Event: A Somali based terror group Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen (HSM) has vowed it will carry out terror attacks in Uganda and Burundi in retaliation for the presence of troops from the two countries in Somalia.
The Al Qaeda linked HSM aims to overthrow the current Somali regime and end what the group perceives as an unjust occupation of Somali land by Kenyan and African Union troops, deployed in 2011.
In their most recent video, the terrorist group leaders tell Ugandans and Burundians not to feel surprised when an attack takes place in those countries.
Assessment of the situation at hand
The terror group Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen is threatening to attack Burundi, which happens to be in a political and social unrest after the foiled coup d’état that has led to fighting in the country.
According to intelligence sources, if the terror group carries out any attack in Burundi therefore, it would be difficult to determine the claim of responsibility by the Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen militants.
The video emerges one month after the militants attacked a university college in Garissa, Kenya, killing 148 people.
Read also: Ugandan Authorities React to Increased Terror Threats, Issue Alerts
According to the intelligence sources, the terrorist group has psyched itself to carry out other numerous attacks after the success of the Garissa attack.
Garissa follow up attacks by the group however put success of any of the group’s future attacks at doubt.
The two attacks happened this week, one on Tuesday 12 May 2015 in Haamey village in Garissa County and the other on Friday 15 May 2015 in Ijaara Sub County.
In both cases, the members of Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen were intercepted by the Kenyan troops in exchanges that culminated in the loss of lives of dozens of militants and an unfortunate loss of one Kenyan policeman.
Kenya’s military troops are on the ground to take full charge of the country’s border with Somalia to prevent any terrorists coming in through the border.
The Ugandan police on their part said they were on high alert following the video and said they were collaborating with security agencies to examine its authenticity.
Check the newly released Al Shabaab video below
