Ibrahim al Qosi, a former Guantanamo detainee who worked for Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11, praises the Taliban’s victory and threatens new attacks against America in a new video. Al Qosi, who is a senior figure in AQAP, claims that “upcoming operations” may not be a “carbon copy” of 9/11.
Note: On September 30, 2021, Thomas Joscelyn testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing titled, “To receive testimony on Afghanistan.” You can watch a recording of the hearing here, and you can read his full written testimony here. An excerpt, without footnotes, is below. Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Inhofe, members of the […]
The U.S. military said it targeted a senior al Qaeda leader in Idlib province, Syria on Sept. 20, but has offered few details concerning the airstrike.
The Islamic State claims to have attacked multiple Taliban personnel and vehicles across the city of Jalalabad on Sept. 18 and 19.
On Sept. 11, Nasher al Khayr, an al Qaeda-affiliated media outfit, released a video celebrating the jihadists’ deadliest day. The video offers a history of the 9/11 plot, stressing the importance of “idea development” and jihadist safe havens.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced that five alleged al Qaeda facilitators in Turkey have been designated as terrorists. The designation highlights the ongoing work of an old school network of Egyptian jihadists and the younger personnel in Turkey who assist them.
France says Abu Walid al Sahrawi, the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, was killed in a drone strike in August. Al Sahrawi became a key figure in the global rivalry between the Islamic State and al Qaeda. His men were responsible for the Oct. 2017 ambush near Tongo Tongo, Niger that killed four U.S. soldiers.
After a lengthy absence from the screen, Zawahiri returns to promote his vision for global jihad in a new video titled, “Jerusalem Will Not Be Judaized.”
In a newly released video, “Victorious Force 3,” the Taliban blames America for the 9/11 hijackings while celebrating its own suicide squads. For the past 20 years, the Taliban has consistently blamed U.S. “policy” for 9/11 and has never accepted any responsibility for its own deep relationship with al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda’s central media arm, As Sahab, released a two-page statement praising the Taliban’s “historic victory” in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda fought alongside the Taliban to resurrect its Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The Islamic State’s Khorasan province has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside of the Kabul airport earlier today. 12 U.S. service members were killed and 15 others wounded in a pair of attacks inside the capital. Dozens of others were killed or wounded as well.
Noor Wali Mehsud has renewed the TTP’s allegiance to the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in the wake of the jihadis’ victory. The Taliban has released numerous TTP and al Qaeda figures from the former government’s prisons in recent weeks, including Faqir Mohammed.
The Taliban assassinated Dawa Khan Menapal, the head of the Afghan government’s information and media center. The group vowed to continue targeting officials in the Afghan capital after failing to kill the acting defense minister earlier this week.
The Taliban’s martyrdom unit assaulted the home of Afghanistan’s acting Defense Minister, Bismillah Mohammadi, yesterday evening. Mohammadi survived the assassination attempt, but the Taliban vowed to continue targeting Afghan officials.
Hurras al Din, an al Qaeda group in Syria, has claimed responsibility for a bus explosion in Damascus. The Syrian state-controlled media says the explosion was caused by a “short circuit” near the bus’s fuel tank.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced today that two money men working for al Qaeda and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS) have been designated. The designations are part of a broader U.S. effort to sanction individuals and entities taking part in the Syrian war. Other extremists and parts of Bashar al-Assad’s regime were also designated and sanctioned as part of the campaign.
The U.S. transferred Abdul Latif Nasir from Guantánamo to his home country of Morocco. Nasir allegedly led forces during the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora and was a member of an al Qaeda training subcommittee.
In a message posted this week, Sirajuddin Haqqani provides guidance to the Taliban’s officials as they prepare to rule over newly seized territory. Haqqani explains that the campaign is evolving from a “military and jihadi” one into a “civilian situation,” meaning the Taliban is preparing to govern throughout much of the country.
A report by a U.N. monitoring team cites new intelligence concerning Sirajuddin Haqqani’s ties to al Qaeda. The report also mentions the Hattin Shura, which U.S. officials say is the most important decision-making body within al Qaeda.
The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information concerning the leader of AQIM, Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Anabi. State says al-Anabi “is expected to play a role in al Qaeda’s global management.”
According to the DIA, the Taliban has “maintained close ties with al Qaeda” and is “very likely preparing for large-scale offensives against population centers and Afghan government installations.” The DIA’s assessment directly contradicts claims made by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation.
In a statement released on May 9, Taliban emir Hibatullah (Haibatullah) Akhunzada boasts that security under his Islamic Emirate is exceptional. He again offers amnesty to the enemies of his group. He demands that the U.S. free the remaining Taliban prisoners and remove the group’s leaders from sanctions and rewards lists.
In a newly released message, Sirajuddin Haqqani discusses the importance of the Taliban’s judges in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Haqqani is preparing his men to rule over more territory in Afghanistan.
The TTP claimed yesterday’s suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, saying the “martyrdom-seeking” operation targeted Pakistani officials.
The Taliban has publicly rejected a proposal to share power with the “quisling administration,” meaning the Afghan government. The group also outright rejects elections, and warns that attacks on American and NATO troops will resume if they are not withdrawn by May 1.
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, uses recent reports concerning potential problems with the AstraZeneca vaccine to present itself as a legitimate governing force.
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri threatens Myanmar in a newly released video, which attempts to connect the plight of Muslims there to the jihadists’ global struggle.
Khalid Batarfi, the emir of AQAP, appears in a video released today. His commentary proves that he was not detained late last year, as some reports said.
According to a newly released report by a UN Monitoring Team, AQAP leader Khalid Batarfi was captured in Oct. 2020. FDD’s Long War Journal has not confirmed Batarfi’s arrest.
The U.S. Treasury Department states in a Jan. 4 memo that al Qaeda is “gaining strength” in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s protection. The same memo points to the Islamic State’s “logistical hubs” inside Turkey.