The group is recovering from the death of its leader, ahmed abdi gobani, in a u. The gunmen took over 700 students hostage, freeing muslims and killing those who identified. Inside and outside somaliaalthough the group primarily targets somali governmental officials and ethiopian military forces, it has also conducted attacks against african union mission forces and international peacekeepers inside somalia. Us africa command denies any somali civilians killed and says key al shabab planner and his wife died in an attack. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in kenya since al qaidas east africa affiliate bombed the u. Anwar alaulaqi, radical ideologue and attack planner for.
Several ominous signs indicate that the qaeda affiliate, the shabab, is seeking to expand its lethal mayhem well. Recent highprofile attacks by al shabaab include the sept. This article contains a timeline of events for the somali militant group alshabaab. Alshabaab harakat alshabaab al mujahideen is a jihadi insurgent group active in somalia and, in recent years, increasingly in kenya. Al shabaab expanded its attack zones in rural mandera, wajir, and garissa counties in eastern kenya. Channel 4 news reports from inside a jihadist training camp in somalia where the much feared al shabaab is training hundreds of fighters from around the. Reports say the militant group killed 43 ethiopian troops while somalian residents say the attack was turned back. Mogadishu, along with most of southern somalia, was controlled by the icu and alshabaab. Al shabaabs foreign threat to somalia by david shinn david shinn is an adjunct professor in the elliott school of international affairs at george washington university. Kenya defence forces kdf soldiers kill 57 gunmen said to be al shabaab militants in a clash in afmadow, somalia march 27. They recovered suicide vests, other explosives, and small arms and detained alshabaab operatives. The shabab had been a radical faction of the icu, but was far from dominant. Al shabab claims it was behind several attacks in the somali capital and northern kenya around the start of the new year.
Despite being driven from its last stronghold in kismayo in 2012, al shabaab has continued conducting attacks throughout somalia and in neighboring kenya. A police officer says he saw bodies, but there was no time to count the dead. Here is a look at a timeline of al shabab attacks in somalia and other. Historic timeline national counterterrorism center. Two kenyans, ahmed yusuf hassan and ahmed nur abdi osoble, executed by al shabaab.
The nairobi attack and alshababs media strategy combating. Sep 08, 2014 al shabab has carried out its first attacks since the groups leader, ahmed abdi godane, was killed in us air strikes last monday. Alshabab claims it was behind several attacks in the somali capital and northern kenya around the start of the new year. Alshabaab kills three americans in attack on us military. Al shabaab arabic for the youth, an islamic militant group that seeks to create an islamic state in somalia, formed in 2004 as the militant wing of the islamic courts union icu, a network of islamist militant tribes. Al shabab is currently led by ahmad umar, also known as abu ubaidah. By the end of 2007, alshabaab represented the main armed opposition to the somalian government, conducting an insurgency through suicide attacks and guerrilla tactics. This attack is important because it was the first led by alshabaab on a foreign nation.
The dead included one member of kenyas security forces, as well one citizen each of the us and the uk. Kenya police say 312 people were killed by al shabab between 2012 and 2014, including a september 20 attack on the westgate mall in nairobi, in which 60 died. Jun 27, 2014 al shabab is building a media empire and finding broader support by taking over radio stations in somalia. May, 2020 alshabab claimed responsibility and said 26 soldiers had been killed file. August 31, 2015 photo of an al shabaab brigade tweeted from an islamic state affiliated twitter account. Al shabaab leadership particularly targeted the uns world food program wfp, severely impacting its operations in southern somalia. Survivors speak out on this easter weekend the terrorist group al shabaab is promising more attacks like their slaughter at a university in kenya. However, the combined forces of ethopia and the transitional somalian government tfg, were able to recapture the captial city, causing alshabaab to flee. A brief history of somalias alshabab terror group huffpost.
