Associated Press By RAHIM FAIEZ KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A roadside bomb tore through a bus in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people, including children, a provincial official said.Mohibullah Mohib, spokesman for the police chief in Farah province, said the explosion also wounded 15 people. Most of the wounded were said to be in critical condition, indicating the death toll could rise.The bus was traveling on a main highway between the western city of Herat and the southern city of Kandahar.No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the Taliban operate in the region and frequently use roadside bombs to target government officials and security forces. The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan is also known to have been behind attacks in the area. IS militants frequently target civilians, especially the country’s minority Shiites. Read more: https://apnews.com/f927b5d363014467969e3f715e6e57ff...

  The Times of Israel US intel officials say Hamza bin Laden killedUS intelligence officials believe Hamza bin Laden, the son and successor of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is dead, according to an NBC news report.The US officials would not confirm to NBC the details of the younger bin Laden’s death, or if the US was involved.Earlier this year, US government offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of bin Laden, who was becoming an increasingly prominent figure in the terror network. Read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/us-intel-officials-say-hamza-bin-laden-killed/...

Asharq Al-Awsat Daraa - Riyad al-Zein Local sources in southern Syria said that concern prevails in the Yarmouk Basin area, southwest Daraa, over the large number of ISIS members who returned to the area after the Syrian regime started releasing them in batches since early last month.Most of those ISIS militants were members of the Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid, the local ISIS affiliate.The western Daraa countryside was ISIS’ last stronghold in the area, before the Assad forces took over the Yarmouk Basin, via a military campaign, backed by Russian aircraft and settlement opposition factions in August 2018.Since then, Daraa has been in a state of security chaos, with hundreds of people arrested, including those who have agreed to the settlements with the regime's forces, which have also obliged many into forced conscription. This has angered several residents, especially the factions that agreed to the settlements.Activists in the Yarmouk Basin told...

The Defense Post UN ISIS investigator calls for Nuremberg-style international tribunal Staff WriterBAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – The head of the United Nations special probe into Islamic State crimes has called for trials like those at Nuremberg of Nazi leaders to ensure the jihadists’ victims are heard and their ideology “debunked.”For a year, British lawyer Karim Khan has traveled around Iraq with a team of almost 80 people to gather evidence and witness testimony for the U.N. body known as UNITAD.“It’s a mountain to climb”, the human rights specialist told AFP, as the investigative team works to analyze up to 12,000 bodies from more than 200 mass graves, 600,000 videos of ISIS crimes and 15,000 pages from the group’s bureaucracy. Crucifixions, slavery, beheadingsFive years ago, when their self-proclaimed “caliphate” spanned territory the size of the United Kingdom, the jihadist group imposed its brutal rule over seven million people across Iraq and...

Justice Dept.: 2 refugees from Somalia arrested in Tucson, accused of providing support to ISIS By FOX 10 StaffPosted Jul 29 2019 03:09PM MSTPHOENIX (FOX 10) - Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice say two refugees from Somalia have been arrested in Tucson and accused of providing material support to ISIS terrorists.In a statement, officials say Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 21, and Abdi Yemani Hussein, 20, were arrested at Tucson's airport on July 26, after the two checked in for their flight to Egypt. They reportedly were trying to head to Egypt's Sinai region to join ISIS.According to officials, Mohamed and Hussein were talking with an FBI undercover who they believed was a supporter of ISIS ideology. In their conversations, both Mohamed and Hussein revealed they want to travel overseas in order to fight on ISIS' behalf, or conduct an attack within the U.S. if they were unable to travel....

USA Today US man allegedly wanted to kill American soldiers, arrested while trying to join Taliban Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY A 33-year-old American man living in New York City's Bronx borough faces terror charges after his arrest at a New York airport while allegedly en route to join the Taliban in Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers, according to federal court documents.Delowar Mohammad Hossain, who is originally from Bangladesh and later became a U.S. citizen, was arraigned Friday in federal court in New York City. He was arrested Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he was about to board a flight to Thailand on the first leg of his journey to Afghanistan, prosecutors said. Hossain is accused of allegedly trying to provide "material support" for the Taliban, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, by joining their ranks.According to prosecutors, Hossain had been under surveillance since at least September 2018. He was...

Suspected Boko Haram Attack on Funeral in Nigeria Leaves at Least 65 DeadBy Ibrahim Sawab, Anemona Hartocollis and Mike IvesMAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Villagers in northeastern Nigeria are fleeing their homes, leaving everything behind, after armed men on motorbikes roared into their area and gunned down funeral mourners on Saturday, killing at least 65 people, officials said on Monday.Officials attributed the attack to Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group that has terrorized the region for the last 10 years, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault.The attack on Saturday, in the village of Badu Abachari, north of the city of Maiduguri, was in retaliation for an earlier clash, officials said.Villagers have formed defense groups, armed with hunting guns and knives, to resist Boko Haram. People in the village that was attacked had repelled a militant assault two weeks earlier, said Mohammed Bulama, council chairman of the Nganzai...

