Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي
The black flag variant used by AQIM
Leaders	Abdelmalek Droukdel † (2007–2020) Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi (2020–present)
Dates of operation	2007 (2007)–present
Group(s)	Al-Mourabitoun[1] Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin[1] Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade[2]
Headquarters	Kabylie Mountains[3][4]
Active regions	The Maghreb and the Sahel Primarily across Northern and Southern Algeria, Mali, Libya, Niger and Mauritania[5]
Ideology	Salafi jihadism[6] Salafism[7] Anti-West Anti-Zionism Anti-Imperialism[8]
Size	3,000–10,000 Between 2007 and 2014[6][9] 5,000 in Libya (2018 estimate)[10]
Part of	Al-Qaeda
Allies	Non-state allies Ansaru (2012–present) Ansar Dine (2012–2017) Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (2011–2013)[11] Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia) (2011–present)[12] Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula (2007–present) al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (2009–present) Al-Mulathameen (2012–2013)
Opponents	State opponents  Algeria  Niger  Mauritania  Mali  Tunisia  Libya  France  Morocco  Chad  Nigeria  United States[5]  Israel[13]  China  Turkey Non-state opponents Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Libyan Province
Battles and wars	Insurgency in the Maghreb Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara 2016 Nassoumbou attack Northern Mali conflict Battle of Aguelhok Battle of Tessalit Battles of Gao and Timbuktu Battle of Konna Battle of Diabaly Battle of Ifoghas Second Battle of Timbuktu Operation Serval
Designated as a terrorist group by	Algeria United Nations NATO European Union United States United Kingdom France Russia China Japan Canada Australia New Zealand United Arab Emirates Malaysia
Preceded by Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (1998–2007)

Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM,^[14] is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state.^[15] To that end, it is currently engaged in an insurgency campaign in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.

The group originated as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). It has since declared its intention to attack European (including Spanish and French) and American targets. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, Australia, Canada,^[16] Malaysia,^[17] Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom^[18] and the United States.

Membership is mostly drawn from the Algerian and local Saharan communities (such as the Tuaregs and Berabiche tribal clans of Mali),^[19] as well as Moroccans from city suburbs of the North African country.^{[20][21][22][23]} The group has also been suspected of having links with the Horn of Africa-based militant group Al-Shabaab.^[24] AQIM has focused on kidnapping for ransom as a means of raising funds and is estimated to have raised more than $50 million in the last decade.^[25]

On 2 March 2017, the Sahara branch of AQIM merged with Macina Liberation Front, Ansar Dine, and Al-Mourabitoun, into Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.^[26]