Ayman al-Zawahiri

June 15, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Taliban falsely claims al Qaeda doesn’t exist in Afghanistan

General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), questioned the Taliban’s willingness to take action against al Qaeda during an online conference held last week. The...

June 14, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

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

Two al Qaeda leaders were reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria’s Idlib province earlier today, according to jihadists on social media. Pictures of the car carrying them were posted on Telegram...

June 5, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

What the New York Times Never Told Readers About Sirajuddin Haqqani

Revisiting the op-ed the paper published by the deputy emir of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

May 13, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Taliban Is Still the Main Driver of Violence in Afghanistan

Two recent attacks by ISIS only obscure that the Taliban is attacking the Afghan government daily.

May 8, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn, Caleb Weiss

Analysis: Islamic State claims Al Qaeda started a war in West Africa

The Islamic State claims in the latest edition of its weekly Al-Naba newsletter that Al Qaeda started a “war” against the so-called caliphate’s men in West Africa. Independent reporting confirms...

May 4, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Analysis: The Islamic State’s ideological campaign against al-Qaeda

On April 29, the Islamic State’s “province” (wilayah) in Yemen released a lengthy video that is intended to undermine al-Qaeda’s ideological legitimacy within the jihadists’ ranks. The 50-plus...

April 29, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

How China’s Repressive Policies Could Fuel the Jihad

The CCP’s harsh treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang could very well drive more people into the arms of both al-Qaeda and ISIS.

April 6, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

How Jihadists Are Reacting to the Coronavirus Pandemic

By calling it “divine retribution” and inviting Westerners to convert to Islam, for starters.

March 31, 2020 | Aykan Erdemir, Luc Sasseville

Attack on Turkish soldiers spotlights Ankara’s Idlib conundrum

On March 19, Turkey’s defense ministry announced the death of two Turkish soldiers at the hands of “radical elements” in northwest Syria’s Idlib. The men were killed in a de-escalation zone that...

March 13, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Al-Qaeda lauds Taliban’s great ‘victory’ over America and allies

Al-Qaeda’s general command (or senior leadership) has released a three–page statement praising the Taliban’s “great victory” over America and its allies in Afghanistan. This triumph was enshrined...

March 10, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Al Qaeda’s West African branch seeks French withdrawal, then negotiations

Al-Qaeda’s branch in West Africa, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM, or the “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims”), has released a two-page statement setting forth its position on...

March 3, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio

Analysis: Taliban leader declares victory after U.S. agrees to withdrawal deal

Shortly after the Trump administration signed its accord with the Taliban on Feb. 29, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada declared “victory” on behalf “of the entire Muslim and Mujahid nation.”...

February 21, 2020 | Toby Dershowitz |

FATF Reimposes Countermeasures on Iran for Failing to Meet Anti-Money Laundering Standards

Today, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) followed through on its October 2019 commitment to re-impose due-diligence countermeasures on Iran if Tehran failed – as it has since 2016 – to complete...

February 13, 2020 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban fighters train at Mullah Mansoor ‘Military Camp’

The Taliban has released yet another set of photographs from one of its military training camps. In the images, Taliban fighters are training in the open in a mountainous area that should be easily identified...

January 20, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership praises jihadists in Mali and Somalia

Al-Qaeda’s senior management, or general command, has released a two-page statement praising the jihadists in Mali and Somalia. Al-Qaeda has strong branches in both East and West Africa, and the international...

January 15, 2020 | Bill Roggio |

U.S. military buries press release that would announce killing of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent’s emir

The U.S. Department of Defense suppressed a press release that would have announced the death of Asim Umar, the emir of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, because it “would complicate future negotiations...

October 27, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during raid, U.S. says

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, is dead, according to the White House. President Donald Trump announced Baghdadi’s death earlier today, saying “U.S. Special Operations forces...

September 24, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Afghan officials identify AQIS members killed in controversial Musa Qala raid

Afghan officials have publicly identified several of the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) members who were killed during an operation in Helmand province earlier this week. The raid quickly...

September 23, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Joint raid targeted al Qaeda members in Taliban stronghold, U.S. and Afghan officials say

Taliban sites posted this photo from the aftermath of a joint U.S.-Afghan raid in Musa Qala. Late yesterday, U.S. and Afghan forces targeted al Qaeda members in Musa Qala, a Taliban-controlled district...

September 19, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Policy