Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Africa Horn

Somali Army Brigadier General Killed in Frontline Shooting

2025-05-18

[ShabelleMedia] Somali Army’s 26th Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Abdirahman Hujale, was shot and killed on Saturday on the frontlines near Moqokori, in the Hiiraan region.

The shooting was carried out by a soldier named Abdullahi Hassan Ahmed, who was subsequently gunned down by fellow troops at the scene, according to security officials.

The bodies of both the commander and the assailant were airlifted to Mogadishu for further investigation, according to security sources, who spoke to Shabelle Radio.

This marks the second high-profile assassination of a senior military officer this year. Last month, Colonel Nur Farey was also killed near Afgoye, 30 kilometers from Somalia’s capital, in a similar attack by an individual in military uniform.

The killing of Brigadier General Hujale raises concerns about internal security within the Somali military and the potential for ongoing threats within the ranks.

The government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the killing of Commander Hujale.

Garowe adds:

His killing marks the latest in a string of high-profile assassinations of senior Somali military officers since 2022, underscoring the fragile security situation in the Horn of Africa nation.

In April, Lieutenant Colonel Nur Farey, commander of the 14th October Brigade, was killed near Afgooye town in the Lower Shabelle region. He was reportedly shot dead by a soldier while addressing troops at a local base.

Since early 2022, several top Somali military figures have been targeted in similar attacks, often in areas where government forces have been engaged in fierce battles with al Shabaab.

The deaths highlight the persistent dangers faced by Somali military leaders operating in volatile regions. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the federal government for over 15 years and often targets both military personnel and civilians.

Link

Africa Horn

Somali President meets regional leaders over worsening security, Al-Shabaab resurgence; Somali army chief quits

2025-04-22

[ShabelleMedia] Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a closed-door meeting with the leaders of the Galmudug
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
, Hirshabelle, and South West regional states to discuss the deteriorating security situation and the renewed offensive by al-Shabaab

... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
bad boys.

The talks, focused on counterterrorism operations and the bad boy group’s recent resurgence, came in the wake of an al-Shabaab takeover of the central town of Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle, approximately 245 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

Hirshabelle President Ali Hussein Gudlawe underscored the strategic importance of regaining control of Adan Yabal, describing the group’s presence there as a major challenge to his administration.

Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, bullets whapped! around Butch as he tried to tie his scarf around his shoulder as a tourniquet......
South West President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohammed Laftagareen praised the Somali National Army for repelling a recent al-Shabaab assault near Baidoa. He said the attack had been thwarted with several bully boyz killed, their bodies later displayed publicly in the city.

President Mohamud also consulted the regional leaders on a broader political initiative aimed at engaging key stakeholders and civil society to address the country’s fragile security. The initiative seeks to coordinate efforts to retake territories currently under al-Shabaab control and reinforce the national army’s campaign.

Security in Somalia has steadily worsened in recent weeks, with an uptick in attacks targeting military bases in Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle, fueling public concern and political pressure in the capital.

Somali army chief to resign after setback in Al-Shabaab war

[Garowe] General Odowaa Yusuf Rage, the Chief of Defence Forces of the Somali National Army (SNA), who made a return recently after dismissal, has since written to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, asking for exit from the SNA leadership.
"I'm outta here!"
Credible reports indicate that the Chief of Defence Forces is said to have written to President Hassan, expressing his intention to leave the forces, at a time the Somali National Army is facing setbacks from the battle against Al-Shabaab militants.

The Somali National Army lost strategic Adan Yabaal town in Middle Shabelle, highlighting a serious gap in the operations, with the US Africa Command forced to intervene by activating an airstrike while assisting the local forces in the fight against the group.

For this, President Mohamud is also expected to reshuffle senior military leadership to boost operations against al Shabaab, as the group has recently intensified attacks and regained control of previously lost territories.

General Odawaa Yusuf Rageh rejoined the military in November 2024 after two years of absence, having been replaced by General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyiddin. Odowaa was brought back to spearhead the operations by the military against al-Shabaab.

