While it’s true that we’re living in a far more peaceful era than most of our ancestors, the number of conflicts among states and non-state actors has only been increasing since the end of the Second World War. Much of that violence could be attributed to insurgencies and rebel groups fighting against trained, professional state armies, resulting in widespread violence and atrocities against civilian populations. 

10. Kashmir Insurgency

Since December 1989, India has been fighting a persistent insurgency in its northernmost Kashmir region. It’s a long-standing conflict that began with the kidnapping of the daughter of an Indian government official, and has been largely limited to the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. 

The rebellion got triggered due to a number of factors, like political grievances against the Indian state and demands for self-determination by the local Kashmiri population. It’s also a geo-politically disputed region, with the entirety of it claimed by both the countries. 

While the insurgency has dialed down a lot compared to its most intense days during the 1990s, it’s still an ongoing conflict. Some reports suggest that currently, at least a dozen armed separatist groups are active in the region, compared to about 400,000 Indian troops stationed in the state. The rebellion has been marked by occasional-but-intense violence, particularly by Indian security forces against civilians. 

9. Al-Shabaab Insurgency

Al-Shabaab is an Islamic militant group active in Somalia. Since 2006, its members and other affiliated groups have been waging a bloody insurgency against Somalia’s government. It began after the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) – a body of local, clan-based Islamic courts in southern Somalia allied with al-Shabaab – was defeated and ousted by Ethiopian forces in late 2006. 

The group initially gained support by exploiting social grievances and clan rivalries within the country, along with the instability caused by the lack of a functioning central government. Since its beginning, the rebellion has attracted both local and foreign fighters, including members of the terrorist group called al-Qaeda. The conflict also involved the peacekeeping African Union Mission in Somalia – or AMISOM – sanctioned by the UN Security Council in 2007.

While AMISOM and Somali forces have managed to reclaim a few territories from al-Shabaab in recent years, the insurgency remains active and the group continues to carry out attacks across southern and central Somalia. 

8. FARC

The FARC insurgency, short for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is one of the longest-running rebellions in Latin America’s history. It began in 1964 with its foundation as a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group seeking to overthrow the Colombian government, owing to factors like socioeconomic inequalities, land disputes, and widespread political exclusion of the workers in rural areas.

Over the years, the Colombian government, supported by the United States, has launched a series of military campaigns against the group, though it remains strong and active in many areas. The conflict has also involved a number of paramilitary groups associated with the Colombian right-wing. While the conflict was thought to be over with the signing of an official peace agreement in 2016, splinter groups continue to resist government forces in many areas of the country.  

7. OLA Insurgency

The OLA – or Oromo Liberation Army – insurgency in Ethiopia has been ongoing since at least 1974, when it mounted its first failed revolution against the Ethiopian government. Their stated aims were self-determination and independence for the Oromo people – the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia that has also traditionally faced marginalization at the hands of the Ethiopian government and military forces. 

While the group has been officially designated as a terrorist group by the state, much of the violence during the conflict has been perpetrated by Ethiopian security forces and allied militia groups. The rebellion has been marked by widespread violence, including attacks on government officials and infrastructure, and extra judicial violence against civilians suspected of aiding the rebels. Currently, the insurgency is limited to the regions of Ethiopia with a significant Oromo population.

6. Myanmar Rebellion

The insurgency and eventual civil war in Myanmar was triggered by the military coup that took place in February, 2021. It was carried out by the military junta that overthrew the democratically elected government of Myanmar and elected their own leader to the top office, namely Myint Swe. 

The insurgency has its roots in decades of struggle against state rule by local groups, along with the country’s tumultuous history since its independence from the British empire in 1948. The war has since involved a number of actors, including ethnic armed groups, student activists, civil society organizations, and other pro-democracy protesters from various walks of life.  

As of now, the insurgency is limited to certain regions of Myanmar where ethnic conflicts are already prevalent, with the military junta – or the Tatmadaw – in control of most of the country’s territory. 

5. Islamic State Insurgency In Afghanistan

ISIS showed up in the Khorasan region of Afghanistan in 2015, when a group of local militants pledged allegiance to the global Islamic State and began an insurgency against the government in Kabul. The group is mainly active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also operates in other regions of Central Asia. 

The rebels are mainly recruited from former Taliban cells dissatisfied with the Taliban leadership, or its peace negotiations with the Afghan government. It’s an ongoing insurgency, as Islamic State militants from the region continue to carry out sporadic attacks across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite active military operations by Afghan and Pakistani forces to neutralize the group, it remains a major threat to the stability of Afghanistan and the larger central and south Asian region.

4. Sudanese Civil War

The first Sudanese Civil War began in 1955, a few months before its independence from British colonial rule. Despite decolonization, the country remained divided on racial and ethnic lines, especially between the ruling Arab muslims from the north and the African Christians and other groups in the south and west. The conflict ultimately resulted in two separate civil wars spanning more than five decades.

Groups involved in the fighting include the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and its political wing, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), along with several other smaller factions. While the violence had largely subsided with the conclusion of the second civil war in 2005, ethnic and political tensions remained. In April, 2023, fighting between rival factions of the military government resulted in another civil war that’s still ongoing, with casualty numbers increasing constantly as we speak. According to reports from June, 2023, more than 100,000 people have been displaced due to the current round of violence.

