ISIS Resurging as Growing Threat in Somalia, US Warns

The United States is sharpening its counterterrorism efforts in Somalia as concerns grow over the resurgence of the ISIS terror group in the Horn of Africa region, VOA reported yesterday.

U.S. officials warn that IS’s regional affiliate, known as IS-Somalia, has evolved from a key part of the group’s global financial network to now potentially hosting the terror organization’s top leader. “They did bring the caliph to that region,” a senior U.S. defense official stated, speaking anonymously.

The assessment follows reports that the IS emir, Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurashi, has traveled from the Middle East to Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region. Somali security officials also confirm that IS-Somalia has grown stronger, bolstered by an influx of fighters and operatives from Yemen.

In a sign of the heightened U.S. focus, an American airstrike late last month targeted IS-Somalia’s leader, Abdulqadir Mumin, though it remains unclear if he was among the three militants killed. The strike occurred near the city of Bosaso.

However, some counterterrorism experts express skepticism about reports that the IS caliph has traveled to Somalia, noting the group’s preference for leaders claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Analysts also question the logistics of such a risky journey and IS-Somalia’s ability to provide the necessary infrastructure.

Nonetheless, officials say the small but resilient IS affiliate has become a “linchpin” in the group’s global logistics network, with its financial hub, known as al-Karrar, funneling funds to IS operations across Africa.