Eye on Extremism: October 27, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Yemen’s Houthis say they hit Saudi Ras Tanura oil refinery with missile
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had hit Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery, the biggest in the kingdom, with a ballistic missile. The Houthis also said they had attacked Saudi military aircraft and repelled an advance by Saudi-backed forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important Red Sea shipping route.
Al-Qaeda-linked propaganda outlets are attempting to turn the failed hijacking attempt aboard a Flydubai flight into a messaging campaign, encouraging attacks by people with access to sensitive professional environments, according to intelligence inputs shared with CNN-News18.
CEP Mentions
“What seems to be clear from the available data and reporting from Nigeria is that Christian communities are by and large targeted because they are Christian,” the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, Hans-Jakob Schindler, tells the Sun.
TVP World: To be or not to be Netanyahu: Israelis head to the polls | Wider View from Brussels
Hans-Jakob Schindler joins a discussion on Israel’s election, the legacy of October 7, and the possible post-election scenarios for Israel.
Analysis
This edition features three analytical articles examining counterterrorism effectiveness, emerging extremist threats, and terrorist activity in East Africa.
More than 420,000 leaked emails have reopened a controversy over illegal donations to Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, while newly examined correspondence reveals previously undisclosed disagreements within its leadership. The revelations could also influence the continuing debate over the party’s constitutional status.
United States
Fox 5 Vegas: Police detain man accused of making threats of terrorism on flight out of Las Vegas
United Flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark Liberty International Airport returned safely to Las Vegas around 11:05 p.m. after the crew reported the disturbance, described by United as “a potential security concern.” On Monday, Oct. 26, LVMPD confirmed that one person had been taken into custody after making threats of terrorism on the flight.
Fox News: Hasan Piker lashes out at Republicans, calls them ‘terrorists’ in event with Ilhan Omar
Leftist gaming site commentator Hasan Piker and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., met up in Minnesota to cohost a campaign event on Monday night, bashing President Donald Trump's administration as well as Democrats who are willing to work with him.
A national Jewish legal rights group is calling on the Trump administration to probe the city Department of Education over reports parents are pulling their kids out of public schools because of rampant antisemitism. The National Jewish Advocacy Center filed a request with the Department of Justice Monday, citing evidence outlined in Post stories beginning in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel.
CBS News: Police investigate antisemitic flyers placed in Berkley, Michigan
Berkley police say antisemitic flyers were placed on lawns and sidewalks between 11 Mile and 12 Mile roads and Coolidge and Woodward Avenue.
New York Times: U.C.L.A. Asks Judge to Dismiss Trump Lawsuit Over Antisemitism
The University of California, Los Angeles, is asking a judge to throw out a Trump administration lawsuit accusing it of abetting antisemitism against employees after Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023.
KFox 14: El Paso NAACP condemns KKK mask incident, calls for community action
El Paso NAACP President Carl B. Dwyer Jr. called on community members and leaders to speak out against racism Monday, after an incident involving people wearing Ku Klux Klan masks in El Paso was seen on social media.
Fox 8: Solon students, parents demand transparency after antisemitic incidents
Incidents of antisemitism directed at young students at Solon Middle School on Thursday prompted a strong reaction by families at the Solon school board meeting on Monday night. “Solon Middle School hosted a culture day, with the purpose for students to participate in activities to celebrate their heritage. While many students celebrated freely, Jewish students were specifically targeted by Nazi salutes and phrases of ‘heil Hitler’ directed towards them and comments about picking up money,” Solon High School student Ayva Rubenfeld told the board.
Jewish Insider: El-Sayed campaign distances himself from antisemitic ad promoting his campaign
Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign distanced itself from an ad circulated by anti-Israel commentator Cenk Uygur and an affiliated PAC supporting El-Sayed, as the ad faced widespread condemnation over what critics said was a blatantly antisemitic message.
The St. Louis Blues have condemned what they called an antisemitic protest during a game last week at Enterprise Center. Signs that read “Israel Kills” and “Free America from Israel” were held by fans in the stands Thursday when the Blues played the Vegas Golden Knights.
France
France24: Suspect in racist Paris shooting transferred to psychiatric unit, had drugs in his system
A shooter suspected of killing one person and wounding five others on Friday in the town of Trappes, near Paris, has had his police custody suspended for a 48-hour psychiatric observation, anti-terror prosecutors said Sunday. The 39-year-old man is believed to have had racist motivations behind the gun attack as most of the victims had foreign origins.
