Briefs
The Life and 50-Year Struggle of Baluch Nationalist Mir Yousuf Mastikhan
The 77-year old Mir Yousuf Mastikhan [1] is a veteran Baluch nationalist and separatist leader, who has continued his struggle with various political parties in Pakistan. Presently, Mastikhan is the president of Baluch Muttahida Mahaz (BMM), or the Baluch United Front. This is a Baluch... MORE
The Mysterious Assassination of Pakistani Taliban Spokesman Mufti Khalid Balti (Alias Muhammed Khurasani)
On January 9, 2022, Mufti Khalid Balti, a senior member of the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, was killed in an unclaimed attack in a border district in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province (Dawn, January 10). Balti was the former TTP spokesperson who... MORE
A Post-Mortem Analysis of the Filipino Communist Guerrilla — Jorge “Ka Oris”
In late October 2021, a high-ranking Filipino communist rebel commander and spokesman, Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, was killed by soldiers in Bukidnon, Mindanao. He was on his way to receive medical treatment at the moment of attack. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) referred... MORE
Muhammad Kawtharani: Hezbollah’s Key Operative in Iraq
On April 10, 2020, the U.S. treasury announced a $10 million award for information on Muhammad Kawtharani, a Lebanese Hezbollah commander (state.gov, April 10, 2020). Kawtharani is one of the founding members of Hezbollah and has been extensively involved in Iraqi affairs since the U.S.-led... MORE
In the Name of the Mahdi: An In-depth Look at Bangladeshi Militant and Propagandist Mushtaq Arman Khan
In early May 2020, the Bangladeshi police counter-terrorism unit arrested 17 members of the banned terrorist group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in Dhaka. At the time of the arrest, the JMB operatives planned to join Imam Mahdi, the spiritual redeemer of Islam, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.... MORE
Pakistan’s Man in Kabul: A Profile of the Afghan Taliban’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
On January 23-25, a Taliban delegation met with Western diplomats and activists in Oslo. While the Norwegian government stressed that the meetings were not “legitimation or recognition of the Taliban,” the Taliban described the talks as “a step to legitimize” their rule (Economic Times, January... MORE
Muhammad al-Uyghuri: The New Face of IS Khorasan’s Anti-China Propaganda
On October 8, 2021, an Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) operative detonated a suicide bomb inside of Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan, reportedly killing more than 50 people and wounding over 100 others (The Express Tribune, October 8, 2021). The attack targeted Shia... MORE
The Rise of Abdul Hakim al-Shishani: The Istanbul-Based Commander of Chechen Fighters in Idlib
In the secretive world of Chechen militants in Syria, the limelight often is shunned and garrulity is considered a sin. Propaganda videos posted online or occasional interviews with journalists or researchers rarely feature these fighters talking about their backgrounds or disclosing personal information. A great... MORE
Sanan Khan Qureshi: A Pakistani Sindhi Nationalist Leader Struggling to Match His Predecessors
Sanan Khan Qureshi is the current chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (“Long live Sindh Nationalist Front,” or JSQM), a Sindhi nationalist and separatist political organization in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. At the young age of 19 years, Sanan was elected unopposed as the JSQM... MORE
A Profile of Jaal Marroo: The Leader of Ethiopia’s Oromo Liberation Army
Jaal Marroo is the nom de guerre of Kumsa Diriba, who currently commands the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Marroo has been a commander in the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) since at least 2016, when he oversaw an OLF-led offensive in western sections of the state... MORE