Table Of Contents

Introduction: A Brief History Of The Use Of Drones In The War Against Terror

While drones have been used for military purposes in one form or another since World War II, when they served as gunnery training targets,[1] their use increased greatly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Drones are capable of highly advanced surveillance,[2] and already used by law enforcement. They can carry various kinds of electronic equipment, including live-feed video cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, and radar.[3] Some military versions can stay in air for hours or days at a time, and their cameras can scan entire cities, or zoom in to focus on specific small objects from far away. They can also carry Wi-Fi crackers and fake cell phone towers that can determine location or intercept texts and phone calls. Drone manufacturers themselves acknowledge that they often are used to carry weapons such as Tasers or rubber bullets.[4]

The MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project has been monitoring jihadis' use of drones over the past decade, and has seen their advances in research and development culminating in the Islamic State (ISIS) Ninawa province's release, on January 24, 2017, of a 40-minute video showing its new weaponized drones (see The Islamic State (ISIS) – Developing Drone Capability, Intelligence And Reconnaissance, Using Drones In Attacks, below). Since this video came out, ISIS has carried out drone attacks on a nearly daily basis, and releasing videos and still photos of these attacks. This represents a major development in this area, and the MEMRI JTTM will be releasing further research on this issue in the future.**



A video released by ISIS's Salah Al-Din province in Iraq today, February 21, 2017, showed fighters learning how to weaponize drones in a class.

A Game Changer As A Weapon For The U.S. Against Jihadis

Drones' emergence in the war on terror was a game changer as a weapon for the U.S. After being used in 1991, in Operation Desert Storm, to acquire targets and direct fire,[5] in 1995 in Bosnia, Croatia, and Albania to monitor air bases, entrenchments, supply caches and troop movements,[6] and in Afghanistan, armed drone operations for military support were launched after 9/11. The first use of armed drones for a targeted killing was on February 4, 2002, in Paktia province in Afghanistan, near the city of Khost; the intended target was Osama bin Laden.[7] Over the past few months, ISIS has stepped up its focus on drones in its videos and its discussions, to the point where it is a major theme. Drone footage of its fighters' suicide operations feature frequently in its videos – sometimes specifically to inspire and promote more suicide operations.[8]

Drones Are Increasingly Easily Obtained, Sparking Major Security Alerts Worldwide

Because drones are so easily obtained today – for example, online retailer Amazon offers an extensive selection,[9] and drones are also an integral part of its plans for the future[10] – they are no longer used only by state militaries, but are now in the hands of private individuals – including jihadi and terrorist organizations. As of December 2016, Amazon began commercial drone deliveries.[11]

A new project by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Georgia Technical Institute aims to give soldiers the ability to 3D-print drones to specific specifications within 24 hours.[12] Thus, this is something that jihadis may aspire to as well, just as they aspired to master, and succeeded in mastering, other technologies.



Drones available on Amazon.com

Drones have sparked major security alerts all over the world, including in the U.S. – by flying over the White House;[13] the Washington Monument;[14] the Empire State Building;[15] Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Maine;[16] the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City;[17] the Savannah River Site nuclear facility in South Carolina;[18] the New York State Capitol in Albany;[19] and the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.[20] Internationally, there have been security alerts when drones flew over the Eiffel Tower in Paris; the Sainte-Assise naval command and control center, near Paris;[21] the Colosseum in Rome;[22] Calgary International Airport;[23] the Japanese prime 'minister's office;[24] and other places.

Weaponized Drones – A Growing Concern To U.S. And West

Jihadi and terrorist use of drones is of growing concern to the U.S. and her allies. In July 2015, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent an intelligence assessment to police agencies across the country warning that unmanned aircraft systems or drones could be used in the U.S. to advance terrorist activities. Law enforcement sources said that "emerging adversary use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems present detection and disruption challenges."[25]

A number of jihadi groups have released videos indicating that they have surveillance and reconnaissance drones. The surveillance drones allowed those groups to collect data on enemy bases, battlefield positioning and weaponry and improve targeting.[26] By late 2016, it was being reported that inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones had changed how jihadi groups fight. ISIS, for example, is fitting them with explosive charges and turning them into guided missiles.[27] According to the leader of the U.S. Army's Task Force Strike, which is advising Iraqi troops and other security forces fighting to retake Mosul from ISIS, ISIS is using drones to drop small bombs onto Iraqi security forces and civilians.[28] Hizbullah too has learned how to weaponize surveillance drones, and the two groups are now using them against each other in Syria, a U.S. military official and others say. A video posted on YouTube on September 3, 2016 claimed to show a bomb-equipped drone belonging to the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jund Al-Aqsa landing on Syrian military barracks.[29]

(To view the video, click above or here).



Stills from video of Jund Al-Aqsa drone

A video released August 9, 2016 by a Hizbullah-affiliated media outlet appeared to confirm that Hizbullah is using attack drones, showing drones dropping cluster bombs on three Syrian rebel positions outside Aleppo, in support of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The video is the first visual evidence that Hizbullah has used drones capable of carrying out bombings, though it has claimed to have the capacity since September 2014. The bombs in the video appear to be Chinese-made MZD-2 submunitions.[30]



Hizbullah drone bombs three Syrian rebel positions

(To view video, click above or here)

Speaking anonymously, a U.S. military official said that the U.S. military is aware of these developments. Commanders have warned troops to take cover if they see what they might have once dismissed as a surveillance drone, he said.[31] Media reports added that these videos are the first known demonstration of these capabilities by any militant groups.[32]

On October 2, 2016, Air Force Col. John Dorrian, the spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, said that an improvised device on a drone had exploded after it was taken back to a camp near the Iraqi city of Irbil. He added that the U.S. had seen jihadis use a variety of improvised drones and modified drones, that "there's nothing very high tech about them" and that "[t]hey can just buy them as anybody else would. Some of those are available on Amazon." On October 12, 2016, the Pentagon said that French and Kurdish forces in northern Iraq had been attacked by an exploding drone.[33] Chris Woods, the head of the Airwars project, which tracks the international air war in Iraq, said that the weaponized drones are clumsy but will scare people, and added: "There are a million ways you can weaponize drones – fire rockets, strap things in and crash them. This is the stuff everyone has been terrified about for years, and now it's a reality."[34]"This is an enemy that learns as it goes along," said Lt.-Gen. Sean MacFarland, who was top American military commander in Iraq up until August 2016.[35]

Following ISIS's January 24, 2017 release of its video of weaponized drones, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that it showed that ISIS had progressed in delivering improvised explosive devices. "In the end the IEDs are the terrorist’s artillery... This is a natural progression for IEDs... We should have seen this coming." Asked if ISIS was capable of attacking a U.S. city with multiple drones, Mr. Hunter said, "Of course." Mr. Hunter recently asked the Army to update him on what it is doing to defeat terrorist unmanned aerial vehicles. Following a classified January briefing the same day the video was released, he said that he is confident that the military in Iraq has deployed defenses that will defeat ISIS drones.

Prior to the release of the video, on January 18, 2017, then-Army Secretary Eric K. Fanning wrote to Mr. Hunter noting that the jihadi drone threat is increasing: "These advances present our adversaries with opportunities to quickly adjust and improve their tactics, and the Army must remain adaptive and agile to respond to the evolving threat," Mr. Fanning wrote. He added that the Army was testing more than 20 government and industry systems "designed to detect, identify and electronically defeat" enemy drones. Additionally, Air Force Col. John Dorrian said: "I am aware that ISIS has used commercial-off-the-shelf UAVs to drop small explosive weapons. This capability is dangerous and has propaganda value, but it will not change the fact that the enemy is being defeated in both Iraq and Syria."[36]

Pentagon's DARPA Developing Ways To "Address This Increasingly Important Issue" Of Drones

In August 2016, it was reported that the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) outlined its concerns about the impact of commercial drone technology on defense capabilities, particularly the protection of large and dispersed ground and naval forces where conventional weapons, such as missiles, might not be as effective in future. According to a DARPA program manager, the agency "is interested in identifying novel, flexible, and mobile layered defense systems and component technologies to address this increasingly important issue as well as conventional threats," and hopes the initiative will lead to a scalable and affordable approach within the next four years.[37] DARPA earlier this year kicked off its Gremlins program,[38] under which several aerospace firms will be producing technology to launch swarms of cheap drones from an aircraft for brief missions before returning to a carrier aircraft. The program aims to develop distributed airborne capabilities.[39]



DARPA is exploring how to defend against a swarm of attack drones. Image: DARPA , August 12, 2016.

U.S. Drone Policy – Unequivocally Successful In Killing Jihadi, Terrorist Leaders And Fighters From Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban, Al-Shabab

While today's U.S. drone policy has come under fire from Muslim and civil liberties groups, it has unequivocally succeeded in its mission to eliminate leading jihadi and terrorist elements, from Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State (ISIS). Among these are such well-known individuals as ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani,[40] British-Pakistani ISIS hacker and propagandist Junaid Hussain,[41] British ISIS fighter and executioner Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John,[42] American ISIS recruiters Abu Issa Al-Amriki and Umm Issa Al-Amrikiah,[43] ISIS leader of operations in Iraq Haji Mutazz,[44] and ISIS leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan Hafiz Saeed Khan.[45] Al-Qaeda operatives killed by drones have included Al-Qaeda Yemeni-American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, American Al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn along with U.S. citizen and Al-Qaeda operative Ahmed Farouq,[46] U.S. citizen and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operative Samir Khan, and many other AQAP leaders – deputy leader Abu Khayr Al-Masri in February 2017, emir of Abyan, Yemen Jalal Al-Seydi in December 2016,[47] senior military commander Hamza Al-Zinjbari in February 2016, leader Nasser Al-Wuhaishi in June 2015, senior commander Nasr Al-Ansi in May 2015, senior religious official Ibrahim Al-Rubaish in April 2015, senior religious scholar Hareth Al-Nazari in January 2015, deputy commander Saeed Al-Shihri in July 2013, and senior religious official Adel Al-Abbab in October 2012. Also killed by U.S. drones were Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour,[48] Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud,[49] and Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.[50] U.S. drones have also eliminated other jihadis from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and more countries, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The U.S. has also targeted jihadi drone centers in the ISIS "caliphate"; for example, between November 28 and December 1, 2014, coalition airstrikes struck an "electronic warfare garrison" in Al-Raqqa, Syria,[51] and on December 12, 2015, U.S. CENTCOM reported that one of its military airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq the previous day had "struck an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS building and an ISIS drone" near Manbij, Syria.[52]

When the U.S. launched its strategy of targeting Al-Qaeda personnel using drones immediately after 9/11 – including, on October 16, 2001, its targeted killing of senior Al-Qaeda operative Khalid Habib[53] – the organization began investing major efforts in attempts to hack into drones and to stop them by other technological means. However, the first terrorist groups to use drones were Hizbullah and Hamas. Jihadi groups from Al-Qaeda to ISIS have collected downed or crashed U.S. drones and used the technology, while Iran has for some time been supplying Hizbullah and Hamas with drones.

