SOMALIA - SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS SUGGEST STEPPED UP

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 002351

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER MOPS SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS SUGGEST STEPPED UP
AL-SHABAAB EFFORTS IN PUNTLAND

Classified By: Somalia Unit Counselor Bob Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b,
d).


1. (C) Summary: On November 11, likely al-Shabaab
operatives carried out three near-simultaneous attacks in
Puntland, resulting in the assassination of two senior
Puntland officials. Puntland Supreme Court Justice Mohamed
Abdi Aware was gunned down as he left mosque in Bossaso and
Puntland MP Ibrahim Elmi was shot and killed in the Puntland
capital of Garowe. Additionally, a hand grenade was
launched at a Puntland government building in north Galcaio.
The attacks were carried out within one and one-half hours of
each other at locations more than 700 kilometers apart,
suggesting a well planned operation of the sort mounted by
al-Shabaab in Somaliland and Puntland on October 29, 2008.
The attacks followed the November 6 assassination of a
Puntland intelligence officer and stepped up al-Shabaab calls
for attacks on Puntland. Our contacts tell us Puntland
security officials are conducting search operations and have
detained unnamed suspects. End Summary.

2. (C) Puntland Supreme Court Justice Mohamed Abdi Aware was
gunned down by two masked gunmen as he left a mosque in
Bossaso. Our contacts tell us Aware had been heading hearings
of accused al-Shabaab members in Bossaso and had recently
convicted several al-Shabaab members to 15 years in prison,
making him a likely target of al-Shabaab revenge. Puntland MP
Ibrahim Elmi was shot and killed when gunmen reportedly
approached a tea shop in which he was sitting in the Puntland
capital Garowe. Ibrahim Elmi was reportedly close to
President Faroole and was a well-respected and senior
Puntland political figure. Additionally, a hand grenade was
launched at a Puntland government building in north Galcaio
but resulted in no casualties.

3. (C) Our contacts tell us that al-Shabaab operatives may
have been able to play on subclan rivalries and coopt
Darod/Kabalah/Harti/Dishishe militiamen to carry out the
Bossaso attack. Some Dishishe clansmen, a commercially strong
but numerically weak subclan of the Darod/Harti, are
reportedly seeking to avenge a recent killing of one of their
kinsmen by Darod/Kabalah/Harti/Osman Mohamud clansmen. (Note:
Aware was from the Osman Mohamud subclan. End note.) Our
contacts tell us Puntland security officials have detained
unnamed suspects from the Dishishe subclan.

4. (C) In an early-evening November 12 meeting, Puntland
President "Faroole" told Somalia Unit that three suspects had
been arrested and that the investigation continued. On the
evening of November 11, "Faroole" urged Puntlanders in a
radio interview to cooperate actively with the authorities in
bringing those who planned the attacks to justice.

5. (C) Comment: Although al-Shabaab has not to date claimed
responsibility, the attacks, carried out within one and
one-half hours of each other at locations more than 700
kilometers apart were reminiscent of the October 29, 2008
near-simultaneous al-Shabaab-organized suicide bombings in
Somaliland and Puntland.
RANNEBERGER