al-shabab

Somali government forces evacuate an injured colleague from the scene of an explosion at Kilometer 4 street in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Oct. 14, 2017.

A big truck bomb strikes outside a hotel in Somalia's capital

A truck bomb exploded outside a hotel at a busy junction in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Saturday, causing widespread devastation that left at least 20 dead, with the toll likely to rise.

A big truck bomb strikes outside a hotel in Somalia's capital
A Somali soldier patrols a street following a suicide car bomb and gun attack.

The death of a Navy SEAL reveals US mission creep in Somalia

The death of a Navy SEAL reveals US mission creep in Somalia
An internally displaced woman from drought-hit area at a makeshift settlement area in Dolow, Somalia, April 4, 2017.

Somalis walk for days searching for food and water while al-Shabab blocks aid

Somalis walk for days searching for food and water while al-Shabab blocks aid
A woman holding a rose prays during a Nairobi memorial vigil following an attack by gunmen at Kenya's Garissa University College.

Targeting the militants of al-Shabab with airstrikes is easier said than done

Targeting the militants of al-Shabab with airstrikes is easier said than done
A Kenyan security officer searches a boy for weapons before an Easter Sunday service at a Catholic church in Garissa, Kenya, on April 5, 2015. Somali Kenyans fear a crackdown following a massacre at the Garissa Univeristy by Somali militants.

Somalis in Kenya brace for a backlash

Somalis in Kenya brace for a backlash
A Kenya Defense Force soldier runs for cover during al-Shabab's attack on a university compound in Garissa on April 2, 2015.

Al-Shabab are masters of terror — and masters of the media

Extremists behind the siege at a university in Kenya boast a "pioneering" media strategy that has paved the way for other media-savvy terrorists like ISIS. But it's still a chilling experience to get a call from al-Shabad amid a terror attack.

Al-Shabab are masters of terror — and masters of the media
Abdirizak Bihi, who directs the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center in Minnesota, testifies at a congressional hearing on radicalization in Washington. Bihi's nephew left Minnesota to fight with al-Shabab in 2008.

In Minnesota, ISIS may be building on the recruiting networks once used by other terror groups

This Somali American was devastated when his teenage nephew traveled from Minneapolis to Mogadishu to join the extremists of al-Shabab. Now ISIS seems to be using the same recruiting networks to lure American teens to Syria and Iraq.

In Minnesota, ISIS may be building on the recruiting networks once used by other terror groups
Mohammed Ahamed waits at a money-transfer business in Minneapolis to send money to his ex-wife in Somalia. About 40 percent of all Somali families rely on remittances from another country.

Somali Americans fight to save their lifeline of cash for relatives back home

It’s getting more complicated to send money to Somalia, and that's a big deal in places like Minnesota where some Somali Americans have been wiring cash home for decades. Somali immigrants say the move is cutting off a vital lifeline — and may actually harm the fight against terror.

Somali Americans fight to save their lifeline of cash for relatives back home
Investigators suspect this Westgate mall suspect is Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, who grew up in Norway and was born in Somalia.

How does a boy from a seaside town in Norway end up a terrorist in Kenya?

Kenyan authorities say they've identified one of the al-Shabab militants who laid siege to Nairobi's Westgate Mall last month. He's a Somali who grew up in Norway. And it seems Norwegian police knew he was a risk three years ago.

How does a boy from a seaside town in Norway end up a terrorist in Kenya?

When you buy ivory, you may be funding al-Shabab terrorists

Illegal sales of ivory and rhino horn are estimated to be a $2 billion a year industry. And some of that money is going to fund Islamic militant terrorists, according to a Dutch conservation group.

When you buy ivory, you may be funding al-Shabab terrorists
A Kenyan police officer tries to secure an area inside the Westgate Shopping Centre after a militant siege.

The urban guerrilla comes of age

Cities are centers of culture, but they're also increasingly home turf for militant warfare. That's what counter-insurgency guru David Kilcullen argues in his new book Out of the Mountains: The Coming of Age of the Urban Guerrilla.

The urban guerrilla comes of age

How the extremist group al-Shabab looks for recruits

A BBC filmmaker doing a documentary on the extremist group al-Shabab got a rare glimpse into its recruiting tactics

How the extremist group al-Shabab looks for recruits