Ihsanullah Ihsan (center), the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan's top spokesman. Image from Dawn.

Pakistan's interior minister has offered a bounty for information leading to the capture of Ihsanullah Ihsan, the top spokesman for the al Qaeda-linked Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. The bounty far exceeds that of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the emir of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and other top commanders.

Today Interior Minister Rehman Malik offered more than $2 million for Ihsan, and said he "was working for foreign elements and vowed to soon reveal all," according to Dawn. The Pakistani government often uses the term "foreign elements" to describe RAW, India's intelligence service, Mossad, and the CIA. The Pakistani military has even dropped pamphlets in the tribal areas blaming the Taliban's activities on foreign powers.

Malik also claimed the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan has fractured and split into smaller groups. The government has made this claim before, however the Taliban continue to conduct joint operations in the tribal areas, and often releases propaganda that includes Hakeemullah and Waliur Rahman Mehsud, the commander of the South Waziristan branch.

The Pakistani government has wrongly claimed for years that the two senior Taliban commanders have been at odds, and even battled at a shura, or council, that was held to choose the successor of Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in August 2009. The report of the gunfight was proven false, and the two leaders later appeared in a propaganda tape debunking the government's claim.

Ihsan's bounty of just over $2 million is more than three times that offered for Hakemullah Waliur Rehman, and Qari Hussain Mehsud, another senior Taliban commander who is believed to have been killed in a US drone strike.

In the fall of 2009, the Pakistani government offered rewards of $600,000 each for Hakemullah Waliur Rehman, and Qari Hussain. The government offered rewards of $300,000 for 11 Taliban commanders in South Waziristan, and rewards of $120,000 for another six commanders.

The offer of rewards has had little effect. Since the bounties were issued in the fall of 2009, only two commanders have been killed or captured. In November 2009, Pakistani forces detained Abdullah Shah Mehsud, one of the wanted military commanders, during a raid in Tank, a district that borders South Waziristan. And in July 2010, the military killed Ameerullah Mehsud at a checkpoint in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. Ameerullah was number 7 on the list, and Abdullah Shah was number 17.

Malik did not provide an explanation as to why Ihsan's reward is more than three times higher than that of Hakeemullah and other top Taliban leaders. Ihsan has has been the public face of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and has had a strong media presence. He routinely claims credit for suicide attacks, bombings, and other attacks against the government, military, security forces, and civilians.

Just yesterday, Ihsan rejected overtures from Malik to hold peace talks. Ihsan accused Malik of being "a foreign agent not worthy of granting forgiveness to the Taliban," according to Dawn. Ihsan also said that the Taliban would fight the government until "the ouster of secular rulers imposed by foreign forces to rule an Islamic country," and sharia, or Islamic law, was imposed in Pakistan.

Eight South Waziristan Taliban commanders, pictured in a wanted poster from 2009: 1. Hakeemullah Mehsud, 2. Waliur Rehman Mehsud, 3. Qari Hussain Mehsud, 4. Azam Tariq, 5. Maulvi Azmatullah, 6. Mufti Noor Wali, 7. Asmatullah Bhittani, 8. Mohammad Anwar Gandapur.

On Nov. 24, the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC) released a statement to jihadist forums, titled "Ruminations After the Latest Assault." The statement, which addresses Operation Pillar of Defense, was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

In the statement, MSC alleged that Israel "shed blood and killed innocents and brought down their homes over the heads of their inhabitants, with the excuse of seeking to end the nightmare of the continuous rocket attacks upon their occupied cities by the brave mujahideen in the Gaza Strip." At the same time, the statement claimed that "[t]he lions leapt and fought them with rockets until they repulsed them."

The Salafi jihadist group laid some of the blame for the start of the conflict on Egypt. "[T]his war came after the Egypt army had paved the way for it through its incursion into Sinai with the approval of the Jews to pursue and kill the mujahideen there, so that the Jews would be secure in their front from Sinai, and prepare to strike the Strip," the group said.

According to the MSC statement, the "traitorous" Arab League, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wanted to institute a ceasefire not to bring quiet to the region, but rather "to transform the military defeat of the Jews into political and strategic gains."

Although a ceasefire is currently in place, the MSC appeared to indicate that it is not a party to it. "[W]e truly are not a party to the signing of this truce between the Palestinian factions and the Jews," the statement said. The MSC also slammed the idea of negotiations with Israel, saying that "what the Muslims gain from jihad in these days is many times greater what they gain through years of political tampering and protests and meetings with delegations and negotiations."

In addition to distancing itself from the current ceasefire, the group said that "[t]he recent aggression demonstrated the weakness of the Jews, and that their mutant state is weaker than a spider's web."

With regard to reported tension with Hamas, the group called on Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, to stop pursuing Salafi jihadists in Gaza.

The MSC also commented on the recent terror attack in Tel Aviv, describing it as a "blessed operation." "We urge them [the mujahideen] to continue and be patient and steadfast in the face of the Jews and their allies, and to make our occupied Bank a fire upon the enemies of Allah, and to reopen the door of jihadist operations fully, for it is a painful and effective medicine," the group said.

On Nov. 21, Abdullah Jihad al Ashqar (Abu al Muhtasib al Maqdisi), a media official for Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem, one of the groups that make up the MSC, praised the Salafi jihadist groups operating in the Gaza Strip and Sinai for their recent efforts fighting Israel during Operation Pillar of Defense. In addition to praising the various Salafi jihadist groups, al Ashqar argued that there was no alternative to fighting Israel. He also called for unity among the various groups operating in the Gaza Strip.

Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem

The Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC) is a consolidation of a number of Salafi-Jihadist groups operating in the Gaza Strip including, but not limited to: Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem, and Ansar al Sunnah. Sheikh Anas Abdul Rahman, one of the group's leaders, has said that the group aims to "fight the Jews for the return of Islam's rule, not only in Palestine, but throughout the world."

The MSC has taken responsibility for a number of rocket attacks against Israel as well as the June 18, 2012 attack that killed one Israeli civilian. In November 2012, the group carried out joint rocket attacks with the Army of Islam.

In July, the MSC released a 38-minute-long video in which it said that the June attack was "a gift to our brothers in Qaedat al Jihad and Sheikh Zawahiri" and retaliation for the death of Osama bin Laden. On Oct. 22, the MSC released a 32-minute-long video detailing some of its rocket attacks against Israel and threatening to "fight you [Israel] as long as we hold...weapons in our hands."

The Israel Defense Forces has recently increased its targeting of MSC members. On Oct. 7, the IDF killed Tala'at Halil Muhammad Jarbi, a "global jihad operative," and Abdullah Muhammad Hassan Maqawai, a member of the MSC. Maqawai was likely a former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. On Oct. 13, Israel killed Abu al Walid al Maqdisi, the former emir of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem, and Ashraf al Sabah, the former emir of Ansar al Sunnah, in an airstrike. The two men were said to be leaders of the MSC.

Ahmed Ashush, a high-profile jihadist who has longstanding ties to al Qaeda and who has founded Ansar al Sharia Egypt. Image from Al Arabiya News.

In an interview with the Cairo-based publication Al Shuruq al Jadid in late October, Ahmed Ashush, the founder of Ansar al Sharia Egypt, praised al Qaeda and defended the terrorist organization against criticisms. Ashush also named Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, as one of the jihadist leaders who remained true to his ideology during his time in prison.

The interviewer asked, "Does Egyptian Salafi-jihadism represent an extension of the al Qaeda organization?"

Ashush first offered to "correct the view of the al Qaeda organization," according to a translation obtained by The Long War Journal. Ashush proceeded to call al Qaeda the "House of Honor," the "Title of Glory," and the "Home of the Nation's Dignity."

"We must perpetuate [Osama] bin Laden whether alive or dead," Ashush continued. "If the revolutions of the Arab Spring were fair they would have adopted bin Laden as the symbol of heroism and sacrifice."

Ashush declared, "We are honored to be an extension of the al Qaeda organization in its beliefs, principles, and concepts."

The senior Egyptian jihadist went on to describe al Qaeda itself as an "extension" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), which has long been headed by Ayman al Zawahiri and merged with Osama bin Laden's terrorist group prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Ashush named two EIJ leaders, Abu Ubaidah al Banshiri and Abu Hafs al Masri, as co-founders of al Qaeda. Both served as al Qaeda military chiefs prior to their demise.

Ashush's embrace of al Qaeda is consistent with his past rhetoric and behavior. Since his release from an Egyptian prison, Ashush has repeatedly praised al Qaeda.

And Ayman al Zawahiri is so fond of Ashush that clips of the Ansar al Sharia Egypt leader are frequently included in al Qaeda's videos. A Sept. 10 video starring Ayman al Zawahiri featured a clip of Ashush praising Osama bin Laden. A two-part al Qaeda video released on Oct. 24 included nine video clips showing Ashush and other Egyptian jihadists.

During his interview with Al Shuruq al Jadid, Ashush did not shy away from al Qaeda's terrorism.

Al Qaeda is "fighting a criminal enemy," Ashush claimed, and only the terrorist group has prevented Muslim countries from being divided "into mini-States" ruled by "the Jews and the Christians." The US has authored this anti-Muslim conspiracy, according to Ashush. "Al Qaeda is the one that stopped the American scheme aimed at splitting Egypt into four States and dividing all Islamic countries."

Ahush's organization, Ansar al Sharia Egypt, is dedicated to implementing sharia law and rebuilding the Islamic Caliphate. As he made clear during his interview, Ashush is also deeply hostile to the West.

"We are at war with the United States and Israel and all the Worldly Rulers whom they appointed in the countries of the Muslims to carry out their imperialist blueprint in our countries," Ashush said.

Ashush has used the name "Salafi Vanguard" to describe his efforts and those of his compatriots. Ashush described the group as part of the jihadist "current," explaining that they chose this name to prevent any jihadist who has renounced his ideology from speaking for them.

"Those who speak in the name of the current are those who remained firm and did not change inside prison," Ashush said. "Sheikh Mohammed al Zawahiri is among them."

Mohammed al Zawahiri (right, in front of an al Qaeda in Iraq flag), Sheikh 'Adil Shehato (center, bottom), and Ahmad Ashush (center, speaking on microphone), from an As Sahab video released on Sept. 10, 2012.

Mohammed al Zawahiri helped incite protesters in Cairo on Sept. 11, 2012. Several days later, on Sept. 16, Ashush released a fatwa calling for the makers of the film "Innocence of Muslims" to be killed. The younger Zawahiri and Ashush have appeared in jihadist propaganda videos together. Al Qaeda has also used clips of the two in its official videos, including the aforementioned Sept. 10 and Oct. 24 videos.

Al Shuruq al Jadid asked Ashush about al Qaeda's slaying of civilians. He was quick to dismiss the charge. "The term civilian comes within the framework of psychological warfare," Ashush claimed, elaborating that it was part of "American psychological warfare against Islam and the Muslims."

"It (civilians) is a corrupt term and Islam does not recognize it," Ashush continued, arguing that armies draw their reinforcements from the ranks of civilians who are capable of fighting. With respect to females, Ashush said that only the women who are fighting for an army should be killed. "We also do not deliberately kill children though this happens sometimes and they are killed because of the location in which they happen to be," Ashush said. "We kill only the combatants."

It should be noted that Ashush answered a question about al Qaeda's killing of civilians using the word "we" to begin parts of his answer.

Ashush called Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi "illegitimate" for his failure to fully and immediately implement sharia law. But Ashush refrained from calling for jihad inside Egypt for now.

"Concerning Egypt, our battle is the Battle of the Koran, as the sheikh of the mujhaidin Dr Ayman al Zawahiri has said," Ashush explained. "We believe that Egypt needs explanation, guidance, and communication of the message so that a distinction should be drawn between right and wrong, so that those who survive do so after the message is explained to them and the same goes for those who perish."

Banner for the Al Nusrah Front, a jihadist group in Syria. Image from the SITE Intelligence Group.

A pair of suicide bombers killed more than 30 people in an attack in Syria's capital today. Today's attack is the second suicide bombing in Damascus in three days, and the 49th in Syria in the past 12 months. The al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant has claimed credit for 40 of the attacks.

