OSINT SUMMARY
Jahba East Africa is a recently created outfit aligned to the Islamic State.
The new group is believed to comprise former Al-Shabaab fighters who decamped from the Al Qaeda branch in Somalia.
The new terror group Jahba East Africa” announced it baya’h (an oath of allegiance) on Thursday 7th April 2016 to ISIS leader and self proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Intelligence reports indicate that the new terror group is designated to wage attacks in East Africa as ISIS renewed efforts to expand foothold in East Africa.
Jahba East Africa criticised the group, which is linked to Al-Qaeda and controls swathes of Somalia, as well as launching attacks in Kenya and other countries in the region and is seen calling Al-Shabaab fighters to shift allegiance to ISIS leader.
The outfit is calling on Al-Shabaab affiliated groups in East Africa such as Al-Muhajiroun, Al-Hijra and Ansar Islam to leave their parent terror group Al Qaeda to and pledge bayah to Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi citing the move as freedom for the mujahideen in East Africa and opportunity to wage jihad.
“We are telling the mujahideen in East Africa that al-Shabaab has now become a psychological and physical prison.
According to the spokesperson, the “newly created” group is comprised of militants fighting in Somalia, including Kenyans, Tanzanians and Ugandans.
Al-Shabaab continues to weaken within it ranks and now the rift between the two warring factions is becoming imminent.
The militants has suffered blow after another from SNA and AMISOM. In the first quarter of 2016, the Islamist group has lost over 1,500 fighters. Several regions previously under their control have been liberated, their camps destroyed and weapons seized.
Similarly the newly created Jahba East Africa will suffer the same fate in the hands of SNA and AMISOM forces and on the other hand their fighters will continue to be hunted by Amniyaat, the intelligence and military unit of Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen (HSM) movement.
