Briefs
Bashir Qorgab—al-Shabaab Veteran Commander Killed in U.S. Airstrike
On February 22, an airstrike carried out by U.S. Africa Command killed a senior al-Shabaab leader, Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud (a.k.a. Bashir Qorgab) (Radio Muqdisho, March 7). As a senior operational commander in the Somali militant group, Qorgab is believed to have been involved in the... MORE
Mullah Nangialai—Herat Shadow Governor of Taliban Splinter Group Killed in Airstrike
On January 8, a U.S. drone strike killed a commander of a Taliban splinter group in Afghanistan’s western Herat province. The commander, Mullah Nangialai, was an influential member of a Taliban splinter group, the High Council of the Afghanistan Islamic Emirate (HCAIE). The drone strike... MORE
Latest Profiles
Escape from Pakistan: TTP Spokesperson Ehsan ullah Ehsan Fled from Custody
In February 2017, Pakistani security and law enforcement authorities managed to get Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ehsan ullah Ehsan to defect to Pakistani authorities. Or, at least, government officials proclaimed that he had surrendered to authorities and was cooperating with them (News International, February 10).... MORE
The GNA’s Latest Defection: A Profile of the Tripoli Militiaman-Turned-Diplomat Mohamed Shaeban ‘al-Mirdas’
In January, Muhammed Shaeban, ‘al-Mirdas,’ resigned as the Libyan deputy ambassador and consul general in Tunis. Allegedly, he was about to be fired and decided to step down on his own. Mirdas was not only a diplomat. Primarily, he was one of the leaders of... MORE
AQAP’s New Emir: Who is Khalid Batarfi?
On February 23, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a video message from its prominent scholar Hamid al-Tamimi confirming the death of the group’s leader, Qasim al-Raymi, from a U.S. drone strike in Yemen (NewsYemen, February 23; al-Arabiya, February 23). In the same message,... MORE
The Past as Precedent: Is the Taliban’s Military Chief Sirajuddin Haqqani Ready for Peace?
On February 29, the United States and the Taliban signed the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” in Doha, Qatar. The agreement paves the way for a pullout of American troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban has pledged to disallow groups like al-Qaeda from using Afghan... MORE