Abdul Qadr al-Najdi was the alleged emir (leader) of ISIS in Libya, as identified by an ISIS newsletter released in March 2016.“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN. Al-Najdi was reportedly killed in September 2020.“Eastern Libyan forces say they killed Islamic State leader,” Reuters, September 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security/eastern-libyan-forces-say-they-killed-islamic-state-leader-idUSKCN26E3BW?il=0.

Al-Najdi’s main responsibility, according to ISIS’s al-Nabaa magazine, was to oversee the group’s wilayat (provinces) throughout the country.“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN. These include the northern port city of Sirte—ISIS’s stronghold in Libya—and the northern coastal city of Sabratha. ISIS also has a contested presence in other cities scattered throughout northern Libya, including Derna, Tripoli, Al Khums, and Benghazi.“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN;
Matthew M. Reed, “Libya’s Oil In ISIS’ Crosshairs,” FUSE, January 20, 2016, http://energyfuse.org/libyas-oil-wealth-in-isis-crosshairs/.

Al-Najdi reportedly entered Libya in September 2014 with Abul-Mughirah al-Qahtani via Turkey using forged Libyan passports. Then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi then named Qahtani as ISIS’s leader in Libya in 2015.“Eastern Libyan forces say they killed Islamic State leader,” Reuters, September 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security/eastern-libyan-forces-say-they-killed-islamic-state-leader-idUSKCN26E3BW?il=0; “Libyan army announces killing of ISIS leader in North Africa,” ANHA Hawer News Agency, September 23, 2020, http://hawarnews.com/en/haber/libyan-army-announces-killing-of-isis-leader-in-north-africa-h19445.html. Al-Najdi’s debut as emir of ISIS in Libya came several months after Qahtani was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Derna in November 2015. Despite having no named leader, ISIS’s Libyan affiliate continued to launch major attacks during that time against two of the country's oil sites in northern Libya: Ras Lanuf and Es Sider. Together, these two oil sites have the capacity to export 600,000 barrels per day, although both have been closed since December 2014.Ayman al-Warfalli and Ahmed Elumami, “Islamic State attack sets storage tanks ablaze at Libyan oil terminal,” Reuters, January 21, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0UZ0P0. ISIS in Libya has also launched attacks in neighboring Tunisia, killing dozens of soldiers and civilians in the Tunisian border town of Ben Gardane in an attack on March 7, 2016.Schams Elwazer, Jomana Karadsheh and Susannah Cullinane, “Tunisia: 43 militants killed after attack on barracks,” CNN, March 9, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/07/africa/tunisia-militants-killed-ben-guerdane/.

Since al-Najdi’s ascendancy to the leadership post—and due to the frequency of attacks—alarm mounted in the West over the growing threat posed by ISIS in Libya. In March 2016, the U.N. and the U.S. Defense Department placed the number of ISIS fighters at 6,500, up from an estimated 3,000 only three months prior.Callum Paton, “New Isis leader in Libya – Abdel Qader al-Najdi threatens Daesh invasion of Rome through Africa,” International Business Times, March 10, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/new-isis-leader-abdel-qader-al-najdi-threatens-daesh-invasion-rome-through-north-africa-1548697;
Ayman al-Warfalli and Ahmed Elumami, “Islamic State attack sets storage tanks ablaze at Libyan oil terminal,” Reuters, January 21, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0UZ0P0.. Al-Najdi also boasted of the group’s burgeoning membership in Libya, telling al-Nabaa: “The provinces of Libya have become the destination of the mujahideen and a sanctuary for the oppressed. The numbers of immigrants multiplied from all areas despite the ardent attempts by the West to prevent their immigration.”“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN.

Al-Najdi also sought to stoke regional and intercontinental alarm, claiming that ISIS’s Libyan branch would invade Rome, and warning Libya’s neighbors that they were incapable of defending themselves against ISIS: “You are protecting yourself from the detonators with shields of bamboo,” he warned in the newsletter, “and from the flood with a ring of wood.”“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN;
Callum Paton, “New Isis leader in Libya – Abdel Qader al-Najdi threatens Daesh invasion of Rome through Africa,” International Business Times, March 10, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/new-isis-leader-abdel-qader-al-najdi-threatens-daesh-invasion-rome-through-north-africa-1548697. Al-Najdi boasted that he was in constant communication with ISIS's central command in Iraq and Syria and said that he hopes Libya will become the “vanguard of the Caliphate.”“New Islamic State leader in Libya says group ‘stronger every day,’” Reuters, March 10, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-islamic-state-idUKKCN0WC1DN.

A combination of Libyan forces and U.S. airstrikes have driven many ISIS fighters from its former stronghold in Sirte. Despite losing ground in Sirte, the group has a presence in other parts of the country.Lamine Chikhi, “U.S. on watch for Islamic State dispersing in Libya: official,” Reuters, December 1, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-usa-idUSKBN13Q4PT; “Islamic State forced Philippine nurses to give medical training in Libya,” Reuters, February 27, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-prisoners-idUSKBN1662KR. On September 23, 2020, the Libyan National Army claimed it had killed al-Najdi earlier in the month during a raid in the Libyan city of Sebha.“Eastern Libyan forces say they killed Islamic State leader,” Reuters, September 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security/eastern-libyan-forces-say-they-killed-islamic-state-leader-idUSKCN26E3BW?il=0. ISIS’s Libya province suffered another setback in March 2021 when forces loyal to Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar arrested the “most prominent leader” of ISIS in Libya, Mohamed Miloud Mohamed, a.k.a. Abu Omar.“Eastern Libya Forces Say Arrested ‘Prominent IS Leader’ Abu Omar,” Defense Post, March 15, 2021, https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/03/15/eastern-libya-forces-arrest-abu-omar/. Mohamed had participated in ISIS’s 2015 takeover of Sirte and reportedly had close ties with al-Najdi.Agence France-Presse, “Eastern Libya Forces Say Arrested Top Islamic State Figure,” Barron’s, March 14, 2021, https://www.barrons.com/news/eastern-libya-forces-say-arrested-top-islamic-state-figure-01615757404.

Ali Damush is a U.S.-designated Hezbollah operative and a senior aid to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Damush also leads Hezbollah’s Foreign Relations Department, which partakes in terrorist operations internationally, including the recruitment of terrorist operatives and the gathering of intelligence. The U.S. State Department designated Damush as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on January 9, 2016, alongside fellow Hezbollah operative Mustafa Mughniyeh.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

Hamza bin Laden is the son of Osama bin Laden and a prominent member of al-Qaeda who was reportedly groomed to one day serve as leader of the terrorist organization.Muna Khan, “The ‘Crown Prince of Terror’ who could be King,” Al-Arabiya, May 26, 2011, http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/26/150646.html; Bruce Riedel, “Al-Qaeda Strikes Back,” Al-Monitor, July 27, 2017, http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/07/alqaeda-saudi-arabia-attack-bin-laden-son-royal-family.html. On September 14, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump reported that bin Laden was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.Alex Horton, “Osama bin Laden’s son, once the probable heir to al-Qaeda leadership, killed in U.S. operation, Trump confirms,” Washington Post, September 14, 2019, https://beta.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/09/14/hamza-bin-laden-once-possible-heir-al-qaeda-was-killed-us-operation-trump-says/. However, in September 2024, media sources reported that Hamza was alive and directing al-Qaeda operations from Jalalabad, Afghanistan.Chris Hughes, “Exclusive: Osama Bin Laden’s supposedly dead son now ‘commanding Al-Qaeda’ and has terrifying plans,” Mirror (London), September 12, 2024, https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/osama-bin-ladens-dead-son-691261.

