear statement regarding Ayman Al-Zawahiri. It is impossible that Pakistan’s soil has been used for this,” he said, adding that irrelevant comments are made without any evidence.

Link

Terror Networks

How UK spies watched from Harrogate as the 9/11 Al-Qaeda chief responsible for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people was executed by a 6-bladed Ninja missile

2022-08-03

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Photos and lots of useful illustrations in the helpful Daily Mail way.

The CIA announced they executed Ayman al-Zawahiri, 71, in a drone strike on July 31 as stood on his balcony

Intelligence services monitored him for months, including British experts based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire

al-Zawahiri took over terrorist group Al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was executed by US military in 2011

He is believed to have been the last surviving of the eight masterminds of the September 11 terror attacks

It was 6.18am on Sunday, more than an hour after dawn prayers, when the Supreme Leader of Al Qaeda appeared on the balcony of his safe house to enjoy a little sunshine and fresh air.

For Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the masterminds of the 9/11 terror attacks, watching mornings unfold in the centre of the Afghan capital from his supposedly secure perch had become one of the few regular pleasures of his life in hiding.

He wasn’t to know that his balcony was anything but safe and that Taliban spies in the pay of the Americans and the British had been monitoring him for months – their knowledge of his whereabouts so detailed that a scale model of his hideaway had sat on a table in President Biden’s White House office for weeks.

And they were watching him again now, not only from Washington but also from a listening station in – of all places – Harrogate, North Yorkshire, after a Western-recruited intelligence source spotted him on the balcony.

According to a senior Taliban official, Zawahiri – who took over Al Qaeda after the US killed Osama bin Laden – had never left the country. After he became one of the world’s most wanted men in September 2001 and a US-led invasion expelled the Taliban that year, Zawahiri spent most of his time in the remote mountains of Musa Qala in the southern Helmand province.

He kept a low profile, said the Taliban leader, although he crossed into Pakistan’s border regions several times. The founders of Islamic State reportedly sought an alliance with the destroyers of the World Trade Centre but, unimpressed by Zawahiri’s cautious leadership, changed their minds.

According to intelligence insiders, just as Bin Laden’s whereabouts were revealed by following his courier, so Zawahiri’s family gave away his location.

While Zawahiri had been obsessed with personal security, the return to power of the Taliban opened new possibilities.

British security sources reportedly also became aware around April that Zawahiri’s family had moved from Helmand to Kabul.

The terror leader married four times and had seven children, although at least four of them had died along with his first wife Azza.

He was living with only one wife and a daughter when – under the protection of the Haqqani Network, a militant and ultra-violent faction considered to a semi-independent offshoot of the Taliban – he moved into a high-walled compound in Sherpur, a relatively affluent part of central Kabul.

The house reportedly belongs to an aide to Haqqani leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister. Sherpur, once the diplomatic quarter, is now home to senior Taliban officials, who may have not been aware of his arrival.

US intelligence insiders say they discovered the location and identified those inside through various sources, including – the Mail has learnt – personnel inside the Taliban recruited by British spies who provided significant elements of the information used to plan and execute the mission.

US officials waited some 36 hours before announcing they had killed Zawahiri, a period during which they observed the Haqqani Network and Taliban troops restrict access to the safe house and relocate the tar - get’s family. US officials believe the Taliban was trying to hide the fact that they harboured Zawahiri.

The revelation that the Taliban was harbouring the Al Qaeda leader is likely to fuel demands for sanctions. Meanwhile, a furious hunt is under way for those who tipped off British and US intelligence officials, with suspects having their mobile phones and laptops seized.

The insider added: ‘They had people inside the Taliban whose cooperation made the mission possible.’

Update from Garowe at 1:10 p.m. EDT, which also has a nice photo of what is claimed to be the house where Dr. Al Zawahiri kissed a missile, adding:

Hellfire missiles are air-to-surface missiles initially designed for anti-armor strikes, but later versions have been used for precision dronezaps. The arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin developed the missiles with the name "Heliborne, Laser, Fire, and Forget Missile," which evolved into the Hellfire missile, as it is now known, CBS further reported.

The R9X variant was initially deployed in secret in 2017, according to a U.S. Army equipment guide, and was used to kill Abu Khayr al-Masri, a member of al Qaeda's leadership. Photos of the aftermath on social media showed the car where al-Masri was purportedly killed as having damage to the passenger compartment of the beige Kia sedan but no damage to the engine block. The roof was blown open on the right side of the vehicle.

There were unconfirmed reports that al Qaeda deputy leader Abdullah Muhammad Rajab Abdulrahman, aka Abu al-Khayr al-Masri, was killed in the strike.

The Hellfire variant became public knowledge after it was used in 2019 to take out Jamal Ahmad Mohammad al-Badawi, who was behind the 2000 USS Cole Bombing.

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