How ansar al sharia grew in postrevolutionary tunisia. Ansar alsharia was a main conservative opposition group calling for the dissolution of the tunisian government it says is being run by elements of the former authoritarian regime deposed in 2010. Al qaeda in the arabian peninsulas aqap insurgent arm, ansar al sharia, and allied tribesmen attacked the 5th infantry brigade in al qatan and sayun, hadramawt on february 3. Ansar al sharia included two separate organizations. The rise and decline of ansar alsharia in libya by aaron y. Ansar alsharia in tunisia ast counter extremism project. Ansar alsharia and governance in southern yemen by robin. One underappreciated aspect of this is the way ansar alsharia in tunisia s ast messaging primed members of the group and others in society that were exposed to, attended, or followed online ast activities and events. Ansar al sharia in libya asl was a violent salafist group that was active in libya from 2012 to 2017. Ansar al sharia in tunisia, which is ideologically aligned with alqaida and tied to its affiliates, including aqim, represents the greatest threat to u. Image caption the groups annual congress was banned in may, leading to violent clashes. In late june, yemeni news sites reported that baleidi had left aqap and ansar alsharia to join the selfproclaimed islamic state.
Ansar al sharia tunisia ansar al sharia benghazi, libya. Analysiscrackdown on radical islamists tests tunisias. Tunisian security forces and salafists clashed again thursday april 10th in siliana. Mar 08, 20 meeting tunisias ansar alsharia i walk through a tunisian market around midday, at the entrance to the fortress of sousse, a town about 90 minutes southeast of the capital tunis on the coast. Ast is a violent jihadist group that seeks to implement sharia islamic law in tunisia. Ansar alsharia in benghazi, ansar alsharia in darnah, and. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that a soldier and seven militiamen were killed during todays battle in alsawmaah district. Ansar al sharia tunisia story stream critical threats.
Meeting tunisias ansar alsharia i walk through a tunisian market around midday, at the entrance to the fortress of sousse, a town about 90 minutes southeast of the capital tunis on the coast. The group has initiated several violent protests, including the september 2012 attack on the u. Fighters from the al qaeda affiliated ansar al sharia militant group have taken control of an army base in southern yemen and are holding soldiers prisoner, the group said on its twitter account. Tunisia cracks down on islamist militants as elections. A few months later, in august, it designated ansar alsharia a terrorist organization. Benghazi clashes rage as ansar alsharia holds off army. Until january 2015, it was led by its amir, muhammad alzahawi. Ali larayedh, the tunisian pm, gave on monday a press conference during which he outcasted the ansar alsharia organization. Tunisia has designated the hardline salafist ansar alsharia movement a. Ansar al sharia responds to tunisian government fdds long. Clashes precede islamist militant groups annual meeting of the group on may 19 in tunisian holy city of kairouan.
Nov 21, 2012 two convicted members of an al qaedaaffiliated terrorist group in italy are now senior members of ansar al sharia tunisia. Aug 27, 20 ali larayedh, the tunisian pm, gave on monday a press conference during which he outcasted the ansar al sharia organization. On 27 april, 2011, a blog titled the al qayrawan media foundation qmf was created, and two days later a corresponding facebook page was established. In the view of the international crisis group, aqap is an internally diverse organisation with varying layers of support among the local population and many aas members and allies are not committed. Tunisia declares ansar alsharia a terrorist group bbc news. Ansar alsharia in tunisia ast was a salafist group that was prominent in tunisia from 2011 to 20. Ansar alsharia in benghazi, ansar alsharia in darnah. On 4 october 2012, the united states department of state amended its list of foreign terrorist organizations to designate ansar al sharia in yemen as an alias for al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, rather than listing it as a separate organisation. Jun 12, 2012 in last months report al qaeda in yemen, awardwinning reporter ghaith abdulahad journeyed to jaar and other al qaedacontrolled areas in the south to investigate how ansar alsharia has. Members of ansar al sharia have regularly taken part in protests in tunisia against perceived blasphemy and have been suspected in involvement in a number of violent incidents. Asl denied any involvement in the attack, however, libyan government forces began to crack down on its operations. In mid2015, bin hassine was tried, found guilty, and sentenced in absentia by a tunisian criminal court to 50 years in prison for his role in terrorist activities. The crackdown intensified following the assassination of two secular politicians in the winter and summer of 20 that thrust tunisia into political crisis.
