Latest Articles about Terrorism

Brief: Security Services and ISWAP May Be Pushing Nigeria’s Shia Minority Toward Iran
Executive Summary: Ongoing pressure by Nigerian security services and Sunni militants may be pushing the country’s small Shia population toward Iran. Nigeria’s Shia, who comprise some 1.3 percent of the total population, are likely to be influenced by Iran through members of the Lebanese diaspora... MORE

Pakistan Bans Iran-Backed Zainebiyoun Brigade Amid Regional Turmoil
Executive Summary: Pakistan banned the Iran-backed Zainebiyoun Brigade on April 11, 2024, designating them as a terrorist group. The move is believed to be an effort to crack down on Iranian recruitment of disaffected Pakistani Shia, who are being used to fight in Iran’s proxy... MORE

Interest in 3D-Printed Firearms Rising Among Islamist Militants
Executive Summary: Traditionally, Islamist militants have not been quick to adopt the newest drone and 3D printing technology, but the popularization of 3D-printed firearms (3DPFs) on Islamic State platforms suggests that that is changing. If 3DPFs become more widespread, malicious actors will be able to... MORE

What Motivated Islamic State’s Mosque Attack in Muscat?
Executive Summary: Islamic State (IS) militants conducted a well-planned strike in Oman on a Shi’ite mosque on July 15, 2024. While early reports focused on the attack’s potential goal of inciting sectarian violence, it is more likely to have been meant as a warning to... MORE

How al-Sharaa’s New Syrian Regime Masks Its Islamism Behind Bureaucracy
Executive Summary: Former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa and a coalition of militant groups led by his Committee for the Liberation of the Levant (HTS) successfully overthrew the brutal al-Assad regime in Syria on December 8, 2024, leaving the fate of the country uncertain. While al-Sharaa has... MORE

Mohammad Bazzi, Talal Chahine, and Nazem Ahmad: Hezbollah’s Three Global Financiers in Focus
Executive Summary: Investigations of Hezbollah’s financing network over the last several years have identified three major funders of the terror group: Mohammad Bazzi, Talal Chahine, and Nazem Ahmad. The arrest of the former two and the destruction of the third’s network is expected to significantly... MORE

Shamin Mahfuz: A Retrospective of Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya Incarcerated Founder in Bangladesh
Executive Summary: Md Shamin Mahfuz, the founder of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), a prominent jihadist group in Bangladesh loyal to al-Qaeda, was arrested in June 2023. Despite the successful arrest of many JAFHS leaders and militants, the group remains a threat, especially given... MORE

Hafiz Gul Bahadur: Pashtun Militant Fostering Jihadist Factional Unity Along Pakistan’s Durand Line
Executive Summary: Hafiz Gul Bahadur is a Pakistani militant who has been active in the region since 9/11. Bahadur has a network of affiliates, called the “Hafiz Gul Bahadur group,” which has been involved in a series of attacks on Pakistani forces over the past... MORE

General Tariq Saleh: A Thorn in the Side of the Houthis
Executive Summary: In Yemen, the internationally recognized government-aligned National Resistance Forces (NRF) are led by General Tariq Saleh, the nephew of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh’s faction holds a critical chokepoint, which prevents the Houthis from seizing the rest of the country’s Red Sea... MORE

Twan Mrat Naing: Ruler of Rakhine and Leader of the Arakan Army
Executive Summary: Twan Mrat Naing is the leader of one of the major anti-junta ethnic factions in Myanmar, the Arakan Army (AA). Twan has pushed fairly successfully for a separate Rakhine State under his leadership, either independent or in confederation with a new national government... MORE