The official al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahedeen has claimed several attacks in different locations in Somalia as part of its propaganda drive. The attacks claimed by the al Shabaab have scattered across the various states in Somalia a move that shows the extent of the growing presence of the terrorist organization.
Events:
- Al Shabaab raided a Ugandan military base located about in Lower Shabelle
- AS claimed responsibility for the assassination of Ahmed Bole a district official in Kismayo
- Several government soldiers were killed and others wounded by AS’ IED targeting them in the towns of Qoriyoli and Bolomerre in Lower Shabelle
- AS assassinated a provincial official in the security and intelligence service in Puntland in Galkayo
- AS assassinated Ali Mohamed Osman, a member of the election committee of the Somali parliament in Mogadishu
- 3 SNA killed and 4 others injured in a bombing by the al Shabaab in the town of Polomerre in Lower Shabelle.
Insights
Al Shabaab has been conducting more attacks especially against government and security officials in various states in the country. While most attacks are centered in central and southern Somalia, the jihadists have been reclaiming territory in the north that was being infiltrated by ISIS.
Al Shabaab has revamped itself and its modes of attack and has seemingly employed self-preservation by reducing casualties within its ranks. This has been achieved by using car bombs and IEDs that are detonated remotely to avoid the deaths of its fighters. Previously, the al Shabaab used shootings which resulted in gunfights which more often than not resulted in the loss of fighters.
Al Shabaab has refined its combat formation by reducing the offensive team numbers to include smaller and more effective cells that attack stealthily inflicting maximum casualties before retreating.
It is important to note that al Shabaab has perfected and trained more bomb makers in recent months which can be evidenced by the significant spike in IED attacks on military bases and assassinations of government officials
