Harardhere ( Arabic : هرارديري , Somali : Xarardheere ) is a historic town in the Mudug province of Somalia . It is situated in the autonomous Galmudug state and serves as the capital of the Harardhere District .
140-495: The town was controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab from at least 2012 to 2023. In 2018, a US airstrike killed 60 al-Shabaab fighters at a training camp in a rural area outside the town. On 16 January 2023, the town was recaptured by the Somali Armed Forces . As of 2005, Harardhere had a population of around 65,543 inhabitants. As with most of Galmudug, it is primarily inhabited by Somalis from
280-417: A Sufi shrine and its associated graves; asserting that over-embellishing burial sites into shrines is incompatible with Sharia . Al-Shabaab has clashed with the pro- AMISOM Sufi militias of " Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a ". In addition, its statements have expressed anti-Zionist sentiments, and the group claimed that its 2019 DusitD2 complex attack was retaliation against the declaration of Jerusalem as
420-507: A "pragmatic clannism": a willingness to manipulate clan networks and exploit inter-clan politics. By 2009, al-Shabaab started drastically altering its choice of targets and frequency of attacks. The use of kidnappings and bombings in urban areas significantly grew in use. The groups significant support from the Somali diaspora dwindled in response to the usage of terror tactics. In subsequent years, however, al-Shabaab's strong position
560-454: A Cruise" by Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki Al-Shabaab was an early adopter among African insurgents of the Internet , which it uses to distribute its propaganda videos and for various other propaganda functions. Especially in its early years, it used online chatrooms and discussion forums, encouraging foreign fighters and even military commanders to post updates and field public questions about
700-505: A Nairobi neighbourhood where Somali immigrants live. A manhunt was also launched for eight more suspects. The Sunday Telegraph claimed that it had seen United Nations documents that warned that in the previous month the threat of an "attempted large-scale attack" in Kenya was "elevated." After the incident, Nairobi senator Mike Sonko claimed that he had warned the security services of a possible attack three months previously. The country
840-473: A Somali gathering to send their unmarried daughters to fight jihad with al-Shabaab, which until then had used only male fighters. However, according to International Crisis Group, women rarely participate directly in military decision-making or operations, though they do play important roles in recruitment, intelligence, and explosives smuggling . Al-Shabaab was founded in Las Anod in 2003. During 2003,
980-558: A back entrance. Twenty people were rescued from a toy shop on the upper floor. As the Kenyan army troops arrived, they used tear gas to try to smoke out the attackers from the cinema complex. Vehicles riddled with bullet holes were left abandoned in front of the mall. Kimaiyo said: "Our officers are on the ground carrying out an evacuation of those inside as they search for the attackers who are said to be inside." A police officer indicated that there were three bodies there while he pointed to
1120-476: A consultative shura. It operates several internal departments known as “Makhtab”, including Jabhat (military), Sanaaca (explosives), Da’wa (preaching), Zakat (taxation), Wilayah (local administration), Garsoor (Islamic courts) an intelligence agency known as the Amniyat, and a police force, Jaysh Al-Hisbah. Especially in its early years, al-Shabaab was sometimes characterised by Somali opponents as dominated by
1260-470: A coordinated military operation in southern Somalia that was launched against the group by the Somali Armed Forces and Kenya Defence Forces . One week before the incident and a month after United Nations warnings of possible attacks, Kenyan police claimed to have disrupted a major attack in its final stages of planning after arresting two people with grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, and suicide vests packed with ball bearings . The two suspects were from
1400-605: A counterattack with coordinated airstrikes, as well as an ambush on the militants from a neighbouring town, forcing them to retreat. The Somali government stated that they killed at least 47 militants and suffered 5 casualties, including two colonels, though al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 59 soldiers. On 2 August, 2024, an attack carried out by al-Shabaab at a beach restaurant in Mogadishu killed at least 37 civilians and injured 212, with 11 in critical condition. Police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden reported that one soldier died in
1540-618: A dominant force in south and central Somalia, defending large swathes of territory by fighting against the African Union Mission to Somalia and the Federal Government of Somalia , as well as the latter's transitional predecessor . Al-Shabaab gained international prominence due to its recruitment of foreign fighters, including fighters who are from Western countries . Countries including the United States ,
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#17327763067121680-494: A few hours before the attack. From its start, the investigation was hampered by a wide range of conflicting eyewitness testimony about the number of attackers, the gunmen's true identities, and even their ultimate fates. Over sixty persons were listed by the Red Cross as missing , though police asserted that they were all among the dead; in news reports, some have been described as additional terrorists who escaped alive, though
1820-639: A formal commission of inquiry. The African Union 's Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma condemned the attacks and reiterated that the AU would continue in its fight against al-Shabaab. She also expressed the AU's solidarity with the government and people of Kenya. The European Union offered its support. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "alarm" and offered Kenyatta solidarity. The United Nations Security Council condemned
1960-554: A former member of the Irish Army Ranger Wing , Lorcan Byrne, an off duty member of Diplomatic Protective Services Tactical Response Unit (DPS-TRU), Peter Bach and former British Armed Forces Major Dominic Troulan helped to save lives in the immediate aftermath of the attack. They were working as security consultants and they raced to the Westgate mall when the militants went on the rampage. Under fire, they organised
2100-560: A genuine resistance movement against the Ethiopian military occupation; despite its inclinations towards hardline interpretations of Islam. Though the invasion had fractured the Islamic Courts Union , it galvanized nationalism on which al-Shabaab capitalized, especially for recruitment purposes, with thousands of new recruits drawn to the group. During 2008, al-Shabaab began rapidly expanding and governing territory for
2240-491: A hearing in a week's time. On 7 October 2020, a Kenyan court sentenced three defendants accused of helping Islamic militants in 2013 in preparation for an attack on Nairobi’s shopping mall. More than 140 witnesses were heard in the case before the verdict was handed down. In the verdict, Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi ruled that Hussein Hassan Mustafa and Mohammed Ahmed Abdi found guilty of conspiracy to commit
2380-508: A media interview shortly after the withdrawal from Mogadishu in August 2011. Al-Shabaab increasingly avoided direct military combat and large battles, in favour of "dictat[ing] the conflict's pace by undertaking smaller ambushes at locations of its own choosing". The group undertook high-profile attacks outside Somalia such as the Westgate shopping mall attack by four militants left 67 dead -
2520-693: A national shura of Islamic clerics, independent of al-Qaeda control. Godane's rival Aweys declared publicly that "Al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda are merely a small part of the larger Islamic group and al-Qaeda's ideology should not be viewed as the sole, righteous path for Islam." In 2013, these internal rifts led to internecine violence as Godane effected what was virtually a purge of his critics. Among those killed were Ibrahim al-Afghani and three other senior commanders, executed in June; and Omar Shafik Hammami , killed in September. Journalist Simon Tisdall viewed
