Overview
Twitter personality “Persian Witness” is a propagandist for ISIS believed to operate out of ISIS-controlled territory. In July 2015, Persian Witness created a new account under the handle @AhleFars2 after his @AhleFars (active January 2010 - June 2015) was suspended.
Persian Witness’s tweets praise military actions and violent acts carried out by ISIS.Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 11:15 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/607400351025602562. His tweets and retweets often reference public services in the self-proclaimed Islamic State. These include photos of Chinese restaurants, a midwifery class, and even a budget plan to help the disabled.Persian Witness, Twitter post, January 6, 2015, 12:22 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/552530624402444288. Witness also posts photos portraying what appears to be ISIS territory. Persian Witness, Twitter post, April 30, 2015, 1:05 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/593838664909631488.
While Persian Witness is predominantly pro-ISIS, he has shown some support for ISIS’s al-Qaeda competitor, the Nusra Front. On June 6, 2015, Witness tweeted, “If you’re Happy that #Nusra lost position to #Hezbollah in #Qalamoun or #IS lost positions in #Tikrit to Rawafed, you need to check ur heart!” Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 11:23 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/607402441764536320.
Persian Witness has published over 4,500 tweets and has approximately 3,000 followers. On June 10, 2015, he tweeted, “How to create a twitter handle If I get suspended? Twitter isn’t allowing the same email & new email wants mobile number ! : ( : (.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 10, 2015, 7:55 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/608799692336431105.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- ISIS
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Propagandist
ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.
History
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On March 25, 2017, as Bangladesh Armed Forces raided a militant hideout in South Surma Upazila, Bangladesh, militants detonated two bombs in a crowd of 500-600 onlookers. The attack, claimed by ISIS, killed four civilians and three police officers, and injured 50 others.