Shabaab photo release shows aftermath of ambush in central Somalia

Weapons taken after the ambush

Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in Somalia, has released a photographs detailing the aftermath of an ambush on “government militias” in central Somalia. It was released on the jihadist group’s Shahaada website.
Shabaab claims that “at least six members of government militias were killed by the Harakat Shabaab al Mujahideen (Mujahideen Youth Movement, the Arabic name for Shabaab) in the outskirts of the city of Eil Buur in Galgaduud Province, central Somalia.” The group goes on to try to justify the attack by saying that the “ambush comes at a time when the government militias were trying to loot money from the people who live in the outskirts of Eil Buur.”
The photos show six dead bodies, including one image shown below. Other photos highlight the “spoils” gained in the attack, which include six AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, and the gear from the militia members. It is unclear if the truck included in one photo was also taken from the militia.
The al Qaeda branch has been able to capture several towns in Somalia in recent months. On Sept. 18, Shabaab took over Yaaqbariweyne town, according to a local official. It is unclear if the group still holds the town, and the attack occurred while Shabaab was attacking other towns in southern Somalia. On Sept 6, Shabaab said it took over Buqda in the Hiran region, while a day later it overran Kurtunwarey in the Lower Shabelle. On the same day, Shabaab reported that its forces took over the town of Muuro Gaabay, which sits close to the capital of the Bakool region.
Shabaab continues to remain a persistent threat despite being pushed out of its major urban strongholds of Mogadishu, Kismayo, and other large cities and towns in southern and central Somalia. It still controls large rural areas in southern Somalia, and uses these safe havens to launch large-scale assaults in the country, even with a major African Union mission present. Shabaab has also increasingly been able to mount attacks across the border into neighboring Kenya. And while the Islamic State continues to make a push for the al Qaeda branch to switch allegiances to it, only a small number of fighters have actually done so and its leadership remains staunchly loyal to Ayman al Zawahiri.
Photo released by Shabaab showing weapons, ammunition, and gear taken from the militia:

Photo showing the dead bodies of the militiamen. Warning: Photo is graphic:

Caleb Weiss is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a

State Department offers rewards for information on 6 Shabaab leaders

Shabaab fighters fly their flag over a Somali military camp. The US State Department today announced rewards for “information leading to the identification or location of six key leaders of” Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa.
The highest reward, of up to $6 million, is being offered for information on the whereabouts of Abu Ubaidah Ahmad Umar (a.k.a. Direye), who was named Shabaab’s emir shortly after his predecessor, Mukhtar Abu Zubayr (a.k.a. Godane), was killed in September 2014.
Shabaab made it clear when Abu Ubaidah’s leadership role was announced that he and others in the group’s hierarchy are loyal to Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s head man.
In an audio message released in early September but recorded months earlier, Zawahiri officially recognized Abu Ubaidah’s appointment. “I endorse their [Shabaab’s] choice of the noble brother, Sheikh Abu Ubaidah Ahmad Umar, as their emir, and I ask God to grant him success in bearing the responsibility of dawa [Islamic proselytizing] and jihad,” Zawahiri declared. “I request of him to exert all of his efforts to institute sharia as the undisputed ruler and master in East Africa.”
Zawahiri went on to offer Shabaab’s new emir advice, speaking as if Abu Ubaidah rules over an emirate (state) or province. “May he seek recourse to gentleness, patience, and kindness, for they are the best helpers of the governor over his wilayat (province) and of the emir over his emirate,” Zawahiri said.
Abu Ubaidah was added to the US government’s list of designated terrorists in April. State noted at the time that he “shares Godane’s vision for Shabaab’s terrorist attacks in Somalia as an element of al Qaeda’s greater global aspirations.”
As of today, State is also offering rewards of “up to $5 million each for information on” three other Shabaab leaders: Mahad Karate, Ma’alim Daud, and Hassan Afgooye.
Karate (a.k.a. Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame), like Abu Ubaidah, was designated as a terrorist by the US government in April. In its announcement today, State says he “has played a key role in the wing of [Shabaab] responsible for assassinations and the April 2 attack on Garissa University College” in Kenya. The attack on Garissa left approximately 148 people dead and dozens more wounded.
Foggy Bottom previously identified Karate as a key figure in Shabaab’s Amniyat. According to a UN report published in 2013, the Amniyat “combines a wide range of responsibilities, ranging from intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence to clandestine and special operations.” In addition to its other roles, the Amniyat is responsible for protecting Abu Ubaidah and eliminating any threats to his authority from within the jihadist organization.
Ma’alim Daud is “responsible” for Shabaab’s “planning, recruitment, training, and operations against the government of Somalia and Western targets,” according to State. And Hassan Afgooye “oversees a complex financial network whose activities range from fake charities, and fundraising to racketeering and kidnapping in support of [Shabaab’s] activities.”
Two other jihadists, Maalim Salman and Ahmed Iman Ali, now have rewards of up to $3 million on their heads as well. Salman leads Shabaab’s “African foreign terrorist fighters and has been involved in operations in Africa targeting tourists, entertainment establishments, and churches.”
Ali, according to State, has “recruited Kenyan youth and raised funds” for the al Qaeda branch. Indeed, Ali has led an organization named Al Hijra, which is openly loyal to Shabaab and al Qaeda. In 2012, Shabaab officially named him as the head of its Kenyan arm. [For more on Al Hijra, see LWJ report: UN warned of Shabaab ally’s ‘new and more complex operations’ in Kenya.]

