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Terrorist leaders in southern Somalia associated with Islamist factions have hailed recent pirate attacks off the coast of the Horn of Africa region, Radio Garowe reports. In separate comments, Terrorist al-Shabaab, spokesman jehadist Muktar Robow “Abu Mansur” and Ras Kamboni Brigade leader Sheikh Hassan Abdullahi “Turki” have hailed ship-hijackings by Somali pirates. In Baidoa, capital of Bay region, Abu Mansur told reporters that the pirates are “protecting the Somali coast.” “Foreign powers want to divide the country [Somalia] and the pirates are protecting the coast against the enemies of Allah [God],” Terrorist Abu Mansur said. He condemned the interim government of Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, saying the government “sold the sea” to the neighboring Republic of Kenya.
Map of political division in Somalia
Somalia-Kenya sign MoU for maritime ‘area under dispute’
Abu Mansur said Somali talaban Planning Minister ex-Somali jehadist Abdirahman Abdishakur signed the controversial Memorandum of Understanding between Kenya and Somalia after “pressure from Western governments.” ‘Pirates are Mujahideen’ Separately, Sheikh Turki, a notorious Islamist guerrilla leader accused of terror ties by the U.S. government, told supporters in the southern port city of Kismayo that Kenya “will not be allowed one meter of Somalia.”
He criticized Somali pirates as “money-seekers,” but praised pirate attacks: “I can say the pirates are part of the Mujahideen [religious fighters], because they are in a war with Christian countries who want to misuse the Somali coast. Somali jehadist Al-Qaeda linked Terrorist leader Sheikh Turki specifically commended Somali pirates for kidnapping Mr. Richard Phillips, the American captain of the Maersk Alabama vessel that escaped a pirate attack last week.
The semi-autonomous regional government had authorised the overflights to pursue Al-Qaeda members believed to be hiding in the moutainous area, Puntland’s security minister Ibrahim Artan Ismail told reporters. . . .
“We know that American warplanes are overflying Puntland territory. This air surveillance is part of an agreement reached between Puntland authorities and the Americans,” Islamil told a news conference in northern Somali town of Bosasso.
“The warplanes are looking for Al-Qaeda hideouts and when they get them, they will bomb them,” he said, adding that the air operation covers areas where intelligence shows Al-Qaeda elements are hiding.
Residents told Somali media that US planes have been overfying the area. Ismail asked residents of the inland mountanious areas and the hilly shoreline “not to worry about planes flying over them.”
A US navy destroyer shelled the coast on June 2, killing at least 12 Islamist fighters, including foreigners, who were believed to be allied to extremist groups, Puntland officials said.
CNN reported that the destroyer was targeting a suspected Al-Qaeda operative believed to have been involved in the 1998 attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people.
Earlier this year, a US plane bombed positions in southern Somalia after Ethiopia-backed Somali government forces ousted a powerful Islamist movement from the country’s southern and central regions. Local elders said more than 100 civilians were killed.
The targets were suspected Al-Qaeda operatives blamed both for the 1998 US embassy bombings and the 2002 suicide attack on an Israeli-owned hotel in the Kenyan port of Mombasa that killed 15 people.
Among the so-called “high value” Al-Qaeda militants believed to be in Somalia are Fazul Abdullah Mohammed from the Comoros, Kenyan Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan and Sudanese national Abu Taha al-Sudani, an arms expert believed to be close to Osama bin Laden.
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MOGADISHU, Somalia (Reuters) – Shells pounded Mogadishu, killing at least 73 people to swell a death-toll already in the hundreds from this week’s battles between militant Islamists and allied Somali and Ethiopian troops.
The escalating war has also sent more than 321,000 residents — nearly a third of Mogadishu’s total population — fleeing in the biggest refugee movement in Somalia since the 1991 fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre ushered in 16 years of anarchy.
The Islamists ruled most of south Somalia for the second half of 2006, before being defeated in a brief war over the New Year. But Islamist fighters — backed by some disgruntled Hawiye clan elements — have regrouped to rise up against President Abdullahi Yusuf’s administration and his Ethiopian backers.
Somalia: Puntland President’s Statement on Pirate Attacks
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
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The distant-water fishing vessels include those sailing under flags of conveniences such as China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Honduras, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Soviet Federation, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Yemen had allegedly fished within 12 miles Somali waters. These vessels are in search of Dolphin fish, Grouper, Emperors, Tuna sp., Mackerel sp., Snapper, Swordfish, Shark sp. Herring and of course, other valuable in Somali coastal water species.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
Some background on elements of piracy and international law. It’s important these acts to be performed outside territorial waters on the high seas.
(GlobaSecurity.org) – Four main pirate groups are operating along the Somali coast. The National Volunteer Coast Guard (NVCG), commanded by Garaad Mohamed, is said to specialize in intercepting small boats and fishing vessels around Kismayu on the southern coast. The Marka group, under the command of Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad (also known as Yusuf Indha’adde), is made up of several scattered and less organized groups operating around the town of Marka. The third significant pirate group is composed of traditional Somali fishermen operating around Puntland and referred to as the Puntland Group. The Somali Marines are the most powerful and sophisticated of the pirate groups. It has a military structure, with a fleet admiral, admiral, vice admiral and a head of financial operations.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."