In its weekly newspaper alnaba, in an article eulogizing shaykh abu layla kamal zarruq attunisi alqurashi, a tunisian leader in the islamic state of iraq and the levant, the islamic state severely criticised ansar alsharia in tunisia and its leader abu iyad, saying the ansar ashshari ah organization, which was at the forefront. Magharebia sat down with a leading scholar to get a better understanding of the. Ansar alsharia came into being in 2011, during the libyan civil war. Ansar al sharia is considered one of the most radical groups that emerged after the secular autocrat zine al abidine ben ali was toppled in 2011. Yemen is one of the most impoverished nations in the middle east. Oct 21, 20 ever since august 27th, when tunisia designated the salafi jihadist group ansar alsharia in tunisia ast a terrorist organization and issued a ban against it, the states war has escalated.
Aug 27, 20 ansar al sharia blamed for tunisia killings. The tunisian branch of ansar al sharia announced it was holding an annual conference in the old central islamic city of kairouan in tunisia on sunday. Ansar alsharia ast, established during april 2011, is the most pronounced jihadist organization in tunisia with a supportive ideology to that of alqaeda. Ansar alsharia was oriented toward jihadism, but, according to reports, abu iyadh repeatedly declared that tunisia was a land for dawapreaching and recruitmentnot violence, because the. Unlike the militant movement al shabab in somalia, aqap has never taken control of significant swaths of territory in yemen. The pair, sami ben khemais essid and mehdi kammoun, were arrested in 2001 and sentenced to several years in prison for their terrorist plotting as operatives in the tunisian combatant group tcg. Since cracking down on ansar alsharia, ennahda has tended to follow a. Tunisia cracks down on ansar alsharia militants after clashes borzou daragahi in cairo tunisia s moderate islamist government has launched a crackdown on. Ansar al sharia is an organization comprised of islamists and jihadists that made its first appearance in abyan, south yemen in may 2011.
In 2011, aqap created ansar alsharia as a yemen based affiliate focused on waging an insurgency rather than international attacks on the west. Ansar alsharia in tunisia ast terrorist groups trac. The rupture between the ennahda party, the tunisian arm of the muslim brotherhood which governs in coalition with secular parties, and the ansar alsharia movement could have ramifications across. Since members have been accused of involvement in attacks on the us embassies in tunisia and libya, the tunisian government banned the meeting. Ansar al sharia responds to tunisian government fdds.
Asts use of facebook peaked in 201220, in which period the organization operated a main facebook page as well as numerous regional 1 pages. There is also a seemingly separate group in yemen that has links to alqaeda and operates under the name ansar alsharia. Many ex ansar alsharia members seem divided, but a majority considers isas the most credible alternative in tunisia and many of the former groups leaders who went into exile in syria and iraq. Benghazi clashes rage as ansar alsharia holds off army 16 progovernment fighters killed and dozens wounded as battle for benghazi continues haftar launched his assault on ansar alsharia in may. Ramzi explains that ansar alsharias activities within sousse are completely funded from within the country by donations from individuals with jobs. Tunisian security forces may crack down on protesters. Two convicted members of an al qaedaaffiliated terrorist group in italy are now senior members of ansar al sharia tunisia. Ansar alsharia has campaigned for the release of islamist prisoners who had fought with alqaeda in iraq and are held in iraqi jails. Tunisia and the fall after the arab spring the new yorker.
Tunisian interior ministry officials highlighted the organizations ties to al qaeda and terrorist plotting during a press conference last week. Unlike the groups in yemen, tunisia, and libya, egypts ansar alsharia ase has not publicly announced itself as an organized group on the ground. Ansar alsharia announced in a 27 may 2017 statement posted online that it was formally dissolving itself. The report said the name ansar alsharia is being used by al qaeda in the lands of the arabian peninsula in areas of yemen and by terrorist groups in tunisia. It is important to note, that ast has never claimed responsibility for an attack, instead the tunisian government has attributed a number of suicide bombings and armed attacks to. Yemeni army recaptures two cities from al qaeda al qaeda in.
