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Jihadi history: Kenyan detainee transferred out of Guantanamo shows the extent of Al Qaeda’s jihad in East Africa
The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced yesterday that longtime Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu was transferred to his native Kenya. Bajabu’s history presents an interesting historical look into Al Qaeda’s early activities in East Africa, acting as a reminder that the African Jihad, currently the global hotspot of jihadist activity, has been decades in the making.
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Shabaab says it rejects Red Sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland
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.
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Somalia suffers worst month on record for suicide bombings
At least 14 successful or attempted suicide bombings were reported in Somalia in September. This is the single highest monthly total since Shabaab began its suicide bombing operations in 2006.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Islamic State Somalia eulogizes foreign fighters
The video provides the first known instance of a Western foreign fighter within the Islamic State Somalia’s ranks.
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US airstrike kills dozens of Shabaab fighters day after Ethiopian forces ambushed
A US airstrike reportedly targeted Shabaab militants as they went on the offensive following the deadly terrorist attack in Nairobi.
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Shabaab targets Somali, African Union troops in southern Somalia
Shabaab has claimed a number of attacks in recent days across southern Somalia, including briefly recapturing the strategic town of Balad just north of Mogadishu.
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Shabaab spokesman calls on Kenyan jihadists to form an ‘army’
In a newly released video, Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mahmoud Rage addresses graduates of a training camp for foreign fighters. “Many” of the graduates are from Kenya and, Rage says, they should form an “army that will conquer Kenya so that we may return to our families and relatives in a state of honor and glory.”
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Shabaab captures town in central Somalia
Shabaab claims to have captured two towns in central Somalia after Ethiopian troops reportedly withdrew from their nearby bases.
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Shabaab releases images from the ambush of Ethiopian troops
While neither Ethiopia nor the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have commented on the attack, the released photos buttress the jihadist group’s claims.
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Shabaab claims to kill dozens of Ethiopian troops in southern Somalia
Al Qaeda’s official branch in Somalia continues to be a threat inside Somalia and to neighboring countries, despite an ongoing African Union mission in the country that has driven the group from many of its strongholds.
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Ethiopia
Ethiopia jails 3 Brits for ‘terrorist’ plot: Report
