BRIEFS

EGYPT CLAIMS TO HAVE KILLED MASTERMIND OF THE DAHAB BOMBINGS

Egyptian authorities announced on May 9 that they killed Nasser Khamis el-Mallahi, the alleged mastermind of the April 24 triple bombings in the Sinai resort town of Dahab (al-Jazeera, May 9). El-Mallah, the leader of Tawhid w’al-Jihad (Monotheism and Struggle), was shot and killed in al-Karama district (south of al-Arish) in northern Sinai. His accomplice, Mohammed Abdullah Abu Grair, was captured by authorities (Jerusalem Post, May 9). The April 24 Dahab bombings left some 19 people dead, and were followed up on April 26 by twin suicide attacks targeting the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission in the town of al-Gura (Terrorism Focus, May 2). Egyptian authorities also accuse Tawhid w’al-Jihad of executing the terrorist attacks in the Sinai resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan in October 2004, and the attack in Sharm el-Sheikh in July 2005.

AFGHAN WARLORD HEKMATYAR OFFERS SUPPORT TO AL-QAEDA

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan warlord and former Afghan prime minister (1993-1994), pledged his support to al-Qaeda in a videotape that appeared May 4 on al-Jazeera. Hekmatyar was a prominent figure during the Afghan civil war and also fought against Soviet forces during the 1980s. His faction, Hezb-e-Islami, retains control in a large chunk of territory in eastern Afghanistan (PakTribune.com, May 7). In the tape, Hekmatyar states, “We hope to participate with them [al-Qaeda] in a battle that they lead. They hold the banner and we stand alongside them as supporters.” Sitting by a rifle and wearing a black turban, Hekmatyar thanks al-Qaeda for helping Afghanis “in our jihad against Russia and [for making] sacrifices for our sake” (Dawn, May 5). Authorities believe that Hekmatyar, along with al-Qaeda’s top leaders, are hiding in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

ASSASSINATIONS CONTINUE IN WESTERN PAKISTAN

Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas have seen a wave of assassinations in the last few months, as Taliban and Islamist militants target those who cooperate with the Pakistani government and with U.S.-affiliated organizations and companies (Terrorism Focus, April 11, 18). The latest assassination occurred on May 6 in Balochistan province. The target was Mullah Samad Barakzai, the former head of the Afghan Taliban’s Department for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Helmand province (IRNA, May 6). Barakzai, also known as Maulvi Yar Muhammed, was killed by gunmen on motorcycles near a seminary in Quetta (Dawn, May 7). While no arrests were made, authorities contend that Taliban militants killed Barakzai since he had recently issued support to Afghan President Hamid Karzai (Dawn, May 7). In addition to Barakzai’s killing, across the NWFP border in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, the Taliban announced that they killed a man, known as Nader Khan, who they accused of spying for the United States (Afghan Islamic Press, May 7).