A Kenyan man, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, was convicted by a federal jury in Manhattan for plotting a 9/11-style attack on a U.S. building on behalf of the terrorist group al-Shabab. Abdullah, who represented himself during the trial, was found guilty on all six counts related to conspiring to hijack an aircraft. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. Abdullah had undergone extensive training, including pilot training in the Philippines, before his arrest in 2019 and subsequent transfer to U.S. authorities.
A bombing outside a cafe in Mogadishu during the Euro 2024 final killed at least five people and injured 20, with numbers expected to rise. The attack, reminiscent of past al-Shabab bombings, occurred near the presidential palace. No group has claimed responsibility yet, but al-Shabab is suspected. This follows a recent attempted jailbreak by al-Shabab inmates and ongoing conflict between the group and Somali government forces.
Security forces in Somalia have killed all five attackers who besieged the SYL Hotel in Mogadishu, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers and injuries to 27 people. The al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred in a usually secure area near the presidential palace. The situation is now under control, with the hotel secured and normalcy returning, as Somalia's government continues its offensive against al-Shabab.
A 13-hour siege of a hotel near Somalia’s presidential palace in Mogadishu ended with the killing of al-Shabab fighters by security forces, resulting in three soldiers killed and 27 people wounded. The attack, claimed by al-Shabab, highlighted the group's ability to strike the capital despite military efforts by the government, local militias, and international support. Al-Shabab, which has been waging war against the Somali government for over 16 years, continues to maintain a strong presence in rural Somalia and has carried out numerous attacks, including on the SYL Hotel, a high-security area opposite the presidential palace.
Cristiano Ronaldo faces heavy criticism and a potential suspension after appearing to make an offensive gesture towards Al Shabab supporters following Al Nassr's victory in a Saudi Pro League match. The incident, not captured by television cameras, has sparked swift backlash and an investigation by the Saudi football federation. Ronaldo's availability for the next match is in jeopardy, despite leading the league with 22 goals this season since joining Al Nassr in December 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo is under investigation by the Saudi football federation for making an obscene gesture towards heckling fans during Al Nassr's match against Al Shabab in a Saudi Pro League match. The incident, not captured by television cameras, occurred after Ronaldo scored on a penalty in the first half. The Portuguese soccer star, who is leading the league with 22 goals this season, joined Al Nassr in 2022 in a lucrative transfer from Manchester United.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack at a military base in Mogadishu that killed four Emirati troops and a Bahraini officer, with details about the attack remaining scarce. The UAE and Bahrain confirmed the deaths, with the UAE releasing footage of the soldiers' caskets arriving in Abu Dhabi. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked group, described the UAE as an "enemy" for supporting the Somali government in its fight against the militants. The U.S. Embassy in Somalia condemned the attack, while the incident reflects the ongoing security concerns in the region, including the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda-linked armed group, claimed responsibility for an attack on a UAE military training mission in Somalia, killing three Emirati troops and a Bahraini military officer. The group views the UAE as an enemy for supporting the Somali government. The attack targeted the General Gordon military base in Mogadishu, with details on casualties still scarce. Al-Shabab has been battling the Somali government and the AU-led peacekeeping mission, routinely carrying out bombings in densely populated areas. The UAE's increasing investments in East Africa, including in Somalia, align with its broader security concerns in the region.
A donkey cart carrying a suspected improvised bomb exploded at a checkpoint on the Kenya-Somalia border, killing one Kenyan police officer and critically wounding four others. The cart, pulled by two donkeys and ridden by one man, passed the Somali checkpoint of Bula Hawa and entered Kenyan territory before being stopped by officers. The rider fled back into Somalia before the explosion, and the cart's driver was later arrested by Somali police. While no one has claimed responsibility, suspicion has fallen on al-Shabab, a Somalia-based extremist group. This incident follows a string of recent al-Shabab attacks in Kenya, including a roadside bomb that wounded five police officers in Mandera county.
The crew of a crashed U.N. helicopter in Somalia waited for an hour to be rescued before being kidnapped by unknown assailants, raising questions about whether a faster response could have prevented their seizure. The helicopter, carrying nine people, including Ukrainian, Kenyan, and Egyptian personnel, went down in a stronghold of the militant group al-Shabab. Despite efforts to organize a rescue, armed men captured five survivors, with one person presumed dead, and the helicopter was later found burning. The survivors are believed to be in the custody of the militant group, and there has been no communication from the captors or claim of responsibility from al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab militants killed one person and kidnapped six others after a UN helicopter made an emergency landing in territory controlled by the group due to technical problems. The incident occurred roughly 70 kilometers southeast of Dhusamareb, the capital of the central Somali state of Galmudug. The nationalities of those captured were not immediately clear, and all UN flights in the vicinity have been temporarily suspended. Al-Shabab, which has ties to al-Qaeda, has been battling the Somali government since 2006 and still controls territories in southern and central Somalia.
Al-Shabab, an Iran-backed Sunni Islamist militant group in Somalia, seized a United Nations helicopter, capturing six crew members and leaving one dead. The group, linked to al-Qaida, has been engaged in a deadly insurgency for nearly two decades and is responsible for numerous deadly attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries. The U.S. considers Al-Shabab the "largest, wealthiest and most lethal al-Qaida affiliate in the world" and a significant threat to U.S. interests in East Africa.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group in Somalia, seized the crew of a U.N. helicopter that made an emergency landing in the central Galguduud region. The group set the helicopter on fire and captured an unknown number of crew members. The United Nations provides support to the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, and while no peacekeeping troops were on the helicopter, the incident raises concerns about the safety of international personnel in the region.
Al-Shabab has captured a United Nations helicopter in central Somalia after it made an emergency landing in territory controlled by the armed group. Several passengers, including military personnel and a third-party contractor, were reportedly taken by the al-Qaeda-linked group, with two escaping and one dying in unclear circumstances. UN flights in the area have been temporarily suspended, and the Somali government has not yet commented on the incident.
A U.S. drone strike in southern Somalia has killed Moalim Ayman, a senior militant leader of the al-Shabab group responsible for terrorist attacks in Kenya and Somalia. Ayman was accused of masterminding a 2020 attack on a military base in Kenya that killed three Americans. The strike took place on December 17, but the confirmation of Ayman's death was delayed due to the need for genetic matching. The U.S. Africa Command confirmed conducting the strike but has not yet confirmed the target. Al-Shabab, which controls parts of Somalia, declared war on Kenya in 2011. The Somali government, with assistance from clan militias and African Union peacekeeping troops, has been fighting against al-Shabab, but the group still maintains control over some areas and continues to carry out attacks.
