June 1, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): Militants attacked a U.S.-led coalition base three miles outside Khost city in eastern Afghanistan. Approximately 14 Taliban fighters were killed in the assault, which included the use of a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle. NATO officials later linked the Haqqani network to the attack. – AP, June 1; al-Jazira, June 1; Reuters, June 26
June 2, 2012 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. drone killed at least three suspected militants in Khawashi Khel village, near Wana, South Waziristan Agency. – New York Daily News, June 2
June 3, 2012 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a new video, in which he recounted his memories with Usama bin Ladin. “He spent all his money on jihad,” al-Zawahiri said. “He was known for his generosity with guests. He would slaughter livestock for them and give them tasty food.” – Reuters, June 3
June 3, 2012 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. drone killed 10 suspected militants in South Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. According to Voice of America, the “suspected militants were gathered to offer condolences to the brother of a militant commander killed during another American unmanned drone strike on Saturday [June 2].” – AP, June 3
June 3, 2012 (NIGERIA): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a church on the outskirts of the northern city of Bauchi, killing at least 12 people. Boko Haram later claimed responsibility. – Voice of America, June 3; The News International, June 3; al-Arabiya, June 4
June 4, 2012 (UNITED STATES): Sabirhan Hasanoff, a dual U.S. and Australian citizen, pleaded guilty to supporting al-Qa`ida. The New York accountant was accused of helping al-Qa`ida with computer systems. He faces up to 20 years in a U.S. prison. – Reuters, June 4
June 4, 2012 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a Shi`a Muslim office in central Baghdad, killing at least 23 people. According to Reuters, the attack, which targeted the Shi`a Endowment, “comes at a sensitive time, with the country’s fractious Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs locked in a crisis that threatens to unravel their power-sharing deal and spill into sectarian tension.” – Reuters, June 4
June 4, 2012 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. drone killed Abu Yahya al-Libi, one of al-Qa`ida’s most senior operatives. The strike, which occurred in Mir Ali, North Waziristan Agency, killed at least 15 people. Al-Libi was considered al-Qa`ida’s second-in-command. – New York Times, June 4
June 4, 2012 (YEMEN): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle attacked a checkpoint in southern Abyan Province, killing four pro-army militiamen. – AFP, June 4
June 6, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): Two suicide bombers killed at least 22 people at a bazaar in Kandahar. – BBC, June 6
June 7, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): A group of at least 20 prisoners, most of them Taliban members, escaped from a jail in Sar-e-Pul Province in northern Afghanistan. The men used an improvised explosive device to destroy part of the jail, allowing them to escape. – Reuters, June 8
June 7, 2012 (SOMALIA): The U.S. government announced $33 million in rewards for information leading to the locations of top al-Shabab leaders in Somalia. – New York Times, June 7
June 8, 2012 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s wife released a rare message on Islamist web forums praising Muslim women for their role in the Arab Spring uprisings. “I congratulate all females of the world for these blessed revolutions and I salute every mother who sacrificed her loved ones in the revolutions,” the letter said. “It is really an Arab Spring and will soon become an Islamic spring.” – Reuters, June 8
June 8, 2012 (UNITED STATES): A U.S. federal judge sentenced Raja Lahrasib Khan to seven and a half years in jail for attempting to financially support al-Qa`ida’s operations against India. Khan, a Pakistan-born Chicago taxi driver, admitted to giving approximately $550 to Ilyas Kashmiri. He pleaded guilty in February 2012. – Reuters, June 8
June 8, 2012 (NIGERIA): A suicide bomber in a vehicle attacked the police headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State. At least five people were killed in the blast. Authorities suspect the Boko Haram group was responsible. – AFP, June 8
June 9, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber disguised as a woman wearing a burqa detonated explosives at a market in Kapisa Province, killing four French soldiers. As reported by Reuters, “The French forces were responding to a report of a bomb planted under a bridge in the main market area of Kapisa Province’s Nijrab district when the bomber walked up to them and detonated his explosives.” – AP, June 9
June 10, 2012 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri released a new audio recording, calling on Tunisians to rise up against the country’s Islamist ruling party for accepting a constitution not based on Shari`a. “It is strange to see a leadership party that claims to be associated with moderate Islam and at the same time it says it does not call for ruling by Islam,” al-Zawahiri said. – AP, June 11