If Odowaa Yusuf Rage's exit is confirmed, it would yet again deal a blow to security forces with the change on Command set to affect general organisation and strategy within the defence forces. The military is struggling to reclaim its lost glory.

This comes at the time President Hassan Sheikh opened talks at Villa Somalia with leaders of the South West, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug states. The meeting, requested by the three federal member states, comes after the loss of the military on a number of frontlines.

Next week, Hassan Sheikh has convened the National Consultative Council meeting, which shall focus on the strategies in the fight against Al-Shabaab. The government of Somalia is fighting the group with local security teams expected to take over security responsibilities in future.

Link

Government Corruption

Illegal Jordanian migrants who ‘tried to breach' Quantico base allowed to walk free after posting bail

2024-08-02

[NY Post] The two illegal Jordanian migrants who are charged with trying to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in May posted thousands of dollars in bail and were allowed to leave federal custody, The Post can exclusively reveal.

Hasan Yousef Hamdan, 32, and Mohammad Khair Dabous, 28, were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention despite their immigration status — Hamdan had crossed into the country illegally in April and Dabous had overstayed his student visa and is subject to removal proceedings, law enforcement sources told The Post.

They were arrested on May 3 for trespassing onto the military installation and handed over to ICE officers because of their immigration statuses.

It’s still unknown why the men allegedly tried to get onto the base.

The site is home to the FBI Academy and FBI Laboratory, as well as a Defense Intelligence Agency facility and several major US Marine Corps commands — including the unit that flies the Marine One presidential helicopter.

"Big-time intel failure, security failure," a federal law enforcement source told The Post.

"If it wasn’t an act of terrorism, why aren’t the government officials releasing the details of this? What was the intent?"

The men both posted bond in their ICE cases — with Hamdan’s set at $15,000 and Dabous’ set at $10,000 — and were released in early June, according to federal law enforcement sources.

Hamdan and Dabous were charged with misdemeanor trespassing on military property and appeared before a judge for the first time on July 22, when they were ordered released on the conditions that they show up to court for their immigration proceedings and stay away from Quantico or other military bases, according to the court documents, which were first reported by Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Federal prosecutors supported their releases on those conditions, according to the court documents.

Hamdan entered the US illegally via the southern border in San Diego in April, when he was released due to a lack of detention space, federal law enforcement sources told The Post.

Dabous was in the US illegally after overstaying his student visa, sources said.

Illegal Jordanian migrants who ‘tried to breach’ Quantico base allowed to walk free after posting bail https://t.co/4spNf59xok pic.twitter.com/m8OZbbrth6
— New York Post (@nypost) August 1, 2024

Courtesy of Besoeker, from American Wire News:

‘Deep state' accused of running cover for suspected terrorists freed on bail after trying to breach military base

…But instead of, you know, deporting them or at least keeping them locked up, the Biden-run ICE agency allowed both men to post bail and reenter society as free men in early June, according to the New York Post.

They later returned to court on July 22nd to face misdemeanor trespassing charges and were again ordered released on the condition that they continue to show up to court and that they stay away from U.S. military bases.

Learning just THIS much has been a major hassle, according to Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).

“The Department of Justice, Department of Defense, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI all circled wagons to guard even the identities of the two Jordanians against five written congressional inquiries, a sixth by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin seeking government briefings about the incident, and most recently a subpoena by the Republican-led House Homeland Security Committee of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,” he noted for CIS.

“Government lawyers went so far as to refuse a Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) Freedom of Information Act request on grounds that releasing their names was a ‘clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy’ and of ‘minimal public interest’ despite the congressional and media inquiries that reached a May 16 White House press briefing where President Biden’s spokesperson refused to answer,” he added.

In other words, the Biden administration jumped through hoops to protect the poor ol’ criminal aliens.

The two men are among a group of at least 16 suspected terrorists who’ve made it into the U.S. via America’s porous border before being caught and apprehended.

“If I am in law enforcement, I am looking at this and saying there are way too many numbers for it to be a one-off,” terrorism expert Seamus Hughes recently told the New York Post. “Alarm bells are ringing and it is a significant concern for law enforcement.”

