Eyes on Jihadism. Monitoring Jihadist Propaganda #69

From 23 to 31 May

In one publication, a newsletter collects the main propaganda of Jihadist and Salafist-Jihadist organisations and groups, from 23 to 31 May.

Propaganda will be divided into individual organisations:

In the case of al-Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS), central leadership and official branches and provinces will be included.

As of 1 June, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), groups operating in Syria, will no longer be included in this weekly monitoring of jihadist propaganda. The reasons are found in the fact that they no longer seem to apply the ideological and theoretical principles of jihadism in their propaganda, operations, and daily lives. Salafist-Jihadists are defined by their desire to create a state based on a Salafist approach to Islamic law, they oppose Muslim regimes that are not governed by Islamic law and their foreign supporters, and they aim at the total overthrow of the established order. HTS seem to be doing none of this. They do not implement jihadist governance or oppose foreign Muslim states but want to ally themselves with them, and even reach out, collaborate, agree with Western countries, or be recognised by international organisations. They avoid, in the areas under their control, implementing Salafist norms on the population, they oppose and fight other jihadist organisations, and in the speeches of their ideologues they do not seem to evoke or cite Salafist jihadist arguments, but purely Islamist ones.

On the other hand, some groups integrated into the HTS brigades or collaborating with the “Al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room” and the aligned groups remain included, as in their ideology and propaganda (also since they are not indigenous groups) continue to show clear links to local or global jihadism.

So, after AQ and IS, a section will be devoted to groups integrated into the Liwa of HTS but publish independent propaganda.

This will be followed by groups aligned with HTS (operationally and militarily, they coordinate with the “al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room” of HTS or they respect the policies of HTS), but not integrated with it.

Then there will be the independent groups, i.e. those that even though they have alliances and close relations with other jihadist groups, have independent operations and propaganda. 

Finally, there will be the Jihadist tactical groups.

This issue features all the main propaganda material from:

• al-Qaeda:

(AQAP, JNIM);

• Islamic State (IS):

(2 issues al-Naba, IS official media)

• Jihadist groups integrated into Liwa/Brigade HTS but with independent propaganda.

(Tavhid va Jihod)

• Independent Jihadist groups:

( Ansar al-Islam).

• Jihadist Tactical Group

(Fursan Tactical).

I would like to remind all readers to access the app or the site because within the e-mail you cannot read the entire analysis and not all photos are displayed.

1. Al-Qaeda (AQ)

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) published 4 statements and 6 photos to claim 5 attacks as part of the “Arrows of Truth” campaign with drones and sniper operations.

Target: Security Belt Force

Area: al-Mudiya area, Abyan governorate. Yemen.

Az-Zallaqa Media, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), released 10 statements, and 10 photo, claiming 14 attacks.

Target: Burkinabe Army, Malian Army

Area:

- Mopti area, Mopti Region; in Mali

- Banfora area, Comoè Province, Cascades Region; Soudougui area, Koulpelogo Province, Centre-Est Region; Ouahigouya area, Yatenga Province, Kaya area, Sanmatenga Province, North Region; Boro area, Balè Province, Boucle du Mouhoun Region, in Burkina Faso.

- Boni area, Tillaberi Region, Niger.

Az-Zallaqa Media, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) released a photo report of 10 photos to show a training camp in Burkina Faso.

2. Islamic State (IS)

The Islamic State released 2 issues, 444 and 445, of its weekly al-Naba Newspaper.

Within the issue, much information is disseminated about the military operations conducted by IS in the week covering from 16 to 29 May 2024.

The provinces affected by the mentioned week’s military operations were: Sham (Syria), West Africa (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon), Mozambique, Sahel (Mali) Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Khorasan (Afghanistan) and Central Africa (RD Congo).

Two exciting things in issue number 444, in which the Islamic State has published an infographic dedicated to the West Africa Province (ISWAP) showing the harvest of operations by its militants in the last two weeks before the issue was published and in total 29 military operations claimed between Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger. Another interesting publication is the claim of an operation as part of the strategy of “economic warfare” in which they show and claim the destruction of an agricultural crop of a Tribal Mobilisation (TM) militia leader on the road between the towns of Baiji and Haditha in the Salah al-Din governorate, Iraq.

In the latest issue of al-Naba, number 445, the Islamic State published an infographic dedicated to the attacks conducted in the last week by the Central Africa Province (ISCAP). ISCAP reportedly conducted 14 operations against the Congolese army and Christian villages in the Beni area, resulting in 70 dead and wounded.

The number also includes two photos showing Da'wa activities by militants from Mozambique Province (IS-Moz) in the Macomia area.

Amaq News Agency, the official media of the Islamic State, published a 1:37-minute video showing the attack claimed in a lengthy earlier statement against a Nigerian army camp in the Malam Fatori area of Borno State. Nigeria

The Islamic State's (IS) official media released a photo report of a martyrdom operation and armed clashes conducted by its fighters in the West Africa Province (ISWAP) against the African Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) coalition forces in Borno State. Nigeria