June 10, 2012 (NIGERIA): Militants attacked two separate churches in Nigeria. In one attack, the church’s congregation was sprayed with bullets. In the second attack on a different church, a suicide bomber in a vehicle detonated explosives. At least one person was killed in the attacks. Boko Haram claimed responsibility. – Reuters, June 10; Deutsche Welle, June 11
June 12, 2012 (UNITED STATES): A U.S. court sentenced Haji Bagcho to life in prison after being convicted of conspiracy, distribution of heroin to the United States and narcoterrorism. Bagcho, an Afghan national, had links to the Taliban and conspired to distribute heroin in the United States to help fund the Taliban. He was extradited to the United States from Afghanistan in May 2009. – Reuters, June 12; AFP, June 12
June 12, 2012 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber tried to assassinate an anti-Taliban tribal elder on the outskirts of Peshawar, killing two of the leader’s security guards. – AFP, June 12
June 12, 2012 (YEMEN): Yemen’s military pushed Ansar al-Shari`a fighters out of their two main strongholds in Zinjibar and Jaar. Ansar al-Shari`a is linked to al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula. – Reuters, June 12
June 13, 2012 (IRAQ): A series of explosions mostly targeting Shi`a Muslims tore through Iraq, killing at least 70 people. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility. The bombings marked the deadliest day in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 2011. – New York Times, June 13; Reuters, June 13; Voice of America, June 16
June 14, 2012 (SYRIA): A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle in a Damascus suburb, wounding 10 people. – AP, June 14
June 15, 2012 (UNITED STATES): U.S. President Barack Obama publicly acknowledged for the first time that the U.S. military had taken “direct action” against al-Qa`ida affiliated groups in Yemen and Somalia. In the past, U.S. officials would not confirm publicly that U.S. forces were involved in the fight in Yemen or Somalia. – New York Times, June 15
June 15, 2012 (YEMEN): Yemen’s military retook the port town of Shaqra, Abyan Province, from Ansar al-Shari`a, an insurgent group linked to al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula. On June 12, the Yemeni military also regained control of Zinjibar and Jaar. – Voice of America, June 15
June 16, 2012 (IRAQ): Two separate car bombs targeted Shi`a Muslims in Baghdad. One bomb exploded near a bus station, where dozens of Shi`a pilgrims were standing, killing at least 14 people. A second bomb exploded in Sanaa Square, killing 18 people. – CNN, June 16
June 16, 2012 (PAKISTAN): A truck bomb ripped through a busy market in Landi Kotal of Khyber Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, killing at least 20 people. Authorities suspect that the bomb targeted tribesmen who have been fighting against local militants. – Los Angeles Times, June 16
June 16, 2012 (SOMALIA): A suicide bomber drove a vehicle into the gate of a government base in Afgoye, outside Mogadishu, killing two Somali soldiers. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility. – Reuters, June 16; AFP, June 16
June 16, 2012 (SAUDI ARABIA): Saudi Arabia’s interior minister, Crown Prince Nayif bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, died in Geneva at 78-years-old. Prince Nayif was in charge of the country’s fight against al-Qa`ida and domestic militants. Although the cause of death was not immediately known, he was believed to have had recent heart bypass surgery. – New York Times, June 16
June 17, 2012 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri released a new audio recording calling on Egypt to cancel its peace treaty with Israel and to establish Islamic rule. – AP, June 17
June 17, 2012 (NIGERIA): Boko Haram killed at least 50 people after attacking three Christian churches in Zaria and Kaduna. – CNN, June 18
June 18, 2012 (UNITED STATES): Wesam El-Hanafi pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to a terrorist group and one count of conspiracy in a Manhattan courtroom. The New York-born man admitted to helping al-Qa`ida. – Reuters, June 18
June 18, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): A Taliban roadside bomb killed eight civilians, including women and children, in Musa Qala, Helmand Province. – AFP, June 18
June 18, 2012 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber killed 22 people at a Shi`a gathering in Ba`quba, Diyala Province. – al-Arabiya, June 29
June 18, 2012 (YEMEN): A suicide bomber assassinated Yemen’s army general leading the fight against al-Qa`ida-affiliated militants in southern Yemen. The general, Salem Ali Qatan, was killed on his way to work in Aden despite driving in a three-car convoy. Al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula later claimed responsibility. – AP, June 18; Reuters, June 21
June 18, 2012 (ISRAEL): Two militants crossed into Israel from Egypt and killed an Israeli civilian. Israeli security forces killed both assailants. A group calling itself the Mujahidin Shura Council of Jerusalem claimed responsibility. – CNN, June 19
