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Abu Mehdi Muhandis meets with senior Iraqi Shiite cleric in Najaf
Iranian media reported that the head of Iranian-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces left the front lines of Fallujah yesterday to brief a senior cleric in Najaf, who praised the forces and stressed the protection of civilians.
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Al Qaeda has launched more than 100 attacks in West Africa in 2016
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and associated groups have unleashed a string of attacks in Mali and elsewhere in West Africa this year.
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The Islamic State’s prolific ‘martyrdom’ machine
Amaq News Agency claims that the Islamic State has carried out 489 “martyrdom operations” in Iraq, Syria and Libya during the first five months of 2016, with 119 in May alone. If Amaq’s figures are accurate, then the Islamic State is executing more suicide attacks per month in 2016 than all terrorist organizations combined in 2015.
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Abu Azrael sends message from Fallujah
Abu Ezrael, a famous commander in Iranian-backed Shiite militias who has burned an Islamic State fighter alive, taped a message addressing both the enemies and friends of Iran.
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Uzbek groups part of new offensive in southern Aleppo
The two Uzbek groups are fighting with the Jaysh al Fateh coalition as part of its renewed offensive in southern Aleppo.
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Qods Force commander an official advisor to government, Iraq’s foreign minister says
Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jafari defended Qassem Soleimani’s role in bolstering sectarian militias that have often acted outside of the law in Iraq as they battle the Islamic State.
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Footage surfaces of Iranian IRGC fighter embedded with Iraqi forces near Fallujah
The Iranian, who spoke in Farsi, belongs to the “Ansar al Hojja,” a militia that was formed in June 2014 and battles the Islamic State.
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State notes ‘severely degraded’ al Qaeda operated large training camp in Afghanistan
The US government continues to underestimate al Qaeda’s strength in Afghanistan and Pakistan. State’s insistence that al Qaeda has been “severely degraded in the region” is at odds with recent evidence from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Senior al Qaeda religious official in Syria returns to social media
The US Treasury Department designated Abu Sulayman al Muhajir as an al Qaeda terrorist on May 19. He has been active on social media in the past, but does not appear to have maintained a Twitter feed in months. In the past 24 hours, Abu Sulayman returned to Twitter and also started a Telegram channel.
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IRGC Ground Forces commander spotted in Fallujah
Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour’s presence in Fallujah alongside Qassem Soleimani underscores the importance of operations in Iraq to the IRGC’s leadership.
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Al Nusrah Front and allies launch new offensive in Syria’s Aleppo province
Jaysh al Fateh, a coalition cofounded by Al Nusrah Front, launched a new offensive in Syria’s Aleppo province in the past two days. The assault is designed to extend Jaysh al Fateh’s control over the territory surrounding the town of Khan Tuman, which was seized last month.
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US military announces 3 new airstrikes in Yemen
“We remain committed to defeating AQAP and denying it safe haven regardless of its location,” CENTCOM said while announcing three previously undisclosed drone strikes.
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Analysis: State Department identifies Gulf shortcomings on counterterrorism efforts
The State Department’s newly released Country Reports on Terrorism for 2015 suggests that several Gulf States still have a lot of work to do when it comes to terrorist fundraising.
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‘Pakistan did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban’ or Haqqani Network: State Department
The US government continues to provide nearly $800 million in financial aid despite Pakistan’s historical and continuing support for jihadist groups that are actively fighting US troops in Afghanistan and plotting terrorist attacks across the globe.
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Shabaab continues to strike popular hotels in Mogadishu
Al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa continues to demonstrate that it can penetrate high security areas of Mogadishu. Two members of parliament were among 13 people killed in the latest attack on a hotel in the capital.
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US military targets senior Shabaab commander in Somalia
The US military announced that it targeted Abdullahi Haji Da’ud, a top military commander and planner for Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa, in an airstrike late last month. It is unclear if he is dead or alive.
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Al Qaeda branches eulogize Taliban leader Mullah Mansour
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al Nusrah Front have jointly issued a eulogy for Mullah Mansour, the Taliban’s chief leader. Mansour was killed in an American drone strike on May 21.
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Analysis: Iran has supported the Taliban’s insurgency since late 2001
Multiple reports say Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed earlier this month after he returned to Pakistani soil from Iran. While some have praised Iran for supposedly seeking stability inside Afghanistan, the Iranians have supported the Taliban’s insurgency since late 2001.
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Iranian-backed Iraqi militia launched rockets at Khan Touman in advance of ground assault
Ahead of an anticipated assault to recapture Khan Touman, Iranian media claim Iraqi militia Harakat al Nujaba has deployed its ground and missile units.
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Islamic State-loyal groups claim attacks on Filipino military
With increased social media presence and video and news releases by official Islamic State channels, Islamic State presence, activity, and interest in the Philippines is growing.
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Iranian-backed Iraqi militias signal readiness to enter Fallujah
Senior Iraqi Shia militia leader Abu Mahdi al Muhandis told a reporter that the second phase of the Fallujah operation was imminent. He criticized US airstrikes in Fallujah and announced his forces were prepared to enter the city if requested.
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Taliban spokesman denies new emir rejected peace talks [updated]
Zabihullah Mujahid said that an audiotape attributed to Mullah Haibatullah in which he supposedly rejected peace talks was not authentic or official Taliban propaganda.
![Taliban spokesman denies new emir rejected peace talks [updated]](https://www.longwarjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Haibatullah.jpg)
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US lists 2 Pakistani jihadist groups as global terror organizations
Jamaat ul Dawa al Quran, which operates in Pakistan and Afghanistan, “has long-standing ties” with al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the State Department. The Tariq Gidar Group, which is “linked” to the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, has been behind some of the deadliest attacks inside Pakistan.
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Pakistani Taliban faction mourns death of Mullah Mansour
“With regret the Muslim world has lost a great mentor,” Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesman Ihsannullah Ihsan said, referring to Mansour. He urged “the Mujahideen and all Muslims” not to grieve too long, and to “focus on fighting” their enemies.
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Taliban names Mullah Haibatullah as new emir
Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s top judicial officer, is the Taliban’s new emir. Siraj Haqqani, the Taliban’s military commander, remains one of the Taliban’s top two deputies. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, Mullah Omar’s eldest son, has been elevated to serve as a deputy to Haibatullah.
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Baluchistan province is a primary hub for Afghan Taliban
Baluchistan province has long been a major hub for the Afghan Taliban, replete with training camps, madrassa, mosques, and command and control centers. If the US does decide to step up attacks against the Taliban in Baluchistan, there is no shortage of targets.
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Guantanamo Bay: The remaining detainees
Testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence on the threat posed by jihadist groups in Africa.
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State Department refuses to admit that Mullah Mansour was killed inside Pakistan
“How could you fire something out of the sky and blow something up and kill people and not know what country it’s in? ,” a reporter responded incredulously to a State Department spokesman’s claim that the government didn’t know whether the US killed Taliban emir Mullah Mansour in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
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Iranian Qods Force leader reportedly in Fallujah
The photo shows Soleimani’s and the militias dependent on Iran’s importance in the fight for Fallujah.
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Iraqi forces, militias launch operation to recapture Fallujah
Iranian-supported militias such as Hezbollah Brigades, Asaib al Haq, Harakat al Nujaba, Kata’ib Imam Ali, and Kata’ib Sayyid al Shuhada are taking part in the effort to wrest Fallujah from the Islamic State.
