Also known as: ISIS
Militant extremist organization present across Africa and beyond, including operations in Nigeria, DRC, and supporting lone actors in Europe.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
Audio By VocalizeAmnesty International on Tuesday accused militants in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo linked to the Islamic State group of "rampant" war crimes and crimes against humanity. …
Amnesty accuses IS-linked fighters of eastern DR Congo war crimesCitizen Digital
… Three dates in Swift's record-breaking tour were cancelled in the summer of 2024 after authorities warned of the alleged Islamic State group plot. …
Man pleads guilty to plotting attack on Taylor Swift concertCapital News
… The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, without specifying its motive. …
IS claims responsibility for Nigeria attack that killed 29 peopleCapital News
… For years, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies by groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the FLA. …
Mali defence minister killed as country hit by wave of rebel attacksCitizen Digital
… Mali is battling insurgencies by the West African affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State. …
Gunmen hit Mali's military bases in 'complex attacks', airport shutThe Standard
… But since 2012, it has grappling with a security crisis over attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group and community-based criminal groups and separatists. …
Gunfire in Mali as army battles 'terrorist groups'A white minivan struck people near Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride event on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring 29 others. Police identified the chief suspect as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin and alleged Islamic State supporter with a May criminal conviction.
26 July 2026 · The Standard →
A white minivan struck people near Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride event on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring 29 others. Police identified the chief suspect as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin and alleged Islamic State supporter with a May criminal conviction.
26 July 2026 · The Standard →
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would remove Syria from the United States' list of designated state sponsors of terrorism, following a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Turkey. Trump previously signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions on Syria, and Saudi firms are planning billion-dollar investments to support the country's post-civil war recovery.
9 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has called for stronger political and financial backing for the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), arguing that sustainable African-led financing is needed to maintain security gains against Al-Shabaab and reduce reliance on external funding.
8 July 2026 · Capital News →
An Austrian court sentenced a Syrian ex-general and former police officer to eight years in jail for torturing opponents of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. The trial used universal jurisdiction, allowing European courts to rule on serious crimes committed abroad.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A Viennese court on Monday sentenced a Syrian ex-general and former police officer each to eight years in jail for torturing opponents of Bashar al-Assad. The trial used universal jurisdiction, a legal tool enabling European courts to prosecute serious crimes alleged to have been committed abroad.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States has withdrawn most troops that were deployed to Nigeria for a special operation against Islamic State fighters in the Lake Chad region, where US and Nigerian forces killed nearly 200 IS fighters in May, including the group's global second-in-command. The US continues to maintain a broader training and technical assistance presence in Nigeria through intelligence sharing and partnership with the Nigerian military.
4 July 2026 · The Standard →
Jihadists and separatist Tuareg rebels launched coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday, striking multiple northern and central towns and a prison near the capital. The attacks came two months after a similar operation in which the country's defence minister was killed.
4 July 2026 · The Standard →
Syria's health ministry said the death toll from a bomb attack at a Damascus cafe rose to 10, with 21 people wounded. The bombing, described as the deadliest since a suicide attack on a church last year, occurred near the Palace of Justice and was caused by a homemade explosive device packed with metal fragments.
4 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A South African court sentenced three people to life in jail for the 2018 murders of British botanist couple Rachel and Rodney Saunders, who were kidnapped while collecting seeds in the Ngoye Forest near Durban. Sayefudeen Aslam Del Vecchio, Fatima Patel, and Musa Jackson were also convicted of kidnapping, robbery and theft, and stole the couple's vehicle, equipment and credit card.
3 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States announced it will withdraw support for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia after 2026, a move that could affect peace operations in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. UNSOS provides air transport, engineering, medical support and equipment to African Union forces; its withdrawal would require the AU and troop-contributing countries to find alternative funding and support arrangements.
2 July 2026 · The Standard →
The Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first World Cup point when Yoane Wissa scored against Portugal on June 17, providing rare celebration in Bunia, the epicentre of the country's Ebola outbreak which has infected over 1,100 people and caused 279 deaths across the DRC and Uganda.
26 June 2026 · The Standard →
Niger has officially submitted its withdrawal request from the ICC on 18 June, nine months after announcing its intent alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, citing the court as an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression". The withdrawal takes effect one year after notification, and Niger must honour its obligations to the court until that date.
