
Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles

The Impact of Ayman Zawahiri’s Killing on Pakistan-TTP Reconciliation Talks
Since the August U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Kabul, the Pakistani government’s peace talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or “Pakistani Taliban”) have been suspended. The Afghan Taliban’s Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob further accused Pakistan of allowing the U.S. to... MORE

Briefs
Somali Government Seeks to Stymie al-Shabaab Funding and Propaganda Despite numerous efforts to counter financing to al-Shabaab on a global scale, on October 8, the Somali government demanded businesses in the country eliminate all funding to al-Shabaab or else risk having their business licenses revoked... MORE

The Assassination of Shinzo Abe in Japan and the Threat from Primitive Homemade Weapons
On July 8, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a speech in Nara, Japan (The Japan Times, July 8). The suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who was an ex-member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, shot the former premier using a homemade improvised... MORE

The Pakistani Taliban’s Quest for a Sharia State by Demerging FATA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The peace talks between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistan security establishment are facing an undeclared deadlock since a fruitless tour paid by a top Taliban delegation to Kabul in late July (The Express Tribune, July 27). The Taliban delegation visited under the leadership of... MORE

Promises and Pitfalls of Tajikistan’s Latest Repatriation Program for Islamic State Families from Syria
On July 25, Tajikistan repatriated 146 of its citizens from Syria, including 42 women and 104 children, who were stranded in the al-Hol and Roj refugee camps. The authorities stated that the operation’s main goal was “to save the Tajik children from hopelessness and their... MORE

Briefs
ISWAP Expands into Ondo and Edo in Southern Nigeria Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) has developed new tactics and strategies since ejecting Abubakar Shekau from the eponymous “Boko Haram” Shekau faction in 2016. These have included conducting roadside ambushes on the military to... MORE

Indian Security Agencies Target Popular Front of India
On September 22, an India-wide crackdown on the neo-radical Islamic movement, Popular Front of India (PFI), was conducted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and various state police agencies. The raids led to the arrests of more than 100 top leaders of... MORE

Baluch Militancy’s Newest and Most Lethal Phase in Pakistan
The Baluch separatist insurgency in Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province has entered a crucial new phase. Despite Pakistan's intensive crackdown on Baluch rebels launched in August 2006, the insurgency has not waned in more than 15 years (Dawn, August 27, 2006). Instead, since 2018, the insurgency’s... MORE

Islamic State in Khurasan Province Exploits Tajik Martyrs to Recruit in Central Asia
On June 18, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) militants attacked a Sikh place of worship, or gurdwara, in Kabul, killing two people, although Islamic State (IS) touted a much higher casualty total (The Hindu, June 19). IS formally claimed the operation through its Amaq... MORE

Briefs
Myanmar Faces Arakan Army Attacks in Rakhine State Since intelligence agencies began observing ties between certain, albeit possibly peripheral, Rakhine [Arakan] militant groups and Islamic State (IS), jihadism has often been the focus of analyses on the Rakhine state insurgency in Myanmar (theweek.in, November 21,... MORE