July 2016

Islamic State claims nearly 600 suicide attacks in first six months of 2016

Thomas Joscelyn | July 8, 2016

According to statistics provided by Amaq News Agency, which is part of the Islamic State’s propaganda machine, the so-called caliphate deployed 589 suicide bombers in Iraq, Syria and Libya during the first six months of 2016. The figures published by Amaq cannot be independently verified and other sources indicate the figure may be lower. But Amaq’s aggregate statistics are generally consistent with the scale of the Islamic State’s fighting.

Ohio man conspired with Islamic State recruiter, Justice Department says

Thomas Joscelyn | July 7, 2016

The Department of Justice announced today that Munir Abdulkader, a 21 year-old man living in Ohio, has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. Abdulkader was in contact with Junaid Hussein, an Islamic State recruiter who encouraged him to carry out attacks in the US. Hussein established ties to a number of Islamic State suspects in the West prior to his demise in an August 2015 American airstrike in Raqqa, Syria.

Zawahiri praises Uighur jihadists in ninth episode of ‘Islamic Spring’ series

Thomas Joscelyn | July 7, 2016

In the ninth episode of the Islamic Spring video series, Ayman al Zawahiri says Uighur jihadists, who are from the Xinjiang region of China, have shown the ummah what mujahideen unity means in the face of international enemies. Zawahiri praises the deceased founder of the Turkistan Islamic Party, Hasan Mahsum, and his jihadist followers.

Obama backtracks on Afghanistan withdrawal, cites ‘precarious’ security situation

Bill Roggio | July 7, 2016

Despite admitting to a worsening security situation, Obama will withdraw 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Taliban condemns suicide attack in Medina, Saudi Arabia

Bill Roggio | July 5, 2016

The Taliban’s condemnation is not surprising as it has relied on Saudi Arabia as a source for fundraising and other support to fuel the Afghan insurgency.

Taliban shows ‘Omar ibn Khattab’ training camp in Kunduz

Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss | July 4, 2016

The camp is named after the second Muslim caliph who was a companion to the Prophet Muhammad and who expanded the caliphate in the seventh century.

Islamic State says it singled out non-Muslims for death in Dhaka attack

Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio | July 2, 2016

The tactic of separating Muslims from non-Muslims and then executing the latter, which was pioneered by al Qaeda, has not been used by the Islamic State in the past.

Shabaab defectors claim German jihadist is dead

Caleb Weiss | July 2, 2016

While the claim cannot be confirmed, the German jihadist is wanted by the Kenyan government for his roles in several attacks in the country.

Terrorists assault cafe in Bangladesh’s capital

Thomas Joscelyn | July 1, 2016

The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency has claimed responsibility for today’s attack on a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The claim still needs to be verified, but the jihadist threat inside Bangladesh has steadily grown over the past two years.

US government releases data on ‘counterterrorism strikes outside areas of active hostilities’

Bill Roggio | July 1, 2016

ODNI released some information on counterterrorism raids as part of an effort to provide more transparency on these operations. US intelligence claims that between 2,372 to 2,581 combatants and between 64 to 116 civilians were killed in 473 strikes in areas outside of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria since President Obama took office.