Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant has intensified attacks on Syrian rebels amid the offensive by the regime of President Bashar Assad. Opposition sources said ISIL, which broke from Al Qaida, expanded operations against Sunni rebels amid the Syrian Army offensive in the north. They said ISIL was killing […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The leading Islamist insurgency network in the Levant has broken from Al Qaida. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), with an operational presence in at least three Levant countries, said Al Qaida no longer represented Sunni interests. “Al Qaida today is no longer a base of holy war,” […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — A leading Islamist rebel linked to Saudi Arabia has been assassinated in Syria. Abu Omar Al Shami, commander of the Saudi-financed Ahrar Al Sham, was killed in a suicide bombing on Feb. 23 in Aleppo. Al Shami, also known as Abu Khaled Al Suri, was attacked by five fighters from […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Geostrategy-Direct.com CAIRO — Egypt’s ousted Islamist president was said to have conducted a dialogue with Al Qaida. Egypt’s pro-regime media have asserted that President Mohammed Morsi engaged in a dialogue with Al Qaida commander Ayman Zawahiri. Morsi, overthrown in a military coup in July 2013 and now charged with treason, was said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Al Qaida, under pressure from Gulf Arab supporters, has disavowed its franchise in Iraq and Syria. The Al Qaida general command asserted that it was not maintaining links to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. In a statement on Feb. 2, Al Qaida, led by Ayman Zawahiri, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com JERUSALEM — Israel has determined that Al Qaida established a recruitment center in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The Israel Security Agency has asserted that Al Qaida operatives in the Gaza Strip were recruiting Palestinians for mass-casualty strikes in Israel. ISA said Al Qaida’s focus has been the West Bank, where Palestinians were […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community has determined that Al Qaida was at its strongest level in years. The intelligence community said Al Qaida in Iraq has expanded its presence throughout the region, particularly in neighboring Syria. Officials said AQI has exploited lack of government security to increase attacks, raise funds and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Egypt has reported the capture of an Al Qaida-aligned commander in the Sinai Peninsula. Security sources said the Egyptian Army captured the commander of the Takfir W’al Hijra network in Sinai in an operation on Oct. 31. The commander was identified as Ali Abdul Fatah Hassan, arrested in Kharouba near […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Hamas has again been linked to an insurgency plot — this time to assassinate Egyptian Defense Minister Abdul Fatah Sisi. A pro-military daily, El Watan, said authorities foiled a Muslim Brotherhood plot to kill Sisi, deemed Egypt’s de facto leader. The newspaper said Hamas was recruited in the plan to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — An Al Qaida-aligned militia has expanded operations in Egypt to include attacks on the Army and security forces. The military has responded with an offensive using U.S. combat platforms including the F-16 fighter and Apache attack helicopters. Egyptian sources said a Salafist movement with a significant presence in the Gaza […]