Most Wanted: US offers Sh1.2b for information on Al-Shabaab leader for role in 2020 attack
The United States on Thursday offered a Sh1.2 billion ($10 million) reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of suspected al-Shabaab leader Maalim Ayman.
Ayman is believed to have been behind the 2020 terrorist attack on U.S. and Kenyan personnel at the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya.
The State Department said it would offer the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in any country of Maalim Ayman, leader of the al-Shabaab unit Jaysh Ayman.
“We encourage anyone with information on those responsible for the 2020 attack on the Manda Bay Airfield to contact Rewards for Justice via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at +1-202-702-7843, or via local tips lines at +254 71 87 12 366 in Kenya and +252 68 43 43 308 in Somalia,” a State Department statement said.
“Ayman was responsible for preparing the January 2020 attack.”
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Do you have information on Maalim Ayman or any individuals responsible for the January 5, 2020 terrorist attack on U.S. & Kenyan personnel at the Manda Bay Airfield 🇰🇪? @StateDept Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million. https://t.co/bo9LJaDi0s https://t.co/qpBZFEpREl pic.twitter.com/RsZVK9OrlR
— U.S. Embassy Nairobi (@USEmbassyKenya) January 6, 2023
The Manda Bay facility is a Kenya Defense Forces military base utilized by US armed forces to provide training and counterterrorism support to East African partners, respond to crises and protect US interests.
The State Department also designated Ayman as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in November 2020.
Al-Shabaab, the Somali movement designated a terrorist group by Washington since 2008, claimed responsibility for the attack at the Manda Bay Airfield on Kenya’s northern coast.
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Authorities say the Jaysh Ayman unit carried out the pre-dawn raid, which killed two US military service members and a US defense contractor and destroyed several aircraft.
In a video released later by Al-Shabaab, a spokesperson for the group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The United States has worked closely with Kenya and the fragile government in Mogadishu to counter al-Shabaab, which has lost ground inside Somalia in recent months under pressure from an African Union force and US air strikes.
A study last year by George Washington University’s Program on Extremism said that Jaysh Ayman was formed by al-Shabaab to penetrate into Kenya.
The unit, which has exercised growing autonomy, includes foreigners, dual nationals and Kenyans both of Somali and non-Somali descent, it said.
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