Below are some of the suspected terrorists:

Carlos Obed Yepez-Bedoya
Yepez-Bedoya, a Columbian suspected of being part of a terrorist group, was caught in Texas this past February.

Tajik nationals
A sting in June led to the arrests of eight terrorist suspects all from Tajikistan.

“They had all been apprehended after illegally crossing the border into the United States near San Diego, some six months before being taken down in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles,” the Post noted.

The eight were reportedly talking about bombs before their arrests.

Basel Bassel Ebbadi
When questioned by a Border Patrol agent after trying to cross into the U.S. in March, Basel Bassel Ebbadi, 21, readily admitted, “I’m going to try to make a bomb.”

After being arrested, he admitted to being a member of Hezbollah.

“The only reason we caught this guy is because he’s a moron,” a Border Patrol source claimed. “If he never said anything, he would have gotten through.”

And then only God knows what would have happened…

Somali extremist
A suspected terrorist from Somalia was allowed to enter the U.S. through California in March of 2023 despite being listed on a watchlist as a “confirmed member of al Shabaab.” Due to a “mismatch,” his status on the watchlist was ignored.

“He somehow flew to Minnesota and was arrested thereafter federal authorities realized that the mismatch decision was a mistake. As to what drew him to Minnesota, that remains unclear,” according to the Post.

Link

Home Front: WoT

Six [or eight] suspected terrorists with ISIS ties arrested in sting operation in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia: sources

2024-06-12

[NY Post] Six Russian nationals suspected to have terror ties to ISIS have been arrested in a coordinated sting operation spanning Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia, The Post can exclusively reveal.

Two ICE sources confirmed to The Post they arrested the six people, who hail from Tajikistan, over the last week after the FBI contacted the agency to warn it.

Part of the investigation featured a wiretap which revealed one of the now-arrested individuals was talking about bombs, the sources said.

"Remember the Boston marathon [bombing]? I’m afraid something like that might happen again or worse," one of the sources told The Post.

The target who was subject to the wiretap was previously released by federal authorities at the southern border with a court date next year, but it has since emerged he has potential ties to ISIS, sources said.

Neither ICE nor the FBI immediately responded to The Post’s requests for comment.

The arrests come after warnings from FBI Director Chris Wray about possible ISIS terror plots taking place on US soil and the group’s potential for exploiting the southern border.

In April, Wray warned lawmakers of a possible "coordinated attack" which could take place in the US following an ISIS-K attack on a concert hall in Moscow — which was carried out by citizens of Tajikistan, killed 145 people and wounded hundreds of others.

"Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home," Wray told a House Appropriations subcommittee.

"But now, increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia concert hall a couple weeks ago."

ISIS-K stands for Islamic State Khorasan, referencing a region which includes parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. It is an extreme offshoot of the Islamic State militant group, founded in 2014.

Although the group has previously concentrated its efforts on Russia, multiple Western leaders have warned of their ability to launch attacks in Europe and America.

Just a month before Wray testified about the bureau’s fears, he shared his concerns with the Senate Intelligence Committee about a human smuggling operation at the southern border, with ties to terrorists from ISIS affiliated groups.

"I want to be a little bit careful how far I can go in open session, but there is a particular network that, where some of the overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ISIS ties that we’re very concerned about and that we’ve been spending enormous amount of effort with our partners investigating," the FBI director said in response to a question from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

"Exactly what that network is up to is something that’s, again, the subject of our current investigation," he added.

The bureau had been investigating whether dozens of migrants from Uzbekistan crossed the US-Mexico border with the help of a Turkish smuggler tied to ISIS, CNN reported last August.

The number of migrants caught at the southern border with suspected terror-ties has skyrocketed in recent years, jumping from 11 in the financial years 2017 through 2020 to 362 between financial years 2021 and April 2024, according to federal data.

With migration continuing at unprecedented levels, federal authorities have already accidentally released migrants into the country who have suspected or known terror ties.