Today's double suicide attack took place in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, an area where Druze and Christians loyal to Syrian President Bashir al Assad live, according to The Associated Press. The suicide bombers detonated their explosives-laden cars just minutes apart in a parking lot in a commercial area of the suburb as people were arriving for work. Al Qaeda-linked groups often detonate a second bomb at or near the scene of a bombing in an effort to target rescue workers and maximize casualties.

SANA, the state-run news agency, claimed that 34 people were killed and 83 more were wounded in the dual blasts.

While no group has claimed credit for the attack, the al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant likely executed today's attack. The Al Nusrah Front has claimed credit for 40 of the 49 known or reported suicide bombings in Syria that have been recorded by The Long War Journal since December 2011.

The Al Nusrah Front claimed credit for a suicide attack on Monday in the "West Ghouta" area of Damascus, in a statement that was released on jihadist websites on Nov. 26 and obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

"Allah enabled your mujahideen brothers to target a barrier where more than 40 [thugs] were gathered, in a heroic martyrdom-seeking operation in Damascus - West Ghouta," the statement said.

While no suicide attack in Ghouta has been reported in the press, "there has been fierce fighting in recent days in the countryside around Damascus, known as the Ghouta," the BBC reported.

The Al Nusrah Front has stepped up its suicide operations in Syria over the past three months. Since the end of August, the terror group has claimed credit for launching 22 suicide attacks.

Al Nusrah Front conducts joint operations with Free Syrian Army, other jihadist groups

The Syrian terror group is known to conduct joint operations with other Syrian jihadist organizations. In mid-November, Al Nusrah reported that it attacked a base in Idlib along with the Ahrar al Sham Brigades, and even shot down a Syrian MiG fighter aircraft.

The Al Nusrah Front is also known to conduct joint operations with the Free Syrian Army, which is often upheld as the secular resistance to Assad's regime. On Oct. 11, Al Nusrah, the Free Syrian Army, and Chechen fighters overran a Syrian air defense and Scud missile base in Aleppo [see LWJ report, Al Nusrah Front commanded Free Syrian Army unit, 'Chechen emigrants,' in assault on Syrian air defense base]. In August, Al Nusrah said it attacked a police station outside of Damascus along with the Al Sahaba Battalion, a unit of the Free Syrian Army that operates in the capital [see Threat Matrix report, Al Nusrah Front conducts joint operation with Free Syrian Army].

Al Nusrah has become more appealing to Syrian rebels as the group's fighters are better organized and have expertise from waging jihad in Iraq and elsewhere, and have integrated their operations with the Free Syrian Army.

Foreign jihadists have begun to pour into Syria to wage jihad against Assad's regime. Fighters from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories are known to have been killed in Syria. Recently, two of Abu Musab al Zarqawi's cousins were detained by Jordanian security forces after fighting in Syria.

Jihadists from the UK may be flocking to the Syrian battlefields as well. In mid-October, The Times reported that authorities had identified a Bangladeshi resident of London as the leader of a group of British jihadists seeking to fight in Syria. Scotland Yard seized computers and mobile phones from members of the group, which consists mainly of Londoners and includes seasoned Chechen fighters.

Several other Islamist groups also operate in Syria, including Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, and the Omar al Farouq Brigade.

Reported or suspected suicide bombings in Syria:

The dates given below are, in most cases, the dates of the attacks. In a few cases, when the date of a claimed attack is unknown, the date of Al Nusrah's claim of responsibility is used. So far, no other group has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks in Syria since December 2011.

Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombings in Damascus on this day are the first known suicide attacks in Syria since the rebellion began nine months earlier. The attacks targeted the regime's intelligence offices, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 160 others. According to the National Counterterrorism Center, it is likely that two female suicide bombers deployed by Al Qaeda in Iraq were responsible.

Jan. 6, 2012 - A suicide car bomb attack killed 26 people in Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Feb. 10, 2012 - Twin suicide car bombings killed 28 people in Aleppo. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mar. 17, 2012 - Two suicide car bombings killed at least 27 people and wounded 100 or more in Damascus. The bombings targeted the Assad regime's security forces. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the bombings and released a video, translated by SITE, showing the two bombers giving speeches before their attacks.

April 20, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked Syrian military forces dining at a restaurant in Hama. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the Syrian forces targeted had massacred civilians in a nearby town.

April 24, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked the Iranian Cultural Consulate in Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

April 27, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked at a mosque in the Midan neighborhood of Damascus. The attack reportedly killed 11 people and wounded 28 more. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility, saying the attack targeted regime personnel who were attending prayers.

April 30, 2012 - In an apparent attack on Syrian military intelligence services, two bombs are detonated in the town of Idlib. According to Reuters, state-controlled media said that nine people were killed, with 100 more wounded, and two suicide bombers were responsible. An "activist" said that 20 people were killed. The Associated Press also attributed the attack to suicide bombers.

May 10, 2012 - Two suicide car bomb attacks killed at least 55 people and wounded more than 370 others in Damascus. According to the BBC, the "blasts happened near a military intelligence building during morning rush hour." Days later, it appeared that Al Nusrah claimed credit for the attacks in a video online. Subsequently, however, Al Nusrah denied the validity of the video, saying it had not been published by the group's official media arm.

May 19, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked the Syrian intelligence services in Deir al-Zor. According to Reuters, the state news agency said that nine people were killed and approximately 100 others were wounded. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the bombing.

June 1, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked a Syrian military camp in Idlib. The suicide bomber's attack was just one component of the complex assault, which also involved an ambush and IED attacks. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the raid.

June 7, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying state security personnel in Aleppo. The Al Nusrah Front claimed responsibility for the operation.

June 14, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked state security services outside of Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front claimed responsibility for the attack and said that "many" security personnel were killed.

June 26, 2012 - The Al Nusrah Front claims that it conducted two suicide bombings against Syrian military forces on this day. The terrorist organization also claimed that 250 Syrian soldiers were killed in the attacks, according to translations prepared by SITE. The Long War Journal did not find independent verification for the high number of casualties claimed by the Al Nusrah Front.

June 30, 2012 - In a statement dated this day, the Al Nusrah Front claimed that a suicide bomber attacked a security barrier in Daraa, a town in southern Syria. The group did not say when the attack took place. On Mar. 3, a car bomb was detonated near a military checkpoint in Daraa. The Syrian government claimed it was a suicide attack that killed two people; opposition forces denied that it was a suicide attack. According to a local resident interviewed by Reuters, at least seven people were killed and eight more were wounded. It is unclear if the Mar. 3 attack is the same one claimed by Al Nusrah.

July 18, 2012 - A bomb killed senior Syrian military and intelligence officials. There are conflicting reports as to whether a suicide bombing or a remote-controlled explosive device was used in the attack. Among those killed was Assef Shawkat, the deputy defense minister and former head of Syrian military intelligence. Shawkat, who was the brother-in-law of Bashar al Assad, had supported AQI for years.

July 19, 2012 - In a statement released online days later, the Al Nusrah Front claimed it launched a suicide operation targeting a security barrier in Ma'arat al-Nu'man that killed 60 Syrian soldiers on this day.

Aug. 7, 2012 - In a statement released on this day, the Al Nusrah Front said that a suicide bomber targeted "a military security detachment ... in the area of Mhardeh in the Hama countryside." It is not clear what day the actual attack took place.

Aug. 17, 2012 - The Al Nusrah Front claims that a suicide bomber attacked a gathering of 600 regime "thugs" in Hama on this day. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Aug. 28, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed it executed a suicide attack "against a large gathering inside the new Equestrian Club" in Hama. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 2, 2012 - In a statement released on this day, Al Nusrah claimed that a suicide bomber attacked the "Ibn Wardan barrier in Hama governorate." The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 4, 2012 - A suicide bomber known as Abu Khattab al Shami detonated his explosives-packed car at the airport at Abu Kamal. Fighters then launched a follow-on attack. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 8, 2012 - A suicide bomber identified as Abu Abdullah al Shami attacked a hospital in Aleppo, killing 27 soldiers and wounding 64 more.

Sept. 11, 2012 - Al Nusrah released a statement claiming that Abu al Farooq al Shamali bombed "the fortress of the enemies" in al Bareed al Thani in Deir al Zour. The number of those killed and wounded in the attack was not disclosed.

Sept. 11, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed that a suicide bomber struck "a barracks of the enemy" in Idlib.

Sept. 26, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed it launched a complex suicide assault on the Army Headquarters in Damascus. Four soldiers were killed, and 14 more were wounded.

Sept. 30, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed credit for a suicide attack that targeted the headquarters of Political and Criminal Security in Qamishli in Hasaka province. The group claimed it killed 30 people and wounded 80 others.

Oct. 3, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the Officer's club in Aleppo. Minutes later, a second suicide bomber detonated at the tourist hotel next to the Officer's club, and then a suicide assault team stormed the hotel.

Oct. 3, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a suicide attack on the Political Security headquarters in Deir al-Zour, and claimed 50 people were killed and 60 more were wounded.

Oct. 9, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a complex suicide attack on the Air Force intelligence branch in Harasta outside of Damascus. More than 100 casualties were reported.

Oct. 9, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed credit for a complex attack on an outpost in Ain Tarma near Damascus that killed 75 Syrian soldiers.

Oct. 12, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a suicide attack on the Political Security headquarters in Deir al-Zour.

Oct. 12, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers attacked the al Sahwah Air Defense Brigade in Daraa.

Nov. 5, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed the suicide attack in Hama that killed more than 50 Syrian soldiers.

Nov. 9, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed several military personnel at a checkpoint near the city of Soran in Hama.

Nov. 10, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers attacked a military camp in Daraa that is used by military and intelligence forces. The attack killed 20 soldiers.

Nov. 19, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed to have killed 60 Syrian soldiers and destroyed two tanks in an attack on a military unit in Barad.

Nov. 21, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed to attack a French hospital in Aleppo. The hospital was being used as a military headquarters, the group claimed.

Nov. 25, 2012 An Al Nusrah suicide bomber blew up his "explosives-laden vehicle" at the officers' club in Daraa. The date of the attack was not given.

Nov. 25, 2012 An Al Nusrah suicide bomber targeted a gas station in Daraa that "became a gathering place for a large number of soldiers." The date of the attack was not given.

Nov. 26, 2012 An Al Nusrah suicide bomber targeted a group of soldiers in West Ghouta outside of Damascus.

Nov. 28, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers killed 34 people in an attack in a commercial area of the Damascus suburb of Jaramana.

The US killed three "militants," including "foreigners," in the first drone strike recorded in Pakistan in more than a month.

The remotely piloted Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired several missiles today at a compound in the village of Shin Warzak in South Waziristan, Dawn reported. According to Geo News, the drone strike targeted a vehicle and killed three people, including "foreigners." The term 'foreigners' is often used to describe Arab al Qaeda operatives or members of regional terror groups outside of Pakistan. In an attempt to limit civilian casualties, the US often fires missiles at vehicles thought to be transporting terrorists.

Today's attack ends a 36-day-long hiatus in the strike campaign in Pakistan's tribal areas. The last strike took place on Oct. 24, when four "militants" and one civilian were killed in an attack on a compound in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The pause in strikes was the second longest since the US campaign was ramped up in the summer of 2008 under the Bush administration. The longest pause was 55 days, from Nov. 26, 2011, to Jan. 10, 2012, when the Obama administration put the program on hold after US and Pakistani forces clashed in Mohmand. Pakistani troops had attacked US forces on the Afghan side of the border, and the ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. The US later apologized for the incident, despite having been attacked first by the Pakistani soldiers who failed to disengage after US aircraft signaled that US forces were involved.

US intelligence officials involved in the drone program would not comment on the reasons for the long pause in strikes. One intelligence official contacted by The Long War Journal said that "it certainly wasn't due to a lack of targets."

"Pakistan is a target-rich environment," the official continued. "We're only scratching at the surface, hitting them in the tribal areas, while the country remains infested with al Qaeda and their allies."

Strike takes place in territory under control of "good Taliban" leader

Today's strike took place in an area under the control of Mullah Nazir, the leader of the Taliban in the Wazir areas of South Waziristan. Nazir has openly supported Taliban emir Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and wages jihad in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Asia Times, Nazir rejected claims that he opposed al Qaeda, and affirmed that he considered himself to be a member of the global terror organization. Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.

