Somalia and Kenya are cooperating to enhance regional security and combat terrorism

 
The Somali President's security advisor, Hussein Muallem Mahmoud, held a meeting with his Kenyan counterpart, Monica Juma.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues related to regional development and the impact of international changes on national and regional security, ways to combat Al-Shabaab attacks and enhance border security.

Former Kenyan Defense Minister Monica praised the progress made by Somalia in the war against terrorism, expressing Nairobi's commitment to further cooperation.

For his part, the National Security Adviser to the Somali President Hussein Ali Mahmoud confirmed that his country is looking forward to enhancing joint cooperation with Kenya.

Violent confrontations between government forces and Al-Shabaab fighters in Bay Governorate

 
Violent clashes erupted between Somali forces and Al-Shabaab militants in the “Govgadud Buri” area in Bay region, in the state of southwestern Somalia.

The clashes erupted after fighters from the movement launched an attack on the area, which government forces recently succeeded in regaining control of.

According to local residents, the two sides exchanged heavy artillery fire, which resulted in an unknown number of wounded.

This battle comes a day after the Somali National Army and international allies carried out a major operation in the border between the regions of Middle Shabelle and Galgudud, killing more than 100 Al-Shabaab fighters.

The Somali government announces the killing of more than 100 Al-Shabaab fighters

 
The Deputy Minister of Information in the Somali federal government, Abd al-Rahman Yusuf al-Adala, announced a joint military operation that was carried out at the border separating the regions of Middle Shabelle and Galgudud.

Al-Adala indicated that a gathering of Al-Shabaab fighters was targeted on Friday, killing more than 100 of them and destroying their military vehicles.

Al-Shabaab fighters were subjected to an airstrike during the operation, in which the Somali army and international allies cooperated.

The operation came within the framework of the continuous efforts made by the National Army and its international allies to combat terrorism and restore peace and stability to the country.

More than 60 armed Al-Shabaab militants were killed in an operation in Bay region

 
The Somali National News Agency (SUNA) reported that more than 60 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in an army operation in Bay region, southwest state.

The agency indicated that the operation, which was carried out by the Somali forces and the local population, took place during the past hours in areas belonging to the Bay province of the state.

This comes after the Somali government forces announced the restoration of control over the "Guf Gudud" area in the Bay region from the Al-Shabaab movement.

25 members of the Al-Shabaab movement, including foreigners, were killed in the Bakool region of southwestern Somalia

 
On Tuesday, officials said that the Somali National Army killed 25 Al-Shabaab militants, including five foreigners, during an operation in the Bakool district of southwestern Somalia.

The Somali government confirmed the killing of gunmen in operations in the areas of the city of Wajid in the region but did not reveal the nationalities of the five foreign fighters.

The Wajid city commissioner, Muhammad Muallem Yusuf, told the media that some bodies of al-Shabaab fighters had been brought to the city.

The aim of the operation conducted on Tuesday was to prevent further attacks by Al-Shabaab militants who were planning to launch an attack on Wahid.

Al-Shabaab assassinate a former minister in the state of Hershebele, Mogadishu

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation in the government of the former head of Hirshabelle state, Mohamed Abdi Wari, on Sunday, in the Yaqshid district of the capital, Mogadishu.

According to an official in the Hirshebeli administration, armed men with pistols shot and killed Hassan Ahmed Modi, shortly after he left a mosque where he was performing the Asr prayer.

The assassination, which the Somali security services did not comment on, came as part of the security problems raised by the Al-Shabaab movement, which is linked to Al-Qaeda in Mogadishu. 

Al-Shabaab movement takes control of an area near Baidoa

 
Reports received from the city of Baidoa, the capital of the interim state of the South West, indicated that Al-Shabaab fighters took control yesterday evening of the "Guf Gudud" area near the city.

The fighters took control of the area after a battle with the government forces stationed in the area in the wake of a surprise attack they launched on government soldiers.

