Somalia and al-Shabaab Clashes During Ramadan: Kenya Terrorist Attack
Somalia and al-Shabaab Clashes During Ramadan: Kenya Terrorist Attack
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
In the West, Muslims express the peacefulness of Islam during Ramadan. However, in reality, terrorism often peaks and encourages Islamic militancy during this period. Therefore, the recent Islamic terrorist attack in the Russian Federation (which killed over 130 people) is being witnessed in Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and other nations.
Pakistan and Turkey have launched strikes against Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan and Somalia during Ramadan.
Hence, the armed forces of Somalia – with international support – launched military attacks against al-Shabaab after this Islamist group killed at least 17 soldiers. Therefore, the armed forces of Somalia are responding to the loss of life at a military base in the Lower Shabelle region.
Also, intelligence said that the al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents were planning a major terrorist attack during Ramadan.
Al-Shabaab also killed two police officers in northern Kenya in the last few days. Accordingly, it shows the reach of al-Shabaab.
Apostates from Islam to Christianity have been killed in northern Kenya, similar to al-Shabaab killing apostates to Christianity in Somalia. Therefore, with many Somalians in northern Kenya, al-Shabaab also seeks to rule by fear in this part of the country.
The Governor of Mandera County in northern Kenya (Mohamed Adan Khalif) said: “I condemn in the strongest terms, today’s cowardly and heinous terrorist attack at a hotel in Mandera town.”
In 2015, al-Shabaab Islamists killed 140 students at the Garissa University College.
Turning back to Somalia, Abdirahman Yusuf Adala (Deputy Information Minister) said, “The militants were planning spectacular attacks to coincide with an important date in the Ramadan calendar, the 17th day of the fast.”
Voice of America reports, “The Ministry of Information said the Somali National Army carried out a coordinated series of operations across the regional states of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest.”
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) plans to pull all troops out of Somalia by the end of 2024. Henceforth, the armed forces of Somalia will launch future military attacks against al-Shabaab in the hope of taking more land back from this Islamist group.
The government of Somalia hopes that drones will alter the dynamics of the conflict. However, al-Shabaab is tenacious.
Accordingly, this Islamic insurgent group often melts away when under intense pressure and launches terrorist attacks in Mogadishu – along with fortifications in areas where they dominate.
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