Overview
- The Times reports that Abdul Qadir Mumin, a former Leicester preacher, is believed to be leading from Puntland with an estimated 1,200 fighters.
- Islamic State now operates as a franchise network, forming alliances with local militants across North Africa and the Sahel to target civilians and security forces.
- The Sahel accounted for about 51% of global terrorism deaths last year, underscoring the region's centrality to the current threat.
- French counterterrorism units and UN peacekeepers have withdrawn from parts of the region as Mali and partners turned to Russia's Wagner forces with limited protection against IS franchises.
- Recent attacks linked to the group span Iran, Russia, Germany and the United States, and roughly 8,500 suspected affiliates remain in northeast Syria detention camps with mass breakout risks reported.