#sawt syria

[karmaalwayswins]

Noise Diva performs a DJ Set for Boiler Room Berlin's Sawt Syria program in 2024.

Video Credit: Boiler Room

[youarebetteroffblog]

Sawt Syria: Exile (Europe) | Boiler Room صوت سوريا - المنفى (أوروبا)

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[summarychannel]

Dangerous.. Russia begins to enter the war from the southern gate, and America begins to move Updates on the Al-Aqsa Flood operation presented in this episode of Samri Channel. Starting with the Syrian news website “Sawt Al-Asimah,” which said in a special report under the title: “Russia allows Tehran to use the Hmeimim Air Base”: “A plane belonging to Mahan Air, which is linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, landed yesterday afternoon, Thursday, November 2nd, at the airport.” Latakia International Airport coming from the Iranian capital, Tehran.

 The sources confirmed that Russia gave the green light to Iran to use Latakia International Airport, known as Hmeimim Airport, which is largely under full Russian control, after weeks of negotiation, during which Russia refrained from allowing Iranian aircraft to transport weapons through its airport, following the repeated exits from Aleppo and Damascus airports. Out of service as a result of Israeli strikes. Israeli media quoted sources at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran that the plane carried five tons of ammunition to Syria, likely to be shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles.

 The Wall Street Journal said yesterday, citing American sources, that the United States learned of the Russian Wagner militia supplying the Hezbollah militia with shoulder-fired missiles. CNN said that Bashar al-Assad agreed to send a missile system to Hezbollah with the help of the Russian Wagner militia. Damascus and Aleppo airports were out of service as a result of several Israeli strikes during the month, the first of which was on October 12, days after the outbreak of confrontations between Palestinian factions and Israel, which prompted the Ministry of Transport to transfer scheduled flights through the two airports to Hmeimim Airport in Latakia.

On the other hand, two sources familiar with Hezbollah's arsenal said that the powerful Russian anti-ship missiles obtained by the Lebanese group provide it with a means to implement the veiled threat made by its leader against American warships and highlight the serious risks of any war in the region. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned Washington last week that his group has something in store for American ships deployed in the region since the outbreak of war last month between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, which is shaking the wider Middle East region. The two informed sources in Lebanon said that Nasrallah was referring to the group's greatly enhanced anti-ship missile capabilities, which include the Russian Yakhont missile, which has a range of up to 300 kilometers.

 Media reports and analysts have indicated for years that Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, acquired Yakhont missiles in Syria after deploying its fighters there more than a decade ago to aid President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war. Hezbollah has never confirmed that it possesses this weapon. The Shiite group's media office has not yet responded after being contacted to comment on this story. Washington says that its deployment in the Mediterranean, which includes two aircraft carriers with their supporting ships, aims to prevent the expansion of the conflict by deterring Iran, which supports groups including the Palestinian Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.

Hezbollah considers American warships a direct threat because of their ability to strike the group and its allies. Nasrallah said in a speech on Friday that US warships in the Mediterranean “do not frighten us and have never frightened us.” He added, "The fleets that you threaten us with, we have prepared for them as well." The White House said after Nasrallah delivered his speech that Hezbollah should not take advantage of the war between Hamas and Israel and that the United States does not want the conflict to spread to Lebanon. One of the sources said that Hezbollah's anti-ship capabilities have developed significantly since 2006, when the group demonstrated for the first time its ability to strike a ship at sea by hitting an Israeli warship in the Mediterranean Sea during its war with Israel.

#Palestine #Russia #Gaza

[iamsiddharthanilnair]

What is the Islamic State of Khorasan Province?

As the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) losses ground in Syria and Iraq, its fighters have had to move to new arenas in the Middle East and North Africa. The disintegration of ISIL in Raqqa and Mosul, has also led to a dispersion of fighters to parts of South Asia and South East Asia. Indigenous groups that such as the Abu Sayyef Group in the Philippines or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen in Bangladesh having initially claimed some form of affiliation to ISIL missions are now offering sanctuary to these fighters; in this way they have access to ISIL tactics, manpower and theological legitimacy. The other effect of this dispersion is the establishment of Asian ISIL “wilayats”, or provinces. One such province was established in Kashmir in 2018 as the Wilayat-e-Hind; and it was quickly engaged by the Indian Armed Forces, and the newly instituted Army Special Forces Operations Division (ASFOD) at the end of 2019. The other provincial ISIL outfit – that of Khorasan Province –  has morphed into its own individual entity, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISK). 

ISK operates mainly in north eastern Afghanistan, and has logistical bases along the Durand Line, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s namesake, Khorasan, is a historical region that spans eastern Iran, northern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, and is a cultural anchor for much of Persian history. According to some sources, the modern Persian language – Dari - finds its origins in its use by the people of Khorasan. 

