Latest Briefs
The Kashmir Crisis: Is Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin Still Relevant?
On September 1, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin called on the Pakistani government to send its military to Kashmir to protect the people there from the Indian security forces. If the United Nations does not send peacekeepers there, he said, “it is binding upon... MORE
The ‘Emerging al-Qaeda Lion’ is No More: Hamza Bin Laden’s Demise is a Crucial Blow to al-Qaeda
On July 31, news of Hamza bin Laden’s death surfaced with only partial comment from U.S. intelligence officials and al-Qaeda media sources (Dawn [Karachi], August 1). The original report citing unnamed U.S. officials did not confirm the date, place or circumstances that led to the... MORE
Zakir Musa’s Death and its Impact on al-Qaeda’s Ambitions in Indian Kashmir
Zakir Rashid Bhat, a.k.a. Zakir Musa, the emir of the al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces on May 23 in the Tral area of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir (India Today, May 10). Arguably the... MORE
The Death of Man Chari Reveals Uncertainties in Boko Haram
Since early 2019, the Boko Haram faction led by Abubakar Shekau has been conducting a media surge. One possible reason for this is the desire to demonstrate Shekau’s resilience despite being demoted from the Islamic State-affiliated faction in 2016 and that faction’s own leadership turmoil... MORE
The Mastermind of the Sri Lankan Easter Sunday Attacks: A Brief Sketch of Mohammed Zahran Hashim of National Thowheeth Jama’ath
Following the April 21 Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people and injured many more, the Sri Lankan authorities and a devastated populace are still left with troubling questions. How had this unheard of ‘Islamic extremism’ reach... MORE
Egypt Indicts Yehia Moussa for Assassination of Egyptian Prosecutor General
An Egyptian court has indicted Yehia Elsayed Ibrahim Moussa—a.k.a. Yehia Moussa—for being the mastermind behind the murder of Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat on June 29, 2015. Moussa is a Muslim Brotherhood member who lives in exile in Turkey, and his indictment is the result... MORE
Prominent Iraqi Shia Militia Leader Arrested—The Rise and Fall of Aws al-Khafaji
Prominent Iraqi Shia militia leader Aws al-Khafaji was arrested by men from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), the umbrella organization of the predominantly Shia armed groups. He was captured during a raid on his militia’s main office in Baghdad in early February. Several sources suggested... MORE
Yahya Abu al-Hammam: France Eliminates Leading Saharan Jihadist
French commandos tore through the desert north of Timbuktu on February 21, in hot pursuit of a leading jihadist who had been detected as part of a three-car convoy by a Reaper surveillance drone. As the commandos caught up, the militants opened fire. Five French... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Man in the Indian Kashmir Insurgency: Zakir Musa
Apparently, al-Qaeda finds it difficult to lure in fresh Islamist militants amid the rise of the Islamic State (IS) in 2014 and the establishment of its self-proclaimed Islamic Caliphate. This is not the case in South Asia. Al-Qaeda Central remains strong in the region, and... MORE
AL-BARNAWI VS. SHEKAU—JIHADIST RIVALRIES IN NIGERIA
In August 2016, the Islamic State designated Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi as the new leader of its Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) (Jihadology, August 3, 2016). Abubakar Shekau, in turn, was dropped from that position, leading him to revive Jamā'at Ahl al-Sunnah li-l-Da'wah wa-l-Jihād... MORE