The government of Somalia announced late on Sunday that Abdullahi Nadir, one of the founders of the insurgents organisation al Shabaab, had been killed in an operation with foreign allies.
In recent weeks, while fighting with neighborhood self-defense units, Somali security forces have hailed victories over the al Qaeda-affiliated militia. Al Shabaab has nevertheless persisted in carrying out devastating raids, including two last Friday that left at least 16 people dead.
The operation that resulted in Nadir’s death, according to a statement from Somalia’s communications ministry, took place on Saturday. According to the report, he served as al Shabaab’s top prosecutor and was next in line to succeed the ill Ahmed Diriye as organisation leader.
“His death is a thorn removed from the Somali nation,” the ministry’s statement said. “The government is grateful to the Somali people and international friends whose cooperation facilitated the killing of this leader who was an enemy of the Somali nation.”
Tens of thousands of people have been killed by explosions carried out by Al Shabaab terrorists since 2006 as they battle to topple Somalia’s Western-backed central government and impose their interpretation of Islamic rule.
After three years in which his predecessor, preoccupied by political infighting, took little action against al Shabaab, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, elected by parliament in May, has promised to go after the insurgents.
U.S. troops, drones, and an African Union peacekeeping operation all assist Somalia’s military. Which overseas allies took part in the operation that resulted in Nadir’s death was not immediately evident.