Daesh Trying to Set Up Base in Somalia

Local Editor

Kenyan security agencies had stepped up vigilance following reports that Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] militants were trying to set up base in Somalia.

A senior security official said the militants had been crossing from Yemen and were training in readiness for mass attacks.

The source said the militants had also been receiving arsenal and financial support.

"The weapons' shipment was delivered to the group from Mukallah City in Hadhramaut [Yemen]. They also include uniforms, weapons and trainers," said the official who asked not to be named.

On Tuesday, Somali commandos overran a Daesh training base in Janale, in Middle Shabelle region and destroyed it. A number of foreign militants who were there were killed.

According to the Somali media reports, many pro-Daesh trainees in the camp were killed. The commandos are still hunting down their trainers and leaders believed to be within the vicinity.

Daesh in Somalia is an off-shoot of al-Shabab. Some al-Shabab militants led by Sheikh Muumin decamped recently to create a small pro-Daesh group in Somalia.

The defections had created greater enmity between the two factions.

Two weeks ago, Daesh claimed to have carried out its first attack in Somalia on a Africa Union military convoy in the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Since last year, Daesh has been wooing al-Shabab's leadership to cut ties with al-Qaeda.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team