Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Global News on Extremism and Terrorism Eye on Extremism April 29, 2025   Top Stories BBC: Israel spy chief to step down after row with PM exposes deepening rifts The head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency has resigned. Ronen Bar made the announcement that he would leave his position on 15 June at a memorial event for Shin Bet members who have died in service. It came after he had been engaged in a fierce trading of recriminations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who dismissed him last month. A challenge to the Supreme Court by the attorney general and the opposition had put the move on hold. Ronen Bar said he had chosen to announce his resignation on an evening that, in his words, symbolised "remembrance, heroism and sacrifice". He said every public servant who failed to stop the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the Gaza war, needed to bow their heads "humbly before those who were killed, or wounded, or taken hostage, and act accordingly". Reuters: Spain's High Court to investigate whether power outage was cyberattack Spain's High Court on Tuesday said it will open an investigation into Monday's huge power outage to find out if a cyberattack against Spanish critical infrastructures may have caused the blackout in nearly all of the Iberian Peninsula. In that were the case, Judge Jorge Calama would investigate it as a crime of terrorism, a court document showed. Spain's grid operator REE said earlier its preliminary assessment had all but ruled out a cyberattack.   New CEP Report: The Role of Antisemitism in the Mobilization to Violence by Extremist and Terrorist Actors, commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office. Analyzing developments in France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and the United States, the study reveals how antisemitism is not merely a byproduct of extremist ideologies, but a core strategic tool used to recruit, radicalize, and justify violence across the ideological spectrum—from right-wing and Islamist to left-wing extremist actors. The report also makes concrete recommendations for policy makers. Read here.   CEP Mentions The Telegraph: Prisoner recalls hit record high after Starmer’s early release scheme Ian Acheson, a former government adviser on extremism in jails, said: “Emergency mass release of prisoners, while necessary, only resulted in a transfer of risk from overcrowded prisons to under-policed communities, with a probation service already on its knees. “It seems likely we will be here again soon with unsuitable offenders released earlier than a judge directed with a higher likelihood of harm in the community. The only viable response is ‘safety first’, with recidivists not properly prepared for release.” The number of recalled prisoners in jail at any one time increased by 10 per cent last year to 13,583, more than double the 6,000 seven years ago. That represents around one in seven of the 88,000 prisoners held in jails in England and Wales. United Nations UN News: UN launches network to support victims and survivors of terrorism The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) launched the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN) on Monday. The network is a key outcome from the first UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September 2022. It brings together victims and survivors of terrorism, victims’ associations and civil society organizations from across the globe. United States Associated Press: Authorities believe crash through Illinois after-school building that killed 4 wasn’t targeted Three children and a teenager were killed and others were injured when a car drove through an after-school building in a small city outside Springfield, Illinois, but authorities said Tuesday it likely was not a targeted attack. Reuters: US sanctions target deliveries of oil and gas to Houthis The U.S. imposed sanctions on Monday on three vessels and their owners for delivering oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthis, as Washington piled pressure on the Iran-backed rebels over their attacks on Red Sea shipping. The sanctions targeted Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co and Great Success Shipping Co, and Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Co and the cargo vessels they used to deliver oil and gas products to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. Jewish News Syndicate: US glad to work with Syria, will ‘take precautions’ to ensure it’s not being fooled, congressman tells JNS Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) returned from an official visit to Syria this month with more cautious optimism about the country’s new government than Washington and Jerusalem have mustered. “I don’t blame the Israeli government or the United States government. We should all be very skeptical and cautious. I myself am the same,” Stutzman told JNS. Jewish Insider: Rep. Greg Landsman: Ending Iran’s nuclear program, terrorism would transform the Middle East Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) told Jewish Insider following a visit to Israel and Jordan last week that there is a “unique, potentially