The Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab al Mujahideen issued a statement late Sunday, the 27th of June 2021, claiming it killed over 52 persons, largely Somali National Army members in Wisil area of Central Somalia region of Galmudug. The group bombed police and military equipment before capturing the town.
Dozens were killed after the terror group conducted an attack targeting the SNA outposts and police precinct in the town of Wisil on Sunday. The weak SNA has its 21st Battalion troops based at the town and was unable to hold their ground. The group now controls both Wisil and Ba’adwayne areas of Galmudug in Central Somalia. Ba’adwayne was captured during the Ramadhan period and has since then remained in the terror group’s control. The group capability to stage attacks, defeat SNA, besides, capture and control swathes of strategic territory is manifesting again after a steady decline since 2019. This could be inspired by its sister group in Afghanistan, the Taliban, which has been capturing provinces daily after the exit of the American Forces.
Shabaab also claimed it killed 5 spies who were part of its rank and file. The group announced that its Sharia Court in Saakow executed 4 men and a woman accused of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and its affiliate intelligence units. However, latest executions are largely purges on suspected sympathizers of the rival Islamic States in Somalia (Abnaa Ul Caliphaa). The group is attempting to quell an increasing internal uprising that has seen hundreds of fighters defect to ISS and subsequently traveling to ISCAP AOR’s (Ref Mozambique and DR-Congo besides Uganda and Tanzania).
The killed were identified as Omar Abdul Qadir Hirale, a 36 years old, Abdi Hassan Ahmed, 29yrs, Fartun Omar Abkow 36yrs of age, and Ibrahim Omar Ali, a 55yr old man. The female was not identified by the terror group, however, all victims were accused of providing the CIA and AFRICOM coordinates and cellphone numbers of key Shabaab al Mujahideen figures in Kunyo Barrow. AFRICOM was very successful in Kunyo Barrow counter terrorism operations.
