Latest Articles about Terrorism
Dagestan Remains the Deadliest Republic of the North Caucasus
On August 28, Dagestan’s President Magomedsalam Magomedov presided over an extraordinary joint meeting of the Security Council of Dagestan and the Coordination Council for Law Enforcement in Dagestan. The leader of the republic unexpectedly proposed the idea of establishing self-defense units in the republic (https://05.mvd.ru/news/302958/).... MORE
Ingushetia Experiences Spike in Violence as Militants Mount New Attacks
August ended with fresh casualties among both civilians and law enforcement personnel in Ingushetia. According to independent estimates, there were 44 casualties in Ingushetia in August—19 killed and 25 injured. Of the 19 people killed, nine were law enforcement officers, seven were rebels and three... MORE
Kazakhstan Struggles to Contain Salafist-Inspired Terrorism
Kazakhstan has experienced a rise in militant activity carried out by Salafist groups on its territory and periphery since late 2011. The Salafists’ rejection of secularism and other types of Islam and their call for a return to the ways of the Salaf, or pious... MORE
Foreign Fighters Bring a Global Agenda to Syria
Great uncertainty continues to shroud the ideological composition of the insurgency that is raging across Syria. The motivations of the rank-and-file of the Free Syrian Army (FSA - the armed wing of the Syrian National Council [SNC] opposition movement) and the constellation of factions that... MORE
Dual Blows Imperil the Future of the Cross-Border Haqqani Network
Two recent events seem to have shaken the Haqqani Network to its core—the death of Badruddin Haqqani and the group’s designation as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO) by the United States. According to a Pakistani journalist based in the Tribal Areas, the death of Badruddin... MORE
Who Was Really Behind the Death of Dagestan’s Sheikh?
On August 28, one of the most respected spiritual leaders of Dagestan of the past century, Said Atsaev, was murdered in the village of Chirkei, located 25 kilometers northwest of the city of Buinaksk. Better known as Sufi Sheikh Said Efendi Chirkeisky, Atsaev was a... MORE
Security-Related Issues Continue to Plague the North Caucasus’ Smallest Republic
On August 19, a suicide bomber attacked the funeral of a police officer in the village of Sagopshi in Ingushetia’s Malgobek district. Seven police officers were killed in the attack and at least 15 other people were wounded, nine of them seriously. Ilez Korigov, the... MORE
War Crimes, Gold Mines and Mutiny in the North-East Congo: A Profile of General Bosco Ntaganda
Over 22 years of fighting for a variety of rebel-movements and national governments, General Bosco “The Terminator” Ntaganda has established himself as the leading warlord in the little-known Nord-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Nord-Kivu region is at the heart... MORE
An In-Depth Portrait of Sadiq al-Ahmar: A Window into Yemeni Tribal Power Politics
One of the principal power brokers in Yemen is Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar. As leader of the Hashid tribal federation, the strongest and second largest in Yemen, al-Ahmar is an individual of unique power. It was via his ability to control both the levers of legitimating... MORE
Nasiruddin Haqqani (a.k.a Dr. Khan): The Haqqani Network’s Emissary and Fundraiser
The Haqqani Network (HN) has recently been receiving global attention for its active support to militant movements in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tagged often as the “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the HN allegedly masterminded many sensational attacks in Afghanistan including the January 2008 Serena... MORE