Yemen
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took control of the town of Rada’a in Baydah province, killing two policemen. The attack was led by the brother-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki. The fighters pledged their loyalty to Ayman al Zawahiri.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took control of the town of Rada’a in Baydah province, killing two policemen. The attack was led by the brother-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki. The fighters pledged their loyalty to Ayman al Zawahiri.
Kenyan aircraft killed seven people, including four children, in airstrikes in Jilib. Five Shabaab fighters surrendered to the government in the Gedo region.
Yemen PM says country needs tens of billions in aid
Police found materials to make a bomb during a search in Samut Sakhon near Bangkok. The materials were linked to Atris Hussein, a Lebanese Hezbollah operative who was detained last week.
Pakistan Supreme Court starts down the road toward a constitutional coup
Asserting Its Sovereignty, Iraq Detains American Contractors
Iran oil sanctions divide Asia’s four largest economies
Rada’a has been taken over by Tareq al Dhahab, the brother-in-law of slain AQAP ideologue Anwar al Awlaki.
The foreign ministry said that Hussein Atris, a 47-year-old Lebanese man arrested in Thailand for links with a Hezbollah terror plot, holds a Swedish passport. Atris, a former Gothenburg barber, married a Swedish woman in 1996 but moved back to Lebanon in about 2005.
The Afghan Taliban published a “proclamation of victory” on their Voice of Jihad website as the murky progression of negotiations between the US and the Taliban continues to unfold.
Afghan War Reflects Changes in Air War
Afghan militant leader ‘ready for talks’
‘No photos’: Secrecy shrouds damaged Beirut synagogue
Iran warned oil-producing Gulf states not to boost production if Iran’s crude exports are affected by Western sanctions. State television said it had evidence the US was behind the killing of the recently slain Iranian nuclear scientist. The US warned Israel not to attack Iran.
Syria’s army weakened by growing desertions
Syria, in Deep Crisis, May Be Slipping Out of Control
Iraqi insurgents dressed as policemen attacked a government compound and a police station in Ramadi with four suicide bombers; seven police officers and at least six attackers died in the clashes. A car bomb targeting a police station in Baiji killed at least one person and injured 12 others.
Qatar’s Emir called for Arab troops to be sent to Syria. The Arab League said there was no plan to do so at this time. As Syrian army desertions continued, a former army general announced the creation of a council to oversee all military operations against the Assad regime.
Nigerian authorities arrested a Boko Haram operative, Alhaji Nuhu Babawo, known as “Intelligent.” The raid netted various arms, ammunition, and military and police uniforms. Authorities also arrested Kabir Sokoto, the lead suspect in the deadly Christmas Day bombings carried out by Boko Haram.
Kenyan authorities arrested 29 Ugandans, including two women, in Nairobi for allegedly seeking to join Shabaab in Somalia. The government said it wouldn’t attack Kismayo without the financial support of the international community.
Heavy fighting in Buuhoodle between Somaliland forces and SSC militiamen resulted in widespread destruction and forced civilians to flee for the Ethiopian border. The Shabaab stronghold at Jilib, north of Kismayo, was bombed by Kenyan aircraft, reportedly killing militants and civilians. The British Royal Navy captured 13 Somali pirates yesterday.
The report is unconfirmed. Pakistani officials said radio chatter among Taliban fighters indicates he is dead.
Nuristan Governor Urges Operation against Insurgents
Taliban sincere about talks with US: Zaeef
US Warns Israel Against Iran Strike
Pakistan – New terms likely for NATO supplies
Pakistan seeks Afghan talks over Taliban: official
Pakistan Taliban leader reported dead in US strike
There’s more to peace than Taliban
US intelligence report on Afghanistan sees stalemate