Fazal Saeed defected from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan last year after condemning attacks on civilians. He represents all that is wrong with the Pakistani view of the “good Taliban.”
Russian forces killed Emir Saleh (Ibragimkhalil Daudov), the leader of the Caucasus Emirate’s forces in Dagestan. Saleh is thought to have been replaced by a Turk known as Sheikh Abdusalam.
US Predators killed 19 Taliban and Uzbek fighters in two strikes in North Waziristan. Suicide bombers killed three people in Dir and wounded five policemen in Peshawar.
ISAF detained several “insurgents” during a raid that targeted an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commander in Takhar. Security forces killed and captured several Taliban commanders and fighters during operations in Kandahar, Khost, Paktika, Logar, Nangahar, and Faryab.
Emir Saleh may have been replaced by a Turkish foreign fighter known as Sheikh Abdusalam.
The Supreme Judicial Council accused Vice President Hashemi of operating a death squad that was involved in 150 bombings and assassinations since 2005. A police major was killed during a raid that targeted a kidnapping cell in Nasiriyah.
Tariq al Dhabab, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s leader in Rada’a, was killed in a mosque by his brother Hazam. Tariq’s followers killed Hazam at his home. A suicide bomber wounded seven soldiers at a checkpoint in Marib.
The Somali military said that 14 Shabaab fighters were killed during fighting in Garbaharay. The UN Security Council may vote next week to increase the number of African Union forces by 5,700, to reach 17,700 troops total. Refugees are fleeing the Afgoye area and African Union forces have deployed there.
The military reassigned 72 senior generals in response to Boko Haram attacks that have plagued the north. The National Blood Transfusion Service saw blood donations drop by 50 percent in 2011 due to rising violence.
Two brothers-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki were killed during a power struggle in central Yemen.
Combined forces continue to go after the Taliban and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan network that has conducted high-profile assassinations in the Afghan north.
Seven terrorists are reported to have been killed in a village near Miramshah, and 12 more, including Uzbeks, were killed near Mir Ali.
Insurgents assassinated a general in Baghdad and killed a civilian in Mosul. The Iraqi military seized a media center for al Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq in Mosul.
“Gunmen” killed an Army official and four others in Baydah, and a soldier in Marib. Houthi rebels killed five children and a woman during shelling in Hajjah. Yemeni forces intercepted an Iranian weapons shipment destined for the Houthis.
The Somali military claimed it defeated Shabaab forces at the Afgoye control point near Mogadishu. A spokesman for Shabaab commander Sheikh Mohamed Saeed Atom claimed his forces killed 15 Puntland troops in Sugare north of Bosaso.
The State Security Services said a former soldier known as Habibu Bama is wanted for his involvement with Boko Haram. Intelligence gained from the cell phones of Kabiru Sokoto has linked him to a variety of politicians, businessmen, and bankers who support Boko Haram. Former President Ibrahim Babangida denied supporting Boko Haram.
Zabihullah Mujahid insists the US must free al Qaeda-linked Taliban leaders and remove others from UN and US sanctions and bounty lists before negotiations can proceed. Al Qaeda is not mentioned in the interview.
Pakistan has allowed NATO to ship some perishable food items into Afghanistan. Security forces captured several Taliban leaders in Wardak, Helmand, and Nangarhar.
Hundreds of Taliban fighters patrolled the Miramshah bazaar after the Shura-e-Murakeba ordered a halt in attacks against Pakistani troops and an end to kidnappings.
Insurgents killed three people in attacks in Mosul and Baghdad. Security forces detained two terrorists, including one who was previously sentenced to death, in Thi Qhar.
The military claimed it killed 12 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in Zinjibar; two soldiers were also killed. A man killed himself while attempting to attack a voting center in Crater with a hand grenade.
Shabaab held rallies in several cities to celebrate its merger with al Qaeda. Burundian troops have advanced to within two miles of Afgoye.
Boko Haram claimed it killed 12 soldiers in Maiduguri on Sunday night; the military disputed the claim. One policeman is reported to have been killed in a bombing in Kaduna.
The Taliban said Mullah Obaidullah, their former minister of defense, died in a Pakistani jail in 2010. The Taliban killed a British airman in Helmand. Security forces detained Taliban commanders in Helmand and Kandahar.
Thousands attended rallies held by senior Shabaab leaders in cities outside of Mogadishu.
Insurgents killed an Awakening leader and two of his bodyguards in an IED attack in Anbar. Security forces detained 20 wanted men in Mosul and Diyala. A court sentenced an al Qaeda in Iraq leader to life in prison.
Ansar al Sharia, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s political front, released a statement announcing the execution of three US spies, and named others who are wanted. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the “underwear bomber,” is seeking a sentence lower than life in prison.
Puntland security forces captured Ahmed Saeed Mohamed, the brother of senior Shabaab leader and weapons smuggler Mohamed Saeed Atom. The spokesman for the Kenya Defence Forces said military operations have reduced Shabaab’s revenues by 75 percent.
The three men who confessed were reported yesterday to have been beheaded.
Mullah Obaidullah Akhund was in charge of the Taliban’s military and approved the establishment of al Qaeda training camps, some of which were used to train the Sept. 11 hijackers.