2660-421: A nearby coffee shop, while two hit a security booth nearby. The four militants split into pairs. One pair made for the main pedestrian entrance, while the other continued along the front of the building toward the vehicle entrance. Two of the gunman made it up to the upstairs parking lot, where a children’s cooking competition was being held. They approached and threw grenades and opened fire indiscriminately. One of
2800-559: A new Twitter account by December that year, with an official telling Al Jazeera that, "The aim is to vigorously challenge defamatory reports in the media by presenting an accurate portrayal of the current state of Jihad in Somalia and countering Western, state-sponsored propaganda machines". It has since tweeted, from various accounts, during other attacks; Facebook, too, has had difficulty expeditiously removing graphic al-Shabaab content when it appears on newly created accounts. The group
2940-482: A phone call to his uncle in Egypt, Abdi Mohammed Dhuhulow, where he claimed responsibility for the ongoing assault. Dhuhulow reportedly told his uncle to watch BBC and Al Jazeera, stating, "I am responsible for that. Say bye to the family." Earlier in the attack, Dhuhulow had been shot in the leg by Constable Ali Miraji, who had initially mistaken the attackers for General Service Unit (GSU) officers. CCTV footage from inside
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#17327763067123080-477: A pool of blood by a children's shoe shop. He then pointed to a hamburger bar where music still played and indicated more bodies were found there. The attackers had told Muslims to leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted. Others were asked to name the mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad to distinguish Muslims from non-Muslims. They also distinguished Muslims from non-Muslims by asking others to recite
3220-559: A relatively large contingent of foreign fighters ( see § Foreign recruitment ). Rank-and-file members, though sometimes recruited by force, are also attracted by the regular pay that al-Shabaab offers and by its political propaganda . In the past, many young al-Shabaab recruits were drawn from marginalised southern clans, such as the Jareer . Many are children . In February 2012, Fu'ad Qalaf Shongole , an al-Shabaab officer with responsibility for "awareness raising", encouraged
3360-569: A secret security pact. Israeli military advisers were reported to have participated in the counter-offensive against the hostage takers and to have joined in the fighting, although the Israeli Foreign Ministry refused to confirm or deny the presence of its forces. In the days following the initial attack, Kenyan soldiers arrived at the scene to rescue people inside, and find the gunmen. Shortly after entering, however, soldiers were seen on camera looting almost every store in
3500-721: A show of force. Al-Shabaab began creating propaganda films early in its campaign against Ethiopian forces, produced by its dedicated media wing, al-Kataib Media Foundation . Since 2009, al-Shabaab's films have become noticeably more "professional", both in their production quality and in their messaging, reportedly with direct support from al-Qaeda's as-Sahab Media Foundation. The early films were distributed primarily, and widely, online, and were primarily used as tools for recruitment, particularly among foreign jihadists. More recent films show al-Shabaab distributing humanitarian aid and participating in other community or religious activities – though others are much more gruesome, displaying
3640-806: A sporadic presence, and therefore significant influence, in many places. Nonetheless, by 2016, al-Shabaab was viewed as significantly weakened by the military campaign against it, with earlier losses compounded in 2014–15 by Operation Indian Ocean , a joint endeavour by AMISOM, the Somali government, and the United States. The Somali government claimed in October 2014 that over 700 al-Shabaab militants had surrendered since September, when it had extended an amnesty offer to them. Reports of further senior defections continued into 2015. Moreover, an American drone strike killed Godane on September 1, 2014; he
3780-429: A student with no travel history, passed through security without arousing suspicion. Call log data later revealed that he made several phone calls to known Al-Shabaab members in Somalia while waiting for the flight to be cleared at Wajir International Airport . Two other attackers, including Ahmed Hassan Abukar and Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow , used Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport as a point of entry into Kenya to avoid
3920-494: A terrorist act. In the case of the third defendant, there was not enough evidence to prove the conspiracy charge, so he was acquitted. Earlier, in January 2019, an accused had also been acquitted in the same case for lack of evidence. However, after proving the prosecution's charge, Otsieno Namwaya, a senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, claimed that neither the attackers nor the masterminds had been brought to justice now,
4060-471: Is Somali religious nationalism which is incorporated into its Pan-Islamist cause. Patriotic themes warning Somalis of the plots from international NGOs , " Christian Crusaders " ( United States , Ethiopia , AMISOM ) and their collaborators are a regular feature of the movement's propaganda. During the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia , Al-Shabaab positioned itself as a staunch nationalist militia under
4200-605: Is a transnational Salafi Jihadist military and political organization based in Somalia and active elsewhere in East Africa . It is actively involved in the ongoing Somali Civil War and incorporates elements of Somali nationalism into its Islamist cause. Allegiant to the militant pan-Islamist organization al-Qaeda since 2012, it has also forged ties with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb , and al-Qaeda in
4340-843: Is adept in using intricately-structured networks of amplifier accounts, leveraging algorithms and emerging technologies, to disseminate its messages. In territories it holds, al-Shabaab typically maintains "limited but effective" administrative control over resident populations, providing services – such as dispute resolution through Sharia-based courts – which are sometimes compared favourably to those offered in government-held territories. Somalis have been observed to travel out of government-controlled areas into Al-Shabaab territory to settle disputes, particularly involving clan dynamics, lacking trust in official institutions. Al-Shabaab claimed some credit for Somalia's excellent crop yield in early 2010, saying that Somali grain production had flourished due to al-Shabaab's reduction of food imports, and that
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4480-401: Is an internal Kenyan issue. His security forces tell him that this terror organisation was not targeting Israelis." Most of the victims were from Kenya’s business and political elite, as well as expatriates and the diplomatic community. British police officers based in Kenya arrived on the scene to help Kenyan counter-terrorism officials, and Kenyan officials began an investigation. Security
4620-399: Is generally considered to be "resurgent", a situation partly enabled by a reduction in the number of American air strikes, and possibly motivated by competition with Islamic State in Somalia , which has been conducting its own expansionary campaign. On 20 July 2022, al-Shabaab launched an invasion into Ethiopia's Somali Region . Taking advantage of the ongoing Tigray War , the goal of
4760-651: Is not universal within the group, an ideological fault-line which has sometimes fostered factionalism and internal conflict. Much of al-Shabaab's Somali support base is fiercely nationalist, and sees as its primary goal the establishment of a stable Islamic state inside Somalia, or, more ambitiously, inside so-called Greater Somalia , uniting the ethnic Somali populations of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti. Other domestic supporters are concerned primarily with clan-related and local objectives, and are therefore prone to infighting and shifting alliances. However, these ideological differences can accommodate broad opposition within