Mohammad Kharwin, 48, illegally entered the US near San Ysidro, Calif., in March of 2023 and was freed into the US. However, it wasn’t until a year later the FBI notified ICE Kharwin was a suspected member of the US-designated foreign terror group Hezb-e-Islami, or HIG. Kharwin was rearrested on April 11 and remains in federal custody.

Additionally, ICE admitted earlier this year that a 27-year-old Somali national, who has not been identified by name, was let into the country despite being a "confirmed member of al Shabaab," a designated terrorist group in the US. The man was terror watchlisted and said to be "involved in the use, manufacture or transportation of explosives or firearms," but was released at the border in California in March 2023. Almost a year later, ICE tracked him down to Minnesota and arrested him

Border agents have told The Post they know others have slipped through the cracks because they do not get enough time to effectively screen people.

"What you’re seeing now is only gonna get worse," one Border Patrol agent recently told The Post.

"ICE probably has a list of people they need to go after."

The Biden administration implemented a new border policy Wednesday to stop illegal border crossers applying for asylum until the number of illegal crossers apprehended falls below 1,500 per day.

Migrants, however, appear undeterred by the new rule and have been crossing into areas such as San Diego, which is currently the busiest crossing for illegal entries in the US.

Agents there have been told to exempt citizens of over a 100 countries from being removed, because the government has problems in returning them to their home countries.

Over the weekend, there were roughly 10,000 illegal crossings recorded by Border Patrol agents at the southern border, according to agency data seen by The Post.

Courtesy of Skidmark, Fox News adds:

Eight Tajikistan nationals with ties to ISIS were busted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force in three major cities, a federal source confirmed to Fox News.

All eight Tajikistan nationals crossed the U.S. southern border illegally, and according to a federal source familiar with the sting, no derogatory information was initially flagged with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during processing.

The suspected terrorists were "fully vetted" and nothing was flagged, according to Fox News' federal source.

Link

Africa Horn

Al-shabaab targets Turkish aid workers

2024-04-08

05-04-2024
[Garowe] Somalia-based al-shabaab snuffies targeted ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish aid workers yet again, with the group heightening raids during the Holy Month of Ramadan despite increased security surveillance across the country, powered by the Somali National Army.

For three weeks, the al-shabaab have been targeting innocent civilians, senior government officials and the security teams both in central and southern regions. Dozens of people have been killed in the process according to authorities.

According to reports, the snuffies fired again on Thursday evening in what seems to have targeted ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish aid workers in the country. ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
<del>The Sick Man of Europe</del> Turkey

<del>The Sick Man of Europe</del> Turkey

...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
is a key security and development ally of the Horn of Africa nation due to close collaboration.

Further reports indicate the earth-shattering kabooms targeted ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish aid workers in the vicinity of Tabbeellaha, outside Mogadishu while they were delivering food assistance to the displaced communities. Thousands of people have been displaced to severe drought and al-shabaab threat.

A source confirmed to the Voice of America that the earth-shattering kaboom resulted fatalities. al-Shabaab
...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all of which have enough problems without them...
claimed two ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish nationals were killed, but the claims are yet to be verified independently by the government.

Police in Mogadishu have not yet confirmed the number of casualties from the attack. Turkey has massively invested in security and development in Somalia. For the last ten years, Turkey has been assisting Somalia whose security challenges are dwindling..

The snuffies are under pressure from all frontlines with the Somali National Army, the US Africa Command and 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...
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have been assisting security teams in the Horn of Africa nation.

Link

Africa Horn

US military confirms Al-Shabaab members killed in Somalia airstrike

2024-03-06

[ShabelleMedia] At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense against the al Shabaab terrorist group on Mar. 2.

The collective self-defense airstrike occurred in a remote area in the vicinity approximately 45 km northeast of Kismayo.

The initial post-strike assessment indicates that the U.S. airstrike killed two al-Shabaab terrorists and that no civilians were harmed.

U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this airstrike and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released to ensure operational security.

Al Shabaab has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces and threaten U.S. security interests. U.S. Africa Command, alongside its partners, continues to take action to prevent this malicious terrorist group from planning and conducting attacks in the region, which disproportionately harms civilians.