Bin Laden has issued multiple statements on behalf of the terror group since officially joining in August 2015, though his appearance in al-Qaeda and Taliban propaganda dates back to at least 2001.“Bin Laden sons ‘fighting with Taleban’,” BBC News, November 8, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1644044.stm. Documents found in the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden was killed, indicate that the al-Qaeda founder had groomed Hamza for leadership within the terror group.“The Hunt For Osama’s Son Hamza Bin Laden,” Daily Beast, May 11, 2011, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/11/hamza-bin-laden-the-hunt-for-osamas-son-who-escaped-the-raid.html; Rohan Smith, “Hamza bin Laden’s rise through the ranks of the world’s most infamous terror family,” news.au, July 12, 2016, http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/hamza-bin-ladens-rise-through-the-ranks-of-the-worlds-most-infamous-terror-family/news-story/5d0487c485617a9b4d07cae9bb1a1691. The U.S. Department of State designated Hamza bin Laden as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in January 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Hamza bin Laden,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266522.htm. He was believed to operate out of Pakistan.Thomas Joscelyn, “Analysis: Osama bin Laden’s son praises al Qaeda’s branches in new message,” Long War Journal, August 17, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/08/osama-bin-ladens-son-praises-alqaeda-branches-in-new-message.php; Dugald McConnell and Brian Todd, “Is bin Laden’s son being groomed for key al Qaeda role?,” CNN, May 13, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/13/world/bin-laden-son-al-qaeda/.

In an audio recording released by al-Qaeda on August 14, 2015, the group’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri announced Hamza’s official membership in the group, calling him the son of the “lion” of jihad.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Hamza bin Laden,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266522.htm;
Bruce Riedel, “The son speaks: Al-Qaida’s new face,” Brookings Institution, August 19, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2015/08/19/the-son-speaks-al-qaidas-new-face/. In the same recording, Hamza pledged allegiance to Zawahiri and deceased Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, and urged lone wolf terrorists to carry out attacks against American and Jewish targets in Washington D.C., London, Paris, and Tel Aviv.Bruce Riedel, “The son speaks: Al-Qaida’s new face,” Brookings Institution, August 19, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2015/08/19/the-son-speaks-al-qaidas-new-face/. He also praised the 2009 Fort Hood shooting carried out by Nidal Hassan, as well as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings perpetrated by brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.Rohan Smith, “Hamza bin Laden’s rise through the ranks of the world’s most infamous terror family,” news.au, July 12, 2016, http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/hamza-bin-ladens-rise-through-the-ranks-of-the-worlds-most-infamous-terror-family/news-story/5d0487c485617a9b4d07cae9bb1a1691.

Hamza had been featured in jihadist propaganda since at least November 2001, when he appeared in a video uploaded to an al-Qaeda-affiliated website.“Bin Laden sons ‘fighting with Taleban’,” BBC News, November 8, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1644044.stm. In the video, Hamza read a poem praising then-Taliban Emir Mullah Omar, and explored airplane wreckage alongside Taliban militants and his three older brothers.“Bin Laden sons ‘fighting with Taleban’,” BBC News, November 8, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1644044.stm. Hamza was also featured in an al-Qaeda video in 2005 in which he spoke Pashto and fought against Pakistani soldiers.“The Hunt For Osama’s Son Hamza Bin Laden,” Daily Beast, May 11, 2011, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/11/hamza-bin-laden-the-hunt-for-osamas-son-who-escaped-the-raid.html;
Muna Khan, “The ‘Crown Prince of Terror’ who could be King,” Al-Arabiya, May 26, 2011, http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/26/150646.html;
Brian Glyn Williams, “Return of the Arabs: Al-Qa’ida’s Current Military Role in the Afghan Insurgency,” Combating Terrorism Center, February 15, 2008, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/return-of-the-arabs-al-qaida%E2%80%99s-current-military-role-in-the-afghan-insurgency. In 2008, Hamza appeared in an al-Qaeda video with his father, calling on teenagers—particularly those who were mentally disabled or came from troubled families—to form small, localized jihadist cells and “accelerate the destruction” of countries that opposed al-Qaeda.“Al Qaeda: Creative Recruiting for Suicide Bombers,” WikiLeaks, August 21, 2013, https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/91/911072_al-qaeda-creative-recruiting-for-suicide-bombers-.html;
Rohan Smith, “Hamza bin Laden’s rise through the ranks of the world’s most infamous terror family,” news.au, July 12, 2016, http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/hamza-bin-ladens-rise-through-the-ranks-of-the-worlds-most-infamous-terror-family/news-story/5d0487c485617a9b4d07cae9bb1a1691.

Reports allege that following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Osama bin Laden moved key al-Qaeda members and members of his family—including Hamza and Hamza’s mother—to Iran. There, Taliban operatives were tasked with indoctrinating Hamza with their “ideology, vision, and approach,” according to Saudi-owned news outlet Al-Arabiya. The timeline of Hamza’s alleged years in Iran is unclear, though letters between Osama bin Laden and Hamza place Hamza in Iran during the 2011 Abbottabad raid that resulted in Osama’s death.Huda al-Saleh, “From Iran to al-Qaeda: How Hamza bin Laden’s future was secured,” Al-Arabiya, October 4, 2016, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2016/10/04/From-Iran-to-al-Qaeda-How-Osama-bin-Laden-secured-son-s-future.html. If Hamza indeed moved to Iran following the September 11 attacks, then footage of Hamza featured in al-Qaeda videos between 2001 and 2008 was most likely filmed before the attacks.“Message from Bin Laden’s son exposes ‘Iran’s revival of al-Qaeda,” Al-Arabiya, July 26, 2016, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/2016/07/26/Message-from-Bin-Laden-s-son-exposes-Iran-s-attempt-to-revive-al-Qaeda-.html.

Though Hamza had been well-known within al-Qaeda and the larger jihadist community, he provided a “new face” for the terror group, according to counterterrorism expert Bruce Riedel. According to Riedel, Hamza’s face was “one that directly connects to the group’s founder. He is an articulate and dangerous enemy.”Bruce Riedel, “The son speaks: Al-Qaida’s new face,” Brookings Institution, August 19, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2015/08/19/the-son-speaks-al-qaidas-new-face/.

Hamza bin Laden occasionally released audio statements though al-Qaeda’s as-Sahab propaganda outlet, in which he called for terrorist attacks around the world and disparaged the United States and Saudi Arabia.Bruce Riedel, “Al-Qaeda Strikes Back,” Al-Monitor, July 27, 2017, http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/07/alqaeda-saudi-arabia-attack-bin-laden-son-royal-family.html. Analysts surmised that Hamza would one day assume his late father’s role in al-Qaeda.Adam Withnall, “Hamza bin Laden: Could Osama’s son be the future leader of al-Qaeda?” Independent (London), May 11, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hamza-bin-laden-could-osamas-son-be-the-future-leader-of-al-qaeda-a7024951.html;
Ali Soufan, “Hamza Bin Laden, Osama’s Son, Is Helping Al-Qaeda Stage A Deadly Comeback,” Newsweek, June 19, 2017, http://www.newsweek.com/2017/06/30/bin-laden-osama-son-helping-al-qaeda-stage-deadly-comeback-627207.html.

On July 31, 2019, U.S. officials reported that Hamza bin Laden had been killed. Although the date, location, and other circumstances surrounding his death were not made available, communication among militants suggested he was dead.Warren P Strobel, “Son of Osama Bin Laden Believed Dead,” Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/son-of-osama-bin-laden-believed-dead-11564612151. On September 14, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that bin Laden was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Trump did not further elaborate on the circumstances leading to his death.Alex Horton, “Osama bin Laden’s son, once the probable heir to al-Qaeda leadership, killed in U.S. operation, Trump confirms,” Washington Post, September 14, 2019, https://beta.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/09/14/hamza-bin-laden-once-possible-heir-al-qaeda-was-killed-us-operation-trump-says/.

In September 2024, U.K. publication the Mirror reported that bin Laden was alive and secretly directing the al-Qaeda network from Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Citing an unspecified intelligence report, the Mirror further claimed that bin Laden had allegedly developed over 10 al-Qaeda training camps across Afghanistan with his brother Abdullah. The intelligence report further claimed that the Taliban actively works with bin Laden and have held meetings with him and his family.Chris Hughes, “Exclusive: Osama Bin Laden’s supposedly dead son now ‘commanding Al-Qaeda’ and has terrifying plans,” Mirror (London), September 12, 2024, https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/osama-bin-ladens-dead-son-691261.

