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Islamic State In Somalia (ISS):
A Timeline of Atrocities
Abdiqadir Mumin and 20 of his followers broke from al-Shabaab and pledged their loyalty to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISS). The formal allegiance comes after ISIS attempted to get al-Shabaab to defect to the group and abandon al-Qaida. The formal allegiance also comes just a month after the leader of al-Shabaab, Abu Ubaidah, issued an internal memo stressing that the group’s loyalty will remain with al-Qaida and the group will retaliate against ISIS supporters with the group. In the video, Mumin, along with several members, pledged their allegiance
22 November 2015: Al-Shabaab assassinates commander who defected to the Islamic State in Somalia
Sheikh Hussein Abdi Gedi, and four others, are ambushed by al-Shabaab near Gudedley village in Middle Juba region, southern Somalia. Gedi, who was al-Shabaab’s deputy governor of the Juba region, is believed to have defected to Islamic State in Somalia.
5 December 2015: 7 militants linked to Islamic State in Somalia clash with government forces
The governor of Bari region, Puntland regional state in Somalia, Yusuf Mohamed Dhedo, claimed that Puntland Security Forces (PSF) had killed seven militants allied to ISS. The clash took place while the militants attempted to lay down Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the road frequently used by the government soldiers. During the confrontation, three PSF were injured.
25 December 2015: Al-Shabaab fighters attack an IS-Somalia base in Northern Somalia
Local reports indicate that al-Shabaab fighters target Islamic State in Somalia militants near Timirshe village in Puntland region. The number of casualties has yet been reported nor have either side commented on the incident.
14 April 2016: Islamic State in Somalia highlights its first training camp
The Islamic State in Somalia releases a video highlighting its “Commander Sheikh Abu Numan training camp,” located somewhere in the Puntland region, northern Somalia. The training camp is named after Bashir Abu Numan, a former commander killed by al-Shabaab after he defected to the IS-Somalia. The Emir, Mumin, appears in the video where he renews the group’s allegiance to the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
6 May 2016: “Islamic State is growing,” says top Somali intelligence officer
The former director fo the US-backed Puntland Intelligence Agency (PIA), Abdi Hassan Hussein, says that the IS-Somalia has been setting up training camps in the Golis region in Puntland. He adds that the ISIS sent trainers to inspect the bases and training camps. The group, which started with between 20 and 30 fighters, has been recruiting more fighters. He estimates that the group now has between 1000 and 150 fighters. Hussein claims that the group receives military supplies – weapons, and uniforms – from Yemen.
26 October 2016: Islamic State in Somalia claims to have taken Qandala town, Puntland state
Fifty (50) heavily armed Islamic State in Somalia fighters attempted to take over the port town of Qandala in Puntland regional state. ISS was able to briefly take Qandala because the majority of the town belong to Majerteen clan, the clan for the leader of ISS, Mumin. Additionally, minority clans increasingly felt marginalised by the local government. They claimed victory over the town with placing the ISIS flag atop the district commissioner’s headquarters. Many of the residents fled the town fearing confrontation between the extremists and the government forces. The held the town for a month before the Puntland Security Forces launched their offensive.
7 December 2016: Puntland Security Forces retake Qandala from Islamic State in Somalia
After a month and a half of fighting, the Puntland Security Forces (PSF) retake Qandala from the extremist group. The town was recaptured by land and sea just after 10 am triggering IS-Somalia fighters to flee Qandala. The fight to retake the town is slowed down by the terrain with narrow roads. Upon taking the city, the PSF enter each home ensuring that lingering IS-Somalia fighters are captured. The fleeing militants, including Senior Commander Mahad Moallim, are spotted in Gurur village, south of Qandala.
The PSF claims to have killed 30 IS-Somalia fighters and wounding 35 others.
19 December 2016: Puntland Security Forces ‘destroy’ IS-Somalia base
Puntland Security Forces (PSF) claims to have destroyed a base belonging to the Islamic State in Somalia. The base is located in El Ladid, 30km south of Qandala, the town which the PSF recaptured from the extremist group. PSF claims the base was used by the group to regroup and make a military build-up following the defeat in Qandala.
1 February 2017: Islamic State in Somalia decapitates 3 abducted civilians
Days after abducting nine people, residents in Qandala town find three decapitated bodies on the road. The abducted included off-duty soldiers returning from areas where the troops were battling IS-linked fighters. According to a local elder, the bodies showed signs of torture.