4900-439: Is responsible for many high-fatality attacks, including the 2013 Westgate attack , October 2017 Mogadishu bombings and the 2022 Somali Ministry of Education bombings . Apart from its activities in Somalia, the group also operates in neighboring countries, extending its insurgency to Kenya's border regions with its Jaysh Ayman wing and carrying out a major incursion into Ethiopia in 2022. Attendant to its recent resurgence, it
5040-661: The shahadah . To Associated Press, al-Shabaab called it "a meticulous vetting process ... to separate the Muslims from the Kuffar ". At least two people were killed for incorrectly stating the Shahada. At around 4:00 PM, the Recce Company, a specialised unit of Kenya’s General Service Unit (GSU), arrived on-site. The group entered through the rooftop car park, while Kenya Defense Force soldiers simultaneously entered from
5180-458: The 2011 Eastern Africa drought , which lasted until early 2012, al-Shabaab announced in July 2011 that it had withdrawn its restrictions on international humanitarian workers. The group also adapted its propaganda strategy to accommodate the changing circumstances. In some cases, group members employed humanitarian aid as a recruitment tool, using relief supplies as bribes and as an incentive to join
5320-494: The BBC . Presenters broadcast in Somali, Arabic, Swahili and English. In April 2010, al-Shabaab banned BBC and Voice of America broadcasts on Somali radio, objecting to what they alleged was Christian propaganda. Also in 2010, and prior to its expulsion from Mogadishu the following year, al-Shabaab launched a television news channel, al-Kataib News. The group has also been known to conduct military parades in its territories, as
5460-905: The General debate of the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly . Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the "heartless acts against defenceless civilians" and pledged to "stand shoulder to shoulder with Kenya." He also cautioned against prejudgement, saying that "we don't have any proof that the people who did this are Somali." King Mohammed VI of Morocco expressed "profound emotion and indignation"; Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and South African President Jacob Zuma also expressed condolences and reiterated support for Kenyan and international efforts "aimed at peacekeeping, stability, democracy and nation-building in Somalia." Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic President and Secretary-General of
5600-608: The Hawiye clan, which is one of the largest clans in Somalia . Hawiye remain influential in the group, and, according to a 2018 analysis by the Somali Hiraal Institute, five of the ten members of the executive shura council were Hawiye, as were about 94 of the top 220 officials. However, al-Shabaab is attached to an ethos of anti-clannism, and has therefore tried to appeal to minority groups and to ensure ethnic and clan diversity among its leadership. It incorporates
5740-510: The Hiraab sub-clan of the Hawiye . This Somalia location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Al-Shabaab (militant group) [REDACTED] Iran (denied) [REDACTED] Qatar (denied) Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen ( Arabic : حركة الشباب المجاهدين , romanized : Ḥarakat ash-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn , lit. Youth Mujahideen Movement), commonly known as al-Shabaab ,
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5880-464: The Somali diaspora ; and it has made prolific and innovative use of Twitter since late 2011, although its first accounts were active as early as 2009. Online engagement with al-Shabaab surged during Operation Linda Nchi, the Kenyan offensive of 2011–12, when al-Shabaab used Twitter, under the handle @HSMPress, to urge Somalis to take up arms against the Kenyan forces and to portray its own military losses as tactical retreats. In an extreme example of
6020-541: The United Kingdom , and the United Arab Emirates have designated it as a terrorist organization , and the United States has militarily intervened in order to fight against the group. Between 2011 and 2013, a coalition of African Union forces, led by the Somali government, wrested a significant amount of territory from al-Shabaab, including the capital city, Mogadishu . During the same period,
6160-491: The United Nations (UN) Security Council in early February 2022 estimated that al-Shabaab's fighting force had grown to between 7,000 and 12,000 fighters. In late 2022, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohammed stated the faction had around 15,000 to 18,000 fighters. The group is led an executive tanfid council of 7 to 14 members - a configuration also seen in equivalent organisations such as al-Qaeda, supported by
6300-751: The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta , Canada, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota . Send me a cruise like Maa'lam Adam al Ansari And send me a couple of tons like Zarqawi And send me a drone like Abu Layth al Libi And Special Forces like Saleh Ali Nabhan . Send me all four and send me much much more I pray for that on my way to heavens door Send me four and send me more, that what I implore An amazing martyrdom I strive for and adore. – Chorus to "Send Me
6440-509: The Westgate shopping mall , an upmarket mall in Nairobi , Kenya. There are conflicting reports about the number killed in the attack, since part of the mall collapsed due to a fire that started during the siege. The attack resulted in 71 total deaths, including 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers, and all four gunmen. Approximately 200 people were wounded in the massacre. The militant Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for
6580-624: The American Central Intelligence Agency began covert operations targeting the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) by backing anti-ICU Somali warlords with the aim of preventing the formation of a ' Taliban like' state in Somalia that could provide haven to Al-Qaeda . In 2005 Mogadishu was hit by a significant wave of unexplained assassinations and disappearances. The Islamic Courts claimed that covert US government operations and warlords were targeting high ranking ICU officials. According to C. Barnes & H. Hassan, "It
6720-489: The Arabian Peninsula . Formed in the mid-2000s as a youth militia within the wider military wing of the Islamic Courts Union , al-Shabaab came to prominence during the 2006–2009 Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Somalia , during which it presented itself as a vehicle for the waging of armed resistance against the occupying Ethiopian army. In subsequent years, it gained popular support from Somalis and became
6860-633: The August 2010 Ramadan offensive – the inauguration of the Battle of Mogadishu – which resulted in heavy al-Shabaab losses. By August 2011, al-Shabaab had announced a "strategic withdrawal" from Mogadishu , although, from outlying districts, it continued to exert influence in the city and to launch deadly guerrilla attacks against AMISOM and the TFG. In October and November 2011, Kenya and Ethiopia – partnering with local militias – launched offensives against al-Shabaab strongholds: Kenya's Operation Linda Nchi on
7000-548: The Dutch embassy, said that while he was eating at a restaurant the attack started with grenades and was followed by gunfire as patrons screamed and dropped to the ground. Other witnesses said the attack began at the outdoor seating area of Artcaffe at the front of the mall. An Artcaffe employee, Patrick Kuria, said: "We started by hearing gunshots downstairs and outside. Later we heard them come inside. We took cover. Then we saw two gunmen wearing black turbans. I saw them shoot." Some of
7140-537: The ENDF and Somali Region security forces began to reassert control. A battalion of around 500 al-Shabaab fighters succeeded in evading the Ethiopian army and reached its main target, the Bale Mountains . In August 2022, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared "total war" against Al Shabaab during a televised address after the group carried out a deadly hotel attack in Mogadishu and also announced that