3. Kurdish Insurgency

The Kurdish insurgency in Turkey began in 1984, when the PKK – or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party – announced a popular uprising to oppose the Turkish state. The underlying causes include cultural and political discrimination against the Kurdish minority in Turkey, which had been ongoing for many decades before the start of the conflict. The PKK seeks to achieve self determination and greater autonomy for the traditional Kurdish regions through armed struggle, leading to the decades-long conflict against Turkish security forces. 

The insurgency has been fought by various groups over the years, including the PKK and its affiliates, as well as government forces and extremist paramilitary groups. According to some estimates, the conflict has so far claimed the lives of over 40,000 people, with no clear resolution in sight. Its current status is ongoing, with occasional flare-ups seen in southeastern Turkey in recent years. 

2. M23 Insurgency

The March 23 movement – also known as the M23 insurgency – began in Congo in April 2012, when former members of the Congolese army picked up arms and mutinied against the government. The primary issues were political and economic grievances, including corruption, marginalization of certain ethnic groups, and poor working conditions for soldiers. The group was initially led by Bosco Ntaganda – a former general who has since been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

The insurgency has seen the involvement of many different parties, including the government and military forces of Rwanda and Uganda, who have been accused of providing support to the rebels by the UN. The group’s goal was to overthrow the Congolese government and establish a separate state in eastern Congo, though the conflict led to widespread violence and displacement of civilians in the entire region. While M23 declared a ceasefire in November 2013 and signed a peace agreement with the government, the conflict restarted in November, 2021, when M23 militants took over large parts of the North Kivu region and forced more than 800,000 people out of their homes. 

1. Houthi Rebellion

The Yemen Civil War, also called the Houthi Rebellion, began in 2014, when Houthi rebels took control of the country’s capital, Sanaa, and took over the government and military infrastructure. The conflict has its roots in long-standing issues, including political instability, economic hardship, and widespread discontent among the local population, especially the Houthi tribe. 

The situation has been further complicated by the presence of multiple actors, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA, and other armed groups. The rebels are backed by Iran, while Yemen’s government forces are supported by a coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia. 

The insurgency and ensuing civil war has caused a major humanitarian crisis in the country. According to latest figures by the UN refugee agency, about four million people have been internally displaced by the conflict that has claimed the lives of close to 377,000 people since 2015.

From prison gangs to extortion rackets to neo Nazis, the United States is home to a variety of criminal groups and organizations. While we don’t hear about them as often as we should, they remain an active threat for the security apparatus of the country, with membership numbers comparable to some large, multinational corporations. 

10. Jewish Defense League

The Jewish Defense League is recognized as a far-right terrorist group by the FBI. Formed in 1968 by Rabbi Meir Kahane, one of the stated aims of the organization was protection from anti-Semitism worldwide. It was primarily founded on the principles of Jewish nationalism, territorialism, and the use of force to defend Jews against their enemies. The JDL has since been accused of numerous terrorist attacks, including bombings, assassinations, and extortion.

The group is primarily active in the US and Israel, where it has been responsible for a number of violent incidents over the years. It first gained prominence in the 1970s, when JDL members carried out a number of high-profile attacks against Arab targets in the United States and Europe. They were also known for their staunch opposition to the USSR, as Jews across the Soviet Union were barred from emigrating to Israel. Despite its small size, the JDL was able to gain a large following in the Israeli-American Jewish community due to its aggressive tactics.

9. MS-13

MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is an international criminal organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally formed as a protection racket for Salvadoran refugees in the city, the group gradually evolved into a violent criminal organization involved in activities like drug and human trafficking. Today, the group operates in several countries, including the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.

MS-13 got popular attention in the 1990s and early 2000s, when it was responsible for a string of murders and assaults across the country. The gang is infamous for its brutal tactics, like their preference for machetes and other melee weapons to fight their rivals. Despite its notoriety, however, MS-13 remains a relatively-small gang, with an estimated 6,000 – 10,000 members in the US. In central American countries, however, the gang’s membership may be as high as 60,000.

8. Vice Lords

Vice Lords Nation originated in Chicago, Illinois, in 1958 as a community organization aimed at helping local African Americans overcome poverty and discrimination. Over time, however, the group grew into one of the largest criminal organizations in the United States, with a chapter in almost every city and town across the country. The group is known to be involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, and murder. 

The gang mainly operates in the Midwest and southern regions of the United States, and has an estimated total membership of anywhere between 30,000 – 35,000 regular and associate members. The US government has designated the group as a criminal organization, though despite several high-profile arrests over the years, it remains a large and influential gang, particularly in Chicago. 

7. Barrio Azteca

With an estimated 3,000 members across the United States and around 5,000 in the Juarez region in Mexico, Barrio Azteca – also known as Los Aztecas – began as a prison gang in the El Paso prison system in Texas. It was formed in 1986, and has since expanded its presence to other states like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico. While it’s not a particularly large gang, they’ve set themselves apart by the sheer intensity of their violence, which often spills over to either side of the border. 

