January 21, 2023 Volume XXI, Issue 2 |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
JNIM Kidnappings Continue Across West Africa
Jacob Zenn
Congolese Christians Under Assault from Islamic State
Jacob Zenn
The Geopolitical Ramifications of Iranian Drone Exports to the Balkans
Sine Ozkarasahin
Implications of TTP Attack on Counter Terrorism Department Compound in Bannu
Ali Zahid
Yurtugh Tactical: Profiling the Anti-Chinese Uyghur Training Group in Syria
Daniele Garofalo |
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JNIM Kidnappings Continue Across West Africa
Jacob Zenn
With the world’s attention focused on issues like the insecurity arising from Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in West Africa, Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), is quietly keeping up its parent group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)’s legacy for kidnapping foreigners. On January 5, South African Gerco van Deventer was reportedly taken to a JNIM camp in Mali (Twitter/@Mazhem_Alsaloum, January 5). He had originally been taken captive in Ubari (in the Fezzan region of Libya), where the El Sharara oil field is located (africaintelligence.com, July 11, 2022). |
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Congolese Christians Under Assault from Islamic State
Jacob Zenn
On January 14, the Islamic State (IS)’s Congolese branch claimed an attack on a church in Kasindi, which killed 10 people and injured several dozen others (france24.com, January 14). What made this attack unique, however, was that it was reportedly a suicide bombing, although IS did not indicate that in its claim (Twitter/@AlexandruC4, January 18). Congolese authorities for their part claimed that the “suicide” bomber did not die during the detonation of the bomb but was actually injured and arrested under the rubble of the church after the bombing (acpcongo.com, January 17). The attack nevertheless continued a trend of IS fighters in the Congo targeting Christians in increasingly lethal operations. |
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The Geopolitical Ramifications of Iranian Drone Exports to the Balkans
Sine Ozkarasahin
Iranian military activity in Europe’s neighborhood is not limited to supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. Transforming itself from a net arms importer into a burgeoning arms exporter, Tehran is engaged in opportunistic behavior across conflict zones, ranging from Ukraine to tense, fragile regions, like the Balkans. Eyeing the Balkan weapons market, Tehran has focused on the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the main military actor involved in the proliferation of Iran’s indigenous drone program; as such, Tehran’s entry to the Balkan region’s drone industry opens the door to IRGC involvement across NATO’s southeastern flank. |
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Implications of TTP Attack on Counter Terrorism Department Compound in Bannu
Ali Zahid
Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks have accelerated in Pakistan. After attacks in remote territories, the TTP has also now broadened its operations to include mainstream areas. The December 18, 2022 TTP attack on a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) compound in Bannu Cantonment, for example, was a case that particularly alarmed the Pakistani government. It took the security forces two days to clear the compound in Bannu, leading to the deaths of three members of the security forces and 25 militants (The Express Tribune, December 20, 2022). |
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Yurtugh Tactical: Profiling the Anti-Chinese Uyghur Training Group in Syria
Daniele Garofalo
The rise of tactical groups dates to 2017 and 2018, when the first videos and photos of Malhama Tactical in Syria began to circulate. In those same years, other tactical groups began operating in Syria, but escaped the scrutiny of analysts because they were not present on social networks, did not have websites, and avoided spreading propaganda. Malhama Tactical, on the other hand, produced extensive propaganda and offered various services, such as the sale of weapons and training videos, and appeared more like a professional contractor than a full-fledged jihadist tactical group, despite still conducting military and special operations together with other jihadist groups (Akhbar al-Aan, May 5). |
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