generational opportunity” to change the Middle East if the U.S. can help put an end to Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its support for regional terrorism. Landsman also told JI he’s working on legislation to create a bipartisan select committee focused on Middle East peace, an initiative he said would help elevate the issue and find bipartisan solutions. New York Times: N.Y.P.D. Investigating Pro-Israel Crowd’s Attack on Woman in Brooklyn A Crown Heights woman said Monday that she wandered into the aftermath of a protest last week and was surrounded by a furious pro-Israel crowd that abused her verbally and physically, an episode that Mayor Eric Adams has said was under investigation. On Thursday night, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli security minister, was to speak. The headquarters is an important religious site in the Hasidic community, and intense clashes erupted between protesters and counterprotesters outside, videos posted on social media by members of both sides show. Times of Israel: Ben Gvir concludes US visit after meeting GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir wraps up his visit to the United States and will return to Israel this evening, announces his office. Ben Gvir ended his visit with meetings at the Capitol last night with four Republican lawmakers, including one who heads the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee. The congressmen “expressed their full support for Israel,” says the minister’s office in a statement. Canada CBC: Winnipeg man facing terrorism charges denied bail A 19-year-old Winnipeg man facing four terrorism charges has been denied bail. Nevin Thunder Young appeared in provincial court in Winnipeg on Monday afternoon, wearing glasses with a beard covering his chin, looking thin in an oversized grey sweater. He spoke briefly to his lawyer but did not address the hearing, which lasted roughly 10 minutes. France Reuters: France accuses Russian intelligence of repeated cyber attacks since 2021 France's foreign ministry explicitly accused Russia's GRU military intelligence agency on Tuesday of mounting cyber attacks on a dozen entities including ministries, defence firms and think tanks since 2021 in an attempt to destabilise France. The accusations, levelled at GRU unit APT28, which officials said was based in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, are not the first by a Western power, but it is the first time Paris has blamed the Russian state on the basis of its own intelligence. Reuters: France won't hesitate to restore UN sanctions on Iran if no deal, says foreign minister France will not think twice about reimposing United Nations sanctions on Iran if negotiations to reach a deal over its nuclear programme do not succeed, its foreign minister told the U.N. Security Council late on Monday. France, Britain and Germany - the "E3" - are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that expires in October and have the power to initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the Security Council. Middle East Monitor: France using the 'terrorism' charge to silence criticism of crimes in Gaza: French lawyer French lawyer Rafik Chekkat said today that the charge of “terrorist propaganda” is being used in France to silence those who speak out about crimes committed by Israel in Gaza. French political scientist Francois Burgat, known for his work on the Arab world, was detained on 9 July 2024, in Aix-en-Provence on charges of “terrorist propaganda.” His arrest followed a complaint by the European Jewish Organisation (OJE) over social media posts he shared in January 2024 about Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Georgia Reuters: Georgian police raid homes of activists providing financing to anti-government protesters Georgian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had conducted searches at the apartments of five individuals who helped organise funding campaigns to support street protesters, amid a government crackdown on the rallies that have raged for months. Georgians have taken to the streets nightly since November to voice opposition to a government decision to halt accession talks to the European Union, a reversal of a longstanding national goal in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million. Germany Agence France-Presse: Teen Arrested In German Synagogue Attack Plot German authorities said Tuesday they were holding a teenager for allegedly planning to attack a synagogue targeted in 2019 by a far-right assailant. The 19-year-old was accused of "planning a right-wing extremist attack on the synagogue in Halle", the local state prosecutor's office said in a statement. BR24: Anti-Semitism in Bavaria: "More cases than ever before" The concerns and fears of Jewish students are also reflected in the statistics: in Bavaria, the police registered almost 600 anti-Semitic crimes last year. That is more than twice as many as in the years before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The RIAS research and information center has also documented record highs since then: 1,515 anti-Semitic incidents were documented in 2024, around twice as many as in the previous year 2023 and around three and a half times