Egyptian national Ibrahim al-Banna is a U.S.-designated senior member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).“State Department Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim al-Banna,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266521.htm. He has been described as a “founding member of AQAP” by the U.S. Department of State,“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offers for Information on Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, October 14, 2014, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/10/232932.htm. as “[AQAP’s] chief of security” by the Rewards for Justice program,“Information That Brings to Justice Ibrahim al-Banna,” accessed January 11, 2017, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/ibrahim_al_banna.html. and as the head of AQAP’s “media arm” by the Yemeni Ministry.“Top Al Qaeda official killed in Yemen,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 15, 2011, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-15/al-qaeda-media-chief-killed-in-air-strike/3573120. Banna was featured in a fall 2010 issue of AQAP’s English-language magazine Inspire, in which he authored an article praising the September 11, 2001, attacks and threatening further carnage.Inspire, Issue 3, Fall 2010, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/inspire-magazine-2.pdf. The U.S. Department of State designated Banna as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on January 5, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim al-Banna,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266521.htm.

Banna’s involvement with jihadist groups traces back to at least the early 1990s, when he is believed to have joined Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) in Egypt. In 1993, during a crackdown on the group following its assassination attempt of Egyptian Prime Minister Atif Sidqi, Banna escaped alongside fellow EIJ members to Yemen. There, they formed an EIJ community initially led by Muhammad al-Zawahiri, though Zawahiri’s brother—current al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri—assumed leadership of the Yemen-based community the following year.Hassan Abbas, “Former AQAP Intelligence Chief Describes Egyptian Role in al-Qaeda,” Jamestown Foundation, November 24, 2010, https://jamestown.org/brief/briefs-128/. According to the U.S. Department of State, Banna was “a leader” within EIJ between 1996 and 1998.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim al-Banna,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266521.htm. During that time, he is believed to have trained an operative known as Abu Ayub al-Masri, a.k.a. Abd al-Mun’im bin Izz al-Din al-Badawi. Masri succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq following the latter’s death in 2006.Hassan Abbas, “Former AQAP Intelligence Chief Describes Egyptian Role in al-Qaeda,” Jamestown Foundation, November 24, 2010, https://jamestown.org/brief/briefs-128/.

Banna helped to found AQAP in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of State.“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offers for Information on Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, October 14, 2014, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/10/232932.htm;
“Profile: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” BBC News, June 16, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-11483095. He was reportedly arrested and interrogated by Yemeni authorities in August 2010, and was subsequently released. That fall, Banna was featured as the author of an article in al-Qaeda’s magazine Inspire, in which he referred to the September 11, 2001, attacks a “virtuous act.” He further wrote that the “heroic mujahidin who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Allah on 9/11 [gave] a great example of sacrifice and defending their religion and people according to what was revealed in our holy book.” Banna warned that al-Qaeda would “not stop targeting [the U.S.] as long as you are occupying our land and bombing our homes and killing our children….” Banna is believed to have written the article prior to his August 2010 arrest.Inspire, Issue 3, Fall 2010, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/inspire-magazine-2.pdf; Hassan Abbas, “Former AQAP Intelligence Chief Describes Egyptian Role in al-Qaeda,” Jamestown Foundation, November 24, 2010, https://jamestown.org/brief/briefs-128/.

In October 2011, U.S. officials said that they had targeted Banna in an airstrike in Yemen that killed al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki’s son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki. Though the Yemeni government announced that Banna had died in the strike, the Pentagon never confirmed this.Bill Roggio, “US Predators kill AQAP media emir: report,” Long War Journal, October 15, 2011, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/10/us_predators_kill_aqap_media_e.php;
Craig Whitlock, “U.S. airstrike that killed American teen in Yemen raises legal, ethical questions,” Washington Post, October 22, 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-airstrike-that-killed-american-teen-in-yemen-raises-legal-ethical-questions/2011/10/20/gIQAdvUY7L_story.html?utm_term=.69e344cfc04b. Three years later, in October 2014, the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered up to $5 million for information that would bring Banna “to justice.”“Information That Brings to Justice Ibrahim al-Banna,” accessed January 11, 2017, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/ibrahim_al_banna.html. The U.S. Department of State designated Banna as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on January 5, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim al-Banna,” U.S. Department of State, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266521.htm.

Aman Abdurrahman—also known as Oman Rochman—is a U.S.-designated terrorist and the “de-facto” leader of ISIS supporters in Indonesia, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.Martin Chulov and Paul Farrell, “Revealed: the new face of Neil Prakash, Australia’s most wanted Isis member,” Guardian (London), December 2, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/03/neil-prakash-new-images-isis-member-arrest-turkey-australia. He is serving a nine-year prison sentence for a 2010 terrorism conviction.“Treasury designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. In May 2016, he was handed new charges for helping to plot—from prison—the January 2016 ISIS-linked terrorist attack in Jakarta that killed four people and injured 25 others.Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja and Francis Chan, “Indonesia to charge radical ideologue Aman Abdurrahman for planning Jakarta attack,” Straits Times, May 9, 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-to-charge-radical-ideologue-aman-abdurrahman-for-planning-jakarta-attack. In June 2018, Abdurrahman was found guilty and sentenced to death for inciting multiple acts of terrorism in the country while he was in prison.Muktita Suhartono and Richard C. Paddock, “Indonesia Sentences ISIS Recruiter to Death,” New York Times, June 22, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/world/asia/indonesia-isis-aman-abdurrahman.html.

As a teenager, Abdurrahman attended Islamic boarding schools and then studied at the Islamic and Arabic College of Indonesia in Jakarta (LIPIA), a branch of the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Randy Fabi and Kanupriya Kapoor, “Jail to jihad: Indonesian prisons a breeding ground for militancy,” Reuters, January 19, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/indonesia-blast-prisons-idINKCN0UW28S. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree at LIPIA, Abdurrahman began his career as a lecturer at the university and other academic institutions, but was dismissed in early 2000 for adopting a radical interpretation of Islam.Rendi A. Witular, “The rise of Aman Abdurrahman, IS master ideologue,” Jakarta Post, January 25, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/25/the-rise-aman-abdurrahman-is-master-ideologue.html.

In 2004, an Indonesian court sentenced Abdurrahman to seven years in prison for bomb-making and terror activities.Rendi A. Witular, “The rise of Aman Abdurrahman, IS master ideologue,” Jakarta Post, January 25, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/25/the-rise-aman-abdurrahman-is-master-ideologue.html;
Andrew Silke, Prisons, Terrorism and Extremism: Critical Issues in Management, Radicalisation and Reform (New York: Routledge, 2014), 216, https://books.google.com/books?id=-wbnAgAAQBAJ&dq=abdurrahman+sentenced+to+seven+years+in+prison&source=gbs_navlinks_s. In prison he met Abu Bakar Bashir, a U.S.-designated terrorist and the founder of the Indonesian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.Rendi A. Witular, “The rise of Aman Abdurrahman, IS master ideologue,” Jakarta Post, January 25, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/25/the-rise-aman-abdurrahman-is-master-ideologue.html. Abdurrahman was released in 2008 for good behavior, and in 2010, collaborated with Bashir—who was released in 2005—to form a jihadist training camp in Aceh, western Indonesia. Abdurrahman was arrested for his activities later that year and sentenced to nine years in prison. Bashir is serving a 15-year sentence for the crime.Lee Hudson Teslik, “Profile: Abu Bakr Bashir (a.k.a. Ba’asyir),” Council on Foreign Relations, June, 14 1006, http://www.cfr.org/indonesia/profile-abu-bakar-bashir-k-baasyir/p10219;
Rendi A. Witular, “The rise of Aman Abdurrahman, IS master ideologue,” Jakarta Post, January 25, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/25/the-rise-aman-abdurrahman-is-master-ideologue.html.

While in prison in early 2014, Abdurrahman pledged allegiance to ISIS online. According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, in August 2014 he began translating ISIS propaganda into Indonesian, and distributing translations to Islamic studies groups within the prison and on social media.Randy Fabi and Kanupriya Kapoor, “Jail to jihad: Indonesian prisons a breeding ground for militancy,” Reuters, January 19, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/indonesia-blast-prisons-idINKCN0UW28S;
U.S. Department of the Treasury, “Treasury designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. In October of that year, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the still-detained Abdurrahman became Indonesia’s main translator for ISIS and began spreading ISIS propaganda on the internet, which included a call for Muslims to kill Westerners.“Treasury designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. In 2015, nearly two dozen Indonesian terrorist factions unified behind Abdurrahman to support ISIS. He named his newfound organization Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).Rendi A. Witular, “The rise of Aman Abdurrahman, IS master ideologue,” Jakarta Post, January 25, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/25/the-rise-aman-abdurrahman-is-master-ideologue.html;
“State Department Terrorist Designation of Jamaah Ansharut Aulah,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266763.htm.

