Syrian jihadists, including al Qaeda's Al Nusrah Front, form Mujahideen Shura Council

picture from http://www.trackingterrorism.org

By Bill Roggio - December 12, 2012 - LWJ

On the same day the US government announced that al Qaeda in Iraq's Al Nusrah Front was a terrorist organization, Al Nusrah and nine other jihadist groups banded together in the Syrian province of Deir al Zour and formed a Mujahideen Shura Council.
The 10 jihadist groups, headed by the Al Nusrah Front, released a statement yesterday announcing the council's formation "on jihadist forums and pro-Syrian resistance social networking sites," according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which obtained and translated the message.
"The jihadi Islamic brigades in the city of proud Deir al Zour in the Levant of Islam and garrison announce the establishment of the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al-Zour," the statement said, according to SITE. The groups that joined the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour are listed at the beginning of the statement, in the following order:

1. Al Nusrah Front
2. Al Ansar Brigades
3. Al Abbas Brigades
4. La Ilaha Ila Allah [There is No God but Allah] Battalion
5. Al Hamza Brigade
6. Al Sa'qah Brigade
7. Jund al Aziz Brigade
8. Izzuddin al Qassam Brigade
9. Abu al Qassam Brigade
10. Brigade of the Da'wa [Preaching] and Jihad Front

The Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour was formed to "unite the ranks of the jihadi brigades in the Cause of Allah, organize the efforts and the attacks against the soldiers of disbelief and apostasy, and distinguish the ranks of truth from falsehood," the group stated.
"We call upon our sincere mujahideen brothers all over the strong Levant to unite their ranks in groups, pure of the filth of suspicious groups and the infiltration of people who have no qualities or faith, in order to clarify their banner and purify their path," the statement continued.

Read more and the full report: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/12/syrian_jihadists_inc.php#ixzz2EvsFoYyh

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• Syrian jihadists, including al Qaeda's Al Nusrah Front, form Mujahideen Shura Council (longwarjournal.org)
• 10 Al Qaeda Syrian 'Rebel' Groups Unite In Ominous, Powerful Coalition (patdollard.com)

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Suicide bombers kills 20 Syria troops

By Bill Roggio - November 10, 2012 - LWJ

A pair of suicide bombers killed an estimated 20 Syrian soldiers in an attack in the city of Daraa, near the Jordanian border. Today's suicide attack is the 40th of its kind in Syria in less than a year.
The suicide bombers attacked a military camp in Daraa that is used by the military and intelligence forces fighting for Syrian President Bashir al Assad. Members of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Al Jazeera and Reuters that the dual suicide attack was followed up with mortars and gunfire.
The Syrian Arab News Agency, the state-run news service loyal to Assad, claimed that "terrorists on Saturday detonated three car bombs in the city of Daraa, causing the martyrdom of 7 citizens." SANA claimed that the bombings took place in two separate areas, against civilians.
The suicide attack is the second reported in Syria in the past week. On Oct. 5, a suicide bomber reportedly killed 50 Syrian soldiers in an attack on a military base in Hama in the north.
No terrorist group has claimed credit for today's suicide attack in Daraa or Monday's bombing in Hama.
Several Islamist groups operate in Syria, including the Al Nusrah Front, Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, and the Omar al Farouq Brigade.
The al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front has been the most active in Syria. It has has claimed credit for 31 of the 40 known suicide bombings in Syria that the The Long War Journal has tallied since December 2011. Since the end of August, Al Nusrah has claimed credit for launching 13 suicide attacks. For more information on the suicide attacks in Syria, see LWJ report, Suicide bombings become commonplace in Syria , and Threat Matrix report Al Nusrah Front claims 4 more suicide attacks in Syria.
The Al Nusrah Front is known to conduct joint operations with the Free Syrian Army, which is often upheld as the secular resistance to Assad's regime. Recently, on Oct. 11, Al Nusrah, the Free Syrian Army, and Chechen fighters overran a Syrian air defense and Scud missile base in Aleppo. Al Nusrah has become more appealing to Syrian rebels as they 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. Earlier this week, 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 has seized computers and mobile phones from members of the group, which consists mainly of Londoners and includes seasoned Chechen fighters.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/suicide_bombers_kill_9.php#ixzz2BrutKyU6

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Al Qaeda in Iraq claims credit for Tikrit jailbreak

By Bill Roggio - October 12, 2012 - LWJ

The Islamic State of Iraq, al Qaeda in Iraq's political front, claimed credit for a complex assault on the Tasfirat prison in Tikrit that freed more than 100 prisoners, including dozens of terrorists.

In a statement that was released yesterday on jihadist Internet forums and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, the Islamic State of Iraq said it executed the Sept. 27 prison break. The terror group said the operation was part of its "Destroying the Walls" campaign, which was announced at the end of July by Abu Du'a, the Islamic State of Iraq's emir. In that statement, Abu Du'a said that emphasis would be placed on efforts "to release the Muslim prisoners everywhere."

In yesterday's statement, al Qaeda in Iraq detailed its complex attack. The group claimed that "silenced weapons, hand grenades, and explosive belts" were smuggled into the prison, and then operations were coordinated between the "imprisoned brothers inside the jail" and the assault team outside.

The prisoners seized control of the prison "while their brothers on the outside kill the main gate's guards by detonating a parked car bomb and cutting off all roads leading to the security compound against the support patrols," according to the SITE translation. The car bomb is thought to have been detonated by a suicide bomber.

After taking control of the prison, the al Qaeda fighters attacked the prison archives and destroyed "the data and database of the prisoners and those who are wanted," according to SITE. "Also, sensitive documents were taken and that which could benefit the apostates in pursuing the mujahideen was burned."

Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed that the operation resulted in "the death and injury of nearly 80 apostates," and the escape of "tens" of its fighters. News reports indicated that two Iraqi policemen, an Iraqi soldier, and 11 al Qaeda in Iraq fighters were killed during the fighting.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/10/al_qaeda_in_iraq_cla_3.php#ixzz29AhZMCmz

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Al Qaeda front group claims 43 attacks in Iraq

BAGHDAD: Al Qaeda’s front group in Iraq claimed it carried out a series of attacks, mostly on security forces, in the western province of Anbar in June and July, a statement posted on jihadist forums said.

The 43 attacks purportedly carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) were largely in the form of bombings and shootings against Iraqi soldiers, police and anti-Qaeda militiamen known as the Sahwa, according to the statement, which was posted on Wednesday.

It comes after ISI declared a campaign last month to retake territory it had abandoned in the years since the peak of Iraq’s sectarian bloodshed between 2006 and 2008.

Al Qaeda in Iraq is regarded by Iraqi officials as significantly weaker than at the peak of its strength in 2006 and 2007, but it is still capable of spectacular mass-casualty attacks across the country.

The group claimed a wave of attacks on July 23 that killed 113 people nationwide, the deadliest violence to hit Iraq in more than two and a half years.

from DAWN

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