BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: On 16 September 2021, reports were released of an unknown man attacking a local police department in the town of Liski in the Voronezh area of Russia. The perpetrator, disguised in a military uniform penetrated the police building with an explosive devices attached to a front door and as the result of two explosions, at least one police officer received serious injuries. According to authorities, prior to this attack, the perpetrator had committed a triple murder of three individuals from the Muslim Ibragimov family. The next day, Viktor Mirskoy was detained by police and based on preliminary reports, he planned to attack Kurd nationals in his town. Though motivations still are not completely known at this time, the fact that Viktor Mirskoy killed a Muslim family and had stockpiled weapons intending to go on a killing spree of Kurds, indicate that his motivations were racist. Mirskoy was named by the Terrogram Collective a 'Saint' a scant four days after his attacks. The naming of Viktor Mirskoy as a 'Saint' also represents a significant crossover between eco-fascists primarily focused on naming Saints in the United States and Europe, to naming a recent saint in Russia. Russian media barely covered Mirskoy's attack and had only recently identified him as the assailant after his capture. The fact that Viktor Mirskoy was named a 'Saint' from such an obscure attack so quickly suggests that the RWBC administrator(s) have direct connections to their counterparts in Russia.
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Image: Screenshots from video
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Amid Ongoing Reports of Intra-Taliban (IEA) Conflict, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi Denies Any Friction Among Leaders in the Interim Government |
On 15 September 2021, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi released a statement denying the recent allegations of a confrontation between members of the Taliban (IEA) Interim Government in Kabul, Afghanistan. These (presently) unfounded reports occur in the context of ongoing rumors of dissension amongst Taliban hardliners and moderates, as well as friction between loyalists to First Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani 'Baradar' and members of the infamous Haqqani Network. It should be noted that Muttaqi, a member of the moderate wing of the Taliban, is seen as a skilled diplomat and negotiator and may wish to appease a rival faction as a political strategy. Thus, it remains unclear whether this statement is merely to dismiss truly baseless allegations, or rather to cover up deepening cracks in the cohesion of the country's current leadership. On 21 September 2021, the official spokesperson for the Taliban (IEA), Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Zabihullah Mujahid, announced new members of the IEA interim government, likely to dispel rumors of factioning. |
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TRAC Incident Report: President Macron Announces Killing of ISGS Leader Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui by Barkhane Forces Drone Strike, Mali |
On 16 September 2021, President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the mastermind behind a number of high-profile killings and kidnappings in the region, including the ambush on US soldiers in October 2017. Macron deemed this to be "another major success" in the fight against Sahel terrorist groups. The elimination of al Sahraoui is one in a series of targeted strikes against leading figures and commanders of jihadist groups in the Sahel by the French army and its allies; it is likely one of the last major operations under the Barkhane before the final withdrawal.
As a subgroup of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), the death of al Sahraoui is likely to cause a leadership struggle within the broader organization, but alternatively, could encourage the two groups to finally merge into one. Additionally, with the intense inter-group fighting recently occurring between ISGS and Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), the killing of al Sahraoui may significantly weaken ISGS' strength and lead disaffected ISGS members to switch sides to join JNIM. This could cause an influx of new recruits to JNIM and add to its strength and influence in the region.
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Images (Above): Photos of Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui.
Image (Below): Screenshot of Macron's announcement
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Image (Above): Screenshot from video posted on TikTok
Image (Below): Poster dividing people according to the hierarchy in the Harry Potter series based on their vaccination status.
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TRAC INSIGHT: Anti-Vaxxers Assign Labels to Vaccination Status Based on Hierarchy in Harry Potter Series, Call Themselves "Purebloods", a Term Also Associated with Aryan Supremacy in Nazi Germany |
Recently, individuals against the COVID-19 vaccination, or "anti-vaxxers", have taken to social media platforms to announce that they no longer want to be called "unvaccinated," but instead request to be called "purebloods". This is a reference to a group of characters in the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. One poster published on Telegram, also makes reference to several other Harry Potter related terms to describe one's vaccination status. By dividing up individuals according to their vaccination status and assigning them labels with obvious positive or negative connotations created by this popular book series, these anti-vaxxers are portraying themselves as elite and better than everyone else on the list, creating a potential issue of discrimination based on vaccination status.
Although it appears the majority of anti-vaxxers participating in this trend do not have any racist motivations, they represent a larger group of anti-vaxxers that have become known for their nationalism, right-wing extremism, and white supremacist ideologies. White nationalists have been quick to pick up on the new terminology, applying the term 'pure bloods' to include only the white race to recruit more into the racist's movement. In recent months there have been many rallies organized by the far-right protesting government mandated COVID-19 restrictions that have, more often than not, turned violent when members of the far-left made an appearance to counter-protest.
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TRAC INCIDENT REPORT: With Three Confirmed Injured and 5 Beheaded, Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) Weaponizes Drones Amid Clash with United Cartels and Security Services in Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, Mexico |
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TRAC Incident Report: Man Opens Fire with Crossbow After Killing Two People in Knife Attack in Almelo, The Netherlands |
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(COVID-19) Construction Industry Forced to a Standstill with a Two-Week Shutdown Following a Violent Anti-COVID Protest Outside the CFMEU Officers in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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