Somalia: al Shabaab, want to change alliance, from Al Qaeda to ISIS

Telegram from Somalia
Africa ExPress Stringer
Mogadishu, 10 July 2015

Latest reports said that al Shabaab high commanders and officers held a meeting in the last two days, as referred residents of Jilib town, some 340 km south of the capital Mogadishu. The meeting were going on more than 20 hours, discussing the latest situation on the ground and a new idea to leave the side of Al Qaeda and joining ISIS. Although some reports saying that the Chief of al shabaab, Abu Ubeyda, is refusing to join ISIS, but still the discussion is going on and waiting the outcome, as some close sources said.

Reports from southern and south western Somalia reaching here to Mogadishu are indicating that al Shabaab militia and its highest officers are moving and leaving from outside the bases they are controlling, residents of Gedo region said today, after having contacted by phone from Mogadishu.

According to the report, the Somali government and AMISOM forces stationed these regions are beginning the heaviest attacks to sweep the al-Shabaab militia from all regions of southern Somalia.

“The joint forces are moving to different directions toward Bardhere town”, said a resident of Lugh town.

The joint forces of AMISOM and Somali militaries are expecting moving from El Wak town, located at the border between Somalia and Kenya toward Bardhere, aiming to sweep all al Shabaab militia from the town, which was the strongest base of al Shabaab since the last decade.

Some other reports explaining the joint AMISOM and Somali forces are expecting moving from Dolow town ofon Gedo region, located on the border between Somalia and Ethiopia.

An eyewitnesses of Lugh town in the Gedo region, some 480 km from south west of the capital, Mogadishu, and said, the force moving toward Bardhere town were well equipped and having the AMISOM sign and these forces were passed outside the town.

Meanwhie, Bardhere residents said that people are fleeing from inside the town and are going outside area to different directions, including children, women, as well as the weak members of the society.

Also, al Shabaab militia begun evacuating from the stations and camps they were sheltering inside the town, and taken most of the weapons and army they using, for the fearing of AMISOM incursion, and what they explain latest tactics to abort attack.

Africa ExPress Mogadishu Stringer