Ansar alsharia, whose fugitive leader saifallah benahssine also known as abu iyadh is a former al qaeda fighter in afghanistan, is seeking to establish an islamic state in tunisia and. Jul 01, 2015 ansar al sharia is one of the chief jihadist factions fighting across the border from tunisia in the libyan civil war, and is alleged to be behind the attack on the us consulate in libya in 20. Ansar al sharia is a salafijihadi group established during the 2011 libyan revolution that is part of al qaedas network in libya. Pm declares ansar alsharia a terrorist group youtube. Most members of ansar alsharia are former jihadists who fought in afghanistan against the soviet union and returned to yemen in 1990.
Tunisia, praised internationally for postrevolution stability, cracks down on militants with the publics support, especially since the assassination of secular opposition leaders chokri belaid and mohamed brahmi in 20. May 12, 20 clashes precede islamist militant groups annual meeting of the group on may 19 in tunisian holy city of kairouan. Mar 18, 2012 a profile of ansar al sharia partisans of islamic law which was formed by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap in response to the growing prodemocracy movement in yemen. Over the past two years, global attention has shifted to syria and iraq with the rise of jabhat al nusra and the return of the islamic state of iraq and al sham isis.
Tunisian islamist party that led a coalition government from october 2011 to january. The group was damaged by the widespread arrests that followed this designation, and many of its members left tunisia, traveling to libya and joining the local ansar alsharia, or going to syria and joining the islamic state of iraq and the levant. Escalating protests threaten instability in tunisia. At its height, asl operated branches in benghazi, derna, sirte, ajdabiya, and nawfalia.
How ansar alsharia grew in postrevolutionary tunisia. However, in midaugust, aqap released an interview with ansar alsharia in yemen asy, also known as partisans of islamic law, supporters of islamic law, army of islamic law, ansar alshariah is an active group formed c. Since then, tunisia has taken key steps toward democracy. Tunisia has designated the hardline salafist ansar al sharia movement a terrorist group, blaming it for. How ansar alsharia in tunisias message framing primed. The tunisian government cracked down on ennahda once again, ac. Ansar al sharia libya story stream critical threats. The most significant salafi jihadist organisation is ansar alsharia in tunisia. Tunisia s government has labelled the radical islamist group ansar al sharia a terrorist organisation, saying it has proof of the groups involvement in the assassinations of two opposition. A profile of ansar alsharia partisans of islamic law which was formed by alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap in response to the growing prodemocracy movement in yemen. From al qaeda in italy to ansar al sharia tunisia fdds. Ansar al sharia tunisiais thought to be responsible for the worst of the.
But ansar al sharia pledged to do just that, declaring an islamic. The group sought to transform libya into an islamic state governed in accordance with sharia islamic law. Ansar alshariah in tunisia ast was a salafijihadist militant organization. Tunisias struggle for political pluralism after ennahda center for. Whats leading some tunisian students to radicalisation. This network includes ansar al sharia tunisia and the tunisian uqba ibn nafaa. Ansar alsharia had been linked to the killing of soldiers in jebel chaambi, the assassinations of opposition politicians chorki belaid and mohamed brahmi, and the attack on the us embassy in tunisia. The government blamed ansar alsharia for the killings and outlawed the group in may 20.
Ansar al sharia in tunisia aast was founded in 2011 by saifallah ben hassine, also known as abu iyad al tunisi, after he was released from prison during the tunisian revolution. Jihadism in tunisia is currently at its greatest nadir since the 2011 revolution, which overthrew former president zine alabidine ben ali and subsequently provided a space for tunisian jihadism to grow. Tunisian government cracks down ansar alsharia terror. The most prominent of these organizations are the ones in yemen, tunisia, and libya, along with newer versions in egypt and morocco to a. On this occasion, we wish to confirm our organizational independence and that we are not tied to any group outside, ansar al sharias statement reads, according to a translation by the site intelligence group. Tunisia cracks down on ansar alsharia militants after clashes clashes precede islamist militant groups annual meeting of the group on may 19 in tunisian holy city of kairouan. During this event, associate fellow daveed gartenstein ross presented the findings of his research paper and was joined by dr. May 28, 2014 since its establishment in postrevolution tunisia, ansar al sharia in tunisia ast, the leading salafijihadi organization in the country, has relied heavily on facebook to promote its agenda.
