Somalia’s army claimed to have killed more than 100 Al Shabab terrorists, surrounding the militants as they attempted to storm three army bases on Monday.
Local security sources said 135 fighters were killed and 80 wounded, making it one of the heaviest losses for the group, which has terrorised the Horn of Africa since its formation in around 2006.
Security sources told The National that signals intelligence – intercepted communications – helped pre-empt the early-morning attack on three outposts outside Kismayo, leading the insurgents into an ambush. Jubaland state forces and the Somalian National Army co-operated in the operation, officials said.
Videos on social media in the aftermath of the attack in Jubaland – one of the country’s federal regions – showed scores of dead men in military fatigues with government forces in the background.
“Jubaland Forces intercepted communications between the militants and government informers hiding near the towns they planned to attack,” Abdirahman Salah, a security analyst in Kismayo, told The National on Monday.
“The informers were told to share maps and erroneous details about troop movements and numbers. This morning, around 5am, more than 200 militants simultaneously attacked Buulo Haji, Harboole and Biibi villages in Lower Juba region.”
Mr Salah said Al Shabab walked into a death trap. Captured weapons and ammunition, including rocket-propelled grenade launchers and support machineguns, were displayed by the government forces.
“Al Shabab attacked with suicide cars, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machineguns” he said. “In Buulo Haji, which was their main target, one of the suicide vehicles exploded on their fighters, another one fell in a ditch and the third they ran away from. It was a disastrous attack. They lost 100 men in Bula Haji alone.”
Al Shabab claimed to have killed 71 government soldiers. Officials and witnesses in Jubaland refuted the claims.
Government forces said two soldiers were killed in Harboole while 10 were injured, mainly in Buulo Haji, the epicentre of the attack on the three villages, which were previously controlled by the militants. The injured were flown to the capital, Mogadishu, for treatment, security sources said.
Al Shabab loss
“Today’s huge loss to Al Shabab in Harboole and Bulo Haji in Jubaland is a testament that their days are numbered, and it shows that the brave government forces have the ability to dethrone Al Shabab from all areas [where] they are hiding in Somalia,” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Monday.
Jubaland's president Ahmed Mohamed Islam, also known as Madoobe, said the victory against Al Shabab was a result of good co-operation between the public and government forces and called for closer ties to defeat the militants.
Since his re-election in 2022, President Mohamud has declared a “total war” on Al Shabab. He has targeted them economically by freezing the sources of their funds – reportedly millions of dollars – as well as fighting them ideologically, by challenging their violent interpretation of jihad, or holy war.
Al Shabab has nonetheless persisted, despite a joint international effort with Somalia’s government that has included the US, EU, Turkey, Britain, Italy and many African Union peacekeepers since 2007.
The group has continued attacks on the capital in recent years and is believed to be in talks towards a co-operation deal with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to a US intelligence assessment in June.
The Houthis have made the Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb almost impassable with their attacks on international shipping, claiming the campaign is in support of Gaza, which is under massive assault by Israel in its war on Hamas.
Al Shabab has carried on due to lawlessness in some parts of the country.
Last week, clan militias in central Somalia ambushed government forces escorting two trucks laden with guns and ammunition, which the government claimed to have intercepted from illegal arms smugglers from Ethiopia. It is unclear whether Al Shabab was the recipient of the looted arms.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THREE
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Leganes v Getafe (12am)
Levante v Alaves (4pm)
Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)
Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)
Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)
Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)
Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Barcelona v Granada (12am)
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Spec%20sheet
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Harry%20%26%20Meghan
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
