Image: August 31, 2015 photo of an al Shabaab brigade tweeted from an Islamic State affiliated Twitter account. Tweet describes the photo as Mujahideen of East Africa.Al Shabaab (Arabic for “the youth”), an Islamic militant group that seeks to create an Islamic state in Somalia, formed in 2004 as the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a network of Islamist militant tribes that controlled southern and central Somalia. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s transitional governments and its Ethiopian supporters since the ICU lost power in December 2006. Fighting between Al Shabaab and Somali government forces have flared since May 2009.Targets: Inside and Outside SomaliaAlthough the group primarily targets Somali governmental officials and Ethiopian military forces, it has also conducted attacks against African Union Mission forces and international peacekeepers inside Somalia. Since the U.S. designated Al Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization in…
al Shabaab

Associated Groups
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al Qaeda Central Command (AQC)
ALLY; al Qaeda Central Command (AQC) is also known as Al-Qaida, Qa‘idat al-Jihad, The Base, al Qaeda. -
Hezbollah
ALLY (SUSPECTED); Hezbollah is also known as Islamic Jihad, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Party of God, Revolutionary Justice Organization, The Islamic Resistance, Hizballah, Hezbollah Palestine, Hizballah Palestine, Munazzamat al-Mustadafin fi'l-Ard, Hizbollah, Al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah , Organization of the Oppressed, Organization of Right Against Wrong, Followers of the Prophet Muhammed. -
Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki aka Omar Shafik Hammami (al Shabaab) -- INDIVIDUAL PROFILE
FACTION (COMPETING); Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki aka Omar Shafik Hammami (al Shabaab) -- INDIVIDUAL PROFILE is also known as The American, Omar Shafik Hammami. -
Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ)
ENEMY; Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) is also known as Ahl-es-Sunna-wa-l-Jam'a, Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah .
Associated Articles
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Al Qaeda Central Command (AQC) Strives a Come Back in the Global Jihadi World
Islamic State Video Saleel as-Sawarim 4: Islamic State Release before Takeover of Mosul in June 2014IntroductionEver since the Islamic State of Iraq and ash Sham / Islamic State (Islamic... -
Kenya: Implications of al Shabaab's attack on Westgate Mall
Threat of Radicalization to AfricaOctober 2013 The Nairobi Westgate Mall incident is not only an indication of the threat of radicalization to Africa, but also a struggle with the challenge of... -
Detailed Assessment of Al Shabaab's attacks on Makkah Al-Mukarama and Jazeera Hotels 2013-2014
Between 08 November 2013 and 01 January 2014, al Shabaab (al-Shebaab al-Muheddin) attacked both the Maka hotel and the Jazeera hotel located in Mogadishu, Somalia using vehicles carrying bombs.... -
Islamic State (ISIS) : The Islamic Caliphate, An Invisible Shura and A New Slate for Jihadist
The Prediction of the Caliphate Comes to PassThe Islamic State (IS) successes in Iraq coupled with the announcement of the return of the Islamic Caliphate, on 29 June 2014, emphasised a schism in the...
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Groups and individuals included in TRAC's database range from actual perpetrators of social or political violence to more passive groups that support or condone (perhaps unwittingly) such violence. The spectrum of violence represented by these groups is vast, from Jihadists who bomb train stations to financial institutions that transfer funds. Some groups that originally engaged in violence but have since become legitimate political parties are included to provide historical perspective. TRAC is in no way attempting to determine whether groups or individuals are terrorists -- only to convey reported information about their activities and official State status. While TRAC attempts to ensure the accuracy of its TRAC database, the entries in the database are from numerous different sources. Hence, TRAC cannot and does not warrant the accuracy of the entries in its database. The editors of TRAC may modify these entries at any time and welcome comments and suggested corrections or additions. Please write [email protected] or hit the "SUBMIT ADDITIONS" button on the page of the group profile about which you wish to comment.