Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places

aka Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Sites

Possibly based in Germany, the Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places is a mysterious terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for bombings later proven to be the work of Al Qaeda operatives; it is sometimes called Al Qaeda's military wing.

The group was unknown until the East African U.S. embassy bombings in 1998. On August 7, car bombs exploded nearly simultaneously at the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The blasts killed 224 people and destroyed both embassies. The Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places subsequently sent statements to Arab news organizations claiming responsibility for the attacks. Many experts cautioned that the Islamic Army could be a new group trying to make a name for itself by taking responsibility for an action it had no part in.

U.S. ...