Al-Shabaab ranked as most "capable" terrorist group in Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al-Shabaab remains one of the most "capable and dangerous" terror groups in Africa, the US Africa Command has said, arguing that the militants threaten the interests of Somalia's Western allies in their relentless attacks which targets security forces and civilians within East Africa.

For the last 14 years, the group which swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2012 has unleashed terror on security forces working in Somalia and Kenya besides targeting innocent civilians. Also caught in the mix are senior government officials and those believed to be spies.

And the AFRICOM, which is America's group of military officers operating in Africa, believes that pressure should be maintained on the group following a decrease in attacks waged by the militants throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which seems to have caught the group also unprepared.

But despite the significant reduction of the large-scale attacks, the US Africa Command told the Voice of America that the group has, however, increased use of Vehicle-Born Improvised Devices [VBIDs] when waging attacks. Previously, the group mainly relied on IEDs, which they usually implant along major supply routes.

In addition, the US Africa Command said the Al-Shabaab militants not only targets the Somali National Army [SNA] but have in recent days shifted attention towards the African Union Mission Forces and the US military team operating in the war-torn nation, which has struggled with instability for several decades.

“We are seeing them targeting not just our Somali partners but also AMISOM partners, Americans, and American interests,” AFRICOM said, noting the recent trend where the group has been targeting military bases across Somalia, further complicating the war against terror.

In recent months, there have been attempted attacks against various military bases in Somalia, with AMISOM and SNA being the most vulnerable. For instance, the AMISOM forces foiled an attack last week which targeted one of the bases in Central Somalia, a renowned Al-Shabaab stronghold.

Last month, the militants also gained access to a US military outpost in Janay Abdalla, about 50 KM West of Kismayo, the interim capital of Jubaland. During the encounter, two Danab soldiers died while a US serviceman was injured but he has since been stabilized.

And the command under the stewardship of General Stephen Townsend now says the Al-Shabaab militants remain the most dangerous terror group across Africa, which threatens America, allies, and partners in the war against terrorism. This is the second time the US labels Al-Shabaab as a dangerous group this year.

“We currently assess that al-Shabaab is the most capable terrorist group on the African continent in terms of the ability to potentially threaten Western interests regionally. Al-Shabaab is a very real and dangerous threat," the Command said, in a statement that could lead to a change of strategy in the fight against terrorism.

Currently, the US has close to 500 servicemen in Somalia with AMISOM also having at least 22,000 troops who are selected from among African countries. The troops have significantly degraded Al-Shabaab besides liberating several strategic towns despite also suffering casualties.

This year, the US Africa Command has waged 46 airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, the highest within the same period in as many years. While the Americans have projected their exit by 2027, the AMISOM forces have laid a strategic exit under the Somali Transition Plan [STP] which will be effected from 2021.

GAROWE ONLINE