Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s al-Mulathameen Brigade is behind terror attacks in Niger, Algeria, and Mali. Its “aliases,” the al-Murabitoon Brigade and al Mua’qi’oon Biddam, have also been added to the US’s lists of terror groups.
Organised crime and terrorism among big threats facing the Sahel
President Issoufou said he would attempt “to lock” his country’s borders to combat free access by Islamists and traffickers. He also warned that Libya may become like Somalia.
Niger’s president says Libya risks becoming like Somalia
Boko Haram has adopted al Qaeda’s tactics and has communicated with top al Qaeda leaders to coordinate in the global jihad. Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group, was also added to the terrorism list.
Boko Haram militants ‘Nigeria’s problem’ for now, say analysts
Four Frenchmen taken hostage in September 2010 in Niger by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were freed. The men are thought to have spent most of their captivity in Mali, where they were freed. AQIM has bases in northern Mali. President Hollande of France credited Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou with obtaining their release.
Exclusif : un repenti révèle le vrai visage de Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Multi-national troops strike back against Mali terrorists
France Begins New Anti-Islamist Sweep in Mali
Niger confronts Sahara smugglers
Laaouar turns to propaganda to boost image
Mokhtar Belmokhtar united his group, the al-Mulathameen Brigade, with Ahmed el Tilemsi’s Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa to form the al-Murabitoon. The new group has praised the emirs of al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Mauritania, Niger sign defence pact
Extremists exploit Sahel unrest
A heavily armed member of a MUJAO cell near the Nigerian border was arrested by Nigerien authorities in Madaoua. The French-run Somair uranium mine has fully resumed production after it was bombed in a MUJAO attack last month.
President Issoufou is trying to form a unity government that is willing to confront the rising threat of Islamist terrorism in the Sahel region. Nigerien forces recently assisted the Nigerian JTF in the arrest of a Boko Haram leader who had fled to Karanga.
The Justice Department charged Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the leader of al Qaeda’s al Mua’qi’oon Biddam, or Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade, with eight terrorism-related charges.
Drones in Niger Reflect New US Tack on Terrorism
Drones in Niger Reflect New U.S. Approach in Terror Fight
The Signed in Blood Brigade, led by al Qaeda-linked Mokhtar Belmokhtar, issued a statement claiming a June 1 jailbreak in Niamey. Several terrorists, including Cheibane Ould Hama of Mali, were said to be among at least 22 prisoners freed. Some 6,240 Nigerian refugees now in Niger who fled Boko Haram have been promised by Nigerian […]
Niger’s Bad Dream Approaches As Islamists Set Sights On Niamey
Al-Qaeda swaps Mali for Libya
The $7 million reward for Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s emir, puts him in the top echelon of wanted terrorist leaders. Rewards of $5 million are also offered for Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Yahya Abu Hammam.
‘Inside help’ behind deadly Niger terror attack
Gunmen attacked the central prison in Niamey, killing at least two guards and entering the facility, in an apparent attempt to free Boko Haram inmates. At least 10 people were injured in the attack, and police are said to be looking for attackers who escaped in a truck and into nearby houses. The government disputed […]
Nigerian Islamist militants return from Mali with weapons, skills
Sahel ulema launch prison campaign
President Issoufou said that the jihadists who launched simultaneous suicide bombings on a military base and a uranium mine in Niger on May 23 were also planning attacks in neighboring Chad. The Niger attacks have been claimed by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and by Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s Those Who Sign […]
French special forces and Nigerian troops killed the last two members of the Mokhtar Belmokhtar group’s suicide assault team that attacked a military barracks in Agadez. Two cadets were also killed during the raid. In all, 10 Islamist fighters, 24 Nigerien troops, and a civilian were killed in the suicide assaults in Agadez and at […]