2 Zarqawi cousins detained in Jordan after fighting in Syria
Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s family members and aides continue to fight in the theaters of jihad six years after his death.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
AQAP leader, 8 fighters killed in US drone strike in Yemen
An al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader known as Nadir Haider Nasser al Shaddadi was among nine fighters killed in the attack in Abyan province.
US adds IMU financier, Taliban IED experts to terror list
Qari Ayyub Bashir is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan’s top financier; Maulawi Adam Khan Achekzai is a senior Taliban IED expert and leader; and Aamir Ali Chaudhry is an electronics and explosives expert for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan who was involved in the Times Square plot.
Jund al Khilafah emir killed in ‘treacherous raid’
Moezeddine Garsallaoui, a Swiss citizen, led the al Qaeda-linked group, and trained Mohamed Merah, the Toulouse shooter who killed seven people. He appears to have been killed in a drone strike.
Insider attack by Afghan intelligence employee kills 6 in Kandahar
A uniformed employee of the National Directorate of Security detonated his suicide vest at a district office in Kandahar province, killing two Americans and four Afghans from a visiting NDS delegation.
‘Moderate’ Islamist leader in Tunisia strategizes with al Qaeda-linked Salafists
Rachid Ghannouchi, the co-founder and leader of Ennahda, urged Salafists to be patient, build institutions, and “take your time to consolidate what you have gained.” He also met with Ansar al Sharia emir Seifallah ben Hassine.
Turkish jihadists eulogize slain German al Qaeda leader
Islamic World, a Turkish jihadist magazine, said that Bekkay Harrach fought against Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, traveled to Iraq, where he was wounded, and was detained by Syrian security forces. Harrach also lived with Atiyah Abd al Rahman in Pakistan.
Mujahideen Shura Council is consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza: sources
Salafi sources have confirmed that the Mujahideen Shura Council is a consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza, and that Abu al Walid al Maqdisi was one of its leaders. Ashraf al Sabah, the emir of Ansar al Sunnah, was also killed in yesterday’s airstrike.
Israeli Air Force kills leader of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Gaza airstrike
On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force killed Abu al Walid al Maqdisi, the former emir of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem. Al Maqdisi’s death may provide evidence of the consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza into the Mujahideen Shura Council.
Taliban suicide bomber kills 4 NDS, 2 ISAF personnel in southern Afghanistan
Today’s suicide attack is the second in southern Afghanistan in six days that targeted the National Directorate of Security.
Al Nusrah Front seizes Syrian base in joint operation with Free Syrian Army
The al Qaeda-linked group teamed up with the supposedly secular Free Syrian Army to capture an airbase outside Aleppo that houses Scud tactical ballistic missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.
Al Qaeda in Iraq claims credit for Tikrit jailbreak
The group claimed it smuggled weapons and suicide vests into the Tasfirat prison in Tikrit and destroyed the records inside the prison.
Hezbollah takes responsibility for last week’s drone over Israel
Just a couple of hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged that Hezbollah was responsible for the drone sent over Israel on Oct. 6, Hezbollah took responsibility.
US drones kill 16 ‘militants’ in Arakzai strike
Drone strikes outside of the designated “kill boxes” in North and South Waziristan are rare. The strike is the first recorded outside of the two tribal agencies since December 2010.
5 ‘militants’ killed in US drone strike in Mir Ali
The last three US attacks have occurred in the jihadist hub in Pakistan’s tribal agency of North Waziristan.
Al Nusrah Front launches complex suicide assault on Syrian Air Force intelligence HQ
The Al Nusrah Front has now claimed credit for 27 of the 34 suicide bombings in Syria that the The Long War Journal has tallied since December 2011. Nine of those attacks have occurred since the end of August.
US officials blame more insider attacks on Taliban, Haqqani Network
The US military is starting to acknowledge the significant role played by the Taliban and its subgroup, the Haqqani Network, in the insider attacks. In addition, it has begun to release more information on the number of troops injured but not killed in the attacks.
Israel targets Mujahideen Shura Council and Global Jihad terrorists in Gaza
On Sunday, Israel targeted a ‘global jihad operative’ as well as a member of the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem said to be involved in a June 2011 terrorist attack.
Israeli Air Force shoots down foreign drone
On Saturday morning the Israeli Air Force shot down a foreign drone in the northern Negev. The origin of the drone is currently unknown, but early theories point to Hezbollah or Iran.
Haqqani Network is part of the Taliban — Siraj Haqqani
The al Qaeda-linked leader of the Haqqani Network reiterated his allegiance to Mullah Omar. The Haqqanis and the Taliban have consistently stated that both groups are united.
State Department: Ansar al Sharia an alias for AQAP
The State Department has announced that Ansar al Sharia in Yemen is simply an “alias” for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is attempting to “rebrand itself.” The Ansar al Sharia brand is being employed by al Qaeda-linked groups elsewhere, including in Tunisia and Libya.
US drone strike kills 4 al Qaeda ‘militants’ in southern Yemen
The strike is the first recorded in Yemen in nearly a month, and took place just six days after President Hadi praised the US’s drone program.
Al Nusrah Front claims 2 suicide, 2 car bombings in Aleppo
More than 50 people are said to have been killed in the coordinated attacks, which included a complex suicide assault. The terror group has now claimed credit for 26 of the 33 suicide attacks that have taken place in Syria since December 2011.
Israeli intelligence: Sinai is the ‘home of an independent jihadist network’
Israeli intelligence believes that Ansar Jerusalem is responsible for the majority of the recent attacks emanating from the Sinai and that the group is increasing recruitment.
Al Qaeda ally orchestrated assault on US Embassy in Tunisia
The Sept. 14 assault on the US Embassy in Tunis was orchestrated by Seifallah ben Hassine, a.k.a. Abu Iyad al Tunisi, who has longstanding ties to al Qaeda. Hassine currently heads Ansar al Sharia Tunisia.
Taliban suicide bomber kills 14, including 3 ISAF troops
The Taliban have targeted ISAF convoys in the east with a suicide bomber twice in the past five days, killing five NATO soldiers.
US drones kill 3 ‘rebels’ in Mir Ali strike
The strike took place in the same village where al Qaeda leaders Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki are rumored to have been killed on Sept. 24.
ISAF soldier, civilian contractor killed in latest green-on-blue attack
The attack took place just two days after the US and NATO resumed joint operations with Afghan forces.
ISAF targets another ‘al Qaeda-associated Taliban leader’ in Kunar
Since the end of May, special operations forces have conducted at least 21 raids against al Qaeda’s network in Afghanistan.
Al Nusrah front claims complex suicide assault on Syrian Army HQ
According to the al Qaeda-linked group, its fighters were able to penetrate security and attack the Syrian Army headquarters after a suicide bomber caused a diversion.