Soufiane el-Houari Module (Jihadi Entity, Belgium)

• Local Name: N/a
• Transliteration: N/a
• Alternatives: N/a
• Status: 2015 – 2015 (Defeated)
• Conflicts: European Islamist Militancy

The Soufiane el-Houari Module [SHM] was a small Islamist militant cell in Belgium. It was most likely formed somewhere in 2015; a year after longtime Algerian jihadi Soufiane el-Houari had arrived in Brussel following a stay in Syria. Houari quickly attracted a number of followers.¹ He was also joined by well-known Belgian jihadi operative Moussa Zemmouri.

Houari and his associates raised funds for militants active in Iraq and Syria.² The cell was apparently behind a series of burglaries throughout Belgium.³ The module was also suspected of having recruited jihadis to fight in the region.⁴

In July 2015, the module’s key members were arrested following a failed attempt to rob a drugs dealer in the Hoboken suburb of Antwerpen.⁵ Houari was sentenced to twelve years in prison by a Belgian court in July 2016.⁶ Some of his followers were also given prison sentences.⁷