Several top al Qaeda leaders, including Ilyas Kashmiri, Abu Khabab al Masri, Osama al Kini, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, and Abu Zaid al Iraqi, have been killed while being sheltered by Nazir. [For more information on Nazir and al Qaeda leaders killed while under his protection, see LWJ reports, 'Good' Pakistani Taliban leader Nazir affirms membership in al Qaeda, and US drones kill 'good' Taliban commander in South Wazirstan.]

Mullah Nazir's Taliban faction is one of four major Taliban groups that have joined the Shura-e-Murakeba, an alliance brokered by al Qaeda late last year. The Shura-e-Murakeba also includes Hafiz Gul Bahadar's group; the Haqqani Network; and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which is led by Hakeemullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman Mehsud. The members of the Shura-e-Murakeba agreed to cease attacks against Pakistani security forces, refocus efforts against the US in Afghanistan, and end kidnappings and other criminal activities in the tribal areas.

Also, in June, Nazir banned polio vaccinations in his areas, and claimed that the program is being used by the US to gather intelligence and conduct drone strikes in the tribal areas. He followed Hafiz Gul Bahadar, who shut down the program in North Waziristan earlier that month.

Background on the US strikes in Pakistan

Today's strike is the 20th in Pakistan since June 4, when the US killed Abu Yahya al Libi, one of al Qaeda's top leaders, propagandists, and religious figures. Abu Yahya was killed in a strike on a compound in Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan were reportedly among the 14 terrorists killed along with Abu Yahya.

The US has carried out 41 strikes in Pakistan so far this year. Twenty-two of the strikes have taken place since the beginning of June; 18 occurred in North Waziristan, three were in South Waziristan, and one has taken place in Arakzai. [For data on the strikes, see LWJ reports, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012; and Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012.]

The drone program was scaled back dramatically from the end of March to the beginning of the fourth week in May. Between March 30 and May 22, the US conducted only three drones strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas as US officials attempted to renegotiate the reopening of NATO's supply lines, which were closed from the end of November 2011 until July 3. Pakistan closed the supply lines following the Mohmand incident in November 2011.

In addition to Abu Yahya, three other high-value targets have been confirmed killed in the strikes in Pakistan this year. A Jan. 11 strike in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, killed Aslam Awan, a deputy to the leader of al Qaeda's external operations network.

On Feb. 8, the US killed Badr Mansoor, a senior Taliban and al Qaeda leader, in a strike in Miramshah's bazaar. Mansoor ran training camps in the area and sent fighters to battle NATO and Afghan forces across the border, and linked up members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen with al Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden described Mansoor as one of several commanders of al Qaeda's "companies" operating in the tribal areas. He was later promoted to lead al Qaeda's forces in the tribal areas.

And sometime earlier this year, a US drone strike killed Abu Usman Adil, the emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009. Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

Four senior jihadist leaders, including Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki, are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan since the beginning of August, although their deaths have not been confirmed. Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader in the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, is thought to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and a Haqqani Network spokesman denied reports that claimed Badruddin was killed, and said he "is in the country and he is occupied with his operational responsibilities." Afghan, Pakistani, and US intelligence officials have said that Badruddin is dead.

And Emeti Yakuf, who is also known as Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, may have been killed in the Aug. 24 drone strike in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley that hit a training camp. Yakuf directs al Qaeda operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The program has been scaled down from its peak in 2010, when the US conducted 117 strikes, according to data collected by The Long War Journal. In 2011, the US carried out just 64 strikes in Pakistan's border regions.

So far this year, the US has launched just three more strikes in Pakistan (41) against al Qaeda and allied terror groups than it has in Yemen (38) against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2011, the US launched only 10 airstrikes in Yemen, versus 64 in Pakistan.

South Waziristan Taliban leader Mullah Nazir [bottom-center].

Mullah Nazir, a senior Taliban leader who has identified himself as a member of al Qaeda, was wounded in a suicide attack today. Nazir was wounded in the attack, and six other people were killed.

A teen-aged suicide bomber drove a motorcycle packed with explosives into Nazir's car as it was parked in the main bazaar in Wana in South Waziristan, a Pakistani official told The New York Times. Nazir was purportedly out of the car and making a phone call when the attack took place. Six people were killed and 12 more were wounded in the suicide attack, Maulana Amir Nawaz, a spokesman for Nazir, told SAMAA.

Nazir was wounded in the leg and treated at a hospital. A Taliban operative in the area told The New York Times that the commander was moved to "an undisclosed location over fears that he could be targeted by an American drone strike." The US launched a drone strike today in the South Waziristan village of Spin Warzak near Wana; the strike was the first in Pakistan in 36 days.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Nazir has been at odds with the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan as well as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the past; both groups employ suicide bombers in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. Nazir expelled some Uzbeks from his tribal areas in 2007 and 2008, and the move led to small-scale fighting between the groups. But after the Pakistani Army invaded the Mehsud tribal areas in late 2009, Nazir began sheltering the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Wana has been the scene of another suicide attack that targeted a pro-Taliban official. In August 2010, a suicide bomber killed Maulana Noor Mohammed, a former member of Pakistan's parliament who had served as a negotiator between the Taliban and the government in the past. The blast, which took place at a mosque, killed 25 people. No group claimed credit for the attack.

Mullah Nazir's Taliban faction is one of four major Taliban groups that have joined the Shura-e-Murakeba, an alliance brokered by al Qaeda late last year. The Shura-e-Murakeba also includes Hafiz Gul Bahadar's group; the Haqqani Network; and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which is led by Hakeemullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman Mehsud. The members of the Shura-e-Murakeba agreed to cease attacks against Pakistani security forces, refocus efforts against the US in Afghanistan, and end kidnappings and other criminal activities in the tribal areas.

"Good Taliban" leader Mullah Nazir also an al Qaeda leader

Mullah Nazir has openly supported Taliban emir Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and wages jihad in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Asia Times in May 2011, Nazir rejected claims that he opposed al Qaeda, and affirmed that he considered himself to be a member of the global terror organization.

"Al Qaeda and the Taliban are one and the same," Nazir said. "At an operational level we might have different strategies, but at the policy level we are one and the same .... This is wrong that I am anti-al Qaeda. I am part of al Qaeda."

Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.

In the summer of 2009, the military signed a peace agreement with Nazir stipulating that he would not shelter al Qaeda or members of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which were based in the Mehsud tribal areas of South Waziristan. The Pakistani government launched a military operation against the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in October 2009, but left Nazir's areas untouched. Nazir has continued to allow the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, al Qaeda, and other terror groups safe haven in his tribal areas.

Significantly, more senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed in Nazir's tribal areas during the US air campaign than in those of any other Taliban leader in Pakistan. Nazir also shelters the Mehsuds from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, in violation of the peace agreement with the Pakistani government.

In the past, the US has killed several senior al Qaeda leaders in Nazir's territories. Ilyas Kashmiri, the leader of al Qaeda's Lashkar-al-Zil, or Shadow Army, was killed on June 3, 2011 in a Predator strike in Nazir's tribal areas. Kashmiri, a longtime jihadist leader in Pakistan, also served on al Qaeda's external operations council.

Another senior al Qaeda leader killed was Midhat Mursi al Sayyid Umar, better known as Abu Khabab al Masri. Abu Khabab was killed along with four members of his staff in a Predator strike on July 28, 2008.

Two other top al Qaeda leaders killed while in Nazir's care were Osama al Kini (Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam), al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan; and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, one of al Kini's senior aides. They died in an airstrike in the town of Karikot on Jan. 1, 2009. Both men were wanted by the US for their involvement in the 1998 suicide attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

In addition, the US believes it killed Abu Zaid al Iraqi during a Feb. 20, 2010 airstrike in Azam Warzak. Abu Zaid was said to be al Qaeda's top financier in Pakistan. And in another strike in Nazir's territory in 2010, US Predators killed Abu Hazwa Jawfi, who is said to have led Jundallah, a Pakistani terror group that is based in Karachi and maintains close ties with al Qaeda.

Nazir's Taliban faction has been the target of US drone strikes in the past. In June, a senior commander for Nazir was killed in one such strike.

Last June, Nazir reacted to the targeting of his forces, al Qaeda, and other groups he is sheltering, by banning polio vaccinations in his areas. He claimed that the program is being used by the US to gather intelligence and conduct drone strikes in the tribal areas. He action followed that of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, who shut down the program in North Waziristan earlier that month.

Boko Haram emir Abubakar Shekau, from a propaganda tape.

The emir of Boko Haram, the Nigerian terror group that has ties to al Qaeda, has praised the global jihadist organization, and said he and his fighters support jihad in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, Algeria, Libya, and Mali.

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, lauds and supports al Qaeda and its affiliates in a videotape that was released yesterday on jihadist forums. Shekau's speech, which was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, was issued in Arabic, which is an indication that he is seeking to appeal to both the wider jihadist community and al Qaeda's leaders. The 39-minute-long videotape includes numerous clips of Boko Haram fighters in training, as well as video of weapons seized by the group during raids.

Shekau repeatedly refers to the fighters in the jihadist theaters as his "brothers." He directly addresses "the soldiers of the Islamic State in Mali ... our brothers and sheikhs in beloved Somalia ... our brothers and sheikhs in Libya ... our brothers and sheikhs in oppressed Afghanistan ... our brothers and sheikhs in wounded Iraq ... our brothers and sheikhs in Pakistan ... our brothers and sheikhs in blessed Yemen ... our brothers and sheikhs in usurped Palestine, and other places where our brothers are doing jihad in the Cause of Allah."

Shekau warns "Britain, America, Israel, and Nigeria" that the killing of jihadist leaders and imams will not defeat the groups. He also refers to some of al Qaeda's top leaders who were killed over the past two decades, and notes that "jihad" did not end with their deaths.

"Don't think that jihad stops with the death of imams, because imams are individuals," Shekau says. "Don't you see and think how many sheikhs and men were martyred, like Sheikh Abdullah Azzam [the co-founder of al Qaeda], Abu Musab al Zarqawi [the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq], Abu Omar al Baghdadi [the emir of al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq], Osama bin Laden, Abu Yahya al Libi [a top al Qaeda leader], Abu Yusuf Muhammad bin Yusuf al Nigiri [the former emir of Boko Haram], and others ...."

Shekau says that Boko Haram is "with our mujahideen brothers" in the major theaters of jihad in their fight against "the Jews and the Crusader Christians."

"We are with our mujahideen brothers in the Cause of Allah everywhere, in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Pakistan, Kashmir, Iraq, the Peninsula of Muhammad [Saudi Arabia], Allah's peace and prayer be upon him, Yemen, Somalia, Algeria, and other places that I didn't mention," Shakau says.

Shekau's videotape is very similar to tapes issued by Shabaab in 2008, when the Somali terror group was making overtures to openly join al Qaeda. Shabaab officially joined al Qaeda in February 2012, but the two groups had already worked closely for years, and al Qaeda leaders served in Shabaab's top leadership circles prior to the merger.

Boko Haram and the global jihad

Boko Haram has aimed to become a player in the global jihad. Its fighters are known to fight in Mali with al Qaeda-linked groups, and its members have trained with Shabaab. The terror group has also expanded its propaganda efforts to show solidarity with al Qaeda and its affiliates. In July 2010, Boko Haram emir Abubakar Shekau issued an online statement praising al Qaeda and offering condolences to al Qaeda of Iraq for its loss of Abu Ayyub al Masri and Abu Omar al Baghdadi. He also threatened the United States.

"Do not think jihad is over," Shekau said. "Rather jihad has just begun. O America, die with your fury."

Documents seized at Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan showed that top-level Boko Haram leaders have been in touch with al Qaeda, according to The Guardian. In addition, Boko Haram is known to receive support from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and from Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate in East Africa.

Boko Haram has stepped up its suicide operations in Nigeria. So far this year, Boko Haram has carried out at least 19 suicide attacks [see LWJ report, Boko Haram suicide bombs kill 11 at Nigerian military church]. The targets have included churches, mosques, newspapers, government officials, and security forces.

