Executive Summary Maalim Ayman, one of al-Shabaab’s key commanders, was killed death in a US drone strike in December 2023. Ayman led the group’s push into Kenya. With Ayman’s death, the group’s ability to launch attacks like the ones against the Westgate Mall in 2013... MORE

Executive Summary Burkina Faso’s Air Force killed Islamic State in the Greater Sahara’s second highest-ranking member, Harouna Oulel (alias Abdel-Malick), in an air strike on a convoy the militant was leading in January 2024. This represents a rare victory for Burkina Faso's counter-terrorism efforts, and... MORE

Executive Summary Podcaster Colin Robertson and others in the far-right are hailing Keith Woods as the "rising star" of 2023, with some calling it the "Year of Keith Woods" due to his growing popularity and influence. Woods has over 150,000 followers on Twitter/X after rejoining... MORE

Executive Summary  Mudzrimar “Mundi” Sawadjaan was killed in December 2023, dealing another major blow to Abu Sayyaf’s struggling leadership. His elimination removes one of the few individuals who might have had the ability to inspire the group to regain its former strength. Mundi was the... MORE

On October 30, a bomb blasted through a Jehovah’s Witness event at Kalamassery’s Zamra Convention Centre in Kerala, southern India. Coming two days after Hamas leader Khalid Mashal spoke via e-conference to the Mallapuram youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, initial speculation in India suggested that Islamists... MORE

In May, a Philippine army colonel announced that the fourth most wanted Abu Sayyaf member, Ras Abdullah (also known as Elhan Bahjin Abuhassan), was arrested in Zamboanga City (Philippine News Agency, May 6). One month later, the Southern Police District (SPD) announced that the fifth... MORE

Zuena Nakhumicha was once a Tanzanian banker, but has been arrested for her suspected ties to terrorists, with a wide web of links in Kenya. She was captured in a border town between Tanzania and Zambia on July 27, and has since claimed in court... MORE

On July 28, the European Union (EU) sanctioned Ahmad Mahmood Hassan (alias Abuwakas) for terrorist activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (europa.eu, July 28). The EU claimed Abuwakas, a Tanzanian national, was born around 1993 and is a “senior leader of the... MORE

The majority of Islamic State in West Africa Province’s (ISWAP) top leaders have remained unknown since Abu Musab al-Barnawi—the son of the group’s founder, Muhammed Yusuf—was deposed in 2019 (france24.com, March 15, 2019). Even after this, however, al-Barnawi remained in a leadership position, eventually commanding... MORE

Boko Haram’s largest and most prominent faction, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), has had no official leader since Abu Musab al-Barnawi was detained and overthrown in an internal coup in 2019 (france24.com, March 15, 2019). The rival “Shekau” faction, in contrast, has been... MORE