[Garowe] Police in Kenya have launched a security operation targeting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Marsabit and Isiolo counties, following a series of insecurity incidents across the common border with Æthiopia, triggered by the group.
This operation aims to dismantle the group's criminal activities, which pose a significant threat to Kenya's national security, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said. The group takes advantage of cultural ties between the Oromo and Borana of Kenya.
OLA, the police boss said, is notorious for facilitating terrorism through collaboration with al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... , trafficking illegal arms and narcotics, engaging in human smuggling, and dealing in contraband goods.
Additionally, the group has been involved in cross-border incursions, illegal mining, instigating tribal conflicts, and kidnapping for ransom, the security boss added in a statement that comes ahead of President William Ruto's trip to northern Kenya.
"The NPS urges residents to remain calm, cooperate with security officers, and continue with their daily activities as law enforcement works to restore peace and safeguard the lives and property of all Kenyans," Kanja said.
In recent months, there has been relative stability in the country due to increased surveillance by security teams, with the al-Shabaab group minimizing activities within the northeastern region. The OLA is said to be causing a significant threat in northern regions.
This achievement is the result of a comprehensive and strategic counterterrorism approach spearheaded by the government. Key initiatives include the deployment of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) under the National Intelligence Service (NIS), enhanced intelligence coordination, and reinforced border security.
Once challenged regions such as Mandera, Garissa, and Lamu now enjoy a renewed sense of peace and stability, a testament to the government’s commitment to securing the nation. Kenya’s leadership in counterterrorism and resilience has positioned it as a regional benchmark for security excellence.
[ShabelleMedia] A senior commander of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... ’s Somalia wing was captured on Monday, according to police and state media. The arrest comes just two days after U.S. Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s targeted the leadership of ISIS in the region, amid a sustained offensive by Somali security forces.
Abdirahman Shirwac Aw-Saciid, known by the alias "Laahoor" and head of the group’s liquidation squad, surrendered to authorities in the rugged Cal Miskaad mountains of Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... state. He was not only responsible for assassinations but also played a key role in extorting local businesses, bolstering the group’s finances.
This capture marks a pivotal moment in the fight against ISIS in Somalia, which has seen its influence grow in recent years. The influx of imported muscle and enhanced revenue collection have made Somalia’s IS franchise an increasingly vital node in the jihadist network globally.
The sophistication of the group’s tactics was evident during a December attack on a military base, where they reportedly used two booby-trapped vehicles, signaling a step-up in their operational capabilities according to security analysts.
Abdikadir Jama Dirir, head of police in Puntland’s Bari region, confirmed the capture, highlighting the ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist groups in the area. "This is a critical hit to their operations," Dirir stated, emphasizing the significance of Aw-Saciid’s arrest.
[ShabelleMedia] The security forces of the Puntland Government have seized a boat carrying military supplies, including uniforms and other military equipment after the vessel was intercepted off the coast of the Qaw area in the Bari region.
The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Task Force confirmed that the boat was carrying Somali nationals, who are now under investigation regarding the intended recipients of the military supplies.
The boat, which was carrying several individuals, was seized in the waters off Qaw, with further investigations underway to determine who was meant to receive the military supplies and the purpose behind their transportation.
[Garowe] At least five National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) from Mandara County have been allegedly kidnapped by suspected al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... krazed killers, officials said, just days before President William Ruto visits the northeastern region.
Julius Njeru, the Mandera South Sub County Police Commander, said the five were traveling from Wargadud to Elwak town for duty before they were ambushed by the krazed killers, who perhaps crossed over to Sthe omalia border after the incident.
Security officers working with the multi-agency security teams and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are said to be pursuing the krazed killers, with the ultimate hope of rescuing the administrators, who were reporting for official duties at the time of abduction.
The incident is the first targeting government officials in as many months, with the al-Shabaab always pursuing chiefs and coppers whenever they want to strike. Chiefs an important role in relaying information to security teams.
The whereabouts of the administrators, but it is believed the bandidosturbans are taking them for ransom purposes. The group is known to be sparing locals who share the same religion and ethnicity, only using them to solicit money from the government.
