Eye on Extremism: June 2, 2025
Top Stories
Reuters: Man attacks Colorado crowd with firebombs, 8 people injured
Eight people were injured on Sunday when a 45-year-old man yelled "Free Palestine" and threw incendiary devices into a crowd in Boulder, Colorado where a demonstration to remember the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza was taking place, authorities said. Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years old were transported to hospitals, Boulder police said. Authorities had earlier put the count of the injured at six and said at least one of them was in a critical condition. "As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver Field Office, Mark Michalek, said. Michalek named the suspect as Mohamed Soliman, who was hospitalized shortly after the attack. FBI Director Kash Patel also described the incident as a "targeted terror attack," and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be "a hate crime given the group that was targeted." Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said he did not believe anyone else was involved.
The Hill: Africa terror group could soon strike inside the US, general says
The U.S. military’s top general in Africa said terrorist factions in the Sahel region have increased their presence so much in the past three years that they soon may be able to launch attacks within the United States. The region, which mainly includes Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, is “the flash point of prolonged conflict and growing instability,” U.S. Africa Command head Gen. Michael Langley told reporters Thursday. “It is the epicenter of terrorism on the globe.” “Extremist groups are gaining ground and also expanding their ambitions. Therein lies the threat to the homeland,” he added on the sidelines of the African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
CEP Mentions
The Telegraph: Dangerous terrorists should be held in military bases, not prisons
CEP Senior Advisor Prof. Ian Acheson writes: “I was asked by the shadow justice secretary to undertake a rapid review of the current threat to prison officers in general and those maimed by terrorists in particular. I was given no terms of reference, no steer and no interference at all in my full analysis which will be published online this afternoon. Jenrick is a politician for a party I used to be part of. Notwithstanding the politics, I believe him to be sincere in his concern about public servants who are closer to being murdered on duty by fanatics than at any time in the last 25 years.”
According to terrorism expert for the Counter Extremism Project, Riza Kumar, Mr. Kony was nearly captured by Russian mercenaries in the Central African Republic before reportedly fleeing towards Sudan in April last year. “Kony presumably remains at large around Kafia Kingi, the border area between Sudan and South Sudan,” she tells the Sun.
ZDF Heute: Young offenders, old ideology: How right-wing extremism is reinventing itself
At first glance, such groups give the impression that they organize themselves primarily via social networks, says Alexander Ritzmann, head of the right-wing extremism department at the Counter Extremism Project and FDP interior expert until 2006. However, this is often not the case. They recruit new members via social media, but "the core of these groups usually already know each other," explains the political scientist. Some are fans of the same soccer clubs or affiliated with hooligan groups, while others met at Monday demonstrations during the coronavirus pandemic. One explanation for the rise of these loosely organized right-wing extremist groups is the decline of the parties to the right of the AfD. "Parties like Heimat (formerly the NPD) have been in crisis for years," says Ritzmann. Since spring 2024, they have therefore been relying on a new strategy to recruit non-party, experience-oriented young people. With success: according to Ritzmann, content on TikTok and Instagram targets young people, shows parties and sport - and at the same time fuels fears of migration and loss of identity.
Analysis
CTC Sentinel: The Evolution of the Islamist Terror Threat Landscape in Germany Since 2020
Today, Germany is facing heightened security alerts due to Islamist terror threats at Christmas markets in the winter, Carnival parades in the spring, public festivals, pedestrian areas, protests, and at Israeli diplomatic missions and Jewish institutions. Over the last five years, authorities have seen younger perpetrators, new online spaces for radicalization, and new targets. Attackers are using familiar methods of attack and declaring support to well-known groups such as the Islamic State. This article provides an overview of the key developments in the Islamist terror threat in Germany between 2020 and 2025 by taking an in-depth look at all nine executed Islamist terrorist attacks and the 20 publicly reported thwarted attack plots during that time. It concludes with an analysis of the five most notable trends according to the data regarding attack vectors, terrorist profiles, propaganda and recruitment, the impact of October 7, and the role of foreign intelligence.