The terror group also conducted several other suicide attacks in previous years, and not all of its attacks have been against local Nigerian targets. Boko Haram's most high-profile suicide attack targeted the United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in August 2011.

The US has only just begun to awaken to the threat that Boko Haram poses to the international community. In June, the US added Shekau to its list of global terrorists, along with Khalid al Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kamba, both of whom have ties to Boko Haram and close links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. But the US government has not added Boko Haram to the list of terrorist entities, as some officials fear the designation would only serve to further radicalize the group.

US drones struck in South Waziristan for the second time in three days, killing a Yemeni al Qaeda commander, according to reports from Pakistan. Two strikes have taken place in Pakistan's tribal areas after an unusually long pause that lasted for 36 days.

The remotely-piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired missiles at a car traveling in Shin Warzak near Wana in South Waziristan, according to Dawn. Three "militants," including a Yemeni al Qaeda leader, were reported to have been killed in the strike.

The al Qaeda leader was identified as Abdul Rehman al Zaman Yemeni, and was described by The Express Tribune as "a senior al Qaeda leader."

However, a US military intelligence official who tracks al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan told The Long War Journal that Abdul Rehman is a "mid-level al Qaeda commander, equivalent to a colonel."

The strike is the second in Shin Warzak in three days. On Nov. 29, US drones killed three more terrorists, including a "foreigner," in a drone attack. Pakistani newspapers have identified the foreign fighter as Sheikh Abdul Bari.

The US military intelligence official told The Long War Journal that Bari, like Abdul Rehman, is a mid-level al Qaeda commander who has operated in Pakistan's tribal areas for some time. The intelligence official would not confirm the reports of the deaths of Bari and Abdul Rehman.

This week's drone strikes in South Waziristan ended a 36-day-long hiatus in the strike campaign in Pakistan's tribal areas. The pause in strikes was the second longest since the US campaign was ramped up in the summer of 2008 under the Bush administration.

The longest pause was 55 days, from Nov. 26, 2011, to Jan. 10, 2012, when the Obama administration put the program on hold after US and Pakistani forces clashed in Mohmand. Pakistani troops had attacked US forces on the Afghan side of the border, and the ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. The US later apologized for the incident, despite having been attacked first by the Pakistani soldiers who failed to disengage after US aircraft signaled that US forces were involved.

Strike takes place in territory under control of "good Taliban" leader

The last two drone strikes took place in an area under the control of Mullah Nazir, the leader of the Taliban in the Wazir areas of South Waziristan. Nazir has openly supported Taliban emir Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and wages jihad in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Asia Times, Nazir rejected claims that he opposed al Qaeda, and affirmed that he considered himself to be a member of the global terror organization. Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.

Several top al Qaeda leaders, including Ilyas Kashmiri, Abu Khabab al Masri, Osama al Kini, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, and Abu Zaid al Iraqi, have been killed while being sheltered by Nazir. [For more information on Nazir and al Qaeda leaders killed while under his protection, see LWJ reports, 'Good' Pakistani Taliban leader Nazir affirms membership in al Qaeda, and US drones kill 'good' Taliban commander in South Wazirstan.]

Mullah Nazir's Taliban faction is one of four major Taliban groups that have joined the Shura-e-Murakeba, an alliance brokered by al Qaeda late last year. The Shura-e-Murakeba also includes Hafiz Gul Bahadar's group; the Haqqani Network; and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which is led by Hakeemullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman Mehsud. The members of the Shura-e-Murakeba agreed to cease attacks against Pakistani security forces, refocus efforts against the US in Afghanistan, and end kidnappings and other criminal activities in the tribal areas.

Also, in June, Nazir banned polio vaccinations in his areas, and claimed that the program is being used by the US to gather intelligence and conduct drone strikes in the tribal areas. His action followed that of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, who shut down the program in North Waziristan earlier that month.

Background on the US strikes in Pakistan

Today's strike is the 21st in Pakistan since June 4, when the US killed Abu Yahya al Libi, one of al Qaeda's top leaders, propagandists, and religious figures. Abu Yahya was killed in a strike on a compound in Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan were reportedly among the 14 terrorists killed along with Abu Yahya.

The US has carried out 42 strikes in Pakistan so far this year. Twenty-three of the strikes have taken place since the beginning of June; 18 occurred in North Waziristan, four were in South Waziristan, and one has taken place in Arakzai. [For data on the strikes, see LWJ reports, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012; and Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012.]

The drone program was scaled back dramatically from the end of March to the beginning of the fourth week in May. Between March 30 and May 22, the US conducted only three drones strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas as US officials attempted to renegotiate the reopening of NATO's supply lines, which were closed from the end of November 2011 until July 3. Pakistan closed the supply lines following the Mohmand incident in November 2011.

In addition to Abu Yahya, three other high-value targets have been confirmed killed in the strikes in Pakistan this year. A Jan. 11 strike in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, killed Aslam Awan, a deputy to the leader of al Qaeda's external operations network.

On Feb. 8, the US killed Badr Mansoor, a senior Taliban and al Qaeda leader, in a strike in Miramshah's bazaar. Mansoor ran training camps in the area and sent fighters to battle NATO and Afghan forces across the border, and linked up members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen with al Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden described Mansoor as one of several commanders of al Qaeda's "companies" operating in the tribal areas. He was later promoted to lead al Qaeda's forces in the tribal areas.

And sometime earlier this year, a US drone strike killed Abu Usman Adil, the emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009. Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

Four senior jihadist leaders, including Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki, are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan since the beginning of August, although their deaths have not been confirmed. Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader in the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, is thought to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and a Haqqani Network spokesman denied reports that claimed Badruddin was killed, and said he "is in the country and he is occupied with his operational responsibilities." Afghan, Pakistani, and US intelligence officials have said that Badruddin is dead.

And Emeti Yakuf, who is also known as Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, may have been killed in the Aug. 24 drone strike in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley that hit a training camp. Yakuf directs al Qaeda operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The program has been scaled down from its peak in 2010, when the US conducted 117 strikes, according to data collected by The Long War Journal. In 2011, the US carried out just 64 strikes in Pakistan's border regions.

So far this year, the US has launched just four more strikes in Pakistan (42) against al Qaeda and allied terror groups than it has in Yemen (38) against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2011, the US launched only 10 airstrikes in Yemen, versus 64 in Pakistan.

A Taliban suicide assault team attacked Forward Operating Base Fenty, a large airbase in Nangarhar in eastern Afghanistan, early this morning.

The heavily armed Taliban assault team of an estimated 10 fighters attacked the main entrance at FOB Fenty in the Behsud district just before 6:00 a.m. local time. The attack began as three suicide bombers detonated their cars packed with explosives near the entrance of the base in an effort to breach the perimeter, according to The New York Times.

A suicide assault team wearing US military uniforms and armed with mortars, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and assault rifles then attempted to storm the base but was beaten back by Afghan and Coalition forces backed by attack helicopters.

The fighting at the main gate lasted for nearly two hours before the Taliban were finally defeated. Nine Taliban fighters, three Afghan security guards, and four civilians were killed in the attack, according to The New York Times. TOLONews reported that "three Afghan special forces soldiers" were killed in the attack.

The International Security Assistance Force told The Long War Journal that there were "no ISAF fatalities as a result of the attack," but would not comment on the number of Coalition forces wounded.

The Taliban claimed credit for today's attack and said that "tens of American soldiers and agents," or Afghans, were killed, according to a statement that was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. The Taliban routinely exaggerate the number of Coalition and Afghan soldiers killed in their attacks.

The Taliban also claimed that "there were also massive damages to the enemy hideouts inside the airport," and said that two aircraft were "targeted" and "destroyed," while another five-man mortar team fired at the base and then safely withdrew.

The Taliban identified a suicide bomber who rammed the gate as "Sadiqullah." Other Taliban fighters killed were "Muhammad Omar from Nangarhar province, Sarfaraz from Qarabagh district of Ghazni, Oues Khan from Muhammad Agha district of Logar, Jalal from the city of Gardez, the capital of Paktika, and Sadiqullah and Jamsheed from the residents of Nangarhar province."

The Taliban have attacked Coalition bases in Nangarhar in the past. Most recently, in April, a car bomb was detonated outside of the main gate, but there were no casualties. At the same time, a four-man suicide assault team launched an attack on neighboring FOB Finley-Shields.

In February, a suicide bomber attacked the main gate at Jalalabad Airfield, killing nine people. The base is used by the US to launch drone strikes against al Qaeda, Taliban, and allied targets in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Taliban continue to attack major Coalition bases

Today's suicide assault at FOB Fenty is the third such attack against a major Coalition base since the beginning of June. On June 1, a Haqqani Network suicide team, which was backed by al Qaeda, attacked Forward Operation Base Salerno in Khost province and penetrated security at the base. The attack on FOB Salerno resulted in the deaths of seven civilian contractors and one US soldier inside the base; scores more soldiers were said to have been wounded in the attack. The base PX and a dining facility were leveled in the attack. Salerno is one of the largest Coalition bases in the east, and is also used to launch US drone strikes in Pakistan.

The Taliban later released the Haqqani Network video of the planning and execution of the attack on FOB Fenty. Ayman bin Saeed, a jihadist from Oman who was also known as Abu Abdul Rahman al Oman, was seen in the video and was among those killed during the suicide assault.

The most successful attack against a major base took place on Sept. 14, when the Taliban launched a suicide assault on Camp Bastion in Helmand province. A 15-man Taliban team penetrated the perimeter at the airbase, destroyed six USMC Harriers and damaged two more, and killed the squadron commander and a sergeant. Fourteen of the 15 members of the assault team were killed, while the last was wounded and captured. Camp Bastion is a sprawling military base shared by US Marines and British troops that is located in the middle of the Dashti Margo desert in Helmand province.

The Taliban later released a video clip that showed their fighters preparing for the suicide assault on Camp Bastion. The video included footage of a planning session in front of a whiteboard that has a map of the base; the video also showed two of the fighters delivering their wills. The Mullah Dadullah Front, a Taliban subgroup that closely tied to al Qaeda and is led by a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who serves as the Taliban's military emir, is thought to have executed the attack.

Attacks on major Coalition facilities are expected to escalate as the US and its allies continue to draw down forces and hand over security to Afghan personnel by 2014. While no final decision has been made on the size of the remaining forces, the Obama administration is expected to approve a residual force estimated at around 10,000 troops. Such a small deployment would allow the US to operate only one or two smaller bases in Afghanistan; Bagram Airbase, Kandahar Airfield, and Camp Bastion, the three largest bases, currently each have tens of thousands of troops operating inside the wire.

The consolidation of troops into a few locations will allow the Taliban to focus their efforts on the small number of bases and increase the frequency of their attacks. This will occur as the US has reduced its combat power and its intelligence gathering capabilities. US forces will also be required to depend more on Afghan forces for their security, even as attacks on Coalition forces by their Afghan allies have spiked.

Coalition and Afghan forces killed a dual-hatted Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Taliban district commander during a raid in northern Afghanistan four days ago.

The International Security Assistance Force confirmed on Dec. 1 that the commander, Shukrullah, and two "insurgents," were killed during a Nov. 30 raid in the Almar district in Faryab province. The initial ISAF press release described Shukrullah as a "senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader," and said he "coordinated the Oct. 26 suicide attack in Maimana district, Faryab province that killed 41 Afghans."

The ISAF press release also stated that Shukrullah "trained insurgents and provided improvised explosive device components to both IMU and Taliban fighters throughout Faryab and Sar-i-Pul province."

In a follow-up inquiry, ISAF told The Long War Journal that Shukrullah "was the senior IMU/Taliban leader in the Almar district of Faryab province" and that the "other two individuals killed with him were known Taliban insurgents."

ISAF also said that "Shukrullah was an Afghan national of Uzbek decent."

While no group has claimed responsibility for the Oct. 26 suicide attack at the Eid Gah mosque in Maimana, the provincial capital of Faryab, The Long War Journal reported that the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Taliban likely executed the bombing [see LWJ report, Suicide bomber kills 40 people at mosque in Afghan north].

