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AQIM commander threatens France in audio statement
Abu Yahya al Hammam joins other Al Qaeda figures in Mali and the Sahara to have threatened France and its interests this year, including Iyad Ag Ghaly and a fighter from Al Murabitoon.
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French special forces target Al Murabitoon in northern Mali
One month after the jihadist group conducted a terrorist attack in Mali’s capital killing over 20 people, the French military launched a four hour raid against Al Murabitoon reportedly killing several of its fighters in northern Mali.
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Al Qaeda group releases photo of Mali hotel gunmen
The photo shows two young jihadists before undertaking the attack that left more than 20 people dead in Mali’s capital late last month.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb squadron ambushed in Libya
AQIM has released a eulogy for Hamid al Sha’iri, who led a “squadron” in Libya. Al Sha’iri and his men were traveling from Derna to Benghazi to fight General Khalifa Haftar’s forces when they were ambushed.
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Jihadists kill 3 in attack on UN base in Mali
Al Qaeda and allied jihadist groups have repeatedly targeted UN forces since early 2013.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb honors Ansar al Sharia’s slain military commander
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has released a eulogy for Mansur al Shalali (aka “Harun”), the slain military commander of Ansar al Sharia in Libya. AQIM notes that Shalali fought for several years in Algeria. The eulogy further underscores the tight relationship between AQIM and Ansar al Sharia Libya.
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AQIM battalion attacks Tunisian soldiers in Kasserine
While Tunisia has made claims the Uqba bin Nafi battalion has been defeated, the al Qaeda group remains a threat to the country’s security.
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In Dabiq magazine, Islamic State complains about jihadist rivals in Libya
The Islamic State’s newest edition of Dabiq magazine features an interview with Abul Mughirah al Qahtani, who is identified for the first time as the head of the “caliphate’s” Libyan “province.” Qahtani complains bitterly about the Islamic State’s jihadist and Islamist rivals. He notes, for example, that Ansar al Sharia has failed to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and says the group is close to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
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AQIM battalion claims ‘fewer than 10’ members defected to Islamic State
Yesterday, the Islamic State claimed that AQIM’s entire Al Ansar Battalion in Algeria had defected. In a statement released online today, AQIM responds by saying that fewer than 10 fighters from the battalion have joined Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s cause.
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AQIM highlights attack on UN troops in Mali
The video shows an attack on a convoy between Goundam and Timbuktu in northern Mali in July.
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The Islamic State’s ‘wanted dead’ list in Libya
The Islamic State’s supporters in Libya have released dozens of “wanted dead” posters online. The images are part of a campaign targeting the “caliphate’s” jihadist and Islamist opposition in Derna and elsewhere in Libya. If the information in the graphics is accurate, then the Islamic State is offering up valuable intelligence on its pro-al Qaeda adversaries in North Africa.
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Mokhtar Belmokhtar now leads ‘Al Qaeda in West Africa’
A statement released online today confirms that Mokhtar Belmokhtar is now the emir of Al Murabitoon, which calls itself “Al Qaeda in West Africa.” Another Al Murabitoon emerged in Egypt last month and it is also loyal to al Qaeda.
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Suspected jihadists attack hotel in central Mali
No group has yet to claim the assault, though attacking hotels frequented by foreigners is a common tactic of jihadists.
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AQIM claims killing Malian soldiers near Timbuktu
The ambush near Timbuktu is just the latest al Qaeda attack near the city. Additionally, other attacks by jihadists have occurred further south in the country.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims ambush that killed Algerian troops
The large attack, which happened as the Algerian troops were traveling back to their barracks for Eid festivities, is a rare occurrence in the North African country.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb backs jihadists fighting Islamic State in Derna, Libya
AQIM has issued a pair of statements backing the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) in Derna against its rivals in the Islamic State. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s men picked a fight with the MSC last month, but have sustained significant losses since then.
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French special forces kill AQIM fighter who had been exchanged for hostage
The raid occurred in the Tigharghar mountains and comes just months after French special forces killed two al Qaeda leaders in Mali.
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AQIM attack on UN convoy near Timbuktu kills 6 peacekeepers
The incident in northern Mali comes just days after jihadist attacks in the central and southern portions of the country.
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Ansar al Sharia Libya fights on under new leader
Ansar al Sharia, which is now led by a jihadist known as Abu Khalid al Madani, continues to battle General Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Contrary to erroneous accounts, the group has not sworn allegiance to the Islamic State.
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Jihadists again attack in southern Mali
The attack is the second in June to take place near the border with Ivory Coast and the second in two days in the lower half of Mali. These attacks come after the government and the main Tuareg rebels in the north have agreed to a peace deal.
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Jihadists attack Malian base near Mauritanian border
The assault comes just days after rebel Tuareg groups signed a peace deal with the Malian government.
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AQIM Sahara branch releases video showing last two hostages in Mali
The video, which is intended to show the hostages are still alive, shows the captives speaking to their respective governments and families.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb says Mokhtar Belmokhtar is ‘alive and well’
AQIM denies that Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in US airstrikes earlier this month. The jihadists have now released five statements on the matter. Two of the statements deny Belmokhtar has been killed, while the other three imply he is alive. None of them say he is dead.
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Suspected jihadists attack Malian base near Ivory Coast
The attack in southern Mali, which is a rare occurrence, is part of the trend of increased jihadist attacks in the central and southern portions of the country.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims 2 attacks in Mali
The attacks targeted a UN base and a UN convoy, which included the heads of the UN’s military and police forces in Mali, near the city of Timbuktu. The claims come after conflicting reports from a Mauritanian news agency that first reported Al Murabitoon claimed the attacks.
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French forces kill two al Qaeda leaders in Mali
The special forces raids killed an al Qaeda leader known for kidnapping and murdering Western hostages.
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Confusion surrounds West African jihadists’ loyalty to Islamic State
A jihadist leader known as Adnan Abu Walid al Sahrawi has declared allegiance to the Islamic State. It appears that he has pledged fealty to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi on behalf of MUJAO, a jihadist group in West Africa. There is no indication that al Qaeda loyalists, such as Mokhtar Belmokhtar, have also defected.
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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb leader congratulates jihadists on Idlib victory
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s emir, Abdulmalek Droukdel, has released an audio message praising the head of the Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, for working with other Islamist and jihadist groups to capture the city of Idlib.
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Ansar al Sharia Libya relaunches social media sites
Ansar al Sharia Libya now operates a radio station in Benghazi and several Twitter feeds. The group is at war with General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, but is promoting its governance efforts even while in the thick of battle. While a senior sharia official has defected to the Islamic State, there is no indication the group as a whole has followed suit.
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Rocket attack on UN base in Kidal kills 3, injures 12
The rocket barrage has not yet been claimed, but al Qaeda-affiliated groups have launched similar attacks on the UN in the past. This comes one day after a terrorist attack, perpetrated by group loyal to al Qaeda, occurred in Mali’s capital.
