Name and base of
operations |
Description |
Goals and targets |
Est.strength |
Year founded |
Alleged activities |
| Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) a.k.a.
Fatah; Iraq |
Transnational organization,
composed of functional committees |
Targets U.S., UK, France, Israel,
moderate Palestinians, the PLO, Arab countries |
A few hundred |
1974 |
Attacks in 20 countries, killing or
injuring 900. Leader Abu Nidal died in 2002 |
| Abu Sayyaf Group; Philippines,
Malaysia |
Separatist group composed of
several semiautonomous factions |
Aims to create Islamic state in
Philippines; profit-driven terror |
200–500 |
1991 |
Kidnappings, bombings,
assassinations, and extortion |
| Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; West Bank,
Gaza Strip, Israel |
Small cells of Fatah-affiliated
activists |
Aims to drive out Israelis and to
establish a Palestinian state |
Unknown |
2000 |
Shootings, suicide operations
(first Palestinian female suicide bombing) |
| Ansar al-Islam (AI); Iraqi Kurds
and Arabs |
Iraqi Kurds and Arabs |
Aims to create an Islamic state in
Iraq; allied with al-Qaeda |
500–1,000 |
2001 |
Ambushes and attacks |
| Armed Islamic Group (GIA);
Algeria |
Islamic extremists |
Aims to replace Algerian regime
with an Islamic state |
Less than 100 |
1992 |
Massacred thousands of civilians,
targeted foreigners |
| Asbat al-Ansar; Lebanon |
Sunni extremist group associated
with Osama bin Laden |
Aims to create Islamic state,
opposes peace with Israel |
300 |
1990s |
Assassinations, bombings of Western
targets, failed coup |
| Aum Shinrikyo (Aum); Japan,
Russia |
Cult established by Shoko
Asahara |
Claims U.S. will start WWIII with
Japan, beginning Armageddon |
1,950 |
1987 |
Chemical attacks on Tokyo subways,
no recent activity |
| Basque Fatherland and Liberty
(ETA); Spain, France |
Established to create an
independent Basque homeland |
Targets Spanish and French
government interests, tourists |
Unknown |
1959 |
Since 1960, more than 850 killed,
hundreds injured |
| Communist Party of the
Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA); Philippines |
CPP's military wing that aims to
overthrow the government through guerrilla warfare |
Targets Philippine security forces,
politicians, judges, government informers, NPA rebels |
Less than 9,000 |
1969 |
Assassinations, murders, attacks on
U.S. personnel and interests |
| Continuity Irish Republican Army
(CIRA); Northern Ireland, Irish Republic |
Splinter group, also called
Continuity Army Council and Republican Sinn Fein |
Targets British military, Northern
Ireland security forces, Loyalist paramilitary groups |
Less than 50 |
1990s |
Bombings, assassinations,
kidnappings, hijackings, extortion, robberies |
| Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic
Group); Egypt |
Egypt’s largest militant
group now split into two factions, one calling for cease-fire. |
Aims to replace Egypt's government
with an Islamic state |
Unknown |
1973 |
1993 World Trade Center bombings,
attacks on tourists |
| HAMAS (Islamic Resistance
Movement); West Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel |
Outgrowth of the Palestinian branch
of the Muslim Brotherhood |
Aims to replace Israel with
Palestinian Islamic state using political and violent means |
Unknown |
1987 |
Large-scale suicide bombings and
attacks against Israelis |
| Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM);
Pakistan |
Islamic militant group aligned with
the radical JUI-F faction |
Targets Indian troops, Kashmiri
civilians, and Western interests |
Several hundred |
1985 |
Linked to al-Qaeda, hijacked Indian
airliner in 1999 |
| Hezbollah (Party of God); Lebanon,
worldwide cells |
A radical Shi'ite group with aims
for the creation of Iranian-style Islamic republic |
Dedicated to eliminating Israel, is
anti-U.S. and anti-Israel |
A few hundred |
1982 |
Suicide bombings, hijacked 1985 TWA
Flight 847; rocket attacks against Israel in 2006 |
| Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
(IMU); South Asia, Tajikistan, Iran |
Islamic militants opposed to
Uzbekistani President Islom Karimov's secular regime |
Aims to remove Karimov, establish
an Islamic state, and fight anti-Islamic opponents |
