Latest Counterterrorism News

US military defends Africa strategy in light of coups and a drift toward Russia

May. 30, 2024 12:31 PM EDT

AGADIR, Morocco (AP) — The head of the U.S. military in Africa vigorously defended the country’s counterterrorism strategy on the continent and vowed to press forward with it despite a wave of criticism and a drift among African nations toward seeking security help from Russia instead. ...

Former intel agency chief set to become the Netherlands' next prime minister in hard right coalition

May. 28, 2024 12:15 PM EDT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A former head of the Dutch intelligence agency and counterterrorism office emerged Tuesday as the surprise nominee to become the Netherlands' next prime minister, after he was given the backing of leaders cobbling together a four-party coalition headed by Geert...

State Department removes Cuba from short list of countries deemed uncooperative on counterterrorism

May. 15, 2024 17:47 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Cuba Wednesday from the State Department's short list of countries that it deems less than fully cooperative against violent groups. In a statement, the State Department said Blinken had found that Cuban and U.S. law...

Pakistan, US discuss how to tackle the regional security threat posed by IS group and local Taliban

May. 13, 2024 14:19 PM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani and U.S. officials have held their latest talks in Washington on how to expand cooperation in tackling the threat posed to regional security by an affiliate of the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban, Pakistan's foreign ministry said Monday. A...

US special operations leaders are having to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine

May. 12, 2024 13:56 PM EDT

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — Forced to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine, U.S. special operations commanders are juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years. The...

A kidnapped Pakistani judge has been freed in a late-night operation, police say

Apr. 29, 2024 04:34 AM EDT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani judge who was kidnapped after gunmen ambushed his vehicle has been freed in a late-night operation, a police official said Monday. Around 15 men on motorbikes intercepted Judge Shakirullah Marwat’s vehicle as he was traveling toward Dera...

Armed men kidnap a senior judge in Pakistan’s restive northwest

Apr. 28, 2024 14:51 PM EDT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Armed men ambushed and kidnapped a senior judge in Pakistan’s restive northwest, a police official said Sunday. Around 15 men on motorbikes intercepted Judge Shakirullah Marwat’s vehicle as he was traveling toward Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber...

US to pull troops from Chad and Niger as the African nations question its counterterrorism role

Apr. 25, 2024 16:13 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will pull the majority of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore key agreements governing what role there might be there for the American military and its counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said Thursday. Both African...

No final decision on withdrawing US troops from Niger and Chad, top official tells AP

Apr. 24, 2024 22:59 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — There has been no final decision on whether or not all U.S. troops will leave Niger and Chad, two African countries that are integral to the military's efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, a top U.S. military official told The Associated Press...

Suspects in the stabbing of an Iranian presenter fled UK after attack, counterterrorism police say

Apr. 03, 2024 04:46 AM EDT

LONDON (AP) — British counterterrorism police investigating the stabbing of a journalist who works for a TV channel critical of the Iranian government said that three suspects had fled the country within hours of the attack. Pouria Zeraati, a presenter at London-based Iran...