Al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab is the largest, best-financed al-Qaeda affiliate globally, with an estimated 7,000-12,000 fighters and control over large swaths of south-central Somalia. - Al-Qaeda affiliate controlling substantial territory in southern Somalia

Since 2007, the United States has conducted hundreds of airstrikes and special operations raids against al-Shabaab in Somalia—more than in any other country outside of declared war zones. On February 16, 2026, Jubaland regional forces and American troops completed a four-day operation in the Badhadhe District, killing more than 60 al-Shabaab fighters and destroying militant camps, communication centers, and depots containing over 100 different types of explosives.

Updated Feb 16

Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group waging insurgency in Somalia since 2006 - Threatened to attack any Israeli presence in Somaliland

On December 26, 2025, Israel became the first UN member state to recognize Somaliland as independent—34 years after the region broke from Somalia during a brutal civil war. Prime Minister Netanyahu called President Abdullahi to announce full diplomatic ties, framing the move as aligned with the Abraham Accords and citing Somaliland's fight against terrorism. Within days, the diplomatic shockwave intensified: Somalia's parliament unanimously declared the recognition 'null and void,' the UN Security Council convened an emergency session, and 21 Muslim-majority nations issued a joint condemnation—though Abraham Accords signatories conspicuously abstained. By early January 2026, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar became the first Israeli cabinet minister to visit Somaliland, meeting President Abdullahi in Hargeisa on January 6 and announcing plans to 'soon' open embassies and appoint ambassadors. The African Union Peace and Security Council responded with an emergency ministerial session demanding 'immediate revocation,' declaring the recognition 'null, void, and without legal effect under international law.'

Updated Jan 30