Wikipedia

al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM,[15] is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state.[16] To that end, it is currently engaged in an insurgency campaign in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي
Leaders
Dates of operation2007 (2007)–present
Allegiance Afghanistan[1]
Group(s)
HeadquartersKabylie Mountains[4][5]
Active regionsThe Maghreb and the Sahel
Ideology
see list
Size
  • 3,000–10,000 Between 2007 and 2014[8][10]
  • 5,000 in Libya (2018 estimate)[11]
Part ofal-Qaeda Al-Qaeda
AlliesNon-state allies
Opponents
State opponents
Non-state opponents
Battles and warsInsurgency in the Maghreb
Designated as a terrorist group by
Preceded by
Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (1998–2007)

The group originated as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). It has since declared its intention to attack European (including Spanish and French) and American targets. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, Australia, Canada,[17] Malaysia,[18] Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom[19] and the United States.

Membership is mostly drawn from the Algerian and local Saharan communities (such as the Tuaregs and Berabiche tribal clans of Mali),[20] as well as Moroccans from city suburbs of the North African country.[21][22][23][24] The group has also been suspected of having links with the Horn of Africa-based militant group Al-Shabaab.[25] AQIM has focused on kidnapping for ransom as a means of raising funds and is estimated to have raised more than $50 million in the last decade.[26]

On 2 March 2017, the Sahara branch of AQIM merged with Macina Liberation Front, Ansar Dine, and Al-Mourabitoun, into Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.[27]

Name

edit

The group's official name is Organization of al-Qa'eda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (Qaedat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Maghrib al-Islami), often shortened to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM, from French al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique, AQMI).[28] Prior to January 2007 it was known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (Arabic: الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال al-Jamā'ah as-Salafiyyah lid-Da'wah wal-Qiṭāl) and the French acronym GSPC (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat).[29]

History

edit
 
AQIM fighters in a 2015 propaganda video, filmed in the Sahara Desert.

In January 2007, the GSPC announced that it would now operate under the name of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).[28][30]

On 19 January 2009, the UK newspaper The Sun reported that there had been an outbreak of bubonic plague at an AQIM training camp in the Tizi Ouzou province in Algeria.[31] The Washington Times, in an article based on a senior U.S. intelligence official source, claimed a day later that the incident was not related to bubonic plague, but was an accident involving either a biological or chemical agent.[32]

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is one of the region's wealthiest, best-armed militant groups due to the payment of ransom demands by humanitarian organizations and Western governments.[33] It is reported that 90 per cent of AQIM resources come from ransoms paid in return for the release of hostages.[34] Omar Ould Hamaha said:

The source of our financing is the Western countries. They are paying for jihad.[33]

In December 2012, one of AQIM's top commanders, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, split off from AQIM and took his fighters with him, executing the In Amenas hostage crisis in Algeria weeks later, just after France launched Operation Serval in Mali.[35] Belmokhtar later claimed he acted on behalf of Al Qaeda.[36] In December 2015, Belmokhtar's splinter group, Al-Mourabitoun rejoined AQIM, according to audio statements released by both groups.[37]

A top commander of AQIM, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, was reported killed by French and Chadian forces in northern Mali on 25 February 2013.[38] This was confirmed by AQIM in June 2013.[39]

Alleged prejudice

edit

The United States National Counterterrorism Center stated that AQIM had a reputation for holding cultural and racial insensitivities towards Sub-Saharan Africans. The NCTC maintained that some recruits "claimed that AQIM was clearly racist against some black members from West Africa because they were only sent against lower-level targets." The bulletin goes on to say that former AQIM commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar in August 2009 stated, "he wanted to attract black African recruits because they would agree more readily than Arabs to becoming suicide bombers and because poor economic and social conditions made them ripe for recruitment."[5][40]