Tweet describes the photo as mujahideen of east africa. Although based in somalia, al shabaab also conducts attacks in neighboring countries. Alshabaab is an extremist militant islamic group that is centralized in somalia. The somaliabased islamist insurgent group alshabab has proved resilient, committing brazen terrorist attacks at home and abroad, despite strategic setbacks. Oct 16, 2017 attacks against somali troops and those assigned to the african union mission in somalia amisom, a force numbering about 22,000, have grown more spectacular as al shabab s territory has shrunk. The number of casualties caused by al shabaab increased at. Terror group al shabaab has released a video calling for attacks on shopping malls in canada, the uk and the u. Al shabaab claimed responsibility for attacks in uganda during the world cup, which led to the death of 74 people. In early november 2009, al shabaab deputy leader sheikh mukhtar robow ali, also known as abu mansur, accused the wfp of destroying somalias local agriculture market through its distributions of food aid during harvest time and banned branded aid. Global terrorism database al shabaab s most commonly used tactics include bombings and armed assaults, which comprise although the group is responsible for almost 90 kidnapping events between 2007 and 2012, it did not carry out any hostagebarricade. Al shabaab definitely has a hierarchal structure, since each unit answers to a central leader. According to the national counterterrorism center, the groups rankandfile members hail from disparate local groups, sometimes recruited by force.
Guests flee the al shabaab attack on the maka al mukarramah hotel march, 2015. Embassy in nairobi in 1998 224 people were killed in that attack. The relative of a student killed in thursdays attack carries. Car bomb kills at least 11 and port manager shot dead in somalia. The group developed in the early 2000s parallel to, and later in partnership with, the union of islamic courts uic that overran the capital, mogadishu, and installed themselves as administrators over mogadishu and much of somalia in 2006. Islamist militant group alshabab is battling the unbacked government in somalia, and has carried out a string of attacks across the region.
Aug 20, 2010 the icus armed wing, known as al shabab the youth, initiated an insurgency against the ethiopian occupation and its somali accomplices and used tactics seen in iraq, such as improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings. Caused by a ugandan invasion into al shabaab territory somalia. In october 2017, alshabab was credited with the worst terror attack in somalia to datea truck. These attacks primarily occurred in mandera 19 attacks, nairobi 9 attacks, mombasa 9 attacks, garissa 7 attacks, and wajir 5 attacks. What is al shabaab and what are the al qaedalinked. Since january 2007, the united states has used airstrikes to attack targets in somalia, including al shabab. Isis had made overtures to the somali group, but it has so far remained loyal to al qaeda. This was in large part due to the nature of the attack, its duration, the difficulty in resecuring the mall, the number of casualties, and alshababs aggressive media continued. Girls who fled boko haram attacks are being enslaved and raped by. These ongoing attacks undermine the sfgs legitimacy as it is unable to guarantee security. Starting from alqaeda s first major attack in east africa, this timeline tracks alshabaab s advances and setbacks in somalia, as well its attacks in uganda and kenya.
Apr 03, 2015 al shabab, somalias largest armed group, started out as one of many factions fighting against the u. Caused by a ugandan invasion into alshabaab territory somalia. Alshabab attacks in somalia 20062017 al jazeera english. Al shabaab is a somali, clanbased insurgent and terrorist group. Jan 01, 2004 al shabaab is an extremist militant islamic group that is centralized in somalia.
Background report alshabaab attack on garissa university in. Alshabab attacks a joint somali and african union base in the lower shabelle the morning after somali and au forces had attacked alshabab in a nearby village. Alshabab, or the youth, is an islamist insurgent group based in somalia. In the past five years, al shabaab has carried out nearly 550 terrorist attacks, killing more than 1,600 and wounding more than 2,100. Background report alshabaab attack on westgate mall. Kenya became a prime target of al shabaab after the. Sep 23, 20 alshabab, or the youth, is an alqaidalinked militant group and u. At least 24 people, including six militants, were killed during a siege at the maka al mukarramah hotel in. Including the attackers, a total of 21 people died and 28 were injured. Al shabaab says it carried out mogadishu bombing and shot manager of bossaso port.
