Lashkar al-Zil explained

The Lashkar al-Zil or Shadow Army (also known as Jaish al Usrah, or the Army of the Protective Shield^[1]) is a paramilitary organization linked to al-Qaeda and descended from the 055 Brigade.^[2] According to Syed Saleem Shahzad, it "comprises the Pakistani Taliban, 313 Brigade, the Afghan Taliban, Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan and former Iraqi Republican Guards". Lashkar al-Zil has reportedly been led by Khalid Habib al Shami,^[2] Abdullah Said al Libi, and Ilyas Kashmiri.^{[3] [4]}

The Lashkar al-Zil has been involved in attacks in Afghanistan's eastern and southern provinces.^[5] News reports have linked it to several specific attacks, including the Camp Chapman attack^[3] and the Sudhnati suicide bombing.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Bill Roggio. Al Qaeda Brigade 313 website goes online. Long War Journal, August 2, 2010
2. News: Bill . Roggio . Al Qaeda's paramilitary 'Shadow Army' . The Long War Journal . 2009-02-09 . 2010-01-07.
3. News: Syed Saleem . Shahzad . US spies walked into al-Qaeda's trap . https://web.archive.org/web/20100105134754/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LA05Df01.html . unfit . 2010-01-05 . Asia Times Online . 2010-01-05 . 2010-01-07.
4. News: Bill . Roggio . US killed al Qaeda's Lashkar al Zil commander in airstrike . The Long War Journal . 2010-01-07 . 2010-01-07.
5. News: Robert H. . Reid . Gannon, Kathy . Farrar, Jennifer . Al-Qaida Showing Smaller Presence In Afghanistan . Associated Press . Huffington Post . 2009-10-06 . 2010-01-08 . "In my opinion al-Qaida fighters from the Lashkar al-Zil are actively involved in all Taliban fronts, from Nuristan in the north to Helmand in the south," [University of Massachusetts associate professor Bryan Glyn] Williams said..
6. News: Amir . Mir . Lashkar-e-Zil behind Azad Kashmir suicide hits . The News International . 2010-01-11 . 2010-01-31 . there are clear indications that the January 6, 2010 attack targeting a military installation in the Sudhnoti district of Azad Kashmir, which killed four Pakistani soldiers...[was] masterminded by the Lashkar-e-Zil..