AQAP video details suicide assaults against Yemeni bases in Shabwa
The video details the raids that targeted three Yemeni military bases in Shabwa province on Sept. 20.
The video details the raids that targeted three Yemeni military bases in Shabwa province on Sept. 20.
Ansar al Sharia Libya has issued a statement saying “we must seek to release the captive brother” Abu Anas al Libi, who was seized by US forces on Oct. 5.
The Benghazi link to Tunisia’s assassinations
In a new statement, Ansar al Sharia claims it is organizationally independent, but confirms its “loyalty” to al Qaeda. The Tunisian government claimed last week that the group is closely linked to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
The Tunisian government has labeled Ansar al Sharia a terrorist organization. The group’s leaders, including Seifallah ben Hassine, have longstanding ties to al Qaeda and terrorism. Ben Hassine has been identified as the “mastermind” of the Sept. 14, 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Tunis.
The State Department said 21 US embassies and consulates will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 4, in response to a suspected threat from an al Qaeda affiliate. No specific details about the threat have been provided. Al Qaeda-linked jihadists assaulted multiple diplomatic facilities in September 2012.
Tunisia’s Chaambi: Afghanistan-isation?
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has issued a statement mourning the death of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s deputy leader, Said al Shihri. The statement quickly made the rounds on jihadist social media sites.
In a statement released on its Facebook page and Twitter feed, Ansar al Sharia Tunisia denied any involvement in two high-profile assassinations this year. One day earlier, Tunisia’s interior minister accused Ansar al Sharia members and a longtime jihadist of being involved.
Tunisian officials have accused a longtime jihadist, who fought in Iraq, of being involved in two high-profile assassinations. The Tunisian government also alleged that some of the perpetrators “belong to Ansar al Sharia.”
Benghazi hero fought alongside fallen SEALs, still recovering at Walter Reed
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has released a DVD honoring Said al Shihri, who was killed in a US drone strike. The group has used social media to honor al Shihri before.
Ansar al-Sharia leader sparks Ramadan row in Tunisia
A group calling itself Ansar al Sharia Egypt has announced its formation in the Sinai and has threatened violence in the wake of recent events. It is not clear if the organization is truly a new front, or simply a covert part of an already established group with the same name.
Ansar al Sharia Egypt posted a letter in June from Tariq Abu-al-Azm, a former major in the Egyptian air force who is accused of being part of the Nasr City cell. The cell has multiple ties to al Qaeda.
Terror nexus threatens Tunisia
Mohammed al Zawahiri and two of his Egyptian jihadist allies have issued a statement criticizing the Democratic Jihad Party. “Jihad and Democracy are opposites and don’t mix,” they say.
Tunisia’s radical divide over Salafi agenda
Moroccan Salafist slams Tunisia’s Ennahda
Agence France Presse interviewed Sami Ben Khemais Essid, describing him as one of the “organizers” of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia’s planned conference this weekend. Essid was formerly the “head” of al Qaeda’s operations in Italy, according to the US State Department.
The Tunisian government has interfered in Ansar al Sharia Tunisia’s events and may refuse to grant the group permission to hold its third annual congress. Ansar al Sharia’s leaders have responded with statements condemning the Ennahda regime.
In a video posted online on April 30, Sheik Kamel Zarouq, a member of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, endorsed al Qaeda’s global jihad.
Diplomat Says Questions Over Benghazi Led to Demotion
Jihadist groups, including the al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, are cheering on the announcement that al Qaeda’s affiliates in Iraq and Syria are henceforth to be known as the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.”
Morocco at a crossroad
Jihadist social media sites are asking supporters to pray for Abdullah Azzam al Qahtani, an al Qaeda in Iraq leader who admittedly proposed an attack against the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Al Qahtani, the sites say, was scheduled to be executed inside Iraq this week.
Tunisia salafists threaten Ennahda
Al-Qaeda eyes Tunisia front
Ansar al Sharia has alleged that American drones are flying overhead inside Tunisian territory. We have no independent information confirming the use of drones in Tunisia. The group is using the allegation as part of its propaganda campaign.
Tunisia’s prime minister accused Abu Iyad al Tunisi, the head of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, of being “deeply involved” in violence and arms trafficking. Abu Iyad, in turn, released a statement threatening to “direct our war against” members of the Ennahda government.