Less than 500 |
1991 |
Car bombs, taking foreign hostages,
most active in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan |
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of
Mohammed);
Pakistan |
Islamic extremist group formed
after Masood Azhar's release from prison. |
Aims to unite Kashmir with
Pakistan, targets Indian government and political leaders |
Several hundred |
2000 |
Murder of U.S. journalist, Indian
Parliament bombing, anti-Christian attacks |
| Jemaah Islamiya organization (JI);
cells span Southeast Asia |
Southeast Asian network aims to
create an idealized Islamic state |
Plotted against tourist spots,
foreign diplomatic buildings |
Unknown |
1990s |
Bombings in Indonesia and
Philippines |
| Al-Jihad (AJ); Cairo, Egypt, Yemen,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, UK |
Egyptian Islamic extremists, merged
with al-Qaeda in 2001 |
Aims to replace the Egyptian
government with Islamic state, attack U.S., Israeli interests |
Several hundred |
1970s |
Attacks on Egyptian government
personnel, assassinated Anwar Sadat |
| Kahane Chai (Kach); Israel, West
Bank |
Jewish extremist group aims to
restore the biblical state of Israel |
Organizes protests against the
Israeli government |
Unknown |
1994 |
Threats made to Arabs,
Palestinians, and Israeli officials |
| Kongra-Gel (KGK), a.k.a. Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK); Turkey, Middle East |
Marxist–Leninist insurgent
group aims to create a democratic Kurdish state |
Targets Turkish security forces,
officials, and villagers who oppose organization |
4,000–5,000 |
1974 |
Attacked diplomatic and commercial
facilities, bombed tourist sites |
| Lashkar-e- Tayyiba (LT) (Army of
the Righteous); Pakistan |
Armed wing of a Pakistan-based
Sunni anti-U.S. missionary group |
Targets Indian troops and civilians
in Kashmir |
Several thousand |
1989 |
Attacks on border security forces
and Indian Parliament |
| Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ); Pakistan,
Afghanistan |
A Sunni sectarian radical group
banned in Pakistan in 2001 |
Anti-Shi'ite group aims to create a
Muslim state in Pakistan |
Less than 100 |
1996 |
Armed attacks, bombings, attempted
assassinations |
| Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE); Sri Lanka |
Most powerful Tamil group in Sri
Lanka aims to create a Tamil state |
Targets key personnel, senior
political and military leaders |
8,000– 10,000 |
1976 |
Assassinations, suicide bombers:
“The Black Tigers” |
| Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
(LIFG); Libya, United Kingdom, other countries |
Libyans who had fought against
Soviet forces in Afganistan and the Qaddafi regime in Libya. |
Pledged to overthrow un-Islamic
government of Libyan president Muammar al-Qaddafi |
Several hundred |
1990s |
Suicide bombings, assassination
attempt against Qaddafi |
| Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group
(GICM) |
|
Wishes to create an Islamic state
in Morocco |
Unknown |
1990s |
2003 terrorist attack on
Casablanca; 2004 Madrid bombing |
| Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization
(MEK); Iraq |
Marxist–Islamic group
expelled from Iran receiving Iraqi support |
Largest armed Iranian opposition
group advocates a secular Iranian regime |
Over 3,000 |
1960s |
Assassinations, terrorist bombings,
foreign military- aided assaults |
| National Liberation Army (ELN);
Colombia, Venezuela |
Marxist insurgent group inspired by
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara |
Targets foreign employees from
large corporations |
3,000 |
1965 |
Kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, and
extortion |
| Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ);
Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip |
Militant Palestinians committed to
destroying Israel through holy war |
Targets Israeli military and
civilians, opposes secularism |
Unknown |
1970s |
Suicide bombings, attacks on
Israeli interests |
| Palestine Liberation Front (PLF);
Iraq |
Broke away from PFLP-GC and split
into pro-PLO, –Syrian, and –Libyan factions |
Known for aerial attacks against
Israel |
Unknown |
1970s |
Attacked Italian ship Achille
