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

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

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

NEW OPPOSITION COALITION JAISH AL-MUJAHIDEEN ANNOUNCED IN ALEPPO  Nicholas A. Heras  Syrian rebel groups based in and around the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo announced the formation of the Jaish al-Mujahideen (Jihadist Army) on January 3. [1] Jaish al-Mujahideen was reportedly formed following a series... MORE

Omar al-Shishani, the commander of Jaish al-Muhajireen wa’l-Ansar, is regarded as the best known rebel leader in the country. Omar (a.k.a. Tarkhan Batirashvili) was born in 1986 to a Christian and a Muslim mother. He hails from Birkiani, a poor village located in the Pankisi... MORE

Dr. Sami al-Aridi (a.k.a. Abu Mahmoud al-Shami) is an influential ideologue in Jabhat al-Nusra who is effectively appealing to locals in an effort to appear distant from radical groups. Al-Aridi is one of al-Nusra’s religious judges. Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, said... MORE

One of the greatest challenges faced by the fledging Libyan state is the seven-month long oil blockade affecting three oil terminals­—Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zuetina—in eastern Libya that collectively account for 60 percent of the country’s oil exports. The blockade, led by Ibrahim al-Jadhran,... MORE

As South Sudan teeters on the brink of another civil war less than two years after gaining independence, most of the focus has been on the young nation’s former vice-president, Riek Machar Teng. The 61-year-old is a veteran rebel who spent years collaborating with the... MORE

EASTERN SYRIAN MILITANT LEADER ANNOUNCES CHANGE OF ALLEGIANCE FROM FSA TO AL-QAEDA  Nicholas A. Heras  Saddam al-Jamal, the former leader of the Liwa Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest Brigade) announced his defection from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to join the Islamic State of Iraq... MORE

An unattended car was found near the Syrian town of Dayr Hafir in eastern Aleppo province in late September containing an explosive belt usually worn by Abu Sa’id al-Hadrami (a.k.a. Muhammad Sa’id al-Abdullah), the amir of Jabhat al-Nusra (JN). Al-Hadrami was on his way to... MORE