Violence and Security

Islamists Destabilize Geopolitics of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India

May 12, 2021

The Taliban is poised to maximize their strategic objectives in the geopolitically crucial South Asian triangle of Afganistan, Pakistan, and India as the US troops withdraw from Afghanistan, with expected increases in transborder jihadist activities, including military strikes.
Islamist Militants Kill Malawian Peacekeeper in Congo

May 11, 2021

In the most recent Jihadist attacks that are destabilizing East-Central Africa, militants from the IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed a Malawian peacekeeper and other civilians in an attack on a village near the country's border with Uganda.
Jihadist Militants in Mali Kidnap French Journalist

May 06, 2021

A French journalist working with the international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders has been abducted by an al-Qadea affiliated jihadist group in Mali, the latest incident in jihadist groups' targeting of journalists as part of the expanding operational footprint of Islamist extremists across Africa's Sahel region.
Turkey-AQ Human Rights Violations in Syria Reflect Transnational Islamist Collaboration

May 04, 2021

In a report released by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the human rights violations and broader destabilization of security environments associated with transnational Islamist extremist networks is reflected in the support of Turkey for the Al-Qaeda (AQ) affiliated militia that is perpetrating religious cleansing and rights atrocities in the Turkish occupation zone of northern Syria.
Algeria: Scholar's Conviction without Trial for Blasphemy

May 04, 2021

Amnesty International reports that hardline Islamist influences in Algeria were underscored by a conviction and three-year prison sentence, without trial, of a well-known Islamic scholar, charged with blaspheming against Islam's prophet Mohammed because of Facebook posts exploring pluralism in religious practice and interpretations.
Boko Haram’s Advance Puts Nigeria’s Capital at Risk

May 04, 2021

Nigeria’s jihadist group Boko Haram has captured a key city in the country’s Middle Belt Region, hoisting the group’s flag and taking local women as hostages, with this most recent advance in territorial control by Boko Haram fighters putting the capital of the oil-rich West African country at risk of Islamist siege and capture.
Saudi Drug Seizure Reveals Hezbollah’s Narcoterror Capacity

May 03, 2021

Evidence of Hezbollah’s narcoterrorism global network was highlighed by the recent seizures of produce shipments in major ports in Saudi Arabia from Lebanon containing Captagon amphetamine capsules, similar to those reported by European and a South American security authorities, revealing the group’s use of narcotics trade to finance international jihadism.
IS Attacks in West Africa Damage Soft Targets, Generate Refugees & IDPs

April 27, 2021

The jihadist branch of Islamic State active across multiple states in West Africa (ISWAP) launched a recent round of attacks against soft targets in Nigeria, including a clinic and police station, generating civilian casualties, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and cross-border refugee flows into Niger.
Turkey Threatens Western Allies Over Armenian Genocide Recognition

April 27, 2021

The U.S. recognition this past weekend of the Armenian Genocide throws down a the geopolitical gauntlet to Turkey as the Islamist regime, which has already formed economic and military relations with rogue states like Iran, has long threatened its Transatlantic allies that America’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide would provoke Ankara's turn away from the Western Alliance.
Latest Civilian Casualties Underscore Islamist Insurgency in Thailand

April 27, 2021

In the latest casualties in the ongoing Islamist insurgency that frequently targets Buddhists and Christians, three civilians were killed in a drive-by shooting attributed to Islamist militants involved in a low-level conflict with the government of Thailand.