US adds Afghan Taliban deputy shadow governor to terrorist list
Qari Saifullah, whom the State Department described as a “Taliban shadow deputy governor and an operational commander in Zabul Province,” also supports al Qaeda in southern Afghanistan.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
Al Qaeda, tribal allies ‘control’ Fallujah
While the military and allied tribes organize to retake areas of Ramadi and launch operations in other cities and towns, Fallujah, a city that once represented the seat of power for al Qaeda in Iraq, has again fallen under control of the group.
Taliban suicide assault team kills ISAF soldier in eastern Afghanistan
Security forces gunned down the suicide assault team before it penetrated security at the base in Nangarhar. The Taliban took credit for the attack.
Report: Ex-Guantanamo detainee and member of Bahrain’s royal family joins Syrian jihad
An ex-Guantanamo detainee, Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifah, has reportedly traveled from Bahrain to join the jihad in Syria. According to a leaked Joint Task Force Guantanamo threat assessment, Sheikh Salman had ties to senior al Qaeda and Taliban officials prior to his detention in Pakistan and transfer to Guantanamo.
Al Qaeda seizes partial control of 2 cities in western Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham has taken control of sections of Ramadi and Fallujah. In Ramadi, a large convoy of ISIS fighters has been seen moving through the city.
Emir of Abdullah Azzam Brigades detained in Lebanon
Majid bin Muhammad al Majid, a Saudi jihadist who leads the al Qaeda-associated Abdullah Azzam Brigades, is thought to have been captured last month.
AQAP suicide assault team targets security HQ in Aden
An al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula suicide assault team was repelled by security forces. AQAP continues to launch suicide attacks and assaults in Aden and throughout Yemen.
Suicide bomber strikes again in southern Russia
A trolley was demolished in a blast that is thought to have been carried out by a male suicide bomber. The attack is the second suicide bombing in Volgograd in two days.
Suicide bomber strikes at Russian train station
The bombing, which was likely executed by the Islamic Caucasus Emirate, took place in a region where Russia will host the 2014 Winter Olympics, and is the second suicide attack in Volgograd since October.
Boko Haram leader claims another attack in Borno state
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has once again released a video claiming responsibility for a high-profile attack on a Nigerian military installation.
US drones kill 2 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen
The strike took place in Hadramout province, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden’s family, which has become a haven for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Head of Al Nusrah Front interviewed by journalist convicted in Spain on controversial terror charges
Tayseer Allouni aired the first televised interview with Abu Muhammad al Julani, the head of the Al Nusrah Front, earlier this month. Allouni was controversially convicted by a Spanish court on terrorism charges in 2005. A Spanish court alleged that Allouni assisted the al Qaeda operative who now heads al Qaeda in the Levant, among other charges.
US drones kill 4 ‘militants’ in North Waziristan strike
In the first strike recorded in Pakistan in a month, the US yet again struck at a target in an area administered by the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network.
Ansar Jerusalem claims responsibility for Mansoura suicide bombing
The attack in Mansoura came a day after the Sinai-based group had called on Egyptian security forces to stop serving. In its statement, Ansar Jerusalem noted that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, at least the third used by the group in recent months.
Bombing in Mansoura leaves at least 12 dead, 130 injured
The attack comes a day after Ansar Jerusalem said its fighters were prepared to “do jihad against” members of the security forces who do not repent and leave their positions. The number of wounded is the highest in a single attack since the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi in early July.
Islamic Front joins al Qaeda suicide assault to take Syrian hospital
The Al Nusrah Front said it commanded units from the Islamic Front when it launched a suicide assault to take control of a hospital in Aleppo.
Suicide bomber strikes security checkpoint near Benghazi, Libya
For the first time since the Libyan revolution, a suicide bomber attacked Libyan security forces. At least several Libyan soldiers were reportedly killed. No group has claimed responsibility, but the Libyan Army has blamed Ansar al Sharia.
Pakistani military, Taliban clash in North Waziristan after suicide attack
The Pakistani military claimed it killed 33 “militants” in the Mir Ali area, while the Taliban and Ansar al Aseer claimed the military launched reprisal attacks on civilians after a suicide bomber killed five soldiers.
Al Qaeda suicide team kills Iraqi general, 17 officers
The commanders of the 7th Division and the 28th Brigade were among those killed in a triple suicide attack in western Iraq. Maps highlight al Qaeda’s resurgence in Iraq.
Egyptian raid in Ansar Jerusalem stronghold fails to achieve goals
According to Egypt’s army spokesman, the raid targeted Shadi el Menai and Kamal Allam, both of whom appear to have survived. At least two Egyptian soldiers were killed during the clashes.
Taliban eulogize Qari Hussain, chief of suicide and international operations
Qari Hussain is thought to have been been killed in a US drone strike in January 2012. He served as the Taliban’s “teacher of suicide bombers” and was involved in the Times Square plot and the suicide attack on the CIA in Afghanistan.
Latest Treasury designation targets al Qaeda’s fundraising network
A newly released terrorist designation by the Treasury Department highlights the extent and cohesion of al Qaeda’s global fundraising network. Treasury reports that Ayman al Zawahiri’s main representative in the Levant, Abu Khalid al Suri, has been funneling cash from Gulf donors to al Qaeda.
The German jihadists’ colony in Syria
A “German Camp” that caters to training and recruitment and serves as a magnet to attract German-speaking jihadists from Europe has been established in Syria.
State Department designates head of Al Nusrah Front branch in Lebanon
The State Department added Usamah Amin al Shihabi to the list of specially designated global terrorists. Al Shihabi is the head of the Al Nusrah Front’s “Palestinian wing in Lebanon.” Leaked State Department cables reveal that the Jordanians previously accused him of training a terror cell that targeted Americans.
US adds Belmokhtar’s brigades to terrorist lists
Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s al-Mulathameen Brigade is behind terror attacks in Niger, Algeria, and Mali. Its “aliases,” the al-Murabitoon Brigade and al Mua’qi’oon Biddam, have also been added to the US’s lists of terror groups.
Syrian rebel leader was bin Laden’s courier, now Zawahiri’s representative
Abu Khalid al Suri, Ayman al Zawahiri’s representative in the Levant, also serves as a senior leader in Ahrar al Sham, a Syrian rebel group that often fights alongside al Qaeda’s two official branches. According to the Spanish government, al Suri was one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted couriers and may have delivered surveillance tapes of the World Trade Center to al Qaeda senior leadership in Afghanistan prior to 9/11.
2 Guantanamo detainees transferred to Saudi Arabia
Both detainees were approved for transfer “subject to appropriate security measures” by President Obama’s Guantanamo Review Task Force. Previously, Joint Task Force Guantanamo deemed both detainees “high” risks to the US and its allies and recommended that they be retained in US custody.
Popular Saudi cleric endorses Islamic Front, calls for cooperation with al Qaeda
Since arriving in Syria in early October, Dr. Abdallah Muhammad al Muhaysini has attempted to mediate disputes between jihadist groups. He has said that Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar should serve as models for the Syrian opposition. His efforts and fundraising have been praised by an al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb official.
Kansas bomb plot suspect says bin Laden and Awlaki are inspirations
Terry Lee Loewen, who believed he was working with people tied to AQAP, sought to carry out a car bomb attack at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. US authorities said the public was never at risk.
Boko Haram leader releases video on Maiduguri attack, threatens US
The release of a new video by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau coincides with an increase in Boko Haram attacks.