Somalia remains key to the security environment in East Africa. U.S. Africa Command’s forces will continue training, advising, and equipping partner forces to give them the tools that they need to degrade al Shabaab.

U.S. Africa Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, with partners, counters malign actors and transnational threats, responds to crises, and strengthens security forces to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

Link

Home Front: WoT

NJ man Karem Nasr inspired by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack busted allegedly trying to join Islamist terror group in Kenya: ‘Prepared to kill’

2023-12-30

[NYPost] A New Jersey man who prosecutors say was "devoted ... to waging ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful jihad against America" and galvanized by Hamas
Hamas

...always the voice of sweet reason...
’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, was busted in Kenya earlier this month while en route to join Somalia-based Islamist terror group al-Shabaab
... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them...
, authorities said Friday.

Karrem Nasr, 23, of Lawrenceville, faces up to 20 years in prison after Manhattan federal prosecutors charged him with a single count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

"Nasr, a citizen of this country, traveled from Egypt to Kenya bent on joining and training with al-Shabaab [sic] so that he could execute his jihadist mission of death and destruction," US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said Friday.

"Nasr was prepared to kill and be killed to support the jihadist cause, and in his own words, he described America as ’evil’ and the ’head of the snake,'" he added.

Nasr had moved to Egypt in July to study Arabic and became "particularly motivated to become a jihadi" after Hamas killed more than 1,200 people — including at least 33 Americans — in its October assault on southern Israel, FBI special agent Bilal Morgan wrote in court documents.

"In recent public social media posts, Nasr warned that ’Jihad’ was ’coming soon to a US location near you,’ posting airplane, bomb, and fire emojis," Morgan wrote. "Nasr expressed his intent to join al-Shabaab [sic] to receive military training and engage in jihad; that he was prepared to kill and be killed; and that he specifically aspired to be a martyr for the jihadi cause."

Nasr planned to meet members of al-Shabaab, which has links to Al Qaeda, during his Kenya trip after engaging with an FBI source posing as a controller for terrorist organizations last month.

"After the Oct. 7 events, I felt that something has changed [for] the better, I mean," Nasr reportedly told the source. "I felt that pride and dignity came back to the Moslems."

Nasr further referenced the recent online spread of the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now sometimes referred to as Mister Bones......
’s 2002 "Letter to America," which garnered attention among TikTok users who claimed they had never heard of Al Qaeda’s complaints about the conflict between Israel and Paleostinians.

"I do not know if you follow the news in the West, but there are a lot of people now in America, not Moslems, just reading the letter from Sheikh [Osama] bin Laden ..." Nasr told the source, according to court documents. "And there are a lot of people, because of this letter, [who] have completely changed their opinion on him, and they finally understand how evil America is."

Nasr reportedly offered to "write for any group that he joined" because he "could write well and knew how to translate," adding that he also "wanted to train to ’shoot’ with any [terror] group he joined," Morgan wrote.

The defendant originally planned to meet the jihadists in Kenya in January, but Nasr told the source he accelerated his plans after learning his mother was visiting from the US in mid-December and wanted to take him "back to America to continue my education and work."

“But Mo-o-o-om — all the kewl kids are joining jihad nowadays! You’re embarrassing me in front of my friends!”

"Parents nowadays have no interest in religion and they do not want their children to be mujahideen," he told the source, noting that his mother did not know of his intentions to join al-Shabaab. "They want their children to see life, be doctors, engineers and make a lot of money."

Nasr was ultimately arrested by Kenyan authorities after his arrival in Nairobi Dec. 14, Sherlocks said.

Update from the Times of Israel at 2:30p.m. ET:

He said he had been thinking about joining a jihadist group “for a long time” but was not able to until Oct. 7, referring to the attack as “Flood the Aqsa,” a reference to Hamas’ term for the invasion: “Operation al-Aqsa Flood.”

Nasr was born in the United States to an Egyptian family and moved to Egypt to study Arabic in July. He contacted the FBI source using an encrypted messaging app on Nov. 14, expressing his desire to join al-Shabaab for military training.

