Somalia

August 7, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi |

Turkey’s new precision weapons stoke regional tensions

In late July, Turkish defense contractors used the 2025 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) to showcase the latest additions to the country’s arsenal. Headlining the event were two striking...

July 26, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

US ground raid captures Islamic State leader in northern Somalia

In a brief statement released on Saturday, the United States military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that its forces had “conducted an operation against the ISIS-Somalia terrorist network...

July 16, 2025 | Bill Roggio, Caleb Weiss

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...

April 16, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi, Sinan Ciddi

Turkey’s Ties to Al-Qaeda Entities in Yemen Threaten Regional Security

“Turkey is a country that loves us, and we love it,” declared Abu Omar al-Nahdi, a former emir in al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch and now the leader of the newly formed Change and Liberation Movement in...

March 30, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

Trump admin ups the tempo of airstrikes against jihadist groups in Somalia

The Trump administration is significantly increasing the rate of American strikes inside Somalia. In just the first three months of President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has already...

March 18, 2025 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Israel strikes Gaza again, but can Hamas ever be defeated?

Hamas has always come back after Israel’s attacks

March 15, 2025 | Seth J. Frantzman, Bill Roggio

US strike in Iraq eliminates top Islamic State leader

A March 13 airstrike in Iraq’s Anbar province by US Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated Abdallah Makki Muslih al Rifai, a senior leader of the Islamic State (IS) who may have served as the...

March 15, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi, Sophia Epley

Is Turkey Playing Both Sides of Sudan’s Civil War?

Ankara’s involvement in Sudan indicates its foreign policy is bereft of any values and willing to ignore sanctions intended to deter continued bloodshed.

March 7, 2025 | Will Selber |

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...

March 3, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

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,...

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...

January 15, 2025 | Clifford D. May |

Coming to America

It’s not just mass illegal immigration that poses a threat

January 3, 2025 | |

Israel SitRep: January 3, 2025

Today’s Issue: | IDF International Spokesman: Precision-Missile Factory in Syria Destroyed by IDF Was ‘Imminent and Active Threat’ | In IDF Operation in Beit Hanoun, Soldiers Eliminate Terrorists,...

January 2, 2025 | |

Ignoring Ethiopian Concerns, Egypt Supplies Troops for African Union Mission in Somalia

Egyptian Troops Participate in African Union Force: Egypt is sending troops to Somalia as a part of the new African Union (AU) mission authorized by the United Nations Security...

January 1, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

Islamic State release highlights the foreign-fighter nature of its recent assault in Somalia

A day after the Islamic State Somalia’s (ISS) brazen suicide assault against a Puntland military base—its most audacious attack to date in Somalia—the jihadist group released images of the men it...

December 31, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

Puntland forces repel Islamic State suicide assault

Earlier today, the Puntland Security Forces (PSF), the armed forces of Somalia’s northern Puntland region, announced thwarting a major assault on a PSF base. Unusually, the attack was not carried out...

December 26, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

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...

December 22, 2024 | Will Selber |

The Islamic State and Iran remain determined to attack the US

Despite the recent successes of federal law enforcement agencies, the number of attempted attacks underscores these adversaries’ determination. Since the October 8 arrest of an Afghan man...

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.