By 2016, AQIM had reportedly recruited large numbers of young sub-Saharan Africans, with attacks like the 2016 Grand-Bassam shootings in Ivory Coast being carried out by black AQIM members. AQIM commander Yahya Abou El-Hammam, in an interview with a Mauritanian website, was quoted as saying "Today, the mujahideen have built up brigades and battalions with sons of the region, our black brothers, Peuls, Bambaras and Songhai".[41]

Leadership

edit

Key leaders and operatives of this group included Yahya Abu El Hammam, who served as a senior leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), planning operations and kidnapping Westerners in North and West Africa. He was wanted by the US Rewards for Justice Program with a $5 million bounty for his arrest. Hammam played a key role in perpetuating AQIM's terrorist activities in West Africa and Mali, and participated in several AQIM terrorist attacks in Mauritania. In December 2013 Yahya Abu Hammam gave an interview to Aljazeera in which he threatened France's military intervention in the Sahara would open "the gates of hell for the French people".[42]

In July 2010, Hammam was reportedly involved in the killing of a seventy-eight-year-old French hostage in Niger. In 2006, Hammam was sentenced to death in absentia by Algerian authorities for terrorism-related charges.[43] Hammam was killed by French forces in February 2019.[44]

edit
 
AQIM Tuareg militant in Sahel, December 2012.

Allegations of the former GSPCs links to al-Qaeda predated the September 11 attacks. As followers of a Qutbist strand of Salafist jihadism, the members of the GSPC were thought to share al-Qaeda's general ideological outlook. After the deposition of Hassan Hattab, various leaders of the group pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda.

In November 2007, Nigerian authorities arrested five men for alleged possession of seven sticks of dynamite and other explosives. Nigerian prosecutors alleged that three of the accused had trained for two years with the then Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat in Algeria.[45]

In late 2011, the splinter group Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa was founded in order to spread jihadi activities further into West Africa. Their military leader is Omar Ould Hamaha, a former AQIM fighter.[46]

According to U.S. Army General Carter Ham, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab, and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram were as of June 2012 attempting to synchronize and coordinate their activities in terms of sharing funds, training and explosives.[25] Ham added that he believed that the collaboration presented a threat to both U.S. homeland security and the local authorities.[35][47] However, according to counter-terrorism specialist Rick Nelson with the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies, there was little evidence that the three groups were targeting U.S. areas, as each was primarily interested in establishing fundamentalist administrations in their respective regions.[25]

In a 2013 Al Jazeera interview in Timbuktu, AQIM commander Talha claimed that his movement went to Niger, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, to organize cells of AQIM. He explained their strategy: "There are many people who have nothing, and you can reach them by the word of God, or by helping them."[48]

Statements

edit

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operates a media outlet known as Al-Andalus, which regularly releases propaganda videos showing AQIM operations, hostages, and statements from members.[49]

According to London-based risk analysis firm Stirling Assynt, AQIM issued a call for vengeance against Beijing for mistreatment of its Muslim minority following the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.[50]

AQIM voiced support for demonstrations against the Tunisian and Algerian Governments in a video released on 13 January 2011. Al Qaeda offered military aid and training to the demonstrators, calling on them to overthrow "the corrupt, criminal and tyrannical" regime, calling for "retaliation" against the Tunisian government, and also calling for the overthrow of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

AQIM leader Abu Musab Abdul Wadud appeared in the video, calling for Islamic sharia law to be established in Tunisia.[51] Al Qaeda has begun recruiting anti-government demonstrators, some of whom have previously fought against American forces in Iraq and Israeli forces in Gaza.[52]

AQIM endorsed efforts in Libya to topple the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, though it remains unclear how many fighters in Libya are loyal to al-Qaeda, or members of it. Gaddafi seized on the expression of support and help for the rebel movement to blame al-Qaeda for fomenting the uprising.[53]

