Key statistics

2014
First Recorded Activity

First Attack

Profile Last Updated

How to Cite

Crenshaw, M., & Robinson, K. (2025). Mapping Militants Project. Rice University. https://doi.org/10.25613/G0K4-WF70
Mapping Militants Project. “Jund al-Khilafah.” Last modified . https://mappingmilitants.org/node/423/

Profile Contents

Narrative

Narrative of the Organization's History

Organization

Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations

Strategy

Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics

Interactions

Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences

Maps

Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps

Main Tabs Group

Overview
Formed: 
January 1, 2014

Jund al-Khilafah (JaK) is a Salafist militant group based in Algeria that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and establish a strict Sunni caliphate. In September 2014, Jund al-Khilafah split from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) because they believe that AQIM had “deviated from the true path.” The group then declared allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in September 2014, stating that militants in JaK would obey the orders of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of IS. Almost immediately after this declaration, JaK threatened to behead a French citizen, Herve Gourdel, if the French government did not immediately halt air strikes on IS in Syria. The French government refused to comply, and JaK posted a video online of Gourdel’s beheading on September 24, 2014.

Organization

Vertical Tabs

Strategy

Vertical Tabs

Interactions

Vertical Tabs