Monthly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists For February 2023

 

 

 

Executive Summary:

In Mozambique, in February the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups which in the past two weeks carried out simultaneous attacks Mueda, Montepuez, and Meluco districts. The attacks had the intention of cutting off the two main highways connecting the north and south of Cabo Delgado province. A sizable insurgent force is still operating around Mocímboa da Praia, threatening the security of the district headquarters

The militancy in Cabo Delgado appears to be emulating al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia as they seek to establish a shadowy government in the north of Mozambique. The militants have warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them, promised to pay for their supplies as well as urged the residents not to fear them or flee from their homes.

Rwandan president Paul Kagame assured Mozambican president Nyusi that Rwanda would remain steadfast in its support for Mozambique in fighting the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. He maintained that Rwandan forces would remain deployed in Cabo Delgado as Mozambican security forces worked to improve their capacity to combat the insurgency.

In DRC Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) appears to have resulted in conducting attacks along the main roads in both North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The attacks have been used to restock their supplies and weapons and take advantage of the attention other rebel groups like M23 and CODECO have been receiving especially with the presence of East African troops deployed in Goma.

In Somalia, the US killed Bilal al-Sudani a key figure in the Islamic State network in Africa in an operation conducted by Special forces in Puntland. Al Sudani was very instrumental and an important leader for the Islamic State’s operations across much of eastern, central, and southern Africa. The group also suffered more setbacks after the wife of the group’s leader was sentenced to prison for being an active financial facilitator for the group, especially in Mogadishu where was arrested.

Incident Report:

MOZAMBIQUE

§  27^th Feb– ISM militants carried out an armed assault on the Muambala village in the Muidumbe district.

§  25^th Feb– a man was killed and his wife was kidnapped near Muambala village In Muidumbe district

§  22^nd Feb– ISM insurgents conducted an attack on a Nicocue village located along the R698 road that links Mueda and Montepuez in Cabo Delgado. The attack was on a bus that was set on fire but all the passengers escaped unharmed.

§  22^nd Feb– armed militants attacked a village in Palma district where they looted for supplies and left.

§  22^nd Feb– ISM militants attacked Vila de Mocimboa located in Mocimboa da Praia

§  21^st Feb– Nikokwe village located in the Montepuez region of CD was attacked by armed ISM militants.

§  17^th Feb– at least two women were kidnapped in Maputo village located between Palma and MDP after the militants clashed with local forces.

§  14^th Feb– there was an attack by the ISM terrorists in Miangalewa village in the Muidumbe district.

§  13^th Feb- Armed militants attacked and burned a military base in Nairoto village in the Montepuez district of Cabo Delgado. At least five soldiers were killed in the attack.

§  12^th Feb- ISM insurgents attacked a Border Guard’s position in Nairoto, Montepuez they looted shops & burned 2 police vehicles.

§  10^th Feb- ISM left a handwritten letter in Mwiriti Concession in Nairoto, Montepuez district. The letter was urging the civilians not to flee in an attempt to win over the residents by suggesting that the group wasn’t attacking them but rather just looking to restock.

§  04^th Feb- ISM insurgents targeted and attacked Christians in Miula village in Mueda District.

§  06^TH Feb- there were clashes between the terror organization and the military after they attempted to attack Christians along the N381 road in Namacule village in Muidumbe district.

§  04^th Feb- at least one person was killed when ISM militants conducted an ambush targeting the vehicles of Christians on the N380 road near Mitambo village between Macomia and Pemba, Meluco districts.

§  05^th Feb- five Christians were executed in Chapa village in the Mueda district.

§  04^th Feb- ISM cells attacked Christians in Namulo village in Montepuez where they burned several buildings. Intelligence shows that the militants had been roaming around the area in small cells.

§  01^st Feb- Mozambican troops were ambushed by insurgents on the road that links Makao and Macomia in Cabo Delgado.

§  01^st Feb- at least 7 people were killed and another 7 were seriously injured and several vehicles were razed following an attack by ISM on N380 near the village of 19 de Outubro, just 5 km north of Mitambo.  