Shukrullah serves as an example of how the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has integrated into the Taliban's shadow government in the north. IMU leaders have served in the top tiers of the Taliban's shadow governments in northern Afghanistan, and IMU fighters and commanders often conduct joint operations with the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other regional terrorist groups.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a prime target of ISAF special operations raids. ISAF has executed at least 37 raids that targeted the IMU this year, according to an investigation by The Long War Journal. Three of those raids took place last month; an IMU "weapons facilitator" was captured during the last raid, on Nov. 25 in Takhar province.

The vast majority of these reported raids have been conducted in northern Afghanistan, a hotbed for IMU operations. ISAF does not report all of its raids against the IMU, al Qaeda, and other foreign terror groups.

Background on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a key ally of al Qaeda and the Taliban, and supports operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as plots attacks in Europe. The IMU is known to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan and has integrated into the Taliban's shadow government in the north. [For more information on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, see LWJ report, IMU cleric urges Pakistanis to continue sheltering jihadis in Waziristan.]

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan fighters often serve as bodyguards for top Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda leaders. The IMU fights alongside the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has stepped up attacks in Central Asian countries as well. In September 2010, the IMU took credit for the Sept. 19 ambush that killed 25 Tajik troops, and also threatened to carry out further attacks in the Central Asian country.

The IMU has claimed credit for numerous suicide assaults in Afghanistan, including the May 19, 2010 attack on the US military airbase in Bagram, the Oct. 15, 2011 assault on the Provincial Reconstruction Team base in Panjshir, and the Oct. 29, 2011 suicide attack that targeted an armored bus in Kabul.

The IMU has been a prime target of special operations forces in Afghanistan. So far this year, special operations forces have conducted at least 36 raids against the IMU; in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Faryab, Logar, Helmand, Kunduz, Takhar, and Wardak, or eight of Afghanistan's 34 provinces; according to ISAF press releases compiled by The Long War Journal.

In October, the US Treasury Department added Qari Ayyub Bashir, the "head of finance" for the IMU, to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Bashir also serves as a member of the group's shura, or executive council. Identified as an Uzbek national, Bashir is based out of Mir Ali, in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. As the IMU's lead financier, he provides financial and "logistical" support for IMU operations in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and fundraises from outside the region.

This spring, ISAF killed the two previous IMU leaders for Afghanistan, in raids just a few weeks apart in Faryab province. [See LWJ report, Special operations forces kill newly appointed IMU leader for Afghanistan, for more information.]

Additionally, the US has targeted the IMU's leaders and network in Pakistan's tribal areas. US drones have killed the last two emirs of the IMU. On Aug. 4, the IMU announced that its emir, Abu Usman Adil, was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan, and named Usman Ghazi as the new leader of the al Qaeda-linked terror group. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009.

Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

The al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant has claimed credit for yet another suicide attack in Syria. The suicide attack is the 50th in Syria in the past 12 months; 41 of them have been claimed by the Al Nusrah Front.

The Al Nusrah Front claimed it killed "about 50 Nusayri [Alawite] soldiers" in a complex attack on "the Khan al-Baqar barrier, which is located near the Nayrab airport" in Aleppo in eastern Syria on Dec. 2, according to a statement by the group that was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Additionally, the terror group said the attack destroyed "a T82 tank, a BMB [likely an armored BMP], and a DShk- mounted pickup truck."

The terror group claimed that a group of fighters attacked the outpost in order to provide a diversion for the suicide bomber, who was identified as "Abu Bakr al Halabi." Then, the suicide bomber rammed a truck "laden with 700 kg of explosives." The Al Nusrah Front provided photographs of the truck as well as the resultant blast.

The Al Nusrah Front has stepped up its suicide operations in Syria over the past three months. Since the end of August, the terror group has claimed credit for launching 23 suicide attacks.

Al Nusrah Front conducts joint operations with Free Syrian Army, other jihadist groups

The Syrian terror group is known to conduct joint operations with other Syrian jihadist organizations. In mid-November, Al Nusrah reported that it attacked a base in Idlib along with the Ahrar al Sham Brigades, and even shot down a Syrian MiG fighter aircraft.

The Al Nusrah Front is also known to conduct joint operations with the Free Syrian Army, which is often upheld as the secular resistance to Assad's regime. On Oct. 11, Al Nusrah, the Free Syrian Army, and Chechen fighters overran a Syrian air defense and Scud missile base in Aleppo [see LWJ report, Al Nusrah Front commanded Free Syrian Army unit, 'Chechen emigrants,' in assault on Syrian air defense base]. In August, Al Nusrah said it attacked a police station outside of Damascus along with the Al Sahaba Battalion, a unit of the Free Syrian Army that operates in the capital [see Threat Matrix report, Al Nusrah Front conducts joint operation with Free Syrian Army].

Al Nusrah has become more appealing to Syrian rebels as the group's fighters are better organized and have expertise from waging jihad in Iraq and elsewhere, and have integrated their operations with the Free Syrian Army.

Foreign jihadists have begun to pour into Syria to wage jihad against Assad's regime. Fighters from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories are known to have been killed in Syria. Recently, two of Abu Musab al Zarqawi's cousins were detained by Jordanian security forces after fighting in Syria.

Jihadists from the UK may be flocking to the Syrian battlefields as well. In mid-October, The Times reported that authorities had identified a Bangladeshi resident of London as the leader of a group of British jihadists seeking to fight in Syria. Scotland Yard seized computers and mobile phones from members of the group, which consists mainly of Londoners and includes seasoned Chechen fighters.

Several other Islamist groups also operate in Syria, including Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, and the Omar al Farouq Brigade.

Reported or suspected suicide bombings in Syria:

The dates given below are, in most cases, the dates of the attacks. In a few cases, when the date of a claimed attack is unknown, the date of Al Nusrah's claim of responsibility is used. So far, no other group has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks in Syria since December 2011.

Dec. 23, 2011 - Two car bombings in Damascus on this day are the first known suicide attacks in Syria since the rebellion began nine months earlier. The attacks targeted the regime's intelligence offices, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 160 others. According to the National Counterterrorism Center, it is likely that two female suicide bombers deployed by Al Qaeda in Iraq were responsible.

Jan. 6, 2012 - A suicide car bomb attack killed 26 people in Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Feb. 10, 2012 - Twin suicide car bombings killed 28 people in Aleppo. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mar. 17, 2012 - Two suicide car bombings killed at least 27 people and wounded 100 or more in Damascus. The bombings targeted the Assad regime's security forces. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the bombings and released a video, translated by SITE, showing the two bombers giving speeches before their attacks.

April 20, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked Syrian military forces dining at a restaurant in Hama. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the Syrian forces targeted had massacred civilians in a nearby town.

April 24, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked the Iranian Cultural Consulate in Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the attack.

April 27, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked at a mosque in the Midan neighborhood of Damascus. The attack reportedly killed 11 people and wounded 28 more. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility, saying the attack targeted regime personnel who were attending prayers.

April 30, 2012 - In an apparent attack on Syrian military intelligence services, two bombs are detonated in the town of Idlib. According to Reuters, state-controlled media said that nine people were killed, with 100 more wounded, and two suicide bombers were responsible. An "activist" said that 20 people were killed. The Associated Press also attributed the attack to suicide bombers.

May 10, 2012 - Two suicide car bomb attacks killed at least 55 people and wounded more than 370 others in Damascus. According to the BBC, the "blasts happened near a military intelligence building during morning rush hour." Days later, it appeared that Al Nusrah claimed credit for the attacks in a video online. Subsequently, however, Al Nusrah denied the validity of the video, saying it had not been published by the group's official media arm.

May 19, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked the Syrian intelligence services in Deir al-Zor. According to Reuters, the state news agency said that nine people were killed and approximately 100 others were wounded. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the bombing.

June 1, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked a Syrian military camp in Idlib. The suicide bomber's attack was just one component of the complex assault, which also involved an ambush and IED attacks. The Al Nusrah Front later claimed responsibility for the raid.

June 7, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying state security personnel in Aleppo. The Al Nusrah Front claimed responsibility for the operation.

June 14, 2012 - A suicide bomber attacked state security services outside of Damascus. The Al Nusrah Front claimed responsibility for the attack and said that "many" security personnel were killed.

June 26, 2012 - The Al Nusrah Front claims that it conducted two suicide bombings against Syrian military forces on this day. The terrorist organization also claimed that 250 Syrian soldiers were killed in the attacks, according to translations prepared by SITE. The Long War Journal did not find independent verification for the high number of casualties claimed by the Al Nusrah Front.

June 30, 2012 - In a statement dated this day, the Al Nusrah Front claimed that a suicide bomber attacked a security barrier in Daraa, a town in southern Syria. The group did not say when the attack took place. On Mar. 3, a car bomb was detonated near a military checkpoint in Daraa. The Syrian government claimed it was a suicide attack that killed two people; opposition forces denied that it was a suicide attack. According to a local resident interviewed by Reuters, at least seven people were killed and eight more were wounded. It is unclear if the Mar. 3 attack is the same one claimed by Al Nusrah.

July 18, 2012 - A bomb killed senior Syrian military and intelligence officials. There are conflicting reports as to whether a suicide bombing or a remote-controlled explosive device was used in the attack. Among those killed was Assef Shawkat, the deputy defense minister and former head of Syrian military intelligence. Shawkat, who was the brother-in-law of Bashar al Assad, had supported AQI for years.

July 19, 2012 - In a statement released online days later, the Al Nusrah Front claimed it launched a suicide operation targeting a security barrier in Ma'arat al-Nu'man that killed 60 Syrian soldiers on this day.

Aug. 7, 2012 - In a statement released on this day, the Al Nusrah Front said that a suicide bomber targeted "a military security detachment ... in the area of Mhardeh in the Hama countryside." It is not clear what day the actual attack took place.

Aug. 17, 2012 - The Al Nusrah Front claims that a suicide bomber attacked a gathering of 600 regime "thugs" in Hama on this day. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Aug. 28, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed it executed a suicide attack "against a large gathering inside the new Equestrian Club" in Hama. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 2, 2012 - In a statement released on this day, Al Nusrah claimed that a suicide bomber attacked the "Ibn Wardan barrier in Hama governorate." The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 4, 2012 - A suicide bomber known as Abu Khattab al Shami detonated his explosives-packed car at the airport at Abu Kamal. Fighters then launched a follow-on attack. The total number of casualties was not reported.

Sept. 8, 2012 - A suicide bomber identified as Abu Abdullah al Shami attacked a hospital in Aleppo, killing 27 soldiers and wounding 64 more.

Sept. 11, 2012 - Al Nusrah released a statement claiming that Abu al Farooq al Shamali bombed "the fortress of the enemies" in al Bareed al Thani in Deir al Zour. The number of those killed and wounded in the attack was not disclosed.

Sept. 11, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed that a suicide bomber struck "a barracks of the enemy" in Idlib.

Sept. 26, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed it launched a complex suicide assault on the Army Headquarters in Damascus. Four soldiers were killed, and 14 more were wounded.

Sept. 30, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed credit for a suicide attack that targeted the headquarters of Political and Criminal Security in Qamishli in Hasaka province. The group claimed it killed 30 people and wounded 80 others.

Oct. 3, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the Officer's club in Aleppo. Minutes later, a second suicide bomber detonated at the tourist hotel next to the Officer's club, and then a suicide assault team stormed the hotel.

Oct. 3, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a suicide attack on the Political Security headquarters in Deir al-Zour, and claimed 50 people were killed and 60 more were wounded.

Oct. 9, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a complex suicide attack on the Air Force intelligence branch in Harasta outside of Damascus. More than 100 casualties were reported.

Oct. 9, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed credit for a complex attack on an outpost in Ain Tarma near Damascus that killed 75 Syrian soldiers.

Oct. 12, 2012 - Al Nusrah launched a suicide attack on the Political Security headquarters in Deir al-Zour.

Oct. 12, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers attacked the al Sahwah Air Defense Brigade in Daraa.

Nov. 5, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed the suicide attack in Hama that killed more than 50 Syrian soldiers.

Nov. 9, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed several military personnel at a checkpoint near the city of Soran in Hama.

Nov. 10, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers attacked a military camp in Daraa that is used by military and intelligence forces. The attack killed 20 soldiers.

Nov. 19, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed to have killed 60 Syrian soldiers and destroyed two tanks in an attack on a military unit in Barad.

