Gulf states pay price for intervention against Houthis in Yemen
The Houthis have destroyed several armored vehicles, including US-supplied M1 Abrams tanks, while battling Saudi and Emirati troops.
Search Results for: Iran
Islamic State brutally executes 4 men in response to slaying by ‘Angel of Death’
The Islamic State has brutally executed four men who belonged to the Iraqi and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The executions are a response to the PMF’s own slayings of Sunnis, the Islamic State says.
Islamic State kills 2 senior Iraqi generals in suicide assault near Ramadi
The Islamic State claimed credit for killing Major General Abdel Rahman Abu Raghif, the deputy commander for the Anbar Operations command, and Brigadier Safin Abdel Majid, the commander of the 10th Iraqi Army Division, in a six-man suicide assault on a military headquarters near Ramadi.
Jihadists say nephew of 9/11 mastermind killed in raid by Pakistani intelligence
Al Qaeda-linked Twitter feeds, including one attributed to a senior al Qaeda leader, are claiming that Idris al Balushi was killed during a counterterrorism raid by Pakistani forces. Balushi is purportedly the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. His death has not been confirmed.
US adds Haqqani Network commander to list of global terrorists
Siraj Haqqani’s brother, Abdul Aziz, is a key military commander who directs operations for the Haqqani Network and also is a member of the Kabul Attack Network. He is the 14th Haqqani network leader added to the US list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists since 2008. All have ties to al Qaeda.
Jundallah emir killed in northern Afghanistan, NDS claims
Hazrat, who is also known as Abu Hazefa, was killed in Kunduz, where a number of jihadist groups are fighting Afghan forces. He served as a Taliban military commander and also was a member of al Qaeda.
Islamic State attacks Iraqi troops near Fallujah
The attack near Fallujah coincided with the release of a video by the Islamic State shows the corpses of more than 30 Iraqi troops in Saqlawiyah in 2014. The jihadist group also seized a number of armored vehicles.
Analysis: Osama bin Laden’s son praises al Qaeda’s branches in new message
During the last months of his life, Osama bin Laden worried about the fate of his son, Hamzah. In a newly-released audio message, Hamzah picks up his father’s banner.
Islamic State claims advances in Baiji
Islamic State forces are pressing an offensive in the central Iraqi city. Iraq’s defense minister claimed that Baiji was liberated just two weeks ago.
US airstrike kills one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted commanders in Afghanistan
Abu Khalil al Sudani worked with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri for years. He was a member of al Qaeda’s shura council and directed suicide operations. Osama bin Laden’s files reveal that he was one of al Qaeda’s most trusted leaders. The airstrike that killed Sudani took place in the Bermal district of the Paktia province, where the US operated a base before withdrawing its forces.
Pentagon says al Qaeda veteran killed in ‘kinetic strike’ in Syria
The Defense Department says that Muhsin al Fadhli was killed in an airstrike on July 8 in Syria. Al Fadhli was a leader in the so-called “Khorasan Group,” a cadre of al Qaeda veterans who have been plotting attacks agains the West. Prior to relocating to Syria, al Fadhli headed al Qaeda’s network inside Iran.
Officials from Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham vow to continue fight against Islamic State
Sixteen jihadists, including 11 from the Al Nusrah Front and Ahrar al Sham, have issued a statement on behalf of the “muhajireen” (foreign fighters) saying they will continue to fight the Islamic State throughout Syria.
Message attributed to Mullah Omar takes aim at the Islamic State
The Taliban has released a new statement attributed to Mullah Omar saying that his men have been ordered to “forcefully prevent” anyone from sowing dissent in the jihadists’ ranks in Afghanistan. Although the statement doesn’t mention the Islamic State or its followers by name, the Taliban clearly has Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s organization in mind.
Badr Organization fighters pose with US M1 Abrams tank
A Badr fighter also displays an AT4 anti-tank rocket. US equipment that has been supplied to the Iraqi military continues to fall into the hands of Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
New AQAP leader renews allegiance to the ‘beloved father,’ Ayman al Zawahiri
Qasim al Raymi, the new head of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), reaffirms his allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri in a newly-released audio message. It is al Raymi’s first message as AQAP’s emir.
