Taliban claims to overrun district center in Kandahar
The claim cannot be independently verified, but Ghorak district has been hotly contested and Taliban has overrun it in the past. Security in Kandahar province also appears to be deteriorating.
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Islamic State suicide bomber kills dozens at Kabul mosque
The attack is the second of its kind in the Afghan capital by the Islamic State in the past six weeks.
Islamic State fighters remain in a few blocks of Sirte, Libya
More than six months after a ground offensive was launched to dislodge the Islamic State from Sirte, Libya, the so-called caliphate’s fighters remain holed up inside a few blocks of the city. According to AFRICOM, approximately 200 jihadists are entrenched in their positions.
Taliban deny shadow governor killed in raid
The Taliban denied reports that Mullah Attaullah was killed by police forces. The Afghan government has a spotty track record when reporting on the deaths of Taliban commanders.
Analysis: Jund al Aqsa’s deep Gulf roots
Jund al Aqsa, a US and UN designated terrorist organization, was subsumed by al Qaeda’s rebranded Syrian branch in early October. The group had deep ties to al Qaeda’s fundraising network in the Gulf prior to the merger.
Clapper: US collects and analyzes more intelligence on jihadi groups now than ever
During a congressional hearing earlier today, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that “violent extremism” — that is, jihadism — demands more intelligence collection and analysis now “than at any other point in history.”
Pentagon: More than 60 vehicle bombs destroyed during Mosul offensive
The Pentagon says that more than 60 vehicle bombs have been destroyed in airstrikes since the battle for Mosul began in October. The Islamic State claims to have carried out 120 “martyrdom operations,” many utilizing vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), during this same timeframe. However, some of these claimed suicide bombings were likely neutralized before they could hit their intended targets.
US-led coalition killed emir of Islamic State’s ‘Middle East external networks’
Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi, the Islamic State’s emir of Middle East external networks, was killed in an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria on Nov. 12. Abd al-Basit was involved in plotting “against Americans, Turkish and European targets” in the Middle East, according to Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) Spokesman Colonel John Dorrian.
Taliban claims it downed second Afghan helicopter
Afghan officials confirmed a helicopter encountered problems in Logar province, but said it “made a hard landing due to technical problems.”
Bagram suicide bomber reconciled with Afghan government in 2008
The Taliban suicide bomber who killed two American soldiers and two contractors at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan’s central province of Parwan on Nov. 12 had joined the Afghan government’s “peace process” and reconciled in 2008.
Taliban, Islamic State both claim to have shot down helicopter in central Afghanistan
The Taliban and the Islamic State have issued competing claims for attacks in Afghanistan in the past. The Taliban has had some success in shooting down US and Afghan military helicopters.
Taliban suicide bomber kills 4 in attack inside Bagram Air Base
The base has been the focus of high-profile Taliban and jihadist attacks in the past. Resolute Support did not say how a Taliban suicide bomber was able to penetrate security at Bagram Air Base.
Taliban claims suicide assault on German consulate
The Taliban claimed that it attacked the German consulate to avenge those killed in an airstrike in Kunduz, but another consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif was targeted in a similar assault earlier this year. That attack highlights the interlinking web of jihadist networks.
US Treasury designates Saudi jihadist cleric, three others in Syria
The US Treasury Department designated Dr. Abdallah Muhammad al Muhaysini and three other jihadists in Syria today. All four of them have worked for Al Nusrah Front, now known as Jabhat Fath al Sham (JFS), which is al Qaeda’s arm in Syria. Muhaysini claims to be an “independent” cleric, but Treasury says he is part of Al Nusrah’s “inner leadership circle.”
Ohio man allegedly communicated with an Islamic State ‘external attack planner’
Authorities arrested Aaron Travis Daniels, also known as Harun Muhammad and Abu Yusef, at an airport in Columbus, Ohio yesterday. Daniels allegedly intended to fly to Trinidad and then onto Libya, where he could join the Islamic State. The Department of Justice says Daniels was in contact with an Islamic State “external attack planner” who suggested that he join the jihad in Libya.
Iraqi militia leader says Qassem Soleimani is in Iraq
Akram al Kabi, a senior Iraqi militia leader, says IRGC Qods Force chief Qassem Soleimani is in Iraq. Soleimani’s last confirmed sighting was on Oct. 28 in Tehran, Iran.