as many incidents as in 2021 and 2022 respectively. According to the latest RIAS anti-Semitism report, there is one conspicuous feature: 80 percent of all incidents in 2024 relate more or less to Israel. This does not refer to criticism of the Israeli government, but rather, for example, slogans that question the state's right to exist or even reject it altogether. The research center refers to these cases as "Israel-related anti-Semitism". Belltower News: Neo-Nazis in court - Second trial against Knockout 51 begins in Jena Knockout 51 is particularly well known as a right-wing extremist martial arts group. However, as anti-fascists and the accusing GBA repeatedly emphasize, the joint martial arts training served to organize themselves in the National Socialist sense. The right-wing extremist ideology was to be put into practice by attacking political opponents and other enemies. Since 2019 at the latest, according to the indictment, the group is said to have armed itself, manufactured firearms and taken part in shooting training in the Czech Republic. In a video of this shooting training, the target can be seen to have been replaced by an Antifa symbol. Reuters: Germany says it will step up military role in NATO amid increased uncertainty NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defence of Europe as the Atlantic alliance faces a future more uncertain than 70 years ago when Germany became a member, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday. Speaking at a ceremony at NATO's Brussels headquarters to mark the anniversary, Steinmeier sought to reassure allies rattled by what he called epochal geopolitical shifts. Associated Press: A former aide to a far-right German EU lawmaker is charged with spying for China A man who worked for a prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament has been charged with spying for China for more than four years, authorities said Tuesday. The office of the federal prosecutor accused Jian Guo of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the EU Parliament between September 2019 and April 2024, when he was arrested. He also allegedly snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany. The Guardian: ‘It’s in our DNA to be anti-fascist’: Germany’s leftwing ‘TikTok queen’ Heidi Reichinnek The latest tattoo on Heidi Reichinnek’s lower right arm reads “Angry Woman”. A “present to myself”, she says, after the unexpected return to the German parliament of her party, Die Linke (The Left), in February’s elections. Months before the vote, it had been widely predicted the far-left party, successor to the east German communists, would be decimated. But the naysayers were proved wrong: Die Linke won nearly 9% of the vote, an increase of almost 4% on the previous election, giving them a healthy 64 seats in the new Bundestag. Hungary Reuters: Hungary's parliament bars opposition lawmakers over protest against Pride ban Hungary's parliament voted on Monday to temporarily "banish" six opposition lawmakers from the building and cut their salaries after they used smoke flares during a protest in the chamber against a law banning Pride marches by LGBTQ+ communities. It is the first time that lawmakers have been barred from the chamber since Hungary's transition to democracy in 1990, according to parliament's press office. Ireland Agence France-Presse: Irish rappers Kneecap deny support for Hamas, Hezbollah The denial, issued late Monday on social media, came after UK police said it was examining footage from a Kneecap concert last year that appeared to show a band member shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Both groups are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin urged the band to clarify whether they supported the groups or not. Reuters: Irish rappers Kneecap apologise to families of murdered UK lawmakers Irish rap band Kneecap apologised on Tuesday to the families of two murdered British lawmakers after footage emerged of one of the trio appearing to say "Kill your local MP" during a performance in 2023. In the video footage, from a London concert, a band member appears to say: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP". Poland Agence France-Presse: Polish Far-right Candidate Bets On TikTok In Presidency Bid A blast of music and Poland's far-right presidential candidate takes the stage. The crowd feverishly chants his name -- "Slawomir, Slawomir, Slawomir" -- welcoming the lawmaker and entrepreneur like a TikTok star. With 1.6 million followers on the social network, Slawomir Mentzen, 38, knows how to rouse the hundreds of teenagers and others gathered in the main square of the central city of Radom. His sentences are short and cutting. Romania Reuters: Romanians court far-right symbolism in run-up to election On a sunny day in April, hundreds of Romanians queued on the outskirts of Bucharest to visit a tomb bearing a vivid green flag with the insignia of the Iron Guard, one of Europe's most violent antisemitic movements of the 1930s. While displaying Iron Guard symbols was banned in Romania two decades ago, the flag flutters in the breeze over the grave of Ilie Lacatusu, a Guard member canonised by the Orthodox Church last year, every Sunday. United Kingdom Reuters: New-look