Mogadishu

February 5, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

US, UAE conducting airstrikes in northern Somalia

On February 1, the United States launched at least six airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Somalia’s semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland in support of that region’s current military...

December 18, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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...

December 17, 2024 | Sinan Ciddi, Mariam Wahba

How Turkey Outplayed Egypt and the U.S. In The Horn Of Africa

Ankara’s recent geopolitical gains go beyond just Syria.

December 12, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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,...

September 13, 2024 | |

Egypt and Ethiopia Tussle at UN Security Council as Nile Dam Tensions Escalate

As tensions escalate between Egypt and Ethiopia over the latest filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selassie urged UN officials to “take note of Egypt’s repeated threat to use force against Ethiopia” in a letter to the UN Security Council (UNSC) dated September 6 ...

August 31, 2024 | |

Egypt Deploys Troops, Weapons in Somalia, Raising Tensions in the Horn of Africa

Egypt is reportedly sending 10,000 troops to Somalia, in a move that signals a potential major escalation in the Horn of Africa. On August 29, two Egyptian military planes carrying...

July 23, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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...

July 13, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

Jihadis mount prison mutinies across Africa

Over the last few days, jihadis have mounted two attacks inside prisons in Somalia and Niger. While the mutiny inside the Nigerien prison was successful, the Somali prison assault appears to have been...

July 5, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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...

July 1, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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...

March 13, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

Shabaab retakes territory as the U.S. sanctions one of its money laundering networks

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...

November 20, 2023 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Three Weeks of Ground War in Gaza

On Saturday, November 18, Israel’s war in Gaza reached its 43rd day and the ground offensive in Gaza has now reached its three-week mark. This war, Israel’s leaders say, is going to be long....

November 1, 2023 | Caleb Weiss |

Shabaab claims several al-Qaeda leaders present during infamous ‘Black Hawk Down’ incident

In a newly released video – touted as a documentary by Shabaab – the Somali jihadi group claimed that as many as 10 al-Qaeda leaders and figures were present during the infamous ‘Black Hawk Down’...

October 11, 2023 | Bill Roggio |

Shabaab responds to FDD’s Long War Journal study on its suicide bombings

Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, responded to FDD’s Long War Journal’s recent study on its suicide bombings through an article published on its Shahada News Agency. While...

October 6, 2023 | Caleb Weiss |

Somalia suffers worst month on record for suicide bombings

In September 2023, Somalia suffered the most suicide bombings (and attempts) in a single month since Shabaab began utilizing the tactic in 2006. At least 14 attempted and successful suicide bombings were...

July 29, 2023 | Caleb Weiss |

U.S. designates Islamic State financier in Somalia

On Thursday, the United States government sanctioned Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, the financial emir for the Islamic State’s Somali Province (or Islamic State-Somalia, ISS). In this capacity, Yusuf was responsible...

July 20, 2023 | Bill Roggio, Caleb Weiss

AFRICOM launches ‘self-defense’ airstrikes against Shabaab in Somalia

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...

June 12, 2023 | Caleb Weiss |

Analysis: Shabaab takes advantage of slowed counter-offensive

Somalia’s large counter-offensive against Shabaab is currently stalled and its much touted next phase continues to be delayed. In response, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, seeks to gain...

January 27, 2023 | Caleb Weiss, Ryan O’Farrell

Analysis: U.S. Military kills key Islamic State leader in Africa

The United States announced yesterday that it conducted a special operations forces (SOF) raid on a hideout of the Islamic State’s branch in Somalia. During the raid, the SOF troops killed Bilal al-Sudani,...

November 28, 2022 | Caleb Weiss |

Another long hotel siege ends in Mogadishu

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...