Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AQIM
Most recents (16)
NEW: Just released @UN report warns of "heightened threats emerging" from #ISIS #alQaida affiliated groups worldwide
"This is especially true in parts of West and East #Africa" per the report, based on member state intelligence
"This is especially true in parts of West and East #Africa" per the report, based on member state intelligence
#Sahel: Today, #JNIM released the video "If they fight you, fight them". It's been almost three years since JNIM released their last full-length video with combat footage, namely "And the Battle Continues". 
#Sahel: This could be explained by several factors: First, the focus has been on the political line; second, JNIM's official media presence has declined significantly, and this is against the backdrop of several key media figures (in #Algeria and #Mali) being killed
#Sahel: The decline is particularly relevant when compared to #ISGS, which received major boost from its formal integration into #IslamicState's organizational infrastructure & media apparatus. However, this last video marks the effective recovery of #JNIM media wing Al-Zallaqa.
[THREAD] 1/ Over the past year, the Islamic State claimed 2767 military operations. The overwhelming majority of these attacks targeted Sunni Muslims, although the group never described them as such. 40 attacks were against Shia civilians. 34 attacks against Christians/churches.
2/ Detail about the methodology: I gathered the data from the 53 issues of IS weekly magazine al-Naba’ published in 2020 (cf. the front page of the issue 219). For every single claimed attack, I analysed the following information: target, weapons used, spoils of war, geolocation.
NEW: @USAfricaCommand warns #alQaida-linked #alShabaab "remains adaptive, resilient, and capable of attacking Western & partner interests in #Somalia & East #Africa" in final @DoD_IG report on US counterterrorism ops in Africa
Despite ongoing train/advise/equip efforts by US, others "The Somali government...has not met milestones for the development of its security forces" per @DoD_IG Sean O’Donnell
#Somalia #alShabaab
#Somalia #alShabaab
#Libya ripe for #ISIS exploitation
Member states estimate branch has just 100s of fighters, but "1 Member State put it as high as 1,400" per @UN report
"Persistent lawlessness & preoccupation /interfactional fighting will create opportunities for ISIL-Libya to thrive further"
Member states estimate branch has just 100s of fighters, but "1 Member State put it as high as 1,400" per @UN report
"Persistent lawlessness & preoccupation /interfactional fighting will create opportunities for ISIL-Libya to thrive further"
Working on a project the last couple of months about the history of #Al_Qaeda and where it is now. A big takeaway: there has probably never been a moment when the group is so manipulated, influenced, and even controlled in places by state powers.
The role of state intelligence services in manipulating and using terrorist groups for their own ends remains nearly absent in Terrorism Studies; most people even think it's all "conspiracy theory" talk. But it's such a massive operational factor that this is weird.
.@ReuelMGerecht once wrote that the 'nonstate' actor ... designation [of Al-Qaeda] was always more myth than fact". If he overstated, it wasn't by much. ocregister.com/2011/05/07/reu…
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (#AQIM) has confirmed the death of its Algerian leader Abdelmalek Droukdel (aka Abu Musab Abd al-Wadud) in a French operation in northern Mali, without naming a successor. France had announced his death on 5 Jun saying he died on 3 June.
The audio message was delivered by AQIM's media chief Abu Abd al-Ilah Ahmad who delivered four messages but gave no info about who may succeed Droukdel. AQIM senior figure Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Annabi in my opinion is a strong contender.
The AQIM media chief offered condolences to jihadists in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Algeria on the death of "your emir". This highlights the broader/overarching role played by the AQIM leader with regard to jihadists in the Sahel (#JNIM) and not just in North Africa.