9 February 2017: Islamic State in Somalia claims hotel attack in Northern Somalia
The Islamic State in Somalia claims suicide bombing and assault on the Villae Hotel in Bosaso, northern Somalia. The attack left at least four security guards and two gunmen dead. The number of attackers varies in local and international media, with the numbers between 3 and 7 gunmen.
28 March 2017: Suspected IS-Somalia roadside bombing kills one
A suspected Islamic State in Somalia roadside bombing kills one soldier and wounds another. The attack took place outside Qandala resulting in a gunbattle. Though the group has not claimed the attack, regional government officials have placed the blame on IS-Somalia.
A roadside IED kills 8 Puntland soldiers. The local government accused the Islamic State in Somalia for planting the IED but the group does not claim responsibility for the attack.
24 May 2017: Islamic State in Somalia claims suicide bombing in Puntland region, Somalia,
Islamic State in Somalia claims responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Puntland region in northern Somalia. A suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint, killing five people and injuring another twelve people. According to witnesses, the suicide bomber detonated the bomb when he was stopped by a soldier at the checkpoint.
6 June 2017: Islamic State in Somalia fighter surrenders to Puntland Security Forces
Puntland Security Force say a militant linked to the Islamic State in Somalia has surrendered to government forces in Bari region, Puntland state. The suspect, identified as Abdullahi Mohamed Saed, surrendered at Ja’el town.
24 October 2017: Islamic State in Somalia claims attack in Bosaso, Northern Somalia
Islamic State in Somalia claims responsibility for the bombing in the port city of Bosaso. According to witnesses, a man pushing a wheelbarrow laden with explosives approached the central police station and detonated the device. The bomb killed the bomber and injured six others. Minutes after the wheelbarrow attack, a second explosion could be heard. The second explosion, an improvised explosive device (IED), did not cause any casualties.
This is the fourth attack that IS-Somalia has claimed between October 2015 and October 2017. There is suspicion that the group has conducted more attacks but they have not claimed.
3 November 2017: AFRICOM conducts first airstrike against Islamic State in Somalia
AFRICOM’s first airstrike against Islamic State in Somalia killing two militants. Less than two weeks later, the U.S. conducts three airstrikes within 24 hours targeting both ISS and al-Shabaab operating in Puntland region. One of the airstrikes took place in Buqu which is one of the four ISS operations centres in Puntland, according to an ISS defector.
Note: In 2017 alone, the U.S. conducted 26 airstrikes in Somalia against Al-Shabaab and ISIS
Note: According to Puntland senior intelligence officials, the U.S. airstrike killed at least 20 militants, not two as AFRICOM claims.
06 November 2017: Islamic State leader survives US airstrike
The regional president of Puntland region, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali “Gaas” comfirms that the US airstrike on 3 November targeted the leader of IS-Somalia, Sheikh Abdulkadir Munin. President Ali said, “Based on the information we have been told by our security agencies, Mumin is still alive and is not dead following 2-day U.S. airstrikes targeted on pro-ISIL militants in the area.”
The airstrike killed 20 militants, including a foreign fighter from Sudan and two Arabs from an unknown origin.
8 November 2017: UN raises alarm over the Islamic State’s footprint in Northern Somalia
A UN report raises alarm over the growing Islamic State influence in Northern Somalia. The UN says that the group has grown from two dozen at its inception to at least 200 in 2017. The UN says that the vast majority of the fighters are Somali. They have links with other extremist groups in Yemen. The UN investigation also says that the fighters have received money from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
The Islamic State in Somalia was featured in an ISIS video released a video titled “Hunt Them Down, O Montotheists.” ISIS has called on its fighters globally to increase attacks during the holidays. Specifically to Islamic State in Somalia, the video shows the Emir Mumin as he lectures fighters, as well as scenes from the training camps.
The U.S. Department of treasury listed Mohamed Mirre Ali Yusuf as a specially designated global terrorist. The U.S. views him as a financial operative who provides funds to US-designated terrorist Abdulqadir Mumin, who is the leader of IS-Somalia. Yusuf, also known as Soodareeri, is a Bosaso-based Somali businessman who has been accused of arms trafficking by U.N. Monitoring Group.
Note: Though the U.S. has placed him on a terror list, the U.N. monitoring group believes it is unlikely that Yuuf is an IS-Somalia member or a facilitator.