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#17327763067127280-495: The Ethiopian military rallied many Somalis to support the organization, and over the following two years al-Shabaab became battle hardened as it participated in the insurgency. In this period, the group laid the foundation for an enduring insurgency in Somalia, establishing networks and territorial bases concentrated in the rural south-central regions. The African Union reported Al-Shabaab was about 2,000 fighters strong during 2008. A critical juncture in transformation of Al-Shabaab
7420-582: The Islamic Muqawwama (resistance coalition) of the Islamic Courts Union , taking the most hardline stance against the invading "Christian crusaders". After the collapse of the ICU in 2007, Al-Shabaab launched its own independent insurgency, gaining popular support from Somalis for defending the country from American imperialism and foreign occupation. Al-Qaeda began enhancing its co-operation and support to Al-Shabaab during this period, which enabled
7560-619: The Islamic Courts Union but also to the older al-Ittihad al-Islamiya , a group founded on the tenets of Salafism and opposition to clannism . Many early al-Shabaab leaders had also been trained as mujahideen in Afghanistan and Syria . According to the International Crisis Group , Salafism has been a core unifying principle of al-Shabaab, although this principle is not interpreted uniformly by
7700-531: The KDF, al-Shabaab tweeted that the KDF "boys are a grotesque parody of an army! [Al-Shabaab] can outpace ur world-class runners by far. Indeed, they 'Run like a Kenyan'". Showing uncharacteristic levity, al-Shabaab also suggested by Tweet that it meet a UN official for "a caramel macchiato ". Most of al-Shabaab's Tweets are in English, suggesting that they are intended for a foreign audience. In 2011, officials in
7840-602: The Kenyan government firmly denies this. It was reported on 10 October that the police, army, and intelligence services had been engaging in "blame games" after the attack. Some international forensic teams had reportedly returned home, frustrated that they were not allowed full access to the mall. A separate investigation of the attack was conducted by the New York Police Department (NYPD). The report's findings, released in December 2013, suggested that
7980-481: The NYPD investigation, which did not have representatives among the group of western investigators assisting Kenya with the probe, was "based solely on open-source information we gathered and is unclassified." Almost all the shooters were never definitively identified due to the condition that their bodies were found in. On the 5th of October 2015, the Kenyan government released the kunya’s believed to have been used by
8120-439: The September 2013 Westgate shopping mall shooting in Nairobi , Kenya as a reflection of the internal power struggle, with Godane's hardline globalist faction seeking to exert its authority. From mid-to-late 2011, and into 2012, al-Shabaab faced an increasing number of defections. It was not the first such wave of defections: in particular, in late 2009, after the Ethiopian departure from Somalia, several leaders had defected to
8260-660: The Somali Transitional Federal Government , as the Ethiopian-led war segued into the next phase of the protracted Somali Civil War . By 2009–10, al-Shabaab controlled most of central and southern Somalia (south of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland ), and it had formed administrative structures to govern territories under its control. It had particular success building relationships with local leaders in order to build cross-clan coalitions, combining its principled anti-clannism with
8400-459: The Somali government, citing complaints about al-Shabaab's use of suicide attacks and executions; its "false interpretations of Islam"; and its use of extortion and attitude towards foreign humanitarian aid. Such defections were viewed as strategically important to al-Shabaab's adversaries, not only for their propaganda use but because former militants could provide intelligence about al-Shabaab's combat strategy. However, according to AMISOM and
8540-544: The Somali government, the volume of defections in the period around 2012 was unprecedented, and indicated that al-Shabaab's cohesion and authority were deteriorating: in June 2012, the government said that around 500 al-Shabaab militants had already defected to it, and that more were doing so every day. Al-Shabaab brutalities, which alienated local populations, were again cited as central in motivating defections. On September 5 and September 22, 2012, two large contingents of al-Shabaab fighters – around 200 each time – surrendered to
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#17327763067128680-585: The Somalia military as well. On 20 September 2022, as the military operation progressed, a statement was released by the Somali Ministry of Information which revealed that President Sheikh would not offer any other option than surrender for al-Shabaab members. On 29 October, 2022, al-Shabaab took responsibility for a twin car bombing that occurred in Mogadishu targeting the Ministry of Education . The attacks killed 121 people and injured 333, making it
8820-562: The Somalia military had regained territory from al Shabaab in the central Galmudug state and Southwest state. By September 2022 Somali and ATMIS offensive operations against al-Shabaab, with U.S. support, would escalate to the highest point in five years. The operation, which is considered a combined Somali-ATMIS offensive, began in August 2022 and, with assistance from U.S. airstrikes, has been focused on disrupting al-Shabaab activity in Somalia's central Hiraan region. Other Al Shabaab-controlled areas in southern Somalia have been targeted by
8960-413: The U.S. embassy in 1998. President Uhuru Kenyatta said on national television that Kenya had "overcome terrorist attacks before" and vowed to "hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run". On 10 October 2013, it was reported that President Kenyatta had admitted that the Westgate operation was "bungled", and undertook to carry out a complete investigation. The Kenyan Cabinet was expected to establish
9100-495: The United States, and others – are viewed by al-Shabaab as part of a wider American-sponsored war against Islam . For instance, al-Shabaab denounced the 2006 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia as a "Zionist-Crusader aggression", in which the United States "unleashed its ‘hunting dogs’ in Ethiopia and Kenya" by deploying "the world's crusader forces" to counter the rise of the Islamic Courts Union . However, this globalist framework
9240-400: The United States, where Twitter is based, said they were considering having the account closed, but had legal and free speech concerns. Chirchir himself tweeted that such a move would be counterproductive, as "al-Shabaab needs to be engaged positively, and Twitter is the only avenue." Nonetheless, in January 2013, Twitter suspended al-Shabaab's English-language account. Observers guessed that
9380-473: The account to claim responsibility for an unsuccessful ambush of a convoy carrying Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud , and to warn that, "next time, you won't be as lucky". Al-Shabaab relaunched its English-language Twitter account once again on September 11, 2013. Two weeks later, the group gained notoriety for live-tweeting the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack, "justifying the attack, creating fictional threats, providing news on hostages and mocking
9520-672: The assault, one attacker blew himself up, three were killed by security forces, and one was captured. Later that August, more than 20 people were killed in a bombing in a Mogadishu tea shop. Although al-Shabaab has disseminated its propaganda by various media, the bulk of its engagement with Somalis in rural areas is either face-to-face or by radio broadcast. Face-to-face, the group holds seminars on Islamic jurisprudence and community meetings on such matters such as grain and livestock distribution. It operates its own radio station, Radio Andalus, mainly operated using relay stations and other equipment seized from private radio stations, including
