19/05/08 (B448) Somali Press Review / Somalia: A la suite de l’assassinat de plusieurs responsables de l’organisation, il y a quelques semaines, le Groupe Al Shabaab modifie sa stratégie et concentre ses actions dans au Sud Ouest de la Somalie. Un accord aurait été passé avec le nouveau leader du clan Ayr, qui dirige les opérations depuis Djibouti. Al Shabaab insurgents change strategy (En Anglais – Info lecteur)

Al Shabaab, the Somali Islamist insurgents, has changed strategy in the wake of the targetted assassination of the group’s senior leaders several weeks ago.

Al Shabaab was operating in the middle regions—Hiiraan and Galguduud—but now their movements are concentrated in south western parts of Somalia.

This change of strategy has got to do with pressure that the late Adan Hashi Ayro’s sub-clan exerted on the movement’s operatives in the middle regions after Al Shabaab insurgents attacked Adado, the hometown of the spokesman for the Hawiye Council, Ahmed Diriye.

A Mogadishu based journalist who wants to be quoted on the condition of anonymity and who is familiar with Al Shabaab operations told Somali Press Review that “Al Shabaab insurgents in south western regions belong to clans that were not in the past associated with the Ayr sub-clan to which the late Adan Hashi Ayro belonged.

Ayr sub-clan political leadership led by the Djibouti based Dr Ulusow agreed to move the movement’s operations to southern region and this, in their eyes, warranted cooperation with those on the trail of Al Shabaab leaders.”

How Al Shabaab insurgents in Bay, Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba regions will bank on support of the Ayr business men who bankrolled insurgents is to be seen.