Somalia

Somali terror groups could tighten Hormuz chokehold through Bab-el-Mandeb piracy, experts say

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is already considered a significant vulnerability due to the presence of Yemen's Houthi terrorists.

FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship is from Lido beach in central Mogadishu, on April 25, 2025 in Mogadishu, Somalia.
FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship is from Lido beach in central Mogadishu, on April 25, 2025 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Suspected pirates hijack cargo ship off Somalia, vessel headed toward coastline with crew onboard

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi in first diplomatic visit to Somaliland on January 6, 2026.

Israel's Somaliland envoy sparks regional backlash from 15 Arab, Muslim states

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows activity at a street in the southern city of Baidoa, Somalia November 3, 2018.

Somali national army takes control of part of Baidoa, largest city in South West state


Somalis arrested in Minneapolis immigration operation, federal officials say

Also on Thursday, federal officials said they had arrested dozens of people in New Orleans, another Democratic-run city.

Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman speaks alongside other elected officials at a press conference to address reported federal operation targeting Somali immigrants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 3, 2025.

Minnesota leaders push back as Trump targets Somali community

Minnesota leaders push back after Trump escalates attacks on the state’s Somali community.

Somali residents look out of the lobby of the Riverside Plaza, an apartment complex popular among Somali-Americans, amid reports of a planned federal operation targeting Somali immigrants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, December 2, 2025.

US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries, including Iran

The list of countries targeted includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

US President Donald Trump speaks inside the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, DC, November 12, 2025

Treasury Dept. investigates allegations that Minnesota tax dollars sent to al-Shabaab terrorists

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US is reviewing allegations of diverted Minnesota funds to al-Shabaab, a charge Governor Tim Walz calls unfair to Somali Americans.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, November 5, 2025; illustrative.

Minnesota's tax money 'almost certainly' ends up in hands of Somali terror group Al-Shabaab

Minnesota's Somali community has sent millions of tax funds to Somalia via hawala networks, much of which has ended up in the hands of Al-Shabaab.

 PREVIEW Police officers stand guard near Hayat Hotel, the scene of an al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group militant attack, in Mogadishu, Somalia August 21, 2022

Minnesota’s Somali community sending millions to Islamist al-Shabaab terror org. - report

“For every dollar that is transferred from the Twin Cities back to Somalia, Al-Shabaab is . . . taking a cut of it,” a source told City Journal.

Soldiers of the Somalia National Army (SNA) walk near the frontlines at Sabiid, one of the towns they have liberated from the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, Al-Shabaab, in Somalia's lower-Shabelle region on November 11, 2025.

Trump ends protection for Somalis in Minnesota claiming 'gangs terrorizing people'

This comes after several Republican lawmakers shared reports that fraud in Minnesota assisted the Al-Shabaab militant group in Somalia.

US President Donald Trump speaks inside the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, DC, November 12, 2025

At least 42 migrants missing, presumed dead, after boat capsizes off Libya, IOM says

At least 42 migrants are missing after a boat capsized off Libya, the IOM said. Seven survivors were rescued after six days at sea as migrant deaths in the Mediterranean continue to rise.

A member of the Red Crescent walks next to a body bag in a location given as near Surman, Libya, after a migrant boat capsized west of Libya's capital Tripoli, in this handout image released on October 28, 2025.

LNG tanker evades pirates off Somalia as attacks escalate, maritime sources say

Amid a recent spate of armed attacks on vessels in the region, a liquefied natural gas tanker outran pirates seeking to board the vessel.

An Indian soldier stands guard next to captured Somali pirates after they were brought in for prosecution by the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2024.

Assailants attack tanker off Somali coast in suspected pirate strike

If confirmed, this would be the first Somali piracy attack against a commercial ship in over a year.

An Indian soldier stands guard next to captured Somali pirates after they were brought in for prosecution by the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2024.