The terrorist network has lost eight of its top leaders in recent years. But it has more total fighters than it did on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tag Archives: Shabab
Biden Approves Plan to Redeploy Several Hundred Ground Forces Into Somalia
The president also signed off on targeting about a dozen Shabab leaders in the war-torn country, from which Donald J. Trump largely withdrew in his final weeks in office.
Somalia Elects Next President, but Terrorists Hold True Power
The militants of Al Shabab collect taxes, decide court cases and control the streets. Somalis ask, will a new government even matter?
‘Inadequate’ Security Led to Deaths of 3 Americans in Kenya Attack, Report Finds
The inquiry also found shortcomings in the sharing of intelligence before the deadly assault by the Shabab in 2020.
US Carries Out First Airstrike in Somalia Since August
The strike targeted Al Shabab militants who had attacked allied Somali security forces.
Car Bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia’s Capital, Kills 8
The explosion, one of a string of recent attacks, comes as the country grapples with a political standoff and a growing humanitarian crisis.
Explosion Outside School Kills 8 in Somalia’s Capital
The latest in a series of deadly attacks comes as the country is gripped by election instability and by a drought that threatens 2.6 million people.
2 Explosions Hit Ugandan Capital
Witnesses said there was a blast near a police station and another near Parliament. At least 24 people have been hospitalized.
Threats of Violence in Today’s Political Discourse
Readers discuss the rise in death threats and calls for bloodshed. Also: Senator Sinema; gerrymandered districts; immigration; Somalia.
A C.I.A. Fighter, a Somali Bomb Maker, and a Faltering Shadow War
The hunt for an elusive Somali militant illustrates why Al Shabab, despite a decade of American covert action, are at their strongest in years.
Afghanistan Collapse and Strikes in Somalia Raise Snags for Drone Warfare Rules
But the Biden administration is close to finishing a new playbook for counterterrorism strikes outside conventional war zones.
Pentagon Weighs Proposal to Send Dozens of Troops Back to Somalia
The plan for a “train and assist” mission would partly reverse President Donald J. Trump’s withdrawal of nearly all American ground forces from the country.
Suicide Blast at Military Training Camp in Somalia Targets New Recruits
At least 10 people were killed in the latest attack on a training site that is jointly run by Turkish forces.
Somalia’s President Extends Term by Two Years, Drawing Condemnation
His four-year term expired, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed signed a contentious law that critics fear could plunge the fragile country into renewed, possibly violent, turmoil.
Pentagon Chief Orders New Review of Attack in Kenya That Killed 3 Americans
The unusual review of the conclusions of the initial inquiry comes more than a year after the attack by the Shabab revealed security lapses at the base.
Biden Seeks Update for a Much-Stretched Law That Authorizes the War on Terrorism
The legal basis for the war against Al Qaeda and its successors is aging and frayed, but how to replace it has long bedeviled lawmakers.
Biden Secretly Limits Counterterrorism Drone Strikes Away From War Zones
Requiring higher-level approval is a stopgap measure as officials review whether to tighten Trump-era targeting rules and civilian safeguards.
Militants Storm Hotel in Somali Capital and Blasts Rock Area
The authorities said an evacuation operation was still underway at the Afrik Hotel, with reports of at least two dead and 11 injured. A militant group, the Shabab, was believed to be behind the attack.
As Virus Resurges in Africa, Doctors Fear the Worst Is Yet to Come
The coronavirus killed far fewer people in Africa than in Europe and the Americas, leading to a widespread perception that it was a disease of the West. Now, a tide of new cases on the continent is raising alarms.
Suicide Bomber in Somalia Hits Prime Minister’s Rally
The attack, claimed by Al Shabab, killed at least 10, including three Somali military commanders. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was on his way at the time.
Somalia Severs Diplomatic Ties With Kenya
Somalia accused its East African neighbor of meddling in its internal affairs, weeks before a crucial general election.
In Somalia, U.S. Troop Withdrawal Is Seen as Badly Timed
Somali presidential elections are scheduled in just a few months, war is erupting in neighboring Ethiopia, and Shebab militants are still strong. The timing, Somalis say, could not be worse.
Trump Orders All American Troops Out of Somalia
While the number of troops — about 700 — is small, it is a continuation of President Trump’s efforts to withdraw the United States from what he has described as endless wars.
Pentagon Chief Visits Somalia Ahead of Expected Troop Cuts
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller met with troops and commanders in the region as turmoil bedevils the nation with approaching elections and an enduring threat from the Shabab.
C.I.A. Officer Is Killed in Somalia
The officer’s combat death came as President Trump considers pulling back on American operations in the region.
Somalia Worries That a U.S. Withdrawal Will Be Disastrous
An elite commando unit supported by U.S. forces could fall apart, officials say, leaving the country more vulnerable to the Shabab and other terrorist groups.
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Facing the end of his time in power, the president is pushing to accelerate withdrawals from counterterrorism conflicts. He campaigned on ending the longstanding wars.
He Sidestepped Pompeo and Got Slapped Down. Now He’s the New Pentagon Chief.
President Trump’s new acting secretary of defense began a since-aborted diplomatic gambit last month to negotiate with a Somali terrorist group — drawing the ire of the secretary of state.
Al Qaeda Feels Losses in Syria and Afghanistan but Stays Resilient
American drones and U.S. allies killed several Qaeda leaders and operatives in the past week. But the organization has “ingrained itself in local communities and conflicts,” according to the U.N.
Trump’s Tweets on Troop Withdrawals Unnerve Pentagon
The president’s demands to draw down forces in Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria seek to fulfill a campaign promise. But officials warn rapid troop reductions could bolster adversaries.
2 Men Found Guilty of Aiding 2013 Kenya Mall Attack
The verdicts came seven years after 67 people were killed by Shabab militants at the upscale Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
U.S. Military Seeks Authority to Expand Counterterrorism Drone War to Kenya
Draft rules for potential airstrikes, drawn up after a Shabab attack at a base in January, are said to be limited and would require Kenyan assent.
At Least 37 Million People Have Been Displaced by America’s War on Terror
A new report calculates the number of people who fled because of wars fought by the United States since Sept. 11, 2001.
Truck Bomb in Somalia Kills 3 and Wounds 3, Including a U.S. Soldier
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Shabab have carried out similar attacks across the Horn of Africa nation.
Attack on Beachside Somalia Hotel Kills at Least 16
The extremist group Al Shabab has escalated assaults in recent months, even as the country confronts a host of other challenges, including containing the coronavirus.
Pentagon Admits to Civilian Casualties in Somalia for a Third Time
Africa Command’s admission of the death comes in the wake of its slow move toward better accountability after years of criticism from human rights groups and lawmakers.
Explosions in Somalia Leave at Least 5 Dead
Devastating attacks, occurring almost daily and often in the capital, Mogadishu, have put a strain on the country’s fragile government.
Suicide Bombing Targets Major Turkish Military Base in Somalia
Officials said two people were killed in the bombing at the facility in Mogadishu, Turkey’s largest overseas military base.
Italian Hostage’s Release Erupts Into Clashes Over Islam and Ransom
The conversion to Islam by Silvia Romano, an Italian aid worker kidnapped by a group said to be linked to the Shabab, was met with insults and threats.