Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen
Participant in the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002-present), Northern Mali conflict
The Shahada flag commonly used by al-Qaeda.
Active	2 March 2017 – present
Ideology	Salafist jihadism
Leaders	Iyad Ag Ghaly
Area of operations	Mali
Strength	4,000
Part of	Al-Qaeda
Originated as	Al-Mourabitoun Ansar Dine Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Macina Liberation Front
Opponents	Mali

Nusrat al-Islam, officially known as Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin' or Al-Qaeda in Mali (AQM), is a militant jihadist organisation in the Maghreb and West Africa formed by the merger of Ansar Dine, the Macina Liberation Front, Al-Mourabitoun and the Saharan branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. It is the official branch of Al-Qaeda in Mali, after its leaders swore allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri.

On March 2, Iyad Ag Ghaly, Al Murabitoun’s deputy leader, Hassan Al Ansari, Yahya Abu Hammam, Amadou Kouffa, and Abu Abderaham al-Sanhaji appeared in a video declaring the creation of Nusrat al-Islam, and their allegiance to al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, AQIM's Emir, Abdelmalek Droukdel, and Taliban Emir, Hibatullah Akhundzada. They also praised killed al-Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. On March 6, Nusrat attacked a military checkpoint in Mali, killing 11 Malian soldiers. On March 15, Nusrat again attacked a military post, killing 2 soldiers and two civilians. On March 16, Abdelmalek Droukdel released an audio message, approving the union between the groups. On March 19, Al-Qaeda issued a statement approving the new group and accepting their oath of allegiance. On March 26, Nusrat claimed 3 attacks against military posts in Mopti Region and Macina.