Iraq
Insurgents killed two soldiers in Ninewa and a policeman in Anbar. Security forces detained nine al Qaeda fighters in Hawijah and five “terrorists” in Anbar.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Turkey
Turkish police disclosed that a February raid on two terrorist cells in Istanbul and Tekirdag revealed an al Qaeda plot to bomb the US Embassy in Ankara, an Istanbul synagogue, and other targets. The operation resulted in the arrests of two Chechens, two Azeris, and eight Turks. The Free Cause Party called for a ceasefire […]
Syria
The Assad regime called on the UN to designate the Al Nusrah Front as a terrorist organization, following the group’s announcement of its affiliation with al Qaeda. At least 57 people were killed in Deraa province after government forces assaulted two towns linked to defections from the Syrian army. Activists say a rebel battalion has […]
Al Nusrah Front
Al-Qaeda role in Syria proves revolt a ‘trick’: newspaper
Sweden
Sweden – Anti-Semitism row rocks top Social Democrat
Egypt
President Morsi withdrew a number of complaints against journalists that his office had filed. An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian intelligence and military officials on the situation in the Sinai, among other topics. Authorities detained Palestinians with ammunition who had infiltrated Egypt via Gaza’s smuggling tunnels. A Hungarian member of the […]
South Sudan
Rebel ambush kills UN peacekeepers in South Sudan
Syria
Israel on guard as Golan goes from bloom to bloodshed
Ahrar al Sham
In Syria, some brace for the next war
Syria
Move to Widen Help for Syrian Rebels Gains Speed in West
Tunisia
Tunisia began a joint security operation with Algeria against “a terrorist group consisting of 11 terrorists based in a mountainous area in El Kef.” Authorities released Salafist imam Imed Ben Saleh, a.k.a. Abou Abdullah Ettounsi, following his deportation from Egypt for forging jihadist documents. In March Ettounsi told Tunisian TV he had fought with the […]
The Taliban are ‘still dreaming’ of a return to power: an interview with Afghan Army officers in Panjwai
Officers with the 2/1/205 Afghan National Army assess their capability, local politics, and the prospects for the Taliban and the uprising against insurgents in Panjwai district.
Al Qaeda
Uzbek fighters gain support in Afghan north
Ireland
Syrian conflict’s pain felt in rural Ireland
United States
The US assistant secretary of defense for special operations said the current UN-backed ECOWAS force in Mali is “completely incapable” and that the al Qaeda-linked militants would try to regroup in Mali once the French forces left. Much of the al Qaeda leadership that had been based in Mali has escaped, he added. US troops […]
France
French mother acquitted in son’s ‘Jihad’ T-shirt trial
Pakistan
Security forces killed eight Taliban fighters in Arakzai. The Taliban killed a policeman in an attack on polio vaccination teams in Mardan. Five people, including two policemen, were killed in attacks in Karachi.
Hezbollah
Hacking Bombshell Shakes Lebanon, Threatens UN Murder Inquiry
Green-on-blue attack in Ghor province injures 2 Lithuanian troops
An Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on Lithuanian soldiers in an armored vehicle at an ANA control post, less than two months after security responsibility for the district was turned over to the ANA.
Pakistan
Policing a fragile peace in South Waziristan
Afghanistan
Peace Envoys From Taliban at Loose Ends in Qatar
Pakistan
Taliban Defend New Perch in Northern Pakistan, Gaining Sway as Election Nears
Afghanistan
The Taliban killed four policemen in Nimroz, three civilians in Helmand, and an NDS agent in Kunduz. An Afghan soldier fired an RPG at Lithuanian soldiers in Ghor, wounding two. The governor of Balkh province said the West has failed Afghanistan.
Iraq
Security forces detained six al Qaeda fighters in Babil and four members of an “armed gang” in Baghdad. The UN said that 229 civilians and 227 security personnel were killed in acts of terrorism in March.
Libya
Rogue militias challenge Libyan state security
Yemen
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a statement by deputy emir Said al Shihri that indicates he may be alive. A Saudi female convicted of having ties to al Qaeda and then freed to live with her family has escaped to Yemen.
Israel
Authorities arrested an Israeli Arab who allegedly fought with members of the “global jihad” in Syria. Secretary of Defense Hagel will visit Turkey and Israel in the coming weeks to try to revive defense ties between the two countries. Defense Minister Ya’alon said Israeli intelligence bodies face “unprecedented challenges, which create both opportunities and dangers.”
Egypt
Leaked documents revealed that Egypt’s armed forces tortured and killed people during the uprising against Hosni Mubarak. A leading cleric known for his role in the uprising against Hosni Mubarak was suspended due to comments critical of President Morsi. Four suspected jihadists were arrested by authorities in Rafah. Qatar pledged an additional $3 billion in […]
Palestinian Territories
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan pushed back plans to visit the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials said incentives offered by Secretary of State Kerry to bring the Palestinian leadership back to negotiations with Israel are not enough. Guatemala recognized Palestine as a ‘free, sovereign’ state. A Palestinian youth planning a stabbing attack was apprehended in Hebron.
Somalia
Shabaab claimed it killed five Ugandan and seven Somali troops in separate attacks in Lower Shabelle. Shabaab also publicly executed a woman in Hiran for “spying.” The government admitted its soldiers are involved in rapes of Somali women.