Saturday 1, Feb, 2025 {HMC} A medevac plane crashed soon after takeoff in Philadelphia on Friday with a child and five others on board, the air ambulance company that operated it said, adding that it had not confirmed any survivors.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, based in Mexico and licensed to operate in the US, said its aircraft crashed with four crew members, one pediatric medical patient and the patient’s mother on board.

“At this time we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in a statement.
State and local officials said late on Friday they could not yet confirm how many people may have died on the ground after the plane slammed into a heavily populated portion of the city. Videos taken by witnesses of the crash clearly showed body parts strewn about the streets and inside nearby homes.

The Mexican government said all those on the plane were Mexican nationals, CNN reported.

The child was a girl on her way home with a final destination of Tijuana, Shai Gold, who works on corporate strategy with Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told CNN. Her mother was also aboard, he said.

“We are terribly shocked by this tragic turn of events,” Gold said. “This was a very seasoned crew. We are a leading air ambulance company, we fly 600 to 700 times a year.”

He said the company had invested heavily in maintaining its aircraft to the highest international standards and that the plane that crashed had been in excellent flying condition.

“We really don’t know what happened,” Gold said.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told a press conference at the crash scene that “we know there will be loss in this region.”

“We want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those that are grieving at this moment,” Shapiro said.

President Donald Trump wrote on social media that it was “so sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job.”

The crash follows this week’s collision of an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., which killed 67 in the deadliest airplane crash in the US since 2009.

The Federal Aviation Administration said six people were on the Learjet 55 that crashed around 6:30 p.m. (0030 GMT) on Friday. Local media reported it was near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia and that there were multiple injuries on the ground.

Video aired on local TV stations showed the plane in a sharp dive before hitting the ground and exploding in a massive fireball.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker told a press conference at the scene that several houses and cars had been engulfed in flames. She said the situation is “all hands on deck, that’s where we are right now.”

Officials said it was not clear what led to the crash. The weather was cold and rainy and with low visibility when the plane went down.

The air ambulance had left Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) to the southwest, the FAA said in a statement.

A large fire and several fire trucks were visible at the crash scene in images broadcast by the Philadelphia CBS affiliate. About two hours after the crash the fires were mostly out, according to TV images.

The Philadelphia police and fire departments did not respond to requests for comment.

Source: Agencies

Saturday 1, Feb, 2025 {HMC}  Somali President’s Special Envoy for Community Defense Forces, Ali Jeyte Osman, announced on Saturday that Somali army forces and local fighters have killed several AS militants, including foreign fighters, during intense clashes in the Hiiraan region over the past week.

Speaking to the media, Osman highlighted major victories in the battles fought between Beera Yabaal and Jicibow, under the Buula Burte district, where joint forces made significant gains.

“Foreigners have died in the war. Those still hiding in the mountains surprise us. We, the natives of this region, can not barely live in those forests, yet we have eliminated militants who do not belong here. The rest will be eliminated. We will not tolerate the presence of any foreign fighters in our country,” said Ali Jeyte Osman.

He also vowed to continue the offensive until Al-Shabaab is eradicated, promising retaliation for the pain the group has inflicted on civilians.
“I have two choices for Al-Shabaab: run and keep running, or stop fighting. We will avenge every innocent life lost,” Osman declared.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated group armed group Al-Shabaab has long maintained a presence in Hiiraan, disrupting security and governance through forced taxation, child recruitment, and violent attacks on civilians. Their harsh control over local communities has led many residents to join forces with the Somali National Army in the fight to expel the militants.

Saturday 1, Feb, 2025 {HMC} The al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which operates in Somalia, remains one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations active today. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, 69, is serving his second term as president. His presidency has been defined by the struggle against these terrorists. Up until now, the United States has been contributing significantly to this fight, with both money and troops.

The Post’s Lally Weymouth spoke with Mohamud on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Excerpts:

Lally Weymouth: What do you hope your country’s relationship will be with the new Trump administration?

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud: We always have a very good relationship with the United States. We don’t know what the new leadership will come up (with), but we do not expect something bad. Some people around President Donald Trump want him to recognize Somaliland [an autonomous part of Somalia that has governed itself since 1991] as an independent country.
Do you oppose the recognition of Somaliland?

