As the regional head of a World Health Organization mission to central Somalia was leaving the local mosque after sunset prayers, a young man approached him, pointed a pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. Fortunately for Abdullahi Ahmad Ma’alin, the weapon failed to... MORE

BALOCHISTAN REBEL LEADER SEEKS OUTSIDE MILITARY SUPPORT While global attention remains focused on Taliban activities in Pakistan’s northwest frontier, heavy fighting has broken out in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where well-armed nationalist insurgents are battling detachments of the locally-raised Frontier Corps. While sparsely populated, Pakistan’s... MORE

In an attempt to anticipate and counter the tactics of Coalition forces, jihadis in Iraq are constantly posting their observations on the forces’ activities to internet forums. The jihadis believe in the importance of studying enemy tactics to pinpoint and overcome their own operational mistakes... MORE

The “Men of the Army of al-Naqshbandia Way” (Jaysh Rajal al-Tariqah al-Naqshbandia, or JRTN) is a Sunni jihadi group that first announced insurgency operations against the Coalition in Iraq in December 2006 in response to the hanging of Saddam Hussein (albasrah.net, December 30, 2006). Since... MORE

Presidential Envoy Visits North Ossetia and Ingushetia Vladimir Ustinov, the new presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District who visited Chechnya in May, made another trip to the North Caucasus last week, this time visiting North Ossetia and Ingushetia. Kommersant reported on July 19 that... MORE

Iran’s latest tests of the most advanced type of Shahab-3 (Meteor-3) medium-range ballistic missile, with a reported range of 2,000 kilometers, hint at Tehran’s readiness to fight back if Israel or the United States attacks its controversial nuclear program. The first series of missiles was... MORE

Recent postings in a jihadi internet forum give instructions on how to kidnap Americans and conduct urban terror operations. A posting entitled “The preferred rules of the art of kidnapping Americans” is an in-depth training lesson directed at the conduct of successful kidnappings (al-ekhlaas.net, July... MORE

AL-QAEDA’S OPERATIONAL COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN PROMISES EXPANSION OF WAR INTO NORTHERN PROVINCES Pakistan’s Geo-TV has released a video interview with al-Qaeda’s operational commander in Afghanistan, the Egyptian militant Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (a.k.a. Shaykh Sa’id). With a rifle by his side, Abu al-Yazid gave the Arabic-language... MORE

Reacting to the latest decline in jihadi operations in Iraq in particular and in the world in general, a jihadi forum has discussed the need to reevaluate mujahideen tactics. The main posting is entitled “Towards a New Strategy to Resist the Occupier” (tamkeen.iraqserve.com, June 6).... MORE

LIBYAN ISLAMIC FIGHTING GROUP TO RENOUNCE VIOLENCE FROM PRISON? As part of a dialogue and reconciliation process, imprisoned leaders of Al-Jama’ah al-Islamiyah al-Muqatilah (The [Libyan] Islamic Fighting Group - LIFG) appear ready to renounce political violence (Al-Sharq al-Awsat, July 6). Although the LIFG was closely... MORE