US citizen Karrem Nasr is arrested on terrorism charges after 'trying to join Somalia's al Shabaab and threatening to bomb America in support of Hamas' https://t.co/2cXx3UVe1O pic.twitter.com/cG9RaC9gVk
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 30, 2023

Link

Africa Horn

Military liberates strategic town in Somalia from Al-Shabaab

2023-12-23

[Garowe] The Somali National Army (SNA) has liberated the strategic town of Masagawa in central Somalia, marking a major milestone in the fight against the group which has been causing havoc in different parts of the country.

Masagawa is in Galgaduud, the central part of the country, and at one point, the national army suffered immense losses on the battlefield, triggering a massive walkout from the military. The government has massively invested in dislodging the Lions of Islam from central regions.

Elsewhere, dozens of Alshabaab Lions of Islam were killed in an operation conducted by the Somalia National Army backed by local forces near Caad, Mudug region. In the process, many bases were destroyed as forces pursued fleeing remnants.

"The National Armed Forces and local forces attacked al-Shabaab

... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
Death Eaters’ fortifications near Caad, leaving scores of them dead. The forces are advancing towards Caad, pursuing the fleeing remnants," the state media reported on Wednesday.

This comes when the Somali National Army takes over security responsibilities in several parts of the country due to the ongoing withdrawal of 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...
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) which has handed over some bases.

Somalia had the United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
lifting the arms embargo, further giving the country a chance to procure sophisticated weapons that can be used to restore sanity in the country. The US Army has also been working hard to help the country secure some bases.

Link

Africa Horn

Somalia Says to Eliminate al Shabaab in Months

2023-08-19

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Somalia Says to Eliminate al Shabaab in Monthshttps://t.co/IPIKOgcWBC
— Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) August 18, 2023

Link

Africa Horn

Somalia’s al Shabaab group attacked a military base on the outskirts of a town in the center of the country, leading to at least 17 deaths

2023-05-31

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Fighters from #Somalia’s al Shabaab group attacked a military base on the outskirts of a town in the center of the country, leading to at least 17 deaths, a resident says.https://t.co/ZwBqXbVoFU
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 30, 2023

The attack on Masagawa, about 300 km (190 miles) north of Mogadishu, came days after al-Shabaab

...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
attacked a base housing Ugandan forces from an 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...
peacekeeping mission in Bulamarer, 130 km (80 miles) southwest of the capital.

"I have seen 17 dead people including the attackers and the attacked. The fighting has moved into the forest. The town is calm now and under government control," Hussein Nur, a resident of Masagawa, told Rooters by phone.

Captain Abdullahi Mohammed, a military officer in Masagawa, confirmed the attack and said 12 al-Shabaab fighters had died, but he did not know how many troops were dead.

"Fierce fighting went on for hours on the edge of the town. So far, I know we lost soldiers but I have no exact figure. We repulsed al-Shabaab and now we are pursuing them in the forest,"Mohammed told Rooters.

The Somalia National Army said on Twitter it had prevented an attack on the town itself, and killed al-Shabaab fighters, but did not say how many.

Al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab has been fighting since 2006 to topple Somalia’s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. It has launched significant attacks against hotels, military bases and government establishments in despite a relatively successful government push back.

The group said in a statement it had killed 73 soldiers in the attack, targeting those who had returned from training in Eritrea
...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age...
Al-Shabaab tends to give casualty figures in attacks that differ from those issued by the authorities.

Link

Africa Horn

Uganda Confirms Casualties among Country's Soldiers in Somali Attack

2023-05-29

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said late on Sunday there had been casualties during an attack by Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab on a military base manned by Ugandan peacekeepers in the Horn of African country on Friday.

Museveni did not say how many soldiers were killed or wounded but it was the first official admission of losses in the attack among the Ugandan troops who are serving in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

"Condolences to the country and the families of those who died," Museveni said in a statement, adding the country's military had set up a panel to investigate what happened.

