Afghan forces sustain heavy casualties in Taliban assault on southern base
Approximately 57 of the 82 soldiers at an Afghan National Army base in the southern province of Kandahar were either killed, wounded or captured during the attack.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio
Taliban seizes 3 districts from Afghan government
The Taliban is demonstrating that it can sustain operations in all theaters of Afghanistan. The three districts are located in three different regions of Afghanistan.
Taliban suicide bomber strikes in Kabul
The Afghan government said all of those killed were civilians, while the Taliban claimed its attack killed “intelligence officers.”
Son of Taliban’s emir kills himself in suicide attack on Afghan forces
The son of Mullah Haibatullah, the emir of the Afghan Taliban, killed himself in a suicide attack that targeted Afghan forces in the southern province of Helmand earlier this week.
Shabaab gains in Somalia due to ‘lapses in offensive counterterrorism operations’
Additionally, the US State Department noted that Somali security forces “remained incapable of securing and retaking towns from al-Shabaab independently,” and while not explicitly stated, hinted that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is failing.
Afghan military calls for Pakistan to launch operations on ‘terrorist centers’ throughout country
The Pakistan military recoiled after Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense called on Pakistan to launched operations against “terrorist centers” throughout the country, including in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Quetta.
NATO denies Taliban killed US general, 3 soldiers
After ignoring numerous false Taliban claims that it killing dozens of US soldiers, Resolute Support – NATO’s mission in Afghanistan – today denied the Taliban’s latest boast.
Afghan forces liberate district in central Helmand
Nawa district, which is adjacent to the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, was under Taliban control for nine months before Afghan forces could muster the strength to mount an operation and retake it.
US military credits Iraqi militias for helping liberate Mosul
Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve said that Iraq’s Iranian-backed militias “deserve a share of the credit for their sacrifices” in the battle to liberate Mosul, yet calls for Iraqis to unite to prevent the return of the Islamic State.
NATO ignores false Taliban claims of killing US soldiers
The Taliban has issued 11 official statements on Voice of Jihad where it has wrongly claimed to have killed 45 American soldiers, and Resolute Support ignored them. Yet when the Islamic State falsely claimed it killed two Americans, Resolute Support quickly jumped into action to refute it.
US targets Shabaab troops in ‘self defense strike’
AFRICOM continues to describe offensive operations against al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia as “self defense strikes.” The July 4 strike in southern Somalia targeted a Shabaab “troop concentration.”
Pakistan denounces US terrorism designation of Hizbul Mujahideen chief
While denouncing the designation of Syed Salahuddin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that “Pakistan has a demonstrated and longstanding commitment of combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
US adds emir of Hizbul Mujahideen to list of global terrorists
State’s designation focused on Syed Salahuddin’s activities in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. But Salahaddin his direct ties to Paksitan’s military and intelligence services, and supports jihad in Afghanistan and India.
US kills AQAP provincial emir in Yemen airstrike
CENTCOM announced today that Abu Khattab al Awlaqi, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s emir for the Shabwah province in Yemen, was killed along with two associates in a June 16 airstrike that targeted “terrorist compounds and attack networks in Yemen.”
Taliban suicide bomber strikes bank in Helmand
A Taliban suicide bomber targeted security personnel and civilians as they lined up to collect their pay prior to the start fo Eid al Fitr. The Taliban has targeted Kabul Bank branches in the past.
Taliban overruns district in Afghan north
The governor of Darzab confirmed that Taliban fighters overran the district just one day after Islamic State fighters attacked the administrative complex.
US shoots down another Iranian UAV over Syria
US Central Command said that the Iranian-made drone was shot down after it “displayed hostile intent and advanced on Coalition forces.”
US downs Syrian warplane while defending SDF
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has responded by shutting down the de-confliction hotline and warning that all US aircraft would now be considered hostile targets.
Taliban suicide team assaults provincial police headquarters
The Taliban suicide team used tactics that have been perfected by multiple jihadist groups on numerous battlefields over the past decade and a half.
Afghan soldier opens fire on US troops, wounds 7
Today’s insider attack, also known as green-on-blue attack, is the second of its kind in the past week, and the third reported so far this year. The attack took place on a base that was overrun by Taliban fighters two months ago.
US drone strikes ‘against spirit of ongoing cooperation,’ Pakistani Army chief says
General Bajwa made the statement despite the fact that drone strikes have killed scores of top tier terrorist leaders, including mortal enemies of the Pakistan state, and Pakistani officials have passed along actionable intelligence to terrorists to avoid raids.
US kills Haqqani commander in drone strike in Pakistan
Haqqani Network commander Abu Bakar and two close aides from the Afghan province of Paktika were killed in the attack, the fourth drone strike recorded in Pakistan this year.
Taliban continues to deny involvement in deadly Kabul attack
While the Taliban wants to distance itself from the May 31 suicide truck bombing that killed more than 150 people because of the problems related to civilian casualties, it also appears to want to halt the execution of Taliban prisoners.
US military warns of Shabaab resurgence, strikes ‘command and logistics node’
While announcing an airstrike that targeted a Shabaab “command and logistics node” in southern Somalia, the US military warned of al Qaeda’s resurgence in the country and said it has “taken advantage of safe haven.”
Taliban ‘infiltrator’ kills 3 US soldiers in Nangarhar
The attack that killed the three soldiers will only benefit the Islamic State, an enemy of the Taliban, by temporarily halting offensive operations in Nangarhar province. There have been two recorded insider attacks so far this year.
US military downs UAV, strikes militias in Syria
The US military noted that it does not seek a fight against pro-Syrian regime militias, but its forces will continue to defend themselves if threatened.
Shabaab overruns base in northern Somalia
Between 30 and 60 Puntland troops are reported to have been killed after Shabaab overran a base in the Galgala mountains. Fighters from al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa have successfully overrun Somali and African Union bases in the past and inflicted high casualties.
US warplanes again strike militias near Syrian-Jordanian border
The strike against pro-Syrian government militias is the second in the past month. The US military is training Free Syrian Army-branded militias in the area to battle the Islamic State.
Anti-Islamic State coalition begins Raqqah offensive
While the US military insists that the loss of Raqqah and Mosul will deal a “a decisive blow” to the Islamic State, the group still controls a significant amount of terrain in both Syria and Iraq.
Kabul funeral suicide bombers trained in Pakistan, Afghan intelligence says
According to the NDS, the suicide bombers trained at the Mawlawi Ahmad Madrassa in Chaman, a border town in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province. The Taliban denied it executed the attack.