Somalia claims it killed senior Shabaab leader
Somalia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced yesterday that its forces, alongside “international partners,” killed Maalin Jinow Ibrahim, a reported co-founder of Shabaab and a member of its central...
East Africa
US refocuses air campaign in Somalia on Shabaab
Over the course of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, the United States has greatly increased its military strikes inside Somalia. Throughout the previous administration of President Joe...
Op-eds
Shabaab spokesman congratulates JNIM, denounces Western powers in Eid message
Yesterday, as part of its annual celebrations for Eid al Adha, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, released its usual speech for the occasion. Delivered by Shabaab’s official spokesman, Ali...
Op-eds
America’s Ambassador to Turkey Is Undermining U.S. Interests
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack raised eyebrows last weekend at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum when he stated, “Turkey is not a country to be messed with,” –– a remark intended to blame Israel...
Insights
Shabaab celebrates October attack on Mogadishu prison in new video
In a new video posted online as a so-called Eid celebration, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, highlighted and celebrated last year’s assault on the Godka Jilacow prison in Mogadishu, which...
Op-eds
Israeli Foreign Minister Follows up Recognition of Somaliland With Historic Visit
Latest Developments Sa’ar in Somaliland: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to Somaliland on January 6, the first official diplomatic visit since Israel recognized the East African...
Flash Briefs
Shabaab claims prison assault in Mogadishu
Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu was yet again the victim of a brazen terrorist attack conducted by Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa. Yesterday, at least seven Shabaab gunmen stormed the...
Op-eds
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula donates aid to Gaza residents
The Shahada News Agency, a propaganda arm of Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, reported on August 19 that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) successfully sent aid to needy Palestinians...
Op-eds
Shabaab seizes two towns in central Somalia
Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, took control of two towns in central Somalia over the past week. These victories in Moqokori and Tardo, both situated near the borders between the central regions...
Op-eds
Recent arrests of Islamic State sympathizers highlight persistent threats to US
In the early morning hours of January 1, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Houston, drove his rented truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing...
Op-eds
Shabaab mounts coordinated assault north of Mogadishu
Since at least February 20, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, has mounted a sizable offensive in southern and central Somalia between the Middle Shabelle and Hiraan regions. In some areas,...
Op-eds
Shabaab announces the death of senior official Mohamed Mire
Earlier today, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, publicly announced the death of Mohamed Mire, one of the group’s senior-most officials. The jihadist group stated that Mire was killed in...
Op-eds
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. The Ugandan-born Kenyan national...
Op-eds
Somali forces turn their weapons on each other
Yesterday, the Somali National Army (SNA) of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in Mogadishu was routed from the southern Somali town of Ras Kamboni. This battle was not with the SNA’s typical enemy—Shabaab,...
Op-eds
AQAP praises Shabaab’s activities in East Africa
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...
Op-eds
Al Qaeda’s da’wah campaign in West Africa
Over this month, the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), al Qaeda’s branch for West Africa, has publicized its da’wah (proselytizing) activities in local communities in Mali and Burkina...
Op-eds
Egypt Delivers Second Weapons Shipment to Somalia This Month
Egypt delivered its second weapons shipment to Somalia in less than a month on September 23, signaling a potential escalation in the Horn of Africa. According to Reuters, the shipment,...
Flash Briefs
Shabaab mounts large-scale offensive, Somali Armed Forces claim victory
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...
Op-eds
Jihadi archives: Islamic State’s eulogy of Sudanese jihadist Mohamad Makkawi Ibrahim
In May 2016, the Islamic State (IS) issued a eulogy for the infamous Sudanese jihadist Mohamad Makkawi Ibrahim through its weekly Al-Naba newsletter. The eulogy flew under the radar at the time but offers...
Op-eds
Shabaab hits Djibouti military base with suicide bombing in central Somalia
Yesterday, 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. The blast was the 14th...