WSOC TV By Cox Media Group National Content Desk GILROY, Calif. - At least one gunman opened fire Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, killing three people and injuring 12 others, according to authorities.Gilroy police said late Sunday that officers shot and killed the suspect, identified as Santino William Legan, 19. Officers said they were investigating reports that a second person might have been involved in the incident.    Chief Smithee: Gun shots were heard around 5:41pm and officers engaged #GilroyActiveShooter in less than a minute. Witnesses stated there may be a 2nd shooter, investigation continues.   — Gilroy Police (@GilroyPD) July 29, 2019Here are the latest updates:Update 3:25 p.m. EDT July 29: Santa Clara County Health System spokeswoman Joy Alexiou told reporters Monday that three people who were taken to St. Louise Regional Hospital after the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting have since been discharged or were never admitted,...

Medianama Big Tech release transparency report for the Global Internet Forum to Counter TerrorismBy Aditi Agrawal  On July 24, 2019, Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft and Twitter announced that they had introduced a new pillar to their the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT)— crisis response, released their first GIFCT Transparency Report, and added Pinterest and Dropbox as members. The four companies came together in June 2017 to form the GIFCT. The first workshop was held on August 1, 2017 in San Francisco. Crisis response focussed on content incident protocolThis fourth strategy is a result of promises made in the Christchurch Call to Action, the GIFCT will introduce “joint content incident protocols for responding to emerging or active events” such as the terrorist attack in Christchurch. This will allow member companies to share, process, and act upon relevant information quickly and efficiently.Features of the protocol:Can be triggered by a real-world event...

Global Times China, Singapore conduct joint exercise on urban counter-terrorism Source: XinhuaA bilateral army exercise between the Singapore Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army of China started here Saturday at Singapore's Jurong Camp with an emphasis on urban counter-terrorism cooperation.Some 240 personnel from the two sides are participating in Exercise Cooperation which will last till Aug. 5. They will engage in tactical training such as urban rappelling, live firing and surveillance before a combined urban raid.Commander of the 3rd Singapore Division, Brigadier-General Frederick Choo, and Deputy Political Commissar of China's Southern Theater Command Army, Major-General Liu Jia, officiated at the opening ceremony.Choo noted in his speech that they value greatly the close bilateral ties between Singapore and China and Exercise Cooperation is one of the cornerstones of the bilateral defense relations."Besides sharing operational experiences, one key highlight of Exercise Cooperation has always been the cultural exchange that takes place...

FBI raid uncovers buckets of body parts, 'unsettling scenes': report By Brie Stimson | Fox NewsA former Arizona body donation center is facing multiple lawsuits after an FBI raid revealed body parts piled on top of each other, a cooler filled with penises and a head sewn onto another body, court documents released this month reportedly said.The now-closed Biological Resource Center was among several places in the state that accept bodies for profit, the report said. The 2014 raid was brought to light in a multi-state investigation into the sale of body parts, a report said. The 33 plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit said the company obtained their relatives’ bodies through “false statements," and they were not treated with dignity or respect, according to AZ Central. The lawsuit is set to go to trial this October.The company's owner Stephen Gore pleaded guilty in 2015 to conducting an illegal enterprise after...

Arab News Video shows Houthi militia beating corpse, chanting ‘death to America’ DUBAI: A video of purportedly recorded by Houthi militia was shared on social media this week, showing a corpse being beaten while men chant “Death to America! Death to Israel.”The footage showed a corpse being dragged on the ground by his left arm while the armed men chant the Houthi slogan: “Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse the Jews, and victory for Islam.”The video also showed the men kicking and stabbing the dead body.The man, identified as Mojahed Al-Ghuli, was from the Amran province in northwest of Yemen and helped the militants in local battles. There were however people in the video who were shouting that he was a traitor.“Houthis did not just kill him, they also mutilated his body and dragged it after they bombed his house,” Yemen’s Media Minister Moammar Al-Aryani said. Read more: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1530141/middle-east...

KDKA CBS 2 Pittsburgh Syria Native Accused In Church Bomb Plot Arraigned On Terrorism Charges PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The young man from Syria facing federal terrorism charges for allegedly plotting to bomb a Pittsburgh church was back in court Wednesday for his arraignment.According to our news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 21-year-old Mustafa Alowemer was arraigned in U.S. District Court on terrorism charges.He pleaded not guilty and requested a trial by jury.Attorneys on both sides asked for three weeks for the trial, the Post-Gazette reports.Alowemer is accused of planning to bomb the Legacy International Worship Center on the North Side.Read more: https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/07/24/mustafa-alowemer-pittsburgh-church-bomb-plot-arraignment/...

