Since February, al-Shabaab and AMISOM have continued their competition for the hearts and minds of Somali communities. Al-Shabaab appears to be using a lull in AMISOM offensive operations to pursue its own charm offensive, especially in Lower Shabelle and Middle… Read More ›
Al-Shabaab released audio from two Kenyan soldiers who were taken hostage during the attack on AMISOM’s base in El Adde last Friday. The Star newspaper claims that al-Shabaab are holding 10 other Kenyan soldiers hostage. The hostages only describe details of the… Read More ›
In the early morning of 15 January, “several hundred” al-Shabaab militants overran an AMISOM base in El Adde, about 30mi southwest of Garbahaarey in Somalia’s Gedo region. Al-Shabaab claimed the Saleh Nabhan brigade carried out the operation. The brigade was created… Read More ›
Malik Jones, an American jihadist who was captured as he fled al-Shabaab’s purge of ISIS supporters, has been flown from Somalia to the United States and may face trial in New York, according to a local NBC affiliate. The full criminal complaint and indictment can… Read More ›
Picking up on heightened tensions surrounding police brutality against Black communities and anti-Muslim violence in the U.S., al-Shabaab specifically targeted Black American Muslims in the group’s first official video of 2016. The group encourages Blacks in the U.S. to convert to Islam… Read More ›
Pro-ISIS militants in al-Shabaab who want the group’s leader Ahmed Diriye to pledge loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are finding it difficult to find a safe haven from rival jihadists. On Thursday, al-Shabaab militants attacked a group of pro-ISIS militants near… Read More ›
On 7 December, it was announced that two American and pro-ISIS jihadists within al-Shabaab had surrendered to Somali authorities. Abdul Malik John (also reported as Abdimalik Jones) was captured near Barawe after fleeing al-Shabaab’s targeted killings of ISIS supporters. More surprisingly, infamous… Read More ›
Al-Shabaab’s strength and ability is weakening, but the group remains the biggest threat in the region, according to a senior American military official for east Africa. The threat of ISIS is also believed to have grown since 2014, according to a Marine… Read More ›
ISIS supporters have been pleading al-Shabaab to drop its affiliation with al-Qai’da (AQ) and pledge loyalty to the Islamic State — like its counterpart “Boko Haram” (aka Islamic State in West Africa). To date, small nodes of support to ISIS in Somalia… Read More ›
On the early morning of 1 September, a reported 200 al-Shabaab militants raided an AMISOM base in the Lower Shabelle town of Janaale, killing between 20 and 50 Ugandan troops while 50 others are believed to be missing. Al-Shabaab used… Read More ›
Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Somali forces recently seized Baardheere and Diinsoor from al-Shabaab after a long pause in major operations and a withdrawal of several towns during Ramadan due to al-Shabaab’s devastating attack against AMISOM’s Burundian troops in Leego. Timed perfectly… Read More ›
Sahan Research, led by Matt Bryden, has published a new report on al-Shabaab and how the group is handling the death of its former leader Ahmed Abdi “Godane”, courtship from ISIS, its partnership with regional jihadists, and its overall strategy. The introduction of… Read More ›
After Boko Haram recently pledged loyalty to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), many are wondering whether al-Qai’da affiliate al-Shabaab will follow the same path. ISIS supporters have been pushing al-Shabaab to align with the group for some time, and some militants… Read More ›
somalianewsroom.com 