This is not the first time al-Shabaab bandidosturbans have kidnapped people within the region. In 2011, they held hostage Italian citizens leading to authorization of Operation Linda Nchi, which paved the way for KDF incursion in Somalia before joining the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
In 2019, the bandidosturbans also kidnapped two Cuban doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodriguez Hernandez before taking them across the border. There were negotiations between elders from across the two countries negotiating for their release but they collapsed.
The abduction of the five chiefs comes at the time President William Ruto is set for a development visit to northeastern Kenya where he is set to inspect several projects in the coming days. Mandera Senator Ali Roba is one of the organizers of the trip.
For almost three years, the region has been fairly stable with the multi-agency security teams managing to neutralise the Somalia-based terror group. KDF has also established 14 Forward Operating Bases along the border between Kenya and Somalia to monitor the situation.
The chiefs were from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole and were aboard a vehicle at the time of the incident.
The vehicle ferrying the chiefs to Elwak was hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South.
Kenya’s security multi-agency teams operating under the Special Operations Group(SOG) quick response unit encountered an IED attack while responding to the incident.
This led to delays in the rescue efforts to help bring the five chiefs home, with the insurgents making away with the administrators.
Someone took a writing course — this report is positively lyrical.
[ShabelleMedia] In a decisive blow, Jubbaland’s elite special forces carried out a meticulously planned operation late Sunday night, neutralizing two al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... murderous Moslems and apprehending another in Kismayo ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.... , a key port city in southern Somalia.
The operation targeted a safe house where the cell, infamous for its role in high-profile liquidations and assassinations, was believed to be plotting its next moves. "These individuals were actively preparing for liquidations targeting influential figures in Kismayo," a high-ranking security official stated, underscoring the operation’s urgency based on actionable intelligence.
The raid unfolded in the quiet of the night, with special forces storming the location under the cover of darkness. The engagement was swift, with the two killed murderous Moslems identified as key operatives in al-Shabaab’s liquidation network. The captured murderous Moslem, whose identity has not been disclosed for operational security, is currently under interrogation to extract further intelligence on the group’s activities.
Parallel to this high-stakes operation, Jubbaland Police launched a comprehensive security sweep across multiple neighborhoods in Kismayo. This operation, part of a broader strategy to maintain peace and security, involved checking vehicles, ID verification, and the temporary detainment of several individuals for further questioning.
"The security operations tonight are part of our ongoing efforts to dismantle al-Shabaab’s infrastructure within our jurisdiction and to prevent any further disruption to the peace and stability we’ve worked hard to establish," explained the police spokesperson.
Residents of Kismayo, while accustomed to such security measures, expressed a mix of relief and concern. "We are glad that these threats are being dealt with, but the constant fear of retaliation or another attack lingers," said a local shopkeeper who witnessed the police activity.
The operations in Kismayo highlight the persistent threat of al-Shabaab in Somalia, even as federal and regional forces, supported by international allies, continue their counterterrorism efforts. The Jubbaland administration has vowed to intensify its operations to root out the remaining murderous Moslems, emphasizing the importance of community cooperation in intelligence gathering to preempt future attacks.
As dawn broke over Kismayo, the city returned to its regular rhythm, but with an underlying acknowledgment of the ongoing battle against extremism in their midst.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Director Evgenia Berkovich (included in the list of terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring), who received 5 years and 7 months of imprisonment for justifying terrorism during the production of the play "Finist the Bright Falcon"has been sent to a penal colony.
“It just became known that today Zhenya Berkovich is being sent to a penal colony,” the convict’s support group said on its Telegram channel.
It is noted that it is not yet known to which colony the director was sent.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, on December 25, 2024, the military appellate court mitigated the sentences of Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk (included in the list of terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring) in the case of justifying terrorism. The final sentence for the playwright is 5 years and 10 months in prison.
