(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, ISIS released a new video, "Makers of Epic Battles 7," depicting attacks on Kurdish and Syrian government vehicles and brutal execution footage of 25 people. After its release, the short clips promoting the video gained significant momentum on TikTok, receiving thousands of views. Concurrently, the pro-ISIS group al-Azaim Media released the latest issue of the group’s English-language propaganda web magazine, Voice of Khorasan, while the pro-ISIS Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) distributed a cyber security guide on RocketChat for improving data security.
CEP researchers further identified and reported multiple Twitter accounts glorifying the Christchurch terrorist, including one account that posted a violent clip from the attack video, and other accounts that promoted the attacker's manifesto, posted memes and drawings, and encouraged new acts of violence. CEP additionally located two notorious books from white supremacist William Luther Pierce on Mega.Nz and circulated in a neo-Nazi Telegram chat alongside bomb-making manuals and plans for 3D-printed firearms.
Finally, following a street fight between members of the Proud Boys and the group Rose City Nationalists, multiple Telegram channels belonging to extreme right groups sought to recruit members of the Proud Boys gang. Other channels affiliated with the group declared their previous cooperation with other extremist groups.
New ISIS Video Released
On June 25, ISIS released a new video titled “Makers of Epic Battles 7” via the group’s self-proclaimed Syria province. The video, which includes footage showing attacks committed since at least 2021, shows multiple IED attacks and attacks on Syrian government vehicles in several regions. The video also includes graphic footage of the execution or murder of 25 people, including individuals identified as Kurdish soldiers, alleged intelligence personnel, and Syrian government soldiers and pro-Assad militiamen.
CEP located the video on Telegram, RocketChat, two different file transfer sites on the dark web, another file transfer site, pro-ISIS propaganda websites, and the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive removed the files after CEP reported them.
The video was also advertised by at least four accounts on TikTok, which showed logos for the video or included footage. The videos were uploaded between June 25 and June 28 and had 6,754, 599, 51,400, and 8,534 views on June 29. The four videos were reported to TikTok on June 29. One video was removed, and three remained online four days later.
“TikTok is being used by online ISIS supporters to advertise longer video releases and other propaganda from the group,” said CEP researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch. “The lack of urgency by enormous tech platforms in curbing extremist content and holding users that spread extremist propaganda accountable is concerning. A much more serious and sustained effort is necessary to keep both users and the public safe.”
ISIS video “Makers of Epic Battles 7” advertised on TikTok. Screenshot taken June 29.
Voice of Khorasan Issue 26 Released
On June 25, the pro-ISIS al-Azaim Media released the 26th issue of the web magazine Voice of Khorasan. The main article criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for not further cracking down on Turkey’s LGBT population and cooperation with the majority Shiite Azerbaijan. Other articles condemned Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, promoted ISIS recruitment, attacked Sufism, and declared that government repayment of International Monetary Fund loans implicated individuals in the system of usury. The final article condemned those who did not follow through on claimed religious obligations and asked why people were not working to end the religious persecution and imprisonment of Uyghurs in China.
Image in article in Voice of Khorasan Issue 26 condemning repayment of development loans as implicating individual citizens in a system of usury.
Pro-ISIS Tech Group Releases Data Security Guide
On June 27, the pro-ISIS tech group Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) released a guide in Arabic and English for improving data security on PasteThis.To and distributed via RocketChat. The guide explained potential cyber intrusion methods and offered limited suggestions for improving web security. QEF has recently released guides for learning programming languages, using Session Messenger, determining password breaches, using anti-phishing features, and has warned about Android malware.
Qimam Electronic Foundation logo
Extreme Right Content, Clip from Christchurch Terrorist Attack Video, and Content Glorifying Mass Murder Located on Twitter
In a sample of content on Twitter located on June 28, CEP researchers found eight accounts that posted content glorifying the perpetrator of the Christchurch terrorist attack. One account posted an eight-second clip on June 19 taken from the live-streamed attack video, which showed extreme violence and had over 50 views. Other accounts posted the cover of the attacker’s manifesto, memes or drawings glorifying the attacker or advocating violence against Muslims, or photos taken from the attack video. CEP reported all content to relevant national authorities.
CEP researchers located ten additional Twitter accounts that made various posts supporting white supremacist neo-fascist groups, including Patriot Front, Vanguard Britannia, active clubs, and the Nationalist Social Club. Individuals posted propaganda videos, photosets, and memes glorifying these groups. Some propaganda included contact information for the groups advertised. CEP reported the 10 accounts to Twitter on June 30.
Patriot Front propaganda video with over 5,000 views on Twitter posted by a verified account. Screenshot taken on June 29.
White Supremacist Content and Explosives Manuals Located on Mega.Nz
On June 29, CEP researchers located multiple Mega.Nz files distributed via a neo-Nazi Telegram chat, including two copies of The Turner Diaries and Hunter, both written by the white supremacist William Luther Pierce. The same uploader also posted bomb-making guides, manuals for the homemade construction of suppressors for firearms, and plans for 3D-printed firearms. Mega.Nz removed the files after CEP reported them.
Active Clubs Pitch Recruitment to Proud Boys Chapters
Multiple Telegram accounts affiliated with the white supremacist active club movement pitched recruitment messages to members of the Proud Boys between June 25 and 29, following a June 24 Portland street fight between members of the gang and members of the neo-Nazi group Rose City Nationalists who were protesting the same LGBT pride event. The leader of the Rose City Nationalists is allegedly a former member of a local Proud Boys chapter. An active club-affiliated coalition from the Pacific Northwest released a video on Telegram on June 28 stating that the fight was due to “personal beef” between members of the two groups and joined multiple U.S. active club chapters urging that members of the Proud Boys join other extreme right organizations.
A Telegram channel affiliated with the Philadelphia Proud Boys condemned the Portland chapter of the group, stating that attacking “fashy bros” was wrong. On June 25, members of an active club chat allegedly sought to connect local Proud Boys with other groups in their area. A Telegram account affiliated with a Texas Proud Boys chapter called for calm, stating that they had appeared at events with local Patriot Front and White Lives Matter (WLM) chapters before and that a member of the Proud Boys had led the local WLM group. CEP previously found a WLM account on Instagram that featured two alleged Proud Boys members promoting an antisemitic propaganda film that glorified Nazi Germany.