Saturday morning the President of the United States Donald Trump He said he had ordered military aircraft attacks against an important planner of the Islamic State attacks and other members of the organization in Somalia. «These killers, which we found hidden in the caves, threatened the United States and our allies. The attacks destroyed the caves in which many terrorists live and killed without, in any way, damage the civilians, “Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The United States have been leading air attacks for years in Somaliaregardless of the administration in power, be it republican or democratic. On May 31, 2024, a targeted operation also affected militants of the Islamic State and the attack, carried out in coordination with the Somali government, caused the death of three group members, according to reports from the US army. The affiliate of the Islamic State, based in the Puntlandin the northern Somalia, managed to gain ground by rejecting the attempts of his main rival, Al-Shabaab, to annihilate it. Its strategic role such as logistical and financial hub for the networks of the Islamic State in Africa and in the world could further strengthen its presence in Somalia. How many are? At the moment there are no sure data, however, it is estimated that about half of the group members who could be between 5 and 10,000, it comes from abroad. Most come from Eastern Africa, in particular from Ethiopia, Kenya And Tanzaniawhile others come from Arab countries like it Yemen. The recruitment continues through these routes, with a constant influx of foreign fighters who reach northern Somalia to join the Islamic state.
The Leder of ISIS Somalia is Abdul Qadir Mumin It is originally from the semi-autonomous region of Puntlandin the north-east of Somalia. Sheikh Mumin lived in Sweden before moving to England, where he obtained British citizenship. In the early 2000s, between London and Leicester, he made himself known as an incendiary preacher, spreading his sermons both in extremist mosques and through online video . It is said that, once he arrived in Somalia, he symbolically burned his British passport. In a short time, he became an important propagandist of Al-Shabaab, a group affiliated to Al-Qaeda, before breaking with it and swearing loyalty to the Islamic State in 2015. A few months ago it was thought that he had been killed by an American attack. But there has never been any proof of his departure and is considered alive and active.
Despite its obvious weaknesses compared to Al-Shabaabseveral elements have contributed to the hold of ISIS-Somalia. One of these is the territory: the mountains located east of BosaI knowwhere the group has its stronghold, they are impervious, remote and not very inhabited. The government presence is discontinuous due to geographical isolation, granting the group major freedom of action. In addition, the position of Puntland, at the end of the Horn of Africa, ensures easy access to coasts that historically represented a refuge for illicit trafficking. This facilitates contacts with the international Islamic State network and guarantees supplies through smuggling routes that cross the Gulf of Aden. The main obstacle to the expansion of IS-Somalia is its persistent rivalry with Al-Shabaab, a group linked to Al-Qaeda much larger and better equipped. The hostility between the two organizations reflects, in part, the global competition between the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. In addition to ideological differences, the conflict is fueled by personal and economic motivations. Many prominent exponents of IS-Somalia were previously affiliated to aL-Shabaaband the jihadist group leverages the same extortion networks in Bosaso-and sometimes in Mogadishu-which historically controls al-Shabaab. Saturday’s attacks were carried out on the Golis mountains, said the secretary of defense Pete Hegsethwho added that an initial evaluation indicated that several operating were killed. He said that no civil was injured. A official of the Somali president’s office, speaking on condition of maintaining anonymity, confirmed the attacks and said that the Somali government welcomed the initiative. “Somalia does not It can be a safe refuge for terrorists, “said the official, adding that the impact of the attacks is still in the evaluation phase. Hegseth has also said that attacks reduce the ability of the Islamic State to “plan and conduct terrorist attacks” by threatening the United States, its innocent allies and civilians.
