Apart from Al Qaeda from Afghanistan, Al Shabaab are the only terror group to have claimed responsibility of heinous attacks in Kenya.
And since 2011, Kenyan soldiers based in Somalia have been at war with the coward killers.
Here are some crucial facts you need to know about Al Shaabab
- Al Shaabab is also known as Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. It main operates in East Africa with its base in Somalia.
- The jihadist fundamentalist militia group operates in Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Tanzania and Mozambique.
- In 2012, the group also announced allegiance with Al Qaeda. But later had unresolved issues after leaders had indifferences.
- The group founded in 2006 had HQs in Kismayo and Barawa all based in Somalia.
- Estimated to be around 9,000 in numbers led by Leaders: Ahmad Umar (6 September 2014 – present), Ahmed Abdi Godane (December 2007 – September 2014). Most of them are Afghanistan- and Iraq-trained ethnic Somalis and foreigners
- Al Shaabab can be translated to loose meaning of Youth Movement” or “Movement of Striving Youth
- They obtain their money and funding through imposing duties and levies on local produce and imports disguised as ‘tax’. In 2011 a UN report indicated that they made close to Ksh. 7 Billions
- US has already classified Al Shabaab and Al Qaeda as a threat to global peace.
- They spread their propaganda through their own Radio Andalus and other seized stations such as BBC in Somalia.
- They are also known to operate Twitter and Facebook accounts through which they use to spread their messages of fear and terror threats
