A senior al-Shabaab leader in charge of finance was killed during a targeted operation which was carried out in the country’s southwestern region, the Defense Ministry of Somalia claimed in a statement seen by APA on Tuesday.
Abdullahi Abukar Ali, al-Shabab’s head of finance who was responsible for managing funds ostensibly extorted from civilians and coordinating the recruitment of child soldiers, was killed near Hudur town in the Bakool region, the statement said.
The statement did not state the exact date of the operation.
“Abukar was a key operative who had long operated in Bakool under al-Shabab’s control and was among the most sought-after figures in the group,” it added.
The ministry commended the successful operation carried out by the Somali National Army, which resulted in the killing of Abukar, saying the precision operation eliminated a significant threat and dealt a major blow to al-Shabab’s operational network in the region.
The latest operation came a day after the allied forces recaptured the strategic town of Bariire, which al-Shabaab had used as a launch pad for attacks in the region and the capital Mogadishu.
Several media outlets had reported that al-Shabaab militants had captured the strategic central Somali town of Mahaas district, in Hiiran region of Hirshabelle State, following heavy clashes with government troops and allied local militias.
MG/as/APA