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Lebanon
Gunmen ambushed the convoy of a Lebanese government minister in Tripoli, wounding three people. The attack occurred during a protest demanding the release of imprisoned Islamists.
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Syria
Fierce fighting raged across the country. Kurd and radical Islamist groups fought in northern Syria. Two car bombs exploded in southern Syria, and a rocket hit a building in Aleppo. More than 1,000 people have been killed this week.
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The younger Zawahiri protests France’s ‘war against Islam’
Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda’s emir, helped stage a protest in front of the French embassy in Cairo today. The protesters denounced France’s intervention in Mali, saying the country was “at war against Islam.”
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Hezbollah
Video appears to show Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiites fighting in Syria
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Afghanistan
Karzai government accused of Taliban’s return to power
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Afghanistan
Taliban stay away from Dubai peace talks
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Afghanistan
Helmand Residents Protest Against Insurgency
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Afghanistan
Afghan Ministry of Interior to Form ALP ‘Coordination Centres’
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On Belmokhtar’s group: ‘They believe the West is one great Sodom and Gomorrah’
Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat who was kidnapped by Mokhtar Belmokhtar in 2008, considers Belmokhtar’s group to be ideologues. Fowler has also reportedly said that Belmokhtar was the “principal intermediary between AQIM and al Qaeda in Pakistan” at some point.
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Somalia
A member of parliament accused AMISOM forces of massacring civilians in Leego. Gunmen murdered a reporter in Mogadishu. AMISOM said it would train Somali police in Djibouti.
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Nigeria
Authorities arrested two men suspected of plotting a double suicide attack against a church at a military base in Kaduna in November 2012 in which 15 people were killed. Other suspects are also being questioned about the attack, which was blamed on Boko Haram.
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Report: Al Qaeda group demands release of 2 well-known jihadists
The group responsible for the raid on a natural gas field in eastern Algeria has demanded the release of two well-known jihadists: Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman (a.k.a. the “Blind Sheikh”) and Aafia Siddiqui (a.k.a. “Lady Al Qaeda”).
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Mali
Islamist rebels are said to have fled Konna, which has been recaptured by Malian forces. Fighting continues for control of Diabaly. Some 100 soldiers from Togo and Nigeria, the first group of troops from an African force to be deployed in Mali, arrived in Bamako last night. Rumored links between Algerian intelligence elements and Ansar Dine have “vanished.”
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Nations fume, quietly, over Algerian hostage raid
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Pakistan
Graft-Case Investigator Found Dead in Pakistan
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Algeria
Al Qaeda-linked militants holding hostages at a gas field have offered to swap two American captives for two terrorists being held in US jails, including “Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel Rahman. Some 60 foreigners among the supposed 132 hostages are unaccounted for and feared dead. The Algerian military raid to free the hostages continued for a second day, and 18 militants are said to have been killed. The kidnappers, from the Battalion of Blood and the Movement of the Islamic Youth in the South, warned of more attacks and told locals to stay away from foreign energy companies’ facilities.
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Russia
A judge of Daghestan’s Supreme Court who worked on cases involving Islamic terrorists and militants was assassinated in Makhachkala on Jan. 15. Last week a militant and a policeman were killed in a raid in Novy Khushet near Makhachkala where two militants were holed up.
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New Taliban leader in South Waziristan vows to continue mission of emir killed in drone strike
A pamphlet released by the Mullah Nazir group announced that it would continue to follow in the footsteps of its slain emir, and named the top leaders of the group. Nazir has supported al Qaeda and waged jihad in Afghanistan.
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United States
The White House said it had cautioned Algerian officials about the hostage situation at the Algerian gas facility but was not given advance warning of the launch of the rescue attempt. US officials think five to seven Americans were among the hostages. The US deployed a Predator drone over the area, but it did not capture images of the hostages. The White House said it could not confirm whether militants with links to al Qaeda instigated the attack, but that it was trying to find out.
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Afghanistan
Joint Afghan and Coalition forces killed two insurgents during a clash in the Narang district in Kunar, and detained one insurgent in Logar and two more in Paktika. A local policeman in Kandahar’s Panjwai district poisoned his colleagues and then shot his commander. The US military suspended the transfer of prisoners to Afghan detention facilities due to concerns over alleged abuse of detainees by Afghans.
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Pakistan
The Taliban in South Waziristan distributed pamphlets conveying their determination to control the area and avenge the death of Mullah Nazir, who was killed by a US drone strike two weeks ago. The Taliban also said there was no disunity in their ranks, which are being led by new commander Salahuddin Ayubi.
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Mali
US Sees Hazy Threat From Mali Militants
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Al Qaeda
Jihadist Kingpin Suspected in Hostage Seizure
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Afghanistan
US general says Britain risks ‘special relationship’ if it cuts military
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ECOWAS
French Mission in Mali Puts Germany in a Tight Spot
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Iran
President Ahmadinejad said Iran needed to reduce its dependence on oil revenue to overcome economic sanctions. Iran’s state prosecutor said the two main opposition leaders were not competent to run for president in the June elections.
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Egypt
Egypt’s Morsi Says Slurs of Jews Were Taken Out of Context
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Palestinian Authority
Saudis will give $100 million to Palestinians
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Iran
Iran struggles to woo reluctant Egypt
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Iran
Al Assad is becoming a liability to Iran
