Retaliatory Attacks From Al-Shabaab as Counter-Offensive Continues to Succeed

The Aftermath of an Al-Shabaab Attack [Source: New York Times]

In the past ten days, Al-Shabaab has carried out several retaliatory attacks in response to the ongoing summer counter-offensive. The largest of these attacks took place in the country's capital, Mogadishu, on Friday, June 9th. The terror group stormed the Pearl Beach Hotel, which is located near Lido Beach—a popular destination for Somalia's elite upper classes. Politicians, diplomats, and foreigners often visit this area, making it a prime target for Al-Shabaab. The situation was quickly brought under control by Somali Special Forces. Following the siege, six civilians were killed, and ten others were wounded.

Another incident occurred on the same day, involving a separate and devastating explosion that claimed the lives of twenty-seven people. However, this incident was not directly caused by Al-Shabaab. Citizens from the town of Muraale discovered unexploded ordnance in a nearby field. Thinking that the explosives were small, they used them to light cooking fires. Unfortunately, these explosives, believed to have been planted by Al-Shabaab, detonated, resulting in the deaths of twenty-seven individuals and injuring fifty more.

Earlier on that Friday, the Somali Government announced its intention to replace two thousand African Union soldiers with Somali forces. This move appears to be the reason behind the recent attacks. The transition signifies the success of the renewed counter-offensive and represents a step towards a more stable Somalia. The African Union's current plans aim to hand over all military positions to the Somali Government by 2024.

In a more recent attack in Nairobi, Kenya, Al-Shabaab operatives detonated multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs), resulting in the deaths of eight police officers. These attacks were carried out in response to Kenya's involvement in ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia), like many other African countries. Kenya has deployed troops to Somalia since 2011 and has experienced numerous bloody retaliatory attacks as a consequence.

While these retaliatory attacks have occurred, Somali, African Union and US forces continue to push forward in their fight against the terrorist group. Recently, the US has offered a five-million-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, a prominent bomb maker within Al-Shabaab. Mohamed, who sometimes goes by the alias Engineer Ismail, is also responsible for the group's media wing, known as al-kataib. This reward comes as Ahmed Umar, a former leading member of Al-Shabaab, faces legal proceedings in the US. Mohamed played a crucial advisory role to Umar, who was acting as the de-facto leader of the group. Million-dollar rewards have been placed on former leading members of the group, including Umar, and similar rewards are being offered for the capture of Mahad Karate, the group's chief finance officer, who remains at large