The Stories

Indonesian Suicide Bomber Started on Path to Radicalism Two Decades Ago

Rullie Rian Zeke and his wife blew themselves up at a Philippine Church in January, killing 23.

Indonesian Police: Couple Carried Out Deadly Philippine Church Bombing

Suicide attackers were deported from Turkey in 2017 after trying to join Islamic State in Syria, authorities said.

Malaysia: IS Recruiter Wanndy’s Widow Wants to Return After Deaths of 3 Children

The family of Nor Mahmudah Ahmad contacted authorities earlier this year about allowing her to come home.

Indonesian Team Visited Syria, Iraq as Jakarta Ponders Fate of Citizens Who Joined IS

At least 24 children and 29 women from Indonesia are in Syrian camps, foreign ministry says.

Indonesian Women to Spend 15 Years in Iraqi Prison for Joining Islamic State

Foreign ministry official confirms the two were convicted and must serve their sentences there.

Malaysian Widow of IS Fighter Tells Story about Life in Syria

Until her husband was killed, Aisyah says she never thought about returning to Malaysia.

Philippines: Two Years After Siege, Many Marawi Families Remain Homeless

Government still has not begun to reconstruct the southern city, which was ruined in fighting.

Convicted Malaysian Terrorist Voices No Remorse About Past

Former bomber Taufik Abdul Halim talks about life and family in BenarNews interview.

Suicide Bombers behind Deadly Cathedral Attack, Philippine Leader Says

But military officials cast doubt on President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim.

Bomb Explosions in Philippine Cathedral Kill 20, Police Say

Blasts took place days after residents in mainly Muslim areas voted “yes” for autonomy.

Malaysia: Widow of Islamic State Fighter Who Died in Syria Comes Home

“Life there is hard,” Malaysian woman says of her experience in war-torn Middle East nation.

Security Forces Kill PhD Student-Turned-Militant Leader in Indian Kashmir

Manan Bashir Wani, a suspected top militant, and an aide were slain in a shootout, authorities say.

Bangladesh Court Frees Briton Hasnat Karim after 2 Years in Prison

Investigators determined he had no link to militants behind the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack that killed 29.

2 Indonesian Families in Suicide Bombings Showed No Signs of Terror: Neighbors

East Java police chief said 19 suspected terrorists have been arrested since Sunday.

Indonesia Bombings Make Ideology of Death ‘a Family Affair’: Analysts

Children indoctrinated by their parents are themselves victims in “unprecedented” family bombings.

Indonesia: Police Search for 2 Ideological Teachers of Suicide Bombers

Surviving children told investigators that three families met regularly on Sundays.

Indonesia: Second Family Suicide Bombing Strikes Surabaya

Eleven injured, including young girl, in blast that killed four alleged bombers..

Indonesia: Family of Suicide Bombers Launches Deadly Attacks on 3 Churches

Assault was first of its type in the country involving a woman and children, officials said.

Iraq’s Shunned Islamic State Families

Thousands of wives and children of local IS militants leave Iraq with impossible dilemma

Spaniard Among 2 Suspects Arrested in Philippines with Alleged IS Ties

Other suspect is widow of a leader of the Maute gang, which helped seize Marawi.

Relative of Slain Regional IS Leader Among 20 Suspects Caught in Malaysia

Seven Filipinos, seven Malaysians, five Indonesians and a North African were arrested in counter-terror raids.

NYC Bombing Suspect Visited Rohingya Camps in Bangladesh, Wife Says

Akayed Ullah became self-radicalized, police allege, but relatives say he visited refugees from Myanmar merely to deliver aid.

Philippines Indicts Woman Accused as Social Media-Savvy IS Recruiter

Justice department drops rebellion charge against Karen Aizha Hamidon.

Philippine Police Arrest Indonesian Widow of Marawi Militant Leader

Security forces seized bomb-making equipment from suspect’s home, authorities say.

Woman Arrested as Suspected IS Recruiter in Philippines

Suspect is widow of a slain Filipino allegedly trained by a Malaysian terrorist.

Philippines: 40 Unclaimed Bodies Buried in Marawi

Many are believed to be those of dead Islamic State-linked militants.

Commentary: The Life and Death of Wanndy, Malaysia’s Top IS Recruiter

He forever will be linked with Malaysia’s first terrorist attack claimed by Islamic State.

India: Family of IS Suspect Claims Allegations are False

Chennai native Shakul Hameed is being framed by NIA, relatives say.

Indonesia: Returnees from Syria Recount Fear, Letdown of Life in the Islamic State

Group of 18 that returned to Indonesia in mid-August give testimony in government-produced video.

Philippines: Marawi Evacuees Are Safe But Endure Misery at Camps

“Can you eat the air you breathe?,” one man says about a scarcity of food.

2 Vietnamese Hostages of Abu Sayyaf Beheaded: Philippine Military

The severed heads of two men were lying near their bodies, officials say.

Bangladesh Marks Anniversary of Cafe Terror Attack

Attack catapulted the Islamic State into national consciousness in Bangladesh..

Marawi Civilians Found Slain as Philippine Forces Fight Militants

Eight people appeared to have been executed together, according to military.

Indonesian Regency is a Hotbed for Islamic State Recruitment

About 16 people from Lamongan regency have left the area to join IS abroad.

Mother of Slain Belgian IS Recruit Visits Bangladesh, Shares Her Pain

Saliha Ben Ali founded an NGO whose mission is to counter the radicalization of youths.

India: Caller Tells Family IS Fighter was Killed in Iraq

Aman Tandel’s family members are in shock and hope he is alive.

Indonesia: Sheltered by Neighbors, Santoso’s Widow Struggles

Billboards alerted Suwarni that her husband was a militant leader, village chief says.

