September 25, 2018 | Morning Headlines

A total of 35 al-Shabab militants were killed and several others injured after an exchange of fire between Somali national army, backed by African Union forces, and the militants in Qoryoley, a town in lower Shabelle region, in southern Somalia, officials said on Monday. One Somali soldier was killed and two others injured during heavy fighting with the militants overnight, Qoryoley Deputy Governor Abdi Ahmed Ali told reporters.

“Our forces killed 35 al-Shabab militants and injured several others after defeating the enemy who attacked the town,” Ali said. “We have collected their bodies to bury now.” “We had prior intelligence that the terrorists are going to attack us and this caused more casualties on the enemy side,” the governor said. Al-Shabab has not yet commented on Ali’s statement on the latest government victory over the militants. The group, however, claimed to have carried out mortar attacks on bases of the Somali national army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) near Barawo, a town in the same region.

Key Headlines

• AU, Somali Forces Kill 35 Al-Shabaab Militants (xinhuanet.com)
• TV: Somali Parliament Debates Recent Killings In Mogadishu (Somali Cable TV)
• Galmudug President Haaf And Vice President Clash Over Farmaajo Arbitration Offer (radiodalsan.com)
• MPs Condemn Gruesome Killing Of Bantu Man, Demand Justice (Goobjoog News)
• Puntland Presidential Guard Killed In Bosaso Shooting (garoweonline.com)
• Shabaab Attackers Flee With Gunshot Wounds (nation.co.ke)
• Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story; Recalls The Soldiers The Movies Overlooked (tasksandpurpose)

NATIONAL NEWS

TV: Somali Parliament Debates Recent Killings In Mogadishu

24 September 17:17:07 – Source : Somali Cable TV – 131 Words

Business in the Lower House was today overshadowed by recent horrible killings in the capital city of Mogadishu and in particular the burning of a man over his nephew’s marriage to a girl from a different tribe. Amina Abdi, the Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs briefed parliament on the brutal killing of Ahmed Salah in Yaqshid district, Mogadishu.

Ahmed Nur Shambarale, who is related to the victim, reacted angrily to the murder and called on the government to bring to book the killers. He decried the constant discrimination his people were subjected to because of their tribal affiliation. On the other hand Abdi Shire suggested the government should sponsor a national wedding for the couple, whose uncle was burnt to death.

---

Galmudug President Haaf And Vice President Clash Over Farmaajo Arbitration Offer

24 September – Source : radiodalsan.com – 187 Words

The political tension in Somalia’s Galmudug state has gone a notch higher after the region’s top leaders publicly clashed over whether or not to accept President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo’s offer to arbitrate the ongoing political crisis in the state. On Sunday, Galmudug President Ahmed Duale Gelle Haaf turned down Farmaajo’s offer saying the Head of State should stop meddling in the affairs of Galmudug state.

Haaf accused Villa Somalia of being behind clan based armed conflict in the region adding that Galmudug did not need the services of Farmaajo to resolve the region’s problems. “The problems in Galmudug, whether security or political, are brewed at Villa Somalia,” he said. But Vice President, Mohamed Hashi, differed with his boss. He promised to attend Farmaajo’s meeting on Monday as had planned. “I am ready to go to Mogadishu and I am ready for the mediation” Hashi said in a statement. He accused Haaf of “poor leadership” of Galmudug. However, reports on Monday indicated that Villa Somalia postponed the meeting.

---

MPs Condemn Gruesome Killing Of Bantu Man, Demand Justice

24 September – Source : Goobjoog News – 302 Words

Members of Parliament have called for speedy investigations and prosecution of those behind the gory killing of a man whose nephew’s marriage was disputed by the bride’s family on grounds of ‘not belonging to the right clan’. In a heated debate in the Lower House today, legislators expressed shock over the circumstances which led to the killing of Ahmed Muktar Salah who is from a minority community in the country. “We call upon all the criminal justice agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the killing,” Mohamed Dhalha said. “Parliament must follow this case and ensure the law is followed.”

Another MP, Nur Iftin lamented at what he termed as discrimination against people from Bantu communities in the country. He added that while Bantu people married people from other communities across the world, they were being discriminated against in Somalia: “We are being killed, raped and hijacked. We are brothers and sisters,” said Iftin. “Our Bantu men in the US marry white women but our Somali brothers kill us and don’t want us to marry their daughters,” lamented Iftin.

The deceased was stabbed and his body burnt in a bizarre incident on Thursday. Relatives of the deceased and witnesses said the bride’s family demanded that Salah, who is the uncle of the groom, bring back their daughter who is said to have secretly been married off. It is then that the groom’s uncle was stabbed to death. Hundreds of Mogadishu residents attended Salah’s burial over the weekend amid calls for justice. Contributing to the debate in parliament, Abdinasir Muse called on fellow legislators to join hands in raising funds for the deceased’s family.