June 19, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): A group of Taliban fighters attacked a NATO camp on the outskirts of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. The assault, which involved suicide bombers, left seven militants dead. – Washington Post, June 19
June 20, 2012 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani security forces announced the arrest of a French national suspected of being a key al-Qa`ida operative. The man, identified as Naamen Meziche, was apprehended outside Quetta in Baluchistan Province. – Los Angeles Times, June 20
June 20, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber on a motorbike targeted an Afghan-NATO checkpoint in Khost city, killing 18 Afghans and three U.S. soldiers. – Washington Post, June 20
June 20-21, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): Insurgents armed with weapons and suicide vests attacked the Spozhmai Hotel on the outskirts of Kabul, killing at least 20 people. The militants arrived at the hotel in a minivan disguised as women by wearing burqas, then proceeded to shoot their way through the building. All of the militants eventually died. The Taliban claimed responsibility. – New York Times, June 22
June 21, 2012 (NIGERIA): The United States officially designated three members of Boko Haram as “foreign terrorists”—Abubakar Shekau, Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi. – Voice of America, June 21
June 22, 2012 (UNITED STATES): Amine El Khalifi, an illegal immigrant from Morocco living in Virginia, pleaded guilty to attempting a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Capitol. He faces up to 30 years in prison. – Voice of America, June 22
June 22, 2012 (NIGERIA): A bomb exploded outside a nightclub in Nigeria’s capital of Abuja. No one was injured. – Voice of America, June 23
June 24, 2012 (GLOBAL): U.S. General Carter Ham, the head of the U.S. military’s Africa Command, said that al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Shabab and Boko Haram are seeking to “coordinate and synchronize” their operations. – Bloomberg, June 25
June 24, 2012 (PAKISTAN): More than 100 Taliban fighters crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan and killed at least 17 Pakistani soldiers. The men, reportedly loyal to Pakistani Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah, then released a video showing the dismembered heads of the 17 ambushed troops, as well as their identification cards. – CNN, June 25; New York Times, June 25; AP, June 25; Reuters, June 28
June 24, 2012 (KENYA): An explosion tore through a nightclub in Mombasa, killing three people. The cause of the blast was not immediately known, but Kenya has been targeted by a series of blasts since it sent troops into neighboring Somalia to fight al-Shabab. – Reuters, June 24; Reuters, June 25
June 24, 2012 (NIGERIA): Boko Haram militants broke into a prison in Damaturu in northern Nigeria, freeing 40 inmates. – Reuters, June 24
June 25, 2012 (GLOBAL): Officials from three European security agencies told reporters that a Norwegian man had received terrorist training from al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula and was awaiting orders to execute an attack in the West. The officials said that the man had gone “operational.” The man is apparently a convert to Islam with no immigrant background, and he has no criminal record. He spent “some months” in Yemen where he received terrorist training. – AP, June 25
June 25, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): NATO officials said that insurgent attacks in Afghanistan increased in April and May, indicating a rise in Taliban activity after months of declines. – Wall Street Journal, June 25
June 25, 2012 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani Taliban militants attacked the private Aaj television station in Karachi, injuring two people. The Taliban said that the station was overly critical of the Taliban. – BBC, June 26
June 26, 2012 (SAUDI ARABIA): A Saudi court sentenced 11 men to jail terms up to 15 years for membership in a cell linked to al-Qa`ida that plotted to attack U.S. troops in Kuwait as well as state-owned Saudi Aramco. – Reuters, June 27
June 27, 2012 (MALI): Militants belonging to the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) took complete control of Gao from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in northern Mali. The MUJAO is considered a Salafi-jihadi group, whereas the MNLA is an ethno-nationalist insurgent group. MUJAO has direct ties to al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb. – Voice of America, June 28
June 29, 2012 (AFGHANISTAN): Hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked the remote Kamdish district of Nuristan Province, although Afghan security forces eventually pushed the militants back with the support of NATO airstrikes. – AFP, June 29
June 29, 2012 (ALGERIA): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle attacked a paramilitary police base in Ouargla, killing at least one person. – Reuters, June 29
June 30, 2012 (MALI): Islamist militants who control northern Mali destroyed ancient tombs of Muslim saints in Timbuktu, creating an international outcry. – AFP, June 30
