Fox News What Is The Al Qaeda-Linked Al-Shabab Terrorist Group? By Greg Norman Al-Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist organization based in Somalia, has become the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes during President Trump’s administration.The militants belonging to the group have fought for years to impose a strict version of Islam in the Horn of Africa nation, while also launching attacks in neighboring countries like Kenya, where they killed a U.S. service member and two American contractors for the Pentagon in January 2020.“Al-Shabab’s continued attacks degrade the Somali government’s ability to both provide security and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in the country, and its influence in Somalia undermines the United States’ efforts to prevent the use of Somalia as a refuge for international terrorists,” reads a Council on Foreign Relations profile of the group. Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/world/al-shabab-terrorist-group-somalia-al-qaeda...

Asharq Al-Awsat Morocco Busts Isis-Affiliated Terrorist Cell Morocco’s interior ministry announced Tuesday that it had dismantled a terrorist cell that was plotting attacks in the kingdom.It said that the six-member cell was operating in Casablanca, Mohammedia and Azilal, reported the state news agency (MAP).The members, whose ages ranged between 18 and 59, had adopted extremist ideology and pledged allegiance to ISIS.They were planning on carrying out attacks in Morocco ahead of declaring the establishment of a “state” loyal to ISIS. Read more: https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2114611/morocco-busts-isis-affiliated-terrorist-cell...

ISIS claims responsibility for south London attack - Amaq news agency Amman attacked three people, critically injuring one, before police shot him dead in south London on Sunday. By REUTERS A man who was shot dead by police after stabbing two people on a busy street in south London on Sunday was identified as Sudesh Amman, a former convict who was recently released after serving a prison sentence for terrorist offenses, a European counter-terrorism official said. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a stabbing attack in south London, without giving evidence, the group's Amaq news agency said on Monday."The perpetrator of the attack in Streatham district in south London yesterday is a fighter of Islamic State, and carried out the attack in response to calls to attack the citizens of coalition countries," a statement carried by Amaq said. Read more: https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/British-Police-shoot-man-in-south-London-in-terror-related-stabbing-616244...

The Times Of Israel Islamic State Claims Purported Attack On Egypt-Israel Gas Pipeline In Sinai Though sources said attacked pipe was a domestic one, jihadist group insists it ‘targeted… the natural gas line linking the Jews and the apostate Egyptian government’ By AFP    CAIRO — The Islamic State extremist group said on Monday that it blew up a gas pipeline in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, claiming it was connected to Israel.Security sources earlier said the pipeline hit was a domestic one that connects to a power station in el-Arish, powering homes and factories in central Sinai. No casualties were reported.Masked gunmen drove a four-wheel drive before detonating explosives in the attack, carried out around 80 kilometers west of the provincial capital El-Arish, the sources told AFP. Some media reports in Egypt and Israel said, however, that the section of pipeline hit was part of Israel’s Leviathan offshore field that connects...

The Washington Post Feds Arrested Phoenix Man For Allegedly Killing Two Iraqi Cops In Al-Qaeda-Linked Attacks By Katie Shepherd When members of the large Iraqi immigrant community in Phoenix heard federal agents arrested a local driving instructor for allegedly killing two Iraqi police officers in al-Qaeda-linked attacks in the Iraqi city of Fallujah nearly 14 years ago, they could not believe the accusation.“There is like no way,” 18-year-old Eva Kabejan, who had taken classes at the man’s driving school, told the Arizona Republic. “He’s a hard-working guy. He’s really good guy.”Several people who had come to know Ali Ahmed since he came to the United States as a refugee in 2008 struggled to understand the serious allegations leveled against the 42-year-old, the Republic reported. Ahmed, who became a U.S. citizen about two years ago, had embraced an exciting bachelor’s life before recently getting married and having his first child this...

NBC News Britain's Boris Johnson Vows To End Early Release Of Terrorism Offenders “What we want to do is to make sure that people convicted of terrorist offenses are not let out without some process of parole or scrutiny,” Johnson said. By Saphora SmithLONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that the automatic early release of convicted terrorism offenders from prison must end after an Islamist attacker recently released from prison injured two people in a stabbing rampage in a busy south London street, before he was shot dead by police.“What we want to do is to make sure that people convicted of terrorist offenses are not let out without some process of parole or scrutiny by real experts,” Johnson told an event in London on Monday.Johnson said his government was already bringing forward legislation to stop the system of automatic early release but the difficulty was how to...

Lansing State Journal Two Lansing Men Have Now Pleaded Guilty To Conspiring To Supporting Islamic State by Megan Banta, Lansing State Journal GRAND RAPIDS – A second Lansing man accused of planning to join the Islamic State group has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.Mohamud Abdikadir Muse pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, specifically to the Islamic State. He originally pleaded not guilty last year. As part of a plea agreement, Muse acknowledged he had recorded a video pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and that he had planned to travel to Somalia at some point last year to join the terrorist organization. Muse, 25, faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervision once released. He also may lose his citizenship. As part of the plea agreement, the government will dismiss one charge of...

