Briefs
Qari Amjad: The U.S.-Designated Terrorist and Pakistan Taliban Minister of Defense
On December 1, the U.S. announced it added four veteran Pakistani jihadist leaders to its list of global terrorists as a part of its “relentless efforts to ensure that terrorists do not use Afghanistan as a platform for international terrorism.” The individuals placed on the... MORE
The Evolution of Gulzar Imam: a Look at the Leader of the Baloch Nationalist Army
On November 22, after months of silence, the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA)’s spokesman, Mureed Baloch, confirmed the arrest of BNA leader Gulzar Imam (The Khorasan Diary, November 22). Turkish authorities arrested Gulzar upon his arrival in the country from Iran and then handed him over... MORE
Basavaraj: Inside the Mind of India’s Top Maoist Militant
In India, which has a sizable tribal population, the Maoist movement has become firmly established over the last several decades due to socioeconomic circumstances, such as India’s wealth disparities, unemployment level, and exploitation of natural resources. Following a schism among the Communist Party of India... MORE
In the Name of the Father: Ahmad Massoud’s Continuing Struggle Against Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
The 33-year old Ahmad Massoud is the leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), which is an Afghan insurgent group waging an insurgency in the northern Panjshir Valley against the Taliban government in Kabul. Massoud, an ethnic Tajik, denounces the present Taliban government, which came... MORE
A Profile of Chief al-Shabaab Financial Facilitator: Khalif Adale
Al-Shabaab commander, Khalif Adale, whose real is name is Khalif Mohammed Warsame, is one of the key financial architects of the Somalia based al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa. In October, the U.S named Adale as one of the militant group’s key financial intermediaries and imposed... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Turning Point: Will Saif al-Adl or Abd al-Rahman al-Maghrebi Succeed Aymen al-Zawahiri?
On July 31, a U.S drone strike killed al-Qaeda (AQ) leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri appears to have lived in a house linked to the family of the powerful Taliban Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani (al-Jazeera, August 5). Several hours after the news of... MORE
Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki and the Making of a Model ISKP Martyr
A notable trend exists of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) martyrs becoming internet icons in the South and Central Asian pro-Islamic State (IS) online ecosystem. Abu Muhammad al-Tajiki joined these ranks on June 18 when he conducted a suicide bombing against Kabul’s Gurdwara Karta-e-Parwan... MORE
At War with Pakistan: The Assassination of TTP Commander Omar Khalid Khorasani and its Impact on the “Pakistani Taliban”
After the fall of the Afghan government in August 2021, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan once again emerged as a safe haven for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the “Pakistani Taliban.” Despite serious complaints from the Pakistani government, the Afghan Taliban have taken few measures to dislodge... MORE
The Mysterious Tukur Mamu Arrested: Boko Haram Conspirator or Simple Newspaper Editor?
On September 9, the Nigerian security services announced that military equipment was found in the home of Kaduna-based Desert Herald newspaper editor, Tukur Mamu (premiumtimes.com, September 9). This followed Mamu’s detainment in Cairo International Airport and deportation back to Nigeria, where he was arrested at... MORE
Zhasulan Dyuisembin: An In-Depth Look at a Kazakh Foreign Fighter’s Journey to the Ukrainian Army
On June 2, the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan (KNB) launched a criminal case in absentia against a Kazakh national for participating in the war in Ukraine (Inform Buro, June 2). The KNB statement did not reveal any information about the identity and allegiances of... MORE