Briefs
From Village Elder to Islamic State’s ‘Acting’ Emir in the Philippines: Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan
On July 10, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the leader of a faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) based in the Sulu Islands and acting emir of the Islamic State in East Asia (ISEA), was still alive... MORE
Iran’s Taliban Connection: Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir
On June 1, a report from the UN monitoring team was publicly released, stating that, “at least one group of senior Taliban had already formed a new group in opposition to any possible peace agreement, purportedly known as Hezb-e Wilayat Islami…” The report stated that... MORE
Latest Profiles
Abdelmalek Droukdel and Boko Haram: A Post-Mortem Analysis on the AQIM Leader’s Ties to the Nigerian Terrorist Group
Abdelmalek Droukdel (a.k.a. Abu Musab Abdel Wadud) was the leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) since 2006—or since 2004, if his stint leading AQIM’s predecessor, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), is included. His death was announced on June 11, and... MORE
Who’s Who in the GNA Military Leadership in Libya
The military offensive launched by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in April 2019 to conquer western Libya has failed (see TM, April 5, 2019). For months, Haftar and his forces enjoyed a clear strategic advantage: more fighters, more mercenaries, more external support, and more significant financial... MORE
Igor Strelkov-Girkin: The Rise and Fall of the Former Donetsk Minister of Defense
Introduction On June 25, the former Minister of Defense of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Igor Strelkov-Girkin (born December, 17 1970) admitted that “instead of bringing freedom to Donbass, I brought destruction and a six-years` war. Yet, I have no regrets about my actions”... MORE
A Brief Overview of Abu Muhammad al-Masri: The Next in Line to Lead al-Qaeda
On June 14, a U.S. drone strike in Syria’s Idlib province killed Abu al-Qassam al-Urduni, a top al-Qaeda figure who was a commander of al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din. The death of al-Urduni, a.k.a. Khalid al-Aruri, follows those of prominent al-Qaeda leaders Abu al-Khayr al-Masri and... MORE