
Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles

Ansar al-Shari’a: Transforming Libya into a Land of Jihad
In the first attack of its kind in Libya, a suicide car bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into a military checkpoint in Bersis (east of Benghazi) on December 22, 2013 that killed 13 people and injured 17 others (Jeune Afrique, December 23, 2013). The investigation... MORE

Kurdish Strategy Towards Ethnically-Mixed Areas in the Syrian Conflict
Kurdish fighters in Syria have taken greater control of areas inhabited by both Arabs and Kurds since July 16, and aim to capture three other mixed areas in the governorates of Raqqah, Aleppo and Hasakah in order to connect existing Kurdish areas (al-Monitor, October 25).... MORE

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Attacks Morocco’s “Kingdom of Corruption and Despotism”
Al-Andalus, the media branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), released a rather sophisticated and detailed video on Morocco titled “Le royaume de la corruption et du despotisme" (The kingdom of corruption and despotism) on September 12. [1] The video mixed a series of... MORE

The Army of Justice and the Threat of Sunni Militancy in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province of Iran
Fourteen border guards in the southeastern Iranian region of Saravan were assassinated and five seriously wounded on October 25 by a shadowy militant Sunni group known as Jaysh al-Adl (JA – Army of Justice) (IRNA, October 25; Mehr News, October 25). In retaliation, Iranian authorities... MORE

Oil Exploration and Political Stalemate Threaten to Trigger Renewed Conflict in the Western Sahara
The decades-long unresolved conflict over the Western Sahara threatens to heat up again as Algeria and Morocco dispute the future of the region and young members of the Sahrawi Polisario Front (Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y Río de Oro - Popular... MORE

Turkey Faces Security Challenges and Political Dilemmas in the Syrian Conflict
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalk?nma Partisi - AKP) is experiencing political stalemate as a consequence of its support for armed Islamist terrorist groups in the Syria. The party’s policy is becoming dangerous and ambiguous. The primary concerns are related to two... MORE

Foreign Fighters in Somalia and al-Shabaab’s Internal Purge
The role of foreign fighters in al-Shabaab was brought to public attention once again in October with the release by al-Kata’ib (Shabaab’s media wing) of a video entitled: “It’s an eye for an eye: the Woolwich attacks.” [1] The video featured ten British jihadis who... MORE

The Day After: Iran’s Quiet Taliban Diplomacy Reflects Preparations for a Post-U.S. Afghanistan
In many respects, the ascendance of Hassan Rouhani to the Iranian presidency has raised optimism for the prospects of a limited rapprochement between the United States and Iran. This is the case even as the United States and Iran stand diametrically opposed on a host... MORE

AQAP Resilience Exposes the Weakness of Yemen’s Security Apparatus
Using an explosives-laden vehicle, a suicide bomber targeted the gate of Yemen’s 111th Army Brigade base in Ahwar, Abyan province, on October 18, while a commando of a dozen militants simultaneously stormed the camp with machine guns and RPGs (Barakish, [Sana’a], October 18; Yemen Post,... MORE

Militancy in the Niger Delta Becoming Increasingly Political – A Worry for 2015
As oil bunkering, piracy, and kidnapping in the Niger Delta has continued or worsened over the course of the year, the general instability has increasingly politicized militants in the region, exacerbating a growing problem for the central government. The more political mindset of the militants... MORE