Nov. 21, 2012 - Al Nusrah claimed to attack a French hospital in Aleppo. The hospital was being used as a military headquarters, the group claimed.

Nov. 25, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber blew up his "explosives-laden vehicle" at the officers' club in Daraa. The date of the attack was not given.

Nov. 25, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber targeted a gas station in Daraa that "became a gathering place for a large number of soldiers." The date of the attack was not given.

Nov. 26, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber targeted a group of soldiers in West Ghouta outside of Damascus.

Nov. 28, 2012 - A pair of suicide bombers killed 34 people in an attack in a commercial area of the Damascus suburb of Jaramana.

Dec. 2, 2012 - An Al Nusrah suicide bomber supposedly killed 50 Syrian soldiers in an attack on an outpost near an airport in Aleppo.

The top spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan today denied that his group tried to kill a senior South Waziristan Taliban leader in a suicide attack that took place last week.

Ihsanullah Ihsan, the main spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, "condemned the attack" that targeted Mullah Nazir in a bazaar in Wana in South Waziristan, Dawn reported.

"The TTP [Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] spokesman further said that though the TTP may have organizational differences with Mullah Nazir, there were no ideological differences between the groups," according to Dawn. "The problem created in South Waziristan is a tribal feud between the Ahmedzai Wazir and Mehsud clans which would be settled as per tribal customs, said the spokesman." The Mehsuds form the nucleus of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.

No group has claimed credit for the Nov. 29 suicide attack that targeted Nazir's car as it was parked at the main bazaar in Wana. Six people were killed and 12 more were wounded in the explosion. Nazir was reportedly outside of his vehicle at the time of the attack making a phone call.

Two days after the suicide attack, Nazir ordered all Mehsud tribesmen to leave areas under his control. Nazir's order to eject the Mehsuds is a direct admission that he has violated a 2009 agreement with the Pakistani government to not shelter the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.

Nazir has been at odds with the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan as well as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the past; both groups employ suicide bombers in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. Nazir expelled some Uzbeks from his tribal areas in 2007 and 2008, and the move led to small-scale fighting between the groups. But after the Pakistani Army invaded the Mehsud tribal areas in late 2009, Nazir began sheltering the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Nazir has openly supported Taliban emir Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and wages jihad in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Asia Times, Nazir rejected claims that he opposed al Qaeda, and affirmed that he considered himself to be a member of the global terror organization. Pakistan's military and intelligence services consider Nazir and his followers "good Taliban" as they do not openly seek the overthrow of the Pakistani state.

Several top al Qaeda leaders, including Ilyas Kashmiri, Abu Khabab al Masri, Osama al Kini, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, and Abu Zaid al Iraqi, have been killed while being sheltered by Nazir. [For more information on Nazir and al Qaeda leaders killed while under his protection, see LWJ reports, 'Good' Pakistani Taliban leader Nazir affirms membership in al Qaeda, and US drones kill 'good' Taliban commander in South Wazirstan.]

Mullah Nazir's Taliban faction is one of four major Taliban groups that have joined the Shura-e-Murakeba, an alliance brokered by al Qaeda late last year. The Shura-e-Murakeba also includes Hafiz Gul Bahadar's group; the Haqqani Network; and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which is led by Hakeemullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman Mehsud. The members of the Shura-e-Murakeba agreed to cease attacks against Pakistani security forces, refocus efforts against the US in Afghanistan, and end kidnappings and other criminal activities in the tribal areas.

In June, Nazir banned polio vaccinations in his areas, and claimed that the program is being used by the US to gather intelligence and conduct drone strikes in the tribal areas. His action followed that of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, another so-called "good Taliban" leader, who shut down the vaccination program in North Waziristan earlier that month.

Yesterday the International Security Assistance Force conducted two raids targeting insurgent leaders with ties to al Qaeda inside Afghanistan.

In the Watahpur district in Kunar province, Afghan and Coalition forces killed a leader named Mohammed Yar Gul and two other insurgents. Gul "coordinated the movement of insurgent fighters throughout Kunar province," ISAF reported. He also "was directly involved in suicide attack operations in the region and planned and conducted improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Watahpur district."

ISAF told The Long War Journal that Gul was "affiliated with Al Qaeda" and that he was of Pashtun descent. ISAF would not identify Gul's nationality, but because of the Watahpur's close proximity to the Pakistan border it is highly possible that Gul could be a Pakistani national. The two other insurgents were not identified.

Gul's death is the first reported killing of an insurgent with direct ties to al Qaeda in over two months in Afghanistan. The last known raid targeting an al Qaeda-linked insurgent occurred on Sept. 28, when an "al Qaeda-associated Taliban leader" was killed during an airstrike. This raid was also conducted in Kunar province, a hotbed for al Qaeda operations in Afghanistan.

Statements suggest that ISAF is not reporting all of the raids targeting the group, however. When asked in late November about the gap in reported raids against al Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan between October and November of this year, ISAF told The Long War Journal that "[f]or reasons internal to ISAF there were no operational reports issued during that time period."

"That does not indicate there were no missions executed, just that there was not a release issued," ISAF continued. ISAF would not disclose the reasons for not issuing the press releases on raids against al Qaeda and allied groups.

Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, an IMU facilitator was detained yesterday during an operation in Kunduz district, Kunduz province. ISAF reported that "the facilitator oversaw the transfer of improvised explosive device materials to insurgents, and directed the emplacement of IEDs against Afghan and coalition forces." This marks the 15th IMU operative targeted in Kunduz province and 38th member of the group targeted this year.

Identifying al Qaeda safe havens in Afghanistan

Yesterday's raids targeting Mohammed Yar Gul in Kunar province and the IMU facilitator in Kunduz provide more confirmation that the two provinces are hotbeds for al Qaeda and al Qaeda-affiliated activity in Afghanistan.

So far this year, 12 al Qaeda operatives or insurgents with ties to the group have been targeted in Kunar province, including eight in the Watahpur district alone, according to a study by The Long War Journal. Prior to the killing of Gul yesterday, the last al Qaeda operative to be targeted in Watahpur was Abu Saif, who died in an airstrike on Aug. 31 along with two other Pakistani al Qaeda-affiliated operatives and a Saudi. In 2011, only three raids were reportedly conducted against al Qaeda in Kunar province; in comparison to this year's raids, a disturbing increase in al Qaeda activity in the province is evident. And neighboring Nuristan province has seen two reported operations targeting al Qaeda in 2012, whereas there were none last year.

The raid in Kunduz province yesterday brings the number of reported operations targeting the al Qaeda-affiliated IMU in Kunduz this year to 16, which indicates that the province remains a stronghold of IMU activity despite repeated Afghan and Coalition efforts against the group.

Al Qaeda presence is pervasive in Afghanistan

While ISAF and the US government have characterized al Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan as being confined to the remote northeast provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, ISAF's own press releases identifying raids against al Qaeda present an even starker picture. ISAF has conducted raids against al Qaeda leaders and associates in Balkh, Farah, Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Paktika, Sar-i-Pul, Takhar, Wardak, and Zabul, or 17 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Many of these raids have taken place over the past two years.

Al Qaeda and allied terror groups, such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Jihad Union, maintain an extensive reach in Afghanistan. This is documented in the body of press releases issued in recent years by ISAF. Looking at press releases dating back to March 2007, The Long War Journal has been able to detect the presence of al Qaeda and affiliated groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in 114 different districts in 25 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

Kunar is a known al Qaeda haven. Since the end of May, eight al Qaeda leaders and two Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders have been killed in airstrikes in Watahpur alone. Additionally, an undisclosed number of al Qaeda fighters have been killed in the strikes [see LWJ report, ISAF kills Taliban district governor, 'dozens' of fighters in Kunar airstrikes, for more details]. Additionally, three al Qaeda-associated Taliban commanders were killed in three separate airstrikes in Watahpur in mid-August [see LWJ report, ISAF kills, captures al Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders in east].

Osama bin Laden mentioned that both Kunar and Ghazni provinces are ideal fallback positions for al Qaeda operatives seeking to escape the US drone strikes in North and South Waziristan, according to one of the documents seized from his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and released to the public.

Al Qaeda's leader in Kunar and neighboring Nuristan province has been identified as Farouq al Qahtani, according to a classified US military assessment that was leaked to The New York Times in February. The assessment, which was based on prisoner interrogations, said that al Qaeda maintains "a small haven" in Kunar and Nuristan.

Another senior al Qaeda leader known to operate in Kunar is Azzam Abdullah Zureik Al Maulid Al Subhi, a Saudi who is better known as Mansur al Harbi. He was added by the State Department to the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list on Aug. 7. The Saudi Interior Ministry has said that al Harbi works "at a training camp in Afghanistan and is tied to numerous senior al Qaeda leaders including Abdel Aziz Migrin and Saif al Adel." Migrin headed al Qaeda's branch in Saudi Arabia and led attacks in the kingdom before he was killed in a firefight with Saudi security forces in June 2004. Saif al Adel is al Qaeda's second in command and top military strategist, and served as the interim leader after Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011.

Additionally, Qari Zia Rahman, a dual-hatted al Qaeda and Taliban leader, operates in Kunar province as well as across the border in Pakistan's tribal agencies of Mohmand and Bajaur. ISAF forces have been hunting Qari Zia for years but have failed to capture or kill him.

US troops abandoned several combat outposts in Kunar in late 2009 after major attacks on remote bases despite the fact that al Qaeda had an extensive presence in the province. US Army commanders said that the outposts were closed or turned over to Afghan forces as part of a new counterinsurgency strategy to secure population centers. The Taliban have gained control of several districts in Kunar since US forces withdrew from those bases.

But as the US military began drawing down its forces in Kunar in late 2009, it acknowledged that al Qaeda camps were in operation in the province. ISAF noted these camps and bases when it announced the death of an al Qaeda leader during a raid on a base in late 2009, as well as in a press release announcing the deaths of two senior al Qaeda operatives in 2010. On Dec. 1, 2009, ISAF announced that Qari Masiullah, the al Qaeda chief of security for Kunar province, was killed during an operation in Kunar. Masiullah ran a training camp that taught insurgents how to use and emplace IEDs that were used in attacks on Afghan civilians and Afghan and Coalition forces throughout the provinces of Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, and Laghman, ISAF said.

On Oct. 11, 2009, US forces targeted an al Qaeda base in the mountains in Pech. The raid targeted an unnamed al Qaeda commander known to use a mountainside base near the village of Tantil to conduct attacks in the Pech Valley. The al Qaeda leader, who was not named, and his cadre are also known to facilitate the movement of "foreign fighters" from Pakistan into Afghanistan. ISAF uses the term 'foreign fighters' to describe operatives of al Qaeda and allied terror groups from outside Afghanistan.

In September 2010, ISAF identified another al Qaeda camp in Kunar, when US aircraft bombed a compound in the Korengal Valley. Among those killed in the strike were a senior al Qaeda commander and two operatives. Abdallah Umar al Qurayshi, a Saudi, was a senior al Qaeda commander who coordinated the attacks of a group of Arab fighters in Kunar and Nuristan provinces and also maintained extensive contacts with al Qaeda facilitators throughout the Middle East. The other two operatives also killed in the strike were Abu Atta al Kuwaiti, an explosives expert; and Sa'ad Mohammad al Shahri, a longtime jihadist and the son of a retired Saudi colonel.

US drones killed three "militants" today in the latest strike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The remotely-piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired several missiles at a compound in the village of Mubarak Shah near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to Dawn.

"Militants were using this house as a compound," a Pakistani intelligence official told AFP "At least three militants were killed in this drone strike."

The target of the strike was not disclosed, and no senior leaders from the Taliban, al Qaeda, or the multitude of regional terror groups based in the area are reported to have been killed.

Today's strike is the third in Pakistan's tribal areas in eight days. The previous two drone attacks took place in the Wana area of neighboring South Waziristan; two midlevel al Qaeda commanders, including a Yemeni, are thought to have been killed in the strikes, but their deaths have not been confirmed.

This week's drone strikes in North and South Waziristan ended a 36-day-long hiatus in the strike campaign in Pakistan's tribal areas. The pause in strikes was the second longest since the US campaign was ramped up in the summer of 2008 under the Bush administration.

