Terrorism: Lions of Islam Group Announces Its Formation in "The Land of the Wicked"
On 27 September, a jihadist website carried a message from the media division of The Lions of Islam Group, in which the Group announces its formation, through a seven-minute and 26-second video. It is not clear in which country the Group is forming and getting training, but in the message the country is referred to as the land of the infidels.

A translation of the statement follows:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the supporter of Islam and the Muslims, and prayers and peace be upon the imam of the mujahidin, and the leader of the noble fighters, and upon all his family and companions.
[Koranic verse omitted]
Good news for the Muslim brothers in the countries of the infidels. A new group, The Lions of Islam Group, has been formed, and has already inflicted damage on the occupying infidels in the Land of the Two Rivers. With the will of God, and the help of the mujahidin recruits, our determination and power against the cunning infidels will increase. We shall weaken them and defeat them, God willing.
God is great. God is great.
Honor belongs to God, His messenger and the mujahidin.
[Links to the video]
The Media Division
The Lions of Islam Group"

Description of video:
The video begins with a Koranic verse, followed by images of wounded and dead children and civilians. The song in the background promises, "They are coming." The text of the above written statement, announcing the formation of the group appears on the screen. Next, six masked men are shown standing in an area sparsely populated with trees. The men stand in front of a black flag on which the name of the group, "The Lions of Islam in the Land of the Wicked," appears.
A man in white garb standing in the middle of the armed men begins to read the statement of the group. His accent sounds Egyptian. After offering his salutations and quoting a verse from the Koran, he announces, "Brothers in faith. We bring to you the good news of the formation of the new group, "The Army of Islam in the Land of the Wicked [as published]", which, God willing, is a tiny step toward raising the voice of jihad in the lands of the infidels, and planting the love for jihad in the hearts of the Muslims in the lands of the infidels."
The unidentified masked man begins to read the goals of the group:
"1-Cleanse the lands of the Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and others from the filthiness of the Crusaders and the Jews.
2- Provide our mujahidin brothers in the Land of the Two Rivers with every possible means, and support them with money, supplies, and weapons to silence the word of the infidels and lift the word of the believers.
3- Look for mujahidin with sincere intentions, train them in carrying weapons and fighting the infidels, and send them to the lands of the Muslims to support our mujahidin brothers there."
The scene shifts to the training field where these men are receiving military training. As part of the training, we see the same six men running toward an old bus [the make of which could not be identified], and storming in. Simulating an attack, one of them orders the passengers to put their hands up as he storms the bus with the gun in his hand. Another disabled car is seen standing on one side of the bus, which is also used by the men in their training. This practice is followed by a lesson in planting explosives in a vehicle.
Taking us back to the previous scene, the man continues to read the group's statement: "We announce to the world the formation of this group under the leadership of our brother Abu-Umar al-Shishani [the name indicates that the leader is from Chechnya], and call on all the Muslims, especially those who are living in the countries of the infidels, to the following:
"First: To increase their supplication to God Almighty to bring victory to this Army of Islam [Koranic verse omitted] and to bring defeat to the lines of the worshippers of the cross, and to the infidels and hypocrites who support them. And to pray that God drives them [the unbelievers] to fall into the hands of the mujahidin, so that they [the mujahidin] can do with them what God has ordered in His Holy Book.
Second: We call upon all the zealous Muslims living in the lands of the unbelievers, to join us and not to rely on the remoteness of the war from where they are. By God, the One and Only, the Crusaders will swallow you as soon as they finish swallowing the Muslim countries, one after the other. Do not assume that you are free from their craftiness.
Third: To offer every assistance and aid to this new organization to enable it, with God's will, to become a thorn in the throats of the infidels, and a backbreaker in their homeland."
This is followed by an English translation of the goals contained in the verbal statement