populist Reform party could reshape the UK political landscape rom a former police station in a small English town, a handful of right-wing campaigners used little more than a WhatsApp group to mount a challenge to the century-long dominance of Britain's big two parties at last year's election. The ramshackle operation secured the populist Reform UK party the third-biggest vote share and five parliamentary seats. It also convinced its leader, Brexit veteran Nigel Farage, he had to professionalise the party, and fast. BBC: Police probe over 'Hitler's birthday' pub gathering Police are investigating reports a far-right group displayed Nazi symbols in an Oldham pub during a "celebration" of Adolf Hitler's birthday. Images shared online, first highlighted by Manchester Evening News, showed members of British Movement North West holding Nazi flags and cutting a cake in the shape of a swastika. Greater Manchester Police said it was investigating a suspected offence of displaying material intended to incite racial hatred at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Market Street, Royton. The Algemeiner: UK Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Palestinian Authority to Advance Two-State Solution The United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Monday to advance “Palestinian statehood” as part of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted the PA’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in London, marking the first official visit by a PA leader to the UK since 2021. Iran Reuters: Death toll in Iran's Bandar Abbas port blast rises to 70 The death toll from a major explosion in Iran's most important container port of Bandar Abbas rose to at least 70, with over 1,200 injured, state media said on Monday, as firefighters battled a blaze that Iranian officials said was now under control 48 hours after the start of the fire. Saturday's blast took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, Iran's biggest container hub. Efforts to put out the ensuing blaze have continued since with sporadic fires breaking out due to wind and flammable goods in the containers, some releasing toxic emissions in the area, according to state media. The Media Line: Tehran Seeks Comeback in Syria Through Iraqi Training Camps Iran is quietly rebuilding its military influence in post-Assad Syria by training former regime loyalists in remote Iraqi desert camps, using Shiite militias and Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers to shape a new pro-Tehran fighting force just miles from the Syrian border. Military and eyewitness sources confirmed to The Media Line that such training camps have popped up in western Iraq’s Anbar desert, which borders Syria. Iraq Al Arabiya: Iraq arrests ISIS suspect linked to deadly truck attack in New Orleans Iraqi authorities have arrested a suspected member of ISIS for inciting a January truck-ramming attack that killed 14 people in the US city of New Orleans, Iraq’s judiciary said Sunday. The city in the southern state of Louisiana was plunged into a panic early on New Year’s Day when a US army veteran, who the FBI said had pledged loyalty to ISIS, ploughed a pickup truck into revelers in the crowded French Quarter, famed for its nightlife. Police killed the suspect in an exchange of fire. Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said that an ISIS member “was arrested for inciting the January 2025 truck attack in the United States” after Iraq received a request from Washington to assist in the investigation. It added that the suspect is “a member of the external operations office of the Daesh terrorist organization,” using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. Long War Journal: Pro-Iranian Iraqi politicians, militia leaders object to Syrian president visiting Iraq A possible visit by Syria’s new transitional president, Ahmad al Sharaa, is causing controversy in Iraq. Several key Shiite political and militia leaders have come out against the visit and called on Sharaa to be arrested, accusing him of committing crimes as an insurgent in Iraq in the early 2000s. Sharaa was a member of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and later returned to Syria at the request of AQI to lead the Al Nusrah Front, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria. Al Qaeda in Iraq conducted numerous terror attacks against US forces, Iraqi security forces, and Iraqi civilians, including a bombing campaign targeting Shiites that was designed to stoke sectarian conflict. Israel Times of Israel: Sara Netanyahu says fewer than 24 hostages are still alive in Gaza Sara Netanyahu on Monday said the number of hostages thought to be still alive in Gaza was lower than the official figure of 24, during a meeting in which her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared to have forgotten the captives altogether while speaking about Israel’s military achievements. The comment by Sara Netanyahu, which sparked outrage among hostage families on Tuesday, was based on partial, classified information that was recently relayed to cabinet ministers, the Kan public broadcaster reported. The premier’s wife has previously sued Channel 12 for reporting that she leaked state secrets related