Abdurrahman has reportedly radicalized at least 20 of his fellow prisoners, several of whom have gone on to engage in terrorist activities following their release, according to security experts. One of these former prisoners was Sunakim, a.k.a. Afif, one of five men who carried out the ISIS-linked gun and suicide bomb attack in Jakarta in January 2016 that killed four.Randy Fabi and Kanupriya Kapoor, “Jail to jihad: Indonesian prisons a breeding ground for militancy,” Reuters, January 19, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/indonesia-blast-prisons-idINKCN0UW28S. Aburrahman has also recruited Indonesians to ISIS’s ranks in Syria, and reportedly requires Indonesians to receive his approval before traveling to ISIS-controlled territory. As of January 2017, the U.S. Department of Treasury has documented two cases in which Abdurrahman recruited individuals to join ISIS abroad.“Treasury designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.

Despite incarceration, Abdurrahman has released his extremist sermons via email, Facebook, and in hard copy.Randy Fabi and Kanupriya Kapoor, “Jail to jihad: Indonesian prisons a breeding ground for militancy,” Reuters, January 19, 2016, http://in.reuters.com/article/indonesia-blast-prisons-idINKCN0UW28S. According to researchers at the Brookings Institution, Abdurrahman’s supporters, both in and out of prison, consider his publications to be key sources of jihadist discourse.Noor Huda Ismail and Susan Sim, “Predicting terrorist recidivism in Indonesia’s prisons,” Brookings Institution, January 28, 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/predicting-terrorist-recidivism-in-indonesias-prisons/. Following the January 2016 gun and suicide bomb attack in Jakarta, prison officials moved Abdurrahman and other convicted terrorists into high security cells.“After Jakarta attacks, convicted terrorists to be isolated on Indonesia prison island,” Straits Times, February 12, 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/after-jakarta-attacks-convicted-terrorists-to-be-isolated-on-indonesia-prison-island. Abdurrahman is not allowed physical contact nor can he receive packages from visitors.Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, “Jakarta isolates five radical ideologues on prison island,” Asia One, February 21, 2016, http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/jakarta-isolates-five-radical-ideologues-prison-island. In May 2018, 156 inmates staged a revolt at a detention center, which houses terrorist inmates including ISIS supporters and Abdurrahman. Abdurrahman had been transferred to the center before the start of his trial on new charges of inciting terrorist attacks, including the January 2016 attack. The inmates demanded to see Abdurrahman, which police said they allowed.Ben Otto and Anita Rachman, “Deadly Standoff Ends in Indonesia as Police Storm Terorrist Detention Center,” Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/deadly-standoff-ends-in-indonesia-as-police-storm-terrorist-detention-center-1525932346.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Abdurrahman alongside Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman, an Indonesian citizen and Syrian-based ISIS operative who had previously trained under Abdurrahman in Indonesia.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. Abdurrahman was also designated alongside Australian ISIS propagandist Khaled Sharrouf and Australian ISIS recruiter Neil Prakash, who has used social media platforms, including Twitter, to encourage Australians to join the terror group.Martin Chulov and Paul Farrell, “Revealed: the new face of Neil Prakash, Australia’s most wanted Isis member,” Guardian (London), December 2, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/03/neil-prakash-new-images-isis-member-arrest-turkey-australia.

On June 22, 2018, Abdurrahman was found guilty and sentenced to death for inciting others to commit at least five terror attacks while still in prison.Muktita Suhartono and Richard C. Paddock, “Indonesia Sentences ISIS Recruiter to Death,” New York Times, June 22, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/world/asia/indonesia-isis-aman-abdurrahman.html. The attacks included the 2016 Jakarta attack, a church-bombing in East Kalimantan, and a series of bombings in east Jakarta.“Pro-ISIS Indonesian cleric Aman Abdurrahman won’t appeal against death sentence,” Straits Times, June 29, 2018, https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pro-isis-indonesian-cleric-aman-abdurrahman-wont-appeal-death-sentence. Police also suspect that he was an inspiration behind suicide church bombings in Surabaya as well as the revolt at a high-security detention center in May 2018.Muktita Suhartono and Richard C. Paddock, “Indonesia Sentences ISIS Recruiter to Death,” New York Times, June 22, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/world/asia/indonesia-isis-aman-abdurrahman.html. Abdurrahman reportedly instructed his lawyer not to file an appeal against his death sentence. He is reportedly being held at the National Police Mobile Brigade headquarters in Depok, West Java, and will be transferred to an unspecified high-security prison.“Pro-ISIS Indonesian cleric Aman Abdurrahman won’t appeal against death sentence,” Straits Times, June 29, 2018, https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pro-isis-indonesian-cleric-aman-abdurrahman-wont-appeal-death-sentence.

Isnilon Hapilon was a U.S.-designated terrorist and the leader of the pro-ISIS faction of the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). According to a January 2016 ISIS propaganda video, ISIS leadership in Syria confirmed Hapilon as the leader of ISIS in Southeast Asia, though the group has not officially announced a wilaya (province) in the Philippines.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 1, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf. Hapilon was on the FBI’s most-wanted list for his alleged role in terrorist acts “against U.S. nationals and other foreign nationals” in and around the Philippines.“Most Wanted: Isnilon Totoni Hapilon” Federal Bureau of Investigation, accessed October 27, 2016, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/isnilon-totoni-hapilon. The U.S. Department of State offered up to $5 million for information leading to Hapilon’s arrest.“Isnilon Hapilon,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed October 27, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/isnilon_hapilon.html. On October 16, 2017, Philippine authorities reported that Hapilon was killed in a firefight with government forces.Felipe Villamore, “Philippines Says It Killed ISIS-Linked Leader in Push to Reclaim City,” New York Times, October 16, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/world/asia/philippines-marawi-isis-isnilon-hapilon.html?_r=0. On October 21, 2017, the United States confirmed his death based on DNA tests conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Virginia, at the request of the Philippine government.Associated Press, “US: DNA Test Confirms Top Filipino Terror Suspect Is Dead,” New York Times, October 21, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/10/21/world/asia/ap-as-philippines-us-militant-killed.html.

Beginning in at least 1997, Hapilon served in several senior positions within ASG, including deputy to former ASG leader Khadaffy Janalani.“Abu Sayyaf Senior Leaders Designated,” U.S. Department of Treasury, November 30, 2005, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/2005113013165523877.aspx. In the mid-2000s, Hapilon served on ASG’s consultative leadership council, the Majelis Shura, along with Radulan Sahiron, who assumed leadership of ASG in 2006.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 2, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf. Hapilon initially operated from his home island of Basilan in the southern Philippines. In January 2017, it was reported that he had moved to Butig, Lanao del Sur in the southern Philippines, in order to establish an ISIS caliphate in a larger area.“15 terrorists killed as bombs dropped on Hapilon’s lair: AFP,” ABS-CBN News, January 29, 2017, http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/27/17/top-terrorist-leader-isnilon-hapilon-injured-in-military-offensive-in-lanao.

Hapilon came to international notoriety in May 2001 when he and other ASG members kidnapped 20 tourists, including three U.S. nationals, from the Dos Palmas Resort on Palawan, the westernmost island of the Philippines. ASG operatives beheaded one of the American hostages, Guillermo Sobero, and referred to his killing as a “gift” to then-Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.“Troops Scour Area for Man Rebels Say They Beheaded,” USA Today, June 20, 2001, http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/june01/2001-06-11-hostages.htm. In July 2002, Hapilon was indicted in absentia in the District of Columbia for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of tourists as well as Sobero’s beheading.“U.S. charges Abu Sayyaf leaders in kidnappings,” CNN Law Center, July 24, 2002, http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/07/23/philippines.rebels.charges/index.html?iref=allsearch.

