Highlight
Al Shabaab militants on Thursday night carried out a raid in Somalia’s Jilib town in an event in which they kidnapped five foreign members of the group.
The militant group accused the five of encouraging their colleagues to join the Islamic State.
Al shabaab has allegedly warned its members against joining the Islamic State which happens to have accepted pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram
Summary and Analysis
My 2015 the Islamic State released a video in which the militants were luring Al Shabaab to join them. That was after the Somali based terror group carried out major attacks in Kenya killing more than 100 students. The group appeared formidable then.
This has however been followed by retaliatory offensives by AMISOM troops fighting in Somalia which has rendered the terror group loose nearly all of its strongholds in Somalia. Coordinated assaults by neighboring Kenya by the Kenya Defense Forces have also rendered the group insignificant in the East African region.
Security experts in the aftermath of Al Shabaab attacks in Somalia and neighboring Kenya said that the Islamic State desired to merge with Al-Shabaab as part of its international expansion plan.
This is however not the case basing on the trend that the offensives against the militant group is taking. Analysts conclude that Al Shabaab is no longer significant to attract the Islamic State.
On the other hand, there still looms wrangles within the Al Qaeda linked militant group in Somalia between those who wish to join the Islamic State and those who would rather stick to traditional Al Qaeda methods.
Former fighters in the militant group have also revealed contest for power in the militant leadership. Pledging allegiance to an equally ambitious Islamic State could disrupt Al Shabaab current leadership. As it is, Al Shabaab leaders punish any of their members who make a move of joining or luring others to join the Islamic State.
