The Long War Journal (Site-Wide)

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• State adds Islamic State in the Greater Sahara to terrorist list
• Taliban claims it seizes 2 Afghan districts
• US military kills ‘dual-hatted’ AQIS leader in eastern Afghanistan
• As Taliban enters Farah City, Resolute Support wrongly claims Afghan government is in control

State adds Islamic State in the Greater Sahara to terrorist list Posted: 16 May 2018 12:52 PM PDT Months after killing four US Special Forces soldiers, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has been designated as a terrorist group by the US government. Its leader, Abu Walid al Sahrawi, was also designated today.

Taliban claims it seizes 2 Afghan districts Posted: 16 May 2018 10:57 AM PDT Taliban claimed it took control of two districts, one in Badghis province and another in Ghazni. The Taliban has overrun five districts since it announced the beginning of its 2018 offensive.

US military kills ‘dual-hatted’ AQIS leader in eastern Afghanistan Posted: 16 May 2018 07:55 AM PDT Hazrat Abbas served as a leader for both al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. AQIS was formed to unite disparate jihadist factions to fight under the banner of the Afghan Taliban.

As Taliban enters Farah City, Resolute Support wrongly claims Afghan government is in control Posted: 15 May 2018 11:23 PM PDT Video evidence emerging from the city shows Taliban fighters patrolling areas of the city, seizing weapons, and in control of government buildings.