to attacks in Iran and the assassination in September of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Tjmes of Israel: Israeli official: Reports of breakthrough in hostage-ceasefire talks ‘inaccurate’ An Israeli official on Tuesday pushed back on “inaccurate” overnight reports that there had been a breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire-hostage release talks with American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo, as Arabic media indicated there was a preliminary deal to release some captives as soon as May. “Israel is working tirelessly with the Americans and the mediators with the goal of advancing a deal to free our hostages, but as of now, no agreement has been reached,” said the Israeli official, reiterating comments carried on Hebrew media Sunday night by Israeli officials, also unnamed, denying reports of a breakthrough. Reuters: Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near 'significant breakthrough,' two security sources say Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of a "significant breakthrough," two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday. There was no immediate comment from Israel and Hamas. Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a brief post on X that an Israeli official denied the reported breakthrough, without giving further details. Times of Israel: Former hostage Arbel Yehoud says captors threatened to kill her if IDF approached Former hostage Arbel Yehoud, who was returned to Israel in January as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement, says her Palestinian Islamic Jihad captors made it clear to her that they would kill her if the IDF discovered their location and came to rescue her. “I’m sitting next to them with loaded guns and know that they’ll shoot me in the head first thing if the army comes in,” Yehoud, 29, told Channel 13 in an interview broadcast Monday, filmed in the ruins of the Kibbutz Nir Oz home she shared with Ariel Cunio, who is still in captivity. Associated Press: Middle East latest: Israeli families appeal for return of loved ones’ remains from Gaza Families of deceased hostages whose bodies are being held by Hamas in Gaza are pleading for the return of the remains of their loves ones. The plea was made hours before Israel begins marking its national Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks. Lebanon Associated Press: Hezbollah leader calls on government to work harder to end Israel’s attacks on Lebanon The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group called on the government Monday to work harder to end Israel’s attacks in the country a day after an Israeli airstrike hit a suburb of Beirut. Naim Kassem said in a televised speech that Hezbollah implemented the ceasefire deal that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war in late November. But despite that, Israel is continuing with near-daily airstrikes. Naharnet: Paris reportedly seeking to activate work of ceasefire committee The U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring committee might convene on Thursday after it had suspended its meetings and work following a U.S. decision, informed sources told Al-Akhbar newspaper. “Washington had sought to replace the technical military committee with diplomatic committees, which was rejected by Lebanon,” the sources added. Naharnet: Will Lebanon's Hezbollah disarm? Israel's latest airstrike on what it called a Hezbollah missile storage facility in Beirut's southern suburbs came during increasing pressure for the Lebanese militant group to disarm. The disarmament of what has been the region's most powerful non-state armed group has come to look increasingly inevitable. Hezbollah is severely weakened after a war with Israel in which much of its top leadership was killed, and after losing a key ally with the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a conduit for Iran to send arms. Israel and the U.S. are pushing for swift disarmament, but when and how it will happen - if it does - is contested. Syria Reuters: More than a dozen killed in sectarian clashes near Syrian capital More than a dozen people were killed in a predominantly Druze town near the Syrian capital on Tuesday in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said. The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces. Reuters: Lacking aid, Syrians do what they can to rebuild devastated Aleppo Moussa Hajj Khalil is among many Syrians rebuilding their homes from the rubble of the historic and economically important city of Aleppo, as Syria's new leaders struggle to kick-start large-scale reconstruction efforts. Aleppo, Syria's second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was deeply scarred by more than a decade of war between government and rebel forces, suffering battles, a siege, Russian air strikes and barrel bomb attacks. The Media Line: Syria Probes Viral Blasphemous Audio as Sectarian Unrest Turns Deadly Between Monday and Tuesday, a deadly night unfolded in the city of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, as violent clashes erupted between Syrian security forces and local armed men. At least six people were killed and at least 15 injured. The violence came in response