Islamic State says it singled out non-Muslims for death in Dhaka attack
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.
Author Archives: Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio
Turkistan Islamic Party leader criticizes the Islamic State’s ‘illegitimate’ caliphate
The Turkistan Islamic Party released an audio message from its leader, Abdul Haq, on May 30. The message is the latest indication that Abdul Haq survived a US drone strike in 2010. The man identified as Haq blasts the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which swore allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in 2015. Haq claims the IMU has “disappeared” since.
US lists 2 Pakistani jihadist groups as global terror organizations
Jamaat ul Dawa al Quran, which operates in Pakistan and Afghanistan, “has long-standing ties” with al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the State Department. The Tariq Gidar Group, which is “linked” to the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, has been behind some of the deadliest attacks inside Pakistan.
US, Afghan forces rescue son of former Pakistani prime minister from ‘al Qaeda cell’
The US military said it carried out a “counterterror mission” to rescue Ali Haider Gilani. Afghan officials said that al Qaeda was holding him hostage. Al Qaeda operated a training camp in Paktika as recently as the summer of 2015. Paktika is also a stronghold for the al Qaeda-allied Haqqani Network.
US military admits al Qaeda is stronger in Afghanistan than previously estimated
Since 2010, the US military and intelligence services have maintained that al Qaeda had a minimal presence of 50 to 100 operatives in Afghanistan. Now a senior general in Afghanistan admits the estimate needs to be revised. The Long War Journal has warned from the beginning that the conventional estimate was wrong.
Pentagon announces death of senior Islamic State leader
The Defense Department announced today that Abd al Rahman Mustafa al Qaduli, a senior Islamic State leader, has been killed. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter did not provide any details concerning how or when Qaduli met his demise. Carter said that Qaduli served the Islamic State in multiple roles and was involved in its “external operations” wing, which is responsible for planning attacks in the West.
Terrorists attack subway, airport in Brussels
Amaq News Agency, a propaganda arm of the Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks in Belgium earlier today. Belgium has long been in the Islamic State’s crosshairs.
Osama Bin Laden’s Files: Al Qaeda relocated operatives out of northern Pakistan
Just months prior to his death, Osama bin Laden ordered his right hand man to relocate the al Qaeda “brothers” out of North and South Waziristan. The al Qaeda men were to be moved to Afghanistan and other areas in Pakistan.
Senior AQAP commander reportedly killed in US drone strike in Yemen
According to jihadists on social media and press reports, a prominent AQAP commander named Jalal Bala’idi was killed in a US drone strike launched last night. Bala’idi’s death has not been confirmed. He has led AQAP’s forces in a number of key battles and once claimed that his group has trained “thousands” of Sunnis. In December, Bala’idi was seen congratulating his fighters after they overran the town of Jaar.
More Islamic State members reject governor of Yemen Province
Problems within the Islamic State’s Yemen Province continue to mount as three senior leaders, including two members of the province’s Security Committee and a member of the Preaching Committee, and 28 more fighters reject the group’s governor.
Divisions emerge within the Islamic State’s Yemen ‘province’
Seventy members of the Islamic State’s Yemen “province,” including three members of its sharia committee, its military emir, and its chief of general security, announced their “defection” from the group’s “governor.”
US continues to push for negotiations with Taliban despite direct ties to al Qaeda
The Pentagon’s latest report on Afghanistan pushes for reconciliation with the Taliban, but makes no mention of Mullah Mansour accepting an oath of allegiance from al Qaeda’s Ayman al Zawahiri.
Al Qaeda seizes town, provincial capital in southern Yemen
Al Qaeda’s official branch in Yemen took control of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, and Jaar. The two towns were previously under al Qaeda control between May 2011 and the summer of 2012.
Al Qaeda has not been neutralized
Secretary of State John Kerry believes that al Qaeda’s “top leadership” has been “neutralize[d]” as “an effective force.” A brief look at al Qaeda’s position throughout the globe tells a different story.
Key suspect in Paris attacks has been featured in Islamic State propaganda
The Islamic State has sought to execute terrorist attacks in the West for well over a year. Abdelhamid Abaaoud has been featured by the Islamic State in its propaganda for plotting terrorist attacks in Europe in the past. Belgian police raided Abaaoud’s cell and killed two of his accomplices in January during a shootout in Brussels.