In July, the Second Western District Military Court of Moscow found Berkovich and Petriychuk guilty of publicly justifying terrorism. They were then sentenced to six years in prison in a general regime penal colony; the convicted were also banned from administering Internet resources for three years.
A criminal case was opened against Berkovich and Petriychuk after they staged the play "Finist the Bright Falcon". In the play, the women met representatives of radical Islam through social networks. After a video of the reading of the work was published online in May 2023, the director and playwright were detained, as investigators believed that the play contained signs of justification of terrorism. The convicted persons themselves do not admit their guilt.
During the examination, it was established that the play "Finist the Bright Falcon" glorifies militants of the ISIS group (a terrorist organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation) and promotes the ideology of radical feminism.
…a truly unexpected combination.
In April 2024, Rosfinmonitoring added Berkovich and Petriychuk to the list of extremists and terrorists.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Brussels police were searching for two gunmen Wednesday after shots were fired outside a metro station, with authorities saying there was 'no indication of a terrorist motive'.
Nobody was injured in the shooting, which happened at around 6:00 am outside Clemenceau train station near the city centre.
Surveillance footage obtained by broadcaster RTBF showed two masked people carrying Kalashnikov-style automatic rifles outside the metro, with at least one letting off repeated shots.
The suspects fled into the metro and entered tunnels running under one of the city's main railway stations, a police spokesperson said.
'A major search operation was launched after the available video surveillance images showed two suspects fleeing into the metro tunnels,' prosecutors said in a statement.
'At this stage, there is no indication of a terrorist motive for this shooting.'
…which just means they do not already have the men in their files as declared for ISIS or Al Qaeda, not proof they are not Moslem colonists spontaneously running amok for the glory of Allah.
Brussels transport authorities said that Clemenceau and the nearby Midi metro station had been closed on the orders of the police and traffic on two lines had been interrupted as they launched a manhunt in the tunnels of the subway system.
Another video showed a large group of heavily armed police assembling at the Clemenceau station, as a massive search for the suspects got underway.
Local broadcaster VRT reported that the events were possibly drug related. Brussels has seen an increase in gun crime linked to disputes between rival drug gangs in the city. Local media citing police figures say that there were 89 shooting incidents, killing nine people, in the city last year.
What odds the drug gang is one of the Moslem ethnic ones, turning the whole thing back to a Moslem conquest issue?
#2
If it was drug gang related how did they manage to not injure anyone while using two evil assault rifles?
Same thing if it was 'normal' Islamic terrorists?
Hamas is trying to create an incident for propaganda purposes.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it fired warning shots after Palestinian suspects approached troops in several areas of the Gaza Strip today.
In one incident in central Gaza, the military says soldiers shot a suspect who did not withdraw after warning shots were fired.
Additionally, a drone strike was carried out in central Gaza as a warning to prevent a car from driving to the Strip’s north via an unapproved route, the IDF says.
Vehicular traffic is only permitted on the Salah a-Din road, where a private company is inspecting Palestinian cars heading north.
At sea, the military says the Israeli Navy spotted a Palestinian vessel that went out past a maritime boundary. After warning shots, the vessel returned to the coast of Gaza, the IDF adds.
[Rudaw] At least 15 agriculture workers, mostly women, were killed on Monday in a boom-mobile near the northern Syrian city of Manbij and 15 other women were maimed, a rescue group said.
"A horrific massacre claimed the lives of 14 women and one man, and injured 15 women, some of them seriously, and the corpse count is likely to rise. All were agriculture workers," The White Helmets, a volunteer search and rescue organization, said on X.
The boom-mobilewent kaboom! next to another car that was transporting the farm workers near Manbij, according to the group.
The perpetrator of the attack has not immediately been identified.
Syria’s state SANA news agency also reported the earth-shattering kaboom.
On Saturday, another boom-mobile in Manbij killed three people and injured an additional six.
The explosions come as Kurdish forces and militias clash in northern Syria.
Fighting has raged between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the SNA in northern Syria for more than a month. The SNA have carried out intense attacks on SDF-held areas near Manbij, including Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge on the Euphrates River.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
...
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