Following the killing of Pengo Bossio Wangi in Trappes, west of Paris, on Friday, October 23, tributes to the victims took place on the evening of Monday, October 26, across France. Wangi was shot dead by Kevin T., who fired 128 rounds from an automatic weapon along a 12-kilometer route, seriously wounding an 11-year-old girl and three other people.
Germany
DPA: German court denies early release for convicted neo-Nazi
Convicted German neo-Nazi Beate Zschäpe is to remain in prison until at least the year 2035, a Munich court ruled on Tuesday, rejecting a request by Zschäpe for early release.
United Kingdom
Two British men have been charged with national security offences following an incident at RAF Fairford last month. Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, were charged under the National Security Act 2023.
Iran International: Prosecutors say Iran plot suspect acted for money, not to deceive Guards
A man accused of plotting attacks on Iran International journalists faced a prosecution challenge to his claim that he was deceiving the Revolutionary Guards, with prosecutors arguing he acted for money and help resolving his criminal case in Iran.
Jewish News: Anti-Zionism is fuelling hatred against British Jews, warns new report
A new report has warned that anti-Zionism has become a major driver of antisemitism in Britain, leaving Jewish students facing intimidation and deepening divisions between communities. The report, Antizionism: The New Face of Anti-Jewish Extremism, was launched by B’nai B’rith UK at Parliament last week, with politicians and academics calling for stronger action against anti-Jewish hatred.
Jerusalem Post: UK antisemitism watchdog GnasherJew exposes 40 antisemitic healthcare workers in NHS
An investigative resource published on the UK watchdog GnasherJew website has exposed approximately 40 medical professionals across the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) who have used their public social media platforms to disseminate antisemitic rhetoric, propagate conspiracy theories, and celebrate violence against civilians.
JNS: Manchester synagogue survivors reflect on year since the Yom Kippur terror attack
At Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, worshippers now pass through 10-foot security gates to enter the Orthodox synagogue. Inside, posters outline emergency lockdown procedures and offer support for those affected by antisemitism. A reinforced door has replaced the one left riddled with bullet holes a year ago.
“The absence of Jews in Wales hasn't meant the absence of antisemitism; it's actually the opposite,” Bangor University Professor and expert in Welsh Jewry, Professor Nathan Abrams, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: European Engagement Risks Legitimising Taliban Rule, Says Tribunal Judge
Elisenda Calvet, a judge at the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan, has warned that European governments' diplomatic engagement with the Taliban could legitimise the group.
8AM Media: Taliban Cronyism and Unemployment: Graduates Fail to Land Even Service Jobs
Several citizens of Afghanistan say job opportunities have shrunk since the Taliban retook control of the country. They cite the Taliban’s discriminatory and ethnocentric policies as factors that have worsened unemployment and narrowed access to work.
The Taliban’s Justice Ministry said its leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, had ordered the transfer of juvenile rehabilitation centres across Afghanistan from the prison administration to the ministry. The process of transferring responsibility has begun.
When Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi describes narcotics as a regional problem and proposes cooperation with international partners, the offer sounds reasonable. Drug trafficking is a transnational threat that requires intelligence-sharing, coordinated border controls and joint enforcement. But regional cooperation cannot become a substitute for accountability at home.
The founder of an Italian aid organisation said she established a secret school for girls in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power, only to discover two years later that daughters of some Taliban members were among its pupils.
Middle East
Conspiracy theorists and prominent Arab voices alike have sought to blame Israel for last week’s attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s Karak governorate and Monday’s Jordanian strikes on Syria, alleging either that Israel orchestrated a “false-flag attack” or that Amman was the target of Israeli disinformation intended to sow discord between the two countries.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Tells Mediators It Is Not Planning Attacks, Awaits Israeli Election Results
Hamas has shown keen interest in Tuesday’s Israeli parliamentary elections, hoping they could mark the beginning of an end to the impasse over implementing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, particularly regarding reconstruction and the transfer of authority in the territory to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
JNS: IDF kills four Hamas, Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza airstrikes
The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday that it had eliminated four Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday and Sunday. Three were eliminated on Sunday in strikes in northern, southern and central Gaza, according to the military.
Iraq
France24: Iraqi court sentences six French nationals to life for IS group membership
Six French men were sentenced to life in prison by an Iraqi court on Tuesday for membership of the Islamic State (IS) group, according to a source. They are among 47 French IS group suspects transferred from detention facilities in Syria to Iraq last year under an arrangement coordinated by US forces and Iraqi authorities.
