Challenges, such as weak infrastructure and ill-equipped armed forces, corruption, pandemic, and drought, have become intrinsic to Somalia, mutually reinforcing each other. Additionally, they have been exploited by terrorists to advance their Islamist cause. While re-evaluating counter-terrorism strategies to defeat al-Shabaab, the allied partners should carefully consider these factors’ role in sustaining the insurgency and address the security crisis – state and human security – accordingly.
The Metastasising ISKP Menace for India
The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for last year’s botched Coimbatore and Mangalore blasts in an attempt to show its expanding influence, which raises serious concerns for Indian security agencies.