Yes, we do. Somalia is one. It became an independent state in 1960. Somaliland was a British protectorate. The southern part of Somalia was an Italian colony. In 1960, both sides became independent and became the Somali Republic. Then the civil war occurred in 1991 and Somaliland seceded in that year from Somalia.

Although Somaliland has functioned as an autonomous region and has had elections, the other African states oppose its recognition presumably because they fear that it might lead to parts of their own countries breaking away. Is that the real argument against recognition?

If the borders of Africa are changed and new borders are developed, that is going to be a very serious problem. Yes, they have had elections in Somaliland, but elections are not, in my view, the criteria for secession.

When you came to office, you said one of your main aims was to defeat al-Shabab. How do you think the fight is going?

We have been fighting al-Shabab for the past 18 years militarily. We also fight al-Shabab with money and financial restrictions. Of course, al-Shabab is not completely defeated, but we have pushed and degraded them considerably and that was done by our own forces. Today, we are in control of hundreds of kilometers where al-Shabab dominated for years.

But the fight against al-Shabab is still difficult.

It’s difficult because we have a limited capability. After two years of continuous war, we have some level of fatigue. But we are reorganizing our forces now and there is a new campaign going on as I speak to you.

You’ve really made progress?

We have. The United States witnessed that. They were with us. They are our partner. The United States is supporting us in intelligence gathering, logistical support, aerial support, surveillance and sometimes even preempting certain attacks of al-Shabab on our forces. However, there are no American soldiers fighting on the ground.

To the American public, how would you explain why it is important to invest in the fight against this terrorist group in such a faraway country?

Al-Shabab is linked with al-Qaeda. And they have an international, global agenda.

But why should the United States help Somalia?

Because of our fight against al-Shabab, these terrorists don’t have the chance to run their networks in Europe and America. Before they had suicide bombers in London and in many other parts of Europe. Americans have preempted some strikes that al-Shabab was organizing within America. So al-Shabab is not a threat to Somalia only. That’s the reason America is supporting us.

In 2023, the United States gave your country approximately $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid, am I correct?

Not all in security assistance, much of this money was humanitarian.

Could al-Shabab impact the shipping lanes?

Yes. A more stable and secure Somalia will help secure the global trade routes.

Another threat to the region and to shipping are the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Al-Shabab and the Houthis have a very good relationship. They are exchanging weapons and training.

President Trump pulled U.S. troops out of Somalia during his first term and then President Joe Biden sent them back in 2022. What happens if President Trump pulls them out again?

What we ask of President Trump is not to pull out the American advisers and consultants who are supporting the training of our special forces. Indeed, we are requesting that the United States increase the number so that we can eliminate al-Shabab while President Trump is in office.

Can you degrade al-Shabab further without the United States? President Trump seems uninterested in overseas engagements, like the one in Ukraine.

This is different. Ukraine is a war between two countries. But fighting terrorist groups, which have no international link, is different. We need support. President Trump is a man of action. He does what he says. We hope that he will look at Somalia.

Will you go meet him?

That would be ideal. I would give him a good picture of Somalia. Americans are shaped by movies like “Black Hawk Down” or “Captain Phillips.” These are indicators that Somalia is a bad place, but Somalia isn’t a bad place.

What do you want your legacy to be?

We want a Somalia free from al-Shabab, we want Somalia to be a democratic country and a long-term partner of the United States.

Saturday 1, Feb, 2025 {HMC} Puntland regional authorities have imposed a ban on media outlets from contacting the Islamic State (ISIS) group as part of ongoing military operations targeting ISIS strongholds in the Al-Miskat mountains of the Bari region.

Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mahmoud Aydiid Dirir, announced the ban on Saturday, stating that the measure is intended to ensure media compliance with official guidelines and protect sensitive information during the offensive.

Under the ban, media outlets:
Cannot visit conflict areas without prior authorization from Puntland authorities.

Must rely solely on official sources for information about military operations.

Are prohibited from traveling to frontlines without permission from the Ministry of Information.
Minister Dirir stressed that the restrictions were necessary to protect journalists and maintain operational security as Puntland forces continue their efforts to dismantle ISIS strongholds.

ISIS in Somalia, established in October 2015, was formed by former al-Shabab fighters led by Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, who pledged allegiance to the late ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Despite facing increased U.S. airstrikes, including one on May 31, 2024, Mumin is reportedly still alive and remains a key figure in the group’s activities.

Source Hiiraan online