In the summer of 2014, Hapilon garnered international media attention when he and his faction pledged allegiance to ISIS and its caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Aurea Calica, “Islamic State Threatens Mindanao, Philippines Tells Asean,” Philippine Star (Manila), April 27, 2015, http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/04/27/1448336/islamic-state-threatens-mindanao-philippines-tells-asean. In January 2016, the group named Hapilon the leader of ASG after reiterating its pledge to ISIS.Moh Saaduddin, “Abu Sayyaf rebels pledge allegiance to ISIS,” Manila Times, January 11, 2016, http://www.manilatimes.net/breaking_news/abu-sayyaf-rebels-pledge-allegiance-to-isis/. Sahiron, based on the island of Sulu, is the presumed overall leader of ASG despite Hapilon’s followers claiming him as ASG’s leader. Due to the fracture within the group, Hapilon and his followers were known as the Basilan faction and then as ISIS followers, while Sahiron and his followers are known as the Sulu faction.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 2-4, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf.

Though ISIS has not declared a wilaya (province) in the Philippines, the terror group endorsed Hapilon as its emir (leader) in Southeast Asia.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 1, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf. In a June 2016 video released by ISIS, alleged Indonesian, Malaysian, and Filipino fighters in Syria acknowledged Hapilon as the head of ISIS in Southeast Asia.“ISIS recruits in SE Asia is a rising threat despite weak attacks,” Associated Press, July 14, 2016, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2016/07/14/ISIS-recruits-in-SE-Asia-a-rising-threat-despite-weak-attacks.html. In addition, a Syrian-based Malaysian named Mohammed Rafi Uddin reportedly called on aspiring jihadists unable to travel to Syria to support Hapilon and his fighters.Tim Johnston, “Philippines Peace Process: Duterte Playing for High Stakes,” International Crisis Group, August 30, 2016, https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/philippines/philippines-peace-process-duterte-playing-high-stakes. According to the Philippines’ Secretary of National Defense, ISIS made direct contact with Hapilon in December 2016, instructing him to find an area to establish a caliphate in Mindanao.Carmela Fonbuena, “ISIS makes direct contact with Abu Sayyaf, wants caliphate in PH,” Rappler, January 26, 2017, http://www.rappler.com/nation/159568-isis-direct-contact-isnilon-hapilon. In May 2017, the Philippine military received intelligence that Hapilon was in the city of Marawi, approximately 180 miles northeast of his home island of Basilan. Philippine authorities believe that Hapilon and his cohorts were there to unite with an ISIS-linked extremist organization based in the city known as the Maute Group.Greanne Trisha Mendoza, “LOOK: Marawi City jail, Dansalan College on fire,” ABS-CBN News, May 23, 2017, http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/17/duterte-wont-cut-short-russia-trip-amid-marawi-siege. Soldiers clashed with militants who then took siege of Marawi, as Philippine President Duterte called for martial law.Associated Press, “Philippine troops try to retake city stormed by ISIS allies,” CBS News, May 25, 2017, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/philippines-isis-abu-sayyaf-maute-marawi-rodrigo-duterte-emergency/. On October 16, 2017, Philippine government forces advanced on the ISIS-linked militants there as part of an escalated offensive, killing Hapilon and another commander, Omarkhayam Maute, in a gunfight.Felipe Villamore, “Philippines Says It Killed ISIS-Linked Leader in Push to Reclaim City,” New York Times, October 16, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/world/asia/philippines-marawi-isis-isnilon-hapilon.html?_r=0. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the deaths of the two key ISIS-linked militants, and U.S. officials later confirmed Hapilon’s death with DNA tests.Tripti Lahiri, “One of the FBI’s most-wanted terrorists has just been killed in the Philippines,” Quartz, October 16, 2017, https://qz.com/1103018/battle-of-marawi-wanted-isis-terrorist-isnilon-hapilon-has-just-been-killed-in-the-philippines/; Associated Press, “US: DNA Test Confirms Top Filipino Terror Suspect Is Dead,” New York Times, October 21, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/10/21/world/asia/ap-as-philippines-us-militant-killed.html.

According to the Indonesian-based Institute for Policy Analysis and Conflict (IPAC), Hapilon had ties to foreign jihadists and communicates with ISIS-affiliated Southeast Asians living in Syria. He did not speak Arabic and had very limited religious education.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 2, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf. A source close to Hapilon told IPAC that Hapilon was willing to welcome foreigners to his group, unlike Sahiron who is believed to only trust his fellow ethnic Tausug. According to IPAC, Hapilon’s affiliation to ISIS was motivated not by ideology, but by desire for the prestige and credibility that comes with being connected to an international jihadist organization.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 4, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf.

Hapilon’s wife is reportedly the widow of Zulkifli bin Hir, a.k.a. Marwan, a Malaysian bomb maker and member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) who was killed in the Philippines while hiding among ASG militants. She was reportedly first married to Khadaffy Janjalani, the former leader of ASG and the brother of ASG founder Abdurajak Janjalani.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 3, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf. The Philippine military killed Hapilon’s son, Ubaida Hapilon, during an operation on Basilan in April 2016.Gerg Cahiles and Liza Jocson, “18 soldiers dead, 5 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in Basilan encounter,” CNN Philippines, April 10, 2016, http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/04/10/basilan-encounter-araw-ng-kagitingan-abu-sayyaf.html.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi is the military, spiritual, and political leader of the Houthis in Yemen.“Yemen’s Abd-al-Malik al-Houthi,” BBC News, October 3, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/yemens-abd-almalik-alhouthi;
Tom Finn, “Abdel-Malek Al-Houthi: from Shadow Rebel Leader to Kingmaker,” Middle East Eye, September 26, 2014, http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/abdel-malek-al-houthi-shadow-rebel-leader-kingmaker-988988591. He has served as the group’s military leader since 2004, when then-military leader Hussein Badr-al-Din al-Houthi—Abdul-Malik’s brother—was killed by Yemeni security forces.Tom Finn, “Abdel-Malek Al-Houthi: from Shadow Rebel Leader to Kingmaker,” Middle East Eye, September 26, 2014, http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/abdel-malek-al-houthi-shadow-rebel-leader-kingmaker-988988591. Badr-al-Din—Abdul-Malik’s father—remained the group’s spiritual and political head until his death in 2010, at which point Abdul-Malik al-Houthi became the group’s leader in every regard.“Yemen’s Abd-al-Malik al-Houthi,” BBC News, October 3, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/yemens-abd-almalik-alhouthi.

Since assuming military control over the Houthis in 2004, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has commanded the Iranian-backed rebel group through numerous cycles of conflict with the Yemeni military.Ahmed Mamdouh, “Abdul Malik Al Houthi: The Shiite Thorn on Yemen’s Side,” AlBawaba (Egypt), March 25, 2015, http://www.albawabaeg.com/52258. He became the commander in charge of negotiations with the Yemeni government in 2007.“Yemen’s Abd-al-Malik al-Houthi,” BBC News, October 3, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/monitoring/yemens-abd-almalik-alhouthi. Following the Arab Spring in 2011, Houthi shifted his rhetoric from rants disparaging the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to speeches that appealed to a broad range of Yemeni citizens. His popularity grew as he began to criticize high gasoline prices and Saudi drone strikes.Tom Finn, “Abdel-Malek al-Houthi: from shadow rebel leader to kingmaker,” Middle East Eye, last modified February 13, 2015, http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/abdel-malek-al-houthi-shadow-rebel-leader-kingmaker-988988591.

In September 2014, the Houthis—under Houthi’s leadership—attempted to overthrow the Sanaa-based government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour. In order to quell the violent protests and Houthi blockades in the capital, the government chose to consult with the rebels in appointing new government officials.Shuaib Almosawa, “U.N. Reports Yemen Deal With Rebels,” New York Times, September 20, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/world/middleeast/peace-talks-with-rebels-falter-in-yemen.html. In November 2014, Hadi announced a new list of government ministers that included Houthi officials and supporters.“Yemen’s President Forms a New Government,” Stratfor, November 17, 2014, https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/yemens-president-forms-new-government. However, the Houthis rejected the proposed government structure, disapproving of certain appointees who had served in previous governments.“Yemen’s President Forms a New Government,” Stratfor, November 17, 2014, https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/yemens-president-forms-new-government.