The longest pause was 55 days, from Nov. 26, 2011, to Jan. 10, 2012, when the Obama administration put the program on hold after US and Pakistani forces clashed in Mohmand. Pakistani troops had attacked US forces on the Afghan side of the border, and the ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. The US later apologized for the incident, despite having been attacked first by the Pakistani soldiers who failed to disengage after US aircraft signaled that US forces were involved.

Mir Ali is a terrorist haven

The Mir Ali area is in the sphere of influence of Abu Kasha al Iraqi, an al Qaeda leader who serves as a key link to the Taliban and supports al Qaeda's external operations network. Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network also operate in the Mir Ali area. Moreover, Mir Ali is a known hub for al Qaeda's military and external operations councils.

Since Sept. 8, 2010, several Germans and Britons have been reported killed in Predator strikes in the Mir Ali area. The Europeans were members of the Islamic Jihad Group (IJG), an al Qaeda affiliate based in the vicinity of Mir Ali. The IJG members are believed to have been involved in an al Qaeda plot that targeted several major European cities and was modeled after the terror assault on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008. The European plot was orchestrated by Ilyas Kashmiri, the al Qaeda leader who was killed in a US drone strike in June 2011.

Mir Ali also hosts at least three suicide training camps for the the Fedayeen-i-Islam, an alliance between the Pakistani Taliban, the anti-Shia Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Mohammed. In early 2011, a Fedayeen-i-Islam spokesman claimed that more than 1,000 suicide bombers have trained at three camps. One failed suicide bomber corroborated the Fedayeen spokesman's statement, claiming that more than 350 suicide bombers trained at his camp.

Prior to this year, the US has been pounding targets in the Datta Khel, Miramshah, and Mir Ali areas of North Waziristan in an effort to kill members involved in the European plot. Al Qaeda and allied terror groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Islamic Jihad Group, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and a number of Pakistani and Central and South Asian terror groups host or share camps in the region. These groups are given aid and shelter by Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network, a Taliban subgroup run by Siraj and Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Despite the known presence of al Qaeda and other foreign groups in North Waziristan, and requests by the US that action be taken against these groups, the Pakistani military has indicated that it has no plans to take on Hafiz Gul Bahadar or the Haqqani Network. Bahadar and the Haqqanis are considered "good Taliban" by the Pakistani military establishment as they do not carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Background on the US strikes in Pakistan

Today's strike is the 22nd in Pakistan since June 4, when the US killed Abu Yahya al Libi, one of al Qaeda's top leaders, propagandists, and religious figures. Abu Yahya was killed in a strike on a compound in Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan were reportedly among the 14 terrorists killed along with Abu Yahya.

The US has carried out 43 strikes in Pakistan so far this year. Twenty-four of the strikes have taken place since the beginning of June; 19 occurred in North Waziristan, four were in South Waziristan, and one has taken place in Arakzai. [For data on the strikes, see LWJ reports, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012; and Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012.]

The drone program was scaled back dramatically from the end of March to the beginning of the fourth week in May. Between March 30 and May 22, the US conducted only three drones strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas as US officials attempted to renegotiate the reopening of NATO's supply lines, which were closed from the end of November 2011 until July 3. Pakistan closed the supply lines following the Mohmand incident in November 2011.

In addition to Abu Yahya, three other high-value targets have been confirmed killed in the strikes in Pakistan this year. A Jan. 11 strike in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, killed Aslam Awan, a deputy to the leader of al Qaeda's external operations network.

On Feb. 8, the US killed Badr Mansoor, a senior Taliban and al Qaeda leader, in a strike in Miramshah's bazaar. Mansoor ran training camps in the area and sent fighters to battle NATO and Afghan forces across the border, and linked up members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen with al Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden described Mansoor as one of several commanders of al Qaeda's "companies" operating in the tribal areas. He was later promoted to lead al Qaeda's forces in the tribal areas.

And sometime earlier this year, a US drone strike killed Abu Usman Adil, the emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009. Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

Four senior jihadist leaders, including Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki, are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan since the beginning of August, although their deaths have not been confirmed. Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader in the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, is thought to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and a Haqqani Network spokesman denied reports that claimed Badruddin was killed, and said he "is in the country and he is occupied with his operational responsibilities." Afghan, Pakistani, and US intelligence officials have said that Badruddin is dead.

And Emeti Yakuf, who is also known as Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, may have been killed in the Aug. 24 drone strike in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley that hit a training camp. Yakuf directs al Qaeda operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The program has been scaled down from its peak in 2010, when the US conducted 117 strikes, according to data collected by The Long War Journal. In 2011, the US carried out just 64 strikes in Pakistan's border regions.

So far this year, the US has launched 43 strikes in Pakistan against al Qaeda and allied terror groups, just five more than the 38 strikes this year in Yemen against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2011, the US launched 64 strikes in Pakistan, versus only 10 in Yemen.

A Taliban suicide bomber posing as a peace envoy detonated his explosives today as Asadullah Khalid, the chief of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, was welcoming visitors at an NDS guesthouse in Kabul.

NDS spokesman Shafiqullah Tahiri said that "[t]he bomber was a peace messenger sent by the Taliban to the Afghan government" for a meeting that afternoon, according to Reuters. The spokesman also said the Afghan spy chief is in "good" condition after surgery.

Two hours after the attack, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP in an email that Khalid was the primary target of the attack, and also claimed that "[a]s a result of a suicide attack carried out by hero mujahedeen Hafiz Mohammad inside a guest house, a large number of intelligence officials were injured."

Khalid, who had survived an assassination attempt in 2007 when he was serving as governor of Kandahar province, was known for strong anti-Taliban measures and had only recently been appointed to the top post at NDS.

The NDS chief had reportedly been expecting an important emissary from the Taliban to the meeting today. Pajhwok News reports: "Khalid had told two women Wolesi Jirga lawmakers that he would be meeting a key individual of the armed opposition on Thursday. And, the lawmakers advised Khalid to be very careful when meeting the person."

According to AFP, Afghan police described the attack on Khalid as a grenade attack, and officials said the attacker had been searched before entering the guesthouse. The NDS spokesman told Pajhwok News that "[the man detonated his explosives when he was meeting the NDS chief." TOLONews reported that the blast wounded two other people besides the NDS chief, who is said to be in stable condition.

Today's assassination attempt bears a strong resemblance to the Taliban's assassination of Afghan High Peace Council head Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed in September 2011 by a Taliban suicide bomber posing as a peace envoy. The Taliban suicide bomber hid a bomb in his turban and detonated it as he hugged Rabbani in his home in Kabul.

The Taliban claimed credit for the assassination of Rabbani. Afghanistan's Interior Minister and Khalid directly linked Rabbani's assassination to the Taliban and its Quetta Shura, as well as to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI.

There is "no doubt the ISI is involved" in Rabbani's assassination, Interior Minister General Bismellah Mohammadi told the Afghan House of Representatives shortly after the attack.

Another member of the Afghan High Peace Council was assassinated by the Taliban in May. The Mullah Dadullah Front, a Taliban group closely linked to al Qaeda, claimed credit for the assassination of Arsala Rahmani, a senior member of the Afghan High Peace Council. Rahmani, who had served as a deputy education minister during Taliban rule in Afghanistan, was gunned down in the Afghan capital. The Mullah Dadullah Front said he was killed for negotiating with the Taliban on behalf of the Afghan government.

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi al Husseini al Qurshi, the emir or leader of al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq [right]; and Din Allah Abu Suleiman, the Islamic State of Iraq's war minister [left]. Photos from Al Sumaria.

The Islamic State of Iraq, al Qaeda's political front in Iraq, denied that its emir, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi al Husseini al Qurshi, or Abu Du'a, was captured by Iraqi security forces earlier this week.

The Iraqi terror group's denial of al Baghdadi's alleged capture was issued in a statement released today on al Qaeda-linked Internet forums. The official statement was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

"We deny such claims [of his capture] altogether and in its details," the statement says, according to SITE. "Sheikh al Baghdadi, may Allah preserve him with His company, is in the best state of being among his family and his brothers."

The Islamic State of Iraq called the reports of al Baghdadi's capture part of "fabricated lies about the achievement of the failed security agencies," and said the "security situation" in Iraq is continuing to deteriorate due to the group's attacks.

Reports of al Baghdadi's capture first emerged on Iraqi news sites as well as Al Jazeera on Dec. 2, but no information confirming his detention was released. Iraqi officials told Al Jazeera that al Baghdadi was captured by a "counter-terrorism unit" following "a two-month long investigation tracking him," and that he was being interrogated.

Iraqi officials have a spotty record for reporting on the death or capture of top al Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraqi leaders, but that record has improved over the past several years.

Background on al Baghdadi

Al Baghdadi, whose real name is Dr. Ibrahim 'Awwad Ibrahim 'Ali, and who also goes by the nom de guerre Abu Du'a, became the head of al Qaeda in Iraq after Abu Omar al Baghdadi, his predecessor and the founder of al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq, was killed by Iraqi and US troops in April 2010. Also killed in that same raid was Abu Ayyub al Masri, the Egyptian-born "War Minister" of al Qaeda in Iraq. Al Baghdadi is an Iraqi from the central city of Samarra.

Al Baghdadi was appointed by al Qaeda's central leadership as emir of the Islamic State. Abu Abdullah al Husseini al Qurshi was named as his deputy, and Nasser al Din Allah Abu Suleiman was named the new War Minister. [See LWJ report, Al Qaeda appoints new 'war minister' for Iraq.]

After al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a raid by US special operations forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011, al Baghdadi issued a eulogy for him and "threatened violent retaliation" for his death. Al Qaeda in Iraq then proceeded to carry out multiple mass-casualty suicide attacks and terror assaults in Iraq.

The US government added al Baghdadi to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists in October 2011. Additionally, a $10 million bounty offered by the US through State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security Rewards for Justice program marked Abu Du'a as one of the top five most-wanted terrorists in the world. The other four are Ayman al Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda, for whom the US has offered a $25 million reward; Mullah Omar, the head of the Afghan Taliban; Hafiz Saeed, the emir of Lashkar-e-Taiba; and Yasin al Suri, a senior al Qaeda leader based in Iran, for whom a $10 million reward has been offered.

Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, a French hostage, from a MUJAO videotape released on jihadist forums on Dec. 1, seated in front of the banner of jihad.

The US government has added the al Qaeda-linked Movement for Tawhid [Unity] and Jihad in West Africa and two of its leaders to the list of global terrorists and entities. The Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJAO as it is commonly called, is an al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb offshoot that controls territory in Mali and has been behind several terrorist attacks and kidnappings in West Africa. The group has named one of its units fighting in Mali after Osama bin Laden.

The Department of State said that the designation of MUJAO and two of its top leaders, Hamad el Khairy and Ahmed el Tilemsi, who were also designated by the United Nations as terrorists, "demonstrates international resolve in eliminating MUJAO's violent activities in Mali and the surrounding region."

MUJAO formed in late 2011 as an offshoot from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa, in order to wage jihad in western Africa. Although MUJAO leaders are purported to have leadership differences with the Algerian-dominated AQIM, MUJAO conducts joint operations with AQIM in northern Mali and other areas. At the time of its formation, MUJAO expressed affinity to al Qaeda and its founder, Osama bin Laden, and Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

MUJAO "has been behind violent terrorist attacks and kidnappings in the region," including suicide attacks and the abduction of aid workers in Algeria and Algerian diplomats in Mali, according to State.

State described Hamad el Khairy and Ahmed el Tilemsi as "founding leaders" of MUJAO. Khairy, who was born in Mauritania and is a Malian citizen, served as "a member of AQIM, and was involved in planning terrorist operations against Mauritania in 2007." Tilemsi, a Malian citizen, "acts as MUJAO's military head" and was "also affiliated with AQIM."

MUJAO is one of three major al Qaeda-linked groups that participated in last spring's invasion of northern Mali. Along with AQIM and Ansar Dine, MUJAO took control of northern Mali after the Malian military overthrew the government in the south. MUJAO, AQIM, and Ansar Dine fought alongside the secular Tuaregs from the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) to take control of northern Mali, but then quickly cast aside the MNLA and imposed sharia, or Islamic Law, in areas under their control.