CTC Sentinel: Hurras al-Din: The Rise, Fall, and Dissolution of al-Qa`ida’s Loyalist Group in Syria
Despite concerns about al-Qa`ida’s influence in Syria, the organization experienced a reversal in its fortunes over the course of the Syrian civil war. This article traces the history of the rise of Syria’s al-Qa`ida-loyalist outfit Hurras al-Din (“Guardians of the Religion”), its subsequent marginalization by the then dominant insurgent actor Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in northwest Syria, and its final dissolution following the fall of the Assad regime. The history of Hurras al-Din and HTS’ own break from al-Qa`ida points to a major setback for al-Qa`ida in Syria, with any existing threat from al-Qa`ida’s networks in Syria easily containable by U.S. strikes against its personnel with the acquiescence if not cooperation of the new Syrian government.
United States
Jerusalem Post: NYC man who slashed Jewish barber with knife sentenced to six years in prison
The man who slashed a Jewish barber with a knife in an antisemitic assault last year was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that Ahmed al Jabali was handed a sentence of six years in state prison and three years of post-release supervision for his "vicious, antisemitic assault on a Jewish barber in Yonkers." On August 29, 2024, al Jabali entered the Yonkers barbershop of Slava Shushakov and asked for a shave, before snatching a pair of barber’s shears and repeatedly attempting to stab Shushakov, slashing him in the arm and hand several times.During the assault, Al Jabali called Shushakov an “[expletive] Jew" and shouted other antisemitic slurs. Shushakov - an immigrant from Uzbekistan - said in the felony complaint at the time, "He doesn't like Israel, he doesn't like the Jews, he wanted revenge for some reason, and he took my scissors and started attacking me."
Reuters: Hamas seeks changes in US Gaza proposal, Witkoff calls response 'unacceptable'
Hamas said on Saturday it was seeking amendments to a U.S.-backed proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, but President Donald Trump's envoy rejected the group's response as "totally unacceptable." The Palestinian militant group said it was willing to release 10 living hostages and hand over the bodies of 18 dead in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. But Hamas reiterated demands for an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, conditions Israel has rejected. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while his government had agreed to Witkoff's outline, Hamas was continuing its rejection of the plan. "Israel will continue its action for the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas," he said in a statement. Hamas said in a statement: "This response aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to our people in the Strip."
NPR: Trump nominates official with ties to antisemitic extremists to lead ethics agency
As NPR reported earlier this month, Jewish civil rights leaders have raised concerns about Ingrassia's ties to extremists, particularly in light of the administration's stated commitment to fighting antisemitism. The Trump Administration recently promoted Kingsley Wilson to the role of Pentagon press secretary over the objection of the American Jewish Committee, which said Wilson was "unfit" for government service, because she shared "antisemitic conspiracy theories lifted right out of the neo-Nazi playbook." The White House has justified the attempted deportation of international students and the withholding of billions of dollars in funding to universities as parts of a plan to combat antisemitic hate.
The NYPD says they are 'closely monitoring' what the FBI is calling a 'targeted terror attack' in Colorado during an event for Israeli hostages, and have already increased their presence at religious sites throughout New York City for Shavuot. Six people were injured Sunday at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado where a group had gathered to raise attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The attack took place at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, where demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza as a war between Israel and Hamas continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States.
A man who blamed exposure to far-right extremist content for his online threats to kill Democratic election officials in Colorado and Arizona was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday. U.S. District Judge S. Kato Crews said the penalty for such “keyboard terrorism” needed to be serious enough to deter others, particularly because threats against public officials are on the rise. People need to work out differences through the democratic process, not violence, Crews said.
France
Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic vandal defaces Holocaust memorial, synagogues with green paint in Paris
French police are investigating an incident in which a Holocaust memorial and two synagogues in Paris were defaced with green paint between Friday night and Saturday morning, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. The Paris Holocaust Museum, one additional synagogue, and a restaurant in the historic Jewish Marais neighbourhood were also targeted, a police source told Reuters. The Wall of the Righteous, dedicated to 3,900 individuals who helped rescue Jews in France during the Second World War, was one of the sites vandalized in the early hours of Saturday. The memorial, located in the Marais district, was covered with green paint that obscured the names engraved on it. Two synagogues and Chez Marianne, an Israeli restaurant popular with both locals and tourists, were also targeted, according to the report. Police said CCTV footage showed a man dressed in black throwing paint at the sites at around 4.30 a.m. An open can of green paint was found at one of the locations.
