Briefs
Who is Taliban Negotiator Mullah Sherin Akhund?
On March 18, Russia hosted negotiations between the Taliban, the Afghan government, and representatives from the United States, China and Pakistan. The meeting was the first in a series of three international conferences intended to find a consensus for an interim Afghan government composed of... MORE
Indonesia Arrests Last Fugitive Leader of 2002 Bali Bombings
On December 10, the Indonesian National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism force arrested Aris Sumarsono, better known as Zulkarnaen, in Purbolinggo, in the East Lampung province of southern Sumatra. Zulkarnaen is the military commander of Jemaah Islamiyah, and has been on the run for 18 years... MORE
Latest Profiles
Mohamed Ahmed “Qahiye”: Islamic State’s Exiled Chieftain in Somalia Finds Refuge in Mozambique
In late 2018, the Islamic State (IS) franchise in Puntland, Somalia, was convulsed by a violent power struggle that killed key allies and relatives of the group’s self-styled emir, Abdulkadir Mumin (see Militant Leadership Monitor, November 30, 2011). The internal putsch concluded with the abduction... MORE
Abu Yassir Hassan Surfaces as the Leader of the Mozambican Insurgency
Abu Yassir Hassan—a militant leader in Mozambique—is believed to be steering a deadly insurgency in the northern part of the country. Under his watch, a band of militants under the banner of Ansar al-Sunna has carried out deadly attacks in the gas-rich northern province of... MORE
How Islamic State Commandeers Syrian Tribal Networks—The Case Study of Saddam al-Jamal
Saddam al-Jamal, a.k.a. Abu Roqaiyya al-Ansari, is a notorious member of Islamic State (IS), and his arrest in May 2018 evoked strong reactions, both in the region and across the world. Al-Jamal was captured, along with four other high-level IS members, by Iraq’s intelligence agency... MORE
Will New Sanctions Slow Down Houthi Commanders Mansur al-Saadi and Ahmad al-Hamzi in Yemen?
On March 2, the United States imposed sanctions on two senior military commanders of the Houthi organization: Mansur al-Saadi, chief of staff of the Houthis’ Navy and Ahmad al-Hamzi, commander of the Houthis’ Air Force (Middle East Eye, March 2). The announcement by the U.S.... MORE