Brigade of Jihad and Monotheism (Jihadi Entity, Tunisia)

• Local Name: كتيبة الجهاد والتوحيد
• Transliteration: Katibat al-Jihad wal-Tawhid
• Alternatives: N/a
• Status: 2018 – 2019 (Defeated)
• Conflicts: Islamist Militancy in Tunisia

The Brigade of Jihad and Monotheism [KJT; Katibat al-Jihad wal-Tawhid] was a small Islamist militant organization active in Tunisia. It sought to establish Islamic rule over Tunisia’s Sidi Bouzid governorate and was loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [DaIISh; Dawlat al-Islamiya fi-Iraq wal ash-Sham].¹ The outfit had approximately two dozen members and was headed by Ezzedine al-Alaoui, a former commander of the Soldiers of the Caliphate in Tunisia [JaKI; Jund al-Khilafa fi-Ifriqiya].²

The KJT was established by Alaoui after he had left the JaKI in 2018 and attracted new followers. Alaoui and his men made plans to launch attacks against the police in Sidi Bouzid and take over the city.³ On Dec. 05, 2018, Tunisian security forces discovered the house where KJT operatives had been making bombs and arrested several of its operatives.⁴ Fourteen days later, police conducted a series of raids against the outfit in Sidi Bouzid.⁵ Eight militants were apprehended during the operations.⁶ Firearms and an explosives belt was also discovered.⁷ Alaoui and several other key KJT members remained at large however.

On Jan. 03, 2019, security forces stormed a house where KJT remnants were hiding in the town of Jelma.⁸ Alaoui and an associate blew themselves up during the operation.⁹ Only one policeman was hurt in the incident.¹⁰ Subsequent investigations revealed that the terrorists had planned to attack the town’s main police station later that week.¹¹