In January 2015, the Houthis overthrew Hadi’s government in Sanaa, seizing government buildings and the presidential palace. The group put Hadi and his cabinet under house arrest, demanding their resignations.“Yemen’s Houthis form own government in Sanaa,” Al Jazeera, February 6, 2015, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/yemen-houthi-rebels-announce-presidential-council-150206122736448.html. The next month, the Houthis replaced Hadi’s parliament with their interim government, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC).Rod Nordland, “Rebels in Yemen Say They Intend to Form a New Government,” New York Times, February 6, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/world/middleeast/yemen-rebels-say-they-will-dissolve-parliament.html?_r=1. By the spring of 2015, the Houthis controlled 16 Yemeni provinces in north and northwest Yemen.”Mapping the Yemen Conflict,” European Council on Foreign Relations, accessed October 26, 2016, http://www.ecfr.eu/mena/yemen. The United States and the United Nations imposed sanctions on Houthi on April 14, 2015, for threatening Yemen’s stability.“Security Council Demands End to Yemen Violence, Adopting Resolution 2216 (2015), with Russian Federation Abstaining,” United Nations, April 14, 2015, http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11859.doc.htm;
“Treasury Sanctions Instigators of the Violent Takeover of Yemen,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 14, 2015, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl10021.aspx.

Houthi reportedly maintains a guarded lifestyle, moving regularly between safe-houses and refusing most interviews due to safety concerns.Tom Finn, “Abdel-Malek al-Houthi: from shadow rebel leader to kingmaker,” Middle East Eye, last modified February 13, 2015, http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/abdel-malek-al-houthi-shadow-rebel-leader-kingmaker-988988591. He is notorious among analysts and journalists for his insistence on privacy.“Abdel-Malek al-Houthi: provincial rebel turned Yemen powerbroker,” Reuters, January 21, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-houthi-idUSKBN0KU1MF20150121.

On January 19, 2021, the U.S. State Department designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO),“Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism, https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/; Lara Jakes, “U.S. to Declare Yemen’s Houthis a Terrorist Group, Raising Fears of Fueling a Famine,” New York Times, January 10, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/politics/us-yemen-houthis-terrorist-group.html?searchResultPosition=2. and declared Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and two other Houthi leaders as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.Robert Edwards, “How Yemen’s Houthis’ Well-Deserved Terrorist Label Gives Biden Important Leverage,” Arab News, January 21, 2021, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1796401/middle-east. On February 16, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reversed his predecessor’s course and revoked the Houthis designation. However, he announced that Houthi and the two other leaders would remain sanctioned under Executive Order 13611 for acts “that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen.”Antony J. Blinken, “Revocation of the Terrorist Designations of Ansarallah,” U.S. Department of State, February 12, 2021, https://www.state.gov/revocation-of-the-terrorist-designations-of-ansarallah/.

On June 21, 2021, Houthi made a commitment to an Omani delegation to enter into ceasefire discussions with the Saudi-led coalition immediately after the blockade on Houthi-held ports is lifted.Aziz Yaakoubi, “End of Yemen quagmire? Saudi-led coalition, Houthis near peace deal,” Reuters, June 21, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/end-yemen-quagmire-saudi-led-coalition-houthis-near-peace-deal-2021-06-21/.

On August 25, 2021, Yemen’s military court labeled the Houthis a terrorist organization. The court also sentenced Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and 173 others to death by firing squad for staging a military coup against the government and committing military offences and war crimes.“Yemen court sentences Houthi leader, 173 others to death,” Middle East Monitor, August 27, 2021, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210827-yemen-court-sentences-houthi-leader-173-others-to-death/.

On October 7, 2023, Iran-backed Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,200 people. Israel subsequently launched airstrikes and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.Lauren Frayer, “Israel revises down its death toll from the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks to about 1,200,” NPR, November 11, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/11/11/1212458974/israel-revises-death-toll-hamas-attacks-oct-7; Ibrahim Dahman and Abeer Salman, “Hamas announces ‘Al-Aqsa Storm,’ claims to have fired 5,000 rockets,” CNN, October 7, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/al-aqsa-storm-militants-infiltrate-israel-after-gaza-rockets-10-07-intl-hnk/h_644aa5e5d02286051f5cc307e229566a. The Houthis joined other Iranian proxies in targeting Israel and U.S. interests in the region. On October 10, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned that the Houthis would respond to any U.S. intervention in the Gaza Strip with drones, missiles, and other military options.“Iran’s allies in Iraq, Yemen threaten U.S. over intervention in Israel,” Reuters, October 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/senior-iraqi-political-figure-threatens-target-us-interests-if-it-backs-israel-2023-10-10/. Over the course of October and November, the Houthis launched multiple drones and missiles toward the Israeli Red Sea city of Eilat. The Houthis also targeted Israel-linked shipping vessels in the Red Sea. On November 14, Houthi warned that his forces were actively searching for Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.Mohammed Alghobari, “Yemen’s Houthis leader says group will target Israeli ships in Red Sea,” Reuters, November 14, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-houthis-leader-says-group-will-target-israeli-ships-red-sea-2023-11-14/.

The Houthis continued their attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes into 2024. On February 18, the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the Belize-flagged and British-owned bulk carrier MV Rubymar in the Red Sea, forcing the crew to abandon ship after one of the missiles struck the vessel.“‘The attack on the ship appeared to be one of the Houthis’ most damaging.,” New York Times, February 20, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/19/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news/houthi-ship-crew-rubymar. The damage to the Rubymar cause it to completely sink on March 2, making it the first ship to sink from a Houthi attack.Mohammad Ghobari, “Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment, Yemen government and US military say,” Reuters, March 2, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/freighter-rubymar-has-sunk-red-sea-yemen-internationally-recognised-government-2024-03-02/; Eleanor Watson, “Ship sunk by Houthis likely responsible for damaging 3 telecommunications cables under Red Sea,” CBS News, March 6, 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houthis-ship-cutting-red-sea-telecommunications-cables/. On March 6, a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence in the Red Sea. The crew abandoned ship, but the attack killed three, wounded at least four, and caused significant damage. The attack marked the first civilian fatalities since the Houthis began striking vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.Jon Gambrell and Tara Copp, “Houthi missile attack kills 3 crew members in Yemen rebels’ first fatal assault on shipping,” Associated Press, March 7, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-attacks-us-israel-palestinians-gaza-89c5440d9943216a787b39912bd969e0; Jonathan Saul, “Three killed in first fatal Houthi attack on Red Sea shipping, CENTCOM says,” Reuters, March 7, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-missing-bulk-carrier-off-yemen-after-incident-reported-shipping-source-2024-03-06/; “Houthis Kill Innocent Civilians with Missile Attack,” U.S. Central Command, March 6, 2024, https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3698591/houthis-kill-innocent-civilians-with-missile-attack/.

At the end of February 2024, Houthi warned that his group had “surprises” planned to counter U.S. and international forces patrolling the Red Sea to defend against Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes.“Sayyed Abdul-Malik says Yemen has surprises in store for enemies beyond what anyone can expect,” Yemen News Agency, February 29, 2024, https://www.saba.ye/en/news3309151.htm. A March 14, 2024, report by the Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported that the Houthis had successfully tested a hypersonic missile capable of reaching Mach 8 and “intend to begin manufacturing it for use during attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as against targets in Israel.”Jon Gambrell, “Yemen’s Houthis reported to have a hypersonic missile, possibly raising stakes in Red Sea crisis,” Associated Press, March 14, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-hypersonic-missile-red-sea-e2bc170ff4470712f314fbb80bf24716. The report provided no evidence to support the Houthis’ claim.Jon Gambrell, “Yemen’s Houthis reported to have a hypersonic missile, possibly raising stakes in Red Sea crisis,” Associated Press, March 14, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-hypersonic-missile-red-sea-e2bc170ff4470712f314fbb80bf24716. On January 15, 2025, Hamas and Israel agreed to a multiphase ceasefire, which would go into effect on January 19. In response to the announcement, Houthi warned that his group would monitor the region until the ceasefire’s implementation and strike at Israel for any violations. According to Houthi, his group remained “ready to provide military support to our Palestinian brothers.”“Yemen’s Houthis to continue attacks if Gaza ceasefire breached,” Reuters, January 16, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-houthis-continue-attacks-if-gaza-ceasefire-breached-2025-01-16/.