Le Monde: Trial of 2019 jihadist attack in French prison begins
The trial for the March 5, 2019, attack against two prison guards in Normandy, France, was to begin on Monday, June 2, at the Special Criminal Court in Paris. The attack was part of a series of incidents that have become a subcategory within jihadist violence: terrorist attacks committed in French prisons by radicalized inmates. Three other such attacks in French prisons have been recorded to date: the knife assault by Bilal Taghi on two guards at the Osny prison, in the Paris region, on September 4, 2016; the attack on four prison officers by German jihadist Christian Ganczarski on January 11, 2018, at Vendin-le-Vieil, in northern France; and the murder of the convicted Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna at Arles prison in Bouches-du-Rhône on March 2, 2022, by the inmate Franck Elong Abé, who had been flagged as a security threat.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Hamburg knife attack: How fake images spread right-wing hate
Last Friday, 18 people were injured in a knife attack at Hamburg's main train station. Fifteen of them were stabbed, and three sustained other injuries. The German news agency dpa reported that four suffered life-threatening injuries, but were now all in stable condition. The suspect is a 39-year-old woman who Hamburg authorities believe had been "experiencing a psychological emergency." The attack was followed by a major operation at Hamburg station, involving police, the fire service and emergency medical responders. Police later commended the "rapid intervention" of two passersby who managed to stop the woman, take the knife from her, and pin her down until authorities arrived to arrest her, as local media later reported. One of those passersby is Muhammad al-Muhammad, a Syrian teenager who came to Germany in 2022. As more and more outlets have reported on his courage to intervene, he has become the center of a national conversation about immigration dominated by right-wing media narratives.
Deutsche Welle: Mannheim remembers 2024 knife attack victim
The western German city of Mannheim plans to remember the 29-year-old police officer Rouven Laur on Saturday in the market square where he was stabbed one year ago. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl, and Mannheim Mayor Christian Specht are expected to unveil a memorial plaque providing information about the May 31, 2024, incident. A floor slab commemorating the Laur will also be presented. The fatal stabbing last year also wounded five people who participated in a rally organized by the anti-Islam Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE). The now 26-year-old suspected Islamist perpetrator, identified as Sulaiman A, has been charged with murder and attempted murder. His trial has been taking place at the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court since February.
Spain
Euronews: Two sisters arrested in Madrid for creating a virtual jihadist indoctrination academy
The National Police have arrested two women in an operation against jihadist terrorism in Madrid. The detainees had created a jihad academy aimed at women and were part of a virtual network in which they spread the jihadist ideology of the Islamic State to other Muslim women. The detainees are two sisters, aged 19 and 21, who had created a virtual platform under the pretext of teaching the religion to other Muslim women. However, the platform offered radical content. The police have arrested them for terrorist indoctrination. Both detainees have Spanish nationality and no criminal record.
Russia
The Insider: Hidden Bear: The GRU hackers of Russia’s most notorious kill squad
Russian GRU Unit 29155 is best known for its long list of murder and sabotage ops, which include the Salisbury poisonings in England, arms depot explosions in Czechia, and an attempted coup d’etat in Montenegro. But its activities in cyberspace remained in the shadows — until now. After reviewing a trove of hidden data, The Insider can report that the Kremlin’s most notorious black ops squad also fielded a team of hackers — one that attempted to destabilize Ukraine in the months before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: GHF proves IDF did not shoot at innocent Gazans at aid distribution sites
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center in Rafah denied on Sunday claims that the IDF attacked a food distribution point near Rafah, contradicting widely circulated Hamas reports. Security camera footage from Sunday's aid distribution site shows calm civilian activity, with no incidents reported. Aid was delivered without disruption, and the available evidence does not support claims of injuries or fatalities. While some media outlets have reported these allegations, others have contacted the organization to verify the facts, the GHF stated. Following the incident, the GHF denied claims of casualties and injuries at the aid distribution sites. "All aid was distributed today without incident. No injuries or fatalities. We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated," GHF noted.
