On July 28, the European Union (EU) sanctioned Ahmad Mahmood Hassan (alias Abuwakas) for terrorist activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (europa.eu, July 28). The EU claimed Abuwakas, a Tanzanian national, was born around 1993 and is a “senior leader of the... MORE

The majority of Islamic State in West Africa Province’s (ISWAP) top leaders have remained unknown since Abu Musab al-Barnawi—the son of the group’s founder, Muhammed Yusuf—was deposed in 2019 (france24.com, March 15, 2019). Even after this, however, al-Barnawi remained in a leadership position, eventually commanding... MORE

Abdallah Ag Albakaye holds a prominent position within Mali-based Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) as its emir in Talataye. The village of Talataye is in Gao, but is strategically located between the Menaka and Kidal regions. Ag Albakaye originally belonged to the JNIM sub-group,... MORE

Islamic State (IS) caliph Abu al-Hussein al-Qurashi was killed in northwestern Syria, IS’s third leader overall to be killed in the last 18 months. The role of the caliph is by definition central in the historic system of Islamic rule, the caliphate, which IS claimed... MORE

Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat is the military commander of the armed forces of the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). An ethnic Tajik, Fitrat is currently leading the war on Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP). In June, Fitrat announced that the perpetrators of ISKP bombings... MORE

Women have played multifaceted roles in terrorist organizations since the advent of modern terrorism. The militant landscape of Pakistan is no different. In the recent past, Islamist terrorist organizations, such as Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), have fielded women in terrorist attacks in Pakistan... MORE