Deutsche Welle France To Boost Military Troops In Africa's Sahel To Counter Terrorism Paris has said it will deploy 600 additional troops to the border zone between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. French forces are also seeking to train local fighters who Paris says are unprepared to take on jihadi groups. France announced Sunday it was bolstering its military presence in Africa's Sahel region to counter jihadi violence.French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a statement that the majority of the reinforcements would be sent by the end of February to the border zone connecting Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.The French government is planning to deploy a further 600 troops in addition to its already 4,500-strong operation in five countries across the Sahel region. The Defense Ministry said that boosting its military presence showed France's commitment to the anti-terrorist mission. The ministry also emphasized that Paris' allies were mobilizing their...

Top al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi likey killed in US drone strike Al Arabiya The Associated Press, Sanaa, Yemen Tribal leaders said on Saturday a suspected US drone strike destroyed a building housing al-Qaeda militants last week in eastern Yemen.President Donald Trump, meanwhile, retweeted several tweets and media reports that seemed to offer confirmation the January 25 strike killed top al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi.The tribal leaders said the drone strike took place in the Wadi Ubaidah area in the eastern province of Marib. The area is known as a stronghold for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, as the Yemeni affiliate is known.They said at least three explosions rocked the area, and that the building was set ablaze.It was not immediately clear how many militants were in the building at the time or their identities. The tribal leaders said a handful of al-Qaeda militants arrived at the area directly after...

  ABC 15 Arizona Alleged Al-Qaeda terrorist leader arrested in Phoenix for murder of Iraqi police officersBy: Clayton Klapper PHOENIX — A man believed to have been the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq was arrested yesterday in Phoenix, accused of murdering two Iraqi police officers.The United States Department of Justice says Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, 42, was arrested in the Phoenix area recently and efforts are being made to extradite him to the Republic of Iraq.Al-Nouri is wanted to stand trial in Iraq for two charges of premeditated murder committed in 2006 in Al-Fallujah, according to a release.According to the Government of Iraq, “Ahmed served as the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, which planned operations targeting Iraqi police.”   Read more: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/alleged-al-qaeda-terrorist-leader-arrested-in-phoenix-for-murder-of-iraqi-police-officers...

Homeland Security Today ‘No Specific Credible Threats’ to Super Bowl as DHS Components Secure Venue by Bridget JohnsonThe Department of Homeland Security considers Super Bowl LIV one of the highest-risk events of the year, and is making sure the Miami venue is secure ahead of Sunday’s face-off between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Brian Harrell, who did a walk-through of Hard Rock Stadium with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf this week, told HSToday that “there are no specific credible threats to this event” yet DHS is not letting its guard down as “over 1,500 homeland security employees are been engaged to ensure the security of fans during this event.”“The Super Bowl and other area venues have been designated as ‘No Drone Zones’ by the FAA. We ask that fans leave their drones at home,” Harrell said. “Fans...

Fox News Most Wanted Female Terrorist Lives In Freedom In Jordan Despite Extradition Request For Bombing That Killed Americans By Hollie McKay Ahlam Ahmad al-Tamimi is the most wanted woman in the world, with a $5 million bounty for information that leads to her arrest or conviction.Tamimi is accused by U.S. officials of conspiring to use--and using--a weapon of mass destruction, and masterminding a brazen Hamas terrorist attack that killed 15 – including eight children and two Americans, one of whom was pregnant.Despite being on the run from American authorities, Tamimi has been hiding in plain sight for years-- under the eye of one of the United States' longest and closest allies in the Middle East: Jordan. Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/world/most-wanted-female-terrorist-jordan-extradition-request...

FOX 13 Authorities find longest Southwest border smuggling tunnel By Elliot Spagat SAN DIEGO - U.S. authorities on Wednesday announced the discovery of the longest smuggling tunnel ever found on the Southwest border, stretching more than three-quarters of a mile from an industrial site in Tijuana, Mexico, to the San Diego area.The tunnel featured an extensive rail cart system, forced air ventilation, high voltage electrical cables and panels, an elevator at the tunnel entrance and a drainage system. While there were no arrests, no drugs found at the site and no confirmed exit point in the U.S., the length - more than 14 football fields - stunned authorities. “This one blows past (the second-longest),” said Lance LeNoir, a Border Patrol operations supervisor. “We never really thought they had the moxie to go that far. They continue to surprise me.” Read more:  https://www.fox13news.com/news/authorities-find-longest-southwest-border-smuggling-tunnel...