 

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

§  27^th Feb– ISCAP militants clashed with Ugandan and Congolese troops in Kabasiwa in the Mulekia area located between RN4 and RN44 in the Beni region.

§  24^th Feb– at least two people were killed when armed ISCAP militants attacked Army barracks in the Karuruma area between RN4 and RN2 in North Kivu Province.

§  18^th Feb– at least 12 people were taken hostage by ISCAP militants from the village of Kithuma in the locality of Lisasa in the Buliki group in Beni.

§  12^th Feb- 12 people were killed in a nighttime assault on the RN27 in the Irumu area in Ituri.

§  10^th Feb- 4 Christians were killed in an ambush by ISCAP on the RN4 in Ndalya in Ituri province.

§  10^th Feb- ISCAP ambushed a trade convoy on the RN2 between Beni and Kasindi in North Kivu.

§  10^th FEB- 3 people were killed by ISCAP terrorists in an armed assault along the RN4 in Mahala in Ituri province.

§  09^th Feb- ISCAP conducted two attacks on a Ugandan Army patrol between the RN2 and RN4 on the way to Karuhamba, Mwalika region in North-Kivu province.

§  08^th Feb- armed insurgents killed 3 people on the RN4 road in Malibongo in Ituri province.

§  08^th Feb- 12 people were killed in an armed ISCAP assault on the RN4 road in Oicha in the Beni region.

§  1^st Feb- ISCAP ambushed a Christian convoy killing one persona and razing a motorcycle along the RN4 between Komanda and Erengeti in Ituri Province.

§  1^st Feb- 3 people were killed in an armed assault along the RN4 in the Idohu area in Ituri province.

SOMALIA

§  13^th Feb- Islamic State Somalia (ISS) militants attacked a military convoy carrying the electoral team with an IED in Wadi Jeil Southeast of Bosaso in Puntland.

§  11^th Feb- ISS detonated an IED targeting a vehicle carrying a Somali government official in the Karan neighborhood in Mogadishu.

NOTABLES:

Mozambique

In Mozambique, ISM insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups that appear to be moving in small-cell groups of fighters. In the Nangade district, allied Mozambican and SAMIM forces pushed insurgents out of the Nkonga forest and across the Nangade-Pundahar road. Felling the pressure of the military operations against them the insurgents have resulted in alternative means to win over territory by seemingly appealing and assuring the residents they were there to peacefully purchase supplies, a trend that is being observed across the province.

In February due to heavy rainfall which has affected the mobility of both insurgents and security forces the number of attacks has been very minimal. Thus, especially in the second half of the month, few attacks were recorded as most parts of the nation experienced heavy rain as well as flooding caused by a recent cyclone.

A note left in a settlement near Nairoto in the Montepuez district implored villagers who had fled not to fear the insurgents, and that they were willing to pay for what they had taken for their basic needs. The note also left that stated; Muslims who contacted the mobile number on the leaflet would be paid, but Christians would need to either convert to Islam or submit to pay tax. Elsewhere, they warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them.

Due to the onslaught by the allied troops, the insurgents tried and failed to cross the Rovuma river into Tanzania and returned to the Nkonga forest according to intelligence. The failure to cross over to new AORs can be partially credited to the recent moves by the militants to make nice with the civilians, and attempts at the establishment of a shadowy government as is the case of the al Shabaab in Somalia.

Civic participation in the eradication and apprehension of militants has increased with the previously broken trust between the population and the security forces being gradually restored. The populace has also been taking proactive measures in ensuring that the militants are arrested in an effort to ensure the gains made by the allied troops and the resumption of normalcy in the affected regions. Four suspected insurgents were also arrested in the Nabubusi neighborhood of MDP town after they returned home for food and were reported to the authorities by their mothers.

The United Nations has maintained that according to intelligence, the group has greatly reduced in numbers but it appears to have become more effective. The report by the UN said that the remaining insurgents have shown enhanced strategic and tactical coordination, forcing the overextension of regional forces with attacks in northern, central, and southern Cabo Delgado. Additionally, it appears that the group has been attacking economic infrastructure and projects decapitating the economic growth and sustainability of the province. At the same time, it is evident that the group is seeking to appeal to the population and as such reduced the number of civilian casualties.

