BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: A lot of activity this week including of course, Afghanistan. But TRAC Research Associates Grace Vaule and Nathalie Prange focused on an interesting development far away from Southeast Asia, Brazil. On 7 September, thousands of protestors demonstrated in support of Brazil's incumbent government, as led by President Jair Bolsonaro since 2019. As Bolsonaro's approval ratings have plummeted in recent months due to corruption allegations, an ongoing Congressional inquiry, continuous efforts to overthrow democratic institutions, and a mismanaged COVID-19 response, many counterprotestors were present. These civilians, along with anyone opposing the President, have been labeled as 'leftists' insofar as they support democratic principles. Further, several political elites from 26 countries - including Yanis Varoufakis and Jeremy Corbyn - fear the outbreak of a coup d'état, as organized by President Bolsonaro in an effort to secure power. Provided with the fact that the military police have already confirmed their participation in the protests, it is not without reason that some believe a coup may emerge. Indeed, violence has already commenced in Brasília and São Paulo, Brazil.
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Images (top) ISK attack, Hamid Karzai International Airport; (bottom) IS poster celebrating the lowering of the American flag following Kabul attack and the raising of the Islamic State flag over the White House.
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TRAC Insight: Overview of Islamic State Global Operations for August 2021 (ISK Attack on Kabul Airport, ISEA Resumes Operations, ISWAP Increases Pressure on Borno State) |
TRAC Research Associate Brian Ladd continues our monthly roll-up of global Islamic State activity with a thorough examination of the group's claimed activities in August. According to Ladd's assessment, Islamic State has announced 103 attacks through its official media channels; down a whopping 69 claims from last month. The difference can be accounted for by the Eid al-Adha IS push last month to look powerful. It would be a categorical mistake to assume that the loss in claim count is an indication of IS vulnerability because of the intensity of many of the attacks this month. Of particular importance was the attack on Kabul airport on 26 August. A suicide bomber connected to Islamic State Khurasan, detonated an explosive vest in front of Abbey gate killing 60, including 13 American military service members. The Kabul airport attacks reveal that IS still has the wherewithal and confidence to commit large scale operations that inflict massive causality counts, severe injury, and considerable material damage outside the Sham. Additionally it should be noted that claims occurred in the month of August 2021 in areas that had no claims last month; such as Libya and Philippines. It is worth mentioning that ISCA has yet to claim the lone wolf attack on the French embassy in Tanzania in late August though they are the most likely perpetrators. Ladd also makes a perception observation of IS activity in the Philippines. He notes a resumption of propaganda from ISEA in the Philippines. After a period of relative dormancy the ISEA has been posting selfie photos, and official IS propaganda channels have issued claims for two attacks on the island in the Lanao del Norte Region, where one battle raged for three hours only stopping when air support was called in.
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TRAC INCIDENT REPORT: Country-Wide Demonstrations Against Taliban (IEA) and Pakistani Aggression in Panjshir Occur as International Protests are Planned from Afghanistan |
TRAC Analyst Dea Edington continues to follow ground developments in Afghanistan. He reports that in contrast to the Taliban's (IEA) claimed, albeit unconfirmed, successes in Panjshir province against the National Resistance Front (NRF, Northern Alliance), major demonstrations across the country draw further into question the jihadist outfit's ability to ensure stability and security only weeks after taking control of Afghanistan. Ahmad Massoud, leader of the NRF and son of the infamous anti-Taliban mujahid, Ahmad Shah Massoud of the Northern Alliance, leads the anti-Taliban resistance from Panjshir and yesterday, 06 September 2021, called for Afghans to rise up against the governance of the oppressive jihadist organization and to protest Pakistani military aggression on behalf of the Taliban in Panjshir.
Recently, the announcement of a new Taliban national administration was delayed with rumours of possible infighting between the fighters of the Haqqani Network and Abdul Ghani 'Baradkar' Taliban loyalists. It is said that disagreements over the power structure of the government were disagreeable, and that the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) would have a say in appointing the leader of the new government, as evidenced by ISI Director, Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, photographed in Kabul 04 September. It should be noted that the Taliban is having significant issues with crowd control in the past, often using the chaos and justification for their fighters to employ violence and kill protesters.
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Images: (top) Screenshot from video of protest; (bottom) statement by Rahmatu
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Images (above): Members of O9A at the scene of the crime (middle) Andrei Tregubenko and Olga Bolshakova (below) location map.
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TRAC Incident Report: Members of the Order of Nine Angles (O9A) Kill Two in Ritual Knife Attacks Detained in Cholmuzhi, Karelia and Priozersk, St. Petersburg, Russia |
According to the recent investigation, the PerevozAngchikov-Khmurovs, Andrei Tregubenko and Olga Bolshakova participated in ritual murders as 'Children of Satan.' It has been reported that Tregubenko stabbed an acquaintance in a forest in the northern republic of Karelia, wanting to 'sacrifice' her through a ritual. The woman immediately died to the severity of the wounds. The woman has since been identified as Victoria Zaitseva.
The investigation also revealed that another 'ritual' murder transpired at a railway station in Priozersk, St. Petersburg. In this attack, the individuals beat a man, Platon Stepanov, and ultimately killed him during a knife attack. His remains and clothes were allegedly left at the scene.
It has been rumored that O9A members were eating the victims killed during the ritual attacks. Tregubenko and Bolshakova were initially detained for drug-trafficking after large quantities of narcotics were found in their home in a Moscow suburb. The pair was transported to Karelia, and during additional interrogations, they confessed to conducting ritual killings in 2016. The pair additionally gave the names of all participants involved - namely, Alexander and Tatyana Perevozchikov-Khmurykh. Choosing a measure of restraint, Alexander and Tatyana Perevozchikov-Khmurykh have been charged with murder by a group of persons by prior conspiracy. Russia's Investigative Committee has detained four individuals in the case of Satanists who committed two ritual murders.
In 2016, Alexander Perevozchikov-Khmurykh, Tatyana Perevozchikov-Khmurykh, Andrei Tregubenko, and Olga Bolshakova - members of the Satanist, neo-Nazi organization, the Order of Nine Angels (O9A) - killed two during 'ritual' knife attacks in Karelia and St. Petersburg, Russia.
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