FTO – FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

Foreign Terrorist Organizations

There are several listings of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Not all lists are the same as each country or listing entity has its own list of qualifiers as well as processes taken to be listed. The groups include the following, but are not exclusive in of themselves.

• United Nations (UN);
• United States Department Of State (DOS);
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA);
• Public Safety Canada (PSC);
• And Others.

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Abdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB)

Also known as (aka)

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades; the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam; the Brigades of the Martyr Abdullah Azzam; the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions; the Ziad al-Jarrah Battalion; the Yusuf al-‘Uyayri Battalions; the Yusuf al-Ayiri Battalion; the Battalion of Sheikh Yusuf al-‘Ayiri; and the Marwan Hadid Brigades.

Description

The AAB is an Al Qaida affiliated militant group that follows Salafist ideology. The group is a fluid network organized into a number of regional battalions, including the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions based in Lebanon. The AAB has claimed responsibility for several rocket attacks in northern Israel and has also repeatedly articulated its intent to carry out attacks against Western targets in the Middle East. Since the start of protests in Syria, the AAB’s communiqués have supported regime overthrow. AAB relies primarily on rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and suicide bombings. In 2014, the AAB claimed joint responsibility with Jabhat al-Nusra for rocket attacks in Hermel, Lebanon. The AAB also claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings near the Iranian cultural centre in Beirut, Lebanon, in February, 2014. AAB continued to operate with limited government control within Lebanon, primarily inside Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps. These groups used the Palestinian camps to house weapons, shelter wanted criminals, and plan terrorist attacks. AAB did not claim responsibility for attacks between 2018-2020, and leadership announced its dissolution in the Levant (Syria) in November 2019.

Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)

aka

Fatah Revolutionary Council, Revolutionary Council, Revolutionary Council of Fatah, Al-Fatah Revolutionary Council, Fatah-the Revolutionary Council, Black June, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, Black September, Egyptian Revolution, Arab Fedayeen Cells, Palestine Revolutionary Council, Organization of Jund al Haq, Arab Revolutionary Council.

Description

From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) was one of the most feared transnational terrorist organizations in the world, killing or wounding about 900 people in terrorist attacks in 20 countries. Founded by Abu Nidal in 1974, the goal of the ANO was to destroy the State of Israel, viewing armed struggle as the only method to liberate the people of Palestine. ANO was responsible for the November 1985 hijacking of an Egypt Air flight, which resulted in the death of at least 58 people, including a Canadian woman and her infant son. ANO was also responsible for the July 1988 explosion of two bombs near a cruise ship in Aegina, Greece killing 9, and the 1994 assassination of a Jordanian embassy diplomat in Beirut.

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)

Also known as
Al Harakat Al Islamiyya (AHAI), Al Harakat-ul Al Islamiyya, Al-Harakatul-Islamia, Al Harakat Al Aslamiya, Abou Sayaf Armed Band (ASAB), Abu Sayaff Group, Abu Sayyef Group and Mujahideen Commando Freedom Fighters (MCFF)

Description
Founded in the early 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is a militant Islamist group with links to Al Qaida and Jemaah Islamiyyah. Ostensibly, the group’s goal is the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia Law in the south Philippines. In practice, however, the ASG primarily uses terrorism for profit: kidnap-for-ransom, guerrilla warfare, mass-casualty bombings, and beheadings are particularly favoured tactics. In 2016, two Canadian nationals were beheaded after being kidnapped this group. On May 23, 2017, members of ASG’s Islamic State (IS)-aligned Basilan faction, in alliance with other IS-aligned militants, launched a siege on Marawi City, Philippines, that lasted five months. At least 45 civilians were killed during the siege, and 1,780 hostages were rescued. ASG continues to engage in terrorism activities and guerilla warfare, clashing with and targeting the Philippines Armed Forces, as well as targeting Christian and western individuals, in addition to kidnapping local or foreign targets who appear financially able to pay ransoms. In 2021, ASG reportedly destroyed a bridge in the Basilan province with an improvised explosive device.

Date listed
2003-02-12

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade (AAMB)

Also known as
AAMB, Al-Aqsa Intifada Martyrs’ Group, Al-Aqsa Brigades, Martyrs of al-Aqsa group, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Battalion and Armed Militias of the Al-Aqsa Martyr Battalions

Description
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade (AAMB) emerged at the outset of the 2000 Palestinian al-Aqsa intifada. AAMB’s ideological roots are in their allegiance to the Fatah, a left-wing political and military organization founded with the aim of wrestling Palestine away from Israeli control through low-intensity guerilla tactics. While AAMB is loyal to the Fatah, it is not under its direct control. Due to AAMB’s decentralized structure their funding is relatively ambiguous, though it’s believed that funding is mostly delivered from Iran through Hezbollah facilitators. Iran is thought to exploit AAMB’s lack of resources and decentralized leadership structure to ‘guide’ the organization in support to various AAMB cell’s anti-Israeli agenda. AAMB attacks Israeli military targets and Israeli settlers, aiming to expel Israeli presence from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state there. On January 28, 2023, AAMB carried out a small-arms attack that killed seven Israeli civilians in East Jerusalem. On October 7, 2023 after Hamas launched an attack against Israel that claimed hundreds of lives, dozens of clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups including AAMB, resulted in at least 12 reported fatalities. 

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB)

Also known as
Saraya al-Ashtar, Al Ashtar Brigades, The Ashtar Brigades, Saraya Waad Allah, Wa’ad Allah Brigades, Islamic Allah Brigades, Imam al-Mahdi Brigades, al-Haydariyah Brigades

Description
Al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB) is a Shia militant group supported by Iran which aims to overthrow Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy. AAB was established in 2013 and has incited violence towards the Bahraini leadership. AAB has claimed responsibility for several bombings targeting security forces, including the February 14, 2014, attack on a minibus carrying police officers, which wounded several; and the March 3, 2014, improvised explosive device attack which killed 3 policemen and injured several others. AAB also claimed responsibility for the killing of an off-duty police officer near Bahrain’s capital city, Manama, on January 29, 2017. In 2019, AAB vowed to target American and British interests in Bahrain.

Date listed
2019-06-21

Date reviewed
2020-11-25

Al-Murabitoun

Also known as
Mourabitounes, Al-Mourabitoun, Al-Morabitoune, Al-Mourabitoune and Les Almoravides

Description
Al-Murabitoun, based in West Africa, is a terrorist organization established through a merger between the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and al’Muwaqi’un Bil-Dima in August 2013. Al-Murabitoun’s goal is to spread jihad across North Africa. The group was formed to strengthen efforts against French military forces and interests in the region. Al-Murabitoun has carried out terrorist activity, such as the February 8, 2014 kidnapping of five Malian aid workers near Gao, Mali. In 2015, Al-Murabitoun reaffirmed its continued adherence to the jihadist ideology of Al Qaida (AQ). It has also conducted joint operations with Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast. On March 2, 2017, Al-Murabitoun merged with three other groups, including AQIM’s Sahara branch, to form Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an umbrella group which pledged allegiance to AQ. No incidents have been claimed or attributed to Al-Murabitoun since 2018. However, Al-Murabitoun fighters likely continue to participate in attacks claimed by JNIM.

Date listed
2014-06-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al-Muwaqi’un Bil Dima

Also known as
Al Mouaquioune bi addimaa, Katibat al-Muqaoon bil-Dumaa, al-Muwaqun Bi-Dima, Al-Muawaqqi’un bi ‘l-Dima al-Mouwakoune bi-Dimaa, al-Mua’qi’oon Biddam, Those Who Sign With Blood, El Mouwakaoune Bidame , Those Who Have Signed Through Blood, the Signatories for Blood, the Signatories in Blood and Those Who Sign in Blood.

Description
In December 2012, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former commander of Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), created al-Muwaqi’un Bil Dima (MBD), with the goal of deterring Western and African military intervention in northern Mali and imposing Sharia Law in North Africa. The MBD has carried out suicide bombing attacks and assaulted civilian facilities. For instance, the MBD claimed responsibility for the January 16, 2013 attack on the Tigantourine gas facility near the town of In Amenas in eastern Algeria. MBD militants, using assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank mines, took dozens of foreign and Algerian workers hostage that resulted in the deaths of at least 48 hostages. In August 2013, MBD merged with Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) to form Al-Murabitoun.

Date listed
2013-11-07

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al Qaida

Also known as
Al Jihad (AJ), Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Vanguards of Conquest (VOC), The Islamic Army, Islamic Salvation Foundation, The Base, Group for the Preservation of the Holy Sites, Islamic Army for the Liberation of the Holy Places, World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, Usama Bin Ladin Network, Usama Bin Ladin Organization and Qa’idat al-Jihad

Description
Founded in 1988 by Usama bin Laden, Al Qaida serves as the strategic hub and driver for the global Islamist terrorist movement. The group’s goals include uniting Muslims to fight the United States and its allies, overthrowing regimes it deems “non-Islamic” and expelling Westerners and non-Muslims from Muslim countries. Al Qaida activities include, but are not limited to, suicide attacks, simultaneous bombings, kidnappings, and hijackings. Al Qaida has forged ties and strategic control over other like-minded Islamist terrorist groups and provides encouragement and inspiration to other affiliated and aligned groups around the world. The Al Qaida network has been directly or indirectly associated with the 1998 bombings of two United States embassies, as well as the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. It was directly involved in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September 11, 2001 and in a foiled plot to bomb the New York subway system in 2009. In April 2017 Al Qaida organized a suicide bombing inside a metro train in St. Petersburg, Russia, killing at least 10 civilians, and injuring 40 more. Al Qaida continues to publically encourage its followers to carry out attacks against its perceived enemies.

Date listed
2002-07-23

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Also known as
Ansar al-Shari’a (AAS), Al-Qaida of Jihad Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Jazirat al- Arab, Al-Qaida Organization in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al-Qaida in the South Arabian Peninsula, and Al-Qaida in Yemen (AQY).

Description
A Yemen-based affiliate of Usama bin Laden’s Al Qaida (AQ) network, Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced its formation in January 2009. Its primary objectives are to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of foreign influence – particularly Western military personnel and civilian contractors – and to establish a single Islamic caliphate in place of the existing regimes in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. AQAP’s most prominent attacks have been suicide bombings; however, the group has also engaged in guerilla-style raids on military and security targets. It is also responsible for the failed December 25, 2009, attempt to detonate an explosive abroad a Northwest Airlines flight as the plane prepared to land in Detroit, and the 2015 attack on the office of the magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. In February 2020, AQAP released a video claiming responsibility for a December 2019 attack where a Royal Saudi Air Force trainee opened fire in a classroom at the US Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, killing at least three US sailors and injuring eight others. In February 2022, AQAP militants kidnapped five UN workers that were released in August 2023 after a ransom was paid to AQAP.

