Treasury sanctions arms traffickers connected to ISIS and al-Shabaab in Somalia
A terrorist attack in the Somlian capital of Mogadishu killed more than 100 on Saturday
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The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on Tuesday against arms traffickers connected to ISIS and al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist network that claimed responsibility for a car bomb that killed more than 100 people in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu on Saturday.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who lost loved ones and were injured in Saturday’s horrific attack and strongly condemn this indefensible act of terrorism," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
"Today, we take direct aim at the networks funding and supplying both ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab that support their violent acts."
Tuesday's sanctions mark the first time that the Treasury has targeted ISIS in Somalia, though sanctions were also levied against al-Shabaab in mid-October.
A view shows smoke rising following a car bomb explosion at Somalia's education ministry in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 29, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media. (Abdihalim Bashir/via Reuters / Reuters Photos)
A general view shows the scene of an explosion near the education ministry building along K5 street in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 29, 2022. (Reuters/Feisal Omar / Reuters Photos)
Several of the individuals sanctioned on Tuesday primarily traffic weapons between Yemen and Somalia, including Isse Mohamoud Yusuf, who the Treasury said runs a network of smuggling vessels to transport AK-47s, PKMs, RPG-7s and IED parts to ISIS.
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Another sanctioned individual, Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr, is a supporter of ISIS in Brazil. He allegedly attempted to contact North Korean embassy officials in Brazil to purchase lightweight weaponry and anti-drone technology for ISIS, but was unsuccessful.
Civilians gather near the ruins of a building at the scene of an explosion along K5 street in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 30, 2022. (Reuters/Abdirahman Hussein / Reuters Photos)
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U.S. forces have also conducted operations targeting terrorist networks on the ground in Somalia, including an airstrike last month that took out Abdullahi Nadir, a top official who was in line to replace al-Shabaab's leader.
President Biden redeployed about 500 Special Operations troops to Somalia in May after former President Trump withdrew them in December 2020.