Drones Today A Strategic Cyber Element For Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban, Houthis, Hizbullah, Hamas, Others

Today, drones are a strategic cyber element for not only Al-Qaeda but for ISIS, the Taliban, the Houthis in Yemen, and other jihadi organizations in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and elsewhere. As jihadis began using drones, they also began to share technology with each other – including technology they obtained from U.S. drones.

In December 2009, it was reported that Iran-backed Iraqi militants had hacked into video feeds of American Predator and Shadow drones.[54] They passed what they found on to Hizbullah.[55] This was a precedent for Iran's provision of drones and drone technology to Hizbullah for use in Syria and to the Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Yemen. For example, on January 20, 2016, Shi'ite Houthi rebels shot down a U.S. drone over the Yemeni capital Sana'a. A video showed them launching a Russian S-75 Dvina missile.[56]

(To view video, click above or here)



Right: Houthi rebels aim missile at drone; left: the downed drone

In a February 10, 2017 speech broadcast on Al-Alam TV, Houthi leader Abd Al-Malik Al-Houthi said: "With the grace of Allah, [our people] has managed... important and quality achievement: It has begun to produce drones."

(To view video, click above or here)

Jihadi Groups May Be Using Advanced Electronic Systems To Protect Their Drones

Jihadi groups may have also begun using advanced electronic systems to protect their drones from being shot down. A drone claimed by Hizbullah that was sent into Israeli airspace from Syria on July 17, 2016, which Israel's Patriot surface-to-air missiles and possibly an air-to-air missile failed to bring down, is thought by some to have been equipped with such a system. The drone was identified by "military and intelligence sources" as a Yasir, an Iranian copy of the Boeing Insitu Scan Eagle drone.[57] According to reports, the alleged Hizbullah drone exhibited atypical maneuverability, supporting claims that it was using advanced electronic systems from the U.S. that were based on an American ScanEagle drone intercepted over Iran on December 12, 2012. Iran has said that it reverse-engineered the design to create the Yasir, which it supplied to Hizbullah, and it has also been reported that cyber warfare specialists from China are responsible for upgrades to it.[58]



Yasir aerial drone . Photo: Fars, Iran; source: Chinatopix, October 7, 2016.

Al-Qaeda Leaders Had Distributed "Strategy Guide" To Operatives Around The World Advising Them How "To Anticipate And Defeat" Unmanned Aircraft.

As noted, the U.S.'s drone efforts against jihadi organizations have been successful – they have decimated the Al-Qaeda leadership and eliminated key ISIS figures, impacting how these organizations operate and plan.

In July 2010, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), a U.S. spy agency, intercepted electronic communications indicating that senior Al-Qaeda leaders had distributed a "strategy guide" to operatives around the world advising them how "to anticipate and defeat" unmanned aircraft. The agency reported that Al-Qaeda was sponsoring simultaneous research projects to develop jammers to interfere with GPS signals and infrared tags that drone operators rely on to pinpoint missile targets. According to the report, other projects in the works included the development of small radio-controlled aircraft, or hobby planes, which insurgents apparently saw as having potential for monitoring the flight patterns of U.S. drones. DIA analysts also noted that they believed that Al-Qaeda "cell leadership is tracking the progress of each project and can redirect components from one project to another." That same year, the CIA noted in a report that Al-Qaeda was placing special emphasis on the recruitment of technicians and that "the skills most in demand" included expertise in drones and missile technology.[59]

President Obama's Drone Policy Declassified

In August 2016, President Obama's drone policy was revealed in a newly declassified document that included administration guidelines setting out how he approved operational plans to target overseas terrorist suspects with drones or other weapons outside war zones.[60] The document set out the role of the president, emphasized "verifying" the identity of high-value targets, and set out the criteria and legality of striking unidentified others when "necessary to achieve U.S. policy objectives."[61] The previous month, the administration said that it had inadvertently killed 64 to 116 civilians in drone and other lethal air attacks against terrorism suspects in non-war zones, in addition to 2,372 to 2,581 "combatants" in 473 strikes in countries where the U.S. is not at war. Although it did not name the countries, they include Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya. The figures do not include deaths in ground operations, such as the one that killed Osama bin Laden and four others in Pakistan in 2011, or operations in the administration-designated war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.[62]

The U.S. State Department began asking countries to sign onto a set of international norms for the sale and use of armed drone systems; in late August 2016, department officials met with delegates from various nations at the Arms Trade Conference to discuss the matter. Additionally, the State Department's draft "Proposed Joint Declaration of Principles for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)" was sent to a number of international allies of the U.S, according to a department official, who would not confirm if any countries had agreed to sign. The document lays out five key principals for international norms, including the "applicability of International law" and human rights when using armed drones; commitment to following existing arms control laws when considering selling armed unmanned systems; when exporting armed drones, first considering the "recipient country's history regarding adherence to international obligations and commitments"; that countries that export unmanned strike systems follow "appropriate transparency measures"; and that there be a resolution to "ensure these capabilities are transferred and used responsibly by all States." That language is likely well below what anti-drone advocates and the arms control community would like to see, but the State Department official said the document represents only an "important first step" toward creating international standards for drone exports.[63]

Trump's Incoming National Security Team And Drones

During his election campaign, President Trump said that he would continue the Obama administration's policy of using drones to eliminate terror leaders overseas. In May 2016, he said: "I have to do what's right. I will do what's right. As far as drones are concerned, yes. To take out terrorists."[64]

SOME KEY POINTS IN THIS REPORT ARE:

Jihadi discussions about drones on social media, websites, and forums, on topics such as: planning attacks on U.S. drone bases, hacking drones, modifying commercially available drones, building homemade drones, and developing methods to disrupt and down Western and rival jihadi groups' drones, and more.



Jihadi claims of hacks of U.S. and other drones for various purposes, including U.S. and Western military drones, and for targeting individuals accused of selling information to the U.S. for facilitating drone attacks; social media posts by Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other groups show these spies executed and crucified.



Documentation of Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden's and Ayman Al-Zawahiri's fear of drones, showing the U.S. drone program's far-reaching impact on Al-Qaeda's operations.



Jihadis target U.S. drone command centers – among them Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).



Jihadis' use of drones for surveillance and bombing of jihadi opponents, filming battles, reconnaissance, and more .



U.S. officials' concerns about drones equipped with IEDs and cameras and about the use of drones for reconnaissance, propaganda, and fighting; Pentagon efforts to develop counter-drone capabilities. Jihadi reactions to U.S. drone attacks, including sharing information for disrupting and downing drones and proposals such as using Amazon-style octocopter to deliver explosives.



Jihadi use of drones to conduct battles and coordinate fighting during attacks, beginning with ISIS's attack on the Baiji oil refinery complex in Iraq in December 2014.



ISIS's and other groups' use of drone video footage to plan attacks and develop military strategies.



ISIS and other educational systems' teaching of children about drones, about fearing them, and about their use – for example, schoolbooks showing a drone flying over New York City.



Jihadis' easy access, including online, to drones from hobbyist level to military grade.



The following report will show how jihadis use drones, the impact of U.S. and Western drone efforts against jihadi groups, and jihadi communications, including on social media, focusing on drones, sharing and collaborating on hacking and adapting drones, and more. As noted, jihadi use of drones is of great concern to the U.S. authorities, particularly because they are so easily available – order online and receive it the next day. We know that major jihadi organizations are currently experimenting with drones in hopes of using them against targets in the U.S. and the West; while they have had limited success so far, Western counterterrorism efforts need to be ready and need to be coming up with solutions.

Hizbullah – First Terror Organization To Use Drones

2004-2006: Hizbullah's First Use Of Drones

The Lebanon-based pro-Iran Shi'ite group Hizbullah's first use of drones came in November of 2004, when an Iranian Mirsad-1 drone flew over Israel from Lebanon, hovered over the Western Galilee city of Nahariya for about 20 minutes, and returned to Lebanon before Israel could intercept it. The Mirsad-1 is an updated version of the early Mohajer drone used for reconnaissance against Iraqi troops during the Iran-Iraq War. Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah claimed that the Mirsad-1 could strike "anywhere, deep, deep" into Israel with 40 to 50 kilograms of explosives.[65] According to reports, Hizbullah has some 200 Iranian-made UAVs, including those capable of low-altitude flights to avoid radar detection.[66]

Hizbullah's second drone flight took place in April 2005. It made an 18-mile incursion into Israeli airspace and flew back to Lebanon before the IAF could intercept it. That same month, NBC reported that Israeli and American intelligence officials believed that Iran had given Hizbullah some six drones.[67]



Left, a Hizbullah drone flight into Israel, on Al-Manar TV; right, an Iranian drone alleged to have been given to Hizbullah; NBC, April 12, 2005

Hizbullah's third drone mission was in August 2006, during the Israel-Lebanon war, when Hizbullah sent three Ababil drones, each carrying 40-50 kg of explosives, to Israel. Israeli F-16s shot down the drones, one outside of Haifa, another in the western Galilee, and a third in Lebanon near Tyre.[68]

December 2009: Iran-Backed Iraqi Militants Hack Video Feeds Of U.S. Drones, Share Information With Hizbullah

In December 2009, it was reported that Iran-backed Iraqi militants had hacked into video feeds of American Predator and Shadow drones.[69] It was reported later, in 2012, by Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV, that the militants had passed what they found on to Hizbullah.[70]

(To view the video, click here or above)

The following is the transcript of the Al-Manar report:

Reporter: "This American reconnaissance plane is in the hands of the Iraqi resistance. This is an achievement that the resistance has pulled out of its hat – one of dozens of qualitative achievements that the U.S. occupation army has not dared to acknowledge throughout its time in Iraq. This state-of-the-art Predator plane fell into the hands of the resistance in Basra, following surveillance activity that led to this achievement."

