In a Sept. 25 air strike near Al Nussayyib, Iraq, a USAF F-16 dropped two inertial navigation system/Global Positioning System-guided 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, killing Abu Nasr al-Tunisi and two other al Qaeda operatives. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Multinational Corps Iraq chief of staff, told Pentagon reporters that al-Tunisi was a foreigner who brought al Qaeda members into Iraq. He was a one of an inner circle of advisors to Ayyub al-Masri, the overall al Qaeda leader in Iraq. Anderson said his death “deals a significant blow to their operation.”
The Guardians of the 11th Space Warning Squadron were honored as the top U.S. Space Force unit for 2024 for their role in thwarting Iranian missile barrages last year.