Latest Al Qaeda news

  • French soldier stabbed while on patrol … Reuters - 9 hours ago

    By Nicolas Bertin PARIS (Reuters) - A French soldier patrolling a business neighbourhood west of Paris was stabbed in the neck and injured on Saturday by a man who fled … More »French soldier stabbed while on patrol …

    By Nicolas Bertin PARIS (Reuters) - A French soldier patrolling a business neighbourhood west of Paris was stabbed in the neck and injured on Saturday by a man who fled the scene and is being sought by police, President Francois Hollande said. The 23-year-old was patrolling in uniform with two other soldiers as part of …

  • Bomb in Yemeni military vehicle kills … Reuters - 11 hours ago

    ADEN (Reuters) - A remotely-detonated bomb planted in a military vehicle killed a soldier and a civilian and injured six other soldiers in the Hadramaut region of eastern … More »Bomb in Yemeni military vehicle kills …

    ADEN (Reuters) - A remotely-detonated bomb planted in a military vehicle killed a soldier and a civilian and injured six other soldiers in the Hadramaut region of eastern Yemen on Saturday evening, a local security official said. The explosion took place in the town of al-Shehr as the vehicle drove along a main road, the …

  • Between 180-200 French militants have … Reuters - 12 hours ago

    PARIS (Reuters) - Between 180 and 200 French citizens have travelled to Syria in the past year to join a two-year-old rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, le … More »Between 180-200 French militants have …

    PARIS (Reuters) - Between 180 and 200 French citizens have travelled to Syria in the past year to join a two-year-old rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, le Monde reported on Saturday, citing figures from France's internal DCRI and external DGSE security services. That number, which is higher than a previous estimate …

  • Niger attacks launched from southern … Reuters - 13 hours ago

    NIAMEY (Reuters) - Islamist militants who carried out simultaneous suicide attacks on an army base and a French uranium mine in northern Niger two days ago came from … More »Niger attacks launched from southern …

    NIAMEY (Reuters) - Islamist militants who carried out simultaneous suicide attacks on an army base and a French uranium mine in northern Niger two days ago came from southern Libya, Niger's president said on Saturday. President Mahamadou Issoufou said the raids showed Libya was a source of regional instability, months after …

  • Iraqis carry the coffin of one of the two Iraqi Shiites killed fighting in neighbouring Syria, Basra on May 17, 2013
    Iraq forces strike Sunni militants near … AFP - 14 hours ago

    Iraqi forces mounted a massive operation on Saturday to better secure the country's western desert amid concerns it is being used by Sunnis heading to fight in neighbouring … More »Iraq forces strike Sunni militants near …

    Iraqis carry the coffin of one of the two Iraqi Shiites killed fighting in neighbouring Syria, Basra on May 17, 2013

    Iraqi forces mounted a massive operation on Saturday to better secure the country's western desert amid concerns it is being used by Sunnis heading to fight in neighbouring Syria.

  • Iraqi anti-government gunmen in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Baghdad, on April 26, 2013
    Bomb attacks on army and pilgrims kill … AFP - 14 hours ago

    A roadside bomb attack on an Iraqi army convoy and a car bomb targeting Iranian pilgrims killed 10 people and wounded 19 on Saturday, security officers and doctors s … More »Bomb attacks on army and pilgrims kill …

    Iraqi anti-government gunmen in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Baghdad, on April 26, 2013

    A roadside bomb attack on an Iraqi army convoy and a car bomb targeting Iranian pilgrims killed 10 people and wounded 19 on Saturday, security officers and doctors said.

  • A teddy bear bought by Drummer Lee Rigby for his son, Jack, sits at a news confernece in Greater Manchester, May 24, 2013
    British spies 'tried to recruit' Islamist … AFP - 14 hours ago

    Britain's intelligence agencies came under fresh scrutiny on Saturday following claims that MI5 had tried to recruit one of two Islamists accused of butchering a soldier … More »British spies 'tried to recruit' Islamist …

    A teddy bear bought by Drummer Lee Rigby for his son, Jack, sits at a news confernece in Greater Manchester, May 24, 2013

    Britain's intelligence agencies came under fresh scrutiny on Saturday following claims that MI5 had tried to recruit one of two Islamists accused of butchering a soldier in London.