Date listed
2010-12-23

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Also known as
Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent and Jamaat Qaidat al Jihad fi Shibh al Qarrah al Hindiyah (Organization of the Base of Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent)

Description
In a video released on September 3, 2014, Al Qaida (AQ) leader Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the creation of a new AQ affiliated group, AQIS. Al-Zawahiri named Asim Umar as leader of AQIS and Usama Mahmoud as spokesman. Since the announcement of its creation, AQIS has claimed responsibility for the September, 2014 attempt to hijack Pakistan Naval Ship Zulfiqar; the October, 2015 attacks on two publishers in Dhaka, Bangladesh; and several assassinations. In October 2019, there were reports that six AQIS militants had arrived in Karachi from Afghanistan with plans to reactivate their sleeper cell to carry out terrorist attacks. AQIS continued to propagate for violent jihad against Indian interests worldwide and against Indian government and military personnel. On October 2023, AQIS published a statement that praised the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, urging jihadists to kill citizens of Israel’s Western allies.

Date listed
2016-12-28

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

Also known as
Tanzim Qaedat bi-Bilad al-Maghrab al-Islami, Tanzim al-Qa´ida fi bilad al-Maghreb al-Islamiya, The Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida Organisation in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, al-Qaïda dans les pays du Maghreb islamique, Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat

Description
AQIM is a militant Sunni Islamist extremist group which originated as the Groupe Islamique Armeé (Armed Islamic Group or GIA), an armed Islamist resistance movement to the secular Algerian government. In 1998, a splinter of the GIA declared its independence from the original group, believing the GIA’s brutal tactics were hurting the Islamist cause. The Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), as the new group named itself, gained support from the Algerian population by vowing to continue fighting the government while avoiding the indiscriminate killing of civilians. The GSPC officially merged with Al Qaida in September 2006, subsequently changing its name to AQIM, and announcing the name change in January 2007. Since its merger with Al Qaida, AQIM has also adopted a global jihad ideology, employing conventional terrorist tactics including guerilla-style ambushes and the use of improvised explosive devices against military personnel and truck bombs against government targets, in Algeria and West African countries. In 2016, 29 people were killed, including six Canadians, in an AQIM attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso. In March 2017, AQIM’s Mali-based affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), was formed. On March 2, 2018, a coordinated attack by JNIM on the army headquarters and the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, killed at least eight people and wounding more than 80 others. In January 2019, AQIM claimed responsibility for an attack on United Nations camp at Aguelhok in northern Mali, killing ten peacekeepers and wounding 25 others. AQIM is still active and continues its terrorist activities through armed attacks.

Date listed
2002-07-23

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al Shabaab

Also known as
Harakat Shabaab al Mujahidin, al Shabab, Shabaab, the Youth, Mujahidin al Shabaab Movement, Mujahideen Youth Movement, MYM, Mujahidin Youth, Hizbul Shabaab, Hisb’ul Shabaab, al-Shabaab al-Islamiya, Youth Wing, al Shabaab al-Islaam, al-Shabaab al-Jihad, the Unity of Islamic Youth, the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations

Description
Al Shabaab is an organized but shifting Islamist group dedicated to establishing a Somali caliphate, waging war against the enemies of Islam, and removing all foreign forces and Western influence from Somalia. Although primarily active within Somalia, Al Shabaab has carried out mass-casualty attacks against civilians and military forces in countries that are considered hostile by the group, including Kenya and Ethiopia over the past two decades. It is the strongest, best organized, financed, and armed military group in Somalia, controlling the largest stretch of territory in southern Somalia. Al Shabaab has carried out suicide bombings and attacks using land mines and remote-controlled roadside bombs, as well as targeted assassinations against Ethiopian and Somali security forces, other government officials, journalists, and civil society leaders. It has also carried out suicide bombings in Uganda in retaliation for the presence of Ugandan peacekeeping forces in Somalia. In October 2017, Al Shabaab detonated two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in Mogadishu, killing 512 people and injuring 312 others. In December 2019, Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for a bombing at a busy intersection on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 51. In October 2022, Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for detonating two Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices minutes apart near a busy Mogadishu intersection where the Ministry of Education building was located. The attack levelled buildings and burnt dozens of cars, killing at least 100 people were killed, and wounding an additional 300. The group is believed to be closely linked with Al Qaida and formally pledged allegiance to Usama bin Laden and his terrorist network.

Date listed
2010-03-05

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (AGAI)

Also known as
Islamic Group, (IG).

Description
Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (AGAI) started in the early 1970s as an Islamist student movement on Egyptian campuses. By the late 1970s, the organization began to advocate change by force. Its primary goal was to overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state governed by Sharia Law. Past AGAI attacks primarily targeted the police, government officials, informants, government sympathizers, foreign tourists, and Coptic Christians. AGAI claimed responsibility for the February 1993 bombing of a Café in Cairo which killed at least 3 people and wounded 15 others, including a Canadian. AGAI was also responsible for the e killing of 58 foreign tourists and four Egyptians in Luxor, Egypt, in November 1997.

Date listed
2002-07-23

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Ansar al-Islam (AI)

Also known as
The Partisans of Islam, Helpers of Islam, Supporters of Islam, Soldiers of God, Kurdistan Taliban, Soldiers of Islam, Kurdistan Supporters of Islam, Supporters of Islam in Kurdistan, Followers of Islam in Kurdistan, Ansar al-Sunna.

Description
One of the most prominent anti-Coalition groups in Iraq, Ansar al-Islam (AI) is the product of a 2001 merger between various Kurdish militant Islamist factions. It maintains links to Al Qaida and elements of the group have also pledged allegiance to the Islamic State . AI’s current goals are to expel all foreign forces from Iraq, counter the growing influence of Iraq’s Shia and secular Kurdish communities, and to establish an independent Iraqi state governed by Sharia Law. In 2002, AI attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan region of Kurdistan. In 2004, AI was responsible for a coordinated double suicide bombing on the respective headquarters of two Kurdish political parties that killed more than 60 people and wounded over 200 others. AI is also well-known for kidnapping and executing foreign hostages, often beheading their victims and posting video of the act on the Internet. On February 20, 2018, AI released a video on a Telegram channel displaying its Syria-based weapons development. AI claimed responsibility for an incident in 2021 when rockets fired at Jurin military camp in Syria injured at least two civilians. AI no longer supports Al Qaida operations and has grown increasingly independent in terms of propaganda, operations, and decision making since 2021.

Date listed
2004-05-17

Date reviewed
2024-06-17

Ansar Dine

Also known as
Ansar al-Dine, Ansar al-Din, Ancar Dine, Ansar ul-Din, Ansar Eddine, Defenders of the Faith, Jum’a Ansar al-din al-salafiya, Harakat Ansar al-Dine, Harakat Ansar al-Din, Ansar Din, Ansar ed dine, Ansar Dine Sud, Ansar Dine katiba (brigade) Khalid Ibn al-Walid.

Description
Ansar Dine, a constituent of Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is a Mali-based Salafi Islamist extremist group. Its main objectives are to implement Sharia law across Mali and to expel foreign influence from the country. Although largely focused on Mali, Ansar Dine has worked in coordination with JNIM, and has expressed support for a global jihadist ideology. Ansar Dine mainly targets Malian, French and United Nations forces. It has also targeted civilians, including Westerners, for kidnapping. Iyad ag Ghaly, the leader of Ansar Dine, also leads JNIM.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Aryan Strikeforce

Also known as
Aryan Strike Force, ASF

Description
Founded in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2010, the Aryan Strikeforce (ASF) is a neo-Nazi group which aims to carry out violent activities to overthrow governments, start a race war, and eradicate ethnic minorities. The ASF describes itself as a white nationalist organization with the goal to protect the honour of their women, children, and the future of their race and nation, using violence as a necessary tool to achieve its goals. ASF subscribes to the philosophy of decentralized leaderless resistance and has had chapters in the United Kingdom and the United States, and contacts in Eastern Europe, South America, South Africa, and Canada. Members of the group have been convicted of crimes in the United Kingdom and the United States involving the production of chemical weapons, preparing and possessing material useful to commit acts of terrorism, facilitating the transfer of bomb-making instructions, and attempting to secure illegal firearms. Of particular note, the ASF had planned a suicide bombing attack on counter-protestors during a November 2016 white supremacist rally in Pennsylvania. The group is associated with Combat 18, the armed branch of Blood & Honour, both listed entities in Canada, that has carried out violent actions including murders and bombings.

Date listed
2021-06-25

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Asbat Al-Ansar (AAA) (The League of Partisans)

Also known as
Osbat Al Ansar, Usbat Al Ansar, Esbat Al-Ansar, Isbat Al Ansar, Usbat-ul-Ansar, Band of Helpers, Band of Partisans, League of the Followers

Description
God’s Partisans, Gathering of Supporters, Partisan’s League, Asbat Al-Ansar (AAA) is a Lebanese Islamist extremist group linked to Al Qaida. Its main objective is to promote the establishment of an Islamic state in Lebanon and it is opposed to Christian, secular, and Shia institutions in the country. Past targets have included the Lebanese state, as well as elements within the country AAA considers un-Islamic. For example, two AAA members attacked a Sidon court in 1999 and killed four people. The group has twice been involved in plots to assassinate the US Ambassador to Lebanon. Between 2005 and 2011, AAA members traveled to Iraq to fight against Coalition forces.

Date listed
2002-11-27

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Atomwaffen Division

Also known as
AWD, National Socialist Order, NSO.

Description
Founded in the United States in 2013, the Atomwaffen Division (AWD) is an international neo-Nazi terror group, which has since expanded to the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and elsewhere. The group calls for acts of violence against racial, religious, and ethnic groups, and informants, police, and bureaucrats, to prompt the collapse of society. AWD has previously held training camps, also known as hate camps, where its members receive weapons and hand-to-hand combat training. AWD members have also carried out violent acts at public rallies, including the August 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In July 2019, the co-leader of AWD, an American citizen, was banned from Canada by the Immigration and Refugee Board after it was determined that he was a member of an organization that has or will engage in terrorist activities.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Aum Shinrikyo

Also known as
Aum Shinri Kyo, Aum, Aum Supreme Truth, A. I. C. Comprehensive Research Institute, A. I. C. Sogo Kenkyusho and Aleph

Description
Formed in Japan in 1987, Aum Shinrikyo (Aum) is a religious organization with a belief system that mixes various religions – primarily Buddhism – with science fiction and the prophecies of Nostradamus. Aum aimed to control Japan, then the world, and subsequently create a global utopian society. Originally peaceful in nature, the group became increasingly dangerous and violent, seeking to actively bring about Armageddon. In 1994 Aum committed its first sarin attack against Japanese civilians by releasing the nerve agent in Matsumoto, killing seven people and wounding more than a hundred others. In its most infamous attack, Aum released sarin in the Tokyo subway system in 1995, killing a dozen people and wounding thousands more. As of 2016, Aum continues to maintain facilities in Japan and Russia.

