Latest Articles about Terrorism
Brief: Abu Sayyaf Moves Closer to Demise with Shortage of Recruits
On June 7, Philippine security forces on Basilan Island (off of Mindanao) claimed to have “rescued” an Indonesian boy who was being trained to carry out bombings (philstar.com, June 7). The boy was in a hideout of two Islamic State (IS)-loyal sub-commanders, Mudzrimar Sawadjaan (alias... MORE
Brief: ISGS Returns to Burkina Faso in Force
Amid constant battles with the al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in Mali, Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) appears to be moving deeper into Burkina Faso. JNIM originally had deeper roots in Burkina Faso through a sub-group, Ansar al-Islam (AAI). However,... MORE
Four Uzbek Islamists Detained in Indonesia; KTJ Denies Alleged Links
The detention in March and subsequent murderous escape attempt of four Uzbek nationals in Indonesia was the first reported case in which Uzbek nationals—or nationals of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian states more generally—have ever been captured and detained on terrorism charges in Southeast Asia;... MORE
Questions Surround Pakistani Taliban’s Inroads into Balochistan: Organizational Expansion or Propaganda Stunt?
On June 14, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) split its organizational structure in the restive Balochistan province into Qalat-Makran and Zhob Wilayat (units) with Shaheen Baloch and Maulvi Norullah as their respective emirs. The Qalat-Makran Wilayah is in Balochistan’s Baloch-dominated areas, while the Zhob Wilayah is... MORE
A Profile of Wadhawa Singh Babbar: The Pakistan-Based Leader of the Pro-Sikh Babbar Khalsa International
Wadhawa Singh Babbar is the leader of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), or “Tigers of the True Faith,” which is a proscribed terrorist and separatist organization operating in India's state of Punjab. BKI is struggling to establish a state for Sikhs known as “Khalistan,” by means... MORE
How the Martyrdom of Asadullah al-Urgenchi and Abu Muhammad al-Uzbeki Inspires Future ISKP Recruits
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) has centralized and vastly expanded its media apparatus, while widening its scope to include more content about regional and international political topics beyond Afghanistan (see Terrorism Monitor, May 6, 2022).... MORE
Ustaz Ahmad Farooq’s Lasting Legacy in the South Asian Jihadist Ecosystem
In March, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)’s prominent Hitteen magazine published a 455-page book. It covered the life of former AQIS top ideologue Ustad Ahmad Farooq and was written by current AQIS deputy leader Atif Yahya Ghouri—an individual on the US Department of Treasury’s... MORE
Brief: Al-Shabaab Surges on Multiple Fronts in Somalia
On June 8, al-Shabaab raided a hotel along Mogadishu’s Lido Beach and killed six guests and three members of the Somali special forces, who had entered the hotel to rescue 84 hostages that eventually escaped (garoweonline.com, June 9). The attack sent a message to the... MORE
Brief: ISCAP Conducts School Massacre in Uganda
On June 16, suspected Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP) fighters conducted a massacre at a boarding school in Uganda that was located just across the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (mazima.ug, June 19). The group killed more than 40 of... MORE
Jamaatul Ansar: A Terrorism Threat in Bangladesh Before the 2024 Elections?
In mid-2022, Bangladeshi police stumbled upon a burgeoning Islamist militant conglomerate called Jamaatul-Ansar-fil-Hindal Sharqiya (Assembly of the Helpers in the East of India, or “Jamaatul Ansar”) while investigating youth disappearances in the country. More than 50 youths have reportedly left their homes to join Islamist... MORE