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On 19 September 2022, al-Shabaab (affiliated with al-Qaeda) released pictures of the graduation ceremony of a class of recently trained militants. The photos depict hundreds, if not thousands of fresh new fighters for al Shabaab, and the sheer number of graduates should be of grave concern.
For the past five years, al-Shabaab has been recruiting, training and gathering arms under very little pressure from the Somali National Army (SNA.) Although al-Shabaab did not name the training facility that the new fighters are graduating from, it is likely Sheikh Abu Hureyra Qassem al-Reimy Training Camp, which is their largest camp.
Multiple photos taken of the ceremony revealed large quantities of high powered weapons, including some rare rifles likely confiscated from clashes with SNA or smuggled in from Yemen.
Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud was recently quoted as stating that his country is seeing gains in the fight against al-Shabaab and a day ago, the SNA claimed to have killed at least 70 militants with al-Shabaab, but TRAC contends that al-Shabaab is at its strongest point ever in its history.
The release of the graduation pictures first and foremost, show that even if the SNA actually killed 70 militants, that is barely a drop in the bucket in the eradication of al-Shabaab. Furthermore, the pictures lead to many more pressing questions about the effectiveness of the counter-terrorism efforts of the Somali government, if this sizeable graduation ceremony with hundreds, possibly thousands of new recruits can take place in broad daylight, with zero cover.
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TRAC Insight:
Islamic State Announces Expansion Into Benin in Naba Issue #356
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Image: Page from al-Naba Issue #356, announcing IS expansion into Benin. | |
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In issue #356 of al-Naba, Islamic State’s weekly magazine, the group claimed to have expanded into the Alibori Department of Benin. An announcement made in al Naba holds more significance because the weekly magazine is written and editorialized by Islamic State Central Command. The Benin expansion further confirms what TRAC has been warning for the past year; Caliphate 2.0 will be the African Sub-Sahara.
TRAC has long predicted that Islamic State would expand into Benin and TRAC contends that Rwanda will be next on the group’s agenda. Islamic State supporters on Telegram recently hinted that the group planned to expand into both Benin and Rwanda and the only reason Benin was first is because it is bordered by states that already have a heavy Islamic State presence, i.e. Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Man With Suicide Vest Hold 12 Hostages at Bank in Kutaisi City, Rioni Region, Georgia
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Image: Screenshot from cell phone video of the perpetrator holding a hostage. | |
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On 20 September 2022, a man entered a bank in Kutaisi wearing a suicide vest demanding $2 million USD. The perpetrator, who still remains unnamed, forced the hostages communicate his demands to hostage negotiators via reportedly by a video posted on one of the hostages' Facebook page. After more than five hours of holding 12 hostages, the man pulled the pin from a grenade, to further threaten his captives' lives, but all hostages were freed and the suspect was taken into custody. Along with the demand of $2 million USD, the suspect is said to have also made demands for a car to get to a provided helicopter, as well as a Russian flag and a fishing rod. The last two items complicate the motivations behind the incident.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Military Installation Assaulted by Comrades & Parents of the 43 Kidnapped Students of the Ayotzinapa High School,
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico
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Image: Protesters with banners bearing the images of 7 of the kidnapped students. | |
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According to an August 2022 report issued by a "truth commission" led by the Interior Undersecretary Alejandro Encinas, in September 2014, a group of students from Ayotzinapa High School were allegedly travelling by bus in Iguala, when local police members stopped the vehicle and then turned the youngsters to a drug gang. It was reported that 6 of the 43 students were allegedly kept alive in a warehouse for days before being turned over to Army colonel Rodríguez who ordered them killed.
On 15 September 2022, General José Rodríguez Pérez, the former commander of the 27th Infantry Battalion in Iguala who is accused of having a role in the disappearance of 6 of the 43 students, turned himself into authorities and was imprisoned. Twenty more soldiers were also convicted in connection with what has now been deemed ‘state murder’.
In response to these convictions, on 19 September 2022, during the week-long activities commemorating the 8th year since the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students, comrades and parents of the young victims assaulted a military installation belonging to the 35th military division of the Mexican army in Chilpalcingo, Guerrero state, by driving a Coca Cola truck into the entrance. Stones and some kind of explosives were also launched inside the military compound. Attacks continued into the next day with students from the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa set fire to a truck and subsequently crashed it into the gate.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Clashes Between Police Forces & Far-Right Members Erupted Amid LGBTQ Europride Parade: 31 Taken into Custody, Belgrade, Serbia
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Image: EuroPride parade participants. | |
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EuroPride has been held in a different major European city every year since 1992. However, homophobia, discrimination and violation of human rights remain widespread in the Serbia, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized.
On 17 September 2022, violence erupted in the city of Belgrade when an LGBTQ march took place in the streets of the capital. A counter-protest organized by right-wing groups was then carried out, resulting in clashes with the police forces. Parading members of the LGBTQ were reported being attacked by far-right, anti-LGBTQ groups. The incident led to the arrest of over 30 counter-demonstrators, the injury of several LGBTQ parade participants, among them some Albanians, and the injury 10 police officers.
According to local sources, the parade was initially banned and cancelled amid security concerns, but, after intense international pressure to allow the march, it was then authorized on a shortened route, between the Constitutional Council and a nearby park, despite big right-wing groups & religious institutions protests against it.
On 11 September 2022, thousands of Serbians took to the streets of Belgrade in order to protest against the planned LGBTQ event. The protest was led by the Serbian Orthodox Church and featured anti-Western slogans, Russian flags, and portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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TRAC Incident Report: Heavy Riots, Looting & Protests Erupted After Government Announced Fuel Prices Will Be Doubling, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
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TRAC Incident Report: Military Counter-Insurgent Air Strike (Mi-35) Killed 13 Including 11 School Children in Let Yet Kone, Depeyin (Tabayin) Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar
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Claim:
Anonymous Italian Anarchist Claim the
02 August 2022 Arson Attack on the Military Housing Construction Site in Trento, Italy
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