Latest news with #al-Shabaab
Business Insider
15 hours ago
- Business Insider
Ugandan mlitary helicopter crashes at Somalia amid continued peacekeeping efforts
A helicopter belonging to the Ugandan military has crashed at the international airport in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. A Ugandan military helicopter crashed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. Emergency services quickly extinguished a fire that erupted after the crash. Ugandan forces are supporting Somalia in combating the al-Shabaab insurgency alongside African Union peacekeepers. The helicopter crash at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, has drawn significant attention. Ahmed Maalim, the head of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed to the BBC that at least eight individuals were on board the ill-fated aircraft. While the exact number of casualties remains undetermined at this time, an ongoing investigation aims to shed light on the incident. Maalim further elaborated that the helicopter had come from the Balidogle airbase, located in the Lower Shabelle region, before it ultimately crashed within the military section of the airport. Prompt action by emergency services was crucial, as a fire erupted upon impact. A report from the state-run news agency confirmed that these services were able to quickly extinguish the fire, preventing further damage or harm. "We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter," Farah Abdulle, one of the airport staff, told Reuters news agency. The primary objective of the current investigation is to ascertain the precise cause of this accident. Authorities are meticulously examining all available evidence to determine what led to the crash, ensuring that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses. Uganda and Somalia's fight against insurgency Ugandan forces have been heavily involved in assisting Somalia's government in combating the al-Shabab group, which has been fighting a bloody insurgency and is affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Somali army kills 19 'al-Shabaab' militants
1 July 2025 09:45 MOGADISHU (WAM)Nineteen al-Shabaab militants were killed in a clash with the Somali army forces, according to the Somali National News Agency (SONNA). The operation, supported by international partners, took place on Monday in the Baqooqaha area, approximately 13km west of Bulo Xaaji in the Lower Juba region, the agency reported.
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
37 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed in Military Operation in Somalia
Israa Farhan The Somali Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that elite units of the national army have killed 37 al-Shabaab militants, including senior commanders, in a well-executed military operation in the Lower Juba region. According to the ministry's official statement, the operation was carried out in a village and was closely coordinated with international partners. The successful strike is part of a broader counterterrorism campaign aimed at dismantling al-Shabaab's operational networks across the country. The ministry emphasized that the Somali National Army remains fully committed to defending the nation, protecting civilians, and securing lasting peace. It affirmed that such operations highlight the determination and growing capabilities of Somalia's armed forces in the ongoing fight against terrorism. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
See - Sada Elbalad
6 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
18 Al-Shabaab Militants Killed in Airstrike in Somalia
Israa Farhan The Somali army, in coordination with international partners, killed 18 al-Shabaab militants and destroyed two military vehicles in a targeted airstrike in Hiran, central Somalia. The operation is part of an ongoing national campaign to dismantle militant networks. Despite military gains, experts stress that Somalia's fight against terrorism must go beyond security operations. Analysts argue that tackling poverty, expanding education, and promoting tolerance are key to undermining extremist ideologies. African affairs expert Dr. Ramadan Qarni highlighted the economic and climate-related pressures hindering Somalia's anti-terror efforts, while Dr. Ismail Taher stressed the need for ideological engagement and development programs to reduce radicalisation. Both called for stronger international cooperation, improved regional stability, and long-term investments in Somalia's security and development infrastructure to counter the persistent threat of al-Shabaab. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Yemen Online
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Al-Shabaab Alliance With Yemen's Houthis Continues To Grow
In 2024, a United Nations monitoring team reported that the relationship between Somalia's al-Shabaab terrorist group and Yemen's Houthi rebels was 'transactional or opportunistic, and not ideological.' In a 2025 report, the U.N. said those ties are deepening and pose a growing security threat to the Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions. 'The flow of weapons from Yemen to al-Shabaab-controlled areas in Somalia continued,' the February 6 report stated. 'Between June to September (2024), al-Shabaab received assorted arms, ammunition and explosives through the ports of Marka and Baraawe in [Lower] Shabelle. 'The weapons were assessed to have been used in attacks against the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia camps in [Lower] Shabelle in September and November.' Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has blamed the Iran-backed Houthis, also known by the name Ansar Allah, for the proliferation of weapons that has fueled al-Shabaab's resurgence in recent months. The Somali National Army has experienced a frustrating roller coaster of highs and lows in its ongoing battles for territory with the al-Qaida-linked terrorists. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) established a nonaggression pact with the Houthis in 2022 and has worked increasingly with them on weapons transfers and to coordinate attacks against Yemeni government forces since 2024. With some facilitation from al-Qaida global and AQAP, the alliance between al-Shabaab and the Houthis emerged pragmatically from international weapons smuggling between Somalia and Yemen. The Gulf of Aden separates the countries by just 280 kilometers in some parts. 'For Ansar Allah, Somalia's porous coastlines have become critical to ensuring that the group has access to Iranian supplies and Chinese equipment necessary for the growth of its Iranian-supported drone and missile program,' analysts Ibrahim Jalal and Adnan al-Jabarni wrote in a March 14 report for the Carnegie Middle East Center. Compared to the weaponry al-Shabaab typically has used such as assault rifles, mortars and improvised explosive devices, the Houthis provide access to more advanced systems, including weaponized drones and surface-to-air missiles. In return, al-Shabaab has shared its coastal intelligence network and years of expertise in piracy with the Houthis. An uptick in maritime attacks has bolstered both groups' finances, fueling conflict on both sides of the Gulf of Aden. 'Cooperation with al-Shabaab and AQAP has provided the Houthis with more access to the Arabian Sea and Western Indian Ocean,' the Africa Center for Strategic Studies wrote in a May 28 article. 'Al-Shabaab's network of fighters, sympathizers and smugglers across Somalia and northern Kenya, moreover, offers the Houthis more opportunities to get arms shipments (many of which have come from Iran) out of the Indian Ocean and into coast-hugging skiffs or overland to the Gulf of Aden where they may have a better chance of reaching Yemeni shores.' Another sign of the groups' increasingly complex relationship came in 2024, when AQAP sent more than a dozen al-Shabaab operatives to Yemen for drone warfare training to expand the Somali group's tactical capabilities, according to the U.N. monitoring group's February 2025 report. The U.N. group also noted AQAP's launch of a communications application that has enabled exclusive messaging with al-Shabaab. Reports from the semiautonomous state of Puntland in northeastern Somalia suggest that the Houthi rebels have established bases in the Golis Mountains along the Sanaag region coast. 'Houthis are believed to operate missile development facilities in the Golis Mountains,' Maj. Abdirahman Warsame, the former commander of Somalia's elite Danab Special Forces, wrote in an April 10 article for Hiiraan Online. 'There was a missile test reportedly launched by Houthis from Harshaw in Sanaag to Taleh in the Sool region — a distance of 459 kilometers. 'Houthis in the Golis Mountains conceal their identity, impersonating al-Shabaab militants to mislead and intimidate the local populace. This tactic is intended to prevent resistance from local communities, who may otherwise oppose their presence.' With the groups working together to boost their finances, technology and operational capacity, experts are urging governments throughout East Africa to work together to counter the growing instability they bring to the Horn of Africa, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. 'Given that both militant groups are well entrenched in their respective host countries, significantly degrading this threat will require more than maritime action,' the Africa Center recommended. 'Sustained efforts to reduce each group's territorial control will also be needed as these land bases have provided the platforms from which the nonstate actors have been able to launch attacks at sea, expand their revenue flows, and build their military capacity.'
