Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity
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AUGUST 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 8 Recent Highlights in and attributed the crash to a “technical July 6, 2009 (MALI): Malian President fault.” – AFP, July 3 Amadou Toumani Toure announced a Terrorist Activity “total struggle against al-Qa`ida.” His July 3, 2009 (PAKISTAN): Suspected statement comes after an incident on July 1, 2009 (UNITED STATES): The U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles launched July 3 and July 4 in which 20 Malian U.S. Treasury Department imposed missiles at Tehrik-i-Taliban positions soldiers went missing during clashes sanctions on an al-Qa`ida supporter in South Waziristan Agency, killing at with al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb. and three leaders of Lashkar-i-Tayyiba least six people. – Washington Post, July 3 – AFP, July 7 (LeT). The al-Qa`ida supporter was identified as Fazeel-A-Tul Shaykh Abu July 3-4, 2009 (MALI): Malian soldiers July 7, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): Taliban Mohammed Ameen al-Peshawari. The and suspected al-Qa`ida in the Islamic fighters attacked government buildings three LeT leaders were identified as Arif Maghreb militants engaged in two gun in Barg Matal district in Nuristan Qasmani, Mohammed Yahya Mujahid battles that left 20 soldiers missing Province. During the fighting, eight and Nasir Javaid. – AFP, July 1 near Tessalit in northern Mali. Malian police were killed and another eight military sources were unsure whether kidnapped. Officials said that 21 Taliban July 1, 2009 (PAKISTAN): According the 20 missing soldiers were dead or fighters were also killed. – Reuters, July 8 to a new poll, most Pakistanis consider taken as hostages. – Reuters, July 6 the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qa`ida July 7, 2009 (PAKISTAN): A suspected as critical threats to the country. The July 4, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): Two U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed WorldPublicOpinion.org poll found U.S. soldiers were killed after Taliban a compound in the Zangara area of that 81 percent of respondents consider militants launched a multipronged South Waziristan Agency, killing 16 Islamist militants and local Taliban as attack on a U.S. base in Zerok district foreign and local militants. The target critical threats to Pakistan. The poll in southeastern Paktika Province. The was described as a former office for also found, however, that “the U.S. is attack involved small-arms fire and an Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of Tehrik- resented just as much as before, despite attempted truck bombing. The militants i-Taliban Pakistan. – AFP, July 7 the U.S. having a new president.” The also reportedly used a mortar round poll found that 62% of respondents had that contained white phosphorous. July 7, 2009 (PAKISTAN): An anti- low or no confidence that President Some reports placed the number of Taliban tribal elder, Malik Zardad Khan, Barack Obama would do the “right militants at 100. Approximately 30 of was kidnapped and murdered in Khyber thing” in world affairs. – Reuters, July 1 the militants were killed after troops Agency of the Federally Administered called in airstrikes. – Reuters, July 4; Los Tribal Areas. Malik Zardad Khan was July 2, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): The U.S. Angeles Times, July 5 forming a lashkar (tribal militia) to military announced that a U.S. soldier combat the Taliban. – AFP, July 8 was captured by Taliban insurgents July 4, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): Gunmen in eastern Afghanistan. According to abducted 16 mine-clearing personnel July 7, 2009 (PHILIPPINES): A bomb reports, the soldier was then “sold” working for the United Nations as they exploded in a commercial area of Jolo to the clan led by insurgent warlord traveled between Paktia and Khost Island in the southern Philippines, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Three Afghan provinces. – AP, July 5 killing six people. Two hours later, a soldiers were also captured. The U.S. car bomb exploded next to a parked soldier went missing on June 30. – CNN, July 6, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): A military jeep in Illigan city, also in the July 2; The Australian, July 3 suicide car bombing at Kandahar airport southern Philippines, wounding seven killed two people. – CNN, July 6 people. A third bomb was found at the July 2, 2009 (PAKISTAN): A suicide Mount Carmel Catholic cathedral on bomber on a motorcycle exploded next to July 6, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): A Jolo Island, although it was defused and a bus carrying workers from Pakistan’s roadside bomb exploded in Kunduz did not cause any damage. Authorities main nuclear facility in Rawalpindi, Province, killing four U.S. soldiers and blamed the attacks on the Abu Sayyaf wounding 29 people. – Minneapolis Star two Afghan civilians. – New York Times, Group, although it was not clear if the Tribune, July 2 July 6 group claimed responsibility for the bombings. – The Age, July 7; AFP, July 6 July 3, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): A July 