ISAF captures al Qaeda trainer in Kunar

June 17, 2013
By Bill Roggio

The al Qaeda leader was targeted in a raid in the Watahpur district, a known hub for the terror group, on June 6.

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Lashkar-e-Jhangvi launches suicide assault at hospital in Quetta

June 16, 2013
By Bill Roggio

A female suicide bomber killed female college students on a bus, then a suicide assault team struck a hospital where the wounded were taken.

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Islamic State of Iraq leader defies Zawahiri in alleged audio message

June 15, 2013
By Thomas Joscelyn

An audio message attributed to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the emir of al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq, was released online on June 14. In the message, al Baghdadi openly disobeys al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri.

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Al Qaeda facilitator targeted in eastern Afghanistan

June 15, 2013
By Patrick Megahan & Bill Roggio

The al Qaeda facilitator who was targeted in Nangarhar is known to relay messages for senior al Qaeda leadership and provide financial and logistical support for terrorists operating in Afghanistan.

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Al Nusrah Front releases first official messages in 2 months

June 14, 2013
By Thomas Joscelyn

Al Qaeda's Al Nusrah Front has released four new messages, the first such productions in two months. The Al Nusrah Front and Islamic State of Iraq suspended their propaganda operations after a dispute erupted in early April. Ayman al Zawahiri ruled on the dispute in a letter and their propaganda operations have now been restarted.

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US to arm Syrian rebels after chemical weapons 'red line' is crossed

June 13, 2013
By Bill Roggio

President Obama's deputy national security adviser said that the US will provide military and other aid to the Supreme Military Council and the Syrian Opposition Coalition, despite that fact that these groups have supported the Al Nusrah Front in the past.

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Mohammed al Zawahiri rejects 'filthy market of democracy'

June 12, 2013
By Thomas Joscelyn

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.

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Treasury designates Hezbollah operatives in West Africa

June 11, 2013
By David Barnett

The Treasury Department designated four Hezbollah operatives based in West Africa. The operatives are said to have helped Hezbollah in its recruitment and fundraising efforts, among other activities.

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Suicide bomber strikes at supreme court in Kabul

June 11, 2013
By Bill Roggio

The suicide attack is the second of its kind in the capital in two days. Up to 16 employees of the court were killed when a suicide bomber targeted buses transporting workers.

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Analysis: Zawahiri's letter to al Qaeda branches in Syria, Iraq

June 10, 2013
By Thomas Joscelyn

Al Jazeera has published a letter purportedly written by Ayman al Zawahiri to al Qaeda's franchises in Iraq and Syria. Two US intelligence officials say the letter is genuine. In the letter, Zawahiri rules on a dispute between the two al Qaeda branches and appoints a new representative in the region.

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ISAF targets al Qaeda leaders in Kunar

June 10, 2013
By Patrick Megahan & Bill Roggio

Over the past several days, ISAF launched five raids against two senior al Qaeda leaders and two al Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders in Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

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US drones kill AQAP commander, 5 fighters in northern Yemen

June 9, 2013
By Bill Roggio

The strike killed a local al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander and five fighters as they traveled in Al Jawf province near the border with Saudi Arabia.

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Local Taliban commander killed in latest drone strike in Pakistan

June 9, 2013
By Bill Roggio

Mutaqi was reportedly preparing to lead fighters across the border to wage jihad in Afghanistan. The Obama administration has claimed that drone strikes would be conducted only against targets that pose an "imminent threat" to the US.

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Afghan soldiers kill 2 ISAF troops, civilian in latest insider attack

June 8, 2013
By Bill Roggio

Afghan soldiers "turned his weapon" on US troops in Paktika, killing two soldiers and a civilian adviser. The attack is the seventh of its kind so far this year.

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US drones kill 6 in North Waziristan

June 7, 2013
By Bill Roggio

The strike is the first in the Shawal Valley, a known terrorist haven, since late 2012. An unidentified "high value target" is reported to have been killed.

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US adds al Qaeda explosives expert to list of global terrorists

June 6, 2013
By Bill Roggio

Abd al Hamid al Masli, a Libyan, is a "key improvised explosive device (IED) facilitator" who operates in Waziristan. He temporarily served as the head of al Qaeda's military committee, likely after Abdullah Said al Libi, the former head of the Lashkar al Zil, was killed in a drone strike.

