Tuesday December 5, 2023
FILE PHOTO
Mogadishu (HOL) - A suspected U.S. drone strike on Sunday evening targeted a residential area in Jilib, Middle Jubba, amid escalating tensions within Al-Shabaab's ranks. Sources reported hearing two major explosions in an area which serves as a hub for Al-Shabaab leaders.
The casualties from this strike remain undisclosed, though reports point to losses within Al-Shabaab.
Neither the Somali government nor the United States have issued statements. However, Al-Shabaab alleges a U.S. drone hit a civilian home, injuring two individuals, including an 11-year-old girl.
Under the leadership of Ahmed Diriye, Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, Al-Shabaab has controlled territories, levied taxes, and operated from Jilib as their command center for the past decade. Diriye took over after the death of his predecessor, Godane, in a U.S. airstrike. His tenure has seen significant challenges, notably from Mahad Warsame (Karate), leading to violent confrontations within the group.
The internal strife within Al-Shabaab has been intensifying, particularly since the onset of the Somali government's counter-insurgency campaign in late August 2022. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded 13 internal clashes within Al-Shabaab since late December 2022, resulting in at least 80 fatalities by November 2023. These clashes, mainly in traditional strongholds like Jilib, indicate a growing discord over the group's response strategies to government operations.
More recently, there was a surge in inter-Shabaab conflicts in October 2023 in Jilib, during which ACLED records three armed clashes.