Date listed
2002-12-10

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)

Also known as
Babbar Khalsa

Description
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is a Sikh terrorist entity that aims to establish a fundamentalist independent Sikh state called Khalistan (Land of the Pure) in what is presently the Indian state of Punjab. BKI activities include armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings. BKI has members outside of India in Pakistan, North America, Europe, and Scandinavia. In recent years, Indian police have arrested associates of BKI, recovering illegal arms and ammunition, and circumventing narco-smugglers seeking to procure weapons for BKI or provide the money to the terrorists and operatives of BKI.

Date listed
2003-06-18

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Blood & Honour (B&H)

Also known as
N/A

Description
Blood & Honour (B&H) is an international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany. Through their armed branch, Combat 18 (C18), the group has carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings. B&H was founded in the United Kingdom in 1987 and grew during the 1990s, establishing branches throughout Europe by the end of the decade. B&H attacks have occurred in North America and in several EU-member states. In January 2012, four B&H members in Tampa, Florida, were convicted of the 1998 murder of two homeless men who were killed because the group considered them “inferior.” In February 2012, members of B&H and C18 firebombed a building occupied mostly by Romani families. B&H has continued to engage in terrorist activities, including events promoting Nazi symbolism and organizing concerts as a means to mobilize people.

Date listed
2019-06-21

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Boko Haram

Also known as
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (People of the Tradition of the Prophet for Preaching and Striving / Group Committed to Propagating the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad)

Description
Boko Haram is a Salafist jihadist group operating in northern Nigeria whose ultimate objective is to overthrow the Nigerian government and implement Sharia Law. The group desires a political system in Nigeria modeled after how the Taliban now rules Afghanistan. Its tactics include small arms attacks, the use of improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, and kidnappings. Boko Haram conducted a suicide bomb attack against the United Nations compound in Abuja, Nigeria in August 2011, killing 23 people. In April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped a Canadian nun and two Italian priests in Cameroon. A few days later, in Nigeria, the group kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. In 2015, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and Boko Haram renamed itself the “Islamic States West Africa Province”. However, the Islamic State appointed Abu Musab al-Barnawi as leader of Islamic States West Africa Province, resulting in the formation of two rival factions; one loyal to Shekau operating under the Boko Haram banner, and the other (Islamic States West Africa Province) led by Barnawi. During the first nine months of 2016, Boko Haram was responsible for nearly 400 deaths in Nigeria, and approximately 850 deaths in 2017. In many of its attacks Boko Haram used children, particularly young girls, as suicide bombers. Boko Haram also repeatedly targets farmers, loggers, and herders, accusing them of passing information about the group to soldiers and the militia fighting them. In November 2020, armed assailants on motorcycles took 50 farmers from a village in northeastern Nigeria, into a building where they slit their throats. Later, additional bodies were found nearby, bringing the total number of deceased to 76. In addition, the militants abducted about a dozen women from the village. The Shekau faction of Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the incident. In the most recent attack on August 12, 2023, Boko Haram militants rounded up 10 farmers and shot them dead while they were working in their field in the village of Maiwa, Borno.

Date listed
2013-12-24

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Caucasus Emirate

Also known as
Imarat Kavkaz and Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus

Description
The Caucasus Emirate is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist network which formed in October 2007. Its goal is to overthrow the secular governments in the North Caucasus republics and establish an Islamic emirate governed under the Salafist interpretation of Sharia Law. The Caucasus Emirate has carried out terrorist activities in Russia and the North Caucasus republics that range from ambushes with small arms, targeted assassinations using snipers, improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombings. Since November 2014, many of the network’s leaders have switched their allegiance to the Islamic State. On February 22, 2017, a Caucasus Emirate spokesman called for militants in Chechnya to target Russian infrastructure and military facilities. In April 2020, Russian authorities arrested three suspected members of Caucasus Emirate who had plotted an attack at a retail shopping facility in the Khanty-Mansiysk City of Lyantor in Siberia. According to a Russian news agency, the suspects were in possession of an improvised explosive device, weapons and ammunition. The Caucasus Emirate’s operational presence in North Caucasus has been in steady decline since the mid-2010s. This decline has been attributed to the Russian security services’ counterterrorism efforts, which included many senior Caucasus Emirate leaders being captured and killed.

Date listed
2013-12-24

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Combat 18 (C18)

Also known as
N/A

Description
Blood & Honour (B&H) is an international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany. Through their armed branch, Combat 18 (C18), the group has carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings. B&H was founded in the United Kingdom in 1987 and grew during the 1990s, establishing branches throughout Europe by the end of the decade. B&H and C18 attacks have occurred in North America and in several EU-member states. In January 2012, four B&H members in Tampa, Florida, were convicted of the 1998 murder of two homeless men who were killed because the group considered them “inferior.” In February 2012, members of B&H and C18 firebombed a building occupied mostly by Romani families, including children, in Aš, Czech Republic. C18 serves as B&H’s armed and radical branch, advocating white supremacy, antisemitism and islamophobia, and the movement is present internationally. In 2020, the German government banned C18 in Germany because of its goals and activities.

Date listed
2019-06-21

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)

Also known as
National Liberation Army and the Army of National Liberation

Description
Founded in 1964, the ELN’s principal aim is to “seize power for the people” and establish a revolutionary government. The group believes foreign involvement in Colombia’s oil industry violates the country’s sovereignty and foreign companies are unfairly exploiting Colombia’s natural resources. ELN activities include kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, extortion, and guerrilla warfare. In its attacks, the ELN primarily targets the Colombian oil industry, political events, and political figures. Improvised explosive device attacks against energy targets are common, as illustrated by the group’s frequent attacks on a pipeline owned by the state oil company. The ELN has occasionally also utilized vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks. On March 29, 2023, the ELN attacked a military unit securing a northern pipeline with long-range weapons and improvised explosive devices, killing nine personnel and wounding at least eight others. Between February 23 and 26, 2022, the ELN held an armed strike across Colombia to protest the government’s economic and social policies. The ELN blew up a bridge, set fire to vehicles, blocked roads and set off bombs that injured eight people during the first day. The ELN has also expanded into Venezuela, and has been described as a binational guerrilla group. After the disarmament of FARC militants in 2017, ELN militants have filled their territorial vacuum.

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA)

Also known as
Basque Homeland and Liberty, Euzkadi Ta Azkatasuna, Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna, Basque Nation and Liberty, Basque Fatherland and Liberty and Basque Homeland and Freedom.

Description
The Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was formed in 1959 and is headquartered in the Basque provinces of Spain and France. It has been responsible for attacks on Spanish and French interests domestically and abroad. ETA aims to create an independent Basque state that would contain the six Basque provinces of Spain and France, as well as the Navarra province of Spain. ETA activities include bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. In July 2009, ETA claimed responsibility for the bombing of a police barracks in Spain which wounded at least 40 people, including 6 children. In May 2018, ETA officially dissolved. However, European authorities have continued to pursue criminal charges against former members of ETA. ETA is said to have killed over 800 people and carried out some 1,600 terrorist attacks since its formation.

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Fatemiyoun Division (FD)

Also known as
Fatemioun Brigade, Fatemioun Military Division, Fatemiyoun, Fatemiyoun Battalion, Fatemiyoun Force, Fatemiyyun, Liwa Fatemiyoun, Liwa al-Fatemiyon, Fatemiyon Brigade, Fatemiyon Division, Fatemiyoun Brigade

Description
The Fatemiyoun Division (FD) is a Hazara Shiite Militia fighting in Syria comprised mainly of Afghan refugees recruited from Iran and Afghanistan. The group is directed by Iran’s Qods Force, which, along with Hizballah also provides support and training. Originally deployed to protect Shia shrines in Syria, in November 2017, the group vowed to continue to fight alongside the “axis of resistance” to annihilate Israel. The FD is also active in parts of Afghanistan where it has fought mostly against anti-Shia Muslim or anti-Iranian groups. On December 24, 2019, Iranian-recruited Afghans affiliated with FD posted a video showing them near the Golan Heights and claiming that they had come to fight the “Zionists.”

Date listed
2019-06-21

Date reviewed
2020-11-25

Front de Libération du Macina

Also known as
FLM, Macina Liberation Front, Massina Liberation Front, Katiba Massina, Massina Brigade, Macina Brigade, Katiba Macina, Katibat Macina, Ansar Dine Macina, Harakat Ansar al-Din Macina Brigade, Ansar al-Din South, Macina Batallion, Macina Liberation Movement, La Force de Libération du Macina, ML Movement, Massina Liberation Movement, Ansar al-Din Macina Brigade, Katibat Macina – Ansar Dine, Ansar al-Din Macina, MLF, MLM.

Description
Emerging in January 2015, Front de Libération du Macina (FLM) is a Mali-based Islamist extremist group. A constituent of Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM), FLM has targeted Malian and international security forces, civilians, and more recently, schools and teachers. The group’s main objective is to liberate the Fulani, mainly-Muslim people scattered across 21 different African countries, from Malian government “oppression.” On November 20, 2015, militants from various groups including FLM carried out a gun attack at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, killing over 20 people. More than 170 people were taken hostage during the siege, including three Canadians.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC)

Also known as
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo, FARC-EP), National Finance Commission (Comisión Nacional de Finanzas) and Coordinadora Nacional Guerrillera Simon Bolivar (CNGSB)

Description
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, after the initials in Spanish) was founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Communist Party in Colombia. While FARC had some urban presence, it was always an overwhelmingly rural guerrilla organisation. Originally, FARC was guided by its goal of overthrowing the current government in Colombia and replacing it with a leftist, anti-American regime that would force all United States interests out of Colombia and Latin America. FARC activities include bombings, hijackings, assassinations, and the kidnapping of Colombian officials and Westerners. In September 2016, FARC entered into a demobilization process with the Colombian government and signed a Peace Accord which formally brought an end to 52 years of armed conflict. Under the deal certain FARC commanders disarmed, demobilized, and participated in reintegration efforts and key leaders have become political actors within Colombia’s Congress. The Colombian Government has recognized that demobilized FARC members who adhere to the commitments under the 2016 Peace Accord would no longer be labelled as terrorists. In January 2021, the FARC political party changed its name to Comunes and accordingly, Comunes is not captured by this listing. While the vast majority of FARC combatants have demobilized and participate in the peace process, it is important to recognize that certain groups refused to disarm and claim to be the true continuation of FARC. For example, in August 2019, a FARC commander, Iván Márquez, called on his followers to re-take up arms, announcing a “new phase of the armed struggle” and asserting that the guerrilla group carries the same: FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army). On June 25, 2021, a helicopter approaching the city of Cucuta with Colombian President Ivan Duque and other officials aboard was hit by bullets. A still-mobilized FARC commander took responsibility for the attack.

