Islamic State Tunisia Province

Jund al-Khilafah (JAK-T), also known as Islamic State – Tunisia Province, is a militant group affiliated with the Islamic State in Tunisia. Formed in September 2014 when the Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade defected from al-Qaeda and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, JAK-T competed with other groups for influence but faced limited success against Tunisian forces. By 2015, they established bases in areas like Kasserine and Chambi mountains, using social media for recruitment. Collaborating with IS-Algeria, they expanded into Algeria, prompting joint counteroperations.

In March 2015, JAK-T claimed responsibility for the Bardo museum attack, which killed 22 people. The Tunisian government later froze their assets in January 2019 and charged members with terrorism. In July 2019, IS recognized them as an official province. They continued operations, attacking national guards in September 2020. Their leader, Ashraf al-Qizani (Abu 'Ubaydah), was designated a global terrorist by the U.S. in December 2020 and had been hiding in Libya until January 2020.

In December 2022, JAK-T members pledged allegiance to ISIS's new leader. In April 2024, arrests were made, and two members were sentenced to death in December 2024 for killing soldiers in 2013. Tunisia subsequently tightened anti-terrorism laws.