Former senior Taliban leader reconciles with jihadist group
Mullah Baz Mohammad, who served as a deputy to the leader of a rival breakaway faction, and a military commander in Uruzgan reunited with the Taliban and swore allegiance to its emir.
Monthly Archives: August 2016
Shabaab promotes ‘newly established’ Islamic police
The al Qaeda branch highlights one method of governance in the southern Somali region of Middle Jubba.
Helmand capital ‘practically besieged’ by the Taliban
A light US footprint in Afghanistan has led to Taliban gains throughout the country. The Taliban has surrounded Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand.
Afghan military again claims it killed emir of Islamic State’s Khorasan province
A senior Afghan military officer claimed that his forces killed Hafiz Saeed Khan, the emir for the Islamic State’s Khorasan province, during an ongoing military operation in the eastern province of Nangarhar. However Khan’s death cannot be independently confirmed.
Iranian media report deployment of elite Iraqi, Lebanese combatants to Aleppo
After the jihadist-led Jaish al Fatah and Syrian rebel groups succeeded in breaking the siege of Aleppo, an Iranian media outlet has reported the deployment of elite Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Harakat al Nujaba to cut the opposition’s artery to the rebel-held eastern side of the city. [Update: IRGC confirms rank of officer announced dead on Monday as Major].
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Islamic State claim suicide attack at Pakistani hospital
While the competing claims cannot be verified, both groups are capable of executing the mass-casualty suicide attack in Quetta.
Jihadists and other rebels claim to have broken through siege of Aleppo
More than 20 jihadist, Islamist and other rebel organizations took part in the offensive to break the siege of Aleppo. It was likely one of the largest combined efforts in the history of the Syrian war.
Ansar Dine shows captured Malian army soldiers
Despite not previously reporting taking hostages during last month’s attack in Nampala, Ansar Dine is now claiming to have captured five Malian soldiers during the large-scale assault.
Jihadists argue over leadership of Islamic State’s West Africa province
The Islamic State has named a new wali (governor) for its “province” in West Africa. The move prompted a reply from Abu Bakr Shekau, the longtime leader of Boko Haram who became the wali after announcing his allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi last year. The SITE Intelligence group translated the Islamic State’s announcement and Shekau’s response.
US announces nine airstrikes against Islamic State in Sirte, Libya
US Africa Command announced today that it carried out nine airstrikes in Sirte, Libya between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3. The bombings are part of “Operation Odyssey Lightning,” which targets the Islamic State’s positions inside the city.
Iranian military involvement in the battle for Aleppo
Iran has announced casualties coinciding with the latest battles for Aleppo, reflecting its deep military involvement in Syria.
US State Department lists Jamaat-ul-Ahrar as terrorist group
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has been behind numerous deadly attacks inside Pakistan and is closely allied with the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda. In 2014 it celebrated al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the US and said it would fight until an Islamic caliphate “is established in every nook and corner of the world,” it concluded.
US targeted AQAP operatives in 4 airstrikes in July
The US military justified the strikes by noting that AQAP remains a “significant threat” to the United States and its allies.
Taliban denies Helmand’s shadow governor killed in US airstrike
The Taliban, via one of its official spokesmen, quickly issued a denial that its shadow governor and military commander in Helmand were killed in an airstrike. The Afghan government has a spotty track record when reporting on the deaths of Taliban commanders.
US airstrikes target Islamic State stronghold in Libya
The US announced today that it has carried out airstrikes in support of local fighters who are trying to dislodge the Islamic State from the Libyan city of Sirte. After initially advancing in May and early June, an offensive launched by the “Solid Structure” operations room ground to a halt, which likely prompted the US to assist with air support.