On Saturday October 5, the U.S. Army's Delta Force, which has responsibility for counterterrorism operations in North Africa, carried out attacks in Somalia and the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
The attacks struck Islamic extremists who played a role in the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, on August 7, 1998, that killed more than 220 people.
In Tripoli, U.S special forces captured Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, known by his alias Anas al-Libi, in a raid. Al-Libi (photo below) is on the FBI's most-wanted list with a $5 million US bounty on his head.
The Pentagon's chief spokesman George Little said Saturday al-Libi "is currently lawfully detained by the U.S. military in a secure location outside of Libya." He did not disclose further details.
Libya said Sunday it has asked the United States for "clarifications" regarding the abduction in Tripoli of al-Qaeda leader al-Libi adding that Libyan nationals should be tried in their own country.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday defended the capture of al-Libi, saying complaints about the operation from Libya and others are unfounded. Kerry said the suspect was a "legal and appropriate target" for the U.S. military and will face justice in a court of law. Kerry added it was important not to "sympathize" with wanted terrorists.
Earlier, Kerry said the raids would send the message that terrorists "can run but they can't hide."
[Source: Associated Press AP on October 7, 2013]
美国特种部队海豹突击队5日在索马里南部港口城市巴拉韦实施突袭，对一处海边寓所实施空降打击。该目标据称是反政府武装索马里青年党据点，也是一名武装头目的藏身处。
On [October] 5, a U.S. special forces Navy Seals shock brigade carried out a surprise attack in the South-Somalian seaport of [Balawei => Barawe] and targeted some dwelling place on the sea in an airborne attack. It is said their target was a stronghold of the armed Somalian Youth Party which is opposing the government and was, as well, the hiding-place of an armed leader.
依照索马里青年党多名头目描述，突击队员由直升机空降至海滨寓所，意图谋杀一名青年党指挥官，但行动失败。
Relying on the description [given by] many leaders of the Somalian Youth Party, members of the shock brigade [moved] by helicopter to the seashore residence with the intention to murder a commander of the Youth Army. However, the operation failed.
[Sky News: Their target was Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, also known as Ahmed Godane, who claimed responsibility for last month's Nairobi shopping mall massacre that killed at least 67 people, according to a Somali intelligence official.]
索马里青年党发言人表示，“这次差劲的行动由白人实施，他们开了两艘船从海上过来……青年党一名卫兵死亡，增援赶到后把外国人赶跑。我们发现了许多血，也许打伤了他们中一些人。”
A spokesman for the Somalian Youth Party stated: "That disappointing operation was carried out by white people. They came over the sea on two ships ..... one guard of the Youth Party died. After reinforcement rushed in, the foreigners hurried to run away. We discovered much blood and wounded several among them."
如果基本事实属实，那么这是4年来海豹突击队首次在索马里实施打击行动。2009年，海豹突击队在同一地区展开行动，击毙一名“基地”组织头目。
If the basic facts are real, this should be the first combat mission of a Navy Seals shock brigade in Somalia during the last four years. In 2009, a Navy Seals shock brigade launched an operation in the same region [where they] shot dead a leader of Al-Qaeda organization.
索马里政府高级官员说，行动前，索马里政府得到美方通知。 综合新华社电/专稿
A high-ranking official in the Somalian government said the Somalian government received notice from the U.S. side before the operation [took place].
[Source: mil.sohu 搜狐军事 quoting Xin Hua news agency 新华社 on October 7, 2013]
Al-Shabaab released photos of U.S. gear it says was left behind in the aborted raid.
Editor's Note:
The Chinese expression meaning "Youth Party 青年党" is used to indicate the Arabic name "Harakat Ash-Shabaab Al-Mujahidin حركة الشباب المجاهدين " or "Movement of the Mujahideen Youth". From there, the abbreviation Al-Shabaab is usually taken to name the militant Islamist party in Somalia's civil war which is considered as the Somalian faction of Al-Qaeda.
Defiant Somalian rebels and African Union troops in 2012.
Until August 2011, Al-Shabaab, the Islamist party of Somalia, reached its maximum influence when it controlled half of the country's territory including parts of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. During 2012 that influence decreased, due to military intervention by the African Union. In September 2012, finally, Al-Shabaab was forced out of its most important strongholds and decided to wage a guerilla war that soon swapped into neighbouring Kenya where the bloody attack on a Nairobi shopping mall has just ended. The so-called White Widow, Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of an Al-Shabaab terrorist of Irish origin, is now suspected of having participated in the Nairobi attack. As her whereabouts could not be detected up to now, she has landed on the wanted list of Interpol:
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