Timeline of attacks

edit

2007–09

edit
  • 11 April 2007: Two car bombs were detonated by the group. One was close to the Prime Minister's office in Algiers and the blast killed more than 30 people and wounded more than 150.[29]
  • February 2008: Two Austrians were captured in Tunisia and taken via Algeria to Mali and freed later that year, the kidnappings were attributed to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb[54]
  • December 2008: Two Canadian diplomats were taken hostage along with their driver in south-western Niger while on official UN mission to resolve a crisis in northern Niger. The driver was freed in March 2009. The diplomats were freed in April 2009. The kidnappings were attributed to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[54]
  • 22 January 2009: Four Westerners were kidnapped while visiting the Andéramboukane festival in Niger near the border with Mali. AQIM demanded the British government release Abu Qatada, and on 31 May 2009 a statement was released claiming Edwyn Dyer had been executed, which was confirmed by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 3 June 2009. All of the other tourists were eventually released.[55]
  • 30 July 2009: At least 11 Algerian soldiers are killed in an ambush while escorting a military convoy outside the coastal town of Damous, near Tipaza.[56]

2010–12

edit
  • March 2010: An Italian national, Sergio Cicala, and his wife are held hostage. They were released on 16 April 2010.[57][58]
  • 16 September 2010: Seven employees from Areva and Vinci are kidnapped in Arlit, Niger (five French, one Togolese and one Malagasy). The capture was claimed on 21 September by AQIM in a communiqué published in Al Jazeera. Three of the hostages were released on 24 February 2011. The other four were released on 28 October 2013.[59][60][61]
  • 25 November 2011: Three Western tourists were abducted in Timbuktu: Sjaak Rijke from the Netherlands, Johan Gustafsson from Sweden and Stephen Malcolm McGown from South Africa. A fourth tourist, from Germany, was killed when he refused to cooperate with the perpetrators. Rijke was rescued in April 2015. Gustafsson was released in June 2017. McGown was released in July 2017.[62][63][64][65]
  • 9 December 2011: AQIM published two photos, showing five kidnapped persons of European descent including the three tourists abducted in Timbuktu. French hostage Philippe Verdon was killed in March 2013. His body was found in July 2013. French hostage Serge Lazarevic was released on 9 December. 2013.[66][67][68][69]

2013–2015

edit
  • 30 September 2013: AQIM claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing in Timbuktu that killed at least two civilians.[70]
  • 20 November 2015: AQIM and Al-Mourabitoun attacked a hotel in Bamako, Mali. They took more than 100 persons hostage, killing 19 before the siege was ended by security forces.[71]

2016–2018

edit
  • 8 January 2016: Gunmen kidnapped Swiss nun Beatrice Stockly in Timbuctoo, Mali. AQIM claimed responsibility for the kidnapping a month later and released a video in January 2017 showing Stockly still alive. Stockly was killed in September 2020.[72][73]
  • 15 January 2016: AQIM gunmen attack the Cappuccino and Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, killing at least 28 people, wounding at least 56 and taking a total of 126 hostages.[74][75] 200 km to the north, Australian couple Ken and Jocelyn Elliott, medical doctors, were kidnapped. Jocelyn was released a few days later due to guidance from al Qaeda leaders, as mentioned in a recording released by AQIM (in which AQIM takes responsibility for the kidnapping).[76] Ken was released in May 2023.[77]
  • 13 March 2016: AQIM attacked the town of Grand-Bassam, in the Ivory Coast, killing at least 16 people, including 2 soldiers, and 4 European tourists. 6 assailants were also killed.[78][79]
  • 1 July 2018: A suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into an army patrol and detonated it in the Malian city of Gao. Four civilians were killed and 31 others, including four French soldiers, wounded in the attack, AQIM claimed responsibility for the attack.[80][81]
  • 8 July 2018: The Uqba bin Nafi Battalion, the Tunisian wing of AQIM, claimed responsibility for an attack which killed six Tunisian policemen in Ghardimaou, Jendouba Governorate.[82]