 

DRC

There were civil riots and protests against the EACRF and the MONUSCO peacekeeping troops for what was termed as a lack of pressure against the rebel and terror groups active in the restive eastern region. At last eight protesters were killed and 28 others injured during an assault on the UN Peacekeeping convoy in Goma.

In Ituri province, security continues to deteriorate as ISCAP continues to attack the civilian population, looting and killing the residents, especially in Irumu territory. It appears that the militants continue to exploit the fact that most of the military attention is on Goma fighting the Rwandan-backed rebels. This split attention has provided ISCAP with an opportunity to restock supplies especially by attacking the trade convoys along the main road that connects North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

There was a video circulating on social media of a group of ISCAP militants pledging allegiance to the IS Caliph as well as praising foreign fighters in an undisclosed location in DRC.

The census of voters for the December presidential election in eastern DRC is a very delicate operation in a region infested with armed groups and whose portions of territory are occupied by rebels. ISCAP alongside other rebel groups has been attacking villages a move that analysts project is geared at undermining the electoral process and elections slated for later in December.

The Congolese and Ugandan armies have called ISCAP terrorists who are still active in the regions of Beni and Ituri to surrender and lay down their arms. The spokesperson for the joint Congolese and Ugandan armies’ operations terrorists, Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay, made the call during the periodical press briefing. He emphasized that both governments have already made significant efforts to end the insurgency and have shown good faith by treating those who surrender or are captured humanely.

 

Somalia

The death of Bilal al-Sudani has caused a major hitch in the financial network of not only ISS but also other provinces including ISM and ISCAP. Intelligence indicates that Al Sudani headed the Islamic State’s Al-Karrar regional office which is in charge of the Sub-Saharan provinces, and their affairs and provides a bridge beyond Africa. The Sudanese has shown his shrewd nature and is believed to have received and disbursed millions from various financial facilitators and various groups.

Islamic State Somalia (ISS) has propped itself as a major player in the coordination and facilitation of the Islamic State’s affairs across much of Africa. This role more than makes up for what the group lacks in tactical threat as compared to other branches such as IS in DRC, Mozambique, and the larger Sahel and Maghreb regions.

ISS suffered another setback after the wife of the leader of Daesh in Somalia, Abdulkadir Mu’min, Fartun Abdirashid Hussein, was sentenced to eight years in military prison., the wife of Abdulqadir Mu’min, was sentenced to eight years in military prison and was in charge of the group’s financial operations through her working relationship with the recently killed Bilal Al-Sudani. She was also charged with housing and offering refuge to members of the terror organization.

 

Ugandans doing online banking must be aware of this android malware called "fakecalls"

 

In recent months, a new type of android malware called “FakeCalls” has emerged, targeting users in South Korea. The malware is designed to trick users into divulging sensitive financial information by making fake calls that appear to be from a legitimate financial organization. Voice phishing (aka vishing attacks) is a growing threat to mobile banking customers worldwide. Vishing attacks use phone calls to trick people into divulging sensitive information, and they often involve sophisticated social engineering techniques to make the calls seem legitimate.

According to a detailed report by CheckPoint Research, the creators of the malware use a variety of techniques to make the calls seem convincing, including spoofing the bank’s phone number and using pre-recorded messages that sound like the bank’s customer service department. 

The attack scheme begins with the FakeCalls malware masquerading as an online banking application of a reputable South Korean financial organization. The malicious app proposes a low-interest rate loan to the target.

Once the target expresses interest, the malware places a call and plays a pre-recorded message from the bank’s customer service representative, providing instructions on getting the loan application approved. 

Simultaneously, the malware conceals the phone number of the attacker with the bank’s real number to convince the victim that the conversation is taking place with a real banking representative. The victim is eventually tricked into “confirming” the credit card information in hopes of qualifying for the fake loan. Such sophisticated voice phishing campaigns paired with malware using unique evasion techniques result in grave financial losses. According to the report on the official website of the South Korean government, voice phishing resulted in losses of roughly 600 million USD in 2020. The number of individuals affected by this crime from 2016 to 2020 was estimated to be as high as 170,000.

