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Discord dissolves Pakistani Taliban coalition
The spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban announced that he and five other leaders had defected to the Islamic State this week. The bulk of the organization had already broken off earlier this year.
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Al Qaeda portrays US-led bombing campaign as ‘Crusade’ against Islam
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a statement once again calling on jihadists in Syria to unite against their common enemies, especially the US. AQAP and other jihadists are portraying the US-led bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria as part of a “Crusade” against Muslims.
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Pro-al Qaeda ideologues propose truce between Islamic State, rivals
Jihadist ideologues, including several who have backed al Qaeda against the Islamic State, have proposed a truce between the rival factions in Syria. The initiative is similar to the calls made by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, both of which have urged the jihadists to unite against the “Crusader” West.
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Ansar Jerusalem beheads 4 Egyptians accused of being Israeli ‘spies’
A little more than one week after the Islamic State released a video featuring the beheading of an American photojournalist, Ansar Jerusalem has released a video online showing four Egyptian civilians being executed in the same manner. The video marks an escalation in the tactics Ansar Jerusalem is willing to broadcast in its propaganda.
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US government adds Gaza-based jihadist ‘umbrella’ group to terrorist designation lists
The US government today added the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC) to the foreign terrorist organization list and labeled the group a specially designated global terrorist entity.
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Al Qaeda renews its oath of allegiance to Taliban leader Mullah Omar
In the first edition of its new online newsletter, Al Nafir, al Qaeda renews its oath of allegiance to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The move is likely a response to the Islamic State’s claim that it rules over a caliphate with its leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, serving as the new caliph. Last week, al Qaeda released a video of Osama bin Laden discussing his oath of allegiance to Mullah Omar.
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AQIM rejects Islamic State’s caliphate, reaffirms allegiance to Zawahiri
In a statement attributed to AQIM’s propaganda arm, the al Qaeda branch rejects the Islamic State’s caliphate and reaffirms its loyalty to Ayman al Zawahiri. The statement also reveals that AQIM has played a role in the mediation efforts between the Islamic State and its jihadist rivals in Syria.
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Al Nusrah Front issues ‘clarification’ on the creation of an Islamic emirate
The Al Nusrah Front has released a statement saying that it has not “yet” announced the creation of an Islamic emirate and it will only do so after other jihadist groups agree with the decision.
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Social Media Jihad: Zawahiri on how to build an Islamic state
Sanafi al Nasr, a senior al Qaeda operative, reposted part of a message from Ayman al Zawahiri that was released in January. The excerpt deals with how al Qaeda thinks an Islamic State should be built. It is intended as a rebuttal to the Islamic State’s announced caliphate, which al Qaeda still has not officially addressed.
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Analysis: Islamic State’s ‘caliph’ leads prayers in Mosul
The Islamic State’s video of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, now known as ‘Caliph Ibrahim’, is intended to answer critics of the newly-announced caliphate.
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Zawahiri makes another attempt at reconciliation in Syria
Ayman al Zawahiri offers an olive branch to the head of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), which has been disowned by al Qaeda. But he also details the history of ISIS and its predecessor in Iraq, saying the leadership of this group was a part of al Qaeda.
