Abu Maria Al-Qahtani was the founder of Al-Nusra Front, one of the key groups in Syria’s war, and was killed in bombing on Thursday.
As a leading military commander in the revolt against the Syrian regime and Islamic State group, Abu Maria Al-Qahtani, who was killed on Thursday, was a divisive figure within the Islamist wing of the insurgency.
Tensions are rising in Kosovo’s restive Serb-majority north, as Pristina enforces its writ against the backdrop of continuing disputes with Belgrade. The parties and outside supporters should first work on defusing the short-term risk of violence and then look for ways to foster lasting stability.
What’s new? A clash between police and Serb paramilitaries has given Kosovo impetus to fully integrate its rebellious northern region, pushing out the remaining Serbian institutions on which the population relies. An EU-brokered deal to normalise relations between Pristina and Belgrade, while granting Kosovo Serbs a degree of self-government, is stalled.
The Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow claimed by the Islamic State (IS) was the deadliest in Russia in two decades, leaving at least 143 dead and almost 200 injured. In its immediate aftermath, several analysts and commentators questioned if the Islamic State had made a bloody comeback.
At the peak of the group’s power, the Islamic State held large swathes of captured territory in Syria and Iraq equal in size to the United Kingdom under its control. It declared its self-styled caliphate in June 2014 and held territory until March 2019.
The first-ever electoral win of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands late last year, which saw it win 37 out of the 150 House of Representatives seats, highlights the growth of far-right extremism across Europe.
PVV is considered a far-right political party due to its extremist positions on issues such as border control, immigration, asylum and Islam. Wilders’ electoral success aligns with the region-wide ethno-nationalist and anti-globalist tilt and a retreating embrace of multi-culturalism, the rule of law, and liberalism, which formed the bedrock of the European political system since 1945. Similar scenarios have unfolded in other European countries like Sweden, Finland, Poland, France and Italy, where the far-right has established a prominent presence.
Terror organization: Leader of Haqqani Network (HQN) and senior Taliban
Status: Chief of security of the Taliban government. Acting minister for refugees of the Taliban government
Roll: Involved in financing the terror organizations and planning operations for attacks that killed hundreds of people. Also, dealing with the connections with Al Qaeda
The Haqqani Network has appeared to be the most powerful group in the newly formed Taliban government. Unsurprisingly, four of the clan were nominated as cabinet members. Let’s have a look at the insides of this particular terror group.
The Haqqani Network gets its name from the leader of the group, Jalaluddin Haqqani. He first fought the Soviet Army in Afghanistan as a faithful ally of the CIA and the ISI. Eventually, he fought the US and NATO forces while defending North Waziristan, where Pakistan gave him and the entire group a hideout or safe haven.
Established In: 1994;
Established By: Mohammed Omar;
Also Known As: Taleban;
Country Of Origin: Afghanistan;
Leaders: Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, Mullah Muhammad Rasul;
Key Members: Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, Mullah Muhammad Rasul;
Operational Area: Afghanistan, Pakistan;
Number Of Members: 60,000;
Involved In: Human trafficking, Massacres against civilians, Drug Traficking, Rapping, Exec
Since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack, and against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, which has been ongoing for six months, Jordan has seen a surge in popular support for Hamas and hostility towards Israel, which are expressed in many anti-Israel demonstrations and in explicit calls to confront it and wage jihad against it.[1]
Established In: 1988
Established By: Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam
Also Known As: Al-Qaida, The Base, The Foundation, The Database
Country Of Origin: Afghanistan
Leaders: Ayman al-Zawahiri
Key Members: Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Sayed Tayib al-Madani, Saif al-Adel, Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Operational Area: Worldwide
Number Of Members: 57,600 ++
Involved In: Terrorist Attacks, Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, Terror Financing
Terror organization: Houthis
Status: Financier
Role: He is running a network (companies in the Middle East, Asia and Africa) generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of Iranian commodities, Iranian petroleum, a significant portion of which is then directed through a complex network of intermediaries and exchange houses in multiple countries to the Houthis in Yemen.