9660-451: The attack and called on Kenya to note that any response must comply with international human rights law. Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble condemned the assault and pledged full support to Kenyan authorities in their investigation, offering to deploy an Incident Response Team consisting of specialised forensic officers, counter-terrorism experts, operational assistants and analysts. Noble, in an interview with ABC, indicated that in
9800-414: The attack but was suspected of involvement. In December 2019, another suicide truck bomb marked the beginning of a series of al-Shabaab attacks on the capital city, which continued into 2022. Al-Shabaab also targeted American military personnel in an attack on a Kenyan base in January 2020, and in July 2022 launched an unusually bold, though short-lived, incursion into Ethiopian territory . By 2020,
9940-457: The attack had been carried out by only four Al-Shabaab terrorists, all of whom most likely escaped the mall alive. However, an investigation conducted between Kenyan and US State Department officials suggested that while there were only four gunmen who carried out the attack, they were all likely killed during the standoff. Lt. Kevin Yorke of the NYPD's Intelligence Division also acknowledged that
10080-564: The attack. The 23-year-old Dhuhulow was in 2015 confirmed to have been the perpetrator named as al-Sudani and died during the attack. Having migrated to Norway in 1999, Dhuhulow had previously been under surveillance by PST. Little is known or confirmed regarding the identites of the remaining attackers. The youngest was reportedly 19 and the oldest was 23. In 2015, Foreign Policy magazine named Ahmed Hassan Abukar as Khattab al-Kene, Mohammed Abdinur Said as Umayr al-Mogadish, and Yahya Ahmed Osman as Omar Nabhan. Al-Shabaab denied that any of
10220-716: The attackers were from "different countries." The National Intelligence Service (NIS) was strongly criticised for failing to warn of the attack after The Star reported that two unnamed NIS officers had told it that the NIS had passed warnings about an attack to the police, and that a pregnant woman had been warned by her brother, an NIS officer, not to visit the Westgate mall that Saturday "because she would not be able to run with her bulging tummy". The Observer reported that Kenya had prior intelligence of an attack in Nairobi, and that there were reports of NIS agents being at Westgate
10360-571: The bomber, and in March another laptop bomb exploded during screening. Reacting to apparent advances in the group’s bomb-making capabilities, the UN Security Council later prohibited the transfer of bomb components to Somalia. The group has also developed a strategy of maintaining a "semi-territorial presence" in key regions and parts of key cities: while it no longer had exclusive and military authority over substantial territory, it retained
10500-604: The capital of Israel. In 2017, observers estimated that al-Shabaab comprised between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters. In 2018, the Council of Foreign Relations and United States military revised this figure downwards, estimating 3,000 to 6,000 and 4,000 to 6,000 respectively. Reflecting an apparent al-Shabaab resurgence, the United States Africa Command estimated 5,000 to 10,000 fighters two years later, in 2020. Most recently, an expert report submitted to
10640-463: The casualties were at the entrance to the mall after the assailants moved outside and a stand-off then commenced with police. Ambulances were present at the mall as rescuers started moving emerging victims. Reports indicated children were among the victims, and patrons that were carrying small children were among those trapped. Mall security guards used shopping carts to ferry out wounded children. Nation TV footage showed dozens of people escaping from
10780-475: The convicts were only bystanders in the case. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility shortly after the attack began. Before it was banned, a Twitter account claiming to represent al-Shabaab posted a series of messages alleging that the attacks were "just retribution" for crimes committed by Kenya's military. "For long we have waged war against the Kenyans in our land, now it's time to shift the battleground and take
10920-522: The corpses of beheaded members alleged to have been spies. Propaganda films are also occasionally used to attempt to mobilise jihadi activity abroad: in October 2013, one film encouraged British jihadists to follow the example set by Lee Rigby's killers , while a February 2015 film called (without effect) for attacks on shopping malls in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including
11060-487: The country and distributed, wherever possible, through local relief workers. Insurgents routinely attack and murder them, too; forty-two have been killed in the past two years alone. In 2009, Godane imposed an al-Shabaab ban on the UN World Food Programme and Western agencies in Somalia. The ban was opposed by other senior members, including Robow and Aweys, but Godane overruled them. In response to
11200-621: The deadliest at the time since 2017. On 26 May, 2023, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an attack that reportedly killed 137 soldiers in the Buulo Mareer base, just 75 mi (121 km) south-west of the capital Mogadishu. Meanwhile, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stated that the number is closer to 54 African Union peacekeepers stationed in Somalia. Al-Shabaab launched an attack on El Dher district on 8 June, 2024. Militants attacked two military bases using car bombs and then overran at least one of them. The army then launched
11340-510: The deadliest attack in Kenya since the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi . That death-toll was exceeded two years later in the Garissa University College attack in which 148 people were killed in an attack targeting Christian students. Furthermore, two sophisticated attempts to target airliners were observed in 2016. In February a device in a laptop bag that had passed screening was detonated mid-flight, killing only
11480-485: The face of large 'soft' targets, governments have a choice: security clearances at entrances or allow the citizenry to carry guns for self-defence. Many countries expressed their condemnation of the attacks and sympathy for those affected, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Eritrea , Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Serbia, Somalia, Tanzania, the United States, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. Some restated their condemnation during
11620-445: The first time. According to Cocodia, "Al-Shabaab from an objective standpoint is the response of an unlawfully deposed regime employing all means possible to reclaim the authority that was wrenched from it." In the initial years, many Somalis perceived Al-Shabaab as disciplined, orderly, and fair, which earned the group significant legitimacy. However, this perception was later lost due to their arbitrary rulings. Heavy handed tactics by
11760-449: The four attackers. The shooters were named as Abu Baara al Sudani, Omar Abdul Rahim Nabhan, Khattab al Kene, and Umayr al-Mogadish. Norway's intelligence agency, the PST , later announced in early October that it had sent officers to Kenya to investigate reports alleging that a Norwegian citizen of Somali origin, named as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow , was also involved in the planning and execution of
11900-479: The government coalition in Afmadow and Garsale respectively. Another wave of defections and desertions followed Godane's 2013 purges – Aweys, for example, fled the group in mid-2013. Following its territorial losses, al-Shabaab reverted to the tactics of asymmetric warfare , launching guerrilla attacks on AMISOM and government positions and territories. Southern commander Aweys had announced this new strategy in
12040-522: The ground floor. Unfortunately, the two groups were not in communication with each other. This lack of coordination led to a tragic incident on the first floor, where the Recce Squad and the soldiers mistakenly engaged in a shootout. The commander of the Recce Squad, Martin Munene, was killed, and two officers were injured. In the aftermath, the Recce Squad members withdrew from the operation, followed by