Ast promotes salafi ideology in tunisia and is separate from the ansar alsharia organizations in libya and yemen. Ansar al sharia tunisia leader says gains in iraq should be cause for jihadist reconciliation. Supporters of islamic law was a salafist islamist militia group that advocated the implementation of strict sharia law across libya. Aug 27, 20 image caption the groups annual congress was banned in may, leading to violent clashes. Ansar alsharia in tunisia ast and later isis and katibat uqbah bin nafi kubn emerged as the most prominent such groups in tunisia. In tunisia s postrevolutionary political vacuum with increased freedom of religion and. Although all this sounds nice, the economic climate in tunisia is not thriving. Tunisias moderates lose patience with ansar al sharia. Ast sought to implement sharia islamic law in the country and used violence in furtherance of that goal under the banner of hisbah the duty to. Most members of ansar al sharia are former jihadists who fought in afghanistan against the soviet union and returned to yemen in 1990. Tunisia has labelled ansar alsharia a terrorist organisation. Tunisia s moderates lose patience with ansar al sharia clashes erupt as police block attempts to hold annual conference of militant islamists in mosque. They outlawed the al qaedaaffiliated group ansar alsharia in 20, a strong statement against extremist influence from neighboring libya.
Tunisia cracks down on jihadists as elections loom. Ramzi explains that ansar al sharia s activities within sousse are completely funded from within the country by donations from individuals with jobs. In a message posted on its facebook page today, ansar al sharia tunisia responded to the tunisian governments recent decision to label the group a terrorist organization. Pdf ansar alsharia in tunisias shift to jihad researchgate. Ansar al sharia attacks persist in southern and eastern yemen. Ansar al sharia ast, established during april 2011, is the most pronounced jihadist organization in tunisia with a supportive ideology to that of al qaeda. On thursday 20 february, icct convened the seminar ansar al sharias war with tunisia. Meeting tunisias ansar alsharia the washington institute.
Moderate islamistled government cracks down on salafists. Following this designation, the tunisian government cracked down on both the. It has also emerged as the most important front of the u. Ansar alsharia is an organization comprised of islamists and jihadists that made its first appearance in abyan, south yemen in may 2011. It only emerged when the tunisian government began to crack down on its activities following the assassination of tunisia s secular politician, shukri bilaid, in february 20 and in the leadup to asts third annual. Ansar alsharia blamed for tunisia killings news al jazeera. There are a number of reasons why tunisians joined the islamic state in iraq, syria, and libya. Ansar alshariah in tunisia ast was a salafijihadist militant organization established in 2011 that combined community service, proselytization, and violence to promote its salafi ideology and goals in tunisia.
Members of ansar alsharia have regularly taken part in protests in tunisia against perceived blasphemy and have been suspected in involvement in a number of violent incidents. This caused a rebranding effort that led to the removal of the previous name katibat ansar alsharia, in favour of the more national identity they are referred to today asl. Tunisia cracks down on ansar alsharia militants after clashes. Then, on 15 may, another facebook page under the name ansar al sharia in tunisia was launched, coinciding with the announcement that a conference would be convened in tunis on 21 may. That fight relied heavily on authoritarian regimes to crack down on alqaedalinked cells from algeria to egypt to yemen. In 20, the group was estimated to have roughly 10,000 members. Ansar alsharia in tunisia aast was founded in 2011 by saifallah ben hassine, also known as abu iyad altunisi, after he was released from prison during the tunisian revolution. The salafist ansar alsharia partisans of islamic law was set up in late april, 2011. After its revolution, tunisia saw the rise of hardline islamist militant groups such as ansar al sharia, which the united states brands as a terrorist organization and blames for a 2012 attack on. How ansar alsharia in tunisia s message framing primed its members to become recruits for the islamic state.
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