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On 05 October 2023, authorities were warned of plot orchestrated by the Sri Lankan Islamic State (IS) franchise, National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ). The plot, which is likely still operational, intended to bomb multiple locations in the largest city in Sri Lanka, the capital of Colombo. The planned targets include Parliament, Colombo Port City, and the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple.
The plan was reportedly concocted by a group of IS-linked inmates currently detained in various Sri Lankan prisons. The authorities revealed that the plotters communicated with each other by using mobile phones. Islamic State East Asian affiliates have been notoriously adept at planning large scale attacks from inside prison walls, especially in Indonesia and Philippines. Given the details of this plan, it should be assumed that those involved in the plot who were not imprisoned, are still operational.
An inmate, housed at the minimum security Pallekele prison (a 2016 rendering of this 'open prison' is shown above) overheard the plot and reportedly had been beaten simply for overhearing the plot. Likely for his safety, this prisoner was transferred to Mahara prison, a maximum security facility, and during the course of his transfer, he threw a letter with details of the plan at the Tennekumbura Police checkpoint. The letter also included the names of the prisoners involved and their mobile phone numbers.
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Although NTJ is not strong enough to cause a real insurgency, it does have a presence in the country. The Islamic State-affiliated group is most famous for the multiple suicide bombers responsible for the 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday bombings at churches and hotels throughout Sri Lanka.
The fact that the inmates were plotting attacks in Colombo by communicating with each other through mobile phones, is a clear indication that they received the devices from fellow NTJ members on visiting days, with the complicity of corrupt prison guards. TRAC does not rule out that the NTJ was also planning a prison break in favor of the imprisoned brothers.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas) Releases Abu Ubayda’s Statement
on the Third Day of al-Aqsa Flood Operation, Palestine
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On 07 October 2023, Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, involving at least 1,500 of armed Palestinian militants, who carried out incursions by land, sea and air into Israeli territories, targeting both civilians and militaries.
Since then, Israeli forces have continuously launched strikes on the Gaza strip and vowed to cut food, water, electricity and gas on the strip.
Three days into Hamas' 'flood,' on 09 October 2023, the military wing for Hamas, al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement from their spokesman, Abu Ubayda. Ubayda's statement confirmed that Hamas has taken a "huge number of hostages and transferred them to al-Qassam’s detention locations," for whom there will be no negotiations as long as the fighting endures. Intelligence agencies have estimated that the number of hostages held by Hamas to be between 100-150 and some of those hostages could be seen in the photos al-Qassam brigades circulated on social networks on 07 October.
Of note, he also announced the group's intention to turn the local war into a regional one, of which could already be seen, with Hezbollah’s rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli infrastructure in northern Israel on 08 October and the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on 09 October. Israel has also expanded their operations into Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
For the complete statement and TRAC's translation please visit the link below:
TRAC Incident Report: al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas) Releases Abu Ubayda's
Statement on the Third Day of al-Aqsa Flood Operation
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TRAC Incident Report:
Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Militant Haibat Khan Eliminated During a CTO in Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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On 07 October 2023, Pakistan’s police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) conducted a joint covert operation that eliminated Haibat Khan, a most wanted terrorist associated with Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) and its subordinate organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
Both groups are well-known to be anti-Shia, but it should be noted that Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) is now known as Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and in Pakistan, ASWJ regularly advocates for Shi’ites to be legally declared non-Muslim and has a violent offshoot that specifically targets Shi’ite mosques.
Khan was a Sunni extremist, who played a significant role in a number of attacks targeting the Shia community. It came to light that he was wanted by the CTD for at least 9 other terrorism cases that included murder and possession of illegal weapons. Khan had a bounty on his head to the tune of 60 million PK Rs (approximately $216,900 USD.)
Although many of Khan's associates were able to evade authorities during the CTO, security forces recovered an AK-47, hand grenades and other relevant items and launched a search operation to arrest the remaining terrorists.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Coordination For Azawad Movement (CAM) Militants
Led Armed Assault Against FAMA and Wagner Forces,
in Tabankort, Gao Region, Mali
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Image text: "We announce that the Azawad National Army repelled a failed advance attempt by the Malian army convoy and the Wagner militia, inflicting human and material losses on them and shooting down a military plane
in Tabincourt, 65 kilometers from the Sitra district / Gao state, on 10/05/2023."
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On 05 October 2023, Coordination For Azawad Movement (CAM) militants led an armed assault against Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and Wagner forces in Tabankort, located in the Gao Region of Mali. FAMA and Wagner forces reportedly were attempting to advance through the area when CAM militants responded.
This attack is likely in response to the FAMA and Wagner convoy that was headed toward the Azawad Forces stronghold of Kidal a few days earlier, that resulted in multiple assaults on civilian populations, that included capturing, killing, and beheading 18 local residents.
The Coordination For Azawad Movement (CAM) has recently been on a fierce streak in Mali and this 05 October attack was followed up with CAM taking down another Malian plane. CAM militants have garnered a new reputation for their ability to destroy aircraft. Oftentimes, they will begin with an armed assault, targeting Malian forces, and then strategically retreat as they know air support is will quickly follow. CAM militants then lie in wait for the aircraft to get close and then hit it with anti-aircraft weaponry.
Downing aircraft has become a recent tactic between CAM and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), further fortifying TRAC's assertion that these two groups are working closely together, as CAM has never showed this strategic level of complexity in the past.
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TRAC Insight:
'Sovereign Citizens' Exploit the Concept of 'Aboriginal Sovereignty' to Spread Hate Ideologies Among the Australian Native Community, Australia
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TRAC Incident Report: Joint Operation Targets Bandits, Killing 67 and Freeing 20 Kidnap Victims, Lere District, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria | |
TRAC Incident Report: Unidentified Man Crashes His Vehicle into Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, California, United States | | | | |
