Significant Terrorism Activities Briefing (SigTAB)

June 15, 2015-June 29, 2015

Focus Areas

North and South AmericaEuropeMiddle East/North AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaCentral and South AsiaEast AsiaAustralia

The Americas

Charleston Shooting Jun. 17: Charleston shootings – Dylan Roof kills 9

people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/us/charleston-church-shooting.html?_r=0

Jun. 21: Charleston shooter manifesto found on website http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/us/dylann-storm-roof-photos-website-charleston-

church-shooting.html

Jun. 25: fires reported at several churches in black communities following Charleston shootings http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/06/arson-churches-north-carolina-

georgia/396881

The Americas

Jun. 17: NY bomb plot uncovered – 3 arrested in total http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-fbi-terror-arrests-20150617-

story.html

Jun. 17: FARC attacks oil pipeline in Catatumbo leaving 16,000 people without water http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-33177830

Jun. 19: North Carolina man charged with plot to buy semiautomatic rifle and conduct attack on behalf of ISIS http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/22/us-usa-security-idUSKBN0P21P020150622?

feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

The Americas

Jun. 22: FARC attacks oil pipeline in Narino province spilling more than 400 000 gallons of crude oil into water stream and cutting off water supply to more than 160 000 people http://colombiareports.com/farc-attack-caused-colombias-biggest-environmental-

disaster-in-10-years

Jun. 24: Report shows Columbian army conducted “false positive” killing campaigns to boost combat kill rate against rebels http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-33253853

Europe Jun. 16: Austrian court sentences 10 people upwards to three years in prison for

attempting to join ISIS in Syria. The Austrian Interior Ministry states that over 200 people have traveled from Austria to ISIS-controlled territory and 70 have returned http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/06/16/Austrian-court-sentences-10-for-trying-to-join-

Islamists-in-Syria.html Jun. 18: EU Counter-Terror Chief Gilles de Kerchove states that over 4,000

Europeans have joined ISIS so far. De Kerchove suggests that the EU strengthen its security background checks at the border regions http://news.yahoo.com/eu-anti-terror-chief-very-young-europeans-joining-034432122.html

Jun. 20: UK’s high court orders police to remove an electronic tracking device placed on a radical Somali imam “DD,” on the grounds that its threatens his mental stability. DD is suspected of maintaining contact with al-Shabaab. However, he will still be under surveillance http://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/jun/20/electronic-tag-to-be-removed-from-terror-suspect-who-

feared-it-was-bomb Jun. 22: Europol announces plans to form a “Europe-wide police team” to track

and block several ISIS-run social media accounts. The team will be formed on July 1st http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/New-European-police-team-to-block-ISIS-web-

accounts/articleshow/47768702.cms Jun. 22: Nearly 15,000 fighters and the leader of the Caucasus Emirate pledge

their loyalty to ISIS. There are currently between 200 and 1,000 Chechen fighters in ISIS-controlled territory http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134206/ISIS-opens-new-Europe-s-doorstep-Chechan-jihadi-

group-15-000-fighters-pledge-allegiance-terror-horde.html

Europe

Jun. 26: One man is decapitated and two others are injured in a terrorist attack at an American gas plant in the French town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier. The severed head of the victim is found posted on the entrance gate of the factory, while two flags with Arabic inscriptions are found nearby. 30 year old Yassin Salhi is arrested as a suspect in the attack http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/one-dead-in-attack-on-french-factory

Jun. 27: French prosecutor Francois Molins states that four people possibly linked to the attack on the US gas plant have been arrested. In addition, France raises it’s “terrorism alert” to the highest level since the Charlie Hebdo Attacks on January 7th http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/New-European-police-team-to-block-ISIS-web-

accounts/articleshow/47768702.cms Jun. 28: Top suspect in the gas plant attack, Yassin Salhi, took a selfie with the

severed head of the victim and sent the image to a Canadian cell phone number via WhatsApp. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150627/eu--france-attack-24fc921b96.html

Islamic State in MENA

Tunisia: 6/26 Sousse, Tunisia: 38 killed, 39 wounded in attack on

beach resort Kuwait:

6/26 Kuwait City, Kuwait: 27 killed, 227 wounded in al Sadiq mosque bombing

Libya: 6/15 Islamists militants from the Shura Council of Derna

Mujahideen successfully drive IS out of their stronghold in Derna

6/22 Mohammad Ezzawi, “Jihadi John,” reportedly IS moves on X in effort to control road to Misrata

Syria: 6/23 Kurdish fighters take Ain Issa, 30 miles north of Raqqa 6/25 IS reenters Kobane, kills at least 148; successfully forced

out by Kurdish fighters

Other Developments in MENA

United States involvement 6/15 Senior AQIM operative Mokhtar Belmokhtar allegedly

killed in Libya; AQ denies this on 6/19 6/22 Militant linked to Benghazi attack alledgedly killed in

Iraq Pentagon to pay Syrians fighting IS up to $400/month

Israel/Palestine 6/22 1 killed, 1 wounded in shooting outside West Bank

settlement 6/29 Hamas reveals new tunnel into Israel

Arabian Peninsula 6/28 Saudi government linked to Haqqani network in alleged

government leaks 6/28 Ansurallah militants launch attack on Saudi base in

Yemen 6/28 21 killed in Houthi attack on oil refinery in Aden

Sub-Saharan Africa

Jun. 15: Four Boko Haram suicide bombers carried out simultaneous attacks on police headquarters and the police academy in the capital of Chad http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/15/us-chad-blast-

idUSKBN0OV14S20150615 Jun. 18: In response to the attacks on their capital,

Chad conducted airstrikes on 6 Boko Haram bases in Nigeria http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-nigeria-violence-chad-

idUSKBN0OY12A20150618 Jun. 18: Boko Haram militants crossed the border into

Niger and attacked two villages, killing 40 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33186154