Times of Israel: Several said injured in latest raid by extremist settlers on Palestinian village
Several Palestinians were injured in the latest settler raid on a village in the West Bank, Al Jazeera and other Arabic media outlets reported Saturday evening. The latest attack was said to target the Palestinian village of Deir Dibwan near Ramallah. Assailants torched a building located on the outskirts of the village and hurled stones at residents inside the town, according to reports.
Gaza Strip
Jerusalem Post: Gaza in turmoil: Clans emerge as rivals to Hamas's rule
Armed clans are reasserting themselves in the Gaza Strip, challenging Hamas’s authority, particularly in areas where the IDF is conducting operations and Hamas has lost control, senior IDF officials told Walla. Sources told Saudi-owned site Al Hadath on Sunday that Hamas has lost security control over the Gaza Strip, adding that thieves and gangs seize aid, loot homes, and terrorize residents. According to a senior IDF officer, these clans act like armed militias, forcibly seizing food, looting warehouses, and shooting to protect their members from Hamas security forces. The influence of these clans predates the current conflict, rooted in longstanding smuggling networks trafficking weapons, drugs, cigarettes, and electronic goods from Egypt and Israel. Over the years, Hamas reached understandings with some of these clans, occasionally even cooperating with them, particularly during the massacre and looting on October 7.
Iran
Reuters: Damning IAEA report spells out past secret nuclear activities in Iran
Iran carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the U.N. nuclear watchdog at three locations that have long been under investigation, the watchdog said in a wide-ranging, confidential report to member states seen by Reuters. The findings in the "comprehensive" International Atomic Energy Agency report requested by the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors in November pave the way for a push by the United States, Britain, France and Germany for the board to declare Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations. While many of the findings relate to activities dating back decades and have been made before, the IAEA report's conclusions were more definitive. It summarised developments in recent years and pointed more clearly towards coordinated, secret activities, some of which were relevant to producing nuclear weapons.
Iraq
Arab News: Is Iraq ready to stand alone against extremist threats if US withdrawal goes ahead?
When Daesh extremists seized control of swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014, many wondered whether the onslaught could have been prevented had US troops not withdrawn from the country three years earlier. As the militants surged into Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, there were reports of members of the Iraqi Security Forces stripping off their uniforms as they fled. “We can’t beat them,” an unnamed army officer told Reuters amid the chaos. “They are well-trained in street fighting, and we’re not. We need a whole army to drive them out of Mosul.”
Philippines
SunStar: Notorious Abu Sayyaf member arrested in Zamboanga City
LAWMEN have arrested in a law enforcement operation a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in violent incidents in Zamboanga City and in nearby Basilan province, the police said Sunday, June 1, 2025. Colonel Fidel Fortaleza Jr., Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) director, identified the arrested ASG member as Isnaji Hasim, 34, a follower of ASG's Urban Terrorist Group leader Ibni Acosta, whose group was involved in several violent incidents.
Mali
Reuters: Insurgents kill dozens in Mali base and attack Timbuktu, sources say
An Al Qaeda-linked rebel group active in West Africa's Sahel region has claimed an attack on a military base in Mali on Sunday that two sources said had killed more than 30 soldiers. More than 400 soldiers have reportedly been killed by insurgents since the start of May in bases and towns in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, an unstable region prone to coups.
Nigeria
GNET: Inside Boko Haram’s Wallet: Digital Pathways to Terrorist Financing in Nigeria
Over the past two-plus decades, the intersection of terrorism and modern technology has significantly transformed Africa’s security landscape, enabling extremist groups to operate beyond conventional battlegrounds and exploit digital tools for recruitment, propaganda, and attacks. Among the most pressing of these is the digital financing of terrorist organisations. Boko Haram, a jihadist insurgent group operating primarily in northeastern Nigeria, has adapted swiftly to the evolving digital environment, leveraging financial technologies to sustain and expand its operations.
Technology
The Media Line: How Online Influencers Spread Justifications for Political Violence
Companies’ lax content moderation policies and insufficient government oversight play a part in rising extremism, with social media figures justifying violence and inciting further acts of hate. After news broke that two Israeli Embassy workers were killed outside a Washington, DC, Jewish museum last week, many Americans took to social media to learn more about what happened and see what their favorite online personalities had to say. While many posts expressed sympathy for the victims, others exemplified trends that experts say are becoming more common: incendiary rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and online legitimization of real-world violence.
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