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar

Also known as
Gulabudin Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin Khekmatiyar, Gulbuddin Hekmatiar, Gulbuddin Hekmartyar, Gulbudin Hekmetyar, Golboddin Hikmetyar and Gulbuddin Hekmetyar

Description
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the group Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), promotes an extreme Islamist anti-Western ideology with the objective of overthrowing the Afghan administration and creating an Islamic state. Hekmatyar has declared his intention to wage jihad against foreign troops and interests in Afghanistan until all occupation forces would be driven out. He has perpetrated indiscriminate attacks against civilians, government officials and foreign officers. In 2006, Hekmatyar pledged allegiance to Al Qaida leader Usama bin Laden and vowed to join Al Qaida’s holy war. On May 18, 2016, Afghanistan’s government signed a draft peace agreement with HIG. In July 2016, Hekmatyar ordered his followers to fight against the Taliban in support of the Islamic State.

Date listed
2005-05-24

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Faction of the Hezb-e Islami, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG)

Also known as
N/A

Description
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s faction of the Hezb-e Islami, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), espoused a radical Islamist anti-Western ideology, with the goal of eliminating all Western influence in Afghanistan, and creating an Islamic state. Hekmatyar’s men were reputed to be the most effective mujahideen group to fight against the Soviet occupation and the most extreme of all Afghan fighters. Drawing support from Pakistan, HIG now has a presence in much of Afghanistan and is an important component of resistance forces in the country. HIG is known to cooperate with Al Qaida and the Taliban, and has a history of engaging in terrorist activities including killings, torture, kidnappings and forcible detainment, and attacking political figures. HIG often targets civilians, journalists, and foreign aid workers. On May 18, 2016, after over two months of negotiations, Afghanistan’s Republic-era government signed a draft peace agreement with the HIG.

Date listed
2006-10-23

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Hamas (Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiya) (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Also known as
N/A

Description
Hamas, the Arabic acronym for the group Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiya, is a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization that emerged from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987. It uses political and violent means to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. Since 1990, Hamas has been responsible for terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets. Hamas has been one of the primary groups involved in suicide bombings aimed at Israelis since the start of the Al-Aqsa intifada in September 2000. In 2006, Hamas participated in and won Palestinian parliamentary elections, leading to negotiations between the group and the Palestinian Authority over the establishment of a unity government. In 2007, however, Hamas overthrew the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip and seized power of the coastal territory. Although the group’s political leadership resides in Damascus, Hamas uses the Gaza Strip as a base for terrorist operations aimed against Israel.

Date listed
2002-11-27

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Haqqani Network

Also known as
N/A

Description
The Haqqani Network is an Afghan and Pakistani insurgent group described as one of the most powerful and violent organizations in the region. The Haqqani Network is an Islamist militant organization whose primary goal includes reestablishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and supporting the reemergence of the Afghan Taliban’s authority over the country. The Haqqani Network also believe Western forces must be removed from the country. Under its current leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Haqqani Network is committed as well to supporting global jihad, including armed conflict to expand the Islamic world. The Haqqani Network has historically cooperated with Taliban factions and has been called the most lethal arm of the Taliban. The Haqqani Network functions as an autonomous branch of the Taliban that carries out operational attacks and serves as a conduit for other terrorist organizations’ activities. The group is also known to maintain close ties to Al Qaida. The Haqqani Network poses a significant local threat. The Haqqani Network has been responsible for many of the highest-profile attacks in Afghanistan. Haqqani Network operations account for about one-tenth of attacks on coalition troops, and about 15 percent of casualties. The Haqqani Network was the first group to adopt the use of suicide bombers for attacks in Afghanistan. The Haqqani Network uses large vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, suicide vests, and swarming attacks, which captured headlines and created doubts about the ability of Afghan forces to protect its civilians without NATO support. The Haqqani Network specializes in coordinated attacks, favours a military-centric approach, via armed struggle, committing high-profile assassination attempts, suicide attacks, and waging a war of insurgency against the West.

Date listed
2013-05-09

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Harakat al-Sabireen (HaS)

Also known as
Al-Sabirin Movement for Supporting Palestine, Al-Sabireen Movement for Supporting Palestine, Al-Sabirin, Al-Sabireen, a-Sabrin organization, Al-Sabireen for the Victory of Palestine, HISN, HOSN, The Sabireen Movement, HESN, Movement of Those Who Endure With Patience, Movement of the Patient Ones

Description
Harakat al-Sabireen (HaS) is an Iranian-backed Shia group which has operated in the Gaza Strip since 2014. Although founded in Gaza, it also operates in the West Bank. HaS espouses an ideology which rejects a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and calls for the destruction of Israel. HaS adopts Iran’s sectarian approach of Islamic ideology in the area, and is reported to have strong, direct ties to Iran. HaS’ aims as of 2015 were to establish a powerful, Hizballah-style proxy for Iran in Gaza, which would serve as a strong reminder to Hamas that Iran has alternatives. HaS has fired rockets into Israel and targeted Israeli army patrols using explosive devices. Members of HaS have claimed they fight against Israel alongside Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iran’s Qods Force, assisted by the Palestinian Operations department of Hizballah, has financed and provided media exposure to HaS. Since 2019, HaS reportedly has not been operational, bowing to earlier pressure from Hamas in the area.

Date listed
2019-06-21

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Harakat ul-Mudjahidin (HuM)

Also known as
Al-Faran, Al-Hadid, Al-Hadith, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Harakat ul-Mujahideen, Harakat al- Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Ansar, Harakat ul-Ansar, Harakat al-Ansar, Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami, Harkat Mujahideen, Harakat-ul-Mujahideen al-Almi, Holy Warriors Movement, Movement of the Mujahideen, Movement of the Helpers, Movement of Islamic Fighters, Al Qanoon, Jamiat ul-Ansar

Description
Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HuM) is a Pakistan-based radical Kashmiri Islamist organization. It seeks Pakistani rule for the Indian territory of Kashmir and also calls for a war against America and India. To achieve these objectives, HuM employs various methods that include hijacking as well as kidnapping and executing foreigners and Indian government officials. The group has links with Al Qaida, and is also a signatory to the Al Qaida-issued 1998 fatwa (religious decree) against the U.S. and Israel. Between 2017 and December 2021, there were no reports of HuM terrorist attacks. There are no known reports of the HuM ceasing or renouncing terrorist activities.

Date listed
2002-11-27

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

HASAM (Harakat Sawa’d Misr)

Also known as
Hassam, The Hasam Movement, Hasm, Hassm, the Hassm Movement, Harikat Souaid Misr, Harakah Sawa’id Misr, the Movement of Egypt’s Arms, the Movement of Egypt’s Forearms and the Arms of Egypt Movement

Description
HASAM portrays itself as a nationalist movement attempting to overthrow the government of Egypt. HASAM announced its existence on July 16, 2016, when it claimed responsibility for an attack in Tameeya, Egypt, which left two policemen dead and one injured. Since then, HASAM has primarily targeted the Egyptian security apparatus, which the organization describes as enablers of the regime. In addition to other attacks, HASAM claimed responsibility for the March 26, 2017, bombing in Qalyubia governorate which wounded 5 members of Egypt’s security forces; the May 1, 2017, night time attack on an Egyptian police patrol which killed at least 3 policemen; and, the July 20, 2017, shooting attack on a police convoy in which 1 officer was killed and 3 more were wounded. Evidence of terrorist activities date from 2016 until 2019, and include bombings, attacks, killings, and use of improvised explosive devices.

Date listed
2019-02-11

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham

Also known as
Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), Jabhet al-Nusra, The Victory Front, Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, Jabhat Al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham min Mujahedi al-Sham fi Sahat al-Jihad (The Support Front for the People of the Levant by the Levantine Mujahedin on the Battlefields of Jihad), the Front for the Defense of the Syrian People and the Front for the Support of the Syrian People, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Fath al-Sham Front, al-Jabha, Fath al-Sham, Tanzim al-Qaeda fi Bilad al-Sham, Al-Qaeda in the Levant, Conquest for al-Sham Front, Conquest of the Levant Front, Fatah al-Sham Front, Fateh al-Sham Front, Front for the Conquest of Syria, Front for the Conquest of Syria/The Levant, Jabhat Fath al-Sham, Jabhat Fath al Sham, Jabhat Fathah al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham Assembly, Liberation of Syria Assembly, Liberation of the Levant Organisation, Liberation of the Levant Committee, Liberation of al-Sham Commission, Assembly for the Liberation of the Levant, Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, Tahrir al-Sham, Liwa al-Haqq, the Al-Haqq Brigade, Liwa al-Haq, the Brigade of the Right, the Truth Brigade, Lewa’ al-Haq, the al-Haq Battalion, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Din Front, Supporters/Partisans of the Religion Front, Jaish al-Sunnah, Jaysh al-Sunnah, Jaish al-Sunna, Jaysh al-Sunna.

Description
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is an Islamist group in Syria whose purported primary objectives are overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria followed by the creation of an Islamic state under Sharia Law. In July 2016, Jabhat Al-Nursa (JN), an Al Qaida affiliated Sunni militant Islamist group in Syria, changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS). Six months later, in January 2017, JFS and four smaller groups issued a statement announcing their dissolution in favour of merging under a single group known as HTS. JN, which is now part of HTS, has claimed responsibility for nearly 600 attacks – such as ambushes, kidnappings, assassinations, Improvised Explosive Device attacks and suicide bombings – in major city centers including Damascus, Aleppo, Hamah, Dara, Homs, Idlib, and Dayr al-Zawr. In March 2017, 2 HTS suicide bombers attacked Damascus, killing at least 74 people, including 8 children. More recently, on December 21, 2019, HTS claimed killing 30 Syrian regime troops in a suicide bombing in Raffa, a town in the southeast of Idlib governorate.

Date listed
2013-11-07

Date reviewed
2020-11-25

Hizballah

Also known as
Hizbullah, Hizbollah, Hezbollah, Hezballah, Hizbullah, The Party of God, Islamic Jihad (Islamic Holy War), Islamic Jihad Organization, Islamic Resistance, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Ansar al-Allah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Ansarollah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Ansar Allah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Resistance), Organization of the Oppressed, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of Right Against Wrong and Followers of the Prophet Muhammed.

Description
One of the most technically capable terrorist groups in the world, Hizballah is a radical Shia group ideologically inspired by the Iranian revolution. Its goals are the liberation of Jerusalem, the destruction of Israel, and, ultimately, the establishment of a revolutionary Shia Islamic state in Lebanon, modelled after Iran. Formed in 1982 in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Hizballah carried out some of the most infamous terror attacks of the Lebanese civil war, such as the suicide bombings of the barracks of United States Marines and French paratroopers in Beirut, as well as the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. While all other Lebanese militias disarmed at the end of Lebanon’s civil war in 1990, Hizballah continued to fight, waging a guerilla war against Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon. Following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, Hizballah attacks against Israeli forces continued, concentrated on the disputed Shebaa Farms area. In 2006, Hizballah provoked Israel’s invasion of Lebanon by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing 8 others. On January 3, 2018, Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah announced that the group was working “to obtain all kinds of weapons that would enable it to achieve victory in the next war.” In September 2019, Hizballah fired anti-tank missiles into a small farming community along the Lebanese border with Israel.

