Exclusive: AFRICOM Chief says Islamic State doubles size in north Somalia
October 01, 2024 1:24 AM
By Carla Babb
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PENTAGON —
Islamic State in Somalia has approximately doubled in size over the past year, the chief of U.S. Africa Command told VOA.
“I am concerned about the northern part of Somalia and ISIS growing in numbers,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley said in an exclusive interview, using an acronym for the terror group.
Langley declined to provide the United States’ estimate of how many Islamic State fighters are in Somalia, other than to say that the group’s had grown about “twofold” in the past year. Previous estimates have put the number of Islamic State fighters in north Somalia at about 200 fighters.
The AFRICOM commander also warned about the possibility of Islamic State increasing its foreign fighter presence in Somalia.
October 01, 2024 1:24 AM
By Carla Babb
PENTAGON —
Islamic State in Somalia has approximately doubled in size over the past year, the chief of U.S. Africa Command told VOA.
“I am concerned about the northern part of Somalia and ISIS growing in numbers,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley said in an exclusive interview, using an acronym for the terror group.
Langley declined to provide the United States’ estimate of how many Islamic State fighters are in Somalia, other than to say that the group’s had grown about “twofold” in the past year. Previous estimates have put the number of Islamic State fighters in north Somalia at about 200 fighters.
The AFRICOM commander also warned about the possibility of Islamic State increasing its foreign fighter presence in Somalia.
https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-africom-chief-says-islamic-state-doubles-size-in-north-somalia/7805706.html
