Islamist militants continue to target and raze Christian villages in the Sahel

Within less than 24 hours, Islamic militants killed 27 civilians, some of whom were burned alive, in three attacks on predominately Christian farming villages in central Mali, local officials recently reported. Communal violence has plagued the West African country in recent years, as Fulani herders, their traditional grazing lands drying up from climate change, have […]

Breaking: French Spec Ops kill the head of al-Qaeda in Mali & capture ISIS Leader

In the past few days, the French military successfully conducted two key operations in the Sahel, killing one terrorist group leader and capturing another. French forces killed a senior al-Qaeda leader in an operation in northern Mali near the Algerian border on Wednesday. According to France’s Armed Forces Minister, Florence Parly, they had been hunting […]

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan by election day

According to sources first referenced by the New York Times, senior military officials are going to brief President Trump, in the very near future, on several possible timelines for completely withdrawing American military forces from Afghanistan. The military is looking at one proposal, which is thought to be the president’s wish, for a complete withdrawal […]

In a landmark move, two African militaries jointly raid terrorist base

In the first joint operation between the two countries, troops from Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast have taken out an Islamic jihadist military base in Alidougou in southern Burkina Faso. The attack was part of Operation “Comoe,” an ongoing effort to stop the spread of Islamic terror that is gripping the region. Operation “Comoe” […]

Defeating terrorism in the Sahel requires all facets of government

Several interconnected conflicts are raging in several countries in the Sahel region of Africa. And yet for much of the world, this hasn’t registered as either noteworthy or very important. But it is, and not just to the countries involved. Just in 2019 alone, over 4,000 people were killed in terror attacks in the Sahel.  […]

Terrorists still number 1 on Special Operations Command’s target deck

Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, the commander of SOCOM, addressed attendees virtually on last Tuesday during the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). He stated that the number one priority for SOCOM operators remains the countering of Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs). He emphasized that extremism is a “generational issue.” Nevertheless, General Clarke, speaking to the […]

The death of Osama bin Laden and the rise of al-Qaeda in Somalia

Although the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, marked a triumphant day for the United States, the death of the charismatic leader of al-Qaeda did not mark the end of his terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda continues to operate globally and still poses a severe threat to international and homeland security. Of particular interest […]

ISIS & Al-Qaeda fight it out in the Sahel as security forces hammer both

The Sahel remains a hot spot, particularly in Mali where violence continues unabated. Malian troops and jihadist militants have been clashing as militant attacks on civilians and small towns persist.  In a recent raid, Malian troops killed about 30 militants. Mali’s armed forces posted on Twitter that they had killed “about 30 terrorists” near the […]

The Mahari Desert Patrol: Tunisia’s desert raiders

Editor’s note: This article was written by Louis Tayler and originally published on Grey Dynamics. Deep in the South of Tunisia, the Groupement Territorial Saharien (GTS), a part of the Tunisian Army, protects the border areas and remote deserts of Tunisia from all who may do Tunisia harm. This includes terrorists, smugglers, those crossing borders […]

The Special Operations world of Sub-Saharan Africa

It is common knowledge that warfare has greatly evolved in our times: from the strategic to the operational and tactical levels, from training and equipment to mission statements and structure. Indeed, literally every facet of warfare has seen close to a complete doctrinal overhaul. A good number of countries across the globe have firsthand experienced […]

French cajole Chadian partners to continue counterterrorism fight

France and the countries of G5 Sahel — Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania — have requested that Chad, also a member of the coalition, continues to take part in it. The G5 countries also “highlighted the importance of sending a Chadian battalion to the Three-Borders area as soon as possible,” according to a joint […]