Al Shabaab's Abu Yahya al Libi May Have Been Killed in Dalayat, Somalia

THIRTEEN Al Shabaab insurgents including one of its top commanders were on Tuesday killed by the Kenya Defense Forces following a fierce exchange of fire at Dalayat, Southern Somalia.

Following the attack, one Kenyan soldier was wounded, and had to be flown to Garissa military camp, where he is undergoing medical attention.

Two other KDF soldiers who got hurt in the ensuing battle are said to have been treated and resumed operations in the war-torn horn of Africa state. "The other two who had sustained minor injuries were treated and have since resumed duty," Chirchir said, and commended the soldiers taking part in the Operation Linda Nchi. Abu Yahya who is Al Shabaab's field commander in the southern sector is believed to have been gunned down in the 4pm raid by a joint operation of KDF and Somalia's Transitional Federal Government soldiers.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms by KDF spokesman, Emmanuel Chirchir, the allied forces ambushed the insurgents' hideout, where it launched the attack. "During the attack, 13 Al Shabaab militants were killed while others escaped with serious injuries," read the statement which further revealed that eight machine guns were recovered. Hailing the breakthrough, Chirchir described Dalayat as a stronghold of Al Shabaab. He said the town doubles up as the terror group's command centre for the southern region, which in turn protects the town of Bula haji.

The gunning down of the Yahya is a major boost to KDF and TFG forces that have been fighting the Al-Qaeda- linked terror group for over three months. KDF has been repulsing the al shabaab, and has vowed not to relent in its quest to free Somalia from atrocities occasioned by the gang. The Kenyan forces have since captured key towns, especially in the coastal region, which had continued to pose a security threat to the Kenyan coastal line and urban centres.

The Rest @ All Africa

UK and Siwss Hostage negotiations by AQIM, in Gao, Mali, Acades, Niger

London considers granting facilitations to Abu QatadaBritain and Algeria warn abductors of the two hostages

Britain has proposed to offer facilitations to abductors of detainee Abu Quatada in exchange of releasing the British national.

• Meanwhile, both Britain and Algeria have made what it is called as “the last warning” to the kidnappers.
• Military actions which had already been planned on the triple borderline between Algeria, Mali, Niger and Mauritania before May, are likely to be resumed, following the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum being set by Sahel countries to facilitate vain negotiations with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Britain and Switzerland, said a security source.

However, a well informed source unveiled to El Khabar that Britain has made the most interesting proposal to the Sahara Emirate at AQIM, stipulating facilitating judicial procedures to Abu Qatada, in a way so as not to harm his legal situation.

Yet, a Salafist mediator, in Europe, already played mediation role in ongoing negotiations with terror abductor group led by Yahia Djouadi, mentioned that Abu Qatada is wanted by several countries, including France, Spain and Jordan, therefore releasing Abu Qatada means setting him subject to prosecution and abduction, the same source added.

However, the two abov ementioned hostages are likely to be released sooner, according to echoes coming from the place where secret negotiations are being conducted, namely in Gao, in Mali, and Acades, in Niger.

Yet, an Algerian security source had ruled out that Abu Amar group to dare and execute the British hostage, before the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum given to the British Government to release Abu Qatada.

The latter is considered as theorist of terror groups.

El Khabar source further said: “we’ve got guarantees from many influent parties in northern Mali and Niger over the life of the British hostage;” pointing out that “elders in tribes close to Algeria mentioned that Abu Amar group tends to release sooner the two hostages in exchange of some guarantees and an 8 millions euros ransom.”

On another side, Algerian security services and British Foreign Intelligence Services have both warned Sahara Emirate at AQIM of the consequence of touching the life of the two hostages. Algeria and Britain’s security services threatened to launch a wide military action targeting at eradicating the abductors and parties supporting them.

31-05-2009 By A.N/ Translation A.Ait El Hara 

The Rest @ al Khabar

Mali Army Officers (Tuaregs) are Executed When Eent to Negotiate Austrians' Release

This article appeared April 22, 2008, and I did not catch it until now.
However, therre are some Key names,dates, and events in the Mali Tuareg rebellion.

-Shimron

BRIEFSMYSTERIOUS MURDERS OF TUAREGS NEGOTIATING WITH AL-QAEDA KIDNAPPERS IN MALIThe bodies of three brutally executed men were found in the desert region of Kidal in northern Mali last week.

The victims turned out to be two Tuareg negotiators and a driver, assigned to mediate the release of two Austrian tourists, Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber, who were kidnapped in February by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) while on an “adventure holiday” in Tunisia. The kidnappers are believed to be under the command of AQIM leader Abdel Hamid Abu Zayd, thought to be the Saharan amir of AQIM, Yahia Abu Amar, selected the mediators and made arrangements for the meeting.

• In exchange for the Austrians, AQIM is demanding a ransom and the release of an Islamist and his wife that the group claims are being held and tortured in “the Austrian Guantanamo” (AFP, April 7).
• The murders of two of the six mediators appointed to negotiate the release of the two Austrians came only several days after negotiation efforts began (Al-Jazeera, April 16).
• The mediators were former rebel Tuareg commanders who were recently integrated into the Malian army as part of a peace deal struck last year.
• A student who was acting as a driver for mediator Baraka Cheikh was also killed after apparently being mistaken for Colonel Muhammad Ould Midou, another Tuareg officer (El Khabar [Algiers], April 20).
• On arrival at a tent sent up for the purpose of negotiations, the men were tied up and repeatedly shot in the head. The military commander of the Malian Tuareg rebels is Lt. Col. Hassan Fagaga, who has twice been integrated into the Malian army but has returned to the desert rebellion both times. Fagaga is now reported to be in league with rebel leader Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, who held out from last year’s accord with the government (Reuters, April 8).
• In March Fagaga threatened to “eliminate” any al-Qaeda operatives who ventured into the area controlled by the Tuareg rebels, though he acknowledged that some AQIM members had infiltrated the area around Kidal, close to the Algerian border and the scene of heavy fighting between the rebels and the Malian army last month (El Khabar, March 5).

Though there is little evidence so far as to who is responsible for this crime, some Tuareg suspect intelligence agents connected to the Malian Army of carrying out the murders. Referring to continuing ethnic tensions within Mali, Hassan Fagaga claims: “There is a plan to execute the commanders in the Malian army of Tuareg origin in the north…” (El Khabar, April 17). After the announcement of an unofficial truce earlier this month between Tuareg rebels and the Malian army, the heavy fighting seen in March has slackened off, though both sides remain on a war footing. The Tuareg rebels have their own hostages: 33 Malian soldiers who were captured last month but not released as they were supposed to be under the terms of the latest ceasefire.

• Negotiations for the release of the Austrians appear to have been suspended, though the Austrian Foreign Ministry asserts that efforts are continuing to obtain the release of the pair.
• Libya has also become involved in the negotiations at the highest levels, but three deadlines set by AQIM have already expired.
• Austria has denied sending its “Cobra” Special Forces team (Einsatzkommando Cobra, or EKO) to Mali to retrieve the hostages (El Khabar, March 26).

Full Article from Jamestown