US kills Haqqani commander in drone strike in Pakistan
Haqqani Network commander Abu Bakar and two close aides from the Afghan province of Paktika were killed in the attack, the fourth drone strike recorded in Pakistan this year.
Monthly Archives: June 2017
Photos show US joint patrols with rebels in southern Syria
The photos and videos show the extent of the US presence in southern Syria near the border with Iraq. This comes as the Tanf area of southeastern Syria has largely become a flash-point between US and Iranian-controlled forces.
Qassem Soleimani allegedly spotted in Syria near the Iraqi border
Today, Tasnim News Agency – a propaganda outlet affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – posted photos of Qods Force chief Qassem Soleimani, allegedly by the Iraqi border in Syria. The precise location and date of the photo are unconfirmed.
US designates Indonesian-based jihadist group
State’s designation notes that the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), which is responsible for several terrorist attacks in Indonesia, also has ties to al Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
Taliban continues to deny involvement in deadly Kabul attack
While the Taliban wants to distance itself from the May 31 suicide truck bombing that killed more than 150 people because of the problems related to civilian casualties, it also appears to want to halt the execution of Taliban prisoners.
US designates 2 Islamic State leaders tied to chemical weapons
The US government designated two senior Islamic State figures today, saying they are involved in the group’s chemical weapons program. US officials have previously said that so-called caliphate uses a “mustard agent” in its attacks.
US military warns of Shabaab resurgence, strikes ‘command and logistics node’
While announcing an airstrike that targeted a Shabaab “command and logistics node” in southern Somalia, the US military warned of al Qaeda’s resurgence in the country and said it has “taken advantage of safe haven.”
Taliban ‘infiltrator’ kills 3 US soldiers in Nangarhar
The attack that killed the three soldiers will only benefit the Islamic State, an enemy of the Taliban, by temporarily halting offensive operations in Nangarhar province. There have been two recorded insider attacks so far this year.
Zawahiri lectures on global jihad, warns of national boundaries
Ayman al Zawahiri has released another message explaining al Qaeda’s global jihad. He decries those who seek to divide the jihadists’ war according to national boundaries and argues that Muslims face a grand, international conspiracy.
US military downs UAV, strikes militias in Syria
The US military noted that it does not seek a fight against pro-Syrian regime militias, but its forces will continue to defend themselves if threatened.
Iranian officials offer disjointed response to Islamic State terrorist attacks in Tehran
The Islamic Republic has scrambled to explain Wednesday’s Islamic State-claimed, twin terrorist attacks in Tehran, leading to contradictory statements highlighting confusion amongst government agencies. Select Iranian officials however, like Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, have attempted to downplay the severity of the attack in what appears to be an attempt to dissuade criticism.
Shabaab overruns base in northern Somalia
Between 30 and 60 Puntland troops are reported to have been killed after Shabaab overran a base in the Galgala mountains. Fighters from al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa have successfully overrun Somali and African Union bases in the past and inflicted high casualties.
Afghan Fatemiyoun Division operative killed near US base in southeastern Syria
One day before Tuesday’s US airstrike in southeastern Syria, Iranian media announced the death of an Afghan militiaman in the vicinity of the Tanf military base, where coalition forces are training Syrian insurgents fighting the Islamic State.
Analysis: The Islamic State’s first major terrorist attacks inside Iran
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for its first major attacks inside Iran earlier today. Although the group has long fought Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria, it had never struck Tehran. Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani previously admitted that his organization had abided by an order from al Qaeda’s senior leadership to refrain from attacking in Iran.
US warplanes again strike militias near Syrian-Jordanian border
The strike against pro-Syrian government militias is the second in the past month. The US military is training Free Syrian Army-branded militias in the area to battle the Islamic State.
Shabaab steps up attacks in Kenya
Over the past three weeks, dozens of people in Kenya have been killed by Shabaab in assaults and improvised explosive device attacks.
Anti-Islamic State coalition begins Raqqah offensive
While the US military insists that the loss of Raqqah and Mosul will deal a “a decisive blow” to the Islamic State, the group still controls a significant amount of terrain in both Syria and Iraq.
British officials publicly identify 2 of the London terrorists
British officials identified two of the three men suspected of carrying out the June 3 terror attacks in London. At least one of them was well-known to counterterrorism officials and even appeared in a documentary about extremism in the UK.
Islamic State video shows destruction of church in Marawi
The video comes as the crisis in Marawi enters its second week. The video details Islamic State-loyal fighters destroying religious symbols and vandalizing the inside of the church.
Islamic State claims its ‘fighters’ responsible for London attacks
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency claims that the so-called caliphate’s “fighters” were responsible for yesterday’s attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market. At least seven people were killed and 48 others injured.
State Department blacklists Hashem Saffiedine
Hashem Saffiedine is the head of Hezbollah’s powerful Executive Council, making him the second-most important man in the organization behind its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. He is also Nasrallah’s heir apparent as Hezbollah’s Secretary General. According to the State Department designation, Saffiedine poses a serious risk of committing terrorist acts against the United States and threatening its national security.
Kabul funeral suicide bombers trained in Pakistan, Afghan intelligence says
According to the NDS, the suicide bombers trained at the Mawlawi Ahmad Madrassa in Chaman, a border town in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province. The Taliban denied it executed the attack.
Terrorists use van, blades to target civilians in London
A van carrying three terrorists was rammed into a crowd of people on London Bridge last night. The terrorists then drove to Borough Market, where they jumped out and began stabbing people. All three were shot and killed by armed officers. At least 7 people died as a result of the attack.
Iran tests the US in southeastern Syria
Major powers involved in the Syrian war are racing to maximize gains from the crumbling Islamic State in southern and eastern Syria. The continued advancement of pro-Syrian regime forces and Iranian-backed militias toward the US-held Tanf base – as well as the potential advance of both sides toward the Iraqi border area – raise the risk of further clashes that may draw in the US and Russia, though the latter has been unwilling to challenge US strikes against a pro-regime convoy and Syrian warplanes this year.
Islamic State claims Manila casino attack blamed on botched robbery
The government of Philippines says that an attack that left more than 30 people dead at the Resorts World Manila (RWM) casino was a botched robbery. However, the Islamic State claims that one of its supporters carried it out.
Qassem Soleimani spotted near the Syrian border with Iraqi militias
Major General Qassem Soleimani, the chief of the Guard Corps’ Qods Force, has been photographed allegedly with Iranian-backed Iraqi militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the northwestern countryside of Iraq near the Syrian border. The photo’s precise location and date are yet unconfirmed; however it surfaced on May 29.
Taliban again affirms Haqqani Network is an integral part of group
The Taliban has issued a second statement denying any responsibility for the May 31 bombing in Kabul. Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) has accused the Haqqani Network and Pakistan of orchestrating the attack. The Taliban claims the NDS is lying and defends the Haqqanis, once again affirming their key role in the organization.
Afghan Taliban parades forces after capturing district in Ghazni
The Afghan Taliban paraded its forces in the daylight without fear of being targeted after overrunning the district center of Waghaz in the southeaster province of Ghazni last month.