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...
Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, is steadily undoing progress made by Somali security services in its nearly two year old counter-offensive against the group. Over the last few days, the group...
The United States launched its first drone strike in Somalia this year on Sunday, reportedly killing three Shabaab members. Neither Africa Command (AFRICOM), the U.S. military command responsible for such...
The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Abukar Ali Adan, the deputy leader of Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in...
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) killed five members of Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, in a “self-defense airstrike” in central Somalia on July 19. AFRICOM has launched four self-defense...
Somali forces have finally ended yet another long hotel siege in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, almost twenty four hours after it began. The siege, which was upon the Villa Rays Hotel just meters from...
Over the weekend, two suicide car bombings perpetrated by Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, killed at least 100 people at a busy intersection in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. Hundreds more...
Yesterday, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, conducted a large-scale siege on the Tawakal Hotel in Somalia’s southern city of Kismayo. At least nine civilians were murdered by the jihadist...
On Friday, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, launched a coordinated suicide assault on the Hayat Hotel in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. Almost 30 hours later it was ended by Somali security...
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...
Yesterday, US Forces killed nine Shabaab terrorists in a strike 40 km northeast of Kismayo after the al Qaeda branch attacked Somali forces operating in the area. The strike took place near the town of Jamaame, a former Shabaab safe haven that was liberated by Somali forces just one day eariler.
The Cipher Brief: What is your assessment of al Shabaab’s current capabilities? Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: Al Shabaab’s current cap...
Download full testimony here Mr. Chairman, member...
Co-written by Nathaniel Barr After the Somali militant group al-Shabab carried out a gruesome ...
The US military confirmed that its aircraft launched an airstrike against a "senior leader" of al Qaeda's branch in Somalia. "The strike took place in the vicinity of Saakow, Somali...
As the U.S. military joins with its allies and temporarily-aligned enemies to fulfill President Obama’s promise to “...
Chairman McKeon, Ranking Member Smith, distinguished members of the committee, it is an honor to appear before you to discuss the state of al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and associated groups. My test...
Download the full testimony (PDF). Chairman McKeon...
Any way you measure it, 2013 was a good year for al Qaeda. It wasn’t supposed to be. Shortly after the United States killed the group’s charismatic leader, Osama bin Laden, a couple o...
The West is moving toward a military intervention in Mali, somewhat slowly yet entirely deliberately, due to concerns about al-Qaeda’s control of territory there. An October UN Security Cou...