This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the second half of September 2013. Following are the main points covered in the report:
• Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, leader of the Somali Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. According to him, the attack was carried out in response to Kenya’s military involvement in Somalia and he promised that his organization would strike Kenya again. • The Taliban in Pakistan claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack that its members carried out against one of Pakistan’s largest military bases in southern Waziristan in revenge for the May 2013 killing of Waliur Rehman Mehsud, who was considered a possible successor for the organization’s leadership. • Abu Muhammad al-‘Adnani, spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, criticized the smear campaign being waged against the organization by the media, which is reflected in its biased and distorted reporting. Al-‘Adnani called on armed factions in Syria not to be deceived by these false reports as they are designed to sow division and separation among the ranks of the mujahideen. • Salafi-jihadist activists called on the mujahideen to strike the Egyptian army in response to the wave of arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members and other Islamist activists in the country. According to them, the Egyptian army is operating against Islam and following the example of former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, in serving the interests of the United States and Israel.