More than 2,500 samples of the FakeCalls malware were discovered with varying combinations of mimicked financial organizations and evasion techniques. In their highly technical report, CheckPoint researchers provide an in-depth analysis of the evasion techniques used by Malware developers behind FakeCalls.

To protect yourself from vishing attacks, it’s important to be aware of some common tactics that attackers use. For example, they may use a spoofed number that appears to be from your bank, or they may claim to be calling from a government agency or other trusted organization.

Here are some tips to help you prevent vishing:

• Don’t trust caller ID: Caller ID can be easily spoofed, so just because a call appears to be from your bank doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Always be suspicious of unsolicited calls asking for personal information.
• Verify the caller: If someone calls claiming to be from your bank or another organization, hang up and call them back using a phone number you know to be genuine. Don’t use the number they give you, as it may be fake.

• Don’t give out personal information: Never give out personal information, such as passwords, PINs, or credit card numbers, to someone who calls you, until you have confirmed that they belong to a trusted organization.
• Keep your phone and apps up to date: Make sure to keep your phone’s operating system and security software up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities.

 

US Africa  Command has confirmed to have conducted an airstrike in support of the Federal Government of Somalia’s ongoing operations against the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab. The airstrike was conducted as a collective self-defense offensive against Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attacking Somali National Army (SNA) troops in the general vicinity of Cadaley, Middle Shabelle region of Somalia.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that the precision airstrike killed 15 attacking Al-Shabaab fighters underscoring that no civilians were killed or injured in this operation.TheU.S. airstrike is one in a series of such attacks in recent months aimed at disrupting the Islamist terrorist group that has spiked up attacks from across regions of Somalia. In the last week of October, AFRICOM conducted a precision strike near Buulobarde, Hiran region of central Somalia killing at least two terror operatives. In September, a U.S. airstrike killed more 27 Al-Shabaab terrorists in the same region of Somalia. The strike took place in the same region, near Buulobarde of Hiran region, central Somalia that of late has witnessed surge in terrorist attacks. In August, the U.S. also launched a series of airstrikes on Al-Shabaab positions in Somalia, killing an estimated 13 militants, according to AFRICOM.

U.S. Africa Command, alongside its partners, such as ATMIS continues to take action to prevent this malicious terrorist group from planning and conducting attacks on civilians in the war-torn Somalia. US airstrikes are very instrumental in disrupting the Al-Shabaab’s networks, plans and movements from across regions of Somalia.

FARDC gets new fighter jets to hunt M23

 

Gripen E-series

Gripen E-series is a new fighter aircraft system. Developed to counter and defeat advanced future threats, the E-series is for customers with more pronounced threats or wider territories to secure.

 

 

Key features

Advanced electronic warfare with spherical coverage and the latest AESA technology for high survivability.

Intuitive HMC with AI, enabling the pilot to make quick and correct decisions.

Revolutionary avionics architecture supporting smooth capability growth to maintain technological superiority and adapt to new operational needs.

Key facts

Gripen E Gripen F Gripen Maritime

Number of seats 1 2 1

Length over all 15,2 meters 15,9 meters 15,2 meters

Width over all 8,6 meters 8,6 meters 8,6 meters

Maximum take-off weight 16500 kg 16500 kg 16500 kg

Max thrust 98 kN 98 kN 98 kN

Hardpoints 10 10 10

Combat turnaround 10-20 minutes 10-20 minutes 10-20 minutes

Air-to-air refueling Yes Yes Yes

Mauser BK27 mm gun Yes - Yes

Gripen E 

Designed to defeat any adversary. Made for forward-thinking air forces, Gripen E incorporates cutting-edge technologies, the latest systems, sensors, weapons and pods to ensure combat advantage, g air superiority in highly contested environments. Silent networking and total sensor fusion across a tactical air unit to blind and confuse the enemy. One aircraft active, the others go passive. Together the team gets the first missile launch opportunity and the first kill. Gripen E re-defines the rules of the game.