Abu Taher, commander in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq: "The operation was carried out in Basra. The brothers in operations have been monitoring the flight of this plane over Basra. They drew up a detailed plan to bring down this plane, but I can't go into the details. As we can see, the plane was brought down intact, and that proves the level of excellence attained by the resistance. The operation has shown the enemy the extent of the resistance's superiority over its electronic equipment."

Reporter: "In 2009, this hi-tech plane was described as the most suitable plane for spying on so-called 'terrorists.' It excels in its surveillance and in the time it can stay in the air."

Abu Taher: "This plane can stay in the air for 40 hours. The American occupation army uses it in Iraq. This remote-controlled plane carries out reconnaissance flights and sends the pictures it takes to the control compound. As we can see, this plane is equipped with very sensitive cameras. It can operate at all times and in all weather conditions."

Reporter: "Abu Taher stresses that the operation was achieved by Iraqis."

Abu Taher: "Our battle with the enemy is largely one of will and wit. The success of this operation has shown everyone that a group of believers can overcome the enemy's equipment and technology. It has proven to the world that U.S. superiority is nothing but media hype."

August 2010: Hizbullah Claims It Hacked Israeli Drone In 1996

On August 10, 2010, Hizbullah claimed to have obtained footage from an Israeli drone, and implied that it had successfully hacked one as early as 1996. Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah said that the feeds from the drone had helped Hizbullah fighters ambush and kill 12 Israeli commandos in southern Lebanon in 1997, an incident known as the Shayetet Disaster.

October 2012: Hizbullah Captures Images Of Israeli Nuclear Facility

On October 6, 2012, Israeli F-16s intercepted a Hizbullah drone in Israeli airspace and shot it down. Nasrallah told Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV that the drone had been assembled in Lebanon but was made in Iran. Following an investigation, Israel reported that the drone had been launched from Lebanon and had reached the Negev in the south, covering some 300 kilometers, before being shot down. Because its range exceeded 200 km, it is considered a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone.

The drone reportedly captured images of Israel's nuclear facility in Dimona,[71] as well as ballistic missile sites, airfields, and preparations by the Israeli military for joint exercises with the U.S.[72] According to a report, the first attempt by the Israeli F-16s to shoot down the drone with a Python IV missile failed; the drone thus survived an attack by what is considered to be the most advanced missile in the world.[73]

October 11, 2012: Hizbullah Airs Drone Videos On Its Al-Manar TV

Video Animation Of Path Of Drone Shot Down By Israel

On October 11, 2012, Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV aired a video animation simulating the flight path of the drone shot down by Israel the previous week. The film shows the simulated drone flying over the Mediterranean and capturing imagery of U.S. and Israeli warships, and then entering Israeli airspace over the Gaza-Ashkelon area, documenting Israeli security forces, and avoiding detection by Israeli radar.[74]

(To view video, click here or above)

The following are the English subtitles added by Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV to the narration in Arabic:

First speaker: "Firstly, we named the drone 'Ayyoub' after the (Islamic) Prophet. Secondly, to immortalize the name of our dear martyr, brother Hussein Ayyoub."

Second speaker: "What was the course of the surveillance plane launched by the Resistance? This 3D image outlines the path of the plane which set off from some location. As seen, the course was over the Mediterranean towards the southern coast of Occupied Palestine. Striking remained the capability to infiltrate the operational area and airspace of the enemy. The operational area is an airspace which refers to the reach and control area of air defense systems. This area stretches 150 km towards the heart of the sea. The airspace is usually the legal space for any state, spreading about 70 km above the sea. The plane roamed above the sea near Occupied Palestine, where International fleets maintain stationed. American, Western, and Israeli fleets are present, intending to protect the enemy's entity. The plane infiltrated enemy air defense systems extensively stationed in Occupied Palestine. In addition, the surveillance plane managed to surpass all radar monitoring devices. The plane roamed over future oil and gas installations, to be built over oilfields as announced by the enemy. These three penetration points illustrate the confusion of Israeli intelligence and media outlets. According to their data, each point could be the point of penetration, either through point A, B or C. Infiltration from these points follows evasion of Iron Dome surrounding Gaza, failing to detect the drone. Likewise, it roamed prominent military bases in the southern part of Occupied Palestine. For example, Airspace Command and bases such as the Hatsreem Base among others. Penetration from any one of these three points, led the plane to the outskirts of a large military base. Then prior to reaching Dimona, spawned interception, eventually identified by an optical monitoring system. This after repeated failures of enemy radar and intelligence systems in detecting the plane."

First speaker: "This plane is not Russian, but Iranian designed. Produced, assembled by Lebanese expert cadres from Hizbullah."

Video Animation Of Drone Over Israeli Airspace

Another video, released October 15, 2012, showed an animation of a drone flying over Israeli airspace, ostensibly capturing images of Israeli and international warships in the Mediterranean sea, as well as of IDF land assets and installations.[75]

(To view video, click here or above)

April 25, 2013: Israel Shoots Down Hizbullah Drone Near Haifa

On April 25, 2013, Israel shot down a drone believed to have been launched by Hizbullah five nautical miles off the coast of the northern port of Haifa mission. The drone was believed to have originated from the Lebanese coast.[76]



Israeli naval vessel and helicopter search for wreckage of Hizbullah drone. [77]

September 21, 2014: Hizbullah Carries Out Drone Strike In Syria

On September 21, 2014, it was reported that Hizbullah had successfully carried out a drone strike against Jabhat Al-Nusra in Arsal, Syria, killing 23 fighters.[78] This was the first time Hizbullah had carried out an airstrike against enemy targets, and with the strike, it became the first non-nation-state entity to carry out an armed drone attack.[79]

(To view the video, click here or above)



Still from video

April 27, 2015: Hizbullah Airstrip For Drones Revealed

On April 27, 2015, Janes Defense Weekly reported on evidence of an Hizbullah airstrip for drones, including a ground command station, in the northern Beqa'a Valley in Lebanon.[80] According to the report, the strip is located in a remote and sparsely populated area 10 km south of the town of Hermel and 18 km west of the Syrian border, and was built sometime between February 27, 2013 and June 19, 2014, according to imagery that is now publicly available on Google Earth. Hizbullah sources confirmed to Janes that the organization is using drones to support operations against rebel forces in Syria, particularly over the mountainous Qalamoun region on Lebanon's eastern border.



Google Earth image of Hizbullah airstrip

Hamas – Using Iran-Made Drones, Developing Its Own

November 17, 2012: Israeli Air Force Destroys Drone Facilities In Gaza

The Palestinian terror group Hamas, which controls Gaza, has used drones for the past five years. One of the first incidents involving drones in Gaza was on November 17, 2012, when the Israel Air Force destroyed eight Hamas drone development and storage facilities in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, with partially-developed drones among the destroyed targets.[81] The attack came in response to undated footage that allegedly showed a drone test flight in Khan Yunis.[82] The IDF said that the destroyed drones were in the advanced stages of development, and that the infrastructure had been part of "extremely significant strategic capabilities" that Hamas had called a top objective. The drones that had been destroyed reportedly could have reached a distance of dozens of kilometers from the Gaza Strip, including Greater Tel Aviv and covering the entire Tel Aviv metropolitan area.[83]



Targeting of drone facilities in Gaza, November 16, 2012

Another Hamas drone incident was in October 2013, when members of a Hamas terror cell that had been planning to fly armed drones into Israel from Hebron were arrested after launching several test flights for the drone.[84] In March 2014, Hamas-linked Twitter accounts posted images of a captured Israeli Skylark drone.[85]

October 25, 2013: Hamas Terror Cell Planned To Attack Israel With Drone IED

On October 25, 2013, it was reported that a Hamas terror cell planning to fly armed drones into Israel from Hebron had been arrested near the same city. The Hamas operatives had already flown several test flights for the drone, and had planned to attach explosives to it in order to attack Israel.[86]

March 11, 2014: Hamas Tweets Images of Recovered Israeli Drone That Crashed

On March 11, 2014, a Twitter account linked to Hamas's military wing Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, @Qassam_Arabic, released several photos of an Israeli Skylark drone that had crashed due to malfunction.

While the Popular Resistance Committees were the first to obtain the drone once it crashed, Hamas security officials quickly reached them and took the drone.[87] It was reportedly the fourth Israeli drone recovered by Hamas.[88]



Photos from the tweet

Hamas released a video of the recovered drone:

(To view video, click here or above)



Stills from the video

July 14, 2014: Hamas Sends Iranian-Made Drones Into Israel

On July 14, 2014, Israel reported that it had shot down a drone launched by Hamas near Ashdod, Israel.[89] Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades said that the drone was an Iranian-made Ababil-1, named after the mythical birds in the Koran that dropped stones on an army advancing on Mecca.[90] The Abalil-1 was developed by Iran for tactical reconnaissance, short/medium range attacks and as a target drone.[91] Hamas said that it had three models of drones capable of surveillance, launching missiles, and nose-diving at targets.[92]

Video released by Hamas on its Al-Aqsa TV channel showed the drone clearly armed with four air-to-ground missiles (AGM). The missiles are reportedly very similar to those carried by the Fortros, the largest Iranian drone to date.[93]

The drone was downed by Israel's Patriot missile defense battery over Ashkelon. On July 17, 2014, Hamas claimed responsibility for the drone. It said it had launched several drones from Gaza, and that the intended targets had included the Defense Ministry compound in Tel Aviv. It was the first time the group publicly acknowledged that it had drones in its arsenal.[94]



" Breaking: Al-Qassam: our planes have conducted a specific mission during one of their flights above the building of the Zionist ministry of war"; "Breaking: Al-Qassam: Ababil 1 Jet with three functions. (A1A) for surveillance missions. (A1B) for dropping-attacking missions. (A1C) for suicide-attacking missions"; "Al-Qassam Brigades announce that its engineers have managed, with the grace of Allah the Almighty, to manufacture Unmanned Aerial Vehicles named 'Ababil.'"

