War on terrorism gaining ground, al Shabaab is losing battle
Recently, the media has been reporting of terror attacks on Kenyan soil linking them to al Shabaab, almost portraying a defeatist position on the side of security agencies.
The media is awash with stories of attacks and loss of personnel and equipment.
However, noticeably missing are the stories of the numerous planned terror attacks that our security agencies have thwarted.
This may possibly be because, unlike the al Shabaab that capitalises on every opportunity to publicise its attacks, whether big or small, our security agencies do not generally blow the horn of their accomplishments, leaving many, including in the media, ignorant about them.
It is undeniable that there have been unfortunate attacks on civilians and security apparatus, but there have also been great strides made against terrorism in the country and the region.
Indeed, in honest analysis of terrorism, we must also look at both sides of the coin, objectively.
The country’s achievement towards the war on terror cannot be gainsaid and the government has just taken the war on terror a notch higher.
On June 15, 2023, the Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki stated that the government was in the process of acquiring state of art weapons and modern equipment to strengthen the security agencies capability in combating terrorism.
He highlighted that the government had allocated Sh20 billion to modernize weaponry and equipment used by security apparatus.
The modernised weaponry comprises armoured personnel carriers, drones and equipment aimed at reducing losses by the security agents.
Once acquired, the weapons will be able to detect the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and neutralise them.
This is a step in the right direction given that the government is investing heavily in modern technology to complement the weaponry capabilities.CS Kindiki has also visited security agencies in the operations and all is good from the ground.
On the Somali front, al Shabaab has continued to suffer major fatalities from Africa Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) regional forces and the Somali National Army (SNA) the most recent being a loss of 43 al Shabaab fighters and their two key leaders.
The militias were struck as they gathered to plan an attack against Somali government soldiers.
These and more losses are the main motivators for the group to recruit more fighters to join its ranks to shore up its numbers.
Insider accounts have intimated that the group is also exaggerating the number of new recruits joined, in an attempt to make itself more attractive to would-be recruits and to portray itself as a formidable force, a tactic known in military warfare.
Such attacks are expected to intensify with the appointment of Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow as the new commander of the Somali National Army.
Gen Ibrahim is known for his wide experience in military combat as he previously held various military positions including the commander of the presidential Guard Brigade.
Terrorism space in Somalia is undoubtedly shrinking and the gang is trying to portray its resilience through propaganda materials but deep inside they know they are weak and cowards.
The terrorist group keeps losing its insurgents in droves every day, hence its spirited attempts at recruiting new hapless teenagers, especially from foreign lands, into its death squads.
The Somali National Army (SNA) backed by the ATMIS has successfully mounted an onslaught against the militia group, which according to reports has established the group and sent them panicking and trying to line up attacks to prove its mettle.
Apparently, the random IED attacks targeting security personnel and the dispersed ambushes are desperate attempts by the militia to show that it still has some fight left.
This is necessary to maintain the trust of its financiers and logisticians whose help the leaders need to be able to meet their objectives.
This desperation has led to some terrible moves on the part of the militia, with some of its attacks going against the very philosophy it has been portraying itself as having al Shabaab attacks have killed countless of innocent men, women and children both in and outside Somalia, as the leadership orders for assaults to prove itself.
The group has found itself having to apologize for some of its atrocities, which have left it falling out of favour with communities it claimed to be protecting.
One such example was a Mogadishu car bombing, in 2017 that killed more than 500 innocent Muslim civilians and injured hundreds more including hundreds of women and children going about their daily activities.
The group was described as merciless and brutal, with many saying they had lost everything and needed to unite against them.
Following the barrage of criticism and condemnation, the militant group’s leadership issued halfhearted apologies, termed the incident unfortunate and sought reparations from clan leaders.
It then went into a lull of attacks, before eventually rearing its ugly head in another series of deadly attacks, once the people had been assuaged.
The group, which is highly disjointed, has lost control over areas they had earlier occupied and has been pushed to a small town, Jilib.
The SNA has managed to disorient al – Shabaab’s attack capabilities, scoring multiple victories and inflicting massive casualties on the militias.
As a result, many militants are looking for escape routes to run away from the hostilities on the battlefield.
The Somali army, working closely with the local community has also managed to curtail some of the enemy’s sources of fund such as through extortion of money from a hapless public in the name of Zakat, the only source that had remained after the government froze funds and shut down accounts suspected of having links to the group.
In their cowardly move, the terrorists’ only remaining tactic is to force foreigners in its formation to blow themselves in front of buildings with the hope of causing destruction and death.
Source » dwthe-star
