SECURITY BRIEF
12th January 2016, a U.S. court charged a 31 year old U.S. citizen for collaborating with extremist jihadist organizations.
The terror suspect was charged on count of providing material support to the Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group, the Al-Shabaab.
The Al Qaeda linked extremist group primary operates in southern Somalia as well as the African Great Lakes region, especially Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania where they have active cells.
According to a statement issued on Monday by U.S. Attorney General Preet Bharara, the suspect who hails from Maryland is identified as Maalik Alim Jones and is alleged to have travelled to Somalia where he trained alongside Al -Shabaab.
The suspect on the other hand was massively involved in aiding the militant group in form of supplying arms to an organization that has been designated as terrorist group by the United State, Bharara argued.
Security reports indicate Jones travelled from New York to Kenya, making stop-overs in Morocco and United Arab Emirates and finally landing to Somalia where he was trained to Kill and destroy societies.
U.S. official also revealed that the terror suspect was trained in automatic weaponry and rocket propelled grenades combat whilst at the Al-Shabaab military camp in Somalia.
The Statement say Jones had appeared with other members of Al-Shabaab fighters in at least two recruitment videos recovered from Al-Shabaab fighter from Somalia.
Jones possessed a firearm, and is seen with several Al-Shabaab fighters who, on June 14, 2015, participated in an attack on a Kenyan Defense Force base in Lamu County, Kenya, where two Kenyan soldiers were killed.
He was nabbed and apprehended en-route to enter Yemen where Saudi-allied Sunni fighters are fighting Iran-backed Shi’ite rebels for the control of the troubled country of the Arabian Peninsula.
The terror suspect is expected to be prosecuted in the southern judicial district in New York according to revelation by Department of Justice.
(Reference: U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.justice.gov)
