Taliban kills 25 Afghan commandos
The commandos are the most effective Afghan military formation and are at the tip of the spear in the fight against the Taliban. Yet they often take heavy casualties while battling the Taliban.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
Pakistan again arrests Lashkar-e-Taiba emir Hafiz Saeed
Pakistan is a state where those who push the bounds of what is acceptable to the military and Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, including jihadists, politicians, journalists, and activists, end up missing or are found murdered. Pakistan has weathered nearly two decades of international condemnation over Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, yet he and his terrorist entities have not only survived, but thrived.
US sanctions leaders of al Qaeda in Mali
Two leaders of al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a Moroccan national and a local Malian, were designated as terrorists today.
Taliban overruns district in eastern Afghanistan
Afghan officials confirmed the Taliban took the district after security forces retreated. Paktika is in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, the influential Taliban subgroup that is closely allied with al Qaeda as well as Pakistan’s military and Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.
Taliban suicide team strikes hotel
A Taliban suicide assault team attacked a hotel in the northwestern Afghan province of Badghis earlier today, killing six police officers and two civilians. The attack took place just days after the Taliban reportedly committed to protect residential areas in order to limit civilian casualties. Afghan officials said five Taliban “suicide bombers” launched the attack […]
Kismayo hotel raided by Shabaab
The al Qaeda branch continues to utilize the suicide assault to target popular hotels and government buildings across Somalia.
Pakistan charges 13 Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders under Anti-Terrorism Act
If history is any guide, Laskahr-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and his cadre will dodge the charges and continue to provide support to a wide range of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban.
Al Qaeda leader threatens India, criticizes Pakistan in message on Kashmir
Ayman al-Zawahiri has released a new message entitled, “Don’t Forget Kashmir.” He criticizes the Pakistani Army and intelligence services at length, saying they can’t be trusted to support the jihad against Indian forces. He also calls upon Muslim scholars to explain that it is “individual duty” to support the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate.
New head of al Qaeda group in Kashmir calls for independent jihadist council
Abdul Hameed Lelhari, the new emir of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), claims that a Pakistani agency recently tried to rein in the jihad in Kashmir by cutting a deal with his group. AGH and al Qaeda have repeatedly argued that Pakistani-backed jihadist groups are pursuing nationalist goals, as opposed to a supposedly purer ideological vision.
Taliban suicide bomber strikes intelligence facility in Ghazni
A suicide bomber dispatched by the Taliban detonated his explosives-laden vehicle outside of a facility run by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Ghazni earlier today. Preliminary casualty reports indicate that upwards of 200 people were either killed or wounded, including schoolchildren.
Houthis raise over $100k for Lebanese Hezbollah
The Houthi’s fundraising campaign ended earlier this week. Today, the Houthi-ran Sam FM radio station reported that the group raised over $100,000 for Lebanese Hezbollah.
Afghan government unable to administer 64 districts
The Afghan government is unable to administer 64 districts from the district centers, according to a recent survey. The fact that a district cannot be administered from its district center is a clear indication that the government cannot control the district.
Niger military base raided by the Islamic State
The Islamic State’s men in the Sahel claims another large-scale attack on Nigerien troops near the borders with Mali.
State Department designates Hizballah operative, Baloch separatist group
The State Department’s latest terrorist designations include a Hizballah operative who serves as the “Chief of Hizballah Unit 200” and the Balochistan Liberation Army, which targets Pakistani forces and civilians. State also amended its previous designation of Jundallah, which targets Iranian forces, to include Jaysh al-Adl as an alias for the group.
Taliban overruns district in Afghan north
The Taliban has overrun another district in northern Afghanistan. The district of Qush Tepa in Jawzjan province – which was previously contested – was taken by the Taliban earlier today after several days of fighting, both Afghan officials and the Taliban confirmed. The governor of Jawzjan province said that the Taliban shut down all roads […]
Analysis: Gulf governments sponsored anti-Semitic hate preachers during Ramadan 2019
Hate preachers were hosted by Gulf governments at multiple events during Ramadan 2019. The Government of Qatar continued to be the worst offender in this regard.
US military targets al Qaeda operatives in Syria
CENTCOM says the U.S. targeted a group of al Qaeda operatives in Syria who were “responsible for plotting external attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians.” According to jihadists online, the operatives belonged to Hurras al-Din (the “Guardians of Religion” organization).
Taliban launches string of attacks throughout Afghanistan
As the Taliban launches major attacks in four provinces, it is revealed that 64 districts in 19 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are not being governed from the existing district centers.
Fighters throughout the Khorasan renew allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
The Islamic State’s Wilayah Khorasan is the latest province of the so-called caliphate to release a video as part of the “And the Best Outcome is for the Righteous” series. Fighters in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kashmir, and Pakistan are shown renewing their oaths of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. One speaker blasts the Taliban, encouraging its fighters to defect.
Turkistan Islamic Party musters large force for battles in Syria
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), an al Qaeda-affiliated group, has released a series of images showing a large number of fighters preparing for battle in Syria. The TIP has been a key jihadist group within the insurgency for years.
Indian forces kill spokesman for al Qaeda group in Kashmir
Shabir Ahmad Malik (also known as Abu Ubaidah) was killed on June 26 in Kashmir. He was the spokesman for Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al Qaeda group. Prior to joining AGH, Abu Ubaidah was a member of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
Jihadists in the Caucasus, Philippines renew allegiance to Baghdadi
As part of its “And the Best Outcome is for the Righteous” series, the Islamic State has released videos of jihadists from the Caucasus and the Philippines renewing their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Leader of ISIS in Yemen captured in joint counterterrorism raid
Saudi and Yemeni special forces captured the leader of ISIS in Yemen, as well as the group’s chief financial officer, earlier this month. The raid was backed by the US.
Taliban kills 2 US soldiers in eastern Afghanistan
The Taliban said it ambushed a US and Afghan convoy in Wardak province. The attack took place in a district that has been under Taliban control for years.
Taliban military commission threatens Afghan media
The Taliban’s “Commission for Military Affairs of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” gave media outlets a one week deadline to cease broadcasting anti-Taliban commercials or they “shall become military targets.”
AQIS member from Kashmir reportedly killed in Ghazni, Afghanistan
An AQIS Member known as Abdul Haseeb al-Kashmiri was recently killed in Ghazni, according to jihadists online. His death was reported on a Telegram channel that supports Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al Qaeda-linked group in Kashmir.
Islamic State claims attack on Chechen leader’s home in Grozny
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack outside the home of Chechnya’s leader in Grozny. Security sources claim the terrorist was stopped for a routine ID check. The so-called caliphate’s men have carried out a string of operations in or near Grozny.
Al Qaeda growing stronger under Taliban’s umbrella, UN finds
According to a recently released report by a UN Security Council monitoring team, the Taliban is the “primary partner for all foreign terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan,” including al Qaeda. The only exception is the Islamic State, which opposes the Taliban.
Islamic State claims attacks on American, French forces in the Sahel
The Islamic State’s men in the Sahel have claimed a recent IED on US troops in Niger, as well as downing a French helicopter and assassinating a Tuareg militia member in Mali.
Iran shoots down US drone
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps shot down a MQ-4 Global Hawk as it was gathering intelligence over the Strait of Hormuz. It is the third US drone targeted by Iran and the second shot down since the beginning of the month.