ISK

Even though ISK did not have much of a promising start – the loss of 4 emirs, and a number of mid-high level lieutenants – owing to its hostilities towards all regional groups, Taliban and Al Qaeda included, its recent attack on a gurudwara in Kabul has brought it back into the spotlight. In the early days, ISK was highly dependent on ISIL, but the loss of Raqqa in 2017 and then Al-Baghdadi in 2019 left it isolated; free to operate on its own terms. These events similarly affected other ISIL wilayats in Central, South and South East Asia, but unlike the others, ISK is still a coherent, operational group and fields an estimated 2500-4500 fighters, recruited from local villages and groups such as Tareek-e-Taliban (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Janghvi Al-Aalami (LeJ-A). 

While the historical influence of Khorasan as a geopolitical entity is dominant in ISK’s thinking, the main reasons for its continued existence is the perceived occupation of Kashmir by India, and it’s recruitment cadre – educated youth and scholars from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh – is reflective of this perception. The other key perceived enemy is Russia, following its 2015 intervention in Syria. Even in the March, 2020 US-Russian Joint Statement  on Afghanistan ISK is regarded mutually, as an enemy to the future of Afghanistan. The defeat of the Wilayat-e-Hind in 2019, and the coordinated efforts of the US-led Coalition and the Afghan National Army (ANA) in Afghanistan signalled to the world that ISK would be soon, dead in the water. 

However, sustained terror attacks on checkpoints and outpost in Afghanistan – 6 in 2016, 18 in 2017, 24 in 2018 and at least 12 last year – and the disintegration of the ISIL caliphate in Syria and Iraq, has given more power to the legitimacy of the ISK, as more and more foreign fighters join its ranks. Other important events that solidified ISIL in Asia, were the 2017 battle for Marawi, in the Philippines and the 2019 Easter bomb-attack on a Sri Lankan church that killed 290. In 2017 a 5-month battle raged over the island of Mindanao, and was a result of ISIL affiliates, particularly the Abu Sayeef Group and Insilon Hapilon taking over the city. The terrorist attack on the Colombo church was carried out by National Tawheed Jama’at (NTJ) another well-known ISIL-affiliate. 

India and Pakistan

It would seem that ISK is not only a threat to India, but to Pakistan as well. While India was already involved in the fight against ISK in 2019, Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had issued a warning that ISIL had begun planning attacks on political gatherings and party head-quarters in Pakistan’s major cities. But the establishment of the Wilayat-e-Pakistan in that same year, did not really garner a response from Pakistani authorities (in fact, the Wilayat was considered an afterthought, a face saving measure, to not seem only “anti-Indian”). 

More recently, the ongoing protests and riots over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) policy in India seems to have spurred further recruitment into ISK. The theological bent is so severe that the newsletter of the Kashmir-wing of the ISK –  “Sawt-ul-Hind” –has claimed that Indian Muslims are only different from their fellow Hindu or Christian citizens in name and nothing more.

Conclusion

South Asia is seeing a resurgence of insurgent/terror groups owing to the shifting tide in the Middle East. As ISIL loses ground in Syria-Iraq, its fighters have to move once more, just as they did from post-civil war Libya and Egypt in 2011. This time, these fighters are finding themselves in most South Asian countries and those in South East Asia, particularly Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. ISK may become the new stronghold, and it is imperative that American-led Coalition forces in Afghanistan begin coordinated strikes against ISK before they become a burden to the Asian community. 

Written by Siddharth Anil Nair. 

[gimun22]

"We are ready"

Cairo-based Radio “Sawt al-Arab“ (Voice of the Arabs) is broadcasting the following speech by President Nasser: “Seeing recent activity in Israel land, we once again were disrespected. We are convinced that Israel is getting ready for their Haram towards us, and we will not accept it. Starting immediately, Egypt, together with Syria and the Soviet Union, are preparing their forces and troops alongside the Israeli border, as well as inside the country. If Israel decides to take a move, remember: WE ARE READY. Our brothers are ready.”

[dailymemesworld]

The Islamic State’s Increasing Focus On India

Kashmiri protesters hold Islamic State flags as they shout slogans during a protest in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 31, 2019.

On March 25, a lone terrorist affiliated with Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) carried out an attack on a Sikh place of worship, the Gurudwara Har Rai Sahib, in Kabul, Afghanistan killing 25 worshipers. Some reports mentioned the presence of three attackers, including suicide bombers, in an attack that lasted for hours holding some 80 people hostage. The terrorist behind the Kabul gurudwara attack has been identified as Abu Khalid al-Hindi (real name Mohammed Mohsin) from the Indian state of Kerala. A statement by the Islamic State’s (IS) Amaq media claims the attack was “revenge for the Muslims in Kashmir” who were facing alleged atrocities at the hands of the Indian government.

The recent attack, scattered violence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and recent propaganda directed toward Indian Muslims suggest a reorientation of IS strategy in an attempt to garner support by capitalizing on recent incidents of civil unrest in India. IS has always thrived on polarization between religious groups and social chaos for its activities and recruitment, and India is no exception.

This was the second ISKP attack on Afghanistan’s minority Sikh community after the 2018 suicide bombing of a convoy of Hindus and Sikhs in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, which killed 19 people. Attacking non-Muslims such as Sikhs — and even Muslims that do not adhere to its Salafi leanings, such as Shias — is a hallmark of IS ideology.

