Briefs
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
Boko Haram’s Nemesis: A Post-Mortem of Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) Leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi
In September, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP)’s leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, was reported killed (saharareporters.com, September 15). Although details remain unclear, his death either came at the hands of rivals in Boko Haram commanded by Bakura, who operated around Lake Chad, or possibly... MORE
Profiling Bonomado Omar: The Religious, Business, and Kinship Networks of Islamic State’s Leader in Mozambique
On August 6, 2021, the U.S. announced the terrorist designation of Bonomade Machude Omar alongside four other terrorist leaders in Africa. According to the designation, Omar is the leader of the Military and External Affairs Departments for Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP)’s Mozambique... MORE
Salim Rashid Mohammed: The Kenyan Prodigy Who Became an Islamic State Fighter in Mozambique
Salim Rashid Mohammed, a former Kenyan university student who became a jihadist, is now the latest concern for security agencies in East Africa. The 27-year-old has been maturing as a militant and has attained leadership status since joining Islamic State (IS) in Mozambique. Mohammed had... MORE
The Rise of Turji: The Notorious Bandit Leader Terrorizing Northwestern Nigeria
On February 2, an armed group leader appeared in a short video clip and threatened to invite terrorists and other criminal armed groups from neighboring African countries to destabilize Nigeria. The clip was captured during a reconciliation event organized in the forest by self-appointed negotiator... MORE
Guardian of Islamabad’s Red Mosque: A Profile of Moulana Abdul Aziz
Introduction With the fall of Kabul on August 15 and the reestablishment of the Afghan Taliban government, an uptick in Islamist terrorism in neighboring Pakistan appears inevitable. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is taking the lead in perpetrating terrorist strikes in Pakistan with a sharp surge of... MORE
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund: The UN-Sanctioned Theologian Leading the Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund is the new Prime Minister of Afghanistan in the Taliban's interim government formed in September (Dawn, September 7). The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, but delayed the announcement of the interim government twice. Its ministers were ultimately unveiled after three... MORE
Al-Qaeda Confirms the Killing of its Indian Amir: The Rise and Secret Fall of Shaikh Asim Umar
Two years after his death, al-Qaeda has confirmed that Shaikh Asim Umar, the founding amir of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), al-Qaeda’s south Asian franchise, was killed. Umar died in a U.S. and Afghan forces joint raid on September 23, 2019 in the Musa... MORE
The Afghan Release of Faqir Mohammad Unleashes New Wave of TTP Attacks on Pakistan
In the vast jihadist landscape of Pakistan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a relative newcomer. The TTP was formed in 2007 and can be best considered an agglomerate of more than 40 Islamist terrorist groups operating in the tribal belt of Pakistan. [1] The TTP... MORE