27 February 2018: IS-Somalia and its deputy head placed US State Department sanction’s list
The US State Department designates IS-Somalia and its deputy head, Mahad Moalima, as global terrorists.
22 April 2018: IS-Somalia member arrested in Afgoye, Southern Somalia
Somali police claim to have arrested a suspected IS-Somalia member, named Jama Hassan Hussein, while he was planting an IED. Electronic copies of Dabiq magazine, a defunct ISIS publication, was also found in his possession. The police chief said that Hussein was originally an al-Shabaab member but defected to ISS. Following his arrest, he was handed over to the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). ISS has not made any comments following news of Hussein’s capture.
Jama Hussein was arraigned in court on 19 July 2018 and charged with planting IEDs and recording attacks for ISS. During his court trial, the prosecution claimed had previously taken part in fighting between ISS and Puntland forces, though U.N. Monitoring Group’s evidence does not support those claims.
23 May 2018: IS-Somalia claims to have assassinated a Somali intelligence officer
IS-Somalia claims to have killed a Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency officer in Elasha suburb in Mogadishu. Though the group makes this claim, no local media reported the incident.
24 May 2018: Two IS-Somalia members arrested in Mogadishu
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) arrested two suspected IS-Somalia members in Mogadishu, Mahid Mohamud Abdi, also known as Abtidoon, and Moahumed Dahir Warsamow, also known as Dr Rage. NISA claims that one of the suspects shot and killed a traffic officer in broad daylight.
Mohamud Abdi was accused of founding an ISS branch in Southern Somalia independent from the Puntland faction while Warsamow was accused of being a finance officer for the group. Both men were sentenced to 15 years in prison on 2 August.
29 June 2018: Islamic State in Somalia assassinates three in Mogadishu
Suspected Islamic State militants assassinated three people, two soldiers and a civilian, in Mogadishu near Elasha Biyaha village. The civilian was a student, identified as Shador Dahir Hassan, who was gunned down outside a mosque. Islamic State in Somalia claimed the shooting, releasing videographic proof of the incidents.
An investigative report by a local Somali reveals that the Islamic State in Somalia has been imposing heavy taxes on local businesses in Bosaso, Puntland Region, Somalia. The local businesses tend to adhere to the taxation calls due to fear of retribution from the group, especially after businessmen who refused to pay were gunned down. It is estimated that the group receives $72,000 in monthly revenue from the city of Bosaso alone.
4 October 2018: Islamic State in Somalia claims Bosaso attack, Northern Somalia
The Islamic State in Somalia claimed responsibility for the Bosaso, Puntland region, attack. The assault resulted in the deaths of three Ethiopian migrants at the business centre int the port city of Bosaso.
This is the first IS-Somalia attack on foreigners in Puntland.
November 2018: Islamic State warns al-Shabaab of impending battle in Somalia
In a recent issue of Islamic State’s weekly Al Naba newsletter, the Islamic State in Somalia warns al-Shabaab of an impending clash between the two sides. The article accuses al-Shabaab of provoking conflict, through the sustained assassination campaign against supporters of IS-S.
3 December 2018: Somali businesses face ‘taxation’ by IS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab
Somali businesses and analysts say that IS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab are targeting companies to an unprecedented degree with demands for so-called taxes. Since IS-Somalia is a product of al-Shabaab, they are using taxation of businesses to have funds to support its activities in Puntland regional state and other parts of the country, including Mogadishu. When a company do not pay the expected tax, some have been killed or injured by Islamic State. On 7 August, Islamic State militants killed Abdullahi Ali Omar, a telecommunication officer, in Bosasso for not paying taxes to the group. The group is also behind recent shootings of at least eight employees of Hormuud, the country’s largest telecommunications company. Somali intelligence sources say that IS-Somalia set 7 August outside Mogadishu Salama bank on 14 September after the bank defied the group’s extortion demands. Three days later, unidentified gunmen possibly tied to ISS attacked senior bank officials who miraculously survived the attack despite his car being sprayed by bullets.
16 December 2018: Islamic State clashes with al-Shabaab fighters in Northern Somalia
Islamic State in Somalia claims to have killed at least 14 al-Shabaab fighters after the two groups clashed near B’ir Mirali, Southwest of Qandala. In a statement from IS-Somalia, the group claimed to have captured weapons and equipment from al-Shabaab.
