Analysis: Ayman al Zawahiri calls for ‘unity’ in Syria amid leadership crisis
The jihad in Syria has unleashed another leadership crisis for al Qaeda.
Yearly Archives: 2017
Afghan official ‘happy’ Taliban controls 219 schools in Herat
“We are very happy with this work of the Taliban,” Herat’s director of education said after noting that 219 of the province’s 969 schools are controlled by the Taliban. He admitted that five districts are off limits to education officials.
US targets Islamic State in northeastern Somalia
US Africa Command again struck the Islamic State’s network in the semi autonomous region of Puntland, killing one fighter.
Pakistan laughingly says its fight against terrorists is ‘unmatched in the world’
“Pakistan’s resolve, actions and successes in the fight against terrorism, terrorist violence and terrorists is unmatched in the world,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the day after Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed was freed from house arrest.
Podcast: Sifting through Osama bin Laden’s terrorist treasure trove
The editors of FDD’s Long War Journal were featured as guests on the debut episode of a new podcast from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) titled Foreign Podicy to discuss Osama bin Laden’s files.
US air campaign in Libya moves south
The United States conducted two strikes against the Islamic State in central Libya, its southernmost strikes in the Libyan air campaign.
US strike kills over 100 Shabaab fighters northwest of Mogadishu
US forces conducted a strike that killed 100 Shabaab fighters northwest of the capital, adding to a record month for the air campaign in Somalia.
Scores dead in suicide bombing at Nigerian mosque
At least 50 people were killed by a suicide bomber during morning prayers at a local mosque in northeastern Nigeria. No group has claimed the attack, but it fits with the modus operandi of that of Abubakr Shekau’s faction.
US designates Qods Force counterfeit cash operation
The US Treasury Department designated a counterfeit ring that has procured material and equipment to help finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) operations in Yemen. This announcement answers an important question about at least one of force’s method of financing its operations in Yemen.
Taliban promotes gains in remote Kandahar district
The video is similar to others produced by the Taliban that highlights the group’s battlefield gains against overstretched Afghan forces.
Coalition attacks Taliban command center and drug labs
The US military and Afghan Air Force hit a Taliban command and control center and seven “drug labs” in what was described as “previously un-targeted safe havens in the South and Southwest” Afghanistan.
Understanding al Qaeda through the massive trove of Osama bin Laden’s files
On Nov. 17, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and FDD’s Long War Journal held an event to discuss the findings from the recently released documents from Osama bin Laden’s compound.
Iraqi militia publicizes Iranian Qods Force chief by Syrian border town
The Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba has posted photos of its Iranian commander, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force chief Qassem Soleimani, inspecting positions near Al Bukamal in Syria near the Iraqi border.
Details remain vague after four more US strikes against AQAP in Yemen
US forces have conducted at least five more strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the last two months. CENTCOM has not release strike details for any strikes against AQAP in Yemen in 2017.
Bahrain blames “Iran-trained” cell for deadly bombing
In recent years, Iran has stepped up its support for various Shia militant groups in the small Sunni-led kingdom. This support has been noted by both Bahraini and American officials.
November one of the most active periods of 2017 in terrorist hotbed Mali
Al Qaeda’s JNIM remains a potent threat to both Malian and UN forces inside Mali. In addition, Ansaroul Islam, a Burkinabe jihadist group linked to JNIM, continues to terrorize Burkina Faso’s northern Sahel region.
Coalition kills 2 Islamic State external operations commanders in Iraq and Syria
Coalition forces killed 15 senior and mid-level Islamic State leaders and commanders, including two external operations planners, in a series of airstrikes that have taken place in eastern Syria and Western Iraq over the past two months.
November already AFRICOM’s most active month yet in Somalia
Although the month of November is only halfway complete, it is already the most active month of the Somalia air campaign against Shabaab and the Islamic State since its inception.
Map: US hits Islamic State in Yemen as jihadist attacks intensify in Aden
The US has stepped up its air campaign on the Islamic State’s network in Yemen as the group has intensified its attacks on Yemeni security forces in the alternate capital of Aden.
US launches 3 more strikes in Somalia
The US military continues to intensify its air campaign in Somalia against Shabaab and its rival, the Islamic State.
Shabaab touts deadly raid on Somali military base
The video serves as an important reminder of Shabaab’s continual potent threat against both African Union and Somali forces inside Somalia.
US military targets al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia
The US military has now targeted Shabaab forces using airstrikes at least 14 times this year. Shabaab has continued to threaten the Somali capital despite the increased US targeting.
Taliban video shows fighters entering valley after Afghan forces retreat
The Taliban released video of its forces entering the Fanduqistan Valley in Afghanistan’s central province of Parwan after Afghan forces retreated.
Islamic State eulogizes former Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan figure killed in Iraq
Abdul Hakim al Tatari, a Russian Tatar member of the former Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, joined the Islamic State’s Wilayat Khurasan before migrating to Syria. He was later killed in the battles around Baiji, Iraq, just days after arriving to Islamic State-held territory.
Hamza bin Laden lionizes his father and incites ‘rebellion’ in new audio message
In a newly released audio message, Hamza bin Laden praises his father for spreading jihadism and attacking the US. Hamza calls on Muslims to rise up against “tyrant” rulers and wage jihad until sharia is imposed. The message was posted online just days after the CIA released a video from Hamza’s wedding. The video was recovered in Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound.
Taliban touts “Special Forces Unit”
While the Taliban’s “Special Forces Unit” certainly isn’t trained to the same standards and proficiency as US special operations forces, it has proven to be effective on the battlefield against its Afghan adversaries.
Turkistan Islamic Party parades in northwestern Syria
The footage of the convoy is undated, but it offers a good look into the Turkistan Islamic Party’s strength, size, and importance on the battlefield.
Secrecy shrouds US development of Afghan security forces
For the first time in eight years, the DoD has classified assigned strength data used to measure Afghan casualties and attrition rates, as well as details on the operational readiness of US-supplied weapons, vehicles and supplies.
US targets Islamic State fighters in Somali airstrikes
The US military launched its first airstrike against the Islamic State’s network in the eastern African country of Somalia earlier today, complementing a decade long air campaign against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in the country.
Islamic State suffers defeats in Iraq and Syria
The Syrian military has taken full control of Deir Ezzour, while Iraqi troops and Iranian supported militias ejected the Islamic State from Al Qaim.