12180-600: The group out of necessity. Complaints made against the group include its attacks on aid workers. According to journalist Jon Lee Anderson : The number of people in Somalia who are dependent on international food aid has tripled since 2007, to an estimated 3.6 million. But there is no permanent foreign expatriate presence in southern Somalia, because the Shabaab has declared war on the UN and on Western non-governmental organizations. International relief supplies are flown or shipped into
12320-592: The group to common adversaries – notably opposition to external intervention in Somalia, often publicly expressed in quasi- Qutbist terms; and opposition to the internationally recognised Somali government , which, lacking a basis in religious ( Sharia ) law, is seen to lack legitimacy. Al-Shabaab hardliners broadly adhere to a Takfiri interpretation of the principle of al-wala' wal-bara' ( lit. ' loyalty and disavowal ' ), insofar as it prescribes dissociation from non-Muslims and those perceived as apostates . A major component of Al-Shabaab's ideology
12460-589: The group was plagued by internal conflicts over its leadership and ideological direction, which intensified when, in February 2012, al-Shabaab's leadership pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. It suffered further military losses in 2014, as a result of Operation Indian Ocean , and the killing of its emir , Ahmed Abdi Godane . Several years thereafter, al-Shabaab retreated from the major cities, but it remained influential in many rural areas, and it prioritized guerrilla and terror attacks over territorial acquisitions. It
12600-455: The group's authoritarian style of governance, and use of violence, were causing the group to lose public support. Some suggested that these leadership missteps were the result of Godane's lack of clan roots, which they said led him to undervalue the lives both of civilians and of al-Shabaab fighters. These criticisms became intertwined with a broader and pre-existing dispute over the increasingly globalist flavour of al-Shabaab's ideology – Godane
12740-441: The group's members and leaders. In particular, al-Shabaab officially and generally advocates a form of Salafi jihadism with transnational aims, linking Somali nationalist and local grievances to the plight of Muslims worldwide. Academics have also noted the influence of non-Salafi Islamic movements in Somalia on al-Shabaab. Following its pan-Islamist political outlook, incursions into Somalia by Ethiopia – and later by Kenya,
12880-532: The group's strategy of semi-territorialism allowed it operate freely in much of rural Somalia, with its primary base in the Jubba River Valley, although air strikes against its leaders continued; and it has recently won military successes against the government. It had also expanded its operations in Puntland, prompting a military offensive by Puntland forces in 2021. As of July 2022, al-Shabaab
13020-433: The groups expansion. The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in January 2009 significantly diminished the public support that al-Shabaab had previously enjoyed as a resistance faction. However, this move came too late to have a substantial impact on the group's transformation into a formidable oppositional force. Having made important territorial gains from mid-2008, al-Shabaab increasingly focused its attention on opposition to
13160-486: The group’s leader, made frequent calls to Mohamed Abdi, who was later convicted for his role in planning the attack. On Saturday 21 September 2013, at about 12:25pm, at least four masked assailants (initially claimed by the government to be between 10 and 15) jumped out of a silver Mitsubishi Lancer on Mwanzi Road, near the front entrance of the Westgate shopping mall , the most upscale mall in Nairobi , in its Westlands district. They threw three grenades, one hit
13300-419: The gunmen in their homes, illicitly registering as a Kenyan citizen, and obtaining false identification documents. However, none of the men were accused of being the shooters involved in the siege, the latter of whom Kenyan military officials asserted had all died. All four of the accused men pleaded not guilty to the allegations, with no attorney representing them. The court ordered the men to be detained until
13440-500: The gunmen in their homes, with each pleading not guilty. On 20 September 2015, Foreign Policy magazine reported the Westgate attack on 21 September lasted several hours, with the last victim killed before special Kenyan security forces entered the mall. The mall was officially declared secured on 24 September. The incident followed threats from Al-Shabaab in late 2011 of attacks in Kenya in retaliation for Operation Linda Nchi ,
13580-502: The gunmen. All four gunmen ended up inside a storeroom at the Nakumatt supermarket, where they would remain for the rest of the siege. Kenyan security forces began their operation at 4:00 p.m., almost four hours after the beginning of the attack. Most of the victims were killed in the first hour. Gunmen were seen on CCTV talking on mobile phones and bowing down in Islamic prayer between their attacks. Rob Van Dijk, an employee of
13720-489: The height of its territorial control it implemented a system of aid agency regulation, taxation and surveillance. Where agencies are allowed to operate, this is often due to the desire of al-Shabaab to coopt and materially and politically benefit from the provision of aid and services. Senior aid agency representatives often strongly rejected claims that they talked with al-Shabaab, while aid workers working in al-Shabaab-controlled areas often reported they directly negotiated with
13860-648: The heightened security measures at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Abukar and Abdinur had known each other from their time in Kakuma Refugee Camp, and over the years had been radicalised by Al Shabaab, while Dhuhulow was radicalised online in Norway. By July 26, 2013, Mohamed Abdinur boarded a bus from Kampala to Nairobi, joining Ahmed Abukar, who was already in Kenya. The attackers communicated extensively via phone, coordinating their movements across Uganda and Kenya. Abdinur, believed to be
14000-538: The hostages. People continued to trickle out from hiding places. The Kenyan Red Cross said on the 24th of September that 63 people were still missing. In Nairobi, daily business returned to normal; appeals replenished blood banks , and over US$ 650,000 was raised to support the affected families. At the time of the attacks, the mall was owned by Israelis, and at least four restaurants in the mall were owned/operated by Israelis, according to Israeli sources. The International Business Times stated that Kenya and Israel had
14140-461: The incident, which it characterised as retribution for the Kenyan military 's deployment in the group's home country of Somalia following Operation Linda Nchi from 2011 to 2012. Kenyan authorities arrested dozens of people in the aftermath of the attack, but had not announced any suspects directly related to the siege. On 4 November 2013, a Kenyan court charged four Somali nationals with harbouring
14280-557: The latter in late 2011, al-Shabaab photos purportedly showed several dozen AMISOM casualties – but, according to an African Union spokesperson, in fact showed al-Shabaab's own casualties dressed in their adversaries' uniforms. What received most attention, however, were tweets al-Shabaab posted mocking the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and sparring with Major Emmanuel Chirchir, then the KDF's official spokesman. Responding to Chirchir's claim that Kismayo had been captured by
14420-441: The leadership of Ahmed Abdi Godane , who was publicly named the group's emir in December 2007. As a severe drought afflicted the region, critics, generally associated with the leadership of Hassan Dahir Aweys and Mukhtar Robow , opposed al-Shabaab's response to the resulting famine, particularly its obstruction of foreign humanitarian aid to populations in its territories ( see below ). More broadly, they argued that
14560-496: The mall showed Dhuhulow limping with a blood-soaked bandage around his left knee. The attackers had discarded their cell phone numbers two days prior to the siege, but two of their new numbers were traced to a location in Eastleigh and later to Westgate, where they arrived shortly before the attack began. By 1:15 p.m, all four gunmen regrouped together in a supermarket. The militants let an expatriate woman and her two children leave