Sub-Saharan Africa

Jun. 24: Al-Shabab attacked a convoy carrying the UAE ambassador and several UAE military personnel, killing three Somali soldiers http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/24/us-somalia-blast-idUSKBN0P414V20150624

Jun. 26: Al-Shabab captured an AU military base in southern Somalia, killing 30 soldiers in the process http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/world/africa/somalia-shabab-militants-attack-

african-union-base.html?ref=africa&_r=0D

Central and South Asia

Jun. 16: The Afghani Taliban requested Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to stop interfering in Afghanistan after clashes between Taliban and ex-Taliban forces now aligned with ISIS http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-afghanistan-islamicstate-

idUSKBN0OW19220150616

Jun. 21- Afghan Government launches counter-offensive in northern province of Kunduz captured last month by the Taliban http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33215948

Jun. 22: Haqqani Network militants attack Afghan Parliament in Kabul; accusations made of ISI supporting attack http://www.dawn.com/news/1189742

Central and South Asia Jun. 9: The Indian Government announced that Indian Special

Forces crossed over into Myanmar from northeastern state of Manipur, home to dozens of rebel groups, and attacked two anti-Indian rebel camps and allegedly killed 18 militants http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33193275

Jun. 15: The Indian Government sent its national security advisor to Myanmar to calm tensions after announcing publicly the “victory” of the cross-border raid http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/15/india-myanmar-idUSKBN0OV1NQ20150615\

Jun. 17: Indian government deploys 600 troops amid tension in Srinangar Province, 30 miles from line of control in Kashmir, when 4 men with militant group ties gunned down the previous week. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/india-kashmir-idUSKBN0OX10120150617

Jun. 28: Air strikes kill 20 militants in northwestern Pakistan in part of larger offensive by Pakistani Army to root out TTP from area. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/28/pakistan-militants-idUSKCN0P80AE20150628

East AsiaMalaysian Oil Tanker Hijack Jun. 12: Malaysian Maritime authorities lost contact with the

ship, Orkim Harmony The ship was carrying unleaded petroleum worth up to $5.6 million USD http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/missing-oil-tanker/1917486.html

Jun. 19: Maritime authorities along with the Royal Malaysian Navy seized the tanker All 22 crew members were alive, only one had a gun-shot wound to the thigh The 8 suspected amateur pirates fled on a lifeboat http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysia-says-hijackers-oil-

tanker-22-crew-members-are-amateurs-2015 Jun. 20: The 8 suspects were arrested on the Tho Chu Island

near Vietnam http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/8-arrested-over-malaysian/

1927030.html Jun. 21: All of the men admitted to the hijacking and are facing

10-15 years in prison This case of piracy is the fifth reported incident this year in Malaysian waters

East Asia

Jun. 15-Jun. 27: China and Belarus conducted military exercises to prepare for counter-terrorism operations This is following a series of training missions China

has engaged in to prepare their military personnel for terrorist/crisis situations in regions all over the world

http://thediplomat.com/2015/06/tajik-and-chinese-forces-to-engage-in-joint-exercises/

June 23rd: Australia vows to revamp counterterrorism efforts as Indonesia’s role in ISIS increases Australia opened their counterterrorism summit on

June 11th; Indonesia opted to send lower level government officials rather than a minister

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/countering-islamic-state-is-a-way-to-strengthen-australiaindonesia-relations-20150623-ghvcpk.html

East Asia

ISIS’s New Recruitment Target: Malaysia & Indonesia Jun 19:The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia

Commission is aware of 6-7 Malayan ISIS blogs and websites and have not shut any of them down. However, they have removed several YouTube videos A new wave of ISIS sympathizers are coming from Southeast Asia and calling

themselves the Katibah Nusantara (Malay Archipelago Combat Unit) Malaysian authorities believe that ISIS is on the ‘aggressive’ in extending it’s

recruitment reach to Muslim sympathizers in the Malaysian/Indonesian regions

One of the newest websites is, Isdarat Daulah Islamiyah, a portal of articles directly from ISIS’ magazine Dabiq and translated to local languages

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/more-isis-websites-malay-recruit-fighters-20150617

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/isis-on-aggressive-recruitment-drive-with-malay-reading-materials

Australia June 18: Australian doctor who fled to Middle East to help ISIS faced

charges in court http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/6/18/australian-police-issue-arrest-warrant-for-doctor-tareq-

kamleh.html June 22: Australian individual acquitted of terrorism charges appears on

talk show and confronts member of parliament http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11702867/Australian-national-broadcaster-tightens-security-after-TV-confr

ontation.html June 24: Changes to Australian citizenship act introduced to parliament

today – Dual nationals will lose Australian citizenship if convicted of terrorism offence http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33234825

June 27: Members of far-right nationalist group protest outside ABC office against Islam and the ABCs recent program Prime minister also angered over incident – orders inquiry into incident http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/protesters-gather-outside-abc-building-20150627-ghz9q5.html

Missed Events? Other Developments?

Questions/CommentsThank You