Some al-Shabab members switching allegiance to ISIL
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The defections of two fighters, an American and a U.S. resident, from Somalia’s Islamic extremist rebels highlight tensions within al-Shabab over whether it should remain affiliated to al-Qaida or switch allegiance to ISIL, says an al-Shabab commander.
Foreign fighters are being alienated and feel trapped in Somalia over suspicions that they are plotting to switch allegiance to ISIL fighting in Syria and Iraq, Abu Mohammed, a military commander with alShabab said Tuesday. The “ambitions” by some foreign fighters to join ISIL had led to them to be isolated within the Somali group and even face death at the hands of their comrades-in-arms.
An American who had been fighting with al-Shabab left the rebels and was arrested by Somalia’s security forces on Monday. Abdimalik Jones, who said he is from San Diego, was arrested in the southern port of Barawe, said African Union spokesman Col. Paul Njuguna.
Jones claimed he fled al-Shabab because of rifts within the group, said an official with Somali security forces.
Separately an American resident, Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, who joined al-Shabab in Somalia more than seven years ago, surrendered to Somalia’s federal government on Nov. 6, the U.S. State Department said in an email.
Hassan had been fighting with al-Shabab but recently went online to urge others to carry out violence on behalf of ISIL.
“Some mujahedeen fighters are now preferring to fall into the enemy’s hands instead of meeting death in the hands of brothers,” said Mohammed, adding that the friction over ISIL “is messing everything up here.”