Highlights 

• Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of Afghani Taliban and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is calling the mujahidin to continue their fight against the enemy even during Id al-Fitr to bring about their withdrawal and the installation of an Islamic regime. Per him, jihadists managed to achieve military and political gains that are being manifested, for example, in conquering wide regions in Afghanistan and by solidifying their control of highways and strategic points. Further, both jihad battles and negotiating with the enemy are considered as legitimate tools to achieve the goal of ending the occupation and installing an Islamic regime.
• Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, is fiercely criticizing the campaign conducted by the west against the Muslim identity of Muslim women around the world. Per him, the west is plagued with double standards: on the one hand it preaches for women’s liberation yet at the same time it prohibits wearing veils out of intention to turn the Muslim woman into a secular one who is disconnected from its Muslim roots. As he sees it, the Muslim woman has a central role in Islamic society which is manifested by education and maintain the stability of the core family. That said, he warned Muslim women of the enemies’ ploys intended to have them stray from Islam and the belief in Allah. In another speech, al-Zawahiri focused on the importance of obeying Allah and Muhammad. Per him, following this principle is a guarantee for jihadists’ victory over their enemies and stressed the value of being patient while performing jihad against the enemies of Islam.
• The al-Qaeda leadership calls upon jihadists in Syria to maintain the unity of the ranks, especially in light of the enemy’s wide offensive on jihadists and the civilian population. Per the leadership, the fighters who immigrated to Syria must assist with jihad against the Assad regime and its allies.
• The al-Qaeda leadership condemns the Pakistanis for arresting three Muslim women who were married to jihadists and accused them of following American orders. That said, the leadership waned the Pakistani government and the U.S. not to hurt them.
• The al-Qaeda leadership eulogizes Sheikh Sufi Muhammad al-Sawati (1933-2019), a prominent Pakistani cleric and founder of Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, a militant Pakistani organization attempting to install sharia in Pakistan. Per the eulogy, al-Sawati and his activity to promote jihad (such as his call to start a jihad against the Pakistani government because of its support of the U.S. and the oppression policy against the northern tribes) left a deep mark on Afghani jihadists.
•  The al-Qaeda leadership eulogizes Abu Khaad al-Muhandis, a veteran al-Qaeda member killed in Idlib.
• Sheikh Sayf al-Adl, a senior al-Qaeda leader, warns jihadi factions in Syria of cooperating with the Turkish regime and other states because such cooperation might hinder the efforts to defeat the enemy.
• The al-Qaeda leadership publishes a second volume of its publication al-Umma al-Wahida. The issue dedicated space to a special discussion about the importance of developing hacking and cyber-attack abilities, especially against critical infrastructure to paralyze life in the west and weaken its economy.
• Al-Shabab al-Mujahidin, the al-Qaeda extension in Somalia, fiercely criticizes the Somali government for installing a secular regime rather than a religious one, and for forging ties with the west who persecutes the Muslims and wants to weaken their religious identity. In light of the above the organization justifies attacks on Somali hotels because they host military, intelligence and political elements of the Somali government and foreign regimes. Further, the organization called its members and supporters to keep perpetrating suicide attacks against the enemy and stressed that it enjoys wide popular support.
• Ali Mahmoud Raji, the formal spokesman of Al-Shabab al-Mujahidin, claims that his organization succeeds in striking blows on the governments and that the government failed in its campaign against the organization. Per him, the mujahidin keep hurting the enemy in central locations, Mogadishu included, to convey the message that the mujahidin don’t forget the U.S. attacks on Somalia and their bombing of innocents. He also threatened that his organization will hurt all who meddle in internal Somali affairs, such as Turkey (that erected military bases in the state) and the U.S.
• ISIS activists in various provinces such as al-Sham and Bangladesh renewed their pledge of allegiance to al-Baghdadi within the framework of the Best Result is Reserved for Those Who Trust Allah. Together with their pledge they stressed they are committed for a continued jihad.
• ISIS is calling its supporters to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of Hindu presence, following a visit by PM Modi in KSA. The organization warned that the visit laid the groundwork for erecting new military bases and Hindu temples in KSA and for the immigration of Hindu masses to KSA. The organization clarified that this was unacceptable due to the fierce animosity between Hindu and Muslims and therefore jihad must be launched against the Hindu in the Arabian Peninsula and against the Saudi regime who allow such presence in the Arabian Peninsula.
• Abu Muhammad al-Julani the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham denies all connection between the last round of talks in Astana and the cease fire agreement in Idlib. Per him, the cease fire may collapse at any moment and stressed that he did not intend to withdraw from the frontlines to create a demilitarized zone in north west Syria and will not meet the terms set by Assad to continue the cease fire. Per him, the Alawi military attack only managed to unite all jihadi factions.

  This article is part of the RED-Alert project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon                                      2020 research and innovation Programme under grant agreement No 740688.