BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Our monthly report by Senior Analyst Daniel Lebowitz on Islamic State activities shows no let up in June. In total, Islamic State claimed 175 attacks across the globe through their official media branch. The insurgency in northeast Nigeria and the wider Sahel is poised to accelerate insofar as Boko Haram militants are rejecting factionalism and joining their 'brothers' in Islamic State following the death of Abubakar Shekau. Christians and vulnerable civilian populations in Ituri and Beni districts located in Congo DRC's North Kivu province are increasingly exposed to Central Africa (ISCA) raids. Furthermore, Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and the Af/Pak, Khurasan (ISK) affiliates account for the majority of operations outside of Iraq and Syria. We especially note on 22 June, Islamic State spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi released a 37 min audio message through the al-Furqan Media outlet, the first such speech of 2021. The spokesman singles out the militants of west and east Africa affiliates for taking the fight to their sectarian enemies. In particular, Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) deserve praise for both eliminating the excessive Boko Haram commander Abubakar Shekau and their efforts in establishing Sharia law in areas of their control in the Lake Chad basin, as seen through their Zakat collection and Da'wah activities. The audio message also focuses on Israel and Palestine. Arab states who have normalized ties with Israel are not following Allah's true path and Palestinian groups who accept Iranian support are slaves to the 'Persians'. Our full report is available on TRAC.
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Screenshots above: Poster (above): TRF exposes the photos of Irfan Ahmad Sophi, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Shahid Khurshid and Adil Nabi in propaganda poster reading "Expelled". (below) Audio message delivered through video link.
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TRAC INCIDENT REPORT: Four High-Profile The Resistance Front (TRF) Shura Council Members Circulate Video Leaving TRF and Pledge (Bayah) to Islamic State Emir Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al Qurashi From Jammu & Kashmir |
Our June Islamic State report was quickly followed by another significant development for IS. On 05 July, four high-profile The Resistance Front (TRF) Shura Council leaders gave their bayat to the Emir of the Islamic State, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al Qurashi (Emir Amir Mohammed Said Abd Al Rahman Al Mawla aka "The Professor"). Those who left were identified as: Irfan Ahmad Sophi, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Shahid Khurshid and Adil Nabi. It is worth noting that Irfan Ahmad Sophi was also a TRF's media officer and his recruiting efforts had brought many new recruits to TRF. It should be assumed that rank and file TRF militants have also followed to the Islamic State. In the video, the four explain that TRF's goals were to rejoin Jammu & Kashmir with Pakistan, not to establish Sharia law. Additionally, the group of four accused the TRF leadership of working for Pakistani intelligence. It is unclear if the defections are also going to be operating under Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir -or- they will have another group directly tied to Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al Qurashi himself. Either way, Islamic State has greatly consolidated its position with the pledge of such influential men. Established in early March 2020, The Resistance Front (TRF) is one of the many new jihadi separatist groups to arrive to Jammu & Kashmir in 2020. Perhaps the move to Islamic State Jammu & Kashmir (ISJK) should have been predicted as TRF's last claim was also claimed by the Islamic State in May 2021.
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TRAC INCIDENT REPORT: 150 Patriot Front Members March Carrying Flags, Shields, and Shouting "Reclaim America" Before Fleeing the Scene After Being Confronted by Angry Onlookers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
At about 10:30pm EDT on 3 July 2021 about 150 members from the white victimhood organization, Patriot Front, marched through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group arrived in several Penske trucks and stepped out white face coverings, navy blue shirts, khaki cargo pants, and boots.The gathering of such a large number of members from an extreme far right like the Patriot Front is concerning and speaks to their overall capabilities regarding logistical planning and determination to spread their message and recruit new members. This demonstrates that these groups have become emboldened in recent years and suggests that they might be coming out from the anonymity of the Internet to take action.
The incident in and of itself also represents the continuing argument among various extreme far right circles online regarding the best way to reclaim America for the white man. An infamous Telegram channel called Patriot Front delusional and embarrassing to the overall movement and argues that if Patriot Front continues to assemble in public they too will have the same fate as those who attended the Unite The Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. The Telegram channel finishes the criticism with "there is no political solution" meaning that only the opposite will achieve the white man's goals.
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Images (Above): About 150 members from the Patriot Front march through Philadelphia carrying shields, flags, and banners.
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Photos (above): Poster released on Saints Calendar. (below) Ronald Troyke.
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(Right Wing Extremism / Poster) Terrorgram Collective Declares Ronald Troyke, Their "Newest Saint" 11 Days After He Ambushed Police at Olde Town Square in Arvada, a Denver Suburb, Colorado, United States |
Eleven days after Ronald Troyke ambushed police in a Denver suburb, he has been named a "saint" by the Telegram channel that bestows the accolade. Each month the infamous Terrorgram collective on Telegram, channel publishes a calendar marked with various dates of importance relating to lone wolf actors (their birthday, the date of their attack, etc.) so that they can be celebrated as 'saints'. On each marked date, profiles of the 'saints' are circulated on Telegram, including manifestos and details of the attack. This propaganda is created in an attempt to inspire other lone wolf actors to commit their own attacks on these dates. What used to be a rarity is becoming increasingly more commonplace, another new Saint was declared by the Terrorgram collective on Telegram, Ronald Troyke. Saints typically are praised because of historical attacks, like Timothy McVeigh. Within the past three weeks, three new Saints have been declared within days of the attack's occurrence. The first time a new Saint was declared by the Terrorgram collective, actually happened on the same day as the attack in December 2020. Since that time, another new Saint wasn't declared until 10 June 2021 when they declared Nathaniel Veltman their latest saint. On 01 July 2021 Nathan Allen was declared a new Saint; now Ronald Troyke a day later. To be clear just because an assailant is named a Saint doesn't mean that the Terrorgram collective is claiming credit for the attack. Likely the amplification of declaring new Saints in rapid succession is intended to give the impression that Accelerationism is already happening and the collapse is imminent.
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As many of our clients know, we invite one organization a week to sit in on our Analyst Briefing. The briefings take place at 10 AM US eastern time and last an hour. We meet virtually in TRAC's online conference center.
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