AFRICOM launches ‘self-defense’ airstrikes against Shabaab in Somalia
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. Read more →
Shabaab
Analysis: Shabaab takes advantage of slowed counter-offensive
In the face of delayed or stalled offensive action taken against it, Shabaab seeks to rally its forces. Read more →
Shabaab storms army base in central Somalia
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. Read more →
Shabaab overruns Ugandan base in Somalia
The massive raid comes as Shabaab is facing its biggest challenge to its rule and territory in over a decade. Read more →
U.S. military strikes Shabaab in central Somalia
The U.S. military targeted Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East... Read more →
State places $10 million bounty on Kenyan Shabaab commander
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. Read more →
U.S. offers $10 million bounty for top Shabaab military commander
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. Read more →
Another long hotel siege ends in Mogadishu
Another hotel siege perpetrated by Shabaab in Mogadishu was ended by Somali security forces almost twenty four hours after it began. The al Qaeda branch continues to lash out against civilians in response to military operations against it. Read more →
Shabaab kills over 100 people in suicide bombings in Mogadishu
Shabaab killed at least 100 people at the same place where it killed upwards of 500 civilians almost exactly five years ago. Read more →
Shabaab assaults hotel in southern city of Kismayo
Shabaab unsurprisingly framed the terrorist attack as retaliation for the current military operations against it across the country. Read more →
US government sanctions several Shabaab officials and affiliated individuals
Nine individuals were designated by the U.S. Treasury Department while an additional five were also blacklisted by the U.S. State Department. Read more →
U.S. military kills wanted Shabaab leader in airstrike in Somalia
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. Read more →
Shabaab continues to lose ground in central Somalia
Shabaab faces one of the largest counter-offensives against it in recent years. However, to be successful, Somalia must also work to effectively hold liberated areas and not just conduct clearing operations. Read more →
U.S. airstrike kills 27 Shabaab fighters in central Somalia
The recent drone strike comes as the Somali National Army (SNA) mounts a large offensive against Shabaab in Somalia’s central Hiraan Region. Read more →
Contested area of northern Somalia witnesses rare suicide bombing
The Sanaag Region, a territory contested by both Somalia and Somaliland, witnessed its first suicide bombing yesterday. No group has officially taken credit, though Shabaab is widely suspected given its history in the area. Read more →
Analysis: Thirty hour long hotel siege emblematic of Somalia’s remaining security challenges
Shabaab's recent hotel siege in Mogadishu, beginning on Friday and ending early Sunday, signals the severe challenges that remain in combating the al Qaeda branch. Read more →
US picks up pace of airstrikes in Somalia
Since resuming military activity inside Somalia earlier this year, the Biden Administration has ramped up the pace of airstrikes in the Horn of Africa country in recent weeks. Since June 3, the US has conducted at least six airstrikes against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa. Read more →
Puzzles deepen in the context of Shabaab’s attempted Ethiopian invasion
New reporting has shed new light on Shabaab's recent incursions into Ethiopia. However, many perplexing elements remain uncovered. Read more →
Analysis: Shabaab’s multi-day incursion into Ethiopia
In addition to recently striking two Ethiopian outposts inside Somalia right on the border with Ethiopia, Shabaab also launched a three-day incursion into Ethiopia itself. On the Ethiopian side, officials from the Somali Region have stated that Shabaab was attempting to assist an ethnic Oromo insurgent group. This claim is likely dubious but follows a clear historical precedent. Read more →
Ayman al Zawahiri is alive; Taliban and Al Qaeda “remain close,” UN reports
Zawahiri lives. The Taliban-Al Qaeda alliance remains strong. The leaders of Al Qaeda's branches in North and East Africa have assumed roles in Al Qaeda's line of succession. Read more →
U.S. reinserts troops in Somalia after long-awaited elections are completed
On May 15, Somalia completed its election process, selecting Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new president. Sheikh previously served as president of Somalia from 2012 until 2017 and defeated the incumbent Farmajo in a long-awaited and contentious election. Read more →
Shabaab says it killed scores of Burundian troops in Somalia
Shabaab claims it killed 173 Burundian troops in a large-scale assault on a military base in southern Somalia. Neither the African Union nor Burundi has commented on Shabaab's casualty numbers. Read more →
Shabaab celebrates its assassinations in Mogadishu, jihadist attacks in the West
Shabaab again highlights operations from its urban assassination unit in Mogadishu. In doing so, it places these killings in the context of the wider global jihad. Read more →
Shabaab targets Somali police chief in Mogadishu suicide bombing
Shabaab attempted to kill Somalia's police chief in yet another suicide bombing in the Somali capital. Read more →
Generation Jihad Ep. 67 — Meanwhile in Africa
Host Bill Roggio is joined by two Long War Journal regulars, Caleb Weiss and Andrew Tobin, to give listeners an update on what's happening on the ground in Africa from the Sahel — including that more than 400 Malians have been slaughtered in under one month — to "elections" and Shabaab attacks in Somalia. Read more →
Shabaab kills dozens in twin suicide bombings targeting Somalia’s election process
The dual suicide bombings targeting an election site in central Somalia comes just one day after a brazen attack on a large military base in Mogadishu. Read more →
