On Sunday the 4th of September 2016 at around 0300Hrs EAT, one of the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM) military operations commander for Gedo and Juba region, Maalim Jaanow conducted attacks against Islamic States (ISIS) positions at Qansah Dheere District in Bay Region of Somalia.
Al-Shabaab suffered significant losses in the battle. This was AbdiKadir Muumin's first success against his arch-nemesis and ex-employer, the Harakat Al-Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM) terror movement in Somalia,
The ISIS positions were held by Zakaria, a close confidant of AbdiKadir Muumin, the ISIS Amir in Somalia. Zakaria, from the Mirile Yantar Clan held Fort. Al-Shabaab accuses him and his militia of recruiting the Mirile Yantar Clan into the Deash creed and isolating the Qansah Dheere District from the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM).
Zakaria is believed to be building an ISIS bastion in Bay and Juba regions of Somalia. Intelligence shows there has been mass defection (Al-Shabaab fighters defecting to ISIS) in Bay and Juba regions complicating the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM) military strategies in the regions.
9 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed while their commander Maalim Jaanow was shot twice but survived. Intelligence assets show he was injured but he is in good health. This incident is an indicator of ISIS elements in Somalia have gained military capability and can stand their former comrades. It shows both clan support and increasing influence of Daesh in Somalia.
The Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM) is facing challenges in the battlefield and across its leadership substructure. This also, is an indicator of a gradual decline. As the two terror group scramble for supremacy in Somalia, intelligence agencies are closely monitoring and providing long-term solutions to decimate them AMISOM is also upping efforts to secure more regions from the terror group.