14700-528: The mall while still under besiegement. Two soldiers were arrested and jailed for looting mobile phones and several others were questioned. During the siege and for days afterwards, the toll of casualties remained unclear. Eyewitnesses were reported to have seen 50 bodies in the mall. In addition, at first there were reported hostages taken by attackers, but later it became apparent no hostages were ever held, other eyewitnesses also said that they had seen dozens wounded. An unnamed local hospital reported that it
14840-405: The message that they are still a force to be reckoned with." The suggestion that there had been a British perpetrator in their ranks was strongly rejected by Al-Shabaab. Kenyan officials later lowered the estimated number of gunmen to four to six militants, when it was previously estimated as ten. The attack has been described as one of the worst acts of terrorism in Kenya since the bombing of
14980-744: The militants said in English: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We’ve come to kill you Christians and Kenyans for what you are doing in Somalia." The two other gunmen had been shooting at shoppers from the main entrance. One of the gunmen, Abu Baara al-Sudani (later identified as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow ), entered the Urban Burgers restaurant and fired at the patrons, mostly foreign tourists and expats, killing three and injuring numerous others. Dhuhulow had made
15120-405: The militants, whose numbers had decreased due to casualties and defections. Group members dismissed the UN declaration of famine in various regions as grossly exaggerated and banned various organizations from providing aid to those regions. In response, in August 2011, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali announced the establishment of a new 300-man security force, which, assisted by AMISOM,
15260-500: The movement to establish itself as the strongest military power in Southern Somalia. Al-Shabaab regards Somalia's Federal Government as an illegitimate " apostate " entity backed by foreign invaders. The group has persecuted those individuals belonging to Somalia's small Christian minority ; whom it accused of aiding the agenda of foreign " Crusaders " to " convert Somalis to Christianity ". In 2009, Al-Shabaab destroyed
15400-540: The names attributed to any of the attackers are genuine. Kenyan authorities arrested dozens of people in the aftermath of the attack, but had not announced any suspects directly related to the siege. On 4 November 2013, four individuals reported to be Somali nationals were charged by a Kenyan court in relation to the attack. Identified as Mohammed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdullah, Adnan Ibrahim and Hussein Hassan, they were accused of supporting terrorist elements in Kenya, harboring
15540-408: The official military spokesperson for Al-Shabaab, told Al Jazeera that the attack was in retaliation for Kenyan troops entering Somalia and that the timing was deliberately chosen to be a surprise attack. al-Shabaab repeated their demands for Kenya's withdrawal from Somalia. On the day the operation ended, Rage threatened further "black days" unless Kenya withdrew its troops from Somalia and said that
15680-426: The operation was to establish a presence for the group within southern Ethiopia . The incursion began with over a thousand Al-Shabaab fighters staging diversionary attacks on four Ethiopian-Somali border towns in order to allow a force of 500 to 800 fighters to penetrate the Ethiopian security zone and advance into the region, who then advanced 150 km into the region. After two weeks of intense clashes and airstrikes,
15820-411: The police and military response". The account, which then had 15,000 or more followers , was retweeted several million times before it was shut down by Twitter. And after @HSMPress was deleted, the live updates continued from other, new accounts: over the course of the attack, which lasted several days, at least eight different al-Shabaab-affiliated Twitter accounts were active. Al-Shabaab had opened
15960-429: The policy had redistributed income to poor, rural Somali farmers. However, the group has also allegedly committed widespread human rights abuses against populations in its territories, including through a brutal interpretation and application of Islamic jurisprudence on hudud . Despite routinely expelling, attacking, and harassing aid workers, al-Shabaab permits some agencies to work in areas under its control. At
16100-498: The rescue of terrified shoppers. There are several similarities between this rescue by civilians and members of elite forces and the rescue at Nairobi DusitD2 complex attack . Troulan was subsequently awarded the George Cross , Britain's highest award for civilian gallantry. By nightfall, the mall remained sealed off to the public while security services searched floor by floor for the gunmen, believed to still be inside with
16240-403: The siege was just "a taste of what we will do." Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said that Al-Shabaab was not acting alone and the assault was part of an international campaign of terror; and that "two or three" US citizens and a Briton were among the attackers. "Al-Shabab [sic] are looking for relevance on an international scale – especially after a change of leadership – and is looking to send
16380-506: The site was closed in 2009, it has distributed its press releases and videos using other sympathetic websites, or, more commonly, using social media networks. Indeed, although al-Shabaab spokesmen occasionally grant interviews to "carefully selected" local and foreign journalists, social media networks have provided an important channel for interaction with the press, as well as for disseminating information and building support. Al-Shabaab has used Facebook , particularly to communicate with
16520-457: The southern front, while Ethiopia approached from the west. The group lost territory to both armies, notably losing Baidoa to Ethiopia in February 2012 and losing the port city (and revenue hub) of Kismayo to Kenya in October 2012. Military pressures on the group were sustained into 2013. Some al-Shabaab members viewed the 2010 Ramadan offensive as disastrously ill-conceived, and subsequent territorial losses galvanised internal opposition to
16660-413: The state of the jihad. Particularly prominent was American-born Omar Shafik Hammami, also known as Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki , who for many years kept a video blog about his life in al-Shabaab and who, from 2009, also created and posted raps about jihad. Al-Shabaab also had an official website, which carried official statements and news – including sundry edicts and threats – and religious guidance. Since
16800-501: The store, along with an injured Kenyan teenage girl. Shortly after, the militants got into their first major confrontation with armed police, which would continue on throughout the day. Cameras in the mall revealed the gunmen carried assault rifles and wore civilian clothing. Police surrounded the area and urged residents to stay away. A report indicated that about 80 people were trapped in the basement, but police said that they had escorted some shoppers to safety and were trying to capture
16940-404: The suspension was a response to the account having issued death threats against Kenyan hostages and against French spy Denis Allex , followed in the latter case by confirmation that the execution had taken place. A new English-language account, opened in February 2013, was closed in September. This suspension also followed an apparent violation of Twitter's rules: al-Shabaab had recently used
17080-401: The terrorists. Notable victims included Kenyan journalist Ruhila Adatia-Sood , President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew Mbugua Mwangi and his fiancée Rosemary Wahito, Ghanaian poet and diplomat Kofi Awoonor and Canadian diplomat Annemarie Desloges. Kenyan interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku said Israelis were not targeted. "This time, the story is not about Israel. The minister is saying that this
17220-408: The time Al-Shabaab was about six hundred fighters strong. The invasion resulted in the deaths of many Islamic Courts Union affiliates, leaving a vacuum for the small group of several hundred youth that served as the ICU's Shabaab militia to gain prominence. During the military occupation the group garnered popular support from across many segments of Somali society, as al-Shabaab was widely viewed as