(To view the video, click here or above)

December 14, 2014: Hamas Features Drone In Anniversary Parade

In a December 14, 2014 military parade marking its 27th anniversary, Hamas flew an Ababil drone over the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the Ababil drones are made in the Gaza Strip.[95]

(To view video, click here or above)

April 17, 2015: Photos Of Hamas Ababil Drone Monument Posted On Facebook

On April 17, 2015, photos of a monument of a Hamas Ababil drone were posted on the Liberation Pioneer Camps Facebook page. The page is dedicated to camps for recruiting young Gazans to join Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades. The post included a link to an article on the website of the Al-Qassam Brigades about the drone.[96]



"A memorial in the Shijia neighborhood to the Al-Qassam plane Ababil"

August 12, 2015: Hamas Says It Commandeered Israeli Drone

On August 12, 2015, Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV released a video of what it said was a Skylark1 drone made by the Israeli company Elbit, stating that the drone had been found and reconfigured on July 22.[97] The video shows a member of Hamas's military wing, Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, picking it up and repairing it. A social media campaign celebrated the capture and use of the drone; on Twitter, it was spread under the hashtag #Qassam_creative_youths.[98]



Stills from the video: "Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades seized a drone plane model Skylark1 which belongs to the Zionist enemy on July 22, 2015"; "Skylark 1 belongs to the infantry of the ground forces; each brigade's commander has one under his control"; "It is used in electronic surveying missions, thermal and photograph imaging and target monitoring"; Al-Qassam Brigades member with the drone.

May 30, 2016: Israeli Security Forces Confiscate Gaza-Bound Drone Shipment

On May 30, 2016, Israel's Defense Ministry announced that Israeli security forces had intercepted a mailed shipment of 10 motorized drones thought to be intended for terrorist purposes. Also confiscated were a transmitter and receiver used to transmit video signals at 5.8GHz signal, which is not approved for use in Israel and the Palestinian Authorities. According to the report, over the previous few weeks, terror organizations in Gaza had been caught attempting to send weapons and drones through the mail, and security forces had seen drones being sent in disassembled pieces; also, dozens of attempts to send weapons by mail had been thwarted by security checks.[99]

December 15, 2016: Tunisian Aviation Engineer Who Pioneered Hamas Drone Program Killed In Tunisia

Both the Arab world and Iran have well-known scientists and engineers who have supported the drone programs of groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah. One such notable figure was the Tunisian aviation engineer and drone expert Muhammad Al-Zoari, whose killing on December 15, 2016 near his home in Sfax, Tunisia was attributed to Israel by Hamas, Tunisian media, and other sources.[100] In its announcement of his death on its website, Hamas's Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades identified him as having "overseen the project of the Qassam drones (Ababil) which had been unveiled during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014."[101] The Al-Qassam Brigades website posted a collection of photos of Al-Zoari working on drones.[102] Photos of Al-Zoari were also posted on the Al-Qassam Telegram channel, including one of a Gaza City billboard with his photo that was captioned: "A billboard at the Al-Saraya intersection in the middle of Gaza City mourning the Al-Qassami [i.e. Al-Qassam Brigades member], the martyr engineer Muhammad Al-Zoari." Al-Zoari had also, according to Lebanese and other reports, helped Hizbullah develop drone technology.[103]

"#Picture | A billboard at the Al-Saraya intersection in the middle of Gaza City mourning the Al-Qassami [i.e. Al-Qassam Brigades member], the martyr engineer Muhammad Al-Zoari."

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) – Hacking Into Drones

March 25, 2016: Palestinian Islamic Jihad Hacker Indicted For Hacking Israeli Drone Video Feeds

Hamas is not the only Palestinian terrorist organization working on drones; Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is also known to have hackers. On March 25, 2016, it was reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) member Majed bin Juwad Oydeh, who had been arrested by Israeli forces earlier in the year, had been indicted for hacking the video feeds of Israeli army drones from 2011 to 2014, as well as of Israel's Road Safety Authority CCTV camera system so that the PIJ could study the movements of Israeli civilians and soldiers, and to aid in real-time targeting of rocket launches from the Gaza Strip. According to the reports, Oydeh also hacked into the Israeli Interior Ministry's database in 2015, to obtain information about individuals who could be recruited, and, in 2013, into video feeds at Ben Gurion Airport to obtain video feeds and flight information for planning rocket strikes.[104]

In a video interview, he discussed his work for PIJ as a teen, and said that he wanted to continue his hacking attempts against Israel.[105]

Taliban – Focus On Anti-Drone Technology And Hacking Drones

The Taliban, the Sunni and largely Pashtun fundamentalist group in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, have for years been emphasizing the importance of drones in its fight; not only do they use them themselves, but they work on ways of protecting their fighters from them, even appealing to Muslims to help them, and also focus on downing them to examine their technology. The organization includes the official Taliban, its shadow government the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban.

March 2013: First Issue Of English-Language Taliban Magazine Azan Appeals To Islamic Hackers For Help In Defeating Drone Technology, Says Iraqi Mujahideen Are Working On Hacking Drones

Following U.S. drone strikes against them, Taliban fighters appealed to Islamic hackers for help in defeating drone technology. "Any opinions, thoughts, ideas, and practical implementations to defeat this drone technology must be communicated to us as early as possible, because these would aid the Ummah greatly in its war against the Crusader-Zionist enemy," the Taliban said in an article published in the first issue of its English-language Azan – Call To Jihad magazine, dated March 2013.

Articles in the magazine, "The Drone Chain," by known jihadi writer Jaffer Hussain, and "On U-Turns And The Pakistan Army Doctrine," by Ikrimah Anwar, focus on the tragedy brought by the U.S. drone strikes, and how poor people in the Pakistani tribal region are paid to plant targeting chips, leading to the drone attacks. Hussain blames the Pakistani military for assisting in the U.S. drone program.

"The Drone Chain" calls upon Muslims to provide assistance to defeat the drone technology, noting: "These drones can be hacked and manipulated, as evidenced by the efforts of the Iraq mujahideen. Furthermore, they can be destroyed using various technologies that the mujahideen are working on. But the Muslims of the world must question themselves as to what role they are playing in helping these innocent Muslims with the abilities that Allah has given them. This is a call to anyone in the Islamic ummah with knowledge, expertise, and theories regarding anti-drone technology. The Ummah is not short of brilliant minds – from the millions of Muslims that live all over the world, there would possibly be quite a few who would assist their brothers in combating these evil missiles designed by the devils of the world.

"Any opinions, thoughts, ideas, and practical implementations to defeat this drone technology must be communicated to us as early as possible because these would aid the Ummah greatly in its war against the Crusader-Zionist enemy," the article adds.

"On U-Turns And The Pakistan Army Doctrine" criticizes the Pakistani military's recent move to focus on the Taliban on the Afghan border by deprioritizing India, which has been traditionally the number one enemy, and observes: "The Pakistan Army recently published their new army doctrine, that marked a curious day in the history of its existence. The doctrine states that the 'Army is turning its face away from ominous eastern borders [against India], looking now to disruptive western [Afghan] borders, and deeming internal [terrorist] threats as being more pressing than external, (i.e. Indian) aggression.'"

The article traces the Pakistan Army's role against jihadi forces, its operations in Baluchistan, the fighting against east Pakistanis and defeat in 1971, the post-2001 role as an ally of the Crusaders, the 2007 military operation against armed female students of Red Mosque and Jamia Hafsa madrassa in Islamabad, etc., in order to stress that the Pakistani military has been working for infidels.

It continues: "For the Muslim Ummah, this drone problem represents a challenge. With the death of so many Muslim assets, this is one of the utmost important issues that the Ummah must unite and come up with an answer to."

Stating that the U.S. has been defeated in face-to-face fighting in Afghanistan and is therefore using morally questionable drone technology, the article added: "These drones represent both the inability and cowardice of the American soldiers to face the mujahideen in front-on battle..." It goes on to accuse Islamic nations such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia of facilitating the use of drones against the mujahideen: "These drone attacks frequently target other areas of the mujahideen such as Yemen, etc. In fact, according to reports, these drones that target the mujahideen of Yemen are actually operated from bases in Saudi Arabia! The land of the Prophet Muhammad is being used for killing the call of Tawheed [monotheism]! Truly, a shame upon the Ummah..."

Arguing that it is a religious duty for Muslims to help, the article quotes the Prophet Muhammad as saying: "The Muslim who does not help another Muslim in a situation where his (the latter's) respect and honor is violated, then Allah does not help him when he needs Allah's help. And the Muslim who helps a Muslim in a situation when the latter's respect and honor is violated, then Allah will help him when he asks Allah for help."

The article also blames the Pakistani military for facilitating the U.S. drone strikes from secret bases in Pakistan and also laments that the poor in Pakistani tribal region are bribed with cash to plant chips on the hideouts and cars of jihadi leaders.[106]

August 2013: In Issue III Of Azan, German Militant Recounts Radicalization, And Meeting With Al-Awlaki, And Says: "Brothers Are Working On Anti-Drone Technology"

In an interview in Issue III of the Taliban magazine Azan, published in August 2013, German-Moroccan militant "Abu Adam" described his upbringing in Germany and discussed how Al-Qaeda videos helped in his radicalization, inspiring him to move to Yemen and to meet with the late Yemeni-American Al-Qaeda leader Sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki. Noting that the jihadis are working on a technology to counter the U.S. drones and that new jihadi youth are joining in this mission. He also reveals that 100 Germans have migrated to Syria to join the ranks of the jihadis there.

In reply to a question about the scope of jihad following the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Abu Adam said: "We have to understand that this is not a war only between the Afghan borderlines. It is a global war. So it will go on – for the enemy and for us. When they go out, we will fight against them wherever we find them."

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Azan: "Now let us speak about an issue that has been the subject of debate in media and military circles for quite a while... Drones... Tell us how effective the American drone strikes have been in avoiding civilian casualties and how are the mujahideen dealing with them?"

Abu Adam: "Well, the drones are a test from Allah. The money that they will save after withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan will be spent on expanding their drone program. Once they leave, this drone program will act as their continued presence. Insha Allah, the mujahideen will attack these drone airbases with ease. And this has happened before. For instance, the mujahideen received intelligence that there was a drone control room in Marriott Hotel Islamabad, Pakistan. So there was a martyrdom attack on the hotel to eliminate the threat.

"Similarly, the CIA headquarters in Khost which also served as a drone control center was eliminated by the help of Allah in the martyrdom attack by brother Abu Dajana... 18 CIA agents were killed in that attack. From a technological perspective, various brothers are working on anti-drone technology and a lot of new brothers are coming to the jihadi fields and joining the mujahideen ranks to work against drones. Furthermore, I call the Ummah – especially to those living in the areas where the government is supporting the drone program – to rise up against their crusader-friendly regimes and attack them..."

