Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) was an Algerian Islamist militant group active during the Algerian Civil War from 1998 to 2007. It was formed by Hassan Hattab, a former commander who left the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) after disagreeing with the GIA’s civilian massacres. The GSPC aimed to Fight under a strict Islamic vision and followed a hardline Salafist jihadist ideology.
Leadership changed a few times. Hassan Hattab led the group from 1998 to 2003, then Nabil Sahraoui led briefly (2003–2004), and Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud took over in 2004. The group’s size was uncertain, with estimates ranging from a few hundred to several thousand fighters. In 2001, the United Kingdom banned the GSPC as a terrorist organization.
In 2003 the GSPC pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, though some leaders opposed this move. After Sahraoui’s death in 2004, Wadoud led the group and helped shape its ties to al-Qaeda. In 2007 the GSPC changed its name to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), becoming the North African branch of al-Qaeda.
As AQIM, the group expanded beyond Algeria into the wider Sahel region, including Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Chad. The GSPC was involved in the Algerian Civil War and later carried out violence as part of the Maghreb insurgency. Reports about its links to smuggling and money laundering exist, and some observers debate how strong or direct its ties to al-Qaeda were. The GSPC’s evolution into AQIM shows its continuation as part of al-Qaeda’s global network.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:42 (CET).