The National ISIS affiliate releases video of Nigerian aid workers begging for their livesISIS West Africa Province has murdered kidnapped humanitarian workers before Six Nigerian charity workers kidnapped in Borno state last week have appeared in a video where they begged for their lives.The workers said their captors were from the local ISIS affiliate, which has executed humanitarian staff before.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday that talks were taking place to negotiate the release of the hostages.In a three-minute video shared online on Thursday, a woman who identified herself as Grace begged her employer and the Nigerian government to help free her and the five men kneeling behind her.The Christian Nigerian said she worked for Action Against Hunger and she and her colleagues were being held by militants who called themselves "the Calipha".The video was released through the same channels as previous footage from the ISIS-linked IS West Africa...

by Clarion Project From Iran to Turkey, Hezbollah to Hamas, child recruits are prized. But don’t think it’s just a problem “over there.” ISIS and other extremist groups are busy recruiting American youth as well.     Read more: https://clarionproject.org/child-recruits-just-how-bad-is-it/...

Reuters Dutch court convicts Islamic State militant of war crimesAMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch judges on Tuesday convicted an Islamic State militant of war crimes in Iraq and Syria and sentenced him to 7-1/2 years in prison after he posed with a crucified body and shared images of dead victims online.Netherlands-born Oussama Achraf Akhlafa, 24, was found guilty of membership of a terrorist organization. He fought alongside IS militants in Mosul in Iraq and in Raqqa, Syria, between 2014 and 2016.Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 7 years, 8 months.The court said Akhlafa had posed smiling next to the crucified body of a man who had been executed by IS, and had posted the picture on Facebook.“He violated the personal dignity of the deceased, thereby breaching the Geneva Convention”, the court said, in a reference to the treaties protecting the rights of war victims. Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-syria-warcrimes/dutch-court-convicts-islamic-state-militant-of-war-crimes-idUSKCN1UI1FU...

WSBT TV by Leandra Bernstein WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — On the eve of the highly-anticipated testimony of former special counsel Robert Mueller, FBI Director Christopher Wray largely avoided the political fray and outlined a host of threats facing the United States in a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.Wray was pressed on U.S. election security, the ongoing foreign interference operations from Russia and he assessed China to be the "most severe" threat to the United States from a counterintelligence perspective.The FBI director was also asked to weigh in on the national debate on race and his agency's role in investigating and prosecuting crimes motivated by far-right and far-left ideologies.Wray confirmed that "a majority" of the domestic terrorism cases the FBI has investigated are motivated by some version of white supremacy. He further stated that during 2019, agents arrested roughly the same number of individuals on charges of international terrorism...

Newsmax AG Barr Calls for Big Tech's Help Against Terror, Cartels, Crime By Cathy Burke   Attorney General William Barr says big technology companies have to help law enforcement officials investigate terrorists, drug cartels, and other criminal suspects who use encrypted messaging apps.In an address Tuesday at the International Conference on Cyber Security in New York City, Barr said encrypted and secure "consumer products and services" offered by Apple, Facebook, and other tech firms threaten national security, The Washington Times reported. Those products include messaging, smartphones, email, and voice and data apps that prevent unauthorized scrutiny of their content."By enabling dangerous criminals to cloak their communications and activities behind an essentially impenetrable digital shield, the deployment of warrant-proof encryption is already imposing huge costs on society," Barr declared, the Times reported.Law enforcement officials have argued encryption thwarts their ability to prosecute criminals and pushed for access in 2015 to the encrypted...

Fox News by Hollie McKay | Fox News Children born to wives and fighters of the crumpled ISIS caliphate who are now left to fend for themselves in wretched refugee camps throughout Syria are being radicalized at increasingly younger ages, an ominous trend that's emerged as the newest front in the ongoing battle to stop terror from taking root in new generations.At the al-Hol camp in Syria's northeast Rojava region, the problem is on full display. “We will stand on the heads of the apostates and crush them one by one. By the will of Allah, Islamic State caliphate remains,” five young boys and one little girl chant confidently with fingers waving, an ISIS signature, from inside a tent purportedly at al-Hol.The disturbing new video, obtained this week by jihadist monitoring service Jihadoscope after being circulated on pro-ISIS Telegram channels, comes on the heels of two other videos which surfaced...

The Algemeiner With Eye Toward ‘Complex Challenges’ in Future Wars, IDF Counter-Terrorism School Provides Innovative Training to Snipers and Subterranean Fighting Units by Benjamin Kerstein The Israel Defense Forces’ counter-terrorism school is trying to use innovative tactics and training programs to maintain quiet on the border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and prepare for future wars.In particular, the Lotar Counter-Terrorism School trains and equips snipers and underground fighting units.Snipers have perhaps the most difficult and potentially explosive task on the Gaza border — using live fire to prevent infiltration and attacks on Israel’s border communities.Deaths from Israeli live fire frequently make the international news and tend to be spun to Israel’s detriment, making the snipers a major part of the media war.A new rifle has been issued to prospective snipers, and tactics are being changed to emphasize non-lethal targeting if possible. “The goal is to wound, not kill,” a high-ranking...