28 December 2018: Suspected Islamic State bombing injures two
At least two people were wounded in Beledweyne town following an explosion. A car drove over a landmine planted on the road near the house of the former Beledwyene governor, Omar Aden Ibrahim Baadiyow. Former governor was not in the vehicle nor his home when the explosion took place. The two injured victims were civilians, including a young girl. Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, officials suspect the I.S.- Somalia.
A US airstrike in Puntland, northern Somalia, kills the Deputy Leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Abdulhakim Dhuqub. AFRICOM airstrike targeted Dhuqub, whose real name is Abdihakim Mohamed Ibrahim, at Xiriiro, Bari region. He became deputy after his predecessor Mahad Moalim was killed last year. He was in charge of daily operations, attack planning and resource procurement.
26 April 2019: AFRICOM conducts airstrike against ISIS
U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS-Somalia terrorists in the Golis Mountains, Somalia, on 26 April 2019. This is the second precision airstrike U.S. Africa Command has executed in coordination with our Somali partners against ISIS-Somalia this month. At this time, it is assessed the airstrike on 26 April killed three (3) terrorists.
8 -9 May 2019: AFRICOM conducts airstrike against al-Shabaab and ISIS
AFRICOM conducted airstrikes against ISIS and al-Shabaab on two consecutive days. U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an ISIS-Somalia encampment in the Golis Mountains, Somalia, on 9 May, 20126 Aprilis time, it is assessed the airstrike on 9 May killed four (4) terrorists. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an ISIS-Somalia encampment in the Golis Mountains, Somalia, on 8 May 2019. At this time, it is assessed that the airstrike on 8 May killed thirteen (13), terrorists.
27 July 2019: AFRICOM conducts airstrike against ISIS in Somalia
U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS terrorists in the Golis Mountain region, Somalia, on 27 July 2019. At this time, it is assessed that the airstrike killed one (1) terrorist
1 August 2019: ISIS terrorist sentenced to death
A military court sentenced a suspected ISIS member, Adan Mohamed Ali (25) to death by firing squad. Adan Ali is accused of killing five people, including civilians and a security official in separate incidents in 2018 and 2019. The attacks took place in the port city of Bosaso, Puntland State and Mogadishu, capital of Somalia.
22 September 2019: Islamic State in Somalia publishes photos detailing new recruits, basic training
Islamic State in Somalia publishes photos showing their makeshift camp, the so-called “Dawoud al Somali” training camp, named after one of its military trainers who was killed. The group claims the photo is of new recruits. The camp is likely located in Bari mountains, south of Bosaso.
4 November 2019: Islamic State swears allegiance to new ISIS leader
The Islamic State in Somalia pledged its allegiance to the new ISIS leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. Abu Ibrahim became the leader of ISIS five days after the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
7 November 2019: 5 ISIS and Al-Shabaab militants executed in northern Somalia
The Somali Puntland regional state executed five men found guilty of being members of ISIS and Al-Shabaab. The militants were blindfolded with their hand-tied to poles behind their back before they were shot dead with a firing squad. The men were between the ages of 19 and 39.
18 February 2020: ISS militants sighted training in Puntland
Fighters allied to the Islamic State in Somalia were sighted undergoing intensive training in Bari hills, northeast of Puntland. Images circulating on social media depicted the militants surrounded by heavily artillery. The fighters trained at Abu Bakri al-Qurayshi and Abu Hassan Al-Muhajir military camps.
26 February 2020: Two dozen al-Shabaab fighters defect to Islamic State in Somalia
Local media reports that more than 30 fighters, five of whom are believed to be foreign fighters, have joined the Islamic State in Somalia. Three of the five foreign fighters are presumably from Yemen while two are from Iraq. The fighters were all sighted at the Any Bake al-Qurayishi training camp located in the mountainous region in Puntland.
28 February 2020: 5 foreigners among dozens of latest to join ISIS affiliate in Somalia
Local media reports that more than 30 fighters, five of whom are believed to be foreign fighters, have joined the Islamic State in Somalia. Three of the five foreign fighters are presumably from Yemen while two are from Iraq. The fighters were all sighted at the Any Bake al-Qurayishi training camp located in the mountainous region in Puntland.