December 2013: Afghan Taliban Statement On U.S. Drone Policy: "America Is No Longer A Military Power... It Can No Longer Assert Itself Militarily"

In December 2013, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government in the country) published a statement analyzing U.S. drone policy and arguing that the U.S. had lost hope of winning wars militarily, abandoning the battleground to the mujahideen. This Taliban view was similar to the view held by Osama bin Laden, who, following the U.S. exit from Somalia, said that America could no longer risk its soldiers. The statement also notes that the Taliban's commanders had scaled back their appearance in public to avoid drones. Following are excerpts from the statement:

"In recent years, we have seen an intensification of the Americans' reliance on drone warfare... After the 9/11 attacks on American soil, the American politicians embarked on a series of aggressive campaigns. They imagined that they would win a quick and successive series of campaigns in the Islamic world and thereby permanently change the geo-strategic scale in their favor. Instead, after more than a decade of waging war and committing atrocities, the U.S. has finally come to realize that its military adventures have proved nothing short of a debacle... As a result... the U.S. has... been demoted to the position of a regional power that needs the cooperation of other regional powers when operating outside its own sphere of influence...

"For the past 14 years, the U.S. military has tried every trick in the book in order to defeat their self-proclaimed opponents. Nowhere has this been more true that in the case of Afghanistan...

"After a decade of futile fighting the U.S... the Obama regime has given up all hope of... defeating the Afghan nation... However, conscious of maintaining at least a semblance of continuing this war, the Obama regime has instead resorted to using unmanned drones that are both inexpensive financially and non-costly in terms of human lives. When we look at the issue in this context, it becomes quite clear why the U.S. has intensified and expanded their drone operations..."

"To Obama and his supporters, the drones must be quite a publicity stunt. Firstly, these unmanned planes are quite inexpensive compared to other strategies (such as flying thousands of soldiers into Afghanistan and not yielding any tangible benefit). Secondly, these drones are hard to shoot down and even when shot down they do not result in any casualties... Thirdly, when these drone strikes do martyr a high-profile target, it provides excellent publicity for Obama, as he can pretend to be waging, and winning, a successful counter-insurgency campaign.

"However, Obama and his military advisors must be keenly aware that they are risking grave long-term detriments in exchange for gaining these short-term benefits. That this drone strategy is short-sighted is undisputable. Why Obama would continue this short-sighted policy can be explained by the nature of democracy where winning the next election is often more important than securing the long-term interests of the nation. It is worth keeping in mind that these drone strikes have only been able to target those that have been very active in the public sphere and thus prone to be targeted through a number of means. The drone strikes have virtually been of no use against targeting the more important symbolic leaders of the opposition to the American aggressors. Any [jihadi] leaders that suspect being targeted by drone planes inevitably retract their public profile and instead delegate their operational duties to other less known associates. In other words, most of those targeted by these drone strikes are operational commanders. The targeting of these commanders cannot disrupt any of their activities because these commanders always nurture several delegates who are able to take over and resume activities in the event of the death or capture of any operational commanders.

"The disadvantages of these drone strikes, however, stem from two fatal weaknesses. Drone strikes are inherently unreliable and indiscriminate... Due to these two weaknesses, drone strikes cause disproportionate civilian casualties. These high proportion of civilian casualties in effect ferment a lot of hatred against the U.S. in the affected areas... [where the residents] begin to view the Americans as a discriminate and immoral force that is willing to sacrifice the lives of the locals in order to attack a small number of their enemies. This in turn drives a lot of the civilian populace, especially from amongst the young, into the arms of the mujahideen. Not only that but more importantly, these drone strikes work with a double edge because they illustrate that the host government of these areas, often allied with the U.S., lack full sovereignty and are unable or unwilling to protect their own citizens. Thus the drone strikes unwittingly undermine support for the very same government that they intended to shore up support for through these strikes.

"However, fundamentally, the drone strategy betrays a far more crucial fact than mere tactical failure. What it shows is that America is no longer a military power confident of itself. It can no longer assert itself militarily. The financial and military cost of a counter-insurgency [campaign] means that the U.S. has abandoned all hope of defeating its self-proclaimed opponents militarily... [and is now] undermining what little American credibility there is left in these countries. The people of the drone-affected areas have now come to see what the U.S. truly is – a paper tiger with a superficial claim to be the greatest empire of all time..."

March 28, 2014: Article In Issue V Of English-Language Taliban Magazine Azan On "Counter-Drone Strategy"

The cover story of the fifth issue of the Taliban's English-language magazine Azan, released March 28, 2014, was titled "Counter-Drone Strategy" and authored by Jaffer Hussain. In it, he wrote: "We call on our skillful Muslim brothers who are engineers and scientists to come forward and try their best in figuring out how to break the link between drone and GPS. Experiment in whichever part of the world you live and if it's successful, make a complete video demonstration of the process, upload it on the web and make it password protected. Then send that link and password to us. Or simply make a good... PowerPoint [presentation] and send it to us. Even if you have made good progress in the experiment but encountered some complication in it then send it to us, maybe we can suggest something useful to you."[107]

Hussain added, "Our brothers who are computer engineers and programmers – who can hack into the private encrypted network of the Pentagon, try your best to do so. ... If only one brother takes the initiative and attempts to hack the Pentagon, he'll set an excellent example for other brothers to follow suit... The security check[s] in Muslim countries of Middle East, Subcontinent [of India and Pakistan], and Africa is relatively low as compared to the Western kafir countries. So for example, if you are a university student in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) you can download Azan magazine or Inspire magazine from the Internet, print it, and distribute it safely in your university or masjid [mosque]. Make a fake Facebook account and create a page for Azan magazine... Try to find that hacker in Jakarta or Jeddah who can work only for Allah and be the candidate for the luxurious Jannah [Paradise]... Do whatever you can to spread the word of tawheed [monotheism] and jihad! ... [T]his is the phase of the battle in which every Muslim can contribute to the global jihad in whatever capacity they can."

September 25, 2014: Tweets Of Images Of U.S. Military Drones Seized By Taliban In Waziristan

On September 25, 2014, a jihadi Twitter account tweeted images of a drone that it claimed was seized by Taliban militants in the Pakistani tribal region of Waziristan. The account, @Khorasan313, was a known jihadi account claiming association with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The tweet indicates that the militants had shot video of the drone after it was seized in Waziristan, though it did not include a link to the video. The photos indicated that the drone uses GPS. The images show the militants examining parts of the drone.



Twitter.com/khorasan313, September 25, 2014

May 9, 2016: Tweet Of Image Of Drone Allegedly Downed By Taliban In Sherzad District, Nangarhar, Afghanistan

On May 9, 2016, @Islami_Emirate, an official Taliban Twitter account, tweeted a photo of a crashed drone with the statement "US drone shot down today in Sharzad district #Nangarhar [Afghanistan]. #OmariOp." A follow-up tweet read "Mujahidin shot down US drone air strike in Sherzad district #Nangarhar province 9 Am today. #OmariOp #Afghanistan" and was accompanied by a "Braiking [sic] News" image from the Taliban website Alemarah1.org.

October 26, 2016: Taliban Telegram Account Uses Drone For Avatar

A screenshot of an official Taliban account on Telegram, captured on October 26, 2016, shows that it is using a photo of a drone as its avatar.

October 31, 2016: Taliban Account On Telegram Posts Photos Of Drones It Uses

On October 31, an official Taliban account on Telegram, Alemarah-English Official, posted photos of drones that it is using.

Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) – Drones Filming Battles

April 23, 2016:Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Releases Drone Footage Of Its Attack In Ghab Plain, Syria

On April 23, 2016, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated anti-China Pakistan-based jihadi group Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released a video documenting the group's assault on the Al-Mansoura grain silos in the Ghab Plain, northwest of Hama, in Syria. It shows drone footage for recon and documentation of the battle, in addition to scenes of battles with light and heavy weapons, and remote-controlled car bombs. At the conclusion of the video, a fighter carrying TIP's banner stands atop the destroyed grain silos.[108]

(To view the video, click here or above)

August 2, 2016: Drone Photo Shared On TIP Telegram Account

A photo from drone footage released by Sawt Al-Islam, the media arm of the Syrian branch of TIP, was shared on the TIP Telegram account on August 2, 2016. The video showed the group using technology. It stated: "Intense fighting between the mujahideen and the Nussairi [Shi'ite] enemy in the village of Sharfah [Syria]. The Mujahideen are taking off to break into the enemy's strongholds."

August 21, 2016: TIP Releases Drone Images Of Battles Against Syrian Regime In Aleppo Area

On August 21, 2016, the Syrian branch of the TIP released a video clip promoting a video it said was to be released soon of battles against the Syrian regime in the Aleppo region, along with drone footage of bombarded areas that it said were military targets. The following are images from the clip.[109]

September 27, 2016: Taliban Claims It Shot Down U.S. Drone

On September 27, 2016, the Taliban claimed to have shot down a U.S. drone in Merano village of Behsud district of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.[110]

October 23, 2016: Taliban Suicide Attack Filmed By Drone

On October 23, 2016, a video titled "Taliban Suicide Attack Filmed By Drone" was posted online.

(To view this video, click here or above)



Stills from the Taliban suicide attack video

Jaysh Al-Fath In Syria – Downing Drones, Aerial Filming Of Battles

Jaysh Al-Fath, a pro-Al-Qaeda coalition of Islamist groups fighting in Syria, includes Jabhat Al-Nusra and Ahrar Al-Sham, among other groups. This coalition has been using drones for the past two years.

October 23, 2014: Jabhat Al-Nusra Releases Video Documenting Its Role In Breaking The Siege Of Al-Maliha, Syria, Including Drone Surveillance Footage

On October 23, 2014, Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) released a 35-minute video documenting the group's role in the Battle of Al-Maliha, a strategic town southeast of Damascus, which had been the center of fierce fighting between Syrian regime forces and jihad groups. In the video, JN documents its role in breaking that siege, which, it says, led to the freeing of over 500 mujahideen. The video features JN reconnaissance footage that was apparently taken by a drone. The footage shows Al-Maliha's skyline, as well as various trenches used by the Syrian military.[111]

November 23, 2015: Jaysh Al-Fath Downs Shi'ite Militia Drone

On November 23, 2015, @m4_3aladeny tweeted a photo of a man holding a drone, with the text "#Jaysh_al-Fath downing of a surveillance plane which belong to the Shi'ite militias northeast of Al-Fou'ah in the liberated Suwaghiyyah region."