At least four ugandan soldiers are killed in the attack, which reportedly included two car bombs. Breaking al shabaab news on tuko we write about todays news on islamist militant group al shabab in kenya. Originating as the militant youth wing of the somali council of islamic courts icu, which took over southern somalia in june 2006, the group splintered off following the defeat of the council in december 2006 to continue violent insurgency. The takfiri al shabab terrorist group has attacked a military base near somalias capital, capturing the base and a nearby village and killing at least 15.
The al qaedalinked militant group detonated a series of bombs in ugandas capital, kampala, that killed around 76 people as they watched the world. A nairobi stadium is now a crisis center for victims and survivors of the alshabab slaughter of 147 people at garissa university. The number of attacks attributed to al shabaab has increased rapidly from less than 10 in 2007 to more than 800 in 2014. Step up cyber war against al shabaab uploaded on 20150310 in governmentnational, free to view the cyber war against the al shabaab needs to be stepped up urgently if there should be any legitimate expectation of defeating them and preventing further loss of lives of people in kenya, somalia and the whole region. Al shabaab has repeatedly struck outside of its safe haven in southern somalia over the past year, carrying out a series of gun attacks around the coastal town of mpeketoni, kenya, that killed.
The arabic translation of alshabaab is the youth, which relates to the group well since it is largely comprised of somalian youth. Finally, we present a chronology of alshabaabs suicide bombing program. Al qaeda branch in somalia threatens americans in east africa and even the u. Mar 22, 2020 al shabab is a prime lesson in the al qaeda movements stubborn resiliency, said bruce hoffman, a terrorism scholar at the council on foreign relations. Al shabaab, would begin to fight western influences and try to take somalia. Al qaeda branch in somalia threatens americans in east. Alshabab has carried out more than 360 attacks in somalia in the last decade. In a 22 january press statement, they condemned another alshabaab attack in mogadishu in which at least 14 people were reported to have. Unlike most of the organizations top leaders, its foot soldiers are primarily concerned with. How somalias al shabab grew into a global terror threat. Alshabab militants in central kenya kill 148 people at garissa university college. This attack is important because it was the first led by al shabaab on a foreign nation. Alshabaab events in history timeline timetoast timelines.
How alshabab is building a media empire and creating chaos. Timeline of al shabab attacks in somalia, other countries. Islamist militant group al shabab is battling the unbacked government in somalia, and has carried out a string of attacks across the region. Al shabaab expanded its support zone along the road between luq and dolow in gedo near the kenyan and ethiopian borders, potentially providing a base of operations for future attacks in ethiopias somali region. Timetoasts free timeline maker lets you create timelines online. Alshabab fighters attack military bases at least 12 soldiers killed after alqaedalinked group deploys a suicide bomber in a vehicle and dozens of fighters. The arabic translation of al shabaab is the youth, which relates to the group well since it is largely comprised of somalian youth. Rather it is a wellstructured organization composed of several independent components. On 2 april 2015, gunmen stormed the garissa university college in garissa, kenya, killing 148 people, and injuring 79 or more.
One of several hardline somali islamist militias, al shabab has operated primarily in southern and central somalia but it also has recruited and carried out terrorist attacks outside the countrys borders. The group has suffered leadership losses, loss of territory and revenue. Hamza mohamedal jazeera alshabab fighters attacked a military base near somalias southern port city of kismayu early on sunday, a somali army officer said, adding that he did not immediately have details of any casualties. Al shabab article about al shabab by the free dictionary. The alshabaab militant group grew into a potent force against the transitional federal government tfg of somalia and threatened attacks against foreign and amisom troops deployed against it in the country, including those from uganda.
Al shabaab staged an attack on a hotel in nairobi, the capital of kenya not pictured on map. Alshabaab subsequently threaten an attack in uganda for the updf contingents role within amisom and the strike on godane. Jul 23, 2018 al shabab has been driven out of many urban areas since 2011, however it still controls territory in rural areas and carries out gun attacks and bombings on military and civilian targets. This attack marks a significant escalation of alshabaab s campaign of attacks inside kenya, said analyst andrew franklin, a former us marine and longtime kenya resident.
