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Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announce its dissolution
The dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main US-backed anti-Islamic State group in Syria, ends more than a decade of Kurdish-led autonomy in the country’s northeast, as the SDF’s military, security, and civilian institutions are integrated into the state.
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US rescinds Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
On August 24, the United States formally rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, marking a milestone in Washington’s effort to improve relations with Damascus. The decision came as the US has sought to advance security talks between Syria and Israel.
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Taliban force surrender of dissident commander, kill senior anti-Taliban resistance leader
The surrender of dissident Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh and the death of senior National Resistance Front commander Hasib Panjshiri give the Taliban notable victories as Afghanistan’s armed resistance attempts to build momentum.
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Albany woman charged with plotting to attack New York Capitol in support of Islamic State
Jessica Bowie was arrested on August 19 and is accused of plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol. Her arrest marks the fifth Islamic State-linked terrorism case or incident in the United States this year.
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Venezuela continues difficult recovery from twin earthquakes as oil sales surge
Venezuela’s recovery from massive earthquakes on June 24 has become increasingly costly as the death toll has climbed, the extent of infrastructure damage has come into sharper focus, and reconstruction has placed additional strain on an already fragile economy. However, Caracas’ oil sector has also continued to expand.
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Resistance to Taliban rule persists in Afghanistan
Five years after the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan’s armed resistance continues to expand despite lacking territorial sanctuary, overt state sponsorship, and meaningful international assistance. Although it remains far from an existential threat to Taliban rule, its persistence challenges the appearance of uncontested control.
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25 years later: The state of Al Qaeda
Twenty-five years after 9/11, analysts still can’t agree on whether Al Qaeda is a spent force or a resurgent threat. Generation Jihad’s Bill Roggio and co-host Will Selber speak with guest Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic, and unpack his new article on the group’s uncertain legacy.
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Israel strikes military airbase in Syria while warning Turkey
Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al Duhur military airbase overnight between August 17 and 18 highlighted growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s expanding role in Syria. Syria condemned the strikes, while the US continued efforts to de-escalate the situation.
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Russia helps Iran sharpen its sword
Russia reportedly is supplying explosives, drone components, and other military goods to Iran, helping the Islamic Republic replenish arsenals for future rounds of fighting with the United States and Israel.
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Israel lessens strikes after US-backed disarmament plan, rejects initial withdrawal; IDF reports 16 Gaza ceasefire violations July 31-August 18
After Israel’s rejection of the Board of Peace’s (BoP) initial disarmament plan, US Special Envoy Jared Kushner and BoP officials held talks with Hamas and Israel, followed by Washington adjusting its position to prioritize Hamas’s disarmament. Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups continued violating the first phase of the ceasefire, according to Israel.
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Countries condemn Iranian attack on Kurdistan Region prime minister’s office
Iran’s August 17 drone attack targeting the office of Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani drew widespread international condemnation. The strike comes as Baghdad faces increasing pressure to rein in Iranian-backed militias and assert state control over their weapons.
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UN report: The jihad’s new center of gravity
Generation Jihad’s Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown, FDD senior fellow and former coordinator of the UN Monitoring Team, unpack the new UN 1267 report on the global state of the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and their affiliated groups.
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Israel says Hezbollah drone attack wounded 3 soldiers at Ali al Taher; IDF kills Hezbollah commanders in response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that a Hezbollah explosive drone seriously wounded three Israeli troops on the Ali al Taher Ridge on August 15. Israel responded with strikes that killed senior Radwan and Badr commanders. Hezbollah has not claimed the attack, and Lebanese reports allege Israel is considering a broader operation around the contested ridge.
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American missionary abducted in Niger freed after nearly 10 months of captivity
Kevin Rideout, who was abducted by gunmen from his home in Niger’s capital of Niamey last October and held by the Islamic State, was freed this week in Libya. The exact nature of his release remains murky, but Rideout has thanked Libyan officials for their efforts.
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Generation Jihad | China, Russia, Iran, North Korea: Inside the Axis of Aggressors
China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea aren’t just aligned in rhetoric—they’re actively coordinating to erode American military, economic, and cyber dominance. In this episode, Generation Jihad’s Bill Roggio sits down with Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, and Ryan Brobst, CMPP deputy director, to unpack the real-world mechanics behind this dangerous authoritarian convergence.
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Fighting in Yemen escalates, raising concern of a return to civil war
The Houthis launched drone and missile attacks on Yemeni forces and civilian infrastructure across three of Yemen’s governorates on August 6. The attacks have escalated fighting in the country while the Iran-backed terror group is simultaneously targeting Saudi Arabia and ships in the Red Sea.
