The Long War Journal (Site-Wide)

---

• Afghan military abandons district in Helmand
• Another town in southern Yemen reportedly falls to AQAP
• Aleppo-based rebel groups unite behind Ahrar al Sham’s former top leader

Afghan military abandons district in Helmand Posted: 20 Feb 2016 07:14 AM PST The Afghan Army commander in charge of the fighting in Helmand characterized the Army's withdrawal from Musa Qala as a redeployment of forces.

Another town in southern Yemen reportedly falls to AQAP Posted: 20 Feb 2016 06:32 AM PST AQAP reportedly seized the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar earlier today. Press reports indicated that Ahwar was under the jihadists' control earlier this month, but it appears operations were still ongoing at the time. The fog of war often makes it difficult to determined which towns and villages are truly in al Qaeda's possession, but AQAP has begun to advertise its implementation of sharia law and provision of social services throughout southern Yemen.

Aleppo-based rebel groups unite behind Ahrar al Sham’s former top leader Posted: 20 Feb 2016 03:55 AM PST Several rebel groups in Syria's Aleppo province have united under the leadership of Hashem al Sheikh, who was the emir of Ahrar al Sham from September 2014 to September 2015. The alliance doesn't include Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, but its constituents will almost certainly continue to cooperate with al Qaeda's men.