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Somali Government Forces Kill 15 Al-Shabab Militants in Retaliation for the Kismayo Hotel Attack in Which 26 People Were Killed

July 14, 2019

 

Somali government soldiers	The Asasey hotel in Kismayo which was attacked by Al-Shabaab, on July 13, 2019

 

Somali forces kill 15 al-Shabab militants after hotel attack

Shabelle, July 14, 2019

At least 15 al-Shabab militants were killed on Saturday in a military operation in Somalia’s southern regions barely a day after the group claimed more than 20 lives in a deadly attack.

Somali National Army (SNA) forces senior commander said Sunday the forces conducted an offensive against al-Shabab in Wanlaweyn town in Lower Shabelle region.

“Our forces advanced to take control of areas from al-Shabab extremists. We killed 15 of them and captured Yaq Buraweyne, Madah Marodi and Idow Jalad villages,” SNA commander in charge of the 35th division Mohamed Abdullahi Arale said.

He added that the forces will proceed with the operations until they drive the militants out of the entire Lower Shabelle region.

Residents said they heard the sound of a heavy gunfight between the militants and the army.

“A fierce battle broke out in Yaq Buraweyne village between government forces and al-Shabab militants, both sides fought for a while but government troops are now in the town and the militants withdrew from it,” Jamal Ga’al , a local resident told Xinhua by phone.

Somali forces have stepped up operations on al-Shabab extremists in central and southern regions to flush the militants out of those regions.

Somali army retakes fresh areas from Al-Shabaab after offensive

Shabelle, July 14, 2019

Somali National Army has taken new areas from al-Shabaab in Lower Shabelle region on Sunday.

The troops seized Yaaqbari Weyne, MadaxMarodi and Lego villages during operation.

Colonel, Mohamed Abdullahi Arale who was leading contingents from the 35th brigade of the 60th division confirmed the news to state media.

Col. Arale said his troops killed 15 fighters during the operation while destroying several vehicles used by the militants.

According to sources, the operation was backed by US force air support since no confirmation from AFRICOM.

The new grounds retaken by Somali troops were held by al-Shabaab fighters since 2015 when AMISOM contingents from Burundi retreated following an attack.

Somali National Army backed By AU peacekeeping troops in support from US drone strikes intensified operations against armed group al-Shabaab in recent months.

The offensive by SNA has led to the recapture of key towns such as Sabiid, Barire, Canole in Lower Shabelle region.

Al Shabaab attacks upscale hotel in Somalia

Shabelle, July 12, 2019

Al Shabaab said it attached an upscale hotel in the southern port city of Kismayo on Friday afternoon.

Local residents said the attack began with a car bomb detonated at the entrance gate of the hotel followed by gunfire.

Political leaders, MPs, elders and presidential candidates were at the hotel at the time of the complex attack.

The attack comes as Jubbaland is preparing to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next month.

Several people are feared dead and security forces are fighting with the attackers to end the seige.

Kismayo attack: At least 26 dead as gunmen storm Somali hotel

BBC, 14 July 2019

Media captionDamage and shock after the worst attack in Kismayo for years

At least 26 people, including a prominent journalist and several foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a hotel in southern Somalia.

A suicide bomber rammed a car containing explosives into the Asasey hotel in the port of Kismayo, and gunmen then stormed the building.

Journalist Hodan Nalayeh, 43, and her husband Farid were among the dead.

Islamist group al-Shabab has claimed the attack, the worst to hit Kismayo since they were forced out in 2012.

A local politician, three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and one Briton were also killed, authorities say.

How did the attack unfold?

Regional politicians and clan elders were inside the hotel discussing a forthcoming regional election when the attack began on Friday.

Witnesses said they heard a huge blast before several heavily armed men forced their way in.

"There is chaos inside, I saw several dead bodies carried from the scene and people are fleeing from the nearby buildings," one witness, Hussein Muktar, said during the attack.

It took 12 hours for authorities to regain control over the hotel.

Regional President Ahmed Mohamed put the death toll at 26 with more than 50 people wounded. Three attackers died in the raid while one was captured.

