
Briefs

Ras Abdula and Janhar Abdulhari: Key Abu Sayyaf Leaders Arrested in the Philippines
In May, a Philippine army colonel announced that the fourth most wanted Abu Sayyaf member, Ras Abdullah (also known as Elhan Bahjin Abuhassan), was arrested in Zamboanga City (Philippine News Agency, May 6). One month later, the Southern Police District (SPD) announced that the fifth... MORE

Zuena Nakhumicha: The Trials and Tribulations of Tanzania’s ‘Black Widow’
Zuena Nakhumicha was once a Tanzanian banker, but has been arrested for her suspected ties to terrorists, with a wide web of links in Kenya. She was captured in a border town between Tanzania and Zambia on July 27, and has since claimed in court... MORE
Latest Profiles

Saddam Haftar: The Marshal’s Heir Apparent in Libya
At the end of August, forces from the so-called “Libyan National Army” conducted a combined air-raid and airborne assault on Umm al-Araneb, Murzug District in Libya’s southern region of Fezzan. The operation targeted rebels from the Chadian Front for Change and Concord (Front pour l’alternance... MORE

Abdul Kabir: A Profile of the Taliban’s Former Acting Prime Minister Pro Tempore
From May to July, Maulvi Abdul Kabir served as acting prime minister pro tempore of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan for Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, who had been suffering from health problems (Etemaad, May 18; EFE, July 17). Abdul Kabir has served in key positions in the previous and... MORE

Shafiq Mengal: Pakistan’s Most Lethal Mercenary Leader in Balochistan
On July 21, clashes between Shafiq Mengal’s “death squad” and fighters loyal to Baloch nationalist leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal left four people dead in Wadh, Khuzdar District in Balochistan. Sardar Akhtar Mengal claimed that state-sponsored militias in Balochistan, namely Shafiq Mengal’s death squad, were formed... MORE

‘Lina E.’: Prosecution of the Woman Leading Germany’s Militant Left-Wing Underground
On May 31, the Oberlandesgericht (state-level higher court) in Dresden, Germany sentenced the 28-year old university student “Lina E.” to five years and three months in prison for her leadership position in a “criminal entity.” Among other offenses, she caused “severe bodily harm” to others... MORE