Who Is Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia? The Iranian Sleeper Cell Threatening Europe
Since the outbreak of the Iran war, a new terror group has emerged, seemingly determined to wreak havoc across Europe. The images of four burning Hetzola ambulances have been seared into the British public's consciousness after three hooded figures set fire to Jewish volunteer ambulance service vehicles on Monday morning. Just hours later, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, roughly translated as The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous, claimed the attack, though police are still investigating the authenticity of this claim.
Wave of Attacks Across Europe
In just two weeks, the group has also claimed bombings of Jewish targets in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Greece. Shortly after the explosions rocked Golders Green, a video emerged featuring a fast-becoming-familiar logo of a fist holding an AK-47 over a red flag. The video included a Google map of the location where the ambulances were torched and footage from passers-by of the inferno, but it did not show the suspects carrying out the attack. A message in the video claimed, 'the synagogue has become one of the main bastions of support for Israel in Britain,' referencing a 2024 visit by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who expressed 'his country's unwavering support for Israel.'
Details of the Attacks
There has been a wave of attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools across Europe starting earlier in March. On March 9, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was left outside a synagogue in Liege, eastern Belgium, in the first known attack linked to the group. It was damaged in an early morning blast, denounced by the mayor as an 'extremely violent act of antisemitism.' Fortunately, no injuries were reported, with 'only material damage,' according to a police spokesman.
On March 15, an overnight blast damaged the only Orthodox school in the Netherlands, with Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema calling it a 'deliberate attack against the Jewish community.' Earlier that day, four young men were arrested on suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam, causing fire damage to the building. Another IED was detonated at the entrance of the Atrium office complex in Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, near the World Trade Center. The group claimed the target was a branch of the Bank of New York Mellon, with no fatalities but significant property damage.
Group's Logo and Message
The logo at the end of the video shows an outstretched arm holding an SVD rifle over a red flag and olive branches, with the words 'Jihad, steadfastness, victory' at the top. It features the text: 'In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. This is the final warning. To all the people of the world, especially in the European Union, immediately distance yourselves from all American and Zionist interests, facilities, and what is affiliated with them.'
Police and Expert Analysis
Counter-terror police have taken over the Golders Green investigation, but the attack has not yet been labelled a terror attack. DCS Luke Williams said, 'We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team, but it is not something we can confirm at this current point.' No arrests have been made so far.
Joe Truzman, a security analyst monitoring the group, believes it is an 'Iran-crafted front.' He explained, 'I'm not surprised that we are seeing another attack, especially against a Jewish institution. We don't know a lot about this organisation. It is certainly new. My suspicion is that we are observing an Iran-crafted front, meaning that this is an organisation created by Iran, perhaps the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to carry out attacks specifically against Jewish institutions.' Truzman noted that the wording on their logo is a sign of a classic Iranian front organisation, and the attacks show amateurism, suggesting Iran may be outsourcing to criminal organisations.
Existence of Iranian Sleeper Cells
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israeli officials warned that the Iranian regime would wake up sleeper agents in the West to avenge him. Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser said 'dormant' pro-Regime forces could carry out terror attacks to destabilise the US and its supporters. He stated, 'The regime has dormant cells that could try and carry out terror attacks. These cells are around the globe for such an eventuality, and they are probably working to wake them up now. These attacks and other steps will be aimed at destabilising and charging a price for those who were responsible for what happened to Khamenei.'
Marc Henrichmann added, 'The Iranian regime has repeatedly demonstrated in the past that it carries out its terror beyond its own borders. Retaliatory measures, including by Iranian sleeper cells in Europe, cannot be ruled out.'
