A new administration in Somalia has launched an offensive against Al Shabab, which are also facing an uprising from local militias.
Tag Archives: Targeted Killings
White House Tightens Rules on Counterterrorism Drone Strikes
A classified new policy requires President Biden’s approval to add suspected terrorists to a kill list. The Trump administration had decentralized control over targeting decisions.
U.S. Forces Kill a Senior ISIS Operative in Syria, Officials Say
The nighttime raid was a rare operation inside Syrian government territory, a Kurdish security official said.
Will Anyone Punish Iran for Its Murderous Campaign?
Making a deal with Iran now is as wise as striking a new arms-control agreement with Vladimir Putin.
Al-Zawahri’s Death Puts the Focus Back on Al Qaeda
The terrorist network has lost eight of its top leaders in recent years. But it has more total fighters than it did on Sept. 11, 2001.
Ayman al-Zawahri Is Gone, but Al Qaeda Is Resilient
The administration clearly misjudged Al Qaeda’s trajectory in Afghanistan and U.S. influence over the Taliban.
Al Qaeda Leader Killed: What We Know
The United States announced that a C.I.A. drone strike killed the Qaeda leader, a longtime ally of Osama bin Laden who was considered a mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. Here’s a guide to the strike and its implications.
The Killing of bin Laden’s Successor
Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has been killed by a U.S. drone strike. Who was he and what impact will his death have?
U.S. Drone Strike Said to Have Killed Ayman al-Zawahri, Top Qaeda Leader
The strike, carried out over the weekend, was the first attack since American forces left Afghanistan last year.
U.S. Military Says Senior ISIS Leader in Syria Killed in Drone Strike
The attack was the latest in a series of American operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria.
After Israel’s Spies Hit Iran Hard, an Intelligence Official Loses His Job
After a series of damaging failures, a senior Iranian intelligence official lost his job and a Revolutionary Guards general was said to have been arrested.
Desperate to Flee Attacks, Kashmir Hindus Say Officials Lock the Exits
Decades after militant violence forced Hindus out of the disputed region, they have been shaken by an intensifying string of targeted killings.
No One Can Hide From This Weapon in the War in Ukraine
In Ukraine, drones that film and fight have been used to bring international audiences right up to the front lines.
The Moral Cost of Killing Our Enemies in Secret
What does it mean to be a citizen of a state that kills for you but doesn’t tell you about it? Are you still responsible?
US Carries Out First Airstrike in Somalia Since August
The strike targeted Al Shabab militants who had attacked allied Somali security forces.
US Military Offers New Details on Raid That Led to Death of ISIS Leader
The explosion that killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in Syria was most likely caused by a bomb he had rigged, U.S. military officials said.
ISIS Leader Dead After U.S. Commandos Raid House in Syria
President Biden said Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his family.
Military Can’t Find ISIS Safe House That Prompted Kabul Drone Strike
The Pentagon’s latest admission illustrates the botched intelligence behind the strike that mistakenly killed 10 civilians in August.
‘There Is Chaos’; Iran-Backed Militias Battle Activists in a Holy Iraqi City
Militia violence has driven antigovernment protesters underground and shaken Karbala, a city of gold-domed Shiite shrines.
دانشمند وربات قاتل مجهز به هوش مصنوعی و کنترل از راه دور
سالها بود که ماموران اسرائیلی میخواستند دانشمند هستهای ایران را ترور کنند. عاقبت راهی پیدا کردند تا بدون حضور مأموران در صحنه این کار را انجام دهند.
The Scientist and the A.I.-Assisted, Remote-Control Killer Robot
Israeli agents had wanted to kill Iran’s top nuclear scientist for years. Then they came up with a way to do it with no operatives present.
Afghanistan Collapse and Strikes in Somalia Raise Snags for Drone Warfare Rules
But the Biden administration is close to finishing a new playbook for counterterrorism strikes outside conventional war zones.
Israel’s Spy Agency Snubbed the U.S. Can Trust Be Restored?
Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, heads to Washington promising better relations and seeking support for covert attacks on Iran’s nuclear program.
As Dictators Target Citizens Abroad, Few Safe Spaces Remain
For émigrés and exiles, pressure on families back home, social media intimidation, even kidnapping, have become a regular part of life.
Iraq Arrests Militia Leader, Inciting a Standoff With Iran-Backed Forces
The arrest of an Iranian-backed paramilitary leader in the killing of government protesters enraged powerful militias in Iraq and posed a test of the prime minister’s pledge to rein them in.
Biden Discloses Some of Trump’s Secret Drone Strike Rules
The release of the 2017 policy — with redactions — stemmed from open-records lawsuits by The Times and the A.C.L.U.
Iran Rattled as Israel Repeatedly Strikes Key Targets
Recent attacks suggest that Israel has a clandestine network inside Iran and that Iranian security services have been powerless to break it.
