Taliban controls 3 districts in Afghan provinces of Wardak and Kunduz
One of the districts was the location of the shoot down of a US helicopter that resulted in the deaths of 31 special operations personnel, including 17 US Navy SEALs, in 2011.
Category Archives: Long War Journal
State Department adds Osama bin Laden’s doctor to terrorist designation list
Ramzi Mawafi was added to the US government’s list of specially designated global terrorists today. Mawafi has been publicly identified as the emir of al Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula, which serves as a platform for funneling al Qaeda’s assistance to allied jihadist groups.
US State Department adds Pakistani Taliban leader to list of global terrorists
Khan Said, who is also known as Sajna Mehsud, “stated his continued commitment to terrorist activity” after parting with the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan earlier this year, the State Department said.
AQAP claims credit for series of attacks in Yemen
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed credit for 16 attacks over the past several days as it battles Houthi rebels for control of central Yemen.
Taliban claims captured Haqqani leaders visited ex-Gitmo detainees in Qatar
The Taliban claims that two recently captured Haqqani operatives had recently met with members of the “Taliban Five” in Qatar. The Taliban Five is a group of senior Taliban leaders who were exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl earlier this year.
Senior al Qaeda leader reported killed in US airstrike in eastern Afghanistan
Abu Bara al Kuwaiti is a member of al Qaeda’s General Command and was mentored by Atiyah Allah. The US killed Abu Bara in Nangarhar province, yet another indicator that al Qaeda is not confined to Kunar and Nuristan.
Discord dissolves Pakistani Taliban coalition
The spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban announced that he and five other leaders had defected to the Islamic State this week. The bulk of the organization had already broken off earlier this year.
Ceasefire announced between Nigerian government and Boko Haram
Boko Haram and the government of Nigeria announced an agreement that includes the possible return of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.
Al Qaeda portrays US-led bombing campaign as ‘Crusade’ against Islam
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a statement once again calling on jihadists in Syria to unite against their common enemies, especially the US. AQAP and other jihadists are portraying the US-led bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria as part of a “Crusade” against Muslims.
AQAP, Houthis clash in central Yemen
On Oct. 15, AQAP fighters checked the Houthi advance in Bayda province and seized the al Adayn directorate in Ibb following the fall of Ibb city at the hands of the Shi’ite rebels.
Islamic State photos highlight group’s grip on Ramadi
The jihadist group released photographs showing its fighters manning checkpoints in the 7 Kilo area west of Ramadi and in control of a base in Albu Aytha, just north of the provincial capital.
US drone strike kills veteran jihadist turned senior AQIS official
Sheikh Imran Ali Siddiqi, a senior official in al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), was killed in a US drone strike earlier this month. After 9/11, Imran founded Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Almi (HUMA), an al Qaeda-linked group thought to be responsible for an attack on the US Consulate in Karachi and other Western interests.
Houthi rebels seize Hodeidah and Dhamar
Houthi rebels seized the strategic port city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast as well as the central Yemeni city of Dhamar on Oct. 14.
US drone strike kills AQAP commander in Shabwa
The strike in Shabwa reportedly killed an AQAP military commander.
Al Qaeda external operations leader reported killed
Ahmed Abdulrahman Sihab Ahmed Sihab, who is also known as Abdulrahman al Sharqi, is a senior leader in the al Qaeda council assigned to attack the West and a specially designated global terrorist. Jihadists on Twitter have reported that he was killed, but his death has not been confirmed.
Abdullah Azzam Brigades leader calls on Lebanese people to attack Hezbollah
Abdullah Azzam Brigades leader Sirajeddine Zurayqat has called on Sunnis in Lebanon to fight against Hezbollah. Zurayqat’s call to arms was posted on his official Twitter account. His anti-Iran, anti-Hezbollah messaging is consistent with the Al Nusrah Front’s propaganda campaign.
AQAP attacks Yemeni military in Hadramout
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula attacked several military targets in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout province between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13, killing about 40 Yemeni soldiers.
Taliban routs Afghan military convoy in ambush
The Taliban killed 22 policemen and soldiers and captured eight more, and also destroyed and seized several military vehicles and weapons during the ambush in Sar-i-Pul.
Germany’s Islamic State problem
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government faces daunting challenges due to the growth of the Islamic State and other extremist groups. Many of these challenges have arisen from Germany’s own problematic counterterrorism policies.
Islamic State assassinates Anbar province police chief
Today’s assassination of the Anbar chief of police is the latest in a series of setbacks for Iraqi security forces in the province, which is mostly under the Islamic State’s control.
Islamic State releases video of training camp in Ninewa
The Islamic State has released a video showcasing over 100 new recruits at a training camp in northern Iraq.
AQIS leader, ‘good’ Taliban commander killed in 2 US drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas
Sheikh Imran Ali Siddiqi, a senior al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader, and Muhammad Mustafa, a Taliban commander loyal to Hafiz Gul Bahadar, were reported killed in the strikes in Khyber and North Waziristan.
Lebanese soldier defects to al Qaeda’s Syrian branch
The Al Nusrah Front has announced that a Lebanese soldier, Mohammed Antar, has defected to the jihadist group. Al Nusrah has released a photo and video of Antar, which are part of the organization’s ongoing propaganda campaign against Iran, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese government.
Ansar al Sharia video features jihadist once thought to be US ally in Benghazi
A new video posted by Ansar al Sharia Libya features Wissam Bin Hamid. American officials once considered Bin Hamid an ally in Benghazi, but he stood idly by as the US Mission and Annex were overrun on the night of Sept. 11, 2012.
Al Nusrah Front releases photos of training camp in northwestern Syria
The al Qaeda branch is operating camps in Syria despite US airstrikes, which have not targeted the group since Sept. 22.
AQAP suicide attacks kill scores in Sana’a and Hadramout
Simultaneous suicide attacks in Sana’a and Hadramout left at least 63 people dead today in Yemen.
US drones strike al Qaeda hub in Pakistan’s tribal areas
The US has launched five strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas in five days, indicating that the hunt is on for a senior al Qaeda or allied jihadist leader or operative.
AQAP conducts offensive against Yemeni military in Baydah
AQAP continues to attack security personnel in central and southern Yemen as the government is weakened by the Houthi rebellion.
US launches another 2 drone strikes in North Waziristan
The strike in the Shawal Valley is the third attack in the jihadist haven in the past three days.
US launches 2 more drone strikes in North and South Waziristan
Thirteen people are reported to have been killed in airstrikes in the Shawal Valley in South Waziristan. The area is a known transit point for fighters entering Afghanistan.