
Briefs

Daud Mehsud—Islamic State Names First Emir of Wilayat-e-Pakistan
One of the most recent developments related to Islamic State’s (IS) activities in South Asia was the announcement of two new wilayat (governorates)—Wilayat-e-Hind and Wilayat-e-Pakistan (See Terrorism Monitor, July 3). The announcements were made by IS’ media wing after the concerted Easter Day suicide attacks... MORE

Al-Qaeda Loses Another Rising Leader: The Death of Emir Asim Umar
On September 23, Asim Umar, chief of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), was killed in a joint operation by American and Afghan forces on a Taliban compound in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. This is the latest in a string of setbacks suffered by al-Qaeda in... MORE

A Post-Mortem Analysis of Former Chechen Field Commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili
On August 23, a former Chechen field commander and veteran of the second Chechen war, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, was shot in Berlin. He was shot twice before the perpetrator attempted to flee the scene on a scooter. Although Moscow officially denies involvement in the assassination, according... MORE

Sheikh Khamis Farhan Ali al-Khanjar al-Issawi—The ‘Swashbuckling’ Millionaire Turned Sunni Iraqi Politician
The Salafist-jihadist Islamic State (IS) organization has been regaining strength in the Sunni Arab majority areas of central, western, and northern Iraq over the course of the last year. Leaders of the Iraqi Sunni Arab armed groups that have fought against IS, and other Iraqi... MORE

Waleed Ahmed Zein: The Dangerous Terrorist Financier of Kenya
In July 2018, Kenya’s anti-terrorist police unit stormed a terrorist network suspected to be conducting financial operations for Islamic State (IS). After the operation, Waleed Ahmed Zein was identified as the network’s top leader. A 27-year-old man from the coastal city of Mombasa, Zein had... MORE

Sahelian Jihadists with the Islamic State in Libya: A Post-Mortem Profile of Abu Asim al-Sudani
On July 11, 2019, Islamic State’s (IS) weekly publication al-Naba released a tribute to a “martyred” Sudanese fighter who had initially fought for IS’s West Africa wilaya (province) (ISWAP) and eventually was killed while fighting in Libya under the banner of the local wilaya there.... MORE

A Profile of Abdul Ghani ‘Ghneiwa’ Al-Kikli—The Leader of Tripoli’s Abu Salim Central Security Force
Almost six months into the conflict initiated in April by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) against the UN-backed Government of the National Accord (GNA) to win control of Tripoli, the military situation in western Libya remains in a stalemate (See Terrorism Monitor, April 5).... MORE

The GNA’s Muscle in Southern Libya: Southern Protection Force Leader Hassan Moussa Keley
Recently, fierce fighting has been raging in southern Libya for control over crucial oasis towns that serve as important nodes in trans-Saharan traffic—both licit and illicit—that moves into and out of Libya, and which are located close to significant oil resources. August has seen fierce... MORE

An In-Depth Look at Hani Bin Burayk: The UAE’s New Master of Aden
In August, Hani Bin Burayk, the Salafist cleric and militia commander from southern Yemen, called for the full mobilization of his troops in order to take control of the city of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government of Yemen since the Houthis pushed... MORE

Power and Rebellion in Chad: A Profile of Rebel Leader Mahamat Nouri Allatchi
At 72 years of age, Chad’s General Mahamat Nouri Allatchi has survived numerous battles, headed a series of rebel movements, and evaded repercussions for being a close associate of one of Africa’s worst mass murderers. Now, however, this veteran soldier and politician is facing prosecution... MORE