Jihadists in central Mali pledge allegiance to new Islamic State leader
It is unclear if the unit represents a splinter of al Qaeda’s JNIM, though the group now represents an Islamic State-loyal faction close to the borders with Mauritania.
Monthly Archives: January 2020
Palestinian militant groups react to Middle East peace plan
Palestinian militant groups vow to fight Trump’s peace deal.
UN: Al-Qaeda maintains close ties to Taliban despite talks with U.S.
According to a newly released UN monitoring team report, al-Qaeda’s relations with the Taliban “continue to be close and mutually beneficial.” The relationship has continued despite al-Qaeda’s reported concerns over the Taliban’s talks with the U.S.
JNIM targets military bases in central Mali
The al Qaeda group has claimed a series of attacks across the Sahel in recent weeks.
U.S. Air Force communications aircraft crashes in Taliban controlled district
Deh Yak district, where the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft is said to have crashed, is one of the 11 districts in Ghazni that are under Taliban control.
‘Incite the Believers’ continues to fight Assad regime in southern Idlib
A coalition of Qaeda-linked jihadist groups in northwestern Syria detail their recent operations.
Hezbollah observes anti-tunnel sensor installation at the Israeli border
Hezbollah document and publish IDF activity at the border.
Taliban admits ‘peace’ negotiations with U.S. are merely means to withdraw ‘foreign forces’
The Taliban could not be more clear about its unwillingness to share power with the Afghan government. “They shall continue to remain an insignificant party when it comes to major issues,” the group said in an official statement.
Houthis kill over 100 Yemeni soldiers in missile, drone attack on base
The strike is one of the deadliest attacks in the conflict since 2014.
Militant groups in Gaza return to “popular tools” to pressure Israeli and Egyptian governments
Militants restart their low-tech campaign of violence at the Gaza border.
Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership praises jihadists in Mali and Somalia
Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership released a statement praising the jihadists in Mali and elsewhere in Western Africa for confronting the “Crusaders.” Al-Qaeda’s management team encourages them to dismantle the “French and American project” across the region.
The ISIS insurgency in the Sinai continues despite Egyptian Army efforts
Islamic State attacks in the Sinai persist despite Egyptian military operations against it.
Ansaru publicly returns to Nigeria
The attack, the group’s first since 2013, announces its operational return to Nigeria.
U.S. military buries press release that would announce killing of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent’s emir
The U.S. military has suppressed a press release announcing the death of Al Qaeda In the Indian Subcontinient’s emir for three months as his presence with the difficult. Asim Umar, his courrier to Ayman al Zawahiri, his staff, and even his wife were embedded with the Taliban in Helmand province when he was killed.
The DFLP and the Resistance Brigades promote militant activity on Telegram
The DFLP has been taken off the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list, but continues to promote their militant activities via Telegram.
Islamic State kills almost 100 soldiers in Niger
Over the last month, the jihadist group has killed at least 174 Nigerien soldiers in three separate attacks.
Federal lawsuits target both Iran and private firms for allegedly financing Taliban and Al-Qaeda operations that killed U.S. troops
More than 500 members of American military families, including over 100 Gold Star families, have filed two lawsuits: one against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and another against eight multinational companies that operate in Afghanistan.
Taliban kills 2 U.S. soldiers in IED attack
The Taliban claimed responsibility for an IED attack in the southern province of Kandahar earlier today that killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded two more.
Islamic State video details operations across the Sahel
The large video details several major Islamic State operations inside the Sahel over the last few years.
Deadly raid in Kenya carried out under ‘direction’ of al-Qaeda leadership, Shabaab says
Ali Mohamud Rage, a senior Shabaab official, has released a video concerning the group’s assault on the Manda Bay Airfield earlier this week. Three Americans were killed during the attack, which Rage says was “carried out under the guidance and direction” of Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Air strike that targeted Soleimani and Muhandis also killed key aides
The killing of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis last week reportedly claimed the lives of eight lesser-known colleagues as well. The death of these aides indicates that those who serve designated terrorists may suffer the same fate as their superiors.
Iran launches ‘ballistic missiles’ at U.S. bases in Iraq
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the attack was “launched from Iran” and that it “targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military & coalition personnel at Al-Assad & Irbil.” No casualties have been reported.
U.S. suffers casualties during Shabaab raid on Kenyan airfield
One U.S. service member and two Defense Department contractors were killed during a raid by Shabaab on the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya earlier today. U.S. AFRICOM accused the al-Qaeda arm of exaggerating the effects of its operation, which is true. But the jihadists still managed to infiltrate an airfield used by the U.S. and its allies to combat the group.
Shabaab assaults Kenyan airfield used by U.S. forces
Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s regional branch in East Africa, assaulted the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya earlier today. The extent of the damage is unclear, but at least some aircraft and equipment was set ablaze.
Muqtada al Sadr reactivates Mahdi Army, Promised Day Brigade
Muqtada al Sadr has reactivated two of his longstanding militia forces in Iraq in response to the U.S. killing Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
Hezbollah Brigades official reportedly calls volunteers for suicide bombings
The official reportedly tweeted out the statement earlier today. The official website of the Hezbollah Brigades has so far not commented, however.
Iranian-backed Bahraini militias eulogize Soleimani, Muhandis
The rare joint statement both eulogizes Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and offers vague threats of retaliation in Bahrain.
Qods Force commander Soleimani’s carelessness put him in the U.S. military’s crosshairs
Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani became “complacent” while traveling to and from Iraq, and did not believe the U.S. would target him, U.S. military officials told FDD’s Long War Journal. The military was able to reliably track his movements at times.
U.S. kills Iran’s Qods Force commander and Iraq’s deputy PMF leader in strike in Baghdad
Qods Force commander Qassem Soliemani and Popular Mobilization Forces deputy Abu Mahdi al Muhandis were terror and insurgency masterminds who were revered in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and beyond for their support of the Iranian-backed Shia militias and terrorist groups that have destabilized several countries in the Middle East.