Al-Shabaab Storms Military Base, Kills 27

Al-Shabaab fighters killed 27 Somali soldiers after they stormed a military base in Southern Somalia on Monday. Al-Shabaab spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab claimed that the terror group took control of the base after the remaining soldiers fled into the jungle. The base is located in the village of Baar Sanguni, about 30 miles away from the port city Kismayo.

The attack began when a vehicle full of explosives rammed into a checkpoint at the base. Following the attack, gunmen engaged Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers for over an hour. No official statement from Somalia’s military has been released, but a commander from a nearby base claimed that the soldiers repelled the attackers. He didn’t reveal the number of soldiers killed, but said it was probably more than 10.

The Somali government has received international assistance since 2006, when al-Shabaab captured Mogadishu. Since then, the government has struggled to stabilize the country. Al-Shabaab has regrouped to conduct deadly attacks and undermine the SNA, including last month’s attack in Jamaame in Southern Somalia that killed one U.S. soldier and wounded four others.

In addition to over 20,000 African Union troops, there are over 500 U.S. Special Forces personnel in Somalia in advisory and assistance roles, but according to a New York Times report, the Pentagon seeks to reduce the number of special operations forces in Africa in order to focus on threats emanating from China and Russia.

With international backing, the SNA has made recent gains against al-Shabaab. Over the weekend, the military disrupted al-Shabaab networks in a few locations in the Lower Shabelle region, which is near Kismayo. The SNA captured an unspecified number of fighters and destroyed bomb-making equipment. A senior al-Shabaab commander was also killed last Thursday in an SNA counterterror operation.

Despite being driven from its last stronghold in Kismayo in 2012, al-Shabaab has continued conducting attacks throughout Somalia and in neighboring Kenya. The group concentrated its power in the South around its de facto capital Jilib by aligning with key clan leaders of nearby villages. Al-Shabaab also maintains popularity among locals because it provides public works projects that the government is unable to manage.

This latest attack comes just days after an attack on the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu. Citing security concerns, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo reportedly relocated his office to a military base last week after returning from abroad. The move will only be temporary until the SNA can reassess the President’s security needs.

African Union forces have planned a withdrawal by 2020, but it is doubtful Somalia’s government will be able to function effectively enough to maintain security in the country within this time period. The latest attack on the SNA’s Baar Sanguni base demonstrates the weakness of Somalia’s military despite more than 10 years of international assistance and training missions.