Somalia (land & sea) 2018 onwards

[AdamG]

Somalia's al-Shabab detonated a suicide car bomb then stormed a military base in the country's south, claiming at least 27 soldiers were killed. An official said the military repelled the attack and killed 87 fighters in fighting, dismissing the claim on Monday that dozens of Somali troops were dead. Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabab's spokesman, said attackers overran the base in Baar Sanguni village - about 50km from the port city of Kismayo.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/...055445204.html

BBC repeats the claims verbatim, w/o question. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44923575 as does Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...-idUSKBN1KD0DI

Al-Shabab has posted a video showing their fighters walking around an over-run position.

Meanwhile, some revenge -

The United States executed an air strike against Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia early this week, Garowe Online reported today. “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, US forces conducted an air strike targeting Al-Shabaab militants approximately 50 kilometres north of Kismayo, Somalia,” Major Karl Wiest, a spokesman for US Africa Command, said.

Al-Shabaab was seen moving tactically and carrying a variety of weaponry in an area close to the attack. The place of attack is located in Jubaland, approximately 350 kilometres southwest of the capital Mogadishu.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20...se-in-somalia/

[AdamG]

Article appears to have been published July 27th. Interesting in that the second attack (Elasha Biyaha village) was more sophisticated, targeting leadership. That sort of tactical growth pattern with IEDs happened in the 1st & 2nd Chechen Wars.

At least six government soldiers were killed, while several others wounded when a roadside blast targeted a military convoy on Wednesday in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region, officials said.

"The attack took place on the road between Afgoye and Wanlawayne when the convoy was traveling from Mogadishu to Balidogle airport," Mahad Abdirahin, a military official in the region, told Anadolu Agency over the phone.

Meanwhile, another roadside blast targeted a Senior military official in Elasha Biyaha village, located on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Local media reported that four Somali government soldiers were wounded in the attack.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/soma...ldiers/1213959

[AdamG]

Somalia’s al Qaeda affiliate, al Shabaab, released aftermath photos showing themselves inside a burning joint US-Kenyan firebase on July 23, 2018, which contradicts the Somali government’s statement claiming that the attack was repulsed.

https://www.funker530.com/al-shabaab-american-photos/

[davidbfpo]

A short commentary on the situation, leaving aside it is written as a comment on the UK's role; hence the sub-title: Challenges facing Theresa May’s engagement in the fight against Al Shabaab.

He ends with this, which IMHO could apply to all external actors:

The potential of the British involvement in fighting Al Shabaab is large, and Theresa May’s engagement is commendable, but in order for it to work effectively in the future, Britain needs to learn from the mistakes of the past.

The author is a Norwegian academic, who has written on the region before, hence the link to his publisher's blog.
Link:https://www.hurstpublishers.com/what...hat-not-to-do/

[AdamG]

U.S. forces in Somalia came under attack earlier this week, prompting a defensive air strike against a militant group aligned with al-Qaida, U.S. Africa Command said Thursday. It said that U.S. troops were on a mission on Tuesday with Somali partner forces about 40 miles west of Mogadishu when they came under attack. No U.S. military personnel were injured in the clash, but one member of the partner force was killed and two others were injured.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/201...m_campaign=alt

[davidbfpo]

From the BBC after a week with the Spanish Navy off Somalia and the graph is the best illustration.

Somewhat odd to read about the local efforts, presumably externally funded:

the Puntland Maritime Police Force, around 800 men strong, and the largest such unit in the country. But its abilities are limited....the force only had two small boats, hardly enough to adequately patrol the vast sea and apprehend suspects.

Link:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46454055

[AdamG]

Good multi-article-cited background piece -

At a time when local fishermen in Somalia are struggling to compete with foreign vessels that are depleting fishing stocks, the government has granted 31 fishing licenses to China. Since assuming power last year, this is the first time that Somali president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has given fishing rights to foreigners, news site BBC reports.

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/...ights-to-china