 

Gripen E has the powerful GE F414G engine, great range and the ability to carry an impressive payload with its ten hard-points. It also has a new AESA-radar, InfraRed Search and Track System (IRST), highly advanced electronic warfare and communication systems. The E-series redefines air power for the 21st century by extending operational capabilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human Machine Collaboration

We envisioned Gripen E to be an extension of the pilot’s mind and body, and we achieve it through advanced Human Machine Collaboration (HMC). The concept speaks for itself: Human and machine work seamlessly together to achieve mission success. ggggg

Gripen’s embedded AI capability and its future-oriented cockpit design that features the Wide Area Display (WAD), facilitate the pilot’s decision-making process and g crucial assistance in the midst of a complex mission. The WAD presents the information in a user-friendly way, which supports the pilot’s ability to select, launch and guide weapons in perfect coordination with other members of a tactical air unit.

Decisive Information Advantage

Fighter pilots need to have full awareness of the situation to be able to see first, understand first and act first, to maintain the combative edge over the adversary. In a contested environment, this is the difference between being able to engage or being forced to abort. Gripen’s suite of sensors delivers cross-domain data gathering and an unprecedented level of networked sensor fusion. 

Information is quickly analyzed and shared in real-time, enabling critical decisions to be rapidly implemented, ensuring tactical superiority.

All information collected by the tactical unit and other available battlefield sensors is also vital, and it needs to be linked, processed and presented in an accurate way. This superior situational awareness provides the tactical edge that Gripen E needs to secure mission success and platform survivability.

Electronic Warfare

Today’s battlefield is highly complex, contested and hostile, and Gripen has the ability to penetrate the enemy’s anti-access zones and disrupt its capacity to perform. Gripen E’s integrated cutting-edge electronic warfare system combines a variety of offensive and defensive measures to disrupt enemy efforts while protecting itself to ensure high survivability. Gripen does real-time signal analysis and countermeasures management, as well as extensive electronic intelligence (ELINT) signal collection to vanquish any rival.

Lethality

Gripen E has 10 hard-points; offers the best in class weapons and pods from around the world; and has an unrivalled ease of stores integration. Gripen E can conduct air-to-air, air-to-surface and reconnaissance missions. Air supremacy is achieved with the carriage of up to seven Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles and two Within Visual Range IRIS-T missiles. Weapons like these, combined with the ability to use offensive and defensive means simultaneously, enables Gripen E to detect, engage and suppress or destroy targets effectively.

Maximum Force Readiness

From the outset, Gripen E was designed for ease of maintenance that secures higher availability than its competitors. Gripen E can operate in extreme climates and from dispersed and unprepared road bases or airstrips. It takes less than 20 minutes with only a limited number of ground crew and equipment to refuel and rearm Gripen for an air-to-air mission, which ensures rapid re-engagement. With low maintenance requirements per flight hour, Gripen E spends less time on the ground and more time in the air.

Interoperability

Gripen E has the capability to fully operate with allied joint forces in the air, on the ground and sea. The ease of weapon integration, the use of common communication systems and networked datalinks makes Gripen E a smart choice for an interoperable jet fighter.

Adaptability

Securing technological superiority over highly capable adversaries is the most crucial factor for success in modern warfare, and Gripen’s capability to master new threats by evolving continuously redefines the rules of the game. Gripen’s users can fight Day 1 of a conflict, then learn and adapt its software applications to secure combat advantage for Day 2. Smart, right?

Gripen’s revolutionary avionics design separates mission system functionality from flight-critical software to adapt to new operational needs and support smooth capability growth without affecting the need for recertification. As soon as new technology becomes available, Gripen can be updated accordingly to ensure continuous capability growth. This changes the paradigm of extensive and costly mid-life upgrades that burdens the availability of competing fighter fleets.

Gripen E’s avionic system has forever made “fighter generations” a thing of the past

With Gripen E we decided early on to embrace the speed of technological change. The new avionics system in Gripen E allows to make software updates within hours. Listen to Daniela, one of Saab’s avionics experts as she explains why we don’t talk about fighter generations any more.

Defeat any threat. Anywhere.