Mali has become a new and dangerous front and safe haven for al Qaeda and its allies. Foreign jihadists from West African countries such as Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast, as well as Egyptians, Algerians, and Pakistanis, are filling out the ranks of MUJAO, AQIM, and Ansar Dine. Additionally, at least two training camps have been established in Gao, the largest city in northern Mali [see Threat Matrix reports, West African jihadists flock to northern Mali, and Foreign jihadists continue to pour into Mali].

MUJAO currently controls the northern town of Gao and surrounding areas. At the end of November, MUJAO defeated an MNLA assault to regain control of Gao.

During the battle for Gao, MUJAO deployed its "Osama bin Laden Battalion" to defeat the MNLA forces. MUJAO's Osama bin Laden Battalion teamed up with more than 300 fighters from AQIM's El Moulethemine Battalion.

After MUJAO defeated the MNLA in Gao, a jihadist linked to MUJAO said that the group would not stop fighting after taking over northern Mali, but instead said its jihad was global.

"Expect soon the conquest of the Malian capital, Bamako, then of Rome, as our Messenger, Allah's peace and prayer be upon him, promised us," the jihadist said, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Ahmed Ould Amer, the leader of the Osama bin Laden Battalion, warned that it would fight any international efforts to oust the jihadists from northern Mali.

"We will oppose the international threat against us by engaging in combat and jihad," Amer said, according to Magharebia.com.

Khalid bin Abdul Rahman al Husainanan, from an As Sahab video.

A Kuwaiti who was a prominent member of al Qaeda's religious committee is thought to have been killed in a recent US drone strike in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Two "contemporaries" of Khalid bin Abdul Rahman al Husainan, who is also known as a Abu Zeid al Kuwaiti, said he died in Afghanistan on Dec. 6, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. The two Kuwaitis, identified as Jaber al Jalahmah and Nabil Ali al 'Awadhi, posted about Husainan's death, but did not indicate how he died.

US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal that al Husainan was killed in a recent drone strike in Pakistan's tribal areas. The US launched a drone strike in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan on Dec. 6, as well as two strikes in in the Wana area of South Waziristan on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. One intelligence official said al Husainan may have been moved to Afghanistan after being wounded in a drone strike.

Al Qaeda has not issued an official statement announcing Husainan's death.

Al Husainan is a former imam in the Kuwaiti Endowments Ministry who "has appeared in dozens of as Sahab videos since August 2009, some lecturing on jihad and others speaking on Islam in general," according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Al Husainan is "presented as an al Qaeda religious scholar," SITE stated.

US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal that al Husainan was likely the successor to Abu Yahya al Libi as one of al Qaeda's top religious scholars. Abu Yahya al Libi was killed in a US drone strike in June of this year.

Senior al Qaeda and jihadist leaders killed in drone strikes in Pakistan this year

In addition to Abu Yahya, three other high-value targets have been confirmed killed in the strikes in Pakistan this year. A Jan. 11 strike in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, killed Aslam Awan, a deputy to the leader of al Qaeda's external operations network.

On Feb. 8, the US killed Badr Mansoor, a senior Taliban and al Qaeda leader, in a strike in Miramshah's bazaar. Mansoor ran training camps in the area and sent fighters to battle NATO and Afghan forces across the border, and linked up members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen with al Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden described Mansoor as one of several commanders of al Qaeda's "companies" operating in the tribal areas. He was later promoted to lead al Qaeda's forces in the tribal areas.

And sometime earlier this year, a US drone strike killed Abu Usman Adil, the emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009. Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

Four senior jihadist leaders, including Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki, are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan since the beginning of August, although their deaths have not been confirmed. Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader in the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, is thought to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and a Haqqani Network spokesman denied reports that claimed Badruddin was killed, and said he "is in the country and he is occupied with his operational responsibilities." Afghan, Pakistani, and US intelligence officials have said that Badruddin is dead.

And Emeti Yakuf, who is also known as Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, may have been killed in the Aug. 24 drone strike in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley that hit a training camp. Yakuf directs al Qaeda operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Muhammad Jamal al Kashef, a main suspect in the Benghazi consulate assault, from a video posted by the Al Marsad News Network. Courtesy of SITE Intelligence Group.

The Egyptian government has arrested Muhammad Jamal al Kashef (a.k.a. Abu Ahmed), a senior terrorist tied to the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, according to The Wall Street Journal. Kashef has direct, longstanding connections to al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri.

Kashef served as an Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) terrorist in the 1990s and was imprisoned for years. The EIJ was headed by Zawahiri, who merged the group with Osama bin Laden's operation.

After his release from prison in 2011, Kashef established training camps in Egypt and Libya. Some of Kashef's trainees took part in the Benghazi attack, according to multiple published accounts.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Kashef "petitioned al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri to establish a new Qaeda affiliate he called al Qaeda in Egypt" and also received financing from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Al Hayat, a London-based Arabic newspaper, previously reported that Zawahiri gave Jamal the go-ahead to launch terrorist attacks in Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere.

On Oct. 24, Egyptian authorities raided an apartment in Nasr City, Cairo, arresting several terrorists in the process. A suspected terrorist was killed during the confrontation when one of his bombs detonated, setting the apartment building on fire.

The Nasr City terrorist cell has ties to Kashef and the attack in Benghazi, as well as al Qaeda's operations inside Libya, the Egyptians say.

Days after the Nasr City raid, the Egyptians arrested Sheikh Adel Shehato, an EIJ official who openly declares his adherence to al Qaeda's ideology. Shehato is accused of founding and financing the Nasr City cell. Shehato was reportedly arrested en route to Libya with a large sum of cash.

It was the Egyptians' investigation of the Nasr City cell, with help from American counterterrorism officials, that led to Kashef's arrest.

Shehato was one of several al Qaeda-linked jihadists who helped instigate the Sept. 11 protest in Cairo. EIJ leaders Mohammed al Zawahiri, who is the younger brother of al Qaeda's leader, and Sheikh Tawfiq al Afani incited protesters as well. Kashef has long known the younger Zawahiri and al Afani.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Mohammed al Zawahiri helped Kashef contact his brother after their release from prison.

In 2007, a prominent jihadist ideologue named Sayyid Imam al Sharif (also known as Dr. Fadl) published a critique of al Qaeda's approach to waging jihad. Sharif was Ayman al Zawahiri's comrade in arms for years, making his rebuke especially noteworthy.

Eight al Qaeda-linked jihadists imprisoned in Egypt at the time released a letter rebutting Sharif's critique. Kashef, Mohammed al Zawahiri, and al Afani were among them.

"We support all jihad movements in the world and see in them the hope of the nation and its frontlines toward its bright future," their statement read. "We say to our Muslim nation that no matter how long the night may last, dawn will emerge."

Another jihadist who signed the 2007 letter is Ahmed Ashush, who is the founder of Ansar al Sharia Egypt. Ashush does not hide his admiration for Ayman al Zawahiri, saying in a recent interview that he is "honored to be an extension of al Qaeda." Ashush has repeatedly praised and defended al Qaeda's leader. Al Qaeda has returned the favor by including numerous clips of Ashush in its propaganda videos.

Ashush published a fatwa on Sept. 16 calling for the makers of "Innocence of Muslims," an anti-Islam film, to be killed.

Kashef is, therefore, a significant link between the jihadists who incited protesters on the morning of Sept. 11 in Cairo and the terrorists who attacked the US Consulate in Benghazi later that same day.

(A version of this article was first published by The Weekly Standard.)

The US killed another al Qaeda commander in a drone strike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan today.

The remotely-piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired several missiles at a compound in the village of Tapi near Miramshah in North Waziristan, according to Reuters. An al Qaeda commander known as Mohammad Ahmed al Mansoor and three of his family members were killed in the attack, the Express Tribune reported.

Al Mansoor was a midlevel al Qaeda commander, US intelligence officials who are familiar with al Qaeda's operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan told The Long War Journal. One intelligence official said that Al Mansoor was "one of many Pakistanis who are filling out leadership positions in al Qaeda." Two other senior Pakistani al Qaeda leaders have been killed in US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas so far this year.

Al Mansoor is the fourth mid-to-senior-level al Qaeda leader reported to have been killed in four drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas since Nov. 29. The most senior of them, Khalid bin Abdul Rahman al Husainan, a religious leader who is also known as a Abu Zeid al Kuwaiti, is reported to have been killed in a drone attack in North Waziristan on Dec. 6. Two midlevel al Qaeda military commanders, Abdul Rehman al Zaman Yemeni and Sheikh Abdul Bari, are reported to have been killed in airstrikes in South Waziristan on Dec. 1 and Nov. 29, respectively.

The four drone strikes in North and South Waziristan since Nov. 29 ended a 36-day-long hiatus in the strike campaign in Pakistan's tribal areas. The pause in strikes was the second longest since the US campaign was ramped up in the summer of 2008 under the Bush administration.

The longest pause was 55 days, from Nov. 26, 2011 to Jan. 10, 2012, when the Obama administration put the program on hold after US and Pakistani forces clashed in Mohmand. Pakistani troops had attacked US forces on the Afghan side of the border, and the ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. The US later apologized for the incident, despite having been attacked first by the Pakistani soldiers who failed to disengage after US aircraft signaled that US forces were involved.

Background on the US strikes in Pakistan

Today's strike is the 23rd in Pakistan since June 4, when the US killed Abu Yahya al Libi, one of al Qaeda's top leaders, propagandists, and religious figures. Abu Yahya was killed in a strike on a compound in Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan were reportedly among the 14 terrorists killed along with Abu Yahya.

The US has carried out 44 strikes in Pakistan so far this year. Twenty-five of the strikes have taken place since the beginning of June; 20 occurred in North Waziristan, four were in South Waziristan, and one has taken place in Arakzai. [For data on the strikes, see LWJ reports, Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012; and Senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2012.]

The drone program was scaled back dramatically from the end of March to the beginning of the fourth week in May. Between March 30 and May 22, the US conducted only three drones strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas as US officials attempted to renegotiate the reopening of NATO's supply lines, which were closed from the end of November 2011 until July 3. Pakistan closed the supply lines following the Mohmand incident in November 2011.

In addition to Abu Yahya, three other high-value targets have been confirmed killed in the strikes in Pakistan this year. A Jan. 11 strike in Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan, killed Aslam Awan, a deputy to the leader of al Qaeda's external operations network.

On Feb. 8, the US killed Badr Mansoor, a senior Taliban and al Qaeda leader, in a strike in Miramshah's bazaar. Mansoor ran training camps in the area and sent fighters to battle NATO and Afghan forces across the border, and linked up members of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen with al Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden described Mansoor as one of several commanders of al Qaeda's "companies" operating in the tribal areas. He was later promoted to lead al Qaeda's forces in the tribal areas.

And sometime earlier this year, a US drone strike killed Abu Usman Adil, the emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Adil succeeded Tahir Yuldashev, the co-founder of the IMU, who was killed in a drone strike in September 2009. Adil is credited with increasing the IMU's profile in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the death of Yuldashev, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal. Whereas Yuldashev had been content with confining the group's operations largely to Pakistan's tribal areas, Adil pushed to expand operations in northern and eastern Afghanistan, as well as in the Central Asian republics.

Four other senior jihadist leaders, including Abu Kasha al Iraqi and Fateh al Turki, are reported to have been killed in drone strikes in North Waziristan since the beginning of August, although their deaths have not been confirmed. Badruddin Haqqani, a top leader in the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, is thought to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and a Haqqani Network spokesman denied reports that claimed Badruddin was killed, and said he "is in the country and he is occupied with his operational responsibilities." Afghan, Pakistani, and US intelligence officials have said that Badruddin is dead.

And Emeti Yakuf, who is also known as Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, may have been killed in the Aug. 24 drone strike in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley that hit a training camp. Yakuf directs al Qaeda operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The program has been scaled down from its peak in 2010, when the US conducted 117 strikes, according to data collected by The Long War Journal. In 2011, the US carried out just 64 strikes in Pakistan's border regions.

So far this year, the US has launched 44 strikes in Pakistan against al Qaeda and allied terror groups, just six more than the 38 strikes this year in Yemen against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2011, the US launched 64 strikes in Pakistan, versus only 10 in Yemen.