Recent attacks on a U.S. military base and other attacks on SNA bases in Somalia have underlined the persistent threat posed by Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa.
In another daring attack, Al-Shabaab fitted a car belonging to a local with explosives (IEDs) on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. The incident that happened near Al-Birri hospital in the vicinity of Siinka Dheer, on the western suburb of Mogadishu left four (4) government soldiers killed. Three others were also injured, according to security sources in Mogadishu .
Following the car bomb, several Al-Shabab militants have been arrested in a night sweep in Mogadishu. The security sweep was conducted in Mogadishu, from house-to-house.
Another security operation was conducted at Bulla Hubey, Madina market, located near the heavily fortified Mogadishu airport, where a man believed to be senior a security official was killed on Tuesday morning by unknown assailants. Al-Shabaab have been linked with targeted assassinations of key government officials in Mogadishu.
Although the militant group has lost most of the key strongholds following sustained offensives by allied forces, it has continued to carry out bombings and shootings across the country.
Change of tactic: With the increasing number of airstrikes, Al-Shabaab has responded by avoiding gathering its fighters in large groups. Its fighters have also been moving in small units of three or four people to avoid detection.
Al-Shabaab has continued its pattern of violence, however, attacking government installations and buildings in the smaller towns and other areas. The group has assassinated senior government officials and politicians, and kidnapped foreigners, including aid workers. It has employed the use of roadside IEDs, VBIEDs, and suicide bombers to disrupt life in the town and southern Somalia.
These frequent attacks targeting government soldiers and installations are reminder of the security challenges facing the weak Federal Somali government, which, despite deploying hundreds of soldiers across the seaside capital is still unable to prevent deadly attacks.