Date listed
2002-12-10

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Hizbul Mujahideen

Also known as
HM, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen

Description
Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) was formed in 1989 as a militant Kashmiri liberation group, when an armed insurgency against Indian rule first broke out in the Kashmir valley. The group’s primary goal is to unite the Indian and Pakistan administered parts of Kashmir, which would then join with Pakistan. HM has launched attacks on Indian security forces, politicians, military targets and critical infrastructure within the newly formed territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. HM’s tactics include using assassinations and armed assault. The group has also abducted and killed police officers, and informants.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Indian Mujahideen (IM)

Also known as
Indian Mujahedeen; Indian Mujahidin; and Islamic Security Force – IM (ISF–IM)

Description
The IM is a Sunni Islamist militant group, consisting primarily of former members of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). The IM is best understood as a label for a relatively amorphous, decentralized network that operates through a number of modules across India. The IM’s stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims, for their oppression of Muslims. The group’s primary method of attack is multiple coordinated bombings in crowded areas against economic and civilian targets to maximize terror and casualties. The group has also organized training in Pakistan with militant Islamist groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a listed entity under the Criminal Code. The IM were found to have conducted a July 13, 2011 attack in which three explosive devices were detonated consecutively in separate locations in Mumbai, Maharashtra. At least 22 people were killed and 131 others wounded. As of 2018, media reports suggest that IM has been trying to revive itself following a series of arrests of its key operatives, internal disagreement between leaders, and defections. There are no reports of IM claiming responsibility for any terrorist incidents between January 2019 and November 2021. In 2022, IM had reportedly set a target of preparing more than 200 sleeper cell members in 2022 in some areas of Bihar-Bengal, Nepal.

Date listed
2016-12-28

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy – Canada (IRFAN – CANADA)

Also known as
International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (Canada), IRFAN, IRFAN – Canada, IRFAN Society

Description
The International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy-Canada (IRFAN-Canada) is a not for profit organization operating in Canada. Between 2005 and 2009, IRFAN-Canada transferred approximately $14.6 million worth of resources to various organizations with links to Hamas. IRFAN is an entity that has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with Hamas, and used its status as a charitable organization to fund Hamas, a listed terrorist entity. 

Date listed
2014-04-24

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)

Also known as
N/A

Description
The International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) was founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom as an international branch of the All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF), with centres in several countries, including Canada. ISYF’s Canadian branch was disbanded in 2002. The ISYF is a Sikh organization whose aim is to promote Sikh philosophy and the establishment of an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan. Since 1984, ISYF was responsible for a number of low-intensity bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings, which targeted Hindus, moderate Sikhs, and Indian government officials. ISYF was also implicated in a range of failed bomb and firearm attacks. The ISYF collaborates and/or associates with a number of Sikh terrorist organizations, including Babbar Khalsa International. In 2023, a number of ISYF associates, including its chief, were arrested for allegedly smuggling arms, ammunition, drugs and explosives across the Punjab border.

Date listed
2003-06-18

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)

Also known as
O’zbekiston Islomiy Harakati, Harakat ul-Islamiyyah, Islamic Movement of Turkestan, Islamic Party of Turkestan (IPT) and IMU-IPT

Description
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a terrorist organization whose primary goal is to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan and install an Islamic, Sharia-driven government. The IMU has employed kidnapping, armed attacks against government installations, cross-border incursions, and coordinated efforts with other terrorist groups, such as Al Qaida and the Taliban. IMU focused predominantly on attacks against international forces in Afghanistan. The IMU has attacked Westerners and has declared its intentions to continue to work with groups with “similar objectives”. The IMU did not claim any responsibility for attacks between 2018 and 2021. In August 2021, a United Nations sanctions monitoring team reported that IMU remains under the control of the Taliban and that its forces continue to operate in northern Afghanistan.

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Also known as
Pasdaran (Guardians), Sepah, and Sepah-e-Pasdaran Enghelab Islami

Description
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s goal is to safeguard the Iranian regime against internal and external threats. It is a key part of Iran’s security and intelligence community, controls Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle arsenal, conducts overseas operations, and is Iran’s main link to its regional proxies (collectively known as the “Axis of Resistance”), including Canadian-designated terrorist entities such as Hizballah and Hamas. IRGC forces are comprised of IRGC-Ground Forces, IRGC-Navy, IRGC-Aerospace Force, the Basij Forces, the Al-Qods Force (IRGC-QF, listed on Canada’s Terrorist Entities List since 2012), as well as a counter intelligence directorate and representatives of the Supreme Leader of Iran. The IRGC is heavily involved in commercial and business activities in Iran, controlling multiple commercial entities and wielding influence across a wide range of sectors within the Iranian economy. The profits from these activities are used to support the full range of the IRGC’s illicit operations, including support for terrorism. With the knowledge, support, and direction of the Iranian regime, the IRGC has knowingly carried out terrorist acts utilizing its intelligence organization and the IRGC-QF, and has knowingly acted in association with listed terrorist entities, such as IRGC-QF, Hizballah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Date listed
2024-06-19

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force

Also known as
Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Islami (Pasdaran), Sepah-e Qods, Qods/Quds, al Quds, al Quds Force, Qods/Quds Force, Qods Corps, Jerusalem Corps, Jerusalem Force and Qods Force.

Description
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force is the clandestine branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for extraterritorial operations, and for exporting the Iranian Revolution through activities such as facilitating terrorist operations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force provides arms, funding and paramilitary training to extremist groups, including the Taliban, Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). On June 1, 2023, United States Department of Treasury designated Shahram Poursafi for providing and attempting to provide material support on behalf of the Qods Force to a transnational murder plot. The plot involved targeting a former U.S. national security advisor —possibly in retaliation for the January 2020 death of IRGC-QF commander Qasem Soleimani.

Date listed
2012-12-17

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Islamic State

Also known as
Also known as: Daesh, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, ISIS, Al-Dawla Al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham, Al Qaida in Iraq, al-Qaida in Iraq, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Al Qaeda in Iraq, AQI, AQI-Zarqawi, al-Tawhid, al-Tawhid and al-Jihad, Kateab al-Tawhid, Brigades of Tawhid, Monotheism and Jihad Group, Al Qaida of the Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida of Jihad Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida Group of Jihad in Iraq, Al-Qa’ida of Jihad in Iraq, Al-Qaida Group of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization of Jihad’s Base in the Country of the Two Rivers, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base of Operations in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base of Operations in Iraq, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base in Iraq, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization Base of Jihad/Country of the Two Rivers, The Organization Base of Jihad/Mesopotamia, Al-Qaida in Mesopotamia, Tanzim Qa’idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, Tanzim al-Qaeda al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidain, Tanzeem Qa’idat al Jihad/Bilad al Raafidaini, Jama’at Al-Tawhid Wa’al-Jihad, JTJ, Islamic State of Iraq, Islamic State in Iraq, ISI, Mujahidin Shura Council, Unity and Holy Struggle, Unity and Holy War, Unity and Jihad Group, al-Zarqawi Network.

Description
The Islamic State is a Sunni jihadist group that seeks to sow civil unrest in Iraq and the Levant with the aim of establishing a single, transnational Islamic state based on Sharia Law, replacing the Iraqi and Syrian governments. The group was originally created in Jordan in the early 1990s under the name Bayat al Imam. The group associated with Al Qaida Core’s senior leadership in 1999 and fought alongside Al Qaida Core and the Taliban during the US strikes in Afghanistan in late 2001. The group then transferred to Iraq in anticipation of the US -led invasion, and, in October 2004, formally renamed itself “Al Qaida in Iraq” (AQI). The group has also operated under the name of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). In 2013, the group renamed itself the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL). In June 2014, the group renamed itself “Islamic State”. The Islamic State’s tactics include suicide attacks using vehicles and improvised explosive devices, armed attacks, hostage takings, and video-taped beheadings. In June and August 2017, IS claimed responsibility for three vehicular ramming attacks in the UK and Spain. These attacks killed at least 27 people, including two Canadians. In July 2021, a bomb killed at least 35 civilians and wounded at least 60 others at Al-Wuhailat market in the Sadr City area of Baghdad, Iraq. The attack targeted a Shia majority neighbourhood on the eve of the Eid Al-Adha holiday. IS claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was a suicide bombing. In April 2023, IS militants killed at least 16 civilians and 10 security forces in Syria, and in February 2023 IS militants shot and killed at least 46 civilians and seven domestic military members. The militants carried out the attack when the civilians were harvesting truffles.

Date listed
2012-08-20

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Islamic State – Bangladesh

Also known as
Daesh – Bangladesh

Description
Islamic State – Bangladesh is a violent extremist group that was formed in August 2014, when a group of unidentified Bangladeshi nationals pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and vowed to organize Bengali Muslims under the leadership of IS Chief Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi. The group’s primary goal is uniting the world under one Muslim caliphate. To achieve this, the group encourages followers in Bangladesh to target the country’s political leaders, parliamentarians and members of the security forces and law enforcement, as well as non-Muslims. The group was thought to have been led by a now deceased Canadian-Bangladeshi, who was one of two masterminds of the 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan café in Dhaka resulting in the deaths of twenty two people, mostly foreigners.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic State – Democratic Republic of the Congo

Also known as
IS-DRC, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Democratic Republic of the Congo, ISIS-DRC, Daesh – Democratic Republic of the Congo, Allied Democratic Forces, ADF, Madina at Tauheed Wau Mujahedeen, City of Monotheism and Holy Warriors, Islamic State Central Africa Province, ISCAP, Wilayat Central Africa, Wilayah Central Africa, Wilayah Central Africa Media Office, Wilayat Wasat Ifriqiyah, ISIS-Central Africa

Description
In April 2019, the Islamic State (IS) announced the creation of Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP). ISCAP is composed of two separate, geographically distinct insurgencies—one in northern Mozambique and one in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) being conducted by Islamic State – Democratic Republic of the Congo (IS-DRC). In July 2019, IS released a video of Musa Baluku, the leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist-affiliated rebel group based in DRC, pledging allegiance to the leader of IS. Several members of the ADF disagreed with the pledge and split away from the larger group that year. Since the pledge, many of the ADF’s activities have been claimed by IS under the regional banner of ISCAP. IS-DRC has been responsible for attacks in eastern DRC against civilians and military targets. On May 13, 2020, IS issued two communiqués, the first claiming that fighters captured and killed three Congolese soldiers in North Kivu Province, DRC. The second claimed that fighters shot and killed 10 people after opening fire on a crowd of Christians in Iringite, a city near Beni, DRC. Both attacks were confirmed by local media as perpetrated by the ADF. On October 20, 2020, the ADF attacked Kangbayi central prison in Beni, DRC, and freed over 1,300 prisoners. Both the ADF and IS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Date listed
2021-06-25

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic State East Asia

Also known as
ISEA, Daesh’s East Asia Province, Islamic State-Philippines, Ansharul Khilafah Philippines, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters – Bungos, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters – Abubakar, Jama’atu al-Muhajirin wal Ansar fil Filibin, Dawlah Islamiyah, Islamic State Lanao, Maute Group, Islamic State Ranao, Dawlatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Masrik, Islamic State Sunrise Province.