Deputy emir of Islamic State’s Khorasan province reported killed in US drone strike
Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Intelligence said that “Gull Zaman,” his deputy, and five fighters were killed in a US drone strike in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan.
Al Nusrah Front, allies form new coalition for battle in Aleppo
Jihadist groups have announced the creation of Ansar al Sharia, a new alliance for the battle of Aleppo. Ansar al Sharia is the latest of several coalitions formed by the Al Nusrah Front and Ahrar al Sham this year.
Hezbollah Brigades flaunts US equipment in Anbar operation
In the video, Hezbollah Brigades, which is a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, is seen operating an array of US military hardware, including M113 armored personnel carriers, HUMVEEs, and artillery.
Treasury designates Taliban liaison to al Qaeda
Prior to his capture in July 2014, Maulawi Abdul Rashid Baluch was a senior Taliban member whose activities ranged from waging guerrilla warfare against NATO and Afghan forces to narcotics trafficking. Rashid also served as a liaison to al Qaeda, arranging “planning meetings” between senior Taliban leaders and al Qaeda members in Karachi, Pakistan.
Islamic State utilizes 7 foreigners in Baiji suicide assaults
The Islamic State has used the suicide assault to demoralize and strike fear into the hearts of Iraqi troops, and often uses five or more suicide bombers during a single attack.
Iraqi Prime Minister photographed with SDGT Abu Mahdi al Muhandis
Leading Iraqi political and religious leaders such as Prime Minister Haidar al Abadi and Grand Ayatollah Sistani have been reduced to cozying up to what John Allen, the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIL, or the Islamic State, described as the “extremist elements” of the Popular Mobilization Committee.
Iraqi Security Forces, Shiite militias make gains in Baiji
Iranian-backed militias, including Asaib al Haq and the Imam Ali Brigades, and Iraqi forces are said to control half of the central Iraqi city. Baiji has changed hands twice since the Islamic State launched its offensive in June 2014.
Iraqi Shiite militia commander threatens to attack US
Akram Abbas al Kabi, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and the leader of the Harakat Nujaba, said his group and others “will seek revenge” for what he claimed was a US airstrike that killed 10 members of the League of the Righteous.
The Al Nusrah Front’s ‘inherited jihad’
Al Jazeera aired the second part of its interview with Abu Muhammad al Julani earlier this week. Julani again made it clear that Al Nusrah is a part of al Qaeda and referenced Ayman al Zawahiri’s “directives” following the beginning of the Arab revolutions in late 2010 and early 2011.
Sistani representatives laud Imam Ali Brigades commander
Simply because Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and his representatives are endorsing the Popular Mobilization Committee or Iranian-supported militias such as the Iman Ali Brigade doesn’t make them any less radical.
Syria
Fighting between the Islamic State and other rebel factions, including Al Nusrah, remains ongoing in northern Aleppo province. The US has accused the Assad regime of enabling the Islamic State’s advance in the area with airstrikes. The Turkish president has said an opposition journalist who leaked video purporting to show Turkey supplying arms to Syrian rebels […]
Qods Force commander Soleimani reportedly spotted in Anbar province
Qods Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani was also photographed in Baghdad with Popular Mobilization Committee chief Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Imam Ali Brigade leader Shebl al Zaydi. The images contradict US official’s claims that Iran and its Shiite militia proxies are not involved in the Anbar counteroffensive.
Osama bin Laden’s Files: Taliban mourned senior al Qaeda leader as US attempted negotiations
A newly-released file recovered in Osama bin Laden’s compound shows that the Taliban offered its condolences on the death of a senior al Qaeda leader in May 2010. Other documents reveal that Mullah Omar’s representative corresponded with bin Laden’s chief lieutenant even as he negotiated with the State Department.
2 French suicide bombers used in Islamic State assault on Haditha
Haditha is one of the few towns in Anbar that have resisted the Islamic State’s onslaught in Anbar province.
Islamic State breaks Iraqi defensive line outside of Habbaniyah
According to Iraqi police and tribal officials, the defensive line that was established outside of Habbaniyah with the help of the US has been breached.