By the 2000s, Barrio Azteca had aligned itself with Mexico’s Juarez Cartel in their brutal fight against the Sinaloa Cartel. Many of the gang’s members have been killed or arrested in the years since – including its leader Eduardo Ravelo – severely weakening the group’s influence in the region. According to reports by law enforcement agencies, however, Barrio Azteca has regained a lot of its strength in recent years, particularly in the city of Juarez, where it’s still heavily involved in a variety of criminal activities like drug smuggling, money laundering, and extortion.

6. Mongols Motorcycle Club

The Mongols Motorcycle Club is a notorious outlaw motorcycle club founded in Montebello, California, in the 1970s. They have a strong presence in the Pacific and southwestern regions of the United States, with chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, and other states. The group is predominantly made up of Hispanic members, though it also includes members from other ethnic backgrounds.

The Mongols gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s as a powerful and violent motorcycle club. They’ve been involved in a variety of criminal activities like assault, intimidation, and murder, including a high-profile shootout with members of rival Hells Angels gang in Las Vegas in 2002. 

Despite several attempts by law enforcement agencies to stop them, the Mongols Motorcycle Club remains a potent and influential gang, with many of its members maintaining strong ties with other Hispanic street gangs spread across the Los Angeles area. 

5. Crips And Bloods

Crips and Bloods are two rival gangs based in Los Angeles, California. Their origins are disputed, but some reports from the time suggest that Crips was born as a neighborhood protection gang in 1971, and Bloods was formed in response to the growing power of the Crips. Both the gangs eventually evolved into influential criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and extortion, as well as violent crimes like robbery and murder.

Crips and Bloods have a long-standing rivalry that has resulted in numerous violent clashes over the years. It’s fueled by a complex mix of factors, including territory, reputation, and personal conflicts between various gang members. Both are known for their heavy use of graffiti, hand signs, and colors to identify themselves.

The gangs’ criminal activities have led to a lot of violence and devastation in the communities they operate in, with innocent bystanders often getting caught in the crossfire. Despite various efforts by law enforcement, however, Crips and Bloods remain a major problem in many urban areas of LA.

4. Latin Kings

Latin Kings was formed in Chicago in the 1960s as a predominantly Mexican and Puerto-Rican street gang. They’re known to be involved in multiple criminal activities, like drug trafficking, burglary, homicide, identity theft, and money laundering, as well as high profile assassinations of law enforcement officers in cities across the United States. Currently, Latin Kings operate under two umbrella factions, Motherland and Bloodline, for their Chicago and New York Chapter, respectively. 

The group first got media attention in the 1980s and 90s, when they were associated with several gang-related murders and other crimes across Chicago. With over 160 chapters and 20,000 – 35,000 members around the country, Latin Kings is easily one of the largest gangs in the US, with a strong presence in multiple cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. 

3. Gangster Disciples

Black Gangster Disciple Nation – later renamed to Gangster Disciples – is a prison and street gang formed in Chicago in the 1960s. It was founded by the merger of two gangs led by Larry Hoover and David Barksdale – the Black Disciples and Supreme Gangsters. It’s a predominantly African-American gang involved in activities like drug trafficking, extortion, and murder.

While Gangster Disciples have a significant presence in the Midwest, particularly in Chicago and Detroit, the gang is also known to be active in other parts of the country like the East Coast and the South. It has grown into a large and powerful group in recent years, with an estimated 25,000 – 50,000 members spread across the United States.

2. Aryan Brotherhood

The Aryan Brotherhood started out as a white supremacist prison gang formed in response to race wars against rival black gangs. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most feared criminal organizations in the country, with many of its members openly sporting tattoos of Nazi insignia and other fascist symbols. 

Members of the Aryan Brotherhood primarily operate in prisons, though they’re also quite active on the streets. The group is involved in a wide range of criminal activities like drug trafficking and extortion, and while it’s not as large as other gangs like the Mexican Mafia, the Aryan Brotherhood remains a potent force in the criminal underworld.

While law enforcement agencies have been working to dismantle the Aryan Brotherhood for decades, the group’s highly-structured hierarchy and its members’ fierce loyalty to the organization make it difficult to infiltrate. Still, there have been numerous high-profile arrests of Aryan Brotherhood members in recent years, and many of its leaders have been sentenced to long terms in prison. Despite these efforts, however, the Aryan Brotherhood continues to operate as an influential and fairly-large gang in multiple parts of the country.

1. Mexican Mafia

Also known as La Eme and Los Carnales, Mexican Mafia is one of the largest prison gangs in the United States, with members active in over 13 states. It was founded in 1957 in southern California by former street gang member Luis Flores, and many of its early members were leaders of hispanic gangs active in LA and nearby areas. Since then, it has grown into one of the deadliest and most influential gangs in the country.

As of now, the Mexican Mafia operates both inside and outside the US prison system, and its crime portfolio includes robbery, extortion, assault, murder, and drug trafficking. It’s estimated that the gang has about 350 to 400 members inside US prisons, with tens of thousands of additional foot soldiers on the streets throughout California and beyond.