The latest attack comes at a time when ISKP has been reportedly defeated in Afghanistan by U.S., Afghan, and Taliban forces, with the group restricted to small pockets of Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan and numbering some 2,000 fighters. However, ISKP has managed to survive and indeed carried out a significant number of attacks this year in Afghanistan, especially after the signing of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, presumably to derail the peace process. The recent surge in attacks by ISKP is meant to attract hardline Taliban and al-Qaeda members opposed to the peace deal and to cause friction between the United States, Afghan government, and the Taliban.

That said, the India facet of the attack should not go unnoticed. Around 100 people from Kerala alone had joined ISKP since 2016; many Indian nationals were among the 1,400 ISKP terrorists and their dependents who surrendered to the Afghan government earlier this year. The man alleged to be behind the attack, al-Hindi, left India in 2018 and traveled to Afghanistan via the United Arab Emirates and then Iran to join ISKP, the South Asian branch of the Islamic State. IS released a video message by al-Hindi recorded just prior to the attack where, speaking in fluent Urdu, he mentioned IS members who were imprisoned in India, probably to instill a sense of camaraderie and retribution for their imprisonment.

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On March 29, IS released the second edition of its propaganda magazine focused on India, Sawt al-Hind (Voice of Hind/India) in which it once again calls the Taliban apostates and urges the group’s fighters to defect to IS. The magazine includes an old propaganda message from a deceased Kashmiri IS terrorist, Abu Hamza al-Kashmiri (real name Abdul Rehman), who was killed in 2018. In the first edition of the same magazine, IS eulogized Huzaifa al-Bakistani, a Pakistani terrorist tasked with radicalizing Kashmiri youth, who was killed in 2019 in Afghanistan. The cover page had the tagline, “So where are you going? A call to Muslims of India,” asking Indian Muslims to rally to IS in the name of Islam in the aftermath of the 2020 Delhi riots.

The Islamic State clearly sees an opportunity in social unrest pegged to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants who came to India before 2014 from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The magazine criticized everyone from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to opposition leaders such as student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi for “misguiding the Muslim youth.” IS also dismissed India’s democratic system and constitution by saying that Indian Muslims can only thrive under an Islamic political system, such as the caliphate.

In February, Islamic State’s new agency, Amaq, released unverified photos of arson attacks on Indian police and paramilitary bunkers and a church in Srinagar, J&K. Though the photos were dated January 2020, the supposed attacks were not claimed by IS at the time, which is strange. In February, Amaq also claimed a clash between two IS Wilayat al-Hind (India province) terrorists and Indian paramilitary forces in J&K, which led to the death of a paramilitary trooper and the two terrorists. IS had declared its India province in May 2019 soon after the Sri Lankan Easter bombings and the loss of its last territory in Iraq and Syria.

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Using an Indian national for the Kabul gurudwara attack serves three purposes for IS. First, it gives an Indian face to an attack in one of the Afghan capital’s most secure areas, especially when the city is under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. By doing so, IS aims to inspire other Indian Muslims sympathetic to the cause to support it and even carry out attacks in its name in India. Second, it demonstrates that IS is not yet defeated in Afghanistan, much less globally. The group has fighters in its ranks not just from Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also from democratic secular nations like India — even after the fall of its caliphate and death of its caliph in 2019. Third, using an Indian Muslim to attack Sikhs could be an attempt at driving a wedge in India’s social fabric, which celebrates harmony and equality between Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, and other religions. While Sikhs are a small minority in Afghanistan, a large number of them reside in India and have occupied top positions in the government, military, and politics.

The civil unrest in India over the CAA, while being mostly nonviolent, has sparked notable spasms of violence between Hindus and Muslims like the Delhi riots, which resulted in a large number of deaths, injuries, and incidents of arson. Groups like IS will use such incidents to galvanize support, expand its reach in India, and execute possible attacks on Indian targets abroad such as in Afghanistan. Some reports in Indian and Afghan media had indicated that the original target for the attack on March 25 was not the gurudwara in Kabul but rather the Indian consulate in Jalalabad or the Indian Embassy in Kabul. However, increased security after previous attacks on Indian diplomatic missions in Afghanistan had forced the last minute change of the target. If this is true, then this could be a major security concern for India, especially since New Delhi had invested so much capital in Afghanistan and put so much effort into its relationship with the Afghan government. Even more alarming is that apparently the Pakistan-based Haqqani Network and ISKP had together carried out the attack,

So far Indian Muslims have strongly dismissed the IS narrative and the number of Indians who subscribe the IS ideology or have traveled abroad to fight for IS is minuscule. But the recent polarization in society has the potential to radicalize some sections. In February, Islamic State’s branch in Jammu and Kashmir released a communique that specifically mentioned Indian intelligence agencies and Hindu nationalist groups such as the “Sangh Parivar” (most probably referencing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) as targets. Indian authorities have busted multiple IS modules and disrupted terror plots; however, radicalization remains a long-term threat with the large number of Wahhabi and Salafi madrassas in India, the ease of access to IS propaganda online, and ongoing militancy in J&K.