Who were the victims?

Hodan Nalayeh founded the media platform Integration TV to tell stories about life in Somalia and in the Somali diaspora.

Recent episodes had focused on Somalia's female entrepreneurs and things to do in the city of Las Anod.

She moved to Canada with her family when she was six years old and went on to become a figurehead of the Somali community there. But the mother of two had recently returned to Somalia.

She once spoke about how she would like to be remembered after her death.

"My vision is not to be famous and to make money. My mission is what I will leave behind when I die and what will I be remembered for," she said.

"One of the things is that I want people to remember that I loved the Somali people and want them to be brothers and to remember the importance of our unity for our country."

Tributes have been paid, with BBC journalist Farhan Jimale calling her "a beautiful soul" while Canada's Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said she was a "voice for many".

The Somali Journalists Syndicate said that Nalayeh and another reporter also killed in Kismayo, Mohamed Omar Sahal, were the first journalists to be killed in the country this year.

How common is this type of attack?

Somalia sees frequent militant attacks but after al-Shabab was driven out of Kismayo the port has been relatively peaceful.

The militants have been carrying out regular attacks in the capital Mogadishu, despite the heavy presence of African Union peacekeepers and US-trained Somali troops.

Al-Shabab is affiliated with al-Qaeda and remains a powerful presence in rural Somalia.

Somalia executes 3 over deadly 2017 hotel attack

Shabelle, July 10, 2019

Somalia’s military says it executed three men convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on a hotel in the capital in 2017.

A statement issued by the military said the three were shot dead by a firing squad at a police academy in Mogadishu Wednesday.

The men were convicted of participating in an assault on Nasa-Hablod hotel which killed 18 people and wounded 47 others in October 2017.

The three were members of Somalia’s al-Shabab Islamic extremist rebels and were arrested during the attack on the hotel.

Somalia’s homegrown extremist group, al-Shabab, is allied to al-Qaida. The rebels were pushed out of the capital, several years ago, but they continue to operate in the countryside and frequently carry out violent attacks on hotels in Mogadishu.

With suspect in custody, police vow justice after Wajir IED attack Share Tweet Email Share Share

Hiiraan, Monday July 15, 2019

A suspected Al-Shabaab terrorist has been in police custody since July 2, when police arrested him in relation to several deadly attacks in Wajir County.

It is alleged that the suspect, Abdirashid Abdi Adan, was one of several attackers who planted an improvised explosive device (IED) that exploded, leaving several police officers dead, after their Land Cruiser hit it.

In the incident between Khorof Harar and Konton on June 15, at least seven Administration Police (AP) officers were killed while others went missing.

Wajir County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara more security officers were deployed to areas along the Kenya-Somalia border following the attack.

JUSTICE

In a statement on Saturday, the National Police Service said Adan would face justice.
“Initial investigations reveal Abdirashid is a Marehan clansman who fraudulently obtained Kenyan identification documents indicating he is a Degodia,” read the statement signed by communications director Charles Wahong’o
“After his arrest, Al-Shabaab engaged in frantic activity to secure his release and frustrate investigations, including relocating his family from the border with Wajir further into Somalia.”

RETALIATION

Mr Wahong'o said police had thwarted "numerous attacks" in the area with the people's cooperation and that the gunmen had been pushed further into Somalia.

He said that since they restricted the terrorists' movements and illegal businesses, they had resorted to ambushing clans along the border and planting IEDs, with Kenyan businessmen in the area as their targets.

On July 9, the militia group laid an IED between Kurtun and Konton in Somalia, 18 kilometres from Konton in Wajir,, targeting a Degodia businessman from the area.

The device exploded killing five civilians who had been travelling in a truck.

Elsewhere on the same day, a water bowser on its way from Konton to Osquruun for a water refill ran over an explosive along Konton-Osquruun road, leaving three locals dead and one injured.

The NPS asked the public for continued support in preventing such attacks.

“Police are calling on members of public to participate in securing the nation through continued cooperation with the security agencies in order to effectively root out the threat posed by the terror group along the border." 

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