Shabaab showcases attacks in Kenya in new video

Fighters from Shabaab’s Jaysh Ayman walking to the ambush point in Lamu County, Kenya

A newly released video by al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, Shabaab, showcases two separate ambushes of Kenyan troops in Lamu County, Kenya. It is unclear when the ambushes took place, however, the jihadist group has perpetrated several attacks in the region recently. The jihadist group also calls for attacks on Israel and Jews in Palestine in the last few minutes of the propaganda.
The video begins with a quote from Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq, the predecessor to the Islamic State. The statement is meant to provide justification for “killing non-believers” as the video is focused on this subject. “Every disbeliever therefore, who does not enter a peace accord with Muslims either through dhima, a ceasefire, or a covenant of protection, is considered a hostile disbeliever possessing absolutely no protection with the exception of those whom the Shari’ah has prohibited killing such as women and children,” Zarqawi states.
The video then shows the Shabaab fighters crossing into Lamu County and talking with residents of a nearby village. A jihadist is shown asking a resident “Are there any kuffar [apostates] in this place?” before being assured by the civilian that “only Muslims live here.” Another jihadist then makes a speech to the village warning them against “allying with the kuffar.”
“Keep in mind that allying with them is a form of disbelief,” he says. “We are in need to take up arms and fight them. Know that the Kuffar are terrified when they hear that the Muslims have taken up weapons.”
After the speech, the video shifts gears to show the preparation of the ambushes while an audio recording plays in the background of the American-born Anwar al Awlaki, who was a senior official in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula before his death. The first ambush shows an attack on at least two troop transport vehicles, while the second depicts an attack on Kenyan police. At least four police vehicles are shown to have been destroyed or damaged in the fighting.
The end of the video features clips of recent Palestinian attacks on Jews in Israel and Palestine, while audio statements from three prominent al Qaeda leaders – Osama bin Laden, Abu Laith al Libi,  as well as bin Laden’s mentor Abdullah Azzam – play in the background to incite attacks on Israelis.
Shabaab does not specify when the ambushes took place, however, it has conducted several attacks in Lamu County. This includes an attack earlier this month when a convoy from the General Service Unit, a paramilitary branch of the Kenyan police, was hit with improvised explosive devices (IED’s) leaving at least one dead. On Dec. 25, 2015, Shabaab targeted two police vehicles in Lamu, killing one police officer.
Additional attacks in Lamu include an ambush on Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) soldiers on June 14, 2015. That attack was conducted by Shabaab’s specialized fighting force, Jaysh Ayman, which is responsible for carrying out attacks in Kenya. An American member of Jaysh Ayman, Maalik Alim Jones, was recently charged for supporting Shabaab and his role in several attacks in Kenya. [See LWJ report, American charged with supporting Shabaab, serving in ‘specialized fighting force’]
Lamu County was also the scene of a Shabaab attack in mid-2014 when the jihadists targeted police stations, hotels, and a restaruant in the town of Mpeketoni. At least 40 people are believed to have been killed in these attacks.
The jihadist group has also attacked elsewhere in Kenya, including an attack on Dec. 27 in Mandera County. In an ambush on a Kenyan security vehicle, four police officers were killed and their weapons were stolen, according to Shabaab. In late November, Shabaab claimed an ambush on KDF troops and to have temporarily taken control of a town in Garissa County.
The main university in the region, Garissa University, was the scene of a brutal massacre perpetrated by Shabaab in early 2015. The jihadists stormed the university and killed 148 people and wounded many more. A spokesman for Shabaab said the gunmen deliberately separated Muslims from non-Muslims during the attack. [See LWJ report, Shabaab massacres dozens in attack on Kenyan university.]
Screenshots from the video:

Fighters from Shabaab’s Jaysh Ayman walking to the ambush point in Lamu County, Kenya

A newly released video by al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, Shabaab, showcases two separate ambushes of Kenyan troops in Lamu County, Kenya. It is unclear when the ambushes took place, however, the jihadist group has perpetrated several attacks in the region recently. The jihadist group also calls for attacks on Israel and Jews in Palestine in the last few minutes of the propaganda.
The video begins with a quote from Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq, the predecessor to the Islamic State. The statement is meant to provide justification for “killing non-believers” as the video is focused on this subject. “Every disbeliever therefore, who does not enter a peace accord with Muslims either through dhima, a ceasefire, or a covenant of protection, is considered a hostile disbeliever possessing absolutely no protection with the exception of those whom the Shari’ah has prohibited killing such as women and children,” Zarqawi states.
The video then shows the Shabaab fighters crossing into Lamu County and talking with residents of a nearby village. A jihadist is shown asking a resident “Are there any kuffar [apostates] in this place?” before being assured by the civilian that “only Muslims live here.” Another jihadist then makes a speech to the village warning them against “allying with the kuffar.”
“Keep in mind that allying with them is a form of disbelief,” he says. “We are in need to take up arms and fight them. Know that the Kuffar are terrified when they hear that the Muslims have taken up weapons.”
After the speech, the video shifts gears to show the preparation of the ambushes while an audio recording plays in the background of the American-born Anwar al Awlaki, who was a senior official in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula before his death. The first ambush shows an attack on at least two troop transport vehicles, while the second depicts an attack on Kenyan police. At least four police vehicles are shown to have been destroyed or damaged in the fighting.
The end of the video features clips of recent Palestinian attacks on Jews in Israel and Palestine, while audio statements from three prominent al Qaeda leaders – Osama bin Laden, Abu Laith al Libi,  as well as bin Laden’s mentor Abdullah Azzam – play in the background to incite attacks on Israelis.
Shabaab does not specify when the ambushes took place, however, it has conducted several attacks in Lamu County. This includes an attack earlier this month when a convoy from the General Service Unit, a paramilitary branch of the Kenyan police, was hit with improvised explosive devices (IED’s) leaving at least one dead. On Dec. 25, 2015, Shabaab targeted two police vehicles in Lamu, killing one police officer.
Additional attacks in Lamu include an ambush on Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) soldiers on June 14, 2015. That attack was conducted by Shabaab’s specialized fighting force, Jaysh Ayman, which is responsible for carrying out attacks in Kenya. An American member of Jaysh Ayman, Maalik Alim Jones, was recently charged for supporting Shabaab and his role in several attacks in Kenya. [See LWJ report, American charged with supporting Shabaab, serving in ‘specialized fighting force’]
Lamu County was also the scene of a Shabaab attack in mid-2014 when the jihadists targeted police stations, hotels, and a restaruant in the town of Mpeketoni. At least 40 people are believed to have been killed in these attacks.
The jihadist group has also attacked elsewhere in Kenya, including an attack on Dec. 27 in Mandera County. In an ambush on a Kenyan security vehicle, four police officers were killed and their weapons were stolen, according to Shabaab. In late November, Shabaab claimed an ambush on KDF troops and to have temporarily taken control of a town in Garissa County.
The main university in the region, Garissa University, was the scene of a brutal massacre perpetrated by Shabaab in early 2015. The jihadists stormed the university and killed 148 people and wounded many more. A spokesman for Shabaab said the gunmen deliberately separated Muslims from non-Muslims during the attack. [See LWJ report, Shabaab massacres dozens in attack on Kenyan university.]
Screenshots from the video:

Shabaab claims ‘Western intelligence officials’ targeted in airliner bombing

Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa, has claimed responsibility for bombing an airliner bound for Djibouti on Feb. 2. The statement, which was released in English on social media, can be seen below.
“The operation is part of a series of operations specifically targeting the Western and apostate intelligence infrastructure,” Shabaab claims.
“Acting on accurate intelligence and extensive surveillance by [Shabaab] intelligence teams,” the statement reads, Shabaab “carried out the airborne operation as a retribution for the crimes committed by the coalition of Western crusaders and their intelligence agencies against the Muslims of Somalia and so as to staunch the flow of Western crusaders into this Muslim land.”
The group does not explain how the bomb supposedly targeted specific Western intelligence officials or their allies. The blast also failed to kill anyone on the jet other than the jihadist who carried it on board.
Shabaab recognizes that the attack was not exactly a success: “And while the operation did not bring down the plane as Allah had decreed, it struck terror in the hearts of the crusaders, demonstrating to the disbelievers that despite all their security measures and the strenuous efforts they make to conceal their presence, the Mujahideen can and will get to them.”
CNN reported that the explosion would have done more damage had it occurred at a higher altitude. A delay in the flight may have prevented the attack from going off as planned.
The bomb was reportedly concealed in a laptop and may have been undetected by airport X-rays. (It is not clear if the laptop was passed through an X-ray machine or around one.) Officials have released video footage showing the laptop being passed from one person to another at the airport beforehand.
Shabaab does not provide any specific details concerning the bomb, or the “intelligence” officials who were supposedly targeted.
But the group is eager to portray the failed attack as part of longer war between the jihadists and their adversaries in the CIA, British intelligence, and Israel’s Mossad.
The al Qaeda branch claims in its statement that a December 2014 raid on the AMISOM Halane base camp in Mogadishu targeted all of these spy agencies. Shabaab also says that “17 crusaders, including 2 white mercenaries” were killed during the raid, but AMISOM’s statement on the gun fight indicated that “three AMISOM soldiers and a civilian contractor” perished. Shabaab previously claimed that the assault on the Halane base was revenge for the drone strike that killed the group’s emir, Ahmad Godane, in September 2014.
Explosions in Djibouti in May 2014 that “targeted a restaurant frequented predominately by French Crusaders and their NATO allies” and a “series of operations in Mogadishu that eliminated dozens of senior apostate intelligence officials, district governors and hundreds of intelligence operatives” were also supposedly part of this same series of attacks.
The US drone program is mentioned in Shabaab’s statement. “Western intelligence teams also conduct widespread surveillance on the local Muslim population and provide support to the CIA’s drone operations in Somalia as the campaign of airstrikes from unmanned aerial vehicles continues to claim the lives of hundreds of innocent Muslims,” Shabaab argues. “In addition to that, hundreds of Muslim men and women are being held in degrading conditions in underground prisons run by the CIA in Mogadishu where they are routinely tortured and interrogated.”
The passengers on the Daallo Airlines plane, including the suicide bomber who blew a hole in it, were originally scheduled to board a Turkish Airlines flight that was canceled. Shabaab implies that Turkey is a legitimate target.
“Turkey – a member of NATO and one of [the] principal partners of the West in its war against Islam – is actively engaged in a destructive form of economic warfare against the Muslims of Somalia,” the statement reads. “Through seemingly benign projects, Turkey is gradually destroying the already fragile economy of the Muslims of Somalia, all in order to bolster the Western war effort and deprive the Muslims of their critical, yet extremely limited, resources.”
Shabaab’s claim of responsibility for airliner bombing

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for The Long War Journal.