Gripen E avoids detection by acting silent or suppressing enemy capabilities. Its advanced electronic warfare system, similar to an electronic shield, allows disruption of the enemy’s ability to function effectively. This can be used either to assist in destruction of enemy assets or simply to reduce the enemy’s ability   .

 

 

Gripen Maritime is part of the Gripen E-series. We are establishing Gripen Maritime as its new generation carrier-based fighter for the future. Intended for both CATOBAR and STOBAR operations, the Gripen Maritime size and flight/hangar deck manoeuvrability will offer a simple and robust fighter in terms of all embarked operations. Its small logistics footprint and reduced spares inventory will make it significantly more maintainable and require far fewer personnel than existing fleet fighters.

Marinised engine

Gripen Maritime will meet or exceed all operational requirements for maritime fast jet operator nations around the world. The fighter can operate in high humidity and is designed to withstand the corrosive effect of salt water ingress. The GE 414G engine is fully marinised for embarked operations.

Steady deck landings

Rapid pitch and roll authority as well as precision glide slope control will give Gripen Maritime pilots an ideal platform for safe and steady deck landings.

 

Did you know?

With the Gripen E-series, users secure forward-thinking capabilities to determine the rules of engagement. Born to fight any adversary, Gripen defines combat in a smarter way.

Gripen E’s agile avionics allows users to fight day one of a conflict, learn and adapt software applications to secure a combat advantage for day two.

The suite of advanced sensors delivers cross-domain data gathering and fusion. Information is analysed and shared in real time ensuring information superiority.

Operations are secured by ease of maintenance and high availability. Gripen can operate in extreme climates and from dispersed road bases to preserve maximum force readiness.

Gripen E is designed to work within the enemy’s A2AD (Anti-Access Area Denial) “dome”.

 

 

 Uganda to launch it's satellite this afternoon 

somali national army killed more than 30 terrorists, including three of the group’s ringleaders, namely; Maadey Madobe, Hamali Kalombe, and Mukhtaar Gabigoor.

The Somali government has announced the successful takeover of Hawadley, a strategic area in Middle Shabelle, by security forces following a special operation aimed at weeding out Al-Shabaab from the region.

A statement by the Somali government said the army, with support from local milita, killed more than 30 terrorists, including three of the group’s ringleaders, namely; Maadey Madobe, Hamali Kalombe, and Mukhtaar Gabigoor.

The statement added that some terrorists were killed while trying to escape in their vehicles.

The government has termed Haladey, a town about 30 km away from Balcad city, and 40kms north of Mogadishu, an important supply route through which the terrorists used to cross from the Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle regions and where they would converge to plan terrorist activities against the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Somali government has warned it will revoke licenses and close down businesses or companies which transfer money or make any payments to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

The Ministry of Trade and Commerce said today it will take action against businesses that aid Al-Shabaab activities by providing them with funds.

The Ministry added that it will confiscate the property of companies known to be owned or have representatives from Al-Shabaab.

The directive follows President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s announcement in July that the government will also target Al-Shabaab financing to cut off its lifeline. Al-Shabaab finances its activities mostly through forced ‘taxation’ of traders and transporters.

A report by Mogadishu-based security think tank, Hiraal Institute in 2020 indicated that Al-Shabaab collects up to $11 million per month with more than half of this coming from the capital Mogadishu.

The think tank also said in a recent report that the militant group spent $24 million on weapons acquisition in 2021.

The directive comes a day after Somalia marked six years since the October 17, 2017 truck bombing that killed about 600 people and maimed over 100 others in Mogadishu’s Zobe junction.

Al-Shabaab has claimed credit for storming and overrunning two Somali National Army (SNA) camps in Yasooman and Beera-Yabaal in Bulo-Burte, Hiraan, central Somalia.

 The Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab in Somalia continue to scale-up attacks in central and southern Somalia. In one of the latest attacks, Al-Shabaab has claimed credit for storming and overrunning two Somali National Army (SNA) camps in Yasooman and Beera-Yabaal in Bulo-Burte, Hiraan, central Somalia.

The Islamist terrorist group issued a statement through its operations spokesman Abu Mus’ab claiming killing to have killed more than 117 SNA troops besides capturing trucks and weapons.