US Launches First Drone Strike Against Shabaab in Seven Months
One week after a series of suicide bombings in Mogadishu, the US conducts its first drone strike against al-Shabaab since August 2021. Read more →
Shabaab launches simultaneous attacks across Mogadishu
Shabaab launched near simultaneous assaults across 5 areas of Mogadishu and its suburbs, showing the group's continued strength as Somalia preps for its upcoming presidential election. Read more →
Analysis: Somaliland’s lingering jihadi threat
Terrorists haven't launched major attacks in Somaliland in more than a decade. However, this does not mean it doesn't face any real threats from Shabaab or the Islamic State. Read more →
Ep. 54 — What Shabaab Wants
Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss a new message... Read more →
Shabaab takes credit for suicide bombing at a Mogadishu cafe
The bombing appears to have been part of a larger effort against Somalia's main intelligence apparatus. Read more →
Shabaab mounts increased rate of attacks inside Kenya
Shabaab, al Qaeda's branch in East Africa, continues to conduct a high operational tempo inside northeastern Kenya. Read more →
Shabaab photos detail control over town in central Somalia
Shabaab has controlled the central Somali town of Bacaadweyne for over a month thanks to a forced political deal with the local clan. Read more →
Shabaab recommends black seed and honey to combat coronavirus
Shabaab, al Qaeda's branch in East Africa, uses recent reports concerning potential problems with the AstraZeneca vaccine to present itself as a legitimate governing force. Read more →
Shabaab mounts prison break in northern Somalia
Shabaab says it freed more than 400 prisoners from the central prison of Bosaso in northern Somalia, however, this number remains unconfirmed. The group also reiterates that prison assaults are one of its main goals in its fight against the Somali state. Read more →
Kenyan governor claims Shabaab controls over half of northeastern Kenya
The governor of Kenya's Mandera County recently stated that Shabaab is controlling "over 50 percent' of northern Kenya and "more than 60 percent" of Mandera. Kenyan authorities have quickly scrambled to contradict these claims. Read more →
Shabaab assassinates high-ranking military officials in central Somalia
Shabaab killed several military officials in a suicide bombing today in Galkayo. This is just the latest in a renewed assassination campaign that has targeted a wide range of high profile Somali leaders this year. Read more →
Alleged Shabaab operative charged with plotting 9/11-style hijacking
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced yesterday that Cholo Abdi Abdullah, a 30-year-old Kenyan national, has been charged with plotting a 9/11-style attack inside the U.S. Abdullah allegedly served as an “operative” for Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa. Read more →
Ep. 36 – The U.S. withdraws from Somalia
Hosts Tom Joscelyn and Bill Roggio discuss President Trump's decision to order the withdrawal of a small American force from Somalia. Shabaab, al Qaeda's branch in East Africa, will continue to fight on, waging an insurgency against the Somali government while threatening countries throughout the region and possibly elsewhere as well. Read more →
U.S. launches airstrikes as it argues Shabaab is ‘contained’ in Somalia
The effort to degrade and contain Shabaab without will be all the more difficult without a U.S. presence in the country. Read more →
Shabaab raids military base in central Somalia
Shabaab briefly occupied a Somali military base and its adjacent town yesterday following a major assault in central Somalia. Read more →
US forces targeted by Shabaab suicide bombing
At least one US soldier was wounded in the blast, while two Somali troops were also killed. This is the third time the group has reported clashing with American troops inside Somalia since Aug. 24. Read more →
Generation Jihad Ep. 24 – America Remains in Iraq
Despite decrying America’s role in “endless wars,” President Trump recently defended the role of a small U.S. force in the country. Read more →
Shabaab hits hotel, military base with suicide assaults
In two days, Shabaab has launched two suicide assaults across southern Somalia. Additionally, it continues to target high-ranking government officials in a renewed assassination campaign. Read more →
Shabaab tries to assassinate top general in Somalia
Shabaab's suicide bombing against Somalia's top general is the latest in the group's recent attacks against government officials. The bombing also continues the current spate of increased suicide bombings across the country. Read more →
Shabaab hits Somali, Turkish bases with suicide bombings
In the span of four days, the Al Qaeda branch has claimed the use of two suicide car bombings on Somali and Turkish military bases in two different areas of Somalia. Read more →
Islamic State in Somalia suffers setbacks despite uptick in claimed activity
The month of May saw a relative spike in Islamic State claims inside Somalia compared to earlier months. However, this comes in the backdrop of several Puntland security operations against it. Read more →
Shabaab targets African Union, Kenyan troops in southern Somalia
The Al Qaeda branch claims its men enacted "heavy losses" to AMISOM and Kenyan troops in southern Somalia. African Union troops and the Somali government have stated otherwise, however. Read more →
AFRICOM kills ‘foundational’ Shabaab leader in strike
AFRICOM has stepped up its air campaign against Shabaab since the beginning of the year, targeting the group 33 times. Read more →
AFRICOM kills Shabaab commander behind Manda Bay Airfield attack
U.S. Africa Command said it killed the Shabaab commander was "in charge of planning and directing terrorist operations" along the Kenyan border, including the raid on the Manda Bay Airfield. Three Americans were killed in that attack. Read more →