Al-Qaeda’s Malian Affiliate Celebrates French Withdrawal Jacob Zenn On February 17, France announced its withdrawal of troops from Mali (France24.com, February 17). President Emmanuel Macron noted that victory was “impossible” if the Malian junta, which came to power through a coup in 2021, continued to... MORE

On January 18, 2022, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which is the Islamic State (IS)’s affiliate in Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, released a 27-minute propaganda video titled “The Empowerment Generation” on its official media platform (Ujasusi, January 23). The video provides exclusive... MORE

In July 2020, a media network aligned with Islamic State in Hind Province (ISHP) published the premier issue of the English-language Voice of Hind (VoH) magazine. This print series serves a unique function in the South Asian Islamic State (IS) media ecosystem and communications network.... MORE

As Russia launched its massive re-invasion of neighboring Ukraine in late February, scores of propagandists, journalists and officials—in Russia, Ukraine and even abroad—seized on an old, familiar trope: the Chechen, a fearless and ruthless force, far deadlier than any other foe. Watching the agitprop on... MORE

On January 9, 2022, Mufti Khalid Balti, a senior member of the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, was killed in an unclaimed attack in a border district in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province (Dawn, January 10). Balti was the former TTP spokesperson who... MORE

In late October 2021, a high-ranking Filipino communist rebel commander and spokesman, Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, was killed by soldiers in Bukidnon, Mindanao. He was on his way to receive medical treatment at the moment of attack. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) referred... MORE

On April 10, 2020, the U.S. treasury announced a $10 million award for information on Muhammad Kawtharani, a Lebanese Hezbollah commander (state.gov, April 10, 2020). Kawtharani is one of the founding members of Hezbollah and has been extensively involved in Iraqi affairs since the U.S.-led... MORE

Husseini’yon: A Profile of the Iranian-backed Militia Threatening Azerbaijan Rami Jameel  The Iranian-backed Shia Islamist militia, Husseini’yon, has emerged in recent years as an insurgency in what has been a low intensity conflict between Iran and Azerbaijan. [1] Although the vast majority of people in... MORE

Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh’s Unchecked Online Recruitment Campaign Animesh Roul In late December 2021, Bangladeshi counter-terrorism agencies warned about the possible resurgence of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh (AIB), which also functions as an official wing of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and staunchly supports the Afghan... MORE

Iranian Proxies Increase Operational Tempo in Syria and Iraq Andrew Devereux In early January 2022, a series of attacks targeting U.S. assets and allies in Iraq and Syria were conducted by Iranian-backed militias. On January 5, for example, two weaponized drones were fired towards the... MORE