The Somali terror group, Al Shabaab, today assassinated a Somali lawmaker, Abdullahi Qayad Bare. Mr. Bare was killed during a drive-by shooting in which al Shabaab gunmen sprayed his car with bullets. The terror group has claimed responsibility through its spokesperson, Sheikh Abdiaziz Abu Musab, who swore that the jihadist organization will murder Somali MPs one by one. Sheikh Musab described Somali MPs as legitimate targets who should be abducted or killed as a retribution for contravening their version of Sharia laws and allowing foreign troops to conduct military operations in Somalia. Al Shabaab also warned that all non-believers (in their cause of terrorism) will be murdered just like Mr. Bare.
Mr. Bare was assassinated as he was travelling to the parliament from home, and his murder brings to 6 the number of assassinations conducted by Al Shabaab against Somali legislators since the beginning of 2014.
Al Shabaab has been substantially weakened by military offensives conducted by KDF, AMISOM and allied troops in addition to losing its military capacity to engage KDF troops. This has motivated the terror group to activate teams of assassination squads to conduct random hit-and-run attacks against Somali legislators, moderate Muslim clerics, allied troops, civilians and everyone else opposed Islamist ideology. The terror organization intends to use such attacks and kills as tools to discredit the Somali authority as well as forestall KDF and AMISOM attempts to stabilize Somalia.
Somali parliament has been the scene of incongruous political infightings (which have greatly hampered the restoration of the rule of law in the nation) and this attack occurred when the lawmakers were gathered to either approve or reject the recently appointed Somali cabinet. Nonetheless, most Somali legislators have vowed to stabilize Somalia despite al Shabaab menace.
