Widespread protests force Tunisian army deployment
The army will be protecting government installations, following an incident in which protesters burned a security headquarters near the Algerian border, prompting police to flee.
Monthly Archives: January 2018
US killed three ‘key’ AQAP leaders in Yemen
CENTCOM identified the AQAP operatives who were killed as “key Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders.” Their responsibilities included “external operations facilitator,” an operative who paves the way for attacks outside of Yemen, an arms facilitator, and a member of its proselytizing council.
Saudi-led coalition turns the tide in Yemen conflict
Backed by Saudi air power, Yemeni forces are advancing on a number of critical fronts including Yemen’s northern border and western coast.
Pakistan frees jihadist leader behind deadly uprising
Sufi Mohammed was responsible for the Taliban uprising in Swat and the peace agreement that put jihadists in control of a significant area of Pakistan from 2007 to 2009.
Al Qaeda maintains operational tempo in West Africa in 2017
At least 276 attacks in Mali and its neighboring countries were linked al Qaeda in 2017. This includes a significant shift of violence to central Mali, as well as northern Burkina Faso.
State Department designates 3 al Qaeda figures as global terrorists
One of the leaders “planned” the March 2015 Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, which was claimed by the Islamic State. Another serves as Shabaab’s deputy emir.
US strikes Shabaab outside Somali capital
In the first strike of 2018, US forces have again halted an imminent car bomb attack intended for Somalia’s capital.
2017: A record year for US counterterrorism strikes
The pattern of operations in 2017 in what the Obama administration used to call areas outside of active hostilities indicates that the US will continue the reinvigorated air campaign in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya in the coming year.
Trump blasts Pakistan for its ‘lies & deceit’
If Trump is serious about hitting back at Pakistan, expect the US to ramp up drone strikes against jihadists, and not just in Pakistan’s tribal areas.