US drone kills 3 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen
The airstrike took place in a province in eastern Yemen where the terror group has been battling the government for control.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
Taliban laud Afghan soldier who killed US general
The Taliban described Rafiqullah, the Afghan soldier who killed Major General Harold Greene, deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, as a “martyr.”
Fedayeen-i-Islam claims suicide assaults on Pakistani airbases
Fourteen members of the Fedayeen-i-Islam were killed during the latest assault on a Pakistani airbase.
The Muslim Scholars Committee and the Lebanese tinderbox
A group of Lebanese clerics with links to Islamist groups mediated a ceasefire between the Lebanese military and fighters from the Islamic Front and the Al Nusrah Front in Arsal, which let as many as 2,000 Islamist fighters escape with over captive 35 Lebanese security forces.
Islamic State advances against jihadist foes in Aleppo
The jihadist group ejected the rival Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, and allied jihadist groups from five towns and villages in Aleppo province.
Al Nusrah Front spokesman explains differences with Islamic State in video appearance
In a video released on Aug. 8, Abu Firas al Suri, a senior al Qaeda operative who currently serves as the Al Nusrah Front’s spokesman, discusses al Qaeda’s approach to waging jihad in Syria. Al Suri denies that Al Nusrah seeks to unilaterally establish an Islamic emirate.
Chechen-led jihadist group in Syria releases video of training camp
Jamaat Ahadun Ahad, or the Group of the One and Only, is led by a Chechen commander and its fighters include “many Chechens, Turks, Arabs, Europeans, and even several former members of the Taliban.”
Ansar Dine leader resurfaces, urges expulsion of France from Mali
Ansar Dine leader Iyad Ag Ghaly has appeared in a video calling on Muslims to fight back against France and its allies.
AQAP claims killing of 50 Yemeni soldiers in Seyoun attack
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed via Twitter that its fighters had killed more than 50 Yemeni soldiers in an attack on the 1st Military District headquarters in Seyoun on Aug. 7.
US airstrikes against Islamic State continue in northern Iraq
The US launched four airstrikes on Aug. 9 and five more on Aug. 10 against the Islamic State in the Sinjar area, where the Yazidi minority is facing a humanitarian crisis, and near Irbil.
US drone strike kills 3 AQAP fighters in central Yemen
The strike took place in the al Qaeda stronghold of Wadi Abida. In eastern Yemen, the military and AQAP have been battling for control of Hadramout province.
Harakat-ul-Mujahideen ‘operates terrorist training camps in eastern Afghanistan’
The jihadist group, which is tolerated by the Pakistani state and whose leader lives openly in Islamabad, is currently running training camps in eastern Afghanistan, the US State Department said.
Boko Haram raises its flag over another Nigerian town
The Nigerian-based terrorist group Boko Haram is continuing its offensive in Nigeria’s north while extending its tentacles into Cameroon, killing civilians on both sides of the border.
Iraq’s largest Christian town falls to Islamic State
Qaraqosh, as well as Tal Kayf, Bartella, and Karamlesh, fell to the Islamic State after Kurdish Peshmerga abandoned the towns without a fight.
US drone strike kills 5 ‘militants,’ including foreigners in North Waziristan
The attack is the fourth by the US in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan since July 10; at least three al Qaeda leaders are thought to have been killed in one of the strikes.
Islamic State overruns Syrian artillery regiment in Hasakah
The jihadist group seized a large amount of military hardware and munitions after overrunning Regiment 121. Fighters loyal to Chechen commander Omar al Shishani were spotted at the fighting.
Islamic State leader who defected from al Qaeda reported killed in Mosul
Abdul Rahman al Amjad al Pakistani is thought to be Abdullah al Punjabi, one of nine mid-level al Qaeda commanders to openly defect from the global jihadist group and join the Islamic State.
Insider attack at Kabul base kills US major general, wounds 16 troops including senior Coalition officers
An Afghan soldier fired at fairly close range on Coalition and Afghan troops during a key leader engagement at an Afghan military training facility near Kabul, killing a US major general and injuring a German general as well as US, British, and Afghan troops.
Baloch jihadist group in southern Afghanistan announces death of commander
Junood al Fida, a jihadist group from Baluchistan, Pakistan that fights in Afghanistan, swore allegiance to the Taliban and called Ayman al Zawahiri its emir in July.
Herat police chief accuses Iran of ramping up attacks in western Afghanistan
Herat’s chief of police accused Iran of supporting the Taliban’s killing spree in the province, which included the murder of two Finnish aid workers.
Islamic State takes control of Sinjar, Mosul Dam in northern Iraq
Kurdish forces are reported to have fled Sinjar and the Mosul Dam after minimal fighting. The town of Zumar was abandoned after heavy clashes.
Pakistan’s ban of LWJ enters 3rd year
The Pakistani government has blocked The Long War Journal website from being accessed inside Pakistan. The censorship began sometime in July 2012, and continues to this day.
Analysis: What the Gaza war means for Iran
As the war in Gaza continues, Iran’s political, military, and religious calculations ascribe similar but not identical values to the ongoing conflict. The ways in which Iranian leaders codify events on the ground vary depending on their interests at home and abroad.
Ansar al Sharia ally a key figure in Benghazi security failures
Wissam Bin Hamid met with US officials in Benghazi to discuss security two days before the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack. In recent days, he has been pictured leading Ansar al Sharia and allied forces as they overran a Libyan special forces base.
Hezbollah ‘trainer’ killed during fighting in northern Iraq
Hezbollah, which helped establish Shia terror groups in Iraq beginning in 2005, said that Ibrahim al Hajj, a trainer, was killed while “performing his jihadi duties” in Tal Afar.
Ansar al Sharia, allies seize Libyan special forces base in Benghazi
Ansar al Sharia and its allies have captured a key Libyan special forces base in the city of Benghazi. The base fell after days of heavy fighting and Ansar al Sharia is celebrating the spoils of its victory on its official Twitter page.
AQAP releases 5th installment of ‘Repulsion of Aggression’ video series
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has released the fifth installment of its “Repulsion of Aggression” video series, detailing three coordinated attacks in the city of Seyoun in Yemen’s Hadramout province on June 26.
Well-connected jihadist tweets, then deletes, explanation of al Qaeda’s oath to Mullah Omar
A Twitter user known as “Shaybat al Hukama” tweeted, and then quickly deleted, his explanation of al Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban. Al Hukama appears to be well-connected to al Qaeda media operatives and leaders.
Analysis: Islamic State advertises war crimes in video
A video disseminated by the Islamic State celebrates the group’s depravity. Warning: This article includes graphic images of violence.
Analysis: Mullah Omar addresses governance of Afghanistan, war against ‘invaders’ in new message
Mullah Omar discusses the Taliban’s governance efforts at length in a message commemorating the end of Ramadan.