Despite skepticism from both Israel’s security establishment and Palestinian organizations regarding the claim that the Islamic State terrorist group was behind the deadly Jerusalem attack Friday night, IS members and supporters celebrated the attack in an internal Telegram chat and threatened that more would be coming.
Breitbart Jerusalem obtained access to correspondence posted in the closed chat group that utilizes the encrypted Telegram messaging service. The group serves as an internal Twitter of sorts for IS jihadists and sympathizers, and has been used in the past to issue IS communications.
Three Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli officers and passersby with knives and automatic rifle fire near Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate on Friday, killing a 23-year-old policewoman and wounding two others before Israeli security personnel killed all three.
Palestinian media reported that two of the assailants were members of the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a nationalist Marxist group and partner in the PLO, and that the third was a member of Hamas.
But on Saturday morning the Aamaq news agency, which operates under the auspices of the Islamic State group, published a statement in which the organization claimed responsibility for the attack in Jerusalem.
The group even released the organization’s names for the attackers it claims came from within its ranks: Abou Albaraa Almaqdesi, Abou Hasan Almaqdesi and Abou Rabah Almaqdesi. IS also threatened in its statement that, “The Jews should expect their country to be wiped out by the soldiers of the Caliphate.”
IS’s official claim of responsibility moved its members and supporters on Telegram to celebrate the attack and threaten more.
IS member Abi Ayman Alordani (the Jordanian) wrote, “May you be blessed, strengthened and may Allah promote your rank, you soldiers of the Caliphate who shook the enemies of Allah in every place.
“Allah will reward you as long as you strike from Tehran to Jerusalem, in Europe, America and the Philippines and with the help of Allah you will open the gates of Rome crying Allah is great. Allah will bless the grave of our mujahedeen brothers in the holy land who committed a suicide attack in the heart of occupied Jerusalem.”
IS member Omar Almaqdesi wrote, “The threats and promises aren’t in words, but in action. Not so long ago, our Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, threatened the Jews with a war the likes of which they’ve never seen and today the soldiers of the Caliphate are marching the path he promised and shaking the enemy in the heart of Jerusalem.
“Like our brothers always say – we are what you see, not only what you hear. Today, we are striking in Jerusalem as we struck in Tehran. The lying factions called national factions tell lies about our mujahedeen brothers, but they know well that they are lying. The Muslims in Palestine will see what their brothers will do for the Caliphate.”
Abi Huzaifa Alraqawi wrote, “Allah blessed the soldiers of the Caliphate as they attack the enemies of Allah. They left as they fasted, thanked Allah, certain of his victory and shook the cradle of the infidels. Palestine is part of the land of the Caliphate. This is a promise from Allah.
“Allah will give the Mujahedeen the heads of the Jews. Our brothers went forth with the evening prayer to attack the enemies of Allah and struck them. With the help of Allah and as our brothers said, this will not be the last act and the Jews should expect more attacks with the help of Allah.”
IS member Jund Abi Baqer (“the soldier of Abu Bakr”) wrote, “They said we are the agents of the Jews and Iran, that we are the creation of America, the West and Russia. Today we give our answer. We have not left one place without striking it. We will strike the enemies of Allah with an iron fist. There is no place for Jews, Christians, Shi’ites and Muslims … and all those who support them.
“Everyone will lose and Islam will win. This is the promise of Allah to the faithful and the mujahedeen who implement his sharia over the land. Wait, for we are waiting with you. We attacked in Jerusalem, Tehran, Russia, Europe, America and other places. You will die of grief, enemies of Allah.”