Lauro, murdered a U.S. citizen |
| Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (PFLP); Syria, Lebanon, Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip |
Marxist-Leninist group that broke
away from the Arab Nationalist Movement |
Targets Israel's “illegal
occupation” of Palestine and opposes negotiations with
Israel |
Unknown |
1967 |
International terrorist acts in the
1970s, attacks against Israel and moderate Arab targets since
1978 |
| Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine–General Command (PFLP-GC); Syria |
Split from the PFLP to focus on
fighting, opposes Arafat's PLO |
Attacks in Europe and the Middle
East. Targets Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Strip |
Several hundred |
1968 |
Unusual attacks: hot air balloons,
hang gliders, Lebanese guerrilla operations |
| Al-Qaeda; Afghanistan until 2001,
Southeast Asia, Middle East, worldwide cells |
Osama bin Laden's network of Arabs
who fought against the Soviet Union. Goal to establish a worldwide
pan-Islamic Caliphate |
Targets “non-Islamic”
regimes and U.S. citizens |
Several thousand |
1980s |
Bombings of embassies and USS
Cole; September 11, 2001, U.S. attacks |
| Al-Qaeda in Iraq |
|
Targets U.S. soldiers and Iraqi
citizens; leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed by U.S. in 2006 |
c. 1,000 |
2003 |
Major and numerous terrorist
attacks in Iraq |
| Real IRA; Northern Ireland, UK,
Irish Republic |
Armed wing of the 32-County
Sovereignty Movement to unify Ireland |
Targets civilians, military,
police, and Protestant communities |
Less than 100 |
1998 |
Bombings, assassinations,
robberies |
| Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC); Colombia |
Oldest and most–capable
Marxist insurgency with ties to narcotics trafficking |
Targets Colombian political,
military, and economic interests, also foreign citizens |
9,000–12,000 |
1964 |
Bombings, mortar attacks,
kidnappings, extortion, guerrilla warfare, and drug trafficking |
| Revolutionary Nuclei (formerly
ELA); Athens, Greece |
Emerged from antiestablishment and
anti-U.S./NATO/EU leftist groups |
Targets U.S. and European interests
and government buildings in Greece |
Believed small |
1995 |
Arson attacks, low-level bombings,
usually striking in early-morning hours |
| Revolutionary Organization 17
November; Athens, Greece |
Radical leftist group named for
student uprising in 1973 |
Seeks removal of U.S. bases,
Turkish military, and the severing of NATO and EU ties |
Believed small |
1975 |
Assassinations, bombings,
improvised rocket attacks, supported by bank robberies |
| Revolutionary People's Liberation
Army/Front (DHKP-C); Turkey |
Marxist-Leninist group:
“Party” refers to its political activities,
“Front” refers to its militant operations |
Anti-U.S., anti-NATO, and
anti-Turkish establishment group |
Unknown |
1978 |
Attacks on U.S. interests, suicide
bombings |
| Salafist Group for Call and Combat
(GSPC); Algeria |
Outgrowth of GIA and the most
effective armed group in Algeria |
Military and government targets,
pledges to avoid civilians |
Several hundred |
1992 |
Attacks military, police, and
government convoys |
| Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso,
SL); Peru |
Based on Maoist teachings, aims to
destroy Peruvian institutions |
Aims to build communist regime,
targets political enemies |
300 |
1960s |
30,000 dead, assassinations,
bombings, village raids |
| Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad
al-Rafidayn (QJBR) a.k.a. Al-Zarqawi Network and Al-Qaeda in Iraq;
Iraq |
Established soon after start of
Operation Iraqi Freedom to bring together jihadists and other
insurgents; merged with al-Qaeda |
Aims to expel Coalition forces and
establish Islamic state in Iraq, then move to Syria, Lebanon,
Israel, and Jordan |
Unknown |
2003 |
Many bombings, killing hundreds;
assassination of key Iraqi political figures; beheadings of
Americans |
| United Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia (AUC); Colombia |
Umbrella organization that
consolidates paramilitary groups |
Targets “insurgents”
from FARC and ELN |
8,000–11,000 |
1997 |
Assassinations, guerrilla warfare,
and drug trafficking |
1. As of April 2006.
