Kenyan Soldiers Hunt Al Shabaab Commander Mohamed Kuno as Drone Kills 53 Militants

Event summary

US drones and Kenya Defense Forces artillery  on Thursday 16th July, 2015 landed on Al Shabaab hideouts in Juungal and Jungal regions in Somalia respectively, inflicting heavy losses in attacks against Al Shabaab militants.

Fifty three Al Shabaab terrorists were killed in the well co-ordinated attack that also left 10 top commanders of the terrorist group Harakat Al Shabaab Al Mujahideen (HSM) dead. A total of 11 pickup trucks mounted with machine guns were destroyed and an unknown number of terrorists escaped with injuries.

Also targeted by the attacks was a Kenyan Al-Shabaab commander, Mohamed Kuno, alias Gamadheere, believed to be behind the Garissa University College attack.

Intelligence sources indicate that Gamadheere has an extensive terrorist network within Kenya particularly at the Dadaab refugee camp. Kenyan security agencies have so far netted at least eleven terror suspects, two from the Dadaab refugee camp.

Mohamed Kuno escaped the attack with injuries and is still at large. Joint security operations including MISOM forces are however narrowing on him.

Analysis of the Situation and Forecast

The strike at Jungal is a major setback to the terrorists. This is the main Al-Shabaab planning and operations bases in Gedo region that hosted most of the terrorists and their weaponry. All of these were destroyed and recovering them will not be an easy task.

HSM has lost most of its top and middle level commanders in the attacks. The group will obviously take a longer time to re-strategize and carry out any well co-ordinated attacks in the near future.

The militants are likely to re-organize themselves into smaller units, now that their major operational bases have been destroyed and claimed by military troops. They are likely to launch numerous guerrilla style attacks in Somalia and the neighboring countries.