The ugandan security services, with the assistance of the u. Foreign service, including as ambassador to ethiopia and state department coordinator for somalia during the international intervention in. And its sending its recruits to foment violence in neighboring kenya. Ugandan officials have blamed somalias al shabab fighters for twin bomb attacks that ripped through the capital kampala on sunday. The security situation worsened during the first half of 2016, as alshabaab stepped up asymmetric and conventional attacks. Al shabaab just pulled off one of the ghastliest terror. It morphed into what the united states labeled a terrorist organization after staging attacks on prominent foreign and national targets. Al shabab attacked a military base in central somalia thursday.
Al shabab is a prime lesson in the al qaeda movements stubborn resiliency, said bruce hoffman, a terrorism scholar at the council on foreign relations. The members of al shabaab come from disparate groups and the agenda of the. It once held sway over the capital of mogadishu and large portions of the somali countryside, but in. Al shabab recruits walk down a street in mogadishu, somalia, march 5, 2012. At least 12 people were killed in double car bombings near the. Extremists launched an attack on a luxury hotel in kenyas capital, sending people fleeing in panic as explosions and heavy gunfire reverberate through the neighborhood. Alshabab article about alshabab by the free dictionary. Al shabab, a militant islamist group from somalia, claimed responsibility for a spate of bombings sunday across the ugandan capital, kampala, that killed scores of people.
The militant group and al qaeda offshoot, al shabaab, which the gunmen claimed to be from, took responsibility for the attack. The history of alshabaab south african history online. The first, a suicide truck bombing in mogadishu kills 82 people and. Harakat al shabaab al mujahideen, more commonly known as al shabaab meaning youth, is a clanbased jihadist terrorist group in east africa. Starting from alqaedas first major attack in east africa, this timeline tracks al shabaabs advances and setbacks in somalia, as well its attacks in uganda and. Shabab says it was intended as a punishment for kenya. After carrying out a bold attack inside the upscale westgate mall in nairobi in september 20, the somali militant group alshabab succeeded in recapturing the media spotlight.
Alshabaab storms military base, kills 27 center for. Alshabaab fighters at a somali training camp, in an image taken from a video released by the group in 2009. The somaliabased al shabaab militant group remains a potent threat to security in the region, although its capacity to stage regular attacks in urban areas has been degraded. Alshabaab s composition is multiethnic, with its leadership positions mainly occupied by afghanistan and iraqtrained ethnic somalis and foreigners. A malaysia airlines flight mh128 flying from melbourne to kuala lumpur was forced to make an emergency landing at 11pm on wednesday after a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit and hijack the plane while in the air. Make educational timelines or create a timeline for your company website. Al shabaab militants attack and destroy a safaricom mast in fafi, garissa county.
Al shabaab and the challenges of providing humanitarian. The fifteenhour siege, in which gunmen hold more than seven hundred students hostage, exceeds the 20 mall raid as the groups deadliest attack in the country. Now more than ever, al shabab effectively deploys i. This marks the first al shabaab attack outside somalian borders. An al qaeda proxy in somalia, al shabab, has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the violence wasnt aimed at america or the west. Alshabaab also achieved a good degree of international support and funding, mostly through its. Islamist militant group al shabaab hit the headlines again on tuesday after it claimed responsibility for the attack on an upscale hotel complex in the kenyan capital nairobi. The same day as al shabab lost control of the town hassan abdurrahman gumarey, an al shabaab official was killed in action in dhobley. Al shabaab is composed of many independent cells, units and divisions, which answer to multiple figureheads. Thursdays attack comes at a time when al shabab is perceived to be losing ground among jihadists. Gunmen believed to be al shabaab terrorists attack a police post and destroy communication masts in arabia, mandera county march 2. However, the al shabaab is not politically organized.
Fighting between al shabaab and somali government forces have flared since may 2009. Oct 17, 2017 al shabaab also pursued a focused campaign in kenya to recruit and to conduct crossborder attacks in order to heighten tensions between rival parties in kenyas divisive election. Wanted al shabaab operative and al qaeda collaborator fazul abdullah mohammed is killed by security forces of the sna in afgooye northwest of mogadishu. Mohsin ali, sebastien billardarbelaez 25 jan 2017 17.
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