Islamic State branch in Somalia, Abnaa ul-Calipha despite recording a slight upward trend in its claimed activity in the month of May, the militant group on the other hand has suffered setbacks from across the regions of Somalia where it maintains small pockets.
In the course of May, the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) has claimed at least four attacks according to S.I. terrorist’s events database. This number, is a slight increase of ISS activity compared to the past months of this year.
In April, ISS recorded three low-scale attacks and in February and March, the Islamist militant group claimed responsibility of three attacks. The militant group recorded four raids in January, same as in the month of May.
However, recorded Islamic State activities in Somalia are almost insignificant as compared to other branches of the militant group from across the world. The militant group that was formed in October 2015 has been unable to make notable headlines in Somalia. The group split from Al-Shabaab began operating in northern Somalia under the leadership of Abdikadir Mumin. Since then, there has been rivalry between the two jihadists groups in Somalia.
Since the faction realigned with the Islamic State, the Somalia branch has been trying to mount attacks from a few regions of Somalia. Notable attacks claimed by the militant group have recorded to have happened in northern region of Somalia; especially Puntland. Sporadic attacks mostly assassinations and IEDs have been claimed by ISS in the capital Mogadishu and also regions of Lower Shabelle close to the capital.
While relative increase in ISS activity inside Somalia was recorded in the month of May, similarly, the militant group has encountered a number of setbacks in its cause.
Among the notable setbacks include;
- ISS has suffered blows in the capital Mogadishu and in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. Puntland Security Forces (PSF) killed an alleged member of the intelligence wing of ISS near Bosaso on May 9. The security forces paraded explosive materials and small weapons seized from that raid.
- On May 11, PSF arrested three other jihadists aligned to ISS in the vicinity of Bosaso.
- On May 13, the PSF reported to have seized several home-made explosives (IEDs) and suicide belts and vests from ISS hiding den in Bosaso.
- On May 25, the PSF launched major security offensives in several areas near Bosaso whereby dozens of ISS members were captured. One of those captured during this raid is reportedly the driver for Abdikadir Mumin, the overall emir of the Islamic State’s branch in Somalia.
- Since the beginning of this year, ISS has suffered a number of U.S. airstrikes.
- In April, NISA reportedly nabbed the head of ISS branch in southern Somalia as reported by corresponding local sources.
- In another raid in Bosaso, PSF reportedly captured both fighters of ISS and Al-Shabaab.
- A top ISS leader was also reportedly killed by the PSF in January.
The listed setbacks, from security forces and U.S. air raids undoubted have slowed ISS operational capabilities in Somalia. The factor of Al-Shabaab’s rivalry also is another key reason that has seen ISS capabilities reduce significantly from across regions of Somalia. The majority of its claims this year have been focused in northern region of Somalia (Bari, Bosaso), Mogadishu and its outskirts.
CT assets despite low-key attacks and a few number of attacks recorded should not water down the groups capabilities citing earlier this year, the group highlighted a training camp with quite a number of recruits training. According to UN sources, it noted the camp could be the command nerve (center) for the Islamic State’s Central African Province.