2019–present

edit
  • 20 January 2019: AQIM claims the attack on 10 UN Mali peacekeepers due to Chad's restoration of relations with Israel.[83]
  • 26 April 2019: A Tunisian Army soldier was killed and three were injured in an IED attack in Chaambi Mountains National Park, north-western Tunisia. AQIM claimed the attack was undertaken by militants from its Uqba bin Nafi Battalion.[84]
  • On 20 June 2020, militants ambushed an Algerian Army detachment in Ain Defla, northern Algeria, killing one soldier. An al-Qa’ida-aligned media agency claimed that AQIM was responsible for the attack.[84]
  • On 27 June 2020, two Algerian Army personnel were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Ain Dalia, northern Algeria. An al-Qa’ida-aligned media agency claimed that AQIM was responsible for the attack.[84]
  • On January 14, 2021, five people were killed in the Oueid Khenig-Roum bombing.[85]
  • On 25 to 26 February 2022, France anti-jihadist military forces conducted an operation in Mali which resulted in the death of Yahia Djouadi, AQIM's leader for financing and logistics and former "emir" of the group's Libyan operations.[86][87]
  • On 2 August 2024, an al Qaeda affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region took two Russian citizens hostage in Niger, as shown in a video released by Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). The captives, identified as Yuri and Greg, were working for a Russian company in the gold-rich Tillaberi region and were taken about a week ago.[88]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Many Jihadi Groups In Asia & Africa Pledge Allegiance To Taliban Leader, Group Sources". 9 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "3 Mali Islamic extremist groups merge, pledge to al-Qaeda". Fox News. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Tunisian al Qaeda wing claims IED ambush". Long War Journal. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  4. ^ "North Africa's Menace" (PDF). RAND Corporation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" (PDF). Centre for Strategic and International Studies. September 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Al-Qa'ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)". National Counter-terrorist Center. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb". Stanford University. 13 January 2013. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)". Council on Foreign Relations. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  9. ^ Masood Marath, Munir (2022). Fallacy of Militant Ideology: Competing Ideologies and Conflict Among Militants, the Muslim World and the West. New York, NY 10158, USA: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-75959-9. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. ^ "Profile: Al-Qaeda in North Africa". BBC News. 17 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Al-Qaeda's Resurrection". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  12. ^ Lauren Ploch Blanchard. "Nigeria's Boko Haram: Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Bay'ah to Baghdadi: Foreign Support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State (Part 2)". 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Israel link cited in deadly al-Qaeda attack on UN in Mali". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 January 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  15. ^ Watson, Bob. "Algeria blasts fuel violence fears Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine", BBC News, 11 April 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007.Jean-Pierre Filiu, "Local and global jihad: Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghrib", The Middle East Journal, Vol.b63, Spring 2009.
  16. ^ "Algeria". CIA. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  17. ^ "Currently listed entities". Public Safety Canada. Government of Canada. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  18. ^ Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613) Archived 1 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Terrorism Act 2000 (11, Schedule 2). 2000. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2017. "Terrorism Act 2000". Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. ^ [1] [permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ Dario Cristiani; Riccardo Fabiani (April 2011). "Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM): Implications for Algeria's Regional and International Relations" (PDF). IAI Working Papers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  22. ^ Morocco dismantles AQIM cell Archived 16 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Magharebia, 26 December 2012
  23. ^ Morocco dismantles terror recruitment cell Archived 31 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Magharebia, 27 November 2012
  24. ^ Morocco nabs members of AQIM cell Archived 23 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Upi.com, 5 January 2011
