Boko Haram threatens to sell kidnapped girls
In a video released by Boko Haram, group leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the mass kidnapping on April 14 and threatened to sell the schoolgirls.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
Saudis, Chechens, Afghans killed during recent fighting in southern Yemen
Foreigners are said to make up the majority of the 37 al Qaeda fighters killed during Yemeni military operations in the southern province of Shabwa.
Al Nusrah Front says it will comply with Zawahiri’s orders
The Al Nusrah Front has issued a statement saying it will comply with Ayman al Zawahiri’s orders with respect to the ongoing dispute with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS).
AQAP notes death of local leader in drone strike
Ali bin Lakraa’ al Kazimi, the leader of Ansar al Sharia in Al Mahfad district, was killed in a US drone strike on April 20.
Zawahiri makes another attempt at reconciliation in Syria
Ayman al Zawahiri offers an olive branch to the head of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), which has been disowned by al Qaeda. But he also details the history of ISIS and its predecessor in Iraq, saying the leadership of this group was a part of al Qaeda.
2 suicide bombers strike in South Sinai
If Ansar Jerusalem takes credit for today’s suicide attacks, it would be the group’s first claimed attack since bombing a tourist bus in Taba in mid-February. In addition, the two bombings would be the fifth and sixth suicide attacks by the jihadist group since September 2013.
African al Qaeda leader sides with Zawahiri in Syrian dispute
Mokhtar Belmokhtar said that Ayman al Zawahiri is his “emir” and jihadists must “confirm our confidence and our commitment to the method and guidance” to him.
‘Al Qaeda in Kurdistan’ breaks ranks with ISIS over Syria
The group reaffirmed its allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri and the Taliban’s Mullah Omar, and said it is willing to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham.
Yemen expands southern offensive against AQAP
The Yemeni military has expanded its offensive against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to include Abyan, Shabwa, Baydha, and Sana’a provinces, and announced today that 72 militants have been killed.
Abu Qatada provides jihadists with ideological guidance from a Jordanian prison
Prior to 9/11, Abu Qatada inspired numerous al Qaeda operatives. Now imprisoned in Jordan, he is providing ideological guidance to jihadists in Syria and North Africa.
Taliban claim they shot down US warplane in eastern Afghanistan
A Taliban video shows fighters opening fire on what appears to be a C-130. ISAF has neither confirmed nor denied the claim that one of its aircraft has crashed or been shot down.
Yemen begins southern offensive against AQAP
Yesterday, the Yemeni military began what appears to be a forceful push into al Mahfad, the lawless border region and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula stronghold between Abyan and Shabwa provinces that was the site of a US strike on an AQAP training camp on April 20.
Head of Taliban’s military commission resigns due to ‘ill health’
Although Mullah Adbul Qayoum Zakir, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, has resigned as the military leader, he is still “a member of the Leadership Council of Islamic Emirate and is busy working in other important Jihadi works.”
Review board recommends indefinite detainee at Guantanamo be transferred
Ali Ahmad Mohamed al Razihi is one of the 48 detainees President Obama’s Guantanamo Review Task Force said should be held in indefinite military detention. But a Periodic Review Board has now recommended that he be transferred to his home country of Yemen.
Uzbek commands group within the Al Nusrah Front
Abu Hussein, the emir of the Seyfuddin Uzbek Jamaat, is thought to have “scores of fighters from Uzbekistan and neighboring countries in Central Asia,” a US intelligence official told The Long War Journal.
Death of French hostage in Mali
This week, Agence France-Presse received a disturbing call from a terrorist group announcing the death of French hostage Gilberto Rodrigues Leal.
Afghan policeman guns down 3 Americans at hospital in Kabul
A police officer guarding the CURE hospital in Kabul turned his gun on Americans, killing three and wounding another.
Afghan Taliban confirms death of shadow governors for Kunar, Kandahar
Noor Qasim Sabari and Abdul Wasi’ Azzam, the shadow governors of Kunar and Kandahar respectively, were killed in military operations over the past month.
Zawahiri discusses infighting in Syria, opposition to Egyptian government
In a newly released audio message, al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri says his group has not been defeated by American airstrikes. He also addresses the jihadist infighting in Syria, as well as his opposition to the Egyptian government.
US targets AQAP master bomb maker in 2 strikes in Yemen
Ibrahim al Asiri is said to be the target of a drone strike that hit a vehicle. The day before, another US and Yemeni attack killed more than 30 AQAP fighters at a training camp.
Head of al Qaeda’s ‘Victory Committee’ survived battle in Syria
Sanafi al Nasr, a senior al Qaeda leader who was reportedly killed in Latakia, Syria in late March, is alive. Nasr leads an al Qaeda committee responsible for the group’s strategic planning and policy.
US drone strike kills 16 AQAP fighters, 5 civilians
A pickup packed with AQAP fighters was hit as it traveled on a highway in Baydah province.
Al Nusrah Front sharia official uses social media to condemn killing of fellow jihadist
Abu Sulayman al Muhajir used his Twitter account to condemn the killing of Abu Muhammad al Fateh, the Al Nusrah Front’s leader in the province of Idlib, Syria. Sulayman says that Fateh joined al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005 and went on to become a confidante of Abu Muhammad al Julani, Al Nusrah’s emir.
ISIS’ ‘Diyala Division’ lauds foreign suicide bombers, including Dane
The Diyala Division praised 26 suicide bombers, including foreign fighters from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tajikistan, Chechnya, and Denmark.
Al Qaeda’s general manager threatens America in video of large gathering
A video of Nasir al Wuhayshi, al Qaeda’s general manager, has sparked renewed interest in the media. Wuhayshi threatens the US in the video. His “core” leadership role gives him influence across al Qaeda’s international network.
2 Australian nationals killed in Yemen in November drone strike
Two Australian citizens believed to have been fighting alongside al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were killed in the Nov. 19, 2013 US airstrike in Yemen’s Hadramout province. Both are considered low-level AQAP fighters.
Trial of jihadist cleric expected to highlight ex-Guantanamo detainee’s al Qaeda role
Feroz Ali Abbasi was once held at Guantanamo and US officials have accused him of agreeing to take part in al Qaeda’s attacks against the West. He was transferred to Britain in 2005, but his story is a key part of the case against Abu Hamza al Masri, whose trial began this week in New York.
Al Nusrah Front official explains al Qaeda’s strategy, conflict with former branch
A video released by the Al Nusrah Front stars Abu Sulayman al Muhajir, a jihadist ideologue who serves as a sharia official in the group. Sulayman discusses al Qaeda’s organizational scheme and hierarchy, as well as the ongoing conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS).
Jihadist ideologues call on Zawahiri to detail problems with former al Qaeda affiliate
A group of jihadist ideologues has published a message addressed to Ayman al Zawahiri. They call on Zawahiri to address the specific problems they have encountered with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), which has been disowned by al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda shura council member addresses infighting in Syria
Abu Khalil al Madani has released an audio message calling on the jihadist groups in Syria to form a common sharia committee, as well as a security committee. Much of his message echoes the mediation efforts of the past.