Muqtada al Sadr reactivates Mahdi Army, Promised Day Brigade
Muqtada al Sadr has reactivated two of his longstanding militia forces in Iraq in response to the U.S. killing Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss
U.S. kills Iran’s Qods Force commander and Iraq’s deputy PMF leader in strike in Baghdad
Qods Force commander Qassem Soliemani and Popular Mobilization Forces deputy Abu Mahdi al Muhandis were terror and insurgency masterminds who were revered in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and beyond for their support of the Iranian-backed Shia militias and terrorist groups that have destabilized several countries in the Middle East.
US bases in Iraq targeted in rocket attacks
US troops in Iraq have been targeted three times in mortars and katyusha rocket strikes since last weekend. Shia militias that are supported by Iran are suspected of carrying out the attacks, which take place as tensions between the US and Iran increase.
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.
Shabaab attacks focus on Somali military, African Union forces
Shabaab has managed to launch 418 attacks of different types during the six-month timeframe in support of its persistent and ongoing insurgency against Somalia’s weak central government and allied African Union forces.
Taliban, Islamic State continue battle in northern Afghanistan
The rise of the Islamic State in Jawzjan province over the past year has threatened the Taliban’s operations in the Afghan north.
Iraqi Police, Hezbollah Brigades clash in Baghdad
The standoff between the police and Hezbollah Brigades may portend an upcoming power struggle between Iraq’s established security forces and the Iranian-supported Shia militias that make up the Popular Mobilization Units.
US Special Forces soldier killed in Shabaab ambush
At least four other US Special Forces personnel, as well as a Somali special forces soldier, were also wounded. The Special Forces soldiers were ambushed in an area that is a known Shabaab stronghold.
Islamic Jihad Union conducts joint raid with the Taliban
The IJU is the second foreign jihadist group to highlight joint battlefield operations with the Afghan Taliban in recent weeks.
Turkistan Islamic Party highlights joint raids with the Afghan Taliban
Turkistan Islamic Party fighters, alongside the Afghan Taliban, released a video showing the combined forces overrunning remote Afghan military outposts in mountainous terrain.
Shabaab eulogizes ally of rebellious American jihadist
Khattab al Masri, a foreign fighter who sided with Omar Hammami during his dispute with Shabaab, reconciled with the terrorist group and was killed while fighting Ethiopian forces in 2016.
US Inspector General acknowledges Iran-backed militias obtained Abrams tanks
The report also notes that the US State Department has pressed the Iraqi government for the return of the tanks, but this has not happened.
Shabaab targets Somali police academy in suicide attack
The explosion, which took place as Somail police were parading, killed at least 18 people and wounding at least another 15. Shabaab claimed credit for the attack.
Shabaab touts deadly raid on Somali military base
The video serves as an important reminder of Shabaab’s continual potent threat against both African Union and Somali forces inside Somalia.
US targets Islamic State fighters in Somali airstrikes
The US military launched its first airstrike against the Islamic State’s network in the eastern African country of Somalia earlier today, complementing a decade long air campaign against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in the country.
Islamic Jihad Union showcases ‘special forces’ training camp
The IJU joins a list of jihadist groups that have publicized its training camps inside Afghanistan, including the Taliban, the Turkistan Islamic Party, and the Imam Bukhari Jamaat.
training camp joins similar training camps in Afghanistan advertised by the Taliban, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Imam Bukhari Jamaat, Harakat-ul-Mujahideen and others.
Jihadists hit Mogadishu with car bombs, suicide assault
Somali officials estimate that more than 200 people were killed in a pair of bombings and a suicide assault on a hotel in the Somali capital. Neither Shabaab nor the Islamic State has claimed credit for the deadly attacks, but Shabaab has targeted many hotels in Mogadishu using the same tactics.
Taliban promotes 4 previously unidentified training camps in Afghanistan
As the Taliban has had military success against Afghan security forces throughout the country, it released footage from seven of its camps. The Taliban said that jihad is a “divine obligation” for all Muslims.
Al Qaeda-linked Uzbek groups advertise operations in Afghanistan
The Imam Bukhari Jamaat and the Islamic Jihad Union have claimed attacks in eastern and northern Afghanistan. Members of these two groups are also known to have operated in Syria.
Pakistani Taliban faction showcases training camp, suicide attacks
The video, from Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a powerful faction of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, highlights the training of suicide bombers and an assault on a Pakistani military base that took place last November.
Shabaab executes three alleged ‘spies’
One of the alleged spies was accused of working for the CIA and directing drone strikes on Shabaab officials for the agency.
Hezbollah Brigades hurries troops to Mosul fight
At least 11 rocket launchers, four howitzers (including two US-made M198 howitzers), one American-made M1 Abrams, and one US M88 Recovery Vehicle were spotted in a Hezbollah Brigades convoy moving towards Mosul.
Shabaab strikes police department headquarters in Mogadishu
The attack on the Criminal Investigation Department in Mogadishu is the second complex suicide assault by al Qaeda branch in East Africa in the past week.
Shabaab claims former MP involved in Mogadishu suicide attack
Shabaab says that the former MP was one of the drivers in yesterday’s double suicide car bombing near an African Union base.
AQAP details ‘special forces’ training camp
The Hamza al Zinjibari training camp, which is named after a former senior leader of AQAP, is an extension of various historical al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan according to the group.
Taliban shows ‘Omar ibn Khattab’ training camp in Kunduz
The camp is named after the second Muslim caliph who was a companion to the Prophet Muhammad and who expanded the caliphate in the seventh century.
Taliban seizes a district in Uruzgan
The Taliban controls one of Uruzgan’s five districts, and contests the other four. The shadow governor for Uruzgan said in April his forces would emphasize complete control of the province.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan faction emerges after group’s collapse
After Usman Ghazi, the last emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, joined the Islamic State’s Khorasan province, the group split in two and a core cadre remained loyal to the Taliban and al Qaeda.
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.
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.