17360-428: The town of Garissa in 2011 and began to plan the Westgate attack, securing support from Al-Shabaab’s leadership. The team visited Nairobi several times to inspect the mall and built a network to covertly obtain weapons, ammunition, SIM cards and a Mitsubishi Lancer . He reported his findings through Al-Shabaab’s chain of command who then submitted plans to Al-Shabaab’s senior operations commander, Abdirahman Sandhere and
17500-487: The war against the CIA-backed Somali warlord alliance in Mogadishu in early to mid-2006, distinguishing themselves within the ICU's military wing. Among the ICU's political wing, Al Shabaab secured 9 seats in the 97-member Shura Council and 3 seats in the 18-member Executive Council. Al-Shabaab rose to prominence and radicalized following the full scale Ethiopian invasion of Somalia during December 2006. At
17640-590: The war to their land", said one post. "The attack at #WestgateMall is just a very tiny fraction of what Muslims in Somalia experience at the hands of Kenyan invaders," said another. They warned the Kenyan government that any attempt by Kenyan forces to attempt a roof landing would jeopardise the lives of hostages. Twitter suspended the account before the attack had ended. The group official spokesman, Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage , said: "If you want Kenya in peace, it will not happen as long as your boys are in [Somalia]." Another Al-Shabaab spokesman, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Abu Musab,
17780-594: The withdrawal of the army, leaving no significant Kenyan presence in the mall for several hours. Goran Tomasevic , Reuters chief photographer for East Africa , recorded the first few hours of the attacks in which he described extremely distressed people including children, women and men bleeding from the impact of shrapnel and gunshots. Abdul Yusuf Haji, son of former Defence Minister of Kenya Mohamed Yusuf Haji , on receiving text messages from his brother Noordin Yusuf Haji, an undercover anti-terrorism agent who
17920-438: Was also tightened in public places across Kenya. Ten arrests were reported on 24 September. In announcing the end of operations, Kenyatta said "forensic investigations are underway to establish the nationalities of all those involved" and suggested that a British woman and two or three Americans "may have been involved in the attack" but that could not be confirmed at the time. Kenyan Defence Chief , General Julius Karangi , said
18060-639: Was among the faction which viewed Somalia as only one battleground of global jihad. Godane's announcement in February 2012 of a merger with al-Qaeda ( see § Al-Qaeda ) thus also met opposition. Other senior al-Shabaab members met at a conference in Baidabo, and outlined a policy programme which diverged from Godane's: they rejected Godane's proposal to change the group's name to al-Qaeda in East Africa, and resolved to focus on domestic issues rather than global jihad. They also resolved to establish
18200-571: Was approved by the emir of Al-Shabaab, Ahmed Godane shortly after. All four attackers arrived around three months before the siege. Adam Garaar was killed after a drone strike on 12 March 2015. Garaar was in a vehicle hit by a missile near the town of Dinsoor in southern Somalia. On June 17, 2013, one of the attackers, Mohamed Abdinur Said, known by his nom de guerre as Umayr al-Mogadish, boarded East African Express flight 803 from Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport to Nairobi via Wajir and Entebbe, Uganda. Abdinur, who presented himself as
18340-568: Was celebrating the International Day of Peace when the incident took place. An Al-Shabaab team, led by the Somali national Adam Garaar, conducted extensive reconnaissance of the building, noting entrances, exits, security systems, and other details. The mall’s unarmed security guards and casual checks for metal objects made it an attractive target for the group. Garaar, who was the head of Al-Shabaab’s external operations unit, took advantage of Kenya’s lax security measures and relocated to
18480-587: Was estimated to have increased its combat strength to between 7,000 and 18,000 fighters during 2022. Al-Shabaab is also known as Ash-Shabaab , Hizb al-Shabaab ("Party of the Youth"), Al Osra Army in Somalia ( Arabic : جيش العسرة في الصومال). The term al-Shabaab means "the youth" in Arabic. It also refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate of Somalia since 2011. Although it is unclear when al-Shabaab
18620-497: Was formed, it is understood to have originated as a youth militia within the military wing of the Islamic Courts Union , an umbrella group which provided de facto governance in much of Somalia until the country was invaded by Ethiopia in December 2006. In 2007–08, al-Shabaab established itself as an independent actor, gaining prominence as a vehicle of armed resistance against the Ethiopian military occupation . Many of its early leaders and members previously belonged not only to
18760-506: Was in this context that a military force known as Al-Shabaab (‘the Youth’) emerged, related to but seemingly autonomous of the broad based Courts movement." Contrary to many reports, Al-Shabaab was neither the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union nor its most important military component. Al-Shabaab fighters operated as the youth wing of the Courts' militia and gained a fierce reputation during
18900-500: Was overwhelmed with the number of wounded being brought in and that it had consequently diverted victims to a second facility. At least 71 people were killed, including four terrorists. In addition to numerous Kenyans who were killed, at least 19 foreigners of different nationalities also died. The National Disaster Operation Centre said that the wounded ranged in age from 2 to 78. Sources said 175 people were wounded, including 11 soldiers. There are also claims of torture carried out by
19040-403: Was significantly weakened, as – in the context of a famine in the region and, simultaneously, a military offensive against the group – the group experienced territorial and strategic setbacks in the military arena; an internal struggle over the group's direction and leadership; and, in response to both, a wave of high-profile defections . The group's military fortunes turned with the failure of
19180-414: Was stuck inside the shopping center, travelled to the mall with his handgun and entered with other civilian rescuers. He helped rescue a mother and her three daughters, providing cover with other armed rescuers. Tomasevic's photos of the rescue efforts by civilians were beamed all around the world. Several other armed and unarmed civilians also participated in various rescues. An ex-SAS man, Taff Groves,
19320-534: Was succeeded as al-Shabaab leader by Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah , who took office the same week. Other senior members were killed in armed clashes or by American drone strikes in 2014 and 2015. According to some reports, since Godane's death, the group has placed less weight on global jihad than on local grievances. In October 2017, more than 500 people were killed by a suicide truck bombing in Mogadishu , including many children, provoking domestic and international outrage. Al-Shabaab did not claim responsibility for
19460-556: Was tasked with protecting aid convoys from al-Shabaab and with securing IDP camps while relief was being distributed. Although fighting disrupted aid delivery in some areas, humanitarian access to al-Shabaab-controlled areas improved, and a scaling up of relief operations in mid-November prompted the UN to downgrade the humanitarian situation in several regions from famine to emergency levels. Westgate shopping mall attack Crisis ended [REDACTED] Kenya Supported by: On 21 September 2013, four masked gunmen attacked
19600-415: Was the assassination of the groups military leader Aden Hashi Ayro in an American airstrike during May 2008. It resulted in several significant developments for Al-Shabaab, most prominently the accession of Ahmed Godane to leadership of the organization. Godane moved Al-Shabaab in a far more violent direction, alienating many fighters and civilian supporters. The assassination of Ayro did nothing to prevent
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