Ansar Dine claims string of attacks across Mali
The total number of al Qaeda-linked attacks in Mali in 2016 now sits at 203.
Islamic State defends Mosul with dozens of suicide bombers
The Islamic State claims to have carried out 120 “martyrdom operations” in Iraq and Syria in October. Seventy-nine (79) of these suicide bombings were purportedly launched around the city of Mosul. The so-called caliphate has claimed 902 “martyrdom operations” in Iraq, Libya and Syria during the first ten months of 2016. If accurate, then the group is carrying out suicide attacks at a historically high rate.
Hezbollah fighters train Iraqi Shiite militants near Mosul
Video surfaced of Hezbollah fighters training Iraqi Shiite militants near Mosul this week. They are not wearing their militia’s insignia, but their distinct southern Lebanese accents betray their membership in the Lebanon-based Iranian proxy group.
AQIM executes Tuareg prisoners in video
The al Qaeda branch executes several alleged spies for regional and French forces.
Pentagon confirms death of senior al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan
The Pentagon confirmed today that Faruq al Qatani, a senior al Qaeda leader, was killed in an airstrike in Afghanistan on Oct. 23. Qatani was suspected of planning attacks against the US. He established safe havens for al Qaeda in Afghanistan several years ago and also worked with the Taliban in the insurgency against the Afghan government, US forces and their allies.
Islamic State claims car bombing in southeastern Turkey
On Nov. 2, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi called for attacks inside Turkey as retribution for Turkish operations in Iraq and Syria. Earlier today, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a car bombing in the city of Diyarbakir, which is in southeastern Turkey.
Abu Azrael spotted during PMF’s Mosul operation
Iraqi Shiite militia strongman and Imam Ali Brigades commander, Abu Azrael, was spotted alongside the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as they make their way through the western axis of Mosul toward Tal Afar. The PMF is attempting to prevent the Islamic State’s escape to Syria through Tal Afar, which is 33 miles west of Mosul. Abu […]
Iraqi PMF attempts to cut off Islamic State in Mosul
Iranian-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) launched an operation in the western axis of Mosul on Oct. 30, and announced on Nov. 2 that they cut off the Islamic State’s supply route from Mosul to Raqqa. The PMF is advancing towards the town of Tal Afar west of Mosul, which has Sunni Turkmen population.
Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s ‘grand jihad’ against the world
The Islamic State has released an audio message from Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. It is the first message from Baghdadi in nearly one year. Baghdadi frames the wars being fought in Iraq and elsewhere in sectarian terms and says that his men are waging a “grand jihad” against their many enemies.
Taliban kills 2 US soldiers in Kunduz
The US soldiers were operating as part of Resolute Support’s “train, advise and assist mission.”
Pentagon: Al Qaeda veteran in Syria was planning attacks against the West
The Defense Department announced today that Haydar Kirkan, a veteran al Qaeda operative who was plotting against the West, was killed in an airstrike in Idlib, Syria on Oct. 17. Kirkan was one of several al Qaeda leaders targeted in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen during the month of October. The Pentagon emphasized that the airstrikes demonstrate the “transregional nature” of al Qaeda.
Analysis: US military assessment of Taliban control of Afghan districts is flawed
The US military’s estimate does not explain how the Taliban is able to support multiple concurrent offensives across the country and threaten five provincial capitals. Additionally, the military claims that only 3 of Helmand’s 14 districts are threatened by the Taliban.
Why Iran supported Houthi attacks against the US Navy
Indicators suggest that Tehran supports the Houthi anti-ship missile attack against the US Navy this past week. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held the US directly responsible for the devastating Saudi-led coalition bombing last week in Sanaa, Yemen. The IRGC sought to pressure the US in order to push the Saudis to deescalate the war, calculating that the US wants to avoid more involvement in the war in Yemen.
Islamic State recognizes oath of allegiance from jihadists in Mali
The Islamic State has officially recognized a loyalty oath sworn by Abu Walid al Sahrawi, a jihadist based in West Africa. Sahrawi first swore his fealty to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in May 2015. It is not clear why it took so long for the so-called caliphate to recognize him as one of its representatives.