Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Al-Qaeda's attacks on US soil were the deadliest in its historyOn the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US, the perpetrator - the then-Afghan based jihadist group al-Qaeda - is in a state of disarray. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been uncharacteristically absent for months, prompting speculation that he might be dead or incapacitated. This is partly the result of jihadist rivalries on the one hand, and the eagle-eyed surveillance of al-Qaeda officials by the US-led coalition on the other. After al-Shabab - an al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia - JNIM is the second most active al-Qaeda branch. Image copyright Al-Qaeda propaganda Image caption Al-Shabab has been waging a brutal insurgency in Somalia for more than a decadeIn addition, al-Shabab claims daily attacks and frequent high-profile operations inside Somalia and occasionally in neighbouring Kenya.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 10, 2020 23:03 UTC