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Islamic State’s Libyan ‘province’ launches new offensive
The Islamic State’s Libyan “province” claims to have captured the town of Bin Jawad on the Mediterranean coast. The group also launched attacks on oil facilities in two of Libya’s ports.
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US military fails to ‘decimate’ Islamic State leadership despite thousands of airstrikes
A US military spokesman touted the strikes that killed the three Islamic State leaders as “an example of how we’re able to decimate networks.”
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US kills jihadist leaders in airstrikes in Somalia and Libya
The two leaders were identified as Abdirahman Sandhere from Shabaab, al Qaeda official branch in Somalia, and Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi, from the Islamic State’s province in Libya.
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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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US airstrikes target Islamic State leaders in Libya and Syria
The strikes that targeted “Jihadi John” and Abu Nabil should serve as a reminder that 14 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the military and intelligence establishment remain hyper focused on targeting individuals in the hopes of causing the collapse of jihadist groups.
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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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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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The Islamic State’s supporters want Mokhtar Belmokhtar dead
The Islamic State’s supporters in Libya have added Mokhtar Belmokhtar to their “wanted dead” campaign. The Islamic State’s loyalists have released dozens of online posters targeting their pro-al Qaeda opposition in North Africa. Some of the men have been killed. The campaign was launched as a response to the Islamic State’s losses in Derna, Libya. The poster for Belmokhtar was quickly disavowed by some Islamic State social media accounts.
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Ayman al Zawahiri discusses the importance of jihadist media
In his third media appearance this month,the al Qaeda emir discusses the Battle of Tora Bora and the value of a united jihadist media. The video is the seventh installment in Zawahiri’s “Days with the Imam” series, in which he recounts episodes from Osama bin Laden’s life. The first video in the series was released in November 2011.
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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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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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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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Islamic State spokesman calls on other factions to ‘repent,’ urges sectarian war
In a newly released audio speech, Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani calls on his group’s rivals (including other jihadists) to “repent,” recognizes a new pledge of allegiance from the Caucasus, and urges Sunnis to fight Shiites throughout the Middle East.
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Benghazi suspect killed in Mosul, Pentagon says
The Pentagon said today that Ali Awni al Harzi, the first suspect publicly identified in the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, was killed in a US airstrike in Mosul, Iraq. Al Harzi and his brother have been working for the Islamic State as facilitators.
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Jihadist rivals continue to battle in Derna, Libya
According to multiple reports, the Islamic State’s province in Derna, Libya has lost ground to its jihadist rivals after fighting broke out last week.
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Veteran jihadists killed by Islamic State’s ‘province’ in Derna, Libya
Earlier this week, one of the Islamic State’s “provinces” in Libya assassinated a veteran jihadist in Derna. The act sparked intense fighting between Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s followers and al Qaeda-allied jihadists in the city.
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Islamic State ‘province’ advances in and around Libyan city of Sirte
The Islamic State’s fighters in Libya say they have taken control of a power plant outside of the city of Sirte. The group has repeatedly targeted locations in Sirte since the beginning of the year, taking over significant parts of the city in the process.
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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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Official says commander of group that massacred 21 in Tunisia is dead
Official says commander of group that massacred 21 in Tunisia is dead
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Islamic State militants kill 10 pro-Tripoli fighters in central Libya
Islamic State militants kill 10 pro-Tripoli fighters in central Libya
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Senior Islamic State commander killed in Libya
Senior Islamic State commander killed in Libya
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Foreigners seized by Islamic State in Libya: Austria
Foreigners seized by Islamic State in Libya: Austria
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Osama Bin Laden’s Files: The Arab revolutions
Al Qaeda’s general manager, Atiyah Abd al Rahman, believed there was “good” in the 2011 Arab uprisings. And he discussed with Osama bin Laden how to send al Qaeda operatives around the globe to take advantage of the situation. The Libyan “brothers” were especially anxious to wage jihad in their home country.
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Libyan PM criticizes U.S., UK and EU for failing to supply weapons | Reuters
Libyan PM criticizes US, UK and EU for failing to supply weapons
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Suicide bombings by Islamic State’s ‘province’ rock Libyan town
One of the Islamic State’s so-called “provinces” in Libya has claimed responsibility for two suicide attacks in the Libyan town of Qubba earlier today. The group says the attacks were retaliation for the airstrikes carried out in nearby Derna.
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AQIM battalion takes credit for killing 4 Tunisian security officers
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) Uqba bin Nafi Battalion has claimed credit for an attack that killed four members of Tunisia’s National Guard. The group remains loyal to AQIM despite some claims that it had defected to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s Islamic State.
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Qatar recalls ambassador from Egypt in dispute over Libya strikes | Reuters
Qatar recalls ambassador from Egypt in dispute over Libya airstrikes
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Egypt
Egypt bombs Islamic State targets in Libya after 21 Egyptians beheaded
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21 Egyptian Christians executed in Islamic State video
The Islamic State has released a video showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christian workers who were kidnapped in Libya. The lead fighter in the video seeks to intimidate Italy, saying his organization will conquer Rome. The group is also using the beheadings to portray al Qaeda’s leaders as being soft in their pursuit of jihad.
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Islamic State ‘province’ in Libya claims capture of town
One of the Islamic State’s so-called provinces in Libya claims to have captured the town of Nawfaliyah. The group has also assaulted several buildings in Sirte, reportedly taking control of the local radio and television stations.
