In the past few months, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) hit the headlines again as it carried out a massive attack in Gao, northern Mali, killing 77 people and injuring dozens more. Al-Mourabitoun, the group of Mokhtar Belmokhtar — so far, the “most-killed” terrorist... MORE

Though the West African nation of Burkina Faso (and its earlier incarnation as Upper Volta) has had a sometimes turbulent political history since gaining its independence from France in 1960, terrorism was not one of its problems until the creation of Ansar al-Islam, an Islamist... MORE

Introduction In the past few months, the conflict over the control of oil resources in Libya has deepened further, particularly after the takeover of the largest oil terminals of the Oil Crescent by the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces led by the controversial Libyan general... MORE

The formation of Hai’at Tahreer al-Sham (HTS, the Levant Liberation Commission) earlier this year was the al-Nusra Front’s most successful attempt thus far to form a coalition with other rebel groups in Syria. While al-Nusra had formed an alliance called Jabhat Fath al-Sham (JFS) last... MORE

Few terrorists have been able to achieve the level of success in perpetrating acts of terrorism as achieved by Khalid Shaikh Mohammad (KSM), the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. KSM, however, was not the only one in his family to plan and execute acts of... MORE

On April 12, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) released its annual report for 2016, assessing the country’s security threats (Ssg.gov.ge, April 23). Unsurprisingly, the report states that “the existence of occupied territories” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia remains “the main challenge,” with the... MORE

Trends in the two main theaters of jihadist activity in West Africa have moved in al-Qaeda’s favor in recent months. In the Mali/Sahel region, the formation of a new alliance has consolidated al-Qaeda’s position as the preeminent jihadist force in the region, while in Nigeria/Lake... MORE

NATO’s counter-terrorism efforts have been the focus of much attention in recent months.  Faced with a U.S. ultimatum that Washington might “moderate its commitment” to the Alliance, member states have sought ways to demonstrate that the organization plays a significant part in global counter-terrorism efforts... MORE

Egypt’s government, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is battling multiple insurgent groups, and while the Islamic State (IS) affiliate Wilayat Sinai is by far the most formidable, it is the nationalist Hasm Movement that may pose the more durable threat to the country. The... MORE

Somalia: Ramping up Action on al-Shabaab Somalia’s recently elected president has declared “war” on al-Shabaab and offered an amnesty to militants who lay down their weapons, backing his rhetoric with an overhaul of the country’s security establishment aimed at strengthening efforts to defeat the group.... MORE