The second quarter of Terrorism Watch 2021 examines the latest events and developments on terror-related incidents in Southeast Asia and key incidents worldwide from April through June 2021. Military operations in Iraq and Syria continue to sustain pressure against Daesh’s presence. A shell of its former self, Daesh struggles to live up to its once-formidable reputation. Since their last lethal twin suicide attack in Baghdad in January, Daesh has been unsuccessful in launching any meaningful attacks. In the Southern Philippines, government efforts in aggressively pursuing terrorist groups show no sign of waning. The number of militant members surrendering to the authorities is encouraging. The stimulus package offered by the Philippine government has been effective in incentivising them to come forward and submit themselves and abandon a life of violence. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group attempted to expand their modus operandi in Papua. They have also planned to attack churches and police stations in the province. For the past three months, the Malaysian security forces have arrested eight Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members in Beaufort, Sabah in May 2021. The investigation has revealed all the ASG members were seeking refuge in Sabah since March this year due to the Philippine military operation in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippines.
News Roundup, Week of 14 May, 2021
SOUTHEAST ASIA
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters had occupied the Datu Paglas town market for several hours in Maguindanao in the Southern Philippines, forcing families to flee their homes for safety. Around 100 strong BIFF members were involved in the standoff when they were surrounded by the Philippines security forces. The local government managed to engage the BIFF fighters in a peaceful reslution. The situation in Datu Paglas returned to normal by afternoon without any casualties or damages.
Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) along with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) had arrested eight members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in a special operation in Taman Sri Arjuna Beaufort in the West Coast of Sabah. All eight members were apprehended along with 29 other Philippines citizens. The eight suspects had fled to Sabah to escape the ongoing security operations in the Southern Philippines. Two of them were wanted back in the Philippines for kidnapping and fighting with the Philippines security forces.
SOUTH ASIA
More than seventy people were killed while 150 others were injured in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the all girls Sayed ul-Shuhada high school in the Dasht-e Barchi district in Kabul, Afghanistan. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Afghan government had blamed the Taliban for the attack. The Taliban had issued a statement denying any involvement in the attack. Majority of the victims were female students from the local Hazara Shia community in the area.
EASTERN EUROPE
Nine people were killed, including 7 children and two women while 21 others were wounded when a 19-year old man from Kazan identified as Ilnaz Galyavivev attacked a school in Kazan City in the Republic of Tatarstan with a semi-automatic shotgun. Prior to the attack, Galyaviev posted his plans to conduct a mass attack before committing suicide on his social media. The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin classified the attack as terrorism and ordered for all schools in Tatarstan to undergo security inspection to improve safety from potential gun violence.
News Roundup, Week of 7 May, 2021
EUROPE
A senior Daesh military leader was detained on 28 April in Atasehir in Istanbul, Turkey. The suspect, codenamed Basim, is an Afghan national who was believed to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s right-hand man. He had entered Turkey while traveling on a fake passport and false identifications. Basim is suspected to be responsible for hiding key Daesh members in Idlib, Syria and training Daesh members in Iraq and Syria as well as serving on its decision-making council.
SOUTH ASIA
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s security forces killed a senior member of the Taliban during a security operation in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The man who was identified as Mullah Mawlawi Ahmad Kandahari was killed by a drone during his return trip from Panjway, Afghanistan. Kandahari was considered to be the next most prominent commander after Mullah Akhtar Mansour. He was assigned to be the group’s military chief in Kandahar and was responsible for planning suicide attacks in southwest Afghanistan.
News Roundup, Week of 30 Apr, 2021
EUROPE
A senior Daesh military leader was detained on 28 April in Atasehir in Istanbul, Turkey. The suspect, codenamed Basim, is an Afghan national who was believed to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s right-hand man. He had entered Turkey while traveling on a fake passport and false identifications. Basim is suspected to be responsible for hiding key Daesh members in Idlib, Syria and training Daesh members in Iraq and Syria as well as serving on its decision-making council.