  • Army soldiers open a road that was blocked by supporters of Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir during the funeral of Hezbollah member Saleh Ahmed Sabagh in Sidon
    Hezbollah, Syrian government forces … Reuters - 15 hours ago

    By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah launched a fierce campaign to seize more rebel territory in the … More »Hezbollah, Syrian government forces …

    Army soldiers open a road that was blocked by supporters of Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir during the funeral of Hezbollah member Saleh Ahmed Sabagh in Sidon

    By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah launched a fierce campaign to seize more rebel territory in the border town of Qusair on Saturday, sources on both sides of the conflict said. Rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad said additional tanks …

  • A piece of wreckage from the suicide bomber's motor vehicle lies at the army base in northern Niger on May 23, 2013
    Niger Islamist attackers 'came from … AFP - 16 hours ago

    The attackers who staged deadly twin bombings at an army base and French-run uranium mine in northern Niger came from neighbouring Libya, Niger's President Mahamadou … More »Niger Islamist attackers 'came from …

    A piece of wreckage from the suicide bomber's motor vehicle lies at the army base in northern Niger on May 23, 2013

    The attackers who staged deadly twin bombings at an army base and French-run uranium mine in northern Niger came from neighbouring Libya, Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said on Saturday.

  • Relatives of a Yemeni inmate at Guantanamo Bay protest to demand his release in Sanaa on April 1, 2013
    Guantanamo's Yemenis may see light at … AFP - 17 hours ago

    Weakened by a prolonged hunger strike, Yemeni detainees who have languished at Guantanamo Bay for years see growing hope of finally returning home after a ban on transfers … More »Guantanamo's Yemenis may see light at …

    Relatives of a Yemeni inmate at Guantanamo Bay protest to demand his release in Sanaa on April 1, 2013

    Weakened by a prolonged hunger strike, Yemeni detainees who have languished at Guantanamo Bay for years see growing hope of finally returning home after a ban on transfers to Yemen was lifted.

  • A minibus drives on a main road in the southern Yemeni province of Hadramawt on May 9, 2011
    'Qaeda' gunmen kill two in Yemen at … AFP - 19 hours ago

    Suspected Al-Qaeda militants killed a policeman and a civilian in a grenade attack on a checkpoint in southeastern Yemen on Saturday, a security official and witnesses … More »'Qaeda' gunmen kill two in Yemen at …

    A minibus drives on a main road in the southern Yemeni province of Hadramawt on May 9, 2011

    Suspected Al-Qaeda militants killed a policeman and a civilian in a grenade attack on a checkpoint in southeastern Yemen on Saturday, a security official and witnesses said.

  • Illustration showing flags of the now 54-member African Union
    Africa to celebrate progress and 50 … AFP - Sat, May 25, 2013

    African leaders gathered Saturday ahead of extravagant celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa's myriad problems set aside for a day to … More »Africa to celebrate progress and 50 …

    Illustration showing flags of the now 54-member African Union

    African leaders gathered Saturday ahead of extravagant celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa's myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made.

  • A piece of wreckage from a suicide bomber's car in northern Niger, May 23, 2013
    French troops in Niger raid, jihadists … AFP - Sat, May 25, 2013

    French special forces and local troops raided an army base in northern Niger, ending a hostage seizure by Islamist fighters who had staged twin suicide bombings that … More »French troops in Niger raid, jihadists …

    A piece of wreckage from a suicide bomber's car in northern Niger, May 23, 2013

    French special forces and local troops raided an army base in northern Niger, ending a hostage seizure by Islamist fighters who had staged twin suicide bombings that killed at least 20 people.

  • In Syria's shadow, Iraq violence presents … Reuters - Sat, May 25, 2013

    By Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saddled with Middle East problems ranging from Iran to Syria and beyond, President Barack Obama now faces one that is both old … More »In Syria's shadow, Iraq violence presents …

    By Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saddled with Middle East problems ranging from Iran to Syria and beyond, President Barack Obama now faces one that is both old and new: Iraq. Unresolved sectarian tensions, inflamed by the raging civil war in neighbouring Syria, have combined to send violence in Iraq to its highest …

  • Demonstrators shout Islamic slogans as they wave Syrian opposition flags during a protest against Syria's President al-Assad at the courtyard of Fatih mosque in Istanbul
    Syria opposition unity talks face c … Reuters - Sat, May 25, 2013

    By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syrian opposition talks aimed at presenting a coherent front at an international peace conference to end the civil war faced … More »Syria opposition unity talks face c …

    Demonstrators shout Islamic slogans as they wave Syrian opposition flags during a protest against Syria's President al-Assad at the courtyard of Fatih mosque in Istanbul

    By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syrian opposition talks aimed at presenting a coherent front at an international peace conference to end the civil war faced the prospect of collapse after President Bashar al-Assad's foes failed to cut an internal deal, opposition sources said on Friday. ...