#AQMI #AlQaeda confirme officiellement, par la voix d’Abou Abdallah Ahmed responsable des médias, la mort d’Abou Moussaab Abdel Wadoud #Droukdel « au nord #Mali suite à une frappe de la #France » // #AQIM confirms officially the death of it’s emir due to a French strike in Mali
Dans une compil +11 le resp. media:
1. À la #France la guerre n’est qu’à ses débuts et elle ne fléchira pas avant le retrait du dernier soldat français d’Afrique alors que vous voyez de vos propres yeux comment les peuples de la région se rallient à nos demandes de vous chasser
1. À la #France la guerre n’est qu’à ses débuts et elle ne fléchira pas avant le retrait du dernier soldat français d’Afrique alors que vous voyez de vos propres yeux comment les peuples de la région se rallient à nos demandes de vous chasser
L’#EI évoque les combats avec #AlQaeda #AQIM #JNIM qualifiés d’apostat « les apostats d’#AQ sont venus en convois combattre dans le #Liptako, ils n’ont pas été ciblés [...] quel rapport avec les négos /certains de leurs commandants vivent à #Timiaouine & #Tinzouaten en #Algérie »
NEW: #France-led op to kill #alQaida in the Islamic Maghreb emir Abdelmalek #Droukdel eliminated "the most senior-most decision-maker of #AQIM and the likely architect of the Sahel-based jihadist movement" per updated @USAfricaCommand assessment
"Droukdel’s leadership & capabilities enabled #alQaida’s #Mali-based organizations to significantly increase instability in the #Sahel" per @USAfricaCommand Dir of Intelligence Rear Admiral Heidi Berg
#Sahel source propre #AQMI « Abou Moussab Abdel Wadoud est bien mort »
#AQIM source « Abu Moussab Abdel Wadoud is dead » cc @FRANCE24
#AQIM source « Abu Moussab Abdel Wadoud is dead » cc @FRANCE24
Suite @HousseyneAg https://t.co/MZzhic3fOP
THREAD: If al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb #AQIM confirms the reported death of its leader Abu Musab Abd al-Wadud (aka Abdelmalek Droukdel), who might it name as successor?
The first person that comes to mind is Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Annabi, who is described as the head of AQIM's 'Council of Elders'. He's been the public face of AQIM and delivered most of its messages in 2019 on the subject of the Algeria protests.
Another figure in the group is AQIM's head of media, Abu Abd al-Ilah Ahmad, but he doesn't have a strong profile.
BREAKING: #France Minister of the Armed Forces @florence_parly confirms French, partner forces killed the leader of #alQaida in the Islamic Maghreb (#AQIM) during a June 3 operation in northern #Mali
Per @florence_parly #AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdel was a member of #alQaida's steering committee and helped oversee all Al Qaida affiliated groups in northern #Africa, including JNIM
.@USTreasury sanctioned Abdelmalek #Droukdel in 2007, citing his involvement with attacks on the 2007 Algerian prime minister's office and a Dec 2006 attack on a US bus company in Algiers
treasury.gov/press-center/p…
treasury.gov/press-center/p…
#AQIM in a 33:16 for the 1st time admits the death of Abu Iyadh alTunsi #Tunisia & Yehya Abu alHumam #Algeria in #Mali. They been reported killed north of #Timbuktu a year ago feb 2019 by #Barkhane
The audio compilation by Abu Mosaab Abdel Wadud, head of #AQIM, is mostly about Abu Iyadh remembering his role in many countries of the #Sahel, as Shura prominent member, here we see him in the funeral of Mohamad al-Zhawi head of Ansar alSharia #Libya killed in #Benghazi
The compilation ends with a diapo of fallen jihadi leaders starting with Sayed Qotb, Abdallah Azzam, Anwar al-Awlaki etc and ends with Qassem al-Rimi killed by US drone in #Yemen a few weeks ago.
Amid the ongoing conflict in NW #Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (#HTS) continues to evolve in intriguing ways - into a more politically mature & intelligent jihadist movement.
It's current leadership clearly seeks to position itself somewhere between #MuslimBrotherhood & #AlQaeda.
It's current leadership clearly seeks to position itself somewhere between #MuslimBrotherhood & #AlQaeda.
#Russia-n mercenaries are now showing up everywhere in #Africa: one country in particular is the #CAR where Russians are also providing weapons. Also present in the #Niger Delta of #Nigeria actually helping the rebels that target the western oil companies. bit.ly/2KkU0OD
Fascinating story on how #Russia entered the #CAR. It was blocking a delivery of weapons from #France to #Bangui so #Macron told CAR President to go and convince Russia to unblock the sale. Instead Russia saw an opportunity to sell its own weapons to CAR. bit.ly/2rj8kyH
3 #Russian journalists killed in #CAR while filming #Wagner, the private military firm run by Evgeny #Prigozhin used especially in #Syria, part of #Putin's inner circle. Documentary was part of @tzurrealism, supported by Mikhail #Khodorkovsky.