  25. ^ a b c "African Terrorist Groups Starting to Cooperate, U.S. Says". Bloomberg Businessweek. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  26. ^ Corera, Gordon (14 January 2013). "Islamists pose threat to French interests in Africa". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  27. ^ "Al-Qaeda now has a united front in Africa's troubled Sahel region". Newsweek. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  28. ^ a b "THE GSPC Newest Franchise in Al-Qa'ida's Global Jihad". Combating Terrorism Center. 2 April 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  29. ^ a b Steinberg, Guido; Isabelle Werenfels (November 2007). "Between the 'Near' and the 'Far' Enemy: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb". Mediterranean Politics. 12 (3): 407–13. doi:10.1080/13629390701622473. S2CID 153848665.
  30. ^ "Brand al-Qaeda". Sydney Morning Herald. 28 January 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007.
  31. ^ "Black Death 'kills al-Qaeda operatives in Algeria'". The Daily Telegraph. 19 January 2009.
  32. ^ Lake, Eli (20 January 2009). "Al Qaeda Bungles Arms Experiment". The Washington Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010.
  33. ^ a b Nossiter, Adam; Baume, Maïa de la (13 December 2012). "Kidnappings Fuel Extremists In West Africa". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  34. ^ Sidibé, Kalilou (August 2012). "Security Management in Northern Mali: Criminal Networks and Conflict Resolution" (PDF). Institute of Development Studies. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  35. ^ a b Aronson, Samuel (28 April 2014). "AQIM's Threat to Western Interests in the Africa's Sahel". Combating Terrorism Center Sentinel (CTC), West Point. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  36. ^ "ICCT". Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  37. ^ "Mali extremists join with al-Qaida-linked North Africa group". Associated Press. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  38. ^ "Al Qaeda confirms Abou Zeid killed in Mali". Inquirer. Nouakchott. AFP. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  39. ^ "Africa – AQIM confirms Zeid died in Mali battle". France 24. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  40. ^ "Terrorism Bulletin Says Highlighting Al Qaeda Racism Could Deter African Recruits". ABC News. 24 July 2010. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  41. ^ "Jihadist recruiters cast wide net in West Africa". AFP. 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  42. ^ "Orphans of the Sahara, part three, from minute 38:29". Al Jazeera. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  43. ^ "Rewards for Justice - Wanted". US State Department. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  44. ^ "French forces kill senior jihadist leader in Mali - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on 23 February 2019.
  45. ^ "Five Nigerians on terror charges". BBC News. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  46. ^ Thiolay, Boris (3–9 October 2012). "Le djihad du "Barbu rouge"". L'Express (in French). pp. 40–41.
  47. ^ "Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab 'merge'". Hurriyet Daily News. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  48. ^ "Orphans of the Sahara, part two, from minute 28.30". Al Jazeera. 16 January 2014 [interview dates from Spring 2013]. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  49. ^ "Al Qaeda opens first official Twitter account". The Washington Times. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  50. ^ "China demands Turkish retraction". BBC News. 14 July 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  51. ^ ennahar (14 January 2011). "Al-Qaeda supports the events in Tunisia and Algeria". Ennaharonline/ M. O. Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  52. ^ Adem Amine in Algiers & Jamel Arfaoui in Tunis for Magharebia (13 January 2011). "AQIM leader exploits Tunisia, Algeria unrest". Magharebia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  53. ^ Cruickshank, Paul (25 February 2011). "Libya: An opportunity for al Qaeda?". CNN International. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  54. ^ a b "West's made-up terror links to blame for killing". The Independent. 4 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  55. ^ "No ransom paid for al Qaeda's Swiss hostage - Mali". Reuters. 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  56. ^ "At least 11 Algerian soldiers killed by Islamist militants in ambush". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. 31 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  57. ^ "Italian held by Qaeda makes plea to Berlusconi govt I". Inquirer. 28 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  58. ^ "BBC News - Al-Qaeda frees abducted Italian couple in Mali". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  59. ^ "Al-Qaeda branch warns France". Al Jazeera. 19 November 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  60. ^ "Niger: 3 Hostages From French Mine Are Released". The New York Times. 26 February 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  61. ^ "4 French hostages released in Niger, President says". CNN. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  62. ^ "Al Qaeda Hostage Sjaak Rijke Freed by French Forces in Mali". NBC News. 6 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  63. ^ Holly Yan & David McKenzie (2 December 2015). "Charity: Videos show hostages abducted in Mali still alive". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  64. ^ "Swedish man kidnapped by Islamist militants in Mali released after six years". The Guardian. Associated Press. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  65. ^ "SA hostage in Mali released". News24. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  66. ^ Agence Nouakchott d'Information (ANI) 9 December 2011