  • French, Niger troops kill Islamists … Reuters - Sat, May 25, 2013

    By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) - French special forces and Niger troops shot dead on Friday the last two Islamists involved in a twin attack on a military … More »French, Niger troops kill Islamists …

    By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) - French special forces and Niger troops shot dead on Friday the last two Islamists involved in a twin attack on a military base and a French uranium mine in Niger claimed by the mastermind of January's mass hostage-taking in Algeria. Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a one-eyed veteran of al …

  • U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at U.S. Naval Academy commencement ceremony in Annapolis
    Obama wants to end 'war on terror' but … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013

    By Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama wants to roll back some of the most controversial aspects of the U.S. "war on terror," … More »Obama wants to end 'war on terror' but …

    U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at U.S. Naval Academy commencement ceremony in Annapolis

    By Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama wants to roll back some of the most controversial aspects of the U.S. "war on terror," but efforts to alter the global fight against Islamist militants will face the usual hurdle at home: staunch opposition from Republicans in Congress. …

  • A member of the Free Syrian Army inspects the damaged buildings in Al-Tarrab neighborhood near Aleppo International airport
    Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013

    By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria's fractious opposition scrambled to agree a new leadership on Friday in a bid to present a coherent front at peace talks … More »Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum …

    A member of the Free Syrian Army inspects the damaged buildings in Al-Tarrab neighborhood near Aleppo International airport

    By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria's fractious opposition scrambled to agree a new leadership on Friday in a bid to present a coherent front at peace talks which the United States and Russia are convening to seek an end to more than two years of civil war. A major assault by President Bashar al-Assad's forces …

  • Tunisian Defence Minister Rachid Sabbagh arrives at the Constituent Assembly on May 8, 2013 in Tunis
    Tunisia's state of emergency must be … AFP - Fri, May 24, 2013

    The fragile security situation in Tunisia, where radical Islamists are blamed for a wave of violence in recent months, makes it necessary to extend the state of emergency, … More »Tunisia's state of emergency must be …

    Tunisian Defence Minister Rachid Sabbagh arrives at the Constituent Assembly on May 8, 2013 in Tunis

    The fragile security situation in Tunisia, where radical Islamists are blamed for a wave of violence in recent months, makes it necessary to extend the state of emergency, Defence Minister Rachid Sabbagh said on Friday.

  • Floral tributes for Drummer Lee Rigby, of the British Army's 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, are lined at the scene of his killing in Woolwich, southeast London
    Security services in spotlight after … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013

    By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier … More »Security services in spotlight after …

    Floral tributes for Drummer Lee Rigby, of the British Army's 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, are lined at the scene of his killing in Woolwich, southeast London

    By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers. Suspects Michael Adebolajo, 28 and …

  • A man pays his respects outside Woolwich Barracks, London, May 23, 2013, a day after the murder of a British soldier
    British spy services under pressure … AFP - Fri, May 24, 2013

    Britain's intelligence services came under pressure on Friday to explain how they let two Islamic extremists suspected of hacking a soldier to death in London slip through … More »British spy services under pressure …

    A man pays his respects outside Woolwich Barracks, London, May 23, 2013, a day after the murder of a British soldier

    Britain's intelligence services came under pressure on Friday to explain how they let two Islamic extremists suspected of hacking a soldier to death in London slip through their net.

  • Radical Islamic preacher Omar Bakri speaks at his house in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on November 12, 2010
    London attacker: Muslim convert from … AFP - Fri, May 24, 2013

    When Michael Adebolajo was filmed clutching the bloodied knives he apparently used to butcher a soldier, Britons were chilled by the strong London accent in which he … More »London attacker: Muslim convert from …

    Radical Islamic preacher Omar Bakri speaks at his house in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on November 12, 2010

    When Michael Adebolajo was filmed clutching the bloodied knives he apparently used to butcher a soldier, Britons were chilled by the strong London accent in which he spoke of his Islamist motives. How could one of their own have become so radicalised?