December 12, 2015: Ahrar Al-Sham Downs Shi'ite Militia Drone

On December 12, 2015, @2ahfadosama tweeted a photo of a man holding a drone, with the text "#Ahrar_Al-Sham downing of a surveillance plane which belong to the Shi'ite militias in a suburb of South Aleppo."

March 28, 2016: Jabhat Fath Al-Sham Telegram Account Releases Video Showing Drone Use

On March 28, 2016, a video showing fighters using drones was disseminated by a Jabhat Fath Al-Sham channel on Telegram. The posts were reposted from Jund Al-Aqsa. Captions added by the channel read: "This drone combat footage from JundAqsa was deleted by youtube... Don't know which rule it broke... However you can watch it and spread it here...Very good watch."

August 2, 2016: Jaysh Al-Fath Releases Drone Footage Of Raqqa, Syria

A video released August 2, 2016 by Jaysh Al-Fath, titled "Air Photography of Raqqa in the Southern Part of Aleppo Province After Its Liberation Before The Mujahideen," showed aerial drone footage of the city of Sharfah, south of Aleppo, after it was captured by Jaysh Al-Fath.

(To view video, click here or above)



Stills from the video. Top left logo: "Jaysh Al-Fath"; top right logo "Ahrar Al-Sham," which is part of Jaysh Al-Fath

August 13, 2016: Ahrar Al-Sham Claims To Have Shot Down Russian Drone Outside Homs

On August 13, 2016, Ahrar Al-Sham claimed to have shot down a Russian drone in Keiseen, outside Homs, Syria, and posted a video of the drone lying on the ground. A tweet of the video stated: "#Ahrar Al-Sham #Homs The surveillance drone downed today by the Mujahideen at Keiseen frontlines in the outskirts of Homs."

(To view video, click here or above)



The tweet and stills from the video

August 27, 2016: JFS Posts Drone Video Of Syrian Regime Troops Fleeing Battle

On August 27, 2016, Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (JFS), formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra prior to its split from Al-Qaeda, posted a video filmed by drone of Syrian regime troops fleeing the battle over the Aleppo Aviation College, which is part of the currently ongoing battle for Aleppo. running over the dead bodies of their own soldiers in their haste. The video is titled "Fath Al-Sham | Rafidite militias leave Nusayri bodies and then run them over with armored vehicles around the technical school."

(To view video, click here or above – WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES)

August 28, 2016: Jund Al-Aqsa Documentation Of Martyrdom Attack Against Syrian Soldiers In Hama

On August 28, 2016, the Jund Al-Aqsa group released, on Telegram, images documenting a martyrdom attack against a Syrian soldiers in rural Hama. The image was captioned "Moment of carrying out the martyrdom operation against a gathering of dozens of Nusayris in Madajin Al-Tayba checkpoint." According to the post, the attack was carried out by one Omar Al-Jazrawi.

September 15, 2016: Australian Jabhat Fath Al-Sham Fighter Posts Photo Of Drone On His Snapchat

On September 15, 2016, an Australian Jabhat Fath Al-Sham fighter posted a photo of a drone on his Snapchat account. He captioned it: "Say hello to new member of the family."[112]

September 28, 2016: Drone Footage Of Jabhat Fath Al-Sham Attack

On September 28, 2016, a video was posted to YouTube of drone footage from a Jabhat Fath Al-Sham attack on a Syrian regime position that appears to be held by militia.[113]

October 2016: TIP Drone Video Documents Group's Role In Battle For Aleppo's "1070 Apartments" Neighborhood

In late October 2016, the Syrian branch of TIP, which was fighting to liberate Aleppo alongside the rebel coalition of Jaysh Al-Fath and Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat Al-Nusra) in a military campaign that focused on liberating the city's 1070 Apartments neighborhood from Syrian regime and pro-Syrian regime forces, published a steady stream of content, including videos, documenting the ongoing battle, on its Telegram channel. One video featured drone footage showing an October 30 suicide attack carried out by a TIP fighter identified as Shaheedullah Al-Turkestani against enemy forces in an apartment complex. TIP said that the attack had killed "40 Iranians."[114]

Shaheedullah Al-Turkestani



Telegram Channel

On October 29, 2016, 2016, the #Lattakia Correspondent Telegram channel posted photos of what it said was a Russian surveillance drone, stating: "Downing of a Russian surveillance plane in Kabani axis in Al-Akrad mountains in the countryside of #Lattakia #Fath Al-Sham."

October 31, 2016: Jihadi Telegram Account Posts Photo Of Alleged Russian Drone, Expresses Hope It Will Be Reverse-Engineered

On October 31, 2016, the account of a Jaysh Fath-Al-Sham fighter on Telegram posted a photo of a drone and wrote: "Russian Surveillance plane falls down in Lattakia [Syria] region near the Sunni Fighters! It could perhaps be a great development if the fighters reverse engineer it!"

January 29, 2016: Syrian Jihadi Shares Information About Drone Use

On January 29, 2016, "Life in Syria (Muhajir)" posted on his Telegram account a photo of a man and a store-bought drone, captioned: "A brother from the surveillance drone team trying a surveillance drone in preparation of a battle!"

Al-Qaeda Central – Leaders' Fear Of Drones, Counter-Drone Strategy

Documents Seized In Abbottabad Raid From 2010-2011 Show Bin Laden's Fears About U.S. Drones

Documents obtained in the May 2, 2011 raid on Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan detailed bin Laden's fear of U.S. drones and his admonitions to other Al-Qaeda officials regarding how to avoid being targeted. In May 2010, he wrote to Al-Qaeda leader Attiyah Abd Al-Rahman about "the importance of the exit from Waziristan of the brother leaders, especially the ones that have media exposure. I stress this matter to you and that you choose distant locations to which to move them, away from aircraft, photography and bombardment while taking all security precautions." In October 2010, he wrote: "They [the U.S.] can distinguish between houses frequented by men at a higher rate than usual. Also, the visiting person might be tracked without him knowing." He added,"I am leaning toward getting most of the brothers out of the area. We could leave the cars because they are targeting cars now, but if we leave them, they will start focusing on houses and that would increase casualties among women and children. It is possible that they have photographed targeted homes. The brothers who can keep a low profile and take the necessary precautions should stay, but move to new houses on a cloudy day."

In April 2011, bin Laden wrote to Al-Rahman about operatives travelling in cars, saying: "A warning to the brothers: they should not meet on the road and move in their cars because many of them got targeted while they were meeting on the road." In yet another letter, he stated: "Our Waziristani brothers, for example, said that they were frankly exhausted from the enemy's air [drone] bombardments. The enemy has been given almost a worldwide approval to violate the air space of other countries and to attack anyone whom it views as its enemy... The reserves will not, for the most part, be effective in such conflicts. Basically, we could lose the reserves to enemy's air strikes. We cannot fight air strikes with explosives!"[115]

June 17, 2011: Al-Qaeda Document Of Tips For Dodging Drone Attacks – Including From Osama Bin Laden

February 21, 2013, the Associated Press published the original Arabic and English translation of a document dated June 17, 2011, which it titled "The Al-Qaeda Papers – Drones" and which it said was one of several "found by The Associated Press in buildings recently occupied by Al-Qaeda fighters in Timbuktu, Mali."[116] The list of 22 tips for dodging drone attacks included at least one believed to originate with Osama bin Laden.[117]



Hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/_pdfs/al-qaida-papers-drones.pdf, accessed August 2, 2016

The following is the English translation provided by the AP:

"In support of Ibyan province (Yemen) Military Research Workshop.

"I have said in my article 'Strategies of Capabilities for Ansar al-Sharia' that the American retaliation against the Mujahideen military movements in Ibyan province will be restricted to the war of the drone. My expectations have been assured after the recent New York Times leakage that the CIA will handle the situation, and for this, it set up a secret military base for the drones in a neighboring country.[118] [footnote in AP publication] It is important now that we understand this American army strategy and discuss ways to disable this strategy.

"To start with, we have to know that the Americans did not resort to this approach _ The War of the Drone _ because they have shortages in the combat jets like the F16 and other types or they don't possess enough troops, but because it is the most suitable approach for them now. The Americans fully realize that they are in the 10th year of war and that they were economically exhausted and suffered human losses and they were confronted with public pressure backed by the Congress in a way that it made the honorable and responsible withdrawal from the war as a prime goal of the White House. But this does not mean that abandoning the war, rather, they pushed them to seek alternative military strategies that enable them to continue the war without being economically depleted or suffer human losses and avoid the American public opinion pressure. Here the war of the drone appeared as a perfect solution. The drone is unmanned and cost nothing compared to the manned jets and it does not create public exasperation when it crashes because the increase of human losses in the past pushed the American people to go to the streets shouting 'bring back our sons' and if a drone crashes, no one will shout 'bring back our planes.'

"In comparison, the cost of 1,000 drones equals the price of an F15 Eagle jet. If we talk about the latest models, like the Predator, it costs $10 million while the cost of an F16 is $350 million and the fuel for 200 flights of a drone equals the fuel consumed by one flight of F4 Phantom jet. The training of a pilot of a Tornedo costs 1 million Pound Sterling while training a drone operator costs nothing and it takes only three months. Therefore, the Americans have chosen a comfortable war to prove to us their indifference to a long war. For this, they appointed the commander of American forces in Afghanistan (David) Petraeus as CIA director to lead the war from there and they have already tried this strategy in Waziristan that proved success and they are going to apply it now in Yemen. So what are going to do? I believe that foiling this strategy depends on three things: The formation of a public opinion to stand against the attacks, deterring of spies and tactics of deception and blurring.

"These tactics are:

It is possible to know the intention and the mission of the drone by using the Russian-made 'sky grabber' device to infiltrate the drone's wages and the frequencies. The device is available in the market for $2,595 and the one who operates it should be a computer know-how. Using devices that broadcast frequencies or pack of frequencies to disconnect the contacts and confuse the frequencies used to control the drone. The Mujahideen have had successful experiments using the Russian-made "Racal." Spreading the reflective pieces of glass on a car or on the roof of the building."

