Al Shabaab Killings of Innocent People Intensified in the East African Region

Al Shabaab killings of innocent people intensified in the East African region late 2012 after African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops scaled up operation against the insurgents.

Al Shabaab terror group retaliated with attacks on Somali Federal Government (SFG) and launched uncoordinated attacks on Somali government officials, AMISOM, and perceived allies of the SFG.

The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings, including various types of suicide attacks in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia.

They have also claimed responsibility for attacks on Somalia’s neighbors including Kenya and Uganda.

Al Shabaab Killings strategies

Al Shabaab terror group has employed guerrilla warfare in their killings and terrorist tactics perfect to ISIS and to its ally Al Qaeda.

ISIS Style

• Beheading of victims

The beheading style was an ISIS killing style that has been adopted by the Al Shabaab terror group and part of Garissa Al Shabaab killings were accompanied by beheading of the Kenyan students.

• Release of videos of victims

The aftermath of Al Shabaab killings has taken the same course, releasing videos of their shot victims so as to remain relevant.

The Islamic State of Iraqi Syria (ISIS) gained became infamous from release of their beheaded victims that drew sentimental world response.

Al Qaeda style

• Suicide bombings

Suicide bombings are a traditional Al Qaeda style that is increasingly employed in Al Shabaab killings where insurgents take their own lives alongside those of their victims.

• Ambushing government institutions to gain major foothold in towns.

Tactics employed in Al Shabaab Killings

• Ambush at odd hours

Most of Al Shabaab killings are ambush killings, but the attackers can be identified from their jungle green uniforms, and in almost all instances they carry their flag.

In most instances that they have attacked in Kenya, the Al Shabaab terrorists ambushed their victims at odd hours for instance the Garissa attack that happened in the wee pre-dawn hours.

• Detonation of suicide bombs

Al Shabaab killings are characteristic with suicide bombers who in many instances have detonated car bombs at entrances, killing security guards before they storm buildings and take their victims hostage.

• Hostage-barricade situation

The Al Shabaab terror group has been known to crate hostage-barricade situations where they hold their victims against their will while creating a temporary barrier from entry by rescue troops.

Attackers divide themselves in few command groups where a few of them, at most two keep an eye on the victims while a majority of the, usually very heavily armed crate a barrier  from entry of militias.

• Indiscriminate and Isolative Shooting

Al Shabaab attackers shoot at their victims indiscriminately at first instances of their attack. At this point, there is no difference between Muslims and non-Muslims as the victims in havoc, try to find means to escape.

After they take their victims hostage, and in the situation of siege, Al Shabaab killings have been characterized by isolative shooting where they kill non-Muslims and spare Muslims.

Recent Al Shabaab killings that claimed masses

Somalia

• May, 2015: at least 20 people were killed in one week including several United Nations troops when the
• March, 2015: At least 24 people, including six militants, were killed during a siege at the Maka Al-Mukarramah Hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
• February, 2015: A suicide attack at the Central Hotel in Mogadishu killed 25 people and wounded 40 others. Mogadishu’s deputy mayor and two legislators were among the dead.

Kenya

• April, 2015: Al Shabaab militants led by Mohamed Kuno Gamadheeere, who is now being tracked down by the whole of Kenyan security system, attacked university students in Garissa in Kenya, killing 148 people.
• December, 2014: Gunmen attacked workers as they slept at a quarry in northern Kenya and killed at least 36 people, singling out non-Muslims and either beheading or shooting them.
• November, 2014: Al Shabaab militants hijacked a bus travelling to Nairobi shooting dead 28 non-Muslim passengers who could not recite an Islamic declaration.
• September, 2013: Gunmen used grenades and assault rifles to carry out a massacre at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people.

Uganda

• The al Qaeda-linked militant group detonated a series of bombs in Uganda’s capital, Kampala that killed around 76 people.