to the circulation of an audio recording containing blasphemous content about the Prophet Muhammad allegedly recorded by a member of the Druze minority. The anonymous audio clip, which went viral late Saturday night, ignited strong reactions from Syrian activists, clerics, and religious figures and sparked outrage aimed at residents of Jaramana, a city predominantly inhabited by Druze and Christian communities. Agence France-Presse: Kurdish-led forces in eastern Syria say five fighters killed in ISIS attacks Kurdish-led forces say they have lost five fighters to Islamic State group attacks in eastern Syria, adding that they have intensified security measures in the area. “Five of our fighters were martyred and several wounded while repelling two attacks” in Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Democratic Forces says in a statement. Yemen Jerusalem Post: Yemen's Houthis vow to continue attacks in Red, Arabian seas after suspected US strike Yemen's Houthis vowed to continue attacks in the Red and Arabian seas after a suspected US strike, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on Monday. His statements come after a suspected US airstrike that killed at least 68 people at a detention center for African migrants in Yemen in what was one of the deadliest so far in six weeks. In a similar vein, the US State Department announced in a Monday press release that it will be sanctioning three vessels and their owners for supporting the Houthis. "The United States is committed to disrupting the Houthis’ illicit revenue generation, financial facilitators, and suppliers as part of our whole-of-government approach to eliminating threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea," the release read. Reuters: Suspected US airstrike hits Yemen migrant centre, Houthi TV says 68 killed Corpses covered in dust and debris were scattered in the wreckage of a detention centre for African migrants in Yemen, after what Houthi-controlled television described on Monday as a U.S. airstrike that killed 68 people. The attack was one of the deadliest so far in six weeks of intensified U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis, an Iran-aligned group that controls northern Yemen and has struck shipping in the Red Sea in what it says is solidarity with the Palestinians. A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military was aware of the claims of civilian casualties. "We take those claims very seriously. We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims," the U.S. official said. The U.S. military has said it will not give detailed information about targets of its airstrikes for reasons of operational security. Houthi-run Al Masirah television showed images of the aftermath of the strike in Saada, on a route used by African migrants to cross impoverished, conflict-riven Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia. New York Times: U.S. Military Says Its Air Campaign Has Hit More Than 800 Targets in Yemen American forces have hit more than 800 targets in Yemen during an ongoing air campaign that began six weeks ago against the Houthi militia, the U.S. military said on Sunday. The military said the targets of the strikes, called Operation Rough Rider, included “multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities and advanced weapons storage locations.” Among the arms and equipment in stockpiles struck by the Americans were antiship ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, the types of weapons that the Houthis have used against ships in the Red Sea, the military said. The details were outlined in an announcement issued by U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations and forces in the Middle East. Kenya Reuters: Suspected al Shabaab militants kill five Kenya quarry workers, police report says Five quarry workers were killed and two others injured when their vehicle was attacked by suspected al Shabaab militants in northeastern Kenya on Tuesday morning, according to a Kenyan police report seen by Reuters. About 10 gunmen alleged to be from the Somali-based, al Qaeda-linked group ambushed a minibus full of workers at around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) near Bur Abor village in Mandera County, and ordered them out of the vehicle, the report said. Nigeria The Guardian: Fears of Boko Haram comeback stir in Nigerian birthplace of Maiduguri The group was founded in 2002, but its campaign of terror took off in 2009, after the killing of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, by police in July of that year. More than 36,000 people were killed and 2.2 million others displaced. In one particularly notorious incident 11 years ago this month, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a school in the town of Chibok. Many outside the region assumed the insurgency had been extinguished, but on 8 April this year Borno’s governor, Babagana Zulum, issued a troubling warning: Boko Haram was staging a comeback. Zulum told a meeting of security agents that renewed attacks and kidnappings were occurring “almost on a daily basis without confrontation”, in a sign that the state’s authorities were “losing ground”. Reuters: Surge in attacks signals jihadist comeback in Nigeria's