Description
Islamic State East Asia (ISEA) is a violent extremist group, officially recognized by the Islamic State as an affiliate. ISEA’s primary objective is the establishment of an Islamic State under Shariah law in the Philippines and is comprised of a number of violent extremist organisations who have pledged allegiance to Daesh and conducted violent acts to achieve their goals, including beheadings that mimic those conducted by Daesh. These include the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a terrorist entity that is linked to a number of high-profile kidnappings and executions, including the beheadings of two Canadians in 2016. In May 2017, ISEA conducted a large-scale attack on Marawi City, Philippines, killing a substantial number of security forces and civilians. The group laid siege to the city for five months, during which a number of Christian hostages were executed. More recently, on January 27, 2019, ISEA claimed responsibility for two bombs that were detonated at the Jolo Catholic cathedral, killing 21 and wounding at least 100.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic State in the Greater Sahara

Also known as
ISGS, Daesh in the Greater Sahara, ISIS in the Greater Sahara, Islamic State of the Greater Sahel, ISIS in the Greater Sahel, ISIS in the Islamic Sahel, ISIS-GS.

Description
Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State in May 2015. The group operates and has carried out attacks in the Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso tri-border area. ISGS’s primary objective is the replacement of regional governments with an Islamic State and to destabilize the Sahel. ISGS regularly targets regional security and military forces, including: Tuareg militias, French soldiers, Niger Gendarmerie forces, Burkina Faso security services, and Malian soldiers. The group claimed responsibility for the killing of a Canadian geologist in January 2019 and is suspected of attacking a Canadian mining company convoy the same year.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP)

Also known as
Also known as: Islamic State in the Khorasan Province, Islamic State Khorasan, Islamic State – Khorasan, IS Khorasan, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan (ISIL-K), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Khorasan (ISIS-K), Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – Khorasan (ISIS-K), Wilayat Khorasan, Daesh Khorasan, ISIL’s South Asia Branch, ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, Islamic State’s Khorasan Province , South Asian chapter of ISIL, ISIL Khorasan (ISIL-K), Khorasan Chapter of the Islamic State, Islamic State Wilayat Khorasan (ISWK), Khorasan branch of ISIS.

Description
Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) is a violent Sunni extremist group, officially recognized by the Islamic State (IS) as an affiliate based in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. The objective of ISKP is to establish the “wilayat” (province) of Khorasan as part of the global IS caliphate. Since IS announced the establishment of ISKP in January 2015, the group has carried out suicide bombings, small arms attacks, and kidnappings against civilians, aid organizations and security forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISKP has demonstrated its ability to carry out high profile attacks, including against Western interests. ISKP claimed responsibility for the June 2016 bomb attack in Kabul that targeted a bus carrying security guards contracted by the Canadian Embassy, which killed at least 14 people; the October 2016 attack on a police training center in Quetta that killed at least 59 people and injured 100; and, the May 2017 attack on a NATO convoy in Kabul that killed 8 civilians and injured 25. The group also claimed responsibility for the January 24, 2018, attack in Jalalabad which targeted the international charity “Save the Children” that killed at least 6 people and injured 27. In November 2019, ISKP published photos of its fighters pledging allegiance to the new IS leader and “Caliph,” Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

Date listed
2018-05-23

Date reviewed
2020-11-25

Islamic State in Libya

Also known as
Daesh in Libya, IS-Libya, Islamic State – Libya, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Libya, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – Libya, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Libya, Wilayat Barqa, Wilayat Barqah, Wilayat Fezzan, Wilayat Tripolitania, Wilayat Tarablus, Wilayat al-Tarabulus, Tripoli Province, Barqa Province, Barqah Province, Fezzan Province.

Description
Islamic State in Libya (IS-Libya) is a violent extremist group, formed by Libyan foreign fighters, who had fought as part of the Daesh-affiliated Battar Brigade, and returned to Libya from Syria. The group follows an extreme interpretation of Islam that is anti-Western and promotes sectarian violence. IS-Libya aims to remove the United Nations-backed transitional Government of National Accord in Libya. The group targets civilians and police officers, and has used suicide bombings to advance its objectives. In May 2018, suicide bombers stormed Libya’s electoral commission in Tripoli, killing at least a dozen people in an attack. In September 2018, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the headquarters of Libya’s main oil company National Oil Corp, opening fire on staff and killing two employees.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Islamic State – Sinai Province (ISSP)

Also known as
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis; Ansar Jerusalem; Islamic State – Sinai State

Description
Islamic State – Sinai Province (ISSP), formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist group based in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, which first appeared in 2011. The primary objective of the group is the formation of an Islamic state in Egypt under Sharia Law. The primary targets of ISSP’s violence include the Egyptian military and security services, Israeli interests, and Israeli economic interests. They have carried out repeated attacks against security forces, politicians, and civilians in Egypt using small arms, improvised explosive devices, vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, and surface-to-air missiles. In November 2014, ISSP pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), and expanded its targets to include tourist sites, Western interests, Western embassies, and the media. In August 2015, ISSP claimed to have beheaded a Croatian national kidnapped and taken hostage in Cairo in July. Two months later, ISSP claimed responsibility for downing Russian airliner KGL9268 over the Sinai through an improvised explosive device killing all 224 passengers aboard. ISSP continues to conduct cross-border attacks against Israel, including firing several rockets in February, April, and October 2017. In 2022, ISSP ranked ninth of the top 20 groups with the largest number of attributed deaths at 71. In May of that year, at least eleven members of the Egyptian military had been killed in an armed attack on the Sinai Peninsula on a water-lifting station east of the Suez Canal. ISSP claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Date listed
2015-04-07

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Islamic State West Africa Province

Also known as
ISWAP, Daesh’s West Africa Province, ISIS-West Africa, ISIS West Africa, ISIS West Africa Province, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria West Africa Province, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-West Africa, West Africa Province, Wilayat Gharb Afriqiyya, Wilayat Gharb Afriqiyah, Islamic State in West Africa, ISIS-WA, ISIL-WA.

Description
Islamic State West Africa Province was formed in March 2015. The group’s primary objective is to replace the Nigerian Government and establish an Islamic state with a strict interpretation of Sharia Law. Islamic State West Africa Province is the largest Daesh group in Africa with approximately 3,500 – 5,000 fighters and has access to military-grade small-arms and heavy weapons. The group focuses its attacks on regional security and military targets associated with all five Multinational Joint Task Force countries (Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin), Western, Christian, and secular targets, and has kidnapped and executed aid workers. On December 25, 2019, Islamic State West Africa Province fighters attacked Christians in Nigeria’s Borno State, and killed 8 people with machine gun fire, and captured two others. A day later, also in Borno state, a video was released of the group’s fighters executing 11 people identified as Christians.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)

Also known as
Jaish-i-Mohammed (Mohammad, Muhammad, Muhammed), Jaish-e-Mohammad (Muhammed), Jaish-e-Mohammad Mujahideen E-Tanzeem, Jeish-e-Mahammed, Army of Mohammed, Mohammed’s Army, Tehrik Ul-Furqaan, National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty and Army of the Prophet.

Description
Founded in early 2000, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is an Islamist extremist group based in Pakistan. Its objectives are to absorb the Indian-administered areas of Jammu and Kashmir into Pakistan and ultimately establish an Islamist state in the country. JeM is committed to using indiscriminate terror tactics to achieve its objectives, including targeting foreigners and political representatives of foreign states. Between 2016 and 2018, JeM has carried out at least four attacks targeting police and military camps. These attacks killed at least 23 people, including soldiers, policemen, and civilians. The purpose of some of these attacks was to target family quarters, hospitals, and to take women and children hostage. In November 2020, four JeM affiliated militants attacked security forces at a checkpoint in the Nagrota area of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. Two officers were injured and a large cache of firearms, ammunition, and explosives were seized by security forces.  

Date listed
2002-11-27

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin

Also known as
JNIM, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, Jama’ah Nusrah al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Jamaat Nosrat al-Islam wal-Mouslimin, Jama’a Nusrah al-Islam wa al-Muslimin, Islam and Muslims’ Support Group, Group for Support of Islam and Muslims, Group to Support Islam and Muslims, Group of Support for Islam and All Muslims, Group for Supporting Islam and Muslims, Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans, Union for Supporting Islam and Muslims, NIM, GSIM, GNIM, Rassemblement pour la victoire de l’islam et des fidèles, RVIF.

Description
Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) is a Mali-based violent extremist group formed in March 2017, through the merging of four Al Qaida-aligned groups: Ansar Dine, the Front de Liberation du Macina, Al Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM)’s Sahara branch, and Al-Murabitoun. The group’s main goals are to implement Sharia law across the Sahara region and expel foreign influence. JNIM is an official affiliate of Al Qaida in Mali and mainly targets regional, French, and United Nations (UN) forces. It also targets locations frequented by foreigners, including hotels and restaurants, and holds foreigners hostage for ransom. JNIM’s tactics include improvised explosive devices (IED), vehicle-borne IEDs, suicide bombings, rocket and mortar attacks, and complex small arms attacks. In November 2018, JNIM claimed a suicide attack against a UN base in Gao, and specifically identified Canadian, British, and German forces as being among the “Crusader invader forces.” JNIM subsequently released a second statement identifying the United Nations Mine Action Service as its intended target. JNIM is also suspected of carrying out an August 2017 attack on a restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in which two Canadians were among at least 19 people killed.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

James Mason

Also known as
James Nolan Mason

Description
James Nolan Mason is a life-long American neo-Nazi born on July 25, 1952. He has been an active neo-Nazi since he was 14 years old, when he joined the youth group of the American Nazi Party in 1966. Mason is responsible for publishing a series of newsletters in the 1980s, which promoted the idea of lone actors conducting terrorist attacks against the United States government in order to bring about the collapse of society and a race war. Mason’s collective works, published as a book called Siege , have served as the ideological grounding for neo-Nazi groups such as Atomwaffen Division (AWD), which is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, and serves as the backbone for the AWD’s worldview and training program. Mason has also provided tactical direction on how to operate a terrorist group and has met with members of AWD, where he coached them on propagandizing murder and genocide. AWD has used Mason to speak on their behalf by releasing audio recordings of him reading the group’s messaging. Mason and Siege have also been cited as the ideological foundation of Feuerkrieg Division and Sonnenkrieg Division, groups that have been proscribed as terrorist entities in the United Kingdom.

Date listed
2021-06-25

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Jaysh Al-Muhajirin Wal-Ansar (JMA)

Also known as
Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar, Jaysh al-Muhajireen wa’l-Ansar, Army of Migrants and Supporters, Army of the Emigrants and Helpers, Muhajireen Brigade, Mujahideen Army.

