Briefs
Leaders of Mozambican Militant Group Revealed
Until recently, the top leadership of the rising Islamist Mozambican militant group, Ansar al-Sunna, had been a matter of speculation. However, in mid-August, the country’s police chief released several names of suspected Islamists who the country’s security and intelligence agencies believe are ringleaders of the... MORE
Syria: HTS Commander al-Jawlani Appeals to Militants on eve of Idlib Offensive
At the end of July 2018, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced his intention to regain control of Idlib. Speaking to the Russian media, al-Assad said that after “we have liberated Ghouta, we will finish the liberation of the south-western part of Syria.” Adding that “Idlib... MORE
Latest Profiles
Al-Tajouri, Al-Kani, Badi and Trabelsi: The Militia Leaders Fighting for Tripoli
On September 25, the Tripoli Security Directorate announced the end of fighting in the Libyan capital Tripoli (Libya Observer, Sept 26, 2018). This declaration comes after almost a month of fierce clashes that left around 117 people dead and 560 others wounded (Libya Observer, Sept... MORE
The Mystery Emir: Who is IS-K Commander Shaikh Aslam Farooqi?
The sudden rise of Islamic State’s Khurasan Chapter (IS-K, or Waliyat-e-Khurasan) in September 2014 took the security policymakers of Pakistan and Afghanistan by surprise. The global Islamist terrorist organization was able to find immediate support from local and regional Islamist terrorist groups operating in the... MORE
Boko Haram to Ansaru to ISWAP: A Post-Mortem Analysis of Abu Fatima
The jihadist group Anṣar al-Muslimin fi Bilad al-Sudan (Ansaru) broke away from Boko Haram in a formal announcement through fliers dropped in Kano, Nigeria in January 2012 (Vanguard, February 1, 2012). However, Ansaru’s founder, the long-time Nigerian al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) kidnapper, Khalid... MORE
From the Inner Circle of Ahmed al-Chalabi’s INC to America’s New Specially Designated Terrorist—A Profile of Iraqi Banker Aras Habib
On May 15, the U.S. Treasury Department put the Iraqi banker, businessman, and politician Aras Habib on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists for his role in assisting and providing financial support and other services to Iran Republican Guard Corps’s Al-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). He... MORE