Shabaab has reasserted its dominance in the Hiiran region in central Somalia. The Al Qaeda branch’s takeover of the towns of Moqokori and Tardo effectively completes the rollback of the government’s offensive in those areas, which began in 2022.
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, has mounted considerable attacks over the last few weeks in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle and Hiraan regions just north of Mogadishu. The group’s offensive is attempting to reverse much of the federal government’s gains during the government’s counter-Shabaab offensive between 2022 and 2023.
Shabaab announced the death of Mohamed Mire, a senior official who acted as the group’s so-called “interior emir” and a member of its central shura council.
In the latest issue of its Sada al-Malahem magazine, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) heaped significant praise on recent operations conducted by Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa. The article is another data point regarding the open support between these Al Qaeda branches.
In a coordinated, multi-pronged offensive, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, assaulted multiple Somali National Army (SNA) bases across southern Somalia’s Lower Juba region yesterday. Each side has claimed victory, with both releasing footage purporting to verify their claims.
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, took responsibility for a suicide car bombing targeting Djiboutian and Somali troops at a military base in central Somalia yesterday. The blast was the 14th suicide bombing conducted by Shabaab so far this year.
Shabaab’s video, which demonstrates its new so-called ‘special forces’ training center, is eerily similar to productions put out by the Afghan Taliban before it took over Afghanistan.
Shabaab continues to undo progress made against it in central Somalia; the United States continues to go after its financials and conducting periodic drone strikes against its forces.
The Islamic State documents at least 36 clashes between its men and Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s East African wing, between March and December 2023.
Ali Mohamud Rage, Shabaab’s spokesman, says the al-Qaeda branch is willing to spill blood over the recent Red Sea access deal signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
The man reportedly traveled from Egypt to Kenya, where he planned to use Shabaab facilitators to cross into Somalia. The American citizen was motivated by his support of Hamas and desire to target the U.S. for its support of Israel.
Mahad Karate, a senior official and a deputy emir of Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, again named several al-Qaeda leaders present in Mogadishu during the infamous ‘Black Hawk Down’ incident in 1993.
Abukar Ali Adan, the deputy leader of Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, is a dangeorus commander who has led the group’s military wing and has ties to other Al Qaeda branches in African and on the Arabian Peninsula.
Featuring many women and children, Shabaab’s large protests in southern Somalia sought to put the current fighting in Israel and Palestine into the context of global jihad.
Shabaab congratulates Palestinian militant factions for their “victories” over Jews. This is not the first time Shabaab has interjected itself into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Shabaab denied “randomly” targeting civilians in its suicide bombings. This is a mischaracterization of the data on its suicide campaign.
AFRICOM has launched four airstrikes against Al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia this month as it continues to provide air support for the Somali National Army.
In the face of delayed or stalled offensive action taken against it, Shabaab seeks to rally its forces.
Though Somalia says the raid was repelled, the major attack nevertheless came just days after a similar raid was conducted on a Ugandan military base in southern Somalia.
The massive raid comes as Shabaab is facing its biggest challenge to its rule and territory in over a decade.
The U.S. military targeted Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, in a pair of strikes in central Somalia over the past several days. The first attack took place on Jan. 20 near the town of Galcad in Somalia’s central region of Galguduud. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it killed at least 30 Shabaab members […]
Mohamoud Abdi Aden is the second Kenyan-Somali the U.S. State Department has placed a $10 million bounty on in the last week. Shabaab now has five leaders with $10 million bounties, the most for any Sunni jihadist group.
The U.S. has now placed a $10 million bounty on Maalim Ayman, the leader of Shabaab’s military wing in Kenya. Maalim Ayman now joins the ranks of other high-profile Sunni jihadis around the world demanding a similar price tag.
Shabaab killed at least 100 people at the same place where it killed upwards of 500 civilians almost exactly five years ago.
Shabaab unsurprisingly framed the terrorist attack as retaliation for the current military operations against it across the country.
Nine individuals were designated by the U.S. Treasury Department while an additional five were also blacklisted by the U.S. State Department.
Bill is joined again by Caleb Weiss, long-time contributor to Long War Journal and friend of the show. They discuss why al Qaeda hasn’t (publicly) named a successor to Zawahiri, as well as several updates on Shabaab.
Abdullahi Yare was a founding leader of Shabaab, had a $3 million reward out for his capture, and is the first senior Shabaab leader killed in more than two years.
Exact numbers are still unknown, but Shabaab is feared to have killed at least a dozen people in retaliatory suicide bombings as it faces severe military challenges across central Somalia.