Loosely translated as "The Youth," Al-Shabaab is a Somali Islamic militant group. The group’s size is estimated at 8,000 to 12,000 members. The group’s principal membership consists of young men and teenage boys conscripted into terrorism from local clans in the area. Al-Shabaab is made up of two primary groups; a minority of foreign fighters with a global extremist agenda and a majority of clan-based Somali's that seek to control Somali interests. Al-Shabaab forces control a significant portion of southern Somalia and its surrounding coast. Through intimidation, murder, and brutal interpretation of Sharia law, Al-Shabaab professes to waging a jihad against the “enemies of Islam,” including national agencies and foreign aid organizations operating in Somalia. The organization has clear ties to global terrorist networks, most directly linked to Al-Qaeda.