  • A mini bus drives on a main road on May 9, 2011 in the southern Yemeni province of Hadramawt
    Qaeda seizes territory in Yemen's H … AFP - Fri, May 24, 2013

    Fighters loyal to Al-Qaeda have seized control of villages near the Yemeni port city of Mukalla in an apparent bid to take over swathes of the southeastern province of … More »Qaeda seizes territory in Yemen's H …

    A mini bus drives on a main road on May 9, 2011 in the southern Yemeni province of Hadramawt

    Fighters loyal to Al-Qaeda have seized control of villages near the Yemeni port city of Mukalla in an apparent bid to take over swathes of the southeastern province of Hadramawt, the interior ministry and residents said on Friday.

  • Exiled cleric who taught UK knifeman … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013

    By Dominic Evans TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A Syrian-born Islamist cleric who taught one of the men accused of hacking to death an off-duty British soldier on a London … More »Exiled cleric who taught UK knifeman …

    By Dominic Evans TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A Syrian-born Islamist cleric who taught one of the men accused of hacking to death an off-duty British soldier on a London street praised the attack for its "courage" and said Muslims would see it as a strike on a military target. In an interview in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, …

  • A US Marine inspects an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Camp Dwyer in Gamser, Helmand Province on February 15, 2011
    Pakistan remains opposed to drones after … AFP - Fri, May 24, 2013

    The Pakistan government Friday repeated its view that US drone strikes in its territory were illegal, after President Barack Obama laid out new guidelines for their  … More »Pakistan remains opposed to drones after …

    A US Marine inspects an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Camp Dwyer in Gamser, Helmand Province on February 15, 2011

    The Pakistan government Friday repeated its view that US drone strikes in its territory were illegal, after President Barack Obama laid out new guidelines for their use.

  • Yemen's main oil pipeline attacked, … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013

    SANAA (Reuters) - Attackers blew up Yemen's main oil export pipeline on Friday, halting the flow of crude, the government and industry sources said. "Subversive elements" in Serwah in central Maarib province had blown up the pipeline, which leads to the Red Sea, at dawn on Friday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. …

  • Syria opposition struggles to forge … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013
    Former leader of the Syrian National Coalition Alkhatib speaks during a meeting in Istanbul

    By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria's divided opposition leaders have failed to back a plan by their outgoing leader for President Bashar al-Assad to cede power gradually to end the country's civil war, highlighting the obstacles to international peace talks expected next month. The 16-point plan proposed …

  • Guantanamo Policies Must Change, Says … Sky News - Fri, May 24, 2013
    Guantanamo Policies Must Change, Says Obama

    In a wide-ranging, impassioned speech to define US foreign policies on terrorism, President Barack Obama has outlined new policies governing the use of unmanned drones overseas.

  • U.S. President Barack Obama walks up to speak at the National Defense University in Washington

    By Matt Spetalnick and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twelve years after the "war on terror" began, President Barack Obama wants to pull the United States back from some of the most controversial aspects of its global fight against Islamist militants. In a major policy speech on Thursday, Obama narrowed the scope …

  • Yemenis hold a protest demanding the release of inmates on hunger strike, outside the US embassy, Sanaa, April 16, 2013

    Yemen welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to lift a moratorium on transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the Gulf country.

  • U.S. President Barack Obama makes a point at the National Defense University in Washington

    By Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday shifted the United States away from a "boundless global war on terror," restricting deadly drone strikes abroad and signalling that America's long struggle against al Qaeda will one day end. In a major policy speech, Obama narrowed …

  • US President Barack Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, May 23, 2013

    President Barack Obama laid out new guidelines for drone strikes and launched a fresh bid to close Guantanamo, warning that a "perpetual" US war on terror would be self-defeating.

  • Repatriating detainees to Yemen key … Reuters - Fri, May 24, 2013
    The interior of an unoccupied communal cellblock is seen at Camp VI, a prison used to house detainees at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay

    By Susan Cornwell and Jane Sutton WASHINGTON/MIAMI (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's pledge on Thursday to lift a ban on transfers of detainees to Yemen from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, addresses one of the core obstacles to clearing out the detention camp. Of the 86 detainees who have been cleared for transfer …

  • A police officer guards a block of flats in Greenwich following a raid in connection with the killing of a British soldier in nearby Woolwich

    By Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Police investigating the murder of a soldier hacked to death on a busy London street were looking on Friday into whether the two suspected killers, British men of Nigerian descent, were part of a wider conspiracy. The two suspects, aged 22 and 28, are under guard …

  • By Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Police investigating the murder of a soldier hacked to death on a busy London street were looking on Friday into whether the two suspected killers, British men of Nigerian descent, were part of a wider conspiracy. The two suspects, aged 22 and 28, are under guard …