Islamists seize town in Somalia

27.10.2016
Somalia

A group associated with ISIS has taken control over the port town of Qandala.

Mosul in miniature?

The situation is reminiscent of the ISIS terrorists’ capture of Iraqi Mosul. Police, military, and part of the inhabitants fled the town in a hurry without putting up any resistance.

Before taking Qandala, the terrorists seized two villages nearby.

The town is located in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, where there are not any international peace-keeping forces enforcing security.

When the terrorists entered the city, they announced the imposition of Sharia law and cut off all communication with the outside world.

The militants’ strategy suggests that they are guided by the methods and tactics of the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

Two hostile factions

Although ISIS is a recognized danger and major terrorist organization, it is Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, that usually operates in Somalia.

The local ISIS is composed of members of the organization, but their number in Somalia until now was considered small.

The ISIS group in Somalia is presumably headed by Abdiqadir Mumin, a former commander of Al-Shabaab.

Related links
Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends of 2015 and Forecasts for 2016
Somalia
ISIS
terrorism
Al-Shabaab