Islamic State joins others in training children for jihad in Afghanistan
Teen-aged boys are shown training at the “Cubs of the Caliphate Camp,” which is likely located in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.
Tag Archives: Islamic State
Before Paris attack, Islamic State terrorists committed grisly executions
The Islamic State has released a new video (titled “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them”) featuring the terrorist team responsible for the Nov. 13, 2015 coordinated attacks in Paris. Some of the jihadists address the camera before or after committing grisly executions that were broadcast in previous videos.
Islamic State defector in Yemen apologizes to al Qaeda
In a video released earlier this month, an Islamic State defector known as Antar al Kindi claims to expose the group’s “lies.” Al Kindi apologizes to Ayman al Zawahiri and other al Qaeda leaders. The video is part of an ongoing propaganda battle between the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
The Islamic State’s obsession with al Qaeda and the Taliban
The 13th edition of the Islamic State’s Dabiq magazine is filled with anti-al Qaeda and anti-Taliban arguments. Previous editions of Dabiq included similar attempts to undermine al Qaeda’s and the Taliban’s jihadist credentials.
State Department lists Islamic State’s ‘Khorasan Province’ as Foreign Terrorist Organization
The US has treated the Islamic State Khorasan Province as a terrorist organization long before officially listing it. Four senior Khorasan Province leaders have been killed in US airstrikes over the past year.
Islamic State launches suicide assault in Indonesia’s capital
Indonesian police have linked the attack to a jihadist based in Syria. Two jihadists factions in Indonesia, Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid and Mujahidin Indonesian Timur, have pledged loyalty to the Islamic State.
Islamic State ‘province’ claims attack on Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad
The Islamic State’s Wilayat Khorasan says that three jihadists attacked the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan earlier today. At least two of them detonated suicide belts.
Islamic State releases photos from captured Libyan town of Bin Jawad
The Islamic State’s Libyan “province” has released images from the captured town of Bin Jawad. The jihadists have likely operated in the town for months, but they only declared complete control of it earlier this week after launching a new offensive. The photos and a short video released by an Islamic State-affiliated “news” agency are intended to advertise the jihadists’ control of Bin Jawad.
YPG claims to have killed nearly 6,000 enemy fighters in 2015
The Kurdish YPG (or People’s Defense Units) has released a summary of its operations for 2015. The YPG claims to have killed nearly 6,000 “enemy” fighters, most of whom likely belonged to the Islamic State, while losing just 680 of its own members in combat. The statistics provided by the YPG imply a kill ratio of nearly 9 to 1, which obviously seems high.
Islamic State ‘province’ releases photos from raids on Libyan oil facilities
The Islamic State’s Libyan “province” has released photos documenting yesterday’s assault on an oil facility in the port town of Al Sidr.
Islamic State’s Libyan ‘province’ launches new offensive
The Islamic State’s Libyan “province” claims to have captured the town of Bin Jawad on the Mediterranean coast. The group also launched attacks on oil facilities in two of Libya’s ports.
‘Voice of the Caliphate’ radio broadcasts anti-Taliban propaganda in Afghanistan
The Islamic State’s so-called Khorasan “province” has set up a radio station to broadcast propaganda in Afghanistan. Officials have tried to jam its signal, but the station is also disseminating its content online via multiple platforms.
US-led coalition targets Islamic State’s ‘external attack planners’ in airstrikes
A US military spokesman said earlier today that five members of the Islamic State’s external operations arm were killed in recent airstrikes. Some of the jihadists are believed to have ties to the terrorist cell that struck Paris on Nov. 13.
More Islamic State members reject governor of Yemen Province
Problems within the Islamic State’s Yemen Province continue to mount as three senior leaders, including two members of the province’s Security Committee and a member of the Preaching Committee, and 28 more fighters reject the group’s governor.
Iraqi military retakes center of Ramadi from Islamic State
The loss of Ramadi is a major blow to the Islamic State, which seized the provincial capital and raised its flag over the government center on May 15 after launching a coordinated assault on Iraqi units stationed in the city.
Divisions emerge within the Islamic State’s Yemen ‘province’
Seventy members of the Islamic State’s Yemen “province,” including three members of its sharia committee, its military emir, and its chief of general security, announced their “defection” from the group’s “governor.”
Islamic State supporters show training camp in the Philippines
The video shows a rudimentary training camp in a forested area somewhere in the Philippines. It is unclear which group is shown training, but the video makes clear of its support to the Islamic State.
Pakistani Taliban says Islamic State leader Baghdadi ‘is not a Islamic Khalifa’
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan again rejected the Islamic State and said its emir, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, is illegitimate and his followers kill “innocent mujahideen.”
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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
Islamic State claims suicide attack on presidential guards in Tunisian capital
The Islamic State has claimed three attacks in the North African country. The latest, a suicide bombing, was intended to show that Tunisia is not safe, according to the jihadist group.
Graphic promotes the Islamic State’s prolific media machine
An Islamic State supporter on Twitter released a graphic summarizing the “caliphate’s” annual media output. The Islamic State’s various “provinces” produced 710 videos, 1787 photo reports, and 14,523 other images from late 2014 to late 2015. While The Long War Journal has not independently verified these statistics, the graphic is consistent with previous reports released by the Islamic State and its predecessor organizations.
Islamic State ‘province’ bombs hotel in the Sinai
The Islamic State’s Sinai “province” claimed responsibility for a bombing at a hotel in the Sinai earlier today. The group continues to run a prolific insurgency and has proven it is capable of committing mass casualty terrorist attacks against civilians as well.
The Taliban approves of Paris suicide assault
While western officials still seek to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban, the group continues to support attacks in Western countries. The Taliban said France’s “colonial policy” justified the murders in Paris.