The Islamic State in Yemen

Since its formation in November 2014, the Yemeni branch of the Islamic State (IS) has undergone major changes in its organisation and tactics. Thanks to a more radical stance that has attracted several fighters from the Salafist movement and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the group has contributed to increasing sectarianism in Yemen.…

Bahrain – 2016 Data Release

In 2016, high periods of demonstration activity were reported during three particular periods in Bahrain. First, the year started with Saudi Arabia executing the prominent Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. This led to numerous rallies and protests held by Bahraini Shiites over several days in condemnation of his killing during January 2016.…

Regional Overview – Middle East 02 July 2018

A concentration of political violence was reported last week in Syria and Yemen with proportional rises in events in both southern Syria and Hudayda governorate in Yemen, respectively. Meanwhile, a rise in particular event types has been recorded in other countries in the region, including a rise in reports of kidnappings by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq last week.…

Reclaiming the South: The New Regime Offensive

Over the past several weeks, in the face of stalled negotiations with rebels and regional and international powers, Syrian regime and allied forces have been amassing along the northern edge of the largely rebel-held ceasefire zone in southwest Syria.…

Regional Overview – Middle East 25 June 2018

Notable trends, including offensives, continued in several countries, including Israel, Palestine, Syria and Yemen. Meanwhile, counter-insurgency operations by Turkish forces were stepped up both inside and outside of the country. Rocket fire and airstrikes continued to be exchanged between Palestinian militants and Israeli military this past week, with these activities making up the majority of events in Israel and Palestine over the period.…

Turkey Targets Refugees at its Borders

Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Turkey has been the main hub for hosting Syrian refugees. It is estimated that about 3.5 million refugees are based in Turkey; this amounts to approximately 15% of the total pre-war population of Syria.…