The governor is a former leader in the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and his deputy is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay and Taliban commander in Afghanistan.
Cameroonian armed forces launched a counterstrike against Boko Haram on January 19 after an estimated 80 villagers were abducted the day before. Cameroonian forces have so far rescued 24 of the hostages.
Chad’s parliament voted 150 to 0 earlier this week to deploy an undisclosed number Chadian security forces to assist Cameroonian and Nigerian soldiers battling Boko Haram. The US and Russia have also pledged military assistance to Cameroon this week.
A Pakistani Taliban splinter group released a nearly 17-minute video again pledging its allegiance to the Islamic State. The group primarily consists of low to mid-level former Pakistani Taliban officials from Khyber, Arakzai, Bajaur, Hangu, and Dir in Pakistan, and from Kunar, Logar, and Nangarhar in Afghanistan.
Seven shadow governors were among those killed. The Taliban suffered losses in 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
The recent hostage crisis in Mosul is only the latest sign that Turkey’s new neighbor, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, poses a serious threat to Turkey’s national security.
Recent attacks in Nigde have raised concerns in Turkey over extremism in Syria. Tensions have been high between the Turkish military and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham since the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a small Turkish territory in Syria, fell under the threat of an ISIS attack.
The Daily Beast reports that a conference call involving “more than 20 al Qaeda operatives” is what prompted the closing of more than 20 US diplomatic facilities.