Al Shabaab has since 2006 has been fighting to topple Somalia's Western-backed government and establish its own rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Museveni said during the attack "some of the soldiers there did not perform as expected and panicked, which disorganized them and the al Shabaab took advantage of that to overrun the base and destroy some of the equipment."

The assailants numbered about 800 and during the attack the Ugandan troops were forced to withdraw to a nearby base, about nine kilometers away, he said.

Al Shabaab fighters targeted the base early on Friday in Bulamarer, 130 km (80 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab said in a statement at the time that it had carried out suicide bomb attacks and killed 137 soldiers at the base.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the casualties. Al Shabaab tends to give casualty figures in attacks that differ from those issued by the authorities.

ATMIS has so far not said how many troops were killed or wounded in the attack.

The peacekeeping mission has been in Somalia since 2007 and helps to defend Somalia's central government.

Link

Africa Horn

Al-Shabaab launches morning raid in Somalia's Jubaland, claims recaptured base

2023-03-08

[Garowe] al-Shabaab

...... Somalia's version of the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
Death Eaters on Tuesday launched a daring attack in Jana Cabdalle, a town located in Jubaland state, reports indicate, in an attack which was direct Dire Revenge following the takeover coordinated by regional troops and the Somali National Army [SNA] last month.

The town was captured by the Jubaland Darwish forces last month following an operation that was activated by President Ahmed Islam Mohammed Madobe, the Jubaland leader who has been a champion in the fight against the Death Eaters for the last ten years since his time in Ras Kamboni Brigade.

Residents in Bulogudud reported hearing the huge explosion early Tuesday morning and it is believed that the Death Eaters exchanged fire with the Death Eaters who were forcing entry. More often than not, the al-Shabaab coordinate retaliatory attacks in areas that have been liberated by the military.

Al-Shabaab group claimed its fighters targeted Jana Cabdalle with the complex attack but until now, the casualty is not known. The group did not disclose the motive of the attack but in most instances, they have been going for innocent civilians, members of the security forces, and in some cases, senior government officials.

Jubaland has been closely working with the Somali National Army [SNA], the US Africa Command, and 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...
Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] which are stationed in Sectors II and VI. The teams are credited for liberating several strategic towns including 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....
, the regional administrative capital of Jubaland.

During the battle last month, Jubaland State announced launching the first of a ’multi-front military offensive’ against al-Shabaab. Jubaland reported that federal and regional forces captured Jana Cabdalle, about 52km northwest of Kismayo town without a fight, and went on to secure the village.

Somalia has heightened operations against al-Shabaab for the last seven months, killing about 600 Death Eaters in the process. To further frustrate the attackers, the government has incorporated religious scholars in trying to prevent the radicalization of hopeless youths who are lured into the group.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also tightened loopholes for al-Shabaab finances with the group losing millions of dollars from banks and mobile money transfer firms associated with them. Business owners who have been remitting taxes to the Death Eaters have also been warned, with some risking cancellation of their licenses.

Shabelle Media adds:

There has been no fighting in the past week, fuelling speculation in Somalia that the offensive has stalled.

The government said it was merely observing a pause before launching the next phase of operations.

Al Shabaab attacked the base in Janay Abdale, about 60 km (37 miles) to the west of the port city of Kismayu, early in the morning with a car bomb and gunfire, Major Abdullahi Hussein told Reuters from Kismayu.

He said al Shabaab had cut communications in the area and that the army had sent reinforcements.

The Jubbaland government said regional and national forces had inflicted a “big blow” on al Shabaab but did not provide details.

Halima Osman said her husband, who survived the attack and managed to get out of the base, had called her with a colleague’s phone.

“He told me they ran into the bush after the bombing and fierce fighting killed many of his friends and the military vehicles were burnt,” she told Reuters.

Al Shabaab confirmed it was behind the attack. “We control the base. We took all their weapons,” it said in a statement.

An earlier Shabelle Media article reported:

Speaking to Radio Shabelle, a resident said that the fight was very intense and lasted for almost one hour. The combined forces managed to successfully repel the ambush.

The preliminary reports from the area indicated that the attack resulted in losses on the two warring parties, but the number still remained unclear.

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