Musa Abu Dawud

Musa Abu Dawud was a U.S.- designated senior leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The U.S. accused Dawud of leading terrorist attacks in North Africa as well as training and recruiting new members to the terror group. In 2012, Dawud was appointed commander of AQIM’s southern zone, which includes Algeria and Tunisia.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm;
Sahara-medias, “AQIM emir named Abu El Hammam in the Sahara region,”October 5, 2012, http://malijet.com/actualte_dans_les_regions_du_mali/rebellion_au_nord_du_mali/52962-aqmi-nomme-abu-el-hammam-emir-de-la-zone-du-sahara.html.
In March 2018, Dawud was killed in a U.S. drone strike in southern Libya.Eric Schmitt, “American Drone Strike in Libya Kills Top Qaeda Recruiter,” New York Times, March 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/africa/us-drone-strike-libya-qaeda.html.

In February 2013, Dawud led a mission in Tunisia to recruit new members and train them in the use of weapons. He coordinated a February 4-5, 2013, attack on military barracks in Khenchela, Algeria, that injured numerous Algerian soldiers. He also organized a July 2013 attack on a Tunisian military patrol in the Mount Chaambi area that killed nine soldiers. “State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm.

On May 5, 2016, Dawud was designated by the U.S. State Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm. According to the narrative summary released by the U.S. State Department, Dawud began engaging in terrorist activity as early as 1992 as a member of the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), a forerunner to AQIM.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm.

Over the weekend of March 24-25, 2018, the United States launched a drone strike on a house in Ubari, Libya, killing Dawud. The U.S. military confirmed that Dawud had been under surveillance “for a significant period of time” and was killed alongside another unidentified al-Qaeda fighter in the strike.Eric Schmitt, “American Drone Strike in Libya Kills Top Qaeda Recruiter,” New York Times, March 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/africa/us-drone-strike-libya-qaeda.html.

Following Dawud’s death, on May 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of State revoked Dawud’s designation as a SDGT.“Revocation of Five Foreign Terrorist Organizations Designations and the Delisting of Six Deceased Individuals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” U.S. Department of State, May 20, 2022, https://www.state.gov/revocation-of-five-foreign-terrorist-organizations-designations-and-the-delisting-of-six-deceased-individuals-as-specially-designated-global-terrorists.

Also Known As

Extremist entity
AQIM
Type(s) of Organization:
Insurgent, non-state actor, religious, terrorist, transnational, violent
Ideologies and Affiliations:
Al-Qaeda affiliated group, Islamist, jihadist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, takfiri
Position(s):
Senior leader

Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, AQIM, operates in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The group has executed numerous violent attacks in North and West Africa. The group is also known for its extensive history of kidnapping and extortion. 

  • Designations

United States

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Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

In Their Own Words:

We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].

Abu Ali al-Askari, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) Security Official Mar. 2023
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