The losses resulting from the confrontations between the two sides have not yet been disclosed, but the fighters managed to seize the area after the government forces withdrew from it for unknown reasons.

Both the Somali government and the southwest administration declined to comment on the attack, which came days after Al-Shabaab imposed a siege on Baidoa, although it later allowed trucks loaded with foodstuffs to reach the city.

Kenyan opposition calls for a new anti-government march

 
Kenya's opposition has called a new anti-government rally to protest price and tax hikes after three previous demonstrations largely failed to garner supporters.

Last week saw three of protests against the administration of President William Ruto, bringing the total to eight since March.

"There will be a new demonstration next Wednesday," said Denis Onyango, a spokesman for opposition leader Raila Odinga.

For his part, Kenyan President William Ruto urged, on Thursday, the citizens of his country to stop the demonstrations, saying that they are "not a solution to the problems of Kenyans."

Official sources said that the authorities banned a number of marches in March, April and July, but some of them ended in violence, killing 20 people.

Mandera County Governor: Al-Shabaab controls 60 percent of the district

 
Mohammed Adam Khalif, governor of the Kenyan Mandera district, close to the Somali border, confirmed that 60 percent of the district is under the control of Al-Shabaab militants.

This came in a speech delivered by Khalif before a security meeting held in Wajir to find ways to deal with the terrorist group's rebellion in the northeastern region, in the presence of regional commissioners and members of the Provincial Security and Intelligence Committee from 4 counties located along the Kenya-Somalia border.

He pointed out that his administration is unable to provide services in different parts of the province due to the presence of the youth movement in it, calling for concerted efforts to confront terrorism.

100 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed, with cooperation between the Somali and American forces

 The Somali federal government announced that its forces, with the support of US forces, had killed 100 Al-Shabaab militants in the center of the country.

The Somali Ministry of Information indicated in a statement issued that the fighters were killed in ground operations and air raids in the areas of “Gal Labah” and “Il Qara”.

The Somali government thanked the United States for its assistance in destroying the bases of what it described as Kharijites, who were harming the Somali people.

The Somali government thanked the United States for its assistance in destroying the bases of what it described as Kharijites, who were harming the Somali people.

30 militants from Al-Shabaab were killed by the Somali Armed Forces

 
The Somali federal government announced that a planned operation carried out by its forces in areas on the border between Galgudud and Middle Shabelle regions resulted in the killing of more than 30 Al-Shabaab fighters.

The Somali Deputy Minister of Information, Abd al-Rahman Yusuf al-Adala, said that the forces found weapons and military equipment during the operation.

The operation, which al-Shabaab did not comment on, comes at a time when the Somali armed forces, in cooperation with the local population, are carrying out intensive operations against the movement's fighters in areas belonging to the states of Galmudug and Hirshabelle.

Deputy to lift the siege of the youth movement on the city of Baidoa

 
Residents of Baidoa, the interim capital of the state of southwestern Somalia, are facing difficult living conditions as a result of a siege imposed by Al-Shabaab on the city.

Some elected Somali parliamentarians from Southwest State told the media that they are deeply concerned about the living conditions of the people of Baidoa.

Representative Hawa Sukkar indicated that the residents of Baidoa will face greater danger if the situation imposed on the city continues, and stated that the value of foodstuffs and fuel has increased significantly.

The deputy called on the President of the Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, and the President of the Southwest State, Abdelaziz Fatagrin, to work to lift the siege on the residents of Baidoa.

Galmudug state announces its readiness to launch a major attack against Al-Shabaab

 
The government of Galmudug state in central Somalia has announced its readiness to launch operations against the Al-Shabaab movement, which controls areas in the state.

The Minister of Information in Galmudug, Abshir Abdi Sheikho, indicated that his state has completed preparations to start a military operation aimed at expelling Al-Shabaab fighters from the areas of Galmudug state.

It is expected that the second phase of the war against the Al-Shabaab movement loyal to Al-Qaeda will start soon, with the participation of forces from neighboring countries - Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti -.

18 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in Galgaduud province

The Somali federal government announced that its US-trained Special Forces, known as "Danab", killed 18 militants from Al-Shabaab, including leaders, during an operation in the Galgudud region of Galmudug state.

The Somali federal government announced that its US-trained Special Forces, known as "Danab", killed 18 militants from Al-Shabaab, including leaders, during an operation in the Galgudud region of Galmudug state.

The Somali government's media outlets published on its telegram channel the bodies of the dead, which it said belonged to those it described as terrorists.
 

3 killed in an attack by Al Shabaab in northeastern Kenya

 Two policemen and a teacher were killed and others injured when Al-Shabaab militants stormed a police station in northeastern Kenya's Mandera county early Friday, authorities said.

According to the police, the gunmen belonging to the Al-Shabaab movement destroyed a communication mast, which disrupted public communications in the area.

A security report confirmed the invasion of the Al-Wargdud police station in Al-Wak, a few kilometers from the border with Somalia, at 1:30 am, forcing most of the officers there to evade for their own safety.

Kenyan police stated that the militants stole a police car and an unknown amount of ammunition from the police station, adding that the terrorists fled to the nearby border.

Al-Shabaab movement seizes a base in the Gedo region from which the African forces withdrew

 
Reports received from the Gedo region in the state of Jubaland in southern Somalia indicated that Al-Shabaab fighters had captured the “Greili” area in the region, where there was a military base from which the African forces withdrew at the end of last month.

Officials in the state of Jubbaland confirmed that Al-Shabaab fighters launched an attack this afternoon on the area and managed to seize it, after clashes that resulted in the deaths of three people.

Al-Shabaab said that it had seized a base in the “Greeli” area, which belonged to the Kenyan Defense Forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia.

Greeley is a strategic location, 12 kilometers from the Kenyan border, and was one of the six bases from which the African Union peacekeeping forces withdrew, as part of the reduction of those forces before their complete withdrawal from Somalia at the end of December next year.

Operations continue against Al-Shabaab in Jubaland state

 
Reports from Jubbaland state in the far south of Somalia indicate a new battle between security forces and Al-Shabaab militia.

The battle, which comes within the framework of the ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab in the state, took place in an area 45 km east of the town of “Afmadou” in the Lower Juba region.

Some officials in the state of Jubbaland indicated that an explosion targeted government forces, but did not reveal the losses resulting from it, and the victims of the last battle were not officially announced.

Dozens of Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in recent days by Somali forces' fire and raids carried out by US drones during the ongoing operations in Jubaland.

Two Al-Shabaab fighters were killed and a leader of the movement was arrested in the Mudug region

 
Somali government forces, with the support of local militias, carried out a planned operation in the village of Bragg Issa in the Mudug region of Galmudug state in central Somalia, during the past hours.

According to government officials, the operation resulted in the killing of two Al-Shabaab fighters and the arrest of Hashi Grad Ali, one of the movement's prominent leaders in the region.

It should be noted that the Somali army has recently intensified its operations against al-Shabaab militants linked to al-Qaeda in areas in the south and center of the country.

10 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in a US air strike

The US Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, announced that it had conducted three airstrikes targeting members of Al-Shabaab.

A statement issued by AFRICOM said that the bombing came at the request of the Somali government, after a battle between government forces and Al-Shabaab militants in the Afmadou area in the Lower Juba region in southern Somalia.

The statement indicated that 10 Al-Shabaab members were killed in the air strike, and added that no civilians were injured during the attack that targeted Al-Shabaab.

This comes at a time when the Somali federal government announced that the confrontations that took place between its forces and Al-Shabaab fighters in Afamdo resulted in the deaths of 40 fighters. 

The Minister of Defense bids farewell to new forces to join the front lines in the fight against Al-Shabaab

 The Minister of Defense of the Somali Federal Government, Abd al-Qadir Mohamed Nur, has bid farewell to units of the Somali Armed Forces in Mogadishu to join combat operations against al-Shabaab in the country.

Minister Nour expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the courage and dedication of the soldiers who are willing to risk their lives to defend their homeland.

He indicated that the soldiers will join their comrades on the front lines in the fight against Al-Shabaab, expecting a quick victory in the war on terrorism.

The minister did not mention exactly where the forces would start their operations, but that sending them to the battlefields comes at a time when the Somali government has been criticized for temporarily halting operations against Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab attacks an Ethiopian convoy in the Bakool region

 
The Somali authorities said that today, Saturday, Al-Shabaab militants ambushed a military convoy that was carrying Ethiopian forces in an area between the town of “Rabtouri” and the city of “Wajid” in the Bakool region in the state of southwestern Somalia.

The Ethiopian military convoy was attacked by an explosive device that hit one of the convoy's cars, which led to a confrontation between Al-Shabaab militants and the Ethiopian forces.

Details of the losses resulting from the bombing and the clashes that followed, which lasted for about an hour, were not immediately clear.

Meanwhile, the movement's fighters launched sporadic attacks on military bases in Qaryoli, Barawi and Janali in the Lower Shabelle region, adjacent to the capital, Mogadishu.

Kenya postpones the reopening of the border with Somalia

 The Kenyan government has announced that it has postponed the reopening of its border with Somalia after the recent attacks on its territory attributed to the extremist Islamist movement Al-Shabaab.

Home Minister Kethuri Kindike indicated that the gradual reopening of the Mandera, Lamu and Garissa border points could not take place as announced in May.

The move comes after the deaths of 5 civilians and 8 policemen in separate attacks near the border last month that were blamed on the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group.

The border was officially closed in October 2011 due to attacks by Al-Shabaab, which has been waging an insurgency against the central government in Mogadishu for more than 15 years.

Somali intelligence is carrying out an operation against Al-Shabaab in the Lower Shabelle region

 
The Somali National Intelligence and Security Service (Nisa) forces carried out, during the past hours, a planned operation against Al-Shabaab fighters in the areas between the towns of “Berira” and “Sabid” in the Lower Shabelle region in Southwest State.

A statement issued by Somali intelligence stated that its forces managed to assassinate a member of the Al-Shabaab movement and confiscate the weapon he was in possession of.

There was no comment from the Al-Shabaab movement affiliated with Al-Qaeda on what the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency announced of the assassination of one of the movement's members in the region adjacent to the capital, Mogadishu.

The Arab Parliament condemns the Al-Shabab movement bombing a mosque in Somalia

 
The Arab Parliament condemned the terrorist Al-Shabaab militias’ bombing of a mosque in the “Dar Al-Neama” area of ​​the town of “Run-Nargod” in the Middle Shabelle region of Hirshebelle state.

He considered that this heinous crime is a crime against humanity that is rejected by all monotheistic religions and international covenants and laws.

The Arab Parliament affirmed that terrorism has no religion, stressing the necessity of uniting all Arab, regional and international efforts to confront terrorism and stop the sources of funding and supporters of that terrorist group.

He also reaffirmed his full support for Somalia in its war against terrorism, during which it achieved tangible steps and great successes to refute this terrorist group, pointing to the need to provide international support to Somalia in this regard.

Fierce battles between Somali forces and Al-Shabaab militants in the Lower Juba region

 
A fierce battle erupted today, Monday, between Al-Shabaab fighters on the one hand, and federal forces and Jubaland state forces on the other, in the state's Lower Juba region.

The battle came, according to media reports, after the joint forces attacked Al-Shabaab bases in the villages of the Somali border town of Dobley.

Reports indicated that both sides used heavy and medium weapons, but the human losses resulting from this battle are still unknown.

The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabab has stepped up its attacks on towns along the Somali-Kenyan border, killing nearly 20 security officers in recent weeks.