(New York, NY) -- The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today released updated resources on Moktar Belmoktar, one of the most elusive and deadly veteran extremist leaders in Africa. Belmoktar was reportedly targeted by a U.S. airstrike in Libya Sunday.

Belmoktar fought in Algeria’s civil war in 1992 and was a leader of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) when it pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. Belmoktar co-founded the group under its new name, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). He went on to command one of AQIM’s two major brigades, and was responsible for most of the group’s hostage operations targeting foreigners. He was also, according to security experts, instrumental to building AQIM’s broad support network in the Sahara desert. Most recently, Belmoktar masterminded the four-day siege at Algeria’s Amenas gas plant that killed 38 hostages, including three Americans. 

To learn more about Moktar Belmoktar, click here.

To explore the Global Extremist Registry, CEP's interactive map and database of the world’s most notorious extremist leaders, propagandists, financiers and their organizations, click here.