  67. ^ "Al-Qaeda Media Arm to Answer Questions on Twitter". Asharq al-Awsat. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  68. ^ "BBC News - French Mali hostage Philippe Verdon confirmed dead". BBC News. 15 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  69. ^ "Serge Lazarevic: Mali confirms militants freed for French hostage". BBC News. 12 December 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  70. ^ "News – msn". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  71. ^ Searcey, Dionne; Nossiternov, Adam (20 November 2015). "Deadly Siege Ends After Assault on Hotel in Mali". International New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  72. ^ "UPDATE: 1 year on, new video of kidnapped Swiss missionary in Mali". 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  73. ^ "Switzerland says Swiss hostage in Mali has been killed". AP NEWS. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  74. ^ "Ouagadougou blasts: Burkina Faso capital hit by gunfire". BBC News. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  75. ^ "Burkina Faso attack: Foreigners killed at luxury hotel". BBC News. 16 January 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  76. ^ "Al Qaeda group claims kidnapping of Australians in Burkina Faso". Reuters. 6 February 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  77. ^ "88-year-old Australian doctor freed 7 years after kidnapping by Islamic extremists in West Africa". Associated Press. 19 May 2023. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  78. ^ Michael Pearson; Mariano Castillo; Tiffany Ap & Tim Hume (13 March 2016). "Ivory Coast attack: 16 killed as gunmen strike hotels". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  79. ^ "Al Qaeda claims responsibility for Ivory Coast hotel shooting in which 16 'including four Europeans' killed at resort". Telegraph. 14 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  80. ^ ial. "Mali car bomb attack kills four civilians, wounds four French soldiers". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  81. ^ "Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims Responsibility for Mali Attack". VOA News. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  82. ^ Weiss, Caleb (9 July 2018). "Al Qaeda wing ambushes police officers in northern Tunisia". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  83. ^ "Al Qaeda: Chad Peacekeepers' murder backlash for renewed ties with Israel - World News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. 20 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  84. ^ a b c "Al-Qa'ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb". www.nationalsecurity.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  85. ^ "Five civilians killed in Algeria roadside bomb blast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  86. ^ "French army says senior al Qaeda leader killed in Mali". France 24. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  87. ^ "France says Operation Barkhane forces killed Islamist Yahia Djouadi in Mali". Reuters. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  88. ^ "Al Qaeda affiliate says it has taken two Russians hostage in Niger". Reuters. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.

Further reading

edit
  • Atwan, Abdel Bari (2008). The Secret History of Al Qaeda. University of California Press. pp. 222–249.
  • Buss, Terry F.; Buss, Nathaniel J.; Picard, Louis A. (2011). "Al-Qaeda in Africa: The Threat and Response". African Security and the African Command: Viewpoints on the US Role in Africa. Kumarian Press. pp. 193–200.
  • Lecocq, Baz; Schrijver, Paul (2007). "The War on Terror in a Haze of Dust: Potholes and Pitfalls on the Saharan Front". Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 25 (1): 141–166. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.510.2775. doi:10.1080/02589000601157147. S2CID 55663383.
  • Torres-Soriano, Manuel R. (2010). The Road to Media Jihad: The Propaganda Actions of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Terrorism and Political Violence Volume 23, Issue 1. pp. 72–88.
  • Wilkinson, Henry (2013). "Reversal of fortune: AQIM's stalemate in Algeria and its new front in the Sahel". Global Security Risks and West Africa: Development Challenges. OECD Publishing. ISBN 978-92-64-11066-3.
edit

  Media related to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al-Qaeda_in_the_Islamic_Maghreb&oldid=1259453340"