By William Tucker
Militants belonging to al-Shabaab struck the UN compound in Mogadishu today killing 15 people. The attackers used a suicide bomber to take out the compounds gate which then allowed several gunman to enter the facility. Somali government and African Union forces engaged the attackers and brought the assault to an end after an hour. The attack comes after the UN has managed to expand its operations on the African country following the combined military offensive against al-Shabaab. The al-Qaeda affiliated group lost much of its territory in the campaign and has resorted to using guerilla attacks against government and international targets. As the government in Mogadishu continues to solidify its hold on power – with some international help – al-Shabaab will continue to employ terrorism as its weapon of choice. The terrorist movement may attempt to regroup and reorganize to improve its effectiveness, but time is not a friend. Al-Shabaab may not go away, but the likelihood of its return to prominence is in doubt.
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