Izzedine al-Alaoui (Jihadi Militant, Tunisia)

• Full name: Izzedine Ben Lazhar Ben Sassi al-Alaoui
• Pseudonym: N/a
• Alternatives: Ezzedine Aloui
• Location: Tunisia
• Affiliation: Brigade of Jihad and Monotheism [KJT], fmr Soldiers of the Caliphate in Tunisia [JaKI], fmr Brigade of Uqba Bin Nafa’a [KUIN]

Izzedine al-Alaoui (°1991) is a Tunisian jihadi from the Sidi Bouzid governorate. Following a brief stay with the Brigade of Uqba Bin Nafa’a [KUIN; Katibat Uqba Ibn Nafaâ], he became one of the founding members of the Soldiers of the Caliphate in Tunisia [JaKI; Jund al-Khilafa fi-Ifriqiya] in 2014.¹ For years, Alaoui was a key operative for the outfit on Mount Mghila.²

Alaoui left the JaKI somewhere in 2018.³ He attracted followers and subsequently established the Brigade of Jihad and Monotheism [KJT; Katibat al-Jihad wal-Tawhid].⁴ Alaoui and his associates made plans to attack security forces in Sidi Bouzid and subsequently take control of the city.⁵ The authorities rolled up part of the KJT during a series of raids on Dec. 19, 2018. Several of Alaoui’s associates were arrested during the operation.⁶

Tunisian security forces raided Alaoui’s hideout in the town of Jelma on Jan. 02, 2019. Following a gun battle with police, he blew himself up to avoid capture.⁷