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IRGC-Qods Force commander Qaani travels to Iraq amid pressure over militia weapons
Gen. Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), traveled to Iraq as Baghdad moves forward with legislation to place all weapons under state control. The visit came amid continued Iranian drone and missile attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.
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From Guantanamo Bay to ISCAP: The case of Jamal Kiyemba
In 2002, Jamal Kiyemba, a Ugandan national living in the United Kingdom, was arrested in northwest Pakistan after allegedly attempting to join Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and was sent to the US prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Released in 2006 and sent to Uganda, Kiyemba has since been in and out of prison, most recently over his support of the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP).
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Generation Jihad | Losing ground: Somalia and Mali’s jihad problem
The US is losing leverage in Somalia as frustration with Mogadishu threatens critical African Union support and risks strengthening Al Shabaab’s hold. In Mali, renewed US airstrikes against JNIM raise a parallel concern—whether air power alone, without a ground strategy or political reform, can contain the group’s advance. Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss examine these dynamics across the Sahel and the assess the murky state of Al Qaeda.
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Analysis: North Korean missile deployment raises urgency of Ukraine’s Starlink plea
North Korea is reportedly dispatching as many as 120 additional ballistic missiles to Ukraine as the embattled country searches for ways to destroy Russian missile launchers.
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Sudanese Armed Forces gains in civil war force strategic adjustment from paramilitia rival
The Sudanese military’s recapture of the Al Sadarat highway marks its most significant success against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the fourth year of the Sudanese civil war. However, the RSF’s shift toward tribal mobilization and the growing role of foreign-backed drone warfare suggest the conflict’s broader cycle of adaptation and attrition will continue.
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Afghan United Front commences operations against Taliban
The Afghan United Front has emerged as the first major Pashtun-led resistance organization to launch operations against the Taliban. The group’s likely focus on operations in southern Afghanistan would expand resistance organizations’ historical focus in the country’s north.
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Houthis escalate attacks in Red Sea and on Saudi Arabia, Riyadh evaluates options
Yemen’s Houthis claimed attacks on eight Saudi-linked vessels as well as energy facilities and an airport to enforce its blockade of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is reportedly pursuing a diplomatic path to de-escalate the conflict or military options if necessary.
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Iraq pressured by regional countries to rein in Iran-backed militias as new data on extent of attacks released
Iraq faces mounting pressure to rein in the militias while balancing tensions with neighboring countries, the US, and Iran. The Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq has come under nearly 1,000 drone and missile attacks by Iran and its proxies since late February, underscoring the growing threat posed by Tehran’s network of militias.
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Board of Peace announces Hamas disarmament agreement, IDF reports 32 Gaza ceasefire violations July 10–31
US President Donald Trump announced a 15-point Board of Peace roadmap transferring Gaza’s governance and security responsibilities. The plan links verified Hamas disarmament to phased Israeli withdrawal, but sequencing remains disputed.
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Anti-Taliban resistance groups increase attacks in northeast Afghanistan, district center briefly falls
Three anti-Taliban resistance groups launched separate operations across Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, over a two-week period, temporarily overrunning a district center and attacking Taliban positions in multiple districts. While there is no evidence of direct coordination among the resistance groups, there are signs cooperation may be increasing.
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Israel says Hezbollah launched drone attack on strategic ridge amid ceasefire
Israel accused Hezbollah of launching an explosive-laden drone at its positions in the Ali Al Taher Ridge on July 29, despite a ceasefire that went into effect on June 19. Hezbollah has not claimed the attack or issued a denial of the Israeli claims.
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Former Israeli prime minister says Qatar funded Iran’s IRGC
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to declare Qatar an “enemy state” if reelected to lead the government. Among the reasons he cited was Qatar’s alleged funding of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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Lebanese security forces incidentally discover Hezbollah weapons cache during raid
Lebanese security forces conducted a raid on a home in Beirut over a family dispute. During the operation, they reportedly discovered a large weapons cache, and subsequent interrogation allegedly uncovered that the cache’s owner was a “member of Hezbollah.”
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Suspect in deadly Berlin Pride attack pledged allegiance to Islamic State, prosecutors say
A 21-year-old German who had reportedly previously attempted to join the Islamic State allegedly carried out the deadly vehicle-ramming attack at Berlin’s Pride festival, killing one person and injuring 29 others.
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Generation Jihad | Seeking forgiveness from the Taliban
Former Marine and New York Times journalist Thomas Gibbons-Neff recently returned to Afghanistan to find accountability and closure, specifically seeking out a Taliban commander he had battled in 2010. Bill Roggio and Will Selber break down the merits of Gibbons-Neff’s recent tour in country and whether this type of article will skew a full understanding of the Afghan War as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 nears.