The Puntland Security Forces announced that a security operation in the town of Bosasso led to the arrest of several individuals accused of being part of Al-Shabaab and ISS. The security forces recovered detonators and other weapons at the terrorist’s den.
9 May 2020: Puntland Security Forces (PSF) launched a security check in Bosasso against the ISS
The PSF announced they conducted a security check in Bosasso to flush out elements of the ISS in the area. The operation killed at least one ISS militant and injured another. Additionally, a senior ISS officer was arrested, though no details about the individual were revealed. Explosive material was also recovered at the site of operation.
United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISS in a remote location near Timirshe, in the Puntland regional state. The airstrike killed at least seven militants. BG Miguel Castellanos, AFRICOM’s Deputy Director of Operations, said, “We continue to apply pressure on terrorist groups and assist our Somali partners in disrupting their operations. We continue our support to rid Somalia of the likes of ISIS and Al-Shabaab.”
21 July 2020: Puntland Security Forces launch a ground offensive against ISS, 20 militants killed
On the same day as the AFRICOM airstrike, the Puntland Security Forces (PSF) mounted a ground offensive against the militants in the Cal Miskaat mountain range of Puntland. The gun-battle between the two sides lasted several hours. Local media reports that at least twenty militants were killed while an unspecified number of militants were critically injured. SPF also claimed senior local militant and senior foreign fighters were killed in operation. The foreign fighter has been on the radar of Puntland forces since 2014. SPF recovered two trucks carrying food and explosives
5 August 2020: Islamic State in Somali confirm foreign jihadist killed in airstrike
Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) confirmed a foreign jihadist was killed in an airstrike. The Pakistani national, Khalid Kama aka Abu Osama Al-Muhajir was killed last month in a U.S. airstrike on the Golis mountain. The extremist group eulogised the fighter, noting that he was “committed fighter” who will be remembered, “for his courage and determination.”
5 August 2020: Islamic state glorifies defector from al-Shabaab in its publication
The Islamic State official newsletter, Al Naba, published a two-page profile on Khalid Jama Mohamed Osman alias Abu Osama al-Muhajir, who defected from al-Shabaab to the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS). Osman, who was born in 1992 in Pakistan, was a senior media operative in al-Shabaab since when he joined in 2010. The profile does not give an exact date in which Osman defected to ISS. The magazine stated that Al-Shabaab frequently threatened him after he declared his intent to join ISS. Osman was later killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2020.
13 August 2020: Islamic State claims attack in Mogadishu, 1 soldier killed
The Islamic State in Somalia claimed that it conducted a close-quarter assassination of a soldier in Mogadishu.
27 October 2020: ISIS faction in Somalia takes responsibility for attack in Mogadishu
The Islamic State in Somalia claimed an attack, through their magazine Amaq News, in Somalia’s capital. The group claimed that they conducted an attack that led to one soldier being killed and three others injured. This is their first attack in months.
15 November 2020: 14 suspected Al-Shabaab and Islamic State in Somalia suspects arrested in Somalia
Ethiopian authorities announced they have arrested at least 14 al-Shabaab and Islamic State of Somalia militants. They claim that the militants were planning an attack. They added that the militants were attempt to create discord as the country is going through its own crisis. Led by Abdulabdi Jemal, nicknamed Abdulkadir, who came from Somalia was leading the team receiving orders from Al Shabaab member living in Somalia named Jafar (Kure). He is captured along with six individuals he recruited before undertaking attack in Ethiopia.
Somalia’s regional state of Puntland sentenced three al-Shabaab and Islamic State members to various jail terms. Aden Mohamed Hassan and Abshir Mohamed Candirahman Tooshle were sentenced to death, and Mohamud Shiniyow Ali was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
17 December 2020: Islamic State in Somalia releases video featuring their activities
The Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) released a new video detailing some of its activities in Somalia. The video shows the clashes between ISS and al-Shabaab in Al-Miraale Mountain area in Galgala, Bari region, which led to two al Shabaab fighters’ deaths. The video also shows the death of one of its commanders, who was identified as Da’ud Al Somali Dujana and was a former al-Shabaab member, under the hands of al-Shabaab. Interestingly, the narrator of the video maintained that al-Shabaab is the group’s main adversary.
ISS is isolated to the Golis mountains in the Puntland regional state of Somalia. ISS and al-Shabaab have been fighting for influence and foot soldiers in the regional state.