Description
JMA is a jihadist militant group operating primarily in the Aleppo area of northern Syria. The goal of JMA is to topple Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government. JMA is led by Chechens from Russia’s North Caucasus, and the group’s membership consists of approximately 1000 fighters, most of them foreign. JMA has taken part in joint operations with other jihadist groups in Syria such as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. JMA’s tactics include the use of large suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, ground assaults, hostage taking and kidnapping, including foreign nationals and Syrian civilians loyal to Assad. No incidents have been claimed or attributed to JMA distinctly since 2013. However, in the past decade, JMA fighters participated in attacks that were claimed by other terrorist entities, such as IS. JMA fighters, now under the name of Liwa Muhajirin Wal-Ansar (LMA) are still active in Latakia, Aleppo, and Idlib, targeting Syrian regime forces.

Date listed
2014-10-30

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI)

Also known as
Jemaa Islamiyah, Jema’a Islamiyya, Jema’a Islamiyyah, Jema’ah Islamiyah, Jema’ah Islamiyyah, Jemaa Islamiya, Jemaa Islamiyya, Jemaah Islamiyya, Jemaa Islamiyyah, Jemaah Islamiah, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jemaah Islamiyyah, Jemaah Islamiya, Jamaah Islamiyah, Jamaa Islamiya, Jemaah Islam, Jemahh Islamiyah, Jama’ah Islamiyah, Al-Jama’ah Al Islamiyyah, Islamic Group and Islamic Community

Description
Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI) has its roots in Darul Islam, a violent radical movement that advocated the establishment of Islamic law in Indonesia. JI subscribes to a Salafist interpretation of Islam and aims to establish an Islamic caliphate spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and the southern Philippines. JI has had cells throughout much of Southeast Asia and targets what it sees as enemies of Islam. JI has been responsible for a series of bank robberies, hijackings, and several major bombings of civilian targets, such as the 2002 attack on a night club in Bali, which killed 202 people and injured 500 others, including Canadians citizens.

Date listed
2003-04-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Kahane Chai (Kach)

Also known as
Meir’s Youth, No’ar Meir, Repression of Traitors, State of Yehuda, Sword of David, Dikuy Bogdim, DOV, Judea Police, Kahane Lives, Kfar Tapuah Fund, State of Judea, Judean Legion, Judean Voice, Qomemiyut Movement, Way of the Torah and Yeshiva of the Jewish Idea

Description
Kahane Chai (Kach) is a marginal, extremist Jewish entity whose goal is the restoration of the biblical state of Israel, replacing democracy with theocracy. Kahane Chai (Kach) advocates expelling Arabs from Israel, expanding Israel’s boundaries to include the occupied territories and parts of Jordan, and the strict implementation of Jewish law in Israel. Kahane Chai (Kach) has openly espoused violence against Arabs and the Israeli government as a viable method for establishing a religiously homogenous state. Its activities have included threats to government officials and infrastructure, grenade attacks, armed violence, and bombings.

Date listed
2005-05-24

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)

Also known as
Kurdistan Workers Party, Partya Karkeren Kurdistan, Kurdistan Labor Party, Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress, KADEK, Kurdistan People’s Congress, Kurdistan Halk Kongresi (KHK), People’s Congress of Kurdistan and Kongra-Gel

Description
Formally established in Turkey in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK / KADEK) is a Kurdish political party whose main goal is the creation of an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey and in northern Iraq, a region that is part of the traditional territory of the Kurdish people. The PKK has conducted guerrilla ambushes and hit‐and‐run attacks on Turkish army convoys and outposts, typically using assault rifles, remote‐controlled improvised explosive devices, and rocket‐propelled grenades. Its activities include attacking the Turkish military, diplomats and Turkish businesses at home and in some western European cities. It has also been known to bomb resorts and kidnap tourists in an attempt to destabilize tourism in Turkey. In September 2022, PKK militants claimed that they had targeted a police station, in the Bagok mountain region of Turkey, with firearms and killed one police officer, and wounded at least one other. In October 2023, suicide bombers detonated an explosive device near an entrance of Turkey’s Interior Ministry, wounding two police officer. Turkish authorities identified one of the attackers as a member of the PKK.

Date listed
2002-12-10

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ)

Also known as
Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhangvie, Laskar-e- Jhangvi, Lashkare Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhangwi, Lashkar-i-Jhangwi, Jhangvi Army, Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Lashkar Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhanvi (LeJ), Lashkar-i-Jangvi, Lashkar e Jhangvi, Lashkar Jangvi, Laskar e Jahangvi

Description
As a radical Islamist group reportedly linked to Al Qaida, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) aims to establish an Islamist Sunni state in Pakistan based on Sharia Law – through the use of violence if necessary – and to have all Shiites declared non-believers. It is reputed as being one of the most violent Islamist extremist organizations in Pakistan. Responsible for killing hundreds of Shiites since its formation in 1996, LJ was behind some of the worst incidents of sectarian violence in Pakistan’s history. It has also been accused of involvement in the killing of Shia Muslim civilians in Afghanistan in 1997, 2011, and 2013, as well as the beheading of United States journalist Daniel Pearl in February 2002 and a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in September 2008, which killed 53 people. In October 2015, for example, a group of LJ members conducted a suicide attack at a Shiite mosque in Bolan, Baluchistan, killing at least 11 people and wounding another 13. More recently, in June 2017, LJ claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing at a crowded market in Parachinar, Pakistan, which killed at least 67 people and wounded over 200 others. On August 18, 2023, in Orangi Town, Karachi, Pakistan, three LJ militants shot and killed a local Pakistan People’s Party leader, identified as Amjad Hussain. LJ in a statement claimed responsibility for killing him for being Shia.

Date listed
2003-06-18

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)

Also known as
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) (Society for Preaching), al-Anfal Trust, Tehrik-e-Hurmate-e-Rasool, al Mansoorian (The Victorious), Army of the Pure, Paasban-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Brigade), Paasban-i-Ahle-Hadith (Ahle-Hadith Brigade), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Lashkar-i-Toiba (LiT), Lashkar-i-Taiba (Holy Regiment), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous), Lashkar-e-Taibyya, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (Army of the Pure and Righteous), Lashkar-e-Taiba (Righteous Army), Lashkar-Taiba (Army of the Good), Lashkar e Toiba, Lashkar e Taiba, Lashkar-E-Tayyaba, Lashkar e Tayyiba

Description
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) is a Pakistan-based, radical organization established in the late 1980s that operates in the Indian states of Kashmir and Jammu. LeT is also active in Afghanistan in areas along the border with Pakistan. Its overall objective is to force the accession of Indian administered Kashmir to Pakistan and to create two Islamist-run states, in the North and in the South of India. LeT’s activities include suicide bombings and armed attacks on civilians, government officials and the Indian security forces. The United Nations Security Council reported in 2020 that LeT facilitates the trafficking of terrorist fighters into Afghanistan to act as experts on improvised explosive devices. Moreover, LeT is responsible for carrying out targeted assassinations against government officials and others. The group has a long standing relationship with Al Qaida. LeT has fostered ties with various Islamist militant groups including the Indian Mujahideen, the Haqqani Network, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Taliban. LeT’s most infamous operation was the 60-hour terror attack in Mumbai on November 26-28, 2008. The LeT has targeted security personnel such as in the December 2014 attack at a Mohara artillery camp that killed 17 people including soldiers and policemen, and the February 2016 attack on a police convoy that killed two police officers and injured 10 others. On May 14, 2020, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at a military facility in Gardez, Paktia, Afghanistan, killing six 6 people and injuring at least 19 others.

Date listed
2003-06-18

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

Also known as
The Tamil Tigers, the Eellalan Force, the Ellalan Force, the Tiger Movement, the Sangilian Force, the Air Tigers, the Black Tigers (Karum Puligal), the Sea Tigers, the Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS) and the Women’s Combat Force of Liberation Tigers (WCFLT)

Description
Founded in 1976, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a Sri Lankan-based terrorist organization that seeks the creation of an independent homeland called “Tamil Eelam” for Sri Lanka’s ethnic Tamil minority. Over the years, the LTTE has waged a violent secessionist campaign with the help of ground, air, and naval forces, as well as a dedicated suicide bomber wing. LTTE tactics have included full military operations, terror attacks against civilian centres, and political assassinations, such as the successful assassinations of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The LTTE has also had an extensive network of fundraisers, political and propaganda officers, and arms procurers operating in Sri Lanka and within the Tamil diaspora. Although the LTTE was militarily defeated in May 2009, subversion, destabilization, and fundraising continue, particularly in the diaspora. As of June 2022, there have been no known LTTE attacks in Sri Lanka since the group’s military defeat in 2009. However, weakened remnants of LTTE continue to operate in Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu, India. In addition, the LTTE has an international fundraising and procurement network that continues to exist.

Date listed
2006-04-08

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA)

Also known as
MOJWA, Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest, MUJAO, Jamat Tawhid wal Jihad fi Garbi Afriqqiya and Jamaat Tawhid Wal Jihad Fi Garbi Ifriqiya.

Description
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa is a splinter group of al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Formed in 2011, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) seeks to spread jihad across West Africa and establish a strict form of Sharia Law. The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa has carried out terrorist activities including kidnappings, small arms attacks, improvised explosive devices attacks, and suicide bombings. On May 23, 2013, MOJWA and al’Muwaqi’un Bil-Dima (MBD) launched twin suicide attacks against a Nigerien army base and a French uranium mine in Niger, killing 25 people. MOJWA merged with MBD to form Al-Murabitoun, in August 2013.

Date listed
2014-06-02

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)

Also known as
PLF-Abu Abbas Faction, Front for the Liberation of Palestine (FLP)

Description
The Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) is a small, armed splinter group allied to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Its objective is the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. First founded in 1961 by Ahmad Jibril, the group operates primarily in Europe, Israel, Lebanon and other areas in the Middle East. During its most active period, it is known to have conducted several high-profile attacks, including the October 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro.

Date listed
2003-11-13

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

Also known as
Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami fi Filistin, Saraya Al-Quds (The Jerusalem Brigades), Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad, Palestine Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi Faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi, PIJ-Shaqaqi Faction, PIJ-Shallah Faction, Islamic Jihad of Palestine, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Abu Ghunaym Squad of the Hizballah Bayt Al-Maqdis, Al-Quds Squads, Al-Awdah Brigades, Islamic Jihad Palestine (IJP), Islamic Jihad – Palestine Faction and Islamic Holy War

Description
Founded in the late 1970s, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of the most violent Palestinian terrorist groups. The PIJ maintains that armed struggle by the Palestinian people, in tandem with active support from the Arab and Muslim worlds, is the only viable strategy for achieving its objectives – the destruction of Israel and the complete liberation of Palestine. The PIJ was among the first to use suicide bomb attacks against Israel. In 1995, two PIJ suicide bombers executed a coordinated attack at a bus stop in Beit Lid, killing 19 people and wounding 61. PIJ claimed responsibility for the October 3, 2015, knife attack in Jerusalem which killed 2 Israeli men and wounded the wife and child of one of the deceased. On February 23, 2020, rockets were fired toward southern Israel after Israel said it had killed a Palestinian militant who tried to place a bomb along the Israel-Gaza barrier fence. PIJ launched several rockets at Israel by the time the ceasefire was announced.

