Three days after the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab laid siege on Baledogle military base belonging to U.S. forces in Somalia, the jihadist group ambushed armed soldiers US-trained Danab Special Forces unit near Mogadishu.
A convoy of Somali Special Forces while traveling near Elasha Biyaha, about 15 kilometers south of the capital Mogadishu were targeted in two separate roadside bombs.
The explosion damaged an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) killing six soldiers and injuring several others.
The Somali based militant group Al-Shabaab which has registered successes in a number of their recent attacks quickly claimed credit for the attacks.
In a short statement released through the group’s pro-websites and media, the militant claimed credit for the two roadside bomb attacks while exaggerating the casualty numbers to 16.
The series of attacks against US and EU forces and their apostate allies are part of the ongoing jihad against the Western-led Crusade against Islam and Muslims in Somalia.
The militant group added that there will never be safe haven for U.S. Crusaders, African invaders, and apostate traitors in the Muslim lands of Somalia.
Al-Shabaab statement also referred to the Monday’s suicide assault on the joint US-Somali base and the ambush on Italian forces in Mogadishu.
INSIGHTS
Al-Shabaab has remained a formidable threat to the Somali government and neighboring countries despite efforts by both the African Union and the US to defeat it over the past years. The militant has also demonstrated the ability to strike in more heavily fortified areas of Mogadishu besides others regions of Somalia.
Although AMISOM and U.S. forces almost were succeeding in disrupting the militant’s activities in many of the areas it previously controlled, the militant group remains a lethal force with the ability to stage surprise attacks. The group’s recent successes have proved contrary to recent opinions that it was seriously weakened and on the verge of defeat.
As AMISOM troops prepare to exit from Somalia, it is evident that a new strategy is needed to contain the militant group when peacekeeping forces eventually depart. Without a new and effective strategy, there is a risk of Al-Shabaab re-taking control of the country. Given the current state of the Somalia security institutions and weak national army, this cannot be achieved without the presence of AMISOM.
