Suicide bomber kills 42 Iraqis at Shia mosque
The suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a policeman in Tuz Khurmatu. The attack is the fourth suicide bombing in the country in nine days.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio
Pakistan
The Taliban killed two soldiers in Mohmand and a Frontier Corps trooper in Khyber, and wounded four soldiers in an IED attack in North Waziristan. Thirty-eight people have been killed in sectarian violence in Karachi in the past week.
Iraq
A suicide bomber killed seven Iraqis in Taji. Fifteen more were killed in car bombings and shootings in Baghdad, Bayji, and Mahmudiyah. Iraqi soldiers killed nine al Qaeda fighters in the desert west of Samarra.
Yemen
The US killed four AQAP fighters in a drone strike in Al Jawf in northern Yemen. Said al Shihri, AQAP’s deputy emir, is rumored to have died from wounds suffered in a December 2012 drone strike. AQAP confirmed the deaths of two fighters killed in a strike on Dec. 24, 2012.
4 AQAP fighters killed in drone strike in northern Yemen
The strike took place in Al Jawf province, where Anwar al Awlaki was killed two years ago. The US has launched three drone attacks in Yemen in four days.
AQAP deputy emir Said al Shihri likely killed in US drone strike
A jihadist who has handled al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula propaganda in the past, as well as family members, claimed that al Shihri has died. The AQAP deputy emir has been reported killed or captured on several previous occasions.
AQAP eulogizes jihadist who fought in Iraq and was killed in US drone strike in Yemen
Abdullah Bawazir fought against US forces in Iraq and escaped from a Yemeni prison in June 2011, according to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He was killed in a drone strike in Hadramout on Dec. 24, 2012.
Nigeria
“Suspected Islamist gunmen” killed 18 people, including hunters, in Damboa. An Islamist group called Ansura claimed credit for an IED attack that killed two soldiers who were deploying to Mali.
Yemen
US drones killed an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander and two fighters in a strike in Marib province. The three AQAP members were released from prison in April 2012 after being detained for fighting in Abyan province.
US kills 3 more AQAP fighters in drone strike in Marib
Three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters who were captured by security forces but freed in April 2012 were killed in the attack.
Al Nusrah Front claims 2 suicide attacks in Syria
Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria claimed credit for the first two suicide attacks reported in Syria this year. The attacks were launched to avenge reported atrocities in a village in Idlib.
Taliban suicide assault team attacks police headquarters in Kabul
Three policemen and all five members of the suicide assault team were killed during an eight-hour-long firefight. The Taliban claimed credit for the attack.
Iraq
Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the assassination of Sunni MP and Awakening leader Aifan Sadoun. Security forces captured AQI’s “religious guide” and three aides in Miqdadiyah.
Yemen
US drones killed eight al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in a strike in Marib province. Two Saudi AQAP fighters were among those killed; one was identified as Ismail bin Jamil.
Algeria
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the emir of the Those who sign with Blood Brigade, claimed credit for the suicide assault on the In Amenas gas facility under al Qaeda’s banner. At least 48 hostages have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise. Six jihadists have been captured. The overall death toll from the siege […]
Belmokhtar claims Algerian raid, slaying of hostages for al Qaeda
“We in al Qaeda announce that we carried out the blessed commando operation,” Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the emir of the Those who sign with Blood Brigade, said in a video.
US drone strike kills 2 Saudi AQAP fighters in central Yemen
One of the Saudi AQAP fighters was identified as Ismail bin Jamil. The US has launched two strikes so far this year.
Afghanistan
Two suicide bombers in Herat killed only themselves in a premature detonation. Special operations forces killed or captured several Taliban commanders and fighters in Kandahar, Helmand, Khost, and Nangarhar. Afghan troops suffered a 124% increase in casualties due to IEDs, while the number of Coalition casualties has dropped by half.
Iraq
Insurgents killed three policemen and a civilian in separate attacks in Mosul, Kirkuk, and Baghdad. Four more policemen were wounded in the attacks.
Yemen
“Gunmen” bombed an oil pipeline in the village of Rudum in Shabwa province; the pipeline moved more than 8,000 barrels of oil per day. Nine al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters were transferred from Aden to Sana’a to face trial.
Nigeria
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Boko Haram emir Abubakar Shekau was wounded in a gunbattle with the Joint Task Force and escaped to Mali. Two soldiers who were preparing to deploy to Mali were killed in an IED attack in Kogi.
Algeria
Algerian forces stormed the In Amenas gas facility after jihadists from the ‘Those who Sign with Blood Brigade’ executed seven hostages. The facility is said to be under Algerian control. An estimated 30 hostages are said to be unaccounted for.
Mali
Jihadists are reported to have fled Diabaly, a town in central Mali near the Mauritanian border that was seized last Monday. French aircraft struck the jihadists in the town. The Malian military claims to have taken Diabaly, but the report is unconfirmed. Togolese and Nigerian troops have arrived in Bamako.
Algerian troops end siege at In Amenas gas facility
The ‘Those who Sign with Blood Brigade’ executed hostages but failed to destroy the facility.
Afghanistan
The Taliban denied that they participated in peace talks with the Afghan government in Dubai. Pakistan said it would free all Afghan Taliban prisoners, including Mullah Baradar, who attempted to negotiate with the government in 2010.
Iraq
Insurgents killed two policemen in separate attacks in Abu Ghraib. Police and Awakening fighters killed a suicide bomber as he approached their checkpoint on a motorcycle; one policeman was wounded.
Nigerien jihadist identified as commander of Algerian hostage operation
Abdul Rahman al Nigeri is leader of the special operations group in Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s Those who Sign with Blood Brigade. He began his career in jihad with GSPC, and then joined al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Somalia
A member of parliament accused AMISOM forces of massacring civilians in Leego. Gunmen murdered a reporter in Mogadishu. AMISOM said it would train Somali police in Djibouti.
New Taliban leader in South Waziristan vows to continue mission of emir killed in drone strike
A pamphlet released by the Mullah Nazir group announced that it would continue to follow in the footsteps of its slain emir, and named the top leaders of the group. Nazir has supported al Qaeda and waged jihad in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
A Taliban suicide assault team attacked the NDS headquarters in Kabul; six Taliban fighters and a security guard died during the attack. The Taliban killed three NDS officers in an IED attack in Uruzgan, and killed an ISAF soldier in the west. A British soldier died of wounds sustained during combat on Jan. 14.