Date listed
2002-11-27

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC)

Also known as
Al-Jibha Sha’biya lil-Tahrir Filistin-al-Qadiya al-Ama

Description
Founded in 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) is an Islamist Communist group committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. The group is opposed to any negotiation with Israel and believes solely in a military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was the first Palestinian group to use suicide squads: in 1974, three members attacked Qiryat Shemona and killed 18 people before dying in a battle with Israeli soldiers. The PFLP-GC has used barometric bombs to blow up aircraft, parcel-explosives sent through the mail as well as motorized hang-gliders in a guerilla raid into Israel. During the 1990s, the PFLP-GC limited its activities to training and equipping other terrorist groups, such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In December 2015, PFLP-GC claimed responsibility for the firing of three rockets on Northern Israel in retaliation for the assassination of a Hizballah member in Syria.

Date listed
2003-11-13

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)

Also known as
Halhul Gang, Halhul Squad, Palestinian Popular Resistance Forces, PPRF, Red Eagle Gang, Red Eagle Group, Red Eagles, Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, Al-Jibha al-Sha’biya lil-Tahrir Filistin

Description
Formed in 1967, the goals of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) are the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a communist government in Palestine. During the 1970s, the group took part in some of the boldest terrorist attacks of the period, such as hijacking three civilian airliners in one day and storming the Vienna headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In 2000, the PFLP turned increasingly to the use of suicide bombers, guerilla tactics, car bombings, and mortar strikes. The PFLP was also responsible for the first assassination of a cabinet minister in Israel’s history, killing Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. In 2014, the PFLP claimed responsibility for a November gun and knife attack at an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in West Jerusalem that killed 6 people. On June 16, 2017, two coordinated attacks targeting Israeli police officers were carried out near the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s walled old city. In September 2019, the Israeli security forces arrested four PFLP members allegedly responsible for remotely detonating an improvised explosive device in the West Bank that killed an Israeli teenager and seriously wounded two family members.

Date listed
2003-11-13

Date reviewed
2021-06-04

Proud Boys

Also known as
N/A

Description
The Proud Boys is a neo-fascist organization that engages in political violence and was formed in 2016. Members of the group espouse misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and/or white supremacist ideologies and associate with white supremacist groups. The Proud Boys consists of semi-autonomous chapters located in the United States (U.S.), Canada, and internationally. The group and its members have openly encouraged, planned, and conducted violent activities against those they perceive to be opposed to their ideology and political beliefs. The group regularly attends Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests as counter-protesters, often engaging in violence targeting BLM supporters. On January 6, 2021, the Proud Boys played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Leaders of the group planned their participation by setting out objectives, issuing instructions, and directing members during the insurrection. The leader of the Proud Boys was arrested two days before the insurrection as part of a stated effort by U.S. law enforcement to apprehend individuals who were planning to travel to the D.C. area with intentions to cause violence.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Russian Imperial Movement

Also known as
RIM, Russkoie Imperskoe Dvizhenie, Russkoe Imperskoye Dvizheniye, RID, Imperial Legion, Russian Imperial Legion, RIL, Saint Petersburg Imperial Legion.

Description
The Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) is a nationalist group based in Russia that seeks to create a mono-ethnic state led by a Russian autocratic monarchy. The group is best known for having members and sympathizers linked to violent activity abroad and seeks to build ties to neo-Nazi organizations in Europe and the United States to offer them paramilitary training and bomb making instructions. In 2015, RIM co-founded the World National Conservative Movement (WNCM), a transnational movement ideologically aligned against the Western principles of ‘liberalism, multiculturalism and tolerance’ according to its own manifesto. RIM leaders intended the WNCM to facilitate the sharing of tactical skills across peer organizations and promote their own paramilitary training program. Furthermore, RIM has donated money to foreign neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups associated with the WNCM and provided training to members who have carried out bomb plots in their own countries. In 2016, RIM provided training to two Swedes who then bombed a bookstore-café, a refugee shelter, and a campground that housed asylum seekers. RIM’s paramilitary faction has also been present in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Sendero Luminoso (SL)

Also known as
Shining Path, Partido Comunista del Peru en el Sendero Luminoso de Jose Carlos Mariategui, Communist Party of Peru on the Shining Path of Jose Carlos Mariategui, Partido Comunista del Peru, Communist Party of Peru, The Communist Party of Peru by the Shining Path of Jose Carlos Mariategui and Marxism, Leninism, Maoism and the Thoughts of Chairman Gonzalo, Revolutionary Student Front for the Shining Path of Mariategui, Communist Party of Peru – By Way of the Shining Path of Mariategui, PCP – por el Sendero Luminoso de Mariategui, PCP and PCP-SL

Description
Established in 1980, Sendero Luminoso (SL) is a splinter group of the Communist Party of Peru. Its objective is to destroy existing Peruvian institutions and replace them with a communist peasant revolutionary regime which would eliminate foreign influence from the country. SL’s area of operations is limited to Peru, with most of its activities in rural areas, but some of its attacks have taken place in the capital, Lima. Its tactics include indiscriminate bombing campaigns, political assassinations, as well as armed attacks against civilians and foreign interests in Peru. In March 2017, suspected SL snipers attacked a police convoy in Cumumpiari, killing three officers. On May 23, 2021, sixteen people were killed, including children, by alleged SL militants in San Miguel del Ene village. The SL said it was behind the attack and left pamphlets warning civilians to not vote in upcoming elections.

Date listed
2003-02-12

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Taliban

Also known as
Afghan Taliban, Tahreek-i-Islami-i-Taliban Afghanistan, Movement of Islamic Students, The Taleban, the Islamic Movement of the Taliban (De Talebano Islami Ghurdzang or Tehrik) and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (De Afghanistan Islami Emarat)

Description
The Taliban are an Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s main objectives are the removal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan, and the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover and establishment of their de facto authority in 2021, the Taliban have refocused their efforts on internal cohesion and demonstrating authority domestically. The Taliban has used terrorist tactics, including the extensive use of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings, to further their political objectives and are known to attack civilian targets, government compounds, military targets in built-up urban areas, as well as infrastructure projects. In 2011, the Taliban were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan and carried out a number of attacks on girls’ schools in particular. In January 2018, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul which utilized an ambulance as a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to kill at least 95 people and wound more than 150. The Taliban have publicly carried out widespread and systemic violence, including beatings, torture, forced amputation, forced disappearances, public executions, and extrajudicial killings. In July 2020, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the Shah Wali Kot police district headquarters in Kandahar. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that killed three police officers and wounded at least 14 others, both civilians and police. Both before and after the formation of the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban have focused on the targeting of civilians for moral and political offences. This includes severe restrictions on women and girls in all aspects of public life, including dress code, education and employment, as well as strict enforcement of religious observance, such as attendance for men in mosques at prayer time. Public floggings and executions have become a common occurrence again since their reintroduction following the takeover in 2021. For example, in December 2022, 27 men and women were publicly flogged in a stadium in the northern province of Parwan on a variety of charges and in June 2024, 63 men and women were publicly flogged in the northern Sari Pul province.

Date listed
2013-05-09

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Also known as
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Tehrik Taliban-I-Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Description
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was founded in December 2007 as an umbrella organization for pro-Taliban groups operating mostly in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province), Pakistan. It was led, first, by militant commander Baitullah Mehsud and, following his death, by Hakimullah Mehsud. The TTP aims to create a Taliban-style Islamic emirate under Sharia law, beginning in Pakistan’s tribal areas and later extending to include Muslims elsewhere. The TTP strives to unite pro-Taliban groups in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and looked to assist the Afghan Taliban in their campaign against former President Karzai and international forces in Afghanistan. In 2018, the TTP redirected its fighters away from indiscriminately attacking civilian and religious minorities, advocating instead for targeted violence against the Pakistan’s military personnel and intelligence operatives. Additionally, in 2020, the TPP reduced their regional and global aspiration, rather focusing on their war with the Pakistani state. The TTP has conducted numerous armed, bomb and suicide attacks to achieve its objectives. The TTP has also engaged in criminal activity, such as extortion, theft, robbery and kidnapping for ransom to support its terrorist operations. The TTP maintains links to Al Qaida, Lashka-e-Jahngvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed, all listed terrorist groups under Canada’s Criminal Code. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the Afghan Taliban released hundreds of TTP militants from prisons in Kabul. The TTP publicly renewed its pledge of allegiance to the Afghan Taliban and has since enjoyed operational freedom in Afghanistan. On May 23, 2023, at least 50 TTP militants targeted an oil and gas exploration site in Mainji Khel, Pakistan, killing four personnel and two private guards.

Date listed
2011-07-05

Date reviewed
2024-06-07

The Base

Also known as
N/A

Description
The Base is a neo-Nazi organization founded in 2018. The group was primarily active in the United States and promotes a nihilistic and accelerationist rhetoric— an ideology embraced by white supremacists who have determined that a societal collapse is both imminent and necessary. They advocate for direct action, especially in the form of violence, to create chaos, incite a race war, and establish a white ethno-state. The Base has distributed manuals for lone-wolf terror attacks, bomb making, counter-surveillance, and guerilla warfare to its members. Members of the group plotted to carry out attacks at a January 2020 rally in Virginia, United States. The group also organized training camps in weaponry and military tactics around North America. The network specifically seeks to recruit individuals with military experience so that they can leverage their training.

Date listed
2021-02-03

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

Three Percenters

Also known as
3%ers, III%ers, Threepers

Description
Three Percenters are a decentralized entity within the broader anti-government militia movement in the United States. The name “Three Percenters” is a reference to a false belief that the number of Americans who fought against the British during the Revolutionary War amounted to only three percent of the population at the time. The entity has a presence in the United States and Canada. Three Percenters have been linked to bomb plots targeting United States federal government buildings and Muslim communities. In November 2015, a Three Percenter was arrested and eventually convicted of shooting and wounding five men at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Most notably, in 2020, two of the group’s leaders directed a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan that involved acquiring and detonating explosives to divert police attention from the kidnapping, as well as public executions of public officials by hanging them on live television.

Date listed
2021-06-25

Date reviewed
Not yet reviewed

World Tamil Movement (WTM)

Also known as
N/A

Description
The World Tamil Movement was created in 1986 and became a known and leading front organization for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Canada. The leadership of the WTM acts at the direction of the LTTE and has been instrumental in fundraising in Canada on behalf of the LTTE. WTM representatives canvas for donations amongst the Canadian Tamil population, and have been involved in acts of intimidation and extortion to secure funds. The WTM has not been involved in recent terrorist plots, however the group still plays a facilitating role for LTTE’s terrorist activities through fundraising on behalf of the LTTE. 

Date listed
2008-06-13

Date reviewed
2024-06-07