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On the night of 01 March 2023, two suspected Islamic State Morocco (ISM) militants captured, tortured, and immolated a police officer in the Errahma District, Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat Region, Morocco. After the officer was reported missing, an investigation ensued, first leading authorities to only the officer's bloodstained glasses and portable camera; his service weapon and vehicle were missing. The officer's immolated body was later found Lakhadra Village in the Errahma District, Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat Region, Morocco.
Two weeks later, on 15 March, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) conducted simultaneous raids in the city of Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat Region, and in the city of Fez, Fès-Meknès Region, Morocco – a distance of 246km. Two primary suspects were taken into custody during two raids, with a third raid resulting in the capture of a third suspect in Casablanca.
Similar to the men depicted in the image below, it is reported that the suspects pledged bay'ah [oath] to the emir of an Islamic State cell and were plotting a series of terrorist attacks in Morocco. The police officer tortured and killed was merely a 'target of convenience,' and they confiscated his duty weapon with plans to use it in a bank robbery.
The first two suspects were said to have assaulted the police officer with knives before ultimately immolating him and dropping him in a gutter in Lakhadra village. After stealing the officer's private car, they coordinated with the third suspect to destroy evidence by burning the vehicle.
In their raids the DGSN seized the murder weapons and recovered the handcuffs and the police officer’s duty pistol.
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It should be noted that this the second cell of Islamic State Morocco (ISM) militants that has been dismantled by the Moroccan Authorities within a week. The first was the dismantled by conducting simultaneous raids on 10 March 2023, in the towns of Tetouan and Larache, Morocco. Again, this small cell had also recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and were found with a massive amount of IS paraphernalia and propaganda. After this cell had plotted to carry out various attacks in the country, then planned to escape to fight with Islamic State Greater Sahara (ISGS), better known as hijrah, in the Sahel.
The most recently dismantled cell seemed to have similar motives of conducting several high profile attacks across the country. Their intent was to use the seized police officer's weapon to rob a bank to fund their operations. It is not clear if both cells were in contact with the one another, but if they were, the information gleaned through interrogations could have led to the dismantling of the three cell members to the authorities on 15 March 2023.
It is worth noting that two days later, on 17 March 2023, an Islamic State lone wolf was also apprehended in Safi, Morocco and that Morocco in particular, may be facing a resurgence of IS militancy, -or- that Islamic State's External Operations branch (Emni) has reactivated in time for Ramadan to begin.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Al-Shabaab Kills 20 Government “Militia” and Injure 10 at Military Base in Daru-Na’im, Middle Shabelle Region, Somalia
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On 21 March 2023, al-Shabaab militants claimed to have killed 20 'government militia' and injured 10 others at a military base in Daru-Na’im, Middle Shabelle Region, Somalia. They also stated they destroyed two vehicles and seized equipment and weapons.
As it is with so many al-Shabaab incidents, there is conflicting information about this attack, with local media reporting that the attack was repelled and 30 al-Shabaab militants were killed. The truth lies somewhere in the middle with some al-Shabaab militants and soldiers being killed, but the incident did take place.
Al-Shabaab controls large swaths of territory in Southern Somalia and they carry out daily attacks on the army. Just two weeks ago, the Middle Shabelle region saw an al-Shabbaab attack that killed at least 32 soldiers.
The Somali government continues to team up with local clans that oppose al-Shabaab rule, but this is unlikely to make a difference in Somalia since al-Shabaab is the most well-funded of all al-Qaeda franchises. Furthermore, al-Shabaab has enough support to continue to sustain their long-term campaign, not to mention their highly successful cross-border campaign on the Kenya-Somalia border.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Proud Boys Clash with Drag Queen Story Hour Supporters at
7th Avenue, New York City, United States
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Members of The Proud Boys protesting outside the NYC Drag Queen Story Hour | |
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On 19 March 2023, New York Attorney General, Letitia James hosted a Drag Queen story hour event on 7th Avenue, New York City, United States. Members of the far-right extremist group, The Proud Boys (PB), showed up in large numbers expecting to overwhelm the LGBTQ+ supporters but ended up being overwhelmed themselves.
Incidents designed to intimidate participants and attendees of drag queen events and the LGBTQ+ community at large have become an "activist" trend by extreme far-right groups like The Proud Boys, NSC 131, and the Patriot Front. However, in an unexpected turn of events on 19 March 2023, the protestors were beaten up by the LGBTQ+ supporters with some of the Proud Boys protesters even left covered in blood. One of the PB members even went on to say, "I came here to help, not get the s**t beat out of me."
It is worth mentioning that all these clashes happened in the presence of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers. Later, the officers made some arrests, however, it’s not clear to which group the detainees belong to.
After the incident, the office of AG James released a statement to clarify her position on why she organized the event in the first place, stating that she opted to organize the event, "with so many public officials and private citizens around the nation targeting the drag, queer, and trans communities with hateful policies and violence, it’s powerful for AG James to loudly and proudly organize this Drag Story Hour."
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TRAC Incident Report:
Palestinian Mob Attacks Two German Tourists in a Rental Car With Israeli Plates in Shchem (Nablus), West Bank, Israel
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Damage sustained to the German tourists' rental car | |
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On 18 March 2023, two German tourists driving from Tel Aviv in a rental car with Israeli plates entered the hostile Palestinian territory of Shchem (Nablus), clearly displaying the Israeli flag from their vehicle. At their sight, a mob of young Palestinians attacked the vehicle with bricks in an attempt to lynch the pair of Germans, out of fear that they were undercover Israeli agents. The two victims managed to drive away unharmed from the scene; however, their vehicle was badly damaged.
This incident demonstrates how dangerous it is for people to cross into Palestinian territories from Israel. Although the acts of violence are to be condemned, it has to be noted that the two purportedly "naïve German tourists", said to be expert travelers, clearly entered territory to deliberately provoke the Palestinians.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been escalating in the last few months, with mutual attacks resulting in casualties among both Israeli civilians and armed forces, and Palestinian resistance fighters. Only one day after the assault on the aforementioned German tourists in Nablus, a Palestinian shooter seriously wounded an Israeli-American in his car with his family in Huwara, Nablus.
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TRAC Incident Report: Roman Jewish Community Denounces Anti-Semitic Behavior By Soccer Fans During the Derby Lazio-Roma, Rome, Lazio Region, Italy | |
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TRAC Incident Report: Suspected Islamic State Khurasan Pakistan (ISKP) Militants Assassinated the Director of the Mohammadia Noorani Islamic Centre, in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
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TRAC Incident Report: Jama'a Nusrat al-Islam wa ul-Muslimin (JNIM) Conducted Double Attacks on Malian Forces in Segou, Koulikoro and on the Road Between Klafuro and Marja in Mali
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