However, SNA has disputed that their military bases were overrun as the Al-Shabaab media outlets/channels saying their troops managed to repel the attacks and causing significant blows to the terrorists.

Odowaa Yusuf Rage, Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) confirmed of the deadly dawn attacks at SNA bases located Yasooman and Beera-Yabaal villages of Hiraan. He reiterated that SNA forces managed to repel and defeat the terrorists, killings about 50 of them.

Hiraan prefecture of central Somalia has witnessed surge in Al-Shabaab attacks prompting even locals joining counterterrorism operations in a number of villages that have been under the control of the terrorists. With support from ATMIS, the Somali Security Forces are protecting civilians in the recently liberated areas and are securing critical infrastructure including roads and water sources.

The SNA-CDF said the ongoing military operations will be intensified in the area to flush out all the terrorists who have been staging terror attacks in the region.

Major Military Offensive against al-Shabaab begins in Middle Shabelle

 

The Somali Government has launched a major military offensive in Middle Shabelle targeting the militant group al-Shabaab which controls many rural parts of the region. 

The Federal Government has sent more troops to the area to boost ongoing military operations conducted by the Somali National Army. 

More officers of the Somali National Army (SNA) have been taken to Raga Elle, Adan Yabaal and Addale to top up the contingent of soldiers already in the region.

Senior leaders of the region, legislatures and interested community elders have also joined the frontlines in pursuit of the militants. 

More troops are scheduled to arrive in Middle Shabelle as the war against al-Shabab intensifies. 

The group retaliated, conducting coordinated attacks across the country following the renewed fight by the Somali Government. 

On Friday,a top Somali police official and several of his guards were killed in a roadside bomb blast near the southern town of Balad.

The attack involved a landmine that targeted Mogadishu Police Commissioner Farhan Mohamoud Adan, better known as “Qarole,” near the Balad district, 35 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

On Monday, at least 30 people were killed and 36 others wounded in Beledweyne in the explosions of three car bombs.

The first car bomb struck the gate of Lama Galay, while another lorry loaded with explosives gained entry inside the compound, exploding right at the Centre.

A third car loaded with explosives targeted first responders at the scene, making the attack one of the deadliest in the town.

The group has recently been receiving heavy military offensive operations with the Somali government announcing the killing of a top Al-Shabaab operative in an air strike on Saturday. Abdullahi Yare, who had a $3.0-million bounty on his head, was killed in a joint air strike on Saturday by the Somali army and the US Africa Command.

Al-Shabaab has waged a war against the Somali Government for close to 15 years. The group was removed from Mogadishu in 2011 but still control many rural parts of central and Southern Somalia. 

Wanted Senior Al-Shabaab Leader & Co-Founder Abdullahi Nadir Killed in an Airstrike in Haramka Village, Middle Juba

 

The latest US airstrike that was conducted on October 1. in support of the Somali National Army (SNA) confirmed to have killed a top leader and a co-founder of the Al-Shabaab extremist group.

In coordination with partner forces, US conducted the airstrike targeting Al-Shabaab network in the vicinity of Jilib, the extremist’s group headquarter, Middle Juba, about 370 kilometers from the capital Mogadishu.

US Africa Command initial assessment indicated that the strike killed an Al-Shabaab leader and no civilians were killed or injured in the operation.

Further reports now indicate that Al-Shabaab leader and co-founder of the group, Abdullahi Nadir was killed in this airstrike in Haramka village of Middle Juba region, southern Somalia.

Abdullahi Nadir had a $3 million bounty on his head by the United States and the Somali government described him as one of the most resourceful members of Al-Shabaab. He had been close to the former emir of Al-Shabaab, Ahmed Abdi Godane, and current leader Ahmed Abu Diriye.

The President of Somalia in a recent address vowed to fight the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab that continue to tax, extort residents, business people and travelers. While Somali security forces say they have made gains on the battlefield in recent weeks while fighting alongside local self-defense groups, its notable of the group’s surge besides strengthened capability, conducting deadly raids over the past few weeks, burning houses, destroying wells and beheading civilians in parts of central and southern Somalia.