-
AQAP congratulates JNIM for attacks on French soldiers
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has sent a message of support to its fellow al Qaeda branch for recently killing five French soldiers.
-
AQIM names veteran jihadist as new emir
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has named Abu Ubaidah Yusef al-Annabi as its new emir. His predecessor, Abdelmalek Droukdel, was killed in a French counterterrorism operation in Mali earlier this year.
-
France reports killing Al Qaeda commander in Mali
France has claimed it killed Bah Ag Moussa, an important JNIM commander, in a recent military raid in northern Mali. JNIM has not yet commented on the news.
-
Analysis: Islamic State official critiques Al Qaeda in the Sahel
In an interview with the Islamic State’s Al-Naba newsletter, Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, attempts to paint al Qaeda’s efforts in the region as rife with internal squabbles and disunity.
-
Analysis: JNIM celebrates prisoner swap in Mali
In exchange for the release of dozens of imprisoned members from Mali’s prisons, Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has freed four hostages, three of them foreign. JNIM has since celebrated the prisoner swap, including a personal appearance by its overall emir, Iyad Ag Ghaly, in northern Mali.
-
Islamic State claims killing French aid workers, clashes with al Qaeda in the Sahel
In this week’s edition of the Islamic State’s weekly Al-Naba newsletter, the jihadist group claims a series of wide-ranging operations across the Sahel. This includes last month’s massacre of French aid workers in Niger, as well as a spate of battles with al Qaeda’s men.
-
Generation Jihad Ep. 25 – Another Coup in Mali
Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio are joined by Caleb Weiss, a longtime contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal.
-
JNIM targets French troops in suicide assault
JNIM claims its first suicide bombing of the year on French troops in the Timbuktu region of northern Mali.
-
Jihadists target military outpost in Ivory Coast
While JNIM has not claimed the assault, its Katibat Macina is widely suspected of perpetrating the attack. This comes after sustained operations against it in the area last month.
-
AQIM emir reportedly killed by French forces in Mali
French and American officials say the emir of AQIM, Abdelmalek Droukdel (a.k.a. Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud), was killed in a counterterrorism operation in northern Mali on June 3. The U.S. military supported the French-led operation.
-
Analysis: Islamic State claims Al Qaeda started a war in West Africa
In the latest edition of its Al-Naba newsletter, the Islamic State claims that Al Qaeda started a war against the so-called caliphate’s men in West Africa. Independent reporting shows the two sides have clashed in recent weeks.
-
Al Qaeda, Islamic State strike across the Sahel
The two jihadist groups continue their rampage in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
-
JNIM kills dozens in Mali base attack
The attack in Mali’s northern Gao region is one of the deadliest in recent months.
-
Al Qaeda’s West African branch seeks French withdrawal, then negotiations
Al Qaeda’s branch in West Africa, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, has released a statement saying it is willing to meet with the Malian government — but only after French and allied forces withdraw from the area.
-
Analysis: JNIM addresses detractors, sends message of unity
Two recently released booklets by the al Qaeda group are likely meant to assuage tensions both within and outside its organization.
-
Jihadists in central Mali pledge allegiance to new Islamic State leader
It is unclear if the unit represents a splinter of al Qaeda’s JNIM, though the group now represents an Islamic State-loyal faction close to the borders with Mauritania.
-
JNIM targets military bases in central Mali
The al Qaeda group has claimed a series of attacks across the Sahel in recent weeks.
-
Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership praises jihadists in Mali and Somalia
Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership released a statement praising the jihadists in Mali and elsewhere in Western Africa for confronting the “Crusaders.” Al-Qaeda’s management team encourages them to dismantle the “French and American project” across the region.
-
Islamic State video details operations across the Sahel
The large video details several major Islamic State operations inside the Sahel over the last few years.
-
JNIM claims prison break in Mali
In addition to the prison break, JNIM also claimed two other recent attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso.
-
Senior JNIM leader reportedly killed by France
Abu Abdul Rahman al Sanhaji’s death, if confirmed, follows the death of several other high-profile JNIM leaders over the past two years.
-
Dozens of Malian soldiers killed in dual attacks
No group has yet to claim the attacks, but al Qaeda-linked militants have been widely blamed.
-
Al Qaeda, Islamic State report attacks in Burkina Faso
Both groups have claimed deadly assaults in Burkina Faso, playing into the already perilous security situation in the country.
-
JNIM apologizes for killing civilians in central Mali
After killing at least 14 civilians in a landmine explosion last week, al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslim’s offers a rare apology.
-
JNIM hits French base with suicide assault
JNIM took credit for last month’s suicide assault in Gao, Mali. According to the French, however, the attack was largely a failure.
-
US sanctions leaders of al Qaeda in Mali
Two leaders of al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a Moroccan national and a local Malian, were designated as terrorists today.
-
Deadly Niger ambush claimed by the Islamic State
The jihadist group also claimed an assault on a high-security prison near the capital of Niamey.
-
France reports major security operation in central Mali
French forces reportedly killed dozens of jihadists after a three-week long operation in central Mali.
-
Islamic State claims several ISGS attacks across the Sahel
The Islamic State issued several claims of responsibility for attacks by the group known as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
-
HRW: Atrocities committed by government, jihadists in Burkina Faso
Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of civilians who have been murdered by both jihadists and government forces in Burkina Faso. This helps exacerbate the conditions that allow jihadists to operate in the region.