How a Longstanding Rivalry Spiraled Into 5 Deaths Between 2 Families
In Afghanistan, a rise in targeted attacks that the governments seems unable to stop has also encouraged the settling of old scores through vendetta killings.
They Were Journalists, and Women, and Targeted for Both
As Afghanistan enters a desperate chapter, with U.S. troops potentially on the way out, insurgents are pressing a deadly campaign to silence the media and keep women home.
Biden Secretly Limits Counterterrorism Drone Strikes Away From War Zones
Requiring higher-level approval is a stopgap measure as officials review whether to tighten Trump-era targeting rules and civilian safeguards.
With Strikes in Syria, Biden Confronts Iran’s Militant Network
Using a carefully calibrated approach, the president hopes to restrain Iran’s regional militia allies without undercutting efforts to reach a new nuclear deal.
Assadollah Assadi, Iranian Envoy, Found Guilty in France Bomb Plot
A court in Belgium sentenced Assadollah Assadi, an envoy based in Vienna, to 20 years in prison for his role in a thwarted attack on a group that seeks to overthrow the Iranian leadership.
U.S. Airstrike Kills Top ISIS Leader in Iraq
The joint operation with Iraqi forces was aimed at stemming the group’s resurgence, and illustrates Iraq’s continued reliance on the U.S. military.
‘I Could Just Vanish’: In Kabul, Pocket Notes to Prevent Anonymous Death
As violence engulfs them, some Afghans carry notes with their names, blood types and relatives’ phone numbers in case they are killed or severely wounded.
Gunmen Storm Wake in Mexico, Killing at Least Nine
It was the latest bloody attack to roil the central state of Guanajuato, which is embroiled in a turf war between rival criminal groups.
In Reversal, Pentagon Announces Aircraft Carrier Nimitz to Remain in Middle East
The acting defense secretary abruptly reversed his previous order to redeploy the Nimitz, which he had done over the objections of his top military advisers.
In Abrupt Reversal of Iran Strategy, Pentagon Orders Aircraft Carrier Home
After weeks of escalation and threatening language, the Defense Department is sending mixed messages as the anniversary of the death of an Iranian general nears.
Pentagon Weighs Sharp Drawback in Support for C.I.A.
A broad review of the military’s support for the agency is underway, including pulling back personnel and rethinking support for C.I.A. operations around the world.
Dear Joe, It’s Not About Iran’s Nukes Anymore
Biden wants to reinstate the nuclear deal, but first he must confront the new Middle East.
Brazen Killings Expose Iran’s Vulnerabilities as It Struggles to Respond
After suffering a string of audacious attacks, Tehran faces an agonizing choice: embracing hard-liner demands for swift retaliation, or trying to make a fresh start with the Biden administration.
Gunmen Assassinate Iran’s Top Nuclear Scientist in Ambush, Provoking New Crisis
Iran expressed fury over the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, blaming it on Israel and the United States. His death may complicate President-elect Biden’s intention to restore the Iranian nuclear deal.
Al Qaeda’s Abu Muhammad al-Masri Secretly Killed in Iran
Israeli agents shot Abu Muhammad al-Masri on the streets of Tehran at the behest of the U.S., officials said, but no one — Iran, Al Qaeda, the U.S. or Israel — has publicly acknowledged the killing.
An Afghan Mayor Expected to Die. Instead, She Lost Her Father.
Zarifa Ghafari, one of the few female mayors in Afghanistan, has been subjected to death threats and assassination attempts, and believes her father was gunned down because of her.
Al Qaeda Feels Losses in Syria and Afghanistan but Stays Resilient
American drones and U.S. allies killed several Qaeda leaders and operatives in the past week. But the organization has “ingrained itself in local communities and conflicts,” according to the U.N.
Trump’s Tweets on Troop Withdrawals Unnerve Pentagon
The president’s demands to draw down forces in Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria seek to fulfill a campaign promise. But officials warn rapid troop reductions could bolster adversaries.
U.S. Commandos Use Secretive Missiles to Kill Qaeda Leaders in Syria
The specially designed missiles use sharp blades and blunt force, rather than explosive warheads, to kill terrorist leaders.
Two Are Accused of Hacking U.S. Websites With Pro-Iran Messages
The cyberattacks were in retaliation for the death of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani of Iran in a U.S. military airstrike in January, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Saudi Court Issues Final Verdicts in Khashoggi Killing
The sentences, of up to 20 years in prison, were issued months after one of Jamal Khashoggi’s sons said he and his siblings had forgiven the men who killed him.
R.N.C. Skims Over Trump’s ‘Unfinished Business’ in Foreign Policy
From Iran to North Korea, President Trump has failed to achieve many of his stated foreign policy goals. He is asking for a second term to get them done.
Don’t Drink the Tea: Poison Is a Favored Weapon in Russia
Poison has been a preferred tool of the Russian security service for more than a century, and critics of the Kremlin say it remains in the arsenal today.