On May 23, eight former Abu Sayyaf members surrendered to the Philippine government by handing over their guns and pledging loyalty to the state (manilatimes.net, May 26). This continues the broader depletion of the group’s ranks due to defections, which have put the group on... MORE

On April 20, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) confirmed the deaths of Benito Tiamzon (Ka Laan) and his wife Wilma Austria-Tiamzon (Ka Bagong-tao). The 71-year old Benito was the Chairman of the CPP Executive Committee, while the 70-year old Wilma was the CPP’s... MORE

On March 4, during his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), French president Emmanuel Macron shared his vision for France, with Paris remaining deeply engaged in Africa. He portrayed France as the European partner which had the greatest amount in common with African... MORE

On May 6, Belgium’s prosecutor’s office announced that it arrested seven Islamic State (IS) supporters, including at least four from Chechnya, who were plotting attacks in the country (kavkaz-uzel.eu, May 6). The counter-terrorism operation is notable because IS has otherwise been largely absent from the... MORE

In July 2021, an emir in Jigawa State in northern Nigeria announced that Jigawa was “the most peaceful state in the country” and that the state had “no problem [with] Boko Haram,” referring to Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) (dailypost.ng, July 6, 2021).... MORE

[Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. Since the writing of this article, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared Imran Khan’s arrest “invalid and unlawful,” releasing him from jail and granting Khan two weeks of bail in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case and 10... MORE

On April 14, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) shot at a small plane that was landing at an airstrip in Intan Jaya Regency in Indonesia’s restive Papuan provinces (Twitter/@udayxSEA, April 14). [1] The TPNPB asserted that it would continue to target aircraft and... MORE

Two Eurocopter AS350 helicopters crashed in northern Iraq’s rural Duhok province on March 15, killing the nine heavily armed passengers on board. The deceased were initially identified as members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) counter-terrorism officials (Kurdistan... MORE

Mufti Abdul Rauf Azhar (Abdul Rauf) is the deputy leader of the Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which was proscribed by Pakistan in 2002. The group is most notable for targeting Indian forces in Indian-administered Kashmir and claiming such attacks in the name of the “Kashmir... MORE

In late November 2022, Iraqi Shia militia leader Akram al-Kaabi visited Russia and met with the Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov and other Russian officials. During his visit, al-Kaabi, who is the leader of the Iranian-backed al-Nujabaa (“The Noble Ones”) Shia militia, condemned the... MORE