The jihadist group al-Shabab is facing a local clan-based rebellion in central Somalia—one the embattled Mogadishu government hopes might spread throughout its zones of control. As resistance to the insurgent group has grown, lawmakers and clan elders have been backing the self-organized militia in pitched battles against al-Shabab. The militia—known as Ma’awisley, a reference to the traditional sarong worn in Somalia’s rural areas—is strongest in Middle Shabelle, Hiran and Galmudug regions of Hirshabelle and Central states. (TNH, VOA)
Map via Wikimedia Commons
Mogadishu blasts kill 100
Twin car bomb explosions near a busy junction in Mogadishu Oct. 29 killed at least 100 people. Among the victims were “mothers with their children in their arms,” President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said. He appealed for international medical help to deal with the 300 injured. The president blamed al-Shabab militant group for the attack which targeted the education ministry. (BBC News)
US strike in Somalia kills 17
The US military conducted a strike on Nov. 9 against al-Shabaab in Somalia, killing 17 fighters, US Africa Command said in a statement. The strike occurred approximately 285 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu at the request of the Somali government, when Somali National Army forces were engaged with al-Shabaab fighters. (CNN)