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Authorities seized a half ton of explosives being smuggled into the Sinai. A new poll found that support for President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood is declining in Egypt. Activists and tourism workers threatened to go on strike if the newly appointed governor of Luxor is not dismissed.

President Peres said the US is right to arm the Syrian opposition. Housing Minister Ariel said Israel has ceased all new housing construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem to help revive peace talks with the Palestinians. Defense Minister Ya'alon warned that Iran may seek to use the recent presidential election to advance the Iranian nuclear program.

A Hamas delegation led by Khaled Meshal traveled from Egypt to Turkey to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan. Hamas denounced reports that 30 jihadists had entered the Sinai from Gaza and joined a military base in the area. An IDF general alleged that the Palestinian Authority has scaled back funding of a group known for demonstrations against the IDF.

A car bombing yesterday by an al Qaeda-linked group killed at least 60 Syrian soldiers near a military base by Aleppo's airport, activists claimed. Some 700,000 civilians in Aleppo's Afrin district have been besieged by rebels since May 25. Rebels assassinated a college dean in al Hasaka city; the car of a female university lecturer was bombed in Damascus. A child fighter with the Islamic state of Iraq and al-Sham in Aleppo died of battle injuries. A Grad missile struck the house of an MP in Abu Dala, killing 20 people. Hezbollah forces are fighting alongside regime troops in Damascus, Homs, and Aleppo. Regime bombardments continued in Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Idlib, Hama, Reef Damashq, and Raqqah. G-8 nations meeting on Syria pledged more humanitarian aid and called for urgent peace talks to end the conflict.

Police discovered two underground madrassas near Dushanbe after investigating the kidnapping of a boy last week. Russian media reports alleged that some of the children at the schools had been kidnapped, but Tajikistan's Interior Minister said the children were studying at the unregistered Islamic schools with their parents' consent.

An 18-year-old woman was sentenced to seven years in prison for preparing to use her 12-year-old stepson as a suicide bomber in an attack inside the National Security Building. The woman's husband was killed last year during an operation by counterterrorism forces.

An interim agreement has been reached between the Malian government and the separatist Tuareg MNLA to allow the Malian military to assert control over the northern region, including Kidal, before elections on July 28, to be followed by the Malian civilian administration. The accord, which was signed today, imposes an immediate ceasefire and also calls for all armed groups in the north to lay down their weapons.

Suspected Islamists stormed a school in Maiduguri and shot nine students dead. Two days ago, suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed two teachers and seven students in an attack at a school in Damaturu in Yobe state. The insurgents also attacked a nearby military checkpoint, wounding three soldiers critically; two insurgents were killed in the attack and three were captured.

Pursuant to an FOIA request, the government released a list of several dozen Guantanamo prisoners slated for indefinite detention. Cliff Sloan was named the State Department's new Guantanamo Bay envoy, replacing Dan Fried, who left in January. At the G-8 meeting in Northern Ireland, President Obama and Russia's President Putin failed to agree on an approach to ending the Syrian conflict. The Pentagon announced plans to buy 30 helicopters from Russia for $572 million for use by Afghan security forces.

Afghan special forces killed five Taliban fighters in Farah. The NDS arrested two Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan suicide bombers and three operatives in Kunduz. Six Afghan Local Policemen in Badghis defected to the Taliban.

Al Qaeda in Iraq killed 15 Iraqis in attacks across the country; in Fallujah, three Iraqi policemen were killed in a suicide bombing. Al Qaeda also assassinated a senior Sunni cleric in Ramadi. The Mukhtar Army claimed it attacked the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq.

The Egyptian army rejected a request by Hamas' leader to meet. Authorities told Hamas leaders staying in Cairo to find a new hotel due to upcoming protests against the group. President Morsi appointed Adel Mohamed al Khayat as governor of Luxor; al Khayat is a member of Gamaa al-Islamiyya, a known terrorist group. The Muslim Brotherhood now holds 13 of 27 governorates. Security sources warned of the infiltration into the Sinai of 30 "dangerous" jihadists. Prosecutors said an al Qaeda-linked group was behind the February 2011 kidnapping of a number of security personnel in the Sinai.