For the rest of the list, see Appendix I.

May 11, 2012: Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Urges Somali Muslims To Persevere Against U.S. Air Attacks By Drones, Wage Guerilla Warfare Against U.S. Until They "Wipe Them Out"

On May 11, 2012, the Al-Qaeda media company Al-Sahab released an audio message from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri urging Somali Muslims both in Somalia and elsewhere to support and join the jihad in Somalia. He also asked the Somalis to be patient in the face of ongoing U.S. drone strikes, promising that the U.S. would surely fail in its fight, as it failed before in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In the message, Al-Zawahiri appealed to Somalis both within Somalia and abroad, reminding them of their duty to support and join jihad and answer the call of Allah. He asks them not be concerned or weakened by the ongoing U.S. air strikes against them, noting that in the past (in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan), such air campaigns had failed. Therefore, Al-Zawahiri asks the Somalis not feel overwhelmed by the U.S.'s advanced military capabilities (i.e. the use of drones); rather, they should adopt guerilla warfare tactics against the U.S. in order to "wipe them out, destroy them and blast them." He also calls on them to dig trenches in the ground to shield themselves from these air attacks.[119]

September 3, 2013: Classified U.S. Intelligence Report – Al-Qaeda Has Been Developing Counter-Drone Strategy Since 2010

On September 3, 2013, The Washington Post reported that, according to top-secret U.S. intelligence documents, the Al-Qaeda leadership had assigned cells of engineers to find ways to shoot down, jam, or remotely hijack U.S. drones, hoping to exploit the technological vulnerabilities of a weapons system that has inflicted huge losses upon the terrorist network. Although there is no evidence that Al-Qaeda had forced a drone crash or interfered with flight operations, U.S. intelligence officials had been closely tracking the group's persistent efforts to develop a counter-drone strategy since 2010, the documents show.

The Washington Post was provided with a classified intelligence report titled "Threats to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles," a summary of dozens of intelligence assessments posted by U.S. spy agencies since 2006 on Al-Qaeda's attempts to fight back against the drone campaign, by Edward Snowden.[120]

The following are excerpts from the "Threats to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" document:[121]

"(U//FOUO) Threats to unmanned aerial vehicles

TOP SECRET//Sl/TK//NOFORN

"(C) Employment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has increased in recent years. Threats to UAVs fall into several categories. These include traditional air defense threats from anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles and fighter aircraft. However, additional threats have been identified which could interfere with operational capabilities

"Additionally, environmental factors such as terrestrial weather and space weather also play an essential role In ensuring successful UAV operations. Finally, because use of UAVs garners public attention and creates a perception of new technology and unprecedented capability, propagandists and citizens with legitimate social agendas may employ legal and media venues in such a way that UAV operations could be brought under increased scrutiny, perceived to be Illegitimate, openly resisted or undermined.

"(U) Propaganda

"(U) UAVs represent new technology, which draws interest whenever and wherever UAVs are employed. Adversaries have developed propaganda campaigns that target UAV use.

"(C) It may be worthwhile for UAV planners and operations personnel to work closely with Public Affairs Office representatives to 'war-game' and plan strategies to counter potential counter-UAV propaganda."

For the rest of the list, see Appendix II.

October 12, 2013: Al-Qaeda Drone Project In Pakistani Professor's Islamabad Home Broken Up By Pakistani Police, Intelligence Agencies

On October 12, 2013, a drone project aimed at countering the U.S. drones that was being developed by Al-Qaeda's Pakistan chapter in the home of a former Pakistani air force official in Islamabad was broken up by Pakistani police and intelligence agencies.[122] A Pakistani official was quoted as saying, "The Al-Qaeda Pakistan chapter had acquired drone technology and was in the final stages of implementing the plan when intercepted." According to media reports, the home belonged to Professor Irtyaz Gilani, electronic engineer, former Air Weapons Complex employee, and lecturer in electronics at International Islamic University, Islamabad. Police found evidence of his Al-Qaeda connections, and there was also evidence that Tanveer Gondal, a most-wanted Al-Qaeda member, had been staying with Gilani since January 2013, and that the project had been underway for over a year. Already-tested small drones were also found in the house. Sources told media, "The Al-Qaeda people had collected all parts of the spy plane from different sources and completed the assembling process in the basement laboratory in G-15 when the joint team swooped in on them. They conducted a successful test flight of the spy plane in the [nearby] Margalla Hills, but the small drone could fly within a radius of only one kilometer." Also according to reports, a large drone had nearly been assembled and was about to be tested.

Media reports stated: "It is obvious that Al-Qaeda wants to target highly guarded complexes through these drones, where ground access is impeded by the conventional security measures. It is very important to remember that besides a few high-security buildings, there is no mechanism in place to guard against any aerial attack. Having realized the weakness, Al-Qaeda worked on this ambitious plan to give a surprise to the international law enforcement agencies, which has been averted, courtesy of timely intervention by the police. It is believed that Professor Irtyaz Gilani had been chosen for the task due to his qualifications as well as work experience. It may be of value to remember that Ali Gondal, an employee of the AWC, was arrested in 2005 for planning an attack on General Pervez Musharraf. He had planted rockets in Rawalpindi; however, they malfunctioned, leading to his arrest. Ali Gondal is Tanveer's real brother, and links of the troika indicate the presence of Al-Qaeda in leading anti-state operations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Professor Irtyaz Gilani was working on a high-level post at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, having rich technical information about putting up drone aircraft, the investigation report said. But it was still a mystery from where he got parts of the drone, investigators said. The investigation report claimed that Professor Irtyaz Gilani, Tanveer Gondal and Hammad Adil were directly involved in the brazen attack on the Minhas Airbase of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) at Kamra on August 16, 2012, adding that Professor Gilani provided technical information and inside position of vital installations and aircraft to Tanveer Gondal and Hammad Adil before and during the attack, while Tanveer and Hammad provided logistical support to the attackers. Law enforcement agencies are hunting for Tanveer, the wanted associate of Professor Irtyaz and an old member of Al-Qaeda. The police authorities confirmed the report."[123]

Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – Targeting U.S. Drone Centers

Perhaps no jihadi organization has been as impacted by the U.S. drone campaign as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). In the past few years, the ranks of its leaders have been decimated by U.S. drone strikes.

April 10, 2013: AQAP Deputy Leader Sa'id Al-Shihri Urges Saudis To Act Against U.S. Drone Bases

On April 10, 2013, the AQAP media company Al-Malahim released a new audio recording by the group's deputy leader Sa'id Al-Shihri. The message was the first since the reports of Al-Shihri's death in an American airstrike (he was ultimately confirmed killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in July 2013), and was directed at the people of Saudi Arabia, his home country. In it, he repeatedly stresses the need for Saudis to act against U.S. drone bases in the country.

In the beginning of his message, Al-Shihri condemns the Saudi royal family for their "war on the mujahideen" and their efforts to sway Muslims away from their religion, and reaffirms the mujahideen's commitment to their path of jihad against the Saudi government. He then addresses four messages to four groups in Saudi society: the people, the tribal leaders, the scholars, and the official scholars.

Al-Shihri urges each of these groups, in turn, to act upon the Prophet Muhammad's call to "Expel the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula" with regard to the American troops in Saudi Arabia. He especially stresses the issue of U.S. bases used to launch drones attacks on Al-Qaeda's fighters in Yemen and the need for all the aforementioned elements in Saudi society to act against them.

Additionally, Al-Shihri encourages the Saudi people to take to the streets in order to topple the Saudi government.

March 7, 2014: AQAP Video Documents Attacks On U.S. Drone Centers In Yemen

On March 7, 2014, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released Part II of its "Repulsion of Aggression" video series. This installment in the series documents AQAP attacks in the past year against the operation rooms overseeing U.S. drone operations in Yemen. The video, which is over 30 minutes long, was released on the Al-Fida' jihadi forum. A low-quality version of the video, not released through AQAP-trusted channels, was also posted to YouTube.

(To view video click here or above)

The video begins with footage of civilian Yemeni victims of U.S. drone strikes, including those killed in the December 12, 2013 strike that hit part of a wedding party in Al-Baida Governorate. AQAP says in the video that Yemen has become an open land where American aircraft kill whomever they wish, whenever they wish, and however they wish. This, it says, has become possible due to Yemeni President 'Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his military's cooperation with the Americans. AQAP says that faced with Yemen's bitter reality, it had decided to respond to the U.S. aggression with a series of major attacks against what it called "operations rooms" where drone activity in Yemen was being coordinated.

Next, the video shows some of the drone attacks, with details on each, along with the last wills of some of the "martyrs" who carried out suicide attacks. One of the attacks in focus is AQAP's December 5, 2013 attack on the Yemeni Defense Ministry compound in Sana'a, that, according to the video, housed the main drone operations room. It should be noted that with regard to this particular attack, AQAP was later forced to apologize for one of the attackers' killing of innocent Muslims in the Defense Ministry hospital, as revealed by security camera footage taken inside the facility. Also in this video, AQAP reiterates its apology for this "mistake" but adds that the incident had been used by its opponents to divert attention from the country's real problem – that is, U.S. drone strikes. It also stresses several times that this attack had been postponed and the plans modified a number of times to avoid civilian casualties.

The video concludes with AQAP reaffirming its commitment to continue striking targets connected with U.S. drone operations in Yemen, making the Crusaders and their agents pay twice over for their aggression against Muslims.

March 6, 2014: Tweets Showing Crucified Spies In Yemen Who Allegedly Worked For U.S. Drone Program

April 21, 2014: AQAP Claims Responsibility For Attack On Alleged Drone Command Center

On April 21, 2014, AQAP published a communiqué claiming responsibility for the April 2, 2014 attack on Yemeni military headquarters in Aden. AQAP claimed that the targeted site functions as a joint U.S.-Yemeni operations room for conducting drone strikes.

The communiqué read: "In pursuit of mujahideen operations designed to repel the aggression by America and its Sana'a regime ally against the Muslims' lives and honor in Yemen... that finds expression in the barbaric attacks [performed] by remote-controlled American aircraft, on the morning of [April 2, 2014] a group of righteous mujahideen set out to attack the Aden headquarters of the fourth region of the collaborator Sana'a army. This was part of the general mujahideen plan to destroy the joint operations rooms that manage these aircraft."