Al Qaeda operates in southern Helmand province
According to multiple reports, al Qaeda and its newest regional branch, al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, are operating in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Terrorists are being trained in Helmand to carry out operations throughout Southeast Asia. And As Sahab, al Qaeda’s propaganda arm, has operatives in the province as well.
Are we losing Afghanistan again?
An opinion piece originally published at The New York Times. As the Taliban expands its influence in Afghanistan, al Qaeda has re-emerged as a force in the country. More US forces, and not less, are required to turn the tide.
US military confirms it killed senior al Qaeda strategist Sanafi al Nasr in airstrike in Syria
The Department of Defense confirmed that the senior al Qaeda strategist, who was dispatched years ago by al Qaeda from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region to Syria, was killed in an airstrike on Oct. 15. Nasr’s death is a blow to al Qaeda.
US military strikes large al Qaeda training camps in southern Afghanistan
The US military’s raid on two large al Qaeda camps in the Shorabak district of the Kandahar province highlights al Qaeda’s significant footprint in Afghanistan more than 14 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Foreign fighter group officially joins Al Nusrah Front
Jaish al Muhajireen wal Ansar, which is mainly comprised of foreign fighters, has officially merged with the Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria. Al Nusrah gains several hundred jihadists out of the deal, which was likely intended to bolster al Qaeda’s hand in the Aleppo province.
Taliban spokesman admits Mullah Omar’s death was covered up
In an interview published on the Taliban’s official English-language website, Zabihullah Mujahid admits that Mullah Omar’s family and other senior Taliban officials hid Omar’s death. The text of the interview implies that Omar died in 2013.
Central Asian groups split over leadership of global jihad
Earlier this month, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan officially swore allegiance to the Islamic State’s emir, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. On August 20, fighters from the Islamic Jihad Union followed in al Qaeda’s footsteps and pledged loyalty to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the newly appointed leader of the Taliban.
New Taliban emir accepts al Qaeda’s oath of allegiance
The Taliban’s new emir, Mullah Mansour, has publicly accepted Ayman al Zawahiri’s oath of allegiance. The public acceptance of Zawahiri’s pledge demonstrates that Mansour has no intention of breaking with al Qaeda.
The Taliban’s new leadership is allied with al Qaeda
The Taliban’s new emir is Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. His top two deputies are Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada and Siraj Haqqani. Both Mansour and Haqqani are allied with al Qaeda.
US airstrike kills one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted commanders in Afghanistan
Abu Khalil al Sudani worked with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri for years. He was a member of al Qaeda’s shura council and directed suicide operations. Osama bin Laden’s files reveal that he was one of al Qaeda’s most trusted leaders. The airstrike that killed Sudani took place in the Bermal district of the Paktia province, where the US operated a base before withdrawing its forces.
Osama bin Laden’s Files: Taliban mourned senior al Qaeda leader as US attempted negotiations
A newly-released file recovered in Osama bin Laden’s compound shows that the Taliban offered its condolences on the death of a senior al Qaeda leader in May 2010. Other documents reveal that Mullah Omar’s representative corresponded with bin Laden’s chief lieutenant even as he negotiated with the State Department.
Nearly all of Osama bin Laden’s files should be released
Earlier today, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a set of files recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound. These are but a fraction of the files that should be released to the public.
US reportedly kills Ansar al Sharia official in drone strike in Yemen
A US drone strike reportedly killed Ma’moun Abdulhamid Hatem, an AQAP and Ansar al Sharia official who supported the Islamic State, yesterday in Yemen. His purported death has not been confirmed by the group.
Russian troops kill leader of Islamic Caucasus Emirate
Ali Abu Muhammad al Dagestani led the Islamic Caucasus Emirate during defections to the Islamic State. He openly stated his allegiance to Al Qaeda and the global jihadist group also provided him support.
AQAP announces death of sharia official in US drone strike
Al Qaeda announced the death of sharia official Ibrahim Suleiman al Rubaish, who was killed in a drone strikein eastern Yemen. Rubaish is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay who also served as an operational planner for the jihadist group.