Latest Briefs
Iraqi Elections Poised to Further Empower Pro-Iran Hadi al-Ameri
On May 12, Iraq held its first parliamentary elections since the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reclaimed control of disputed territories from Kurdish forces and declared the military defeat of Islamic State (IS) militants in late 2017. A decisive factor in these successes... MORE
The Tihama Resistance Council: Muhammad Ammar Muamen’s Fight for al-Hudaydah
The Saudi/UAE-led coalition’s campaign to seize the strategic Yemeni Red Sea port city of al-Hudaydah has resulted in fierce fighting between the coalition and the Ansar Allah (Partisans of God-Houthi) movement that controls the city. An important component of the coalition forces fighting in al-Hudaydah... MORE
Hussein Ali Fiidow’s Challenge to al-Shabaab Leadership
At the center of an alleged power struggle in the top leadership of al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa, is a deputy emir who is in charge of governorates and finance. Reports suggest that Hussein Ali Fiidow, an influential leader within the militant... MORE
Securing Southern Yemen for the UAE: Abu al-Abbas and the Battle for Taiz
Over the course of May, the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-led coalition, working with local Yemeni partner forces commanded by Tariq Saleh, have advanced close to the strategic, Ansar Allah- (Partisans of God-Houthi) controlled port city of al-Hudaydah on Yemen's Red Sea coast... MORE
The Lessons of Abu Zinnira: A Spokesman in Boko Haram’s Kidnappings and Factional Feuds
In February 2018, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) carried out a brazen kidnapping of 111 girls in Dapchi, Yobe State, Nigeria. After capturing them, the militants reportedly took the girls hundreds of kilometers away, to the base of the ISWAP leader, Abu... MORE
From PMU to Political Mobilization: A Look at Mahdi Ali Jabar al-Musawi and the IRGC’s Reach Into Iraqi Politics
Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections—scheduled to be held on May 12—are being highly and tightly contested, particularly from within the Iraqi Shia community. One of the most influential factions vying for control over the Iraqi parliament is Etilaf al-Fateh (Conquest Coalition), which is mainly comprised of... MORE
Detained Senior Commander Reveals Islamic State Plans to Revive Yemen Campaign
On March 25, the Aden Security Department announced the arrest of three militants suspected of being part of an Islamic State (IS) media and reconnaissance team active in the Yemeni interim capital (el-Nashra, March 25). Yemeni security officials stated that the operation, carried out in... MORE
A Profile of Emirati Proxy and South Yemen Separatist Abu al-Yamama al-Yaefi
The strategic port city of Aden in southern Yemen has experienced significant instability since the start of 2018. In late January, Aden was the site of increasingly bitter infighting between forces loyal to the government of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and forces loyal to... MORE
Leadership Decapitation Unlikely to Undermine AQIM in the Long Run
On January 20, Tunisian security forces killed Bilel al-Kobi, an Algerian terrorist affiliated with the Tunisian offshoot of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Oqba bin Nafaa (OBN). Al-Kobi was considered to be one of the closest aides of Abdelmalek Drukdel, the emir of AQIM.... MORE
Gaza’s Most Wanted: A Look at HISN General Secretary Hashim Ashour Salem
On January 31, the U.S. Department of State designated the Gaza-based Palestinian organization Harakat al-Sabireen Nasiran li-Filasteen (HISN-Movement of the Patient Ones for Palestinian Victory) as a terrorist organization (U.S. Department of State, January 31). HISN is a controversial organization that is believed to be... MORE