Horn of Africa Security Brief
- Unidentified assailants detonated three explosive devices, believed to be grenades, in Eastleigh, a predominately Somali neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya, on March 31. The explosives were thrown into a crowded market area, killing six people and injuring as many as 25 more. In response, Kenyan police conducted search operations throughout Eastleigh, arresting 657 suspects. Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Kenyan officials traditionally blame al Shabaab for such violence.[6]
- Somali special forces conducted a security operation in Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region on March 31. The special forces captured two suspected al Shabaab senior commanders during the operation. Although the identities of the suspects remain unknown, Somali Deputy Security Minister Ibrahim Isak Yarow indicated that one of the suspects is believed to have helped coordinate the September 2009 suicide bombing of an AMISOM base in Mogadishu. Yarow reported that the other suspect is believed to have served as a trainer for the Amniyad Brigade, al Shabaab’s intelligence component.[7]
- Officials from the Puntland and Galmudug police forces announced the creation of a unified security force in Galkayo in Mudug region on March 31. Puntland police commissioner Abdullahi Shire indicated that the new security force is designed to counter the threat posed by al Shabaab militants who are driven out of southern Somalia by the ongoing AMISOM and SNA offensive.[8]
- Al Shabaab militants attacked an Ethiopian AMISOM and Somali National Army (SNA) convoy near Tiyeglow in Bakool region on March 31. Reports indicate that the ensuing confrontation lasted for a few hours and left several injured on both sides, including approximately six al Shabaab militants.[9]
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