al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
| Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb | |
|---|---|
| تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي | |
 | |
Leader | |
| Dates active | 2007–present |
| Groups |  Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade (until 2017) Sahara Emirate
Brigade (until 2017) Al-Mourabitoun Battalion (2015-2017) |
| Active regions | The Maghreb and the Sahel
|
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Al-Qaeda |
| Wars | Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) and the Global War on Terrorism |
| Website | Preview warning: No official website (P856) found in wikidata. Nothing will be displayed. |
Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī, French: l'Organisation d'Al-Qaïda aux Pays du Maghreb Islamique), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) active in North Africa engaged in an insurgency campaign in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.
The militant group originated from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). It has declared its intention to attack European (including Spanish and French) and American targets. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Membership is mostly drawn from the Algerian and local Saharan communities (such as the Tuaregs and Berabiche tribal clans of Mali), as well from other North African countries AQIM has focused on kidnapping for ransom as a means of raising funds and is estimated to have raised more than $50 million in the last decade.
On 2 March 2017, the Sahara branch of AQIM merged with Macina Liberation Front, Ansar Dine, and al-Mourabitoun, into Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.