The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stands as a testament to the complex web of geopolitical conflicts, sectarian tensions, and extremist ideologies that have ravaged the Middle East and beyond. Emerging from the chaos of the Syrian civil war and the power vacuums in Iraq, ISIL has morphed into a formidable terrorist…

Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is an Indonesia-based clandestine terrorist network established in the early 1990s. Its primary goal is to establish an Islamic state covering southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the southern Philippines. The network’s operatives received training in camps located in Afghanistan and the southern Philippines, and they began carrying out attacks in…

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) is an extremist group based in Pakistan, founded by Masood Azhar in the early 2000s. Operating under various names like the Army of Mohammed, Khudamul Islam, and Tehrik ul-Furqaan, its primary objectives are to unite Kashmir with Pakistan and expel foreign troops from Afghanistan. Despite being outlawed by Pakistan in 2002, JEM continues…

In the turbulent landscape of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, HAMAS stands as a formidable and controversial player. Formed in late 1987 during the first Palestinian intifada, its roots trace back to the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Since its inception, HAMAS has evolved into a multifaceted organization with a robust sociopolitical structure entrenched within the…

Hizballah, formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, has evolved into a multifaceted entity with significant influence both within Lebanon and across the broader Middle East region. Widely known as the “Party of God,” this Lebanon-based Shia group espouses a blend of political activism, social services provision, and militant resistance. The…

Since its inception in 1976, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), founded by former Afghan prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has remained a formidable force in Afghanistan’s tumultuous landscape. With a vision rooted in the establishment of an Islamic state governed by sharia law, HIG has consistently posed a challenge to the Western-backed Afghan government and Coalition forces. HIG’s…

Boko Haram, officially known as “Jama‘atu Ahl as-Sunnah li-Da‘awati wal-Jihad” (JASDJ), is a Nigeria-based extremist group with a long history of violence and insurgency. The group, colloquially referred to as Boko Haram, aims to overthrow the Nigerian government and establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Founded in the late 1990s, Boko Haram gained…

Imirat Kavkaz (IK), the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) stand as significant players in the realm of terrorism within Central Eurasia and Central Asia. While each group boasts distinct origins, goals, and tactics, they are bound by a shared commitment to employing violence to achieve their objectives. IK, spearheaded…

In the wake of the military dictatorship that gripped Greece from 1967 to 1974, the seeds of radical leftist and anarchist ideologies took root, giving rise to a wave of domestic terrorism that continues to shape the country’s security landscape. This tumultuous period marked the emergence of Greece’s most notorious terrorist groups, Revolutionary Organization 17…

Al-Qa’ida, a name that strikes fear and invokes images of terror, is one of the most infamous terrorist organizations in the world. Since its formation in 1988 by Usama Bin Ladin and other militants who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, it has been at the forefront of global security concerns. The roots of…