Shabaab threatens more attacks in Kenya

The emir (leader) of Shabaab in Kenya, Ahmed Iman Ali, as shown in a new video.

The leader of Al Shabaab’s local branch in Kenya threatened more violence inside the country during a recent lecture to soldiers at a training camp following last month’s attack on Kenyan troops in El Adde, Somalia. Al Shabaab is the official arm of al Qaeda in East Africa. The leader, Ahmed Iman Ali, also discussed the rationale for targeting the Kenyan troops in neighboring Somalia.
“Know for sure that disaster has struck El Adde. The Kenyans were warned again and again and again,” Ali said, according to an English translation of a video released by the al Qaeda-linked Global Islamic Media Foundation (GIMF). Ali went on to say: “Right now as I speak to you, the only thing that I bought was my turban. My gun, my pouch and my uniform are all war booty from (Kenyan troops).”
He then discussed crimes allegedly committed by the Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) in both Kenya and Somalia.
“The first time our sister who was pregnant was thrown by the kuffar [apostates] from the third floor,” Ali said. “Another sister in the same area was also thrown from the top of a house until her spine broke. In Mandera, they came and kidnapped our mother who had five children and was their support.”
The jihadist then threatened Kenya with future attacks by saying Shabaab will force Kenya to “change their flag by erasing all the colors except the red one as an indication of the blood that we will spill in Kenya.” He concluded his threat by stating “the Kenyans immersed themselves into a war whilst they did not fully comprehend the meaning of war.”
In the video, Ali also directed his focus to the families of the killed KDF soldiers, as well. “If the family of the person owning this gun that is numbered 490 is looking for their son, let them know that I am now in possession of the war booty taken from him.” Additionally, he stated that “Any Kenyan who has lost their family members from the army that was defeated by the lions of Shabaab should contact us.”
In discussing El Adde, Ali referenced last months attack on a Kenyan base in the southern Somalian town in which over 60 KDF troops were reportedly killed. Shabaab has put the number even higher at 100 KDF troops killed. Just a few days later, the KDF withdrew from El Adde and Shabaab captured the town. [See Threat Matrix

Shabaab overruns Somali military base

Shabaab fighters after overrunning the base.

Al Qaeda’s official branch in East Africa has reportedly overran a Somali military base southwest of Mogadishu, furthering its control in southern Somalia. While Somali officials have conceded the fall of the base, numbers have differed wildly on the total number of casualties.
According to Shabaab’s propaganda arm, Shahaada News on Telegram, the jihadists killed “more than 70 members of government militias” just 27 miles southwest of Mogadishu. The jihadist outlet reported that Shabaab used “light and heavy weapons” in the attack, “seizing nine vehicles” in the process. Shahaada News also released photos of the vehicles, as well as almost a dozen rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and several crates of ammunition.
While Shabaab claimed that “more than 70” were killed, Somali officials told Reuters that only one soldier was killed in the battle and the rest were able to “flee the base.” Both Shabaab and Somali officials often exaggerate numbers, so without photo evidence it is difficult to assess just how many were killed in the attack on either side.
Shabaab has been regaining ground in southern Somalia in 2016. Last month, Shabaab briefly recaptured the coastal town of Marka, which it originally lost in 2012. African Union (AU) forces recently retook the town. Nonetheless, Marka marked the third major town in a span of just a few weeks that Shabaab was able to wrestle African Union (AU) and Somali forces.
On January 26, Shabaab marched into the towns of El Ade and Badhadhe after Kenyan forces withdrew, leaving a security vacuum. (See LWJ report, Shabaab regains ground in southern Somalia.)
Shabaab has mounted attacks in the region despite the presence of a large African Union mission in Somalia. The jihadist group has also launched numerous suicide assaults on heavily guarded hotels in Mogadishu this year. It has continuously targeted African Union troops in southern Somalia, building on their operations in the central part of the country, Puntland and neighboring Kenya. In late November, Shabaab said its forces temporarily took control over a Kenyan town bordering Somalia.
Photos released by Shabaab:

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