Somali military officers repulsed an attack by heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters on their military base in Jala-laksi district of Hiran region in central Somalia.
Somali military reports indicate that the gunmen who launched the attack were heavily armed. There were no casualties reported on the side of the troops who also killed three of the militants.
Analysis of the Scenario
Failure to thwart the attack would have dealt a heavy blow on the Somali forces since it would have resulted in a huge loss of lives. The Somali forces responded to the attack with a fierce fighting which led to the Al Qaeda-allied insurgents taking to their heels. Three of them were killed.
Recent attacks by the Al Shabaab militants are characterized with heavy arms. Intelligence reports indicate a likelihood of a more organized terror group with a lot of arms.
The militants have spent a lot of time looting locals to raise finances to beef up their resources. They also are still in control of a few town sin Somalia where they forcefully collect taxes from the public.
Forecast
There is a possibility in cutting the militant group of the resources by
- Taking full control of the ports in Somalia by the Somali government with the backing of AMISOM troops
- Implementing strategies already in place to cut the illegal smuggling business from which Al Shabaab reap a lot of finances to support their attack missions.
