Jihadists have posted a photo on Twitter that allegedly shows Mohamed al Zahawi, the leader of Ansar al Sharia in Benghazi, after his death. Earlier, Zahawi’s family had told the press that he passed away from wounds he received during fighting last year.
Mohamed al Zahawi’s family members have told the press that he has died due to wounds suffered in fighting last year. Zahawi has been the leader of Ansar al Sharia in Benghazi. Unconfirmed rumors of his death have circulated for months.
A newly released Ansar al Sharia video features Wissam Ben Hamid, a key figure in the security failures surrounding the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi. The video also shows Mohammed al Darsi, who appears to be the same jihadist released in exchange for a Jordanian ambassador earlier this year.
Houthi violations annull UN-sponsored deal: Yemeni official
Egypt looks to roll back Islamist militias in Libya
ISIS gaining a toehold in Libya, experts say
The United Nations has added the Ansar al Sharia chapters in Benghazi and Derna to its al Qaeda sanctions list, explicitly recognizing their ties to each other, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and other al Qaeda-linked groups.
The fighting in Benghazi has escalated in recent days after the former Libyan general Khalifa Haftar made a renewed push to rid the city of jihadists. The Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, however, seems to be pushing back.
On Oct. 20, AQAP released a biography for Mustafa Ali, an Egyptian who was killed in a US drone strike in late 2013. The group says he sought “knowledge” from Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of Ayman al Zawahiri, while imprisoned in Egypt.
Holder Decision on Benghazi Case Reverberates
The strike in Shabwa reportedly killed an AQAP military commander.
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.
The Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, an umbrella group that includes the al Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al Sharia, has launched a coordinated attack on forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar.
US, France propose UN sanctions on 15 foreign Islamist fighters
Extremist threat hangs over key Tunisia elections
A closer look at recent developments in a number of countries should dispel any illusions that the Islamic State’s aspirations and activities are only regional.
Libya Jihadists Urge Islamist Unity as Lawmakers Fight Back
Morocco ramps up counter-terror fight
Benghazi’s many faces
Libya crumbles as the United States looks the other way
Libya’s Wissam Bin Hamid: From mechanic to warlord
Tunisia Fears Attacks by Citizens Flocking to Jihad
ISIS woos Ansar al Sharia in Libya
Wissam Bin Hamid met with US officials in Benghazi to discuss security two days before the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack. In recent days, he has been pictured leading Ansar al Sharia and allied forces as they overran a Libyan special forces base.
Ansar al Sharia and its allies have captured a key Libyan special forces base in the city of Benghazi. The base fell after days of heavy fighting and Ansar al Sharia is celebrating the spoils of its victory on its official Twitter page.
Libya violence ramps up as foreigners instructed to flee
Belmokhtar plots new attacks from Libya base
In a court filing earlier this week, the US government argued that the only suspect in custody for the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya should remain in pretrial detention. Prosecutors cited his “extensive contacts” with senior members of other jihadist organizations and plans for additional attacks as reasons to keep him behind bars as he awaits trial.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has issued a statement praising the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham’s (ISIS) gains in Iraq and calling for reconciliation between jihadist groups in Syria. The statement was authored prior to the ISIS declaring that it ruled over a caliphate and rebranding itself the “Islamic State.”
Benghazi attack suspect has been talking to US interrogators: officials