This archive report was first published on 24 October 2021.
Published on October 24, 2021, American analysts estimate that Al Shabab, a militant group in Somalia, has a formidable force of anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 fighters. Under the leadership of bomb maker Mohamed, their bombs have grown more sophisticated and powerful.
The group's control of the Mogadishu port allows them to smuggle in large volumes of explosive materials and Chinese-made trigger devices, according to two U.S. officials. In October 2020, Somali authorities intercepted 79 tons of sulfuric acid, a key ingredient in roadside bombs.
Just last January, a bomb struck an armored convoy carrying American-trained Danab commandos, who were traveling towards Baledogle, a base 70 miles from Mogadishu. The blast badly wounded the Danab commander, Maj. Ahmed Abdullahi, who was airlifted to Turkey, and killed a South African employee of Bancroft Global Development, an American contractor that recruits and trains Danab fighters.
Stephen Potgieter, the South African employee, was the seventh Bancroft employee to die in Somalia since 2009, according to Michael Stock, the company's chief executive. Mohamed's growing reputation for chaos and bloodshed has made him a highly respected leader inside Shabab ranks, according to Somali and Western officials.
Despite being pursued by those seeking to capture him, Mohamed remains an elusive figure, always out of reach.
Deadly Misfires ¶
Similar to the campaign in Afghanistan, America's campaign in Somalia has been undermined by its own deadly misfires. In February 2020, an American missile struck a farmhouse near Jilib, southern Somalia, killing a 17-year-old schoolgirl named Nurto Kusow Omar, who was mistakenly identified as a terrorist.
