MOGADISHU: Islamist Al-Shabab fighters attacked an African Union military base in Somalia on Friday, the AU force said, without specifying if there were any casualties.
The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group has been waging a jihadist insurgency against the central government in the fragile Horn of Africa nation for more than 15 years.
The army base in Bulo Marer, 120 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu “came under Al-Shabab attack,” the AU force known as ATMIS said in a statement on Facebook and Twitter.
“ATMIS forces are currently assessing the security situation,” it said, without giving details.
In recent months, the army and militias known as “macawisley” have retaken swathes of territory in the center of the troubled country in an operation backed by ATMIS and US air strikes.
Despite the gains by the pro-government forces, the militants have continued to strike with lethal force against civilian and military targets.
In the deadliest Al-Shabab attack since the offensive was launched last year, 121 people were killed in October by two car bombings at the education ministry in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabab raid African Union army base in Somalia
https://arab.news/9bnhg
Al-Shabab raid African Union army base in Somalia
- The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group has been waging a jihadist insurgency for more than 15 years
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
