Pentagon report on Afghanistan excludes al Qaeda’s pledge to the Taliban
The failure to mention al Qaeda’s renewed oath to the Taliban in the military’s latest report on Afghanistan is no accidental omission.
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San Bernardino terrorists allegedly studied AQAP’s Inspire magazine, pledged allegiance to Baghdadi
According to the Department of Justice, Syed Farook was influenced by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (Inspire) magazine and the teachings of Anwar al Awlaki. Shortly after the San Bernardino shooting, an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State’s Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was posted on a Facebook page associated with Farook’s wife, Tafsheen Malik.
US continues to push for negotiations with Taliban despite direct ties to al Qaeda
The Pentagon’s latest report on Afghanistan pushes for reconciliation with the Taliban, but makes no mention of Mullah Mansour accepting an oath of allegiance from al Qaeda’s Ayman al Zawahiri.
An al Qaeda commander comes out from the shadows
Ibrahim Abu Salih (also known as Abu al Hassan al Hashimi) was featured in a video posted online by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) earlier this month. He has been a jihadist for more than 35 years and, in the early 1990s, al Qaeda’s leaders ordered him to build an arm for their organization in Yemen. Abu Salih later cofounded AQAP. He is currently the group’s security official, as well as a member of its shura council.
US military insists al Qaeda is “concentrated” in Afghan east and northeast
The US military continues to claim that al Qaeda is “primarily concentrated in the east and northeast” of Afghanistan, despite a major operation two months ago that targeted the jihadist group at two established training facilities in Kandahar province in the southeast.
Al Nusrah Front leader refuses to break with al Qaeda
Abu Muhammad al Julani, who heads al Qaeda’s Al Nusrah Front in Syria, gave an interview that was aired by Orient News TV on Dec. 12. Julani defended his organization’s relationship with al Qaeda and discussed the Free Syrian Army, among other topics.
US military fails to ‘decimate’ Islamic State leadership despite thousands of airstrikes
A US military spokesman touted the strikes that killed the three Islamic State leaders as “an example of how we’re able to decimate networks.”
Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen
A new AQAP video features Ibrahim al Qosi, who was detained at Guantanamo from 2002 until 2012. Qosi is now an AQAP leader and spokesman.
State Department designates German national as an al Qaeda terrorist
The State Department has designated Emrah Erdogan as a terrorist, describing him as a member of both al Qaeda and Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa.
Al Nusrah Front announces press conference with its leader
Abu Muhammad al Julani will appear at a press conference “soon,” according to Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria. The timing of his appearance was likely influenced by the Syrian opposition’s meeting in Saudi Arabia this week. Al Nusrah is not represented at the gathering.
Taliban overruns district in southern Afghanistan
Khanashin district in Helmand province was a Taliban haven long before the district center fell earlier today. The Taliban now controls 37 districts in Afghanistan and contests another 39.
Taliban suicide squad kills dozens in assault on Kandahar airport
A Taliban suicide assault team killed more than 30 people in an attack on Kandahar International Airport in southern Afghanistan that lasted for more than a day before Afghan forces backed by the US military could regain control.
Rival Taliban factions clash in western Afghanistan
Fighters loyal to Mullah Mansour battled followers from Mullah Rasul’s splinter Taliban faction in Shindand in Herat province. Shindand is a stronghold of Rasul.
American jihadist reportedly flees al Qaeda’s crackdown in Somalia
An American who fought for Shabaab in Somalia has reportedly surrendered to African Union forces. He turned himself in after swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State. Shabaab’s leaders, who remain loyal to al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, have been purging defectors.
US kills jihadist leaders in airstrikes in Somalia and Libya
The two leaders were identified as Abdirahman Sandhere from Shabaab, al Qaeda official branch in Somalia, and Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi, from the Islamic State’s province in Libya.
Al Qaeda group releases photo of Mali hotel gunmen
The photo shows two young jihadists before undertaking the attack that left more than 20 people dead in Mali’s capital late last month.
Taliban emir denies reports of his death
In a new audio message, Taliban emir Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour denies that he was killed in a shootout in Pakistan. Afghan officials and other sources recently said that the Taliban leader was slain by a rival commander. But Mansour dismisses these reports as mere “propaganda.”
Islamic State issues first official statement on San Bernardino terrorist attack
The Islamic State’s Al Bayan “news” bulletin describes the San Bernardino terrorists as “soldiers” of the “caliphate” in English, but as “supporters” in Arabic. The group has not claimed that the shooters received any operational direction or assistance. Federal authorities are still investigating that possibility.
Islamic State-affiliated ‘news’ agency praises San Bernardino shootings
The ‘Amaq News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic State, issued a statement saying the San Bernardino shootings were the work of the jihadist group’s “supporters.” However, the message is not an official claim of responsibility and didn’t include any details that were not already available in the Western press.
Why the Islamic State tells supporters to swear allegiance before dying
Tashfeen Malik, one of the two San Bernardino shooters, reportedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State’s Abu Bakr al Baghdadi as the attack got underway. This is consistent with what the Islamic State tells its followers to do and other terrorists have done the same in the past.
Female suicide bombers continue to strike in West Africa
At least 75 women and girls have carried out suicide attacks in northwest Nigeria, northern Cameroon, and southwestern Chad since the beginning of June 2014.
Fate of Taliban’s new leader uncertain after conflicting reports of a shootout in Pakistan
The Taliban released two statements denying that Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour was injured or killed in a firefight. But the Taliban also hid Mullah Omar’s death, so its denial cannot be accepted at face value.
Al Qaeda seizes town, provincial capital in southern Yemen
Al Qaeda’s official branch in Yemen took control of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, and Jaar. The two towns were previously under al Qaeda control between May 2011 and the summer of 2012.
Al Qaeda leader praises Charlie Hebdo massacre in new message
Al Qaeda has released a new speech by Ayman al Zawahiri, who asks Allah to reward the “brothers in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” (AQAP) for helping “to complete” the January 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo’s offices in Paris.
Taliban claims hundreds of military personnel, government officials defect in Nuristan
The Taliban claimed that 338 security personnel and government officials defected to the jihadist group in the district of Waygal, which is in the embattled northeastern province of Nuristan.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb squadron ambushed in Libya
AQIM has released a eulogy for Hamid al Sha’iri, who led a “squadron” in Libya. Al Sha’iri and his men were traveling from Derna to Benghazi to fight General Khalifa Haftar’s forces when they were ambushed.
Taliban denies children serve ‘in jihadi ranks’
The Taliban issued a statement denying that it uses children in its paramilitary and suicide operations. The denial is contradicted by the group’s own propaganda, including a recent video that showed a young boy standing next to a commander as he addressed his suicide attack unit. The boy was dressed in military fatigues and armed with an assault rifle.
Jihadists kill 3 in attack on UN base in Mali
Al Qaeda and allied jihadist groups have repeatedly targeted UN forces since early 2013.
British Prime Minister highlights Islamic State’s threat to UK, West
In a memo submitted to the UK parliament, British Prime Minister David Cameron claimed that seven terrorist plots have been broken up in the UK in the past 12 months, the number of terrorism-related arrests is up 31%, and the Islamic State has an “external operations structure in Syria” that is devoted to planning attacks in the West.
Shabaab claims attacks in northeast Kenya
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in Somalia and East Africa, continues to be a capable insurgent and terrorist group in the region.