  Business Insider ISIS 'Sleeper Cells' Are Taking Advantage Of US-Iran Tensions To Make A Comeback Bassem Mroue, Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group's self-styled "caliphate" across parts of Iraq and Syria seemed largely defeated last year, with the loss of its territory, the killing of its founder in a US raid and an unprecedented crackdown on its social media propaganda machine.But tensions between the United States and Iran and the resulting clash over the US military presence in the region provide a comeback opportunity for the extremist group, whose remnants have been gradually building up a guerrilla campaign over the past year, experts say.American troops in Iraq had to pause their operations against ISIS for nearly two weeks amid the tensions. From the other side, Iranian-backed Iraqi militiamen who once focused on fighting the militants have turned their attention to evicting US troops from the Middle...

ABC News Man Gets 20 Years For Selling Guns To Terrorist Group A Colombian man who had been living in South Florida has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling firearms to a South American terrorist organization By The Associated Press MIAMI -- A Colombian man who had been living in South Florida was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for selling firearms to a South American terrorist organization.U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez sentenced Francisco Joseph Arcila Ramirez in Miami federal court, according to court records. Arcila pleaded guilty in October to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.Arcila instructed two co-conspirators to illegally purchase six AK-style pistols in Miami-Dade County in August 2018, according to investigators. The firearms were then concealed in air-compressors purchased by Arcila at a Miami-area hardware store and shipped to Barranquilla, Colombia. The shipment also contained about 100 AK-47 magazines.In September...

Los Angeles Times Afghan Troops Clash With Taliban As They Try To Reach U.S. Plane Crash Site By BloombergAfghan troops have clashed with Taliban fighters as they tried to reach the crash site of a U.S. military aircraft that went down in eastern Afghanistan on Monday.The militant group claimed it had downed a “special American aircraft” on an intelligence mission, while the U.S. military said Monday there was no indication the plane was hit by hostile fire.The police chief of Ghazni province said a heavy Taliban presence had blocked access for some 300 elite commandos who’d been sent to the crash site.“As a result, one commando soldier was killed and all of the commando forces retreated and returned back to the city yesterday,” Mohammad Khalid Wardak said on Tuesday. Read more: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-01-28/us-military-plane-crash-afghanistan-taliban-clash...

The National Buckingham Palace Sword Attacker Who Supports ISIS 'Planned To Kill Non-Muslims After He Left Jail' by Jack Dutton An ISIS-supporting Uber driver who attacked police with a sword outside Buckingham Palace in London threatened to kill non-Muslims only months after he left jail, a court heard on Monday.Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 28, attacked officers outside the palace in August 2017 while shouting “Allahu Akbar”, but was cleared of terrorism charges, after jurors spent more than 11 hours considering the verdict.It emerged on Monday that six months after he left jail, Chowdhury was allegedly preparing to attack a Gay Pride parade and Madame Tussauds in London after being freed from custody.A secret recording emerged from June last year of Chowdhury telling his sister, Sneha Chowdhury, that he was quitting his job at a chicken shop in Luton.   Read more: https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/buckingham-palace-sword-attacker-who-supports-isis-planned-to-kill-non-muslims-after-he-left-jail-1.970610...

In Homeland Security TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The chief of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Monday that it will retaliate against American and Israeli commanders if the U.S. continues to threaten top Iranian generals.“I warn them to withdraw from this field,” Gen. Hossein Salami told state television, adding if they do not, they “will definitely regret it.”The U.S. killed Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who headed the expeditionary Quds force, in a drone strike outside of Baghdad’s airport in Iraq on Jan. 3. Five days later, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing American troops, causing injuries but no fatalities among soldiers there.Soleimani was responsible for Iranian proxy forces across the Mideast. The U.S. alleged that he was plotting attacks on American targets.Soleimani’s replacement, Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, has said he would carry with his predecessor’s work.Salami’s comments come in response to remarks from the...

South China Morning PostHong Kong infectious disease experts are urging the government to take ‘draconian’ measures against the spread of the deadly new coronavirus from the Chinese city of Wuhan. They cite research estimating that 44,000 patients could be infected there – far higher than official figures.   ...

Asharq Al-Awsat Jordan Charges Stabbing Attack Suspect With Terrorism A Jordanian court on Sunday leveled terrorism charges against a man suspected of wounding eight people in a November knife attack at the popular Jerash tourist site.The suspect, Moustafa Abourouis, 22, faces up to 20 years in prison after the stabbing of three Mexicans, a Swiss woman, a Jordanian tour guide and a security officer.At a hearing open to the press, prosecutors accused Abourouis of committing a "terrorist act" and "promoting the ideas of a terrorist group" -- a reference to the ISIS group.Abourouis, who is of Palestinian origins and grew up in the refugee camp of Souf, was arrested immediately after the attack at Jerash, close to the camp and around 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Amman.The Jordanian prosecutor accused Abourouis of trying to join ISIS, an operative of which in Syria had "ordered him to commit attacks against...