The AQAP communiqué

The communiqué noted that the attack was launched by detonating a car bomb at the building's gates. Following the blast, a group of infiltrators stormed the compound while a second attack group flanked the compound and stormed it from the rear. The attackers, it said, managed to maintain control of the compound and fortify themselves inside, killing dozens of soldiers and inflicting massive damage to the headquarters. It concluded by stating: "We are continuing with our previously announced plan to target the joint [Yemeni-American] operations rooms that manage the American remote-controlled aircraft wherever we find them and whenever Allah grants us the opportunity to destroy them..."

May 1, 2014: Video: AQAP Continues Anti-Drone Campaign, Documents Recent Attack On Military Headquarters In Aden

On May 1, 2014, an AQAP video documenting the group's attack on the Yemeni military headquarters in Aden was released via the Shumoukh Al-Islam forum. The video is Part IV in AQAP's "Repulsion of Aggression" video series. Like the previous instalments in the series, this video condemns the U.S.'s drone strikes in Yemen and the complicit involvement of Yemeni security and military services in those attacks. The 11:19-minute video was first posted on Shumoukh Al-Islam by a user named Abu Al-Ahnaf Al-Shibani.

The video begins with footage of Yemeni civilian victims of the U.S.'s drone strikes including angry responses by Yemenis. In one part, a man is seen standing in front of two large bags of wheat that USAID delivered to Yemenis as humanitarian aid. The man expresses astonishment at this dichotomy, and wonders how Yemenis accept this bit of U.S. aid when the U.S. itself is killing those same people's family members and friends.

(To view video, click here or above)



Images from the video: above, drone footage; below, on left, Al-Rimi in video: "They must pay the price"; center, Rassas Al-Sana'ani, leader of the Aden attack; right, USAID humanitarian aid

In the video, a narrator says that the U.S. continues to "commit the horrendous brutal crimes of murder against Muslims in Yemen." Those crimes, he says, are committed with the facilitation of local U.S. "lackeys," a reference to Yemeni President 'Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who have not only allowed Yemeni airspace to be used by the U.S., but also opened Yemen's land and waters for U.S. troops.

The narrator adds that the U.S.'s crimes in Yemen have in fact made many Muslims become conscious of the truth about the enemy.

Next, the video shows AQAP's response to the U.S. drone strikes, which is exemplified by AQAP's April 2 attack on the Yemeni Army's Fourth Division headquarters in Aden.

The video says that 10 men and one suicide bomber participated in the attack. Next, images of the attackers and footage of their pre-operation training are shown. Several of the men also deliver brief messages extoling jihad against the enemy and calling on Muslims to join it as well. Later in the video, AQAP shows Rassas Al-Sana'ani, the operation leader, and one other man. The two apparently were the only ones to survive the operation.

>Next, the video details the operation and various images of the target and the different stages of the operation are shown.

According to the video, the attack resulted in the deaths of over 80 officers and soldiers, and the burning and destruction of army and military intelligence offices. Next, AQAP military commander Qasim Al-Rimi delivers a message, and says: "They [i.e. Yemeni military and security apparatuses] must pay the price." Al-Rimi adds that anyone, including any organization, ministry, military training camp, or any area in Yemen, that is proven to support the U.S. drone campaign in Yemen, will be a legitimate target for AQAP. "We will not wait until they bombard us, [but] we will attack them [first]," Al-Rimi notes. He also says that AQAP has a "very long list" of targets.

June 2014: In Communiqué, AQAP Says It Shelled U.S. Drone Operations Headquarters In Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) published a communiqué taking responsibility for June 27, 2014 attacks on buildings in the city of Seiyun in Hadhramaut governorate, which it said served as U.S. drone operations headquarters.

AQAP stated in the communiqué that as part of the mujahideen's activities to block anti-Muslim aggression by America and its ally, the regime in Sana'a, Yemen, as expressed by the barbarous American drone attacks, a mujahideen squad set out on June 27, 2014 to target facilities in the town of Seiyun, where the U.S. drone operations are headquartered. The organization claimed that this came after the mujahideen had learned that spy recruitment was taking place in these facilities, including distribution of electronic chips (for drone targeting) and administration of drone activity. He emphasized that the attack on these buildings was part of a comprehensive mujahideen plan to strike and destroy the headquarters of those collaborating with the Americans in drone activity.



The communiqué

The communiqué said that the action included the following: a car bomb was detonated against the military intelligence building, destroying it almost completely; a control tower in Seiyun airport was attacked and burned; and the Central Building in Seiyun was attacked and burned. The organization also claimed that only one of its fighters was killed during the operation, but that 15 enemy soldiers and officers were killed, in addition to workers in the military intelligence building.

It concluded: "We take responsibility for this action that is painful to the enemy, and emphasize that as we have declared in the past, we will persevere in our plan to attack the joint operations rooms [to the U.S. and Yemen] for managing drone activity wherever they may be, [and] at every opportunity."

July 28, 2014: In Video, AQAP Documents Attack On Drone Operations Headquarters, Threatens U.S. Embassy

A video released July 28, 2014 by the AQAP media company Al-Malahem, the fifth in its "Repulsion of Aggression" video series, documented the three attacks in the city of Seiyun in late June 2014 (see communiqué above). AQAP claims that the targets were espionage centers that help direct and control American drones in Yemen. The video also features recordings of the fighters and suicide bombers taken before they embarked on their mission, as well as threats to carry out more attacks against Yemeni government interests, due mainly to it being complicit in the killing of Sunnis via U.S. drones. One attacker said in the video that attacks on government offices, bases, and embassies (likely referring to foreign embassies in Yemen) would continue in full force due to its assistance to the U.S. in its drone strikes, its contribution to Iranian expansion in the Arabian Peninsula, and other reasons.

At the beginning of the video, an announcer states: "The mujahideen brigades continue to leave, unit after unit, in order to ruin and destroy the nests of Crusader agents [Yemeni government interests] that control and enable the actions of American drones." He went on to say that the more the drones attack and kill the elderly, women, and children, the more people wish to enact revenge. The announcer says that among those seeking revenge are youths as well as older people "whose hair is turning grey." The video then goes on to show the three simultaneous attacks.

First Attack: Car Bomb Outside Military Intelligence Headquarters In Seiyun

The first attack was carried out by an elderly suicide bomber name Abu Al-Rawi Al-Saya'ri. He drove a car bomb to the military intelligence headquarters via an adjacent date factory. When he arrived at the headquarters, he took advantage of the opening created by the car in front of him, drove through the gate, and detonated the car inside the compound.

Before embarking on the operation, Abu Al-Rawi was filmed praising jihad and martyrdom. He encouraged young and old to carry out suicide attacks and fight against "the collaborator [Yemeni] government" that helps the Americans attack Sunni Muslims with drones. He added that he was proud to target the military intelligence headquarters, where spies are recruited to plant computer chips in activists' cars, thus helping the drones target them. Later, Abu Al-Rawi was shown telling his son (whose face is blurred) to continue on the path of jihad and strive for martyrdom since paradise awaits him at the end of the road. In closing, Abu Al-Rawi asked that the activists unite the ranks and avoid internal conflicts, which play into the hands of the enemies of Islam.



The car bomb driven by Abu Al-Rawi; date factory adjacent to the military intelligence headquarters



Abu Al-Rawi preaches martyrdom to his son

Second Attack: Destroying U.S. Drone Relay Control Room

The second attack took place at a control room in the general administration of wired and wireless communication in Seiyun. According to AQAP, the control room is used to boost communication signals for U.S. drones. The attack involved four AQAP members who infiltrated the control room and set it on fire. They withdrew with no losses.

One participant said that these attacks will continue: "We see our brothers killed in American airstrikes, we see how our collaborator government conducts and manages attacks in Hadhramaut, Abyan, and Shabwah in order to kill Muslims. This, when the Houthis are on the outskirts of Sana'a and the government does not lift a finger. Moreover, the government recruits the Rawafidh [i.e. Shi'ite] Houthis to carry out attacks on our people. As long as this continues, suicide bombers and brave warriors will be sent to ruin your embassies [likely referring to foreign embassies in Yemen], your government buildings, your camps, and your bases. This is only a small payment of a large debt."



General administration of wired and wireless communication in Seiyun that housed the drone relay control room targeted by AQAP; AQAP members who took part in the attack

Third Attack: Control Tower At Seiyun Airport

The third attack took place at the control tower at Seiyun airport. Six AQAP fighters stormed the tower, which AQAP claimed helps direct U.S. drones, and destroyed it. One fighter, Muhammad Al-Dhibani died in the attack.

Al-Dhibani was filmed prior to the attack explaining that attacks and raids on government assets would continue and even increase for to several reasons, including the government's assistance in American drone attacks, preventing the implementation of the shari'a in the country, the abandonment of Sunni Muslims, and using rawafidha (i.e. Shi'ites) and contributing to the Zoroastrian (i.e. Iranian) expansion in the Arabian Peninsula.



Control tower at Seiyun airport; tower during the attack



Muhammad Al-Dhibani, who was killed in the raid on the tower

September 5, 2014: AQAP Releases Video Documenting Its Crackdown On Spy Networks That Support U.S. Drone Strikes, Says 'Striking The Spies Network... Is One Of The Most Important Routes In The Battle Against Drones'

On September 5, 2014, AQAP released a video documenting the group's crackdown on several spy networks that operate on behalf of the U.S. drone campaign in Yemen. The video, 19:21 in duration, is the second installment in a series titled "Harvest Of Spies." It sheds light on the importance that AQAP places on disrupting the drone operations against it in Yemen. "Striking the spies' networks... is one of the most important routes in the battle against drones," says Abu Jabir, a deputy of AQAP's security apparatus, in the video.



Abu Jabir

The video also reveals AQAP's method of investigation following each drone strike, featuring detailed reports from various regions in Yemen where drone strikes occur. Abu Jabir reveals that AQAP employs various tactics to uncover the identity of these spies, including the use of its own spies within the Yemeni security apparatuses, who, he says, "are constantly providing the mujahideen with information."

The video includes confessions by several spies who say that they gathered intelligence and placed electronic chips on targets.

AQAP threatens anyone aiding the Americans, including by placing these chips, with death.

October 2, 2014: AQAP Announces It Apprehended Top Yemeni Officer Who Was Collaborating With U.S. Intelligence

On October 2, 2014, AQAP released a 