Ansar al Islam | FDD's Long War Journal

Department of Defense continues to downplay Taliban and Al Qaeda threat in Afghanistan

The U.S. military continues to recycle stale estimates of Al Qaeda’s strength in Afghanistan, and elevate the Islamic State as a greater threat.

French forces report killing Al Qaeda veteran in Mali

France says its forces killed Yahia Djouadi, a senior veteran of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, inside northern Mali. The raid comes after France and its European allies are set to withdraw from Mali.

Ansaru reaffirms its allegiance to al Qaeda

In a recent statement released online, Jamaat Ansar al Muslimeen, better known as Ansaru, confirmed it maintains its allegiance to al Qaeda after reportedly re-pledging allegiance to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2020.

Ansaru congratulates the Taliban in Afghanistan, promotes Al Qaeda ties

Two new videos from Ansaru, or al Qaeda’s franchise in Nigeria, demonstrate the group’s continued ideological affinity and connections to the global jihadist network.

Jihadist attacks flow into littoral West Africa

As violence continues to spread across the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, the violence is now seeping into the states of Ivory Coast, Togo, and Benin.

In fight against Islamic State, the Taliban holds major advantage

The Taliban has the advantage in all of the key areas, save one. The Taliban has state sponsors, terrorist allies, regional support, a marked superiority in weapons and numbers, and controls all of Afghanistan. ISKP can only match the Taliban in one area, and this the will to fight and persevere.

Taliban appoints Kabul Attack Network commander as provincial governor

Qari Baryal led an element of the Kabul Attack Network, which attacked Coalition and Afghan forces, as well as civilians, in an around Kabul. He is closely allied with Al Qaeda and has received financial support from Iran.

Al Qaeda field commander reported killed in Mali

Local Malian sources report that the emir of Katibat Gourma, a sub-unit of Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), was killed in a French operation in northern Mali yesterday. France has confirmed it targeted Katibat Gourma, but the death of its emir is not yet confirmed.

Analysis: Islamic State confirms Sahelian leader’s death, criticizes Al Qaeda

Coming roughly a month after France reported it had killed Abu Walid al Sahrawi, the Islamic State’s leader in the Sahel, the Islamic State itself has finally subtly confirmed the reports. The jihadist group has not publicly named a successor.

Sudan reports crackdown on suspected Islamic State cells in Khartoum

Sudan’s intelligence service has reported three raids on suspected Islamic State cells in Khartoum in the last week. However, details remain murky surrounding the details of the Islamic State’s purported network inside Sudan.

Taliban’s government includes designated terrorists, ex-Guantanamo detainees

The Taliban has announced the “interim” leadership of its newly restored Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. FDD’s Lpng War Journal profiles 22 of these figures, many of whom were sanctioned by the U.N. in 2001, are designated terrorists, or are former Guantanamo detainees. Multiple Taliban leaders have worked with al Qaeda.

Taliban advances as U.S. completes withdrawal

The Taliban and al Qaeda advanced throughout Afghanistan after President Biden announced the withdrawal of American and NATO forces on Apr. 14.

Analysis: Ivory Coast witnesses surge in jihadist activity

Northern Ivory Coast has seen a substantial increase in suspected jihadist attacks since March of this year. Much of the violence is emanating from southwestern Burkina Faso, where al Qaeda’s Katibat Macina is expanding.

Al Qaeda figure tied to kidnappings reported killed in Mali

Baye Ag Bakabo is linked to several of AQIM’s kidnappings in Mali, including the operation that left two RFI journalists dead in 2013.

Analysis: Predicting the coming Taliban offensive

Taliban will continue to wage its war against a weakened Afghan government to resurrect its Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. A look at how the Taliban may attempt to achieve this goal now that U.S. forces, which were unable to prevent the Taliban from seizing key rural districts, will soon be gone.

Analysis: Al Qaeda continues to operate throughout Afghanistan

Based on reports from Al Qaeda, the United Nations, and press reports, the terror group and its allies are operating in 21 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

Islamic State claims capture of coastal city in Mozambique

Mozambique, however, claims the fighting is still ongoing for control over the city. If its capture is confirmed, this is the second major town to fall under the control of the Islamic State’s local wing.

State Department designates Islamic State in DRC, Mozambique

Both wings collectively represent the Islamic State’s Central African Province, which the UN recently noted as one of the Islamic State’s most ‘dependable’ affiliates.

France reports killing Al Qaeda commander in Mali

France has claimed it killed Bah Ag Moussa, an important JNIM commander, in a recent military raid in northern Mali. JNIM has not yet commented on the news.

Analysis: Islamic State official critiques Al Qaeda in the Sahel

In an interview with the Islamic State’s Al-Naba newsletter, Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, attempts to paint al Qaeda’s efforts in the region as rife with internal squabbles and disunity.

Analysis: JNIM celebrates prisoner swap in Mali

In exchange for the release of dozens of imprisoned members from Mali’s prisons, Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has freed four hostages, three of them foreign. JNIM has since celebrated the prisoner swap, including a personal appearance by its overall emir, Iyad Ag Ghaly, in northern Mali.

Zawahiri asserts al Qaeda’s independence in new message

Al Qaeda has released a video message featuring Ayman al Zawahiri, who criticizes Al Jazeera at length. Although the video was released on the anniversary of the 9/11 hijackings, it was likely timed to coincide with the normalization of relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Al Qaeda-linked group claims attack in northwestern Nigeria

Yesterday’s statement is just the group’s second attack claim since its revival late last year. While Ansaru stated its men were behind an attack on Nigerian security forces, all recent raids in Kaduna State have been on civilians. It is thus likely that Ansaru is attempting to indicate its role in the growing ethnic violence in the state.

Taliban attempts to cover up images posted by an Uzbek jihadist group in Afghanistan

The Taliban denies that an Uzbek jihadist group, Katibat Imam al-Bukhari (KIB), operates in Afghanistan. The Taliban falsely asserts that photos recently posted by the KIB were “falsified by anti-peace circles.”

Hay’at Tahrir al Sham reportedly arrests Uzbek jihadist leader

Abu Saloh, the founder and first emir of Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, was arrested by HTS yesterday after the jihadist reportedly failed to pay his debts.

U.S. reportedly targets 2 senior al Qaeda figures in airstrike in Syria

Jihadists on social media say that two al Qaeda figures, Abu al Qassam and Bilal al Sanaani, were killed in a drone strike in Idlib. Their deaths haven’t been confirmed. Abu al Qassam was one of Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s closest comrades and an important al Qaeda figure in Idlib.