The Long War Journal (Site-Wide)

---

• Taliban appoints Mullah Omar’s brother, son to key leadership positions
• Syrian fighter jet downed in Aleppo province
• US transfers 2 Guantanamo detainees to the Republic of Senegal
• Pentagon confirms US targeted veteran al Qaeda leader in Syria

Taliban appoints Mullah Omar’s brother, son to key leadership positions Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:30 AM PDT Mullah Manan was named the head of the Taliban's Preaching and Guidance Commission, while Mullah Yacoub is a member of the Quetta Shura and commands military operations in 15 provinces. Omar's kin previously opposed the Taliban's new leadership.

Syrian fighter jet downed in Aleppo province Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:25 AM PDT The Syrian government says that a fighter jet was downed by a surface to air missile in the Aleppo province earlier today. There are conflicting reports concerning how the plane was hit. But an al Qaeda operative on Twitter says the pilot is in Al Nusrah Front's custody and that another al Qaeda-linked group, Ahrar al Sham, has claimed responsibility.

US transfers 2 Guantanamo detainees to the Republic of Senegal Posted: 04 Apr 2016 02:41 PM PDT The US government announced the transfer of two Libyans from Guantanamo to the Republic of Senegal. Both of the men were allegedly members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and worked for al Qaeda prior to their detention. JTF-GTMO found both to be "high" risks. President Obama's Guantanamo Review Task Force previously deemed one of them "too dangerous" to transfer.

Pentagon confirms US targeted veteran al Qaeda leader in Syria Posted: 04 Apr 2016 02:02 PM PDT Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook confirmed today that the US targeted Abu Firas al Suri, a veteran al Qaeda leader, in an airstrike in Syria. Within hours of the bombing yesterday, jihadists on social media claimed that Abu Firas had perished. Separately, Cook confirmed that Hassan Ali Dhoore, a dual hatted al Qaeda and Shabaab leader, was killed in an airstrike in Somalia on Mar. 31.