After lengthy siege, Lashkar Gah is taken by the Taliban
With Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the hands of the Taliban, the rest of the south will go under Taliban control in short order.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
Kandahar City falls to the Taliban
Kandahar City, the country’s second largest city collapsed after Taliban forces besieged it for more than two months. It is the third major city to and the fourth provincial capital fall to the Taliban today.
Taliban overrun Herat City, Qala-i-Naw
Herat City is the Taliban’s biggest victory since it began taking control of provincial capitals in late July. With the fall of Herat and Qala-i-Naw, the Taliban now fully controls the west.
Ghazni City falls to the Taliban
Ghazni is the tenth Afghan provincial capital to fall to the Taliban in the past week. Al Qaeda has deep roots in Ghazni. Osama bin Laden identified the province as a key safe haven for his men.
Taliban seizes Afghan Army corps headquarters, 2 northern airports
The Taliban seeks to consolidate recent gains in Kunduz and Jawzjan provinces, and deny the Afghan military the ability to counterattack
Analysis: Hezbollah’s Escalating Conflict with Israel
Israel finds itself in an escalation with Hezbollah after a string of rocket attacks from southern Lebanon.
Analysis: Somaliland’s lingering jihadi threat
Terrorists haven’t launched major attacks in Somaliland in more than a decade. However, this does not mean it doesn’t face any real threats from Shabaab or the Islamic State.
Former headquarters of Northern Alliance falls under Taliban control
The north, where many Afghan power brokers are base, is now in a state of general collapse. Seven of the nine northern provincial capitals are under Taliban control.
Farah City, Pul-i-Khumri fall to the Taliban
Eight of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban in less than a week. The Taliban now fully controls four provinces; Farah, Jawzjan, Nimruz, and Takhar.
Fifth northern Afghan capital falls to the Taliban
The Taliban is sweeping up northern capitals. Aybak is the fifth northern capital to fall to the Taliban in three days, and and the sixth in four days.
Taliban takes control of Afghan provincial capitals of Kunduz, Sar-i-Pul and Taloqan
The Taliban took control of the provincial capitals of Kunduz and Sar-i-Pul cities, while Taloqan, the capital of Takhar, is under direct threat. Four provincial capitals have now fallen under Taliban control in the past three days.
Taliban takes second provincial capital
Shibirghan, the capital of the northern province of Jawzjan and the home of warlord Marshall Abdul Rashid Dostum, fell to the Taliban today.
Taliban takes full control of Nimruz province, seizes capital
The Taliban took control of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz province, without a fight. The western locale is the first provincial capital to fall under Taliban control since it launched its offensive across the country in May.
Taliban assassinates senior Afghan media official
The Taliban assassinated Dawa Khan Menapal, the head of the Afghan government’s information and media center. The group vowed to continue targeting officials in the Afghan capital after failing to kill the acting defense minister earlier this week.
Taliban ‘martyrdom’ unit attacks Afghan defense minister’s home in Kabul
The Taliban’s martyrdom unit assaulted the home of Afghanistan’s acting Defense Minister, Bismillah Mohammadi, yesterday evening. Mohammadi survived the assassination attempt, but the Taliban vowed to continue targeting Afghan officials.
Al Qaeda group claims bus bombing in Damascus
Hurras al Din, an al Qaeda group in Syria, has claimed responsibility for a bus explosion in Damascus. The Syrian state-controlled media says the explosion was caused by a “short circuit” near the bus’s fuel tank.
Analysis: Iran escalates maritime conflict against Israel
Israel and its allies mull a response after an Iranian attack against an Israeli-operated ship off the coast of Oman.
Taliban, Afghan forces battle for control of Helmand’s capital
The Taliban has advanced on Lashkar Gah from the north and south, and is trying to squeeze Afghan forces in the city center. Lashkar Gah is in danger of falling to the Taliban.
Taliban advances on Herat City
The Taliban is fighting inside Herat City, has seized control of a key district, and has taken control of the road that connects the provincial capital with the airport.
Ep. 54 — What Shabaab Wants
Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss a new message from Shabaab’s emir. They also discuss their reluctance to report on a video, titled “America Burns,” produced by Al Qaeda’s main propaganda arm. Powered by RedCircle Take a look around the globe today and you’ll see jihadists fighting everywhere from West Africa to Southeast Asia. […]
U.S. designates al Qaeda financial facilitator based in Turkey
The U.S. Treasury Department announced today that two money men working for al Qaeda and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS) have been designated. The designations are part of a broader U.S. effort to sanction individuals and entities taking part in the Syrian war. Other extremists and parts of Bashar al-Assad’s regime were also designated and sanctioned as part of the campaign.
Taliban battles Afghan military for control of Kandahar City
The Taliban’s rural insurgency strategy is clearly seen in Kandahar province, where the provincial capital of Kandahar City is now under direct threat of falling under Taliban control.
U.S. transfers Guantánamo detainee who allegedly led forces at Tora Bora
The U.S. transferred Abdul Latif Nasir from Guantánamo to his home country of Morocco. Nasir allegedly led forces during the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora and was a member of an al Qaeda training subcommittee.
Half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals under threat from Taliban
The Taliban directly threatens 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, while 18 of the provinces are under direct threat of falling under Taliban control, according to an assessment by FDD’s Long War Journal.
Cryptocurrency intended for Hamas seized by Israel
Israel’s government announced that it had seized cryptocurrency wallets and addresses belonging to Hamas.
Ep. 53 — The Taliban and al Qaeda advance as U.S. completes withdrawal
Hosts Bill Roggio and Tom Joscelyn discuss President Biden’s latest defense of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite the jihadists’ significant advances since May 1, the president remains steadfastly committed to completing the American retreat. Powered by RedCircle Take a look around the globe today and you’ll see jihadists fighting everywhere from West Africa to Southeast […]
Taliban advances as U.S. completes withdrawal
The Taliban and al Qaeda advanced throughout Afghanistan after President Biden announced the withdrawal of American and NATO forces on Apr. 14.
Taliban squeezes Afghan government by seizing key border towns
The Taliban’s strategy of seizing rural districts has not only allowed it to surround major cities and put pressure on population centers, it has also enabled it to squeeze the Afghan government’s revenue from goods crossing the border.
Taliban assaults northern provincial capital
The Taliban entered Qala-i-Naw, the provincial capital of Badghis, stormed the city’s prison and freed inmates, and briefly seized control of the governor’s office and the police and National Directorate of Security headquarters before government forces counterattacked.
Afghanistan at risk of collapse as Taliban storms the north
The importance of the Taliban’s northern thrust cannot be understated. If the Taliban can deny Afghanistan’s government and its backers their base of power, Afghanistan is effectively lost.