SOUTH ASIA
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s security forces killed a senior member of the Taliban during a security operation in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The man who was identified as Mullah Mawlawi Ahmad Kandahari was killed by a drone during his return trip from Panjway, Afghanistan. Kandahari was considered to be the next most prominent commander after Mullah Akhtar Mansour. He was assigned to be the group’s military chief in Kandahar and was responsible for planning suicide attacks in southwest Afghanistan.
News Roundup, Week of 23 April, 2021
SOUTH ASIA
An Islamic State of the Khoradan Province (ISKP) commander known as Kamin @Hakimullah was killed during a raid carried out by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) special unit, Special Operations Forces (SOF). The raid was launched in the Kuz Kunar district in the eastern province of Nangarhar specifically to target Kamin based on intelligence. Kamin had attempted to flee the scene when he was shot dead by the SOF. Kamin was only recently elected as commander to lead the ISKP network in the Pachir Wa Agam and Haska Mina districts in the province.
Quarterly Report: Terrorism Events And Developments In The First Quarter Of 2021
This report examines the latest events and developments on terror-related incidents in Southeast Asia and key incidents worldwide from January through March 2021. Military forces in Iraq and Syria continue to engage in offensives against Daesh and Al-Qaeda (AQ), but Daesh shows no sign of waiving and demonstrates operational lethality through a renewed twin suicide attack in Baghdad. Meanwhile, in the Southern Philippines, government efforts in pursuing terrorist groups are still in full force. Militant members are continuously surrendering to the authorities as Philippine security forces continue to target them in a concerted counterterrorism effort. The latest attack in Makassar which occurred on Palm Sunday, bore the hallmarks of a Jamaah Anshorut Daulah (JAD) attack. This latest attack demonstrated JAD’s operational lethality and group resilience despite sustained counterterrorism pressure against them, indicating that they remain a persistent threat in the near future.
News Roundup, Week of 26 March, 2021
NORTH AMERICA
Twenty-one year old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was arrested by the police for a shooting incident in Boulder, Colorado in the United States of America (USA). The suspect had attacked the King Soopers supermarket during lunch time with a pistol that was modified to resemble the AR-15 rifle. Ten people were killed during the attack, and two of them were identified as the store manager and a police officer.
News Roundup, Week of 19 March, 2021
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Five members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) had surrendered to the Philippines security forces in Ampatuan in Southern Mindanao. All of them were part of the Imam Minimbang @ Karialan cluster. They also surrendered their weapons, including three rifles, an M16, an M14 and an M79 rocket launcher.
NORTH AMERICA
Eight women were killed during a shooting incident in Woodstock, Georgia in the United States (US). The 21-year old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, was arrested by the police for the shooting. long had attacked three beauty spas in three separate locations in Atlanta with a 9mm which he had purchased with licence at a local gun shop. Six of the victims killed were Asian.
News Roundup, Week of 12 March, 2021
SOUTH ASIA
Four Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan members were killed during security operations initiated by the Pakistani security forces. The operations were launched separately in Datakhel, North Waziristan and Zoida, South Waziristan. Three of them were identified as Abdul Adam Zeb @ Dung, Molvi Mehboob @ Molvi and Mir Salam @ Anas.
MIDDLE EAST
Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS) captured six Daesh militant members in two Iraqi provinces and Sulaimani province in Kurdistan region. Two of them who were wanted by the authorities were arrested in Sulaimani province, while another was arrested in Mansour district in Baghdad. The remaining three were detained in Anbar.
News Roundup, Week of 5 March, 2021
SOUTHEAST ASIA
This week, Densus 88 arrested 12 terrorist suspects with links to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) during a raid in Surabaya, Sidoarja, Mojokerto and Malang in East Java, Indonesia. The police also seized several arrows and self-defence equipment including a samurai sword and boxing equipment. A few days later, Densus 88 successfully arrested a man identified only as N on the suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities.
Meanwhile, four members of the Bangsamoro Islam Freedom Fighters (BIFF) had clashed with the Philippines security forces in Maguindanao in the Southern Mindanao. Four BIFF members were killed while two others were injured during this incident.
SOUTH ASIA
A Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, Nooristan @ Hasan Baba, were killed during a security operation in Waziristan, Pakistan. Two other TTP members identified as Wilayat Zaib and Shah Mahmood were also killed in the operation.