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Shabaab claims US is ‘Satan of our time,’ praises al Qaeda’s leadership
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, released a nearly hour-long video celebrating al Qaeda’s legacy and promoting its war as part of the global jihad. The group also advertised its “Mohamed Atta Training Camp for Martyrdom Seekers.”
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US kills Pakistani Taliban ‘master in electronics’ in drone strike
The Pakistani Taliban said it retaliated against the Pakistani military for a US drone strike that killed Abdullah, a “master in electronics.” The US has launched at least three drone strikes in Pakistan so far this year.
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Islamic State claims suicide bombing in Somalia
The bombing was the first claimed attack in months for the Islamic State forces inside Somalia.
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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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Kenyan soldier held hostage since Jan. 2016 appears in Shabaab video
Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, has released a video of a Kenyan soldier who was captured during a Jan. 15, 2016 raid on an AMISOM base in El Adde. The UN found that approximately 150 Kenyan soldiers were killed in the attack and another 11 were taken hostage. The jihadists’ attack in El Adde was “the largest military defeat in Kenyan history,” according to the UN.
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The US Intelligence Community’s newest assessment of the jihadist threat
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) presented its written “Worldwide Threat Assessment” to the Senate last week. The analysis confirms that the Islamic State is capable of sustaining insurgencies in both Iraq and Syria, Afghan security continues to “deteriorate,” and al Qaeda remains a threat in several parts of the globe.
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US soldier killed battling al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia
Five weeks ago, the Trump administration loosened the rules to give the US military a freer hand in conducting operations against Shabaab.
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Shabaab targets soldiers in Puntland ambush
The al Qaeda branch claimed a massive IED attack on a military convoy in Puntland, as well as shelling a military base in southern Somalia that also reportedly hosts US troops.
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Shabaab suicide bombing strikes near defense ministry headquarters
The suicide bombing targeted Somalia’s newly appointed chief of defense forces near the defense ministry headquarters in Mogadishu. At least 15 people were killed, but the Somali general escaped the assassination attempt.
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US military to actively target Shabaab in Somalia
The Pentagon’s desire to actively target Shabaab reflects the growing concern that al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa is gaining strength despite the presence of both AMISOM and US forces.
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Shabaab suicide bombing strikes near presidential palace
The suicide bombing, which killed at least 10 people, occurred just 150 meters from Villa Somalia, Somalia’s presidential palace in Mogadishu.
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Islamic State claims hotel attack in northern Somalia
It is the Islamic State’s first major operation in Puntland since it captured the town of Qandala last October.
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Shabaab details deadly raid on Kenyan military base in Somalia
Shabaab’s deadly raid on a Kenyan Defense Forces base in southern Somalia last week comes just over a year after a similar assault left at least 100 Kenyan soldiers dead.
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Shabaab executes three alleged ‘spies’
One of the alleged spies was accused of working for the CIA and directing drone strikes on Shabaab officials for the agency.
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Shabaab suicide assault at Mogadishu hotel kills at least 28
Shabaab’s suicide assault teams continue to prove its ability to strike popular hotels in heavily fortified areas of Mogadishu.
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US launches ‘self-defense strike’ during raid against Shabaab
US Africa Command continues to describe airstrikes launched during offensive operations against al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia as “self-defense strikes.”
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Islamic State fighters withdraw from captured Somali port town
The Islamic State-loyal forces withdrew just a day after capturing Qandala. However, the small branch did demonstrate it has the capabilities to even temporarily take over and hold ground.
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Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town
This marks the first time the fledgling Islamic State branch has claimed control over a town in Somalia.
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Shabaab launches series of strikes in Kenya, Somalia
Shabaab continues to demonstrate its deadliness in both Kenya and Somalia.
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AFRICOM masks military operations in Somalia as ‘self defense strikes’
The US military continues to classify combat operations against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, as “self-defense strikes,” even though many of the incidents reported, such as the targeting of training camps and raids in Shabaab-held territory, are clearly offensive in nature.
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US launches ‘self-defense strike’ against Shabaab in southern Somalia
The Obama administration and US military leaders continue to attempt to hide direct combat operations behind the mission of advising and assisting the “counterterrorism operations” of foreign governments and militaries.
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Shabaab claims pro-government militias surrender in central Somalia
This comes just days after Shabaab recaptured towns in the same region after Ethiopian troops withdrew.
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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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Islamic State claims its ‘soldier’ was responsible for stabbings in Minnesota
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency has claimed responsibility for the stabbings in St. Cloud, Minnesota yesterday. Amaq’s claim is similar to the statements issued after a series of attacks in Europe and the US.
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US adds Islamic State commander in Somalia to list of global terrorists
Abdulqadr Mumin, the leader of the small cadre of Islamic State fighters in the East African nation, defected from Shabaab late last year. He is said to kidnap and indoctrinate young Somali boys to bolster his ranks.
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Shabaab promotes ‘newly established’ Islamic police
The al Qaeda branch highlights one method of governance in the southern Somali region of Middle Jubba.
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Shabaab strikes police department headquarters in Mogadishu
The attack on the Criminal Investigation Department in Mogadishu is the second complex suicide assault by al Qaeda branch in East Africa in the past week.
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Shabaab claims former MP involved in Mogadishu suicide attack
Shabaab says that the former MP was one of the drivers in yesterday’s double suicide car bombing near an African Union base.
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Shabaab reportedly recaptures southern port city
The jihadist group has again reportedly recaptured the strategic port city of Marka. However, African Union forces have denied that they have withdrawn from the city.
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US government releases data on ‘counterterrorism strikes outside areas of active hostilities’
ODNI released some information on counterterrorism raids as part of an effort to provide more transparency on these operations. US intelligence claims that between 2,372 to 2,581 combatants and between 64 to 116 civilians were killed in 473 strikes in areas outside of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria since President Obama took office.
