Jakarta Grenades Inspired By Al-Qaeda 'How To' Guide?
Matthew Henman of Janes tweets that photos of the grenades recovered from the attackers in Jakarta appear similar in construction to grenades described in a how-to guide in issue 14 of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's English language magazine, Inspire.
Issue 14 of Inspire was released on September 9 and includes a guide titled "Designing a Timed Hand Grenade."
According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the manual "broke the process down and listed materials needed to make such a weapon, accompanied by pictures of each step."
Russia Calls For Aid To Be Delivered To All Areas Besieged By Militants
Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that all parties to the Syrian conflict including those countries who have influence over those parties, should make efforts to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to areas besieged by "militants from the terrorist groups the Al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Islam Army."
"Moscow is concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in populated areas in Syria as a result of the ongoing armed conflict in the country," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that Moscow was particularly concerned about Madaya, Foua and Kefraya.
Number Of Militants Returning To Germany From Syria On Rise
The number of militant fighters returning to Germany from Syria is increasing, and Germany is watching more than 400 individuals who "pose a threat and whom we must keep an eye on," Holger Muench, the head of German police, has said.
Muench said that the number of people leaving Germany to fight alongside militant groups in Syria was dropping.
Russian Arrested In Turkey For IS Links Also Wanted In Russia
One of the three Russian nationals arrested in Antalya in Turkey on January 13 on suspicion of having links to the IS group is also wanted in Russia, according to RIA Novosti.
RIA named the man yesterday as Aydar Suleymanov, who was charged in absentia by the Tatarstan Interior Ministry in the summer, over allegations that he was involved in a terror group.
Suleymanov was placed on the federal wanted list and on October 25 was placed on the Interpol wanted list, according to RIA.
Suleymanov, who Russian news outlets say was born in 1984, had been held in a deportation center in Turkey in 2014-2015, RIA reported, citing a "source in one of the relevant authorities."
'IS Recruiter'
Suleymanov is thought to have been an IS recruiter, according to Russian news reports.
He left Russia in 2003 via the Novaya Huta border post on the border with Belarus.
"According to confirmed reports, he participated in the activities of terror groups that are part of IS, he organized and supervised the operation of a a steady channel for the transfer of people from Russia to IS. It was he who organized the crossing of people into the Middle East together with those Russian nationals detained with him in Turkey, Ruslan Khaybullov and Kamaludin Babayev," an "informed source" was quoted as saying.
Released?
This morning, the Russian Embassy in Ankara said that it was checking information that Suleymanov had been released.
"We cannot yet confirm or deny the information about his release. The information is being checked," the Embassy's press attache said.
Iraq's Top Shi'ite Cleric Slams IS Bombings, Revenge Attacks
Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has condemned bombings by the IS group this week as well as "revenge" attacks on Sunni mosques in Muqdadiya in eastern Iraq.
RFE/RL's Radio Azadi reports that 50 IS militants have been killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province in the past 24 hours, including IS leader Hafez Saeed Khan.
Russia To Inform Public About U.S.-led Air Strikes In Syria -- Ministry
Russia's Defense Ministry says that it intends to provide information about U.S.-led air strikes in Syria, in order to "avoid falsification," RIA Novosti reports.
"As as result of our colleagues' silence about the results of their strikes in Syria, we will have to inform the public ourselves about these facts," Defense Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi said.
Russia Says 'Over 10,000' Fighting In 'Democratic Opposition' In Syria
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman says that there are over 10,000 fighters in the "democratic Syrian opposition" and that these forces are fighting alongside government troops.
"The democratic Syrian opposition is playing a greater and greater role in the war on terrorism in Syria, operating alongside government troops. Right now the total number of these troops is over 10,500 men," Sergei Rudskoi said.
Rudskoi did not name any of the groups within the "democratic Syrian opposition."
However, Rudskoi went on to say that the "Syrian democratic army" had advanced 108 kilometers and liberated four towns.
Russia's General Staff says that Russian air strikes in Syria are forcing "terrorists" to operate with a shortage of fuel, ammunition and provisions, RIA Novosti reports.
As Starving Madaya Hits Headlines, Russia Starts 'Humanitarian Operations' In Syria
Russian military forces in Syria have begun a humanitarian operation, Lt.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, a department chief at Russia's Defense Ministry, has said.
Rudskoi said that most of the aid delivered by international organizations was being delivered to areas controlled by militants where "much of this aid falls into the hands of militants."
Russia's first aid consignment has been delivered to Deir al-Zor city, Rudskoi said.
Rudskoi's comments appear intended to counter criticism of Moscow's ally, the Bashar al-Assad government, ahead of peace talks on January 25. They come as news of the dire humanitarian situation in the rebel-held town of Madaya has hit headlines this week, with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon calling the use of starvation there a "war crime."
Madaya has been besieged by government forces since July.
The Syrian government has attempted to downplay the situation in Madaya, with Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari denying that anyone in the town was starving.
Like Rudskoi, Ja'afari blamed "armed terrorist groups" for stealing humanitarian aid.