Violence and Security

UN Reports Ramp-up in Extremist Violence in Nigeria

January 21, 2019

International aid agencies coordinated by the UN report that Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA), a branch of Nigeria's Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, is ramping up violent attacks against the Nigerian army in the run-up to that country's elections next month.
Saudi Shootout Highlights Destabilization Driven by Sectarianism

January 21, 2019

A recent shootout between Saudi security forces and Shiite militants near the major oil fields of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province shows how Sunni-Shiite sectarian differences continue to destabilize the Middle East and raise risks of shocks in international energy markets.
IS Kills Four Americans in Suicide Attack in Syria

January 17, 2019

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed credit for the killing of four Americans - members of the armed forces and contractors - in a suicide bombing attack in the Syrian city of Manbij on the Turkish border, indicating the resilience of IS forces that remain poised for resurgence.
IS Continues Global Online Recruitment of Teens

January 17, 2019

Despite the group’s military defeat in core caliphate territories, the online recruitment strategy of the Islamic State (IS) remains highly effective in the sophisticated use of diverse social media to reel in teens for global jihadi activities.
Expert: Resilience of Islamists Demands Unyielding Western Strategy

January 17, 2019

Former USAID officer Jeff Goodson argues that the resilience of jihadists in Afghanistan and Pakistan underscores the need for a Western counter-Islamist strategy of multi-dimensional political-military platforms with an open-ended time horizon.
UN, NGO Seek Gender Responsive Extremist Reintegration Policies

January 16, 2019

The UN Development Programme has partnered with a US nongovernmental organization called the International Civil Society Action Network to publish a report calling for “gender responsive,” “holistic” national and international policies aimed at reintegrating former members of terrorist networks into society.
Al-Shabaab Targets Christian Teachers in Kenya

January 15, 2019

As the Somali-based Islamist militant group al-Shabaab has expanded its footprint into neighboring Kenya, the jihadist campaign to install sharia regimes in East Africa has targeted the country's Christian teachers for cleansing.
EU Grapples with Rights vs. Security Balance on IS Children

January 15, 2019

EU member states are grappling with balancing human rights commitments against national security priorities in trying to develop policies for thousands of returning minors whose parents took them to fight with the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq or who were born in IS caliphate territory to EU nationals fighting with the Islamist terror group.
Bosnian Authorities Charge IS Foreign Fighter

January 15, 2019

Bosnian state prosecutors brought charges of starting a terrorist organization against a returning fighter who had fought with Islamic State (IS) forces in Iraq and Syria, reflecting state officials' efforts to use the judicial system to prevent the spread of Islamist radicalism in the small, Muslim-majority state in the Western Balkans.
Kosovo Court Orders Detention of IS Suspect

January 15, 2019

The Basic Court in Kosovo's capital city Pristina ordered the detention of a suspect accused of plotting terrorist acts against the country's Prime Minister on behalf of the Islamic State (IS), underscoring the growing concerns of Kosovo's security officials with security threats posed by returning Kosovar IS fighters.