24 June 2026 · Capital News →
Niger has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, with the withdrawal taking effect one year after notification on June 18, 2026. The junta-ruled country, alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, announced the move in September, characterizing the ICC as an "instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism."
24 June 2026 · The Standard →
Gunmen attacked Diori Hamani international airport in Niamey on Thursday, killing 35 people comprising 22 assailants, 11 soldiers, and two civilians. Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM claimed responsibility for the assault, the second attack on the airport in less than five months.
19 June 2026 · Capital News →
Suspected jihadists from the Lakurawa group killed more than 20 people in a raid on the Fesken Rafi community in Kebbi state near the Niger border, according to a confidential security report prepared for the United Nations. The attack followed a period of reduced violence by the group and may signal a resurgence of operations.
14 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria has killed more than 13,000 "terrorists" in the past year, claiming the death toll from the country's jihadist insurgency is down 81 percent since he took power in 2023. He also reported that over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
12 June 2026 · The Standard →
At least seven people were killed in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces, Islamic State-linked rebels, in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, according to local and military sources. ADF fighters launched an incursion overnight Saturday-Sunday near Beni in North Kivu province.
1 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Suspected jihadists killed at least 25 people in coordinated attacks on five villages in central Mali's Bandiagara region Thursday, with many wounded, villages torched, and cattle stolen. The targeted villages had refused to sign local agreements with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
22 May 2026 · The Standard →
Joint US and Nigerian military airstrikes over the weekend killed 175 Islamic State jihadists in northeastern Nigeria, including the group's global second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. The strikes also destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, and logistical hubs used by the terrorist group.
20 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Ebola outbreak spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faces obstacles from long-running regional conflicts, including M23 militia control of territory and inter-ethnic violence between Lendu and Hema groups in Ituri province, where the outbreak's epicentre is located in Mongbwalu.
19 May 2026 · The Standard →
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu and the country's military confirmed the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by US President Donald Trump as IS's second-in-command worldwide, in a joint Nigeria–US operation overnight in the Lake Chad Basin. Al-Minuki was killed along with several of his lieutenants.
16 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing of senior Islamic State leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in a joint operation with US forces. Al-Minuki, who held the rank of Head of General Directorate of States, was struck at his compound in the Lake Chad Basin along with several lieutenants.
16 May 2026 · Capital News →
Africa's top health agency declared an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province, with around 246 cases and 80 deaths reported mainly in gold-mining towns. Uganda confirmed one imported case, a 59-year-old male who died after testing positive.
16 May 2026 · Capital News →
US President Donald Trump announced that American and Nigerian forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second in command of ISIS globally, in a jointly planned operation. Trump said al-Minuki had been under US sanctions since 2023 and was described as the most active terrorist in the world.
16 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US and Nigerian forces conducted a joint operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by both countries as the second-in-command of IS worldwide and a senior operational and strategic figure providing guidance on media, economic warfare, and weapons development to Islamic State entities outside Nigeria.
16 May 2026 · The Standard →
Africa's health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, with around 246 cases and 65 deaths reported mainly in gold-mining towns. The virus has been detected in 13 of 20 laboratory samples analysed, and the agency is convening a meeting with neighbouring countries to discuss response efforts.
15 May 2026 · Capital News →
Codeco militia attacked several villages in Ituri province in northeastern DRC on April 28, killing at least 69 people, according to local and security sources. The attacks followed an assault by another armed group, the CRP, on Congolese army positions near Pimbo.
10 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Armed men affiliated with the Codeco militia carried out attacks in several villages in Ituri province on April 28, killing at least 69 people according to local and security sources. The attacks were reportedly retaliatory strikes following an assault by a rival armed group on Congolese army positions.
10 May 2026 · The Standard →
An Australian mother and daughter who travelled to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State were arrested on arrival in Melbourne and face charges of crimes against humanity, including enslavement and slave trading. Kawsar Ahmad, 53, was accused of purchasing a female slave, while her daughter Zeinab, 31, was accused of keeping one; both were detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 and held in a Syrian detention camp before repatriation.
8 May 2026 · The Standard →
Two strikes claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) killed more than 30 people in villages in central Mali on Wednesday, according to security and administrative sources. The assaults were reportedly in retaliation for acts by the Dan Nan Ambassagou militia, a self-defence group that authorities have accused of a massacre.
8 May 2026 · The Standard →