Afghanistan: The Need for New Ideas With the commitment of thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, Kabul is also eager for a shift in Washington’s attitude toward Pakistan. Meanwhile, plans for a new Afghan militia that can be deployed to troubled areas in support of... MORE

Members of China’s Uighur population have played a small but important role in the spread of global jihad, and Beijing is playing an increasingly assertive role in pursuing them as China’s influence grows. China’s Uighur exodus began following the 2009 riots in Xinjiang that led... MORE

Egypt: The Rafah Attack and Hamas Under Pressure Militants in northern Sinai killed at least 26 Egyptian solders in a suicide car-bomb attack on two military checkpoints near Rafah on July 7 (al-Jazeera, July 8). The attack, which was claimed by Islamic State (IS), was... MORE

On May 23, 2017, Islamic State (IS) forces invaded the town of Marawi in Mindanao, Philippines. At first, it was unclear whether reports of the invasion were an exaggeration. However, after the fighting persisted for more than one month, with over 200 Maute militants and... MORE

Indonesia: Eyes on the Islamists The Indonesian military has said it is beefing up defenses in parts of the country in anticipation of an expansion of Islamic State (IS) activities. That has included stepping up security in Ambon, Maluku and North Sulawesi, which lie south... MORE

In early April, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made waves by promising to improve Philippine defenses on islands in the South China Sea. “We have to fortify. I must build bunkers there or houses and make provisions for habitation.” Renovation and expansion of facilities on Paga-Asa... MORE

Myanmar’s beleaguered Rakhine state has witnessed a series of violent incidents since last October following surprise armed raids by a group of Rohingya Islamist militants. The raids, which targeted security posts in Maungdaw district and left several dead on both sides, triggered a fresh wave... MORE

Somalia: One Step Closer to Defeating al-Shabaab In the build up to his election as Somalia’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed announced he would invite al-Shabaab for a “sit down and discussion” (Twitter, January, 28). His rhetoric toward the group since then has been less welcoming.... MORE

Recent militant violence targeted at Myanmar’s border guard police in Rakhine State, which borders Bangladesh on Myanmar’s coast, has seen the emergence of what appears to be a new Islamist group with cross-border links. The fighting has once again focused international attention on the situation... MORE

Afghanistan: Taliban Divisions a Boon for Islamic State Gunmen in Afghanistan’s Jowzjan Province killed six aid workers with the International Committee of the Red Cross on February 8. Two other members of the eight-person team — which consisted of five Red Cross staff and three... MORE