Rustam Aselderov was the U.S.-designated emir (leader) of ISIS’s Wilayat Qawqaz, the group’s province in the North Caucasus. On December 4, 2016, Russia’s FSB security service announced that it had killed Aselderov and his close associates during a raid on a private house near Dagestan’s capital city of Makhachkala.“Russia Says North Caucasus IS Leader Killed In Daghestan Raid,”
Radio Free Europe, December 4, 2016, http://www.rferl.org/a/daghestan-aselderov-killed-is-militant-fsb-russia/28154860.html;
“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 29, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/247433.htm.

Prior to joining ISIS, Aselderov commanded the Dagestan branch of the Caucasus Emirate, a jihadist group that seeks to implement sharia (Islamic law) in the Caucasus. In that role, the FSB believes Aselderov orchestrated the deadly suicide bombings in the Russian city of Volgograd in 2013 that killed 34 people. The FSB also linked Aselderov to two car blasts on the Astrakhan-Makhachkala highway in May 2012 that left 14 people dead and 120 wounded.“Russia Says North Caucasus IS Leader Killed In Daghestan Raid,”
Radio Free Europe, December 4, 2016, http://www.rferl.org/a/daghestan-aselderov-killed-is-militant-fsb-russia/28154860.html.

In December 2014, Aselderov defected from Caucasus Emirate and swore allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 29, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/247433.htm. In June 2015,Mairbek Vatchagaev, “Two North Caucasus Rebel Leaders Face Off in Islamic State–Caucasus Emirate Dispute,” Jamestown Foundation, June 26, 2015, https://jamestown.org/program/two-north-caucasus-rebel-leaders-face-off-in-islamic-state-caucasus-emirate-dispute/#;
Harleen Gambhir, “ISIS Declares Governorate in Russia’s North Caucasus Region,” Institute for the Study of War, June 23, 2015, http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isis-declares-governorate-russia%E2%80%99s-north-caucasus-region. Baghdadi announced the creation of Wilayat Qawqaz and named Aselderdov as its emir.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 29, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/247433.htm;
Alessandria Masi, “How Russian Militants Declared A New ISIS ‘State’ In Russia’s North Caucasus,” International Business Times, June 26, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.com/how-russian-militants-declared-new-isis-state-russias-north-caucasus-1984613. The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Aselderov as a “foreign terrorist fighter” in September 2015.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 29, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/247433.htm.

Basil Hassan was a senior member of ISIS who was born in Denmark and was of Lebanese descent. The U.S. Department of State designated Hassan in late November 2016, describing him as an “external operations plotter” for the terror group.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm; “Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx; Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510; “Denmark shooting: Gunman targets Islam critic Hedegaard,” BBC News, February 5, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21341878. Hassan was allegedly a leader of ISIS’s drones program. He was involved in the attempted bombing of a passenger jet departing Australia for Abu Dhabi and the attempted chemical weapons attack in Sydney in July 2017.Leen Alfaisal, “New details emerge on the 2017 ISIS Australia-Abu Dhabi plane bomb plot,” Al Arabiya, June 11, 2020, https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2020/06/11/New-details-emerge-on-the-2017-ISIS-Australia-Abu-Dhabi-plane-bomb-plot. Although he is reported to have been killed in August 2017, Danish authorities are unable to confirm his death.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 9.

Hassan grew up in a moderate Muslim household in a town near Copenhagen, Denmark. However, in high school he grew increasingly religious. He and a classmate reportedly began dressing in traditional Islamic clothing, discussing religion, and warning their classmates of the dangers of “non-belief.” In Hassan’s high school yearbook, his classmates joked that Danish authorities should “watch out” because he and a friend would end up leading a “new Islamic State.” Several of Hassan’s friends were imprisoned for terrorism during this time. Specifically, in 2005, four people were arrested in a suburb of Copenhagen for terrorism in the first post-9/11 Danish terrorism arrests. Hassan was questioned as a witness, after which he remained on the Danish intelligence service’s radar.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 2.

After graduating high school, Hassan attended the Technical University of Denmark, where he received a degree in engineering in 2010. He had always been interested in technology, and as a teenager, attempted to hack into computer systems. He was also very security conscious, electing to avoid speaking around telephones and covering his laptop camera with tape. After obtaining his degree, Hassan attended flight school.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 2.

In 2011, Danish intelligence agents tried to recruit Hassan as an informant because of his close connections to multiple convicted Danish jihadists. Hassan, however, rejected the offer multiple times.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 2.

Hassan is suspected of trying to shoot Danish author and critic of Islam Lars Hedegaard in his Copenhagen home on February 5, 2013.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm; “Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx; Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510; “Denmark shooting: Gunman targets Islam critic Hedegaard,” BBC News, Febuary 5, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21341878. While posing as a mailman, Hassan rang the doorbell to Hedegaard’s home. When Hedegaard opened the door, Hassan fired a shot that narrowly missed Hedegaard’s head.Oscar Gutierrez, “The Price of Hate in Denmark,” El Pais, January 31, 2017, https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2017/01/31/inenglish/1485868003_162080.html. They fought, and Hassan then fled on foot.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 1.

Hassan reportedly fled Denmark that same day. He took a train to Germany, and then flew to Turkey. In the years that followed, he alternated between staying in Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria. It is unclear how or when he was recruited into ISIS, but Hassan had remained in contact with Abdulkadir Cesur, his friend from high school who was convicted for plotting a bombing in Sarajevo. After serving his sentence in Bosnia, Cesur moved to Turkey, and Danish authorities believe that Hassan stayed with Cesur in Turkey after attempting fleeing Denmark. According to Danish intelligence, Cesur served as a link between Hassan and ISIS.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 2.

After Hassan became a suspect in the Copenhagen shooting, Danish security services began to monitor his finances, travel, and network. In fall 2013, he allegedly purchased numerous parts for model planes and drones online. He shipped the purchases to various Danish addresses belonging to friends, who then shipped them to Hassan’s address in Turkey or Lebanon. According to later evidence and testimony, the parts were used by Hassan to build ISIS’s drone program. Through financial records, authorities determined that Hassan spent more than $120,000 on drone parts between fall 2013 and his arrest in spring 2014. The records also showed that the accounts that purchased the parts belonged to “Katibet al baraa bin Malik,” known to authorities as the ISIS unit responsible for drone and chemical warfare.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 3.

Hassan was also involved in the filming of ISIS propaganda. According to Danish investigators and the F.B.I., one of the cameras that he obtained through his Danish network was used by ISIS to film their August 7, 2014, attack on the Ain Issa Syrian military base. Additionally, there is evidence that he spent time in Ain Issa several months before the attack. Specifically, a spreadsheet recovered by police in Copenhagen that tracked the expenses of Hassan’s ISIS unit denoted “petrol 10-50 liters, two months of pay, petrol car Abu Hani Ain Issa, January 2014,” referring to Hassan’s ISIS pseudonym.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 4.

Hassan was arrested in Turkey on April 25, 2014,Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510. when he tried to pick up his visiting parents at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 4. According to the U.S. Department of State, Hassan was handed to ISIS as part of an exchange for Turkish hostages in September 2014.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm.

Upon his return to ISIS in fall 2014, Hassan reportedly rose quickly into a leadership role. He became much more security conscious and never spoke directly with contacts in Europe. In particular, Hassan played a key role in developing ISIS’s drone program.Leen Alfaisal, “New details emerge on the 2017 ISIS Australia-Abu Dhabi plane bomb plot,” Al Arabiya, June 11, 2020, https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2020/06/11/New-details-emerge-on-the-2017-ISIS-Australia-Abu-Dhabi-plane-bomb-plot. In 2018, a Kurdish intelligence officer stated that, upon the liberation of Raqqa, more than 200 ISIS drones were recovered. Hassan was reportedly in charge of pilot training, implementing new drone technology for the group, and overseeing the logistics of importing new drone parts.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 5-6.

Australian court documents later alleged that Hassan might have been involved in the October 2015 bombing of Russian Metrojet 9268, which exploded over Egypt’s Sinai Desert and killed 224 people.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 9; Fatma Lofti, “ Leading Danish ISIS Element Involved in 2015 Russian Plane Crash: DR,” Egypt Daily News, November 10, 2019, https://dailynewsegypt.com/2019/11/10/leading-danish-isis-element-involved-in-2015-russian-plane-crash-dr/.

