The New Mask and Group for Al Qaeda in Pakistan: Iraqi AQ Who Fled
Fighters from some Arab countries have established a new group called Jaish-i-Khurasan al-Islami against Afghan security forces and foreign troops based in the war-devastated Central Asian country. The new group claimed that it also enjoyed strong support from many Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of other countries in their campaign against Afghan and foreign troops. Jaish-i-Khurasan al-Islami head is an Iraqi national named Abu Akasha, who is reportedly active in southern Afghanistan and the troubled South Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan. Spokesman for the outfit Hamza Deobandiwal handed a press release to Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday. In the press release, Abu Akasha says they have established the group against the foreign forces, particularly US soldiers. “Our main objective in Afghanistan is to fight coalition forces led by US,” said Abu Akasha, who pledged the group would try to recruit youths on both side of the Durand Line. He branded the so-called democratic countries as infidels and urged Afghan and Pakistani youths to join the outfit in its mission to destroy such governments. Deobandiwal said they had 160 fighters in Waziristan and Greater Paktia, meaning Paktia, Paktika and Khost provinces. Afghan, NATO forces search rebel compounds: Afghan security personnel and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops have conducted a successful operation against insurgent compounds southwest of Kandahar City. On receiving information regarding the suspected insurgent activity, Afghan authorities partnered with ISAF to deal with the threat, the 53,000-strong NATO force said on Wednesday. A joint operation was planned to investigate several compounds of interest in the area