29 December 2020: Islamic state infighting leads to deaths of three militants in Somalia
According to security sources, Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) is experiencing some infighting. They allege that a deadly clash erupted between two rival groups within ISS in the Puntland State of Somalia. The fighting took place in Al Miskad Mountain and reportedly led to the deaths of three militants.
The infighting results from a power struggle caused by the ailing health of the group’s top leader, Abdulkadir Mumin, who reportedly is ill with unspecified illness.
27 March 2021: Two factions of Islamic State in Somalia clash in Somalia
Two factions of the Islamic State in Somalia clash in the Puntland regional State of Somalia. The two factions clashed in Dhaadaar, Bari region. Six militants are reported to have been killed in the infighting, though it’s unclear which faction suffered the losses.
29 May 2021: Puntland forces kill 20 Islamic State fighters
Puntland security forces reported that at least 20 Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) fighters were killed in a military operation in Bari region. The security forces said that the operation took place in Il-Amayra valley in the Al Miskat mountains. One of the killed is a foreign fighter, identified as Khalid Jama, from Pakistan. Security forces say that the Pakistani national was a senior member of the group. The operation saw the destruction of the Il-Amayra base and the confiscation of weapons.
30 June 2021: Islamic State members killed in operation in Somalia
Puntland forces in northern Somalia claimed to have killed at least two Islamic State of Somalia (ISS) members in an operation. The statement noted that one of the confirmed dead was a cameraman documenting the group’s activities along the Xamure and Bali dhidin roads in Bari region.
10 July 2021: Somalia liberates villages from the Islamic State of Somalia
In operations in northern Somalia, Puntland forces liberated villages from the Islamic State of Somalia (ISS). The force said that Dhabancado, Hul-Anod, and Timirshe village, in Bari region, were liberated. Other Puntland forces were deployed to Calmiskaad and Galgala as reinforcement in an upcoming operation in the area.
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22 July 2021: Islamic State in Somalia shows rare pictures of operations
The Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) published rare glimpse of life under their rule through its affiliated social media pages. The photos showed the militants celebrating Eid in Puntland state, where the group primarily operates from.
Unsurprisingly, the photos come as Puntland Security Forces (SPF) conduct operations in the Bari region, targeting their bases and hideouts. The operations have led to the deaths of some of its fighters, including foreign fighters.
Puntland’s Ministry of Interior issued a statement condemning the killing of Ballidhidin District Commissioner Mohamed Ahmed Muumin after an ambush by the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) in the Bari region. The Minister of Interior, Mohamed Dhabancad, sent condolences to the family of the DC.
23 August 2021: Islamic State of Somalia member sentenced to 15 years in jail
Abdirizak Mohamed Abdi Jamale, a member of the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), was sentenced by a military court to 15 years in jail for his role as a money mover. The prosecution asserted that Abdirizak had provided ISS $ 400 000 between 2019 and 2020. The money came from various sources, including Ugandan and Ethiopian nationals living in South Africa. Abdirizak, who was arrested in March 2021 with $19 000, which he could not explain the intended purpose of all that money, was formerly an Al-Shabaab member but defected to ISS.
30 August 2021: Kenyan man sentenced to ten years for joining Islamic State in Somalia
A military court in Mogadishu sentenced a Kenyan national to ten years in jail for being a member of the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS). Abdisamad Ibrahim Omar travelled to Garissa, northeastern Kenya, to Somalia in 2016. The prosecution said that Omar partook in terrorist operations against the Puntland regional forces. He served as part of the video recording unit that records their attacks on security forces, training videos and other meetings. He was arrested in Mogadishu.
16 November 2021: Somalia asks Iraq, Kurdistan to expatriate Somalis ISIS fighters, brides
The Federal government of Somalia has asked the Iraqi and Kurdistan governments to expatriate 33 Somalis who fought with the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS), ISIS brides and their children. Somali acting Ambassador to Syria, Farhan Gurhan, met with Kurdish officials who agreed to allow the Somali official to make a welfare check of the Somalis in jail. Acting Ambassador Gurhan will only meet with the wives and children of ISIS fighters. Many of the Somalis in jail renounced their European passports when they went to fight for the caliphate. Following the dismantling of the caliphate, the Somalis have been left stateless.
Islamic State (IS) In Somalia (ISS)
Section 1400: Terrorism Links: Groups & Individuals
Islamic State In Somalia (ISS): A Timeline of Atrocities
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