---

Puntland Presidential Guard Killed In Bosaso Shooting

24 September – Source : garoweonline.com – 217 Words

A witness has said assailants killed a member of the Puntland Presidential Guard Unit and injured another in a shooting in the commercial city of Bosaso on Monday amid deteriorating security in the area. The two soldiers came under a surprise attack by two pistol-wielding men at a shopping mall near the headquarters of Bosaso local government. The killers escaped from the scene on foot before arrival of the police.

According to the reports, the President of Puntland, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was on a working tour at the time of the gun attack on the presidencial guards. The soldier who was killed in Monday’s assault has been identified as Mr. Ahmed Hurfe. The President was immediately evacuated from the scene to a safe place following the incident.

No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting but, police pointed an accusing finger at Al-Shabaab and an ISIL-affiliate militant faction, which often carries out attacks on state security forces. Authorities said security forces have detained several suspects in connection with the attack. The suspects were subsequently taken to police custody for questioning. The shooting comes amid worsening security situation in the region, due to weak government policies in countering terrorism and lack of regular salary payments to the security forces.

---

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Shabaab Attackers Flee With Gunshot Wounds

24 September – Source : nation.co.ke – 233 Words

A hunt for suspected Al-Shabaab militants who fled with gunshot wounds has been intensified in Taksile and Pandanguo, Lamu County, shortly after 10 other militants were killed during an ambush on their hideout by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers on Monday morning. During the 6.45am ambush, KDF officers were able to recover seven AK-47 rifles and assorted ammunition.

Security sources who talked to the Nation on condition of anonymity since they are not authorised to speak to the media said they expect the Al-Shabaab death toll to rise since several others fled with multiple injuries. Emerging details on the attack also reveal that the killings were conducted by KDF officers who were forced to patrol on foot due to bad weather in the area currently.

Since Sunday, it has been raining heavily in the area and it is generally cloudy, a situation that forced the soldiers to conduct the patrols on foot instead of using choppers. The attack was launched deep inside Boni Forest at Taksile which is about 25 kilometres from Pandanguo village in Lamu West. “We were patrolling on foot and we spotted them deep inside the forest at a place called Taksile. We decided to attack them and an exchange of fire ensued for about half an hour. We managed to kill 10 of them while three of my colleagues were injured,” said an officer.

---

OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE

“”A retired lieutenant colonel and former Fort Drum soldier, Mr. Pearsall served in Somalia for several months, working at the Quick Reaction Force under Col. Lawrence E. Casper as the liaison to the aviation brigade.””

Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story; Recalls The Soldiers The Movies Overlooked

24 September – Source : tasksandpurpose – 526 Words

A fierce battle involving Fort Drum soldiers in Somalia began on Oct. 3, 1993, with a radio transmission — “black hawk down.” The majority of Americans learned about how U.S. and United Nations forces came to the rescue of 99 ambushed U.S. Army Rangers trapped in the streets of Mogadishu through a Hollywood movie and book of the same name. But filmmaker and retired Air Force Col. Randall Larsen says the soldiers from Fort Drum, who fought valiantly in a two-day battle in and above the streets of Mogadishu, never got the credit they deserved.

He’s directed and produced a new documentary that depicts the role 341 10th Mountain Division soldiers — from the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Infantry — played in saving the Rangers during the intense fighting on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, 1993. “It’s truly the untold story …” Col. Larsen said. “It was an incredible story.”By the time it ended on Oct. 4, 18 soldiers were killed and 80 wounded, but the U.S. forces fought their way into Mogadishu to get the members of the Army’s premier infantry unit out, despite heavy gunfire. Two Fort Drum soldiers died during the rescue mission, then the bloodiest firefight since the Vietnam War.

Yet the 10th Mountain Division’s involvement is largely overlooked, even with the popular 2001 Ridley Scott “Black Hawk Down” film and the 1999 book by journalist Mark Bowden. The new documentary, “Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story,” will make its debut during four showings at Fort Drum and Jefferson Community College on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. The Oct. 4 showings at Fort Drum will come on the 25th anniversary of the battle’s second day in 1993.

The retired colonel doesn’t fault director Ridley Scott and his film for failing to tell the 2-14’s involvement in the battle. The film mentions Fort Drum but used composite characters to tell Hollywood’s version of the story. “I’m not saying anything bad about Ridley Scott,” the colonel said. “It was entertainment.” He also doesn’t have any problems with Mr. Bowden’s book, which delved into the Fort Drum connection more.

He does have issues with an episode of History Channel’s series “The Real Story of,” which supposedly told the true story behind the film. “But it never mentioned the 10th Mountain Division a single time,” Col. Larsen said. His documentary is devoted to the story of soldiers of the 2-14. All the U.S. forces who fought in the Mogadishu streets were heroes, the colonel insisted.

They jumped into armored vehicles, Humvees and troop-transported trucks and drove off into the dark Somalian night into what was considered a do-or-die mission to save the lives of the Rangers who were surrounded by more than 1,000 well-armed hostile forces. A year before, U.S. soldiers were deployed to Somalia to support a United Nations humanitarian mission to help with a devastating famine.

---