6, 2009 (EGYPT): An Egyptian suspected improvised explosive device newspaper reported that authorities July 8, 2009 (PAKISTAN): A Pakistani killed two U.S. soldiers in Paktika foiled an al-Qa`ida-affiliated plot to Army spokesman announced that the Province. – AFP, July 3 target gas lines running between Israel military had “credible” information and Egypt. Egyptian security forces that Pakistani Taliban leader Maulana July 3, 2009 (PAKISTAN): A Pakistani reportedly arrested three Belgians, a Fazlullah, who commands fighters in military helicopter crashed on the border Frenchman, a Briton, two Palestinian the Swat Valley, had been wounded between Orakzai and Khyber agencies brothers and five Egyptian nationals. during an offensive against the group. of the Federally Administered Tribal The men were all arrested in northern On July 22, however, Pakistani Taliban Areas, killing 26 security personnel. Sinai. They reportedly had in their spokesman Muslim Khan said that The Taliban later claimed credit for possession anti-tank rockets, car bombs Maulana Fazlullah was alive and downing the helicopter, although the and other weapons. – UPI, July 6 unharmed. – al-Jazira, July 9; Reuters, July 8; Pakistani military rejected those claims Reuters, July 23 AUGUST 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 8 July 8, 2009 (PAKISTAN): Suspected July 9, 2009 (IRAQ): Two roadside July 10, 2009 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles fired six bombs targeted a police patrol near Taliban militants attacked a security missiles at Pakistani Taliban targets in a market in a Shi`a area of northern checkpoint near Khar in Bajaur South Waziristan Agency. There were Baghdad, killing nine people. – Washington Agency of the Federally Administered no immediate casualty counts. – Reuters, Post, July 10 Tribal Areas, killing three local tribal July 8 policemen. – BBC, July 10 July 9, 2009 (LIBYA): The Libyan July 8, 2009 (BANGLADESH): Security Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) released July 10, 2009 (PAKISTAN): Suspected forces in Bangladesh shot and wounded a statement reversing a 2007 decision to U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles bombed a would-be suicide bomber, who was merge with al-Qa`ida’s movement. The a communications center for Pakistani suspected of being a member of Jamaatul group criticized al-Qa`ida’s “targeting Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, Mujahidin Bangladesh. The militant of civilians” and “indiscriminate killing at least three people. The center took two people hostage at a government bombings.” The group’s statement is located in the Painda Khel region of building and exchanged gunfire with said that the 2007 decision to join South Waziristan Agency. – AP, July 10 security officers. A bomb was attached with al-Qa`ida was made without the to his body, although it did not explode. “agreement of the majority” of its ruling July 12, 2009 (NORTH AFRICA): Al- – Reuters, July 8 council. – Telegraph, July 9 Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) released Werner Greiner, a Swiss July 8, 2009 (MALI): Al-Qa`ida in the July 9, 2009 (EGYPT): Egyptian national who had been held by the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) released an authorities announced the arrests of 25 group since January 22, 2009. Greiner— online statement claiming that it had people accused of plotting attacks on oil who was abducted in Niger but held killed 28 Malian soldiers during a July 3 pipelines and ships in the Suez Canal. in Mali—was the last of six Western and July 4 clash with security personnel. Authorities said the group had ties hostages to be released by the group. AQIM also said it took three soldiers to al-Qa`ida and consisted of mostly One of the hostages, Briton Edwin Dyer, captive. The Malian military denounced Egyptian engineers and technicians, was executed in May. – BBC, July 12 the claim as propaganda. – Reuters, July 8; although their leader was a Palestinian. AFP, July 8 – AP, July 9 July 12, 2009 (PHILIPPINES): Abu Sayyaf Group militants finally released July 9, 2009 (AFGHANISTAN): July 9, 2009 (SOMALIA): A new Eugenio Vagni, an Italian foreign aid Explosives on a timber truck killed audiotape from Abu Mansur al-Amriki, worker who was taken hostage in at least 24 people in Logar Province. an American who left the United States the southern Philippines on January Sixteen of the dead were children. to join Somalia’s al-Shabab militant 15, 2009. Vagni, who worked for the According to reports, residents found group, appeared on Islamist web International Committee for the Red the timber truck overturned on the road forums. Al-Amriki criticized President Cross (ICRC), was the last of three with a punctured tire. When authorities Barack Obama, stating that “let this abducted ICRC workers to be released. arrived to clear the truck from the road, not come as a surprise to those who The other two workers were released on it exploded. Some officials believe that are mesmerized by Obama’s speech in April 2 and April 18. – GMANews.tv, July the truck bomb may have been intended Cairo, our positions…have not changed 12 for use in Kabul, which is located 30 in the least.” He further said that miles north on the highway.