On Wednesday, a military base in the southern Somali city of Baardhere came under attack by Al-Shabaab jihadists. Witnesses reported almost simultaneous suicide bomb blasts targeting the base, where Ethiopian and Somali troops are stationed, causing heavy gunfire. It is unclear if there were any casualties. Local police officer Abdi Bare said the situation in the area was "now normal". The attack came as the African Union (AU) announced it was beginning a drawdown of troops in the violence-wracked nation.

The AU Transition Mission (ATMIS) is mandated to reduce its forces by 2,000 by June 2023 in line with UN Resolutions. ATMIS has a more offensive remit than its predecessor and calls for Somali security forces to assume control of the nation by 2024. ATMIS has been conducting raids against Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliated group that has been waging a bloody insurgency against the fragile central government for more than 15 years.

Moreover, many defectors from Al-shabab have formed their own militia groups swearing allegiance to ISIS. ISIS is becoming a potent security threat across the African continent with formation of various new Islamic militias and reactivation of old sleeper cells recognizing ISIS as their ideological spearhead. These fundamentalist terror outfits work across the lawless corners of Africa ravaged by civil wars finding suitable land for establishing bases and training camps. In April last year, ATMIS replaced the previous mission known as AMISOM, which had a force of about 20,000. However, Al-Shabaab's attacks have continued to intensify and this week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sacked the head of the army and named Ibrahim Sheikh Muhidin as his successor. Somalia has been mired in chaos since the fall of dictator Siad Barre's military regime in 1991. The AU drawdown of troops is an attempt to restore order in the country and ensure the safety of its citizens.