
Islamic State claims prison break in the DRC
At least 1,300 inmates were freed in an operation conducted by the Allied Democratic Forces, the Islamic State’s local affiliate.
At least 1,300 inmates were freed in an operation conducted by the Allied Democratic Forces, the Islamic State’s local affiliate.
In exchange for the release of dozens of imprisoned members from Mali’s prisons, Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has freed four hostages, three of them foreign. JNIM has since celebrated the prisoner swap, including a personal appearance by its overall emir, Iyad Ag Ghaly, in northern Mali.
In this week’s edition of the Islamic State’s weekly Al-Naba newsletter, the jihadist group claims a series of wide-ranging operations across the Sahel. This includes last month’s massacre of French aid workers in Niger, as well as a spate of battles with al Qaeda’s men.
In the first official Bahraini militant statement since the announcement of a peace deal between Bahrain and Israel, Saraya Wa’ad Allah says it is opening its doors for recruitment for a new sub-unit dedicated to attacking Israelis on the island.
At least one US soldier was wounded in the blast, while two Somali troops were also killed. This is the third time the group has reported clashing with American troops inside Somalia since Aug. 24.
In two days, Shabaab has launched two suicide assaults across southern Somalia. Additionally, it continues to target high-ranking government officials in a renewed assassination campaign.
Yesterday’s statement is just the group’s second attack claim since its revival late last year. While Ansaru stated its men were behind an attack on Nigerian security forces, all recent raids in Kaduna State have been on civilians. It is thus likely that Ansaru is attempting to indicate its role in the growing ethnic violence in the state.
JNIM claims its first suicide bombing of the year on French troops in the Timbuktu region of northern Mali.
Yesterday’s drone strike was the first US airstrike on the Islamic State in Somalia this year.
Shabaab’s suicide bombing against Somalia’s top general is the latest in the group’s recent attacks against government officials. The bombing also continues the current spate of increased suicide bombings across the country.
The Taliban denies that an Uzbek jihadist group, Katibat Imam al-Bukhari (KIB), operates in Afghanistan. The Taliban falsely asserts that photos recently posted by the KIB were “falsified by anti-peace circles.”
Katibat Imam al-Bukhari, a Taliban-loyal Uzbek group that operates in both Afghanistan and Syria, again promotes its Afghanistan operations. This comes as the Taliban has attempted to deny the presence of foreign fighters inside the country.
The Islamic State’s Central African Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen a rapid expansion in claimed activity in recent months. At the same time, it has tried to exploit the global coronavirus pandemic to recruit individuals.
In the span of four days, the Al Qaeda branch has claimed the use of two suicide car bombings on Somali and Turkish military bases in two different areas of Somalia.
AQIM has released an audio message confirming the death of its longtime emir, Abdulmalek Droukdel.
Jabhat Ansar al Din has confirmed that Abu Saloh al Uzbeki, the former leader of HTS’ Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, has indeed been arrested by his former group.
Abu Saloh, the founder and first emir of Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, was arrested by HTS yesterday after the jihadist reportedly failed to pay his debts.
While JNIM has not claimed the assault, its Katibat Macina is widely suspected of perpetrating the attack. This comes after sustained operations against it in the area last month.
The month of May saw a relative spike in Islamic State claims inside Somalia compared to earlier months. However, this comes in the backdrop of several Puntland security operations against it.
The Al Qaeda branch claims its men enacted “heavy losses” to AMISOM and Kenyan troops in southern Somalia. African Union troops and the Somali government have stated otherwise, however.
Houthis report to have captured an al Qaeda base in one of its historical strongholds in the country. No independent verification of this event, however, has yet been reported.
The two jihadist groups continue their rampage in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
The Islamic State in Syria has drawn on Maldivian jihadists since 2014, now it seems the group’s violence has spread back to the island nation.
The group celebrates a March 2014 bombing which killed two Bahraini and one Emirati policemen.
The attack in Mali’s northern Gao region is one of the deadliest in recent months.
The capture of large parts of al Jawf allows the Houthis to focus on neighboring Ma’rib, where the internationally recognized Hadi government contests for power in the north.
As the world continues to deal with the spread of COVID-19, jihadists have taken it upon themselves to exploit the situation for their own political gain and to offer advice to their own members.
Not only have the Houthis utilized this tactic more in recent weeks, but the insurgency has also exported the drones to the Arabian Sea.
Abu Yusuf al Muhajir, the emir of Katibat Imam al Bukhari’s Syrian wing, sends a letter of congratulations to the Taliban for its ‘victory’ in Afghanistan.
The security official of Iran’s proxy group Kata’ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) gives Iraqi contractors until March 15 to stop working with US troops.