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Analysis: US military ends reporting on security situation in Afghanistan’s districts
The U.S. military and NATO have stopped producing an assessment that was considered key for measuring progress against the jihadist insurgency in Afghanistan, according to a report released on April 30 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The metric, which tracked district stability, was one of the “most widely cited Afghan security metrics.” But it will no longer be available to the public, or those tasked with oversight. In Nov. 2017, General John W. Nicholson Jr., then commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), said the “most telling” metric for success is “population control” —…
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Examining the Global Terrorism Landscape
Bill Roggio testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism, and examines the global terrorism landscape.
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Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears in first video in nearly five years
The Islamic State has released the first video of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in nearly five years.
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KUBN claims killing of Tunisian soldier
AQIM’s Uqba bin Nafi battalion has now claimed two attacks this month, tying the number of its total attacks for all of last year.
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US hits Islamic State in Northern Somalia
The US military launched its second strike against the Islamic State’s network in northern Somalia in the past two weeks.
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Sri Lankan security forces clash with Islamic State loyalists
Sri Lankan security forces clashed with Islamic State loyalists during a raid in Kalmunai. The Islamic State claims that 17 members of the security forces were killed, but that claim is not corroborated by independent reporting. Instead, it appears that several terrorists, along with women and children, perished in the raid.
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Tehran appoints new IRGC chief commander
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Hossein Salami as the new chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on April 21, replacing Mohammad Ali Jafari after 12 years in command. Salami previously served as deputy commander to Jafari for a decade.
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Analysis: The Islamic State’s allegiance videos
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency has released a video of eight jihadists in Sri Lanka swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before a series of bombings on Easter Sunday. The video is similar to a string of others released by Amaq since mid-2016.
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Terrorists in Sri Lanka swore allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
The Islamic State has released three written statements and a video claiming responsibility for the bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. The video shows the terrorists’ leader, Zahran Hashim, and seven others swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
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Islamic State’s Khorasan arm targets government ministry
A small team of Islamic State jihadists assaulted the Ministry of Communications in Kabul on Apr. 20. It was the latest in a string of attacks on government ministries and other official sites in the Afghan capital.
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Islamic State claims attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Today’s claim marks the first time the Islamic State has claimed any activity in Central Africa.
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Doha talks postponed after Taliban objects to presence of Afghan officials
The Taliban has consistently refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, and said the composition of the delegation to Doha indicates that it represents the Afghan government.
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Al Qaeda group claims bombings in Tunisia
Al Qaeda’s Uqba bin Nafi Battalion claimed its first attack since October 2018.
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Al Qaeda declares solidarity with Turkistan Islamic Party in the face of Chinese oppression
In March, the leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) called on various al Qaeda figures to offer more rhetorical support for the group’s cause. Al Qaeda’s general command responded earlier this month with a statement declaring its solidarity with the TIP and Muslims oppressed by the Chinese government.
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US designates members of Rawi network for financing Islamic State
The Rawi Network extends around the globe. One of its leaders is a former captain in Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard. It was first established to help Saddam evade sanctions in the early 1990s.
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US kills deputy Islamic State leader in Somalia
AFRICOM announced the death of Abdulhakim Dhuqub, the second in command of the Islamic State’s network in Somalia.
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Al Qaeda linked Kashmiri terror chief denounces Pakistan, calls for renewed jihad
Zakir Musa uses the message to paint a picture for the future of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s jihad in the Kashmir–a jihad without ties to Pakistani guidance, with fighters sourced from throughout the region, and focused on the implementation of Sharia, or Islamic law, in Kashmir through terror.
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Islamic State claims attack on Tuareg militia in Mali
The Islamic State has released its first official attack claim from northern Mali.
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France reports major security operation in central Mali
French forces reportedly killed dozens of jihadists after a three-week long operation in central Mali.
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Taliban announces ‘Al-Fath Jihadi Operations’ for 2019
Unlike previous years, the Taliban does not prioritize attacks on US and NATO forces, but instead sets its crosshairs on those working for the Afghan government, military, and police. The statement is yet another clear indication that the Taliban will not share power with the Afghan government, but instead seeks to impose its will on the country.
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Taliban trashes Afghan peace council, urges boycott
The Taliban decried the upcoming Afghan Loya Jirga for Peace as a tool of “the invaders and their stooges,” and called on all Afghans to shun the jirga.
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US airstrike targets Shabaab in terror haven
The strike takes place as US and African Union backed Somali forces attempt to wrest territory held by Shabaab. US Africa Command recently estimated that Shabaab controls one quarter of Somalia’s territory.
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3 US service members killed in Taliban bombing
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked US forces outside of Bagram Air Base, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan.
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US to designate IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization
The State Department announced today that it intends to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. The IRGC’s activities span the globe.
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Islamic State releases first combat video from Mali
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency, one of the jihadist group’s official media arms, released its first combat video from Mali earlier today. The brief video claimed to show an ambush on French forces somewhere near Mali’s border region with Niger. While no specific date was given, the video likely portrays last month’s Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) attack near Akabar in the northern Menaka region. In last week’s edition of Al Naba, the Islamic State’s weekly newsletter, the jihadist organization claimed a suicide bombing and subsequent assault on French forces near Akabar earlier last month. French forces…
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US targets AQAP 8 times in past 3 months
While strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have waned over the past year, they have not halted all together. AQAP remains a significant threat.
