Africa Al Qaeda displays photos of hostages

Al Qaeda’s wing in North Africa published photographs on the Internet on Thursday of four of six Western hostages it says it has in its custody.

Earlier this week al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed in an audio tape aired on Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera that it had a Canadian U.N. envoy and his aide and four Western tourists who were kidnapped in the West African Sahara in December.

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Reporter killed in Swat

A Pakistani TV journalist has been shot dead after covering a peace mission by a radical Taleban cleric in Swat in the country’s north-west.

Musa Khan Khel, who worked for Geo TV, was shot in the head but it was not known who carried out the attack.

Filed under: Asia, Afghanistan, International, ISI, Islam, Islamic law, Jihad, Militants, Muslim, Pakistan, Sharia, Taleban, Terror, Terrorism, Terrorists, The Terror Journal, U.S.A, War

Islamists ask Taliban for peace in Swat

A radical Muslim cleric sent emissaries to his Taliban son-in-law on Thursday to seek peace in Pakistan’s Swat valley after earlier praising an offer from the government to restore Islamic law to the region.

Critics say that by turning to former militant Maulana Sufi Mohammad to play peacemaker, the government showed its weakness in the face of an Islamist tide rolling over the northwest.

Filed under: Asia, Afghanistan, International, ISI, Islam, Islamic law, Jihad, Militants, Muslim, Pakistan, Sharia, Taleban, Terror, Terrorism, Terrorists, The Terror Journal, U.S.A, War

Kyrgyzstan shuts U.S. air base

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted on Thursday to close the last remaining U.S. air base in Central Asia, dealing a blow to U.S. efforts to use the region as a jumping-off point for its growing campaign in Afghanistan.

The United States is sending an extra 17,000 troops to Afghanistan and was seeking support from its allies at a NATO meeting in Poland for more help in defeating the Taliban.

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Sri Lanka army captures Puthukkudiyiruppu

At least 53 LTTE rebels were killed in fierce clashes with Sri Lankan troops in the island’s embattled north as the security forces captured a strategic rebel stronghold, army said on Wednesday.

Soldiers of the 58 Division of the Lankan Army after resting control over the Puthukkudiyiruppu West are now engaged in mop operations in the area, the Defence ministry quoted its sources as saying.

Filed under: Asia, Australia, Canada, Chennai, Colombo, Elephant Pass, Guerrilla Group, Guerrilla war, India, Jafna, London, LTTE, Madras, Mahindra Rajapaksa, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, Tamil, Tamil Nadu, Terror, Terrorism, The Terror Journal, Toronto, UK, Velupillai Prabhakaran, War