Al Qaeda suicide bombers kill 15 in attacks on Iraqi police, Shia pilgrims
Suicide bombers struck at a police training center and a gathering of Shia pilgrims in the northeastern province of Baqubah.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
US Predators kill 5 ‘militants’ in al Qaeda stronghold of Datta Khel
Today’s strike in North Waziristan is the first in six days, and the sixth since the new year.
Al Qaeda suicide bomber kills over 40 police recruits in central Iraq
The suicide bomber detonated his vest among 300 Iraqis lining up to join the police in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit.
Anwar al Awlaki: Jihadists should steal from disbelievers
AQAP has released the fourth edition of its Inspire magazine. In it, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki calls on Muslims to steal from the disbelievers in order to fund their jihad. Awlaki’s message may indicate that AQAP’s fundraising has been hampered by US-led efforts.
17 killed in bus bombing in northwestern Pakistan
The attack is the latest in an area adjacent to the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.
Canadian jihadists training in North Waziristan: report
The Canadians were recruited to train in Pakistan after fighting for nine months in Afghanistan.
Turkistan Islamic Party identifies senior leader killed in Afghanistan
Shaykh Qurban Ata was a Chinese Uighur who was killed in the February 2010 airstrike in Badghis province.
Member of top al Qaeda operative’s cell denied habeas petition
An Algerian Guantanamo detainee named Abdel Razak Ali was denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus on Tuesday. Razak was a member of the terrorist cell of top al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah.
Suicide bomber kills 20 in Pakistan’s northwest, Taliban claim attack
Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq said the attacks would continue until US Predator strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas are halted.
US Predators kill 4 ‘foreigners’ in North Waziristan strike
The strike took place in the Mir Ali area, a known haven for al Qaeda and the Islamic Jihad Group.
ISAF kills, captures Taliban and IMU leaders in Afghan north
In Kunduz, a senior Taliban and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commander was killed along with the Taliban’s shadow governor of Khanabad, and a senior facilitator involved in a recent suicide assault was captured.
Saudi Arabia names 47 most-wanted terrorists
None of the 47 al Qaeda operatives are in Saudi Arabia. Twenty-seven of them are thought to be in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 16 are thought to be in Yemen, and four more are believed to be in Iraq.
ISAF captures Qods Force-linked Taliban leader in Afghan west
The Taliban commander, who was captured in Farah province, “is definitely associated with Qods Force,” an ISAF official told The Long War Journal.
ISAF targets al Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders in the Afghan east
Recent raids have targeted Taliban leaders in Kunar and Nangarhar with close ties to al Qaeda. Both provinces host al Qaeda cells.
Mullah Dadullah Front behind Kandahar suicide attack
The attack killed 17 people, including a senior anti-Taliban police commander. The Mullah Dadullah Front is a wing of the Taliban in the Afghan south that has adopted al Qaeda’s tactics and ideology.
Swedish suicide bomber trained in Mosul: Iraqi official
Taimour Abdulwahab, who attempted to kill people in a failed attack Stockholm in mid-December 2010, trained in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul along with an Egyptian, according to Iraqi officials.
Al Qaeda ambushes Yemeni troops in the south
In two attacks today, 13 Yemeni soldiers were reported killed, and their brigade commander was wounded by an IED.
Analysis: Gitmo detainee transferred to Algeria
The Department of Defense announced the transfer of a Guantanamo detainee to Algeria on Thursday. A district judge ruled that he should be freed even though he was recruited by al Qaeda to train and fight in Afghanistan.
US Predators kill 5 ‘militants’ in al Qaeda haven of Datta Khel
The strike is the fourth this year. Datta Khel is a known hub for al Qaeda’s leadership.
Pakistan releases top al Qaeda-linked terrorist leader
Qari Saifullah Akhtar, the leader of the Harakat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, was recently freed after being placed into “protective custody” in August.
ISAF, Afghan forces killed deputy shadow governor in the north
Bahadur had close ties to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, an al Qaeda affiliate, and was also linked to Taliban leaders in Pakistan.
Suspected suicide bomber kills 21 in attack on Egyptian church
The Interior Ministry said it believes that “foreign elements undertook planning and execution” of the blast outside a Coptic church in Alexandria.
US Predators strike 3 times in North Waziristan
Four “foreigners” were reported killed in one of the strikes.
Danish newspaper plotter arrested twice before
One of the suspects arrested this week for allegedly plotting an attack against the Danish newspaper that published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed had been arrested twice before. He and his supporters claimed both times that he was merely vacationing.
Al Qaeda, Taliban create female suicide cells in Pakistan and Afghanistan
The cells are commanded by Qari Zia Rahman, the dual-hatted Taliban and al Qaeda leader who heads forces in northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan.
US Predators strike again along the Afghan-Pakistani border
Eight Haqqani Network fighters were reported killed in a strike on a convoy in Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, Pakistan. The US carried out 117 strikes in Pakistan in 2010, more than doubling 2009’s total of 53.
ISAF continues to target IMU leaders in the Afghan north
The US has targeted the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan during three raids over the past month. Despite suffering losses to its leadership cadre, the IMU continues to operate in the north in conjunction with the Taliban.
Suicide assault team kills Mosul emergency police chief
The commander of the 1st Emergency Battalion in Mosul had been targeted by al Qaeda on five other occasions. He had recently killed al Qaeda’s top leader in the city.
US Predators strike again in North Waziristan
The airstrikes killed 15 Taliban fighters in an area used for staging attacks into Afghanistan.
US Predators kill 25 ‘rebels’ in pair of strikes in North Waziristan
The strikes are the first in 10 days, and the first in the Mir Ali area since the end of November.