‘Lucky to be Alive,’ Says Indian Freed as IS Hostage in Libya

Academic T. Gopikrishna recounts horror of 414 days in Islamic State captivity.

Inside Kosovo's Islamist Cauldron (RFE/RL)

A 19-year-old former Islamic State recruit talks about life in a hotbed of militant Islam.

Bangladesh Mourns Terror Attack Victims

Police meanwhile file charges against five militants they say carried out the attack.

Propaganda Video Pains Families of Indian IS Recruits

Investigators claim they have identified six Indians featured in the 22-minute film.

Indonesia: Bali Bombing Victim Says Government Has Forgotten Her

No special institution has been established to assist victims of terrorist attacks.

Afghanistan: Demanding Justice for Farkhunda (RFE/RL)

Afghan authorities need to better enforce laws for protecting women, human rights activist says.

US Considers Sheltering Bangladeshi Secular Writers at Risk

After latest killing, United States says it is considering giving a select number “humanitarian parole.”

Bangladesh: Latest Killing of Secular Writer Draws Global Condemnation

Messages posted on victim’s Facebook page praise the murder.

Indonesian Police: Man Who Died in Custody was a Militant Leader

Siyono led the Neo JI, a group inspired by Jemaah Islamiyah, according to police.

Indonesia: Neighbors Oppose Widow’s Demand for Autopsy

The woman's husband died in police custody after his arrest as a suspected militant.

Indian Authorities Confirm Citizen’s Death in Brussels Attacks

Software engineer Raghavendran Ganesan, 30, was missing since the bombing at the Maalbeek metro station.

Indonesian Woman Rescued from Raqqa

Migrant worker arrived in the Syrian city a few months before Islamic State did.

Father Risked Life in Quest to Save Son From IS

The boy was studying medicine in Europe when he fell into the "terrorists’ trap".

Bangladesh Govt ‘Cooperating’ with Fundamentalists, Writer Charges

Bangladesh has lost its identity as a secular country, says Mahbub Leelen.

Bangladesh Photographer Haunted by Effort to Aid Avijit Roy

Jibon Ahmed was criticized for helping Roy on the night of his death, and also for photographing the incident.

Bangladesh: Father, Brother of Suspected IS Member Arrested

Their relative, Siful Haque Sujan, was killed in airstrikes in Syria that targeted IS leaders.

Father of Malaysian Jihadist Learns of Son’s Death

“At least, my family has closure for his disappearance, instead of worrying about his fate every single day.”

Attack Survivor Speaks Out Against Islamists, Bangladesh Government

Rafida Bonya Ahmed suffered serious injuries in a February attack that killed her husband, a secular blogger.

Malaysian Jihadist’s In-Law Longs to See Daughter Again

Nor Mahmudah Ahmad has married an IS fighter and moved to Syria.

Indonesian Evacuee From Yemen Witnessed Bombings

For Wahyudianto, Yemen was an ideal place to experience the majesty of God – until sectarian conflict ravaged the place.

Two Former IS hostages from Bangladesh Come Home

Their Islamic State captors let them go because they were devout Muslims, the two say.

Interview: Former JI Operative Still ‘A Strong Defender of Islam’

Nasir Abas, formerly with al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), says he opposes violence against civilians in Islam’s name.

Indonesia: Daughter of Bali Bombing Victim Recalls Lonely Childhood

For years, Luh Putu Noni Marheni says, she kept waiting for her father to come home.

Multimedia

Indonesian Women Flee IS Stronghold in Syria

Two women traveled to Raqqa voluntarily but are among thousands who have fled as enemy forces close in on Islamic State’s Syrian headquarters.

Malaysian Woman Tells of 'Mistake' in Nearly Joining IS

I brought shame to the family," 30-year-old mother-of-four says in an exclusive interview.
 
 

Malaysian Teen: 'Just Joking' About Going to Syria

In an exclusive interview, girl tells how friends almost lured her to join IS.
 
 
 
 

After Dhaka Attack, Outpourings of Grief

The attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State terror group touched lives in five countries.

Young Yazidi Refugee Paints About Islamic State 'Nightmare'

Mariam Marwan was 16 when Islamic State militants stormed her village in Iraq, forcing her family to flee to the Sinjar Mountains. Now 18, Miriam says she constantly relives the nightmare but hopes her images will serve as a record of what happened to the Yazidi people.

'My mother and father sold me'

Yahya, an 11-year-old boy, is one of countless victims of human trafficking in Afghanistan. He wound up being trained by the Taliban to become a suicide bomber after his parents sold him to traffickers for U.S. $10,000, he said. “The Taliban gave me a suicide vest but I did not wear it. They said I would go to heaven, and I said ‘Where is heaven?’”

Islamic State Militants' Wives Tell Their Story

Two young cousins were both married to foreign fighters of the Islamic State militant group in Raqqa, Syria, an IS stronghold. After one husband fled and the other carried out a suicide attack, the women escaped to Turkey. They spoke to our correspondent about their experiences and change of heart.

Delusional Paradise

Alhurra channel's weekly program features stories of survivors who have have suffered at the hands of the "Islamic State," or Daesh. Whether it is a family member that has joined Daesh or a community that has lost loved ones, the program examines how people throughout the Middle East/North Africa region are struggling to cope and tell the true story of the savagery of Daesh..

Bangladesh Publishers Targeted

On Oct. 31, suspected Islamists carried out a pair of machete attacks in Dhaka that left one publisher dead, as well as another publisher, a blogger and a writer seriously wounded. The twin attacks targeted publishing houses that had printed the works of slain Bangladeshi-American secular blogger Avijit Roy.