Report: Heavy Fighting Between al-Shabaab Factions in Somalia

Locals Say Two Groups Engaged in Major Gun-Battle

Residents from the town of Barawa, Somalia are claiming a major battle has broken between two different al-Shabaab factions, leading to a significant gun-battle followed by a tense period of calm.

Details about the incident are scant, but reportedly it involves the power struggle between the group’s leader, Ahmed Godane, and a former spokesman who reportedly objects to ties with al-Qaeda.

Al-Shabaab dismissed the reports as “lies” and insists the group remains “united,” though it seems entirely possible that the fighting could’ve involved an off-shoot faction, as the group has always been loose-knit.

Barawa lies south along the coast from Mogadishu and north of Kismayo, deep in rebel-held territory. There is no way to independently confirm reports in the area, so it is unclear how big of a deal these reports are or if they indicate any sort of growing divide.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.