northeast A surge in attacks in Nigeria's northeast by Boko Haram and its splinter rival ISWAP has raised fears of a major comeback by jihadists, whose tactics now include armed drones and explosive devices planted on major roads, security experts said. At least 22 people were killed in weekend raids by militants in Adamawa and Borno states, while 26 others died on Monday after an explosive device ripped into two vehicles in Borno. Sudan Reuters: Exclusive: UN panel investigates Emirati links to seized weapons in Darfur A U.N. panel of experts charged with monitoring sanctions in Sudan is investigating how mortar rounds exported from Bulgaria to the United Arab Emirates ended up in a supply convoy for Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia fighters, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Mortar rounds seized from the convoy in November in Sudan's North Darfur region bore the same serial number as those Bulgaria told United Nation investigators it had exported to the UAE in 2019. The serial number was visible in photos and videos posted online by pro-government militia members following the seizure. Associated Press: Sudan activists blame notorious group for Omdurman attack in which at least 30 people killed Sudan’s notorious paramilitary group killed at least 30 people in an attack on Omdurman, the sister city of the capital, Khartoum, the authorities and an activist group said on Monday. Rapid Support Forces are alleged to have kidnapped dozens of people, including women, from Salha, an area in the southern part of Omdurman on Sunday morning, according to the Resistance Committees activist group. It is the latest incident in a series of deadly attacks by the group this month. India Reuters: India shuts over half of Kashmir tourist spots in security review More than half of the tourist destinations in India's insurgency-torn Kashmir region have been closed to the public from Tuesday, according to a government order reviewed by Reuters, in a bid to tighten security after last week's attack on holiday-makers. The assailants segregated men, asked their names and targeted Hindus before shooting them at close range in the Pahalgam area, killing 26 people, officials and survivors said. New York Times: India Accuses Pakistan of Supporting Terrorism. Here’s What We Know. After 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed last week in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, India’s government called the massacre a terrorist attack and cited “cross-border linkages” to Pakistan. A group calling itself the Resistance Front emerged on social media to say it was behind the slaughter. Indian officials privately say the group is a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organization based in Pakistan. But India, citing national security concerns, has publicly provided little evidence linking the attack to Pakistan, which denies involvement and says that Lashkar-e-Taiba is largely inoperative. Pakistan has also called for an international investigation into the episode. Washington Post: Grief turns to fear in Kashmir as Indian forces crack down after attack The armored vehicles came at dusk as families were preparing dinner. Two days earlier, gunmen had killed 26 people, most of them tourists, in a remote Himalayan meadow. Now hundreds of Indian soldiers descended on this tiny village, hunting for suspects. They encircled the home of Adil Hussain Thoker, one of the militants accused of carrying out the attack, forcing villagers into the surrounding rice fields as darkness fell. At midnight, a thunderous blast ruptured the silence — “the earth shook beneath our feet,” recalled one local, speaking like others in this story on the condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety. The two-story brick and wood house was reduced to rubble. Indian officials say they are carrying out controlled demolitions of homes where explosives have been found. Thoker’s family members vehemently deny the charge and say they haven’t seen or heard from Adil since 2018. Pakistan  Newsweek: Pakistan Shoots Down 'Indian Drone' After Nuclear Warning Pakistan said its army shot down an "Indian drone" that was trying to violate its airspace along the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates disputed Kashmiri territory between the two nuclear-armed rivals, according to the country's state-run television. The drone flew hundreds of feet into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, three Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity. CEP Podcasts Unpacking the week's extremism-related anniversaries and news, as well as counter extremism developments and prospects. A deep dive into CEP's research and topics that are relevant to our mission, from our Berlin-based team.   The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit and non-partisan international policy organization working to combat the growing threat posed by extremist ideologies. CEP depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation. DONATE Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe for yourself here. Counter Extremism Project (CEP) | PO Box 3980 | NEW YORK, NY 10185 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice