Al-Shabaab claims suicide car bomb attack in Somali capital

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

MOGADISHU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qaida linked Somali radical group of Al-Shabaab on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb assault, which killed 10 people and injured several others.

The attack targeted a convoy carrying foreign officials, who survived the explosion, according to official sources.

The death toll from the blast at the busy main K4 intersection in the capital Mogadishu has risen to 10 and several others, mostly civilians, sustained injures.

A pro-Al-Shabaab website quoted its commanders as saying the extremist group's fighters were behind the deadly attack, vowing to continue such attacks.

State media say the targeted convoy of Somali government vehicles carrying Qatari officials and that none of the Qataris or government official was hurt in the blast.

The interior minister's vehicle was in the convoy when the explosives were detonated, but the official was not in the car. "The criminal drove the car towards the government vehicles and it exploded after it hit one of them," police officer Mohamoud Gurey told Xinhua, disclosing bystanders were among the dead.

The area was cordoned off by security forces and ambulances rushed to the scene to take the injured to nearby hospitals.

"We heard loud explosion from the K4 junction and when we came out we saw smoke coming out of burning vehicles and people lying in the street and pavement, some dead and some injured. It was terrible scene," resident Yahya Ali told Xinhua.

The attack came four days after a security lockdown at the main streets near government installations, which was just lifted on Saturday.

Somali government officials said the security measure was aimed at preventing "terrorist attacks" that may harm people and their property.

Al-Shabaab is held responsible for a series of similar attacks against the Somali government and African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia (AMISOM).

Last month, Al-Shabaab fighters raided the Mogadishu court building and the regional administration office, killing at least 20 people including nine attackers.

Al-Shabaab has been attempting bomb attacks in Mogadishu in a bid to demonstrate its presence after losing ground to AMISOM in August 2011.

The attacks are considered nowhere to hamper the momentum to regain law and order in the city and elsewhere in a country suffering a long-standing nightmare.

On May 7, an international conference will be held in London to support Somalia in its process of restoring stability and peace after decades of conflict.

The Horn of Africa country has witnessed instability without a strong central government since 1991 after the overthrow of the late Somali leader, Mohamed Siyad Barre.

from XINHUA
2013-05-05 19:09:40
Editor: Yang Lina

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Bomb hits convoy carrying Qataris in Somalia, eight dead

Officers stand by the remains of a wrecked car at the scene of car bomb explosion along the "Kilometre 4" road junction, south of the capital Mogadishu, Somalia, May 5, 2013.

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber hit a convoy of cars carrying Qatari officials through the centre of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Sunday, killing eight Somalis, officials said.
The visiting delegation of Qataris, who were travelling in the Somali interior minister's bullet-proof vehicle, were "safe", a security officer told Reuters, without going into further detail. The minister was not in the car at the time.

The Islamist rebel group al Shabaab said it was behind the attack and threatened further strikes against Somalia's government, which it called a "puppet" of Western powers.

"More explosions are on the way," al Shabaab's military spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters by telephone.

The al Qaeda-linked rebels have kept up a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks since the army and peacekeepers pushed them out of bases in the city.

Witnesses said a suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into the convoy. The blast tore through the busy 'Kilometre 4' road junction in the centre of Mogadishu's commercial and administrative district.

Gunfire rang out immediately after the explosion as the convoy's security guards fired into the air to disperse onlookers.

Qatar has been forging closer political ties with Somalia in recent years as it seeks to expand its influence in the Horn of Africa region.

"The car bomb targeted delegates from Qatar. They are safe," Hassan Osman, a security official, told Reuters, adding that the minister's car was damaged in the blast.

The chairman of Mogadishu's Hodan district, where the blast occurred, told reporters at the scene eight people had been killed and five wounded, most of them civilians.

Sunday's bomb was a stark reminder of two decades of civil strife in a country where the central government depends heavily on a 17,600-strong African Union peacekeeping force for its survival.

While there has been a significant improvement in the coastal capital since African Union peacekeepers drove the Islamist al Shabaab group out of the city in 2011, the attack showed the relative ease with which the militants can still strike.

Some of Mogadishu's major roads were closed last week after security officials received a tip-off about an imminent attack, but were re-opened on Saturday.

The state of Somalia's security forces will top the agenda at conference in London on May 7. Britain and Somalia are hoping to use the event to drum up more international support at a time when al Shabaab are weakened as a fighting force but can still inflict devastating strikes.

Civil war after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 left Somalia without effective central government and awash with weapons. The turmoil opened the doors for piracy to flourish in the Gulf of Aden and deeper into the Indian Ocean.

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU | Sun May 5, 2013 10:51am BST
(Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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Al-Shabab to launch more attacks after Mogadishu court assault

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Somalia’s al-Shebab rebels have threatened further attacks after coordinated bombings and shootings that killed at least 30 people in Mogadishu at the weekend.

Al-Shebab spokesperson Ali Mohamud Rageh told the media that their fighters will double the number of attacks against the government.

Rageh insisted that the court which his fighters attacked has in the past carried out what "illegal" sentences against his Mujahidin fighters so that this time it has to pay the heftiest price for its role in the "war against Islam and endless brutality against innocents".

Al-Shebab - who are they?

“The Mujahidin figheters will intensify their attacks against this apostate government," he said. "'The attack on Sunday was a clear indication that Mujahidin fighters are still kicking and alive.

"Our martyred did a good job when they attacked this so-called court house which was planning a harmful conspiracy against Islam.”

Al-Shebab will go to every possible length to attain its goal of weakening the government’s power, he added.

Former Somalia intelligence chief Ahmed Fiqi has accused members of the army of having links with al-Shebab and aiding its operations after Sunday’s attack.


“This attack was preplanned," Fiqi said. "And there is no doubt that members of the army were involved in it. They at least gave them tips or information and collaborated with them in reaching their goal and they did”

On Monday, Mogadishu remained on high security alert following Sunday’s deadly attacks.

Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled  announced on Monday that the security forces of the country will remain vigilant to ensure stability in the capital.

Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared a new phase of war to eliminate the "extremists" of al-Shebab .

Mohamud called for the Somali people to assist the security forces in catching members of al-Shebab who are trying to hide in civilian areas.

By Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu
Article published the Tuesday 16 April 2013
Read or Listen to this story on the RFI website.

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Islamist Militant Assault Kills 22 in Somali Capital

Somali policemen take up position near the scene of a deadly blast in Mogadishu Apr. 14, 2013.

Somali authorities say suicide bombings and assaults by al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants on Mogadishu's main court complex killed at least 22 people and wounded 18 others Sunday, breaking a fragile return to peace.

The preliminary death toll, which includes all nine attackers, is likely to rise because some families took the bodies of their loved ones home instead of to the hospital.

Mogadishu medical officials tell VOA ((Somali service)) the two top lawyers who recently defended an alleged rape victim and the journalist who interviewed her are among the victims.

Authorities say the militants were dressed in Somali military uniforms when they stormed the main court building and started shooting at the security guards on duty. 

Government forces arrived and laid siege to the compound. Explosions could be heard while the two sides exchanged gunfire.  Hours later, a car bomb exploded near the airport in the capital, damaging a vehicle said to be carrying Turkish citizens.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on the court complex.

Somali President Hassan Mohamud strongly condemned Sunday's attacks, saying that "a few desperate terrorists" will not keep Somalia from moving forward toward peace and stability.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned the attacks and called for the "terrorists" who carried them out to face justice.

The U.N. Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, expressed shock and outrage at the violence.

from VOA News
April 14, 2013

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Somalia: The Federal Government Troops and Ethiopian Troops Attack Shabab Bases in Gedo

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Mogadishu (sh.M.network ) A fierce battle between Somali government troops helped by their Ethiopian counterparts against Alshabab milia started in different parts of Gedo.
The government troops and the Ethiopian army started there journey from Garbaharey a town in gedo  region.They started their mission at a palace called Birta deer a small town 18 kilometers south of Garbaharey.Officials from the government contacted shabelle media  informed us that this town was in the hands of Alshabab before the battle started.

Abdi barre Abdi an official from the Government informed Shabele that they have taken over Strategic places from the militia and they will continue to fight out Alshabab from the region.

The official informed the media that there have been casualties of three government troops injured and praised that an equivalent or more have been done to the militia.He added that they will continue their fight against the group and are now heading towards other towns that are Alshabab strongholds in the region

from allAfrica/Shabelle
By Maalik_som, 24 March 2013

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Somali Troops Liberate More Areas From Al-Shabaab

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

The Somali National army, supported by Ugandan units of AMISOM, on Monday (February 18th) captured the strategic airfield of Jowhar, located 100kms north east of Mogadishu. A Ugandan spokesman, Major Henry Obbo, said the airfield, 20 kms from Jowhar town, was taken over after minimal resistance from fleeing Al-Shabaab fighters.

Allied forces had no losses. The town of Jowhar was taken by Somali government forces and AMISOM in December. The Ugandan contingent commander, Brigadier Michael Ondoga, said Somali troops and AMISOM forces will continue to pressure the weakening Al-Shabaab until it completely disengages from terrorist activities, to provide a more conducive atmosphere to the Somali peace process.

The capture of Jowhar airfield will widen the Somali Government's area of control and provide better opportunities to ensure protection for large areas of Middle Shabelle region including the regional capitalof Jowhar. It will also improve opportunities for reconstruction in the transport sector and other infrastructure.

Balidoogle air base and KM-50 airfield which were recently captured from Al Shabaab have already begun to receive flights; plans are underway for the renovation of both. Four days before the capture of Jowhar airfield, Al-Shabaab was also pushed out of three towns in Lower Shabelle.

from allAfrica
20 February 2013

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Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for Mogadishu Bombing

Somali soldiers patrol at the front gate of the presidential palace following a suicide bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, January 29, 2013.

Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Mogadishu Tuesday that killed at least two people, including the bomber.
The bomber set off his explosives on a street that is near the presidential palace, the prime minister's residence and Somalia's National Security Agency.

A statement on al-Shabab's website says the blast killed seven security agents.  Somali officials say the bomber killed himself and one soldier, and that three other soldiers were wounded. 

British Ambassador to Somalia Matt Baugh condemned the bombing and voiced support for the Somali government.

“It’s yet another sad and horrific piece of evidence to show that there are those in Somalia who are against peace and stability of this country," he said.  "And we stand resolutely with both the federal government of Somalia and the people of Somalia in helping them achieve a more peaceful, more stable country."

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not in Mogadishu at the time of the blast, while Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid was reported to be unharmed.

African and Somali government forces have driven al-Shabab from its former strongholds in Somalia but the group still carries out periodic suicide and guerilla attacks.   The group said it was behind a suicide attack in September targeting President Mohamud, who escaped harm.

Somalia's information minister said Tuesday's bomber was a former member of the National Security Agency.

A witness told VOA's Somali Service the bomber tried to enter the agency's headquarters, then walked toward the home of the prime minister.  The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said guards told the man to go back but the man detonated his explosives.

Somalia went more than 20 years without a stable central authority until U.N.-backed efforts to form a new government succeeded last year.

A new parliament sworn in six months ago elected Mohamud as president, ending eight years of an ineffective and often chaotic transitional government.

from VOA News
January 29, 2013

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Suicide bomber kills two near Somali presidential palace

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up near the Somali presidential palace on Tuesday, killing at least two soldiers in a strike apparently aimed at the country's leaders, a palace guard at the scene said.

Officials working in the palace and guards said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was abroad at the time of the blast and Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid, whose house was near the site of the explosion, was safe.

The blast was the first this year in Mogadishu, where security has improved greatly since Al Shabaab - Islamist rebels allied to al Qaeda - were driven from the capital by African peacekeepers in late 2011.

The group - which wants to impose its strict version of Sharia or Islamic law - is fighting to topple Mohamud, whose election last year was the first such vote since warlords ousted military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

"The man blew up himself near a wall between the Ethiopian embassy and the Somali PM's residence," Ahmed Ali, a Somali soldier at the presidential palace told Reuters.

The two buildings are inside a sprawling compound that also houses the presidential palace.

"One guard died there and then. Another died of his wounds. They were all the guards of the PM," said Ali. "The man was an al Shabaab defector. He had a gate pass, an identity card of the national security."

Guards at the palace who declined to be named said the blast partially damaged a small room made of iron sheets where the prime minister's guards are stationed, but little else was damaged. Buildings and cars within the compound were untouched.

OUSTED FROM URBAN CENTRES

The guards said the bomber was known to them, and frequently visited the palace. When he came by on Tuesday morning, the guards took the suicide bomber through a routine inspection and found he was clad in an explosive jacket.

The guards tried to prevent him from detonating his device, but it went off - killing one instantly and wounding two others.

Al Shabaab was not immediately available for comment on the attack.

The group fled to southern Somalia after quitting Mogadishu but in late September Kenyan troops forced it to withdraw from the port of Kismayu, its last major urban stronghold in the Horn of Africa nation.

That appears to have ended it as a quasi-conventional military force, though Al Shabaab remains a threat and has vowed to step up suicide bombings and hit-and-run attacks.

On January 17 the group said it had executed a captive French agent after a French commando mission to rescue him failed.

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU | Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:17am GMT
(Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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What Led the French Commando Raid On Al Shabab to Be a Botched One?

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Bulomarer — Reliable sources in and around BuloMarer town in South Somalia where French commandos raided late last night, say that the French commandos first landed at a village called Daaydoog which is located at the seaside and three kilometers away from BulMarur where the French intelligence officer was held by Al Shabab militants.

According to the reliable sources, who are local people and spoke to Shabelle, say that the French commandos killed some villagers and tied others when they landed at Daaydoog before they headed to BulMarer. But some villagers who survived the French killings at the seaside contacted and alerted Al Shabab fighters in BuloMarer telling them that there were at least fifty heavily armed foreign soldiers on their way to BuloMarer.

The reliable sources, who spoke to Shabelle, say that the survived villagers called particularly the commander of Al Shabab in Bulo Shiekh Ahmed who was among those the French killed in the fire fight.

But before he and his men moved to ambush the coming French commandos, Ahmed is reported to have moved the French captive from the house they were holding into another house.

The sources say that the killing of the villagers was a mistake which led Al Shabab to be alerted and prepare for the French commandos.

by SHABELLE Media Network (Mogadishu)
12 January 2013
---

some questions in my mind:
- why they landed at Daaydoog, and why killed "villagers"
- it is an intelligence mistake?
- what about the live surveillance drones? it must show the al-shabaab troops movements...

---
here is the official press release from Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen:
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/kmdebi
---

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Somalia: Heavy Fighting in Gedo Region Between Govt Forces and Al Shabaab

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Kismayo — Heavy fighting erupted Saturday afternoon in Gedo region of southwestern Somalia, when Al Shabaab militants attacked a Somali government convoy, Garowe Online reports.

Local reports say that a convoy of Somali government forces and Ethiopian troops traveling between Luuq and Garbaharey districts of Gedo region were ambushed by Shabaab militants and heavy fighting ensued.

Somali military officials told local media that 2 Somali soldiers were killed and 7 other soldiers were wounded during the fighting. The military officials vowed to remove Al Shabaab militants from districts of Gedo under the militants ' control, including Bardhere district.

Casualties inflicted upon Al Shabaab militants could not be verified.

Since August 2011, Somali government forces aided by African Union forces and Ethiopian troops retook control of key towns from Al Shabaab militants affiliated to Al Qaeda, including Mogadishu, Beledweyne, Baidoa, Jowhar, and Kismayo.

from allAfrica/Garowe

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Car bomb kills three in Somali capital

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

A car bomb in the Somali capital killed three people and wounded several others in the latest attack in war-ravaged Mogadishu, police said Friday.

“The car exploded while the driver was moving in it... three people were killed,” said police officer Aden Mohammed, adding it was not clear if the driver had been targeted. “We are still investigating the blast.”

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but the Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents have conducted a series of guerrilla style attacks in the capital since pulling out of fixed positions there last year.

The insurgents have vowed to topple President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in September after being chosen by the country’s new parliament, bringing an end to eight years of transitional rule.

An offensive led by the 17,00-strong African Union force alongside Somali forces has stripped the Shebab of most of the towns they held.

But the Shebab remain a potent threat, still controlling rural areas as well as carrying out guerrilla attacks -- including suicide bombings -- in areas apparently under government control.

Some of the fighters have reportedly relocated to the Galgala region of the northern Golis mountains in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region.

The Golis mountains, straddling the porous border between the autonomous state of Puntland and self-declared independent Somaliland, are honeycombed with caves and difficult to access.


from AL ARABIYA
FRIDAY, 14 December 2012 

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AU, Somali Troops Capture Rebel Stronghold

African Union forces and Somali government troops have captured the town of Jowhar from al-Shabab militants.

Witnesses said troops entered the town Sunday morning and briefly fought with militants before gaining control.

Several al-Shabab members have confirmed that their forces have pulled out of Jowhar.

The town is about 90 kilometers north of the capital, Mogadishu and is the regional capital of Middle Shabelle region.  It has been under Islamist control since 2009.

The capture deals a blow to al-Shabab as the Somali government now controls large parts of the country's south, including the capital and the port city of Kismayo.

from VOA News
December 09, 2012
---

from allAfrica/Shabelle
9 December 2012

Somali government forces backed by African union forces have taken control of the key town ofJowharin middle Shabelle region, according to officials and eyewitnesses.

The joint forces of Amsiom and Somali army seized the town without a fight after fighters from the militant group of Al shabab deserted the town.

"Jowhar is liberated and its residents are not under oppression any longer" said a government security official.

Most of the residents in the town remain indoors, observing the transition of control with caution. Jowhar is located 90 kilometres south ofMogadishuand it was under the control of Al shabab since 2009.

Eyewitnesses say that fighters fled the town after government forces and African union forces came close to the town last night.

The fall of Jowhar is a big blow to Al shabab but a boost for the Somali government which now controls large parts of south Somalia after, with a help from African Union forces, pushed Al shabab from major cities and towns including Mogadishu, Kismayo and Baidoa.

Related articles

• Somali militants lose key town (bbc.co.uk)
• Somalia: 'Al-Shabab' militants forced out of Jowhar (updatednews.ca)
• Somalia: AU, gov't troops take town from rebels (cnsnews.com)
• Somalia: AU, gov't troops take town from rebels (miamiherald.com)

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Nine dead as Somalia's Puntland forces repel Al-Shabaab attack

MOGADISHU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Forces of the local autonomous Puntland administration in northeast Somalia said nine people including seven Al-Shabaab fighters were killed and weapons seized as local forces repulsed an attack by the militant group near the mountainous area of Galgala, authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.

"At least 7 Al-Shabaab attackers were killed, their weapons were seized and the terrorists retreated with more than 12 wounded, according to intelligence information. Two Puntland soldiers were killed in the nighttime attack," Puntland authorities said in the statement.

A group of heavily armed fighters from Al-Shabaab attacked local defense forces based at the frontlines near Galgala Mountains, said a statement from the authorities. The attack took place late Tuesday.

"The terrorists attacked from different directions and Puntland forces repelled the attackers," the local administration said in the statement.

Authorities say security forces are pursuing the attacker in the mountainous area, a flashpoint of a number of previous clashes with the radical fighters.

Separately, a roadside bomb explosion near Galgala targeted a vehicle transporting Puntland soldiers left "10 casualties", a statement from local administration said without elaborating on the nature of the casualties and when the latter attack took place.

The militant group of Al-Shabaab has lately been active in Puntland particularly in the Galgala area, north of the commercial city of Bossaso, where they sought sanctuary following their successive loses in southern and central parts of the country.

from XINHUA
2012-12-06 09:01:16
Editor: Bi Mingxin

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20 inmates escape from a Jail in Somalia’s Baidoa city

BAIDOA (Sh.M.Network)—At least 20 alleged Al shabab inmates reportedly escaped from Somalia’s Baidoa town which is largely controlled by Somali government forces together with Ethiopian troops.

Inmates walked out front door during mass prison escape in Baidoa on Sunday night. New information says the inmates went through and an understanding with the jail guards.

Sources said The escape probably couldn’t have worked without the help of officials within the prison.

Abdifatah Ibrahim Gesey, the governor for Bay region, told Shabelle Media via telephone that local authorities immediately launched a manhunt after the 20 inmates fled from the city, 250 Km northwest Mogadishu.

This happened as in the last few weeks, Somali government forces have been carrying out security operations in the city that once ruled by Al shabab militants.

from Shabelle
by Maalik_Eng
December 3, 2012

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• Somalia: Al Shabaab Prisoners Reportedly Escape from Jail (allafrica.com)

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Somalia: Al Shabab Ambushes Ethiopian Convoy Outside Baidoa

MOGADISHU (Sh.M..Network ) – Heavy armed Al shabab fighters reportedly ambushed a military convoy carrying Ethiopian forces outside Baidoa, Somalia’s third largest city, 250 Km northwest Mogadishu.

Local residents said Shells and gunfire heard around Awdinle, a small town just 15Km east of Baidoa following the ambush attack on Eithopian forces on Monday, causing indefinite casualties on both sides.

“I saw an Ethiopian military vehicle burning and dead bodies lying nearby a roadside explosion site at Awdinle area, after the fighting stopped,” said one resident.

In the aftermath of the attack, Mahad Abdirahman Aden, said Ethiopian troops fired rounds of mortars indiscriminately on a residential area, killing dozens of innocent civilians in Awdinle.

Ambushes and roadside bombs are the remnants of an Islamist movement that was ousted by the government and its Ethiopian allies in February at the start of this year.

from Shabelle
12 November 2012

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• Somalia: Al Shabab Ambushes Ethiopian Convoy Outside Baidoa (allafrica.com)

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At least one killed in car bomb near Somali parliament

(Reuters) - At least one person was killed on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated in the car park of the country's parliament building in the capital Mogadishu, police said.

The explosion went off while the country's new legislators were holding a session inside.

General Mohamed Abdulle told Reuters the car full of explosives was parked among those owned by Somali parliamentarians, and a Somali soldier was killed in the blast.

"It exploded and one military soldier died. There are no other casualties but there is damage to the cars," he said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, though Mogadishu has been frequently targeted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab, who are fighting Somali government forces and African Union soldiers across the country.

Since al Shabaab withdrew from the capital in August last year, it has increasingly turned to suicide bombers and grenade attacks to target government and African Union positions.

Two suicide bombers attacked a restaurant in the Somali capital on Saturday, killing a security guard who stopped them entering the building.

It was not clear who was behind the bombings but Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents have conducted similar previous attacks and remain a serious security challenge even after being forced out of their strongholds.

from REUTERS
By Mohamed Ahmed
MOGADISHU | Wed Nov 7, 2012 6:37am EST
(Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by James Macharia)

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British-Somali Businessman's 2nd Restaurant Targeted

People assist a girl wounded in a suicide blast at popular restaurant in Mogadishu, November 3, 2012

Two suicide bombers in Somalia appear to have targeted a second restaurant owned by a British-Somali businessman.

Witnesses say that four people, including the two alleged bombers were killed on Saturday in twin explosions near the Village Restaurant in Mogadishu. A guard who stopped the bombers from entering the building was killed in the attack, along with a civilian.  A total of 10 people were wounded.

The restaurant is popular with government officials, journalists and politicians.

In September, two suicide bombers attacked another co-owned Village Restaurant in the capital, killing 15 people.  At least three journalists were among those killed, including the Somali National Television director.

The African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM) said it suspected al-Shabab militants were behind the September attack.

The al-Qaida-linked group controlled parts of the capital until last year when it was driven out by Somali and AMISOM forces. However, the militant group has continued to launch attacks in the region.

from VOA News
November 03, 2012

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• British-Somali Businessman's 2nd Restaurant Targeted (voanews.com)
• Somalia: Double Suicide Bombing At Mogadishu Restaurant (allafrica.com)
• Bombers attack Somali restaurant (bbc.co.uk)
• Suicide bombers attack restaurant in Somalia (metronews.ca)

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Somali, AU forces secure more southern towns from rebels

The retreat of the Al Shabaab Islamist
militant group in Somalia since 2011.
Original map by Evan Centanni.
www.polgeonow.com

MOGADISHU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Somali government forces backed by African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces are spreading their control over territory run by Al-Shabaab rebels in the south of the Horn of Africa country.

The allied forces this week consolidated their control over the Wanla Weyn town, 93 km south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, as well as a former Somali air force base, 15 km away from the Wanla Wein.

The newly taken areas are strategically located along the main corridor linking Mogadishu to the southern town of Baidao, which is also under the control of AU and Somali government forces.

Wanla Weyn falls at a strategic junction linking the two Shabelle regions to Baidoa in the south and Beletweyne in the north of Somalia.

Officials say the capture of Wanla Weyn facilitates the aim of connecting Mogadishu to Baidoa.

Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse was among officials who paid a visit to the regained military base near Wanla Weyn. He said the capture of the town was a victory for Somalia and called on Al-Shabaab fighters to join the government troops.

"To Al-Shabaab fighters I call upon them to lay down their arms and join the ranks of their brothers. This is your country, these are your brothers welcome to open arms. There is no other door open for you. Somalia is sovereign nation so come and join in building the future of your country," the Somali defense chief said in the newly taken area.

AU and Somali government officials say the advance would to deny fleeing Al-Shabaab insurgents from seeking refuge and destabilizing other regions of Somalia.

The officials believe that the capture of this town denies Al- Shabaab another source of illegal income after a string of defeats and the loss of other major sources of revenue in a number of seaports along the coastal towns.

Al-Shabaab has lost a number of key towns in central and southern regions, in particular, the port city of Kismayo, the stronghold of the rebels.

from XINHUA
2012-10-14 17:34:17
Editor: Tang Danlu

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Somali militants hit Kismayu as African troops move in

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - African Union troops and tanks occupied al Shabaab's former stronghold of Kismayu on Tuesday, but the Somali Islamist militants gave notice of their intention to fight back, saying they detonated a bomb in the port city.

The blast points to the al Qaeda-linked rebels' ability to hit back with covert strikes and continues a pattern of attacks in other urban strongholds from where they have retreated under military pressure, including the capital.

A spokesman for al Shabaab's military operations, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the bomb was planted inside a district administration office building now housing Somali troops and warned of more attacks.

"This is only an introduction to the forthcoming explosions," he told Reuters. The militants had succeeded in "killing many", Musab said.

The government said the explosion caused no casualties.

Kenyan troops fighting under the AU flag entered Kismayu for the first time on Tuesday after launching an offensive against the port on Friday, forcing the rebels to flee.

They followed hundreds of Somali government troops and allied militia fighters who deployed in the city on Monday.

Al Shabaab's strength is hard to gauge. Mohamud Farah, a spokesman for Somalia's government forces, said between 4,000-5,000 fighters were hiding in the southern Juba regions.

Hundreds of foreign fighters had joined the insurgency at its peak from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania as well as the United States and Britain, Somalia's last government said.

"Foreign fighters (also) started leaving when they saw their space was shrinking," a Nairobi-based security adviser said, referring to the offensive by African Union and Somali government troops that has steadily won back rebel-held ground over the past 14 months.

After the surrender of Kismayu, defection rates among footsoldiers were also expected to pick up, with the rebel group seen as a losing proposition.

What will be left behind, analysts say, is a hardline core.

Whether al Shabaab is able to wage a prolonged campaign of guerrilla attacks on Kismayu will largely hinge on Mogadishu's success in establishing a regional administration that satisfies competing clan interests in the south.

"If you have marginalised clans, al Shabaab will find allies in them. If all clans are on board it will be hard for al Shabaab to infiltrate Kismayu," the security adviser said.

Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE89200D20121003

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh
Wed Oct 3, 2012 5:38am GMT

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Kenya navy shells Somali town after rebels announce retreat

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Kenyan warships shelled the southern Somali port of Kismayu overnight after al Qaeda-linked rebels said they had abandoned the city, residents said on Sunday.

Stunned by an assault by sea, air and ground forces late on Friday night, al Shabaab rebels fled the city that had been their key source of revenue, retreating to surrounding forests and towns.

The shells may have been targeting any remaining pockets of resistance or military installations in the city that was the rebels' last stronghold.

"The ships were firing deafening shells to the outskirts last night but several shells landed on houses," said Samira Ismail, a local mother of four.

Al Shabaab said two children were killed and other people injured by the shells, a statement rejected as propaganda by Kenyan military spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna.

Kenyan and Somali troops sent to retake Kismayu from the rebels were still in the town's outskirts, Oguna said, proceeding carefully in case al Shabaab's claim that it had abandoned the city was a ploy to lure them into a trap.

"The troops are consolidating and making plans to expand into the southern part of the city," Oguna told Reuters.

"A lot of caution must be exercised here. We don't want to get into a situation where we start to lose troops here and there."

continued here...

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar
Sun Sep 30, 2012 12:20pm GMT

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