As Rohingya refugee camps near the Naf river (which partially separates Bangladesh and Myanmar) become hubs for organized crime and militants, Bangladeshi authorities fear spillover effects for Bangladesh and for the region more broadly. Refugee camps have mushroomed along Bangladesh's southeastern border since August 2017... MORE

In early November, the U.S. Department of the Treasury levied sanctions on associates and companies of Farhad Hoomer, an alleged South African Islamic State (IS) cell leader who had already been sanctioned in March (Treasury.gov, March 1). According to U.S. authorities, Hoomer headed an IS... MORE

On December 12, Islamic State (IS) militants assaulted Chinese nationals and Taliban officials inside a Kabul hotel. IS’s Amaq News Agency claimed the attack shortly afterwards and eventually released photos and a video of the attackers while claiming that IS in Khorasan Province (ISKP) fighters... MORE

The End of an Era: Has JNIM Finally Superseded AQIM? On December 23, the Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) released a video showing speeches about jihad by Abu Iyad al-Tunisi and Yahya Abu al-Humam when they were together in a hideout (Twitter... MORE

Ka Maria Malaya, whose real name is Myrna Sulatre, is one of the world’s most important female militant leaders and propagandists, but outside of the Philippines she is hardly known. She is often referred to as “Ka Oris’ wife,” as she is a recent widow... MORE

On December 1, the U.S. announced it added four veteran Pakistani jihadist leaders to its list of global terrorists as a part of its “relentless efforts to ensure that terrorists do not use Afghanistan as a platform for international terrorism.” The individuals placed on the... MORE

On November 22, after months of silence, the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA)’s spokesman, Mureed Baloch, confirmed the arrest of BNA leader Gulzar Imam (The Khorasan Diary, November 22). Turkish authorities arrested Gulzar upon his arrival in the country from Iran and then handed him over... MORE

A breakaway group of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which is headed by a student-turned-leader named Bashir Zaib, kidnapped two junior officers of Pakistan's military on September 25 in the restive southwestern Balochistan province. The abductees were a junior military officer and an intelligence officer... MORE

Philippines Security Forces Halt Islamic State Attacks after Mindanao Bus Bombing On November 27, Philippine police conducted an operation at an Islamic State in Southeast Asia Province (ISEAP) hideout in Maguindanao, Mindanao and killed two ISEAP members (akhbaralaan.com, November 28). The operation served as a... MORE

In India, which has a sizable tribal population, the Maoist movement has become firmly established over the last several decades due to socioeconomic circumstances, such as India’s wealth disparities, unemployment level, and exploitation of natural resources. Following a schism among the Communist Party of India... MORE