On November 22, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated Hassan a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm;
“Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx. In explaining the designation, the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism Director Jason Blazakis called Hassan “one of the most dangerous people we have ever added to the terrorism list” because of “his role in ISIS’ drones program and his extensive European network.”Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 6.

In early 2017, Hassan reportedly married Layla Talou, a Yazidi woman who was enslaved by ISIS and subsequently converted to Islam before marrying Hassan. They lived in Raqqa’s Bedouin district. Although he allowed her some small freedoms, Hassan imposed strict rules in their home, including at first denying her a cell phone and forcing her to have sexual intercourse with him against her will. Talou later escaped ISIS territory while Hassan was deployed to the front lines.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 7

Around the time that Talou escaped, Hassan was planning to attack the west, according to intelligence sources. He was part of an ISIS group in Raqqa that explored methods of committing terrorist attacks in the west. The group tested the vulnerabilities of aviation security by airmailing test packages to the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Qatar.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 7,

In 2017, he was allegedly involved in a plot to blow up an Australian passenger jet leaving Sydney. In April, he sent an almost-assembled bomb from Turkey to Australia, and sent instructions over Telegram to jihadists in Australia on how to complete the final assembly. The plan was to assemble the bomb and hide it in a meat grinder packed in luggage, which would be carried onto a flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi on July 15, 2017.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 8. However, at check-in airport personnel refused to allow the bag to be carried onto the plane because it exceeded the weight limit.“Australian Terror Plan to Hide Plane Bomb in Barbie Revealed,” BBC News, August 21, 2017, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41006835; Andrew Zammit, “Operation Silves: Inside the 2017 Islamic State Sydney Plane Plot,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 4, April 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/operation-silves-inside-the-2017-islamic-state-sydney-plane-plot/, 5.

In July 2017, Hassan was involved in a plot to commit a terrorist attack in Australia using hydrogen sulfide poison gas.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 8-9; Euan McKirdy and Karen Smith, “Foiled Plot to Blow Up Plane, Unleash Gas Revealed in Australia,” CNN, August 5, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/asia/australia-plane-terror-plot-isis. On July 24, he explained to the jihadists in Australia that the chemical attack should be prepared “within a week,” and on July 27, he told them that the gas attack was a “top priority.” The plan ultimately failed because on July 29, Australian law enforcement arrested members of the ISIS cell that had planned the airplane bombing and gas attack. The information was allegedly provided to the Australian government by Danish intelligence personnel who had been tracking Hassan for over five years.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 8-9. However, according to Australian police, jihadis were “a long way from having a functioning device” when the plot was uncovered.Euan McKirdy and Karen Smith, “Foiled Plot to Blow Up Plane, Unleash Gas Revealed in Australia,” CNN, August 5, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/asia/australia-plane-terror-plot-isis.

In summer 2017, one of Hassan’s relatives living in Denmark received a text message from a Dutch-African woman living in ISIS territory claiming that Hassan had died in Syria on July 9 or 10, 2017. However, this is contradicted by information from the trial of the Sydney attack plotters, which shows Hassan communicating with the Australia-based plotters until July 27.Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 9.

In August 2017, al-Diyar news website reported that “Basil H. H.,” who was nicknamed “the Dane” was killed in the area of Aarsal, Lebanon, near the Syrian border, on August 21. As of May 2020, Hassan’s death has not been confirmed. Lars Findsen, director of Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service, has stated that “We are in a situation today where we can’t confirm it [Hassan’s death] with 100% accuracy. We can’t rule out that he hasn’t been tempted to play dead.”Mette Mayli Albaek et al, “The Controller: How Basil Hassan Launched Islamic State Terror into the Skies,” CTC Sentinel 13, no. 5, May 2020, https://ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CTC-SENTINEL-052020.pdf, 9.

Farouq al-Katani was a Qatari-Saudi dual national and a U.S.-designated member of al-Qaeda. He served as the group’s leader in the eastern zone of Afghanistan and reported to al-Qaeda’s senior leadership, according to the United Nations.“Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds One Individual to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, March 28, 2016, http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12305.doc.htm. Katani was targeted in eastern Afghanistan in a U.S. drone strike on October 23, 2016.Wesley Morgan, “Al-Qaeda leader U.S. targeted in Afghanistan kept a low profile but worried top spies,” Washington Post, October 28, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/10/28/al-qaeda-leader-u-s-targeted-in-afghanistan-kept-a-low-profile-but-worried-top-spies/;
“Al-Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan,” BBC News, November 5, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37882010. The Pentagon confirmed his death on November 2, 2016.“Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook Confirming Death of Al-Qaeda Leader,” U.S. Department of Defense, November 4, 2016, http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/997111/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-peter-cook-confirming-death-of-al-qaeda-l. Former acting CIA director Michael Morrell said that Katani was “a US counterterrorism expert’s worst nightmare,” being “smart” and a “charismatic leader.”Wesley Morgan, “Al-Qaeda leader U.S. targeted in Afghanistan kept a low profile but worried top spies,” Washington Post, October 28, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/10/28/al-qaeda-leader-u-s-targeted-in-afghanistan-kept-a-low-profile-but-worried-top-spies/.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury added Katani to the Specially Designated Nationals List on February 10, 2016.“Specially Designated Nationals List Update,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, February 10, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20160210.aspx. According to Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, from mid-2015, Katani was responsible for establishing safe havens for al-Qaeda fighters hiding in Afghanistan.“US Drone Strike Targets Top al-Qaida Leader in Afghanistan,” Voice of America, October 26, 2016, http://www.voanews.com/a/united-states-drone-strike-targets-qaida-leader-afghanistan/3568014.html. The Pentagon also described Katani as a “senior planner” of attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.“US Drone Strike Targets Top al-Qaida Leader in Afghanistan,” Voice of America, October 26, 2016, http://www.voanews.com/a/united-states-drone-strike-targets-qaida-leader-afghanistan/3568014.html.

The United Nations designated Katani on March 28, 2016. According to the United Nations, Katani acted as emir for the eastern zone of Afghanistan since at least 2009.“Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds One Individual to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, March 28, 2016, http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12305.doc.htm. Katani directly participated in attacks against U.S. and coalition troops, such as in two attacks on convoys in 2010 that destroyed at least one vehicle. He was responsible for military training in northeast Afghanistan, a role he performed for “several years,” according to the United Nations.“Nayef Salam Muhammad Ujaym al-Hababi,” United Nations Security Council, March 28, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/nayef-salam-muhammad-ujaym-al-hababi.

Katani is believed to have helped transfer weapons and money to the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan.“Nayef Salam Muhammad Ujaym al-Hababi,” United Nations Security Council, March 28, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/nayef-salam-muhammad-ujaym-al-hababi. Katani was also a senior fundraiser, and solicited donations from Gulf countries since at least 2012.“Nayef Salam Muhammad Ujaym al-Hababi,” United Nations Security Council, March 28, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/nayef-salam-muhammad-ujaym-al-hababi.

During an intensifying phase of U.S. drone strikes against al-Qaeda in Pakistan in early 2016, the New York Times reported that U.S. officials remained highly concerned with Afghanistan-based Katani, who was described at that time by one official as “one of the most important remaining figures in the region.”Declan Walsh, “Drone Strikes on Al Qaeda Are Said To Take Toll On Leadership in Pakistan,” New York Times, April 24, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/25/world/asia/cia-qaeda-drone-strikes-warren-weinstein-giovanni-lo-porto-deaths.html?_r=0. Katani became a more familiar figure to al-Qaeda experts after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Joint Special Operations Command forces in Abbottabad in 2011. According to documents found in bin Laden’s compound, al-Qaeda’s then chief of operations Atiyah Abd al-Rahman wrote, “we have a good battalion over there [Konar and Nuristan provinces, Afghanistan] led by [Katani]…He is the best of a good crew. He recently sent us a message telling us that he has arranged everything to receive us; he said the locations are good, there are supporters and everything.”Wesley Morgan, “Al-Qaeda leader U.S. targeted in Afghanistan kept a low profile but worried top spies,” Washington Post, October 28, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/10/28/al-qaeda-leader-u-s-targeted-in-afghanistan-kept-a-low-profile-but-worried-top-spies/.