Briefs
Juan Ibrahim: Head of the Kurdish Security Forces in Northeastern Syria
The Asayish is the largest and most sophisticated armed group in the Kurdish-controlled areas of north and northeastern Syria. The group is under the direct command of the Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat (PYD – Democratic Union Party), which is affiliated with the Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan (PKK... MORE
Umar Qasmi: The Amir of a new Pakistani Taliban Splinter Group, Ahrar ul-Hind
In a rare strike at the heart of the heavily guarded Pakistani capital of Islamabad, three armed men stormed a district court on March 3, killing 11 people and injuring over 30 others. The next day, a man introducing himself as the spokesperson for Ahrar... MORE
Where Trafficking and Terrorism Intersect: A Profile of Mauritanian Militant Hamada Ould Muhammad Kheirou
The dramatic occupation of northern Mali by Islamist extremists in 2012 brought a number of otherwise poorly known jihadists to international attention, including 44-year-old Mauritanian Hamada Ould Muhammad Kheirou (a.k.a. Abu Qum Qum). As leader of the Harakat al-Tawhid wa’l-Jihad fi Gharb Afriqiya (Movement for... MORE
The ‘Martyrdom’ of Doku Umarov: A Post Mortem Analysis of the Amir of the Caucasian Emirate
There has been considerable speculation that the failure of the Caucasian Emirate to disrupt President Vladimir Putin’s pet project, the Sochi Winter Olympics in February, was due to the fact that the leader of this pan-Caucasian terrorist group was dead. The pro-Russian “puppet” president of... MORE
Abd al-Krim al-Tergui: A Primer on the Epitome of AQIM’s Militants
One of the defining features of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is that its leadership has remained largely dominated by Algerians, despite the organization’s increased focus on the Sahel and ongoing shift away from Algeria. The increasing ethnic pluralization of its lower ranks, as... MORE
Ahmed Abdiqadir Abdullahi “Isku-dhuq”: al-Shabaab’s Second Most Powerful Leader
Nine years ago, no one in the leadership of Somalia’s now-defunct Islamic Court Union (ICU) thought that Ahmed Abdiqadir Abdullahi (a.k.a. Amo, a short form of Camey, a Somali nickname given to the people who have problem or lost their cheekbone, or Sahal) “Isku-dhuq” (a.k.a.... MORE
From Guantanamo to Darna: A Profile of Ansar al-Shari’a in Darna Leader Sufyan bin Qumu
The U.S. State Department designated three Ansar al-Shari’a groups—in Tunisia, Darna and Benghazi—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on January 10 for their involvement in attacks against civilians, successful and attempted assassinations of security officials and political actors in eastern Libya and attacks against the U.S. Special... MORE
A Look at Influential al-Qaeda Member Abu Anas al-Libi and His Ties to Ansar al-Shari’a
In a clandestine operation that angered many Libyans, especially Islamists, U.S. Special Forces captured Nazih Abd al-Hamid al-Ruqai from outside his Tripoli home last October. Known as Abu Anas al-Libi, al-Ruqai is a Libyan al-Qaeda suspect with a $5 million bounty on his head for... MORE
From Foot Soldier to Terrorist Mastermind: Pakistani Taliban Leader Omar Khalid Khorasani
Abdul Wali, commonly known by his jihadist nom de guerre Omar Khalid Khorasani, is one of the most senior leaders in the Pakistani Taliban. He exemplifies the transformation that Pakistani Taliban’s leadership has undergone in recent years. Khorasani has risen from jihadist foot soldier to... MORE