The Sons of the Islamic Sahara Movement for Justice

Abdul Salam Tirmon, Mohammed al-Amin Bochenb and Yousef Bochenb reportedly founded the Sons of the Islamic Sahara Movement for Justice (SISMJ) in 2004, with the goal of establishing Shariah law in Algeria. The group was based Algeria and also operated out of northern Niger and western Libya, but did not take up arms until 2007. Its first serious attack took place at the airport in Djanet, Algeria. After carrying out more attacks in 2007, the SISMJ entered talks with the Algerian government and allegedly agreed to lay down its arms. The SISMJ did not resume attacks until the Malian coup in March 2012 when it allied with the Mouvement pour l’Unification et le Jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO) and later with the Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade. The SISMJ is best known for its cooperation with and logical support for the Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade in the takeover of a British Petroleum gas complex near the town of In Amenas, in southeastern Algeria in January 2013. In May 2013, Tirmon released a video that stated the SISMJ would no longer ally with MUJAO or the Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade; the reasons for the break in alliances remain unclear. Whether or not the SISMJ is still operating as a group is unknown. Recently the group appears to have once more laid down its arms after negotiating a settlement with the Algerian government.