(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. On August 2, ISIS released a new propaganda video from the group’s self-proclaimed Sahel province. Clips from the video were found on Instagram, TikTok, and X. On July 28, ISIS claimed credit for an attack on a church in Ituri province, Congo. CEP researchers located a statement on July 30 from the pro-ISIS translation group Fursan al-Tarjuma, announcing a new German-language online translation entity.
Also last week, CEP researchers located over 30 accounts on TikTok that posted antisemitic, white supremacist, or neo-Nazi content, including a viral video with over 1.5 million views, which promoted a Telegram channel based on fishing and white supremacist politics. A TikTok video that glorified the perpetrator of the October 9, 2019, Halle attack, who targeted a synagogue, received over 122,000 views within 48 hours of being posted.
New ISIS Propaganda Video Released
ISIS released a new propaganda video on August 2 from the group’s self-proclaimed Sahel province. The approximately 13-minute video showed combat between ISIS and the armed forces of Mali and Niger during battles that took place in May and June. In addition to extensive combat footage, the video included footage of the execution of prisoners.
The video was spread via Telegram, RocketChat, Element, and SimpleX. CEP researchers also located clips from the video on Instagram, TikTok, and X. Five video clips located on Instagram on August 4 included an upload that was modified to potentially avoid detection by removing color and texture so that the video appeared as a series of black lines, as well as video posts containing direct, unchanged footage. Additional clips and posts advertising the video were found on pro-ISIS accounts on TikTok, as well as an X account that shared video segments and links for the video on file download sites. A video was also found on YouTube, uploaded on August 2, that contained the title of the video but did not include any ISIS footage or iconography. The associated text directed viewers to contact a Telegram account for access to the video.
ISIS video clip on Instagram. Screenshot taken on August 4.
ISIS Claims Credit for Congo Attack
On July 28, ISIS, via its Amaq News Agency, claimed responsibility for an attack the previous day targeting civilians in a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, killing almost 40 people. The Amaq claim stated that nearly 45 people were killed and others were captured, and that homes, shops, and vehicles were burned in the attack. Pro-ISIS Telegram channels posted photos that allegedly showed the aftermath of the attack and news updates from wire services. The attack was confirmed in the group’s weekly newsletter, released on July 31, which noted the success of the attack, as well as additional killings in the region.
New German Language Pro-ISIS Translation Group Announced
On July 30, the online pro-ISIS translation group Fursan al-Tarjuma announced the creation of a new German-language translation group, al-Ribat Media. In a post on RocketChat, Fursan al-Tarjuma stated that the new group would provide translations of official ISIS propaganda videos, news releases, and content from the weekly al-Naba newsletter. The new group joins 18 other ISIS translation outlets under the Fursan al-Tarjuma banner. In addition to the announcement, the group posted an address for a Telegram bot.
Al-Saif Media, a pro-ISIS German-language translation group that began operations on January 21, has not posted content since June 22. The July 30 announcement for al-Ribat Media was shared in an Al-Saif Media channel by a moderator account that had not previously posted in the room.
Announcement image for Al-Ribat Media. Screenshot taken on July 31.
Antisemitic, White Supremacist, and Neo-Nazi Content Located on TikTok
In a sample of content on TikTok located on July 29, CEP researchers located 32 accounts that made antisemitic, white supremacist, or neo-Nazi posts. One video, posted by an account with over 6,600 followers connected to a white supremacist Telegram channel that shares photos and videos related to fishing, showed a man giving a Nazi salute while wearing a shirt with a logo for the channel, and received over 1.5 million views on TikTok within five days of being posted. Users of a chat affiliated with the Telegram channel promote neo-Nazism, white supremacism, and antisemitism, and chat members have promoted Active Clubs, the Hammerskins support group Crew 38, as well as regional white supremacist fishing groups.
Additional accounts located on July 29 included eight accelerationist neo-Nazi accounts that glorified mass shooters or shared Terrorgram-affiliated propaganda or content promoting violent neo-Nazi groups. The eight accounts had an average of 327 followers, ranging from 1 to 1,717. Four uploads, posted by three accounts, included footage from the March 15, 2019, Christchurch terrorist attack, and the October 9, 2019, attack targeted a synagogue in Halle, Germany. The video containing footage from the Halle attack, which glorified the attacker and promoted Holocaust denial, received over 122,000 views on TikTok within 48 hours of being posted.
Eight accounts that posted propaganda from the neo-fascist group Patriot Front were also located on the platform, averaging 606 followers ranging between 26 and 1,049. One account, with 262 followers, posted Active Club propaganda. 14 accounts were affiliated with Youth Clubs that promote white supremacism to teenage boys under the age of 18, and often also promote Patriot Front and Active Clubs to teenagers. The 14 accounts included Youth Club chapters in numerous U.S. regions. They averaged 556 followers, ranging between 67, for a group in Pennsylvania, to 3,034, for a Youth Club account that posted content promoting Nazi Germany and antisemitism.
CEP reported 29 accounts to TikTok for violating their Terms of Service. As of August 4, 13 of the 29 reported accounts were still online. An additional three accounts were reported to national level authorities.
A Patriot Front propaganda account that advertises the group’s website. Screenshot taken on July 31.