Latest news with #AlShabaab
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
African state arrests dozens of suspected IS militants
Ethiopia has arrested dozens of suspected Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants accused of plotting attacks across the country, state broadcaster Fana reported on Tuesday, citing a statement from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). According to the outlet, the suspects are members of the Somali branch of IS, known as Daesh, which operates in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region. They were apprehended in a joint operation by Ethiopia's federal police and regional security forces at locations including the capital Addis Ababa, and in the Oromia and Amhara regions. 'NISS has been closely monitoring the group's cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia,' Fana stated. The militants were allegedly trained in Puntland and deployed to establish sleeper cells and coordinate attacks inside Ethiopia, according to the statement. It also reported that operatives were in direct contact with IS and engaged in logistical, financial, and operational support, with some also functioning as intelligence agents and recruiters. Daesh remains a rival to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab, Somalia's dominant terrorist organization, which routinely launches bomb and gun attacks on civilians and military targets in a bid to topple the government and impose its rule. The two factions reportedly clash over territory, ideology, and resources. Earlier this week, al-Shabaab fighters reportedly seized Tardo, a town in Somalia's central Hiiran region. In May, the group killed at least ten people in a suicide bombing outside a military base in Mogadishu, just weeks after targeting the convoy of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The assaults have continued despite claims by US Africa Command that American forces have conducted 25 airstrikes against both IS and al-Shabaab in Somalia since President Donald Trump took office in January. The crackdown comes amid heightened insecurity in Ethiopia's northern region, where a brutal two-year civil war in Tigray displaced millions and killed well over 100,000 people, according to estimates by the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2022, tensions persist between federal forces and Tigrayan factions over key issues such as disarmament and territorial disputes remaining unresolved.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Blast kills three Kenyan soldiers on road near Somali border
A blast has killed three Kenyan soldiers patrolling a road in the east of the country near the Somali border, the military said. The al Qaeda-linked Islamist group al Shabaab said on its website at least two Kenyan soldiers were killed and others wounded in a blast that targeted a convoy in a similar area on Tuesday, but it did not directly claim responsibility. The patrol hit an improvised explosive device (IED) on Tuesday morning on the road between Sankuri and Kiunga, a coastal town 12km from the Somali border, the army said. "Regrettably, three gallant soldiers succumbed to their injuries. These soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice," the Kenya Defence Forces said in a statement released late on Tuesday. Al Shabaab controls large swathes of southern and central Somalia and frequently makes cross-border attacks on military and civilian targets, which security analysts say are aimed at pressuring Kenya into withdrawing its troops from peacekeeping missions in Somalia.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Al-Shabaab captures town in African state
Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab terrorists have captured the town of Tardo in Somalia's central Hiiran region and are pushing forward with a longstanding offensive that has displaced thousands across the East African nation, Reuters reported, citing a Somali military official. The fragile central government in Mogadishu has struggled to fight off Al-Shabaab despite foreign military support. An African Union peacekeeping force drove the militant group out of the capital in 2011, but it still controls large swaths of land in Somalia's southern and central regions, carrying out sporadic bombings and gun attacks on civilians and military infrastructure. Major Mohamed Abdullahi told the outlet that Tardo, a strategic town which connects larger urban centers, fell on Sunday after fighters from the terrorist group drove out government-allied clan forces. 'The group is advancing to other areas after the fall of Tardo,' Abdullahi said, adding that Somali forces and local clan fighters known as Macwiisleey are preparing a counteroffensive. On Monday, the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency said it conducted joint operations in Hiiran with international partners, killing at least 15 insurgents, with five others severely wounded. Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007, seeking to overthrow the fragile federal government and establish its own rule based on a hardline interpretation of Sharia law. In February, US President Donald Trump announced he had ordered precision airstrikes in Somalia targeting an unnamed senior Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) attack planner and other militants. As of May, US Africa Command estimates that American forces have carried out 25 airstrikes against IS and Al-Shabaab in the Horn of Africa nation since Trump took office in January. The Pentagon claimed the strikes destroyed terrorist hideouts in Somalia's northeastern Bari region and killed multiple militants. Despite the operations, terrorists targeted the convoy of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a bomb attack while he was traveling through Mogadishu in March. At least ten people were killed in May when a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a military base in the capital. A day earlier, senior army commander Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale was assassinated in the Hiiran region.
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Al Shabaab captures central Somali town, presses on with advance
Al Shabaab insurgents have seized the town of Tardo in Somalia's central Hiiran region and are pressing on with an advance that has already displaced thousands, a military official said. Tardo, a key crossroads linking larger urban centres, fell on Sunday after the al Qaeda-allied fighters of al Shabaab drove out government-allied clan fighters, Maj Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 in a bid to topple the internationally-backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law. "The group is advancing to other areas after the fall of Tardo," Abdullahi said. Somali forces and local clan fighters, known as Macwiisleey, are mobilising for a counterattack, he added. A local elder, a clan fighter and a regional lawmaker confirmed the capture of Tardo, which could help al Shabaab move on to other bigger towns because of its position.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Al Shabaab captures central Somali town, presses on with advance
MOGADISHU (Reuters) -Al Shabaab insurgents have seized the town of Tardo in Somalia's central Hiiran region and are pressing on with an advance that has already displaced thousands, a military official said. Tardo, a key crossroads linking larger urban centres, fell on Sunday after the al Qaeda-allied fighters of al Shabaab drove out government-allied clan fighters, Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 in a bid to topple the internationally-backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law. "The group is advancing to other areas after the fall of Tardo," Abdullahi said. Somali forces and local clan fighters, known as Macwiisleey, are mobilising for a counterattack, he added. A local elder, a clan fighter and a regional lawmaker confirmed the capture of Tardo - which could help al Shabaab move on to other bigger towns because of its position. Al Shabaab's offensive in the region has escalated since early this year. Previous advances reached within 50 km (30 miles) of the national capital Mogadishu, though Somali forces recaptured those villages. "We are discussing with Hiraan people about plans to recapture the towns from al Shabaab," Abdullahi said. About 100 soldiers had been deployed to reinforce local fighters, he added. Regional lawmaker Dahir Amin told Reuters at least 12,500 families have fled Tardo and the nearby town of Muqokori, which al Shabaab said it captured last week. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Editing by Andrew HeavensWriting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Anbdrew Heavens)