Jordan
Reuters: Jordan says its air force struck ‘militant hideouts’ in Syria after church attack
Jordan said on Monday its air force struck what it described as militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the suspects behind last week's deadly church attack in the kingdom were linked to “terrorist groups” operating there.
Associated Press: Jordan acknowledges Syrian civilian deaths in strikes it says killed IS extremists
Jordan on Tuesday said its airstrikes over Syria killed some 20 militants of the extremist Islamic State group, but also acknowledged that civilians had been killed in the attacks.
Jordan Times: Karak attack terrorists acted alone, motivated by extremist ideology – police chief
Public Security Directorate (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Obeidallah Maaytah on Monday said that the three suspected terrorists who attacked a church in Karak, killing nine people on Friday, acted alone. “The three men did not plot the act and were behind the funeral when they decided to launch their attack,” Obeidallah told reporters during a press conference at the interior ministry.
Lebanon
Reuters: Hezbollah readies for new regional war with funds from Iran, sources say
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has spent three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel, after receiving an infusion of cash from Iran, according to Lebanese security personnel briefed on its activities.
Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah rebuilding defensive, not offensive, capabilities
A senior Lebanese security source has commented on the growing speculation that Hezbollah has begun restoring its military capabilities to offset the losses it had incurred while supporting Gaza and Iran.
Naharnet: Bassil hopes Hezbollah won't join new war, warns against civil strife
Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil has cautioned that “the upcoming phase carries significant risks for Lebanon and the region,” warning of the potential escalation of Israeli attacks and the repercussions of Hezbollah entering a new war.
Naharnet: Aoun warns of security vacuum if UNIFIL departs without replacement
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday told the visiting Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Helen McEntee that “Lebanon desires the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to continue its operational mission during the upcoming year designated for its withdrawal under the Security Council resolution.”
Naharnet: Hezbollah sources say Iran told group not to join any upcoming war
Tehran has informed Hezbollah that it does not want its participation in any upcoming war that may be waged by the U.S. and Israel, sources close to Hezbollah said. The sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel on Tuesday that Iran “does not need anyone to support it in any potential war because it possesses the necessary capabilities,” emphasizing that “the Iranians have not asked the party to participate in any upcoming war.”
Syria
Al Arabiya: Syria al-Qaeda affiliate commander among three dead in strike: Defense ministry source
A Syrian defense ministry source told AFP that three people including a commander from Syria’s dissolved Al-Qaeda affiliate were killed in a strike on a highway northeast of Damascus on Monday.
Yemen
Yemen’s Houthi movement has sharply criticized Egypt’s decision to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia in confronting attacks launched by the Iran-backed group, describing the move as a hostile act against Yemen.
Ethiopia
Reuters: Attackers kill 60 people in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit Oromiya region, Orthodox church says
At least 60 people were killed in two separate attacks in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit Oromiya region in the past week, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church said. Church authorities said the dead were all Christians, but did not go into details on how they died or who was behind the attacks.
Nigeria
Associated Press: At least 62 people killed in attack on a community in northeastern Nigeria
At least 62 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a community in northeastern Nigeria, the country’s emergency agency said Tuesday. The attack, reportedly carried out by criminals known as bandits, happened on Friday in Binnari community located in the Karim-Lamido local government area of Taraba state, and also wounded 52 other people and displaced thousands, according to Ladan Ayuba, the state head of the National Emergency Management Agency.
Somalia
Reuters: Dozens of Somali soldiers killed in battle with al Shabaab, soldiers say
Dozens of Somali soldiers were killed in a major battle with al Shabaab in southern Somalia, two soldiers told Reuters, while the defence ministry said government forces killed about 75 militants.
A review of al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia armed activity from September 15 to October 15, 2026, identifies a limited set of attributable attacks. It also shows incidents whose perpetrators, attack initiation, or circumstances remain unresolved.
Australia
Australia's top cop Krissy Barrett has warned teenage boys as young as 12 are being radicalised in their bedrooms, lured by a chaotic blend of violent jihadism, white supremacy and anti-government rage.
Australian: ‘ABC’s man in Hamas’ exposed as being part of IDF’s list of terrorists
A Gaza-based “journalist” who freelanced for the ABC and was remembered in Australia as an “amazing professional” is among 170 media workers killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, who have been accused of being Hamas terrorists after an extensive Israeli Defence Forces investigation.
The ABC’s editorial director has been blasted for his “flippant response” in dismissing “overwhelming and very compelling” evidence the public broadcaster hired a Hamas terrorist to work on the coverage of the Middle East conflict for its 7.30 program.
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