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US targets emir of Punjabi Taliban in pair of drone strikes in North Waziristan
Asmatullah Muawiya is said to have been targeted in one of the two strikes that took place today in Shawal area of North Waziristan in Pakistan.
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Afghanistan
US Stockpiling Fighting Vehicles Near Iraq Ahead of Anti-ISIS Offensive
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United States
US police struggle to uncover threats on social media
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Christians
Assyrian Christians flee Islamic State militants in northern Iraq
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Pakistan
Justice at risk as Pakistan rushes convicts to the gallows
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Houthis
Houthi violations annull UN-sponsored deal: Yemeni official
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Paraguay
Report: At least 60 journalists killed in 2014
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Iraq
How a Syrian Boy, 14 and Sheathed in Explosives, Escaped ISIS’ Hold
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Kosovo
Police arrested a Serbian man in Pristina last night who had over 26 pounds of explosives in his car as he was driving through an area of the city where diplomats live. Authorities believe he was planning a terrorist attack.
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Egypt
The Egyptian military claims that Tawfiq Awwad “Abu Seiba,” a commander of Ansar Bayt al Maqdis, was killed in a firefight with security forces in Rafah. Egyptian forces killed one suspected militant and arrested 11 others during operations in Sinai; the first phase of the government’s expanded buffer zone with Gaza will cost $70 million. A roadside bomb killed two soldiers in North Sinai.
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Libya
At least 19 soldiers were killed in a Libya Dawn attack on pro-government forces near a power plant in Sirte. The Islamist group also attempted to seize some of Libya’s main oil terminals in al Sidra, firing rockets from speedboats, killing at least 22 soldiers, and setting an oil tank on fire before being driven back.
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Tunisia
Outgoing president Moncef Marzouki has ceded the election and promised a smooth transfer of power. Tunisia’s interior minister decried the presence of training camps of Tunisians along the border with Libya affiliated with Ansar al Sharia, declaring them a threat to the country’s stability.
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Nigeria
A 13-year-old would-be suicide bomber who was arrested before she could detonate explosives in the city of Kano claimed that her father gave her to Boko Haram terrorists. A court martial sentenced four soldiers to death for “mutiny and failure to obey lawful orders”; a Nigerian Army battalion commander was cleared on charges of authoring a petition to the president stating “the military was incapacitated to end Boko Haram insurgency in some northern states.”
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Islamic State attacks the Al Walid border crossing
The attack was reported to have been repelled by Iraqi forces. The jihadist group has subsequently released photos claiming to show its fighters capturing the outpost, as well as a copious amount of weapons and ammunition.
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Iraq
Baghdad Journal: Traditions of Christmas Found Only in Memory
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United Kingdom
Muhammad Aftab Suleman, of Manchester, was charged with five terrorism offenses following his arrest on Dec. 20 as he tried to fly to Pakistan. On Dec. 19, counterterrorism police raided his home, confiscating computers and phones. Suleman had allegedly traveled to Syria, Pakistan, and Qatar over the past year, returning to the UK in November. Police have already seized over £250,000 in cash from persons trying to fly from Manchester to Syria with funds for the Islamic State.
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Syria
A Jordanian pilot was captured by the Islamic State after his plane went down in northeastern Syria. The US-led coalition conducted seven airstrikes in Syria on Dec. 23. “At least 1,171 people have been killed” by the airstrikes since the start of the campaign, according to SOHR; this tally incudes 1,046 members of the Islamic State, 72 members of Al Nusrah, one prisoner held by the jihadists, and 52 civilians. Satellite imagery shows that 290 cultural heritage sites have been damaged during the course of the war.
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Iraq
Senior Kurdish rebel leader warns Iraq must stay united to defeat ‘savage’ ISIS
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Iraq
No Way Out for Iraqis Who Helped US in War
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Iraq
Baghdad’s ‘blind eye’ leads to IS routs in Anbar
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Al Qaeda
US prepares to ramp up transfers from Guantanamo
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FBI
Countering Cyberattacks Without a Playbook
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4 Gitmo detainees transferred to Afghanistan are veteran insurgents, files allege
On Dec. 20, the Defense Department announced the transfer of four Afghans to their home country. Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) deemed all four to be “high” risks to the US, its interests and allies. All four are veteran insurgents, according to JTF-GTMO.
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Islamic State shoots down Jordanian warplane in Raqqah, captures pilot
The Jordanian Armed Forces confirmed that one of its aircraft has been shot down over Syria and its pilot is in the hands of the Islamic State.
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Syria
A Jordanian pilot was captured by the Islamic State after his plane went down in northeastern Syria. The US-led coalition conducted seven airstrikes in Syria on Dec. 23. “At least 1,171 people have been killed” by the airstrikes since the start of the campaign, according to SOHR; this tally incudes 1,046 members of the Islamic State, 72 members of Al Nusrah, one prisoner held by the jihadists, and 52 civilians. Satellite imagery shows that 290 cultural heritage sites have been damaged during the course of the war.
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United Kingdom
Muhammad Aftab Suleman, of Manchester, was charged with five terrorism offenses following his arrest on Dec. 20 as he tried to fly to Pakistan. On Dec. 19, counterterrorism police raided his home, confiscating computers and phones. Suleman had allegedly traveled to Syria, Pakistan, and Qatar over the past year, returning to the UK in November. Police have already seized over £250,000 in cash from persons trying to fly from Manchester to Syria with funds for the Islamic State.
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China
China to Send Its First Infantry Troops to UN Mission in South Sudan
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Algeria
Algerian Army Kills Man Behind French Beheading
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Afghanistan
ISAF Air Support Helpful in Dangam Operations: Afghan Ministry of Defense
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Afghanistan
Karzai aide: Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Omar is in Karachi city of Pakistan
